Chapter Thirty-One

Out of the Ashes

West Texas

November 2010

"…I have a feeling I won't be able to stay away for too long - I never have," Mariko teased. "This family always finds a way of drawing me back into its fold."

"I used to hate that," Kol admitted.

"And now?" She put on her helmet and gunned the ignition.

He shrugged wordlessly with a reserved smile. She nodded back, and he knew without even seeing her face that she was smirking.

With a great roar from the motorcycle, The Undying Witch sped straight into the Texas sunset, as if in a direct challenge to dusk, daring another day to end. Kol watched until she had disappeared over the horizon; gone. He stood there for a few minutes admiring the distant mountains silhouetted against the burning orange glow. He could understand why Elijah had built a life for himself out here; it was remote, yet breathtaking – an ideal hiding spot from Mikael and the rest of the world.

By the time he rejoined his family in the little cemetery, they were saying their own good-byes. Sage and Finn were off to travel the world while Rebekah and Pacari would celebrate a proper honeymoon at the Lake Como villa left to them by Elijah. Nik, Caroline, and he were headed to Des Cendres.

Bekah, Nik, and Finn were deep in discussion off to the side. Kol figured they were discussing him, inwardly bemoaning the fact that he no longer had enhanced hearing. He approached Caroline, Pacari, and Sage and propped his arm on the Incan's shoulder.

"They talking about me?" he asked.

Caroline winced. "They're just worried."

He smirked. "Why, because I laid in a coffin for over two hundred years, woke up in the 21st century, had a grand total of three months to adjust to my new circumstances before having my immortality stripped away?"

Pacari huffed out a laugh. Caroline shrugged. "Something like that. Have you considered my offer?" she questioned. "Will you teach?"

He sighed, staring at the ground. His recent conversation with Mariko played over in his head.

"Why don't I wait and see what happens when we get there," he said. "See if the girls like me and all."

The blond rolled her eyes. "Believe me, them liking you is not the problem. More like, them liking you too much to concentrate on their studies."

He fixed her with a bland smile. She scoffed.

"Seriously? You're the worst, Kol."

Sage glanced behind them. "Mariko's gone?"

"She'll be back for the holidays. Christmastime at the school is incredible," said Caroline.

Kol shifted and Pacari shot him an amused look.

"What?" Caroline snapped.

"Iki will be taking advantage of the island Elijah left her in his will. What were the words? Oh, yes. Something along the lines of spending Christmas lazing about in a hammock with an endless supply of Mai-Tais at hand," Kol told her smugly.

They all watched as Caroline's pale face twisted in annoyance. She stepped away from them, pulling out her phone. Bekah, Nik, and Finn finished their private conversation and joined them. Bekah placed her hands on Kol's shoulders.

"Promise you'll be careful?" she asked sternly.

He grinned. "I promise I won't kill all of Caroline's students."

Her eyes narrowed. "That's not funny. That's not funny at all."

"We'll see you soon, brother," said Finn, patting him on the back as they hugged.

"Well, don't cut your globetrotting short on my account," Kol muttered. "I have a few decades left in me."

Finn took Sage's hand and they flashed off to their car. Rebekah and Pacari followed shortly after.

Caroline, having left Mariko a rather loud voicemail, got behind the steering wheel of the rental and gunned the engine. Kol and Nik looked once more at Elijah's grave.

"Farewell, brother," Niklaus murmured. He started walking towards the car, allowing Kol a final moment alone.

A professional gardener clearly kept the cemetery in excellent condition, having planted flowers and vines that defied the elements of the Chihuahuan Desert. Star jasmine and honeysuckle crept over Grace and Elijah's tombstone. The words engraved in the stone seemed to burn into Kol's mind.

We know what we are but know not what we may be.

"I'll try to make you proud."

Once he was in the car, Caroline turned around in the driver's seat with an empathetic expression.

"Ready?"

Kol closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Ready."

Eleven Years Later

The Chicago sky was grey and heavy with wet drifts of snow that blanketed the towering buildings and picturesque parks. Juxtaposed against the bleak weather were twinkling holiday lights that staved off the cold in every corner of the Windy City. The tree in Millennium Park shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. The Willis Tower antennas were lit up in Christmas green and red. The Magnificent Mile glowed golden, its intricately decorated storefronts beckoning the last-minute shoppers scurrying along Michigan Avenue.

On a quiet corner in Lincoln Park stood a bar, its yellow lights flooding onto the whitened sidewalk. A woman carrying a large bag trudged down the street and opened the door. It was a neighborhood spot – not a dive, but not catered to tourists. It was warm and welcoming, with a polished bar, gleaming brass knobs, and a wood-burning fireplace. Elvis' Blue Christmas crooned softly on the radio.

