Hello everyone! I know I know I'm such a HORRIBLE person! It's been almost a month (or really a month) since I updated, but in all fairness I had my other story to wrap up and then I suffered with a little bit of writer's block and didn't want this to turn out crappy. Hopefully, I got my inspiration back to this story and I will update sooner :D

Thank you for your patience. Also, the first half of the chapter is from Rebekah's POV. I'm sorry if it bothers you but Nik and Caroline currently need a third party to have another perspective and when action is on her side I need to show it. Besides, she'll proved us with important info this chapter *wink wink* Also, I know this is long, but oh well, words vomit!

OK, off with my rant :D Enjoy!

Chapter 6: Hope for the Hopeless

'You wanna tell me what that was all about?' Caroline asks. Weirdly enough, she was able to hold back her questions about the evening's latest events until we arrived back at the apartment.

In all honesty, Stefan and I had not meant for the conversation about Tatia to turn into such a disturbing argument with Nik, as always, storming out of the place. I could see it in Stefan's eyes that when he asked he only meant to tease him, albeit that it was not exactly the rightful time to do such thing, a fact that only occurred to me after the damage was done. Of course, I should have expected Nik to be infuriated with our intervention, even more so with the fact that Caroline was there, who he was, obviously, attracted to, and she, too, was attracted to him.

Despite my disliking to this fact, I cannot deny that their demeanor seems to shift around each other, especially with Nik. It is like Caroline can fire a spark in his eyes that I have not seen in what seems to be an eternity even though they are practical strangers.

However, I know better than to lead either of them on into a relationship that can only end tragically just for the simple fact that my brother would be a part of it.

'Which part exactly are you talking about?' I try to joke, but Caroline only glares at me. I sigh.

'Look, Bex, I understand if you don't want to tell me about your brother's life. I mean it's his business after all.' She starts as a matter-of-factly 'but you keep warning me from leading myself on with this attraction we have,' I start to protest but she holds up a finger 'which we do and you know it, and I have a feeling that your warnings have everything to do with what happened tonight'

'Not everything' I mutter, leaning forward in my seat and trying to stop the flood of unlikable memories. I was only sixteen back then, when I realized that I might lose my brother because he, himself, decided he no longer wanted to live…just thinking about it makes the fear build-up within me again. Of course, I was not meant to know anything about it being other than an accident, but I overheard Elijah talking with Fin about putting him through therapy. And I was not young enough to misunderstand that.

I shake my head frantically, not wanting to remember that it all went back to that dreadful day no matter how many years passed.

'Mostly everything' I say after a long moment of silence.

'What do you mean?' Caroline asks, shifting in her seat so that she, too, was sitting at the edge. Even though I can't see her face, I know that she would be frowning worriedly at my unnerved expression. Unlike my brother, I have no ability at all to block away my emotions from my face.

'Nik comes with a lot of…baggage' I say for lack of a better word 'His life has been so complicated up to this point'

Caroline is silent, waiting for me to continue.

'He's too high maintenance, Caroline, being with him can tear you apart. What you saw today was nothing but a taste of who he really is. He's too closed up in his own mind, Caroline. He doesn't open up to anyone. I mean, you saw what he did with Tatia' I huff.

'I thought you didn't like Tatia' Caroline raises her eyebrows at me.

'It's not a matter of me liking her or not, it's a matter of me wanting Nik to be happy. Nik is twenty seven and he never had one stable, serious, healthy relationship'

'Rebekah we're not in the 12th century anymore!' she chuckles 'no one commits at a young age!'

'I'm not saying that he has to commit' I roll my eyes 'I'm saying that he doesn't even allow himself to open up enough for anyone to get to know him. He doesn't trust anyone enough to do that' I lower my gaze to the floor 'not even me.' involuntarily, the words come out in whispers 'And what he did with Tatia was typical him. It's like just as he realized things might get serious, he ran away. It's like his thing. He is too afraid to love even though he craves it more than anything'

'Wow' she says jokingly upon noting the bitterness in my words 'sounds like a lot to take in.'

'Yeah' I nod looking back at her 'but I can't really say I don't understand where he's coming from.'

'OK. How about you help me understand where you are coming from' she tilts her head to the side, giving me that inquisitive stare.

'Nik comes with a lot of baggage' I say neutrally.

'You already said that. And we all come with a lot of baggage' Caroline says, unconvinced.

'Yeah' I sigh 'but multiply anyone's baggage in ten times and you have Nik's' I lean back in my seat, gnawing at my inner gums. What do I tell her? From where shall I start? I don't even know if I should start in the first place. This is my brother's life after all, even if she is my best friend I have no right to just give her full access to it, especially when I know how sensitive he is about it.

'Look, Bex' Caroline starts, as though sensing my inner struggle 'I don't need the full story. I know it comes with a lot of family drama, but if you want me convinced about this whole not getting involved with him you have to give me a solid reason here'

'He doesn't want to commit, Care, isn't that a good enough of a reason?' I mutter irritated.

'Nope' she shakes her head 'Who says I want anything serious?' her voice carries a hint of mischief.

