AN; I know this is short, and I apologize. The next one should be longer. :) Also, the next one will be the last big jump into the future times. lol.
I follow you into the park,
Through the jungle, through the dark
Girl I've never loved one like you
Moats and boats and waterfalls,
Alleyways and payphone calls
I been everywhere with you
2018
After Liz's funeral, in which they buried an empty casket, it was time to move on from Mystic Falls. They didn't put the house on the market, but they moved everything out. Stefan had visited when he heard about Liz's death, but was happy to see that she wasn't permanently dead. He had brought news with him from Klaus, saying that Marcel was very close to being defeated. He did claim that they should move as far away from New Orleans as they could- Virginia was apparently too close. So, Liz suggested somewhere up north.
They had packed everything in the moving vans, and made their way to North Dakota. Liz's father had moved to Virginia from Clifford, North Dakota, and she had heard that his old house was on the market again. He was a sunflower farmer, so Caroline said they should start farming to make their income. She had finally found a publisher to back her book, after so many said she should revise the darkness of her main character. It was set to be published in only a month, and she was excited to see how it was welcomed. She had used her pseudonym, E.C. McIntyre. Now Elena was trying her hand at writing a book. The quiet atmosphere of the small North Dakota town was exactly what she needed.
They had been here for two years, and they loved it. It was peaceful, and the town was even smaller than Mystic Falls. The best thing was that they didn't even seem to know about vampires, and they weren't on vervain. The harvesting season was over, and they had just gotten paid for their crop of sunflowers. It was a cool autumn night, and Sarah's birthday was coming up, so Caroline was trying to get hints about gifts that she wanted.
"So, have you given any thought about what you want for your birthday?" Caroline asked as she sat the bowl of mashed potatoes on the table. It was just Sarah and her in the house tonight. Elena had been summoned to New Orleans by Elijah, and her mom was volunteering at the hospital.
Sarah was playing with the necklace that Klaus had given her when she was born. It was supposedly spelled to protect her from anything supernatural, although Sarah did a pretty good job of that herself. "Mama, where's my daddy?" she asked.
Caroline was caught off guard by her question. "Well, sweetie, he lives in the south," she said.
"Why doesn't he live with us?" Sarah asked.
"He's trying to make his home safe for us, and then he'll come to get us and bring us there to live with him," Caroline replied.
"Oh," Sarah replied. "I remember him."
Caroline stopped her fork in mid-air. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"When I was a baby, I remember that he would always hold me and tell me stories so I would fall asleep. I remember my aunt Bekah would take me shopping for clothes, and uncle Lijah would play the piano for me," she said.
Caroline was now giving Sarah her undivided attention. "What else do you remember?" she asked.
"I remember when daddy sent me with Uncle Stefan, and Luna. I remember meeting you," she said.
"How do you remember these things?" Caroline asked.
"I dream them," Sarah replied, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Caroline was about to reply when she heard a loud thump from somewhere in the house. She told Sarah to stay at the kitchen table and eat, and she went to check it out. She followed the sound of the heartbeat sounding through the house and finally came upon a broken window, and someone wandering aimlessly around the room. Caroline could tell it was a girl, and she seemed to be looking for something. The girl turned, and Caroline recognized her as the ex-vampire who had become the bane of their existence.
"Well, well. What have we here?" Caroline asked.
Katherine froze where she was. Now that she was no longer a vampire, she couldn't tell when someone was coming up behind her. "Caroline," Katherine said. "I don't suppose you'd tell me where the hybrid brat's room is?" she asked.
Caroline frowned at what Katherine called her daughter. "No, I won't. This happens to be my mother's room," Caroline said.
Katherine chuckled. "Still living with mommy? You're pathetic," Katherine said.
Caroline grabbed the handcuffs from her mother's armoire- that she had kept for sentimental reasons- and flashed to Katherine, cuffing her hands behind her back.
"What are you doing?" Katherine asked.
"Call it a precaution. Now, you're going to sit in that chair, and tell me what you want with my daughter. Better yet, how do you even know she exists?" Caroline asked.
Katherine smiled a saccharine smile and sat in the chair. "I've been compelled by Klaus for years since he found out that I was still human. I was forced to stay quietly in my room and give him blood when needed. I haven't spoken a word in four years," she explained.
Caroline scoffed. "That must have been hard for you," she said.
"I didn't say anything, so I heard everything. I heard Klaus talking to Elijah about his daughter. I knew I had my leverage; I just had to find her. I'm not leaving her empty handed, Caroline," she said.
Caroline thought for a moment. She weighed her options. If she forced Katherine to leave, the bitch would spread the word about Sarah. She would let all of Klaus' enemies know that he had a daughter. What could she do now? She could take Katherine back to Klaus herself… yes, that's what she'd do. But would it be safe? Klaus had given specific orders for her not to let Sarah step foot in New Orleans.
"Here's what's gonna go down," Caroline began, "You're going to stay right there until I think of a plan. I know how you think, and the first thing you'd do after getting free would be to find some vervain, so I'll wait until it's passed from your system to try compulsion. Also, hand over any jewelry."
"Why?" Katherine asked.
"Because that's where people put their vervain, so hand 'em over," she replied.
Trying to explain doppelgängers to her mother was an adventure, but Caroline finally succeeded. Liz had kept an eye on Katherine while Caroline called Stefan. She was only to call in emergencies, just in case someone tied Stefan to Caroline, but she figured that this was an emergency. She had finally gotten through, and Stefan had given the all-clear for them to come to New Orleans. That's how Caroline found herself handcuffed to Katherine in front of the Mikaelsons' New Orleans mansion.
"Mama, I remember this house," Sarah whispered from her other side.
"Are you ready to go in?" Caroline asked.
Sarah nodded, and ran to the front door and knocked three times before taking a step back. Caroline put her hand on Sarah's shoulder and the front door opened. A boy about nineteen stood there, with dark hair and icy blue eyes. He looked like a younger, nicer version of Damon.
"So the lost Petrova has returned home," he said in a teasing voice. Caroline fought to hide a smile as he turned his attention towards her. "You must be…"
"Caroline," another person said, cutting him off.
She looked over his shoulder and saw Luna walking towards them. "Thank you Rowan, she's welcomed here," she said. She finally noticed Sarah standing in front of her, and a big smile spread across her face. "Welcome back, little one," she said.
Sarah gave Luna a hug, and they were finally invited in. "Is Klaus here?" Caroline asked.
"He's in the city right now, but he's given the all clear for you to be here," Luna explained as she lead them to the dining room. Caroline took the cuff off of her hand and handcuffed Katherine to the table before taking Sarah into the living room. They didn't have to wait long before someone else arrived, but Sarah had fallen asleep anyway. She was exhausted after the trip from North Dakota to New Orleans.
Stefan and Rebekah entered the room, with rare smiles showing on their faces. Caroline stood when they entered, holding Sarah on her hip. "Caroline," Stefan said with a smile.
"Hey Stefan… hi Rebekah," she said.
"Caroline," Rebekah said with a very small smile. She noticed the girl in Caroline's arms, and walked over. "Is this…?" she asked.
"Yes," Caroline said. Rebekah smiled the biggest, most genuine smile that Caroline had ever seen from her.
"Does Nik know?" she asked.
"Well, he gave the all-clear for them to return. I didn't exactly tell him they'd be here," Stefan replied.
"I want him to be the first to see her when she wakes. We'll go find him and bring him home," Rebekah said.
The door opened and closed and the sound of footsteps filled the room. "Why do you need to bring me home?" Klaus asked before seeing Caroline.
"Caroline…" he breathed.