A/N: Hi folks, I guess absence makes the heart grow fonder. Knowing that we won't be seeing Klaroline again in canon has made me more enthused to write, because I miss them and the huge disservice Julie Plec did to our ship.
I also have to say that your reviews are also a huge motivation. I love reading them - even the not so nice ones! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and your hopes and dreams for future chapters. It inspires to keep me writing and I do take your comments seriously.
Klaus's return is bittersweet, but I hope you enjoy the reunion so far!
He flattened his cigarette between his shoe and the cement sidewalk as he saw Stefan's car approach the curb of the illuminated arrivals terminal of the airport.
"Taxi!" he shouted sarcastically as Stefan lowered the passenger side window.
Stefan flipped him off casually as the lid of the car trunk popped open.
"Throw your shit in the back," Stefan instructed him with a smirk.
"Hello to you too, Mate," he greeted Stefan as he climbed in the car.
"No smoking in the car, either," Stefan added with a judgmental tone, hinting that he had witnessed him finishing his cigarette as he had approached.
"Old habits…" he conceded, not proud of the fact that he'd allowed himself the occasional cigarette in the last while after how he had struggled to quit in the first place. He wasn't perfect. The stress of the last few months had gotten the better of him and he found himself relying on the occasional nicotine fix to get by.
His return to Mystic Falls had him particularly on edge. He wondered if Grayson would remember him – he wondered what things would be like between Caroline and him. He hadn't seen either of them since their trip to New York.
"Bad habits," Stefan pointed out judgmentally.
"I know," he acknowledged, imagining that Caroline would have worse to say than Stefan.
He and Stefan talked casually as Stefan navigated them out of the maze of airport traffic towards the highway that would lead them to Mystic Falls.
"Thanks for coming to pick me up," he offered Stefan sincerely. "I really could have taken a taxi back to Mystic Falls. I didn't want to ask Caroline to go out of her way with Grayson."
Stefan shrugged.
"It's not a problem…I wanted to test out a new route in case the highway is jammed when Meredith and I head back here Friday," Stefan mentioned.
"Right," he smirked. "Eloping in Europe," he shook his head, still surprised that Stefan and Meredith were taking off to Europe to get married.
While Stefan was the most likely to marry out of anyone he knew, it was still unusual to think about – it felt like yesterday that they were teenagers. He had felt the same way about Elijah and Elena. Marriage was a commitment.
"That's the only way to guarantee that neither Meredith's work nor mine will interrupt the ceremony," Stefan joked.
He laughed.
"Nervous?" he asked Stefan, genuinely curious to know his response.
Stefan shrugged, seemingly content.
"Meredith and I are basically married now…not much will change," Stefan acknowledged lightheartedly. "Except my very old and very Catholic Nonna can no longer judge us for living in sin every time she sees us," he laughed.
He chuckled alongside Stefan, imagining an old frail woman being able to intimidate anyone.
"What does she have to say about Damon?" he wondered, suspecting that she had nothing good to say about him if she had nothing positive to say about Stefan.
Stefan laughed louder. "She thinks Damon is her husband…who died long before either Damon or I were even born. It can get awkward," Stefan explained amusedly.
He felt badly for Damon and Stefan's elderly grandmother, but couldn't help but snicker at the thought of Damon being hit on by her.
They drove quietly for a few more minutes.
"I actually wanted to pick you up so I could talk to you about something else," Stefan alluded, the lowly tone of Stefan's voice suggesting it was something serious…something he wasn't going to be pleased about.
"What is it?" he asked reluctantly, staring out the window into the blackness of the night, feeling tempted to light another cigarette to prepare himself for what Stefan had to tell him.
"It's your parents," Stefan began, hesitating himself. "They're trying to bring a motion for summary judgment in your case."
He remained silent, waiting for Stefan to elaborate upon what their latest move meant legally.
"Basically they're trying to sidestep a trial by asking the motion judge to decide the case summarily based upon affidavit evidence alone," Stefan explained. "And of course, they're making the motion returnable the week I return from my honeymoon. I suspect they're doing this on purpose – to catch us off guard and to bleed you and Caroline out until you can't afford to continue."
His expression narrowed.
"What affidavit evidence are they using?" he questioned.
"Klaus…" Stefan said cautiously.
