A/N: Seriously you all were amazing the last chapter. I nearly reached 600 reviews thanks to your lovely comments. I was so pleased to read all of the reviews. Moreover, I was overwhelmed by the number of you who took the time to provide your insight and offer ideas. They helped me make a few decisions with the immediate direction of my story, so thank you. I also wanted to give a shout out to those who pushed my fic over the 250 mark when it comes to 'Favs' and the 400 mark when it comes to 'Follows' I feel the love :D
Now I have to apologize. There is no Klaus POV in this chapter, nor direct Klaroline, so unfortunately I fully expect interest to fall with this chapter. Like I said, I'm sorry. The Elijah/Caroline conversation is the main focus of this chapter, so please hang tight. I promise 100% that Klaus/Klaroline will be in the next chapter, and that the majority of it will be from Klaus's POV. I'm working on it now as we speak. The Elijah/Caroline conversation just kind of took on a life of its own, so I went with it, and to be honest, I like how it turned out, so I hope you can appreciate it too and be patient for the next chapter. It's coming. I just felt the Klaus/Klaroline stuff needed to be contained within its own chapter.
If you like Elijah and Caroline's friendship then you will probably enjoy this chapter. There is also a little surprise at the end that some of you will probably like.
Please leave me a review – even if you hate me for being such a tease haha.
She shuddered as his bedroom doors rumbled in protest. Her eyes flickered closed once more as a few hot tears slid down her face. She hoped when she opened her eyes she'd be somewhere else; perhaps answering her front door and greeting Dean again.
When she opened them she hadn't moved. She still stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs with Elijah eyeing her worriedly.
It was then she fully realized that Klaus's brother had been present for the entirety of their argument.
Her cheeks ran red with embarrassment, and she tried to cover up her emotion by tracing her index fingers under the rounds of her cheeks to gather up the wayward tears.
"I'm sorry," she whispered to Elijah meekly, wincing when she heard a faint ruckus come from Klaus's room; no doubt he was taking his frustration out on another innocent piece of furniture.
She noticed Elijah look up the stairs regrettably.
"There's no need to apologize," Elijah assured her.
Within seconds Rebekah appeared at the top of the stairs from the second floor.
"What the bloody hell is going on!?" Rebekah demanded.
Rebekah quickly fell silent when she noticed her tear stained face and both her and Elijah's solemn expressions.
"Forget it sister. Niklaus has let his temper get the better of him tonight. I'll take care of Caroline," he told her.
Rebekah lingered for a moment over the railing before returning to her own room.
Elijah smiled softly at her, handing her a similar handkerchief to the one he had given her the first time they spoke face to face.
She accepted it readily and pressed it to the skin under her eyes. The smooth material was much preferred over the skin of her hands.
"Thanks," she said, handing it back to him when her tears had been soaked up.
"Come, we'll retire to the sitting room. I just prepared myself a drink," he offered.
Nodding, she followed behind him.
She and Elijah had not had the opportunity to speak alone since the other day; a few days ago when she and Klaus were in the midst of another fight.
It was tiresome to think that she and Klaus had overcome one obstacle in their relationship only to be confronted by another.
Moreover, she was certain Elijah was tired of hearing about it.
They entered the same sitting room she and Klaus had just recently made love in.
She sighed inwardly as she spotted the table before taking a seat on the antique sofa.
Elijah left for the other corner of the room to retrieve her a drink.
Expecting it to be only alcohol, she was surprised when the scent of fresh blood and red wine filled her nostrils as he popped a cork and opened a decanter.
While she waited, she took in the heat of the flames from the fire place. Vampires may not have felt temperature the same as humans did, but she could still appreciate the warmth against her legs. It might have been a mild spring day, but this night had been cooler than last.
She gazed into fireplace absently and was quickly confronted with the last time she had been in front of this fireplace.
It had been an emotional rollercoaster of a night; the Miss Mystic nomination ceremony. Klaus was returned to his body. They were reunited, and in the same breath she was torn away from her friends as everything between her and Klaus came to the surface.
Really though, it had been here, in this room, where the real emotional rollercoaster started and finished. Their meeting in this room had been the first alone moment they had to confront each other about where they were headed. She had admitted all her feelings for him believing him to be Tyler prior to it and he fell short then. It was here in this room that he had redressed his shortcomings.
She put her feelings out there once more and challenged him to own up to his own and he did. She told him she didn't believe he cared for her and he told her how wrong she was. He told her everything she needed to hear.
