HappyLucyLocket - Klaus is resourceful. Let's chalk it up to that :P

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Whew, this one got lengthy! That's what happens when I take a while to update, it just gets longer and longer. I'll try to have the next one done sooner. :)


PART 5

Sex on the first date was not a rarity for Caroline but, regardless of the circumstances, it was always a totally bad idea. She'd been trying to mend her ways and grow up a little after her last break-up but some old habits truly died hard. Although, technically, it wasn't really a date and technically it was with Kol. Yet somehow, at the end of the night, she wound up in bed with his brother. So maybe it didn't technically count? Hello, denial land. The first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one. Her current problem was lying beside her, holding her hand up above his face and tracing the lines of her palm.

She turned her head, watching him with a warm smile. "Are you reading my future?"

Klaus stayed silent, his face serious and complacent. "Admiring your hands."

She paused then let out short laugh. "What?"

He briefly glanced to her then smiled, turning her hand over between his. "They could be artist's hands."

"Only if you consider chasing five-year-olds all day an art."

He lifted it to his lips and planted a soft kiss on the back of her hand, his stubble tickling her skin. Her stomach warmed with affection and she turned her whole body toward his, watching him thoughtfully. He turned too, still holding her hand captive.

"Someone's deep in thought," he teased.

"What changed your mind?"

His eyes softened with understanding. "You did."

She grinned and rolled her eyes, turning onto her back. "So you're telling me, in order to get you to do what I want, I just have to put you on the spot? I mean, unless it was the dating your brother thing, in which case I'm sure Kol would be more than happy to - "

She cut off into a shriek of laughter as he suddenly tugged her arm so she fell over him and began tickling her sides.

"Okay! Okay!" she pleaded as she tried to squirm her way out of his grasp. When he relented and she caught her breath, he gave her a pointed look.

"I'd prefer you avoided the latter."

"I still can't believe you thought that was serious."

"It was a unsettling, to say the least. Although your little potato retaliation gave you away." She scoffed in mock disbelief. "I knew then what it was you were doing."

"Well it worked, didn't it?"

He glanced up at her, a tiny smirk tugging at his lips. "So this was your plan all along, then?"

Just as she opened her mouth to object he seized opportunity and kissed her protests away. She hummed a little sigh as she gave in and relaxed against him, languidly letting her tongue dance with his as his lips sweetly caressed.

"You're forgiven," he whispered against her lips.

Caroline scoffed a laugh, thwacking his chest. He grinned and pecked her lips playfully just before she settled against him and rested her head against his chest. His heart thumped a one-two beat against her ear in time with the ticking tock of uncertainty inside her head.

"Where do we go from here?"

"I'm quite partial to this position, myself."

"You know what I mean."

He was quiet a long while, then said, "We could leave."

"I can't leave. I have a job."

"You can teach anywhere. Perhaps Paris? We can visit the Louvre, glimpse the Eiffel Tower across from a cafe that serves the finest beignets you'll ever taste."

She closed her eyes with a tiny moan. "Don't tempt me."

"Or Rome. We'll indulge in the city's history, then walk along the Riviera, sipping wine directly from the Tuscan vineyards."

"What about your family? And Henrik? You can't just leave him."

"We'll take him with us. He'd love it." She shook her head against his chest and he let out a long exhale through his nose. "I can't answer your question, love. If I let myself think of the future..." he trailed but she understood where he was going.

"We take it one day a time, then." She leaned up, her hand resting over his heart as she looked into his eyes. "Baby steps."

He swallowed, suddenly very aware of the placement of her hand and wondered if she'd intended the intimate sentiment implied. For the moment he was able to stow away his fear and reach up to caress her cheek, gratefully agreeing. "Baby steps."


Monday 4:32 p.m.

It had been a productive school day for a Monday, ending early enough for Caroline to meet her friends for a happy hour cocktail. Elijah had shown up in Klaus' stead to take Henrik home, but he didn't linger too long. He answered obligingly when she asked about Klaus, mentioning he had an appointment to uphold. She had an inkling what he might be referring to, but the fib was for Henrik's sake so she let it be.

As she walked briskly towards the Mystic Grille, taking in the crisp cool air of one of the first days of Spring, the light melody of her phone interrupted her daydreaming thoughts. She glimpsed the screen and smiled, whipping her hair away from her shoulder with a confident jerk so she could bring the phone to her ear.

