She was smoking hot, Jeff thought to himself as he pushed the coy brunette up against the wall by the Ritz-Carlton. She reminded him of Annie, in some ways. Brunette, petite and beautiful. But this vixen had brown eyes and Annie had blue.

It's not like it mattered. He was doing this to forget Annie, the love of his life, who had thrown him out of the house for not spending enough time with her and too much time at work. Didn't she see that he did it for her? So she could have a comfortable life? None of that mattered to her.

Jeff turned his attention back to the girl in front of him. Her chestnut hair fell in slight waves to her elbows and her deep chocolate eyes sparkled with mischief. She was tempting that was for sure. Especially with the ample amount of cleavage she had on display. He couldn't wait to have his way with her.

"Do you have cash, Jeff?" The girl smirked at him.

"Yes, although I don't know why I have to pay for the penthouse in cash, honey." Jeff replied as he pulled out the wad of dollars to show her.

"Because," the woman drawled, "you don't want little Annie hearing of this rendezvous, do you? Also, I look so hot rolling around naked on thousands of dollars." The last part was whispered as she fingered his neck, her nails just slightly digging into the skin.

Jeff grinned and went to kiss her finally. Or at least he would've done if he hadn't passed out in her arms. The woman grimaced before snagging the wad of cash from his hand and rolling him behind a dumpster. He'd wake up soon enough and remember none of it thanks to the sedative she had laced under her fingernails. The perks of being a criminal.

Tucking the cash into her bra, the woman quickly pulled her jacket tighter and hurried towards the subway. Thirty minutes later and she was strolling along the streets of Brooklyn, heading back to her apartment. The smirk that she had worn earlier had faded to a smile that lit up the dank streets around her. It softened her somehow.

Stepping into her clean and orderly apartment, the woman lost her smile. She approached the mirror hanging in her hallway and looked closely at her face. Gently, she pinched the contact lenses off her eyes revealing their true colour, cornflower blue. Padding carefully down the hallway, she tossed the contacts in the bin and pulled off her brunette wig, revealing soft, tousled blonde curls coming loose from their pins. This was the woman behind the mask. This was Caroline Forbes.

She hadn't always been this way. She had grown up as the daughter of a Sheriff and a lawyer in a small town in Virginia. She always used to abide by the rules, was incredibly clever and worked incredibly hard. When she was seventeen, she won a beauty pageant and was the picture of innocence and light. All of that would change only a few days later when her parents were killed in a fiery car crash on their way to visiting a potential client in Georgia.

And that was how she ended up here, in the Big Apple preying on Wall Street bankers and stealing their money to fund her secretive life.

She didn't like seducing stupid men with fat wallets to make a living. Yes, she was a criminal and so she enjoyed the thrill of pulling off a job but the jobs she did now were small, easy and boring. She still went home with an obscene amount of cash every night but the methods she used to do that were practically second nature to her, far too easy and monotonous. It was the price she paid to keep a low profile, to stay hidden and safe. This is what she had been reduced to or, rather, reverted back to. A few years after her parents' deaths, Caroline had met someone who changed her life forever.

Caroline exited the hotel with the confidence and pride of a lioness having just made a kill. She ignored the disdainful sneer of the receptionist opting to shake out her flawless curls and add an extra sway to her hips instead. She was about to hail a cab when a British voice stopped her.

"I've been watching you."

Caroline turned in the direction of the voice. It came from a shadowy figure leaning against the wall of the hotel she just left. She narrowed her eyes at it.

"Creeper." She spat.

The figure pushed itself off the wall and approached her turning into the silhouette of a man. He was tall and very handsome. Blue eyes sparkled at her mischievously and the smirk almost made her panties melt right off. The streetlights all around them bounced off his dark golden curls.

"You're very talented at what you do, sweetheart. How much money do you make from these stupid fat cats and their wallets?"

She appraised the man coolly.

"Who wants to know?" She asked in a challenging tone.

The man chuckled.

"Let's just say I'm someone very interested in your talents and might possibly have a job offer for you. One with a much bigger salary and much better benefits."

