Remember, Remember
Author's Note – Hi, this is in response to a prompt I received on Tumblr. The person asked for a "Christmas/Thanksgiving with Caroline, Klaus and Enzo." I've chosen Thanksgiving. Forgive me for any flaws there might be regarding Thanksgiving dinners. I've seen a lot of them happen in movies and books, and know a bit, but of course, firsthand experience must be quite different. As I'm completely removed from the reality of it, I'm prone to faults. Please excuse me for any mistakes.
Summary: It is the year 2035, two decades since Caroline saw Klaus. She finds herself inviting him to Thanksgiving Dinner to her house unaware that Klaus is here to convince her to go to NOLA with him. But Caroline has some surprises for him too.
This is strictly a one-shot.
Music suggested for this fic : Tina Guo: Elgar Cello Concerto Mvt. 1 Live Recording
Savannah, 2035
"Klaus," Caroline whispered, her eyes widening, and her hold on the carton of juice she was holding almost slackening. Almost. Her hand clenched tightly around the carton and she straightened her back.
"Hello, love," Klaus said flashing his trademark smirk which made Caroline snap out of her stupor. It was as if time had had no change on him at all. It had been twenty years since she'd last seen him and he was still sporting a Henley with jeans. Some things don't change after all, Caroline mused to herself. She waited for a gash to open up in her heart, for her insides to hurt so much she'd want to throw up but none came, surprisingly, or unsurprisingly.
"What are you doing here?" She said, smiling easily at him. Twenty years ago, she'd never have imagined she'd be able to stand in front of him without wavering and smile without bitterness.
"Nice to see you too, love," He chuckled walking alongside her as she moved her cart and put in more food. Caroline rolled her eyes, and Klaus resisted the urge to tuck a strand of hair easing its way onto her cheek behind her ear. He had no right to do any of that, he reminded himself, yet.
"I was in town and I stepped in to grab some wine when I spotted you," Klaus gestured to the bottle of wine in his hand. Wine from a department store? Really? Caroline didn't ask questions. Questions were dangerous because she knew Klaus's answers would be even more dangerous and Caroline Forbes had had enough danger in her life to last her ten lifetimes.
"So, I see you're doing quite a bit of shopping," Klaus said eyeing her shopping cart. Caroline laughed at the mountain of food.
"Yeah, it is Thanksgiving tonight, so I'm on shopping duty," Caroline chuckled.
"Still can't cook to save your life?"
"Nah," Caroline shrugged as she moved to stand in line to get her things built. "Despite massive efforts on Enzo's part," Caroline scoffed remembering the several times where Caroline had stormed out screaming after Enzo had called her a beast for not being able to cook. They hadn't spoken to each other for a week one time. Caroline had been so lost in her thoughts she didn't see how Klaus's smile disintegrated.
"Enzo?" Klaus asked, trying to keep the smile on his face but Caroline saw through it. But before she could answer, the lady at the billing counter nodded for her to move forward and boy was she glad for the distraction. Klaus waited patiently behind her all the while trying not to burst up into flames at the mention of the mysterious person. When he had spoken to Stefan, there had been no mention of any Enzo. Perhaps it was some old man teaching Caroline how to cook. Or a friendly neighbour. An old friendly neighbour. If he was someone special, if it were even a 'he', Klaus was sure Stefan would have told him – unless, unless of course he wanted to see Klaus getting screwed over.
"Well, I guess I'll get going then," Caroline said grabbing her bags.
"What, I see you after two decades, and I don't even get an invite to this dinner of yours?" Klaus asked smiling in that charming, yet sad-Klaus way which made Caroline's heart hurt. Ugh. "I don't know when I'll be able to see you again," Klaus added for effect.
"I thought you were beyond silly human conventions," Caroline shot back with a smile. Klaus indulged her with a knowing-smirk.
