A/N: Hope you guys enjoy :)

Chapter Four: Boundless Sorrow

No one warned Caroline that after so many years, the thought of death would be a numbing one. It wouldn't intimidate her as much as it used to, watching how endless it was would eventually leave her in a state where it no longer affected her in a negative way. She wasn't a psychopath, she found no joy or comfort in death, she knew its sorrow, its pain, and the grief that stemmed from it, but she could no longer feel it in full effect what she was meant to after encountering so much of it.

So many people she's known have died, so many more will continue to die, their human lives only extended so far, this was one among many deaths that she had long since prepared herself for. The other world Caroline didn't have to deal with all this loss, she didn't have this dark cloud of death constantly hovering over her, this world Caroline truly envied her for that.

She's been trying to lessen the amount of time she compares her life to the one she imagined up, she knew it wasn't healthy in the least, but it was moments like this that Caroline couldn't help but think about the differences and let herself imagine what kind of life the other Caroline was living in comparison to her own.

Caroline stayed near the back of the funeral, half the people here she didn't know, they were strangers to her just as much as she was a stranger to them, the other half of the people she did know, they were familiar faces, they noticed her there but stayed away, choosing not to engage in conversation with her, only offering her a nod or a smile in acknowledgement, ones she returned, choosing to also not engage with the people around her.

Mia had done a wonderful job organizing Hope's funeral, though they shared no blood relation, Caroline liked to think her grandchild got that little tidbit from her. She had always enjoyed organizing parties and events, they gave her a sense of purpose, made her neurotic tendencies look worth it.

It was sad to think but Mia was no stranger to funerals, she had been a guest at several funerals in her life, Alaric's, Damon's, Elena's, Bonnie's, Jeremy's, Keelin's, Freya's, the list seemed never ending. She also had practice planning funerals, having planned two before Hope's, one for her other Mother, Lizzie, who had passed away four years ago, and one for her Aunt Josie who had passed away less than a year ago.

Now she sat up front in an elegant strapless black dress with a wife, kids, her brother Luca, his wife, and their kids, all of them looked so perfect together, so human too. They were people Caroline knows she should think of as family, they are family, Mia and Luca were hers and Klaus's grandchildren, those children gathered around them were their great-grandchildren, but Caroline had stayed as far back as she could get over the years, without completely leaving their lives, both for her own mental health and for their protection, but regardless of the reasons, whether right or wrong, it was almost impossible to call someone family when you've never been there beyond phone calls and facetime.

She doesn't feel guilty having not been a major part of hers and Klaus's grandchildren's lives, they were human, they would live normal lives and then die, it was better she didn't bring death knocking at their doorstep every week when they were already so frail. That's what happens to humans who associate themselves with the supernatural too much, their lives were tormented, death was constantly waiting in the wings for them, and it was just sheer luck that would determine if they made it out alive or not. Caroline didn't want that hanging over Mia's and Luca's heads, she wanted them to be happy, to love, to be loved, to have something epic with someone they could never imagine being without, to build families. She wanted them to experience the fullest extent of a human life they could before they left this earth to join their mothers and grandfather in the afterlife.

Soon Caroline would be attending their funerals, bumping up her number of attendances to such things by two. The only funerals on the long list of names of people who had died over the years that Caroline had made it to were her daughters funerals, Davina's, and now Hope's.

Her daughters deserved that from Caroline, she needed to say goodbye to them forever, so though she didn't want to return to Mystic Falls, she had come back for them. The best decision she ever made for her girls was leaving Mystic Falls so they wouldn't have her supernatural shadow constantly darkening them, she knew that when she was in the presence of the people her girls cared about most. No one but Hope had known she came back for their funerals, much like she's doing now she had stayed to the back, trying to blend with the funeral décor, not wanting to draw attention to herself. Hope of course had noticed her right away but no one else had, she hadn't approached Caroline in those moments she realized she was there but she had found Caroline both times before she could disappear again to give her a hug and wish her the best in her traveling adventures that were never ending.

Caroline had went to her daughters funerals for her daughters and herself, to get closure. She had went to Davina's funeral for Kol, it was a small funeral, intimate with a minimal gathering, it was the first funeral Caroline had attended of the four, it was where she got her first practice of blending in the background of such an event.

She hadn't known Davina on a personal level, Caroline had barley spoken a hand full of words to her throughout the years that she had known her. She knew very little of what Davina was like, who she was as a person, who she kept in her company besides Kol, there really was no real reason to attend a practical strangers funeral. Especially not when she had declined to attend the others, of people who she knew more about, people that were her entire life at one point.

