A/N: This is The Originals season 1. I preserved as much of the show's story lines as possible, even down to some scenes, only left out the bits that did not interest me or that would not serve my purpose of rewriting the story with Caroline at the center of it all. I obviously shifted the focus of almost everything and changed a lot of the dynamics between characters for obvious reasons. But it's still The Originals. I don't know how to make this any clearer. If you absolutely hate the baby plot, if you can't stand the show or if you don't like the characters the way they are portrayed in The Originals, then maybe sit this one out. Klaus is very much The Originals!Klaus here, have that in mind.
There is no Hayley in this story. Camille is not a romantic interest. But there IS a thing between Elijah and Caroline which is totally one-sided and Klaus and Genevieve do hook up. So if you can't stand to read Caroline being close to anyone but Klaus, or if you can't stand the idea of Klaus hooking up with someone other than Caroline, however briefly and in a slightly different fashion than in the show, then maybe sit this one out? I don't want anybody getting mad at me here, I promise.
This is kind of a test-drive. I'm a little iffy on whether rewriting TO S1 completely is even a good idea. lol So your feedback is very much welcome and appreciated. If you do read this, if you enjoy the premise, if you would like me to keep going, please drop me a note and let me know your thoughts. :) If you hate it and still decide to read it, please be respectful and kind. Costs you nothing, I promise!
Also, I apologize for any mistakes you might find. English is not my first language. However, the story was made significantly better by coveredinthecolors and her awesome inputs. Also, thank you so much for the encouragement and for listening to me babbling about this story. If you wanna blame someone this is up, it's her.
Caroline's vision swims before her, spots of color dancing before her eyes. For a moment there, her mind feels completely blank, so wildly out of focus she can't even identify her surroundings.
Sounds consolidate first; a low whirring of a fan, then the distant chirping of birds, and finally a creaking noise, like steps on an old wooden floor.
She tries to move her head, but is hit by such a wave of dizziness that everything starts spinning around, and she has to shut her eyes and stay very still. A low moan escapes her lips, her mouth so dry it's like it's filled with cotton. Not on her worst drinking binges did she ever wake up feeling like this.
The last thing she remembers is Taylor Swift. She was in her car, on the way to the Salvatores' mansion, and Ready for it? started playing. Stefan and Damon were keeping Elena locked up in a box for days to no avail and Caroline wanted to have a word with them about their methods.
Then... Nothing.
She's not in any pain, not that she can tell, but she feels heavy all over with an unnatural sort of lethargy she can't explain. When she opens her eyes again, the world has stopped spinning and she can finally see more clearly, although it doesn't seem to be of much help.
She has no idea where she is.
The room is barren save for a few simple wooden furniture pieces — the bed she's on, an old closet, a small table next to the bed and a chair. Sunlight shines in through a large window, a gentle breeze swaying the white curtains.
All she sees of the outside is the lushy green top of a tree framed by a clear blue sky. Aside from the birds, there's no more sounds to indicate where she is, but the quietness tells her it's probably not the city center or even anywhere close to a road. Maybe somewhere near the woods, although the tree doesn't look quite right — and neither does the weather, come to think of it.
It was chilly and cloudy when she left her house, so, unless she's been knocked out for a long time, this isn't Mystic Falls anymore.
She tries to move her hands and realizes there's something binding them. A chain. Old and rusty but sturdy, with large metal cuffs around her wrists.
"What the..."
Caroline forces the chains, twisting and pulling, trying to slip her hands free. When everything fails, she takes a deep breath, shutting her eyes to fight off the dizziness to call upon her magic. But nothing happens.
Her magic is completely muted. She can feel it inside of her, but it's as though it's gone dormant. Maybe it's her foggy mind, or perhaps it's the location. Some houses are spelled against magic. But if that's the case, she is in serious trouble.
A cold spreads in her guts. Someone took her, brought her to a place likely far away from home and stripped her of her powers. Oh, boy…
Her survival instincts kicking in, Caroline sits up in bed, but is racked with so much nausea she can barely hold herself up.
"Oh. You're awake."
She whips her head to the door, where a woman is leaning against the threshold. A woman she's never seen before in her life. She's very tiny — short and thin like a twig. Caroline could probably take her on, with or without magic, if only her body wasn't so debilitated.
"Who the hell are you?" she slurs, having trouble keeping the contents of her feeble stomach in.
"Just a second."
She disappears for a moment and returns with a glass of water. "Drink this."
Caroline stares down the woman and doesn't move. How much of an idiot does she take Caroline for?
"It's just water." She takes a large gulp from the glass. "See?" When Caroline still refuses to accept, she sighs and puts it down on the bedside table, pulling the chair closer to the bed for herself.
"Who are you?" Caroline repeats in a short, clipped tone.
"My name is Sophie Deveraux."
"Is that supposed to mean anything to me?"
"Not really."
"What the hell do you want with me? What is this place?"
"This is a safe house. The answer to the first question is slightly more complicated and needs a bit of context. But everything will be explained to you in due time. Right now I just want to make sure you're ok."
Caroline scoffs. "I've been kidnapped and chained to a bed by a complete stranger who won't even tell me what the hell is going on. No, I'm not ok."
"I don't like the shackles either, but we couldn't take any chances. They're enchanted."
Oh. So it's the chains, then. "I've noticed," she snaps bitterly.
"It's for your own good, trust me. I don't like doing this to a sister, but -"
"Sister? You're a witch?"
"Yeah. A French Quarter witch."
"French Quarter?"
"New Orleans."
"I know where the French Quarter is. I'm trying to understand what a New Orleans witch could possibly want with me. I have never even been to that place."
"You have now."
"What?" Caroline asks in disbelief. She could tell she wasn't in Mystic Falls, but New Orleans? That's over 13 hours away. How long has she been out? "All right. Answers. Now."
A rattling sound and the creaking of the floorboards catches her attention again, and soon another woman walks in, carrying a tray. She smiles when she lays eyes on Caroline, and the resemblance to the one she'd been talking to is hard to miss, although she seems slightly older and less like the rebellious-rock-and-roll kind.
"Good! You're up," she says, putting the tray down on the bedside table as well. It's what appears to be a grilled cheese sandwich and orange juice. What's up with these people trying to get her to eat their food whilst keeping her chained?
"This is my sister, Jane-Anne," Sophie says, while Jane-Anne smiles kindly. Caroline would fancy her chances against both of them.
"You must be starving," Jane-Anne says.
"You're out of your minds if you think I'm having anything from you."
"I told you, it's not poisoned." Sophie takes a bite out of one half of the grilled cheese and a sip of the juice, opening her arms in a See? sort of gesture. "I'm a chef. I have principles against ruining perfectly good food."
Caroline can't even consider stomaching anything right now; just the smell of food makes her insides twirl. And, though the water is very tempting, she's too knowledgeable of witchy tricks to fall for this. If they really are what they say, it's even more likely they've tampered with it in a way she won't notice until it's too late.
"You know what? Here." Sophie puts a hand inside her blouse and pulls out a key, then she leans towards Caroline, pulling on the chains to unshackle her.
"Sophie -"
"She needs to trust us, Jane-Anne. I'm taking these off as a sign of good will, but I wouldn't do anything if I were you," she says, a clear warning in her tone as the cuffs finally fall from Caroline's wrists.
She doesn't even blink before she uses her powers on Sophie, smashing her body hard against the wall across the room.
The exact moment Sophie hits the wall, however, Caroline sees stars as a hot wave of pain spreads on her side — the same spot Sophie is grabbing on the floor while she moans. It's as though she was the one attacked.
"What the fuck?!" she roars, breathless.
"Shit..." Sophie breathes out hard, slowly pulling herself up. "I told you not to do anything."
"What the hell was that?!"
"You're linked," Jane-Anne says, helping her sister back on the chair.
"What?"
"You and Sophie have been linked together, by magic. Everything that happens to her, happens to you, and vice-versa."
Sophie looks up at her sister, something dark flashing across her eyes. "Do you think Marcel will be able to tell?"
