Author's note: Caroline's research team has discovered a new planet that may be able to support life, and there's no way she's about to share credit with some foreign astronomer...no matter how cute his dimples are.


"The third planet is incapable of supporting life. Our scientists have said there's far too much oxygen in their atmosphere."
― Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles


There was a nosy ferret that kept walking across Caroline's keyboard, radically altering her data in NASA's archive. With an impatient sigh, she pushed aside the fluffy white and gray menace, intent to finish mapping out the latest radial velocity data before she finished her shift at the observatory. She should be vibrating with excitement — she was part of a team of astronomers whose latest research yielded a new planet that had the potential to support life. Instead, she was absolutely furious because she'd received an email this morning from Director Saltzman, commanding her to collaborate with a new astronomer on loan from the White Oak Observatory in the UK.

She turned to her furry coworker and grumbled, "Klaus Mikaelson sounds like an extra in a cheesy Viking porno, not an astronomer who supposedly possesses the skillset necessary to measure miniscule Doppler shifts in relation to planetary orbits. Don't you agree, Bradbury?" As she affectionately stroked the ferret's soft fur, an amused chuckle startled them both, causing her pet to bristle and hiss at the intruder.

Swiveling in her chair, Caroline discovered a beautiful stranger standing in the doorway, an amused smirk on his handsome face. "I can assure you, love, if I was ever cast in a porno, I would be the star, not an extra. Although I don't believe my people have any Viking origins to speak of."

Clearly enjoying her embarrassment, he stepped into the lab, hands lightly clasped behind his back as he teased, "Also, the radial velocity method, often called the Doppler wobble method, indirectly can detect planetary orbits from lightyears away. However, years ago in my graduate studies, I modified the Drake Equation which saved hours of data processing. I trust my paltry skillset will be sufficient enough to assist you in your research, Dr. Forbes."

Blushing furiously at being caught by the colleague she was badmouthing, she scrambled to stand up, nearly losing her footing on the slick tile floor. Her hurried, awkward movements sent her rolling chair skidding across the tile floor, slamming into the opposite wall as she blurted out, "Caroline! Is me...I mean, you can call me Caroline." She couldn't help but gape at the unexpected dimples that framed his grin, the way his lean frame hinted at well-defined tone underneath his simple blue dress shirt.

Quickly shaking her blonde head to rid herself of distracting and wildly inappropriate thoughts, she stubbornly said, "And I will need more proof of your skillset before I make up my mind about you." At his arched eyebrow, she realized what she had implied and in a scandalized tone she stammered, "Your astronomy skillset, not your...um...other stuff you might do. So yeah, um, welcome to the team, Dr. Mikaelson." She gave him an overly bright smile, fully intending to power through the humiliating awkwardness...and when their project was finished, she'd burn all of her possessions, change her name, and run away with her ferret to the furthest corner of the earth, wandering aimlessly until an alien spacecraft took pity and whisked them to another planet where they didn't have a word for crippling embarrassment.

"I think we've already moved past casual acquaintances at this stage, sweetheart, so please, call me Klaus." In an obvious bid to redirect the conversation that she appreciated immensely, he leaned in to inspect the data on her screen, commenting, "The Doppler shifts you've noted seem to indicate the mass of the new planet Arcadius is larger than first hypothesized by NASA's Travelers Space Telescope. Have you formulated any theories to account for this variation?"

Nodding eagerly, she accessed her spreadsheets complete with color-coded graphs that tracked the fluctuations in her readings. "It could be anything from atmospheric interference with our instruments to the first stirrings of a supernova. I also wouldn't mind you taking a look at my math just to ensure I haven't overlooked something more obvious before I make an ass out of myself at Director Saltzman's next staff meeting with NASA."

Rolling her chair back and settling into another one nearby, Klaus examined her graphs, a thoughtful look on his face as he replied, "Or, it's possible that the new planet's gravitational pull is several times higher than any other planet that earth's scientists have discovered. The entire rocky surface could contain enough magnetic alloys to account for the unexpected gravity denseness."

"You talk like you've been there," Caroline mused, appreciating that Klaus seemed to possess not only the knowledge but also the intellectual curiosity needed to excel at research. "Ever since I was a kid, I always wanted to explore other planets. I read Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles all the time even though it scared the crap out of me." She jabbed her thumb in Bradbury's direction, adding with a wry smile, "I even named my ferret Bradbury."

Chuckling lightly, Klaus held out his hand for Bradbury to sniff, clearly taken aback when the ferret's white and gray fur stood on end and he backed away, hissing at Klaus before Caroline intervened and scooped him up. "It doesn't appear he's very fond of strangers," he observed.

"Bradbury sniffs out untrustworthy humans — he didn't like Tyler, my lying asshat cheater ex-boyfriend, and he also hated Elena, this former lab assistant who tried to steal credit for one of my research projects," Caroline explained, cocking her head to the side to ask him, "So which type of untrustworthy human are you?"

