I'm the last person who should be starting a new story but this idea came to me and I couldn't ignore it so I just started writing. I have most of it mapped out in my head and was going to make it a oneshot but it would've been really fucking long so I broke it up into chapters. Not sure quite how long it'll be but I hope to have it finished before TVD returns on April 18. This is mostly AU (though I'd love for it to end up happening) and I'm nicer about Elena in the story than I feel for her on the show itself but whatever. As always, I love favorites and follows but reviews are super awesome, too, and they motivate me more than anything. I love hearing any and all feedback, so long as it's constructive. No one wants to read anything unpleasant. Thanks!

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

"I want a wedding."

Klaus looked over his shoulder at Caroline standing at the threshold of his studio, hands on her hips, left foot tapping away.

"A wedding?" he repeated. "Why on earth would you want something so trivial?"

She stomped into the room. "A wedding isn't trivial, Klaus. It shows commitment between a man and woman who love each other. And I want one before my mom is too old to walk me down the aisle."

Klaus set his paintbrush aside and turned to face her. "Marriage for us doesn't mean anything, love. We're dead."

"It means something to me," she murmured, losing the edge to her voice. "I want to call you my husband, Klaus, not my 'mate.' That makes me feel like something on Animal Planet. I want to see a ring on your finger that makes you mine forever and no one else's."

Klaus had a hard time denying her anything when she spoke like that. He took her into his arms. "I'm already yours forever."

"But I want photographic proof of that," she whined softly. "A wedding won't kill you; Mikeal did that over a thousand years ago."

"There's that wit I love," he smirked. "All right, you want a wedding? Fine, let's get married. But I intend on doing this the proper way so you, sweetheart, should be prepared for a proposal you'll not soon forget."

Caroline beamed and suddenly, agreeing to this insanity was worth it to him.

"Okay," she said happily. "I'll let you get back to your painting now." She pressed the softest of kisses to his stubbly cheek and backed away to leave the studio. "Hey, Klaus?"

"Yes?" he asked, looking back at her once more.

"Thank you," she grinned.

"I'd do anything for you, Caroline," he reminded her, going back to his painting.

She made a face at his flattery as she left. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

After defeating Silas back in Mystic Falls at the end of her senior year of high school, Caroline had finally given in to her feelings for Klaus. During one particularly nasty battle, Klaus had sacrificed himself to save her and she knew in that moment, as panic settled in while he seemed to be dying, that she loved him. Luckily, in the eleventh hour, Bonnie snapped out of her daze and helped them, sending Silas back to eternal hell and keeping the gates to the Other Side closed forever. It had been hard, knowing people like Jeremy and even Kol could never come back, but it was for the best.

Elena's humanity had been another story; she kept the flip switched for a year and it was like living with Katherine full-time. Damon had even come to Klaus once to request he compel her to turn it back on but Klaus had rejected that, knowing it was best to let Elena do it on her own. Klaus also knew Caroline was anti-compulsion over such things and doing it would upset her. In the end, it had been Caroline herself that convinced Elena to let her humanity back on. She'd taken her to the Gilbert tomb and forced her to mourn for Jeremy. For two days, the two girls sat there, Caroline using every bit of strength she had not to cave and let a stubborn Elena go, before she woke up the third morning at dawn to Elena sobbing, running her fingers over Jeremy's name, her humanity back with full force. They stayed for another day as Elena got it all out of her system, and then Caroline called Damon to bring her friend home to the Salvatore boarding house. With the sire bond broken and her humanity back, Caroline had hoped Elena would fall into Stefan's arms but alas, it was Damon she loved and they'd been together ever since, still living in Mystic Falls, pretending to age as long as they could; it was getting harder to look 28 when you were eternally 18. Stefan had eventually rekindled his romance with Rebekah so Caroline was just glad he was happy.

