Klaroline AU Week Day Two: Right Place, Right Time.
Time Travel.
This story is dedicated and made as a birthday present to a wonderful reader of mine, helimoen.
She sent me the prompt a few months ago asking for Caroline's daughters to show up during the infamous Klaroline scene in 5x11.
Here you are helimoen! I hope your birthday on the 16th is amazing and I hope you enjoy your early birthday present! All 9,402 words of it! You better get comfy! ;)
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"I will walk away and I will never come back." A slight smirk made its way to his face when he uttered, "I promise." As he calculated in his mind that she did not specify just where he was to walk away from, that gave him a loophole that he could work around.
As she took a step closer to him Klaus held his breath, wiping all the emotion from his face, unsure of just what she would say next. His eyes searched hers for any hint of what was to happen next.
Caroline steadied herself as she stepped closer to him, she had no idea what would come of this but the part of her that she continued fighting against, that she pushed down deeply into herself couldn't be quieted any more.
Standing only inches away from him now her wide blue eyes flickered between his widening blue-gray eyes and his slightly parted lips.
"Good." She simply stated before crashing her lips against his.
The shock of finally feeling her lips pressed against his own wore off within a second, he felt as if he was floating in a heavenly daze as her hand cupped his cheek and her glorious body pressed firmly into his own.
The heat that started as a simple spark grew to a blazing flame as they slowly pulled away from each other. Breathing heavily they smiled brightly at each other, his speaking of how he much wanted her along with his elation with the complete confidence at the fact that she wanted him just as much. A bubble of laughter made its way from her chest as their eyes spoke of their undeniable need for each other.
Seeing the approval in her eyes he pulled her into him crashing his lips to her soft wanting ones. Holding her close he was ready to flash them against the nearest surface, be it the ground, a rock or a tree, he cared not. He only wanted to be as close to her as physically possible.
He barely made it a single step before a wave of magic was felt surrounding them and two tiny gasps of "Mommy!" could be heard around them.
Caroline pulled away from Klaus in shock as she felt two sets of tiny arms wrap around her legs holding her tightly as they shook in what she could only guess to be shock and a touch of fear.
Caroline looked down with her mouth hanging open as two of the cutest faces she had ever seen gazed back up at her, their questions flying out of their mouths.
"Mommy what happened?"
"Mommy where are we?"
"Mommy who is this man you are kissing?"
"Mommy why are you looking at us like that?"
Caroline stuttered for a moment as she looked down at them then back up at Klaus who stood there looking just as perplexed about the current happenings as she was.
Not wanting to scare the two little girls any more than necessary Caroline knelt down in front of them both. Speaking as softly and calmly as possible, "Okay Sweeties, why don't you tell me what's going on and I can help you find your Mommy alright?"
The two girls looked into each other's eyes, both reaching towards one another at the same time to grip their hands together tightly. Caroline looked back up at Klaus, hoping to gain his help to which he just shrugged his shoulders, his hands spread out wide as he shook his head unsure of just what to make of this situation.
"Mommy don't you know us?" The little brown haired girl asked timidly.
Her brown eyes filling with tears pierced Caroline's heart in a way she had never felt before. "Sweetie I'm sorry. I'm not sure what you are going through but I've never had a child before, let alone two." Caroline sucked in a deep breath moving her hands forward to place one on each of their shoulders, "Look, I will help you…"
The moment her touched them, connecting all three of them together, images began flickering through her mind showing her things she never thought even remotely possible. Vaguely she heard the girls equally shocked gasps as well as Klaus's rushed questions of what was wrong. She felt strong hands grip her shoulders dragging her away from the girls.
Klaus cupped her face, wiping the tears from her cheeks that she unknowingly shed while he frantically asked her, "Caroline what's wrong? What happened? What did they show you?" He had been around long enough to sense a witch, and these two little girls were very powerful witches indeed.
Caroline's tear filled blue eyes flickered searchingly between his as her mind caught up with what she had just seen. Still sitting on the ground in Klaus's embrace she turned her head in disbelief towards the girls, "How…what…I mean it's not…" She released a shaky breath, "It's not possible. I…I…" She trailed off as she took in the hopeful looks from the girls in front of her then gasped, "Oh my God."
"Caroline! What is going on?" Klaus demanded as he turned her back to face him. "What did they show you?"
Caroline gazed back at him with wide astonished eyes as she uttered, "They're my daughters."
Klaus nearly reared back in shock, "What? How?"
Caroline's mouth floundered open and closed not knowing just how to explain to him what she was having a hard time explaining to herself.
"We can show you what we showed Mommy." The little dark haired girl said.
"You don't have to be scared." The blonde one added in.
Klaus's head snapped to the side as the little girls spoke to him. Indecision warred within him, he never trusted witches no matter how tiny and innocent they appeared to be. But something deep within him sparked, some feeling telling him that he could trust these two little ones.
Klaus gave them a stiff nod of his head and they reached their tiny little hands towards him each placing one on his cheeks. Images instantly began to flow through his mind and he was held captivated by the story they told him through pictures and memories of their own. By the time they were done he had no idea what to say, let alone think.
The girls cautiously pulled their hands back as their eyes flickered between the two adults sitting on the ground in front of them.
