Chapter 13
Elijah came home in the morning only to discover his brother had a new bed friend.
"Niklaus, where are you, we need to talk."
"You can talk all you want, Elijah, doesn't change the fact that I know everything about your last night's leisure activities." Klaus fake-smiled at him.
Klaus said as he came to the balcony facing the courtyard.
"What are you talking about?"
Just then Klaus was joined by Cami who had only a sheet wrapped around her body. Elijah was shocked to see that.
"Niklaus, brother, what have you done?" Elijah asked horrified.
Klaus wiped away his fake happiness and asked Elijah the same. "Because I have received a lovely picture of you and Caroline." He said as he threw his phone to Elijah who caught in with an elegance only characteristic to a seasoned vampire like Elijah.
Elijah looked at the picture, horrified.
"How could you do this to me, brother?" Klaus asked as he looked like he was about to cry.
Elijah explained that they only kissed, that it was Caroline who decided to stay loyal to him in spite of everything.
"Why should I believe you, when I know that you have wanted to have her in your bed ever since Thailand."
"Wanting and doing are two very different things, Niklaus."
When Camille got home, Caroline asked her if she went partying after her shift.
"I slept with Klaus," she blurted out suddenly.
"You what?"
"I'm sorry, Caroline, I told Klaus that I saw you kissing Elijah, I even saved a picture of it. And then he and I-"
"You photographed me kissing Elijah? What gives you the right?"
"What gives you the right to suck face with Klaus' brother when you are in a relationship with him?"
"That's between him and me, Camille!"
"Wake up, Caroline, it isn't just about the two of you anymore. You have put his brother in between the two of you and can you really blame the guy for wanting to console himself with someone."
"So you admit to being just a rebound girl?" Caroline asked.
"I know why Klaus slept with me; because you broke his heart. I know he loves you. But after last night, I don't know if he's going to see you the same way he did before."
"So you are going to offer yourself as a consolation prize? Have a little self-esteem would you!"
"Oh, you are the one to talk. He told you couple of untrue statements because he feared for your life and you went straight to cry on his brother's shoulder."
"Okay, I have to go, I can't stand the sight of you, right now."
"Yeah, same to you."
And so Caroline just stormed out.
Klaus was in the courtyard, drinking at the bar, when his cell phone rang. It was Rebekah telling him that she thought their mother had found her.
"Okay, Rebekah, remember the house we spent the Christmas the night we fled from Mikael?"
"Of course."
"Go there, start driving now. Me, Elijah… " he paused for a moment as he saw Caroline coming through the gate, "and Caroline will be there soon."
Klaus called for Elijah and then stormed toward Caroline as she told him "Klaus, we need to talk."
"You can talk on the way," Klaus said to her, as he stormed right past her.
Caroline asked in confusion, "Where are we going?"
Klaus turned around to face her, slightly smiling as he said "To see our daughter."
So Klaus, Elijah and Caroline drove to see Rebekah and Hope. Caroline and Klaus drove in the front and Elijah followed them in his car. As the emotions about last night's activities ran high, they mostly stayed quiet the whole way to Arkansas, only speaking when needed.
"We need to talk it out, what happened last night." Caroline told them.
"Not now, love."
"Yes, now. Before we get there and Hope and Rebekah see that something's off."
Klaus seemed to ponder for a moment and then suddenly declared "I forgive you, the both of you."
"Well, that's big of Klaus. Just so you know, I don't, forgive you, Klaus."
"So you know?"
"Klaus I was staying at Camille's. Of course I heard everything about the night the two of you had."
Klaus stopped the car at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere as he grabbed her by her arms, "Don't act like you have done nothing wrong. I saw the picture of you two kissing like there was no tomorrow."
"Yeah, but I didn't sleep with anyone!"
"And that makes you feel you can act like you are better than me?"
Caroline remained silent.
"Caroline, you are the one who wanted to talk it out."
"Do you like her?"
"What?"
"Do you like Camille?"
"Yes, but it's nothing compared to what I feel for you, you know that."
Caroline was silent again and then said, "You hurt me a lot, saying those things. Did you mean them?"
"What do you think!? Of course I didn't. But I knew how to hurt you. I know how insecure you are."
"Why on earth would you want to hurt me like that?"
"Do you know how horrible it was to find out that Esther didn't just have Elijah, but you too? Basically everyone in New Orleans I care about. I was so scared, Caroline, for you! I knew Esther wouldn't kill Elijah, but you…"
"So you still love me?"
"Of course, love, that doesn't change just because you ignore everything I tell you as a rule."
SO they stared at each other for the longest time before Klaus pulled her in his lap and she wrapped her hands around his neck. Elijah saw them start having their make up sex so he messaged Klaus that he's not waiting on them and started driving away.
When Klaus and Caroline pulled up in front of the house currently occupied by Rebekah, Hope and Elijah, who just got there half an hour before them, Caroline ran out of the car to where Elijah and Rebekah were standing with Hope. She rushed there and took Hope from Rebekah right away, hugging her like she hadn't seen her for months, while it was actually a week or two. Rebekah thought it was a little weird but she was happy when Klaus came and Caroline gave Hope to his father who actually hadn't seen her since she was born. And now she was baby five months old. Elijah looked on as they really did make a lovely family, Caroline, Klaus and Hope as Klaus held her and Caroline was smiling from ear to ear as she looked at Hope.
Later they were making a bonfire.