"Now, that doesn't exactly give me a name, does it?" Caroline retorted.

"It's Klaus Mikaelson but I'm sure you already knew that or had at least guessed hadn't you, Caroline Forbes?"

Slightly surprised that he knew her name, Caroline still held her ground tilting her chin slightly. She would feel slightly more confident if she wasn't wearing a backless red dress that demonstrated how much she definitely wasn't wearing a bra right now. She stepped forward, eyeing him fiercely.

"And what, pray tell, would I have to offer the infamous Klaus Mikaelson? You know my name so you probably know everything about me which includes who my parents were so why would you risk exposing yourself to the daughter of a lawyer and a policewoman? Surely you must know I was raised to distrust wanted felons?"

Klaus stepped forward so that they were practically toe to toe and brushed back one of her wayward curls. He was impressed she didn't even flinch but narrowed her eyes infinitesimally.

"There's something about you that suggests you would feel more intrigued by my presence rather than frightened by it, Forbes. Your body language only serves to support my theory. Like I said, I've been watching you and I am certain you won't report me."

"And why is that?" She asked breathlessly.

"You like the thrill that being- working with me can offer you. I've seen the way your eyes glitter when you've secured a wad of cash or jewels from an unsuspecting rich idiot. You like being able to pull off what seems the impossible and manipulating men. It makes you feel powerful. I can offer you that and everything more. All you need to do is take my hand and I can give it to you." Klaus whispered, holding a hand out for Caroline to take.

Caroline eyed it for a second, hesitating, before clasping their hands together. When he looked at her and smirked, she knew her eyes were glittering with excitement.

Almost wistfully, Caroline padded into her living room grabbing a tumbler and a bottle of whiskey on the way. Pouring herself a generous amount, she switched on her TV and remembered better times, more exciting times. She recalled pulling off big jobs, stealing expensive paintings, robbing banks and then speeding off in ridiculously beautiful cars always with him by her side.

She had been so happy. It didn't matter that they had to hide in the shadows or wear disguises because he had always been there with her. He'd hold her close and whisper beautiful words in her ear, dance with her on beaches in Monaco before fucking her under the stars. It wasn't just the things he would do with her or to her that made her love him so but the man himself, Niklaus Mikaelson, was just so incredible she couldn't not fall in love with him.

But her happiness was shattered when he started spending more and more time away from her in order to do the shadiest jobs around. Unable to take the heartache of being second best, she left a brief note explaining her decision to leave him by the front door to their low-key apartment in Chicago and was soon boarding a plane bound for New York where she had remained ever since.

Gulping down the last of her whiskey, Caroline finally tuned into the news. It wouldn't do to think of times gone by. She would only dwell on how much she missed him and there was nothing she could do about that.

As if her mind had conjured him, Klaus' picture suddenly flashed onto the screen and Caroline's heart skipped a beat. Grabbing the remote, she turned up the volume and focussed on the story being told.

"...earlier this evening, it was revealed that the notorious Niklaus Mikaelson has escaped Pontiac Correctional Center. Mikaelson, also known by his street name 'Wolf', was imprisoned in late 2013 after police spotted Mikaelson attempting to board a plane at O'Hare International Airport. Mikaelson was wanted for a number of crimes including the murder of well-known politician Tyler Lockwood as well as theft, fraud and counterfeiting. Mikaelson is believed to have escaped the prison in the early hours of this morning alongside his brother, Kol Mikaelson, and serial killer, Lorenzo Augustine. Police are advising the public not to approach any of these men as they may be armed and are considered highly dangerous. Police strongly believe that these criminals will try to make contact with their known associates in their attempts to flee the country. Pictures of these associates will follow but police are most interested in a young brunette woman named Cara Fell, believed to be the long-time lover of Niklaus. Police are confident that Mikaelson will reach out to Fell so the public should remain vigilant. If you spot any of the following people, call police immediately and proceed with caution. Under no circumstances are you to approach any of these people."

