Elijah was the first.
And it came as a surprise to all parties involved.
If Caroline had to put money on it, she would've said Rebekah would be the first to seek her brother out.
But no, in the end, it was Elijah.
They were 2 months into their 3-month stay in Greece when someone burst into the house they were staying at.
Well, calling it a house was not really giving it justice. In typical Mikaelson fashion, the residence was more of a mansion than anything.
One of the many they owned around the world.
One of many they owned around Greece, Caroline had found out during these past months.
She had asked Klaus, after they'd arrived at this one last week if they had any real estate that wasn't as opulent, which in turn made him laugh at her question.
Caroline still wasn't sure if that was a yes or a no.
But she had a feeling she'd find out eventually, they had a full itinerary planned for the next twelve months of their travels.
She was going to miss Greece, but at the same time she couldn't wait for France, then the UK and Ireland, Italy again, Japan and so many more destinations.
Klaus had left the mansion early that morning, but not before waking her up with an org*sm or two and then instructing her to be ready by 7, and that he had a surprise for her.
Their 2 months of traversing around Greece had been incredible, to say the least. Once she'd let go of her fears and embraced her emotions it seemed like everything clicked and Caroline didn't think she's ever been happier in her life.
It made her wonder if they could've had this sooner if only she hadn't been so stubborn. But somehow she knew that all the time spent apart was necessary for them to get to this level of peace and comfort.
Honestly, this has been the only relationship she's ever been in where her partner communicates with her. Klaus will always come to her and tell her what he is feeling, or if a situation made him angry or uncomfortable. It was jarring at first. To have this man, who used to preach that love and showing emotion was weak. Be so open with his own when it comes to their relationship.
That's not to say that he still isn't prone to violent and impulsive reactions (especially if someone disrespects her). But he has learned some control in the past twelve years.
So she was weirdly grateful that it took them a while to get here. They had time to grow, and be better.
And besides, they had the rest of their immortal lives to make up for lost time.
After she had woken up a second time, Caroline spent her morning in the garden out back, just drinking her coffee and enjoying the sun and sea breeze and contemplating what Klaus's surprise could be when she heard the front door burst open startling her with a bang that echoed the hall, and a voice that very much wasn't Klaus carried through the house.
"Niklaus! I cannot believe you have been dodging my calls for the past two months. You should've been back in New Orleans by now, how could you just leave Berlin without checking in? And what in God's name are you doing in Gree-"
And that's how she found herself in the middle of the foyer staring at a completely confused, and slightly annoyed Elijah.
He stopped in the middle of his sentence as he saw her appearing in the room. Caroline was suddenly thankful for remembering to put her robe on this morning, she really didn't want to flash Klaus's older stick-in-the-mud brother.
But then again, better him than Kol.
That bastard would never let her live it down.
"Um, Hi." Caroline greeted a little awkwardly, she and Elijah had never talked before, they'd only been in the same room as each other maybe twice, and that was over a decade ago.
"Klaus isn't here actually." She continued talking after a few moments when it became obvious that he wasn't going to return her greeting.
"I was told he was in Skiathos." Elijah seemed to have found his words, but they came out questioning and confused, and Caroline realized how her sentence could be interpreted.
"Oh, no. Yes, he is on the Island, he just isn't at the house currently. He should be back later, or I could call him? Would you like to join me for a drink while we wait?" Caroline offered a better explanation and a drink, hoping not to get on the bad side of this particular Mikaelson sibling.
She's heard more than enough stories about the 'Noble' Original to know not to let her guard down.
They don't need a war between brothers because Caroline decided to sass the wrong one.
Elijah kept his face as neutral as he could, but Caroline could see the slight crease between his brows, and the way his eyes were analyzing her like he didn't know what to make of the situation.
"I know you from somewhere." He said slowly, and a little unsure, not making a move to walk further into the house, this made Caroline sigh and put her hand on her hip as she looked back at the dark-haired man with a raised brow.
"Well I should hope so, you did spend quite a bit of time terrorizing me and my friends with your family." Caroline answered cheekily, not really able to help herself. There was something about the original brothers that it seems she just can't help but tease.
But he seemed to be too focused on trying to place her to comment on it, so she took it as a win.
Caroline wasn't surprised he didn't remember her, she wasn't ever involved in the schemes her 'friends' planned with the older original.
The crease between his brows deepened at her words and then it seemed to finally click.
"Miss Forbes." He said simply and it made Caroline raise her brow in surprise. "Good memory, I didn't expect you to recall me. And please Elijah, it's Caroline. Now would you like to join me for a drink? If my memory serves right, you also enjoy a good Bourbon, and Nik stocked up on my favorite." She said as she moved into what Klaus insisted was the 'drawing room' where they kept all the good liquor.
Caroline could hear footsteps behind her and knew that Elijah was following closely.
"Would you like me to call him? Since he hasn't been answering yours?" She prompted as she poured them two glasses and turned to hand one to him.
