AN: Hey there darling readers! Here is the next chapter! It's been a crazy week for me, so please pardon any mistakes! I decided that I wanted to make sure this got out tonight, so there might be a few grammatical errors I didn't catch. I hope you all enjoy, and please feel free to review or PM me with any ideas, questions or comments! I love hearing from you!
Lizzie is still bouncing around her new bedroom, chatting to Hayley who is perched on Lizzie's bed just smiling happily. A knock at the door, stops Lizzie's excited chatter. "Elizabeth, Hayley." Elijah appears at the door, smoothing out his suit coat.
"Hi Uncle Elijah." Lizzie tries the name out.
Elijah is taken aback by the unfamiliar term, but recovers quickly so Lizzie doesn't notice. "Dinner is ready."
"Thanks Elijah." Hayley says, hoping off the bed and holding out her hand to Lizzie. Lizzie easily grasps Hayley's hand and then reaches out to Elijah with her other one.
"What's for dinner?" Lizzie asks, looking up at Elijah with curious blue eyes.
"Pizza!" Shouts Kol from the bottom of the stairs.
"My favorite!" Lizzie releases Hayley and Elijah's hands and bounds down the stairs. She runs into Klaus and nearly falls backwards.
Klaus scoops the girl up before she can fall down. "Easy there, Lizzie." Klaus places her in a chair at the table and the Mikaelsons all settle down for a less than their usual elegance dinner. Between bites, Lizzie prattles on about learning magic, exploring New Orleans, and being a princess. The Mikaelsons are surprised at how at ease the whole scene is for everyone and for the moment they feel a sense of peace and completion.
After dinner finishes up, Hayley offers to Lizzie to pick out a movie for the whole family to watch. Lizzie takes off for the media room and Klaus pulls Hayley aside. "Does she not have a bed time we need to stick to?" Klaus asks.
"Caroline didn't really leave me with any instructions. I figure Lizzie is with us, so we can decide those things now. It's not like she has anywhere to go tomorrow." Hayley dismisses Klaus and rushes to sit with Lizzie as she picks out the movie.
Klaus shakes his head and joins his daughter on the couch, feeling a little concerned with how the next few days are going to go.
Lizzie makes it almost the entire way through the movie. With only about ten minutes left, her eyelids finally lose their battle and flutter shut and her head falls over onto Klaus' arm. Klaus freezes for just a moment, but relaxes to see his daughter, finally home with him. It feels so human, to be watching a movie with his daughter and her mother. Then the thought hits him. Caroline. Caroline must be a wreck, especially since Lizzie was her humanity for five years. A small part of Klaus actually feels guilty for forcing Caroline and Lizzie to come to New Orleans. Klaus sighs as the movie ends. Hayley has a look of elation on her face as she takes in her sleeping daughter. "I'll bring her to bed." Hayley offers.
"Alright, but then we need to talk. To my siblings too. We need to decide how we are going to progress now that we have Lizzie home." Klaus allows Hayley to scoop Lizzie up, off of him and he stands up to leave a soft kiss on Lizzie's forehead.
Klaus paces in the sitting room, a glass of liquor in hand. Kol is draped over a chair, doing something on his phone. Elijah is standing near Klaus, also with a drink in hand. Rebekah is lounging on the couch, looking bored. Finn is sitting primly by the window. Hayley finally enters the room. "Wonderful, she's here. What do we need to discuss, big brother?" Rebekah huffs. She and Stefan have plans tonight and she has to put them on hold until Klaus gives them whatever lecture or threats he has planned.
"Since Lizzie will be staying here in New Orleans, we need to decide on a course of action for her magic training and her schooling. I decided to allow you all to join in the discussion." Klaus addresses his siblings and Hayley.
Rebekah huffs at the idea of Klaus allowing them to have an opinion of how he helps to raise his daughter. "What about Caroline? Does she not get to be a part of this?" Rebekah asks, not that she cares what the blonde vampire has to say, but she does wonder.