"What affidavit evidence?" he pressed, knowing Stefan was holding back for a reason.
Stefan sighed. "There are a few affidavits sworn by them…by other people," he explained. "They comment upon your financial situations, your relationship history with Caroline…and other women, but much of it focuses upon your past altercations with them…with Tyler Lockwood…" Stefan trailed off.
"Damon," he said, finishing Stefan's list through gritted teeth, slamming his fist against the glove box in front of him. "Your fucking brother swore an affidavit for them?!" he spat.
"I'm sorry," Stefan winced. "I've tried talking to Damon, but he won't speak to me about it."
"He's a fucking coward," he hissed, holding his breath and balling his hands tightly. "I'll kill him," he said out of desperation, not literal intent. He wanted to say more, but he refrained. Stefan had no more control over Damon than he did. This wasn't Stefan's fault, he had to remind himself, Stefan couldn't choose his family any more than he could.
"As your friend, I get it," Stefan sympathized. "But, as your lawyer, I wouldn't advise that," he said in an effort to lighten the mood. "Listen, I know you and Damon have never gotten along, but as Damon's brother, this isn't him. He wouldn't do something like this," Stefan said, trying to defend his brother.
He shot Stefan an incredulous look.
"He signed his name to the affidavit, didn't he?" he pointed out, refusing to give Damon any credit.
"I'm not sure he had a choice," Stefan explained.
"What are you suggesting? That my parents blackmailed him?" he wondered, knowing it was not inconceivable.
Stefan shrugged. "I don't know."
"I think you might underestimate your brother's hatred for me," he concluded, "…and his resentment towards Caroline for rejecting him."
"Maybe...but maybe you underestimate your parents and…" Stefan stopped.
"Their hatred for me?" he finished, knowing it was what Stefan was about to say but realized how awful it sounded.
"Klaus, I'm sorry," Stefan apologized, knowing the kind of childhood as the physical reminder of his parents' betrayal of one another.
"So what does this mean?" he asked Stefan, needing to know how they would deal with this legally.
"Our first response will be that this is not a suitable matter for summary judgment," Stefan said simply. "This case is hinging quite a bit on credibility, and the judge can't properly weigh credibility without oral testimony," he explained. "But, we have to be prepared that the judge may disagree, and so our second response will be to seek an adjournment. If that fails, I have my colleague of mine assisting me with the preparation of your responding material while I'm away. He may need to become more involved if the judge permits cross-examination on the affidavits. I can't cross-examine my brother – I don't want there to be any insinuation of a conflict and jeopardize the case over it," he elaborated further.
"I'm sorry you have to deal with this before you leave," he said regretfully, feeling guilty that his problems were on Stefan's shoulders when he should be concentrating on his wedding.
"It's my job," Stefan acknowledged with a shrug.
It was relieving to know that Stefan had several back up plans to deal with his parents, but he was still unsatisfied. He was anxious. He hated the uncertainty.
"Until Caroline and I can't afford to pay you," he scoffed, feeling discouraged.
He had inadvertently sacrificed his relationship with Caroline and potentially a relationship with Grayson to stay behind in New York to earn as much money as he could to do right by Grayson and support him. He had done that and took the silent judgment from everyone who thought it might be a selfish desire to return to his bachelor way of life. And where had it gotten him? If his parents had any control over the matter, he would be no further ahead than before he had left. The money he had worked his ass off to earn for Grayson's future would be gone in the blink of an eye.
"Klaus, I'm not doing this for your money. I'm doing this because you're my friend and Grayson belongs with you and Caroline. That's what Elijah and Elena wanted. You're parents are the last people on earth who deserve him," Stefan reassured him.
He exhaled sharply, trying to absorb the ounce of relief that Stefan's words brought him.
"I haven't told Caroline yet," Stefan admitted.
The stress of things quickly returned as he thought about what Caroline's reaction would be to this latest development. When she discovered that his parents were relying upon affidavits about his violent behaviour, she would be furious with him. She'd never forgive him if he was the reason they lost Grayson, when he had promised her his parents would never take Grayson from them.
"I'll tell her," he volunteered reluctantly. "But, give me until after Grayson's birthday this weekend. She's been looking forward to it. This would ruin it for her."
