Thank you to Guest,Guest, Racheal, JennyP, Jenny05, Layla, foreverwishing, klarolineeuphoria, Sparkle85, addicted to klaroline, bloodysirebond, yourloved, CrazyLazyAlien, klaroline4everlove, NikMik, Lullaby, KlarolineMyMockingjay, mysticgirl125, ashlytorres24, ilyreid, OKBooey31, mycutehamlet, batgirl2992, Ellavm18, Venus88, KlarOlineOver17, MurphMurph98, jessnicole, Draco-Harry-Lover-1, MissJayde, TheMiseducationOfB, Ouat-in-vampirediaries, lltulgestke, Quills and Inkwells, MissCindz, SweetyK, J-D, Mystery Girl3, EmmaRedVelvet, winxgirl1997, LoveDeb, and Avengers4ever for reviewing!

Just wanted to update you on the whole M rating thing; for the most part, people seem to want it to happen. As of right now, however, I'm still a bit on the fence with it – but, it will likely happen. Thanks so much for all the feedback on it!

A lot of you were wondering about how Katherine knew Caroline; it has actually been mentioned before (way back in chapter 3, 'Breathe') – Don't worry, though, it has been fully explained in this chapter again :)

Also, huge thank you to carasedrin who made this all possible.

Disclaimer: No TVD for me.

Chapter 7

Foes

"Oh, tear ducts and rust, I'll fix it for us. We're collecting dust but our love's enough."

The five people occupying Klaus' front room stood in complete silence; all of them dealing with their own separate cases of shock. There weren't many moments that Klaus could safely say were completely and utterly awkward; however, this was definitely so, and near the top of his list. First he comes home with woman who was carrying his child, the woman who had been on his mind nonstop since he met her, then that same woman had to wear his clothes and they were actually getting along... But, of course, the next thing he knows two of his siblings are at his front door with bloody Katherine.

And if that wasn't enough, Caroline and Katherine actually seem to know each other.

A part of Klaus was still convinced that this was something cruel concocted up by his imagination. But no matter how many times he blinked, he couldn't seem to wake up. So, instead, Klaus did what all good businessmen should be able to do. He stood straighter, regained his composure, and put all traces of emotion to the side.

"How do you two know each other?" He asked, surprisingly calmly, even he did say so himself. He looked between the two women who had previously been locked in a tight embrace. Caroline was standing steadfastly by Katherine's side, her blue eyes on his own, still stunned into silence by today's events. For some reason, Klaus felt the need to offer her some form of comfort, but luckily he managed to refrain from doing something so… inappropriate.

Katherine glanced at him haughtily, her eyes carrying accusation. "We've been friends since the sandbox, of course." She said, rather mockingly.

"That's unexpected." Klaus muttered, honestly surprised by that. Katherine and Caroline just seemed so different.

"Klaus. This entire situation is unexpected." The brunette replied, snapping at him, and he found himself glaring at her in return. What's her right to judge me? To judge Caroline? She knows nothing of the situation. Klaus was just about to say so, when another voice stopped him.

"Niklaus, could we have a moment with you please?" Elijah spoke, his voice strained. Klaus turned his gaze to his elder brother, finding him staring back at him, a certain sort of disappointment in his eyes; this pained the younger Mikaelson deeply, having been at the other end of that look far too many times from their father. Klaus' anger rose in response, hating that his family always made him feel so much, so much rage and self-hate. "Alone." Elijah pushed, cutting through his brother's rebellious thoughts. The two Mikaelsons were stuck in a stalemate, neither making a move, their sister remaining silent and unmoving by their side. The tension in the room was suddenly palpable, the air even more uncomfortable than it had been all day.

Katherine shifted her eyes to her fiancée, knowing what he wanted her to do. She gently took Caroline's arm and pulled her away from the siblings. "Come on, Care. You need to tell me how and when this happened." She said softly and so un-Katherine-like that Klaus almost doubted it was her. He didn't break his brother's gaze to check, however.

"Oh, ok." He briefly heard Caroline murmur, sounding as confused as she looked. Her he spared a grief glance for. She looked back over her shoulder at him, her blue eyes full of conflicting emotions. The blonde only met his gaze for a second before ripping her own away and allowing Katherine to guide her out of the room.

She didn't look back at him, and, for some reason, in that moment Klaus felt he lost something.

Something important.

