Chapter 7: A Real Work of Art

Part I

Yes, I'm alive. Call off the search party! I know, I suck. On so many levels. This took too long to write, mostly because I wasn't writing anything at all. Anyway, the real point is that there are two parts to this chapter because it would have been too long and awkward to cram into one post. So now let's begin the process of hating me a little less. Read on, my friends!

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries, the Originals, or anything related to these shows.

"Care!" Matt exclaimed, answering the phone slightly out of breath. Caroline could picture him running to the back office at the Grill to answer the call. The thought made her smile.

"Hey, stranger," Caroline greeted, watching the cars speeding by. She'd slipped out of the office during her break to sit on a bench in front of the towering building. She hugged her coat tighter as the wind picked up around her.

Matt was the last on her list of people to whom she needed to apologize. She'd talked to Elena and Bonnie in a 3-way call the night before, apologizing for not answering their calls on her birthday and letting herself be swept up in the happenings of their lives for nearly an hour. It had almost been like old times, and she'd nearly let herself believe it, too, except for the jolt of reality that came with the clicking of the 'End' button on her cell phone screen.

"Speaking of strangers," Matt replied, his voice evening out now. "Someone's been avoiding my calls." Caroline scrunched up her face in guilt.

"I know," she sighed. "I'm so sorry. I got all your messages, too. I just couldn't, Matty. I just—" Caroline didn't finish her sentence. She couldn't explain it to him because she didn't know how. How could she make any logical sense of pushing away the people she loved most? Hell, it didn't even make sense to her.

"I know, Care," he answered, gently. "You don't have to apologize."

"But I do, Matt. It's not right. I keep pushing everyone away." She sighed, fiddling with the heart-shaped pendant hanging from her neck.

"It is, though, Care. I get it. Sometimes you just need to block everyone out so that you can deal with whatever it is you're feeling. We all get that you're going through a hard time and, I promise you, nobody faults you for it. You never have to apologize for that. Just don't push us away forever," he joked, eliciting a small laugh from Caroline.

"I would never dare."

"But seriously, how have you been?" The tenderness in his voice was as unmistakable as the warmth in his heart.

"I've been…good," she faltered, attempting her hardest to sound sincere. She shook her head, forgetting that he couldn't see her. "Actually, that's a fat lie," she laughed, feeling the need for a real moment of truth with her best friend. "I've been awful. Everything's been pretty horrible lately," she admitted. Caroline adjusted the phone to her other ear and leaned back on the bench, crossing her legs, and looking up at the greying sky.

"I know, Care," he said, softly.

"Just when I think it's going to get better, I get sucked back down into it all again." Caroline blew out a frustrated sigh. "I thought getting out of Mystic Falls would help, you know? And, I mean, I know I'm feeling better than I would be feeling right now if I'd stayed there, but that's not saying much because I still feel terrible."

Matt stayed quiet.

"I'm starting to think I'll never feel alright again." This fear of hers had been on constant loop for the past few months.

"Care, you can't think like that. You just lost the most important person in your life." Caroline rolled her eyes, not needing to be reminded of the fact. "I've never been the spokesperson for normalcy but I'd say that what you're experiencing is pretty normal. You've been through so much these past two years," he continued, "it's a wonder you're still standing." Caroline chewed her lip as the tears pooled in her eyes. "I've never seen anyone fight as hard as you have. You're the strongest person I know."

Caroline scoffed in disbelief, quickly swiping away the tear that escaped from the corner of her eye. "Well, it sure doesn't feel like it."

They stayed quiet for a few moments. Caroline attempted to hide her red-rimmed eyes from the passers-by by letting her hair shield her face.

"Hey, Matt?"

"Yea?"

"Do you think I made a mistake coming out to Chicago?" she asked. "Tell me the truth."

"No, Care, not at all," he answered sincerely. "Look, I doubt it's ever going to just suddenly feel better. As much as I hate that my best friend abandoned me for the big city," he teased, "I really think it was the best decision you could've made. When your mom got sick, your life just...stopped. And obviously you did what you needed to do and you did your damn best to take care of her, but now it's time to take care of yourself. Learn how to live again. Find a way to be happy."

