Okay, I know I said there would only be one chapter left but it was getting so long that I broke it up into two chapters; I figured you all wouldn't hate me for that. So, this is the rehearsal dinner day and a lot of stuff happens. I'm still a little hesitant about their gifts to each other but it was the best I could come up with so hopefully you don't hate them. I'm about halfway through the last chapter now so I should have it up soon-ishly. As always, if there's anything you wanna see, all you gotta do is ask. And leave a review to let me know what you think; I love that, too. Thanks!
Disclaimer: Again, I own pretty much nothing you recognize so don't sue me.
"You're getting married tomorrow, Care," Stefan said to Caroline as they sat in the kitchen the Friday morning before the wedding. "How does it feel?"
"How did it feel for you?" she shot back.
"Whoa, calm down," he chuckled.
She sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just, I'm having a hard time finishing my vows and I'm stressing out about it. Not to mention, dozens of witches and vampires from around the world are descending upon us later this evening and there will be several humans in attendance tomorrow, just full of fresh blood."
"Klaus isn't going to let anyone feed within a fifty-mile radius," Stefan assured her. "Elijah and I already made the calls to let people know that. And as for your vows, he doesn't care what you say so long as the ceremony ends with him putting a ring on your finger and the judge pronouncing you as 'man and wife.'"
"But you know whatever he says, it will probably be romantic and poetic," she replied. "I'll cry and he'll get all smug so I have to say something good enough to at least render him speechless."
"Not shooting for tears?" Stefan joked.
"Please," she scoffed. "I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen him cry in eleven years and I'm with him nearly every single day. He only tends to cry when he's angry, scared, or hurt and I don't want him to be any of those tomorrow." She eyed him. "Do you know if he's finished his?"
"No idea," Stefan shook his head. "Every time I see him working on them, he turns away; he's being very private about whatever he's writing."
Caroline groaned in frustration. "How do you properly express your love for a guy who's been alive since like, the 9th Century?"
"Well, Bek liked that I talked about how we fell in love," Stefan offered.
"Yeah, cause it was mostly sweet," Caroline muttered. "Our love story isn't so cute. And before you say it, I can't talk about him saving my life because that would require us mentioning being vampires and due to those humans who will be there, we aren't doing that."
"Why don't you take a break from the vows for a while?" he suggested. "It's making you crazy."
"Okay," she sighed, setting her iPad aside. "So, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. Klaus obviously doesn't have his parents and I'm happy to have my mom but she isn't interested in dancing with me, so he and I were thinking that instead of father-daughter and mother-son dances, he would dance with Rebekah and I could dance with you?"
He smiled. "Really?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "You're my best friend and she's his baby sister so it makes sense to us. It would just be one shared dance between all of us, not two separate things."
"I would be honored," he assured her.
Caroline grinned and patted his hand. "I'm glad. He's picking the song so I have no idea what it will be; same goes for our first dance. I'm sure it will be something from the Twenties because that was his favorite time period."
Stefan shook his head. "I doubt it. Maybe the song for our dances will be because three of us were there together but the song you two dance to will be a tad more modern, if not exactly of the Top 40 variety."
"I honestly don't care what it is," she shook her head. "I just want to dance with him while wearing a wedding band as 'Caroline Mikaelson.'"
"We talked about that last week," he admitted. "You're going to take his name?"
"Well, I'm dead so it isn't exactly legal but yes," she confirmed. "Rebekah took yours. Her passport and driver's license read 'Rebekah M. Salvatore' now. I don't know, there's just something so human about the idea of taking my husband's name."
He smirked. "You think your newfound friendship with her and being so close all this wedding stuff will convince Katherine to take the plunge with Elijah eventually?"
"No," Caroline shook her head. "I think Elijah would like it, but it just isn't Katherine's thing. She's too stubborn and she likes her independence. I know that she loves him and would never leave but they'll stay unmarried."
"I don't know," he murmured, looking out to the backyard where Katherine and Elijah were sitting around the pool. "I think she'd do it someday."
Caroline shrugged. "Maybe I'll convince her of the positives of it in the future."
