23. Always & Forever
6 hours … The flight from New York to L.A. lasted 6 hours. There is so much you can do in six hours; Caroline thought … You can watch your favourite movie – The Titanic, almost twice, you can listen to all of your Frank Sinatra albums, you can bake like three or four cakes, you can … You can sit in a plane and think if you'll make it in time … In time to do what? Say goodbye to the man you can't imagine your life without? To the man that despite of everything you've been through together still holds the keys to your heart? Yes, we've been through so much together, Caroline could barely suppress her tears … But she promised she would not cry, because he wasn't dead, not yet … There was still hope … Because God be damned after everything if this is how their story would end. Don't you dare walk out on me in such cowardice way Klaus, don't you bloody dare, Caroline almost screamed out loud, but somehow managed to hold it within. We have … So much more to … This is just not how us should end … She closed her eyes, and tried to swallow her fear. The fear that she would finally get to that horrible hospital in L.A. and he would be gone. Dead. That word … How would she ever learn to cope with that word? And with that loss? The very thought of it made her paralysed …
Someone squeezed her hand. Katherine. It was as she could read her mind, as always.
"I'm not going to promise you it will all be ok. Because although I'd give anything for it to be ok, I can't know that … But I will tell you something I do know. I'm not telling you this only to comfort you, but because it is a fact. Niklaus Mikaelson is a tough little bastard, with a spine made out of steel, he's a fighter Care. He'll fight for his life with everything that he's got … He won't let go that easily, besides, he has so much to fight for."
Caroline looked at her gratefully, but it wasn't enough. The only thing that would be enough at this moment would be if she walked into that hospital to find him alive and kicking, flirting with the nurses, asking them to give him some more morphine just for the fun of it. Not in some hospital, on some cold operation table with tubes sticking out of his injured body. Oh God, just the image of that almost made her vomit; she had to keep that image out of her head, even if worse came to worse, that is not the way to remember the great Klaus Mikaleson.
"Did you text Bekah?"
" I did, nothing has changed since you last asked me fifteen minutes ago Care bear. He's still in surgery. I know this is frustrating hun, but all that we can do is wait."
" I was never really good at waiting, you know that Kat. I was never good at situations that I couldn't control … And this one is … I feel like I can't breathe, like someone has pushed all the air out of my lungs, like I'm drowning in my own ocean of fear." Caroline almost felt like she was about to hyperventilate, so Katherine squeezed her hand a bit tighter.
"It will all be ok. Just breathe. Two more hours to go, and then will be on land and in the hospital and …" Katherine was trying to say something comforting, but she didn't know what. Because she hated lying, and she couldn't say it would all be ok, and it would all work out, when … Maybe it wouldn't … Maybe Klaus would actually die. Oh man … Ever since she got that phone call five hours ago she was still slightly shaking. Her, the great Katherine Pierce that jumped out of airplanes and swam with the sharks, was scared to death to tell her best friend that the man she still loved, although pretended she didn't, had a car accident and was rushed to he hospital in a pretty bad shape. Rebekah's sobs on the phone broke her too. Katherine Pierce could handle a lot, like a lot a lot, but to hear people she cared about sob in total despair broke her. To see Caroline looking like she'd never be happy again if Klaus actually … It broke her … But she had to be strong for her friend, she might have been a screw up to the world, but to Caroline she'd always been so much more, and it was time to return the favour.
" It will all be ok baby … It will all be ok …" she was saying to Caroline, to herself, to no one particular, maybe even giving out a silent prayer, for all of it to be ok …
Caroline rushed into Cedar – Sinai Medical Centre like every second could make a difference. The horrible thing was, maybe it could. Maybe it was too late … After the rushing in, she stood in place taking it all in … The people, the doctors, that ghastly smell of hospitals even the luxuries ones couldn't shake, the smell of sickness and … death … She just stood there for a few moments, not moving. She knew she had to go find Rebekah and Matt, she knew she should rush to find out how Klaus was doing, and if finally there were any news … But she couldn't … Her legs didn't want to listen; her legs wanted to storm back out and pretend this wasn't happening. Maybe if she ignored it … Maybe if she went by his house, the house that started to feel like her home as well in those months spent together, maybe if she yelled out his name he would appear from his office, she'd run into his arms and he'd look at her like she was going crazy. But she'd just look at him, stroke his hair, and say: "You're ok. I knew that had to be some silly mistake. I'm so happy you're ok." she would hug him even tighter, she'd wrap her arms around him, and she'd never let go.
