End and Beginnings
Chapter 21 - The Choice
Silence. The mansion was filled with the loudest and heaviest silence that the occupants had ever heard before. No one moved, no one dared speak, to ask the question that burned on everyones lips; did it work? Caroline had opened her eyes and gasped before her body fell silent. Rebekah, Elijah, Stefan and Katherine watched Klaus as he approached Caroline's unmoving form.
Klaus shakily walked toward Caroline, kneeling before her he took her hand in his, with his other he brushed a lock of hair away from her face his fingers trembling, "Caroline?" She was still, he didn't hear her heartbeat, he moved his hand just above her lips, she was not breathing but her veins were no longer grey and visible. He didn't know what to think, she had opened her eyes, she HAD awoken even if it was for a moment. He curled his hand under her back and brought her in to his arms. He layed his forehead against hers and rested his palm against her cheek, "Come back." A tear slipped down his cheek as he begged brokenly, "Please come back to me." A sob escaped him as he tried to will her eyes open, "I can't live without you, Caroline. You are my everything." He crushed her to him and cried in to her neck, feeling as if his heart had been ripped out and thrown on the floor as she remained dead. The only thing which had been keeping him going was hope and now he felt like he was being crushed under a tidal wave of grief, she's gone.
A gasp was heard and everyone but Klaus looked at Bonnie as she came to. Opening her eyes Bonnie felt disorientated, turning her head she noticed that Caroline was encased in Klaus's arms and he appeared to be crying. Pushing herself in to a sitting position she asked, "Did it work? Is Caroline..."
Elijah took it upon himself to answer Bonnie, "We do not know, Bonnie," he shot a pained glance at his grieving brother, "Caroline opened her eyes and gasped before stilling."
Bonnie frowned, "I felt the power run through me." She blinked back tears, "It should have worked. It DID work." She placed her hand on Caroline and gasped. Her eyes became white and a voice that was not her own came from her, "All is not lost. Her journey is not complete. It is always darkest before the dawn." Bonnie's whitened eyes gazed straight at Klaus, a familiarity in them that he didn't understand as she spoke to him, "By dusk you shall know her answer." She blinked and her eyes returned to her normal green.
"Answer to what exactly?" Katherine wrinkled her brow in confusion at the cryptic words of whomever had possessed Bonnie, "Any ideas, Bon Bon?"
"Don't call me that." Bonnie rolled her eyes at Katherine. Recalling what her possessed self had said she continued, "I remember everything she said. Caroline's journey is not complete and by dusk we will know her answer to a question that we don't even know." She searched her memory, "There was something familiar about her but I'm not sure what."
"I guess we'll know what she meant at dusk." Elijah looked at Klaus as he said, "Perhaps there is hope after all."
Klaus stood up with Caroline in his arms, "I'm going to our room to wait for her to wake." He smiled looking in to her beautiful face, "She's just stubborn. She loves to make me wait for her." He went to their room and layed with her on the bed, unwilling to leave her side until she awoke.
Bonnie watched Klaus leave with Caroline, his switch from inconsolable to calm made her head spin. Turning to Elijah she asked worried, "Is he okay?"
"No, Bonnie, he is not." Elijah answered, he stared at the spot where Caroline and Klaus previously were on the floor, "He is half mad with grief and if she doesn't come back..." He trailed off, unable to speak the words.
Rebekah said them for Elijah, "He will not recover from Caroline's death." Tears filled her eyes at the thought of her brothers pain, "Nik will turn his emotions off and he will never turn them back on again. He will be a worse monster then he ever was before."
Stefan jumped out of his seat, he had heard enough, "She's not dead." A sheen of water covered his eyes as his heart ached for his best friend, "She. Is. Not. Gone." He glared at the occupants of the room before storming off.
"Make that two people who will not recover from her death." Elijah mused. He did not begrudge Klaus his hope, he knew if anything ever happened to Katerina he would be the same, clinging to any small hint of hope. Then, when all hope was lost he would tear this whole world apart in his grief and make every other person, vampire, witch and werewolf feel his pain. At his depressing thoughts he tightened his hold on Katerina, subtly kissing the side of her cheek so he could breath in her heavenly scent and assure himself that she was fine.
"I will not let that happen." Bonnie vowed standing up. She began to leave the room when Rebekah's voice stopped her.
