Authors Note: Wow, I'm so lucky to have had such supportive feedback from so many readers! You have absolutely convinced me to go ahead and keep writing this story. I'm not too sure where it's going, but I've got a hazy kind of outline and I just kind of like the idea. I know it's a bit weird, as several of you have said- haha! I hope you enjoy this update and keep interested in the story.

I do acknowledge that the subject matter of motherhood, surrogacy, adoptive or step-parenthood and all that is fraught with emotion and can I just reiterate that this is fiction- I am just trying to imagine what Caroline might be going through with this and am not trying to make any statements about what makes a 'real' parent or anything like that. If you don't like it, please feel free to not read any further!

Disclaimer: TVD and The Originals are both owned by people who are not me.

Caroline has, encouraged by Elena, drained three blood bags by the time Klaus makes it to the bedroom door.

After months of being stuck out of phase, somewhere half way between human and vampire, Caroline's blood lust is rising and she's glad for it. The Spirits of the witches who protected Klaus's spawn had altered her body so that she was human enough to nourish and grow a child in her womb, but the side effects had not been a barrel of laughs for the blonde girl. The blood that her hybridised body still demanded had started to taste increasingly unpleasant over the past weeks, not to mention her vampire abilities seemed to come and go as frequently as her mood swings.

Of course, for Caroline to actually give birth to the child, the witches had cast a spell to remove her healing powers temporarily. It was, apparently, the only way to stop her body recovering itself too quickly to allow the birthing process to occur. Caroline was pretty sure the Spirits who had played havoc on her physiology for the length of the pregnancy would have this covered, but neither the coven nor the Originals were risking the baby at this late stage on an uncertainty. So Caroline had ended up with Agnes—the black haired, bead wearing witch crone—her great-niece Sophie and her granddaughter Ellen chanting round a mystical triangle while she pushed Hayley's child out of her hijacked body.

They are all gone now though, and Caroline's weakness has gone with them. She can feel the muscles in her abdomen, the bruising inside and the tearing between her legs all healing up. Everything is tightening, smoothing, restoring now. In another few minutes, Caroline thinks, nobody would be able to tell she has carried and birthed a child. There will be nothing left at all.

A half-sob escapes her, and she doesn't really know why.

'Caroline,' Klaus says, from the doorway. He looks almost happy, and also kind of uncertain. She's fairly sure she's never seen him look either of those things before.

She passes the empty blood bag back to Elena and concentrates on withdrawing her fangs. Her gaze flickers down to the sweet-smelling tiny scrap of life currently sleeping in Klaus's arms and suddenly her stomach feels like lead.

'If you want to talk,' she says, coldly, 'then ask Elena to take the baby downstairs. I don't want it in here.' Hurt flashes in Klaus's deep blue eyes. He looks to Elena and she sighs, nods and moves to take the child from Klaus. She gives Caroline a small smile before leaving the room.

So then it's just the two of them, and Klaus is making his way slowly to Caroline's bedside, all calm and non-threatening, like she's a wounded animal liable to lash out any second. She supposes that's how he sees her.

'How are you feeling, love?' he asks gently.

Caroline snorts.

'Great,' she says, sarcastically. She waves her hand at the pile of empty blood bags. 'Your witches removed the spell. I'm sure you heard.' She glares at him defiantly. 'I'm nearly good as new already.'

Klaus nods, glances down at his hands where they are joined in front of him. He'd wanted to be there by her side tonight, she knew, but thankfully he'd adhered to her outright ban on him coming anywhere near the room while she gave birth. Having Rebekah there was the compromise Caroline had unwillingly made.

'I want to thank you, Caroline. I know... It could hear it wasn't easy tonight. I'm aware the past few months haven't exactly been happy ones for you.' He looks up, and his eyes are brightly burning as they meet Caroline's cool gaze. 'What you've done though, sweetheart, I could never thank you enough for this chance you've given me. He's... He's amazing.'

'Congratulations,' Caroline says, tightly. She can feel the walls of ice stacking up around her heart, protecting her from all this and she clings to that protection. She cannot afford to let him in and this—Klaus, like this, all passion and raw emotion—is dangerous territory.

Klaus blinks. His hands run through his hair, ruffling the dirty blond locks into disarray.

'Rebekah says you haven't held him,' he questions, cautiously.

'No,' Caroline replies. 'Why should I? He's not mine to hold.' Klaus sighs, heavily and reaches out to take Caroline's hand, where it's resting on the bedcovers. She quickly yanks it out of his reach. Thank goodness her vampire reactions have returned now. Caroline turns her face away from Klaus.

'Can I leave now?' she asks. Out of the corner of her eyes she sees Klaus stiffen momentarily.

'What?' he asks, hoarsely.

'The witches' barrier spell that has kept me trapped in New Orleans for six months,' Caroline states, blankly. 'Is it down now?' She clenches her fists in her lap and glares at him. 'Your brood mare's done her job. Can I leave now?'