"When he was forcing Tyler to bite you on your fake 18th birthday, did you ever think you'd end up here, convinced that there would be positives to marrying Klaus?" Stefan teased.
Caroline made a face. "No."
"When, then?" he asked. "When was the first time you thought to yourself, 'hey, maybe he's not so bad?' Or better, 'maybe I have feelings for this guy?'"
"The first time I thought he had some redeeming qualities was the night of the ball that Esther threw," she remembered. "We'd fought and I said some unpleasant things and he got angry but that was also the first time he ever drew me a picture and he thanked me for my honesty. I sort of liked that he could admit that what I said was true, albeit harsh. As for the first time I considered real feelings for him? At the Miss Mystic pageant when I let him be my date. He showed vulnerability and was genuinely concerned for how I felt about the fake relationship between Tyler and Hayley. I don't know. I just, really liked him that day. And it grew from there. Sure, he killed Carol Lockwood soon after and I hated him for that, but I couldn't hold a grudge against him anymore; he'd already made his way in and somewhere along the way, I fell in love."
Klaus stood just outside the kitchen, eavesdropping on their conversation, unable to keep the small smile from his face.
"I'm happy for you, Care," Stefan told her sincerely. "You've been there for me through a lot of crap over the years and I probably wouldn't be here today with Rebekah if it weren't for you so I'm glad to see you so happy. Even if it is with Klaus," he joked.
She shoved him. "He's your friend."
Stefan just chuckled. "I guess if you can be friends with Katherine Pierce, I can be friends with Klaus."
"Katherine is unique...," Caroline reasoned slowly. "I like her brazen attitude and her confidence. I hate that she killed me still but if she hadn't, I wouldn't get forever with Nik and that's worth it to me. Besides, I'm way more likable as a vampire than I was as a human and you know it."
"I'll agree with that," Stefan nodded as his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket. "It's Rebekah; she's running last-minute errands."
Once Stefan left the room, Caroline stood from the table to clean up her breakfast just as Klaus took the opportunity to join her.
"Morning," she beamed, kissing his cheek. "You were up early."
"I had some last minute things to do for your wedding gift," he explained, taking her hands, "but it's ready now and I'd like to give it to you."
She frowned. "Yours isn't ready yet."
"It's all right," he assured her, leading her through the house to his studio. "Will you close your eyes?"
Caroline sighed but complied, knowing it was important to him. "This better be good."
He guided her inside and stood her in front of the easel her gift was on. He reached up to remove the sheet before turning back to her. "All right, you can open them now."
Cautiously, Caroline opened her eyes and gasped at the painting in front of her. "Oh, my God."
He'd done a massive painting of the two of them sitting in front of the lake behind their London home. He'd painted them from behind but her head was resting on his shoulder and they looked very much in love. It was also the first time he'd ever put himself into a painting with her, which was all she'd ever asked of him in his work.
"Nik," she breathed, stepping up to stand directly in front of him. "You're in it."
"I am," he nodded.
"It's so beautiful," she said as tears filled her eyes. "That's us, and the lake, and you even added Penny!" she noticed, pointing to their neighbor's dog that Caroline liked to pretend was theirs. She threw her arms around his neck. "I love it. It's so perfect." She kissed him. "And I love you so much. I can't wait to become your wife tomorrow."
Klaus smiled, pleased that she liked it so much. "I can't wait either, love. And I'm glad you like it."
"Like it?" she repeated. "I love it! You're in it and that's all I've ever wanted. You've done thousands of sketches of me over the years but never any with you and like I've said, there can't be a me without you so this depicts my real life. And it's going to hang in our bedroom, so don't even fight me on it."
"I wouldn't dream of it," he grinned, cupping her face in his hands. "I love you, Caroline."
Without saying anything else, she kissed him once more, this time more passionately, and before long, he carried her to the couch in the corner.
"You're giving in on your end of the bet," he smirked, kissing down her neck.
"Screw the bet," she panted, reaching for his belt buckle. "You put yourself in the painting and I just miss this with you."
Klaus needed no more persuasion.
