Hello, my lovely readers. This is the next to last chapter. On with the show…

Chapter 31: 10 Things to Do Before I Graduate

A calendar hung on the fridge in her house and Caroline Forbes could only stare at it in awe. A month. She had a month before graduation and heading off to college. Her stomach rolled beneath her long-sleeved T. Stuffing her balled fists into her cords, she shifted from foot to foot, gnawing at her lower lip. What to do until then?

Her mom was out for the evening, on a date with a nice guy from work, or that's how her mom put it. Her mom was good at her job but worked the desk at the Sheriff's station more than she actually went out and took down bad guys. Caroline thought her mother could be a better sheriff than the actual sheriff; but no one asked her what she thought.

Caroline moved through the small house and into her bedroom. On top of her bed, sat a notebook from her English class which was relatively untouched. Flipping it open, she ignored notes on Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. She'd probably read it in college or during her free time— someday—when she didn't have to deal with someone else's criticisms floating through her brain.

Sitting down and stretching her legs beneath her, she dug out a pen from her backpack, lying, discarded beside her bed. Chewing the cap, she tried to think of what to write. "Come on. Work Brain!" she groaned, smacking the notebook with the pen, making loud, tapping sounds.

Then it occurred to her. She should make a list of ten things to do before she graduated. But what? Her mind began to buzz around various possibilities before she began to smile. The perfect ideas began to flow through her fingertips, into the ink and onto the paper.

#1: Party Like You've Never Partied Before

"This is one hell of a party!" Damon said, looking around the scene as he, Elena, Caroline and Klaus walked into the party on Whitmore's campus.

Caroline gulped but she was determined. She would have fun. Even if it killed her. Tugging at the short, short skirt that Elena had helped her into, where she had to lay on her stomach and have Elena stick one knee in her back, yanking the zipper as hard as possible, until, voila, success. If Caroline didn't puke, tonight might work out well. She tried not to look down at the scoop necked t-shirt with the red lace bra peeking out, for everyone to see. Of course it was see-through. Thanks, Elena, Caroline thought, rolling her eyes. And the makeup that would befit a girl from the cast of Chicago. Oh yeah, Caroline was ready to get her party on.

"You look…different," Klaus whispered into her ear as they entered the house. He kept saying that, Caroline wanted to smack him in the head. Why did guys have to think that looking like a hooker made you hot?

"Caroline, guys are checking you out!" Elena called, coming over and shoving a cup in Caroline's hand. "Drink!" she ordered Caroline.

Looking from Klaus, to Elena, to Damon, Caroline looked suspiciously into the bottom of the cup before downing it. Klaus chuckled. "Don't worry, love, I've got you," he swore.

Nodding, Caroline felt her head spin when she took a step. "Whoa," she cried.

"Slow down, girl," Elena laughed. "Okay. No more drinks for the light-weight," she proclaimed, pointing a finger at Klaus and Damon and taking a healthy sip of her own drink.

They stood off to the side for awhile until Caroline felt better. "You good?" Elena asked, taking Caroline's hand in hers.

"Yup!" Caroline let out a giggle. "I like this song!" she said but it seemed like she shouted because several people turned to stare at her.

"Come!" Elena took Caroline's other hand, leading her to a table. They climbed on top and began to dance. Caroline threw back her head, laughing and dancing with her friend. She always thought that Elena was a little crazy but Caroline felt great. She wished she'd tried this before.

A guy tried to grab her when Klaus caught her by the waist, hauling her back down and moving them to a place where they could dance. He pressed their bodies together and Caroline grinned up at him, feeling a little wild as she slid her hands under the bottom of his shirt and leaning over, kissing his neck.

"Love, we have company," Klaus moaned.

"I don't care," Caroline muttered into his ear, kissing him on the lips.

Klaus laughed, holding her while she continued to kiss him, moving in his arms to the beat of the fast paced song, making her own heart race. She turned around, sliding down his body and making him groan. A couple of people cat-called to them but Caroline didn't care. She was having a good time, being free and happy to be.

