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Chapter 2

The silence on the other end made Caroline frustrated. There were no words, but she knew for fact someone was there because she heard them breathing.

"Hello? I can hear you breathing. If you need my help, please try to press a button."

There were few client calls she received where the person was either injured or ill to say something over the phone. It would be easier for her to help if this person didn't block their number, but she knew Katherine could easily track the caller if she asked.

Unbeknownst to Caroline, Klaus held the other end of the line. A smile ghosted his lips when he heard her voice. It's been so long since he heard her speak.

"If you're not gonna say anything or indicate that you need my help, then I'm going to hang up." She threatened.

He softly chuckled, but not loud enough for her to hear. He missed hearing the tenacity in her voice. He had a love/hate relationship with her stubbornness, but he couldn't point fingers, since he was just as stubborn as she. Originally he planned to say something to her, but he found listening to her was just enough.

She scoffed loudly, like she typically did whenever she was annoyed, and an eye roll always followed shortly after.

He imagined standing in front of her and watching a line form on her forehead, while her eyebrows furrowed with frustration. He found it cute whenever she did it and he'd always smirk at her, fully knowing that it just made her more upset.

The memories seemed further away with all the time they've spent apart. His presidency kept him busy through the day, but not so much that he didn't stop to think about her everyday. Every morning he'd wake up with the sun rays hitting him and wishing he'd woken up to her soft kisses, with her blonde hair tickling his chest. Every night he lied down on his side, wishing his arms were wrapped around her slim waist. He imagined pulling her slender body against his and falling asleep with his face buried in the nape of her neck, smelling her lavender vanilla shampoo.

"Goodbye!" She said, pulling him from his thoughts.

He held the phone to his hear until the line went dead. Even though he didn't say anything, it was enough for him to hear that she was the same woman. She hadn't changed and he didn't want her to. He returned the phone back to its hiding place, feeling slightly better.

As soon as he locked the drawer, the Oval Office doors opened and in came his wife, Haley Marshall Mikaelson. She wore a red pants suit and her hair was slicked back into a bun. Not one fly away strand was in sight. She wore white pearl earrings to match her white pearl necklace.

"Klaus, where the hell were you?" She demanded, without so much as a greeting to her husband.

The two only acted lovely and cute when they were in front of America's eyes. Klaus never loved Haley. He only lusted her and had his way with her in bed. His father arranged their marriage. When he wanted to run for Governor, his father convinced him that he needed to marry a woman who came from a family of old money. She only liked the fame and glory that came along with his political career.

"I'm the President of the United States, for heaven's sake. I have a country to run." He said this to her every time she complained about him not attending some event.

"You were supposed to be at the D.A.R. dinner event."

The D.A.R., also known as the Daughters of the American Revolution, was a group of bored rich housewives, trying to put on some event in hopes that it would give their lives meaning. His wife was in line to be the next D.A.R. President. He couldn't care less about these pathetic bored housewives.

"There are bigger topics at hand, Haley, like my reelection campaign."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Whatever." She said under her breath. "Have you chosen your campaign leader?"

"Yes."

"Let me guess, it's Caroline." She scoffed and rolled her eyes at him. She walked slowly toward him and put her hands on his desk. "You're going to risk your career for that girl again?"

Haley hated Caroline, with every fiber of her being. Caroline was her polar opposite. Prior to being Madame First Lady, Haley's job title was Housewife. She stayed at home and did nothing, but look pretty. She attended D.A.R. meetings and kept up-to-date with gossip, but she had no purpose. She had enough money from her family to sustain without working a day in her life. As soon as Klaus took office, she went from staying at home to picking art pieces to decorate the White House. Meanwhile, Caroline worked hard everyday of her life. She grew up in a small town and she wouldn't have been able to attend Yale if she didn't work hard in high school for a full-ride scholarship.

"You don't care about my career. You just want to smile pretty for the cameras."

