Hey, my beautiful lovelies! Thank you so much for your reviews last chapter and continuous support.

I'm glad to know you're still with me on this journey.

Hope you enjoy this chapter as well. There's a lot ahead!

As Elena looked up in slow motion at the person to whom the voice belonged, Caroline turned around to see them.

"Damon…" Elena's sight confirmed what she knew the second the voice came to her ear. He gave her his trademark sexy smirk.

"Tyler?" Caroline said in a questioning matter, uncertain.

"Hey, Care."

Rebekah huffed. "Really fantastic idea, Nik." She murmured leaning towards her brother, low enough for only him to hear.

He glanced at her then, focused back on the scene unfolding before him.

Caroline's mouth drew open as she stared at Tyler taken aback. She moved her mouth but nothing came out. She couldn't believe who was before her. The last time she had seen him, or even talked to him, was ages ago; at least, that's what it felt like. She suddenly snapped out of it and realized who they were surrounded by. The pairs of eyes that weren't staring at her were focused on her vampire best friend, except for Stefan who was staring at his older brother, clearly as shocked as she was if his facial expression was any indication.

"What, what are you doing here?" she spluttered.

"Yes, both of you." The other blonde demanded.

Elena dropped Damon's gaze and blinked, perplexed, her head aching, a million thoughts running at the same time through her mind.

"We're not together for starters." Damon clarified. "We met at the Grill's entry."

"I've been here since Yesterday." Tyler informed. "I tried to reach you." He said addressing Matt. "…but you wouldn't respond so I figured I'd find you here."

"I just arrived." Damon said emphasizing on the 'I'. "And I needed a drink before heading home." He avowed looking at his brother before glancing at Elena. "The ones I got in the plane weren't enough." He added causing Stefan to look away, his eyebrows having a rise and fall motion. The latter lowered his gaze, as well as his head, getting himself in a position identical to his girlfriend's.

"Well, take a seat." Jeremy told them, nonchalant. And they did.

Tyler took a seat at the end of the table, next to Caroline, facing the Original hybrid who was at the other end of the table. Damon settled by Caroline's other side between her and Bonnie, facing Elena.

"It's been a long time." Bonnie addressed the two newcomers in an attempt to ease the tension that reigned at their table and was palpable miles away.

Tyler was satisfied with giving her a light smile.

"It has." The older Salvatore sibling confirmed. "So much so that I almost missed you, Bonnie." He declared playfully; the latter huffed. He glanced at Elena before completely turning to face her. "…among other things." He added gazing at her with his oh so devilish look, not one bit caring about the people surrounding them.

The raven-haired woman felt his insistent gaze on her and tried very hard to ignore it but ended up glancing at him anyway.

Kol stared at Damon, and frowned at his attitude. "What the hell kind of brother are you?" he inquired, utterly confused, his brows knit together. Everybody's gaze turned to him. "I mean, I am aware that I'm exuberant and that I can be pretty annoying but MY GOODNESS…" he began and his tone of voice as well as his statement peaked Elijah and Klaus' interests. "You are on a whole other level." He said articulating each word. "I have a minimum sense of limits! You've been here for what? Fifty seconds? And you're hitting on your brother's girlfriend?! Literally in front of his eyes?!" he exclaimed.

Damon slowly shrugged and leaned forward. "Well, it is better than doing it behind his back." He retorted pointedly. "Isn't it guys?" he asked addressing the two other Mikaelson brothers.

Elijah raised a 'Are you serious?' eyebrow at him and Klaus narrowed his eyes in an as much menacing way.

"I'm sorry, did we leave you under the impression that we were pals?" questioned the Original Hybrid.

Caroline's eyes went back and forth between Klaus and Damon and she could see Kol burning from the inside; she hoped it stayed that way: no need to exteriorize his anger. She felt Tyler's eyes on her so she lightly turned to him, only for a few seconds. She shifted on her seat, ill-at-ease, and lightly cleared her throat.