But he had also made himself vulnerable as a result. He acknowledged she was something for him to lose; a weakness, and in the midst of that confession he seemed truly frightened. She reassured him that he wouldn't lose her.
Looking away from the fireplace she cringed guiltily as she thought about Klaus's predictions for how tonight would have played out had he not been there to intervene.
He would have lost her despite her reassurance.
Her pride and stubbornness would have killed her.
It clicked for her then that Klaus's anger had not been about her deceitful behaviour so much as it had been the result of being confronted with her death.
While he had no right to lash out at her with hurtful words, she understood their place.
Elijah snapped her from her trance as he held out a wine glass for her.
She accepted it thankfully and took a sip of the pleasantly sweet combination of wine and blood. As her body took in the liquid eagerly she realized she had been hungrier than she thought.
"Thanks," she said as Elijah sat down beside her quietly.
"The wine is actually from our vineyard in France," he informed her casually.
She took another sip, recalling her conversation with Klaus at the Grill when he mentioned it. She wasn't about to ask where the blood came from.
An awkward silence fell between them as she waited for him to ask about Klaus, and he waited for her to tell him about Klaus.
"You look lovely tonight, Caroline," he complimented.
She chuckled under her breath. His compliment may have been perceived as out of line, but she knew he meant well. It was the time he was from. It was customary form for men to flatter women regardless of their relation to you. More than that, she knew it was more of a friendly rouse to get her talking.
"Your brother bought the dress for me," she told him.
"Part of an elaborate apology gone wrong, I take it," he continued. "Dare I ask what my brother was atoning for this time?"
She couldn't help but smirk a little at Elijah's all too understanding tone when it came to his brother.
"Though if you'd prefer not to discuss it, I'm sure we can find more mannered topics of conversation," he offered.
Smiling sweetly at his politeness she shook her head to indicate it was okay.
Elijah really was the only person she could talk about Klaus with. Sure, she was slowly getting some of her friends back and her mom seemed to be coming around to the idea of Klaus, but she couldn't talk to them about Klaus in the same way she could with Elijah, at least not yet. They would be too quick to judge; too quick to view her argument with Klaus as confirmation that he was no good for her. Elijah wasn't like that. Despite the fact that he was Klaus's brother, she considered him to be quite objective and reasonable to speak to. He told it like it was regardless if it was what you wanted to hear or not. Unexpectedly, Elijah had become quite the friend to her when she had none and she appreciated that more than he would ever know.
"I just don't want to burden you," she admitted. "I'm sure hearing about my fights with your brother has probably grown old," she laughed lightly.
"I don't mind. I assure you," he said. "While I don't wish for your unhappiness, it's nice to know someone else understands how difficult Niklaus can be at times," he clarified.
She nodded as her understanding smile turned to a small frown.
"I probably shouldn't place all the blame on your brother tonight though," she sighed.
Elijah's eyebrows rose with intrigue as he took a sip from his glass.
"Oh?" Elijah pushed interestedly.
She slouched over her legs and brushed her hair back.
"God, I feel like such an idiot," she said.
Leaning back against the sofa she huffed aloud as she pushed her feet out of pesky black heels she was still wearing for some reason.
"Your brother showed up at the high school today..." she started.
"He had mentioned something about checking in on you earlier," Elijah noted.
Her eyes rolled incredulously.
"He didn't happen to add that he was doing it as Mystic Falls High's new history teacher, did he?" she asked.
Elijah smirked at her in disbelief before shaking his head.
"No, he conveniently failed to mention that," he said.
"Well you can imagine Rebekah's and my surprise when 'Mr. Mikaelson' showed up to our American History class this afternoon," she mused.
Elijah chuckled and nodded.
"Did he explain himself?" Elijah wondered.
"He said he was bored, and then he said it was to keep an eye on me; to look out for me while the hunter was on the loose," she informed him.
Elijah shook his head bemusedly at his brother's latest activities.
"I know he means well, I do, but it's too much," she lamented.
"I can see why you would be displeased," Elijah acknowledged. "Though I can assure you that Niklaus is adept when it comes to teaching; if I recall correctly, he taught at Cambridge...or perhaps Oxford in the last century...if that's what concerns you," he said with a smirk, clearly hoping to get a rise out of her.
Klaus's teaching experience intrigued her and she probably would have pressed Elijah for further details, but she was in no mood now.
She rolled her eyes at Elijah with amusement before returning to the real issue of Klaus playing teacher.
