Thanks for the reviews guys, I'm a big fan of the Steroline friendship, so it's nice to know I got it right.

Most of you seemed curious about the solution to Klaus's problem, I hope this doesn't disappoint!

Smut alert. Beware rating's up to M. Read, enjoy (hopefully) and review (please?) :D

Cardiff, August 2032

"Stefan. Caroline. It's lovely to see you again. I trust your flight was pleasant?"

Caroline smiles as Klaus's brother gallantly takes her suitcase from her, placing it in the trunk of his car. They thought they would have to rent a car and drive to the Original's home by themselves, this is a nice surprise.

"Hey Elijah. I'm surprised Klaus didn't come himself."

"My brother has been rather preoccupied."

"I can only imagine," Stefan mutters, sliding in the back seat as Elijah opens the passenger door for her before settling in the driver's seat.

"He doesn't want to leave Aderyn's side. He's been helping her prepare for the transformation. If I may... How do you know about her?"

"Why don't you get us to Klaus? I don't feel like repeating myself."

"Of course."

The car ride is mostly silent. Small talk is not Elijah's thing and the only thing he really wants to talk about is the one thing they don't want to mention until they're with Klaus. When he parks in front of the Originals' home, Caroline lets out a small chuckle.

"A freaking castle. Why was I expecting anything less?"

"Because you're a baby vampire who's happy living with her best friend in a tiny two bedroom apartment," Stefan quips.

"If you're not happy with that, you can always move out."

"As much as I enjoy the banter, I believe you two have a few questions to answer."

Stefan and Caroline both roll their eyes at the familiar voice. He hasn't even shown his face yet, he must have heard them talking from inside and he knew they would hear him too. Elijah gives them a tight smile and leads them inside.

Caroline would love to visit the house, it looks magnificent, but she knows there's no time for this. Klaus will tie her down and make her talk if she makes him wait even a second longer. So she dutifully follows Elijah through the maze of corridors until they reach what must be the library. Klaus is standing in the middle of the room, clearly waiting for them. He barely glances at Stefan, his attention instantly focused on Caroline. It's been a couple of years since he last saw her. Of course, she hasn't changed, but he still takes his time taking in her every feature, just like he does every time he sees her.

"Where's your daughter?" she asks, making him tense imperceptibly.

He's still uncomfortable with people knowing about her. It doesn't matter that this is Caroline and that he would trust her with just about anything. If she knows, it means there's a possibility that others know as well.

"I asked her to wait in her room for now."

"I can't wait to meet her."

"You're going to have to, love. I want answers. Now."

She rolls her eyes at his bossiness. She understands his impatience, not knowing is something he's not used to, but it doesn't give him the right to... Oh, wait, it does. It is his daughter they're talking about after all.

"Fine. Ask away."

"How do you know about her?"

"Rebekah told Matt."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't be mad at her. She told him after their summer fling, before she joined you in New Orleans. She needed to talk to someone, but she knew that you didn't want anyone to know. So she messed with his vervain, confessed everything to get it off her chest, and compelled him to forget. Only I was in Matt's living room and I heard everything. And before you ask, no, she never knew that I knew."

"And you told Stefan."

"Well duh! He's my best friend. Plus it is kind of huge, you know, a vampire – or half vampire, whatever – having a kid? Doesn't happen every day. And anyway, he had to know in case anything happened to me. But I promise we never told anyone."

Klaus looks at Stefan, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Damon?"

"We haven't been on the best of terms. I didn't tell him. But there was one other person who knew, and for that you should be grateful."

Klaus turns his attention back to Caroline. He doesn't feel like dealing with Stefan's penchant for the dramatic right now.

"What is he talking about?"

"Bonnie. She knew. She never told me how. I suspect she was keeping an eye on you in New Orleans. Being a ghost-witch did have its advantages."

"And I should be grateful because..."

"Because of this," Caroline replies, throwing a vial filled with blood in his direction. He catches it easily, examines it for a second and brings his gaze back to hers, the question clear in his. "It's Katherine's," she explains.

