24. Omnia vincit amor

TWO WEEKS LATER

… it was torture … It was a complete and horrid torture for Niklaus Mikaelson … to be held and trapped in the hospital for two more weeks after the accident. Just a precaution the doctors said, but this was doing him more harm than anything else … This stupid bed, just lying there, doing nothing … He wanted his own bed and his beautiful wife in it next to him. Although Caroline spent most of her days by his bedside keeping him company, honestly he didn't feel comfortable having her here.

"It's a hospital Caroline." he told her repeatedly, but she just thought he was being silly.

" No, but I'm serious. It's full of, you know, germs, and sick people, and have I mentioned germs and all sorts of bacteria they might be cooking in their secret laboratories?"

"Klaus, honey, this is not one of the episodes of Dexter's laboratory, it's just a hospital. And I'm perfectly fine, and the baby is fine too."

Yeah, yeah, he was quite aware that he was being a bit overprotective, and maybe just a tad crazy as well, but it's not like you can help it. The minute he found out about the baby his whole world stopped. And started moving again. Just this time it was brighter and more meaningful. Him? A dad? He dreaded it for so long, feared it, and hated it even … But now that it has happened, with the woman that he loved, with a woman that changed his life, now he couldn't think of another more beautiful proof of their love. He was still scared, but he also couldn't wait for the little rascal to arrive into the world so they can spoil him or her silly. Klaus was sure he wouldn't be number one dad in the world, maybe he won't be a natural in it, maybe he'd have to learn and adept, maybe he'd screw up from time to time, but he also knew that even now he was already crazy in love with this child, and he'd do anything to protect it and to be there for it, to be the father he never had. And to be a husband to Caroline that she deserved, and that gorgeous beautiful blonde goodness of his truly deserved the world. So he couldn't wait to get out of bed, and out of the stupid casket he had on his arm and give her everything she ever dreamed of, and more.

"Hey hunk. Ready to come back home?" There she was, standing at the door, looking beautiful as ever. A lump formed in his throat, how did he get so lucky? And how was he so stupid to almost let it go? But he didn't want to think about that, that belonged in the past, and they had a future to look forward too.

"I was ready to come back home two weeks ago." he said sulking like a little child.

"Oh come now mister grumpy. You were in a serious accident. These things are not to be taken lightly. You have to be careful and …"

" Aaaaaa … Klaus what are you doing?" Caroline screamed when he grabbed her with his good arm and pulled her towards him.

" What? Can't I even give a proper kiss to my beautiful wife?"

She smiled at him at it filled his heart with joy the very second …

" Well, when you put it that way … How can I be so cruel and refuse a sick man?"

"Oh, I'll show you what a sick man can do doll face …" he crushed his lips with hers and gave her one of those mind shattering passionate kisses. Bad arm, fractured knee my ass, he couldn't wait to get her alone … They needed their alone time …

"Once I get you alone I'll enjoy taking my time with you … Removing every little bit of your clothes … And kissing every bit of your silky skin as I go …"

" Let's not waste any time then. Let's go home hubby."

"Finally!" Klaus screamed so hard he was pretty sure the whole hospital heard him; he was never the subtle type really.

Caroline drove them home. And all that time he couldn't keep his eyes, and his not so broken arm off of her.

"Klaus, seriously? I'm driving here. Or do you want to have another accident?" she was trying to scold him, but she couldn't stop giggling in the process, they were acting like two teenagers, but it felt good. It finally felt right all the way.

They finally got to the house and he started kissing her right at the door.

" Sorry I can't carry you up the stairs love …"

" Do you want me to carry you? Piggy back style?" she was teasing him …

" I don't want you to carry me, but there are some things I'd love for you to do to me piggy back style … Or any style for that means, as long as we're both naked."

"Oh, is that so? So you think you can handle me with that arm and knee of yours … The doctor said you should take it easy, no pressure …" Caroline suddenly went all serious on him, it was lovely how she worried, his sweet, little neurotic worrier.

" Sweetheart, not to be obscene or anything, but the only place where I'm feeling the pressure now is below the waist, so let us please go inside before I combust."

