Hello my dears! Here is a new chapter! Sorry it's taken me a while to update. University started up again this week so I've got a lot of work to do now. Now that the new semester has started, my updates won't be as frequent, but I promise I will still update several times a month, just probably not weekly like I usually do. That, and I've got two other fics that I need to keep updated as well.

Also, don't forget that if you loved my first fic Charge, to go vote for it in the Klaroline Awards! It's under Best Crime/Thriller/Mystery Fiction!

There are parts in this chapter that I enjoyed writing, so I hope you like it as much as I did!

A/N - the italics mean it's a flashback :)

Chapter 4: Fingerprints

The next day when Caroline was on her way to work, her mind was reeling. Ever since her appointment with Meredith yesterday and discovering she was pregnant, it was all she could think about. She knew that she had to be focused at work but she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to her newly discovered pregnancy. As she drove, her thoughts drifted.

Caroline lay on her side in bed with her eyes open, far too alert to sleep because of the news Doctor Fell had given her earlier that day. She was still trying to process the facts of her new reality but it still felt so surreal. She couldn't help but worry about all of the bad things that could possibly happen. She had to cut out all alcohol and make sure to keep an extremely healthy diet. She would avoid all smokers – thank God she wasn't one herself. She would do yoga and pilates to keep herself fit – after all, it was considered the best exercise for women who were expecting. Of course, she had to cut out her all-time favourite thing in the world – coffee. Oh God, that was going to be hard. And just another issue to add onto it, her job was a recipe for severe stress, but she didn't want to cut back her hours or go on maternity leave. She loved her job. Surely she could compromise with Alaric.

Caroline subconsciously rested a hand on her stomach as if she were protecting the new little life that was growing inside of her. She felt Klaus behind her as he put his arm around her waist and linked his fingers through hers over her stomach. She closed her eyes at the comfort he provided and squeezed his hand gently.

"Are you alright?" she asked. She had been worried about how he was going to react to the news. They hadn't even talked about having kids yet after all, so this had come as a surprise to both of them.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Okay. Just surprised, is all." She replied. She didn't want to burden him with her worries. "How are you feeling about it?"

There was a long pause before he replied and it made Caroline anxious. "Honestly?" he said and Caroline nodded ever so slightly. She heard him take a deep breath. "I'm shocked. I'm surprised. I'm extremely nervous, but I'm happy."

Caroline didn't need him to tell her why he was nervous. His past experiences with his father as a child hadn't been very pleasant ones, and she knew that it must have been taking part in his nervousness for being a father. She knew deep down that Mikael was the sole reason why he was anxious. She turned her head so she could look back at him and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I don't think you should be nervous." She replied gently. "I think you're going to be a great Dad."

Caroline could barely see anything because of the dark, but she was almost certain that she saw him give her the smallest of smiles before he leaned in and captured her lips with his.

She broke out of reverie once she pulled up in the parking lot at the department. She sat there for a moment deep in thought before reaching for her phone to call Klaus. As she unlocked her phone, she saw she had a text from her sister-in-law Rebekah.

Are you doing anything tonight? – R

Caroline quickly texted Rebekah back.

No. I've got nothing planned. Why? What's up? – C

Within not even thirty seconds, Rebekah replied.

You and me. Girl's night at The Chocolate Tree at 7. Sound good? – R

Caroline smiled. She hadn't seen Rebekah for a few weeks because she had been full on at work, so it was good to finally have the opportunity to catch up.

Sounds great! See you then xxx – C

Once she replied to Rebekah, she dialled in her home number and put her phone to her ear. After a few rings, Klaus picked up the phone.

"Klaus, it's me." She said and straight away she could hear the worry in his voice.

"Is everything alright, love?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I just…" she played with a loose thread on her work shirt as she tried to think of the words, "I was just thinking that maybe we shouldn't tell anyone about the baby yet."

There was a long pause on his end of the phone. Caroline chewed on her bottom lip nervously, waiting for him to answer.

"Why not? Don't you want to tell anyone?" he said finally. "Everyone is going to find out eventually, Caroline. You can't exactly hide your stomach once you are a few months along."