For the first time since they set foot in the library, Elijah seems rattled.

"Katerina?"

Caroline gives him a sympathetic smile. She knows that no matter how much he tried to hide it, her death hit him hard, robbing him of the possibility of ever making things right after over 500 years of a rather twisted game of cat and mouse.

"I fail to see how this is supposed to help me, love."

"You know that Elena force-fed Katherine the cure, right?"

"Yes," he confirms impatiently.

"Well, while she was human, I took some of her blood and I had a witch put a spell on it to preserve it. I compelled Katherine to forget about it."

Klaus's expression changes instantly, going from slightly annoyed and sceptical to completely awed. Vampire Katerina's blood would be of no use to him. Human Katerina's blood, now that's another matter entirely. There's only one reason she would have done that.

"The witch knew that Aderyn would be a werewolf," he whispers, his voice almost reverential as the significance of what she just told him sinks in. "She told you. And you..."

He can't bring himself to finish. There are no words for what she did for him, no words to express how grateful he is.

"Yeah. Bonnie knew before you did. I knew it was only a matter of time before Katherine got herself killed or turned back into a vampire, so I took the necessary steps. I figured even if Aderyn never triggered the curse, you would want to turn her at some point. Couldn't have her live such a short life. By the time you found out that your daughter was a werewolf, not a hybrid like you had expected, it was too late. Katherine was dead, Elena was a vampire, and you had no way to find another human doppelganger."

"But I didn't need to. Thanks to you."

She gives him a small shrug. It takes every ounce of his willpower not to crush her to his body and keep her there for the years to come. He knows that with Stefan and Elijah in the room, she wouldn't let him. Besides, he has other priorities right now. He will never be able to tell her how much this means to him. If he thought he loved her before, he doesn't know what to call this new feeling. What he does know is there's no way he's ever letting her leave again. It doesn't matter if she really is ready or not, he needs her by his side, in whatever capacity she'll allow.

Not only did she save his daughter from her curse, she also made sure he could make her immortal.

Aderyn's inevitable death is something he's been trying not to dwell on for the past few years, ever since he realized there really was nothing he could do about it, but he's never been able to come to terms with it. Yes, she's more powerful than any human and she can take care of herself, but she can still be killed. And even if she managed not to die at the hands of an enemy, her lifespan was limited. Werewolves aren't eternal.

But she doesn't have to be a werewolf now that he has the doppelganger's blood. Caroline's foresight means he can turn his daughter into a hybrid, one of the most powerful creatures that have ever existed.

Slowly shaking his head, he brings his attention back to the blonde before him, her familiar smile spreading out on her lips, as if she knows exactly what he wants to say.

"Caroline, I..."

Once again, the words get stuck in his throat and he averts his eyes, but she doesn't seem to mind.

"Go to her, Klaus. We have all the time in the world."

His eyes snap back to her at that, and there's nothing he can do to hide the half-questioning, half-hopeful look in them at her choice of words. She just gives him a small nod and he vamp-speeds out of the room, leaving her with Stefan and Elijah for the time being. The faster he takes care of this, the faster he'll be able to talk to Caroline alone.

"You just made my brother a very happy man." Startled, Caroline turns to Elijah. She had almost forgotten that her and Klaus weren't alone in the room. "There is however one thing that concerns me."

"What is it?"

"It was my understanding that being a ghost, Miss Bennett could only communicate through Jeremy Gilbert."

Instantly seeing where he's going with this, Caroline shakes her head.

"Jeremy doesn't know about Aderyn. We found a way around it."

"Do tell."

Mystic Falls, September 2013

A child. Klaus is going to have a child. He's going to be a father. She can't wrap her mind around the idea. The fact that Hayley is the mother stings a little, but she chooses to focus her attention on the miracle rather than on her dislike of the she-wolf.

