Chapter Five - Pre-nuptial gatherings
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the characters and references to scenes used and inspired by will be mentioned as I do not take any credit for them whatsoever.
Klaus and Caroline woke up late on Sunday morning. The sun was out streaming across the bedroom. He got up and showered before she was fully awake, as she lay in the centre of the large bed, thinking of her situation, and everything that happened the day before. Moving into Esther's studio apartment, lulling everyone into the deception of being engaged and oh yes – having to tell Rebekah very soon. All put together, it made for a puzzle where none of the pieces fit smoothly. She felt as though she were trying to fit pieces together that showed trees, sky, half a cat, and part of a barn door. All together they didn't make a picture.
Caroline knew what the images were, but none of them was complete, and she didn't feel whole, either. All the pretending was starting to eat at her. She reminded herself that she didn't need a man to be complete. But so much of the relationship she had with Tyler was constantly half-assed. There never seemed to be a real connection between them. For the very simple reason that Tyler didn't want to be truly connected because he was already married.
"What are you looking so gloomy about?" She looked up to notice Klaus standing before the bed; he had just emerged from the bathroom. A pair of track pants hung loosely on his hips and his chest glistened with water droplets from the shower. Caroline found herself at a loss for words, and for a few minutes she tried hard to gather her bearings. "I was just thinking." She said, lying back against the pillows resumed to her inspection of the ceiling.
"What were you thinking about?" he asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed, as he towel-dried is hair.
"About meeting Rebekah later." She physically deflated
"Ah." Klaus hadn't seen his sister in ages. Simply because their jobs always kept them in different time zones and on different continents. He wasn't exactly worried about her reaction; if anything she'd be thrilled that Caroline would become her sister-in-law. "She'll be fine love. She's always wanted a sister." He chuckled and quickly ducked as a pillow came flying for his head.
"I'm serious Klaus. I don't know how I feel about keeping this from her. She deserves to know about Mikael." Klaus' face then became serious as he regarded her stiffened demeanour. "I know."
"It's going to crush her. Wheter or not we hold out on her, she's bound to find out sooner or later and then? I don't think she'll forgive me."
"They've promised to tell them after the wedding, Caroline it's going to be fine."
She nodded but her face still seemed droopy. "It's not just Rebekah though is it? Come on spit it out." Klaus rolled his eyes
"I should have known he was married."
Klaus sighed. "Look Caroline, I say this because you're my friend and I'm just going to be honest. Tyler is a scumbag son of a bitch and don't think about it too much. You probably weren't the only mistress anyway."
Wasn't this pep-talk supposed to be making her feel better? Klaus could be really brutal sometimes. "Oh really, how would you know?"
"Because I'm a guy. It's how we do it."
"He was so different when we first met. He said the sweetest things…"
"I don't care if he said you were his favourite female since his mommy and Joanie Cunningham. He just used you. His an asshole. Let me ask you something…" Klaus turned to face her "How long after meeting did it take for him to call you?"
Caroline lulled over Klaus' words and the truth was that she waited about two weeks or so. A little embarrassed Caroline rolled her eyes in defiance "You don't know what you're talking about."
"I knew it." Klaus chuckled
"But maybe he called me and I didn't get the message. Or maybe he lost my number, or was out of town, or was hit by a cab, or his grandma died." Caroline mumbled
"Or maybe he just didn't call because he was married."
"Yeah but my friend Bonnie once went out with this guy who never called and she totally wrote him off – then like a year later she ran into him."
"You're friend Bonnie is a bloody idiot. And she's the exception. Also they guy probably wasn't married."
"Okay. But what if I'm the exception?"
"You're not. You're the rule love. And the rule is – if a guy doesn't call you, he doesn't want to call you. Or in Tyler's case – his a lying married piece of shit."
"Really, like always?"
"Yeah. Always. I know what blowing off a woman looks like. I do it early and I do it often. Trust me – If a guy is treating you like he doesn't give a shit – he doesn't. No exceptions."
Caroline sits and mulls this over. "Why are you telling me all of this? Aren't these man-secrets – like why men need to watch televised golf?"
Klaus chuckles loudly, "I don't know. Maybe because you're my friend and I don't want you to get hurt?"
Caroline regards him through narrowed eyes, "Well – thanks. You've really given me a lot to think about." She smiles at him and then frowns when he puts on his watch
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to uh – jog over to Stefan and Lexi's to clear everything up. You want to come?" Klaus asks as he tugs a sweatshirt on over his tank top.
"Jog? No, I'm not really much of a jogger, more of a lay it out on the beach – hang out, not jog kinda girl." Caroline snorted as she got up out of bed. Her oversized T-shirt barely covered her bottom and her hair was a mess but she didn't care. It was just Klaus.
