Chapter 7

"Do you remember anything from last night Caroline?" Rebekah asked the other blonde with attentive eyes, waiting for an answer.

Caroline groaned and massaged her scalp, closing her eyes to ease some of the throbbing pain. "I remember drowning in vodka during Kol's stupid game of truth and dare but that's about it" she said, shrugging.

Rebekah let a small smirk overtake her face and at that moment, Caroline opened her eyes to peak at her friend.

"Why?" she asked, cautiously. "What did I do, Rebekah?" she asked, worriedly, her eyes going wide in alarm.

Rebekah smirked, fully, not being as hung over as Caroline.

"God! Will you just tell me or do I have to go to Nik?" she threatened half seriously but Rebekah burst into laughter at that.

"Trust me, Caroline, you won't go to Nik with this" she retorted mysteriously, making Caroline even more anxious.

Caroline's eyes were wide as saucers at that point. "Did I do something to him? Is he okay?" she asked, agitatedly chewing on her thumbnail.

Deciding to take some pity on the blonde, Rebekah relented and sighed. "He doesn't know of this but I'd like it if you would tell him" she said, softly before zeroing her gaze on Caroline. "You like him don't you?" she questioned, knowingly.

There was a flicker of embarrassment in Caroline's eyes before she covered it up. "He's my best friend. What do you think?" she asked, with an uninterested expression on her face.

"I would have believed you if you hadn't confessed your undying love for Nik last night" Rebekah answered back, cleverly. "Tell me Caroline, why don't you tell him? Maybe he likes you back?" she probed, with narrowed eyes.

"Firstly my relationship with him is none of your business" Caroline snapped, irritably. "Secondly, you've clearly misunderstood the whole situation" she said, trying to justify herself.

Rebekah glared her at that. "Cut the crap Caroline" she interrupted, hotly. "I know everything. You all but cried it to me last night" she reminded her friend. "I'm not saying its good or bad. I'm just saying that you should tell Nik that you like him more than a friend" she suggested, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Fine. I like him. Or used to like him" she confessed, half heartedly. "But you have to promise not to tell him. Rebekah I told you only because I trusted you and I still do" she said quickly with a cautious glint in her eyes. "Bekah please, this is my secret to keep or to tell" she implored; worried that Rebekah would tell her brother.

"Alright I won't tell him but I suggest you tell him before it's too late" she recommended with careful eyes. "The decade dance is in two weeks. If you tell him maybe the both of you can go together. Of course that'll only happen if you gather your guts and tell him before he takes someone else as his plus one" she reasoned with a disapproving glare on her face.

Caroline smiled. "It was just a silly crush Bekah. Besides I don't want to jeopardize my friendship with him just because of some stupid- she was cut off by the other blonde before she could complete her sentence.

"Are you saying that your feelings for Nik are just temporary?" she asked sharply.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I'm saying that my friendship with Nik is more important than some fickle passing fancy as you call it" she said, dismissing any further conversation about the topic. "Now it's still way too early to talk about this and I am way too hung over to go over this but I promise I'll consider your suggestion" she replied quickly before burying her head in the pillows.

Katherine groaned as she heard clattering noises ringing above her head.

"Ugh! Make it stop. My head is splitting into pieces" she complained, pulling the pillow over her head.

Elijah raised his eyebrow and barely refrained from taking his pillow from her hands when he saw how brutally she was mutilating it. "Your head should be just fine if you take the medicines placed on the bedside table" he replied as he opened another drawer in his wardrobe.

"Can't you just stay quiet Elijah?" Katherine said, her voice muffled but the annoyance and fatigue clear in it.

He didn't even turn to face her on that comment instead he just scoffed. "Unlike you, Katerina, I have work to do which requires me to be up at nine in the morning" he replied tensely.

Katherine didn't respond for a few seconds before her head turned up and she glared him through her wild, untamed curls. "What is- she stopped abruptly and scrambled to look at the clock on the bedside table, pushing away the medicine and bottle of water to the floor, in the process. "Shit. Shit. Shit!" she cursed loudly.

Elijah's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Is everything al- he barely completed his sentence before Katherine was looking up at him with pleading eyes which lead him to believe she needed something from him again.

He sighed loudly. "What is it?" he asked, tiredly.

"Klaus took Caroline home last night while she was drunk out of her ass" she told him as if he wouldn't already know. "Elena let him take her. I wouldn't have but I promised to check up on her in the morning." She said and on cue looked up at him amiably.

"If she's with Niklaus, she'll be quite alright" he reassured her but she shook her head.

"That's not what I'm worried about" she said tersely, playing with a lock of her curly hair. She looked up and locked eyes with Elijah whose eyes widened when he understood her meaning.