Bonnie Bennett heaved onto the barstool with a deep sigh. She took her time peeling off her multiple layers, the outer ones soaked through from the wet snow. Once she was down to her sweater and leggings, she rummaged through her bag to pull out her notebook and laptop and immediately got to work. A glass of club soda slid across the bar.

"You're going to scare away my customers," Damon complained from behind the bar.

She scoffed without looking up. "What customers? It's two in the afternoon."

"It's Christmas Eve – they're coming, believe me."

The witch paused her typing long enough to send him a warning glance. "You better not still be here tonight."

"Relax, Bon-Bon. Relief arrives in an hour," he assured her, leaning his elbows on the bar and grabbing her notebook.

"Caroline will kill us if we're late."

"Blondie doesn't scare me," he retorted before glancing out the window. He tried to be discreet.

"Don't worry, Klaus' minions are right outside," she muttered.

She didn't miss the relief that washed over his face.

"I'm surprised they let you walk down the street."

"Oh, they tried to force me to drive," she said. "That's why Alonso isn't out there - still licking his wounds."

"There are certain things I miss about vampirism. Your aneurysms are not one of them."

She snatched her notebook out of his hands. "Why aren't you at work?"

"I am at work," he argued.

"No, this is your side hustle, a business venture with Stefan that was always meant to be run by hired hands. You guys bought it because you missed living in the Boarding House together."

"Oh, please. Like you and Elena don't love having your own boozy version of Central Perk."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said airily. "Your day job, Damon."

He drummed his fingers against the bar. "No appointments today. Nobody wants to dissect their relationship on the holidays. If I were an expert (and I am), I'd say there's no better time."

Bonnie scoffed again, then refocused on her notes, her forehead scrunching in concentration. She rubbed her large bump as the baby kicked.

"If my liquor license gets revoked because I let a pregnant woman sit at my bar, I'm going to go back on my promise to be godfather," he teased, eyeing her growing belly.

"Shut up, Damon."

"Shouldn't you be working from home?"

"I needed a change of scenery."

"Is that what we're calling it?" he teased while polishing a wine glass. "I told you not to marry an Original, Bonster. And now look at you, the living embodiment of Rosemary's Baby."

She ignored his digs, working in silence for another few minutes before leaning back in frustration. "I'm getting stuck on my own family tree," she admitted. "Qetsiyah had a daughter named Peldine. Peldine's daughter Iphigenia left the Travelers to start her own coven in Turkey. I can trace that lineage for another nine generations, but then it disappears with Fae. There's a three-hundred-year gap from Fae to Ayana's mother, Miyrene."

"Sounds like a real headscratcher. Maybe it's not that complicated. Maybe Fae just indulged in the family legacy."

"What?"

"Maybe she extended her lifeline. Cheated."

"By three hundred years?"

"Why not? It's Qetsiyah's line – it's your line, Bon. Didn't Mariko teach you and Kol how to add on a few more years to your expiration dates?"

"Yeah. I didn't consider that, but I guess it's possible."

At that moment, the door banged open, allowing a chill breeze to cross the room. Bonnie shivered; Damon frowned.

"Shut that door!" he ordered. "Hey, no children in my bar!"

"Hello to you too, Dr. Salvatore!" Ric called from the doorway as he ushered in his family.

Damon rolled his eyes and threw the bar rag down. "Don't call me that in here, buddy."

Bonnie and Jenna hugged. Bonnie smiled at the baby boy strapped to the older woman's back.

"What, are your clientele not supposed to know you're one of the world's leading couple's therapists?" Ric teased, clapping Damon's shoulder. "Who wouldn't want an Ivy-league educated psychiatrist as their bartender?"

"Ric, as a former drunk, you should know the answer to that one. What are you even doing here?" Damon demanded as Alaric and Jenna's three older sons ran around. "I don't want your brood's grubby fingers all over the place."

"Uncle Damon, Aunt Bonnie!" the children chanted.

Bonnie massaged her belly as Ric kissed her on the cheek and asked how she was. Jenna sat beside her as Damon ducked under the bar to join them.

"Stefan dropped us off here – said there was an emergency at the office," Jenna explained.

"What's an emergency for a historian? Oh, I know. It's that all-important on-going debate about-" Damon nodded his head to one side and faked a snore.

"I think he's just nervous about introducing Val to the whole extended family tonight. He's probably afraid she's going to run away screaming," Jenna joked.

