AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello my lovelies, here is your part for this week. As I said last week, I won't be actually showing the Family dinner but there is mentions of it in this part. It's heavy on the Caroline but with a bit of Klaroline in it too.

So happy to read everyone's reactions to the character's reactions.

If you like how I write AU/AH, I started a drabble series yesterday called 'First Time for Everything' that you might like to read. It's Caroline as the single parent which I know is a rarity in the fandom.

Thanks to klarolineepiclove, jomosfamilyjewels, approvesomuch and cecevolume for their betaing skills.

Part 45

"Can you see them Klaus? I lost them in the crowd of kids." Caroline asked as she strained her neck to get a better viewpoint around the masses of people in front of them.

"Yes, sweetheart, the teacher is still getting them into position. Henry is in the back row while Lexi is a couple before him." Klaus answered as he pointed out the children to her. He knew the moment she caught sight of them by the smile that lit up her face.

"Perfect, I should be able to get great shots." She commented as she fiddled with her camera.

"With the size of that zoom lens I'm confident you could photograph the surface of the moon without difficulty." He told her with a teasing note in his voice, which led to her sticking her tongue out at him in response.

"Go ahead but you aren't the one who has gotten no less than a dozen texts, all from your siblings or their spouses requesting that I take as many pictures of them as possible since they weren't able to come."

Klaus rolled his eyes, "Yes, I'm very aware of their distaste on the matter. Rebekah made sure to pay me a visit today to voice her complaint that the school would not allow more than two guests per child."

Caroline chuckled nervously. Technically, Henry and Lexi warranted four seats versus two but again, the rivalry between the siblings over who would get to go would create issues so it had been decided not to use the extra two hoped that none of his family held it against her that she was the one to accompany Klaus. She didn't believe they would be, after all it was the twins that had actually been the one to invite her to their End of the Year program and it only made sense for her to come since it would have caused tension if any of the siblings had been chosen to take the empty seat. The school might be one of the best in Boston but its auditorium was small and they had to be very strict on the policy. It had been one of the topics of conversation at the dinner they had hosted a few weeks before, though definitely not the focus of it.

As he said at the hospital, they had held the family dinner at the house. Klaus had considered delaying it by a week so that Katherine and baby Logan would be home for longer than a few days but Elijah had stated that his wife insisted that he not. Whether that had been wise or not, he had yet to decide since Katherine had driven them crazy with questions the moment she walked through the door. She tried to stay in the kitchen to talk to them while they put the finishing touches on the dinner, but Elijah had quickly vetoed that idea and made her go into the living room to relax. Katherine had tried to use the excuse that she was there in case they needed help, however it didn't work when Kol arrived just then and Elijah conscripted him to aid Caroline and Klaus in the kitchen.

By the time that everyone had arrived and dinner was on the table, Caroline had almost wished that Katherine had been the one to help them versus Kol. He had been helpful alright, helpful in pushing Klaus' buttons with various innuendos that he made and muttering that he felt like a voyeur with all of the 'eye-sex' going on between the new couple. The only thing to get him to shut up was when Caroline brought up the subject of Bonnie.

The dinner itself was fun, at least to Caroline, even with the embarrassment from Kol and all of the attention focused on her and Klaus, she enjoyed the high-spirited meal with the Mikaelsons like she had when they had been on vacation. Except now, it felt a bit different perhaps it was the fact that she knew she was there as Klaus' girlfriend and not as the nanny. She was able to relax more and felt as if she was a part of the group instead of just a guest.

Sadly, things had not gone as well with Elena. It had been over a month since the lunch where Caroline had come clean to her friends about being involved with Klaus and aside from a few uncomfortable run-ins when she had been with Bonnie, she had not talked to her brunette friend. Caroline wanted to reach out to her but also felt like the ball was in Elena's court, she wasn't going to ask forgiveness for following her heart.

"Do you know who the little boy that Lexi is talking to is?" Klaus asked, his question filtering through her barrage of thoughts and brought her back to the present.

"What?" She asked confused.

"The boy next to Lexi." Klaus repeated as he pointed in the direction of his daughter, and Caroline followed his line of sight to see who he was talking about. The boy was to Lexi's right, talking animatedly about something despite the teacher's assistant trying to shush him. "Um, I'm not sure. I haven't seen her talking to him before."

"Well they look friendly." He grumbled.

"Seriously, Klaus? They're eight." Caroline replied with a laugh.

"You never know; Kol used to flirt with Sage when he wasn't far from that age." Klaus stated.

"Kol's behavior as a child isn't typical for boys that age, usually girls are either friends or just gross. I think you're safe for a little while longer." She assured him.

