Thank you to GracoTaco, GleePotterTwilightFan, Jenny P, ashlytorres24, Maiqu, Aubrey, maryplak yourloved, Guest, ilovetvd, Veronica, duchessduchie, elijahlover, Venus88, winxgirl1997, bloodysirebond, narelclollie, klaroline4everlove, NikMik, mscyanide, Helzz-on-Earth (x6), Lou, Guest, crimsonseer12, addicted to klaroline, caritobear, KlarOlinelOver17, mycutehamlet, CrazyLazyAlien, daisiella13, Cevangelyn, OKBooey31, chillwithJyl, Mystery Girl3, Dodge1989, Guest, Draco-Harry-Lover-1, EmmaRedVelvet, Ellavm18, jessnicole, Sophlove, and MsCindz for reviewing!

Also, I want to thank the lovely people PM'd and messaged me about this story; I haven't forgotten, don't worry! I apologize for not replying all the time, school got in the way. Just been extremely busy with exams and such!

There is one thing I would bring up which has been mentioned to me a few times; how do you guys feel about bumping this story to an M rating? I'm hesitant since I've never written anything of that caliber, so I don't have much experience with it. I don't know, but I'd love to hear everyone's opinion about it! Just let me know :) And from those of you who have already suggested it and sent messages about it, I will try and get back to you soon!

Disclaimer: As always, TVD is still not mine.

Chapter Six

Family

"This time don't need another perfect lie. Don't care if critics ever jump in line. I'm gonna give all my secrets away"

Despite the fact that three days had passed since she'd last seen him, Caroline could not, for the life of her, stop thinking about Klaus. Well, stop thinking about what he said that is. Oh she was sure there were plenty of other girls out there who pined over the man (I mean, come on, that accent… and Caroline wasn't blind, she knew he was ridiculously easy to look at) but she was definitely not one of them. Nope. Not at all.

Still, the guy was constantly on her mind, his frustratingly vague words swirling around in her head. I swear, every time I try to convince myself to stop letting him bother me, he just bothers me more. What was it with him? He seemed to have some stupid power over her. Caroline despised it.

And, in typical Caroline fashion, she was solving her problem by avoiding any contact with Klaus. Yes she knew she would have to talk to him eventually but, hey, even she was allowed to avoid her responsibilities for a little while, right? Well, regardless, she was doing so.

In one of her many ploys to find distraction, Caroline decided to make a probably long overdue phone call to the matriarch of the rather small Forbes family. The increasingly further along blonde was currently pacing around her living room, trying, in vain, to patiently wait for the ringing to stop. The second it did, she opened her mouth and the words came flying out. "Hi, Mom." She practically squeaked it out, much to her embarrassment and horror... God I just can't seem to keep it together lately... Stupid Klaus...

Luckily her mother decided to ignore her daughter's rather odd tone of voice and managed to interrupt Caroline's little inner rant as well. "Hi, honey. How are you? How's my first grandkid?" Liz Forbes' voice conveyed nothing but warmth, her questions sincere. It may have taken her a little bit to get used to the whole idea of a grandchild at her somewhat young age, but now she was simply ecstatic about the whole thing. It had been much too long since there had last been a child in her life.

"Both well for now." Caroline replied after taking a breath to center herself a little. She smiled as she thought of her mom, sitting in her uniform back at the station, probably with a half empty cup of coffee in front of her. The younger Forbes really missed her.

"Well, that's good to hear."

"How about you?" Caroline continued as she quit her pacing and finally settled in on the couch. When she'd been in her teens, her mom's presence tended to rile her up more than anything. Now, however, the opposite was true.

"Oh, I've been fine. Being the sheriff in a small town is surprisingly boring." Liz admitted with a pleasant chuckle.

"Mother!" Caroline gasped in mock shock. "Are you telling you actually want some poor citizen of Mystic Falls to break the law?" The younger Forbes practically tutted, faux disappointment ringing all through her tone.

"I would never." Came her mother's indignant reply, playing along.

Caroline let out a surprised laugh, shaking her head, her spirits already immensely lightened. "Well, seeing as you seem bored enough to commit crime, maybe you should come visit me again sometime soon."

Liz let out an exaggerated sigh. "I don't know Caroline. I have so much work to do."

"Mom." She rolled her eyes as she spoke, even despite the fact that the sheriff couldn't exactly see it. Still, she had the feeling Liz would know.

"Yes, yes fine. I'll try to see if I can schedule something for next week." Her mom promptly replied, her tone long-suffering.

