AN: Guys, first of all, I want to thank all of you who nominated this story for Klaroline Awards (Most Promising Fiction). I'm really overwhelmed by this and my other nominations. This story is really close to my heart, I love Formula 1 and writing about Klaroline in such a scenario is both challenging and fun. Your support astounds me, thank you! If you have time, please head over to Klaroline Awards tumblr and vote for all your faves, let's show some love to all the amazing KCers :)

Also, the biggest thank you to Jo (fanfantasticworld) for this new shiny cover - which is utterly gorgeous :)

I hope you like this chapter :)

Chapter 4

'Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose.'

Ayrton Senna (1960 - 1994)

[Round 1: Sunday, 15th March 2015, Melbourne, Australia]

"...Mikaelson's got a great exit off that corner, he takes the inside now, with Augustine inches away! He smoothes past him and takes the lead. It's now 15 laps to the end of the race and both FRT drivers need to make it on their current set of tyres. Mikaelson is gaining a few seconds over the rest of the grid now - oh no! - he locks his front tyre and goes wide at turn 7! Such a waste, James, isn't it?"

"He just lost all of his advantage, he's nose to nose with Augustine again. It looks to me like the situation between the two FRT's is getting a little heated now. Mikaelson is pulling off better times in first two sectors but Enzo has fresher tyres and that Ferrari behind them is quickly gaining up on both of them. It's still a long way to go to the finish line and Gerard can very well catch up to them now."

"Meanwhile, in fifth place, Salvatore struggles with keeping Castle off his rear. They enter the DRS zone, the longest straight of the track ahead. Will the Ripper keep his head cool under pressure? Lucien goes full throttle, and he's inches ahead now, but Salvatore holds the inside of the next corner. They're closing on the corner and he doesn't slow down... Oh! Unbelievable! Ripper makes a mistake and goes off track just a bit but it's enough for Lucien to take his place! Five seconds behind them, Donovan just…"

"What the hell is he doing?!" Caroline's voice shot through the pit wall. Things had been going so good for them in the first half of the race but now it could all go downhill at any moment. They had the lead but with Enzo and Klaus racing each other like crazy and wasting their tyres away, they might just get their asses snatched by that Ferrari or anyone else in a matter of a few laps.

Alaric's hand closed on her shoulder in what was supposed to be a soothing gesture. "It's only five more laps, Caroline. They'll make it."

Or maybe they wouldn't.

"Ric, it's never only a few laps. You know as well as I do just how much can happen in seconds," she countered. With a sigh, she ran fingers though her hair, as if trying to soothe the strands she had disarrayed in her nervousness. Flicking her head towards Kol, she asked him in a clipped tone, "How long till Marcel catches up to them?"

"He's 5.6 seconds away. But he's gaining over 1 second per lap over them." He looked at her solemnly. "At that pace, he can easily challenge them for the first place. But Klaus can hold him off."

At that exact moment, Enzo neared the rear of Klaus' car and then levelled up with it. They rushed side by side as they headed to one of the toughest corners of this track. Enzo held the better side but his teammate wouldn't let go and just as they steered to into it, their front wings almost touched.

Almost.

Just one. Freaking. Inch. Away.

"Dammit!" Her heart was probably pounding as fast as one of those cars. Her first race as a team principal and her drivers already decided to enter into a pissing contest. Caroline wanted them to challenge each other but this wasn't what she had in mind. A picture of two broken cars, smashed against the wall flashed before her eyes, making her shudder.

Think, Caroline. Think. Take control.

Reigning her body to stop fidgeting, voice honed not to falter, she asked Kol, "How are Klaus' tyres? Real talk, not some optimistic bullshit."

Brown eyes flickered to her and Caroline noted a faint sign of hesitation there. Precious seconds passed and she was about to press him for an answer when finally, he uttered, "Almost non-existent."

"Lexie?" she motioned towards the blonde sitting beside Kol.

"Enzo has a fresher set. It should last him to the end with no problems."

Watching Klaus, now half a car behind Augustine, speeding like a fool in tight corners and locking his already battered tyres at every turn, Caroline considered her options. Time flew by faster than she appreciated, too fast, all while she realized the only acceptable solution for the team would be a very bitter pill for her to swallow.

And what was even worse, not only for her.

She took yet another valuable moment to ponder over her word choices – radio communications with drivers were monitored not only by all the teams but also available to the media and thus, the public. Some backlash was entirely expected but what she would choose to say could end up being either relatively neutral or a source of ridicule for the driver.

Hopefully Klaus wouldn't hate her for this.

Headset on, she pronounced each word quickly but clearly – wanting nothing more than to put this day behind her. "Klaus. Marcel is closing in on you. Don't waste your tyres and keep the steady pace. Let's bring this second place home."