"Still, I'd feel more comfortable if she felt the need to talk to a little boy that she talked to that one instead." He acknowledged as he motioned to a little boy sitting a little farther down from Lexi, dressed perfectly in a little shirt and bowtie, his hair neat and he was being very quiet while the boy with Lexi wasn't as well put together, one of his shirt tails hanging out of his pants, and still being boisterous.

"I can't wait to see how you act when she is actually old enough to date." Caroline responded. "How are you going to act when she brings a boy home?"

"I will be a perfect gentleman." Klaus answered. "And when she steps out of the room, I'll threaten the kid within an inch of life. Kol, Elijah, and Finn will most likely join me in the endeavor, just as we did when Rebekah was dating."

Caroline laughed again. "I pity any of the boys she wants you to meet."

"Are you telling me that your mother or father never threatened any of your suitors when you were younger?" Klaus asked her, the doubt clear in his voice. He could only imagine the worry that Bill had gone through when Caroline had been a teenager. "Because I have no doubt that your mother encountered suitors for you in droves."

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his statement; he was always slipping in little compliments into everyday conversation, which she loved even if she acted as if they were cheesy. "I dated a couple of guys in high school but Matt was the only one that I would consider my boyfriend. After the accident, dating wasn't high on my list of priorities."

Klaus nodded in understanding, and she could see in his eyes that he was regretting bringing up the subject. She just smiled at him and nudged him with her shoulder. "Hey, don't feel bad for bringing it up; its okay to talk about it. It's a part of my past; true, a very painful part of it, but it's not something I try to ignore."

"It wasn't my intention though to dampen the mood." Klaus stated in apology.

"Then don't let it." Caroline said with a shrug. They sat in silence for a couple of moments before a giggle erupted from her lips, causing him to look at her in confusion. "Sorry, I was just thinking of a time that I did bring someone home to meet my mother and it didn't go very well."

"Really, do tell so that perhaps I can ensure not to make the same transgression."

"Only if you have a fear of guns." She replied. "A year into our relationship, I took Tyler to my hometown to meet my parents. We went to Dad and Stephen's first, and then to my mother's. When we got there, I just walked in without knocking, pulling Tyler behind me and headed to the living room, only to see my mother sitting there with her various service guns around her."

Klaus' eyebrow shot up. "And you believe that my plan to have my brothers around when Lexi brought a boy home was excessive."

"No, she didn't plan it." Caroline said in defense as she shook her head, her lips turned up in a huge smile. "Well at least she says she didn't. Mom had been so busy working that she had gotten her days mixed up and she had simply gotten them all out to clean them as she did every couple of weeks. Tyler didn't quite believe her though, and he was a bit jumpy the rest of the weekend, which is funny because she actually liked him. She wasn't particularly happy when I broke it off…"

The buzzing of her phone interrupted their conversation. Caroline looked down at her phone with a curious expression. "That's odd; Mom's ears must have been burning."

Klaus noticed that she quickly silenced the phone by hitting the ignore button. "Don't you want to speak to her?"

"Of course I do, but I can call her back after the program." Caroline answered only for her phone to erupt again. She checked the screen and saw it was her mother, this time she slid her finger across the screen before bringing it to her ear. "Mom, now is not the best time, I'll have to call you back."

He watched as her mouth turned into a frown and her whole face changed as she listened to something her mother said on the other line. Her eyes looked towards the stage before she pulled the phone away from her mouth. "I have to take this."

"It's about to start." Klaus contended.

"I know, I'll be as quick as I can, I won't miss it." Caroline said as she stood and made her way into the outer hall. Once she was there, she spoke. "Okay Mom, I can talk now what is this about Mrs. Gilbert saying I have a new boyfriend?"

"I said that I ran into Miranda today and she was curious to know what I thought about the fact that my daughter was dating her boss!" Liz exclaimed. "I told her that I didn't have any opinion on it because as far as I knew, my daughter was not dating anyone let alone the one single man who is completely off limits to her. So I called you…"

Caroline closed her eyes as she leaned back against the wall, thudding her head against it in frustration. She had come clean to everyone in her life about her and Klaus, except for her mother. She had wanted to, she really did but it wasn't a conversation that she thought she could have with her over the phone. She guessed she was wrong. "Mom…"

"So that you could tell me that Miranda is mistaken." Liz went on. "That what Elena told her mom was wrong."

Damn Elena! Why did she feel the need to tell her mother everything? Caroline had been jealous of the close-knit mother daughter relationship that Elena had shared with her mother, one that she herself had never been able to have with her own mother but right now that relationship was coming back to bite her in the ass. Caroline internally fumed before speaking. "I can't."