"I know, and I do want to tell everyone, but I think we should just wait until we're sure it's healthy and nothing is wrong. I want to make sure everything is alright first before we tell everyone and get them all excited, because if something goes wrong, then it's going to hurt everyone if they all become attached. I know it would kill Rebekah if something happened."

"Nothing bad is going to happen, sweetheart." He said and Caroline could tell he was trying to reassure her, but she couldn't help but let a few tears fall down her cheeks.

"But how do you know that?" she said quietly, not trusting her own voice. "My mother had three miscarriages before she could have me. I just don't want our families to become attached and then something horrible happen."

She heard him swallow on the other end of the phone and release a sigh. "Okay, sweetheart. I won't tell anyone. You let me know when you're okay with everyone knowing and then we can tell them together, but I promise you, everything is going to be perfectly fine."

She smiled gratefully at his words and gave a small nod of her head, though he couldn't see it. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and took a deep breath.

"Thank you." She said softly.

"No worries, love."

She looked over at the department where she just saw Lexi walk in and went back into focus. "I've got to go. My shift starts in a few minutes. I'll see you later. I love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart."

Caroline ended the call and stared at her phone for a while, trying to keep her emotions in check as she absentmindedly put her hand over her stomach. Trying to snap out of it, she shoved her phone into her pocket and got out of the car and locked it behind her. As she made her way towards the front entrance, she reminded herself to stay focused and to not get all emotional over nothing. Stupid hormones.

As soon as she walked through the front door, she was bombarded by Matt. Caroline didn't hear him at first, too caught up in her own thoughts to properly listen to him. Caroline shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around what Matt just said.

"Wait, what? Sorry, I didn't hear you."

Matt frowned for a moment before repeating himself. "I searched the Clare family's house yesterday and I managed to find a finger print on the door handle. We've tested the DNA and its traced back to a man named Marcel Gerard."

"Okay." Caroline nodded as she tried to think on the spot. "Have you found anything else yet?"

Matt shook his head. "Not yet but I'm still digging for more information. You'll be the first to know if I find something."

"Thanks Matt." Caroline said with a kind smile before setting off to complete her work routine. She had a name for the suspect now. That was always a good place to start.

After her six hour shift, Caroline made her way home and tossed her keys into the bowl on the table near the front door. As soon as she had entered the house, she could smell acrylic paints. Klaus must have been in the studio again.

She headed upstairs to the bedroom and gathered the clothes she was going to wear to her outing with Rebekah. She headed into the bathroom and stripped down before turning the shower on. As she showered, she thought about her day at work. It wasn't as stressful as every other day, considering they now had a lead on the suspect, but it was still hectic. Caroline forced herself to take a few deep breaths. She had to keep her stress to a minimum. She didn't want it to affect her baby's health.

Once she was satisfied she was clean, she started getting ready. She wore blue jeans, a crème top with a long black cardigan and black heeled boots to match. She curled her hair nicely and gave her makeup a natural look. Once she was ready, she grabbed her handbag and turned to the door to find Klaus standing there with a brow raised at her curiously. He had splatters of paint on him and Caroline couldn't help but wipe a blotch of paint off his face with her thumb as an amused smile displayed itself on her face.

"You've got paint on your face again." She said and showed him the blue stain on her thumb. He rubbed his cheek with his own hand as if to remove the rest of it.

"It will come off." He said then gave her a once over. "Going out?"

"Yeah. I'm meeting up with Rebekah at The Chocolate Tree for coffee. Well, I won't be having coffee, anyway." She said with a frown. She loved coffee but now she couldn't have it for nine months if she wanted to make sure her unborn child was going to be a healthy little bundle of joy.

"Good. Now she will stop her whinging every time she calls here." Klaus said, the relief clear in his voice. "She never shuts up about wanting to see you. You two may as well live together."

Caroline laughed and pecked his lips. "I'd much rather stay living with you, paint splotches and all." She said as she examined another splatter of paint on his shirt. That's going to be a nightmare to remove. "When I get back, I expect you to show me this painting of yours. And I expect you to have tried to remove these paint stains, too." She added.

