Tangled Up in Blue

by idiot-wind89

A year after Elijah and Elena's wedding, Klaus and Caroline are reunited by a tragic set of life-changing circumstances. AH/AU (continuation of Heart-Shaped Glasses)

27. Chapter 27

A/N: I'm so sorry everyone for making you wait so long. I can assure you I haven't given up on this story, but I had a very busy and exciting summer. My work and my love life kind of took a lot out of me and it was very hard to focus on much else. Being back in school doesn't help either. I also struggled finding the inspiration to write since the chapter was taking forever because of the realities of life. I'm hoping posting this chapter and hearing from you all will inspire me to start writing a little bit more.

I'd like to thank my beta, livingdeadblondequeen for sticking by me and reading/editing this beast of a chapter.

---

Both he and Caroline glanced at the phone curiously with Marcel's cryptic hint at the good news he had that would somehow lure him back to New York.

"What's the news you have, mate?" he asked, anxious for what Marcel was about to tell him.

"Well, it's been local artists' month in the City. A lot of the big galleries have been showcasing the work of upcoming local talent..."

"Get on with it," he said exasperatedly, no longer able to handle the suspense.

"I might have submitted some of your work along with mine..." Marcel admitted.

"Thanks for asking for my permission," he cut in sarcastically.

"Hey! I made sure you were credited! Anyways, they're having a big gala at the end of the month to display the work of the best of the best as judged by prominent gallery owners, big names in the art community, and a few celebrities..." Marcel started, "my photography was chosen...your paintings were chosen!" he said excitedly.

The news was a very unexpected surprise. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was a rare chance for him to put his work and his name out there and receive some recognition.

He couldn't help but mirror the excited tone of Marcel's voice with an enthusiastic smile. Glancing over at Caroline, he noticed she was doing the same.

"This is a huge deal man! We could put our work and our studio on the map. We could even make some big sales with this event," Marcel said, listing the possibilities.

"This is a huge deal," he agreed. "I suppose I should be thanking you, mate."

"Uh yeah you should. So you need to get some new pieces together, book your flight, and get your ass out here for it," Marcel urged.

"New pieces?" he inquired.

"Yeah, well they don't want to display all of the same work that I originally submitted. They want to see something new, too," Marcel explained.

The new paintings he had been working on hadn't exactly carried on the same theme he had pursuing when he was in New York. He wasn't sure having his old work displayed alongside his new work would make sense.

"When is this gala?" he asked, excited by the prospect of the attention he would receive for is work, daunted by the prospect of having to mingle with and kiss the asses of those who he and Marcel had frequently referred to as 'art snobs.'

"Two weeks," Marcel answered. "You need to come out," he continued to encourage, "Bring Grayson and your girl," he added, the smirk in his voice evident.

"Listen, I'll talk to you later when I'm not driving, mate," he said to Marcel. "I'll do my best to make it out," he offered, still unsure of Caroline's plans and whether he could just up and leave to New York for a couple of days.

"He'll be there," Caroline cut in sternly, glaring at him as if he was crazy for vacillating on such an opportunity.

Marcel chuckled on the other end.

"She's already telling you what to do!" he teased jovially. "Please tell me you and the little guy will be coming out too?" Marcel asked Caroline.

Caroline hesitated.

"I am busy with my own work right now, but we'll see," she told Marcel.

He was a little dismayed by Caroline's unsure response to taking a trip to New York with him, but he understood that she had a lot on her plate at the moment. With weddings and the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant just around the corner, it would be difficult for her to drop everything just to accompany him to New York. He understood her position, though he wanted nothing more than for her and Grayson to come with him.

"Alright," Marcel accepted. "So where are you two love birds off to?" he asked.

He scowled.

"We're headed up to Elijah and Elena's lake house for the weekend," he revealed.

Marcel snorted.

"Klaus the city boy in the great big outdoors?" Marcel chuckled. "Klaus won't be protecting you from any bears, Caroline. Hell, the guy is afraid of the squirrels in Central Park."

She laughed alongside Marcel.

"Hey, my parents shipped me and my siblings off to summer camp as soon as school let out, ask Kol," he answered Marcel's teasing defensively.

"I'd hardly call this the outdoors anyways," Caroline added. "It's a house with modern amenities...just kind of in the middle of nowhere."

"How romantic...is the little one with you?" Marcel asked.

He rolled his eyes at Marcel's attempts to fish for all the juicy details of their new relationship. No doubt, he would be meeting up with Kol to share all the information.

"He is with us...actually we're going up there to pack up any of Elijah and Elena's personal items since we'll be renting it out for the summer. Stefan and his fiancé Meredith are coming up to help us," he explained.

"Oh," Marcel acknowledged. "Then I guess you two better keep it PG. Have fun," he chuckled. "Klaus, we'll talk about the details of the event when you get back," he told him. "I'm heading to the subway so I'm probably going to lose reception."

"Sounds good, mate," he agreed.

"It was nice chatting with you, angel," Marcel said to Caroline. "I hope to see you in New York."

"GOODBYE MARCEL!" he said earnestly.

"It was nice chatting with you too, Marcel," Caroline said politely. "Thanks for helping Klaus with this big opportunity! Hopefully we can meet soon, and you can meet Grayson!"

"For sure!" Marcel said to her before he ended the call.

Caroline placed his phone in the centre console and he waited with bated breath for Caroline's full reaction to the news.

She turned to him with a beaming smile and squealed excitedly, only quieting when she remembered Grayson asleep in the backseat.

Taking it as a good sign, he resumed his enthusiasm.

"Oh my god!" she gushed. "Klaus! That's such great news!"

He nodded with a modest smile.

She shook his arm playfully.

"Come on! This is big! Think about how many people are going to see your paintings!" she continued.

Her fervor was rubbing off on him, though he still felt anxious and hesitant about the news. The number of people who would be viewing and critiquing his work is what unnerved him the most.

"Are you nervous?" Caroline inquired, studying his body language.

He shook his head, but he could tell Caroline wasn't buying it.

"Klaus! You're so talented. You have nothing to worry about. I mean, your work was selected over so many others to be displayed! That has to mean something!" Caroline said encouragingly.

"Perhaps," he said tentatively.

She arched an incredulous eyebrow at him.

"I never knew you had a modest side," she mused.

He shrugged.

"I know this is the kind of big break you've wanted," Caroline reminded him. "Don't even think twice about going to New York because you're going," she insisted.

Now it was his turn to give her an incredulous stare.

"Since when do you get to tell me what to do, love?" he remarked with a smirk.

She snickered playfully.

"Since you clearly aren't thinking straight," she pointed out, "having second thoughts about such a big opportunity. Everyone is going to love your work; you're going to New York."

He looked at her thoughtfully.

"Are you and Grayson going to come with me?" he asked suggestively.

Caroline stared out the passenger window hesitantly.

"I know you're busy with your own work," he sighed. "I don't want you to feel obligated...but it might be good...you could go back to the city, catch up with Bonnie, meet Marcel, everyone could see Grayson..."

You could come with me to the art event to keep my nerves in check, he thought to himself.

She smiled and nodded in agreement.

"It'll be Bonnie's birthday around then, and it would be nice for her and Kol to see Grayson..." she noted, falling silent for a few moments. "I haven't been to the City in a while," she added. "I'd also love to support you...and I think it's time for me to meet the infamous Marcel," she chuckled. "I just don't know if I can make it work with my schedule," she sighed.

"I know, love," he said. "Don't stress about trying to make it work if you can't. You have enough on your plate as it is."

"Maybe if I can't come you and Grayson can make a guys weekend out of it?" she mused. "I know you'll be busy when you're there, but I'm sure Bonnie and Kol would love to have Grayson."

He chuckled.

"It would be Grayson's first time on a plane. I'm not sure I could handle him by myself if he decides flying isn't his forte," he joked.

She laughed, likely imagining the same worst case scenarios with Grayson on a plane that Klaus was.

"I really want all three of us to go together. We've been talking about how we would...even before we...were 'us,'" she continued carefully. "I want it to happen, but it might involve a lot of extra hours at the store..."

He noticed her peer into the backseat at Grayson who was fast asleep.

"Don't worry about Grayson," he told her, knowing it was what was on her mind.

"But you have to prepare for the event in New York too," she reminded him.

"We'll make it work," he assured her.

---

When they finally arrived at the lake house, the sun was going down.

She exhaled softly at the sight of the rustic house set down a gravel drive, hidden behind tall green trees.

The image had always made her so excited as a child; coming here with Elena had always been a highlight of her summer.

Now, it left her with a gnawing dull pain in her chest and watery eyes as endless sad thoughts crossed her mind. She thought about how she would never come here again with Elena – they would never laugh together here as they sunbathed on the back deck or jumped off the dock into the lake. She thought about how Elijah and Elena never made it here to belatedly celebrate their anniversary by the large stone fireplace in the family room. She thought about how they would never get the chance to bring Grayson here and fill his own childhood memories with fun and adventure.

That's what she thought about as she removed a sleepy Grayson from the car.

She did her best to hold back her tears.

She did her best to listen to what Grayson's teacher had said and ignore the guilt she felt for being here with Grayson and Klaus. A part of her felt like they were imposing. They shouldn't be here with Grayson pretending like he was theirs, attempting to fill Elijah and Elena's shoes, trying to make the memories with him that they were not here to make with him.

It would keep eating at her though if she continued to think that way. This is what Elijah and Elena wanted in the event they weren't here to see things through and fulfill all their hopes for Grayson themselves. They would want Grayson to come here and see this place. They would want him to have fond and happy memories of it when he was older – not sad memories of what could have been. She and Klaus were doing the right thing by bringing Grayson here and doing what they could to keep the house for him. They were allowed to enjoy their weekend here – as she had done so many times as a girl; they were allowed to be happy despite the tragedy.