Everyone's heads shot in her direction. Kol was outright frowning at her, his eyebrows drew tight. Meanwhile Lexi nodded alongside slightly surprised Alaric.

Silence on the other end was serene. And then, "What the bloody hell, Caroline?!"

She swallowed. "Do you copy, Klaus?" There was a faint sound of muttering, a curse or two, coming through the radio and Caroline knew her newest driver was seething. And in a way, she understood that, seeing as she had just ordered him – in the most polite way possible but still, ordered – to stop racing Enzo and be happy with his second place.

But it was for the good of the team.

"Klaus, do you copy?"

More silence, buried in the loud screeches of tyres and the thrum of the engine. Despite all the commotion, Caroline was sure she could hear her heartbeat as well as everyone else's in the vicinity.

How long could one moment stretch for? Was it like this for the drivers as they waited for the lights to go out and the race to start?

One. Two. Thr -

"Yes." His voice was steady, with the cool of steel coating it, as if containing the anger inside.

"Excellent." Her reply came in a similar manner.

She sagged on her chair a little, letting out the heaviest sigh of relief.

Caroline stood beside Enzo and Klaus at the podium, using her arsenal of fake smiles as they posed for the reporters, trophies in their hands.

They shouldn't be fake. It was a great result for the team, the very best one could count on. First and second place – maximum points.

So why did Klaus' hand, hovering over the small of her back, burn so much, all the way through her skin? Why was she afraid to look at him?

Thankfully, she survived through the post-race interviews and her voice wavered for only a second when she answered her questions. She was pleasantly surprised by Klaus' composure as he responded to his, acting more or less diplomatically. His voice wavering just a little, as if simmering with the fury contained underneath, when he was discussing her decision to make him stop racing Enzo just few laps before the finish line.

By the end of it all, Caroline had managed to talk herself into thinking everything was okay and he wasn't as angry as she expected him to be.

And then when the interviews ended and they were leaving the podium area, he peered over his shoulder, eyes bored into hers as he flashed her the most sinister smile.

No, everything was most definitely not okay.

[Turf Bar, Melbourne, Evening after the race]

As the evening progressed, the bar space filled with loud chattering and laughter, as if spitefully set on making mockery of his own mood. He had already regretted having agreed to going out tonight but it was one of the rare times Elijah could spare a couple of days to spend a race weekend with them, with all his business dealings taking up most of his time.

And then there was this whole deal of managing Klaus' career.

Whereas Kol had never been the one to refuse a chance at sampling local talent as he would usually call it and in the end, Klaus had been outvoted two to one. So here he was, seated at the booth in the far corner of the crowded bar, where hopefully, no one would bother him.

In all honesty, it was the last place he wanted to be, given his current mood. He could hear his brothers' usual bickering (on Kol's part, naturally as Elijah wouldn't stoop to something so...vulgar – or so he liked to think) as he nursed his drink, contemplating the amber shade of the liquid swirling in the glass. Anger roiled in his stomach, slowly but steadily and he knew even a fountain of whisky and a willing female wouldn't do the trick tonight.

Not when he was so bloody furious at her.

She had wooed him with her talk of podiums and championship titles, faster cars and a professional team. Only to slap him in a face with it all.

The worst thing was, she hadn't lied to him. No, Caroline had delivered on all her promises with an astounding proficiency. But it would all come to nought in the end if his role was to play second fiddle to Augustine.

It just wasn't in his blood to do that.

She had told him to back off. Ordered him.

Was it some kind of twisted pay-off? Was she this mad at him for naming his car after her? Perhaps he was being paranoid but the thought crept under his skin, dripping into his bloodstream and spreading as fast as poison, fuelling his quiet rage.

His knuckles whitened, fingers tightening around the glass. The stirring flames brushed at his insides, his emotions like a burning storm that just wouldn't die down.

He wouldn't be told what to do. He wouldn't come as second best. His foot was itching to push against the throttle, he wanted to get into his car right now, to lose himself in the speed, in the hard focus it took to wield a machine at this amazing ungodly pace.

"Niklaus, are you listening?" Elijah's scolding tone cut through the turmoil of his thoughts.

"Guess," he shot back, lifting his brow mockingly.

Letting out a long suffering sigh, his brother went on, "I wish you spared me some of your precious attention, I was telling you about Rebekah."

"I don't need to know about my sister's latest fling."

Kol chuckled. "Come on, Nik, but that's actually entertaining. Bekah's love life is better than any reality show."

"Good thing I have no time to watch TV then."

"Why so testy today, brother? Still bitter over that second place?"

"Sod off."

Before Kol had a chance to respond and probably escalate the squabble further, Elijah cut in, "As I was saying – before being rudely interrupted – Rebekah is planning on joining you for a race or two. Probably in Bahrain or perhaps Spain, depending on her schedule."

"Oh, I see how it is," Kol drawled, shaking his head in a feigned disapproval. "Now that Nik's made it to the top, our sister is suddenly into motorsport."

