Chapter 22: Me and You plus Two

AN: Not an expert when it comes to all this medical mumbo jumbo and please keep in mind that my only source was the internet. I hope i captured it as accurately and on-point as possible for you guys.. On with the story

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Klaus threw open the doors of St. Charles Parish and carried Caroline in.

"Come on, a chair for her, woman!" He poked at the nurse's arm. "Can't you see that she's about to give birth?"

"Calm down, Klaus." Caroline seized his hand. "I'm fine, sorry," she said to the nurse, who was looking at them with an appalled expression.

"Your water broke," Klaus said. "Caroline.. Now is not the time to be calm! I will not endanger the lives of our children." He proclaimed glaring at the nurses until one eventually came over with a wheelchair helping Caroline to sit.

Oh, so now he cares about the well-being of his children?

Caroline smiled apologetically at the nurse, who had folded her hands on her ample chest as she glared at Klaus.

"Please forgive him. This is our first pregnancy." She muttered lowly.

"I can see that," the nurse said, eyeing Klaus from head to toe. "Has your water broken?" She asked Caroline

"Yes, half an hour ago. And I'm timing my contractions." Caroline dug out her watch. "So far I've had one, twenty-six minutes ago." Her compulsive disorder always kicking in at the most inopportune times.

The nurse snorted at her comment and veered around the reception. "In that case you have no reason to run around like a headless chicken, Mrs...?"

"She's a month too early. I'd say that's more than enough of a reason to run around like a headless chicken." Klaus said and slammed the bag on the counter.

"Could you please get Dr Lorenzo.." Caroline muttered before Klaus killed this poor lady.

And as if by some miracle, Enzo accompanied by another doctor came into the foyer right on cue.

"I'm telling you mate, there is nothing worse than dealing with a surprise hernia incident in the OR." Enzo snickered but then frowned as he followed his companion's gaze

"Caroline what happened?." Enzo edged closer

"My water broke, I've been having contractions.."

"Its an entire month too early" Klaus growled fuming with anger. Why was everyone just standing around doing nothing, while Caroline just sat in a wheelchair possibly en-risking the lives of their children all the more instead of being whisked off to a room or something.

"Its quite normal in terms of twins Klaus. Relax. Nurse, get her to the operating theater please." Enzo called back to the full-figured elderly woman who scowled at Klaus.

"Right away Doctor." The nurse raised her black, bushy eyebrows and took out a pen and handed Klaus a clipboard "Fill in this form, please."

"Form? Are you bloody insane she's about to give birth!" he practically screamed at the nurse, causing her to flinch and touch her ears subtly.

Lately, loud noises had been incredibly piercing to Caroline as well. She felt a flutter in her belly and rubbed the round mass, easing her own unborn children. Clearly the babies didn't like the noise either.. That or it was just the labor pains.

"That's alright Jackie, I'll see to that in a bit. For now let's get them to the theater." Enzo intervened before Klaus tore her head off. She was only doing her job after all. But Klaus was stressed and given the situation, and Enzo completely understood.

"Theater? Am I having a C-section?" Caroline asked. She knew it was a possibility the minute she found out she was having twins. Enzo had always made sure she was well-informed about all the types of procedures that could occur given her condition. Although there was always something about having a normal birth that she found so uniquely appealing, the most important thing however was getting her children out in the most safest way Enzo deemed possible.

"Its more safer to have the delivery done there, just in case Caroline." Enzo assured her and pushing her wheelchair further down the corridor. Klaus following behind closely.

"Klaus, could you call Stefan." Enzo turned and he nodded fumbling with his jeans pocket until he yanked the phone out to call Stefan.

"His not on call tonight Doctor.." The nurse frowned in confusion

"Trust me, he'd want to be here for this."

XXXXXXXX

In a record couple of minutes, Caroline was draped in a hospital gown, perched up on a bed with Klaus in scrubs at her side. Lots of people in lab coats furrowed around the room preparing everything along with a few nurses, while Enzo briefed the almost parents on what was to follow

"And though baby product commercials are packed with emotional images of parents lovingly cradling their newborns minutes after birth, your reality may be a far cry from that." Enzo smiled earnestly.

