Hey guys. I am so glad you all enjoyed that last chapter. I admit I was a little nervous about how you all would take my decision to have Klaus stay behind in New Orleans. But don't worry, I have a plan for him and the little town of Mystic Falls. All shall be revealed in the course of the next few chapters. Speaking of Mystic Falls, yes, that is where we are headed in this chapter. I know most if not all of you have been anxiously waiting to find out if Cassandra's going to turn off her humanity. That mega-million dollar question will be answered in the next chapter. Before we can get to that, we have some other more emotionally grueling things to deal with first. Grab those tissue boxes and keep them handy for this chapter and the next because you'll definitely need them. This was probably the most emotionally difficult section to write up to this point. I definitely shed a few tears during the writing process. As sad as it is, I'm really, really pleased with the outcome. There is, of course, a ton of Hope in this one, so that should help some. Thank you all so much for continuing to stick with me and read this. Your patience and incredibly kind words mean the world to me. Enjoy!
Chapter 38 - A Heartbreaking Goodbye
"We'll be at my dad's cabin in a couple of minutes," Cassandra told Klaus over the phone. Caroline was getting the place ready for their mom to spend her final days there, resting and relaxing in a peaceful atmosphere. She'd asked Cassandra and Elijah to stop there first before heading into Mystic Falls so they could finalize their plans for the rest of the day. "Oh, turn left here, Elijah," she pointed at a turnoff they were approaching.
"Your father has a cabin?" Klaus asked with a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Uh huh. Across the lake from Elena's family cabin. We used to go there every summer when I was a kid until my parents divorced. Then my mom, sister, and I stopped going. I think it was too painful for my mom. Oh, and I'm fairly certain it was only ever in my dad's name which means we won't have to be invited in."
"Well, that's convenient," he chuckled. "So how are you holding up?"
"As good as can be expected, I guess. I'm trying to remain focused on the positive things that are happening today. I—oh!" She trailed off as she and Elijah pulled up to a brown two-story cabin with a wrap-around porch. "Wow," her eyes darted around taking the entire property in. "It looks just like I remember it from when I was a kid. It hasn't changed a bit." She pulled her phone away from her ear and quickly snapped a picture to send to Klaus.
"How charming," Klaus murmured after seeing the photo. "Perhaps one day we'll come back together so I can see it in person."
"I'd like that," A small smile tugged at her lips. "Anyway, I should probably go. I expect Caroline to come running outside any moment now. I'll call you later tonight."
"Alright, sweetheart. I'll talk to you tonight then. I love you."
"I love you, too."
She tapped the end button and lowered her phone to her lap. She started to let out a deep breath when the front door to the cabin opened and, as expected, Caroline came running out. A huge grin appeared on Cassandra's face as she met her little sister's eyes. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed the car door open to get out. Once she was on her feet, she ran toward Caroline, meeting her halfway.
"Caroline!" She threw her arms around her.
"Cass! Oh, I'm so glad you're finally here!" Caroline hugged her back tightly. "I've missed you so much!"
"Me too," Cassandra pinched her eyes shut as a wave of emotion rushed through her.
"No tears!" they both pulled away and pointed a finger at each other as they shouted at the same time. They burst into a fit of giggles and hugged again.
"Ahem," Elijah cleared his throat gently as he walked toward them with the baby carrier. Because of the way he was holding it, the cover obstructed Caroline's view of the baby inside.
"Oh my gosh! Okay, stay right there," Cassandra grinned at her sister and then turned around to Elijah. He set down the carrier and watched her with a smile as she carefully lifted Hope out and turned around to face her sister.
"Caroline," Cassandra walked up to her, holding Hope against her hip. "This is my little girl, Hope. Hope, meet your Aunt Caroline."
"Oh my god! She's so cute!" Caroline squealed and reached out to touch her hand with her finger. Hope gave an excited coo in response. Both girls grinned at each other and giggled softly. "How old is she now?"
"Seven and a half months," Cassandra answered as they walked towards the front door. "Most of that I didn't get to be a part of, but we're together now, and that's all that matters." When they reached the front door, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to the right and let out a small gasp when her eyes landed on Caroline's childhood bicycle. "Oh wow! Your old bike! Where did you find it?"
