Darkest Temptations

Chapter 13: Living in Sin

Caroline Mikaelson

Elena and I returned to the hotel and headed to our rooms to put away our purchases and get ready to shop for our wedding dresses. Was it an odd experience? I suppose in a way it did at first considering we were already married to through the power of the spell. However, Klaus proposed that even though they had only spent a week together in Utah, it was crucial for both of them to maintain a strong bond moving forward. There was a lot of feelings to consider and conversations had to be had as we grew into the people we wanted to be out here. It was wonderful because we had the luxury of time. Without any school or town events to attend, we could simply savor each day as it unfolded. After placing all my bags in the room I was going to share with Klaus, I headed to the bathroom to shower. Elena and I had spent the entire morning shopping, and with the scorching sun overhead, a shower was definitely needed.

April messaged Elena and me that they were on their way back to the hotel. I responded to her and Elena, proposing that we dress up for our outing together. We wanted to avoid being perceived as a group of teenage girls, after all. April found the idea intriguing, but Elena's lack of enthusiasm was disappointing. After showering, I put my hair into rollers and then returned to my bedroom. I selected a stunning long dark green dress with a slight train that would be perfect even with heels. I reapplied my makeup as my heated rollers worked on my curls. I intended to style my hair in a curly bun with my bangs left loose at the front. Adorned in my new gold jewellery, I accessorized my dress and added a touch of new perfume.

After a quick glance in the mirror, I was ready to head out once more.

Elena and I crossed paths in the elevator, and I was taken aback to see that she had also gone up to her room, showered, and changed. She had added a gentle wave to her hair, but it was different from Katherine's signature curls. It resembled a beach wave style that complemented her appearance perfectly. Elena donned a stunning form-fitting red bodycon dress paired with ivory pump heels. Her appearance was absolutely captivating, the subtle smokey eye makeup was perfectly executed with dark brown shades that were just the right touch. She had no necklace or bracelets on, just a new pair of silver earrings that caught my attention.

As the elevator doors slid open, we headed towards the lobby doors, scanning the area for April. It was a surprising moment when we discovered she was punctual, dressed, yet still embraced by Klaus. April wore a striking black baby doll styled dress paired with black heels. Her hair was elegantly curled and swept to one side. Approaching, I discreetly cleared my throat to make our presence known. April was caught off guard as Klaus's eyes met mine and then quickly moved to Elena, who was also surprised to see them kissing in the lobby.

While April adjusted her hair Klaus came to my side and kissed my forehead.

"In the lobby? Seriously?" I whispered to him with distain and gritted teeth.

"April has my credit card, your dresses have no price." Klaus said as he turned to face us.

I looked over to Elena then who merely nodded in response while looking back at him, I brought my attention back to Klaus then who was now looking right back at Elena.

"I love your earrings by the way. They almost look real diamonds." April smiled happily at Elena, her lips glossy.

Elena thanked her.

"They are real sweetheart." Klaus announced to us causing us to immediately look in his direction.

He's buying gifts now?

"I thought you would like them." Klaus said confidentially unshaken by our eyes upon him as he kept his gaze fixed on Elena the entire time.

"I didn't think they were real…maybe heavier…but…are you serious?" She asked.

"Yeah I'm thinking the same thing because those things look crazy expensive." April said.

"Believe me they are very real. And yours now."

"Still, Klaus…I don't know."

Klaus smiled at her then before asking her "Do you approve of them?"

"Approve? Are you kidding? They're stunning."

Something's happen between them…and I can't get angry. I can't even ask her about it.

"It's so nice of you." April smiled back at Klaus before she inspected the earrings a bit more closely.

I on the other hand kept my gaze firmly upon Klaus deeply unimpressed that instead of buying her something small he had indeed bought Elena a pair of diamond earrings. I didn't even want to begin to imagine how much they had cost him. I thought we were trying to live more modestly and he had already reverted back to his old ways.

"Listen uh before we all part ways. I was thinking about the uh….ceremonies." April moved closer to us to speak privately "And an idea came to me last night, that I was going to talk to you all about at breakfast but…things changed."