In any case, Caroline found herself breaking into a wide smile. "Thanks, Mom. Let know when you can. I really can't wait to see you! Love you!"

"Love you too, honey. Be careful, ok? It isn't just you anymore." Liz went from teasing to mother hen in all of two seconds; not that Caroline minded in any way, of course.

"Yes ma'am." She laughed again. "And you take care of yourself too. What would Mystic Falls do without their Sheriff?"

"Alright, alright. Don't tease your poor mother."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever the Sheriff says goes. Bye!"

"Bye, honey."

As her mom hung up, Caroline found that she already felt immensely better. It was actually quite surprising that Liz Forbes could have such a positive effect on her, especially when you considered their rather rough past.

Now that she had successfully taken her mind off Klaus for a grand total of about five minutes, Caroline realized that maybe she should stop avoiding the problem. But she also knew that if she went straight to the man now, she might not be able to get out what she wanted to say in the right way.

Luckily, she had the perfect solution for her little issue - she needed impartial ears to listen to her for a little a while.

With another small smile, Caroline picked up the phone again.

When the shrill ringing of his phone woke Stefan Salvatore from his much needed sleep, he wanted nothing more than to just ignore it and roll back over. He'd had to work yet another overnight shift and felt he deserved to sleep the day away. But his phone just had to keep ringing. In the end, of course, he decided to just give in and pick up, grumbling despite himself.

"Hello?" He greeted, not bothering to hide his cranky tone.

"Stef! How do you feel like having a Game of Thrones marathon?" Caroline's cheery voice replied immediately, her tone hopeful.

Any further plans of sleep Stefan had instantly disappeared; were it any other person, he might've simply hung up, but Care had best friend privileges after all. Besides that, the blonde was always meticulous when it came to knowing his and Bonnie's schedules; it was unusual for her to call him at a time she knew he would likely be resting. Stefan had the feeling something else was going. Well, she's already pregnant, what else could she surprise me with?

"Sounds awesome." He finally replied, forcing himself to sit up in his bed, much to his body's protest. "When do you want me?" He asked, glancing at his bedside clock. Eleven in morning... Guess that's as good as it's going to get.

"Ten minutes ago?" His friend replied said, laughing a bit, as if trying to relieve some tension or the like. That all but confirmed it for Stefan. Something's definitely up.

"On my way, Care. See you in a bit." He said firmly, leaving no space for doubt. He hung up immediately after, before allowing himself another small moment of piece, simply sitting in his bed.

If he were being honest, Stefan had been quite worried about Caroline lately. It was not that he doubted her ability to deal with her pregnancy, or her impending motherhood, it was more that she hadn't really been herself in a long time. Ever since the last few months of her and Tyler's relationship, really. Stefan had tried everything to get her back to her usual bubbly self; it was the least he could do, considering the way she'd helped him through the whole Elena debacle. Not to mention she'd been his best friend, no scratch that, his family since high school.

But, even so, there was only so much he could do.

However, he had noticed a bit of a change in her in the last couple of weeks. She seemed more alive, feistier, like she had been before. Her eyes tended to light up more, with more feeling. And all this was due to one Klaus Mikaelson.

Stefan didn't trust the guy… at all. And that was saying it lightly. But Stefan also wasn't the type of guy to give final judgment about a person he barely even knew. So, he supposed he'd have to give him a chance. He'd only seen Klaus twice, but he'd definitely heard a lot about him, and not very much of it painted him in a good light.

Lucky for Klaus, Caroline didn't needed someone impartial in her life, someone who would just listen to her and give unbiased advice. They all knew there was no way Bonnie would be able to fill that role, or Katherine when she decided to make her presence known. So it fell to Stefan, not that he really minded or anything.

Still, this Klaus guy better be worth all this constant drama. He might not be able to stay so impartial if he disappointed Caroline any more, or, worse, broke her heart.

The good thing about Stefan, Caroline found herself thinking several hours later, is that he is the most patient person in the history of the world. They'd already watched the four first episodes of their favorite show, and were planning on watching quite a few more, but Caroline also realized that Stef had probably known that she had other reasons for wanting him here since the beginning. So, when the credits rolled, she really wasn't surprised when he turned to her and paused the DVD, looking at her expectantly.

"So tell me what you really need to talk about, Care." She almost considered denying everything but one look from Stefan stopped her in her tracks. "I've known you since high school, if I didn't know how to read you by now, I wouldn't be much of a friend now would I?" He added dryly. She, in return, gave him a bit of a sheepish look. But instead of smirking back at her like she expected him to do, he was still gazing sincerely at her, waiting as patiently as ever.