For seven years after that, Caroline had traveled the world with Klaus, letting him show her everything she'd ever wanted to see and more. Paris, Rome, Tokyo, Sydney, Hong Kong, Moscow, Florence, São Paulo. It had been incredible and being with him was even better, but eventually, she'd tired of the globe-trotting lifestyle and had convinced him to settle down in London. Ironically, it was where Rebekah and Stefan had made their life together, as well, so the four of them lived in the massive Mikaelson manor just outside the city limits.

"Hey, Care," Stefan greeted his best friend when she found him in the kitchen.

"Hi," she smiled.

He eyed her. "You look like you just won the lottery. What's up?"

"Klaus agreed to marry me," she told him gleefully.

"What?" Stefan scoffed. "Klaus is going to marry you?"

"Don't sound so surprised," she muttered. "We've been together for ten years."

"I'm not surprised that he's marrying you," he clarified. "I'm surprised he's marrying anyone. Marriage doesn't seem like his thing."

"It isn't," she denied, "but it's mine so he'll be nice and do it. I know it will mean a lot more to me than it does to him and that's okay."

Klaus sat on his stool, listening to their conversation carefully in the next room. Stefan was right; in his thousand-plus years, he'd never once considered the possibility of marriage. As the Original hybrid, there was no point. And as much as he loved Caroline, the idea of marrying her had never crossed his mind either but as she said, she wanted it and his goal in life was to give that perfect angel whatever she wanted. Besides, it would give Rebekah something to do, too.

"Your brother and Caroline are getting married," Stefan told Rebekah as she joined them from the gardens.

"No!" Rebekah cried in shock. "Nik proposed?"

"Well, not yet," Caroline denied, "but he said he's going to because I told him I want to be married. You guys have been married for four years. Why shouldn't we?"

"Because Stefan is Stefan and Nik is not," Rebekah replied. "Stefan is the marrying type; a romantic, if you will. While I know my brother would take a white oak stake through the heart only for you, I also know he is not much for marriage."

"How little you two think of me," Klaus spoke up as he finally emerged from his studio for the day. "I will give Caroline a wedding the blows yours out of the water."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I don't want a competition, Klaus. I just want a wedding with the people I love in attendance." She stood in front of him. "And I want to get married in Mystic Falls, at your house there."

He frowned. "You're really pushing it now, love."

"Please?" she begged. "I grew up there and it's home. My mom is there. Elena and Bonnie and Matt are all there."

"Damon is there," Stefan added.

"Not a selling point," Caroline snapped.

"Elijah is in Paris," Rebekah reminded them. "And Katherine Pierce is not about to upend her life in favor of Mystic Falls to see you two get married."

"For all I care, Katerina can jump off the Eiffel Tower every day for the rest of her life," Klaus said. "But Rebekah, it will be your job to get our dear older brother to Virginia because it seems there's to be a wedding in a small town there."

Caroline clapped in excitement. "I have to call Bonnie and Elena." She hurried from the room and moments later, the sound of her and Klaus' bedroom door shutting was heard.

"I never thought I'd see the day you revolved your life around someone else," Rebekah muttered, pulling out her phone to check flights to Paris. "It's depressing."

"Oh, stop," Stefan chuckled. "You like Caroline. You just don't like knowing there's a girl your brother puts before you now."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I'm not that petty."

"Yes, you are," Klaus replied as he opened the fridge for a blood bag; he hated cold blood but he was hungry and Caroline preferred their blood be donated so he obliged on occasion.

"I put you first," Stefan assured his wife. "I think going back to Mystic Falls will be nice for a little while."

"Ugh," Rebekah groaned. "I hate small towns."

"If it weren't for small towns, we never would've ended up together," Stefan reminded her. "Don't you want your brother to be happy?"

"Nik is happy," she scoffed. "This is Caroline we'd be doing all this for."

"Yes, the same Caroline who single-handedly made sure your own wedding was completely perfect," Klaus said pointedly. "You will do anything and everything she requests of you, sister, or I'll make sure you'd wish you had."

