Chapter 3

Caroline always thought that saying goodbye would be hard. That she wouldn't be able to do it. But it had been surprisingly easy.

Moreover, it finally gave her a little peace of mind.

She walked into the cemetery as slowly as she could and Klaus let her. She couldn't walk on her own just yet so he had wrapped his arm around her waist, helping her walk into the ground after she had refused to let him wheelchair her. She didn't want to feel like anymore of a burden than she already was.

The cemetery was actually very beautiful and quite peaceful.

But as she neared his tombstone, though, she found it harder to breathe. She clung to Klaus, desperate for his support, as if his hold was the only thing anchoring her to the ground and to the realm of reality.

They stopped once they were standing right in front of the tombstone. Caroline quickly dropped to her knees as her eyes focused on the inscription on the grey piece of stone.

RIP Enzo Augustine.

3rd of June 1989- 10th of September 2015

Beloved brother, husband and friend, taken too soon.

You will be missed.

It almost seemed pitiful to her to see such a… gloomy stone representing the life of her husband who was an energetic and glowing person his whole life. Even in his weakest moments, he had always tried to remain optimistic and cheerful. Not only for his sake but also for hers.

She let out a watery chuckle as she raised her hand and touched the grey tombstone, running her fingers over the cursive inscription.

Caroline heard the doorbell and rolled her eyes, stomping her feet more stubbornly against the coffee table as she refused to move and kept glaring ahead at the blank TV screen. Beside her, Klaus suppressed his smile (while she suppressed her urge to smack him across his face) and walked to the door of her home where Enzo was banging the door, repeatedly.

He rolled his eyes at the other Brit and opened the door. He stepped back to let his friend in.

"What happened? I got your text. Is she alright?" Enzo asked breathlessly, the worry in his voice irking Klaus in the wrong way.

Klaus calmly closed the door behind him all the while mimicking Enzo wordlessly when the dark haired guy couldn't see him. "She's alright. She just got a B in history" he informed him and watched as his friend's face transformed from worry to disbelief.

"And that's why she's missed the rest of the classes today?" he questioned, shocked.

Klaus smiled tightly. "And sulked around, staring at the blank television screen- he was cut off by Enzo suddenly grabbing his arm.

"What did you score?" he asked, curiously.

Klaus smirked, smugly and removed Enzo's hand off his arm brushing his jacket. "An A+" he replied, haughtily.

Enzo gaped. "And you didn't bother to help us?" he asked in an accusatory manner.

The Blonde Brit, however, shrugged. "You two wanted to study together" he reminded him, almost bitterly. "Without me" he added snidely.

Enzo rolled his eyes. "Grow up Mikaelson. You weren't even serious about it" he remarked, shaking his head and walking towards the living room while dropped his bag on the floor.

Klaus followed him in and slumped down on the armchair in the corner of the room, casually. Enzo, however, walked over to Caroline and sat next to her watching as she stared at Klaus' paper as though it had personally offended her. "Gorgeous" he said, tentatively in form of greeting.

"I got a B, Enzo" she said, straight into dread mode. "A B!?" she screeched, panicked. "My life is over! I am over. There's nothing left for me now!" she concluded dramatically waving her hands around.

Klaus chuckled silently at her words but let her carry on. The only way she was going to calm down was to get over her frustration.

"Calm down gorgeous. It's just one paper- he tried but she turned and gave him her meanest glare.

The look she gave him would've killed anyone else on the spot but he was used to that look being directed his way whenever he said the wrong thing at the wrong time in her presence so it only made him gulp. "One paper Enzo?! I worked on this for weeks" she told him, as if he didn't know.

He had been there, working with her, for the past few weeks too.

"I know darling but there's nothing we can do now. Besides at least you got a B" he tried cheering her up. "You can get it better by giving Mr. Saltzman an additional essay. I got a C" he said, shrugging.

