Give Me Love Like Never Before

A/N: So here is the next chapter. Thank you guys for following, favoriting and reviewing. Hope you all like this chapter.

Chapter 5

"Could anyone please tell me what the hell is going on here?" shouted Elijah. To say he was angry about the recent developments would be an understatement. He was furious about the fact that his father had announced him as the CEO of the company he held no interest whatsoever. They already had their spat about him wanting to only be a lawyer. Mikael tried to force him to take on the company three years ago.

Elijah had rejected his offer and held onto his decision to realize his dream. Mikael tried to crush it by threatening to disown him if he didn't cave in. But Elijah was firm with his choice and refused to submit to his father's threat. Years later, he faced the same problem all over again. "Now there is no need for shouting, Elijah. You are the CEO of one of the biggest automobile companies in the world. So, act like one" reprimanded Mikael.

"Father, I had already made it pretty clear that I am not interested in joining our company. So, why would you do this?" asked Elijah still not sure why he was in such a situation in the first place. "You wanted to practice law, didn't you? How well are you doing it, anyway?" asked Mikael. "I may not be flourishing but still I get to do what I like" countered Elijah.

"Oh really? Do you really want to work under some stupid lawyer when you could be the emperor of the Mikaelson motors?" prompted Mikael. Elijah looked hurt but still argued, "But that is my dream, to own a law firm." Mikael sighed heavily and said, "How could you be so blind, son? I am offering you the best in a gold platter but you disregard it? I am your father; I only want the best for you!"

"But Klaus is your son too. Don't you think he deserves this a lot more than I do?" asked Elijah. "I know. But he needs to learn a few things before he takes over. And you definitely needed to be shown the right path" reckoned Mikael. "Oh, you can't always decide what is right for others, father. I am resigning from my post right now" threatened Elijah. "You wouldn't dare" hissed Mikael menacingly.

He took a deep breath and told, "Fine. Here is the deal. You will be the CEO for one year and do as I say and I will give you enough money to start your own law firm if you still want to leave the company at that time. Do we have a deal?" Elijah looked as if he was trying hard to see through any pitfalls in the deal. Finally he agreed even though he knew that he would definitely regret this later.

"What are we really doing here?" demanded Stefan in hushed tone as he guided Rebekah on the dance floor. "We are dancing. Can't you spare one dance for your ex, Stefan?" asked Rebekah teasingly. The official ball commenced after the big announcement. Stefan and Rebekah tried their best to pacify Klaus, the only problem being his absence.

"It is not funny, Rebekah. We have to find Klaus before he does something rash. You know him, right?" enquired Stefan. "I understand him completely. That is why I am asking you to give him some time alone. If we talk to him right now, he would only be more aggravated" reasoned Rebekah. Stefan nodded to show that he understood what she meant.

"You know, Nik was really excited about this party. He was even more excited when Mikael announced he would be handing over the company to him. So, I am sure he is devastated about Mikael's manipulation" sympathized Rebekah. "How could a father play his own son?" asked Stefan confused over the fact that a father enjoyed inflicting pain to his own son.

"Well, it is new for you. Isn't it? Welcome to the dysfunctional Mikaelson family" said Rebekah. "What exactly is the problem between them?" "I don't know. But he had always been like that. He had always treated Nik the worst. Never knew the reason for it. Nik feared him till he was sixteen. Then I don't know what happened he was indifferent to Mikael's taunting. He moved to New York, started his own life and was happily a workaholic until today happened" explained Rebekah.

Stefan looked closely at her realizing she hated Mikael as much as Klaus did. "You hate your father too. Don't you?" enquired Stefan cautiously. "I do. I will always blame him for the loss of the best things in my life: My mom's death, my family's separation and Nik's transformation. All of them were Mikael's fault. And I will hate him forever for these" answered an emotional Rebekah.

At that moment, she just looked like a vulnerable little girl who lost her mom to Stefan. He hugged her to console her unaware of Elena's eyes which were shooting daggers at them. "I wanted to be away from him, Stefan. That is one of the reasons I left London. Also I wanted to be with Nik, the brother I loved. But he has become a shadow of his true self" confessed Rebekah. "Klaus still cares about you, Rebekah. You need to…"

Stefan was interrupted by Klaus who to their bewilderment was standing on the stage with a glass of champagne and called "Attention, ladies and gentlemen! Hope you all are having a wonderful evening." "He is drunk" observed Rebekah. "I am so sorry for interrupting. But I promise you it won't take much of your time" continued Klaus. "First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr. Elijah Mikaelson on taking over Mikaelson motors. I am pretty sure he would do the job efficiently. After all it was his dream to become the CEO of our family business" said Klaus faking a smile all the while looking directly at Elijah.

