Chapter One

The sun woke Caroline up before her alarm did, or maybe it was her excitement. She turned thirteen today. She had gone to bed smiling the night before, her mother had been less excited than normal, but she had decided to ignore it last night choosing to make this day special. It would be the first birthday she had without her dad, but she wasn't going to let that ruin anything.

She got up to begin getting ready just a moment before she heard a knock at the door,

"Come in."

"Caroline."

"Morning mom." Caroline said, barely glancing up at her mom before taking a double take. Her mother looked worried, she was standing in the doorway with a ancient looking book in her hand. She looked as if she was carrying the weight of the world.

"Mom. What's wrong?"

"Come sit." Elizabeth Forbes said, motioning her daughter over as she sat on the edge of her daughter's bed. Caroline obeyed, she had never seen her mom like this before.

"What's in the book?" Caroline asked, trying her best to get her mother to start talking.

"Thirteen years ago today a man came to the door. He looked as if he carried the world on his shoulders, his eyes held more pain and exhaustion than I had ever seen. He held a small baby in his arms, and this book. I quickly invited him in, offering him a cup of tea. He accepted and sat on the couch before he began to explain why he had come to my door. He told me that he had looked for someone like me for almost a thousand years. He was a vampire, turned by a powerful witch after his brother's death a thousand years ago. Then he explained that he had become a father only days after he had turned, his wife had died in childbirth. He couldn't control the bloodlust and his daughter was human, so he got a witch to place a spell on the child, to freeze her in time until he could find a place to take her. He looked for a thousand years before coming here, this was where he had been turned, and he soon found out that the founding families still knew about the existence of his kind. Then he found me, I was a cop with a good chance of being promoted to a safer position, and I knew everything about his kind. He then asked me to take the child, to raise her as my own, and to not say a word until her thirteenth birthday. On that birthday, I was to give her this book." Caroline's mother paused to hand the book to her daughter before continuing, "You are that child, Caroline. I know this is a lot of information, and it's why I told you about the existence of vampires last year. I know you wanted to go out with your friends, but I want you to stay here and read this book. If you have any questions, I'll be in the kitchen." With that her mother left the room, leaving the book in Caroline's lap. It took Caroline a minute to figure out what her mother had just said, she was adopted. Her dad was a vampire. From what her mother had told her, vampires were created by other vampires, but her father had been created by a witch, maybe that meant he was one of the first? After a moment Caroline decided to pick up the book, it was clearly old, and the pages were worn, but the words were written in a sophisticated handwriting.

Caroline Ahana,

I am sure that you are very confused at this moment, I myself regret that you are having to experience it. Let me explain a little more than I explained to the woman you have known as your mother. I am one of the six original vampires, created by my mother after our brother's death. Finn is the eldest of the siblings, then after me comes Klaus, Rebekah, and Kol. The final one is our father, your grandfather, while he was created to be one of us he quickly became a hunter. He chased us for a thousand years, so I hid the fact that you existed. This is why I had to give you up, I never wanted to leave you, but above anything else I wanted to protect you, so I did what would be best for you. While I have tried my best to protect you, I know that with you living in Mystic Falls you will encounter it all eventually. Know that if you ever need me, I will always show up. In the front of this book I have placed a phone number and an email address, you can contact me if you would like. I am happy to talk to you, to answer your questions, and if you would like, I would love to be a part of your life. Your biological family is crazy and complicated, but I will never allow them to hurt you. Your mother named you before she passed, Caroline Ahana Mikaelson. You are the reason I continued to fight, and I hope that one day you can forgive me for leaving you. Within this book are letters I have written to you over the years, information about your family, a painting of your mother, and a few letters from your aunt and uncles. Please do not hesitate to call me or email. I love you, Caroline, even if you don't want anything to do with me.

Always and Forever,

Your Father,

Elijah Mikaelson

By the time that Caroline had finished reading the letter, tears were falling freely. She had never fit in here, her parents never understood her, her friends thought she was annoying. Now she knew why, she wasn't from here, she wasn't from this time, she wasn't from this family. She had another family out there. A dad who loved her, who wanted to be with her. Maybe he wouldn't leave. Maybe he would be a better dad. She closed the book and placed it on the bed beside her before laying back and crying. This wasn't how she wanted to spend her birthday. Her mind was racing with questions. What was he like? What were her aunt and uncles like? Would he stay with her and be her dad if she asked? Was she like him? Was she like her mom? Who was her mom? She laid in her bed crying as she thought through all the questions that were racing through her mind. She wanted so badly to tell her friends, but she knew that she couldn't. They wouldn't understand, and they didn't need to know about vampires yet, or even at all. Her mother had made that clear. Elijah Mikaelson, the name ran through her head over and over again, and after a moment she realized that she wasn't crying because of the news anymore but because she wanted her dad. Not the one she had grown up with, the one she had never met, the one who had written that letter. She just wanted her dad. In a quick moment, she grabbed her phone and dialed the number in the book. She listened with nervous breaths, her heart racing as the phone rang. After two rings she heard the phone pick up, after a moment of trying to make out background voices the man on the other side actually answered.