"What were you thinking?" I asked her.

"Well-" She paused to look at Klaus "Let's not pretend you're not a freaking billionaire for just a second." She said which caused him to wink at her.

"Anyway uh, I was thinking we could easily pick anywhere in the world to get married. But if we did that then let's be honest it's more time for us being away from home and plus, I don't know about you guys but I'd like for us all to have our ceremonies on the same night. I mean we were all married on the same night before. It just feels like the right thing to do."

"So where did you think for us to get married again?" Elena asked.

She's suddenly comfortable with saying married? Jeez I hear myself. Okay I hear myself. Stop it.

"I thought of the one place where people take a chance of love by marrying complete strangers." April said and gave her shoulders a slight shrug as she suggested "What about Las Vegas?"

April proposed that we consider consolidating all our ceremonies into one night following the traditional approach. She also wanted Elena and I presented at her and Klaus's wedding as her bridesmaids, and was equally surprised when Elena and I informed her we planned to suggest the same thing. We all wanted to go to each other's ceremonies and since we would be sharing the same night, we would have a few hours in between to change clothes and travel to different venues. In Las Vegas, getting married by an Elvis impersonator was just one of the many unique options available, but there were also resorts and chapels for those willing to spend some money.

It felt as though no time was needed at all, as we all agreed to spend the night together at our weddings. Continuing our private tradition, we would once again marry Klaus in the same order as before. First, I would have my wedding, followed by being a bridesmaid at Elena's wedding, and then at April's. I proposed hosting the ceremonies the night before we head back to Utah, a way for us to return home as married couples and a new family. Klaus emphasized the importance of us getting our dresses selected and fitted before our departure on Monday, leaving little time. April was thrilled to spend her day shopping for dresses, while Klaus made sure we could catch an earlier flight to Vegas to make the most of our time there. I offered to sacrifice my Sunday to assist, highlighting that it would allow everyone to finalize their plans before we left the following morning.

April wanted for us to establish some common traditions for the wedding day. She told Klaus to enjoy his time in Vegas, whether getting his suits pressed or gambling, but to avoid seeing the brides until that night. Klaus planned individual shopping trips with each of us tomorrow to pick out wedding rings. We all reached a consensus, with even Elena surprisingly agreeing once more.

Just as we were getting ready to head out April and I were talking amongst ourselves about which bride boutique we would head to first when I found my attention shifting over to Elena and Klaus who were across from us out of earshot. I found myself verging on pulling my hair back to listen into their conversation when I stopped myself. Instead I watched from a distance as he spoke to her and she nodded along, he then proceeded to brush her hair back from her shoulder and lightly graze the sight of her ear. He was admiring the way her new earrings looked on her and for once Elena wasn't shying away from his touch. Indeed Klaus leaned in and kissed her cheek lightly just like I had seen him do before, and she didn't do anything different, she accepted it before she turned and made her way over to us.

Wait…maybe nothing happened. Maybe I'm just seeing something that isn't even there. I have to stop that. No. I really do.

Elena Mikaelson

After spending the whole afternoon shopping for dresses, bridesmaids gowns, accessories, veils, and doing final fittings, Caroline, April, and I made our way to our last destination of the day. We were planning to purchase a wedding ring for Klaus, our intention was for both of us to place it on his finger during each ceremony. It was important for us to make this a shared experience, rather than having just one of us do it. Today was a whirlwind of emotions for me. From sharing a kiss with Klaus to trying on wedding gowns and facing the reality of my future as a polygamist, it felt like a rollercoaster of events. Today, during April and Caroline's fittings, I took a brief moment to step outside the boutique and walk over to the bar by the waterfront. Ordering a refreshing lemonade with crushed ice and extra lemon slices, I found a seat outside on a bench beneath a lovely white canopy. My thoughts raced at lightning speed, and I struggled to find the composure to relax. As I gazed at my surroundings, I realized I was in an idyllic spot. Despite being unsure about adjusting to life as a polygamist and unsure about my trust in someone in particular, I couldn't help but appreciate the beauty around me. Despite the challenges, tears welled up in my eyes as I reflected on the silver linings. Jeremy's financial security was assured for life, with Caroline and April steadfastly supporting me through thick and thin. The new house was a dream come true, and I had finally bid farewell to Mystic Falls.

