AN: Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and follows! This chapter is a little longer than the first one, so I hope you guys enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, only the story line and the mistakes!
Klaus collapses on the couch in his home. His body is actually tired and he is covered in blood. The rest of his family files into the living room. They are all bloody and both physically and mentally exhausted. Elijah's suit is ruffled and torn, Bekah's hair is ratty and her clothes are less than fashionable. Finn looks conflicted and Kol is not his usual smug self. Marcel is recovering from a broken neck, Hayley is a mess and Cami is tending to Davina's injuries. They are a straggly bunch, but they are the winning bunch. Klaus looks over at Hayley and smiles. "Clean yourself up, Hayley. Get some rest. Today we defeated Esther and Mikael. Tomorrow we are to be reunited with our daughter."
Hayley's bruised and dirty face brightens into a smile. "Hope." She whispers. Smiles break out on the faces of each of the room's occupants. "Why wait?" Hayley makes a move for the front door.
"We do not need to draw any more attention to ourselves than picking up Hope after a two year absence. Shower and rest. We will make the drive first thing in the morning." Klaus pushes himself out of the chair and heeds his own advice. Klaus takes a long shower, watching as all the blood and dirt is rinsed from his body. He quickly dresses in a pair of jeans and a dark gray Henley. Klaus listens as everyone else settles into their bedrooms or guest rooms and gets ready for some well-deserved rest. Klaus, however, grabs a blood bag from the fridge and goes into his art studio and relaxes his mind and body by painting. He spends the next couple hours painting a portrait of Hope, as he remembers her from two years ago.
The sun rises and Klaus is disturbed by the loud banging on his studio door. "Come on Klaus. I'm ready to go." Hayley's impatient voice is heard from the other side of the door.
Klaus opens the door and narrows his eyes at Hayley. "Now, believe me, I am just as ready as you to get our daughter. But we can't just storm in there and demand her. We need to make sure we talk to Kate and get Hope back, without drawing any attention to us."
"Why does it matter? You parents are both gone, forever. Kol and Finn are on our side now." Hayley begins to walk towards the front door.
Klaus grabs Hayley's arm and spins her so they are face to face. "Are you really so foolish to believe that Esther and Mikael were my only enemies?"
Hayley balks and realizes that Hope's life will always be at risk with a father like Klaus. "I, uh, no." Hayley uncharacteristically stumbles over her words.
"Right." Klaus releases Hayley's arm. "We will make sure we deal with Kate. We will compel her to forget that Hope was ever there. If we need to, we will compel all the kids to forget about Hope, too. There are no boundaries I will not cross for my daughter's safety."
Hayley nods in agreement. "Ok." Klaus continues to watch Hayley to make sure she understands. "I said ok. Can we go now?"
"Let's go get our daughter." Klaus and Hayley pile into one of Klaus' SUVs and they start their drive to Dallas.
Caroline and Hope arrive at the nice two bedroom apartment that Caroline has been renting. She gets Hope set up in the second bedroom and then sits on the floor of Hope's room with Hope. "Do you like the name Hope?" Caroline asks.
Hope shrugs. "S'ok."
"I love the name Elizabeth. Do you like Lizzie or Hope better?" Caroline knows asking a two year old questions like this is pointless, but if the little girl is getting a new beginning, a new name would help.
"Wizzie?" Hope asks, in her little toddler voice.
Caroline giggles at the girl and Hope joins in. "Lizzie." Caroline puts emphases on the 'l'. After a few more tries, Hope successfully says 'Lizzie'.
"Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie!" Hope chants.
"Ok, from here on out, you are Elizabeth Hope Forbes. And we will call you Lizzie." Caroline smiles at the sweet girl.
"I Lizzie. You?" Lizzie points at Caroline.
"Mama. I'm going to be your mama, Lizzie." Caroline says, as she pulls Lizzie into her lap.
Lizzie snuggles into Caroline and wraps her hands around Caroline's sides. "Mama. Mama and Lizzie."
Caroline sits with Lizzie until she falls asleep. Caroline lays her down in her toddler bed and goes to find her phone. Caroline quietly steps out onto her balcony, so she can talk freely, but still hear if Lizzie needs her.
"Hey Care." Stefan's voice rings through the phone.
"Hey Stef. How are you? Where are you, is the better question?"
"I'm in Costa Rica, enjoying the sun. What's new?"
"I did it. I finally did it."
"It?" Stefan asks, shocked. "You adopted a child?"
"Yup." Caroline smiles at the thought of a sleeping Lizzie.
"After months of thinking about it, you finally did it. I'm getting on a plane as soon as I can." Caroline laughs at Stefan's urgency. "Tell me about the child, and where you are."
