Prompt: Tarzan!
He was frozen, the coach hurtling to a stop in front of an imposing townhome. Flowers burst from the window sills, making the dreary London day seem brighter around this comfortable abode. A home that ought to have been his, had his supposed mother been able to protect him more.
Before his thoughts could turn down that dark path, a slim hand slid between his and his knee. He had been trying to wipe off the nervous sweat, which Caroline clearly noticed given her sympathetic expression. Grasping his hand tightly, she used her other hand to tuck a loose strand of hair behind his ear.
"It'll be all right," she promised quietly, stroking the skin behind his ear.
Klaus's wild eyes focused intently on the blonde next to him, amazed she was still there. Even when she placed a gold band on his finger, courtesy of their rescue ship's captain during their brief ceremony, his heart ached for the day she might leave him. Instead, she gave him her name.
"Klaus Forbes," she whispered with a small smile. "Whatever lies in that house, I will always be your family. We can leave whenever you'd like, but you deserve a chance to know them."
"Your mother doesn't like me," he reminded her, his speech still slow as he searched for the words. "Why would mine?"
"You're married," Liz asked in shock. Turning to her husband, just as bedraggled as her daughter and the wild man she had brought with her, Lady Forbes demanded an explanation. "How could you let this happen?"
Bill sighed, moving to the drink cart he had so missed on their expedition. What was supposed to be a simple mission of identifying and recording animal behavior had turned into a literal shipwreck. The jungle island they had landed on was filled with danger for him, his daughter, and their crew. It was only the lucky happenstance of Caroline meeting the man who lived with the apes that saved their lives. He taught them ways to survive the island, and Caroline taught him English. It was hardly Bill's fault the two fell in love along the way.
After a hearty swig of scotch, Bill sat in his comfortable chair. "This is Klaus," he introduced plainly. "We found him on the island, and your daughter brought him home. She had the ship's captain marry them so we couldn't throw him out."
"And because I love him," Caroline snapped, gripping Klaus's hand. "I promise, Mama, he's a good man who loves me, too."
Stepping closer, Liz examined her new son-in-law. His hair was too long and unkempt; the gentlemen's clothes he was wearing were old-fashioned and ill-fitting. "What makes you a good husband for my daughter," she asked imperiously.
Klaus looked to Caroline first, as she was the only person he felt fully comfortable speaking with. His English was still rough, and he hated to look foolish. At his wife's encouraging expression, though, he steeled himself to face her mother. "I love Caroline," he answered, only shaky with saying the words out loud. He believed them wholeheartedly. "I will protect her. She is my family, my home."
Shaking her head, Liz already saw the determination in her daughter's stance. The wild man was there to stay, and she had better make the most of it. "Well," she sniffed. "Let us see about turning you into a proper gentleman, then."
Tears pooling in her eyes, Caroline firmly placed her lips on his shoulder in the safety of their coach. "Then she doesn't deserve you," she answered against his jacket. "And we can go home."
Klaus reached for her cheek, thanking her without words as he kissed her deeply. She leant him strength, squeezing the hand she still held. He pulled away, ready to face anything with her by his side.
She nodded resolutely. "Let's go meet the Mikaelsons," she said, ushering him out of the coach.
If Caroline were being honest with herself, she could admit how terrified she was at the thought of Klaus leaving her behind to become a Mikaelson himself. The Forbes' miraculous rescue with a wild man in tow had made the papers, only for Esther Mikaelson to come forth in earnest. Marred in scandal, she had given birth to a child out of wedlock and released him to his father. Ansel Wolfe took the babe with him on a ship to Australia, which never reached its port.
She half hoped the woman was wrong, though too many details added up. Not only was Klaus about the right age, his very namesake was proof enough.
Caroline followed a bright orange bird farther into the jungle, wanting to describe everything about it for her journals. She stumbled upon the bird's nest, meeting its more muddled mate and the eggs she kept warm. Sitting on a log, Caroline quickly scrawled out every detail she could.
She had no idea how much time she lost to that little nest, but her focus was utterly broken when a baby gorilla burst into the clearing. "Oh," Caroline gasped. She had seen pictures in the museums back home, but this was the first gorilla she had seen in person. "You're so small."
The journal fell off her lap as the gorilla began to play with some tree fronds lying on the ground. Caroline watched, mesmerised, until a rustling from deeper in the jungle grew louder and louder. Realizing whatever was coming must be large and headed right toward her to make so much noise, Caroline scrambled to pick up her things and back away from the animal. Her worst fear was a toss-up between a predator looking for supper or the gorilla's mother coming to protect her baby.
Just as the panic threatened to choke her throat, a clearly human form stormed into the clearing.
While she ought to have been recording the way he interacted with the young gorilla, wrestling like a playmate, Caroline mentally catalogued everything about the man's appearance. His bronze hair was matted in rough curls, long and hanging loose around his chin. Scruffy cheeks lead to a thick, strong neck attached to a nearly naked body covered only in a loincloth.
