Sorry for the wait, but I had a heck of a time typing this, and to top it off, I had a family crisis, but anyway...
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT! IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME THAT YOU ALL ENJOY THIS!
DEDICATED TO: goldenhummingbird! Your reviews have gotten me through a rough time this week! I thank you!
Remember to review at the end! :)
Two Months Later
Joey smiled as he placed a delicate ornament on the branch of the Christmas tree. He stepped back, and his eyes lit up at the sight of the six foot tree standing in the small cottage of their home at the moment.
"Mom! Dad!" He shouted, turning on his heel, and raced into the kitchen to find his parents, standing on either side of the small island. "It's finished!" He stated, excitedly, reaching for his mother's hand.
Caroline smiled, and followed her eager son into the living room. She gasped aloud at the sight of the large tree before her, and she lowered her eyes to her anxious son. "Did you do all of this by yourself?" She asked, watching Joey lift his chin a little higher.
"Well, no, Aunt Rebekah came to help me this morning while you were sleeping, and then dad help me with the top." He answered, but with a smile on his face.
Caroline turned her head to look at Klaus, who was smiling down at the boy in front of them. "Where's the angel?" She asked, moving her eyes to her son.
Joey smiled with a mischievously, and nodded to Klaus. "We saved it for last." Joe answered, quickly moving to the small couch in the room, and lifted a large blonde haired angel with a silver gown from the box sitting on the couch. He rushed back to his mom, and held out the angel with a small gleam in his eyes. "Will you put it on, mom?" He asked, pleadingly.
Caroline swallowed hard at the look on her son's face hit her heart. Slowly, she reached forward and took the angel from his hands, and looked up at the tree. "I don't think I can reach it, sweetie." She whispered, faintly.
"That's okay, dad'll help you." Joey replied, motioning to Klaus. "I left something in my room. I'll be right back, mom." He added, quickly, rushing out of the room.
Klaus smirked, as he approached Caroline, slowly. "I think he's trying to tell us something." He remarked, looking at the angel in Caroline's hands.
Caroline nodded, and fingered the face on the figurine. "I think he is." She replied, glancing at him before turning to look at the angel in her hands.
It had been a brief look, but enough for him to see the sadness in her eyes. "Caroline," He whispered, looking at her.
Caroline sniffed, and closed her eyes. "For Christmas, mom and I would always put the tree up. It was the only time; Bill never hit or yelled at us." She whispered, softly. "I remember one time; I was eight." She began, opening her eyes to gaze at the angel. "We had just finished the tree, when Bill came in with a box. He handed it to me, and told me to open it." She paused as a tear fell down her face.
Klaus slowly lifted his hand, and wiped the tear away, letting her know that he was there, listening, not pushing, just listening.
She smiled, and fingered the face of the angel. "He had bought a small angel to put on the tree. He told me that I could put it on, and he even lifted me on his shoulder, so I could reach the top." She whispered, shaking her head. "I placed the angel on the top of the tree, and mom lit it up." She continued, moving away from Klaus, towards the tree. "That was the only time, Bill acted like a father, and we were a family." She finished, lifting the angel higher in her hands.
Klaus bowed his head, and took a step towards her. "What happened to the angel?" He asked, softly, not wanting to ruin the moment.
She sighed, and bowed her head. "After Christmas, mom took it down, and gave it to me to hide from Bill." She replied with a small smile. "He never found it." She added, turning her head to look at Klaus.
Klaus smiled, and nodded. Emotions filled his eyes, causing Caroline to smile as she stepped towards the tree. "Let me help you, love." He replied, pulling a small chair towards the tree.
Caroline smiled, and stepped up on the chair, and lifted the angel in her hands, and gently, yet firmly, placed it on the top of the tree. She smiled as she gently splayed the bottom of the silver dress out, to make it appear the angel was flying.
Klaus smiled at the way Caroline fixed the angel, and his heart tugged in his chest. To think that he almost lost her because of his stupid pride and anger; it killed him to think of that, but it was true. He could have lost her, and for that moment, he knew that he couldn't live without her in his life. If only he knew she felt the same?
He knew that she loved him. That was pretty obvious from her actions, and from her words, but he didn't know how much. Did she love him enough to give up her life, and become a part of his? Did she love him enough to become a fugitive for a system she had sworn to uphold? He realized as he was thinking of those questions, he could never ask her to do that.