The man was still confused as if the situation had gotten away from him and he didn't know where it was going but, he seemed to be hiding it well.
He took the glass from her outstretched hand and took a cautious sip before speaking. "I, if you would be so kind. I must say I was getting worried. It isn't like him not to answer my calls these days, and he was only supposed to be in Europe for a week." Elijah said with a slight sigh as he watched the liquid swirl in his glass.
"Oh, well that might be partly my fault. He did say he didn't want any distractions while we were traveling. I didn't realize he never checked in with you, sorry. " Caroline could see that Elijah was worried about his brother and it was a sweet sight.
As crazy as they all are, they really do love each other in their own way. They have completely crazy ways of showing it, though she can probably blame that on their upbringing, and the fact that they spent over a thousand years running from their father who wanted to kill them.
And then their mother came back from the dead and she too tried to kill them.
Yeah, it's a miracle they're as sane as they are, which is not a lot if we're being honest.
"I'm sorry Miss Forbes-" Caroline shoots him a look and he clears his throat before trying again.
"I'm sorry Caroline, but I am a little confused as to what is going on here?"
It came out more like a question than a statement, and it was at that moment that Caroline realized Elijah had no idea about the back and forth that's been happening between her and his brother for the last decade and some.
"Let me call Nik." She said instead of answering and pulled out her phone.
It took less than two rings for him to answer, and she could see Elijah's brows climbing up his forehead in surprise.
"Good afternoon my love, couldn't be without the sound of my voice for even half a day?" His cheeky tone carried through the speakers and his words made her roll her eyes.
"Please, weren't you the one who begged me to record that message so you can listen to it on repeat whenever you want?" She sassed back, her eyes flickering to Elijah to give him a 'He's so full of sh*t' look.
Klaus laughed boisterously at the other end of the phone, making Elijah's brows go nearly into his hairline at the sound, the elder brother's eyes were wide in disbelief as he stared at the phone pressed to her ear.
"Then what is the reason behind this lovely surprise, if not to hear my voice? I thought I had sated your urge this morn-" His voice got low and husky by the end and Caroline's cheeks were turning a tomato-red color as she pointedly avoided looking at Elijah and cleared her throat, cutting Klaus off before he could embarrass her further.
"Your brother has dropped in." She says quickly, hoping that would stop him from throwing out any more sexual remarks.
There were several seconds of silence on the other end as Klaus processed her words before he muttered out. "I'll be there in 10." and hung up.
Caroline sighed at his dramatics and turned to face Elijah. "He should-" and before she could even finish her sentence, the front door was once again slammed open, and this time she could hear Klaus calling her name.
"We're in the drawing room." She answered in a normal tone as she took a sip of her bourbon and readied herself for whatever melodrama was about to occur between brothers.
Klaus was in the room in a flash, eyes half-wild as he took in the scene.
Elijah was on one end of the room, a glass of bourbon in hand as he stared between his newly arrived brother and the blonde that caught him by surprise, and Caroline, lounging on one of the sofas in her favorite pink satin robe looking at him with a raised brow.
"Dramatic much? You didn't have to literally be here in ten seconds. What did you think was going on?" Caroline asked as she moved to stand and started walking towards him. "And why haven't you told your siblings that you were traveling? Elijah's been worried about you." She scolded half-teasingly as she moved into his space.
Klaus was stiff for all of five seconds before his posture took on the usual predatory stance and his co*cky smirk was back in place.
"Oh, Elijah's like a mother hen my love, he always worries. And you call me dramatic, I don't check in for two months and he comes barging in and ruining my plans." He shot back glaring over her shoulder at his brother as he moved to wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her in so they were chest to chest.
He looked down at her, his glare replaced by the usual fond and enchanted look he has when gazing at her, his lips pulled in a slight smile as his hands roamed her back.
"Yes, I'm calling you dramatic, because you are. I don't know Elijah well enough to verify your claims." Caroline sassed with a smirk, leaning in so they were nose to nose and pulling away and out of his arms as soon as she felt him leaning in so she could turn to look at the eldest Mikaelson.
"Tease." She heard him hiss under his breath and she couldn't help but snort, and move closer to him so that her back was touching his front.
His hands wrapped around her waist immediately.
Elijah was watching the pair, this time not bothering to hide the shock on his face. It was pretty funny, the man looked positively baffled, mouth hung open and everything.
"What do you say, Elijah? Would you agree with me that Nik is the biggest drama queen out of your lot, though Rebekah does give him a run for his money, Kol too?" Caroline prompts and hopes to get a reaction from the usually stoic man.
Though, not so stoic now.
They have thoroughly shaken him to his core it seems.
There was a moment of silence in the room, and then Elijah was laughing. His head was thrown back, and one hand clutched his stomach as he tried to compose himself.
Caroline tilted her head to the side and looked up slightly at Kalus with a raised brow, but he just shrugged in response and she turned back to the dark-haired man, who seemed to be calming down from his fit of laughter.