"Now on this special day I would like to make another important announcement. Our European and American branches have always been competent. Though both are equally efficient, it is not a secret that the American branch has always outdone the European. So, we the employees of the American branch are proud to announce on the fifty year anniversary of our company that we are going to introduce Hybrid SUVs in the United States."

"As you all know all our competitors have introduced such a model already in the market. So our challenge is to give them a better mileage giving, less fuel consuming and more environment friendly vehicle. We accept this challenge and vow to fulfill our promise to our customers. On a lighter note, be careful Elijah. The American branch may one day overtake the main one in London" laughed Klaus with no humor at all. But a round of laughter went through the hall. "So cheers to the Hybrid" said Klaus raising a toast. Everyone in the hall raised their glasses as well while Mikael was fuming at the corner.

Caroline was really drunk as she made her way to the hall in search of Stefan or Elena. She had spent way too much time outside that she had started to regret it. After that stranger guy left her all her fears and insecurities hit her full force. She really didn't want to be left alone. When she made it to the hall, the whole room was really silent. It was actually the opposite of how it was when she left. She observed that everyone's attention was directed towards the man on the stage.

'I thought the announcement was over' thought Caroline. When she focused on the man standing on the stage, she recognized him as the one she had drinks with outside, to her own surprise. She had no idea what he was doing there. Maybe he works for the company. Maybe he was announcing something important. But none of what he said made sense since she was buzzed. Suddenly everyone laughed for no reason. 'Oh! Is he a performer? Like a standup comedian?' she questioned herself.

She really got frustrated and asked the nearest guy. "Who is this guy making jokes in a serious party like this?" enquired Caroline. The guy looked as if she was out of mind and asked, "You don't know, Klaus Mikaelson? The guy responsible for this very party you are attending?" Caroline looked shocked, "Are you sure? I… I mean… is he the one who is the boss of Mikaelson motors US?" asked Caroline hoping it was all just a nightmare. "The one and only Klaus Mikaelson" answered the guy and left giving her a weird look. Wow, great! Now she was going to work under the person whom she not only yelled at but also the one who knew all her secrets.

.

"Stefan, there he is" pointed out Rebekah. Stefan looked where Rebekah pointed and found Klaus getting down the stage all the while glaring at Mikael and Elijah. "He is definitely in a bad mood. We need to get to him" urged Stefan ushering Rebekah with him. But they were blocked by Elena who stood in their way. "Stefan, I think it is time to go home. Now that the party is over and everyone had a share of you" said Elena throwing a dirty look towards Rebekah, "I think it is time for us to leave".

"Elena now is not the time. I need to talk to Klaus" pleaded Stefan. "But Klaus is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Besides he has his lovable sister to take care of him" countered Elena. "Oh, are you that insecure, Elena? Are you afraid that if he spends more time with me, he would be back to loving me?" smirked Rebekah. "Will you two stop it? This is not the right time or place for your cat fight. Elena, I am sorry but I need to see Klaus. I will be back soon" told Stefan gesturing Rebekah to follow him.

"Honestly, Ric! I have never seen such a coward in my life" said Damon drowning his glass of drink. Alaric had once again failed to ask Jenna out. Damon thought this party was the perfect opportunity for his best friend. But Alaric once again fumbled when it came to Jenna. "It is not as easy as you think" defended Alaric. "Yeah, it is really difficult to ask out the girl you love" scoffed Damon. "Well, if it is so easy, why don't you ask Elena out? You like her, don't you?" retorted Alaric.

Damon glared at him and told, "That is not true!" "Oh really? You think I don't notice the way you look at her or the way your face brightens on hearing her name?" continued Alaric. Damon didn't pay attention to any of this as he was busy looking at Elena who was alone at the bar. Sensing something was off; he proceeded to join her leaving Alaric behind. "Hey, what are you doing here alone in this wonderful party?" enquired Damon forcing her to face him.

