Part 6

The Facility

Klaus Mikaelson had a way of finding loopholes. And she seemed to be too thrilled to be exasperated with the way that he always seemed to corner her into them. Truth be told, Caroline recognized with a thrill, she had not really protested much about it. He had a way of wearing her down.

No time for a fancy dinner date? He had flown in for a lunch date in her office.

Too much stress figuring out the state of disrepair of the ceiling? He had sent contractors to work, then took a photo of her torn check when she insisted on covering what she thought the cost would be.

In person meetings requiring them in different states on a previously agreed theatre date? Caroline found himself with a web link to an awards screener that would sync their computers so they could watch together while on a video call.

She closed the window when the credits rolled and the video call took up the full screen. She could see he was in a hotel. Klaus had insisted on calling her every day since their burger date, and Caroline noticed that his location changed almost daily.

Klaus stood up and moved the screen jerkily. Caroline noted that he must have walked somewhere but did not want to give up the video. When he brought a glass of amber liquid to his lips, her suspicions were confirmed. When he reset the angle, she gasped.

"Is that the Eiffel Tower?"

It must have been the farthest from his mind, because he seemed confused for two seconds before he answered, moving the angle again so that Caroline had the full spectacular view of the wide windows and the landmark behind him. "Why yes it is. Did I neglect to say that I am in Paris today, Caroline?"

By now Caroline had forgotten when she and Klaus had slipped to first name basis. All she knew was that somewhere in their daily chats, she had simply stopped correcting him and it no longer suited their newfound familiarity to continue calling him Mr Mikaelson, especially with his brother sitting in an office across from her, incessantly trying to flirt with her so brazenly that Caroline had taken to calling him 'Mr Mikaelson' as a tool to establish a boundary.

"Klaus, I cannot believe you just spent three hours on a movie, on your laptop, when you have Paris outside your door!"

"There is nothing out there that can compete with the pleasure of your company."

She blushed, and she hoped his hotel internet sucks just enough that he would not notice how the red flush crept down to her chest. Who was she kidding? He was probably on gazillion terrabytes per nanosecond because he could afford it.

"I think, Klaus, you are missing out on a spectacular experience because of who you are. Because you know you can go there any time, you're not seizing the moment."

His lips curved. "This is me seizing the moment, Caroline. Right now."

"Watching a snoozefest for three hours?" she teased, hoping that he would take the hint and latch onto the humor.

But Klaus always takes the route that was harder for her to navigate. Chipping away, bit by bit. "Having you to myself for three hours." He glanced down at an invisible wristwatch. "And counting."

"You are incorrigible."

"I want to show you Paris," he said. Her laughter faded. "And Rome. And Tokyo."

"Klaus—"

"London is a favorite of mine. Were you able to drop by the British Museum when you were there?" Caroline did not even bother to ask how he knew the places she had been in.

"I didn't have the time but one weekend I booked a day trip to the Roman Baths and Stonehenge, in a bus with twelve other strangers, and I found it memorable."

"My mother lives in the English countryside. She's been dying for me to come visit. Maybe one of these days you and I could take a drive to her cottage with her measly twelve bedrooms and do some ancient stone bothering, as you seem to like it so. There are some that are off the beaten path, some grander in scale and some where you can practically feel the ground swell with echoes of ancient rituals."

Caroline's throat constricted. He was speaking like he was sure, and he was making actual plans.

"I want to climb the Great Wall with you, cross the Sahara, visit the Macchu Picchu. Let me show you the world, Caroline."

So many promises. Too much thinking about the future. Caroline's eyes landed on the wedding photo on the mantle. She had known one other person who talked about the future with so much confidence. "Maybe," she said tentatively. Caroline turned back to the screen. "What time is your flight?"

He sighed. Klaus rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You're right. I'm going to get some shuteye. I'm leaving from CDG in about three hours. You have Hope's email, right?"

Caroline nodded, noting the slight coldness of his voice. "Have a safe flight."

In her bathroom, she pulled up her hair in a messy bun, washed her face and brushed her teeth. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, remembering the ridiculous words that had just come out of his mouth. He must have been tired, traveling all over.

Thank you for the company.

The text message appeared on her phone about ten minutes after they hung up. Caroline tried to hold the ridiculous smile on her face.

She could not remember the last time she had a smile this big or this much exhilaration that made her blood sing.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

I am looking forward to seeing you again.

