Caroline's face dropped and she gasped from breath as she dived for the door but it was too late, he'd said the magic words. She felt herself struggling for breath as a familiar hand held her by the neck and against the wall.

"Hello Caroline, it's been awhile! I was beginning to think I would never find you!" His hand pressed against her jugular and squeezed. She scratched at the hand and gasped.

Nicholas flew into the house and tried to grab his mother's assailant by the arm "hey what the hell man! Let her go!"

Caroline's attacker, easily used his free arm to shove Nicholas back and threw him to one side, she looked on in horror as her son hit the wall and crumpled to the floor unconscious. Caroline scratched at the arm holding her desperately trying to free herself.

Her assailant looked at her again, leaned in and crushed his lips against hers. Caroline kept her lips tightly closed wishing she was able to turn her head away. He pulled back and looked at her smugly

"How dare you! She growled "How did you find me Tyler?" The initial shock of seeing Tyler again begun to dissipate and the realisation that if Tyler had found her then 'He' may not be far behind, her eyes flicked to the door momentarily almost expecting the fearful apparition of an angry hybrid.

"I've been looking for you for a long time Care, I asked myself why you would go to such lengths to hide from your friends, from me!" He reached behind her and grabbed Nicholas' picture of the wall, he eyes turned gold as a cold realisation dawned and his anger mounted, "You screwed Klaus!" He glared at the unconscious boy across the hallway.

Caroline closed her eyes as the tears slide from her eyes, "please don't hurt my son!"

"Oh don't worry, I'm not here to kill him, not today at least. You know I used to think Klaus had done something to you! That is until I spent some time in New Orleans and found out that he had no idea where you were." He leaned in closer to look her in the eye "and do you know, I'd say he didn't even care enough to find out, he was too busy shacking up with Hayley playing happy families with their daughter hope. You did know about hope right? That you were clearly not the only girl he screwed in mystic falls."

Caroline blinked "yes, I know about hope" "what do you want!" she asked

Tyler smiled, "I want Klaus to suffer, I have nothing to lose anymore and he has everything!, I've been planning for a very long time, but there was always one piece of the puzzle missing, one piece that I had to figure out... you Caroline and now I know your secret! Well it finally time to send Klaus a message 'tell him I'm coming for everyone he loves, when I'm done he will beg for death'"

In a split second his fangs had protruded and sliced into Caroline's throat and then he was gone, Caroline sank to the floor clutching her neck. Her breath caught, 'Nikky!' She scrambled across the hall to where he had fallen. She gently shook his shoulder, "Nikky baby, are you ok"

He groaned as he came to and sat up hurried at the sight of his mother's wound, "mom! what happened, why isn't it healing?"

She had been fairly honest with Nicholas about what she was from as early as he could remember, given his parentage she felt he should know mostly everything. Although he himself and never showed any signs of being anything other than human.

She shook her head and grimaced "werewolf bite... argghh Damn him"

Nicholas's face paled, "aren't those deadly for vampires?"

She nodded "yes"

He felt the tears well up in his eyes, "Oh god, are you going to die?"

Caroline took a deep breath and stood up, she grabbed Nicholas's hand and pulled him up with her "No! There is one thing that can heal a werewolf bite, Tyler knew that! That's why he bit me"

"A cure?"

She walked towards the door, "Come on lets go, we have a long drive and I don't know how much time I have!"

When they got to the car she threw the keys at him, he caught them in surprise "your letting me drive" she nodded as she slid into the passenger seat, he sat behind the wheel "where are we going?"

He watched his mother take a deep breath before answering "New Orleans, as fast as you can?"

When they were out on the open road, Nik looked at his mother, she sat slumped in her seat, a few strands of hair had worked loose from her tight bun. Part of the ruse she maintained to look like a mum on the PTA board and not a 17 year old girl. She told him all about her vampirism and as much about her life before having him as she could, although he knew she was holding details back, especially when he came to his father and why they were in hiding.

"So tell me about this cure?"

Her eyes flicked open, and she scrabbled in the glove compartment for a piece of paper and a pen. "When we get to New Orleans, you need to take me to this address and ask for this man, he will know what to do!"

She didn't dare tell her son the whole truth, that there was the distinct possibility that Klaus would refuse to heal her and would watch her die there and then out of spite or revenge. It wouldn't be the first time he had held her life in his hands and toyed with it.

"Nikky honi, I love you!" she mumbled as she felt her body heat up, the werewolf venom coursing through her veins.

"Mom, don't start that, you are going to be ok?"

"I'm going to start hallucinating soon, don't pay any attention to what I say ok!"

Nicholas floored the gas pedal and headed for new Orleans, and a couple of hours later when finally saw the sign for the city limits he let out the breath he had be holding, he glanced at his mother, she had slipped into unconsciousness a few miles back and had been muttering to herself "I know you are in love with me" she mumbled As he drove into the city he carefully followed the address instructions until he could drive no further, he parked the car and hurried around to lift his mother out. He glanced at the map on his phone the house wasn't far from here, he moved down the street carrying his mother in his arms until he stood before the house address on the paper, he glanced up at the M on the gates and bravely stepped forward. He didn't know what he would find inside but he had to save his mother.