"Honey, they're on the third floor. Come on …" Katherine broke her sweet little fantasy, and just like that she was back in the cruel reality where there were no warm welcomes, just this hospital, and possibly a goodbye. Her legs somehow managed to move again, and so she let Kat lead her to the third floor. Where she was welcome by Matt's and Stefan's gloomy face, and Rebekah's "mascara smeared all over" face.
" Caroline …" she said with tears running down her face as she ran to hug her. She leaned into her and Caroline started stroking her hair, they've spent only three months together, but sometimes that's enough, she started to see Rebekah not only as Klaus's baby sister but also as her own sister, and she did miss her. But who would have thought this had to happen for them to reunite again, faith was too cruel for words sometimes.
"I'm so glad you're here. I know my brother is a pig headed ass sometimes, ok, most of times, but he'd want you here. He'd want you here more than anyone else." Rebekah tried to finish the sentence but in the middle of it just started uncontrollably crying.
" Oh Caroline … I don't know what I'll do if he … Oh God … He's my only family, it took my so long to find him and to built a relationship with him … I can't lose him, not now, not when we've practically just begun to live …"
Caroline didn't know what to say. Because it was as Rebekah's words were her own. They all needed more time. This was not nearly enough. They had so much more to go through together. It wasn't fair. But what Caroline dreaded was, life wasn't always fair, and people didn't always get happy endings … Matt came over and hugged her as well.
"How are you boss?" Caroline didn't say anything, she just looked away and still tried to hold herself together, she didn't want to cry, she was afraid if even only single tear got away the other ones would just keep on coming and coming … And she wouldn't be able to stop, and no one needed that now. Luckily Matt understood that very well, so he took Rebekah's hand and made her sit down and calm down a bit.
"Hey beautiful, I see New York has done you justice. Only you can pull of this gorgeous look after a six hour flight."
" Oh Stefan, I've missed you so much." she hugged her best friend and tried to find some comfort in his firm hug.
"I was hoping you'd come visit …"
" I know, sorry I didn't gorgeous. I was busy with the show. Plus, somebody had to keep on eye on our bad boy here; turns out I didn't do such a good job after all." Stefan said with such sadness in his voice it broke her heart into two pieces. Only now she noticed the bags beneath his eyes, the sick look to his skin, and red eyes from crying. There are so many people that love you Klaus, she thought, don't you dare disappoint us by letting go.
"Stefan this is not your fault … "she said determinedly and sat down on one of the benches. Stefan sat next to her, and just stared at the opposite wall lost in his thoughts.
He started laughing.
"What's so funny?" she asked curiously.
"Life. Life is so fucking funny. When I think of all those time I drove him into and out of rehab. All those nights I spent worrying I'd get a phone call he overdosed somewhere or drunk himself to death … And now he finally gets his act together, starts making something out of his life, finally starts using that brilliant brain of his, falls in love …" Stefan looked at her gently.
"… although he's still too much of a prick to admit it just like that. Because everything has to be a struggle with this man …"
" … that we love so much …" Caroline added.
" … that we love so much. And now … He gets hit by a truck while exiting his driveway? After everything that he's been through in his life, he's … He can't die in a stupid, meaningless accident like that, can he? It's just doesn't feel right …" Stefan went back at staring at the wall, and Caroline didn't know what to say. Being surrounded with so much sadness was draining every bit of her energy that was left. Seeing her friends, people she loved like they were her very own family, fall apart, and she not being able to help them and comfort them the way she wanted to, was almost equally hard as the thought that in this very moment she was losing the man she loved.
"I'll be right back. I need to go to the bathroom." she stood up and went to find the bathroom. She needed just a second alone to try to pull herself together somehow. She had the feeling that Klaus wanted her to stay strong through all of this. She walked into the bathroom and closed the door, luckily she was alone. She looked into the mirror. Beautiful my ass Stefan, she looked like the crypt keeper. Her hair was a mess, barely combed; her make-up was none existent and her eyes looked like all life and joy was sucked out of them. You can fool people with everything else, you can make up your grief, but the eyes … They never lie. But what if Klaus was ok? Maybe he'd wake up right away, and maybe he'd want to see her. She couldn't look like this. She opened her purse and started looking for a comb at least. Great, she couldn't find one. But she did find her mobile phone thrown at the bottom of her purse. It still had little battery left, she should call her dad, he'd want to know about this … She was just about to dial his number when she saw she had voicemail.
She put to phone to her ear and started listening.
