Chapter Six: The Wedding
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.
Caroline lays in bed for a few minutes until her brows furrow. There seemed to be a weight next to her, a warmth flowing from the bare skin she felt almost touching hers. She turned around slowly to find Klaus laying beside her - without a shirt on. His face looked completely at ease as he slept next to her and Caroline couldn't help but smile.
The closeness of their promixity wasn't loss on Caroline who inhaled Klaus' delicious scent. For someone who had annoyed her most of her life, there was one thing she wouldn't deny; Klaus was hot as fuck. From his chiseled features to his rock hard abs, right down to that inviting V-line leading to his... Oh - she was relieved he'd been asleep and not concious to witness her blatantly oggling and smelling him like an absolute weirdo.
She found herself staring at his tattoos next,
Caroline knew the story behind the triangle on his back because Stefan had one just like it, only on his left shoulderblade. She remembered it being something about it representing Klaus, Elijah and Stefan's relationship.
Totally gay
Rebekah had mentioned at one point the story behind the panther on his right arm, but she had yet to find out what the feather bursting into a flock of birds meant. She wondered idly behind it's meaning and significance as she slowly outlined the intricate pattern on the chiseled skin.
One lap of outlining had been completed and she was on to the next one when suddenly, Klaus caught her wrist in an iron-like hold.
"Molesting me in my sleep now are we love?"
Caroline could feel the heat radiating off her face at the embarrasment she felt at being caught. "I - I was just-"
"Shamefully padding me down while I was unconcious? Shame on you." He continued to tease her all the while inching closer to her face.
"I was not!"
"That's not what it looked like sweetheart..."
"You know what - whatever!" Caroline scoffed and threw the blanket off as she flung her legs out the bed. She squealed in surprise when Klaus' arms wrapped around her waist pulling her onto her back and started to tickle her
"Klausss- please! Stop!" Caroline rasped out between giggles. Her t-shirt had been shoved all the way up to her midriff in her attempts to escape his tickling fingers
"Admit it. You were oggling me love."
"I was not!" She laughed, the tears already falling from her eyes with all the laughter caused by his ministrations on her ribs
Caroline leaned up and bit his ear lobe trying to get him to stop which in fact had only made him grown when he locked her hands in his, holding them above her head. Struggling to catch her breath, Caroline couldn't help but stare at him hovering over her.
Her eyes suddenly widened at the postition she had just come to realize they were in. Klaus' legs on either side of hers while he held their hands above her head. His face mere inches away from hers in such close promixity, that she could feel his short laboured breaths against her face.
She could feel his lengthening hardness press into her and she gasped in suprise when suddenly his mouth was over hers in a searing lip lock.
"Hmm Klaus..."
"Yes. More."
"Oh Klaus."
Caroline gasped, awake as she fell off the side of the bed and onto the floor.
What the fuck just happened?
"Holy fuck." It had been a dream
A shrilling ringtone of the wedding march broke out from her phone on the nightstand and she couldn't help but groan, eyeing the offending device. Damn Katherine for changing her ringtone which she had yet to change back. And damn that weird dream she just had.
She blamed it on spending way too much time around Klaus and her deprivation of sex in the last few weeks. The combination was deadly and starting to mess with her head.
"Hello?" she groans as she flungs herself off the floor and sits on the bed
"Hey pumpkin. I just wanted to call and make sure you didn't sleep through the wedding."
It was Klaus.
Caroline tries to normalise her breathing and tone as if not to alert him - more herself than anyone else really - that she had, just a mere few minutes ago, been having an almost sex dream about Klaus of all people.
She coughed audibly before clearing her throat "I guess I kind of passed out last night. Where are you anyway?" She glances around the apartment, although rather thankful he had not been present. Her dream would have made for a rather awkward start to her day, had he been here.
"I'm getting ready over at my folks." He answers
Caroline walks over to the open plan kitchen in search of some food. "Oh – so we're not going together?"
"No my mother wanted me to come over early and help with some stuff. Plus. You don't have to be here until like three for the pictures." Klaus says
"Uh -hmm. Y-yeah." Caroline says between chews of leftover fries from lastnight's take out.
"What was that?" He couldn't make out a word
"Hmm." She swallows. "Hang on a sec" Caroline opens a carton of milk for a quick sip and then nearly spits it out all over the kitchen floor. "Oh God! How old is this milk?!"
"Oh shit. No. Don't drink anything in the fridge." Klaus chuckled "It's like a million years old. I'll see you later sweetheart."