"And how do I get over all this pain?" she asked. Caroline heard him blow out a long sigh.

"I don't know if there's a right answer to that, but if there's anything I've learned from past experiences it's that time eventually helps you forget, and the only way to get through it until then is to just get through it."

"Stop," she said, letting out a watery laugh, "you're starting to sound like Katherine." Matt let out an audible shudder. The two had a very open, and mostly humorous, dislike for one another.

"How is that going, by the way?" Matt asked.

"Katherine is…" Caroline struggled to form the words. "Katherine's different than how I remember her. She's nice to me now and pretty amazing, actually," she said, sounding as if she were coming to a revelation as the words left her mouth.

"I have a hard time believing that," Matt said with a small laugh.

"I know," she exclaimed. "That was exactly my reaction at first, but it hasn't been easy on me out here, and every time I think I've reached my lowest, I find her right there by my side. It's weird but...I trust her."

"Only you, Caroline Forbes, could melt the Ice Queen's heart," Matt teased, reminding Caroline of the nickname they'd used for Katherine behind her back ever since high school. Caroline chuckled.

"I highly doubt that she's reformed now because of me, but I'll take the credit anyway," she joked. They both laughed.

"Hey, Care?"

"Hmm," she answered.

"It's a little late, but Happy Birthday anyway," he said. Caroline laughed.

"Thanks, Matty," she replied, feeling the warmth creep back into her heart. After a short pause, she announced, "I should get going. I have a meeting with my boss in ten minutes."

"No worries. I'll talk to you soon," he said. "I really miss you, Care," he admitted on a softer note.

"I miss you, too, Matty," she said, feeling her throat begin to constrict. The emotion in Matt's voice always had a direct connection to the strings of her heart. "Tell Sarah I say hi. I'll talk to you later," she said in a near whisper, not trusting her voice not to betray her emotions.

"I will, Care. Love you."

"Love you, too," she rushed out, before shutting the phone and giving in to the pooling drops of moisture she'd been trying to hold back. She dabbed her fingers on the corners of her eyes, catching the tears before they ruined her makeup.

Everything about Matt felt like home to her—Matt with his unwavering warmth, his soulful eyes thawing even the coldest of hearts and disarming even those warned to expect it. Matt, her best friend and sharer of a childhood attachment that had somehow morphed into one of two would-be adults attempting to make it in this world. Matt—barbecue pits and cowhide leather, hers to have and not hers all the same. Matt—her home.

Caroline poked her head into the office, rapping her knuckles lightly on the open door. Francesca looked away from her computer screen and peered up at Caroline over the rims of her glasses.

"You asked for me, Francesca?"

"Yes, Caroline. Come in. Have a seat," the older woman said, gesturing with her hand to the chair. Caroline did as she was told, moving forward to take the seat in front of her boss's desk. Francesca closed out of the document she was working on and turned back to Caroline, removing her reading glasses as she did so.

"Thank you for coming, Caroline. This will only take a few minutes."

"It's no problem," Caroline replied, politely. Francesca folded her hands in front of her. Her brightly manicured nails stood out against her olive-colored skin.

"As you know, I'm supposed to be meeting with Klaus today to get started on choosing the artwork for the Palmer property." Caroline nodded, having scheduled the meeting for the two of them herself. "I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to make it." Francesca blew out a frustrated breath.

"I had a meeting with potential clients from a Spanish firm set up for tomorrow afternoon," Francesca continued, "but apparently there was a miscommunication between our secretaries, and instead of flying in tomorrow, they already flew in this morning." Francesca looked distressed. Distractedly, she checked her phone for any new messages.

"Caroline," she said, turning back to face her. "I'd like you to take my place with Klaus this afternoon." Caroline's eyes widened a bit.

"Um, are you sure about that? I'm sure we could just reschedule," Caroline reasoned. Spending a whole afternoon with Klaus, alone, was the last thing she felt like doing.