Caroline saw the hopeful light flicker within their eyes as they stared at her, waiting patiently for her reaction. Releasing a shaky breath she spoke cautiously, "Lizzie? Josie?"
Their matching smiles lit up their tiny faces as they threw themselves into her arms, "Mommy!"
Caroline instinctively wrapped her arms around them as their heads rested on her shoulders. She looked at a speechless Klaus mouthing to him, "What do I do?"
Klaus smiled gently at her, his mind replaying a phone call with the one of the little ones crying in the background that he had yet to experience for himself. The conversation was muddled and distorted due to it being from the girl's infant memories but the intent was clear, his voice echoing through the line had soothed the tiny crying babe. "I believe introductions are in order don't you think, Love?"
"Yeah, okay." Caroline ran a hand soothingly down each of their heads, "Girls, this is my friend Klaus. Klaus this is Josie and Lizzie."
Klaus smiled softly at them and held his hand out with a chuckle at the timid brown haired Josie who stayed tucked within her Mother's grasp. It was shocking to him to even think of Caroline being a Mother. Klaus found that the little blonde, Lizzie, was more like Caroline with her outspoken nature.
Lizzie shook his hand firmly, her blue eyes widened and her mouth dropped in a perfect little O shape, "You're Mommy's friend we went to see in New Orleans."
Klaus chuckled at Caroline's scoff but smiled sweetly at Lizzie, "You came to see me in the future?"
Her little head bounced up and down sending her curls flying as she nodded and left her Mother's arms to walk closer to Klaus, "Uh huh. But we couldn't find you. The lady in the bar said they hadn't seen you for three years. Then Mommy got sad and we had to leave cause the bad people were chasing us."
Klaus's eyes narrowed at this new information about his future but his thoughts were interrupted by Caroline's outburst.
"I took you in a bar?!" She scoffed at her future self. "What the heck was I thinking? I can tell you right now that it will be the only time you will ever be in one again." Josie's giggle from in her lap drew her attention down to her. "What's so funny?" She asked the little girl with her head tilted to the side.
"That's what you said then too Mommy." Josie answered from behind her hands as she giggled.
Caroline couldn't help but smile at the little girl's infectious laughter no matter how odd it was hear herself being called Mommy.
Clearing his throat Klaus placed his hand on Lizzie's arm drawing her attention back to him as he asked her slowly, "You said that the lady in the bar told you I had not been seen for three years? Can you tell me what else she said Sweetheart?"
Lizzie bit her lower lip and her forehead crunched cutely as she thought back to that day trying to remember if the lady in the bar said anything else. She looked at the man that she felt had kind eyes and shook her head sadly, worried that she would disappoint him, "She didn't say anything else. Only that when Mommy asked for you that you hadn't been seen or heard from in three years. I'm sorry." Her head tilted down not wanting to see his kind eyes turn angry.
"Hey," Klaus said softly as he raised her chin back up to look at him, "It's alright Sweetheart. It's not your fault, that's all you know."
Her piercing blue eyes caused a pinch to rush through his heart, "You're not mad at me then?" she asked him hesitantly biting her lip much like her Mother.
Klaus laughed softly with a shake of his head as he gazed into her eyes, "No Sweetheart, of course not." Her tiny smile lit up her face causing a rush of warmth to hit both him and Caroline.
"Good!" She surprised Klaus by throwing herself into his arms, pulling back to smile at him, "I don't want you to be mad at me since you're Mommy's friend."
Klaus smirked, "So, your Mother talks about me does she?" He glanced over her little blonde head, his smirk widening at Caroline's scoff and roll of her eyes. He looked back to Lizzie, asking her in a staged whisper, "I would love to hear what all she has told you."
"Okay that's enough! No grilling my future children about what I may or may not have said about you." Caroline huffed, "I swear your ego is too big to even fit in the damn woods!"
"That's not what you were thinking just a short time ago Caroline." Klaus smirked, giving her a heated glare as he flicked his tongue over his lips.
Caroline's jaw dropped, "Seriously Klaus?! Now is so not the time."
A quiet rumble broke their staring contest.
Caroline rolled her eyes and looked down to Josie who was still sitting in her lap on the forest floor. Josie's cheeks blushed as she covered her stomach, "Sorry, I'm hungry Mommy. After we did that spell you said we would get pizza but then we ended up here instead."
"Can we go home now Mommy?" Lizzie asked from Klaus's lap.
Klaus couldn't help but tease her as her frantic eyes looked up at him not knowing what to do, "Yes Mommy," he smirked, "Can we go home now?"
Caroline ignored the smirk on Klaus's face and looked between the girls, "How about you two sit here for a minute while Mommy talks to Klaus." She grinned in happily as the girls agreed. She stood and motioned Klaus to follow her far enough away that the girls wouldn't over hear them, but close enough she could keep an eye on them.
Klaus folded his hands behind his back as they came to a stop and looked at her somberly, "As much as I wish for it, I don't think now is the best time to finish our little interlude." He leaned his upper body in close to whisper to her, "The little ones are watching."
Caroline threw her head back with her eyes squeezed shut, "Oh my God Klaus! Seriously?" At his full chuckle she dropped her head back leveling him with a hard stare, "That was not funny."
Klaus nodded his head, his face told her he understood but his eyes still twinkled with humor, "Of course not Love. How remiss of me. Now, what did you need to talk about that you didn't want the tiny ears hearing?"
