Elijah had convinced him. Klaus now wanted this child that had been the result of a drunken night with the little wolf. The only thing was that he didn't like being under the control of the witches to the extent that he was with Hayley being linked to one of them. He thought on this. He was wondering what he could do to unlink them, and he'd gone through several options, but unlinking was quite a spell to master. Klaus knew witches. Some that even owed him favors but the unlinking spell wasn't within their skill set. There were different kinds of magic and the various covens focused on different end goals. It was rare to find ones that were versed in all areas like the Bennet witch in Mystic Falls seemed to be going for. Most had their specialties.

It was the following Tuesday when the thought occurred to him. Hayley was the one linked to Sophie Deveraux. Whatever happened to one of them, happened to both. But the baby? The child wasn't linked to anyone magically. It would only suffer if what ailed Hayley was bad enough to affect it. But what if Hayley's wellbeing didn't have any bearing on the child's welfare at all?

There was a coven Klaus knew of called the Gemini. Two of its members had been on the receiving end of his rare generosity about a decade ago and he had yet to call in that IOU. He happened to be in the right place, at the right time and in the right mood and he'd saved them both along with their son. They weren't from this area but he had no doubt that he could get them here within the day if need be and they had promised to repay him whenever they could. After having saved this small family of three, they had brought up another witch in conversation that had been saved by a spell years ago. But this witch had been unborn at the time. The mother was suffering from a fatal illness that would take her life within weeks and the fetus was not yet viable. Something had to be done and they'd used a spell to transfer the baby into the uterus of a healthy woman who was then able to carry it to term.

The memory of that conversation stuck in Klaus' mind and he couldn't seem to ignore it. With the danger that Hayley was in, the fact that it put him at the French Quarter witches' mercy and the observation Klaus had made that Hayley didn't seem too thrilled about being a Mother anyway... this pregnancy transference spell kept seeming like a better and better idea. The Original Hybrid didn't much like having to get the permission of others for things that were this important so he kept his idea to himself and didn't bother to ask Hayley given her near herbal abortion. Elijah would have a moral issue with it if Klaus didn't get Hayley's consent but he was in a box in Marcel's care right now anyway so Klaus made a phone call.

The magical couple in question were more than happy to help especially given the circumstances. He had saved them and their child and now he was asking that they save his. They simply needed to talk enough of their coven into helping to make the spell powerful enough for it to work. They also had a unique request of him as well. They needed him to find a strong woman to carry out the pregnancy. It could not be someone human because with the baby being part witch, vampire and werewolf, it may suck the life from her. So the surrogate needed to be either a vampire, werewolf, hybrid or witch... but that wasn't the only requirement. She had to be someone who would not wish to rid herself of the baby, someone who would protect it with everything she had.

He knew plenty of supernatural females. That wasn't the problem. Finding one that would willingly carry the child to term and go through birthing it was. That's when Caroline came to mind. He had granted Tyler his ability to return to Mystic Falls for her Graduation gift but Klaus never felt that was something she owed him for nor did he want to make her feel like she did. She had plenty of reasons to say 'no' and she would be well within her rights to but he'd seen the look in her eyes when he truly needed her and was sincere. There was a chance... just a small one, that she would be willing to help. And Klaus couldn't stop himself from thinking about what might come from a situation like that if she were to agree.

Carrying someone's child could bond two people very intimately. And while that was not his motivation for asking her, it certainly could be a nice consequence. But he was getting ahead of himself. He needed to talk to her. Klaus took out his phone and sent a text that he knew would get her attention.

There's something we need to discuss, Caroline. I need your help to keep my family safe but I want you to know from the off that you are under no obligation. You do not owe me for anything that happened at your graduation. You need to know that. So please, call me at your earliest convenience and I shall explain. If you choose not to help, I will understand, but I beg you to hear me out.

He could see the notification that she'd read it within a minute but it took her twenty to call. Clearly, she wasn't sure she wanted to know what all this was about but she was a kind person, even when it came to him.

"Hello, Caroline," he answered.

"Alright, let's have it." She was straight to business.