"I've just booked Stefan and I seats to Paris in the morning," Rebekah told him, showing the confirmation on her phone screen. "When would you like us in Mystic Falls, Caroline?!" she yelled through the house.

Klaus winced slightly. "She'd hear you if you whispered."

Rebekah smirked. "I know."

Caroline returned then. "Well, we're going tomorrow so as soon as possible."

"I have to plan my proposal for Mystic Falls?" Klaus realized. "London is much more equipped for such things."

Caroline's hand went to her hip. "Klaus, you can't ask me until you speak to my mom."

"Well, things just got interesting," Rebekah declared smugly. "Good luck convincing Sheriff Forbes she should let you marry her daughter, Nik." She took Stefan's hand. "Come, let's pack. I do love Paris in the springtime." They headed for the stairs.

Caroline calmly went to sit at the small table in the breakfast nook and began making flight reservations from her iPad.

"You expect me to ask your mother for her blessing to marry you?" Klaus asked, leaning against the counter to stare at her. "Sweetheart, in case you've forgotten over the last decade, she hates me."

"She doesn't hate you," she denied softly. "She just doesn't know you. Not the you that I know."

"You're the only person who knows that side of me," he replied quietly.

"So introduce him to my mom," she suggested. "She knows that you love me and you take excellent care of me so those are points in your favor. Plus, once I tell her it's what I want, she'll give in."

"You know, when I finally admitted to myself that I would do absolutely anything for you, I never realized that meant asking your mother for your hand in marriage," he muttered.

Caroline sighed and set the electronic device aside to eye him. "I know I'm asking you for a lot but it really does mean a great deal to me and I really appreciate your willingness to do it."

He smirked. "Well, I have heard rumors of what the wedding night entails so it probably won't be too horrible."

"Probably not," she winked, going back to her task. "We should start planning, you know. I would like for Elena, Bonnie, and Rebekah to stand with me. I'm sure you'll want Elijah and Stefan and I'd also like to request Matt be up there, as well."

"And what of the elder Salvatore?" he asked.

"Damon will be lucky to be Elena's plus-one," she grumbled. "I'd prefer to keep him away but he'd show up regardless so I'll throw a bone."

"I'd still like to kill him for what he did to you," he told her. After five years together, Caroline had divulged the full extent of her past with Damon; Klaus hadn't handled it well but she'd talked him out of killing him.

"I know," was all she said back. "But despite how much we hate him, he's good for Elena so I'll have you spare his life."

Klaus straightened up. "Well, if I'm being forced to return to Mystic Falls, I'd at least like to make sure the ring is taken care of here in London so I'm going to go do that. Anything you need between now and when we leave, tell Rebekah." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and disappeared through the expansive house.

Bonnie slid into the booth and stared at Elena and Matt across the table later that night. "Is she serious?"

"I think so," Elena confirmed. "You heard her on the phone; Caroline has never been so excited about something in her life."

Matt sighed. "But Klaus? Part of me always just thought this would be a phase."

"Not me," Elena denied. "I think I've always known, even before they were actually together, that they would be. He opened her eyes to a part of herself that never would've manifested without him."

Bonnie nodded. "I guess that's true. Ugh, a bridesmaid in Klaus' wedding. Can't say I saw that one coming."

Matt laughed. "At least you get to stand on her side; I'm stuck on his."

"It'll be beautiful, Elena said wistfully. "He'll give her everything she wants for this. And just think, she said she wants him to ask her mom's permission and you know Liz will give him a hard time. Part of her always rooted for Tyler."

"Who didn't?" Bonnie scoffed. She looked at Matt. "Have you heard from him at all?"

"No," he shook his head. Not since he left ten years ago and gave me his house. For all I know, he's dead."

"Well, if he is, it wasn't Klaus," Elena spoke up. "He gave that up when Caroline admitted her feelings for him. I like to believe he's still alive somewhere."