"Caroline … Sweetheart … I'm on my way to N.Y. I know you don't want to see me and you have every right to feel that way. But I'm coming anyway. You'll see me in a few hours, I'll turn up at your doorstep, and maybe I won't sweep you of your feet right away, but if you let me I'll devote my life to sweeping you of your feet, every day for the rest of our lives … Our lives together … Caroline, I love you. God, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. There, I screamed it so loud all the neighbours heard, but I don't care, I want the whole world to know how much I love you and need you and want you in my life. Because without you I have no life love. You've changed everything and I was such a colossal ass for fighting it for so long, you're the best thing that has happened to me. And if you give me a chance I swear I will show you I can be the best thing that has happened to you as well. I'll give you everything that you want, because I want the same things as you do Care bear, but I only want them with you. I want the stupid picked white fence; damn I'll even build it myself. I want us to have family dinners where Kat can get drunk and try to seduce the waiter, and Stefan can talk about his crappy love life, and your father can scold me for spoiling our little girl or boy too much … I want children with you love. I'm still scared as hell and I still think I'd be a crappy dad, truth to be told, but I'm sure with you by my side you'll point me into the right direction. With you by my side I feel like I can to anything, Care we could do so much together, just give me a chance to show you I'm the right guy for you. Because I am … I promise you I'll screw up, probably often, and I'll make mistakes, and you'll probably be sometimes so mad at me the furniture in our house won't stay in one piece, but I also promise you no one will love you and adore you more than I do. Sorry for the long voicemail … I just couldn't wait six more hours to tell you this in person, I'm done waiting, and we've lost too much time as it is, but luckily we still have our whole life in front of us, hopefully spent together. I love you Scoot, and I'll see you soon …"
Caroline's whole body was shaking so hard, the phone fell out of her hand and she could hear it hit the tiles in the bathroom … He … he … He loved her, and wanted to spent the rest of his life with her, have kids and a home and … And now this was happening … And maybe that beautiful voice mail was going to be the last time she'd ever get to hear his sexy voice … Caroline felt like she was going to faint, she literally saw white in front of her eyes. So she just sat at the dirty bathroom floor and started crying her heart out. She was pretty sure her cries could be heard at the other side of this huge hospital, but she didn't care anymore. She cried for everything. For the month they lost due to their stupid pride and stubbornness, for this ridiculous accident that you always think happens to other people and not to you, and most of all … she cried for her baby, growing inside of her, that might never have the chance to get to know the amazing man that his father is. Not was … Is …
" Klaus … Oh Klaus … Please, pleeease, don't leave me …" she started crying even harder, trying to push all the pain she felt out of her body.
"Caroline …" Rebekah stepped into the hospital bathroom and saw Caroline curled up on the bathroom floor totally out of it. And when she saw her crying, she started crying as well … It was a real crying fest. She came up to her and sat on the floor next to her.
"Aren't we a pair?" Caroline told her between sobs; but that made Bekah cry even harder.
"That is what I always told Nik…" but somehow they managed to calm down a bit, and all you could hear was their quiet sniffing and blowing.
"What are we going to do without him Caroline, if he … you know …" Rebekah asked quietly.
"No. We shouldn't think like that. We have to stay positive. He'll be alright. He'll be here to pick on us and tease us for years to come. He'll be here to give you away at your wedding and to enjoy his nieces and nephews …"
"Nik would make a great uncle, even if he doesn't know it yet."
"And a good father, I think … No, actually, I don't think, I know …"
Rebekah looked at her through her dried tears.
"Caroline, are you trying to tell me something?" she asked curious, but a bit confused.
" Maybe. But … Before you start screaming and sharing the news around … I've done only one pregnancy test, it's not confirmed yet. But yes … You're probably going to be an aunt." Caroline shared the news with Bekah shyly.
" Omg … That's … I can't even … form a sentence …" she suddenly squeezed Caroline so tightly that Caroline couldn't breathe.
"Alright, alright … Are you trying to squeeze the baby out of me? Because it's way too soon for that."
"Oh right, I'm sorry … I'm just so excited. Me, an auntie … Does Nik know?" Rebekah for a second forgot about her brother fighting for his life, but it all came rushing back to her, and it seemed more unfair than ever, for him to leave them now.
"I just found out yesterday. So … No …"
" You know the first moment he brought you home I knew you were something …"
"Oh cut the crap Bekah, you hated me, remember? You told me you never liked my acting or movies, and you pretty much told me you'd never like me as well."
"That was just an act. I wanted to see if you had what it takes to be the part of the Mikaelson family. I know it's a bit late for that now, but sorry that I was a total cow to you."
"It's fine. We've came along way since then … God, I can't believe it was only four months ago, it seems a lifetime …"
"So much has changed … I did … I have Matt now, and I'm happy … At least I was till a few hours ago …" Rebekah started crying again and Caroline took her into her arms and tried to comfort her. She was about to say another one of those "it will all be fine" cheesy lines when Kat stepped into the bathroom.
