XX
"Would you like to go to dinner?" The question came as a surprise to Caroline, especially since Klaus hadn't invited her to go anywhere. Ever. You couldn't exactly blame her for being excited.
"With you?" Caroline questioned. "What's the catch?"
"There's no catch love," Klaus chuckled. "Elijah and I have just closed a big deal and we would like to celebrate it, Elijah is bringing Katherine."
"Sure, I would love too." At first Caroline had thought they were going to be alone, but of course it was going to be a group thing. "What's the address?"
"That nice Italian restaurant on Third Street," Klaus said. "Maria, I think it's called, are you sure you don't mind that I don't pick you up?"
Caroline snorted. "I can drive Klaus, besides . . . it's not like it's a date."
At seven thirty Caroline was adding the finishing touches to her makeup, she had called Katherine beforehand who told her that it was an elegant restaurant where they would be having dinner, so Caroline had opted to wear an elegant black dress with a pretty silk shawl to cover her shoulders. She had arranged her hair in a bun and had applied make up.
She dabbed on some more gloss and smiled. "Perfect" she grabbed her purse and headed downstairs. It felt awkward walking around with a huge belly, but Caroline couldn't help but feel a jolt of pleasure every time her son gave a little kick.
She got into her car and frowned when she had a hard time starting it and just kept making a strange noise. Crap, it must have been the engine again. Caroline really needed to get the engine fix or at the very least buy a new car. Well, she could always take a taxi-
She heard someone knocking on the glass window. "Tyler?"
"Hi," he smiled awkwardly. "I just came to apologize for my behavior the other night-"he stopped short. "Are you on your way out?"
"Kind off, I was meeting a few friends for dinner and my car stopped working."
"I can give you a ride."
"Oh, no Ty-"
"Please, Care I insist." Tyler said. "To make up for what a jerk I was."
She couldn't find a polite way to say no, so she simply nodded and headed towards Tyler's blue car.
"So where are you going?" he asked at they pulled out of the driveway.
"Maria's, third street," Caroline said, hoping they would ride in silence. By the time that they got to the first stop sign things were tense.
"Look, Care I hope things are ok between us." Tyler said. "Just because I don't approve of Klaus. . .I mean it's your life."
"Thank you, Tyler." Caroline said firmly. "And while Klaus has a lot of growing up to do, he's not as bad as you think-"
Tyler's gripped tightened. "Whatever you say."
Caroline looked up from her lap and her blue eyes widened, a car was coming their way and it didn't seem to stop. "Tyler, look-"
Caroline only felt a flinch of pain and everything turned black.
"Caroline is late, isn't she?" Katherine commuted as she put down her menu. Elijah, Katherine, and Klaus had been waiting for Caroline for over half an hour and they were staring to get hungry. "Why don't you call her?"
"She isn't answering her phone," Klaus said frustrated. At that moment his phone rang.
"That's probably her." Elijah said.
"It's Liz." Klaus frowned. "Hi, Liz."
"Klaus," Liz's voice was urgent, she sounded like she was trying hard not to cry. "There has been an accident. Tyler and Caroline were involved in a car accident on First Street."
"What the hell was she doing with Tyler?" he snapped, but his thoughts were all over the apace. Caroline. The baby. His baby. He was going to murder Tyler Lockwood.
"That's not important," Liz said. "They moved Caroline over to surgery, they are performing an emergency C-section. Caroline's injuries well . . . they feared that it would be bad for the baby-"
"What hospital are they in?" Klaus asked with a crack in his voice.
"Mystic falls Hospital."
"I'll be there soon."
"What happened?" Elijah frowned.
"Caroline and Tyler have been in an accident, Caroline is delivery the baby now by C-section."
"Now?" Katherine looked startled. "It's too soon, she's only in her seventh month."
Klaus ignored her as he stood up. He needed to get to the hospital.
