Oh, my God, you have my absolute permission to hate me. When I started this story, I wrote the first six chapters in a month. It took me that long to write this one chapter. I feel awful. And the last chapter-the wedding-will take probably as long to write because there's so much I want to happen that it will probably be pretty long. So I apologize for the delay of it in advance. But hopefully you're still reading and reviewing and liking it. I've been so motivated by your kind words so please, continue to leave your thoughts. And definitely let me know what you want to see in the final chapter at the wedding. As always, THANK YOU!
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
"Don't do anything you'll regret," Rebekah warned Caroline, standing directly behind her soon-to-be in-law. "There are a lot of people here, you'll cause a scene."
Caroline watched as the former bartender laughed at the bar with some locals. "There are four of us; we'd have everyone compelled in minutes and Bonnie could block the exits."
"Klaus would retaliate," Katherine spoke up. "He'd get mad at you for acting on jealous emotion and while I'd be happy to see Camille lying in a pool of her own blood, your pal Lockwood wouldn't make it to see daylight."
"He wouldn't hurt me like that," Caroline shook her head. "Tyler means more to me than Camille means to him. She doesn't mean anything to him! Inviting her was just to get a rise out of me."
Elena leaned in to Bonnie. "Who's Camille?"
Caroline whipped around to her Mystic Falls friends. "Camille is the old lady at the bar."
"Old lady?" Bonnie scoffed. "She can't be more than 30? I'm 28 now, Caroline. Am I old?"
"No!" Caroline cried. "You're beautiful and have aged well. Camille has aged like a tramp."
"How do tramps age?" Katherine smirked.
"Shut up, Katherine," Rebekah snapped.
"How do you know her?" Elena wondered, eyeing Camille once more.
"She was a bartender when we were in New Orleans," Caroline explained. "Camille was working through college and was introduced as a friend of Marcel's when we got there. I assumed that meant they were a thing but I was wrong because she started to throw herself at Klaus."
"Ah," Elena nodded knowingly. "And you didn't like that."
"Why would I?" Caroline roared. "At that point, we'd only been together for a year and I was still a tad insecure. He's the most powerful creature in the world and has been around for over a thousand years. But I got over that pretty quickly. Camille, however, didn't seem to care that Klaus was not available. And Marcel, Klaus' protégée and New Orleans supernatural royalty, wouldn't let me touch her."
"He fancied her," Rebekah added. "Probably still does."
At that moment, Camille spotted the group and frowned. She excused herself from the bar and approached them. "Can I just leave before you attempt to kill me? That's all I ask."
"I'm not going to kill you or even attempt to," Caroline assured her. "Despite your insignificance, Klaus doesn't want you dead and I don't want Marcel as an enemy so you can live tonight." She stepped to stand in front of Camille. "But know that I don't believe you when you say aren't here to stir up trouble and if you go anywhere near him, so help me god, I'll tear out your spine."
"And I'll help," Katherine added for good measure.
"I'm going," Camille mumbled, pushing past them and out the door.
"I feel like I just watched Caroline Forbes, circa 2010, telling the Miss Mystic contestants off for some horrific offense," Elena joked. "Like wearing an ugly dress or not putting flowers in the right place."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "I wasn't that bad back then."
"Yes," Bonnie sighed, "you were. But I don't know why you'd be threatened by her. Klaus is like, obsessed with you and he has been pretty much since he first came to town, you know, after he broke the curse and everything."
"Well, certain characteristics are heightened as a vampire and I'm wildly neurotic," Caroline reasoned rationally. "It's not easy to see a girl flirting with your man every chance she gets without wanting to break her neck."
"Which you tried to do once," Rebekah spoke up. "I had to physically restrain you."
"What?!" Elena cried. "You really almost killed her?"
"Heat of the moment," Caroline muttered, shooting Rebekah a glare. "She was going on and on about how she and Klaus had art in common and I got sick of it. I was hungry and it was like, a million degrees and super humid so I snapped."
"She tells that so calmly," Rebekah smirked as the group made their way through the club to a booth near the back. "Witnessing it was actually much different. Caroline had Camille by the neck, pressed up against the wall of the bar Camille worked in, taunting her."
"About what?" Bonnie wanted to know. She missed hearing about the crazy life she knew Caroline led at Klaus' side.