"In the garage. Mom kept yours too," Caroline grinned as she opened the door.
"This place is like a time capsule, huh?" Cassandra laughed and followed her inside. Elijah was right behind her.
"Pretty much," Caroline nodded.
All sorts of memories flooded Cassandra's mind as she stepped into the cabin. Bike riding, game nights, bonfires and smores in the backyard, they were all from a time when her family was whole and happy. She desperately wished she could go back to that place.
"Okay, gimmie," Caroline turned around and held out her arms once they were in the living room.
Cassandra grinned at her sister's understandable eagerness to hold her niece and carefully handed her over. A feeling of joy washed over her as she watched Caroline sit down on the sofa and bounce a delighted Hope on her lap.
"Cassandra, hey," an unexpected voice pulled her out of the moment. She spun around and came face to face with Stefan Salvatore.
"Stefan," she smiled at him. "I didn't know you were going to be here. Someone," she threw a sideways glance at her sister who was oblivious to her conversation with Stefan. "didn't tell me."
"Oh, heh, yeah," he ran a hand through his hair. "Your mom asked me to keep an eye on her and help her through all of this."
"Of course she did. Well, I'm glad you're here for her," Cassandra gave him an appreciate nod. She turned back toward the living room and gazed at her sister on the couch.
Stefan followed her gaze and stared in surprise at the baby in Caroline's arms. "Is she—"
"My daughter?" Cassandra grinned. "Yep. Her name's Hope."
"She's beautiful," he smiled.
"Thank you. Come on and meet her." She led Stefan into the living room and took a seat on the couch beside Caroline. Hope squealed in excitement and stretched out her little hand. Cassandra chuckled and pressed her finger into Hope's tiny palm. Stefan sat down in the easy chair adjacent to Caroline and smiled as he watched Caroline's interaction with her niece. Cassandra looked up and found Elijah standing in front of the fireplace, staring at the framed pictures on the mantle above. When she realized what he was looking at, her eyes got really big. "Oh my god," she smacked her forehead with her free hand. "Old family photos."
"Yes," Elijah chuckled as he turned around holding one of the photos in his hand. "I assume this one is you?" He held it up for her to see. It was a photo of an eight-year-old girl with her hair braided in pig-tails. She wore a pale pink shirt and faded blue overalls and lay on her stomach with her knees bent and her chin resting in her hand as she smiled at the camera.
Cassandra felt her cheeks grow warm as she stared at the old photo. "Yeah, that's me. I was…eight, I think? Wow, that was a long time ago."
"Awww, you were adorable," Stefan eyed the photo with a grin.
"Yes, very," Elijah agreed with a glimmer in his eyes and an amused smile tugging at his lips.
"Okay," Cassandra jumped to her feet and took the photo out of Elijah's hand. "That's enough going down memory lane for one day." She put the photo back on the fireplace mantle and turned back around to face everyone.
"You know what?" Caroline shifted Hope in her arms and carefully stood up. "You should take Hope and go surprise mom at the station while Stefan and I finish getting everything ready here. Then you can all come back here together."
"Now that sounds like a plan," Cassandra nodded in agreement. She hugged Caroline one more time before taking Hope from her and buckled her into her carrier. She picked it up by the handle and followed Elijah outside. He opened the back door of the car and helped her secure the carrier in the back seat before taking a seat behind the wheel. Cassandra sat down on the passenger side and buckled up as Elijah started the car. A few seconds later they were back on the road.
An hour later they pulled up to the Sheriff Station in Mystic Falls. Cassandra stared at the entrance and felt butterflies starting to swarm around in her stomach. While a huge part of her was beyond excited to see her mother again, another part of her was dreading the rush of emotions she knew she would feel at seeing how frail she was.
Focus on the positive. Enjoy what little time you have left with her, she told herself.
"Okay, let's do this," she reached for the lever to open the car door. She opened the backseat door and lifted Hope's carrier out. As she shut the door, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window. "Uh," she set the baby carrier down and glanced up at Elijah who stood by the front of the car. "Give me a minute. I want to put a clean shirt on."
