The Revenge Con

33. Rules and Realizations

Stefan knocked on the apartment door and Rebekah darted to open it. It had been a few weeks since the accident and they were both mostly healed. The moment she laid her eyes on him she tackled him into a hug. He caught her, stumbling back. They held each other for a while before she invited him in. 

"I'm glad you're here." She grinned widely as he brought his stuff in. Stefan was planning to stay with her for a while to give Caroline and Klaus some space with Hope. 

"Me too." He replied, matching her excitement. She led him up to her room. Before they could go in, Kol and Elijah blocked their path. 

"Mr. Salvatore, what a pleasant surprise." Elijah stood with his arms crossed glowering at him. 

"Sister dear, did you forget to mention he was coming?" Kol wondered though she knew he was toying with them.

"The over-protective brother act? Really?" Rebekah shook her head at them. "I expect this from Elijah but you, Kol?" 

"Someone had to stand in while Klaus is off playing house with Caroline." Kol shrugged. "Plus it's fun making you mad." 

"We have some rules for your stay," Elijah announced, pulling the focus away from Kol. "Firstly, you will not be driving anywhere. Our driver will take you anywhere you need to go." Stefan did not need to be reminded of the accident. "Secondly, we have prepared a room for you. You will stay there."

"Elijah I'm a grown woman." Rebekah snapped. 

"Third, you are not to be behind closed doors." 

Klaus scanned the list of rules that Caroline had laid out for him. 

"Do you have any questions?" She asked as she swept back into the room. To say she was nervous was an understatement. Not only was she meeting with her first client since Hope was born, but she was also leaving her daughter alone with Klaus for the first time. 

"I think I can handle a few hours alone with my daughter Caroline," Klaus grumbled at her. She knew she was being overly cautious but Hope was all she had. 

"I know." She sighed, feeling slightly guilty for not completely trusting him. He had never done anything to her that she didn't deserve. She took Hope in her arms and pressed a kiss to her head. As she placed Hope back in her crib Klaus watched her. Caroline was a natural mother and she was amazing with Hope. He had taken some time to get used to being a father but he could tell she had been a perfect parent from the start. "Okay, my number is on the fridge. If you need anything call me. I will only be about 5 minutes away so don't hesitate and-" She locked eyes with him and blushed at the way he was looking at her. "and have fun." 

Klaus nodded at her, still staring at her. She looked beautiful. 

"I'll see you later." He smiled at her and she felt all her worries drift away.

"Thirty-five, you are never to enter the bathroom at the same time." Elijah continued.

"Oh, my god." Rebekah groaned before turning to Stefan. "Why don't we go stay in a hotel?" 

"Ooh, that reminds me. Thirty-six, no hotel rooms." Kol piped up.

"I promise I will take care of your sister. " Stefan assured them both, not backing down despite their rules.

"Well, in that case, forget everything we just said." Kol grinned. Elijah held out his hand and Stefan shook it. Elijah tightened his grip and pulled him in.

"If you hurt our sister a broken wrist will be the least of your troubles."  He warned. Stefan nodded and Elijah released his hand. 

"Come on." Rebekah dragged him past her brothers with a grin. They went into her room and she helped him unpack a few things. He noticed a picture on her nightstand and smiled to himself. 

"I can't believe you have this." It was a picture of the Masquerade ball. 

"Looks like you need a friend." Rebekah smiled thankfully and took his hand.

"Thanks, Stef, I owe you one."  He pulled her onto the floor and twirled her around.

"You okay?" He asked as she glanced over her shoulder at Marcel. 

"Yeah, it's just hard letting go."  She shrugged. "I thought we would have been past this by now." 

"Come on," He started to drag her away but she stopped him.

"I can't just leave!" 

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because people will ask questions! And I have responsibilities. And..." Rebekah studied Stefan's expression and the words disappeared. "Let's do it."  She dragged him over to the photographer and made sure there was a good picture of her at the event before they disappeared into the halls of the hotel. She couldn't believe they had just run out of there. Her adrenaline was pumping as they sprinted off.

"What now?" He asked with a laugh as they stopped to catch their breath. She pushed him against the wall and pressed her lips to his, surprising both of them. "Bekah, are you sure?" He mumbled, breathless. 

"Let's go get a room." She responded, a seductive glint in her eyes. She pulled him to the front desk and booked a room. He followed her into the elevator. In the enclosed space he could feel the heat radiating off of her. He fought to keep his hands off her until they got inside the room. 

"Are you sure?"  He asked again as she pushed the jacket off his shoulders. He let it fall to the ground. 

"I'm sure." She promised. 

"Of course I have it. It was a very special day." She leaned around his arm to look at the photo. "It was the day we..."

"I know exactly what day it was," Stefan assured her with a slight laugh. Rebekah kept studying the photo when she noticed something in the background.

"Who is that?" She asked, squinting to try and get a better image. 

"I'm not sure. I knew three people at that party and it is none of them." He pointed out with a chuckle. He noticed her expression and turned to her. "What?" 

"He looks familiar. I need to check something."

Klaus groaned as Hope started crying again. She had been wailing since Caroline left and he wasn't sure why. He had fed her, changed her diaper and burped her. When he picked her up she spit up on his shirt. He wanted to call Caroline but he needed to prove to her that he could do this. He held onto her, ignoring the wet spot on his shoulder.

"My daughter." He cooed as he cradled her in his arms. "My heir." She started to calm down as he spoke to her. "You are my heart." Hope stopped crying and seemed to relax in his arms. He smiled at how peaceful she looked. They sat together in comfortable silence until Caroline got home. She peeked into the nursery where Klaus was still rocking Hope in his arms. He held up a finger to his lips to make sure she wouldn't wake the girl in his arms. Caroline nodded and slipped into her own room, unable to keep the smile from her face. 

Rebekah was sitting on the bed with her laptop open, scouring through the pictures from the Masquerade ball. Stefan joined her, still waiting to find out what she was looking at. 

"There! Do you see that?" 

"See what? That guy?" Rebekah sighed, flipping to another picture. "Oh, my god." Stefan realized as he spotted a figure in the background.

"Is that Katherine?" Rebekah gasped. 

"Looks like her. I never realized how close she was keeping tabs on us." He muttered guiltily. "Who's that with her?" 

"That is Bonnie's new boyfriend," Rebekah informed him. 

"There's no way this is a coincidence." Stefan started to piece things together and he did not like the pit in his stomach. 

"We have to call Bonnie. Now."