"Well, I believe some things are worth holding onto," Klaus said, and they both knew he wasn't referring to the dinner. Caroline averted her gaze, feeling an uncomfortable blush rising to her face. She hated how Klaus never gave up. Their hands accidentally brush against each other and Klaus was reminded of the time Caroline kissed him in the woods; her hand tenderly, shyly coming up to cup his cheek, the side of his neck. He'd been so wonderstruck by her actions that he regretted not being able to completely absorb the intimacy and tenderness of it. No matter, they had all the time in the world now.
"So, what have you been up to?" Caroline asked, not being the one for long silences. Klaus smiled relishing in this habit of hers', in this voice of hers', in this presence of her.
"Well, I got New Orleans back," Klaus said, looking out of window, noticing their entrance into a suburb. This is where Caroline lived? In a suburb? How did she allow herself to live a life of such bland normalcy?
"Just like you wanted," Caroline muttered, with what Klaus thought was more than just a passing remark. He could hear an edge to her voice. She was still caught up in that? Did she still think he abandoned her?
"I got Hope back," Klaus said in a voice which held a note of finality to it. As if that excuses you from everything– Caroline stopped her thoughts mid-way. She didn't need to get into all of it again. She looked at him scathingly but nodded. Yes, he did get his daughter back.
"How is she?"
Klaus let out a groan and pressed his knuckles into his eyes. "Turned twenty two this year, and she's so – so," Klaus struggled for words.
"Rebellious?" Caroline offered, raising her eyebrows extremely amused at his outburst.
"Independent," he said finally shaking his head. "She wants to go explore the world. As if college in Europe wasn't enough," he muttered the last part under his breath, but Caroline caught it anyway – supernatural hearing and everything. Caroline laughed out loud at his predicament. He had always been so possessive. Caroline was happy Hope didn't succumb to her father's rules – well, Caroline imagined with a mother like Hayley and an aunt like Rebekah, there was no way Hope would've given in.
"Has she got any boyfriends?"
"No," Klaus said. "She has a girlfriend, though," Klaus gave her a meaningful look.
Caroline smirked, "How is that working out for you, old man?"
"Much better than anything else, actually, although I'm old, I'm hardly senile," He said. "Lara, her girlfriend, is a nice girl," Klaus said with a sigh, "she too, is an 'independent' soul, though, I'm afraid. But you've got to let your kids go...for them to grow, I guess," Klaus sighed. Caroline smiled at him sympathetically.
"Well, we're here," Caroline announced pulling into the driveway of her home. As Klaus stepped out, he saw everything Bekah ever wanted – a big house to call home, a white picket fence, a friendly family neighbourhood, an illusion of normalcy. Klaus detested it. He couldn't understand how Caroline was okay with all this. He could offer her so much more.
Klaus helped Caroline with her bags and was delighted to have gotten a grateful smile from her. Caroline opened the door, and called out, "I'm home," and Klaus wondered how it would have felt if it were him inside hearing Caroline come home. His insides clenched. No bother, he was going to make sure not to let go of this chance. Klaus could hear the person inside halt their chopping and walk to the door. The foyer was...normal – aptly decorated and exactly how he'd imagined Caroline to decorate her home.
"You brought a stray," this person – Enzo, Klaus assumed – certainly not an old senile human or a next-door neighbour, but a very much able vampire said. Klaus resisted the urge to remove this Enzo's heart from his body.
"Enzo, behave," Caroline said placing her hand on his chest and leaning into him to place a kiss on his lips. Enzo smirked at her, but there was a glint of tenderness and understanding in his eyes. His hand came up to smooth Caroline's hair, and push it away from her face. Klaus looked away feeling his heart give in. This terrible pain made its way into his body and he felt like he was going to collapse, but he stood strong and adorned a stony look on his face. He wanted to kill this arrogant vampire who dared to touch Caroline so intimately.
"Klaus meet my husband, Lorenzo," Caroline said with a palm resting on Lorenzo's chest. Husband? No, that couldn't be right. Klaus's eyes flitted to Caroline's hand and the diamond resting on her finger – how on earth had he missed that? Yep, Stefan was really in it to screw Klaus over.