Damon lifted her second son, Wade, into the air and swung him around. The little boy screeched in delight.

Bonnie smiled. "She has no reason to."

Three hours later, Damon, Bonnie, and brood arrived at Caroline and Klaus' Frank Lloyd Wright house in Oak Park. The façade was festooned with professionally done holidays lights, all in soft white. The housekeeper opened the door and led them down a hallway to the main living area, where Caroline and Elena were sitting on a leather couch beside an oversized Christmas tree.

The tree was resplendent, covered in white twinkling lights, draped with silvery-gold tinsel, and decorated with glittering ornaments that kept to a strict color theme of burgundy, gold, and silver. A toy trainset circled it. The whole house, in fact, was a Christmas wonderland. Garland hung from all the bannisters and mantels. Gingerbread houses and nutcrackers and angel figurines accented every nook and cranny. White and green candles filled the halls with a subtle pine scent.

Klaus was pacing in front of the fireplace, an infant in his arms.

"Finally!" he cried as soon as they came into view. He thrust the child into Damon's arms. "Take your spawn, Salvatore. Your wife seems to think I'm a babysitter."

"That's Dr. Salvatore to you, Hybrid," Damon retorted, but a gentle smile lit up his features as he rocked his daughter in his arms.

"For some inexplicable reason, you're the only one who can get her to stop crying," Elena said. "Maybe she knows you're all bark and no bite."

Klaus growled at her. "I resent that." The Saltzman boys blinked up at him in awe. He stared back with his head titled to one side. After a moment, his eyes glowed yellow and they shrieked with glee.

"You just proved my point."

Damon glanced at Elena. "Stef failed to deliver your family to the house."

She grinned at him. "He wanted to prepare Val before introducing her to…this." She gestured to Heath, Jenna and Alaric's eldest, who was reaching up to poke Klaus' double fangs.

"Called it," Jenna boasted as she hugged her niece.

Bonnie sat beside Caroline, who inspected her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore. Ready for this thing to come out," the witch grumbled.

"That's my future goddaughter you're talking about," Caroline scolded. She rose to greet Jenna and Alaric.

Two voices erupted from the kitchen.

"NOT THAT BLOODY MUCH, KOL!"

"You told me to add the rum! Why would I assume you didn't mean the whole bloody bottle?"

Pacari stumbled into the room. "No, I'm done. I won't, I refuse. Someone else can go in and referee."

Without a word, Caroline broke away from Jenna and strode down the hallway. Pacari sank into her vacated seat with a sigh.

"Oh, hello, Virginians," he greeted mildly.

"Uncle Ari!" Heath, Wade, and Theo pummeled into his calves; Uncle Ari was their not-so-secret favorite.

"Will you two stop shouting? IT'S CHRISTMAS FRIGGIN' EVE!"

Caroline had joined Kol and Bekah in the kitchen.

"Are the boys in from L.A. yet?" Ric asked Elena, referring to Jeremy and Tyler.

"They arrived last night," she told him. "They're in the game room."

"Matt sends his love," said Jenna.

Elena nodded. "He texted me earlier."

Kol entered the room, looking rather put out. "They fired me from eggnog duties." He greeted Alaric and Jenna before beelining for his pregnant wife.

"Still angry with me for knocking you up?" he asked with a smirk.

She glared up at him. "I want pickles."

He groaned. "Oh, come on. Don't make me go back in there! They just kicked me out!"

Her glare deepened. He threw his hands up and backed away slowly. "Fine, bloody fine. But don't blame me when our daughter grows up without a father because two angry blonds drowned him in a vat of eggnog."

"And orange juice!" she called after him as he escaped. "With a dash of cranberry!"

The enormous dining room table was laden with a Caroline-curated lavish feast featuring rack of lamb and bouillabaisse presented on fine china. Regular and blood-infused wine was served in crystal goblets. The witch-vampire sat on one end, facing her werewolf-vampire husband on the other end. Stefan cradled his niece beside his brother. To his right, his fiancé absorbed the chaos in fascination and delight.

Directly across from Valerie was Tyler Lockwood, who Stefan had explained grew up in Mystic Falls with Elena, Jeremy, and Bonnie, triggered his werewolf gene in junior year, and been turned into a hybrid against his wishes by Klaus. He was now the Original Hybrid's top lieutenant and close friend, though he currently lived in Los Angeles with Elena's brother.

Stefan had warned her that everyone she would meet that night had a colorful past. Most of them were supernatural or used to be. Many of them were immortal. Case in point: the 900-year-old vampire beside her was only the fifth eldest person in the room.