Elijah was baffled by her thoughts. "My brother may be a lot of things but he would never force himself on a woman. Much less his closest friend" he said firmly, feeling affronted by even thinking such things.

"It's Caroline that's why I'm worried" she said, trying to justify her suspicion.

"Especially Caroline" Elijah emphasized strictly. "He would never hurt her" he said, shaking his head.

"You don't know that Elijah" Katherine said with a scoff.

"Don't you think you're judging Niklaus too harshly?" he questioned rhetorically. "Frankly Katerina it is none of your business nor is it anyone else's. Niklaus and Caroline are two adults and they have the right to decide for themselves what is good for them and what isn't" he said a bit too harshly, judging by the look on Katherine's face.

Katherine seemed affronted at his words and shook her head. "You want them to end up together don't you?" she asked, reading him like an open book. "Oh my God! You do!" she accused angrily.

"I simply want what's best for both of them" he tried to justify.

"He's not the best for her!" Katherine yelled and winced at her raw voice. She was so sick and tired of everyone telling her that Klaus was the best option for Caroline.

Before Elijah could reply, the door to Elijah's room opened and Kol entered inside shirtless with his hair rumpled and an annoyed expression pasted on his face.

"I know that Elijah's already asked you to move in but if you don't keep it down, I swear to God I'm going to kick out not only you but also your suited boyfriend" he groaned, shaking his head.

Elijah sighed while the brunette only rolled her eyes. "We apologize for the noise but do get out of my room, Kol" Elijah said, the annoyance evident in his voice.

"With pleasure" Kol hissed, poking out his tongue childishly. "And honestly can't all you morons realize that you're going to ruin their friendship if you keep interfering. Just leave them be. They're not in high school anymore" he said with a casual shrug and walked out of the room.

Elijah and Katherine both looked at each other and then back at the closed door, focusing on Kol's words.

"I'll see you later" Elijah mumbled quietly as he too left the room quickly.

Klaus woke up to a ticklish feeling over his face. He groaned and peeked through his eyes to see the sunlight shining in the room through the lightly opened curtains and Caroline hovering over him with a her blonde hair, freely tickling over his face. "Wake up, Nik" she said, softly, shaking him lightly.

He closed his eyes completely and pulled her pillow over his head, inhaling her scent. "A couple of more minutes, love" he answered honestly wanting to delay the inevitable conversation they were going to have.

She heard her huff in annoyance before he felt a chilling sensation over the upper half of his body. He snapped his open and gaped just as he saw Caroline holding an empty jug in her hand. He sat up straight and shook his head, making water droplets spew in all directions especially towards Caroline who squealed and tried to back away from him but he grabbed her wrists hurriedly.

"Not so fast, love" he said with a cruel smirk, pulling her down on the wet bed, sliding her body under his own.

"Eeeekh!" she squealed out loud. "Get away" she said, trying to push him away to no avail. "Don't you dare..." she warned with wide eyes, catching his intentions very quickly.

He only grinned and rubbed his face and wet hair on her neck and face, making her just as wet as him.

"There you go, sweetheart. All good, isn't it?" he asked with a rather smug grin on his face as he leaned back in the bed, placing his arms behind his head.

Caroline glared him for about ten seconds before she burst out in laughter at the sight of him.

Klaus smiled warmly watching her laugh and he knew then that he had to paint the sight when he got back home.

Shaking her head, Caroline got up from the bed and tossed him a towel. "I'm waiting for you in the kitchen. Freshen up, I'll warm up the breakfast" she dictated with a serious look on her face.

"Yes ma'am" he said with nod.

Fifteen minutes later, Caroline made a plate of steaming eggs ready with coffee brewing in the machine. She also placed a stack of pancakes in a dish, placing it in the microwave as she diced strawberries for Klaus because she knew that Klaus always liked a heavy breakfast.

Just as she finished placing the chopped fruits in a bowl, the door bell rang and she winced at the sharpness of it as it blasted her eardrum. "Coming!" she called out loudly.

She ran to the door and pulled it open with a smile, faltering slightly when she saw Elijah on the other side. "Um, Elijah, hi" she said awkwardly. "Come in"

He stepped in gracefully with a nod of his head. "Good morning, Caroline" he greeted with a light smile. "I apologize for barging in on you without any warning" he said, looking around.

"It's okay Elijah. Come sit" she said, trying not to over think the situation. She didn't mind having him here but it was just the fact that he rarely ever came to visit her. She chose to approach the subject when he was sitting in her living room. "Is this about Nik being here?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Is he still here?" Elijah asked, looking around. "I don't know how to ask this but I'm afraid it's necessary. He didn't do… anything?" he questioned, cringing at his own words.

