Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited and alerted, I'm glad I managed to pique your interest with the super-short prologue :)
Rio de Janeiro, August 2032
"What's wrong with this one?"
The question is out before Caroline has even closed the door behind her. Smiling a little at how well he knows her, she drops her purse to the floor and slumps down on the couch next to him, bringing her feet up to rest on his lap. He helps her take off her shoes and looks at her expectantly, his hands casually resting on her calves. She sighs tiredly and shakes her head.
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
"I'm gonna need a little more than that."
Shrugging, she closes her eyes and leans back against the armrest, hoping that the thoughts that have plagued her all night when she should have been enjoying her date with a perfectly nice guy are going to leave her alone. They ate, they talked, they drank, they danced, they kissed. It was a nice kiss too. How did she not have the time of her life? Why was none of her smiles the slightest bit genuine?
"Care, what's wrong? You've been off for a while now."
She nods, acknowledging his comment. He's right. She can't pinpoint the exact moment it happened. This phase that she seems to be stuck in snuck up on her. She doesn't know why it chose this time in her life to make her miserable, but she knows the cause.
Stefan doesn't.
It's not that she's been hiding it from him exactly, it's more that she's been trying to hide from it herself, and she hoped that not talking about it would help with that.
What a great success it turned out to be.
Taking a decision on the spot, she opens her eyes and looks at her best friend, the only one who's been there for her no matter what for the past twenty years. If there's one person in the world she can trust with her dilemma, it's him.
"Promise not to hate me."
He rolls his eyes at her.
"Like I could ever hate you."
"Ok, promise you won't be mad at me."
"Fine. I promise. Now will you tell me what's going on? And what it has to do with What's-His-Name?"
"Davi. His name's Davi. And it doesn't have anything to do with him. Not directly."
"You're stalling."
She shoots him a dirty look for calling her out on it, but he just keeps looking at her, his head tilted to the side, waiting for her to explain why she's been sabotaging all her relationships before they even had a chance to begin for years and why it seems to be taking a toll on her now.
"Remember graduation?"
His eyebrows lift in surprise at the question. He wasn't expecting her to go that far back. Still, he recovers quickly and offers her a mocking smile.
"You mean the day we had a ghost apocalypse on our hands and I was stuck in a box by my evil twin? Nope, doesn't ring a bell."
She gives him a playful nudge with her foot in punishment for the sarcasm.
"Do you want me to explain or not?"
"Sorry. Please do."
"Ok, so the thing is... I never told you that I saw Klaus again that day."
He frowns, more in confusion than anything, she thinks, and he replies, "I kind of figured that out on my own." At her curious look, he explains, "He wouldn't have come all this way just to sharpen his cap throwing skills and cure Damon. Not to mention he got there pretty fast. I assumed he wanted to say goodbye."
"That... and to tell me he loved me."
"What?"
"Not in so many words. But yeah."
"Caroline. What did he say exactly?"
She averts her eyes for a second, lost in the memory.
"That Tyler was my first love. That he intended to be my last."
However long it takes, the soft voice whispers in her mind, and she has to shake her head to fully come back to the present, taking in Stefan's pensive expression.
"And that's what's been bothering you for the past few months?"
She gives a humourless chuckle at that. It's been bothering her for almost two decades. She won't go so far as to say that it was what led to her break-up with Tyler back in 2016, but she'd be lying if she said that it didn't play a part in it. Still, at the time, Klaus's promise on graduation day sounded more like a threat. She knew that if she went to him, there would be no going back. He'd been very clear about that with his last love speech. Forever is a long time for a vampire, and she knew that she needed some time to herself before she thought about giving him a chance. Plus, she knew about his child and about the impending war in New Orleans, and she figured he needed to stay focused on the problem at hand for the time being. So, after college, she left the country for the first time ever. She met up with Stefan in Canada, where he'd taken refuge after the whole Silas debacle, and they have been travelling the world together ever since.