Lorenzo extended his hand, "Enzo, this is Klaus, my...friend," Caroline said, with an easy smile. Klaus felt like ripping the world apart, and with it this smug bastard. Instead, Klaus extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you," Klaus said, "Caroline tells me you're a wonderful cook."
"Well, does she now? You should certainly join us for tonight. It's going to be wonderful," Lorenzo flashed his teeth.
They were all sitting in the living room and the tension was so palpable Caroline mused she could cut a knife through it and serve it for dinner instead.
"I wonder where Elena and Damon are," Caroline said with a nervous smile as she picked up her phone, "they're bringing the twins. I'm so excited." She pursed her lips, "I wonder if they'll like your chocolate cake, or should we have made something more kid friendly with sprinkles? I did buy ice-cream while I was out."
Enzo took Caroline's hand in hers'. "Stop worrying, it'll be fine," he squeezed her hand.
Klaus ignored their exchange. "Twins?" he asked, curiously.
"Yeah," Caroline said smiling, "I was against the idea completely, but of course, who listens to me, but I am glad they went ahead with it."
Klaus raised an eyebrow waiting for her to elaborate. "They were in Utah, travelling and a fire broke out, a lot of people died, including a family, well, the kids survived – long story, short, Elena and Damon adopted them."
At the look of incredulity on Klaus's face Caroline laughed. "Yeah, I had the same expression. Enzo and I were dead against it. I mean, Damon is not parent material. Elena is, but still – the whole thing seemed way too bizarre." Caroline quickly added, "However, after meeting the kids, we loved them. Didn't we, Enzo?" Enzo nodded, with a cool gaze trained on Klaus and the way he had been eyeing Caroline. "It's our first thanksgiving dinner with them, so I'm a bit on edge," Caroline said with an apologetic smile.
Enzo smiled, "Don't worry, darling, everything is going to be fine," he kissed her knuckles affectionately.
"Haven't you ever thought of having kids?" Klaus asked, curious, yet detesting the idea of Caroline and her husband sharing a child together.
Enzo snorted at which Caroline rolled her eyes. "It's not like we didn't consider it. We just decided it wasn't for us."
Klaus nodded with a smirk on his face as he leaned back in his chair. Caroline wanted to slap the detestable smirk off his face. "But it's not like we don't have eternity to change our minds," Enzo said, with a small smirk of his own. Klaus felt his insides clench.
The bell rang and Caroline shot up from her seat. "It's them," Caroline said rushing to get the door.
Klaus remained seated. He found the whole charade Caroline had created for herself quite amusing. It could, of course, not compete with the world he would be able to offer her. He was the most powerful creature on earth; he had a kingdom to offer to Caroline.
The dinner was going smoothly – kind of. Caroline was sure if the twins weren't there all hell would've broken loose, but thankfully, the twins were there, and Damon's impulsiveness was in check. Kind of. Apart from the slight jibes, the elder Salvatore hadn't done any physical harm to Klaus and that was good. But Damon and Enzo were having too much fun picking at Klaus.
"So, what brought you all the way to Savannah?" Damon asked, swirling the glass of wine in his hand, a smirk tugging at his mouth. Caroline and Elena shot him a glare which he duly ignored.
"Hey, guys, do you want to get your gifts now or after dessert?" Caroline asked, in a loud pseudo-cheerful voice before Klaus could answer. Everybody noticed.
"Gifts?" Elena frowned as the kids shrieked in delight.
"Yeah, I hardly saw them, and I won't see them until Christmas, most probably. So I just bought them a couple of things, you know," Caroline shrugged. "So, before dessert or after?"
"Can we mom? Can we please get them before dinner?" Elise tugged at her mom's hand who shot her a stern look. "No, after dinner," Elena said. "Uncle Enzo and Aunt Caroline have put in a lot of hard work into preparing dinner. We should honour their hard work by eating dinner first," Elena said in a no-nonsense manner. Enzo and Caroline exchanged a look and resisted the urge to giggle. Even Klaus seemed amused by this.
