"Five Golden Rings"

Caroline tossed and turned through the night.

With frustration, she threw her bed covers off and rolled onto her side.

She tried to sleep, but it never came.

Opening her eyes and allowing them to adjust to the darkness, Caroline sighed.

Her gaze wandered right over to her white vanity, where the bracelet Klaus had given her laid snug in its box.

It practically called her name.

"And cue the ghost of Christmas past…" She mumbled.

Finally Caroline got up and slid into her cushioned bench; she opened the box and pulled the bracelet out gently.

"This isn't me. I shouldn't be doing this." She admitted, placing the bracelet back inside the box.

"No one deserves to be strung along…not even Klaus." Caroline sighed and looked at herself in the mirror, knowing what she had to do.

Caroline rang the doorbell to the Mikaelson manor three times before letting herself in.

"Whoa." She said breathlessly as she entered to marble foyer.

Christmas lights and tinsel hung everywhere imaginable, and in the connected parlor room, a group of hybrids or maids were hanging green wreaths in the windows.

"Excuse me?" Caroline interrupted, "I need to see Klaus."

"Well, look no further."

Caroline turned around just as Klaus was coming through the front door.

"And what do I owe this lovely surprise?"

Caroline couldn't help but roll her eyes, "Actually, I need to talk to you."

"Wonderful. I'll arrange for some breakfast, your gift as just arrived as well." Klaus said, walking through the parlor room and into a humongous dining room, with a large wooden table and matching chairs.

"That's what I needed to talk about." Caroline began as she followed him.

Klaus pulled her chair out for her and they both took their seats.

"Before you begin, what would you like for breakfast? Or if you've eaten we have a large variety of coffee?"

"Coffee's fine." Caroline said as her stomach twisted, her nerves coming out of nowhere.

Klaus gestured from a corner of the room and in just a few moments Caroline had to pick from several types of lattes, cappuccinos, and even teas.

"I hope you find on you like." Klaus said with a smile.

Caroline decided on green tea with a dab of citrus, she held her mug tightly in her hands as she fought for the right words to speak.

Klaus poured his own coffee, black, and added some sort of spices to it.

"Now," Klaus said easily after he took a sip, "What was it that you wanted to speak to me about?"

Caroline exhaled and placed her mug onto the table, "Okay, look, I'm not an idiot. I can feel this…weird connection we have, and I'm not denying it."

Klaus opened his mouth to interject, but Caroline beat him to it.

"But I'm not being fair here, I have a boyfriend and-"

Klaus laughed and Caroline's words hung in the air.

"Don't grow a conscience now, love. At least open this first." He said with a grin, pulling another small box out of his jacket pocket and slid it slowly towards Caroline.

Caroline shook her head, "I really can't accept this."

Klaus smirked and shrugged lightly, "Very well."

The pair fell into silence.

Caroline picked up her mug and took slow sips.

Finally, she placed it back down, "Did your family celebrate Christmas when you were human?"

Her question caught Klaus entirely off guard.

"Not particularly." He answered slowly, "My youngest brother was born in the winter time, after his death we hardly felt it appropriate to celebrate."

Caroline kicked herself for bringing up such a dark subject, "I'm sorry." Was all she could formulate, and knew it wasn't enough.

Klaus inhaled after a long sip of his coffee, "What about you, what do your favorite holiday memories consist of?"

Caroline frowned as she thought, "Well, Christmas was always weird because my parents were divorced. So if I saw one at Christmas, then I saw the other at New Year's and basically had a second Christmas."

Klaus nodded as he listened, "Did you have a favorite holiday parent?"

Caroline laughed and shook her head, "No, because they were always trying to outdo each other," She paused and reflected, "All I ever wanted to do was go ice skating, and neither of my parents would ever take me!" She giggled and took another sip of tea. With an eye roll she added, "Not your typical American Christmas."

Klaus laughed politely as he watched Caroline carefully drink; slyly she would take a glimpse at the neatly wrapped box that sat just near her elbow.

Klaus admired her stubbornness at times.

"How about this," Klaus started, gesturing towards the gift, "If you don't like it or need it or whatever you may be telling yourself, I will gladly pawn it for you and you can keep the money and do with it as you please. Put it in your savings, or donate it, or perhaps buy some fancy organic food?"

Caroline couldn't help but laugh, "Okay, okay" She gave up, delicately picking up the box and opening it.

"Oh my god." She whispered, and then looked back at Klaus, "Seriously?"

Klaus happily shrugged, "It's really nothing."

Caroline took the golden ring into the palm of her hand; she twisted it lightly in the light revealing the sparkling band of diamonds wrapped around the freshwater pearl.

She suddenly remembered the verse of the day, "Five golden rings."

Surely there weren't four more rings waiting for her. This one had to cost at least four thousand dollars.

"Is this made of five kinds of gold, or something?" She asked Klaus, peering more closely at the ring.

Klaus's lips twitched into a smile, "Of course not. Only three. Three types of gold, diamonds and a pearl."

"Five." Caroline shook her head, "Incredible."

Klaus watched her for a moment before he began speaking, "Now, do you wish to keep it or trade it for something?" He questioned, lacing his fingers on the table.

Caroline pursed her lips and looked back at the ring.

It was beautiful, and she loved it.

But wouldn't taking the ring send the wrong message?

Although, it was a gift…

Caroline's mind worked to find the perfect answer.

Klaus interjected her thoughts, "Caroline, I simply want you to know that you have other options, whatever option you choose will be fine with me."

Caroline peeled herself away from her thinking and looked at Klaus strangely as he continued.

"Now, whether those options are good or bad, well, that is of your deciding of course." He smiled at her.

Caroline left the Mikaelson manor with the ring in her purse.

Klaus's words continued to swim through her mind.

Was it possible that he was talking about more than just a ring?

A/N: To clear up some confusion on the last chapter, yes Klaus planned for all those good things to happen to Caroline. I didn't really spend a lot of time thinking about the details, but, he could've easily compelled one (or several) of Liz's deputies to take on a few of the open cases. And Bonnie's as easy as Klaus compelling a member of her family to say, "How's your friend Caroline?" lol. But really. Obviously the others were pretty compel-able ;) that's a word now.

Ahh, Day 5. My favorite part of the song. Does anyone else sing it like this: " FIVE GOLDEN RINGGGGGGGSSSSSSSSSSS!" And do like this weird hand motion too? Because I definitely do that. Lol.