Sage smiled at her. "You doing okay?"

Valerie smiled back. "Surprisingly, yes."

"Are you two planning on staying in Evanston after the wedding?"

Valerie nodded. "Yes, with Stefan at Northwestern now, and my law office nearby, there's no reason to look elsewhere. And we love it there. We're going to live at my place at first, but we'll eventually buy something bigger."

"Finn and I are house hunting," Sage told her.

"You're moving here, too?"

"Kol's going to be a father. Everyone else in the family followed him and Bonnie out here when she got pregnant and wanted to be near Damon and Elena. We're not going to have them forever," Sage explained, glancing down the table at her brother-in-law, who was laughing at something Caroline had said.

Valerie tried to remember what her fiancé had told her about the witch couple. "And you're all worried about the baby, too, right?"

Sage's expression turned fearful as her gaze swept from Kol to Bonnie.

"There are...concerns," she muttered.

Valerie changed the subject. "Kol's going to be working with Stefan at Northwestern."

Sage's expression cleared. "Occult Studies. There is no match for his expertise."

"And you and Finn?"

Sage grinned. "Caroline got Finn obsessed with theatre. He's a fight choreographer. I'm going to open a boxing gym and help with the new outpost."

"What neighborhoods are you guys looking at?"

"I'd prefer to be in the city like Elena and Damon, but Finn is leaning towards Oak Park. He wants to be near his siblings. The whole clan lives within a two-block radius of each other," Sage explained. "We're staying with Bekah and Pacari right now; believe me, a bit of distance never hurt anyone."

Valerie grinned. "You'll figure it out."

Whereas Sage did not want to discuss her worries about Bonnie's pregnancy, it was the main subject at the other end of the table.

"I touched base with the Gu coven this morning," Klaus was saying to Rebekah, Pacari, Finn, and Tyler. "Giyi said when her grandmother married a member of the Zhang coven, attempts were made to take their firstborn."

"And?" Rebekah demanded.

"They enlisted the help of their witch allies and two werewolf packs. And there's hundreds of vampires in New York who are loyal to the Gu family. The baby was unharmed."

Finn frowned. "Because they had an army behind them."

Ever since they had learnt of Bonnie's pregnancy, the family was on high alert. Not only would the baby be the first Mikaelson Witch born in a thousand years, but she would be half Bennett. The mixing of the two ancient, uber-powerful lines was making certain enemies in the supernatural community wary - and jealous. Klaus was devoting all his time and energy to preventative measures.

"Jer and I have kept our ears to the ground, but I don't think the news has spread that far west yet," Tyler supplied.

Klaus nodded. "We've kept it close."

"She's not exactly hiding in her basement, though," Rebekah pointed out. "All it takes is one look from the wrong person."

Pacari, always the least high-strung in the family, took a more diplomatic approach. "We wiped out Mikael, Esther, Silas, and Qetsiyah a decade ago. Who would dare pick a fight with us?"

Klaus scowled. "You're too old to be so naive, mate."

"Emmeline and Gita have promised to be in town for the birth," Rebekah said. "Has anyone heard from Mariko?"

Pacari nodded. "She'll be here."

Finn leaned forward. "Has she told you anything about her plans for the Other Side?"

"February."

"So soon?" Tyler asked.

Finn and Klaus exchanged a glance while Pacari took his wife's hand.

"Not soon enough," said Klaus.

Damon plucked his daughter out of Stefan's arms and gently shook her in the air.

"Are you ready to be a big sister, Andy?"

Elena frowned at her husband. "I hate that you nicknamed our daughter after your ex."

Damon pecked his wife on the lips before entering a blue-eyed staring contest with their daughter. "Miranda Isobel Salvatore, tell your mama you want a little brother."

"At least two years, Damon. Don't push me," Elena threatened. "I have to finish another novel before even thinking about another kid."

"Come on, honey. Damon Stefan Grayson Salvatore has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"I'm not dignifying that with a response."

"What? I had no say in Andy's name; I get to choose next time!"

"If we have another kid, and if it's a boy, he will be named Grayson Matthew Salvatore," she snapped.

Across the table, Jeremy and Tyler snorted into their wine.

Damon broke eye contact with their daughter to gape at her. "You're not naming my son after the quarterback."

Late that night, only the immediate family was left in the house. Finn, Kol, Bekah, and their spouses were spending the night. Except for Bonnie and Kol, who went to bed earlier, they were all splayed across the den watching It's a Wonderful Life. Caroline was snuggled against her husband's chest as they watched in silence, their faces glowing from the dying embers of the fire. Bekah and Pacari had fallen asleep on the floor, tangled up in a mess of pillows and fleeces. Finn and Sage were curled up in a chair beside the fireplace. It had become a family tradition to watch the old black and white classic every Christmas Eve.