"Maybe. She's not one of us, but magic is magic anyway. We should move her out of here, just in case."
"Nobody's going anywhere until I get some answers," Caroline grits out, ready to start using physical violence if needed be. Being surrounded by vampires left and right has rubbed off on her.
"Ok," Sophie says, exhaling and wincing a little at the pang that shoots across her torso - Caroline knows because she feels it too. "It's nothing personal. We brought you here because we needed to confirm something."
"Couldn't you make a phone call? Send an email?"
"Not exactly," Jane-Anne replies.
"You're our key to Klaus Mikaelson," Sophie continues.
Caroline blinks. "What?"
"It was the only way we could lure him back to New Orleans."
Caroline looks from one sister to the other; they look absolutely solemn. She can't hold back her laughter. "You kidnapped me to serve as Klaus bait?"
"The short version, yes," Sophie says, shrugging.
"Well, that's the dumbest idea anyone's ever had. What makes you think Klaus would go anywhere because of me? If you wanted to drag him here, you should've gotten one of his siblings. Or one of his hybrids, before he slaughtered them all. Even a doppelganger would've done the trick. I'm nothing to him."
Even as she says it, Caroline knows it's not entirely true. He'd likely go to her rescue if she'd been taken as far as Richmond, maybe. But even if she is something to him, to think Klaus would drop everything in Virginia to cross entire states for her is laughable.
The sisters exchange a look. "Well, from what we've heard, that's debatable," Jane-Anne says. "But in any case, it's not really you we're hoping will get his attention. It's what's inside of you."
"What are you talking about?" Caroline asks, eyebrows crinkling together in confusion.
"Have you been feeling different lately? More tired than usual, maybe? Morning sickness?" Sophie asks.
"What the hell do you mean?"
"Are you late, by any chance?"
She gapes at her captors when she finally gets where they're going. That's it. She's been taken hostage by two complete lunatics. "Are you serious now?" she asks, looking at the sisters in complete disbelief. "I'm not pregnant."
"Have you been tested?"
"No! I don't have to get tests, because I'm not pregnant."
Sophie cocks her a suspicious eyebrow.
She did throw up her entire breakfast all through last week, but that had been an ordinary gastroenteritis. And, ok, her period is late, but that's also not abnormal, considering the immense amount of stress she's been under. What, with prom, graduation, Elena turning off her humanity and freaking Silas terrorizing everyone and making her murder 12 other witches just to save Bonnie... She's barely slept all through last month. That her period would get affected is the least of her concerns. Besides... There's no way. "I can't be pregnant. It's biologically impossible."
"Are you sterile?"
"Not that I know of, but unless you've artificially fertilized me while I was knocked out, trust me, there's no way I'm pregnant."
"So you haven't slept with Klaus?"
Caroline chokes. "Excuse me! That's none of your freaking business."
"It kind of is now that you're carrying his child."
"What the hell are you people? Do you not know how vampires work? Are we talking about the same Klaus here? The one who's been dead for well over a thousand years?"
"Vampires can't impregnate anyone," Jane-Anne offers. "But werewolves can."
"And he's only recently awakened his wolf side, right?" Sophie completes.
"So? He's still dead. If hybrids could get people pregnant, I'm sure there'd be tons of freak babies out there." The image of Tyler walking around with his lady werewolf friend as though they were attached at the hips springs to her mind. The amount of time those two spent shacked up together in the mountains would've been enough for her to get knocked up if there was even a remote possibility of that nonsense being true. Not to mention herself. Recently transformed Tyler had an endless appetite for sex, and they were never careful after he became a vampire, not once.
She's slept with Klaus one time. How come a one off could impregnate her when a hundred times with her boyfriend couldn't?
"Not hybrids," Sophie says. "Just the original one."
"When Klaus broke the binding curse his mother put on him and awakened his werewolf side, nature created a loophole," Jane-Anne says. "He's the very first of his kind."
Caroline starts laughing again, but there's a bit of a nervous quake to it. Unless this is some kind of extremely elaborate joke, they are very serious about it.
"You're both insane," she says. "There's just - No way. It's impossible. I'm not pregnant."
Sophie winces as she stands up, and Caroline feels the sting on her side as she crosses the room with purposeful steps, retrieving a brown paper bag from the closet. "Here."
She throws the bag at Caroline, who eyes her suspiciously before checking inside. "Seriously? Pregnancy test?"
"More than one, different brands. Just to be sure."
"But you don't really need those," Jane-Anne says. That calm, almost motherly tone of her voice is starting to really get to Caroline's nerves. How can she say these absurdities with such a straight face? "We were able to track you down because of your baby. And Sophie here - she can tell when a girl's pregnant."
"Call it a special power."
"Well, then," Caroline says, putting down the bag and sticking her chin out defiantly. "Prove it."
Sophie exchanges a sad look with her sister, her shoulders sagging all of a sudden. "We can't," she says, sheepishly.
"I thought you said you were both witches."
"We are, but... There are rules in New Orleans about practicing magic."
"What kind of rules?"
"It's forbidden."
Caroline frowns. If those two insane women hadn't just told her she's pregnant with an undead man's child, that would've been the weirdest shit she's heard today. The French Quarter covens are famous all across the world. It's old, powerful magic. Witches from all over the place flock to the city just to learn from them, buy their spells and special concoctions. They're legends. It makes no sense that it would be forbidden for them do use their magic. And who could ever make them do that?
As though reading her thoughts, Jane-Anne says, "Marcel Gerard." For the first time, she sounds anything but soft. Her expression becomes pinched, her lips pursed with distaste. "Calls himself the king of the Crescent City. Has a thing or two against witches. Anyone who dares to disrespect his rules, ends up dead. We risked everything to find you and then to bind you to Sophie. Do you really think we'd do that if we weren't absolutely sure?"
Caroline's mouth opens and closes a few times, unable to produce an answer. She doesn't know what to say. Regardless of her suspicious symptoms, it's just impossible that she'd be pregnant considering the only person she's slept with in many months was Klaus. Still, she can't really deny the determination in their claims; there's not a shadow of doubt on either of them. Caroline doesn't know whether to laugh at their insanity or start screaming in panic. If there's even a tiny chance this is true...
"We'll give you a moment so you can take the test and see for yourself," Sophie says. "Bathroom is just behind that door."
"When you're convinced we're not trying to trick you, we'll answer any questions you might have. But we don't have a lot of time. We need to get you out of here, just to be safe that no vampires are gonna come and check for unauthorized magic use."
"And you should eat that," Sophie says, nodding toward the forgotten tray. "You're feeding two now."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Elijah always knew that, sooner or later, the Mikaelsons would be coming back to New Orleans.
Their hasty departure, a 100 years before, had been poignant and harrowing. It left a deep mark in all of them — Niklaus more than anyone — like very few things have managed to in a thousand years of existence.
The city meant a lot to them, more than any other place in the world. It was home, and being forced to leave it behind was a loss that was bound to take time to heal. They never had a chance to say goodbye.
Elijah remembers thinking, as Niklaus and Rebekah fled into the night and he stayed behind to slow down their father, unsure whether he'd ever see his siblings again, that if they ever made it out of that, they would come back and stake their claim once more. Mikael would not take that away from them, as he had almost everything else — whenever they dared to get comfortable, to settle down and find a modicum of peace, build something resembling a life, he would come and torch it all to the ground, wiping out entire cities and villages in his mad obsession with murdering his own children.
So Elijah knew they'd come back. What he didn't think was that what would finally bring them back would be a witch's ploy against Niklaus.
So very boring.
Normally, that kind of thing is of no interest whatsoever to him. His brother's misguided ambitions is always making him — and, by extension, his family — some new enemies, desperate to take him down.
They all fail. And it was only a matter of time until Niklaus grew tired of playing around with a flock of adolescents in the middle of Virginia and moved on to greater things.