"Just that Camille could use every trick in the book but Nik would never look at her as anything other than a decent bartender," Rebekah remembered. "And when Camille opened her mouth to respond, Caroline placed both hands on either side of her head so I intervened. I'm not fond of Camille either but I knew Caroline would regret killing her so I compelled Camille to forget about it and got Caroline out of there."
"We did keep it from Klaus for a pretty long time," Caroline added. "He got mad, which was so stupid because he spent a thousand years killing people for looking at him the wrong way. I had every right to kill Camille."
Elena stared at her friend. "You think you would've been justified in killing a girl because she had a thing for your boyfriend? Care, if that were true, I'd have killed half of Mystic Falls by now; girls come into the Grill all the time to flirt with Damon."
"I know," Caroline muttered. "But those girls probably back off; Camille didn't. Even after I almost killed her she still threw herself at him. We finally left for Europe but I'm sure if we had stayed in New Orleans any longer, she would've kept flirting."
Katherine waved a waiter who was carrying a tray of shots over. "I didn't like her for the simple fact that she thought she could intimidate any of us as a human. I never threatened her life but I certainly considered it on more than one occasion. I'm just glad she isn't aging well."
Caroline smirked and picked up one of the shot glasses to raise in the air. "I'll drink to that."
"This place is loud!" Matt yelled as he followed the other guys into Bar 16 a few blocks away. "And crowded!"
"Less discretion necessary," Damon explained. "The more people, the more freedom we have."
Matt made a face. "Great."
"You're outnumbered tonight, Donovan," Damon told him. "Get used to it."
Stefan fell back to walk beside Matt. "Ignore him. Elena keeps him on a very strict blood bag diet so he's chomping at the bit for fresh blood."
"It's just weird to be around all this again, I guess," Matt admitted. "I see him and Elena but they're pretty normal these days so I don't think about them being vampires, apart from them not aging. But now, with you, Klaus, and Elijah around, it's back in my face."
"In eight days, we'll all be gone again and it'll just be you and Bonnie, living totally normal lives," Stefan reminded him.
"That doesn't sound so great either," Matt muttered.
"Well, Klaus agreed to let Damon and Elena stay with us for a while so I'm sure he'd let you, too. I don't think he hates you like he does them," Stefan offered.
Matt chuckled. "Lucky me. I might visit this summer for a while but I can give up everything here and I don't want to leave Bonnie alone."
"So noble, quarterback," Damon teased as the men found a place at the bar. "Judgy just needs to find a man; one who isn't knee deep in the supernatural."
"I think my brother Kol would've liked you," Rebekah said to Bonnie as they finished off their third round of drinks. "He liked a challenge and you would've found him obnoxious and crass—which he was—but he would've worn you down."
"That's exactly the kind of guy I'd like to be with," Bonnie deadpanned. "One who wears me down."
"Kol, Kol, Kol," Katherine repeated wistfully. "He was fun. I ran into him a few times over the centuries and he never sold me out to Klaus. I appreciated that."
"That's because for most of his life, Kol hated Nik," Rebekah shrugged. "And then Nik daggered Kol and he was boxed up for one hundred years."
Caroline scrunched her face. "That was all before me. I'd like to believe that he wouldn't dagger anyone anymore."
"Well, isn't he evolving?" Katherine joked.
"I just like to think I've been a good influence on him," Caroline smirked.
"You have," Bonnie said.
The other four girls turned to look at her, jaws dropped.
"What?" she scoffed. "Look, Klaus and I had a semi-normal conversation a few weeks ago and that never would've happened without Care's influence. Ten years ago, he'd have preferred to snap my neck than talk to me for five minutes but we sat there for forty-five and I didn't even want to give him a single aneurysm."
Caroline felt her heart swell with pride in that moment. Ten years ago, three of the four girls sitting with her wanted her fiancée dead and even Rebekah was indifferent towards him at times. And now, they all accepted him (at varying degrees) but it was a major step and Caroline knew that over time, Elena and Katherine would grow to like him, so long as he continued to treat them better. She understood who he was and knew that he had a dark side—the darkest side, if she was honest—but he was fiercely loyal to those he trusted and in fifty or a hundred years, Elena and Katherine would join that small group.