"Hi mom."

"Oh good, you are alive. I was worried when I didn't hear from you all weekend."

She rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Things have been a little weird."

"So I hear."

Caroline stopped walking, frowning. "What do you hear?"

"Oh, you know. Things."

"Mom."

"You know just because I stopped being Sheriff doesn't mean I don't want to know what's going on in my daughter's life."

"Mom," she repeated.

"Tyler called."

Her heart literally stopped. "What?"

"He said he saw you going over to that new family's mansion Friday night."

"Okay, first of all, why are you still talking to him? Let alone believing a word he says? Especially about me!"

"So it's not true then?"

"No it is true, but that's not the point."

"Do you even know who these people are?"

"Here we go..."

"I looked into them."

"You are not the Sheriff anymore, mom."

"No, but I am your mother."

"And I'm your daughter. You know, cute blonde who occasionally pops up at your house for dinner, holidays, unsolicited advice?"

"Their parents are criminals, Caroline. Both of them." She sighed, gripping her phone tighter in agitation. "They were convicted three years ago. Do you want to know what for?"

"Look. Mom. I appreciate your concern, but if anyone is going to tell me about this, it's not you."

"Attempted murder."

Caroline's blood ran cold and her throat suddenly began to dry. She had to stop herself from nearly bumping into a passerby and step out of the line of foot traffic to take in her mother's revelation. She knew they were criminals and she knew it had to be something less than minor to warrant a ten year sentence, but murder?

"Not to mention the father has priors. There are also quite a few police reports filed for domestic disputes. Do you need me to go on?"

She swallowed, trying to find her voice and had to clear her throat. "No."

"These are not people you need to be around."

She shook her head, despite her burgeoning doubts. "It's not their fault their parents are the way they are."

Liz sighed heavily into her ear. "I know how much of a bleeding heart you are, but you can't go around fixing everyone all the time. Do you really want to get caught up in all of that drama?"

"Even if I tried to distance myself, I can't. Henrik is my student."

"That doesn't mean you have to go out of your way to associate with his family."

She sighed, long and drawn out. "I have to go."

"Caroline - "

"I have to think."

And with that she ended the call, eager to keep her mother from prying further and her thoughts from detonating her brain. Thank god she was going to Happy Hour - she was really going to need that drink.


Tuesday 3:07 p.m.

"This one's a little difficult. When you put T and H together, they kind of make a funny sound," Caroline explained, following it with a distinct "–TH" sound.

Henrik bit on his lip and hissed out a puff of air in an attempt to mimic.

"Almost. Try sticking your tongue out when you do it. Like this." She stuck her tongue out, just barely biting down, and let the air pass through the cracks to demonstrate.

His nose crinkled and he puffed out his cheeks as he repressed his laugh, covering his mouth to stifle his little snorts as his shoulders shook.

"What? Do I look funny?"

He nodded slowly, breaking into a fit of giggles.

Caroline laughed too. "You're a super silly today, huh?"

He hiccuped through his giggles, doubling over the table to bury his head in his arms. She shook her head, grinning.

"Looks like I'm missing all the fun."

Her head turned at the sound of Klaus' voice, heart thumping with a sudden bout of nerves. Henrik lifted his head to look at his brother with a mischievous grin, holding his laughter in tight.

"Thhhbtt!" he erupted, followed by more giggles.

Klaus' brows lowered as his questioning gaze turned to Caroline. She lifted one corner of her lips in a half-grin. "That's what I get for teaching him about the '–TH' sound."

"I see." He began to smile as he sauntered over. "Ith thith funny?"

Henrik snorted more laughs, absolutely hysterical now. Caroline pressed her lips in a thin smile, crossing her arms with a playful look of reprimand.

"You're just as bad as he is."

"Ath he ith," he corrected, his faux seriousness only making it worse.

She rolled her eyes, another laugh slipping out despite herself. She glanced from Klaus to Henrik who was still sitting in his seat beaming up at her, legs swinging under the table, a wave of nervous discomfort coming over her.

"Why don't you continue reading the words on the worksheet and I'll get the next one?" she told her student, and when he obliged she went toward her desk, expecting the elder Mikaelson to follow. He did.

