"Is everything alright, Miss Forbes?" Caroline heard Elijah's voice and watched him make his way from the door to the very end of the balcony she was standing at. He was carrying his mask in one hand and a drink in the other while sporting his usual calming smile that made Caroline relax just a little; something about that man worked the same magic that a big cup of hot chocolate did.
"I just needed some fresh air." She answered, feeling a cool gust of October wind playing with her hair and making her shiver just because she wasn't smart enough to bring a jacket. "And I think everyone was giving me looks for drinking straight vodka instead of indulging myself in a fifty year old chardonnay."
"They are a tough crowd to please." For the first time she saw Elijah laugh and appreciated that moment as a man seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders; a moment of relaxation suited him.
With that thought Caroline averted her gaze from him to the majestic skyline of New York that twinkled and sparkled with lit windows and traffic lights. It was a beautiful city full of opportunities and at the same time it was Caroline's Everest that she sometimes felt too tired to climb. Tracing a finger across the rim of her still full glass she bit her lip and wondered whether coming there was the best or the most stupid thing she ever did.
"These parties were something my little sister would look forward to every year. And now she doesn't even want to show her face here anymore." Elijah leaned to the same pillar Caroline did, playing lazily with his glass before taking a sip. His expression changed from peaceful mirth to concern in a matter of seconds.
"What happened?" Caroline dared to question and it was not because she wanted to get a better insight in Mikaelson family but because it felt like Elijah needed it.
"Every family has its skeletons in their closets, Miss Forbes. And we created them ourselves." It was like a one big riddle Caroline wasn't sharp enough to crack. She tried to read his expression but it was as if carved in stone – a trait that the whole family seemed to share. Another gust of wind came and went, leaving her skin all covered in goose bumps and making her hug herself just to feel a bit warmer. However as soon as she wrapped her hands around her tiny frame, a soft and warm material landed on her shoulders; it was Elijah who took off his King Henry jacket leaving him in a white shirt, but it didn't seem to bother him.
"King Henry and Marie Antoinette? What a scandal." Caroline blurted out without even thinking and momentarily her cheeks blushed in bright red. And yet he didn't look at her like she was crazy but simply smiled and took another sip.
"And yet Rebekah isn't whom I'm concerned the most about. Yes, she makes stupid choices every step of the way, but at least she lives her life to the fullest." Just as she thought that their conversation was as good as over, Elijah's steady soothing voice broke the silence once again. "Niklaus is the one who doesn't know how to live at all; but he loves to pretend."
"One day you will have to learn to put yourself first, Mister Mikaelson." It was what Caroline always used to say to Bonnie when she tried to take care of everyone around her before even looking at herself. The phrase was embedded in her brain and she deemed it fit in that situation as well.
"Miss Forbes, you're probably the only child, aren't you?" A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as she nodded sheepishly. "Family always comes first for me and it will; always and forever."
Elijah's tone was laced in thought and what seemed like sadness as Caroline bit her lip before a question she was itching to ask could leave her mouth. Curiosity was Caroline's biggest enemy and even is she was well aware, it wasn't enough to stop her from asking questions or meddling in matters she had no business in. It was as if the more she heard about something, the more interested she became. And since Elijah was feeding her bits and pieces of their history, she became hungrier and hungrier with every word.
"Who was Tatia?" Her question was not at all subtle and she noticed Elijah turning his head to look at her with one eyebrow raised. "If you don't mind me asking, off course."
"She was Niklaus' high school sweetheart." He finally answered, dragging the words somewhat reluctantly as if he was supposed to keep it a secret, but probably because Caroline didn't drop her jaw in amazement or interrupted him with her questions was what kept him going. "They got engaged while in college even if our parents opposed that idea every step of the way. In all honesty, their relationship was somewhat Shakespearean."
"Shakespearean?" Now it was Caroline's brow that rose in question. Yes, she was amazed by the fact that Klaus was engaged and that he had human feelings to begin with, but it was Elijah's description of their relationship that triggered her interest.
