Chapter 4
Caroline looked around the house one more time to make sure she had everything and that she had covered all of the furniture. She hadn't even bothered changing from her dress from earlier that day, and she could see Bonnie standing at the door as she waited for her, but Caroline was having last minute thoughts as all her memories of being in her home flashed through her mind. It wouldn't be too late to change their minds and stay a little longer, but staying in the house left her feeling suffocated; especially if she had to see everyone glance at her in pity or sympathy. She had initially taken the semester off, but she was wondering if she should go for late admission instead with everything happening to keep her mind occupied. She glanced at Bonnie to see her still patiently waiting before she shook her head and turned off the last of the lights before both of them left the house; they needed to get on the road and get to their apartment she had recently rented.
Both Caroline and Bonnie needed to make a couple stops to say goodbye to people and the town, but they decided to leave the graveyard for last. Most of their goodbyes were spent at the Mikaelson mansion since Kol and Rebekah didn't want to see them go and Mikael and Ester kept having them wait so they could eat before hitting the road. Caroline kept feeling her nerves taking over with every delay. She wanted to get out of town and holed up in her new bedroom at the apartment before she completely broke down, but each minute passing kept her from being able to do so. Bonnie seemed to sense what she was thinking/feeling as she excused them both so they could make their escapes. Once they finally made it to the graveyard, Bonnie gave her some time alone so she could say goodbye to her Grams before she would join her at Liz's grave. Caroline found the sinking feeling she had a million times more difficult than it had been standing in front of Jesse's grave; that was to be expected since she was in front of her mother's grave and it had only been filled in earlier that day.
Caroline didn't speak out loud as she knelt beside the mound of dirt that covered her mother's coffin. Her mind rushed over the past few months they had spent together traveling across the country before spending a few days overseas looking at the landmarks they had always talked about. She felt that she was able to let her mother experience some of the wonders of the world before the cancer took her away. Yet another part of Caroline's mind argued that they had exhausted Liz and it had ended her life sooner, and resting could have prolonged it a little longer. Liz had been adamant about traveling instead of taking more treatments or trying another surgery when the expected results gave a higher fail rate than success at the stage the cancer had progressed to. It still felt unreal since she had believed so strongly that her mother would beat it again and she would be able to live out her life before she passed away in her bed full of grey hair; not a month after summer. She barely noticed Bonnie kneel down next to her as she gave her own goodbye before they were both standing and moving to the car again. They had barely made it to the Wickory Bridge before they heard honking and saw a car flashing its lights behind them; Caroline telling Bonnie to stay in the car while she figured out what was going on.
"I almost didn't catch you…" Klaus spoke as he ran up to her and she felt herself being pulled against him.
"What are you doing Klaus?" Caroline asked as she disentangled herself and looked at him in question. She noticed he looked tired and out of breath with the dark circles under his eyes and the panting he was doing.
"I got here as soon as I could… it took 3 planes, a couple delays, a mix up with the car rental place, and getting pulled over for speeding more than a couple times but I didn't want to miss you before you left." Klaus explained as she stood still and watched him confusedly. "I was in Japan when I finally got the call… a bit of a mix up in time zones and crappy reception from the forest area I was in before going back to Tokyo…"
"It's fine Klaus… but I can't stay…"
"I know love… but I wanted to see you before you left." Klaus answered and she wrapped her arms around herself under his stare. "Even a minute is worth everything it took to get here." Klaus continued and she felt her confusion and the feeling of being guilty climb, but she didn't let it show.
"We have a spare room at the apartment… it isn't set up but there's a mattress… or you can come visit tomorrow…" Caroline rambled nervously but Klaus cut her off.
"I'll follow you." Klaus spoke and Caroline could see he was serious so she nodded and made her way back to her car. She sat for a minute with Bonnie's questioning gaze on her before she turned to her friend.