Klaus looks appalled. It's a funny look on a person who's tortured men to death and made blood sacrifices of teenagers to further his own powers.

'Where will you go?'

'I don't know,' she shrugs. 'Anywhere away from here. Maybe Italy?'

'I have a villa—' he offers, but she cuts his words short with an incredulous laugh.

'No,' she says, bitterly. 'I think I've spent enough time in your houses.'

Klaus rolls his eyes, helplessly.

'Then let me book you a hotel suite, wherever you like. With your friends, if you prefer. Have some time to unwind.'

Caroline sighs and shakes her head.

'Klaus,' she says, quietly. 'Don't you get it? I don't want you to do anything. I just want to leave.' She doesn't have to look to know the depth of emotion swirling in the Hybrid's eyes. Klaus never took rejection well.

'But, the boy—' he growls. If he lets her go gallivanting around the globe, how will he bring her back again? How will he make sure his son gets to know the only mother he has left?

'Your boy,' Caroline reminds him. 'Yours and Hayley's.'

'Hayley is dead,' Klaus says, exasperatedly.

'Not my fault!' Caroline replies, eyes flashing annoyance. 'You're the one who knocked the wolf girl up. You're the one who couldn't keep his temper well enough for the Spirits to believe you wouldn't rip her and your unborn child to shreds!'

'How many times do I have to apologise for unwittingly placing you in this position?' Klaus objects. 'It's not like I knew any of this would happen, could happen even. You think I don't see the sacrifices you've made this year, that I don't realise all you've done for this family? I never meant for you to be involved with any of this.'

'Exactly,' Caroline states, hollowly. Something is breaking inside her at the truth of his words. 'I'm not the girl you slept with. I'm not the girl you got pregnant and, you know what, you can't just decide to make me a second choice backup mother to that kid just because your tantrums got his real mother killed.'

Klaus clenches his jaw and Caroline knows she has to nip this in the bud before it escalates into the same argument they've had a dozen times since she realised she was carrying Klaus's child. It doesn't matter now. She's free, she thinks. She hopes.

'Klaus,' she sighs, sinking back against the oversized pillows is she propped up against. 'It's been a long night. I just pushed a child out of my vagina and I'd kind of like to get some rest. Can we talk about this later?'

She watches as Klaus rubs his hand over the scruff on his face, and nods as patiently as he can.

'Of course, love,' he says. 'You should rest. I'm glad you're healing quickly.' He stands, glancing at her once more with those bottomless, emotion filled eyes that Caroline has never learned how to deal with. 'Will you see him when you've rested?'

Caroline steels herself not to flinch.

'Maybe,' she says. She waits until the sound of Klaus's retreat has faded before pulling back the bedcovers and stripping out of her sleep shirt. By the time Elena makes it back up to the room, Caroline is dressed and busy pulling on her boots.

'What are you doing?' Elena asks, confused.

'I can't stay here,' Caroline says, keeping her voice low and, hopefully, unheard by the Originals downstairs. 'I just can't. Not one minute longer.' She looks up at her friend, who has been the greatest comfort she could have asked for these past months, let alone the most recent awful hours. She knows that she owes Elena her sanity and, probably, a lot more than that. It's a debt that Caroline fully intends to repay, as long as they are both living. 'Are you coming with me?'

'Of course,' Elena says, simply. She grabs her bag from under the dresser and shoves a few things into it, then glances at Caroline. 'Aren't you bringing anything?'

'There's nothing here I need,' Caroline says.

Elena nods, understanding as ever.

'You want to take the front door, then, or...' she trails off and motions to the large sash window by Caroline's bed. It's a full storey drop to the garden below, but Caroline seems pretty much back to her usual vampire strength and, let's face it, they've both had enough of the Original family for now. Possibly forever.

Caroline smirks.

The girls are half way across the city before Elijah comments on the lack of noise from the upper floor. Klaus stares silently at the curtains rustling minutely in the muggy air that flows through the open window, standing in the room that still smells of the woman he loves.

He kills that night, but Caroline is still gone.

:::

Six months ago

'You killed her,' Caroline snarls. 'An innocent girl. This baby's mom!'

Well, maybe innocent is a bit of a stretch, but then who the hell is innocent these days? Hayley had manipulated Klaus into slaughtering twelve hybrids—her so called friends—to find her family. Then again, Caroline killed twelve witches to save Bonnie. She isn't in Hayley's fan club, and she could definitely have lived a cheerful eternity without knowing Klaus and the she-wolf had got hot and sweaty together, but still. Hayley didn't deserve the fate these witches had doled out to her.

Sophie Deveraux looks guilty, but determined, as Caroline faces her down across the courtyard table.

They're in some kind of witchy hangout in the French quarter. A cobbled square surrounded by the rear entrances to buildings that the witches live or work in. Sophie's restaurant is one of them; the smell of spiced stew wafting out from the open kitchen door and mixing with the incenses in the courtyard. Candles and flowers decorate the square, scattered around the seating areas and the large open fire pit that could have been for cooking or magical purposes.

