There was only silence inside of the crypt, as Klaus stood in front of the coffin.
He lowered his eyes to the ground as he heard the footsteps behind him.
"I was wondering how much longer it would take you to crawl forward." Klaus said without any emotion.
"I heard about your great loss, Niklaus and I had to show you, my support. I know how important Caroline was to you." Ansel said, stopping just next to him.
"I'm certain that this visit comes attached to the fact that I've decided to claim a leader status, inside of your organization." Klaus said with a hint of a smile.
"I'm happy that you can finally concentrate on that." Ansel started a walk around the small space. "I always thought that there were just too many distractions in your life." He touched the coffin, to reinforce his message.
"It astonishes me, how you've dared to use her against me."
Ansel opened his arms slowly. "She was a very beautiful woman, there is no doubt about it, but she meant nothing in the great scheme of things. And I only wanted you to realize that she was holding you back from true greatness. You were offered the werewolf gene and you need to embrace it, my son, it's time for you to lead the others in this war."
"I am leading them but not into a pointless battlefield. That would destroy both the vampires and the werewolves, so instead I'm uniting them." Klaus glided his palms slowly over the coffin.
Ansel snarled. "You've lost your mind, Niklaus…"
"I assure you that I have never been this lucid about my destiny."
Ansel was suspicious. "For someone who just lost the great love of his life, you seem over collected, actually."
Klaus smiled and looked at him with his chin low. "I always thought that my big destiny was to be a werewolf, but Caroline made me love my vampire side. She brings out the wolf in me, there's no doubt about it, but I can never be one without the other. I'm a hybrid and I love that she's strong, ageless and immortal." His smile widened.
"I take it that I was fooled, then…" Ansel slowly realized the deception and grew worried as the other three Mikaelson siblings came inside of the crypt.
Klaus pushed the lid of the coffin open, to reveal an empty casket. "It has your name on it, but I just wanted to thank you, before you exit my life permanently."
Elijah and Kol stopped on each side of Ansel.
He gulped down. "Thank me for what?"
"For reminding me exactly, why I've spent centuries protecting my brothers and sister against strangers and fathers who didn't deserve that name. In the end, it will always be us against family and foes."
"Why did you stage Caroline's death?" He couldn't help but ask about the one person he underestimated, in all of this.
Klaus headed to the door of the crypt. "I needed you to show your face, old man, and all it took was doing what I do best, which is push the right buttons." He walked away.
As he left, Rebekah closed the door and smiled at Ansel. "We have a few issues to settle."
"I can't be killed supernaturally…" He said smugly. "You'll have to wait for my human condition to take its course."
"Didn't you read your supernatural agreement?" Kol closed in on him. "The small print says that you can be killed at the hands of magic."
Ansel laughed dryly. "Assemble all the witches that you want, they can't undo what was done so long ago."
Elijah smiled. "You're misreading again."
Rebekah started taunting Ansel with a smile. "Elijah was brought back by magic, he can undo what was done, because it was the same spell. As long as he kills you with his hands."
Ansel growled at them, showing his old fangs.
Rebekah leaped over the coffin, hitting him on the chest with her high heels. "Easy there, old dirt… we will take our time avenging what you did to Nik."
"Who wants to torture him first?" Kol asked, eager to start.
"I do." Elijah's eyes started changing into a scary black.
Ansel stumbled back, fearful, as he saw himself surrounded by three snarling original vampires.
"This isn't a very promising start, if I have to look away from what's happening inside of that crypt." Jeremy closed his eyes, trying to ignore the excruciating screams that came from inside.
"Do your best." Stefan polished Jeremy's shiny badge. "Sheriff Gilbert."
"That's another thing to get used to." Jeremy ran his hand through his uniform as if he was trying to make his body comfortable to the new wear.
A week ago, he was trying to be a hunter and now he was occupying Liz' place on all fronts.
"Is Rudy still bitching about what the council wants?" Damon asked, just as another scream filled the cemetery.
"And about my election." Jeremy stated.
"It was as democratic as he was." Stefan said. "At least you're doing a good job so far."
Jeremy shook his head as the screams started to wane down. "I don't get along with him, but he agreed to stay out of my way, and I stay out of his way. The council is the only thing that we've been clashing on."