She tried to hide the tension she felt as she thumbed through the folder on her desk to find what she needed, knowing exactly where the page was the whole time but using any excuse to keep from looking at him. It wasn't that she was scared of the information her mother had given her, but that she wasn't sure how to act around him now, and especially in front of Henrik. Still, she would have to bite the bullet sooner or later.

"I didn't see you yesterday," she started.

"I had a meeting with the lawyer."

"Everything okay?" He said nothing but his eyes went to Henrik and she understood. There was a short lull of awkwardness while she pulled the intended sheet from the folder and closed it. By the time she rounded her desk, standing just next to him, he changed subjects.

"You left quite an impression Friday evening."

"Oh?"

"Elijah and Rebekah raved all weekend. As did Kol."

She hummed in a sardonic tone. "I'll bet he did."

Before he could answer with what she was sure would be something clever and witty, a little brown mop of hair popped up between them.

"Miss Caroline, can we read the Rumpus story?"

"Now, Henrik," Klaus started in a chiding tone, "we don't want to keep your teacher at school any longer than she's meant to. She's liable to get sick of us soon."

Caroline scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't listen to him, Henrik. You can stay as long as you want."

Henrik smirked at him and Klaus raised his hands with a little pout of his lips. "Far be it from me to argue."

She grinned and turned to Henrik, ignoring the man sized five-year-old beside her. "Let's finish the lesson first and then we can read the story, deal?"

He pursed his lips, tilting his head all the way to the right until his ear hit his shoulder. A huge smile spread across his face, one eye narrowing. "Can we all read it, together?"

"Sure."

"Okay, deal!" He plucked the worksheet from her hand and darted back to his seat.

Caroline inhaled deeply, letting it out slow and even before turning to Klaus with an accusatory glint in her eye. "Reverse psychology? Seriously?"

He raised his brows, feigning innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh huh." She crossed her arms. "I'd never get sick of my students. Especially Henrik."

He clasped his hands behind his back, taking a step forward so he was beside her, so as to speak over her shoulder. "What about me?"

Her back arched with a tingling shiver and she coyly slid her eyes to his. He held her gaze a moment before his lips curved in a knowing smile and she tutted, rolling her eyes in response.

"That wasn't exactly a 'no'," he pointed out.

"It wasn't a 'yes' either," she retorted then realized she'd walked right into his trap and there were the dimples in all their mocking glory. "I take it back. I'm already sick of you." She shot him a cool smile and tossed her hair as she turned on her heel and went over to the play area where blocks and dolls and little plastic foods were laying about the floor.

Klaus smiled at her back, following not long after. "That's a pesky habit, lying."

"Sure is." She knelt and began to pick up the toys and put them in the designated color coordinated basket.

"You admit it then?"

"Admit what?" she asked distractedly, trying to count off the number of Mega-Blocks she put away.

"Do you want some help with that, love?"

"No, thank you. I've got this perfectly under control." She could hear herself being short, cold even, and knew by his silence that her change of tone was apparent to him too.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"No." She stopped and looked up with a frown. "I don't know," she tried again, then almost immediately shook her head. "No." His brows raised in question and she sighed. "We need to talk."

"Words no man is ever fond of hearing."

She stood and put her hands on her hips, glancing at Henrik briefly before lowering her voice, "About your parents."

Klaus swallowed hard enough for her to see his Adam's apple jump. "Has Henrik – "

"No. No, he hasn't said anything. I just..." She inhaled slowly then nodded, confident and resolute. "I have questions and I think I deserve some answers."

His expression turned wary and she was sure he was going to deny her, or possibly storm out never to return. Instead, he licked his lips and just as quickly as he opened his mouth, it closed. The muscles in his face were taut but he nodded curtly. She expected to feel relieved but instead the dread inside her continued to well. Luckily Henrik was there to alleviate.

"Can we read this one?"

They turned, surprised at the direction his voice was coming from and found him standing at her desk holding up her copy of the third installment of 50 Shades of Grey. Caroline's eyes widened and she blushed hard when she glimpsed the slow spreading smile on Klaus' face.

"That..." She sighed and went over, carefully taking the book from the five-year-old's hands. "You don't want to read this."

"Why not?"

"Well...because..." She struggled, her embarrassment rendering her thoughtless.