"Your babies may be shown to you for just a few seconds and then they'll have to be taken to the NICU to make sure that they're okay. I need to make sure you understand and are prepared for that. Given that you're already 33 weeks, the twins might even spend a little time on NICU. After their check-ups I'll let you know asap." He urged

"I knew it was a possibility Enzo so I- ah! C-c-contraction.." Caroline seethed grabbing onto Klaus as sudden pain made her knees buckle.

"Breathe..Breathe through it Caroline."

Why does everyone say that, if breathing worked she wouldn't be in any fucking PAIN!

Enzo checked his watch

"8:30 pm" Enzo stated timing her contractions while another doctor hooked her up to an IV.

Enzo peered down to check Caroline's dilation.

"You're about 2 cm. So you're looking at about 20 more hours of labor."

"20 hours? I've been in labor for 8 hours. Why is my labor going so slow" Caroline whined

"Well its quite normal given that there are two babies so-"

"The labor tends to be much slower because the uterus might be over stretched so it doesn't contract efficiently." Stefan added before Enzo could as he entered the room

"Stefan!" Caroline breathed in relief

"What happened?" He frowned leaning to kiss her forehead

"I don't know.. It just got too much and I- I- I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to them." Caroline stuttered

"We won't let anything happen to them." He stated and then turned to Klaus who held the same grief struck expression "Your family's in the waiting room."

"All of them?"

There are two types of waiting...

There's the waiting you do for something you know is coming sooner or later- like waiting for the 6:28 train, or the bus or a party where a certain handsome guy might be.

But then there's the waiting for something you don't know is coming. You don't even know what it is exactly, but you're hoping for it. You're imagining it and living your life for it. That's the kind of waiting that makes a fist in your heart...

"This is insane! Why won't anyone tell us anything?!"

"Well maybe because you're acting like a homicidal loony-bin Rebekah." Bonnie sighed

"Stefan said he'll let as know as soon as he can." Elena added

The waiting room was eerily chilly and smelt of detergents. The chairs were suitable, but not nearly as comfortable to sleep in. And given that they've been here for about two hours already, it was something Kol and the rest of the gang seriously considered doing.

"I hope they're doing okay.. I can't help but feel so fucking helpless sitting here while Care's in there." Kat sighed

"They will be fine.. -they have to be." Elijah stated but even his voice wavered giving away his anxiety to the whole situation.

"That's it. I'm going to look for Stefan." Kol sighed pulling Bonnie along with him.

It was a fascinating thing; birth.

A new human being traveling from the quiet darkness inside a hardworking woman out into the world of light and first breath.

Klaus had never seen a woman give birth so he was rather in the dark when it came to these sort of things, but when he saw the nurse strapping some sort of belt looking monitor type of thing around Caroline's abdomen he feared there was something wrong with the babies.

"Don't worry.. Its just a fetal heart monitor. With this we can asses your babies heartbeats and the intensity and frequency of Caroline's contractions." Stefan explained

Klaus nodded gulping down as he edged closer to her. He didn't get to finish what they had started on the docks earlier.

He couldn't bare asking her now given all the pain she was enduring, but he wanted her to understand that marrying her was not for the sake of the children, on the contrary he wanted to marry her because he loved her and never wanted to be without her ever again.

He wants to be a husband to her before he can be a father to their children. He wants her to know that from now on he was going to be a constant in their lives no matter what. He wanted her forgiveness for the last past months.

"Caroline about what happened earlier. Will you-"

"Ahhhh.." Caroline winced out in pain

"Okay. Later." Klaus winced as she grabbed his hand nearly squeezing the life out of it.

The nurse took her blood pressure and tells her she will be giving her an epidural in a few minutes.

First she wants to do a weight check.

133 pounds.

"Why did you lose weight Caroline?" Klaus is right there with them. He is starting to get on her nerves already.

"I don't know Klaus, maybe because about two pounds of water just came out of me earlier" Caroline barked

"Mr. Mikealson, a lot of women actually lose weight their last week. Not unusual. Plus Caroline is petite and she just didn't have much more room since there are two babies after all."

"She's not in her last week." Klaus muttered lowly. This nurse was really annoying the shit out of him.

Caroline frowned, mentally sending him a message to not be such a jerk. She needed this lady to like them since she was going to be looking into her lady junk for the next couple of hours

Klaus remained passive at her side as the nurse asked Caroline some pretty standard questions.