What followed was a series of pictures detailing the associates of Niklaus, Kol and Enzo. Caroline scanned the pictures quickly trying to locate a clear picture of her face. Davina wasn't on there but Marcel and Rebekah were. Luckily, the pictures were not very clear and only a person who knew those people as Caroline did would recognise them. A shadowy picture of Caroline was shown and her heart pounded with anxiety. She was wearing one of her brunette wigs, dressed all in black and hand in hand with Niklaus Mikaelson himself. Fortunately, the name under the picture was Cara Fell-one of Caroline's aliases- and her face was relatively blurry. She let out a breath of relief before standing up and reaching under her sofa. Pulling out a box, Caroline retrieved the passport for Cara Fell and dropped it in the bin alongside all of her brunette wigs. Lighting a match, she set the lot on fire before placing it on the fire escape allowing it to burn to nothing but ashes. Her hands shook as she turned away from the burning bin and went to pour herself another glass. She was taking her first swig when she heard it.

Buzzbuzzbuzz! Buzzbuzzbuzz! Buzzbuzzbuzz!

Her curls whipped around her face as she snapped her head in the direction of her dressing table. She knew what the sound was and she knew there was only a handful of people that would call her on that phone and pretty much all of them had just been featured on the news. Slowly, she approached her dressing table and hesitated before pulling out the phone. They would only keep ringing until she picked up anyway.

Breathlessly, she answered "Hello?"

"Caroline, it's Bekah."

Caroline sighed as her heart dropped.

"Oh, Bekah. Hi."

There was a beat of silence between the two.

"You were hoping it was him, weren't you?" Bekah asked tentatively.

Caroline chuckled sadly and ran a hand through her hair. Her eyes glistened slightly but she forced the tears back.

"Yes, I suppose I was. It's stupid, really. We broke up a week before he got arrested and I haven't heard from him since. It's been three years, Bekah! Why can't I move on?"

"Caroline, he loves you, I know he does. He hasn't spoken to anyone since he was put inside. Neither has Enzo! Jesus Christ, they must have been planning this since the day they got put away. The bloody idiots."

"So you had no idea this was going to happen? Bekah, this is going to jeopardise everything we've done. We've worked hard to stay hidden from the authorities these past three years and we did all we could to sever our ties with them. Now our faces are all over the news! They're looking for us! I can only thank God that they haven't got any information on Davina. What are we going to do?" Caroline whispered hysterically. Paranoia was creeping up on her and she quickly drew the curtains to a close so that no one could see into the apartment.

"Calm down, you idiot! I know Nik and he will have a plan in place, Caroline. Sit tight where you are and I'm sure all will become clear."

Caroline's eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Bekah? Sit tight? Sit tight? My life is about to turn upside down. The police are looking for us and Nik could be God knows where! How can you remain so calm? Aren't you worried about Enzo and what will happen to him if they get caught?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line causing Caroline to gasp.

"He's with you isn't he?"

Rebekah sighed.

"Yes, Enzo is here with me and before you ask, no, Nik is not. I don't know where he is, Enzo won't tell me anything. All I know is that you need to calm the fuck down and listen to me. Enzo and I are leaving the country. For good."

Caroline sucked in a breath.

"You're…leaving?" She whispered.

"Yes, Caroline. I love Enzo and he loves me. This is our second chance at happiness and we have to take it."

And she sounded so happy that Caroline couldn't help but be happy for her. She knew that the two were in love and had been for a long time. Enzo had been imprisoned for longer than Nik although Caroline still felt slightly conflicted about the reasons for why he was imprisoned. Yes, he was a serial killer but he only killed bad guys, the lowest of the low. And he loved Bekah more than his own life.

"Where will you go?"

"You know I can't tell you that, Caroline." Rebekah said softly.

"Oh, right. Of course. Will I hear from you? See you again?"

"Yes! Of course you will! Caroline, you're my best friend and I love you. Things will work out. I'm sure we'll see each other again before you know it." Rebekah affirmed confidently.

"I'll miss you. I know we haven't seen each other in ages but that's for safety. This is…permanent."

"I know but I promise things will be okay. I have to go now, Caroline. Be careful and avoid the brunette wigs!"

