We're really getting into the storyline now, sweethearts! I did kind of keep part of the original storyline regarding Caroline's magical pregnancy, just kind of intensified it by 100.
There's also a part of this that might seem juvenile but there is a reasoning behind it, I promise, it will make more sense later why I included it.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading chapter 3! Good bye for now loves!
Disclaimer: I own absolutely zero of the characters, the locations, or such. That belongs to the wonderful Julie Plec.
*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*
"I'm scared. What's happening to me?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." He helped her to her feet before looking at the clock on the wall behind her. "Come. Freya might have an idea of what's happening. She should have arrived already this morning." She nodded and followed him down the stairs where, sure enough, all the Original family was sitting around the table – Hayley included. She had never seen them all in one place since the Mikaelson Ball and she unconsciously shrunk behind Klaus. "Freya," he said. A girl with light brown hair in her early twenties looked up. "I need you to do a spell. Just now, Caroline was overcome with severe blood lust, unable to control it. We need to find out why."
"How do we know that she's just not a vampire who has no ability to show restraint for her cravings?"
Spoken like a true Mikaelson, thought Caroline, after Freya voiced her paranoia.
"There's not a vampire on this Earth that has as much control as she does," said Klaus, proudly. Caroline smiled just slightly. "I explained the circumstances that you would be staying here, Caroline. We're all here to help," he explained to her, looking pointedly at Freya.
"Fine, come with me," she waved her hand at Caroline to join her. Klaus moved to go with but she put a hand up. "No, just us. Trust me, Brother."
He glared at her until Caroline said, "It's okay Klaus." He nodded and let them go.
Following her down the hall, Freya led her into what she assumed was her bedroom. However, she muttered something along the lines of, "Kol should have everything we need here," which made Caroline believe that perhaps, Freya doesn't live with her siblings; otherwise, she wouldn't need to borrow items from the youngest Mikaelson. Silently, she waited while Freya laid stones on the ground in a circle. "Stand in the center, please." Doing as she was told, before Freya put one last stone on the ground and it created a barrier of some kind around her. The magical energy was bouncing off her skin as Freya chanted; something she was used to seeing Bonnie do. Freya's head falls forward as she chants louder and louder making the air swirl around Caroline faster and faster.
All of the sudden, it stops. Freya looks up at Caroline with sad eyes. "We should go back." She bends down to pick up the stones.
"Please tell me." Freya didn't say anything. Trying again, Caroline pleads, "I know you don't know me but maybe once you do -"
"It's not that I don't know you." Caroline stared at her with her yeah-right stare. "Okay, that might be it a little bit. But this is just something that I think everyone needs to hear."
Walking back into the sitting room, Caroline and Freya find Klaus pacing. Once he sees Caroline, he takes two giant strides across the room to her side, his hand landing on her sleeve covered arm. "Well?" he asked Freya.
"The babies she's carrying are siphon witches." This meant more to Caroline than to the others. Feeling overwhelmed, she leaned into Klaus' embrace and he protectively put his arm around her shoulder. This gesture was something every single one of his siblings noticed but didn't comment on. "Because of this, they are siphoning the magic from Caroline's vampirism. They are still small enough but eventually, they will take all her magic."
"But without it, she'll die," spoke up Elijah.
"Yes, and depending on how you died, it might be quickly," added Freya with a frown on her face.
"I was smothered with a pillow by Katherine. Asphyxiation." Klaus' hand tightened on her shoulder as Elijah looked down in disappointment to hear about his former lover's actions.
"At least you have that in your favor, you'll have a warning," offered Freya. "You'll have time."
"Is there anything we can do?" asked Klaus.
Freya sat down at the table and thought about it, but it was Hayley that answered, "What if we trick the babies like we tricked Dahlia?" Everyone looked at her confused, so she elaborated. "When she was looking for Hope, you created a golem with her magic. What if we just infuse something with magic to make them drain from that instead?"
