Caroline refused to speak to Klaus for a few days, which didn't surprise him, and he used those to arrange the transport of Elijah back to Virginia. Coffin and all. He also used that time to buy and set up another house. This one was near Charlottesville which was barely twenty minutes from Mystic Falls. He had been honest about staying a town away. Even this summer. He would be close enough if she needed him but not in her town where Elena or Damon could run into him and spread the word about his whereabouts to people like Tyler.

Klaus received word from the Gemini that Hayley was indeed back in the Appalachian Mountains somewhere in the North end of Georgia. Tyler was somewhere near Knoxville, Tennessee at the moment and measures were being taken to make sure they didn't run into one another. He knew she'd realize she was missing time but wanted to be sure that she wouldn't somehow track her own movements back to Mystic Falls. They reported that she was trying unsuccessfully to figure it all out. Her phone records had been wiped; she hadn't told anyone in the pack in that area where she'd been headed to when she went to find Tyler that first time so they were of no help. She hadn't connected with the Crescent wolves in the Bayou either so none of them would be seeking her out. Klaus had also given the impression to Sophie Deveraux on the phone that Hayley had either miscarried or had an abortion so the witch wouldn't be looking for her either. It was all pretty tidy, actually.

Klaus knew the confusion would frustrate Hayley but in the end it was for the best. She hadn't wanted to be a mother. Not just when she'd gotten pregnant from their tryst. She hadn't wanted to be a parent even before then. She'd made an off handed comment about how kids had never been in her plans. She wasn't a maternal type nor was she a particularly traditional woman either.

The ring of his phone brought him out of his thoughts.

"Hello, Love," he answered after he saw Caroline's name come up on his screen.

"We need to talk. Where are you?"

"A house I just acquired near Charlottesville. I can text you the address if you'd like or I can meet you in Mystic Falls."

"I'll come there."

With that, they ended the conversation and Klaus texted the location. He was a little nervous to see what she would think. He had busied himself over the last few days not only with Elijah's retrieval but also with setting up a bit of a home. He wasn't sure how long he would be here. Maybe it would only be for part of Caroline's pregnancy. Maybe it would be for the entirety of it. It could also possibly be a place he could see staying when the baby came and was growing up. He wasn't sure what the future would hold so he decided to prepare for everything.

It wasn't long before the doorbell rang and Caroline was walking through the front door. She was curious. She hadn't expected the house to be so normal and small compared to the mansion he owned in Mystic Falls. He hadn't done any renovations to this house but he had done plenty with regards to design. His art hung in most rooms, of course, but that was about the only thing Caroline could have predicted.

The rest of the house looked so normal and comfy. It was the kind of home she had once imagined herself having with a family of her own. The furniture wasn't ornate or luxurious. It was simple and comfy. The entire house seemed light and airy and in line with a typical American home.

"May I show you around?" Klaus asked.

At Caroline's nod, he took her coat and purse and put them in the closet close to the entrance and led her through. The living room had a gray sectional couch facing a large TV. There were plenty of windows that let in natural light with beautiful blue curtains for privacy and Caroline could easily envision curling up and watching movies with friends and family. It was so normal looking, she couldn't believe it. The kitchen had white cabinets and granite countertops with stainless steel appliances. It was modern but not over done or too futuristic and expensive. The image of a girls' night with Elena and Bonnie, making dinner in here popped into her mind and she had to shake it away. This was Klaus' house and surely nothing like that would ever be taking place here, right? But that's how at home and comfortable it all felt to her.

The dining room also gave her images of dinners with loved ones. The wooden table could seat ten with a modern rustic chandelier over the center. It was surrounded with a bay of windows that overlooked the nearby lake. Caroline could see the water and the beautiful trees and it all seemed so picturesque. The colorful outdoors seemed to come alive even from inside.

Klaus pointed out the three bathrooms as they passed and mentioned that there were five bedrooms. "One of which is yours should you ever need to stay over," he informed.

"Hmm." She was noncommittal and vague.

"Well, let me show you anyway." He led her down the hall and entered a beautiful room, again, with lots of natural light. The walls were a soft pale yellow with white trim just like what she chose with her room at her Mom's. The bed was a King size which seemed a little over kill to her but she walked around examining it all anyway. The bed frame itself was painted white and the sheets were a cream color with a tan floral design and dusty green comforter. It had a beautiful headboard with a filigree design carved into it. It was much better than her wicker headboard at home and she adored it but tried to keep the approval off her face.

