When I Grow Up
Chapter 8. - Keep Your Friends Close
"Caroline" Nik had woken up during the night and frightened with his newer surroundings he called for Caroline because he was scared. "Caroline" he whimpered as he dragged the blanket up to his face burying himself in the huge bed at the creaking sounds getting closer and closer. "Caro-" he began to cry.
"Nik, I'm here. Ssshh, I'm here" she said as she scooped him up in her arms sleepily. After leaving Damon on his own to a few hours ago, she just checked on him before occupying a room with Elena before passing out for exhaustion. "There's a big boy, you're okay" she said as walked into the en suite bathroom and sat him on the counter. She took a wet cloth and began to wipe his face to cool him down from the crying. "All better" he managed to smile at her soft words.
"Caroline you won't leave me, will you ?" he asked as he gave her the cutest face, his lips all pouty and his eyes big and looking up at her, like a puppy. She smiled remembering how he gave he the same face the day before she had to host Miss Mystic Falls only a few weeks beforehand. "No, I'm not going anywhere Nik" she told him and his whole face lit up with excitement.
"Caroline, I love you" he told her as he had his little arms around her waist hugging her, afraid to let her go. "I love you too Nik" she told him cuddling him. "I wasn't supposed to be telling you that yet" she giggled making Nik laugh at her.
"You're funny Caroline." he told her and she smiled widely "And when I grow up, I'm going to marry you" he told her proudly puffing out his chest as best a child could. "Am I not too old for you?" she tried to hold back her laughter but when his face grew serious she couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips.
"No, you're not old, I can marry you and we can always be together like my mummy and Mikael" he shuddered as he mentioned his father "I can build you a big house" Caroline laughed more "Alright superman, let's get you too bed. We don't need a cranky Nik walking around tomorrow, do we?"
"No" he yawned as Caroline scooped him back up in her arms and placed him in the bed. She climbed in next to him and watched as he began to drift off "You're still marrying me" he managed to say before falling asleep cuddling into Caroline's side leaving her with a big smile on her face.
BANG, BANG, BANG
"I swear to god, if that's those girl scouts selling those horrible cookies again, i'll eat them" Damon groaned as he trudged down the stairs at a human pace with Nik behind him. He had woken early due to the banging noise and met Damon in the hallway. He just motioned with his head for him to follow and that's exactly what Nik done.
BANG,BANG,BANG
"You must have a death wish to be knocking down this door at 6am" Damon swung open the door to be met with The Original siblings "Do you realize the time?" he grunted out
"Do you realize the situation?" Rebekah replied in a bitchy tone "This is about my brother, time is of the essence" she said as she walked past Damon with Elijah who just rolled his eyes but followed quietly to meet Nik standing curiously from the end of the staircase.
"Oh my god" Rebekah managed to get out as tears sprung to her eyes. "Is that Nik, Elijah?"
"Niklaus, come here" Nik eyed Elijah and the woman who reminded him of Caroline. He stepped down and stood still. He then looked over Elijah and Rebekah who were kneeling down in front of him, his gaze went over their shoulders to meet Damon's eyes. "Damon?" he whispered unsure of what to do. Damon was shocked, he really doesn't remember a thing.
"Yeah, uh, Nik, uh just go over to them for a minute, I'll get Caroline" he said leaving Nik with his siblings whom he didn't even recognise.
"Do you remember me Niklaus?" Elijah asked the child who nodded. "You were at Caroline's house, you have the same name as my big brother" he told him as a smile broke out onto Nik's face.
"This is Rebekah, my little sister" Nik looked over at Rebekah smiling. "I don't have a sister but I have two big brothers Elijah and Finn and Mummy is having another baby. I hope it's a girl" he told her his eyes filled with excitement. Caroline and Damon had stood watching the emotions on the siblings faces seeing their brother in a vulnerable human toddler's body. After a few moment she made herself known. Nik ran to her hugging her legs and Rebekah and Elijah smiled. "That's cute and weird at the same time, even human and he still pines after you" Rebekah smirked. "Rebekah enough childish remarks."
"Sorry big brother" Elijah nodded before turning to Caroline who now had Nik placed on her hip as she held him
"I'll admit, it is strange to see him like this"
"I know, everyone is saying that now."
"Although I maybe bold in saying this, a child in your arms suits you Caroline" Rebekah rolled her eyes at Elijah and Nik frowned "Hey" he shouted
"Sorry for ignoring you little man" she said and his eyes brightened but when Nik turned to Elijah he glared while pointing his finger "Caroline is marrying me, so get your own girl" Elijah's eyes widened and Rebekah and Damon burst into laughter. "My apologies Niklaus" Elijah humored the situation with a fake apology.
"That's okay Lijah" he told him but staked his claim on Caroline by hugging her.
"Now that's out-of-the-way, what's the plan? You know who is still out there and after a certain someone" Damon informed the group. In the meantime Elena and Stefan had joined the group. "Yes, I'm aware, we have a witch flying to Mystic Falls. Her name is Michelle and she's a pretty good witch who deals in this sort of area and she should be here by tomorrow afternoon, the latest."
"That's good, but what about" Caroline covered Nik's ears with her hands and mouthed 'Mikael' to them. "Isn't he a huge threat to him now ?"
"Michelle believes when the spell is complete things will go back to the way they were and Mikael and Niklaus will return and present Niklaus shall return safe and sound" Caroline breathed a sigh of relief but a slight tugging came over her, she liked taking care of a child and Nik was a pleasure to look after but she knew she could only have one or the other.
"Caroline? Is there something wrong?" she shook her head at Elijah as she placed Nik on the ground.
"I'll go make a start on breakfast" she said as she excited the room leaving Elijah slightly confused. Rebekah rolled her eyes at the men and both her and Elena followed her.
"Care?" Elena called her softly
"You okay?" she asked her
"Yes" she sighed going back to whisking batter for pancakes.
"Caroline, you're not okay. You were fine until we mentioned the witch and now your all moody and hiding" Rebekah said out straight
"UGH" she slammed the plastic mixing bowl down, a bit of batter escaping onto the counter. "Why can't I have both? Is it too much to ask for to have a child and a boyfriend? I'm pretty sure Klaus hates me now. He will flip shit when he gets back and he wont want me" she began to cry not caring if Klaus' sister was there and Elena had seen her cry plenty of times in the past but not like this. "Now little Nik out there has grown on me, I don't want to send him back now because if I do that, I lose both even if he's the same person later in life." she was sobbing uncontrollably now "It's not fair"
"Care? It's going to be okay"
"Caroline my brother is in love with you, he always forgives you. He doesn't show that kindness he shows to you, to anyone else." Rebekah chimed in to help reassure Caroline
"You didn't see his face that day in the woods, he was hurt, angry and looked betrayed. I did that to him even though I wanted no part in it, he will hate me." she screamed "I have to leave for a while, I'll be back later. Make sure Nik eats and takes a nap" she told them before bolting out the front door.
Caroline ran and ran until she reached The Wickery Bridge. She let out one scream of frustration as her chest heaved. She heard the gravel behind her "I said I'd be back later"
"Miss Forbes" Caroline swung round
"Mikael" she breathed out before she was injected with a heavy dose of vervain and her world went black.
"At last" he smiled wickedly at the unconscious vampire. "Now a bargaining chip for dear little Niklaus" he picked Caroline up and swung her over his shoulder "I shall kill Niklaus once and for all. There is no stopping me this time"