Author's note: Caroline knew that working as a palliative caregiver for the famously reclusive Esther Mikaelson would be a challenging job, but between the eerie remoteness of the estate and the odd behavior of her sons, it makes her wonder if there's more to this situation than she realizes.
"Would you think it possible that this ancient rose could ever bloom again?"
"Nonsense!" said the Widow Wycherly with a toss of her head. "You might as well ask if an old woman's lined face could ever bloom again."
— "Doctor Heidegger's Experiment" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The only thing worse than an inappropriately timed smirk was a condescending jackass and between the two Mikaelson brothers, Caroline was seriously reconsidering her application to provide palliative care to their mother in her final days. The serial smirker was Klaus, a pretty-boy artist type who'd been anything but subtle as he asked her to describe her nurse's uniforms. The other brother, Finn, was an outright snob and kept inquiring about her family tree as though her social station somehow guaranteed her competence as a medical professional. However, it was clear that despite his shortcomings as a human, Finn was a devoted son whose brow furrowed with every gasping breath Esther took while interviewing her.
"I assure you I've reviewed your case files thoroughly and understand the challenges associated with your illness," Caroline told Esther, doing her best to keep her tone low and reassuring despite wanting to snap like a rabid dog at Finn's continued looks of doubt and derision.
"You're barely out of school; what could you possibly understand about the challenges my mother faces?"
Blue eyes flashing dangerously in Finn's direction, her voice was cold and matter-of-fact as she said, "Esther now suffers from dilated cardiomyopathy, an illness that originated from the high doses of anthracycline chemotherapy medication she was prescribed. This means the left chamber of her heart is enlarged and can't pump blood properly. It eventually will affect the other chambers and lead to heart failure."
She appreciated the way that Esther met her gaze without flinching. She was a strong woman. "You're already experiencing shortness of breath and fatigue. Other symptoms may include swelling of lower extremities, heart palpitations, blood clots, and fainting. Normally, you would have surgical treatment options. However, given your age and declining health attributed to stage 4 cancer, those aren't feasible."
"Well, aren't you a perky little ray of sunshine, sweetheart," Klaus drawled, studying her with a look that she almost mistook for respect.
"I'm not here to be perky," she corrected him, "I'm here to provide Esther's care and monitor her closely, ensuring she's comfortable at all times. Her quality of life is my responsibility."
Ignoring Finn's patronizing scoff, Klaus lazily studied her, dimples cutting into his cheeks as he smirked, "Perhaps in time I can discover other responsibilities in which you'd be well-suited."
Fuck this. "Let me stop you right there, Dimples McSmirkypants. I'm a licensed RN certified in hospice and palliative care with more than five years' hospice experience. Death may pay my rent, but I battle that vengeful fucker on my patients' behalf every goddamn day. This won't be some Hallmark movie bullshit where I'm the wide-eyed caregiver whose nauseating optimism magically changes you from a selfish fuckboy into an emotionally competent human. I'm here to help your mother transition through the most difficult stage of life — death."
Everyone looked stunned by her outburst, but nowhere near as shocked as Caroline herself. Inwardly groaning, she resigned herself to going back home to search more online jobsites when Esther suddenly spoke, her regal voice barely wavering as she decisively, "You're perfect. When can you start?"
A week later and Caroline still couldn't shake off her surprise at Esther's decision to hire her. The Mikaelsons were notoriously reclusive, eccentric in the way that only old money could achieve without being seen as creepy. Their country estate was vast, tucked away in the mountains, with the nearest neighbor hours away. So far, she'd gotten lost every time she'd gone for a walk by herself. And Klaus had managed to find her every time — almost like magic. Smug bastard. While he swore it was coincidence that he'd been out riding one of the gorgeous black Friesians from their stable, the twinkle in his gray eyes told a different story.
"You're not what I expected, love," he commented on the third time he'd 'accidentally' run into her beside a tall riverbank.
Absentmindedly patting the soft nose of the preening horse, she snorted and replied, "And you're exactly what I expected — except when you think I'm not watching."
His handsome face was unreadable as he dismounted. "And what do you think you see?"
As he handed her the reins, she slowly began to lead the Friesian along the thick tree line Klaus had indicated with a small nod. "I saw you selflessly intervene when Finn threatened to fire the gardener for failing to prune the roses along the south gate. And when the stable hand's granddaughter cut herself climbing in the peach orchard, you hummed a little tune while you bandaged her knee."