"Lizzie is here with us, Caroline can add her input when she returns." Hayley remarks. "I think we still need to be careful with Lizzie. Homeschooling is the best option. Keep her in the house, incase any other threats pop up."
"Do you really think keeping the child cooped up will be good for her?" Elijah asks. He places his drink down on a table. "One of the topics she was so adamant about at dinner was exploring the city. I do not believe homeschooling her and hiding her away will bode well."
"I agree, Elijah." Klaus turns to Hayley. "We can't keep her hidden away. She will resent us for it. We can, however, send her to a private school. Small enough that we can compel anyone we need to, but large enough that it will seem normal to her." Klaus adds.
"Perfect. Now that that has been solved." Rebekah pulled herself off the couch. "Stefan is waiting for me."
At that moment, Stefan chooses to enter the room, soaking wet from head to toe. "You look liked a drowned kitten!" Kol laughs, pointing at Stefan.
Even Klaus has to hold his laughter in. "It's a down pour out there." Stefan comments and Rebekah sends him a comforting look.
A sudden, loud clap of thunder explodes and shakes the house. It passes quickly, but it leaves Lizzie screaming in its wake. The vampires all speed up to the room housing the little girl. Lizzie is sitting up in her bed, cowering with the blankets up to her chin. Her eyes are shut tightly and she is wailing. Hayley and Klaus each flash to one side of the girl and both try to soothe her. "It's ok, Lizzie. It's just thunder." Hayley rubs Lizzie's back. Lizzie shakes her head furiously and continues to wail.
Klaus smooths down Lizzie's hair, pulling it away from her tear stained face. "Lizzie, you are ok. You're safe." He registers the irony in the last time he felt the need to assure someone they were safe it was Caroline.
"I want mommy!" Lizzie calls out, in between sobs. Hayley and Klaus exchange a weary look.
"It's ok, we are here." Hayley pleads with the crying girl.
"I know." Lizzie hiccups. "But I want my mommy!" A group of all powerful vampires, witches and hybrids and no one can calm down a sobbing seven year old girl.
"Just call Caroline." Stefan pipes in from the hallway. Seven pairs of eyes focus on Stefan. "Lizzie, do you want to talk to your mom?"
Lizzie leans into Klaus, wiping her steady stream of tears and nods softly. Klaus dials Caroline's number and waits patiently.
"Ugh, Klaus. What do you need?" Caroline moans, she had fallen asleep on the couch after drinking her weight in red wine.
"Lizzie needs to talk to you." Klaus replies, almost shamefully.
"Oh." Caroline pauses and sits up on the couch. "Put her on, please."
Klaus hands the phone to Lizzie, who is still leaning into him. "Mommy." Lizzie sobs.
"It's ok, Liz." Caroline soothes. "What happened? Why are you so sad?"
"There was thunder." Lizzie instantly begins to calm down as soon as she hears Caroline's voice.
"Oh, my sweet girl." Caroline sighs. "We have talked about this. There is nothing to fear during a thunderstorm." Caroline looks out of her own window, seeing nothing but a clear sky, with the moon and stars shining brightly.
"Will you sing to me?" Lizzie asks, quietly. Her tears have trailed off, though Klaus still has some damp spots on his shirt from when she was crying harder.
Caroline sighs, rubbing her face. "Ok." Caroline softly sings an old lullaby her grandmother used to sing to her.
The Mikaelsons listen in, impressed and watch as Lizzie hums along and her blood shot eyes begin to close. She falls asleep before Caroline finishes and the phone drops to the bed. Klaus slides Lizzie back into her bed and picks up the phone. The group begins to disperse and Klaus puts the phone to his ear. "Caroline?"
Caroline stops her singing and nearly drops the phone in shock. "Uh, yeah? Is Lizzie ok?"
"Yes, she fell asleep a moment ago. Thank you." Klaus continues to stand in his daughter's room, watching over her.
