Chapter 21

Mystic Falls, VA

2012

Caroline woke to a pounding headache. She looked around and realized that she was in the woods. To her left she saw the outline of the Mikaelson mansion. She stood slowly, holding her hands out as a wave of dizziness hit her. To say that she was confused was an understatement. Either she had just woken from a very vivid dream, or she really had traveled through time and was now back in the present. Looking down, she saw that she was wearing a dress that was definitely not from the 21st century, and she started to panic.

If she really had traveled back to the present, where were Klara and Carina? She had them with her when she left, she was so sure that she would be able to bring them back with her. Before she went insane in the middle of the woods, she decided that she needed to change her clothes. She was already going to look crazy enough running around town like a lunatic without being dressed like she just stepped off of an ancient Viking ship.

As she made her way out of the wooded area, her eyes landed on a paper bag hanging from a branch. Inside were three pairs of clothing. Attached to the bag was a short note: Figured you would need these ~Bekah

She quickly changed into the clothing, reminding herself to thank Rebekah later. Wait- there was more clothing in the bag. Two little girl outfits with matching shoes. That meant that the girls had come with her. She bent down to place her wrinkled dress in the bag and slung it over her shoulder. As she reached the edge of the trees, something on the ground caught her eye. It was a pink ribbon. Just like the one that the twins had in their hair the last time that she had seen them.

They were here.

So was Nik. She didn't know whether to feel nervous or excited to face her husband after leaving him alone for one thousand years, but the most important thing in that moment was finding the girls before something happened to them.

Without a second thought, she flashed towards the center of town, grinning when she realized that she was a vampire once again.

Kol and Elijah were enjoying a drink at the Mystic Grill, mainly trying to get away from their brother as he hadn't stopped painting for a good thirty six hours.

"Elijah, don't be alarmed, but there is a small human attached to your leg," said Kol staring curiously at Elijah's new friend.

"I know, I was ignoring it and hoping that it would go away," Elijah replied through gritted teeth.

As Elijah glanced down at the toddler, he noticed something peculiar. "Brother, I don't want to worry you, but it would appear as though you have a problem as well," he said, smirking at Kol.

"Why is this happening?" Kol whined trying his best not to look at the golden haired toddler attached to his leg like a suction cup. I haven't been around little children since... Wait, you don't think this could be..." Kol trailed off, looking at the girls.

"Klara and Carina?" Elijah finished as the vampires looked at each other smiling before lifting their respective attachments and walking out of the Grill before anyone noticed anything.

Unfortunately for them, people had noticed their little situation, namely Elena and Bonnie who both sat with mouths agape as they watched the two big bad originals smile and giggle with the toddlers.

"Did you just…? Was that just…?" Elena's asked hesitantly, unable to process what she had just seen.

"But they were so…" Bonnie said quietly.

The two friends looked at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing. Their sudden fit of amusement startled Matt who was walking by with a tray of cheese fries and pop which now covered the muscular blond as he lay on the floor.

"Oh my gosh Matt, are you okay?" Bonnie squealed, unable to keep the hints of laughter out of her voice.

"Thanks for the concern, Bon, but I think I'll manage," Matt responded, brushing himself off and yelling for Jeremy to get a broom.

Elena kept her head down at the table to keep from laughing. As soon as Matt walked into the kitchen and Bonnie sat back down, she cracked.

"We're really bad friends, Elena," Bonnie said with a smile.

"Matt would understand if he had just witnessed Kol and Elijah fawning over toddlers," Elena rationalized, shoving a fry into her mouth.

"Very true," Bonnie agreed, trying to keep herself from imagining her and Kol with children.

When Kol and Elijah had reached the center of town, they didn't really know what to do next. Kol decided that Nik needed to know, so he pulled out his phone and dialed his brooding brother.

"What?" came Klaus's cheerful voice from the phone.

"Nice to hear from you as well, brother," Kol said with a smirk, wondering how to best get his brother to the center of town.

"I'm rather busy, Kol, so if you wouldn't mind…" He trailed off, and Kol could hear the sound of a paintbrush on paper.

"Nik, I think this is something you'll want to know. Get to the center of town, now," He finished, hanging up the phone before his brother had a chance to answer. While he hadn't said exactly why, he was sure that curiosity would get the best of Niklaus and he would show up eventually.

Unfortunately for Klaus's painting, Kol was right. He was extremely curious. As much as he told himself that it was probably just Kol trying to get a rise out of him, he couldn't help the part of him that told him that he needed to find out. Slipping shoes on, he ran a hand through his unruly curls and ran out the door.

As he walked towards the center, he started panicking. He hadn't yet remembered when Caroline left, and he didn't know what, if anything, it would change once he did, but the unease that he felt kept his from utilizing his vampire speed to get to the center.

So he walked, hands in his pockets, deep in thought, until something fast and strong plowed into him, catching him completely by surprise. As he got up off the ground, he was surprised to not only see a figure, but also various pieces of children's clothing strewn across the ground around them. As the figure, or girl as he could now deduce, stood and turned around, he was sure his heart stopped.

