PART 2

Friday, 3:21 p.m.

"Can you tell me what sound K makes?"

"Kuh."

"That's right. Do you know any words that start with K?"

"Cat?"

"Well 'cat' does have a 'kuh' sound but that starts with a C. Sometimes C and K make the same sound."

Henrik pursed his lips, screwing his face up adorably as he thought about it. Then his eyes widened and his whole face illuminated. "Kite!"

"Very good!" Caroline beamed, turning the page to the next letter. "What letter is this?"

He leaned forward, chewing his lower lip. "L."

"And do you know what sound it makes?"

"Luh."

"Like…"

He paused then scrunched his nose and tilted his head. "Like is with an L."

"You're right." She narrowed her eyes. "Hmm. Isn't there an animal that starts with an L? One with lots of fur around its head? Kind of looks like a giant cat…"

"Ohhh. A Lion."

"Right. There's also a leopard, lizards, a lynx."

Henrik started to smile. "And Legos."

She giggled. "Okay. We have established that we know L. So let's move on to the next letter. Now, I know you know how M sounds."

"Mmmmm!"

"And now a word that starts with M?"

Henrik looked down at the page and suddenly his expression turned somber. His sucked his lower lip in and started scraping his index finger along the edge of the table top. Caroline tilted her head.

"Henrik?"

"Mom," he said quietly.

She leaned back slightly, suddenly overwhelmed with sympathy. After a pause, she asked, "Maybe…we should call it a day, huh?"

He didn't respond so she closed the book of ABCs and began to collect the flash cards they'd been using.

"My mommy went away," he said suddenly, the soft whisper reverberating through to her heart.

Caroline stopped and laid the stack of cards down neatly atop the book. Since she didn't know the circumstances, she wasn't sure what to say. As a gesture of condolence, she laid her hand on his arm. He looked at it with unease.

"I bet you miss her."

He looked up, his little brows still deeply furrowed and the look in his eyes unnervingly angry.

"Leave me alone!"

She blinked a few times, taken aback by the amount of rage in such an innocent child. He tore his arm away from her and ran into the coat room, his chair knocking over in the process.

"Henrik!"

She stood, ready to take after him when she spotted the SUV pulling up to the front of the building through the window. Her heart leapt, nerves suddenly overflowing. As she was starting to mentally prepare herself to hold her ground, she saw the passenger side door open. The blonde was with him again? She leaned to her side, just a little, trying to get a better view. Out of the car walked a slender brunette with the most perfect ringlets she'd ever seen. Her skin was that light brown that most women strived for during the summer, but hers was natural. Her jeans and tank hugged her body perfectly and her lips were painted bright red, as if the stilettos she wore weren't a fierce enough statement.

Caroline frowned winsomely. Another one. And she was beyond beautiful. It made her irrationally insecure.

Klaus came out of the car now, rounding the front of it toward the passenger side. He said something to the woman and she started to move forward but he held a hand up to stop her. There was a brief argument but he backed her off again with his hands and she turned away from him with one swift movement, retreating back to the car. When he turned toward the school again, Caroline jumped, hoping he didn't see. She quickly tried to make herself look busy and grabbed the reading materials from the table, hurrying to put them back in the book nook. Now her heart was pounding even harder.

Her arrived with a bit of a bustle, but she didn't bother to look when he filled the doorway with his presence. He cleared his throat, giving the door a little knock. The sound made her jump and she cursed her shoddy reflexes, turning around with a gaping expression that could not be anymore unattractive if she tried.

"Oh! Klaus. Hi. I wasn't expecting you." She blinked and retracted. "I mean I was. Obviously. Someone has to pick Henrik up, and it's late so that would make it your day to be here and here you are. So…hi."

He smiled and she felt instantly patronized. "I'd normally enjoy our casual banter about my tardiness, however I unfortunately have to cut this visit short."

"I see." She crossed her arms. "And why is that?"

"My family and I have somewhere to be."

"Right. Got it."

He looked around, dubious. "Are you holding him captive?"

"He's in the coat closet." She pointed then turned away, hair whipping after her, and stalked to her desk.

