Matt's transition, thankfully, went as smoothly as Josh's had, and he was home from the plantation house by February.
Caroline threw a huge Mardi Gras party, which spilled out from the courtyard into the streets, werewolves, vampires and witches mingling in a way that Caroline had once thought impossible.
As the weather warmed, Caroline finally felt comfortable to leave Hope with her aunts and uncles for a weekend.
The jet landed on a private airfield and Klaus ushered her immediately into a car, murmuring something to the driver that she didn't quite catch.
"Are you going to tell me where we are?" Caroline asked, checking her phone.
"Soon, love," Klaus said with a smile. "She's fine."
"I know," Caroline said with a sigh. "Doesn't stop me worrying."
As though Rebekah had read her mind, her phone buzzed with a picture message - Hope giggling away as Kol and Davina apparently had some kind of food fight.
Enjoy your weekend. Stop worrying.
Caroline smiled, tucking her phone away. "Alright, I'm all yours. Seriously, where are we? You know how much I like planning things."
"I do," Klaus agreed. "And I'm sure we'll come back one day with Hope, and you can plan that one to your heart's content. Just trust me this weekend."
"I trust you," Caroline said. "Wherever we are, you've definitely been here more than me. I've never actually left the States."
The car pulled to a stop and Klaus got out, rounding the car to open Caroline's door for her. She took his hand with a smile and stepped out into the shadow of a huge structure. She tilted her head back to see what it was and her mouth fell open.
"Welcome to Paris," Klaus said with a smile.
"That's the Eiffel Tower," Caroline said blankly.
"Yes, it is," Klaus said, amusement clear in his voice. "Happy?"
"Uh, yes?" Caroline said, breaking out into a smile. "I've always wanted to visit Paris! Can we go to the top?"
"It's a bit of a let-down," Klaus warned, "but we're going to do it anyway."
The day was a whirlwind of sightseeing - they had flown overnight and landed fairly early - and by the time they arrived at the hotel in the evening, even Caroline was a little tired.
Klaus said a few words in French to the concierge, who nodded and showed them to a small elevator, which took them straight up to the penthouse suite.
"I cannot believe you put a painting of me in the Louvre and didn't tell me," Caroline said, slipping her shoes off.
Klaus smirked. "I have to keep you on your toes, love."
Caroline would have made some kind of retort, but she was too busy looking around the suite. "I should probably tell you," she said, "that growing up, our idea of luxury on vacation was a motel with a working shower."
Klaus wrinkled his nose. "Well, I'm sure there is something to be said for the experiences."
"It was some of the best fun I had with my mom," Caroline conceded, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I'm not sure I have the energy to go out for dinner, but if we are, please tell me you packed me an evening gown, because I didn't."
"I thought as much," Klaus said. "We're not going out, don't worry. What did you think of the Eiffel Tower?"
Caroline thought for a moment. "It was amazing, but you were right - it was a bit of a let-down. I'm not sure why."
"Well, the most iconic sight of the skyline is the Tower," Klaus pointed out, "which you can't see from the Tower itself."
"I guess you're right," Caroline said. "I'm glad I did it though, so thank you for humouring me. Also, if you'd told me where we were going and asked me to make a list of everything I wanted to see, you guessed every single one of them and still managed to surprise me. So thank you for that as well."
Klaus held out a hand to her, and she took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet again. "Caroline, you should know by now that I would do anything for you. Let me show you something." He led her to the window and pulled back the curtains to reveal a balcony, with a small table set for dinner.
But it was the view that took Caroline's breath away. The streets of Paris stretched out beneath them, lit up in the dark night, including the Eiffel Tower a few blocks away.
"Oh wow …" she murmured, as he guided her to the table, pulling out the chair for her.
Someone must have been compelled in the hotel, because alongside the champagne on ice were two cocktails that clearly contained blood.
Caroline took a sip and raised her eyebrow. "Okay, I'm going to need one of these every day now."
"As you wish, love," Klaus said mildly.