"No, no," Francesca shook her head. "That's unnecessary. We've already scheduled the consultations with the galleries and I don't want to back out of them now. And even if we did reschedule, I don't think we'd be able to meet personally with one of the artists, Alain Perrault. He's returning to France in two weeks for the rest of the season."

"Ok," Caroline replied slowly. "What exactly would I be required to do?" This was entirely beyond the realm of her expertise.

Francesca waved her hand carelessly in the air. "It's nothing, really. We've scheduled consultations with two different art galleries. I thought these two would have the most fitting artwork for the dining room and lobby. You'll go along with Klaus and offer your opinion on the artwork, but mostly you'll be in charge of the logistics. You'll handle the payments and shipments. Make sure they're delivered to the storage room in this building. We'll take them back to the property once the renovation is completely over. Oh, and just a heads up, Alain Perrault only speaks French, but you shouldn't have a problem with that." Francesca already knew of Caroline's year abroad in France during college. She had double-majored in Visual Arts and French, the height of her overachieving years.

Francesca continued to rattle off more requests that Caroline diligently wrote down on the notepad she'd brought in with her.

"I don't think there should be any problems," Francesca assured her. "But if you run into any difficulties, just call me." Caroline nodded her head. "That will be all, Caroline." Caroline finished scribbling one last note to herself on the pad and stood up.

"Klaus will be in front of the building at a quarter to two. I've already informed him that you'll be taking my place this afternoon." With that, Francesca returned back to her computer screen, replacing her reading glasses in their position on the bridge of her nose. Caroline turned from the desk to walk out of the office.

"Good luck," she heard behind her. Caroline turned slightly around.

"Thank you," she replied, feeling the nerves in her stomach return. It wasn't that the task before her was daunting. It sounded easy enough, and she was never one to cower in the face of a new challenge. It's part of what made her job exciting: trying new things and discovering what she was capable of. Instead, it was the thought of having to see him again.

The last time she had seen him with that woman on the day of her birthday, she'd been left with the image on instant replay in her mind. It shouldn't of bothered her. He wasn't hers. But, for some reason, the gust of emotion she'd already been feeling that day had only intensified upon seeing the two together, and that pain had somehow weaved itself into the wide netting of grief in which she was already entangled.

The night of her birthday, she had laid wrapped in Katherine's arms on the living room floor, shoulders shaking and tears streaming in a weeping mess, the tiny fractures of her world splitting open under the weight of her sorrows and crumbling to the ground in inevitable catastrophe. She had expected it, had seen it coming from miles away, but what she hadn't expected was someone being there to hold her when it all fell apart. Katherine had held her, consoled her, and tucked her in that night.

The next morning, though, Caroline had picked herself up, smoothed out the night creases on her skin, and resolved to toughen up her heart a bit. She couldn't get on like she had before; it was getting her nowhere and, by God, she had to get somewhere. Caroline Forbes wasn't meant to stay kicked down on the ground.

It was ten to one when Caroline stepped out of the lobby doors and onto the sidewalk. She was late, half on purpose and half because she had allowed herself to be cornered by Chatty Cathy—her name was actually Cathy—outside the bathroom door. She hadn't been all that concerned about being late, nor had she been all that eager to see him.

But something curious had occurred while Cathy droned on about something positively mundane: Caroline realized how out of place her annoyance with him was. She was nothing to him—a coworker, barely acquaintances—as he should be to her. Her life was a muddled situation of dusty cobwebs and near-death suffocation and it wasn't her place to be bringing anyone else down with her. Klaus was far beyond her reach, and they'd all be better off if he remained that way. So, as she stood outside the bathroom, pretending to be interested in whatever it was Cathy was saying, Caroline told herself she would act perfectly normal—better than normal—with Klaus. She couldn't let another grievance weigh her down.

So as she stood outside the building, zipping up her jacket and scanning the street for Klaus, she felt considerably lighter than she had when she'd first been told of her assignment for this afternoon.

