A/N: After two months an update is here. I'm terribly sorry but inspiration had been lacking and had to rearrange some things around in the outline. Thank you for everything, the follows, favourites, reviews. ANd big thanks to Angela and Jay for beta'ing. Now onto the chapter, ENJOY!
Chapter Fourteen
"So you're definitely going to be coming over to baby sit tonight?" Caroline asked, holding the phone up to her ear as she paced around her bedroom which now looked like a bomb site. She was surrounded by a pile of dresses that had been thrown across her bed and the ground surrounding her was now filled with different heels covering every inch.
"Yes, Care, I'll be there at five," Bonnie said, sighing slightly into the other end of the phone.
"I'm sorry, Bon, I'm just-"
"Nervous?"
"Yeah, how can you tell?" She laughed, running her hands through her hair.
"It's your first official date with Klaus; of course you're going to be nervous. Do you know what you're going to wear tonight?"
"No," Caroline replied, bringing her thumb up and began to chew on her nail.
"I'll be over in ten minutes," Bonnie said.
Caroline squealed, "thank you, you're a lifesaver!"
She quickly hung up; feeling oddly like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She knew she could always count on Bonnie, her best friend was someone who was always there ready to come to the rescue whenever she needed her. For the first time that day Caroline could breathe with the knowledge that Bonnie was coming, so she left her room in the state it was in deciding she'd deal with it later when Bonnie was there to help.
She made her way downstairs, finding Stefan and Nate at the kitchen table coloring. Caroline walked around the table, taking a seat opposite of Stefan, cringing at the crayons that were spread across the wooden table. Nate didn't notice her as he scribbled across the page, often running the crayon off the page and onto the table.
Caroline shot Stefan a look and he nodded, knowing it was his responsibility to clean the mess up. A second later Nate put down his crayon and looked up at her, finally recognizing she was there. "I thought you were going out tonight?"
"I am," she smiled. "With Klaus."
"On a date," Stefan added, smirking.
"I don't get to come?" Nate asked, frowning.
"Sorry, buddy, not tonight."
"Okay."
She sighed, looking how upset her son looked and came up with something to cheer him up. "But Bonnie and Kol will be here soon and you can have pizza for dinner and stay up late and before you know it I'll be home. We can do something after, how about that?"
"Okay," he smiled. "Will Nik be there?"
"We'll see," she said, running her hand through his hair.
"I heard you had fun at the zoo last week," Stefan said, leaning on the table, his eyes on Nate.
The boy immediately lit up, a smile spreading across his face and was practically jumping out of his seat. "It was awesome! Nik is the greatest; you have to see what he got me!"
Nate climbed off his chair and ran away, stomping up the stairs as fast as he could, the sound filling the house. "He seems to like Klaus," Stefan stated.
"Yeah, he's his new hero; I'm afraid you've been replaced."
Stefan raised his hand over his heart, mocking offense. "Replaced me? His favourite Uncle?"
"Afraid so, you're never around anymore. You're a close second though, if that counts."
He sighed, "I wish I were around more, work and this wedding is taking up a lot of my time."
Caroline reached forward, placing her hand over top his, giving it a light squeeze. "A month to go and then you'll be on your honeymoon and when you get back everything will go back to normal."
"I hope so, I miss my nephew."
Caroline gave him a reassuring smile. Nate came barreling back down the stairs and entered the kitchen with Bonnie hot on his heels. Caroline shot up out of her seat, rushing straight to Bonnie.
"Great, you're here! We have a lot of work to do and Klaus will be here in an hour," she said, grabbing onto the other girls' wrist and dragged her up the stairs.
Bonnie laughed, "Let's get to it then."
They entered the bedroom, everything in place from where Caroline had left it. Bonnie sized up the pile of dresses varying from sun dresses to semi-formal to formal.
"What are you thinking about doing with your hair?" Bonnie questioned as she stepped forward, fingering through the dresses.
"I don't know," Caroline shrugged, biting her fingernail. "This is a disaster! I should call and cancel."
"No, you're not," Bonnie said, walking to Caroline and grabbing her shoulders. "Just relax, everything will be fine. Just let me take care of you."