A click signified the end of the call and Caroline was left alone with her thoughts. She made her way back to the living room and glanced at the TV. Nik's face was no longer on the screen and instead a sickly sweet romantic comedy was playing instead. Oh, the irony.

She picked up her box of items that had been stashed under the sofa and sifted through everything that was in there. There were several passports and driving licenses all with different identities- Carla Falls, Carrie Fox, Cora Flowers, Callie Frost. It was something Klaus had insisted on for her safety. Only her closest associates and friends knew her as Caroline. It meant that had she ever decided she wanted a normal life, to leave her criminal past behind, to leave Klaus then she could. She could burn all those passports and resume her identity in the real world as Caroline Forbes and no one would be any the wiser.

"I don't see why we have to do this, Klaus. Cara Fell is enough. Why do I need all these other aliases?" Caroline giggled as her fiancé put another wig on her head kissing her nose as he did so.

"Because, sweetheart, you'll have the opportunity to be whoever you want and if we were to ever get in trouble you could escape undetected." Klaus murmured softly.

"We both know that I would never choose to leave you if that happens though. I..I love you too much to leave you." Caroline whispered.

There were several other keepsakes inside including plane tickets for all over the world, a beaded necklace, a sketch of her asleep on a sofa with the London skyline peeking through a window in the background and, finally, some photographs.

She smiled softly as she sorted through them. A picture of her and Bekah a few years ago laughing into the camera during Mardi Gras in New Orleans, a picture of Enzo wearing sunglasses and his arms wrapped around a dozing Rebekah on a beach in Bali, a coy Caroline in a tiny red bikini winking at the person taking the shot and beckoning them towards her. Then there was a picture of Davina and Kol, Davina looking incredibly pissed off with a repentant Kol trying to hug her. And finally there were pictures of Caroline and Klaus some where they were both smiling happily at the camera and others where she looked upset and he was smirking. Her favourite picture was a snapshot of her by herself resting her chin on her hand and smiling softly into the camera. Her hair was pinned back with a flower and her eyes sparkled like the diamond on her ring finger. She remembered the day like it was yesterday and she remembered the man behind the camera gazing at her lovingly. Her hand drifted unconsciously to the chain she kept around her neck where the ring was kept hidden beneath her clothes. Despite the fact that she had left him, she couldn't bring herself to return the ring he gave her as a symbol of their love.

Her phone began to ring again and she answered hastily.

"Please tell me you're ringing to say you've changed your mind, Beks. I'm already missing you!"

There was silence on the other end.

"Hello?" Caroline glanced down at the caller ID. The number was unknown. Rebekah wasn't calling her.

"Hello?" She said again tentatively. The person on the other end still didn't respond.

"Niklaus?" Caroline whispered, hopefully.

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end, proof that someone had indeed been listening to her, before a click sounded signifying that the person had gone.

Caroline stared down at the phone feeling even lonelier than before.

Xoxoxo

A few weeks went by without any incidents. After the first few days of being cooped up in her apartment, Caroline ventured to the supermarket to buy some groceries opting to stick to her natural blonde curls and a large pair of sunglasses to hide her face. Nobody recognised her and after a week they stopped showing the blurry brunette picture of her on the news. In fact, they stopped showing any pictures at all. The authorities knew that the escaped prisoners would have been out of the country within the first few hours of their escape and so any chances of finding them were slim to none. Although this made Caroline feel relieved, she couldn't help but feel sad that Klaus had escaped the country without seeing her. She felt silly for thinking it but she had really thought that he would come to see her before he left. He must have gotten over her after all.

Yet…she couldn't help but think back to the phone call she received the night of his escape. She was almost certain it was him but why would he call her if not to speak to her? Why just listen to her voice? It still unnerved her slightly for who else could it be? Her worries refused to go away and so she decided that the best course of action would be to start again somewhere else. Caroline had two days left of her tenancy and was going to make her way to California. That was where Davina had been last and she thought reconnecting with her friend might help her feel safer. She was going to start over, completely afresh and a completely new name. She didn't want to return to her old life and creating a new identity was the only way to remain completely untied to this madness.