"Where are you going?" Rebekah asked, surprised that Bonnie was leaving.
Bonnie looked over her shoulder at Rebekah, "I'm going to look through my grimoires to see if there is anything I can do to help her." Not waiting for a reply she left.
"I truly hope she wakes, Elijah," Rebekah said, "as I don't want to be the one to clean up after two insane vampires." She decided to go to her room and leave Stefan to cool down.
"As do I, sister." Elijah agreed, praying that whatever choice Caroline had to make, it was the one that brought her back to his brother.
Caroline opened her eyes, she was laying on the ground in the middle of the woods. Sitting up, she saw a woman standing in front of her with her back to her, "Who are you?"
"Hello Caroline," The woman spoke before turning around to face Caroline, "you have a choice to make."
Caroline's eyes widened in shock at who stood before her, "Esther?!"
Earlier on
Caroline had been desperately kissing Klaus when she felt a tug inside of her and she could no longer feel his lips against hers. Opening her eyes she watched as Klaus frantically looked around the room before asking Bonnie if she had done the spell. A tear ran down Caroline's face as she realised that she was now on the Other Side. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to face Kol.
"Welcome back, sister." Kol pulled Caroline in to his arms as the tears she'd held in streaked down her cheeks, "Let it out, darling, let it all go."
Caroline sobbed against Kol's shoulder, holding him tight against her, letting out all the sorrow that she had held back not wanting to burden Klaus with her tears.
Kol rubbed his hands up and down Caroline's back in comfort, understanding her fear of not returning. Unlike Caroline, he had spent weeks on the Other Side by himself after he died. He had stayed with Klaus as he was trapped in the Gilbert house with his body, he had seen the tears, they more than anything had proved to him that his brother had not been trying to kill him and he had forgiven him. Regret had filled him that he had died thinking that his brother hated him and that Klaus thought Kol had hated him too. He had spent the next few days dividing his time between watching the events that happened between Klaus, Tyler and Caroline, and what happened on the Island with Jeremy, Elena, Bonnie, Damon, Stefan, Rebekah and that creepy professor Shane. He had whispered to Elena and Jeremy all the ways in which he wished for them to die. His wish was granted when Silas killed Jeremy as they tried to retrieve the cure, with Katherine's help of course, he found that to be poetic justice. Back at the Gilberts he watched as Klaus almost let Caroline die because of his foolish pride, unable to do anything as his brother almost let the woman he loved slip away, relief filled him as Klaus fed her his blood. After that he wondered through Mystic Falls until he thought briefly of Elijah and was transported to him. He appeared whilst Elijah and Katherine were in the middle of reuniting. Until Caroline joined him on the Other Side he had been wandering the Earth, lonely and forced to do nothing but watch. It is truly a torment being stuck there and if he were Caroline he too would be afraid after tasting what it was like to be back only for it to be ripped away.
Caroline pulled away from Kol, wiping her face of her remaining tears, "Thank you." She smiled at Kol, grateful as ever for his presence at her side when she needed him.
"You're welcome, sister." Kol returned her smile, he wrapped his arm around Caroline's shoulder, "Let us watch as your friends bring you back."
Caroline looked around and was surprised to see her body on the ground wearing different clothing, someone had dressed her in a white dress. She smiled, knowing it was Klaus that chose the dress, he always did have wonderful taste; the diamond bracelet he gave to her on her birthday and the blue dress from his mothers ball were two examples.
"It's showtime, darling." Kol squeezed Caroline's shoulder as Bonnie began the incantation. As she poured Elena's blood in to the iron bowl he felt Caroline shudder beside him, "Are you okay, Caroline?"
"I feel strange." Caroline felt a shudder run through her, the more of Elena's blood that went in to the bowl the more light headed she felt. When Bonnie had finished the first part of the spell Caroline fell to her knees gasping, she felt tiny pin pricks along her skin. Raising her hand she looked at it, it kept shimmering in and out of focus, "Kol..." She looked up at Kol before she exploded in to little sparks of light.
"Caroline!" Kol shouted as Caroline exploded in front of him, he watched as a bolt of lightning hit Caroline's body and she opened her eyes gasping, her back arching off the floor before slumping to the ground. Kol stared at Caroline's body in shock, "I truly hope that was supposed to happen."
