November, 1998

Caroline grabbed the largest suitcase she could find from her walk-in closet and started throwing random articles of clothing in it. With tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, she couldn't even see what she was shoving inside her luggage. It didn't matter. She would just ask Rebekah to come get the rest of her stuff. The only thing she needed to do right now was to get the hell out of the house. She zipped her suitcase and was about to turn around when someone hugged her from behind.

"Caroline please.. please, love.. don't do this."

She closed her eyes and willed herself not to scream. He can't just say things like that and call her "love" and expect things to be okay. To be fixed. No matter how hard they tried, some things are just beyond repair.

"Nik. Let me go." She shrugged Klaus' hands off of her and started dragging her suitcase out the closet.

"Ca-caroline..please.." She finally turned to face Klaus and saw that he had tears in his eyes and his hair was a mess from the bean bag chair Caroline threw at him minutes ago. It would've been quite a hilarious sight if it wasn't so depressing at the same time. Caroline knew that if she stayed a little longer, if she allowed herself to be comforted, she would drop her suitcase and come running back to his arms. It's like an endless cycle, really.

Niklaus and Caroline met at the Mystic Cruise when Caroline was having one of her 'soul-searching' moments and decided to take a cruise in Europe. It was kind of like a whirlwind romance. They got married four years ago after dating for only three months. The first few months of their marriage had been great. While Nik left Britain to be with Caroline, he had to keep flying back to London for his art business. When flying back and forth became too tedious even for Klaus, he decided to close his art business. Klaus tried to open a US branch but it didn't work out so he decided to teach art at Whitmore. Caroline was still in college so it wasn't like she could just leave. Nothing could beat the happiness Caroline felt when she found out that she was pregnant with day their twin boys were born was the best day of Caroline's life. Klaus was the perfect father to their sons. A year after the twins were born, Caroline noticed a few changes with Klaus. He started coming home late and more often that not, drunk. He was always complaining and blaming Caroline for numerous things. Caroline, in turn, started to resent Nik. They both focused on the kids and on their respective jobs just so they could avoid each other. They just kept fighting. Screaming and throwing of things were involved. It kept going like that until..until it stopped. They stopped fighting, but only because they stopped caring. She just couldn't see the Nik she fell in love with anymore. Just glimpses of him. And perhaps.. perhaps she too wasn't the Caroline he fell in love with four years ago. They just changed and drifted apart. It went on for a while and harsh words were exchanged. Caroline thought she could handle it.. Thought that she loved Klaus enough to bear it all. Until..well, until now.

"I just can't do this anymore, Nik."

Caroline noticed how Klaus' expression turned cold. "So that's it, then. You're leaving. After four years of being together."

"Maybe we rushed into this too soon. Maybe we were too young." Caroline knew it was too late to be saying these. It would've been easier if it were just them. The twins would be affected too. But Caroline would rather she and Klaus separate than have the twins grow up in a home with two parents constantly fighting and drifting apart. It would hurt them more in the future if they didn't end this now. "We go days and weeks without having a meaningful conversation. You don't tell me your problems and worries anymore. And to be honest..there are times when I don't want to hear it." Caroline noticed Klaus looking hurt but she had to tell him. She just had to. "Sometimes I just don't care enough anymore. And you don't too."

Caroline saw Klaus about to protest but she beat him to it. "Believe me, you don't. At this point we're just together for our sons. Can you honestly say that I'm still the Caroline you fell in love with?"

When Klaus said nothing for the longest time, Caroline knew the answer.

"Leave, then." Klaus said in that dead calm manner of his that Caroline secretly hated. He then turned to stare out the window. She preffered him screaming his head off at her than this. It was like he's giving up. Caroline internally shook her head. Isn't this what she wanted though? To finally end all this angst and just..leave?

"Okay." Caroline didn't know what else to say. There was no point in arguing anymore. They've already had this conversation before. She didn't want to dwell on her feelings now because she knows that if she starts she'll never stop and she'll never leave. Better stick to the technical stuff for now. "I'll call you once I settle a meeting with the lawyers. I'm taking the twins with me."

At that, Klaus turned around furiously. "You are NOT taking my sons away from me."

Klaus looked so vulnerable and scared right then and there that Caroline wanted to reach out to him but she willed herself to stay put.

"For now. I meant for now. While things aren't settled yet. I'm not taking them away from you. You're still their father no matter what happens between us." Caroline tried to reassure him.

"How are we going to work this out?" Klaus asked, his voice tired. Caroline never saw him look more defeated.

"I don't know, Nik. Just..wait for my call." Caroline said then grabbed her suitcase and started to walk out the door.

"Caroline." The tone in Klaus' voice made Caroline stop. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." She took one last look at Nik, then turned around and walked right out of the life she thought was hers forever.

She never looked back, and he never ran after her.

June, 2013

Mystic Falls, Virginia

"Nathan Forbes, you've been in there for almost thirty minutes. Remember we still need to drop by the Grill before we leave. You don't wanna miss the plane, sweetie." Caroline said as she knocked in her son's bathroom door. She took a step back when it suddenly opened.

"Jeez mom, relax. We don't leave for another six hours, anyway." Nathan said as he moved past his mom to continue his last minute packing.

"Why aren't you packed yet, mister? I told you last night-"

Nathan grabbed his mom's shoulders. "Mom. Relax. The camp's not going anywhere. Okay?"

Caroline sighed, she knew that she was being more neurotic that usual, but she couldn't help it. She's going to be separated from her son for a month. She even booked herself a flight as well to drop him off despite her son's complaints that he can go there by himself. She had none of it though. Surely she can be excused for this behavior right?

Meanwhile in London ..

"Aunt Bekah, please tell me why you allowed dad to ship me overseas?" Clayton Mikaelson asked as he was waiting for his plane to board. He was sitting with his Aunt Bekah while his dad was buying some coffee. He was here because his dad suddenly thought that sending him to a camp was a good learning experience or whatever.

"We've been over this." Klaus said as he sat down beside his son.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "If it were up to me, we'd be on a plane to Rome right now, just imagine all the shopping.. afternoons sipping lattes.."

"Ah, but it's not up to you is it?" Klaus teased his younger sister.

"Honestly Nik, why send the poor kid to a hideous camp when he can be enjoying his summer with me in Rome?"

"Its edu-"

"Educational, I know." Rebekah said and made a dying face at Clay. He laughed and tried to school his features when his dad made his 'don't start' face at him.

"It'll be over before you know it, and you'll meet a lot of people there. It'll be fun, I promise." Klaus reassured. Although Clay wasn't so sure. He was not comfortable meeting new people and being outside his comfort zone. But maybe its time to change that.

He sighed and sipped on his latte, waiting for the call for boarding. This was going to be a long month he could tell.