He nodded and pressed a button on the car key fob to pop the trunk. Cassandra stepped around to the back of the car and pushed the trunk all the way up. She quickly dug out a black floral print blouse from her duffel bag. Using a burst of vampire speed, she peeled her hoodie and t-shirt off and put the blouse on. After tucking her hoodie and shirt back into her duffel bag, she brushed her hair and tied it back in a messy bun.
"There," she zipped up her bag and closed the trunk of the car. "I'm ready now. Let's go."
Grabbing the baby carrier, she walked with Elijah to the station door and slowly pulled it open. He let her go in first and walked in behind her. A bell jingled, alerting the deputy sitting at the reception desk that someone had entered.
"Hello there. What can I—" The deputy was looking at a file on his desk and stopped abruptly when he looked up and recognized Cassandra immediately. His lips curled into a huge grin, but before he could say anything else, Cassandra pressed her index finger against her lips to keep him quiet. Grinning back at him, she motioned toward her mother's office with her hand. He nodded and motioned for her to proceed.
"Give me a minute to announce you," she whispered to Elijah, handing him the baby carrier as they reached the door. "I don't want to overwhelm her."
"Of course," he gave a slight nod of his head.
Cassandra took a deep breath and reached for the handle with her left hand while she lightly tapped on the door with her right hand as she opened it. "Hello?" She called out in a gentle voice. When she stepped into her mom's office, Elizabeth was sitting at her desk with an open file in front of her. She looked up and did a double take at Cassandra standing in the doorway.
"Surprise!" Cassandra grinned and made her way towards the desk.
"Cassandra! Oh goodness, what a wonderful surprise!" Elizabeth cried out as she stood to her feet. When Cassandra reached her, they both threw their arms around each other in a tight embrace.
"Oh mom," Cassandra sighed, taking in her mom's wonderful scent. "I've missed you so, so much!" She took a deep breath to keep her emotions under control. The last thing she wanted to do was start crying. There would be plenty of time for that later.
Elizabeth leaned back and cupped Cassandra's cheek with her hand. "Caroline told me you weren't coming til later."
"We wanted to surprise you. I got in this morning. Speaking of surprises," she paused and turned toward the door. "You can come in now," she called out. A moment later Elijah entered the room holding the baby carrier. Cassandra flashed her mom a grin before walking up to Elijah as he set down the carrier. "Mom," Cassandra leaned down and picked up Hope after unbuckling her. She held her on her hip and turned around to face her mother, who was grinning as widely as she was. "Meet your granddaughter, Hope. Hope, this is your grandma."
"Oh honey," Elizabeth gushed as Cassandra walked over to her and placed Hope in her awaiting arms. "She's absolutely perfect."
"So that's mini Klaus, huh?" An unmistakable voice rang out. Cassandra spun around and found Damon Salvatore standing on the opposite side of the desk. She hadn't noticed him when she first walked in.
"Hello to you too, Damon," she rolled her eyes.
"I'd say she's more like a mini Cassandra," Elizabeth chuckled as she sat down and held Hope so she was standing up with her feet on the top of her legs. "She looks just like you did when you were a baby."
"She does?" Cassandra blinked in surprise. "Huh. I'll have to dig out an old baby photo and do a comparison. Oh! Photos!" She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and turned on the camera. She took a few quick photos of her mom and Hope before handing her phone to Elijah. "Could you?"
"Of course," he nodded and took the phone from her. She moved back over to her mom and knelt down beside her and Hope. It took a few tries to get Hope to focus on him long enough for him to take the picture, but eventually they were able to get one.
"Thank you," she gave Elijah a genuine smile when he handed back her phone. She slipped it back into her pocket and gazed at her mom as she continued to talk softly to Hope who cooed in response.
"So where's Klaus?" Elizabeth asked, meeting Cassandra's eyes.
"He stayed behind in New Orleans. He thought it was best he keeps as much distance from Tyler as possible now that he's human again," Cassandra answered softly.
"That was very considerate of him," Elizabeth nodded.
"Mmm hmm. My turn. Why are you here working? You should be resting, relaxing, enjoying what time you have left."
"And I promise I will, I just had a few old cases I wanted to close first."
Cassandra gave a nod of her head. "Oh. Okay. Wait," she glanced up at Damon after realizing why he was there. "How many of those unsolved cases is Damon responsible for?"