He stepped into an indoor outdoor courtyard, there where stairs towards the back leading towards and indoor balcony, the yard was scattered with tables and chairs, of to his left there where a group of people gathered around some outdoor lounge chairs, they were all dress in black like they had been to a funeral and they had been laughing and sharing a bottle of whiskey when Nik entered, he scanned the group, wondering which one was the man he was looking for?

One man's face in particular had paled when he saw them, in a breath he found the weight of his mother being lifted out of his arms and in another breath he watched the pale man lay her down on the outdoor sofa, he watch as the man inspected his mother's wound,

Nik stepped forward "It's a werewolf bite, she said to ask for Klaus?!"

An impeccably dressed man stepped towards him and looked intently at him, "have we met?"

Nik shook his head "where is Klaus, can he help her or not?" he asked worriedly, he watched suspiciously as the man at his mother's side bit his wrist and held it to her mouth, Nik stepped forward in confusion but the well-dressed man placed a reassuring had on his shoulder to hold him back, "it's quite alright I assure you, Ms Forbes will make a speedy recovery now she has my brothers blood in her system".

Nik frowned "his blood?"

Caroline felt the warmth of blood on her lips and she drank, opening her eyes, she looking into familiar ones filled with fear and confusion. She let go of his wrist, "Klaus?" she whispered, he nodded "Hello Love!" she smiled softly momentarily caught in the euphoria of his gaze and the warm blood on her lips. For a few seconds she was lost in the bubble of them, oblivious to the outside world, her eyes drinking in the contours of his face her mind began to dwell on the similarities, she gasped and sat up "Nikky!" as soon as she could see past Klaus she spied her son across the room by Elijah, he moved towards her "Its ok, I'm here"

She breathed a sigh of relief and swung her legs out from beside Klaus and planted her feet on the floor. Her son touched her neck, the wound was almost healed "you ok now!" "yeah" she nodded, her stomach was doing back flips, this was the day she had been wanting and dreading in equal measure, her eyes locked with Klaus's as she wondered how she was ever going to tell him. "This is Klaus, his blood is the cure for a werewolf bite" Nik turned to Klaus and held out his hand "Thank you! For saving my mother"

Caroline closed her eyes and sank back into the sofa, there it was out there in the open, and she found herself expectantly awaiting a tirade of questions. Klaus stood clearly sizing up his would be son, she opened her eyes to find him glaring at her his bubbling anger apparent only to her, she could see the cogs turning as Klaus gave Nicholas another once over and did the math. He disregarded the boys out stretched hand and headed over to outdoor bar, he poured himself a large whiskey and downed it.

"Mom, what's going on?"

Caroline pulled her eyes away from Klaus's back and stood in front of her son, she smile weakly "nothing for you to worry about" she flinched as she heard Klaus slam his glass down on the counter.

She turned determined to say something to Klaus but found Elijah blocking her path.

"Miss Forbes, I think I speak for everyone here when I express my surprise to see you again and with a son no less, but since vampires can't procreate…." Elijah paused as he heard Klaus scoff somewhere behind him followed by the sound of yet another drink being poured. The boy that referred to Caroline as his mother placed a protective arm around her shoulder. There was a determined scowl that swept across the boy's face that almost had Elijah take a step back in surprise. He'd seen that look on his brother only this morning. "This vampire can, or I wouldn't be here" the boy stated.

Elijah pulled his thoughts together and looked at the boy. "My name is Elijah Michaelson, welcome to our home, you and your mother? Can stay as long as you wish, isn't that right Niklaus"

Klaus sauntered over to stand the other side of the sofa, eyeing Caroline and his son carefully

"She can do as she bloody well pleases," he downed another whisky

Elijah ignored him "So young man what can we call you?"

NIk held out his hand again "I'm Nicholas Forbes, but you can call me Nik"

He looked relived as Elijah shook his hand, not really sure what to make of the atmosphere. He looked at his mother. Her eyes where glistening "Nikky I…."

"We should go" with his arm still firmly around her shoulder he began to guide them to the door. Caroline glanced over her shoulder at Klaus wondering if would let them leave, but he currently seemed more interested in drowning in whiskey

It was Elijah who spoke "Miss Forbes, I really think you should stay for the wake!"

She stood still "What wake?"

Elijah looked at her sadly "Bonnies"

Caroline felt her heart sink "Bonnie's dead?"

Pulling away from Nik she went and sank onto the sofa again and buried her head in her hands, she felt the weight of someone sitting beside of her, Nik placed his hand on her back "I'm sorry mom... but doesn't that mean the spell wore off" Caroline lifted her head from hands and looked at her son realisation in her eyes "yes, that must be why he found us!"

Nik grasped his mother's hands "look I'm sorry about back home, it was all my fault I don't know why I invited him home,"

"Nikky honi its ok, it's my fault, he compelled you to invite him home, if I hadn't have run out of vervain last week"

"But why did he attack us?"

Caroline cupped her sons' cheek, "Because he hates your father, and he wanted to send him a message."

Nik looked confused "what message?"

She sighed "You Nikky, you are the message" she took a deep breath "Klaus is you father"

A/N so for anyone who is wondering, I'm going for a slightly shell shocked Klaus. Which is why he is not saying much at this point in time…. He will though eventually. Also I found when I was reading this chapter back I circled between Nicholas, nikki and nik quite a lot, it will even out to just nik once the story gets going . Caroline calls him nikky to baby him I plan on addressing this later, when I'm writing from Nicolas's point of view I used nik because that's how he sees himself