Thank you to TheMiseducationofB, Alisha, Someone, KRISTINE.W, linda, chillwithJyl, shadyvale1963, Esperanza14, Arabella, peytonplace78613, sandicus, Psyc0gurl0, The Hunger Games-My Life, gleeislove, Guest, Ellavm18, ANGELiCAWROTE, ApekshaStar, walkinthegardengnome, sarahberah1121, Sunfiresarah, EmaleeKaye, Lovely Rain Dancer, Pagan-Angel13, HeroSavesPeople, klauslove, babyvfan, jessinicole, ILove2Write13, InuGnome17, ForverInYourArms, ilovetvd, Guest, RippahGoneWolf, HelloCutePanda, carasedrin, Marta, Draco-Harry-Lover1, glevez25, SweetyK, MarsterRoo, EmmaRedVelvet, Riah2386, KlarolineKisses, Ela marelica and Aaaammber for reviewing!

And, as usual, special thanks to carasedrin for being awesome :)

Wow, I truly suck at updating when I say I will – My deepest apologies!

Disclaimer: Don't own TVD!

Chapter Three

Breathe

"Tell me what you want to hear. Something that will light those ears. Sick of all the insincere. So I'm gonna give all my secrets away."

"So, let me get this straight, Care. You went up to this guy, the father of your child, and told him right there and then that he was the baby daddy." Bonnie looked at Caroline with an incredulous expression as they browsed through the maternity store. Caroline had once again outgrown (well more like expanded horizontally out of) her good clothes and had decided that she and Bon were long overdue for a shopping trip.

Caroline winced at her friend's words. "Well, when you put it like that…" Of course, she hadn't expected that her relaxing shopping trip would end up being a full on interrogation on the event's that happened a week ago…. With Klaus…

"Hey! I'm only saying it how I see it!" Bonnie defended before giving the blonde a pointed look, disapproval written all over her features.

"Okay, I will admit it was not my finest moment, but, in my defense I am a mess of hormones right now…" Her friend sent her a disbelieving look, "…and he just made me so angry." Caroline admitted before huffing with annoyance. "Look, can we just change the subject, please? Stefan already gave me this talk."

The brunette just shrugged, that disapproving look still in her eyes even as she began talking about something else. "Fine, fine. Did you hear about Elena?"

"What, about her and Damon moving in together?" Of course I did… but… Stefan told me… "Did she tell you?" The blonde asked, trying to act casual and as if it didn't matter whether Elena did or not. Not like we used to be close or anything.

"Yeah, she did. She sounds super excited." Bonnie answered with a smile; though the brunette hadn't approved of Damon in the beginning, she had soon come around and supported Elena.

Caroline on the other hand…

"I bet she does." She groused. "Why didn't she call me?"

"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that one of your best friend's is her ex boyfriend and her current boyfriend's brother." The brunette replied matter-of-factly, causing the blonde to wince once.

"Yeah, I see your point. But we used to be so close… I wish she wouldn't shut me out." She sighed, looking pointedly away, rifling through the extensive racks of clothes.

"You know Elena. It takes time."

Yeah, I know Elena, that's the whole problem. She might just decide she has had enough of Damon tomorrow and go back to Stefan… and Stef won't be able to resist her…

Don't get her wrong, Caroline loved Elena like a sister, but she couldn't approve of the way she played with other's emotions, even if not on purpose. But then again, she supposed all Gilbert women were like that. Goodness knows her twin sister Katherine was similar in that way, though a lot sassier. It had been a while since she had seen Katherine Gilbert and, in all honesty, Caroline really missed her. She may seem like a crazy, psychotic bitch to most people but she was Caroline's crazy, psychotic bitch of a friend. Katherine and Caroline had always been closer than the blonde was with the other Gilbert twin (though the opposite was true with Bonnie). In part it was because Kat took shit from no one, which was something the younger girl admired about her, since for so long she had just let people get to her.

"Oh my god, look Care! That's so adorable!" Bonnie interrupted her thoughts as she held up a tiny, baby-sized witch costume for Caroline to see. The brunette looked at it with admiring eyes and her friend had to hold back a large smile at the excitement the usually more reserved Bennet was showing.

"I don't even if it's a girl, Bon." She shook her head with a grin.

"Well, don't you want to know?"

Caroline found herself frowning at the question as she took the tiny witch costume from Bonnie's hands and held it in her own. "Of course I want to know but… I just guess I feel like, if I don't know I won't psych myself out too much." She hung it back up on the rack.

