First of all, I just want to thank every one of you who followed/favourited and for the kind reviews. Sorry for the late update, but it is mock exam week so once it's over, more regular updates!

[DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TVD/TO OR ANYTHING RELATED TO IT]

The shock Rebekah initially felt after learning of the younger vampire's predicament soon wore off and was quickly replaced by anger. "She'll track you down- you've brought her to a town full of vampires," she had hissed. Her anger left once she noted what that meant for the other vampire; after all, she had the biggest target on her back. The sorrowful look on Caroline's face was enough to tug on anyone's heartstrings, even the Original who had never particularly cared for her. But Rebekah, despite what the majority thought of her, wasn't a heartless person and couldn't simply turn her back on the desperate mother in front of her.

Caroline had explained everything to the other blonde. How the Salvatore's had gotten her into this mess and what had been happening in Mystic Falls since the departure of the Mikaelson's. Rebekah had done the same, filling her in on New Orleans and the never-ending Mikaelson drama. Recently, everything had calmed down, the family finally able to settle down without the fear of enemies catching up to them.

"We'd be happy to take them in. Hope is going to be over the moon to have new friends to play with," she tried to sound light-hearted this to be easier for Caroline to leave.

The younger vampire smiled gratefully, her eyes shining with tears. "There's a suitcase full of their clothes and basically everything they'll need. I included a list of what they like, their routines, allergies, and stuff. I would go through it for you but we don't have time for that," she chuckled sadly. "Erm, did you bring a car? I could move the-"

"Caroline, take my car." The command confused the younger blonde, not expecting Rebekah to offer much more than the bare minimum. Sure, Caroline trusted her to take care of the twins since they were innocent bystanders in the never-ending Salvatore drama. Something on Caroline's face must have shown her confliction as the Original rolled her eyes placing the car keys in the vampire's hands. "It's a lot faster and draws less attention than the minivan you arrived in," she cleared up.

She nodded thankfully, swapping the keys with the older vampire. "I'll say goodbye to them after I've strapped them in their car seats. Could you help Lizzie pack all her stuff away?"

"Sure." Rebekah turned to the little girl, beaming down at her. She took the headphones away and Lizzie looked quite upset before noticing they were leaving. "Come on, darling we're leaving."

The little witch had warmed to the Original almost immediately, and it reassured Caroline that this was the right decision; the Mikaelson's would take care of her daughters. She was a bit upset she hadn't bumped into Klaus or had the chance to meet Hope, but it was a blessing in disguise.

She would have no idea what she would say to Klaus if he was here. He would undoubtedly help her in any way he could but he would insist on killing Stefan and Damon for putting her in this position in the first place. And then there were the unresolved feelings, the "what if?" that always lingered between them. There wouldn't be enough time to say what needed to be said and it would make it that much harder to leave New Orleans.

Josie truly had perfect timing, waking up in Caroline's arms and she strapped her back into the car seat. For a second, she was in a state of confusion calming down when she noticed her mother. Rebekah was buckling Lizzie into another seat and silently nodded to Caroline, giving her the space she needed to say goodbye.

"Girls," the blonde smiled at their innocent faces knowing this may very well be the last time she sees them. "Mommy has to go away for a while but you two will be staying with Auntie Bekah and her family!" Caroline put on an overly enthusiastic voice- the opposite of what she felt. Her heart dropped the longer she spoke. The twins looked excited at the prospect of having a vacation in New Orleans. Caroline had filled them in on all things Mikaelson and how they were old friends before they moved away from Mystic Falls. Luckily, the blonde had pictures from their stay and explained that Klaus had a daughter of his own, a factor which heavily influenced the young witches' decision

She had spun a tale of adventure, how she had a quest of her own, something that required her urgent help. The girls were worried at first knowing what they knew of Alaric's untimely death, definitely not ready to lose their mom either. After promising that she would call every day and that she would be back soon, the twins relented and made a promise to behave for the Mikaelson's.

