Title: Wicked Schemes

Summary: Old family secrets lead Caroline on a journey of self-discovery and into the dark underbelly of New Orleans as Klaus works to reclaim his kingdom and rebuild the family he's slowly destroyed over the centuries. A TVD/The Originals crossover.

Disclaimer: I don't own any TVD or Originals characters no matter how much I wish I did sometimes.

Chapter One

I know you're torn

And in between dreams

But it's all you've ever known

There was something to be said for silence, and while Caroline might usually be one to fill it up, spouting off about who even knew what to hear something, anything other than nothing, walking arm in arm away from the now discarded graduation cap and gown, she found herself with absolutely nothing to say. No words were needed, though her mind was ablaze with a thousand of them, ranging from delight at the thought of Tyler being allowed to return to concern over how Bonnie must be doing with putting the veil back up. But there was little reason to voice any of them. The Hybrid walking beside her probably already knew some of them and she doubted he wanted to hear the rest of them. Certainly not the ones about Tyler.

Arm tucked carefully into Klaus', she didn't worry about the fact that there were a dozen hybrids, witches, and who even knew how many more ghosts out there wanting their revenge. The veil had fallen, and any supernatural being that had died and was on the Other Side had a chance of crossing over. Most seemed to be out for revenge, only a handful wanting to spend time with those they had been forced to leave behind. Before the fateful massacre in the woods only weeks before, Caroline's death toll could be counted on her hands, but the hybrid walking beside her had an unimaginable one at his own feet and she could only imagine how many of them were seeking justice.

Though, considering how easily he had taken out the one witch and scared off the others, maybe none of his previous kills were foolish enough to come back around for a rematch.

"What are your plans for the night, love? Isn't it customary for there to be some sort of celebration after these ceremonies?" Klaus asked, breaking her from her reverie.

A year ago there would have been a party planned. Something to continue the joy that graduating from high school was bringing herself and all of her friends. After the last year or so though, the simple fact they had all managed to graduate was enough and everyone was off doing their separate things. "Elena is spending time with Alaric and Jeremy before they're gone again. Same with Stefan and his friend Lexi. I think Damon is on bury Silas duty and Bonnie is lifting the veil back up."

This left only her and Matt unaccounted for, but her ex had slipped away and Caroline had a feeling he wanted to be alone after the chaos of the day. There hadn't been any sign of Vicki or her father and she wasn't sure what that meant. She'd check in on him tomorrow. "And your mother?" Klaus continued, pace slowing and Caroline realized they were nearing the parking lot.

"She got called in. We're doing our own celebration tomorrow morning over chocolate chip pancakes." Or that was at least the plan. Hopefully Mystic Falls would spare her mother for the few hours that would take. Caroline had a feeling her mother might make a point to put aside duty for an hour or two for breakfast. Especially if Silas was in the ground and the ghosts were no longer an issue.

They had stopped walking, feet straddling between the pavement and grass and she slipped her arm out of his own, but didn't move further away than that. It hadn't been that long ago when she would have deliberately put as much distance as she could between them, when she would have verbally sparred little attacks in his direction to keep him away. Now she was accepting his offered arm and allowing kisses on her cheek. Granted, she hadn't quite expected that, but three months earlier and she would've tried to break his nose for such a bold move. Now, she should bid him good night and get into her car and head home to...well, that was the thing, wasn't it? What was she going to go home and do?

Yes, Tyler was being allowed back to Mystic Falls, but Caroline highly doubted her boyfriend was already waiting for her at her house and considering he had not answered any of her phone calls, not even after seeing her for prom, she didn't think he'd start doing so now. So what harm could there be in drawing out this conversation for a few more minutes before she headed home to curl up on the couch and relax with a tub of ice cream.

"How long are you back for?" It was hard not to notice the slight arch of his brow and the pleased smile that graced his lips at her question.

"Just for the night. I leave tomorrow afternoon," Klaus informed her, nodding toward his car. "Tying up a few loose ends in the morning and then I'll be headed back to New Orleans." She nodded, not really expecting anything less. He had a new home now. It wasn't as though Mystic Falls had much left to offer him. Not like she imagined a place such as New Orleans would. "Now, considering all of the excitement today, supernatural and otherwise, I'm going to wager you haven't eaten and as this is my last night in this little town and your friends are all occupied, what do you say to joining me for dinner?"

