A/N: Hey, I'm back with another chapter! I may not be able to update for a while - so here's an extra long chapter to make up for that. Shout out to my beta Livingdeadblondequeen for taking the time to edit!
Thank you for reading and reviewing the last chapter! I'm happy lots of you are still interested!
Enjoy and let me know what you think!
"I brought more wine!" Bonnie's familiar voice announced, bursting through the doorway of Klaus's apartment as Rebekah held open the door for her.
She smiled happily at the sight of her best friend, dropping the knife she was using to cut up some veggies for the homemade nachos she and Rebekah had decided to make, to greet her friend.
"You're a lifesaver," Rebekah told Bonnie. "I tried to tell Caroline we would need more than one bottle, but she doesn't want to get too crazy tonight because of Grayson," she explained, rolling her eyes.
Bonnie scoffed.
"Caroline, you used to be able to drink one bottle to yourself without it giving you so much as a buzz. Plus, it was my birthday Tuesday, so you owe me a drink," Bonnie reminded her as she set down her bags and removed her shoes. "Give me a hug!" she demanded, leaning forward to hug her tightly.
"I just want play it safe. Gray might need me later on," she defended herself, as she returned Bonnie's hug.
"Do you think my brothers and Marcus are playing it safe tonight?" Rebekah said with an arched eyebrow, pointing out the subtle double standard as she and Bonnie pulled away from their friendly embrace.
She shrugged, trying hard not to let her insecurities get the better of her as she reminded herself of the assurances Klaus gave to her prior to leaving for his studio earlier that day.
"Klaus said he wouldn't get too carried away tonight. Besides, he's been working really hard and I know he's nervous about Saturday. He needs to unwind a little," she reasoned.
Bonnie and Rebekah both gave her unsure looks as they both tried to hide their mocking grins.
"Well, if I know Kol, he's going to get obnoxious and sloppy tonight, which is why I'm staying here for the night, and which is what entitles me to this bottle of wine," Bonnie mused as she removed the bottle from one of her bags and placed it on the kitchen island. "Klaus can have fun sharing a bed with Kol," Bonnie snorted.
"If I remember correctly, Kol likes to talk like a baby and gets severely gassy when he drinks," Rebekah chuckled.
She laughed, thinking about Klaus's reaction later when he realized he would have to share a bed with Kol.
"I don't mind taking it easy tonight if you two want to indulge," she told Bonnie and Rebekah as she searched through Klaus's kitchen for a corkscrew and wine glasses.
"Oh come on, Caroline," Rebekah urged. "You can have one or two glasses," she said.
"I think between the three of us we can take care of Grayson," Bonnie chimed in. "Do you remember when we were little and your mom, Elena's mom, and my mom would get together and make margaritas? Pretty sure we survived," Bonnie pointed out.
"I see your point," she laughed as she retrieved a corkscrew.
"Speaking of Grayson!" Bonnie realized. "Where is the little guy?" she wondered, scanning the room until she spotted Grayson in the playpen through the doorway to Klaus's bedroom.
"He's probably still awake in there playing with his new stuffy Auntie Bekah gave him," she informed Bonnie. "He's had a long day. I've been trying to get him to settle, but he keeps fighting sleep."
"Awe, too much excitement," Bonnie said in a baby voice as she approached the playpen. "He just wanted to stay awake to see his Auntie Bonnie before bed," she concluded, reaching into the playpen for Grayson who was reaching up with enthusiasm.
As much as she hated to break Grayson's routine, she figured there wasn't much use trying to keep it up over the next couple of days. He did seem pretty happy to see Bonnie.
"He had quite the tantrum earlier," Rebekah noted. "He wasn't very happy when Nik left," she told Bonnie.
"A tantrum is an understatement," she added, recalling Grayson's unusual piercing screams and sobbing which persisted for almost an hour after Klaus left. "Once he finally fell asleep for his afternoon nap, it stopped."
Bonnie pouted sympathetically at Grayson.
"Awe, you just miss him don't you?" Bonnie said to Grayson in a cute voice. "It's okay, you're going to have fun with Auntie Bonnie and Auntie Bekah tonight," she reassured him. "And tomorrow you're going to get to hang out with us again and Uncle Kol will be there too! And the next night, it will be just you and me," Bonnie explained to him. "Uncle Kol and I bought you lots of toys to play with at my apartment!" she said excitedly – more excited than Grayson was at the moment.
She looked at Bonnie confusedly for a moment as she went over the schedule Bonnie had explained to Grayson. Instantly, she recalled the conversation she had overheard Klaus having with Grayson last weekend about having Bonnie and Kol babysit so they could have a night alone.
"Wait…I know you said you would take him the night of the gala so Kol and Rebekah could both go for Klaus, but you're taking him tomorrow night too? Did we talk about this?" she wondered, playing dumb, as she uncorked the wine.
Bonnie's cheeks reddened and Rebekah glared at her as if she had revealed something she wasn't supposed to say.
"You're just as bad as Kol at keeping secrets," Rebekah groaned, "You might as well just tell her now," she urged Bonnie. "But I'm telling Nik you spilled the beans since he will inevitably try to pin the blame on me," she stated.
Bonnie sighed.
"We didn't talk about this," Bonnie said, replying to her earlier question. "Klaus talked about this with us. He asked Kol and I to take Grayson tomorrow night – this was before he knew Rebekah would be here too. He wants to take you out tomorrow night," Bonnie smirked suggestively, clearly resisting the urge to dig in to her deeper about her relationship with Klaus and his feelings for her.
"Apparently my brother fancies himself as something of a romantic now," Rebekah laughed as she rolled her eyes at the thought.
She blushed, unable to prevent a smile from forming on her lips despite the fact that Bonnie had "spoiled" Klaus's surprise. She wasn't much for surprises anyways. She preferred to be prepared.