Fighting the blush her mother's etiquette lessons had ingrained in her when it came to the male form, Caroline tried to remain objective. However, the sinewy muscles strained in their rough activity, as though restrained from playing too hard for fear of hurting the young one.
She shifted her weight, wincing at the crack of a stick beneath her foot.
Moving too quickly for her eyes to follow, the man twisted to face her and took a menacing step forward. He ushered the small gorilla behind him, as though whe were a threat.
"Hello," she called out, her voice weak from the tension. She held up her hands defensively. "I mean you no harm."
He cocked his head, taking in every inch of her.
Caroline blushed with the examination, but she remained firm in her stance. Man, like any animal, is susceptible to curiosity. Showing fear or aggression could ruin whatever opportunity might come from learning about this wild man.
With a grunt, the man looked down to the gorilla. It appeared he was telling the young one to leave, and Caroline's fingers itched to write down the details of the interaction; but, she forced herself to stay still, waiting for the wild man to make his next move.
The gorilla seemed to take the hint, and barreled out of the clearing. Caroline noted the direction it headed, in case she could convince her father to look for its band someday. When she turned back to the wild man, though, she was shocked to find him only inches from her face. She hadn't even heard him approach. "Hello," she said again, leaning back slightly.
He grunted, reaching forward to grasp her sleeve. Pinching it between his fingers, he rubbed the fabric. Caroline tried not to cringe at the dirt he was leaving on her last still-white shirt. One of her trunks had been lost in the shipwreck, and she refused to pretend she didn't mourn half of her available wardrobe for what was already supposed to be a long trip.
Realizing the wild man was still marveling at her thin shirt, Caroline figured she should try to communicate with him. "Do you speak English," she asked, enunciating slowly. She placed a hand to her chest. "My name is Caroline."
His head shot up, blue eyes blazing into hers. Her breath caught at his intense gaze, but she read his curiosity as encouragement. "Ca-ro-line," she said again, pressing her hand back to her chest.
"Ca-ro-liiiiine," he repeated, his voice husky and deep.
Nodding happily, Caroline wanted to jump for joy. "Caroline," she repeated, her hand settling over her heart.
He watched her hand move, only to place his on top of hers. She jumped at the contact, but she couldn't bring herself to move away. Instead, she kept her eyes on his. "Ca-ro-line," he whispered, cocking his head.
Her nodding slowed. "What's your name," she asked softly, moving their hands to his chest.
He glanced down, only to meet her gaze again. In his apparent confusion, she repeated the process by bring their hands to her chest again. "Caroline," she said, pressing her hand deep into her flesh and ignoring the thrill that came from the man's hand following closely. Slowly and deliberately, she moved their hands back to his chest.
Comprehension lit his expression, but he opened his mouth to only grunt. Caroline was willing to play along, but he seemed frustrated at the lack of similar sounds to her name. "It's okay," she consoled him, but he was soon distracted by her journal fallen by the wayside again.
Picking up the journal, he held up the front cover, letting the pages dangle from his hand. "Careful," Caroline admonished lightly, taking the book from him. She gently held it open to show him her entries. "It's a journal, and I write down what I see."
Again, his face lit up with understanding. This time, though, he grabbed her hand and began to run through the clearing. He was much too fast for her to keep up, which he seemed to understand when her hand kept slipping from his grip. Instead, he quickly threw her onto his back and went back to his graceful pace.
Caroline clung to his neck, desperately keeping hold of her journal while still trying to take in the jungle whizzing past her. She struggled to keep her breath even, panic at losing her way from the camp only met by her excitement for whatever the wild man wanted to show her. For all she knew, he could be taking her to her death, but something in his curious gaze told her he wouldn't bring harm to her.
It might have only been minutes, but Caroline was stiff with tension when the man stopped and she was able to climb down from his back. Her skirt was just as dirty as her shirt, but she could hardly be angry when she followed his hand gesturing upward. High in the large tree he had paused by, a massive treehouse was situated among the limbs.
Smiling brightly, Caroline couldn't help the laugh that burst from her. "A treehouse," she giggled. Someone had landed on this island before and had been able to build a home. She looked over to the man, who seemed almost shy at her effusive behavior. "How do we get up there," she asked, pointing to the treehouse.
Realizing she wanted to see, the man also smiled, dimples cutting deep into his cheeks. Caroline's heart swelled at the sight, but she fought down whatever emotions were bubbling up to focus on the matter at hand: how to climb the tree.
The man obviously had an answer as he threw her onto his back again, Caroline shrieking with the sudden movement. With a dexterity she had never seen in humans back home, the man scaled the tree. Even her added weight didn't seem to phase his ascent.
A hole in the floor of the house was their point of entry, though it took some urging from him to get Caroline to climb up his back and push off from his shoulders to wiggle her way through. Once she did, though, all words left her.