Caroline blinked. Whatever she had been anticipating, it certainly hadn't been that, and for the life of her she was having a hard time coming up with a reason to deny the request. Empty house and a tub of ice cream or conversation and real food?

Was it really even a contest?

"Why not?" she grinned, quickly checking her phone to make sure no one had been trying to reach her and sent a quick text to her mother in case she got back to the house after her, before looking back at Klaus. Her cheeks reddened a little at how pleased he seemed by her answer. "Gives me time to work on getting you to buy me that mini fridge. One of those fridge and microwave combos would get you the most bang for your buck."

He laughed at that, leading her toward his car and twenty minutes later they were seated at a table in the only Italian restaurant in Mystic Falls. Chains didn't do well in the small town, not when the small business owners had been around forever and everyone was big on small town loyalty. The restaurant had been around longer than Caroline had been alive, probably established before her own mother's birth, but she could only remember eating there a handful of times. All of them associated with her father's mother before she had passed away when Caroline was eight.

The waiter was taking their drink orders and Caroline shook her head as Klaus ordered wine. "Coke, please," she informed the boy she was sure had graduated a few years before her at school. Klaus didn't comment, but she could just sense his amusement at her order and couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes. "Sheriff's daughter. They'll definitely notice here and I may be done with high school now, but I'm still well below the whole legally allowed to drink age."

"I believe that's what compulsion is for," he pointed out, unraveling his silverware from the cloth napkin. "The trivialities of human law can only bound you as long as you let them."

"In the town where my mother is the law, I think I'll let them keep binding me until I leave." She smoothed her own napkin down on her lap, glancing out at the other patrons, pursing her lips at the fact everyone else seemed to be on a date. Which this was most certainly not.

"And when will that be?" he asked, leaning back in his chair, gaze fixed on her as he raised his wine glass to his lips.

The sight of red liquid so near his mouth, that she had now felt against her own skin-albeit not her lips, though that didn't really stop her from knowing how soft they felt on skin-was throwing her mind for a loop, and she blinked, not quite grasping his question. Caroline busied herself with the bread basket, needing a distraction from his stare. He always had this way of looking at her like he could see right inside of her and it was unnerving. Not that she liked letting him know that. "When will what be?"

From the smirk on his face when he set down his glass, she didn't think she was succeeding. "You said you would continue on allowing the laws to bind you until you leave. When will that be?"

"Oh. College. So after the summer. I'll be living there and isn't that when most girls my age start on the whole rebellion stage?" That was how it worked in the movies and TV shows she'd watched. College was the time to let loose. And after carefully, meticulously, completing high school and making sure she experienced all it had to offer, Caroline figured it was only fair she do the same for college.

"What about during the summer? You plan to stay once again in Mystic Falls." He was still watching her, his gaze never moving elsewhere, and Caroline continued to ignore it, focusing on buttering the bread she had chosen.

"Well, I'm not going down to New Orleans if that's what you're angling for," she informed him, pointing the butter knife in his direction and he held up his hands. "I want to spend time with my mom. Maybe get her to relax for a weekend or two and I don't know. It's the summer. I don't need to have plans. I can wing it." Theoretically at least. "It's our last summer before we're all going off into the great unknown. So spend time with my friends before our lives change even more than they already have. I think it's a brilliant plan."

She really didn't want to continue to talk about her nonexistent plans with him and was thankful when the waiter returned for their orders. It gave her a few moments to think of a new direction to steer the conversation. While Klaus may have enjoyed always focusing on her, it unnerved her and she wanted to turn the tables. Plus she was curious what his answer would be.

"What about you? Big plans for New Orleans? Since it's your favorite place in the world. What with being surrounded by all that food, music, art and culture while you're there." Wait. Had she just partially quoted his phone message back at him? She sipped her coke, hoping he wouldn't pick up on that fact, and easily playing ignorance in case he did so. From his brilliant smile she had a feeling he did.

"You would love it there," Klaus informed her, leaning slightly closer and Caroline was never happier for the length of the table between them. "So much to see, to do, to appreciate. Wonders you've only ever dreamed of at your fingertips. I resided there for years, called it home for a long while. Built a life." His mirthful gaze vanished for a moment, replaced by a harshness, a regret, Caroline had seen before on his face before returning back to being pleasant. "Nasty business of running from my father, but I doubt that's a story you're interested in hearing. I prefer the one where I was finally victorious and ended his life."

Caroline arched a brow, taking another sip of her drink. "I wouldn't know. I was vervained and kidnapped out of harm's way while all that went down."

