Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.

Note: Previously, in "When You Least Expect It," Klaus and Caroline arrive in Virginia Beach, where they have a steamy interlude, after which Klaus proposes and it is discovered that Caroline is pregnant.

Hey, guys! I got an idea for this next chapter and wanted to share. No spoilers.

Forbes & Bennett – 3 Days Later…

"Wow, Caroline, that is a beautiful ring. That must've set Klaus back a few thousand dollars."

Bonnie was beyond impressed when she saw the engagement ring on Caroline's ring. She had to admit, when she told her friend to leave town for a few days to clear her head, she hadn't expected her to come back as a bride-to-be.

Caroline smiled. "Yeah, but it was worth it because I said yes." She sighed. "So far, you're the only one who knows. I'd appreciate it if you didn't make too big a fuss about this until I've told Mom and Victor and Nik has told his family."

"Care, you can trust me," her friend replied. "If you want to keep this a secret until the right time, then I won't tell a soul." She cleared her throat. "Oh, by the way, a new client came in while you were gone. I know I promised to call you when I got the information, but..."

"Don't apologize, Bonnie," said Caroline. "Just tell me who the new client is."

"Katherine Pierce." She saw that Caroline's eyes went wide at the mention of Katherine's name. "What? Why did you get all bug eyed when I mentioned her name?"

"Katherine Pierce is engaged to Damon Salvatore, the president of Salvatore Industries," said Caroline. "Not only that, but the Salvatore family is one of the Founding families of Mystic Falls. Theirs is supposed to be the society wedding of the decade. Though, why would she come to us when she could have her pick of any wedding planner in town?"

"Well, maybe she heard about your success with the Branson/Mikaelson wedding?"

"Maybe, but I'm still curious."

Before she could say anything else, she saw Sydney standing in the door. That was strange, she wasn't expecting her stepsister to come by today. She smiled at her, but when she saw the serious look on the other woman's face, her smile faded.

"Sydney, what's wrong?" She got nervous. "Are Mom and Victor okay?"

"Relax, they're both okay. I just spoke with them. They're still on their honeymoon in Paris."

Caroline let out a sigh of relief upon learning that both her mother and stepfather were both all right. However, her stepsister's serious expression didn't change. "Sydney, come on, talk to me. You know that you can tell me anything. We're sisters now, remember?"

"You remember my boyfriend, Kevin, right?"

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, you mentioned him at the wedding. Why?"

Sydney bit her lip, her eyes welling up with tears. "We broke up. I came home from work the other day and I heard voices coming from the bedroom. Not sure what was going on, I went to check it out and when I got there, I saw Kevin in bed with another woman. And you want to know who the little slut was? It was Gracie, my own sister!"

"Gracie? But, I don't get it," said Caroline. "She's sixteen, young enough to be Kevin's sister."

"Yes, but she's a mature sixteen," said Sydney. "At least, that's what she claims." She grabbed some tissues from her purse and wiped her eyes. "I invested two years of my life into that man and what does he do to repay me? He goes and sleeps with my sister! How could I have been so stupid?"

Caroline went over to the other woman and hugged her. "Sydney, this wasn't your fault. You didn't know this was going to happen. If anyone is to be blamed for it, it's Kevin. He obviously doesn't care enough about you if he chose to cheat on you the way he did."

Sydney didn't answer, just nodded. She then noticed the ring on her stepsister's finger and stepped back, her anger forgotten. "Caroline, where did you get that beautiful ring?"

"Nik proposed to me when we were in Virginia Beach," said Caroline, knowing that she couldn't keep this between herself and Bonnie any longer. "You and Bonnie are the only ones who know, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Mom and Victor until the right time."

"You can count on me, Care," she replied. "I won't tell anyone else about this." She sighed. "I'm just sorry that I'm finding out about it at the same time that I told you about Kevin and the bullshit he pulled with Gracie."

"Getting engaged wasn't the only thing that happened while I was away." Caroline knew she was probably pushing it, but since the news of her engagement to Klaus was already out, what harm could revealing her pregnancy do? After all, Sydney had promised to keep this to herself until Liz and Victor found out.

"It wasn't?" said Bonnie. "Well, what else could have happened?"

Caroline bit her lip. "I'm pregnant."

"You're pregnant?" said Sydney. "You mean I'm going to be an aunt? Oh, that's so awesome!"

"Yes, it is," said Caroline. "But, no one else knows about it but the two of you, so if you could keep it to yourselves for now, Nik and I would appreciate it."

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with us," said Bonnie. "Nobody else will know about your engagement or your pregnancy until you can find the right time to reveal it." Curiously, she added, "So what do you think is going to happen with Klaus' mother?"

"I really don't know. I hope that the Mikaelsons have a good lawyer. Otherwise, we're going to have to elope instead of having a wedding."

"I'm sure they'll figure something out," said Bonnie. "The Mikaelsons are just as powerful as the Salvatores, and just as rich, so there's no doubt in my mind that they'll keep Esther and her boyfriend from ruining your happiness."

Sydney nodded. "And if you need any extra help, you know you can count on me. It's like you told me, we're sisters now."

Caroline smiled. She liked that Sydney was offering to be there for her, especially since she had been helpful to her just a short while ago in regards to Kevin. She then got into Business Mode, remembering what Bonnie had told her about the upcoming Pierce/Salvatore wedding.

"Well, instead of just standing around here doing nothing, how about getting things ready? We've got the Pierce/Salvatore wedding to plan, and less time in which to do it." She looked at Sydney. "Would you like to help us? It'll take your mind off things, albeit temporarily."

"Sure," said Sydney. "And while I'm at it, we can discuss your wedding, even if you don't want to go into details about it right now."

Caroline didn't discourage Sydney's enthusiasm. Although she didn't want to plan her own wedding just yet, at least it would lighten the previously dark mood. She gently placed her hand on her still flat belly, imagining herself holding her baby when he or she was born. There was no doubt in her mind that Klaus would be a good father. He was already so loving and attentive to her, and their baby would get the same kind of love that his or her mother was already getting.

I just hope nothing bad happens between now and when the baby gets here, she thought. I know that Nik's family is powerful, but who's to say that Esther isn't going to have something up her sleeve? She shook her head. No, Caroline, don't think like that. You have to have faith that Nik will do everything in his power to protect you.

Note: I think I'll end Chapter 13 here before I repeat myself. Stay tuned for more!

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