"Did he…" she started
"He didn't say what he had planned so don't even ask," Bonnie said quickly, pulling the fingers of her free hand across her lip, pretending to seal them shut.
She sighed, unsatisfied with Bonnie's answer. She wanted to know what Klaus had in store for her tomorrow night. She didn't want to be caught off guard.
"But I'm sure it involves delicious, hot…" Bonnie began with a clever grin.
"DO NOT GO ANY FURTHER BONNIE BENNETT!" Rebekah said covering her ears. "I heard enough from you and Kol the first night I arrived. Spare me mental pictures of my other brother," Rebekah pleaded.
It was Bonnie's turn to blush again.
Her mouth opened with a surprised expression and she was about to join in with Rebekah in making fun of Bonnie and Kol before Bonnie spoke up.
"What? I was going to say delicious, hot food," Bonnie shrugged innocently. "I have a child in my arms! What kind of bad influence do you think I am?" she teased.
The girls erupted into laughter and Grayson mimicked them.
"Before you know it, you'll be wooing all the ladies," Bonnie told Grayson. "You'll have your parents' good looks."
"And Elijah's way with words," Rebekah noted. "The girls are gonna love you," she told Grayson, walking over to him and Bonnie to kiss Grayson's cheek.
She dreaded the thought of Grayson being old enough to date.
"I already told Klaus he was going to be the one to cover Sex Ed," she shuddered, restarting her search for wine glasses.
"Are you sure that's a good idea," Bonnie mused with raised eyebrows, referring to Klaus's promiscuous past.
"Well I mean the actual mechanics of things," she clarified.
"From what you told me, Klaus is quite the expert when it comes to that," Bonnie snorted, winking at her suggestively.
"Oh bloody hell, I am Nik's sister and I do not want to hear about this," Rebekah scowled. "I'm going to need two glasses a wine for each hand if I'm going to be able to tolerate this lewd discussion without feeling the need to vomit," she added, looking to her pleadingly. "What's taking so long with the wine?" Rebekah asked.
"I can't find any wine glasses," she sighed with frustration and annoyance. "I've searched everywhere."
"He probably doesn't even own wine glasses," Rebekah proposed. "Nik likes shot glasses and whiskey tumblers," she noted.
"It must be a bachelor thing," Bonnie concluded. "When I visited Kol, he didn't have any either," she revealed.
"I'll just take a regular glass," Rebekah huffed impatiently, opening one of the cupboards to retrieve a glass and pour herself some of the wine.
She took out two more glasses and poured wine for Bonnie and herself. Upon doing that, she fixed Grayson his final bottle before bed, hoping he would finally settle and fall asleep.
By the time she was finished the first glass of wine, Grayson had long since finished his bottle and passed out on Bonnie's shoulder. While Rebekah finished preparing the nachos they had started making before Bonnie's arrival distracted them, she got Grayson ready for bed, changing him and rocking him to sleep, hoping he would stay asleep as she transitioned him from her arms to his bed.
She watched Grayson for a few more minutes after she put him down. He seemed content in the temporary bed that Marcel had provided them with. She left Klaus's nightstand lamp on and left the bedroom door ajar so she could hear Grayson if he cried. To her surprise and annoyance, she had forgotten to bring the baby monitors when she packed.
By the time she returned to the kitchen she found that Bonnie and Rebekah had already started into the second bottle of wine as they chatted around the kitchen island, munching on the nachos that had finished baking.
As they drank and snacked, they talked mainly about their careers, or lack thereof.
Bonnie expressed her frustration over academia, her thesis and unappreciative undergrads who consumed her time as a Teaching Assistant.
Rebekah was tired of being partially dependent upon Mikael and Esther and her trust fund for money as she worked in several high-end fashion retail stores in London. She had been trying to save up her own money to put together a modelling portfolio, but her penchant for the same high-end fashion items she was hired to sell was holding her back.
She spent her time lamenting Carol Lockwood and her excessive demands regarding Miss Mystic and her niece's upcoming wedding.
Realizing the conversation was becoming less upbeat, she changed the topic by reminding herself of Bonnie's birthday that had occurred two days ago.
She quickly retrieved the birthday card she had brought with her for Bonnie and handed it to her.
"You really didn't have to get me anything," Bonnie assured her as she opened the card. "I'm not complaining about this gift though," she added, revealing the gift card she had concealed inside the card.
It was a gift card to the spa she and Bonnie used to frequent in college, before they had any conception of the burden student loans would become upon graduation.
"I know you've been complaining about late nights spent hunched over your computer desk. I thought you could use a massage," she informed Bonnie.
"You're a lifesaver, Care. Thank you," Bonnie said. "I will definitely be using this…I'll schedule the appointment in the cute agenda Rebekah bought for me," she added, acknowledging the gift that Rebekah had bought for her.
Rebekah smiled proudly.
"You never did tell me what Kol got you for your birthday," she pointed out, curious to know what he had spoiled her with.
Bonnie's demeanour changed as she appeared to be containing a small smile and rosy cheeks.
She also noticed Rebekah become visibly reserved, as though trying to help Bonnie cover up her answer.
"Well…" Bonnie started.
It was then, all of the sudden, she noticed Bonnie tuck her left hand behind her right – but not before she caught sight of the small shimmer of light from around one finger in particular.
"Bonnie!?" She gasped, trying to keep her voice low. "Let me see your hand!" she demanded as a guilty expression emerged on Bonnie's face.
Without much cooperation on Bonnie's part, she reached across the kitchen island and grabbed Bonnie's hand to see a small but elegant diamond encrusted ring on her ring finger.
"What is this?" she inquired fervently.
"It's an engagement ring," Bonnie said as her lips began to form a large smile.
"You didn't tell me!?" she said. "When were you going to tell me? Did this happen on Tuesday?" she asked eagerly, barraging Bonnie with a million questions.
She knew Bonnie and Kol had become serious quite quickly over the past year, but she hadn't expected an engagement so soon.
