5. "To the stars"
It was eight in the morning and Nik was already in his office. Now, there's a thing you wouldn't have guessed about the big bad wolf of Chicago. If you were the sort to believe in rumors you would think the scoundrel called Nik Mikaelson was up all night pleasing the finest ladies of Chicago's upper society and slept till noon. If you were to believe the glitz and glamour … Nik loved glitz and glamour, he enjoyed hearing these stories about himself. It was very entertaining, like listening about someone else's life. The reality wasn't so glamorous, not by a long shot. The reality was him staying till 2-3 in the morning in the club checking everything was in order, and then coming in first thing in the morning the check up on everything that wasn't in order the previous night. If people knew how little he slept they would think he was a vampire. He smiled at the thought of that. Not that he actually believed in those blood sucking creatures but Bram Stoker was one of his favorite writers and Dracula a very entertaining novel. The character of angelic, but voluptuous and sexual beneath the surface, blonde called Lucy reminded him of someone. Oh yes … The angelic and voluptuous Miss Caroline Forbes he had the pleasure of meeting last night. Tyler for once wasn't exaggerating, she really was something else. And she was going to marry Tyler Lockwood, poor girl, she deserved better. He saw something in her eyes last night … Something saying she was aware of it, something saying she wasn't like everybody else although she was trying to hide it. Not like he'll ever have a chance to find out … Although it would be fun to try to steal the girl from Tyler, just because, he didn't have the time for that. He had his agendas, goals, and there was no time in his life for distractions, no matter how thrilling they might me.
"Love is a human's biggest weakness. And I am not weak." he kept repeating to himself. He was repeating it all his life.
"Boss, there is somebody here to see you." Victor interrupted his thoughts about the sweet blonde.
"I'm kind of busy right now Vic. And it's eight in the morning. Who on Earth would even know to find me here so early? His thoughts went to one person … But no …"
"She's pretty relentless."
" She?"
"Hello Nik. Long time no see."
"Tatia." was the only thing he managed to say before the gorgeous brunette entered his office.
Victor left them alone and the awkward silence began. In the end he was the one that couldn't take it anymore; Tatia could play this mouse and cat game for days. She was good at games.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"Is this how you treat a lady after not seeing her over a year? My God Nik, you haven't changed a bit." she said and smiled at him coyly.
"I don't see a lady here." he was quick to replay.
"Now, now… " she said and sat in a chair opposite to him still smiling at him with that smile that made boys and men of all age lose their minds and everything else they had in the process.
"I come in peace my sweet."
"Anything you have to sell, I'm not interested. Does my brother even know you're here?"
"If you're referring to Elijah, than yes. My husband knows I'm here. I would never hide anything from him." she said and looked at him while batting her eyelashes. God she was an amazing actress. If only he knew that a year and a half ago when he met her. If only he had known he was nothing but a toy to her, good for a few tosses and turns in the bed, and then dismissed when a better opportunity came along. But Tatia liked to keep things interesting, so she chose his respected brother Elijah Mikaelson, the pillar of Chicago's society, to be her husband. Yes, she was the one that chose him. Because to Tatia everything was a game. Nik wasn't even curious to find out what she wanted this time around.
" Tatia I'm a busy man, what do you want?"
" I want us to be friends again moins cher. I have missed you so badly."
" Luckily I haven't missed you one bit." he said it and meant it. The day she married his brother he dead and buried her.
"Always so severe." she got up and walked up to him. Before he could even notice what was going on she approached him and started caressing his cheek.
"That's what I always liked about you." she said in her finest seductive voice. Nik was taken aback for a second but he learned how to handle the likes of her in the past year.
He slowly removed her hand from his cheek, looked her closely in the eyes and said: "I have never in my life hit a woman. But if you ever touch me again, I'll break those fine fingers of yours, one by one."
She finally twitched a bit and moved a step behind.
"I'll ask you one last time before I kick you out of my office. What do you want?"
"Very well Nik." she said pretending to be on the verge of tears, but he knew how much her tears were worth, not a dime.
" I … I wanted us to be friends, to get along, I mean we are family."
"You are no family to me. We are not a family. I don't have a family." Nik said harshly although with a sting in his heart. A sting only he knew about.
"But you do … And that is why I'm here. Elijah really wants to see you. He has been leaving you messages, coming to see you, but you always avoid him."
"So he sent you?" Nik said while smiling. "He seriously thought this would do the trick? Is my brother going mad?"
"He wants you to come back to the family business, to come back to the family. His intentions are genuine."
"Like yours Tatia?"
" I want you back too Nik." she said not explaining in what exact way she wanted him back, but Nik decided to ignore it either way.
"Listen to me carefully, because I have no intentions of repeating myself. And you can quote me on this to my dear brother. I don't want the scrapes from the Mikaelson table. All my life I was doing fine on my own, and I'm more than happy to continue this state. I don't need nor want Elijah in my life, or any of them. I don't need anyone."
Nik yelled at her and stormed out of his own office.