"Um, yeah. You're welcome. If it happens again, just take her to a window and show her the storm. Let her see that it is nothing to be scared off." Caroline explains. "She's always hated thunder storms."
"I will remember that. How is packing going?" Klaus hates that he is still hopeful that Caroline will change her mind and stay in New Orleans with him.
"It's hard. This is the only home she has ever really know. It's been my only constant home since I left Mystic Falls." Caroline sits on her couch and folds her legs under her. "It's just hard, letting her go."
"You don't have to." Klaus simply says.
"I know." Caroline replies and they both sit there in silence for a few minutes. "I better get going."
"Ok. Thank you again, Caroline."
"You're welcome. Bye Klaus."
"Goodbye Caroline." Klaus hangs up the phone and takes one more look at Lizzie. "I'll get your mom to stay with us, eventually. If it's the last thing I do." He promises.
Caroline wakes up in a terrible mood. Not even her favorite morning beverage of blood mixed with coffee helps. She grumbles to herself as she puts boxes together in her living room. A knock at her door, takes her away from her project. She is stunned to see Damon Salvatore standing there with his arms around a smiley Elena Gilbert and a very annoyed looking Bonnie Bennett. "Care!" Elena detaches herself from Damon and wraps Caroline in a tight hug.
Bonnie shoves Damon's arm off her shoulders. "Ugh." She glares at Damon and then turns her attention on Caroline. "Hi Caroline."
Caroline takes a minute to take in Bonnie. Her hair has grown out a little and she looks a little older, more mature. "Bonnie!" Caroline hugs her long lost friend. "Where have you been?"
"I found a coven. In Boston. It's been a great experience. Relearning magic, alongside other witches." Bonnie's smile only proves just how happy she is.
"That's wonderful, Bon. I'm so happy for you!" Caroline gushes.
Elena links her arms with her two friends. "But we are here for you. Damon said you were going through something?"
Caroline locks eyes with Damon over her shoulder and he just shrugs. "I figured as amazing of a companion as Enzo is, you might need your girls to get your through this."
Caroline smiles at Damon and silently thanks him, as Elena pulls her into the apartment and the door is closed in his face. "What exactly did Damon tell you?" Caroline asks.
Bonnie looks around the apartment and smiles at all the pictures of Caroline and Lizzie living a simple human life. "He told us that you adopted a little girl."
"I already knew that!" Elena chirps.
"And that she just happened to be Klaus and Hayley's child." Bonnie continued.
"Who knew that Klaus and Hayley could create something so cute?" Elena gushes, looking at pictures of Lizzie. "She's gotten so big. I think the last time you sent me a picture she was only five." Elena muses.
Bonnie sends a glare at Elena. "And now she's decided to stay with her birth parents in New Orleans." Bonnie finishes up.
"Yeah, well she didn't realize she was choosing them over me." Caroline admits.
"Then why don't you join them in New Orleans?" Bonnie asks.
"And do what? Co-parent a child with Klaus and Hayley? No thank you. Lizzie will be happier there anyways. She's part witch and they have a witch to train her. She will be safe and well taken care of." Caroline defends.
"What about loved? Will she be well loved?" Elena questions, looking at a particularly sweet picture of Caroline and Lizzie cuddled together, sleeping on the couch. A picture she assumes was taken by Stefan.
"Ok, enough about my sad story. Help me make these boxes and tell me what you two have been up to." The three girls fall into a comfortable conversation, like no time has passed. Elena talks about her travels and how she believes she is finally ready to give Damon another chance. Bonnie tells Caroline more about her coven and this cute warlock she knows in Boston.
Hayley wakes up earlier than usual, so she can prepare a breakfast for Lizzie. She works for half an hour making pancakes and sausage. Lizzie comes downstairs, her hair a tangled mess and her face still a little blotchy from her crying. "I made breakfast." Hayley announces.