"It just causes so many problems. When Elena returns to class she's not going to be impressed, and don't even get me started on the legality of a teacher/student relationship," she groaned. "He just didn't think this through."
"Not to mention the fact that you're capable of taking care of yourself," Elijah added.
"Thank you!" she said, tossing out her arms. "And I thought that had been established after our argument the other night when he agreed to help me with the hunter and my friends and not be so overbearing about it," she complained.
"Niklaus told me you had reached a compromise of sorts," Elijah eluded.
She nodded, comforted and curious all at once by the conversations Elijah and Klaus had shared about their relationship.
"In exchange for his non-domineering help, I offered to leave Mystic Falls after prom if no progress has been made with my friends or the hunter," she revealed.
Elijah nodded, seemingly impressed. Though she was sure Klaus had probably already told him.
"That's not insignificant. Prom is not far away from what I gathered from Rebekah," Elijah said.
"He agreed to it...and then he pulls this stunt at the high school," she muttered. "It's patronizing."
"Indeed," Elijah agreed.
She finished the glass of wine before continuing.
"So we fight a little about it before I storm out of the class. I don't hear from him until later when he sends his hybrid Dean to my house with flowers and this dress and practically blackmails me into a 'date'," she scoffed.
Elijah's ears perked up again at the new information.
"Blackmail?" Elijah inquired.
"Yeah, Dean told me if I refused to go with him to Klaus, Klaus told him to tear out one of his kidneys," she explained to Elijah.
Elijah smirked as if to acknowledge that it sounded like typical Klaus.
"Earlier in the day I got some information about the hunter from Matt. He saw a card for the resort outside of town in the hunter's wallet when he showed up after we left last night," she told him. "Needless to say I never mentioned it to Klaus after the afternoon we had, and instead of leaving with Dean, I snapped his neck..."
- "...and you went to the resort to follow up on the hunter on your own," Elijah guessed.
She shook her head reluctantly, knowing by the sound of Elijah's voice that he wasn't entirely supportive of her choice either.
"So I go and I compel all of the hunter's information from one of the employees and get a key card for his room. I listen and knock to confirm whether he's there or not. When I get no response, I use the card and open the door. Then before I can reach in and turn on a light, I'm pushed into the room. Thinking it's the hunter, I fight with him for a few minutes, but it turns out to be Klaus," she retells Elijah who seems amused and horrified by her tale all at once.
"We fight briefly before Klaus stumbles over a trip wire and has three stakes drenched in wolf venom shot into him by some mechanical device. At this point you can imagine how pissed he was. He looked around the room quickly for any information before practically dragging me out of the building and bringing me back here," she finished with a long drawn out breath.
"Apparently Matt also told Klaus about the hunter; afraid that I would try and handle things on my own. So while I'm off snapping hybrid's necks and naively going after vampire hunters alone, it turns out Klaus arranged the dress, the flowers, and reservations at the resort as part of a dinner date guise enabling him not only to look into the hunter, but to make up for earlier by including me in the plan," she murmured regretfully.
Elijah remained quiet for a moment as he processed everything she told him.
"It would appear you and my brother had quite the eventful night," he concluded.
"Yeah and that's why he's so pissed with me, and why all hope of him quitting his new job at the high school has probably been lost," she remarked.
Elijah sighed and placed his drink on the side table.
"It seems like an endless unfortunate cycle, doesn't it? My brother does something to offend your independence, you blowback with a plan that runs amiss, which only then serves to justify to Niklaus his initial offending behaviour," Elijah mused.
She grumbled at the silliness of it all as she tucked her legs underneath her on the sofa.
"Forgive me Caroline, but I do have to side with my brother on one matter; going after the hunter alone was very reckless on your part," he reproached. "Surely I understand why you did not want to include Niklaus, but you could have come to Rebekah or I," he offered.
She snorted at the prospect of Rebekah leaping to help her.
Elijah laughed.
"Is that so hard to believe? That my sister or I would offer you assistance?" he remarked.
She shook her head.
"Not so much you, but Rebekah?" she chuckled. "She's not my biggest fan...and besides, if Klaus found out either of you helped me I'm sure he'd be pulling out the dagger threats right about now."
"Rebekah likes you more than you think she does," Elijah noted. "All she seems to talk about lately is your plans for prom," he informed her further. "Besides, from what you've told me, she was just as upset as you were with Niklaus's appearance in your class today, I'm sure you could have used that to your advantage," Elijah suggested.