Damn him and his stupid temper. This is not how this was supposed to go down. He was supposed to kick her out and storm out of his own office. He was roaming the streets of his favorite city and just thinking how ridicules he was. But God damn it he was just so angry. What was Elijah thinking? Now he wanted to be his brother? Where was he when Mikael was treating him like garbage? Where was his big brother when he was shipped to England like a dirty little secret he was? Where was he all those nights when Nik actually still prayed, prayed for a family? Prayed to be with his mother and his siblings. Too little, too late big brother, he thought to himself. There was no way he was taking charity from him. He was going to make it on his own, and laugh to his face while doing it. He'll show them all what a bastard's son can do. And her … She had the nerve … She always had the nerve … Tatia … She once had the nerve to make him fall in love with her, foolish little boy he was then, and then crush his heart by marrying the one person he despised the most, because he could never be like him. Right then and there he learned he would never be respected in this town for being good and honest, he would have to learn to earn respect in different ways, by being feared and loathed. He was even surprised how good he was in playing this role, like he was born for it. Maybe he was … Maybe he really was a bastard's son … And it all could have been so different ... He would have forgotten Mikael and all the injustice he went through, if only she truly loved him, if only she truly wanted to be his. But she was once more a person that had let him down. A woman desperately wanting to marry to get status and a good name. Just like...
Just like this sweet angel standing in front of him. From all the streets in all of Chicago you had to cross mine, he thought while looking at Caroline Forbes staring at a wedding dress. If this was any other day, he would have been fair and let little Miss Forbes be. But there was Tatia, there was this dreadful morning, and he just could not help himself but to say:
" So desperate to marry Mrs. Forbes, soon to be Lockwood?"
He was pleasantly surprised when she answered him the way she did. She had fire in her. Suddenly he remembered Tatia has also always been quite the fiery girl, but pushed those thoughts aside immediately. Somehow he didn't want to think about Tatia when he was with Caroline. He only wanted to think about her, focus his whole attention to her. She was so intoxicating. And the more she was pushing him away the more he felt the urge to make her want him, the way he wanted her. Yes, he wanted to toy with her, mess with her mind and her perfect little high society life, but he also just plainly wanted her. These were the things crossing his mind when he offered her a ride home and when he said: "Come on Caroline. I dare you."
This was it, the moment he was waiting for. He would see if all of his theories were correct. It all depended on that one yes or no. Would she take a chance?
" Fine, I bet I'll never get rid of you if I say no." she said while pouting but he saw why she said yes, she was intrigued. It's not like he hadn't had this effect on women before, but never was he glad like today.
"See sweet Caroline? You already know me so well." he said while flashing her with his most notorious smile. But she still wasn't backing down from her high horse.
"Just because I'm letting you drive me home doesn't mean you can call me Caroline. It's Miss Forbes." but he saw she was trying so hard to remain serious and not to burst out laughing.
"Very well Miss Forbes. I will be honored to be your chauffeur for the morning. Right this way Miss." he showed her the way to his car trying to be all serious and official. This was actually quite amusing; it made him forget all about Tatia and Elijah and everything. He opened the door for her and everything. He was being the gentleman she was claiming he wasn't. A fun role to play, he didn't get the chance to be like this ever since … Well yes … Ever since Tatia …
"Where to Miss?" he asked her in a professional chauffeur voice but her answer left him speechless.
She didn't look at him. She looked somewhere, somewhere in the distance when she said: "To the stars."
He was completely awestruck with her answer, not just what the said but how she said it. There could have been so many comebacks to this, but for once he decided to keep them all to himself. He just stared at her while she was daydreaming about her trip to the stars. She was so beautiful, she looked so happy. He was just about to say something when she finally spoke.
" Actually, drive me home? It's 55th Lane. "
" Oh, the life in the fab Lane?" Klaus was teasing her about leaving in the richest district in Chicago and waiting to see her reaction.
" I just call it the 55th circle of fab hell."
"Is that the circle where all the rich people go?"
" Oh yes, and they have their tea parties while roasting their fat behinds."
" A tea roast? Now there's a term I have never heard before."
They were developing the idea of a tea roast all through the drive. They were talking and laughing like they had known each other for years. It was strange. But it was just what he needed; bumping into her was what saved this day. Although the day wasn't over yet … He would make sure of that. Just before he dropped her off he said:
"Come to the club tonight."
She was looking at him completely surprised. She was so relaxed with him a minute ago, but now she was a bit hesitant again. She was trying to figure him out, he saw that. And he saw this was a hard task for her so he decided to give her a little break.
So he slowly came a bit closer and took her hand in his.
"Caroline …" he whispered her name gently.
"Come to the club tonight and I promise I'll take you to the stars."
So sorry for the long update you guys. I'm just still puzzled with this story, I do like it and I'm glad so many of you like it too, but I just wasn't sure if I should continue or not. But then I really felt like writing today and this came out, and I actually like it, love the character of Nik. Even adding Tatia to the mix was fun. And a little Klaroline bonding, and a lots of Klaroline ahead if I continue it ... PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT! THAAANK YOU :)!