The present time
"What are you doing here?" Caroline asked, looking around her she added, "What am I doing here? Last thing I remember Bonnie was performing the spell, it was working because I felt strange before..." her memory was a blank, "...something happened."
"Bonnie did the spell successfully." Esther replied, "You were ripped from the Other Side to your body."
"So why am I here?" Caroline asked gesturing at Esther, "With you of all people."
Esther chuckled, "I am your guide." She held out her hand to Caroline, "We have a journey to undertake where you must make a choice."
Caroline stared at Esther's hand suspiciously, this was the woman who had tried to kill her own children and by extension, herself and her friends. If she had been successful the whole vampire race would have been extinct. Ignoring Esther's hand Caroline stood up, "Why should I go anywhere with you? Not too long ago you tried to kill all of us."
Esther looked off in to the distance, a hint of regret in her eyes, "Perhaps this is my penance for trying to commit filicide." She fixed Caroline with a penetrating stare, "There is no greater sin then trying to kill ones own children."
"No," Caroline shook her head, returning Esther's look with her own unforgiving stare, "Your greatest sin was standing by and allowing Mikael to harm your son. You had the affair, you gave birth to Klaus knowing full well that if he one day accidentally killed someone he would become a werewolf and your secret would be out." She glared at Esther as she hissed, "Monsters aren't born they're made. Do you think if you'd shown him love or compassion that he would have been half as monstrous as he became over the last thousand years? If you had actually been a mother to him would he have always been the sweet, caring, loving man that he is with me?"
Tears fill Esther's eyes as Caroline's words cut her to her very core. She had always known what she'd done was wrong, punishing Klaus for her own indiscretion, turning her head away as Mikael abused Klaus, even before he knew that he wasn't his. Taking a breath she replied to Caroline, "I failed Niklaus."
"You failed all your children." Caroline stressed, she was unforgiving of Esther, her apparent regretful emotions meaning nothing to her. If Caroline had the gift of children she would love them with every inch of her being and protect them until her last breath, even from their own father, "I have never felt so loved since I opened my heart to Nik, he shows me every day how much he loves me. I feel it in every kiss, every touch, every look he gives me, in his simple joy at having me in his arms and in return I love him back with every fibre of my being, show him he is worthy of love, show him unconditional love for the first time in his existence." She glared at Esther, "You failed as a mother. I will not fail as his lover, I will stand by Nik's side forever and I will never leave him." She smiled as she thought of Klaus, all she wanted was to be back in his arms and never leave the love and safety of his embrace, "I am his as he is mine."
"You are truly a perfect match for my son." Esther smiled warmly at Caroline, "You have the loyalty of a wolf, the compassionate heart of a human and the fierceness of a vampire." She wanted to tell Caroline what she truly was to her son but that would have to wait until she made her choice, the spirits would not allow it any other way, "Come. Let our journey begin." Esther turned away and began leading the way through the forest.
Caroline followed behind Esther, unsure whether it was a good idea to follow her, but she really had no choice if she had any chance of returning to Klaus. Speeding up until she was beside Esther she asked, "What choice do I need to make?"
Esther smiled, she had been waiting for Caroline to ask that question. She walked through a mist and stopped at a headstone in front of her, "You need to decide your fate."
"My fate? What's that supposed to mean?" Caroline didn't understand what Esther meant. Looking at the headstone she gasped, "My dad. That's my dads headstone."
Esther nodded, "Your father made a choice. He decided to die rather than live as something he despised." She envied Bill Forbes for his absolute faith in his principles, perhaps if she had stuck to her own principles, her morals, she never would have turned to dark magic to make her children in to vampires. If she was stronger she could have moved on from the loss of her children. The world would have never suffered the cruelty of her children, "He died because of something I should have never created. It should not have been a thousand years."
"But it was," Caroline replied, "you made a choice, you didn't want to lose anymore children and you tried to protect them as a mother should." She gazed sadly at her fathers grave, "We all make choices in life, be they good or bad, what sets us apart is how we react." A tear fell down her cheek, "My father found out I was a vampire and he tried to fix me by torturing the vampire out of me."
