Sorry for taking so long with this folks. My inspiration bunny was hopping else where. Thank you so much for your patience and your favorites, follows and reviews.

XxX

"Ugh! How could you totally have dinner with Elijah?" Katherine complained the next day as they sat at a little hole in the wall restaurant that served breakfast burritos. Caroline had only managed to get Katherine to join her by swearing on her Valentino pumps that she would not add anything to her breakfast burrito that did not belong. Sour cream: yes. Peanut Butter: no. Caroline of course was regretting her promise as she looked over the menu as the bacon, egg, cheese and potato burrito smothered with pork green chili. Add some soy sauce and ranch dressing and it would be absolute heaven.

"Well you were busy having a showdown with Salvadick and I was hungry." Caroline said with a lady like sniff. And before Katherine could reply the waitress showed up and took their order. Once she was gone, Katherine resumed her whining.

"Yeah, but he was supposed to go to dinner with me. I had my sexiest underwear on last night and no one got to see it except you." Katherine had spent a weeks worth of tips on a spicy little bra and panty set from Agent Provocateur and Elijah was the first man she had deemed worthy to see it on her since she bought it. And to have it wasted on Caroline was rather depressing.

"Yeah, about that, I really wish you would stop walking around my apartment half naked. They invented robes for a reason, ya know." Caroline said with an exasperated huff as she played with the silverware on the table.

"You jealous of my smokin bod?" Katherine said with a saucy smile.

"No, just seeing you like that makes me want to throw you on the bed and have my way with you, cus' we're kinky like that." Caroline said with a wink.

Katherine blew her a kiss which Caroline caught and tucked it into her pocket, 'for later' she mouthed to her friend who laughed.

"So, what did you and Elijah talk about?" Katherine asked as she leaned back into her chair and crossed her legs, one of her hands playing idly with her curls.

Caroline gave a playful shrug of her shoulder.

"Oh, you know, just talking about you and him and his inability to put out."

"You did not." Katherine said with a roll of her eyes. The day Caroline was that bold was the day that Katherine would become a prude. Caroline laughed and nodded her head in acknowledgement at Katherine calling her out on her bluff. "What did you really talk about?"

"We just talked about Nik."

"Nik?" Katherine repeated with a frown.

Caroline just rolled her eyes and shrugged. "What? It's his brother. It isn't a big surprise that we would talk about him."

"You shouldn't be talking about him or to him at all, Caroline." Katherine said angrily.

"He is the father of my child Katherine!" Caroline snapped, her brows pulling together in anger causing Katherine to lean back, a look of shock crossing her face.

"I have to talk to him. I have to be involved with him. Like it or not he is going to be part of my life from now on."

Katherine opened her mouth to speak but Caroline cut her off before she could say anything.

"And, yes, I know he has done some real shitty things to me, but he has worked really hard to have a civil and friendly relationship with me. He has done what I have asked of him, despite the fact it goes against everything in him to do so. And, yes, I am still angry and sad and hurt and every other feeling on the planet when I think of Nik but I am not blind to what he has done so far. So you really need to chill Kat. My relationship with Nik is just that. Mine. So back the hell off!" Caroline exclaimed as she slapped her hands against the counter, drawing the eyes of the patrons of the restaurant.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" Katherine snapped at the people who were looking their way. All of them quickly looked away as Katherine focused her attention back on her best friend.

"Caroline, do you even realize how broken you were after what that mother fucker did to you? You were a god damn mess. He fucking obliterated your heart and it was me that helped you pick up the pieces. So, no I am not going to back the hell off because I don't ever want to see you that hurt again." Katherine said as she crossed her arms, daring her best friend to challenge her on that point.

Caroline took a deep breath to keep from lunging at Katherine's throat knowing that it was her hormones that were directing her actions. She wasn't sure where the control came from, all that mattered was that she had it.

"And I love you for that, but things are different now. Nik and I are having a child. We have to have a relationship of some kind in order to raise this baby. And Nik has worked so hard to get me to see that he has changed." Caroline said patiently, in hopes that Katherine would see but the moment Katherine started to speak she knew that her point had not been made.