She couldn't not be there though; it was an unexplainable feeling inside that told her to go when she heard Davina had died. Caroline had only hesitated briefly before she packed her things and booked a flight out. Kol had stood in front of Davina's white coffin for hours after the funeral had ended, Caroline there with him, keeping her distance from what was a personal moment for him, she didn't want to interrupt his goodbyes to Davina, she only wanted to show her silent support for someone who had come to mean a great deal to her despite their rare meetings.

Caroline had hoped in that moment Kol would be able to say a peaceful goodbye, that he and Davina had lived their lives together the way they had planned, that there was nothing left of promises that Kol would hold onto because they were never fulfilled. She couldn't imagine how he felt burying Davina, they had been together for decades, he had watched her grow old, wither away to nothing. Kol had come to terms with the fact that Davina didn't want an eternity with him, having refused to turn into a vampire, but Caroline knew how much it hurt when someone chose death over an eternity with them, a faint almost forgotten memory of her dad plagued her thoughts after thinking that.

There was no comfort Caroline could offer him, she knew that she and Kol still weren't familiar like that, despite their physical closeness the last time they had seen each other, despite the overwhelming familiar tension that filled the space between them in that moment. Their physical interactions were void since that day, the last time she had seen him was when Rebekah had turned human again. They had texted over the years, nothing extremely important or serious, mainly updates on themselves, Kol still texted her travel advice too, this world being a big ball of mystery still even though she feels like she's traveled to every corner possible.

They had however upgraded to calls, they weren't often but they were special moments Caroline looked forward to, nothing of importance was ever said, but just hearing Kol's voice had her stomach in knots, her mind in a fog, had her feeling things she thought she would never feel again, those calls made her feel whole again in the time that they took place.

She had wished she could give him a piece of Davina that he could hold close to his heart, always remembering her, sharing his life with her, like he had done for Caroline when Klaus had died. She still wore her bracelet as faithfully as ever, it was her one physical connection to Klaus, the thought of taking it off permanently hadn't ever crossed her mind since Kol had given it back to her.

"I feel honored that you broke a streak of not attending funerals to attend Davina's." Kol had said to her, Caroline had known he knew she was there, she wasn't trying to hide but she didn't think he would acknowledge her, she wasn't positive if she wanted him to acknowledge her. She was waiting for him to leave so she could pay her respects before leaving herself, she had picked up a white rose from a random flower shop before she came here.

Seeing no reason to stay back anymore now that Kol was actively engaging her, Caroline walked up to stand next to him. He didn't look at her, too busy looking at the beautiful picture on the stand, one of Davina when she was younger, showing a full teethed grin to the camera.

"I'm sorry Kol." Caroline hated those words, they didn't feel like enough, there was too much loss to be encompassed in those small words. No matter how insignificant they sounded though she wouldn't take them back, she was sorry, the loss of someone you loved strangled you, she wouldn't wish that on anyone let alone Kol who had helped her more then he would ever know.

"She was human, it was bound to happen sooner or later, they have such fragile bodies." He told her with no emotion, had his eyes not been misty with tears she might have believed his act of not caring.

"Human, Vampire, Witch," Caroline stepped closer to him, not quite touching him but close enough to let him know she was here for him, "Or Hybrid, losing someone you love hurts like a son of bitch, and it's okay to let that pain out."

"Like you did with Nik and everyone else who has had the misfortune of perishing?" He questioned her with a shake of his head, he did have a point that Caroline realized is a fault in herself. She had come to accept the death that was around her, the people it took from this world for the next. She hadn't grieved for any of them though, not in a traditional sense, the only one who she felt like she owned a semblance of that to was Klaus, Caroline felt she was doing what he would want her to, she was living, exploring, traveling, learning new things all the time, taking in her eternity with an iron fist, that was her way of letting out the pain of not having him. The others had only sparked little bits of pain in her when they had "perished", Caroline had let them go long before they had died, including her daughters as despairing as that was to think about.

"I might not have let the pain out in a typical mourning fashion but that doesn't mean I didn't realize that pain at all, Davina deserves for you to knowledge her loss Kol, and it's okay not knowing how to handle that right now but don't pretend her loss isn't anything." Taking another look to Davina's picture Caroline leaned over her coffin to put the white rose right on top of it. Davina deserved to be mourned, to be grieved over by the love of her life, a life she shared with Kol.