He headed in the direction she'd instructed and for a brief, shining moment he was gone and she was free to breathe normally again and remember just how annoyed with him she was. She heard murmurs, mostly from Klaus, and then suddenly he was back, his expression tired and Henrik nowhere to be seen.

"Appears he's in one of his moods today."

Caroline ignored him, working on the attendance sheet instead and trying to wish him away. It didn't work. In fact, in only lured him closer to her desk so that when he was in her line of view, she had no choice but to look up.

"I hate to leave things on a bitter note, so perhaps you'll let me take you to dinner tomorrow night, to make up for my lack of presence in your Friday afternoon." He smirked playfully. Her stomach churned.

"Perhaps not."

"You have other plans?"

"No, I do not."

"Are you spoken for? Someone beat me to the punch?"

He was smirking. Again. She sighed, growing more agitated by the minute. "No, I am not."

"They why not have dinner with me? I know a little place just outside of town. Very intimate."

She scoffed, fighting a smile. "You're persistent. I'll give you that."

"Come on, love. Shouldn't we get to know each other better before having our first spat?"

"Oh believe me," she nodded assertively, "I know enough." He regarded her with curiosity so she crossed her arms and set her shoulders, ready to let him have it. "Look, I know how this goes. A hot, mysterious guy comes to town and uses his status to his advantage to charm his way into women's hearts just long enough to get into their pants. And maybe it's fun for a while, until they become attached and then you'll turn it around on them, make them think it's their idea when you break up with them. So that while they are heartbroken, and sobbing, and a complete mess wondering what it is they did wrong, you're scot free to move on to the next one."

He narrowed his eyes, trying to wrap his mind around it. "'Am I the hot, mysterious guy in this scenario?'"

"Seriously?" She scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "I know this game, Klaus, and I really don't feel like playing it so you can go find someone else's nerves to get on."

"Caroline – "

"No. I have had countless men – and I do mean countless – try to hit on me when they pick up their kids from school. And for the record, it is not cute or flattering. It's annoying. This is my job. I am here to nurture and enrich future generations. Not be a schoolgirl fantasy for some playboy to check off his bucket list."

Klaus' expression was a mixture of awe, anger, and horrified confusion. It was at that moment that Henrik cautiously walked up to his side, clutching his backpack straps and glancing worriedly between them. Caroline caught sight and tried to recompose herself, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. She swiveled her chair and plastered a smile to her face, keeping her attention focused on the younger of the Mikaelsons.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to finish the story today, Henrik. Next time, okay?"

He shrugged and looked up at his older brother expectantly. Klaus' tongue darted across his lip and his expression neutralized. His usually vibrant eyes became dulled by annoyance and Caroline felt a cool wave of satisfaction wash over her.

"Let's go, Henrik. No need to disturb your teacher further."

Caroline rolled her eyes at his back as he turned and led Henrik away. The little boy looked back regretfully.

"Bye," he called softly.

She smiled and waved until they were gone, then sat back in her chair to bask in a job well done.


Monday 2:54 p.m.

Another day complete for Miss Caroline's Kindergarten class. As parents came to pick up their children, Caroline stood at the door awaiting the arrival of one in particular. She'd had all weekend to recuperate and return refreshed for another work week. She hoped, no, prayed that anyone but Klaus would show up to pick up Henrik today. She wasn't in the mood to face him after her minor blow up, not that there was really anything left to say. Hopefully he would just stay away from then on and she would be spared the extra drama. Fate, on the other hand, had other ideas.

Someone else arrived to pick Henrik up, all right. Someone blonde and very familiar. It was the girl she'd seen him practically canoodling outside the car the a week ago. And she was heading right for them. This was so not the confrontation she needed right now, but she did what she did best. She faked her way with a bright smile and awaited the inevitable.

"Hello my love," the blonde greeted Henrik, her smile irritatingly sweet. She crouched to his level for him to hug her. "Did you have a good day? Learn all sorts of things to hold over Kol's big head?"