"Two of the three he openly admitted to," Elizabeth answered. "The third is—"
"The Gilberts," Cassandra murmured after her eyes landed on the open file. "I thought it was a tragic accident. You think it wasn't?"
"It's still up for discussion," Elizabeth sighed. She told Cassandra about the cryptic voicemail she'd received from Elena's mother, Miranda, a couple of hours before the crash that killed both her and her husband. In her message, Miranda told Elizabeth she needed to talk to her, but she never said why. "I'm waiting for Elena to ask Jeremy about it and get back to me."
Damon's phone started to ring a moment later. "It's Elena," he told them before answering the call. He stepped outside of the office to speak to her in private. Cassandra couldn't help listening in as Elena explained what she'd found—that their mom had caught Jeremy smoking pot in his room and threatened to have him arrested. Less than a minute later, he made his way back into the office.
"So, the message was a joke," he murmured as he walked over to stand on the other side of the desk across from Elizabeth and leaned against the edge of a cabinet placed against the wall. "Miranda wanted you to bust Jeremy for smoking pot."
"Well," Elizabeth used a hand to turn a page in the open file. "I mean, the route, the skid marks. What about the luggage?"
"There was a storm the day before. Jeremy's dad was planning a secret trip to their lake house and the storm rained them out," Damon explained.
"The storm," Elizabeth murmured softly. Cassandra could tell from the look on her face that all of the missing puzzle pieces had just fallen into place.
"Yeah," Damon nodded.
"The storm that dropped a power line across Old Miller Road, explaining why they took Wickery Bridge which had a drainage issue before its renovation. Meaning the road was probably still slick," Elizabeth concluded.
"Slick roads, no skid marks," Damon added.
"The storm," Elizabeth sighed sadly. "That was the reason. Mystery solved." She handed Hope back to Cassandra and quickly stuffed the paper's she'd spread out on her desk back into the file before closing it. Cassandra could tell from the look on her face that it hadn't been answer she'd been hoping for, but she didn't say anything about it.
"Sweetheart," Elizabeth looked up at her. "Would you mind calling your sister and telling her she can surprise me tomorrow? I'm not really feeling up to it tonight."
"Absolutely," Cassandra nodded.
"I'll go get the car," Damon murmured softly.
After he left the room, Cassandra put Hope back in her carrier and turned around to face her mom. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched her mom slowly stand up and unclip her badge from her hip, staring longingly at it before tossing it on top of the closed file. A lump formed in Cassandra's throat and her eyes began to sting with tears as a wave of emotions washed over her. She took a deep breath and swallowed slowly which helped make the lump go away.
"Ready?" she asked her mom in a gentle voice.
"Yes," Elizabeth nodded. She turned off the lamp on her desk, pushed in her chair, and followed Cassandra and Elijah to the door. She took one last long look at her office before turning off the light and leaving it behind her.
When they walked outside, Damon pulled up in front of the station in his pale blue Camero convertible. He jumped out and jogged around the front of the car to the passenger side to open the door for Elizabeth.
"I'll see you at home," Cassandra gave her a quick hug before she got in. She turned around and picked up the baby carrier before following Elijah to his car. They secured the carrier in the back seat before climbing into the front and driving away. Durning the short ride home, Cassandra called Caroline to let her know about the change of plans. Caroline was disappointed, but quickly bounced back from it and said she'd head over to the house as soon as she was done tidying up the cabin.
They pulled up to the house a few minutes later as Damon and Elizabeth were walking up the stairs to the front door. Cassandra got out and grabbed the baby carrier and diaper bag from the back seat while Elijah retrieved their bags from the trunk. When they reached the open front door, Elijah politely motioned for Cassandra to go first. She started to step forward when she was blocked by an invisible barrier.
"What the—" she frowned.
"You haven't been invited in," Elijah realized.
"Oh wow," Cassandra blinked, taken aback by the discovery. "You're right. This is the first time I've been here since I turned. Hey mom!" She called out into the house. "I could use a little help here."
Elizabeth came walking toward her from the living room and stared at her for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle as she realized what the problem was. "Oh, sweetheart. Won't you please come in?"
"I thought you'd never ask," Cassandra giggled and stepped over the threshold with a grin. She smiled as she looked around. "Mmm, sure feels good to be home."
