Chapter 6

As the sun rose, Caroline joined it. Opening her eyes to the light of a new day. She found herself toasty warm, like she had her own personal heater. Looking down, she found little Henrik curled into a ball, a content look on his face.

Caroline lye still, not having the heart to move in case she woke him. Though it was only a few minutes later that there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Caroline called softly, Rebekah grumbled and rolled onto her side, facing the wall.

The was pushed open slowly, a hand appeared before the rest of him. She recognized his hands anywhere. The calloused, sturdy hands she had seen covered in both paint and blood. Klaus's head peaked around the door, looking at his sister before his gaze found hers. His eyes darted down to the boy in her arms. He visibly relaxed. "You have him."

She nodded, glancing down at the boy before looking back. "He came in when the storm started. He didn't want you to poke fun at him, so he stayed in here with me. Is that alright?"

Klaus nodded, walking further into the room. "Yes. It's just, I didn't know where he was. He either comes to Elijah or I, rarely does he bother Bekah." he looked down at the sleeping boy again. "He is rather fond of you, isn't he?"

Caroline smiled. "I would like to think so, yes."

Klaus looked over to his little sister and back. "May I take him back to his room with Kol?" Caroline nodded, scooting back from Henrik as Klaus walked toward to bed, slipping his arms underneath his legs and his back. Henrik groaned as he buried his head into Klaus's shoulder, his arms wrapping around himself to keep the heat from Caroline around him. She almost felt bad for him. "Good morning, Caroline." he smiled at her, walking towards the door.

Caroline climbed out of bed, quickly fixing her floor length nightgown as she went, stopping by the doorway as Klaus crossed over it. "Good morning, Klaus." they shared a gentle smile, and as Caroline started to shut the door, she heard her name being whispered.

"Caroline," she reopened the door. "later today, would you accompany me to the clearing to visit Karr again?"

Her thoughts immediately swirled in a flurry. Is he asking me on a date? Her thoughts asked in a hushed squeal. Caroline smiled brightly. "I would love to." her eyes found the floor and her toes peeking out from under her gown.

"Then I shall see you at midday, by my stall."

She looked up at him from under her lashes, finding he was wearing his dimpled smile that always made her weak in the knees. "I'll see you later then." he nodded as he turned and walked back down the hall, to the door just down from them where Henrik shared with Kol. Klaus shared with Elijah just across the hall from them, Finn had his own further down, which was next Esther and Mikael at the very end of the hall.

Caroline waited until he entered Henrik's room before closing the door completely, leaning against it. She worried her lower lips, fighting a squeal of delight from escaping her throat. She huffed, lowering her head until her chin almost touched her chest, before she smiled and rolled her head to lean back against the wooden door, staring at the ceiling. "Please tell me I didn't look like that when I thought of Edmund."

She jumped, pushing off the door and looked at Rebekah, who was smirking at the flushed face of Caroline, who looked horrified. "How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to know you and Nik are bonding. And soon, you too will be courting. Which will lead you to an engagement, marriage and children. All with my brother." Rebekah squealed as jumped from her bed and attack hugged her. "I am so excited for you."

"But nothing has happened." Caroline complained as the sister original's arms constricted around her neck.

"Not yet anyway, just give it time. Nik likes to be absolutely sure of his feelings before acting on them." she pulled away with a bright smile. "Soon, we really will be sisters." Bekah twirled on her toes as she pulled out the clothes she was changing into for the day.

Caroline shook her head and rolled her eyes to the ceiling before she followed her example. Pulling a pair of trousers, a loose fitting tunic and her boots. Running her fingers through her hair, she worked quickly as she styled her blond mane. "What are you doing for today, Bekah?"

"Kol is going to be chaperoning my visit to Edmund's house. He wants to show me how he is going to rearrange it for when we are married." she could hear Bekah shuffling around. "What have you done to your hair?"

Caroline tied it off before running her hand over her handy work. "What? What's wrong with it?"

Rebekah stepped up behind her and ran her fingertips over the delicate braid. "Nothing is wrong, it is just very beautiful. What is this one called?"