Damon stared at Klaus wickedly and just when he was about to throw in a witty comment, Elena spoke not leaving him the occasion.

"We were really surprised by your invitation." She said.

Caroline widened her eyes turning to her. "My invitation?" she asked.

"Yeah, your text message…" Bonnie outdid.

Caroline turned to her and knit her brows in confusion. She shook her head trying to find her words. "I didn't…" she began and stopped as a thought came to her mind. She turned her head to stare at Klaus in slow motion; he had his gaze lowered and still, she could catch the guilty look he was bearing. She threw him a deathly glare. "YOU DID NOT…" she said anger clearly creeping inside her and penetrating her voice. "Klaus…" she called for his full attention in a warning tone. "…Tell me you didn't." she pressed, her anger on the edge of bursting out.

"Huh?" Matt did, wondering what the hell was going on that he wasn't aware of.

"Sh!" Damon did. "It's adult business." He said before focusing back on the quarrel-to-be between Klaus and Caroline, trying himself to understand the situation; because obviously there WAS a situation. Rebekah frowned at him and Elena gave him a look, first mark of affection since he arrived.

Klaus looked up at her and as he saw the look she was giving him, he instantly knew it what in his best interest not to play dumb. "Okay, fine, I did it." he admitted shrugging.

"Whoa! You sent us the text?" Bonnie inquired.

Caroline closed her eyes and sighed in irritation.

"Yes." He answered.

"Why would you do that?" Stefan asked rationally. He seemed at the same time wary and understanding.

She brought her right hand to cover her eyes and rubbed it across her face to the strands of her blonde hair pending on her face.

"Because she missed you and I figured you missed her too." Klaus justified.

She re-opened her eyes and stared back at him though less irately, two fingers lay on her mouth. She could have killed him in this instant. However noble his motives were, Caroline reckoned Klaus couldn't have thought of a more terrible idea.

"I'm confused." Tyler admitted. "Do you guys live together?" he interrogated pointing at his ex-girlfriend and his 'creator'.

"Not exact…"

"Yes!" Klaus cut Caroline off.

The latter closed her mouth and straightened her head, her jaw clenched. She didn't even deign to throw him a deathly glare. Instead, she focused on Tyler. "I moved into the Mikaelson mansion a few days ago…" she answered him. "…on a temporary basis." She specified.

"On a temporary basis?" Rebekah asked, surprised. "You never mentioned that!"

"No, your brother never mentioned I mentioned that." Caroline corrected staring at Klaus before looking at her interlocutress.

Tyler raised his brows in light confusion, overwhelmed.

Silence filled the table and the air thickened again.

"I had no idea you were coming back to town." Stefan told his brother.

"And since when do I have to keep you posted on my displacements?" Damon inquired.

"You could have let me know." Stefan insisted.

They got caught up in a sort of eye-to-eye struggle and their girlfriend for one/ex-girlfriend for the other actually thought things would get out of hand.

"I could have." He ended up agreeing irreverently.

Elena's gaze nervously shuttled between the two Salvatore brothers.

"I'm going to get us drinks." Caroline announced standing up.

"I'm coming to help you." Elena offered joining her; anything to escape this situation.

They went to the bar.

"You look beautiful." Kol complimented Bonnie gazing at her.

The witch looked up at him and he smiled at her. Jeremy turned to him madly. "You can't be serious." He spoke calmly, his anger secret underneath the shades of his voice but evident in his eyes.

"This is just great." Elijah commented in a murmuring voice.

"What?" Kol asked feigning innocence. "Doesn't she look beautiful?"

The Gilbert young man furrowed his brow and looked at his rival angrily. Bonnie sighed. 'And there it goes again' she said to herself. She put her right hand on Jeremy's forearm in an attempt to appease him. "Jer, please…"

It worked; he relaxed slightly under her touch and he turned back to her.

"She doesn't belong to you, you know?" Kol pointed out to Jeremy rightfully.