Lizzie takes a seat between Klaus and Elijah and her smile fades as the platter of pancakes is set down in front of her. Lizzie's little face twisted into disgust and she looks up at Hayley. "What are those?" She asks.
"Pancakes." Hayley replies, a little concerned that Lizzie doesn't know what pancakes are.
"No thanks. Can I have waffles instead?" Lizzie asks sweetly. Not at all understanding that she offended Hayley.
"Lizzie, Hayley made these pancakes just for you." Klaus tried to speak as sternly as possible, but it came out more as a plea for the child to eat.
"That's great, but I only ever eat waffles or cereal for breakfast." Lizzie replied in a matter of a fact tone of voice.
"Waffles and pancakes are essentially the same thing." Hayley points to the plate of pancakes.
"No they aren't." Lizzie retorts.
"They are made using almost the exact same ingredients. You can put syrup and butter on both of them." Hayley begins to argue with the seven year old.
"But they look different." Lizzie points out. "And I don't eat pancakes."
Klaus rubs his temples, unsure of how to get a young witch to stop arguing with her hybrid mother. Elijah quickly excuses himself from the table and disappears into the kitchen. He returns a minute later with a bowl, spoon, three boxes of cereal and a pitcher of milk. "Is one of these to your liking?" He asks.
Lizzie immediately stops her immature arguing and looks at the boxes. "Oh, honey nut Cheerios. I love those!" Lizzie goes about preparing herself a bowl of cereal and munches quietly as the rest of the immortal beings just watch on.
"Lizzie, dear. We have been thinking about getting you registered for school." Klaus begins.
"Wait, I have to go to school?" Lizzie asks between bites. Klaus, Hayley and Elijah all nod. "But I'm a witch. Can't I just learn a spell that gives me all the knowledge I need. Or I can use the internet."
Stefan and Rebekah make their way to the table as Lizzie is making her case for not attending school. "Lizzie, you need to go to school. You don't want to have to rely on magic or the internet for the rest of your life." Stefan points out.
"What's wrong with that, Uncle Stef? I might be an all-powerful witch and I can just use magic to be smarter than everyone."
"But you won't really be smarter because you didn't actually learn anything." Stefan argues and scolds himself for egging her on and arguing with the only being more stubborn than Caroline.
"Yes I will. I'll use my magic and be smarter than you." Lizzie sticks her tongue out and makes a face at Stefan.
Stefan exhales through his nose and closes his eyes. "Elizabeth, you are being disagreeable and disrespectful. Go take a time out." He points to the stair case. Lizzie's face falls and she scoots her chair away from the table and drags herself up the stairs to her room.
Kol passes by Lizzie on the stairs and he steps into the dining room and takes in the looks on everyone's faces, having heard the breakfast conversations. Elijah and Rebekah are booth rubbing their temples. Stefan looks annoyed and Klaus and Hayley look like someone kicked their puppy. Kol laughs to himself, well Stefan did technically scold their puppy. "Tell me, Nik, Hayley. Is Stefan going to be paid to be Lizzie's nanny?"
"Kol." Elijah warns, knowing that this is new territory for all of them, but most specifically Klaus.
"What? These two have no idea how to raise a child." Kol continues.
"And you do?" Klaus growls, glaring daggers at his little brother, wishing he could use a real dagger on him.
"We have to start somewhere." Hayley quietly admits.
The room goes quiet as they all hear the soft pitter patter of Lizzie's footsteps on the stairs. Lizzie stands in the door way, a defeated look on her face. "I'm sorry for being rude and arguing at the table." A half smile appears on Stefan's face. Elijah, Kol and Rebekah are impressed with Lizzie coming back to apologize all on her own. Klaus and Hayley could not be more proud of the daughter they didn't raise. Lizzie takes her seat after everyone nods and accepts her apology. She takes a couple of bites of her soggy cereal and looks out at the table. "I think I should go to school. At least for a little while. Mommy wants me to go to school because knowledge is important if I want to be an independent woman like her. And I want to be independent." Lizzie continues eating, ignoring the shocked and proud looks on the faces of the adults surrounding her.