Caroline was doing her best to keep her composure, wrapping up the goodbye because there was only so much time she could waste. She kissed both of their foreheads, inhaling deeply so their scent was ingrained into her memory, she finally let them go. With a watery smile, she told them how much she loved them and that this wasn't for forever.

"We love you too, Mommy," Lizzie grinned at her mother, the tears in Caroline's eyes not registering in her 4-year-old mind. Josie nodded her head agreeing with the statement before reached into her bag.

"I brought your bracelet, Mom!" The brunette exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. She reached into her backpack and pulled out a diamond infinity bracelet; the one a certain Original had gifted her for her birthday. The jewellery had found its way back to her the day after the Original's family ball and Caroline hadn't had the heart to give back such a beautiful gift. Again.

Caroline's smile widened and this time it was genuine. A few months ago she had explained the importance of the gift. They had pestered her for stories about the not-so-secret admirer and Caroline found herself telling them the story of her and Klaus- washing over the more gruesome details. The girls were entranced and Klaus was pretty soon their favourite bedtime story- ironic seeing as he was a nightmare for so many others. Josie and Lizzie had started to draw portraits of their mother, gifting it to her with little messages just as the hybrid had done. It warmed Caroline's heart to see him inspire her children despite the fact he had never even met them.

The vampire placed the bracelet back into Josie's hand after inspecting it, a wistful look in her eyes as she did so. "Keep it with you. Both of you," Caroline turned to Lizzie too. "And when you miss me, look at this bracelet and remember that my love for you will never end. A part of me will always be with you."

"Really? You're letting us keep it?" Lizzie beamed.

"As long as you both take turns and don't break it. I can trust you to keep it safe for me until I come back, right?" Her eyebrows raised in mock seriousness though the twins didn't pick up on that. At the vigorous nodding of their heads, Caroline chuckled. "Okay, that's settled then."

Rebekah coughed from where she was on the pavement discreetly telling Caroline to hurry up. The younger vampire caught on and said her goodbyes once more, leaving the girls to animatedly talk about the bracelet and meeting Rebekah's family. Without a second thought, Caroline embraced the Original in a hug, conveying everything she wanted to say with that one gesture.

"They're all I have, Rebekah," she managed to get out, implicitly pleading her to take care of them.

"I know," she replied quietly, her tight hug a silent promise to keep them safe. Caroline pulled herself away before she broke down, wiping the tears from her face and got into the other car. She watched as Rebekah climbed into the minivan, her heart dropping knowing that this might have been the last chance she had to hold them in her arms. The blonde couldn't even appreciate the fact that Rebekah Mikaelson was driving a freaking minivan.

Sitting in this fancy sports car, Caroline can't help but feel like her life is ending. The father of her children is dead, she's on the run from a vampire hunter and she has to leave her kids behind. Her whole world has collapsed in a matter of days and she blames herself. She had always known the Salvatores would end up getting her killed soon enough it was her blind loyalty that sealed her fate.

The only thing left was to get herself out of this mess.

Klaus held onto Hope's hand tightly, happily listening to her ramble on about her day at the bayou. The girl wasn't all that fond of staying in the swamp since her mom deemed it too dangerous for Hope to explore on her own thus confining her in a cabin for the duration of her stay. Nothing indicated that she was upset over her father having to pick her up because Hayley was too busy.

That didn't mean the Original wasn't mad at Hayley for prioritising the pack. She was a mother first, Alpha second. That was what she had always said to him when he had confronted her on slacking on her motherly duties. Hayley was righteously angry, argued that Klaus would never truly understand and that the wolves were her family too. Things had been difficult lately, tensions were running high within the pack and it wasn't exactly the safest environment for a 6-year-old.

"...and then I saw this butterfly and drew it with those crayons you gave me. I left it at the bayou though," the enthusiasm leaving the young girl for a second.