"Changed for now but who is to say he won't fuck up again? He already has once, and there is a good chance he will again. So why give him the rope to hang himself with? Just cut your losses and go. Who cares if you are having a baby together. He gets her on Tuesdays and Thursdays and every other weekend. You don't need a relationship for that." Katherine said as she crossed her arms and lifted her brows at her statement. Caroline knew she was being purposely obtuse, knowing there was way more to raising a child then who would take care of them on what day.

"Kat, everyone deserves a chance at forgiveness."

Katherine opened her mouth to argue but Caroline cut her off with what would be considered a low blow, but Katherine had to be made to see more than just her blind hatred of Klaus.

"Just like Stefan is giving you that second chance."

And that simple sentence took all the wind out of Katherine's sails. Katherine knew she had fucked up royally with Stefan. She had hurt him badly and it ate at her, and for a while she chose to ignore it. But it was hard to ignore the guilt of destroying a relationship between brothers and shattering Stefan's heart at the same time. It honestly made her no better than Klaus.

It was probably why she hated Klaus as much as she did. She was projecting her anger and guilt on him instead of truly acknowledging her own actions and facing the emotional consequences.

Not to say she was already on the path, but Katherine had been rather severe in her continued hate of Klaus and her behavior towards Caroline whenever the subject of Klaus would come up was no better.

Caroline watched all the emotions flicker across Katherine's face as she thought over Caroline's words. Caroline had not wanted to pull the Stefan card, but after three weeks of Katherine's loud and explicit commentary on her relationship with Klaus, she had no other choice. It was starting to get on Caroline's nerves every time Katherine mentioned her disapproval of her relationship with Klaus and she was already under enough stress as it was with everything going on. She had to do something.

"You know I fucking hate it when you are right, don't you?" Katherine said after a long stretch of silence. Her dark eyes looking from the window where she had been looking sightlessly as she thought about what Caroline had said and were now resting on her best friend's face.

The corner of Caroline's mouth tilted up in a slight smirk.

"Yes, I know. Good thing it happens so rarely or I am pretty sure you wouldn't get within a city block of me."

Katherine smiled a bit at that before becoming serious once more.

"I still hate his guts."

Caroline nodded her head.

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

Katherine sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"I'll back off."

Caroline felt the stress she had been holding in her shoulders ease. Her eyes closing for a moment as she reveled in the fact that she was no longer going to have Katherine on her back anymore in regards to Klaus. That she would be able to interact with him as she saw fit without commentary from the peanut gallery.

"Thank you." Caroline opening her eyes and smiling at Katherine, showing her gratitude that Katherine was able to get over herself long enough to do what was right. Hell, Caroline was so filled with relief that she no longer had to fight Katherine about Klaus that she pulled her into a tight hug.

"Oh God! Pregnancy has made you such a damn sap." Katherine said as she rolled her eyes, but returned Caroline's hug." You are so lucky that I love you."

Caroline laughed and released Katherine giving her slight shake of her head.

"And don't tell anyone about this. I worked too hard for my reputation to be ruined now." Katherine said threateningly as she pointed a finger at Caroline.

Caroline held up in her hands in surrender. "And have to face the wrath of The Katherine Pierce. I would rather swim in a pool of sharks." Caroline said, trying to keep a straight face, but the laughter in her voice was making it hard because all she wanted to do was grin.

Katherine rolled her eyes, a smile on her face that dropped as she looked at Caroline once more.

"Just promise me that you will be careful. I never want to see you that hurt again." Katherine said in all seriousness.

Caroline took a deep breath and nodded her head.

"I promise."

"Good, because if he hurts you like that ever again I will drug his drink, roll him in rancid bacon fat and then toss him in the bear enclosure at the London Zoo." Katherine said with a dark look.

"I will be sure to tell Nik that." Caroline said with a roll of her eyes.

Katherine's eye twitched at that but she kept her mouth shut, just like she promised she would and Caroline couldn't help but smile.

Knock knock knock knock

"Come in! It's open!" Caroline yelled out as adjusted herself on the floor.

"You know sweetheart, you should really keep your door locked at - " Klaus said as he opened the door to Caroline's flat, bag of food in hand and then came to a halt at the view before him.