"Hi Damon!" greeted Elena with fake enthusiasm, "Nice party, huh?" Damon frowned at her and asked, "Is something bothering you? If so you can talk to me. I am there for you." Elena smiled sadly and said, "Thanks, Damon. But that is the problem. I want to hear these words from Stefan. He is so busy worrying about his friend that he completely forgot about me" "No that is not true, Elena! He still cares for you" reassured Damon.

"I know that. But am I still his top priority? He is worried about Caroline, Rebekah and Klaus that he doesn't even have time to think about me" sighed Elena. Damon smiled a little and said, "But that is who Stefan is. He cares too much about others." "Yeah I know. That is one of the reasons I love him. But maybe for a change I want him to give more importance to me. I want the guy I love to put me as the top priority. Is it wrong to expect so, Damon?" asked Elena.

Damon wanted to exclaim that he was ready to treat her as princess if she said yes but instead shook his head and replied, "No, it is not. I think you deserve to be treated as a treasure. I am sure anyone would be lucky to have you." Elena was surprised with his sincere words. She had thought he would ridicule her if she confided about her insecurities but was pleasantly surprised to see him understand what she meant. Maybe, people always were not as you believe them to be.

Klaus got down the stage feeling a sense of accomplishment. He knew it was going to be a difficult task, but he was up and ready for the challenge. If Mikael thought that he could destroy him, he must realize that it would take more than a big announcement to do that. "Niklaus! Here you are!" called Elijah with relief. He was afraid that he would never have the chance to speak to his brother and prove his innocence.

"Ah! Elijah Mikaelson! The new CEO of the Mikaelson motors!" sneered Klaus. "Shut up, Klaus! I had no idea Mikael would pull such a trick today. You need to know I was totally unaware of it" explained Elijah. "Yeah I am sure that you are the innocent victim here" said Klaus sarcastically. He was about to turn and leave the place when Elijah put his hands on Klaus's shoulder and forced him to face him. "See! I don't need to prove anything to you! Whether you believe it or not, I am indeed as much of a victim here as you are!" reinforced Elijah.

Klaus laughed a humorless laugh and asked "So you are telling me, we both are in the same situation? You got the company not even working for its development for one day while I am left in shambles when I worked for it day and night for three years. Do you still think you are a victim here?" "But I never wanted this!" argued Elijah. "But did you deny it? No, right?" countered Klaus. When Elijah didn't have an answer he continued "I am tired of all the deception and manipulation around me. You have messed with the wrong person. But you will pay for it."

"See Elena, you are acting childishly", argued Stefan getting tired of Elena's jealousy. "Yeah right! Wanting my boyfriend to be present at my family get together is childish nowadays" retorted Elena changing out of her clothes she wore for that horrible party. "There is nothing wrong with it, but my friend needs me now of all times. So can't you just adjust for once?" asked Stefan not backing down even a bit. "I don't think this is anything about Klaus. Rebekah has an ulterior motive! She just wants to prove that you still care for her!" pointed out Elena.

"How many times should I say this? Rebekah and I are over. I love YOU, Elena! You have nothing to worry about!" stressed Stefan trying his best to make his girlfriend see sense. "But you still like her. She is your friend. And she still loves you. You never parted ways in a bad manner. What do you expect me to do?" asked Elena. "I expect you to trust me" replied Stefan with conviction as he looked straight into her eyes. "I trust you, Stefan" said Elena faltering a little.

"But you could meet Klaus even during work. I want you to meet my family this week. I am sure you will come if you love me" pleaded Elena hoping her boyfriend would understand her. She knew he loved her. She just wanted to know if he would still choose her if there was a choice between her and Rebekah or Klaus.

Stefan just shook his head and told, "You know what? This isn't about me meeting your parents anymore. It is about me not going to Klaus's house. You just want to prove a point. I never thought you would act like this" showing how disappointed he was of her actions. He started leaving his room while Elena regretted the turn their conversation took.

Caroline heard every bit of their argument even though she was sitting in the next room. She had always thought of Stefan and Elena as a perfect couple that she was surprised to see them fighting. She realized that every relationship was based on trust and none of them were perfect. She also didn't know which side to support.