He couldn't. That would be selfish, and he didn't want to be that to her. No matter how much he wished he could.
Caroline tilted her head to the side, and took an unconscious step back, forgetting that she was on a chair. With a small cry, she fell backward, but she collided with a warm secure body. Only the warm body couldn't hold her up, and they fell backward onto the small rug beneath them.
Klaus grunted as his back hit the floor, and even though it was cushioned, he felt his back twinge in small pain. Caroline, on the other hand, had landed on top of him, well, semi-on top, and grunted as her head hit the small rug over Klaus' shoulder.
"Love," Klaus whispered, clearly the fall had knocked him out of breath. "Not that I don't love having you in my arms, and lying on top of me, but could you move, please." He whispered, in a panted breath.
Caroline sat up quickly, and realized that she had landed on his stomach, and was now sitting on his waist. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" She cried, quickly moving off of him, but laid down next to him to be sure that he was alright.
He smiled, and inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the mild pain, and catch his breath. "It's okay, love." He whispered, after a moment.
"Well, it's your own damned fault anyway." She replied, placing her hand unconsciously on his chest. "You should have let me fall." She added, causing him to turn his head to glare at her.
"I made you a promise, Caroline." He stated, firmly, holding her eyes. "And besides, I rather enjoyed catching you when you fell." He whispered, lifting his right hand to her face, and brushed her blonde hair away from her eyes.
"You're still trying to charm me, aren't you?" She whispered, knowing her face was red from his words.
He smirked, and slowly nodded. "Always." He whispered, causing her to smile.
Caroline pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth, and moved her eyes down his body. "Feeling better now?" She asked, moving her eyes back to his.
Klaus pursed his lips, and moved his hand to behind her head. "I'll let you know." He replied, pulling her head down, and captured her lips with his.
Caroline smiled at his response, and slowly deepened the kiss. She knew that this was still yet another step towards rebuilding what they had, and to say she was happy about it, was an understatement.
A flash from a camera stopped them from taking their feelings any further, and Caroline jerked her head up to see her son holding a camera in his hand and a huge smile on his face.
"It was a photographic moment." Joey remarked, innocently shrugging his shoulders.
Caroline shook her head, but smiled brightly, and let out a laugh. Klaus joined in, as he slowly moved to sit up, and motioned for Joey to join them.
They spent the rest of the afternoon, sitting on the floor, gazing at the Christmas tree in the dark, and feeling like a normal everyday family.
~X~
Caroline couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see her father's face, and hear Joey's cry for help. For a moment, she was grateful that she and Klaus were sleeping in separate rooms, but in the whole, she desperately wanted to feel his arms around her while she slept, letting her know that she was not alone.
In the two months after they had semi-made up, they had worked on building their relationship. A relationship that now held truth and honesty, but despite all of that the big elephant in the room kept screaming at Caroline. She was still a Marshal, and he was still the Hybrid.
She knew that despite everything, she could never give him up. She had realized that months before. If she had discovered the truth around seven months ago, before her heart had been compromised, then that would have been a different story, but now…
Now, she couldn't give him up to save her life. He was her life. Him and Joey were the family she never had, and they had both become her life. So, if someone had asked her if she was going to give up her life as a Marshal, she would flat out tell them the truth.
That wasn't her life anymore. Her life was with Klaus and Joey and Kat and the rest of the family. Her life was here now, or wherever the family decided to go, more specifically Klaus.
She made it to the living room, and sighed as the tree was still lit up, illuminating the living room. She smiled as she headed towards the kitchen, and quickly made some hot chocolate. When she poured it into a mug, she headed back towards the living room, and sat down on the couch, across from the tree.
She heard footsteps coming up behind her, and she turned her head to see Klaus, dressed in pajama bottoms and no shirt with his hair semi-tossed, standing behind her. "Want some cocoa?" She asked, softly.
Klaus nodded, and moved towards the kitchen. "I'll get it." He replied, in a groggy voice.
Caroline sighed as she sipped her hot beverage, and gazed at the tree. Minutes later, Klaus reentered the room, with a steaming mug in his hands, and sat down next to her. "Beautiful, isn't it?" She asked, casually.
Klaus moaned, and sipped his cocoa. He lowered his cup, and glanced at her. His eyes made a quick glance at her attire, and he couldn't help but smile at the way the Capri pajama bottoms rose up to her knees, and her tank showed off her glowing porcelain skin. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and even though she wore a robe, he could tell she was cold. He could also tell she wanted to ask him something, but didn't know what to say. "What is it, Caroline?" He asked, sipping from his mug.