Klaus met her at the car door with some of their things in hand.

She followed Klaus up the steps of the front porch with Grayson in her arms, bouncing him a little to keep him awake so she could change him and feed him a bottle before bed.

Klaus stepped aside at the front door, his hands too full to open it; she had the keys anyways.

When she opened the door, the house was dark and had a faint musty smell to it after sitting vacant for the winter. It wasn't anything that a few open windows and air fresheners wouldn't solve.

She turned on the lights revealing to her the open main floor – the large kitchen and the spacious but cozy family room.

Briefly, she could almost see her younger self with Elena and Jeremy seated at the coffee table fighting over a board game on the days it was too rainy to go outside.

"I'll go set Grayson up," Klaus offered, moving towards the stairs with some of the things he brought inside.

"I'll get him ready," she replied.

Using the portable supplies they used when they were out with Grayson, she changed Grayson's diaper and his clothes quickly on the living room floor.

Without anything to contain him, she watched him closely as he crawled around the floor, mostly marveling at the pattern on the somewhat dated sofa, as she prepared his bottle.

She carried Grayson around the main floor, his bottle firmly in his clutches. It was impossible not to look at all the family photos scattered about the main floor on every shelf, empty wall, and side table; they were all photos they would have to take down and pack up.

The last time she had been here was in the summer. When Kol was in New York visiting Bonnie, they had made the trip to Virginia and Elena and Elijah invited them all to the lake house. Being the fifth wheel that weekend had its awkward moments at times, but she'd enjoyed herself regardless. Elena had been very pregnant, and both she and Elijah were glowing with happiness over Grayson's impending arrival – but also nervous as hell. Bonnie and Kol had been in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, having just put a label on it a few months prior when Bonnie had visited him in London.

After staring at the view of the calm lake for the final moments of daylight, she carried Grayson upstairs.

She found Klaus in the room she had stayed in the last time she was here, setting up Grayson's portable crib.

This room had two sets of bunk beds and was usually where she would stay with Jeremy and Elena when they were younger. As they got older, however, she and Elena would stay in the other room with the larger single bed.

She stared at the pale blue walls as she stood with Grayson in the doorway.

"This was supposed to be Grayson's room," she revealed to Klaus, knowing that he was probably unaware of that fact.

He looked at her curiously as he finished completing the crib.

"Bonnie and I painted it for Elena last summer," she explained, as she peered inside the closet, nodding towards some unopened furniture. "Elena and Elijah never did get the room finished," she sighed, kissing the top of Grayson's head before setting him down in the crib.

She glanced around the room, more memories overcoming her.

"Maybe we should start getting some boxes together and packing some things now..." she suggested anxiously, eager to take her mind off her persistent thoughts.

Klaus slid his arm around her, kissing her temple.

"Maybe we should just call it a night; it's been a long day," he proposed.

She sighed receptively to Klaus's idea. It had been a busy and stressful day, and though it was still relatively early and there were a number of things they could be getting done, she was exhausted.

"I think you're right," she agreed.

"I'll get the rest of our things; go get ready for bed, sweetheart," he urged her.

---

Fresh air flooded her senses as her eyes fluttered open to find herself in the master bedroom of the lake house.

Klaus wasn't in bed beside her, but she wasn't surprised to find him absent. At one point or another he had explained to her his discomfort sleeping in new places and in new beds. The fact that it was this bed, in this room in particular probably didn't help him.

She too had been reluctant to stay in this room with Klaus the night before – it having previously been occupied by Elena and Elijah, as well as Elena's parents.

The idea of sleeping in the bed they had once slept in made her uneasy, as if she and Klaus were overstepping somehow.

However, she and Klaus really had no other choice. One bedroom was occupied by Grayson, and Meredith and Stefan would be staying in the spare room. She wasn't going to make them stay in the master and have them feel the same questionable way she did about it.

She really hadn't been in the mood last night to raise much of an issue about it anyways. Exhausted, she grabbed only the essential things she needed and got ready for bed, falling asleep almost instantly. Truthfully, she had been so tired; she could barely remember Klaus joining her.

Despite the conflicted feelings she had about staying in this room for the night, she had had one of the most restful sleeps she had had in a while. She attributed that to a combination of her exhaustion and the clean air rolling into the room off the lake from the large open windows. Birds were chirping and the sun was pouring in through the white drapes.

Stretching comfortably, she opened her eyes and reached for her phone to check the time. The nine hours of sleep she had just received was probably the number one explanation for why she felt so good.

Though it was still relatively early – considering how early she had called it a night yesterday – she cursed herself for sleeping in and Klaus for letting it happen.

They were expecting Meredith and Stefan at noon and there were a lot of things she wanted to get done before their arrival – namely gathering up all the personal items that belonged to Elijah and Elena.

Slipping out of bed, she found herself craving her morning coffee. She also wouldn't have minded taking a run on the nearby trails – but they had work to get done this weekend.

Descending the creaky wooden stairs, she admired the way the morning sun lit up the main floor. It truly was a beautiful view, she thought as she started to make a fresh batch of coffee in one of the few coffeemakers' Elijah and Elena had received as a wedding gift.

With no sign of Klaus, she assumed that perhaps he had taken advantage of the location and the weather to go for a run, and so she was about to return upstairs to check on Grayson, but she caught sight of Klaus outside on the back deck from the corner of her eye.

He was sitting casually on one of the deck chairs, his legs propped up on another chair, dressed in only the jeans he had worn the previous day. She smirked giddily at the sight, admiring his mused hair, scruff, and lack of a shirt. What really made her smile, however, was how immersed he seemed to be in drawing on the sketchpad he had apparently packed with him.

She opened the porch door and stepped out onto the deck, coffee mug in hand.

"Good morning sleepy head," he said with a smirk, eyes still focused whatever he was drawing. "You and Grayson must have been tired."

"You could have woken me up," she told him, stepping across the cool wooden deck in her bare feet. "We have a lot to do this morning."

"You and Grayson are better to be around when you're asleep," he joked.

She scoffed playfully before taking a small sip of the delicious smelling coffee.

"Nah, you seemed exhausted last night. I thought you'd want to sleep," he clarified.

"You're up early?" she said curiously.

He shrugged.

"Couldn't sleep," he admitted with a small sigh.

She nodded understandingly, knowing he had a lot on his mind between being here at the lake house and Marcel's phone call from yesterday.

"What are you up to?" she inquired further, moving closer.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Just working on my tan," he mused glancing at her over his shoulder. "Care you join me?" he asked suggestively, his eyes resting on her tank top.

She blushed and laughed off his flirty humour, stepping behind him to peer over his shoulder as he continued to work.

"Marcel says they want to see new work," Klaus reminded her. "I have some new work finished since arriving in Mystic Falls, but I thought I might do some more...though since I didn't bring my paints and canvas it will have to be from this."

Examining the sketchpad closer, depicted on the paper was a drawing of the picturesque landscape that the lake house overlooked – the dock, the lake, the trees, and the sun and clouds in the sky.

"I think it will be beautiful," she commented, knowing the quality of work Klaus was capable of – imagining what Klaus would do with the simple sketch once he transferred it to canvas.

He cocked his head to the side, and looked up at her. Lifting his hand, he placed it on her cheek, pulling her down closer to him.

"I think you're beautiful," he said smoothly, craning his neck a little further to kiss her bottom lip softly.

"I think you're cheesy," she laughed as they broke the short kiss.

He kissed her a second time, more deeply than the last.

"And now I think you're trying to get into my pants," she smirked as their lips broke contact once more.

"Shorts, love," he corrected her. "Very short shorts..." he added with a tortured tone of voice. "I couldn't help but notice that the bedroom has an ensuite with a generous walk-in shower," he hinted. "Perhaps we could try it out before Grayson wakes up?"

Her cheeks grew hot as he stole another kiss.

"Then maybe you should have woken me up earlier," she countered teasingly. "I have to get Grayson up and ready for the day so you and I can sort out all of the personal effects in this place. I didn't think there would be a lot, considering Elena and Elijah only used it in the summer, but I keep forgetting this place has been in her family since her grandfather built it."

His lips caressed hers again in a last ditch effort to tempt her away from her plans.

"Meredith and Stefan will be here in a few hours. I want to get as much done as possible before then," she protested.

"You're so stubborn," Klaus mused against her lips. "And no fun," he pouted.

"I can be fun," she stated, purposely kissing his lips to tease him. "But later."

Klaus arched an intrigued eyebrow, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Promise?" he smiled as a curious hand of his wandered down her side and onto her hip.

She nodded definitively, prompting Klaus's grin to widen.

If anyone had told her five years ago that Klaus Mikaelson had a sweet side and that she'd be on the receiving end, she would have laughed in their faces. She thought Klaus might too. Yet, here they were, her lips inches away from his while his fingers circled the small of her back.

"Go get ready then so we can get to later," Klaus urged eagerly. "I'll get Grayson up."

"Okay," she agreed, turning to return inside, only to be surprised by a light hit on her backside by Klaus's palm.

Glancing over her shoulder she saw Klaus smiling guiltily down at his drawing, avoiding eye contact with her.

Her lips curved into a smile underneath her crimson cheeks as she disappeared back into the lake house.

%$#%$#^$#%#$%$

She had gotten ready fairly quickly, taking a short shower, dressing casually in jean shorts and a white tank top, throwing her damp hair up in a messy bun, and applying minimal makeup.

While she was making herself presentable, Klaus had gotten himself and Grayson ready and then made Grayson some breakfast to eat.

She and Klaus snacked on fruit, opting to get some work done first and then have early lunch before Stefan and Meredith arrived.

They started first by removing family photos and keepsakes from the walls and other furniture in the house, placing them in one of the boxes they had brought.