"Mary Hatch, why in the world did you ever marry a guy like me?"

"To keep from being an old maid!"

"You could have married Sam Wainright, or anybody else in town…"

"I didn't want to marry anybody else in town. I want my baby to look like you."

"You didn't even have a honeymoon. I promised you… Your what?"

"My baby!"

"Your – your – your ba – Mary, you on the nest?"

"George Bailey Lassos Stork!"

"Lassos a stork? What're ya… You mean you're… What is it, a boy or a girl?"

"Mmmmm-hmmmm!"

Caroline's forehead furrowed in thought as she considered something. Without moving, she whispered, "Do you remember the vision I showed you when I was in transition from vampire to hybrid?"

He shifted and glanced down at her, his eyebrows lifting. "It's not something I'm likely to ever forget, love. We were in the walled garden at Castell de la Vida. Older, human, with two little children. A girl and a boy."

She sighed softly. "It was my magic's way of soothing you, assuring you that I would not leave you."

"I already knew that."

"Yes. But I never answered your question about who was influencing the dream: you or me." She sat up and turned to face him. "Whose deepest desires it was displaying."

Klaus closed his eyes, his head bowed.

"It was yours, my love," Caroline said, stroking his jaw. "That was your heart's desire."

He said nothing. On the other side of the room, Sage rose to her feet with a subtle glance in their direction.

"Finn, come on. I need a blood bag," she lied, holding her hand down to her husband. He took it and they disappeared into the kitchen.

When Klaus opened his eyes, she could see the unshed tears in them.

"That spring in 2010 when you and Bekah arrived in Mystic Falls… The family was reunited that night, sitting in Liz's kitchen, and discussing Silas. Then Bekah stormed out as we talked about the Cure. When I asked you if you would take it, you deliberately evaded."

He glared at the television. "So?"

"Why, Nik?"

"I was just being an ass, sweetheart."

"Niklaus."

"What?"

"I need you to answer my next question honestly."

He swallowed, looking away from the T.V. reluctantly to face her. "Alright."

"Do you want to be human again?"

He pressed his forehead against hers. "No," he said vehemently.

She inched away to assess his expression. "Really? You don't want us to have children?"

"Children, the hybrid army, daggering my siblings, asking Mariko to make you indestructible… They were all products of the same fear," he confessed. "The fear of loneliness. I was afraid no one would love me or could love me enough to stick around for very long. Once I realized you would never leave me willingly, I became afraid an outside force would take you away. So, I begged Mariko to find a way."

"You didn't think you deserved anyone's love because of Mikael and Esther," she concluded for him.

He nodded, his throat closing up.

She leaned in close. "Listen to me very carefully, Niklaus. You are my world. Bekah, Kol, Finn, Mariko, Pacari, Sage, Bonnie, even Tyler… They all love you and would die for you. Elijah probably loved you most out of all of us."

He kissed her. "I know, Caroline. I've finally figured it out," he promised, his expression sincere.

She smirked at him. "Been having private sessions with Dr. Damon Salvatore, M.D.?"

"He's sworn to secrecy on pain of death. If you ever say anything to anyone, I will…"

"You'll what? What could you possibly hold over my head, Viking?"

A wicked look flashed across his features. "Did I ever tell you I have pictures of that time in Paris when you took off all your clothes and-?"

Caroline shrieked, tackling her husband into the couch. As they wrestled, they fell onto the floor with a loud thump. Klaus peppered kisses along her neck and tickled her sides, laughing as she thrashed beneath him.

Bekah and Pacari jolted awake as Sage and Finn ran back into the room.

"What the bloody hell?" Bekah grumbled. "Is the movie over?"

Caroline struggled to breathe between laughs, tears falling down her flushed face. Klaus sat on her hips and grinned down at her victoriously.

"What are you two doing?" Finn asked.

"Nothing," said Klaus.

Sage suppressed a smile and glanced at her watch. "It's midnight."

Klaus planted another kiss on Caroline's lips then looked around the room.

"Happy Christmas, my dear, dear family."

Kol Mikaelson opened his eyes and saw white.

Where am I?

He blinked, trying to get his bearings as he glanced around. Bonnie's sleeping face filled his vision. He sighed, falling back into the bed.