Caroline barely remembered following Katherine into the same sitting room that she had been in previously. Her mind was in a state of clouded confusion. Her old friend was surprisingly gentle as she forced the blonde to take a seat in one of the comfortable couches. She nodded her thanks, causing the older of the two Gilbert twins to give her a tight smile.

Caroline was truly grateful to have a familiar face around in that moment. It may have been months since she'd last seen her childhood friend but even then it was comfortable between the two, despite the rather uncomfortable situation they found themselves in. Then again, she supposed that this was perfectly normal when you've known someone since you were barely four year old. Caroline still vividly remembered the day she had met the Gilbert twins. Katherine and Elena, though identical, had always been completely different; Caroline and Bonnie had naturally been drawn to them. Bonnie had always been closer to Elena though, just as she was closer to Katherine. All the way through to high school, they had been the best of friends, the 'popular' girls of Mystic Falls. They'd used to receive envious and sometimes even hateful stares from all directions.

Of course, no friendship was perfect, and theirs had become strained when the whole Salvatore debacle happened. Basically, what started as a normal couple (Stefan and Elena) ended up becoming a love triangle (Stefan, Elena, and Damon), which was actually a love square (due to the fact that Katherine had been harboring a huge crush on Stefan since the beginning). Naturally, things kind of exploded and in the end Elena chose Damon and rode off into the sunset with him. Caroline had tried to be supportive of their relationship, and for the most part she could be, but a large part of her still couldn't forgive all the heartbreak her friend had caused. After Stefan and Elena's break up, Katherine and the younger Salvatore had had a thing, but Kat broke it off pretty quickly when she realized he still held a torch for her twin.

It had been unfortunate, but they'd departed as friends. There wasn't any remaining tension between them now, which was definitely a good thing because, if there was one thing she hadn't wanted to lose during the whole thing, it was either Katherine or Stefan's friendship. The two simply meant too much to her. Sadly, her relationship with Elena had suffered, but that too had faded quite a lot with time.

Caroline's thoughts eventually left the past, no longer able to avoid the situation at hand. She almost laughed out loud at the fact that she wanted to go back to that time. I never would have thought that there was an even harder situation than that, but here I am…

Why does this all have to be so hard? So confusing?

Finally, she looked at Katherine again, finding her friend looking back patiently; not many people saw this side of Kat, the caring side. Caroline was one of the lucky few. "Those two people you came with…" The blonde started, wanting to get all of the explanation and answers out of the way. Her tone was monotonous, all emotion drained away into exhaustion. "They're related to Klaus." It wasn't a question but the brunette answered anyways.

She nodded in affirmation. "Yep, little Beks is Klaus' younger sister and 'Lijah is the eldest of the Mikaelson brood." Katherine lounged back in the sofa, one hand twirling one of her thick curls. Caroline vaguely recognized the gesture to be one of her nervous habits.

This is…. This is so… I don't even know.

Klaus has a brother and sister… A brother and sister that apparently don't know about me.

Well, he did say he had siblings.

Her thoughts were running wild in her head, disjointed as if they were happening outside of her body.

"Huh. Ok…" The blonde muttered, trying desperately to focus, her scattered mind working against her. She cleared her throat awkwardly, needing to get her next question out. "Why were you with them?"

Katherine smirked, though her eyes were still dark with concern. "I told you I was engaged." She said, her tone full of her usual Katherine-sass. Still, Caroline could hear the uncertainty in it.

"To Elijah?" The blonde asked now, honestly surprised at the coincidence. Can that even happen in real life? I mean, what are we, in a movie?

This is so surreal.

"Yep." Kat said, purposefully popping the p, as if wanting to alleviate the awkward atmosphere settling over them.

"That's… well… This isn't exactly how I thought I'd meet your fiancée."

The brunette let out a sardonic laugh. "And this isn't at all how I pictured our reunion."

Caroline felt a sad smile come to her face. "Yeah." She muttered, looking intently at her hands.

Suddenly, Katherine leaned towards her, a burning curiosity in her brown eyes. "How did you meet Klaus? Is he the…?" She trailed off, sending a pointed look to Caroline's very pregnant belly.

The blonde hesitated a split second, not sure how her friend would react. Caroline had always been the 'good girl' of the two, the one with the plan, the valedictorian. Katherine on the other hand had always been a bit more risqué, more prone to do things because she enjoyed them rather than because they were her responsibility. Now, Caroline didn't consider what happened bad or some such, beyond everything it had been her choice. It just wasn't a choice she would normally have made, is all. And she wasn't quite sure how her friend would react to that.