"Two years ago Tatia disappeared when it was only a week left until their wedding. Niklaus scoured the earth while looking for her even if her own family proclaimed her dead and built a tombstone above an empty grave." Now was the time when Caroline's jaw dropped, but she masked it by taking a big gulp of vodka and rather focusing on the burning taste than the story that was only fit for movies.
The silence that dawned on both of them was broken by a loud creek of the door and a wave of chatter and laughter that came from the inside.
"'Lijah, I thought you'd be here – as far away form all the fun as you can be." Caroline spun on her heel just to see Kol strutting towards them dressed as a modern-day Casanova; he even had lipstick marks on his shirt and his cheeks that left Caroline wandering whether it was a part of his get-up or a little parting gift from someone he wooed behind the curtains. "Mayor wants to have a word, brother. And I know that the man doesn't like to wait."
"You'll have to excuse me, Miss Forbes." Elijah finished his drink and put the mask back on before making his way to Kol who threw his arm around Elijah's shoulders and both of them retreated back into the loud and bright room bubbling with casual conversations.
No matter how much Caroline actually enjoyed spending time while alone in the balcony and as far away as possible from the so-called fun, she knew that the inevitable was coming – it was time to go back inside and make her way through the crowd to find Jesse and return to her usual routine where she was no queen and drinks were not served on silver trays. It was somewhat disappointing that the glamour and luxurious life failed to make an impression she was expecting for, yet it made it that much easier no to look back or to complain that the casualty was boring. Truth be told – snotty and shallow balls had nothing on her pizza-and-cheep-beer parties that everyone seemed to enjoy more than the crowd in this particular gathering.
Running a hand through her curls Caroline stepped into the ballroom scanning the crowd with a hope to see Jesse mingling with other people, yet he didn't seem to be there. Furrowing her eyebrows she stood still, hoping oh so much that her sudden disappearance didn't send the one person she genuinely liked back home. She saw Madam de Pompadour and Anne Boleyn, Salvador Dali and King Henry yet nowhere in that crowd had she seen her entourage and that made Caroline bit her lower lip in disappointment; after all – there was always strength in numbers.
With Elijah's words still ringing in her ears, Caroline's gaze froze on Klaus who was talking to a little circle of women, every each one giggling uncontrollably as if they had laughing gas for breakfast. And only for a moment she forgot Jesse and all the disappointment that was clouding her head, taking a long good look at the man she so despised before and was so conflicted about now. It was as if she was witnessing a predator from a safe distance – something about him, his posture and his movements, was alluring yet she would never feel comfortable around him without a generous distance separating the two. He indeed looked perfectly charming with his usual smirk embedded into his features and Caroline could somewhat see why he was elected as a most desirable bachelor in one of those trashy magazines that always had some sort of a contest just for the sake of it. It left her wandering, though, just why exactly he chose her as his punching bag even if he was more than capable of treating everyone with respect no matter if a fake one.
"Careful sweetheart, you wouldn't want to start drooling all over that fancy dress of yours." An accent and cockiness coming from behind her made Caroline put a face to the voice – Kol. She felt somewhat startled and offended at the same time, yet instead Caroline stood still not even bothering to look over her shoulder or respond for that matter. Even though he didn't say a thing, Caroline could feel Kol's presence right behind her, so close she could feel his breath on the back of her neck and that was nothing if not a violation of privacy; and boundaries.
"Do you mind?" She finally retorted, turning her head just a bit so to look at him – a perfect replica of Klaus yet more annoying than scary. "Stalking is a chargeable offense, you know."
"Don't flatter yourself." He almost purred, that snake-like tongue moving in his mouth slowly as if trying to draw every single word out with an unhealthy amount of satisfaction. "You are really not my type. And just to save you the disappointment – Niklaus prefers brunettes as well."
"Excuse me?" At that moment confusion overcame Caroline's demeanor as she tried to understand what exactly he was spouting about. Clenching the material of Elijah's jacket that was still on her shoulders she saw Kol's smirk growing into a widespread grin with every second that passed.
