"So, how are you, Caroline? How is life in the Mikaelson household?" Werewolf Hayley, one of Caroline's best friends, asked her when they sat down at one of the rooftop cafes in the city of New York.

"Same old, same old. Nothing new." Caroline said bitterly.

"So Elijah is still away on one of his long business trips?" Rebekah, Caroline's other best friend asked further. Rebekah was just another relatively young vampire like Caroline herself.

"If you want to call it that. He has that slut Katherine with him, as she couldn't help herself and sent me a picture from London. Which is where Elijah told me he'll be going for two months."

"Wow, that girl has no class whatsoever," Hayley sighed.

"Tell me about it." Caroline quipped, sipping her coffee.

"But how are you yourself, Caroline? Don't you want to start some relaxing hobbies of your own?" Rebekah asked with a wink.

"Like having an affair myself? I wouldn't want to imagine what Elijah would do this guy or me for that matter."

"So you just plan of living in the golden cage for the rest of your lives, spending your time shopping, having lunch with your besties and reading romance novels?"

Caroline scoffed, "It's not that bad of a life, I mean some people have it way worse. I know as I was very poor when I was still a human."

"And then you turned vampire and in a few weeks stumbled onto your prince who whisked you away to live in a tower where you can never escape."

Caroline didn't say anything at first, but then smiled and asked what her besties were up to.

"Well, we hit this very cool night club yesterday, partied a lot and Rebekah here used some hot guys as her own personal blood bags." Hayley explained.

"They were tourists though, right? You know Elijah doesn't allow anyone to drink from the locals?"

"Do you think I'm an idiot, Caroline? Like I would ever want to be confronted by your lovely husband, which only leads to desiccation suffering for half a century." Rebekah said.

"Of, course, I don't think you are an idiot, I just worry. It would be so easy for him to find an excuse to kill you both."

"We can take care of ourselves. You yourself better watch your back with him. When is he coming back? So we know that we won't be seeing you that time?"

"Actually, he returns tonight already." Caroline told them.

"Uh, that sucks. I guess we won't be seeing you for a few weeks as you have to accompany him in all the official events and meetings he has during his time here." Hayley said.

"Yeah, it's always the same. We go out, meet some important people and then next day it's pretty much the same."

"How is the sex life? You two still don't share a bed?" Hayley asked her.

"You know he hasn't touched me for three years. And luckily I don't even want to think about sleeping with him. He disgusts me."

That night Elijah got home and Caroline went to meet him at the door.

"Hello, my dear wife. You still up?" He said as he came into their apartment and kissed on the cheek.

"You know I have no other choice than to receive you like this. So please stop pretending." Caroline scoffed.

"Watch your tone with me, Caroline! Or next time I'll tear your tongue out." Elijah threatened her.

"I'll just grow a new one, so try harder."

Elijah just huffed and went to the master bedroom.

"Take some of your necessities for sleeping in the guest bedroom and I hope I don't have to remind you that you-"

"have to be in your bed to "wake up" before the housekeeper arrives. To keep up the pretences. Although I'm sure she has figured us out already."

Elijah turned around to look at her, "Why? What have you told her?"

Caroline laid down on the sofa in the bedroom and started flipping through the magazine, "Nothing. It's just that if a husband is away longer than he's at home, it means there's something wrong with the marriage. Like a lover for example."

Caroline took out her phone and threw it at Elijah who caught it with ease, "By the way, real class that woman has."

Elijah looked at the photo on the phone and said, "I'll talk to her."

Caroline gathered her necessities and started to head out, when Elijah stopped her cold.

"My brother is coming to visit us for a while, so I'll be staying in town for a little longer this time."

"You brother? Your Estranged, World-travelling, Too-busy-to-even-attend-the-wedding Brother is coming to live here, to live in this apartment?" Caroline asked in confusion.

"Yes."

"Why? I mean you have like 100 apartments in upstate New York, why doesn't he stay in any one of them?"

"Because I want to re-connect with my brother and him living here makes it easier, don't you think?" Elijah said sarcastically.

"So, what do you want from me?"

"We keep up the pretences, just like with anyone else and you treat him warmly but not too warmly, if you know what I mean."

"He's a ladies man? Should I be afraid of his advances toward me?"

"My brother is-complicated. He loves the female company, yes, but he hasn't been involved with someone for a long time."

"What's a long time for an Original, a century?"

"More like nearly 1000 years."

"What? He hasn't been dating anyone in a 1000 years? Why? I know he's not ugly, I've seen the pictures?"

Elijah chuckled, "Like I said, my brother is a complicated beast. And don't you forget it, he's monster like me."

"How could I, you never let me forget it." Caroline rolled her eyes and left to the guest bedroom.

The next morning, at 6:30 am Caroline woke up, took her things and returned to the master bedroom where he went to "sleep" next to her husband. The housekeeper arrived at 7:00 and woke them both up.

They got dressed and the show could begin.

Hand in hand they went to the dining room and when Maria, the housekeeper, arrived with their breakfast. They started their usual chit-chat.

"So when will your brother be arriving exactly?" Caroline asked her husband with a fake smile.

"The day after tomorrow." He said, reading a newspaper.

"And at what time exactly?" Caroline continued to pry.

"I don't know, honey, he didn't give me his exact ETA." Elijah said putting his hand on hers.

"LMK, when you do find out." Caroline told her husband.

"What?" Elijah raised a brow.

"LMK, you know, short for Let Me Know," Caroline said smiling and left the room.

"Oh for crying out loud," Elijah muttered and compelled Maria, who was in the room that moment, "You didn't hear that, all you remember from this morning is a lovely sight of a happily married couple. Now clean the table."

"Yes, sir"

"Caroline!" he called after her to find her in the master bedroom, doing her make up.

He closed the door and asked, faking being calm, "What was that just now?"

"I'm sorry, okay, I slept badly and I don't know what came over me."

Elijah went and grabbed her arm and forced her to stand up and look him in the eye, "Then take sleeping pills or whatever, but get it together. Because you have to do much better than that when my brother comes. Or that nice life you are having here is going to end real fast for you."

"Yes, sir." Caroline said through gritted teeth.

Elijah then let go of her and started to change clothes to go out.

"Am I joining you this time or what?" Caroline asked.

"No I'll be running some errands but later tonight we are going to dinner with the heads of the factions so do present yourself properly and wear something red."

"Why?"

"Because the leader of the werewolves is into you and he likes red and I really need to persuade him of something."

When Elijah left, Caroline mocked him in British accent, 'Do present yourself properly, wife, and do wear something sexy so I could have some use of you'.