He opened and shut his mouth, clearly not expected Caroline's words. When he finally spoke, his tone was softer, as though he'd finally decided to drop all pretense. "You're made of iron when facing the formidable presence of my mother. And yet, your every word, every gesture is filled with compassion."
"Oh, um. Right," she mumbled, not entirely sure why her cheeks flushed bright red under his gaze.
"Not to mention articulate."
Rolling her eyes, she told him, "Just because I noticed stuff doesn't mean anything, Dimples McSmirkypants."
"Doesn't mean anything yet," Klaus countered with a sly wink.
The silver of Esther's antique locket gleamed in the morning light, the raised edges forged in a concentric pattern around a small red stone. Caroline usually asked her questions about it, to help distract her from the momentary prick of needles, noting the poor woman's obvious attachment to it. While Esther's trembling fingers touched the stone, she quietly asked about her current pain levels based on their established pain management plan.
"Only moderate pain today, dear," came the hoarse whisper.
Caroline was both surprised and pleased by her patient's response. Normally, she was in severe pain, in which only the strongest of opioids and analgesics were administered. "I'm happy to hear that, Esther. You'll have a good day today." Nodding toward Finn who was silently observing in the corner as usual, she told him, "There's a chill to the air today, so make sure she's properly bundled up when you take her outside." She glanced out the tall French doors that opened to a wide balcony overlooking the dense forest below. "I know you're anxious to go read in the sun, but we're putting on sunscreen first, ok?"
"You have a very nurturing spirit," Esther observed, patting her hand lightly. "You must have experience caring for a sibling or perhaps your parents?"
She finished the application of sunscreen over the paper-thin skin of her patient, taking care to use a light touch as she was prone to bruising. "It's just me," she answered, doing her best to keep her face neutral. "My parents died in a car crash my senior year."
"Oh, you poor dear," she soothed, dark eyes filling with tears. "And you didn't have siblings to share your loss, then?"
Caroline shook her head, desperately wanting to change the subject.
"But surely you have friends. You're quite vivacious and full of life," Finn protested in an oddly insistent tone.
"I just moved here, so haven't really had time to meet people yet," she answered slowly, trying to figure out why the normally standoffish son was offering her awkward compliments and suddenly taking an interest in her personal life.
"Enough, Finn. We've made Caroline uncomfortable with our prying questions," Esther lightly admonished. "My apologies — it's just been so long since we've had new life in this house and we're just naturally curious about you, dear."
A wave of dizziness suddenly came over Caroline, and she had to plant her feet to keep from falling. What the hell was that? Clearing her throat, she smiled brightly, wondering if maybe her symptoms were a result of the minimal sleep she'd had ever since she'd arrived at the Mikaelson estate. Regardless of the luxurious linens, she'd done nothing but toss and turn, finally giving up to wander around until her knees threatened to buckle from exhaustion.
"Are you alright, dear?"
"I'm always alright," Caroline reassured her. White lies never hurt anyone.
She rolled over with a moan, squinting at the clock as she let out a soft curse. How had she managed to oversleep? Last night was a bit of a blur, but she knew she'd spent time with Klaus once more. Now two weeks into her new job, she'd found herself seeking out his company against her best judgement. When it was just the two of them, he was surprisingly witty and clever and somehow gentle. There was a tentative friendship there, and she was doing her best not to cross the line into something more that she wasn't ready to handle.
She'd sat in front of the enormous roaring fireplace in the upstairs den last night, engrossed in the flickering flames until she felt almost hypnotized. Klaus had joined her, quietly sketching on the leather couch behind her. Everything felt floaty, and she'd laughed softly, realizing that she didn't find him nearly as irritating as she once had.
"You're lovely in any light, sweetheart, but the firelight may be my favorite."
Caroline's chuckle turned into a full-fledged yawn, and she quickly tried to stifle it with a cough, embarrassed at being this tired at only 8:00. She couldn't figure out what was causing it — her diet and exercise regimen was basically the same, and yet it felt as though she'd run a marathon every day on nothing but junk food. "Sorry, I don't know what's with me lately."
"My mother has run you ragged with her demands," Klaus said, suddenly sitting next to her, his gray eyes full of concern. "Please remember to take care of yourself."
"It's my job to provide her the best care possible. I'm probably just coming down with a cold," she replied stubbornly.
Klaus hadn't looked convinced, but she was grateful he left it alone, preferring to sit with her until she finally started to nod off. She recalled him helping her back to her room, leaving her at the door with a faint brush of his soft lips against her cheek. A gentleman was hiding underneath his irritating pretty-boy persona, and she looked forward to learning more about him.