"I'm in Dallas. I'll send you my address when we are done. Her name is Lizzie. Elizabeth, actually. But I call her Lizzie. She is two and incredibly sweet. You will love her. I'm sure of it."
"If she is anything like you, I will just adore her." Stefan arrives at the airport and goes up to the desk. "Hang on Care. I need to compel myself a ticket to Dallas."
Caroline laughs as she can hear her friend compelling himself a one way ticket to Dallas. She is so excited to introduce Stefan to Lizzie. He was the only one she had confessed her desire to adopt to. She knew he would understand her predicament of needing something to bind her humanity to. Stefan supported her idea from the beginning. Caroline could hear Lizzie stirring and she didn't want her daughter to wake up alone after her first little nap at their house. "Stef, I gotta go. Call me when you get in."
"Ok, Care. Bye!"
"Bye!" Caroline hangs up as she moves to go back into Lizzie's room. Caroline sits on the floor and just watches her darling daughter sleep. Lizzie wakes up and smiles upon seeing Caroline in her room.
"Mama."
"How did you sleep Lizzie?"
Lizzie rubs her eyes and blinks a couple of times. "I get a snack?"
Caroline chuckles and picks Lizzie up off her bed. "Let's get something to eat. Then I think we need to go shopping." Caroline brings Lizzie into the kitchen and places Lizzie on a chair. "Do you want a banana, some yogurt or some pretzels?" Caroline asks, while digging through her cabinets and fridge.
"Banana!" Lizzie yells, excitedly.
"Banana it is." Caroline peels and cuts up a banana for Lizzie. She watches in awe as the little toddler shovels the banana into her mouth. Lizzie looks up at Caroline with a mouthful of banana and mumbles something. Caroline watches in confusion as Lizzie seems to get frustrated. Lizzie keeps mumbling and Caroline finally places her hands on Lizzie's face. "Lizzie, you need to chew and swallow your banana. I can't help you because I don't know what you want."
Lizzie chews up her banana and blurts out "Cup!"
Caroline grabs the Sippy cup that Eva had given her. It was pink with purple and green butterflies. Caroline fills the cup with milk and gives it to Lizzie. Lizzie happily drinks the milk, as Caroline makes a mental note of all the things that Lizzie will need. Caroline and Lizzie spend hours shopping for toys, diapers, clothes and food for Lizzie. Caroline was thankful that she had the forethought to buy the toddler bed and a car seat before going to the children's home. Caroline also picks up a couple parenting books and a little potty seat. She decides her first big task as a mom would be to get Lizzie potty trained. Caroline puts Lizzie to bed after an eventful day and crashes on the couch. There's a knock at her door and Caroline begrudgingly gets up to answer.
"Hey mama!" Stefan greets, face spread in a wide smile.
"Hi Stef. Come in." Caroline moves aside and lets Stefan stroll into the living room.
"Nice place. Where's Lizzie?" Stefan looks around the apartment trying to locate the toddler.
"She's sleeping. It's after eight o'clock. She's only two, remember?"
Stefan laughs. "I guess I'm not nearly as knowledgeable as you about this having kids thing. I forgot they go to bed early. Can I crash here so I can meet her in the morning?"
"Sure. I'll set up the couch." Caroline leaves to grab some blankets and pillows. "How's Damon and Elena?"
"They are good, I guess."
"You guess?" Caroline looks at her friend in question.
"They have been fighting, a lot. Elena is getting sick of Damon trying to make all her decisions. She wants to go out and explore the world on her own. Like you."
Caroline groans. "Just another reason for Damon to hate me."
Stefan laughs as he lays down on the couch. "No, he gets it. He just doesn't want her to leave him. Last time he and I talked, he respected you for going out on your own and enjoying your vampirism."
Caroline smiles to herself. She and Damon would never have the type of friendship she has with Stefan, Elena or Bonnie. But knowing he doesn't completely hate her helps. "Get some sleep, Stef. You get to meet my baby girl tomorrow."
Caroline goes into her room and gets into bed immediately. She has no idea how early Lizzie will wake up.
Thankfully, Lizzie wakes up around 7:30 the next morning. Caroline hears Lizzie's small voice. "Mama? Mama?"
Caroline jumps out of bed and speeds to Lizzie's room. "Good morning, Lizzie." Caroline wraps the girl in a big hug and picks her up off the bed. "Let's go have breakfast and meet mama's friend." Caroline carries Lizzie into the kitchen, where Stefan is making coffee. "Lizzie, this is Stefan. Say hi to Stefan, he's mama's friend." Caroline prods.