"Okay. Next party!" Elena cried. They left the party and found another one. Caroline didn't drink the punch but she did pull Klaus into a closet and kissed him until neither of them could breathe. Elena found them in the closet and made them move along to another party and another.

By the time they got done, Caroline could barely feel her feet but she continued to dance all the way up the driveway of the Mikaelson's house. Klaus placed a finger to her lips and picked her up, carrying her inside. They snuck into his bedroom and she climbed on him, kissing him passionately until he stopped her. "Love, when you're a little less inebriated."

Caroline pouted but fell asleep in her fiancée's arms. The next morning, she checked her first item off her list, got dressed in the clothes she brought with her for her overnighter and then went to school with a hangover.

#2: Spend a Day with my Fiancé

Since Klaus was going to Notre Dame and she was going to MIT, in the fall, Caroline wanted a special day with her boyfriend. Thankfully, she had a spare key to her dad's cabin.

Setting up for the day, Caroline brought food, and twinkly lights. Hayley swore they'd make it romantic while she helped Caroline set the place up. Rebekah, Elena, Bonnie and Davina had come, too. Bonnie and Davina ended up being bossed around by Hayley while Rebekah and Elena shared a bottle of wine and discussed their own weekend plans.

Caroline felt nervous, smoothing out the blue dress she wore. She hoped Klaus liked it. Rebekah had helped her pick it out and swore that Klaus would fall over when he saw her. She'd instructed him to come over on Friday night so they'd have most of Saturday as well. Now, her heart began to pound in her chest. She was not the romantic gesture-girl which is why the rose petals leading to the bedroom were not her idea. The candle lit dinner, she'd not prepared, but sampled. It was good. But if he didn't get his ass here, in the next fifteen minutes; it would grow cold. The music: Coldplay, Adele, some really old jazz that Bonnie suggested, not something Caroline did. Ever.

A knock at the door caused Caroline to jump. She felt frozen to the floor with nerves. What the hell, Caroline? She groaned internally, You're engaged to marry him. Just open the door!

Moving across the floor at a rapid rate, Caroline jerked it open, grinning at Klaus in his suit. "You're perfect," she told him, grinning from ear to ear. Now that he was here, she felt her entire body unwind. He was her friend and she loved him more than anyone in the entire universe. This would be a piece of cake.

Klaus walked inside the cabin. "Wow! You've outdone yourself, Ms. Forbes."

"Why, thank you, Mr. Mikaelson, might I interest you in a seat? A quiet table for two?" Caroline waved at the table.

Klaus grinned. "That sounds perfect. Shall we?" he held out an arm and Caroline took it. They walked over to the table and he pulled out her chair.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're quite welcome," Klaus sat down, opening his napkin with a flourish that made her laugh.

They ate the meal that Bonnie had made. She loved that Enzo had taught Bonnie to cook this well. Maybe he could help Caroline, too. Taking a sip of her wine, Caroline looked up at Klaus who kept staring at her. "What are you doing?" she asked him with a laugh.

"Admiring genuine beauty," Klaus replied. He got up and offered her his hand. Caroline sat her glass down. Getting up, she placed her hand in his, allowing him to lead her across the room and to the middle of the floor. He slid his arm around her back, and she rested her hand on his shoulder. They looked into each other's eyes while they danced. "I love you, Caroline," he said and she felt her heart skip a beat.

"I love you, too," Caroline replied. She didn't think he'd ever stop making her heart skip, dance and flutter.

Klaus dipped his head, kissing her gently and then pulling her off her feet. She smiled when he scooped her into his arms. He carried her into the bedroom and set her on her feet. Her body trembled as he slid the zipper down. No matter how many times they were together, it always felt new to her. His lips traced a course from her lips to her navel and she sighed as he tugged the rest of her clothes off. She undressed him, admiring her soon-to-be husband's body. "I wish I were an artist because I would like to sketch you," she told him before tracing the lines of him with her lips and tongue.

They climbed into bed and Klaus climbed on top of her. Caroline moaned as he moved on top of her. She loved him and wished they had more time. Yes, they had most of the summer but people grew apart and although they'd decided to get married next year, a lot could happen in the course of a year which is why #10 was on her list. Whether they would go through with it, she didn't know which is what tonight and tomorrow were for.

