The next day, Caroline sat in her bathroom with a pregnancy kit, waiting anxiously for the result. She was torn between conflicting emotions—one moment she was hopeful that the twins might be alive, and the next she was heartbroken at the thought of them being orphans who would never meet their parents. Suddenly, the timer went off, and when she saw the result, it was negative. With a heavy heart, she decided to call Bonnie, but at that moment, her phone rang, and she saw that it was Matt calling her.
"Hello, Matt. How are you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"I'm good, Care. Can you come to Mystic Falls High School? There are some people here who look like they're compelled and they're on IV," Matt said frantically.
"Okay, I'm coming, Matt," Caroline replied, her concern growing.
When Caroline reached the school, she found about twenty people in the auditorium, all on IV and compelled to stay there.
"I can't cancel their compulsion because its something else, but we can siphon the magic," Caroline informed Matt.
"Okay, then do it," said Matt.
"Let me call a siphoner—AKA Valerie," Caroline said, dialling Valerie's number.
After Valerie joined them, she informed them that siphoning the magic wouldn't do any good, as new people would replace those who escaped. She then remembered Caroline's condition and asked what she was doing here.
"What condition?" asked Matt, confused.
"Well, she's pregnant with Alaric's twins," Valerie revealed.
"No, I'm not pregnant. I took a pregnancy test, and it came out negative," Caroline informed them, deciding not to mention her earlier nausea, which she attributed to a bad blood bag.
Before they could argue further, Beau attacked them, and Valerie cloaked them so they could escape.
Later, at the Grill, Valerie opened up, "I was pregnant once with Stefan's child in 1863, but Julian killed them before they were even born because he knew if Lily found out, she wouldn't follow him."
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Valerie. Is that why Stefan is now more determined to kill Julian?" Caroline asked, her voice filled with empathy.
"Yeah, I confessed to him before Alaric's death. Look, I know you don't trust me, but trust me on this—go to a doctor," Valerie requested earnestly.
"Okay. So, are you free?" Caroline asked.
"What! Right now? And are you asking me to go with you?" Valerie responded, surprised.
"Oh, come on now, Valerie. Not right now. And yes, I'm asking you to come. Is that such a bad thing? I know our start wasn't great, but it doesn't have to stay that way. Also, if you're wrong, I'll gloat in your face," Caroline said jokingly.
They decided to visit the doctor the next day.
The following day, Caroline sat in the doctor's office, nervously awaiting the ultrasound results. Valerie was by her side, offering support.
"Are you sure you're pregnant? How many weeks did you say?" the doctor asked as she conducted the ultrasound.
"I guess two months," Caroline replied, her voice shaky.
"Sorry, miss, you are not pregnant. Two-month-old twins are hard to miss. I'll give you guys some time," the doctor said compassionately, looking at Caroline and Valerie.
"I'm sorry, Caroline. I know I forced you into this and gave you hope," Valerie said after the doctor left the room.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Valerie. I know you didn't do it intentionally. But as we can see, there are no magical babies in my womb," Caroline said sadly.
"Wait! Magic! It might be possible that the babies are hidden by magic," Valerie exclaimed.
Valerie then siphoned the magic, and suddenly, they both heard a small fluttering noise coming from Caroline by their supernatural hearing.
"Is that… are they heartbeats?" Caroline mused, her eyes widening with hope.
Picking up the ultrasound wand, she started to move it across her stomach, and they were able to see three foetuses on the screen.
"What… How… I mean, what is happening? Why are there three babies on the screen if Jo was pregnant with twins? Was she pregnant with triplets?" Caroline asked, confused.
"I don't know. I don't know much about the spell. Right now, let's get back to your dorms," Valerie said, equally puzzled.
At the dorm, Caroline decided to inform Klaus about her situation, as Valerie suggested that they would inform everyone face to face the next day.
"Hello, love. How are you?" Klaus said after picking up on the first ring. But she didn't say anything because she didn't know what to say.
"Caroline, are you there? Is everything okay?" Klaus asked, his concern growing.
"I am pregnant, Klaus," she said, cutting straight to the point. "I am pregnant, but not with twins but triplets. I don't know what is happening to me. How were these babies implanted in my womb without asking? I don't know if they are going to be taken away after I give birth. I never even prepared myself for it," Caroline said in a rush, finally breaking down.
"Hey, hey, love. Calm yourself. Everything is going to be okay, and no one will touch a hair on your head. First of all, take a deep breath, love. No need to get anxious," Klaus said, his voice soothing and comforting.
Caroline took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down.
"Listen to me, Caroline. I know this must be overwhelming for you, but we'll figure this out together. You are not alone in this, and I promise you, I will protect you and the babies with my life," Klaus said, his voice filled with determination and love.
"Klaus, I don't know what to do. Everything is so confusing," Caroline said, her voice trembling.
"I understand, love. But right now, you need to focus on staying calm and taking care of yourself. We will get through this. You are strong, and I have faith in you," Klaus reassured her.
"Okay, now listen. I know it might sound out of the blue, but I really need you to come here. Okay?" Klaus said, gently urging her.
"Oh, Klaus. Yeah, I'm coming," she said, feeling a sense of relief.
"Okay, then I'll send my jet tomorrow," Klaus offered.
"No, Klaus. Tomorrow I need to go to the bank for some papers left by my mother, and I need to inform people here about my decision. I will join you the day after in New Orleans," Caroline replied.
"Alright, love. I'll be waiting for you. And Caroline, remember, I love you more than anything. We'll face this together," Klaus said, his voice filled with sincerity.
"Love you too, Klaus," Caroline said, feeling a bit more at ease.
As they disconnected the call, Caroline thought about how she was going to inform everyone about her decision. Meanwhile, Klaus was left in a state of mixed emotions—happy, yet worried, confused, yet determined. He knew who the third child was and felt a deep sense of responsibility to protect Caroline and the babies, knowing that their lives were about to change forever.
The next day, Caroline assembled everyone—Bonnie, Stefan, Matt, and Damon—at the Lockwood mansion to inform them about her decision. Everyone was shocked to hear that Alaric's children were alive and felt relieved and happy about it.
"Guys, there is something else. There is also a third baby. We don't know who it belongs to, but Valerie is looking into it. But this is not why I gathered all of you here. I am going to New Orleans. To Klaus. I know it may sound strange, but we have been together since we came back from Venice, and I was thinking of joining him as soon as possible. But then it was delayed due to the situation in Mystic Falls. Due to the current circumstances, I am going there now. I hope everyone will agree with my decision," Caroline explained.
"Is it really necessary that you go, Care? We can take care of you," Stefan said, concerned.
"Yes, Blondie. You can't just show up and say you're leaving," Damon started to protest.
"No, Damon, she really should go," Bonnie interjected. "Here, something is always happening. Just a few days ago, she was tortured because of our mistake. And she was pregnant all this time. Also Klaus have more knowledge in magical pregnancy than us. What do you think, Matt?"
"I will always support you, Caroline. Whatever you decide is best for you and the babies," Matt said reassuringly.
Feeling supported and happy, Caroline said her goodbyes and headed to the bank. Since the bank was empty, she went directly to her mother's locker. There, she found a letter from her mother along with a box labelled "Bill's Things for Care." She decided to pack everything and look into it later.
The next day, she boarded the flight to join Klaus, feeling optimistic and looking forward to the future. After heartfelt farewells from her loved ones, she was ready for this new chapter filled with hope and promise.
Footnote :- I hoped this would be a long chapter, but it turned out shorter than expected. But worry not! From the next chapter onward, it will be all about New Orleans and what happened there during this duration, how Klaus knows about the third child, and also why Bill is now coming into this.