Chapter 53

"Nervous?" Bonnie questioned the man; she could hardly believe that it was not Stefan Salvatore.

The idea of multiple doppelgangers was unnerving. Bonnie hated the fact that the whole thing occurred because of her own ancestor. First, she created an immortality spell, then got pissed off when the man she loved was not all what she expected him to be, then later her descendent stupidly helped a grieving witch rework the spell to create vampirism.

Was it her fate to help undo the mistakes of those that came before her? The Stefan look-a-like turned to her and offered her a familiar smile, "A little. So, I just have to stand here?"

Bonnie nodded, "We want to lure them into wanting to capture you. Here take this." Handing him a stone.

"What is this?" Tom asked curiously, spinning the stone in his hands with his fingertips.

"It's spelled to transport you the moment the codeword is used. All you have to say is 'safehouse', okay?" Bonnie explained, pointing to the dark blue stone.

"When exactly am I supposed to use this codeword?" Tom asked, carefully avoiding the use of the codeword earning a smile from the witch.

"The moment you feel unsafe; as soon the battle starts, unless you want to run the risk of becoming a vampire you will be safer elsewhere once the Mikaelson's start having their fun," Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Honestly you'd think they would get bored of all the fighting. I overheard Kol getting Finn in on a bet."

Tom blinked, "Isn't he the one who's constantly frowning?"

"Unless near the redhead?" Bonnie nodded in confirmation. "That's Finn."

Before Tom could ask anything else, a loud clapping could be heard. Niklaus stood in the middle of his siblings, each one dressed in what Tom assumed was designer clothes that normal people would not fight in.

"Hayley has informed me that she has spotted Elena, along with what looks to be the Traveler's leader Markos, heading our way." Niklaus bellowed, eyeing the vampires that surrounded Marcel.

"Marcellus, are your men at their posts?"

Marcel's eyebrow twitched, "Of course, Klaus. We have a deal after all."

Klaus nodded his head. Tom eyed the pair warily, something told him that if Elena wanted out then they would need to leave this town as soon as the Traveler's were taken care of. "Everyone knows their roles. Good, let's finish this tonight."

Niklaus stood in the middle with Elijah and Rebekah on either side of him. Kol stood beside Rebekah while Finn stood next to Elijah.

Freya took her place next to Bonnie, "Are you ready?"

Bonnie's mouth settled into a determined line nodding her head, the witches turned towards the doppelganger. "Remember Tom, all you have to do is utter the word."

Tom took a deep breath before stepping out into the open just as the wind picked up. He walked away from the relative safety of the vampires and witches who had all scattered except for the Mikaelsons. He vaguely heard Freya and Bonnie start chanting together before he saw a flash of light swallow them up.

Out in the distance, Tom felt his eyes widen as he saw Elena in the middle of two tall men who looked eerily familiar to him. He caught her eyes and he mouthed that everything would be okay. She smiled softly at him and glanced over at Markos nodding her head towards him.

"That must be the leader," Tom thought to himself. He took a look back and Freya and Bonnie were still nowhere in sight, but Klaus was standing tall, almost cockily as he stepped closer to where Tom stood.

"You seem to be lost. Your kind are not welcome here." Niklaus spoke loudly, quickly glancing over at Tom who still held the stone in his hand.

"We are used to not being welcome, my friend," Markos replied with a smile. "I see you have something I am interested in. Quite a few actually."

"It's a pity that our goals are so far apart," Niklaus shrugged. "I happen to have liked some of your schemes. We could have gotten along splendidly."

Markos laughed, "What a pity indeed. Let's get down to business shall we?"

"Yes. Small talk was more of Elijah's forte." Klaus grinned over at his brother, who smirked right back. Tom clenched the stone in his hand looking over at Elena pleading with her to understand what he was trying to say.

"Give us the girl," Elijah ordered. "We have a set of doppelgangers that won't expire in a few years. Perhaps a deal can be struck?"