Caroline looked at Klaus and then back at Enzo. "You got a C?" she asked softly for the first time, showing her sympathetic side for the first time that day. Enzo shrugged. "I'm so sorry Enzo" she said, shaking her head. "Mr. Saltzman is gone crazy. I mean- she stammered out, unsure of what to say.

"Contrary to what you think, love, I think this is the first time he's actually given out grades the right way" Klaus joked in, teasingly.

"Show off" she muttered under her breath.

"Come on, gorgeous! Cheer up" Enzo said, throwing his arm around her. "If anything, you're grade's a sign" he pointed out, cheekily. "Be positive" he said with a wink that made Caroline lips twist upwards before she burst into laughter.

"This seems so unfair" Caroline murmured quietly, coming out of her past memories. Because she knew she couldn't keep on living like that. She couldn't let herself suffer every day.

"It is" Klaus agreed as he looked down at his friend's grave and for the first time, he felt true sadness. Caroline being there reminded her of all the times that Enzo had actually been there for him. He'd always been the selfish bastard in the group but Enzo, had always been the caring guy trying to look out for the both of them.

He could still remember when he'd been in his lashing out phase and had started a fight in school with the jocks.

Klaus knew he was going to be pulped to death today but that didn't mean he was going to back down without giving them his best.

Just as he swung his fist at the bulky jock in front of him, he felt the other two grab him from behind. The boy in front of him touched his nose and almost fainted seeing the blood. "You little prick!" he snarled before moving forward to take a hit at him.

But only he never felt it.

Klaus opened his eyes and looked up to see Enzo pushing up the jock against the lockers. "Back off mate" Enzo said, quite peacefully. "There's no need to create a scene" he said and looked back at Klaus. "You okay Mikaelson?" he asked, looking for any sign of an injury.

"I don't need your help. I think I can manage on my own" Klaus growled back, shrugging both the jocks' hands off him.

Enzo rolled his eyes. Of course, he would say that. But he wasn't going to leave Klaus on his own. "I can see that" he remarked snidely before turning to the boy in his arms. "Now if I let you go, are you going to go after my friend?" Enzo asked, tentatively.

The jock growled, pushing Enzo off. "I'm going to kill you both" he said before charging towards Enzo who rolled his eyes and turned to Klaus. "We're so going to get detention for this" he muttered before dodging the jock's punch and attacking back while Klaus dealt with the rest of the two boys.

They both kept hitting the jocks, trying to protect themselves until they had gathered quite the crowd around them. Just as Klaus let go of the boys and leant against the locker, touching his swollen lip to find it bleeding, people from the crowd were pushed away and the vice principal made her way to the center of the attention.

She gasped. "What is going on here?" she asked, sternly looking around as if there wasn't enough evidence that a brawl had taken place. "I will not tolerate such behavior in my school. To the Principal's office" she scolded sternly. "NOW!"

Both the Brits rolled their eyes but started to make their way towards the Principal's, office who, would no doubt let them go with a warning just because of Klaus' family name and Enzo's otherwise great track record.

"You didn't have to drag yourself in this" Klaus commented as he calmed down a little.

Enzo shrugged. "I couldn't have let them bruise such a pretty face. Now could I?" he joked referring to Klaus' face and nudged his friend. "I'd always be there to clean their messes Mikaelson so you better get used to them" he added with a small smirk before knocking on the Principal's office and heading inside. "I've got this" he muttered before shutting the door on Klaus' face to take the blame on, himself.

Even though, they'd been friends before that but that day had strengthened their friendship to the bond of family. Brothers.

From that day onwards, Klaus had tried to be as much as a support to Enzo as Enzo had been to him. He knew obviously that the best he could do was help Enzo with his financial situation so he did that as often and as discreetly as he could.

Because one thing that Enzo and Caroline, both, did not appreciate were handouts. When Klaus had openly offered Enzo a job at his own firm, the Brit had declined and refused to take the job even though he was at the edge of losing his own apartment.