"Please!" Nina made cute faces at her dad, who pulled her onto his lap and said, "Sure," earning a kiss on the face. There was a goofy soft smile on Damon's face upon receiving a kiss from his daughter. It was a look of pure bliss and happiness. Klaus noticed how Caroline's face fell at the exchange of affection between Damon and his daughter.
Elena glared at Damon. "What?" he mouthed. Elena rolled her eyes. "He always does this – undermining my authority in front of the kids," Elena muttered to Caroline who patted her friend's arm sympathetically. Caroline reckoned she would've loved to have that fight with her husband – worrying, fighting over kids. After giving the kids their presents and much squealing on their part, they returned to their dinner.
"So, Klaus," Damon said, again drawing all eyes to himself, "you never did say what brought you all the way to Savannah."
"Business," Klaus said coldly, not willing to take the bait.
"What kind?"
"Personal," Klaus answered perfunctorily. "You have lovely kids. What did you say their names were?" Klaus asked in a very intimidating manner. Elena's face lost colour and Damon's hand curled into a fist. Caroline shot a glare at Klaus.
"Elise and Nina," Caroline said with a forced smile. Klaus smirked. "Lovely names," he said as he put a forkful of meat in his mouth.
"Thank you," the kids chirped up. Klaus smiled at them politely.
"How old are you?" Klaus asked, although he knew how old they were because of the earlier conversation with Caroline.
"We're five years old," Elise replied politely. Caroline could tell Elise was getting nervous with the way Klaus was looking at her.
"Well, isn't that lovely," Klaus remarked with a smirk. "What a long life you have ahead of you, unless," he winked at Damon. Okay, seriously, enough was enough, Caroline decided.
"Klaus, do you mind helping me bring out the dessert," Caroline said getting up abruptly. Klaus looked at her and smiled, "Of course, love." Caroline shared a look with Enzo who looked increasingly agitated. She patted his shoulder in an effort to ask him not to worry as she and Klaus made their way to the kitchen.
"Okay, seriously, drop the threatening act. You're ruining my dinner," Caroline said taking the cake out of the oven and slamming it shut loudly.
"I'm sorry love, I'm just so – surprised," disgusted was the word he actually preferred, "that you'd settle for that. Thanksgiving dinners with the Salvatores and a – a life in a silly suburb with a husband who seems like a caricature of me, " Klaus came to stand in front of Caroline who had frozen mid-way plating the food. "I know you're not happy with all this Caroline. You can't be. There is a whole world out there, waiting for you," Klaus said placing his arms on her shoulders. Caroline shrugged them off with a stony look.
"I'd appreciate it if you said no more and left right now," Caroline said coldly, keeping her eyes trained on the cake, her palm clenching the knife. Klaus sighed.
"Why? Because I told you the truth you've been evading for these past two decades? Why did you never come to see me, Caroline? After all the letters I sent, after all the people I sent to retrieve you. You never – never came," Klaus's face held an agonizing expression. Caroline looked at him incredulously.
"That's the problem, Klaus. You sent me letters and people but you never came. It was always someone else trying to convince me to go back to you. To be your saving grace. You were so caught up with Hope that you were terrible things in the name of protecting her. I couldn't stay with you anymore. You were so – so brutal," Caroline spit out. "You revelled in the brutality," Caroline placed her palms on his chest and shoved him away. He was invading her personal space.
"You knew the person I was before you –"
"Yes, I did. Or I thought I did. But I guess I was wrong, right? I left for a reason. You killed Hayley's pack because they were frightened of what the baby could mean to their tribe. You killed her family. I left because I had to, Klaus. I couldn't love someone like you anymore," Caroline said with a defeated expression on her.
Klaus stared at her. She could feel the hurt, indignation and pain brewing inside him upon her words.
