Lock and Key Chapter 12, a vampire diaries fanfic

I'm back! Hopefully someone might still actually read this story. I have been so out of the loop on all things TVD and TO for so, so long, but I was recently inspired upon remembering Caroline will be in the final season of TO, so here's what came from that.

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

Klaus stood in the kitchen, looking out at where Caroline was frantically rushing around the backyard of their London home, trying to make sure everything was perfect for Julian's first birthday party. It was originally going to be at a local restaurant, but the abnormally warm January weather has allowed them to host it at home, which meant the children would be able to run around and play, as they were meant to do at birthday parties.

"She's insane," Katherine spoke up as she joined him from the living room, the birthday boy settled on her hip. "There is no way this won't be the most perfect first birthday party of all time. What more can she possibly be doing?"

"My wife is a perfectionist," Klaus smiled fondly. "She and I have that in common." He took his son. "Julian, are you ready for your party?"

"Yeah," Julian nodded. "Mama?"

"She's outside," Klaus pointed. "Your friends will be here soon so she's getting ready for them."

"You know he doesn't understand you, right?" Katherine smirked. "He's one."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "You've not even given birth yet, so excuse me if I ignore any judgment you make on my parenting skills."

"She's going to be an excellent mother," Elijah said as he walked into the kitchen, followed by the rest of the Mikaelson clan. "I have no doubt about that."

"Time will tell," Kol joked, earning an elbow to the ribs from Bonnie. "I'm only kidding. She puts up with all of us on tour, so I'm sure she can easily handle one baby."

Klaus laughed as Julian reached for Rebekah. "I like how you so cavalierly say 'one baby' as though it's a walk in the park to raise one."

"You've managed not to kill Jules in his first year," Kol reasoned. "And without Caroline, you're a mental case."

"But my baby is perfect," Caroline bragged as she made her way inside. "Most babies aren't." She glanced quickly at her best friend. "But yours will be, too, of course."

"Mm-hmm," Katherine replied. "Well, we find out what we're having on Monday, so we'll know soon enough if I'll have a girl to fight with forever or Elijah will have a son who feels he can never live up to his father."

"Katerina," Elijah sighed. "Must you see everything so pessimistically?"

"I must," she winked at him. "What time does this party start? I'm getting hungry, and that taco bar is calling my name."

"Guests should arrive at two," Caroline reported. "It's one-thirty now, so go on out and eat if you all would like. I'm going to change Julian into his party outfit. Nik, will you help me?"

"Of course," he agreed, taking Julian back from his sister to follow his wife up to the nursery on the third floor. "Everything outside looks great, sweetheart. Your best party, by far."

"Well, it's our baby's first," she shrugged as if it were obvious. "He deserves the best of everything."

They had agreed upon a nature theme for the party, so Julian wore a green, long-sleeve shirt with a giant number one on it, pair with khakis and matching shoes. Caroline had insisted the two of them should match the theme, as well, so Klaus was wearing navy pants with an oatmeal-colored henley, while she wore brown corduroy pants, a pale pink top, and a flower crown on her head.

"You look so handsome," Caroline cooed over the toddler as she held him up to inspect his outfit. "Doesn't he, Daddy?"

"Oh, yes," Klaus confirmed. "He looks like his dad."

Caroline smiled. "I'm glad he does. You're my two handsome men."

Klaus kissed her cheek. "You're the most beautiful woman I know."

She shook her head playfully, knowing exactly where his brain had gone. Ever since Julian has started walking the previous month, Klaus had been trying to convince her to start trying for a second child, explaining he wanted their children to be close in age as he was with most of his siblings.

"Not right now," she told him. "Let's let this kid enjoy his party before we start planning to replace him."

Klaus gasped mockingly and stole his son away from her. "Did you hear that, Julian? Your mother wants to replace you."

Julian, oblivious to it all, laughed and reached for Caroline again.

"Ha!" she cheered. "He might look like you, Mikaelson, but I'm his favorite."

Klaus just grinned. "It's all right, love. You're my favorite, too. Julian has good taste."

"Okay, let's go," she laughed. "The birthday boy can't be late for his own party, and if you keep looking at me like that, he will be."

The party was a hit. Other children from Julian's Mommy and Me class had been invited to play with bubbles and jump in the bouncy castle, which was not on theme, as Rebekah had pointed out, but after seeing how happy Julian was in it, Caroline didn't care.