"There's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas." Klaus told Rebekah.
"Okay, then we are missing the key ingredient." Rebekah said excitedly.
"No, we're not." Klaus said sighing heavily.
"Yes, we are, Nik! Back me up, Elijah!"
Elijah said "I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on the ashes."
Confused Caroline asked, "What are you all talking about?"
"Well, before we light it, we write down our wishes for each other to burn for luck! It was Kol's favorite part when we were kids!" Rebekah explained family traditions to Caroline.
"It's further evidence as to why we should ignore it!"
"Hope's first bonfire season. I like it! We're doing it!" Caroline said smiling.
"Nik, I'm worried about Caroline?" Rebekah told Klaus when she found him in the dining room writing down his wishes.
"Why? What's wrong?" He asked, stopping his writing.
"No she's ok, she's not in any danger."
So Klaus calmed down after that and continued to write down his wishes.
"It's just that it seems to me that she's getting very attached to Hope."
"What's wrong with that?"
"'What's wrong with that?' Are you serious right now. She's as attached to Hope like a mother would be and she's not even related to her."
"But so are you, Rebekah."
"Yes, I am attached but I know I am not her mother and I have to give her to you someday, but Caroline doesn't seem to get that."
"Huhuh…"
"Oh my god…You too. You also think that she's a good mother candidate. Klaus, just because you are banging her, doesn't mean she gets to be her mother."
Klaus immediately stopped writing and stood up and got into her face.
"Do you see any other candidates for the job, Rebekah?"
"Yeah. Me."
"What?
"I could move back to New Orleans and start taking care of her full time. And you and Caroline can focus on each other."
Both Elijah and Caroline were listening in on that conversation.
"I'm not taking Hope away from her."
"Why? Why would she be she entitled to play house with you and Hope. Who says she's the best mother candidate for Hope."
Klaus almost screamed at her, "Her mother!"
"What are you talking about, Niklaus," Elijah asked, standing in the doorway now.
Caroline also joined them, staring at the ground and avoiding Rebekah's gazing.
Klaus took a moment to calm down, before explaining everything to them, "Hayley, before she died, asked Caroline to take care of Hope like she was her real mother. I guess she didn't trust me to raise her as a single parent," he chuckled, looking at Caroline, who was still avoiding everyone's glances at her.
When that bit of information hit Rebekah and she realised what was going on, she went closer to Caroline, waving her finger in her face.
"Now I see what has been going on all this time. You wanting so badly to join us in hiding, always arguing be about every little thing that concerned her. You think just because you happened to be there when she was dying and out of her mind, you have some claim on Hope. You are not her mother. You are no one to her. Get it-"
"Rebekah, Enough!"
That was Elijah, "I know that it's a huge shock for you, actually for you and me both, but taking the frustration out on Caroline, isn't the answer."
"So what is the answer, Elijah? Letting Caroline, who herself and her friends have repeatedly tried to take us out, let her adopt Hope as her own. Are you insane? She's the enemy."
It was now that Caroline raised her head to look at Rebekah, "I assure you Rebekah, I am not your family's enemy. Now that I'm her…"
Seeing Rebekah's eyes grow darker, she changed what she was going to say, "Now that I'm a part of Hope's life, I consider you, Klaus and Elijah my family too."
"Isn't that lovely," Rebekah said sarcastically, flinging her arms. "I get it, the two of you, my brothers, are so infatuated with her that you can't see straight, just like Hayley couldn't. "I guess it's up to me to think about what's best for Hope," she said as she flashed away.
"What does that mean?" Caroline asked in shock.
But then everything happened so fast. Rebekah flashed to Hope's bassinet but when she got there, it was empty – Klaus was a bit quicker. Rebekah went back to the other room only to find both Klaus and Caroline gone, only Elijah stood there, with an accusation and disappointment written across his face.
"Omg, omg, what are we going to do now. We needed Rebekah, Klaus. Who's going to take care of Hope now?" Caroline said to Klaus while panicking when they were driving around.
"We are!"
"What?"
"I'm going to take care of Mother, I have a plan and after that we can take her home. But in the meantime, I'll arrange for you and Elijah to be in an another safe house."
"Why Elijah?"
"Protection. If you can't be with one Original, then we'll have another one looking out for you two." Klaus said to Caroline with a smile.
Klaus' phone rang and it was Elijah.
"Where is Rebekah?"
…
"Okay, I'll meet you in that gas station, you know the last one before the house."
And Klaus hang up.
"We'll meet Elijah and then we'll go to the safe house," Klaus said to Caroline.
"Are you up for it?" Caroline asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you must be quite jealous to leave me with Elijah, alone, for that long?"
"I am, but what choice do I have?"
"Klaus, I promise-"
"I don't want any promises, love. Just for you to take care of Hope."
" I will," Caroline smiled to him.
Klaus had learned that Esther had prepared herself to jump into Davina Claire's body. Finding that out, Kol got so mad, he decided to take Klaus' side. Now Klaus decided to take her mother's offer to have a mortal life in another body as an distraction. So when he met with Esther, Klaus secretly put some of his blood into his mother's wine when she wasn't looking as they discussed the terms and after she had had a drink, he snapped her neck and she later woke up in a tomb, in transition to be a vampire. Klaus sealed her away as she had the choice of becoming a vampire or dying in Lenore's body.
As it was night when Klaus got done with that, they decided to wait 'til morning for Elijah and Caroline to return with baby Hope.