"A waterfall braid." Caroline turned, catching Rebekah's wishful expression. "I'll teach you this one later." Rebekah smiled brightly, nodding. Caroline led them out of the room and into the kitchen, where Esther was already preparing a lite breakfast of porridge and bread.

She smiled at them. "Go get the others, Caroline. Rebekah, would you help me set the table?"

Caroline had heard that tone of voice before. The universal tone for 'I know, I'm so sorry, something came up'. She had heard it every time her mother had promised to be there for her, yet never was. At dances, charity events and mother-daughter dinner dates. When she didn't make it, she would use the tone, trying to get Caroline to understand she really was sorry for not being able to make it. After a few years, Caroline had just stopped trying, the barrier around herself grew until not even her friends could reach her.

Until she became a vampire, then came Stefan. She faked emotions like a pro when it came to everyone else, soon Klaus stalked into town. She had never foreseen with him, not in a million years. He ran face first into her walls, which she laughed at. Then he slammed into them. Repeatedly. They crumbled around her, and little over a few months, he had been the one thing she valued over all else. He challenged her, forced her to speak the truth that she always hid to avoid conflict with Elena.

Caroline reached the top of the stairs, taking her time to ensure Esther and Rebekah had a nice, long chat about the Edmund dinner. She stayed at the top of the steps for almost ten minutes before she knocked on the doors as she walked down the hall, though jumped back when the door opened, even more surprised to find Klaus staring back at her. "Sorry." he apologized quickly.

"No, you're fine. It just startled me." Caroline smiled as she turned to knock on the last door, which happened to be Finn's. She was stopped by a hand on her wrist, following the hand up his arm and into his eyes, finding is covered in a familiar, light brown stubble.

"Caroline, I was wondering. When we visit Karr, would you allow you to, perhaps, draw you?" back in the 21st century, Caroline caught Klaus sketching her while practiced archery, he never let her see them, but she knew he drew them in a way that suggested she looked more like a goddess then a human, she wondered how he would see her then. "If you do not want me to, you just have to say so and I won't. I was just wondering."

Caroline caught his arm as he tried to retreat back into his room, catching his wrist as he had done to her. "I would be honored, if you were to draw me." Klaus nodded, smiling faintly, looking down at the hand that still gripped onto his wrist. Caroline followed his gaze, feeling her face heat. She stepped back as she released his wrist. She cleared her throat. "It is time for breakfast."

Klaus nodding, he closed the door behind him as she walked back towards the stairs. Only to jump in surprise when a door was thrown open beside her. Kol leaned against the frame. "Well, good morning Caroline." she didn't like the sly smirk on his face one bit. "So, you're going to let Nik draw you? How very, sweet. Tell me, when did the two of you start courting?"

Caroline scowled at him. "Oh, shut up, Kol." noticing the bundled on the bed behind him, she brushed past him and into the room. "Henrik," she sat on the edge of the bed, running her fingers through his dark hair, which curled around his ears like Klaus's did. "It's time to wake up, breakfast is ready."

Henrik grumbled as he rolled over, looking Caroline in the eye before glancing around the room. "When did I get here?"

"Klaus took you out of my room so that I could get dressed." Henrik nodded, sitting up as he rubbed his eyes. "Breakfast is ready, come along."

Henrik pouted, looking at her from under his dark lashes, ensnaring her easily. "I don't want to get up. Can't I stay in bed a little while longer?"

"Oh, come now, Henrik. That look may work on mother, but Caroline would never fall for it." Kol spoke with a smirk, leaning against the foot of his own bed, watching on in amusement.

"I don't know, Kol." he looked over at her with a surprised expression, Henrik looked victorious. "I mean, look at his face. How can you say no to such a face?" Kol snorted, Henrik beamed. "But," Kol looked intrigued by her change of voice, Henrik look concerned. "you still need to eat breakfast to get big and strong, like Elijah." Kol made a noise of offense at the same moment Henrik squealed loudly, as Caroline stood, picked Henrik and threw him over her shoulder.