The next day, Caroline woke up to the smell of cooking. Klaus stood in a pair of loose pants, cooking bacon while toast lay on a plate on the counter. Caroline came up behind him, pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. "Good morning," she whispered, running a hand through his hair.

"Good morning. Sleep well, sweetheart?" Klaus questioned her, placing bacon on a plate.

"Better than I have in my entire life." Caroline told him, kissing his shoulder. "And I'm hungry," she told him, flicking the stovetop off and turning him around.

"Oh," Klaus grinned, picking her up and carrying her back to the bedroom. They managed to come out every eight to ten hours to eat, drink, shower and then to jump on each other again.

"I think we're spoiling our honeymoon," Klaus groaned, Saturday night, falling on his back.

Caroline propped herself up on her elbow. "Well, maybe this can be our honeymoon," she told him, kissing his chest.

"Or we can have a second one," Klaus said, looking her over and causing her to giggle when he jerked her on top of him.

#3 Day with Mom

Looking around her living room, Caroline grinned. This was an easy one to check off her list. Just watching old movies, popcorn and looking through old family photo albums. The doorbell rang and Caroline walked over, smiling when she opened it. "Hey, Enzo! Thanks for the help!" she led him into the kitchen.

"Not a problem. I actually love to cook, you know," Enzo walked into the kitchen with grocery bags.

Her mother came out of her bedroom, looking groggy and rubbing at her eyes. "Caroline, honey, what's going on?" her mother asked.

"Mom, you remember Enzo?" Caroline waved in Enzo's direction. Enzo waved from his place in front of their fridge.

Liz pulled the belt of her robe tighter around her waist. "Yes. Hello, Enzo," she called before waving Caroline over. "What's he doing in our kitchen?"

"Mommy and Me Day would not be complete without our own personal chef," Caroline grinned, waving at Enzo again while he got set up in their kitchen.

"Do you have a sauce pan?" Enzo asked, his dark eyebrows rising.

"Second cabinet, on your left," Liz told him, pointing it out.

Enzo nodded, finding what he needed. "Thanks, ma'am."

"And he's polite," Liz remarked, shaking her head.

Caroline could not stop smiling when her mother went to take a shower. The doorbell rang again and Damon and Elena came in. "We hear you need a waitress and someone to wash the dishes," Elena announced, walking in. "Waitress. Busboy/dishwasher," she elbowed Damon who rolled his eyes.

"I'm here because Enzo's cooking," Damon grumbled.

"I thought you were here to help!" Enzo cried, glaring at Damon. "And I'm not blasted well cooking for you, in case you forgot, we hate each other."

"Too bad," Elena said, she pulled out a wad of cash. "Here. We paid. Now, we eat," she informed Enzo.

"I have a right to refuse service," Enzo was saying when Liz came out.

"Oh, hello," Liz called to Elena and Damon.

"Hey!" Elena called cheerfully.

Damon grinned. "Hi!"

"Are you also here to help?" Liz asked, looking at the two.

"Yup!" Elena replied, holding up a bottle of champagne. "I'm making mimosas."

Liz' eyebrows rose but she didn't argue. Caroline sighed. She took a seat across from her mother and Elena served them. Caroline felt happy that Elena did not do drugs or, have a fight with Damon, and that Damon did not pick on Enzo, too much.

Caroline's friends left a couple of hours later so she and her mother could watch movies. "Steel Magnolias. Practical Magic. Heartbreakers. And all seven seasons of The Gilmore Girls!" Caroline enthused. She hoped that her mother would like these picks. "We cry. Then we laugh and cry. Then we laugh. And then… I don't know because the show is old."

"So am I, Caroline," her mother said, taking a bowl of popcorn out of the microwave.

"No, you're not, mom," Caroline hugged her mom. "You're really young."

"No, baby, you're really young. You should be out with your friends," her mom advised.

"I have plenty of time to be with my friends. Today is all about you and me," Caroline replied.

