CHAPTER 1

May 21st 2019

Caroline had two grocery bags on her as she entered her home she shared with Rick and the twins. She loved them too much to live apart from them, so Rick and her lived like roommates. She had just put the bags on the kitchen counter when she was startled by someone sitting in the living room sitting in an armchair, looking bored. She hadn't heard a single heartbeat which only meant the man in question wasn't a human.

"Who are you?" Caroline asked, thinking what to grab in her close vicinity for protection.

"Don't bother, I can't be killed. Not in traditional ways at least."

Caroline still grabbed a knife and raised it protective stance.

"What do you want?"

"Your twins."

"What?"

"Don't act so surprised, they are the only siphoner witches left in the world. Did you really think that no one would ever come to claim them? You are not that naïve, are you Carebear?"

Caroline's eyes nearly jumped out of its sockets. He knew of the personal nickname Damon had for her? What else did he know?

"I know a lot of stuff about your life. I have watched your family for like three years. Actually about four years, ever since you got pregnant with them."

Caroline swallowed hard. "Please, get out of my house."

"Oh, I will, But first I am going to ask nicely, offering you money exchange for them. 1 billion dollars for them."

"Get out of my house, now, whoever you are."

"I'm called The Reaper or you can call me by my birth name – Viseth, and I don't back down if I want something. So, Caroline I'll give you 48 hours and the I'll come for them anyway."

"GET OUT!" She yelled.

"I'm already gone, but before I go, to show you how serious I am…"

Just them, with the worst timing, Alaric opened the front door, saying something about forgetting his wallet and those were his last words as his neck was snapped.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Caroline cried out , rushing to him. Taking his body in her arms, she tried to revive him but it was futile. He was about ask why he had done it, when she saw that he was alone with Alaric's body. Viseth or The Reaper or whoever he was had vanished. She saw the girls laughing in the car, so she knew that they hadn't heard or seen anything.

She made a split-second decision, which she later understood was the only thing she could do, and grabbed Rick's car keys, and her hand bag and went to his car and drove off with the twins. She was crying, she didn't know what to do or where to go.

"Mom, why are you crying." Lizzie asked her.

"it's nothing sweetheart, I just watched the sad movie when your father came home and I offered to take you our for ice cream. But sweetpeas, ice cream has to wait a little.

"Where are we going then, if not to the ice cream bar?" Josie asked innocently.

Then suddenly it dawned on her, he hated to go to him, to ask him another favour, but this time it wasn't her friends lives on the line. It was her daughters, he had to know that she was desperate. And she was, very desperate.

"We're going to see old friend of mommy's."

Klaus was in the middle of an argument with Hayley about was best for Hope. Hayley wanted to leave New Orleans, that it wasn't safe for Hope and Klaus wanted to stay.

When his phone rang and he saw the display, a smile inevitably tugged at his lips. "Excuse me, Hayley. I need to take this."

"Hello, love. To what I owe this pleasure?" he asked.

"Klaus."

Her voice sounded hoarse like she had been crying.

"What's wrong?" He instantly asked in worry.

"I can't really talk about it right now. Me and the twins are headed to New Orleans as we speak. Can we meet, somewhere where they served ice cream preferably."

She was really serious, it wasn't a joke.

"Consider it done, sweetheart. I'll send for you when you enter the city and you'll meet me-"

"No, it has to be lowkey, Klaus."

"Okay, I'll send you the coordinates to a place they definitely served Ice cream all they long." Klause mused.

"Klaus, It can't be your home."

Klaus groaned, she knew him way too well.

"Okay, it's done. Don't worry about it. When you come here, you'll be safe, I assure you."

Caroline cried as she said, "I don't care about me, only the twins matter right now."

"Caroline, whatever it is, I'll protect you and everyone you care about. How far away are you?"

"I just started driving an hour ago."

"So you have about six hours to drive."

"I'm so scared Klaus. I wouldn't normally do this but could you maybe have me picked up. Actually forget about it, it wouldn't be lowkey."

"Caroline, I can have you picked up by discreetly. No one will know about your arrival and how, when, where and why."

