I don't know why or how, but my Esther is an alcoholic, lol.

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He wakes up alone, leg hanging over the bed, toes almost touching the ground. His left arm is above his head and numb. He turns over on his side and opens his eyes to a piece of paper on the night stand, tucked under his 's a moment of panic that runs though his chest. He's alone, she's gone, and the sun is already up. He was supposed to be on a flight to Virginia this morning, and if he's missed it, Esther will bite his head off. He paws for the phone, and exhales when he looks at the time. He's got a few hours. He stares at the piece of paper, folded neatly and calling out his name, and after a few seconds of pointless pondering he grabs it and quickly opens it up.

Airline moved me up to an earlier flight, didn't want to wake you.

Caroline.

She had scribbled her phone number right below her name. He folds the paper back up and leaves it on the nightstand where he found it.

Klaus showers, eats breakfast and still makes it to the airport on time. He hasn't seen his sister or brothers in quite a while and there's an unrelenting weight in his stomach. He's queasy and nervous, like a teenage boy, but he shakes it off easily, he's learned to turn that side of himself off for a while now.

Virginia is miserable, and Mystic Falls is even worse. It's a small town where everyone is far too friendly, and Elijah is waiting for him as he exists his gate.

"You didn't have to, brother, I could have gotten a cab,"

"And I would have let you," Elijah smiles, "But, I had to get out of that house."

"Is mother that bad?" Klaus laughs.

"I can handle mother," Elijah shakes his head.

"So it's Rebekah, then," Klaus smiles at the though of his little sister. The face of an angel, but the temper of Satan himself.

Even though Rebekah was the youngest, and the brattiest, she and Klaus were always the closest. Finn and Elijah were much older than her and never as patient. Kol was always getting her in trouble, so it was Klaus that she stuck with. She was the only one he had ever felt comfortable showing just how vulnerable he was growing up, and she had never judged him, she had never expected anything more than what he was ready to give.

The house is massive and nauseating because it reminds Klaus of everything his father loved. Rebekah is the first one he sees and Klaus drops his bags when she almost topples him with a hug.

Kol, Finn and Esther are in the kitchen and Esther is already drinking.

"Esther," he nods and she sets the dark glass of liquor in her hand down on the granite counter and gives him a pointed look.

"How many times have I asked you to stop calling me Esther, Niklaus?" she tsk's him and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

There they are, standing around a kitchen island of a strange mansion in the middle of nowhere Virginia. It's the first time they're all together since Mikael's passing and it's eerily quiet. Esther's smile fades as she picks up on Klaus' thoughts and Rebekah is quick to break the silence, as always.

"How was your flight, Nik?" She asks.

"Fine," he says and fingers the piece of paper in his trouser pocket. He had spent the entire flight playing back the memories of the previous night and debating if he should call her or maybe text her.

Esther is already pouring drinks for everyone before he can turn it down.

"Mother, it's barely noon," Elijah says.

"Oh, hush, Elijah, we're celebrating," she shakes her son off.

"Oh, this is going to be good," Kol jeers.

Rebekah's face falters for a second before she picks up the glass in front of her. Rebekah's always been very good at reading people, knowing when they're lying and when they're telling the truth. Klaus has always been good at reading Rebekah.

"What's going on?" Klaus asks, eyes plastered on Rebekah.

"You should sit down for this one," Kol laughs.

"Be quiet," Rebekah hisses before looking up at Klaus.

"I have something to tell you, Niklaus," she smiles, forcefully, the type of smile that doesn't reach her eyes.

"I met someone a few months back. His name is Matt, he owns the local bar, and -"

Klaus' heart is in his throat because he's pretty sure where this conversation is heading.

"This isn't really a family reunion-" she continues.

"Well, of course it is," Esther interrupts before taking a preemptive swig of her drink.

"What I'm trying to say is," Rebekah snaps, annoyed. "He's asked me to marry him, and I've said yes," she exhales.

A part of Klaus wants to strangle Kol who is sniggering into his glass, and another part wants to strangle this Matt character. Rebekah is staring at him, waiting, and his only reaction is a laugh. He's laughing, and Rebekah isn't sure how to take it, she's frowning and at the same time there's a small smile on her face. Kol is glaring at him because this was not the reaction he was expecting, and Esther has already polished off her drink.