Although, Elijah has to say, it's astounding his brother lasted in Mystic Falls for as long as he did; small towns never grab his attention for long. It doesn't bode well with his restless, volatile spirit. Truth be told, those kids gave his brother an honest run for his money. Elijah didn't give them due credit in the beginning, but Elena Gilbert and her merry band of misfits are quite an interesting ensemble.
In any case, dealing with the kind of pointless antics Niklaus involved himself with in Mystic Falls meant he was done with his brother's drama for at least another half century.
But when he heard he'd been summoned to New Orleans, his interest was piqued.
This isn't just some random city in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of deluded hillbillies trying to take down the original hybrid. It's New Orleans. Their home.
What brought Elijah here was, first and foremost, sheer curiosity. He just wanted to know what could the French Quarter witches be possibly cooking up for Klaus, if it had anything to do with the family's long history with the city or if it was something else, something new, and therefore less interesting to him.
But the more he chased after the story, the thicker the plot became, and soon it became clear to him that this is no ordinary event. There's something huge going on, and his brother is right at the center of it.
For starters, the discovery that Marcel Gerard not only survived the burning of the city in 1919, but thrived, was enough to make Elijah want to dig deeper. The kind of control he exerts over the witches is inexplicable. These are some of the powerful and ancient covens in all of North America.
Elijah can't help but wonder how someone like Marcel, who, as far as he can recall, wasn't particularly gifted despite having been personally tutored by Niklaus himself, managed to wrap the witches around his little finger. He has something they dread, and anything capable of making the French Quarter witches cower in fear is worth paying attention to.
But that's not even the half of it.
Over the course of his life, Elijah has seen countless uprises against Niklaus. His brother had a penchant for provoking the worst in people, and at times that comes back to bite him. Some of those plots have been more efficient and more clever than others, although they have all equally failed. But Elijah does not recall ever seeing the kind of confidence that Sophie Deveraux exudes. It's as though she knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that there is absolutely not a chance in the world his brother won't want to do as she says. Her sister was just murdered in cold blood, and yet she acts like that was to be expected. A collateral part of their plan.
Jane-Anne Deveraux wasn't murdered. She sacrificed herself.
What would make a witch sign her own death sentence so fearlessly like that, is why Elijah has agreed to follow the younger sister, Sophie, to the Lafayette Cemetery.
A part of him is wary of what he'll find. Perhaps they have found a long lost piece of the white oak and intent to use it against Niklaus. Or perhaps they've come across a loophole in the spell that awakened his werewolf side, a weakness Niklaus isn't aware of and that they will use to get whatever they want from him.
In any case, the woman's reckless detachment has Elijah on alert. No one stands against his brother with that much assurance and lives to tell the story. Elijah aims to find out why she seems to believe she'll be different from all the ones that came before.
In his experience, people with nothing to lose tend to be the most dangerous.
As he tries to cross the gates of the cemetery, however, an invisible barrier stops him. A boundary spell.
Sophie grins. "This is sacred ground," she explains. "Vampires have to be invited in. But since I'm desperate... Come on in." She motions for him to follow. "We can talk more freely here."
She takes Elijah to a mausoleum, old and spacious, smelling of dust, melted wax and herbs.
"I suggest you start talking," he says. Those witches have done nothing but try to stall him since he arrived and he's frankly starting to grow tired of their slippery ways. If they need Niklaus, as they say they do, they better not test his patience further. He may not have Niklaus' famous temper, but he is, after all, still a Mikaelson. "What did your sister want with my brother?"
"Isn't it obvious? You've seen our vampire problem. We need help. Marcel has an army backing him. The witches have been trying to fight back, but we haven't had much luck — until..." a triumphant gap-toothed smile graces her face. "We came across something very interesting. An information, being passed around from elder to elder and coven to coven. As witches, we can tell when there's an imbalance in nature, and we all sensed it. So Jane-Anne decided to take the risk and locate the source of this disturbance. And it led us to a girl in a small town in Virginia."
The doppelganger, Elijah thinks.
So it must have something to do with the spell that broke the binding curse their mother placed on Niklaus' werewolf nature. Just when he thought they'd finally left their Mystic Falls days behind...
"Unfortunately, I believe I'll be the bearer of bad news. Whatever scheme or spell you might have concocted against my brother, the doppelganger is no longer viable. It seems you'll have to wait another couple of generations to get your plan going."
"Who said anything about a doppelganger?"
Elijah frowns. "You are not talking about Elena Gilbert?"
"No. I've never heard of that person before. I'm talking about someone with a deep connection to your brother."
Elijah takes a tentative step closer to Sophie; if she's intimidated, she doesn't let on. She's quite brave, this girl. Courage won't save her life against an Original, but Elijah can recognize a strong spirit when he sees one. "What kind of connection do you mean?"
"Apparently, they spent some time together. One thing led to another and now the girl, who's a witch, is pregnant. And the father of her child is your brother. Klaus."
He waits for her to say something else, because that can't possibly be the whole information, but when she adds nothing, Elijah scoffs in disbelief. "What kind of idiot to you take me for?" he asks. "If this is what the French Quarter witches have been reduced to, then I can perfectly comprehend how Marcellus has managed to so easily dominate you."
Anger flashes across Sophie's eyes, her face hardening. "You think I'm joking?"
"What you claim is simply impossible and I find it honestly embarrassing that you'd even suggest it. I thought you'd have something real to present for your case."
"Nothing is impossible," Sophie hisses. "Especially when it comes to your brother. You should know that by now. Bring her out," she calls out to the people Elijah sensed gathering outside the tomb.
A blond girl enters first, surrounded on all sides by witches of Sophie's group. Elijah recognizes her immediately; not from the one time he believes to have seen her in person, but from all the sketches he saw in Niklaus' studio. Although she looks far more grim and surly than he remembers. There's something quite choleric about the way she meets his gaze.
It takes a moment for her name to come back to him. "Caroline Forbes."
Despite his disbelief, Elijah's eyes dip to study her body. She doesn't look pregnant, but sharpening his senses to block out the sounds coming from all the other people in there, he can finally hear it. The second heartbeat inside of her.
So she is with child.
Could it be...?
"Give us a moment, please," Elijah says. The witches exchange a suspicious look, but follow Sophie's lead and exit the tomb, leaving just the two of them. "Now, miss Forbes," he says, taking a seat and motioning for her to join him. "I believe you have a story to tell me."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"You still don't believe me, do you?" Caroline asks after Elijah goes for almost a full minute not saying anything.
Of course he doesn't. Who would? Even she finds it hard to believe it. She's had Sophie Deveraux bring her different pregnancy tests three times in as many days since they've taken her as their guest, as Sophie says, although Caroline would have a different word for it. Every test has been positive, and even some old witchy tricks have confirmed the pregnancy.
If Caroline had been with anyone else but Klaus in the last few months, she wouldn't have a hard time believing it. She has all the signs to go with the positive tests. But when the only person you've slept with is a vampire, it kind of raises different questions. Like how the effing hell is this possible? The witches offer no better explanation than It's a loophole, which doesn't answer anything.
Elijah has every reason to be as skeptical as she is, if not more — he's not the one suffering with severe morning sickness, after all. But his cryptical silences and judgmental eyes are starting to get on her nerves, to be perfectly honest.
She's pregnant with an Original's baby and being held in captivity. There's only so much she can take.
"Forgive me," Elijah says. "I don't know what to think."
"Yeah, well. Join the club."
"What do they want? If what they say is true... Then what do they expect to gain from it?"
"For starters, your full cooperation."
"As strange as this predicament is, I'm all ears."
"I think they kind of want you to be all mouth. They need Klaus, not you. I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with this Marcel guy who apparently runs things around here with an iron fist."
Elijah nods, his eyes becoming distant for a heartbeat. "Niklaus and Marcellus go way back. They were once like family. But that was a century ago."
"They haven't shared the details of their plans with me. But I think they aim to use the — this," Caroline stutters. She still can't get herself to use the word baby. She's pregnant. There's a small little child growing inside of her. And it's Klaus'. It's too much to take in. "To convince Klaus to come and have a chat with them."
