Chapter Three

Their day at the mall had ended with dinner at the Forbes house, before Elijah left to head to New York to stay at one of his properties there. The next few years were filled with summer trips including ones to London, Paris, The Great Wall of China, South Africa, Hollywood, Ireland, and many other places all around the world. They had taken a new trip every summer, and slowly, but surely Elijah became her first thought when someone mentioned her family. She still loved Elizabeth as a mom, but slowly Elijah had become her true family. Over the next few years her friends had grown a little farther from her, but when Elena's parents died, Caroline found it hard to connect, the one reason that she would be able to was off limits to say. She had read many of the letters over the years, but she had saved page 123, her dad had told her it would be a good one for a hard day, so she had saved it and that night after coming home from the hospital realizing that Elena hadn't really wanted her there she finally turned to the page. Her breath caught when she looked at the writing. Over the past few years she had read letters from her uncles, her aunt, and her father, but this page looked older, and the handwriting was different from any she had seen in the book before. Glancing to the bottom of the page, tears began to fill her eyes.

Caroline Ahana,

Carrying you in my womb has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life. Your father never lets a day go by without forcing me to stop long enough for him to say hello to you and sing you a song. We have never been more ready for anything in our lives. I already love you more than anything in this world, and I cannot wait to hold you in my arms. Yet, even as I prepare for that moment, I get weaker every day. I am hiding it from your father, but I am not going to be surprised if I never get to hold you in my arms. That is why I am writing you this letter, I know that your father will give it to you someday. You are more important to me than anything I have ever known, I would die for you. You have already brought so much joy to my life, and I haven't even met you yet. Your grandmother cast a spell that told me your gender, but your father doesn't know yet. My dear daughter, if I never get to meet you, let me tell you my hope for you now. I hope that you will always choose to fight for what is good and for what you believe in. Never lower yourself to others opinions or standards, always just be you. I hope that you will never give up on smiling, and I hope that you will always strive to see the best in people. Everyone has a story, Caroline, everyone has a reason for the way that they are, strive to always learn what that story is. I have found that more times than not, they are nowhere near as bad as people make them out to be. Never think that you are not worth it, you are worth the world, my dear girl. If someone doesn't realize that, it is their loss. You are my little angel. Never try to be like everyone else, it will break you eventually. It is always better to just be yourself, sometimes it will hurt, but eventually people will realize how much of a gift you really are. I hope that you never conform to the world around you, instead I hope that you shine like a ray of light in this dark world. I love you more than life itself and I will do anything for you, my little angel girl. Fly high, and never fear the sun, it only burns those that are made of darkness, and you are and will always be completely made of light.

Always and Forever, Until Forever Ends,

Your Mother,

Regina Mikaelson

Tears were pouring down her face as she finished reading the letter, and she hugged the book to her chest. She had left the hospital mourning the fact that she had also lost a mother, but had never actually known her to mourn her as Elena was mourning hers. She hated that she was jealous of her friend's pain, but she hadn't been able to help the tears that had fallen in the car on the way home as she longed for the mother she had never known. As she sat holding the letter to her chest the feeling was back, all she wanted was her mom, but as she realized that she would never be able to have her mother she began to long for her father, it had been over a year since she had last seen him as he had been called away for business more this past year. So with tears still pouring down her face, she pulled out her phone and called him. It only rang twice before he picked up,

"Hello?" He was distracted, but his attention snapped to the call as soon as he realized that it was Caroline, and she was crying.

"Dad." Her voice broke as she said it, all she wanted was him to be there. Little did she know he was on his way to her, Elizabeth had called him as soon as she had heard about Elena's parents, she knew the effect it would have on her adoptive daughter who loved so deeply.

"Caroline? What's wrong?"

"I want mom." Caroline was vulnerable and honest as she cried to her father about wanting her mother. His heart broke for his daughter as he heard the words come through the phone.

"Baby, I am so sorry about your friend's parents. I know how hard it must be to see her hurt and not be able to tell her the truth about whom you have lost." Elijah knew exactly where his daughter was getting this want for her mother, she wanted to know her so that she could mourn her like Elena was mourning her mother. He wouldn't tell his daughter that he knew that, because he also knew that she hated herself for it. He had realized over the years that she truly was a lot like him.

"Dad, where are you?"