Caroline spotted him a short ways down the sidewalk. He was leaning up against his parked car on the curb, ankles crossed and one hand stuck in his jeans' pocket, engrossed in conversation with whomever he was speaking to on his cell phone. He wore his customary dark jeans paired with a dark grey henley and his black leather jacket.

Caroline walked closer towards him.

"Kol," she could hear him saying, "the condo is not your own personal bachelor pad. I'm not going to allow you to use it every time you fancy a female with a pulse." As Caroline approached him, Klaus looked up, his look of irritation morphing into something more welcoming. She could hear the sounds of adamant protest on the other end of the line, causing the corners of her mouth to turn upwards in a suppressed laugh.

"Don't think I don't know that you call me for favors instead of Elijah," he said, turning back to his conversation in lighthearted frustration and interrupting whoever it was on the other end. "I already told you that you were cut off after what happened last time. But you really want the condo that bad? Call Elijah and ask him instead. Let me know how that goes. Now, I have actual work to attend to because that's what adults do. Goodbye, Kol." Klaus ended the call and stuck his cell phone back in the inside pocket of his jacket. He laughed at the expression of mirth on Caroline's face.

"Sibling trouble?" she inquired, cocking her head to the side, a teasing smile gracing her features.

"My youngest brother," he said by way of explanation. He shook his head in feigned annoyance. "I'm not certain when I started being the easy brother." Caroline laughed again. It was lighthearted and Klaus smiled wider at the sound.

"Caroline, it's lovely to see you again," he said affably, finally giving her a proper greeting, the small lines around his eyes creasing as a result of his smile.

"Hi, Klaus," Caroline answered, smiling lightly. She glanced down at her watch and looked back up at him. "We should probably get going or we'll be late."

"Of course, love. Let's be on our way then, shall we?"

Katherine huffed in annoyance as she walked backed to her office, having just escorted her client to the elevator in an outward gesture of courtesy but one actually meant to ensure he got the hell out of her sight. He was an entitled, conceited imbecile who had the audacity to call himself a businessman.

She shrugged off her blazer, sinking down into her desk chair and reaching for the cell phone she'd heard vibrate while that condescending moron continued to assault her with his unrestrained stupidity. She clicked it on, flipping her long locks over her shoulder and smiling when she realized who'd sent her a message.

"It's terribly difficult to concentrate on my work when all I can think about is you," it read. Katherine felt her stomach flip, rereading the words to make sure she wasn't just imagining it.

"Well, a good afternoon to you, too, Elijah," she wrote back to him.

It took less than thirty seconds for him to send back a response.

[Elijah: Good afternoon, darling.] They'd graduated into pet names, now?

[Katherine: I thought you said you hated texting.]

[Elijah: Anything aside from seeing you in person is just a poor substitute, but texting will have to make due for now.] She scoffed with a silent laugh at his way with words.

[Katherine: So what was it that I was unwittingly distracting you from?]

[Elijah: A deal with the investors fell through this morning.] Her phone lit up immediately after with a follow-up message.

[Elijah: I have less than 48 hrs. to fix it.]

[Elijah: Have a meeting in 10.]

[Katherine: :( I'm sorry. Anything I can do to help?] His response was instantaneous.

[Elijah: Distract me until then.] Katherine laughed silently. Could this guy be any more adorable?

She glanced up to make sure no one was looking at her through her open office door before responding.

[Katherine: Ok.]

[Katherine: Would you like me to tell you about my day?]

[Elijah: Please] Katherine sat back in her ergonomic chair, crossing her legs and getting comfortable.

[Katherine: Well the good news is I landed a new client today...] She waited for him to respond.

[Elijah: Congratulations, Katherine! You're an extraordinary woman.]

[Katherine: Thank you ;) ]

[Katherine: Bad news is he's like 12 and he's only successful because he inherited daddy's fortune.]

[Elijah: He sounds like a catch.]

[Katherine: Oh he definitely is. Right down to his whiny voice and delusional sense of entitlement.]