"It's Klaus… he's going to follow us to the apartment… he wants to talk." Caroline informed Bonnie and watched as she turned to look out the back window.
"Care… just… don't let him have a chance to hurt you again… you don't need him to make things harder on you right now." Bonnie warned and Caroline nodded before she started the car again and started driving them towards their apartment.
"He's just trying to be a friend again Bonnie… he couldn't get here any sooner. Besides… he's already apologized more than once… and he's tried to be friends again. I'm not naïve little Caroline anymore… and I'm not even thinking about him like that… but I don't want to be like he was back then either." Caroline explained her reason for letting him follow along. "The plan is the same… I'm not changing it."
"Are you sure you're ready to start everything? I understand that it helps to have properties across the country for tours, and renting them out will be profitable, but are you sure you're ready to start a business while we're still finishing college? Why not wait a couple years until you have your degree so people will see you're more credible that what you are now?" Bonnie asked as Caroline kept her eyes on the road and glanced behind a couple times to make sure Klaus was still following behind them.
"I've already bought a lot of shares in companies to keep money flowing in when I'm not releasing albums, the properties will give an income too, but I'm ready to start setting up for when I'm done with college. I'll hire someone that can oversee everything while I'm not there and when it starts making a name I'll expand. Steven has plenty of contacts to help get everything started and all of the bills have already been handled; it's time to start." Caroline finished and Bonnie let out a nervous sigh before nodding.
"Just tell me what you want me to do…"
"Choose what you want to do and then do it. You shouldn't not follow your own dream just because this is what I'm doing. You don't owe me anything Bonnie…"
"We've been friends forever… and Liz taking me in instead of letting me go into the foster system gave me the opportunity to finish growing up. I want to put myself through college instead of you paying for it… and I want to be a vet."
"If you need anything Bonnie… we aren't just friends; we're sisters. I'll help you whenever you ask… but I'll let you do things your own way too. I didn't think that paying for college made you uncomfortable… I just wanted to have your back the same way you've had mine." Caroline finished and Bonnie reached over and squeezed her shoulder. They both came to an understanding about their future; they had different paths but they wouldn't be separated through them.
Hours Later…
Caroline pulled into the apartment parking area and walked over to show Klaus where the guest parking was before they all started pulling out their suitcases and the boxes they had brought with them. Klaus had a small duffel bag that he had slung over his shoulders so he could help them carry everything up and Caroline had to keep from mentioning where she recognized it from; he had kept it since middle school. They didn't bother with unpacking once they were inside since nothing else had been unpacked or put together. All of them went into the separate bedrooms to change into nightclothes since it was past midnight and all of them were tired. She had barely gotten her clothes changed before she heard a knock at her bedroom door; she knew it wasn't Bonnie since she said she was going straight to bed, so it only left Klaus. She let him in wordlessly as she went over to sit on her mattress that was placed on the floor and he hesitantly sat beside her.
"How long will you be staying here?" Klaus asked and she looked around and thought back on her and Bonnie's conversation.
"A couple months maybe… I took the semester off with everything going on, but I think I'm going to go ahead and transfer when I go back." Caroline thought out loud before turning to look at him. "There are a couple different colleges that are in cities I can work with; I am starting my own business. It'll be hard, but the sooner I get it all started the faster it will get done."
"Elijah can give you a few pointers… his business is finally turning a profit so maybe he can tell you what to avoid and what to go for."
"You know… I never asked you what you decided to major in." Caroline spoke and Klaus shrugged his shoulders.
"I major in art… but I minor in business so I can one day manage my own art and hopefully sell it." Klaus answered and she nodded as she remembered all the times she had seen his work; she knew he could do it if he went back.
"When do you plan on going back to school? You have the talent… but not a lot of people want to sponsor or buy if the artist and/or manager don't have the education to back them up." Caroline spoke but she quieted when Klaus turned to look at her.
"I needed to find inspiration again… that's why I took some time off. I'll be going back either next semester or next fall. I just felt like I needed to see more before I could express it."