As Stefan pulled up the drive to the back of the house, he couldn't help but notice the For Sale sign on the front lawn.
He sighed discontentedly. Selling the house was not something he was particularly enthused about given the history here, but he knew it was something they had to do. They needed the money for Grayson – they would need the money to fight off his parents in court.
While the mortgage had been paid off by the insurance Elena and Elijah had purchased for that purpose, the expense to maintain the property was significant and the upkeep was unmanageable, particularly as Caroline would be here with Grayson on her own for much of the time.
They had listed the house a week ago and had one open house. Several couples had already expressed interest, but they had received no offers yet. Their realtor had assured them that it would be a matter of time given the nature of the real estate market. While that was good for them financially, he was not quite ready to part with the house that Elijah and Elena had intended to raise Grayson in.
Through the windows at the back of the house, he could see the kitchen dimly lit by the under-cabinet lights and the glow of the television flashing in the family room.
His stomach clenched nervously as he contemplated his first encounter with Caroline.
"I know you're here for more than just Grayson," Stefan acknowledged.
"I guess I'm that transparent," he conceded, knowing that there was no point in denying his lingering feelings for the fiery blonde when Stefan could see right through him. He trusted that Stefan would be discreet.
"Nervous?" Stefan repeated the question he had asked Stefan earlier.
"I could use another cigarette right about now, mate," he admitted as he climbed out of the car and went for the trunk to retrieve his luggage.
As he came back around to the driver's side of the car, Stefan had extended his hand out the window with a blue polka-dotted gift bag.
"For Grayson, since Meredith and I will miss his big day," Stefan explained.
"I think your big day is a good enough excuse," he said, before thanking Stefan for the gift bag and for the ride from the airport. "You got this," he said to Stefan encouragingly, nudging his friend's shoulder playfully, referring to his impending marriage.
He turned with his things towards the house.
"Klaus?" Stefan called after him.
Looking back towards the vehicle, Stefan nodded past him towards the house.
"You got this," Stefan smirked.
He unlocked the back door and entered quietly, suspecting that Grayson, and possibly Caroline, may be asleep given the time.
His stomach growled at the scent of what he thought might have been a dinner Caroline had made earlier for herself.
It was then that he started to notice the sink filled with dishes. A variety of Grayson's dishes, bibs, and bottles were scattered in various places on the counter. Grayson's toys littered the floor and kitchen table beside Caroline's laptop which was also surrounded by a pile of paperwork and mail that were next to two laundry baskets full of folded laundry.
There were some boxes stacked neatly in the corner by the passage to the front hall – packing boxes – a reminder that soon they would no longer have this place.
The guilt he felt was instant but it was not unfamiliar to him. However, it was more overwhelming in this moment – being confronted by the cause of his guilt – what he had left Caroline to deal with by herself.
He glanced into the dimly lit family room. The television was playing a reality dating show that he had recalled Caroline being unexplainably fond of – that he himself had inadvertently become invested in as a result of her interest when they lived together. There was a near empty glass of white wine on the end table beside the sofa.
Setting the gift bag down on the table and resting his luggage against one of the dining chairs, he moved quietly towards the sofa in the family room to turn off the television.
Peering over the sofa, he was somewhat startled to find Caroline sound asleep under a blanket.
He stood there silently for a few moments, unable to look away, soaking in the face that haunted his thoughts on a daily basis since he'd been gone.
Her golden hair was pulled back in a ponytail, giving him a mostly unobstructed view of the soft features of her tired expression as she slept.
He found his lips curved into a small smile. He'd missed her.
Deciding to let her sleep, he proceeded for the television remote.
The unexpected absence of the television narrating in the background alerted Caroline and she began to shift under the blanket.
He stepped back so as not to surprise her, but as her eyes opened and she noticed his shadow, she shot upright from the sofa.
"Oh my god!" she stammered anxiously, clutching the blanket against her chest. "You scared the shit out of me!" she exclaimed.
"Sorry, love," he apologized guiltily, stopping short as he caught the pet name he had let slip from his tongue.
She yawned and brushed the loose hair away from her face as she glanced around the room to regain her bearings.
"What time is it? How long have you been here?" she wondered bewilderedly, an absent tone apparent in her voice.
He looked over at the clock on the wall out of habit, noting that it was just after ten o'clock.