Caroline sobbed, "Okay"

"Okay? Okay. So tell me where you are, and I'll pick you up in the nearest airfield."

When Caroline got to a vert small airfield, she was right, Klaus had organized a helicopter and it was marked as a medical chopper. He had her and the twins entering the city under the disguise that her children were sick and needed medical help. Just regular people in need of transportation. It wasn't a private plane she had expected, but a regular helicopter that did routine flights to New Orleans.

She was glad that he understood her so well. In the chopper she was welcomed by two vampires compelled to die for her and the twins if needed.

Luckily nothing happened and she was discreetly led to a family restaurant. Where there was a corner for the twins to play in after they had their ice cream.

Klaus raised from the table as soon as he saw them.

She almost ran to his embrace as he took her in his arms, while the twins awkwardly stood by.

"It's okay. Everything's okay," He said as he patted her hair.

Caroline broke away first and sobbed, "No it's not. We need to talk."

"But not before you have had the best ice cream in town." And then Klaus turned to the girls. "You want some ice cream, little ones?"

"Yeah!" they shrieked in unison.

"Do you have any preference?"

"Chocolate." Lizzy announced.

"Pear and strawberry." Josie said after her sister.

"Any you, sweetheart?" He said, turning to ask.

"I don't care about ice cream. Order whatever you get yourself."

They had a nice late dinner, where the twins talked about their life in Mystic Falls and Caroline faking a smile added and explained everything they said to Klaus.

When they were done, the twins ran to play at the playroom and Caroline and Klau were finally face to face with each other.

"Now what has got you so scared?" He said taking her hand in his.

"Viseth"

"Who?"

"He also calls himself The Reaper."

Caroline watched a his eyes grew dark and she saw in his eyes an emotion that he had rarely seen in him – he was scared to his core.

"Tell me what happened?" Klaus in low voice.

"I came home and found him sitting in my living room. I asked him who he was and what he wanted and Klaus he wants the twins for their special powers." Caroline cried.

Klaus didn't look surprised. "For his collection I assume."

"What collection?"

"He has this tendency to steal witches when they're little and raise them to do evil things. I assume he wants to turn them heretics when they are older."

"Who is he?" Caroline asked in total frustration.

"The thing is, my daughter isn't the only tribid in the world, he is the first one. He's witch, werewolf and a vampire. He older than me,luckily not as old as Silas. And he's suppose to be dead. It took all of my family to subdue him and as he can't be killed easily, like with me you need a special kind of stake and unfortunately he might be the only one left, who has parts of that particular wood. We put him in concrete and drowned it in the middle of the Pacific. But he must have found a way out."

Caroline continued to cry, "He killed Rick in front of me."

His eyes widened for a second. "Caroline, listen to me, now your family and my family have to go and hide somewhere. I'm the only one who has the slightest chance to protect them now."

"I know. That's why you have to take them and keep them safe." She broke down crying while trying to hide it from the twins.

"What do you mean take them? I know you meant to say 'us' instead of 'them', Caroline." His eyes grew even darker at her suggestion that he'd take the twins and leave her to fend for herself.

"We have to be smart about this, Klaus. He knows about me and he knows you but he doesn't know about us knowing each other. He said he has been watching over me for four years and you and I hardly had any communication between us, so it's my best hunch that maybe he's tracking me and I can't lead him to them."

"You can't be serious. Absolutely not. I'm not leaving you helpless in the hands of him."

"Klaus, I'll go into hiding as well, you can help me with that."

Klaus thought about it for a minute, "Yes I can. I know a dark object that has the ability to cloak a person not a place"

"Don't waste it on me. Save if for the twins."

"First of all, it works only on one person and secondly, I'm the best defence for you daughters, not some toy"

"Yes you are, so will you take them somewhere safe?"

"Of course. I would do anything for you. But you will let me arrange you safe house somewhere. Where would you like to live."

"In some city, I can't cooped up in some country house."

"Okay, I will take care of everything. I'll go home with the twins and pack everything up and we will leave first thing in the early morning."