She grinned and pushed his shoulder.
"What would Klaus say if he heard you advocating a rebellion?" she joked.
Elijah glanced up at the ceiling.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Niklaus and Rebekah were eavesdropping at this very moment. They always have been a little uncouth in that regard," he admitted.
She laughed lightly; suddenly a little self-conscious about her words.
"In any case, I trust that Niklaus would have the good sense to see that our helping you with the hunter would be preferable to no assistance at all, thus preventing any threats with daggers. I also trust that you would defend Rebekah or I in the event that he didn't," Elijah mused.
She nodded appreciatively.
In the beginning, Klaus's family had seemed so intimidating, now it appeared as though she had won them over. Okay, so really she had only won Elijah over, but she was slowly convincing Rebekah.
"I would," she agreed.
"Well now that that is settled, I implore you to tell me what you were thinking?" Elijah demanded in a less threatening and belittling tone than Klaus had used.
She shrugged and shook her head.
"I guess I just let your brother get the better of me. I was so annoyed with him this afternoon. Sometimes he just treats me like I'm incapable of anything," she groaned. "I thought if I could get info on the hunter or even capture him, that I'd not only prove myself to my friends, but prove myself to Klaus," she explained. "It turns out Klaus was right, all I did was prove how stupid I am. I probably would have tripped over that wire and I'd be dead," she concluded, the reality of that possibility sinking in a little further.
"You're not stupid, Caroline," Elijah consoled her. "It was crude of my brother to have disparaged you like that tonight; he let his anger and impulse talk, rather than his heart," he explained. "Much like Niklaus, your impulse could have got you into trouble tonight, but your intentions were honest, not stupid."
A part of her hoped Klaus was eavesdropping right now to hear Elijah's words.
"If you don't mind my asking what is it exactly that you wished to prove to my brother tonight?" he wondered.
That question from Klaus had been entirely diminishing. Elijah seemed genuinely concerned and interested.
"I don't know," she said, becoming flustered, "that I could do something without him; that I didn't need him to do everything for me," she stammered. "I hate feeling dependent and inadequate and that's how he makes me feel when he takes on the Council or the hunter all on his own without me," she admitted. "Like I know he's stronger than me – all of you are – but I'm not entirely useless," she complained.
Elijah reached for his glass and finished the contents before rising to refill both their glasses.
"Caroline, the last thing you are to Niklaus – or any of us – is inadequate. If I remember correctly it was you who came up with the clever plan to call me to step in to prevent my brother from being dumped at the bottom of the Atlantic, you put on a brave face when we thought he was gone, and from what I understand you've helped your friends out of dangerous situations countless times. More than that, you've befriended my sister, and stood up to my brother while taming his heart in the process. Those are quite extraordinary feats for someone who claims inadequacy," Elijah said encouragingly as he returned with two more glasses.
She smiled kindly as she took her glass back from Elijah.
"Thanks," she said modestly before taking a drawn out sip from her glass. "Not just for the refill."
Elijah nodded.
"Certainly my brother may have extended his help a little too far in recent days, but it's never a sign of inadequacy to ask for help when you need it. It can only be a sign of wisdom," he continued. "I would not see you as less than for needing assistance. My brother only wishes to help you because of his deep affections for you, not because he views you to as incompetent," he explained.
She exhaled, overwhelmed with guilt and appreciation by Elijah's words.
"Surely my brother's anger said otherwise tonight, but if you were listening closely, his heart did get a chance to speak in between the bitter lines of his fury. His heart was in the terrified undercurrent of his voice when he described how tonight might have gone had he not been there," Elijah said bluntly. "Niklaus is absolutely petrified by the prospect of losing you. While I'm sure he's upset that you went after the hunter without him, I'd be willing to bet that his anger tonight has more to do with the reality of how close he came to losing you than anything else. I would also hasten to say that he might even feel a little guilty; that he feels partially responsible for your actions tonight," Elijah clarified.
Sometimes she hated how Elijah could make perfect sense out of every situation and predicament; how he was practically a window into Klaus's mind. Truthfully, she admired it and praised it. Things would be hopeless without his insight and keen understanding of his brother. While she felt even guiltier now for what had transpired tonight, she felt more at ease with approaching Klaus about it.
