Chapter 13

"Oww" Kol send a reproachful look at his elder sister as she dabbed an alcoholed cotton on his cut.

"It'll teach you to get into senseless fights." Freya mercilessly returned.

"You should've seen the other side, they're ten times worse." Bragged her cocky younger brother.

She rolled her eyes.

"That's not the problem, why'd you go entangle yourself with the Gypsies." She admonished.

"What's this ?" The voice coming from the doorway froze them both.

Klaus and Elijah stood there, one sporting a look of annoyance and the other of disapproval. How typical, Kol felt like snarking but he was already in a bad position enough.

Klaus took in the occupants of the room, Freya helping Kol with the cut on his face, and then his gaze fell on the form of his baby sister fast asleep on the sofa, clearly dressed for dancing.

"You better explain. Now." He said a dangerous tint to his voice.

"Hey now, you can't pin Rebekah on me ! She went to the Mystic on her own and it got nothing to do with me." Kol easily read his brother's expression.

"Marcel brought her back earlier, she danced the night away and was so tired she fell asleep right there when she came home." Explained Freya.

Klaus expression relaxed fractionally, at least Kol wasn't stupid enough to fight while with Bekah.

"And ? Did we hear correctly and you got into a fight with Gypsies ?" Elijah refocused on their wayward little brother. "What happened ?"

"They needed to be taught a lesson, they were laughing at us !" Kol said defensively.

"And I suppose you were drunk." Continued Elijah unimpressed.

"They started it." He said plaintively. His older siblings knowing well this tone and feeling like rubbing their temples at it.

"You're not a child anymore Kol. Think before acting. We don't need more enemies at the moment."

With the coppers sniffing around and the Italians looking to take them down, they didn't need any added troubles. Count on Kol not to care.

"It's just some Gypsies." Kol rolled his eyes.

"If it causes troubles later, it's on you." Klaus warned him.

"Alright, alright."

-O-

"How is progressing the mission ?"

"Very well Sir. I have familiarized myself with the terrain and the people. I have seen most of the Mikaelsons several times."

"Anything to report ?"

Caroline hesitated before saying,

"I have no proof, but I think Marcel Gerard and Rebekah Mikaelson might be seeing each other in secret."

Inspector Coleman stood pensively before nodding.

"Anything else ?"

"It seems Klaus Mikaelson deal with a man named Wilbert Briggs fell through." She succinctly reported. No need to go into details on how she knew that. Coleman never asked how she got her informations anyway as long as the job was done.

"Interesting."

"How so ?" She asked curiously.

"You don't need to know, just continue with the good work Caroline."

She didn't say more as he left, but couldn't help being annoyed at the dismissal. Did he not trust her ?

-O-

Coleman thoughts as he went back to the police station were on Briggs.

The man who had appointed him to Chicago to clean their street because of his reputation, Councilor Tristan de Martel. Briggs, a rich entrepreneur from what he knew, was a friend of his.

Could Mikaelson have ceased business with him because of that ? It deserved some thinking about. As did Marcel Gerard.

-O-

Caroline finished washing the bar floor and went to throw the water in the alley when she nearly missed a passerby. She raised her head, apology on her lips when she saw who it was.

"Oh, it's you." She blurted out before pressing her lips firmly shut. She couldn't let her temper run free, not now, not with him.

"Hello Caroline." Klaus Mikaelson stood in all his glory and seeing the restraint on the pretty face before him after such bold words toward him, unlike usually, he did not feel his temper flare at the semblance of disrespect, instead he was a bit amused.

Caroline was ready to turn around and go back in when he spoke.

"Don't be angry love, we had a little spat, I'm over it already."

Of course he would be, he didn't care, and they weren't close enough to have spats. Her thoughts must have shown on her face because he flashed her a dimple smile.

"How can I acquit myself ?" He took an innocent air, hands behind his back.

"I'm not angry, I just need to go back to work Mr Mikaelson." She plastered a fake smile on her own face.

"I'll see you later Caroline." He sent her one last intense look before walking away.

Watching him leave, Caroline heart skipped a beat. She jumped and quickly went back inside the Mystic to work trying not to think too much how Klaus parting words sounded like a promise.

