This one is not as long as the previous ones, but I didn't want to put too much in this one at the moment.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT STILL AMAZES ME THAT YOU ALL ENJOY THIS!

Please remember to review at the end! :)

Caroline sat in the small dining room, watched the sun come up over the trees, and smiled. This was the first time she had ever watched the sun rise without the threat of her life hanging over her head or anyone else's for that matter.

She smiled, and lifted the cup of warm blood to her lips, and sipped from it.

"Good morning, love."

She closed her eyes, and slowly turned her head to find Klaus entering the room with a smirk on his face, though it was a gentle look, not a patronizing one he often gave.

"Good morning." She responded in kind before turning back to the sunrise.

He smiled, and pulled out a chair, after getting a nod from her, and sat down.

"I, uh, should thank you." She began after a moment. "For last night," She added, lifting her gaze to his. "I hadn't realized how much I kept it all bottled up." She finished with a small laugh.

Klaus smiled, and bowed his head. "I was happy to be there, Caroline." He returned, nodding his head.

She smiled, and nodded, sipping from her cup. Her smile faded as her cup lowered to the table, and she sighed. "You said last night that my mother had your respect," She began, turning her head to look at him. "What did you mean?" She asked, softly.

Klaus bowed his head, and fiddled with his hands on the table before leaning back to look her directly in the eyes. "She stood up to me, just like you did." He began, firmly. "She stood by her beliefs, and yet, she loved you with all her heart. She always put family first, and I admired her for that." He stated, shrugging his shoulders.

Caroline swallowed, and lowered her eyes. "She didn't accept it at first." She began, lowly. "Me, being a vampire," She amended, when Klaus gave her a questioning look. "She disowned me, but then she learned that I was still her little girl, and things started to change." She replied, feeling the tears build in her eyes. "We became stronger because of it all." She added, shaking her head.

Klaus nodded, and felt his heart twinge with envy. He had always wished that his parents had accepted him for who he was, and loved him with as much strength that Elizabeth had for Caroline, but it never happened. It never would.

"In a way, your parents did love you, Klaus."

Her statement brought his mind out of the dark thoughts he was conjuring up, and he lifted his eyes to find her still looking at the sunrise.

She closed her eyes, and slowly turned her head to look at him. "If they didn't love you, they wouldn't have turned you to spend eternity with them." She reasoned, shrugging her shoulders.

He swallowed, and bowed his head. "And yet, one of them hunted me for a thousand years." He stated, roughly.

Caroline nodded, and sighed. "Well, mine poisoned me, and tied me to a chair to torture the vampire out of me." She stated, roughly.

Klaus knew without asking who she was talking about, and it broke his heart. "I'm sorry, love." He whispered, heartfelt.

She smiled, and turned her head to look at him. "I'm sorry too, about your ordeal." She stated, shaking her head. "No parent should ever treat their child with that kind of abuse, no matter what they've done or are." She added, with wisdom.

He smiled, and held her eyes with his own. "Would you ever treat Hope that way?" He asked, softly, and then wondered where that question came from.

Caroline's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth. "I would never." She stated, firmly, offended that he would even ask that question. "It doesn't matter who her mother is, I would never hate her." She stated, giving away what she had hoped to conceal.

Klaus read between the lines, and slowly reached forward to brush a stray of blonde hair away from her face. "You still care." He whispered, watching her slightly lean into his hand, and close her eyes.

She opened her mouth to say, yes, but just as she was about to, tiny footsteps could be heard upstairs.

"Your daughter is awake." She replied, softly, opening her eyes.

Klaus nodded, but didn't move his hand. "She hasn't come down yet." He whispered, holding her eyes.

She swallowed, and slowly stood up, away from him, and nervously pushed her hair behind her ears. She started towards the kitchen, when Klaus rushed in front of her. She took a small step back, and stared into his eyes.

"Caroline," He whispered, huskily, showing his emotions in his eyes.

She opened her mouth, and slowly raised her right hand. Reaching forward, she touched his face, and held his eyes as she stepped towards him.

He smiled, lightly, but she could see that it was a nervous smile. What did he have to be nervous about? She wondered, as she leaned forward.

Truth be told, she wanted this since she first saw him on the other side of the door last night. She wanted to kiss him, and tell him that she wanted him to show her the world, and that she cared about him, even loved him, but as always she chickened out. Afraid, he would walk away, or worse, his feelings had changed.