"You're probably right, Elijah," she admitted. "Klaus once told me that he was scared of losing me, and I told him that he wouldn't. Then tonight happens and he almost does lose me. Ugh. I feel terrible," she groaned, curling her neck against the back of the couch, to stare up at the ceiling. "If I had of just gave in and went with Dean, I would have been elated to discover that Klaus wanted me there to help him investigate the hunter. This fight never would have happened and whether we got the hunter or not, Klaus and I would have probably been at a better place than we ever have been," she predicted forlornly.
Elijah shrugged as he ran his hand over the patterned material on the sofa.
"I like to think everything happens for a reason. I surmise that not all hope is lost," he said cryptically. "If anything, I suppose I should be apologizing since I suspect that it was my encouraging words that Niklaus probably heeded too strongly that ultimately put you in this position," Elijah chuckled.
She raised her head and smirked at Elijah's attempt to take any of the blame for this.
"Seriously?" she asked with an amused expression.
Things went quiet again as she reassessed everything Elijah had said and began to wonder what Klaus was up to. Had he went to bed? Could he be listening?
"What are you thinking about?" Elijah asked.
"Just wondering what happens now between Klaus and I," she huffed.
"Well what do you want to happen?" Elijah questioned simply.
Resting the side of her face against the back of the sofa, she looked up at Elijah hopefully.
"I just don't want to fight anymore. I don't want him to be angry with me. I want him to at least acknowledge his wrongdoings," she sighed.
Elijah looked down at her nonchalantly.
"Perhaps you should go to him and tell him so," he recommended.
She looked at him dumbfounded. Was going to Klaus really such a good idea?
Elijah smiled at her reaction to his suggestion.
"Of course, Niklaus may need some time to cool off, but is it really such a novel idea? What is there to stop you?" he asked her amused.
"I don't know," she relented. "I guess it just feels like giving in or taking complete responsibility."
He laughed into his glass as he took a drink.
"I sometimes forget that you rival Niklaus in your stubborn pride," he mused. "No offence," he chuckled.
She nodded with a faint smile, fully acknowledging that she could be prideful and stubborn when she wanted to be. Tonight was a prime example of that.
"Fights like these are not about winning or losing, or being more right," he continued. "They're about acknowledging grievances and moving forward. Do you know how many conflicts would be shortened or averted if one of the parties said something along the lines of what you said you wanted?" Elijah told her. "Nobody ever wants to stay angry – not even Niklaus; they simply want to be validated. What's wrong with making the first move if it gets you what you ultimately want? If you make this about pride, Caroline, things will never be resolved," Elijah warned.
She considered his words carefully. Deep down she knew he was right. While it annoyed her to make the first move, that was her pride talking. All she really wanted was what she had told Elijah she wanted; basically she wanted their dispute ended. If she could do that by being the one to speak up first why wouldn't she? Elijah had a point; if she let this become about pride things could only get worse.
Aside from his cruel comments, she could admit that Klaus had a point. He had a right to be upset with her for her actions; probably more so than she did with him. Thus, it only seemed fair that she be the one to do the approaching and the initial talking.
Moreover, Klaus was probably past the idea of making another concession by coming to her, especially in lieu of what she did. Considering who he was, he had conceded a lot for her, and now he was probably regretting it since it likely appeared to him that it almost got her killed tonight. No, she would have to swallow her pride and go to him.
"You're right. I should go talk to him," she concluded.
"Perhaps tomorrow after the two of you have a clearer mind and a clearer heart?" Elijah suggested.
"You're probably right again," she sighed. "What if he won't speak to me?" she asked worriedly.
"Knowing Niklaus, it could happen. All you can do is try. If he won't speak with you then at least you've made an effort. The burden will then be on Niklaus to stomp down his pride," Elijah reassured her.
She looked at Elijah appreciatively.
"You're a good brother to Klaus. He is lucky to have you," she revealed.
Elijah smiled genuinely.
"I think you flatter me too much, Caroline," he told her.
"Well it's true, and I've told him as much," she reiterated seriously.
He laughed.
"Perhaps he'll listen to you," Elijah mused.
"I think sometimes he takes you and his other siblings for granted. I'm an only child. I've always wanted siblings, so it annoys me when he fails to appreciate you – even Rebekah and Kol," she explained.
Elijah acknowledged her comments with a nod.
"Our family has a millennium of history, Caroline. All that cannot be shared in one evening. Niklaus's apparent failure to appreciate his siblings comes from a long past of deceit and betrayal on all our parts. Though I often feel that his detachment has more to do with that same fear of loss he has with you than anything else," Elijah confided. "The loss of our brother Henrik still haunts him."
