Holy Toledo I updated! I don't have much to say besides thank you to Katie (hybridlovelies) for being an inspiration to me. Her writing is just so darn flawless, so to have her opinion on this little fic and to love it, means the world to me. Thanks Katie for being my muse and my Beta! Also much love to my Kate (liarfaker) and Miranda (livingdeadblondegirl) for reading through this chapter and giving me love.

Hold on to your hats and away we go!

Many years ago

Caroline hiked her skirt up over her ankles, her legs getting tickled by the tall grass as she lazily dragged her feet across the land. She hummed a quiet tune to herself as she bent down occasionally to gather wild flowers in her hand. The prairie was littered with them this time of year, every shade and color you could imagine, and in her young mind it felt as though she were strolling across a rainbow. So she kept her eye out for leprechauns or fairies, or anything else magical or mystical.

She headed toward a large willow that was in the center of the field. It's long, wispy leaves draped down low, and providing shade for a number of critters. A small rabbit watched her approach, frozen in place to be certain she didn't see him.

"Don't be frightened, little bunny," the sweet blonde spoke, hoping and wishing that the rabbit would ignore its instinct to run from an intruder. However, when Caroline's intention of sharing the shady area dawned on the petrified creature, he scurried off in a panic, leaving the small flowers he was nibbling on and seeking another shady haven all his own.

Caroline sighed heavily and shrugged as she watched its cotton tail disappear in the distance. She resumed her original intent and searched for the unique flower that would make her bouquet complete. The tall stock and small purple flowers of vervain, is just what it needed.

As she bent over to procure the flower she noticed a small etching on the side of the tree. She placed her hand over it and took a deep breath as tears began to pool and blur her vision. A small heart had been carved low and at the base of the tree and within it two sets of initials.

KM + CF Forever

It had been almost a year since Klaus had disappeared and the rest of his family moved away, and her heart still broke whenever she thought of him. The carving made it hurt even worse, since she hadn't seen it before today or had known that he even carved it.

Even at her tender young age, she knew they were meant to be together forever, but this unfair and cruel world had torn them apart. She crouched at the base of the tree, just under the etched heart, and pulled her knees to her chest.

Caroline held tightly to the flowers in her hand, and imagined walking down the aisle with a pretty white dress to meet Klaus at the end. A weak smile ticked at the corner of her mouth, as her little girl imagination ran away with her. The moment didn't last long, however, when she looked at the tiny silver bracelet on her wrist and the reality of the situation came flooding back to mind.

Her temper got the better of her and she stood up and stamped her foot and allowed the tears that were brimming in her eyes to fall freely down her cheeks. The little blonde scampered away, and just like the rabbit, she left her colorful flowers behind, disheveled and scattering in the gentle breeze.

(***)

The Apache Camp

As they emerged from the tepee Klaus held onto Caroline's hand tightly. He didn't want to ever let her go again. He felt her dainty hand grasp his just as tightly and knew she felt the same. The memory of their heated encounter, her soft lips pressing firmly into his, still lingered and he allowed a small smile to perk up at the corner of his mouth.

He felt his walls begin to crumble, one stone at a time, and for the briefest moment a new life flashed before his eyes - a life that he never imagined could be his. He glanced over at the blonde beauty, his childhood friend and first love, and she smiled warmly at him. She was looking at him with fresh eyes, and it both scared and excited him at the same time. He knew that Caroline could be a reason for him to leave behind his old life, no more chasing after Mikael, no more needing to bring about his demise, nothing would ever be the same.

A loud whistle rang out, followed by a clamber of applause, and he glanced in front of him to see Kol leaning against a tree and cheering them on. Klaus instinctively rolled his eyes at his brother and Caroline let out a soft giggle.

"Would you shut up?" Klaus scolded Kol, who only pushed himself off the tree and walked forward to place a hand on his shoulder.

"I think you know me well enough to know that ain't possible."

"You're telling me," Caroline piped up.

"Hey there, firecracker, nobody likes a wise ass," Kol teased.

Klaus looked down at Caroline who seemed awfully proud of herself. He chuckled lightly and gave her a nudge with his elbow. "Seems you've learned how to keep my dear brother in line."

"I can handle him," she said with a wink.

"Handle me? Ha! The only way you could handle me is by drugging me."

"And outrunning you," she smirked.

It was Kol's turn to roll his eyes. "Now now, we don't need bring that up again. We both know that I let you win."