"What do you mean?" The brunette looked at her friend with curiosity, not understanding why she wouldn't want to know her baby's gender.

"I'm already so worried about this, Bonnie, you have no idea. I'm going to be a mom." She sighed, placing her hands on the swell of her stomach, deep in thought. It's scarier than I though it would be. "I just don't know if I can deal right now with knowing if I'll have a son or daughter. The minute I know it will all become so real, I'll begin planning my baby's entire future before he or she is even born!" She shook her head, frustration clear in her voice. "I just…" Caroline hesitated, before looking up to meet Bonnie's eyes. "I want this baby, I do. And I'm afraid that I'll convince myself that it's best to give my baby away if I know." Because if I know, I will know how many ways I will probably screw this baby up… "I know it's stupid and irrational but I can't help it…"

She was surprised when she felt another hand on her clenched one. She looked to her friend, finding the brunette smiling understandingly back at her. "It's not stupid, Caroline. Not this time."

"Thanks Bonnie."

Bonnie only nodded in return and they both went back to browsing. Caroline found she couldn't focus. This whole trip was supposed to get her mind off things, not bring them to forefront. I don't know if I'm ready for this. I mean, will I even be a good mom?

There was one thing Caroline knew for sure though. She had no choice but to be a mother to her child.

Her baby didn't have another parent after all.

Not one that counted anyways.

As their little shopping excursion began to wind down, Caroline and Bonnie found themselves sitting on one of the many public benches, both holding a fresh bagel from the nearby vendor. They had finally managed to steer their conversation away from the baby and all things pregnancy and instead moved onto something they both loved to talk about.

Men.

Well, specifically, Bonnie's new mystery man. So far, Caroline had been unable to get the answer out of her friend but she would get there; she always did.

"Ok, I have to go, my shift starts soon." Bonnie said as she stood, shouldering her purse and grabbing her share of shopping bags.

Caroline raised a brow, a knowing look on her face. "Please, you're just avoiding telling me."

"Yeah, you caught me…" Bonnie laughed, turning away. Just as it seemed she was about to walk away, her eyes narrowed and she froze for a second. Abruptly, she turned back to Caroline. "Hey, isn't that...?" She began, pointing to someone out in the distance.

The blonde focused on the person that Bonnie was gesturing to and nearly had a heart attack, freezing in sudden shock when she saw who it was.

"Tyler." Caroline breathed out. Shit. She immediately pulled her shopping bags into her lap, as if that would help hide her. Of course it just had to be her luck to run into her ex-boyfriend. Damn it. Why now of all times?

"Um, Care?" Bonnie asked, sounding surprisingly unsure. "He's coming over here."

"Crap, crap." She hissed, trying to think of some way to get out of there, even though she knew it was too late. Shit, shit, shit!

"What are you going to do?" The brunette asked, shifting her gaze back to Tyler as he got closer and closer, his eyes firmly on Caroline.

Great. Now I have no choice.

She sighed heavily, resigned to her fate. "I guess I'll just have to talk to him." She muttered.

"Are you sure?"

"Well, he saw me didn't he?" Why couldn't he have worse eyesight? God, what am I? A magnet for unwanted confrontations?

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Bonnie asked her, concerned.

"No, I think I need to do this one alone." Caroline found herself rejecting her friend's offer, even though she really, really didn't want to. I need to do by myself. "I'll be fine, I promise. Besides, you should get going before you miss your shift."

"Okay, call me if you need anything." The Bennet girl still looked wary but, despite her misgivings, began walking away, feeling this was something best done without her presence.

"I will." The blonde nodded, sending her friend a completely fake smile in hopes of stopping her worrying and waving her goodbye.

"Caroline!" Well here goes. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, she greeted her ex-boyfriend with a small smile, the rest of her face an emotionless mask.

"Tyler." She nodded, still partially hidden under all her bags.

"Long time." He said after a long moment, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Yeah it was." She replied quietly. As their conversation grew idle again, Caroline took the opportunity to examine him. Tyler Lockwood looked the same as always, of medium height, well muscled and with thick dark hair. He still had that cocky rich boy sort of look, a remnant of who he had been in high school. Ever since their breakup, Caroline had been avoiding him at all costs, even as he tried to reopen a connection with her. He called her and texted her but she ignored him; eventually, all the messages stopped so she had thought that he finally moved on from the whole thing.

Guess not.

"So how have you been?" Tyler finally broke the awkward silence.

"Good. I've been good." She replied, before making a last ditch effort to escape. "Look, Tyler, I really have to get going, I have some errands to run." She began grabbing her bags and made to stand, only to stop halfway as Tyler spoke.

