"I don't understand what she see's in him?" Bill watched perched on one of the counter tops as Steven moved about the kitchen preparing the meal for the night.
Steven fixed Bill with the type of looked that suggested he was out of his mind for asking that sort of question. "Let's see: he's in college, he has an accent, and he drive you mad. Let's face it he's hit the trifecta. I don't think his looks are a problem for her either. Does that answer your question?"
Bill rolled his eyes before walking over the wine fridge and taking out a was going to need a drink; a big one, and many more to get through the night. "Doesn't mean that I have to like it." Bill all but pouted.
"Of course you don't." Steven cooed at his husband while he continued to cut the vegetables for the dinner salad. His husband, his forty something husband who was acting live a four year old who had just had their favorite toy taken from them. Steven took the wine bottle from Bill's hand and took a large drink himself. He needed it more.
"I'm gonna complain the whole time." Bill crossed his arms over his chest, sticking his right foot out as he continued to be oblivious to his husbands current attitude.
"Would be surprised if you didn't." Steven handed Bill a stack of plates wordlessly instructing him that he expected him to set the table.
It was times like these that Steven felt like he was a single parent raising three kids instead of two. "Stop pouting you look like a child. Come on dear and I'll let you have a brownie." Steven suggested hoping he could entice his husband.
Steven had long a go put Bill on strict diet meant to lower his cholesterol, sugar, and lower his weight. Bill was not happy. "Well it better be a big one." Bill finally conceded.
Caroline spent the night hold up in her room. She had no intention of going down stairs until she had to. I mean she knew that she was going to have to have Klaus meet her fathers official, but she expected that to be down the road. A long ways down the road when her and Klaus actually became something. Right now she wasn't sure what they were. There were defiantly more then friends, but that was all she was willing to fess up to. Sure sure tonight was going to be a disaster. After her fathers walked in on the two of the Bill hadn't formed the greatest opinion of Klaus, and she knew that he wasn't going to give him a fair chance. Steven, on the other hand, seem nice enough. Still she rather not have to have him play peace makers all night.
Klaus sat in his car sighing. He was trying to prepare himself to get out of the car. It wasn't like he was opposed to meeting Caroline's fathers. He wasn't. He just perfered that it had happened in a more civilized way. Sighing, pinching his nose, and giving himself one last glance in the rear view mirror before he finally got out of the car.
"Klaus we are so happy that you could make." Klaus silently sent a thank you to God that it was Steven who answered and not Bill.
"No thank you for having me. It was very nice to be invited."Both Klaus and Steven shook hands before Steven moved away to allow Klaus to enter the home.
"Klaus." Anna squealed before running to her new favorite person and giving him a hug. "It's been forever since I've last seen you. I've thought that I would never see you again." Anna dramatized in the adorable way that only little girls could do.
"Hi ya munchkin, I've missed you too." Klaus lifted Anna into his arms and gave her a loud kiss on her cheek.
"She has not been able to stop talking about you." Steven confessed as he lead Klaus into the living room. "Why don't you take a seat and I will go and get Caroline." Klaus really liked the Forbes home it was so unlike his own. His home which was always neat and perfect filled with expensive items and classic art work. There place always seemed to smell like cookies, there were toys everywhere, and the place always felt warm. All in all it felt like a home.
When Caroline came down both Klaus and Caroline smiled awkwardly at each other unsure of what they even were let alone how they were suppose to behave. After a few uncomfortable minutes they decided on a huge. "It's really good that you came Klaus."
If he thought his encounter with Caroline was uncomfortable he was in for the most intense moment of his life once they all sat down for dinner. Once the food was brought out they mostly sat in silence they only sound was the clanging of silver wear scraping against plates, and Anna, bless her, who chatted enthusiastically about her day. Unfortunately for all it was Bill who broke the ice.
"So Klaus can I offer you a glass of wine?" Bill sneered clearly trying to point out that Klaus had no business dating a high school girl.
"Thank you, but I'm not exactly of age. I'm nineteen not twenty one." Klaus hoped that by pointing out that he and Caroline were only a mere two years apart that would somehow sway Bill into approving of the match.
"Oh yes, but you are in college right?" Bill's implication was clear. What was Klaus doing with a high school girl?
"Yes, this is my freshman year. I took a gap year." Seeing the confused look on their faces he quickly explained. "In England we have the option to either go right into university or to take a year off to volunteer, work, or travel. It's meant to give real world experience. I did a little of everything."
"So what is that you are majoring in?" Steven asked as he poured everyone a fresh glass of ice tea.
"Art and journalism. That's part of the reason why I am spending so much time in town. My project."
"Oh so what is it about our little town that has inspired you?" Bill practicly sneered. He could guess what had inspired Klaus; his daughter. He was wrong.
"Izzy." At once the table grew deathly quiet, not even the sound of plates chattering could be heard.
"Hoping to solve the great unslovable?" Bill sneered as he finished off his class of wine; pouring himself another in the process.
"More like I want to bring the dead girl back to life. It's odd how this town reacts whenever anyone says that name. It's like she's one big dirty secret that everyone is trying to forget. Form what I've learned of her she was loved. So you see why this has gotten me very curious."
"What you have to understand. What all you young people need to understand is that Izzy isn't some ghost story, urban legend, or whatever else you make her out to be. She was a person, and as you said she was loved by a great many. What happened to her is noting short of a tragedy and it was traumatizing to this whole town. It changed things around here, and those are the reason that we don't like to talk about Izzy with outsiders. It took the people of this town a very long time to heal from what happened. Do us all a favor and don't bring up old wounds." Bill waited as he is words sunk in to the occupants of the table. "Now you have brought Caroline into this, and you can understand why I don't want her to have any part in what happened to her aunt. Her mother kept that part of her life from Caroline for a reason, and do you know why? It's difficult going thought life with the stigma of always being the sister of that girl who disappeared. The way people treated Liz after was a sin. It was like she had a diseases that everyone was afraid that they would catch. Infamy is not fame, and she didn't want that for Caroline. I don't want that for Caroline."
Bill's speech had an effect on Klaus, and one he did not plan on. It never occurred to him that he was possibly doing any harm. Why would it, none of Izzy's family were around and as Bill had said she had stopped being a person a long time ago. He was on his high horse, and acting very self righteously in that he thought he was owed the truth. Now he wasn't so sure. Maybe the truth would hurt too many people and he should simply let sleeping dogs lie.