That day, Klaus had taken it to discreetly helping Enzo. The job that Enzo had doing had been given to him because of Klaus' undisclosed recommendation.

He'd also told the proprietor of Enzo's apartment never to bother Enzo or Caroline about the increase in the rent. He'd been paying a part of the rent himself telling the landlord to not mention that fact to the oblivious couple and to tell them that the rent was less.

"I can't believe I won't ever see him again" Caroline's sob broke him out of his thoughts. "I… I don't know how I'm going to live without him" she confessed, wretchedly. "Nik, he's gone" she admitted brokenly.

Klaus sat down next to her on the ground and looked at the inscription on the tombstone like her. "He's gone but all we can hope for is that he's gone to a better place and that wherever he is, he's happy" he reassured her, meaning every word he was saying. "And you'll continue to live on without him because you know he would've wanted you to move on and to be happy while doing so" he answered her, putting his arm around her shoulder and helping her lean her head on his shoulder.

"If he would have been here, he would've totally called you an emotional sap" Caroline joked through her tears which made Klaus laugh a little too. "I'll miss him too much" she confessed after minutes of silence.

"So will, I" Klaus muttered, truthfully, as he laid the single white rose in his hand on his best friend's grave. "I'll round up the car and then we can leave, if you're ready" he offered as he stood up and brushed the leaves off his clothes.

Caroline gave him a small smile and nodded, accepting the few lonely minutes she was getting with her late husband.

Once Klaus was out of sight, Caroline moved forward and placed a kiss on the tombstone. "I'm so sorry Enzo. I'm sorry I never gave you enough. I'm sorry that I never loved you enough and I'm sorry that you lost your life while going to a stupid dinner that I forced you to" she listed off as tears freely flowed down her cheeks. "I love you so much" she said, wiping the tears on her face with the back of her hand.

"I promise I'll never forget you" she vowed firmly, running her hand over the space clearing the fallen autumn leaves and placing another white rose on his grave. "Good bye" she murmured quietly, before helping herself up with the support of the tombstone.

Ten minutes passed since they had exited the graveyard but they both remained silent. However, Klaus could see a hint of the old Caroline after so many weeks. Ten minutes into their journey, she'd started fiddling with the dial of the music player of his sleek, black Jaguar XJ.

"What are you hoping to find on this, love?" he questioned thoroughly amused by her fidgeting.

She huffed in annoyance before turning to him in her seat, rolling her eyes as the seatbelt tried to restrict her back into her seat. "What am I going to say to my parents?" she asked, sitting back in her seat when she was briefly flashed back to her last accident. "They lied to me" she added, bitterly.

Sensing her discomfort, Klaus parked the car to the side of the road and placed his hand on her knee, reassuringly. "I know that they lied to you but they did it only for your good. You have got to see and realize how hard it was for them too, to lie to you" he tried to comfort her but the look she gave him had him rethinking his words.

"They lied to me about Enzo's death" she growled, pushing herself away from his touch as if he had personally offended her. "What if Elijah, Kol and Rebekah did the same to you if I had died?" she spat out, which threw him off balance for a moment before he regained his senses and clamped his hand over her mouth, impulsively.

"Don't say something like that!" he warned her, firmly and even Caroline knew not to mess with him at that stage so she gently pried his fingers off her face and shook her head. "Caroline, nothing's going to happen to you and I don't want you talking like that. Ever" he reprimanded, tightly.

When he received no response from her, he pressed on again clenching his hand around the steering wheel, staring ahead. "Are we clear on this, sweetheart?" he asked with strain in his taut voice.

"Yes" Caroline accepted, defeated.

Breathing in and out a couple of times, Klaus tried to calm himself down. "We'll leave as soon as you want. I promise but the only way they were willing to let you stay at my house was if I would promise to bring you, by" he told her and took her hand in his. He brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles, reassuringly.

"How am I supposed to forgive them for this?" she questioned, confused. "I can't. Okay? Not now. Not ever" she denied, shaking her head.

