A/N: Surprise! I'd written most of this chapter last night but I finished it after watching tonight's 100th episode of TVD. I know not everyone has seen it so no spoilers from me. I'll just say there were things I liked about it, things I was surprised they left out, and lastly, things I would have done differently. But then if you're reading this story, you know that I would do things differently. Not saying better but… lol
lateVMlover, Kaylabeth21, DevilJolie, ilyreid, PerfectlyGoodHeart, jessnicole, Ellavm18, spongee09, karensevani, PLL and Victorious RULE, chibichibi98, 78, Kjsama, SarahCullen4, An Amber Pen, Consortyana, Angel, lalahawaii, Laby Anne Boleyn, Purpleme523, beverlie4055, 2112brittbritt, TOKlarolineTVD, Micky-D12, ashlytorres24, blueberry55, Mistiously, MB Stortroen, Sony, lover, Iansarmy, AnnMarie318, Damon X Misaki, Liz213Mast, beverlie4055, jessnicole, mriagoga, Soladara, and all my guests – thank you so much for reading, taking the time to let me know what you think even if you don't agree with me. It means a lot! Thank you for the follows and favorites too!
Thank you for the wonderful notes to me personally btw. Now this is a fun chapter and the calm before the storm really. I'm glad you like the fact that Stefan has shown up. More of the MF gang is coming but I'll tell you read about all that…
Rebekah looked at me warily the moment I walked into her room. The worried look in her eyes stopped me cold.
"What?" I had to ask. "Are you okay?"
Rebekah put some steel in her expression, folding her arms across her chest as she stared at me intently. I didn't expect this. I expected her to be happy. When I'd proposed a double date with Klaus and myself, Stefan had easily agreed to go and at the time, Rebekah had seemed very eager. So what was up with this?
"Is my brother plotting something?" she asked me directly.
"To take us out of this freakin' mansion for a fun night which I desperately need," I said teasing her.
Rebekah didn't share my amusement. She still looked at me stone-faced.
"If Klaus is planning something…" she said in warning.
"Whoa." That took me off guard. "What's this all about?"
"I don't know, Caroline. Perhaps it's because the last several times that I've planned a fun evening of dress up and dancing, I ended up daggered or otherwise unable to attend."
Hanging my head, I stopped. I hadn't even thought about that and I felt like a heel. She was right. Elena had been the one to dagger her before the homecoming dance – just one reason she hated my other friend. But it gave me an idea of something to say…
"If it makes you feel any better, I missed most of the homecoming dance," I threw in.
"Most of?" Her expression told me she didn't know that.
"Tyler vervained me to keep me safe since the Salvatores were planning to kill Klaus using your father."
"The night Mikael died." Rebekah reflected on that. "I'd forgotten you weren't in on that one."
I shook my head.
"I thought I was," she said sadly.
"Enough of that," I told her, smiling and trying to get my friend in a festive mood. "Tonight is tonight. And tonight we're going to be happy and laugh and dance and have an amazing time!"
Rebekah sank onto the edge of her bed, her expression glum.
Looking around the room, I noticed that the door to her huge walk-in closet was open and a few dresses had been pulled out and laid across the chair at her vanity. She'd been thinking about it. But the sheer number of dresses she'd pulled out told me she was conflicted about something.
"Okay, now that we've established that your brother isn't going to dagger you tonight," I began.
"How can you be so sure of that?"
Poor Rebekah. How was I going to break through all of her worries so she could have a good time with me?
"I just am," I assured her. "He gave me his sincere smile, not that smirky one where he crinkles up his eyes and you know he's up to something."
"I know that look," Rebekah told with a dry huff of laughter. "All too well."
"I wouldn't put it past him to be up to something tonight," I admitted to her. "But I can almost guarantee you that it doesn't involve you or any of us here."
She looked like she wanted to believe me. But I couldn't keep from feeling like something else was bothering her.
"Okay, spill," I came to a stop before her. "What else is on your mind?"
Rebekah blew out an exhale. "Stefan."
Not surprising. But I listened. I'd explained to her to what had happened to my friend over the summer with Silas.
"I still have feelings for Stefan," Rebekah admitted.
"I know," I said gently.
"Elena dumped him for Damon," she went on. "Idiot. Caroline, I don't want to be the rebound girl."
Ah. That made sense. Still, I knew just how we could handle this.