"Oh come on love. I'll go really slow," He pleaded and she secretly knew he had just wanted her there as a human shield in case Stefan pulled a gun on him. "It's the least you could do, after all… I gave you million-dollar worth advice and I promise to be there when you tell Rebekah."
Caroline stares at him incredulously
The slight breeze is welcomed as it cools his warm skin. Treading down the suburban street with ease, while Arctic Monkey's 'Do I Wanna Know' blares into his earphones. Once he reached the protruding brown two-story house, he slowed his pace and checked his watch. Less than ten minutes without even breaking a sweat. As he stretched his hamstrings he was startled by a little bark from atop the balcony. It was Stefan's dog. "Hey Toby." Klaus remembers fondly back to the days when himself and Stefan had gotten Toby. In-decisive that a Pug was a girly dog – Klaus had managed to convince him otherwise. It had in fact turned out for the best when Toby became the ultimate babe-magnet. Picking up girls was easy with that little monster.
His barking and slight jumping of excitement to see Klaus had garnered Stefan's attention as he emerged from the balcony doors. He does not look happy to see Klaus. To be totally honest, Klaus was kind of relived that there was a height difference in play, he felt much safer on the ground than up there with a fuming, livid Stefan Salvatore. – Unless of course, Stefan decides to do a spiderman jump off the balcony and kick his entitled ass. Klaus starts by taking his earphones out. "At least someone's happy to see me." He refers to Toby who stares at him, ears wagging and tail wiggling.
Stefan cannot believe the audacity of his so called "best friend". He knew a confrontation was coming. He wanted to punch him like really hard. "Oh I'm sorry – you expect me to do cartwheels after you knock my sister up?"
"I did not knock up your sister. It's not what you think – I swear."
Stefan shrugs incredulous. Okay – maybe he didn't knock Caroline up. But what kind of best friend gets engaged to your little sister and just so happens that he tells the entire family before he tells you. Wasn't there some kind of bro code that Klaus was breaking? Little sisters were off limits. At least he never tried anything with Rebekah back in the day, even though there were a couple of close calls. Just what about this entire situation made that okay?
"Are you going to hear what I have to say or just keep staring daggers at me all the way from the balcony?" Klaus presses his lips together with his hands behind his back. He watches Stefan's frown slightly turn to a much more neutral expression and is slightly relieved.
"Where's Caroline?"
Klaus actually takes a minute to think and turns around to look behind him. He'd only realize then that Caroline was nowhere to be seen. Damn she really was not a jogger. Oh well "Uh – right behind me." He shrugs
Chicago really had some of the nicest suburban neighbourhoods around. With the sun high in the sky, birds chirping, kids outside riding their bikes, who wouldn't appreciate the little slice of heaven? Definitely not Caroline, as she takes the corner in a breathless frail state. Okay so maybe being a cheerleader like forever ago didn't still pass as an excuse to stay away from gym. She was seriously losing her touch and couldn't even go half a mile without turning into a sweaty breathless mess.
She is dressed in a sport shorts, fitted sports bra and jacket unzipped as she treads further down the street. So even if she got to her brother's house a little later – at least she would look good. Remind her to kill Klaus when she gets there, that is of course – if Stefan hadn't already.
"Go slow my ass!"
Nothing could be heard but the sound of balls striking wood and the mutterings of players. The sound of clanging metal rose above the general din, like rifle shots of a sharpshooter in the middle of a battle "And the minute we got off the plan, we were literally attacked by a mass of people. By that time it was too late to say anything without blowing the news about my dad."
Stefan seems to understand this and he nods. They go back to their game. "So you're not still pissed are you?"
"Pissed?" Stefan asks as he shoots and scores, he seems much friendlier than before. From waking up that very morning being so grumpy to this afternoon when everything is so much better and seemed back to normal. "Nah – I mean naturally I was a little disgusted by the thought of you and my sister..."
"Naturally." Klaus rolls his eyes.
"But once I peeled that horrible horrible image from my mind, I could start to see how you guys actually got together." Stefan said and he even surprised himself by saying that. He guessed it were true in a way otherwise he would not have said it.
"Really?"
"Yeah – I mean she's a little ditsy but compared to the girls you've been with?" Stefan trails off
"I cannot argue with that." Klaus says
"Plus – it would have been cool to have you as a brother in law."
"That's sweet." Klaus bats his eyelashes at him
"Even though you suck at foosball." Stefan retorts
And at that moment both of their heads turn to the door as Caroline enters. "Oh my god.." She breathes out struggling to catch her breath. She is sweating and hungry and just a mess and she glares angrily over at Klaus. He can say what he wants but he totally left her hanging.
"I – need water." Then Lexi comes in behind Caroline to see that she is on the floor. "Oh my god. What happened?"
"He –" Caroline points an accusatory finger at Klaus "made me jog."