"Wait, Care. I want to talk to you. Look, I don't like how we left things…" He trailed off, sending her a helpless look.

Caroline sighed heavily. Looks like I'll have to give him more than just hints. "Ty, you have to quit this, okay? It's over. You and I just don't fit."

"What do you mean we don't work? Can't we just talk for a second?" He bent a bit, trying to catch her eye again but Caroline pointedly ignored him, instead rifling through her stuff, making sure everything was there before she could go.

"Not now, Tyler, ok?" She told him agitatedly, standing up. She immediately realized something was wrong when Tyler suddenly went slack-jawed, freezing in place, his eyes focusing solely on her… stomach.

Oh, he didn't realize… She glanced at the various shopping bags she held in her hands. I guess these were hiding me better than I thought, she thought randomly.

"Oh… Oh… uh… you're… you're pregnant." Tyler stuttered out, his eyes still on her very pregnant self.

"Really?" Caroline couldn't help but remarking. "I hadn't noticed." Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she crossed her arms over her chest, a defiant tilt to her chin. Just try and say something…

"Oh… i-it's mine, isn't it?" Huh? She found her eyes narrowing in confusion. What's he even talking about? "I am going to be a father. I am going to be a dad." He kept going, excitement clearly beginning to brew in him.

He… he thinks…

Caroline reached out and gently touched his elbow, shaking her head. "No, Ty, you're not."

"What? I'm not? How can I not be?" He pulled his arm out of her grasp, a look of betrayal brewing in his eyes. Ok, this is getting out of hand. Fast.

"Just think for a minute." She tried to sound as soothing as possible, though deep down she felt her own shaky calm begin to break. "You and I… We hadn't slept together in more than a month before our breakup, I'm only five months pregnant, and we ended things weeks earlier than that."

They were both silent as Tyler processed this, the excitement that had been there before completely melting away. "Wait, let me get this straight... I am not the father?" He asked her, looking for confirmation as he wrapped his head around the whole idea.

"Not the father." She repeated with a small nod.

"So…" He continued, speaking as if he had just uncovered a huge secret, his eyes looking at her accusingly. "I'm not the father because you refused to sleep with me for a month before we split, and, a couple of weeks after our breakup you just decide to sleep with some other guy?"

Caroline flinched, stepping back. "You know it wasn't like that Tyler. I just didn't want our relationship to be held together by sex!" She sighed deeply, still feeling his angry eyes on her. "Every time we got in an argument, we just ended up sleeping with each other and it never solved anything. We didn't talk to each other, Ty." She looked at him imploring, trying to make him see reason even as her insides twisted with uncertainty.

"Right, or maybe it was just because you were banging another guy the entire time." He took a step closer to her, anger clear in stance. Caroline knew he had quite the temper, she just wished she would have been able to foresee this reaction. "Or did you just turn out to be a slut and not a cheating bitch?" He accused, eyes flashing.

"Tyler!" Caroline gasped, feeling a harsh pang in her heart. "Why are you saying this?" Why does everyone always assume the worst of me? Do I really seem like that type of person? And even if I was, what would it matter? Would that make me a bad person? I don't think so! I can chose what to do with my life.

But still... first Klaus and now Tyler… and he knows me! Or at least I thought he did…

"Because it's true!" Tyler's reply was full of fury and frustration as he raked a hand through his hair. "What am I supposed to think Caroline? I see you for the first time in months after you've been avoiding all my calls, after you refused to talk to me and then here you are, knocked up, saying it's not mine because of some bullshit excuse." His eyes met hers again. "We didn't stop sleeping together because we needed to talk, we stopped sleeping together because you were getting action somewhere else, weren't you?"

"Tyler…" She was ashamed to feel tears well up in her eyes. Stand up for yourself Caroline! What are you doing? You didn't let Klaus talk to you like this, why won't you do the same for Tyler?

Because it's different with Tyler, another voice in her mind whispered. He's known you since high school, back when you were just the shell of the person you are now, back when you were so insecure about yourself that you took every insult without a word back.

Tyler was your first love. It just… isn't the same with him as it is with Klaus.

"I should have known you're still that same, shallow bitch of cheerleader you were in high school." She took another step back at his disgust filled words, wanting nothing more than to just get out of there. "God, do you even know who the father is?"

Caroline clenched her fist, trying to control her emotions. Don't let him get to you, he's just angry. Show him that you are bigger than you used to be now, and not just physically… don't let him get to you.