I savored my lemonade, inhaling the delightful aroma of the air and water, experiencing pure bliss. It's a remarkable feeling when you know in your heart that despite the bad times, the awkward times and worst times, there was always light at the end of the tunnel. Life rarely turns out as we envision. I had plenty of time to improve my mental and emotional strength, and I was prepared to make the effort to reach that goal.

There's no need to feel guilty about the path I've chosen. This carefully chosen path not only saved three lives but also held the promise of bringing more lives into the world. Feeling a strong intuition that I would become a mother one day, I sensed the potential within my body to bear children. I contemplated the possibility of expanding my family beyond just one child, maybe even considering having two. I had to summon my courage and accept our overnight in Vegas for what it truly was, not what others might perceive it to be.

It might have been premature for all of us to hold our individual ceremonies so soon. Perhaps waiting until we were more familiar with each other would have been more appropriate. April was right, we arrived at this point by marrying a stranger, someone we weren't meant to be with. Despite the challenges we faced, there has been a lot of good that came from it, leaving me at a loss for words to describe the peace and tranquility I feel. If I had stayed in Mystic Falls, I might have ended up shutting off my humanity, deceiving everyone about it, and living in a numb state indefinitely. It's interesting how you only realize the weight of a place once you've left and experience true freedom. When you finally do, you might find yourself shedding tears of relief every day, knowing that the difficult chapter of your life has closed for good.

I just had to continue to be brave and not act beyond my years, but finally be beyond my years, be the woman and not the girl. Not the person who never knew what they wanted, but someone who was strong to voice their options.

At the jewelers we each agreed going in that Klaus would indeed go for something simple, he wouldn't like anything modern day about his wedding ring. We went through a great selection of wedding bands, all of great quality and of his taste. However we all seemed to know when we came across thee one.

The wedding band was expensive but we hadn't exactly paid for much since we moved so all our pockets were pretty full.

We split the cost of the ring between each of us equally. We didn't use any of Klaus's credit cards. It was important for us to buy this as his wives with our money.

Tyler Lockwood

I found myself visiting Caroline's house more and more these days. I never went inside, I couldn't stand the smell of the fumes that still remained a week later. Whoever took them had done an amazing job of covering up their crime. But we were close to finding them now.

They just had to hold on for us.

I had been sitting on the front steps of her porch for almost an hour just texting Damon back and forth about our new method towards finding them. I wasn't in school today, thankfully the weekend had finally arrived so there wasn't the hassle of that. I couldn't focus on anything but finding her.

I decided to head on over to The Grill and check in on Matt, he'd been working double shifts after school so he'd been pretty busy. I wanted to keep him up to date on everything we'd been up to. I had just disabled the alarm on my car when I spotted a police car down the street and two officers speaking with George Baker. He use to be our old football coach before he took a new job.

As I made my way down the street I waved to him as the officers were pulling away from outside his house.

"Everything okay?" I asked as I approached his front yard.

"Hey Tyler, how are you?" He asked and we shook hands.

"Uh yeah everything's fine. What's going on Coach?"

"Barely through the door and we find out someone's took the car."

"Someone stole your truck?"

"No the damn station wagon. It's a hunk of junk to me but I did have a buyer in mind who is a collector. So there goes a few hundred for me."

"Any idea who could have taken it?"

"Same as I told the cops no clue."

"And what about the house? What did they get from there?"

"The house hasn't been touched. It was just the car. Looks like they broke the lock and drove off with it."

"That's tough. I'm sorry George."

"Seems like they took a few of my gas cans too. Must have planned to steal fuel too."

I paused to look from the garage and back to him "…When do you think it was stole Coach?"

"Our neighbor came over when she saw the cops. She was watering the lawn for us while we were. She said she saw the broken padlock on Friday morning didn't think a thing of it."

The morning after Caroline and Elena went missing...