Thinking about this, Freya finally said, "I might be able to do that but once the magic of the golem is gone, it's gone. It would need it to be a continuous source of magic."
The Original family was silent until Klaus suggested, "The werewolf rings were a link to me to drain my magic. Use the same concept."
Freya's eyebrows rose, "I could definitely do that. I could create a stone that allows the babies to pull the magic from that instead of Caroline. Just needs to be stronger than her magic."
"There's nothing stronger than an Original Hybrid. Use me," said Klaus. He didn't hesitate to offer and wasn't backing down, they all could see it in his face that he was determined.
"Klaus, no," whispered Caroline. "I can't let you do that. Who knows how strong these babies will be in the future. You can't be drained of all your magic."
Klaus stared at her, ready to fight her, to insist that she accept his help. Instead, Rebekah stands up, "Then link all of us. Instead of the babies taking all it from Nik, then it will be split between the three of us."
Caroline opens her mouth to object, but Elijah agrees, "Rebekah is right."
Caroline asked them why they were willing to do that for her and the answer she received was simple. "Klaus cares about you," answered Freya, who remained standing next to the table but had a small smile on her face.
Caroline had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Thank you…all of you." She wipes her face and adds, "Damn hormones, that's the second time in twenty-four hours that I've cried. I swear, I'm not usually like this." They all laugh with her as Klaus rubs her back as Hayley gave her motherly advice saying it would get better.
Elijah stands and indicates for his siblings to follow him. "Niklaus, we'll be leaving. You'll join us later today as planned?" Klaus nods to his brother and they all leave.
Taking Klaus' hand, she drags him to a seat. "I need to tell you why I'm here, Klaus."
"We discussed this already, Caroline." He tried getting up but her hand on his arm stopped him.
"I know. But you deserve to know." Taking a deep breath, she starts, "When I found out about this, my mind went dark. I couldn't be pregnant, and I didn't want to be. In all reality, I'm only twenty-years-old and I wasn't ready for it. But then I heard their heartbeats and...god this is so hard to understand...but I was hooked. I loved them, with all my heart. I know they aren't mine but I'm all they have left. Even though I knew I wanted to care for them as if they were mine, I was terrified. My heart pounded through my chest when I thought about doing this alone. Ric and Jo are gone. And the last time I was scared like this, Ric was involved too. He was under your mother's influence and I really thought I was going to die in the classroom alone." Klaus nodded in memory of that day. "When you saved me, I had felt so incredibly safe in your presence. So, after two long weeks of mental torture I did to myself about coming here, I had packed my car and left everything behind. I wanted to feel safe, I wanted them to be safe. Even if I can't understand why I care for them so much."
"It's not a crime to love what you cannot explain, Caroline." Her eyes widened at the saying. "You aren't the only one that had negative thoughts regarding a supernatural pregnancy that shouldn't have happened."
"Hope?" He nodded and looked down at the ground in shame. "It's okay, you did the right thing in the end. That's all the matters." They sat in silence, so she used the time to ask him something more lighthearted. "Why does Freya call you 'Klaus'?"
"Because that's my name?" he smirked. She felt the corners of her mouth turn up and tilted her head to the side as if telling him that wasn't enough. "Because Freya was taken from our family as a small child. Only Finn knew her. She and I are not familiar just yet, even though we have been reunited."
"Elijah calls you 'Niklaus' but Rebekah calls you 'Nik' – what's the reasoning behind that?"
Sighing, he had a feeling these questions were not going to end but he answered anyways. "Elijah was there when I was born and always more proper. To where Rebekah and Kol are younger and I play the role of the elder brother."
He could see the wheels in her head moving but he remained silent. "What should I call you?"
Squinting his eyes, he says, "What do you mean?"
"Well, hopefully you don't consider me a stranger and I definitely don't fear you. I shouldn't call you 'Klaus', should I?"
"You know me quite well, Love. You can call me whatever you wish, and I'd answer. But just so you know…I rather enjoy the way you say my name." His eyes glint as she shivers under his stare.