Caroline couldn't do anything but let Bonnie lead her into the en suite so that they could get to work. She sat down in from of the vanity that was in one corner of the room and filled with scattered makeup across the top. As Caroline started at her reflection in the mirror with a perplexed look Bonnie's eyes lit up, an idea coming to mind.
At quarter to five, the doorbell rang. Caroline sprang from her the vanity seat she was sitting at but Bonnie had promptly held her down by placing one hand on her shoulder. "Relax, I'll get it."
Caroline gave her a grateful smile through the mirror, sinking back onto her seat and continued on the work that Bonnie had done on her hair. When she was done she slipped on the dress Bonnie had laid out for her, a red one shoulder fitted and fell to just above her knees. Her outfit was accompanied with black, strappy heals and a low, side bun.
She was about to leave her room when she passed by her dresser and a sparkly, silver bracelet grabbed her attention. Caroline stopped, putting it on quickly; it was something that Stefan had given her for her first birthday after Nate was born. There were small charms attached, one with a heart and the letter 'N'.
Once the bracelet was fastened safely on her left wrist she took one final look in the full length mirror, patting down the sides of her dress. When satisfied she grabbed the matching red clutch and made her way down the stairs, only twenty minutes after Klaus arrived.
Caroline held the banister as she made her way down the stairs, taking her time since she was wearing heals. She spotted Klaus at the bottom, crouching beside Nate as they huddled together whispering.
When he heard the heels clicking on the wooden staircase, Klaus lifted his head and saw Caroline. His heart skipped a beat and his breathing accelerated at the sight of her. He had to do a double take, not believing how beautiful she looked.
She was clad in a red dress that accentuated her curves, her hair pulled into a low bun to show off her neck. Her blue eyes radiated and her normally pink clips covered in red lipstick.
Klaus clambered to his feet, walking to the bottom of the stairs at the same time Caroline reached the landing. He stepped forward, hand curling around to her lower back as he kissed her cheek. He lingered there to whisper in her ear, "You look beautiful, love."
He pulled back to see Caroline blush and look away. Caroline bent down giving Nate a hug and whispering something in his ear, the boy smiled up at Klaus showing his teeth.
"Have fun on your date," Bonnie said from the side watching the three.
Nate ran over giving Klaus a hug before going to stand beside Bonnie. Klaus offered his elbow to Caroline, "shall we?"
"We shall," she replied, smiling up at him.
After Caroline and Klaus left, Bonnie led Nate back into the living room turning on the television. She flopped down, Nate crawling up beside her and curling into her. She missed quiet moments with her nephew; things had been a little busy with everything going on not only in her life but Caroline's as well.
She heard Stefan stomp down the stairs, the sound echoing throughout the whole house. He popped his head into the room, "I'm heading off now. I'll be back tomorrow night."
"Okay," Bonnie replied, turning around and giving him a wave.
Nate kneeled up on the couch, looking over the back of the couch. "Bye, Uncle Stefan."
"Bye, buddy," he smiled before leaving the house, the door closing behind him.
Nate turned around on the couch, a frown in place of where a smile sat just moments before. "What's wrong?" Bonnie asked.
"I just miss my Uncle Stefan; he's always gone now" he pouted, crossing his arms across his chest.
Bonnie picked him up, sitting him on her lap, "he's a little busy right now but he still loves you. After the wedding things will get better, you'll see." Nate nodded. "I may have an idea to cheer you up though."
"What's that?" He question, a smirk tugging on the corner of his lips.
Bonnie smiled, "you have to wait but it'll be here soon, I just have to go make a call." She pushed herself off the couch, going into the other room to make a call.
There was only one person for the job and she knew he would come through. He and Nate had this weird bond. They were both light hearted and loved pranks and joking around and that was the kind of fun Nate needed.
Klaus helped Caroline out of the town car, linking arms as he led her towards their destination. She looked up with him as he looked forward, a small smile etched onto his face. Caroline let her eyes wander down his suit clad body, appreciating the sight.
Of course she got a good look at him earlier but she really couldn't tear her eyes away. He looked that good. He wore a navy suit, a light blue dress shirt accompanied with a navy tie, which all brought out the blue of his eyes which only seemed to sparkle when he first saw her walking down the stairs.