"I'm coming, honey, I'm almost to Mystic Falls now. I'll be there soon, I promise." After that there was no more talking but for the rest of the drive Elijah just listened to his daughter sob into the phone, he surpassed the speed limit by over eighty miles per hour as he tried his best to get there, and as soon as he parked in front of her house used his speed to get inside. He hung up the phone as he knocked on her open bedroom door. She glanced up at him with a tear stained face, and he quickly moved to sit beside her and grabbed her up into his arms. He held her as she cried, whispering encouragement in her ear. He had noticed the book with the letter from her mother when he walked in the room, but he had decided not to mention it. After about an hour and a half he heard Elizabeth Forbes enter the house, he knew she could hear Caroline crying, so he wasn't surprised when she appeared at the doorway of the room with a sad smile. It took another thirty minutes before Caroline cried herself to sleep and Elijah shifted her into her bed and covered her in a blanket before closing the book and slipping out of her room into the kitchen where Elizabeth was waiting with a pot of coffee.

"Is she asleep?" Elizabeth asked once Elijah walked into the kitchen.

"Yes, I knew she would sooner or later, she has been crying for over three hours."

"Do you by chance know why?"

"She wants her mom. She saw Elena lose her mother today, and while she should be able to understand that, she never knew her mother, and she grew up with you. Deep down she is jealous that Elena gets to mourn her mother like that, and while she would never admit it, and she hates herself for feeling that way, all it makes her want is to be able to know her mother. She loves you Elizabeth, you are a mother to her, but regrettably, she also has another mother that she never got to meet. I told her the first day I met her that when she feels alone to read the letter on page 123 in the book, it's a letter from her mom, Regina wrote it before she gave birth, I knew that one day Caroline would want her biological mother, as amazing as you have been, every child does eventually." Elijah explained, he knew his daughter now, and he knew that the problem was something that only someone who had lost a parent they were not close to would ever understand.

"She cried for three hours?"

"I suspect that she has been holding it in for a while, today just made it all come free. I have done it myself a few times, but it never ends well."

"I don't think it helped that her friends made it pretty clear that she wasn't wanted there. They all ignore the fact that maybe she could understand, they forget Bill left. They seem to choose when they want her to be their friend and when they don't, it isn't fair to Caroline, but she is loyal, Elijah, and she doesn't care if it hurts her she refuses to hurt them." Elizabeth added, she had seen the conversation Bonnie had had with Caroline and while she knew that Bonnie hadn't meant it to be so harsh, she knew that Caroline had only heard that Bonnie was telling her to leave and that she would never understand losing a parent.

"I will say that I think she could have better friends, but I agree that she is too loyal to ever leave. I only wish that this wasn't the situation, but I wouldn't take her away from you for anything, I just wish I could take her away from here."

"I get it Elijah, if it didn't mean I would lose her I would tell you to take her away from here, you know as well as I do that she won't ever fit into the small town life."

"Maybe another summer trip, like we used to do, will help her. I haven't taken her to Rome yet."

"You should ask her in the morning, I think that is a marvelous idea. She needs a break from here, and I doubt that Elena and Bonnie will include her much this summer."

"It's a plan then, I will ask her if I can take her to Rome tomorrow. When does school get out?" Elijah asked, he would need to get the traveling plans in order, and he wanted it to be special, so he wanted to have plenty of time.

"Three weeks."

"How about we leave the day after school ends for a three-week trip, I know you will miss her, but it will keep her busy for almost half the summer." Elijah offered, he agreed with Elizabeth that Caroline needed away from Mystic Falls for a while.

"I am fine with that, it will be good for her to get away, and I know she wants to spend more time with you."

"I have been meaning to be here more, but my brother sent some of his men to find me, I have been trying to dodge them for months. I didn't want to risk them seeing Caroline, or the doppelgänger. The moment Klaus finds out, I know where the doppelgänger is, and I haven't told him, I will be daggered in a box."

"What happens when he finds her on his own, or when the other one finally comes back here, and he follows?" Elizabeth had been told of the curse and Klaus and what he wanted a few years ago when Elijah further explained the situation of why Caroline could not meet his family, and she had been wondering for a while what Elijah would do when Klaus did find Elena Gilbert.

"I will try my best and pretend like I knew nothing of it, or her. I also will not mention that Caroline is my daughter until it is absolutely necessary. Above all, though, I will protect her from whatever he brings with him or whatever plan he concocts." Elijah explained, he knew that Elizabeth worried about what would happen when his other family showed up to this town and what it would mean for Caroline.