Composure, Caroline, she thought to herself. You are not a teenager. Still, her heart raced when she saw the black Range Rover going up the driveway going up the Lockwood Estate. Caroline reached up to her throat for comfort. Her fingers wrapped around the cold metal band that hung from the necklace.

The SUV stopped, and the occupants of the vehicle stepped out. Caroline saw Hope wave towards her and she waved back. She was gratified to see Hayley Marshall, who nodded at her in acknowledgment which Caroline returned. The two ladies walked on ahead towards the manor.

Her attention shifted. Klaus stepped out of the driver seat in a dark blue sports jacket over gray Henley and dark jeans. Caroline's mouth was suddenly dry. She watched as he reached inside his jacket pocket for his black shades and slipped it on.

"Is that him?"

Caroline turned and looked at her best friend, then nodded. "I'm afraid so," she murmured.

Elena placed a hand on Caroline's arm. "I am devastated for you," she teased.

When the three were within earshot, Caroline turned opened her arms wide. "Ladies, welcome to Lockwood Manor."

Hayley walked forward and shook Caroline's hand. "Thank you for meeting us here. I am sorry for the trouble. This is going above and beyond the call of duty."

Caroline waved the comment away. "It's not a problem at all," she assured Hayley. "Hope is being cautious because she loves you. That's what I would do if I were in her place and my mom were still around."

Finally. He took his sweet time. Klaus stepped towards them upon reaching the manor.

"Oh yeah, my father came along," Hope added offhandedly.

Upon reaching the shade of the porch, Klaus took the sunglasses off and slipped it back inside his jacket pocket. Caroline immediately noticed the dark rings under his eyes.

"I heard from the grapevine that the Mikaelson place was getting prepared." He had not told her that. Hope had been the one to relay it as a side comment when they spoke about her return to school. "Welcome back to Mystic Falls, Mr Mikaelson."

He cocked his head, his eyes squinting in slight confusion. He could not seriously think that they would be so familiar in front of his daughter and her mother, did he?

"Now now, Miss Forbes," he said, emphasizing her name, "we'd love to have you by for a proper homecoming celebration."

He handed her a meticulously die cut designed cardstock invitation. "And I did not intend to be rude, Dr Salvatore," he said to Elena. Caroline saw the wide smile on Elena's face, obviously charmed by the direct recognition and politeness. "I will send yours by courier as soon I can."

Caroline opened the invitation. "The Mikaelson Ball."

Hope rolled her eyes. Hayley's eyebrows arched.

Caroline took the invitation, and she swore her smile seemed a little too big. "I'll think about it," she replied, and even in her own head she sounded a little too teasing.

Elena hosted the tour of the manor. Caroline had taken the tour several times in the last couple of years, even hosting potential guests a few times when Elena had prescheduled engagements at the alliance hospital. She watched Hope intently observe her surroundings, pointing out interesting bits to her mother. For a time, Hope was entranced with a wall of old family photos, spying her headmistress on some of them. Caroline peeled away several times as she greeted the staff with warm embraces and exchanged anecdotes with a few of them.

Tyler Lockwood bounded down the steps, stopping before a large screen tv at the landing. He introduced himself as the owner of the facility. It was a rehearsed speech to cover the key bullets about the history and the mission of Lockwood. Caroline had it memorized. She wrote part of it for Tyler as they built the place. She watched him with pride, impressed with how natural Tyler sounded.

"We turned my childhood home into a recovery clinic about four years ago." Of course, Tyler would inject some adlibs here and there depending on the audience and his mood. He called it personalization, which was key in building rapport. He turned to Hope, whom Caroline told him was the key influencer. "I was Mrs Salvatore's ex in high school, you know." He smirked, pointing at Caroline. "That Mrs Salvatore and not that Mrs Salvatore," he joked, pointing to Elena next. "That Mrs Salvatore is your Mrs Salvatore's husband's ex-girlfriend."

Hope's eyes widened and she burst out laughing. "And these are the days of our lives."

Caroline expressed a frustrated, "Seriously, Tyler?" Her hand rose to fidget on the ring hanging from her throat. She felt Klaus' warm hand rest on the small of her back.

Tyler gave her a warm smile, then continued somberly. "Kidding aside. Elena—Dr Salvatore—and I saw that in all of the larger hospitals and the clinics in the area, there was so much focus on physical recovery and addiction recovery, but we found a calling to focus on mental recovery." Caroline swallowed the lump in her throat. Tyler continued, "The greatest blessing is having people that make you decide to change the course of your life." Caroline could tell that Hope could relate to Tyler' words by the way that the girl reached for her mother's hand. "Imperfect people who need imperfect people can put you quickly on the right path. I was at the peak of my career then, but I left the NFL to dedicate my life to this facility. I poured my inheritance into this business and never looked back. I realized that helping hundreds of people over the years was worth more than all the championships in the world."