"You're getting married?" Klaus is still laughing.

Rebekah nods, "This weekend, actually."

Of course.

"And you were worried about how I'd react?" he asks, and his chest tightens. She was worried about his reaction and all Klaus can think of is his father and what his reaction would have been towards Rebekah. Klaus knows exactly what Mikael's reaction would have been and if Klaus knows anything, its that he is not his father.

"You have no bloody idea," Kol rolls his eyes before mimicking Rebekah, "what if he refuses to come, what if he leaves?"

Klaus picks up his drink and thinks what the hell.

"Have any of you met him?" Klaus turns to Elijah, frowning.

Elijah nods, "Good manners, owns his own business," he shrugs.

"Can't dress himself for shit," Kol adds.

"Well, I like him," Esther adds and everybody pauses.

"Well, if Esther likes him," Klaus teases and raises his glass and his heart soars at Rebekah's smile. Her eyes light up and she's happy, for the first time in a long time.

Later on, she pulls him to the side and asks him to be her Male of Honor and he almost chokes on the biscuit he's eating. She tells him he has to write a speech and that he cannot embarrass her. Before he knows it, she's gone and he's a Male of Honor.

Matt seems all right, he's a bit too amiable and Klaus laughs at the thought that Matt had taken any advantage. He debates giving him a heads up about what he's walking into but then he sees Rebekah smile and decides to head for the bar instead.

There are people everywhere, and no one he knows. Everyone is politely mingling while Rebekah jumps back and forth between the groups, attempting to introduce everyone.

"There's someone you have to meet," Rebekah says, as a matter of fact, interrupting whatever conversation he and Elijah were attempting.

"Do I now?"

"She's from New York, and probably too good for you, but I'm not above begging," she says as she grabs his hand.

"No, Bekah," he groans, "we're not doing this."

Rebekah doesn't hear a word of it because she sees someone else in the back yard and instructs him to come outside and meet everyone, and then she's off.

When he does make it out to the back yard, people have already taken their seats and the party seems to be much smaller than it felt minutes before. The setting is far too intimate considering he doesn't know anyone. Rebekah is waving him over and he doesn't notice who she's talking to until she's facing him. It feels as if someone had sucked the breath out of him, and he's not sure how long he gapes at her so he introduces himself, like an asshole.

She's shaking his hand, and words are coming out of her mouth but nothing is registering for Klaus. Her lips are moving but all he can think about is what she tastes like. She pulls her hand back, slides around him and she's already sitting at the table when he turns around. The only seat left is the one across from Kol, and her, and Rebekah's seat next to Matt.

Dinner is pleasantly awkward. Matt and Rebekah are doing their best to keep the conversation flowing but there are too many people at the table for one conversation. Caroline ends up sitting next to Kol with Klaus right across from him. Kol is trying to make conversation with her about something Klaus can't hear from all the blood rushing to his head. He wants nothing more than to lean over and smack the smug smile off of Kol's face, but Rebekah has a temper and she would tear a limb off.

Caroline has not looked at him, not once. He knows this because he hasn't stopped staring at her, and they're already on the second course of the night. Kol seems to have given up for the time being as the dark haired girl next to Caroline starts arguing with him about something.

"Dude, you're creeping me out with the staring," Klaus hears and the man next to him nods in Caroline's direction. "Damon Salvatore," he says and extends his hand out.

"Klaus Mikaelson," they shake hands and Klaus realizes he has yet to cut into his steak.

Esther is tapping on her glass and her eyes are already glazed over. She's blabbing on about how fantastic it is to have her family back together, and Klaus easily tunes her out. Dinner is followed by some more drinking and he's cornered by Damon who starts blabbing too. There is far too much blabbing and not enough gorgeous blonds, and Klaus is having a difficult time pretending to listen while scouring the room for her.

He excuses himself and casually strolls through the few rooms the party is occupying until he spots her walking down the hallway to the back of the house. He debates, for a second, about how creepy following her would be, and then, he follows.

"Caroline?" he calls out to her when they're far enough from the party and she freezes with her hand on the bathroom door.

She turns around with this defiant look on her face that just makes him want to kiss her.

"Hi," he says.

"Hi?" she surges forward and smacks him in the chest. "Hi?" she hisses quietly. "That's all you have to say to me?"