Kol and Henrik laughed loudly as she walked from the room. Henrik pressed his hands to her lower back, lifting his upper body to look at Kol's mirthful smile. Klaus and Elijah soon stepped into the hall to see what had caused the noise, though once they found Henrik desperate gaze, they to laughed. As she glanced over her shoulder, not supporting the boy, she caught Elijah smiling, wider then Caroline had ever seen. Klaus's face had turned a cute hue of pink as he watched on, laughing when Henrik cried for help.

Caroline took the stairs slowly to avoid slipping with a child in her grasp. She made it to the bottom, walking with the leisured pace towards the dining room, Henrik still squirming in her grasp, he cackled and gasped for breath at the same time. Esther and Rebekah pulled away from the tight embrace. They both smiled and laughed at the sight.

"Mama, help me!" Henrik called with a bright smile as he struggled to look over his shoulder.

Esther laughed gently as she walked towards them, Caroline leaned forward as Esther took him by the arms and pulled him from her shoulder. Henrik smiled and giggled as he ran to his mother and sisters side, hiding behind their skirts. Rebekah ruffled his bed hair, though Esther ran her fingers through it to smooth it down.

Everyone sat at the table, Mikael joined them moments later, followed by Finn, which she remembered not waking him. Henrik was the first to start the easy conversation, commenting on the ferocity of the storm, about how many times it woke him. Kol joined him, starting a computation on who wasn't bothered by the storm, which was beyond childish, which was probably why Klaus and Bekah soon joined them.

Caroline shook her head as she looked around the table. It amazed her that when she first sat at the table with them, no one dared say a word to one another, and as she sat with them now, she could feel the ease in the air. She could feel the love and sense of family. Rebekah threw her head back at something Klaus had said, which Kol snorted at and immediately corrected, which caused the rest of the family to laugh, even Mikael wore a smile.

"Speaking of, Niklaus." everyone silenced when Mikael spoke, the man in question looked over to his father, his whole body tensed. "I was just going to say, the work you do at your stall, would you minded very much if I watched sometime?"

Klaus looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. "Father?" his tone questioned his alternative motives.

"Your work is one of the most amazing I have seen, and I just wanted to know how you do it. I am asking permission to watch how you create such works of art." no one breathed, all eyes darted back and forth, between father and son.

Klaus nodded slowly. "Sure, yeah. I would like that, I really would." he glanced at Caroline, sending her a hesitant smile before looking back to his plate.

"Good." Mikael smiled softly at his artistic son, returning to his own breakfast a moment later. "Is tomorrow good for you?" Klaus nodded, and soon the subject was dropped.

Conversation was slow to pick back up, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Klaus didn't speak the rest of the meal, as he stared down at his plate, barely eating.

Once food was done, the boys were off to the village. Rebekah and Henrik went out back to practice there weapons training. Caroline helped Esther clear the rest of the dishes before Esther left to spend the day with her friend, Ayana, whom Caroline knew to be the start of the Bennett bloodline. A witch, like Esther, which Caroline had forgotten about completely until that moment.

She looked around the empty house, and for the first time in months, she missed her friends. She missed her mother and Stefan the most, and as memories swirled around her head, she pushed them away, trying not to think on such things. Instead, she busied herself making small loaf of bread, which she wrapped in thin cloth after it was done and placed it into her newly emptied knapsack, adding some fruit for a light snack.

Caroline made sure she had at least three knives before she left the house, taking the folded cloth of burgundy, her newest made gown, from her room as she walked down the stairs and out of the house. Stopping by the butchers, the gown being a birthday present to her daughter. "It is quite beautiful, thank you my girl, my daughter is sure to love it." He smiled as he thanked and paid her.

She counted the coin before nodding and smiled in farewell. "It was a pleasure." she left the shop, feeling good for making something to bring others joy. Looking around the village, she recognized some of the women who bought her dresses, she even spotted several of her designs. If anyone met her eye, they smiled and waved. Some women even thanked her, again, for such a lovely gown.

She reached Klaus's stall by midday, as planed. Smiling when she caught the tail end of a sale, the older woman was smiling and looked pleased with her new carving. It was a 3D carving of the waterfall that they had been meeting at for the past month, with deep grooves and textured surfaces. A true;y impressive piece, and from the praise the older woman was spouting, she thought so too.