She made her way to her apartment with her hands full of items for the move. She didn't own a lot and it could all fit in her car but she still needed to pack it hence the need for cardboard boxes. Caroline also had some application forms for she would need to get a job when she got there. She had decided to try and stay as clean as possible as anything might tip off the police as to who she actually was.

Entering her apartment, she should have noticed that something was off straight away. The curtains had been wide open letting the sun stream in before she left and now they were pulled closed shrouding the apartment in a soft darkness. She didn't notice the tall figure sitting on her sofa until he said her name.

"Caroline."

She turned to the voice automatically. She hadn't heard it in years and she could scarcely believe she was hearing it now. Looking at the man it belonged to she dropped her things in shock ignoring the tape that rolled across the floor before finally stopping at his feet.

"Klaus."

He closed his eyes briefly as she breathed his name.

"Sweetheart, you have no idea how much I have missed you saying my name."

Caroline's cheeks flushed slightly and he smirked at the fact that he could still affect her so.

"What are you doing here, Klaus?"

Klaus lifted himself from the sofa and started to make his way towards her. He looked the same as he always had although slightly older and his hair a little bit longer. He was still as handsome as ever and she liked to think that the slight lines beginning to show around his eyes were from laughter but considering he had spent the last three years of his life in prison she guessed they were from pain. His eyes pierced her soul and were full of love exactly the way she remembered them. They were also full of an urgency now as he stopped in front of her.

"I had to see you, love. I'm leaving tonight, for good."

Caroline's breath caught.

"You're leaving tonight?" She whispered trying to catch his gaze.

"Yes. I should have left immediately after escaping but I couldn't. I had to see you one more time. I apologise for the fact that it took me so long. People tend to be on high alert when convicts escape and so I had to be extra careful and it slowed me down."

Caroline padded past him to sit on the sofa. Klaus sat down beside her before continuing on.

"I know it's been a long time and that you ended our relationship but I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to you, love."

Caroline looked at him with tears in eyes.

"Nik, I only ended our relationship because you were becoming too risky. You were risking exposing us all when you started taking out targets. I know it paid well but you were going to get caught especially after you killed Tyler!"

Klaus' eyes flashed angrily.

"He hurt you, sweetheart. That's why I killed him. No one should have ever hurt you even if you were just a teenager."

"I understand why you did it, Klaus, but that doesn't change the fact that after that hit you started getting cocky. You were too focussed on that side of the business and not on our relationship. I didn't want to be second best to that."

He gripped her hands tightly in his and turned her face towards him. The tears flowed freely down her pink cheeks.

"Sweetheart, you were always my first priority. I got sidetracked by the bounty hunting game but that was a mistake and I wish I had never done it. I lost you because of it and the biggest mistake I ever made was letting you walk away from me."

Caroline scoffed.

"Well, what's this then? You said you were here to say goodbye for good."

"That was my intention, yes, unless I can get you to change your mind."

"Change my mind?" Caroline said hesitantly.

"Come with me, Caroline. I know you're planning on leaving. Come with me and we can start our lives together after all this time."

Caroline sucked in a nervous breath.

"And just carry on where we left off? Klaus, you can't just expect me to run away with you after everything that has happened. Our relationship…everything we had it was like it meant nothing to you towards the end. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? I was going to be your wife and you put your job before me." Caroline exclaimed in hurt tones.

"I still want you to be my wife, sweetheart. When I was inside I dreamed of you and the future we could have together. I imagined a million weddings with you in a million different white dresses and in a million different venues and countries but in all my dreams you had that same smile that I love. I dreamed of our home together with my paintings and sketches on the walls and your precious photos adorning shelves and tables. I dreamt of waking up beside you every morning and falling asleep beside you every night for the rest of my life. I thought about all the places we went together and dreamed of taking you back to those places and taking you to new places as my beloved wife, my partner, my equal. I still want those things and I know you do too. It would be madness, complete and utter insanity for you to accept and come with me. It's unfair of me to ask, to even think you might consider it after everything I've done to you. But if you are mad enough to choose me, as you did that day outside that hotel in that little red dress and with that fiery temper, I promise I will spend the rest of my life making up for everything I've ever done to you and I promise to love you unrelentingly for the rest of my days and probably ever after that. Please, love, take a chance on me."

