Give Me Love Like Never Before

A/N: I am so sorry for the long delay. My system crashed completely and I got a new laptop only last week. I lost everything I had written already and had to rewrite everything. Added to that I had my project work. So I am really sorry. So without further delay the next chapter. This is the longest chapter I have written yet. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own TVD.

Chapter 4

Caroline watched the hall amazed by its grandeur. When Stefan told about the fifty year anniversary of the Mikaelson motors, she thought it would be a boring party where all the old ones would gather together and toast for the company. But she had never been so wrong in her life. This party appeared vibrant and lively as ever. It screamed money everywhere. "Wow! It looks like one awesome party!" exclaimed Caroline. Elena scoffed and replied, "Well, Mikaelsons are known to be great show offs". Stefan sighed and thought this was only the beginning of one long night.

However, Caroline seemed to agree with Elena. The theme of the party appeared to be to boast off about their profits rather than their history. It would have been better if they had focused on how the company was started as a small one and due to their hard work and effort had grown to be one of the leading automobile companies in the world. It would have made everyone appreciate their work.

Caroline was brought out of her musings by a blonde girl who rushed to Stefan's side on seeing him. "Hey, Stefan! It is lovely to meet you again", greeted that blonde girl. She appeared beautiful in her expensive green gown but she had an air of haughtiness that made Caroline nervous. "Bekah! The pleasure is all mine. How are you doing? Actually we were talking about how great this party is!" Stefan asked.

"So this is the infamous Rebekah Mikaelson", thought Caroline. She understood why Stefan had dated her once. She appeared as a confident, pretty and independent woman and Stefan had always loved girls with such attributes. "I am doing great! Do you really like it? Nik gave me complete freedom in organizing this party and I hope I haven't let him down!", told Rebekah sincerely, completely ignoring Caroline and Elena.

"Well you have done brilliantly" complimented Stefan for which Elena rolled her eyes. Stefan continued by saying, "Hey, by the way this is Caroline, my best friend since childhood". Rebekah immediately turned her attention towards Caroline which made Caroline slightly nervous. She didn't know why but Rebekah appeared a lot intimidating when she looked straight into her eyes. "Oh hi! Stefan has mentioned you when we were dating. Speaking of which where is your lovely girlfriend Elena?" Rebekah asked curiously.

"Hello, Rebekah", greeted Elena with a fake smile. Rebekah returned it with an equal unpleasant smile and Caroline could sense the growing tension between them. "Oh, here you are! Are you fine, Elena? You look so pale. Not that you looked great the last time we met. But you look even worse if that is even possible", asked Rebekah with fake sympathy. "Actually I am great, Rebekah. Thank you for your concern but actually I am good. Maybe I look tired because we had a great time yesterday celebrating our three year anniversary", smirked Elena knowing well that she had won that round of battle as she watched Rebekah's face change from smirk to scowl.

Stefan watched helplessly as the two continued to attack each other sarcastically. Relief came in the form of a handsome guy with a cute smile. "Stefan, here you are. I have been searching for you everywhere. Nik wants to see you.", said that charming guy. He suddenly turned towards Caroline and asked, "And who is this pretty lady? Want to have a drink with me, honey?", winking at her.

Before Caroline could reply Stefan hastily told, "She is Caroline, my best friend. Turn off your charm. She is off limits". The guy's smirk only widened and said, "Forbidden fruits taste sweeter. Anyway I am Kol Mikaelson" and extended his hand. Stefan rolled his eyes and urged, "Come on. We have to go. Or your brother will kill you!". "Fine! But you owe me a drink, Caroline dear", smirked Kol and left with an impatient Stefan.

"Well, I think it is time for me to move. Caroline, here is my advice for you. If you really want to enjoy the party, leave her side", said Rebekah pointing at Elena. "She is dull as a dishwasher and will ruin your evening". Before Elena could reply, Rebekah swiftly left the place leaving Elena huffing. "Why does she hate you so much? I know you two can't be best friends. But still hating each other's guts?" wondered Caroline. "You see she is just sour that Stefan is not her boyfriend. Well, she is a Mikaelson. What could I say more?", shrugged Elena. "Why? What is wrong with being a Mikaelson?", asked Caroline curiously.

