Wow, that was a great response! Thanks you guys, I know I say it a lot but your comments make my day so keep it coming. I loved yours especially Kjsama, a great writer and reviewer, it made me smile. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story so it's nice to have such great feedback.

So I happened to finally finish season 5 of TVD this weekend (yes I have been slack) and have missed the Klaus presence so much, about to get onto season 6 but I have read about what's going on. Wow! I've missed a lot.

Keeping Up Appearances

Chapter 11: Winter Wonderland

December 25, Chicago Illinios, 1:49pm

"When I agreed to be your pretend boyfriend I never consented to this." Klaus said as they walked through Millennium Park wrapped up in their thick coats to ward off the winter chill.

"Oh come on its fun."

"You have an interesting idea of fun Caroline."

"Look you said you were full from lunch; think about this as a really good cardio work out."

"I definitely feel like I've put on about five pounds since I arrived here." He groaned. "But that isn't enough to make me want to do this."

"I think someone is just chicken." She teased poking him in the chest.

"I am not chicken." He pouted. "I just don't enjoy ice skating."

"Everyone enjoys ice skating, especially on Christmas Day. I mean look at all those people having fun." She said pointing towards the rink where a large group was gathered.

"Yeah and I think we're the only ones above the age of ten." He joked as all the kids skated around. "You could just go by yourself, I'll watch from the sidelines."

Caroline frowned thinking how much she'd become accustomed to him sharing traditions with her and not doing something with him felt strange. Caroline was worried she was getting caught up in something that would be ending soon, but she couldn't stop herself.

She had been distracted all day to say the least. After receiving his beautiful drawing that morning, followed by the most mind-blowing and impromptu kiss she'd struggled to concentrate on anything.

During lunch she found herself replaying their kiss over and over again, rather than listening to her family. As much as she was trying to not let him get to her Klaus was doing just that. Why did Klaus Mikaleson have to appear at Indianapolis airport and turn her whole world upside down?

After kissing him a few times now Caroline was pretty certain of the sexual attraction between them, but she had to keep reminding herself it wasn't real. For some reason though, his gift was telling her a completely different story.

She was telling the truth when she said it was the best present she'd been given, because it was. No one had ever done something so thoughtful for her, she'd gone out with Tyler for three years and his gifts didn't come close to Klaus's gesture.

Caroline had written her poem before she woke him that morning. She was up early, unable to sleep and for some reason looking at his gorgeous face as he slept gave her some inspiration, her thoughts spilling onto paper. She had always loved poetry but never shared it with anyone until Klaus.

Caroline was worried he would find her poem too personal but she could always tell him it was part of their act if he asked. In all the time she was with Tyler, Caroline had never felt that and the fact Klaus was stirring up such strong feelings after such a brief time unnerved her.

When he'd given her his present she didn't think anything could top that until she witnessed his reaction to her gift. Their eyes had locked and Caroline knew she was in trouble. When nanna suggested they kiss she was more than happy about it.

He tasted as good as she remembered as he caressed her lips slowly. Then nanna had to interrupt but she figured it was probably for the best because if they weren't there who knows what their kiss would have escalated into?

Katherine as usual had picked up on it during their earlier phone conversation.

"You kissed him?" She squealed excitedly through the phone.

"Oh my ears."

"Stop complaining, I would have thought you'd be slightly more upbeat at the moment Caroline."

"Oh yeah my life is so great I have to bring in a pretend boyfriend to make my ex-boyfriend, who cheated on me with my cousin, jealous."

"Okay that sounds a lot worse than it actually is sweetie." She sympathised. "So tell me, is he a good kisser? He sounds like he'd be a good kisser."

"What are you talking about?"

"Stop changing the subject Forbes. So this kiss, on a scale of one to ten how hot was it?"

"Which one?"

"You've kissed more than once, wow someone's been getting busy this Christmas."

"It's all part of the act, but yes I'll admit the man can kiss." She admitted reliving them both over again.

"I knew Mr Yummy would be good." She said excitedly. "I just hope the slut and the two- timer witnessed it."

"Yeah, they arrived right after we found ourselves under the mistletoe."

"I would have paid to see their faces."

"It was pretty good actually." She smiled at the memory. "But that didn't top me walking in on her trying to seduce Klaus."

"Shut up!" She exclaimed. "Tell me you scratched out her eyes at least."

