"Caroline are sure that you don't mind babysitting?" Steven asked for what seemed like a hundred times. When they asked Caroline to take care of Anna for the night they both went out of their way to make it clear that they did not expect her to be an on call babysitter for them.
"Yes, we are going to be fine. We're gonna order pizza make ridiculously big sundaes and maybe watch a movie or two. How does that sound Anna?" Anna has her arms around Caroline's middle. "Please pappa?" She looks up at her father.
With her big brown eyes it's hard to say no. "Those eyes should be illegal." Steven shakes his head at his little girl and gives her a kiss in her hair.
Bill finally emerges carrying the two over night bags, and turns to his oldest daughter "I want the truth Caroline are you gonna be okay? I know that you are capable, but I am also aware that you haven't lived here that long, and our place is isolated. You also haven't been that comfortable around the woods." That part was oddly true. Ever since she moved in with her father Caroline tried her best to avoid going into the woods. She got a really bad vibe off of them.
"If I were Elena would you be questioning her if babysitting over the night would be a problem?" Caroline couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.
Bill quickly finished putting the bags in the car and turned to address his daughter's accusation "In truth we would have Anna stay at the Gilbert's so if you want to spend the night with a friend that is fine too."
Caroline repeated her earlier assertion. "We will be fine." The two girls watched as their drove off waving at them until they are out of sight. "Alright munchkin what do you want to do first?"
"Can we have ice cream? Daddy and pappa never let me have ice cream at lunch time." "Excellent," Caroline thought. She could use this to get the munchkin on her side.
"Will I won't tell if you won't" Anna squeals as she runs off to the kitchen. The little girl looks up at her new big sister with hopeful eyes as Caroline makes then sundaes. . The rest of the afternoon was spent eating ice cream and watching Scooby Doo. "Caroline, can we go outside and play?"
"Its getting dark out Anna." Caroline was was way to comfortable, and she also had no intention of being near those woods at night alone. Maybe it was because she didn't grow up around them but they always made her feel uneasy.
Unfortunately the little thing had one of the cutest face that Caroline had ever seen and it took her all of two seconds to fold. "Okay, but we stay in the drive way and don't get to close to the woods. I don't want you go in there when it is dark." Anna quickly ran up the stairs and grabbed her remote control Barbie car. Caroline grab her iPad.
The pair been out side for close to an hour. Anna is having a ball playing with her car, and Caroline was keeping up with some of my friends from L.A. on Facebook. "Caroline look at how fast it can go?" Anna screams to get my attention.
"That's great Anna." Caroline was about go back to Facebook when something catches her eye. Right behind Anna, a little ways into the woods looks like human figure. For a moment the wind picks up and the woods grow dark as the figure seems to approach them. "Anna grab you car and run to me now." Caroline tried to keep the panic out of my voice.
"But Caroline." Caroline doesn't give Anna anymore time to complain. "Now Anna." Caroline's voice is harsher then I intended it to be. She jumps but does what her older sister says anyway. Kids have a way of reading emotion, and she can tell that Caroline is scared.
The moment that Caroline was sure that we were safe inside the house she grabbed my cell phone. "Come on pick up." She breathe into the phone. "You have reached Rebekah leave a message and if I feel like it I may call you back in a day or two." Damn, without thinking she dialed another number.
"Hello there sweat heart." It was Klaus' voice on the other end.
"Is your sister home?" Caroline ask in desperation.
"Her and mum went into the city. Sorry but she won't be back until Sunday. Anything I can do for you?"
"I realize how this is going to sound even before it leaves my mouth but is there a chance that you could come over?" Caroline asked wincing.
"What going on Caroline?" His once jovial voice is now filled with concern. "You don't sound right?"
"I was out back by the woods playing with Anna and, this is going to sound strange but I felt like there was something in the woods coming towards us. So can you come over? My dad and Steven are away for the night and they left me with Anna. I was gonna ask your sister if we could stay at your place, but now I am afraid to take her back out." Caroline winced at how she sounded. She sound like a child afraid of the dark.
"I will be right over. Lock all the doors , keep your phone close and I will call you when I am outside." Klaus hung up the phone before I could express my gratitude.
Klaus makes it to the frighted girls in record time, and Caroline is more then grateful. She doesn't ask, but she is sure that he broke many traffic laws in the process. "Are two of you all right?" He has his hands on either side of Caroline's face as he gives me a once over.
"We're fine, I'm scared but I don't think Anna has a clue what is going on." She is holding his hands now. "I am so happy that you came."
"Anytime sweet heart, anytime. Now lets see that this house is nice and safe." Anna and Caroline sit in the living room while Klaus double checked all the doors and windows. "Alright its all locked up, and you said that you set the code for the outside alarm so we should be all set for the night.
"Are you going to be staying over to Klaus?" In the few moments that Anna and Klaus had spent together they had bonded.
"You bet ya." Klaus ruffled Anna's hair causing her to smile.
The three us spent the night eating junk food and watching movie. Caroline not sure when it had happen but after Anna was put to bed Klaus and Caroline found ourselves on the couch snuggling. Klaus is warm, comfortable, and above all else safe. So safe that Caroline don't even realize that she have fallen asleep on him, or that the two of us spent the night in each others arms. She would be embarrassed about it later. Right now all she wants is to be in his arms.
Bill and Steven were currently standing over a sleeping Caroline and Klaus wrapped in each other on the couch. "You listen to me William, you be very careful how you handle this. Fly into one of your famous angry outbursts and you will be guaranteeing that she is pregnant insight of a month and the two of us grandparents in the year." Steven has his hands on his hips as he gives his husband a warning.
"I didn't think I needed to tell her no boys staying over night, or in the house for that matter while we were out of town. She's been here for less then a month and after the whole Tyler debacle I didn't think she would interested in dating. How did she find a boy friend so fast?" Bill barely got out through greeted teeth.
"Keep it up, and not only will you be on Caroline's bad side, but mine as well." With that Steven left the room. "I'm gonna go check on Anna." Leaving Bill to deal with the still sleeping Caroline and Klaus.