Liz smiled, kissed Caroline's forehead before they moved onto their movie/TV show marathon. They laughed and cried until they went to sleep on the couch.

Checking off number three on her list, Caroline moved onto number four.

#4: Girl's Night Out

Caroline entered Hayley's house. She'd spent more time in Hayley's house in the last year than she'd ever spent since they were eight. Bonnie and Elena danced around in the foyer. Liv, Anna and Davina headed upstairs like they lived there. Rebekah sighed, leaning against the front door. "Right," she muttered.

All of the girls ended up in Hayley's bedroom. "Okay, girls, I've got supplies: nail polish, makeup, hair curlers and straighteners. And a shit ton of clothes, to make us look like we're movie star hot! Let's go!" Her pep made Caroline turn, to try to leave when Rebekah turned her around and pushed her back into the room.

"If I have to do it, so do you. And this is on your list, not mine," Rebekah reminded her.

Caroline endured being dressed up, yet again. This time Hayley was the one waving the mascara wand, hair curler and shoving her into a mini-dress. She actually looked kind of cute in a short green number that emphasized her long legs. The makeup was toned down. Her hair fell in large curls around her face. She looked like a girl on the cover of Seventeen.

"Cool. Thanks, Hayley," Caroline called over her shoulder.

"You're welcome," Hayley called back, popping out of the bathroom in a little black dress.

They left the room within an hour, to drive around town, cat-calling Klaus and Kol who were walking back from Damon's, dropped by a drive-through to order milkshakes and stopped at the football field. Hayley drove onto it, her headlights working as their light source while her radio poured out strains of music from an oldies' station. "Girls' just want to have fun!" Caroline, Bonnie and Elena sang Cyndi Lauper's hit. "That's what they really want!"

All of the girls danced around before going to sit on the bleachers. "Drink?" Elena pulled out a flask. Caroline took a sip, feeling the drink searing her throat. All of them took a drink, except for Hayley who waved a hand. "Not tonight," she said.

"What's the matter, are you pregnant?" Elena teased the cheerleader.

Hayley rolled her eyes, taking a sip from her milkshake. "I'm going to go get that test to see if my mom's cancer is genetic tomorrow," she announced.

"What?" Caroline sat up.

Hayley shrugged, shoving her straw up and down. "It's just a thing."

"It's kind of a big deal," Bonnie noted.

Elena pushed the flask at Hayley. "You need this more than I do."

"I'm taking it with her," Anna told them, taking the flask and taking a sip.

Caroline wrapped her arms around her legs. So much for Girl's Night Out being drama-free. "Let's go dance!" she suggested.

They went back to dancing until a cop car showed up and they hopped into Hayley's car, taking off, laughing as they fled.

#5: Game Night with Jack

"When was the last time we did this?" Caroline asked Jack, nudging with her shoulder since her hands were holding her game console.

"Before we got a pair of balls and chains," Jack joked. "Oh, man, Care, you're about to be eaten!" he cried. "Look out!"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I can outrun it!" she said, concentrating on making Beth outrun the zombie chasing her down. "Ha, ha! Take that. Eat my dust!"

"Behind you!" Jack cried.

"Oh, this is what I get for allowing you to be Rick Grimes. Guy has no one's back," Caroline complained. "Even poor Carl lost an eye."

"Do it again?" Jack asked, taking a sip of his Red Bull.

"You're on. This time, I'm Carol and you can be…umm…" Caroline thought about it.

"Carl, kid's got more lives than a cat I once owned." Jack's eyes moved back to the screen.

Caroline laughed. "That's so true. Didn't that cat die after eating an orange? So weird."

"Yeah. I don't know if it was the orange or the fact that the cat was like twenty," Jack's Carl retorted, running away from a hoard of zombies while Carol jumped from building to building, shooting left and right.

"Carol is a ninja," Caroline proclaimed.

"Carl is going to outlive Rick," Jack told her.

"Duh!" Caroline giggled. "Oh, no! Agh! I'm surrounded. Maybe we should have asked for more people to come."