"Ms Forbes I'm going to give you a steroid shot now, don't worry its just a precaution since the babies are premature."

"Shouldn't Enzo be doing that?"

"Its fine Klaus. Its to help the babies lungs develop a bit faster so they can breath on their own. Given the early labor, its difficult to pinpoint the risks." Enzo reassures them as he once again enters the room.

After Klaus had studied the monitor and the blips on the graph, he sits down next to Caroline and takes his phone out, probably to text Elijah and Rebekah. He gets up and looks at the monitor again then sits back down, then gets up a few seconds later and looks out the window. He repeats this cycle several times before Caroline snaps.

"Klaus! can you please sit still, you're driving me crazy." He sits down and smiles apologetically

Caroline's back hurts so bad that she's cried a few times.. and that's saying something since she does have a high tolerance for pain. Of course when she cries, Klaus gets freaked out or upset and tends to take it out on the poor staff that's just trying their best to wait it out, so she tries to hold it in.

A little after 1, Caroline remembers that Klaus never had breakfast let alone lunch. But being a hot mess and a bit clingy, she doesn't want him to leave her.

Sure they still had plenty of issues that weren't near to becoming reconciliated and even though she knew in her mind that she could not forgive him, she loved him and wanted him by her side right now.

No matter how much she hated him for doing what he did, she wanted him to be here and experience this moment of bringing their children into the world.

It was what he needed, what he was entitled to witness as the father.

"Klaus, send someone out to get you lunch." She peered

"You can't eat anything, I'm not about to eat in front of you." Klaus frowned

"That is ridiculous. If you don't eat I am going to be really mad at you." Caroline gave him a dirty look and he sighed in defeat knowing that he could not argue any further with her. Besides, he already was on thin ice with this morning's events.

Thirty minutes later there is a knock on the door and Klaus gets up to get it and comes back with a delicious smelling warm veggie sub and large lemonade from the Deli.

It has Rebekah written all over it but no family were allowed to enter the room just yet.

The delicious smell wafts through the air making Caroline's mouth water, instead she could only chew on a few ice chips watching him devour his sandwich.

"Are you still mad at me?" Klaus swallowed

"Yes"

"Why? You need to give me some idea as to what I did to upset you.. I've already told you that nothing happened this morning Caroline."

"I know!" She growled

"Then why are you still upset?"

"Seriously? You did this." She points to her bump.

"You did this Klaus and you get to sit there eating, reading and looking sexy and hot while I sit here trying to deliver not one but two babies out of my vagina. I am in pain while you are all hunky dory. Does that give you some idea?" She barked as she chewed rather harshly on some more ice chips.

After Caroline calmed down a bit, Stefan reemerged to check how far dilated she was. Just her luck. Not one, but three people had their gloved hands inside her today. She felt really weird.

Stefan feels around and has a frown on his face.

He smiles politely and tells Caroline and Klaus that he will be right back.

Five minutes later Enzo comes in with Stefan and puts gloves on.

Now she knows something is wrong.

"So Rebekah gets to go in, but I don't?"

"I'm sorry sir, but its family only." The nurse stated

"I am family. I'm the brother" Kol frowned

The nurse frowns turning to Bonnie wondering who she was if he was the uncle.

"Well I'm screwing the brother so I guess that makes me family too" she states

Kol smirks at her in admiration. A few of his ways had clearly rubbed off on her.

"Miss Mikealson, was only allowed through for a moment to bring Mr Mikealson some food. She is not however in the delivery room. No family is allowed inside."

"Well you cannot expect us to sit in that dastard waiting room without so much as an inkling of news!"

"Sir-"

"My nephews are being born prematurely. And i don't have to be a bloody medical expert to know what that could mean for both Caroline and the babies. So-"

"How're they doing?" Bonnie interrupted Kol as she saw Rebekah wearily as she came out into the passage

"She's not fully dilated yet so its too early to say I'm afraid, although that's all Nik would tell me." Rebekah sighed.

Bonnie knew the high regard the Mikealson's held when it came to family. She also knew the lengths that they would go through to defend and protect one another, come hell or high water, so the emotional torment that each one of them possessed.. the fear fro Caroline and the well-being of her children was slowly but surely taking its toll on them.

Rebekah looked like she was lost in her own world, pale and some what out of it.