"They're like bloody animals sometimes," Rebekah grumbled thirty minutes later as she and Stefan sat in the den next to the studio. "You'd never know there's a wedding rehearsal in six hours with the way they carry on."
"Leave them alone," Stefan advised. "They're getting married tomorrow and this is a special time for them. We weren't much different."
"How am I going to convince him to leave her for the night to stay at the boarding house with you and Damon?" she frowned. "They only recently started sleeping in the same bed again and now, it sounds like she's given up on the bet, too."
Stefan laughed. "Klaus will leave for the night because she'll ask him to, not because you demand it."
Rebekah sighed. "I remember the days when Nik did things for me first."
"Yeah, the days when he was a sociopathic murderer without any remorse," he deadpanned.
"You liked him like that once," she pointed out.
"Sure, when I was the Ripper," he replied quietly. "I wasn't exactly well-liked by normal people back then."
"I liked you," Rebekah said, leaning against him. "And I love you."
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you, too."
Caroline traced lazy circles on Klaus' bare chest as they lay on the couch in the studio. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything," he replied, running his fingers through her hair.
"Well, I know why you daggered Rebekah in the Twenties," she explained. "She was choosing her love for Stefan over you when Mikael found you in Chicago. But what happened that you daggered Finn and Kol? You've never talked about that."
"They're dead," he reasoned. "There isn't much to say. But I daggered Finn because he was threatening to reveal what we were constantly so that people might try to kill us; he hated what we are. And I did it to Kol in New Orleans, just before going to Chicago, because he, too, was tired of running from our father and wanted to fight. I knew we would lose and I couldn't risk that so I stuck a dagger in his heart and he joined Finn and my mother in the caskets."
Caroline was quiet for a long time. "Rebekah thinks Kol would've liked Bonnie."
He rolled his eyes. "Kol liked pretty girls with sharp tongues so yes, I'm sure the Bennett witch would've been to his liking. But she would've hated his arrogance and self-absorption."
"She's befriended Damon and he isn't much different," she smirked.
"Kol was reckless," Klaus went on. "Only ever concerned with the next party or adventure. He took absolutely nothing seriously. It was maddeningly frustrating."
"I'm sorry," Caroline apologized softly.
"For what?" he asked in confusion.
"You miss him," she whispered.
"Sometimes," he admitted only to her. "But I have you now and that's all I need," he added, tilting his head down to kiss her tenderly.
She smiled in contentment before glancing at the clock on the wall. "We should really get out there and make sure things are running smoothly."
As if on cue, Rebekah, Stefan, Katherine, and Elijah stormed into the room.
"This house is too small," Klaus grumbled, covering himself and Caroline with a sheet before anything was seen. "What do you lot need?"
"We have a problem," Rebekah announced. "Judge Morrison has been double-booked by his idiot receptionist and cannot be here tomorrow for the ceremony. When I implored him to bail on the other wedding, he said it's for his nephew and his wife would kill him."
"Freaking Jacob Morrison would be getting married tomorrow," Caroline muttered. "Well, what are we going to do? No other judge can get here in time and no pastor will do it on such short notice."
Katherine typed furiously on her cell phone for a moment before smiling smugly. "I have a solution."
"This ought to be good," Stefan murmured.
"I'll do it," the Petrova doppelgänger offered, showing her screen. "I just ordained myself online and anyone can sign a marriage certificate. Plus, I know you two better than any town judge."
"Not happening," Klaus denied. "I'll have a judge here from New Orleans by morning."
"Let me do it," Katherine pleaded. "You kept me out of the wedding party and I've done a lot for this thing, including finding Caroline's dress and making sure Camille hasn't shown her face again, so I've shown my worth. Please?"
Caroline could see the genuine desire on Katherine's face so she sighed. "Okay, you can do it. But you cannot make any mention of vampirism and you still have to let Bonnie alter your appearance. People know Elena doesn't have a cousin who looks so much like her. And you have to say nice things about him."
"Deal," Katherine agreed triumphantly. "I'll go start working on my speech."
