A/N: Hello everyone! Hope you had a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. Thank you so so much for everyone who followed, fav'd and especially reviewed- you have no idea how much it means to me. And sorry for my slow updates, but thanks for bearing with me. Had writer's block for a while but then the news of The Originals spinoff series got me all fired up. KLAROLINE MUST HAPPEN!

Warning: this might get a little angsty... blame hiatus.

See you at the bottom. Hope you enjoy :D

CHAPTER THREE

A knock on the door broke away the thoughts of a certain Mikaelson who had captivated her mind all night and morning.

"May I come in?" a voice called out. Caroline was curled up under her sheets in her bed when she muffled out a reply. She couldn't care less that she was still in her nightgown and it was past noon. She heard her bedroom door creak open. She sighed lifting herself up and sat up on the bed. A golden head popped out of the entrance and shot her a wicked grin. Caroline gasped.

"Matt!" she cried and tossed her blanket aside. She hopped off her bed to greet her older brother with a hug.

"It's good to see you too Caroline," Matt replied humorously.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon!"

"Well I had to come and see you all for Christmas," he said with a shrug. It was the middle of December, a week before Christmas. Matt made his way over to her bed and sat down. Caroline followed still not being able to believe that her big brother was finally here. His hair was shorter than before and he had gotten a tan, probably from volunteering in Africa.

"Mother would have dragged you home herself if you hadn't," she joked. "So how have you been?"

"Quite well," he replied. He told her of some of the projects that he had been working on and of his good friends he was able to meet over there. "What about you? Seems father is keen on finding you a husband." Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Don't remind me. It's not like you're married and you're older than me."

"He's only so persistent because he cares."

"I know," she sighed.

"So is this the reason you're lounging in your sleepwear in the middle of the afternoon?" he asked. Caroline looked away.

"No." Matt tilted his head in confusion and encouraged her to continue. She told him everything. About the ball, the first time she met Lord Niklaus, how sweet he was with her but then surprising her by how cold he could also be.

"He sounds like a downright ninny the way he's been treating you," he bitterly replied. Caroline chortled at her brother's choice of words. He only spoke profanity when he was very bothered. "But since you somewhat have feelings for him…" Caroline opened her mouth to protest but he continued. "Next time you see him, why don't you ask him why he's treating you this way? Knowing is better than wondering, right?" She nodded. Matt did make a lot of sense. How else was she ever going to get to the bottom of it? "Chin up little sister," he said standing up and making his way to the door. "Things have a way of working out in the end."

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When the sun had set, Bonnie entered her chambers with the dress that her mother had bought for her to wear that night. It was the evening of the dinner party at the Petrova's to celebrate Lady Tatia and Lady Katherine's birthday. Bonnie helped her get dressed into the yellow gown embroidered with golden sequences then began to attend to her hair, folding the strands into short blonde curls. After she had gotten ready, she made her way outside and into a car. Her family had arranged to make their way in two vehicles. Caroline would be picking up Lady Annabelle on the way while her older brother would be joining their parents.

It only took a few minutes before she arrived at Anna's estate.

"Good evening Caroline." Anna made her way towards the car where the butler was waiting with the door already open for her. Caroline smiled at the lady in the dark purple dress who hoisted the hem to step inside. The butler offered Anna a hand, which she gladly took.

"Thank you John," she said fondly.

"M'lady," the man nodded.

"Oh, and could you please inform mama that there is no need to send over a car for me at the Petrova's? Lady Caroline has kindly offered a ride home," she said giving Caroline a smile appreciatively.

"Of course," he replied curtly with a bow. He closed the door before the car began to drive out away from the estate.

"Hello Jeremy," Anna said softly. The chauffeur looked up at the mirror to see the lady sitting at the back seat and greeted her back.

"I see you've met my uncle," he conversed. The two ladies looked at each other in confusion.

"John Gilbert. Your butler," Jeremy explained. "I hadn't seen him in a long time."

"He is?" Anna asked. "I had no idea."