Blinking fuzzily at the sun's rays streaming into her bedroom, she stumbled to her feet, nausea taking over as the fancy crystal pendant lights over the bed seemed to expand and swirl in dizzying patterns. What was wrong with her? She pressed a hand to her sweaty forehead, wincing at the unexpected sight of dark bruises lining both of her arms. They hadn't been there last night — what had caused them?
The knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts, Klaus' voice laced with concern. "Caroline? Is everything alright?"
Groaning, she managed to drag herself over to answer, leaning a bit too heavily on the door as she pulled it open. "Klaus," she whispered, startled at how lifeless she sounded. "I'm so sorry I overslept. I promise I'm heading upstairs now to start Esther's morning routine."
"Not today, sweetheart. You're far too pale for my liking and you have been all week. If you refuse to take care of yourself then I'm doing it for you — starting with taking you to the emergency room."
"I'm fine, Klaus. Just a little run down, but it's nothing I can't handle," she insisted, heart beating a bit faster at his worry.
He let out an irritated growl, storming over to her closet and yanking out her coat. He commanded through gritted teeth, "This isn't a negotiation, love. Either you willingly walk beside me or I'm carrying you out of here."
"Fine," she grumbled, inwardly appreciating his help getting on her coat. A small jingling sound caught her attention, and her fingers brushed something metal in one of her pockets. Confused, she pulled out a necklace. Esther's necklace. "I don't understand — how did your mother's necklace get in my pocket?"
"It's not my mother's. It belonged to my Aunt Dahlia. They both wore the same talisman until my aunt passed away," Klaus explained, color draining from his face as he stared at the gleaming silver in Caroline's hand. He snapped out of his stupor, angrily snatching it away to reveal, "They're used in witchcraft to channel power. Or, I now suspect to siphon your health and transfer it to my selfish mother."
Before she could fight through her muddled thoughts to form a response, he'd whisked her out of the room, supporting her as he moved quickly up the stairs to Esther's suite of rooms. "I knew all those intrusive questions about your background were suspicious; that she and Finn's interest extended far beyond mere politeness. And then, there was her recent miraculous bit of good health. But I never thought they'd go this far." He paused briefly in the middle of the grand staircase, gray eyes searching hers as he vowed, "Please forgive me for not realizing what they'd done. But I swear I'll protect you now."
She rubbed her head tiredly, feeling an ache throughout her body that sank into her bones. "You think your mother and her sister were...are...witches," she said slowly, the words heavy on her tongue as her brain fought to find reason in this insanity.
"Of course. All of us are witches."
She closed her eyes briefly, having no idea how to respond to that bit of insanity. Rich, attractive, and crazy — of course she'd find this out after she developed a crush on him.
Not bothering to knock, Klaus burst through the heavy mahogany doors of Esther's rooms, bellowing, "What have you done, you selfish cow?!" The heavy drapes had been drawn, and in the dim light of the room, Caroline could just make out the thin form of Esther propped up against a wide expanse of pillows.
However, before she could peer more closely, a figure suddenly attacked from the shadows, hurling itself at Klaus and knocking him over. Finn's sneering face glared down at Klaus, clawing and punching with such fury that Klaus was momentarily stunned. Everything happened so fast that she almost missed the red glow that seemed to emanate from Finn's hands to sinisterly wind around Klaus' neck. What the hell was that?
An invisible heat flooded the room, nearly making her faint. She watched in shock as Klaus seemed to use that energy to get the better of his brother, pushing it toward him until he began to choke. Ok then. The Mikaelsons were witches.
With a guttural roar, Finn summoned more of that insidious red glow, this time slashing into Klaus' forearms, causing Caroline to cry out in alarm as she tried to make her way to him. Unfortunately, a severe chill made its way through her, rooting her feet to the floor, so that she could do no more than shiver where she stood. Klaus seemed to channel his rage, that powerful heat flooding the room once more and tossing Finn through the doors and off the balcony, jagged bits of glass raining down in the terrible silence that followed.
Taking a shaky breath, Caroline was relieved to realize she could move once more, carefully stepping around the sprays of glass shards to observe Klaus looking over the balcony's edge, his face an unreadable mask. "Is he..." she trailed off uncertainly, unable to put into words the violence she'd just witnessed.
"Yes," he replied, searching her face as though mentally cataloguing her potential injuries.