At that, the witch raised her head and looked at her other suitor. "You can't be serious!" she flew into a rage.

"Okay, we calm down, children, we don't get excited." The elder of the Mikaelsons intervened.

Klaus chuckled at his elder brother's demonstration of authority.

"Is it not possible for us to have a nice time all together without throwing witty comments at one another and trying to hurt one another?" the latter asked, sick of what he reckoned to be childishness.

Kol straightened on his seat actually intent on listening to his brother for once.

"I fear not." Jeremy responded to Elijah. "Not until your brother stops hitting on Bonnie, no."

The witch brought her right hand to her face and covered her closed eyes.

"No but in all seriousness, are you her spokesman or what?!" Kol inquired.

"Dear God." Elijah breathed.

/

"You need to do something about Stefan." Caroline declared for the attention of Elena before she glanced behind to make sure everyone was caught up in their conversations: they were.

"Excuse me?" the latter asked, confused.

"Reassure him." Caroline said. "Don't let Damon get between you. Don't even let him think that he can." She advised her friends' best interest at heart.

"Stefan doesn't need reassurance." The raven-haired woman asserted obliviously.

Caroline frowned. "Have you asked him?" she interrogated. She didn't wait for the answer. "It's not important. Giving some to him won't hurt him, I promise." She said a bit teasingly.

"Well, what do you want me to do?" Elena asked. "I can't exactly grab Stefan and give him a full-lip languishing kiss right in front of Damon!" she exclaimed whispering.

"Why not?" Caroline inquired. "You used to." She reminded.

"Well, a couple of things changed since high school, Care."

This conversation was starting to grate upon the doppelganger. She knew Caroline and Damon weren't crazy about each other but that was no reason to want her to publically hurt his feelings.

"True." the blonde agreed. "But the world regained its sense, things came back to normal and now, they are how they supposed to be." She opposed. "And in all honesty, this full-lip languishing kiss is not such a bad idea." She stated. "It would put things back into perspective, set boundaries." She justified.

Elena looked at her friend, unconvinced, and then looked away back in front of her raising her brows.

/

"Oh my goodness, are you done?!" Elijah exclaimed short of patience. "You put it on the back burner, now. Both of you." He ordered intransigent.

"Thank you." Bonnie articulated widening her eyes as if to amplify her thanks, grateful towards the elder Mikaelson and seriously fed up by the exchange of civilities between her two suitors.

"Baring the teeth, Elijah?" Caroline asked, slightly amused, putting down a tray with drinks she was bringing back from the bar.

She and Elena started to serve everyone.

Elijah let out a sigh of frustration causing Caroline to laugh.

"They're short of staff." Elena explained why they were the ones doing the service.

"Oh… then I'm going to get the food." Stefan declared.

"I'll go with you." Elijah said getting up.

/

Two hours later, after having eaten and fine conversations mingled with sassy and witty comments, the large group decided to part ways, Bonnie being the first one to leave because she was supposed to meet up with her dad. Still seated, Caroline and Tyler were caught up in a private discussion –well, as private as a discussion could be when surrounded by vampires.

Matt stood up. "I got to go now." He told Rebekah.

"Okay." She said. "Call me later?" she asked raising her head up to look at him.

"Will do." He promised and leant to give her a quick peck on the lips.

At the scene, Damon half widened his eyes half knit his brows; his face was priceless. Was this a hoax or what?

"Wait, you're making me a joke, right?" he made sure.

The couple turned to him and exchanged a look. Rebekah gave Damon a look that was enough to answer him.

"Rebekah…" he began in a condescending tone tilting his head. "You take them in nursery school now?"

The Mikaelsons brothers chuckled softly and earned a deathly glare from their sister.

Matt rolled his eyes and focused back on his girlfriend. "Call you." He said.

"Okay." She replied with a smile.

Matt nodded goodbye to the others, the elder Salvatore excluded, and headed out.