When that was finished and they had Grayson occupied in his playpen with a few toys, they started clearing out a storage closet on the main floor, which contained the majority of personal items they would need to remove before they opened the lake house up to summer tenants.

"This is going to take forever," she sighed, intimidated by the small walk in closet that contained dozens of boxes and objects, along with a tall rectangular safe. "We shouldn't have left this until the end."

"Well at least most of it is already packed for us," Klaus shrugged optimistically, stepping inside.

"Yes, but we still have to go through the boxes and decide what to keep and what to get rid of," she countered.

Klaus looked at her over his shoulder.

"We could just take the boxes back to Mystic Falls as in and go through them there," Klaus suggested.

"What if we don't have room for everything?" she inquired. "I don't think all these boxes will fit in our car and Stefan and Meredith's," she concluded.

Realizing she had a point, Klaus conceded with a sigh.

"Then I guess we should get started," he decided, eyeing the safe. "Did you by chance remember to write down that combination that was with all the other passwords and personal information Elena and Elijah left us?"

"It's in my purse," she explained, leaving the closet doorway briefly to retrieve her purse and the combination she had made a point of writing down, knowing they would be coming here and would have to clean out the safe.

When she returned a few minutes later – having to dig through her purse for a few minutes to actually find the code – she found Klaus sifting through a big plastic container full of clothing.

She moved towards the safe that was nearly as tall as her and punched in the numeric code.

"Let's hope there's gold bars in there for Gray's college fund," Klaus snorted as she opened the rectangular steel door.

Inside, there was a top shelf with a few small boxes, envelopes, and other papers. She could only guess that they contained family heirlooms and important documents – why else would they be contained within the safe.

Peering into the bottom space of the large metal container, she noticed several guns – mostly hunting rifles.

"Or he could just rob a bank with those guns to pay for it," Klaus joked as he looked into the safe with her. "Elijah wasn't really one for hunting?" he continued.

"They were Elena's grandfather's," she explained, as Klaus reached in to remove one.

"Be careful!" she glared at him, forcing him to point it towards the ceiling. "Make sure the safety is on," she said, inspecting the weapon and ensuring it was.

"Since when did you become a huntress?" Klaus mused, holding the gun carefully now as he looked it over.

"My mom was the Sheriff of Mystic Falls, remember?" she said, taking the gun from him. "She wasn't much for teaching me how to do my hair or my makeup...but she might have taught me a little bit about guns."

Klaus was smirking.

"You're full of surprises, love," he said. "Have you ever fired one?"

She nodded.

"Once or twice," she replied nonchalantly. "I could make it a third time if you don't cut the sexist tone in your voice," she chuckled as Klaus raised his hands in defence.

"Easy, sweetheart," he urged her as he put the gun back. "We'll have to figure out what we're gonna do with those. We can't leave them here."

Klaus pulled out what appeared to be one of several photo albums stacked inside the safe.

It suddenly clicked for her why they hadn't come across any photos of Gilbert family trips to the lake house back at the house in Mystic Falls; The Gilberts kept those photos here. She supposed a fireproof safe was the best place for them.

"Is this you and Elena?" Klaus asked, pointing down to an old photo shot with a disposable camera.

She glanced down at the photo, seeing her and Elena when they were around five standing on the dock in their bathing suits. Elena's hair was wet and unruly over her shoulders, while hers was damply secured in two braided pigtails.

"I love your bathing suit," he laughed, nodding towards the Little Mermaid print swimsuit she had on in the picture. "You look adorable."

Blushing, she recalled that being one of her favourites; it had been something her father bought her...

"I think now it's only fair that I'm allowed to see some photos of you when you were five," she remarked, flipping past the page to see more photos.

"If my parents even have any," he sighed.

She frowned sympathetically, as Klaus handed her the second photo album.

They moved on to the second album, this one containing more recent photos.

"I think I love this bathing suit more," Klaus grinned. "Do you still have this one?" Klaus asked holding up the photo album to reveal a photo of her and Elena when they were sixteen standing at the edge of the lake in their swimsuits – she was barely covered in a neon pink bikini. Her cheeks began the mirror the colour of the swimsuit material.

"Probably not, pervert," she chuckled, watching as Klaus skipped awkwardly over a photo that included Tyler.

There were photos of a memorial event Elena had held at the lake house the summer her parents and Jeremy were killed.

Elijah and Elena had their engagement photos taken on the dock.

The last photos were of the trip she, Bonnie, and Kol had made with them to the lake house last summer.

"That must have been an interesting trip," Klaus observed, looking at a picture of her and Bonnie on deck chairs and Kol making a stupid face behind them, and then one of her, Bonnie, and a pregnant Elena, "being fifth wheel."

"Yeah, it was a little too close for comfort at times," she laughed. "We all went swimming one afternoon, and Bonnie and Kol left to go make us all lunch. When Elijah and Elena decided to turn a game of Marco Polo into tonsil hockey, I decided to go in and help Kol and Bonnie only to find them on the couch practically having sex," she groaned amusedly, now in hindsight.

Klaus blinked and cringed.

"I did not need to hear any of that," Klaus stated simply.

"Believe me, I heard everything that week we were up here. The walls upstairs are paper thin. I slept on the couch one night," she chuckled, recalling how furious she was at the time having to overhear her friends. "I didn't know pregnant ladies still wanted to...you know."

"That's disgusting," Klaus gasped, sticking out his tongue with a grossed out expression. "I definitely did not need to hear that!"

She laughed, and so did Grayson from his playpen before sticking out his tongue.

"Grayson heard it too, I suppose," she chuckled. "Poor guy."

"He's probably scarred for life," Klaus concluded. "I am just by hearing about it."

She shrugged.

"I wouldn't take any of those memories back though now..." she sighed, thinking about Elijah and Elena and how she would never get to make fun of them for it again.

"I still might if I were you," Klaus snorted, though she knew he was only jokingly being insensitive.

She shoved his shoulder back jovially.

"We'll have to take some pictures here of Grayson before we leave," she suggested as they turned to one of the last remaining blank pages.

"That's a good idea," Klaus agreed.

---

Much to his surprise, they were able to sort through the entire closet by lunch. They had sorted things into three piles – what they would keep, what they would try to sell, and what they would throw out. He and Caroline had only a few minor disagreements – with him mostly conceding to her each time - and Grayson was unusually quiet, having kept himself occupied nearly the entire time with some new toys Caroline had brought specifically for this occasion.

"The only thing left to do is pack everything up accordingly," Caroline sighed, taking a breath and wiping a small bit of sweat from her forehead.

She leaned against the doorway of the storage room, watching Grayson intently as he played on his own.

"Do you want to use these plastic bins or the boxes?" He asked, standing in the doorway beside her.

"We can leave it until after lunch," she decided. "Grayson has been so good all morning. Let's take a break. We can have some lunch and play with him outside for a bit."

He could sense the guilt in her voice, and he empathized with her.

Grayson had played by himself while they worked, with only minor disruptions. He felt neglectful leaving Grayson to his own devices for too long. He knew Grayson would love to explore outside – and besides, he and Caroline could use a break as well.

"Sounds like a plan," he agreed. "Do you want lunch duty or Grayson duty?"

"Well, you got Grayson ready this morning. I'll take him and get him ready to go outside," Caroline reasoned, walking over to Grayson's playpen and picking him up.

He chuckled.

"You just don't want to make lunch," he teased.

She narrowed her expression at him.

"You should be able to make sandwiches out of the groceries we brought," she smirked, completely ignoring his comment. "Grayson will have the usual," she added. "Won't you, little monkey?" she asked Grayson, lightly rubbing his tummy before heading upstairs.

He was just about finished making the sandwiches and Grayson's assortment of formula, baby food, and fresh fruit, when Caroline returned in sunglasses with Grayson dressed in a nautical themed outfit in one hand, and a blanket in another.

"Fresh diaper, new outfit, sunscreen, hat..." Caroline listed. "I think we're all set to go."

"Grayson seems dressed for the occasion," he commented.

"I bought it for him the other day. Doesn't he look adorable?" she cooed.

"He'll hate you when he's older," he snorted, purposely trying to rile her up.

Sure enough, his remark garnered him one of her death glares that he found completely endearing.

"What's the blanket for?" he asked curiously.

"Picnic lunch," she smiled, setting Grayson down once more in his playpen to help him finish prepping the food.

After three trips in and out of the house, they had set up the blanket and food on a sunny portion of grass just off the deck in the backyard.

Eating outside turned out to be a great idea when Grayson decided to donate most of his solid food to the grass and the insects that inhabited it.

"Gray, you're supposed to eat your food, not play with it," he said discouragingly as he wiped Grayson's face with a napkin.

Grayson winced and wined as he squirmed his way out of his grasp.

"I think after being cooped up inside on his own, he just wants to play," Caroline concluded as she finished off her sandwich.

They watched as Grayson attempted to crawl into the grass after some of the food he had threw.

"Not so fast," he said playfully, picking Grayson up underneath his arms.

At first Grayson protested with a loud shriek until he realized being flown through the air was a lot more fun than ant covered strawberries.

Grayson laughed delightedly as Caroline watched carefully – ever the worrier.

"Klaus, not too high," she warned.

He scowled.

"She's no fun, Gray," he complained, bringing Grayson back down to the grass, still holding him under his arms as his feet touched the green blades. "Maybe you can try that cool standing thing you did yesterday?" he encouraged, kneeling lower to the ground.

"Yeah, let's see you do that again!" Caroline said enthusiastically.

Grayson reached around again, grabbing onto the bottom of Klaus's black shorts warily – yesterday's fall obviously a vivid memory still.