"Let me make this very clear, Klaus, that girl will ruin you. If you think otherwise, you're a fool."

Stefan sat down in their conference room at Forbes & Co. reading a book to past the time. Whenever they were in between clients, they had time on their hands, or at least he and Katherine did. Caroline, on the hand, always had something to do, either a conference to attend or a meeting. She was a woman who never stopped. Stefan always figured it was Caroline's way of avoiding things. She lacked the courage to confront her own demons, just as many people do. The busier she was, the less time she had to spend thinking about her regrets or her past.

Katherine was on her phone as usual, just browsing around on social media or the internet. She grew bored of it and set it aside on the table.

"You think she'll take the job?" She asked Stefan.

He shrugged and turned to read the next page.

"C'mon Stef, you're not the least bit curious at to whether she'll take the job?"

"She's strong, Katherine. I'm sure she'll make the best decision for whatever she can brace."

Katherine drummed her fingers against the desk. "That's the thing, Stefan. She's not strong when it comes to him."

Stefan pressed his lips together and decided not to lift his eyes from his book. Silently, he agreed with Katherine's statement, but he thought it best not to voice his opinions. Caroline is strong, but somehow she looses herself when she's with Klaus, and the worst part is that she doesn't even notice it until it's too late.

The elevators made a bing and the doors opened. Out came Caroline Forbes ending a phone call. One thing that didn't go unnoticed was a dark girl with black hair trailing behind Caroline. She was dressed in a black pants suit, contrasting with Caroline's typical all white-attire.

Katherine waited until Caroline stashed her phone into her purse to comment on the girl. "Who's she?" She asked, not directly talking to the girl.

"Her name is Bonnie Bennett." Caroline answered. "And she is newest associate to Forbes & Co. I expect you two to acquaint her with the business norms."

"Hi!" Bonnie waved at Stefan and Katherine, giving a shy smile.

Caroline pulled out a folder in her purse and threw it onto the table. Stefan put his book away and reached for the folder to scan the contents. It was pieces of background information on the Democrats newly chosen presidential candidate: Lorenzo. He frowned at the information, but didn't say anything.

"I need you guys to search whatever you can on this guy. Get the dirt on him." She instructed.

"You're taking the assignment?" Katherine asked.

She breathed and nodded. "Yes. Now get started. I have a meeting. I'll be back tomorrow."

The White House looked bigger than she remembered it being. She practically lived at the White House when Klaus was newly elected. She helped with his transition from Governor to President of the United States of America. At the guard gate, she had to explain that she had a meeting with the Chief of Staff, Elijah Mikaelson, instead of showing her badge. Back then she wore her badge proudly. Although most of her work was performed behind the scenes, she was a woman with political power. Whenever a problem arose, she was the one to fix it. That's what she did. She fixed things. It was her specialty.

The pathway to the front doors was long, but she walked quickly. She normally walked liked she was crossing the street in New York City - a woman with purpose. She held her chin up high with her shoulders rolled back. More security measures were taken as she proceeded to the West Wing, which she was accustomed to by now.

Familiar faces were surprised by her presence. They stopped to say their regards, to which Caroline acted polite and friendly. All these people were like her family back then, considering they spent more time together than with their actual families.

She halted shortly right before approaching the closed white door to the Oval Office. Her heart picked up the pace as she felt herself get warmer from being anxious. She felt her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. She took in a sharp inhale of breath before proceeding to the secretary's desk, located across the door. She recalled the memories of opening those doors and finding that man sitting behind his desk. He'd be dressed in a suit and tie, smirking at her as she walked toward him. Memories had an odd way of making people feel happy and sad at the same time. Happy because it happened. Sad because it's all gone. She swallowed the lump forming on her throat, trying to clear her mind, and went over to the girl sitting at the desk just outside the Oval Office.