"Do you have to join your siblings right away?" she whispers.
"I have until this evening." He stood and offered his hand to her. "Would you like a tour of my city?"
Nodding, she grabs it and electricity sparked through them, causing them to let go right away. Looking at her hand, she asks, "Did you feel that?"
Confused, he confirms. "Perhaps it's the babies?" Accepting the answer, they join hands again; this time without the jolt. As they walk through the Mikaelson Compound doors, he moves her hand to rest on his bicep and they walk arm in arm down the streets. Already, they are bustling with people, artists and musicians. He was talking about the history that took place at various locations as they passed and looking in store windows at the goods for sale.
Taking them down an alley, he opens a door that appear as if it obviously was meant to be closed. "What are you doing?"
"Taking you to get the best beignets this town has to offer." Wanting to know what he was talking about, she walked through the door he held open for her. Turns out it lead to the kitchen for a restaurant. "Hello Anne Marie."
A woman in her sixties jumped and turned around. Caroline couldn't tell if her hair was white or if she was just covered head to toe in flour. "Mr. Mikaelson! Welcome back! Your usual I presume?"
"Two of them please. You know where I'll be." Anne Marie smiled brightly and nodded before getting back to work. "Follow me," he whispers in Caroline's ear. She shivered again but did as she was told, mentally berating herself for being so weak around him. He led her back outside and stood next to a ladder that reached all the way up to the roof. "After you, sweetheart."
Grinning, she started climbing and about half way up, she looked down, partly expecting the hybrid to have jumped up to the roof and be missing. But to her surprise, he was following her just a few rungs down, staring up at her. "Oh sure, of course you wanted to follow me. Liking that view?"
"I'm not complaining," he smirked. Caroline shook her head and finished climbing. Stepping on the roof, she was delighted with the site of a small two-person table and chairs overlooking the city. "Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful. How did you know about this place?"
"I built this city. I know everything." He pulled a chair out for her and he explained further, "Anne Marie and her family have owned this building for generations. Long ago, I did a favor for them," he told her as he walked around to the other side. "As thanks, they offer free beignets anytime I wish them, and they keep this table up here for privacy."
They watched the city's busy streets for less than five minutes when the door on the left side of the roof opened and Anne Marie was found carrying two large plates of powdered sugar dough pastries. "This is the first time you've ever brought anyone, Mr. Mikaelson. It's nice to see you have someone to spend your time with, sir."
"I've never felt it necessary to bring anyone here prior to today. My...relations were never worthy enough." His words were heavy with desire and meaning. Anne Marie left with a slight bow of respect toward Klaus. He waited until Caroline took her first bite, moaning and closing her eyes. "They're the best in the city."
"If these are the best, I never want to try any else." She takes another large bite. "Oh my god." Looking at him, she pauses. He's sitting relaxed in the chair across from her, his left leg crossed over his right one, and leaning back with his hands clasped on his lap. "You're not eating."
"Perhaps I'm distracted by something more appetizing?"
She pushes the plate in front of him closer to his body and says, "Eat Niklaus." His eyes grew at the use of his full name, but he did what she said.
They were just finishing up the food when Klaus' phone rang. He takes one look at the screen before answering. "Hello Cami."
"Klaus, I am freaking out! Where are you right now?" came Camille's hushed voice over the phone.
"I'm showing someone around the city."
"He's here. Lucien is at the bar right now," panic seeping through her voice.
Klaus swore and then said, "Get out of there now. I'm on my way." Hanging up the phone, he looked up, expecting Caroline to be sitting across from him.
Instead, she was already on the ground, just reaching the last rung on the ladder. "Coming?" she yelled. He smirked and jumped off the roof, landing gracefully next to her. "Show off. Just because you're not pregnant." Her tone got more serious, "If you need to vamp off, go ahead. I think I can remember the way back to the Compound from here."
"No need, it's just down the street. We'll walk."
She nodded, "Lead the way."