"Ha!" Caroline covered her mouth and continued to laugh. "Kol, you're slower than a snail on Sunday."

Klaus was becoming more and more amused by the banter between the pair of them. He wouldn't admit it, but it warmed his heart to see Kol so carefree and for Caroline to be finding a place within his family again. As he continued to listen to their quips toward each other, he realized how ridiculous it was for him to think anything was going on between them. Clearly, Caroline was like Rebekah, another sister for Kol to rile up and tease.

"You owe me a rematch when my arm is completely healed, ya hear?" He pointed a finger at her and nodded his head.

"Fine, if I must, but I fear it will only result in you getting whooped once more."

"We'll see about that."

The three of them walked toward the center of the camp. Caroline had been anxious to see Rebekah once again. They were never close like she was with Rebekah's brothers, and although she remembered Rebekah being a bit spoiled and awfully girly, she still thought fondly of her and was curious to see what kind of woman she'd become.

There was a large amount of hustle and bustle taking place in the moment. The natives were rounding up flowers, setting up tables and preparing another large fire. As they approached, Kol took off at top speed when he noticed the other blonde headed their way.

"Rebekah, you stupid girl!" he yelled at her before throwing his arms around her and hugging her tightly. "I should kill you for gettin' shot!"

"Owww," she whined, "get off me you dummy." She pushed Kol away and grabbed hold of her stomach, her bullet wound still not completely healed. She punched Kol in the shoulder and he yelped out in pain.

"Owww," he bellowed, repeating Rebekah's whiney tone, and rubbed where he too had recently been shot. "Jesus, Bekah! You're not the only one injured."

It was hard not to laugh at the pair of them, as they both scrunched their faces and waited for the pain to pass. When it finally did, they looked at each other and giggled too. Kol went in for another hug, this time being more cautious, and she hugged him back.

"Don't you ever leave me," Kol said to Rebekah.

"If you promise to never leave me," she whispered and buried her head in his shoulder to hide the tears beginning to well up.

When they pulled away from each other, he cocked his head and looked at her teary eyes. "Really Sister, I know I'm a sight to behold, but there's no need to cry over how beautiful I am."

"Oh shut up," she laughed and wiped a tear from her eye before swatting him on his good arm. It was then that she noticed Caroline across the way. Rebekah's face lit up when she noticed Klaus and Caroline holding hands, and the tears began again. She couldn't help but sob, and it wasn't because she was sad but because it was the first time, in a long while, the Mikaelson children were all happy and well. Elijah was across the way helping Elena with a large pitcher of water, a look of admiration that never seemed to fade when in the presence of his bride. Kol was healthy, and still his pompous yet wonderfully unique self, and she had Stefan at her side.

But none of that compared to seeing Klaus with Caroline. It was as if the dark shroud of his past had been temporarily lifted and they were once again able to see the young, strong and compassionate man that Klaus Mikaelson truly was. There was a new light emanating out of him, and he somehow looked younger, no doubt in lieu of the bright beacon standing beside him.

Caroline let go of Klaus' hand and took the last steps that remained between her and Rebekah. She wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her gently.

"I'm so happy to see you well, Rebekah."

Rebekah didn't respond, she only hugged the other girl back and silently sobbed. It was enough to show Caroline that she felt the same. They pulled apart and Caroline ran a hand down her arm and grabbed hold of her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze and smiling.

"Caroline?"

Caroline turned her head at the sound of her name. She saw Elena walking toward her and beckoning her to follow.

"Come with me," the petite native told her.

She looked over her shoulder at Klaus who smiled and nodded. They hardly had time to talk after their moment in the tepee, and now she was being pulled away from him again. Anything they had to say to each other would have to wait a little longer. Their eyes remained locked onto one another for as long as they could before Caroline was being pulled forward and into the nearby tepee.

(***)

"Undress."

"Excuse me?"

"You need to bathe," Elena said directly.

Caroline looked down at her clothing and back up at Elena. She had no mirror, but could only imagine what her state of attire must look like. In the past days, she found little time for grooming, save for a few quick rinses at the nearby stream. She was too busy fussing over Kol and bringing him back to health.

"Undress," Elena said again when Caroline remained still. "I will take your clothes to be cleaned."

"But I have nothing else to wear." It's not like she had time to grab any of her belongings before she was so abruptly taken from her home.