"That leads us to your first choice." Esther faced Caroline as she told her the choice she had to make, "You can choose to stay dead and as Bonnie's spell was successful you are currently human and will simply move on." She smiled at Caroline, "You will not be on the Other Side, you will know peace." She looked at Bill's headstone, "Just as your father would have wanted."
It wasn't even a choice, Caroline knew her answer, "I do not want to die. I wouldn't have let my friends go to all this trouble if I wanted to simply die. My answer is no."
"Then let us move on to the next place." Esther began walking through the forest.
Caroline followed behind Esther as they continued through the forest until it thinned out and they were in a small village with wooden huts. There was a huge white oak tree in the centre with vervain growing at the bottom. A little blonde girl with braided pigtails was running around it laughing whilst being chased by an older boy with shoulder length blonde hair. Off to the side was another boy with shoulder length brown hair, he was watching the scene before him with an amused smile. Eyes wide she asked Esther, "Is that?"
Esther looked upon the scene with sadness, a deep regret filling her at the misery that would befall them, "Yes, that is Elijah, Niklaus and Rebekah during happier times. Even then, those three were close, Niklaus and Elijah were the closest of siblings before Tatia came between them."
"Why are you showing me this?" Caroline couldn't take her eyes off the adorable smile on Klaus's face as he playfully chased his sister. He looked happy and carefree, so unlike how he was now that it hurt her to think of the pain that would haunt the happy boy before her, all she wanted was to take him in her arms and tell him that everything would be alright.
"I wished to show you that they were once a happy family." Esther replied, aching for the time that she loved her children with all her heart, when she would do anything for them, when she was their mother, "They loved each other, they fought with each other but at the end of the day they were always there for each other."
"Just as they are now." At Esther's sceptical look Caroline elaborated, "They may fight with each other, some times even hate one another but when push comes to shove they are always there for each other. Elijah helped Klaus without blinking when he asked for help in bringing me back. Rebekah even helped when she returned from hunting the cure when we informed her what had happened." Caroline chuckled, "She hated me so you know she was only doing it for Klaus."
"Rebekah was jealous of you, Caroline," Esther replied, "for the first time in a thousand years she wasn't the centre of Niklaus's attention and she hated it."
"She has nothing to be jealous of, Nik is her brother and will always love her." Caroline replied, when Klaus was away she and Rebekah had begun warming up to each other, she made Stefan happy again after Elena and that was all Caroline cared about, "We are starting to become friends and I know that will make Nik happy."
"You care a lot about Niklaus." Esther observed, she was amazed how much Caroline cared for Klaus, she had never known anyone to care for him besides family before.
"I do." Caroline watched the young Klaus play a tender smile on her lips, "I love him, in a short amount of time he worked his way in to my heart and refused to leave." She laughed as she recalled Klaus's persistence in winning her heart, "I've been falling for him over the last year and it was only my stubbornness and loyalty to my friends which prevented me from giving in to him."
"And now that you have?" Esther asked, curious to know Caroline's answer.
"Best decision I ever made." Caroline replied honestly, "My only regret is not giving him a chance sooner."
"Perhaps that's not what fate had in store for you." Esther hinted, she now knew what fate designed for Klaus and Caroline, it was surprising to say the least and partly absolved her for turning her family in to vampires. Just as she didn't learn this until after she died for the second time, Caroline wouldn't learn it until it was time for her to know, they did not want the information to influence Caroline's choices.
"Maybe." Caroline was not sure that fate existed and if it did that it would plan for her and Niklaus Mikaelson to be together but, who knew, stranger things had happened. Her musings were cut short as she felt a hand touch her arm, she looked up and was surprised to find teenage Klaus peering at her, "Hello."
"Hello." Niklaus greeted Caroline, a big grin on his face, "You are very beautiful."
Caroline smiled at Niklaus, "Thank you," she ran her hands through his hair, "You are very handsome."
Niklaus blushed before a familiar cocky smirk touched his lips, "To be worthy of you I would fight off every other man."
Caroline giggled, Niklaus was too cute, "Is that so?"
Niklaus nodded, "Can I tell you a secret?" At Caroline's nod he leant in and whispered in her ear, "You will be mine one day, Caroline." He kissed her cheek and returned to playing with his sister.
Caroline watched Niklaus go with shocked eyes, "How did he know my name?"