[Elijah: That's usually how it goes for people like that.]

She stared at her phone, deciding what what to say next when it lit up again with another message.

[Elijah: I miss you.] Katherine's smile widened. She took slightly longer to respond this time, not wanting to make it so easy for him.

[Katherine: Do you?] She was teasing now. No sooner had she sent the message had she received a response.

[Elijah: Have you a doubt about it?] Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

[Katherine: Maybe…]

[Elijah: Well how about I prove it to you.] Katherine quirked an eyebrow.

[Katherine: And how do you propose to do that?]

[Elijah: Come over Friday night.]

[Elijah: I want to cook you dinner.] Katherine's smile widened, happy. She swiveled around in her chair so her back was to the door.

[Katherine: And you'll prove it to me then?] She couldn't help her response. Teasing was in her blood. She secretly delighted in the vaguely inappropriate undertone and she wished she could see his expression.

His response wasn't so quick this time.

[Elijah: Katherine, I'm certain you'll be the death of me.]

[Katherine: ;) ]

[Elijah: Is that a yes?]

[Katherine: That's a yes :) ] She could almost feel his smile.

[Elijah: I have to attend to the hungry wolves now. I'll call you soon.]

[Elijah: Have a good rest of the day, darling.]

Katherine erased the smile off her face and sighed loudly as she set her cell phone back down on her desk. What the hell was happening to her? Since when did she let a guy affect her this much? If she couldn't get a hold of herself soon, it would be Elijah who would be the death of her, not the other way around.

As Caroline came to stand beside him in front of the next painting, Klaus heard her let out an involuntary gasp which she quickly masked with a cough. He tried his best to suppress the laughter bubbling in his chest, schooling his features to appear serious.

"It's rather interesting, don't you think?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow in her direction. Caroline shot him a stunned look and then cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"Yea...well, it's uh...it's different," she managed, trying her best to remain professional in the face of a massive oil on canvas of a nude couple pleasuring each other. She got flustered all of a sudden, looking at the painting, looking at him, looking at him looking at the painting.

"It's certainly eye-catching." He rubbed his chin in faux concentration, appearing to her to be completely oblivious to her uncomfortable reaction. "I wouldn't go so far as to say a painting of such a sexual nature is avant-garde, but it would certainly get the attention of those frequenting the hotel, wouldn't you agree?"

Caroline cleared her throat again, not catching on to the way Klaus bit the inside of his cheek to keep his mouth from stretching into a grin.

"Uh...yea, I suppose," she answered, "but don't you think it's a bit...uh…" she trailed.

"A bit what, love?" Klaus asked innocently.

"Inappropriate, maybe?" she managed, awkwardly.

"Inappropriate?" he repeated, swiveling his head to look at her. "A piece like this is truly a work of art, Caroline. I hardly thinks that warrants it being labelled inappropriate." He turned back to face the painting. "So, lobby by the mantelpiece?" he asked.

Caroline turned her eyes on him, stunned that he was actually considering this. She was doubting her own judgement and suddenly now she can't remember if she'd ever really had good taste or if she'd just made a few lucky choices.

He graced her with the most devilish angelic face she'd yet seen in her life and the next second her eyes widened and her mouth opened in a shocked gasp and she was slapping Klaus's arm without a second thought. He erupted in a loud laugh that had him turning away to avoid another smack.

"You!" she exclaimed with a formidable point of her finger. "I can't believe I actually thought you were serious!"

Klaus burst into another bout of laughter again, the sight of a scandalized Caroline being too much for him to control. Caroline lowered her hand and placed it on her hip, cocking it to the side in her best attempt to appear affronted.

"Oh come on, Caroline," he breathed out through his laughs, "that was hilarious and you know it."

She was trying her hardest not to give in but the sight of him doubled over in laughter made the corners of her mouth lift up and the small laugh that escaped her was truly beyond her control.

"You suck," she said, before the small chuckle morphed into full-blown laughter.