"Hello?"

"Is this Elijah Mikaelson?" Her voice was unsteady and nervous as she spoke and even though she tried to hide it, she knew he could tell that she was nervous, and he might, could tell she had been crying.

"This is him. May I ask who you are?" At his words, Caroline froze, did she really want to tell him? Did she want him to show up here? She didn't know, so she hung up. She had heard his voice, and it caused the tears to start again. It was so calming and controlled, but it also sounded familiar, as if she knew that when she heard that voice she was safe.

Elijah stared at his phone for a moment before it clicked in his mind. That had been Caroline. It had been thirteen years since he had left her at the Forbes house in Mystic Falls, Virginia. She had been crying, and her heart had been racing. He had just talked to his daughter, he could only imagine what she looked like now, he guessed that she looked like her mother. Flowing blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He couldn't believe that it had been thirteen years. He longed to be with her, it had felt like an eternity to be without her, but at the same time he thought it would never end. But she knew now, he could go see her.

"Hudson." Elijah called to his butler.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Prepare the jet, it's time I take a trip to Virginia."

"Yes sir."

Caroline's heart was still racing as she stared at the phone, she wanted so badly to call him again. Then her mind snapped to the reality of what she had just done. He knew when her birthday was, he would know she had found out, he had told her to call if she needed him, she had been crying. Now she had to call him back. She hit the button before she could talk herself out of it.

"Calling again?" His voice held humor in it this time, and it gave Caroline a feeling of calm like she had never felt. This was her dad, her real dad.

"You figured it out."

"I did."

"Sorry."

"No need to apologize, Caroline, I told you that you could call me whenever."

"You don't have to come. I'm fine. I didn't call because something went wrong, I just called to say hello, because I had no idea I had a different dad, but I never fit in, and I guess I was wondering what you are like, and what my aunt and uncles are like, and where you are from, and what do you do. Why does your voice sound familiar, do I look like you, and I guess I just wanted to say hi. Because my other dad left, and I wanted him to be here, but now I have you, but maybe you don't want me to be around you, or maybe you don't want to be a dad…" Caroline began to talk faster as she got nervous, every thought in her head pouring out of her mouth.

"Caroline." Elijah said with a laugh, she sounded just like her mom, he was having to stifle a laugh as he said her name.

"Yes?"

"Hello to you as well, from what I know you act like me, but you look like your mom. So I guess I am a lot like you then. Your aunt is more protective than anyone, and she loves more deeply than anyone I have even met. Your uncles are wild and complicated and hard to deal with, but they are family, and they will always protect those that they love. Like I said a moment ago, you look like your mother. I will always be your father and of course I want you in my life, the only reason I haven't been around is because I wanted to protect you. I will always show up when you need me, though. And finally, I will forever want to be your dad." Elijah replied with practiced accuracy to each of her questions. Her mother had done the same thing, and Elijah had quickly learned how to answer every question that came out of each rant.

"You do?" Caroline asked, hesitance in her voice. He had heard that Mr. Forbes had left, he had hoped that it wouldn't have had that much of an effect on her, but he should have known better. She was different, he knew that people would notice that. She was from a different time, and while she grew up in the present day, he knew that there would have been things that changed how she responded to it.

"Of course I do. I've already prepared a plane to come see you for your birthday. I want to be a part of your life Caroline, and I know that your friends have no idea about any of this yet, and therefore we will have to be careful, but I want to be there, for all of it."

"You're coming here?" Caroline asked, surprised that he would come so quickly, even though she wasn't in trouble.

"As long as it is okay with you, I thought I would take you shopping for your birthday."

"Really?"

"Unless you want to do something else, I mean we can do whatever you want, but there are benefits of having a rich father."

"I would love to meet you." Caroline said, a smile finally gracing her face. She was going to get to meet her actual father.

"Good. I will pick you up tomorrow morning, around ten?" Elijah asked his daughter, his voice sounded normal, but his heart was racing, he was going to get to meet his daughter, get to spend time with her. He would prove to her that she mattered.