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

The light had been dimmed at the landing. Tyler Lockwood gestured to the screen and played the video package about the facility. Klaus rested his hand on the small of her back, not daring or wanting to move it off. She needed that just as much as he did. He watched the video that had clearly been put together as marketing material for the business, showing off the Old Southern wealth that permeated every room of Lockwood manor, the warm, friendly faces and the voiceover of the credentials of Dr Elena Salvatore and the facility staff.

Klaus caught glimpses of Caroline in most of the early snapshots interspersed in the asset. He glanced at Caroline as she watched the package with glassy eyes.

At the end of the video, a simple text appeared to signal its wrap up.

All the new beginnings.

It was an inspiring sentiment. Klaus remembered her youtube video, the one where he first fell hard for her. Her words echoed in his mind, "If you set your mind to it, there are no endings. There is only you, and all the beginnings you can create."

Both Tyler and Elena offered a further tour to the various workshop and recreation rooms. Hope turned to Klaus and Caroline, waving them forward. Klaus met Hayley's eyes, who looked from Klaus to Caroline then back to Klaus, and nodded in understanding. She wrapped an arm around Hope's shoulders, then said, "Your father will catch up to us. I want to see where I am going to wipe the floor with your ass in chess."

Klaus was grateful when he heard Hope laugh. He watched the two follow behind both Tyler and Elena.

Klaus offered his arm. She hesitated. Then she took a shuddering breath, looped her arm with his, and placed a hand on his elbow. They walked over to the grand patio to further ensure their privacy. He turned to face her. Caroline reached up to nervously tuck a hair behind her ear.

"You weren't a volunteer here," he said.

"No, I was not. So you're asking for a testimonial?"

"I'm asking to know you, Caroline."

She considered it briefly, then nodded. "Stefan was the love of my life," she confessed. "He came back to Mystic Falls. He and Damon were from a military family and kept moving around. When he first walked into my high school, I was infatuated with him. Within hours I knew his zodiac sign, his favorite color, and I convinced myself we were going have a June wedding."

He imagined Caroline in her teens, tickled by a teenage crush. She must have been a delightful, bubbly call of energy.

Her smile faded. "I built my entire future around him. He built a picture perfect image of our future. My mom was right. You should never love so much that your entire being is focused on that one person, because once they are gone, so are you. That's what happened to me when he died. He died, and I was nothing." Quietly, she continued, "It was Elena that found me. She had come from a long shift." Klaus reached up and brushed away the lone tear on her cheek with his thumb. "They said I was gone for seven minutes. After they revived me, I was so angry. I could have been with Stefan, and I would have been whole again."

"You're the first patient."

"The face that launched a thousand ships."

"That you are," he murmured. He reached to cup her face. "So Dr Elena Salvatore changed the course of her career, and Tyler quit the NFL and poured his inheritance into this mental health care facility. Because of you."

"Because I broke, the course of their lives changed. I upended their careers."

Klaus' noticed the glint of the wedding band hanging from her throat, like an amulet or an armor that she had worn to protect her from the emotions that would assail her. Even so, she had come because Hope asked for her support.

"No, sweetheart. Because you're you—beautiful, strong, full of light—they changed the trajectory of their lives. From empty shells, they became full vessels that would fill other lives with every patient that comes across their doors. Like they will fill Hayley. If they were willing to do that, and become better versions of themselves in the process, it only tells me how wonderful you are—as a friend, as a person, even as an ex." He looked deep in her eyes.

"Do you see that? Do you see everything that they see when they look at you? Do you see everything I see?" He stepped closer to her.

She looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed. Her eyes fluttered; her gaze rested on his lips. Caroline moved closer.

Five years living behind the shadow of death. What he would not give to have the chance to make her feel alive again.

He heard them before he saw them. Klaus stepped back, turning towards the two women who stepped out of Lockwood manor. Klaus positioned himself to block their view of Caroline so she could compose herself without curious eyes watching her. Within moments, Caroline stepped out from behind him, with a smile bright on her face. "So, what do you think?"