The emergency room was filled by the time that Katherine, Elijah, and Klaus arrived. He noticed Liz and quickly walked towards her. "How is she?"
"The C-section should be over in a few minutes," Liz face was pale. "Caroline suffered from a few cuts and bruises and a concussion. There was some minimal internal bleeding but she's fine."
Klaus breathed a sigh of relief. "How did this happen?"
"From what Tyler told me-he only received a broken arm, he was driving Caroline to the restaurant when her car wasn't working. He got distracted and noticed too late that another driver was heading towards him, it didn't help that the opposite driver was drunk."
He nodded, his lips set into a grin line as he went back towards Katherine and Elijah to tell them the news. He stopped short when he saw Tyler exiting the emergency room with a cast on his arm.
"Niklaus-"
Klaus ignored his brother as he went towards Tyler and gripped him by the collar. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't run you over with my car."
"It was an accident." Tyler said. "I never meant to hurt her. I'm sorry."
"Is that supposed to make everything better Caroline and my child got hurt and I'm looking forward to filing a very expensive lawsuit against you."
"Gentleman," Elijah said coolly as he broke them apart. "Please break it up." He turned to Tyler. "I suggest you leave."
Tyler scowled, but did as he was told. "I'm really sorry."
"Klaus, you must calm yourself," Elijah scolded. "I know you're worried about Caroline and the baby, but getting into fights is not going to help the situation."
"Whatever you say, brother." Klaus snapped.
"Relatives of Miss Caroline Forbes?" a doctor appeared holding a clipboard. They walked towards him.
"How is Caroline?"
"Is the baby all right?"
"What can we do?"
"One question please," the doctor said. "Miss Forbes is fine we were able to control the bleeding and we removed a few pieces of glass that were in her arms and bandaged her up. She is suffering through a concussion and we would like to keep her for a day or two, but she's out of the danger zone."
"And the baby?" Katherine asked the question that Klaus didn't dare ask.
"The baby was born premature so he will have to be in an incubator for a few weeks while the rest of his organs develop" the doctor warned. "But yes, he is not suffering through drastic problems and in a few weeks you will be able to take him home.
"Can I see her?" Klaus asked
The doctor paused. "All right, but just one at a time. She is in room 635."
Klaus nodded as he rushed towards the room, he opened the door gently and saw Caroline sleeping on a small bed. But she didn't look like Caroline, she was all bandaged up and she smelled differently. Her blond hair was tucked back by bandages.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Klaus murmured as he touched her forehead. "I should have driven you."
Caroline's eyes fluttered open a little, though she was struggling to keep them open. "Klaus." She murmured.
"You're safe, Caroline," he said. "You're safe and our son is safe too, I'm going to be here all night don't worry."
Caroline's eyes closed again. "Good."
"What is taking them so long?" Caroline said impatiently late the following afternoon. She had woken up feeling drowsy, been forced to eat breakfast, and take a bunch of medical tests that she was growing impatient. All she wanted to see was her baby.
"Care, calm down," Liz smiled. "The nurse just left five minutes ago."
"I know." Caroline sighed, ignoring the fact that Klaus was trying to push her back down on the bed. Katherine and Elijah had visited her for a little while this morning, but they had left to give her privacy.
The nurse entered the room carrying a small, blue bundle wearing a white hat. A little baby was wrapped side. "Here's your baby."
"He's so tiny." Klaus said.
"He will grow, all babies grow up fast."
"Give him to me." Caroline squealed as the nurse position the baby in Caroline's arms. Her son's blue eyes were barely starting to open and he was curling himself against her chest. "Look Klaus, he loves me." She blurted out
"Of course he does, love." Klaus said as he looked at the delicate baby in front of him.
"What are you going to name him?" Liz asked.
Klaus and Caroline exchanged looks. "Well, we talked about it and we decided on Ethan Riley Mikaelson-Forbes."
-End of Chapter Twenty-
Thanks so much for the beautiful baby name suggestions!