XII

"Klaus actually came crawling back?" Katherine said surprise as she touched up her red lipstick. "Wow, color me impress."

Things had been so busy lately that the two girls hadn't seen each other in weeks. Katherine was only a few weeks more pregnant than her, but she looked slightly bigger or maybe that was because she was stuffing cookies in her mouth like there was no tomorrow.

"Stupid cravings." Katherine groaned. "At this point I'm going to be as fat as a whale, but never mind that, what did Klaus say? What did he offer you?"

Caroline shrugged. "He was too busy breaking and entering into my apartment so we couldn't exactly have a decent conversation, but he did pay off all my bills which I guess means that he wants to be part of the baby's life after all."

"Sorry about the key I didn't know, if it makes you feel better I yelled at Elijah for five minutes when you told me."

"Good for you." Caroline replied. "So you're keeping the baby?"

Katherine nodded. "For now and Elijah and I have patch things up for now . . . we just have to wait what will happen."

"Oh, mother stop frowning you'll get wrinkles!" Caroline said as she faced her mother who was behind the desk at the police department. "It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal, Caroline?" Liz tried not to snap. "First this man humiliated you and tells you he wants nothing to do with your baby and suddenly he paying off your bills, no there's something more, something that you're not telling me."

Caroline held back a groan. "I am telling you everything I swear, maybe Klaus had a change of heart."

"I doubt it." Liz looked panic by the ringing phone. "Look, I have a lot going on right now, but I want to meet him, so schedule a meeting, tonight."

"But-"

"No buts, Caroline, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."

"Well, aren't you ever going to wipe that arrogant smirk off your face?" Klaus snapped at Elijah, they were sitting on opposite sides of the conference room. "So I paid off her bloody bills, what's the big deal?"

"It's not smugness, little brother." Elijah said. "It's the fact that after years, you finally learn to care about others wellbeing other that yourself."

"Well aren't you mighty proud."

Elijah ignored his sarcasm. "In a few weeks after mother and father return from their trip to Italy Katherine and I will be telling them that she is expecting my child."

"Are you expecting a congratulations from me?"

"No," Elijah said. "I'm saying this to you so that you and Miss Forbes can decided when it's the best time to tell our parents about this mess you created."

Much to her surprise Klaus had agreed to meet with Liz, even though Caroline had prepared herself for a rejection. His actual response had been "It would be an honor love, I'm quite curious to meet your mother." Which didn't help settle Caroline's nervousness.

It didn't help that Liz showed up wearing her sheriff's uniform as if she was going to arrest somebody. Caroline wanted to face palm herself as soon as she opened the door and saw "Sheriff Forbes" which usually meant business.

Now twenty minutes later Klaus, Liz, and Caroline were crowded over the small kitchen table and the feeling of tension was in the air, Caroline doubted that Liz and Klaus even knew she was in the room, they were paying attention to each other.

Liz and Klaus hadn't take their eyes of each other. "So Klaus where do you work?"

"I work for my father who is the owner of Mikaelson Inc. as the CFO." Klaus said pleasantly.

Liz nodded which meant that Klaus was rich, no wonder he had been able to pay all of Caroline's bills so easily, but it wasn't the money that Liz was worried about, it was her daughter's happiness and Klaus didn't seem like the man that would make her Caroline happy.

Liz crossed her arms across her chest ignoring the tea that Caroline had poured for her. "Well, I think we should get our priorities in order, Klaus what are your intentions towards my daughter and your child?"

Caroline let out a groan. "Mom!" honestly did they had to talk about this so early?

Klaus ignored Caroline's whine. "As your daughter may have mention I have paid off her debts and made sure that the store is hers for the future, I don't want any part of it. I of course am willing to pay for my baby's financial needs as well as a nanny or a caretaker."

Liz nodded as she looked at them both and blurted out. "So I'm guessing this means that you're not marrying?"

"No!" both Klaus and Caroline practically shouted.

Caroline tugged back a piece of hair. "Mom, this isn't the dark ages, Klaus doesn't have to marry me just because he got me pregnant."

Klaus saw the way that Liz's lips were pulling into a frown indicating that she was displeased and Klaus was in no mood to deal with melodramatic females. He put on his charming self. "Mrs. Forbes, while I have no intention of marrying her, I can assure you that I will not leave your daughter or my child deserted, I respect them too much."

Caroline bit back a snort. At least Klaus could act like a concern parent to be.

Liz sighed as she looked weary. "All right, well . . . I guess you'll have to do."

Elijah stepped into their room later that night, he notice that the room was empty. "Katherine?"

"In the shower!" came Katherine's answer.

Elijah walked towards their bed and laid down on Katherine's side, running a business and dealing with his self-destructive little brother took a lot of energy, he saw through the corner on his eye that Katherine's night table drawer was so full that it could barely close.

Elijah sighed as he opened it, Katherine could be so messy, his eyes widened however when he saw the content of three books with titles like: Everything you need to know about pregnancy, How to be a good mother, and A baby a joy in your life.

Parenting books? Why would Katherine buy parenting books unless she was changing her mind?

He heard the shower stopped running and he immediately pulled the books back inside, it was probably better if he didn't tell Katherine that he saw them. She would tell him when she was ready.

-End of Chapter Twelve-

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