Lizzie is buzzing with excitement as she meets in the library with Davina for her first magic lesson. Finn had agreed to chaperone, in case Lizzie was too much for Davina. "So what spells am I going to learn? How about the headache one, so when Uncle Stefan starts tickling me I can fight back? Or maybe a spell where I can move things, so I can clean my room without actually moving? How about-"
"Slow down, Lizzie." Davina kindly interrupts. Finn tries to suppress his smile at how eager his little niece is. "Before you learn spells, you need to learn a little more about magic and witches." Davina explains.
"Why? I don't care about that stuff. I just want to learn the fun parts!" Lizzie smiles sweetly. "You'll be the best teacher ever if you skip the boring parts." Lizzie tries to charm Davina.
Davina just laughs and sits down next to Lizzie. She puts her arm around Lizzie's boney shoulders. "It's important to learn the history of your magic and the rules for practicing magic. It will help to keep you safe later on."
Lizzie thinks about Davina's words for a minute. She slowly nods her head. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Ok, let's get through the boring stuff so we can get to the fun parts!" All her enthusiasm comes back and she is ready to learn how to be a witch.
Klaus pokes his head into the library and scans the room to make sure Lizzie is well and happy. Lizzie smiles and waves at Klaus. "Hey daddy."
"Hello, little love. How is the lesson going?" Klaus asks, sending a nod to Finn and small appreciative smile to Davina. He envelopes Lizzie in a hug and waits for her answer.
"It's ok. No fun stuff yet. Maybe tomorrow." Lizzie wiggles her eyebrows at Davina who rolls her eyes at the child.
"I'm not sure about tomorrow. You have been enrolled at a local private school. You have to go to class tomorrow." Klaus replies, as he places Lizzie back on her feet and allows her to flop on the couch.
"Ugh, maybe this weekend, then?" Lizzie jokes and Klaus is just happy she didn't freak out about having school in the morning.
Stefan sneaks away from Rebekah and the rest of the Mikaelsons for part of the afternoon. When he is far enough away from the house, he dials Caroline's number. He walks aimlessly around the the city of New Orleans, waiting for his best friend to answer.
"Hey Stef." Her voice sings over the phone.
"Hey Care. How are you holding up?" Stefan asks, because he is genuinely concerned that Caroline will lose her mind away from Lizzie.
"I'm ok. Elena and Bonnie are here, helping me. Enzo and Damon pop in every once in a while. So I'm not wallowing alone." Caroline can tell by his tone that Stefan is afraid of her going off the deep end or crying in a corner, alone.
"Good to hear. Lizzie has started her magic lessons." Stefan relays, knowing that Caroline won't ask, but she is dying to know how her daughter is holding up.
"Bonnie learned this trick where she floated feathers. Can you ask Davina to teach levitation to Lizzie? She would think it's fun." Caroline looks around Lizzie's room and smiles sadly.
"I'll ask her. Oh, and we hit a little snag at breakfast." Stefan begins. "Hayley made pancakes and Lizzie refused them."
"She doesn't like pancakes." Caroline says, as if it is the simplest thing.
"But they didn't know that. Why didn't you at least give them some tips?" Stefan was curious why Caroline left for a few days without explaining any of Lizzie's quirks.
"They should have asked Lizzie, at the very least. Plus a part of parenting is learning who your child is. Their preferences and their little quirks. I wasn't trying to set them up to fail. I wanted them to get to know Lizzie by being with Lizzie, talking to her. You know?" Caroline sits in the bare bedroom, once belonging to Lizzie.
"I guess I understand." Stefan offers. "When will you be back? She's going to start missing you."
"I doubt that. There is so much there to keep her busy." Caroline murmurs. "I should be there with her stuff either tomorrow or the day after."
"And what about your stuff?" Stefan prods.
"I can't Stef. You know that." Caroline holds back her tears.