The dresser was also white with a large mirror bolted to the top. A vanity sat against another wall with yet another mirror and plenty of room for makeup. A familiar diamond bracelet was sitting there as well which nearly made her smile at the memory. But what really caught her attention were two framed pictures on the nightstand. One was of her with her Mom and Dad (before he died) and another was of her with Bonnie and Elena. She didn't know how he'd gotten them but Klaus was capable when he wanted to be. There was also a painting on the wall of a brown and white horse, like the one from the night of his family's ball, laying in a field of grass which made her heart clench. Everything in the room was her taste and meaningful.

"There are some clothes in the dresser and closet just in case, and the vanity has a curling iron in the top drawer. I know you appreciate a quality one. I read that hairspray isn't good for you while expecting so I didn't get any but I can research safe haircare products if you want." Klaus shrugged. "I didn't want to try guessing any more than that."

Caroline was stunned with how touching it all was. He had really put in a lot of thought and effort on the off chance that she would spend even one night here. This was the side of Klaus that she liked the most. His kind and considerate side was just as intense as his cruelty could be.

"I rented a house in Charlottesville for Jenny and Ben. They want to do a checkup soon just to establish a starting point. You're a little over two months along and even though people won't be able to see your stomach grow, the witches can do spells to see the actual development of the baby. They said they can even give us something like a sonogram picture. If you want a copy I-"

"There's a nursery, isn't there?" Caroline interrupted.

"Yes. I haven't done much since we don't know the gender yet. There were neutral decor options and colors but I decided to hold off. I don't much like giraffes or foxes... Follow me." He led her to another room that was close to the one that was supposed to be hers.

The walls were boring and gray but Caroline knew that with his artistic side, they wouldn't stay that way. He would indeed start decorating more once they learned if it was a boy or a girl. There was a crib in the middle with a dresser, rocking chair and some other things sitting around like baby monitors but nothing was set up. Everything was in the middle of the room and she knew it was because Klaus would want to paint as soon as they found something out.

"So you're going to raise him or her here?" She asked.

"I don't know yet, but I wanted to have everything ready in case. We'll take things as they come."

"We?" She looked at him questioningly.

"I meant what I said, Caroline. You can be as involved as you want. That includes making decisions. You can live your normal college life during the week and spend the weekends here or not at all. You can visit or stay or not at all. I wanted to be prepared for any scenario." Klaus explained.

Caroline had stayed as outwardly neutral as possible, and it was driving Klaus a little crazy.

"Do you want to talk in the living room?" He asked.

"I want to see your room." She looked at him without anything revealed in her expression. He nodded and led her further to another room. It was equally close to the nursery.

This room was much more in keeping with Klaus' style. The bed was a King, of course, and ornate. It was a dark, rich wood with iron accents. There was a corner where art supplies were set up and there was yet another rocking chair in here as well. The colors were darker but very beautiful. His tastes were a little more dramatic than hers. She liked light and airy. He enjoyed more color and a little less sun coming in though there was a window. He liked to feel more secluded.

Caroline walked over and sat on the side of the bed and motioned for him to sit beside her. Klaus did so without hesitation.

She took a big breath and began. "Okay, so now I know what you've been doing the last few days. I've mostly been thinking and having long conversations with my Mom. She took three days off to help me process and I was really angry at first. My Mom was right. You were betting on me not considering getting attached to the baby... While I don't appreciate you banking on me being naive and I'm not happy with you about that, I think you were right: It may have taken me longer to agree but I would have ultimately chosen to carry this little one regardless." Caroline touched her stomach in reference. "It is safer with me than with anyone else, ulterior motives on your part or not. And, I did a lot of soul searching and came to a conclusion. I feel used and manipulated but I set that aside to assess what I was really feeling about the situation as a whole."

Caroline looked at Klaus. "Go on," he prompted.

"I remember a conversation I had with Elena about how she was too maternal not to have children and the truth is, so am I. I thought I had to give up on that dream when I became a vampire. Maybe I could adopt one day but I never thought I could carry and give birth. And I certainly never thought it was possible for me to have one that was genetically related to me. And now here I am with a baby growing inside me. I'll give birth to it and even might pass on some of my physical qualities. I didn't think there would be anything in this for me specifically but I realized there is. I wasn't ready to be a Mom. It wasn't in the plan any time soon even if I were still human but I now see this for the opportunity it is. And I want it. Not just to save a child but so that I can have one of my own. And I never imagined doing this with you of all people but life happens in unexpected ways."