"I'm sure he is," Bonnie nodded. "It would've gotten to Klaus if he'd died and Caroline would've told us."

"Think she'd try to invite him?" Matt joked.

"Oh, sure," Bonnie deadpanned. "I'm sure Tyler would love to attend the wedding of his ex-girlfriend to the man who single-handedly ruined his life."

"It's been ten years," Elena stressed. "If I can mostly, sort of forgive Klaus for everything—seeing as I went through a very dark period of my own—maybe Ty can, too."

Matt shook his head. "I doubt it."

"Besides, Klaus isn't going to let Caroline invite Tyler," Bonnie said. "Not a chance in hell."

"Are you excited about going home?" Klaus asked Caroline the next morning as they walked through Heathrow.

"I'm excited to see everyone," she confirmed, wrapping her arm through his. "I miss my mom a lot."

"Ahh, yes, Sheriff Forbes," he sighed. "How exactly would you like me to ask her for your hand in marriage?"

She shrugged. "That's up to you. Until there's a diamond on my finger—as you promised—it's all up to you, buddy. Be nice to her. She knows how in love with you I am so she's going to want to say yes. Just don't give her a reason to say no."

"Hypothetically, if she did say no, would you still want this?" he asked as they arrived at their gate.

Caroline frowned in thought for a moment before smiling at him. "Yes. But I feel better if you ask."

"Is she expecting me to ask?" Klaus wondered.

"Well, I mentioned we were coming to town and there were things to discuss," she explained. "I think she has an idea of what might happen but she didn't mention it. She asks all the time if we're ever going to get married."

He nodded. "And when she asks, does it sound like she'd be okay with it?"

"You're nervous," she realized with a laugh. "Aw, Klaus, that's so cute. You're scared of my mom."

"I don't get nervous," he denied, knowing his voice betrayed him. He sighed. "But I do want to do right by you, love, so yes, I'm anxious about it. It's important to you that your mother likes me so I will do whatever necessary for her to accept my offer."

"She likes Italian food," she told him. "Order from the fancy Italian restaurant in Richmond and get a nice red wine."

He wrapped an arm around her. "I thought you said I was on my own for this."

"Well, I want her to say yes," she teased, snuggling into him. "So, what's my ring like?"

"Nice try," he smirked. "You know I won't tell you that."

"Please?" she begged, running a hand gently up and down his thigh.

He caught her hand to stop it. "Not fair, love. You said you wanted all this so we have to compromise on how things are to be done."

"Fine," she grumbled. "Do you think Rebekah and Stefan will convince Elijah to come?"

"It's not Elijah I'm worried about," Klaus replied. "It's Katerina that won't want to be there. She hates me and isn't very fond of you. Elena is a thorn in her side and being around both Salvatore brothers together irritates her because they know exactly how she operates. But," he went on, "they'll be there. Rebekah won't leave Paris without Elijah in tow and he won't come without his mate."

Before long, they were allowed to board their plane and once they were settled into their first class seats, Caroline kicked off her flats and nestled into his side again to sleep during the flight. It was the most comforting place on the planet, to be in his arms, and she often still mentally kicked herself for pushing him away as long as she did when he first pursued her in Mystic Falls. He'd deserved to be spurned, of course, but in their ten years together, he'd taught her more about herself than she ever could've learned on her own. Klaus showed her the perks of being a vampire and how to drink from fresh veins without killing anyone. Compulsion was still a sore subject for her—thanks to Damon—but he still tried to explain that it could be done successfully without hurting those being compelled.