" Ok …" she just said coyly, and he was already picturing her naked, and sweaty, in an orgasmic bliss they'd achieve together. He couldn't wait …

"SUPRISE!" he suddenly heard multiple voices scream out as he entered the corridor in his house … There was Bekah, and Matt of course, Meredith, Katherine, Caroline's dad, and last but not the least his friend Stefan.

"Hello big brother. We decided to throw you a little "welcome home, so happy you're alive party". his baby sister explained the funny scene of them all standing in the corridor with a cake, screaming surprise like four year olds.

" Yeah, and we also saw it as a good chance to get together and get drunk." Katherine just couldn't resist not adding, honest as ever, God bless that crazy bitch of a woman.

" Surprise …" Caroline looked at him and started laughing.

"You knew about this? You little minx, oh, I'll make you pay for it later." he winked at her and went to greet all of his guests properly. After all, it was his party, and these people where here because they loved him and cared for him, he was blessed in so many ways. Niklaus Mikaleson, the boy that once had no one, had a whole huge crazy ass family now. So the party went on … He talked to Meredith about postponing the shooting of the film, but only a couple of weeks until his rehabilitation was over, luckily for once in Hollywood the studio was understanding and agreed to it. He had no idea what cards Meredith had to pull to make it happen, maybe sell her first born to the devil, but he was really grateful to her, she was a true friend.

"You are the essence of this movie Mikaleson." she told him graciously.

"You just focus on fully recovering, and will be there waiting."

Yes, he had to focus on recovering and on the movie after that, but there where even more important things he'd be focusing on, he thought while observing his wife talking to her father. Bill was still a bit sceptic in his company, not that Klaus could blame him after Caroline running to New York like that, but the news of becoming a grandpa sure mellowed him down. Caroline told him that he was over the moon, and couldn't stop talking about his first grandchild. This baby was already loved, by so many people, and that reassured Klaus that he or she would be a very, very fortunate baby.

"Isn't our girl just glowing?" Stefan said when sitting next to Klaus.

"Pregnancy definitely suits her. I'm so glad for my little Care, and for you too Klaus old boy.

You'll have a killer baby. Especially with his uncle Stef in the picture. Boy the things I'll teach him, he'll be mixing killer margaritas by the time he's two."

"Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves … It's enough he'll be around Katherine to teach him or her all those things that will probably drive me and Caroline insane …" Klaus said seriously.

"Wow, I can't believe, but the father instinct has already kicked in? I'm just kidding man. You know I'll love that child like he's my own."

" I know Stefan. And there is nothing in the world I'm sure of more than that you'll always be his favourite uncle."

" And I'm going to be his super cool and awesome aunt, the one that's going to take him or her shopping, and buy him all the cool toys and … Just love him to death. Oh, I can't wait! Can't Caroline hurry up and pop out the little one right away?"

"Well, you can always ask her sister, but not sure how thrilled she'll be with that brilliant idea of yours."

" Oh well, then we'll just have to wait for the little one to arrive … Maybe it's for the better, I have soooo much shopping to do, I just saw the cutest little dresses in Bene Ragazzi, and then there's the baby shower I have to plan …"

Klaus zoned out while Rebekah was already planning baby shower games, he just looked at the people around him, and then at his wife who at the very precise moment caught his gaze and winked at him, and he knew that he was … home …

"Are they finally all gone?" Klaus asked Caroline while stretched on his bed. Oh, how he missed his own bed and his cosy bedroom … The little joys of life … And his biggest joy standing at the bathroom door.

" Oh shut up, you know you liked your little surprise. It was nice to see everyone; even Kat flew from N.Y. just to greet you. Who knew you two could get along, you'll become BFF's in no time."

" I did like seeing everyone, even my new BFF as you put it, but this is my favourite situation hands down … Just the three of us …" it felt so good, so natural for Klaus to say the number three.

" Come to me …" he said gently and pointed to the empty space besides him. It would never again be empty; he'd make sure of that, make sure to give her reasons to never leave him again.

She lied next to him, but he could see she was a bit pale.

"Are you alright sweetheart?"