Elijah goes quiet again, a new intensity in his gaze. "Are you absolutely sure the baby is his?"
"No, it's just always been my dream to be a part of your beautiful family. What do you think?"
Elijah smiles, his face softening all of a sudden. Everything about his posture has suddenly changed, and she can tell there's a burning new interest stirring in him. It's like he made a decision to believe her, all of a sudden. Believe the witches. And instead of being fazed, he is... Excited.
Caroline's forehead crinkles in confusion. From all the reactions she thought she'd get from the Original family, this was definitely not one of them.
"Fair enough, then," he says, standing to his feet and buttoning up his jacket. "It seems my work has been cut out for me."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"We know Marcel was nothing but a street rat until you made him what he is. And now he's out of control. He does what he wants. Kills who he wants."
Elijah watches his brother studiously as Sophie Deveraux recounts the story to why she's summoned the great Klaus Mikaelson back to New Orleans. Elijah was hopeful he'd be in a slightly better mood for this part, but every line of Niklaus' body indicates that his run-in with Marcellus has left him irate, even if he's making an effort to pretend it hasn't affected him. His little brother fancies himself as a bit of a scheming genius, but Elijah can hear the wheels already spinning in his diabolical head. Whatever his reaction to Sophie Deveraux's tale, he is not planning on going anywhere, any time soon. So already they've found some common ground to work on. Pregnant girl or no pregnant girl, they both want the same thing: to dethrone Marcel Gerard.
It's not ideal, Elijah thinks. But it might work in their favor after all.
"I'm gonna stop him. And you're gonna help me," Sophie continues, with the same fiery determination she used on him. This girl really is either very brave, or very stupid. He can't help but admire her disposition.
Niklaus, on the other hand, finds it laughable. "Is this what you brought me here for?" he asks, turning around to face him.
"Hear her out."
"I don't have to hear her out," he snaps. "I assure you, love, there's not a thing on this earth that will matter enough for me to waste even 30 more seconds of my time." Annoyed beyond repair, Klaus looks at him again for explanation. Elijah smiles, exchanges a look with Sophie; it's the cue for Caroline to be escorted into the tomb.
Unlike earlier, this time Caroline has to be dragged in. The witches are holding on to her arms, like she's a scared animal, desperate to flee. She looks frightened, the poor girl. Niklaus has that effect on people. But despite not knowing her for long, however, Elijah thinks it's not exactly his brother she's afraid of here. It's the situation. The moment Klaus is called into it, she won't be able to escape it anymore. It becomes more real. Her whole life is about to change.
Suddenly, Elijah feels a wave of sympathy for the girl, sorry for the predicament she's found herself in. But it's too late to go back now.
The moment he spots her, a flicker passes across Niklaus' face. For just a split-second, his haughty disregard is replaced by shock, colored with fear. It's exactly what Elijah was aiming to confirm, why he asked the witches to wait before they brought Caroline in. He wanted to see that precious moment when Niklaus would let his guard down. It's brief; a blink later and he's masked it again, but it was there, clear as daylight.
He's not indifferent to this girl.
His anger, however, has been renewed. Now the witches have something to use against him, and if there's one thing Niklaus hates above all else is to be manipulated.
"What is she doing here?" he asks, his voice grave and guttural.
"Marcel may be able to keep us from practicing real magic here, but as keepers of the balance we still know when nature has cooked up something new. For example, I have a special gift of sensing when a girl is pregnant," Sophie explains.
Klaus' eyes narrow, his lips pursed. "Well, congratulations, love," he says to Caroline, bitterly. "Who's the lucky fella?"
"You are."
Klaus' face snaps back to Sophie like thunder. "What?"
"Niklaus," Elijah says, finally approaching his brother. "The girl is carrying your child."
Klaus looks at him in utter disbelief, and then as though he's gone completely mad. He'd expect an absurd like this to come from the witches; they are, after all, trying to get something from him. But the fact Elijah has bought into the story leaves him bewildered.
"You're all mad," he says, laughing. "It's impossible. Do I have to remind you all that vampires cannot procreate?"
"But werewolves can," Sophie says. "Magic made you a vampire but you were born a wolf. You're the original hybrid, the first of your kind. And this pregnancy is one of nature's loopholes."
Klaus turns back to Caroline, a stab of hurt in his eyes. "You've been with someone else."
"I've been kidnapped, shackled and held captive in the middle of a freaking swamp," Caroline snaps, speaking for the first time, her voice shaking with fury. "Do you think I like this? That hanging out at cemeteries with creepy witches and your freaking family is my idea of fun? I don't want to be here, I don't want any part in any of this. If there was any tiny chance that someone else could be the father — trust me, that would've been the first thing to come out of my mouth."
"My sister gave her life to perform the spell we needed to confirm this pregnancy," Sophie continues. "Because of Jane-Anne's sacrifice, the lives of this girl and her baby are now controlled by us. If you don't help us take down Marcel, so help me, Caroline won't live long enough to see her first maternity dress."
Now, that wasn't part of the script.
"What?!" Caroline snaps. Apparently she hadn't been informed that her life was being threatened either.
And it proved to be the wrong thing to say, because Niklaus is on Sophie's neck before Elijah has a chance to stop him. He smashes her skull against the wall, choking her with just one hand. But as soon as he launches at Sophie, Caroline screams, falling to the ground, clawing at her throat as though she can't breathe, her eyes wide in horror.
"Niklaus!" Elijah bellows.
"If you kill Sophie, she dies!" one of the witches say, crouching down next to Caroline.
"What have you done?" his brother hisses dangerously, slouching his hold but not letting go of the Sophie's throat.
"They're linked," the same witch continues. "Everything that happens to one, happens to the other."
After another second of hesitation, he finally drops Sophie. The witch slides all the way to the floor, taking gulping breaths, while Caroline tries to stand up, dark bruises on her skin where his brother touched Sophie. Elijah takes her arm and helps her to her feet.
This is going to be far more dangerous than he'd anticipated.
"Why?" he asks the witch who'd been helping Caroline. "Why link them?"
"Because we need to make sure that you won't harm Sophie."
"I could still harm you," Klaus seethes.
"I'm not important."
He's enraged, his brother, and he wants to see blood. Not only did they take a girl he's apparently fond of to use on their plot, but they've forced his hand.
The witches are smart, Elijah will give them that. But they don't know who they're dealing with.
"Enough of this," Elijah says. "If you want Marcel dead, he's dead. I'll kill him myself."
"No," Sophie says. "We can't. Not yet. We have a clear plan that we need to follow and there are rules."
"How dare you command me? Threaten me with what you wrongly perceive to be my weakness," Klaus says through gritted teeth. His patience is at its end. "I won't hear any more lies!"
"Niklaus," Elijah says in a tone that commands his brother to pay attention. "Listen."
He nods his head toward the girl and Klaus' gaze follows. There's a moment's pause, and then his expression shifts, and Elijah knows he can hear it, too. The baby's heartbeat. His baby. The darkness in his eyes dissipate when he looks back up at Caroline, and for a spell, Elijah thinks they've won him. But then Klaus turns back to Elijah with a hard shield in his eyes, quenching that tiny pint of hope.
"Kill her and the baby. What do I care?" he says, before storming off.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Kill her and the baby. What do I care?
Klaus' partying words hit Caroline like a punch to the gut.
She's unable to even react as he blows by her without even so much as blinking her way before disappearing from sight.
She doesn't know what she was expecting from him, what she even wanted him to do, but this... This is harsh. And cruel. And very like Klaus, which tells her that it is exactly what she should've been prepared to hear.
Sophie is trying to use him to take down Marcel and liberate the witches of the French Quarter, and she thought a magical baby was going to be the answer to all her prayers. Why would a child soften Klaus' stone-cold heart? Why would Caroline?
She didn't think he'd bow down to a witch's will and do whatever she asked of him, but she also didn't think he'd straight out tell them to take her out. She'd come to believe that he had certain feelings for her — if not love, then at least a kind of affection. An appreciation. That she meant something out of the ordinary. What was is that he'd said to her, when he allowed Tyler a headstart only to never actually go after him? I've shown mercy. Kindness. Forgiveness. For you, Caroline. It was all for you.