When it seemed like Grayson was holding his own weight, he removed one of his hands from under his arm, as Caroline scurried to get her phone to take a picture.

"Good job! You're such a big boy!" Caroline said proudly from behind the camera.

He removed his second hand, but this proved to be a mistake, as Grayson fell back on his bottom again as he had the day before.

Instantly, Grayson started whimpering, signalling another breakdown.

"You're okay, sweetie," Caroline said in a baby voice, reaching forward to pull him into her lap. "I got you," she reassured him, kissing him on the cheek to calm him before he erupted into a full out wail.

He nuzzled her back receptively as she began to bounce him on her legs, distracting him from the tumble he took.

Within seconds, he was laughing again as Caroline made funny faces and attacked him with more kisses.

He laughed too, the smile on his face growing bigger the longer he watched Caroline and Grayson both giggling and enjoying themselves.

Though he wouldn't admit it, at the moment, he couldn't think of anywhere else he could be that would top this. It dawned on him that before coming to Mystic Falls, he hadn't smiled or laughed so much – especially in the last week. Coming here under such horrible circumstances, he never would have anticipated how happy it would make him.

When he realized that Caroline and Grayson were staring up at him, he snapped out of his thoughts and gave them a questioning look

"What?" he asked.

"I think you're jealous," Caroline teased, mistaking his look of adoration for envy.

He arched his eyebrows amusedly.

"I'm not at all," he chuckled, knowing it was quite the opposite of jealousy really, but deciding to play her game. "But, now that you mention it, I don't think I ever get as many kisses from you as Grayson does."

"Well come here then!" Caroline demanded playfully, reaching forward to pull him by his t-shirt.

This caused him to drop onto his knees, and he obliged her readily, leaning over her lap, using his hands for support. Bypassing Grayson, still sitting in her lap, he was happily met by Caroline's lips

She tasted like pineapple and he indulged in the flavour, exchanging playful kisses with her until he felt a small sticky hand hitting his arm and heard a small whimper.

"I think Grayson is the jealous one, sweetheart," he mused.

"I think you're right," Caroline agreed.

They both stared down at Grayson who was peering back up at them persistently, as if to demand he receive attention.

"I hope we're not interrupting!" a familiar female voice said a few metres away from them. "We tried the front door but got no answer..."

He looked across the lawn to see Meredith and Stefan approaching with a few bags in hand.

Their presence made him a little self-conscious, realizing what they had probably just witnessed judging by the smiles on their face. He pulled back from Caroline.

"No not at all," he said hurriedly as he stood up from the picnic blanket.

"We just took a break to eat some lunch," Caroline said, picking up Grayson to stand.

"Looks like you were taking a break from lunch too," Meredith teased, causing Caroline's cheeks to redden.

He felt like cringing in embarrassment, but he held back.

"Yeah well..." Caroline replied nervously. "How was the drive? You guys got here early?" she asked, changing the subject.

"My shift ended early last night so I was up a little earlier, and Stefan's meeting with his client was cancelled today," Meredith explained.

"Oh that's nice. Have you eaten? We still have lots of fruit and we could make up some more sandwiches..." Caroline offered.

Stefan chuckled.

"We grabbed some food before we left...but I'm not sure I can refuse the opportunity to see Klaus make me a sandwich," Stefan said jokingly.

"You're hilarious, mate," he grumbled as both Caroline and Meredith began to laugh.

"So, what's the plan for the afternoon?" Meredith asked eagerly.

"Well, how about we get you guys settled in first?" Caroline suggested, looking over at him with wide eyes as if trying to urge him to do something.

Caroline nodded slightly towards Meredith's belongings.

Realizing what she meant, he cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Here, let me get your things," he offered, taking Meredith's overnight bag and a few grocery bags.

"We brought some food for later," Meredith said, explaining the groceries.

Caroline scoffed.

"You didn't have to do that. We brought plenty of food. You guys are helping us out big time. The least we could do is supply you with food," Caroline said guiltily.

Meredith shook her head.

"Getting away from Mystic Falls for a weekend to a beautiful cottage is payment enough," Meredith responded.

"Yeah, I mean, you know from Chris how much it costs to rent one of these places for the weekend," Stefan reminded them. "I say it's a fair trade."

"The only thing we forgot to pick up was alcohol for later," Meredith laughed.

A look of realization crossed Caroline's face.

"Klaus! That's what we forgot to pick up when we stopped!" she sighed distressfully. "You and Stefan will have to head over to that little convenience store we passed on the way here."

"We don't have to drink," Meredith shrugged.

He and Stefan exchanged incredulous looks.

"Yeah we do," Stefan laughed. "Come on, how rare is it that we get a weekend off together?"

"Yeah," he emphasized, sticking up for Stefan.

"We don't just want to put you to work while you're here!" Caroline said. "We want you guys to enjoy yourself too. We were gonna barbeque and then have some drinks and a fire later. Klaus has to go to the store to pick up some firewood anyways."

Stefan snorted.

"What? Are you too much of a city boy to swing an axe?" Stefan mused, looking at all the trees around them. "We're surrounded by firewood."

"Fuck off, mate," he said, reaching down to pick up a piece of Grayson's left over fruit and throwing it at Stefan's face. "It'll save time. Do you really want to chop wood after we get everything packed up?"

Unable to dodge the fruit for the weight of his belongings in hand, the flying piece of fruit hit Stefan directly on the forehead.

"Cussing!" Caroline reminded him, looking at Grayson in her arms.

"I said 'duck off'!" he claimed amusedly.

That earned him a signature Caroline glare. He smirked, unable to take her concerns seriously; she was cute and sexy when she was annoyed with him.

He could tell by her slight eye roll she knew exactly what was going through his mind.

"So it's settled then, we'll get you guys settled in, get everything packed and cleaned up and then Klaus and Stefan can make a run to the store," Caroline decided.

"Sounds like a plan," Stefan agreed.

"Okay, well then we better get to work," Meredith said enthusiastically, clasping her hands together.

---

All four returned inside with Grayson in tow, Klaus showing Meredith and Stefan to their room while she put their groceries away and cleaned up from the picnic.

Grayson watched her intently from his exersaucer that she had convinced Klaus to pack – it had come in handy after all.

"Stefan and I are going to clean up outside," Klaus announced as he descended the stairs with Stefan close behind.

While she wouldn't mind spending the afternoon outside, she was relieved. She didn't feel like doing the yard maintenance or cleaning out the shed. She hadn't the first clue about operating a lawn mower and she didn't feel like getting herself dirty moving god knows what from the shed. She was much more capable of cleaning than Klaus, anyways. She and Meredith would stay inside and finish packing and cleaning the place up. Besides, someone had to be near the house once Grayson was put down for his afternoon nap.

"Okay, don't forget to put more sunscreen on!" she said as they started for the back doors.

She reached for the bottle on the counter and threw it as Klaus turned around to catch it.

"Come on Stefan, you can get my back," Klaus joked as he opened the door for Stefan and winked at her.

She scowled at Klaus's humour.

"He's not funny," she said to Grayson.

"I think I came downstairs at the wrong moment," Meredith laughed. "Did I just hear Klaus tell Stefan that he can put sunscreen on his back?"

She nodded regretfully.

"Yes, yes you did," she chuckled. "The guys are apparently cleaning up the outside...we just have the pack up what's left inside that Klaus and I didn't already do."

"Well before we start, I need to say 'hi' to this little guy properly first since I didn't get a chance to when we arrived," Meredith stated, reaching down for Grayson and lifting him out of his exersaucer. "Hey Grayson! How are you?" she cooed, bouncing him on her arm as Grayson mumbled excitedly. "Also, we haven't talked, and it's been a week since it happened so I think it's time you spill the details..."

She arched a questioning eyebrow in Meredith's direction as she put some dishes away.

"Spill the details?" she inquired further, playing stupid as to what Meredith was referring to, although she had a strong inkling.

Meredith glared at her and nodded persistently.

"Um, yeah, spill the details about you and the guy Stefan and I just caught you kissing outside," Meredith teased. "I've been dying to know…but work has been so chaotic this week."

She smirked guiltily, feeling her cheeks begin to heat up as they had when Stefan and Meredith first found them.

"Klaus was very vague and brief when he talked to Stefan last weekend! When did it happen? How did it happen?" Meredith pressed curiously.

Leaning against the kitchen counter, she shrugged.

"I think Klaus and I have been happening for a while, we just didn't acknowledge it until last weekend," she confessed. "The tension has been there pretty much since the beginning."

"Oh?" Meredith said intrigued. "So all those times you claimed you wanted nothing to do with him..."

"I was in denial," she interjected. "I was scared...I didn't think we were on the same page."

"So what happened?" Meredith exclaimed, eager for the full story.

"We'd been avoiding each other since the Lockwood Masquerade," she started. "I kissed him that night and I got scared...I pushed him away."

Meredith gave her a surprised look.

"No wonder Stefan said Klaus seemed upset when they hung out last week. Stefan couldn't get him to open up though," Meredith recalled, continuing to bounce a cheerful Grayson on her arm.

She nodded, assuming her rejection is what inspired Klaus's melancholia.

"The next weekend, he had a date with Camille and I opted to spend that evening with Damon in an effort to distract myself...but it didn't work," she admitted, deciding to leave out the part about Damon's unexpectedly aggressive reaction to her change of heart. "I returned home to find Klaus already there. He had bailed on his date with Camille early for the exact same reason..."

There was a huge grin on Meredith's face.

"We yelled at each other first...so angry at the other for attempting to 'move on,'" she mused. "In the midst of that, Klaus broke down first, kissing me and then admitting that he cared about me – that he didn't want anyone else but me."

"I knew he had it in him," Meredith beamed excitedly. "What did you say?"

