Hello my lovelies, surprised to see me? I wanted to post today so that you guys don't have to wait a whole two weeks between parts. I will not post this coming Friday, but plan to the following one.

I wanted to thank all of you for the get well wishes and for being patient with me. I don't get sick often, I think the last time I did was about six years ago so when it hits me, it really hits me. That combined with the fact that the drugs I was taking was making me a bit dazed and confused, writing just wasn't an option for me. So I'm back with another long part for you, or at least long for me.

Part 22

"I feel like a new woman; my body is all relaxed and jelly like," Caroline practically moaned as she and Katherine walked out of the spa.

Laughing slightly at Caroline's statement, Katherine said, "You sound like you've just had a great bout of sex for three hours instead of just being at a spa."

"Katherine!" Caroline exclaimed in surprise but burst out laughing. "Oh, that was better than sex."

"Then you obviously haven't been doing it right," the brunette retorted as they walked along the beach towards their temporary homes.

"More like I don't remember," she muttered although Katherine still heard her, and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "It's ah…been awhile."

"Maybe you should have asked one of the good-looking male masseurs for a more intimate massage," Katherine replied with a saucy grin.

"Yeah, I don't think so," Caroline said with a roll of the eyes. "Stop trying to be cute."

"Not possible," Katherine replied with a shake of her head.

"On to other subjects. What do you want to do until everyone gets back? We've shopped, had lunch, hit the spa…" Caroline asked as they neared their condos. She was kind of hoping that whatever the other woman wanted to do wouldn't be too active, she was kind of looking to just relax. After the eventful week they had had and then all the pampering in the spa, she didn't know how lively she could be.

"I was thinking about just trying to soak up as much sun as possible before heading back to frigid Boston tomorrow. So go get on a bikini and meet me back out here," Katherine instructed. When she saw Caroline's mouth open as if to argue, she cut her off. "I won't take no for an answer; I know you had to have brought one with you just in case. Well, it's time to bring it out. It will just be the two of us; Nik isn't here and neither are the twins so you don't have to worry about breaking some nanny code that says you can't be showing skin around them."

Caroline found that she couldn't disagree with her. She had indeed brought a bikini on the remote chance that she would be at the beach or something by herself, and the others weren't expected back for a few more hours. It couldn't hurt to put it on but she wasn't going to let Katherine know she was agreeing so easily. She folded her arms across her chest as if she wasn't happy with being ordered around before answering her. "Fine."

Katherine smiled triumphantly at her, before turning and continuing on so she could change as well. "Ten minutes or you will feel the wrath of a pregnant woman!"

Shaking her head and laughing at Katherine's threat, Caroline made her way into the condo that would only be occupying for one more day. They were heading home tomorrow, something that made her a bit sad. She missed her friends and her life there but she would also miss the bubble she'd been living on while on vacation.

They had spent New Year's Eve at the Wildlife sanctuary then ended the year at Sage and Finn's condo on their terrace. There was a large fire pit where they had roasted hot dogs and marshmallows before watching the midnight fireworks display on the beach. Caroline had gotten New Year's hugs from all of the kids and punched Kol on the shoulder when he teased about trying to give her a kiss but was too scared. She wasn't sure if it was of her or his brother who had been sitting next to her at the time and glaring threateningly at him.

They had slept in on New Year's Day before taking off to explore some of Holetown, where they had shopped and ate as well as visited the marine park that they had there. The kids, especially Henry, had had a blast. The twins had been disappointed this morning at breakfast when she had told them she wasn't going with them and she had felt kind of guilty, but Klaus assured her that they would be fine once they got there. She had been enjoying all of the activities with them but it was nice to have grown up time today as well.

Caroline had finished shopping for souvenirs for her friends the day but had bought herself a few more things that she couldn't live without at a boutique that Katherine had drug her into before they had a light lunch at an outdoor restaurant. By the time they got to the spa, she was ready to be pampered.

Caroline quickly found the bikini and shrugged out of her clothes. Once she was redressed, she tied her hair up in a ponytail, grabbed a towel and headed outside. She was the first one to reach the spot of beach between the condos that Katherine had designated for them. The chairs were already there so she plopped her stuff down on it and set about putting on some sunscreen. When she reached her back, her fingers ran over the scarred skin and found herself pausing. Klaus must have noticed them when he was helped her with the sun block. They were scattered all over her torso and back. Her other suit might have covered the front but he would have seen the ones on her back. She had lived them for years, rarely even thought about them, but she suddenly felt awkward about them. He hadn't said anything about them and she was curious as to why.

