"This isn't the airport" Caroline looked out the window at the field they had landed in.
"Not quite the main airport, Jimmy's not exactly welcome there." Nik smirked.
Jimmy was unlocking the doors and carefully lowering the stairs so they could walk out of the plane.
"I maintain that the suitcase full of weed was left on the plane by one of my passengers." Jimmy smiled.
"And the assault rifles?" Nik laughed.
"Self protection. I had a permit for those."
"Under which name?" Nik joked.
"Like you're one to talk, is it Night or Smith this week? Do you still have that passport that says your name is James Bond? That was always my favorite."
Caroline looked up "Wait, is Night not your real last name? Is your name even Niklaus?"
"I usually use Nik as my first name when I'm working, it's the most common sounding variation of my real name. Niklaus is really my name. But my last name is actually Mikaelson."
"Niklaus Mikaelson. Wow, that's a mouthful."
He raised his eyebrows and smirked, clearly taking her words to mean something less innocent than she intended.
"You said it, love."
"Gross, that's not what I meant."
He leaned close and whispered so only she could hear him. "You didn't seem to think it was so gross that time you wrapped your pretty little lips around my-"
"Child on the plane, Klaus!"
"I'm not a child, I'm a magician!" Robbie protested.
"Thats right, and I owe the magician a reward for the in flight entertainment. Jimmy, is there time?"
Jimmy shrugged. "I was going to run a few errands while I'm here. If you want to take him, be my guest. Arms dealers get a little weirded out by seven year old showing up for a trade anyway."
"Looks like I have you for the rest of the day." Nik smiled, patting Robbie on the back.
Caroline looked at Jimmy like he was crazy. "You're trusting him to babysit your kid?"
Jimmy smiled. "I can't think of anyone I'd trust more with Robbie."
The way he spoke suggested there was some kind of story behind his sentiments, but he was choosing not to share. He opened up a trick panel in the wall and started loading a bunch of guns into a trunk. "Do you mind keeping him overnight? I might run a bit late with this stuff. These guys never show up on time."
"No problem" Nik shrugged. "We'll stay at the place from last time."
Caroline was about to protest about how they were supposed to be getting back to her friends, but she knew she would feel like a jerk for ruining the little kid's plans so she kept her mouth shut. Besides, she was intrigued by watching Nik interact with the little kid. It was a side of him she never expected.
"Alright, I'm thinking SplashTown?" Nik suggested.
Robbie shouted and jumped up and down. "SplashTown! SplashTown!"
Jimmy looked up "Nik, there's a bag with his swimsuit and a few changes of clothes over the first row of seats. And don't just feed him junk like you did last time."
"Which car?" Nik asked.
Jimmy pointed to the little outbuilding the plane was parked next to. "Take the Jeep, I need the SUV."
Caroline felt a little hand wrap around her as Robbie marched her out of the plane and into the car. Once they were out on the road he fell asleep across the back seat.
She looked at Nik, waiting for an explanation of what she just got roped into. They were supposed to be going back to her friends. Whatever their plans were for the day, it seemed like something that was routine to him. Did her regularly go on vacations with a random smuggler and a little kid?
"You've been here before?" She asked. He seemed to know his way around the island pretty well.
"Your friends aren't the only ones who run drugs on this island, sweetheart. The smarter traders around here hire the likes of me for protection."
"And is taking little kids to water parks part of your job?" She challenged.
"Jimmy and I have had a professional relationship since I got started in this business. Once his ex died and he got full custody of Robbie, I made a point to spend more time around them socially."
"You said you don't have friends."
"I don't. Jimmy and I will always be more like business associates. We've both been in this too long to get sentimental about things. Bur Robbie..." he trailed off.
"What happened to Robbie's mother?"
"Heroin overdose. He was in the apartment with her. He was alone in there for three days after she died before someone found him. He was four."
"Oh my god."
"After that, he was around all the time. This haunted little kid sitting on a trunk full of guns while his dad made trades. He'll never be able to go to school or have friends over his house, he'll never get a normal family. I work with Jimmy a lot. I just wanted to try and give the kid more of a normal life. So I occasionally spend time with him, doing things normal kids get to do."
Caroline looked into the back seat. She felt her heart breaking for the sleeping little boy back there. He had seemed so silly and carefree, she had no idea what he had already been through at such a young age.
She looked out the window and watched the landscape whip past them. She was looking away from him but she could still see him out of the corner of her eye. He kept glancing over towards her. She saw him hesitantly reach towards her hand with his free one, but pull back. She felt a little smug knowing the big bad killer was too nervous to try to hold her hand.
