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Chapter 26

Klaus did tell Kol, Bonnie and Caroline to not bother them and what had transpired at the Gilbert residence. Caroline nodded, agreeing with Klaus and had said, "Elijah needs to calm her down."

"Do you think that we can't?" Bonnie asked the blonde, feeling hurt. Though she did care for Jeremy, her main concern was the guilt he felt and what Elena was going through.

Caroline nodded again. "Trust me, he can calm her down." She already knew that when Elena was human, she nearly had a panic attack when Elijah just held her in his arms and was humming to her. Bonnie wouldn't know as it happened when she was still sort of with Jeremy in a way. Caroline swore to Elena that she would keep her secret and nothing will make her break that promise.

Bonnie settled in the library and settled a grimmoire in her lap. She needed to refocus after the emotional assault of the day. As she began to thumb through the pages she was looking for interesting spells that she had never seen before. This was a very old grimmoire and Bonnie wondered what language it was actually in. As she had gained power as a witch she had discovered that the languages in a grimmoire disappeared for her and she could suddenly read all the spells. It didn't work for any other documents but grimmoires she could read. She was grateful for a little while to just lose herself to discovering new spells.

Meanwhile Caroline was trying her hand with watercolors in Klaus' studio. She had snuck in while he had been elsewhere and hoped that he wouldn't mind. She had never tried her hand at this kind of artistic creativity. She decided to try a sailboat and was biting her lip as she worked.

"You might need a little help with that sail love." She quickly turned around to see Klaus there with a smirk. "The color needs to be...just right." He added as he swirled the white and the black together to make it grey. He smiled as he saw her do something that he found calming.

"I just wanted to see what it was like to do it," Caroline said shyly, "it's very hard. You're really talented Klaus." He nodded with a smile on his face as she stroked his ego.

"Yes well...it takes one many years to get this right." He kissed her cheek. "I've been doing this since my childhood and when I became a vampire, I began to develop my own style as well as which types of paints I prefer."

"So you don't prefer the watercolors do you?" she asked and he nodded.

"I only have them up here for beginners like yourself and Bekah."

"Well thanks for letting me try," Caroline smiled. She kissed him gently. "So how are you doing with everything?"

He sighed and moved to stand in front of her. "Honestly, I don't think that I've been this tired in my entire existence. Two baby vampires-one being a witch hybrid mind you-are challenging to help. One hates what she is, the other is afraid of losing what makes her who she is."

"Bonnie's getting used to it while Elena's scared of acting like Stefan," Caroline soothed. "Shutting it all off and becoming a Ripper and all."

"This is the first time Kol has truly sired someone; usually he turns them and either offs them within the week or he abandons them and someone has to put them down. I didn't actually know he'd be this good at siring," Klaus confided. "Thank goodness Bonnie seems to be embracing it because Elijah has his hands full. No one's first sire should be this difficult."

"Damon tried to stake me when I first turned and I had Stefan try to teach me control by following his animal diet." Caroline countered. "Before I had no idea of the supernatural but he was ready to kill me because it was his blood and Katherine smothered me."

His eyes narrowed. "You had no one to help you with this except for my friend the Rippah?" At her nod, he let out a low growl. "Love, maybe it's time I teach you how to be a true vampire?"

"You would teach me?" Caroline asked with genuine surprise.

"Yes love I would teach you...after all you are my vampire," Klaus said.

Those words were so endearing to her that she jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him for all their worth. Steadying her in his arms, he flashed them against a wall and gave her kisses as well as nips to the skin that didn't break it to infect her with his venom.

There was no way he was going to endanger her now that he had her in his arms.

As that was going on, back at the boardinghouse, Rebekah, Stefan and Damon were telling stories of their childhoods that have gone past.

If anyone asked Stefan what the best day of his life was, he'd tell you that he wasn't sure-1920 when he met Rebekah or now as they're all telling stories.

"Yeah well the first time I was learning to ride a horse Elijah was leading the horse along and I was getting pretty confident. Next thing I know Kol has gotten in a spot and Elijah went to help. A couple of minutes later Klaus smacked the horse on the backside and it took off running with me holding on for dear life. That horse ran forever before Elijah rode alongside and got me off of it. It took a long time before he could convince me to try again."

"Ouch!" Damon sniggered. "Stefan was afraid of horses for years until I put his seven year old butt onto mine and made him run as fast as possible with me. To this day he's hated going on horses."

"Oh..." Rebekah frowned. She decided not to tell Damon that she and Stefan had enjoyed a perfect afternoon of horseback riding in Chicago when they had reunited in between Klaus' craziness. "Wow, I've really had a good time tonight, thank you Damon for having me."

"It's no problem Rebekah...just take good care of him for me." He looked at Stefan who decided to leave to go get their coats. "When our mother first became ill I promised her that I'd watch out for him but as we became vampires...I've been doing a horrible job of keeping that promise to her. I just want you to watch out for him, for me."

"I will," she said softly but raised an eyebrow at him. "Why? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to travel and maybe see parts of the world I've never seen." He smiled at her. "I'll text and call and visit for the holidays but otherwise, I want to find my other half out there."

"I'll take care of him I promise," Rebekah said gently, "don't be a stranger too long. I understand wanting to find love. I found it, lost it and found it again. Does Stefan know?"

"He doesn't know yet as I'm going to be leaving in a few days time. I'll tell him soon Rebekah, don't worry." Kissing her cheek, he smiled at her. "I'll probably make my first stop Miami. Then drive from there to California to see what the girls are really like over there."

As Stefan returned the couple made their way back to the Mikaelson mansion.

"I hope you don't mind staying here but with all of my brothers out I really want to be with my family. I hope that we all stick together for a few decades at least like this," Rebekah said. They stopped in their tracks at the sight of a broom sweeping the staircase all by itself.

"Who's been watching Fantasia?" Stefan asked as he tried to side step the broom which kept following him. He growled at the thing before Rebekah asked, "Fantasia?"

"An old Disney movie." They looked to see Bonnie up there with the grimoire in her hand. "I saw the spell and wanted to try it."

Stefan wanted to say something when the broom began to hit him. Repeatedly.

With a swipe of her hand Bonnie silenced the broom.

"Sorry Stefan"

"Well next time you think about trying a spell in this house would you at least pick one that you can control," Rebekah growled. "That one quite obviously got away from you."

Bonnie looked at her a long moment.

"Well it didn't turn out too good in Fantasia either," She sighed. "Have a good night."

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