The day had finally arrived. Liz had practised her part in the ceremony only about twenty times. She made sure to go over her vows, her use of tone throughout the exchange and of course - her poses for the photographer. She knew her part inside and out and yet, she was still nervous.
Liz had been nervous from the moment she had allowed Bill to take a step into her life as someone more than her late husband's close friend. She had been nervous when she had to introduce their relationship under a new light to her children whom she didn't think would be as welcoming of the idea. Just thinking about spending the rest of her days alongside someone who made her so happy had made her nervous.
"Bill, my zipper is stuck – could you give me a hand?" Liz asks at her place infront of the large vanity in her bedroom.
Bill walks over, half-dressed in his tux and smiles warmly at his bride. He turns to the unzipped dress. "Be still – I got it."
Liz giggled "You're tickling me."
"Well I'm sorry but when it comes to dresses I have more experience in unzipping them." He says teasing her
"Oh – why do you think I'm marrying you huh?" She smirks and Bill laughs
"You know – we're way ahead in schedule here, we can work in a little quickie." Bill kisses her shoulder and Liz throws her head back in laughter
"Oh no" Liz chuckles darkly "Come on no…" she laughs as Bill begins to tickle her making her squirm from side to side. "It's our wedding day! Behave." She swats him playfully on the arm.
"I guess you're right. We should save it for the honeymoon." He says and zips the dress right to the top.
Liz sighs as she looks into the mirror. "I guess there aren't many advantages at getting married at this age huh." She makes her anxiety none for the first time since he had proposed.
Bill regards her carefully and places his hands on her waist in a comforting gesture. "Well I can think of one."
"What?"
"No one is going to think this is a shotgun wedding." Bill says and they both laugh
"That's true." Liz smiles at him. He always had a knack for making all her worries dissipate into thin air. God she loved this man.
"Mom!"
"Is that Caroline?" Liz frowns hearing the thudding of the stairs as someone climbs them in a hurry.
"Mom?!"
Caroline barely manages to tread into her mother's bedroom without falling over.
"Honey – you look terrible what's wrong?" Liz frowns as she takes in her daughter's appearance. She looks gleamy and deathly pale.
"Oh – I drank some sour milk and ate too many of those Rogolo-" She felt the bile rise in her throat and flung herself into her mother's en-suite bathroom, slamming the door so hard before falling to her knees infront of the toilet as her stomach pumped out it's contents.
From behind the bathroom door stood a worried Liz and Bill. She could hear Caroline throwing up and groaning in between."You ate those things too didn't you?" Liz turns to Bill in question
"Yeah a bucket load. I feel fine." He shrugged
Liz turned back to the closed door of the bathroom for a second before turning back to Bill. "You don't think…" she trails off and places her opened palmed hands on her belly
"Morning sickness?!"
"Shh!" Liz hushes him - afraid Caroline might hear them.
Liz sighed and turned back to the door letting the idea that she might become grandmother once again fester.
It really had been a while since he had been in here.
Klaus smiled fondly taking in the appearance of his childhood bedroom feeling the light flutters of nostalgia. It was as if he had taken a trip down memory lane, witnessing how the phases of his life had influenced the phases of his bedroom.
He remembered a bunk bed. Empty pizza boxes strewn about comic books and marvel hero action figures cluttered about everywhere - some of which he still kept.
Bordering his teens, Klaus' bunk bed had been replaced by a much larger double bed and the clutter on the floor had been non-existant. His desk to the far left corner had his computer monitor and keyboard on it, some art supplies scattered about. Several guitars, an electric as well as the acoustic one he remembered begging Mikael to buy him, thinking it would tenfold his sex appeal to then - teenage girls. What a wasted investment it had been that he had only ever learned to play one tune on that thing.
Klaus chuckled at the memory when he turned to the walls of where there were many posters of scantily clad girls. All blondes, he noted dryly.
He found a bunch of his old CD's and pops one in while he starts to get suited up for the wedding. The music is blaring out his sound system and Klaus pops in a few MJ moves between dressing.
A knock sounds on the door before Mikael peaks his head inside. "Everyone decent?"
"Father – er yeah come on in." Klaus turns the music off. "Caroline went to get ready at her folks place."
Mikael nods. "Good – I wanted to talk to you alone anyway."
"Yeah? – what's up."
"About what happened at the airport.." Mikael starts off but Klaus sighs quickly interjecting before his father could go any further
"Oh no – no don't worry about that –"
"You asked us to keep it quiet and we should have respected your wishes. But you're mother and I – well we haven't been getting a lot of good news lately. So when we heard about you and Caroline, we just got a little excited."