Markos laughed, gripping Elena's arm as she took a step, "Not so fast, lovely. I heard that you were rather fond of a certain doppelganger. If I recall correctly, it's most definitely not this pitifully human one."

Elijah frowned but was not startled in the least, "I understand you wish to undo the curse on your people, no?"

Markos snarled, "Magic was taken from us. We were forced to flee, never able to stay in one place in large numbers. What we want is to ensure we have a home."

Klaus glanced over at Tom then at Elena before stepping in, "A search for a home is something we more than understand. Wouldn't you agree, Rebekah? Brothers?"

"Certainly brother," Finn nodded. "I do believe my home was a coffin for nearly a thousand years."

Klaus glared at his brother, "I see you finally learned to make a joke, Finn. Markos, perhaps we can find an alternative solution? Otherwise, this is just going to get nasty. I do have a fiancée who hates it when I make a mess, you see."

Markos smiled, "I happen to love messes. My apologies to your lady friend, I hope she doesn't mind when I send you home as ashes."

"Pity. I had hoped to keep this suit clean." Elijah sighed. "Brother?"

Niklaus grinned, "I think it's time for some family bonding, don't you?"

Kol yawned, a wild gleam entered his eyes, "Is the boring part over yet? I much rather we get to the fun part. Otherwise I might fall asleep."

Finn, as the oldest of his brothers, wore a resigned look while Klaus took it all in stride. "Younger brothers." He says in exasperation. "Hence why, I usually kept him in a box," Klaus shrugged, while Kol stuck his tongue out at him.

"Too bad, you'd be in the doghouse if you tried that anywhere near Caroline," Kol threatened joyfully. "She's on the whole talking about how our feelings schtick."

XXX

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Caroline froze where she stood in the middle of the pile of baby shower gifts. It wasn't as if the organization of the gifts were horrendous, it was just an absolute mess and Caroline couldn't stand that either. Add that to the fact that she had nothing to do until the party but wait, what did they expect was going to happen? If there was one thing Caroline hated, it would be being left in the dark. She hated the feeling of wringing her hands waiting for news.

The blonde was action-oriented. Which was how she found herself re-organizing the piles of gifts that surrounded her for the fifth time. With Hayley playing communication director between the wolves and the Mikaelsons, Katherine was on babysitting duty.

"If I see any more combinations, I'm going to rip every single gift to shreds." Katherine threatened, a smirk crossing her face as Caroline snapped her head around to glare at the brunette.

"See how long you last with your limbs intact." Caroline growled. "I'm stress cleaning."

Katherine huffed dramatically, as she tilted her head to one side. "You do realize you're free right? No longer tied to a pesky New Orleans witch. Why are you so concerned?"

Caroline snorts, "A self-serving witch who decided to piss off the Original family and hide the fact that the ritual called for death? She doesn't exactly give me confidence the way Bonnie or Freya does."

Katherine rolled her eyes before strolling towards the piles of gifts, "Where is Mama Forbes? I haven't seen her since we landed."

"The trip was hard on her. I told her to rest but she made me promise not to overdo it." Caroline snorted, patting her expanded belly softly. "These babies are stronger than they look." Katherine took one look at her and Caroline whitened as a determined look settled onto the vampire's face.

"Katherine, no. Whatever is going on in that evil mind of yours stop it this instant!" Caroline commanded, screeching at the top of her lungs.

The brunette scooped her up in her arms, bridal style.

"Katherine put me down!"

Caroline screamed when she felt Katherine's grip loosen, "Don't drop me! I'm pregnant!"

Katherine caught her again, throwing Caroline in the air slightly as the blonde landed in the brunette's arms. "You were saying, Preggo?"

"Why are you carrying me around like a child?"

"Because your stress cleaning is annoying and you're about to pop. I figure I would save us all from Klaus's wrath by putting an end to your insanity." Katherine quipped, taking the stairs and opening the door where she could hear Liz Forbes' heart beating.