"Seriously, going from me to him?" Damon said disbelievingly. "What a decline!" he commented.

Kol raised his brows and looked up at Damon and he just wasn't able to hold the strong laughter that escaped his mouth. Once again, the blonde concerned glared at him. He managed to calm his laughter down after a few seconds. "I'm sorry." He apologized after he cleared his throat.

Elijah damped a chuckle.

"I would have rather said an improvement." Rebekah snapped.

"Well, everyone has their criteria." He concluded. "I remember a time when yours were a lot better."

"If we're disturbing you, please say so." Klaus declared for the attention of Caroline and the dog. Now, they were seriously testing his patience.

The blonde turned to him and gave him an angry look. What the hell did he think he was doing?

"You're disturbing us, Klaus, please leave." Tyler replied not taking his gaze off Caroline.

The Original Hybrid let out an inner groan.

"I'm getting tired." Elena said to her boyfriend. "Can we leave?"

"Sure." He said and stood up.

She got up as well; Stefan took her coat on her seat and helped her put it on.

"Are you coming?" Stefan asked Damon.

The latter raised his head to him, and then his gaze directed to Elena and lingered there more than necessary. She stared back at him. "Nah…" he eventually answered. "I'm gonna stay here with blondie number two." He declared glancing at Rebekah. "We have some catching up to do."

Stefan just nodded.

"Klaus, thank you for everything." He acknowledged and got a small smile in return.

"Jer, do you need a ride?" the doppelgänger asked her own sibling.

"Oh yeah, why not." He shrugged and got up.

"Actually, would you mind dropping me off too?" Tyler asked the couple.

"Not at all, let's go." Stefan said.

They said goodbye to Caroline, Damon and the Mikaelson siblings and left.

"I'll call you, Care." Tyler said.

"I'll be waiting." She replied with a smile.

"See you, Elijah." Elena spoke.

"You take care." He told her.

/

On the way home, the road was deserted and free, and the car, completely silent. The tension between Caroline and Klaus was as thick as air and filled the car; and his siblings, for all their annoyance and indiscretion they still knew when to keep quiet. Nonetheless, Kol cleared his throat all the same once or twice during the way indicating his uneasiness. Caroline spent most of the way her head leant against the window pane, a pensive and sad look.

Elijah who was seated behind with her glanced at her a couple of times and studied Klaus' expression through the driving mirror, which was undecipherable to everyone but him in that moment: he was worried.

However, Elijah wasn't. The elder Mikaelson had no gift as far as telling the future was concerned, but he was pretty sure his little brother would manage to work his charm out of this situation he had gotten himself into, and he hoped for both his brother and Caroline that her temporary moving in would turn out to be permanent. Besides, he could use some help to deal with his siblings at home and Caroline seemed to be just fit for that role.

As soon as they arrived, Kol collapsed on the couch and faked sleeping so much so that he actually really fell asleep right there within five minutes, and Elijah picked a book in their private Book-case and went to his room. As for the two blonds, they immediately went to their respective bedrooms, Klaus without a single glance at Caroline, and Caroline looking at him rather angrily.

/

After about thirty minutes of sulking followed by fifteen more of pacing in her room, Caroline finally took it upon herself to go talk to Klaus and stop this childish behavior. She didn't even know why he was so mad at her, and now she was the one to be mad at him for being mad at her for no reason.

She knocked at his door.

"No." He answered to whoever was disturbing him.

She entered his room anyway.

"You're being rude." He remarked as she made her first step into his room.

"Yeah, well, what can I say? You rub off on me." She retorted wittily closing the door behind her. "And what is this new way to welcome people?" she asked him faking indignation.

He was drawing on his desk. "I'm in no mood for company, Caroline." Klaus declared not taking his eyes off his sketches for a single second.

The blonde raised an eyebrow and stared at him, unimpressed. "Can I at least know how long you're planning on not talking to me?" she questioned. "You do realize you have absolutely no reason to be angry with me, right?"