Kol had stayed quiet for a long moment, taking in the different flowers placed on top Davina's coffin, an assortment of color that popped against the white of the coffin she was placed in, it was beautiful. He turned to Caroline finally, looking down at her wrist, to her bracelet, he suddenly gripped her hands in his, flickering his eyes to Davina's coffin to her bracelet and back again in rapid succession, he avoided her eyes so Caroline couldn't begin to tell what he was thinking, but her heart felt like it skipped a beat when he stepped even closer to her in obvious need of comfort.

"I don't know how to say goodbye to her." He confided in a small voice; Caroline didn't know how to answer that. There wasn't a right answer she could give him, there was no miracle work all that someone could say or do that allowed them the freedom to say goodbye to someone they lost and mean it. Sometimes she felt like she had already said her goodbye's to Klaus, other times she felt like she was still in the middle of them, with every new place she traveled she felt like she was saying goodbye to another piece of him. She was the last person to be handing out advice on how to say goodbye.

"I guess it's a good thing that you have an eternity to figure that out." Is what she chose to say back, she flinched back from her words to him, they seemed unnecessarily harsh to her own ears, it was a subpar thing to say, but it was the truth at the very least is what she told herself, he had time to let Davina go at his own pace. Kol didn't say anything more to her, just held her hands well he stared at Davina's casket, occasionally running his thumbs across her bracelet.

Caroline was pulled from her memories when someone laid there hand on her shoulder, giving her a couple of shakes to snap her back to reality. She was still at Hope's funeral, it had mostly cleared out, the only people left lingering were close family members and stragglers trying to put their condolences in to the family.

"You could have taken a seat in the crowd like a normal person you do know that right?" Caroline's eyes ran over the face in front of her, Rebekah had aged beautifully in the last twenty-five years, the lines on her face only heightened what she naturally offered. It was a good look on her, being human was fitting Rebekah well.

"I didn't want to intrude." She replied back, it wasn't much of an excuse, she couldn't possibly intrude on a funeral meant for her daughter-in-law, a girl that was family to Caroline in more ways than just being connected through Lizzie. Rebekah scoffed at her, that same annoying "better than thou" attitude Caroline has found she's missed in her sound.

"You were practically her mother Caroline; you could never intrude." The way Rebekah said it was startling to her, she didn't know why though, Hope was basically another daughter to Caroline even before she had married Lizzie. She was Klaus's daughter, after his death, Caroline did her best to be there for Hope, sometimes it was appreciated, other times it wasn't but it never stopped Caroline from being there for the younger girl however she could. She nodded to Rebekah but didn't answer her, Caroline preferred to blend in the back, she didn't need to be up front with everyone openly showing what she would rather keep to herself.

Rebekah glanced back to the last people leaving the service, Mia and Luca, who were staring at them with question in their eyes, mainly at Rebekah to which she nodded, both of Caroline's grandkids looked to her next, she smiled at them but didn't approach, keeping her distance was for the best, they smiled back before taking their leave.

"Will you be coming to the school?" From what Caroline knew everyone was on their way there now, for an after-service event where they would reminisce about Hope's best accomplishments in life and most embarrassing moments to catch a laugh out of everyone.

"No, I came to pay my respects, I'll be leaving soon." She didn't want to stay there any longer then she had to, it was too much, her daughters were gone, and now so was Klaus's. She wanted to be alone to process that, how so many years just passed by as if they were nothing.

"She's with Hayley and Nik." Rebekah unexpectedly told her, if there was happiness after death, then yeah Hope was with her parents, exactly where she belongs, Hope had waited a very long time to reunite with Klaus and Hayley, Caroline hopes the afterlife hadn't failed her and took Hope exactly where she needed to go.

"I know." It was strange but Caroline felt like she lost another vital part of Klaus with Hope's death. It was silly really, Klaus had been dead for sixty-two years, long enough that Caroline should not still be losing parts of him, and yet when she thinks she has moved on, something comes and proves her wrong. It was like the universe was telling her he was infinite; she would never not be losing him.

"It's probably none of my business Caroline, but I know a thing or two about living a very long time," Rebekah grabbed Caroline's hands in her own, "Some advice love, find happiness where you can, it's a very long life that doesn't have to be lonely if you don't want it to be. I know Nik would want you to be happy." Caroline's heart tugged, it was a long minute since she's been called "love", Rebekah didn't play fair, Caroline smiled at her, God this annoying woman, pushing buttons like she used to.