Henrik nodded, chewing his lower lip. She glanced up at Caroline and smiled politely, rising to her feet.

"I'm sorry. I'm being rude. I'm Rebekah, Henrik's sister."

Wait. Sister? Oh. Oh… "You're Klaus' sister," she accidentally reveled out loud.

"Well yes, that too. You must be Caroline."

"That's me," she nodded. "I see Henrik's told you about me."

"Actually I recognized you from Nik's drawings."

Caroline's head jerked back. "I'm sorry, what?"

"My brother has a habit of drawing things out of his mind when he's fixated." She took up Henrik's hand. "You must have left some impression on him." Caroline blinked furiously, trying to make sense of what she'd just been told. "Listen. If anything does transpire between the two of you, just do me a favor and don't hurt him. His heart can't handle anymore suffering."

"His heart?"

"He's more fragile than he comes across."

She snorted, almost offended by how much Rebekah was defending him. But she should have expected it. "I'm pretty sure the only fragile thing about him is his ego."

Rebekah evaluated her, regarding her with an intrigued smile. "Henrik, sweetie, why don't you go wait for me in the car? You can put on whatever song you like." The little boy happily obliged, racing to the car with impressive speed. Rebekah turned back to Caroline, peering closely. "Do you fancy him?"

Caroline blushed, snorting and trying to play it off with a laugh. "Who, Klaus? No. Of course not. I mean…what does that even mean, anyway? Because in English it's an adjective but in English English it's a verb. A totally and not for one second even remotely true verb, as in never ever happening." She huffed a breath, putting her hands on her hips definitively. "So yeah."

Rebekah pursed her lips. "You know, I may be younger than you but I know literature is a part of university education, and beyond that I know the statistics regarding women your age who read romance novels." She rolled her eyes. "Look, before nose diving into anything with him, there's something you should know about my brother. But if you use this information against him – or me – in any way, I will make your life a living hell."

Caroline's brows knit at the profuse amount of possessive fire in her eyes. She nodded, timid but resolute. "I won't."

Rebekah nodded, licking her lips as she searched for the proper way to begin. "Two years ago, Nik lost the woman he loved to a car wreck."

Oh no. Cue the shame.

"She was drunk driving after an argument they'd had and he never stopped blaming himself. After her death, he closed himself off. It took ages to get him to talk to us again. The only one he communicated with was Henrik and that was out of necessity."

Caroline was shaking her head, trying to register the tragedy and how she could have so badly misjudged.

"I know he acts above it all, but my brother has since been immensely careful with his heart. Most women don't have the patience for him."

"Why tell me all of this?"

She sighed, hugging herself a little. "I guess I'm just hopeful that he might be coming back around to his old self."

His old self. What was that like, she wondered? There were so many thoughts whirring through her head that she couldn't make out what was what. What she did know was that she was a grade A jerk and she owed him an apology of epic proportions. If she ever saw him again.

"Henrik's waiting." Rebekah started to turn then stopped and looked back, her eyes smiling. "You should know, the last time Nik even opened a sketchbook was before Tatia died."


Thursday 3:10 p.m.

It had been three days since her encounter with Rebekah and Caroline was growing anxious with the new information she'd been gifted. Every day she waited, now hoping that Klaus would show his face again so that she could make amends. And every day Elijah showed up in his stead, on time, greeting her with his placid smile and few words before making off with one of her favorite students.

Henrik had just started to open up since their afternoon sessions started. He began to answer questions and volunteer at every "story time" to pick the book she should read from the shelves. But after the last afternoon they spent together, he regressed and went back into his shell. She wasn't sure if it was the distance or the little incident with the letter M. Regardless, she desperately began to miss their private reading sessions and the little giggles she'd been able to draw out of him.

As luck would have it, Thursday brought them together again. On the outside, she was happy to help Henrik and spend the extra time with him. On the inside, her heart was doing somersaults at the prospect of facing Klaus.

"Guh…oh. Guh-oh. Go."

"Mmhm." Caroline nodded and pointed to the next word.

"Uh-puh. Uh-p. Up! Go – up!"