Caroline waited until she walked away with the wood, which was twelve inches in length both tall and wide. She walked towards him slowly, enjoying that he was already packing his supplies to be able to spend his afternoon with her. "Has your day been very busy?" she asked, leaning against her crossed arms on the stall counter.

Klaus looked up, smirking lightly at her. "Not entirely, a few customers here and there." he shut the doors to the underbelly of his stall, standing to his full height, a few inches taller then she. "Are you ready to go?"

Caroline nodded, allowing Klaus to lead her from the stall, back towards the barely there trail that led away from the village and into the clearing. Their conversation was slow, mostly they talked about their businesses and how well they were doing. From there, it jumped to weapons, then to family and friends.

They reached the clearing easily enough, the heard of horses were already playfully nipping at each other when they got there. Caroline dropped her knapsack on the ground, just noticing that Klaus had also brought his own bag of belongings. She smiled when he pulled a stiff piece of old paper from its depths, followed by a chunk of charcoal. He glanced up at her, meeting her gaze, before looking away and bringing the charcoal to the paper.

She payed him little mind as she spotted Karr trotting towards them, quickly she retrieved one of the apples from her sack, holding it out in front of her and waited patiently for him to accept it. Her smile brightening once he took it from her, chowing down on it nickering happily, he nudged her shoulder with his snout.

Caroline giggled as she ran her hand down his hide, Karr even let her braid his mane, knotting the ends to keep them in place. Time flew as she doted on Karr, soon her attention on the animal shifted as a grumble sounded from behind her.

She turned, finding Klaus glaring down at his stomach, his hand placed over it. "There's bread in my bag." he looked up, catching and holding her gaze. "You didn't eat breakfast, so I brought something to tied you over." Klaus smiled at her, though it was guilty and shy. He scratched the back of his head before reaching for her knapsack. Caroline turned back to Karr, just as he butted his snout to her forehead. She laughed as she patted him. "Alright, alright. Calm yourself." as the seconds dragged on, Caroline noticed the silents that hung around her. "Klaus? Are you well?" glancing over her shoulder, she went still.

His hands held a sheet of light brown colored paper. The same paper she had looked to every chance she got, the same paper that used to sit on her bedside table. The paper, with the picture she had memorized just minutes after receiving it.

Thank you for your honesty,

Klaus

She watched, frozen, as Klaus looked from the drawing, up to her. "Where did you get this?" his voice trembled, his eyes wide, jaw jutting out in his betrayed anger.

"Klaus," her hands raised as if in surrender. "I can explain."

"Where did you get this, Caroline?"

The tone of voice he used was all to familiar to her, and it was surprising to have heard it once she had grown used to the more tender, human side of him. "Klaus, I need you to calm down, please. This is going to be hard for you to understand."

"Where?" surprised by the volume of his shout, she physically jumped back, flinching away from him. Caroline could see the fire raging inside him, she could practically smell the distrust around him. "Answer me, Caroline. Now." his quiet voice was ten times scarier then his shouting.

"You drew it for me." she watched his face, gauging his reaction. Disbelief was the first, followed by anger and betrayal. Curiosity hid in the back of his mind, along with unease.

"I've never given you one of my drawings. When did I draw this? When did I give it to you?" he took a step forward, his hands clenched and shaking. "Tell me the truth."

She knew that with the werewolf gene came aggression, and now he was emotionally stressed, the aggression shone through the human cracks. "You drew me that picture much later. We just haven't made it there, and with any luck, we never will."

Klaus took a step back. "What do you mean? You are not making sense."

Caroline though of all the ways she could word it, finding one that seemed appropriate, she continued. "I was sent back here. To save your family, to save you."

Klaus took another step back, as Caroline took one forward. "Sent back? Save me and my family? Are you completely out of your right mind?" he backed away, as if preparing to run.

"Klaus, please! If you feel anything for me at all, let me explain." he frozen, looking her over before gazing into her desperate eyes, which were rimmed with tears. She didn't want him to run, or fear her or distrust her, she wanted things to go back to the way they were before he found the drawing that had gotten stuck in the bottom of her knapsack.