'Hey' I slap her forearm playfully 'he's still my brother. I don't want to know that he attracts you in that way'

'What did you think I meant by attraction other than "I wanna jump his bones"' she winks.

'Girl has no classy taste' I make a face.

'Shut up' she rolls her eyes 'But seriously, your brother can't be a manipulative bastard'

'No, he's not.' I say, my chuckles dying out 'Not the manipulative part anyway'

'What?' she practically shrieks.

I shake my head frantically, adjusting my position so that I am fully facing her 'Look, I will tell you the story. But you have to promise that you won't tell anyone. Nor let Nik even think that you know it'

'OK. I promise' she raises her hand in a vowing manner 'Now tell me!' she insists, kicking off her shoes and tucking her feet under her as though I am about to tell her a bedtime story.

'Well, there's really not so much to tell' I start 'Bottom line is that Nik is not my father's son. Mother was unfaithful and Nik was a result of her betrayal. Of course, Nik did not find out until he was eighteen and that crushed him. Father had never had any tolerance towards him and he made sure to remind him of the fact that he was in a family he did not belong to, seeking home somewhere he shouldn't. Father was very hurt with mother's betrayal and he lashed out on the wrong person'

'Oh God' she mutters, sadness written all over her face 'How did he find out?'

'Our lovely father Mikeal spat it in his face' I sarcastically answer as a flashback of that dreadful night hits me 'Literally' a moment of silence passes and I contemplate whether to tell her the full story or not 'That' night..' I decide to tell her 'Nik got accepted into Oxford, he was going to study for some arts major. Of course when mom heard she was delighted and they went on to tell father. Nik had the hope that maybe Mikeal would finally smile at him or bother to tell him words of encouragement. But all Mikeal did was to tell him to go and work his butt off to earn the fees for college. Of course that would not have been a problem if Mikeal only had the intention of making him a better man, but he was working to humiliate him.' I pause, sighing 'I was standing behind the door, only fourteen and hoping with every cell in my body that my brother's misery would somehow end, that Mikeal would be kind to him for once. But I still remember what he said' despite myself, I feel a tear trickling down my face, my throat tightening 'Nik told him that he would only need help with the first payment, then he will get a job and pay him back that he did not need him. He was furious, of course, but I could hear the hurt in his voice "I was so foolish to think that for once in your life you would be my father. How come you seem the only one to slam the door shut in my face no matter how hard I try to make you proud? All I want is to feel just for once that you are my father" he was saying. And that was when Mikeal thundered at him that he had no right to feel like he was his father, because he wasn't.' heavy silence fills the room, the only thing breaking it is my heavy trembling breaths. The memory of that night ignites such sadness in my heart. That night marked the end of my family. Nothing was ever the same after it, not Nik, not my siblings, not my mother or even my father. Mikeal never seemed to regret his decision to taunt Nik quite so grudgingly, in fact he seemed to relish in watching him pained and lost, he seemed to enjoy watching him go through hell and never quite come back. The sight of Nik's deteriorating life seemed to delight him, an evil spark occupied his eyes that frightened me from ever approaching him and made me cling into my favorite brother, begging him to gather the small remaining pieces of his self and build his life again. That never happened.

'So you're saying that your father knew that Nik wasn't his son all along?' Caroline mutters her question, her expression a mortified one.

'Yes' I nod 'That is probably why he was so unkind to him from the very beginning. But considering our privileged position, did not want to put our family through a scandal and let mother raise him with us. I guess they were hoping that my birth would somehow make up for what happened between them' I swallow loudly 'But Mikeal never took it out on mother, seeking to destroy Nik's life as a way to avenge his wounded pride. And what hurt Nik the most was my mother's behavior after that incident. She did not help him, she felt too guilty to stand up to Mikeal and Nik paid the price as she let Mikeal verbally abuse him'

Caroline swallows loudly, dropping her gaze to her hands where they lay in her lap.

'I think the breaking point for Nik was when he sought out his biological father and the latter just shut the door in his face, telling him that his wife did not know of such an affair and that he had a family and a life and did not want him to ruin it. He told him that he could help him with money if he needed any, if he just promised to stay as far away from him as possible. Nik said that his father told him that he was a mistake of which he would do anything to take back. And Nik was never the same' my voice drops to a whisper gradually.

'You mean he turned uptight, guarded, afraid to open up and unwilling to commit' she calmly concludes.

'Yes' is the only thing I manage to say.

'Well, I don't wanna marry the guy' she lightly says after a long moment of silence.

'Goddammit Caroline' I roll my eyes 'you may not have the intention to do that now, but you will fall for him and it will break your heart at the end when he inevitably slams the door shut in your face once things get too serious for his taste! Just like he did with Tatia' I reason, waving my hands in the air urgently.

'Who said that I'll fall in love with him?' she protests.

'The fact that he is broken and this sort of thing attracts you' I say frankly 'you think that you can fix him'

'Maybe I can' she says, the gleam of sympathy all over her face.

'Good God, Caroline, I told you. You get attracted to damaged people easily!'

'Says the girl who had been head-over-heels in love with Stefan Salvatore since the dawn of time' she mocks.

I glare at her.