"Well, after he backtracked on what he said, using my date with Damon as an excuse, I was finally able to tell him that what he told me was all I ever wanted to hear...and I kissed him to shut him up," she stated with amused satisfaction.

"And!?" Meredith persisted eagerly, covering one of Grayson's ears with her free hand.

She laughed at Meredith's gesture.

"We didn't even make it all the way upstairs," she confessed, her cheeks reddening with her admission.

Meredith gasped.

"You had sex on the stairs!?" she inquired

"Well, not quite," she responded sheepishly.

Meredith gave her a knowing look.

"So what happened after?" Meredith continued to press.

She gave Meredith an incredulous stare.

"I think you know what happened!" she snickered. "You're a doctor; you should know these things!"

"Of course!" Meredith groaned sitting down with Grayson at the dining table. "I just mean...how did it go? How has it been? Have you guys talked about where your relationship stands? I know that Klaus has never been the 'relationship' kind of guy..."

Nodding in understanding, she walked over to the windows, looking out to see Stefan and Klaus rummaging through the shed at the corner of the property.

She smirked and then turned around.

"Honestly, I didn't know that sex could feel that good...not even just physically, but emotionally. I've never had a connection like that with someone. Now I know what all the hype is about," she mused, thinking back to the past week she and Klaus had spent together.

"I think that's called intimacy," Meredith commented.

"As for where our relationship stands...I guess we're in one? Boyfriend and girlfriend?" she said, laughing at how ridiculous she sounded. "I made sure I was clear that this wasn't just something casual. I want him to be with only me and vice versa...long term. He said he wanted the same." Her cheeks reddened an even darker shade as she thought about the other issue on her mind that she and Klaus discussed the previous day. "And, I think I'm gonna need you to write me a prescription for a particular pill," she said suggestively.

"That sounds like a committed relationship to me," Meredith smirked, clearly amused by the beginnings of her relationship with Klaus since she and Stefan had been together for so long. "As for the prescription, you can stop by the hospital next week."

She smiled appreciatively, holding back much of the giddy excitement inside that she was dying to share when it came to this new chapter in her life.

"So, there's no hard feelings between you and Camille?" Meredith wondered.

"No...Camille actually encouraged Klaus to tell me how he felt. She understands. She's been a really amazing friend actually," she admitted.

"That's so great," Meredith agreed with relief. "I'm so happy for you and Klaus...Stefan and I have been secretly rooting for the two of you..."

A feeling of realization hit her.

"So, that's why you suggested he go with me to the Lockwood Fundraiser!" she concluded.

"Well, it seemed to get you two on the right track," Meredith pointed out.

"Please tell me you did not have anything to do with Damon being asked to work that night," she chuckled.

Meredith shrugged innocently, ignoring her stare by looking down at Grayson on her knee.

"YOU DID, DIDN'T YOU?!" she gasped, completely shocked by how naive she had been.

"Sometimes I might have some sway in scheduling because of my seniority...the staff shortage that night might have been an accidental oversight..." Meredith revealed coyly.

She rolled her eyes dismissively, trying to hold back a laugh.

"But Damon is Stefan's brother?" she reminded Meredith, confused as to why they would betray him intentionally.

"He is Stefan's brother," Meredith acknowledged, "but he isn't right for you. He doesn't feel the same way about you that we know Klaus does..."

She felt a little annoyed by the fact that Meredith and Stefan had manipulated things in the background, essentially impeding her choice somewhat when it came to Klaus and Damon. That said, Damon's behaviour the other night had allowed her to draw her own conclusions about him regardless; she knew what Meredith was saying was right.

"How has he been?"she asked curiously, "Damon..."

Despite the way he had acted, she still wanted to know how he was doing. Though she worked in her store below her old apartment that he was renting from her, she hadn't seen him once in the last week. She didn't want to feel guilty for her feelings, or reacting the way she did to his behaviour, but she was still concerned about him.

"He's been putting a lot of hours in at the hospital, helping with the transition to a new doctor to replace Elijah," Meredith answered. "He's been sitting in on the interviews for the candidates. He seems okay. He hasn't really spoken about you. Stefan and I also haven't asked."

Meredith's explanation was sufficient and she didn't inquire for any more details. She didn't need them.

Looking back out the window, she noticed Stefan and Klaus staring pensively down at the lawnmower they had removed from the shed.

"I don't think Stefan knows the first thing about yard maintenance," Meredith chuckled, noticing the same image. "We pay our sixteen year old neighbour to take care of that stuff."

"I don't think Klaus does either. He can barely use the lawnmower at home," she snorted. "Luckily, Elena and Elijah had a local they pay to come by and take care of all that here."

---

"We can leave the grass," he said to Stefan, not wanting to let on that he wasn't the most knowledgeable when it came to grass cutting. "We have someone who comes by to do it. Let's just clean out the shed."

Stefan nodded as they stepped inside the large wooden shed.

His eyes scanned over the items inside, ranging from everyday yard and gardening items, to more expensive wood working tools.

"Most of this stuff belonged to Elena's father and her grandfather," he commented, knowing very well that Elijah wasn't much of a carpenter.

"What do you want to do with it all?" Stefan inquired.

He shrugged.

"The Will said nothing about any of this stuff, so I'm thinking we should leave the yard maintenance stuff here...and try and sell the other things."

Stefan nodded, opening the drawers of a small tool box. He looked like he was on the verge of asking more pertinent questions regarding a certain bubbly blonde, so he waited through the silence in anticipation.

"So, you and Caroline looked comfortable earlier," Stefan started, a small smirk appearing on his lips as he inspected a small wrench.

He could feel his face redden a bit as he looked away from his long time friend.

"It's not like we're hiding anything from you mate," he laughed Stefan's comment off. "You're the first person I told about us."

"I know..." Stefan chuckled. "I just never thought I'd see Klaus Mikaelson engaging in public displays of affection or using the word 'us' to describe his relationship with a woman."

He rolled his eyes, trying not to let Stefan's teasing – which he knew was inevitable – get to him too much.

"I guess things change," he sighed with a shrug.

Stefan gave him an incredulous stare.

"Things change?" Stefan mused. "Says the guy who claimed he would never let a woman 'tie him down' unless the tying down was sexual in nature."

He smirked, recalling the many variations of that conversation shared between them over the years. Stefan had an impeccable memory and was now using his own words against him.

"That was before," he said simply.

"Before?" Stefan's eyebrows rose questioningly.

Glancing towards the lake house, he noticed Caroline and Meredith watching the two of them in amusement.

He looked back to Stefan quickly, pretending he had not seen the audience they had.

"Before Caroline," he mumbled under his breath, trying not to sound too sappy.

Stefan broke into another taunting smile.

"You were right," he relented with a groan, knowing that simple phrase is what Stefan was waiting for all along.

Stefan's eyes widened in shock as he cupped his hand around his ear.

"Did I just hear what I think I heard?" Stefan teased. "Did you just admit that I was right? Can you say it a little louder?" he snickered.

He gave Stefan and unimpressed glare.

"You heard me, mate," he grovelled.

"Hey, for all the times you've teased me, I think I'm entitled to one moment," Stefan said in his defence.

Nodding slightly, he conceded Stefan's point; he had made fun of Stefan a lot over the years.

They rummaged quietly through a few things in the shed silently before Stefan piped up with more questions.

"So... it's different with Caroline, huh?" Stefan inquired curiously, clearly still surprised by the 180 he had done in regards to relationships.

He hesitated for a moment, but knew there was no use in trying to evade Stefan's questions. He had nothing to be ashamed about. Stefan was only teasing him.

"She thought I was worth a second chance," he admitted. "I don't want to be with anyone else...I care about her," he finished, surprised by how easy it was to confess the extent of his feelings.

"That sounds familiar," Stefan smiled, referring to the conversation they had had following the first visit he and Caroline had received from CPS.

"Some asshole lawyer with funny hair gave me some free advice once," he teased, tossing an old rag in Stefan's direction.

---

"And he's out," Klaus announced as he emerged from the house and onto the deck.

He handed her the baby monitor to put on the patio table.

"Well, he had a lot of excitement today," Meredith reminded them, sitting with Stefan's arm around her on an outdoor loveseat on the other side of the patio fire.

She was referring to the break they had taken inside to watch Grayson crawl through open boxes, and the walk he had gone on in his stroller with Klaus and Stefan after dinner to the store down the road to pick up the alcohol they were currently indulging in. She and Meredith had just spent the better part of an hour laughing about the strange looks and smiles Stefan and Klaus had received with Grayson on their trip.

Meredith had mixed them cocktails while Stefan and Klaus had started in on a bottle of rum. It was safe to say that they were all feeling pretty relaxed after a day of packing.

"He had a lot of excitement yesterday too," she added as Klaus sat down beside her, keeping a little distance between them, still a little sheepish in front of Stefan and Meredith.

"I can't believe he's standing already," Meredith said. "Pretty soon he's gonna be walking all over the place," she chuckled.

She shook her head as her mind raced with dread.

"I can only imagine the trouble he's going to get into," she groaned, imagining all the worst case scenarios.

"Hey, in a few years we'll be able to put him to work," Klaus laughed.

She rolled her eyes, shifting closer to Klaus, enjoying being close to him in front of their friends, beside a warm fire, and against the backdrop of a sparkling sunset on the lake.

"Don't tell that to CPS," Stefan snickered. "The last time I checked, the U.S. has laws against child labour," he mentioned.

"It's too bad we weren't getting married next summer," Meredith said. "Grayson could be our little ring bearer," she mused, looking at Stefan for his reaction.

"Well, someone wanted their wedding to be in Europe," Stefan said to her teasingly before kissing her temple.

She smirked happily at the moment of affection between the couple.

"I'm sure Caroline would have appreciated the extra time to make your dress as well," Stefan said.