He looked around the clearing, not caring that the horses were no longer within their sight. He sighed, shoulders sagging before plopping onto the ground beside his art supplies. Looking up at her with a weary gaze. "You have until sundown."

Caroline nodded, sitting slowly in front of him. "Where would you like me to begin?"

Klaus hesitated only a moment before answering. "What did you mean when you said you were sent back?"

Her hope of him starting with an easier question was demolished. She sighed. "You and I weren't supposed to meet, for another thousand years, when you threatened to kill my friends."

Klaus looked as if Karr had just trampled him. His face was pale and his eyes wide. "A thousand years? Kill your friends? I would never-"

"I know you wouldn't, but you were different then. You suffered more then should be possible and it changed you. It all started with Henrik's death." she watched the lost look cross his face as she continued. "Bad things happened to you Klaus, I understood why you were the way that you were. But you don't have to be that anymore. I fixed it. I fixed all of it."

"How? How did you fix it."

The way he spoke reminded her of the way people talked to the clinically insane on movies. "I stopped Henrik from dying, which in turn, saved all of you from an eternal life of pain and loss." the orange of the sky reflected in his eyes as it started to set behind her. "Please, believe me."

Klaus was quiet for a moment, watching as a tear slipped over, rolling down her face. "How do I know you are telling me the truth?"

Caroline shook her head, lips parting to speak, though no words passed them. She sucked in a deep breath, bottom lip being worried between her teeth. Soon another tear joined the first at her chin. "I wouldn't lie to you. Please, trust me. Just like you trust me then. You trusted me with everything, every lie, every secret, every dream and nightmare. We used to watch the stars together, late at night. You used to say, the stars were souls of witches that had passed. Like your mother. Like Ayanna. Like my friend Bonnie that sent me here."

Klaus's eyes widened, he tried to stand to quickly, tripping over his own feet as he stumbled up. "How do you know that? No one knows about them. How do you? And about the stars, my mother used to tell me that as a boy, where did you hear it?"

"You told me! You told me everything! About your siblings, your mother, about how you and Elijah fought over Tatia and it took you both years to understand she was using the both of you and that you were family, always and forever. You told me that your father use to beat you. About how the first time you carved an animal from wood was for your father, but you gave it to Rebekah during a bad storm because it brought her comfort."

Klaus watched Caroline as she tried to think of anything he had told her to use as evidence about what had happened. "Why would I tell you all this? I have never told anyone about those things, why would I tell you?" he looked into her gaze a moment longer as Caroline shyly looked away. "Oh. I see." he went from being a emotionally stressed man, to the conniving hybrid she had met the very first time. "He loved you, and by the way you refused to look at me, you loved him too." he laughed darkly at her, the cruel taunt felt like a slap in the face. "Well, isn't this lovely."

"Stop it." she stood from the ground, looking away from him to hide her tears, glancing to the sky as the sun slowly descended.

"It all makes sense now. Why you always smiled at me. I never understood what you saw in me that no one else did, why you smiled like I was something special. But now I see, you want me to be him." his feet didn't move as his upper body leaned forward, his words cut deeper and deeper into her heart. "All this time, being kind to me, building me the stall, letting me draw you, letting me desire you...you were just wanting to be with him. I bet you never even saw me, just the man you remember from wherever it was you came from." he leaned forward slightly, eyes on fire, whole body trembling. "I will never be him!"

Caroline couldn't stop the sob from escaping her sealed lips. Klaus seemed to deflate after the sound. Her tears fell freely, no longer restrained. Her emotions ran away from her as she stared speaking her mind. "Your wrong," she whispered so quietly, he almost didn't hear. "I never intended to stay here, with your family. I never intended to survive the wolves. After a few days with your family and you, the differences were glaringly obvious. Though your temper is the same."

"But I'm not him!" Klaus took a step forward, growing more agitated by the second.