Stefan was walking back to his brother and friends when he spotted Camille walking into the bar. He frowned and hurried back to the table they'd acquired.
"You look broody, brother," Damon noticed.
"Camille is here," Stefan said.
Klaus tensed and looked to the door. "Caroline is under the impression Camille has come so early to stir up trouble."
"Uh, duh," Stefan replied. "Camille liked you, Klaus, and you know that. I know you don't see her as anything but a bartender but Caroline does and it makes her uncomfortable. You don't like when she talks to Tyler and they've been friends since they were kids."
"They also dated," Klaus pointed out.
Before anyone else at the table could respond, Camille approached.
"Well, well, I was run out of one bar by the bride and stumble into another to find the groom," she grinned. "Stefan, Elijah," she added to the others she recognized.
"Camille, this is my brother, Damon, and our friend, Matt," Stefan introduced. "Matt is a groomsmen with me and Elijah."
"I don't see it," Damon spoke up.
"See what?" Camille asked.
"Well, Stefan said Caroline doesn't like you because you like Klaus but there's clearly nothing about you worth being threatened by," Damon said simply. She's gorgeous and you're kind of plain."
"Wow," Camille muttered. "Anyone ever tell you that your honesty is less-than-refreshing?"
"I'm sorry, have you met Caroline Forbes?" Damon joked. "Though, I suppose it'll be Caroline Mikaelson a week from now."
Klaus smirked at the thought of her having his name and suddenly wanted nothing more than to go home and fall asleep in the same bed with her in his arms.
Camille rolled her eyes. "I'll never understand what is so great about Caroline. Yes, she's beautiful and people like her but so what? I could say the same for a lot of people I know but they aren't placed on a pedestal."
"Look, I don't know you but you clearly don't know Caroline," Matt told her. "She's smart and loyal and strong. She sees the best in people who deserve it and she's kind. And yeah, she's beautiful."
"She's the personification of light," Klaus spoke quietly. "That's who Caroline Forbes-soon-to-be-Mikaelson is. You're just a girl who knew the right way to pour a drink. She is beautiful, as they've said, but she's so much more than that and I'm lucky enough to have an eternity to bask in it."
This quieted the table and Camille immediately. They all knew Klaus loved Caroline and they knew she saw a side to him they didn't know but this was their first introduction to that Klaus. Elijah and Stefan had seen glimpses over the years but he'd never said anything like this in front of even them.
"You should go now, Camille," Damon finally said. "Wouldn't want Blondie to find out you're stalking her hybrid."
"Too late," Matt muttered as something caught his eye near the door.
"Un-fucking-believable," Caroline grumbled as she glared at the back of Camille's head upon walking into Bar 16. "Really, how many freebies did I sign up for when I said I'd let her be?"
Elena placed a calming hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Deep breaths, Care. It doesn't look like anything is going on."
Taking her friend's advice, Caroline took a deep breath and headed in the direction of the guys' table.
"Hello, sweetheart," Klaus greeted her, reaching for her hand. "I thought we weren't supposed to see each other tonight?"
"We aren't," she replied, eyeing Camille, "but I guess it's a good thing we found you when we did."
"It's not like I came here looking for them," Camille said coolly. "When you kicked me out of the last place, I had to go somewhere else."
"And what, your hotel wasn't good enough?" Caroline demanded. "Take a hint, Camille: we don't want you around."
Damon laughed. He'd forgotten how much he missed bossy, controlling Caroline. She was great for entertainment, especially if he was slightly drunk.
"Marcel wouldn't like you talking to me this," Camille said shakily.
Katherine looked around. "Oh, Marcel is here early, too? That's funny, I don't see him anywhere. Look, I've stood by and let Caroline be much nicer to you than she should be because that's who she is but I won't stand for it much longer."
"Katerina," Elijah warned. "This is not your fight."
"I don't care," Katherine shook her head. "For some reason I'll certainly never understand, I've decided to like Caroline and I don't like seeing my friends upset. So, Camille, unless you want your heart ripped out and FedEx'd to Marcel in a beer cooler, you will leave this bar and hang out in your hotel until the wedding and you'll only come to that with Marcel so he can keep you occupied." She stood in front of the woman. "Do you understand?"