As they ate, they chatted about everything they had done that day, especially the special tour of the Louvre he had given her.
Caroline was fairly sure it was the closest to an actual date they had ever been on.
Finally, the plates were cleared and Klaus topped up both of their glasses. "Do you know what today is, love?"
Caroline paused with her glass halfway to her lips. "Okay, I am very good at remembering anniversaries and I am fairly sure today isn't one."
Klaus chuckled. "Not quite, love. Two years ago today, you told me you were pregnant."
Caroline thought about it. "Wow … you're right. I hadn't even realised."
"You didn't really give me much of a chance to speak," Klaus said. "Did you do that on purpose?"
Caroline smiled a little sheepishly. "Perhaps. I knew your initial reaction would be to worry about her motives and that you'd say something you'd regret later."
"Well, I do appreciate that, love," Klaus said with a sigh. "Oddly enough, it wasn't something I ever thought I'd hear."
"No, I should think not," Caroline said.
"In a thousand years, I have never met anyone who understands me the way you do," Klaus said.
"You see, when you say things like that, I find it hard to believe," Caroline said, getting up to wander over to the balcony. "Are you sure you just never let anyone in?"
"Well, that is true," Klaus conceded, following her. "But I also never met someone who intrigued me the way you do. Most people, if their life was in my hands, would be trying to stay on my good side, not insulting me."
Caroline smiled. "Well, I was dying anyway. Also, I didn't believe for one second that the fact that it was someone's birthday would keep you from killing them if you wanted them dead. I figured that you were going to try and make some kind of bargain."
"I was," Klaus admitted. "Something about you drew me in, hence just giving you the blood. And you haven't stopped surprising me since. Although I am curious, love - last December, when I went to speak to Elijah, and you woke Freya up, you introduced yourself as Hope's mother."
"As opposed to …?" Caroline asked.
"My …" Klaus trailed off. "You may have a point."
Caroline smiled. "Girlfriend sounds wrong. Partner makes me think of a western. Or a buddy cop movie."
Klaus chuckled. "I see where you're coming from."
"How do you refer to me?" Caroline asked curiously.
Klaus cupped her face. "My Queen."
"Yes, but my ego isn't as big as yours," Caroline said teasingly.
Klaus smiled. "My better half."
"I'll give you that one," Caroline murmured, leaning in to kiss him.
"I hope you realise," Klaus said when they parted, "that I would move time and space for you should you wish it."
"And I hope you realise that I'd rather time and space stay exactly where they are," Caroline said with a smile. "All I ask is for you to love me."
"I think it may now be impossible for me to do anything else," Klaus said, reaching into his pocket, "but there is something I must ask of you."
For a second, Caroline braced herself, but then he presented her with a small black box, and her breath caught in her throat. "Oh god …"
"I spent a thousand years trying to break a curse because I thought it would bring me peace," Klaus said. "It didn't. And then there was you. The ancient Greeks believed that all people once possessed two heads, four arms, four legs and one heart, and that the gods split them in two for fear of their power. They said that we spend the rest of our lives trying to find our other half. I never believed it until a few years ago. You are my other half, Caroline - my better half. Would you do me the honour of agreeing to be my wife?"
Caroline couldn't speak, her voice caught in her throat, and she nodded. "Yes," she said finally. "Yes of course."
They were greeted upon their return by Liz and the rest of the Mystic Falls gang, and Rebekah's meticulously planned engagement party.
Over the next few weeks, Caroline returned to wedding planning as spring bloomed around her. The spectre of Dahlia still lingered, not helped by the exceptionally creepy statue still in their basement, but Caroline relished in taking Hope out to the park without having to constantly look over her shoulder.
On this particular day, the weather was bright and sunny, and Caroline had been sat on the park bench with a notebook, half wedding planning and half watching Hope running around. She knew that Josh and Aiden were nearby, and she wouldn't have been at all surprised if several of the others had appeared as well if something happened.
Finally, Hope ran over to her. "Mama, hungry please."
