Prompt: "Can you do some sort of drabble where Klaus finds out the time Caroline went looking for him in New Orleans but he missed her?"

Just to point out that I know zero things about TO canon, other than that Klaus was trapped somewhere for an uncertain amount of time, so let's just go with it. Also, since I can't really change canon, Caroline never gave up the kids to be with Stefan because I actually know her character. Anyways, hope you like this one!

Also, I fail at writing mini drabbles. Woops.

- Shauna! xo


When he returns to the land of the living, it's as though somebody has dunked a bucket of ice-cold water onto him, and he can see everything with startling clarity.

With Hayley long gone, and really, he tried to feel sympathy for the death of the mother of his child, but he legitimately failed. The most he could do was hold his hysterically crying daughter at her funeral (which really, only happened because Hope so wished it), and tried to soothe his now seven-year-old daughter, his arms around her, with his hand rubbing against her back soothingly.

(He was getting better at this parent thing, he thought.)

(Whilst simultaneously ignoring a grieving Elijah. There was only so much emotion he could deal with.)

It's still strange, looking at Hope, and realising she was his daughter. Especially since she looked so different from the last time he saw her. Honestly, it was hard to tell it was the same child, but he still felt an immense amount of satisfaction that she looked exactly like him, except from the eyes which were all her mother.

But Cami... seriously, what was he thinking?

He shakes his head at the thought.

(She was obviously a replacement for the original one he couldn't have. For the moment, at least.)

It's at Hayley's funeral, when he's sat with his daughter in the corner booth, her head lolling against him as she sniffles, that the news first reaches him.

"Klaus?"

His head snaps up, to see the usual bartender making her way across, giving him a tentative smile, as she settles the drinks on the table, and seriously, since when did people in this city smile at him and not quake with fear at the sound of his name?

He shakes his head, muttering a "thanks" under his breath.

She's staring at him, and he fidgets slightly under her gaze.

"What?" he snaps.

She presses her lips together, though it mostly looks from amusement, and she shakes her head, her dark curls splaying over shoulder.

"Klaus Mikaelson?" she repeats.

He nods, raising a curious eyebrow.

"You had guests a few years ago," she tells him. "She seemed in a desperate hurry to find you, too."

His eyebrows furrow, because who would come looking for him? No one told him.

"Had two kids attached to her," she tells him. "Twins, I believe."

A girl with two kids, coming looking for him?

Maybe he'd entered an alternate universe?

"Said you'd know her. Very pretty. Blonde hair, blue eyes? I'm struggling to place her name, now. But she had a face you wouldn't forget."

And, it hits him them, because he remembers that very night, when Stefan had come to New Orleans, and had told him all about what had been going on back in Mystic Falls. That Caroline was pregnant by some miracle or other (and maybe that was all the witches used when they screwed spells up, who knows), but that she was planning to give them up when she gave birth to them.

But, he knew better.

He knew her better.

So, he knows who it was, before the name even passes through his lips.

"Caroline?"

The bartender's already nodding before the name has fully left his lips.

"Yeah, that's it! Forbes, or something if I remember correctly."

But he's lost in his own thoughts, because why would Caroline Forbes come searching for him? In his city, no less. Just to leave when he wasn't here, and he wanted to know why.

The brunette shakes her head at him, humming under her breath as she walks away with a murmured, "Have a good night".

But, he doesn't care. Because Caroline Forbes came looking for him, decades before he'd even guessed she would.

(It looked like his day was turning up, after all.)

-/-

It takes him exactly twenty-four hours to realise that he has to see her, has to know why she came. Most importantly, it's been years since he laid eyes on her, and he needs to see her. Needs to know she's okay, only to come to the conclusion that he has no idea where she is.

He asks one of the warlocks near Virginia, one of Elijah's old acquaintances, to see if he knew if she was still in Mystic Falls.

Turns out she wasn't.

He found out that she took off, shortly after Stefan got back with one of his ex-girlfriends. Valerie something he believes, and he barely restrains from rolling his eyes at that, because how couldn't he appreciate the sheer beauty that was Caroline Forbes? Also, it turns out that Stefan had flipped the switch somewhere along the way too, and killed Alaric. Not that he was surprised. The Ripper had a knack for screwing his life up.

(Not that he was one to judge but still...)

He has members of his own network to reach out from all over America and try to find out where she is.

Still, no such luck.

It's like she doesn't want to be found.

Funnily enough, though, it's Rebekah to tell him where she is.

She takes one look at his moping form, with Hope tugging on her arm, before she sighs, dramatically, and raises an eyebrow.

"She's in Paris."

He startles at that.

"What?"

She rolls her eyes, and lets out a snort.

"Caroline," she says slowly. "She's in Paris."

His eyes narrow.

"And you know this... how?"

She shrugs.

"I went shopping a few weeks ago. Bumped into her there, with two kids on her arm. Cute girls, and they worship the ground she walks on, pretty much. I find she's more tolerable, now that she's separated from the Mystic Falls gang. We even had coffee," she tells him.

He glares.

"You're just now telling me this?" he demands. "When you know I've been searching for weeks?"

She shrugs, and bends down to pick up Hope, the seven-year-old's hands reaching for her blonde curls.

"It's only now stopped being funny how you mope over that baby vampire, Nik. Besides, you've become insurfferable lately."

He's growling at her, before she's finished speaking but he's speeding around the room, ignoring his sister's amused looks. She's got a hand proped up on the hip that isn't holding Hope, with an eyebrow raised.

"I'm assuming this means you'd like me to babysit?"

He shoots her an unimpressed glare, as he bends down to kiss his daughter on the cheek, promising to call her after he gets off his flight, and telling her it won't be home before he's home.

"Who's Caroline?" she asks innocently, before he can leave.

"Why don't you ask your Aunt?" Klaus suggests, before he walks out of the room.

And if he hears Rebekah tell her, "Why don't you just look in his sketchbook, I'm sure that will tell you everything you need to know, Hope", he just rolls his eyes, and speeds faster to the airport.

(He had a blonde vampire to see.)

-/-

When he lands, he rents an SUV and he immediately regrets it, because he could speed there in half the time, but when he pulls up outside the place where Caroline's claimed her home, and he sees her radiant smile, it's worth it.

She's worth it.

(She's always worth it.)

He's standing behind her, and he knows she must sense him, or at least someone behind her, but she doesn't comment.

"Paris, love?" he asks. "I do hope I had something to do with that choice."

She spins around immediately and her eyes are wide, as she stares up at him.

"Klaus," she gasps.

He smirks.

"Did you miss me?"


So what did you guys think?

Feel free to let me know in a comment/review.