She needs to know more. Rebekah told Matt about the loophole in the laws of nature, she told him that the child is the main reason she wants to join her brothers in New Orleans, she even told him about the conflict with a vampire named Marcel, a former protégé of Klaus's. But there are a few things she didn't know, like what exactly this baby is going to be, and Caroline knows that this is probably the most important piece of information right now.

There's only one person who can help her find out.

She leaves Matt's, where she'd been waiting for Tyler, and makes her way to the boarding house. Jeremy is the one who answers the door.

"Hey, Caroline. My sister's not here."

"That's okay, I came to see you. Well, kind of. Are you alone?"

"Yeah, Elena and Damon went out for the night. What's up?"

"I need to talk to Bonnie."

Finding out that her best friend was dead had been a shock, to say the least, but being able to talk to her through Jeremy has brought them all a certain amount of comfort and closure.

"Sure, come in. I'll call her."

She smiles a little at how casually he just said that, like he's going to use a simple phone. He's been practicing a lot over the past few months and it's easy for him to summon her. He closes his eyes for a few seconds and when he opens them, she assumes Bonnie is in the room with them.

"Hey Bon'."

"She says it's good to see you," Jeremy tells her.

"Yeah, it's good to... you know," Caroline laughs. "But this isn't a social call, sorry. I need your help."

"She asks what she can do for you."

"How are you with the whole touching objects thing?"

"She's getting better. She can hold on to something for a few minutes at a time. Why?"

Caroline sits down on the couch next to the fireplace and drops her bag to the floor, taking out her notepad and a pen, and explains, "Sorry Jer but this is kind of confidential. I'm going to write down what I want to know, and I'd like Bonnie to try and write down her answers. Do you think this is going to work?" she asks the empty space next to her.

Jeremy lets out a small laugh.

"She's behind you. And she says there's no harm in trying."

"Great," Caroline says as she starts writing while Jeremy stays on the other side of the room, giving her the privacy she needs and letting her know that he's not trying to read all her secrets.

Do you know about Klaus and Hayley's situation?

She sets the pen down on the notepad that's resting on her knees and smiles when it starts floating in the air and tracing letters right under her question.

The baby? Yes. How do YOU know?

Long story. Do you know what it's going to be?

A girl. Aderyn.

Caroline rolls her eyes.

Not what I meant.

Oh. Werewolf.

That's what she was afraid of.

Not a hybrid?

No. Vampires can't procreate. Klaus's werewolf gene is the only thing that made this possible, the child's going to have this gene and this gene only.

Do the witches in New Orleans know?

Yes, but Klaus doesn't. He thinks she's going to be a hybrid. They don't want to tell him. Not until the child is born.

Of course they don't, she thinks. They'll only feed him whatever information they deem necessary to ensure his cooperation, and his kid's true nature doesn't matter to them right now. Maybe she should tell him, but it'll bring too many questions. It's safer to make sure those Louisiana witches never know that their secret isn't as safe as they think. Besides, she knows she shouldn't try to contact him right now. She'd be a distraction and he has enough on his plate.

However, it doesn't mean she can't do something for him.

"Thanks, Bonnie," she says out loud, crumpling the page they just used in her fist and throwing it into the fire to make sure no one ever finds out about their conversation. "You too, Jer. I have to go. There's something I need to take care of."

Cardiff, August 2032

"Remarkable," is Elijah's comment once she finishes the story and she almost blushes at the praise. "Thank you, Caroline. I know my brother will have a hard time expressing his appreciation, but know that we are all indebted to you. This family owes you."

She shrugs.

"I didn't do it to hold it over your heads."

"I know."

"Where's Rebekah, by the way?"

"Out with a friend." The slight twitch of his lips on the last word lets Caroline know what exactly friend means and how much Elijah disapproves and she and Stefan share a laugh. Some things never change. "I'm sure you're exhausted. I'll show you to your rooms if you want to freshen up and get some sleep."

"So, Caroline's here," are the first words Aderyn says when he enters her room.