"It's for adults," Klaus answered for her, walking over to join them. "You wouldn't be interested in it."

"It has handcuffs on it," Henrik objected. "Is it a police story?"

Klaus stuttered a laugh, bowing his head to cover it with a cough. Caroline glared at him.

"Not helping," she hissed at him. "I thought you wanted to read the Rumpus story?"

"I wanna read what you're reading."

He reached for the book again and she laid a hand over it, wincing a smile. "You don't want to read this. Trust me. It's a yucky love story. It's not very good."

"Then how come Bekah has it in her room?"

Klaus' amusement turned cold. "Rebekah has this book?"

"Oh it was funny when I had it."

"Different circumstances, love."

"We'll get back to that." She crouched down, taking one of Henrik's hands. "Tell you what. How about tomorrow we take a trip upstairs to the library? Then you can pick whatever book you want from there."

His eyes lit up. "Okay!"

"I think it's time you get your things and we leave Miss Caroline to her book," Klaus advised, not ignoring the glaring look she was giving him. Henrik nodded and proceeded to the closet.

"Very funny."

"There's a whole side of you I don't know about, isn't there?"

"And a whole side of your sister, too," she shot back.

His smile lessened but didn't fade. "As to your request, I could come by your place tonight, if you like."

He was working to keep the innocence of his suggestion in his expression but she knew better than those eyes.

"I think that'd be counterproductive."

He stepped forward, narrowing his eyes. "Are you making assumptions?"

She scoffed, but smiled. "Speaking from experience, actually."

"I wasn't aware you had such little restraint."

She pressed her lips together and gave him a little shove to which he laughed. Henrik peeked from inside the closet, observing the two quietly with a little smile.

"Oh I'm not the one that has to restrain themselves."

"Now you're making assumptions about me?"

"Okay," she laughed the word out despite herself and held a hand up. "Why don't we just agree to meet somewhere for dinner and talk then?"

"That's probably safest, being under the public eye and all. Unless that's something you fancy."

"Oh – my god!" She pressed her fingertips to her temples with a laugh of disbelief, blushing. "You are so beyond annoying."

He grinned, winking at Henrik as he walked up beside him, clutching the straps of his backpack and looking back and forth between them.

"Dinner, then," Klaus agreed. "Wherever you like. Seven thirty?"

"Fine. I'll text you."

"I'll look forward to it."

"Uh-huh. Go on, get out."

He took Henrik's hand and smirked back at her as they retreated. Henrik looked back, waving. "Bye, Miss Caroline."


L'Auberge Chez François 7:42 p.m.

The restaurant was elegant as farmhouse settings went. The indoor dining room was filled with soft chatter and music, and an ambience of wealth. Outside there was an intimate slate patio with more tables and a trickling fountain that poured into a stone built pond, all surrounded by twinkling lights. The tables were adorned with red and maroon checkered cloths and umbrellas, a candle lit atop each one. Caroline said in her seat and took another sip of the water that had been poured, wondering how long she would be sitting in the company of the wait staff and the crickets before Klaus arrived. If he did.

She didn't rule out the possibility of being stood up. He was charming and he seemed to be as interested in her as she was him, but would his past and his parents' crimes hold him back? After all, it took forever just to get him to kiss her. It'd undoubtedly take even longer to get him to talk to her. Why should she expect anything so soon? Because of past relationships? Matt only opened up about his issues with his mother because she walked in on them making out and it was the first time he'd seen her since she left him and his sister three years prior. Tyler finally talked to her about his anger issues because he knew she would leave if he didn't, but it was still the bare minimum. His behavior back then should have been a red flag but the naive little girl in her saw only the romance in being his savior. Stupid girl.

Amidst her thoughts, she heard an accented voice a short distance behind her, conversing with the host. The host finally instructed him to follow and she sat up a little straighter, smoothing her dress over her legs before he came into view. She'd picked one of her more flattering cocktail dresses in a periwinkle and white floral pattern that bore enough cleavage to both entice and remain tasteful. She kept her hair curled and loosely pulled back halfway so that it looked effortless but chic. She didn't want to go overly fancy in a place that was once a barn. Once the waiter gestured him to his seat and left them, she greeted him with a sour smile.

"You're late. Which I shouldn't even be surprised about."

He smiled as he sat down. "It's an enjoyable symmetry, isn't it?"