"Then it's a good thing she has an eternity to figure that out sister." Caroline let out a genuine laugh, she had wondered where Kol was the entire time, she had seen Rebekah when she arrived, but Kol wasn't with her. Caroline didn't think he would miss his niece's funeral but what did she know, maybe another funeral was too much for him. She's glad to see he didn't skip out on it; he was just lurking in the shadows like she was.

"Asshole." Caroline knew at some point those words would come back and bite her in the ass, it was a little insensitive to say at the time, Caroline hadn't thought about that when she said it though, she regretted it immediately after, but she had managed to justify her words to him that day. Just like it was true for him though when she said those words to him, the same applied to her, she did have an eternity to figure out how to be happy again.

"I should get going, Mia will be wondering what's taking me so long. Caroline, Kol." Rebekah winked hugging them both, taking a minute to glance between the both of them before she left, Caroline was tempted to ask her what she saw when she looked between them, what she was looking for, and more importantly why she looked smug walking away from them.

"I'm not sure you should be accepting any sage advice from Rebekah Darling; she was a bit of a strumpet in that long life she talked about." Kol stepped closer to her, they were practically chest to chest, only a barley appropriate distance separated them. Caroline found herself wanting to close the small distance between them, it was a dangerous thought that she shouldn't entertain, her and Kol shouldn't be playing hand and body hockey any more than they already have.

"Strumpet?" She giggled, it was such an old-fashioned term, Caroline had no right to judge Rebekah though, she had only wanted love, something she was denied for so long that any small compliment had Rebekah infatuated. Plus, Caroline had went through her fair share of men, she had no shortage of them back then, now not so much, a weak date here and there to scratch an itch, she was always sure to leave the next morning though before her nameless date woke up.

"I've said worse, calling her that is a compliment at this point, honestly." Kol smiled enjoying Caroline's laugh, he doesn't remember ever actually hearing her like this before, not that he and Caroline had much practice in each other's company for him to be able to. It was a nice sound, very warming.

"Will you be going to the school?" Caroline asked him, the school was now run by Mia and Luca, it was still a school for the supernatural, but she didn't know how long that would be holding out with no adult supernatural's there to teach, the school was almost taken over by humans at this point, it would come as no surprise to her when it's no longer a sanctuary for the supernatural but rather just a normal boarding school.

"No, I think it's best I stay away from that," Kol looked to the Hope's casket, "She lived a wonderful life, Nik would have been proud." Caroline nodded agreeing with him, Klaus would have been proud of Hope no matter what, that was his little girl, she could do no wrong in his eyes.

"He is proud." Caroline said with confidence, the service was completely empty, had been for a while by then, she couldn't do any more than what she's done, it was time to leave. As if he was reading her mind and agreeing with her, Kol sent one final look to the casket that held his niece before grabbing her arm to tuck it into his own before he walked out with her.

"Before you take off for another god knows how many years, would you care to grab a drink with me Darling?"

Caroline grinned at him, tightening her arm around his as she allowed Kol to lead her to his car. Glancing back at Hope's casket, she sent a prayer to whoever was listening that Hope found happiness wherever she was.

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed, feel free to follow, favorite, and/or drop a review :)

***ANSWERS TO REVIEWS***

To: Jalissa12213: I can't wait to write more lol Thank you so much for this amazing review :) Rebekah is the last person I feel Caroline and Kol would attend the funeral of however I did not write that (as of yet) I'm not sure if I want to include that or not when I get to the editing stage for the final chapter lol so far though that's not included. It's so sad to think but yes everyone else on Caroline's side is gone, except her grandchildren but she isn't close with them. I'll be trying to post the final chapter within a few weeks, that is if I don't decide to add even more to the chapter forcing me to split it into two chapters lmfao, sometimes my editing gets away from me jk. Thank you so much again for reviewing :)

To: Alessandra.12: I'm so happy you enjoyed reading this update, thank you for leaving this kind review! :)

To: potterheaddd: Thank you so much! :)

To: Lilou019: Merci! Je suis heureux que vous ayez apprécié mon histoire et que vous ayez laissé cette excellente critique. Je suis désolé d'avoir mis si longtemps à répondre à votre avis. J'ai passé un Noël incroyable, j'espère que le vôtre était aussi incroyable :) Je m'excuse si cette traduction est mauvaise, j'ai dû utiliser Google Translate lol, mais merci encore, votre soutien est apprécié :)