Caroline frowned before her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock. "Nik is my best friend. Regardless of whatever differences we have, he would never hurt me!" she said, affronted by his thoughts as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, Katerina said you were drunk and Niklaus took you home…" he trailed off deliberately.

"That's what friends do. They help each other. It doesn't mean he was going to harm me in any way" she defended Klaus, feeling her anger rising. No one talked about her best friend like that. Sure she could say anything to him but no one else. "Elijah, I'm honestly surprised you would say such a thing. I'm sorry but if this is the reason you are here I'm disappointed" she snapped heatedly.

"I wanted to make sure you were safe" he said, repeating his girlfriend's words.

"Yes, well as long as I'm with Nik, I'm safe" she answered back without any hesitance.

Elijah let a small smile overtake his features as he thought her words over again and again. He was glad her thoughts were in the right direction.

"Caroline, if I may ask you, why do you continue to push Niklaus away?" he asked, gently yet the exasperation in his tone was visible.

Caroline sighed. So much for a quiet and peaceful morning. "Look, Elijah, Klaus is my best friend and I don't want to ruin my friendship with just because of him wanting to make my life better" she explained and frowned. That sounded much better in her head. "I won't… I can't let him do this to himself. Sacrifices are one thing in friendship but giving up his life for me? That's not fair to him" she shook her head, unwilling to accept that.

"Maybe he isn't choosing a better life for you" Elijah mused out loud with a hint of a smile on his face. "Maybe he's doing it to eradicate his own loneliness" he said with a certain softness that had Caroline frowning.

"I don't understand…" she mumbled, lost and confused.

"I do not want to influence your decision nor your life but just think about who he has in his life except you and my brothers and sister?" he inquired before standing up and walking to her. "And just for your information, Niklaus likes apples in his breakfast" he commented with mirth in his eyes as he gazed at her messy kitchenette island.

He turned back and headed towards the main door, only to stop when he heard her voice. Small but clear. "He likes strawberries more" she said, quietly. Elijah smiled broadly as she confirmed his suspicions but she couldn't see that as he walked out of her apartment with a pleasant expression on his face.

Maybe his brother wouldn't remain alone, after all.

Mechanically, Caroline walked back into the kitchen thinking over Elijah's words. Would Klaus really be doing this for her or himself, if she let him?

Klaus could sense the awkwardness the moment, he stepped into her kitchenette.

"Everything alright, love?" he asked warily looking around as he sat on the stool.

"I've been doing some thinking" Caroline started which made Klaus smirk.

"God help us" he muttered, teasingly, which earned him a murderous glare. "Do enlighten me sweetheart" he insisted.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I've thought about what you said and I know that this is probably going to end up in disaster but okay" she breathed out, hurriedly, before she could back out.

Klaus' eyes widened. "Okay?" he questioned, unsure.

"Okay. I will marry you" she concluded, biting her lip.

His eyes lit up and a smile automatically formed on his face. Caroline couldn't help but smile at the sight too.

"But I have a condition"

With those five words, Klaus came back down to Earth. "Go on" he said, listening closely.

"First, you have to give me three months" she demanded, firmly, while making herself busy with placing his breakfast in front of him. "Three months to get myself back on my feet and that means without your help" she clarified.

"Alright" he agreed reluctantly. He was sure of one thing, though, these three months were going to be torture. To have her but to not have her completely.

"Secondly" she started, bringing his attention back to her. "I don't want there to be any changes between us. No secrets. Ever" she demanded, looking at him sincerely. "Even if we get married, we remain best friends before anything"

Klaus could sense her biggest worry then. She was afraid of losing their friendship. He smiled and grasped her hand in his, making her stop all movements. "No hesitation. No secrets" he promised, kissing her knuckles.

"Lastly, we're going to sign a prenup which will specify that whatever is yours remains yours forever" she said, firmly. "I don't want anyone to think I'm after your money" she spoke up in a small voice.

Klaus fumed at the last point. "I know you're not out for my money Caroline but whatever I have it's yours" he stated, firmly. "A marriage between us will not change anything. What's mine is yours even when we're not married. So there won't be any prenup" he declared, angrily.

"Klau- she tried to intervene but he spoke up above her.

"I've agreed to all your terms, sweetheart but I am not going to sign any agreement which even hints that I don't trust you" he reasoned, hotly. "I trust you completely and blindly." He couldn't believe she thought that he would actually agree to that.

Caroline glared him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine. If there's no prenup then there's no wedding" she argued, stubbornly.