Klaus explained the situation. He said that he'd never thought of being a natural father before but now that it was happening, he didn't want to have the child at any kind of risk. Caroline's first reaction was what he expected.

"I'm eighteen, Klaus! And you want me to be a surrogate?! I'm about to start college and... it's you. And I know you let Tyler come back-"

"Listen to me. I told you, you don't owe me anything for that. If you choose to do this, it's not you paying me back for anything. I will not guilt you into this. It is completely your choice. But, I do want you to understand why I'm asking you specifically. Will you allow me to tell you before you hang up?"

He could hear Caroline take a deep breath and let it out, sounding a little frustrated but giving in. "I can't believe I'm even listening to this but, sure, go ahead."

"After all we've been through with one another, I trust you. I know you have mixed feelings about me at best but I also know that were you to do this, you would protect my child with all your considerable abilities. Not because it's for me but because you're a good person. Elijah said that this child was a chance for me, for our whole family. It's a symbol of hope and redemption. He thinks it will change me for the better. Whether that's true or not, I don't know, but I do know that I will do whatever I can to protect it... These witches, Caroline, they want me to wage a war and they're threatening the safety of my child to do it. And while I find I'd like to rule my former home again, a warzone is no place for a little one, born or unborn. You know I like control but I've chosen to walk away from this place and any power I could gain, at least for now. You have your own life, I know that. I'm not trying to take that away from you. No one would have to know you were carrying my son or daughter because the Gemini coven have also said they could cloak the pregnancy. No one there would know you were doing this for me if you didn't want them to."

Caroline had let him carry on through the whole thing. She'd been completely silent, and she remained that way even after he'd finished. But he could still hear the slight static of the connection. She was still there and she was thinking. That was a good thing. It meant her answer wasn't an obvious 'go fuck yourself'. Not that she would have worded it that way but still. She could clearly hear his desperation. Klaus knew that she always responded best when he was sincere and open about how something was affecting him. His good side, small though it may be, was her weakness. So was his willingness to put so much faith and trust in her. She didn't take any of it lightly.

"Let me see if I have this correct. You want a group of witches to magically transplant your baby into my body. They can hide the pregnancy so that I don't even look pregnant even in the final months so that none of my friends would ever know. I can carry on with my life as it is with no disruptions except for the birth which I know I'll heal quickly from. This would also make you walk away from starting one of your major shit storms in Louisiana and you'd be keeping out of trouble for the gestation and raising of this child except for when it comes to protecting it. Do I have all that right?"

"Every part, yes." He confirmed.

"And I'm guessing you would be returning to Virginia?"

"Yes, but I can remain a town away, so no one knows I'm nearby, even when you go to Whitmore. I have no intention of causing any trouble with your friends."

"Since when?" Caroline asked with attitude. She was understandably testy.

"Since now. I know what a gigantic thing it is I am asking of you. I will not do anything to make it any more difficult on you."

There was more silence on the other end and Klaus waited. He could hear her breathing. They were deep breaths so he knew she was considering it. He knew that she cared for him in spite of all he'd done and the fact that an innocent life was on the line was a hard thing for her to say no to. It seemed like ten minutes before she said another word but when she did, he could not believe his ears.

"Let me sleep on it. I know you need an answer soon with everything going on but allow me at least a night, okay?"

"Of course. Give me a call tomorrow and let me know what you decide. Thank you, Caroline, for even considering this."

She sighed. "Ill call no later than noon tomorrow."

With that she hung up and Klaus began all preparations in case her answer was yes. There was airfare to arrange along with other logistics. If Caroline's answer was no, he would begin looking into paying a vampire or werewolf to do this. He didn't trust witches beyond what he was asking of the Gemini. He could compel someone into it if absolutely necessary.

The night was a restless one for Klaus but eventually the next day arrived and his phone rang at 10am. Caroline didn't waste any time.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but bring Hayley here along with the witches you need. To your old house. Don't let anyone know you're back except me. This will be done quickly and quietly. No one is to ever find out anything is going on, do you understand me?"

"You're going to help me?" He asked, barely believing his good fortune.

"Your baby isn't even born yet and you're trying to be a good father. Hell, a good person, and how can I refuse to help when that is all that I've ever wa-" She cut herself off before she said something she didn't think she ought to. "Anyway, you'll handle everything?" She asked.

