When I Grow Up

Chapter 5. - New Introductions

Caroline hadn't been able to sleep that night, Nik however was passed out since the drive home and was curled up in a ball in Caroline's double bed. She gently rose from her bed and walked to the kitchen. She sat cursing herself for getting into this mess, now she had a toddler Klaus Mikaelson to look after and Bonnie is still unable to undo the spell.

"Why do I agree to things like this?" she groaned. She rested her head in her hands leaning against the table.

"I'm not sure Miss Forbes but you will do well to open your door" Caroline jumped, she held her hand to her mouth forcing herself not to scream. She knew that voice even if she didn't hear that often. "Miss Forbes, I know you're awake, I heard you a moment ago. I need to speak with you" the voice continued. She threw on a hoodie and made her way to the front door to come face to face with the now eldest original sibling Elijah Mikaelson. "Elijah. Uhm it's a little late for stopping by, I don't mean to be rude"

"Miss Forbes from the several messages I was left, it sounded serious enough to come straight here at this hour considering it has to do with my little brother" he raised his eyebrows and she lowered her head. She knew he was right, she doesn't know what it's like to have siblings, her friends can't even come close to what a sibling would really be like. Glancing at her clock on the side wall she seen it was just hitting 12:15am and her mother was on the night shift. She wouldn't be home until 7am.

"Come in Elijah" she sighed

"Where is my brother? Is he safe Miss Forbes?" Elijah asked as he passed the threshold to her home

"He's safe and right about now he's fast asleep. I don't want to wake him" he nodded understandingly. He couldn't believe what he heard over the phone but he had to see it for himself. "Elijah call me Caroline, Miss Forbes makes me feel ancient and I am only 18 years old" he chuckled

"Indeed, Caroline" she smiled at his English ways. "Uhm he's sleeping in my room if you want to see him"

"I won't wake him" he said as Caroline showed him to the sleeping toddler in her bed. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Niklaus" he whispered at nothing.

"He doesn't remember anything other than his past life growing up as a human" she said as she came and stood next to the eldest original. "He mentioned your father"

"Did he?" Elijah's eyes darkened, he knew where this was going.

"He beat him even this young? You and Finn were older why didn't you help him or your mother for that matter?" Caroline asked him angrily. "You could have saved him being the way he is as a hybrid.

"Caroline, my brother may tolerate your over excessive amounts of back talk but I believe it's none of your business. We were all afraid, not just Niklaus. But what I wasn't able to do then I will do now so if you may help me pack up his things I'm taking him away from Mystic Falls"

"Excuse me? I've looked after your brother for the past week. That means listening to him, caring for him by feeding him, keeping him warm and keeping him safe. I've bought him clothes, toys and even lied to my friends and you're telling me it's none of my business when he wakes from nightmares screaming out for someone to make your father stop whatever he was doing to him. Don't you dare say it's none of my business when I am the one who comforts him during his time of fear." Elijah's eyes widened and he clenched his jaw "Now I would appreciate it if you could leave I don't want him to wake up, we'll sort out something tomorrow"

Elijah turned on his heals to leave, his hand resting on the front door as Caroline called out to him "Oh and Elijah if he's been taken away from Mystic Falls you have another thing coming if you think I am not going with him" With that Elijah left Caroline Forbes home with more respect for the young vampire than anything else. She proved to him she cared about his brother but what he couldn't understand is why she went ahead with the plan in the first place. He knew he had to get Niklaus out of town soon. When Bonnie performed the spell she did not only change Klaus back into a child with his human memories only, she brought his worst nightmare to the future who was hell bent on getting rid of him once and for all. With Klaus being human he was an easier target for all his enemies including his father Mikael.

"Caroline" Klaus awoke early the next morning. He had another nightmare but Caroline was so tired she hadn't heard his little whimpers in her sleep. He woke and called her but she's was out for the count. Klaus slowly got out of the bed trying not to wake Caroline, he was thirsty and a bit hungry.

"Nik" he froze on the spot waiting for a beating, his father had beat him for awakening his mother at this hour before. He feared what would happen next. "Nik are you okay? Did you have another nightmare?"

Nik eyes teared up and he began to whimper "Aww Nik it's okay. Come on we get you something, I have someone I want you to meet with today" she told him smiling. Klaus couldn't get over how she would always greet him with smiles and not only him, people in general except that man Damon, he wasn't fond of him either. "Nik come on" Caroline flashed him a warm smile as she held out her hand for him to take. He gently grasped her hand and followed her into the kitchen. She made him smiley face pancakes something he never had before, his mother usually made him eat horrible porridge and it sometimes made him feel ill. He tucked into his breakfast with his Disney cutlery and a new cup with his name on it.

"Thank you" he whispered as he finished. Caroline smiled as he took his plate to the sink and then went back for his cup. On the way he dropped it and a little milk spilt. "Sorry" he looked to her with pleading eyes.

"Nik look at me" she told him before gently tucking her finger under his chin to get him to meet her face "I won't ever hit you, what you father does I will never do. It's okay it's just a spilt milk, everyone has accidents" the childs face brightened and Caroline watched as he ran off to play. The doorbell rang in the mean time and she muttered under her breath "God who the hell shows up at 7:30am"

"I believe this was the agreed time Ms Forbes" she jumped when she came face to face with Elijah Mikaelson.

"I don't mean to be rude but what are you doing here? I didn't set a time" she told him as the door was left open. She walked away and he followed her. Nik was sitting at the table with a small sketch pad and some pencils when Caroline and Elijah came into view. "Caroline look I drew this"he said holding up a childs drawing of what looked to be like a family.

"That's great Nik" she told him. He was happy and smiling and then his face dropped. He looked behind Caroline at the man in the suit "Who's he? Nik asked pointing at Elijah who stood in shock at his little brother. He could vaguely remember him being a child but seeing him now refreshed his memory.

"I'm Elijah" he told the child. Nik's eyes lit up "I have a big brother Elijah. He thought me how to fish" Elijah's eyes welled with tears at his little voice and of how excited he was to tell him about his human self.

"He's very proud of you. You know someday you'll be a fantastic artist and see the world" Caroline looked over at Elijah as he tried to hold back tears. She knew Klaus was artistic from the drawings he gave her but she never knew he was that famous.

"My father thinks art is for girls" he said saddened

"Don't listen to him, he knows nothing, you will rise and you will be better than any artist I have ever met. I promise you that Niklaus" he said before patting the child's head. Nik smiled and went back to drawing, he knew Caroline had slipped away to give him a moment with him. "Caroline"

"I knew you wanted some privacy" she told him smiling softly

"I remember how carefree and gentle he was back then" his smile hit his eyes "He was always begging me to teach him to fish, our father was a very cruel man and always beat him with the rod and refused to teach him, I'd sneak him out early mornings and after supper and within a week he had mastered it. He even caught out dinner one evening." he told her. "I need to make some calls, take care of him Caroline, my father is out there and I need more hands on to protect him until the spell can be broken. I'll contact Rebekah" he said before nodding and leaving Caroline standing on her porch

"Care" she turned to see Nik standing in the hall with his new bear in one hand and a drawing in another "Are you okay?"

"I'm good. Now let's get you dressed" she said as she wiped her eyes and shut the door. "I won't let anyone hurt you" she whispered to herself