"Delivery for Elizabeth Forbes, I heard you wanted a girl? She's a little old but she should do it." Katherine smirked, at the seething look Caroline sent her way. Liz Forbes showed off a tired smile as she patted the spot next to her.

Katherine immediately dumped the blonde, albeit carefully next to the girl's mother. Liz wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulder. Caroline immediately snuggled into the familiar warmth that was her mother. If either blonde noticed the way Katherine's eyes softened at the sight neither spoke of it.

"Both of you need rest." Katherine ordered. "Or I will send in that annoying Doctor woman with her equally annoying sister in."

"I feel my ears are burning," Jo's voice came from the doorway. The trio looked over at the doctor, "how are my patients doing?"

"Tired but happy that chemo is finally over. I want to be awake to celebrate my grandchildren's arrival." Liz smiled, patting Caroline's head much to the blonde's annoyance. She scowled lightly at her mother who smirked right back.

"Katherine has forced me to stop stress cleaning." Caroline complained despite her previous experience with the dark-haired doctor. She knew that Jo would side with Katherine on it but she was pregnant, a little dramatics couldn't hurt anyone right?

"Good. I have your medical files here, Caroline. You need to be resting, especially considering we might not make it to your hospital in time if your water breaks."

Caroline sighed, glancing over at her mom who was giving her that look that Caroline had never been able not to feel guilty about her actions. "Caroline-" Liz started to warn.

"Mom, I don't need a lecture. I know." Caroline said, stressing out the last part. This earned her a snort from Jo who stepped further into the room and turned towards Liz. "I'm going to ask you a few questions, okay?"

Liz nodded, "Go right ahead, Doc."

"Are you still feeling nauseous?"

"A little. It's mostly the first few hours after chemo." Liz answered honestly, squeezing Caroline's hand to keep her quiet. Caroline looked at her mom in concern.

"How are your energy levels?"

"Getting better between sessions." Liz smiled as Caroline pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Elijah was able to get the order for your latest numbers in, Mrs. Forbes." Jo explained. "Everything seems to be going well. We'll need to wait a bit but as long as the cancer does not grow and it has indeed continued to shrink, we may be able to say you are in remission very soon."

"Really?" Caroline exclaimed, even Katherine who had moved towards the wall was smiling.

"Your mother's numbers are looking good," Jo beamed. "I'm just sorry Liv and I weren't able to be of more help."

Liz Forbes reached out grasping Jo's hand tightly, "Families can be complicated. But you're here and you are offering help although your sister didn't look too happy about it in the beginning."

Jo sighed, "Olivia believes in our father's vision. I happen to know that your plan is the best we have. If the Traveler's really have managed to track down the doppelgangers ,we wouldn't be able to keep them safe for eternity."

Katherine snorted, "Yeah and how did your ancestors plan on protecting me? I was born in the very community that they sought to protect me from."

"I admit the Gemini Coven is often haughty about their gifts." Jo sighed. "If only I was stronger…"

Caroline's mouth twisted recalling Jo's previous fate. How was Kai able to get free last time…it was impossible now, wasn't it? "You mean the merge?"

Jo's eyes widened, "How did you-?"

Katherine cursed, "Doctor look down."

Jo's eyebrows furrowed in question before looking down at the bed to see the blankets underneath Caroline were soaked. "Oh." She gasped.

Katherine groaned, "I'm so going to be beheaded."

XXX

Magic was all about concentration.

It was a manifestation of her own will using the energy around her and nature to do her bidding. It required the witch to be confident not only in her skill but the quest. The feathers should be floating in the air, it was as natural as breathing, not something that should be impossible. Bonnie had learned the importance of belief.

She had to believe and concentrate on those feelings in order to be successful. For a skeptic like Bonnie, her love for her grandmother and friends was really the only reason Bonnie had managed to actively tap into her gift, as opposed to relying on the passiveness outlet it had found in her intuition.