"I know." The telltale smirk was back and she wanted nothing more than to reach across the table and wipe it off of his face, but stirred her straw around in her glass instead. Her thoughts drifted to that night and her break up with Tyler because of the sire bond. Time had changed all of them in such drastic and subtle ways. They'd never be the same.

She sobered up, gaze locking with his own and forcing herself not to look away. "Thank you. For letting him return." She knew he understood how much that gesture meant to her, just as she understood how difficult it must have been for him to make it. His words from earlier in the night echoed in her mind, and she needed to disrupt the tension she could feel brewing between them. "I'm still angling for that mini fridge though. A girl's got to store her blood bags somehow."

Klaus shook his head, smiling once again and Caroline couldn't help but reciprocate it as the waiter returned again to top off their drinks. "Play your cards right and you never know what could be in store for you, love," Klaus told her, raising his glass to clink slightly with her own, causing her to roll her eyes once again before following through with her own glass.

Three hours later-had it really been three hours-she couldn't believe the time had passed so quickly or that she hadn't realized how long she'd been away, and Klaus was dropping her off at her house. She'd gotten a ride earlier in the day from her mother, trying to leave space for the extra cars that would have been in town for the ceremony, and had been counting on catching a ride back with one of her friends. Funny how things worked out. From the lack of messages on her phone at least no one had been looking for her. This hopefully meant all was going fairly well on her friend and mother front.

The time spent at dinner had been anything but awkward, but as the two stepped up the stairs of the porch, Caroline was beginning to feel uneasiness set in. Especially when she stopped in front of the door, fishing her keys out of her purse. "Thanks for dinner," she murmured, glancing up at him, eyes narrowing at the playfulness of his stance. Hands clasped behind his back and looking at her with an amused expression. It reminded her entirely too much of when he'd come to collect his date before the pageant. "You were surprisingly better company than a movie and popcorn."

"Believe me, the pleasure was all mine." If anything his expression only seemed to look even more bemused and she wondered if he had some other sort of surprise up his jacket pocket. It seemed that more often than not it was this type of moment when he liked to pull something out to surprise her with.

She couldn't help but shake her head at the line and knew that this was goodbye. He was leaving and unlike before it wasn't in the middle of the night without a moment's notice. Not that she cared that he had done that. He didn't owe her any explanation. So what if he had disappeared and she'd turned up at his house only to find no one there and no explanation for where he'd gone at first. It wasn't until she heard the message from him a few days later that she'd even known where he had gone. Followed by all the talk from everyone else that he was gone for good and not returning to Mystic Falls.

She was certain she was supposed to have felt relief at that fact, not the bitter sweetness that crept into her veins and tried to choke her from the inside out. Though much of that had been clouded by the Silas version of him and the further chaos that seemed to run rampant in Mystic Falls.

Caroline could see that Klaus was readying to say something and she didn't want to hear it. She feared what words might come out of his mouth after all he'd said to her on the football field and then the pleasant evening they had shared. She couldn't handle anything else at the moment, already on overload, and that was the only explanation she had for what she said next.

"When Silas was in your head, when he had you seeing him as me, what did he do? Or say?" He gotten into her head and it was a war within her about how the ancient man had brought out what he thought were her darkest desires and fears. Playing on the pieces of herself that left her so vulnerable and open. First with the feelings she knew she should not have been entertaining, the longing she knew needed to be squashed like a bug and then when that hadn't done the trick, nearly taking away the one person in her life that meant the world to her.

Klaus didn't answer right away, watching her with those eyes that bore into her inner core, looking for something that she was trying not to show. To keep hidden and protected from him, from her, from the world. Parts of her that Caroline wasn't ready to admit or accept were true. "He came after you."

There was a rawness to his voice that she hadn't been expecting, the anger on his face clearly not directed at her, but she could see the tension building in his body. She wouldn't want to be in his warpath tonight, not with the way he was clenching his fists. "He wanted Bonnie. I was the best way to get her to come out of hiding."

"What did he do, Caroline?" He was looking her over then, and she wasn't sure if it should be endearing or annoying considering any bruises or wounds or anything that man would have been able to create would have been long healed.