"I'm fine. Just a bit tiered, it was a long day, mama needs her rest. Plus, I have no idea why they call it morning sickness, when it's pretty much all day sickness, and it hits you when you least expect it, one minute you're fine and the other one you're hugging the toilette."

" Oh my poor baby." he said gently and kissed her on the forehead, and started massaging her belly hoping to ease some tension.

"Hey little one, don't give your mummy such a hard time, ok?"

"I'm pretty sure it can't hear you." she said but he could see a smile starting to form on her face, all that he ever wanted to see.

"I'm pretty sure it can. Don't forget this is our child we're talking about here, it's a special baby, having such gorgeous and brilliant mother and all …"

" …. I hope it has your dimples …" she suddenly said …

"And your curly hair … that would be nice …"

He took her into his arms and started drawing circles on her back now.

"I just hope he has your everything." he said honestly.

" Mmm, this is nice. So tired. Need sleep. I know we started something downstairs before the party but …"

" Ssssh, just you rest love. I'm right here. And I'm not going anywhere."

And he didn't … He stayed there, holding her in his arms while she was breathing evenly in her sleep, although his arm did start to ache a bit, but he wouldn't let her go, not for the world of pain. Having her near again, rested into his chest, breathing her familiar scent, it was all he needed … It would be all he'd ever need to be happy …

The next day was a good one; Caroline had her first check up and ultrasound, and Klaus of course wanted to be right there by her side for it all.

" Care, sweetheart, if you don't stop stomping your foot so hard I'm pretty sure we're going to have to buy a new floor for the nice doctor …"

"What? Oh … I didn't even realize I was doing that … Sorry, just a bit nervous I guess …"

"Why? There is nothing to be nervous about; everything is going to be fine." he squeezed her hand to show his support and that he actually believed in what he was saying.

"Probably … But you never know … What if … I don't know … Our baby has …"

but before she could say another word he put his finger on her mouth gently.

"Listen to me; you're carrying a perfectly healthy baby …"

"How can you be so sure? It's too early to tell for some things anyways …"

"Because I am. I just am Scoot. We deserve this, I won't let anything take it away from us, and even if I have to fight Madam Destiny herself … We're going to be fine, more than fine, we're going to be bloody brilliant."

That eased Caroline a bit, so she leaned into him as they waited for the doctor to come with the results …

"Everything seems to be in order Miss Forbes." the doctor said.

"Your blood pressure is fine, you have no infections or anaemia, your weight is in order … Everything is as it should be … Now, shall we go to the ultrasound? I'm sure you're anxious to here your babies first heartbeats."

Klaus and Caroline just looked at each other and smiled, they couldn't wait to hear that.

"Ok, lie here please. We're just going to put this up, and this might be a bit cold. Here we go …"

"Everything looks good. So this is your uterus … And this little tiny tiny spot over hear is your baby …"

Klaus and Caroline looked confused.

" I don't see anything." Caroline looked a bit frustrated.

"Why don't I see anything?" ok, now she started to sound worried, what kind of a mother doesn't even see her own child? Her hormones and emotions were all over the place …

"It's just a blur … " Klaus had to add, and the doctor had to laugh. They were just your typical couple awaiting their first baby, and they were adorable.

"Of course it's just a blur; you're barely two months pregnant. It will grow, don't worry. But now listen to this special treat …"

And then they heard it. It wasn't so loud, but it was slow and rhythmic, and it was there … Beating, dum, dum, dum … Klaus felt such a pressure in his lungs it almost felt like they were about to explode, he was ecstatic, he had never experienced nor heard anything like it … Dum, dum, dum … It was his babies heartbeats … And it was the most beautiful sound in the world …

FOUR MONTHS LATER

This was it for her; she could feel it in her bones. This was the real deal. It wasn't those 300 guests mostly Tyler invited to their lavishing wedding in the Plaza a few years ago. That crazy night in Vegas was close, the groom was right, she just didn't know it at the time, but it still wasn't it … This was it. Her real wedding day. It didn't matter she wasn't wearing a white wedding gown made for a princess, but a simple yet elegant pink dress, it didn't matter she was six months pregnant, and it sure as hell didn't matter that her and Klaus where technically already married … All that matter was this was her only wedding day, this is how she felt it in her heart. The day when she will stand next to her man, surrounded by her closest friends and her family- her dad, and she'll exchange her vows, for the first time in her life she will open up her heart completely, and believe without a doubt in her mind that that heart will be well taken care of. Oh no, she was about to cry again …

" No, no, no … No way … No crying … My duty as your made of honour is to prevent any major waterfalls … We don't have time to fix your make up." Katherine was determined to keep her make up in place.