So she told him. She told him what happened just three days ago, the events still fresh on her mind. She told him all about Klaus' odd attitude and the vague way he answered all of her questions in their little game. She told him of her doubts about him. But, most of all, she talked about the drive back home, about Klaus' subtle little comment about her living arrangements.

"I mean, he basically suggested I move in with him." Caroline was saying now, shaking her head in annoyance.

Stefan seemed to be deep in thought, his prominent brow creased. "I wouldn't say that." He spoke, considering, choosing his words carefully. "I mean, he never put it like that, did he?"

Well, he does have you there, Caroline's traitorous thoughts told her. "No…" She trailed off, feeling oddly ashamed about this whole thing. She didn't like to admit it, but Klaus just had this way of getting under her skin with everything he did. Klaus... I swear that man is just... something.

He's just something.

"Then I wouldn't worry too much about it." Stefan replied, satisfied. "Maybe he wants to move you to a better neighborhood, maybe he wants you to get a bigger place or something. I don't know… But what I do know is that you tend to put too much thought into little comments." He gave her a knowing look to which she had the decency to blush in slight embarrassment. "All I'm saying is don't start freaking out too much about something that hasn't even been suggested yet."

"Ok. Fine." Caroline conceded, kind of hating the way Stefan always had to make sense. "You have a point as usual. I swear, sometimes I feel like I should just hire you to be my personal assistant or something." She muttered, crossing her arms and sending her friend a small glare.

Stefan snorted. "Why pay for something when you can get it for free."

Caroline immediately cracked a smile and laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "Very true." She replied. Very true.

Damn it, I really should have just waited for Stefan and Bonnie and caught a ride with them, Caroline thought the next day as she tried to walk through the heavy rain and get to the bus station. You're such an idiot, Caroline.

Sometimes, the blonde really cursed her luck. Of course it had to freaking storm the one day she didn't bring an umbrella and the coat she was wearing wasn't rainproof. And of course this had happen on one of the few days where both her friends ended their shifts at the hospital a few hours later then her. And of course she just had to be stubborn and refuse to wait for them. But she had been beyond exhausted and the beds in the on call rooms weren't in any way comfortable, especially now that her abdomen had grown so substantially. What was she supposed to do?

Well, maybe she shouldn't have walked into the freaking storm.

I am, without a doubt, the biggest idiot. Ever. I am why the whole 'dumb blonde' thing exists.

Her thoughts went nonstop like that as she continued to make her way to the bus station, her clothes getting soaked through and causing her to practically freeze to the bone. She was just about ready to turn back to hospital and warmth when she heard a voice she really had not expected to hear.

"Caroline! Caroline!" She turned quickly only to see a figure in a fitted suit and dry-looking coat fast approaching her, an umbrella held over his head.

"Klaus? What are you doing around here?" Caroline asked, shocked, the rain getting into her eyes even more as she stopped in her tracks. Despite her talk with Stefan yesterday, she hadn't planned on seeing him right away, wanting a couple more days to gather her thoughts. And yet now, here he was, and she was caught completely off-guard by it.

"I was coming to see you, of course." He replied when he reached her side, immediately shifting his umbrella so it was over her as well. Caroline was relieved at the momentary reprieve from the rain, pushing her wet hair from her eyes and looking up Klaus' smirking face. "You have yet to return my call." He continued, giving her a look, causing the blonde's face to immediately warm. Ah right, she should've guessed he might appear after the fourth time she let his calls go to voicemail.

For the first time, she found herself thanking the rain, knowing it was the only thing from keeping her cheeks going completely red. She cleared her throat, telling herself to calm down; she really was unprepared for this to happen right now. "Sorry, it's just been really busy lately." She said, knowing her excuse was utterly lame and transparent. Still, she barreled on. "Look, maybe we should do this another time." She added on quickly, rubbing her numb hands against her arms, trying to regain some warmth in them. God, I really hate the cold.

Klaus looked at her almost disapprovingly, purposely looking over her shivering, soaked body. His roving eyes caused the warm feeling once again return to her face. God, how can he look this good in this weather... I must look like a complete trash bag next to him... Before she could contemplate where the hell that thought came from, Klaus was speaking again. "Don't be ridiculous, love. It's pouring rain out here. At least let me take you somewhere, anywhere you need. My car is right around the corner." He offered, in that rare sincere way of his, his blue eyes staring right at her, only succeeding in making her feel even more uncomfortable than she already was.