Meredith gave her an apologetic look and she shook her head quickly.

"It's okay! I wouldn't have agreed to it if I didn't think I could get it done," she assured them both. "I'm just finishing up the final design ideas to show you! Carol's just been on my back about the dresses for Miss Mystic."

"Miss Mystic is sooner than our wedding. I completely understand, Caroline," Meredith replied.

"I can't believe you're just eloping to Europe mate," Klaus scoffed. "We deserve a party."

Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Damon has already taken the liberty of telling me I'm having a bachelor party, so I think you'll get your party."

Klaus turned his nose up somewhat at Stefan's mention of Damon.

"I'll be having a bachelorette too!" Meredith interjected, as an attempted to minimize the awkwardness. "My sister is planning it...I've told her to send you an invitation, Caroline."

"Just make sure she doesn't get too out of control," Klaus joked, giving her a quick smirk before looking at Meredith.

Meredith laughed, likely thinking about the girls night they had had not too long ago.

"I will not get out of control!?" she said defensively, giving Klaus a playful shove.

"I think Meredith is who we have to worry about," Stefan suggested, garnering himself an unimpressed arched eyebrow from Meredith.

"Oh really?" Meredith asked him with a small playful grin. "I think Damon is the one we have to worry about, who knows what he has planned for you."

They all seemed to agree with Meredith's point.

"Don't worry, I'll keep Stefan in line," Klaus chuckled.

"I don't know if that inspires much more confidence," Meredith laughed.

She couldn't help but snort at Meredith's comment, though she hoped Klaus would be on his best behaviour that night. Ironically, she was more concerned about him being around Damon than she was about him being around any entertainment Damon might have planned.

"I'm just so excited for the both of you!" she gushed. "I can't wait for little baby Merediths and little baby Stefans."

Stefan's eyes widened.

"Whoa let's not get ahead of ourselves," Stefan joked, earning himself another glare from his fiancée.

"Come on, mate. Grayson needs some more friends to play with," Klaus teased.

"Yes, Grayson needs more friends to play with," Meredith urged with a convincing wide smile.

Stefan shook his head laughingly.

"Stefan is just being an ass. We want to start a family as soon as possible after we're married," Meredith clarified.

"Why wait until your married?" Klaus shrugged.

"You know how conservative Stefan's parents are," Meredith reminded Klaus. "They almost died when they found out we were moving in together before getting married!"

"I'm sure if they can handle Damon the perfect angel, they could handle a pregnancy out of wedlock," Klaus said humorously. "Caroline and I had a kid before we were even together," he mused.

They all laughed at how ridiculous that sounded out of context.

"So I guess logically you and Caroline should be getting married soon?" Stefan teased back.

She glanced over at Klaus who shuffled nervously beside her.

"Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Klaus laughed.

Stefan nodded.

"I'm just teasing you," Stefan explained. "I never even thought I'd see the day you'd be successfully raising a child or would be in a relationship or ...I'm happy for you."

She couldn't help but grin at Stefan's words and the satisfied smile that appeared on Klaus's face.

"I feel like we should probably toast our drinks to something right now," Meredith thought aloud, picking up her glass.

"To life and happiness?" she proposed as she raised her glass, thinking back to Stefan's comment about being happy for Klaus.

She looked to Klaus, hoping for his agreement.

He lifted his glass beside hers and Stefan followed suit.

"To life and happiness," Klaus stated formally, clinking his glass against hers as they all repeated his words.

After their toast was finished and her glass was returned to the table beside her, she realized she was slacking on her hosting duties.

"Does anyone feel like snacks?" she asked

Stefan reclined and rubbed his stomach.

"I'm still full from dinner," he sighed before taking a drink from his glass.

Klaus nodded.

"Luckily Stefan is skilled with a barbeque," Klaus laughed. "Those steaks would have been rubber if you let me cook them."

Stefan glared at him amusedly.

"What? My apartment in New York isn't exactly barbeque friendly."

"Are you sure it will even fit the three of us?" she questioned curiously.

Both Stefan and Meredith's expressions became confused.

"Uh...are you moving?" Stefan asked blankly, clearly taken off guard by her vague question to Klaus.

She smiled and shook her head quickly to reassure him, realizing that neither she nor Klaus had told them his big news.

"No...not moving to New York, just visiting," she clarified. "Hopefully, if my work schedule permits it," she added. "Do you want to tell them, or should I?" she asked Klaus excitedly.

"What's going on?" Meredith asked impatiently, glaring at both of them.

Klaus was about to tell them the news, but his lips weren't moving fast enough to contain her enthusiasm.

"At the end of the month Klaus's art is going to be on display at a fancy art exhibition in New York," she said quickly, ignoring the slightly annoyed look on Klaus's face having been cut off when he was just about to speak.

Meredith and Stefan's expressions both widened in surprise.

"Wow, that's great news," Stefan acknowledged.

"How did that come about?" Meredith questioned curiously.

This time she waited for Klaus to give them an answer.

"I guess galleries around the City have been showcasing local talent and those selected as the 'best' get to be displayed at the grand finale," Klaus shrugged modestly nonchalant. "Marcel took the liberty of submitting some of my work."

"And it was chosen!" she beamed. "The exhibition sounds like a big opportunity...lots of prominent gallery owners, artists, celebrities, business people, politicians..."

Klaus nodded timidly with her assessment of the event from what Marcel had told them.

"Sounds like it could give you some great exposure," Stefan agreed.

"Yeah, wow, congratulations," Meredith smiled.

Klaus gave Meredith an anxious half smile. For someone so cocky and extroverted, his humility when it came to his work was unusual to her. Though, if she was about to have any of her dress designs judged by any big names in the fashion industry, she would probably be just as shy.

"So you and Grayson are going to go too?" Meredith inquired.

"I hope so," she replied tentatively. "As you know, I'm super busy, but I'd like to make some time. It would be fun to attend the gala and meet Marcel. Kol is in New York for the summer with Bonnie, so it would also give us a chance to see them. Between the two of them, I think they ask us at least once every couple of days when we're going to visit with Grayson. It would also just be nice to visit New York," she explained.

"Hopefully you'll be able to go! Don't let my dress hold you up," Meredith joked. "That will be exciting though, taking Grayson on his first big trip with you."

Both she and Klaus looked at each other nervously.

"Or it could be a nightmare," Klaus laughed.

"He was pretty good in the car up here yesterday," she noted. "And Elena always said he was a pretty good traveler, but who knows now that he's a bit older."

"I'm not sure I like the idea of being confined on a plane thousands of feet in the air with a potentially grumpy baby," Klaus joked.

"Well, at least the flight to New York is short," Meredith reminded them.

"Speaking of New York and short flights...have you given any thought to what you are going to do come September when you get permanent custody of Grayson?" Stefan asked.

"If we get custody," Klaus interjected cautiously. "I thought lawyers were never supposed to talk in certainties?" he mused. "After our last meeting, who knows where we stand."

Stefan rolled his eyes and she frowned at Klaus's moment of pessimism.

"It's all what you make of the situation during your last interview with CPS and in the courtroom if the Judge questions you," Stefan started. "They could view your relationship with one another as unstable since it's so new, and thus unhealthy for Grayson to be in the middle of. Or, they might see a romantic relationship between the two of you as something to help strengthen the bond between the three of you, and thus healthy for Grayson. You need to make them see the positive side," Stefan advised.

She found herself sighing alongside Klaus at the daunting task they would have to accomplish during their next and final visit from CPS.

"Part of showing CPS the positive side of your relationship is how you answer my question about your plans come September. Now that CPS knows that the two of you are together, how you answer that question could impact their assessment. It's definitely a question they will ask you. Have you given it any thought?" Stefan asked.

Swallowing hard, she reached for her drink and took a long sip. Glancing over at Klaus, she noted the look of anxiety on his face.

This was not something they had discussed with one another recently - at least not since their relationship had become romantic. Prior to that, they had vague notions of splitting time with Grayson. Klaus would return to his life in New York, and she would remain in Mystic Falls. She'd likely try to maintain Grayson's family home. It would be more difficult to split time once Grayson reached school age, but she had assumed Grayson would stay with her, spending the occasional weekend, holidays, and summers with Klaus in New York.

But now, things were different. Now, not only did they both have a relationship to maintain with Grayson, but they also had a relationship to maintain with one another. They were together now. How would that work come September if she remained in Mystic Falls and Klaus returned to New York? She would be busy with work and Grayson...and so would he. When would they see each other? How did she feel about a long distance relationship? She hadn't had much luck with her last one.

"Stefan give them a break," Meredith hounded, giving her fiancé a death glare. "They just started dating and had the CPS visit from hell last weekend. Give them more than a second to think about it," she continued, smiling over at her sympathetically.

She returned Meredith's polite look with a similar appreciative smile, thankful that she had swooped in to take the pressure off them a bit.

Stefan's question was something neither of them could answer definitively yet as they had not discussed it with one another.

In a way, she supposed she was kind of avoiding the issue. This past week with Klaus, disregarding the visit from CPS, had been amazing. She didn't want to put a cloud over things by bringing up what their future plans might be come September. She had taken the ignorance is bliss approach the past week - preferring to think that things would go on as they had been.

She made eye contact with Klaus, who appeared as equally relieved as her, but just as unsettled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Stefan conceded. "It's just something to consider before you're next visit from CPS and your final court date."

They nodded in unison, knowing Stefan's topic of conversation was now the invisible elephant sitting in between them.

As the night progressed and one drink turned into a couple for the four of them, the tension and awkwardness she felt was quick to fade as her buzz grew and their conversation turned to different topics.

