The Revenge Con

10. No Place Like Home

"I think it's time I start looking for a place," Caroline announced. Stefan paused, midway through a bite of Chinese food, to look at her.

"What?" He had not been expecting her to move out at all, especially not before the baby was born.

"She's going to be born soon and I've already put you through enough. I refuse to keep you up all hours of the night for a baby that's not even yours." She ran a hand through her tangled hair. Stefan was sure they were having the same fight every few days.

"Care-"

"I know what you're going to say but-"

"No. You don't." He insisted. Once he was sure she wouldn't interrupt him again he continued. "Do you really think I'm just doing this for you? You are not the only one who got heartbroken because of Katherine's scheming. I loved Rebekah, I still do, and I lost her. I travelled the world with you because we both needed an escape. I moved to Dallas with you because I can't stand the thought of being completely alone. And while it may not be my baby, I would love to help you take care of her because you two are all I have."

"Stefan-"

"I know it's pathetic-"

"It's not pathetic." Caroline's voice was sincere but she wasn't pitying him. He knew she felt the same way. The only difference was in a few months she would never be alone again.

"This isn't my place Care, it's ours. If you really want your own space, I'll move out but-" Caroline shook her head, suddenly overwhelmed by emotions.

"When I found out, I thought I would have to do this alone and I'm so grateful for you and I can't believe I didn't consider the possibility that you might be lonely too and I am so inconsiderate and-" Stefan stood up and wrapped his arms around her, cutting off her run-on sentence of emotions. "I can't believe I'm crying again." She muttered as he chuckled. They stood like that for a while until Caroline's feet started to hurt and she wanted to sit down again.

"You know, having a Mikaelson around might help us both feel better..." Stefan chuckled, gesturing to Caroline's stomach.

"Let's just hope she's not as high maintenance as the rest of them," Caroline laughed, resting her hand on the bump. She knew it wouldn't matter though. Looking at Stefan, she knew they would both go to the ends of the earth for the child she was carrying. If only she could say the same for the baby's father.

Klaus sat in front of a canvas for the first time in months. Seeing his brother again had ignited something in him. He had yet to return from France, deciding to extend his stay once he knew there was a possibility of bringing his brother home with him.

He started to paint, letting the brush take control of his thoughts. He wasn't sure what he was painting but he didn't seem to mind. By the time Rebekah had returned, he had painted a blonde, standing in the falling snow. The painting made his heart ache.

"It's beautiful Nik," Rebekah commented as she looked over his shoulder. She wanted to ask who the woman in the painting was but decided against it.

"It's lonely." He mumbled, mostly to himself. He shook his head, brushing away the thoughts that he didn't want to face. "We need to confront Elijah." Klaus insisted, abruptly changing the topic.

"We have to make sure we don't scare him off. It took me months to find him."

"Rebekah you've been here for too long. It's time for all of us to go home."

"Home in New Orleans or Chicago?" Rebekah wondered. After the engagement party, Rebekah had moved back into Klaus's place in Chicago. It probably would have bothered him except for the fact that he had not been there since everything had happened.

"I-"

"You can't run forever."

"Maybe I'm not running." He pointed out. While he had enjoyed his time in Chicago, New Orleans had always held a special place in his heart. "How about you? Any plans to return to New York?" Klaus quipped.

"I made a home for myself in Chicago." She insisted.

"Is it so hard to believe I've done the same in New Orleans?"

"If you're so happy in your new life with Cami, why are you still painting for Caroline?" She snapped back, growing tired of their budding argument. "Did you think I wouldn't remember?" Klaus fell silent, turning his eyes back to the painting. He hadn't meant to paint Caroline, it just happened. "I was at the gallery opening. I saw you two, staring up at your painting." Klaus blushed at the memory. "As much as you want to believe you're fine, you still haven't faced what happened."

"I get enough psych evaluations from Camille." Klaus scoffed, rolling his eyes at his sister.

"You know in the entire time you've been here, you haven't once called her your girlfriend. Did you ever think that maybe there's a reason for that?"

"Just because you don't have a love life sister does not mean you can insert yourself into mine." The siblings glared at each other, caught in the middle of a stand-off. Rebekah was the first one to back down.

"We can try to catch Elijah after his show tomorrow," Rebekah mumbled before slipping out of the room. Klaus knew he should have gone after her but as he stared at his painting he didn't seem to care. He only had one thing on his mind.