"You're right, no crying. This is a happy occasion, the happiest one …"

" You look beautiful Care …"

" I look fat …"

"And more beautiful than ever … You needed some meat on your bones you skinny bitch."

"We couldn't agree more. Your boobs look huuuge." Lexi and Bonnie stepped into the room.

"Thank you Lexi, I'll take that as a compliment."

"Of course it's a compliment, I have to get myself knocked up to get a cleavage like that …"

" Hm, Lexie? Not really sure that is why Caroline got pregnant …" Bonnie was trying to be the voice of reason as always.

"No, she got pregnant because she got drunk and threw up one of her birth control pills."

"Lexi!" Katherine and Bonnie yelled at the same time.

" No, it's ok. I know this pregnancy wasn't planned, but guess what? The best things in life aren't … Less than a year ago, I hated Klaus Mikaelson's guts, I couldn't stand even talking about him, remember Lex? And now … He has given me everything that I have ever wanted. Love and family … So this baby and this man in my life, and this marriage weren't planned, but they were desired, and all my desires came true."

"And I'm glad they did, you deserve it." Lexi said gently.

"Thank you guys. For everything … For being there for me every step of the way … When Tyler left, when I was a mess, when Klaus happened like a crazy tornado … Everything changed from one moment to another, but one thing always remained the same, your love and support throughout it all. I love you guys."

"Please shut up, or I'm going to cry … I'm going to ruin my make up you bitch." Katherine said half in tears already.

" Ok, ok … Enough … We have our girl here, and we have to get her married. Her groom waits impatiently, he'll think she pulled runaway bride the sequel on him, and we don't want that, do we? So let's go honey, let's get you to that altar." Bonnie said with a smile.

"Are you ready?" Katherine asked seriously.

"I've never been this ready for anything in my life." Caroline answered in complete honesty.

The wedding was taking place at her father's estate just outside LA. Low key and intimate, just the way they wanted it to be. There was a gazebo where her husband would be waiting for her, her wonderful father had it built especially for this little wedding. And there was a path covered with pale rose pedals leading there. Her father took her hand and smiled at her …

"Ready?"

" I am … Thank you for this dad. For everything … It means so much to me that you're giving me away …"

"I'm not giving you away … I'm just letting you live your life and be happy. But I'll never give you away, because you'll always be my baby girl … And I'll always there for you, and for my grandchildren. I love you Caroline. I didn't say it enough throughout your life, but I will make it up to you …"

" Dad … You already did … I love you too."

Suddenly the music started to play.

" I think this is our cue."

" I think it is." Caroline said, not feeling a bit nervous, just very, very excited to see her handsome husband in a tux. He always pulled it off brilliantly. I mean he was, as a magazine once described him: … "dashing with his boyish dirty blonde hair and penetrating blue eyes not even heaven would have such a cold heart to kick him out."

But the thing that changed since then was … Now he was hers, all hers … She had no doubt in that … No … No doubt at all as she walked up to him and they joined hands, he loved her, almost as much as she loved him.

"You're beautiful." he whispered softly and sent her an air kiss.

"You don't look so bad yourself Mr. Mikaelson."

"Dearly beloved …"

" No, wait … That's just too stuck up, and this is a laid back sort of wedding … Let me start over … Friends and family …"

Stefan was the one holding the ceremony … He was over the moon when they told him they wanted him to be the one in charge, he said he was never this happy in his life, not even that one time when he thought Ryan Gosling made a pass at him.

" … we are here today because these two beautiful, amazing and stubborn people had finally realized they can't live without each other. We all knew it, we all saw it and felt it, but they took their time … But the important thing is, they are here now … My beautiful friends, my Klaus and Caroline … They are here because they want to exchange their wedding vows in front of all of you, the people that loved them and supported them through their stupid ass choices, through their ups and downs, their loses and their gains. But as my dear Caroline put it, if it was all meant to happen for us to be standing here today, then the trip was worth taking … I for one feel blessed to be a part of their life … Caroline?"