She saw the Original Hybrid a few times over the years. Her and Stefan stumbled upon Rebekah in Moscow six years after their high school graduation, and after learning that they'd been living there for a while and intended to stay for as long as they could, the Original Barbie called her brother to share this little piece of information with him. He was on a plane the next day. Klaus and Rebekah stayed with them for a few days before he had to go back to New Orleans. After that, they kept in touch. Sort of. Mostly they just text each other to let the other know if they plan on moving, and whenever they happen to be in the same country, they meet up for lunch or drinks. It's always the five of them, Elijah, Rebekah, Klaus, Stefan and her.
He never told her about his daughter. She never asked. He probably doesn't even know that she knows. It's one of the best kept secrets of the supernatural world.
"Caroline?"
"Huh? Oh. Sorry. I spaced out."
"I noticed. So, Klaus is your problem?"
"I... Yeah, he is."
"Why?"
"Because I'm terrified," she admits with a small shrug, like it's no big deal.
He's the only person in the world she can confess something like that to. Actually, she did try to admit it to Klaus nineteen years ago, but he turned out to be Silas messing with her mind, so it doesn't really count.
"But not because you don't want him."
"No. I do. It's just scary. You know him. He doesn't do things halfway. We're talking about centuries here. Millennia, even. I don't think I'm ready for it. Yet at the same time..."
"At the same time, you keep pushing away all those potential boyfriends because you can't settle for anything less than what he's offering. You can't settle for anything less than him."
"You can say it. I'm screwed."
Stefan lets out a laugh at that and she smiles back.
"You know what I think? I think you need a deadline. Like, say, you have to make a decision by the end of the year. Go wild for the next five months, do everything you promised yourself you'd do when you left Mystic Falls. Get your biggest dreams out of your system. If you're still afraid after that, it means you'll never be ready for him. But if you're not..."
"If I'm not, he's my last love."
"Exactly."
She ponders this for a moment before her lips stretch up into a smile.
"I like the way you think, Salvatore."
"I know. I'm the best."
She punches his arm and stands up.
"Get some sleep, Stef. We have a long five months ahead of us," she announces as she heads to her bedroom.
"We?" he asks her retreating form.
Her only response is a chuckle and he shakes his head. When he hears the water running in her bathroom, he reaches for his phone in his pocket and scrolls through his contacts, grinning as he types in a quick text and hits send.
Cardiff, August 2032
"Dad."
"Just a minute," he answers, focused on his painting.
The finishing touches are always the most delicate part, and he wants to get it right. He wasn't exactly thrilled when, after spending her first few years in New Orleans and then travelling around North and South America with him, his daughter decided that she wanted to visit the country her name came from, but he has to admit Wales is doing wonders for his inspiration. He hadn't realized how much he missed seeing History at every turn until he came back to Europe.
"I need to talk to you."
Her tone instantly catches his attention and he lowers his brush, glancing at her over his shoulder. Her downcast eyes are the only clue he needs to know that whatever this is is serious. Wiping his hands on a rag, he turns to her, signalling her that she has his full attention.
"What's wrong?"
She still can't bring herself to meet his eyes, and he has to force the sudden wave of panic back down. The very few times she did something she knew he would disapprove of, like that night she snuck out to go see a pack transform on a full moon – God, he can't remember ever being so scared, and the memories of Henrik certainly didn't help – she stood her ground. She's not one to shy away from his wrath, and he's thankful for that. He couldn't stand it if his daughter was afraid of him. But right now, she seems completely lost, and it's enough to scare him to death, a feeling he's not exactly accustomed to or comfortable with.
"Aderyn, what is it?"
She finally raises her eyes, and he reads her terror in the deep blue orbs that remind him so much of his own. After a few tense seconds of silence, she lets out a shaky breath and asks, "When's the next full moon?"
"Why would you..." At her meaningful look, he trails off and freezes. No. Not this. Anything but this. His voice is barely audible when he asks, "What happened?"