She sighed as her thoughts ran away from her again. Klaus seemed to take it as a sign she needed more convincing, however. He came a little closer to her, now looming over her smaller frame.

"You wouldn't want to get sick now of all times, would you?" He spoke rather quietly, almost too quietly for her to understand in the heavy rain cascading around them. She met his eyes again, angry at first that he would think she didn't know that… But instead of seeing the mocking and condescension she had been expecting, she saw a kind of heart-breaking concern, making her anger melt away. For a moment she thought perhaps that his worry was solely for their child, but with the way he was gazing at her, without his usual teasing, she thought that maybe, just maybe it was for her too.

So she sighed again, though this time it was more about herself than it was about Klaus. Always getting under my skin. "Ok fine." She spoke, her voice a bit shaky from the cold. "Let's just go."

Klaus smiled in what, in any other person, Caroline would call relief. "Fantastic."

The next she knew, he had his arm secured around her waist and was pulling her quickly through harsh rain. She was about to protest their close contact when she nearly tripped, the only thing holding her up being Klaus. So she decided to just going along with it; after all, she could already barely see and her wet, clinging clothes were making her even more clumsy than usual. Besides that, she wasn't shivering that badly anymore.

In all honesty, it was the warmest she'd felt all day.

Unfortunately for Caroline, that warm feeling went away very quickly when they made it to Klaus' car. He helped her in (though a part of her again wanted to protest, another was flattered at the rather gentlemanly way he was treating her) and soon they were off into the traffic, heading to her apartment. She began shivering again, the heater that he had put on full blast not doing much due to her still very soaked clothes; even her coat was heavy with water. She tried to stop being so obviously freezing, not wanting any more unwanted attention from Klaus. Sadly, it just wasn't her day today and she could feel his eyes flicker over to her practically every other second. The blonde stared desperately out the window, wanting to be anywhere else but here. Why did I agree to this again?

Oh right. I'm an idiot.

It wasn't that she didn't like Klaus' company or whatever, but it was always so tension-filled, so heavy. She couldn't just be there, couldn't forget where she was when she was with him. It was like she aware of his every movement, even when she didn't want to be. It made her stomach flutter nervously (and no, she didn't mean the baby).

Still staring out the window, Caroline noticed they were going excruciatingly slowly, the traffic at a near stand still. I have the worst luck. EVER. Not to mention, I'm still shivering.

"Caroline, I realize I promised I would take you anywhere but at this rate it will take maybe twice as long as it normally would to reach your flat, and you, sweetheart are shivering like a leaf." Klaus' voice broke through her self-berating thoughts. "If I may, I can propose another option. Why don't we go to my home, get you dried off and warm and then I can drop you off."

Caroline sighed, having shut the idea the second he'd finished saying it. "Look, Klaus, as much as I appreciate what you're doing, I really should just get home." She said, trying to sound firm but failing utterly on account of her trembling. She knew she was being a bit stubborn about this whole thing, refusing him at every turn, but she couldn't help it!

"Love, your teeth are chattering." Klaus said dryly, though completely serious. "I do believe you should take my offer. If not for your sake than for the baby's." He tagged on at the end.

The blonde glowered. The baby card, really? She almost refused simply out of principle. But she could also see his point and, as much as she hated to admit it, her health was the most important thing right now. God, this guy...

"Ok fine." She replied shortly, wincing a bit at her rudeness. He's just worried… "But then you owe me food too." She decided to add on the offering, not wanting to seem like too much of an ungrateful bitch. Not really doing too good a job of that.

"That, dearest Caroline, won't be a problem at all." Klaus replied with a wide smile, looking much like the cat ate the canary. It was only when he veered off course into an unfamiliar street that Caroline realized the gravity of the situation she was about to step into.

I can't believe I'm agreeing to this. This is going to end badly. Shit. I am so not ready for this. I am not ready to be alone with Klaus in a place I don't know. I can barely deal with him in public places. Caroline nearly groaned out loud.

Damn it. I am an idiot.

Caroline had to grudgingly admit that Klaus had been right about going to his place; it did take significantly less time to get there than it would have going to her apartment. Though that was mostly because they seemed to driving down mostly deserted roads into the outskirts of the city where there was a whole lot less of traffic. In another situation she might have been somewhat worried about the direction he was taking, however Klaus might be a bit of a pompous jerk but she was pretty sure that he wouldn't do anything to hurt her. That revelation was a bit more shocking than she thought it would be; perhaps it was because it represented a step forward into their tentative friendship. Caroline trusted Klaus now, at least to an extent.