"I just got in," he explained.
"Obviously I fell asleep," she concluded, still appearing somewhat dazed from her nap. "I put Grayson down a few hours ago. I've been trying to use the treadmill downstairs as often as I can…"
Because she didn't have the opportunity to go to the gym or go out for a run as she used to being by herself here with Grayson, he thought – knowing that he was partially to blame for that.
"I've just been exhausted. The glass of wine afterwards didn't help, I suppose," she mused, glancing at the glass of wine on the end table.
"Probably not," he agreed absently, trying to maintain neutral conversation with her.
"How was your flight? You found Stefan okay?" she asked casually, making small talk as she climbed off of the sofa and began folding the blanket.
"It was okay," he said, not sure how much detail she desired from him. He assumed little.
She nodded, but he could tell her mind was elsewhere, watching her eyes fall upon various items around the room.
There was an awkward distance between them that had to do less with the sofa that separated them and more to do with everything left unsaid by them – just under the surface.
"This place is a mess," she said self-critically. "No one is going to buy this place looking like this."
"It looks fine," he assured her.
Caroline sighed, unsatisfied by his attempt to reassure her as she rounded the end table and kneeled down to collect some of Grayson's toys.
He placed his hand on the back of her shoulder instinctively before they both flinched at the contact, remembering that things had changed between them.
Frowning, he pulled back, chastising himself for overstepping the invisible boundary that had arose between them.
Caroline stood and placed the toys she had picked up in a bin beside the sofa.
"I know you're doing your best," he told her.
She nodded appreciatively, another long sigh escaping her lips.
"I think I'm going to take a shower and go to bed," Caroline decided.
If they had still been together, he might have interpreted her comment as an invitation, but she walked past him.
He glanced away dejectedly but she stopped beside the stack of boxes he had noticed earlier before she disappeared down the hall.
"There are some leftovers in the fridge if you're hungry," Caroline offered. "I made up the pull out sofa for you in Elijah's office," she added.
He hadn't even thought about where he would sleep now that he had returned as he had grown accustomed to sharing Caroline's bed when he had last been here.
There was a long pause as Caroline glanced at the boxes.
"I've sorted through a lot of Elena and Elijah's things – kept some things, sold some things – these boxes are for donation, I think. You're welcome to go through them first. I kept Elijah's journals. They're in a box upstairs in his office. I thought you might want to hold onto them for Grayson," Caroline suggested.
He had almost forgotten about Elijah's journals and he was thankful Caroline had thought of him. He hoped Grayson would find those journals invaluable when he was older.
Mustering his best half smile, he thanked her, knowing that she didn't owe him anything at this point.
She retreated upstairs to the bathroom to escape the awkward tension that had built an invisible wall in between them.
It was bittersweet to wake up to him standing over her. It felt confusing. On the one hand, it triggered painful memories of their parting in New York. On the other hand, she missed him, his smell, his voice. His appearance hadn't changed much in the last few months, though his hair had grown longer, curling at the ends, and the stubble on his cheeks seemed a bit thicker.
She missed what they had before everything had blown up between them in New York.
If this had been a few months ago, they both would have been on the sofa together. She would have tortured him by forcing him to watch the guilty pleasure reality shows that used to be a main feature of her girls' nights with Elena. Inevitably, and unbeknownst to him, she would fall asleep next to him, and he'd often end up watching the show to its conclusion because he didn't want to disturb her for the remote or he would only realize that she was asleep once the show was over.
Standing pensively in front of the mirror, she smiled as she thought about the way he would wake her up by lightly running his fingertips through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. She smirked as she thought back to the time she made him give her a piggy back ride upstairs, claiming she was too tired to walk there herself. He nearly fell up the stairs.
Coming back to reality, her lips curved to a frown, thinking more about New York. She knew he blamed her for their break-up. Sure, she had officially ended it, but he had made it painfully clear that he was choosing his life in New York over the one he had begun with her and Grayson in Mystic Falls.
All she wanted to do was scream at him about how upset and hurt she was. At the same time, she'd give anything to collapse in his arms, feel the comfort of his arms around her, and the taste of his lips against hers.
She closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind as she undressed for the shower.
Still half-asleep from the unexpected nap she had taken on the sofa downstairs, she welcomed the spray of the hot water against her skin to help wake her up.