Klaus and Stefan laugh. Stefan then goes over to greet her and so does Lexi. Lexi then manages to pull Caroline away from the men and to the kitchen for something to eat. Which was also just code for wanting the inside scoop on what the heck was going on.
The kettle whistles on the stove. Caroline is seated at the barstool stuffing her face while Lexi prepares the tea after Caroline dished out all the gory details.
"Wow – you're like Mother Teresa."
"You would have done the same thing." Caroline points out. Lexi frowns. "I don't know – maybe. Maybe not." She says sitting next to Caroline by the counter, the rim of the mug close to her face while she lulls over everything she'd just been told. "If he was smart – he would have asked you for real."
Caroline shrugs indifferent "Yeah – well I'd turn him down though his not really my type."
"Oh yeah – now if only Klaus were in a band.."
"Oh suck it." Caroline manages to laugh and so does Lexi.
A loud rev from Stefan's vintage Porsche in the garage startles the two. Caroline remembers him being very obsessed with that car since he practically built it up from scratch. Lexi flinches at the sound of the monstrous engine and her eyes shoot to the baby monitor on the counter. "Oh god..." Caroline frowns, following her eyes to the monitor as she hears Lexi murmur "Please – please just let him sleep." "Please – please please..."
Soon enough the cries for 'momma momma' comes booming through the device. "Remind me to run him over with that car," she says and Caroline grins. "Oh good – his awake. I haven't seen my nephew since he was a pink little batch of flesh." Caroline follows her sister-in-law up stairs to the nursery where she leans over into the crib to get him out. "Hello Mr Sweet Face." Lexi coos "Did you sleep well, do you want to see Aunt Caroline?"
As soon as Caroline takes Liam he starts fussing and holds his arms out for Lexi. "Just go to Aunt Caroline." Lexi encourages her to hold him but Liam's fussing makes Caroline nervous
"Oh – Lexi he doesn't want me, he wants you." Caroline makes a weird noise as she awkwardly holds the baby. "I don't know what to do..." She's not kidding. There has never been a time when she had to hold a baby – ever. They were so small and fragile, she was afraid she'd end up doing the wrong thing. Eventually they sit on the rocking chair and Liam quiets down when Caroline reads him his favourite book. Lexi grins and is relieved he feels comfortable with Caroline. He seems very taken with his Aunt, but that only lasts for a couple of minutes before he eventually he calls for his mommy so she hands him over. As Caroline sits in the rocking chair and observes Lexi with baby Liam, she can't help but think how lucky her brother is to have found himself the perfect little family. She wondered if having a family of her own were in her cards – given her incredibly bad luck with men and relationships she highly doubted it was.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." Caroline breathes out making Klaus chuckle. He turns off the ignition and pockets the key. "No turning back now love."
Caroline glares at him before her eyes landed on the Mikaelson Manor. It still looked very much the same since the last time she remembered. The stoned white exterior built up alongside its majestic frontal pillars. As a child she'd always thought it looked like a mini version of the white house. The very same Manor she had spent most of her childhood in, making memories, having sleepovers. "It stills looks the same." Caroline exhaled and smiled fondly.
"Yeah." Klaus smiles sadly. He cannot picture his family home without his father. The thought alone was enough to sour his mood. Caroline seemed to catch on and so she lowered her hand over his. "Let's go inside."
As quiet and peaceful as the house looked from the outside, that was definitely not the case inside… There were a couple of guys scattered around moving tables and chairs, a string of women aligning the stairway railings with an assortment of flowers and fairy lights and Esther Mikaelson at the centre of it all barking orders to everyone in tow. "You're here!" She exclaims once her eyes landed on them interlocked fingers and all. "Hello Mother." Klaus kisses her cheeks
"Niklaus, be a dear and help your brothers set up the marquee at the back would you,"
"Yes. I'll come find you later." He winks at Caroline and she almost wants to yell at him for leaving her alone to deal with Rebekah – who she had yet to see.
"She's in the garden dear." Esther smiles reassuringly, answering her thoughts instantly. "Good luck."
See? Even Esther thought she needed luck in dealing with Rebekah. She was so going to make Klaus sleep on the floor tonight. Placing her purse on one of the many hallway tables, she made her way to the back and out into the garden. She can't lie – she's nervous as fuck. Caroline was literally preparing herself for the worst. As she proceeds through the colossal backyard garden she can't help but be taken back to the younger years when herself and Rebekah had tea parties out here. On some days they'd be princesseshigh up on the tall tree house which also served as their magical far away kingdom, and sometimes they'd even be robbers and thieves trying to steal the precious treasure from the gnarly pirates.
To her surprise she found Rebekah on one of the benches tucked underneath the large oak tree. She had seemed to acknowledge Caroline's presence but had not even said a single thing. That was a definite indication that she had been mad at her, but she decided to sit down anyway.