Klaus had been called up in the middle of the night for a food run for the first time in two weeks, since Katherine had shown up to be precise. Katherine's hatred of him was to the point that she wanted Caroline to wake her up to go on food runs for her, or with her since Klaus knew Katherine would kill anyone who tried to harm Caroline. But tonight was an exception as Katherine had yet to come back from her date with Elijah and Caroline didn't want to wait. However, when he had come over he hardly expected the view that greeted him.

Caroline was laid out on the floor, dressed in her sleep shorts and a tank top that had ridden up so that her pregnant belly was adorably peeking out, but it was what was under Caroline that gave him pause. It looked to be some kind of foot long and just as wide pipe that was was covered by a bright orange hard foam that was shaped with ridges and bumps.

Carolines feet were flat on the floor, knees bent while the orange pipe was under her back and she was slowly moving herself back and forth on it up and down the length of her back, with her golden curls pulled into a messy bun at the top of her head so as not to get her hair caught.

"Caroline, what is that thing and what are you doing on it?" Klaus said with an arch of his brow as his head tilted to the side as he watched her move back and forth across the orange contraption.

Caroline paused in her movement as she finally looked up at Klaus and her mouth fell open in shock.

Klaus was wearing some gray loose lounge sweat pants and a simple white v-neck t-shirt that displayed his necklaces and dear god was he actually in a pair of trainers?

"Are you sick?" Was the first thing that popped out of Caroline's mouth.

"What?" Klaus said as his brows drew together in confusion at her question, which had come straight out of left field.

Caroline struggled to get up to face him, which was proving a bit of challenge with the orange pipe still under her back and her huge belly. Klaus immediately closed the front door and set down the bag of food and went to help Caroline up. Kneeling down, Klaus slid a hand just under her back to sit her up and then with another hand on her hip helped her to stand, her arms curling around his neck as he basically lifted her up to her feet.

Caroline's breath hitched at the close contact between them, his warm callused hands touching her bare skin, his woodsy scent filling her senses and she felt herself flush with heat. Klaus pulled her against his body, his hands sliding across the naked skin of her stomach and back.

"Nik" Caroline murmured as her head dropped her head against his shoulder.

Klaus lifted his hand to caress her cheek, pressing a warm kiss against her temple.

"Sweetheart what is that contraption?" Klaus said nodding at the orange pipe looking thing that sat on her flat floor. His curiosity keeping him from taking advantage of the situation.

Caroline turned her head on his shoulder and laughed at his question.

"It is for my back. It hurts so much, this thing" Caroline gestured to the orange tube "is supposed to help."

"Sweetheart, I would have happily rubbed your back for you."

Caroline frowned at that.

"I don't like you."

Klaus shrugged his shoulders as his hands slid along her back and massaged the tense muscles, immediately drawing a soft moan from Caroline. His hands were so much better than the orange contraption on the floor.

"Come love." Klaus said as he led Caroline to her couch, sitting her down and settling behind her, his hands going along her back caressing the soft skin that was exposed to him before he started to massage her knotted muscles.

Caroline bit back a groan at the sheer pleasure at the touch of his hands, her head dropping forward as her chin rested on her chest, lost in sensation of his hands working along her body.

"Make sure to get my lower back." Caroline demanded, before sighing as he complied with her order and not at all put off at her bossiness, she was willingly allowing him to touch her.

"So are you sick or something." Caroline asked after a long silence between them, her voice soft and languid as a result of the miraculous hands of her ex-boyfriend.

"Why do you ask sweetheart?" Klaus said with an arched brow, not that she could see it, her chin still rested against her chest and her eyes closed.

"You are wearing comfy clothes." Caroline said, her mind unable to help from wandering to that night that she had invited him over for movies and Indian food. The night they had that insanely hot make out session on the very couch they were sitting on. And now all Caroline could think of was Klaus shirtless as he kissed the hell out of her and from Klaus' silence she knew he was lost in the same memory.

"Nik?"

"Hmmm?"

"Comfy clothes?" Caroline said with a smile in her voice at his loss of focus.

"Ah, yes. I was about to go on a run when you called, sweetheart." Klaus said as he renewed his attention to giving her a back massage drawing soft sighs and other delectable sounds from her and between that and the hot memories that had invaded his mind he found the need for adjusting himself in his sweats.

"I thought you wouldn't be caught outside of the gym in those." Caroline pushed, still managing to be upset that he would wear comfy clothes now and not when she had a date specifically planned to wear comfy clothes.