"It's okay. It worked out." Klaus smiled
"Nevertheless. I think I have something that will make it up to you." Mikael's eyes glimmered with a hint of mischief and excitement as Klaus regarded him closely
"Father – No. You don't need to give me anyting."
"Well technically son, it's not from me… It's from your grandmother." He opened his hand and in it lay an engagement ring. A very beautiful one at that.
"It's beautiful." Klaus' eyes softened "But I can't give this to Caroline."
"Why not? You don't think she'll like the setting?"
"No – the setting?" Klaus regarded his father. He looked really sincere like there was nothing that would make him more happy than to see Caroline in his grandmother's ring.
"I think she'll love the setting."
XxX
Liz held Caroline's hair back while she continued to puke. "I'm sorry Mom. Ah – you shouldn't have to be doing this on your wedding day."
Liz's eyes softened "It's okay sweetie. When you're a mother there are no days off. You'll see soon enough."
Caroline stiffens suddenly and turns to look at Liz with a frown.
"What is that suppose to mean?"
XxX
"It's ridiculous. She's not pregnant, please." Mel says as she wings her eyeliner to perfection and starts on the other eye.
"Well then explain the fact that no one even knew they were dating." Sharon questions throwing back another glass of champagne.
Mel and Sharon Salvatore who were cousins of Caroline and Stefan, alongside Lexi had all been selected to be Liz's bridemaids and were getting ready in a designated guest room at the Mikaelson house.
"God – Sharon you throw up all the time – and you're not pregnant." Lexi retorts rolling her eyes
Mel and Lexi laugh. "I told you I'm lactose intolerant." Sharon scoffs.
"More like size eight intolerant." Lily, Mel's younger sister and also, a part of the wedding party comments as she comes into the room.
"Ooh girl." Lexi high fives Lily.
"Okay – all I'm saying is that if Klaus really loved her then how come we haven't heard a word about how he proposed?"
XxX
It was an unseasonably warm day. The sun was shining and the sky was a cloudless blue. Caroline Salvatore couldn't have asked for a more perfect day for her mother's wedding. She was marrying William Forbes. Holy crap. She took a deep breath as she looked at how beautifully decorated the back garden had been set up. Already dressed in the rather distasteful bridesmaid dress, she figured wasn't too bad since she had total control over the type of shoes she wore and how she wanted her make-up. Her hair was of course, curled to perfection, held together loosely yet elegantly in a delicate bun with a few loose strands framing her face. She decided against the horrid piece of ribbon Liz wanted them all to wear around their heads and opted for a classy headband instead. Her makeup wasn't too over the top; with a nude lip and light blush. Caroline did however decide on khol eyeliner and extra volumed water-proof mascara making her baby blues pop.
Waterproof because she was sure there was no way she was going to get through this day without shedding a few tears. Joy for the most part, her mother was finally marrying someone she actually liked. And sorrow for her dead and dormant love life while the biological time clock on her ovaries ticked on.
Today she was practically a walking contradiction. She looked beautiful, sure. But the sour look on her face really resonated a different outlook entirely– and the expired milk she had for breakfast had not been the cause.
"How is my favourite fiance doing?"
Caroline turns around to see Klaus standing before her looking drop dead gorgeous in a tux. She instantly decides that she is far too annoyed and angry to even dwell on how good he looked so she scoffed as some form of a response as to how she was feeling. There weren't words. Just sounds it seemed.
Klaus takes in her expression with a frowned face."Oh boy – what happened?" He asks
"Oh nothing – unless you count the fact that my mother thinks I'm pregnant with your baby." Caroline gritted out
"What?" Klaus chuckles
"She thinks the only reason someone like you would marry someone like me was if you got me pregnant." Caroline scoffs "Shit like that made me move two thousand miles away in the first place."
"So did you tell her the truth?"
Caroline stared at him incredulously. "No I lied – I told her you're not really as shallow as you look and that we decided to get married because – of our deep and soulful connection." She retorted, openly rolling her eyes.
"Oh."
"Uh huh."
"Well – maybe this will get her off your back." Klaus says and takes out something from his pocket
"What is that…" Caroline looks to the protruding object he held in between his fingers.
"It's my grandmother's engagement ring–"
"No." Caroline replies instantly
"Take it."
"No. Forget it, no."