Caroline hired Camille O'Connell to be Klaus' secretary shortly after he was elected. She was a sweet girl who liked to tie her blonde hair back into a ponytail. Klaus cautioned her to be mindful of what she sees or hears and to never repeat it. Although she had her own two cents to chip into conversation, she always thought best of it. Plus, she found out from being a previous witness that Klaus does not make empty threats.

"Hello, Caroline! How are you?" She smiled, slightly surprised to see her.

"I'm well, Cami. Thank you! How are you?"

"Oh gosh, I've been peachy." Her voice faltered with her last word. Managing Klaus' daily schedule was a hassle, especially since there were a lot of unpredictable events that changed his planned course of events. "You'll be meeting in the Cabinet Room."

Caroline nodded at Camille and started towards the Cabinet Room. She stopped and smiled when she spotted Kol approaching her, wearing his goofy boyish grin of his. He looked dashing as always in his black suit.

"Well, I'll be damned. Do my eyes deceive me? Am I standing witness to Miss Caroline Forbes walking on the West Wing of the White House?" Kol joked, while grinning at Caroline.

"Oh, Kol! It's good to see you."

He opened his arms and pulled her into his chest to give her a tight squeeze. She's missed Kol, almost as much as she missed Rebekah. Whenever push came to shove, Kol always had Caroline's back, no matter what or who she was at odds with.

"I'm happy to see you back."

"Not permanently." She felt the need to remind him.

"Are you ready to see him?"

She shook her head. "Not in the slightest, but it's inevitable."

"You're in luck, today, at least. He's been in the Situation room all day and I highly doubt he'll be let out before the meeting."

She frowned at the news. "Is something wrong?"

There had to be something wrong if Klaus was stuck in the Situation Room all day. She tried to calm herself from showing any concern, but knew she failed. Instead, she reminded herself of the painful memories and she felt a weight lifted from her shoulders. She fooled herself, believing she was ready to face him again, but she was the farthest from it.

"Mums the word, remember? If only you worked at the White House again, then we could discuss such matters."

"I'm happy where I'm at, Kol."

He sighed and surrendered a genuine smile. "I know." He saw what Caroline went through. She easily handled the public harassment and embarrassment, but she nearly fell apart when his brother broke her heart for the second time. A woman can only handle so much heartbreak before she crumbles. During that time, her smile never reached her eyes. He remembered seeing how fragile she was looking back at her watery blue eyes.

"Rebecca will also be absent from the meeting. She's handling the Press. They've been grilling her all day."

"I guess I'll catch up with her another day."

She hadn't seen Rebekah since the falling out of her relationship with Klaus. Truthfully, Caroline avoided her. It was hard seeing her, since she reminded her so much of Klaus. Aside from their resembling blonde hair, they both took very bold actions. She missed her, since she was her best friend after all, but it was easier for her to move on. That didn't mean she didn't still consider Rebekah her best friend.

"You're still welcomed to the Mikaelson manor for our weekly dinners." He reminded her.

She rolled her eyes, thinking about everyone who attended those dinners. "Right, because Haley and I are best friends…" She replied sarcastically.

He laughed. "We both know you'd win any fight against her."

He offered his arm to her and she slid her arm to link hers with his. While they proceeded to the Cabinet Room, Kol went on to tell Caroline about the woman he'd been seeing. He always had a story to tell that involved him and women. He was a closet womanizer, but to America he was just a good-looking man, similar to John F. Kennedy. Caroline always hoped he would find a good woman who would change his lifestyle. The women he dated were nothing but penny-faced girls, mining for hard rocks and reaching for a social ladder to climb. He finished his story when they pushed the Cabinet room doors open.

Nearly all seats were full with the exception of a few. Caroline smiled politely at everyone. Some were just as surprised to see her, not believing she'd actually ever step foot in the West Wing again. There was one seat open at the end of the table closest to the door. The other open seats were the ones at the other end of the table. Elijah was seated to the right of the head seat. The First Lady, Haley, stood next to Elijah, hovering over his shoulder and giggling into his neck. No one was blind to her palpable flirting with Elijah, but most just turned the other way. It wouldn't be the first time the White House staff acted oblivious to any in house affairs.