"Why so coy, miss Forbes?" Right after the question his fingers caught her messy blond curl, making Caroline grit her teeth. "All that staring at my brother teasing couple of girls… Is that a glint of jealousy that I see?"
"Keep your fingers to yourself." She hissed, slamming his hand with as much force she could muster, not at all worried that their little scene was bound to be witnessed by someone. "And judging from your obnoxious and sickening behavior, I have a feeling that you will be the only one to enjoy them for the rest of your life."
At some point Caroline felt like a child, stomping her foot and fuming until the point her face became crimson red, but in the end – it didn't really matter whatsoever. Without allowing Kol to open his mouth once again she spun around on her heel and rushed through the crowd, making her way towards the exit. She caught a glimpse of Klaus who had his full attention on Caroline with a corner of her eye, but even that didn't matter. Gathering the material of her dress so to make it easier to walk, Caroline maneuvered around circles of people, not bothered to elbow one or the other and for some reason it felt very satisfying. It wasn't Kol or his words that sent her over the edge, but rather the feeling of being simply bullied for no apparent reason as if she was a little girl in a sandbox with boys stomping all over her castles. The comparison itself was incredibly silly and maybe it was the fatigue and the stress that brought the worst in her — or maybe the fact that she was always a bit overly-dramatic — but there was no point in denying that all she wanted was to take off that stupid dress and curl up in her bed with a good book.
"I remember saying something about not making any scenes, love." It was Klaus' voice that caught up with her once she was finally out of the building and on her way to hail a cab.
"What could you possibly want from me?" Caroline turned around to face him, so fed up with the Mikaelsons and their rotten attitude that they tried to sweeten up with smirks and royal accents.
"You'll have to pardon my brother; he gets a bit intolerable sometimes." Ignoring her question completely Klaus descended down the stairs with his hands behind his back.
"I'm not completely unfamiliar with the concept of someone being intolerable." Caroline accentuated the last word, keeping her tone of voice completely nonchalant. "Don't tell me you came to apologize for someone else's behavior. That would definitely ruin your image."
"Image?" Klaus' eyebrows rose in surprise followed by a laughter that sounded almost genuine. "Do tell – what that image would be?"
"One of a pompous ignorant ass." Caroline retorted without a doubt in her mind. It didn't even matter that it was her boss she was talking to, a man who could fire her with a snap of his fingers; after all – this would've been totally worth it.
"Is that what you really think of me?" He questioned her, his expression not exactly what she thought it would be. He was calm and instead of a pretentious smirk it was a smile that curved his lips. Few more steps were taken and he was standing right in front of her with maybe a foot or two separating them.
"That and then a bit more." Caroline cleared her throat and diverted her eyes to the building behind him just because that icy-blue gaze was distracting her from standing her ground. "Are we done yet?"
"Not quite." It was an answer Caroline was dreading of. It didn't seem like an evening could get any worse, yet there she was – cursing her boss to his face and yet he still had things to say. "You don't need to bother by coming to work on Monday, love."
Caroline's gaze darted back to him, eyes widened just slightly as she tried to read his expression. Not that it was something unexpected after all the scenes she caused and the harsh words she and Klaus shared, but at the same time a disappointment settled in the very marrows of her bones just because she was yet again unemployed and broke.
"Fine." She managed to say, not even bothering to question his motives as they were crystal clear as it was. Another second passed while they looked at one another, but it was already too much for Caroline to bear.
Without any hesitation, even though she felt a knot in the pit of her stomach, Caroline turned around but as she was about to start walking she felt Klaus' fingers wrapped around her wrist.
"Relax, love." He snickered, and she felt utterly confused. "We're opening a firm in San Francisco and you'll accompany me in the trip. Too bad that my pompous ignorant self will ruin your whole week while in one of the most beautiful cities in the world."
Upon those words he brushed his lips against the back of her hand - a gesture from old movies that lasted for only a fraction of the second but made Caroline completely mute. She stood there, watching him walking back to the door and disappearing behind them without another word said or another glance cast her way.
And things like these made it so much difficult for her to hate him.