And now here he is, telling witches that he couldn't care less about what happens to her.
Typical. Klaus doesn't care about anyone but himself. Caroline had known that since the day he set foot in Mystic Falls, but she allowed herself to forget it for just a moment, enough to forgive him for all the terrible things he did and give in to desires she had unsuccessfully tried to quench for months. Serves her right for believing him and betraying everyone's trust by sleeping with the enemy.
Sophie seems absolutely horrified, like she hadn't expected things to come to that; even Elijah is shocked. Are they really this naive?
"I told you," Caroline says. "Your sister died for nothing."
Sophie's face crumples like she's about to cry. It's a weird look on her, always so strong and determined. Caroline almost feels sorry for the other woman. Almost.
"Don't do anything," Elijah says. "I'll speak to my brother. If anything happens to the girl, I guarantee there won't be a single witch left in New Orleans by the end of the day."
Elijah's perseverance would be touching if Caroline wasn't so absolutely depleted of hope.
"I suppose it's too much optimism on my part to expect you to let me go back home now that you have your answer, isn't it?"
"I haven't given up yet. You're carrying a miracle baby, it has to have a purpose."
"I'm sorry — did any of that look miraculous to you? You had no idea who you were dealing with when you came up with your stupid plan. Anyone who's spent five minutes in Klaus' company could tell you it wouldn't work. He's not gonna be played by you, and the more you try, the worse he'll get. He's made it pretty clear that my safety is of no concern to him, so I'd be worried if I were you. He won't hesitate to slaughter you and all your coven if you cross him."
"I don't care what happens to me. My sister is dead. I've got nothing to lose. For your sake, let's hope his brother can talk some sense into him."
Caroline lets out a bitter laugh. "Here's another bit of Mikaelson history to you. His brother has been trying — and failing — to talk sense into him for, I don't know, a thousand years? Give or take. But sure. Let's stay positive."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
That Niklaus would prove, as always, to be difficult, Elijah had anticipated. Being reasonable in the face of extraordinary circumstances has never been amongst his brother's greatest qualities and now that he's finally awakened his werewolf side, it's become more challenging than ever to persuade cooperation out of him. But Elijah could not have imagined that it would get as bad as it did. Niklaus has gone completely off rail.
The reunion with Marcellus left him rattled, and then the revelation about the child... He just snapped. Went back to the compound, their former home, and gifted Marcel's right-hand man with a bite for no reason other than because he could. A show of strength, to advertise his new tricks. He was looking for a vicious fight, hoping that Marcel would chase after him so he could spill some blood and dampen some of the turmoil inside. Then he disappeared.
Openly antagonizing Marcel like this goes against everything Elijah had planned and makes life unnecessarily harder for everyone, including the poor girl pregnant with his baby currently being held hostage by angry, desperate witches.
But Elijah hasn't lost all hope yet. There might yet be a way to reverse some of the damage caused by his brother's violent impulsiveness. Elijah just needs to find him first.
He's certain Niklaus is somewhere in the French Quarter, reacquainting himself with the city they left behind a hundred years ago, reminiscing of the old times when happiness had felt so close they could almost taste it. But he's been going around for over an hour now and still no sign of him.
So Elijah does the only thing he can think of when he starts to run out of ideas and calls the one person who knows his brother better than himself.
Rebekah refused to join him in New Orleans, even after he told her about Marcel and the miracle child. She's still testy about the cure and Elijah can't exactly blame her. Niklaus was his usual hateful and selfish self when it comes to their sister, denying her the freedom to make her own choices and have a life of her own. She would rather relish the rare gift of a moment away from her brothers, all on her own in Mystic Falls. Still, she's family, and as such, she should be aware of everything that happens in New Orleans. That child is her blood, too.
"He went into Marcel's den and attacked his right-hand man, right there, in front of everyone," he tells her as he makes his way to Jackson Square. "The man is dying now. He's willing to give up everything."
"Come on, Elijah. Does that really surprise you?" his sister asks, not at all fazed. The sound of water on the other end of the line indicates that she's probably relaxing in the bathtub as they speak. Elijah almost resents her for being so calm and unperturbed when they're about to lose the most precious opportunity their family has encountered in over a thousand years.
"He's spiraling, Rebekah. Lashing out in blind rage. You know, the last time I saw him like this, it lasted 200 years. I was certain the girl would be able to persuade him. Did you not tell me he'd taken a liking to her?"
"He had an ungodly obsession with her. But you know our brother. The second something loses its novelty to him, he gets bored."
"I'm not entirely sure how else to convince him."
"Well, perhaps she is the whole reason he's having this temper tantrum. Nik does nothing but blackmail whatever he wants out of people, but he cannot stand it when his tricks are used against him, especially when it works. Just... Leave him be. Come home, Elijah. With any luck this misadventure will allow us a reprieve from all his insanity. We can actually enjoy each other for a bit before he comes thrashing through our lives again."
"It was so close," Elijah continues, barely listening to his sister's heartfelt plea. He wants nothing more than to have his family back together, but that includes Niklaus and, now, the baby as well. He's no intention whatsoever of going back to Mystic Falls, not now, not ever. Rebekah must understand that. "When he heard the baby's heartbeats, I could see it in his eyes. He knew it was his, and for just a second there I know he had imagined himself wanting it. And now his temper has destroyed everything. Even if I could return him to sanity, he's lost Marcel's trust. And the girl's. I'm not sure which is worse. And I'm almost out of time to get her."
"Get her? Have you lost your mind? Are you running an orphanage now?"
"Say what you will about Niklaus, Rebekah, but on my life, I'm not letting anything happen to child." He sensed the protest rising to his sister's lips on the other side, and before she could launch into yet another rant, he says, "I must go now. I'll let you know if anything else happens. Goodbye, sister," and hangs up.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
New Orleans remains just as beautiful as he remembered.
A lot has changed, even in the French Quarter, with its magnificent historical buildings, most of which Klaus saw as they were built from the ground, then burned to ashes, and rebuilt once more. But New Orleans has never been about appearances; the city has a feeling to it. It's alive with energy and colors, food and music. It's such a unique place, unlike any other he's ever been to, with a personality all of its own, and a supernatural twist to go with it. And that has remained absolutely untouched in the 100 years since he'd last been here. Not even Mikael's wrath could take it down.
It's funny how time passes by when you live through it with the perspective of immortality. One hundred years feels like just yesterday. Or maybe that's because he had every tiny moment of his life in New Orleans committed to memory, revisiting it every time he closed his eyes for years after he and his family were forced to flee, leaving a trail of blood and ashes in their wake.
New Orleans has been their home once; when Mikael came for them, he turned it into a graveyard. Everything they worked so hard to build, all the people they'd grown attached to — gone in the blink of an eye. If there was any shred of humanity left in Klaus, it was buried by his father that night at the Opera House, when he murdered his allies — his friends — and set fire to his dreams.
And Marcellus...
Klaus was crushed by his death. For years, he couldn't even pronounce his name, couldn't see anybody on the street who vaguely resembled his adoptive son without losing his mind. He was overwhelmed with guilt, destroyed by grief. And all this time, Marcel had not only been alive, but he'd been thriving.
He and Rebekah got separated from Elijah and were forced to lay low for a while to shake Mikael off their trail, but Marcel could've found them, if he'd really wanted. He could've put a word out, could've sent a message through one of the emissaries Klaus sent back to the French Quarter to collect whatever belongings his father hadn't destroyed. Instead, he chose to take the opportunity to steal from him. Take his city, his empire, and make it his own. And now he dares to call himself king.
Klaus is no strange to betrayal, but few have cut as deep as Marcel's. He taught him everything, loved him like a son. Marcel was family, and he used the most terrible and painful moment in his 1000 years of existence to usurp from Klaus.