"Nah. We've beaten worse. Okay! Here we go!" Jack yelled and Caroline braced herself as they cut through the zombie hoard. An hour later, they had gotten through together. High-fiving; they laughed. "Did I tell you I'm going to miss you?" Jack asked.

"Don't get all weepy on me," Caroline cried, grinning. "You've still got Marcel."

"I know, but I won't have my best gamer girl," Jack reminded her.

"You've got me tonight," Caroline said, hugging him.

"Okay. One more time. I'll be…" Jack began.

"You can be Maggie," Caroline told him.

"And I'll be Daryl. I want to ride his bike," Caroline watched Jack roll his eyes.

"Fine. I'll be a girl," Jack sighed. "At least I'm hot."

"I am, too." Caroline smirked when Jack's eyebrows rose.

"O-kay." They returned to the game.

#6: Go Parachuting

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" Caroline gripped her seat in the back of the plane. "I don't think I can do this!" She closed her eyes, squeezing them shut.

"It's okay, Caroline," Klaus shouted. "I've done this before!"

"We're going to die!" Damon yelled.

Elena rolled her eyes. "You're such a baby!" she shouted at him.

Damon glared back. "If I die, I'm taking you with me," he threatened his girlfriend.

"You're so sweet," Elena said, grabbing Damon and kissing him. Damon seemed to forget what he was doing for a second. "See you on the other side," Elena called over her shoulder, grinning at Caroline before shoving Damon out of the plane.

Damon let out a scream. Klaus looked at Caroline whose fingernails bit into the seat. Now, she was scared. Her heart slowed when she saw Damon's parachute inflate just before Elena's did. "See, love, they're fine. We will be, too."

"You jump, I jump," Caroline said.

"Just like our wedding," Klaus replied and she kissed him before they jumped out of the plane. She let out a scream, closing her eyes before yanking the cords. When the parachute yanked her, Caroline let out a s sigh of relief. Klaus laughed from her left side, his own parachute flying, not very far away.

"We're flying!" Caroline yelled. Klaus nodded.

"You tried to kill me!" Damon shouted at Elena, chasing her around the field they'd dropped into.

Klaus pulled a bouquet of wildflowers, handing them to Caroline and she thanked him with a kiss while Damon continued to chase Elena, stomping on other poor innocent flowers. "Come back here!" Damon yelled as Elena freed herself and ran away from Damon while he became tangled in his parachute. Caroline and Klaus had to help him out. Four more things to do and she would be done.

#7: Toilet Paper the Town

Caroline giggled. Klaus handed her a roll of toilet paper. Elijah joined them. He was the expert at things like this. Only his usual pranks were much more destructive. Kol looked happy as he held his own roll of toilet paper. Elena was in her element.

"We're going to go to jail!" Hayley hissed.

"Not if we're not caught," Elijah reminded her, grabbing her by the waist and carrying her onto the first lawn.

Caroline tossed toilet paper over a car, making it into a project, decorating the hood and moving backward. Klaus got the tree in front of the house. Elijah wrapped up a mailbox with a bow.

Onto the next house—Kol started out—decorating someone's lawn gnomes while Caroline and Klaus worked on their bushes. They hit the Lockwood's, hiding when Mrs. Lockwood peered out the window.

They decided to decorate their own houses to make it look less likely that they were the guilty parties. Klaus, Kol and Elijah took special care in working on their own home while Caroline felt a little guilty about papering her mother's car. Elena happily toilet papered the outside of her house and her sisters' rooms. Hayley toilet papered the backyard of her own house, tossing a roll on the roof, dancing around when it fell down the side.

#8: Go to New York

Caroline put on an I LUV NY T-shirt. She didn't mind sticking out as a tourist as she linked arms with Klaus. They ran around like a couple of kids, ate hot dogs and took pics beneath the mini Arc de Triumph, visited the Statue of Liberty and listened to Lady Gaga perform an impromptu concert.

#9: Take a Pic with Someone Famous

They were exhausted after their first night in the city that never sleeps but got up the next day. They saw George Clooney walking around and begged him for a pic with them. He was kind enough to do it. "Ha, look at that," Caroline cried, posting it on Instagram. "It's already got a hundred likes!"