Klaus glared her too before sighing. "Stubborn woman" he muttered under his breath as he shook his head. "Alright, I agree with all your terms and conditions" he agreed rather quickly which made Caroline frown. She had been expecting a big argument and maybe even a fight but he agreed with barely any fuss.

"What's going on in your evil mind?" she asked, with narrowed eyes.

Klaus shrugged innocently as he picked up the fork and began eating his way through breakfast, moaning at every bite. "This food is delicious" he complimented with a mouthful. "I need to ask you a question, love" he told her, casually. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "How are you not hung over and heaving over the basket I placed beside you in bed?"

Caroline chuckled, softly. "Greasy breakfast and lots of coffee equals perfectly normal health" she replied before taking an apple and biting into it. "By the way, Elijah came while you were in the shower" she told her.

Klaus noticed the way she stiffened at his mention. "What did he say, love?" he asked, cautiously.

"Nothing. I think he wanted you back at the office" she murmured, softly. "You should go. Work and do stuff" she said, suddenly.

He nodded. "I will be leaving but before that I have something important to do" he declared and Caroline looked up at him to see him pulling out a ring from his inner suit jacket. "Your hand, sweetheart?" he questioned, holding out his own hand for her.

Caroline placed her hand in his and watched as he slid the massive diamond ring into her finger. It was beautiful and exactly what she expected Klaus would give to his wife.

"Wait, were you carrying this around with you the whole time?" she questioned, shocked. "Were you so impatient that whenever you find any girl you'd just put it on her finger?" she asked, only teasingly, as she watched Klaus lightly trace the ring with his fingers.

"Yes I was" he said, simply. "But to answer your second question, no. I was impatient but never had any doubt of who I wanted" he explained, staring at her earnestly as if trying to convey the truthfulness of his feelings by the depth and sincerity of his eyes.

"Do you like it?" he asked, almost anxiously, as he looked at her for any reaction.

Caroline seemed pensive as she dropped her gaze to the massive ring on her finger. It was absolutely gorgeous with its patented cushion-cut, diamond surrounded by bead-set diamonds which evoked the glamour of the Edwardian period and a few years back she would've been over the moon to receive but now she felt that maybe it was a bit too much.

Though looking at the nervous glint in Klaus' eyes, she gave him a blinding smile and nodded.

"It's beautiful" she replied, knowing she could never break his heart to say that it wasn't maybe her taste.

The smile Klaus gave her in return almost made her day.

"Well, sweetheart, I have to leave now" Klaus said, after he cleaned up and got dressed. "But I want you to join me for dinner- he was cut off before he could even complete his sentence.

"Didn't we discuss all we need to, already?" Caroline asked, confused.

Klaus chuckled at that. "Sweetheart, there's nothing wrong with a man trying to have a nice dinner with his future wife" he teased, making her skin flush into a lovely pink shade. "Besides, we still have to decide a lot of things- he was cut off again.

"Like?" Caroline probed.

"Like who's going to tell Rebekah" he smirked at her paled expression. "Yes, exactly" he grimaced thinking about how his sister's overexcitement would get so unbearable for them.

"She's your sister" she pointed out, feebly.

Klaus raised an eyebrow at that. "Soon to be yours too, love" he said back, lightly, before cupping her face in his hands. "Don't worry. We'll leave the difficult bits to Elijah" he joked before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you tonight. Have a good day, sweetheart" he cooed before backing away and out of her apartment.

"Wait, what do I tell Katherine?" She asked, panicking, thinking about her friend's reaction. She knew that out of everyone Katherine was the one who hated Klaus the most.

Klaus only called back. "Your friend, not mine" he hollered back as he walked away.

Caroline cursed under her breath as she headed back towards the kitchen to clean up his mess.

As soon as Klaus had set foot in the office, everyone could tell there was something wrong with him.

Firstly, he never had a smile on his face and never showed any emotion other than anger. Secondly, he kept humming to himself as the he rode the elevator up to the top floor, to his office. Thirdly, he actually nodded back at everyone who greeted him a simple, 'good morning sir'.

"I'm assuming your night went well" Elijah said, as he watched his brother get settled into his office while he stood near the doorway.

Klaus smirked at that. "You would know since you came to check up on me" he answered back, simply, without any malice or hesitation. "There's no need to hover in the doorway. You can sit" he said which surprised Elijah the most. Klaus was never one to let his siblings stay at his office for long but today… Today seemed like an exception.

Something was definitely not right.

Or maybe… something was finally right!

"Your sudden happiness wouldn't have anything to do Miss Forbes, would it?" he asked knowingly.

