AN: Hey everyone, I'm back! School's finally over, I finally graduated high school, and summer is here! Which means more time to write! Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
~O~
A month had now passed since the club incident and everyone seemed to be moving on with their lives. Caroline and Rose worked almost every day at the bar, with Rose taking the occasional days off to hang out with Damon, who had extended his stay for the red-head much to Caroline's displeasure. Whenever they had time, Caroline would make plans with Stefan and they would spend time watching movies at each other's houses or going out for dinner, the topics of Klaus and Elena being avoided by both. Caroline awoke to the sound of her phone ringing on her nightstand. She groaned, rolling over and grabbing it to see Rose calling. She accepted the call and put the phone up to her ear.
"Hello?"
"Do you hate me?" the redhead said into the phone. Caroline sighed and sat up on her bed.
"No, Rose. I don't. Despite the fact that you ditched our lunch plans yesterday to go hang out with that narcissistic asshole," she muttered into the phone. Her and Rose had plans the day before to go out to eat lunch and then do some shopping, but Rose had called Caroline when she was already on her way to the restaurant to tell her she had to reschedule because Damon had invited her somewhere last minute. Caroline had been pissed off to say the least, but she couldn't be too angry at her friend. She too had fallen prey to Damon Salvatore's pretty words and good looks.
"He's really not that bad! He was a total gentleman and he's also great in bed, I mean don't even get me started on-," Rose began to ramble on the phone but Caroline was quick to put a stop to it.
"Do NOT start talking about having sex with Damon. Please, for my sake," the blonde pleaded. She heard Rose let out an embarrassed laugh on the other end and sighed.
"I'm sorry, Caroline. Wanna do lunch today?" Rose asked.
"Can't. I made plans with the other Salvatore," Caroline answered, as got out of bed. Rose huffed on the other line, "Fine. But tomorrow, we're hanging out! Yes?" Rose said.
"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow Rose. Remember safe sex is great sex!" Caroline laughed. Rose let out a laugh in return before saying goodbye as well. The girls hung up, and Caroline put her phone down before heading into the bathroom to get ready.
~O~
Klaus walked into Mikaelson & Sons, not bothering to spare anyone a second glance. Mikael had left on a business trip the day before, so he took his chance to get his things out of his office. He saw the receptionist nod at him shyly before turning back to the computer. He pressed the button for the elevator, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for it to reach the lobby. As his patience started wearing thin, the elevator reached his floor with a ding and the steel doors parted to reveal a familiar face.
"Niklaus," Elijah stated, his eyes widening at the sight of his brother who he hadn't seen or heard from since the incident with their father.
"Hello Elijah," Klaus murmured as he moved to enter the elevator, but was stopped as his brother extended his arm out to the side, preventing him from entering.
"Where have you been? Rebekah and I have been worried about you," Elijah answered. Klaus scoffed, raising his eyebrows at his brother.
"I'm hardly a child, Elijah. You and Rebekah don't have to worry about checking up on me. And besides, I was with Kol two nights ago; I assumed he would've mentioned that to you." It was the elder Mikaelson brother's turn to raise his eyebrows at Klaus, an "this-is-kol-we're-talking-about" look on his face, which caused Klaus to let out a small chuckle. Elijah chuckled as well, before silencing and placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.
"Niklaus, what are you going to do?" He questioned.
"Fath-Mikael has fired me, so I'm here to collect my belongings," Klaus muttered as he answered his brother.
"What are you going to do after? You know he won't give you a cent of your inheritance..maybe mother-"
"Don't mention her," Klaus seethed, "and besides she'll be too scared of Mikael to try and help me. I'll figure something out." With that, he gave his brother a curt nod and pushed past him to head inside the elevator. Elijah gave him a curt nod in response and a small wave before leaving. Klaus pressed the elevator key to his floor, sighing as the elevator doors closed.
~O~
"Yes, Mrs. Robinson. Of course, yes. I'll be sure to let Klaus know. Thank you so much. Have a good day," Stefan responded, ending the call with their client and placing his phone in his pocket. He stood up quickly, opening the door to his office and making his way to Klaus's office. He knew that the call he'd just gotten from Mrs. Robinson would make Klaus extremely happy, not to mention give him something to gloat about. As Stefan continued replaying the conversation he'd just had with their client, his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar accented, female voice.
"Kol, you're insufferable!" came Rebekah's muffled yell from Kol's office. The door flew open, with Rebekah walking out, her face furious. But even with her angry demeanor, she still managed to look like the epitome of elegance. Her blonde hair was up in a perfect bun, and she was dressed in a pastel pink blouse, accompanied with a cream colored blazer and black jeans, along with cream colored heels.
"Oh come on Bekah! I was joking!" Kol exclaimed, as he popped his head out of the office.
