AN: AU. The day of the Miss Mystic Pageant, Caroline drowns (and drowns and drowns) her confusing feeling about Klaus in drink. Her complaining buddy? Kol Mikaelson, her trouble's brother. Surprisingly, it isn't too bad.

He wasn't supposed to get to her. None of it was.

She wasn't supposed to realise he was the only one ever truly honest with her and that she always ended up manipulating him. She wasn't supposed to feel guilty.

He was the bed guy. Only... he wasn't. Not to her. She began to understand him somewhere along the way and that frightened her.

He made her feel something that she couldn't quite place and, when she caught Tyler and Hayley stumbling up the stairs half naked, she wanted him to console her but was stuck with (no offence) Stefan.

So there she was at the Grill, drowning her sorrows because he was going to be her date.

There was too much to figure out to be distracted -

ironic, isn't it? The little blonde distraction being distracted -

by him and all his worldly charms.

Oh, she wasn't alone though.

No, no.

Kol had come back to bother his siblings and had taken it upon himself to listen to her slurring as she whined about life.

The thing that surprised her most was that he was actually listening.

"I wasn't s'pposed to care about him, you know? I mean, I went to the stupid ball with him in case Matt died or something – which I still totally hate you for, by the way."

"I won't apologise. It got me what I wanted."

"I don't care! We're talking about me now. So, as I was sayin' he shows me his pretty pictures and shit and I'm all 'where'd you steal this from?' but then he was blushing. Then there was the horse and he started actually making conversation and I'm pissed he makes me feel bad for him so I'm a total bitch.

"When I get home, he's drawn me a pony, right? A pony. And my face. I was flattered, yeah, but who just scribbles out a pony for a girl after she verbally slaps him in the face?"

"Apparently my brother does."

"Yeah! Then there's the decade dance where he's all Small town boy, small town, it won't be enough for you. So I'm staring at him like an idiot whilst my boyfriend is glaring at us both. He's a good dancer, too."

"Your boyfriend or my brother?"

"Klaus, duh." He just rolled his eyes and let her carry on. "He goes off on a rampage, like... I don't know because I wasn't there. I was hiding in the toilets from him."

"From my brother?"

"Yes! Because he kept saying things. He promised to take me to Rome and Paris and Tokyo. I don't think I'd like Tokyo, to be honest. Its a big step."

"Indeed." She hadn't noticed him texting yet and he was thankful. He didn't want her to see he was crying out to Nik for help with the drunk blonde. "Don't you have a... thing to plan?"

"Already done it. Benefits of being me... I have minions. They do what I say and do it well because I scare them a little. Also, I'm not gunna be drunk because I'll just," she looked around the rather empty establishment conspiratorially before whispering (loudly), "feed later. Probably, like, ten blood bags or somethin'."

"Blood bags? Why not just-"

"NO! No! I don't eat people. Its horrible being compelled and fed from. Its like losing time and being..."

He noticed she was sobering up and wondered what could possibly cause her to go from whiny drunkard to frightened little girl within just a second.

"Let me give you some advice – which is rare for me because I usually mess with my siblings rather than help them. Try it with Nik. He hasn't been like this... ever, really. You're the first woman in his whole life to catch his attention like this. The fact that you're a baby vampire with no knowledge of anything outside your home town-"

"Hey!"

"Means he sees greatness in you. That's Nik's special talent. He finds beauty and he makes the most of it."

"He doens't break it?"

"Of course not. He's not got any beauty in him. Well, he doesn't think so, at least... So he admires true beauty when he finds it. He usually gives up on it after a while. Paintings, jewellery, sculptures. They all lose their beauty because they lose their appeal through time and wear. You, however, are something – someone – that won't lose their beauty. My brother would ensure you spend eternity by his side. You're beautiful on the inside and the out. That is beyond rare for a vampire."

"He wants me because I'm... pretty?"

"No. You're beautiful. He sees something in you that maybe not even yourself can see. I see the appeal but... we both know Nik is a complicated man. What he loves about you is for you to figure out."

"Love? He loves me?"

"Well, if he doesn't already, he's working up to it. Nik is the type of man that is committed. He is not fickle with his tastes even if he seems like it. Art has always kept his attention, so has breaking the curse and, well, pursuing you."

"He won't just throw me away when he's done?"

"Oh, Caroline," he said sympathetically, realising how low she saw herself. "Nik wants you forever. He would never be done with you. You'd have to walk away from him before he left you alone."

"Really?"

"Darling, if I was going to lie to you, I'd ensure that no one was happy with the outcome of what I told you. Why would I lie to make you ad my brother happy?" She thought about it a moment but was still too buzzed to think of an answer so she shrugged.

"What's going on here?" A voice asked. Kol turned slowly to his brother but Caroline almost slipped off her chair when she recognised him. Him.

His hands came to catch her waist and, surprisingly, she didn't push him away. "I'm drunk and I'm sleepy," she answered, using Kol's shoulders as leverage to stand up. "Well, I was more drunk but then Kol delivered some world shaking advise and I'm a little more sober now."

"I wouldn't take Kol's advise too seriously, love," Klaus offered with a glare to his unaffected brother.

"Even if he convinced me to give you a chance?" That made him pause. Caroline was looking at him with clear eyes, though still somewhat intoxicated. "What?"

"You heard me. I'm going to give you a chance but if you screw up, I'm cutting off your junk and sewing it to Kol's face."

"Why my face?" Kol demanded in horror.

"You convinced me to do this. Remember?"

"Oh yeah. Well, Nik, good luck."

.

.

.

After four centuries, Kol was still her best friend, Nik was her husband, and nobodies junk was on anyone else's face.