Chapter 23

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," Caroline comes home from the party and Klaus tells her about the death of the leukemia patient he treated in August, after which she tells him about Lexi.

Hey, guys! I've had an idea for this chapter for a while, but just didn't get around to it. Since I have a moment, I'm going to share it with you now. No spoilers.

ON WITH THE SHOW!

Forbes & Bennett, 2 Weeks Later…

Returning to work, for Caroline, wasn't easy, since she had been on maternity leave for what seemed like forever. She knew that Bonnie and Sydney had things under control so that the shop didn't crumble in her absence, but she'd have to return sooner or later. She hated the thought of leaving Liam. She hated it so much, in fact, she almost considered taking him with her. She would've too, had Klaus not convinced her to leave him with Mikael and Eleanor. Damn it, that man really knew how to persuade her, didn't he?

She walked through the door and saw that not a lot had changed since she was gone. She did see a few new flowers, but nothing too major. Guess I was worried for nothing. Bonnie and Sydney really did a great job holding down the fort.

"Hey, stranger, long time no see."

Bonnie's voice brought her back to reality and she smiled at her. "Oh, come on, Bonnie, you make it sound like I had gone to war or something. All I did was get married and have a baby."

The African American woman returned her smile. "True, but you were missed." She approached her and gave her a hug. "So, how's the baby?"

"He's perfect, just like his father," said Caroline. "He's gotten so big, it's like he was never premature at all. When we took him for his check-up, the doctor said he was developing normally." She sighed. "But, Nik wouldn't have it any other way. We love our little man and can't imagine our lives without him in it."

Sydney came in, having heard the other two women talking. "Here's the proud mother! How's that darling little nephew of mine?"

"As I told Bonnie, he's perfect," said Caroline. "Unfortunately, I didn't bring him. He's with Mikael and Eleanor. Nik convinced me to leave him with them. There's plenty of time for you to meet him, so don't fret."

Sydney nodded. "Okay, I won't." She cleared her throat. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I have some wonderful news to tell you ladies."

"You do?" said Bonnie. "Well, don't keep us in suspense, Syd, what is it?"

"I have a new boyfriend!"

"Really?" said Caroline. "That's great! I'm proud of you. Where did you meet him?"

"Oddly enough, I met him at a Christmas party," said Sydney. "His name is Thierry Vanchure, and he just moved here from New Orleans. The moment I met him, all memory of that asshole, Kevin, vanished from my mind. He's the perfect gentleman and I can't wait for you to meet him."

"Has Victor met him? I know that after the fiasco with He Who Must Not Be Named, he'd want to meet his daughter's new beau." Caroline was careful with her words, knowing that Kevin was still a touchy subject with her stepsister, even though she had said his name earlier.

Sydney nodded. "I introduced him to Daddy and Liz and they were thrilled for us."

"Well, as long as you're happy, that's the most important thing," said Caroline. "Now, how did the Pierce/Salvatore wedding go?"

"I won't lie, Care, I had some reservations going in."

"Why?" said Caroline. "Nothing bad happened, did it?"

"Well, the bride was beautiful and I had no trouble with her," said Bonnie. "The problem was with the groom's father. The man was totally unreasonable. Nothing I did was good enough, as he continually pointed out. I swear, it got to the point where Damon socked him one at the reception."

Caroline nodded. She heard that Guiseppe Salvatore was a bit of an asshole. He had run Salvatore Industries before Damon took over following his retirement two years ago. Thankfully, Damon proved to be a better president than his father, which was a relief to the people who worked there. In a way, she was glad that she hadn't been there, even though she did feel bad for Bonnie.

"I guess I didn't miss much, huh?"

"No, you didn't," said Bonnie. "But, enough about that. How's things going on your end?"

"Mikael isn't thrilled with the fact that Ansel is in our lives, which he didn't hesitate to point out at the family Christmas gathering," said Caroline. "I can't say I really blame him. After all, that was the reason he and Esther divorced."

"If I was in his position, I'd feel the same way," said Bonnie. "He did raise Klaus as his, even though he wasn't his son biologically. So, is there any chance he'll eventually warm up to the idea of another man in Liam's life?"

"I hope so," said Caroline. "Ansel isn't that a bad man. All he wants is to know the son he never met."

Bonnie was about to answer when the phone rang. She quickly went to answer it. "Hello, Forbes & Bennett, where all your dreams come true. This is Bonnie, how may I help you?" She listened as the person on the other end talked and got scared. "What? Oh my God, that's awful. When did it happen? Is he all right?" Her heart pounded as the explanation continued. "Which room is he in? I'll be right there."

Caroline saw how visibly shaken Bonnie was as she hung up the phone. "Who was that, Bonnie?"

"One of the guys at Kai's vet clinic," said Bonnie. "Kai was in a car accident on the way to work. Apparently, the other driver lost control and skidded right into Kai's Jeep. Thankfully, he's not too seriously hurt, but he was taken to the hospital, as well as the other driver."

"Shit," said Caroline. "Well, do you want us to go with you? You're going to need support and I doubt we'll get any customers today."

Bonnie nodded. "Thank you, girls, I appreciate it."

That being said, the three of them closed the store and accompanied Bonnie to the hospital.

Mystic Falls Medical Center – Later that Day…

Klaus walked through the halls as he made his rounds. He wasn't thinking about anything in particular and the schedule seemed to be light for the most part. When he approached the ER, he noticed that Caroline was there, along with Bonnie and Sydney. This raised a few red flags. Why were they here on a work day?

His curiosity piqued, he approached the women, hugging Caroline when he got close enough. "Caroline, what are you doing here? Are you all right?"

Caroline nodded. "I'm fine, Nik. We're all fine. Bonnie got a call a few minutes ago. Her boyfriend, Kai Parker, was in a car accident on the way to work. Some idiot lost control and hit him. He's not too seriously hurt, thank God, but Sydney and I are to support her. You should have heard her, she was frantic on the phone."

"It's a good thing you're here for your friend in her time of need."

"It is," said Caroline. "Bonnie needs all the support she can get right now."

Note: I know, cliffhanger, but I didn't want to repeat anything, so I'll end here. Stay tuned!

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