"Then don't be." Sitting on the bed next to her, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. To my surprise, Rebekah lowered her head on my shoulder. "What Stefan needs more than anything right now is a friend. Be his friend. Listen, talk to him, have fun. Be there for him – as a friend. In time, see where it goes. We've got nothing if not time."
"He probably won't stay," she said sadly.
I honestly didn't know what Stefan would do but I personally didn't think him returning to Mystic Falls would do him any good.
"He has no reason to return," I told her. "You think he wants to watch Elena be happy with his brother?"
She picked up on the bitterness in my voice because she lifted her head to look at me.
"You wanted Stefan to be with her, didn't you?"
I blew out an exhale. No point in lying to her.
"I did. But Elena changed when she became a vampire, you know? It took me a while to accept it, especially when she turned her emotions off and tried to kill me but…"
"I liked her with her humanity switched off," Rebekah threw in.
"Not helping," I told her. "After a while, I came to see that Damon was the better choice for who she is now. He's not my favorite person, don't get me wrong, but it seems right now."
"Do you think Stefan could ever love me again? If he ever really did?"
My heart clenched in my chest at my friend's question. "In time, I think he could. He seemed happy to see you today."
"Would you mind at all?" Rebekah's expression was so sincere. "If one day Stefan decided to be with me?"
"If one day that happens? And you're happy together then I'll be happy too. Because I love both of you."
I barely got that sentence out when she pulled me into a fierce hug. I hugged her back, wanting her to be happy. When we finally pulled back, she leapt off the bed and sprang into action.
"So what do think Stefan would like?" She began reaching for the dresses at her vanity.
"No," I jumped up and walked over to her. "What would you like to wear tonight? What would make you happy?"
"Ooooh, dress up!" Christine squealed as she ran into the room. "Can I play?"
I had to laugh at Clarice's younger daughter. "Someone's feeling better."
Christine nodded eagerly.
"You can help. Rebekah and I are going out to dinner with Stefan and Klaus tonight and we need Rebekah to look hot," I explained. "Can you help us with that?"
"Love to!" the girl said.
The three of us began to consider the dresses Rebekah had already selected, decided that those would do and then dove into the closet. Rebekah had hundreds of dresses, twice as many shoes, and more accessories than I could imagine. When we'd narrowed it down to two choices for my friend, and Christine had very good taste for a kid so she really did have some input, Rebekah stopped and at looked at me hard.
"What are you going to wear?" she asked.
"I have a couple of cute dresses," I explained. "One of them will work."
"Show me," Rebekah demanded.
I could barely keep up with her as she marched down the hall to the room I shared with Klaus. He was stretched out on our bed, reading a book, clearly taken aback to see his sister, his girlfriend and one of the child witches march into his room and head for his closet.
Rebekah never paused, slinging open the closet door and snapping on the light. Christine was on her heels. Klaus' gaze captured mine.
"What this about, love?"
I walked over to the bed and leaned down to kiss him.
"What's this about?" Rebekah shouted from within the closet. "The fact that the woman you love occupies approximately two feet of your very substantial walk-in closet. It's pathetic, Nik."
Christine giggled and I mouthed "sorry" to Klaus as I joined them. By the time I'd gotten there, Rebekah had rejected everything she found there of mine.
"None of this will do," Rebekah decided before walking out to stare at her brother. "You'll just have to wear something of mine then. And I hope, Nik, that you plan on remedying this situation. You want to be king of New Orleans? Well, you can't have a queen who owns half the wardrobe of a common teenage girl."
Christine stood at Rebekah's side, wagging a finger at Klaus in support.
"Hey!" I shouted at her as she marched back out of the room.
Klaus was chuckling. He mouthed "sorry" to me as he returned to his book.
We got back to Rebekah's room and I was a little miffed at her assessment of my wardrobe. But I didn't have a choice but set that aside as we picked out dresses for me and tried things on and narrowed choices down for me. Luckily, Rebekah and I were close in size and she really did have some beautiful clothes.
We finally picked out a flirty, strapless red dress for Rebekah that made her figure look outrageously perfect and that would let her dance easily. For me, Rebekah and Christine insisted I wear a beautiful, strappy midnight blue dress that shimmered as I moved and allowed a surprising range of movement considering how well it fit my curves. I hadn't worn such a fine dress since the one Klaus had loaned me for prom.
I couldn't deny that I absolutely loved how I looked in it. I turned back and forth, my excitement about the evening growing by leaps and bounds.
