"Six Geese a Laying"
Caroline heard the doorbell ring somewhere deep in her sleep.
By the third ring, her eyes had finally opened.
Trudging down the stairs in her penguin pajamas, she reached the front door and opened it; the bright sun caused her to squint.
"Good morning sweetheart."
Caroline blinked several time, trying to comprehend the image of Klaus standing before her, dressed in dark jeans and a gray hoodie.
"Are you ready for your day six adventure?"
Caroline inhaled and quickly looked down at her pajamas, "Give me like, 5 minutes." She said quickly.
Caroline peered closely at the sign before her as the car slowed to a stop.
"Goose Pond?" She asked, "Is that the cheesy reference to the lyrics for today?" She added playfully.
Klaus shrugged as he caught Caroline's eye, he smirked and opened his door.
Caroline curiously followed.
She pulled her pea coat closer to her, even though the cold didn't really affect her. She trailed behind Klaus down a worn dirt path. It hadn't snowed yet, but the trees were lightly frosted; the brown and red leaves beneath them snapped and crunched as they walked.
Finally the trees opened up to a clearing.
Caroline gasped and instantaneously smiled.
The pond was iced over.
And there were ice skates waiting for her.
Caroline lit up like a little girl in a doll shop.
"Do you approve?" Klaus asked, watching Caroline attempt to mask her enthusiasm.
"Yes." She said happily, "I do approve." She turned to face him, "So, you actually listen when I speak, huh?"
Klaus smiled, "You say the most interesting things, love, how could I not listen?"
Caroline hid her blush by turning away, "Are you skating too?" She asked, walking to the small bench that held white ice skates in her size.
Klaus watched her sit and take her boots off; she easily slid the skates on and began lacing them up, "Perhaps another time." Was his simplistic answer.
Caroline shrugged as she stood and strode to the pond on the blades, "How is this even possible? It was like, fifty degrees yesterday?"
Klaus sauntered to the bench and sat down, "Would you believe me if I left it at 'Christmas magic'?" He asked with a grin.
Caroline slid easily onto the ice, her balance was perfection.
"I was always really good at rollerblading." Caroline drawled as she glided across the pond, "I always knew I'd be a great ice skater."
Klaus chuckled, "I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that you're a vampire."
"Hey, I like to think that I was an awesome human, let me have this moment!"
Klaus watched her test her luck, spinning in wide circles at first and tightening them up as she gained speed. The smile on her face is what made everything worth it. Every little thing he did.
"You know, I was thinking," Caroline said suddenly, "If we entered the Olympics, would that be cheating?"
"I tried out one year."
Caroline stopped skating and looked at him, "Really? What year?"
Klaus waved her off, "In the eighties or seventies…they blur together at times."
Caroline was surprised, "What event did you try out for? Was it for team USA?"
"I really wanted to do a winter sport, skiing or something." He began, "I compelled my way through most of the rounds, so I was at the one just before they pick the team to go."
Caroline nodded in amazement.
"But when I got in the room with the other men who were competing, I just left."
Caroline's forehead scrunched in confusion, "Why?"
Klaus shrugged, "I'm not sure. It was just something about all their talk of their training and how it would help their lives so much…" He stopped and filled his eyes with Caroline's, "Suppose I'm not as evil as I wish to be."
The corner of Caroline's lip pulled into a smile as she resumed her skating.
After doing a few more pirouettes, Caroline daintily stepped off the ice and made her way back to the bench.
She exhaled as she sat down and began unlacing her skates, "So, yesterday…" She began hesitantly, staying very focused on the ties of her skates, "When you mentioned your brother Henrik?"
Klaus waited motionlessly for Caroline to continue. Caroline pulled her skates off and began replacing them with her boots.
"Well, it just…" Caroline inhaled and blew it out, she looked at Klaus and slowly spoke, "Before I was born, my parents had a baby before me. A boy." She clasped and unclasped her hands, "Samuel." Caroline looked at Klaus and sadly smiled, "He died hours after his birth, he was so early and tiny…he just couldn't make it."
Klaus listened patiently, watching his light confide in him; trust him.
"Anyways," She continued, dabbing her eyes, "He was born the same month as me…so for a long time my birthday was always an awful experience. I always felt that somehow it was my fault that he didn't make it."
Klaus nodded and looked forward toward the pond.
Caroline reached out and put her hand on top of his knee, "But that's the thing,"
Klaus looked quickly at her hand resting against his jeans.
"Sometimes terrible things just happen."
For a moment, their eyes lingered on one and others. There was a force there between them, pulling them closer.
Suddenly Caroline looked away and took her hand back, her cheeks freshly pinched with pink.
"Race you to the car!" She said hastily, standing from the bench, "Loser buys lunch!" She hollered as she took off back in the direction of the car.
Klaus shook his head with a single laugh as he followed closely behind her.
A/N: I definitely wrote this chapter with a mug of hot cocoa and Michael Buble's 'All I Want for Christmas is You" on repeat….sorry for the feels….I was having them while writing.
Also, if someone WANTS to write a songfic one shot to 'All I Want for Christmas is You" in maybe Klaus' perspective… I mean, I'd read it….just saying...