Elijah stopped his conversation with Haley to look up at Caroline. He acknowledged her with a slight nod like he usually did in the past. Haley, on the other hand, scowled at her. Her upper lip twitched with contempt. Looking the other way, Caroline smiled politely at them. She's come to expect this attitude from them.

Kol held out the empty chair to the left of Klaus' head seat for Caroline. As Caroline took a step toward it, Haley put her hands on her hips as she interrupted.

"That's my seat." She proclaimed, glaring at Kol for making the mistake.

He rolled his eyes at her. "She's running the campaign. It seems only fit for her to be at Klaus' left hand."

"I'm his wife!" She begged to differ, not even the slightest bit ashamed of asserting her status as the First Lady. Haley was never embarrassed to put on a show when it came to these things, but only within the confinements of the White House and absent of the Press. If she ever did this at a public conference, she wouldn't hear the end of it from Klaus.

Kol opened his mouth to refute something, but Caroline held her hand out and placed it on his chest, warning him to stop.

"It's fine, Kol." She turned to Elijah. "Where would you like me seated?"

"Opposite of Klaus, Miss Forbes." He answered, curtly.

Elijah started the meeting as soon as Caroline, Kol, and Haley took their seats. He explained the differences between his previous campaign compared to this round. Considering that Klaus is still serving as the President, he does not have the time to spend on touring America, nor does he need to do so. America knows him. They know how he is as a President. He let Caroline continue with her plan.

She identified Klaus' opponent and informed them that her associates were researching information on him that they could use to their advantage. She also stressed the importance of highlighting the bright moments of his term. Admittedly, there were many of Klaus' decisions that Americans disagreed with, but she wanted to steer America toward the good in him.

As she went on to discuss how the Press should be handled, her mind fondled over the little good she saw in him before. She saw a man passionate for power. In the most rare moments, she's seen him show kindness, forgiveness, pity, and even compassion. She's treasured each moment and locked it in a chest hidden in the deepest part of her heart. Every time he did something destructive or manipulative, her heart tugged at those moments, reminding her that there was good in him.

At the end of her presentation, one of staff members who worked under Rebekah spoke on behalf of the Press team. While she presented, the doors opened behind Caroline, but she decided not to turn around to look. The presenter stopped in mid-presentation when everyone in the room stood up as Klaus rounded the table. He walked with determination, dressed in his black suit and long black tie. Haley greeted her husband with a chaste kiss on the cheek before everyone took their seats again. The Press member continued with her presentation.

Wanting to avoid him, Caroline fixed her gaze on the presenter. She hated sitting opposite of Klaus. Her peripheral vision gave away his gaze on her. The table was longer than ten feet and yet she felt his stare burning into her skin. She felt her cheeks warm to a subtle soft pink, which she hoped would go unnoticed.

"I need the room with Caroline." He told everyone. Her name rolled off his tongue like a melody with his thick British accent.

Klaus and his siblings were matriculated in a British boarding school for their primary education. When they returned to the United States for secondary education prep school in up state New York, they had already picked up British accents.

Everyone rose and exited the door, taking everything with them, and not uttering a single word. Caroline looked down at her notepad, ignoring eye contact from anyone. Her pink cheeks turned to a shade of cherry, feeling slightly embarrassed. Haley shot her a look of disgust, while Elijah just gave a disapproving look as they passed by. The last person out the room was Kol and he made sure to give Caroline a tight squeeze of her hand for encouragement and comfort.

The doors closed and silence fell heavy in the room like a loud thunderstorm. She felt his green eyed stares burning her.

He cocked his head to the right, slightly amused by her avoidance. He watched as strands of her blonde hair felt from behind her shoulders to cover her beautiful face. As he leaned back in his chair, he smirked when he noticed her nervously scribbling away at her bit down hard on her tongue, reminding herself to stay strong and not give in to him. The air felt thin, making it harder for her to breathe.