"Thank you, Caroline," Elijah smiled once Katherine was gone from the room. "She'd never admit it but this means a lot to her."
"Happy to help," Caroline shrugged. "I do feel bad she wasn't going to be a bridesmaid."
Rebekah scoffed. "You're insane. You do understand that, right? She will find a way to wreck this wedding now."
"No," Klaus reluctantly shook his head. "I've seen how she's bonded with Caroline; she wouldn't do that to her."
Rebekah sighed. "This is suddenly all ludicrous."
"It'll be fine, Bekah," Caroline assured her. "I just want to be married, so for all I care, Camille could marry us tomorrow." She perked up. "Actually, we should've let her. The look on her face as she called us 'husband and wife' would've been worth it."
"Now, now," Klaus chuckled. "If you three don't mind, we'd like to be left alone."
"No, there's too much to be done," Rebekah denied. "You have five minutes to get dressed before I steal your girl away, Nik."
Caroline groaned once the three of them left. "It's our wedding and even I'm ready for it to be over. I just want to be alone with you, without Rebekah barging in about place settings or centerpieces."
"Me, too," he agreed, "but you know she'll just come back if we don't do as she says so we should probably get dressed."
"All right," Caroline sighed, getting up to retrieve her floral dress and undergarments. "When do we leave for the Maldives?" she asked, having finally been told of their honeymoon destination.
"Tomorrow night, after the reception," Klaus answered, buttoning his jeans. "We'll take a private plane out as soon as we're ready to go."
"Okay," she nodded, zipping up her dress. "I'm going to go find Rebekah so I probably won't see you now until the rehearsal. We're starting at five so don't be late."
"Wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart," he assured her as she left the room.
"It's a beautiful piece," Rebekah told Caroline in reference to her wedding present as the two blondes sat in Rebekah and Stefan's room, finishing Caroline's gift for Klaus. "He never paints himself into anything."
"I know," Caroline smiled softly. "That's why I like it so much; it's how I see me—with him sitting right there beside me." She looked at her project. "Will he like this?"
"Are you kidding?" Rebekah scoffed. "It drives him mad that he knows so little of you what you were like growing up so this is absolutely perfect."
Caroline held up the book. "I don't know. It's so fifth-grade-arts-and-crafts compared to what he did. I mean, a scrapbook of me growing up?"
Rebekah took the giant album and held it up. "Caroline, this thing is sixty-fives pages and full of photos and mementos and ribbons and awards and anything else that could possibly tell him who you were as a human."
"Human Caroline wasn't so great," the younger vampire grumbled. "She was bitchy and jealous and downright mean. Always second best to Elena and never quite good enough."
Rebekah frowned. "You aren't that girl anymore. You're the only person on the planet who truly matters to the most powerful being on earth now."
"Not the only person," Caroline shook her head. "You matter to him, and so do Elijah and Stefan. I think Katherine might someday, and even Elena and Damon. We're all going to live forever so we might as well create a new family amongst each other."
"I'm not sure I'll ever consider Katherine family," Rebekah sneered. "Technically, Damon already is my family and by association, so is Elena. And you know I already consider you my sister."
Caroline smiled. "Me, too. And I want to thank you for everything you've done for this wedding."
"I liked doing it," Rebekah assured her. "And you did as much for mine. I want you and Nik to be stress-free and happy tomorrow so I'll do whatever I have to."
"And you like bossing people around," Caroline added with a sly grin, adding the first photo ever taken of her and Klaus as the last page. "That's it, it's finished."
"He's going to love it," Rebekah told her honestly. "Ten years ago, the thought of anyone giving Nik a scrapbook would've been laughable but now, it's the best thing you could give him. He wants to know and see everything you've ever done and this will do just that."
"I'll give it to him tonight before he and Stefan leave for the boarding house," Caroline decided. "Is Elijah staying here?"
"Only if we don't mind," Rebekah answered. "He said he'll go with the others if we want since there will be all girls here."
"He'd probably prefer that," Caroline shrugged. "Katherine will want to hang out with us." She paused. "Well, me. She'll antagonize the rest of you."
Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I don't know why you like her. She did kill you once upon a time."
"True," Caroline nodded, "but if she hadn't, we wouldn't be sitting here on the day before I marry Klaus and the thought of that almost paralyzes me with fear because I want this more than I've ever wanted anything."
Rebekah got momentarily quiet. "Does it ever bother you that you can't have kids?"
"It used to," Caroline admitted, "but not anymore. It bothers you, doesn't it?"
"Sometimes," Rebekah shrugged. "Stefan would be a good dad and I think I'd be an okay mother, even though my own wanted to kill me."
Caroline smiled. "You'd be the best mom, Bek. You could get a puppy."
"Not quite the same," Rebekah denied. "There have been times that I've gone a little mad and considered just adopting and turning one but how cruel would that be to do to a child? Take away their human life before they're old enough to understand?"
"Pretty cruel," Caroline agreed. "You could be a foster parent? You'd have to completely hide what you are but it's an option."
"No," Rebekah shook her head sadly. "I've accepted that it will never happen and it's all right. I have Stefan and my brothers and you and that's enough family."
Caroline reached for her friend's hand in support. "After our honeymoon, maybe you and I could take a trip to Paris and shop? We haven't done anything just the two of us in a while."
"Okay," Rebekah agreed, a smile back on her face. She took the album once more. "I promise you that he will love this. If he doesn't, you can snap my neck."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Caroline laughed.
At five o'clock on the dot, the wedding party, Caroline's mother, Damon, and Katherine had convened in the backyard for the rehearsal.
"So, how are we doing this, O Ordained One?" Damon addressed Katherine sarcastically.
Katherine rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. "Well, my speech isn't quite ready yet because I was only given this job today but I was thinking we'd start with me speaking and then Klaus and Caroline will say their vows and it'll end with rings and a kiss. That's pretty much what I got from a few YouTube videos. Is there anything else you'd like to have happen?"
Caroline, looking positively ethereal in a flowy white maxi dress with her hair braided around her head, looked to Klaus. "I think that all sounds okay to me. Is there anything else you want?"
"I don't have much experience with weddings beyond Rebekah and Stefan's, so if that is all there is in the ceremony, it sounds fine to me," Klaus replied. He glanced at Liz. "Is there anything else you'd like?"
Liz, pleased he'd thought to ask her, shook her head. "I don't think so. This is about you two."
"Remember, nothing remotely vampire-related," Rebekah warned Katherine. "There will be humans here."
"I know," Katherine muttered in annoyance. "How long are you wanting the ceremony to be? I love to talk so I can make my speech as long as it needs to be."
"Like, twenty minutes?" Caroline guessed. "It isn't religious or anything so it can be quick."
"Good," Matt muttered. "It's going to be almost 90 degrees and that suit is hot."
"Wait til you see my dress," Caroline laughed. "You'll be cool as a cucumber compared to me."
"Will you even notice?" Bonnie asked.
"It will be uncomfortable," Caroline nodded. "I could wear it forever but I wouldn't want to."
"Why don't we run through the logistics of the ceremony a couple times?" Elijah suggested. "That way we can at least set the pace for how everything should go."
So they did. For forty-five minutes, they practiced walking down the aisle and Katherine gave snippets of her speech. To everyone's surprise, she said kind things about Klaus, though they were all related to Caroline, but they were nice nonetheless. When they finished, Caroline requested they take photos outside before moving into the dining room for the catered dinner.
"You want pictures of the rehearsal?" Damon scoffed. "Won't there be like, hundreds of pictures tomorrow?"
"I'm not asking for anything very formal right now," Caroline explained. "But these will be the last photos we take as 'Caroline Forbes' and 'Klaus Mikaelson' before we're 'The Mikaelson's.'"
"You know, just when I think we're really friends and you're someone I won't mind having around for eternity, you say shit like that," Katherine groaned.
Caroline just smirked. "You'll learn to love it. Come on, just a few pictures."
"I'll take them," Liz offered, taking Caroline's camera.
The last photo taken was of just Caroline and Klaus, standing together under the arch Rebekah had commissioned.