He held his hand out to her like he did all those years ago. There was no hesitation. For Caroline there was no other option, no other way, nothing other than Klaus. Now that he was back there was no way she could live the rest of her life without him. Her body and soul were completely consumed by him and to live without him, to be without his passionate affection, she would only be living a half-life, a cursed life. She had known- before his speech, as soon as she had heard him say her name for the first time in three years- that he would not be leaving this apartment without her because she could not bear to see him walk away and be apart from him ever again.

She took his hand and this time both of their eyes were glittering. She laughed and realised she was crying and was startled to see tears in his eyes too. She tried to act stern.

"Don't make me regret this, Mikaelson." She warned him half-heartedly, wagging a finger teasingly in his face. Klaus took her finger and kissed it lightly.

"In the end, Forbes, we only regret the chances we didn't take." He said solemnly but there was a twinkle in his eyes.

Caroline huffed.

"Why must you always speak in clichés? You know they're cheesy and your lines don't work on me, you utter-"

She was cut off as Klaus pulled her in for a long overdue kiss. It was sweet but passionate and familiar leaving her smiling long after it had ended.

Xoxoxo

Three Years Later, Havana, Cuba

Klaus admired his wife's sleeping form in the early morning sunlight. It was still very early so the weather was relatively cool but the brightness of the sun suggested it was going to be another very hot day. He found that he liked living in Cuba. Neither he nor Caroline or any of his family had to work as they had so much disposable income at their fingertips from their past heists and, though he thought he would be bored without any criminal activity, he was finding that island life suited the new relaxing lifestyle that he and Caroline were striving to maintain. He spent most of his days painting or sketching or helping Caroline fix and decorate their sprawling beachside house. They were not far from the city, which Caroline enjoyed as there was limitless entertainment, but the beach house offered them privacy and enabled them to remove themselves from the liveliness of the city so that they could keep to themselves. The Mikaelson family actually owned the part of the beach where their house was situated and soft trees and foliage were nestled round the house and encroached on part of the beach allowing them complete isolation from any passing tourists. They got to spend every day together at their private home and never tired of each other's company. The view they woke up to every morning was another plus point to the property.

Klaus looked out of the bedroom window doors which were thrown wide open with light curtains swaying in the slight breeze. The sea sparkled and shone silver and deep sapphire blue under the light of the burning sun and the sand shimmered pale and beautiful in the early morning light. Birds of paradise flew jewel bright in the pale blue sky and already he could hear the faint strains of music as the island began to come to life once more.

He turned back to look at his wife and couldn't believe how lucky he was. He knew she would hate it if he she caught him staring at her whilst she was sleeping as she always felt unattractive. Indeed, her blonde hair was wildly tangled and there was a slight bit of drool on her cheek as she snored softly but Klaus didn't care about that. Each day he thanked everything he had ever believed in for having her in his life and he couldn't bring himself to stop admiring her whenever the opportunity arose.

He hauled himself out of bed careful not to disturb her. Meandering through the house fully naked, Klaus picked up a towel on his way past the bathroom and found his way onto the glimmering sands. As he approached the shore, he threw the towel down on the sand and waded deep into the cool water. It felt gloriously calming on his still sleep-warmed skin. He swam around for a few minutes or so before deciding to tread water gently as he admired the scenery all around him. It was utterly peaceful, so different from the lives he led before. No more paranoia from his criminal life and none of the mindless boredom or crushing loneliness that he experienced in prison. It was highly unlikely he or his family would ever be found in Cuba and even if they were there was little to fear in retribution considering Cuba usually gave asylum to any fugitives that made it to its shores. The life he led here now may be fairly uneventful but his years spent here were the best he had experienced so far.

