Thank you again to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU who has followed, reviewed, and added this story to your favorites! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)
I guess this author's note is going to be short and sweet because I don't know what else to say other than thank you, haha! Unless, of course, you all want to tell me how you feel about TVD and The Originals so far, then leave that in the reviews :). Happy reading…
Disclaimer: I do not own TVD, The Originals, or any of their characters.
Klaus woke up in his old bedroom at the Mikaelson mansion the next morning after about three hours of sleep. He couldn't make himself go to his home, their home. There were too many happy memories connected with that house, and he knew that going there would magnify the absence of Caroline. He had experienced that the night before. However, he learned that it didn't matter where he was, he always felt like a part of himself was missing, the part that she held.
He made his way down the stairs, hoping that his sister wasn't home. As he entered the kitchen, he realized that luck wasn't on his side because the blonde was standing right in front of the coffee maker. Rebekah nearly screamed as she turned around and realized that there was someone else in the house.
"Nik! You scared me!" She held her hand over her heart, as if that would slow its rapid pace. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you with Caroline?" She knew all the basics of Caroline's condition, but she was surprised to see her older brother standing in front of her.
Klaus made his way over to the cabinet, retrieved a mug, and began to fill it with coffee before responding to his sister. "I would rather not talk about it, Rebekah."
"You never left Caroline's side the entire time she was in a coma. Do you expect me to believe that something extremely important didn't happen to keep you from being there now?"
"Just drop it," Klaus growled. "I didn't come here to talk. I came here to get some sleep."
Rebekah was almost shocked at her brother's outrage. She hadn't seen him so angry in years, actually since he began dating Caroline. Yet, she had grown to expect it for so many years that she wasn't intimidated.
She gestured toward his appearance, "Which you obviously didn't get much of." She sighed and leaned against the counter top. "What's going on Nik?"
"What's going on?!" Klaus slammed his mug on the counter. "What's going on?!" He asked incredulously. "My wife doesn't remember ever marrying me! In her mind we are in 2009, which means that to her I'm the guy I was four years ago. Also, she just happened to remind me yesterday that in 2009 she was with Tyler! Tyler of all people," he threw his hands in the air. "I should be with her. Instead, I'm here, in a house that isn't our home while she's in a hospital bed, and if it were up to her, I'd never step foot in her room. That's what's going on, Rebekah."
Rebekah felt the need to comfort her brother, but she figured that he would just push her away. She knew that the only thing he needed at the moment was Caroline, and that was one thing she couldn't give him.
"I'm sure that's not true. You've explained to her that you two are married. She has to at least want to know what has happened in her life in the past four years, and you're the only one that can really give her that information."
Klaus shook his head. "You don't get it. She's in love with Tyler. Right now, she doesn't care about the past four years of her life. All she cares about is being with her friends and family, which should include me, but to her, it doesn't." Tears filled his eyes, but before one could complete its trail down his face, he wiped it away. "And last night, Tyler made it pretty clear to me that he was going to take full advantage of her condition." His jaw tightened as he made his last statement.
"Caroline chose you over him once, and she would do it a hundred more times. Don't give up on her, Nik." Rebekah's eyes were filled with compassion for her brother.
Klaus met her gaze. "I will never give up on her."
Klaus' ringing cell phone interrupted the serious conversation. He looked at the screen to see that the hospital was calling.
"I have to take this," he told Rebekah, his heartbeat picking up speed thinking that something had happened to Caroline and he hadn't been there.
"Hello?" He answered.
"Mr. Mikaelson?" The person on the other end of the line asked.
"Yes. Is Caroline alright?"
"Yes, Mrs. Mikaelson is perfectly fine, which is actually why I was calling. We are releasing her today and I didn't know what time you were coming back up."
Klaus looked at his watch. It was already almost noon. "I'll be there soon," was his reply before hanging up the phone.
"Is everything alright?" Rebekah asked, not being able to hear the other person's reply to her brother's question.
"Caroline's being released today." Klaus had the first real smile in what felt like years. "I have to go."
Klaus pulled into the hospital parking lot twenty minutes later. He rushed straight into Caroline's room, excited to see her, and excited about the fact that she was getting to come home. He was relieved when the only other person he saw was her mother.
Caroline was sitting on the side of her bed, dressed and ready to go, while her mom was searching the room making sure they had everything.
"Hey, sweetheart," Klaus smiled at Caroline as he made his way over to her.
"Hi," she smiled back, and he realized it was genuine, but he didn't know if that had to do with him or the fact that she was getting to leave.
"Are you excited to be going home?" He took a seat beside her on the bed.
She nodded. "I'm tired of looking at these walls and it's only been two days. I can't imagine what everyone else must have felt like being here for a week."