She contemplated how the next few weeks would go with Klaus back. They hadn't even been in the same room together for an hour and the distance between them was suffocating. It was much easier to manage when Klaus was in New York and the distance between them was more literal. Somehow, she would have to figure out how to manage until his return to the City. She concluded it would be easiest to focus on everything coming up – Grayson's birthday, the Settlement Conference, Stefan and Meredith's Reception, and her work. With Klaus here to watch Grayson, it would free up her time and allow her to spend more time at the store.
Perhaps with time they would return to a routine as they had before and settle into their roles as co-parents of Grayson. She could hope.
Once the custody application was finally resolved and the house was sold, they could really begin to move forward, but those things remained up in the air at this point.
Finishing her shower, she turned off the water and stepped out, wrapping her hair in a towel and drying herself off.
Back in her room, she started to change into her pyjamas – shorts and a tank top. Though September had begun, summer was still holding on strong in Mystic Falls.
It was then that she that realized her door was partially open. Clutching her tank top in front of her chest, she went for the door to close it. Now that Klaus had returned, she would have to be more careful about her privacy. When it was just her and Grayson, she didn't have to worry so much.
Speaking of Grayson, as she approached the door, she could hear his familiar whimpers and cries coming from his room across the hall.
She couldn't remember if she had turned on the baby monitor downstairs or not. Klaus probably wouldn't be able to hear Grayson if she hadn't.
Slipping on her top, she shuffled across the hall towards Grayson's room, but she stopped short of entering when she noticed Klaus had got to Grayson's room first.
Pausing at the doorway, she watched the two of them together. Klaus was with Grayson at the change table. His back was partially towards the door, so he didn't notice her standing there.
"Uh oh, Gray, what did you eat?" Klaus questioned with disgust, as he changed his diaper.
She smirked, taking pleasure from the fact that Grayson had greeted Klaus with such a treat upon his return.
Grayson whimpered a bit more. He wasn't a huge fan of having his diaper changed, so she wasn't surprised.
"Uh-oh," Grayson mimicked, a temporary pause from his upset state.
That was his second coherent word so far. She was patiently waiting for the third so she could record it in the baby book Elena had started for him.
Klaus laughed.
"Uh-oh, is right," Klaus mused, clearly impressed by Grayson's growing vocabulary, having missed being around the last while.
She had tried to get Grayson to talk when she would put him on video-chat with Klaus, but he always played shy on camera.
"Be still so I can finish changing you," he told Grayson, as he attempted to secure the diaper.
"No," Grayson said simply.
That was his first word and his most favourite. She had to contain her laughter as she watched Klaus's surprised reaction.
Again, Grayson always seemed camera shy whenever she tried to get him to speak for Klaus, so Klaus didn't believe her when she told him that he had spoken his first word.
"Excuse me?" Klaus asked Grayson incredulously, trying to contain his own laughter. "I guess Caroline wasn't kidding," he said, his voice cracking a little as he picked up a changed Grayson from the change table. She couldn't be sure, but it sounded like his emotion might have caught him off guard.
"Why do I have a feeling that I will be hearing that word a lot for the next eighteen years?" he joked to himself.
He held Grayson, perching him on his forearm so that they were facing one another. Much to her relief, Grayson appeared content with him. She was worried Grayson might have forgotten him and he was growing increasingly skittish around new people who picked him up.
"What has Caroline been feeding you while I was away, hmm? You're awfully heavy!" Klaus commented, teasing Grayson as he lowered his arms suddenly, pretending to drop him slightly.
Grayson shrieked, but it was a joyful sound. He seemed genuinely happy to be with Klaus.
They were both studying one another, Grayson's small hands reaching out to touch the stubble on his cheeks, while Klaus used his free hand to smooth out the tufts of dark brown hair on top of Grayson's head that grown more noticeable in the last few months.
"You're certainly becoming the spitting image of your father," Klaus confirmed.
He wasn't wrong. Grayson looked more like Elijah every day – she had seen the few baby photos of Elijah in the photo albums she planned to save for Grayson when he was older. There was a hint of Elena in there somewhere when he would look at her a certain way, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was because Elijah's features were so dominant.
Her eyes stung with tears as they struggled to hide the painful memories that lied behind them.