"Kol proposed Tuesday. He made a big scene about it too…he interrupted the tutorial I was teaching," Bonnie revealed.
"In perfect Kol fashion," Rebekah commented with a smirk.
"Rebekah only knew about it because she was in New York already," Bonnie added. "I wanted to wait to tell you…well see if you noticed once you got to New York," she continued.
She shook her head, pretending to be offended, but quite happy by the fun surprise.
"I helped Kol pick out the ring," Rebekah piped up proudly.
"It's nothing gaudy…or flashy…we are still students on a budget after all," Bonnie said, as if to excuse the modesty of the ring.
"It's perfect, Bonnie. I love it," she said, as she observed the ring on Bonnie's finger. "Have you set a date?" she wondered curiously.
Bonnie shrugged.
"We're not in any rush," Bonnie admitted. "Both Kol and I would like to finish up our degrees and figure out where our careers are going to land so we can decide where we're going to settle. Next year sometime," she guessed.
"You might have to immigrate to the U.K." Rebekah mused.
"Or maybe you can get a job teaching at Whitmore and move back to Mystic Falls!" she suggested enthusiastically.
"We'll see," Bonnie said with a glowing grin.
"Wow, I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!" she beamed as she pulled Bonnie in for a celebratory hug. "I hope you know that I'm making your dress," she informed Bonnie.
"I was just about to ask," Bonnie smirked.
"Oh my god. I have so many ideas going through my head," she informed the girls, as she thought about designing another dress.
"Calm down," Bonnie laughed. "I think you and Rebekah are more excited about this than me."
"Well of course we are," Rebekah mused. "You're the unfortunate soul who has to live with Kol for the rest of your life. Caroline and I are the ones who will get to spoil the cute little nieces and nephews you're going to give us," she snickered.
She laughed alongside Rebekah.
"I suppose that's true," Bonnie said poking fun at herself. "First, Kol and I have to decide when we're getting married and where before I can decide on a style of dress," she reminded Caroline. "Kids will not be coming for a while."
"Okay, okay!" she agreed, defeated by Bonnie's rationality. "But don't get mad if I draw you some sketches in the meantime," she added in her defence.
Bonnie smirked, shaking her head.
"Meredith's dress is coming along!" she informed Bonnie. "I will probably just finish her dress and have to start yours!" she said giddily.
"And once you finish Bonnie's, perhaps you'll have to design your own," Rebekah suggested.
Bonnie looked at her expectantly as though waiting for her to comment.
She became flustered and rolled her eyes.
"I don't think I will have to worry about that for a while, if at all," she replied vaguely.
Both Rebekah and Bonnie gave her looks of concern.
"Why do you say that?" Bonnie asked. "Things aren't good between you and Klaus?" she wondered.
She was becoming even more flustered at the prospect of having to reveal details of her relationship with Klaus – particularly with his sister sitting right there. She didn't want to step on any toes or say the wrong thing.
"Both Klaus and I are kinda new at this relationship thing. I haven't been in one for a few years and…"
"Nik has probably never been in one," Rebekah interjected for her.
She nodded.
"We're just taking things slow, figuring things out as we go. We don't want to rush into anything, especially with Grayson to consider," she clarified. "Besides, Klaus has always been strongly opposed to marriage any time I've ever discussed it with him."
"Nik doesn't know what he's talking about Caroline," Rebekah scowled. "He likes to pretend that he does, but he really doesn't."
"How do you feel about that?" Bonnie asked her, taking the conversation in a serious direction.
She shrugged.
"If Klaus never wanted to get married, you would be okay with that?" Bonnie wondered. "The girl who always wanted to play wedding when we were younger? The girl who had her big fairy tale wedding with Tyler Lockwood pre-planned right down to the flower arrangements and wedding favours before you had even been on a date with him? You would be okay with never getting married?" Bonnie reminded her questioningly.
Rebekah seemed a little overwhelmed by her past obsessive behaviour.
"Bonnie, I was a kid," she said in her defence. "I guess since my relationship with Tyler ended, since my mom died, after opening my store, Elijah and Elena…since having Grayson, my perspective and priorities have changed a little," she admitted.
It was true. Those events had changed her. Her heart had hardened a little and she was a bit more cautious – something that not even her own parents' divorce was able to achieve as she had always hoped when she was younger that her parents would get back together. She had since come to appreciate more how temporary and quick to sway love could be. She appreciated material things – like weddings – less, and the value of life more.
"I think what's most important is being happy. A wedding isn't something that is going to make me happy – at least long term anyway," she explained.
"And are you happy?" Bonnie inquired, continuing to fish for more information about her relationship with Klaus.
"Well, I haven't felt this happy in a while," she confessed, a tinge of guilt hitting her as her mother, Elena, and Elijah crossed her mind.
Both Bonnie and Rebekah smiled in unison.
"I bet it's because you finally have a boyfriend who isn't afraid to go down on you now," Bonnie blurted out, the wine clearly having an impact on her inhibition.
"OH MY GOD!" Rebekah winced dramatically as her eyes widened and she covered her mouth. "I did not need to hear that!" she hissed, as she pretended to gag into the kitchen sink, spitting out some wine.
"No comment," she said with a suggestive smirk, refusing to deny that Bonnie was right to some extent.
"Ugh, gross," Rebekah groaned in disgust. "How can I be friends with the two of you and have girl chat when both of you are dating my brothers," she sighed.
She and Bonnie laughed at Rebekah's displeasure.
"Well, why don't we talk about you then?" Bonnie suggested curiously. "Any developments in your love life?"
"I'm sure you have lots gorgeous men lined up for you," she added, hoping to shift the conversation onto Rebekah in part to distract the focus from her and help Rebekah feel included.
Rebekah looked at her incredulously and scoffed.
"That's far from the truth," Rebekah denied. "I haven't been on a date in months," she admitted.