Finally, Caroline nodded, putting all doubt behind her. Now is not the time to hesitate. What happened, happened. There's nothing I can do to change it… and maybe I wouldn't want to change it anyways.

"We met a week after Tyler broke up with me… I wanted to loosen up a bit, you know. Went to a club, drank some, and the next thing I know…" The blonde tried to explain, struggling to find the right words. How can I really explain what happened that night?

Impatient, Katherine interrupted her. "You know, Care, I don't speak knocked-up-by-womanizer, so why don't tell me what happened. Explicitly." The brunette said firmly, brown eyes leaving no room argument.

Caroline steeled herself, took a deep breath, and let everything out. She told her and Klaus' story as best she could, laying it all bare. Katherine, for her part, merely listened, every now and then inserting a sarcastic comment. It brightened Caroline up that they could talk like this again; she'd grown sick of only being able to email and occasionally call.

Finally when her story ended, Kat looked at her with some wonder, but something was clearly hanging over her. "Why didn't you tell me before?" She asked, annoyance clear in her voice.

The blonde winced. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you but you've been gone for ages, Kat. And I couldn't exactly write the whole thing in an email." She said, trying to make her reasons seem justified.

The brunette seemed to consider it, before nodding. "Ok, fine. I guess you have a point. I still can't believe the baby daddy is my soon-to-be brother-in-law though."

"You know, when you told me you were engaged to a foreign guy with knack for suits, I really didn't think you would disappear on us for six months." Caroline admonished her. It wasn't just my fault we haven't kept in touch as well as we could have; she didn't say this out loud though, knowing it would only cause pointless conflict. Kat was here now, that's what was important.

"Yeah, it wasn't exactly planned or anything, 'Lijah and I just got caught up in everything. We travelled for a while… and I've been living with him for a bit back in England." Katherine admitted, her tone firm but her eyes unsure; she didn't want Caroline to be angry with her for it.

"England? Really?" The blonde found herself asking, astonished. Well, as excuses go…

"Yep. You should really come to London sometime, the shopping there is just the best." The brunette boasted, already back to her usual, arrogant self.

"Yeah I'll do that, Kat." Caroline replied dryly, gesturing to her stomach.

Her friend rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Well, obviously, not now."

"So you're really going to stay in Europe."

"For now. Though I think Elijah might want to come out here soon."

"Elijah, or you?" The blonde raised a brow.

Katherine smiled widely. "Both."

Well, Caroline thought, at least there was some good news today.

Still, despite the lighter atmosphere in the room, the blonde couldn't stop her thoughts from returning to one thing.

Why didn't Klaus tell his family about me?

As soon the footsteps of the two women were no longer heard, Elijah broke the silent challenge between him and his brother. "The girl-" He started heavily, surprised when Klaus immediately corrected him with a glare.

"Caroline." He said brusquely.

"Caroline." The elder Mikaelson conceded after a moment, sending his brother an odd look at his behavior. "She's your friend?"

"Yes." The younger asserted with a bare nod, not giving any more information. Why should I? This has nothing to do with him. This is between Caroline and myself, not my family.

"Really? Because you and her really do not seem to be just friends, Niklaus."

"We are just friends, Elijah." Klaus insisted, refraining from the desire to his brother. Hard.

"And she is currently carrying a child." It was obviously not a question, merely a statement of fact. For some reason Klaus began to get angry, that his own brother would make such a scene about a situation he knew nothing about.

"Are you going to continue stating the obvious, brother or do you have a point?" He growled, eyes narrowed.

Elijah looked at him blandly, that same disappointment from earlier present on his face. "Is the child yours, Niklaus?"

Klaus didn't hesitate, not allowing his brother to define how he felt about his child. "Yes."

"I can't believe this!" A feminine voice exploded from beside them. Rebekah's shout reminded her brothers of her presence and they both turned to look at her.

"'Bekah-" Klaus' attempt at rectifying the situation didn't even get past the name stage as his sister decided to interrupt him again.

"No, don't you dare 'Bekah me." She hissed, glaring at him with blue eyes identical to his own. "God Nik. You think you would have learned from the first time! I just, ugh, I can't believe this. Can't you ever just keep it in your pants?" Her voice was dripping in venom and accusation as she glared at her 'favorite' brother.