Just when she thought that she would fail in her mission to keep it together, she heard footsteps approaching them and then a minute later felt someone place a gentle hand on her shoulder. Caroline whipped around surprisingly fast considering her… condition and found the last person she wanted to see right now staring back down at her. Oh, no…

Klaus…

"Well, mate, that'd be me." He said, glancing away from her and to Tyler, eyes narrowed menacingly.

"Klaus, what are you-?" Caroline started, her own eyes narrowed in accusation as her anger started to build. Now he's going to team up on me too? And what's with 'I'm the father' crap? He chooses now to start believing me?

Before she could say anymore, Klaus interrupted her, his hand now going around her shoulders. Caroline was so shocked by the intimate action that she didn't even attempt to throw him off her. "Tyler, is it? Well, as you can see, my girl here is very pregnant and thus rather prone to emotional outbursts and, with the way you are, how can I put this, bothering her, she just might lose her temper…" At this, Klaus leaned forward, a dark sort of smirk on his face. "Or worse. I will. So, I suggest you back off before you cause a scene that you really don't want to start."

By this time, Tyler was staring at them both disbelievingly, before he looked at Klaus challengingly. Caroline could already sense the testosterone battle starting and decided she better get a handle on this situation. Right. Now.

She looked from Klaus to Tyler, trying to figure just how to quell this situation.

Finally coming to a decision, she decided on today's lesser of two evil's and chose to play along with Klaus, putting her arm quickly around his waist and pulled him to the side. "Come on, honey. Let's just go."

Surprisingly, Klaus followed her, allowing her to pull him along and out of the mall, getting them away from Tyler as fast as she could. As soon as she was outside with Klaus, the perpetual stranger and father or her child, she shoved his arm away from her and put a safe distance between them.

Klaus, however, didn't notice, too busy seething. "Who was that asshole?" He asked with a slight growl.

"An ex…" Caroline muttered, quietly, the tears that were formerly in her eyes having completely dried. "What are you doing here, Klaus?" She questioned before he could interrupt her again, glaring at him.

They both stood silent for a moment before Klaus let out a familiar smirk, crossing his arms and leaning one shoulder against the wall beside him. "Well, sweetheart, I thought I was getting coffee from my favorite vendor."

"Coffee?" She repeated with no small amount of disbelief. I mean, what are the odds?

Does he really think I'm that much of an idiot? I'm not that blonde…

Klaus held out both his arms in gesture of faux innocence. "Why do you sound so incredulous? My office happens to be just across the street." He told her, annoying smirk still on his face.

What is his problem? God!

"Ok, well, thanks or whatever, but I have to go." Caroline shrugged, the frustration in her actions quite apparent as she adjusted her hold on her bags brusquely. "Great seeing you." She continued with sarcasm, before turning to go.

"Caroline, wait." Klaus said, almost gently, sighing slightly.

She turned back around, exasperated. "Look, I meant what I said the other day. We don't need you."

His amiable expression melted away into something much darker and Caroline was sure that that would be the end of it, that he would give up. Instead, Klaus surprised her, took her off guard by actually admitting that she had the right of it for a change.

"No, you're right, it's not just coincidence I found you here." He told her, oddly sincere; Caroline had the feeling that this sort of thing was out of character for him. Still, she was wary. "I'll be honest with you and say I was looking for you. What you told me the other day was ridiculous and a lot to take in, even you have to admit." Caroline scoffed at his words, looking away, even though her heart sank a little with guilt for that whole fiasco. "However, I have had time to think of it and I believe, at the time, I came to my conclusions too soon."

She turned back, keeping her shields up. "What do you mean? Can you just get to the point?"

He hesitated for only a brief moment. "Maybe… there was some truth to your words."

Hold up…

"So you believe me?" She asked doubtfully.

Klaus shook his head, immediately confirming her doubts. "I believe that there is a possibility, we went quite a few rounds that night if I recall correctly." He tacked on cockily at the end, causing her to frown at him, glaring again. He just digs himself deeper and deeper doesn't he?

"So what then?" She questioned, annoyed and frustrated. "You want me to prove it to you? Why would I even do that now?" After last time, what do I owe you? You clearly didn't want this.

You caught him off guard, though, made him look like an idiot. Caroline ignored that second thought, instead choosing on the easier emotion to stick with; anger.

But it seemed Klaus knew exactly what to say to get her to change her mind.

"Every child deserves to know their parents, do they not? Look, Caroline…" He stopped for a moment, for once serious. "I just want to know if I really am the father."