"That's really good," she praised with a smile.

"I did it? I read a sentence?"

She laughed, nodding. "You did. You read that one right there."

He looked down at the two words. "Go up." He frowned. "Go up where?"

"I guess we have to go to the next page to find out." She started to turn it and he smacked his hand down on the page, their arms crossing. It was the first time he'd willingly touched with her so she remained still, waiting for his objection.

"What if I can't read the next one?"

"Then we'll figure it out so you can. That's what I'm here for, right? To teach."

He looked down at the page again and then back up to her. Then, out of nowhere, he leapt into her arms and hugged her, his arms as far around her as he could reach. Her brows skyrocketed and she had to hold onto the desk to keep her chair from tipping. She laughed and hugged him back.

"Thank you," he mumbled against her shirt.

"Aw, you're welcome." She stroked his hair. "You're a really good hugger, you know that?"

He lifted his head to smile at her, a rare and never before seen smile that surprised her with dimples that matched his brother's. And speak of the devil, Klaus was just starting to walk in when he caught sight of their embrace. He straightened and his face went stolid.

"Didn't realize I was interrupting."

Caroline tipped her chin and glanced down at her student. "Go ahead and get your stuff, sweetie."

Henrik climbed down and spared a nervous look at his brother before scrambling into the closet to get his things. Caroline stood, holding onto her wrist and carefully inching his way.

"Hello."

He nodded once in greeting, eyeing her with suspicion. "Hello."

"Not as late today. Only 15 minutes this time."

"I'll try to be more punctual."

"I wasn't complaining. I-It was a joke." She tried a smile but it was returned with deadpan. She exhaled sharply. "Okay, look. I'm…I'm sorry about the other day. I didn't mean to come off like some psycho, making rash judgements."

"No need to apologize, love. You've already decided about me." He started to walk toward the closet.

"No, but that's the thing! I jumped to conclusions and they were the wrong ones." He stopped and gave her a skeptical look, his restlessness apparent. "I shouldn't have said the things I said. You're not a playboy."

"And since when are you so sure of what I am?" The guilt in her eyes was unmasked. He stepped forward, invading her personal space, his glare overpowering. "What did Henrik tell you?"

"Nothing! He didn't say a thing."

"So you happened upon that conclusion yourself?"

She inhaled slow and shaky, bracing her shoulders. "No, I didn't, but – "

"Whatever it is you've been told, whatever you think you know about me you don't. And believe me, sweetheart, the last thing you want to do is make assumptions."

"I'm not," she argued, growing agitated with his behavior. "All I'm trying to do is apologize. Maybe if you weren't so busy jumping down my throat you'd have heard it."

"I neither need nor want your apology. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to take my brother home."

"I get it. You don't try to connect with people and that's why you're alone. Not that anyone would even be able to tolerate you."

He froze and as soon as she said it she knew it was a mistake. He turned back with an icy glare. "Let me clear something up for you, love. How I live my life is my choice. I didn't choose to make judgements about you when you spewed your little story about who you thought I was. I didn't highlight your desperation or your naïveté when it comes to men because you so clearly demonstrated them in your spiel last week. I could have pointed out every last thing that made you undesirable but, unlike you, I have common decency and a certain amount of respect. Or, at least, I did."

Her jaw dropped and she blinked continuously. The rapid pitter patter of her heart was nothing compared to the angry breaths that huffed out. He was making his escape, about to head into the closet, but she couldn't let him get away that easy.

"You think you're so high and mighty because you've been through something?!" she snapped. "Newsflash, everyone has something tragic they've gone through! You're not special!"

Klaus' inhale was shaky and sharp, his eyes piercing when he looked back. It felt like eons under the heavy weight of that gaze. And then, without breaking eye contact, he called out, "Let's go, Henrik."

The little boy came running up, slowing his pace as he neared them. Caroline closed her eyes, regret filtering its way in between the adrenaline.

"Klaus. Wait. I didn't mean – "

"You're right. I'm not special. Tragedy doesn't define you." He leaned close, his voice dropping bitingly low. "It just makes you intolerable."