"No she isn't worth it. I think the highlight was watching him reject her then Tyler walking in and catching her in the act, before he stormed out. I don't think I could have planned it better myself."

"Man I'm jealous, Christmas here has been predictable you know all carols, presents and turkey." She muttered. "So now you've eradicated the Tyler/Hayley problem what's next?"

"Dinner with his colleagues tonight." She murmured nervously.

"Oh honey you've got that in the bag, there's no one more charming than you, except me of course."

"Let's hope so."

"Am I sensing something else?"

"What do you mean?"

"If this is just an arrangement why do you sound so deflated?"

"I'm not deflated Kat." She spluttered.

"Well I have to say I thought you'd be more upbeat by now after exacting your revenge on Tyler and Hayley."

"I am." She insisted trying to convince her friend everything was fine.

"I know what this is." She inhaled sharply. "You like Klaus."

"I do not."

"Are you really trying to lie to your best friend right now?" She asked.

"I'm not lying Kat, I honestly don't know what I feel. I know that I like spending time with him and that he gave me the most beautiful drawing for Christmas."

"Wow you're gone a few days and I miss everything." Katherine said in frustration. "You always were a sucker for a sweet gesture. So what did you get him in return?"

"I might have written a poem."

"A poem? You never show people your poetry, wow you do have a thing for him."

"I had to give him something for Christmas otherwise mum and nanna would have seen through our act."

"So how did the snowman go this year?"

"The best yet, we did my dad proud." She said happily thinking back to their snowball fight.

"We? As in you and Klaus?"

"Well he was sharing a room with me, so I could hardly just leave without him knowing."

"You shared a bed with Tyler for three years yet never included him in operation snowman." She shot back.

"I really wish you'd stop psycho analysing me Kitty Kat." She grumbled not wanting to talk about it any longer. Caroline knew asking him to build a snowman with her was a big deal and she wasn't willing to face the reasoning behind her decision, not yet anyway.

"Sorry, I just get a little carried away sometimes."

"You think?" She chuckled trying to lighten the mood. "Maybe you need to find yourself a love life and butt out of mine Pierce."

"Hey I have a love life." She argued. "Although Christmas seems to be halting it slightly, you know too many sickly couples."

"Oh we can't have that."

"No we can't." She said. "I'm looking forward to hanging out with you and Bonnie when we get back."

"Me too Kat." She smiled thinking how much she missed her friends and having them to talk to all the time.

"So let's get this skating underway." Stefan said coming up behind them and breaking her from her trance.

"Stef." She smiled embracing him in a hug. "You are right on time buddy."

"I can't believe you ice skate mate." Klaus teased.

"Well at least I can."

"Oh if you ask me I think that was a challenge." Caroline laughed.

"That was definitely a challenge and I for one am looking forward to seeing that." Matt grinned joining them.

"Don't tell me you skate as well?" Klaus asked his mouth agape.

"I do but not well." He admitted. "They don't have too many ice skating rinks in the Middle East so you could say I'm a bit rusty."

"Well let's get you back on the horse." Caroline laughed lacing her arm through his. "Are you coming?" Klaus looked unconvinced.

"How about you two go ahead and I'll try and convince this one." Stefan said gesturing to a doubtful Klaus.

"Okay, let's go Matt." She chirped as they walked over to put their skates on.

"I can't believe you're making him skate Caroline." Matt said shaking his head. "You must really want to punish Klaus."

"I seem to recall having to do that with you."

"Yes but we were like seven or something, skating is way cooler when you're that young. I can understand his apprehension."

"Maybe but how about Stefan? He only started coming skating when we were 17, what's his excuse?"

"Please don't ask me to examine Stefan's psyche." He chuckled bending down and lacing up his skates. "I always thought he was more like a girlfriend than a guy friend to you, if you know what I mean."

"I know but don't ever tell him that. I think he's dealing with enough after Tessa broke up with him just before Christmas."

"Poor guy." Matt agreed. "Well out of the three of us you're definitively winning in the love stakes." Caroline blushed involuntarily.

"Oh don't get too excited." She said self-consciously. When she decided to do the whole fake boyfriend thing she hadn't taken into consideration lying to the people she loved the most, including him.

"Why not? From what I could tell last night, not to mention that kiss under the mistletoe, it looks very promising. I mean Klaus didn't even flinch when I threatened to kill him twice if he hurt you."

"You shouldn't have done that Matt." She mumbled busying herself with her skates.