'My point is, Bex' she starts after a profound sigh 'that we are all attracted to broken people, because even though we know better, we hope that we could be their savior'

'You're too young to handle Nik's baggage, Care' is my last reasoning.

'Age is just a number, Bex'

. . .

'Sorry I'm late' Stefan says as he climbs into the passenger seat 'Nik wouldn't stop talking about how careful we should be'

I chuckle 'Well, he has a very short list of people he actually cares about and the life of three of them is on the line here'

'Tell me about it' he casually starts as he fastens his seat belt 'I kept ignoring the drinks he offered just in case he would sedate me then take my place on this dreadful trip'

'I wouldn't say that it is beyond him' I joke, starting the car.

'Let's just get this thing over with' he sighs.

A moment of silence passes while I drive silently and fidget uncomfortably in my seat. I can feel his eyes on me, boring through my profile as though trying to seek the most intimate parts of my soul, trying to read my mind.

And my stomach turns at the effect of having his gaze too fixated on my face.

I am not sure if I like the feeling.

'What made you come on that dreadful trip, anyway?' I ask him casually, trying to break the intense silence.

'I didn't want you to go alone' he calmly says 'it's too dangerous. And I couldn't risk having you take anyone else.'

'I see' I nod slightly, not diverting my stare from the street.

'Besides' he adds hesitantly 'I think I owe you after being such a jackass'

I scoff 'Yeah. You definitely do' from the corner of my eyes I watch him shift his gaze to look through the window this time.

'So why are we doing this anyway?' he changes the subject.

'I told you' I huff impatiently 'we are doing this for Caroline'

'I know that.' Stefan slowly says 'but I don't know why we are doing this for Caroline. She's never been one to get into trouble that need us to take an action like this one' he points out.

'People change, Stefan' my tone is sharper than I intended.

'OK. I can see that you are not interested in talking to me' he says neutrally.

'It's not personal, Stefan' I sigh 'Look, I would've told you. Trust me, I would. I am dying to let it off my chest, but Nik can't know and you really don't want to go through the trouble of having to keep it away from him. You guys tell each other everything….'

'Like a married couple' he finishes my sentence sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

'You are!' I protest between chuckles 'You really don't want to have this dumped on your shoulders and Caroline made me promise that I would not drag Nik into this.'

He shakes his head silently, a small smile gracing his fine lips.

I snap my head back to the road, distracting myself from my own thoughts.

'I think what you're doing is really great, Bex,' he breaks the short moment of silence 'looking out for your friend like that'

'You would've done the same thing for Nik' I reply with a shrug.

'Nah. It's too much trouble. He's not worth my time' he jokes.

'We both know that's not true' I calmly say with a smile tugging at my lips.

The address does not look the least bit as dreary as I thought it would. On the contrary, the place looks quite decent. The long building stretched on that I had to lift my eyes to fully see it, giving the impression of lined-up firms in it or luxurious apartment that everyone wished to occupy.

'That doesn't look so bad' I tell Stefan as he stands silently beside me.

'Well, you know what they say. Don't let looks fool you.' he scoffs.

'Indeed' I sigh.

I pace hurriedly towards the entrance ignoring the loud thuds of my heart that pierce my ear drums.

'Rebekah wait' Stefan catches up and lightly spins me around to face him. 'Let me handle the talking' he sighs.

'And why would I do that?' I cross my arms over my chest.

'Because I know these guys and I know how to handle them. You know I've done that before' he simply explains.

'Fine, but I am coming with you' I insist.

'What are you kidding me? Of course you are! Who else would protect my sorry ass' he grins.

'Oh please stop being cute' I scoff.

'I'll stop if you stop' his grin turns into a smirk.

'Let's just go' I roll my eyes, proceeding to the entrance.

The lobby looks as extravagant as a hotel lobby that I start questioning whether we are at the right address.

'It's OK' Stefan encourages as though sensing my hesitation.

I nod silently and head towards the brunette receptionist.

'Hi' I smile slightly at her.

'Good evening. May I help you?' she hurriedly greets without bothering to even smile or look up at us.

'I am looking for Mr. Conner' I hesitantly say ignoring Stefan's earlier statement and that seems to peek her interest for her head immediately snaps up to look at me 'I was told I could find him here' I add uncertainly.

'Do you have an appointment?' she asks glaring daggers through me.

'No' I mutter.

'The work we are doing does not require appointments' Stefan interjects and it's like he's said the magic words. The receptionist nods quickly, dialing a number on the phone. She holds the receiver for a while then hangs up without uttering a word to the other side. I frown, looking over at Stefan who simply shrugs.

A few moments later, a man appears. Well, he's more like a building himself rather than a man. He is dressed in a black suit with sunglasses even though we are at night. He doesn't so much as crack a smile or twitch his lips, nodding his head towards us and walking towards the elevator.

I gulp down and Stefan places a hand at the small of my back, soothingly keeping little distance between us. I feel like I'm a lamb heading to my own slaughter as we ride in the elevator which goes downwards rather than upwards much to my surprise. The space is scarce that I have to be closer to the bodyguard or whoever that guy is than I would have liked and I instinctively retract back towards Stefan.