He made an odd choking noise, telling her, "One of a kind, love." With a soft smile, he added, "Or maybe not as I also often dreamed of traveling the universe and learning about other worlds. Although the author Bradbury wasn't a part of my world as it was yours, I did enjoy the writings of those who dreamt of planets of unimaginable beauty and adventures."

In a nostalgic tone, she revealed, "When I was a kid, I was so convinced I'd meet an alien I came up with this whole conversation I'd mapped out in my head for that first encounter. The alien will have been observing me for a while, and once they decide that I can be trusted with their secret, they'll tell me my favorite line from The Martian Chronicles: 'It is good to renew one's wonder. Space travel has again made children of us all.' And then I'll smile and tell them, 'Welcome, friend.'"

An unreadable look crossed his face, and he told her quietly, "It's a testament to your strength of spirit that you've retained your childlike wonder. Any alien would be fortunate to cross paths with you, sweetheart."

Feeling her cheeks warm, she cleared her throat, thinking this project was going to be even more complicated than expected.


The next day, Caroline tried to present a more professional demeanor to Klaus, hoping that the initial impression she made hadn't completely destroyed her credibility in her colleague's eyes. His incredibly piercing, dark eyes that seemed to stare right through her, learning her secrets before she knew them all herself. Fighting down a blush, she directed Klaus' attention to the recently mined spectrograph data plotting the stars' periodic shifts along the color scale. "Based on this trajectory, Arcadius is an incredibly slow-moving planet — crossing three meters per second. By comparison, earth moves 460 meters per second. That would mean that potentially a day on Arcadius would feel like —"

"Forever," Klaus injected in an oddly wistful tone, his dark gaze never straying from the projected orbital pattern on the screen.

"Well, closer to ten earth years, but I imagine there's times that a day on Arcadius would feel like forever," she amended, watching the graceful arc of the new planet as it swooped across the monitor. She leaned back in her chair, the cheerful Miami sun streaming into the lab. "I guess this weather is way different than what you're used to, right?"

Eyes wide, his tone was defensive when he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Just that I know you're on loan to us from the White Oak Observatory in the UK. I've never been there, but I'm picturing storm clouds and never-ending rain." She shivered slightly despite the warmth of the sun's rays. "I wouldn't last long there — I'm a fan of the sun."

"You're a creature of the light," he mused, tugging playfully at one of her blonde curls, which instantly drew a threatening hiss from Bradbury who glared at Klaus from his perch on her tallest bookshelf.

Frowning at Bradbury's rude behavior, she turned to Klaus and commented lightly, "But you don't appear to be a creature of the UK, judging by your accent."

Still looking slightly uncomfortable, he said carefully, "My accent? It's actually...Welsh. Do you know much about the Welsh, love?"

"Nope. Diana being the Princess of Wales is the extent of my Welsh knowledge."

At her admission, the tense lines of his shoulders seemed to relax, and he chuckled softly as he said, "I'm sure Wales has a bit more to offer than that. But, I will acknowledge that the food in this place is worlds apart from what I'm used to." At her inquisitive brow, he ducked his head shyly, confessing, "I've grown quite fond of ceviche since I've come here."

Blue eyes lighting up, Caroline said, "Have you tried Lapis Lazuli downtown?" At his slight headshake, she explained, "It's a fantastic tapas spot with a dozen different yummy ceviche recipes to try. I go there all the time!" Realizing she was gushing, she tried to reign in her enthusiasm as she tucked a blonde curl behind her ear, mumbling uncertainly, "Maybe you'd like to come with me sometime?"

Klaus seemed taken aback by her invitation, but he smiled softly, telling her, "I'd be delighted, sweetheart."


Several hours later, they were sitting in a cozy booth in Lapis Lazuli, a former steamboat that had been restored as a unique restaurant downtown. They shared ahi tuna and shrimp ceviche with a decadent bottle of Tempranillo. Caroline savored the tart lime juice mixed with the spicy serrano chilies, giggling when she saw Klaus sweating slightly from the heat of the peppers. "I didn't think our ceviche was that spicy," she commented, handing him a spare napkin to dab at his sweaty brow.

Clearing his throat uncomfortably, Klaus gulped down half of his water glass before telling her, "Where I come from, the food is considerably more simple fare. It's filling, of course, but you'd be disappointed in the flavor, I imagine."

Nibbling on a salty piece of Manchego cheese, she asked, "I'm not familiar with Welsh cuisine; what are some traditional dishes you ate growing up?"

"Um, well, my village was...remote, so we didn't have a lot of diverse ingredients," he hurriedly explained, refilling their glasses with the rich wine and clinking the rims together with a wink. "So, besides that Bradbury author you named your infernal beast after, what else made you decide to be an astronomer, love?"

Rolling her eyes at him, she said, "I'll have you know Bradbury's an excellent judge of character. Clearly you have glaring personality defects that Bradbury picked up on. Fortunately for you, his owner is less picky about the company she keeps." Enjoying the way he ducked his curly head shyly, she added, "But to answer your question, I guess I just always felt like there was something more than this. Something I needed to find. I liked to look up at the stars and imagine all of the other worlds that could be waiting for me to explore."

