Rescue Me

Chapter 23

Two Years Later...

He would have to make a note to not allow Rebekah to fill Caroline's head with her version of good ideas.

Klaus could barely stand it. He hadn't seen Caroline in nearly three days. Three long miserable days where he was subjected to poking and prodding, questions and conversations, forced familial interactions-all without Caroline there to distract him from the monotony of it all with her smile and her laugh and her uncanny ability to make him forget everything but her.

All because of his darling little sister, who insisted it was bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding.

He'd tried to explain to Rebekah that the silly tradition really only applied to the day of the wedding-not the days leading up to it-but she had only scoffed and shook her head, insisting that the absence would make the day that much more special, and damn it all if Caroline hadn't shrugged and smiled and said she could see it from his sister's side.

So now here he stood, dressed to the nines in the most uncomfortable tuxedo he'd ever been forced to wear- "Beauty is pain, Nik. Are you really going to have your beautiful bride being forced to stand next to a mediocre version of her Prince Charming because you have to shift a bit in your monkey suit?"-surrounded by his brothers as they toasted to his fast approaching nuptials.

Klaus winced as the bitter taste of scotch scorched his throat, shaking his head to chase away the burn, his lips turning up into a smile on their own accord as Elijah placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling him close in what was now an all too familiar brotherly embrace.

"I have to say," Elijah said, his deep, charismatic voice booming through the small room. "This is one day I had a difficult time ever imagining would happen. Our brother, Niklaus-with his nomadic lifestyle, his abhorrence to anything and everything domestic-our beloved brother...about to join the ranks of married men."

"Yes, let's toast to Nik," Kol snarked, lifting his glass. "Yet another Mikaleson who is willingly signing his death warrant and becoming nothing more than whipped puppy." He shook his head. "I feel sorry for you lads."

"Says the brother who asked his girl's permission to go to the bachelor party last night," Henrik snorted from his place across the room, his prior sulking expression at once again being denied the alcoholic toast by his brothers-"It's not like I haven't had it before"-replaced with a knowing smirk as he regarded his brother.

Kol sent a withering glare in the youngest Mikaelson's direction while the elder brothers laughed and rolled their eyes.

"Miss Bennett does seem to run a tight ship," Finn remarked, laughing at the faint blush that appeared on Kol's face at the mention of his girlfriend of two years.

"Indeed she does, as I'm under the assumption that she also implemented a curfew for you, brother, if you sneaking out of the celebration before midnight is any indication," Elijah taunted.

"Not even a ring on the finger, and already 'signing the death warrant,'" Klaus smirked, lifting his glass in recognition towards his younger brother.

Kol growled under his breath, hiding his sneer behind his glass as he raised it to his lips. "You're all bloody bastards and I hate you."

His discontented mumblings was quickly drowned out with his brothers' amused laughter, and he could do nothing but scoff into his scotch and shake his head. Deep down he knew what they were saying was true-Bonnie Bennett owned every part of him; mind, body and soul. He would walk through fire for that woman, and she was well aware of that fact.

He sure as hell wasn't about to admit that to his brothers though.

There was a series of sharp, quick knocks at the bedroom door, and they all turned when it swung up, Katherine's coifed face peeking in with an eyeroll and a smirk when she caught sight of them all, liquor in hand. She pushed her way into the room, one hand falling to her protruding belly as she nearly waddled towards her husband. "Figures you all would be getting sloshed mere hours before the ceremony," she said, standing on her tip toes to press a quick kiss to Elijah's lips. "Honestly, how your family even manages to function without alcohol in your system 24/7 is beyond me."