'Don't worry' he whispers in my ear 'I'm right here'

'I thought it was a myth for bodyguards to wear glasses' I whisper back to him.

He cracks a chuckle which he swallows when the man's head snaps towards us. I can feel fire streaming from his eyes through his dark sunglasses and we both drop our gaze to the floor again.

After what seems to be an eternity the elevator dings and opens its doors to reveal a darkened corridor that ends with a single door which he leads us through. I find myself standing in a gigantic, posh office that doesn't look the least bit like what I imagined it to be. I thought it would be small and dirty and filled with rats.

'Stefan Salvatore' a deep voice comes from the corner where a black man was pouring a drink 'I never expected to see you again' his eyes flashes to me. I don't like their hawk-like gaze 'and I certainly didn't expect to see Klaus's sister with you'

My eyes widen, needing a moment to clench my jaw as not for it to drop. Stefan gently squeezes my forearm, telling me to let it slide. Still, it's a little unnerving to know that such a man has had knowledge of my existence all along.

'Don't look so shocked, Miss Mikealson' Conner says, tilting his head at me 'I know a lot of things about all my clients. You know, just to be safe' his lips break into an obnoxious smile.

I open my mouth to speak, but Stefan's hand tightens around my forearm.

''Let me do the talking'' and maybe he should.

'So what can I do for you?' Conner asks, addressing Stefan.

'We need papers' Stefan says simply 'As fast as possible'

'How many?' Conner goes around his desk, seeming ready to get down to business, and extracts a pen and paper.

'A lot' Stefan explains, coming closer to the wooden desk.

'So you want the full package?' Conner raises his eyebrows 'You know that's too expensive for you to pay for'

'I'm paying' I blurt out. I can feel Stefan rolling his eyes.

'Of course you will' Conner says, looking over at me with his hawk-like glare. I grit my teeth involuntarily, whether it is for fear of him or simple disgust, I don't know, but his presence is so unnerving and he acts like he knows that fact.

'It doesn't matter who will pay' Stefan interjects 'we just need the job done. It's never mattered to you before, it shouldn't matter to you now'

'Fair enough' Conner shrugs 'You got a picture for the person in question'

Stefan looks over at me, and I react by extracting one picture that Caroline gave me when I told her about the plan. She gave me the picture with an awful lot of apologies.

Conner takes the picture and contemplates it for far too long for my taste. It is not a personal one, in fact I think it is the same as the one Caroline has on her passport which she made when she was around 21, but the way he stares at it gives me an unsettling feeling that I want to pry it from his hands.

He suddenly frowns and reaches for the phone, pushes three buttons on it and speaks to the receiver 'Strider get down here' then hangs up. I look over at Stefan to see a frown forming on his face as well. That only adds to my distress. A couple of moments pass before a man dressed handsomely in a suit steps into the office, I assume he's Strider.

'What's up, boss?' he asks, approaching the desk.

Conner hands him the picture 'Have you seen this girl anywhere before?' for some absurd reason his dangerous eyes land on me.

'Hell yeah, sir' Strider says almost cheerfully 'That's Tyler Lockwood's wife'

I swallow loudly, suddenly aware of the drumming sounds of my heartbeats. The last thing I need is for them to have anything to do with Tyler; even worst for them to be working for him.

'Why would Tyler Lockwood's wife need a set of brand new papers, Strider?' Conner's voice is dangerously calculative. I feel sweat beads on my forehead, retracting closer to Stefan who seems confused as hell.

'I don't know, sir' Strider shrugs 'maybe she needs to get away from him?'

'Exactly' Conner nods with a smile 'Now tell me Miss Mikealson, why are you helping Mrs. Lockwood to escape her husband?'

'Tell me how do you know Tyler Lockwood' I retort, surprised by the steadiness of my voice. Stefan hisses under his breath disapprovingly.

'You can't answer the question with another' Conner sarcastically says.

'The question you asked is none of your business. I, however, need to know that the job will be done without Tyler Lockwood's intervention or knowledge' I cross my arms over my chest, faking confidence I do not quite feel.

'She's tough' Strider chuckles.

'Indeed' Conner nods 'Well, Miss Mikealson, to answer your question, Tyler Lockwood's been on our trail for two years now which led us to becoming more careful. He would exhaust every way possible to catch us. That's why we know all about him and his little wife'

'Although digging about his wife was difficult' Strider volunteers 'She used to be seen with him in public appearances before their marriage more than after it. It was like suddenly she disappeared except for the occasional cocktail parties in his parents' house and she didn't attend the last two, either'

Of course she wouldn't attend. The guy leaves her with bruises all over her body. How can she set foot outside her house?

I shake my head lightly, as though to stop my thoughts 'It doesn't matter why she needs them. It just matters that she does'

'Well,' Conner starts, leaning in on his desk and linking his hands together 'on one hand getting personally involved in Tyler Lockwood's life may not be the best idea. The guy is some sort of big shot'

I roll my eyes, having heard that far too many times. Who the hell gives a damn about his position? For some reason, I can't be intimidated by him.

