It took me a lot longer than I expected but here it finally is the continuation of An Unexpected Life
I am publishing it simultaneously on AO3 if someone prefers reading it there

A calm moment together

In moments like this, it's possible to forget that they rarely live peaceful lives without dangers. She can forget that the last years have been filled with one problem after another. Here and now, with Klaus and their son out in the backyard of the mansion, just existing, it feels like nothing can get in their way.

Sure, she is aware that things can change at any moment, and it's not like she has time for everything she wishes to do. Her friends usually get a quick hello, now and again, after she decided to avoid college as much as she could without completely abandoning it. Now she's only attending the classes that interest her or if she feels like she needs some time for herself to not feel stuck in the mansion. It's working for now.

Right now, Klaus is sitting next to her drawing while she is enjoying watching and playing with her son. She's glad that so far, the dangers that have surrounded them haven't been geared towards him and he is still too little to have noticed what they have been through.

While she loves him, there are definitely some drawbacks to having a small child to care for, one of them, she and Klaus have had very little time for just them, to be able to find out what their relationship looks like except being parents.

They are engaged, and she can still sometimes just stare at the ring wondering if it's real and if they actually made it to this point. Everything has happened so quickly and at times it can feel weird or even wrong that she is happy, and everything is calm around her. Therefore, she would like to figure out what a relationship with the original hybrid looks like. So, she is waiting for an answer from her mother if she could watch Kaiden for the afternoon, giving her and Klaus some time alone.

While Rebekah has been helpful, she has often still been in the mansion and lately the original sister has found pleasure in annoying Damon by becoming friends with Enzo. Caroline herself has liked the vampire, and she must say that his and Damon's way of clearing out Whitmore from vampire hunters was effective. It also appears to be good for Rebekah to find some more friends except for Matt.

Rebekah has also worked as her way of knowing what is happening in town and people's life. Apparently, it's staying relatively calm for everyone. Enzo had for a while tried to find someone from his past, but what they could figure out, she was probably dead. There are no weird deaths in town, which is a relief. Elena had informed her that she is starting her rounds at the hospital and both Bonnie and Kol had mentioned that the magical lessons or experiments, whatever one wants to call them, are going well.

When she hears the notification of a message on her phone, she thinks she is fast to grab it, but for some reason, Klaus has decided to look for her. "Your mother is coming over?"

"What gave you the right to take my phone." She tries to take it from him, but it's kept out of her reach. "Klaus." She is trying to keep from laughing.

It doesn't take long before they can hear Kaiden's laugh, and he is clapping his hands. "Look, you are the only one not finding this funny." She rolls her eyes but does let the laugh escape. "So, why is your mother on the way and why wasn't I allowed to see?"

"In case she couldn't," she answers and gets her phone back so she can reply to her mum. "I was thinking that she could take Kaiden for a few hours so we could get some time for each other." She knows that she needs it.

Looking up from her phone she is met with a smile from Klaus. "Does this mean we should prepare for trouble?" she raises her eyebrow questioning. "Because things tend to get in the way when we try to spend time together."

"Like what?" because they haven't exactly had time for them.

"An annoying vision." She can see how the memory of how a trip through her visions is still uncomfortable for him.

"That was once, and I promise, there are no signs at all that the spirits are trying to contact me." She is actually feeling really good, and she seems to calm him somewhat with the information.

If they can manage to get some time for themselves, then it's not something he is going to say no to. Since Kaiden was born, Caroline's school, Travelers and New Orleans have taken up the time they haven't spent with their son. Even now with two of those things gone and Caroline being home more than she's at school, the time for just them is minimal.

It doesn't take long before he can hear Liz care coming towards the mansion and while Caroline goes to meet her mum, he prepares the things Kaiden will need while Liz is looking after him. Of all the things he needs to pack, there is one he wishes never would be needed. A bracelet made to stop Kaiden's magic.

He knows that it's for Kaiden's safety and that they can't exactly force Liz to handle her grandchild's powers when they can still have a hard time with them at times. It's just that he would have felt better if it wasn't needed.

Still, he puts it in the bag and grabs Kaiden to go and meet mother and daughter in the foyer. "Gama." He can hear Kaiden say among his babble, and he sees his son reaching for Liz.

"You are getting so big," Liz says and takes Kaiden from him. "And the two of you don't have to worry, he is in safe hands. So, I don't want to hear from you every hour, honey." He can see that Caroline wants to argue but Liz stops her. "I know you Caroline, but you don't need to know everything all the time." Caroline sighs but lets it be. "The same goes for you Klaus."

"Who said that I was planning to call once an hour?" he wonders amused.

Instead of answering him, Liz speaks to Kaiden. "You see, your parents don't know what to do when they aren't in control." He looks at Caroline that is smiling at him. "Let's get out of here then."

They walk with Liz to the door and say their goodbyes to her and Kaiden before he closes the door since Caroline is having a hard time taking the step herself. But when it's closed, they are both quite glad to get some time alone.

Sure, the house suddenly feels almost too quiet, and they are standing there for a while just thinking about what they should do now, but it feels relaxing. "Did you have a plan for now?" he asks and holds her.

She shakes her head. "Not really, but I think we can figure something out." She releases herself and starts walking towards the stairs. "Are you coming?"

He gives her a smirk and moves up to the top of the stairs. "It's you that is slow, luv." Instead of turning towards him, she is standing with her eyes locked on the stairs on the other side. "Caroline?" slowly he moved towards her and lays a hand on her shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

It takes a little while before she seems to notice him, and she shakes her head before turning towards him. "What, no, I…" she takes a deep breath. "Sorry, everything is fine, I just spaced." He gets as an answer and Caroline keeps moving up the stairs.

Maybe he should stop her and figure out what exactly happened, because if he has learned one thing then it's when she disappears like that it usually means that the spirits want something. But at the same time, she appears to think that everything is fine.

Looking towards the point she was staring at without seeing anything he tries to reason that she probably just got stuck in her thoughts. It's not unreasonable that it could have happened, he thinks and follows her.

It felt like she was close to getting through like Caroline noticed her presence at least, but then there was something that once more stopped her. Normally it had been the spirits that haven't liked that she is trying to make contact, but now it felt more like it was someone among the living that didn't want her there, whether they were aware of her or not.

But she will continue to try, there will be a way for her to reach Caroline, to be able to speak with her. The times she has gotten anywhere close have been when she's awake. There is less movement among the spirits, and yet they stand in her way. If only they could understand that she wants to warn, that she isn't the danger, but the past is something witches rarely forget.

If Cyrena had still been by the family's side, she wouldn't have been as worried. The ancient witch would have been able to help and protect them from what is to come, but that is not the luck they have had. Instead, they stand alone without warning.

She wonders if they will believe her when she finally makes it through, or if the living as well can't put the past behind them. Caroline, she knows too little about to say either way, while Niklaus she expects to refuse to listen, which can be his greatest weakness.

For now, she can't do more than wonder and hope that she doesn't reach them too late and that her warning will be able to help them.