Klaus only gave him a huge, wolfish grin in return as he opened his laptop. "Next time I'd advise you not to talk to her without my presence, Elijah." He warned lightly, keeping his gaze away from his brother.

Elijah remained unfazed by his younger brother's threats though. "I assume you want me to do something"

"I didn't say anything" Klaus defended, not denying anything either.

The elder Mikaelson raised an elegant eyebrow. "You would hardly invite me to sit unless you wanted to do your dirty work, Niklaus. So let's get it over with" he told him, dryly, not surprised by his brother's behavior.

"Seeing as you are the most responsible person in our family, I'd like to give you another responsibility, Elijah" Klaus started with a smug smirk on his face.

"What might that be?" Elijah asked back, cautiously.

Klaus' smile widened, showing his dimples. "Break the news of my wedding to the world"

"I believe congratulations are in order" Bill said to his wife as he entered their living room.

Liz looked confused as she looked up to see her husband smiling like he hadn't in ages. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Caroline accepted Klaus' proposal" he announced with a smile on his face.

"What? How… When did this happen? Who told you?" Liz rambled on, her excitement increasing with every moment.

Bill chuckled as he sat down. "Surprisingly it was Rebekah Mikaelson who called with the good news. She was a bit upset that Caroline or Klaus didn't call her, themselves but overall she sounded happy" he informed her, casually.

"That sounds nice" Liz murmured, distractedly.

Bill frowned. "What is it?" he asked.

"I'm just confused why Caroline hasn't called her yet and told us the news herself" Liz replied, tensely. "Do you think she's still mad at us?"

Bill tensed for a moment before steeling himself. "She can be as mad as she likes but what we did was for her betterment" he answered firmly. "She'll be happy and comfortable with Klaus. More than she's ever been with Enzo" he added, dismissively.

"Nik! What are you doing?" Caroline asked as she barged into his room to see him relaxing on the bed with a sketchbook in hand while poor, young Kol and Rebekah sat on the floor, doing the work HE should've been doing.

She had called him two hours ago and asked him to help her with the prom decorations since his art skills were so much better than hers. And he'd agreed without much fuss as it was her but as she had come back to check on him, he was just laying there.

"Come relax, Caroline. Kol and Rebekah will do the work I've told them to" Klaus said with a smirk as he looked to see Kol and Rebekah glaring him.

Caroline, however, planted her hands on her hips. "What do you have on them?" she asked, suspiciously, all the while as she looked over at the work Rebekah and Kol were doing. She might have to retouch a bit of Kol's work but Rebekah was doing good.

Klaus shrugged. "I simply have what they want"

"And what is that?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

Rebekah perked up at that. "Nik said you'd help me prepare for the Miss Mystic Competition" she spoke up with a bright smile on her face.

"You're going to apply for that?" Caroline asked, surprised.

Rebekah nodded. "Since you've won it before and I'll win it this year, it'll stay in the family" she said, confidently. Caroline's heart melted at the family part. It felt great to be accepted as their family.

"Of course. Don't worry you have it in the bag already" she winked before turning to Kol. "What did he promise you?" she asked, relaxing a bit.

Kol smirked deviously. "A date… with you" he answered, making both Caroline and Klaus jump up.

"What?" they asked in unison.

"We never agreed to that!" Klaus pointed out, fuming.

Caroline sighed, holding her hand up for Klaus to silence him. "Kol you do realize that I'm older than you" she pointed out.

"All the better" Kol said, with a grin. "Only one date, Caroline. Think of it as me helping you" he offered, cunningly.

"How is this you helping me?" she asked, perplexed.

Klaus who was quiet till then seemed annoyed as he made his way next to Caroline and draped his arm over her shoulders. "Yes Kol, please do elaborate" he quipped sarcastically.

Kol's smirk told them, they shouldn't have asked.

"Well, since Nik is never going to ask you out, I'll be the Mikaelson brother you can date"

Suffice it to say, there hadn't been anymore prom decorations for the next hour until Caroline and Rebekah drew both brothers apart.

A/N: Aaaaaand this is it! Sorry for the wait. I was just going through the reviews and one question that's been really common is that why is Caroline so weak. It's every person's way of handling grief. She's usually an independent, strong willed person but now she's breaking apart. Klaus and all of Caroline's family is trying to force Caroline towards Klaus because they never thought that Enzo was a good match for her 1) because of his financial conditions and 2) because they knew Klaus always loved her more. And it's the 21st century. No older times or anything but honestly some people still think this way. I've seen them, I've known them.

Lastly, it's all going to be a mess because everyone's trying to interfere but don't worry Caroline is going to come back with a bang. Just hang on tight for the ride.

Love you all. Take care.