"What a small world," Caroline agreed. It was quite the drive to the Petrova's, long enough for Caroline to start mention her parents' crazy idea of setting her up with a potential suitor at the party. Anna let out a hearty laugh.

"Oh Caroline," she smiled. "It's not that bad. You don't have to marry the man."

"Heavens no."

"Besides, he might not be as bad as you make him out to be," Anna suggested but Caroline shrugged still unconvinced. "Or are you disinclined because he is not Lord Niklaus?" she teased. Caroline narrowed her eyes at her friend who only laughed at her reaction.

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The Petrova mansion was almost as large as the Mikaelsons' manor. The staff busily attended to the perpetual arrival of guests who were clothed in the finest garments of New York. Caroline entered the large foyer with Lady Annabelle and before long, they had run into Lady Rebekah.

"Oh thank goodness I found you two," Rebekah huffed. She was wearing a navy dress with laced sleeves and her white-gloved hands were resting on her hips.

"What's the matter?" Caroline asked.

"That little vixen is using all her evil voodoo powers and trying to seduce my brother, again!" she hissed and pointed behind her. They turned their heads to see Lady Katherine batting her eyelashes at Kol who was laughing at something she had said.

"I'm sure Kol can see right through her," Caroline tried to soothe her friend. "He's probably just wishing her happy birthday."

"Bet that's not all she wishes from him," she heard Anna mutter under her breath. Before she could reply, she heard a voice call out her name. She spun around to see Matt making his way towards them.

"Evening ladies," Matt said. "Pardon my intrusion but would I be able to steal Caroline for a moment?" The two ladies nodded as they saw Matt lead her away.

"Who's that?" Rebekah eyed curiously.

"I don't know," Anna replied. "I suppose that could be her older brother. He's supposed to be present tonight."

"Caroline never mentioned a brother before," she said, her eyes still glued to the golden-haired boy.

"He was overseas but came home for Christmas," Anna explained.

"Right…"

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"So what is this about?" Caroline asked Matt as he led them away from her friends.

"You're not going to like this…" They walked into the drawing room where she saw her parents conversing with two other people and a young man standing closely behind them.

"Ah, Caroline!" her father called out. She felt her stomach lurch knowing what would happen next. "Here are some people I would like you to meet." She politely smiled as her father continued. "This is the Earl of Lockwood and his wife, Carol. And this is their son, Viscount Tyler Lockwood."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," she said purposely avoiding eye contact with the younger Lockwood. Not because he wasn't handsome, indeed he was. His light, brown eyes were soft in comparison to his athletic build. Caroline just found this situation very unromantic and felt no attraction towards him. She also didn't want to give her parents the satisfaction.

"We've heard so much about you," the woman said in a thick, American accent.

"All good I hope," Caroline joked and made the Lady laugh profusely. Okay it wasn't that funny, she thought. She glanced at the Viscount who looked just about as pleased to be there as she did.

"Oh my dear, you have a wonderful sense of humour," Carol complimented. "Doesn't she Tyler?" He looked up breaking out of his haze.

"Uh right, yes. Of course," Tyler said hastily after receiving a glare from his mother.

"I took the liberty of seating you two together during dinner now that you are better acquainted," the Earl stated. Better acquainted? she thought. She had met the Viscount literally five minutes ago.

"That is, if it's okay with you dear," Carol appeased. Caroline looked over to her parents who gave her urging looks. She looked around desperately to find an escape route but instead, spotted Lord Niklaus walking into the room with Lady Tatia. His hands were clasped behind his back and he seemed to be rather engrossed in their conversation. She saw his head tilt up and unexpectedly lock eyes with her. Caroline immediately looked away, embarrassed being caught staring at him. If he was interested in Lady Tatia, then that was fine. It wasn't her problem and she would move on. She turned back to the Lockwoods and forced a smile.

"Absolutely."

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Klaus gritted his teeth and sawed his way through the meat on his plate whilst watching Caroline converse and laugh with a young man next to her on the other side of the dining table. He stabbed a piece of his meal and brought it up to his lips which were curled in disdain.