Klaus shrugged. "Then don't. You don't have to do anything that you don't want to" he promised her, firmly. "Just talk to them, let them know you're alright and happy living with me so that they're not always worrying about you." he fed her, knowing that if she said the exact same things, half of his work would be done.

"Fine. But we leave as soon as we can. I don't care if you have to make a 'work-related' excuse or lie, just do it" she told him, pointing her finger at him to which he smirked and nodded.

"Let's be on our way then, sweetheart" he concluded before revving up the car and driving off.

As expected when they reached the Forbes' household, Caroline's parents had been overjoyed and (as per Klaus' expectation) they'd been delighted to see the two of them together.

"Thank you so much Klaus for bringing her around" Bill said to Klaus as the ladies settled in the parlor. "I don't think I can ever repay you for helping us. For helping her" he expressed his gratitude, tears springing to his eyes.

The blonde restrained an eye roll and patted Bill on his back. "Of course. Anything for Caroline" he said, looking over to the girl in question as she sat in her own living room uncomfortable as hell. "We should probably join them…" he said, looking at Caroline who was sitting awkwardly trying not to cringe as her mother patted her hair.

"Actually, I wanted to speak with you alone. If that's alright?" Bill asked politely and Klaus suppressed a smile at that and nodded dutifully. "Follow me to my study, please" he said, leading Klaus towards his private study.

Klaus crossed his arms behind his back and walked to the room away from the living room, barely catching Caroline's curious gaze. He smirked as he settled on the chair across his future father-in-law and saw the older man fill two crystal glasses with bourbon and offer one to him. He shook his head, declining his offer and watched as the older man drained one glass first and then settled for the other.

"Is everything alright?" Klaus asked, playing the oblivious guy. "You seem stressed" he commented truthfully if the wrinkles and dark circles on the older man's face were any indication.

Bill sighed. "Klaus you know better than anyone that all I've ever wanted is the best for Caroline" he started tiredly and Klaus had to resist the urge to snort. If he had wanted the best for Caroline, he would've never let her marry Enzo. "Life has a way of being particularly cruel to her" he remarked sadly and Klaus had to agree with that. With what she deserved, Caroline had gotten nothing from life.

"But I think for once Enzo's death has provided a great opportunity for her"

Bill's words made Klaus look up in shock and surprise. He would've never thought Bill to be so… crude.

"I beg your pardon?" Klaus said, sternly, feeling rather conflicted about Bill's words. It felt like he was happy about Enzo's death.

The older man, sensing his mistake, held his hands up in a placating manner. "Don't take this the wrong way Klaus" he said, shaking his head. "Enzo loved Caroline but we all know that love isn't enough in this world and to be honest, he was the constant blockage in her life, stopping her from being great" he explained very seriously and Klaus could agree with him in some way but the way the words poured out of his mouth seemed so hurtful and disrespectful towards his late friend.

"Bill I suggest you choose your next words really carefully…" Klaus warned, not knowing why he was suddenly not okay with someone saying such things about Enzo. He had thought the same very things many times himself but seeing someone else say such … horrible thing about Enzo made his blood boil.

Bill sighed, loudly. "I don't think I can get my meaning across to you like this… I understand that you're still grieving" he said, shaking his head. "I'll just talk to Elijah about it. I'm sure he'll be able to explain things better" he concluded before standing up. "But please Klaus. Just take care of her" he said, pleadingly.

Klaus stood up. "Whatever you have to say, you can say it to me" he said, firmly. "Just leave out the part where you disrespect my dead friend" he added, snidely, unable to help himself.

"Whatever I have left is Caroline's. Everything I have left is Caroline's." Bill told him, as if money would change Klaus' mind. "She needs support right now. She needs someone. She's still young and has her whole life ahead of her" Bill started, worried for his only daughter. "I want you to, not only, be the one to help her through her grief but also through the rest of her life" he suddenly said in a very anxious and demanding tone. "I want you to marry her" he let out and turned his back to Klaus who let the wide grin spread on his face.