She bit her lip and ran her finger around the rim of her glass as she considered Elijah's words. Klaus had never mentioned Henrik to her directly, but she recalled hearing the story about him from Elena.
Elijah seemed to shrug the painful memories away with a small laugh.
"Siblings can both be a gift and a curse," he joked. "I myself often wished to be an only child when I was young," he recalled.
While she had no siblings of her own, she knew what she meant from observing Klaus's family, Elena's relationship with Jeremy, and Matt's relationship with Vicki.
"Though if it pleases you, it would please me a great deal if one day you came to consider me a brother," Elijah confessed. "Regardless of what might come to be between you and Niklaus."
Her lips curled into a bright smile and for a few moments she forgot why she was even here talking with Elijah in the first place; she forgot that she was upset.
"It would please me," she agreed, inwardly amused by the old world style of talk and elated by Elijah's admission.
"I'm glad to hear it," Elijah replied, extending his hand to clink his wine glass with hers.
She followed along and touched his glass with a giggle before they both took another drink.
"Does that mean I can race you up the hill in Mystic Falls too?" she laughed
Elijah's eyes seemed to light up at her mention of one of his childhood memories.
"Niklaus told you about that," he concluded.
"He told me he always won," she mused.
Elijah chuckled.
"Of course he did. Niklaus may have always been the more talented swordsman, but I was always the more agile runner, which I suppose is why I was also the more effective hunter," Elijah recalled proudly, causing her to laugh inwardly.
Bragging seemed something that was beneath Elijah, but it amused her greatly to see a competitive spark alight within him at the mention of Klaus. Despite Klaus's paternity, they were true brothers.
"When we were boys all our races usually ended in a fighting match," Elijah mused. "Kol was too young at the time, but Finn used to moderate as Klaus and I threw fists aimlessly over who won," he laughed. "I hit Niklaus so hard once Finn and I thought I had knocked the poor kid unconscious – on his birthday no less - and Niklaus led us to believe as much until I leaned over him and he hit me square in the jaw. I lost one of my back molars from that punch," he laughed.
Elijah's talk of punching reminded her of the physical fight she engaged Klaus in earlier believing him to be the hunter.
"I hit Klaus tonight," she said, covering her mouth in partial amusement and shock.
Elijah glared at her almost worriedly as he took her words to mean they had willingly fought each other.
"Niklaus hurt you?" he asked panicked.
She shook her head eagerly with a smile.
"No no, when he startled me by pushing me into the hotel room, I thought he was the hunter. The room was dark and I couldn't see. So, I reacted. I used all the vampire strength I could to hit him in the groin and punch him a few times," she admitted. "He threw me back against the door before I could turn the lights on to know it was him. I can't believe I did that," she said.
"Well I don't think Niklaus can hold it against you. How did he think you would react when he chose to surprise you like that?" Elijah chortled. "I'm impressed," he commended her.
She shrugged.
"I'm sure he let me get away with it," she conceded.
"That, or you actually took him by surprise," Elijah countered.
They both laughed in unison before Elijah's attention seemed to turn onto another topic.
"Speaking of Niklaus's birthday," Elijah started. "I had thought about planning an intimate gathering for it this weekend," he explained further.
She shot him a look of surprise at the prospect of his birthday.
"I didn't know," she said meekly, embarrassed that she did not know Klaus's birth date. "Klaus never told me."
Elijah shrugged plainly as if it was no important consequence.
"Birthday's become less significant the older a vampire becomes. Niklaus probably just forgot to mention it. He enjoys celebrating them though, and this one is quite the milestone, so I thought I'd rehash an old tradition," Elijah carried on.
"A milestone?" she asked.
Elijah smirked.
"One-thousand," he answered.
She could barely wrap her mind around living for a century, never mind a thousand years.
Elijah chuckled at her reaction.
"I wanted to extend an invite to you, but in lieu of tonight I also wanted to know if I should follow through with things as planned," he said.
She shook her head.
"I don't see why not. Even if Klaus and I are still fighting by then, that shouldn't stop his birthday from being celebrated," she said politely. "Any ideas on what to get a thousand year old hybrid who has everything?" she joked.
Elijah laughed with a shrug.
"Try having to top yourself every year for a thousand," he challenged. "I stopped trying to accomplish that centuries ago. As cliché as it may sound, it truly is the thought that counts," Elijah advised.
She sighed as the weight on her shoulders grew heavier. Not only would she have to confront Klaus, but now she'd have to buy him a gift for his birthday.