Whereas Elijah had only succeeded in bringing out Klaus' anger with his almost mocking tone, Rebekah's shouts hit closer to home, reminding him of things he'd rather not think about. All of the anger in him suddenly turned to regret. "I know, 'Bekah, believe me I know. But this time it's different. This time it's real." He pressed, looking at his younger sister almost pleadingly.

"How do you know she's not lying to you too?" Rebekah replied, ignoring his silent request of leaving it alone…

"I know." He insisted, trying to remain steady. Please don't bring her up.

Once again, his request went unanswered. "Yeah, like you knew with Tatia." The comment caused him to lock in place.

Tatia. Klaus didn't want to think of the woman he had once loved, so many years ago. The woman who had tried to force him into marriage by pretending she was pregnant. The woman who had wanted nothing more from him than his money… The woman who… who…

A cold fury filled Klaus from top to bottom as he thought about it. He glared at his sister, hating her in that moment for bringing up one of his most painful memories, one he tried to keep buried at all costs.

Forcing himself to take a calming breath, Klaus did not let up in his cold glare, but managed to sound somewhat civil as he next spoke. He needed to get this through to his siblings, and he knew he'd have to be calm to do it; yelling at them never seemed to work, he had found out in recent years. "Look I know, all right? Caroline got a paternity test." Rebekah already looked less doubtful, though not completely so. "I'm the father." He went on, leaving no room for argument. "Besides that, she told me that there weren't any other men around that time and I'm inclined to believe her." The truth in his words shocked even Klaus himself. Since when do I trust her so much? He quickly pushed the thought to the side, needing to stay focused on the situation at hand.

Rebekah was looking at him with a renewed respect, much to his relief. Klaus couldn't say this completely surprised him, of course. His little sister had always been his most steadfast supporter. Oh, she would throw her tantrums, cry and scream, but in the end, she was always by his side. Klaus, though he didn't make a habit of showing it, had always appreciated this.

The youngest Mikaelson was looking at him more calmly, shaking her head lightly. "Oh Nik. How do you get yourself into these situations? Have you thought of other options?" She asked hopelessly.

"Of course I have. Caroline and I, we both have. But, what we're doing, what we plan on doing, sticking around for our child... It's what right. And it's what I... what we want." Klaus tried to explain, once again surprised at the truth of his words.

Rebekah examined him for a while longer, as if deciding what to do. Finally, she smiled at him, a small smile, but enough to know that he was forgiven and once again fully had her support.

"What are you thinking, 'Bekah?" Klaus asked when he saw the mischievous light shining in her eyes.

She let out a small laugh. "Nothing... It's just I never thought I'd see the day that my idiot of a brother actually made some sense." Rebekah said mockingly.

Instead of making the expected retort, Klaus found himself smiling a little, glad that his sister remained so unchanged over all these years. The youngest Mikaelson only rolled her eyes in return, taking her brother's arm and propelling him forward.

"Now come on, let's get back to your friend before we risk becoming soft." She commanded him in that very 'Bekah way of hers.

Klaus let out a chuckle. "As you wish then, sister."

Unfortunately, before they could get any farther, Elijah decided to speak again. Klaus had to suppress the urge to send an annoyed growl in his direction. "Little sister, if you don't mind I'd like to keep our brother a moment longer." The eldest Mikaelson said, his eyes solely on said brother, who was glaring back menacingly.

Rebekah looked between the two of them, clearly deciding whether she should step in to help Nik avoid the confrontation or to just let it happen and get everything out in the open. She decided the latter would be best, considering that, should she decide otherwise, it would likely lead to a very long and awkward night ending in a full-blown fight anyways.

So, reluctantly, she nodded at Elijah and made her exit.

She just hoped they wouldn't turn to their fists (well, she hoped Nik wouldn't feel the need to sock their older brother in the face); she likes this house, it would be a shame to see the lovely décor ruined by a petty brawl.

Klaus watched his brother warily; once again they stood in silence, waiting to see who would make the first move. Now that Rebekah had left (presumably to join the other ladies), there was no one to referee them and the younger of the two brothers knew that could lead to disaster. He just hoped he would be able to reign in his temper, just this once. I don't want Caroline to see me like that.