"She had college before, Kol," Elijah reminded him impatiently.

Klaus downed his drink in a few quick gulps. "Just tell her not to expect any royal treatment. I have a championship to focus on, I won't have time for Bekah's pestering."

"I hate to agree with Kol but he's right. You're such a delight tonight, Niklaus. Is this result really bugging you so much? I'd say second place makes up for an excellent start of the season."

"Ah, he's not angry about the result, he's pissed at Caroline," Kol chimed in, his attention divided between their conversation and a leggy red-head sitting at the bar.

"Shut it, Kol."

Elijah frowned, weighing his words. "Is this about the team orders? In my understanding, it's a common practice in most of the teams," he finally said.

"Except she got me to sign with all these pretty statements about being the best together and with stunts like today, I can kiss the championship goodbye. And I could've easily taken Augustine, had she waited a lap or two," Klaus bit out, his fingers twitching on the glass.

Eyes shifting between his brothers and the redhead, Kol let out a humourless laugh. "That's bollocks and you know it, Nik. Your tyres were paper-thin at the finish line," he pointed out. "Now if you excuse me, I'll leave you two grumpy buggers alone. A lady's waiting and it would be rude to deprive her of my company any longer." With a wink, he strolled away, making the remaining two roll their eyes at their younger brother's antics.

"Typical."

His gaze wary, Elijah focused his attention back on Klaus. He appeared to be weighing in his words, his face schooled in his signature concerned older brother look.

So utterly annoying.

"Get it off your chest, Elijah. You know you want to," he drew out the syllables while signalling the bartender for yet another round.

"I just implore you not to do anything reckless, Niklaus. This is still an amazing opportunity for you."

The smirk that curved his lips was far from innocent. "Reckless? Brother, I would never."

[Park Hyatt Melbourne Hotel]

In the end, Caroline knew she had made the right decision. Her responsibility was to the team as a whole, not just Klaus and Enzo individually. Once, what now seemed like ages ago, she had promised herself she would never do that – tell her drivers to stop racing each other. The harsh truth was, it did taint the sport, taking an ounce of genuineness out of it. But that was before she was faced with the reality of her job the hard way. Just like her drivers behind the wheel, she had to make some difficult choices and make them fast.

If she had the opportunity to go back in time, she would probably make the same call. Which proved that right decisions could still haunt you just as much as the wrong ones.

Especially if the merits of this decision were being analyzed by every single sports channel out there. One of the reasons why Caroline had practically run into Bonnie's arms as the latter knocked on her door, the biggest pack of Rocky Road in her hands.

They had dug into almost the half of it, talking about everything else but the race, when there was another tap on the door, loud and firm. This time it was Katherine, her spike heels reverberating across the floor with sharp clicking sounds.

"I brought booze," she sang, holding up a bottle of tequila while strutting into the room, perfect balance on those heels.

Caroline had met Katherine months ago, at a charity benefit in Paris. They had been seated at the same table during dinner, and she couldn't have been more thankful, with her date turning out to be a complete bust. A pompous douche, named Francis or something like that (and really, that name should have been telling already), his favourite topic for conversation apparently himself. Stuck at the table for the time being, Caroline resigned herself to nodding along. Only after a quarter or so did she notice the brunette two seats to her left, who would snicker under her nose every single time her date said something particularly pretentious. Their eyes met and they shared a knowing smile, and Caroline felt as if she had gained an ally. After the disaster that had been that dinner, she did indeed ditch her date and hit the bar with Katherine. They joined forces to outbid everyone at the silent auction, snatching away the very best pieces for themselves.

They had been allies ever since. Two fierce personalities, often clashing but keeping each other on their toes.

Seeing as Kat was an older sister of one of the other drivers, Jeremy Pierce, Caroline could never talk openly about some issues regarding her job.

Right now, it wasn't a bad thing, actually.

"So when were you going to tell me?" she asked, her voice with a slightly bitter edge to it. When I looked at her baffled, she clarified, "You and Klaus?! Naming a car after you? So romantic." Her tone, with mocking edge to it, suggested it was everything but.

Spoke too soon.

Her gaze shooting daggers, she bristled through her teeth, "There's nothing to tell. Mikaelson is driving for my team, I'm his boss, that's it."

"So harsh. Honey, you need to learn to lie better than that if you want to convince the media. I could feel the tension coming off the both of you from the TV screen."

Looking for some support, Caroline turned to Bonnie, who shrugged helplessly as she spoke, "Sorry, Care, I kind of agree with her. You should've seen your face at that press conference."

"Guys, there's nothing between me and Klaus. Nothing."

"Keep telling that to yourself," said Katherine, busy pouring tequila into three glasses. "Hey!" she cried when Caroline snatched the bottle from her.

"Shush, I need the booze, alright?"