"Do not worry, you will be wearing something different for tonight." Elena smiled and walked over to a large steel bath that was in the back of the tent. The steam from the water filled the room and Elena picked up a number of small bottles and began pouring them in. A plethora of aromas began to tingle Caroline's senses as they simmered into the hot water. Some familiar ones - lavender and mint - mixing with a few unfamiliar ones as well. Elena pulled one last bottle out and measured a small amount of blue powder into the palm of her hand. She sprinkled it into the tub and the moment it seeped into the water, the fragrance overwhelmed the others.

"What is that?" she asked as she began to undress as she was told to do, bending over to unlace and remove her boots.

"Yágo Nii shone' yeh'."

"Ya-go Nee shone yay," Caroline repeated in broken Navajo. "What does it mean?"

"Blue Princess, is what my people call it. It is used for many cures, but also for needed rest and sleep. It is a very powerful sedative."

"Will it make me fall asleep?"

"No, I have only put enough in to help you rest your mind."

"It smells familiar."

"It is a native flower, one that I'm sure you have seen before." Elena helped Caroline out of her garb, pulling her shirt over her head and undoing the clasp at the back of her skirt. Caroline undid her mess of a bun, and Elena ran a brush through her long locks as they cascaded down her bare back. "I believe you have another word for it. Verbena or vervain?"

"Oh vervain, I used to pick that as a child."

Caroline inhaled deeply and memories began to flood her mind. Her mother always kept the small bundles of wildflowers she picked in a bottle on the kitchen window sill, the fragrance mingling with whatever her mother would be cooking at the time.

Elena held her hand out to help her in the tub. Caroline's toes touched the surface of the water and a tingle settled into them and travelled up her leg. She didn't realize how much she missed taking a warm bath, and as each limb sunk into the steamy water she felt her body immediately relax.

"Stay here. Relax your mind. Tonight will be very special."

"What's tonight?" Caroline said in a sleepy tone, but didn't receive an answer. Elena had already exited the tepee leaving Caroline alone to relax and enjoy her bath.

(***)

After Caroline left with Elena, Rebekah was ushered to the medicinal tepee, where she was being helped get cleaned up and given more medicine to encourage the healing process. Klaus and the boys decided to walk to the nearby river, after much encouragement from Elena through Elijah.

"She doesn't want to see us return to camp until we are no longer covered in filth."

"It might take a while," Klaus chuckled and looked down at his own hands to see the caked dirt under his fingernails.

"Yes, well, we'll make sure to scrub Kol until he's red."

"I heard that!" Kol hollered back at them.

Kol and Stefan ran ahead as they saw the water come into view. Both hootin' and hollerin' and stripping down to their drawers, ready to find some relief from the scorching heat above. Klaus shook his head and laughed. He couldn't remember the last time he saw The Tailor and The Saint being so carefree. He turned his head and looked at Elijah, who was also wearing a wide grin but it was focused on him.

"What?" Klaus asked and scoffed at his brother's amusement.

"Nothin', nothin'," he responded with added cheek. "It's just nice to see you smile."

"I smile," Klaus told him with a shrug and a hint of contempt.

"No, you sneer."

"I do not sneer."

"The last time I saw you smile sincerely was when you were around fifteen. Do you remember? It was before all of this started."

Klaus pondered what Elijah was talking about, rummaging through his mind for the memory. At fifteen they had been on their own for quite some time. He and Elijah had finally broken out their younger siblings from that hell hole of a boarding school and they had taken up residence in a small apartment on the outskirts of New York City. It was their first night the four of them had been together in almost five years. Rebekah and Kol were still children, yet Elijah had neared adulthood and life had become easier since he was able to gain proper employment with a local bank.

They didn't want to procure the two younger Mikaelsons until they had felt they were in a stable enough place to do so. They had planned to move back west once the two were with them, possibly going back to Mystic Haven. That first night, there was such elation and celebration amongst the four of them. Klaus was filled with more love and hope than he ever had in his entire life. The boy that felt like an outcast growing up was now surrounded by the three people that loved him more than anything. It was pure joy as the four of them laughed and wept, excited about their new adventure together.

However, in their haste to free Rebekah and Kol they never imagined the expenses that would pile up, now that there were four mouths to feed instead of just two. Yes, Elijah had a job, but it quickly dawned on them that it was not going to be enough, as late one evening Rebekah fell ill. She was in desperate need of medical attention but it would cost Elijah a week's worth of pay to afford it.