Caroline smiled, putting her book down. "How about some yoghurt?"
"Yay!" Hope cried, clapping her hands.
"Alright, let's pop you in the stroller," Caroline said. "I don't want to be wearing it."
Hope loved yoghurt. Unfortunately, she loved it so much that she tended to wave her arms around when she was being fed, which occasionally led to it getting splattered all over the place. She squirmed a little, but let Caroline strap her in, before pulling out the lunch bag from underneath.
While she fed her daughter, Caroline caught sight of a woman with double-stroller heading towards her, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of a crying baby.
"Excuse me?" The woman called when she was close enough. "Do you know if there's a family bathroom nearby?"
"Not in this park," Caroline answered. "I think the nearest is two blocks over. You're welcome to the other half of the bench if you've got a mat."
The woman sighed in relief. "Bless you. Hold on, sweetheart."
"More please," Hope said.
"That's all baby girl," Caroline said, showing her the empty pot. "You've finished it."
"Please?" Hope asked.
Caroline sighed and handed her the pot. "Go ahead."
"How old is she?" Her companion asked, setting up next to her.
"She'll be two on December 8th," Caroline said.
"That's the day I was due," she said. "Mine will be one November 28th. Oh, don't do that."
The other baby had started crying as well now.
"I swear," the woman sighed, "they set each other off."
Caroline grimaced in sympathy, taking the offered yoghurt pot back from Hope. "Satisfied?"
"Empty," Hope said with a sigh.
"It is," Caroline said. "And now you're all messy."
"Mama," Hope said, while Caroline wiped her face. "Who that?"
"That's an excellent question," Caroline said with a smile.
The woman laughed. "I'm so sorry. We seem to have jumped straight to babies and diapers! My name's Jo."
"Caroline," she said. "And this is Hope. Okay, out you get sweetheart."
As soon as Hope was free, she went to look into the other stroller. "Baby!"
"That's right," Jo said, still trying to soothe one child while changing the other. "That's Elizabeth. And this is Josie."
"Hope, be gentle," Caroline warned.
Hope looked at her. "They play?"
"I think they're a bit too young to play," Caroline said. She caught sight of Josh and Aiden across the grass. "Uncle Josh and Uncle Aiden are over there, look - I'm sure they'll play with you."
"Yay!" Hope took off toddling in their direction.
Jo laughed. "Is it bad that I'm dreading these two walking?"
"Well, I'm exhausted and there's only one of her," Caroline said. "You're not on your own, are you?"
"Oh, no, my fiancé's around here somewhere," Jo said. "He's due to start teaching at Tulane in September, so he's over there sorting some things out. We're getting married next April."
"Congratulations," Caroline said. "Hope's dad and I are getting married next May."
"At least we're not the only ones doing things in the wrong order," Jo said with a sigh, picking Josie up.
"Hey, you do things in your own time," Caroline said, already trying to figure out how she could make sure that none of the vampires mistook her or her fiance for tourists. "I'm guessing you're new to New Orleans?"
"Very," Jo said. "We left my family in Oregon. We have an … odd history."
Caroline laughed. "Yeah, I know how that goes. Well, if you ever want a tour of the bits that aren't the tourist traps, let me know."
"That sounds amazing," Jo said, waving at someone behind them. "That took less time than I thought."
"What does he teach?" Caroline asked, bending down to scoop Hope up as she ran back over.
"Occult and mythology studies," Jo answered. "It's a niche subject."
"It'll be popular round here," Caroline said.
"That's the hope," Jo said. "Hi honey - Caroline's offered to give us a tour of the city."
Caroline turned to greet Jo's fiancé, only to freeze in her tracks, her arms automatically tightening around her daughter.
"… Ric?"
AN: And that's all, folks! I'm in the process of writing the sequel, which is as yet unnamed - so keep an eye out for that.
I'm also toying with the idea of having a collection of 'missing scenes' - bits that didn't make it into the main stories but could still be written - so if there is anything I've passed over that you'd like to read, please let me know in the comments.