"So Niklaus." Elijah began, as always the first one to break their vow of silence; the man might be more patient than most of the planet, but his younger brother was a strategist, he knew when best to make his move, and now was not the time for it. So, instead he listened. "Now that our dear sister has departed, I must begin with what on god's bloody earth do you think you're doing?" Elijah looked him straight in the eye as he spoke. "And why, might I ask, weren't we informed before?" He continued berating his younger brother. Klaus clenched his fist in response, trying desperately to keep his temper in check. Calm, stay calm. There are others here beside yourself and 'Lijah. Caroline… Caroline is here. She wouldn't want to see you explode. Calm. "Now, I know my fiancée's best friend is just your friend, but it seems that Rebekah's lashing out at you made the truth come out..." Elijah trailed off, raising an eyebrow as he referred to Klaus' admitting that he trusted Caroline.

"Brother, Caroline is my friend, nothing more." Klaus replied tightly, his fingers still curled into a fist by his side.

"And yet she is carrying your child." Elijah pressed.

"I don't deny it."

"But you would deny it if I asked you if she was your girlfriend, or anything of the sort?" His older brother asked, a brow raised in his direction. Klaus almost gave into the childish urge to roll his eyes.

"Yes." He hissed.

"How did this come to be? Let me guess, you had a one-night stand. Why must you always continue in this behavior? Have you no pride, Niklaus? Honor?" Elijah berated him, frowning but not yelling.

For some reason, his calm tone angered Klaus even more than if he would have yelled.

Elijah had long disapproved of Klaus' lifestyle, often finding ways to undermine it. Deep down, the younger Mikaelson was aware that this came from a place of concern and love; really, his brother supported him, in his own way. But there were times like this where Elijah's concern grated on his every nerve.

"Do not presume to lecture me, Elijah. You have no right." Klaus growled, approaching his brother until they stood very close, mere inches apart.

"No right?" The elder Mikaelson looked honestly surprised. "I am your brother, your family. If I haven't the right, who does?"

"No one!" He bellowed in return. "I am an adult; my mistakes are my own."

"And Caroline is one of them?"

The frustration became too much for Klaus, his careful hold over his temper snapping. "Yes!" There was that disappointment in Elijah's eyes again; Klaus forced himself to take a deep breath, wanting to make sure he explained this properly. It is not Caroline herself that is the mistake, he must understand that. "But, not in the way you might assume. My mistake lies within the fact that I was so unsure of her before… that I just let her walk away from that night…" He trailed off, shaking his head to clear from all of his regretful thoughts. I don't need this right now.

Klaus turned away from his brother, watching as the everlasting rain hit his windows. The front hall was eerily silent as they stood together, neither saying a word. The younger Mikaelson couldn't stand to see any more of Elijah's bloody disappointment.

"I see." His brother intoned after a while, a sort of hidden amusement in his tone.

Klaus seethed. "What, Elijah?" He whipped around, expecting more disappointment and mockery but finding, of all things, pride. The turn around in mood was disconcerting and definitely more than confusing. However, before he could question Elijah about it, his brother spoke.

"It is nothing, Niklaus. Come, let us get back to the others." The elder of the two put his hand on Klaus' shoulder; a sign of apology, he realized. For a moment, Klaus considered ripping it off and demanding he truly apologize, but he knew that's just not how their relationship was.

So, with a begrudging sigh, he nodded and let Elijah keep his bloody hand. "Very well."

He didn't dare to mention, or even think about his relief and Elijah's sudden change of mind and support. Because, as he said, he was an adult. He didn't really need it… right?

The brothers entered the sitting room in amiable silence; their issues hadn't been resolved, per se, but they had been put to the side for the time being. It would have to do for now. However, Klaus felt a lot less at peace with himself when he noticed a very important blonde missing from the room. He frowned, turning to where his sister sat next to Katherine. "'Bekah? Where did Caroline run off to?"

The youngest Mikaelson gave him a pitying look. "She left, Nik. I'm sorry."

Before he could wonder what she meant with that tone, the brunette next to her the opportunity to get up out of the sofa and into his face. "What did you do to her?" Katherine hissed, looking positively livid.

"What are you talking about, Katherine?" Klaus glared at her in annoyance.

She lifted her hands up in the air, speaking mockingly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I guess I was talking about the fact that I just saw my pregnant best friend run outside because she wanted nothing more than to be away from you."

He felt his eyes widen as the words sunk in. Why did she want to get away? Why did she… did she hear us? Oh no… Instead of allowing himself to feel his sudden fear and insecurity, Klaus turned to a more familiar emotion; anger. "And you let her?" He growled, sending a fierce glare down at the brunette.