"Ignore him, he's still moody over Connor." Stefan encouraged Jeremy to keep strong.
"It shouldn't help the mood that he works for Klaus now." Damon chuckled.
"Speaking of him, does anyone know where Klaus is meeting with Caroline?" Stefan wondered.
Brazil
"Let me help you with that." Angelus picked up the big bag with groceries, so that Liz wouldn't have to do it. "Are we having some American special tonight?" He asked with a smile.
Liz laughed, while touching her short hair. "I'm making Liz Surprise."
"You're making dinner, Liz?" Meredith asked, just as she arrived behind the couple.
"Surprise!" She said with her hands in the air.
The other two started laughing so loud that it caught the attention of Dani and Filiz, the two personal bodyguards by the door keeping watch.
"I see that you're not missing dull duty, as I expected." Klaus bravely teased Liz as he joined the group with a smile.
Liz turned to face him and out of nowhere pulled him into a hug that was awkward for him, he was still not that at ease with Caroline's mother.
"Thank you for everything." She said, moving away from him just as the hug ended. "If you hadn't convinced me to drink your blood when I left the party, I would be dead now."
"You should thank Meredith for not losing her calm, when she saw you wake from the dead." Klaus shifted attention.
"I still have nightmares…" The doctor mumbled.
"I'm still getting used to the idea that I need blood to survive, instead of food." Liz sighed. "But at least I have a second chance to make right by Caroline, and I'm going to spend time with her for a change."
Klaus was truly happy about that, because he knew how important it was for Caroline to have her mother around. "Has anyone seen my wife?"
"She's at the beach." Angelus informed him, before taking a long draw from his cigar.
Klaus rushed to the private access, to find his Goddess staring at the ocean.
She was barefoot and wearing a wavy Summer-dress and her loose locks were carelessly waving with the soft wind.
She smiled and turned to face him, there were only a few steps between them when she threw herself in his arms.
"I'd like to address the crazy plan that you and Elijah forged." He went straight to the point.
She smiled at him. "It was a brilliant plan, and he perfectly missed my heart by inches."
"I would have lost my reasoning, if I saw you with a stake in your chest."
"That's why it had to be Stefan, next to me at the memorial, not you." She stroked his neck.
"This Caroline logic nonsense is getting out of hand." He rolled his eyes.
She kissed his lips sweetly. "What matters is that we managed to trick Ansel and that with him gone, we'll be able to breathe a little."
"I like it here. Can we stay here for a few years?"
"Whatever is your wish, my queen."
She gave him a sexy look, not bothered at all by her new status. "Maybe we could discuss this further in our chambers, My Lord." She wiggled her eyebrows.
Klaus faltered. "Why are you suddenly calling me that?" He narrowed his eyes.
She giggled. "Lord Niklaus Mikaelson, sounds kind of caliente."
"Love, every time we are away from Mystic Falls, you change…"
She pretended to be thoughtful about the clothes that she had in her bag. "I think that I packed a corset…"
"You turn into this sexy and playful woman, you sound more at ease than usual, and it is…"
She gave him a cute smile, because he was struggling with the right word.
"Caliente?"
Klaus laughed, because she was being silly, although accurate.
She started caressing the back of his neck. "Well… excuse me, Mr. Mikaelson, but who pinned me against an elevator wall and stripped me naked while having hot sex, avec Moi?"
He tilted his head, smiling. "Who decided to be all naughty hands while we were at the Club?"
She laughed. "Ok, I admit that I love seeing the world and that it really turns me on, in ways that are very new to me." She purred. "And that the sex is amazing."
Klaus sighed, while pulling her closer. "Words spoken by the woman who tried to kill me with a shampoo bottle, the second time I visited her bedroom."
Caroline smiled, enchanted by the sweet memory. "It seems so long ago… it's strange…"
Klaus outlined her face slowly with his eyes. "Our life together has only started."
She liked the sound of that very much and her body became one with his, as they kissed passionately.
Tokyo, six years later
"You have to choose a date." Caroline laughed, pointing at Kol.
"We should wait another year." He suggested.
Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I'm going to desiccate and still be unmarried." She started cleaning the table.