They stopped at a little shop so she and Nik could buy bathing suits. He just pulled a pair of trunks off the rack and put them on the counter, but she took her time, looking around for just the right one, and then trying on seven different options. Nik and Robbie almost got kicked out for dueling with pool noodles while they impatiently waited for her to pick something.
They arrived at a hotel that seemed to cater to families with kids. There were bright colored cartoon characters decorating the walls and the tvs in the lobby were all tuned to the disney channel. Nik checked them in while Robbie dragged Caroline over to the shelf full of video games and puzzles you could rent and bring back to the rooms. He wanted to show her the ones he played with Nik the last time they stayed there. As they walked down the hall to their room Robbie took each of their hands and walked between them, chatting about which ride he wanted to go on first at SpalshTown. Caroline was uneasily aware of how they must have looked like a family to anyone who walked by.
Nik sent Robbie into the bathroom to change, and as soon as the door shut, he was pulling off his own clothes and changing into the trunks he just bought.
Caroline let out a squeak of protest and turned bright red.
"Nothing you haven't seen before" he shrugged.
She just turned around and waited for Robbie to hurry up so she could go and change in privacy.
She grabbed her purse as they went out the door, but Nik only stuffed a few cards and his keys in his pocket, leaving his phone and the rest of his stuff in the room. "I wouldn't, Everything that comes with us is likely to get soaked."
She hesitated and put the bag down, reaching in for a credit card, but he pulled her away before she could grab one.
"Don't bother with that, your money's no good here."
"Oh, is this the date you tricked me into?"
"Nonsense, I'm just taking my favorite kid to the water park. And because you're so very prone to injury and danger, I'll have to let you tag along so I can keep an eye on you."
"You're letting me tag along? Oh, how nice of you, Klaus."
He ignored the jab and turned to Robbie. "As long as it's ok with the magician. Can she come with us?"
Robbie smiled and nodded.
Rebecca and Stefan bumped into each other in the hallway, each holding a bag of food. She waved her bag in his face.
"The best tacos on the island."
"Second best." he retorted, motioning to his own bag "I'm freaking hungry, let's go eat."
"How many did you get?" She asked.
"How many did I get, or how many are left?"
"Stefan!"
"I can't control myself! I had three just walking over here. But there's a ton left."
"You're a savage! A ripper! There's no way to neatly eat those things while walking around, you must have left a trail everywhere."
He just smiled and tried for her bag.
"Not a chance!" she swatted him away, and checked her phone. "Damon texted me, He's running out to pick up some tequila and mix for margaritas."
"Damon texted you? He's my brother."
"I guess he likes me better." She teased.
They walked into the room and heard the shower running. He grabbed a bucket to get some ice from the hall. Rebecca flopped down on a couch and closed her eyes.
Stefan returned and put the bucket in the freezer.
"Elena's still in the shower?"
"Sounds like it." She muttered.
"She always takes forever." He replied, and laid down on the couch next to her.
"No Way." Caroline said, looking up at the steep eighty foot drop water slide.
"I'm not scared." Robbie smiled.
"See, he's not scared, and he's only seven." Nik replied.
"Then you two go. I'll wait down here." She replied.
"It's fun, Caroline!" Robbie tugged on her hand. "Try it."
She shook her head. Just looking at that thing made her want to throw up. There was no way she was going to plunge down the almost completely vertical tube that was open in the front so you could see as you fell. It looked like a death trap. What stopped people from falling right out the side and plummeting to their deaths?
Nik put an arm around Robbie and started to lead him away, but he looked at Caroline as he spoke. "Let's go, she isn't coming with us. Caroline doesn't like to take chances on things that scare her. Even when she knows it would be the most fun she'd ever have."
She glared at him. He was making this about him? Fine. She could do the same.
"I'm surprised you're not forcing me to go on. Considering you don't seem to listen to the word no." She retorted.
"I've never taken you on a water slide you didn't want to go on." he replied innocently, but she could read that he knew exactly what she was talking about.
"But you have taken me on rides I said no to."
"You might have said no, but I could tell what you really wanted."
"What makes you think that you know what I want?"
"Was I wrong?" he challenged.
"You were wrong, to not stop when I told you to. That time, in the shelter, you know what I'm talking about."
"You didn't want me to stop."
"I told you to stop."
"You didn't mean it."
"That wasn't your call to make."
"What ride are you guys talking about?" Robbie interrupted.
Caroline blushed. She had forgotten the little kid was standing right there.
"Oh, um, just some roller coaster." She answered lamely.
"I love roller coasters." Robbie said proudly.
"Caroline does too." Nik responded "She makes the cutest noises when she ri- oww!" He clutched his arm, which Caroline just punched, hard. It was a move he taught her, actually. "You hit me! Why would you hit me when I'm just telling the kid how much you like roller coasters." He was trying to sound shocked and offended, but he kept laughing.