He chuckled and twirled one of her blonde curls around his finger. "Just go have some fun with Rebekah and get her off my case, then I'll show you the painting later."

She smiled and reached up on her toes to place a soft lingering kiss on his lips. She twisted her fingers in his necklaces before pulling back and letting go of him. "I'll be back around ten. I'll see you later."

He placed a kiss on her forehead before gently nudging her over to the door. "I'll see you later. Now don't keep Rebekah waiting. We all know she's just as bad as you when people are late to things."

Fifteen minutes later, Caroline was walking into The Chocolate Tree and was tackled by Rebekah in a tight hug. Caroline squealed from the surprise attack and hugged her back after she got over her shock.

"I've missed you, Caroline." Rebekah said once she let the other blonde go. Rebekah was dressed in her usual designer clothes – A black and grey Guess top with white jeans and black strappy heels. Her long blonde hair was straightened and hung down her back.

"I've missed you too, Bekah." Caroline said as the two of them made their way over to a vacant table and sat down. "Work has been so hectic lately and I've had no time on my hands. It's so exhausting."

"That's what you get for being Lieutenant." Rebekah said as her eyes skimmed over the dessert bar's menu. Caroline looked over hers too and a few minutes later, they went up to the counter to order their food. Rebekah had ordered a cappuccino and a chocolate brownie with Dutch chocolate ice cream and Caroline decided to order a peppermint tea and pancakes with cream and maple syrup. Hey, she was allowed to still treat herself to something nice every now and then. Rebekah, however, raised a brow in question when Caroline didn't order a coffee.

"Since when do you pick tea over coffee?"

Caroline shrugged her shoulders. Caroline knew perfectly well why but she wasn't ready to tell anyone just yet. Not until the baby's health was confirmed.

"I wanted to try something new."

Rebekah eyed Caroline for a long moment and Caroline swallowed. Eventually Rebekah just shrugged it off and Caroline felt relief wash over her as they went back to their table.

"So how have you and Matt been?" Caroline asked. Caroline was always working with Matt but he never mentioned anything about how his relationship with Rebekah was going. Caroline was always able to get the gossip out of her sister-in-law though. Rebekah loved a good chat just as much as Caroline did.

"Oh, we're great." She beamed. "I honestly have never been happier. Matt is the first guy that my brothers actually approve of." Rebekah laughed and Caroline joined in.

"As long as he treats you well, Rebekah. That's all that matters."

"He does. Believe me, he does."

"He's just a nice guy in general." Caroline said with a nod. "He's like a big teddy bear. But if he ever does something that even remotely upsets you, I'll whip him into shape at work." She said and the two girls laughed.

Eventually their food came out and by this point, Caroline was starving. However, when she took her first bite of her pancake, she scowled at the food on her plate.

"I cannot believe this." She muttered and Rebekah furrowed her brows as Caroline waved down the waiter.

"What is it?" Rebekah asked just as the waiter arrived. Caroline looked up at the waiter and pointed an accusing finger at her food.

"I have a complaint." Caroline stated as she watched the waiters face go pale.

"Yes Miss? What can I do to help?"

"It's Mrs, not Miss. I do have a ring on my finger." She said as Rebekah watched with wide eyes. "On the menu, it said that this dish comes with maple syrup, correct?" Caroline said and the waiter nodded. "Well this isn't maple syrup. This is golden syrup. I ordered maple syrup like it said on the menu. It never said anything about golden syrup."

"I'm sorry Mrs…?"

"Just call me Caroline. It's so much easier." Caroline replied. "I want my maple syrup. Not golden syrup. Maple."

"I apologise, Caroline, but there is no maple syrup. We changed to golden syrup a few months ago."

Caroline's eyes went wide and her jaw fell open. "Then why didn't you guys update your menus? You can't say that you have maple and then give your customers golden syrup. That's false advertising! You can't do that! Customers are paying specifically for maple syrup and then you go ahead and give them golden syrup. That is unacceptable. This place needs to be more organised and reprint the menus again." She said and scoffed as she turned to Rebekah. "I can't believe this."