"Earth to Caroline," she heard Katherine saying to her left. Caroline looked over and saw the other woman approaching and it was obvious that she had called her name at least once.

"Sorry, I was just somewhere else."

"Obviously," Katherine responded as she set her stuff down and then took her seat. She smiled knowingly before saying, "I see you followed my instructions."

"As if I had a choice; no one wants to piss off a pregnant woman," Caroline retorted.

"Especially this one," Katherine said with a smug smile. As she started applying her own sun tan lotion, she looked over casually at Caroline. After setting what looked like a timer on her phone, she reclined in her beach chair with her sunglasses on, soaking up the sun. As Katherine looked at her, she couldn't help but notice the marks along her abdomen. "Jesus Caroline, it looks like you wrestled a cheese grater."

Caroline's head shot up from her chair in surprise at the acknowledgement of her blemishes on her skin. Most people weren't so blunt when they brought them up, of course one thing she had learned in the few months she knew Katherine was that she blunt. "They're nothing."

"They don't look like nothing. Who did that to you?"

She started to ask why she instantly thought that someone had done something to her, did she look like a victim when she remembered Klaus's scars and realized why she might have thought about that. "They're from an accident I had when I was a teenager."

"Most women I know would be self-conscious about it."

"Yeah, well I don't know a lot of women who wear a bikini when they are five months pregnant so I guess we're even," she replied. "They are from a long time ago, most of the time I don't realize that they are there. If people don't want to see them, then they don't have to look."

Katherine's face broke out into a huge smile. "I like you more and more Caroline."

Caroline shook her head in astonishment. She liked Katherine but the woman could give you whiplash at times. Despite that, you always knew where you stood with her and could rely on her to give you an honest answer when you asked her something and there was something that had been bugging her for the last couple of days. "Can I ask you something?"

"I believe you just did."

"You know what I mean."

"Just ask me, Caroline."

"Klaus and Elijah's parents, did you ever meet them?"

"Unfortunately," Katherine answered. "Why?"

"Curiosity," Caroline replied. "Klaus told me that they disowned him after Henrik died."

She watched as the other woman's eyebrows shot up in surprise before she spoke. "He told you about Henrik?"

The blonde nodded hesitantly. "I asked him how the twins were named and he told me about his brother and the accident."

Katherine was silent, not something Caroline was used to, as she thought over what exactly to say. "I met Elijah and Klaus about six months before Henrik was killed. Elijah and I started dating shortly after we met and he took me home to visit his parents over Christmas. They were…polite, at least at first. Mikael didn't seem to approve of me until he found out that my parents had left Tatia and I quite a bit of money. Then he was much more welcoming."

A devilish smile bloomed on the brunette's face. "When Elijah and I got married, we knew that his parents would make a huge fuss about Nik coming to the wedding. But we were determined that he and Tatia be there. So we eloped, only telling his siblings. Mikael was beyond pissed when we got back but it didn't matter. We were married and there was nothing he could do about how or who we invited."

"Wow."

"Elijah felt guilty when they were killed just over a year later but I didn't. They hated Nik for something that was not his fault, something that could have happened if Henrik had been with anyone in the family," Katherine declared.

"What happened to them?"

"Mikael's anger and cruelness was not limited to just his family," Katherine answered. "Around nine years ago, they were shot and killed by an employee of his that he fired. There were rumors that the guy was fired after he found proof that Mikael had been embezzling funds from his company but it was never proven."

"Why did he kill their mother? I mean, if Mikael was the one to blame…"

"The gunman said it was an accident. There was a struggle and when Mikael tried to grab the gun from him, it went off and shot Esther. Then the guy shot Mikael and fled," Katherine finished.

"That must have been hard, on all of them," Caroline remarked.

"It was. Despite the rocky relationship, they were their parents," Katherine declared.

Caroline noticed an odd look come over Katherine's face during the last bit of her sentence. She was about to ask about it when the other woman spoke. "Now I have a question for you."

"Okay."

"What is going on between you and my brother-in-law?" Katherine asked. She watched as Caroline's mouth dropped widened at her question and knew what the other woman would say automatically. This wasn't the first time they had spoken about this subject. "I'm not attacking you. I know I acted like a raving protective bitch the first time we met but not this time. This time I'm genuinely curious. There's more to you two than boss and nanny."