He rolls his eyes to convey his annoyance at her teasing tone, but the smirk that's dying to break out betrays his amusement. He almost wishes she was still obsessing over the rapidly approaching full moon. That way she wouldn't be in the mood to throw some of her infamous smartass remarks at him. But she bounced back rather quickly, like she always does, and if he didn't know any better, he'd think that he was more worried about her impending transformation than she is.

"How did you know it was her?"

"That guy you spoke to on the phone two days ago. He said her name. Was it Stefan?"

Though she's never met them, he's told her about them. Well, mostly about Caroline. She caught him sketching her one too many times and grew curious. He never burdened her with the details, but she knows what she means to him and that he had very good reasons for not pursuing her... Until now, it would seem. Without even knowing her, she's been 'shipping' them – her words, not his – ever since he first told her about the blonde vampire. She's even taken to calling them Klaroline. He's never quite been able to decide if it's endearingly irritating or just plain irritating.

"Yes, he's here with her."

"I can't wait to meet her."

"She said the same thing about you."

"I'm gonna like her, aren't I?" she states more than she asks with a mischievous grin, no doubt already picturing how they're going to gang up on him.

He shakes his head, chuckling, before coming back to the matter at hand and showing her the precious vial.

"I have good news."

Caroline is about to collapse on her bed when there's a knock on the door. She doesn't need to open it to know who's on the other side and she hesitates for a moment. She knows exactly what is going to happen if she lets him in, and she's not sure she's ready for it. Suddenly, she scoffs at herself. What the hell is she doing? Her decision was made as soon as Stefan purchased the plane tickets and she realized there was no point in waiting anymore. Her friend's idea of getting everything she's always wanted to do out of her system before she took the biggest decision of her life was good in theory, but the fact is, there's nothing she wants to do without him by her side anymore. She doesn't regret the past fifteen years, she's learned a lot about herself and she's had an amazing time, but this chapter of her life is now over and she wants to get started on the next one. She suspects Stefan knew before she did. She can't imagine why else he would have contacted Klaus so soon after her confession. It's a good thing he did too, or they wouldn't have gotten here in time to save Aderyn from her first transformation. She doesn't doubt that Klaus's daughter will end up turning one day or another, if only out of curiosity, but this way, it can be on her terms.

Taking a deep breath, she looks down at her sleepwear, the blue shorts and fitted tank top leaving little to the imagination, before deciding that it doesn't matter. She's done hiding.

Opening the door, she's not surprised to find Klaus patiently waiting on the other side. She motions for him to come in and she closes the door behind him. Turning to face him, she finally allows herself to admire him from head to toe for a minute before meeting his eyes. She chooses to ignore his smug smirk at her obvious leering.

"How's Aderyn?"

"Dead. Temporarily. She should wake up in a few hours."

"Good."

"I want to thank you. It's..."

"You don't have to thank me, Klaus," she cuts him off, her voice soft.

"Yes, I do. You have no idea what this means to me. I always thought she'd die. I had Rebekah and Elijah look into even the most unrealistic leads all over the world. I called in every favour I was ever owed, threatened and begged the most powerful witches in the world. I spent years trying to find a solution that didn't exist. And here you are, making the impossible possible."

"You're making a bigger deal out of it than it is. I know it's a big deal for you, but for me, it wasn't that much of an inconvenience. It's not like I risked my life to get the blood or anything. I had a hunch, I acted on it, and it turned out to be a good idea. That's it."

"Right. And you rushing here so that she could get it before the next full moon isn't a big deal either. Neither is you caring about her more than her own mother ever did. And should I mention your intention to give it to her on her twentieth birthday?"

Her eyes widen at that last comment.

"How did you... Stefan."

"Stefan, yes. I saw him before I came here."

She rolls her eyes.

"What else did he tell you?"

She tenses in anticipation as he walks closer to her and stops right in front of her, his eyes taking on this intensity she's always been so scared of, until now.

"Nothing much... At least not today. But he did send me an interesting message two days ago."

"Oh?" she asks, going along with his game even though she's pretty sure she already knows what kind of message he's talking about.

