Disclaimer: I do not own either TVD or TO

Prologue

- You have to do something! – Hayley was feeling backed against the wall. The whole pregnancy situation destroyed all her plans to find parents. Now her life depended on Klaus and that was something she despised. 24 hours a day she was being watched. By Elija. She was pregnant with Klaus' child, but the only attention she was getting was from his brother. Elija seemed to care a great deal about her. Well, the child inside her. Klaus on the contrary wanted nothing to do with her. Never visited her even once. That hurt. Hayley couldn't quite grasp, what was happening to her, why that even bothered her in the first place. She put it down to the little thing inside of her. "That's just the hormones" – she assured herself. But that didn't help her much, she still had to face the fact, that she wanted Klaus' attention. She wanted the father of her child to care. She even pretended once to be sick, that the baby was in danger, but that only resulted in Elija showing up with his endless smothering. That was one strange family – the Originals – and now she was forced to be a part of it.

A first she had been living with Klaus, Rebecca and Elija in their mention on the outskirts of New Orleans. But Klaus just couldn't hide his irritation and had done everything in his power to convince Elija, that Hayley should be living in a quieter and safer place. So she ended up living with a Witch called Sophie, the one that got them in that mess. It was dangerous for werewolves and witches in the French Quarter, because of Marcel and his rules, so Sophie and Hayley had had to find a place somewhere far from the supernatural part of the town. Elija had found them a little cozy flat in the center of New Orleans, in the center of the human world in complete isolation from the supernatural one.

So she hadn't seen Klaus since the day she left the mention. But she wanted to, although the mere of seeing him made her want to barf, she wanted to see him. She just didn't know why. So she decided to ask Sophie for help.

- Are you sure, this is what you want? It's probably the baby talking. We have to be as far from Klaus and Marcel as possible, until the plan has been set in motion and Klaus has defeated Marcel

- But he doesn't care about the baby at all! He hasn't shown up here even once. I highly doubt he knows where we are at all. We have to…bind him to the baby and me somehow. Make the conection stronger. Make him care. Or else my life, the child's life and your plan will all be in danger. Think about it, Klaus is the most unstable creature, I have ever met. You may not know it, but I've seen it. How long do you think Elija will be able to influence his actions? He can easily one day decide that he doesn't want an heir and he doesn't want to kill Marcel. What then? – Those thoughts consumed the she-wolf, she was mortified. She had to protect her baby. If the witch didn't help her…

- Ok...you're right. But can I do?

- The one thing you witches do best. You cast a spell – now Hayley was smiling. She would succeed after all

- A spell? But what kind of spell do you want me to cast?

- You will create the strongest bond – she smiled mischievously

One more empty evening, a couple more emptied glasses. That evening Klaus locked himself in his study, which he had been doing a lot lately, so you could call it a habit. He succeeded in getting close to Marcel, in reconnecting with him. Just enough so the self-proclaimed King of New Orleans wouldn't get suspicious every time Klaus would "politely decline" his offer to go to his club. The Original was just not in the mood. Yes, blood and alcohol and the music, the night life - the way he remembered it in the best decades of his immortal life – undoubtedly helped him forget for a while the fact that he had got in bed with a bunch of amateur witches, who used his getting in bed with that feisty little werewolf to make him agree to their terms. He had come to get his throne back, but it turned out he had come to get a child(pun intended). He couldn't stop thinking about his mistake. It he had known it would end up like that, he wouldn't have got anywhere near that wolf-girl. Now he would have an heir. He had come to terms with it, and even caught himself being exited for the baby to come. But one thing never left his mind. Caroline. He understood that in that kind of situation he had lost all the chances with her, even the long chance of a future with her. But he just couldn't forget her. She was the first to catch his attention in the thousand years that he had lived, the first to make him want her so strongly that nothing was enough to make him quit. Not the never ending refusal, not the humiliation and how she had him wrapped around her little finger. She could have been his queen, reigned beside him, become a part of his family. But he couldn't bring himself to tell her about the baby. He had wanted to, at the graduation. He had come to say goodbye, when she was greeting her new adult life….