Caroline's shoulders slumped as she began animatedly waving her hands around as she spoke, "I don't know what to do with them. I can't take them back to my house, my Mom would freak! Plus could you just imagine all the questions everyone would have if I suddenly showed up in Mystic Falls with two kids from an apparently alive Alaric?" Her wide eyes implored him to follow where she was going, throwing her hands in the air above her head, "I'd be thrown in the nut house, that's what would happen!"
"Caroline, calm down." He told her as he placed his hands on her shoulders, rubbing what he hoped would be soothing circles.
Caroline scoffed, knocking his hands away, "Don't you know the worst thing you can do is tell a freaking out woman to calm down."
"I do now." He grumbled as he rubbed his wrist where she hit him.
Rolling her eyes at his dramatics, "Oh come off it, I didn't even hurt you. What are you a child?"
Klaus dropped his arms to his side, "Well if you are going to be cruel then I see no reason for me to help you." He moved to walk beside her, smirking as she stopped him with her hand on his arm.
"Okay fine! I'm sorry. Now will you help me?" Caroline huffed.
"I don't think you truly mean that Love. You didn't even say please." Klaus teased.
Caroline's eyes narrowed as she growled, "Klaus."
"Alright fine. I just happen to know of a hotel not too far from here that we can stay in until we figure out how to send the girls home."
"Perfect! Thank you." Caroline clapped her hands ready to go tell the girls before she caught onto a certain word he had said. "Wait a minute, did you just say we?"
"You didn't think you could handle this all on your own now did you?" Before she could answer he interrupted her, "Do you have access to the grimoires needed? Do you have the cash on hand to book the hotel? I'm sure you won't be compelling your way into the room, wouldn't want in set a bad example for your daughter's now would you Love?"
Caroline bit her lower lip, eyeing him critically through winced eyes before she gave a firm nod of her head, "Fine. But we need to stop at a store before we get there. The girls are going to need clothes and then we can stop for pizza on the way. Do you want to take my car or yours?"
"We'll take yours." At Caroline's suspicious glare he rushed to continue, "Rebekah rode with me here, I'll just call her telling her something came up and she can be on her way and that I will follow along shortly."
"Are you sure you have time for this? I mean, if you have other stuff going on…" Caroline trailed off thinking of his promise to walk away from her; he wouldn't have done that if he didn't have something more important going on.
Klaus took hold of her hand, cradling it between both of his own, "I will always have time for you Caroline. Nothing more pressing is happening that can't wait a few extra days."
The honest heartfelt look in his eyes warmed her like nothing had before; still she couldn't help but say, "If you're sure."
He patted the top of her hand with a soft smile, "I'm sure Caroline."
"Alright, well I'll just go tell the girls while you call Rebekah." She smiled timidly at him as she slowly withdrew her hand from his.
Klaus heaved a sigh as he watched her walk away, crouching down to explain to her daughters what the plan was. Her daughters. The thought brought to mind the little wolf back in New Orleans that was apparently pregnant with his child. He had dreaded the day that Caroline learned of his little meaningless indiscretion with the girl, even worse, what had begun to grow because of it. It was the part of the motive behind his promise. That and he knew Caroline needed time to grow into herself before she could ever think of give him, giving them, a real chance.
Klaus heaved another longing sigh. He could only hope that in light of this current situation Caroline found herself in, she would be more open to understanding his own situation back in New Orleans. That it would help in her not cutting him out of her life for good. He would just have to wait and see if she would be receptive to learning the truth. After all, he had the next few days with her and her daughters to decide on what to say to her. Shaking the uncertain thoughts from his mind he pulled his phone out to send Rebekah a quick text, it would be far easier to do that than to listen to her incessant nitpicking about his duties back home.
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After a covert stop at the Mikaelson Manor for Klaus to flash in and retrieve the needed books and a few supplies, a fun yet stressful shopping trip to get the needed items for the girls as well as a few things for themselves and a quick trip in to grab a pizza, that even had Caroline salivating, the foursome found themselves now tucked into a cozy two bedroom hotel suite with both girls freshly bathed.
The girls were currently playing with the toys Klaus had graciously bought them. Caroline had grinned like a fool at how fast the thousand year old man had caved at their matching precious little pouts and pleases.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
Klaus walked out of the bathroom dressed in the casual lounge pants and Henley he bought, rubbing a towel over his hair, "It's all yours Love."
Caroline licked her lips as her eyes followed the bead of water that he missed as it rolled down the side of his neck that she just wanted to…
"Caroline?"
"Lick." She blushed as she shook her head, dragging her eyes away from his neck to his face. "I mean what?"
Klaus's lips curved into a smug smirk as he realized the trail her thoughts had taken, is the look in her eyes and the scent of her arousal in the air were anything to go by. He walked over to her, brushing against her in a way to make it seem as if it was unintentional, his pupils dilating at her quiet gasp. "I said the shower, it's all yours Caroline." His skin felt tight against his bones as he watched the shivers break out across her skin.
"Right. Shower." Caroline stared in his eyes in a daze, drawing him in it right along with her. Their bodies leaning in closer, lips just inches apart before the spell was broken by the twins giggles as they played completely unaware of what had almost happened between the adults in the room. Caroline pulled away from him, swiping her tongue across her lips taking in the phantom taste of him. "Okay, yeah. Well I'm just going to go," She pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards the bathroom making Klaus chuckle as she stumbled over a bag left on the floor.