"I'm sorry, that just caught me off guard. She really does have your number, doesn't she Niklaus?" Elijah said to Nik, mirth evident in his voice and eyes as he glanced between the couple.
"And yes, Caroline, I do agree with you, Nik is the most dramatic out of all of my siblings, myself included."
Caroline winked at the man before turning her smug smile to the hybrid, raising a brow at him, daring him to disagree with her.
Klaus just sighed at her look and moved to pull her closer, nuzzling the side of her neck with his nose, not caring about the fact that his brother was in the room.
"Fine, I do have a flare for the dramatics. Happy?" He said as he kissed her neck, sounding just a bit put out by the admission.
"Whatever." She answered, tone unimpressed at his antics.
"Apologize to Elijah, and explain our travel arrangements, how long we'll be gone, and where we will be. I also want you to promise to check in with him once a week. If only to reassure yourself that your lovely Empire in the big easy is still going strong. I would hate for you to get dethroned before you get the chance to show me around. I do remember there being promises of great food and great music."
Caroline instructed as she moved out of his arms for a second time so she could turn to look at him. Her tone was final as she stared him down with crossed arms and a raised brow.
Klaus glared back at her half-heartedly and looked like he was going to argue, and before he could get a word out to try and weasel himself out, Caroline remembered another point.
"And whatever plans you had for tonight, move them for tomorrow, we're having dinner at that little tavern I love by the seaside with your brother tonight." She turned her head to look at Elijah, who had a sh*t-eating grin on his face from watching their interaction. "Are you free to join us?" She asked politely, hoping he would say yes.
She really did want to get to know him.
I mean he is Klaus's brother, and maybe having his favor will help soften Rebekah once she finds out.
Elijah nodded his head, his smile shifting from gleeful to a genuine one. "I would be delighted to join you, the jet needs to refuel and we don't depart until tomorrow morning."
Caroline smiled back at him with a nod before turning to Klaus. "We have a deal?" She asked with her hands on her hips and chin up, daring him once again to disagree with her.
Nik looked at her with fond eyes as he answered a simple. "Yes." And Caroline moved to give him a chaste kiss, and a low "Good boy." That Elijah definitely heard, judging by the stifled laughter, before she flashed out of the room, giving them the prelude of privacy.
They were vampires, and Caroline was nosy.
She was back in the garden, with her bourbon in hand this time, but she could still hear Elijah's laughter at her scene and Klaus's grumbling that it wasn't that funny.
"How have I not known about this brother? You never mention anything about Miss- I mean Caroline." She heard Elijah ask after the teasing had stopped and perked up to see what his answer would be.
He had no problem waxing poetry to Vlad, but it didn't surprise her that Elijah didn't know anything.
Kol and Rebekah had been witnesses to their back and forth for a while, but the elder brother never got a chance to see them in action before today.
There was a sigh from her partner, and she could picture him tousling his curls along with the sound.
"I never hid my feelings, 'Lijah. Both Kol and Rebekah have been aware since the beginning I think, since mother's ball back in Mystic Falls." Nik said and she smiled at the memory.
She was so pissed at his audacity, and impressed by his tastes.
"Hell, she's the only thing I've been painting for the past twelve years, surely you've noticed that?" Caroline snorted at his admission and wondered where else paintings of her could be hung.
The one in Vlad's club was enchanting. She wondered what all of the others looked like. Was she portrayed with that much light and captivating beauty in every one?
There was a huff of laughter from the other man at Klaus's words. "I do recall there being a disturbing amount of paintings of a blonde woman. I just, well I suppose I don't know. It never occurred to me that, you would, care for a woman in such a way. Or at least allow yourself to."
Caroline felt a pang in her chest at Elijah's words, she too doubted Nik's feelings.
And she regrets it daily.
Admittedly it was a hard thing to believe back in the day, but then again, it wasn't that hard.
He was always a bit of a fool when it came to her.
There was a scoff from Nik, and Caroline hoped this wouldn't turn violent.
"I more than care about Caroline, my dear Elijah." Nik said, his tone defeated and tired all of a sudden. "I love her, brother. I'm stupidly in love with her. Have been since the day I met her, dying as she was. It had been such a contrast that I was almost at a loss for words at the sight. Seeing someone, dead like us, yet so full of life and light, even in death, even when dying of poison. It was remarkable, her spirit and wit, it seemed as if they were calling out to me. She wasn't afraid of me, even when she should have been, even when she thought she was, it was never true terror."
He was right.
She had never been truly afraid of him, and even more insane was the fact that she had always felt safe with him near, even in those early days were they were enemies at worst and tentative acquaintances at best.
'You were never the monster in my story' she had told him once. And it was the truth.
His speech still shocked her even though she had been aware of the facts.
She had known all of this, partly from her talk with Vlad, and partly from connecting the dots in her head.
But hearing him confess to Elijah.
It made her dead heart beat just a little bit faster.