"None of the Mikaelsons have a good reputation. Mikael, their father, is said to be a ruthless man. Anyone who crosses him will never even be able to repent it. Klaus is a self obsessed guy who would do anything to achieve what he wants. Rebekah is a spoiled brat who thinks no one is better than her and there is Kol who is the world's biggest womanizer. Only Elijah, the eldest one is an exception. He is said to be honorable and moral. But I haven't met him personally. So not sure what is true", summarized Elena.

Caroline wasn't sure if what Elena said was entirely true. She was never the one to pass judgment on anyone without knowing them, but the conviction with which Elena told and her encounters with three of the Mikaelsons so far had just confirmed their reputation, especially Klaus'. She just wanted to enjoy this party without running into him.

Klaus was waiting outside the giant doors feeling nervous. Klaus was never nervous. He was cocky, angry, arrogant, manipulative, dominating, flirty, rude and charming but never nervous. If there was one man in the whole world who could make him feel nervous, it was Mikael. He had always made Klaus feel worthless. Even when he was a child, Klaus was the one to bear Mikael's fury. As a little boy, Klaus had always wondered why his father terrorized him the most of all his siblings. He came to know about the reason when he was sixteen.

Ever since he had vowed to never let Mikael get to him. Though he managed to appear indifferent when he was around Mikael, it was still very difficult to ignore his taunting. One of the reasons Klaus took over the American business of their company was to stay far away from Mikael who was in London. He could operate independently here and actually worked very hard to get to this level. So he was obviously nervous when Mikael told that he would be making an important announcement this evening. He was worried what trick Mikael had up his sleeve this time.

Klaus was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he failed to notice a tall man with dark hair behind him. So he jumped a little when the stranger touched his shoulders and asked, "When are you planning to stop staring at the door and actually go inside?" Klaus face broke into a smile when he saw the guy in the black suit. "Elijah! It's been a while since we met" said Klaus hugging Elijah. To say he was happy to see his brother would be an understatement. He was elated to finally see his elder brother. Though he had never shown it, Klaus had a great deal of love and respect for Elijah. Whenever he screwed up things, Elijah would always be there to help him.

"Yeah, I suppose. What with you so busy running your own show, it is really been a while", said Elijah smiling sadly. It was really bad that their family couldn't be together. Mikael and Elijah were in London. Klaus and Rebekah were in New York while Kol just have never been in one place. So it was really difficult to see the whole family together. "So how is your law firm? Anything good?" enquired Klaus. When Elijah completed his studies, everyone thought he would join their family business. But he opted to start a law firm instead.

"You know about it. It is still the same. Hopefully we get a big case this year" answered Elijah. "So where is everyone? I came to this boring party only to meet you all". "Everyone is inside. The meeting is about to start. Come join us", told Klaus. "What? No! You know I am not interested. It is not my cup of tea" complained Elijah. "Oh! Come on! You are a board member. So you need to be present at the meeting" insisted Klaus dragging Elijah along with him.

When they entered the meeting hall, Klaus's eyes first met Mikael's who had a twisted smile on his lips which confirmed that he had a devious plan for the evening. He tried to clear his mind of those thoughts and instead focused his attention on his squabbling siblings. "I heard you were out all night yesterday, Rebekah. What a scandal?", teased Kol always finding pleasure in riling up his only sister. "If you don't stop talking, the next thing to come out of your mouth will be your teeth", warned Rebekah. Rebekah and Kol were the most entertaining pair in the Mikaelson's family. They always fought over trivial things and made each other mad.

Klaus and Elijah always found them amusing and only intervened when it went worse. Just when Klaus and Elijah thought it was becoming interesting, Rebekah noticed them and stopped their fight. Kol too saw them and appeared pleasantly surprised. "Wow! Is this a dream? Our whole family in one room? This must be some sort of a miracle!" exclaimed Kol all the while smiling widely. Rebekah completely tuned out Kol and went forward to hug Elijah.