"You're impossible." She swatted at him again. She looked up at the slide again. "And I'm going on that."
"So you'll take a chance after all?" Nik smiled.
"Don't read too much into it." She snipped, and followed Robbie up the steps.
They had gone on every ride in the park at least once. Some of the slides had short lines, so Robbie would drag them right back up the steps once they went down. For now, he was content playing in the kid's area with some other children while Nik and Caroline sat on a lounge chair nearby and watched.
She let him pull her next to him on the chair and lace her fingers with his. They had seemed to reach a strange point in their new relationship, whatever you would call it, where little physical touches were ok. She felt a jolt every time his skin grazed hers, it was like everything was new again. At the same time, she was still wary and didn't want to give him the wrong impression. She leaned against him, exhausted from all the walking they had done that day.
An overwhelmed looking mother set a large bag on the chair next to them and gave her three kids explicit instructions to stay together before sending them out into the play area. As soon as they were a few steps away from her they scattered in different directions. She gave an exasperated sigh and sunk down into her chair.
She looked over at the couple on the chair next to her.
"Which one is yours?" She asked.
Nik pointed over at Robbie.
"He looks about the same age as my middle boy. 8?"
"7" Nik responded.
The woman nodded. She glanced over at Caroline. "You look very young for the mother of a 7 year old."
Caroline wanted to laugh. She would have had to have given birth at twelve to be Robbie's mother. Nik could pass as his parent, though. He was 25 but he looked a bit older.
Nik put his arm around her and smiled at the woman. "It was quite a scandal, really. My first year teaching, I'm at this all girl's middle school. This little minx walks into my seventh grade class. Knee socks, the rolled up plaid skirt, all that. We connected instantly." He looked lovingly into Caroline's eyes, and she glares back at him.
The woman's jaw had dropped.
He continues "It was true love. Her parent's didn't see it that way, of course, I got three years in prison when they found out about our little bundle of joy over there." He motioned at Robbie. The woman in the chair next to them was grabbing her things and getting up. He continued with his little story, looking over at Caroline. "But now you're over 18 and we don't need to deal with the pesky little restraining order anymore, now do we?"
The lady darted up, mumbling about having to be somewhere.
"Nice to meet you!" Nik shouted at her as she hurried away.
"Why did you have to do that?" Caroline scolded him.
"Do what?"
"Scare her away."
"I was just having a bit of fun."
"You're crazy."
"I think we should have a cover story. New identities for when we're here. How would you explain the three of us to a total stranger?"
"You couldn't just say you were his uncle or cousin or something?"
"Well that's not very creative."
"You could have said he was adopted." She offered.
"But he looks just like us!" He joked.
"Then tell people he's your kid and I'm just your friend."
"I don't want to be just friends."
"It's only a story."
"Even in the story." He pouted.
"You're never going to give up, are you?"
He pulled her closer "Not even if it takes a year or a century, I know one day you'll tell me you feel the same way, I'm just waiting for you to figure it out."
She felt a pang of guilt. It was wrong to keep holding his hand and acting so cuddly with him, it was wrong for her to kiss him on the plane. She was feeding into his delusions that they could have a real relationship after everything they'd been through. At least that's why she told herself she was feeling guilty. It couldn't possibly be guilt she felt because she knew he was right and the only thing stopping her was her worry about losing her friends. Could it? She pushed the idea out of her head and tried to make him think she had ignored his last statement.
"I think it's time to get Robbie some dinner."
Damon got back in the room and set the bottles and bag of food down on the table. He looked over at Stefan and Rebecca, who looked guilty.
"What have you two been up to?"
"We might have started eating without you." Rebecca admitted, glancing over at a pile of wrappers.
"Animals." Damon deadpanned.
He looked around and picked up the sound of the running water coming from his bathroom.
"Babe, get out here already, I'm starving."
There was no response.
"I'll drag her out." He told the others and walked over.
They heard Damon walk into the bathroom and the water turn off. He walked back out slowly, a look of shock on his face. He was pale, drained of all color, and his breathing seemed shaky.
"She's not there."
Stefan jumped up. "What do you mean, not there?"
"Her clothes are on the counter, but she wasn't in there."
"But we heard the shower running." Stefan said, unable to wrap his head around it. "Why would she leave her clothes in the bathroom and the shower on?"
"She's not there." Damon repeated. He felt cold. This was his worst fear realized. Something had happened to her and he wasn't there to stop it.
Stefan and Rebecca just looked at each other, horrified. Someone had taken her.
A/N Thank you so much everyone who'se been reading this and especially for the reviews! I love them, please keep leaving them. I think this story will have about five more chapters in it so look out for more!