Kol, well she had never seen Kol this angry before.. and it wasn't something she liked seeing especially when there was nothing she could do to make him feel better.

Kol sighed running a hand through his already disheveled hair. He felt so guilty for leaving Caroline this morning. He shouldn't have, or else she wouldn't have been in this situation.

She wouldn't have gone to see Niklaus alone, she wouldn't have gotten herself over excited or had to deal with the grief or rejection on her own, perhaps by being with her that morning he could have prevented that from happening.. prevented the twins from coming early.

It wasn't his fault, but it didn't make him feel any better knowing that there was something that he could have done to prevent this from happening.

"Let's go get some food. I'm sure we'll be the first to know if anything happens?" Bonnie asked the nurse, bringing everyone out of their internal revere.

"Yes. Of course." The nurse smiled tight-lipped

"Come on.." Bonnie clung to Kol's side nudging him forward as they walked down the corridor.

With one hand inside of Caroline and the other on her bump, Enzo presses down, pushes away and then removes his gloves. He nods to Stefan who then slowly edges towards her on the side of the bed.

"What is it Stefan? What's happened?" Caroline barked. She was in no position, mood or place to have anything sugar-coated.

"Caroline...the first baby has turned around and he is now posterior which means he is facing the wrong direction."

"Oh no." Caroline started to panic

"How did this happen." Klaus frowned. He was more upset that it took them a great couple of hours to come to this conclusion.

"This can happen for several reasons. The first is that your contractions aren't strong enough to help the baby get into position and the second is the pelvic bones just aren't shaped properly for the baby's head to get through the canal easily. This makes for really painful back labor and a longer more tiring labor. So we have options. The first is to position you so he turns on his own, but given the intensity of the situation, I don't want to risk putting you or the babies under distress. So a c-section is our best bet."

Hearing that the babies could be in distress did not sit well with Caroline. Although still strapped to the fetal heart monitor, she could hear the little thump thump of their beating hearts which soothed her to some extent. It was a constant reminder that they were still okay.

"Just do whatever you need to do Enzo." Caroline nodded weakly

"Page the anesthesiologist. Dr. Miller, prep for a c-section."

"Yes doctor."

"Klaus, you need to scrub up.." Stefan added

"Is that really necessary? I don't want him to leave yet." Caroline spoke in a small voice that made Klaus's heart melt like warm butter.

Despite the innocence behind her statement, he knew for a fact that she was but only a little vulnerable and scared so she sought out his presence beside her. But that didn't mean that he was out of the dog box; far beyond it actually.

"Very necessary.. We can't risk Caroline or the babies getting any infection. In this case it's much more delicate given the prematurity of the situation."

"I wanted to see them come out.." Caroline whimpers bringing him out of his revere

"You will. You'll be awake during the c-section Care, don't worry." Stefan assures her while they start the final prepping for the cesarean.

"Okay."

"Its a good thing we're already in the theater. It saves us a trip." Enzo smiled

After scrubbing up, he walked back to the theater as fast as he could. He didn't think they would wait for him, but he didn't want to miss a single moment

As soon as he walks into the room, Klaus takes Caroline's hand which is strapped down to the table. He figured so she can't get her hand in the way of the surgery.

"I'm frightened." She whispers and Klaus lean down to kiss her forehead.

Everything was happening so fast.

Women were specifically sculptured to bare children, raise them, nurture and love them. A maternal instinct no matter how insignificant, could be as powerful as ever. In spite of all this Caroline couldn't bear the thought of going through this labor without Klaus..even in her most vulnerable state she still clung to him like she couldn't do this on her own.

"No love, no. I'm here. Don't be frightened. You're strong Caroline, you have to be strong for our children." He spoke in a voice trying to convince himself more than her.

Klaus is scared shitless but hope it doesn't show. Telling Caroline to be strong wasn't nearly enough, he would have to show her that he was going to be strong with her.

"What is it?" Caroline sees through him. She always has.

Klaus can't let her know what is going on. She is already scared.

"Nothing's wrong. Everything's fine. Sweetheart you're just anxious."

"Caroline, the anesthesiologist is here. He's going to adjust your epidural and then we can proceed." Stefan's voice sounds out, but she can't exactly see him from her position on the bed

Klaus's hand is suddenly in a choke-hold as Caroline begins to squeeze the life out of it.