"Where are we going?" She finally asked, curious to where he was actually taking her.
Klaus stopped in front of a corner building, smiling down at Caroline as he turned to stand in front of her. "How do you feel about jazz music?" He questioned, his head nodding to the side where the front doors were open.
Caroline looked inside the lights dimmed and she couldn't see much but the soft sounds of jazz music wafted out into the street. "I've never really listened to it before."
"Then allow me to introduce you," he smirked, leading her through the open double doors and into the club.
The walls were maroon, the lights hanging low and dimmed just enough to light the room into a soft golden glow. Round tables littered the room, mostly occupied with couples that faced the stage at the back. A small dance floor was in front of the stage, inviting for couples to dance. Candles were lit on the table setting a more romantic feel to the place.
Klaus led her right to an empty table in front of the small stage where a band was playing. He pulled out a chair for her which she accepted, shooting him a grateful smile. When both were seated, a waitress came up to them, handing them menus before dispersing again.
As Caroline glanced over the menu she found the theme of food oddly southern but seemingly delicious. "Is this food from the south?" She finally asked, curiosity getting the best of her.
Klaus lowered his menu, smirking. "New Orleans."
Caroline nodded, gazing back at her menu. "Come here often?"
"When I can, my studio is just down the road and sometimes I come here for lunch."
"So what do you suggest?" She asked, setting the menu on the table.
Klaus had his already closed and he smiled at her, "the catfish is divine, but so is the house jambalaya."
"I'll have whatever you're having," she replied just moments before the waiters came to their table.
Klaus ordered a bottle of red wine and two dishes of the house jambalaya which was his favourite dish and highly recommended. The waiter dispersed immediately just in time for a singer to walk up onto stage and began to sing an Ella Fitzgerald song, one Caroline wasn't familiar with.
Caroline looked over at Klaus who was smiling as he watched the performance, his eyes glistening in the soft light. "Why jazz?"
His eye brows raised as he turned his attention to the striking blonde sitting across from him, "beg your pardon?"
"Jazz music, why do you like it?"
Klaus shrugged his shoulders, "It's the rhythm, the lyrics, the chord progression and the freedom. I grew up listening to jazz, my parents loved it. I remember most nights after all the children were in bed my parents would be dancing around the living room to the sounds of Louis Armstrong."
"That sounds amazing," she commented, taking a sip of the glass of wine that was placed in front of her.
"It was," he smiled before copying her actions and taking a sip of his own glass.
She placed her glass down on the table, "wow, this is really good. I mean I'm not a fan of red wine, it's kind of gross, but this is some good wine."
"Clearly you haven't been drinking the right stuff, sweetheart," Klaus smirked.
"Apparently not," she shot back, matching his smirk.
They sat there for a few moments, not saying a word but staring across at each other. Normally the lack of conversation would bother Caroline, her always being one to converse to anyone about anything. However, the two sat in comfortable silence, almost like they were talking through their eyes.
"So how long do you think it took before Bonnie called Kol?" Caroline finally said, her thoughts momentarily taken back to what her best friend was doing with her son. No doubt, calling her boyfriend for back up or help.
"Probably about all of ten minutes," he chuckled. "I like your friend Bonnie, she has my brother wrapped around her little finger."
"Kol doesn't seem like the type to be at the beck and call of a woman."
Klaus laughed harder, shaking his head, "he's usually not. He must really like Bonnie."
"They do make quite the pair," Caroline commented, knowing how smitten she was with the younger Mikaelson.
"That they do," he agreed, taking another sip of his wine.
"You know who I still can't get over? Rebekah and Stefan."
"Oh yes, that pair is the literal definition of opposites attract, aren't they?"
Caroline nodded, "She also has him wrapped around her finger."
"I feel sorry for him, having to put up with Bekah's temper tantrums. I've dealt with them for most of my life and they are not pleasant."
"Oh, I've seen plenty of them and I have no idea how either of you put up with them, she's like the devil when she's in one of her moods," Caroline said, practically horrified.