"There was this fight. I got caught up in it."
"Aderyn..."
"I know! I know, okay? But I couldn't get away fast enough and this guy came at me and I pushed him and he hit his head and..."
She breaks down then, the tears she's been holding back rolling freely down her cheeks. His anger instantly forgotten – ok, not forgotten, pushed to the back of his mind for the time being – he takes two long strides towards her and engulfs her in his arms. She clings to him, her arms encircling his waist, and she sobs against his chest, just like she did ten years ago when her mother died. He didn't care that Hayley had been killed, but seeing the effect it had on his daughter had broken his heart. Amazingly, he's found endless amounts of comfort in him where she's concerned.
Bringing a hand to the back of her head, he softly strokes her wavy dark hair, whispering in her ear.
"You're going to be okay, I promise. You're strong, you'll get through this."
He's not lying. He knows she will survive the transformation. Still, he wanted to avoid it, he never wanted her to have to suffer this much. That's why he was always honest with her. That's why he told her she needed to stay away from dangerous situations. Not just because he feared for her safety, but because he knew the likelihood of her triggering the curse would be higher if she had to defend herself.
Once her sobs have died down, he pulls away from her and asks the question that has to be asked.
"Was the situation taken care of?"
She nods.
"I was out with Aunt Bekah, remember? She compelled everyone and disposed of the body."
That's one thing he won't have to worry about. He will have to find out how his sister could let Aderyn kill someone, but it can wait. He can already guess what she's going to say anyway. Either she was distracted or she was attacked too and by the time she got rid of her opponent, it was too late.
"Good. Now, the full moon is in five days. I'll get the basement ready. We'll lock you up so you can't hurt anyone, alright?"
He knows that's what she's most worried about. He has no idea how it happened, but his daughter actually has a conscience. He blames Elijah. And he wouldn't want it any other way, even if it can get rather loud whenever he does something that she disapproves of. Most times, she understands that he has to send a message to his enemies, but whenever he takes it too far in her opinion, he doesn't hear the end of it for weeks. He's been told it's quite entertaining for his siblings.
"I'm sorry, Dad."
"It's going to be okay."
"But I..."
"It wasn't your fault. I know that the prospect of turning every month for the rest of your life is terrifying, but it will get easier. And I'll be with you the whole time."
Before she has a chance to ask him any of the thousand questions he can read in her eyes, his phone buzzes. He has half a mind to ignore it, having more important things to deal with, but she motions for him to go ahead and he realizes that she needs those few seconds to compose herself. He takes the phone out of his pocket.
From: Stefan S.
She's ready.
He does a double take. He doesn't need to ask who or what his old friend is talking about. They've kept in contact over the years and Stefan is very much aware of the fact that he's never given up on Caroline.
Had this text arrived on any other day in the past 19 years, he would have been the happiest man alive. He would have bombarded Stefan with questions. How do you know? Are you sure? What makes you think that? Has she said anything? How soon can you get her here?
But at this precise moment, the only person in the world that matters to him as much as Caroline needs him and he can't afford to have his attention diverted. If Stefan is telling the truth, then Caroline will still be ready in a few weeks. As much as it pains him, she will have to wait for him this time.
Scowling in frustration, he sends his reply.
Rio de Janeiro, August 2032
His phone chimes, and Stefan opens the new text. His grin turns into a puzzled frown as he reads Klaus's short answer.
From: Klaus M.
Wrong time.
Cardiff, August 2032
Klaus is not surprised when his phone vibrates once again, but he gives an exasperated sigh anyway.
From: Stefan S.
You're kidding, right? What could possibly be more important to you?
Rio de Janeiro, August 2032
From: Klaus M.
None of your business, Ripper.
Ok, this is serious. Klaus only ever calls him that when he wants to get a rise out of him or when he wants him to back off. He can think of only one thing that could matter more to Klaus than Caroline. The problem is he's not supposed to know about it. But if what he suspects is the truth, then he has to act, and fast. Deciding not to dwell on it any further, Stefan gets out of the apartment – he doesn't want his friend to know about this, not until he's confirmed his suspicions – and he presses the call icon.