"I have trouble believing that," Bonnie admitted. "The number of guys that stared you up and down when we went out for lunch yesterday was ridiculous," she reminded Rebekah.
"Sure, guys are interested, I suppose," Rebekah relented. "But I'm not interested in them."
"You like girls?" Bonnie questioned.
Rebekah glared at her.
"No! Ew! I'm just not interested in the type of guys who are interested in me," Rebekah said.
"So, you're picky," Bonnie continued.
She was surprised Bonnie had dared to speak to Rebekah how she was speaking – her future sister-in-law – lest she be offended and take it the wrong way.
"I am not picky!" Rebekah retorted. "The guys who are interested in me are all cocky young blokes who only want me because they think I'll look nice sitting in the passenger seat of their expensive sports car. I mean, sure the attention is nice for a while, but they don't really give a shit about me and who I am. I'm just a possession to them – and that's exactly the trap my mother fell into with my father."
She and Bonnie nodded understandingly.
Rebekah's insight into her parents' life made her curious. These were the people who Klaus had grown up around and shaped who he was – the people Klaus abhorred. Elijah had felt similarly, she recalled, though he had seemed less hostile than Klaus.
"So I guess we need to find you a secure and cultured older man who knows how to treat a lady," Bonnie concluded.
"I doubt finding one of those in New York will be any easier than in London," Rebekah said pessimistically. "I may have to resort to changing my sexual preference if I want to have decent sex any time soon," Rebekah frowned. "Most men have no idea what they're doing."
She laughed at Rebekah's remark and Bonnie joined in. They had both been able to relate to Rebekah's sentiment at one time or another.
"Most men need to be trained," Bonnie chuckled.
"I didn't think Kol was naturally talented at pleasing women," Rebekah mused.
"Trust me," Bonnie started. "He wasn't. Now he likes to walk around as though he's some self-taught Casanova," she mused mockingly.
"I'm not surprised," Rebekah acknowledged. "Kol loves taking all the credit. He tried to take all the credit for your engagement ring," she pointed out.
"Did Klaus know that Kol was going to propose to you?" she asked Bonnie, feeling a little betrayed that he might have known before her. Granted, if Kol told him, he would have known before Bonnie as well.
"Kol didn't want to say anything to Nik because he didn't want him to try and talk him out of it like he tried to do when Elijah was going to propose to Elena," Rebekah informed her. "Nothing personal against you Bonnie. Nik is just a curmudgeon sometimes," she scowled. "Kol is probably explaining himself right now as we speak," she added.
She laughed, knowing that sounded like something Klaus would do. While she knew Klaus was not a hopeless romantic by any means, she knew that his so-called 'voice of reason' didn't necessarily come from a bad place. She had come to realize that it was his way of being protective over his siblings and showing them that he cared – though he would probably never admit to that.
"I'd like to be a fly on the wall during that conversation," Bonnie noted.
She nodded in agreement.
"Well, Nik's negative opinions about relationships don't hold much sway now that he's with you, Caroline," Rebekah pointed out. "Unless he considers himself to be a hypocrite."
"Cheers," Bonnie said with laughter as she raised her wine glass.
She toasted the girls with a smile.
"I think we really need to be toasting the newly engaged one in the room," she said, tipping her glass towards Bonnie.
"My future sister-in-law," Rebekah said raising her glass. "Kol is lucky to have you," she emphasized.
They clinked their glasses and each took generous sips of their wine.
"Perhaps I'll have another one sometime soon," Rebekah said purposely to bug her as she glanced at her with a smirk.
"Don't count on it," she shrugged, trying to hide her bashful smile. "Our focus is on Grayson right now," she repeated.
"How has everything been going with Grayson?" Bonnie asked with a concerned tone, reminding her that they hadn't had much of an opportunity to talk in-depth lately.
"Grayson is doing fine…new teeth seem to be popping up every day…still trying to figure out the walking thing," she laughed as she thought about the tumbles Grayson had taken this past week. "He loves his swimming lessons, and the daycare says he's doing great," she said as she let out a bittersweet sigh.
"That sounds great. Why are you acting like that's a bad thing?" Rebekah asked curiously.
She shrugged, attempting to laugh to conceal her watery eyes.
"It's like he already forgets them," she said cryptically. "Elijah and Elena."
Bonnie put her hand on her shoulder consolingly.
"It's okay," Bonnie reassured her.
"I'm sure Elijah and Elena would have wanted it this way," Rebekah added. "They would want Grayson to be resilient and happy."
She knew Rebekah was right. It was just hard seeing Grayson's memory of Elijah and Elena slip away. It made their deaths real. It reaffirmed that they were never coming back.
"How is everything else going?" Bonnie asked, hinting about the custody issue and Elijah and Elena's estate.
"Well, it's my understanding that we're going to get one more surprise home visit from CPS before the final hearing in September. We're expecting it in the next month since CPS will have to compile their notes into an assessment report for the judge to consider," she explained. "I just want to get them over with. They always come at horrible times," she continued. "We shouldn't have to go through all these hoops for Grayson to be legally ours. Elijah and Elena made their wishes known in their will, and they were perfectly competent. That should be enough for the judge," she complained.
"You're right," Bonnie affirmed. "It's stupid."
"The longer the interim period is and Grayson's legal status is in limbo, the longer there's a chance for someone to intervene and contest it," she said worriedly. "Stefan has warned us about the possibility."
"You mean my parents?" Rebekah sighed disappointingly.
She nodded.
"They were pretty upset about the will," she reminded Bonnie and Rebekah. "Klaus has said he wouldn't be surprised if they try to interfere."
"But they haven't yet and it's already been a few months," Bonnie said hopefully, trying to encourage her to think optimistically.
She looked to Rebekah questioningly, wondering if she had overheard anything from her parents, knowing she had contact with them.