They were in a guest room at Caroline and Nik's. The morning sun was reflecting off the fresh snow outside and bouncing off the white walls of the bedroom. He checked the time. It was just after six in the morning; Bonnie would probably be asleep for another hour. He propped himself up on one elbow to watch her peaceful features, the gentle rise and fall of her chest, her bump… Their daughter was inside that bump. In less than a month, she would be with them.

What the hell are we going to do with her?

Asking Bonnie to marry him had been the easiest decision of his entire existence. Their lives hadn't even changed that much – they'd already been sharing quarters at the school. They'd started dating in early 2011. Their relationship was built on respect, loyalty, and pure love, with very few hiccups along the way. Five years later, they'd stepped up to run the school temporarily when Emmeline and Gita decided to take some time to themselves and travel a bit. But then it had become permanent when the former headmasters had opened an outpost in India.

One random Thursday, Bonnie had sneezed in the middle of a complicated spell. He'd glanced up at her to comment on the cuteness of the sneeze, but instead, he'd been bowled over with the realization that he wanted to be her husband.

A year ago, nearly six years after taking charge of the school and five years married, she'd told him she wanted to start a family.

At first, he'd been taken aback. Sure, he'd considered it, but so soon? She gently reminded him that they'd been together for ten years, and she was nearly thirty – if they wanted more than one, they should probably consider starting. He told her she wouldn't be in such a rush if Elena and Damon weren't expecting, a statement she did not deny. She'd always dreamed of raising a family at the same time as her childhood best friend.

He'd been nervous. Of course, he had – none of his siblings had natural children. Rebekah had raised Gita – but he obviously hadn't been around for that. Klaus had adopted Marcellus, but again, Kol had been on the outs with his family during that time. And he'd been daggered the entire time Elijah had been stepfather to Grace's sons. He had no reference.

He'd argued that both his parents and hers had been at best, disappointments, and at worst, crazed murderers. He himself was not what one would call a great role model and he'd certainly never sought out children.

But Bonnie was adamant, as well as annoyingly patient. She'd let him rant and rave about growing up under Mikael, and how a rogue witch might seek revenge against them (or anyone in their family), ending with a tangent about diapers and losing their sex drives.

In the end, she'd won him over with one simple sentence.

"At this point, we've both clearly proven we're nothing like our parents, so come back to bed and fuck me."

Which he did. As soon as she'd realized she was pregnant, they'd decided to move back to America. Chicago boasted great schools, restaurants, museums, and theatre, and had a dynamic supernatural community. Most importantly, it was where Elena and Damon and Stefan were living.

All of his siblings followed them, as he knew they would for the rest of his lifespan. It'd be annoying if it weren't so heartwarmingly reassuring.

Did he think it necessary for all of them to live on the same street in Oak Park? Perhaps not, but he was certain he and his wife would appreciate their six extremely eager babysitters on the other side of January.

He rolled out of bed feeling restless. Fatherhood was still terrifying, regardless of how much help they had. While Kol understood his family's concerns about his progeny's unique, shared bloodline, his worries were far more...human. He knew there was a possibility someone might try to kidnap their daughter, but he was one hundred percent positive his family would protect her. Firstly, there was an actual birth to get through. Then there were was the feeding and the crying and the raising and the knowledge that she would absorb everything.

He wandered downstairs to the kitchen following the smell of fresh coffee. Someone else was already up.

Caroline was at the table scribbling in a notebook.

"Bagels on the island," she said without pausing.

He nodded with a yawn, rubbing his eyes as he searched the brown paper bag until he found an everything. He opened the fridge to dig out the cream cheese as it toasted.

"Is that for the outpost or the firm?" he asked, referring to the public relations and event planning company she'd established as soon as moving to the city three months previously. Leave it to Caroline to renovate a hundred-year-old house, start a company, open a new school, and help him and Bonnie with everything, all while preparing for the holidays. The woman was a planner-loving beast.

"The firm. If you were a teenage girl whose daddy spoilt her rotten, would you want a live band or a D.J. at your Sweet Sixteen?" she asked.

He snorted. "Oh, both. Definitely both."

She nodded. "You're right – duh."

He sat beside her and took a peek at her notes. "It's Christmas, Care. If you caught anyone else working on a holiday, you'd skin them alive."

She ignored him. He ripped the notebook away from her and tossed it on the counter. Her fangs slid over her bottom lip as she hissed at him, her eyes flashing black. He blinked back.

"Ooh, scary."

The fangs rescinded. "What are you doing up this early?"

Kol took a long draft of coffee. "Strange room," he shrugged.

She rested her arms on the table and stared at him, waiting. After a beat, he sighed, setting the mug down.

