Author's note: This was written for the Klarowinter Bingo Event. Caroline is finally meeting Klaus' stepfather, and while she assumes it will be unpleasant, she hadn't expected this. Good thing she came prepared...

Prompt: "When was someone going to tell me mincemeat pies were meatless?"


"We aren't in the same class. Just don't forget that some of us watch the sunset too."
― S.E. Hinton, The Outsiders


Diamond-encrusted platinum settings for the napkin rings. Crystal goblets etched with gold. The patrons with their shark-like grins and beautifully tailored clothes dined on Bordeaux marmalade crostini, veal demi-glace, pomegranate aioli-infused asparagus, and other luxurious fare that Caroline probably couldn't spell, and only recently was able to afford. She'd come a long way from snapping green beans on Gram's porch.

She took another sip of the overpriced White Oak chardonnay, the bitterness doubly felt because now she was picturing Bonnie and Grams drinking their delicious honeyed peach tea. As Caroline hid a grimace behind her goblet, she caught Mikael's sharp stare, quietly assessing her once more. She was certain he'd selected the exclusive Salvatore's restaurant to make her feel uncomfortable. After all, she'd been a hostess here just a few years ago when a far too tipsy, and very flirty Klaus had stumbled into her podium.

Klaus' advances had been flattering — and annoying — and she'd had no interest in being just another easy conquest for the attractive executive at Mikaelson Industries. But Klaus' reputed ruthlessness in the boardroom was nothing compared to his tenacity to get what he wanted, and he'd spent so much time in the restaurant lounge that the owners had engraved his name onto a brass plaque for the back of his favorite chair. Still, Caroline was unmatched in her stubbornness, and it was nearly three months into their bizarre flirty-yet-condescending banter before she agreed to a coffee date.

"I wasn't sure if this place was open," she frowned in confusion, noting that the out-of-the-way shop's door had been locked when she arrived.

Klaus ushered her inside with a kiss to her knuckles, a gentlemanly gesture that surprised her. "I may have rented out the place for the day," he confessed, the tips of his ears reddening. At her incredulous expression, he shrugged, "I wanted to get to know you without any distractions, and given your reluctance to agree to a date, I didn't want to leave anything to chance."

His unexpectedly nervous admission was sweet and she couldn't help but be charmed when he ordered her favorite cocoa with cayenne and cinnamon. "Good guess," she murmured, settling next to him in the booth overlooking the city.

"I may have bribed the bartender to learn what you enjoyed on your breaks." With a dimpled smirk, he teased, "Befriending the staff at Salvatore's has paid off handsomely. I now know all your secrets, love."

Not all of them.

Hiding a smile, Caroline reached forward and tentatively held his hand, curious to know more about the shadows that briefly surfaced in his gaze. He was a complicated man, and she suspected it would be worth it to explore his hidden depths.

Of course, if she'd known what an evil, judgy asshat his stepfather was, Caroline might've held out longer before agreeing to that first date. Doubtful. Those dimples and that jawline would make a nun weep. Besides, underneath the massive ego, Caroline had been surprised to learn Klaus had a sensitive, artistic soul. Speaking of — she glanced down at her watch, wondering what was keeping him.

As if reading her mind, Mikael revealed, "I'm afraid Niklaus will be a bit delayed, my dear. I asked him to chair the Rathul presentation and I'm certain the board members will have follow-up inquiries." His smile was more of a methodical splitting of his face than an expression of genuine warmth as he added, "Besides, I thought it would give us a chance to speak privately."

And there it was. This was the moment Mikael would try to scare or bribe her away from Klaus. Because regardless of his contentious relationship with his stepson, he was an elitist and would never stand for someone like Caroline trying to claw her way into the prestigious Mikaelson family. Feeling a ludicrous urge to delay the inevitable, Caroline rambled, "What an excellent idea. Klaus and I have been so busy planning for the holidays we haven't had a chance to reach out to our families yet and firm up plans. It's been so much fun blending together our holiday traditions!"