"I know Mother and Father aren't happy about things," Rebekah acknowledged. "But they haven't said anything about getting involved. If they are planning to, they've been very tight-lipped – which is unusual for Father. Anything he's said in the past was probably just an empty threat to intimidate you and Nik," Rebekah concluded.
"Let's hope so," Bonnie sighed. "Maybe my engagement to Kol will distract them. I know they won't be happy when they find out about that," she laughed.
Rebekah sighed sympathetically.
"I'm sorry you two have to deal with my parents. Trust me, I understand. I need to get away from them as soon as possible," Rebekah said.
Both she and Bonnie nodded eagerly in agreement.
"As for everything else," she started, trying to distract herself from thinking about Mikael and Esther, "we cleaned up the lake house so that it's fit to be rented for the summer so we have that income coming in for Grayson's trust account," she explained.
"What did you end up doing with all the stuff?" Bonnie asked curiously.
"We got rid of some of it, family mementos and photographs we kept, and we have a storage locker full of things we need to sell. We're thinking of having a garage sale soon," she explained as she thought about their hectic schedules and when they would be able to fit a garage sale in.
"What about Elijah and Elena's house?" Rebekah wondered. "What will happen after you and Nik have custody of Grayson free and clear?"
She dreaded that question, because she still really didn't know the answer and she didn't like admitting that to other people. It made her feel inadequate – like she and Klaus weren't properly planning for Grayson.
"Well, the house is Grayson's. There's no mortgage – just the monthly bills, property taxes, and maintenance. We could afford to stay there," she thought aloud. "It would be nice for Grayson to grow up in his family home."
"But," Rebekah said, waiting for her to continue.
"But, come September who knows what the situation will be," she shrugged, feeling anxious at the prospect of not having a plan.
"Klaus's work is here, yours is in Mystic Falls," Bonnie said, clearly underscoring the dilemma.
She nodded.
"The house is also a lot to maintain," she acknowledged. "I'm used to living in an apartment, not a four bedroom, two story home, with a huge kitchen and multiple bathrooms to clean, plus a yard to look after," she mused.
"On top of taking care of a baby," Bonnie added.
"Exactly," she agreed, feeling stressed just thinking about it.
"You and Nik could grow into it. You may need those two extra bedrooms," Rebekah teased.
Again, she rolled her eyes dismissively as she attempted to hide her flustered smile.
"Or they're just extra rooms for us to come visit," Rebekah shrugged innocently, referring to her, Bonnie, and Kol.
"That's true," she replied, knowing it was nice having the extra space for guests. "Though, truthfully, it's also a little depressing living there," she admitted. "It's hard not to think about Elena and Elijah everyday," she confessed as she recalled how often she thought about the memories she had in the house of Elena and Elijah, including the last evening they were alive.
Rebekah and Bonnie gave her solemn looks.
"Well! I think we should have some more wine," Rebekah said, lightheartedly in an effort to change the subject.
He had worked late at the studio, putting some finishing touches on some of his work to be displayed on Saturday. He had to have it delivered for display by Saturday morning. He would have worked longer, but Marcel and Kol had shown up and kidnapped him, bringing him to a pub located near Bonnie's apartment.
"You guys have to try this whiskey, it's the best," Marcel said cheerfully as their waitress approached with a tray of three glasses. "Thanks sweetheart," he said flirtatiously to the young dark haired waitress who could barely walk in her heels as she went to set the glasses on the table.
She giggled nervously and he watched anxiously as one of the glasses began to tip.
"Easy there, love," Marcel said as he reached for the glass to help her.
"Thanks," she said quietly. "It's my first week."
"You're doing great," Marcel said encouragingly with his infamous smile.
She nodded, her tanned skin turning red, as she walked away flustered.
He shook his head at Marcel.
"I bet both of you fifty bucks, I'll have her number by the end of the night," Marcel bragged proudly to him and Kol.
"She's barely twenty-one," he pointed out with a judgmental laugh.
Marcel pointed an accusatory finger at him.
"Hey! Fuck you bro," Marcel said with amusement. "You may be tied down now, but you're the last person who should be judging me and you know it," he retorted with a smirk. "What can I say? I like younger women," he said a little too loudly, garnering glares from those seated closest to them in the pub.
Both he and Kol erupted into laughter.
"As long as they're eighteen," Marcel clarified for certainty, glancing around at those who were staring with unsure looks.
"You have to teach me your ways," Kol said with exaggerated admiration.
Marcel's eyebrow arched.
"That ship sailed the day you put a ring on it my man," Marcel told Kol.
He glanced at Marcel and Kol quizzically.
"What does he mean, 'put a ring on it'?" he asked Kol, waiting expectantly for an answer as Kol's face formed a guilty expression.
"Dude, haven't you ever heard the song by Beyonce?" Marcel snickered before a sudden look of realization crossed his face. "Wait, you didn't tell him yet, did you?" he asked Kol.
Kol shook his head, shooting Marcel an annoyed stare.
"I proposed to Bonnie on her birthday Tuesday," Kol confessed, wincing as if he was waiting for him to knock some sense into him.
"You what?" he asked dumbfounded, completely taken off guard by this new development.
"Bonnie and I are engaged," Kol repeated. "She said yes."
"Or as Beyonce would say, he liked it, so he put a ring on it," Marcel interrupted, attempting to inject some comic relief into a serious conversation.
He stared at Kol blankly. This news had come out of left field for him. Sure, he was aware that Kol had gotten himself into a serious relationship with Bonnie, but it wasn't something the two talked about in depth. He had no idea that Kol was on the verge of proposing to her. They didn't have that kind of relationship. He and Kol were similar when it came to burying their emotions and not talking about their feelings, for fear of being perceived as weak or being mocked. Elijah, on the other hand, had been more open, so perhaps that's why he and Kol had always found it easier to talk to him, rather than each other.