"Piss off!" She yelled back, turning to look at her brother and giving him and angry stare, before turning to face forward once more and coming face to face with Stefan.
"We meet again," Stefan smiled at the blonde, who look embarrassed at the fact that he had just witnessed her in such a state.
"So we do, Salvatore," she answered, giving him a smirk.
"So, what did Kol do this time?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest and looking over at Kol, who had rolled his eyes at his sister and was closing the door to his office.
"Just being an annoying little brother," Rebekah sighed with a roll of her eyes.
"I don't know how you all put up with him for so long," Stefan replied. Rebekah let out a small laugh and shook her head, pressing a hand to her chest.
"You know, neither do I! I know I don't have much patience for him, so it really is mostly Nik and Elijah's doing," she answered. They both shared a laugh before turning serious once more.
"So, I saw what happened the day of the ball," Rebekah stated softly, as she followed Stefan, who had motioned for her to follow him as he made his way to Klaus's office.
"Yeah, wasn't exactly my best moment…," Stefan sighed, as he looked down at the floor.
"No, I actually think it was. You stood up for yourself and told her off. I think you did great," Rebekah answered. Stefan looked up at her and was met with a warm smile.
"Thanks," he smiled back at her. She nodded.
"I mean you could've done it without the alcohol but…," she began, and Stefan let out a hearty chuckle.
"Yeah, 4 glasses of whiskey…never again!" he answered as Rebekah laughed. In the few minutes they'd spent together, Stefan came to realize how much he enjoyed her company. He felt so at ease with her, it was comfortable. Not to mention he liked hearing her laugh; it was cute.
"I was thinking do you-"
"Am I interrupting something?" came a familiar voice.
They both turned to see Klaus standing next to them, his eyebrows raised at them.
"Klaus!"
"Nik!"
"What are you doing here?" both Stefan and Rebekah asked.
"What are you two, Siamese twins or something? Last time I checked this was my office so…," Klaus answered. Rebekah looked at both of them before turning to Stefan.
"Don't be a stranger, Salvatore," she said, as she began to walk away.
"Rebekah, wait I-," but Rebekah was already engaged in conversation with one of the women that worked at the firm and Klaus was pulling him into his office.
"Trying to ask my little sister out on a date, mate?" Klaus smirked, as he bent down in front of his bookshelf, and opened the small doors it had at the bottom, retrieving a small cardboard box.
"No I was just asking her if she wanted to get some coffee sometime," Stefan answered embarrassed, as he sat down on the chair in front of Klaus's desk.
"That's a date, Stefan," Klaus chuckled as he began putting some of his belongings inside the box. Stefan looked up and noticed this, which quickly reminded him of why he'd come to Klaus's office in the first place.
"Guess who I got a call from?" Stefan asked as he leaned forward.
"I'm not one for games, just tell me who it was," Klaus answered, as she continued retrieving his belongings.
"Mrs. Robinson," Stefan answered.
"And what did she want? Did she call and say she wanted another lawyer and that she'd send me a thank you gift or something?" Klaus muttered.
"Nope, she says she doesn't want any other lawyer than Klaus Mikaelson. Of course, she wants me on the case too. But she specifically said she wants you as her head lawyer," Stefan replied, a smile growing on his lips as he saw Klaus's surprised expression.
"She does know I'm no longer working for the firm right?" he questioned, and Stefan nodded.
"I explained that to her, but she says she doesn't care. She said she'd even donate some money so that you would be able to build your own firm and I told her we'd think about it," Stefan answered. Klaus quickly sat down on his leather chair and moved closer to the desk.
"No, the idea of her donating money is pathetic," Klaus shook his head, "but having my own firm…that's a brilliant idea."
"I agree. You are one of the best lawyers in New York, of course I come in close second," Stefan joked, which earned an eye roll from his friend.
"We could look for a space nearby, I'll get my assistant on it," Klaus answered, taking mental notes of what he had to do in order for this to happen.
"Then I'll go make a call to Mrs. Robinson and tell her the good news," Stefan stated, as he got up from the chair and headed out of Klaus's office. As soon as he stepped outside, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out to read a text message from Caroline.
I'm waiting downstairs, Stefan! DON'T MAKE ME WAIT!
He chuckled at Caroline's bossy attitude and wrote a reply.
Making an important call, but I'll be down in a few. Will that be alright for her Highness?
A few seconds later, he got a reply.
It does please the Queen. But hurry, good sir or you'll be beheaded!
Stefan chuckled and put the phone back in his pocket as he headed off to his office. Once he reached the door, he heard Rebekah's voice call him.
"Stefan!"
He turned to see the blonde making his way to him, and he greeted her with a smile.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I've been gone from New York for a while…so I don't really know what the hot spots are anymore. Would you mind taking me out on the town and showing me?" She asked, smiling up at him. Stefan parted his lips to speak but he stayed quiet. After meeting Rebekah at the ball, she'd intrigued him, and here she was giving him a chance to get to know her better...but he had already made plans with Caroline. Then again, Caroline was his best friend and she would be happy that he was getting to know a girl wouldn't she?