The blonde was so caught up in her rather disconcerting thoughts that she didn't even realize when they'd driven up to a gate, Klaus quickly opening it with the remote he had sitting in his glove box. Once they drove up the long driveway and she could see the house for the first time, however, she definitely noticed. It was hard to miss, even amidst the storm around them. Caroline felt her eyes widen shock but luckily had enough of her wits about her that she kept her mouth from dropping.

The place was huge. Practically palatial. You could find a place like this in Richmond? Granted, they were in the outskirts, but come on. Seriously? Are you kidding me? No wonder he thinks my apartment is stupid; he lives in freaking mansion!

Klaus pulled the car as close to the front door as he could get, parking as Caroline continued to gape. Vaguely, she heard her companion getting out of the car and coming round to her side, opening the door for her. He helped her out and for once she didn't protest, even internally, knowing she needed the assistance. He kept his arm around her even as she stood beside him, holding the umbrella firmly over her head as she continued to stare at his home.

"You live here? This is your house?" The blonde exclaimed, bewildered, finally ripping her eyes away from the building in front of her and turning to Klaus. He was staring back down at her, blue eyes filled with mirth at her reaction.

"I should think so. My name is on the gate." He smirked widely, obviously teasing her. Caroline glared back but allowed him to pull her along through the rain, the umbrella over their heads doing little for them now.

"Fancy douchebag." She muttered under her breath as she tried to keep up and not trip. She had the feeling she wouldn't fall again, regardless, not with Klaus' arm around her. She glanced back up to his face, seeing he wore an expression of amusement. Caroline's cheeks immediately colored, realizing he must have heard her little comment.

"Come on, let us get you inside." Is all he said though, keeping her firmly to him as he pulled them both to the front door and into his palace.

This day could not get any weirder, I swear.

As soon as they were inside the house, Caroline found her eyes widening again, seeing that it was just as grand as the outside. But, she also noticed it felt rather, well, cold (and no, that's not just because she was shivering and freezing in her still soaked clothes); it was more like the kind of cold that permeates your mind, the lonely kind. She didn't have very long to contemplate this new information, however, when Klaus indicated she follow him. For a second she hesitated, not want to, you know, drip everywhere but really he didn't seem to mind. Besides, the smaller, more vindictive part of Caroline couldn't help but want to take revenge for his taking her so off-guard… again.

The blonde followed Klaus in silent awe, her eyes roving all over the house as they walked together in silence. Soon enough, she was brought to what looked to be a small sitting room (she knew for a fact it was small because they walked past plenty much bigger rooms). This space, contrary to most of the rest of the house, seemed rather cozy, only holding a couple of older, though surely comfortable couches. The décor was also less extravagant, much more tasteful. One entire wall was made of large windows, allowing them both to see the heavy rainfall. There was also a large set of double doors which led to what she assumed was a small-ish library, judging by what she could see through the glass panes of the doors. I'd really like to see what he has in there.

Klaus briefly told her to that he would be right back, before disappearing back into the hallway. She continued looking around the room, only pausing in her intense scrutiny in order to send a quick text to her friends, telling them not to worry about her being in the storm and that she managed to find an alternate method of transportation. She also mentioned she wouldn't go home for a little while, knowing it was likely they might stop by, but not explaining why. It'll be easier to just tell them everything in person… They won't believe this, that's for sure.

Caroline was startled out of her thoughts when suddenly she felt a warm presence behind her. She whipped around, finding herself face-to-face with Klaus, barely a few inches of space between them, her swollen belly already touching his abdomen. He was looking down at her, with those fathomless eyes sparkling in amusement. The blonde was simply thankful that her cheeks didn't color again; she'd done enough blushing lately, thank you very much. Caroline cleared her throat somewhat awkwardly before stepping back, only causing Klaus' mouth to widen in smirk. They stared at each other for a moment longer before he held out something to her. Questioningly, she took it.

"Here, perhaps you could wear these while I put your clothes in the dryer." He said quietly, an odd sort of intensity in his voice. Looking down again, Caroline found she was holding a pair of soft sweats along with a dry, warm cotton t-shirt. Something swelled in the blonde's chest, honestly touched at the thoughtfulness of it. She smiled up at him, a real smile, before giving him the barest of nods. Klaus' face softened slightly at the look, nodding back. It occurred to her that it was quite intimate for her to be wearing his clothes – after all, this was something that happened between couples. But Caroline decided to simply push to this to the side and accept it as a gesture of friendship rather than anything else. There really didn't need to be more complication in her life right now.