She had known Rebekah for the past five years and thankfully only encountered a handful of tantrums. They are usually melt downs met with a two year old tantrum, her crying and screaming all in one with the stomp of a foot.
"What was her worst one growing up?" Caroline questioned, leaning forward, eager to learn more about one of her best friends.
Klaus' eyes lit up with excitement, already recalling her most infamous tantrum. "There is so many, but I think the one that stuck out the most was when she was seven. It was just before Christmas and my father took Bekah and I to buy presents for our siblings. Of course, everything always being about Rebekah, she didn't like that father wouldn't buy her a new doll."
"Did she try to shoplift it?" Caroline asked eagerly.
"Nope," Klaus said shaking his head. "She snuck it into the cart and when we got to the cash register, father found it and refused to pay for it. We found out later he had already bought her that very doll earlier but she didn't know that. So she screamed and screamed at the top of her lungs causing everyone to look at her. My father had no idea what to do, he'd never really dealt with one of her tantrum, so he just stood there in shock."
"Oh my god, that must have been so embarrassing," she commented.
He nodded, "but was worse was her refusal to leave the store without the doll. She wouldn't budge and when my father finally picked her up she grabbed onto a nearby rack and pulled it alone with her when he began to walk away, pulling all the toys to the ground. We finally got her out after my father bought her the stupid doll, and we never went back."
Caroline laughed when he finished the story, imagining a young Rebekah causing a scene. "That is something Rebekah would do."
"And she still hasn't changed her ways," Klaus chuckled, joining in laughing with Caroline. He paused in shock, noticing how beautiful and carefree she looked while she laughed. The corner of her eyes were crinkled, her blue eyes shining and her smile radiant.
Caroline stopped, noticing he was looking at her funny. "What?" She asked, suddenly worried she had something on her face or her mascara was smudged.
Klaus shook his head, clearing his thoughts and smiled at the blonde across the table. "Nothing, you just look beautiful when you laugh."
"Oh," she said, feeling heat rise up her neck and to her cheeks.
Before anything more could be said, the waiter came by, placing a plate in front of them. They both thanked the waiter and dug in, Caroline was surprisingly liking what she was tasting.
"Honey, I'm home!" Kol yelled, walking into the Salvatore/Forbes residence. Before the door was even closed, a small body had run into his legs, hugging them.
"Kol!" Nate yelled, looking up at him.
"Hey, champ," he smiled, messing his hair.
"It's about time you showed up," Bonnie said as she walked into the front foyer. She had called Kol half an hour ago and she wasn't pleased that he was just showing up. She was beginning to feel under the weather and Nate had begun to build up his energy and needed an outlet. "I'm going to go lie down, you watch him."
"Yes, darling," Kol said, noticing his girlfriends' significantly paler appearance. He watched as she made her way up the stairs, disappearing into a bedroom before looking down at the little boy still clinging to his legs. "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know?"
Kol inwardly groaned, he hasn't really baby sat before and had no idea what to do with a small child. "Well let's go see what toys you have," he suggested, bending over and picking Nate up.
He brought him to the play room, toys neatly placed along the walls in coloured bins. Kol gently placed Nate on his feet and watched as the boy tore into all his toys, wanting to play with all of them at once.
Kol took a seat on the ground, Nate eventually bringing toy trains for them to play with. The two set to work on building a track, Kol listening to whatever Nate told him to do. He noticed that he was a bossy five year old, something he probably learned from Rebekah. Nate would tell Kol how to play with his toys using specific instructions of what went where so that nothing was out of place.
After an hour of Kol sitting by and watching Nate play by himself he grew hungry and realized it was dinner time. So after convincing Nate that it was time to eat, he scooped the boy up and carried him into the kitchen.
Kol sat him on the center island while he dug through the fridge looking for something edible. "What do you feel like having for dinner?" Kol asked, straightening up and turning around to face the five year old.
"Pizza?" He questioned, perking up at the thought. Then his eyes widened into big blue saucers, "we can add pepperoni and bacon and cheese and gummy worms and pickles!"
Kol scrunched up his nose in disgust, "I don't know about that, Mate."