They were all in a fit of laughter as Klaus recollected how obsessed Stefan was with his hair and Meredith conceded with a few stories of her own to support Klaus's assertions. Stefan was embarrassed, but clearly too influenced by the liquor Klaus had been feeding him to take the jabs of both Klaus and his wife too seriously as he was laughing alongside the rest of them.

"Piss off guys," Stefan laughed, trying to dodge Meredith's efforts to run her fingers through his hair and mess it up.

His slowed reflexes enabled Meredith to grab a chunk.

"I love your hair Steffy," Meredith teased.

"Steffy!?" she and Klaus both gushed at the same time before erupting into more laughter.

Stefan glared at Meredith, trying to maintain a serious look.

"I think she's definitely a keeper Steffy," Klaus snorted.

A sour look emerged on Stefan's face.

"Funny, I'm not so sure anymore," Stefan smirked as Meredith gasped with offence. "I'm having second thoughts."

"You better not be!" Meredith threatened, giving him a playful shove, attempting to kiss him.

Stefan turned his face away from her, but Meredith grabbed his face and kissed his lips lightly.

She smiled, admiring the happy couple in front of them, finding it impossible not to relate given how she felt about Klaus.

"Get a room," Klaus scoffed.

Stefan laughed as he pulled away from his future wife, hopping up and grabbing her by the hand.

"I think that's our cue to go to bed," Stefan said suggestively as he pulled Meredith up with him and they stumbled forwards.

She noticed Meredith's embarrassed red cheeks.

"Good night guys," Meredith said sheepishly as the couple started for the door.

"Keep the noise down," Klaus scowled. "Grayson is sleeping."

---

He followed behind her as she tugged his hand playfully down towards the dock.

"The moon is so bright tonight," Caroline admired in awe, stumbling a little over her brown flip flops due to the uneven terrain and the bit of alcohol she had consumed.

Though, if he was being honest, he too was feeling a little light-headed from the alcohol he'd been drinking earlier with Stefan.

"It is," he agreed, thankful for the light of the moon as he admired the way Caroline's hips swayed in her jean shorts from behind, and the way the loose waves of her hair bounced against her back.

"It's almost like daylight out," Caroline laughed with a bit of a slur as they stepped onto the dock.

"Do you think that thing will work out here?" he questioned her, referring to the baby monitor attached to Caroline's pocket.

She lifted it up and pointed to the green light as she turned around to face him.

"If it kicks out the monitor will warn us!" she mused. "I've told you a million times."

Caroline's exaggerated level of impatience suggested her intoxication.

"Okay," he laughed. "No need to get sassy with me!" he teased.

Her eyes widened and her lips parted in response to his retort.

"I am not being sassy with you!" she said, shoving his chest. "Stop trying to get out of the romantic moonlit walk," she said back.

He shook his head in amusement.

"One, I kind of like it when you're sassy. Two, the walk was my idea," he corrected her. "If we had of went to bed now like you wanted, we'd probably be hearing some questionable sounds coming from Meredith and Stefan's room," he pointed out. "Luckily, Grayson is a deep sleeper."

Caroline giggled, as though she was an immature teenager.

"You're right," she conceded. "I only wanted to go to bed so we could make some questionable sounds of our own," she hinted with a suggestive smirk.

He cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm not a mind reader sweetheart," he said, a little annoyed she hadn't made her intentions clear. "Let's go back," he said enthusiastically, trying to grab her hand.

She pulled away as though they were playing an intimate game of tag.

"Let's stay here," she smiled, leaning in to nip teasingly at his bottom lip with hers before turning towards the end of the dock.

With a reluctant sigh, he followed, though he would have preferred to make their way back to the house so he could take her upstairs and continue what they had started in her office the day before.

Looking back from the house when he heard what sounded like the baby monitor be placed on the dock, his jaw dropped.

"Caroline? What the hell are you doing?!" he gasped, as she pulled her tank top over her head, dropping it to the dock surface to reveal the pale pink bra she had on underneath.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" she chuckled, kicking off her sandals and unbuttoning her shorts.

He watched in a momentary daze as she pulled the shorts off her hips and stepped out of them when they pooled at her ankles, giving him a perfect view of the matching boy shorts she had on underneath.

"I'm going skinny dipping!" Caroline mused. "Care to join me?" she questioned him from over her shoulder.

Glaring at her as she unclasped her bra, his eyes quickly scanned around the lake for any sign that other vacationers could spot her.

"Caroline! Put your clothes back on! Anyone could see!" he said, rushing towards her to shield her body from any prying eyes.

Before he could reach her, she dove into the water.

Anger, annoyance, alarm...and arousal flowed through him as he watched the water anticipatorily for a sign of her.

When a few moments passed without any sign, he kicked off his sandals and was just about to jump in after her when she rose to the surface, laughing hysterically, hitting him directly in the face with the soaked pair of her boy shorts she had jumped in with on and tossed towards him.

"You're no fun!" she groaned, as he peeled the wet undies off his head. "Come in and join me!" she demanded.

"The water is probably freezing. You should come out," he resisted.

"Nope," she shook her head defiantly, floating onto her back, giving him a view of her taut breasts and perky nipples.

Deciding to join her in her game of hard to get, he picked up her clothes and the monitor.

"Okay, well have fun, sweetheart. I think I'm going to head to bed," he said nonchalantly, turning back towards the lake house.

"Klaus! Wait!" Caroline said quickly. "I'll come in...just give me my clothes!" she pleaded panicked. "I need your help to get out."

Smiling in the wake of his success, he turned back around and set her clothes to the side. Crouching, he reached his hand down as she swam towards the edge of the dock. Pushing herself up onto the edge, she reached for the aid of his hand to help her the rest of the way. He grasped her hand unsuspectingly and that's when she released herself from the dock, effectively pulling him with her into the water.

He struggled angrily to the water's surface to hear Caroline bellowing with laughter.

"What the hell!?" he gasped, rubbing the water from his face find Caroline treading water with an amused expression painted on her face.

"Oops!" she said innocently. "I slipped."

He glared at her bitterly.

"Oh stop pouting!" she chastised. "You're being a party pooper. Remember when you used to be fun?" she teased. "I thought you just needed a little push," she chuckled. "I'm sure Stefan would have appreciated it."

Caroline's reference to Stefan took him off guard at first, but then he recalled the time at camp when he pushed Stefan into the water. Caroline must have been informed of the story at some point.

"You want fun?" he asked challengingly as he raised his eyebrows, pulling off his heavy wet shirt off and tossing it up onto the dock. "I'll show you fun!" he warned, diving through the water towards her.

She shrieked as he grabbed her legs and attempted to pull her underwater.

"Klaus! Stop!" she pleaded laughingly, clutching his shoulders to prevent herself from slipping underneath.

"You said you wanted fun, sweetheart!?" he queried, lightly trying to pry her off of him to drop her into the water.

"Not this kind of fun!" she screeched as he continued to their little play fight.

"Then what kind of fun, love?" he asked mischievously, hoping for a very specific answer.

Her eyes met his and a devious grin appeared on her lips.

She let go of him briefly, slipping her hands underwater between them, undoing his shorts. He'd be lying if he said he didn't aid in her efforts by lifting his legs up slightly so she could remove the drenched material, which he gladly tossed up onto the dock with the rest of their clothing.

"Like the kind of fun that involves your lips on mine," she answered suggestively as he felt her arms wrap around his neck and her legs slither around his waist so that their wet naked bodies were pressed firmly together.

His eyebrow arched curiously.

"Oh? I think a demonstration is in order," he mused.

Before he could say anything more, Caroline was kissing him hungrily.

He held her thighs against him protectively as they floated back towards one of the dock supports.

The water was cold, but the feeling of her naked flesh against his own was keeping him warm.

They continued to kiss, barely pausing to take a breath.

Sure that Caroline was firmly in place between him and the dock, he let his hands explore, running along the length of her shoulders and over the curve of her breasts.

She whimpered against his mouth and he could see goose bumps rise on her arms.

The sound of her need excited him even more. It didn't help that her centre was so dangerously close to his arousal.

"Klaus," Caroline sighed.

He kissed her deeper, swirling his tongue against hers.

"Klaus," she repeated more insistent this time as she pried her mouth away from his. "I'm getting cold," she complained with an innocent smile.

He scowled only half seriously, feigning an unimpressed glare.

"You're the one who wanted to get in so badly…you pulled me in…and now you want to get out?" he questioned, still faking how upset he was with her.

She nodded, eyeing him carefully, expecting him to get angrier.

Even if he was really mad, it was impossible for him to stay mad at her.

"You're so frustrating sometimes," he grumbled with a grin.

"I'm frustrating?" she said incredulously.

Before they could get into another playful disagreement, the baby monitor started to crackle up on the dock and Grayson's cries could be heard.

They both groaned.

"We better get him before he disturbs Stefan and Meredith," Caroline concluded, pulling away.

He reached up, pushing himself back up onto the dock and then extended his hand to help Caroline up.

Caroline dressed quickly, dampening her clothes from her wet skin, while he put his wet shorts back on for the sake of decency in case Meredith or Stefan were up and awake when they returned inside.

"Warm up by the fire," he said, as they reached the lake house and the slowly dying fire. "I'll check on Grayson and be back out," he explained, placing another log on the small flames and then heading for the patio door.

Caroline nodded and stood close to the fire, relishing in the heat it provided.

He went upstairs to Grayson's room, snickering at the glow of light under Stefan and Meredith's door. So much for going to bed, he thought.

When he opened the door to Grayson's room, Grayson's cries settled into more of an annoying whine.

With the aid of the small nightlight in the corner, he turned a brighter table lamp on to find Grayson sitting up in his crib with a guilty look on his face.

"Hey Mate, what are you doing up?" he questioned, reaching into the crib to pick Grayson up.

As soon as he rested Grayson in his arms, his agitated noises stopped instantly, and he rested his head on his shoulder.