"You-You don't have to, I was just wondering," Rebekah began, giving a shy smile and shaking her head, feeling silly for bringing up the offer.
"No, I'd love to. Just give me a few minutes to make a call and we'll go," Stefan answered. Immediately, Rebekah looked up, a grin on her rosy lips.
"Okay," she smiled. Stefan smiled back before heading into his office. He sat down at his chair and dialed Mrs. Robinson's number. After a good 15 minute call with her, he hung up, right in time to see his phone buzzing. He looked at it and saw a text from Caroline.
Stefan so help me god, if you are not ready I will go Henry VIII on your ass! We have reservations in like 20 minutes!
Stefan pressed his lips together as his fingers hovered over the text.
About today…
~O~
Caroline huffed in her seat, repeatedly looking over at the clock to see what time it was. She'd been waiting for Stefan for the past 15 minutes and was getting frustrated. They had reservations in 20 minutes and he still wasn't down yet! At that moment, she felt her phone buzz and looked down to see Stefan's reply.
About today…I can't. I met this girl, Care. And I wanna get to know her…I'm really sorry. Mind if we reschedule?
Caroline closed her eyes and sighed. She was a bit pissed that Stefan had ditched her for some girl, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel happy for him. This was the first time she'd seen him interested in a girl that wasn't Elena, and she wasn't about to stop that from happening. Stefan deserved happiness, even if it meant ditching his best friend and reservations at a restaurant that had taken a good hour of her talking to the manager for them to get in.
"Caroline?"
Her eyes snapped open at the sound of that familiar, husky voice to see Klaus standing in front of her with a confused expression on his face and a cardboard box in his hands.
"Hi," she answered softly.
"W-What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I had plans with Stefan...but he just texted me to reschedule our plans," she sighed, waving her phone at Klaus before putting it down on her lap.
"Ah, yes. Did it perhaps have something to do with another girl?" Klaus asked, to which Caroline nodded.
"Yeah, it seems our Stefan is quite taken with my little sister," Klaus smirked. A small smile appeared on Caroline's lips and she nodded.
"He deserves it. Let's just hope your sister is good to him or if not I'll have to kick her ass!" Caroline joked, as she grabbed her purse and stood up. Klaus chuckled at the blonde's answer and shrugged, "I have no problem with that sweetheart." Both shared a laugh before Caroline's expression turned somber, and she pressed her lips together, looking down at her feet.
"Klaus, about that night at the club..," she began.
"No, it's fine Caroline," he answered.
"No, it's not. You apologized and you were honest…and I just left you standing there without saying anything. I'm sorry," she apologized, looking up to meet his gaze. He smiled at her and shook his head.
"Sweetheart, you have nothing to apologize about. The things I said to you were out of hand, and I didn't mean them. I was hurt. And you deserve and explanation," he replied.
"Okay," she nodded, motioning for him to continue. He parted his gaze from hers to look back at the receptionist before looking back at Caroline. "Not here. Care to join me for coffee?" he questioned.
"Sure. I mean, Stefan and I had reservations at some restaurant but whatever, there'll be others," she smiled.
"Follow me then," Klaus smiled as they exited the building and he walked up to the valet, asking him to notify Dean to bring the town car around. A few minutes later, the town car was in front. As Caroline moved to open the door to the vehicle, Klaus's hand put his hand in front of her to stop her.
"What? I'm just getting in the car," she stated, confused.
"I'm just putting the box in the car, sweetheart. We're walking," he answered. Dean opened the passenger's door, helping Klaus put the box on the seat.
"Just take it to my place, Dean. And have the receptionist hold it for me till I get home."
"Will do, boss." Klaus closed the door and then turned to Caroline, "Shall we?" he asked, as he extended his arm out to her. She laughed and nodded, intertwining her arm with his, reveling in the warmth radiating from his body. They began their walk to the nearest coffee shop with some small talk here and there. Caroline talked about how her job had been going lately, and the whole Damon/Rose situation while Klaus listened intently. He enjoyed the way her eyes light up when she was talking about something she liked, or when her eyebrows furrowed when she was talking about something that displeased her (like the Damon/Rose situation). Not to mention, she looked beautiful. She was wearing a strapless yellow sundress with a sweetheart neckline, which showed off her beautiful, long legs and she had accompanied it with a white cardigan. She looked almost angelic, he thought, with her golden curls that fell down her shoulders forming a golden halo around her.
After a few minutes of walking, they reached the coffee shop and stepped inside. Klaus asked her what she wanted, and then told her to get a seat for them, to which Caroline argued back saying that she could pay for her drink but Klaus didn't budge. She huffed and walked over to the small table right by the window, sitting down and waiting for Klaus. He appeared soon after with their orders.