Camille looked to Klaus. "You're more powerful than all of them combined. Are you going to let this happen?"
Klaus hated taking Katherine's side but he appreciated that she was sticking up for Caroline so he sighed. "I think it best you do as she says, Camille. You're welcome to attend the wedding but I do recommend you do it on Marcel's arm with Sophie close by. Just in case, of course."
"This is ridiculous," Camille mumbled. "I'm being bullied by a bunch of children."
"Actually, the only children here are Caroline and Stefan," Klaus stared. "The rest of us were turned as adults and Matt and Bonnie are nearly your age."
Caroline shot him a look; he knew her eternal age of seventeen was a sore subject. "Camille, you have about ten seconds before I compel the truth out of you about why you're really here and I hate compulsion so I'd leave now if I were you. This is getting really tiresome. Why waste the effort?"
"Fine," Camille snapped. "I'll go but don't expect me to be happy for you two."
"We don't," Caroline assured her as Camille stormed away.
"Caroline Forbes, you are a vision when wrapped in jealousy," Damon told her.
"I'm not jealous," Caroline shot back. "I'm annoyed; there's a difference."
Rebekah stepped forward. "Since the boys are here, we should go. These parties are supposed to be separate."
Katherine sat down on Elijah's lap. "It's not really worth it to split up again. We can have just as much fun together as we could apart."
"Are you okay with that?" Rebekah asked Caroline.
Caroline reached for Klaus' hand again and pulled him up from the table. "Well, I mostly just want to dance and if we stay together, I have my favorite dance partner at my disposal."
"Love, you know this isn't the kind of dancing I do," he said as she dragged out to the center of the floor as an old Robin Thicke song, 'Blurred Lines,' played through the speakers.
"You'll do it for me and you'll like it," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck.
His arms slid around her waist, pulling her close to him. "I'm beginning to like these joint parties much better."
Caroline just smiled and swayed to the beat in his arms. Even though he said he didn't like 'gratuitous club-dancing,' as he called it, Klaus could dance. And he certainly knew the right places to put his hands to drive her wild.
"Stop it," she groaned for the third time as his hands gripped the tops of her thighs and moved under her dress. "This is a very public place."
"And?" he smirked, kissing down her neck. "Can't we just chalk it up to being seemingly young and in love? Besides, it's incredibly crowded and most people here are drunk, so they won't even notice."
"Just because you gave up on the bet today doesn't mean I'm going to," she reminded him. "It's seven more days of no sex; we can make it."
"In that dress, you make it incredibly difficult, love," he whispered in her ear before kissing the spot just below it. "I've given in a lot for this wedding so don't you think it's time I was rewarded?"
"I'll reward you plenty when we're on a private beach somewhere," she said softly, pressing her body into his. "Speaking of, we should probably decide where that will be. And don't even tell me you already own one and have been holding out on me for ten years."
"Nothing like that," he grinned, "but I have connections. All you need to worry about it packing very little clothing because you won't need much."
"Hmm, I like the sound of that," she breathed.
Bonnie stood at the bar with Katherine and Rebekah, watching Klaus and Caroline in their own little world in the middle of the dance floor. "Eleven years ago, if you had told me that I would someday think Klaus and Caroline would make the perfect couple, I'd have laughed, but now, it's obvious."
Katherine sighed. "You're going soft on me, Bon-Bon. You're supposed to be judgmental and cold."
"Says the girl who gave the grand 'Caroline is my friend now' speech," Rebekah snorted into her martini.
"What can I say?" Katherine shrugged, looking back to the table where Elijah was laughing at a story Matt told. "A girl in love is a mysterious thing. You're letting Elena live with you for six months so your beloved Stefan can have his brother back and you hate Elena, though I can't say I blame you there."
Bonnie sighed. "Could you two at least try to pretend you notice I'm still here before you badmouth my best friend?"
"No," Rebekah and Katherine answered quickly and in unison.
"Fair enough," Bonnie murmured as she backed away from them.
Later that night, Damon and Klaus stood at the bar, waiting for their last round of drinks.
"I never thought the day would come where I consider you a good influence on anyone but you are," Damon told him. "On Blondie, I mean. She's stronger now, more sure of herself. That wasn't always the case."