Damn, they really had the weirdest, and somehow sweetest love story. f*cked up as it is, it was theirs. And she loved it.
Loved him.
"Well, in that case. I am truly happy for you brother, you look dare I say settled. She seems like the perfect person for you." Elijah says and Caroline smiles at the approval.
"Thank you 'Lijah, She is." Klaus's voice sounded bashful as he spoke making Caroline smile, he was happy his brother approved too.
"Now let's go over our itinerary for the next year or so because she was not joking around earlier, and I will be checking in weekly. Not just to hear what's going on in New Orleans." Klaus paused for a second before taking in a deep breath.
"And I am sorry for not answering your calls. I didn't think you'd be worried, honestly." He said, tone rigid, but genuine and it made Caroline want to laugh.
She wonders when was the last time he apologized to one of his siblings.
By the choked sounds Elijah was emitting, she would guess it's been a while.
"Wow, who are you and what have you done to Niklaus? I don't think anyone has gotten you to apologize since we were boys and Mother would scold us for fighting." He chuckled out and there was a smack that seemed to be returned and then she could hear the tousling around and sighed.
Boys. Even when they're over a thousand years old, they still act like children.
"No fighting in the house! And stop acting like children, you have a debriefing to go through." She called from the garden, and in less than five seconds the noises stopped and they went back to talking.
Caroline sighed back into the chair and stared out into the Mediterranean Sea with a smile.
Life was good.
* ********* ********** ********** ********* *
Kol was next.
And in true younger sibling fashion, he came in the most dramatic way possible.
They were in Andora. Just finishing up their travels around France, when their lovely date was crashed.
Klaus had made it a point since their first day together to woo her. Wine and dine, romance and make swoon in every city they went.
And this time was no different.
He had pulled out all the stops or tried to at the very least.
It was a kind of anniversary, in a way. It's seven months on the day since they started traveling and dating, and Klaus decided they should do something special.
Caroline had argued that her birthday was ten days away, and that would mark thirteen years since they met and maybe they should celebrate then, but that only got her an eye roll from the Hybrid.
"If you think I don't already have something planned for that, you have severely underestimated me, my love." He had answered in his usual teasing tone as he leaned in to kiss her, and Caroline's heart fluttered at the thought.
No one had ever cared about anniversaries and birthdays as much as she had. Not her friends, not any of her boyfriends. Even her mom wasn't the biggest fan of celebrations.
But this man, her man, made a point of celebrating every milestone they had, big or small. His memory is even better than her own so she often found herself spluttering at his gifts and the special dates he planned for their 'firsts.'
Like two months ago, when he reminded her of the anniversary of the first time they had sex.
That was a very good day, another tryst in the woods. Though this time it was in the French countryside, in the forest behind their estate.
But they were currently in a villa in Canillo, and Caroline was trying to get tonight's plan out of him and failing miserably.
"Fine, fine. Do I atleast get to know where we are going this time?" She asks faking exasperation as she stretches out in her chair.
"Don't move so much, it ruins the purpose of posing for me." He told her with a frown and she stuck her tongue out at him before returning to her pose.
The urge to paint her hasn't diminished with their getting together. If anything, it's made him worse.
He's been begging her to let him paint her naked, claiming that he could do it from memory, but it wouldn't do her justice.
(His exact words had been 'Nothing I paint could ever do you justice, whether it was from memory or you posing for me in all your glory. But you must let a man try at least.' )
She rolls her eyes every time at the request.
"Sorry, it's just so boring." Caroline almost whines making him roll his eyes in turn.
"You just can't sit still unless you're tied up." He shot back with a cheeky smile, his eyes not moving from the canvas as he continued to swirl the brush around.
Caroline made a noise of protest at his words but decided not to argue. He did have a point.
She managed to sit still for fifteen more minutes before her nerves gave out and she stood up, walking the short distance to where he was standing.
"Will you tell me where we're going tonight? I need to know what to wear." She asked with a pout and he huffed out a laugh as he put the brushes down and cleaned off his hands finally turning to look at her.
"I made reservations at La Borda de l'Avi at 7 tonight, and everything after is a surprise." He told her with a cheeky smirk on his face and she smiled brightly at him, moving forward on her tiptoes so she could press a gentle kiss on his lips before turning to head to their room so she could find a dress she didn't hate.
"I'll come back in a few to remind you to go clean up before we leave." She calls as she walks out of the room, knowing full well that if she doesn't, he will spend the whole night in there painting away.
Has done so before, particularly if they were fighting, then he mopes around his atelier painting portraits of her, or sad and dreary landscapes.
'Obsessive, ridiculous hybrid.' She thinks with a smile.
—————
The restaurant was fancy and beautiful. Not that she expected anything less for their seven-month anniversary.
While most of their dates were casual. Trips to museums and tourist attractions, or just him showing her his favorite parts of the cities they're in and telling her stories of the past. All of their anniversary dates were fancy, special, and so carefully thought out that it always surprised her.
The big bad wolf, planning soft, romantic, sweet, and thoughtful dates.