However, no one bothered to tell her how difficult it would be to concentrate in the midst of one large-ass battle. Bonnie kept her eyes closed, her hands clasped to Freya's as they chanted in low voices creating a boundary spell. One with a design that would allow the supernatural creatures to engage in battle without harming those outside its radius. The spell itself was simple but as Bonnie was learning, even the simplest of spells could be energy-draining depending on the task given to the spell.

The witch could hear when the action started, could hear the grunt from Markos as Klaus sped towards him and pushed him into a wall. Bonnie's body wanted to freeze, her instincts were telling her to run but a warm hand held her steady.

"The other spell now." Freya whispered, as she watched Finn take a sleek dagger and whisper a set of words that Katherine had spent hours drilling into their heads. The cries as a flash alerted the others to their fellow traveler's final demise. Her siblings were fierce in battle, moving with a quickness Freya had never seen before.

But would they be enough to stop Dahlia once Caroline's children were born? They hadn't talked much about it but Freya couldn't help but wonder would they be ready for the battle ahead? For the battles ahead if Caroline's future was still in play, where to go by.

Or had they changed so much they were going in blind?

"Now's the time!" Markos shouted. The atmosphere changed immediately, as the Mikaelson's each had finished off a traveler when the invaders began to chant loudly.

Niklaus spared a glance towards his brothers and sisters, "Freya, what's the status of that damned spell?"

Freya didn't stop her chanting, allowing the magic to go through herself and Bonnie. She could feel the magic building. The spell Jo had slipped to her was a Gemini specialty but told them that by combining the Bennett and Mikaelson family magic it should be enough to trap the surviving travelers.

A prison world just for the Travelers. In a way it was poetic, in the end, they would get a world without magic just as they wished.

"Get rid of as many of them as possible." Freya gritted out, focusing on the flow of the magic to make sure it did as they bid. The one warning Jo had given them was that the larger the number the more difficult it was to keep them prisoned. As a Gemini spell, it was meant to be used by the whole coven, the radius Freya and Bonnie could cover and entrap would be far less advanced than an entire coven.

It would have been fine, but without a united New Orleans coven…

Klaus turned towards Markos, "With pleasure sister."

With laser focus, Niklaus grabbed a Traveler that was in the middle of a spell, his hand going straight to the heart. Klaus felt the heart in his hand, feeling it still beating for a split second before he pulled his hand away taking the heart outside of the chest cavity.

"You really should stop killing my friends." Markos called out after him. Stepping over the dead body.

"Then perhaps you shouldn't be attempting to end the existence of those under my protection," Klaus shrugged. "This could have gone another way."

"I think you mean your existence. Without magic, the spell that keeps you alive will vanish. You, your siblings, and every vampire in this world will be gone while we will regain what was forcibly taken from us. Start the cycle all over."

Klaus ducked from the spell Markos threw his way. The light bounced into a wall causing a small hole. The vampire asked, "I just bought that building."

Markos smiled, "Oh. What a pity."

Klaus's eyes flashed amber, "This is going to be fun."

Markos's magic crackled, "I definitely think so."

Klaus was almost impressed at the skill this supposed leader had at the minimal amount of magic he was able to produce on his own. It was clear that the Traveler's strength lay in their numbers which was why they were cursed to be unable to congregate in large numbers for very long. It was easy enough to dodge the man's attacks. Klaus studied him with his enhanced eyesight, easily locating his siblings, proud when he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of Rebekah savagely stabbing a female traveler, whispering the very words Katherine had taught them.

The wolves were dealing a lot of damage on their own, and their doppelgangers were reunited with the Salvatore's. Klaus could make out the shifting movements out of the corner of his eye.

Everything was going according to plan.

Until.

Hayley in her wolf form began running towards the battle.

"What the fuck?" He cursed to himself, allowing himself to step aside, barely missing the blow that Markus aimed at him. It was the emergence of Hayley's wolf that made the worry in the back of his mind grow. Tired of playing with Markos, he grabbed a dagger from the back of his jeans. Markos was the one Traveler that he could not allow to jump into another body. He was the strongest of them and the one they decided to follow.