"I missed you," Klaus confessed to Grayson, still unaware of her presence in the doorway as he kissed Grayson's forehead. "I'm sorry I had to be away for a while. I wish I didn't have to," he apologized to him.
Her heart swelled, sensing the sincerity and guilt in his words. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying to suppress the emotion she felt.
Klaus turned slightly towards Grayson's crib, and that's when Grayson caught sight of her in the doorway.
He became fussy instantly, much to Klaus's confusion, leaning forwards in Klaus's arms, extending his chubby little body to try and get closer to her.
"Mmmmm," Grayson sounded, his eyes set upon her.
This caught Klaus's attention and he turned to see her standing there.
"I think someone missed you too," she said to Klaus, hinting that she had overheard his conversation with Grayson. She brushed her hand over her face as though she was moving her hair away from her eyes, to hide the fact that she was trying to conceal her watery eyes.
Grayson continued to fuss in Klaus's arms, wanting to be with her now that he noticed her there.
"Mmmaa," Grayson continued to babble as she approached the two of them. "Ma-Ma," he blurted, much to her surprise.
Her eyes widened as she looked between Grayson and Klaus, who appeared just as caught off guard as she was.
"Did…did he just say?" she started, feeling unsure by what she thought she had heard him say.
"I think that might have been another word," Klaus said hesitantly, confirming that he had heard the same thing as she did as he handed Grayson to her.
"He wouldn't know," she shook her head as Grayson looked at her adoringly.
She didn't use that word to refer to herself with him. She only used it when she would talk to him about Elena – and she supposed he may have heard it quite often at daycare – but that was it.
"Maybe…" Klaus started.
"No," she said, cutting Klaus off, still feeling uncertain, and feeling very uncomfortable. "Monkey, I'm Cee-Cee," she told him, a tear escaping her eye and sliding down her cheek. She pointed at herself, repeating the name she had referred to herself with him every chance she could in hopes that it would be easier for him to learn than learning to say Caroline. "I'm Cee-Cee," she repeated.
Klaus looked at her quietly, a sympathetic expression on his face – not the type of reaction you would expect when a baby seemingly learns to say another word. She knew his subdued reaction was for the very same reason hers was, but she also sensed that he was a bit hurt – that Grayson had forgotten about him at the sight of her. What Grayson had said to her was just the salt in the wound.
She felt guilty – like she had betrayed Elena, and stomped all over Klaus's moment with Grayson in the process, and he had not even been back a day yet.
"It's okay," Klaus tried to reassure her. "This is a good thing," he tried to reason, though it seemed difficult for him. "Elena would have wanted this. She wouldn't have wanted Grayson to know the pain of losing her – his mother – feeling like something was always missing. This is how she would have wanted him to see you. He's fortunate to have both of you," he said, referring to her and Elena.
She clenched her lips together, trying to hold back. The last thing she wanted was to become a blubbering mess in front of him. She didn't deserve his words after everything. She knew that it was hard for him to acknowledge.
"The same could be said for you," she replied, trying her best, despite everything they had gone through personally in the last while, to reassure him, knowing that as far as Grayson was concerned, Klaus's intent behind staying in New York to provide for him financially was sincere.
Grayson could be fickle – but that was to be expected when he could not yet grasp the many ways people cared for him and appreciate the sacrifices that had been made for him. He would understand that when he was older – she hoped.
Klaus sighed deeply, mustering a half smile, but still seemingly unsatisfied by her effort to assuage the self-doubt she knew he was experiencing.
"I know I'll never be Elijah," he shrugged, reaching out to caress Grayson's hair one last time as he headed for the doorway. "Good night," he said.
A/N: Hey, hey - thoughts?
I know the legal thing may appear far-fetched (particularly if any of you are involved in the legal world in your daily lives) but if I tried to make it anymore realistic, Klaus and Caroline would probably be fighting it out with his parents for the next few years - and I would like to wrap this story up at least by 2019 LOL :D
I plan for the next chapter to be a bit more lighthearted - Grayson's 1st birthday!
Some people reading have also asked me about upcoming smut. I know you're going through withdrawal at this point, lol. There may be light at the end of the tunnel. Any specific requests?
Anyways, thanks for your patience and continuing to read!