"Well I can say it definitely feels different after traveling everywhere… a little overwhelming actually." Caroline replied with a small huff.
"You deserve the world love… the small town life would never have been enough for you; not when you were meant to shine."
"Klaus… I don't even know what I want anymore… I have plans and a future already figured out, but I still feel… lost." Caroline explained and Klaus pulled her closer to him and kept his arm around her.
"You just lost your mom sweetheart… you'll feel that way for a little while. But I know you'll figure it all out soon. I wish I could tell you what you need to know, but I don't know it either. And what I want to say… can't be said right now; it isn't the right time." Klaus spoke as he tried to motivate her but she only felt more confused. "It'll come soon enough and I only hope that you believe me when it does." Klaus finished as he hugged her closer before standing to leave the room; pausing at the door. "Goodnight Caroline."
"Goodnight Klaus." Caroline returned and noticed the slight flinch he gave when she said his name; it must have been nostalgia or something from when they had been closer and she had called him Nik. She knew they couldn't ever go back because the damage had already been done, but she didn't have to let all of the past keep them from being friends in the future.
Months Later…
Caroline wiped the sweat from her forehead as she placed the last box down in her new apartment and took a glance around. She had decided to go ahead and move to New York and transfer her credits to continue at Stern. She had hated leaving Bonnie behind but she had insisted that Caroline go ahead and start her plans while she pursued being a vet. Caroline hadn't even been gone a day and was already missing her, but she sent a text to let her know she had made it safely and was spending her evening unpacking. Her new furniture had already been delivered and set up and the only thing she had needed to bring was her clothes and basic essentials. She had thought about throwing a housewarming get-together with Bonnie and their friends but with everyone going in different directions and almost everyone in school with their own new places and lives she had decided against it.
Walking over to her living room window she overlooked the New York skyline and wondered how long it would take before she was used to the city. She had already met with a few fellow students at the college, but once they had asked where she was living and she had told them they had assumed she came from money; she didn't want to be around people that only hung around her for money. It felt like high school all over again with more people, and she cursed herself internally for not just living in a dorm room. She had a need for privacy because of the band, but she also didn't need a roommate that asked too many questions and would have a chance to snoop through her things when she wasn't in the room. When she checked her phone to see if she had missed any calls or texts she saw a few and went to sit on the couch to check them.
The first few texts she saw were from Bonnie, Rebekah, and Kol, but she saw she had a missed call from Klaus and there was a new voicemail on her phone. As she listened to his voicemail she wondered briefly if he was drunk since he wasn't making much sense, and looking at the time she decided it was too late to call him back; even if it was an our earlier for him in Chicago. She sent him a quick text to let him know she got his voicemail but that she couldn't understand what he was saying because he wasn't speaking clearly and there was a lot of background noise. Deciding to go ahead and get some sleep and finish unpacking the following day, she quickly changed into her nightclothes from her suitcase before plugging her phone onto the charger and going to sleep.
Klaus POV…
Klaus groaned as he rolled over and the sunlight shown directly into his eyes; his head pounding from the massive hangover he knew was bound to happen. He sluggishly pulled himself from his bed and pulled the curtains together to try and block out the blinding rays as he took in the state of his bedroom. He remembered he had been upset with himself and had trashed his room before going to his favorite bar and drinking until he couldn't feel anything; he probably wouldn't have gotten back to the apartment is it hadn't been for his housemate. He went to check his phone but saw the battery had died so he put it on the charger and went into the kitchen to start the coffee pot for him and his friend. He was glad his classes wouldn't start for a couple more days since he had late enrollment, but he pondered over whether or not it had been a good decision to come back to Chicago when there was other places luring him. He had loved being in New Orleans and had thought about going there, but he wanted to keep that city apart from his college life. New York held the strongest pull for him but he didn't think it was time yet to go to Caroline and tell him what he felt; she had just moved herself and was still mourning the loss of her mother.