"So? Go get ready," Rebekah shooshed me out.
Christine stood looking longingly at Rebekah holding up her red dress. The little blonde's face was wistful. "I hope when I grow up I'm as beautiful as you guys."
"Them?" Kol's voice came from the doorway as he smiled at her. "You'll be even more beautiful. You'll see."
Even Rebekah couldn't help the awww face that remark brought on. I could tell the girl had really endeared herself to Rebekah.
"You're late," Kol told the child.
"Late for what?" she asked.
"X-Box. Davina wants to play but she'll need some help because she hasn't played much. What do you say?" he asked, quirking a brow at her.
"Is there pizza involved?" Christine asked.
"Of course," he answered easily.
"Soda?"
"I think we sneak that past your mother."
"I can hear you," Clarice called from not too far away.
They both laughed.
"Are you sure?" Christine asked. "I'll just beat you again."
Kol scoffed. "Oh, you mean the time you supposedly won when the console shut off accidentally on purpose?"
"But it did," Christine defended herself.
"Liar. You cheated," Kol said with a smirk.
"I don't cheat!"
"Yes, you do," Clarice responded from down the hall.
"Come on then," he bid her and off they went.
Heading back for our room, I found Klaus gone so I hopped in the shower and started putting myself together. I was finishing up my hair, I'd left down as he asked to frame my face in soft curls, when he walked into our room already dressed in a gorgeous dark suit and looking more handsome then I'd ever seen him.
"You look amazing," I told him as I wrapped my arms around his waist.
"And you look beautiful," he whispered, claiming my lips for a teasing kiss. When I looked up into his eyes, I saw something in those depths. Oh, he was up to something.
Stepping back, I folded my arms across my chest as he looked at me in confusion.
"What are you up to?" I asked him point blank.
His smile didn't even fade a little. "What makes you think I'm up to anything, love?"
"I can see it in your face," I told him. "And I thought we were going to have a nice evening, a double date, where I got to get out and see New Orleans and -"
"Caroline, that's exactly what this evening is about," he assured me, taking a step closer.
"You don't plan to dagger Rebekah or anything?"
"Ah." Now he brought the dimples out. Damn him. "My sister is worried, is she? Well, I assure you that if I have, in fact, any ulterior motives this evening, no matter how small, that Rebekah and Stefan are quite safe."
"Aha!" I pointed at him now. "What are you up to?"
"Caroline," he lowered his voice even though it wasn't necessary in our room that he'd spelled. "Although it's not the reason for our evening out tonight, I do have one small task I'd like to complete since we'll be out and about."
I wasn't about to back down. "What task?"
"I want to get a message to Marcel," he admitted, surprising me.
"Wait. What?"
"Marcel. Now that I know he's no longer staunchly on Team Tyler, I wanted to get a message to him. Let him know that if he needs my help…"
That stopped me. I stared at him for a moment in amazement.
Klaus' expression grew serious fast. "Marcel was more than a mere protégé to me, Caroline. I practically raised him. In many ways, he's like a son to me. Despite the fact that my purpose in returning to New Orleans was to take back its throne from him, he's not someone I can easily turn my back on.
"I understand," I told him, his explanation moving me more than I could say. "I wasn't surprised by that. I was surprised that you actually told me what you planned."
"As Rebekah said earlier, are you not my queen?" His expression softened as he looked into my eyes.
I nodded, not knowing what to say to that. I didn't need to be anyone's queen. I just wanted to be his.
"You do look beautiful, love. I'm grateful to my sister for finding something so perfect for you." He let his gaze slide down over all of me and then slowly back up. "She is right, of course. We'll need to get you all new things for your wardrobe. Anything and everything that you want."
Okay, what girl didn't want to hear that? I was grinning.
"Are we safe going out tonight since Davina is here?" I asked him, letting him pull me back into his arms.
"Safer," he told me. "I don't think Marcel would move against us and I don't think our friend Tyler is ready to make his move yet. With Rebekah and I there, along with Rippah, I think you'll be well looked after."
"Rippah?" I imitated him. Badly. "Really?"
His smile widened. "I really like that nickname."
"I'm not worried about just my own safety," I admitted. "Do you think Marcel will notice and possibly take advantage of the fact that we're out tonight to try and take Davina back?"