"Well it does happen to be 2am. Most of my adversaries are probably asleep right now, love."

"Likely excuse." Caroline grumbled, yet still too sated from the magic of his hands working against her sore muscles of her back to really put up much of a protest. "Isn't the middle of the night when you criminal masterminds execute your devious plans?"

"I have minion's for that." Klaus said with a smile. "They even pick up my criminal mastermind dry cleaning."

Caroline couldn't help but laugh at that, only to be interrupted by the growling of her stomach.

"I think our little love is hungry."

"More like starving." Caroline said as she unwillingly moved off of the couch and went straight for the bag of food that was sitting on the table near the front door. Caroline sighed with pleasure as she caught the scent of chili cheese fries.

Klaus watched her with a smirk as she walked into the kitchen and opened up the fridge and started to pull out different condiments, examining each one closely before deciding if it would make the cut to be added to her meal.

"I had dinner with your brother the other night." Caroline said said as she set a bottle of ranch dressing on the counter and went back to searching the fridge.

"You will have to be more specific sweetheart, as I have more than one brother." Klaus quipped.

"Elijah, smart ass."

"Well that explains why he looked so green when he came home the other night." Klaus jokingly said with a laugh.

"He did not! I only had soy sauce with me that night." Caroline scowled and was about to throw a mustard packet at him but changed her mind deciding that she needed it for her chili cheese fries.

"Sweetheart, just mixing the different food together can cause anyone to feel a little queasy." Klaus said seriously, as he himself has had to remove himself from her vicinity when she had gotten a little too creative with her food combinations.

"Not my fault you all have weak stomachs." Caroline said with a disdainful sniff as she closed the fridge and started to add mustard, ranch dressing and soy sauce to her chili cheese fries.

Klaus made a face at her condiment choices and turned away, unable to stomach the sight.

"Or pregnancy has made you mad."

Klaus winced as he felt something hit the back of his head. "Ow" Klaus said as he rubbed the back of his head and turned to see what had struck him and found a fork laying on the floor.

"It was only a matter of time before you went through with your threat." Klaus said ruefully, as he leaned down to pick up the fork off the floor and turned to look at Caroline who was eating her fries and glaring daggers at him.

"Although I should be grateful that you chose to hit me with the fork rather than stab me with it." Klaus said with a smirk.

"Ha ha." Caroline said as she continued to eat, still fuming about his mad comment.

"So, sweetheart, did you enjoy dinner with my overly dressed brother?" Klaus asked with genuine curiosity. Not to mention a twinge of jealousy at how easy it was for her to have dinner with Elijah and he had to practically coerce her into dinner with him.

Caroline waited until she was done chewing, swallowing her mouthful of fries before she spoke.

"Overdressed?" Caroline said with a quirk of her brow, a smile of amusement tugging at her lips.

"There is a time and a place for a suit. My brother however has quite the opposite opinion and believes that a suit is appropriate for every occasion." Klaus said ruefully, shaking his head at his brothers philosophy.

"Sounds like Barney Stinson." Caroline said with a laugh, finally giving into her amusement.

"Who?" Klaus said with an arch of his brow in puzzlement.

Caroline lifts her brows in shock. "Do you like never watch TV?"

"Criminal mastermind running an evil empire, remember?" Klaus said with a smirk.

Caroline rolled her eyes at that and ate another mouthful of fries.

"So what did you and my brother have to talk about? Probably that antagonizing friend of yours I imagine." Klaus said as he kicked off his shoes and lifted his feet onto the couch, his arm lifting to rest against the back of the couch.

"Yes, we talked about Kat, but we also talked about you." Caroline said carefully, her eyes focused completely on his face.

"Me?" Klaus said with a puzzled frown.

Abandoning her meal, Caroline came around the kitchen counter to sit on the coffee table, so that she was next to Klaus.

"He told me about Mikael." Caroline said quietly.

Klaus was off the couch like shot, a scowl etched across his face.

"Nik-" Caroline started, but was cut off as quickly as she spoke.

"No. Mikael is not up for discussion." Klaus seethed as he moved from one end of the room to the other. "Elijah had no right to say anything to you."

"He was just trying to help me understand why you act the way you do." Caroline said softly, her hands resting on her stomach as she watched Klaus pace back and forth like a wolf trapped in a cage.