Caroline righted her body and straightened her shirt with a blush, turning her back to him she marched with her head held high to the bathroom door only to pause and glance over her shoulder at him with a whisper, "Are you sure you're okay watching them?"
Klaus smiled with a nod of his head watching her smile softly before closing the door. He felt a warmth course through him when he realized she wasn't asking because she worried over the girls being safe with him, she was asking after his own comfort. Caroline may have only discovered she was a Mother within the past few hours but he could see the genuine love she held for the two girls.
And she trusted him with them.
The weight and the deep meaning of her trust settled over him like a soft warm blanket. With that feeling of comfort to guide him he spun on his heels and went over to sit on the sofa. His warm genuine smile was met with two equal adorable ones as the three settled in and Klaus began to weave them a story.
By the time Caroline had emerged from the bathroom the three other occupants of the hotel suite were sitting at the small dining table shifting through the scattered books and grimoires laid haphazardly over it. Caroline joined the group as they poured through them looking for anything information that would help in returning the twins home.
Once the girls yawned for the third time Caroline finally decided to call it quits for the night, "Okay girls, I think it's time to put you to bed." They both surprised her when they didn't even argue and got up and followed her into the bedroom.
Klaus watched on with a soft smile from the doorway as Caroline fell right into her role as a Mother with ease. It came so naturally to her that it only made him wonder if he would ever be ready to fill his own role as a Father.
Caroline kissed their foreheads, turning to snap off the bedside lamp, "Wait Mommy!"
"What is it?" Caroline asked gently as she knelt on the bed with one knee, leaning down with her hands pressed into the mattress.
"You always sing us to sleep." Lizzie told her and Josie added, "With your guitar too."
She wanted so badly to deny them, embarrassed that Klaus would be here to hear her sing, but their eyes were starting to fill with tired tears and their lower lips began to wobble. Caroline released a sigh, "I don't have my guitar with me, but…"
Lizzie smiled widely, "Yes you do Mommy, you told us you always kept it in your car after you learned to drive."
"Yeah," Josie added sweetly, "You said that you never knew when inspiration would strike."
Caroline blushed, "Well there is no denying that you're my kids. Only someone I raised would know how to put someone on the spot like this." She said before tickling their sides. "Ok fine, I'll go get it."
Klaus cleared his throat from the doorway, "No need Love, just tell me where it is and I'll go grab it for you."
Caroline grumbled nonsense under her breath as she went out into the living room to pull her keys from her purse. She handed them to Klaus, unable to look him in the eyes from her embarrassment, "It's under the mat in the trunk where the spare tire should be."
Klaus tried in vain to keep the chuckle from his voice, "You find it more important to drive around with a guitar in place of a spare tire?"
Caroline huffed to cover her own laughter at her silliness, "Did you or did you not grab one of your thousands of sketchbooks when you stopped at your house?" At his sheepish downward tilt of his head she laughed pointing her waving finger at him, "Right. Then no judging from you Mister! Now go get my guitar."
Klaus nodded his head with his lips pressed; reminding her of the look he gave her when she accepted to be his date to the Miss Mystic Pageant. As he left through the door her eyes widened in a panic, she rushed over throwing the door back open and sticking her head out into the hall shouting, "And Klaus! Be careful with it!"
A chuckle in response was all she heard before the elevator dinged and the doors slid closed.
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Caroline sat on the end of the bed with one leg folded to help support her guitar as she checked its tuning. She flicked her eyes up at the excited girls waiting for her to begin, "So what do you want to hear?"
The twins looked at each other in question before grinning. They looked back at their Mother with radiant smiles as they both said, "Never grow up!"
Caroline bit her lip with a blush before she gave a single nod of her head; closing her eyes she began to strum the cords of the Taylor Swift song.
And then the most beautiful sight and sound Klaus had ever seen or heard happened right before his very eyes, knocking the breath straight out of his lungs in an awe filled gasp.
Caroline's blue eyes shimmered with emotion as her lilting and angelic voice filled the room. He was utterly enthralled. The moment became even sweeter and touching as the twin's tiny voices joined hers with the chorus.
Klaus never blinked the entire time as Caroline continued on with the song even after the girls had fallen asleep. His fingers itched to immortalize these precious moments in his sketchbook. It took him a few moments to take notice that Caroline had stopped playing and was now kissing their cherub cheeks after placing her guitar back in its case. Her cheeks were filled with what he assumed to be an embarrassed blush. That would just not do.
He followed her out of the bedroom and after she softly closed the door behind them he stopped her by touching her arm. He didn't bother holding back his pure awe at her talent as he spoke, "That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. You have the voice of an angel Caroline."
She brushed her hair back from her face and laughed timidly, "Thanks."
"I mean it Caroline; I will carry that moment with me always." Klaus told her softly.
Caroline smiled back at him, getting lost in his eyes before shaking herself out of the daze, "Well, I don't know about you but I could really go for some blood about now."
Klaus smirked, use to her ways of deflection, "Well, it is a good thing I grabbed some blood bags from the deep freezer in my basement then isn't it?"