"I hate pictures, you know," he murmured against her ear as he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.
"I know," she sighed, smiling brightly at her mother, "and after tomorrow, I may never ask you for another photo again but for the next thirty hours or so, you'll just have to suck it up."
"The things I do for you, sweetheart," he sighed, looking to Liz.
After Caroline decided enough photos had been taken, everyone moved inside for the dinner. As one final compromise, Caroline had agreed to Cajun food, knowing it was Klaus' favorite—when he actually ate real food—and he'd put up with a lot from both her and his sister since proposing.
Elijah's phone went off softly as Katherine poured wine into his glass. He pulled it out and read the message. "Marcel, Sophie, and Davina have arrived. They're with Camille at her hotel in Richmond." He tucked his phone away once more.
"Good," Klaus nodded. "They're to stay in this evening."
"He knows," Stefan spoke up. "I talked to him this afternoon."
"When I first met Marcel, I never thought I'd see the day when he would do exactly as you asked," Caroline said to her fiancée as a caterer placed a bowl of gumbo in front of her.
"It took a while but Marcel knows who comes first," Klaus reasoned. "He doesn't want any trouble." He looked at her. "And if I've not already told you tonight, you look beautiful, love."
"Wait til you see me tomorrow," she winked.
"I look forward to it," he assured her.
As plates were being cleared an hour later, Liz cleared her throat and stood up. "Since I won't give a speech tomorrow night, I wanted to say a few words tonight before everyone goes their separate ways for the evening. When I first learned of Klaus and what he'd come to Mystic Falls for, it's safe to say I hated him. I'd spent my life hating vampires and my job was to protect this town so I saw him as a threat. Caroline did, too. But for some reason, he liked her. And from what I understand, that's never happened in his thousand-plus years so while I wanted him dead, I was at least pleased to know that he probably wouldn't hurt her. That was selfish of me, because while I knew Caroline was safe, the rest of you weren't, but as her mother, I didn't care. What I really didn't anticipate was her reciprocating those feelings but that's what happened and somewhere along the way, my sweet little girl fell in love with the big bad hybrid and that terrified me. I thought he would destroy her and ruin her life but I'll admit that I was wrong. He might just be the best thing that's ever happened to her."
Klaus could feel everyone staring at him in near shock. It was one thing for the sheriff to give her blessing but it was another for her to say he was the best thing to ever happen to Caroline.
"All I've ever wanted for Caroline was for her to be safe and happy and at this point, the only way she'll ever get both is if she's with Klaus so as her mother, I'm happy," Liz went on. "I obviously won't be around forever like most of you will be but I trust that he will always take care of her and that makes me feel good about all of this." She raised her glass. "So, to Caroline and Klaus, I wish you nothing but happiness, and if the last ten years are any indication, that's exactly what you'll have."
Caroline, with tears in her eyes, stood up to hug her mother. "Thank you, Mommy."
"Of course, sweetie," Liz whispered. "You'll always be my little girl."
Klaus stood, too, and offered his hand.
"Oh, one hug won't kill us," Liz chuckled, wrapping her arms around him.
"No, but he might," Damon muttered, earning an elbow in his gut from Elena.
"I, too, would like to make a toast," Elijah declared, standing up.
"This is the part when Kol would gag, roll his eyes, and pour himself another glass of wine," Rebekah smiled wistfully, missing her cheeky older brother in that moment.
"I've accepted that Stefan is to be Niklaus' best man tomorrow but I would like to say a few words as his older brother who has been around just along as he has and has seen many of Niklaus' personalities over the years," Elijah explained. "The one I'd never seen, and never thought I would, was of a man in love but that's exactly who I found him as ten years ago when I returned to Mystic Falls to defeat Silas. For the first time in over a thousand years, my brother was putting someone else's safety before his and I knew, I knew that if Caroline would just admit to her feelings for him, he would love her for the rest of time. And I'm so pleased and proud to stand here now as they prepare to marry tomorrow. Niklaus is stubborn and guarded and cold but so long as Caroline is around, I no longer have to worry about his temper getting the best of him. She calms him down and keeps him rational. I never thought anyone could do that." He raised his glass. "So while this toast should be the couple, I'm actually raising it to just Caroline. Thank you for giving Rebekah and me our brother back."