'Yeah' Strider confirms 'his dad has connections and shit like that, you wouldn't exactly want to get on their bad side, especially with them breathing down our necks already'

'On the other hand' Conner continues 'Tyler Lockwood's been such a pain in the ass for the past while. It's very tempting to be able to get back at him'

'Why are you just assuming that his wife is leaving him?' I try to sound nonchalant, but my tone betrays me, showing my edginess.

'it's a no brainer, Miss Mikealson' he shrugs 'I've been in this business for ten years now, and I've never seen a single person who wants a completely fake personality unless they were running away from someone. Now if she was involved in some dangerous operation or if her life is in danger because of some creep who is after Tyler, you wouldn't be here. Her husband would have found a way to keep her safe, and it would not have included you and Mr. Salvatore coming here and asking for my help' he simply says 'But you coming here, gives me every right to believe that she is running away from her husband.'

'And her running away like that also means that he is not exactly going to take it well.' Strider points out.

'But she is smart. You can't disappear from Tyler just like that. You need to be dead and reborn into someone completely different'

I gulp down. This is too many information for Stefan to hear and for them to know. And the twinkle in Conner's eyes tells me that he knows exactly why she needs to run away which does not help the least bit in giving me comfort. I glance at Stefan. His eyes are bewildered and filled with endless questions.

Maybe I should not have brought him.

'Don't worry, Miss Mikealson. Your secret is perfectly safe with me' he smiles cynically 'Come pick up your papers in three weeks'

'What?' I practically shriek 'That won't do, we need them faster'

'There's a long queue, Miss' he impatiently says 'Besides, accuracy is highly wanted in this case. Something tells me that if they are caught to be fake...'

'Which never happened before' Strider comments casually.

'Lives will be hanging at the balance'

My question hangs in the air and my eyes reflect it.

How do you know so much? They ask.

Oh I know so much more than you do his own eyes reply with that devious smile that could be rendered as idiotic as well as intimidating.

'Is there any way you can finish them earlier?' I quietly ask, not wanting to resolve to desperation.

'The fastest I can is in two weeks' he points out 'but you can't afford it'

'Yeah, not anymore' Strider chuckles.

They cannot possibly know about the fallout in my family and how Nik and I are practically banned from any money that Elijah had to secretly slip it to me so Mikeal would not notice.

'How much?' I insist.

'Rebekah...' Stefan starts, finally snapping out of his frenzy and seeming eager to leave the place behind him.

'How much?' I insist.

'Double' Conner simply says.

I gulp down, cursing under my breath. The sum of money wanted is large enough and doubling it is an almost impossible task.

'I'll see you in three weeks, Miss Mikealson' Conner gestures with his hand for us to leave. And the bodyguard who accompanied us when we arrived and stood as still as a marble statue during our encounter with his boss, leads us back outside.

I know that Stefan suspects something and his suspicions are probably headed to the right direction, but he doesn't ask. Whether for fear that his suspicions would be confirmed or for the mere fact that he doesn't want to know, I can't guess.

Either ways, we drive back home silently.

He is so handsome and suddenly that fact is the only thing I can think about. My eyes wander from his curls, to his eyes, his nose, his subtle and those full lips, noting how they seemed a shade redder than anyone else's and how soft and warm they feel against my finger pressed to them. If asked why I made my last movements, I would not know how to answer. Although the movement was mostly involuntary, another part of me just itched to have any excuse to graze those lips, even if I did not graze them with mine.

And for a second there, I imagine myself leaning in, dumping the phone and crushing my lips to his, feel their warmth on mine and relish in their taste. And even though I'm far too distracted to look into his eyes, I can feel them burning with the same desire, I can feel them glued to my face like half an hour ago when I saw something that resembled lust flashing through his blue eyes as they locked to mine. I almost wanted him to give in to whatever thought he was having that moment.

I almost give in to the desire that is building up in me this moment.

'Excuse me, Miss, are you still there?' I hear the irritated voice on the other end of the phone and my blissful contemplation is interrupted.

'Yes, sorry' I return my attention to the phone call, resuming the order.

There's no further discussion about the earlier incidence. And as the pizza arrives we sit silently at the table, while he pushes his food around and I eat the pizza guiltlessly.

'I thought you were hungry' I start playfully, finishing my piece of pizza.

'Yes, I am. But I wanted Chinese. Now I'm going to starve and you have only yourself to blame' he firmly says.

'You're not gonna starve' I roll my eyes 'Stop whining'

'Well, I am doing you a favor, the least you could have done was to not let me starve' he says frankly.

'Yeah, you are such a savior to humanity, aren't you?' I scoff.

He grins, clearly amused by my attitude.

'Stop grinning at everything I say!' I scold.

'It's really difficult, love' he admits with a wink.

'And stop calling me that!' I object.

'Okay, Caroline' he teases.

'Why did you decide to help me anyway?' I blurt out before I can stop myself.

Oh crap! Not the time for babbly mode now!

'Because you're beautiful' he casually says.

'And you're hoping to get in my pants' I babble out again, then press my lips in a tight line.

'I didn't say that' he raises his eyebrows.

'Then how else should I translate your explanation?' I cross my arms on my chest.