Lizzie gives Stefan a bashful smile. "Hi Tefan."
Stefan chuckles and smiles back at Lizzie. "Hi Lizzie. I'm so happy to meet you."
"Ok, Lizzie. Let's have breakfast." Caroline puts Lizzie in the booster seat and gets to work cutting grapes in half and toasting some frozen waffles. Stefan watches with interest as Caroline seems to be a natural. Caroline gives Lizzie her breakfast and the two vampires watch the toddler eat. "Isn't she beautiful?"
"She is. She is going to have me completely wrapped around her finger." Stefan jokes. Lizzie looks over at them and offers Caroline a piece of grape. Caroline accepts the grape and Stefan looks intently at Lizzie. "You know, her eyes…" He trails off.
"They remind you of someone?" Caroline asks.
"Klaus." Stefan whispers. Caroline nods as she tries not to think of Klaus and his promise of last loves and the last time she saw him. "He had a child, you know?" Stefan says, hesitantly.
"Yeah, I heard through the vampire grapevine. I also heard that the witches, uh, got her." Caroline admits.
"That's what I heard too." Stefan looks at Lizzie again. "What do you know about Lizzie's parents?"
"Nothing. I want to keep it that way. I was told she had been there for about a year and a half. Eva, the woman I spoke with didn't seem to know too much. She didn't even know a last name, just that everyone called her Hope."
"And you renamed her?" Stefan inquires.
"She liked the name Lizzie. The name on her compelled birth certificate says Elizabeth Hope Forbes." Caroline beamed as Lizzie looked up, recognizing her own name.
"Well, Caroline. I think you and Lizzie here make the perfect little family."
"Thanks Stef. I do too."
Klaus and Hayley exit the large black SUV and briskly walk up to the door of the children's home. They are both anxious and excited. They pound on the door and are both a little taken back when a woman, who is not Kate answers the door. "Hi. I'm Eva. Can I help you?" She asks.
Klaus takes a deep breath and growls. "Where is Kate?"
"Kate?" Eva looks confused. "Do you mean Kathleen Ellis?" Klaus and Hayley both look at Eva with a mix of confusion and frustration. "Uh, reddish blonde hair, hazel eyes, kind of short?"
Hayley looks to Klaus and nods. "Yes, that is her. We need to speak with her immediately." Klaus compels.
"I'm sorry but Kate no longer works here." Eva answers in monotone. "I can find you her forwarding address." Eva walks into the house and leaves the door open for Klaus and Hayley to walk in.
"I'm going to look for Hope. You compel her so we can leave." Hayley whispers.
"Eva." Klaus calls and Eva turns around, smiling at the handsome man in front of her. Klaus catches Eva's eyes and her pupils dilate. "We are here to take Hope home."
"Hope?" Eva's eyebrows furrow. "Hope has been adopted. Just a few days ago."
"Hayley!" Klaus growls.
Hayley comes pounding down the stairs. "What is the matter, Klaus?"
"Tell Hayley what you just told me." Klaus continues to maintain eye contact with Eva.
"Hope has been adopted, just a few days ago." Eva repeats.
"What? How? By who?" Hayley's temper begins to flare and her hybrid features start to emerge.
"Who adopted Hope?" Klaus asks Eva.
Even without Klaus' compulsion, Eva's eyes glaze over. "I don't remember. I don't remember anyone coming, but Hope hasn't been here for a few days."
"You don't remember?" Klaus tries to rein in his anger. "Give me all the paperwork from the adoption."
"There is none." Eva says defeated, after checking the files and the computer.
"She was compelled. Another vampire took Hope." Hayley murmurs frantically.
Klaus, in a moment of frustration, grabs Eva by the shoulders and pulls her body against his. Klaus quickly buries his fangs into Eva's neck and begins draining her of her blood.
"Wait, Klaus. Stop." Hayley begs. "If you kill her, what will happen to all these children?"
Klaus pulls his fangs out and glares at Hayley, letting the unconscious body of Eva fall to the ground. "All these children? Do you really think I care about all these other children? I only care about Hope and getting her back. This woman allowed Hope to be taken by someone. Someone who can hurt our child."
"I know. I, just." Hayley bends down and gives Eva enough blood to heal the woman. Hayley helps her to a chair to sit down and rest. "We were never here. You were just feeling faint. If you ever see Hope again, you will call this number immediately." Hayley hands Eva a piece of paper with her cell number on it.
Eva nods and repeats Hayley's compulsion.
"Let's go. I need to call Davina and have her do a locater spell." Klaus grumbles, pulling Hayley away from Eva and back into the car.