"You are like the perfect travel companion ever!" She quickly raised her index finger at him, "Don't! Not a word! You'll ruin it!"
Klaus chuckled as he raised his hands in surrender, "I was only going to ask if you'd care to take our blood out on the terrace?"
Caroline narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, "Uh-huh, sure you were." Relaxing her face with a giggle and a shake of her head, "That sounds nice though regardless."
Within a few minutes the two stood on the terrace sipping their glasses of blood. Klaus took notice of Caroline's introspective daze, nudging her with his shoulder he asked her softly, "Penny for your thoughts Love?"
"It's just weird, you know? Here are these two tiny little people, people I've never met and somehow I just…" She trailed off with a sigh, her forehead furrowed in confusion.
"You love them." Klaus finished for her softly.
Caroline turned her head looking at him in utter fear, "How is that even possible? I didn't even know they existed until today. Heck, they don't really even exist yet! And you saw their memories; I'm not even their real Mother. I carried them, I gave birth to them but they're not really mine. How can I lo…" Her blue eyes filled with tears as her throat clogged and closed up before she was able to say it.
Klaus took her glass from her hand having to pry her stiff fingers off the glass, setting both his and hers to the table behind him he turn back to face her brushing a stray tear off her cheek then cupping it fully with the palm of his hand, "You can say it Caroline."
A whimper escaped her throat as she pressed her lips together shaking her head.
Klaus sighed with a tender smile, whispering to her, "Say it Caroline. It is not a crime to love what you cannot explain." The words sat in the air between them, neither knowing where they had heard them before but both feeling a deeply rooted connection to them.
Caroline inhaled a shaky breath, whispering as she exhaled, "I love them." Once it was out she couldn't hold back her tears any longer, "I love them so much. How am I supposed to let them go now? How am I supposed to go through these next few years without them?"
"Oh Sweetheart." Klaus sighed before pulling a sobbing Caroline into his arms, shushing her softly as he ran his hand over the back of her soft hair while she clung to him like a lifeline. Through her sobs and tears he began to make out her words of, I can't and I'm sorry. He pulled back from her a few inches, taking her face in his hands, "Hey, hey, Caroline look at me." Her tear-filled bloodshot eyes gazed up at him sending a knife straight through his heart at the sight of her anguish, "I don't know if this will help but I found something in a grimoire about time travel spells."
Caroline's eyes lit up with hope, "Can they stay?"
It nearly slayed him to have to take that hope from her, "No Love, they can't." As her face fell and her lip trembled once more he rushed to continue, "But there is a trick to these types of spells. Time travel is a fickle thing, I won't bore you with the details, but changing the future can be detrimental, cause and effect and all that nonsense. So there is a clause built within the time travel spells. Once the girls leave we will not remember them being here at all."
Caroline gasped, "So I won't remember spending this time with them at all? Ever?"
Klaus could see how much this disappointed her, and it was with great pleasure that he was able to offer her this small gift, "I wouldn't say ever Caroline."
"What do you mean?" She asked with her head cocked adorably to the side, filling him with relief that her voice was clearing to her normal state.
Klaus grinned at her, "Magic cannot change time per say, but all the memories are still hidden within a person's mind. All it takes is that person to find the loophole and…"
"And then get those memories back!" Caroline's smile was as bright as the sun that had long ago set beyond the horizon. She threw her arms around his neck and laughed with glee.
Klaus closed his eyes and held her tightly, enjoying the moment of having his arms filled with her, her scent surrounding him in a comforting peace he longed to hold in his life for all time.
Caroline composed herself and gently untangled herself from his arms. With a small smile she tucked her hair behind her ear and scooped up her glass once again. "Thanks Klaus."
"Not a problem Caroline." He bashfully turned to pick his own drink up, looking back at her in surprise at her next question.
"If I get my memories back, in the future I mean, would you," She cleared her throat nervously, "I mean do you want them back too?"
Klaus recovered from his surprise at her anxious rambling and placed his hand delicately on her arm, gazing at her with nothing but heartfelt honesty pouring out of his glistening eyes, "More than anything Caroline. If you find a way, I want these memories back more than anything."
Caroline offered him her stunning smile, knocking the breath right out of his lungs, before turning to look out at the scenery around them once more.
Klaus knew if there was ever a time to tell her the truth it was now or never. If he failed to tell her now, after all they had been through, she would only discover it all later and he could not chance losing her for good. At least telling her now offered him the chance to earn her back in his life later.
Klaus downed the last of his blood, wishing he had a glass of strong scotch for what was about to come. With a nervous swipe of his tongue across his lips he spoke, "In the regards of honesty, there is something I should…I need to tell you."
Caroline turned to him with a mock gasp of surprise though she failed to keep her laughter from her voice, "You're not a virgin!"
Klaus chuckled as she broke the tension within him momentarily, "I'm afraid that ship has long ago set sail."
As his laughing mood vanished from him to be replaced with a look of pure anxiousness, Caroline turned to face him fully giving him a small smile, "You can tell me Klaus. You've been so amazing to me and the girls. Whatever it is, I'm not running, you can tell me."
Klaus prayed to every God that he doubted their existence that what she told him would hold true once he was finished. Then he opened his mouth, the whole story of New Orleans, Hayley and the baby spilling out with barely a breath taken in-between.