"Yes. Want to see it?"

"Sure."

Taking his phone out of his pants pocket, he fiddles with it for a minute before handing it to her. She sucks in a breath as his fingers brush against hers, sending a jolt of electricity throughout her body. She's always done a good job of controlling her physical reactions around him the few times they met over the years, but now that she's decided to give in, the anticipation is killing her. Fortunately, if his darkening eyes are any indication, she won't have to stay in control for much longer.

She reads the short but eloquent text and gives him his phone back. He sets it on the bedside table before asking quietly, "Is it true?"

She swallows hard. This is her last chance if she wants to back out.

She doesn't. Not even a little. This is right. This is what the past two decades have been leading up to.

"I'm not sure it was when he sent it. But now, yes, it's true."

The words are barely out before he pulls her flush against him, drawing a surprised gasp out of her. His left arm is wrapped tightly around her waist and his right hand cradles the back of her neck as he rests his forehead against hers, their lips inches apart.

"Are you sure?" he whispers, almost pleadingly.

She doesn't answer right away. Instead, she pushes him backwards until the back of his legs hits the bed and she motions for him to sit down. Smiling in satisfaction at his compliance, she wraps her arms around his neck and settles on top of him, straddling him. His hands automatically find her hips as he looks into her eyes, knowing that there's something she needs to say – something he needs to hear – before this goes any further.

"I've been hiding from this for twenty years. Do you really think I'd take the plunge if I wasn't sure?"

"I don't want you to have any regrets."

"I won't," she promises. "Though I might have to reconsider if you don't kiss me in the next five sec..."

His lips crash against hers and her responding giggle quickly turns into a groan as the kiss grows passionate in a matter of seconds. The way he used to try and win her affections back in Mystic Falls was always so old fashioned and gentlemanly that she had expected their first kiss to be soft and sweet. It's anything but. It's hard and hungry and desperate and it instantly sets her on fire. His tongue is battling with hers, his lips are unrelenting against her own, his fingers feel like they're branding her through the thin fabric of her top, his arousal is pressed against her core through the layers of clothes, and all she can think is more, more, more.

She desperately needs to rid him of his clothes, but it would require pulling away from him for half a second, and she doesn't think she can handle that, so she settles for slipping her hands under his t-shirt, drawing a growl out of him when her fingers find bare skin and start wandering all over his chest and shoulders.

He pulls her closer to him, trapping her arms between their bodies and interrupting her exploration. Her instinctive protest dies in her throat when his lips find a sensitive spot on her neck and he sucks hard enough to leave a mark. Thank God for vampire healing, she thinks, although in her lust-filled state, she realizes that he'd probably disagree with her on that. If he could mark her permanently, he would, and strangely enough, the thought only turns her on more.

He yanks the straps of her tank top halfway down her arms, uncovering her breasts, and his mouth instantly latches on to her erect nipple, his hand kneading her other breast as he sucks on the pink bud, hard. Throwing her head back in ecstasy, she bites down on her lip to keep from crying out. Her hands are now free, but she's so far gone that there's nothing she can do with this newfound freedom but hold on to him and pray that he'll never stop. Being on top should give her some semblance of control, yet she's completely at his mercy, her body responding to his every touch, her inner muscles clenching in need, uncontrollable moans falling from her lips at every flick of his tongue.

His arm snakes around her back, his palm flat against her skin between her shoulder blades to keep her in place as his lips and tongue and teeth work their magic on her breasts and his other hand slips beneath her shorts to cup her through her underwear.

She instantly bucks against him, trying to increase the pressure, and her grip on his shoulders tightens as she chases after her release. A noise that sounds suspiciously like a sob escapes her when she realizes that she's not going to be able to reach it this way.

"Klaus... Please, I'm close, but..."

She's past the point of coherent speech, but he seems to understand what she's trying to say because he pushes her underwear aside and in the next moment two of his fingers plunge into her heat and she cries out in relief as he starts pumping them in and out of her. He's rough, his movements aggressive and unforgiving, and it's exactly what she needs. She clenches her eyes shut as she frantically rides his fingers, trying to match his erratic rhythm, the tension building to the point of being nearly unbearable.