The best part of being with him, however, was how he made her feel every single day. It was practically a fairytale. "Yeah, you two are a regular Beauty and the Beast," Matt always joked but Caroline really did see a side to Klaus that no one else did. He let his guard down with her and showed the parts of him that were still human. He was attentive and passionate and funny. He knew her better than she knew herself and she liked to think she knew him like that, too. Marriage was something she'd wanted for a long time, since even before Rebekah and Stefan had married, but she'd waited a long enough time so he would be entirely wrapped around her finger before she brought it up. And now that she had, she was thrilled Klaus had agreed to go along with it. She knew he was doing it to appease her but she promised herself that she would spend the rest of eternity making it worthwhile to him.

Eventually, Caroline fell asleep and Klaus pulled out his sketch pad. He didn't draw much in public but their seats were a safe distance from others and there was something about the way she looked while she dreamt- presumably of him- that he felt the need to put pencil to paper. They'd been together ten years and would be together for the rest of time now but he still found himself somewhat in awe that she loved him as he loved her. It was all-consuming, the way he felt, and though a bit strange to accept, there was nothing more natural in the world than loving her. She was the good to his bad, the light to his dark. For Caroline, he wanted to be better. Yes, he was the Original hybrid, driven by animalistic urges, but she'd taught him restraint and compassion in ways he'd never thought possible. To Klaus, Caroline was the most precious thing on the planet and he would do everything in his infinite power to keep her safe and to keep her his for all time.

"Shh! Marie, they'll hear you," the older woman sitting in front of them whispered to her red headed companion, breaking his train of thought. "He isn't sleeping."

"Oh, stop it, Victoria," the redhead replied quietly. "I only said that they're precious. Would that be so horrible for him to overhear?"

"Maybe," Victoria replied. "It isn't everyday a young man and woman board a plane to have two old biddies tell them about precious they are."

"Well, it's sweet," Marie shot back. "They way he lets her sleep against him while he works. Besides, I'm whispering so how on earth would they hear me?"

Klaus smiled slightly to himself but said nothing. In over a thousand years, he was fairly certain nothing he'd ever done could have been referred to as 'precious' but that was simply the affect Caroline had on him.

Caroline chuckled softly. "I hear them, too."

He looked down at her. "I thought you were sleeping?"

"I was," she yawned, "but it's hard to do when I hear people say how precious I am."

"How precious we are," he corrected.

"Duh," she scoffed. "There can't be a me without you."

In his mind, no truer words had ever been spoken, only he considered the statement the opposite way: without her, he was nothing.

Elena paced back and forth at baggage claim in the Richmond airport, waiting for Klaus and Caroline to arrive. Damon had offered to ride along to pick them up but Elena rejected him, knowing he would not exactly be a sight for sore eyes to the two of them.

"Elena!"

The brunette vampire looked up to see Caroline hurrying towards her, weaving in and out of people, before the blonde was in front of her. Elena threw her arms around her friend and hugged her tightly.

"It's been too long, Care," Elena sighed.

"A year," Caroline said. "You guys really should come to London more often." She paused. "Well, you should. Damon can rot in the tomb under the old church for all I care."

Elena bumped her with her hip. "Stop it. He's different now."

"Mm-hmm," Caroline rolled her eyes as Klaus caught up to the girls. "Took you long enough."

"As soon as we exited the plane, you took off," he said. "I was not going to run through the airport like a lunatic."

"Oh, I'm a lunatic?" Caroline mused as Elena led them to their bags.

Klaus wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her close to him. "Yes, but you're my lunatic so it's acceptable."

She kissed him softly before turning back to her friend. "Thanks for coming to get us, Elena. My mom would've but there was an emergency at the hospital."

"Yeah, Meredith had an uncooperative patient," Elena explained. "She told me about him this morning at breakfast but I guess it hasn't gotten any better. Apparently he's a prisoner from Richmond so he's under strict watch but he's causing a lot of trouble, screaming and yelling all the time." She softened her tone. Meredith asked Damon to come in tomorrow to compel him to shut up."

Caroline clenched her jaw but said nothing about it. Elena had known back when it was happening about Damon and Caroline but not exactly the full extent. And even if she did, Caroline was sure he would find a way to convince Elena to forgive him so it wasn't worth bringing it up anymore.

