This child of mine

Chapter 1: Heartbeat

Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners

Caroline woke up with a start. She sat up straight in bed and looked around trying to find exactly what was amiss. She closed her eyes and listened. She could hear the electricity hum throughout the house, the snoring of her neighbor and the wind blowing through the trees. Her eyes flew open. There was a strange heartbeat by the front door. Stronger and faster than a human but there was a quality to it that she couldn't place.

She ran out of bed and went to the door. Caroline held the knob, debating quickly if there was danger outside but there was only that steady beat. Before she could change her mind, she threw open the door.

There was a sleeping child, a young boy, curled up on the floor with a crumpled note in his fist. Caroline knelt down and tried to get the piece of paper without waking the boy. But the second she touched his hand, the boy's eyes flew open—a deep blue she thought she had seen for the last time the night of her high school graduation years ago.

Caroline's mouth fell open in surprise, thinking if this boy were somehow related to Klaus. But she shook her head. Impossible. This child was human, or some version of one considering his heartbeat was not quite right.

The boy sat up and stared at her in silence.

"Hi." Caroline said with a smile that she hoped was kind and warm.

"Hi," the boy replied, his bottom lip trembling as if he were about to cry.

In an instant, Caroline reached out and took him in her arms. "You're safe, sweetie. It's okay. Can you tell me your name? So I can look for your mommy and daddy, then take you home?"

The little boy didn't cry but sniffled softly as he held out his fist, letting Caroline take the note from him.

Caroline—

His name is Samuel. He likes to be called Sam.

Protect him. Please. You're the only one I can trust with him.

He is my son.

The letter was unsigned but there was no doubt in her mind about the father of the child she held in her arms. There was about a hundred questions hurtling through her mind but she pushed them aside and focused on the shaking little arms that clung to her.

"Sam?" Caroline asked quietly. "How we get you into bed, little man?"

"Are you Caroline?" Sam asked with a yawn.

Caroline stood up and carried Sam inside, who put his arms around her neck and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Yes, that's my name." Caroline answered as she made her way up the stairs.

"My dad told me you're going to take care of me." Sam said, yawning as Caroline settled him down on her own bed, pulling up the covers to his chin.

"I guess I am." Caroline said with a sigh as she ran her hand through his hair, "Sleep tight, sweetie. I'll be right here."

"Promise?" Sam asked suddenly afraid.

"I promise." Caroline said leaning forward to kiss him on the forehead.

"You don't have a heartbeat." Sam said softly as his eyes drifted to a close. "Like my dad."

"Oh, we're going to have a long talk about your dad in the morning." Caroline said shaking her head. "He's got a world of explaining to do."

"Is he in trouble?" Sam asked without waiting for an answer as he finally fell asleep once more.

Caroline sighed as she looked out the window. "Sweetie, he is trouble."

She started to stand up, but a small hand clung to hers and she decided to stay. Calling, no screaming at Sam's father can wait till sunrise. In the meantime, Caroline turned out the lights and settled beside the boy and watched his chest rise and fall as he slept.

Klaus watched the house settle into darkness once more. He listened as the boy's heart beat a slower and steadier rhythm as he slept. He waited a few seconds to see if Caroline would run out and check if he was somewhere lurking in the dark. His phone remained silent as well.

"It's time to go, Nik." Rebekah said quietly. "Sam will be fine. She will love him. Everyone falls for that little boy's charms. And as much as I'm sure she probably would like to strangle you right now, Caroline won't let anything happen to the boy."

"He's going to look for me." Klaus said standing still, staring at the house.

"That can't be helped, Nik." Rebekah said. "But staying won't save Matt or Elijah and it won't help us protect Sam. We need to go now."

Klaus let out a long drawn breath before turning around to leave.

"I did not think it would be this hard to walk away." Klaus said. "I did not expect to love him."

Rebekah smiled, an edge of bitterness in her voice, "He's your son. And you left him with the woman you wish were his mother. Anyone else would have stayed to see if they could make something out of that, live the dream and all. But you're not just anyone. We're not ever going to be human and ordinary. I've accepted that now. We either destroy the world or save it because we cannot be killed. We are the ones who walk away."

"No." Klaus said stopping in the middle of the street to face his sister. "I'm am coming back to this town. I am coming back for my son, my heir. I will take back Sam, bring him to school, teach him how to hunt, to fight and watch him be a better man than I ever was. "

"And?" Rebekah asked, prompting her brother to continue.

"And that doesn't change her place in my life." Klaus said walking again. "We will be together in the end, Rebekah. Caroline is meant to be with me."

"Who would have thought you're as much a fool for love as the rest of us?" Rebekah said.

"Be grateful for it or you would have no one with you on this errand." Klaus said with the hint of a smile.

Rebekah shook her head, turning serious, "You really do love the cheerleader."

"The captain of the squad." Klaus said with a smile, "Yes, I love her."