For her part Caroline stood in silence, taking in all the information he was throwing her way. A part of her realizing that from the way he spoke, he had not talked to a single person about his real doubts, his real fears about all this. What he needed was a true friend, someone he could trust with all this, someone who would stand beside him and not walk away or betray him. Someone who would not allow their jealousy to get in the way of truly being there for him the way no one had ever done for him before. No motives, no secrets, nothing to gain from him, just a shoulder to lean on, a person to rely on, someone to understand and not see him as weak for his fears.
Klaus stood stock still once it was all out there, a part of him couldn't believe the amount of information he had thrown at her. His darkest fears of the whole situation just came spilling out of him as he stared into her glistening soulful blue eyes. She gave him a strength he never knew he had; the ability to even speak of his weaknesses was something in his long life he had never fully grasped. Hell, he had pushed them away with all his might, locking them up as tight as a tomb deep within himself.
Until Caroline.
Caroline who stood in front of him now just as silent as his tomb once was before he opened the door, gladly giving her the only key.
"So are you and Hayley like, together?" Caroline winced, ashamed that after all he had told her that was the first thing she had asked; though his rapid response helped to quickly quell her anxiety.
"No! That girl was nothing but a mistake from the start. If I had it my way she would be gone the moment the baby leaves her womb."
Caroline narrowed her eyes at him, "She's the Mother of your child Klaus."
Klaus scoffed, "Not by choice I can assure you."
"Ok fine, I get it. No one really likes Hayley anyways." Caroline handed that to him with a roll of her eyes.
Klaus chuckled humorously, "Try telling Elijah that."
"Regardless, she is the Mother of your child whether you like it or not. You should at least treat her with respect." Caroline groaned, "God! You have me defending Hayley of all people, doesn't that show you something?"
"That you are a bloody saint?"
She shook her finger in his face, "Don't you get snarky with me Mister."
He raised his eyebrows, a smile playing on his lips making it difficult for her not to laugh.
"Stop it now!" She giggled before sighing and telling him seriously, "Think of how you are treating her, how little you are helping her. Now think about if Alaric treated me that way." His eyes flashed yellow and a low growl escaped his lips making her nod her head, "Uh-huh, see? Not too pleasant to think about when the shoe is on the other foot is it?"
Klaus clenched his jaw in irritation before a smug smirk grew on his lips, "Well it's neither here nor there Love, considering neither of us will remember any of this for quite some time, well after the events come to pass."
"But you will remember at some point." She said with her own smug grin, knowing she had him there, she held her hands up warning him off of whatever rebuttal he was ready to say, "Regardless whether it's a moot point or not, we will both remember someday. And when that someday comes, you should really start accepting that you need to treat the people in your life better, whether you want them there or not. I've seen the way you treat people you care about Klaus, you need to let them in. Don't be so afraid of letting people see this other side of you," She paused to smile tenderly at him, "You show it to me all the time so why not the ones who have been in your life way longer than me? And as far as Hayley goes," The slight growl in her tone was not lost on either of them, "Look, I was raised with two parents that couldn't stand each other and it only got worse when they split. The best advice I can give you is this, whatever you say or do to your child's Mother, your child will feel that it is their fault. So no matter what Hayley does, no matter what she says, you be the bigger person. Show your child that they are what matters most to you by giving Hayley the respect she deserves as their Mother."
Klaus was lost in the words of her impassioned speech, in all the different emotions that flitted across her face. How one so young could see things so much more clearly than he with a depth that even after all his years he could not fathom amazed him and left him speechless.
Caroline cleared her throat nervously at his silence, "Yeah, well anyways, maybe I went too far there."
Klaus reached forward, snatching her hand in his, "No Caroline, you didn't. I'll agree and work on these things when that someday comes," He left his thought hanging there in the open as he gathered his courage, "If you are there to help me."
Caroline's blue eyes widened as her face fell into what looked to be a glimmer of pain and indecision, "Klaus. You promised."
Klaus pulled her in closer to him as she made to pull away, "Yes, I promised but just tell me you'll think it over. It looks as through by the age of your daughters that it is all a few years off yet. That gives you plenty of time to decide Love."
"But from what the girls showed me I did go to you and you weren't there. How do you know you didn't just move on? How do you know that you didn't just forget all about me?" Caroline's tone was argumentative, yet her eyes expressed every doubt, every fear that she held within her.
Klaus's voice became rough with the emotion behind what he began to tell her, "You want to know how I know that I would never forget about you? How I could never move on?" His eyes flash yellow for a moment, only attesting to the intensity in which he meant what he was about to say and how difficult it was for someone like him to even contemplate speaking it all out loud.
"I have lived for over a thousand years Caroline. A thousand years to think and plot. A thousand years to bleed and to fight, whether against others or myself, to live. In those thousand years a million things happened to me and around me, but very few ever touched me as deeply as every single moment I have spent in your presence has."
Klaus smiled tenderly at her gasp, brushing her hair behind her ear then running his fingers down to their soft ends, "I carry your smile, your charm and beauty, your sharp tongue and smart mouth that takes no prisoners with me where ever I go. I move my feet and count my steps throughout New Orleans with you in every thought and every breath I take. I am trying to be a better man, not only to be deserving of you but more importantly for myself." Klaus huffed an awed laugh, "You with your mere fraction of time on this Earth were the one to teach me the importance of this. That I have to want it for myself before I could ever give it to you."