"Ok. I didn't know if maybe you would change your mind."
"Listen, Elena and Damon are leaving. I need to say good bye. I'll call you later." Caroline hangs up and walks back into her living room.
"We aren't going to let that much time pass between visits, ok?" Elena requests, realizing just how much she has missed Caroline after not seeing her for years.
"Sounds good. Thanks for your help. I've really missed you." Caroline lets herself feel some comfort in Elena's hug.
"I've missed you too. I'll call you from our first stop." Elena winks as she says goodbye to Bonnie and disappears out the door, arm linked with Damon's.
"You leaving too, Bon?" Caroline asks as she surveys the boxes.
"Nope." Caroline looks at Bonnie, her eyes swimming with questions. "I want to meet this little girl who stole your heart so much that it has broken in two. I'm coming to New Orleans with you and Enzo." Bonnie gives Caroline a supportive smile and Caroline sighs and hugs Bonnie, tightly.
"Thank you, Bonnie." She whispers.
As dinner time rolls around in the Mikaelson home, Elijah makes the responsible decision that pizza is unacceptable to have for dinner every night. He takes the entire afternoon to prep a family style meal of chicken French, with mashed potatoes, green beans, salad and bread. The family sits around the table digging in and enjoying, except for Lizzie. Her plate remains full with chicken and vegetables. She has only eaten her bread. "Elizabeth, is something wrong with your dinner?" Elijah asks.
Lizzie pokes her chicken with her fork. "Do you have any ketchup?"
"Whatever for?" Elijah cannot wipe the appalled look off his handsome face.
"My chicken, Uncle Elijah. I can't eat chicken without ketchup." She explains and continues to pick at her bread, eating it like a bird.
Elijah sighs as Kol fetches the ketchup. The adults, aside from Stefan are all disgusted as she squirts copious amounts of ketchup on her plate, completely covering her chicken. Hayley nearly gags as they watch the child eat the concoction without grimacing. They go back to eating as Lizzie finishes up her chicken and goes back to her bread. "Is there anything you need to be able to eat your vegetables?" Elijah questions.
"Ew, no. I don't eat mashed potatoes. I don't like potatoes. Unless they are French fries." Lizzie adds. "And no matter how much ketchup I put on green beans, I can always only taste the beans. I don't like green beans."
Elijah's cheeks turn a shade of red that is the only sign to his siblings that he is losing his cool over Lizzie's less than refined eating habits. Klaus places a hand on Elijah's shoulder. "Brother, the food is delicious. Let's be thankful that Lizzie has eaten her chicken and bread." Klaus tries to placate Elijah, while sending a disappointed look to Lizzie.
"So, Lizzie, your first day of school here in New Orleans tomorrow. Are you excited?" Rebekah breaks the tension by changing the subject.
"I guess." Lizzie replies.
"Perhaps you should take a shower or a bath or something tonight before bed." Rebekah offers a smile on her face. "Then I can do your hair for school in the morning."
Hayley shoots Rebekah a nasty look. She may not be as girly as Rebekah, but as Lizzie's biological mother, it's her job to do Lizzie's hair for school.
"I don't think I need a shower or a bath." Lizzie replies. "It's not like I have done anything dirty. I've been inside all day with Davina." Lizzie gives puppy dog eyes to Klaus and Hayley.
"I'm sure she is fine." Hayley shrugs, not really wanting to get into another battle of wills with her daughter.
Klaus scans the table and notices Stefan wearing a rather smug looking smirk, shaking his head slightly. "I suppose she will be fine tonight. But tomorrow, you will shower before bed." Klaus demands and adds a little bit of volume to his voice to make sure Lizzie understands he means business. Lizzie just smiles brightly and nods. Tomorrow will be another day.
Random AN: Lizzie's quirky eating habits are based off the eating habits of my sons. This chapter reflects how my home seems sometimes... :) Also, I think this is the longest chapter I have ever written. I hope it was up to par!