It was ridiculously charming.
Just like him.
And this time it was no different.
Well, it was about to get a heck of a lot more chaotic, but so far it was the perfect night.
That was until their waiter came to take their order and while Klaus wasn't paying attention to the man, still studying the menu in his hands, Caroline had to do a double take as she saw the smirking dark-haired man standing at their table.
A man who very much was not a waiter at La Borda de l'Avi.
"Kol?" Caroline said, sounding dumbstruck at the sight of Klaus's youngest brother smirking back at her.
Klaus made a sound next to her and turned to give her a weird look. "Wrong brother, love, you're thinking of the annoying one, not the hot one sitting next to you." He said as he moved in to kiss her neck, but Caroline elbowed him in the ribs and shook her head.
"No, you idiot, it's f*cking Kol." She said, sounding exasperated at his lack of attention.
Honestly, he loses all sense of awareness when she's all dressed up. (It's mostly because he loves undressing her out of the beautiful dresses at the end of the night.)
Klaus's head snaps up at her words and lets out an almost groan at the sight of Kol.
"Wow, I can feel the love." The man snarks at them as he ruffles his hair. "Oh, Rebekah is going to have a cow when she finds out that you've been away all these months because you're traveling with your little blonde obsession." Kol purrs as he moves to sit across from them.
Caroline rolls her eyes at his jab, and flashes him her teeth for a split second, in a hiss. "If you're going to insist on referring to me as his blonde anything, at least use an accurate term and say girlfriend!" She says with a huff and settles back into her seat, pouting, half because of his little teasing nickname, and half because their dinner has been interrupted by the smirking menace across from her.
"Please, as if something as juvenile and fleeting as a girlfriend could possibly grasp the depth of the feelings I have for you, my love. You are so much more than my, as Kol so eloquently would put it 'blonde girlfriend.' I would say you were my paramour, my partner, my inamorata, my Queen." Klaus started monologuing unprovoked, and Caroline couldn't help but wonder if these were the kind of things that Vlad had to listen to for twelve years.
Poor man. Caroline should send him an arrangement or something. His favorite wines and cheeses, or a case of the one they drank at his club. He liked that one.
Instead of swooning at his words (they are beautiful and profound and melt her down to her core, because how could they not when he was confessing his love in such a way.) she laughed and playfully hit his chest, not really wanting Kol of all people to be privy to their romantic moments.
"Okay, tone it down, Casanova, no one says 'inamorata' or paramour for that matter, and we have company." She chided teasingly and Kol laughed at her words and put his chin on his hands, blinking up at his brother. "Yeah, tone it down, Casanova." He mocked and Caroline rolled her eyes before she turned her glare on him.
"And you, if came all this way just to provoke and antagonize him you should just leave now because I will have none of it. But if you can promise to act like the adult I know you can be, then you can join us for dinner before f*cking off for the night, and maybe we can have breakfast in the morning or brunch. So which will it be?" Caroline asked in her no-nonsense tone as she co*cked a brow at him.
Kol stared at her, expression slightly stunned at her words for several dead heartbeats before he burst out laughing.
"Oh, I'm going to like having you around very much Caroline. Tell me, is the stake any good here brother?" He asked Klaus with a small cheeky smile, and Caroline sighed slightly, he was such a child.
Klaus was tense next to her, and she could see the way his hand was playing with his fork, and the contemplating, murderess look in his eye.
He was trying to asses whether killing Kol in front of the whole restaurant would be worth the compulsion.
It was not.
And Caroline didn't want to clean the blood of this dress.
So she moved her hand to cover his, gave a soft squeeze, and smiled softly at him, making him relax in his seat and sigh at his brother.
"The stake is excellent." He answered, voice tight and teeth obviously clenched making Kol's smirk widen, and Caroline could see the taunting remark coming from a mile away, so she extended her leg and kicked him from under the table.
He yelped in surprise at the contact and looked at her with wide eyes and a baffled expression. Caroline just raised a brow at him and crossed her fingers on the table.
"I told you to act like a civilized adult." She said in a sweet tone.
"I didn't say anything!" Kol exclaimed in outrage making Caroline roll her eyes. "You were about to, I just took preemptive measures." She said with a shrug and moved to smile as their actual waiter walked up to the table.
"Good evening, is the table ready to order?" The lanky blonde asked in a thick Catalan accent.
"Good evening, yes. We'll take two rare stakes and one Boeuf Bourguignon. Parried with whatever wine you would recommend." Caroline ordered for the table, not giving the brothers a chance to.
The waiter nodded and left with a polite smile.
"So Kol, what brings you to Andorra?" Caroline asks after a few moments of silence at the table.
She never could stand silence, that's why she talks so much to fill the gaps.
"Oh you know, just wanted to see my big brother. It's not like him to leave his kingdom for such a long time, especially after the hell we had to go through to get it back." Kol said with a small shrug to his shoulders as he looked between the two of them.