Markos barely had time to counter when Klaus used his enhanced speed to use the dagger to pierce his heart. Muttering the spell that would block the traveler from jumping into another's body and escaping death.

XXX

The room fell silent, Jo Parker looked at her newfound patient staring blankly for a moment. Caroline looked over at her, "Jo! It's been decades since I've personally done this but it's still this body's first time delivering. If you are going to do something, I'd start with helping!"

Despite the initial shock, Jo shook her head and shot her patient a look, "You might be in your 90's mentally but you sure still act like you're barely 18."

Katherine let out a cackle, while Liz Forbes couldn't help but chuckle as Caroline blushed. "Well, technically Caroline was forever seventeen. I've never experienced a vampire who didn't act like their physical age." Katherine defended slightly but then whispered, "I mean it does explain why she is with a man a thousand plus years older than her."

Liz groaned, "I would prefer not to think about that fact, thank you very much."

Katherine whistled low, "I personally wouldn't want to think of myself as robbing the cradle so to speak either."

"Even though technically anyone age-appropriate to your human years is dead." Jo deadpanned.

The good doctor shook her head, "Let's debate about Vampire-Human dating after Caroline delivers shall we?" Before she began issuing orders for Caroline to be put in a separate room when Liz Forbes stopped her.

"I'm not leaving her alone '' The Sheriff's eyes were icy as she said her piece. "We can do it here or in another room, but I am not leaving my daughter." Caroline nearly cried as the vague memory of her former life echoed in the chambers of her mind. How lonely it had been not having her mother by her side for such an important moment.

Jo spoke softly, eyes glowing in empathy "I understand, but you've just finished a round of chemotherapy. You'll need your rest as well. If you want to stay, then you will remain seated next to the bed. But if you get too tired, you will retire and rest?"

Liz smiled, "I think I'm gonna like you."

Jo shook her head, "Tell me that when all of this is over. Liv get the bed changed. Katherine, I need you to help Liz get in the chair."

The doctor ignored the stink eye the vampire sent her way, internally sighing as she re-focused on Caroline, the new primary patient. "Okay, Caroline. This is why I'm here just in case the stress caused early labor, lucky for you this is common for multiples. Can you tell me what you remember about your birthing plan?" You don't seem to be experiencing any contractions as yet.

Jo thought it meant they still had time. She watched discreetly as Katherine grabbed her phone, tapping at the screen with her manicured hand. The former witch raised a questioning brow at the dangerous vampire.

"If you think I'm going to be the only vampire in this room? Hell no. Enzo is on his way and will be alerting the little M's family." Katherine scoffed, glancing over at Caroline as she finished helping Liz onto the rented wheelchair.

Caroline bent over slightly touching her bulging stomach as a moan escaped her, "You were saying about contractions?"

Jo sighed, glancing over at Olivia who had just finished making the bed. "Let's get Ms. Forbes into bed. Then we can check how far along you are."

Katherine's nose twitched as she hopped over to Caroline's other side as Liz reached over to grab her daughter's right hand. "All right there, baby?" Liz asked with a chuckle.

"Peachy. I'm giving birth to half-vampire, half-werewolf and half-witch children. What could go wrong?" Caroline said sarcastically right before another pained moan escaped her.

"Well, I could always tell you about how you were almost a breech baby." Liz said comfortingly, swiping loose curls from her daughter's eyes.

"MOMMMMMM!" Caroline cried, turning red in embarrassment. Katherine snickered a little patting Caroline on the hand sympathetically.

"Think of it this way, now they have all these new drugs you can use," Katherine told her. "Try doing it without modern medicine. It was a bitch."

Caroline groaned, "You're not helping."

Liz laughed softly as another contraction hit her daughter, "Just think about how after this you'll have your children in your arms."

"I swear you're having a litter." Katherine added unhelpfully, earning a look from Liz. Katherine didn't look or feel guilty for her comment, only looked smug when Caroline half laughed, half groaned at the comment. The vampire watched as the blonde Gemini witch returned with warm towels.