"You can't what?"

"I can't tell you that what she told Mrs. Gilbert was a mistake; if I did it would be a lie." She confessed. Caroline waited for more yelling from her mother as she chastised her but was only met with silence. "Mom?"

"I'm still here." Liz answered. "I'm just…processing."

"Mom, I wanted to tell you but I just couldn't figure out how to do it over the phone, I wanted to do it in person but I knew I couldn't get down to visit you soon and once I came up with the idea to Skype you, enough time had passed that I thought you'd be even more mad that I didn't come and tell you face to face." Caroline blurted out, only ending when she heard someone speaking via the sound system in the auditorium behind her. "And I really really want to work this out with you because I know you're upset and disappointed but I have to go. Can we talk later?"

"Answer me something first Caroline."

"Sure anything." She replied.

"You're not with him in the hopes that maybe he'll be able to give you what you really want?" Liz asked. "I don't just mean a ready made family but you've said that he comes from a large family so fertility wouldn't be an issue."

"Oh my God mom." Caroline cried out. "I can't believe you just said that."

"I think it's a perfectly logical question Caroline."

"No, mom. I'm not using him like he's some kind of breeding stud." She declared. "Now, I will call you later."

Her mother said good-bye then disconnected the call and Caroline moved to go back inside. She wondered if her cheeks were red from her mother's question. She couldn't believe she would ask her that, trust her mother to jump to that conclusion.

True, she and Klaus never used protection but it was something that she had never insisted on only because the odds were against them. Granted that hadn't stopped her in the past, she had always been a safety girl when it came to sex but with Klaus, she felt differently. They had talked about it before, the morning after their first time actually and he had confessed to simply following her lead the night before. He had told her that despite what he had done to Tatia, he wasn't one to fool around with that kind of thing, telling her it was her decision. So she had made it and they had yet to use anything.

Klaus looked up as she slid into her seat, a questioning look on his face that she answered with a subtle shake of her head. She'd tell him later about the call. He accepted her answer, and reached for her hand, bringing it to his mouth to lay a kiss on the top of it. Caroline smiled at him in thanks before leaning in and brushing her lips across his stubbled cheek.

As soon as she pulled back from him, Caroline noticed one of the moms from the twins' class glancing her way, a look of disapproval evident on her face. She couldn't remember the woman's name at the moment but the two of them had chatted before while waiting for the children's class to be released and she knew that Caroline was not the twins' mother but their nanny. This was why the woman was looking at her the way she was. Caroline glanced around and saw that she wasn't the only one looking at the couple in the same manner, both men and women.

The night was quickly spiraling downhill; it was supposed to be a quiet night where the two of them went to the twins' program, listened to them sing and perform before dishing out tons of compliments to the two kids about how great they did as they grabbed ice cream on the way home. Instead, she got a phone call by her very upset mother and several acquaintances were giving her judgmental looks for the small PDAs that her and Klaus were exchanging.

Though the twins' performances were great and she got tons of pictures, Caroline found it hard to enjoy the program. She felt like she was a fishbowl, as if every move she made was being studied and analyzed. She was very glad when the program was over and the excitement from the twins took her mind off of things though her stomach was churning too much to have anything aside from a bottle of water when they went for ice cream.

"I think it's time that we seriously look at candidates for nannies." Caroline announced suddenly, as they walked into the living room after the twins were in bed.

Klaus paused abruptly in his stride to look at her. "What brought this on?"

"We agreed when we started seeing each other that we would do a trial period, remember? Three months during which we would look for candidates." Caroline reminded him. "We've gotten resumes but have done nothing more."

"Because there is nothing that needs to be done." He declared.

Caroline frowned at him, upset that he was trying to back out of their agreement. "You agreed to our deal."

"Yes, I did." Klaus acknowledged.

"And it's almost been three months but we've done nothing aside from gather resumes to fulfill the terms of the agreement." Caroline stated.

"I agreed to accept your decision if you chose to leave if things didn't work out professionally between us and to look for an ideal candidate to replace you. And unless I have missed something, there have been no issues between us professionally nor have I seen anything in those resumes that makes me believe that any of those candidates are more perfectly suited to be here than you." Klaus stated as he moved closer to her, so that they were within inches of each other. He brought his hand up to her chin, tilting it towards him so she was forced to look him in the eye. "Now why don't you tell me what has you so upset?"

"Why do you think I have to be upset to bring this up?" She asked.

"I don't, but I have noticed that since you returned from taking that phone call earlier that you have been distant." He replied. "Did your mother say something to disturb you?"