Truth be told, she really missed her eldest brother as the other two were nothing but pain. "I am so glad that you could make it, 'Lijah. I was really tired of being around these fools", confessed Rebekah. Klaus just shrugged while Kol smirked when Elijah looked at them with a reprimanding look. Their little get together was however broken when Mikael called, "I think enough time was wasted for stupid reunions. If you could all settle in your seats, we could start the meeting" looking pointedly at his children. 'Typical Mikael', thought Klaus. He was never happy that all his children got along pretty well. He had always been a different parent.

"As you all gathered here know, we are here to celebrate the fifty year anniversary of our Mikaelson Motors. It has grown into a leading automobile company only due to the effort, dedication and hard work of our forefathers and our tradition of following their footsteps. Since I became the CEO of this company my only goal was to carry on my family's legacy. I may have come across to some as heartless but it was all in the best interest of the company. I have never tolerated failures or disappointments ever. I am so proud to say that I have led the company capably over the decade and have actually convened the meeting to say that I am stepping down as the CEO of this company."

A shocked murmur swept through the hall which was instantly silenced when Mikael raised his hand. "I am so happy to inform you all that my son will take my place from here on. Though I have never been completely satisfied with him, I am sure he would lead you all capably". A big round of applause went around the table as Klaus appeared shocked beyond words. As Mikael dismissed the meeting, everyone lined up to congratulate him. The loudest of them all were his siblings who were so happy for him.

Klaus still couldn't believe Mikael did this and searched for any ulterior motive behind this announcement. But everything cleared up when he met his father outside the hall. He whispered to Klaus, "I may hate you. But I still know how much you love this company, my boy. Don't worry." Klaus was left there completely shocked by the sudden turn of events.

Bonnie debated with herself if she was right in coming to this party. She had thought this party may give Jeremy a chance to spend some time with her. However, he had been so busy that they hardly even talked. Elena was with Caroline, busy keeping Rebekah away from Stefan. That left her all alone in this big party. Sometimes she wondered whether she made a mistake by dating Jeremy. She knew Jeremy loved her, but honestly they barely even see other these days. Still, she loved Jeremy with her heart and it was only a matter of time, till he knows how to balance his professional and personal life. Whatever happens, nothing could come between her and Jeremy.

Kol flirted with a pretty girl wrapping his hand around her waist and sipping his drink. He loved being around girls. Many thought of him as a womanizer, when he was just a playboy. He never forced girls to be with him. He always used his charm to get his way. No girl has ever said no to him. They fell for his smile or charm or his smooth talking. If he failed in all the above, his family name always got him the girl. The girl who was on his arm started giggling and touched his shoulder suggestively. He always hated it when a girl giggled. It made them unattractive and stupid. But unfortunately most girls he met had that awful habit.

Elijah, who had been watching his brother fooling around, approached him and said, "Can I have a word with you, Kol?" Kol signaled the girl to leave for a moment and faced Elijah with a questioning look on his face. "Don't you think it was really weird of father to pass on the responsibility to Niklaus?", questioned Elijah. "Yeah! It may be surprising, but I think it was only a matter of time for Nik to take over the company", shrugged Kol. "You are right. But still something is suspiciously off here" speculated Elijah. "Oh come on Elijah! It is a party! Have fun!" urged Kol.

"You mean like how you are having fun? Honestly when are you going to get serious about girls?", asked Elijah. "Why should I be serious about girls? I have my share of fun with them. But most of them are either dumb or clingy. No one has ever kept me interested for long. I will surely inform you when I see one" winked Kol. Elijah just shook his head and said, "Whatever! I am going to the main hall for the big announcement. You coming with me?" "You go. I will be right behind you!" replied Kol taking another sip of his drink. Elijah nodded and left Kol alone. Kol just looked around for anything interesting when he saw a woman with dark hair and olive skin playing with a two year old child.

The woman was entertaining the child by playing with a balloon. However, the balloon came off her grasp and started floating towards him. Kol left his place and secured the balloon and walked towards the child. "Here it is, honey. You have a pretty daughter, Mrs…?" asked Kol handing over the balloon to the child. "This is not my child. I am just taking care of the girl while her mother went to the restroom. I am Bonnie Bennett by the way!" said Bonnie extending her hand. Kol shook her hand saying, "I knew you were too young to have a child. But the way you connected with her confused me". They were interrupted by the mother of the girl who thanked Bonnie for taking care of her daughter.