Her breathe mingled with his, and she was vaguely aware of his hands on her hips and neck. She leaned further in, and lightly touched her lips to his, but it wasn't enough, not for either of them.

Just as Klaus was about to pull her closer in, they heard the footsteps coming down the stairs, though they didn't budge.

"Daddy, why are you holding Caroline?" Hope asked, with a gleam in her eyes, as she walked into the dining room, dressed in her pjs.

Caroline pulled back, slightly, but didn't leave his embrace, for her legs were feeling like jelly at the moment.

Klaus sighed, and searched her eyes before turning to his daughter. "We were having a discussion, Hope." He replied, softly, his voice shaking at the emotion he had yet to express.

Hope smiled, and then her mouth turned into an 'o' as she shrugged her shoulders. "Could I borrow her for a moment, daddy?" She asked, pleadingly.

Klaus, though he wanted to say no, slowly let go of Caroline, and nodded to his daughter. "Sure, little light." He whispered, as she jumped towards him, and hugged him around the waist.

She lifted her face to his, and he melted at the look of love in his daughter's gaze. Bowing down, he kissed her on the forehead, and hugged her.

She giggled, and reached for Caroline's hand, and pulled away from her dad. "We'll be back, shortly, daddy." She replied, lightly.

Klaus felt a hand in his left, and he turned his attention to Caroline, whose eyes promised they would have another moment to finish what they had started, and that gave him more hope.

~XXX~

"I'm sorry, I interrupted you and daddy." Hope replied as they entered her room.

Caroline shrugged her shoulders. "It's okay, Hope." She returned, not saying that she wished she hadn't.

"You love him." Hope stated, as she sat on her bed.

Caroline balked with her mouth hanging open, and slowly she shook her head, but she couldn't deny it. "How…" She slowly whispered, watching Hope shrug her shoulders.

"I've seen the way you look at my daddy, and the way he looks at you." She answered, with a smile. "You've denied it for a long time, haven't you?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

Caroline sighed, and sat down next to the little girl. "Yes," She whispered, shaking her head, before turning to look at her. "Are you sure you're ten?" She asked, raising her brows.

Hope smiled, and nodded. "Yep, I'm sure." She stated, firmly.

Caroline shook her head, and let out a chuckle. "You seem older." She remarked, shaking her head once again.

Hope smiled, and nodded. "Aunt Bekah says I have the attitude of a thousand year old woman." She stated, proudly.

Caroline smiled, and brushed Hope's brown curls back from her face. "You do." She whispered, searching the girl's eyes, the same eyes she was gazing into moments before.

"Why don't you tell him?" Hope asked, reading Caroline's thoughts.

Caroline sighed. "Because it's too soon, Hope." She whispered, softly.

"How can it be too soon?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.

Caroline closed her eyes, and dropped her hand. "Because, I haven't seen your father in ten years, and it's a lot to take in." She began, turning her head for a brief moment before looking back at the young girl. "You can't expect people to begin where they left off, ten years ago. People don't work that way." She explained, softly.

Hope nodded, seeming to accept the reason, and smiled, lightly. "Okay," She replied, leaning forward, wrapping her arms around Caroline, lightly. "He does love you, you know." She whispered against Caroline's chest, feeling her inhale deeply.

"I know." Caroline whispered, a smile creeping up on her face. "I know."

~XXX~

"Daddy, what do you think?" Hope exclaimed, excitedly as she skipped in circles around the backyard.

Klaus smiled, and nodded as the candles around them began to encircle them. "You are magnificent, Hope." He proudly stated, approaching her with a smile on his face.

Hope stopped, and lifted her arms up to her dad, and laughed as he scooped her up in his arms, and twirled her around. "Daddy!" She screamed as she laughed.

Klaus laughed with her as he twirled his daughter in his arms, and paused to hold her close to him, fear gripping him as he thought she could be taken away.

Hope sensed his fear, and held him close. "I'm not leaving you, daddy." She whispered, holding on tight.

Klaus nodded, and pulled back. "I won't allow that to happen, little light." He whispered, brushing his fingers over her soft cheek.

She smiled, and nodded. "I know you won't, daddy." She stated, leaning forward to kiss his cheek.

He held his daughter close, and smiled as he began to sway with the candles still surrounding them. He pulled back, and grasped her left hand with his, and began to dance in the center of the candles.