"This isn't the past, Caroline, this is merely a projection of past events." Esther explained, this may not be the past but it didn't make Niklaus's words any less true, no matter the time or the place he would always recognize who Caroline was to him, just as fate intended it.
"Then what was the point of bringing me here?" Caroline wondered.
"To show you a part of Niklaus that is buried within him. His humanity." Esther replied.
"I've seen Nik's humanity, he shows it to me all the time," Caroline took one last glance at Niklaus, she could see the man she would one day love in him, "but that's not the only thing I love about him. I love the cocky, arrogant, possessive Hybrid as well."
"How can you love his monstrous side?" Esther wondered, she could understand Caroline falling in love with Klaus's human side but to also love his evil side, that made no sense to her.
"When you love someone you don't only love the good, you love the bad and downright ugly things too." Caroline knew that Esther couldn't see past the evil Hybrid but for herself, she always had to force herself to think of that side, to constantly remind herself of the awful things Klaus has done to prevent herself from falling for him. Obviously it didn't work, she fell head over heels and used the fact she was with Tyler to deny herself. What a fool she was.
"You are wise beyond your years, Caroline Forbes." Esther felt a touch of awe at Caroline's ability to love every part of Klaus, she herself was unable to love all of Mikael's faults which led her to fall in to the arms of the handsome and enchanting werewolf from the nearby village. It hurt to think of Klaus's true father, she was sure Mikael killed him when he destroyed the wolves after learning of her betrayal. Esther shook off her thoughts of the past, she had a job to do to help Caroline make her choice and it wouldn't do to think of things long since gone, "Let us continue on." Esther waved her hand and a door cloaked in mist appeared which she disappeared through.
Caroline took one last look at Niklaus, he would one day become her everything and all she wanted was to be with him again, "I will see you very soon, my beautiful wolf." Their eyes locked from across the village, she smiled at Niklaus which he returned, facing the door she turned her head to the side whispering, "I'll love you always, Niklaus." She walked through the door, surprised to find herself back in Klaus's dungeon with Elena and Damon. Confused she asked Esther, "What am I doing here?"
"Just watch." Esther advised.
Caroline crossed her arms over her chest watching Elena and Damon hang from the walls. After a few minutes of nothing she turned to Esther, "Well? What am I apparently waiting for?" Then she heard a bang, looking over at the door she saw a tear stained Stefan storm in carrying a bottle of half drunk bourbon. Her heart hurt to see Stefan so obviously in pain, she went over to him and placed her hand on his arm, "Stefan?"
"He can't see you, Caroline, the spell was removed." Esther gestured at Stefan, "You can only observe."
So with a heavy heart, she observed as Stefan stumbled across the room until he was in front of Elena.
Stefan just stared at Elena until she opened her eyes to look at him, "This is all your fault, you know." He took a swig from his bourbon.
"What is?" Elena asked, this was the first time Stefan had been down to see her since Elijah brought her here a week ago.
Stefan laughed bitterly, tears stinging his eyes, "You're the reason my best friend is dead."
"Give it a rest, brother," Damon rolled his eyes at his grieving brother, "You hardly even knew her when compared to the almost two hundred years you knew Lexi."
Stefan's eyes darkened in anger as Damon brought up Lexi, "Like you know anything about friendship. Liz is only your friend because she doesn't know what you did to Caroline." He smirked at Damon as he prodded his raw wound, "Exactly how many times did you kill Alaric?" He felt triumph as Damon flinched, "Two? Three times? I bet each time he came back he hated you even more, after all you did turn his wife in to a vampire." The ripper in him rose to the surface scenting victory, "If you had never killed him he never would have went crazy and wouldn't have died in your arms. You're the reason your only friend is dead."
"Low blow, brother." Damon clenched his jaw, hurt in his eyes and a deep sorrow in his body at the thought of his forever gone drinking buddy.
"Now you know how I feel." Stefan hissed, drinking some more he slammed the bottle on the table, "Congratulations, really well done." He sarcastically clapped his hands together, "The two people I loved more than any other killed two of the only people to ever understand me." He blurred over to Damon getting in his face, "Not one, brother dearest, but two best friends you've had a hand in taking from me." He choked on a sob, "Why is it you feel the need to take everything I have from me? Katherine, Lexi, Elena and now Caroline." A deep hurt shone from his eyes, "Who else is left for you take? Are you going to try and steal Rebekah from me?"