"I wouldn't be doing my cousin duty if I didn't." He laughed pulling her up. "I like him Care."

"I'm glad." She said as they walked out onto the ice.

"I have to say in all the years, I've never seen you as happy as you are with Klaus."

"Really?"

"Yes really. " He confirmed. "Even with that douche Tyler, I'm glad to see you so content, you deserve it after him."

"Enough about me." She said feeling really uncomfortable talking about him with Matt when it wasn't real. "How about you cuz, why is your love life so bad?"

"Try being stuck in the Middle East on an army base filled with men." He joked holding onto her for balance as they circled the rink.

"Well that doesn't sound too bad to me."

"I'll bet it doesn't."

"Now that you're back, you can make up for lost time. Are you going to be based in Chicago now?"

"In Virginia actually, funnily enough on an army base with all men again."

"I'll have to definitely come and visit then."

"I'm sure Klaus would like that." He said curiously looking at her closely.

"It was a joke you know ha ha."

"Your jokes have never been that good." He said earning a whack from her and almost falling on the ice. "So when are you guys going back to NYC?"

"Ah tomorrow. We have dinner tonight with some of his work colleagues before then."

"That should be fun."

"Probably not a word I would have used." She said her anxiety returning.

"I suppose there is no nanna, so that makes sense." He laughed. "Hey look who decided to join us." She looked across the rink as Klaus and Stefan skated over. Well Stefan did but Klaus was shuffling. He looked so awkward and she suddenly felt bad for making him do it.

"Your boyfriend here is a bit of an amateur take it easy on him." Stefan laughed. "Come on Matt let's go see if we can find any girls that aren't underage."

"Are you happy now?" He growled. "I look like an idiot Caroline." He said holding onto the side for dear life.

"Only a little but no one knows you in Chicago." She said trying to comfort him. "I'm pretty impressed you managed to skate over here."

"I might have done this a few times when I was growing up, but Rebekah was always the ice skating champion of the Mikaelson family."

"Really?"

"Yes Rebekah makes it her main aim in life to be the absolute best at everything she does."

"Sounds pretty intense."

"You have no idea." He said shaking his head. "So how's Matt doing?"

"He's good actually. It's great to see him after so long. Although I have to admit I feel a little bad lying to him about, well you know."

"Yeah I know. Oh well not much longer to go now, once you get through dinner we can stop all the pretending."

"Yes that's a relief." She mumbled already thinking she would miss him. "So we probably need to do a little studying up for tonight I suppose."

"I'm sure you'll be fine Caroline."

"Even so I like to be across everything, don't want any loose ends or surpises."

"Well I guess I should give you points for dedication to the cause." He chuckled. "Maybe we could uh go somewhere else." He said looking unstable on his skates.

"I shouldn't be surprised given males have no idea how to multi-task." She quipped earning a dirty look from Klaus.

"Yeah yeah." He said not looking where he was going before completely losing his balance, Caroline automatically leaned across to break his fall before she ended up in a heap with him. They looked at each other and began to laugh, falling into fits of giggles.

"Ow." He cried after his laughter subsided. "Seriously what is it with you and ice love?"

"Hey that little act of clumsiness was not my fault." She said attempting to get back up again but secretly happy to be so close to him again. If she leaned in just a little further their noses would be grazing. She could smell his aftershave and was struggling to contain her burgeoning feelings.

"Fine we're even." He conceded. "Now can we please get off this cold ice?"

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Happy now?" She asked as they sat on the couch in front of the open fire with mugs of steaming hot chocolate in their hands.

"Much warmer, although I think I'm definitely going to be bruised after that fall."

"I probably will be too, no thanks to you clumsy."

"Hey at least I tried." He baulked making her face soften.

"Yes you did." She agreed. "And the fact that you skated means a lot to me."

"It's so quiet around here; I'm not used to it." He said looking around her living room.

"Nanna is sleeping off her post-Christmas lunch hangover and mum is sleeping off nanna."

"She's certainly a handful, but I have to say it wouldn't be the same without her or your mum, even when she's stressed and ordering us to chop down Christmas trees." He added warmly.

"You're right about that. Listen to you crushing on my family." She teased watching him blush briefly. "I must say you've turned out to be one big surprise package Klaus."

"How so?" He asked reclining back on the couch with interest.