Klaus smiled at first but then a thought made it fade. "You know you can't tell your friends that the child is mine, don't you? You could make up a story about adopting a baby and people like Elena and Bonnie could meet him or her but you could never reveal the reality of how it came to be. This child will be in danger if word gets out that it's mine."

"I've given that thought too. You were right that people like Tyler may come at you through your baby and I won't risk that."

"Our baby." Klaus gave another smile.

"Our baby," Caroline amended with a small smile. "I'll hate lying to my friends but I know Elena would tell Damon and I don't trust him at all if it doesn't involve Elena's safety."

Klaus nodded.

"It also means I'll need to break up with Tyler. I can't risk him finding out. If he thinks I adopted a baby, firstly he'd be way too suspicious of why now and why I didn't talk to him about it. And then he'd want to be around it at the very least to eventually show support and I can't risk him sensing that it's got the werewolf gene. He'd start digging more and I can't have that... I also think I should defer college for a year or two." She watched him for his reaction.

"Caroline, I told you, you don't have to alter your college plans."

"I know I don't. But I want to. I can't pretend to be going through the same things as my friends when there's so much more happening. They know me too well and I can't get away with it if I'm in the same dorm room day in and day out. Not to mention all the parties they'll want me to go to with alcohol. If I say I need to have some time to go find myself, it will be a little less weird when I eventually return and tell them I adopted a baby. They'll be shocked for sure, which is an understatement, but it'll be easier to digest if they haven't seen me everyday. And if I went to college and started bringing up the idea, they'll tell me I'm being crazy and give me a lot of good reasons not to do it yet. And that simply won't work."

"Do you want to go somewhere farther away then?" He asked.

"No. They won't know that I'm close by. I also want to be able to see my Mom often. And to answer your question, yes, I want a sonogram picture of our baby or whatever Jenny and Ben have come up with."

"So does that mean you want to move in here?" Klaus was hopeful.

"Not right away. I want to spend the summer with my Mom... and Elena when she comes up for air." Caroline rolled her eyes thinking of the sexcapades going on with her friend and the older Salvatore. "I'll start mentioning that I'm thinking of traveling for a while after the summer. Get her and Bonnie use to the idea. Bonnie communicates exclusively through text and email recently so it'll be easier with her since she can't see my face or hear my tone. But I won't 'leave' until after she gets back. I want to see her one more time before I go 'traveling'."

"It's very out of character for you so you'll have to sell it well. You're really not the type to need to go 'find yourself'. You've always been so steady in who you are and what you want so it will be a bit of a challenge, I think."

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, but it's doable."

"Of course. Everything is for you." Klaus was slightly teasing her. There was nothing she couldn't do when she set her mind to it. "And, Caroline," his voice became more solemn, "I am sorry about Tyler. I know you love him."

"I do but if I'm really honest, I've known deep down for a little while that it wasn't going to last. I think I held on to him so tightly before because I didn't want to admit that my life was changing and going to change more. Even before this pregnancy. I mean, he didn't even come home after I told him you said he could at Graduation. I like that he's helping werewolf packs but it doesn't feel good to know that I wasn't even enough of a priority for him to come for a short visit. That told me a lot... so yes, he's only my first love."

The rest of Klaus' declaration to her sounded in both their minds.

He's your first love. I intend to be your last. However long it takes.

They simply just looked at one another for a moment. There were no promises made in that span of time but Klaus knew that things were going a lot better than he had expected. She was being a lot more mature about all of this than he thought she would be. He thought she would fight harder to hold on to her life as it had been and to her carefully laid plans. He internally admonished himself for underestimating her. And really, he shouldn't have been surprised. Caroline had been through so much in her short life and she had taken all of it in stride. Things like becoming a vampire and losing a parent had made her a lot more adaptable to new realities. It would take a much more selfish person than Caroline Forbes to throw a tantrum about missing out on going straight to college and having another four years of an adolescent life.

"I do want to be clear about one thing though," she said. "I'm focused on a healthy pregnancy and getting ready for motherhood. I'm not really thinking much about anything else. You understand what I'm saying?"

"I do." Klaus grabbed her hand and gave it a quick, respectful kiss. "Now, how about taking a look at our baby? I can call Jenny and Ben and they can be here within the hour."

"Yeah." Caroline was just as anxious as he was.