"He can try." Klaus smoothed my hair back over one shoulder, lowering his lips to my neck and blessing my skin with a string of soft kisses until his lips reached my ear. "But Elijah will be here and he's not in the best of moods tonight it would seem. Kol will be here also, along with Clarice."
That made me feel better.
"So we're really going out on the town?" I wanted to confirm it. He had to know how badly I needed a night out.
His tongue teased the shell of my ear. "We are," he whispered. "I want the chance to show you off."
While my heart crashed in my chest, he pulled back as if remembering something he'd forgotten.
His eyes twinkled as he pulled a black velvet box from the pocket of his suit and placed it into my palm. He watched me intently as I opened it to reveal a beautiful necklace that featured a string of perfect diamonds on an elegant gold chain.
"Wow," I said, staring at it. It was the most beautiful jewelry item I'd ever seen in real life. It looked like a line of stars on a string against the dark cloth. "Klaus, this is so beautiful. Thank you."
"I thought you might like to wear it tonight." He pulled it gently from the box, looking positively triumphant that I liked and accepted his gift.
Hey, I wasn't crazy.
Moving behind me, I realized he intended to put it on me. Lifting my hair for him, I could hardly keep from squealing as I watched him lower it in front of me and then gently work the clasp at the back of my neck.
I felt his lips, his tongue, at the back of my neck then and I gasped as his arms wrapped around me, pulling me tightly against him.
"Are we going to make it out of this room?" I teased, enjoying his ministrations. He knew so many ways to physically devastate me and my body was quickly heating up.
Turning me to face him, he claimed my lips with a searing kiss, his tongue dancing with mine for a long moment before he finally lifted his head.
"As much as I'd like to stay here and enjoy all of you, I believe I made a promise to my girl that we would have a wonderful evening in my favorite city."
A wrap on the door startled me.
"Let's go," Rebekah called from the other side.
"Thank you," I told him, kissing him before dashing to the mirror for one last check over – and to see how awesome my new necklace looked. And my jaw dropped when I saw it added to my reflection in the mirror. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever owned. It was delicate, light. But somehow it felt surprisingly heavy and warm against my skin.
Offering me his arm, he led me down the stairs to where Rebekah waited with Stefan. My friend looked handsome as always in his black suit, putting on a smile that didn't quite fool me. But he was trying and I was determined that he would have a good time.
Rebekah really put me to shame in her red dress. Her hair was swept up and her makeup was perfect. She looked like a movie star.
Her gaze fell on my necklace with interest and I realized I was holding my breath, waiting to see how she would react. Like Klaus, she could be quite unpredictable in how she interpreted things. I was so happy to see her smile, first at me, then at her brother.
"That's more like it, Nik," she told me.
Klaus couldn't have looked more proud of himself.
"Oh, one last thing," I told them, holding up one finger. Making my way into the living room where the sounds of serious gaming emanated, I found Christine. I wanted her blessing since she was the one who first suggested my dress.
She and Anya were on either side of Davina, showing her how to play the particular video game they would no doubt play until later than Clarice would like. Their new friend was all smiles as she took in what they said and my heart melted to see her having fun, getting to be a kid instead of a pawn in a game that had robbed her of a normal life.
"Look at you," Kol drawled from his seat on the floor next to them. He was enjoying pizza and beer as his gaze swept over me. "I keep telling you, gorgeous, you've chosen the wrong brother."
Christine's head shot up at that point and she raced in my direction. "Now that looks hot," she declared.
Anya and Davina glanced my way too. Anya was only marginally interested, she was only marginally interested in anything. Davina's smile was genuine.
"You look very pretty," she said, looking a lot more at ease.
"Thank you," I told them, ignoring Kol who sat there smirking at me anyway. "Are you going to be okay with this crew?" I teased Davina.
She nodded enthusiastically. "I might even figure out how to play – what are we playing?"
"Assassin's Creed, the pirate edition," Anya told me proudly, holding up the box.
"Oh wow," I told her. "Danger on the high seas. Sounds like a lot fun."
"It is. So blow off my brother and come join us," Kol appealed to me, his grin widening when I felt Klaus walk up behind me.
"Seems you already have three beautiful women to attend to, mate," Klaus said over my shoulder. "No need to be greedy now."
Kol winked at me and I shook my head at him as Klaus steered me out of the room. Shouts of "have fun!" and "see you later!" made me realize that this was really on. I was going out for a night in New Orleans.
Damn right I was excited!