Klaus explained how to find the nearest bathroom, asking if she wanted him to 'escort her', in his exact words. The blonde declined quickly, not wanting to be too much more trouble, her heart a little wracked with guilt at her rude behavior towards him thus far.

So before she left the sitting room, she hesitated in the doorway that led to the hallway. Caroline turned back, calling to her… friend. "Hey Klaus, look I know I've been a little less than grateful for all of this..." She paused, her throat a little dry. "But, you know, thank you." She mumbled at the end, looking down at her feet, face warm. She could feel Klaus' eyes on her, scorching through her. For a moment, she thought he would say nothing, that he would dismiss her 'thank you'… However, he once again surprised her.

"You're welcome, love." He said, his rich voice filled with something she dared not identify. She lifted her eyes to his face again, finding him staring back at her with a large smile, dimples and all.

Caroline, as she had been quite a lot, smiled back.

The sweats, Caroline found out later, were almost scandalously comfortable. Luckily it had enough stretch that they fit right under her belly. The shirt fit as well, though it was rather snug around her stomach; no one would doubt the fact she was pregnant in it, that's for certain. Either way, she was glad for the clothes; the dry material felt wonderful against her skin. She took her time in the bathroom, wringing out her shirt and pants a bit, trying to get out some of the excess rain. Her coat was still hanging in the hallway; it too was pretty much soaked seeing as it wasn't meant against rain, it was probably ruined but she supposed she would just have to deal. Still, it's my favorite. Sighing, Caroline examined her appearance in the wide mirror. She frowned, looking at the horribleness that was her hair right now. Knowing there wasn't much she could do about it though, she ended up pulling it back into a ponytail. She quickly cleared her face of all traces of makeup, relieved that she hadn't put on too much this morning. Panda eyes were the last thing she needed right now.

Without another glance, she quickly made her way out of the bathroom, taking her wet clothes with her, heading to the sitting room. Once there, Klaus was quick to grab them from her, barely sparing her a glance as he explained he'd quickly go put them in the dryer.

It was only when he returned several minutes later that she noticed he'd changed as well. Gone was the obviously tailored suit and instead Klaus wore his usual jeans and Henley combination. For some reason this made Caroline feel somewhat less uncomfortable, after all this was the Klaus she was used to dealing with. He sat down next to where she was perched at the edge of one of the sofas, handing her some pamphlets he'd had clutched in one of his hands.

"What's this?" She asked, taking them from him.

"I promised you food, didn't I?" He smirked, gesturing to what she now knew to be delivery food menus. He told her to pick whichever one and Caroline was quick to chose the Italian place, craving some carbs. They both picked out what they wanted and Klaus placed the call soon thereafter. The two sat in awkward silence as he finished the call.

Finally, Caroline broached the tension, wanting to be rid of it. I wonder how long it will take until I'm actually comfortable with him. "I would never have guessed. Klaus Mikaelson eats pizza." The blonde teased, turning her gaze to meet his.

"Yes, well, I may a bit of a, what was it you called me, 'fancy douchebag', but I am still a human being." Klaus replied with his usual snark. Caroline immediately blushed as he confirmed her suspicions that he had indeed her little dig at him earlier. He didn't seem to mind though, his expression conveying mirth rather than anger.

"Really?" Caroline replied with mock doubt, continuing their banter. Bantering was nothing new to them. It was comfortable. Safe. Nothing like that actually being nice to each other thing they were doing earlier. Klaus gave her a look to indicate his sheer boredom at the comment, decidedly not amused at the whole thing. Caroline let out a laugh, before nodding her head, conceding. "Ok then."

"I'm glad you're not arguing." He replied, deep voice playful.

The blonde raised a brow at him. "I try not to get into arguments I'm not sure I'm going to win." She said, leaving no room for doubt. Neither party mentioned the fact that, in a way, this was a compliment to him. Caroline was finally starting to see Klaus a man and not a good-for-nothing bastard as she had before. This time when they collapsed into silence it was no longer awkward. Both were simply lost in their thoughts, wondering how they got here of all places.

"Hey, Klaus, do you mind if I ask you question?" Caroline spoke quietly after a while, looking to the man beside her in curiosity.

"Wasn't that already one?" He replied sardonically, briefly registering her not amused face that was so similar to his own before grinning at her and moving on. "Go ahead." He said with a bit of a chuckle.