"Oh, there you are, I've been looking all over for you. Don't sit on that floor; do you want to catch pneumonia? Especially you missy …" she looked at Caroline disapprovingly.
"The doctor has come out, he won't tell us anything. He wants to talk to the two of you, since you are his closest kin. The both of them stood up the very second Katherine said that and ran out of the bathroom and onto the third floor.
"Doctor, is he alright?" Rebekah got their first.
"Are you Miss Mikaelson?"
"Yes, I'm his sister. And this is his wife …" she pointed at Caroline.
And this was it … Caroline could almost hear the uneven beatings of her poor little heart. The heart that couldn't bear losing him …
" First, of all let me just tell you he's alive, but it was a pretty bad accident and a difficult surgery. A few fractured ribs, a broken arm and knee injury on the side where he was hit … But that's all still pretty minor … He had complicated internal bleeding that was very hard to stop, that is why the operation took for hours …"
"What are you trying to say?" Rebekah asked in panic.
"He is going to be alright, isn't he?" her voice went up for at least two octaves.
"We hope so, but at this point we can't guarantee anything …"
"Don't lie to us doctor. Tell us the truth." Caroline heard her voice but she couldn't remember actually uttering those two sentences, she was in shock.
"He's a young and healthy man, and he has got good chances of full recovery … But this night will be crucial for him, if he makes it till the morning … Well, let's just hope he will …"
"Can we see him?" Rebekah asked right away, not listening to the doctor's gloomy prognosis anymore.
"But just for a second. He's in a comatose state, and he needs rest for his body to start healing and recovering."
The doctor led the two of them into a white hospital room. And then she saw him … Her larger than life guy, in a hospital bed looking so small and fragile, tubes sticking out of him, and at that point she loved him more than ever before. She touched his hand, trying not to hurt him, forgetting he probably didn't feel anything.
"Hey you … I'm here. Boy am I got news for you. You just have to wake up and be fine, so I can tell you everything … In the meantime, I'll just sit right here, and I won't move till you do. I don't care what they say, I'm not going anywhere. I promise I'm here to stay, always and forever." and Caroline did exactly what she said. She sat next to his bed and sat their for days …
Klaus wasn't in the States anymore. He was back home in Britain. He was in his old garden; he could smell his mother's roses and the scent of the fresh grass. He sat on the ground and stared at the Sun, the sky was oddly clear, like there was a storm coming, but he felt at peace. He saw his mother in the kitchen making something, wearing her favourite apron. He waved at her, and she waved back with a smile. She was in a good mood, I guess Mikael wasn't near. Which explained his good mood as well … But suddenly he heard the front door open and close with a bang, only one person in the world closed their door like that. He was home. He could see the smile disappear from his mother's face, and he could feel the panic within him rise. It wasn't that he actually did anything, but the shear thought that he was born and that he was such a let down was enough for his father to go on one of his rampages. He wanted to stand up and ran somewhere before Mikael even spotted him, but it was too late … He saw him through the kitchen window and he went out to "have a little chat with the boy" as he kindly explained to his mother.
"Doing nothing again pretty boy? Don't you ever get tired of wasting your life like this?"
" I was just …" Klaus didn't know what to say, whatever his answer was, it would make Mikael even angrier, maybe keeping quiet would be the best defence. Or not …
"Aren't you going to say anything? Be a man for a change … God you make me sick sometimes, you're such a whinny little brat, still holding on to your mother's skirts are you? You'll never make anything out of yourself; you're a waste of air."
The rain began, and Klaus could feel his face moisten. Not just from the rain falling heavily but also from the tears of rage forming in his eyes.
"You don't know me. You know nothing of me." he screamed at the man he was forced to acknowledge as his father.
"I know no one could ever love such a disappointment. And you don't deserve to be loved … You have nothing to offer …"
"He's wrong Klaus." he heard a female voice behind him.
"Caroline?" he turned around and saw her standing in front of him, more beautiful than ever.
" Are you real? Are you really here?"
She came up to him and touched his face. "Does this feel real to you? I'm here, and I'll always be here. And I'll always love you … You just have to wake up my love. Wake up Klaus … Wake up …"
Suddenly he opened his eyes, and the pain of the light probing into them was horrible. He definitely wasn't in Britain. Where was he? What happened? The last thing he could remember was being in his car, ready to drive to the airport and go to N.Y. to see Caroline. And after that … Nothing … He felt pain everywhere, his eyes, his arm, his head … He barely had enough strength in him to turn his head around, trying to catch a glimpse of this place, although by now he was pretty sure it was a hospital. But when he turned his head to the left he saw a familiar blonde hair lying in the sofa near his bed.