"I swear if Nik doesn't show up in time, I'll murder him." Caroline seethed as another contraction hit, Liz smiled gratefully at Liv who handed the older woman a towel to press against her daughter's skin.

"He'll be here." Liz promised, glancing down at Jo who had made her way towards the bottom of the bed, gently explaining to Caroline what she was doing. Jo hummed softly as she checked for how far along Caroline was.

"Two centimeters. You got time Caroline. Do you want an epidural? I think you should have one..."

Liv shook her head, "Security was too heavy."

Katherine rolled her eyes, "Why didn't you just go to the hospital the Mikaelson's bought?"

The two Gemini witches looked over at the doppelganger in unison and said, "They own a hospital?"

The vampire sighed, "Care epidural, or no? I have Enzo on speed dial."

"Get me that epidural!" Caroline moaned. "Fuck I hope it actually works."

"Of course, it will Sweetheart." Liz murmured, rubbing her daughter's back as the blonde leaned slightly into the other woman. The mother turned towards the vampire in the room, "Alert Enzo."

Katherine smirked, twirling her phone in her hand, "Already done."

XXX

Elena didn't want to be here. In the midst of what was, for lack of a better word, a supernatural smackdown. The past two years had been frightening, mere smaller episodes of the bloodshed going on in front of her. At first, it was just Katherine messing around with the Salvatore brothers and Elena being caught in the middle as Stefan and Damon's attention drifted away from the Pierce woman.

Katherine hated it so much that she decided to use Elena's family as part of her deal with Klaus. Elena knew she would always have to deal with Klaus, she was one of the human doppelgangers after all. But it was the Salvatore brother's attention that brought Katherine's wrath. Then their desperate need to protect her brought all of this. Elena watched as Markos and Klaus began what was essentially a dick measuring contest.

Markos stood in front of her so absorbed in his conversation with Klaus, Elena was sure she had been forgotten about. She was thankful for the distraction that was Klaus Mikaelson. Markos' eyes were trained on the hybrid original as they exchanged insults. If there was one thing that Elena could say about the Travelers, it's that they could get a sales pitch. Markos had spent the entire time explaining to her about the curse his people have been under. A curse that started with her ancestor and Silas.

Clearly, Katherine had a lot in common with Silas.

If Caroline had not already informed her about the whole Silas-Amara love story and its consequences, thanks to a pissed-off Bennett ancestor, then Elena had to admit that she would be tempted to buy into what Markos was saying, to believe in his vision. That was when a flash caught her eye. Klaus stood with a smirk on his face and Markos was stumbling away from one of the few buildings in the area.

She still didn't trust Klaus.

Didn't trust that his ambition would out-win whatever promises he made to Caroline, to herself.

Yet the doppelganger did not make her move, she could feel the eyes of a few of Markos' most trusted keeping their eyes on her. She could see Stefan and Damon whispering together, and she spotted Tom a few feet away from one of the Mikaelsons that had caused her so many problems all because of the spell their twisted mother enacted.

Esther truly was a god-awful mother, the previous matriarch of the family, as Caroline held that title now right? Oh god, Caroline.

"You really got to stop getting into these situations, Elena." A familiar voice chided next to her. Being human Elena had not noticed the way Damon appeared next to her causing the brunette to jump to the side in fright.

"Damon." Elena breathed a sigh of relief at seeing him unharmed from his time in the Mikaelson basement. A huge part of her was torn up from the reality that everything she suspected might have happened between the vampire and Caroline was very close to the truth she now knew.

"No time to chat. We got to get you and Stefan 2.0 over there to safety." Damon interrupted whatever it was Elena was going to say. "We can talk later."

Elena was gathered up in Damon's arms, but it felt different than before. "Damon! What about the others? I can't leave Bonnie." Elena pressed herself away from Damon's chest despite the tight grip he had on her.