There are at least half a dozen of Sophie's coven sisters in the yard, but they didn't look too concerned as Caroline stormed in to confront them. She guesses they aren't going to get their beads in a bunch over a three month pregnant lady getting narky with them.

'We didn't know Hayley would die,' Sophie argues, teeth clicking in a way that irritates Caroline. Actually, everything about this girl irritates her—the wide eyes, the smoky voice... heck, even the defiant set of her jaw sets Caroline's fangs on edge.

'Well that's the problem when you mess with forces beyond your understanding, sweetie,' Caroline glares at the dark-haired girl. 'Trust me on this, I have a little experience with magical FUBARs. Which is, by the way, the situation we're in now. So you better get your witchy friends together and fix this right the hell now.'

'We can't,' Sophie says. 'The spell is cast and cannot be undone. The Spirits guard the child now. They will do whatever is necessary to ensure the child is safe and protected until Klaus is ready to fulfil that role.'

'Newsflash, brainiac,' Caroline says, incredulously. 'Klaus wants nothing to do with this baby. He'd as soon as kill it as lift a finger to protect it.'

'That's why the Spirits have acted,' Sophie explains, her jaw jutting again. Caroline fights back the urge to slap her across her pretty face. She figures Sophie will cross paths again with Rebekah soon enough anyway, and the Original sister is much freer with her gratuitous violence. 'We could not have known how the Spirits would act to protect the child, only that they would do so. The saw that Klaus would have killed Hayley and the unborn baby with her, so they made a decision. Hayley is an unfortunate sacrifice made for the greater good.'

Caroline scoffs at the brunette's idealism.

'But why me?' she asks. 'Why do the Spirits want to set me up as Klaus's next victim? If he wants this child dead then how do the mighty witch Spirits think they are going to protect us both from Klaus?'

'Don't you see, child?' The voice comes from behind Caroline, and she whirls to see Sophie's great-aunt, the crone of the New Orleans coven, standing right there. Her eyes are bright in the candle light and there's a constant aura of magic about this woman that makes her seem almost otherworldly. Caroline doesn't like her much, either.

'You are the protection,' the crone continues. 'You have the Hybrid's heart. Klaus loves you. He will protect you from any enemy; kill for you, fight for you. As long as that baby grows within your womb Klaus will keep you both from any harm.'

'Oookay,' Caroline blinks, overwhelmed by the idiocy of that statement. 'So, ignoring the fact that you are crazier than I thought if you actually believe that,' (the memory of a metal pole skewering her torso and Klaus's fangs slicing into her neck runs briefly through her mind) 'what the fuck gives you the right to mess with people in this way?' She shakes her head in disbelief. 'Hayley is dead because of you. Her child... Her and Klaus's baby is growing inside by body right now! This is beyond screwed up!'

The crone smiles, sadly, and reaches a placating hand out towards Caroline.

'I am truly sorry for the distress this causes you, young one,' she says. 'The Spirits make their decisions based on things that you and I have no knowledge of. They see things that we cannot comprehend. The Seer of this coven foretold that the Sprits protection would be required to see this special chid safely into the world and so here we are, safe in their hands, but at the mercy of forces that move in mysterious ways. We must trust that every action is for the greater good, Caroline.'

Caroline's hand moves to the bump she hasn't got used to feeling yet.

'But...' she whispers, burdened with the knowledge that the witches will not help her. This is going to happen. She is going to have Klaus's baby. 'It's not fair,' she says. It isn't fair. Her heart is aching because Klaus and Hayley slept together; made a baby together. She knows she was with Tyler and she turned Klaus down at every turn, but it hurts and she can't bring herself to examine why it hurts so damn much. She can barely get her head around that and now Hayley's dead and Caroline is suddenly three months pregnant and there is a heartbeat inside her womb that she can hear. A tiny life depending on her for survival. Klaus's baby.

It's awful and it's cruel because, of all the good things being a vampire has brought into Caroline's world, the one thing she's mourned is her chance to be a mother. Now she can feel a child growing inside her and it's his child, and... and it's not hers. Caroline isn't going to be a mother—she's an incubator for a baby that the man she (doesn't love) feels all kinds of confusing things for made with a dead werewolf who she can't find it in herself to like.

'You'll understand soon enough, Caroline,' Agnes says, soothingly. 'The child you carry is special. You'll see soon enough.'

:::

Present time

She finds out from Stefan, who hears it from Rebekah, that the child is a werewolf. Of course, Caroline thinks, as her heart breaks quietly. Both of his parents were werewolves. Even Klaus started out life that way and, well, you can't be born a vampire, can you.

Klaus has named the boy Lukas. It seems a small name for such an important child.

Hope you enjoyed this. Please leave a review if you have time! I need some inspiration and feedback to decide where this is going next! xxx