"One salted caramel mocha for the lady and some coffee for me," he stated, placing her drink down in front of her and taking a seat in the chair across from her. Caroline grabbed her cup and took a sip of her mocha before setting it down.
"Okay, shoot," she stated. Klaus who had also been taking a sip of his coffee nodded, placing his drink down. He sighed, resting his arms on the table and pressing his hands together.
"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to," Caroline said.
"No, it's fine," Klaus answered, "what happened was that after I dropped you and Stefan off I went back to the ball. Once I got there, Rebekah told me our parents were arguing and to go check on what was going on because she'd never heard them arguing so bad. So, I did."
"As it turns out, they were arguing about me. When I went in to see what was happening, my fath-Mikael punched me in the face and then he finally told me what the problem was. I was the product of an affair my mother had when he was away on a trip," Klaus answered, as he looked down at hands, his jaw clenched tightly.
"Oh my god," Caroline gasped, "Klaus, I'm so sorry." She placed her hands over his and gave them a comforting squeeze. He looked up and met the sad gaze in her cerulean eyes. What she felt wasn't pity though, she just felt bad for him. For his dad to be so horrible to him after finding out the truth about his parentage was terrible, and nobody deserved that. His lips formed a thin line and he nodded.
"He fired me and I got angry at him and threatened to hurt him...But I couldn't. I stormed out of the house and went back to my place and just drank and drank until you came looking for me the next day," he answered, as he looked at her with an apologetic gaze.
"And you lashed out on me because of that. Oh my god, Klaus I'm honestly so sorry. You don't deserve for your father to have treated you that way," Caroline replied
Klaus scoffed, "I never did like the bastard anyways, so I guess it makes sense. But that happening was no excuse for the way I treated you that way, Caroline. I was cruel." Caroline pressed her lips together and shrugged.
"It's okay-,"
"No, it's not. And though I've already apologized, I want to make it up to you. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight, and then I can continue our conversation from that night at the ball?" he questioned, raising his eyebrows at her. A small smile appeared on her lips, and she bit down on her bottom lip as she pondered his offer. He had apologized and was trying to make it up to her even more, which definitely gave him some brownie points. So why not?
"Sure. Pick me up at 8? But don't even think of getting me anything such as jewelry ok?" She asked, giving him a pointed look.
"I wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart," he laughed, and she smiled back at him. It was then Klaus looked down at Caroline's hands, which were still placed atop of his, her thumb caressing soothing circles on his hand. Caroline followed his gaze and her eyes widening, immediately moving her hands away.
"Sorry," she muttered, taking a sip of her drink.
"It's okay love, I didn't mind," he smirked, as he watched a blush creep up to her cheeks. A few minutes of silence passed before Caroline spoke up again.
"So what are you going to do now that you don't have a job?" she questioned.
"Stefan and I were actually talking about that today. We're planning on starting a firm," he began and continued telling Caroline about what he and Stefan had talked about, plus some of what he'd thought of. They spent the next few hours talking about that and some of how they both met Stefan. Once they had both finished their drinks, Caroline looked at her phone to check the time.
"Want to run away already, love?" he joked as he watched her check her phone.
"If you don't mind dropping me off…, I just want to be able to have enough time to get ready," she replied, with an embarrassed smile.
"It's no problem at all," he answered, quickly calling Dean and telling him to come and pick them up. Several minutes later, the towncar was in front of the coffee shop waiting for them. Klaus opened the door for Caroline and she slid in, followed by him. She gave Dean her address and they began their drive there.
"You don't mind not having your own car?" Caroline questioned as she looked around the car.
"I've been brought up with limousines and towncars all my life, and I never really learned how to drive so no," he answered. Caroline snapped her head towards him, her lips parted in shock.
"What?! You don't know how to drive?!" she exclaimed. He chuckled in response and shook his head.
"That's crazy! You need someone to teach you how to drive!" she exclaimed.
"Would you like to be my teacher, Mrs. Forbes?" he said huskily, smirking at the blonde. She rolled her eyes at him but shrugged.
"If you can find me a car and an open road I'll be more than happy to do so," she grinned. Klaus nodded, "I'll take you up on that offer."
Within 10 minutes, they were in front of Caroline's apartment building. She thanked the driver and opened the door, turning to Klaus.
"Thank you for today, and thank you for being honest with me," she smiled softly. Klaus nodded in response.
"See you tonight," she said, as she slipped out of the car, closing the door and making her way inside the apartment building.
"See you tonight, Caroline," he mumbled as he watched her disappear behind the closed doors.
~O~
AN: So yay, they made up and now they're going to dinner! And Stefan and Rebekah, do you guys like it? Let me know and please review! :)
Oh, and Caroline's outfit is from the Christmas episode from this season! :)