Caroline opened her mouth to dispute the idea, but changed her mind. "She wanted to talk to me, about us."

Now it was Klaus' turn to look distressed. "I don't understand why that would warrant you to leave to speak to her so quickly? Unless you had not told her yet about us."

Caroline could see the hurt in his eyes and wanted to kick herself. "I wasn't hiding it."

"Then what were you doing?"

"I just…hadn't told her yet." She answered. "Klaus you have to understand, the relationship between her and I is completely different than the one I have with my dad. Dad might not agree with me on things but he respects my choices when he's seen that I've really thought about them, while my mother tries to talk me out of any decision she doesn't think is best for me. I planned to tell her but I didn't feel right about it over the phone nor could I simply jump on a plane to go see her either."

"We could have worked something out if you truly wanted to go." Klaus declared. He almost offered to have paid for the ticket himself but knew that would not be well received.

"I know, I guess I was just avoiding her between Rebekah's first reaction and Elena's refusal to accept it, I just didn't want someone else lecturing me. I'm an adult, not a child." Caroline acknowledged.

"I'm guessing that from your sour mood that she was not pleased at the news?"

"She was upset understandably but not sure if it's because of the information or how she found out, which I could kill Elena for by the way." She grumbled as she started to fume again at Elena. "However we did not finish the conversation because I hurried back in to hear the twins. I told her I'd call her later."

"Then I don't understand what made you so upset for the remainder of the night, and why you suddenly decided to push the deal we made." Klaus stated in puzzlement. If her mood wasn't due to her mother, what was it from?

"Did you see the way some of the parents were looking at us tonight?" Caroline asked him.

Klaus' brow furrowed. "I can't say that I paid attention to anything besides Lexi and Henry or you."

"Well I saw them, and several of them were looking at us like…like…us being together was dirty." She explained. "I mean, I knew that some people were going to react like that, but seeing it was quite a different story."

"Love, I'm sure the men were simply jealous that I have such a beautiful woman on my arm and the women noticed that. Just don't pay attention to them."

Caroline huffed. "It's kind of hard not to when they looked at us like they did. If the music hadn't been so loud I'm sure we would have heard the whispers."

"And you think that if you take another position and I hire another nanny that they will stop their gossiping?" Klaus asked.

Unsure of her answer, Caroline simply shrugged. "It couldn't hurt. At least then you wouldn't be sleeping with the help."

"But does it really matter if they think that if the people whose opinions matter to us don't?" He questioned, garnering him another shrug.

"What if it filters down to the twins?" She posed. "I don't want them to feel ashamed of me or cause issues for them with their friends."

"Caroline…they love you and yes children can be cruel when it comes to picking on each other when they find a reason to but I highly doubt either one of them would choose not to give up their time with you to lessen the teasing." Klaus sighed for a moment, knowing that her stubbornness would refuse to allow her to accept his statement as true so though it was against his better judgment, he gave in to her. "If you are still so intent on interviewing candidates, then I can't let you do that alone."

"Really?" Caroline asked, surprised that he didn't fight more with her on the matter. She knew he was perfectly content with the way things were, and on most days she was too but after seeing the way those parents looked at her, she had to make sure she did what she thought was best.

He nodded. "Send me your preferences tomorrow."

"Thank you." She replied before planting a kiss of appreciation on his supple lips. Klaus pulled her nearer, molding the soft contours of her body to his. He licked at her bottom lip, letting out a contented sigh when her whimper allowed him entrance to her mouth. He kissed her deeply, sliding his tongue with tantalizing slowness against hers until she forced the rhythm faster, pressing closer to his body.

"Klaus…" Caroline breathed as she broke the kiss. Her head fell back to give Klaus better access to her throat, allowing him to tease the pulse fluttering under her skin.

"Want to know what I'm thinking?" He whispered against the column of her neck. Swallowing, Caroline nodded silently.

"That as much as I'd love to continue this upstairs, you have a phone call to make I believe." Klaus stated.

"I'd rather go upstairs with you for a couple of hours." Caroline pouted. "I can call her tomorrow."

Klaus pulled back, away from her tempting lips and body. "You could, but you said you told her that you would call her tonight. And you have put off this conversation for long enough."

She was the one that sighed now, "You're right."

"Not something that you admit to often." He taunted, causing her to swat at him as she walked by him. "I'll go up to my room, I might be awhile."

"I'll be waiting."

I hope you enjoyed this part, as you can see it's leading up to finally putting to rest the whole issue of Caroline continuing to work for Klaus. How do you think it will end? They will be interviewing some nannies, some familiar faces.