Marriage of Convenience

Chapter 26

Caroline felt churning in her stomach.

She wasn't sure if it was because she was nervous for this meeting or the fact that she was just sick.

"You haven't spoken much since I picked you up." Klaus commented keeping his eyes trained on the highway.

He was driving a stick. Caroline knew it was a sick way of him wanting to be in control, but she didn't comment on it.

He was currently shifting the gears a little more forcefully than he usually did. Caroline knew something was wrong.

"I'm a little overwhelmed." Caroline explained. "The INS… Tyler… the pregnancy you told everyone about…"

"We'll deal with it, love." He momentarily placed his hand over hers before he had to shift gears again.

They pulled up in front of valet at the Italian restaurant they intended to meet Stefan and Rebekah. As soon as Caroline looked out of the window, the entire car was swarmed with paparazzi.

Caroline tensed looking over at Klaus. "How did they know we were here?"

"I have no idea." He said through gritted teeth. "Let's just get inside."

He tossed his keys to the valet. Klaus rounded the car and took Caroline in his arms. He held her under the crook of his neck shielding her from the paparazzi. He knew that someone must have tipped them off because there was no way of them knowing that they would be here.

He ignored all the questions that were being sent their way. He knew Caroline was trying to also, but it was hard to ignore them.

They asked about his father. They asked about the baby. They asked about Tanya. Even though these issues were more on his plate than he could handle, his only focus was getting Caroline inside.

"Are you okay?" He asked Caroline as the paparazzi was trying to take pictures of them through the window.

"I'm fine." She smiled as she fixed her hair. "I'm just really hungry." She laughed trying to lighten the mood.

Klaus pulled out his cell phone and quickly made a phone call. "I don't want it to even happen again." He screamed into the phone. "I swear to god if you put my wife in that kind of danger ever again…" Caroline placed her hands on his forearm.

He looked at her and his face softened. The person on the other line was still speaking, but her soft touch calmed him.

He quickly ended the call trying not to dwell on it too much as they were escorted to their table. Stefan and Rebekah were already seated as they approached.

Stefan smiled warmly at Caroline. Rebekah's face was impassive.

Caroline suspected that she already had an idea of what happened, but Rebekah also hated Caroline.

"I should beat the bloody hell out of those reporters." Rebekah sneered. "They almost knocked me on my ass asking me about your cousin, Nik."

"You know already?" Klaus asked perplexed.

"I don't live under a rock." She rolled her eyes at Klaus. "I do read the tabloids. And before you ask… yes, I'm mortified."

"You wouldn't be related to him, Rebekah." Stefan tried to reassure her. "He only has blood relations to Klaus not you."

"I know that." She shot back. "But still."

"Well now that's out of the way… Stefan I need some advice on damage control." Caroline looked at him curiously as he continued to speak.

"Caroline's not really pregnant." He dropped the bomb. Rebekah and Stefan both exchanged questioning glances.