Epilogue

Caroline regarded herself in the mirror in their room. The gold dress was beautiful, and felt extremely suitable for christmas. She could smell the christmas feast being prepared, and supposed she'd better get down there and help, though she was not the best in the kitchen.

She had slept late, awaking after their first night together. She blushed at the thought. Turns out, being 1000 years old gave you plenty of time to perfect certain skills. She fanned her cheeks, laughing at herself. Still though, the thought of seeing him this morning, his smile, his eyes, after what they had shared... made her knees knock slightly.

An old fashioned doorbell sounded, and Caroline looked up startled. Klaus hadn't said anything about having visitors. She flipped her hair back, slipped into the heels that Klaus had uncovered somewhere, no doubt Rebekah cast-offs, like the dress and went down the stairs. She could hear her christmas mix floating from the sitting room and smiled. The doorbell sounded again, and she heard Klaus call from the kitchen.

"Love, care to get that?" she went to the heavy door and hesitated for a moment, wishing there was a peep hole. After being cautious for so long, it was a hard habit to break, and one she wasn't sure she should.

"Caroline, come on, open up" Rebekah's impatient voice called, and Caroline relaxed and pulled the door open. She and Matt stood on the door step, with Bonnie. They all smiled at each other, and Caroline stood aside in amazement as they came in. The humans were all bundled up, against the falling snow, with Rebekah slightly less so, given her vampire immunity.

"Well? Can we come in?" Bonnie teased, and Caroline nodded wordlessly, standing aside. They came into the foyer and started to all speak at once.

"Are Kol and Elijah here yet?" Rebekah was asking, looking around.

"Not yet, but I expect they shall be presently" Klaus's voice came from the sitting room as he came toward them. Smiling, he greeted his sister and Bonnie, and gave a smile to Matt, Caroline could only watch, still stunned.

"Did you find what I asked you for..." Klaus was asking Rebekah as Bonnie asked Caroline for a tour.

"It's in the car, I'll just get it" she said, starting back toward the door.

"Let me... it's cold outside" Matt said, shrugging his coat back on, and touching Rebekah's back lightly as he went back outside.

"So..." Bonnie was prompting, and Caroline turned her attention back to her friend.

"Of course! Let's go" Caroline said, turning toward the stairs with her friend. She felt Klaus's eyes on her back, and felt a shiver of anticipation. She risked a quick look over her shoulder, and found him watching her, his eyes dark on her, as Rebekah chattered on at his side. At her glance, he quirked a smile at her, and she turned back around, flushing at the effect that small expression made.

As they were upstairs, she heard the bell ring again. She and Bonnie were sitting on the couch in Klaus's studio, as it had a great view over the valley.

"Must be Elijah and Kol" Bonnie muttered, looking a little eagerly toward the door. Caroline raised an eyebrow at her. Bonnie coloured a little and hit her on the arm.

"Like you can judge... you two are like, a married couple now, or something." Bonnie teased.

"We are not. I'm just staying here.. until I can face the world again. Until I figure out what to do with my life."

"Does Klaus know you are thinking that?"

"He probably does... I'm not sure." she admitted. Suddenly the studio door opened admitting Elena, as she peeked around the door.

"Here you guys are! This place is like a maze."

"Elena!" Caroline said happily, standing to hug her friend. They settled back onto the huge couch, gazing out the window. Caroline realised the pine forrest, where her mother's grave was, lay in view. She gestured to it.

"Thank you... all of you. She would have liked it there"

"We know." Elena said, reaching out to hold Caroline's hand. Caroline laughed self conciously.

"I feel like the last few months have been all about me... and everyone else has been going through so much too. I'm sorry."

"Caroline, you have always been there for us, when we needed you... it was our turn" Bonnie said, and Caroline felt a peculiar tugging on her heart.

"Hope I am not interrupting girl time" Rebekah's voice came from the doorway. Caroline smiled at her, glad she had come, then felt a little worried, though she immediately saw it was unnecessary as Elena was already making space for her on the bed. Rebekah came in, carrying four glasses and a bottle of champagne.

"A present from Elijah" Rebekah explained as she popped the cork and filled the glasses.