"She's having another contraction." He announces.

Looking around Klaus sees about five people assisting. There is carriers and what looks like a warmer waiting for the babies

Klaus noticed two nurses and the pediatrician, Dr. Kay also on standby and his truly amazed at how much people could fit into this room

"Can you feel this Caroline?" Enzo asks.

They have set up a half screen over Caroline's belly so she can't really see what is going on.

"I can't feel anything."

"Good, let's go." Enzo announces as he readies himself and his team for the c-section

What feels like hours is but only minutes and although awake, Caroline is really annoyed that she cannot see a damn thing. So much for being awake for this pssh

Klaus can tell Stefan and Enzo are working over Caroline's stomach but he can't see anything as he remains by her side. He isn't exactly sure he wants to see anything given his incredibly low tolerance for blood and well other bodily fluid and organs. Just the thought alone of Enzo and Stefan opening up Caroline's stomach makes him feel queasy and slightly light-headed

"Klaus. If you faint, I will kill you." Caroline groans tightening her hold on him having noticed his obvious discomfort. Which by the way, is totally infuriating since well she was the one being opened up here!

"You're doing well, Caroline." Enzo states bringing the two of them out of there silent stare down

Klaus is sweating and more scared than he has ever been in his life. And it is this fear that overpowers any discomforts he has about this current procedure. He couldn't even begin to think about what he would do if something happened to Caroline or the babies.

He felt like he might faint, but is slowly brought out of it when he looks down at Caroline who looks as if she is about to burst into tears

"Oh Caroline, I love you so much." He looks down at her and can't control his voice as he chokes out the words.

She has not forgiven him and to be honest, he wasn't sure that she could. No one knows the torment she'd been through better than him. He had to live with it for the past eight months adding onto his guilt as he went.

There was so much to apologize for, so much to talk about.. but the future seemed unclear. At this point he would be grateful for even having been part of a small piece of their lives if that is all she was willing to give.

Caroline says nothing but stares at him blankly.

What a situation she was in.. Loving the man who had hurt her.

It confused her as to how much she craved his presence beside her when she couldn't even bring herself to forgive him. To say yes to him.

Out of all the things she was most certain of, forgiving Klaus was not one of them.

After what feels like forever Klaus stands up to peak over the screen.

He sees a head and the excitement just becomes too much

His heart felt overjoyed on the verge on bursting with pride and happiness resulting in a face splitting grin

"What's happening?"

Klaus looks down at Caroline and smiles. But quickly looks back as they lift his beautiful little baby into the world before his quickly surrounded by the NCIU team on standby

He watches closely as they suction his mouth and nose and then he cries. He is crying and it is the most beautiful sound Klaus has ever heard.

"You have a boy, Mr Mikealson." The nurse smiles

Klaus looks down with tears in his eyes to Caroline who is already crying.

A boy.. he has a son. A perfect little baby that him and Caroline made together.

Nothing needed to be said but the love and warmth they both felt at that moment was more than enough.

"One out, one to go." Enzo's words quickly snapped the newly parents out of their haze.

Although she was mostly numb from the chest down, the relief Caroline feels once the second baby is out is instantaneous.

She was breathing deeply trying to keep her crying at bay when Stefan congratulates her yet again.

Enzo announces that they have another baby; a daughter, and holds her up to let them get a quick glance before she's surrounded by the NICU team as well.

A son and a daughter, what a blessing to have one of each.

Soon enough the NCIU team are shouting to each other reeling her out of her family hazed thoughts, but Caroline nor Klaus could understand a word they are saying.

With her body completely numb from the chest down, Caroline pushes her neck back edging the pillow further up on the bed to see what's going on

Caroline doesn't understand all this medical mumbo jumbo acronyms they are saying, but the frustration soon dies down when suddenly she realizes that she had not heard her daughter cry yet.

Panic induced hysteria sets in.

"Why isn't she crying?" Caroline asks

No one answers.

"Why isn't she crying Stefan!"

Stefan and Enzo look at Caroline sympathetically as the tears begin to stream down her face.

"Her lungs aren't fully developed yet so she has trouble breathing Caroline, The NCIU are working with her right now don't worry." Enzo tries to reassure her as best he could, but even he wasn't sure from this point on.

Caroline is sobbing into Klaus's arms as they watch the team followed by Enzo rush out of the room wheeling their twins away in an incubator.