"But it's all my favourite things!" Nate replied, pouting slightly as his lower lip quivered.
Kol took one look at the boy and gave up, "alright."
"Yes!"
"But if Aunt Bonnie asks, it was your idea," he said, pointing his index finger at the boy. Kol helped him off the counter, and lead him to the fridge. The two pulled out all items they wanted to use for toppings. Luckily, there was a frozen pizza crust already prepared in the freezer just waiting to be decorated.
Nate kneeled on a chair at the island, ingredients scattered around him and the crust in front already smothered with sauce and cheese. Nate looked over everything on the counter, probably everything from the fridge was sitting there.
"What's first?" He asked Nate.
The boy scanned the choices quickly, grabbing at the cut up pepperoni. Kol reached over, handing it to him and helped him scatter it on the pizza. "Do you have to have vegetables?" Nate questioned, eying the peppers and mushrooms.
"Nope, now what else do you want on it?"
"That!" He said pointing to another item.
The two continued with their pizza making and once complete placed it into the oven to cook. They retreated back to the living room and the second Kol flopped down on the couch, Nate jumped on top of him. "Can we build a fort?" He asked eagerly.
Kol nodded, getting up and grabbing the blankets in the corner of the room. He was exhausted from the constant entertaining of a five year old and cursed Bonnie for leaving him alone. He wasn't cut out for it, he didn't have the energy to deal with every whim that the boy had.
Bonnie woke up from her nap feeling refreshed and surprised that she had managed to sleep for a total of two hours without any disturbances. She was curious to see how Kol was handling babysitting duties and how wrecked the house may be.
As she sat up she caught the smell of something burning and immediately jumped out of bed. Kol wasn't much of a cook and when he did cook for her, he always forgot to set a timer or got distracted and forgot about any food that was in the oven. She jumped out of bed and flung herself down the stairs and into the kitchen.
Thankfully there wasn't any smoke which meant that whatever they were cooking wasn't on fire, just burnt. She grabbed a pair of oven mitts and slipped them on after turning off the oven. When she opened the door, a wave of heat and the smell of burnt crust hit her.
She coughed taking a few steps back before grabbing what she found looked like a pizza. She placed it on top of the oven, letting it cool off while she found the boys. She didn't even want to know what they made.
Bonnie heard giggling coming from the living room and headed in the direction. When she got to the entryway she stopped dead in her tracks, finding the room practically destroyed and a larch fort sent up in the middle.
She stepped closer to hear what the boys were talking about, hoping to scare them good while she was at it. Bonnie crept into the room, stopping beside the fort.
"Do you think Aunt Bonnie will be mad with our creation?" Nate asked in a hushed toned.
"Not at all, I think she'll like the gummy worms we put on the pizza," Kol replied.
"What about the mess we made, do you think she'll be made?"
"Oh, she'll be furious," Bonnie said, interrupting their conversation.
The blankets of the fort wrinkled as the two scrambled out of their hiding place and stood in front of her. She raised her eyebrows at her boyfriend, waiting for an explanation. When she got none she spoke up, "I hope you'll clean all your messes up, because Aunt Bonnie isn't going to."
"Yes, love," Kol said looking down at his feet like a kicked puppy.
"Dinner is also ready."
"Nate perked up and scrambled into the kitchen, leaving the adults staring at each other. "I didn't know how to entertain him," he shrugged, practically reading Bonnie's mind.
"Board games, movies, take him to the park."
"I don't know how you do it, that boy has too much energy for his own good," Kol commented, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Reminds me of another boy I know," Bonnie smirked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Let's go eat," he said, rushing her out of the living room and ignoring her latest comment.
"Am I going to like this pizza?"
"We'll see," Kol chuckled, leading her into the kitchen.
Caroline was having a great time with Klaus, talking about everything and nothing at once. He talked a lot about his siblings, Henrik specifically, adoring the teen. He also asked more about Nate, love for the boy radiating through every fiber of him as she told him stories.
The waitress came and left, taking their cleared plates from dinner away with her. She commented on the food, which was absolutely divine and made her want to go to New Orleans and try homemade Jambalaya. She looked over her shoulder seeing a few couples dancing to the slow jazz music that had taken over in the last few minutes.