"I know!" just like she had yelled at him the first time, he was stunned into silents. "And yet, you are. You are the same man. Neither of you have ever hurt me, not once. We have argued, yes, but never once has he hurt me deliberately. And the way you look at me, is the same way he did." her voice trembled, along with her hands as she ran them over her head. "You are the same man, but where he would be quick to anger, you smile and brush it off. Another thing I love about you. That smile, those eyes. You are my Niklaus, and you always will be. But, if you don't want me here, I'll leave. You'll never see me again."

Klaus's temper had cooled, he was breathing heavily as he stared at her. After a few more minutes of silents, Caroline nodded. Sniffing as she wiped the tears from her face. She didn't bother looking around them or waiting for another moment as she turned and walked further into the clearing. Her heart was breaking and her tears resurfacing, but she didn't stop. She needed to leave, to get away from him before he could hurt her anymore then he already had. She didn't stop walking, even as her name was being called. She ignored him and continued.

"Caroline, stop." she could hear his voice growing louder, his feet made annoying thumping sounds as he ran after her. "Caroline please. I'm sorry." Klaus reached her then, running in front of her to block her path away from him. "Caroline." he sighed.

Another sob worked its way up her throat, which she cleared to keep quiet. "What?" she cringed at how broken she sounded. Clearing her throat again before she spoke. "What do you want now, Klaus?"

"Tell me about our differences." he could see the confusion in her eyes. "I just need to know."

She sighed, head bowing, her chin touching her chest. "You smile more often, you don't scowl as much, Rebekah and you don't fight all the time. You're more open about your feelings and have less practice hiding them, which makes easier to read you." she looked to the ground as she continued. "When we met in my time, you were threatening, cruel and always anger when you didn't get your way. Then something changed, you started talking to me, and I'm not sure when it happened, but you cared for me. It took me awhile later before I realized I cared for you too." Klaus was watching her as she spoke, enchanted by the way she spoke of him. "Where he would throw a punch, you clench your jaw and walk away."

"What?" Klaus questioned once she fell silent for longer then a minute. "What's wrong."

"You and him, are two sides of the same coin. You can be cruel, he could be sweet. Both of you are capable of great cruelty and the most consuming love. I have seen it." the clearing was silent once more. "I understand, you know, if you want me to leave. I have lied to you and your family, though for a good reason, it was still a lie."

Klaus watched the ground by their feet, looking up only when the toes of her boots left his view. He met her gaze with a sad smirk. "You cannot leave, Caroline. You are part of this family now, and if you leave, Rebekah and Henrik may plot to have me killed." his humor made Caroline cringe, future Bekah would probably do just that. "Caroline, I don't want you to go."

She knew his pleading tone anywhere, he used it to bend her to his will back in New Orleans on several occasions. "I don't want to go either." they were quiet once more, neither knowing what to say to the other. "If we have established that I'm not leaving, I think it's time to head home."

Klaus nodded, to deep into his own thoughts to answer verbally. Caroline took the drawing Klaus had dropped and placed it gently back into her knapsack. Klaus was on autopilot as he gathered his own supplies and followed her back through the path. They walked in silents, Caroline was unnerved and grateful for the chance to gather her thoughts, while Klaus thought on the fight they shared.

Caroline was at the tree line, behind the house when he caught her wrist. Turning, she looked into his smoldering blue gaze. "Caroline, I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Caroline smiled gently. "It's okay, Klaus. I understand why you did." as she turned away, his grip tightened, tugging at her until she was once again facing him.

Klaus took another step, putting himself inches away from her. His gaze roamed over her face, stopping at her lips, his eyes slowly dragged up her face until they met hers. Her lips parted to speak, when Klaus leaned in, covering them with his own. He didn't move for the longest time, which led Caroline to assume he was waiting for her to push him away, though once she leaned into him, he allowed his stiff hands to wonder. One tangled its fingers into her hair, pulling her closer, while the other was at the low of her back, gathering the material of her dress in his fist.

Caroline had dreamed of this moment, the moment when they would share a first kiss. Though in her dream Klaus had less hair and didn't look like he had walked out of a smutty romance novel, with flowing white shirts and leather guards. Her right hand settled over his heart, which she found was racing, while her left cupped the side of his strong jaw.