"Don't stress about it. You have enough to concern yourself with at the present. I'm sure Niklaus will adore any gift from you," Elijah tried to reassure her before yawning. "While it's been a pleasure conversing with you, I should probably retire for the evening," Elijah declared. "But feel free to help yourself to more drink," he offered.
She eyed the hallway apprehensively as she thought about entering Klaus's bedroom. Maybe it was better if she stayed somewhere else for the night.
"Klaus wanted me to stay here tonight because of the hunter, but I'm not sure sleeping with him is the best idea. Is there somewhere else I could stay?" she asked, knowing it was a stupid question since this house probably boasted more square-footage than the high school.
Elijah nodded understandingly.
"Of course," Elijah replied as he stood up from the sofa to attend to the dying fire.
Upon finishing her glass, she followed him up the stairs with her heels in hand, past Klaus's room and another set of doors, to the final ones at the end of the hall.
"Niklaus has servants obsessively cleaning, so there should be fresh linens. Rebekah should still be awake so feel free to ask her for clothing to wear to bed," he suggested. "Her bedroom is next door."
"Thanks Elijah," she said appreciatively.
"You're welcome. Good night, Caroline," he replied before turning down the dimly lit hall.
Her eyes fell upon the doors to Rebekah's room as Elijah disappeared into a room on the other side of Klaus's.
She wasn't in the mood to discuss what happened with Rebekah, but she also wasn't in the mood to sleep in some uncomfortable party dress either.
Listening in briefly, she could hear Rebekah typing away on her computer and the faint sound of a Justin Bieber song playing in the background.
She laughed to herself as she neared the doors and went to knock.
"I can hear you lurking outside my bedroom," Rebekah's muffled voice shouted from inside her room. "Just come in."
Her cheeks reddened, but she entered the room anyways.
Rebekah was seated across the room with her back towards her at a desk – similar to the one Klaus had in his bedroom. The room itself was smaller than Klaus's was, with no additional sitting room, but it was still probably twice the size of her own bedroom. It was one large rectangular room. On the right wall Rebekah's high four poster bed was centred upon the wall, with a door on either side, which she assumed probably led to a closet or ensuite bathroom. On the left wall there was a fireplace and a grand piece of art above the mantle. The fireplace was framed with shelving on either side, which she noted contained a television and what she concluded were probably mementos from the past. Her room gave off an airy feeling that Klaus's did not. While Klaus's room was dark, Rebekah's was light save for the wood floors; the walls were a soft grey with an accent of wallpaper, while much of the furniture and drapery was white.
She admired the room as she stepped further inside. Rebekah continued to ignore her.
"Nice room," she complimented, in order to get Rebekah's attention.
Rebekah stood up from her chair and turned to face her.
"Yeah well I didn't get too much of a say in it since I was in a box when Nik decided to renovate," she groaned.
She watched as Rebekah picked up a box from her desk and approached her.
"I just finished some prom related e-mails," Rebekah stated. "Every service is finalized and I picked these up from the printers this afternoon," she revealed, handing her the box. "The tickets for prom," she beamed.
She opened the box and eyed the large formal tickets with awe as Rebekah moved past her.
"These are beautiful," she acknowledged, while Rebekah disappeared into what was now proven to be her walk-in closet.
"I knew I picked the perfect design," Rebekah self-congratulated, re-emerging from the closet with a pink tank top and black shorts.
Rebekah offered her the clothes in exchange for the box of tickets.
"I heard Elijah talking to you in the hall..." Rebekah said unapologetically.
"Thanks," she nodded. "I assume you listened in on much of my earlier conversation with Elijah then too?" she wondered.
This time Rebekah appeared guilty as she nodded.
"I only did it out of concern for Nik," she said defensively. "I wanted to know what all the commotion was about," she added.
She shrugged with a scoff, knowing that fighting Rebekah on eavesdropping was a useless one.
"Well I suppose it saves me from having to explain everything a second time," she decided.
Rebekah gave her a satisfied glare before returning to her chair at the desk.
"Nik was right, you know," Rebekah said just as she was turning to leave Rebekah's bedroom.
She stopped and spun back around on her heels.
"What you did tonight was incredibly stupid," Rebekah said flatly. "Even if Nik has been a bit of an ass about things lately, he has every right to be mad at you," she continued.
While Rebekah's blunt take on the situation was a little harsh, it was basically a less watered down and short reiteration of what Elijah had said.