Matt and Jeremy had already absorbed themselves teaching Kol about gaming, on the console Kol had brought as a gift for Caroline. Klaus had stared at it for a full minute before encouraging them to go and play it. He hoped at the very least, the self serving gift indicated that his little brother would be visiting them often.

In the kitchen, Klaus listened to Stefan, Damon and Elijah talk, with one ear, as the other was trained upstairs, to the studio, directly above the kitchen. He had heard Caroline's response to the 'old married couple' comment, and it had made him nervous. She had told him that she loved him, she had given herself to him, completely... yet, she still didn't see what was his, was also hers... that no matter what she wanted to do with her life, he would be there, beside her.

The alarm went off, and he realised the turkey was ready. Living without hybrids was hard work, but he was gradually beginning to enjoy it, and moreover, he knew it would make Caroline uncomfortable, being waited on, so he'd forced himself to free them all from their sire bond. Maybe in time, they would become friends, maybe not, but regardless there were people out there like him... and it was a comforting thought.

Stefan helped him prepare the food, and they talked and laughed. Klaus had missed that, friendship, family, and Caroline had brought it all back into his life. These people here today, were her because of her... even his own family. Because of the change she had wrought in him. Damon complained as Stefan assigned him tasks, and Klaus heard the girls leaving the studio upstairs, a little more merry now, after their drinks.

He excused himself, and went to the tree, picking up a present Rebekah had wrapped for him. Rebekah and Elena went to the kitchen to help, as Kol called Bonnie over, to witness his gaming prowess. Caroline noticed him as she came into the room, and her face melted into that soft smile he would never tire off.

"I have something for you" he murmured, pulling her close and inhaling the smell of her. She looked up at him a little shyly, and he wondered if it was because of the previous night.

"That's not fair... I haven't had the chance to get you anything" she chastised.

"I didn't spend money on this one..." he protested lightly, thinking he would wait to mention the numerous others he had spent money on for her under the tree.

"Fine, but... I don't want you to think I'm just going to mooch off you forever" she said, pulling back and looking at him.

"Caroline, I thought last night made it clear... what is mine, is yours"

"But, I can't just depend on you... I need, I need to feel capable, and independent too sometimes"

"I understand... honestly" he said, at her challenging look.

"But I want you to know.. that this is our home. I remade it for us... a place we could always call home, it is why I brought your mother here... No matter where we are in the world, we have that, a home. And I hope this year, we have started a tradition... to collect family and friends here... once a year" Caroline took a deep breath and smiled at him.

"I'd like that."

"Good" he said, unable to supress his smile as he pressed a kiss onto her forehead. She leaned away then, and looked at the gold wrapped present in her hands.

"Come on then, open it" he said, seeing the curiosity in her eyes. She carefully peeled back the paper, trying not to rip it. Klaus smiled at her caution, but waited patiently. Finally she made it to the last layer, and stopped, unable to believe her eyes.

It was her first decoration, a silver circle with glitter on it. Battered and bashed, a little dog-eared and bent, she'd never seen something more beautiful at the moment. She turned it over, and saw own childish writing on the back.

To mom, merry christmas – Caroline Forbes

And underneath, she saw her mother's careful script,

My angel – aged 5

Caroline looked up at Klaus, touched beyond words. He saw her dazed expression, and turned to the tree.

"Where shall we put it? I think it should have pride of place, right there." he said, slipping it over a middle branch. She looked at it wordlessly, merely gripping his hand, as tight as she could.

"Dinner is served" Elijah announced as he argued with Kol about pausing the game. Klaus placed a soft kiss on Caroline's lips as he tugged her through to the dining room with the others. Elena and Rebekah had thrown together a beautiful table and they all took seats.

Caroline sat down, accepting a glass of wine and looked around the table. Mere weeks ago she had felt all alone in the world, completely lost, without hope. Now, she felt surrounded by family, for these people were her family now... and the man sitting opposite her, his blue eyes watching her with such love... was her home.

Ah! I know... so sentimental! I apologise... I just felt all mushy and went with it... Caroline's journey... through her loss etc and back out the other side, and I suppose Klaus's journey too... I wanted them to have a happy ending, and the whole experience to have brought them closer.

Thanks again, you wonderful readers! I hope you enjoyed it... let me know if you liked the end, and maybe what you think they will do next... favourite bits?

Thanks again, and see you on another story sometime soon, I hope))