It didn't go further then a soft, testing peck. But Carolines knees felt weak and her heart pounded, much like Klaus's was. They separated, Caroline leaned in to plant a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth before she opened her eyes to look at him. He was already looking at her, gazes locked, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. "No one else will know where you came from. I will keep your secret, I promise."

Caroline nodded, feeling light and warm all over. She sucked her lower lip into her mouth, biting down on it as she pulled away. "I will be time for supper soon. We had better get inside."

Klaus nodded with her, looking her over one last time before taking her hand and walking her to the door. They separated once they were inside, Klaus headed to his room while Caroline walked to the kitchen.

Finding Rebekah and Esther already preparing the food. She said nothing as she jumped into the rotation, picking up the slack and into a dance of grace with the other two women. "Caroline, where were you? I looked all over town for you, but you seemed to have disappeared."

"Sorry, Bekah. "she met the younger original's gaze. "It won't happen again."

She caught on quicker then Caroline liked. "You didn't answer my question. Where were you?"

Caroline made sure her back was turned while she answered, hiding her colored face from view. "Klaus showed me a clearing, not to far from here."

"And how did that take all day?" Bekah got a sly glimmer in her eye. "What happened in that clearing?"

Caroline snorted and rolled her eyes at the girl, though she couldn't see. "He said he wanted to draw me."

Bekah squealed loudly. "Mother! Did you hear that? Nik wanted to draw Caroline!"

Esther laughed gently to her only daughter. "Yes, Rebekah, I heard." Caroline glanced over her shoulder to throw the mama original a confused look. "Niklaus only ever draws what he is passionate about. He has only ever drawn out family once or twice. So for him to draw you, means he cares a great deal for you, Caroline." Esther smiled and waited until Rebekah bounced out of the room to set the table before she turned to Caroline. "I approve, and I'll make sure Mikael does too."

"What?" Caroline questioned, though she sounded like the wind had been knocked from her.

Esther smiled and gripped onto Caroline shoulders. "I would be very glad to welcome you into my family, Caroline. Though I already do, I would very much like to call you daughter. You have my permission to court Niklaus, as I will tell him after supper."

Caroline felt tears rise in her eyes once more before she wrapped her arms around mama original. 'Thank you." she whispered into her shoulder.

Esther nodded, running her hand down her long blond hair. "It would be my honor." Esther removed herself from the embrace as Rebekah enter the room once more.

She looked between the two women for a moment before her brow furrowed. "What have I missed?"

Caroline and Esther shared a smile and a laugh as they walked into the dining room, finding all the boys around the table and waiting. They set out supped and took their seats, Mikael looked around the table of the smiling faces of his family. He stood,taking a slice of meat from the platter, and walked around the table to place it on Esther's plate. A sign of respect of the highest order. He placed a tender kiss on her brow before taking his seat and dishing his own food.

Esther looked close to tears as she looked across the table to her husband. The room was full of awed looks and hushed chatter. Rebekah was smiling and excited. Henrik looked around the table with a smile as he took in the aura of ease. Finn's frown lines had smoothed into a look of content. Elijah was conversing with Klaus, both of whom looked like they had a point to make, the aura of ease seemed to set them into a relaxation.

Mid-conversation, Klaus turned to look at her. Their eyes met and held for a few minutes before Rebekah nudged Caroline side, she turned away, becoming aware of her red face and growing smile. Caroline rolled her eyes when she caught Rebekah's knowing look.

Bekah laughed as she pulled Caroline into a conversation about Edmund's latest achievement, while Caroline watch Klaus from the corner of her eye, noticing the way he glanced in her direction every few moments. A sense of belonging surged through her. She would stay here, with them, until the end of days.

OoOoOoO

Happy Easter everybody! Hope you like this chapter!

Love all of you, and thank you for FOLLOWING, FAVORITING, and all the COMMENTS.

Have a great Easter Sunday, eat lots of candy (chocolate) and enjoy the family you have.

Let me know what you think of this chapter...I felt as if something was missing, yet I couldn't figure out WHAT! It's so annoying! Anyway, let me know what you think.

Until next time, bye!

KLAROLINE FOREVER!