"I know," she agreed simply.
Rebekah sighed and turned around in her chair.
"Elijah was also right, though. Too often Nik lets his anger get the better of him. Trust me, I know. I've been the target of his foul words too many times to count. Deep down I know he doesn't mean a word of it," she said with a small encouraging smile.
She nodded and returned Rebekah's smile in kind.
"Thanks," she replied sincerely. "I guess I can't say you didn't warn me about him," she added with a friendly tone, referring to Rebekah's comments about Klaus being a handful.
Rebekah chuckled a little before turning serious.
"I hope my other warning has not escaped your mind as well," Rebekah mentioned, reminding her of Rebekah's threat of retaliation if she ever hurt her brother.
"I remember it well," she sighed with a hint of sarcasm.
"Good," Rebekah replied sternly.
Things grew awkward as a silence grew and she was just about to leave the room again, when Rebekah spoke up.
"I talked to Matt after school today," Rebekah started.
At first she thought Rebekah was about to say something about the hunter before quickly realizing that Rebekah's talk with Matt was probably more personal.
"You did?" she asked cautiously, unable to judge Rebekah's expression for how it went.
"He said we could talk at the Grill tomorrow; that he would hear me out," Rebekah responded hopefully.
She found herself smiling at Rebekah. She never would have imagined in a million years that she would be encouraging Rebekah's pursuit of Matt, and yet here she was sharing in Rebekah's enthusiasm.
"That's great," she said to Rebekah.
"Thanks, Caroline," Rebekah said with an actual genuine tone.
"Goodnight, Rebekah," she replied before leaving the room.
She exhaled with contentment, happy to be out from under Rebekah's critical eye, and satisfied with how their conversation had ended.
Tip-toeing back to the room beside Rebekah's, she gave out a longer sigh when she closed the doors behind her; relieved to have a moment alone, upset to be away from Klaus.
The room she was in was similar in layout to Rebekah's except it was reversed. The fireplace was on the right wall of the room, while the bathroom and closet were off the left wall. The walls themselves were a very deep blue colour that almost came off as grey or even black. This room featured the bed against the far wall in between two large windows and she took a moment to appreciate the intricate pattern on the dark solid wood headboard. There were a few paintings hung around the room, along with some shelves and a few pieces of small furniture, but unlike Klaus's or Rebekah's room, it didn't feel lived in.
Deciding to take a shower, she headed for the bathroom. Luckily for her, the shower in this bathroom appeared simpler to operate than Klaus's and though this bedroom did not seem to be occupied, the bathroom was well stocked with toiletry supplies.
The deep blue colour carried on into the bathroom, but only on one wall; the rest were left white. The blue wall featured a dark vanity with a white counter and a large framed mirror above while the toilet was beside it. On the far wall was the large glass enclosed shower, and under the single window on the right wall was a claw foot tub that rivalled the one in Klaus's master ensuite.
She briefly considered taking a bath before deciding that a shower was easiest and most practical.
Once she was undressed she turned the shower on without issue and adjusted it to an acceptable temperature.
She welcomed the shower. It took her mind off what plagued her mind most; speaking to Klaus.
When she was done, she towel tried her hair and tamed it the best she could before brushing her teeth with a packaged toothbrush and toothpaste she found in one of the drawers.
She dressed readily into the clothes Rebekah gave her. They were a welcome comfort to the form fitting dress she had been wearing prior to her shower.
Piling her belongings together on the bench at the end of the bed, she turned off the main room light in favour of the bedside lamp and then pulled down the black shades over the windows.
She eagerly pulled back the plush gray comforter and sheets and climbed onto the soft and inviting mattress. Surely she knew she would have trouble sleeping tonight, but if anything could lull her to sleep eventually it was the comfort of this bed, she thought as she wrapped herself in the blankets.
Turning out the lamp, she fell back into the pillow and closed her eyes, trying hard not to think about anything that happened today.
At some point after tossing and turning for awhile over thoughts about what she would say to Klaus and how tonight could have played out differently, she did manage to fall asleep. That was until the door to the room clicked open and her senses were filled with shushed giggles. As she propped herself up off the mattress to investigate, her eyes were blinded by the main light of the room. Once her eyes were adjusted and she could see clearly, she was tormented by who she saw.
Standing there in nothing but an unbuttoned white shirt and boxers, with an equally surprised expression and two half-naked women on each of his arms, was Klaus's younger brother Kol.