"Since when do you have interest in my conversation?" he paused and looked up at Caroline. She crossed her arms on her chest. "Tyler's is so much better." He snapped.

She widened her eyes then knit her brows. He couldn't be for real, right? She suspected it was about him of course, but she didn't actually believe it was. She hadn't invited Tyler in town… or over to the Mystic Grill! And even if she had, Tyler being her friend, she had every right to. Klaus however was not entitled to be upset over this, especially when she hadn't done anything!

"Seriously?!" she went and tapped her hands on her thighs. She shook her head disbelievingly. "You're mad with me about Tyler?" she made sure.

"I don't get to, do I?" he asked her as if reading her mind. Klaus had gotten to know Caroline and he knew she reckoned he did not get to be mad over this encounter. But he couldn't help it, he was; and for more than one reason moreover.

"No! Indeed, you don't!" she confirmed. Now, she was angry.

He stared back at her furious gaze. "This is all on you." The blonde accused.

"Excuse me?"

"You organized this whole mess!" she reminded him.

"I summoned your friends at The Grill because you obviously missed them and I wanted to prove to you that we can all spend some time together without necessarily jumping at one another's throat." He justified. Indeed, he knew very well how important her friends were to Caroline and he didn't want her to feel like he and them had to be distinct parts of her life; his intention was to make her see that the two parts could blend, that they could all fit in a single part. Because he knew at this point in their relationship, if a choice had to be done, he wouldn't be the winner.

"Yeah…" she began. "That was your first terrible idea of the day."

He got up from his desk. "I did this for you!" he flew in a rage. "I wanted you to enjoy your friends' company. Tyler was not supposed to be part of the picture!"

She moved closer to him. "When I will need your help…" she began. "…I will ask for it." she finished pointedly. "And I am NOT the reason Tyler was at this gathering." She defended herself.

"Well, you didn't seem to mind his presence, Caroline." he pointed out.

"That's because I didn't." she accepted the remark. "And if you're counting on me to apologize, then you really don't know me."

Klaus sighed. "I don't want to talk about this." He said turning to get back to his drawing when the blonde's voice stopped him.

"Well, I do, so get over yourself."

He slowly turned around and met the fire in her eyes mirroring her angry voice. Oh, was he in trouble!

/

The second they entered their bedroom, Elena grabbed her lover by the hair at the nape of his neck and brought his lips to hers kissing him feverishly. She ran her tongue over his lower lip seeking entrance which Stefan happily granted her.

"Wow, what was that for?" he asked breathless after they separated.

"Do I need a reason?" she asked back getting on her tiptoes to kiss him again.

It was a soft, tender and extremely languorous kiss. Their lips tangled in a sensual battle. She started unbuttoning Stefan's shirt while moving them towards the bed.

He broke away and shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. "Hold on, hold on." He asked. "Hold that thought."

She paused in her movements and raised her brows in a questioning matter.

"What is going on with you?" he asked genuinely worried, not just about her but about what would happen to their relationship too.

Elena frowned in incomprehension. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I thought you were tired." He stated in a questioning way.

"Not so much anymore." She said with a mischievous smile on her face before wrapping her arms around his neck. She brushed her lips against his own seductively.

"What is it?" she asked him. "What? Do you want to talk?" she asked and closed the final inches between them. She gave him a soft but sensuous kiss and pulled away. Stefan seemed to be considering her offer. Her lips headed for his neck where she kissed him sensually sending an upsurge of quivers to run through him. He closed his eyes relishing in the feeling. "Do you want me to stop?" she questioned in the midst of her torturing delicious ministrations.

Stefan bit his lips in pleasure. He let a few seconds pass. "No." he ended up answering before he threw her on their bed eliciting a cry of surprise from her, and joined her within the second.

/

"Well, how quick were you to correct him when he deduced that we were living together!" he remarked.

At the Mikaelsons' mansion, things had heated up between Klaus and Caroline and the tone had risen up.