"Stop being so dramatic, Stefan." Damon glared back, "Lexi had to be killed because the council was getting too close. I couldn't care less about what happens to my accidental offspring. Elena came to me because she knows I'm the better option. As for Rebekah, been there done that, don't need that kind of crazy." As he came to the centuries old sore spot between them he yelled, "Katherine wasn't supposed to turn you, little brother. You should be dead!"
"What have I ever done to make you hate me so, brother?" Stefan cried, angry and in pain, "I loved you above all others, you were my hero." Large tears ran down his cheeks as he confessed, "I never cared about Katherine, I only loved her because she compelled me. I forced you to turn because I couldn't imagine a world where you didn't exist, I needed my brother and the sad fact is that you never needed me the way I needed you." Stefan picked up the bottle, finished it and threw it across the room screaming, "Why couldn't you ever love me?"
Damon was shocked at the words his brother screamed at him, Stefan seriously believed that he didn't love him, that if anything ever happened to him it wouldn't feel like a part of his heart had been ripped out. Swallowing hard, he locked eyes with Stefan's pain filled ones, "I have failed you, Stefan, as your brother. I took everything that was yours because I, because I," he closed his eyes as he confessed, "I was jealous that father loved you and had nothing but disappointment and hate for me."
"Father loved you, Damon, I don't know why you could never see that." Stefan tried to reassure Damon, hating himself for never truly being able to let his brother go.
"No he didn't, Stefan, especially" Damon's breath hitched as he tried to hold back his tears, "after mother died. After she passed he never again treated me as a son but as somebody he was forced to endure." He looked off to the side a tear slipping down his cheek, "I bet he didn't even hesitate before pulling the trigger, probably so relieved to be done with me." Damon returned his gaze to Stefan, "I was so happy after you were born, Stefan, that I had a little brother to play with, someone who would love me and always be there for me. My perfect baby brother."
"If you were so happy to have a little brother then why did you try to ruin my happiness." Stefan asked, unwilling to believe Damon's words of wanting him when he tried to sabotage him so many times.
"You were everything I hoped for and more." Damon stressed, needing Stefan to know that he meant it, "You were my best friend. Until I left for the war you were my closest confidant and I truly loved you." Damon let a tear escape him, "But father held you up as the perfect son, he treated you with love and respect whereas all I ever got was disappointment and shame. I was jealous of you and the love I held for you slowly turned in to resentment."
Stefan placed his hands on Damon's shoulder and stared intensely in to his eyes, "I've never felt anything but love for you, even when Katherine came between us, I would have picked you over her in a heartbeat if I was in my right mind." He swallowed painfully, "Even now, I would pick you over Elena. For me it wouldn't even be a choice, you are my brother and I will love you to my dying breath, I will always save you. Can you say the same?"
Damon stared back in to Stefan's eyes, ashamed that he had caused his brother pain when he'd done nothing to deserve it, "I'm sorry, brother."
"That's what I thought." Stefan's voice broke as he turned away, just as he suspected Damon didn't love him as much as he loved him.
"I don't know!" Damon cried out, hating to see his brother look so despondent, "I don't know who I'd pick. What I do know is that I can't live without you, even if most of the time I want to hate you."
Stefan was done, he couldn't listen anymore to how his brother would choose Elena over him. He wanted to confront Elena but he couldn't listen to Damon defend her without doing something he may or may not regret. Stefan approached Elena and told her, "I don't know how you could have harmed Caroline, she has done nothing but be there for you." He moved to leave throwing one last comment over his shoulder, "You're just not worth the amount of people who've died for you." He left them there and went straight to someone who'd always chose him; Rebekah. As he opened her door he fell in to her waiting arms and cried in the arms of the woman he still loved, the woman he probably would have always loved if Klaus hadn't compelled him, "She's gone."
"We don't know that for sure, Stefan." Rebekah held Stefan tight, stroking her hands through his hair and across his back, "You heard Bonnie, all hope is not lost until after dusk." She just held him, comforting him as best she could.
Caroline cried as she watched Stefan and Damon's conversation, hating that she couldn't comfort Stefan as he poured his heart out to his brother. Turning to Esther she whimpered, "Why make me watch that?"