"What?" Klaus stares at her in confusion. "Just try it on."
"No. Klaus – I'm not wearing your dead grandmother's engagement ring."
"Caroline – love."
"You are out of your mind." She retorts
"Caroline! If we're trying to convince your mother and everybody else that we're engaged, an engagement ring is a good place to start."
"Fine! But that did not come from Wal-Mart." She exclaims and then turns to look around to see if anyone had been listening. "I do not think your grandmother would appreciate me wearing her stunning VVS 1, 1.75 carrot, princess cut engagement ring."
"Wow." Klaus is stunned to silence.
He shook his head. "Caroline would you quit worrying about disrespecting my grandmother, her whole life was about making her son happy. And nothing would make her son more happy than seeing you wear this ring for a few days."
"Fine." Caroline rolls her eyes. "It's probably not going to fit anyway." She says extending her hand to him. Klaus regards it for a moment then looks up at her expectant stare. "What?"
"I'm not putting it on myself – put it on me."
"Really?"
"Uh huh."
She was really stubborn sometimes. "Alright." Klaus sighs incredulous and goes for her hand only to have the ring slip out of his and onto the floor. "Shit…" he got onto the floor for the ring
Klaus remains on his knee after picking the ring up and places it on her finger. Caroline smiles very briefly before bringing her hand up to inspect the ring further. "It fits."
"I guess it's official." Klaus says as he gets up.
Caroline looks at the ring and it is so beautiful. She cannot help but feel the tears welling up. Oh God – here goes the waterworks again.
"What's wrong? Is it the setting?"
"I love the setting." Caroline whines, her voice nearly cracking.
"Then what's wrong?"
"I don't know… I mean not too long ago I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me with his wife." Caroline chuckles at how absurd that sounds. Klaus smirks too. "I mean – it's just that… I waited my whole life for a guy to love me so much he'd propose to me with his grandmother's engagement ring." Caroline sighed "It's just not really what I had in mind you know." She seems okay, but her voice is a little shaky.
"Come here." Klaus opens his arms and she shakes her head. "Come here – give it up."
Caroline pouts and walks into his embrace. "Bear hug." Klaus says and wraps his arms around her fiercely. As Caroline wraps hers around his waist. He rubs soothing circles onto her back and for a while they just stand there. The faint sounds of an orchestra in the background.
As she breathes in his delicious scent, Caroline couldn't help but be taken back to the vivid dream she had that very morning. The way he looked at her, held her and nearly kissed her?
"Alright." Caroline clears her throat and is the first one to break away. "I'm going to –"
"Right." Klaus says
"I should be in there.." Caroline walks backwards "I'm the maid of honor.."
"Right yeah." Klaus says and he shifts uncomfortably "I'm going to go this way.." He points in another direction and she nods.
They both walk their separate ways.
Klaus couldn't wrap his head around the encounter between himself and Caroline just now as he walks towards the other side of the garden where most of the guests are gathered.
"Niklaus Mikaelson.." he hears someone call and turns to look
There he sees a very tall, very pretty, young blonde woman "Regina Renolds?"
"I mean she doesn't even have a ring." Sharon exclaims.
"Agh you're just trying to create drama where there is no drama." Lily says and walks over the the window before she flungs her body against the large window. "Holy shit!"
She squealed in delight and bangs her hands on the glass. Sharon, Mel and Lexi regard eachother in shock before looking at Lily who they think has obviously lost her mind. "Are you okay?"
"Klaus is giving her the ring right now!" She says and they all rush over to the window where they see Klaus in the back garden under the large oak tree – on one knee infront of Caroline putting the ring onto her finger.
"Awwwww and he did it on one knee." Mel gushes
"On her mother's wedding day." Lily gushes
"That's so romantic." Sharon coos and they all turn to her and frown.
XxX
"Regina Reonolds?"
"How are you doing? My god. You look fantastic." He grinned taking in her appearance. She had a fitted black dress that finished off with embezzlement arrangement. Her long heels accentuated her tall silky legs that seemed to go on for miles and her blonde hair was straigthened reaching down to her inviting rack.
He eyed her from head to toe which did not go unoticed by her of course. "How can you wear a dress like that to a wedding? You're going to steal the bride's thunder."
"Klaus Mikaelson, always the flirt." She smirked
"Oh no – not always. Just with you." He retorts and Regina grins sheepishly.
"Champagne anyone?" A waiter interrupts their heated gaze "Oh yes please." Regina eagerly takes a flute and starts to sip
"No thanks I'm good."