"What did you mean? The other day about my apartment?" The blonde asked quickly not wanting to lose her courage, releasing a long breath when she did the deed. It had been on her mind for days and she couldn't keep her curiosity to herself any longer. She wanted a straight answer, not something vague.

"Ah, so that's why you have been avoiding me." Klaus replied knowingly, causing Caroline to duck her head. "I'll start off by saying I really meant no offense by my comment." He continued after taking a moment to organize his answer. In truth, he wasn't completely sure what he meant by it himself. "I simply wanted to express my concerns about our child's living arrangements."

"You're worried that where I live isn't good enough." Caroline intoned, still looking away. "I mean I can see why." She gestured to the room around them.

Klaus shook his head, putting a hand on her knee to get her to look at him again. Only once her eyes were locked with his did he continue. "Caroline, that is not in any way a testament to your character. I have no doubt that you will be a good mother." Her heart skipped a beat at his admission. He thinks I'll be a good mom? I… I never expected that, not after how I've treated him. "But you must admit that sometimes even the best of mothers are unable provide..."

Her flattered thoughts immediately turned to outrage as she interrupted him with a heated glare. "What?" She hissed. "Opportunities?" How dare he think I would be unable to provide for my child?

Klaus, surprisingly, only shook his head patiently, without a mocking or sardonic look in sight. "No, security." He pressed, causing Caroline's outrage to freeze in place. "I may not exactly be father material, but the least I could do is help with that." He muttered.

Caroline looked at Klaus closely, finding nothing but sincerity in both his words and expression. He has a point, I guess. I will always do everything for my child in order to give him or her a chance at anything, all the opportunities in life. But, at least financially, I'll never be completely secure. It was hard to admit all of this to herself but she knew she had to be sensible for their baby; even Klaus was attempting to do so. Her anger further calmed as she contemplated the points he'd brought up, leaving her with a bone-deep tiredness.

"You've thought a lot of this, haven't you?" She asked after a while, glancing over to him. His forearms were braced on his knees, face completely closed off from her. His jaw was slightly clenched though, indicating that he was having no easier time of this than she was. Another wave of guilt his Caroline. I really should stop doubting his every move. He's been good to me, at least lately. I should put more faith in him.

"I'll be honest, I've thought of little else." Klaus admitted tiredly, still not looking at her, his gaze somewhere far off.

"Yeah, me too..." Caroline whispered in return. Suddenly she smiled at him; it was a small one, barely noticeable but it was directed at Klaus in all sincerity, which didn't go unnoticed by either party. "You know what, Mr. Mikaelson, I am beginning to think I may have been a little wrong about you." She told him softly, her smile still firmly in place.

Finally, Klaus looked back at her. "Likewise, Ms. Forbes."

Klaus was smiling to himself as he made his way to the front door, already getting money out for the pizza. He and Caroline had actually been talking civilly for a long period of time, and not just that, they talked easily and about everything. He didn't think this kind of friendship would be possible with her this soon, if ever. Oh, they still bickered constantly but now it lacked the hostility and was done more out of familiarity.

He'd been worried before. Klaus was no idiot so when the blonde hadn't replied to his calls in the past three days, he knew she was avoiding him. They seemed to work it out for now, however they would likely have to talk more about certain arrangements soon. At least now Klaus was confident they would be able to get through it like adults, maybe even as friends as well.

His thoughts drifted to the clothes Caroline was wearing now, his clothes. When she'd first entered the room in them, Klaus' heart had frozen in his chest. There was just something about seeing her in them, it made him think of what things could have been like if everything was different. It was like a glimpse into another life; another life that made Klaus oddly envious.

Regardless, he pushed those feelings to the side and focused on the good things, such as the fact that Caroline and he were friends, tentative friends, barely friends, but friends nonetheless. And that would have to be enough.

With a pleased smile still on his face, and his thoughts finally less tumultuous, Klaus opened the door.

Of course, he was completely taken by surprise by what he saw on the other side.

"'Bekah… 'Lijah." He said, shocked. His two siblings looked at him, his sister with a smirk and his brother with an exasperated sort of look. He didn't even get to register what the hell was happening when his arms were suddenly full of blonde girl.

Rebekah barely seemed to notice his shock as she dashed forward and gave him a quick hug. "Surprise, brother! Happy to see us?" She pulled away quickly, looking over his expression to see his reaction.

"Of course." Klaus said, somewhat recovering from his shock, enough to wipe the flabbergasted look he was sure had been on his face. Still, seeing two of his siblings was so utterly out of place, he still could not process it.