Caroline stood from the table and went to sit in his laps, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, thank you so much."

When the broke apart, they looked at each other and she saw a longing in his eyes which probably mirrored hers, so she did the only thing she could do calm themselves, she kissed him. It was a slow kiss at first. They were saying goodbye yet again and when she wanted to pull away, he didn't let her, pulling her even closer as he kept the kiss going.

"Ewwwww." The twins said in unison.

Caroline and Klaus broke the kiss to look at them standing there with a look of disgust in their eyes.

"Mom, can we have more ice cream?"

"Not right now" Caroline said as she went to them and kneeling down to their lever, she told them, "You have to go with Mr Mikaelson-"

"Klaus." He said firmly.

"You have to go with Klaus, he's mommy's friend and he's going to take good care of you."

"No, why?"

"Because I'm in big danger and I don't want to put the two of you in danger as well."

"So we'll go with dad. Where's dad, we want our dad."

Caroline started to cry again, "Lizzie, Josie, your father is-

"Very happy to see you when he arrives where we are going." Klaus chimed in.

Caroline looked at Klaus dumbfounded. But the twins draw their attention back to them and asked, "Where are we going?"

"We'll go to a safe place-"

"Don't tell me where you are going, it's safer that way."

Klaus slowly nodded.

"Look, Josie and Lizzie, how about this, You and I will go to my home, you can eat all the ice cream I have and I have plenty. And then we'll discuss where we are going."

They looked at mom with sad eyes and then closed the distance to wrap their little hands around her neck.

"Please don't leave us with a stranger. We want to be with you." They cried in unison.

"Guys, you know I don't want to but I have to. For our own protection. Will you be good girls with uncle Klaus?"

"We'll behave, we promise." Josie said, making both Klaus and Caroline smile a bit.

They said their goodbyes and the last thing Klaus told Caroline as she was leaving, was, "Rest assured, Caroline, I would rather die myself than let anything happen to the little ones."

Caroline just nodded and flashed away.

She was on her out of town when Klaus sent her the coordinates for her new home. It appeared to be a house somewhere in Phoenix.

She cried all the while driving there and while sleeping in motels in between the drive.

Klaus put the twins in his SUV.

"Mom tells us always that we have to be in the child seats while Mom or Dad drives us around." Lizzie told him

"This one time only she has granted the permission for you to drive without them." Klaus assured them.

"Oh, okay, then. Can you call her, we want to ask permission" Josie said.

Klaus was silent as thought about it. How often could the twins and Caroline talk to each other? Yes, they could get untraceable phones, but that only worked on humans. He had to ask Freya.

"Right now she's busy, Josie. But we'll call her the minute we get to the mansion."

"What's a mansion?" Lizzie asked.

"This is where I live, my family and I. And guess what, I have a daughter just about 2 years older than you are. I'm sure you will be fast friends."

"Okay, Klaus." Josie answered, in a grownup manner, and Klaus held back the urge to laugh.

**
Hayley was currently in the courtyard, trying to convince Freya to be on her side.

"Please help me convince Klaus, that it's necessary for us to live in a more safe environment."

"I-" Freya started but Klaus' voice stopped her.

"No need to convince me. Pack your bags, because we need to leave first thing in the morning."

Freya and Hayley turned to look at Klaus who came in hand in hand with two little girls.

"What's this, Niklaus?" Elijah asked as he came down the steps.

"That's what I'd like to know?" Rebekah chimed in coming in behind him.

His family, sometimes he grew so impatient with them. But he had two girls to consider as he remained calm and said, "Everybody, these are Lizzie and Josie Saltzman. They are going to live with us for a while."

Everyone were too shocked to speak, it was Rebekah who opened her mouth first, "Why, Nik, why would you bring Caroline's daughters here?"

"Caroline Forbes, I assume?" Elijah asked.

"Yes, Caroline Forbes, and she's in big trouble, she needs protection but most of all, her daughters need it more, from all of us."

"What are you talking about, Klaus?"" Hayley asked incredulously.

Klaus turned to Rebekah and Elijah as he said, "It's The Reaper. He's after them."