"A heads up would have been nice," he said, feeling a little annoyed that Kol had not discussed it with him first – and that Marcel had found out before him.
If he was being completely honest with himself, it felt a little odd that his younger brother was engaged to be married.
"Nik, I wasn't going to talk to you about it before hand because you would have tried to talk me out of it like you did with Elijah," Kol scoffed with a light-hearted tone.
"I wouldn't have tried to talk you out of it," he said in his defence. "I would have just wanted you to make sure that you were making the right decision," he explained.
"In other words, talk him out of it," Marcel laughed.
"You're supposed to be my mate," he told Marcel, feigning annoyance that he was standing up for Kol.
"Marriage is a life sentence," he reminded Kol. "You have to be prepared for that. And if, in five years, you decide you can't live with that, then you need to be prepared to face those consequences, too. She could walk off with half of everything you own," he warned.
Kol laughed.
"I prefer to look at it as a life commitment, rather than a sentence," Kol replied. "And neither of us really owns anything of value, so if she wants to take half of my student debt, she's more than welcome to," he chuckled.
"There you go, think positive," Marcel smirked.
"Besides, even if Bonnie is marrying me to get U.K. citizenship. I'm perfectly fine with being used, especially by her. She's hot," Kol joked.
"She is pretty hot," Marcel agreed. "If a hot chick from the U.K. wanted American citizenship. I'd marry her."
"Right?" Kol said as he clinked his glass with Marcel's
He scowled.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked Kol, silently wondering to himself if Caroline had known about this since Tuesday and didn't say anything.
"Pretty sure he wouldn't have bought a ring if he wasn't sure," Marcel pointed out.
He gave Marcel a narrow look.
"Of course I'm sure!" Kol said with an annoyed tone – the kind of tone that a younger brother has when his older brother is trying to assert his maturity. "I love her, a lot. She's really been there for me, encouraging me to get through school when Mother and Father were anything but. We've been there for each other since everything with Elena and Elijah…" Kol trailed off.
"Do Mother and Father know?" he asked curiously.
Kol looked at him incredulously.
"If I didn't tell you, do you really think I told them?" Kol asked rhetorically.
Obviously not, he concluded.
"Does Rebekah know?" he wondered. "Does Caroline know?"
"Rebekah helped me pick out the ring," Kol admitted cautiously.
He wanted to be angry that Rebekah knew before him, but he also knew that he would have been helpless if Kol had asked for his assistance in picking out an engagement ring. That was Rebekah's territory.
"Bonnie wasn't going to tell Caroline until you guys got here. She wanted to keep it a secret and see if Caroline noticed the ring," Kol explained.
Well, at least Caroline hadn't betrayed him, he thought.
"Honestly," Kol said nonchalantly. "I can't wait for the day that you get down on your knee and beg Caroline to marry you because I am going to be the first one there to remind you about the third degree you gave me and Elijah," he explained jovial anticipation.
He made a mental note to make sure Kol didn't add Stefan to that list.
"He's got you there, bro. You better watch what you say. Your words might come back to haunt you," Marcel pointed out.
"I don't think that's ever going to happen," he said, if only to get Kol and Marcel off his back.
"Never say never," Marcel said wisely.
"I just don't need a symbolic piece of paper," he shrugged.
"Someone's retreating from their position," Marcel teased, hinting at the impact that Caroline was having on him.
"Girls talk," Kol said. "Bonnie tells me everything Caroline tells her about your relationship…you know like how sweet and attentive you can be," he said in a feminine voice to mock him.
Marcel's eyes widened with intrigue as he erupted into laughter alongside Kol.
"Tell me more!" Marcel demanded.
He covered Kol's mouth.
"Don't," he said to Kol threateningly.
Marcel lifted his glass.
"How about you toast your baby bro on his engagement," Marcel suggested. "He deserves a congrats."
He grumbled under his breath, annoyed by Kol's mockery and Marcel's efforts to stand up for him.
Reluctantly, he grabbed his glass.
"You've been a pain in my ass since the day you were born, mate," he started with a smirk, knowing it would piss Kol off. "Here's to being a pain in Bonnie's ass," he chuckled.
Kol gave him an unimpressed look.
He shrugged nonchalantly as he raised his glass.
"Congratulations," he said genuinely. "To you and Bonnie," he said tipping his glass towards Kol's.
His concern for Kol was really just about making sure he was making the right choice. Their parents' marriage had been less than perfect and he didn't want that to happen to Kol. That had nothing to do with Bonnie, however. Bonnie was a smart and beautiful woman. To be honest, he wasn't quite sure how Kol had managed to get her to say yes, he laughed to himself.
"Ehhhhh!" Marcel chimed in happily, clinking his glass together with theirs.
Before he could set his glass down, Marcel was signalling to the waitress to get them another round.
"We have a lot to celebrate tonight. Kol's engagement…our big break on Saturday," Marcel listed. "My boy Klaus is in love," he teased.
He rolled his eyes, avoiding eye contact with Marcel as he concentrated on the wood grain pattern on the table.
"I see you trying to hide your smile Mikaelson," Marcel pointed out. "Don't you try and deny it," he cajoled him.
He could see Kol smirking from the corner of his eye, obviously loving the fact that there was someone else to harass him and he could sit back and watch it unfold without getting his hands dirty.
"Can we talk about something else?" he proposed.
The focus on his relationship with Caroline was making him uncomfortable.
"He didn't deny it," Marcel said, pointing at Kol excitedly, as though they were two teenage girls gossiping about their friends.
"Fuck off, mate," he said with little force as his threatening demeanour gave way to the smile he was trying to hide in an effort to conceal the fact that Marcel was getting to him.
"Awe, I'm just playing with you," Marcel said as the waitress delivered their next round.
Marcel winked at her before returning his attention to the table.
"I'm just curious about this Caroline of yours," Marcel shrugged.
"She's blonde," Kol noted.