"It's perfect!" Hayley exclaimed. "And best of all, Hope can go to school and visit." She turned to Klaus. "Thank you. This was a brilliant idea."

"Thanks, dad." Hope pecked Klaus' cheek.

It was a punch in the gut, took the air right out of his lungs. Hope and Hayley walked ahead of him towards the SUV. He felt the briefest moment when Caroline reached for his hand and gave it a reaffirming squeeze.

"I'll see you at your ball, Mr Mikaelson," she called out. "And I expect you to be a gentleman and have a corsage for me."

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Caroline's little monster had just reared its ugly head. The imposter syndrome was her one debilitating, completely disarming challenge, ever since she was a child. It was the reason she was anal about organization and achievement, why she burned the candle both ends to get her grades as close to perfect as possible.

Said little monster was on her shoulder throughout the drive back to the Salvatore School.

What the hell was Klaus Mikaelson thinking?

Do you see everything that they see when they look at you? Do you see everything I see?

What the heck did he see?

Caroline parked the car, then hurried to her office. Right at the corridor, she found Kol Mikaelson standing at the center, blocking her way.

"There she is," Kol said in greeting. "I was beginning to worry about you, darling. You keep skipping lunch breaks on me, and today you were gone almost two hours."

Caroline pursed her lips. "I told Mr Saltzman that I had an appointment."

"Oh I know. My niece informed me about a half an hour ago. I just wanted to make sure I knew your ETA."

"Mr Mikaelson," Caroline began in exasperation, "what is going on?"

Kol gave a lopsided smile. "Miss Forbes—Caroline."

"Let's stick to Miss Forbes on school grounds," she quickly interjected.

"As you know, it's my last week here because I'm awesome, and I finished everything ahead of schedule."

Caroline smirked. The guy really did help. Klaus had not been exaggerating about his brother's skills. "You are your army of—eighty—instructional designers. You annotated and you delegated."

He grinned boyishly. "And aren't you lucky you have an army working for you? You're like a queen."

She was going to miss this asshole. He could drag her out of a slump and make her laugh. "I thank you, Mr Mikaelson. Mr Saltzman thanks you. The children thank you."

"I'm a regular hero. No," he corrected himself, "I'm a premium hero."

"That you are."

Kol widened his arms in a cocky pose.

Caroline's eyes bulged when the glee club stepped out of a couple of doors behind Kol. "Oh you did not!" she gasped.

"Oh but I did." The club began an acapella, making music with their mouths. "If this is my last week here, then I am marking off some high school milestones I never got to enjoy in that Swiss boarding school I was thrown to." Kol winked, then whipped out from his back pocket a similar envelope to what she had. "I's a promposal, baby."

The club unfurled a glittered banner that said, Will you go with me to the prom?. The word prom was struck out and the word ball was written in with a black marker. Caroline started laughing until her stomach hurt.

Caroline wiped the tears of hilarity from her eyes. "Kids, I'm so sorry. It's not you. It's Mr Mikaelson." She gestured to him to step into her office.

Kol refused. "Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of my wingmen."

"Oh God, Kol!" she complained. Kol beamed, finally having gotten her to refer to him by his first name. "Fine, you know. Fine! I can't go to the Mikaelson Ball with you because I already have a date."

"You're not dating anyone," Kol challenged her. "I have been here for nearly three weeks and I haven't seen anyone."

"This is my place of business, Kol."

One of the glee club members stepped forward, clearing his throat. Kol turned to the kid, then prompted, "Why are you falling out of line, Gary?"

Caroline looked at Gary with her mouth hanging open.

"Well, I did see a guy, Mr Mikaelson, before you arrived at school." Caroline glared at Gary. She could see Kol's eye sparkle with interest.

"Did you now, Gary? What did this guy look like, I wonder."

"Oh for crying out loud!" Caroline rolled her eyes. He was going to see it firsthand at their family mansion anyway. "Your brother is going to be my date to the ball."

Kol's grin fell. "That will be all, glee club."

The students all scampered away.

"For shame, Elijah Mikaelson!"

Caroline's eyes narrowed at Kol. "Are you kidding me!"

Kol laughed, then shook his head. "Klaus does love special projects, especially with high return on investment. No offense."

"Hey, I have high return on investment? That sounds like Elizabeth Barrett Browning levels of romantic."

"Miss Forbes, you are such a nerd. You and I would have been a perfect match, but alas, you've picked the lesser Mikaelson." He glanced behind him at the discarded confetti and the promposal banner. "What a mess."

tbc