"To show you some of the pain attached to living an unnaturally long life." Esther replied, hard as it was to watch it was a necessary part of their journey, "That no matter how much you love someone, old resentments and hurts can still sting as much centuries later as they did when they happened."
"I'm not naive, I know it won't be perfect but as long as I have the people I love with me I know I can get through anything." Caroline said fiercely, knowing with all her heart that it was true, as long as she had those she loved she would be okay. There was nothing stronger than love to her. Wiping her tears away, she stood tall and strong, confident that she could face anything that Esther threw at her, "What's next?"
Esther smiled as she noticed Caroline's returned strength, "Time for your next choice. After what you've seen you must decide whether you wish to continue as a human. To live and die as a human."
Caroline took a moment to think about it. Did she want to be human? Just after she transitioned she wouldn't have hesitated in answering yes but not now. Klaus was right, she preferred who she was now to the girl she once was. She loved being strong, ageless, fearless. Smiling, she answered Esther with confidence, "I don't want to be human anymore. I like who I am now."
"As you wish." Esther held out her hand for Caroline to take, "Take my hand."
This time Caroline took it without hesitation, the air shifted and they appeared in Klaus's bedroom. Klaus was laying on the bed, his arms wrapped tightly around Caroline's body his face in her neck. Seeing him sad all she wanted to do was to kiss him, hold him and reassure him that she was here, "Why am I here?"
"I thought it appropriate for your final choice." Esther looked at her son holding Caroline's body. She could see it, the love Klaus felt for Caroline, something she thought him incapable of and it touched some long buried motherly part of her.
'Finally!' Caroline thought before asking, "So what is my final choice?"
"Do you wish to continue on as a vampire or as a Hybrid?"
"What?" Caroline's eyes widened in surprise, she could choose to be a Hybrid.
"You have my son's blood running through your veins," Esther explained, "it is almost as potent as the doppelgangers. You could join him as a Hybrid or continue on as a vampire. The choice is yours."
As she contemplated what choice to make, she looked at Klaus as he held her so delicately. He had fallen in love with her as a baby vampire. He loved being THE Original Hybrid and she loved being a vampire, "I've made my choice."
"Which will it be?"
"I want to stay as a vampire." Caroline answered eagerly.
Esther laughed at Caroline's eagerness, "Now that you've made your choice I can now tell you what you are to my son."
"Okay." Caroline gestured for Esther to continue, intrigued to know what she meant.
"I did not know of this until after Alaric killed me." Esther began, "Once I was reawakened on the Other Side, I was told what yours and Niklaus's fate were." She took Caroline's hand in hers, "You are the other half of Niklaus, the light to his dark, his one true mate, his souls mate." She smiled at Caroline's shock, "You two are meant to be one."
"What?" Caroline's eyes were wide at what Esther had told her, "How is that possible?"
"Because you were born a thousand years apart?" At Caroline's nod Esther explained, "If I had never interfered in nature Niklaus would be reborn over and over until he finally found you, each time he came back he would grow angrier and angrier because his soul would be crying out for you. However, fate did not plan for this to occur. They sacrificed Henrik so that I would perform the ritual that turned my family in to vampires, so that one day Niklaus would arrive in Mystic Falls and his soul would instantly recognize you as his mate." She glanced at Klaus, "My plan to kill my children never would have succeeded because it was never meant to. It was necessary to bring you and Niklaus one step closer to each other."
Caroline could hardly breathe after what she just learnt. She and Klaus were a thousand years in the making and that was overwhelming, "Does that mean he only loves me because some so called fate decided it so?"
"No, my dear, fate wanted you together they said nothing about you two loving each other." Esther gestured at Klaus and Caroline's body on the bed, "The love between you two is all real, borne of your free will."
Caroline felt a smile touch her lips, she and Klaus were meant to be together, they were soul mates, true mates, "I'm way beyond ready to go back to him."
"Then it is time." Esther patted the bed, "Lay down where your body is." She waited for Caroline to do as she said. She placed her hand on Caroline's forehead, "Make my son happy Caroline, make him a better man." She leant down and whispered something to Caroline before saying, "Awaken."
Klaus had spent hours waiting, listening for any change in Caroline's body. With each passing moment his hope dwindled and dwindled until he was almost mad with despair. Then he felt it, a slight twitch before Caroline opened her eyes screaming.