"Well you took on the role of my fake boyfriend, even though I was a complete stranger, then you charmed my whole family, broke up my two timing ex-boyfriend and cousin, which was an added bonus. Then you helped me make a snowman this morning and ice skated, even though I know you didn't like doing it."

"Yes I am pretty wonderful." He boasted making Caroline shake her head. "I have to say it's been surprisingly fun doing all those things, especially being with your family, well with the exception of Hayley and Tyler. And now you're returning the favour tonight."

"Speaking of tonight, what exactly do I need to know?"

"The dinner is with the eleven board members, their partners and families. But the man we are most trying to impress is my outgoing Chief Executive, Mr Benjamin Taylor."

"What's his background?"

"He has an art history and law background just like me, which I guess is promising."

"So I'm assuming he has a wife and kids given you said he was passionate about family values?"

"Yes his lovely wife Jennifer Rose."

"Jennifer Rose Taylor, as in the former fashion model?" She asked the surprise in her voice evident.

"The one and only."

"No way." She cried excitedly thinking they had a lot in common. "She's been featured in Vogue numerous times over the years, not only that she has worked as a fashion photographer after retiring from modelling. My friend is a big fan of her work." Caroline thought about Bonnie making her smile.

"Yeah I think I recall something vaguely about that."

"Okay if you want to impress this guy, the key to him is his family, including his wife." She said rolling her eyes for added effect. "So do they have kids?"

"I think I remember hearing something about three little rug rats."

"Names, ages?"

"Wow you're thorough. I don't know."

"Come on Klaus you want this guy's job, the least you could do is remember three names."

"Okay." Klaus said his eyes closed obviously concentrating hard. "He has two sons and a daughter, I think it might be something like Jackson, George and uh Lilly. Their ages are between seven and twelve?" He opened his eyes again to see her consulting her phone studiously.

"How about two daughters and a son?" She shot back consulting the screen. "James, Georgia and Lucy are aged between three and eight actually; Google is a very useful thing. Now tell me you've at least brought them presents?"

"Well with all the commotion I kind of forgot." He mumbled pathetically his gaze downward.

"Okay no offence but you are officially bad at sucking up to the boss."

"Tell me what you really think; I'm not really into the whole family thing." He scoffed. "Anyway shouldn't my work be enough?"

"Says the guy who's bringing a fake girlfriend to dinner. Look yes, it should be but unfortunately that's not enough." Caroline said. "You need to show that you have another side, you know something kind and generous."

"Well there's the problem right there."

"Okay I'll admit when I first met you I thought you were just an arrogant womaniser."

"And now." He asked raising his left eyebrow.

"Oh you're still arrogant and a probably a womaniser but you do have a heart even if it is well buried." She teased.

"That's not very Christmassy of you Caroline."

"Oh fine, you do have some redeeming features I suppose." She drawled. "That drawing you did was very extremely thoughtful, even though it was act."

"You think?"

"I do think." She mumbled feeling the heat spreading across her cheeks, annoyed that he had this effect on her. She coughed nervously before adding. "Okay I'm pretty sure we will have something here we could re-gift tonight. My mum always buys too much just in case, she's that organised."

"That's hardly surprising. Although I'm not sure re-gifting would be considered making a good impression Caroline."

"Yes well if you'd remembered then we wouldn't have to do this, they'll never know."

"Just don't think about giving away your present to me." He said almost shyly. "I'm definitely keeping that one."

"Oh, you know it was nothing, just a few words on paper." She stuttered not expecting that comment from him. They hadn't spoken about it since their kiss and she wasn't game to talk about that either.

"Well those few words on paper were beautiful, you're very talented Caroline."

"What did you say to me when we were driving, you write a few words on paper and call yourself a writer?"

"Yes well I may have misjudged you, slightly."

"And I may have done the same thing, who knew there was a real artist buried underneath all that bluster?"

"You sound surprised."

"Yeah well that is an understatement not that I'm complaining at all." Caroline admitted locking gazes with him. She could feel herself being sucked into his orbit and knew if she entertained this she would get completely lost.

"Well I am pretty amazing."

"Okay enough with the ego; we have a lot of work to do if we're going to impress your boss." She drawled. "I am going to be the best fake girlfriend you've ever seen."

"Well seeing as I've never had one of those before then I think you'll do great."

"It's the least I can do, now let's get to work." She said her mind racing. Having something to focus on was what she needed right now, then she didn't need to address the feelings she was having for the guy she'd only just met.