She sighed, and fiddled with her mug before taking a small sip from the hot chocolate. "What's going to happen if Lorenzo finds us?" She asked, softly. "I mean, we've been hiding out here for two months now, and even though I convinced my superiors that the family has gone underground. He will not stop." She added, shaking her head.
Klaus sighed, lowly at her question and statement. "What would you suggest, Marshal?" He asked, stiffly.
Caroline closed her eyes at the slight anger in his voice. "What would you have me do, Klaus?" She asked, instead of answering his question. "I can't do my job because…" She trailed off, closing her eyes once more.
"Because of what, Caroline?" Klaus asked, sitting the mug on the small table, and turned his head to look at her. "Because you've already committed treason by helping me?" He pressured, and a cold smirk appeared on his lips.
Caroline jerked her head to look at him, and glared at the look on his face. "No, because I love you!" She nearly shouted, remembering their sleeping son just down the hallway. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I love you, Klaus." She replied, again, opening her eyes to catch his. "And you are right, I have committed treason by helping you, but I've been committing treason for years before I met you." She added in a low tone.
"What's different now?" Klaus asked, emotions starting to clog his throat.
She smiled, faintly. "You." She whispered, turning her head to look absently at the tree. "You, Joey, and the rest of the family," She paused, bowing her head once again. "For the first time in a long time, I have a family, and it's because of that that I have thought about my future." She added, softly.
Klaus swallowed the lump in his throat, and turned his head to look at the tree. "And what might that future be, Caroline?" He asked, softly.
She smiled, and turned her head to look at him. She waited until he turned his head so she could hold his eyes with hers. "I'm thinking of resigning from the Marshal's."
~X~
Caroline lifted the spoon in the bowl, and quickly stirred the batter for the cake she was preparing. She lifted her gaze when she heard someone enter the kitchen, and she smiled brightly as her son entered. "Good morning, sweetie." She replied, causing Joey to smile at her in return.
"Morning, mom." He returned, looking around them. "Where's dad?" He asked, moving towards the counter.
"He's still sleeping. He had a late night." She answered, moving to dump the smooth batter into the cake pan.
Joey nodded, and watched as she smoothed the batter down, lightly with her spoon. "Can I have a taste?" He asked, softly.
Caroline turned her head, and playfully narrowed her eyes, before handing him the spoon. "Go right ahead." She answered, watching him lick the spoon, quickly. "Good?"
Joey hummed, and nodded, as he finished licking the batter off the spoon. "Very good." He replied, smiling.
She smiled, and nodded, as she handed him a bowl with some batter still remaining inside. "Save me some, okay?" She replied, turning to place the pan in the oven.
Joey nodded, and moved around the counter to sit on the stool with Caroline following behind him.
"So, Christmas is just two days away. Have you written your letter to Santa?" Caroline asked, dipping her finger in the bowl, and licked it.
Joey nodded, and licked his fingers. Caroline smiled, and dipped her finger once again, and licked it before placing her hands on the counter. "Well, what did you ask him for?" She asked, when the silence started to engulf him.
Joey smiled, and licked his finger. "I asked him for a family." He replied, glancing at Caroline.
Caroline shook her head, and turned on the stool to face him. "But, sweetie, you already have a family." She explained, watching him shake his head.
"You and dad aren't married. So it's not a 'real' family." He explained, looking at his mom with semi-sad eyes.
Caroline's shoulders seemed to deflate, and Joey saw his mom's face turn to sadness.
"It's not that I don't love you both, mom." Joey replied, setting the bowl on the counter. "It's just, you do want to marry dad, don't you?" He asked, watching Caroline lift her eyes, and confliction disappearing from her face.
"With all my heart, sweetie." She whispered, knowing she was speaking the truth.
Joey smiled, but it didn't last long. "Then why haven't you married him, yet?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders. "You do love each other, right?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.
Caroline smiled, and nodded. "We do, sweetie, but he hasn't asked me to marry him." She answered, shrugging her shoulders.
"Why not?" He asked, shaking his head, and shrugging his shoulders.
She sighed as she thought about the reason. "We hit a rough patch for a brief time, and we are just getting back on the right track." She answered, softly.
"If he asked you now, would you marry him?" Joey asked, pressing the issue.