"Though I can see now that he has more than enough reason to be traversing around the world. I would too if I had someone as beautiful as you on my arm, Are you sure you didn't pick the wrong brother?" Kol said with a predatory smile and Caroline could feel the murderess rage coming off of Klaus in waves.
Kol's little jab made her scoff in response, waving her hand in the air in dismissal. "Please, you couldn't handle me. And if I was to pick a different Original it would be Elijah, or even Rebekah before it would be you.” That made Kol choke on air, and Klaus chuckled slightly. “But I am quite happy with my choice so the point is rather moot, don't you think?" She answered as she leaned into Klaus, making a point of kissing his pulse point.
A shiver ran through him at her action, and he moved his hand so it was over her shoulder and used his foot to bring her chair closer to his.
"I think your choice was spectacular my love." He answered as he nuzzled her hair.
"Oh I just can't wait for you to come back to NOLA, what will people say when they see the big bag hybrid acting like a love-sick puppy." Kol mused, clearly trying to get a reaction out of Klaus.
"They would do well to remember how I got my reputation. Just because I'm in love doesn't mean I can't dismember them without breaking a sweat." Klaus answered, tone menacing and foreboding as he leaned slightly on the table.
"You'd better not be spreading false rumors brother. I'd hate for someone to lose their head because of your stupidity."
Their interaction made Caroline roll her eyes and hope the food would arrive soon. There is only so much of this pissing contest she could take.
Honestly, is it too much to ask for some peace and a romantic date without interruption?
* ********* ********** ********** ********* *
Rebekah was the last to seek them out.
And she waited until their very last destination in Europe before showing up.
They were on their last week in Milan when the original sister burst through their doors, much like her elder brother all those months ago.
However, she had a slightly different reason for her visit.
"I hope the two of you are decent. I really don't want to see your pasty ass Nik!" Her voice carried through the house and Caroline flashed to the foyer to meet her.
"Hey, Rebekah. Nik's not here, he left Milan this morning, something about people not knowing when to stop being stupid. I don't know I didn't care enough to ask. But he should be back by tomorrow." She greeted the blonde with a smile, hoping she wouldn't be her usual bitchy self.
To her surprise, Rebekah smiled at her words and clapped her hands. "Even better. I thought I was going to have to pry him off of you, but it looks like my timing was perfect. Come on let's go." She said in a no-nonsense tone that made Caroline confused.
"Where are we going?" She asked as she moved to follow the blonde out of the house. "Shopping, duh. Let's go spend my brother's money and make him regret bringing us together." She said as she moved towards her rented car.
Caroline laughed at her words and got in the passenger seat. "Oh that sounds like fun, but if you don't mind me asking, why would you want to hang out with me? I thought you hated me?" Caroline prompts, genuinely curious as to what caused this change in attitude.
The other girl rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I never hated you." She said and Caroline shot her a lookTM that made her laugh. "Okay, okay I wasn't your biggest fan. But can you blame me? My brother was stupidly and irreversibly in love with you, and you broke his heart at every turn. Not to mention you had everything I ever wanted. So you could say I was jealous, more than anything." Rebekah admitted and Caroline was shocked by her words.
Not the part about breaking Klaus's heart, that she could believe. If she had any siblings, she would hate anyone who broke their hearts.
But Rebekah being jealous of her was a ridiculous concept.
"You were jealous of me?" She asked in a bewildered tone, turning to look at the blonde's profile.
"No need to inflate your ego over it. You just had everything I always wanted. A normal life, popular, head cheerleader, a ton of friends, and the affection and devotion of my favorite brother. Can you blame me?" Rebekah explained and it made Caroline want to laugh.
Wow, how different someone's life can look from an outsider's point of view.
"I hate to break it to you Rebekah, but the only thing I had was the head cheerleader and your brother's affection. Everything else was more of a mirage than anything." She said, a little bitter at the reminder of how her life used to be.
"Please, no need to be humble now, I'm over it. I realized we had more in common and it was pointless to hate you. Especially with how happy my brother has been this last year." Rebekah said as she made a sharp right turn, jostling Caroline slightly.
"I'm not being humble, trust me, you did not want friends like mine or my so-called popularity." There was an edge to her voice as she talked about her friends and it made the older girl turn to look at her for a second before her eyes were back on the road.
"What did they do?" She asked, half curious half cautious and it made Caroline sigh as she burrowed further into the seat.
"If we're going to talk about them, I'm going to need alcohol." Caroline answered.
Rebekah shot her what could only be a worried look as she pulled up to their destination.
"Well, thankfully this salon offers only the best champagne with their services, so we'll have plenty of alcohol." The blonde says with a smile as she moves out of the car, and to Caroline's surprise, flashes over to open her door.
"Let's go, I plan on putting a sizable dent in my brother's bank account today." She cheekily exclaims, making Caroline laugh in response.
"Okay, let's go spend some money."