Klaus kissed her and she forgot about George. They returned to the hotel to make use of their bed.

#10: Elope?

The next day, Caroline woke up, yawning and stretching. "Klaus!" she called, looking around, to find him missing.

Getting up, Caroline saw a garment bag on his side of the bed with a note:

Meet me downstairs,

Love,

Klaus

Caroline opened the bag and clapped a hand over her mouth. A short, white dress lay inside. Pulling it out, Caroline wondered how much he'd paid for it. It looked expensive. "O. M. G!" she cried.

Getting to her feet, Caroline ran into the bathroom with the dress. She showered quickly before putting the dress on. It fell just above her knee and puffed outward with pockets inside the skirt. She looked like a teen Carrie Bradshaw. The elevator did not take too long to take her downstairs.

Klaus stood, waiting for her, his hands folded in front of him. In his blue suit, Klaus looked like he was meant to stand there, looking like that: to never go to college, for them to stand here, just staring at each other, loving each other. But time moved and Caroline stepped out of the elevator.

"Hi," she said shyly, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Hello, love," Klaus grinned at her. He held out a hand and Caroline took it.

"Where are we going?" Caroline asked him.

"You'll see," Klaus said, escorting her out of the hotel.

They walked to a waiting car, slipping into the backseat. Caroline clutched Klaus's hand. She felt nervous when they pulled up in front of an official looking building. "Klaus?"

"Come, Caroline," Klaus exited the car and took her hand.

"Is this City Hall?" Caroline looked at Klaus who nodded.

"But I really wanted my parents and my friends and…" Caroline trailed off when they entered the lobby. "Mom! Dad!" she cried, placing her hands over her mouth. Klaus smirked, looking around at their friends and family.

Her mother and father came over to hug her. "Baby, you didn't think we'd miss your wedding, did you?" Bill asked, holding her.

"Of course we wouldn't," Liz said, stroking her hair.

"Excuse me! She can't get married yet!" Hayley cried, coming to join them. "Hair and makeup and flowers and a something new, something old, something borrowed, something blue." Taking off a necklace with a sapphire on the end, she grinned. "That's two."

"Something old," Bonnie came forward with a pair of tiny diamond earrings.

"Something new," Elena said, twirling a garter around her index finger.

Caroline laughed as Bonnie slipped the earrings into her ears. Elena got down on her knees and slipped the garter up her leg. "Hope you don't mind, Klaus," Elena called with a wink.

Klaus rolled his eyes while Damon clapped him on the back. Klaus' parents hugged their son. Hayley began her work on Caroline's makeup while Bonnie pulled her hair up into a twist at the back. "You look lovely," Klaus called to her.

Davina pulled out a mirror so Caroline could see. She smiled at her reflection. "Thanks," she told her friends.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I will never wear pink again!" she swore, frowning at her bridesmaid dress.

"Is the wedding party ready?" a man in a suit called, standing in the door to what had to be the mayor's office.

"Yes, we are," Klaus announced.

Everyone crowded inside and Caroline cried when her father and mother offered her hand to Klaus. Klaus kept grinning at her while Hayley filmed the whole thing for her diary. Elena snapped pics for a wedding album. Jack congratulated Klaus, "If you ever hurt her, I'll track you down."

On their way out of the mayor's office, Klaus picked her up, sitting her down in the back of the car that had brought them. "I have a surprise for you, Caroline," he told her.

"What?" Caroline asked.

"I've been accepted to NYU. I'll have a commute every day, but I think it's worth it to not be separated from my new wife." Klaus's eyes glowed with glee and Caroline laughed.

"I was accepted to Notre Dame," Caroline told him, shaking her head. "Looks like we both had the same idea."

"I love you, Mrs. Mikaelson," Klaus whispered, tipping her mouth up to kiss her.

"I love you, too," Caroline replied, settling into his embrace. She couldn't think of a better way to finish her list of ten things to do before she graduated.

The last chapter is Elena/Delena centric and I can't believe it's about to be over. Cue the crying…

Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.

Peace,

Jessica