"Just promise me that you will choose her, I know you have been with your siblings for a thousand years, and I am sure you have made promises to them along the way, but you have to promise that you will drop any of that for Caroline. You don't have to choose her friends or even me, but you have to choose her."

"Elizabeth, I made a vow to my wife that she and Caroline would always be first. I don't care if my brother daggers me for a thousand years, I will always choose my daughter. I will protect her at any cost to myself or my siblings, or even her friends. I know some would say that is wrong, but I will not break my final promise to Regina." Elijah vowed. He would do anything for his daughter, even if it meant he lost his siblings.

"Well, I think it is a good idea for you to get her out of here this summer. I prepared the guest room upstairs for you earlier today, so you can stay here tonight if you would like."

"That would be lovely, I am going to go move my car to not draw attention, then I will be back." Elijah then headed out to move his car, he parked it in the parking lot of a law office in the middle of the town before using his speed to return to the Forbes residence, he grabbed a quick shower and prepared for bed before checking on Caroline once more and going to bed himself. He fell asleep thinking of his wife, and just how proud she would be of her daughter.

Caroline woke early the next morning laying in her bed with a blanket over her, it took her a second before she remembered the events of last night. She had been crying, and she had called her dad, and then he had shown up, he held her while she cried. She didn't remember how long she cried, but it had been a long time though. She heard someone in the kitchen, so she decided to get up and head to see if her dad was still here or if he had left last night. As she walked into the kitchen, she saw a suit coat lying on the chair on the table, and she realized that he had stayed. Once she was in the kitchen she saw that he was making breakfast, which is what she had heard.

"Good morning, Caroline, how did you sleep?"

"Morning, I slept okay, but I have a headache."

"Well, there is fresh coffee in the pot and I almost have breakfast ready. Your mom went into the station and then was headed to the hospital. She said that she would probably not be home until this evening." Elijah explained to his daughter, still not looking away from the two pans on the stove top in front of him.

"Okay, how long are you here for?"

"Probably until the end of the week, or until your mother kicks me out. I have a proposition for you, though."

"What's that?"

"Three weeks from now, when you get out of school, I would like to take you on a trip again. We haven't done it in a while, and there are still a few places I want to take you. It would be for the first three weeks of the summer, with our first stop being Rome."

"That sounds like a lot of fun! I would love to go to Rome. I also feel like I haven't seen you in a long time and I want to spend more time with my dad." Caroline offered, she had missed her dad, and it almost felt surreal that he was in front of her right now.

"I know, I have tried my best to free up time, but business has been crazy and for a while there my brother was trying to find me. I tried to lose his trail, but his men were keeping too close. He moved off a while after, but then my business shot up."

"So what happened that you were able to be here now?"

"You needed me, so I came. I told you that I would show up when you needed me to, it doesn't matter to me if I have to drop everything or sell every property I own. I came because you needed me to."

"Thank you." Caroline looked at Elijah as if she was carrying the weight of the world, after placing her breakfast in front of her, he moved around the counter and pulled her into a hug.

"It's going to be okay, Caroline. They will realize it all eventually." He spoke softly as he held her close, hoping that she would be okay and realize that he would carry some of it for her, and that she wasn't alone. Caroline held tight to her father, thankful that he was there to be the rock she needed. After a moment Elijah moved to sit next to her as they ate breakfast, once they had finished Elijah spoke up,

"Would you like me to take you to the hospital to see Elena?"

"I thought I couldn't be seen with you?"

"You can tell anyone that asks that I am your uncle, at this point in time I doubt anyone will ask any further questions, and I told your mom to tell people the same."

"It would be great if you would take me." Caroline paused for a moment before quietly speaking again, "I don't want to go alone."

"Very well, get ready for the day, I'll go get my car, and then we can head out." At his words, Caroline took a final bite of her meal and then headed to her room, Elijah placed the plates in the sink before running into town and grabbing his keys and quickly going to get his car. He was back within ten minutes, but as he walked up the steps of the house, his phone began to ring. He quickly grabbed it, noticing that it was Elizabeth Forbes.

"Hello?"

"Just a quick add-on to the cover, you're my brother."

"Sounds good, who knows now?"

"Mrs. Lockwood."