There was a quiet afternoon lull in the coffee house they'd chosen to pass the time in until their next gallery appointment. A few patrons were scattered about, each with either a book or laptop to accompany their ordered drinks.

Caroline and Klaus had finished picking the art pieces for the lobby at the first gallery. After Klaus had broken the ice with his teasing, they'd spent the remaining time there in lighthearted conversation and laughs.

All had gone well until the last moment when they were nearly two steps out the door and Andrew Erichson, the owner of the gallery, had mentioned in passing his last encounter with Klaus's mother. Mr. Erichson gushed about the woman, earning only a terse response from Klaus and a swift departure from the gallery, with Caroline trailing after him in confusion.

That was how they both found themselves here, facing each other at a table in this hushed cafe, waiting out the time, with Caroline staring hesitatingly at Klaus as he peered into his ceramic mug with a conflicted look on his face. She'd already asked him once before if he was alright and she was hesitant to ask him again.

Caroline wrapped her palms around her own mug and shifted in her seat uncomfortably. The frown marring his handsome features was too unsettling. The light mood that they'd shared earlier had disappeared and she was unsure of what to say, only knowing that she had to say something to lift the torn look from his face.

"The leaves are starting to fall," she blurted. Klaus looked up at her, confused.

"Autumn's here," she explained. "I didn't even notice until I saw all the leaves falling at Lincoln Park the other day." She laughed, shaking her head. "I mean I know it's gotten colder, but I'm usually able to smell the change in the air before any of the leaves even begin to change color. And I realized I didn't notice fall had come this year because I couldn't smell it," she rambled. She let out a nervous laugh at the curious stare Klaus was giving her. "Fall in Virginia smells different."

Caroline shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his gaze, looking down at the tabletop and fiddling with the napkin to avoid his intense scrutiny until he finally spoke up.

"That's because all you smell in the city is car exhaust and cigarette smoke."

"Mm, two of my favorite smells," Caroline joked. Klaus chuckled, watching her take a long sip from her mug.

"You'll get used to it," he supplied. "Soon enough you'll hardly even notice it anymore."

"Good to know," she smiled.

"So when exactly did you move here?" Klaus inquired, sufficiently distracted from his own internal dilemma.

"Just a little over a month ago."

Klaus raised his eyebrows in surprise and sat back in his chair, draping his arm to rest comfortably on the chair beside him. "One month?" he repeated for verification.

"Yup," Caroline nodded, popping the last syllable with her lips.

"Chicago life must still be very new to you then."

"As new as can be," she agreed, nodding in agreement. She couldn't help notice the way his sole focus was trained on her every time they spoke. It was flattering and unsettling all at the same time.

"You're from Virginia you said?"

"Yea," she nodded. "Mystic Falls, just a little outside of Richmond."

"I've never heard of it," he admitted truthfully. Caroline chuckled.

"Don't worry about it. Most people haven't." She smiled. "It's a small town that people only pass through to get to Richmond." Klaus smirked back.

"I've always wondered what small-town America is like."

"There's not much to wonder about," she countered.

"Oh, come now, love," he chastised, "there must be some charm and attraction to your hometown."

Caroline cocked an eyebrow. "Somehow I don't think Mystic Falls would satisfy your big city expectations," she replied with a small laugh.

Klaus tsked her. "Always so presumptuous, love."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Yea, because Miss Mystic Falls pageants and high school football games are definitely your kind of thing. Of course, what was I thinking," she said sarcastically. Klaus chuckled heartily. If, anything, she'd at least succeeded in pulling him out of the weird funk he'd been in after they'd left the gallery.

"Maybe they are, sweetheart, and I've just never been presented with a sufficient opportunity to have them be my thing."

Caroline's head tilted back in laughter. Klaus observed the way her eyes closed shut when she laughed and how she would turn her head slightly to the side, almost as if embarrassed by her outburst of laughter.

"What I really want to know, though, is how did a lovely Southern belle from sleepytown Virginia end up in this crazed city?" he asked with the customary glint in his eye.

