Drabble. Klaroline. AU/AH. Set in a future/non-existent country that I sort of made up. It's sort of semi-sad at first, but it gets better, I promise.

Caroline had been so excited when she got the news. She wasn't sure how her boyfriend would react, but she allowed herself a moment of pure joy.

After the accident with her high-school boyfriend she hadn't thought that this would be possible. The doctors had told her that it wouldn't be. And yet this doctor had assured her that it was true.

She was pregnant with Klaus Mikaelson's child.

Stopping by the store, she picked up some groceries to make his favorite meal. Klaus had some deep father issues, and she wasn't sure how he would respond to this news, but at least she could have him in a good mood.

The food ready, the table set, she waited excitedly for him to get home, greeting him at the door with a kiss. "What's all this love?"

"I have some news."

He sighed deeply, "So do I. My units being deployed, we leave within the month."

She had dreaded this; ever since the war had started, there had been the possibility that he would be deployed at a moment's notice. Their side wasn't doing well, and this was the price that came with dating someone in the army.

Still, the news couldn't have come at a worse time. "I went to the doctor today."

His eyes flashed up to hers in concern. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, yeah. I was just feeling a little funny, and, well, I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant?" She watched a flurry of emotions cover his face, shock, anger, fear, before settling on what could only be defined as joy. He stood up from his chair, and pulled her up as well before dancing her around their apartment as they both laughed.

The month before he left was spent in talking about preparations; telling his siblings was a priority, and Rebekah and Galen offered to let her stay with them. She was grateful, as was Klaus; he did worry about her an awful lot. It probably had something to do with the fact that the first time they met he had saved her from a man who was trying to rape her. But she could take care of herself, she just... if she couldn't have Klaus, it would be nice to at least have his family there.

She cried dropping him off at the airport as they kissed in between promises to write and to be safe. Klaus looked back at her, waving and giving her a reassuring smile, which she tried to return, but the tears were flowing freely now, and Caroline thought that she failed miserably. I love you she mouthed instead, and he returned her words.

That was the last she saw of him.

They told her that there was no way to tell if he had been captured or if he had deserted. After two years, they gave up searching.

Mikael refused to give up one of the family plots for an empty grave, particularly for Klaus who wasn't really his son. Elijah and Finn organized a service just for the siblings, their spouses, and Caroline and her son.

Aidan. There was no question that he was the son of Klaus. From the hair, to the smirk, even apparent at his young age, to his eyes. His attitude. And as he got older, it was apparent that he was just as protective of Caroline as Klaus had been. It must have been something in the blood, something that drove the two boys in her life to have to protect her.

Elijah had a theory, though he kept it to himself. His brothers and he had found themselves in the same predicament as Klaus and Aidan. Even Galen and Rebekah felt the same as him, Finn, Kol, and Henrik. There was something about Caroline; while she had an undeniable strength, there was something about her, maybe her small frame or the innocence in her eyes, that screamed out protect me.

None of them believed that Klaus would desert the army. It wasn't in him, it didn't fit with his beliefs. He would never do that. But if he had been captured, well that just might be worse. The enemy was not known for showing mercy.

Caroline went through the motions on a day to day basis. She had to be strong for their son, her little mirror image of Klaus. She had never returned to their apartment, instead staying on with Rebekah, Galen, and their children that came as the years passed.

Ten years, she thought as she cleaned the headstone on the grave they had got for him, it's been ten years. It was crazy how time passed.

Crazy how much she still missed and loved him.

A throat cleared behind her, and she wiped her tear stained face quickly. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, you see, I left a few years back and I promised my give that I'd come back to her, but I've had a hard time finding her. Could you help me out?"

Her hand had covered her mouth when the man behind her started speaking. It couldn't-there was no possible way- she was hallucinating, that was it. "Love." She turned at his endearment for her, expecting to find nothing behind her, but there he was, thin, so thin, and ragged looking, he looked like he had been through hell and back, but it was him. Her Klaus.

She jumped up, a sob catching in her throat as she propelled herself into his arms, needing to feel him. "How? How are you alive?"

"I was captured by one of the more... benevolent camps. They didn't kill their prisoners, they just made us work. We were freed a few days ago."

Caroline started peppering kisses across his face; he was here, he was real. His lips found hers and he pulled her tight against him.

When Klaus pulled away, both of them breathless, he whispered in her ear, "I love you." and she smiled at finally being able to hear those words from him again.

"I love you too. Would you like to meet your son?"

"I would."

Aidan was extremely happy that his father had miraculously appeared. And Klaus smiled as he watched their son for the first time. He grabbed her hand, and she felt something slip over a very important finger. She looked down at what was obviously an engagement ring and then back up at him questioningly. "Would you do me the honor?"

"Yes."

"What's that mommy?" Their son asked, running up to them.

"It's an engagement ring sweety. Mommy and daddy are going to get married."

He clapped his hands in excitement, but his attention was soon taken by the arrival of his cousins. Klaus' brothers hugged him, for the first time since they were children, tears of joy running down all their faces.

His eyes found hers, and they smiled at each other. She had always known how much his siblings cared for him even if he didn't believe it.

They could finally all be a family together.

A/N: So I was going to kill some people in here, but I decided not to. Yay?