"I'm fine," she told him, voice letting him know she wasn't going to elaborate on the event. Not in the way he wanted. Though the bristling rage in his eyes had her continue to talk, speaking more of what she didn't mean to voice. "I was just wondering if you knew why he picked the faces he did for each of us, but I guess we'll never really know how Silas' head worked." Why had she seen him? Why not Tyler? Why not any number of her friends but instead this Hybrid who she should be pleased had finally gotten out of her life? "But anyway, it's late and my mom is going to be home soon and you've got a big day of packing or whatever ahead so I'm gonna say goodnight and good luck with New Orleans."

She'd turned around halfway through her little speech, deliberately unlocking the door and stepping inside away from him. There would be no repeat of cheek kisses and no chance on him getting her to continue to speak. Not that he couldn't follow her inside if he really wanted. He had been invited after all. But she needed to put some distance between herself and him.

Klaus looked at her for a long moment, and from the way his lips quirked into a small smile, though the tension didn't leave his body, she had a feeling she had said something that he was taking as another point in the column he must have going for if she'd ever end up at his door. She should have continued with some biting comment right then, something to squash that little bit of hope, but the desire to continue on with that little game was gone for the evening.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Klaus simply said, the smile growing a bit, and she froze as he leaned forward slightly-half expecting another kiss but instead he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and then disappeared into the night.

Caroline stared out at the darkness for a moment-no she didn't care that the night was ending like that-before closing the door. She pressed her back against the door, head falling backwards and closed her eyes as she sighed. There would be no analyzing, no second guessing. Not after finally checking off high school from her 'live her life' chart she'd mentally created. All she was going to do was grab a blood, bag, set up a bubble bath and forget about everything else for a little while so she could let herself unwind.

After a successful celebratory breakfast with her mother, which had only been interrupted at the very last minute by the station calling, Caroline headed out to see how everyone was faring now that the veil was no longer down. Bonnie's father informed her that Bonnie had decided to head out of town for the summer to take a break from everything and rejuvenate. Caroline couldn't help but feel a little hurt that her friend hadn't informed her directly of the new plan but considering the year she couldn't blame Bonnie for needing the time away.

The Salvatore boarding house was next and after nearly walking into Damon and Elena having sex-thank god for vampire hearing-she'd been informed that it was Stefan who took Silas to dispose of and that he was apparently getting away for a few weeks as well. What the hell? Did anyone remember what it was like to use their freaking phone and inform people of their plans?! Not that she was going to bring that up to Damon or Elena considering they were making those doe eyes at one another and if Caroline stayed one more moment she was going to vomit.

She pulled into the Lockwood mansion, needing some of the normalcy that only Matt could ever seem to provide her anymore and stared in disbelief at the sight of Matt putting a suitcase into the back of Rebekah's car.

"Seriously?"

Was she in some version of the Twilight Zone? What the hell was happening?

"This could be the one shot I have of being able to go anywhere, see anything, Care," Matt explained, looking at her as though he was expecting her to understand.

And she did. After the crappy year they had all had, and the fact he'd barely passed any of his classes and nearly not graduated, didn't he deserve a break? Why shouldn't he get to experience Rome and Paris and everything? Even if it was with Rebekah? It wasn't like she was jealous of his ability to leave it all behind for a few months and go out and really do what he wanted.

Nope. Not at all.

After a "good luck, have fun and you better call me" to Matt and a death glare directed at Rebekah as warning for what would happen if he was hurt in anyway, Caroline drove away. Not that she knew where she was supposed to be going. Her plans of having a great last summer break were shattered in less than an hour. Sure, Elena and Damon seemed to be staying in town but like hell she wanted to hang around those two idiots for more than a few hours if they were going to be all over each other every minute.

Her phone rang and she glanced at the center console, seeing Tyler's name flash on the screen and she happily pushed the answer button. "Tyler!" She grinned, mood brightening considerably over the fact he'd called and the possibilities of what the two of them could do to catch up after being apart for so long. "I cannot wait for you to get back here. And it's real. That you can come back. I'm not sure exactly how he told you, but you really can come home and Klaus won't even be here to glare at you or anything. He's left and it's for good this time."

She was just going to ignore the way her stomach clenched a little at that fact.

"Hey, Care," came his voice, and she frowned at the lack of enthusiasm. Maybe the fact he'd obviously had to have seen Klaus for the Original to inform him he could return to Mystic Falls had thrown him for a loop. Especially since Tyler must have been terrified the Hybrid had found him in order to exact his revenge. "I'm with a new pack now in South Carolina."