——————
It was seven hours and who knows how many bottles of champagne and liquor later when Rebekah finally asks what's been plaguing her thoughts since their conversation in the car.
"So, what did the marry Mystic Falls gang do? I always thought you lot would all die for each other. I was quite surprised when I heard you left that swampy town and everyone in it. And a little proud too." She asks between gulps of champagne as she settles into the couch.
They made it back to the Villa about an hour ago, surrounded by so many shopping bags Caroline was sure they could fill a regular-sized house with the amount they brought.
Well, Rebekah bought most of it.
They settled into one of the many rooms in the house, by one of the fireplaces and continued drinking.
Surprisingly, they got along really well. Once they both stopped being bitchy it turned out that, they do in fact have a lot in common.
Caroline would go as far as to say that they could become best friends, in a maybe not-so-distant future.
Rebekah was blunt, cunning, and condescending. But she was also witty, easygoing, and dare she say pleasant, not to mention she had impeccable taste.
It also surprised her that she was so interested in what caused her to leave her town and friends behind.
Caroline sighed as she sat up and reached for the half-drunk bottle of tequila on the table, gulping the clear liquid before setting it back down.
"We're going there, okay." Caroline said, words only slightly slurred as she talked.
"A better question would be what didn't they do? Did you know that they wanted to kill me when I was turned? And it was their fault I was in that position in the first place. f*cking hypocrites." She started, not really knowing where to start with the reasons she left.
"Like you kill one person because you were just murdered in a hospital room by a f*cking doppelgänger of your 'best friend' and suddenly you're a liability." She huffed bitterly. "I didn't even know what was happening to me when I did that, I was just so hungry and confused, you know?" The question was rhetorical, but Rebekah nodded her head anyway.
"That's dumb, Stefan is a whole reaper, and Damon is just the worst. Like they have any moral ground to judge."
Caroline tried, she really did. But the mention of Damon's name made her flinch despite her best efforts and Rebekah noticed, despite her state of intoxication.
"What was that?" She asked, tone suddenly cold and no longer slurred.
"What was what?" Caroline asked as she avoided the older blonde’s eyes as she settled on watching the fire.
"That flinch, what was that? What happened between you and the older Salvatore? I mean I remember hearing that you guys had a thing, but the sex wasn't that bad." Rebekah said as she moved to pour herself more vodka.
Caroline flinched again at her words. Flashes of repressed memories suddenly surfaced without permission.
"Hah, I wouldn't call what we had a thing." She said, tone reserved and words carefully picked and she avoided looking at the original blonde at any cost.
This wasn't something she's ever talked about.
With anyone.
When her memories of being under compulsion came back when she died, Caroline felt like she wanted to die all over.
And when it was clear that her 'friends' weren't going to hold the man accountable for any of it. Well, she decided that moving on was the best way to go.
"What is that supposed to mean? Caroline! Look at me." Rebekah said, suddenly serious as she moved so she could clasp her hands around Caroline's face and the younger vampire had no choice but to look at the blonde.
Rebekah searched her face, waiting patiently for an explanation, but not letting go of her face.
Caroline sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them, and damn it she was on the verge of tears already.
"He, I mean, we... He came into town when I was still human." She settled on that, to begin with.
"I was so stupid, and shallow and didn't know anything about this world. And he wanted to get Stefan and Elena to notice him, so he set his sights on the easiest target. Me." Her voice was shaking by this point, and the tears were gently falling down her face.
Rebekah moved to wipe them tenderly as they fell, her expression unsettled as she listened to her story.
"I was so dumb, the perfect stereotypical dumb blonde. I threw myself all over him, and he turned it into a perfect opportunity. Turned me into his perfect little puppet." Caroline said casting her eyes down to avoid looking at the older blonde.
"He, did, did he? Caroline." Rebekah's voice was soft and sounded broken almost as she tightened her hold on Caroline's face.
"For months he used me as his own plaything and personal blood bag." Caroline managed to say between gasped breaths. "I didn't even remember any of it until after I turned. So I had the pleasure of re-living that trauma twice." She laughed bitterly at the thought.
Rebekah opened her mouth to say something, but whatever it was got cut off by the sound of the door of the study bursting open and an enraged Klaus flashing to the center of the room.
Caroline turned her head to look away from him. Her tears now falling rapidly down her face as she tried to choke down a sob.
Just great.
Rebekah let go of her face and moved towards her brother. "Oh no you don't. Get out! You're only going to make this worse. Honestly, you never think before you act. That was a private conversation Nik! What are you even doing here? I thought you weren't coming back till tomorrow?" Rebekah asked and there was a growl from the hybrid.
"I resolved the issue quicker than anticipated and wanted to spend time with my paramour. What are you doing here Rebekah?" His voice was cold as steel and Caroline was sure she was shaking at this point.
"I decided to come and spend time with my new sister. Now why don't you f*ck off for the rest of the night? The two of us are in the middle of something." Rebekah told him and she heard a scoff from Klaus.