'Hmm' he starts thoughtfully, squinting his eyes and averting his gaze 'Maybe it's because I hate to see someone so breathtakingly beautiful suffer' he points out 'And I'm a very sensitive man' he grins.

'Of course, you are' I grin back 'Well, I wasn't gonna die of desperation, you know' I shrug.

'I couldn't take any chances' he firmly says 'Just the slight thought of such a beautiful woman suffering hurts'

'Seriously, stop flirting with me' because your sister isn't home and you're hot and all I can think about is kissing you so hard until we both can't breathe. I shrug my thoughts away.

Rebekah's warning rings in my ears as our eyes lock together again. His grin is still apparent and his dimples wink at me, everything about him is inviting me in, but for some reason kissing him is not what I can think about for my eyes catch something in his blue eyes. I catch a faint sparkle of pain in them, it's very faint that it could be easily missed but for some reason it stands out that moment, despite his grin and the obvious joyous mood he is in. For how long did I keep staring into his eyes? I don't know, but when he drops his gaze, he sighs. My transparent face gave me away, clearly.

'Go ahead, Caroline' he groans 'say it'

'Say what?' I frown.

'I know you want to talk about last night, Caroline' he says a bit too drily for my taste.

'What happened last night?' I try to joke. He shoots me an irritated glance that makes me sigh. Last night in the bar Nik practically had an outburst that I did not understand to be anything other than old insecurities surfacing and a false accusation that Rebekah and Stefan do not care about him.

'You think I'm a selfish bastard that's why you are stopping yourself from kissing me as soon as you begin to contemplate the idea' he starts, his tone angrier than I thought it would be 'Which is fine really, because I am a selfish bastard'

'No you're not!' I snap 'and even if you are I don't think so. At least up until the last minute I didn't think so. Besides you were the one who wouldn't kiss me even though you wanted to'

'Well, excuse me if I don't like being rejected' he retorts.

'Who said that I would have rejected you?' I ask raising my hands in the air and shooting up from my chair, unable to stay seated for some reason.

'I don't know would you have?' he sharply says, standing up as well.

'No' I blurt out, crossing my arms over my chest.

'Fine' he says firmly and before I know it his lips are crushing mine.

At first, I'm taken aback by the suddenness of the movement, but soon enough, I melt into him and respond. My hands go around his neck, pulling him closer to me, as his hands wander to my waist, holding on tightly. There's nothing gentle about the kiss, in fact, it is bruising. His warm lips mercilessly devour mine. His movements are urgent as he traces his tongue along my bottom lip, demanding entrance which I am happy to provide. The feeling of his closeness is so electric that I can hear fireworks going off somewhere in the distance. It's so overwhelming that a tingling sensation mixed with extreme warmth travels across my body, urging me to pull him closer as I entangle my hands in his hair, pulling at it and I think a moan escapes my mouth. He grunts, pulling away ever so slightly so we can both breathe before I quickly attacked his luscious lips again. I can't seem to be able to get over the shock of their softness, or their wonderful taste or the skillful way they move along with my mouth as his tongue darts in and out of my mouth, taking his time to feel every part of me as he presses his body to mine, his grip around my waist tightening.

'Care, I brought pi…' It's only when Rebekah lets out a horrid screech that I realize she is home.

Nik immediately stops his urgent kisses as we turn back to face Rebekah's wide-eyes and hung-opened mouth. I gulp down; trying to control my short pants as he slowly releases me from his embrace. My body aches for his arms wrapped around me instantly.

'H-iii' I nervously greet Rebekah who is still standing by the door with a shocked expression and a box of pizza 'how was your studying?' I slowly ask her, as my fists clench at my side.

Her eyes are screaming "what the fuck did we talk about last night?'' as her gaze alternates between me and her brother. I admit it; catching me kissing the hell out of her brother is not something particularly delightful so I drop my gaze to the floor.

'I think I'm just gonna leave you to finish that paper of yours' Nik clears his throat, proceeding to the door. He brushes past his sister who is still standing frozen by the door. He leaves without uttering a word.

'Stop that!' Rebekah snaps when her brother is no longer in the room.

'What?' I ask, looking up at her.

'That!' she points to my face and it's only then when I realize that my hand has gone up to my lips, tracing the lines where he was kissing me so fiercely and oh so passionately. I don't think I was ever kissed like that before.

'Oh' I mouth, dropping my hand back to my side.

She keeps eyeing me for thirty good seconds before I roll my eyes 'Let's hear it'.

'I thought I told you not to get involved with Nik' she scolds, entering the apartment and shutting the door behind her as she dumps the pizza box on the table next to the other unfinished one.

'And I thought I said that I didn't care about his past!' I smirk.

'God, Caroline!' she dramatically throws her hands in the air 'This look on your face is like someone who is totally smitten!'

'It's not!' I protest 'It's the look of someone who had just experienced the best kiss ever!'

'I don't want to hear that!' she grimaces.

'Sorry' I mutter 'but really, Bex, you are freaking out for no reason' I shrug.