Her shoulders slumped as soon as she heard that, already knowing how this conversation was going to play out. Mood shifting back to depressed in a matter of seconds. Her feelings were giving her whiplash. "I'm learning a lot from them and helping them out with some things down here. It'll just be a few weeks, maybe a month or two, but then I'll be back. For good. It's just they let me in with open arms and I can't just abandon them when they need me."

"Of course." But I need you. It took a lot of effort to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too. I love you. Look, I've got to go. We need to pick up some supplies in town and this car here doesn't have the fancy speaker thing like yours does." She could hear other voices and wondered who they were, these new wolves in his life. The last one who he'd helped and had helped him when he'd been away hadn't exactly turned out to be that great of a friend. More like a vindictive little wolf slut.

She'd never forget how Hayley had not only betrayed Tyler and all of the Hybrids, leading to their deaths at Klaus' hands and Tyler's exile, but the wolf had also snapped her neck and Caroline was sick and tired of that happening to her. "I love you, too, Tyler," she breathed out, before ending the call. There wasn't anything else to say and she took a deep breath, forcing her emotions down as she refocused her attention on the road.

It didn't take her long to realize that she was nearing the fork in the road that one way would lead her out toward where the Mikaelson mansion stood and the other back into town and the police station. She didn't even hesitate as she veered to the right, nope. There was no glance in her rearview mirror at the road not taken as she headed to the station, hoping her mother was inside and not out patrolling.

Thankfully, at least one thing was going in her favor and she found her mother at her desk, filling out paperwork and happy for a break from it. Caroline plopped down into the chair across from the desk, unable to stop herself from sulking. Arms crossed over her chest as she slumped in the chair. Her life sucked and glancing at her mother, her pout grew bigger at the amused smile on the woman's face.

"Are you enjoying my pain?" she demanded, incredulous. Mothers were not supposed to be entertained by their daughter's misfortune!

"Just reminded that in some ways you are very much still a teenager," Liz commented, and Caroline rolled her eyes before realizing that only strengthened her mother's claim. Not that she was going to sit up or stop moping. Nope. Summer officially sucked. "I'm glad you stopped by. I had some things to go over with you this morning before getting called in and might as well do them now before I'm interrupted again."

For such a small town, it was amazing how often her mother could be called away. Caroline blamed the supernatural. Though with practically all of her friends going away for the summer and the Originals no longer residing in the town maybe there'd be less craziness. She looked expectantly at her mother, interest piqued. Hopefully this wasn't one of those "let's clear out the attic" scenarios like at Spring Break.

"I didn't get to give you your graduation present yet and we also need to discuss something else." Caroline uncurled herself, sitting up in the chair, attention definitely focused on her mother now.

"I thought the delicious breakfast and mother-daughter time was my present," she informed her, leaning forward so she could rest her elbows on the edge of the desk. Grinning at the irked look her mother directed at her for a moment.

"I figured graduating high school deserved something a little more celebratory than chocolate chip pancakes." Liz opened the drawer to her desk, pulling out two envelopes and Caroline arched a brow, anticipation growing.

"I'm guessing it's not a pony."

Liz shook her head, clearly amused by the comment. "I thought you outgrew the pony stage when you started gaining an interest in boys."

Caroline scrunched her nose. "Does a love of horses ever really go away?" she asked, eagerly holding out her hand for the first envelope her mother offered. She tore it open, not at all sure what could be inside, mouth dropping open slightly at the train tickets that she found. "New York City? Like the New York City?"

"I took off Monday to Friday of next week. We'll drive out to the station and take the train in, it'll cut down on time and the internet says there's no reason for a car if you're staying in the city and arrive by train. We can do whatever you want when we're there. I expect you'll have an entire itinerary planned by tonight." Caroline looked up from the tickets, smiling brightly. This was the perfect graduation present. The somber look in her mother's eye had her hesitating for a moment. "After everything this year, I thought it might be good if the two of us got a chance to spend some time together out of this town."

She knew what her mother was referring to. Caroline didn't think she'd ever stop having nightmares of finding her mother laying on the floor, unresponsive and looking dead. She didn't know what she would have done if she hadn't been able to save her. She didn't even want to contemplate a world without Liz Forbes in it. Not yet. Not for another fifty to sixty years.

They needed to do this together. "I love it, mom. Seriously, this is exactly what I need." Though, she was curious what was even in the second envelope and couldn't help but glance at it.

"This one isn't from me, but from your great grandmother. The one on my side." Caroline couldn't even remember meeting her great grandmother. Her mother's mother had died before she was born; both of her aunts had left Mystic Falls shortly after graduating high school and Caroline only had brief memories of either of them from her childhood. Most of what she knew was from her mother's stories about them.