She smiled, and laughed as she placed her head on his shoulder, wishing that this moment would not end. Of all the people in her life, which was only a few, her daddy was the only one she felt completely safe with, and now that trust for which she held especially for him was being extended to Caroline.

She trusted her aunt, for she knew Rebekah would never allow anything to harm her, but there was something to be said about the trust a daughter has for her daddy, especially when he is the most important person in her life.

Klaus closed his eyes as he danced with his daughter in the backyard, logging the memory of this day safely in his mind, for it would always be there for him to access on days when he was alone.

He hated not being there for her. He hated not being there when she took her first steps or said her first words. She was the most important person in his life, and he hadn't been there.

"You were there when it counted, daddy." Hope whispered, reading her dad's turmoil. "And that's all that matters to me." She added, nuzzling her face in her dad's throat.

Klaus smiled faintly, and continued to hold her, for all the time he had with her was precious.

~XXX~

Caroline couldn't help the smile on her face as she watched from the window of the dining room. She had never seen this side of Klaus, and frankly, it warmed her undead heart. She had seen him laugh as he had with her so many years ago, but this time it was with his daughter.

His daughter.

She shook her head. She still couldn't fully grasp it. Klaus Mikaelson had a daughter, and to top it off, Caroline loved her.

Her smile faded as she realized what she just thought. She loved that little girl. She placed her right hand over her heart, and smiled. She loved Klaus' daughter.

"They make quite a pair, don't they?" Rebekah remarked, as she came to stand beside Caroline.

Caroline nodded. "Hope loves him a lot." She returned, smiling as Hope laughed as Klaus twirled her around.

Rebekah nodded in agreement. "She thinks there is no one like him." She replied, shaking her head. "She's right."

Caroline nodded, and laughed. "There's not." She added after a moment.

"I forgot to say thank you last night." Rebekah replied, lowly.

Caroline's eyes widened and she turned her head to look at her. "That's a first." She stated in mild shock.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Don't get used to it." She stated, but the sparkle in her eyes revealed how grateful she truly was. "I heard you threatened Nik if he daggered me before you went to see Hope." She added, watching Caroline nod.

"I understand from his point of view, but daggering you because you disobeyed his wishes," Caroline paused, shaking her head.

Rebekah smiled and nodded. "You should know that I threatened him as well, last night." She remarked, with a satisfied look on her face.

Caroline nodded, and didn't ask why Rebekah threatened her brother. "It was a night of threats." She stated, with a small laugh.

Rebekah chuckled, and shook her head. "That's the only way to get him to listen sometimes." She stated, shaking her head.

Caroline nodded, and sighed. "I know." She whispered, shaking her head.

"Nik still will do anything you ask, Caroline." Rebekah remarked after a minute.

Caroline swallowed, and bowed her head. "Thing is, I don't know what I want to ask." She stated, softly.

Rebekah nodded, and sighed. "You could start with a picnic." She stated, shrugging her shoulders. She rolled her eyes as Caroline jerked her head to look at her. "Hope's idea." She added, under her breath.

Caroline smiled, and nodded. "Hope the matchmaker." She stated, shaking her head.

Rebekah rolled her eyes, and sighed. "You're the only mother figure she knows, Caroline, and as much as I have grown fond of you, don't hurt my niece." She said with a firm tone.

Caroline swallowed, and slowly nodded. "I would never hurt her."

Rebekah nodded. "I know. I just wanted to tell you." She added, with a smile.

Caroline nodded, and smiled. "You're a good Aunt, Rebekah, and a good friend." She replied, touching Rebekah's arm before turning to leave the dining room.

Rebekah sighed, and smiled. She had a friend.

~XXX~

He watched from the woods as Klaus twirled the small girl in his arms, and smiled. This was perfect, so deliciously perfect.

He stiffened as he saw a blonde woman enter the backyard, and the girl reached for her. Such as a happy family, if they were that.

He frowned, and stepped back into the woods. His boss would want to know what he had just seen.

He sneered as he turned his head back to the happy group, but it disappeared from his face when the blue eyes of the little girl caught his.

Shit!

Please be kind!

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I hope to have more chapters up later this week, but I'm not promising anything, since I have finals to study for, and a family dinner to prepare for! OY!

Next Chapter: Hope contemplates telling them about the danger. Klaus and Caroline go for a picnic. Rebekah and Hope have a talk about what she's keeping secret. And a surprise visitor arrives...

Until Next Time...