"It's only been a few years…" He defended himself with a mumble.
Caroline laughed. "It's been years, Kol. My mother had two boyfriends already, and you're still procreating with the date."
"Liz Forbes, you big vixen!" He squinted at Liz.
She had her wine after a sigh. "Stop deflecting, Kol."
He huffed. "Where's my sister? I need Bekah to defend me."
Rebekah laughed from the kitchen. "I can hear you and we only started talking again last year, when Katherine had that strange wedding with Stefan, which I still think was part of a spell."
"There are too many weddings around me…" Kol complained.
"Speaking of weddings…" Caroline smiled. "Has anyone spoken to Elijah, or Meredith? I'm so sad that they didn't make it to dinner."
"She had a big surgery today and I think that Elijah still avoids visiting, whenever Meredith isn't available to travel with him…" Kol finished his glass of wine, miffed.
Caroline took Kol's hand with a sweet smile. "The three of you will always be connected somehow, but she loves you unconditionally."
"I know that." He smiled like a little kid.
"Which is exactly why you should marry her." Liz whispered while leaving the table.
Kol rolled his eyes.
"Damon and Klaus are missing out on the good stuff." Bonnie returned to the table with a chocolate dessert.
"They had a big meeting that was going to last all day." Caroline checked her phone for messages. "But they should be home soon."
Just that instant, they heard the key turn on the lock and everyone looked at the front door to see Klaus and Damon come inside.
"Have you decided on the church yet?" Damon teased Kol, as he sat on the table and stole Rebekah's dessert.
"I need more wine." He left the table while everyone else laughed.
"How was your day?" Caroline asked her husband, after a quick peck.
"Long and boring." He groaned. "If it wasn't for Damon being the comic relief, I would have killed everyone on sight. And that would have been the highlight of my day."
"Mine was awesome, we were all out shopping together." She said beaming.
"Tokyo has plenty to offer." He was annoyed that he couldn't even appreciate the metropole with her.
"Did you talk to your friend?"
"Marcel invited us to visit him in New Orleans."
She sulked. "I don't want to go back to that side of the world so soon."
"I anticipated that." Klaus wrapped his arm around her loosely.
She leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I found the cutest outfit today…"
"Tokyo style?" He inquired slowly.
Caroline stroked his leg. "I look so cute with the square glasses and the purple wig… it's sort of a doll meets school-girl look…"
Klaus looked at her seriously.
She licked her lips, amused. "May I fix something for you to eat, Master Mikaelson?"
Klaus stood up at the same time that she did, and discretely they made their way to the kitchen.
As soon as they reached the inside, Klaus scooped Caroline up to sit her on the counter. "You really know how to test my limits, Caroline."
"I'm a very invested spouse." She giggled all happily.
"I would have to agree." He sighed.
Lovingly, she neared his lips for a long deep kiss, and she wrapped her legs around him while running her fingers slowly through his hair and his neck.
It was a sweet dance that was very known to them, yet it remained as irresistible as the first time they kissed.
After a few heated kisses that messed Klaus's hair completely, they finally returned to the table.
Everyone there teased them, by smiling and staring at them as they sat down.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Caroline asked Kol in particular, since he was gawking the most.
"Shame on you, for making out in the kitchen when you have guests sitting at the table." Kol judged them sternly.
"I'm allowed to kiss my girlfriend whenever I want, and wherever I want, because I've married my girlfriend." Klaus smirked.
Kol drily laughed.
"Everything is better once you're married, Kol." Caroline pushed him with a smile as well.
"Oh, for the love of God… Bonnie Bennett, will you marry me?" Kol asked her.
"Yes." She answered straight.
"When?"
Everyone asked at the same time.
"Soon!" He complained with a grunt.
It was a roar that followed, as everyone started laughing loudly.
"Isn't he perfect?" Bonnie tilted her head.
"Indeed, I am." Kol replied smugly.
She shook her head, for the worst part, was that she actually found him perfect.
As the moment lasted, Klaus glanced around the table, basking on the easiness around him and locked eyes with Rebekah who shared his thoughts.
She raised her glass in the air and he did the same for a silent toast, they were finally home.
The end
Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.
But you're on to me and all over me.
Gravity – Sara Bareilles