Klaus noticed her wandering eye and got an idea. He quickly got up from his seat, claiming he had to use the bathroom but made a bee line for the band that was playing on the corner of the stage. When they finished the song, he called over the singer and made a suggestion. With a little tip, he got his wish and practically ran back to the table where Caroline was sitting.
"Care to share a dance?" He asked, his hand lowered and inviting.
Caroline smiled up at him, taking his hand and followed him onto the dance floor. Klaus pulled her close, his hand resting on her back as his other was clasped around hers. Her hand rested on his upper arm, near his shoulder, her face inches from his.
The beat had already begun, slow and soft; the singer soon joined in, singing the familiar tune. Caroline perked up hearing the words and pulled back looking at Klaus, "I know this song!"
"I thought you might," he smirked, pleased with his plan.
"How?"
"Your favorite movie's The Notebook, this song is in the movie."
Her eyebrows raised in surprise, "you remember my favourite movie?"
"Mhmm," he replied, pulling her back into him. The two danced slowly to the song, Klaus hummed along in her ear, occasionally singing along. Caroline got shivers as he whispered into her ear, his scruff tickling the side of her face.
"I'll be looking at the moon, but I'll be seeing you," he whispered as the song came to a close.
Caroline sighed, not knowing how the date could get any better; but it was Klaus and she knew he probably had a million more tricks up his sleeve. As the next song began, one she didn't know this time, Caroline rested her head against his shoulder, her body molding into his. Klaus' arm wrapped tighter around her back, holding her closer.
In that moment Caroline thought there was no other place she'd rather be than in his arms. The way he felt, the way he smelt, and the way he hummed along to the music was just perfect. She felt her walls caving in, all for this one man. Every rule she ever had about dating vanished because of Klaus.
As Klaus lead Caroline up the pathway to her house, she began to wish that the night wasn't over. She wasn't prepared to say goodbye and wanted to be in his presence for a little while longer. There was something about Klaus and his easy going attitude that calmed her, that made her want to relax and calm down.
They came to a stop on the front porch, both turned in and looking up at each other. Caroline stared up at him; a small smile was tugging at her lips as she replayed the events of the past few hours. "The date," she began, not able to contain her smile, "was perfect. Thank you."
"Anytime, love,' he replied, his own smile wide and showing off his dimples. He stepped forward, reaching out and touching her upper arm. His head lowered as they stood inches from each other, their noses practically touching.
Caroline felt her stomach flutter and her arm tingle with electricity as she searched his blue eyes. She wanted to kiss him badly and that's exactly what she did. She leaned forward slightly, her head tilted back and she brushed her lips gently against his.
He was taken off guard by her actions, though he was hoping for a good night kiss, he hadn't thought she would actually go through with it. She pulled back when she didn't feel him respond, her eyes saddened and slightly hurt.
Klaus brought one hand up to the back of her neck and pulled her back in for another kiss, his lips capturing hers. Caroline smiled into the kiss, not being able to help herself as she felt pleasure course through her with just the touch of his lips.
A loud shriek startled them, causing both to pull back and look towards the sound. Rebekah was standing at the end of the walkway, her eyes casted downward to the phone in her hands. Stefan stood awkwardly behind her as she began to start yelling at him and at no one in particular.
"I can't believe it! They can't just cancel our wedding with a months' notice!" She screeched, marching up the pathway. Rebekah didn't even notice Klaus or Caroline as she pushed past them and into the house still ranting about how the venue cancelled the wedding.
Stefan followed a few feet behind her, giving the couple an apologetic smile as she passed them and entered into the house. Caroline looked up to see the socked expression Klaus wore out and laughed as she leaned into him.
Caroline pulled away slightly but was still in his arms and smiled up at him, "I guess we better go see what happened to cause your sister throw a tantrum."
"I assume it's not going to be pretty," he smirked. Klaus leaned down giving her a quick peck on the lips before letting go of Caroline and leading her into the house which was heavy with commotion.
A/N: So what'd you think? Am I forgiven for my tardiness with this chapter? I think this is the start of something good ;) What do you think'll happen next?