"You're not drinking? I thought weddings always made you nervous." Regina chuckles and Klaus nods
"Oh they do. They terrify me actually." They both laugh "It's just a little early for me to start hitting the champagne."
"Where's Mitch?" Klaus asks after a few minutes
"Oh – I guess you didn't hear. We broke up a few months ago."
"Really..." This was certainly news. He remembered bumping into her at a mutual friend's cocktail in New York. She was of course on the arm of Mitch Andrews.
"I mean, Mitch is a great guy, but I just felt like there was no need to get married and put a label on it you know." Regina smiles and tucks a strand behind her ear.
"Absolutely."
"So now I'm just having a good time, keeping my options open, crashing the occasional family wedding." She zeros her blue eyes in onto him as she treads closer. "What about you... Are you seeing anyone special?"
"You know–"
"Ah there he is!" Caroline's crazy uncle Zach booms as he runs over to them and literally lifts Klaus up. "Congrats my man! I just heard the news..."
"What?" Regina smiles looking at Klaus' discomfort as Caroline's uncle eventually put him down. "Did you get a promotion?"
"Well no, not exacty–"
"This guy just got engaged to my niece. How about that!" Uncle Zach exclaims, rather ecstatic
Regina couldn't help the look of utter astoundment that took over her face "Y-youre engaged?"
"Its er–"
"To Caroline Salvatore?"
The guests started to walk into the house as the ceremony would soon begin. "That's your cue Klaus. You are a groomsman after all." The uncle pulled a reluctant Klaus toward the house and away from a baffled and confused Regina.
"Have you guys seen my Mom anywhere?" Caroline asks coming into the room and it soon turns to a shrieking mess. Mel, Lily and Sharon running up to her to envelop her in hugs and yanking her hand up to inspect her ring while Lexi stood from afar not really sure what to do but smirk.
"Oh my god!"
"Congratulations."
"You're so lucky! Its so beautiful!."
Caroline shoots Lexi a glare that she hasn't stepped in to stop them from harrasing her and she decides that her sister-in-law who knows the real truth is rather enjoying this specticle.
"I have to go find my Mom.." Caroline runs out of the room. Literally. She runs to the closest room and shuts the door behind her trying to catch her breath.
"Caroline?"
Caroline looked up to see Kol sitting on a bed. Shit – she must've ran into his room then. "Hey."
"Running away from your fiance already?" He smirked and she rolled her eyes at his comment, coming to sit next to him. "Shouldn't you be out there moving chairs and hitting on my cousins?"
"They're a bit too clingy for my tastes, darling. Besides, you know I've only ever had eyes for one girl." He winked at her and she giggled shoving his arm playfully.
"Caroline! There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere, come on. The ceremony is about to start." Rebekah practically yanks her away from Kol and out of the room before she can say anything.
Liz's wedding came faster than anyone expected. It was hard to believe that the time had finally arrived for her mom to wed lucky number five. One minute they were planning the wedding, and the next, the Mikaelson manor was buzzing with activity. Caterers were bustling around the kitchen, the videographer was setting up his camera at the right angle, the florists had brought the topiary trees, and there were garlands on the stairs and over the front door. A photographer was following very human in the house like a heat-seeking missile, then photographing the décor, the preparations, and the guests as they arrived. The musicians were playing.
Caroline hears the music begin to play signalling the bridesmaids to start their walk to the altar. Her cousins had all proceeded down the aisle, one by one as the guests smiled happily on the sides. It was Lexi and Stefan who walked next. Caroline watched them lovingly still looking as in love as they had on their big day a few years back. It seemed that her brother and even all her cousins were happily together with their significant others while she was still very single and pretending to be engaged to a guy she grew up with. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or offended that many of most had come to the conclusion that she had been pregnant and that was the only reason why Klaus would be marrying her. Receiving all this sudden attention and being fawned over by her family was so overwhleming. And knowing that it was all a hoax just made it all the more morbid for her.
The neared the pillar of flowers, Caroline hooking Klaus in by the arm. He noticed her frowning, seeming deep in thought.
"I can't do this..." Caroline whimpered
"What? Why not - we're next." He frowned motioning to the aisle
"No — I mean our supposed engagement."
"Why?"
"Why? Because I'm freaking out okay!" And a few guests turned around having overheard her little out burst.
"Okay — easy tiger." Klaus mouthed over to her and smiled at the guests who turned back to the altar
"Mel and Lily are fighting about where we should honeymoon, I don't exactly enjoy lying to my family and friends and no matter what I say everything still thinks that I'm pregnant!"