"It's been too long, Caroline." He said, as he got up from his seat.

She looked up from her notepad, finding him walking over to her. With every step closer, her heart felt heavier with each beat as it slammed against her chest. She's forgotten how confident he walked and how sexy he looked doing so. Her body felt warmer and she braced her self as he closed the distance between them.

He stopped and hovered over her, like he normally did in the past. Subconsciously, her hands found its way to grip onto the arm rests of her chair, bracing herself for being so close to him. With him standing so tall over her, he looked like a Greek god. His golden bronze hair was rugged with soft curls at its ends. His startling green eyes paraded up and down her body, dancing every curve and inch of her skin. She felt the heat radiating from his body.

He sat down at the edge of the table, still gazing at her. She bit down on her bottom right lip, feeling the need to do something. His eyes gleamed with obvious excitement. As he leaned into her, she felt herself leaning back, away from him, but her back was met with the chair, giving her no more room to escape.

He leaned into her left ear and turned his head slightly to the right, letting his rugged beard graze her neck. The hairs on her arms and back stood at attention. She licked her lips and the cool air-conditioned breeze hit her lips, making her more aware of the heat boiling between them. His soft full lips stopped less than an inch away from her ear. He licked his lips before speaking and the tip of his tongue tickled her earlobe. At that moment, she froze feeling immobile below him, and she felt her body surrender to him.

"I've missed you." He whispered. The soft husky hushed tone cooled her moistened earlobe, forcing her to crave more. He smelt the familiar lavender vanilla shampoo scent that he only identified with hers. He fought the urge to tug at the ends of her honey blonde hair to pull her into him.

He pulled away from her too soon, but she silently thanked him for it. She wasn't sure she could handle more than that. If he lingered for a few more seconds, she knew her hands would find its way to caress him, traveling in its familiar territory.

"I'm too smart to be seduced by you." She said, with a playful smile.

He smirked down at her. "Well, that's why I like you."

She loved and hated that signature smirk of his. His dimples were always prominent when he smirked and his eyes danced with anticipation and excitement.

Her chest rose and fell with every breath as her body returned slowly to its normal state. She took a sharp inhale of breath and shook her head as if to chastise herself for indulging in that moment. She straightened her posture, attempting her best to look calm and composed.

"Klaus," She started feeling the confidence build within her, "This will be strictly professional. Nothing else."

It made her feel better knowing that it was out there. She set the boundaries, although she wasn't sure he'd follow it. Klaus always had his own agenda.

"We'll see." He said, with a coy smile. With that, he left the room, leaving her alone to waltz with her unfinished thoughts.

Down at 430 South Capitol St. in Washington D.C., the Democrats just finished a meeting discussing Lorenzo's presidential campaign. His chief of staff, Damon Salvatore, followed Lorenzo to his office after the meeting.

"Enzo, I need to get you out there and tour the nation. Make them fall in love with you." Damon told him.

Enzo smiled his suave grin. He was popular amongst women voters, especially those that were single. With his dark black hair and handsome smile, he had devilishly good looks.

"I can't wait to meet them." Enzo replied sincerely, while taking a seat at his desk.

The real reason he wanted to run for President was to bring about the change for the people. He wanted to be the voice of the people. He started helping people when he interned with a corporate law firm, while he studied at Harvard law school. He tried to take down any corporations that were taking advantage of their power. His colleague and best friend, Damon, convinced him to take his skills to a position of higher power. He helped his friend run for Governor of Georgia after a few years at the law firm. After a successful term, he convinced Enzo to run for president.

"Don't just make it about speeches and on-screen appearances, Damon. I want to do 'meet and greets' also." He requested.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" His best friend replied, while stuck on his iPhone reading emails. His blue eyes widened as he read his latest message. "Shit!" He cursed.