Caroline considered Katherine before she spoke. She could see that she wasn't being mean or meddlesome like that first meeting. She was genuinely curious. "There is nothing going on between us, nothing but friendship."

"Are you sure that is all?"

"Why are you so sure that it's something more?" Caroline asked. "Why can't we just be friends?"

"No one said you can't. You live together, raising my niece and nephew so you should be friends," Katherine replied. "But I think there is more.

"I see the two of you together," Katherine continued. "And while I think you are just friends now, I don't believe that friendship is all there is between the two of you."

Taking in the other woman's words, Caroline wasn't sure how to reply. She wanted to argue, the sensible rational side of her brain wanted to say that Katherine was wrong, but she didn't. Instead, she just gave a simple answer. "Friendship is all there can be."

Not wanting to continue the conversation, Caroline laid her head back, removed her sunglasses and closed her eyes. She just wanted to doze until the timer on her phone went off.

/

*Beep Beep*

Caroline bolted upright in her lounger as the alarm on her phone blared. She grabbed it quickly and shut it off, before looking around. Katherine was still in her chair next to her, her eyes closed as well. After her nap, Caroline was feeling parched. Unfortunately, the small amount of water she had in her bottle wasn't enough to sustain her thirst. "I'll be back. I need some more water."

She heard a distant acknowledgment from Katherine as she stood and headed towards her condo. She had left the back door unlocked thankfully so she quickly slid in and headed towards the kitchen. The tile floor was cold on her feet after the heated sand and felt a chill go up her spine. She quickly made her way to the fridge and got a bottle of water.

Caroline shut the fridge door and jumped when she saw someone on the other side of it. "Klaus?! You scared the hell out of me. I didn't realize you guys were back."

She watched as a smirk formed on his mouth, he was obviously enjoying the fact that he had scared her. "I just walked in."

It was then that she saw his eyes drop below her face, taking in what or more accurately what little she was wearing. She could be wrong but it looked like his eyes had darkened a bit as he looked her over. She wrapped her arms around herself to try and show a little modesty. "Um, where are the kids?"

"They are with Sage and Finn. They were headed to the pool for a little while." Klaus replied as he moved towards her. His eyes continued scan her up and down, his smirk turning into a wolfish smile. "You look ravishing in that suit."

"Uh, thanks," Caroline responded awkwardly. She wasn't sure what was going with him, he was acting different. She backed up but couldn't go far since the counter was right behind her. She was pinned between the hard counter and his quickly approaching body. His eyes locked on hers and this time she was sure that she saw them filled with lust. Lust for her. She could feel her own body heating up with desire at the thought.

He stopped when he was barely an inch away from her, so close that she thought if she took a deep breath their chests would touch. His hand came then and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips brushing lightly against her cheek and she had to stop herself from turning towards into it. She didn't know what was going on but she knew she should stop it.

However, before Caroline got the chance Klaus tangled his hand into her hair and yanked her forward. The momentum sent her towards him and crushed her lips to his. His mouth molded over hers forcefully, parting her lips with the thrust of his tongue as he ravished her mouth with his. Caroline did not fight him, she didn't want to. The kiss was full of hunger and need. All the sexual tension between the two of them that had built up over the time they had known each other fueled the kiss. Her hands trailed up his arms and encircled his neck, as she put all of her energy in the kiss.

His arms moved around her, to press her body fully against him. His hands had drifted to her hips, and down to her ass. He squeezed her before lifting her up. Her legs came up and wrapped around him. She pressed her body more fully to his, and heard him groan as her hips moved against his, his hands moving around her back to pull her closer to him. Klaus's mouth moved from hers to her neck, licking, biting, sucking at the flesh that he found, making her head lean back against the cabinet, gasps and moans coming from her. "Klaus…"

"Caroline," she heard him call. "Sweatheart, we're home."

Caroline's head snapped up at his statement, she looked down to see him starring back at her. "What?"

"Caroline, wake up."

Caroline's eyes snapped open and felt momentarily confused when she saw the interior of an airplane in front of her. She turned her head in the direction of the voice that was calling her and saw Klaus in the seat next to her. He smiled at her before saying, "Are you okay?"

Then it all came back to her, the vacation was over and they were on the plane trip back to Boston, not in the kitchen of the condo. "Um yeah. I'm fine."