"Yes, absolutely. I'll get everything in order and we will arrive in the next few days. Thank you, Caroline. You have no idea what this means to me."

"Hey, I'm not fully committed yet. If there's anything about this you've lied to me about or left out, I'm not doing it. Do you understand that?"

"Understood."

The next few days happened in a blur. Klaus had told Marcel he had some business and would return for Elijah later. He didn't want his elder brother getting in the way anyway. By the time Caroline was set to arrive at his Mystic Falls mansion, he and the Gemini witches were present, Hayley was rendered magically unconscious and everything was ready to go.

Caroline rang the doorbell and he answered immediately. "Please do come in."

He introduced her to the Gemini and explained that everything was all set. Hayley could have been a bear to wrangle. He'd simply told her he had a way of protecting their child and asked her to trust him. She was difficult about it at first but ultimately agreed to with no further information because he promised that he would reunite her with Elijah if she went along without making a fuss. That was all it took.

"And she's okay with this?" Caroline asked when they entered his bedroom where Hayley was laid out in a spelled sleep on one side of his bed.

"She doesn't want the child." He explained. "Our liquor fueled one-night stand was never suppose to connect us forever. She went to a witch in New Orleans to get wolfsbane to kill the little one. I cannot risk her trying that again. She'll be glad to be free of this."

Caroline had no love for the werewolf girl since Hayley once broke her neck but she was a good person and he understood her wanting to check.

"Do you need to be anywhere this afternoon? I would prefer you rest afterward." He asked.

"No. Tyler is off helping a werewolf pack and doesn't plan to be back until the semester starts in the fall. Bonnie is with her Mom, traveling. Matt, as you know, is traveling for the summer with Rebecca. Elena and Damon are all over each other and Stefan left to let them be happy. So, I'm on my own for the most part which is one of the reasons I even considered this. Even if there are some signs of something being different with me, most of my friends aren't around to notice and those that are, are preoccupied. Though, I might tell my Mom about this. I may need someone to confide in at some point and we've actually gotten a lot closer than we use to be."

Klaus nodded and they awkwardly looked at one another for a few moments before she began rattling off questions to the Gemini that were gathered in the room with them. After several minutes, everything was answered about what she should expect and how things would go when she started feeling labor pains. Two of the Gemini witches had agreed to stay in the area and do regular check-ups with Caroline to make sure that both baby and surrogate were doing well at all stages. Jenny and her husband Ben. They would deliver the child since no ordinary doctor would know what they were dealing with.

"Well?" She finally asked. "What do I do?"

Jenny instructed her to lay on the bed next to Hayley and Caroline did as told. She looked nervous so Klaus grabbed her hand and squeezed reassuringly.

"Everything will be okay, Sweetheart, I promise. I'm right here."

Caroline didn't say anything but just as with the day that he had saved her from Alaric at the High School, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. She didn't understand how but Klaus made her feel safe and protected.

Jenny asked if Caroline was ready and when she got the affirmative, the chanting began. Klaus kept ahold of her hand knowing that it was helping her and that it wouldn't affect the spell. Caroline locked eyes with him and held his gaze the entire time. He could tell that she needed him so he gave a soft smile and after a few seconds, she returned it. She was nervous but had actually agreed to this crazy idea. A week ago, if someone had told him all this would happen, he would have thought they had lost it.

It took about five minutes. There were apparently two spells being worked simultaneously. One to transplant the baby into Caroline and another to cloak it from any kind of detection apart from methods the Geminis used themselves.

"Okay, we're all set." Jenny smiled at both of them.

"That's it?" Caroline asked.

"Yep. I mean, I would advise you take it easy from now on. Treat yourself with all the care you would a normal pregnancy. Blood is necessary for your survival and won't hurt the baby but you also need to regularly ingest normal human food for the baby's nutrition as we said before. Here, you'll need to take these everyday as well." Jenny handed over prenatal vitamins and Caroline nodded.

"And Hayley?" Caroline asked.