"What if she needs me.. They won't know who I am.." Caroline croaked

"Forbes look at me." Stefan says "They've been inside you for 8 months, they knows your voice, don't you worry about that, now your daughter needs you to stay strong. She's a fighter like you. Please Care." He urges her

"I- I- I can't Stefan.. She needs me- I can't.." She heaves out

"It's all- all my fault!"

Caroline starts to hyperventilate and before Stefan can snap her out of it, her body starts convulsing and shaking violently.

"Caroline?!"

"Nurse!"

"Blood pressure is at 135 over 85 Doctor."

"Caroline can you hear you me?" Stefan looms over her body as he shines a light into her eyes

"What's happening to her?!" Klaus shrieked

"She's having a seizure" Stefan stated as he continues to fuss over her while Klaus holds her hand firmly trying to ease her

"What the bloody hell Stefan?!" Klaus asked incredulous as he watches Stefan maneuver Caroline's arms around

"I need to make sure she isn't having a stroke Klaus! Her blood pressure has sky-rocketed."

She tried to lift her arms, but her body was not responding. Her mind was not responding. All she could think about was her babies. Her daughter that was in NICU fighting for her life.

Her babies who she had not yet got to hold in her arms.

Her violent shakes begin to simmer down into winces as she manages to turn her head to her side

"Klaus.. Don't leave them. Promise me," Caroline muttered before she passed out completely.

"Caroline?! Stefan do something!"

After checking her pulse to find that it was weak but steady, he was relieved to a certain extent. But the seizure surely wasn't a good sign.

Where the fuck was Enzo?! He started to panic. The fact that Caroline was a close friend only made it worse.

He managed to set aside his anxiety, and reeled in back to a safe equilibrium forcing himself to think about this situation logically without his emotions clouding his judgement.

Caroline had just given birth.. her high blood pressure caused hypertension leading to an abnormality. She had what looked to be seizure and that could only mean one thing. "Eclampsia.." He muttered

"What?!" Klaus asked in a tear streaked demeanor looming over Caroline's unconscious body.

"Nurse! I need 10ccs of hydralazine. Now." Stefan exclaims and the nurse nods before hurrying out the door.

"What happened to her?"

"Page Enzo now!" Stefan says before inserting a syringe into her arm

"Caroline. Wake up please.. You can't leave me, sweetheart you can't." Klaus broke down as he nuzzled his nose into her hair.

"Without you.. I don't think I'll be able to survive the love I have for my own children."

Twenty-six hours, 20 minutes and 10 seconds.

That's how long the entire clan had been cooped up in the waiting room.

So far, they had been informed that Caroline was having a C-section but that was pretty much it. It wasn't much of a leap given it was a premature birth so naturally they were not panicking.

"Stefan.." Elena gasped as she saw him enter the room. The entire gang standing up upon his arrival.

The moment he'd entered Elena frowned seeing his troubled face. "What happened?"

"Its Caroline.. She had a seizure and passed out. The baby-" Stefan trailed off trying to compose himself. "The one baby had trouble breathing, they're both in NICU now being treated."

"Oh my god." Kat cried out as the flush of waterworks started. She shook silently as she wailed into Elijah who shared the exact pale struck demeanor as the rest of them.

"Will she be okay? Please tell me she'll be okay." Rebekah croaked

"Caroline was sedated. But we can't no for sure if she responds to the shot until she wakes up.. I just wanted to let you guys know before I go check on the babies. I'll be back soon." He added before walking out

Kol paced the room before he violently punch the wall in utter frustration.

Everyone was too caught up in their own internal emotional battles to even reprimand him.

"Why the fuck is this happening?!"

"She will be okay Kol. They all will. Have a little faith." Bonnie muttered wiping her own tears

"Miss Bennett is right. Right now all we can do is pray that they will make it through this. And they will." Elijah stated trying to console is wife in the process

He couldn't help but wonder what his brother must be going through at that point.

"We need to stitch her up Mr Mikealson,"

"I'm not leaving her!"

"She's sedated Klaus. I promise she'll be okay, go check on the babies in the mean time. Caroline will be here when you get back. I give you my word." Enzo stated

Klaus is torn.

He doesn't want to leave Caroline, who will be taken to recovery after they are done stitching her but he promised her that he wouldn't leave the babies.