"Bloody hell." Rebekah counted.

"How did he get free, Niklaus?"

"I don't know. But I don't want to talk about it here, out here in the open. Let's acquaint the children with each other and then we can talk more."

They took the twins to Hope's play room and they awkwardly said hi to each other. As Hayley was received the plea from Klaus to look over the children while the rest talked and then he would talk alone with her after to tell her everything, Hayley looked on as the children bonded.

"Do you want to colour with me? I have like 100 different colouring books." Hope asked the twins.

The twins were uncomfortable but said yes to the offer so they sat down at the table and started coloring some Disney books.

"So let me get this straight. Alaric is dead, Caroline is on the run from the reaper and is alone because she's afraid she might lead him to them and you want us to move to Kendall County, Texas, to live in a safe house?" Rebekah asked him.

"Yes," he said sternly.

"I know Hayley wants to move, but are you sure brother?"

"It's set in stone already, Elijah. We are going. It The Reaper." The brothers shared a knowing look and Rebekah knew they really were afraid as was she. Nik Was right, they had to go.

"Freya, how often do you think they can talk to each other?"

"Well, I don't know the enemy but if he's part witch then I'd say as rarely as possible."

"What is rare? Once a day, once a week-"

"More like once a month." Freya told him. "Klaus, even the untraceable phones and apps are traceable, you can't risk it as Kol explained the modern world to me. What you can do, is let them meet face to face, in a cloaked place which is different every time."

"She's going through so much, I can't tell her-"

"Tell her that it's painful, but the second she sees them it will all fade, they are more precious to her then and keep reminding her always that they will be reunited with one another." Hayley chimed in.

Klaus nodded. Hayley knew what it was like to see her child once a month. Then he panicked.

"Hayley, who's watching the kids?"

"Kol is back, he's taking care of them way better then I could. I still feel awkward around the twins."

"Alright, so we pack and we leave before the sun rises." Elijah declared and everyone started to leave.

"I'll go put them all to bed for a few hours. Klaus would you join me?" Hayley told him.

On the way to the play room, Hayley said, "While I'm happy to see Hope having someone to play with, I feel so bad about Caroline being left out."

"Yeah, you and me both."

That night the girls had fallen asleep crying when they heard that they won't be seeing their mom for a while. Hayley and Klaus had tried every trick in the book to change their moods but it turned out to be futile. So Klaus just remained there, in Hope's bedroom where the twins also were put to sleep in, until all three had fallen asleep. Lizzie was the last to fall asleep and as she reminded him so much of Caroline, he though that maybe Lizzie was closer to Caroline than Josie.

May 22nd 2019

Early in the morning Klaus carried the sleeping twins to the cars while Hayley did the same with Hope and they drove off. All the Mikaelsons left and The Abattoir was left empty.

Klaus had set up a fairly modest house, at least per Mikaelson standard, not wanting to draw unwanted attention. They were in the middle of nowhere, with the closest town 2 hours drive away.

When Freya had finished cloaking the house, using the different spells, Klaus went to check up on the kids, letting Hayley have a breather.

"The twins are still inconsolable, all they talk about is Caroline and how they are not going to do anything until they can at least talk to her. They just sat in their room, on the beds and sobbed as they hugged each other."

"Give them time, Hayley, it's their first day in a strange place with strange people."

Klaus phone then rang and the twins perked up, "Is that our mom?"

Klaus regretfully had to tell that it wasn't. It actually was Marcel, yelling at him.

"Where are you? The mansion is empty, all your personal belongings gone."

"We had to escape, it's a long story."

"Well, I have time."

"I can't tell you, Marcellus."

"Can't or won't."

"It involves a friend I'm suppose to help and for that I had to leave the city."

"In the middle of the night? Where are you?"

"You know I can't tell you. Look Marcel, right now a mother and her kids are separated from one another and the mother even doesn't know where they are, so I'm certainly not gonna tell you. Unless you want to join us for good."

"I have to think about it, Klaus. Wait, you didn't kidnap the kids, did you?"

Klaus sighed heavily, "No Marcel, I didn't."