It had taken a year or so for the whole family to settle down but now that they were settled and building lives for themselves they were happier and more confident than they had ever been. Rebekah and Enzo were living in the city in a colonial property on a street that housed the city's elite. Their criminal activity wasn't particularly well-known in Cuba and so they enjoyed living under the disguise of British ex-pats and thrived in each other's company after being separated for so long. Davina and Kol on the other hand lived further away a few towns over from Havana. Davina had wanted to live as normal a life as possible and, despite their endless amounts of money, together they ran a small bar that was often frequented by the rest of the Mikaelson family. It kept them both busy and gave them happiness as they were able to live and work together.

He heard splashing and turned to see Caroline wading into the sea to get to him. She too was naked and he could see her nipples tighten and pucker as more and more of her body entered the cool water. He swam to meet her halfway so they could both stand comfortably, only jostled slightly by the waves.

"Morning, sweetheart." Klaus murmured as he brought her into his arms and kissed her firmly.

She hummed happily into the kiss and when they pulled apart her eyes were blazing as she clutched on to his body to pull herself close to him. She pressed more kisses up and down his neck as she pressed her breasts against him. He growled with arousal.

"Caroline," he warned, "not in the sea, my love."

"Why?" She whined unhappily. "I want you…please." Her eyes were big and pleading and he hated to deny her.

"Sweetheart, I am not prepared to have sex with you in the sea in your condition. I am not going to be responsible for you contracting any kinds of infections or diseases from amorous activities conducted in unsanitary seawater. If you weren't so…erotically charged you would agree with me. You know water and sex don't mix well together."

Caroline huffed angrily.

"Well, it's your fault I'm so 'erotically charged' as you put it. I can't help it and you should know better than to tempt me with your abs and butt shining and dripping with water."

"My love, I think we can both agree that we are jointly responsible for the condition you're in and I am not going to change my mind about having sex in the sea with you because of it. Who knows what harm it will cause."

He caressed her baby bump lovingly as he said this and pressed gentle kisses to her mouth and temple. He was surprised to feel a gentle kick against the palm of his hand and he looked at Caroline who was smiling ruefully.

"Yeah, the baby started kicking which is why I wanted to find you but then I saw you gloriously naked and it slipped my mind." She explained with a slight blush. "Hormones." She finished shrugging.

The kicks became stronger and more frequent and Klaus couldn't help but laugh at the sensation. Caroline looked delighted at the sound and brought a hand to cover Klaus's so they could feel their child together.

"We'll finish the baby's room later? We only need to put up the crib and hang some stuff up on the walls to make it a bit brighter." Caroline enquired.

"Yes, anything you want, sweetheart." Klaus murmured and they both laughed as the baby gave another strong kick against their palms.

"Amazing." He breathed and then kissed his wife passionately. She groaned into the kiss and pulled away panting before tugging him towards the shore.

"Klaus, please. I need you. Right now." Caroline practically growled, dragging him through the shallows and towards the beach.

Klaus laughed again and Caroline grinned delightedly. Ever since they had moved to Cuba, he laughed more freely and more heartily than he had every done before. Mind you, so did she. They were so happy and even happier together.

"Thank you, Caroline." Klaus suddenly said seriously.

Turning with surprise, Caroline said "For what?"

"For being with me. For marrying me and becoming my wife. For giving up your life and coming with me to Cuba. For carrying and being the mother of my child. For loving me and for being my partner even in the bad times. Thank you for giving me another chance." Klaus sighed.

Caroline smiled.

"Oh, my darling Niklaus. Do you not realise that every day I thank my lucky stars for being able to be those things for you? That I thank them for everything you have given me and that I am thankful for you being by side forever and always? Maybe you don't realise but I am so grateful you came back for me on that fateful day in New York. Klaus, you are my whole life."

"And you are mine." Klaus swore back as they embraced again.

They didn't quite make it to their bedroom and instead made love on their hastily arranged towels on the pale sand of their own private beach, the rush of the waves mixing with Caroline's cries of ecstasy and Klaus's pants and groans. Afterwards, when the sun was fully up on a brand new day of their new lives, they went inside their house and continued planning for their beautiful new future.