Rebekah didn't know what to make of Caroline's outburst. She sat there with her mouth hanging open and no words coming out until she finally recovered. "Caroline, there's honestly not that much difference between the two."

"Yes there is!" Caroline protested. "Maple syrup is the more natural syrup. It's the proper one. Whereas golden syrup is just a cheap and crappy version of maple. There is a big difference, Rebekah. The chefs here should know that."

Rebekah chewed on her bottom lip; something that she ever did, before turning to the waiter. "I apologise for her. She's just been severely stressed at work."

"I think a refund is in order."

"Caroline!" Rebekah said exasperated. What was up with the woman?!

"I can't do refunds but I can get you another meal if you would like?" the waiter offered. Caroline sighed dramatically and looked over the menu before finally pointing at something.

"I'll have the strawberry and chocolate crepe then, please." She said and the waiter quickly scurried off to the kitchen. When she saw Rebekah shaking her head at her in disbelief, she furrowed her brows.

"What?"

"I knew you were a control freak but I didn't think you were this bad. You're acting like a pregnant woman." Rebekah said and Caroline froze with her eyes wide. Her jaw hung open for a moment before she shut it and shook herself out of shock.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about. That's crazy. I'm not pregnant." She scoffed and rolled her eyes, attempting to lie.

Rebekah eyed her warily before taking a sip of her cappuccino. "If I didn't know better, I would say you were lying." She said and Caroline laughed nervously, then coughed.

"That's funny. You're a funny one, Bekah." She said then drank half of her tea, her nerves getting the better of her. Rebekah's cautious gaze hadn't disappeared yet, causing Caroline to stand up abruptly from her chair. "I need to pee." She blurted out before grabbing her bag and making a beeline for the toilets.

Once in the restroom, she placed her hands on either side of the sink and leaned against it as she looked into the mirror. She couldn't lie to save her life. What kind of lying ability was she convinced she had when she told Klaus that she didn't want anyone to know about the pregnancy yet? She had zero chance of being able to tell a lie and getting away with it, especially with Rebekah of all people. That had proven all too true when the restroom door flew open and Rebekah marched in.

"You actually are pregnant, aren't you?" Rebekah said straight out. No subtlety came with this one. Caroline opened her mouth to answer with another lie but didn't have the heart to lie to her sister-in-law, especially since Caroline was as easy to read as an open book. Rebekah's eyes widened as she put her hands over her mouth. "Oh my God. You are, aren't you? Oh my God! I'm going to be an auntie!"

Caroline put her hands up to tell her to calm down. "Whoa, whoa, Rebekah, slow down. I never said I was pregnant."

"Oh stop with the lies, Care. I can tell when you're lying or avoiding the topic. Besides, no one has ever thrown a tantrum like yours just before. Maple and golden syrup? Seriously? And you aren't drinking coffee either. Um, hello? I wasn't born yesterday." She said with a roll of her eyes, then stared at Caroline, waiting for an answer.

Caroline released a deep sigh before confirming Rebekah's suspicions. "Klaus and I are having a baby."

The squeal that escaped Rebekah's lips was almost deafening as she clapped her hands excitedly and jumped up and down.

"I can't believe this! Oh my God, I'm going to be an auntie! I need to start buying baby clothes and toys. Do you know the gender yet? How far along are you? I can't see a bump yet, so you aren't that far along. Does anyone else know? You need to have a baby shower in a few months! I'm going to organise a baby shower. Have you –"

"No one knows yet Rebekah." Caroline cut her off. "You can't tell anyone."

"Why not? It's going to be the first new baby edition to the Mikaelson family. And the Forbes family, too. Hell, the whole department!"

"We just want to wait until after the first appointment to tell everyone. I told Klaus to not tell anyone yet either because I want to make sure it's healthy before anyone knows. Just in case, you know?" Caroline said but she couldn't miss the excited gleam in Rebekah's eyes. "Please don't tell anyone. Please." She begged and Rebekah sighed

"Alright, but expect bags full of designer baby clothing."