"The pilot just announced that we are making our descent. Thought you might want a few minutes to wake up."

"Yeah, thanks," Caroline replied, her eyes drifting to his lips. She had been dreaming, dreaming of something that hadn't really happened. The day before, she had fallen asleep on the beach and everything up until she had gone for the water had occurred. When she had returned Katherine was just getting off the phone with Elijah with the news that they were on their way back. They had had one last family dinner before packing and getting ready to travel the next day. Klaus had not been inside, there had been no kissing, no anything.

Caroline felt her cheeks redden as she remembered the dream, what had happened between them. It felt so real, she swore that if she touched her lips right now they would be swollen from his kiss. She also felt herself starting to freak out. She had no idea where the dream had come from. Okay, maybe she did a little. She was physically attracted to him, she didn't deny that. But in that dream, she had felt something more than desire, something more than lust. Something that she had been ignoring because it was a not something she had the freedom to explore. She was developing something for Klaus, her boss.

'Nononono,' Caroline scolded herself. She could not be doing this, she could not be falling for him. She was only able to think on it for a few moments before the plane was on the ground and she busied herself with gathering her stuff and helping the twins do the same. She tried her best not to brush up against Klaus but, considering he was sitting next to her, it was hard to avoid him such close quarters, first class or not. Once they got off the plane, she stayed behind him and walked with Lexi as they retrieved the luggage. She did everything she could not to stare at the way his jeans hung around his hips or the flash of skin of his back that she saw when he reached over to help Henry with something.

As they exited the airport, Caroline shivered from the shock of cold air. Luckily, Dean was waiting for them nearby with Klaus' SUV. He nodded to Klaus before he reached out to take some of the luggage from her and Lexi. "Glad to be back?"

"Glad to be home, though I could do with better weather," Caroline replied.

Dean grinned at her and chuckled. "Well, your smile is warmer than any sunny beach."

"Um, thanks," Caroline replied stunned by the obvious flirt.

Dean turned away from her then as he moved to load their luggage into the trunk. She spent the trip sitting in the back listening to the kids relay all of the details of the trip to Dean while trying to figure out what she should do about the epiphany she had on the plane. She thought back to the conversation she had had with Bonnie and Elena at Thanksgiving about getting out and dating again. Maybe that was her problem. She was projecting her loneliness from not having some kind of romantic attachment onto her relationship with Klaus.

Before she knew it, they had reached the house and Caroline was very relieved to see it. Dean quickly parked in front of the house and they got out. The twins tried to escape without helping but their father quickly halted their plans. After double checking to make sure she had gotten all of her stuff, she shut her door to head inside when she found Dean standing in front of her. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier."

"You didn't, I just was just surprised," Caroline replied.

"Good, I'm glad that I didn't come off as creepy or anything," Dean stated. "Because I wanted to ask if you might want to go out some time?"

Caroline was sure that her eyebrows had to be almost to her hairline as the shock of his question registered. "You want to go out?"

"Yes, I know it might seem odd, but I thought just something small like coffee," Dean suggested.

Movement from the doorway of the house caught Caroline's attention and she saw Klaus observing them. She thought she saw something a kin to suspicion on his face but before she could think harder on it, he called inside and disappeared into the house. She turned her attention back to Dean. "Um, sure. Coffee sounds nice. When?"

"Can I call you? Things are going to be crazy the next few weeks at work so I don't know when I might be able to take you but I didn't want to miss this chance to ask you."

"Give me your phone," Caroline ordered. When he handed it to her, she quickly typed in her number and saved it. "My schedule isn't the most regular either so call or text me when you can and we'll see about having that coffee."

Dean smiled widely when she handed him back his phone. "Then hopefully I'll be seeing you soon."

Caroline nodded before walking away and towards the house. This is what she needed, a date with a nice normal good looking guy who wasn't her boss. Yes, this would work perfectly.

Okay guys, I'm going to go run and hide now.

Seriously though what did you guys think of the part? You got to find out a little about Caroline's scars but remember; I never give out the whole story at once, as well as what happened to Mikael and Esther. And you got a Klaroline kiss, okay so it wasn't real but still you got a look into Caroline's smutty dreams. And a little competition for Caroline's affections?

I hope you guys aren't getting too frustrated with these two, I will say that I don't plan to show a lot of them with other people, so you don't have to worry about that.