Instinctively, Klaus took her hand in his as they retrieved their bags. She smiled at him, knowing why he'd done it.

"So, lunch at the Grill with Matt and Bonnie, Care?" Elena offered moments later as they walked out to her SUV. "I'd invite you, Klaus, but they were hoping it could be the four of us, like old times."

"And I'm certain the Bennett witch would prefer not to see me," he added. "It's quite all right. I'll make sure things are suitable at home. We've not stayed here in nine years."

"Perfect," Elena nodded. "I'll drop you off there. It's still in perfect condition. I check on it every once in a while and nothing is out of place."

"Well, I pay a small crew to maintain it," he told her. He knew his next statement would please Caroline. "But I appreciate that you check on it; you don't have to do that."

In the front seat, Caroline beamed but said nothing.

Klaus' phone rang then, flashing his brother's number.

"Hello, Elijah," Klaus greeted him.

"We're on our way to De Gaulle now," Elijah reported. "Katerina put up a bit of a fight but she was no match for the three of us so we should arrive sometime this evening. We expect to stay at the house there with you."

"Of course," Klaus agreed. "Weddings are about family, after all, and you and Katerina are family so why wouldn't you stay with us?"

"No!" Caroline whined quietly. "I don't want her to live with us while we're here."

Elena patted her friend's hand. "I'm sorry. You're welcome to stay at the boarding house."

"He's only letting them because he thinks he's compromised too much so far so even though he hates her way more than I do, he thinks it will be funny for us to live together," Caroline grumbled, turning to face him. "What he doesn't know is my next request and he isn't going to like it."

Klaus stared at her but continued speaking to Elijah. "I'll send someone along to pick you up when your flight lands. Just make sure to have the information forwarded along."

"All right," Elijah agreed, chuckling as he watched Katherine stomp along sullenly after Rebekah and Stefan. "See you soon, Niklaus."

"So, Klaus, how are you planning to ask Sheriff Forbes?" Elena asked, breaking the tension after he ended the call.

"I'm still thinking about it," he answered. "Probably with Chinese food and a white wine."

"Liar!" Caroline giggled. "He's going to order from Bella Notte and get a lovely red wine because that's what she likes."

Elena smirked at the playful banter between them. It was still weird, seeing Caroline so happy with someone they'd all once considered the worst kind of monster, but over the years, he'd proven himself worthy of the blonde perfectionist. And if she could believe in Damon, she could try to believe in Klaus.

When they reached Mystic Falls, Elena drove to the Mikaelson house and parked out front so they could unload.

"God, I forgot how beautiful this place is," Caroline breathed as they walked inside. "And now it's partially mine!"

Elena laughed as she looked around. For nine years, she'd been checking on the mansion once a month but now it was going to be lived in once again and wouldn't feel so big and empty all the time.

"Let me just change and we'll go," Caroline told Elena as she and Klaus made their way upstairs to his—now their—room.

"Are you going to talk to my mom tonight?" she asked, shimmying out of her jeans.

He watched her with a smirk on his lips. "I might. What are your plans after lunch?"

"Not sure," she shrugged. "There isn't much I can do until my mom gives her blessing so maybe I'll see a movie or get a mani/pedi."

"You threatened me in the car with another request," he suddenly remembered. "What is it?"

Caroline pulled a green sundress on and smiled angelically at him. "Well, I think it might be nice if we didn't have sex again until we're married."

A dropping pin could've been heard once her words settled in.

"You jest," he accused her.

"I don't," she denied. "I want to wait now."

Klaus groaned. "You're killing me with all this traditional nonsense, Caroline."

"Think of it like a game," she suggested. "It's a challenge for you."

"A challenge, eh?" he mused, taking her into his arms. He leaned in so his breath was hot on her ear; he knew it drove her wild when he whispered to her like that. "All right, then. Game on."