Caroline smiled as she hugged him. "That means a lot to me, Elijah."
"I meant every word of it," Elijah assured her.
"Yeah, yeah, it was really sweet and all but isn't it time for the boys to leave so we can give you embarrassing lingerie?" Katherine demanded.
"Does that mean you're sending me away?" Elijah chuckled.
"Sorry, doll, but you won't want to be here for this," Katherine assured him. "Now, boys, go before it gets too late and our blushing bride needs her beauty sleep."
As the catering crew cleared the table, everyone moved to the sitting room to say their goodbyes for the evening.
"I'll be here at ten," Liz told Caroline as she grabbed her purse.
"Okay," Caroline nodded, kissing her mother's cheek. "I want to meet Ryan so invite him. I know it's last-minute but tell him I won't take 'no' for an answer."
Liz quirked an eyebrow at the reference to the man she'd been casually seeing from the mayor's office. "How do you know about Ryan?"
"Elena saw you two at Winston Park a few weeks ago when she was on a field trip with the kids' home," Caroline reported. "She says he's really nice and volunteers with her on the weekends; that's how she recognized him."
"Well, I'll extend the invitation," Liz said. "He doesn't know everything about you. Should he?"
"Not until you're dead certain you'll spend the rest of your life with him," Caroline replied. "And since I doubt you're there yet, let's keep that secret between the people in this room."
"Got it," Liz agreed. "Goodnight, sweetie."
Klaus was retrieving his overnight bag and the garment bag that held his suit from the closet in the foyer when Caroline cornered him.
"Your present is ready and I wanted to give it to you now before everything is crazy tomorrow," she told him, holding up a gift-wrapped box to him.
"Well, I do like presents," he joked, tearing into the paper. He lifted the lid and moved to sit at the bottom of the grand staircase to look in the box.
"Don't hate it," she whispered.
"Hate it?" he repeated. "I couldn't."
Caroline watched with trepidation as Klaus pulled out the scrapbook and began to flip through the pages in silence. She was just beginning to feel like he thought it ridiculous when he chuckled.
"You were a Girl Scout," he laughed, smiling down at a photo of a front toothless, seven-year-old Caroline, wearing her uniform and sash with the badges proudly, selling cookies in the town square with her troop. "How precious."
"Elena's mom was our troop leader and I think it drove her a little crazy that I always outsold everyone," Caroline remembered. "But there was always a really cool prize for being top seller and I'm competitive."
"Oh, I know," he nodded, turning to the next page. "Caroline, I couldn't have asked for anything more than this."
"Well, you always say you wish you could've known me as a human and this is the best I could do," she shrugged. "My mom donated to it and Rebekah helped put it all together."
He set the album aside and took her into his arms. "Well, it's perfect."
She kissed him, relieved he was so happy with it. "I'm glad you like it."
"Nik, you have to go!" Rebekah demanded, stomping into the foyer.
"She does excel in ruining a moment," he murmured, pressing another brief kiss to Caroline's lips. "I love you, sweetheart."
"I love you, too," she breathed as they stood up. "And the next time I see you, we'll be getting married."
"Indeed," he nodded, hugging her tightly. "Goodnight, Caroline Forbes."
"Last time you can say that," she grinned as Rebekah thrust his bags into his hands and shoved him out the front door after Stefan.
"All right, come on!" Rebekah called to Caroline as she headed back to the sitting room.
Caroline sighed and followed after her. All the girls had settled on the couches, each holding a gift.
"Open mine first," Bonnie requested, holding out her present.
"Okay," Caroline agreed, taking it and sitting in the solo chair. She removed the tissue paper and reached into the bag to pull out a lacy black teddy. "Bonnie Bennett!"
"What?" Bonnie shrugged innocently. "There's so little material for him to get through. That way you won't be mad when it's ruined."
"Any material is too much material in Klaus' mind," Caroline muttered, taking Elena's gift next.