"Not when you're as hungry as I am."

"My apologies." He picked up his menu. "Someone was being a bit unruly about his bed time."

"How cute that you still have to tuck Kol in."

He looked up, surprised at first, and then let out a soft chuckle. "Would that he could be home at this time, as opposed to wreaking havoc somewhere in town."

"He doesn't have a curfew?"

"Even if he did, he'd never adhere." He went back to scanning the entrees and she took the moment to observe the two buttons of his shirt left undone, and the skin that peeked out underneath. He paired the grey shirt well with the black jacket and slacks, but she kept getting drawn back to those two buttons. He finally snapped her out of it when he spoke. "I wouldn't have guessed you were a fan of French cuisine."

"There are plenty of things I'm a fan of that you don't know."

"Well I know your book fetishes, now." His eyes peeked dangerously over the leather binding and she didn't have to see the rest of his face to know he was grinning.

"You are seriously the worst, you know that?"

He kept watching her and she felt her face getting warm despite her refusal to indulge him by looking his way. As if on cue, the waiter returned with a bucket of ice, which he faceted onto their table, and an uncorked bottle of wine.

"Thank you, Jeremiah," Klaus said as the young man began to fill Caroline's glass, "I appreciate the favor." Caroline looked across the table at him in disbelief once the waiter had left them. "I asked him to bring us a bottle of the restaurant's finest, to make up for my lateness."

"I had to pull strings just to get a reservation and you got them to bring us wine in under five minutes?"

"Still think I'm the worst, sweetheart?" He lifted his glass to his lips but he was all snarky smiles. She just scoffed, shaking her head and taking a sip of her own. And damn him, it was good.

"So, I have a tiny confession to make," she told him, now that she'd had some liquid courage. "I sort of picked this place on purpose."

"You don't say."

"No, I mean, when you told me I could choose I already had this place in mind. I knew it was really expensive and I've never been able to afford it but I have always wanted to come here." She winced. "Do you hate me?"

He let out a laugh, shaking his head as he leaned forward, fingers lacing. "Now why would I let a silly thing like that change my view of you?"

"Because I'm a total opportunist right now?" His dimples reared and her stomach fluttered with winged beasts of Spring.

"If that's what it takes to get the things you want, why should you apologize?"

"Be...cause my mother raised me to be kind and never to use people?"

"You may not want to pursue a career in politics, then," he advised, smirking as he sipped his wine.

Caroline shook her head, grinning, as she glanced over her menu once more, despite having had ample time to decide what she wanted. Klaus did the same but she could feel a bit of nervous tension emanating from him. Something was off.

"So. What do you think you'll get?"

"I'm leaning towards une entrecote au poivre," he answered with perfect pronunciation.

Her brows raised, pleasantly surprised. "You speak French."

"Oui, chérie. And what'll you be having?"

She lifted her chin and read off her menu, "Les aiguillettes de canard." She smiled boastfully. "Two years of French in high school."

"See? We would have had no problem running off to Paris."

She wasn't sure how serious he was but it won a laugh from her either way. Moments later the waiter came to put out a bread basket and take their order, and while she did, Klaus took a sip of his wine. He was setting his glass down as the waiter left them and cleared his throat, finally bringing himself to face the inevitable.

"You wanted to talk."

"Yes." She took a deep breath. "About your parents."

His shoulders tightened and the guard visibly slid back into place. "What about them?"

"Can I ask what happened?"

"Of course. Doesn't mean I have to answer."

He pursed his lips and glanced at her from beneath his brow, trying for a devilish smirk but it was weakened by worry. Caroline's eyes rolled and her head gave a little tilt. His tongue quickly darted over his lips nervously.

"There was an argument," he started, taking a piece of the bread and buttering it tentatively as to avoid eye contact. "My mother had been unfaithful and my father found out." He reached for the bottle sitting in the chilled bucket and began pouring more wine. "Her infidelity produced a child and that child created a chaotic rift in their relationship whose effects trickled down to the rest of the family." He looked up at last and met her eyes, something sullen hidden behind them. "It led my father down a dark path and my mother was on his heels, at first attempting to calm the beast but eventually, becoming a monster all her own."

"Wow." Her voice was soft and broken, her throat too dry to say more. She cleared it and hugged herself, rubbing away the goosebumps up and down her arms. "I'm so sorry you all had to go through that. I can't imagine how the kid must feel."