"I'm not going to leave them. I promise." He whispers down to her before he kisses her forehead and steps back allowing the doctors to do what they need to.

In the corridor, he finds Stefan who stands silently facing a glass wall watching his babies.

"They're fighters. They are going to be just fine." He smiles

"They're strong like Caroline." Klaus adds before he turns to look through the glass. Taking it all in, he couldn't help but break down. Right then and there in front of Stefan

"Klaus?"

"I would never forgive myself if something happened to them or Caroline because of my selfish desires to be free." He sobbed

"The babies are going to be fine. And Caroline's strong, she'll pull through.. I just know it." He stated

Klaus stands against the glass and watches his babies in awe. They're so tiny, and yet so beautiful. He pulls out his phone and snaps a picture.

He can't help but notice how much they both look like Caroline. Same nose, same cheek bones. If their eyes weren't shut close, he could've swore they'd have gotten her green eyes too.

He can't even begin to comprehend how initially he didn't want them to be born.

They were so perfect.

Like their mother.

He loved them so much that it actually physically hurt. He would, could do anything for them at this point.

He couldn't wait hold them, although given how little they are.. He wasn't sure if he knew how to without hurting them.

"Caroline's vitals are looking up, she seems to be responding well to the hydralazine. It was a good call Stefan." Enzo stated as he approached the two men.

"She's going to be okay?"

"She's not in danger anymore but we cannot be 100% until she wakes up." Enzo sighed.

As a doctor he needed to give it to him straight, no sugar coating or beating around the bush.. But as a friend, he was basically in the same boat as the rest of them.. Feeling like crap waiting for her to wake up

"I need to see her." Klaus urged

"Maybe you should see your family first. They're really worried about Caroline and the babies. Besides, Caroline will be asleep for a while, in and out of conciousness."

Klaus nodded deeming they were right. So he walked off trying to find his family.

XXXXXX

The tension is thick when he enters the waiting room. Half its occupants jump up when they entered and it is chaos for a few seconds. Everyone looking at Klaus in complete disarray.

The entire gang are all assembled.

Elena and Rebekah looking tired, anxious and confused. Elijah consoling his dark haired wife huddled in a corner and Bonnie Bennett sitting sturdy and supportive beside Kol, who is pouting and petulant on the chair. Their expressions only darkens when they see Klaus.

All of them looking at Klaus and Stefan for some sort of answer. Everyone was extremely worried for both Caroline and the babies, not only were the twins early but Stefan had informed them about Caroline's seizure and the near panic experience with his daughter's breathing difficulties

"Its a boy.. And a girl." Klaus half smiled and Rebekah sobbed loudly before colliding into Klaus's arms.

"How is Caroline?" Elena asked teary eyed

"She's in recovery. Still unconscious but responding to the treatment which is good." Stefan smiled and the entire gang somewhat physically relaxed before offering their congratulations to the new dad.

"Oh they're so beautiful!" Rebekah gushed after seeing the picture Klaus took.

"They're so tiny.."

"Can we see them?" Kol asked

"As for now, only the parents are allowed inside.."

"Can we at least see Caroline then?" Kol whined

"Caroline would be asleep for the rest of the day at least.. You should all go home, get some rest. I'll call you the minute she wakes up." Stefan said

Rebekah would drop by later with fresh clothing for himself and Caroline and some food too.

Klaus went back to check on Caroline who was still really out of it. And then went back to NICU to watch he babies. And so his day went on alternating between the two.

He was exhausted, but he was with the people he loved. Stefan urged him to home and get some rest but he refused to leave until they gave the go ahead for him to meet his babies in NICU. It was nearly enough to stand behind a glass wall and watch them from afar. He wanted to be near to them, he wanted to speak to them, to let them know how much he and their mother loved them.

"Mr Mikealson?" A nurse called

"Hm?" Klaus tore his gaze away from the babies through the window.

"Would you like to come meet your son and daughter?"

Hoped you guys enjoyed it.

Initially I never planed on running this story beyond the birth, but with the tremendous amount of positive feedback I couldn't allow myself to let go just yet.

With that in mind, i'm open to suggestions on how you want the whole 'Caroline forgiving Klaus' debacle to play out.

So review review review. I'd love to know what you guys think!

xx