Liz kept the envelope in her hands, and Caroline wasn't quite sure which emotions were playing out on her mother's face. "You met her once when you were...two? Maybe three. She stopped into town for a visit. She was always like that, here one minute and gone the next. Always an aura of mystery around her when she wanted. I only met her a handful of times myself growing up. Your grandmother and her had a falling out."

Caroline nodded, not sure why some great grandmother she couldn't even remember was leaving her something. "She dropped by a few years back, after your father and I divorced. Offered money to help but me and my stubborn pride." Liz shrugged and Caroline knew her mother wasn't one for handouts. Neither of them was. If they were going to get something, it needed to be earned. They didn't like being beholden to anyone. "Anyway, she also gave me this to give you when you graduated and I read the accompanying letter that was drafted for me. She created a trust for you. I don't know what it contains or what even she may have to give away or if she's even still alive, but when you create that itinerary tonight, put in time to meet with the trustee while we're in New York." Liz handed her the envelope. "This is her letter to you explaining it all."

Caroline blinked. Her great grandmother had created a trust in her name? What? Since when did their family have enough money to even go around creating trusts? Apparently Liz picked up on the internal question. "Try not to worry yourself into a frenzy, Caroline. I'm sure we'll head to New York and you'll find out she left you a stuffy old coat or something. She was like that. Used to send the oddest gifts for Christmas. She tried to give you an hourglass when she saw you. This antique looking thing and you were spilling the sand all over the place before I managed to get it from away from you."

She smiled, watching her mother stare into the distance for a moment, seemingly amused at what she was remembering. It was a lot to take in, and it did spark a number of questions in her head, but it was also something she didn't want to burden her mother with. Not with everything else she carried on her shoulders. "I'll read it later because right now the whole we're going to New York City in two days is taking precedence. I need to start researching." Caroline was standing in moments, mind going a mile a minute. "I'll bring dinner by if you're still here then. Tonight I'm feeling an urge to have tacos."

"Tacos sounds perfect," Liz agreed, already getting back to the paperwork on the desk.

"Love you, mom," Caroline murmured, before heading out of the office. Her mood was back up, and she was adamant that nothing bring it down until after her whirlwind adventure she was planning to have with her mother. She needed to call Elena or Bonnie, but thought better of the first friend, not wanting to interrupt whatever activities she might be getting up to with Damon. Bonnie's phone went to voicemail and Caroline left a brief, excited message about it, urging her friend to call her later. She scrolled through her contacts, trying to see who else she could call and be excited with about the news.

Matt's phone was probably already off and if it wasn't she didn't want to disturb his own adventure. She already knew Tyler was busy and probably wouldn't pick up. Stefan's phone went straight to voicemail.

Her finger hovered over Klaus' name. It was mid-afternoon and she wondered if he was already headed out of town, but if anyone would understand her excitement wouldn't it be him? The guy who kept offering to show her the world. She stared at his name, internally questioning if she should delete the contact now that he was leaving, but couldn't quite bring herself to do that. She couldn't bring herself to actually call him either.

She settled on sending a quick text.

Caroline: Looks like I won't be staying in MF all summer. Going to NYC with my mom for the week.

She didn't expect a reply to come as quickly as it did.

Klaus: You'll enjoy New York. Might I recommend the Broadway 1602 gallery in the Baudouine Building. It's small but I think you'll find the art to be quite promising.

Caroline: I'll add it to my list.

Caroline: Packed and on the road already?

Klaus: Regrettably I left an hour ago. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on New York.

Klaus: Though I think you would find New Orleans more suited to you.

Caroline: Nice try.

Klaus: Don't forget to try the pizza while you're there, love.

She pocketed her phone, shaking off how easy it was to text with him. It shouldn't be something she found to be normal. What would her friends think? She was half tempted to take her phone back out and delete their conversation in case anyone decided to snoop through her conversations but scoffed at her own behavior. Paranoia did not suit her, especially not when she had a trip to New York to plan.

Hopefully this would turn out to be one of those out of sight, out of mind scenarios. Not that it had worked that way the first time he'd left, but that didn't mean she couldn't be hopeful it would turn out that way this time. Caroline was a big believer in clinging to those last rays of hope sometimes. Especially in this instance.

Plus New York City. Screw the rest of it; she had a trip to plan.