'Fine' she snaps 'Do whatever the hell you want, Caroline, but leave me out of it. And once this whole thing comes down on you, don't come crying to me'

'So I have the permission to sleep with your brother?' I tease, jumping in my place.

'Caroline!' she scolds, sharply turning to me.

'OK, OK I get it. I won't let you get into it and won't come crying about my broken heart, promise' I giggle and she shakes her head silently.

. . .

An increasing urge to hear his voice is building up. My thumbs fumble with the buttons of my cell phone as I stare at his name on the screen. No harm can be done from my call; he does not even know my number. He doesn't need to know that I am calling him. I just need to hear his voice. Having him near me before when I panicked was so comforting, so reassuring, and maybe, just maybe, hearing his voice can calm me down until his sister arrives.

My heart is pounding in my chest I can almost feel it jumping out of my ribs. Fear is soaking through me and my breathing is hitching in my throat. I need anything, absolutely anything to calm me down.

Without further hesitation, I pressed the call button and pressed the phone to my ear. All I need is to hear his deep, warm voice dripping with that sexy accent. It's all I need. It's all I want.

'Hello' hearing his voice sends shivers down my spine.

I stop breathing, everything stills as I pray that he would say anything else.

'Hello?' he says again 'Can I help you?'

I want to tell him a million things. I want to tell him that I miss him. I want to tell him that I can't stop thinking about him. I want to tell him that ever since I saw him a few weeks ago he's been all I can think of. I want to know how he is doing. I want to know what he's been doing the past a few years, did he take responsibility for his son? Is he still the same? Is he still the same charming, sexy, alluring heartbreaker? I want to tell him that I hate him, I hate that he reminded me of all that used to be, of all that could never be, of all that I used to love, that I hate him for making me long to see him and hear his voice again, that I despise him for staying so within my heart after all this time. I resent him for making want to lie in his arms again.

'Hello?' his tone is turning impatient. And I have to bite my lower lip to stop myself from saying anything. I wish he would hang up, because I won't have the strength in me to do that. And it is only matter of time before I say something.

He hangs up.

I feel tears running down my face. How absurd! I thought that hearing his voice would make me feel any better, oh how so very pathetic I've become. Taunting myself and entangling myself with hope and dreams of things that can never happen, of things that long since died within me and can never be retrieved. I have no capacity to live any longer, not in the way I have planned for myself to live at the very least.

An urgent knock on the door slaps me out of my frenzy. I eagerly jog towards it.

'Did you get it?' I ask as soon as I see Rebekah standing in front of me with a worried, and slightly anxious, frown on her face.

'Yes' she says shakily and extends the bag towards me while hurriedly entering.

'How accurate is it?' I interrogate as I extract the little device from the bag.

'He said that there is no particular criterion, but it can be pretty accurate if you are a week late' she says following me to the bathroom.

'Well, I'm two weeks late' I mutter, quickly snatching the device out of the box and reading the instruction. I hand Rebekah the instructions' paper when I'm done 'wait here'.

After I followed the directions thoroughly, I step out of the restroom to see Rebekah standing with a petrified expression that matches mine.

'It says the result will show within thirty seconds' she mumbles looking down at her watch.

'What if…' I start.

'Shhh.. you may not be' she calmly says without truly believing it.

'What if I am?' I whisper.

'We'll see what happens then think about it without panicking' she quickly dismisses.

I sigh, rubbing my temple. I am almost one hundred percent sure that I am pregnant, but a part of me is still hoping beyond reason that I am not, I am praying that the result will come out negative.

'Now' she says.

I gulp down, my eyes darting to Rebekah's unreadable expression. Slowly, I make my way back to the bathroom where I left the little stick on the sink. My heart is pounding, I feel like my whole life depends on this result.

I pick up the small device.

'I'm pregnant' I almost yelp.

Rebekah and I stare at each other, horrified, for what seems to be an eternity.

Loud silence fills the room, the only thing breaking it the loud thuds of my heart. I don't know if I am merely stunned or afraid, but either ways I am frozen, unable to move a muscle as I stare at Rebekah where we sit at the kitchen table, her face a river of emotions.

'Maybe it isn't that accurate' she says at last, breaking the silence 'Mistakes happen with these things all the time. Maybe it's one of those times'

'It's not' I mutter, my voice coming out strangled 'I've never been two weeks late in my life, Rebekah'

'Maybe it's just late this time, it happens all the time, too' she argues.

'Rebekah, I'm pregnant' I exclaim at last 'With Tyler's kid! I'm gonna bring a child to this miserable life!'

She clenches her jaw, her eyes narrowing as though a thought just hit her 'Are you going to tell him?' she asks.

'I don't know.' I shake my head, resting my elbows on the table and burying my head in my hands 'I don't think so'

The complication does not simply lay in the fact that I want to leave Tyler and telling him would only make matters more complicated than they already are, for Tyler also has neither the desire to have kids nor the tolerance towards them. And I cannot count the times he had been blatant and downright cruel about that factor.