"Thank you for letting me know, I will pass the message on to Caroline, we will be at the hospital soon." With that they hung up and once he turned around he realized that Caroline was on the porch with him, she had a bag on her shoulder.

"Who was that?"

"Your mother, she told Mrs. Lockwood, that she is my sister, so if anyone asks, that is the side of the family we are going with."

"Works for me, are you ready to go?" Caroline asked as she headed down the steps toward's her father's car. He walked after her and passed her to open the door for her and watched as she got in the car before he walked around and got in himself. It only took a few minutes to get to the hospital from the house, and before long they had parked and were walking in. Caroline was in jeans and a t-shirt, while her dad wore his typical suit.

"You should have worn the outfit I got you when I was thirteen."

"I get the feeling sometimes that you don't like my suits."

"I think you look great is suits, but I think that there are days when suits are not necessary, and the only people who wear suits to the hospital are those who don't have a choice or are clergy." Caroline argued.

"Who said I wasn't clergy?"

"You have got to be kidding me? You, the thousand-year-old vampire, are clergy." Caroline whispered the last part as they walked through the parking lot.

"I was the clergy for the village we lived in before I turned, but I doubt that this hospital would accept Norse mythology and witchcraft ministers as clergy anymore."

"I have been meaning to ask you if you lived in a village with werewolves and witches, was there even such a thing as religion apart from that?"

"There was, but it was few and far between who were able to still believe in a single sovereign God after what they saw in the village. Your mother believed, though."

"In God?"

"Yes, she never stopped having faith in a creator who loved her. She believed that the things that allowed for the supernatural were from the devil, and that her God was still God, even if that existed. She was one of two in our village who still believed that."

"Did you ever believe it?"

"I wanted to, and I honestly was close to believing in it before she died, but afterwards I got mad at the whole idea that the God she believed in would take her like that."

"So her mother-in-law was a witch, and she lived in a village of werewolves, and she still believed in God. She sounds like she had a strong faith."

"She had the strongest faith of anyone I have ever known." By the time Elijah had finished speaking, they had made it to Elena's room. Bonnie was sitting in the chair beside the bed, and while they smiled up at Caroline when she entered, Elijah could tell that they were forced.

"Caroline, it's good to see you." Elena offered with a smile.

"It's good to see you too, How are you?" Caroline asked as she hugged her friends.

"Better than last night."

"I'm glad."

"Who's this?" Bonnie asked, motioning to Elijah behind Caroline.

"This is my uncle, Elijah. Elijah, this is my friends Elena, and Bonnie." Caroline introduced everyone.

"It's nice to meet you, I have heard a lot about both of you." Elijah said, in his head, he knew that most of what he had heard was bad, but he held his tongue and didn't mention it. Besides, typically a niece wouldn't tell their uncle things like that.

"Nice to meet you too, we haven't heard anything about you." Bonnie smiled.

"We just started getting to know each other a few years ago, I didn't know he existed until I was 13." Caroline offered. The group sat and talked for a few hours before Bonnie let something slip about Caroline not being able to understand at all what Elena was going through. Elijah could tell that she hadn't meant to be mean, but it had come out like that, and had ended up being a problem. Caroline seemed to have brushed it off, but it wasn't long before she came up with an excuse to leave,

"Well, I hope you feel better Elena, and if you need anything at all please call me. Elijah and I have some errands to run before we get home, though, so we have to go." With that, Caroline stood, hugged both of her friends and led the way out of the room and down the hall, Elijah could tell that she was holding back tears as she quickly made her way through the hospital. Before she could make it out of the door, though, she was stopped by Mrs. Lockwood,

"Caroline, how are you?"

"Mrs. Lockwood, I am good, my uncle and I were just on our way to get some errands done before heading home."

"Right, it's Mr. Mikaelson, correct?"

"Please, call me Elijah." Elijah offered as he offered his hand in greeting.

"Well, Elijah it was lovely to meet you, I don't want to keep you from your errands, though."

"It was lovely to meet you as well." Before Elijah could even finish speaking, Caroline had walked off again and that is when he realized that she was about to cry. He hated that she was having such trouble with this, but he knew that there really wasn't anything he could do about it. He followed her out to the car and then sat quietly driving as Caroline cried on the way home. When he noticed Elizabeth's car in the drive, he drove a few laps around the neighborhood, giving his daughter time to cry before they finally went back to the Forbes house.