"I know what you mean," Klaus began, somewhat hesitantly. "I never felt like I belonged in my own world, so I felt compelled to try to find others in the hopes that I might discover my place."

Caroline's heart fluttered a bit at his words. She'd never felt such a connection before, and she worried about what it could mean — especially since Klaus was only on loan for this project and likely would be called back to the UK observatory before long. He's not for you.


That initial dinner together was the first of many for Klaus and Caroline, and while she'd made the conscious decision to keep things professional, they'd still managed to become friends. It started with him bringing Bradbury fancy duck treats despite the fact that her spoiled, overprotective ferret still bared his teeth threateningly whenever Klaus walked into the room.

One night, after she learned that Klaus had never gone to a planetarium, she convinced him to attend a late show with her so they could make fun of the embarrassing inaccuracies. In between whispers and giggles about how many errors they found in the prerecorded presentation, Caroline learned that Klaus came from a large family, but from his downcast eyes and hesitant tone, she could tell he was holding something back. Likely he was homesick, she surmised. In return, she told him all about how her love of unconventional pets began when she was five and demanded her parents buy her an axolotl because she thought the hairy salamander looked like a Muppet.


Despite telling herself that she wouldn't get attached, Caroline kept noticing little things she found endearing about Klaus; like the way a little furrow would appear in his forehead when he was data mining, or the way that he would get flustered if she showed an interest in his research. She even caught him covering her with a fluffy blanket she kept in her office when she nodded off while working late. He'd weaseled his way into her heart and now she was hyperaware of him. Those dimples. That mischievous glint in his eyes. A knowing smirk that never failed to make her blush. Damn it.

It had been a month of lingering glances, painfully platonic touches and almost-but-not-quite-innuendos. She arrived at her desk to find a Post-it note from Klaus in which he'd written, "What do black holes talk about?" When she looked up, she found Klaus poking his curly head above his computer monitor, another Post-it note impishly taped to his forehead that answered, "Dark matters". Giggling at his terrible sense of humor, she peeled off his note and tossed it at his sly smirk.

He quickly wadded up several notes and lightly pelted her in retaliation, moving closer to her until they were face-to-face, giggling like naughty schoolchildren. His dark gaze seemed to trace the curve of her lips and her breath caught as he whispered, "You're the most stunning creature I've ever encountered, love." She found it endearing the way his hand trembled slightly as he swept a blonde curl from her cheek, adding in an awestruck tone, "The light within you burns brighter than any star."

Heart pounding, Caroline couldn't deny what she felt any longer. She surged forward, catching Klaus by surprise as she kissed him soundly, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him close. He enthusiastically responded, his oddly cool lips moving in harmony with hers. Just as she was trying to decide where she wanted to ride Klaus' telescope, they were interrupted by the insistent beeping of the spectrograph and the ringing of the observatory's phone.

Breaking apart with a chuckle, Klaus walked over to the machine to examine the latest data while Caroline answered the phone. She rolled her eyes at the familiar, accented voice of Enzo, an astronomer at the White Oak Observatory, who cheerfully greeted her with, "Gorgeous! Are you ready to accept my sexytimes webcam offer?"

"Not even if you and I woke from cryogenic sleep to discover we were the only survivors launched into the TRAPPIST-1 system," she retorted with a giggle.

Enzo heaved a theatrical sigh as he answered, "You wound me, Gorgeous. I figured since you've been all by your lonesome down there, you'd reconsider."

Confused, she replied, "What are you talking about? Your colleague, Klaus, has been here with me for a month. Your observatory loaned him out to collaborate with us on the Arcadius research." She flicked her gaze at Klaus, noting the way his back had stiffened at her words.

Enzo's voice turned uncharacteristically serious as he said, "No one from this observatory has been sent to work with you." He added cautiously, "Caroline, are you ok? Should I call someone?"

Heart racing, Caroline's thoughts scurried to process what Enzo had revealed. She carefully watched as Klaus turned around, an unreadable expression on his face. "I'm fine, Enzo," she said in a measured tone, "It's just a simple misunderstanding, I'm sure." As she hung up the phone, she took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart.

Klaus glided soundlessly across the lab toward her. In the heavy silence, she realized that in the past month, she'd become used to the effortless, fluid way that Klaus always moved. She'd assumed he'd had formal dance training and had once teased him that it was obvious he was boneless. And he'd choked and sputtered as though scrambling for an explanation.

Squaring her shoulders, Caroline was proud of the way her voice didn't waver as she asked, "It's not a misunderstanding, is it? Who are you, Klaus?"

He was unnaturally still as he considered her question. After what seemed to be an intense internal debate, he nodded as though he'd decided something. Sighing, he allowed his gaze to settle upon her, his dark eyes suddenly glowing an unnatural gold.

While that action was unexpected enough to shake her faith in science, what Klaus said next nearly caused her to faint: "It is good to renew one's wonder. Space travel has again made children of us all."

Caroline's voice cracked, but she still managed a tremulous smile as she said, "Welcome, friend."