"Oh, this will be boring and conservative," Katherine murmured, sipping her wine.
"Stop," Caroline warned as she lifted the lid of the box and pulled out a royal blue corset and matching thong. "Doesn't seem so conservative to me."
Elena shrugged. "Klaus likes blue."
"Me, too," Caroline nodded. "Thanks, 'Lena."
"I went for something a little more elegant," Rebekah stated as she handed over her present.
Caroline eyed the La Perla bag warily before reaching in to pull out a crimson-colored silk nightgown and matching robe. "Oh, Bek, this is beautiful."
"It's provocative without being trashy," Rebekah reasoned. "You don't need to wear slutty lingerie every night."
"Thank you," Caroline grinned, turning to Katherine. "I have a feeling that box will scare me."
"Only if I did my job as maid of dishonor properly," Katherine smirked, handing it over.
"Maid of dishonor?" Rebekah scoffed. "That's not a thing."
"It is now," Katherine shot back smugly.
Caroline rolled her eyes as she un-wrapped the box and timidly lifted the lid. She looked inside in confusion. "Kat, this is empty."
"Exactly," Katherine beamed. "Bon-Bon might've considered Klaus by buying something with little clothing but why waste time and money? It'll be ripped off in seconds so I did him a real solid and only bought this." She reached behind her and tossed Caroline a bottle.
"'Kissable Whipped Body Crème?'" Caroline read. "Ooh, goody, it's vanilla."
"Yeah, well, I don't think that Victoria's secret is that she's a vampire because they don't do blood-flavored quite yet," Katherine deadpanned.
"Well, thanks, guys," Caroline smiled. "I'm sure Klaus will appreciate these gifts just as much as I do. And it means a lot to mean to have you all here."
Rebekah reached forward to take Caroline's hand. "Nowhere else we'd rather be."
Later that night, after everyone had settled into bed, Klaus sat in the chair by the window of his room at the boarding house, sketching. He knew he should've been trying to sleep but he was restless and couldn't stop thinking about the picture of Caroline as a Girl Scout, all pigtails and freckles, so he drew it from memory. He was just starting on her toothless smile when his phone vibrated.
"Sweetheart, shouldn't you be sleeping?" he chuckled softly as he answered Caroline's call.
"Shouldn't you?" she shot back, leaning against the headboard in their bed. "I couldn't sleep and you're an insomniac so I figured you weren't either."
Klaus set her sketchpad aside. "Well, why can't you sleep?"
"I'm too excited," she told him. "I've dreamt about tomorrow since I was a little girl and now it's here but the reality of it is so much better than the childhood fantasy I'd created."
"Why's that?" he asked, finding comfort in just her voice.
"Because in my fantasy, I was marrying Justin Timberlake and in real life, I'm marrying you and that's so much better," she grinned. "He's a bad actor anyways so I'd be embarrassed to be his wife now."
"And you won't be embarrassed to be my wife?" he asked.
"Never," she whispered. "I'll be proud and lucky. There aren't many girls with boys who love them like you love me. And there definitely aren't many boys with girls who love them like I love you."
"No," he agreed, "they're aren't. Did you have a nice evening after we left?"
"Yeah," she replied. "Got some fun stuff that you'll like more than me and I already packed it all for the honeymoon."
"Excellent," he beamed. "I very much look forward to marrying you tomorrow, love."
"Me, too," she breathed, stifling a yawn.
"You're tired," he realized. "We should hang up."
"I don't want to," she shook her head. "I like hearing you talk."
"I don't want you falling asleep on me during the ceremony," he joked. So let's say 'I love you' and 'goodnight' and we'll see each other tomorrow."
"I love you, Niklaus Mikaelson," she murmured.
"I love you, too, Caroline Mikaelson," he smiled. "Just testing it out."
"Hmm, I like the sound of that," she mumbled tiredly.
"As do I," he said. "Goodnight, love."
Caroline hung up and set her phone on the bedside table before sliding under the blanket and snuggling into Klaus' pillow. Tomorrow, she would be his wife and all would be right in the world.