"Don't blame me for this, Klaus!" She hissed back, with as much bite as she could muster.

Red with rage, he grabbed her upper arms and shook her once, harshly. "You fool! You let her run off into this storm?" Don't you know what could happen? Are you really so idiotic?

"Niklaus!" Elijah bellowed, immediately on the defense as he witnessed his brother almost harassing his fiancée. "That is enough." He commanded, stepping forward, showing that he would intervene if he went any further. Klaus, for his part, felt the immediate shame that came with inadvertently harming someone. He let go of Katherine as if her skin burned him, instantaneously turning away. He didn't notice her oddly sympathetic look she sent him as he rushed to the door, needing to get out. I have to get Caroline.

"Where are you going, Nik?" Rebekah called after him.

"I'm going to get her."

I have to fix this.

Caroline hated the tears in her eyes. She hated that she had fallen for it. She hated that she had given Klaus so much of herself that she now felt his betrayal a thousand times more than she had before. It was like someone was stabbing a dagger into her heart and constantly twisting it, deeper and deeper. I'm a mistake. Nothing but a mistake. No wonder he didn't tell his family.

She hated that she was starting to regret having heard it in the first place. She hated that she wanted to go back and live in her world of delusion. Why am I so weak? When Caroline had decided to check up on Klaus and his brother, wanting to have a moment with the father of her child alone, the last thing she'd expected was to hear… that.

When did I get so stupid? How could I let my guard down again? It never helped anything before. I am such an idiot!

The blonde barely felt the spatter of tiny raindrops falling against her, the wind running through her hair as she ran as fast she could, wanting nothing more than to escape. But with her swollen belly and her wounded heart, she found it was slow going, especially considering the fact that each step she took away from the house, from Klaus, the dagger twisted again.

How could I have ever believed- How could I-

How?

Why?

When the tears finally fell from her eyes, Caroline found that she hated herself even more. Mistake. Weak. Mistake. Her pacing slowed even more as she tried to pull herself together. All I need to do is get to the end of the driveway, to the gate. Then I just need to call a taxi and I can go home. Everything will be fine.

Except that it really wouldn't. Her fragile trust was shattered completely now, and it would never be the same again. Not after this.

She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, her still wet coat not doing much for the wind and rain hitting her. At least my, no his clothes are dry. That inexplicable and red-hot fury rose up in her again.

It only continued to rise when she heard the voice of the one person she didn't want to see. "Caroline! Love, wait!" Klaus called out to her, sounding out of breath as he ran to her. She turned around with a hateful glare, almost wanting to attempt to flee but knowing that he would easily outrun her in this state.

"What? What do you want from me, Klaus?" She spat venomously as he came to a stop in front of her. He made to grab her forearm but she pulled back as if his touch would burn her. She registered the brief flash of hurt in his eyes as she denied him. For the slightest second, Caroline felt guilt well in her stomach before she realized that he deserved none of her goodwill or sympathy.

"Please, let's not argue now. This is not the place." Klaus said now, trying to appear calm as he attempted to shelter them both a little more from the rain by moving them under one of the trees that were on either side of the driveway. She glared at him when he really did take her arm to do so, even despite her clear desire for him not to. Klaus' face had hardened in determination and he hadn't allowed her to stop him, much to her building fury. None of her anger was mirrored in his eyes however, he only looked incredibly and undeniably miserable. Good, Caroline thought vindictively.

"No, you're right. It's not." She said in response to his statement. This really isn't the place. For a moment he looked relieved, until the blonde abruptly turned away from him again, rage in her every movement. "Good riddance." Nowhere is. I've had enough of all this.

Caroline had barely gotten a few feet away when Klaus called out again. "Why must you always walk away from me and avoid me?" He yelled, anger present in his voice now as well. Good. Anger… anger I can deal with. It's familiar. "Can we not settle this as adults?" He asked her as she gazed back to him. "Come on, Caroline, give me at least a chance to explain." He urged her, the anger in him dissipating as quickly as it came, much to Caroline's own annoyance. Why is he acting like this? Why isn't acting like he always does?

"What?" The blonde spat at him, suddenly approaching him and pushing him hard in the chest. "That I'm a mistake? That our baby is a mistake?" She screamed, absolutely furious at everything, at him.