"Have you told her yet?" Elijah asked as he stood with Klaus, watching Kol jump in the castle with Julian.

"No," Klaus denied, "because there's nothing to tell. I'm not going."

Elijah frowned. "Niklaus, we cannot keep having this discussion. You owe the label a six-week tour because of the time off you accumulated during the world tour last year."

"I don't owe the label anything," Klaus spat angrily. "I toured for the first six months of my son's life. I am trying to have another baby right now, and I promised Caroline that I wouldn't tour for at least another year or two. I'm working on an album; that's all the label is due at the moment."

"If you don't go, you're going to owe them near to a million dollars," Elijah explained. "Are you prepared to pay that?"

"If I have to," Klaus confirmed. "But as my manager, I know you'll find a way to get me out of it. Won't you, brother?" he asked as he walked off in search of Stefan.

"The label is pushing for a six-week tour in North America," Katherine told Caroline as they sat at the patio table. "Klaus is fighting it, but they've got him pretty locked in right now."

Caroline closed her eyes. "He hasn't mentioned it, but I've known something was up. He and Elijah have had a lot of hush-hush conversations lately, and since I've delegated PR to Ian, I've felt a little out of the professional loop. What happens if he refuses?"

"He'll own Island Records about a mil," Katherine recalled.

"Christ," Caroline swore softly. "He can't do that."

"That's what Elijah has been trying to tell him, but I think he can," Katherine shrugged, rubbing her belly. "Elijah might just work as Klaus' manager now, but he was a kick-ass lawyer once upon a time, so if there's a loophole in the contract, my husband will find it."

"Julian and I can manage for six weeks," Caroline muttered reluctantly. "Though it would certainly put a damper on us trying for a second baby anytime soon."

"Don't let Beks hear you say that," the brunette warned. "She won't admit it, but I know she's still mad that I'm pregnant and she isn't, so to hear that you might get pregnant with a second before Stefan consents to a first might send her over the edge."

"I feel badly for her," Caroline admitted. "I don't know what Stefan's hold up is. He's so great with Julian. And I know Kol and Bonnie want to get pregnant as soon as they're married. They're not going to wait to appease Rebekah."

"That won't be until June, at the earliest," Katherine reasoned. "That's when the wedding is."

"Oh, God, speaking of weddings, did I tell you that someone from Kensington Palace reached out to Nik personally about performing at Harry's wedding in May?" Caroline asked excitedly. "I might get to go to the royal wedding!"

Before Katherine could tease her friend for being so excited over something so stupid, Julian waddled over, followed by his father.

"Someone is ready for cake," Klaus said. "I said we had to ask you."

"Let's do it," Caroline beamed.

Once Julian was settled into his high chair and covered in a bib, Bonnie brought the small cake just for him out from the kitchen. It was in the shape of a tree, and it had a giant 1 candle in it.

"Make a wish, Julian!" Rebekah cried after they'd finished singing to him.

Julian ignored her and went face-first into the cake as soon as Klaus had removed the candle, much to everyone's delight.

"Can we talk about this six-week tour?"

Klaus was almost asleep after a long day of celebrating Julian's first birthday when Caroline's soft voice filled their bedroom.

"How did you know?" he asked. He spoke again before she could. "Katerina."

"She wasn't trying to tattle," she assured him, "but I do wish I'd heard it from you. Why didn't you tell me?"

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I didn't want to worry you. I'm not going."

"Katherine said that if you don't, you'll owe Island a million dollars," she repeated. "You can't blow it off for that."

"I can afford it," he replied. "I will not leave you and Julian again. Not right now."

"Nik," she sighed, curling up next to him. "Don't worry about us. We survived six months, so we can easily do six weeks."

"No," he declared firmly, having heard the sadness in her voice at the idea of him leaving for six weeks. "I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it."

"We're quite in love, aren't we?" she whispered.

"So, so much," he agreed.

After a long silence, she spoke again. "Go on tour. I won't be mad, I promise. Maybe Julian and I will join for a bit."

Klaus didn't say anything else. He waited until he felt her breathing even out, meaning she was asleep, before he slipped out of bed and went down to his studio to make a phone call.

The Saturday afternoon after Julian's party, Caroline was just finishing up the dishes when she heard the front door open and close, followed by two pairs of footsteps in the foyer.

"Hello?" Rebekah called out. "Nik? Caroline?"

"In here!" Caroline yelled back.

Seconds later, Rebekah and Stefan appeared.