"I'm bloody nervous, alright," he admitted.

"That's normal."

"Yeah, but I haven't exactly lived a normal life, Caroline."

"Who has? Next."

He rolled his eyes. "What if I don't know how to do it?"

"Do what?"

"Be a father… Make sure my daughter knows I love her."

Caroline slid her hand across the table and rested it on his. "You tell her, Kol,"

He exhaled sharply. "Yes, I suppose that one is pretty simple."

"Great. Next."

He swished the coffee mug moodily, scraping it against the tabletop as his eyes flickered around Caroline and Nik's pristine kitchen. There was a picture frame mounted on the wall across from him. It had been taken on his wedding day. Bonnie was posed on a balcony in Des Cendres, her cathedral train swathed around her mid twirl. She was looking over her shoulder at a person out of frame; even from under her veil he could see the pure joy in her laughing face.

Kol turned away to fix Caroline with a pointed look.

A moment later, she frowned. "Oh. You want to talk about that?"

"It would be nice to know if I'm actually going to be around long enough to raise my daughter," he admitted.

Caroline's eyebrows rose. "Kol-"

"I don't need an exact date, or anything, but let me know if I should write her a letter and prepare Bonnie. The suspense is killing me."

"Kol, shut up," she interrupted. "You're not going to die for a very long time. In the vision I showed you, you were an old man. Mariko has taught the two of you how to extend your lives – I'm sure you'll be well over a hundred."

"The vision you showed me on the battlefield all those centuries ago was from my point of view. I didn't see myself. Just the people around me. The image that struck me most was your teenage face pinched in sorrow."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "And on the other side of your deathbed was Bonnie Bennett, dumbass."

"No, there was an old woman who – oh."

"Let me help you out here, Kol: behind me were your siblings and their spouses, while behind Bonnie were your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren."

"Well, why did you allow me to stay in love with you for so long if you knew that all this time?"

She punched him in the arm. "Seriously? That was nearly nine centuries ago! I didn't realize that old woman was Bonnie until you two married. And I never encouraged you!"

"Keep telling yourself that, darling."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't. So, that vision was of the absolute future? After the massacre, I figured it was more of a guiding light. The future I would be rewarded for good behavior. I thought it disappeared after I killed the girls."

She blinked at him in shock. "I had no idea. No. I show people their deaths; it's absolute."

"Interesting."

She realized something. "Does that mean you really thought you were going to sacrifice yourself in Auxor after the Second Battle?"

He grinned. "Guilty."

"Do you see why I never wanted to use that power again? Look at the mess it made just for you alone – can you imagine what it did to all the other men on the field that day?"

Kol tilted his head to one side and peered at the blond. "You haven't used that power since 1143?"

"Almost. I used it on Silas at Des Cendres because I felt I had no choice," she said with a sigh. "I hated every second of it."

"That's terrible, Caroline."

"I know."

"No, not that you used it - that you didn't for so long. Don't fear such awesome magic," he said plainly.

"Are you kidding?"

"No. You must understand how much of a gift that vision was, what it has meant to me over the centuries."

"I don't understand. Didn't it torment you?"

"No, Caroline. That vision was my conscience. I endeavored to earn that peaceful death filled with love and adoration."

She sucked in a breath.

"You should use it again. Maybe not today, or even tomorrow. But someday."

"On whom?"

"You'll know when the time is right."

Caroline opened her mouth to say something else, but the backdoor opened, distracting them both.

Mariko Kurosawa stood before them. She held her motorcycle helmet in one hand while the other clutched the strap of her orange duffel.

"Ah, the prodigal witch returns," Kol murmured.

Mariko shrugged. "I considered spending another Christmas in my hammock, but decided I'd be selfless this one year."

"Don't tell me you're moving to Chicago, too," Kol flatlined.

She winked at him. "Did you know I have a condo in Boystown?"

He got up to hug their old friend, his eyes darting behind her as he did. He almost got away with it.

"Just me, buddy," Mariko murmured as he pulled away. "But I really don't know if Elijah would want to come back..."

He felt foolish. It was the first time any of them had seen her since she'd actively begun planning to eliminate the Other Side, and he couldn't help hoping for a Christmas miracle.

Caroline hugged the immortal witch. "Do you have a timeline?"

"February," her friend confirmed. "Either way, I'll make sure everyone has a chance to speak with him before I do it."