Caroline nervously chewed her bottom lip and tapped her foot impatiently against the hardwood floor.

"Are you okay Caroline?" Elena asked nervously as she looked over at her friend sympathetically. Elena and Bonnie had come over right away after Liz had called them, telling them that Caroline was at home.

Caroline looked up at her friend and hated the look of pity on her friend's face. Such a friend that she hid your husband's death from you, her subconscious remarked. "My husband died on his way to a dinner that I was forcing him to attend and then I didn't get to attend his funeral because my so-called friends and family didn't deem it appropriate for my health but other than that I'm perfectly okay" she replied, sarcastically and she reveled in the look of guilt on her friends' and mother's faces.

Good. They deserved to feel horrible after what they'd done to her and Enzo.

"Care- Bonnie started but the blonde cut her off.

"Save it Bon" she snapped harshly, not wanting to hear their excuses. "I didn't come here because I wanted to talk to you or meet you all. I only came here because Nik insisted. Clearly it was a mistake" she said, shaking her head.

Elena and Liz gaped at the harshness in Caroline's tone. They were never on the end of Caroline's callousness. Bonnie, however, was less than impressed and crossed her arms over her chest. "What about Klaus? He was there with us. He could've told you too" she countered, offended.

Caroline blinked. "I forgave him because he didn't know" she said, sternly, her eyes filling with tears.

Elena frowned. "He knew- she was cut off when Caroline spoke again.

"He didn't know that Enzo and I were planning to have a baby" she spoke through gritted teeth.

Just as the words left her mouth, she looked up to see Klaus standing in the doorway with his mouth agape and his eyes wide like saucers.

She didn't even look at her friends' or her parents' expressions to see them looking slightly worried but mostly guilty. She could only focus on the look of betrayal on her best friend's face.

"Klaus- she stood up wanting to explain her situation but he barely heard her words and reassurances before he turned around and stormed out of the house.

Without a word, she ran behind him, following him outside to find him striding towards his car. "Nik" she called out, trying to stop him but he didn't even stop for a minute. "Please just hear me out" she said desperate to explain herself.

He quickly turned around and faced her with a stern expression on his face. "I think I've heard enough for one day" he ground out, seething in anger.

"You need to listen to me" she said, moving to him tentatively, trying to catch her breath.

Klaus took a menacing step closer to her. "I don't need anything" he growled out. When he saw the look of hesitance and terror on her face, he forced himself to breathe and calm down. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, trying to remain calm.

Caroline shook her head and wringed her fingers together. "I swear Nik, I wanted to but…" she trailed off, unsure how to tell him. "Elena and Bonnie only knew because when I asked Katherine to get the test, they were with her" she explained and that was another blow to him.

"So let me get this straight. Katherine, Bonnie, Elena, your parents knew about … about your condition but you didn't think it was necessary to tell me" he spelled it out for her, feeling so much betrayal and hurt at once.

"I'm not" she clarified quickly, reaching out to grab his hand. He didn't flinch but he didn't encourage her touch either. "I'm not pregnant. We were trying for a while but… it just didn't happen" she trailed off again, sadly.

Klaus remained silent for some time and while the silence was killing her, it was proving as a moment of respite for him. "You still haven't told me why?" he asked, tightly.

"Enzo didn't want me to tell anyone. He… We wanted to be sure first" she told him, stammering slightly. "I'm sorry Nik- she started but Klaus cut her off.

He shook his head and immediately took her into his arms. "It's alright. It's no big deal" he said, holding her close, burying his nose in her hair. This news felt like a punch to his carefully laid out plans. He'd always thought that even after Enzo and Caroline's marriage, she'd somehow come back to him in the end. But right now he realized that if Enzo hadn't died, she would've ultimately gotten pregnant and he would've lost Caroline forever.

So Bill was right.