Her wind-blown golden curls framed her face, and the sun shone behind her, illuminating her like an angel. His angel. His Caroline.

When her eyes landed on him, she smiled hesitantly, no doubt nervous that he was upset after being left alone for so long. To reassure her, he began walking towards her, his eyes never leaving hers. Suddenly, as if she had just processed what she was seeing, she flashed to him, her arms encircling his neck.

He stopped at the sudden contact, taking a moment to make sure that she was real. He brushed a strand of hair from her face as his eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Is it really you?" He whispered, his arms resting on the small of her back.

Instead of answering with words, she tangled her fingers in his curls and crushed her lips to his. His mouth answered greedily, making up for all the time that had passed since he had felt her soft lips on his. Just as Klaus grabbed her thighs and hoisted her up and her legs wrapped instinctively around his waist, she remembered the reason that she had crashed into him in the first place.

"Nik, the girls. They're here but they weren't with me when I woke up in the woods. They must have run off. We have to find them," she said, pulling away and gathering up the fallen clothes.

"But they're here? I'll get to see them?" He asked quietly, making sure that he wasn't hearing things.

She smiled knowingly as her hand cupped his cheek. "They're here, we just have to find them."

Once the clothes had been placed in the bag, Klaus grabbed her hand and they flashed to the center of town.

Elijah took it upon himself to call Rebekah, who was planning to meet up with them later on anyways, to let her know what was going on. For some reason, she wasn't surprised. She informed him that Kol had let her know when Bonnie had her little… episode the previous night, and had taken it upon herself to put some clothes together for Caroline and the girls.

He hung up and turned around just in time to see someone blurring towards the center of town. He was about to go to them and snap their neck for exposing their species in broad daylight, but as they came closer and he realized what he was seeing, he knew he had to let it be. They would compel any nosy onlookers later.

The couple stopped in the middle of town, hands still entwined as they looked at the scene before them. Kol was on the ground playing a three-way game of patty cake with Klara and Carina while Elijah looked on. At the entrance to the Mystic Grill Caroline could see the outlines of Bonnie and Elena as they watched the scene unfold.

Klaus, however, had eyes only for the two beautiful blondes playing with their uncle. As if they could sense him, they both looked up as he walked closer, as if in a daze. When Klara stood up, grabbing Carina's hand to drag her along, Klaus knelt down to their level. He braced himself for the impact of the running toddlers, but it never came. He opened his eyes to see the girls standing in front of him with peculiar looks on their faces. As Caroline tearfully watched the reunion, she realized the problem. Coming to kneel beside her husband, she placed a hand on his back.

"Girls, it's daddy! His hair's shorter and his clothes are different, but it's still daddy," she said with a reassuring smile as the twins came closer to Klaus, placing one of each of their hands on his face. Feeling the touch of their small hands after so long, he couldn't hold back the dimpled grin that spread across his face. Once the girls saw their daddy's smile, they grinned back at him and jumped into his arms.

Caroline watched the trio with her hands over her mouth to keep her gentle sobs from escaping. Elijah came towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled before making her way to her family. Seeing Klaus in tears as he interacted with the girls was an other-worldly experience for Caroline, not because it had been a long time since she had seen them together, but because she had never seen this Klaus with his daughters. She had never seen big bad hybrid Klaus, with all of his years and with all of his problems, treat anyone with such care and love, and it broke her heart.

When she approached them, Klaus turned to her, offering Carina to her before kissing her soundly on the mouth. Klara's hands pulled Klaus's face from Caroline as she gave him a sloppy kiss on the lips, making Carina squirm until she could do the same. It was the happiest moment in both Klaus and Caroline's lives.

Klaus was overjoyed to have his family back, despite the years that he had spent waiting and searching for them, and he promised himself that he would make the most of their return, at least until the memories came back, and he would never let them out of his sight again.

With promises that everyone could come visit later on, Klaus and Caroline took the girls to Klaus's apartment so that they could be bathed and changed into something appropriate for this century, and so that Caroline could take a proper shower.

As the remaining Mikaelson boys watched the happy family walk away, they made their way back to the Mystic Grill to have a drink and wait for Rebekah, and boy was she going to be mad t have missed the excitement.

So sorry for the long wait! I have been feeling writer's block ever since that nightmarish sex scene. Luckily, 4x17 gave me motivation to write another chapter. That being said, I really hope you enjoyed it! I had a nice time writing it, and there is quite a bit more to come, I just needed to get them to the present. Thank you all for sticking with me through all of this, and thank you for all of the support for my story! If anyone would like to make a graphic for this story, please let me know! I will be leaving for Spring Break on Saturday night, and won't be back until the 8th of April, so I will try and get a couple more updates in before I leave, but if not, at least you have the Klaroline scenes from 4x18 to look forward to! Thanks so much for reading. Until next time~