Caroline couldn't help but smile at Rebekah's excitement and hugged her sister-in-law tightly. "I wouldn't expect anything else, Bekah."

When Caroline arrived home, she went straight to Klaus' studio and sure enough, she found him still working on his painting. He turned his attention to her in the doorway when he heard her arrive and he gave her a lazy smile.

"Couldn't tolerate my sister any longer?"

"She knows I'm pregnant."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"She guessed it straight away." Caroline said as she stepped into the room. She hugged her sides as she made her way over to him and looked at the half finished painting. "She made a joke about me acting like a pregnant woman and I freaked out and tried to lie but you know how bad I am at lying and I tried to deny it but she saw right through me but I told her to not tell anyone and I told her why, so now –"

"Caroline, you're rambling again."

Caroline bit down on her lower lip nervously. "I know. Sorry." She said then tried to be optimistic. "But on the plus side though, we probably won't need to buy baby clothes and toys because she seemed pretty eager to spoil the kid rotten with gifts."

"I wouldn't expect any less from Rebekah. She's very enthusiastic when she wants to be."

Caroline gave him a small smile and a nod before looking back at the canvas. "What is it?"

"Does it have to be anything specific?" he said and she furrowed her brows in confusion.

"I don't get it."

"You're not supposed to get it. It's abstract. You make whatever you feel like of its meaning. It's up to each individual person. That's the true secret behind art. To make it good and purposeful, it needs to have personal meaning." He said and Caroline watched him as he spoke. His eyes were focussed on the canvas with a mixture of determination and focus. It was moments like this where she saw the sergeant disappear and the artist crack through the surface. "Most artists paint using their own personal meaning and people think that their idea is the only emotion in the painting, whereas I like to think that everyone can find their own meaning in a painting, whether they painted it or not. That's why abstract art is such a great style to work with. You can make whatever you want from it."

She looked at the painting and knitted her brows together in concentration. "It looks like a snowflake."

He raised a brow at her in question. "Is my work really that literal?"

She shook her head slowly, still trying to work out the painting. "It looks lonely."

"Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. We will never know." He said then a look of concern took over his handsome face. "Caroline, are you feeling alright? You look a little ill."

Caroline's eyes widened "I'm fine. Why?"

"You look a little green."

She looked at him confused, then finally understood what he was saying once he smirked and put a big fat blotch of green paint on her cheek. She squealed and whacked the brush away, causing him to laugh. Her jaw hung open as he laughed at her and, feeling vengeful, she grabbed one of the other used brushes and painted a thick blue line down the middle of his face.

He stopped laughing and lifted his hand up to his face to wipe the blue paint off. He looked at it on his fingers before lifting his gaze to hers. He stayed dead silent, causing Caroline to take a step back when she saw the smirk slowly appear on his face.

Oh shit.

He wrapped his arms around her to keep her from escaping as she squealed and tried to reach a paintbrush, but he wouldn't let her. He reached out for the paint palette, covering his hand in both warm and cool colours and smeared it over her face.

"Hey!" she squealed before wiping the paint onto her own hand and leaving a handprint on his jaw and neck. Half of the paint went in his mouth, distracting him and giving Caroline the chance to break out of his grip and bolt. She didn't make it so far as the other side of the room when he locked her in his arms once again. She wriggled in his grip, her body shaking from her laughter and the two of them fell onto the floor in a wave of laugher. Caroline lay on her back with her hand over her stomach, trying to calm down from her giggling fit, Klaus leaning over her with a large grin on his face. She reached up and touched a finger to his lips.

"Your lips have been painted blue." She giggled.

"And yours red."

"Want to make purple?" she teased and he chuckled. "I think we should since I deserve a reward for knowing the colour wheel. I'm becoming an art protégé." She said playfully and was silenced with a gentle and loving kiss.

And there you have chapter 4! What did you think? Did you like it? Did it make you giggle at parts? Did other parts make you go 'awwww'? Let me know in reviews!

Celeste xoxo