Klaus picked his child up, grinning at her squeal and proceeded to carry her into the house. "You can show me next time, okay? Right now, however, we can do whatever you want. It's up to you."

Hope was about to reply but was cut off by the sound of her aunt in the living room. Klaus directed them towards the room, eyebrows crinkled in confusion at the conversation he was hearing.

"I say, we get you bathed and into your pyjamas so this feels like a real sleepover. And I'll braid your hair and we'll watch a movie."

He heard the sound of laughter and excitement and then his sister reminding the children to not tell their mother when she rang. He opened the door and was met with three pairs of eyes trained on him and Hope. Rebekah being there wasn't that much of a surprise but the two young girls were a different story.

"Nik! You're back," she forced a cheery smile on her face, her eyes warning him not to cause a fuss. She turned to Hope, her fake smile melting into a real one, "And you, poppet, are supposed to be staying with your mum."

Jumping out of her father's arms, she ran to her aunt. "Mom's busy tonight so dad picked me up." The girl leaned in to whisper in Rebekah's ear. "Who are they?"

The vampire pulled back and turned to the twins in question. Looking between the girls, she introduced them to each other. "Hope Mikaelson, meet Josie and Lizzie Saltzman. They're going to be staying here for a while!" She was fully aware her brother was listening and the gaping of his mouth clearly showed the shock he was feeling. He assumed that Caroline was here too, the questioning look sent her way saying as much. At the shake of her head, Klaus became even more confused.

The girls were shy at first but quickly became friends, a bond forming between the trio. Rebekah's heart warmed at the scene, no doubt that these girls wouldn't become the best of friends. Turning her gaze to her brother she saw that he was thinking the same thing.

Rebekah coughed to garner his attention, inclining her head towards the door wordlessly telling him to follow her. His eyes fell on the girls again before he left the room to find out what the hell was going on.

The door shut quietly behind them and the kind facade slipped, his eyes sharp as they focused on Rebekah's form.

"Explain. Now." The hybrid didn't have time to beat around the bush. So many questions were flitting around his mind that he couldn't even make sense of his thoughts.

The Original sighed, "Caroline's in trouble and came here for help. She couldn't get through to you so I showed up to hear her out-"

"Where is she?" Klaus demanded.

"I don't know," Rebekah muttered in response. "Rayna Cruz somehow found herself in Mystic Falls and the Salvatore's have been trying to get rid of her. Caroline got pulled into it and now she's marked by the Phoenix Sword. She's being hunted, brother. The Huntress is already on her tail and since there was no one to look after Lizzie or Josie, I did what I know Caroline would have done if it was Hope in this situation."

"Alaric?" At the solemn shake of her head, Klaus' anger was fuelled even more. "I knew I should have killed Damon and Stefan when I had the chance," he snarled. His hands clenched, his hands itching to hit something, to inflict pain on someone else.

Before Klaus could garner more information from his sister, her phone starting to ring. Sighing, he motioned for her to check who it was. Rebekah glared at him in response, holding her tongue instead of reminding him that she would have done so regardless.

"What?" her response was clipped, angry at whoever was on the call.

"Hey, Rebekah," Caroline's voice filtered through the receiver. "I just wanted to see if this was the right number. I can tell you're busy so I'll call back later-"

Klaus snatched the phone out of the other vampire's hands, rolling his eyes at Rebekah's huff of indignation.

"Hello, love," the hybrid greeted her, his face lighting up of its own accord. He knows he should be a little angry at her when mere minutes before he was irritated at the fact she had failed to inform him of her current predicament. She should have waited for a while, devised a plan before she went on her merry way.

"Klaus," the blonde stated, momentarily speechless. Then there was a long pause but, eventually, Caroline spoke, "Guess you've met the girls, huh?"

The Original chuckled, not expecting to hear that. "Officially? No. But Hope has already warmed up to them."