"Well, I happen to be a teacher. So I think it was easier to handle a child" shrugged Bonnie. Kol appeared impressed, "Wow, woman with a brain. Definitely a keeper", causing Bonnie to blush a little. "So how about a drink together?" suggested Kol. "Sorry. I am waiting for my boyfriend", said Bonnie. "Oh come on, darling! Just one drink. It won't hurt anyone" pleaded Kol turning his charm on. "I am sorry. But I am not interested" rejected Bonnie getting irritated with the stranger. "Really? Are you going to waste your time waiting for your boyfriend who is stupid enough to leave such a beautiful girl alone?" argued Kol not backing down. "How I spend my time is none of your business. And you have no right to speak about my boyfriend. Who are you, anyway?" asked Bonnie.

"Mr. Mikaelson", called Jeremy out of nowhere. "Glad to meet you sir. I am Jeremy Gilbert. I work in the financial department" told Jeremy introducing himself. "Ah! Jeremy, I remember you. You are Stefan's friend, right?" said Kol shaking Jeremy's hand. "Yes, Mr. Mikaelson. Oh I forgot. Bonnie this is Kol Mikaelson. This is my girlfriend Bonnie, sir", said Jeremy completely unaware of the scene that took place before. Bonnie watched shocked as Kol smirked. "You have such a beautiful girlfriend, Jeremy. You are a lucky man" complimented Kol knowing full well that Bonnie was glaring at him right now. "Thank you, sir" replied Jeremy innocently. "Oh, do away with sir. Call me Kol" urged Kol. "I will try sir, sorry, Kol" stuttered Jeremy. "So shall we move to the main party" called Kol smirking. It was going to be an interesting evening nonetheless.

Klaus was standing there impatient for Mikael to make the big announcement. It had been his dream to take over this company. But he never thought it would happen so soon. Though he still was suspicious of Mikael's motive, he was still happy. Mikael went up the stage and caught everyone's attention in the party.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for being here to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of our prestigious company. I have to thank each and everyone, our hard working staffs, our understanding suppliers, our best customers, the media and marketing people, for our success. Without you all, nothing would have been possible. Our company may have had some downfalls but we never compensated on two things, quality and customer satisfaction. It will always be our company's motto. I am so happy to announce to you all on this wonderful occasion that my son will carry on our family's legacy. I am proud to announce Mr. Elijah Mikaelson as the next CEO of the Mikaelson Motors", completed Mikael beckoning Elijah to come on to the stage.

Klaus stood there completely shocked as an equally shocked and reluctant Elijah climbed the stage. Klaus felt his dreams crumble in front of him and felt numb of all the pain. Mikael did it again. He succeeded in making Klaus' life miserable. He should have realized Mikael would go to any length to humiliate him. How could he be so stupid to actually believe for even one second that Mikael was going to hand over the company to him? He just wanted to get out of the suffocating place. Klaus moved swiftly out of there turning completely deaf to the calls of Stefan and Rebekah.

Caroline breathed in the fresh air deeply. She needed it really as she was close to a break down inside the party hall. Some guy suddenly proposed to his girlfriend in front of everyone and it was difficult for her to stay there when everyone rushed to congratulate the couple. It had been one hour since it took place but still she had difficulty trying to forget it. That was why she was drinking herself to full hoping that would numb her pain. She thought of refilling her glass in the open bar when she noticed a guy trying to drown himself in drinks. He appeared smart and handsome with blonde hair. He had folded his sleeves up which showed his well built abs. His tie was crooked and he appeared devastated.

Curious as to how someone could be more upset than her in this magnificent party, Caroline approached the stranger cautiously. "Bad day, huh?", asked Caroline hoping to get the guy talking. He realized her presence only then and appeared rather indifferent on seeing her. He just shrugged and replied, "Bad decade" and completely drained his drink. "Well, I suppose nothing is irreparable! I mean it can't be that bad!" consoled Caroline completely unsure herself why she was trying to make a stranger feel better.