"She will wake up and it will be as though none of this ever happened. She will go back to turning on full moons and there won't even be any signs she was ever pregnant. She'll go back to her normal life." Ben answered.

"Betraying and offering up hybrids for sacrifices and all," Caroline muttered. Klaus rolled his eyes and shook his head with a little chuckle. Caroline could definitely hold a grudge and rightfully so.

"The coven is going to take Hayley back to the werewolf pack she was with before she came to Mystic Falls. Why don't you and I catch up at your house and you can get comfortable for the rest of the day?" He asked as he helped Caroline off the bed and back to her feet. He didn't mention that the coven had also been instructed to erase all of Hayley's memory from before she met Tyler. She would never remember coming to Mystic Falls, getting pregnant or having gone to New Orleans at all. Elijah would be furious when Klaus got him back from Marcel but that could be managed at a later time.

Klaus almost laughed. Caroline was being extra careful in her movements as though she were suddenly fragile. It told him however that he had indeed made a good choice in trusting her with this. He knew without a doubt that she would eat as healthy as possible and take the prenatal vitamins religiously. She was a type A personality, putting everything she had into her projects, and this would be no different.

"Wait. One more thing." Jenny stopped Klaus and Caroline before they walked out. "In regular surrogacies, the baby gets little to no genetic material from the woman carrying it to term but in a magical one, particularly one being carried out by a vampire, that may not be true. There's no way to be sure until further into the pregnancy or maybe until birth but your vampirism may overpower the natural development and give the baby more of your DNA than it has of Hayley's."

Caroline froze, eyes bulging. "What?!"

Ben approached. "We know it's information that would have been useful beforehand but given that it was a child's life at stake, one that's part witch no less, we didn't want that to influence the decision. For either of you."

Caroline looked at Klaus. "You didn't know about this?"

Truth be told, Klaus had read up on normal human surrogacies and saw the possibility of some genetics passing from the surrogate to the fetus and hoped it would happen in this instance but Jenny and Ben nor any of the rest of the Geminis had brought it up before now.

"This is the first I'm hearing of it, Love." He slightly skirted around the question with a technicality. He'd read about it after all.

"So this baby might actually be more mine biologically even though I wasn't involved in conceiving it?" Caroline looked like she was horrified. Klaus had to keep himself from smiling. He did do all of this out of honest concern for the baby's well being but this possibility was a happy side effect. He hadn't been thrilled about having a baby with Hayley as the mother but Caroline? That was another story entirely.

"You should have told me this! What if it comes out looking just like me?! Am I suppose to just hand it over?" Klaus could tell Caroline was starting to freak out.

"Easy, Love. It will all be alright. We will figure this out."

"I didn't sign up for this part. Put it back!" She pointed towards Hayley who still rested unconscious on the bed.

"I'm afraid we can't do that. This spell only works once. We can't go back and forth with it. But you agreed to this to keep a child safe and that's what you're doing. Focus on that," Ben tried to reassure.

"But how am I supposed to walk away from a baby that is a part of me?" Caroline was starting to hyperventilate.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Love. It may not get anything from you at all. But whether it does or it doesn't, I am alright with however much you would want to be involved, if at all. You don't have to walk away if you don't want to. Or, you can go back to your life afterward and not give it a second thought. There's already a risk of a growing attachment for a surrogate in normal circumstances. Surely, you thought of this, yes?"

Caroline looked like she was spacing out and might faint.

"Alright, let's get you home. We can sit down there and talk about it where you're more comfortable." He put her arm over his shoulder and put his arm around her waist so that if she did pass out, he could immediately hold her up.

The blonde vampire's eyes were very round and concerned. Klaus could tell this was a massive curve ball that she hadn't foreseen. He knew his girl was smart, but he also knew that this was an aspect she might not think to look into as he had. As a matter of fact, he was hoping she wouldn't come across it as it may have stopped her from going through with it. He carefully led her out to her car and put her in the passenger seat. With her mind going every which way as it surely was, he didn't want her driving. There was no way she would be able to concentrate.

They arrived at her house minutes later and he helped her inside. Liz was apparently at work which was perfectly fine with him. Caroline had mentioned possibly wanting to share all of this with her mother but with the surprise the young woman had just gotten, she needed some time to digest.