He thought that was the reason the witches had called him back to New Orleans. That they'd found out about his long lost relationship with Marcel and were going to bet on his anger to help them return to power.
It probably would've worked, truth be told.
Not because Klaus had any interest whatsoever in empowering a bunch of witches; he's never been entirely popular with them and knows well enough what a pain in the arse an upset coven can be. But having them as allies in his quest to recover his kingdom wouldn't have been unwelcome. They could've found a common ground to work on, even struck a deal similar to the one he had back in the early 1900s, when he'd turned New Orleans into a haven for peaceful coexistence between all the factions. It was the only time ever that Klaus agreed to play the politics game instead of going straight for the show of strength and it was surprisingly profitable.
But that wasn't what the witches had in mind at all.
When he saw they'd taken Caroline, the first thing through Klaus' mind was to rip off their throats, every last one of them. He didn't even care that there'd be consequences or that he needed them to take down Marcel and his army of nightwalkers. They'd dared to go all the way to Virginia just to kidnap a girl to use as leverage against him. They deserved to be taught a lesson for their audacity alone, but the fact it actually worked just made it all worse.
Good thing he didn't go for the throat slashing, or Caroline would be dead now, and Klaus would have the entire city slaughtered for daring to hurt her.
But that... thing... That tiny heartbeat inside of her... That had changed everything.
Klaus doesn't know what to think. It's impossible. No immortal creature before had ever been capable of fathering children. But then there had never been a hybrid such as himself before either. And Caroline was the first human girl he bedded since his transformation. Nature's loophole. Whatever the bloody hell that means? His mother had crafted the perfect spell when she bound his wolf side. She was an ingenious witch; her magic was as elegant as it was clever. She wouldn't have left an opening for such a thing. Unless she'd been counting on it, somehow. But why? Why would she ever want her bastard son to have children?
None of it makes any sense. Klaus wouldn't have believed a word of what those witches said, but he doesn't think Caroline would lie to him. Unless those wenches had her compelled somehow, used some dark magic to make her say whatever they wanted. But what of Elijah? His noble, righteous brother wouldn't have bought into this insanity unless he was absolutely certain.
Caroline, pregnant with his child.
Just thinking about it makes him see red.
He never wanted to have children. Unlike Rebekah and Finn, and even Elijah at times, Klaus has not once resented his immortality. The fact he could walk through eternal life without ever fearing the possibility of descendants was a blessing. He's had enough family drama to last him a thousand lifetimes. Marcellus had been a happenstance, one of those odd coincidences that would never come around again. He hadn't been a good father to him, and would be an even worse one to a child of his own. A child he doesn't want. A child he couldn't care less about.
Those witches thought they were going to manipulate him with his alleged unborn child; little did they know that it's really Caroline he's most concerned with. If it had been any other girl there, Klaus wouldn't bemoan walking away from it for a second. The witches would be doing him a favor to kill the mother and the child. But it's not just any girl, one of the many nameless one night stands whose faces he can hardly remember; it's Caroline. He'd even felt a stab of jealousy when they revealed she was with child; the revelation it was his, however, brought him no joy.
For a moment there, it all became too much for him to bear. Klaus snapped, told the witches to kill her hoping they'd realize Caroline was useless to them and let her go unharmed, and went to find an outlet for his anger. Marcel's lapdog, Thierry, was a fine candidate. It should've made him feel better, vindicated at least, but it didn't. Klaus is just as vexed and tormented as before, only now with the added weight of having royally screwed up everything. He lost his chance to gain Marcel's trust in order to figure out how he controls the witches and bring him down and, more importantly, he's put Caroline's life in danger by acting recklessly.
He's contemplating how to punish that Deveraux witch without injuring Caroline in the process when his brother finally finds him. He knew Elijah would show up at some point, had probably been chasing him all around the city for hours. Still, he's no less surly for it.
"Here to give me another pep talk on the joys of fatherhood?"
"I've said all I needed to say." Elijah takes a seat next to him on the bench. "The witches still have Caroline. Whatever feelings you might have about your child, Niklaus, I know you care about that girl and your heartless dismissal has put her in grave danger."
He feels it again, that pang of guilt. "They'll gain nothing from me by hurting her."
"Is that what you wanted them to think?" So annoying, his big brother, always reading right through his actions. Klaus was never able to keep a secret from him for too long. He spent very little time in Mystic Falls to be aware of the extent of his affections for Caroline, but apparently Klaus hadn't been as convincing at his attempt at nonchalance as he'd imagined. "Tell me, brother," Elijah continues, softer now. "What's on your mind?"
Klaus considers the question for a moment before deciding to be earnest, for once. "For a thousand years I lived in fear," he starts. "Any time I settled anywhere, our father would hunt me down and chase me off. He made me feel powerless. And I hated it. This town was my home once, and in my absence Marcel has got everything that I ever wanted. Power. Loyalty. Family. I made him in my image and he has bettered me. I want what he has. I want to be king."
"Is that all that child means to you? A grab for power?"
Yes. No. I don't know.
"What does it mean to you?" he asks, turning to face his brother. Elijah's ardent interest in his child is puzzling. He looked almost taken with emotion as he told him Caroline was expecting his child at the cemetery, acted all protective over her.
Elijah' lips curl into a soft smile. "I think this child could offer you the one thing you've never believed you could have."
"And what's that?"
"Unconditional love."
Klaus feels a lump in his throat at that word. Love.
He doesn't think there's a single vein in his body still cut out for fatherhood. Violence and abuse is all he knows of it. But he also didn't think he was still capable of feeling anything beyond wanton desire for anyone until Caroline came along. She lit up a flame in a long forgotten chamber in his heart, a part of him he didn't even think existed anymore.
He thought it was the challenge, and that he'd be over her the second he had her. One night should've been more than enough to wash her off his skin for good, so that he'd stop feeling this pathetic need to please her. But he was wrong. All that night did was make him want her more. One taste of Caroline wasn't enough to placate his desire — but it was enough to leave her pregnant.
For someone like him, love is the most dangerous thing. It's a weakness. A vulnerability. Caroline has just proved that; the mere fact of his affection for her have turned her into a weapon to be used against him. And a quite effective one. But the thing about love is that it robs you of all your sanity. At the same time it punishes and causes torturing pain; it makes you want to protect it rather than quench it, makes you crave more.
As long as Caroline carries his child, she'll have a target on her back. If these witches have found a way to get to her, then others could as well. Klaus' list of enemies is long and endless. Caroline will never be safe. However convoluted his feelings about fatherhood may be, he knows he ought to protect her. And the only way to do it is to keep her by his side.
Family is power, Elijah always says. He doesn't know that he agrees with that. His family, for one, has meant more pain and agony over the centuries than anything else. But he can't help but wonder... If he can take back his city, his crown, make this a safe haven for Caroline and her child... What then?
What if there is such thing as an unconditional love after all?
"I'm asking you to stay here, Niklaus," his brother presses on. "I will help you and I will stand by you; I will be your brother. We will build a home here, together. So save this girl. Save your child. Save your family, Niklaus."
After a long bout of silence, Klaus finally meets his brother's hopeful gaze. "Tell Sophie Deveraux we have a deal."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Circumstances are far from ideal, but beggars can't be choosers.
It's not a situation Elijah normally finds himself in - having to dance to someone else's music, work with what he's given instead of being the one to call the shots. It's quite uncomfortable, truth be told. As an Original vampire, his nature is that of a predator, not a prey.
But this is no ordinary situation. It requires a certain level of finesse and subtlety he's not used to concerning himself with. When you're nearly indestructible, why bother with nuance at all? Well, not the case anymore.
Not just one, but two mortal lives hang on his next steps, and for that reason he has to be more cunning and assured than ever.
Tough, for certain, but not impossible. With time, he'll be able to turn things around and regain control. It's always been this way.
But first things first.
After convincing Niklaus to shake on a deal with the witches, Elijah had to take care of the more immediate matters, like figuring out where they'd be setting up residence, and the only thing he and his brother have managed to agree on so far is that the French Quarter was absolutely out of question. Hiding in plain sight, in this case, is not a clever strategy for one obvious reason: Caroline.