"No, I suppose not," Klaus agreed. "Though I can't imagine you feeding on her and taking advantage at every occasion made it very easy for her."
Damon sighed. "I should've known she'd blab about our first few encounters. But Caroline and I talked that out. I apologized and thanked her for being who she is and she forgave me."
"Because she's Caroline and that's what she does," Klaus explained. "She's good and kind and pure. I, however, am not so it will take a great deal more than one heartfelt conversation between the two of you before I forget what you've done to her. But I am willing to let you live in my home for six months so that will give you ample opportunity to win me over."
Damon smirked and raised his glass. "Well, here's hoping."
Caroline yawned and checked the time on her vintage Rolex. "Oh, my God, it's almost two o'clock. We should head back."
"Yes, let's," Elijah agreed, standing up. "I'll take care of the tab."
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Elena spoke up.
"It's my pleasure," he told her.
Katherine rolled her eyes. "Just let the man pay, Saint Elena."
"Do you think it possible that you and I ride home together?" Klaus asked Caroline as the group made their way outside. "I'll get us a cab and they can take the cars."
"No, I really think this night should end how it began," she decided. "I'll ride with the girls, you ride with the guys, and we'll meet up in our bed."
"If you insist," he nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you at home, love."
She patted his cheek softly and backed away to climb into the limo the other girls were already in.
"God, just one photo of the way he looks at you and I could easily destroy the thousand-year-old reputation he's created as the badass Original hybrid," Katherine sighed.
"You wouldn't," Rebekah shook her head. "Not if you want to keep the pardon he's offered."
"Do others assume you're scary by association?" Bonnie asked Caroline.
"Scary by association?" Caroline repeated.
"Well, most people would expect that the girl who ends up with Klaus would be evil and sociopathic like he is," Elena shrugged, understanding what Bonnie meant. "Right?"
"Ugh, no!" Caroline cried. "People like me because I'm the opposite. When he threatens their lives, I'm the calm one who assures them he's all talk. But the prestige of being on his arm? I don't hate it."
Rebekah scoffed. "Of course not. By default, you're queen of the supernatural world. Who wouldn't like that?"
"Me", Elena raised her hand.
"And me," Bonnie agreed. "Too much pressure."
Katherine knocked Caroline's knew with her own. "Not for the princess though. She was born to lead."
"Indeed," Caroline smirked. "I'm getting real-world use out of my Miss Mystic Falls training. I knew winning would be practical someday."
"Right, because you just knew you'd become a vampire and fall in love with the king of the supernatural?" Bonnie deadpanned.
"No," Caroline denied, "but I knew I'd rule something somewhere."
"Oh, Care, I miss you," Elena smiled. "I'm really excited to come to London."
"Me, too," Caroline beamed, reaching for her friend's hand. "The shopping is to die for."
"Good thing I'm already dead then," Elena joked.
"And Bon, you'll visit," Caroline added. "You can take a vacation every now and again."
Bonnie grinned. "I think I can manage that."
After dropping Elena and Bonnie off at their respective homes, Caroline, Rebekah, and Katherine rode back to the Mikaelson mansion in silence.
"Fun night, princess," Katherine yawned as the three made their way inside. "And just so you know, if you had gone after Camille like you should've, I'd have had your back."
"Thanks, Katherine," Caroline said softly as she headed up the stairs. "Goodnight."
When she reached her and Klaus' bedroom, he wasn't home yet so she showered quickly and put on a cotton nightgown before crawling into their bed and curling up in the blankets.
"Falling asleep without me, love? Bad form, especially since you knew I was finally going to sleep in here with you."
She remained on her side, facing the window, but smiled at the sound of his voice. "I'm tired."
"Mm," was all he said as he stripped down to his boxers. He crawled in beside her and pulled her to him. "Did you have fun tonight?"
"I did," she nodded against his bare chest. "Did you?"
"Well, it was all right at the beginning," he answered, "but about halfway through, a girl walked into the bar with her friends and turned the whole evening around."
"Must've been some girl," she whispered. "Probably beautiful."
"Oh, beautiful doesn't even begin to scratch the surface about this girl," he replied quietly, running his fingers through her hair. "She's strong, ageless, fearless."
She just laughed tiredly. "Goodnight, Nik."
"Goodnight, Caroline."