He just scoffed and said, "I think it would be better to mind your own business. I am not in the mood for your sympathy". Caroline was shocked with his rudeness and still couldn't give up. She just thought that it was unfair that a guy was upset over some insignificant thing when she was the one who should be crying her eyes out at the moment. "You know everyone have their own problems. Don't think you are the only one to suffer and justify your behavior!" argued Caroline. The guy was getting frustrated with her and retorted "Oh really? What is the most pressing problem of your life now? You broke your nails?"

"No. The guy whom I loved for eight years cancelled our wedding which was supposed to take place today. And did I mention the fact that I lost my father last week who left us for his boyfriend when I was young?" burst out Caroline. That seemed to shut the guy's mouth. She was happy about that but cringed inside over the fact that she had just spilled all her dark secrets to a total stranger. She wasn't sure why she did that. She guessed she had been dying to tell to someone about all her worries and the guy just triggered the outbreak. He had the decency to look ashamed and accepted with a simple, "You win". Caroline got flustered by his sudden admission. You see she had always been capable of winning an argument but incapable of how to respond when one accepted their defeat. "Well, um… yeah, ok", sighed Caroline.

Klaus silently observed the girl before him. She appeared really beautiful and he couldn't see why anyone would leave her. She did appear feisty but nonetheless had a good heart which she proved by trying to console a total stranger. "You see. I don't know you. But I can say that it is the guy's loss. You have nothing to worry about" said Klaus. He didn't know when the roles reversed but he just couldn't help but add. Caroline appeared surprised but shrugged when she answered, "Well, I am not worried. I must say I am just disappointed that my wedding was called off. You know every girl dreams of her wedding from the age of five".

Klaus chuckled and told, "Yeah, I know. I have a younger sister and her favorite pastime was to dress up as a bride. So who are you? I am sorry. But you don't work here, right?" "No, I don't. My friend works here. I just accompanied him. Actually I was hoping I could meet the great Klaus Mikaelson" joked Caroline, the alcohol making her to speak boldly without thinking about the consequences. Klaus was taken aback on hearing his name. He was intrigued and decided to play dumb for some time and asked, "Klaus Mikaelson? Why do you want to meet him?"

"Well, I …"stopped Caroline suddenly aware of how she was about to bash the boss of the company in his own party. If not for her, she should keep her mouth shut at least for Stefan's sake. The guy already knew too much about her and given her luck he may even be an employee of the company. "I just heard so many things about him that I just wanted to meet him" said Caroline trying to control the damage. "All good things I presume?" asked Klaus with a raised eyebrow for which Caroline answered "You bet!" "Anyway where is he? I didn't see him up there" enquired Caroline. Klaus just turned away and said "No idea!" taking another swig of his drink as reality hit him hard once again. He didn't know what to do. It appeared as if his brain had stopped working.

He suddenly faced Caroline and asked "I was just wondering, Miss…?" "Caroline" prompted Caroline. "Yeah, Caroline. What does one do when he doesn't get a reward he deserves? How does he proceed knowing full well that his reward is with one person who is totally unworthy of it?" enquired Klaus. Caroline thought for a few seconds sipping her drink before answering, "Hmmm… I am not sure. Maybe prove to everyone that he is worthy of the reward. But he shouldn't be disheartened by it. He should show everyone how they had made a mistake and display his skills for everyone to see. Maybe even take up a challenge".

Klaus seemed to contemplate on what she said and instantly brightened as an idea struck him. He appeared happy and said, "You know what? You are brilliant. Thank you. It was nice meeting you, Caroline". "Yeah, you too… hey stop what is your name?" shouted Caroline as the guy seemed to be in a hurry to go inside. When he didn't even turn back, Caroline just sighed and settled comfortably in her chair.

A/N: Hope you were satisfied with the chapter. Finally klaroline interaction. Please review this chapter and let me know what you think.

Thanks to CharmedAndDangerous22, HighOnLife, AgathaN, lovelyelephants, SkyBlue 1309 and guests for your wonderful reviews.

Bhawana: thanks for your review. Don't worry. Klaus and Caroline won't get together soon. I know I take long time to update but still give short chapters. I am sorry. I will try to give longer chapters. Hope you are happy with this chapter's length. Please stick with this story.

Guest: Hi to you too guest from Germany! Namaste from India ;)

And special thanks to Mystery Girl3 for reviewing every chapter! Please continue to do so