"That's great." He could practically hear her smile and it warmed and broke his heart at the same time. It was always the most unfortunate circumstances that brought them together. "It's great," she repeated, her tone deflated this time. He was well aware that she was trying to convince herself that this was for the best.

After hearing her upset, all he wanted to do was try to turn things around. Maybe he could convince her things weren't too bad even though, from the little he knew, Klaus was sure her predicament was worse than Rebekah had let on. "Caroline-"

"What have I done, Klaus?" Only hearing her meek voice was enough for Klaus to picture the frown on her face, the unshed tears at the situation she's found herself in.

"You didn't do anything, love. If anyone's to blame it's the bloody Salvatore's," he all but growled.

Caroline scoffed not believing him for a second. "No, no, I let myself get dragged into their drama even after it got Alaric killed. I didn't even stop to think about how this could affect the girls. Even if I manage to outrun the Huntress, this is my life now-"

The hybrid interrupted her before she went down a spiral of guilt and self-loathing. "Anything you have done, you have done out of love. One can hardly fault you for that now," his voice took on a teasing lilt, trying to lift her spirits.

"Even if there's a chance I'll never see any of you again?"

Klaus' grip tightened on the receiver, "We'll find a way to bring you home, Caroline." His tone was final leaving no room for an argument.

The blonde released a sigh, obviously doubting his abilities but if anyone was going to fix this, Caroline would place her bets on the Original Hybrid. "I-I've got to go, Klaus. But thank you. For everything."

"Goodbye, love." His response was reluctant, wanting to comfort her further. Klaus could hear hesitation but decided against pressing on because she would open up when she was ready. She needed time to herself, to wrap her head around such a massive change.

"Bye."

Klaus had already mentally compiled a list of witches he needed to get into contact with and cash in some favours. Caroline's problems were his problems and Klaus refused to let her deal with something as big as this on her own. No, she didn't need the stress of finding a solution on her own whilst simultaneously running for her life.

There was no way Klaus would simply sit back and let Caroline fend for herself.

"Where are you going?" Rebekah called after him. He raised an eyebrow questioning his sister. "You haven't even introduced yourself to our guests."

A smile graced his face, remembering that the two young girls were staying with them for the time being. "Well, it would be quite rude if I didn't," he pondered dramatically. Once he had made up his mind, he smirked and motioned for her to walk ahead of him.

"Lead the way, sister."

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes leaning back against the uncomfortable seats. Caroline willed herself not to cry but just hearing Klaus' voice had been enough to push her off the edge. All she could think about was how far away her daughters were. The sound of the hybrid's voice transported her to a time long forgotten.

She never pictured that the first time she would leave the country would be because she was running for her life. Once again, she cursed the Salvatore's for getting her involved in their mess.

"Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 89B to Berlin. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes. Thank you."

Caroline knew that she trusted the Mikaelson's and that would have to be enough to get her through this. She was well aware that her time was limited- there was only so far she could run. How many instances had her and her friends cheated death? Fate was simply catching up to her.

But she was Caroline Forbes. There was nothing she couldn't do once she set her mind to something.

Fighting was in her nature and she would try their hardest to find a way to get rid of the mark for good. For as long as she could, she would delay the inevitable.

She stared at the letters written in her hand ignoring the bustling of travellers behind her. The thought of sending them to New Orleans brought her some semblance of peace knowing no matter what happens, she has said what was needed to be said.

The announcement for final boarding brought her out of her thoughts. Putting the letters away in her bag, signed and sealed ready for the recipients, the vampire took one last look at the image Rebekah had sent her of Klaus reading the girls a bedtime story.

You're doing the right thing, Caroline told herself.

It's the only way to keep them safe.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you so much for reading and if it's not too much to ask, please review- I loved reading the reviews on the first chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts on this one. Constrictive criticism welcome :)

(Also, I am not shamelessly Hayley-bashing, this will have an effect on the rest of the story!)