'Don't you dare get pregnant' he has said once when I foolishly expressed my suspicion that I may be pregnant 'I don't want you to get fat and ugly and have kids running around here all the time' he growled. Back then I was only three days late and my suspicions were mercifully incorrect. Ever since then, I have not dared talk about the subject. And the thought of having a child who will be tormented by having Tyler as a father made it more than enough for me to scratch the idea completely from my head.

'Does he want them?' Rebekah asks hesitantly.

'No' I quietly answer; looking back at her 'At least that was his opinion a year ago' I sigh.

'Well, if you tell him, is there a chance that he might make you have an abortion?' she fidgets in her seat, tracing patterns along the table.

'I really don't know. He can be very unpredictable and he would do whatever he can to keep me tied to him'

'The guy is sick!' she exclaims suddenly frustrated with the situation and shoots to her feet.

I watch as she roams around in the kitchen, my own tears overwhelming me 'I can't tell him. What if he uses this against me?' I quickly explain.

'Telling him is irrelevant, Caroline, you're leaving him anyway. So no you shouldn't tell him' she speaks through anger and frustration.

Panicking is no longer an option. I have to be in control of the situation and not let my fear get in the way of what I not only want, but also need. So I take a deep breath, swallow back the tears, focus my attention and think of my options.

'It's not the end of the world' I say, gaining back my composure 'What, now how long am I pregnant? Three weeks? Four? I still have time to get rid of it if I leave as soon as possible'

Rebekah stops dead in her track 'Yes. Your papers will be ready next week and then we can get you out of here and out of the country if we can and you'll get rid of Tyler as well as the baby or the fetus or whatever'

As much as I should hate her calling my child a "fetus" I can't. I, myself, have no desire in having a kid at all no matter how fond I am of kids… or how fond I used to be of kids.

'There still will be the issue of the money, though' I sigh

'That won't be a problem. Your paycheck, even if minimal comes in tomorrow, you'll stash that away for basics. I'll lend you some..' I begin to protest but she puts up a finger 'Just a loan, you'll pay me back. And Nik will lend you some, no doubt.' I can't help the slight flutter in my heart at her words 'I might be able to talk Stefan and Elijah into giving us something, too' she adds, as though talking to herself.

'But they can't know what's wrong, Bex' I protest.

She licks her upper lip 'Look, you have to face it, but Nik will find out sooner or later. And let's face it, his finding out is not the worst thing in the world, on the contrary. Now we won't say anything until you are out of harm's way and he is too late to break Tyler's jaw along with every bone in his body. And Nik's finding out means so does Stefan. Elijah doesn't need to know anything, though, unless necessary'

'What do you mean?' I frown.

She shrugs, dropping back to her seat 'He has connections, too'

I nod slowly 'But I'd really rather that I would disappear altogether where no one would find me and not have any of you dragged into this'

'That was when you didn't have anyone to get your back' she smiles 'don't you see it, Caroline? I am here for you. And Nik will be there for you, too. Even Stefan in his own twisted way will always care about you' her smile widens at the mere mention of Stefan

I smile back at her, the feeling of heaviness that was hovering above me since the morning leaving me instantly 'Thank you'

'Stop thanking me or I might kill you' she jokes.

I shake my head, chuckling.

'Damn I have to go' she suddenly says, staring wildly at her watch 'I have a client to meet with' she gathers up her purse and the little bag with the pregnancy test of which she would dispose of away from Tyler's prying eyes.

'What client?' I ask, following her to the front door.

'Future Mrs. Montgomery' she sings 'I'm planning her wedding'

'I didn't know that you're a wedding planner' I point out, although it is just so Rebekah.

'And now you do' she turns around and smiles as we reach the door 'I've always wanted to plan your wedding, remember?'

'Yeah' I murmur, looking down 'I always wanted you to plan my wedding'

'You thought you would marry Nik' she whispers.

I gulp down at the familiar memory. It seems that his presence refuses to leave my side no matter how hard I try.

'I'll see you, Care' she hugs me 'It's going to be OK'

I nod silently, not trusting my voice should I talk.

She starts down the porch before I stop her 'Oh, Bex, can you please bring in my paycheck instead of them mailing it? I can't have Tyler see it in the mail'

'Sure' she nods urgently, stuttering towards her car.

When the door is closed and I am back in the kitchen, all I can think about is my approaching freedom. I've forgotten how nice it is to have people supporting you and protecting you on every turn. And ever since Nik's reappearance in my life three weeks ago, no matter how down Tyler makes me feel I am always reminded that hope is still there. And today, I will not worry about what can go wrong in this plan and will not see Tyler as an invincible monster that will destroy me and every stray of hope.

For the first time in so long, I hum to myself as I make dinner.

I know I know, you guys want Klaus and Caroline to meet already (so do I :P) It'll happen around Ch 8, promise :D

And if this whole flashback thingy is confusing you, I can set up a timeline in the next chapter in the Author's note, you know, just to make things clear about what happened when. I do hope it's clear enough, though :)

And for all those who were depressed about the spin-off thingy, don't worry guys! We still have a lot to look forward to and nothing is solid. So take a deep breath. If any of you wants to rant though, fine me on tumblr (lostheart95) I'm always thrilled to talk to you guys.

Bye bye guys! I'll try to update sooner :) Please share your thoughts!