Caroline screamed as she felt fire lick through her veins, burying her face in to Klaus's shoulder she whimpered in pain, her body almost arching off the bed as she was remade.
"Caroline!" Klaus held Caroline down as she spasmed in pain, his heart aching at hearing her pain. Her screams had drawn the attention of those in the mansion. Stefan and Rebekah were the first to come through the doors, soon followed by Elijah and Katherine. Holding her down Klaus yelled, "Help her!"
Stefan rushed to Caroline's side, stroking his hand through her hair he pleaded, "How can we help you, Care?"
"Blood." Caroline gritted her teeth as another wave of pain assaulted her, "I need blood."
"Katerina, get a blood bag." Elijah ordered Katherine, pleased when she immediately flashed away only to return seconds later handing it to Caroline.
Ripping the top off, Katherine held it in front of Caroline watching her sink her fangs in and drink, "That's it, little vampire, drink up."
Caroline drained the bag dry, collapsing against Klaus in relief as the pain subsided. Curling her hand in Klaus's shirt she breathed in slowly as her body healed itself. When it was over she turned her head to look at the occupants of the room, "Thank you." That covered much more than their quickness in getting her blood.
"You are very welcome, Caroline." Elijah smiled, preparing to leave as he noticed Klaus's stare never leaving Caroline's face, "I'm glad you're back."
Caroline caught Klaus's intense gaze, "Me too."
Taking it as their cue to depart Rebekah, Elijah and Katherine turned to leave, the only one to remain was Stefan.
"Care?" Stefan whispered, hardly daring to believe that she was alive after all the weeks of heartache.
Caroline turned over to face Stefan, almost giggling at the unhappy growl Klaus let out. Curling her hand around Stefan's she smiled, "What is it, Stef?"
Stefan's bottom lip quivered his eyes full of water, "Are you really back?"
Caroline's smile widened until she was grinning, "I'm really back."
A sob escaped Stefan as he pulled Caroline in to his arms, "You're back. You're alive." He laughed joyfully as he savoured the feel of his best friend in his arms.
"I mean this in the nicest possible way." Klaus grumbled, "Get out."
Caroline let Stefan go and hit Klaus on the arm, "Klaus!"
Even Klaus's mood couldn't dampen Stefan's happiness. He laughed before kissing Caroline's forehead, "See you later, Care." Heading toward the door he looked over his shoulder and winked at Caroline, "In the morning, I bet."
Caroline laughingly threw a pillow at Stefan, "Perv."
Stefan easily dodged the pillow chuckling, "Love you." He left Klaus's room returning to Rebekah's.
"Love you too." Caroline called back. Flopping back against the pillow she turned to face Klaus, "Hi."
Klaus reached over and tucked a stray curl behind Caroline's ear, leaving his hand against her cheek, "My love," he laid his forehead against hers, "I thought I'd lost you."
Caroline snuggled her body closer to Klaus, "Never." She placed her hand against his cheek vowing, "I will never leave you again, my wolf."
Klaus could only say, "I love you." He took Caroline's mouth in his, sighing at finally feeling her against him. He rolled over so that she was beneath him, tangling one of his hands in her hair and with his other he sensually caressed down her body until he reached her soft thigh.
Caroline's breath hitched at the feel of Klaus's warm hand on her thigh. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she moaned in to his mouth as she curled her hands in to his hair. Nipping his full bottom lip with her human teeth, she relished the growl that ripped from his throat.
Klaus pulled back panting, mesmerised by the vision Caroline was, her hair was wild from his hands, her lips swollen from his kisses, her eyes darkened from her desire for him, she was stunning and all his.
Caroline cupped Klaus's face between her hands, "I love you so much, Nik."
A smile spread across Klaus's lips, "I love you more than mere words could ever express, Caroline."
"Can I tell you something." Caroline asked, a secret smile on her lips.
"You can tell me anything, love." Klaus stroked Caroline's cheek with his thumb.
Caroline kissed Klaus's cheek, "I'm not just a vampire," she teased kisses along his jaw until she reached his ear, "I'm an Original vampire."
TBC
AN - What do you think? Caroline is alive and a new Original ;) Couldn't have her dying again could we. Thank you all for your reviews, much love to each and every one of you. Until next time X X X