"But the lemons..." Kat whined, her voice trailing off as she watched Caroline downing the beverage in huge gulps. "Straight from the bottle it is. I knew we were friends for a reason, Forbes."

Wincing a bit as the alcohol burned her throat, Caroline passed tequila to Bonnie, the brunette taking a long sip, a look of resignation on her face as if she was aware she had just exposed herself to tomorrow's hangover.

The bottle changed hands several times before her two friends peered at her expectantly.

With a sigh, her head pleasantly dizzy from all the drinking, Caroline let out, drawing out the words, "Look, one, there's really nothing going on with me and Klaus. I'm his boss, there can't be."

"Come on, Care, even I can see he's got the hots for you," Bonnie chirped, squinting at her through the now empty bottle.

Shaking her head, Katherine muttered, "Lightweights." Legs still perfectly balanced on her heels, she headed to the mini bar and picked a few little bottles, then said, "Bon Bon's right. He wants you, it's all over his face. You can't be that blind, Caroline. Plus, he's hot."

"He's an ass," Bonnie retorted.

"But a hot ass."

"Two," Caroline's voice cut into their bickering, continuing as if they hadn't interrupted her earlier rambling. "Two, even if he had the hots for me and I'm not saying he is, I'm pretty sure it's all over after today."

The room grew silent.

"You did what needed to be done," Kat finally spoke, quietly but vehemently.

"Yeah."

Bonnie gave her a careful smile. "What did your father say? Did he call?"

"He did."

"And?"

"And he was ecstatic with the results. Congratulated me. Said he understood my decision, that he would've done the same thing." But even as she said those words, somehow, it didn't make her feel any better. At all.

"See? Stop beating yourself over this. First two places in the first race? It'd call it a freaking success." Bonnie's voice turned soothing.

"You didn't see Klaus. His face. I'm pretty sure he hates me now."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "He'll get over it. Like you said, you're his boss."

Caroline nodded absent-mindedly, buried in her own grim thoughts. Deep down, she knew her friends were right as she was right, but still, there was this underlying unease that overshadowed the joy of success. In some way, she felt as if she'd failed Klaus. She'd gone for the best solution for the whole team. But mostly, somewhere behind all those sentiments, one ugly reason remained hidden. Did she do it for herself? Was she so worried about how it would make her look if they lost those first two places? So afraid of failure that it blurred her ability to think straight?

Reaching out for the next bottle Kat was handing over, Caroline decided to push away those disturbing thoughts for tonight.

What a shame she couldn't forget Klaus and the silent anger etched on his face that easily.

[Later that night]

Throughout the years, people called her many names.

A trust-fund baby. Selfish bitch.

Elena's evil twin.

She had never found it in herself to care.

Life was good. Men and women alike lusted after her and sometimes, she would allow herself to reciprocate. She had seen half of the world. Louboutins were pouring out of her wardrobe.

She was Katherine – freaking - Pierce.

A flat thump of door shutting behind her, she padded into her own room, carelessly shedding her clothes one by one on the way to the shower. Water, hot and heavy on her skin, was washing down the remnants of what had been an incredibly long day and Katherine let her thoughts wander.

A shudder ran down her spine as the tension was slowly leaving her body.

Yes, life was good, she pondered. Life was good now.

Except...

Except for her baby brother, dead set on spending most of his time in a metal death trap, speeding at 200 miles per hour.

So she would follow him around and spend every race with eyes glued to the track, as if she could will his car not to crash with sheer determination alone.

Stepping out of the shower, she gathered a towel around her body and headed to the mini bar. That feeling of restlessness - she needed to nullify it and what she had already drunk that night wasn't nearly enough.

A knock on the door resounded through the hall, halting her footsteps before she got around to opening it.

She let her lips curve into a half-smirk.

He was here.

"Katerina," the man rasped, the accent curling her name in the most delicious way.

Sending him a sultry glance from under her lashes, she fisted her hand into the tie he almost never parted with, and pulled him over the threshold, door shutting behind them.

Yes, Katherine had been called many names and was so many things throughout the years.

She liked being Katerina best.

So what did you think of Klaus' first race? Did Caroline make a right decision? Is Klaus' anger unjustified? How will their (working) relationship look now? I'm curious to know what you think :)

As a means of clarification, because I'm aware not everyone is such a F1 nerd as me (and I'm sorry if it was too much sports talk - but it's necessary for how KC will go from here) - team orders is this really controversial thing in Formula 1 when the team manager/principal tells their drivers, for example, not to race each other. Each team has 2 drivers and each of them races individually and they compete with each other as well as with all the other drivers. But what the team cares for is the overall result - so that they as a team can win their own championship too (and it comes with quite enormous cash reward). So you can see how the interests of drivers and the team can be contradicting each other at times.

Sorry for the long rant! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed :)

Till next time,

Kate