"Klaus and I are both suckers for blondes," Marcel acknowledged, "But there must be something special about this girl that has you so enamoured," he inquired.
He shrugged, refusing to play Marcel's game and give him what he wanted.
"She probably has a penis," Kol snorted, unable to resist the urge to immaturely suggest that he was gay.
He shoved Kol's shoulder roughly, causing him to nearly fall out of the booth.
"I can assure you, she doesn't," he growled at Kol. "Besides, I'm sure Bonnie has filled you in about her."
Marcel looked at Kol for more information.
"She's obviously special to me," he relented, clenching his glass as he took a long drink of the sweet and spicy whiskey Marcel had ordered them.
Marcel and Kol smiled triumphantly at having him admit to that much.
"So do you love her?" Marcel questioned eagerly.
He took another hard swallow of whiskey, pretending as though he hadn't heard Marcel's question.
"Hmm?" Kol pressed.
He sighed with frustration.
"So what if I do?" he asked his two interrogators for the evening.
Marcel's eyebrows raised with surprise.
"Then I'd be happy you finally met someone to show you the bigger picture in life," Marcel said simply before taking a drink.
"And what's the bigger picture?" he wondered.
"I think the Beatles said 'All You Need is Love' man," Marcel said. "Love is what's important."
"Says the self-proclaimed womanizer," he snorted.
Marcel shrugged innocently.
"Hey love comes in all shapes and sizes," Marcel said jokingly in his defence.
Kol laughed at Marcel's comment, raising his glass before taking a drink.
"No, but really. I have Jade and Ki, and perhaps one day I'll have a Mrs. Gerard. You know I'm a hopeless romantic at heart," he admitted, clenching his fist over his chest.
"I feel for the woman who is going to have to put up with you," Kol teased.
"I agree," he remarked, finally relieved that Marcel was now the butt of their jokes and not him.
"Hey! I'm a walk in the park compared to Klaus," Marcel said. "If Caroline can tame the heart of Klaus Mikaelson, there is hope for me," he concluded.
"I thought we had stopped mocking me for the evening," he scoffed.
"Niklaus, we'll never stop mocking you because you make it so easy," Kol mused.
"You're too uptight. You take yourself too seriously," Marcel said to him with a small chuckle. "That's what makes it so easy."
"Where are you planning on taking Caroline tomorrow night?" Kol wondered.
He took a quick swig of his drink, concentrating on the burn of the liquor as he shrugged off Kol's question.
"When are you planning to mind your own business?" he retorted flatly
"Hey, Bonnie and I agreed to babysit the little squirt for you. The least you could do is answer the question, mate," Kol snickered.
"That little squirt is your nephew," he pointed out, though he knew Kol was joking around. Kol and Bonnie had been excited when he asked them if they would take Grayson for the night.
"There's a romantic little jazz bar that just opened a few blocks from here," Marcel suggested. "It's intimate. You could take her there."
"Or talk to Bonnie. I'm sure she knows all of Caroline's favourite places and restaurants from when she used to live here," Kol recommended.
Kol actually had a good point, but he would never tell him that.
"Oh yeah, I forgot you mentioned she went to school here," Marcel remembered. "Good one Kol," he acknowledged. "That will get you points for sure, Klaus," he chuckled with a wink before taking generous sip of his drink.
He shook his head, taking another drink himself. Admittedly, it wasn't about winning points, but that was also something he wasn't prepared to admit to them, lest he be the butt of more jokes. Now that he had obtained their advice without even having to ask outright, he wanted to change the subject.
"Do you think you're ready for Grayson tomorrow night?" He challenged Kol.
Kol reclined against the booth nonchalantly.
"Of course, I'm ready," Kol shrugged. "I think Bonnie and I can handle a small child between the two of us."
"He can be a handful," he pointed out. "Especially now that he's moving around on his own."
"One minute you see them, the next they're gone," Marcel agreed nostalgically, obviously speaking from his own experience.
If he was being truthful, he felt a sense of apprehension about leaving Grayson with Bonnie and Kol for the night, though it had been his idea. It wasn't often Grayson was without them save for when he was in daycare. His stomach knotted as his mind turned to worst case scenarios.
"Bonnie and I spent like an hour in a toy store yesterday. We have plenty to keep him occupied until he passes out," Kol said assuredly.
He nodded appreciatively, knowing Grayson would likely be too distracted by the new toys to even notice that he and Caroline were gone.
They sat quite for a moment, finishing off their drinks.
"God, I still can't get over how much the little guy looks like your brother," Marcel observed. "Spitting image," he said thoughtfully.
"Rebekah was showing me a photograph of Elijah when he was Grayson's age the other day," Kol recalled. "They could pass for twins."
He didn't need a photograph for reinforcement. Grayson was a constant reminder of Elijah. It was a blessing and a curse.
"I don't doubt it," Marcel replied to Kol.
"Remember when Elijah and Elena told everyone they were expecting Grayson?" Kol laughed.
"You mean when your drunken self spoiled it with a guess at their rehearsal dinner?" He countered, chuckling at what a disaster Elijah and Elena's rehearsal dinner had been.
"I don't remember you telling me this," Marcel said to him, laughing in amusement.
"Hey, it was just a wild guess," Kol said in his defence. "I didn't expect it to be true!" he mused. "And then after all hell broke loose with that news, I tried to change the subject by telling the entire table that you and Caroline slept together the night before," he said, his laughter intensifying.
"That was a great idea," he said to Kol sarcastically as he remembered how well that had played out. It had only seemed to throw fuel on the fire that raged within his father.
Kol shrugged.
"It did the trick!" Kol shrugged. "Mother and Father's reactions were priceless!"
The story seemed to click for Marcel as his eyes lit up.
"Okay, I think you did tell me this," Marcel confirmed. "Didn't you punch your old man?" he asked him.