It would be hard for Marcel not to notice the charming young lady living with them, and the second he finds out she's pregnant with Klaus' child, she becomes a target.
They want to keep it as much of a secret as possible, for as long as they can. The less people know, the safer Caroline and the child will be. The fact she's a witch doesn't play in her favor either. Marcel is not just openly averse to them, he's issued a complete ban on magic in all of New Orleans and has proved not to be shy about brutally executing anyone who dares to disobey him. She won't even be able to use her own powers to defend herself, at risk of being found out and tracked down by Marcel and his nightwalkers.
The secret weapon which allows Marcel to control the witches has become Niklaus' obsession, and as much as Elijah wishes his brother would dedicate some of his attention to the woman carrying his offspring, he cannot deny that it is of utmost importance that they figure out how exactly how Marcel can detect whenever magic is being used. Their entire game plan to oust Marcellus, thus delivering on their end of the bargain with the witches and liberating Caroline from the magical link that put her at their mercy, depends on it.
While Elijah took care of locating an appropriate home and the bureaucracy involved in guaranteeing its occupation would go absolutely unnoticed, Caroline stayed for another night with the witches at their safe house whilst Niklaus simply disappeared. He said he had to take care of relocating from Mystic Falls to New Orleans, but Elijah is well acquainted with every single one of his little brother's not-so-subtle avoidance techniques. He even refused to go back to the cemetery to speak directly with Sophie Deveraux, leaving it to Elijah to deliver the message. Caroline didn't seem very upset not to see him, so perhaps Niklaus knew exactly what he was doing. It's going to take him some time to win the girl's trust again, after that pathetic show of contempt. She's fuming still, and not without reason.
One would think that a thousand years would be more than sufficient for Niklaus to learn some basic human tact. One would be wrong.
Niklaus' absence means that Elijah has been the one to keep Caroline company. She's still very much on the defensive, as expected, a calculation in her eyes before she answers any questions. But she does have many doubts of her own, which Elijah has clarified to the best of his abilities. About New Orleans' history, how the very delicate balance between vampires, werewolves, witches and the human faction has been shaken to its core in the 100 years since they left; about how they basically built the city from the ground, having arrived only a few years after it was officially founded by the French; about how they came to love it like a true home.
The more he spoke, the more willing to listen Caroline was, and the more open she became. While his brother broods and wallows in self-pity, Elijah has taken it upon himself to show Caroline that she can trust them. If not Niklaus, then at least him. Whatever his brother's intentions, he will keep his word and do whatever it takes to assure her and her child will be cared for and protected. She's part of their family now. They need to make her feel welcome; if they lose her, they lose the baby, and Elijah won't have it.
Caroline hasn't been sharing much of her own side of the story. She is so infuriated with his brother she doesn't even want to talk of how they came to be together.
Elijah was curious; last he heard about it, every single inhabitant of Mystic Falls abhorred his family, and rightly so, considering the kind of turmoil that was brought upon them when Niklaus unapologetically marched into their lives. His brother may be many things, but he wouldn't force himself onto a woman, especially not one who despises him; he doesn't have to. It is beyond Elijah, but some people take obvious character deviations for charm, it seems. He hasn't known Caroline Forbes for long, but he's always been an excellent judge of character, and he's quite certain she doesn't fall into that category, which means Niklaus must have done something right. It's most puzzling, indeed.
What he has been able to tell about her in the little time they've spent together so far is that she is, in fact, a fascinating young woman. He hadn't thought much of her after their brief encounter at his mother's ball. There were far more important matters at stake for him to pay attention to what he deemed to be yet another pretty face on his brother's long list of conquests.
Elijah couldn't have been more mistaken about Miss Forbes.
She's sharp-minded and always observant, hanging onto his every word, always attentive to when he intentionally skips a detail or leaves a hole in his tales, making the right and at times uncomfortable questions. She's resilient and strong-willed, and not even her tricky and volatile situation has managed to quench her spirit. Every moment in her company is like a test which Elijah is eager to pass, and every time she opens up about herself, every time she lets her guard down and becomes comfortable in his company, allowing herself a moment of respite, he feels rewarded.
There's a light to this girl, not unlike what he'd seen in Elena Gilbert, the type that not all the darkness and tragedy in the world could suppress. But unlike Miss Gilbert, Caroline's seems to come from a place of strength and self-sufficiency, not abnegation and eternal optimism. Her smiles seem to brighten her whole face, and Elijah finds himself captivated by it, trying to make her smile. He can suddenly understand why his brother was so drawn to her — and all the more confused by the fact she has, somehow, been drawn to him too. They seem like such extreme opposites; Caroline is effusive and bright while Niklaus is... Well, Niklaus.
One thing they do seem to have in common, though, is how restless they both are. The second Elijah chose the perfect place for them to move in — an old plantation house that had been abandoned for decades with some of its old furniture still intact — she made it her mission to make that place livable. He could tell that she hated it, having to be there, but she understood the need for her to stick with them without anyone ever having to tell her. So if she was going to stay, she wanted to make sure the place would be as comfortable as possible. Elijah had no qualms with it; he took her on a tour of all the rooms, letting her pick the one she wanted for herself and paying attention to whatever little indication she gave of what she'd like to see in the house.
When they finally move in, her bedroom is the only one that has been previously cleaned and completely arranged to her liking. The girl has enough problems in her life; her new home doesn't have to be one as well.
As the compelled help carries their things inside, some new purchases, some old stuff, but mostly things that Niklaus has had shipped over from Mystic Falls, Caroline is removing the sheets and inspecting the furniture that was left behind. It's all very old, for sure, but very elegant, in perfect condition and clearly worth a small fortune.
Elijah's investigations indicated that Marcel Gerard personally guaranteed that the family that used to own the plantation—- his own biological family — was either dead or scared away for good. Rightfully so, mind you. Elijah would've probably murdered the lot of them in cold blood if they'd done to him what they did to Marcellus. Ever since the place was emptied, however, it has remained uninhabited, and no one's ever returned to reclaim any of the belongings.
It's secluded and far enough away from the Quarter that they'll hardly be seeing vampires around the area. The witches guaranteed no one's visited the property in years, not even the wolves that have occupied the Bayou since they were banned from the city.
It's not perfect, it's not home, but it'll have to do. For now, at least.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Caroline's eyes burn as centuries-old dust lifts from the sheets and the furniture in the house. Her allergies are going to kill her.
She doesn't know what to think of the place. It would probably be more accurate to say she doesn't know what to think of a lot of things, like Elijah's tireless disposition to please her, or how concerned he seems to be about whether she approves of the house or not. But thinking about the big picture gives her a headache, so, instead, she focuses on the things she can control. The small ones. Like the house that is apparently going to be her home for the next seven or so months (at least) until they can figure out what to do...
Or until she can come up with a convincing enough argument for them to let her go back home with her newborn baby. It's gonna be a pain in the ass explaining everything to her mom — who has been calling her nonstop since she disappeared and is at her wits end; any time now sheriff Forbes is going to realize her daughter's excuses do not add up and send a search party to Louisiana. The mess this is going to be...
This is something she is yet to discuss with Elijah. Caroline has a few ideas, but she doubts he'll like any of them — especially because they mostly involve her going back to Mystic Falls for a bit. The witches will go out of their minds crazy, but she's sure they can find some understanding.
Desperate though she may be, Sophie Deveraux doesn't seem to be completely without reason and she will agree that having a third party entering their situation when the Mystic Falls gang decides to go after her is not in anyone's best interests.
Caroline doesn't want to be rescued. For several reasons, in fact, but mostly because she really doesn't want to have to explain to her friends that she's pregnant with Klaus' baby. Not until she can come to terms with it herself, which - it's coming along harder than she thought it would.