"What is it, now?" He asked, partially uninterested. He knew Damon long enough to know that he had a knack of overreacting to things that could be easily fixed. With Damon, it always seemed like the sky was falling. When they played football in high school, Damon always threw a panic scene when a fellow rival broke score charts. At this point, Enzo came to expect Damon to freak out over every little thing.

"I just got word that Caroline Forbes will be running the President's reelection campaign."

Enzo shrugged. "So what?"

"She's the reason Klaus Mikaelson came into office. She made the nation fall in love with him. Before her, he was nothing but a greedy, feared man." He explained. His disgruntled frown twisted into a devious smile at an idea. "But we could play this to our advantage. We can remind the public about the President's scandal with Caroline Forbes."

"Damon, no." He stated firmly. "I will not, nor will I ever, play dirty to win. If I win, it's because I deserved it, not because the people were dissuaded by the President's scandals. Besides, they were rumors. None were proven to be true."

Damon grumbled. He and Enzo always shared the same results, but Damon had a different agenda for his means to an end. Although Damon always wanted to do things his way, Enzo had the ultimate say, since he was technically his boss.

Unlike most people in America, Enzo didn't bat an eyelash when news broke out about the President's scandal. He only felt truly sorry for Klaus and the poor woman. Even if it were true, he imagined it being horrible to survive a scandal like that.

"It'll come out eventually…" He reminded him.

"If it does, so be it, but listen to me when I say it will not be because of your loose lips. That's an order, Damon." He stood up from his seat and buttoned his suit. "I have a meeting to get to."

"Alright." He agreed. "Don't forget we leave for Washington tomorrow morning. We're starting with the west coast."

Katherine asked a series of questions about Bonnie, since she was surprised by her sudden employment. Bonnie graduated from Columbia University studying law, which also happened to be the same school Katherine attended. By coincidence, they were in the same class, yet they never met before.

Stefan finished giving Bonnie a tour of their floor and gave a background on what they did. Bonnie took notes of everything and tried her best to keep up. He ended the tour back in the large conference room, where Katherine sat with her laptop researching information on the Democrat.

"I'm assuming Caroline's had you sign the confidentiality agreements." Stefan said, to which Bonnie responded with a nod. "As such, keep all matters of our clients within the confinements of Forbes & Co." He advised.

Katherine took her eyes off the screen when Stefan stopped speaking. She eyed Bonnie from head to to, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Now that you're finished with the tour, will you two help me find info on this Democrat?" Katherine asked, trying to use her nice pleading tone. Carrying a kind, sweet voice was never her forte. "I'm trying to find some dirty laundry, but there's nothing."

"You're not gonna find anything." Stefan stated, which earned him raised curious eyebrows from both Katherine and Bonnie. "He's as clean as they come. I know, Lorenzo, more commonly known as Enzo. He's my brother's best friend. Who do you think is running his campaign?"

The realization dawned on her.

"Your brother is running our client's opposition? Well, this is rich. You have to tell Caroline."

"I will." He reassured her. "She has enough on her plate. We both know she can handle Damon. I'm waiting until after she meets Klaus again… it's been years since they saw each other. I don't want anything else clouding her head."

Stefan always protected Caroline when he could. He did it in a brotherly way. Since she had no siblings, she found comfort whenever Stefan acted like her older protective brother.

He turned to Bonnie and asked, "Do you have further questions?"

"Well… just out of curiosity… What exactly happened between Caroline and the President?" Bonnie asked.

Katherine grinned. "Have a seat, darling, cause it's a long story."

End of Chapter 2

How will Caroline react to Stefan's news?
Will Klaus and Caroline be able to work together platonically?
What exactly happened between Caroline and the President?

Stay tuned to find out!

So if you haven't guessed it by now,
I'm writing this story with flashbacks from the past.
This is my first time writing a story like this,
but I look forward to sharing it with you all.

Please, do not forget to leave REVIEWS!

Every time a I read them, I am inspired to write more!

Take care dolls!

xx,

britannia