"It feels good having you home, sweetheart," Elizabeth smiled at her. "I just wish I had the energy to spend more time with you and my sweet little granddaughter, but I'm exhausted."
"It's okay, mom. I insist that you go crawl into bed and take a nap. When Caroline gets here we can set up the tv in your room and watch a movie," Cassandra told her.
"Sounds good." She turned and started to head down the hall, then stopped and turned back. "Oh, there should be an old Pack n' Play in the garage that you can use for Hope."
"I'll get it," Elijah murmured and walked off to retrieve it.
While Damon helped Liz get into bed, Cassandra brought the baby carrier and diaper bag into her old bedroom. It was a little surreal for her to have her daughter there, and she took a minute to let it sink in before getting Hope out of her carrier. She gently sat Hope on her bed, propping her up against a pillow, and pulled out a pale turquoise and pink sleeper along with a fresh diaper and wipes. She set them on one end of the bed and undressed Hope before laying her down to change her diaper. She was zipping up the sleeper after redressing her when Elijah came into the room with the Pack n' play. It only took him a few minutes to set it up and deem it ready for Hope.
Cassandra thanked him as she wrapped a blanket around Hope and held her against her chest. She started to pace around and gently rock Hope, hoping to lull her to sleep. After a couple of minutes, she gazed down at Hope and found her looking up at her with wide, curious eyes.
"You're not sleepy at all, are you?" Cassandra chuckled softly. "Alright, let's go see if Grandma is still awake." She began to make her way down the hall to her mother's room when the sound of her mother's voice stopped her in her tracks.
"I have to admit, there is a certain amount of peace knowing I'll be one of the only people in Mystic Falls to die an ordinary death," she heard Elizabeth say, followed by Damon's soft chuckle. "I'm exceptionally ordinary. I'm okay with that. Cassandra and Caroline are anything but." Elizabeth was hit with a wave of emotion and choked back a sob. "They are meant to be extraordinary and they need to know how proud I am of them."
"Yeah, they will," Damon murmured softly. "You can tell them yourself."
Unable to control herself any longer, Cassandra stepped into the bedroom doorway. "You already did," she smiled weakly at her mom. Her eyes welled with tears as she walked over to the other side of the bed and carefully sat down while she held onto Hope. Keeping one arm around her daughter, she reached with her free arm for Elizabeth's hand and brought it up to the side of her face. "You are not ordinary, mom. You are extraordinary!" tears spilled down both her and Elizabeth's cheeks. "You raised us after dad left and did the best that you could. You cared for us, supported us, cheered us on. You're the best mom Caroline and I could have ever asked for. I love you so, so much, and if I can be even half as good of a mom to my daughter as you were to us, I'll be okay with that."
"Oh, honey, you're already doing a wonderful job as a mother," Elizabeth stroked her cheek with her thumb. Cassandra nodded her head slowly and sniffled. "You'll make sure your sister knows how proud I am of her too?"
"You can tell her when she gets here," Cassandra chuckled softly as she repeated essentially the same thing Damon had said. She scooted closer so Elizabeth could touch Hope's tiny hand.
Letting out a soft sigh, Elizabeth turned toward Damon and placed her other hand on top of his. "Thank you," she whispered.
"For what?" He asked, touched by her sentiment.
"For today. For being here," she murmured.
Damon smiled and gave her hand a small squeeze. "Yeah, I didn't get a chance to spend much time with my mom before she died. I volunteered to write the eulogy and then when she actually died, I didn't even go to the funeral."
"You want a second chance?" Elizabeth eyed him with raised eyebrows. He stared back at her curiously. "Write mine," she smiled a tiny smile. "Only do me a favor, nothing dirty."
"No promises, Damon grinned. Cassandra rolled her eyes and laughed softly. The moment quickly faded away as she saw the weariness on her mom's face grow. Damon noticed it too and let out a big sigh.
"I'll take that drink now," Elizabeth spoke in a soft voice.
"Yeah?" Damon eyed her and smiled. "I'll be right back," he slowly let go of her hand and stood up. When he got to the bedroom door he stopped. "You want rocks or you want neat?"