Elijah had gained the trust of the bank owner, and was now in charge of security in the evening when the bank was closed. Rebekah's fever had reached a pinnacle and desperate times called for desperate measures. While clocking in during his shift, and saying goodnight to the bank owner and the other associates, he went to one of the many bank drawers and without a second thought snatched as much money as he could and ran away, leaving a handwritten note that only said two words.

I'm sorry.

He was able to get the medicine that Rebekah had needed but the Mikaelsons were no longer able to stay in New York. As soon as she was well enough the four of them left the city and headed out west, alas the Demon Dogs had been formed, though small and innocent with no blood on their hands.

The night they decided to run away, the four sat around Rebekah's bed as Elijah emptied the stolen money onto her lap. Their eyes were large and greed had settled in, Klaus realizing that things were looking up and that perhaps a life outside the law was what they were destined for.

They became excellent pickpockets, Kol and Rebekah using their innocence to gain the trust of unsuspecting folk. As Rebekah grew older, she became their best asset. She found swindling wealthy men into spending their riches on the beautiful blonde, came as easy as putting on lipstick. That was until she attempted to swindle the wrong man, and she was caught in the act. A man with perfect hair, a winning smile and a baby face, that was just begging to be conned. However, a thief trying to rob another thief doesn't work out well for most people. Luckily for Rebekah she found a kindred spirit, thus the Mikaelsons were introduced to the Salvatore brothers.

Elijah still held a moral code, however, and the idea of being anything but upstanding citizens, had him questioning everything and continually reigning Klaus in from being rash. He figured if this was truly the best way for them to survive, that they would in turn do good. Like Robin Hood and his Merry Men, they would rob from the rich and give to the poor. One particular richman soon became their sole target, and the pursuit of Mikael's ruin became the fuel behind their crimes.

Elijah and Klaus reached the water's edge and were about to join the other two, when Klaus turned to Elijah and asked a question.

"When you met Elena, did you know she was the one? I mean...did you know you wanted to marry her right away?"

Elijah thought about the question. He knew Klaus was implying what he should do about Caroline, and so he felt he needed to tread the subject lightly.

"I believe," he began, "that I did know, yes." He shrugged his shirt off and began to wade into the water. "It's why I left a horse outside her home."

Klaus halted in his steps at hearing what his brother said. "I'm sorry, you did what?"

Elijah laughed and swam further out, wading in the river, before floating to his back and gazing at the sky. Klaus soon joined him and the two brothers relaxed, and Elijah continued with his story.

"In the Apache culture, a woman is first presented to the rest of the tribe as being available for marriage. They put on a large celebration, and the woman comes dressed in her finest skins and jewelry. At the end of the night, she would have made her intentions clear on which man she preferred to marry."

"So she picks the guy?"

"Yes."

"And Elena chose you?"

"Yes," Elijah repeated. He remained quiet and let the words sink in, watching Klaus in the corner of his eye as he stared up above.

"So, then what did you do?" he finally asked.

Elijah floated forward and off his back so he could face his brother. "I then left a horse outside her home and if she accepted it and lead it to water then she accepted my proposal."

Klaus suddenly burst out into laughter as he rolled over and brought his feet to the sandy river bed. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

Elijah only shrugged and shook his head at his daft brother, if he only knew what Elena had in store for the poor sap. He brought his palm to the water and splashed Klaus, wiping that stupid grin off his face.

"Oh you are so done for brother," Klaus scurried after Elijah but before he reached him he felt two hands on his shoulders and his head was pushed completely underwater. He sputtered out of the water and turned to see Kol racing in the opposite direction. "Yeah, let's see how far you can get with that bum shoulder, Kol!"

(***)

After about an hour in the river, the men decided they were as clean as they were gonna get and made their way back to the village. As they came closer they noticed that the village had been transformed. The fire had already been lit and every tree and table were decorated and the drums had started, a rhythm that could be heard from miles away.

"What do you suppose the special occasion is?" Klaus muttered to Elijah.

"I believe, it's in honor of Caroline."

"Caroline?" Klaus snapped his head back and furrowed his brow. "Why in the world would the feast be in honor of Caroline?"

"Well brother," Elijah said and clapped him on the back. "I believe it's because she is eligible for marriage."

Elijah strode off, a contented smirk on his face, leaving Klaus with a bewildered expression. Klaus gulped and stared at nothing in particular, as the recollection of Elijah's story and how he proposed to Elena came back to mind.

Uh oh, looks like someone's expected to get hitched! Yeehaw!

Let me know what you thought. Reviews are a delight! You can also find me on Tumblr at jomosfamilyjewels!