"Ten sounds great." With that they said goodbye and Caroline was once again left in silence with the book. She ended up glancing through it but not reading any of the letters, she figured she might want to read them in the future after hard days and didn't want to read it all at once. She saw the picture of her mother and her father had been right, she looked like her. She even saw a picture of the Mikaelson family, and while she didn't know who was who, she would ask her dad in the morning. After about three hours of looking through the book, she got dressed and headed to the kitchen. Her mom was still in there sitting at the counter with a cup of tea.

"Hey mom."

"Caroline, would you like a cup of tea?"

"No, thank you." Caroline paused before leaning up against the counter opposite her mom, "I called him."

"You did?" Elizabeth Forbes asked, surprised that Caroline had actually called.

"Yeah, I hung up the first time, but then I called back. He is going to take me shopping tomorrow if that is okay."

"He is your father Caroline, of course it is okay for you to get to know him. Did he answer your questions?"

"Yeah, but I still have more. I look like her, like my biological mother. And Elijah said that I act like him from what he knows."

"You definitely act like him."

"You think?" Caroline asked her mom with a smile.

"Definitely. I think that might be why you feel like you never fit in. If you know it is possible, he is clearly from another time. You seem to have inherited that trait."

"I know that I can't, but I wish I could tell Elena and Bonnie. I just wish that I could talk to them about it."

"I know you do, Caroline. It is better if they don't know yet though, one day their parents will tell them about vampires and the history of this town, and then you can tell them." Caroline's mom explained with a saddened smile. Looking at her daughter, it seemed as if she was torn over being excited that she had a father that cared and being broken that she hadn't known her real family.

"Is it okay if now that I have looked at the book and talked to him, and since I am meeting him tomorrow, if I go hang out with Elena and Bonnie? I promised them yesterday that I would meet them for a milkshake at the grille at three." Caroline asked her mom, hoping that she would say yes, so that Caroline could have a day away to think about what she had learned without having to talk about it.

"I guess, but Caroline…"

"I know, I can't say anything."

"I love you Caroline, be careful and have fun. Oh, and Happy Birthday."

"Love you too, mom." With that, Caroline grabbed her bag and ran out the door to go meet Elena and Bonnie.

Elijah spent the day on a plane, he had been in England on business before she called, so the plane ride was a long one. He had decided to spend time reading. He quickly found that he didn't have the focus to do so and ended up staring at a picture of his wife.

"Elijah!" Regina's voice echoed across the clearing outside their house. They lived to the left of his family's house, and Regina found that when she called for him, he was typically with his brothers and would come marching through the clearing with two or three of them in tow. It took another minute before she saw he and Kol making their way across the clearing from the village. Regina had a soft spot for Kol, he was rowdy, crazy, and hard to deal with, but deep down he cared more than most of the people in this village.

"Yes, my love?" Elijah answered once he was within normal talking range.

"May I talk to you. Alone?"

"Of course, I'll show you what I was telling you about later, Kol."

"Very well, I'll see you later Brother, Sister." Kol replied before making his way towards his parent's house. After Kol had left, Elijah followed Regina inside and closed the door behind him before speaking,

"What is it, my love?"

"Your mother dropped by earlier."

"What for."

"Oh, the typical, checking to see if I was doing okay managing the house, checking to see if I was still good enough for you. She saw me have one of the dizzy spells I have been having. I tried to hide it, but she saw. She insisted she do a spell to find out what is wrong."

"I know that my mother has not been the kindest to you, but if she did the spell, at least we know what is wrong, right?" Elijah asked, hesitantly. His mother had treated his wife with contempt since day one, but she was a talented witch with the knowledge to perform the spell that his wife was speaking of.

"We do." Regina simply answered.

"What is it, my love?"

"Elijah, I'm. I'm pregnant."

Elijah would never forget the moment he found out he was going to be a father. It had been his dream since he was young. Caroline had been a dream come true, then everything had gone wrong. Henrik had died, he had been tuned, Regina had died, He had to give up Caroline. There was nothing that he hated more than the fact that his mother's spell had taken his family from him. He hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to his wife, seeing as she had died the day after his mother's spell had been cast, and he hadn't been able to go into the sun to get to his house to see her. She had died alone, and his daughter had been brought to him by a village woman that his siblings had then killed. He had spent the next days protecting his human daughter with every ounce of power he had, controlling himself with everything he had within him. He had fought off his blood thirsty siblings, and he had fought from drinking any blood himself. It ended with him placing Caroline in the care of the local Bennet witch and going on an uncontrolled spree that ended with him killing a village girl. He couldn't wait to meet his daughter without all the stresses of protecting her and finding her someone who would take care of her. He was also excited to spoil her for her birthday.