Elena glanced over at the vampire who had claimed her friend as his own. That was when she saw the fighting really start. She flinched as the vampires moved in and she could hear the Travelers behind her begin to chant, the magic tainting even the air. On the positive side, the eyes she had felt on her had moved on, choosing instead to focus on the battle that had unfolded.

"Bonnie is fine. She's working with that Mikaelson witch," Damon shook his head. "A bloody thousand-year-old witch that's alive. Now I think I've seen everything."

'Tom.'Elena couldn't help but think.

"Where's Tom?" Elena asked. "He's human Damon. He has to get out of here!"

Damon gave her a peculiar look before sighing, as he took another step at what Elena was sure was far faster than that of a human until she could feel herself being shifted. She felt warm arms wrapping themselves around her, "Are you okay?" Tom asked, his volume rising to be heard over the shrieks and chanting.

"Tom!" Elena gasped, pulling him into a tight hug. "Thank god you're okay."

A cough forced her to separate herself from Tom to look at Stefan and an annoyed-looking Damon. Elena blushed, mumbling an apology that Stefan shook off as Damon rolled his eyes scoffing, "Let's just get the two children out of the adult's playpen shall we?"

"Damon." Stefan warned with just his brothers' name as he offered Elena his hand, who took it with a weak smile before she looked over at Tom hoping to reassure him. Tom for his part didn't appear very ruffled but did look a bit wary of accepting the help of what he assumed was a distant ancestor somewhere down the line.

That was when Hayley shifted out of her wolf form, naked as the day she was born.

"KLAUS!" She yelled. "FINISH THIS NOW, YOUR BLOODY FIANCEE IS IN LABOR!"

XXX

"AAAAARGH! WHERE IS HE?" Caroline screamed into the room squeezing Katherine's hand, and Enzo stepped in to give Liz Forbes's own hand a break.

"Let's not injure your mother." Enzo joked, easily separating mother and daughter's hands once he notices the older woman wincing a little more than he assumed would be healthy. Liz Forbes wipes her daughter's forehead with a wet towel, speaking softly to her daughter.

"He's coming, Caroline." Liz encouraged her daughter, glancing over at Katherine whose lips had thinned. In the back of her mind, Liz wondered how difficult it would be to neuter a wolf if said wolf didn't get his ass in the room in time.

The good doctor was on the edge of the bed, gently spreading Caroline's legs a part checking Caroline's progress. "Almost there. You still have a bit of time!" Jo said brightly, "Is there anything you would like? We want to keep you as comfortable as possible. I would recommend doing a bit of walking."

"What do you say, Caroline? Want to walk it off?" Liz asked her daughter with a smile, the younger blonde looking at her mother with love and annoyance.

"Can't say that I do." Caroline muttered out loud. "But what do I have to lose?"

"That's the spirit!" Enzo chimed in, as Katherine snorted out loud. The pregnant woman turned to look at her friend.

"You know I was always told men were weird around delivery but you're doing just fine." Caroline's mouth pulled into a smile just as another contraction hit. "Fuck I don't remember it hurting this much."

"I'm not sure that other life counts right now," Katherine pointed out, "This body has never had a birth before."

Caroline groaned as a painful shudder made its way across her nervous system, "So much for mind over matter."

"Ignore them." Liz ordered shooting the vampires a cross look. "You know very well how powerful your mind is."

Caroline grunted, "I swear Niklaus. I will neuter you if you don't show up soon!" the blonde threw her head back as her body was wracked with another painful sensation. "Fuck it. I need to move." She reached out towards Enzo who pulled her from a seated position into a standing one.

She had made three full trips around the room, the fabulous doctor Jo checking her progress on the bed when the doors were busted open. Niklaus stood in front of his siblings with a slight wild look in his eyes.

"About damn fucking time!" Caroline yelped as Jo stuck her fingers in announcing that it was time to push.

A.N: This was probably one of the most awkward things I have ever had to write. Smut aside. As a woman who has never birthed another human being, anything I got wrong I deeply apologize for.