"Niklaus?" Klaus tore his eyes off of the magnificent beauty that was in front of him to look at the woman next to him. Yes Tatia was beautiful, hell, everyone in this town knew it. But he felt nothing for her. He saw his future wife-to-be eye him curiously. "Is anything the matter?" Lady Tatia continued. "You look… rather displeased." He snorted.

"You don't say," he said dryly.

"It wouldn't hurt to be nice you know," she sighed. "We are going to see an awful lot of each other." Klaus ignored the comment and returned his gaze on Caroline. Although Tatia had a point, he could not help how he felt- like he was drowning, suffocating in misery and gasping for air.

At one point throughout the dinner, Caroline's eyes fell on his and this time she did not look away. She held on to the contact with her head held high. He smirked. He put down his cutlery and put his hands together, fingers interlocked, placed in front of his chin. He saw her eyes widening at the bold move that made others stare. But the moment was soon interrupted when the boy next to her whispered something in her ear. Klaus clenched his jaw as he saw Caroline smile back.

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"He's jealous," Tyler observed. Caroline fought off the urge to smile.

"I cannot believe we are doing this," she said shaking her head. The viscount shrugged.

"This is harmless and we are simply having a conversation," he grinned. "Besides, I'm bored. I need some entertainment."

"Oh I'm glad my life can be some sort of entertainment for you." Caroline didn't exactly know how this had started but somehow they got talking, and bonded over their mutual aversion towards being set up for marriage. Who knew that they would end up becoming friends?

"Trust me," he added. "When a man looks at a woman like that?" He stood up offering her his hand. She accepted and stood from her chair so that she could join the ladies in the drawing room. "C'est l'amour," he joked.

"Nice doing business with you Viscount Lockwood," she laughed.

"At your service, Lady Caroline." He kissed her gloved hand and watched Caroline exit the dining room.

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Of course it was Caroline who got lost inside the estate. How she even managed to do that, the lord only knew. She sighed. She supposed she would find the right room eventually.

Caroline gasped when she felt a whisper behind her ear and immediately turned around to the deep, enthralling voice.

"Oh you're cruel, love."

"I beg your pardon?" she said after getting over the initial shock and found herself in front of none other than Lord Niklaus.

"I think you know," he said stepping closer and closing her into the corner of the room. He rested his right hand on the wall and leaned in.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Caroline fluttered her eyelids feeling uncomfortable by their sudden proximity. "Lord Niklaus, you're-"

"You don't think I know what you're trying to do?" he interrupted. "With that man in the seat next to you?"

"Oh you mean Tyler?" She saw Lord Niklaus raise an eyebrow. "We're on a first name basis," she continued reminding him of his contrasting behaviour the other day. At that moment, she swore she saw a flicker of hurt in his eyes but it went away so fast, she began to doubt herself. "Anyway," Caroline mumbled looking down. "It seems you have been rather busy entertaining Lady Tatia."

"I don't want to talk about her."

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Because I'd rather do this." Caroline gasped when she felt his hand on her waist. She had never been touched by a man before. She inhaled fast and shallow again when he took a firm grip and pulled her towards him. She felt his hot breath on her skin, his full lips brushing ever so slightly on her neck creating a tingling sensation that reached to the tip of her fingers and toes.

"Lord Niklaus!" she cried out but he carried on. She surprised herself when she let out a soft moan as she felt his tender lips move up along her neck. She had never felt so alive before, like every part of her was on fire. But she could not allow this to happen. "People will see," she panted. Really, Caroline? That's the first thing you say?

"No one's around," Klaus said hastily before he returned his attention back on showering her with kisses.

"This is still extremely inappropriate," she said rather unpersuasively. However this time, Lord Niklaus withdrew.

"Well that's the thing about me sweetheart," he said in a low voice and leaned into her face, his eyes boring into hers. "I'm no gentleman."

Hehehe, so what did you think? Please send me a review and make my day :D

xx