They'd been so distracted by Finn's attack that they'd forgotten about Esther until Klaus suddenly clutched his skull with both hands, unwillingly sinking to his knees with a groan. "Klaus," she shouted, but before she could run to him, Esther tackled her to the floor, cruelly grinding the glass shards into her back and legs.
"Your vitality is mine," Esther hissed, sharp nails cutting into Caroline's flesh. "Every drop of youth, every sliver of good health has abandoned you, dear."
Caroline gasped as she was confronted by Esther's true face, the one she'd carefully hidden from her until now. The deep wrinkles that once had marred her beauty were now barely more than a faint etching of lines. Caroline wondered if they'd be gone within the hour if Esther succeeded in her plans. "Not all of it," she wheezed, fighting with everything she had to stay conscious.
In her arrogance, Esther made the mistake of leaning over her to gloat, the long chain of her talisman brushing against Caroline's fingers. Despite her weakened grip, she still managed to yank it from Esther's neck, letting out a gasp of surprise at how much better she suddenly felt.
She managed to toss Esther off of her, glancing up as Klaus yelled her name. He seemed to have recovered from whatever magic his mother has hurled at him. He still had the talisman they'd found in Caroline's pocket, and seemed to summon that same invisible heat to sweep across the room and melt it down to a misshapen silver lump.
Caroline always had been a woman of reason, taking comfort in putting her faith in science. However, that initial shrieking wail of Esther's helped solidify the theory that there was more going on in the universe than she knew. Like witches. She grabbed a heavy crystal vase from a small table, pleased to see she almost was back to full strength. Screw science, she inwardly thought, bringing it crashing down on top of Esther's talisman.
"No," Esther called out weakly, a loud crack like the sound of thunder echoing through her chambers and causing the mansion to violently shake. Her frail form was sprawled across the floor, dark eyes perfectly blank before finally closing.
In the heavy silence that followed, Caroline asked, "So, is she dead?" She rubbed her head tiredly, trying to understand how she'd landed herself in a situation where in less than five minutes she's had to ask that same question twice. She swayed a bit, still unsteady on her feet. She was relieved when she felt Klaus' hand in hers.
"You're the professional, sweetheart," he said dryly, his casual tone infuriating her to no end.
If she wasn't still shaking from fright, she would've given him a proper eye-roll. Instead, she settled for numbly staring at Esther. Who was a witch. Like Klaus. "Right. Because my palliative care training prepared me for a life-sucking witch and her son who's so hot he summons literal heat at will."
"You think I'm hot," Klaus asked in an absurdly pleased tone.
Caroline's cheeks flushed at that, an indignant noise escaping her as she scoffed, "Seriously?! That's what you want to talk about right now?"
He shrugged, flashing her a dimpled smirk. "I can multitask."
When the doorbell rang, Caroline did her best to ignore her unease. The agency performed rigorous screening and background checks. Their specific request would be respected. In the days following the madness of learning that magic existed and nearly losing her life to her maybe-boyfriend's literal evil witch of a mother, Caroline was proud of the way she'd pulled her shit together and notified the hospice administrators who'd in turn sent out additional medical staff to determine Esther's condition.
The official diagnosis was that Esther had slipped into a coma, which was not uncommon given her rapidly deteriorating health. Her prognosis was grim — a persistent vegetative state with little chance of regaining consciousness. While Klaus gracefully had sidestepped subtle questions from the medical staff concerning do not resuscitate forms, he revealed to Caroline that there was a sense of urgency that she hadn't considered.
Esther was a powerful witch and if she crossed over to the other side, she easily could find a way back into this world if given the right opportunity. That's why she and Klaus were traveling to Esther's homeland overseas to perform a complicated ritual to ensure that Esther's spirit was unbound from the remains of the talismans, preventing her from resurrecting after she passed on.
Which is why they had arranged for a new hospice worker to stay on the property and watch over Esther while they were gone. If the agency found their insistence that they only send a retired worker, they kept it to themselves, and Caroline assumed that the Mikaelsons' notoriety as wealthy eccentrics worked in their favor.
Caroline exchanged a glance with Klaus, her heart fluttering a bit when she recalled how just this morning he'd surprised her by revealing that they'd be staying in a centuries'-old chalet that had been in their family for generations. From his heated look, she knew he was thinking back to their conversation about the hidden mineral hot springs underneath a starry sky.
And then the door opened to reveal a fresh-faced girl, cheeks flushed with the bloom of youth.