Klaus sat her on the couch and went to the kitchen to put something together for her to eat. In the fridge he found all the makings for a healthy salad for his growing child and some B positive for the now pregnant Ms. Forbes. When he returned with everything, Caroline was still silent on the couch, staring straight ahead so he put everything in front of her for when she was ready. He knew that this was the biggest shock of her life apart from when she was turned but that he could get her through this. Something told him that everything would be alright. The hardest part was already over. She had come through for him and he would see her through as well.

Caroline blinked a few times and without a word she began eating and drinking. Klaus gave her the physical space she needed until she indicated otherwise.

The fact that the child may come out and belong to them both was not something she had given any thought to. This was brand new and for a young woman who was still in her teens and it was a lot to think about. She had plans and a future. None of it included being a Mom since she became a vampire but if they found out the child had her traits, she would naturally want to be involved. Klaus knew Caroline. Even if DNA conversion were not a factor, she would have a tough time walking away from the baby after the birth. It was a fact he was not unhappy with. This plan continued to tick boxes that he hadn't at first intended but certainly ones he liked.

An hour passed. The salad bowl sat empty and so did the blood bag.

"Oh God. What am I going to tell Tyler?" Her voice was a raspy whisper before she cleared her throat.

"There will be no signs of the pregnancy, remember? And he's gone for the next few months anyway, right?"

"Klaus, this baby might scientifically by my child as well as yours by the time it's born. If Jenny and Ben find out that's the case then I can't just forget about all this afterward like it never happened. I have wanted kids my whole life. I always assumed I'd have them but I gave up on that when I became a vampire. And now? Now, there's a child inside me that may come out looking like me and eventually sounding like me. You said I could be as involved as I want. Did you mean that?"

"Yes. Even if it gets nothing from you. The simple fact that you're carrying it and making sure it's protected entitles you to be a part of its life, if you want. If you want to be a mother, Caroline, if you feel like one when all is said and done, then you are one." Klaus reached out and took her hand. "You don't have to be afraid. This is a lot for both of us to take in but I'm just glad he or she will be safe from here on out. That's because of you. My family line is safe because of how brave you're being. I am here for you. Whatever you need. You're not alone."

The blonde looked at him in a way she had never done before. She looked at him as though his words meant the world to her. But then something occurred to Klaus.

"I need to ask that you not tell Tyler about any of this. I cannot trust he will not try to get revenge on me through the little one."

Caroline gasped and her eyes bulged. "Oh my God. You're right. And if I want to be in its life after its born, we'll have to leave. He can never know. That means..." She broke off and closed her eyes. "That means I have to break up with him. Klaus, this is so much bigger now." She put her face in her hands.

He needed to calm her down. "Easy, Love. You're getting ahead of yourself again. All that is possible, yes, but it could be that none of it comes to pass." He was hoping it would but he wanted her to relax. "Cross that bridge if and when you come to it and until then, you have me and your Mum to talk about it with. You don't have to figure anything out right this minute. So why don't we put on a movie and get your mind off of it for now, okay? The less stress, the better."

"Oh, right, anxiety is bad for the baby. Okay, uh, let's watch a comedy or something. And yes, I will definitely need to tell my Mom about all this."

Klaus listed off the DVD titles until Caroline settled on Pretty Woman. It was a classic and it had nothing to do with babies. She almost chose Dirty Dancing until she remembered the part where one of the dancers has a bad abortion.

So they settled in and Klaus was surprised when Caroline scooted close and leaned into him. He put his arm around her and rubbed her upper arm on the other side as the film began. By the time it ended and the credits were rolling, she was asleep with her head on his lap. He didn't move and just let her get her rest.

It was about an hour later that he heard a car pull up. The Sheriff was home.

Liz Forbes walked into her house and the last thing she expected to see when she came into the living room was Klaus Mikaelson on the couch with her daughter curled up asleep. Her mouth dropped open and Klaus put a finger to his mouth to make sure she stayed quiet.

"She's had a difficult day, Sheriff," he whispered. "It's a long story and we'll explain it all later but for now, she needs rest. Is it alright if I stay?" He asked politely.