"Okay." Klaus sees that the coordinator motions for them to go next and so he laces his fingers through hers. "Just try to relax, love."
All the guests turn to see them enter with knowing smiles on their faces. "Oh god..." Caroline feels like she is about to faint
"You can lean on me.."
Caroline looks up to him and couldn't help but smile softly. He nods at her and they begin to walk down the aisle. She tries to avoid the lot's stares and chesire grins but as they get to the front rows it becomes harder to miss Esther and Mikael. The warm and loving smiles on the faces nearly breaks her heart.
Klaus notices his parents and siblings all staring at them with smiles, well except for Kol. But he doesn't dwell on it too long before he finds Mikael's face. His eyes shown with pride as they fall on Caroline's dainty little hand with the engagement ring shining proudly on her finger. As they reach the altar, Klaus pauses briefly to nod at his parents before himself and Caroline part to stand at their respective places at the altar.
And suddenly, they were waiting for Liz to come down the stairs. She gracefully descended the stairs to Handel's Water Music, with tears running down her cheeks as she looks to Bill. She took everyone's breath away, she looked beautiful. Caroline looked proud. Bill looked at the woman he was marrying, he cried openly, standing next to Stefan who he regarded as his son since he never had any children of his own. Everyone was moved, as she walked to him and took his arm.
Father Kieran who performed the ceremony spoke wisely about the challenges of marriage, and the blessings it provided when it was right, the wisdom of it between two good people who had chosen well, and Caroline couldn't help but feel the miss even amongst all the pretending. The food was delicious. The wine was fabulous. The house looked spectacular. It was the perfect day, the perfect time and before anyone could blink, Liz was standing at the top of the stairs again in her beautiful white satin dress, and her bouquet of white orchids came hurtling down and hit Caroline in the chest. Everyone grinned at her seemingly pleased and she almost openly rolled her eyes at the irony. Bill tossed the garter at Elijah and Caroline was slightly relieved it had not been Klaus.
That would have been too much.
As everyone made their way over to the reception held out in the backyard garden, alcohol flowed freely and everyone began to loosen up a bit more.
The tent outside on the terrace had been decked to a tee. The lanterns on ceiling had elicited a luminous glow around the entire room as the guests danced and drank until they could no more. Klaus had gotten into the alcohol rather feverishly and himself and Rebekah had been dominating the dance floor for the past hour.
Caroline sat at a table with two of Klaus' aunts. Since it was already evening, she had Klaus' suit jacket over her shoulders to keep out the slight chill. Her feet were killing her so she found comfort at a corner table, resting them and sipping some delicious red wine.
Klaus' aunts were in the midst of discussing trips to the dentist's office. For whatever reason, Caroline had no idea and wasn't all that bothered by it either. As long as they shut up about the impending wedding and birthing Klaus' jewish kids she wasn't going to complain.
Caroline rolled her eyes at Aunt Edna's comment about flossing atleast twice a day when Klaus' Aunt Dahlia draped a hand on her forearm. "Should you really be drinking dear?" She edged closer to whisper the next bit "You know... In your condition?"
Caroline nearly spit out the wine all over the table but managed to cough it down with a struggled swallow. "Okay. You know what-"
"Excuse me ladies... Do you mind if I steal my fiance for a few moments?"
Klaus' timing was impeccable as always. Had he arrived a minute later, she was sure Aunt Dahlia would have been stunned to silence by the colorful vocabulary of words she had been itching to scream from the moment she'd arrived.
"Of course." They smiled tight lipped and Caroline got up to follow Klaus.
Once they reached the dance floor. Caroline let out a breath of relief "Oh my god. Thank you."
"How you holding up?" Klaus asked, handing her a glass of champagne.
"Under the circumstances... Okay I guess. You?"
"Yeah no - I'm good." He smiled
"More champange?" A waiter asked bringing them two flutes and they eagerly nodded. "Yes please." They downed the drinks and took the remaining two flutes from the tray.
"Cheers, sweetheart." He interlocked their arms and Caroline couldn't help but laugh but she drank anyway. Despite the ungodly overwhelming feelings everyone had been dumping on her today, she was kind of glad that Klaus was there to help her through it. She didn't think there was anyone else she'd rather have by her side.
AN: Originally, I wanted to use either Cami or Hayley for 'Regina' but my reviewers were against it and I'm all for pleasing you guys, first and foremost. Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. x