"We are NOT living together, Klaus! And we certainly aren't together!" she yelled at him and Klaus' jaw tightened. "You had no right to intervene the way you did and I wish you had let me handle this MY way!" she reproached him.

"I am perfectly aware that we are not together, Caroline. You make that perfectly clear every single day: It would be difficult to forget!" he said just as loud.

"Oh don't you dare…" she warned him. "Don't you play that card with me right now, Klaus." she told him. "I was very clear with you when I moved in here. I told you this was a trial thing and let me tell you are seriously failing."

"Go ahead, please go ahead! Keep rubbing it in!" he told her.

"What are you talking about?!" she asked, her anger not diminishing.

"You're always showing that you're the one in control in our relationship! You take all the decisions; everything is on your terms! What do you think that does to me?!" he exclaimed.

That threw Caroline off. She realized her lack of regards and it calmed her down. It was true that she neglected his feelings most of the time, but it was really unintentional: she didn't mean to, not at all. She didn't even know how she had gotten herself into such a messy situation: somehow involved with a man her friends couldn't stand and was supposed to hate herself.

"I am not trying to command you, Klaus… I am not trying to have the upper hand in this." She told him in a much more calm tone of voice. "But I AM the one who has the most at stake here; you have everything to gain and I, everything to lose." She pointed out.

"I told you I didn't want to talk about this. This conversation is pointless." He stated. "You will go back to your friends tomorrow and it'll all be over and it will be better for everyone." He declared before turning around to go back behind his desk only to find the blonde before him.

"Hey! Don't do that! DON'T push me away." She forbade.

"Push you away?" he repeated in a deceptively calm tone and low voice. "You spend half the afternoon conversing, not to say flirting, with your ex-lover right in front of my nose… and I am pushing you away?!" he screamed disbelievingly.

She blinked and attempted to reason him. "Klaus…"

"I haven't stopped chasing you! I have been fighting for you like a lion for seven years now! Do you know why? Because I think you're worth it! Because I think that you're the best thing that could ever happen to me! But what have you ever done in return to show me that you care?!"

"Klaus…" she tried again.

But it was to no avail. He was too far gone.

"You played me!" he accused. "…used your charms as a distraction, used my affection against me!"

So Caroline acted on an impulse and crashed her lips against his fiercely without warning, catching them both off guard. Klaus was so stunned he actually went backwards and almost lost his balance. Finally realizing what was happening as their lips moved together, Klaus brought his right hand in her blond hair, and just as suddenly as she had thrown herself in his arms, Caroline broke away gasping for air. "I, I'm sorry." She apologized.

She slowly started walking backwards not having exactly recovered her spirits yet, astounded herself by what she just did. She had just kissed Klaus! SHE! The feeling on her lips didn't leave any doubt to the matter. She turned around towards the door and started walking towards its direction. However, Klaus appeared in front of her before she could even get near the door's handle. "I'm not." He said shaking his head before pulling her back to him.

He kissed her softly, tenderly and with a sensuality that was just out of earth. She kissed him back and they moaned into the kiss, both fully aware of what was happening now. He used her arms surrounding her waist to bring their bodies even closer to the point there was no space left between them. Caroline felt so light… She felt like the earth was moving at her feet and she could care less.

She tangled her hand in his blond hair and deepened the kiss. Their tongues met and battled languorously for control. Caroline felt her heart swell in that moment. She wrapped her arms around his neck desperate for more contact and he cupped her face, the kiss growing urgent. Klaus could have sworn he was tasting a piece of heaven with this goddess' lips on his, the best piece of it. Caroline was an ethereal creature and he was sharing an ethereal moment with her. The word 'kiss' took a whole other meaning for him and he knew it'd never recover its original sense.

God was he in love with her! If this wasn't love that he was feeling and experiencing… then he would never know what it is.

Alright! Now, don't I deserve a review for that?

XOXO