"It's like a little bean," Caroline was focused on the picture in her hands with Klaus looking over her shoulder. The Gemini witches, Jenny and Ben, had done a spell to make an image appear on paper of what was inside the blond vampire's womb. Given the cloaking spell done previously, a regular ultrasound wouldn't have detected it.

"A cute bean," Klaus offered and Caroline laughed a little.

"It's not going to look like much right now," Jenny said, "but it's good that we can see that it's progressing as it should. There are extra benefits to a magical baby checkup this early though."

When Klaus and Caroline looked up at her questioningly, Jenny added with a smile "We can detect certain things sooner. In a little less than seven months, you'll be bringing a baby girl into the world."

Caroline gasped and her eyes started watering. "Oh my God! Are you serious?!"

Jenny nodded enthusiastically and Caroline began crying. Klaus had been just as surprised but went straight to comforting Caroline.

"No, it's a good cry," she reassured. "We're having a little girl!"

Jenny smiled even brighter. "I'm so glad you are looking at it that way now. I was concerned you would try to distance yourself from the whole thing given your initial reaction. And really, being an expectant mother can be so much fun if you allow yourself to look forward to it and enjoy all the milestones."

Ben chimed in then. "And, in light of your new mindset, I think you will also be happy to know something else about her... We were right, you being a vampire is indeed making some changes to her genetic makeup. Even after just a few days, she has taken on a lot from you. Our coven can sense the essence of an unborn child and it seems to have the signatures of three people at the moment. Now, because she has inherited so much from you in such a short span, I think we can safely say that there will be very little of the conceiving mother in her at the time of birth."

Caroline was stunned for a moment and smiled but quickly recovered. "Oh, I hadn't thought to ask. Will that bother Hayley? I mean, she'll want to at least meet her once, right?"

"No, she won't be wanting to meet her or be in her life at all." Klaus' reply was short and to the point. He didn't want Caroline knowing Hayley had no memory of even being pregnant and therefore wouldn't even be capable of wanting anything to do with the baby. He wasn't technically lying but he felt a little guilty nonetheless. The guilt, however, could not take away his bursting happiness at all they had just found out.

"Well," Caroline said, "that's one less complication, I guess." She took a beat and then a massive smile broke out on her face again. "We're having a girl!"

Klaus returned her joy and hugged her when she reached up, arms open.

"Oh! And between the two of us, she'll probably have blonde hair and blue eyes! For the first time, I'm actually glad you're attractive," She remarked making Klaus cough in genuine sudden surprise. "I had kind of hated it before."

Klaus started laughing and put his head in his hand at the hilarity of the moment. Of course Caroline had hated thinking he looked good. She hadn't wanted to be attracted to him. He could understand how it had been an issue for her before. But having her say it and knowing it had been a source of such temptation for her pleased him beyond belief. It was the first open confirmation he'd had that she wanted him.

Jenny and Ben were chuckling themselves but very happy to see the developments since the spell to transfer the pregnancy.

"Did either of you have any questions?" Ben asked. Caroline and Klaus both shook their heads.

"As long as everything is on track, I think we're good. Thank you, guys. This is..." Caroline looked at the picture of the little bean again. "Wait, there is one more thing... I know the pregnancy is cloaked but I was wondering if maybe there's a way that you can make it so only Klaus and I can see my belly growing. I've decided I'd like to see it as it progresses. And maybe hear the heartbeat?"

That was the first time it dawned on Klaus that while he had heard the heartbeat in New Orleans, Caroline hadn't because of the cloaking spell. He realized that she must have tried to listen and heard nothing and it made him a little disappointed on her behalf.

"Let us look into it," Jenny said. "I'm sure we can figure something out but we'll need to do a little research. Okay?"

Klaus and Caroline nodded and then the witch couple got their things together to leave.


Jeremy Gilbert was sitting on a bench in the town center of Mystic Falls and he saw Bonnie walking over to him. He was the only one who knew she was a ghost since his sister and her friends graduated so they met up almost everyday so he could send her replies to her everyone from her phone. She usually seemed happy to see him but today she looked really distracted.

"Hey. Everything okay?" He asked.

"Uh... yeah. It-it's fine. I just checked in on Caroline and there's... well, there's some stuff she isn't saying in her emails."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Jeremy's interest was piqued.

"Nothing you need to worry about." Bonnie put her fake smile on and Jeremy knew something was wrong but he didn't push it. If she wanted to tell him at some point, she would.

To Be Continued...