Bits and pieces of the night before started coming back to him and he felt himself start to panic. He remembered calling Caroline during his drunken state, but he couldn't remember exactly what he had told her. Forgetting the coffee he ran back to his room to check his phone to make sure he had called her instead of imagined it. When he saw her number in his call log he visibly flinched and his breathing picked up as he started to worry about what he had told her. He noticed he had a few texts and quickly pulled them up. When he saw a text from Caroline he opened it and breathed in relief when she said that she hadn't been able to understand what he had said in a voicemail. He thought he had been actually speaking to her, so finding he left a voicemail that was too slurred or noisy to make out was a small blessing. Klaus wanted to be absolutely sure the timing was right and she would actually consider agreeing before asking to take her out; he couldn't mess this up after everything. He wondered if she had woke up yet so he clicked on the call option and hoped she hadn't been able to decipher his message after she had sent her text.
"Hello?" Klaus heard her groggy voice over the line and he winced as he guessed he had woken her up.
"Hello love… I didn't mean to wake you… I was calling you back." Klaus stumbled over his words.
"Klaus?" She asked and he heard the sound of her bedsheets/covers rustling; assuming she was pushing herself up in the bed he had to hold a groan back at the images his mind was creating.
"Yes… it seems I did a little drunk dialing last night and I'd like to apologize about that." Klaus spoke honestly, but didn't go into details as he waited to see what she would say first.
"It's okay… I'm sorry I missed it… I was hauling boxes into my apartment all night and you must have called when I left my phone inside. When I checked my phone it was too late to call back… I didn't understand anything you said anyway. What did you want to talk about?" Caroline explained and asked as Klaus was thanking his lucky stars that he hadn't spoken clearly the night before.
"Oh I was just going to wish you luck… and ask if you needed any help. I know I'm a few states away but I have another couple days before I have to go to class…"
"There's not much left to do… just hang up clothes and grocery shop really." Caroline explained and Klaus let out a sigh; he had wanted to offer his help earlier but had backed out at the last minute.
"Woe be to anyone standing in the way of organizing a closet… I think Bekah still hasn't got over the time you spent the night when you both were freshmen and re-organized her closet." Klaus spoke with a laugh as he recalled those few days.
"It would have had to have been organized to get re-organized and her closet was a nightmare." Caroline joked back and they laughed together before silence took over the conversation. "That seems so long ago." Caroline spoke quietly after a couple minutes and Klaus hummed in agreement.
"It seems like that sometimes sweetheart… but I guess it's because it really wasn't that long ago. I'll let you get back to sleeping for a little bit longer. I have to run a few errands today myself… but I promise to avoid drunk dialing you if I can." Klaus spoke and he heard her laugh in response. He had missed hearing her laugh because of him so he savored the moment.
"I'm already up but if you need to go you can. I'll talk to you later…"
"Be careful up there… I meant it Caroline… and don't hesitate to call if you need anything." Klaus cut in as he worried about her being in a new city all by herself. He could hear her breathing as she hesitated in responding to him.
"I will be… you be careful too. Later Klaus." Klaus heard before he heard the click indicating the call had ended. He wished he had kept her on longer but he didn't want to appear as desperate as he felt. He was still relieved that she hadn't understood him as he walked back into the kitchen to finally get his coffee that he had brewed before calling her. He could see his housemate already in there drinking his own cup as he set about preparing his.
"When are you going to actually have the balls to tell her how you feel to her face?" He heard his friend, Marcel, ask and his grimaced as he realized that Marcel would have heard him leave the voicemail.
"It isn't the right time mate… and she only got a voicemail that she couldn't make out anything I was saying."