Caroline smiled, and nodded. "I would." She answered, sure that she would, but if he had asked two months ago, she would have said she wasn't ready.
Joey nodded, seeming to take in her answer as solid. "Okay." He replied, shrugging his shoulders, and went back to the batter.
Caroline smiled, and lowered her eyes to her left hand. She definitely would marry Klaus. She would.
Little did they know the object of their discussion was standing behind the wall next to the kitchen, and had heard every word, and a smile appeared on his face as he turned to head back to his bedroom.
He had a few calls to make.
~X~
Klaus approached the doorframe, and smiled as he found her sitting on the bed surrounded by file folders.
"Working hard?" He asked, causing her to look up and smile at him.
"Trying to." She replied, cocking her head to the side. "Wanna help?" She asked, causing him to smirk.
"If that's government work, love, forget it." He replied, walking further into the room.
She smiled, and dipped her head. "Well, it is." She returned, lowering her head to look at some of the files in front of her.
Klaus nodded, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "How did you get these?" He asked, picking up one of the folders.
Caroline smiled, and reached for the one in his hand. "A friend sent them." She answered, dropping the file in front of her. "A trusted friend." She added, with a smile.
Klaus nodded, and pursed his lips. "What kind of friend?" He asked, a little jealousy creeping into his words.
Caroline smiled, and dipped her head. "The kind that has my back no matter what." She replied, opening up a folder.
He nodded, seeming to accept her answer for the moment.
"Did you want something?" She asked, reading absently through the folders.
Klaus leaned forward, and lifted her face with his right hand. "Only to say that I love you." He whispered, kissing her quickly on the lips before standing and leaving the room, leaving a bewildered and happy Caroline behind.
~X~
Christmas came two days later with the Mikaelson family planning to get together at the small house.
Joey received a few gifts, such as new paints and a camera, since he had taken and interest in photography and painting since moving into the family.
Bonnie and Kol had exchanged gifts earlier, and though neither one would speak of what they had received, Bonnie was happier than she had ever been before.
Stefan had given Rebekah a simple gift, a locket with a picture of her family inside. Rebekah had to hold back the tears, but couldn't resist giving him a kiss on the cheek in gratitude.
Caroline stood up and walked carefully towards Katherine, who was standing in front of the window with Elijah patting her back, calmly.
"Kat," She called out, softly.
Katherine turned around, and looked at her friend with a small smile on her face.
Caroline lifted a small package, and motioned for Katherine to take it. "Don't ask, just take it." She replied with a smile.
Katherine slowly opened up the gift, and found a small manila envelope taped to the bottom of the box. Taking the envelope out, she lifted her eyes, filled with questions, to Caroline, and slowly opened the envelope. She pulled out the papers, and her eyes widened as she caught sight of the information written on the pages. "How did you?" She asked, showing Elijah.
Caroline lifted her hands in the air, and smiled. "I said, don't ask, but let's just say that I cashed in a favor." She replied, tears filling her eyes. "Merry Christmas." She whispered, before her friend pulled her into a hug.
"It's the best gift." Katherine whispered to her friend.
Elijah cleared his throat, and quickly hugged Caroline in return. "Thank you, Caroline." He whispered, before pulling back.
Caroline smiled, and nodded, before walking away, satisfied that she had done well with her gifts.
There was, however, one more gift to be given, and Klaus was nervous. Even though he had planned on this for two days, he still felt as if he was staring down the base of a gun.
Taking out a square box, he held it out to Caroline, and waited.
Caroline gazed at the box in her hands, and suddenly she realized what this could mean. Gracefully, she ripped the paper off, and slowly opened the box in her hands.
Nestled on a velvet cushion was a simple three diamond white gold engagement ring with two sapphires in between the diamonds. It was exquisite, and simple. It was perfect. Lifting her eyes to Klaus, she felt her heart pound in her chest, and suddenly she couldn't take it anymore.
She stood up, and left the room.
She needed some air.
Klaus, not caring that the family was watching with anticipation, stood up and followed her. He wasn't going to let her get away.
Ever.
Please be kind!
So, do you think Caroline will say yes? What was the information Caroline gave Katherine? What was the gift between Kol and Bonnie? Will Joey get his wish? Find out soon...
Next Chapter will come very soon! Only eight chapters to go, including the one that is already written! YAY! I hope you will enjoy the way it plays out!
Until Next Time...