"You have us wrapped around your tiny fingers, don't you?" he mused, feeling Grayson's diaper to confirm his suspicion that nothing really was the matter, save for Grayson's desire for their attention.

All it took was a few minutes of holding Grayson and swaying him in his arms before he was asleep once more.

Once he placed Grayson back down in his crib, he shook his head, smirking at Grayson's conniving ways. He wasn't quite sure who he got that trait from, Elijah or Elena, but he had certainly perfected it in the past month or two.

They had come a long way in the last few months, he thought, looking down at Grayson's peaceful face. If things had gone as expected, he'd probably be at the pub around the corner from his apartment drinking the night away with Marcel right now. Instead, he was in the middle of nowhere with his childhood best friend and his fiancée – along with his own girlfriend and their…son.

His throat constricted as he thought about that. He was still set upon the idea that he and Caroline would never replace Elijah and Elena – and they never would biologically speaking – but legally speaking, and to anyone else, and even to Caroline and him, Grayson was theirs. Grayson was his son…and he supposed that made him Grayson's father. Though that fact was ever present, there were times it would hit him more profoundly than others.

In an abstract sense, it was a difficult role to process – being a father, being responsible and caring for another human life for the rest of his own life. Being a father was different than being a brother…and it was definitely different than being an uncle.

Perhaps he could empathize with his mother and father for shirking their responsibilities to his siblings and him so often. He cringed as he brushed the thought from his mind. There was no way he would ever be able to understand how his parents could be so negligent – especially Mikael to him. Sure, he was not biologically Mikael's child, but Grayson was not his biologically either and yet, for a variety of reasons, he could not imagine being so neglectful of him.

He ran his hand over Grayson's growing head of brown hair.

"I love you, Grayson," he whispered so lightly that he could barely hear himself. "I'm always gonna be here for you, no matter what."

A few months ago he wanted nothing to do with the idea of having children. Now, he couldn't stand the thought of being without Grayson.

As his mind began to drift towards the conversation he and Caroline had with Stefan and Meredith earlier about their plans for the future should they receive custody of Grayson, he pushed it to the back of his mind.

Shutting off the table lamp, he left Grayson's room, closing the door behind him.

---

After changing into a pair of dry shorts, he returned downstairs to the deck to find Caroline snuggled under a blanket on the oversized lounger by the fire. She was looking up at the stars pensively when he opened the sliding door.

"How's Grayson?" she inquired dropping her head to the side to look at him.

"Cute and manipulative," he laughed as he approached her. "Kind of like you," he teased, referring to their earlier incident at the dock.

She feigned offence as she began to laugh with him.

He sat down on the edge of the lounger, enjoying the heat from the flame of the fire.

"There's room for two," Caroline said, referring to the empty space beside her under the blanket.

With anyone but her he would have shirked away at the intimate offering. With her, he readily accepted, sliding under the blanket and lying down beside her.

When she curled up beside him, draping an arm over his chest and a leg over his, it was then that he realized she was completely naked.

His eyes widened with intrigued surprise as he looked at her questioningly.

She gave him an innocent smile.

"My clothes were damp and uncomfortable," she shrugged.

"We're outside," he reminded her.

"Since when did I become the adventurous one?" she teased. "No one is out here besides us, and Meredith and Stefan are upstairs sleeping."

"They aren't exactly sleeping," he informed her cheekily

A surprised look of her own appeared on her face.

"Well, then all the more reason for us to," she concluded.

"For us to what?" he asked, playing dumb.

Rather than give him a verbal reply, she kissed him deeply as her hand ran up and then down his bare chest.

He reciprocated the kiss quickly, caressing Caroline's cheek with his hand, holding her lips to his while their tongues slid against each other's tentatively.

His body responded instantly. The simple feel of Caroline's naked body against his and sweet taste of her lips against his had him reeling and left his shorts feeling a bit snug.

He kissed her mouth harder as his hand wandered over her shoulder, down her arm, and onto her bare hip.

She moaned softly into the kiss, her own hand quickly finding its way underneath his shorts, massaging the aching flesh between his legs.

"I need you," she whispered against his mouth, pressing herself against him, drawing his attention to her hard nipples against his chest and the dampness on his thigh from her core.

He hesitated for a moment, thinking back to their unprotected tryst yesterday in her office.

She seemed to sense his reluctance.

"I might have got one while you were with Grayson," she smirked before biting her lip guiltily as she reached on the other side of her to reveal a small square packet. "Take off your shorts," she instructed.

Her eagerness excited him and he removed his shorts underneath the confines of the blanket while Caroline removed the condom from its wrapper.

He groaned as he felt Caroline's hands and the latex slide over his shaft.

She opened her legs readily for him and he settled in between them, lowering himself against her warm skin, sheathing himself in her heat.

Her fingernails dug into his shoulder blades as a contented breathy moan escaped her lips.

"Mmm," he hummed lowly before biting his lip to hold himself back from overindulging in just how good Caroline felt.

It was overwhelming, a feeling he didn't ever think he would tire of.

After longing for her for so long, it was surreal to actually have her…to have her flesh against his in the most delectable of ways.

But it was more than just the physical feelings she ignited within him…it had always been more than that to him. He had just been too cowardly to admit it.

She was beautiful in every way, he thought, staring down at his lover's hooded eyes and parted lips, admiring the way the cool night air blew her damp tresses to the side and the glow from the fire shone against her skin.

He tried to hold onto his thoughts, but his mind soon became caught up in the warmth from both her and the fire beside them. Her sounds of pleasure hypnotized him and her relentless finger nails dragged him higher.

Admittedly, every sensation was heightened by the fact that they were out in the open under the clear night sky, entangled in one another on a lounger for anyone to see. Sure, they were covered by a blanket, but it was no mystery what they were up to.

He smirked at the thought, his lips quickly being overtaken by Caroline's.

"I'm so close," she whispered. "Deeper," she pleaded.

His body shook with her request, and he readily lifted one of her thighs over his hip for more access.

She groaned as he filled her even more so, continuing his steady movements within her.

"Yes! Yes!" Caroline whimpered, her legs clamping around his as she held onto him for dear life. "Don't stop!" she demanded.

He continued, loving how vocal and expressive she was. It spurred him on even more and he could feel his own finish not far off.

Seconds later Caroline was letting go, her sighs of pleasure filling the quiet night air as she pulsed rhythmically around him, sending him up and over his own peak.

Dipping his head against the crock of her neck, he released his verbal appreciation while his orgasm overtook him completely.

He stayed like that for a few minutes as they both attempted to catch their breaths. Caroline's fingers were now lightly tracing the scratches her nails had left in their wake, while her other hand was playing gently in his hair.

"I hope no one heard us," Caroline giggled.

"Maybe the crickets and the raccoons," he chucked into her skin as he collapsed on the lounger beside her.

She laughed, looking at him briefly with a smile and eyes that could rival the brightness of the stars in the sky, before glancing away.

He leaned in to kiss her shoulder.

"The closest neighbours are a mile away, Stefan and Meredith are upstairs occupying themselves, and Grayson is passed out," he reassured her. "You have nothing to worry about."

"Says the one who was so worried earlier," she mused, her breathing still attempting to steady itself from their previous activities as she rolled onto her side, resting her head on his chest.

He draped his arm around her contentedly, pulling the blanket they had become entangled in, over her shoulder.

This post sex ritual of having her snuggle up to him was still a little new to him…still a little surreal. At the same time, it was something he had grown so accustomed to with her…so comfortable with…that he couldn't imagine a time when sex was just sex. Not that he had wanted anything more with any of the women he had been with in the past, but he realized now how naïve, ignorant, and shallow he had been. Everything Stefan and Elijah had ever said to him about their relationships, which he had rebuked with disgust, all made sense now.

"Does any of this still feel surreal to you?" Caroline asked him, echoing his sentiments.

"What do you mean?" he wondered.

Her body shrugged against his.

"Like this," she emphasized. "Six months ago I never expected to be here in this very moment," she said. "I never would have imagined I'd be here with you, raising Grayson…It just hits me sometimes how unexpected life can be."

"It hits me too," he admitted, unable to stop his thoughts from imagining what things would be like had Elijah and Elena still been here.

He'd still be in New York painting and partying…living out his shallow existence. Caroline would be in Mystic Falls, designing and playing Auntie to Grayson…maybe reconnected with that Lockwood bastard. He shuddered at the thought.

But Elijah and Elena would still be here, he thought.

"It's hard…because right now…I feel so happy," Caroline admitted. "But none of this ever would have happened if…yeah," she trailed off, implicitly referring to Elijah and Elena's tragic accident.

"We can't think about it like that," he urged her, though he knew how hard it was not to. "We can't change what happened," he swallowed hard. "They wouldn't be angry with us. They wouldn't want us to dwell on what happened…they'd want us to live our lives."

She nodded.

"What if the roles had been reversed?" he proposed to her. "How would you want Elijah and Elena to live?"

"I'd want them to move on…make the best of things…I'd want them to be happy and not take their lives for granted," she answered.

"I think that's what they would want us to do," he concluded.

Caroline conceded with a sigh and they laid there quietly for a few moments.

"What do you think is going to happen in the next six months?" Caroline spoke up.

"What do you mean?" he inquired, a little caught off guard by her question.

"Well… say everything goes as planned and we get custody of Grayson. What are the next six months going to be like?" she wondered.

He hesitated.

"You have a life in New York…" she began.

"I have a life here too," he countered.

"You can't be in two places at once," she sighed.

He kissed her forehead.

"I wouldn't have taken on these responsibilities if I didn't think I could handle them, sweetheart. We will make it all work, I promise."

---

A/N: Soooo...it looks like a trip to New York is on the horizon... :D