Liz was taken aback by the fact that he asked. She didn't know what else to do so she just nodded. She looked down at her sleeping girl and somehow knew Caroline was safe in the Original's company. She had watched the goings-on while Klaus had been in town before. She knew that this thousand-year-old man adored her daughter and though it unsettled her, it also comforted her. The most powerful being on the planet cared about Caroline. Liz knew her daughter was special, but she would have to ask Klaus one day specifically what had happened to make him so smitten with her.

The older woman left them in the living room while she went to bed and Caroline didn't wake until the next morning.

Klaus had fallen asleep sometime in the night and they had both shifted positions here and there so that when they did wake up, Klaus was lying down across the couch with Caroline tucked into his side, her head on his chest and her arm around his torso. He had to smile. This was a nice way to welcome a new day. It wasn't long before he felt her stir and she opened her eyes to look up at him.

It took her sleepy mind a few moments to process the situation and when she looked like she was about to freak out, he made a shushing sound and rubbed her back. "Easy, Caroline. Everything is alright. We need to keep you nice and relaxed remember?"

Caroline nodded, slowly breathing in and out. "Good," he praised.

She slowly sat up, rotated and rubbed her neck, facing away from him. He followed and sat up as well, continuing to rub her back softly.

"I can't believe yesterday happened... but it did so now I just need to forge ahead." She was being calm like she needed to be.

"Speaking of yesterday," they both heard Liz from behind them, "what did happen?"

Caroline looked at her Mom and took a deep steadying breath. "You're going to need to sit down..."


Two hours later...

Liz was in shock and she could barely believe what her daughter had done but after a time she started asking clarifying questions to make sure she understood every aspect properly.

"Caroline, carrying a baby, even if it's not related to you... you're going to get attached. Honey, I don't think you'll be able to walk away regardless of if it shares any DNA with you or not."

Caroline looked down at her Mom's words. It had been naive of her to think that it wouldn't affect her as her mother was describing.

Liz looked at Klaus. "I know that you know her well enough. You wanted that part, didn't you?" The middle-aged woman was faster than her daughter at figuring him out in this instance.

"I was doing what was necessary to keep my child safe. Are there probable silver linings? Yes. Was I well aware of what they may be? Yes." He could feel Caroline suddenly look over to him and he could feel her displeasure.

"You were counting on her to think she could do this and not let it get to her." Liz was definitely angry. "You took advantage of her."

Klaus stood. He didn't like that this was being pointed out. "You're right, I did know she probably wouldn't think about the full weight of what it would mean to her. But I also know that even if she had, she would have probably made the same choice. Caroline is a beacon of light in a dark world, Sheriff. She would go through hell to save an innocent and that child, my child, that she now carries inside her is as innocent as it gets. You can vilify my ulterior motives all you want because, yes, this situation is quite convenient for me, but that doesn't change the fact that it needed to be done."

Caroline stood as well, without a word, and went to her room, slamming her door. Klaus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I know what you're saying is true. She might have done it anyway. But you still should have warned her so she could have prepared herself better. I think you should leave for today and let her have her space."

Klaus nodded and walked out of the Forbes house. Liz was right. Of course she was. That's when his phone rang.

"Where is Hayley?" It was Sophie Deveraux.

"Far from you," he replied.

"Distance won't matter. All I have to do is stab myself and-"

"Go ahead!" Klaus yelled. "Hayley is no longer pregnant so you can magically kill her and yourself if you like, I don't care!" Then he hung up and smirked. Things with Caroline were in an awkward place since her mother pointed out his other intentions but that could be worked out. She had forgiven him for much worse. So all in all, it was looking up. Klaus was no longer at the whims of the New Orleans witches. His child was safe and his family was free... mostly.

Elijah came to mind. He would collect his brother within the week. Marcel wouldn't have any problem handing over the elder Mikaelson since Klaus had no intention of staying in the Big Easy anymore. And Caroline was right that most of the players in Mystic Falls were either off somewhere else or too preoccupied. This was a much safer place to be. And in a couple decades when his child was grown, he would revisit the option of taking back his Kingdom in New Orleans.

To Be Continued...