This was it. Her moment … She took the ring from Katherine and placed it on Klaus's finger.

" Klaus … I love you. These three words are the most valuable gift I could ever give to you. I always wanted to give them to someone that would treasure them, and I'm so happy I finally found that someone. I'm happy that I found someone that understands me better than I understand myself sometimes, someone that will not be afraid to call my bluff and simply tell me when I'm being silly, but he'll nonetheless love my silliness, he'll love me and accept me for who I am. We've been through so much together, and I'm not going to lie and say it was all good, some of it was bad, but the bad things made us stronger and even more aware that there's a scary world out there sometimes, and the best way to face it is to stay together, be a team, and to be as one. When I'm with you I never feel alone. And that is how I know you're the love of my life, you make me feel safe. So I promise I'll always keep you safe as well, I'll be the safe haven you can always come back to, the one you can always count on. From this day forward Niklaus Mikaelson I'll be your family. Always and forever."

Klaus took Caroline's ring and placed it on her finger. She nearly had a heart attack a few months back when he admitted it wasn't a fake one bought on eBay for ten bucks, it was the real deal. Sneaky little bastard … Her life with him will always be filled with surprises …

He placed it on her finger, it still fit perfectly there.

"Caroline … Love … This is not easy for me, because although I'm an actor by profession and I'm supposed to be good with words, I've always found it hard to truly express my emotions, until you came along I even found it hard to feel them. I thought it was easier to feel nothing, because it would spare me the hurt and the pain, but you proved me wrong. You're the one that showed me what I was missing by not letting love into my life. So I want to do this, I want to tell you, in front of all of these people we love, what's in my heart. You're in my heart … in my head, in my veins, in my gut … You're everything that matters, and that will ever matter. It's always been you. It's always been your kindness and sweetness, your beauty and your grace, your amazing strength and your light, the light that shines and touched everything you put your hands on. Simply … It's always been you … I promise I'll never forget how lucky I am to have you in my life. I promise I'll spend every day showing you how special you truly are, and how in all the wrong in the world, the two of us are just right."

"Wow, now that was epic. I'm sure plenty of you shed a tear or two … Who wouldn't? I mean look how perfect they are. And by the power vested in me by the internet, I pronounce you husband and wife. Again." Stefan started laughing, and so did everyone else.

"What are you waiting for Mikaleson? Kiss your bride …"

"I thought you'd never say the words …"

Klaus held her tight and looked at her with so much love she thought she'd turn into a bubble and burst.

" I love you." he whispered.

" I love you too." she barely managed to utter before he crushed his perfect, luscious lips to hers. And the crowd went wild while they stood there and kissed passionately like they were the only two people in the world. She felt the rose pedals start to fall on top of them, but she wasn't letting go of Klaus, this perfect kiss on this perfect day was made to last forever … And the best was yet to come …

" Klaus, honey? Not to question your tactics or anything, but … You haven't forgotten I'm six months pregnant, have you? Kidnapping a pregnant woman, blindfolding her, and driving off into an unknown direction … Don't you think that's too much excitement for one day?"

"Oh come now love, I thought Caroline Forbes was more adventurous than that …Don't think I don't know what this is actually about, I know you like having everything under control, but this is a surprise …"

" Klaaaaus …" Caroline started to pout, and Klaus thought that was the most adorable scene ever …

"Tell me where you are taking me … Cooome on …"

"We're almost there sweetheart. I hope you're going to like it. Don't ruin your surprise …"

After ten more minutes of driving the car stopped.

" We stopped? Can I take this off then?"

" Nooooo, no taking off until I say so."

" Mmm, I must admit you're kind of sexy being this bossy and demanding …" Caroline giggled.

" Hold that thought love." he opened the door and led her out of the car.

"Just follow my lead …"

"Klaus, this is silly …"

" Do you trust me?"

" Of course I do."