"Well, that's all changed now. Everything is back to normal. We can have the life we always wanted. What I can give you Caroline is what nobody anywhere could give you," Klaus said coming closer to her, trying to salvage this.
"It's not about what you can give," Caroline said shaking her head, "It's about what I want."
"You can't expect me to wait, and not change. You can't expect me to not move on," She said calmly, "You can't expect after twenty years for me to be waiting for you! My life isn't about you Klaus. Neither is it about us. It's about me. I get to make the decisions I want and see fit to. You can sit there and judge me all you want, but keep your opinions to yourself. You weren't there, when my mom died, when – when Stefan left, so much has happened. I'm in love, Klaus. With Enzo. I'm married to him."
"Oh come on, darling, we both know that this is just a way to spite me," Klaus said scoffing at her.
"How dare you try to make my marriage about you?" Caroline resisted the urge to slap him.
"I know you, Niklaus Mikaelson," Caroline whispered furiously as she poked at his chest, "You yearn to be bound by silly human conventions. You want special dinners, and rituals, you want a family, you want a commitment not based on coercion, so don't come in here and tell me that I'm living a charade, that I'm beneath you somehow for having a home, a husband and happiness. Stop trying to tell me how to live my life; I am not your daughter. Go back to New Orleans where you came from. I don't need you here. I don't want you here."
She heard the laughter in the other room, and her heart clenched for not being able to be a part of it. She ignored the agonized expression on Klaus's face. "Now, you're going to walk in with me with the bowl of ice-cream, and we're going to pretend this conversation didn't happen. You're going to make some excuse and leave early and then it's going to be the end of it." Her face told Klaus that any digression from the set course could prove dangerous to his withering friendship with Caroline. He nodded.
Klaus waited for precisely ten minutes and eleven seconds – yes, Caroline counted – before he chose to excuse himself.
"Well, as lovely as this has been, I'm afraid it's time for me to leave," Klaus said.
"Joy," Damon muttered. Elena swatted at his hand scolding him. Damon grumbled but pasted a sweet smile on his face. Only Elena had the heart to say something as polite as, "it was nice to see you, Klaus."
Klaus seemed surprised by the doppelganger's kindness and need for courtesy. He nodded, "Likewise. Goodbye, kids," Klaus smiled.
"Good bye, Uncle Klaus," the twins chirped up quietly upon the insisting glare of their mother.
"I'll see you to the door," Caroline murmured as she got up. She didn't want Enzo to go. What if Klaus said something stupid? Enzo wasn't the most rational person on the planet. He was as impulsive as Klaus, but not as strong as Klaus. Caroline didn't need any more drama.
"Caroline," Klaus began but Caroline shook her head gesturing him to stop. He'd said enough. But of course, when did the Big Bad Hybrid listen to anyone. "I – I wanted to apologize for being a dolt."
Caroline's eyes snapped to his'. She hadn't expected a sincere apology. "I didn't realize that time would be felt on your part too. I didn't realize because I was – am, a self-centred, git, who doesn't realize the truth even when it smacks him in the face. I didn't mean to insult you in your own home, or the way you spend your life. I envy you for having the courage to live the life you chose." His palm rose to touch her cheek but Caroline flinched and moved away. Klaus's palm curled into a fist as he withdrew his hand. He had no right. "I hope you have all the happiness in the world, love. Hope does want to meet her aunt Caroline, though. I hope that can be arranged sometime. She thinks I've made you up. Perhaps, I had..." He pressed a kiss against her forehead before whispering, "Good-bye, Caroline."
Caroline stood at the door taking two minutes to compose herself. "You alright, darling," she heard Enzo ask from behind her. She hugged him and nodded against his shoulder. "I just need a moment," she whispered feeling terribly hollow inside. Enzo held her tightly against himself rubbing her back soothingly. They stood there for ten minutes, holding each other in silence, and it was in that moment Caroline Forbes knew she had made the right choice all those years ago.