"I am not leaving this house while she’s hurting like this, and until she tells me whether she wants Damon's head on a platter or spike." His words were sharp and meant to sting, and Caroline felt herself crying even harder at them.
"Don't you see that your behavior is not helping here? You listened in on a private conversation Niklaus, this has nothing to do with you. Now leave and come back in the morning." Rebekah ordered sternly.
There was a moment of silence and then Klaus was at her side, moving his hands in her hair to move her head so that she was looking at him.
Caroline's lips trembled as she watched him, his eyes bored into her, he looked murderess, unsettled and sad as he stared at her.
His eyes softened at her tears and he moved to gently wipe her face. "I'm sorry for listening in on your conversation, and I am sorry that you had to go through something like that. But I need you to know, Damon Salvatore's days are limited. His transgressions will not go unpunished, if you insist, I won't kill him, but by the time I'm done with him he will wish to be dead." He let go of her face and moved to stand.
"I promise that no one will ever hurt you, I will kill them before they can even try." And with those words, he flashed out of the house and Caroline sobbed even harder.
She knew he meant every word. It was one of the reasons she never told him of what happened.
He was going to go on a killing spree. She could feel the mix of emotions brewing in him at the revelation of what Damon did to her.
She couldn’t even blame him for it. She wanted to go on a killing spree when her memories were returned.
"Good god he is so dramatic." Rebekah sighed as she moved back to sit near Caroline. "I'm sorry about him. We must be really out of it if we didn't hear him come in." She said as she moved to clasp her hand and give a gentle squeeze.
"Do you want to finish this bottle, and then we can go and try on everything we bought?" Rebekah asked holding up the tequila bottle.
Caroline sniffed the last of her tears and moved to wipe her face, feeling surprisingly lighter after finally saying what happened to her out loud.
"I think there's one more in the fridge." She sniffed and composed herself. "Thank you for that. For making him leave, I love him, but I just can't take that energy right now." Caroline said, flashing Rebekah a small smile.
The older blonde waved her off as she moved to make them a questionable concoction of alcohol.
"You don't need to thank me for that. I know how overbearing he can get."
There was a moment of silence between the girls before Rebekah spoke. "I do agree with him though. Damon's days are numbered, especially once Kol and 'Lijah hear about this."
And Caroline couldn't help but feel warmth towards the Mikaelson siblings.
* ********* ********** ********** ********* *
They were two years into their travels before they decided to head back to the US and settle in New Orleans for the time being.
"We should call Vlad and Elly to join us in NOLA, it's been too long since we've seen them." Caroline says as she shifts through what outfit she could wear today.
Klaus was moving around the room as she spoke and moved to wrap his hands around her waist, bringing her closer to him and moving to nuzzle her neck.
"We saw them two months ago in Peru." He said as he started kissing her neck.
"Mmm, yes, but I miss Elly and Vlad's going on that ridiculous cave expedition next month and who knows when he'll be back." Caroline said as she moved her head to the side, giving him more access to her neck.
"Can we not talk about them when I'm trying to seduce you?" Klaus asked, sounding a little exasperated.
"Hey, I started the conversation before you started seducing me!" Caroline protested and turned in his arms, wrapping her hands around his neck and bringing his face closer to hers.
There was a gleam in his eyes as he started a ther, a soft smile on his face. "I'm always trying to seduce you." He said cheekily and she barked out a laugh.
"Just for the record, I'm too smart to be seduced by you." She said, parroting her words from over a decade ago to him.
"I know my love, that's what I love most about you." He said as he moved to kiss her.
—————
"Oh, that's a wonderful idea, Caroline! I haven't been to the US in years! Vlad! Vladimir!" Elly yelled for her husband and Caroline chuckled as she adjusted in her seat.
"Yes, beautiful?" Vlad's voice carried into the speaker.
"Caroline and Nik just invited us to stay with them in New Orleans until you leave." She said cheerfully.
"Oh, that's a great idea. Hello Caroline, we would love to come join you." She heard him say, making her giggle in delight.
"Awesome, we're going to be there by the end of the week, so you guys can come whenever. And don't even think about booking a hotel, you can stay with us. There's more than enough room." She said and there was a huff from the other line.
"Yes, yes. I already made that mistake last time. I leave all the planning in your hands, sweet Caroline, oh and that reminds me, do tell Niklaus that I won our bet, and I expect him to honor his end of the deal." Vlad spoke into the speaker and Caroline rolled her eyes.
"I'll tell him, now give Elly the phone we weren't done talking!" Caroline exclaimed and she heard Vlad laughing from the other end, and Nik laughing from somewhere in the house.
"Oh stop it, like the two of you aren't the biggest gossips alive." She said.
"Honestly with how old they are, they act like children." Elly said as she took the phone back.
Caroline rolled her eyes. "Just wait until they join forces with Kol and Elijah." She said and rubbed her temple at the image that was painted.
"Gods help us." Elly said and Caroline chuckled.
"At least we'll have Bekah to help us."