Enzo dying was the best thing.

But not only for Caroline, also for him.

"I'm sorry, Nik" Caroline mumbled against his shirt but he shushed her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, unwilling to lose her.

"It's alright, sweetheart" he said, calmly and led her towards the car. He kept her firmly tucked into his side until he reached and helped her into the car. "Is your leg hurting?" he asked, knowing that she'd run after him, regardless of her hurt leg.

She gave him a small smile and a nod. "It's okay" she said, nervously chewing her bottom lip. "Are you sure you're not mad at me?" she asked, dubiously.

Klaus gave her a small smirk in return. "You know, I could never be angry at you, love" he told her with a wink and bent to place a chaste kiss against her cheek which lasted more than strictly normal. "Just don't lie to me. Ever again." He whispered against her lips. His lips weren't necessarily touching hers but she could feel his breath on her.

Stunned, Caroline nodded wordlessly.

It wasn't until Klaus got into the car that she noticed that she'd been staring right at the spot he'd been. "Are you alright, sweetheart? You seem a bit frazzled" Klaus remarked sarcastically as he drove away from her house.

Not far from them, the Forbes' couple noticed their daughter and their future son-in-law together and let out a small sigh and smile of relief. Maybe Klaus was an asshole, maybe he was rude and uncourteous but he cared for their daughter more than anyone in the world and that was enough for them.

"Did you talk to him about it?" Liz asked, anxious for an answer. When her husband nodded, she pressed on impatiently. "Well, what did he say?" she asked, almost buzzing with excitement.

Bill sighed. "He said yes. He's agreed to marry Caroline but, like I thought, he doesn't want our money or anything at all. He said he just wants to marry Caroline and keep her happy" he told her with a hint of pride and awe that he had found such a match for his daughter.

Liz smiled at that and clapped her hands together. "Oh that's wonderful" she said, wiping her tears of joy but then she stopped as another thought came to her. "But right now, he just heard her… about Enzo and Caroline's baby… Will his answer still remain the same?" Liz wondered worriedly.

Bill nodded with a slight smirk on his face. "Oh his answer will definitely be a yes." He reassured his wife knowing how much Klaus loved his daughter. He had seen it in his eyes and he knew love when he saw it. "Let's just hope we can convince Caroline soon. I don't want this delayed anymore" he said, shifting back to his authoritative mode.

"I just hope he can keep her happy" Liz prayed out loud, smiling for her daughter.

When Elijah had met up with Rebekah and heard her idea about Caroline's marriage with Klaus, he had thought that Rebekah had maybe had too many drinks that day but when Caroline's father had invited him over for tea and told him the same thing, he was sure of one thing.

They were all mad.

Who else in their right mind would suggest the marriage of a barely month old widow and that too, to her best friend. It was all insane.

He was determined to make everyone understand and he knew that it would be best to go directly to the source of the problem.

That is why he was on his way to Klaus' penthouse, waiting as the numbers of the elevator ascended.

Just as he stepped out of the elevator he straightened his suit and walked inside, frowning when he heard sounds of relentless laughter coming from the living room and kitchen. Quietly, he walked over there and saw a sight that froze him.

It was his brother and Caroline.

Both of them laughing and smiling.

It was seeing his brother so carefree and happy, that had him smiling too.

"Klaus I'm serious if you throw anymore flour on me, I'm going to fork you to death" Caroline's threat rang out but it was met with Klaus' lighthearted laughter.

"Go on, love" Klaus playfully challenged her. "I'd like to see you try"

Not wanting to intrude of their bubble of blissfulness, Elijah stepped back and walked straight into the elevator going back down. As he came out of the building and headed into the parking lot, he couldn't help but think back to the smile on his brother's face.

He knew that Klaus was … fond of Caroline but he never knew the extent of those feelings. Till now.

And now that he did, he was going to make sure that his brother would get what he wanted. And if Caroline Forbes was what his brother wanted then, she would be his by the end of the month.