Cassandra had looked down at Hope, and when Elizabeth didn't answer, her head snapped up. Elizabeth had closed her eyes and appeared to have fallen asleep. "Mom?" She reached out a hand and gently shook her.
"Liz?" Damon turned around to face her.
"Mom?!" Cassandra tried again to wake her mother, but it was to no avail.
-o-
"Where is she?" Caroline burst through the double doors of the Mystic Falls Hospital Emergency Room with Stefan and marched up to nurses station. "Elizabeth Forbes, what room is she in?" She demanded.
"Caroline!" Cassandra called out to her.
Caroline spun around and ran up to her. "Cass, what happened?"
"She fell asleep," Cassandra answered quickly. "Damon and I couldn't wake her up. They said she went into a coma."
"They said they can make her comfortable," Damon approached them as they reached Elizabeth's room. Elijah stood outside with Hope who was sleeping peacefully in her baby carrier. He gazed at Cassandra and Caroline with a pained expression in his face.
"She's not comfortable!" Caroline shrieked and walked around him to the doorway. "She's dying!" She froze as her eyes landed on her mother lying in the hospital bed hooked to a monitor. Cassandra stood next to Stefan in the doorway, watching as Caroline slowly stepped into the room.
"I didn't get to say goodbye to mom," Caroline cried out in a soft voice. She began to sob, so Cassandra stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her from behind. Caroline placed her arms on top of Cassandra's, and together they shared in the same heartache, letting their tears fall freely.
Eventually Cassandra was able to guide Caroline over to the side of their mom's bed where she took a seat. Cassandra sat behind her at the foot of the bed and placed a hand on top of Elizabeth's leg. She'd had her final moment with their mom, now it was Caroline's turn. The sound of footsteps made Cassandra turn her head to the door and see Stefan walk into the room.
"I should have been with both of you at the house," Caroline murmured.
"You didn't know," Cassandra tried to reassure her.
"But I knew she was sick. And I knew it was bad."
"Caroline—" Stefan whispered.
"I'm her daughter, Stefan," Caroline snapped her head in his direction. "I know Cass was with her, but I should have been with her too. Okay? I was supposed to give her peace and convince her that I would be okay, that Cass and I would be okay, and thank her for being an amazing mom." She turned back to Elizabeth. "God, I don't even remember the last thing I said to her. I was supposed to be with her in her final moment."
"She knows, Care," Cassandra spoke in a gentle voice. "She knows how much you love her and that we're both gonna be okay. And you're here now. This is your chance to say goodbye."
"She's right," Stefan walked up to them. "You still can."
Cassandra jumped to her feet and stepped around to the foot of the bed so Stefan could be next to Caroline. She watched as Stefan began to lead her sister through the steps to enter their mother's mind so she could speak to her through her memories.
Caroline took her mom's hand into both of hers and knelt down. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The room was quiet except for the beeping of the heart monitor. Cassandra wasn't sure if what Caroline was attempting was actually working until she saw Caroline's lips curl into a smile. Then she saw a smile appear on her mom's face. She'd never seen her look more happy and peaceful than she did in that moment.
Cassandra felt the gentle touch of a hand on her shoulder. She turned to her right and found Elijah standing beside her. She flashed him a weak but grateful smile for being there and turned her attention back to her sister. Caroline opened her eyes a moment later with a soft gasp. A second later, Elizabeth took her final breath and the heart monitor gave a long, flatline beep.
"Mom?" Caroline sniffed and stroked her forehead gently. She started to sob as she turned her head toward Stefan and Damon who had come back into the room, bringing Elena and Matt with him. "She's gone," Caroline's voice cracked. A moment later she burst into tears.
Cassandra covered her mouth with her hands as her heart shattered into a million tiny pieces. She stared at her mom's lifeless body and began to sob. Elijah set the baby carrier down on the floor and pulled Cassandra into his arms to console her. Despite the unresolved awkwardness between them, she didn't fight the contact and instead threw her arms around his neck, burying her face against his chest. Stefan, Damon, Elena, and Matt stood silently in the room knowing there was nothing they could say to less their friends' pain. Eventually, a nurse came in and turned off the heart monitor. After she left, Elijah reached for the baby carrier with one hand while he kept his other arm around Cassandra and slowly led her out the room.