Ignoring the way Mikael's intense blue eyes narrowed at the implication that she and Klaus' holiday plans were intertwined, she steamrolled forward, explaining, "I was planning out the holiday menu and Klaus laughed at me for days; but seriously, when was someone going to tell me mincemeat pies were meatless?" Rolling her eyes, she huffed, "It completely threw off the balance of savory and sweet dishes and I practically had to start all over!"

"How charming," he murmured in a patronizing tone, setting aside his wine goblet as he cleared his throat. "Caroline, I arranged our time together to air my...concerns." Gesturing vaguely in her direction, he said, "You're obviously a lovely young woman, and your accomplishments despite your...modest beginnings are quite admirable."

That momentary flash of glee on his face as he knowingly insulted her set Caroline's teeth on edge, and she icily replied, "How kind of you to say. We can't all be coddled through life, riding a wave of family money to hide bad investment decisions."

Reddening slightly at her cutting remarks, he spat, "My, my, it seems you're learning to sharpen your claws at that quaint little magazine of yours." At her indignant noises, he held up a commanding hand as he continued, "You've captured Niklaus' interest and I'd wager an ill-advised marriage proposal is on the horizon. Obviously, that would be disastrous to the family legacy, welcoming into our midst such an unrefined outsider. Especially as I'm announcing my candidacy for governor soon."

Quaint little magazine. Condescending bastard. Being a journalist was a perfectly respectable career choice. Granted, Mikael didn't know about her other career, but he was about to. She felt the comforting weight of the engagement ring Klaus gave her, the obscenely expensive stone turned inward because they'd wanted to surprise his father at the luncheon. Fuck it. With a knowing smirk, Caroline slowly slide the engagement ring right-side up, smugly telling him, "First of all, Klaus already proposed."

At Mikael's furious sputtering, she gleefully continued, "Second of all, when Klaus arrives, you're going to pleasantly surprise him by welcoming me to the family." Her tone hardened as she revealed, "The people you hire are very careful, you know. It took considerably longer than I expected and I even had to haul out two of my very best malware programs to uncover your dirty little secrets. But if you know where to look, and find which databases are scrubbed a bit too clean, it's not hard to figure out the rest."

His face twisted in fury as he hissed, "I have no earthly notion what you're on about, but clearly you're a dangerously deluded woman and if you think —"

"You committed several SEC violations before flooding the market with false recall rumors to destabilize stock prices for Ansel Ltd., destroying Mikaelson Industries' main competitor."

Mikael's hand jerked in surprise, knocking over one of the delicate crystal water glasses. Caroline flashed the waiter a benign smile when he quickly mopped up the water, nodding her thanks. As though sensing the tension at the table, the waiter quickly scuttled away, and Caroline revealed to Mikael, "Your oldest child, Freya, was the only beneficiary to eccentric Great Aunt Dahlia's vast fortune. You exploited her addiction to painkillers and bribed a judge to grant you Freya's personal and estate guardianship. She's been hidden away at Dowager Fauline Cottage under a false identity and has no idea that fancy rehab is actually a prison so you can maintain control of her holdings."

His knuckles went white, almost perfectly blending with the white gold of his signet ring which bore the Mikaelson family crest. He wordlessly gaped at her while she helpfully offered, "Those tidbits are just the broad strokes, of course. I also found your illegal diamond trading in Sierra Leone and your siphoning of oil pipelines in Indonesia, not to mention —"

Mikael's hard blue gaze bore into hers, and while plenty of fury was registered there, she also saw his fear. "What do you intend to do with this information," he asked hoarsely, casting a furtive glance around the dining room to ensure no one had overheard them.

"That depends," she replied cheerfully, suddenly finding the dry taste of the overpriced wine very satisfying.

"On what," he ground out, his furious tone tinged with desperation.

"On whether you know how to be a good boy and play nice." Her smile suddenly widened into actual happiness when she spied Klaus' dirty blonde curls. He made his way to their table, projecting a quiet power that still thrilled and intrigued Caroline.

Klaus bent to place a gentle kiss on her cheek as he asked, "Apologies for my tardiness. What did I miss?"

A brief silence followed in which Mikael glanced at Caroline with a flicker of respect before answering, "You've chosen well, Niklaus. I was just welcoming Caroline to the family."