-O-

Katherine was in a good mood as she opened the door to her room, unfortunately for her it came to an end as soon as she did.

"Why don't you take a seat ?" Klaus Mikaelson offered, smiling as if it was his room not hers.

"Klaus. To what do I owe the honor of this visit ?" Of course she already knew, so did he, but he played along.

"I heard my brother is marrying you."

"We love each other."

"Yes, right. So I heard too."

"Are you here to tell me to leave your brother and you are opposing the wedding."

Klaus didn't say anything staring at her as she tried to appear relaxed but being in his proximity had always unsettled her, he was too unpredictable, too volatile to her taste.

"Quite the contrary actually. I came to offer my congratulations." Klaus rose from his chair and walked to Katherine.

"You're consenting to it ?" Now Katherine was surprised.

"My brother made a compelling case for you. Lawyers." Klaus good-naturedly rolled his eyes. "So how does it feel to know you'll soon become a respectable woman ?"

"Thank you. I didn't think you would agree." The brunette graciously said offering a smile. Finally, she'd get out of this miserable life to better things, which she deserved.

"Here." Klaus took out an envelope from his suit and held it out to Katherine.

"What is this ?" She tentatively reached for it and could immediately understand it contained money, upon opening it, she saw more than she'd ever earned in a week, and she wasn't cheap.

"A small gift. And I thought we could revisit the past one last time." Klaus was very close to her now and Katherine instantly got the hint. Before Elijah, a couple of years ago, she'd slept with the blond Mikaelson a couple of times.

"What about Elijah ?"

"We'll make it our little secret." Klaus leaned in conspirationaly.

Katherine grip on the envelope tightened.

"Alright. One last time." She smiled seductively and went to open Klaus vest, but he blocked her hand at the last moment.

She tilted her head, did he want to disrobe by himself or begin with her clothes, either way was fine with her.

The door opened at that moment.

"Enough. No need to continue this spectacle further Klaus, you made your point." A voice that shouldn't have been here filled the small room.

Katherine turned so quickly she could have gotten whiplash.

Elijah stood there with disappointment and resignation clear on his face. Behind him was Kol smiling mischievously at her. She'd fallen into a trap, she realized.

"Elijah, I was tricked." She said in panic to the older man.

"I know. I was there the entire time. But Katerina if you truly loved me, you wouldn't have been."

Klaus decided it was the right time to make his exit, without a glance at the bulgarian woman he instead send a look to Elijah telling him silently to end it quickly. Then Kol and him left, his younger brother snickering next to him the whole way. Of course he would find the situation amusing. Klaus himself, was just glad to be rid of a thorn like Katerina Petrova.

-O-

Freya was doing some needlework in the sitting room when Elijah sat next to her. Despite his usual expressionless mask, she was his elder sister, she knew him better than that, and could feel the sadness coming off of him.

"I broke things off with Katerina." He began without preamble.

"I heard what happened."

Kol had gleefully recounted the tale to her and Rebekah earlier, their younger sister had laughed right along with him, but she had stayed silent and simply settled herself to wait for the undoubtedly heartbroken Elijah.

"I suppose you're glad too about it."

"I'm sorry you were hurt, and I hate her even more now for it. But if she couldn't love you as much as you deserve, then she wasn't worthy of your love not the contrary."

"Perhaps Niklaus views on love are right after all."

"You know that's not the case, and despite the mask he wears today, growing up, he was the most sensitive of us. He was just disappointed too much. Don't give up on love. I cannot forget my husband and unborn child, and I will probably never remarry, but I found solace in this family, in being a mother to Henrik. You are different, you still have plenty of time, you will find love again Elijah, and that time I hope I'll be able to welcome a new sister with my arms wide open."

Elijah just kept silent, he did not want to think of the future, he just wanted to grieve this love now.

Freya held his hand in silent comfort as they stayed like that for a long while.

A/N: Yeah, sorry for those who like them, it's actually not a Kalijah story. I know a lot of Klaroline fans like Kalijah too, and I don't mind it when I read fics too, but Katherine fit this role so perfectly in this story I couldn't write it differently. I still hope everyone will read and enjoy this story to the end!