She turns to reach for the bathroom door but he steps closer and shuts it closed before she can open it more than an inch.

"Caroline," he says again, and he's whispering. She smells just like Klaus remembers, and all he has to do is lean an inch or two forward to bury his face in her hair.

"You lied to me," she spins back around and he stumbles backwards a step. "I told youI was going to a wedding, and you - you're going to a family reunion?" She shoves him again.

"Would you believe me if I told you I didn't know? I just found out this morning?"

She frowns for a second before answering. "No," she says and reaches for the door again. Someone's coming down the hallway and Klaus is not ready for this conversation to be over. Caroline slips away into the bathroom and before she can close it, Klaus shoves it open and joins her. He quickly shuts the door closed and locks it, ignoring her protests.

"What are you doing," she's yelling, arms flailing, "get out!"

He slips his palm across her mouth and she grabs at his arms. Someone knocks on the bathroom door and he can hear Rebekah's voice, followed by a deeper one. Caroline's eyes bulge open and she pulls his hand away.

"Oh my God," she hisses at him, "its Matt and Rebekah."

"Just a second," Klaus yells out and he thinks he can hear Rebekah say his name.

"What are you doing?" Caroline is whispering and he walks her backwards into the cabinet and kisses her. She gasps, splaying a hand out to brace herself against Klaus' chest. Klaus' fingers are in her hair, his thumb skimming over the corner of Caroline's mouth, which is open and gliding over Klaus' in a slow, and meticulous exploration. Klaus nudges his tongue against the edge of Karolines teeth, and she tastes like wine and something sweet.

Someone knocks again and startles Caroline. They pull apart slowly, and Klaus releases his hand from the base of her neck where it's tangled in her hair.

There's another knock and Klaus barks at the door. "Is there no other bloody bathroom in this entire house?"

He gets a single, loud bang in return. Bloody Rebekah.

Klaus has still got her pinned against the cabinet, and Caroline pushes against his chest but he grabs her wrists and brings a hand up to his mouth.

"Have dinner with me, tonight," he says and kisses her knuckles.

"I just ate," she snaps back.

"Drinks then,"

She doesn't respond but she's still breathing hard. He brings her other hand up, kisses her knuckles again and can't help but nip at the soft skin.

"Caroline," he whispers and she closes her eyes, already shaking her head "let me explain, please."

"Matt is one of my bests friends, a-and," she lets out a groan, "I've known Rebekah for possibly three hours and I've already slept with her brother."

"Her favorite brother," he adds and laughs at the look Caroline glares at him.

"You're not helping,"

She scrunches her forehead and there's the cutest line above her nose and Klaus can't help but kiss it. And then he kisses her eye, and her cheek and then her jawline.

"You're not helping, at all," she's protests but she's twisted both of her hands in his sweater.

"I'll pick you up an hour after dinner," he mumbles into her neck, and she's shaking her head, again.

"You don't even know where I live,"

"Right," he pulls back. "You could just tell me, or I'll have to ask Rebekah, and I can't promise I won't spill everything. She is my baby sister, and I don't remember ever keeping secrets from her," he's laying it on thick.

There's another bang on the door and Klaus is opening it before Caroline can stop him.

"It's bloody occupied, Rebekah," he barks.

"Who's in there with you?" Caroline hears Rebekah ask.

"No one, I'm talking to myself," Klaus snaps back.

"Is that Caroline?" Rebekah says and the jig is up. Caroline peeks around Klaus' arm and the look on Rebekah's face is priceless, Klaus thinks.

"Oh my god, are you two snogging?" Rebekah's eyebrows shoot up into her hairline as she gives Klaus a scathing look.

"How could we, with you banging on the bloody door?"

"We're not doing anything," Caroline interrupts and nudges Klaus to move. He grasps her wrist as she passes by him, ignoring his sister, and pulls her into him.

"Eight thirty," he whispers into her ear and she leaves without a second look.

Rebekah is glaring daggers at him and he gives her a smug smile.

"Isn't this exactly what you were hoping for?" Klaus asks.

"Don't smirk at me, Niklaus, I know you," she pokes him in the chest. "Are you two -" she's interrupted by Matt, and Klaus didn't think he'd ever be that happy to see Matt.

"Something is going on, and don't think I wont figure it out, Niklaus," she shoots him a narrow stare, and turns on her heel dragging Matt with her.