Sure, Stefan was her best friend. Still, she couldn't blame Elena for being wary of Rebekah. She sighed and came out of her room to find the infamous Damon Salvatore lounging in the drawing room. "What are you doing here?" demanded Caroline not at all liking the elder Salvatore's presence at the moment.

Though he was taken aback on hearing her voice out of nowhere, Damon recovered quickly and said, "Last time I checked, it was my brother's apartment! So excuse me, if I wanted to see my brother."

Caroline narrowed her eyes and told, "I watched you console Elena in the party. Do remember that she is your brother's girlfriend". Damon's face turned serious for a second but quickly morphed into an irritated one while he answered "What are you even talking about, blondie? I would suggest you to just mind your own business".

Caroline was about to retort when Stefan walked inside the hall with a scowl on his face. "Hi Damon! Caroline! You are coming to my office, tomorrow!" informed Stefan apparently in no mood for chit chat. "What? Me? To your office? Why?" sputtered Caroline as the one thing she dreaded looked like it was about to happen. "Ah, he just misses a partner to play pool in their office! And everyone knows you are a champion, of course" answered Damon sarcastically.

Caroline glared at Damon while Stefan said "It is for your job. Remember I told you I would get a job for you in my office?" "You know what, Stefan? I think I will pass. Maybe I could get another job?" pleaded Caroline hoping Stefan would leave the subject. "You think you will pass? Are you mad? This is Mikaelson's motor we are talking about, Care. It is not that easy to get a job there. I used my connections to get you this job. Also, this is New York. You can't get a job that easily" reasoned Stefan.

Caroline looked guiltily at him. She wanted to tell everything that happened in the party that night. But she couldn't because Stefan was in a terrible mood and Damon was watching them like a hawk. He had this smile on his face which looked as if he enjoyed every minute of her squirming. "I don't think I would be comfortable working in your company, Stef. You know I don't think it is good for our friendship" tried Caroline desperately to get him to drop the idea.

Stefan looked confused for a moment and then looked as if he just realized the truth. "For god's sake, if this is anything about the phone call, forget it already. It is not such a big deal!" clarified Stefan. 'If it was only that simple' thought Caroline. "Care, look. I understand that you are nervous about working in a new company. But I promise you it will be great. I will always be there for you. Got it?" asked Stefan. "Ok, fine. I will come tomorrow" sighed Caroline as she accepted her defeat.

She had never been able to say no to Stefan. That was one of her biggest weaknesses. "By the way, what type of job is mine, Stefan?" asked Caroline hoping it was something that didn't involve Klaus. "Well, you are good at organizing. So I thought this would suit you. You are going to be Klaus' personal assistant" said Stefan beaming. "Oh, perfect" whistled Damon happily from behind her back as Caroline closed her eyes in resignation. There was no escaping from fate.

"So be ready by nine tomorrow, Care" told Stefan as he turned to Damon. "Thanks for the tie today, bro" said Stefan handing over the tie to Damon. "Could you do me a favor? Could you please drop off Elena in her house? It is getting late". Damon looked hesitant as Elena came out of Stefan's room saying, "No need for anyone to drop me off. I can take care of myself." She took her coat as she turned to say, "Thank you for your concern anyway" looking straight at Stefan.

Caroline noted that her eyes were red and puffy as if she had been crying all this time. "Look, Elena. I am sorry if I…"started Stefan regretting their fight already. "Stefan. It is really late. Let's talk about this tomorrow" said Elena bidding them good night. As Elena opened the door she came face to face with a person who smirked on seeing her. Everyone looked shocked to see the person but none as much as Caroline. "Hello Elena! Missed me?"

A/N: Any guesses about the new character? I would love to know who you think it would be. Please leave it in the reviews. I got 16 new followers for last chapter and was very happy. But still reviews won't hurt. So please please review your thoughts.

Guest (3/16): It is Klaus who thinks that Elijah doesn't deserve it. And I think he is right to think so as I have explained in this chapter that Klaus has worked hard to get here while Elijah had always wanted to be a lawyer. Hope this chapter made this clear. Don't worry, Klaus always gets what he wants ;)

Drewwness: I am so glad that you found it again too. I remember you as one of the few who reviewed my first chapter. Please continue reading and reviewing this story :)

Thanks to Mystery Girl3 and guest for reviewing. Special thanks to Mystery Girl3 for the PM.