Damn him… Of course he knows how to play on my insecurities of being a good mom…

He was watching her silently, both of standing tense, waiting for her answer, but already Caroline knew what she would have to tell him, she'd known it since he first appeared today.

"Fine." She hissed, causing Klaus to send her a small, pleased smile. This just made her even more annoyed at him. "But I am not doing this for you." She told him quickly, causing him to raise a brow her way. "I'm doing this for my baby." She stepped closer to him, sending him a death stare. "And let's get something straight, I do not like you and I do not forgive you."

Klaus just nodded, smile dropping away. "Very well."

"Good." She said after a silent moment, surprised at how easily he had given in to her. Huh… well, ok, I guess. "We'll find out then…" She tried to get her thoughts organized as her mind went reeling, all of today's events finally getting to her. "I'll get a paternity test set up, and I'll contact you." No way am I giving you a way to get to me, she thought pettily. Without another word, she nodded once at him in farewell, before turning to go, stalking away with what was left of her dignity shrouding her.

"Caroline?" Klaus called after, sounding annoyingly amused by something. She turned with a huff.

"What now?"

He smirked widely at her, holding out a white card to her. "You can't exactly contact me if you don't have my number now can you, sweetheart?"

Oh… Caroline was irritated to feel her cheeks begin to burn up in embarrassment. She shuffled quickly to him and reached out to grab the card from his hand. As her fingers touched his, she felt indefinable sparks run up her arm, something she would definitely deny later on. Klaus met her eyes, seemingly looking into her soul as he grabbed her hand suddenly in his, pulling her lightly closer.

"You know, if this child really is mine, we are going to have to get along to at least some degree, love." He whispered to her, searching her eyes before a light smirk once again graced his features.

This little action caused Caroline to come back to herself and she immediately ripped her hand away from his, stepping back with a huff. "Well since we don't know for sure I have no problem treating the way I am." She told him with her own smirk before turning and walking resolutely away.

"I'll see you around, Caroline." Klaus called after her, mirth in his tone.

"Whatever." She replied, barely restraining herself from flipping him off as she sauntered away from him as fast as she could.

What is it about him that makes me revert back to a five-year-old? Well, whatever it was, Caroline was just glad to put some distance between her and Klaus.

Right?

Klaus watched Caroline walk away with an amused smirk. Despite the fact that a lot had happened to her today, she still stayed strong and took no crap from him; it was something that rarely occurred in Klaus' life, and something that he found himself admiring.

To be honest, Klaus was rather surprised that he had been able to find her so soon. Luckily, Maddox was very good at his job and had given him a list of places that she often frequented and her home address. At first he had thought of maybe going to her place, but knew that would probably only get him a door slammed in his face. So, instead, he had gone through the list of places and found, to his surprise, that one of her favorite places just so happened to be close to his office. So, for the last week or so, he had been going to the same coffee vendor in the mall everyday, in hopes of seeing her.

He knew it had been a long shot, and he realized he had been only a day or so away from just going with Plan A and just appearing at her apartment.

And then, there she was. Caroline Forbes. He had finally learned her full name, thanks to Maddox's detective skills and knew a lot about her. She was a nurse at the local hospital and a good one at that, she had grown up in Mystic Falls with her mother, had been a cheerleader in high school… the list went on.

For some reason, the more Klaus found out about her, the more intrigued he was by her.

So when he saw her at the mall, sitting by herself, he held back, wanting to observe her for a moment, learn more about her in a different way (that didn't involve borderline illegal actions). And then the guy came, the stranger. They obviously knew each other, but there was a strange tension between them. When they started arguing, Klaus found himself moving forward, wanting to intercept them. And when he heard the insults flying at Caroline…

He still didn't understand what had made him so angry about that. Hadn't he only a week before said much the same thing? But, still, he had found himself defending her, something he had never, in a million years, expected to do. The protectiveness that had risen in his chest had truly shocked him.

It must have been a fluke, nothing more than a mistake… Or so he tried to tell himself.

Still, at least he had done what he had wanted to do since his decision last week. He had found Caroline and he had convinced her into giving him, somewhat, a second chance. He would find out the truth of this possibility that had been plaguing his every thought.

He'd just have to ignore his other thoughts on the enigma that was Caroline Forbes. After all, like she said, she didn't really need him… right?

That's it for now, my lovelies :) Next update will be a lot sooner, I promise! However, after that, the updates might a bit fewer and further between because my exams are coming up! Hope you all forgive me!

Anyways, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!

RW