"Good, glad to here." he suddenly picked her up and carried her somewhere. She had no idea where …

" Klaaaus, put me down, you'll hurt your back, I must weigh a tone …"

"You're light as a feather sweetheart … Beside, it's tradition to carry the bride over the trash hold. Even if this is not technically a trash hold it's a …" Klaus suddenly stopped.

"Well, you can take this off now. Here, let me help you." he put her down gently and took off the blindfold.

"Caroline Forbes, welcome to your honeymoon."

"Omg … Oh Klaus …"

" I hope you like it love. It's … I wanted our wedding night to be on a yacht. To make up for the first time."

" I love it, it's gorgeous. And Klaus … That night belongs to the past, this …" she put his hand on her belly.

" … this is our future."

" So, you don't think it's too much? The hundred white candles, rose petals on the sheets, the strawberries and whipped cream in the small freezer?" he teased her.

"Way too much." She threw her arms around him. "I love it! It's perfect!"

" You are perfect …" he said gently …

" The most beautiful woman in the world."

"You and your compliments Mr. Mikaelson … One would think you were trying to get me into bed …"

"And one would be correct Mrs. Forbes." he started kissing her hand, sending shivers down her spine.

"Well, it would be a shame for those rose petals to go to waste …" she leaned into him and started kissing him slowly. But the slow pace quickly became a passionate one. They still couldn't get enough of each other … And Caroline hoped this honey moon phase would last for many years to come, actually it wasn't just hoping, it was believing, she believed it was so. She believed because she saw the way he looked at her when he took of her dress. He undressed her slowly, kissing all that he uncovered: the curve of her shoulder, the swell of her breast. He went to his knees and kissed her belly … He loved doing that, and she loved when he did it, it felt more intimate than anything else in the world … The way he adored her, and their unborn child … She undressed him just as slowly, and when he couldn't endure it any longer, he drew her to the bed, and the rose petal sheets. He put the rose petals all over her and enjoyed removing every one of them with his mouth. They were all over her skin, on her full breasts, her belly, her most intimate area, and he took his time, making her climax twice before he finally entered her. She kept her eyes open the whole time, watching him dive into her, watching them become one, watching him love her … Everything they promised with words this afternoon, now they were repeating with their bodies … Home, love, a family … This is what she saw in his eyes as he took one final thrust and led them into their mutual release … He held her in his arms a long time after it was over, she stroked his hair and couldn't stop staring at him. He was just so gorgeous, a fallen angel, and he was all hers … And she was his … She was just about to doze off when she felt a kick inside of her. Klaus must have felt it too, because he quickly opened his eyes and put his hand on her belly.

"Did you feel that?"

" Of course I did, I think your daughter or son is playing football again … This is the third time this week."

"He's a naughty little rascal, isn't he?"

" I think he or she will be a handful …"

" I for one can't wait … "

"Me neither … I have a feeling it's going to be a very special baby …"

"Of course it will. The best one in the world … And the most loved one …" Klaus added.

"There is plenty of love to go around." he kissed her gently, not removing his hand from her belly, his son or daughter was saying hello, anxious to join this little harmonic family. It took them a long time to become one … From that night one the yacht all those years ago, to this one; there was a lifetime of heartache, bad choices, mistakes, and a lot of changes, for both of them … They were stubborn, temperamental and crazy … But above of all they were crazy about each other … Life is no fairy tale sometimes and it doesn't always have a fairy tale ending … But in this case love did conquer all, didn't it? And why so? For one simple reason … Because they finally let it enter their lives … and their hearts … Forever and always wasn't just a phrase anymore … It was a reality … Their reality …

Here it is you guys ... A fluffy chapter of their happiness ;). They made it, they finally made it to this :). And so did we my lovelies ;). Me writing this story, and you my wonderful readers, reading it and supporting it ;). When I started writing it I could have never ever imagined I'd get this much support and positive feedback, YOU GUYS MAKE ME AND MY STORY FEEL SO LOVED AND I'M HONOURED TO RECEIVE YOUR REVIEWS ;)))

See you one more time on the epilogue ;). Hope you'll stick around to read the final chapter of this story so many grew to love ... Love you guys, Klaus and Caroline forever, xoxo :))))