Elijah says he can hear the baby's heartbeat, but Caroline isn't showing yet. It's been exactly seven and a half weeks since she made that terrible mistake with Klaus — and five and a half weeks since they almost made a mistake for the second time — which is too soon even for an ultrasound to detect a heartbeat, but not for vampires, it seems.
To the average person, there are no signs whatsoever that there's a thing growing inside of her, and Caroline catches herself more often than not wishing that this has all been a big mistake, that there's no magical miracle baby at all. Every time she tries to think of herself with a swollen tum, buying maternity dresses and picking color patterns for a baby room with Klaus, it just... Becomes too much.
That's when she brings her focus back to the small picture. The house. The furniture. The lovely morning light coming in through the window of the master bedroom Elijah allowed her to take for herself. And, right now, the amount of cleaning they'll need to do in order to get this place in shape.
"Are you ok?" Elijah asks as he joins her in the room.
"Yeah," she says. "It's just the dust. This place has been closed for centuries."
He smiles, giving the room a satisfied once-over. He spent days diligently searching for a place, even sending her some photos to ask for her opinion. It would be almost sweet of him if this whole thing wasn't so freaky.
He's an Original, for God's sake. His efforts felt so genuine, though, that she didn't have it in her to say she didn't care because whatever place he picked would never feel like home to her.
"Almost," he says. "But it should serve our purposes."
"A plantation, really? Should I add slave owners to the Mikaelsons' endless list of horrible deeds?"
"It was not ours. Our home was — is — in the heart of New Orleans, and inconveniently taken by an infestation of riffraffs at the moment. For now, this place is a sanctuary from our business in the Quarter. You, Caroline, are the most important person in this family right now. You need a good home, some place quiet and peaceful." He says the last part looking her straight in the eyes, not a hint of condescension in him.
If she didn't know better, she'd never believe Klaus and Elijah are related. They couldn't be any more different.
Then again, she's met Stefan and Damon. Maybe it's a vampire thing.
"Why are you so dedicated to this?" she asks, unable to hold her doubt back any longer. "You procured Jane-Anne's body from Marcel just so the witches could consacrate her. That can't have been easy."
"No. But for once my brother's temper served a good purpose. I used his spectacular temper tantrum to force Marcel to agree to return Jane-Anne's body to her sister in exchange for a few drops of his blood. Enough to heal Marcel's man. He had no choice but to agree."
"And you sat down to negotiate with this guy just so they wouldn't do anything to me?"
"Your child is my family too, Caroline. We have roamed this earth for a thousand years and so far our legacy is... Dark. Niklaus', in special. I had almost convinced myself that there was no hope left for him. For us. And that — losing hope — is the worst thing that can possibly happen to someone like me. Your baby offers us a new chance. We can finally do this right. Have a legacy that is born out of goodness and love. Family. Not drenched in centuries of resentment and rage."
The hopeful glint in his eyes tells Caroline Elijah very much believes his cause to be a noble one. If she tries hard enough, she can sort of see his point. But she can't help but be a little terrified, too.
"You can't expect an unborn baby to fix all the terrible things you've done over the inhumanly long course of your lives. That's too much responsibility for such a tiny thing. It's a child, Elijah, not a time machine. You don't get a do over just because a baby is born."
Elijah smiles wanly at her, nodding. "You're absolutely right. It is a huge burden to carry. Forgive me."
Caroline shakes her head. "It's ok. At least you have good intentions - unlike some other people in your family."
"I'm curious, Caroline... In the middle of all this, has anyone asked how you feel?"
"You mean about having a miracle baby with someone I slept with once?"
"About being a mother."
And... Well, fuck.
While everyone seemed to be very concerned with Klaus' feelings over being a daddy, no one ever asked her about her own feelings over becoming a mother. They all just apparently believed it was something she would embrace with all her heart, out of some inherent instinct. Hell, not even Caroline stopped to wonder about that herself. The baby's origin, the witches, leaving Mystic Falls, Marcel, Elijah, the Original family... Everything just felt so much bigger that it left her with very little space for pondering over anything else.
But the bottom line of all this is... She's going to be a mother. In roughly seven months, she'll have a tiny baby. Who the father is won't matter so much anymore, because it'll be her child regardless. And what the hell is she supposed to do then?
The blow suddenly lands.
She was head of three different graduation committees, had acceptance letters from four different Ivy League universities, top of her class and chosen valedictorian. She was voted most likely to succeed and to become famous after high school. Future seemed so bright. Caroline Forbes was going places. Now look at her.
She's that girl. The high school cautionary tale. Pregnant, father doesn't want to have anything to do it, all her plans put on hold.
Whatever she was going to do with the rest of her life, it'll have to wait because, first, she's going to be a mother.
Holy shit.
"I don't think I'm ready for it," she blurts out. "I've always wanted to have children, but... Not like this. And not for many, many years. I don't know if I can do this right. It's just... So crazy. How do I even begin to think about bringing a baby into all this? An actual baby. It's only existed for a few weeks and already it's in grave danger. What kind of mother am I supposed to be? How am I supposed to protect it?"
Elijah puts his hands on her shoulders, perhaps sensing the panic that threatens to overtake her all of a sudden, and forces her to look him in the eye. "I will protect you," he says, slowly. "I will always protect you. Both of you. You have my word."
"And noble Elijah always keeps his word."
The second Caroline hears Klaus' voice, something inside of her goes off. Her moment of vulnerability dissipates and she's filled with blind anger.
He's gone missing for days, didn't show his face once, not even to apologize, which was the least he could've done, and now he just saunters into the room like he's not half to blame for this whole freaky mess. Like he doesn't owe her any goddamn thing.
Elijah immediately pulls his hands away and takes a step back from her, and Caroline realizes he's done it because of the look Klaus is giving them. Like they've been conspiring behind his back, betraying him somehow. The nerve of that bastard.
"Is it done?" the oldest Mikaelson asks, all business-like.
"Yes. I've successfully carved my way back into Marcel's good graces by healing his man. I remain a welcome guest at the French Quarter," Klaus announces, sounding actually proud of himself. Like his only responsibility for the last so many days had been to plot his way back into Marcel's inner group.
It's probably her own fault, though, for expecting so much from someone who'd never really given anything other than false promises. She should've known better than to trust an Original. And if she's learned anything from all this, she'll keep a foot back with Elijah as well.
"My only concern now is this coven of impudent witches," Klaus continues.
"I believe them to be honorable."
"Honorable? They threatened to kill a pregnant girl in cold blood."
Caroline scoffs loudly, all eyes turning to her. "I'm sorry — was that serious? You told them to kill me. Remember? What was it that you said? Oh, yes. What do I care?."
"I was trying to protect you," Klaus retorts, measuredly and through gritted teeth.
Caroline takes a step closer, staring him down with fire burning in her eyes, so mad it's all she can do not to use her magic to give him a splitting headache for the ages. "The only person you were trying to protect was yourself."
The tension in the room becomes so thick one could slice it with a knife. The quietness roars in her ears, and for a moment it seems like Klaus is holding back — from saying something, or doing something, maybe ripping out her throat right there and ending this whole nonsense once and for all with his bare hands. She wouldn't put it past him, but she finds that the thought brings a weird tang to her mouth.
All this emotion she's been overflowing with — she doesn't know if she can already blame it on hormones at such an early stage, but she can sure as hell blame it on herself. Caroline is hurt, mad furious with revenge because Klaus' words and actions touched right on the raw. And it did so because she let him in.
Before he gets a chance of reacting, making up another lame ass excuse about how he had her best interests at heart when he asked for those crazed witches to finish her or simply state the truth, that he couldn't care less about what happens to her and has only bought into this because his brother insisted, she decides she doesn't want to stick around to find out which it'll be.
"Elijah," she says, turning back to the stunned older brother. "It would be really nice if someone could get me a few thousand bottles of cleaning products and a good pair of gloves. I do stress cleaning when I'm pissed off and it seems like I'll be doing it a lot while I'm here. Thanks."
With that, Caroline stalks away up the stairs, slamming the door behind her as she reaches her bedroom.
How the hell is she supposed to survive in this place for the next seven months?