Caroline froze for a second, not knowing how to respond. She was so used to everyone knowing the tragedies of her past that she momentarily forgot that this near stranger knew nothing of the pain of her past life. It only took her that quick moment to realize she wasn't obliged to offer up the whole truth.

She quickly recovered, shrugging her shoulders casually. "I just needed a change of pace. 'Sleepytown Virginia' just wasn't for me anymore," she admitted with a slight smile, parroting his phrase back to him. "It was time to move on."

Klaus nodded his head in understanding, observing the way Caroline's forehead creased slightly when she was uncomfortable.

"I am well-acquainted with the feeling," he admitted. She offered him a grateful smile.

"So what brings a London preppie to America's hearty Middle West, anyway?" she asked, turning the conversation back on him. Klaus snorted and leaned forward again so his forearms were resting on the table and his hands were clasped together.

"And what makes you assume I'm a London preppie, sweetheart?" he challenged, curious as to how she'd arrived at that assumption. Caroline shrugged her shoulders casually.

"It's pretty obvious," she responded.

"Tell me, Caroline, do all Americans assume anyone with an English accent is born into a life of privilege and sophistication?"

Caroline dangerously lifted her eyebrow at his condescension. "I wouldn't know, and I certainly could never presume to know what all Americans think about people with English accents," she responded with a mild bite.

"But you think you know me," he countered, undeterred. Caroline crossed her arms.

"I do," she nodded.

"And how could you possible know me?" he asked. Caroline shrugged her shoulders again.

"I had you pegged the moment we started working together," she answered. Klaus frowned.

"That's impossible, sweetheart. I'm not peg-able."

"Oh, but you are," she smirked.

At the disbelieving look in his eyes, Caroline leaned forward, her rested forearms and clasped hands mirroring his, and this time it was her turn to have a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Alright, Klaus Mikaelson. You're from London. That much was obvious from your online biography," she smirked, earning her a glare in response. "And you absolutely refuse to dress yourself in anything but henleys and jeans, like you have a personal vendetta against business suits or something. And judging by those prayer beads strung around your neck," she pointed carelessly with her index finger, "I'm assuming you waited for your first chance to see the world and you took it. And not to those posh destinations you vacationed in as a child, either." She narrowed her eyes in concentration, biting her lip as she thought more about it. "No, it was to faraway places that you thought were where real life is really at."

Klaus had leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. His mouth was dropped slightly open in astonishment. She could have stopped here, but she had more to say.

"You have very limited patience with unnecessary formality, except in certain situations when you can't help your cultivated upbringing, which is so unlike your brother, and which can only mean one thing: while the strict prep school education held strong with your brother, it didn't stick with you, because you made absolutely made sure of it." Her smirk widened.

"See? A London preppie," she concluded confidently, the sound of finality in her voice.

A silence settled over the pair. Klaus was looking at her with a mixture of bewilderment and disbelief. Caroline bit her lip to keep herself from laughing at the stupefied look on his face.

A giggle finally escaped her, much to Klaus's chagrin. He continued to glare at her, very much looking like a pouting child with his arms crossed.

"What?" she asked innocently. She rolled her eyes at his lack of response. "Just admit it," she urged, still laughing. "I'm right."

"No, and we're late," he said, standing up from the table. Caroline stood up, grabbing her purse, and followed after him out onto the sidewalk, her laughter subsiding as she briefly worried if she'd gone too far. But before she could worry herself too much, Klaus stopped his march and turned to her with a smile he seemed to be trying hard to suppress. He leaned in close to her, locking eyes with hers.

"Since you clearly seem to know me so well, sweetheart, can we officially rule out your ludicrous idea of me being a serial killer?" he asked.

Caroline laughed in surprise, and with a shake of her head, responded, "I'm afraid I haven't been properly convinced yet." Caroline raised an eyebrow. "You could be the real American Psycho for all I know."

Klaus shook his head to the sky in mock frustration. "I am working with the most impossible woman on Earth," he exclaimed.

"Come on," she laughed, shoving him gently. "We're going to be late."