"I must apologize, Niklaus." Elijah stepped forward, his older brother ever graceful in his movements. "I wanted to inform you of our visit but I'm afraid our sister is rather incorrigible when she feels the need." He spoke with his normal formality, though his eyes showed a more informal fondness. Klaus nodded in consent, trying his best not to get angry. They're my family, they should be allowed to surprise me. Still, Klaus liked to be in control of everything around him, so surprises tended not to go well with him.

"Isn't that the truth?" A third voice spoke up, before an irritatingly familiar brunette stepped out from behind his older brother.

"And Katherine." Klaus added dryly. He and his brother's girlfriend, now fiancée, had never gotten along.

"Aw, Klaus, there's no need to look so happy." Katherine Pierce mocked, a smirk covering her face.

Rebekah quickly interfered with a roll of her eyes. "Well, aren't you going to let us in, Nik?" She asked, directing the question to Klaus, who froze in response as he finally realized what that would mean. Caroline… I haven't told them yet.

Immediately, he tried desperately to save himself from the confrontation that was sure to come. He'd come too far with Caroline to ruin it now by letting her know that that he hadn't even told his family that there would be another addition soon. Why did they have to come now of all times? "Perhaps we should go..." He began to suggest another plan, when Katherine forcefully interrupted.

"What, go out, in this weather?" She said with no small amount of mockery. Though the storm had calmed down some, enough for his family to stand at his front door without getting soaked, it was clearly not the type of weather you would want to go out in. Bloody rain, Klaus cursed to himself.

"Now, now Kat, I think my brother might have brought home a girl and is too ashamed of his family to introduce us." Rebekah said suddenly, knowing him well enough to see he was trying to avoid something. When Klaus looked at her in annoyance, he all but confirmed it for her, causing her lips to widen in a delighted smirk.

"A shame we aren't good at doing what we're told." Katherine replied, too casually.

"Yes, a shame." His sister confirmed before suddenly pushing right past him, Katherine following right behind.

"'Bekah!" Klaus growled threateningly, to which the youngest Mikaelson only laughed.

"Like I said. Incorrigible." Elijah said in amusement, before his family's example and entering his little brother's home.

This must be a nightmare.

"Hey, Klaus. You ok over there?" Caroline's voice called, announcing her presence to both himself and his family. Oh wait, I was wrong. Now it's a nightmare. Klaus nearly groaned aloud, but fortunately he had more composure then that. Well, usually. "What's taking so long?" He heard her footsteps approaching, and knew she'd be here within the second. Even so, he wished she would simply turn away. But that didn't happen because the next thing he saw was Caroline herself stepping around the corner into the front hall, wearing his clothes and, well, pregnant. There was definitely no way out of this now. "Oh…" The blonde froze in shock, looking from person to person in bewilderment, "…that is not the pizza man."

"No. It definitely is not." Klaus said tensely, watching his siblings' jaws practically drop in shock. Even Katherine looked beyond surprised from where she stood by Elijah's side. None of them seemed to move for the longest time, everyone's gaze glued to Caroline who by this point looked utterly confused and quite embarrassed.

"And who, my brother, might this be?" Elijah asked, his jaw tight as he turned his hard eyes towards the younger Mikaelson. He could feel Caroline's eyes on him as well now, probably shocked at the revelation that yes, they were related.

He cleared his throat rather awkwardly, which in itself was painful for him because Klaus Mikaelson was never awkward. He gestured to his blonde… companion. "This is-"

"Caroline Forbes." Now it was Klaus' turn to be shocked as Katherine bloody Pierce stepped to the side, allowing for Caroline to get full few of her without Klaus' back obstructing it. They know each other?

"Kat!" Caroline exclaimed, finally shaking herself out of her stupor as she rushed forward. "Oh my God, what are you doing here?" Completely and utterly confused by what was happening, the Mikaelson siblings all watched in surprise as the two women embraced.

"Me? What are you doing here? And how did that happen?" Katherine exclaimed, sounding unlike herself, as shocked as the rest of the room. Everyone was stunned into silence.

Finally it was Elijah who broke it. "Well." He said heavily, his eyes moving from Klaus to Caroline. "It looks like we have a lot to discuss."

That's it for now! Long chapter for you lovely people this time :)

Also want to apologize for yet another late update. We had a very serious medical emergency within my family which led to my brother being hospitalized, as I'm sure you all understand, I have been a but preoccupied.

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

Happy New Year!

RW