"Hey," Caroline greeted them. "Were we expecting you guys? Did I forget plans?"

"Nope," Stefan shook his head. "Rebekah and I are going to babysit while your husband takes you out on a date."

"Really?" Caroline grinned.

"Really," Klaus confirmed, emerging from the basement with Julian. "I'll finish up here so you can go get ready, love."

As Caroline hurried upstairs and Stefan chased Julian into the living room, Rebekah stood with her brother. "Thank you."

"For what?" Klaus wondered.

"I know why you asked us to watch him instead of Elijah and Katherine," she smirked. "You think if Stefan spends some one-on-one time with Julian, it'll help convince him we should have a baby."

Klaus eyed her. "You'd make an excellent mum, Rebekah. It would be a shame for you to wait much longer."

She said nothing as she kissed his cheek and went to join her husband and nephew.

"Where are we going?" Caroline wondered as Klaus drove through London.

"To Nigel Pete's," he answered casually.

She lit up. "The place you were first discovered? You've never taken me there before."

"I know," he nodded, "and I know you've wanted to see it, so I figured why not? It's just a dingy cafe, but if it will make you happy, I'm all for that."

Klaus was right; it was certainly dingy. But Caroline didn't care. As they were seated at a table near the small stage, she tried to take in everything about the place that had ultimately led to her and Klaus ending up together, because if he hadn't been discovered, she never would have come to work on his first tour.

"I'm going to use the toilet," Klaus said after they'd ordered drinks. "I'll be just a moment."

While he was gone, Caroline sorted emails and responded to one from GQ about a cover story on Klaus for their May issue. Just as she was about to call her to check on Julian, the owner, Nigel Pete himself, stepped onstage.

"Ladies and gents, you're in for a real treat tonight," he said into the microphone. "Here to perform a brand new, yet unheard original song in the place where he was first discovered more than ten years ago, is Klaus Mikaelson!"

Caroline laughed as Klaus walked onstage and sat down on a stool with just an acoustic guitar in his hand.

"Hello, everyone," he said quietly. "I'm here with my wife tonight, and this is her first time here, so I thought I would sing her a little something, if you all don't mind?"

The crowd cheered, so he adjusted the guitar and began to strum and sing.

She is the sweetest thing that I know
You should see the way she holds me when the lights go low
Shakes my soul like a pot hole, every time
Took my heart upon a one way trip
Guess she went wandering off with it
Unlike most women I know
This one will bring it back whole
Daisies, daisies perched upon your forehead
Oh my baby, lately I know

That every night I'll kiss you you'll say in my ear
Oh we're in love aren't we?
Hands in your hair, fingers and thumbs baby
I feel safe when you're holding me near
Love the way that you conquer your fear
You know hearts don't break around here
Oh yeah yeah yeah , yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah

She is the river flow in Orwell
And tin wind chimes used for doorbells
Fields and trees and her smell, fill my lungs
Spent my summer time beside her
And the rest of the year the same
She is the flint that sparks the lighter
And the fuel that will hold the flame

Oh roses roses laid upon your bed spread
Oh my, hold this, oh this, I know

Well I found love in the inside
The arms of a woman I know
She is the lighthouse in the night that will safely guide me home
And I'm not scared of passing over
Or the thought of growing old
'Cause from now until I go

Every night I'll kiss you you'll say in my ear
Oh we're in love aren't we?
Hands in your hair, fingers and thumbs baby
I feel safe when you're holding me near
Love the way that you conquer your fear
You know hearts don't break around here
Oh yeah yeah

The whole cafe erupted into applause as Klaus finished the song, shook Nigel's hand, and made his way back to his and Caroline's table.

"Nik," she whispered. "When did you write that?"

"Over the last few days," he admitted. "I've been thinking a lot lately about you and us and what our future holds, but I've made a decision and I hope it's one you'll be happy with."

She eyed him curiously. "What?"

"I've left Island Records," he announced. "Elijah and I are starting our own label called Original Records, and I'm going to be our first artist." He winced. "Thoughts?"

Caroline smiled brilliantly. "I think that's the best idea you've ever had." She paused. "Besides marrying me, of course."

"Of course," he laughed, leaning over to kiss her. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she breathed against his lips. "What do you say we get outta here and convince your sister and Stefan to stay with Julian overnight? I think there's a room at the Ritz with our name on it."

"I like the sound of that," he agreed. "Let's go make Julian a baby sister."

Caroline just laughed as he escorted her back out into the cool London evening.