"Caroline …" he tried to say as loud as he could, he had to know if she was real or another one of his dreams, but his voice came out completely dismantled, like he hadn't used it for days. But it was enough for the blonde nymph to start stirring in her sleep and open her eyes.
"Klaus … Omg … Klaus … You're awake … Oh God, I knew you'd wake up …" she jumped out of the sofa and she was next to his bed in a heartbeat.
"Are you in pain? I should call the nurses right away." she was about to leave, and Klaus felt panic rise in him, maybe she wasn't real, maybe he was hallucinating from the pain, he couldn't let her go.
" No, please don't go. Please stay with me."
"Klaus, I'll be right back." she tried reasoning with him, but he wouldn't let go of her hand, although even that small move was causing him inexplicable pain.
" Are you real?" he asked carefully.
" Oh honey …" she took his face into her hands very carefully.
"Of course I'm real. And I've been sitting by your bed for five days now. I knew you'd come back to me … To all of us … You gave us quite the scare though."
"What exactly happened?"
" Well, you've been hit by a truck when exiting your driveway…"
Oh yes, it all came back to him now. The hit, the pain, and nothing after that …
" I was on my way to see you. Did you get my message?"
" I did." she said gently.
Klaus waited for her to say more, but she was just looking at him with tears in her eyes. He wasn't exactly sure if that was a good sign, or a bad one …
" I know I messed up Care, but I …"
"Shhh, don't speak. There will be plenty of time for that. You need to rest now. Save your strength."
" No, I need to tell you now … I need to tell you … that I love you … I've never loved anyone as much as I love you … I know it might be too late …"
" I love you too Klaus." she kissed his lips gently, just brushed them actually, but it felt like a touch of an angel, God he missed his wife.
"But you already knew that … My heart has always belonged to you in a way. But now that I know that I also have yours, now … Now my heart is whole again."
" Come … Please lie next to me sweetheart …"
" But Klaus … I really should get the doctors …"
"They won't go anywhere Care, and neither will I. I'm here to stay, I promise love. Just lay next me to for a second. I want to feel you near. I've missed you so much."
So she did as he asked her. She nestled next to him and he could feel her beautiful little body pressed against his, and smell her familiar perfume, and it was almost like he didn't feel any pain anymore, everything was right in the world again. She was with him.
"I want to marry you …" he finally broke the silence between them.
" What? Are you ok? Omg, your brain … Did you forget that we're already married? You know that night in Vegas when …"
" I know we're married sweetheart. But I don't want to be fake married; I actually want to marry you one more time. In front of our family and friends, in front of everyone that matter to us, I want to tell the world how much you mean to me, and that I can't live without you."
"I love you." she just whispered into him.
" I never loved anyone until you …" he answered back without having to think about it.
" Not even yourself …" she whispered once more.
" What was there to love? Until you started loving me back.
They gazed into each other's eyes. Into each other's souls. They held each other
close, eyes shut, hearts hammering, naked in a way they'd never been before.
"So, will you do the honours of marrying me Caroline Marie Forbes? Sorry I can't go down on my knee; you know I would if I could … But seriously … Please stay with me, please build a life with me Scoot … I want it to be just the two of us, always and forever love."
Caroline suddenly went very still, and she was very quiet. Like something was wrong … Maybe he had jumped the guns once more. Maybe she was here because she was sorry for him, and said all those things just to ease him up and make him feel better, but she didn't really mean it, maybe all of this was just a hallucination, a dream …
" Klaus … I need to tell you something … Not sure if it's the right moment though, but I think you need to know this before you start making plans for the two of us … You see … This part about the two of us is a bit tricky …"
Oh no, he knew it …
"Oh shit, well there's no easy way of saying this, so I'll just go right ahead and say it … Klaus … I'm pregnant. I'm carrying your child …"
My dear, sweet fellow readers that I love and adore so much, you've asked and I deliever ... A quick update it is :) ... Hope you think it's a good one ... I know this chapter probably won't please everyone, maybe it's too dramatic, teary and emotional, maybe too fluffy ... But I like it, I think it's exactly what my lovely characters deserve ;). But I can't wait to read your reviews, the good and the bad ... With two more chapters to go, pure fluff they will be, just the heads up ;). THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT SO FAR, I APPRECIATE IT MORE THAN WORDS COULD EVER TRULY EXPLAIN ;)))