He stopped himself on that thought and started preparing a canvas, brushes and paint. He had to distract himself and painting was the best way to do it. He blended the colors, took a brush and lost deep in his thoughts started moving it on the canvas. Involuntary his mind came back to the day he last saw Caroline. She made her graduation speech from the stand hovering above everybody – the true queen. Strong, confident, fearless and immortal she talked about how she had changed that year. He would never forget her words: "We have lost so much this year. Some of us have lost their friends, some – their family. And we all lost hope at some point and the will to go on. We thought we were all stuck in this little town in an endless circle of loss. But one day, when I thought that my life had ended and there was nothing left for me to look forward to, someone told me there's a whole world out there, beyond Mystic Falls, waiting for me. Art, music – genuine beauty. And that world awaits all of us. Our lives change – that's unavoidable. Sometimes it's hard to accept the change, sometime the change helps us find who we truly are. But one thing I know for sure: if our life changes, it means we are alive…

I embrace the change. I started high school as an insecure neurotic control freak. I felt like I was stuck in the second place, that there always was someone better and more important than me. But someone helped me realize that there is a person that will put you at the pedestal and they will put your needs before theirs. Despite tha fact they're the most selfish person in the whole world. They will do that for you…."

He couldn't tell her about Hayley, he realized that that moment. He couldn't bear to let her feel again like she was in second place. Not to him. To him she would always be on the pedestal. That's why he would say goodbye to her, return to New Orleans, become a father there and reclaim his throne. He would forget her eventually. Right? He would forget her even if it took another thousand years to do that.

- Klaus! I can't believe you've come to congratulate me on my graduation day! – she smiled involuntary – the smile that only Caroline had. And he couldn't help but smile in return. He understood it was the last time, when he could see her, hear her and feel her presence, so he carefully and quietly was studying her features. He was salient only partially because he wanted to remember her face in detail, and partially because he didn't know what to say. But Caroline and salience don't mix well, so soon enough she broke it.

- What's the matter? You're looking at me kinda funny. Well, you always have a strange look on your face, but this time it's "strange" strange…Did something happen in New Orleans?

- What? What do you mean? How do you know I was in New Orleans? – Klaus started to panic. What if she knows? But she acts normal. She probably simply doesn't care…

But Caroline interrupted his thoughts once again - Kathrine literary threw a party when you left. Without saying a goodbye, by the way! -she said and pretended to be deeply offended, punching his shoulder slightly – Well, she told Stefan, Stefan told me. What's there even there in New Orleans? We have an ancient wizard on the loose running around Mystic Falls. Bonnie is acting strange and Elena….

- Caroline- Klaus interrupted her, knowing that the longer he stayed with her the harder it would be to leave – That's.. the reason, why I've come here today. New Orleans. I've wanted to talk to you, love. I'm leaving. Tomorrow. And I'm never coming back.

- I'm not coming with you

- Pardon me?

- I can't leave my friends, Klaus. I'm flattered that you were thinking about me when you were in New Orleans. And I would really like to see it. I'm sure you could show me the city like no one could. But I can't leave my friends, Mystic Falls – She wasn't rejecting him. No laughs, no rolling the eyes. She postponed the trip because of her friends. Damn him, that blonde just didn't want to make his life easier… - And you do understand that I can't travel around the world with you while Tyler is still on the run. From you. You are not scouring the earth for him, but if…

- He's free to return

- What? – Caroline was shocked. She was looking at him and not believing what she had just heard – What do you mean, he's free to return? Don't joke like that, Klaus…

- What I've just said. He is free to return to Mystic Falls. I'm not and I won't be hunting him down. Either way Mystic Falls for me… - She didn't let him finish what he was about to say, she put her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. At first his was stunned, but then hesitatingly hugged her in return. The smell of her hair filled him. He could easily spend an eternity like that, in her arms. But she let him go, she was smiling and her eyes were filled with tears.

- Thank you-Thank you- Thank you! But why?