Kol clenched his jaw and nodded his thanks. Mariko would raise the Veil before destroying the Other Side, and Niklaus and Finn were determined to convince Elijah to return. They planned on appealing to Elijah's love of the family: that Kol's daughter needed his protection. Rebekah, Caroline, and Kol himself were of a different mind. While they would be overjoyed to have him back, he was at peace and would probably prefer to move on to the next journey.

Caroline and Mariko waited patiently for Kol to recover. He took both of their hands when he did. "Darlings, happy Christmas. Now that I'm human, I find the holidays a touch bittersweet. Perhaps it's the memories of those we've lost, or perhaps it's just due to the end of another year. But that's how it's meant to be, isn't it?"

Caroline beamed at him and blinked back her tears. "Merry Christmas, Kol."

"Yes, yes. Happy holidays, auld lang syne, whatever. I'm ready for the real event – New Year's in New Orleans," Mariko said with a wicked grin.

"Gita and Emme are meeting us there in two days."

"I still can't believe Gita convinced Emmeline to be social for once," Mariko said, shaking her head. "Who would ever imagine Emmeline embracing 'YOLO?'"

Kol scoffed. "Thank the gods my wife is too pregnant for such nonsense. I never thought I'd be excited to miss a party."

"Ah, mortals."

"This mere mortal will be more than happy to retire early and watch the ball drop from bed."

The door to the kitchen smacked open.

"Coffee. I need coffee," Bonnie groaned.

"Right away, my dear," Kol said, jumping to her side and guiding her to the table. "But first, bloody sit down."

"I'm sitting, I swear." She spotted Mariko and immediately perked up. "Iki! When did you get here?"

"Just now. Here, let me…" Mariko ripped off her gloves and placed a hand on Bonnie's shoulder.

Caroline and Kol watched as the tension melted from Bonnie's body. The witch smiled up at her mentor.

"That's an incredible trick, Iki." She glared at her husband. "Why don't you know how to do that?"

He leant over her and pressed his face into the crook of her neck, blowing gently into her ear and nuzzling her skin. She shivered.

"I have other skills, love."

Once the expecting mother was supplied with fresh decaf, Mariko plopped beside her, and they immediately began to catch up. Caroline excused herself to grab some firewood from the backyard. Kol followed her.

Glistening snow from the night before covered the ground and adorned the large maple tree, untouched. The air was still. Caroline had reached the garage by the time Kol caught up with her.

"I meant it, Caroline. Don't be afraid of your power," he said as she started filling her arms with firewood.

She smiled. "Alright. I promise to work on that."

"And?" he demanded.

"And what?"

"What should I promise you?"

"Nothing. You don't owe me anything, Kol."

He whistled. "Bloody powerful stuff. What did you whisper in my ear right before you daggered me? 'The worst is yet to come.' Now that that's all behind us, I think the best is…"

She cut him off with scoff, pushing past him to head back inside. "Oh, god. Don't even say it."

"What?"

"That's just so lame, Kol."

"I disagree!"

"I disagree with your disagreeance."

"My…what?"

"I stand by my sentence."

"How can it count as a sentence? That wasn't even English!"

He followed her back into the house, shutting the red door firmly behind them to keep the chill out. The sound of their bickering faded away.

A single crystalized snowflake danced and twirled on a gust of wind, gliding up and down, left to right, and drawing figure eights and spirals through the winter air before settling on a tree branch. The snowfall that followed stilled the air, echoing the peace the ancient inhabitants of the house had finally found.

A/N: …and then there was a television series about everyone trying to find a work/life balance, with plenty of conflict – both banal and supernatural. Most episodes ended at Stefan and Damon's bar, where the characters would unwind, shoot the shit, and reminisce about the past.

God, can you imagine?

(I'm not writing a sequel, guys. This thing is purged from my system.)

Yeah, I'll admit it - this chapter/epilogue is pure, unabashed fluff. If you couldn't tell, I love Christmastime. I have no regrets. We all needed some fluff after surviving this year, and the characters deserved it for all I put them through (whoops). I hope those last couple of scenes answered some lingering questions. Sorry to those of you who were holding out hope for an Elijah resurrection. I despise that trope; in my original draft Mariko already destroyed the Other Side and Elijah had moved on. Though, I'll admit there is something nice about imagining he'd come back (and he probably could be convinced by Klaus to do it to protect his niece). I just couldn't do it in this story. The sacrifices needed to have meaning.

Special thanks to my loyal reviewers: redbudrose, Moon Songbird, Danny 2112, Gio67, restlesssoul21, TheRealTayler13, Mari Wollsch, MAR30, JCarrot, and Guest[s]. Thank you for your kind feedback; it kept me inspired. I'll miss y'all!

Thanks for reading. ~L