He nodded, preferring to focus on the burn of the whisky as it trailed down his throat – anything but his father.
"He deserved it," he acknowledged as his thoughts unwillingly led him back to the night of Elena and Elijah's rehearsal dinner and recalled all the awful things his father had said.
"You were defending Elijah," Kol reasoned as he went quiet for a moment. "Despite all that, I don't think I ever saw Elijah as happy as he was that weekend," he concluded somberly.
It was true, he thought to himself.
"Maybe the day Grayson was born," he suggested, thinking back to the day of Grayson's birth, recalling the incessant sound of his phone going off in the early hours of the morning rousing him from his sleep and the excitement in Elijah's voice on the other end as he announced Grayson's arrival.
"I can't believe he made a wrong turn driving Elena to the hospital," Kol snorted. "He worked there for Christ's sake."
He and Marcel laughed at the thought. He had almost forgotten about that.
"Shay and I were at a friends' birthday party when she went into labour with Jade. Everybody there except for Shay had been drinking – including myself – We had to take a taxi to the hospital," he mused. "It was for the best though. I don't think I could have driven that day even if I was sober."
While Marcel's story had shifted his mind, he still felt a nagging feeling of sadness over Elijah and Elena as he reminisced. He hated that they were gone and Grayson was without them.
"I wish Elijah was here with us," Kol admitted, the alcohol having taken effect on his ability to contain his vulnerabilities.
He wished he was too.
Marcel raised his glass, silently proposing a toast for Elijah over the remaining contents of their glasses. Both he and Kol followed in unison by raising their glasses before downing the rest of their drinks.
"Grayson is lucky to have you guys in his life," Marcel said genuinely, trying to focus on the positive.
"It's mainly Niklaus," Kol admitted.
Normally, he would tease Kol relentlessly for any compliment he threw his way, but he refrained. He didn't feel right about rubbing that in Kol's face – especially when it was supposed to be Elijah who was supposed to be one of Grayson's main supports – not him.
"Elijah really would be proud of you," Marcel said to him, reaffirming his earlier comments at the apartment.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he sighed. "There's still another 18 years to go," he reminded Marcel, trying to inject some of his own humour into the conversation to lighten the mood.
"How's the custody thing coming?" Marcel inquired curiously.
He shrugged.
"We have to wait until the interim period is up and the home studies are complete before we can get back in front of a judge to give us a final order for custody. Elijah and Elena may have wanted us to take care of Grayson, but the court still has to be convinced it is in Grayson's best interests," he explained, his nerves getting to him as he thought about the process and all the barriers that could come up – particularly, the judge ruling against them.
"Of course you're going to get that order," Marcel said as though it was a non-issue. "Who else would a judge give Grayson to? That's what Elijah and Elena wanted, and you and Caroline have been taking care of him since…you're all he knows," he reasoned. "You got this!" he added confidently, patting him on the shoulder for added reinforcement.
She had been drifting in and out of sleep when she heard the door to Klaus's bedroom open slowly.
Startled, she rolled over in the darkness to discern who was there.
"Bonnie?" she whispered, thinking maybe Rebekah had kicked her off of the sofa bed in the living room.
Bonnie and Rebekah had opted to share the sofa bed after they drunkenly decided to stay up, drink more wine, and attempt to watch Titanic on Bonnie's iPad.
Barely able to keep her eyes open, she had chosen to go to sleep. The long day and the wine had done her in.
It felt like hours ago since she sent Klaus a goodnight text and crashed hard in his bed.
She could smell Klaus's cologne and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room she could tell that it was him struggling to undress.
"Klaus," she murmured under her breath quietly so as not to disturb Grayson who was sleeping in the playpen next to the bed.
She was surprised to see him. Originally his plan was to crash at Bonnie's apartment with Kol and Marcel after their night out.
He stumbled slightly as he attempted to remove his t-shirt.
She could tell by his demeanour that he was drunk.
Foreseeing him falling or crashing into the dresser and disturbing everyone, she rose on the bed to help him.
"What time is it?" she wondered quietly.
"Nearly four-thirty, I think," he breathed, as she lifted his t-shirt over his head.
"I thought you would be at Bonnie's?" she questioned.
He unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down, leaving only his boxers.
Leaning on her shoulder with his hand, he stepped out of his pants.
"Kol was so drunk," he said quietly. "I couldn't share a bed with him, and Marcel had the couch," he explained, his words a little slurred.
She nodded.
"I missed you," he admitted, the alcohol clearly lowering his guard, as his hand weaved through her hair.
Her lips curved into a smile with his confession.
"I missed you too," she replied sincerely.
He leaned over to kiss her, his lips caressing hers softly.
She backed up on the mattress, allowing him room to climb into bed as their kiss broke.
He laid down beside her and she curled up against him, content to have him there next to her.
His body felt tense and his breathing shallow, as if he was on the verge of saying something
"Hmm?" she questioned, wondering if maybe she was drifting in and out of sleep and had missed whatever he had said.
He let out a lengthy exhale.
"I'm glad you and Grayson are here," he said softly.
He swallowed hard anxiously as he stared up at the ceiling.
"Caroline?" he whispered, trailing his hand over her shoulder and down her arm.
She didn't respond, but her body shifted slightly, sliding closer to him and resting her head on his chest.
Glancing down and moving his head to the side, he could see that Caroline's eyes were closed by the street lights that were filtering into the darkened room through the window coverings.
Her breathing was light and steady. She was sleeping.
He sighed, thankful for the unexpected reprieve.
His body relaxed, revelling in the feeling of being next to her.
Shutting his eyes, he had hoped sleep would come easy, but his relentless thoughts had different plans.
'So do you love her?' he heard Marcel's voice ask him, replaying their conversation from earlier that night.
Of course he loved her.
He probably had fallen for her after their first weekend together – though it took him until recently to realize that and admit it to himself.
He loved her more than anything, and it terrified him.