There was a tense moment of silence, during which both blondes stared off into the surroundings of the colossal garden. Her back was tense – the way it use to coil when she was about to throw one of her temper tantrums – but her fists were clenched on her sides – the way that they use to clench when someone would bully Caroline and Rebekah would come to her rescue. Despite the years passing without seeing her, Caroline knew Rebekah well enough to know that the combination was dangerous.
"I'm certainly glad to see you stranger..." Caroline starts off, unsure of what else to say.
"Really? I can't imagine why." She bit back
"Are we really going to fight about this right now? I missed you. Please let's just catch up first and then –"
Rebekah's head slummped down in misery. Why hadn't she told her? Since Niklaus had alledgedly popped the question, herself and Caroline have spoken. Numerous times! There had been ample time for her to look at Rebekah and say 'Oh by the way I'm getting married to you brother. No big deal.'
Plenty of chances!
She thought they were better than this.
"Why didn't you tell me Caroline? I know we haven't seen each other in months but I thought we were friends!"
"Rebekah calm down okay. The truth is…" The truth was something Rebekah was definitely not going to like. "The truth is that it happened so suddenly and well given the fact that you were currently in Milan, Elijah in California and Kol – god knows where, we just wanted to tell everyone together you know." With every word she spoke she hated herself even more. She had begged Klaus to tell them about Mikael and he said that it'd be best if they waited after Liz's wedding so in the mean time what else was she to do? She could not simply avoid Rebekah for as long as she stayed here.
"A simple text, call or email would have sufficed Caroline. I even Skyped you that one time and you never said anything."
"Klaus told me not to-" The words were out of her mouth before she could even think about it. Technically Klaus did tell her that. "Does it bother you that we're together?"
"Are you bloody joking?"
Caroline physically shrunk. Okay maybe the idea of her and Klaus wanted to make her barf as well but the fact that her own friend didn't think she was good enough for her brother was kind of harsh. "There is no one else I would like more for my brother than you Caroline."
"Wait what..?"
"What?" Rebekah stares at her incredulously "Don't look so surprised. Yes I'm still mad at the both of you for keeping this from me but, I am so relieved that he finally screwed his head on right and opened his eyes to see the brainless bimbos he was fooling around with."
And just like that, all those earlier tense and fist clenching moments had vanished without a trace. But that was Rebekah Mikaelson for you. She was a force to be reckoned with. A tornado of emotions destroying everything in her path..in a good kinda way. Sometimes.
"You know most of them were friends of yours." Caroline snorted
"Exactly!" And they both broke out into a fit of giggles. From her place at the glass double doors, Esther stared out at her two favorite girls and smiled at the sight of them laughing. She knew Rebekah would welcome Caroline into the family with open arms. She had been a part of this family even before Klaus proposed.
"So I am going to be your maid of honour right? I know Lexi is an option but she still has her baby weight to shed and think about the pictures Caroline…"
"Rebekah!" Caroline chuckled and realized how much she actually missed her friend along with her snarky sense of humour.
"So how did he pop the question? I want to know everything!"
Caroline wet her lips and took a moment to carefully think about what she and Klaus had rehearsed last night especially when this exact question would be asked. "It was sudden you know..." She spoke in a soft tone that made Rebekah lift her gaze to her. Caroline's expression was off to the view of the rest of the garden granted once again her expression was one lost in memory. "It was nothing more than a normal day. Then out of no where, his down on one knee... It didn't seem real."
Rebekah squealed in absolute delight and Caroline took it as a job well done on the cover up. Providing a little information but not too much on the details just in case they'd get confused further on. Biting her lip, Caroline wondered idly if she had to add certified liar to her cv.
Rebekah pulled Caroline into a bear crushing hug nearly knocking the breath out of her. "I still can't believe you didn't tell me sooner!"
"I still can't believe you're not over it already."
"There he is! The man of the moment…"
Klaus winced as his younger brother's exclamation came flying through the air. "Kol." He turned around and acknowledged him. "You sneaky little bastard." Kol grinned and hugged his brother while Elijah followed in tow.
"Congratulations Niklaus." Elijah offered
"I'm not buying it though… Little Caroline Salvatore? Stefan is going to murder you." Kol chuckled
"So that is why you are so hyped up about the news, I take it?" Klaus sighed and Kol nodded "Well in that case, I hate to be the bearer of bad news little brother but Stefan already knows. We have his blessing if you must know."
Kol's smile almost instantly dropped at that "What? Why?"
Elijah rolled his eyes. "Why must everything have an ulterior motive with you Kol, can't you just be happy for Niklaus?"
"Oh so it's bloody okay when he marries her but when I wanted to date her I got nothing but hate from Stefan and all of you for weeks. You're all full of shit." He stormed off back into the house.
AN: So that was chapter five. Scene inspired from He's just not that into you.