"Again, not his place." Klaus growled out, already imagining his hands around Elijah's throat to throttle him for interfering in affairs that were not his own.

Caroline sighed and stood up from the table and walked over to Klaus, taking her hand in his as she pulled him to a stop before her. His angry gaze lifting to her face.

"He love's you Nik. He see's how hard you are working for my forgiveness and he saw an opportunity to help me understand you a little better in hopes that it will bring me that much closer to forgiving you." Caroline said as she squeezed his hand.

Klaus' anger seemed to ebb at that and he returned the squeeze of her hand with one of his own. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath and tried to find the strength to not only put a leash on his temper but to talk to her about the man who had 'raised' him.

He hated Mikael. He hated thinking about him, talking about him, hell he even hated the acknowledging the man had ever been alive. It was a hate that burned deep in his stomach, driving him with the need to lash out and make everyone hurt as much as he did.

But this was Caroline who was asking. The woman he loved. The woman whom he had hoped would one day forgive him and return his love with that of her own. He had already made himself a promise that he would do anything for her forgiveness. And if Elijah had told her about Mikael in hopes that it would help Caroline on the road to forgiveness then perhaps he should talk about Mikael with Caroline. Elijah after all was the one who helped him see that Mikael…...no not Mikael, but that he himself was standing in his way of his own happiness.

Klaus felt a warm hand on his chest and opened his eyes, Caroline was looking up at him with her lovely blue eyes that were so full of concern he felt his heart clench.

"You don't have to say anything, Nik. If it is too much, we don't have to talk about it." Caroline said quietly, giving his hand another squeeze as she stroked his shoulder.

Again Klaus was amazed at how caring and kind Caroline could be, especially to him. There was no other choice but to acknowledge that she was an angel. So full of light that it even lit up his own dark heart.

Klaus lifted up her hand and pressed a lingering kiss on her knuckles and Caroline gave him a small smile.

Taking another deep breath he led Caroline back to the couch and sat down, Caroline settling down next to him. He held her hand in his lap, his thumb stroking back and forth across her knuckles.

Klaus was silent for a long time as he sat next to Caroline. He looked to be lost in thought, and judging by the hard clench of his jaw, they were not happy ones. Caroline's heart ached for him, her small hand coming up to caress his stubbled cheek, finally drawing him out of his musings. His eyes met hers for a moment, before looking away and speaking.

"My father…" Klaus started, pausing for a moment before speaking again "hated me from the moment I was born."

Caroline squeezed his hand as her other one went protectively over her belly. Her emotions still in disarray over the fact that someone could ever hate an innocent child.

"It was one of the first memories I have of him, his hate for me." Klaus said almost absently, again his gaze lost in thought.

"I didn't understand it at first. How he could be so cruel and unloving towards me and so father like towards my siblings."

Klaus kept his eyes down, unable to face the look of pity on Caroline's face. After all what else could she feel?

Yet when he felt her fingers on his chin, drawing up his face, his eyes flicking from her delicate hand in his to her eyes, he could see nothing but understanding and another emotion he could not name. It was a look he would see on his siblings face from time to time when they looked at him. He wanted to question what it was, but honestly wanted to get through this talk as quickly and painlessly as possible.

"It wasn't until I was older when I understood that him calling me bastard was more than just a hateful name." Klaus said as he pulled away from her hand to look down once more, unable to meet her gaze, despite the look of understanding she had given him.

"I finally understood the beatings and harsh words."

"Oh Nik." Caroline said with tears streaming down her face, as she took him into her arms and hugged him.

Klaus smiled with weary amusement as he put his arms around Caroline and held her against him, kissing the top of her head.

"I think your pregnancy hormones are getting the better of you."

"But you were just an innocent child. You did nothing wrong." Caroline sobbed as she hugged him, not even acknowledging his quip.

"I wouldn't say that, love. I allowed it to twist me into a man who managed to lose the best thing that ever happened to him." Klaus said seriously, his hand coming to stroke her back gently.

Caroline hiccuped a little as she continued to sob.

"I hate it when you say things like that." She said as she curled her fingers tightly around his neck.

"I know, sweetheart." Klaus said with a sigh as he continued to hold her. "I know."

XxX

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