Cardiff, August 2032
Aderyn jumps when his phone rings, and even Klaus is slightly taken aback. It's unusual for Stefan to call him these days, and he thought his last text had made it clear enough that he doesn't have time to chitchat. However, this is intriguing enough that he wants to talk to him. He throws his daughter a look, silently asking for her permission. At her nod, he answers the video call, holding the device in front of him and seeing his friend's face appear on the screen. Stefan doesn't give him a chance to throw in a nasty comment before his voice comes out through the speaker.
"Is it about Aderyn?"
Time stops. His body tenses. His breath catches in his throat. His grip on the phone tightens. His eyes instinctively travel to her, making sure she's still right here with him, safe. And the only word he can form is a feeble "What?"
He's usually more composed than that, and he silently curses himself for not being more in control, but in his defence, the question came as a shock. Only a select few know about his daughter, and Stefan is not supposed to be on that very short list.
"Your daughter. Is it about her? It's the only thing that makes sense. Why else would you renounce a chance with Caroline?"
He recovers at last, his voice going back to the pleasant tone he always uses when he's dealing with a threat. He hasn't considered Stefan a threat in twenty years, but there's nothing he wouldn't do to protect his daughter, and the mere fact that someone outside of his family and those witches in New Orleans knows about her is enough to put him on the defensive.
"What do you know about her, Ripper?"
"Can we not do this right now? I asked a simple question. You just have to trust me." Klaus scoffs at that and he sees Stefan roll his eyes. "Look, you know where I am, you can come and kill me easily if I do something you don't like. But right now, I need you to answer me." After one last hesitation and another look at Aderyn, Klaus gives a single nod, and Stefan asks, "What happened?"
"Well, you seem to know everything..."
"Now's really not the time to be yourself, Klaus. Did she trigger the curse? Is that it?"
Before he can think of an appropriate answer, Aderyn speaks up from across the room.
"Yes, I did."
Klaus glares at her but she just glares back and shrugs. She doesn't see how things could get any worse. The thing that she's always feared the most just happened, and so did the thing that her father has always feared the most – people finding out about her. Really, what do they have to lose? This guy who seems to know her father so well had already guessed the truth anyway, confirming it won't hurt.
"Okay. Good."
"Good?" Klaus growls incredulously. "You've never been through the transformation, have you, mate?"
"That's not what I meant. Look, just text me your address. We'll take the first flight out to Cardiff. We can be here by Wednesday."
"But..."
"If you don't trust me, trust Caroline. She'll explain when we get there."
And with that, he hangs up, leaving father and daughter to stare at each other in silence, equally stunned.
Rio de Janeiro, August 2032
Caroline hears the front door open and slam shut. That's weird, she doesn't see why Stefan would leave the apartment at this time of the night. She was under the impression that he was going to go to bed. Curious, she gets up and walks into the living room, realizing when she sees him there that he didn't leave, he just came back. He must have gone out while she was in the bathroom, it would explain why she didn't hear him then. She opens her mouth to ask him what's going on, but he cuts her off.
"How do you feel about Wales?"
She takes a moment to digest the question. It doesn't take her long to put the pieces together. She knows this is where Klaus and his family are. She also knows that after what they just talked about, Stefan wouldn't be suggesting going there unless it was important. And there's only one thing that could be important enough to require her going to Klaus right now instead of waiting for a few months like he suggested less than an hour ago – and more to the point, there's only one thing that she has any kind of control over when it comes to the Original and his daughter. Needing confirmation, she starts, "Did she..."
"Yeah."
"I'll start packing. You book the tickets."
TBC...
I apologize for the lack of Klaroline in this chapter, but don't worry, there'll be plenty of it in the next one.
Let me know what you think! :)