- Consider it to be…my graduation gift for you – he smiled and added a little bit uncertainly – I have another gift for you and I would really like you to accept it, love – she looked at him with suspicion and he took a blue box from his pocket and she understood at once what he wanted to give her. Return to her, to be more exact. The second he opened the box the diamonds started playing in the sunlight. Caroline was speechless, so she just stood there looking at Klaus in awe, while he was putting the bracelet on her wrist. And only the clicking sound of the lock returned broke her haze. Something was wrong. He was looking at her with too much sadness, moving to hesitatingly, too carefully. Suddenly she felt like the world around them had frozen and the whole situation started to seem like a scene from a movie. That click of the lock sounded to fatal, and the present on her wrist looked too…goodbye.

- It's a farewell… - she asked quietly, it sounded more like a statement than a question. Klaus let go of her hand and took a step back. That was the moment when he disappeared from her life.

Klaus put the brush down and took a look at the painting. He had been painting lost deep in his memories of Caroline. And line at first shapeless and meaningless began to take her form. That farewell moment. She was no longer in his life, but there she was, in front of him, so real she was looking at him from the portrait: half-opened lips, confusion in her eyes, the rays of sunlight playing in her golden hair. He looked at her portrait and it seemed to him that everything else around him was drained of color. HE wasn't in his study anymore, surrounded by his paintings and clean canvases, paints. No he was in some dark place and only her portrait could light that abyss.

It was foolish of him to think that he would ever be able to forget her. How could one forget blue starry sky above green fields of England? Or Rome at the break of dawn? How about a melody so sweet it had imprinted itself in one's soul? Or a voice worthy of an angel full of passion and singing about love in a place love had forgotten. The same way he couldn't forget her there at the ball his mother had organized to kill him and his siblings. Caroline, his only queen, in the dress HE had picked out for her. Memories of her waved upon him and he felt as if he was suffocating, but he couldn't break his eye contact with Caroline's portrait.

*thump*

- What?...

*thump*

- This cannot be… - his heart couldn't be beating – he's a hybrid, his heart does not beat. Klaus felt faint, his vision darkened and he grabbed the edge of the table in order not to fall.

*thump*

Blood rushed to Klaus' head with force, so he put his hands on his head to weaken the pain somehow. His eyes went black and orbits became yellow. The pain wouldn't go away pulsing in his temples.

*thump*

- Nick! – Rebecca's voice called

*thump*

– Nick! Damn it, have you locked yourself up in your study again? – the voice came nearer

*thump*

Rebecca came up to the door into Klaus' study and tried the handle – the door was locked as she had expected – Like it would stop me – Rebecca broke the lock and opened the door. As she entered the room she asked rhetorically – Locks on door in a house full of vampires? Really? – but even his sister's angry voice couldn't get Klaus attention. He was standing in front of the easel his back turned to her.

- Nick! – still no reaction. Rebecca gave a sigh of irritation and came up to her brother to see what he was so hypnotized by – There is definitely something wrong with you!

- What do you want, Rebecca – Klaus said indifferently, not once looking away from the portrait

- More like what I DON'T want. I don't want to watch you pine every single day after some baby vampire you have left in that God forsaken little town. Should've left! – she threw her hand dramatically in the air

- I didn't leave her – was all Klaus said to that. His voice was calm and steady, but he still wasn't looking at his sister. Rebecca started to flip out and slapped him on the head.

- What was that for, Becca? – Klaus roared finally turning to face his sister

- Come on, get a grip of yourself! Go find another blonde distraction! You're pathetic, Nick! – on that she left the study

Klaus was furious. Furious and agitated, as he should be. Whatever hypnotized and made him feel things he shouldn't be feeling was chased away by Rebecca's hysterical rampage. He carefully looked at the painting. It was a very beautiful and the likeness was striking. But he still couldn't get what captured him so strongly when he had painted it. It was just a painting. Later he would put it in the storage room to his other works, but for now he would leave it here to dry. Rebecca was right – he needed a distraction. Maybe a blonde one.