"Isolated, I would think. And guilt ridden with blame."

She frowned. "Well it's not their fault your mom cheated."

"No but their existence is clearly a burden to more than one party."

"But it shouldn't be. They're the innocent one in all of this. And I think it really sucks that they have to suffer for their parents' behaviors." She shook her head. "It kills me when I see parents who are ignorant or don't treat their kids right. They weren't born to be your personal punching bag or to carry the brunt of your problems. Like, why even have a kid at all if that's the kind of parent you're going to be, you know?"

He glanced at her briefly before averting his eyes, darting them as her words sank in, resonating with his life and the many tribulations she had yet to uncover. He wanted to tell her the truth, more than anything, but he couldn't bear another look of disappointment, another potential scar on his record that could drive her away. When he lowered his gaze he realized he was buttering a piece of bread he'd already buttered and blinked in embarrassment. It was only then he picked up on the unsettled silence between them.

"I'm sorry," she quickly filled it, shaking her head at herself with a little laugh of self-ridicule. "I do this thing where I ramble when I'm angry. Or excited." She nodded, wincing. "Or nervous. Like I'm doing now. Again. Just ignore me." She bowed her head and he almost laughed at the silly expression of horror hovering over her plate as she snuck her fork to her mouth.

It eased his heart and made him smile. "I think I'd have a very hard time doing that." She looked up, touched and relieved with a grin that melted his heart. His brows raised and he straightened his back with a new resolve. "Onto more mannered subjects then, like how ravishing you look tonight."

She shook her head with a scoff of a laugh. "Okay, seriously, people do not talk like that."

"And how do they talk?"

"They say things like "Wow, you look great" or "that dress looks amazing on you" or..." She realized he was staring and paused her motions. "What?"

"That dress looks amazing on you."

Her heart fluttered and she felt heat blooming in her cheeks as her lips spread in a shy smile. "Thank you." It was a whisper but it was enough to coax his dimples out of hiding and for a second she felt patronized. And then she was over it.


Thursday 3:01 p.m.

As she walked Henrik back into the classroom that afternoon, she knew the inevitable. No ride at 2:50, 2:55, or 3:00 p.m. meant Klaus. The prospect had her giddy and she couldn't stop recounting the memory of their dinner date. Sure, it was a little unorthodox to go on a date on a Tuesday but so was everything about their relationship. If she was even allowed to use that word. Did it count as a relationship if you'd had sex before the first date but had been carrying a steady flirtation for more than a month?

The date went about as well as could be expected. She didn't get the answers she really wanted, but she didn't ask the burning questions either. Somehow they kept managing to go off track and in retrospect, she wasn't so sure how unintentional it was on his part. Still, he was trying so she had to give credit where credit was due.

Just as she settled Henrik at his table and began to turn back for the folder of reading worksheets at her desk, an abrupt entrance disoriented her. It was almost like he'd whooshed in with the wind and blurred past her but Klaus was at the table and helping Henrik collect his things into his backpack before she could even say 'hello.'

"I'm sorry to have to do this, but we have to be going." He hurried to the closet to retrieve the rest of his brother's things for him.

"Wait. What's going on?"

"We have to go." He reappeared, fumbling to get Henrik's lunchbox and coat under his arm. "Now, Henrik."

Henrik turned around with a pout. "But we just got here."

"And now we're going." He grabbed his hand helped him to his feet, crouching to his level to put his coat around him. "There's no time to explain, so you just have to trust me, all right?"

Henrik nodded as he buttoned his jacket up for him, frowning all the while.

"Klaus, what is going on?" Caroline asked again.

"Nothing to be concerned with, love."

She whipped around as he whizzed past her, Henrik hurrying to keep up with him as he pulled him along by his hand. She sped after them, her worry growing. "Is everything okay? Did something happen?"

"Caroline, I really don't have time."

She reached the door and saw Elijah waiting down the hall, a somber look on his face. She gripped the panel of the doorway and called out in one last desperate attempt, "Klaus!"

He stopped and said something softly to Henrik then turned back. She watched Henrik walk over to Elijah who put an arm around him and then Klaus was in front of her. His face was wrought, brows furrowed deeply, jaw tight.

"My mother's been released."