Klaus took step closer to her, his chest brushing hers with every ragged breath they both took, "I've wanted you from the moment I saw you and I've only wanted you more as time passed by. I will want you forever Caroline. Never doubt that. Where that hummingbird made me think of being human for a single second, you make me want to live every day, to truly live." Klaus scoffed, "You think that I'm attempting to secure New Orleans for only my family? The power? My child? I am doing this for you as well Caroline."
Klaus's glistening eyes stared into hers as tear tracked down her face. He cupped the side of her face, an impassioned whisper falling from his lips, "How about a new promise Caroline? I will walk away, give you the time you need and deserve to truly come into your own, if you promise me that you will never again doubt my feeling for you?" Klaus gulped down past the lump in his throat, "But if I may ask for one small thing in return."
"What Klaus?"
He had to mute his groan at the husky whimper in her voice as she all but praised his name.
"Do not come to me to restore my memories until you are ready for me, ready to give me a real chance. I need you to be sure that you are completely willing to give us a chance before that someday comes." He gave her a soft smile, "However long it takes."
Her breath was caught in her lungs, her heart pounded like a drum in her chest. No one ever looked at her the way Klaus did. No one ever thought of her, put her needs first, the way Klaus did every single time. She knew what a huge deal that was for him, just as she knew how much it took for him to be this honest with her. She wanted to match his beautiful emotion filled speech, she wanted to offer him big wise heartfelt words but all she could get past her clogged throat was, "I promise. However long it takes."
Little did she know those small words meant more to him than any other speech she could have prepared.
She mimicked his blinding smile as they moved in closer together, their lips crashing against each other, chasing tongues in a passion filled duel that left them both moaning and wanting more.
Her fingers dug into his hair, gripping tightly not wanting him to stop as his hands splayed across her back, clutching her against his body as if she would disappear.
Their kisses began to slow to a stop as the rested their foreheads against each other, their breaths sawing in and out as they came back down to Earth.
Their lust filled eyes locked and it was with regret that Caroline had to say with a whimper, "We can't, the girls."
Klaus smiled happily, the corners of his eyes crinkling, "I know Love. I can wait."
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The few days she was able to spend with the girls meant more to her than she could ever express. All the laughing and playing, the stories Klaus would tell them as they cuddled up in a fort made out of blankets. She would miss this so much, and by the look on Klaus's face, he felt the exactly the same. Caroline sucked in a deep shocked breath as she realized that these days spent with Klaus and the girls were what she always pictured a real family to be like.
And now it was over.
Her two sweet little girls were leaving to go back to their time and Klaus…her and Klaus would go back to that strange limbo of nothing but questioning whether their feelings truly existed or not. But it didn't matter what she wanted or didn't want to change, the moment she had been dreading was here, both girls had popped their heads up this morning saying it was time. So now here they stood back in the woods where it all began, with Caroline choking down tears as the girls smiled happily, ready to go home. To them they would be right back in their parent's arms, but to Klaus and Caroline this would all fade away into a forgotten memory.
Within an instant it was all over, like it never happened at all.
To Klaus and Caroline, and the rest of the world, time shifted backwards righting its wrongs and locking the memories of the past few days deep within a locked tomb.
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"Good." She simply stated before crashing her lips against his.
The shock of finally feeling her lips pressed against his own wore off within a second, he felt as if he was floating in a heavenly daze as her hand cupped his cheek and her glorious body pressed firmly into his own.
The heat that started as a simple spark grew to a blazing flame as they slowly pulled away from each other. Breathing heavily they smiled brightly at each other, his spoke of how he much wanted her along with his elation at the complete confidence at the fact that she wanted him just as much. A bubble of laughter made its way from her chest as their eyes spoke of their undeniable need for each other.
Seeing the approval in her eyes he pulled her into him crashing his lips to her soft wanting ones. Holding her close to him he was ready to flash them against the nearest surface, be it the ground, a rock or a tree, he cared not. He only wanted to be as close to her as physically possible.
And so he did and they were.
For years to come they would both remember this coupling as the most intense, the closest they had ever felt to another living soul. For years to come, every encounter with another would leave them feeling hollow compared to the way they felt in each other's arms. They would both long for the other in a way that was near crippling. But they were stronger than that, they would tell themselves as they shoved those feelings of being utterly lost without the other down deep into the tombs they had built for themselves. Both for good reasons and some for not, all the while thinking someday it might be different. Both holding on to the hope that maybe, however long it took, someday would come.
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The sun had set just over an hour ago the moon light shown on a frantically pacing Caroline, running her fingers through her hair, "Where are they Alaric!? We've looked everywhere!"
Alaric stopped her frantic pacing by taking ahold of her shoulders, his own worry clouding his ability to calm her down, "We'll find them Caroline."
Her lower lip trembled as tears filled her eyes for what seemed to be the hundredth time since the girls disappeared right before their eyes, "But how? We don't even know what happened. Bonnie can't find them with a location spell and Stefan is checking the Armory as he looks for Damon, I just…what if something happened and we never see them again?"
Alaric pulled her tightly into his arms battling his own tears as she voiced his worst fear.