"You're putting me out of context." Klaus said calmly, too calmly, barely flinching at her assault.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I have the 'context'. You didn't even tell your family! If you wanted me gone, you should have just said so from the beginning." Caroline told him in quiet menace, just wanting him to react like she was, be angry, yell, break things, anything but that annoyingly touching understanding in his blue eyes.

"But that's not what I want." Klaus replied with quiet determination.

"Don't lie to me!" The blonde's yell was broken and, to her shame, she felt that excruciating wetness in her eyes, the dryness of her throat. Please. No more lies.

"I'm not!" He bellowed, the sudden loudness and pain in his voice, shocking her to stillness. "The mistake I was talking about was ever letting you out of my sight in the first place!" He told her with a hiss, his hands subconsciously grabbing the top of her arms tightly, pulling her closer. Wh-what could he possibly mean by that? Letting me go? His voice dropped low now as his stormy eyes burned through her, into her very soul. "We had something, Caroline, something different." He whispered, his eyes going from anger to a strange sort of wonderment. "Even you, with your stubborn pride, must see that…" He paused, pain crossing his face as he hesitated with what he wanted to say next. "Why did-Why did you leave that morning?" When she didn't answer right away, Klaus gave her a gentle shake to regain her attention, kind, pained eyes focused solely on her. "Hm?"

Caroline took a long, shuddering breath, steeling herself. "Because it didn't mean anything." She whispered, closing his eyes so she wouldn't have to see the hurt she caused. I can't tell him… I can't… I just… I just can't… It doesn't matter… It doesn't matter…

She felt a calloused hand against her cheek causing the blonde's eyes to open in shock. Klaus stood even closer to her now, towering over her as his lips twisted into a sad shadow of his smirk. "Now look who's lying." He replied quietly, that rough hand still so soft against her skin as he stroked her cheek lightly with his thumb.

Caroline shook her head, not wanting to hear it, needing to be able to deny it all and push herself back into her protective shell. "Just-Just stop it, alright Klaus? Just stop." She pleaded.

Now his other hand went to her cheeks as well, cupping her face between them and forcing her to look up at him. "I won't. I won't stop until you believe me… until you see this for what it is." He told her fervently, eyes dark with determination.

"It's a mutual agreement…" She muttered, still shaking her head, "…a simple understanding, we're fr-"

Klaus interrupted with a sardonic chuckle. "Friends? This is what you deem to be a friendship?" He asked her seriously, raising a brow at her. Caroline slumped in his arms, her hands going to hold his wrists as the fight went out of her. I can't do this anymore. I can't battle myself… or him.

"Why are you doing this?" The blonde whispered brokenly.

Klaus gave her a half-smile, his fathomless eyes seemingly far away. "Because we can't live in a world where we are constantly lying to each other, to ourselves." His eyes focused on her again. "Not with a child on the way."

Caroline looked up at him. How do you constantly surprise me? How am I always so wrong about you?

"Why can't you- Why do you have to be so-?" The blonde stumbled over her words, her throat clogged with unshed tears, frustrated at herself with her continually fluctuating emotions.

"So what?" Klaus pressed, looking down at her curiously.

"So you." She whispered. And it was the truth. It was true because Caroline, in her own way, had tried to define Klaus as one thing or another. Whereas the opposite was the truth; Klaus had never been just one thing, he was a complicated mixture of several. He was simply Klaus, and there was no other accurate way Caroline could think to describe him… Because it was Klaus who challenged her, pushed her to the extreme, forced her to think about her opinions…

Looking at him, she was surprised that she could read his emotions so easily. She watched as a belated happiness and relief passed over his face. He smiled down at her, a wide and genuine smile that blinded her.

"Caroline." Klaus simply said, with awe. The next thing she knew, he had pulled her fully into his arms, wrapping them tightly around her torso as if he couldn't bear to let her go. Caroline, for her part, returned his embrace just as fervently, burying herself deeper into him.

For the first time in a long time, Caroline sensed a warm feeling of peace settle over her.

And, for once, she didn't question it.

That's it for now! And it wasn't even that long a wait for this chapter! Hopefully this will be the same for the next :)

Next chapter we will have some other POVs (like Elijah) to explain their thoughts a bit more about the who Klaus-Caroline-Baby thing ;D Also, despite the ending there will be some friction between our favorite pair as well, ehehe ;)

Thank you so much for reading and let me know what you think!

RW