"Klaus… you're insane if you think this won't come out at the absolute wrong time if you keep holding it off. You've carried a torch for this girl for how long? What are you going to do when someone comes into her life and sweeps her off her feet while you're over here waiting for the "right time"?" Marcel spoke and Klaus grit his teeth before drinking a few sips of his coffee. Everything his friend was saying was right but he didn't want to think of those possibilities; he had already seen Jesse come into her life and sweep her off her feet when he had been trying to find a good time to apologize. He didn't want the same thing to happen when he finally got the nerve to confess his feelings to her.
"Listen… her mother just died a few months ago and she moved to New York to get a fresh start. If I tell her or go to her now then what good am I doing her? I've barely got her talking to me on a semi-normal basis and I don't want to risk pushing her away again." Klaus explained as he thought it justified him not pursuing her; he didn't need to elaborate since he had confided in Marcel most of their history after he had broken up with Camille and Marcel had confronted him about it. Marcel had told him the same thing that Kol had without actually knowing Caroline or having known him for long; he had never realized his feelings for Caroline and instead of embracing them he had pushed them away along with her.
"You go after anything and everything else you want but her… I understand you want to wait until a better time, but trust me; there's no time like the present. Classes haven't started yet so you can get a transfer in quick and late enroll to an art school in New York." Marcel kept trying to encourage him and he felt the temptation to do just as he said climb. He ran over everything it would take to be able to make the transfer possible and remembered he would have to find an apartment and then get accepted into a school that had his programs; it would take weeks if not months to get finished.
"It would take too long to get it all done this semester… perhaps next semester…" Klaus trailed off as heard Marcel scoff.
"Well perhaps next semester you'll hear me tell you I told you so. From what I hear, Caroline is a catch and it won't be too long before someone in New York realizes that and takes her off the market." Marcel taunted and Klaus felt a growl in his throat at the thoughts flitting through his mind. "At least just try man." Marcel finished and Klaus nodded to get him to shut up about it all. When Marcel left the room Klaus took his coffee with him to his room and started pulling up the schools and apartment listings in New York. He could see the tuitions were about the same, but the apartments were a little higher and had less room in them. He was lucky enough to have help from his family and some money saved up from some paintings he had sold in different cities he had traveled, but he knew he would have to find work if he made the move.
Klaus spent all day looking at the different options he could choose from, but none of them were ideal at the moment; from apartments to job listings. Then he got to thinking about the possibility of Caroline rejecting him and the thought of going through the move for it to be worthless didn't sit too well with him. He wondered if he should visit a few times and work up to asking her out before making the decision to move states away and start a new school. He pulled up his academic calendar to see when the breaks would be and made a note to get Caroline's breaks from her to see if any were the same so he could plan trips better. That thought got shot down when he realized she may travel to see Bonnie for small breaks and continue being gone during the whole of summer for her the charity she had been doing for years. He knew Marcel had been partly right and that he needed to take the next step in actually pursuing her, but he couldn't move to New York until he knew that step wouldn't knock him on his ass.
Over the next couple of months he learned that the breaks and holidays were close with some overlapping, but she would be gone during the summer and she would be going to visit Bonnie on some of her breaks while Bonnie came to visit her on other breaks. He felt like he was making progress, but each time he did he ended up falling behind again. So he made a plan to transfer after the summer and move to New York where the odds would be higher in his favor; he only hoped she didn't leave New York and go somewhere else when he did. He often asked her about the city and told her he had thought about transferring, but he never told her it was official. Klaus found summer approaching faster than he had thought it would and made the preparations to transfer after he told his family that it would offer him a better opportunity for his art; Kol and Rebekah both mentioning how it was also coincidentally where Caroline was, but he would reply it was only a bonus that he would have a friend in the city. When classes ended he didn't go home like he normally did, but instead went to New York to get an apartment set up and start looking for a job that would cover his everyday living since he had already gotten accepted into one of the branches of NYU. He knew it was a long shot still, but he couldn't sit back and miss the opportunity so he thought it was worth the risks; she was worth it to him at least.