A sudden rush of magic was felt around them at the same moment two little voices echoed, "Mommy! Daddy!"
Caroline and Alaric pulled away from each other with surprised relieved laughter, "Lizzie! Josie!"
Both parents fell to the ground as the four of them become a massive tangle of arms and legs and laughter. Alaric disentangled himself from the pile with a huge smile as the three girls giggled, "So what happened girls? Where did you go?"
Both girls looked up to their Mother each placing a hand on a side of her face. Images played behind Caroline's eyelids causing her to gasp at what they were showing her. A few small tears leaked from her eyes at everything she saw. The woods, shopping, the hotel, the fort they constructed out of all the blankets and pillows they demanded from housekeeping. Klaus. Then the memories that the girl didn't see came rushing back to her.
"Oh my God." Caroline whispered on a shaky exhale with large rounded eyes.
The girls smiled up at her happily as they seem her remember, "Can we go find him now Mommy?" Josie asked her excitedly.
"Yeah Mommy can we? Please?" Lizzie added in with an adorable pouting tone.
"Caroline? What are they talking about? Find who?" Alaric asked as he knelt down next to her concerned over her tears at whatever the girls had shown her.
Her mouth floundered open and closed, her head shaking back and forth not knowing where to begin, how to even start. She attempted to gather her thoughts as she stood and brushed the dirt from her pants.
"Okay, well. God I don't even know where to begin." Caroline told Alaric with wide imploring eyes.
"Just start at the beginning." He replied gently.
"Ok, so I was in the woods with…"
"Caroline!"
Caroline and Alaric spun as a frantic Stefan came out of the Armory.
Breathing heavily Stefan flashed up to her, "I need to talk to you." He looked over her shoulder to see the twins sitting on the ground whispering with their heads close together, a relieved grin covered his face for a second at the sight, "You found them, that's great!" His serious brooding eyes turned back to Caroline as he began pulling her away, "I really have to talk to you; it will only take a minute."
Caroline reluctantly allowed Stefan to pull her away from her family; she stood listening as he explained what happened inside the Armory with half an ear. The rest of her stayed focused on Alaric and their daughters, her eyes widened fractionally as she watched them placed their tiny little hands on his cheeks, his eyes fluttering and she knew the girls were giving him the memories they had of their days with Klaus and her in the past. She bit her lips in indecision as she thought over the time they had all spent together and the information she had now. Her thoughts were interrupted by Stefan making her attention jerk back to him.
"So, do you think you could help me?" His eyes were so hopeful and a small part of her hated what she was about to say and do since it would only take that hope away and hurt him.
Slowly she shook her head telling him gently, "I can't Stefan I'm sorry. My girls need me right now and there's…there's something I have to do."
"Are you sure?" Stefan asked her with a little disappointment.
"I'm sorry Stef."
Stefan sighed with a nod of his head, pulling her in for a quick hug before stepping back, "Alright, but if you change your mind…"
"I don't think I will, but you will be the first to know."
And then he was gone.
Caroline couldn't help but notice as she slowly walked over to her family that the hurt she had expected to see in Stefan's eyes looked a lot more like relief.
"Mommy we showed Daddy what we did when we were away!" Lizzie smiled happily as Caroline stopped next to them.
"Did you now?" Caroline said with a smirk before turning with a nervous grin to Alaric, "And what does Daddy think?"
"Daddy thinks that it was one hell," He cleared his throat as the girls giggled, "heck of an adventure." He noticed Caroline shifting on her feet as she waited for him to say more. He sighed in defeat, "But it looks like Klaus took really good care of all of you."
Caroline smiled, "He did." She bit her lower lip as her eyes looked off into the distance.
"I know that look in your eyes Caroline."
She licked her lips before rushing out, "I have to find him Alaric. Something isn't right. Klaus wouldn't just disappear off the face of the Earth for three years."
"So you want to help him." He nodded his head after she did then asked her hesitantly, "And what about his memories?"
"I don't know?"
Alaric looked down to the girls before pulling Caroline aside whispering to her, "Look, if it's what you want then I guess I can try to understand. I mean I can't deny what they girls showed me. Obviously there is a side to him that the rest of us never seen. You trusted him enough to be with our daughters and I trust you. So whatever you decide I will learn to live with."
Caroline paced back and forth, her eyes flicking over to the girls' expectant faces as her thoughts crashed through her head. Klaus's voice, his impassionate speech was screaming loudly through her ears.
She stopped.
She froze.
A blinding smile lit her face as she came to a decision before nodding her head firmly, "I'm going to find him."
The girls' shouts of, "Yippee." made both their parents giggle.
Alaric quieted his laughter, looking to Caroline with a grin, "Alright so when do we leave?"
"We?" Caroline asked in shock.
"Please! You didn't really think I'd let you go alone now did you?"
"But…but…what about the girls?" Caroline stuttered.
"We will just have to find a place that is out of the way while you go off and do your digging. Besides," Alaric added with a shrug, "You are all my girls and, Original Hybrid or not, he needs to understand that if he hurts you in anyway I'll be the one coming after him."
Caroline threw her head back in riotous laughter as they ushered the girls to the car, "Can you just promise me something?" He nodded his head as they looked at each other from over the roof of the car, "If I am not there for that conversation, please record it!"
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Yes, there will be a part two coming along soon!