It truly was a little home, the makings of a bedroom and rudimentary kitchen. There was even a sitting area and a little library. What struck her was the awful signs of struggle throughout the large treehouse. Bedding was shredded, claw marks scored the floorboards, and books were scattered everywhere. Worse, a gorgeous crib was overturned.
She hadn't realized the man had pulled himself up as well until he excitedly dropped some books in her hands. One was a bible, but the other was a journal similar to hers. "Did you find this on your own," she asked, though his smile was too cute in its inability to understand what she wanted to know.
Instead, she flipped through the journal to its final entry. The author spoke of building Niklaus's crib, the chore of it good practice for taking pride in doing more than just surviving on the island. "Niklaus," she whispered, noting the date of the entry. If the baby survived, he would be about the wild man's age. "Niklaus," she said more firmly.
He cocked his head, unsure of what she was saying. "Ni-klowss," he repeated warily.
Moving to sit on the floor, Caroline patted the space next to her. He took the hint, crowding her as he sat. She pointed to the word in the journal. "Niklaus," she said again.
"Ni-klaus," he repeated, still confused.
Going back to their game in the clearing, Caroline reached for his hand to bring it to her heart. "Caroline," she said, then moving his hand to his own heart. "Niklaus."
"Niklaus," he whispered, then moving his hand back to her heart. "Caroline."
Caroline thought her smile might split her face wide open.
They stood at the door, hands clasped together. The butler who greeted them raised an eyebrow at the public affection, but Caroline refused to cower at the inflated sense of propriety while Klaus didn't know better. He just needed Caroline.
"Master Niklaus and his wife," the butler announced as he led them into a very fancy sitting room. Caroline opened her mouth to correct him, but Klaus's hand squeezed hers as he faced what might be his mother and siblings for the first time.
"Niklaus," the older woman in front of him gasped. She stepped forward, as though she wanted to reach out and hug him. His brief flinch was enough to keep her at bay, however. She turned to greet the woman standing tall next to him. "I'm Esther Mikaelson," she introduced herself. "You must be Caroline, the woman who found my son."
"My wife," Klaus spoke up, surprising even Caroline. He rarely spoke to her family, let alone strangers. "I am Klaus."
"You are Niklaus," Esther corrected gently, noting the similarities in their hair and cheekbones. "My greatest regret was leaving you to Ansel."
"I believe he found Ansel's journal from a deserted camp," Caroline explained, softly stroking Klaus's hand with her thumb. "That's where we found the name Niklaus. Though upon leaving the island, the ship's captain required a name to certify our marriage. Niklaus chose to become Klaus Forbes, a name of his own."
"That I share with Caroline," Klaus added, surprising her again. She smiled at his bravery, squeezing his hand.
Esther seemed troubled by the story, but a man sitting on one of the couches behind her stood to greet the group. "Klaus," he said pointedly, holding out a hand. "I am Elijah, and I hope to be your older brother."
"And I'm Henrik," a boy of about ten years said excitedly, scrambling in front of his mother. "I'm the youngest!"
Tentatively, Klaus shook Elijah's hand. "Uh-lie-juh," he enunciated slowly, only to repeat it more surely when Caroline nodded. "Elijah. Henrik." That one was easier for him to say, especially with the child's energetic grin.
"There's also Rebekah," Henrik said, pointing at the pretty blonde girl still sitting on the couch. "She's our only sister, except for Finn's wife Sage, but they're not here. They're in the country. And Kol!"
"Henrik," Elijah chided, though not unkindly. "Be polite, this must be a lot of information for Klaus to take in. And Caroline will be our sister, too."
Klaus's dimples made a slight appearance at that declaration, though he had yet to officially meet the others Henrik mentioned. It took some urging from the other man to bring the girl forward. "Rebekah," Caroline greeted for him, dropping into a slight curtsy. "Kol. It's very nice to meet you all."
Rebekah just nodded, curiously staring at Klaus, while Kol boisterously stuck out his hand. Klaus shook it gently, still unused to the custom. "Welcome to the family, mate," he said. "Sorry about shipping you to live with the apes."
The Mikaelsons all turned to admonish the mischievous sibling, but to everyone's surprise, Klaus laughed. "No apologies," he said, looking to Caroline. "I like my life, then and now."
Caroline grinned, her worry that she might lose Klaus fading with every minute.
"Will you tell us about it," Henrik asked excitedly.
"Please, stay for tea," Esther encouraged, loosening her tense frown as the family meeting was easing itself into something pleasant. "I would like to meet the man my son has become, and the woman who brought him home."
Klaus glanced again to Caroline, whose eyebrows arched in silent communication. Did he want to stay and get to know these people who shared physical traits but grew up in a vastly different environment?
Nodding, Klaus turned to Esther. "That would be nice," he answered, more sure than even he expected. Watching Caroline happily chat with Henrik and Kol, though, reminded him there was little he wouldn't do with her by his side.