Liz's eye caught Klaus' as they shared a silent conversation. Klaus had been the only one to stay with her consistently for a week. Elena had come in and out a few times, and Liz tried to be there every day that she wasn't working. No one else showed until Caroline woke up, but he decided to keep that information to himself.
"Good afternoon, Caroline," the doctor entered the room. "It looks like you're ready to leave us," he smiled.
"No offense, but I'm ready to see the outside world again."
"I completely understand." He held out a clipboard with papers attached. "We just need you to sign some forms, and then you'll be on your way."
Caroline grabbed the clipboard and began signing the forms. She started writing Forbes, and then she paused, her pen hovering above the paper. She looked at Klaus. "I guess my name isn't Caroline Forbes anymore, huh?"
He shook his head. "No, love, it isn't." A part of him was excited because she remembered that she was married, but another part felt saddened that she even had to ask.
She signed the rest of the papers, trying to get the hang of writing Caroline Mikaelson, but it felt so foreign. She handed the clipboard back to the doctor when she was finished.
"We suggest that you go on living your life like you had been prior to your accident. It could help in stimulating your memories, but ultimately it is your decision." The doctor stated, then retreated to the door. "You are free to go whenever you make your choice." He smiled at them and disappeared.
"Ok, Caroline, it looks like we have everything. I'll follow you two out to your car." Liz held her daughter's bags in her hands.
Klaus helped Caroline stand up, but the blonde didn't show any intentions of making anymore movements. "What do you mean our car, mom? I thought I was going with you."
Liz's head shot towards Klaus before returning to her daughter. She was surprised, and didn't have any intentions of her daughter going back home with her. "Honey, you heard what the doctor said. It's best for you to live your life like you were before the accident. That means going back to your home."
"Don't worry, love, everything will be alright, I promise." Klaus tried to soothe Caroline when he saw the panic growing on her face.
She shook her head. "I have to go with you, mom. To me, that's where I was before my accident. Please let me come with you."
Klaus felt guilt in that moment. He sensed that Caroline was afraid to be alone with him, and that bothered him more than anything had thus far. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to keep any of his emotions from surfacing. He wondered what he was like in her mind. But on the other hand, he thought he might not want to know.
When he got control over his feelings, Klaus turned to Liz and gave her a small nod. He didn't want Caroline to be anywhere that she wasn't comfortable, no matter how uncomfortable it made him.
"Okay," Liz told Caroline. "You can come with me."
At the car, Klaus led Caroline to the passenger side. She stopped him before he could help her get inside.
"I'm sorry that I can't be who you want me to be," she whispered. Her blue eyes were peering up at him from underneath her lashes.
A knot grew in Klaus' throat as he looked down at the woman he loved. He wanted to kiss her; to tell her that everything would work out, but he didn't know if that was true. "It's not your fault," was all he could manage to say.
She looked down at her hands, and his gaze followed. He saw that she began to pull the wedding rings off of her finger. He grabbed her hands to stop her movements.
Her eyes met his again. "I don't feel right keeping them. You should have them."
He shook his head. "Those belong to you. They are a promise from me, and every time you see them, I want you to remember that I love you." He leaned down so he could whisper in her ear. "Always only you." He closed his eyes as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. When he pulled away he saw that she had tears running down her face.
"I'm sorry," she repeated.
"You'll remember," he replied.
When Liz, who was already in the driver's seat, saw that their moment was over, she asked Caroline if she was ready to go. Caroline nodded, and allowed Klaus to help her get inside the small vehicle. As they drove away, she held Klaus' gaze as he stood in the parking lot watching them leave.
On the drive home, Caroline began digging in her bag that had been at the hospital. She didn't recognize anything that was inside, but she did see a phone. It has to be mine, she thought to herself. She turned it on and waited for it to load. The picture caught her by surprise.
She gasped. Her background was a picture of her and Klaus in Paris. She could see the bottom of the Eiffel tower behind them. Her whole face was lit up, as the picture had caught her mid laugh. Klaus was kissing her cheek, but she could see the adoration that filled his blue-green eyes.
Liz looked over to see what had her daughter's attention. When she saw the background she couldn't help but comment. "Klaus couldn't wait to take you to Paris. He takes you some place new every year. He says he wants you to experience everything this world has to offer. That trip just so happened to be for your one year anniversary."
"I can't believe that I finally got out of Mystic Falls and I don't even remember it," Caroline mumbled to herself. She turned to her mom. "Was I happy?" She felt the tears starting to fall again.
Her mom smiled. "I've never seen you happier than when you were with Niklaus."
Caroline's focus went back to the picture, and even through her tear filled eyes she could tell that what her mother said was true.