And then his lips switch from one breast to the other at the precise moment he hits that sweet spot inside of her and she just... shatters. There's no other way to describe it.

She breaks into a thousand pieces in his arms, collapsing against him as his movements slow down gradually until they come to a stop because he knows that she can't take anymore pleasure right now.

His mouth leaves her chest to press a gentle kiss to her lips. His sudden tenderness, such a stark contrast to the way he just made her fall apart, puts her back together and she smiles against his lips.

She pulls away after a minute and motions for him to lift his arms. He complies and she rids him of his shirt. Before she can move on to his jeans, he pulls her tank top over her head and lets it fall at their feet. Realizing that she needs to move if she wants to keep undressing him, she gets up and quickly discards her shorts and panties. His eyes rake over her body, taking in every single curve and committing the moment to memory. She smiles at his obvious appreciation and holds her hand out. Obeying her silent request, he kicks off his shoes and socks and pushes himself up off the bed to stand in front of her, making it easier for her to unbutton his pants and slide them down his legs along with his underwear. He steps out of them and sits back down on the bed, his hand shooting out to grab her wrist and bring her down with him. In one quick move, he has her on her back and he's hovering over her as she wraps her legs around his waist.

They both let out a moan as his length brushes against her dripping centre and with another searing kiss, he thrusts into her. She tears her mouth away from his at the feeling of being so completely filled and he turns his attention to that spot on her neck that caused such a reaction only a few minutes earlier. Her legs instantly tighten their hold around his middle, pulling him deeper, and he stills inside of her. Ignoring her groan of protest, he lifts himself up on his arms to look into her eyes. There's a moment of silence as he braces himself for what he's about to say and she looks up at him expectantly.

"You know I meant what I said that night, right? I'm never letting you go."

Her face softens at his words and she pulls his face back down to hers for a sweet kiss.

"Yes, I know."

"Good."

With that, he starts moving inside of her, his thrusts long and deep and torturously slow, never breaking eye contact. The fingers of her left hand grip his forearm, revelling in the feeling of warm skin and hard muscles moving under her digits, while her right hand lightly traces the contours of the tattoo on his upper arm and chest.

It doesn't take long for the familiar pressure to start building again and she starts meeting his hips with more insistence, her teeth digging into her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. His eyes flash gold before returning to their usual blue and he leans down to lick away the single crimson drop, a low growl escaping him at the taste of her, his next thrust just the tiniest bit less controlled than before. She smiles at him and pulls him down to her to murmur in his ear.

"There's more where that came from."

His head jerks up in shock at the suggestion and she gives him a nod as she tilts her head to the side, giving him better access. The sharp pain when his fangs sink into her neck is quickly replaced by a wave of pure bliss as he starts drinking from her and a deep moan falls from her lips, her hand finding the back of his head to keep him as close as possible. After a while, she feels her body grow weak from the loss of blood. Klaus instantly retracts his fangs and offers her his neck. She gratefully drinks from him, his blood fighting off the werewolf venom, giving her strength and heightening her pleasure all at once.

As soon as she pulls back, his lips are on hers, and he swallows her gasp as the taste of their blood mixed together combined with the motions of his hips pushes her over the edge, the force of her orgasm taking her by surprise. He's right there with her, his release only amplifying her own, the weight of his body pushing her back into the mattress a delicious reminder of the fact that she's finally where she belongs.

He rolls off of her and she immediately snuggles against him, his arms wrapping around her body and keeping her close as he pulls the sheet over their sweat-covered bodies.

They lay together in silence, knowing that they'll probably need to talk at some point but content to just enjoy each other's presence for now, her hand tracing random patterns on his chest while his plays with her hair, until a strangled noise coming from two doors down shakes them from their lazy haze. She looks at him for confirmation and he nods.

"She's awake."

TBC...