I had some problem with the timeline of the pregnancy, it make no sense to me so for the sake of this story we'll say that Jo and Alaric wedding was on november 23 and at that point Jo was nearly two month pregnant. Caroline arrival in New Orleans is on november 29, so she is not showing yet.
Sorry for the confusion, but the canon timeline has a lot of hole in it.
I hope you're enjoying the story thus far. I'm very pleased by the reaction it's geeting and i love receiving your comments.
Klaus barely registered the look in her eyes before her body gave out.
One moment, Caroline was standing in his arms, pale and trembling, her lips moving in a desperate attempt to explain everything swirling in her mind and heart. The next, she crumpled into him like a marionette whose strings had been severed, limbs going slack, as if all the strength that had once fuelled her determination had vanished in an instant.
"Caroline!" The urgency of her name tore from Klaus's lips, panic flooding his veins. Her body sagged against him, breath shallow, her skin icy to the touch, a stark contrast to the fire of life and spirit he remembered so vividly. She was too light, too pale, too wrong. A sense of dread, ancient and ugly, coiled in his chest, tightening its grip around his heart.
Without a moment's hesitation, he swept her into his arms, her form feeling almost ethereal as he carried her across the moonlit courtyard, dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. The sensation of her magic, her very essence, draining away hit him like a physical blow. Something was feeding on her, siphoning off the vibrant life force she had once so readily exuded.
"Not now. Not here. Don't you dare take her from me." The thought was a primal growl in his mind as he kicked open the door to his room, his resolve hardening.
"Freya! Elijah!" His voice boomed through the air, a sharp thunderstorm crashing into the silence of the compound.
He crossed the expanse of his room, carefully laying Caroline down on the bed. The contrast was jarring—the fierce, stubborn woman he had meet in Mystic Falls now appeared small and delicate against the dark, luxurious sheets. Kneeling beside her, he brushed the damp tendrils of hair from her face, his heart aching at how clammy her skin felt against his fingers. Her lashes fluttered weakly, but she remained unresponsive.
"What did they do to you, sweetheart?" His voice was a low murmur, tight with concern. Caroline's breathing was rapid and uneven, as if her body were at war with itself—a battle he could sense but not see.
Klaus's hand lingered on her cheek, electricity zapping through him at the contact as he felt the siphoning—like invasive vines snaking around her aura, draining her drop by drop. Panic gripped him, and he instinctively withdrew his hand as if it had burned him. Frowning, he stared at the point where he had touched her, troubled by the sensation that remained.
His heart raced as his hand curled into a fist on the comforter, tension buzzing in the air around him.
Just then, footsteps clattered up the hall, and Klaus's focus narrowed solely on Caroline, the door flying open behind him.
Freya entered first, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of him crouched beside Caroline, her body limp and vulnerable in his grasp. Elijah followed, a blend of curiosity and alarm washing over his features as he recognized the girl from Mystic Falls, Elena's friend.
"Who is she? What happened?" Freya demanded, crossing the room in a flurry of movement.
Klaus looked up at her, his jaw clenched and his eyes stormy with confusion—and more unsettling, panic. "She collapsed." The urgency in his voice was palpable, edged with a frayed desperation. Ignoring Freya's question about Caroline's identity, he turned to focus on the matter at hand. "In my arms, just after she arrived. I barely had time to process what she said before she fell."
He slowly rose from beside the bed, his fingers brushing over her wrist, as if he didn't trust the pulse he felt there. But when he felt it again, he winced, the sensation igniting the same feeling of having been burned.
"What did she say?" Elijah asked, stepping closer but maintaining a respectful distance, his expression poised.
Klaus' gaze dropped back to Caroline, desperation etching deep lines into his face. "She said… she was pregnant." Pausing, he flicked his eyes towards Freya and Elijah, desperate to convey the gravity of the situation. "Something about… the babies being put inside her, without her consent. And…" He swallowed hard, disbelief washing over him. "She mentioned a coven… The Gemini Coven."
Freya's expression darkened in an instant. "I think I know that coven. It's a very ancient one that adheres to its traditions. They are infamous for being the first coven where siphoners were born." She moved to the other side of the bed and placed her hand on Caroline's forehead. But the moment she made contact, she hissed and recoiled, looking at Klaus with a frown. "Is she a witch?"
Klaus shook his head, confusion brewing. "No, she's just a baby vampire. Why?"
Freya's brow furrowed as she tried to touch Caroline again, only to experience the same jolt of energy that caused her to retract her hand once more. "Because she's taking my magic."
Seeing the twin looks of confusion on the brothers' faces, Freya tried to explain. "Siphoner witches are different from normal witches. They are born without magic and must absorb it from others to use it as their own. Right now, this girl is doing exactly that. But if you say she's not a witch, then the only conclusion I can draw is that the baby in her belly must be a siphoner. That would explain why she's in such a dire state. Vampires aren't meant to carry babies, as they lack the biological means to nurture them. But if I'm correct and the baby inside her is a siphoner…" Her voice trailed off, and Klaus's gut tightened in realization.
He looked at Freya, anger building beneath his confusion. "What are you saying? Vampires only live thanks to their magic." His voice dropped to a whisper as he gazed down at Caroline, her frail form seeming even more fragile than before. "If the baby is draining her of her magic... then that means it's killing her."
Elijah folded his arms against his chest, unwavering. "We need confirmation before we jump to conclusions."
Klaus shot him a sharp glare, the anger boiling within him meeting the need for logic. He loathed the thought of Caroline dying, but deep down, he knew they had to be sure.
Freya carefully placed her hand over Caroline's abdomen, her expression strained as she began to summon her magic. The familiar feeling of her power being siphoned enveloped her as she pressed further, desperately trying to sense any other presence. Suddenly, an acute pain shot through her head, and she gasped, retracting her hand as it felt as if an invisible force had repelled her.
"They pushed me out," she said breathlessly.
Klaus stepped forward, energy surging through his veins, a sharpness in his voice that split the air. "What do you mean?"
Freya's eyes were locked onto Caroline, her glowing hands still faintly luminescent. "There's a magical presence inside her. Two, actually. Twin signatures. But they aren't just draining her magic; they're also attempting to prevent anyone from interfering. They felt my magic try to reach hers and shut me down. They are incredibly strong for unborn babies."
Klaus felt his throat tighten, a wave of nausea washing over him as he processed her words. "You're saying they're… using her?"
"Not maliciously," Freya clarified quickly. "It's instinctual. These… children—if they truly are siphoners—need a magic source to survive. Right now, the only source they have is Caroline. They're fighting to stay alive."
Klaus's fists clenched at his sides, fury surging through him. "They used her. Turned her into a vessel. Without her consent… and now she's dying because of it." A growl caught in his throat, but he forced himself to rein it in, the urgency of the moment demanding a clearer head.
Freya nodded gravely, her eyes reflecting the weight of the terrible truth. "She most likely didn't choose this, there still is a lingering trace of a trasfering spell. But, althoug the pregnancy is magical, it's stable for now. The babies seem to be fine, biologically speaking. However…" She hesitated, her expression darkening. "The strain on her is immense. If we don't find a way to stabilize the siphoning, it'll continue draining her life force."
Klaus's eyes widened in alarm as he locked gazes with Freya. "Then do something, Freya! Because if she dies, I'll unleash hell on this earth!"
Freya met his gaze with a mix of curiosity and concern, realizing the depth of Klaus's feelings for this woman. "Like I said, the babies need a consistent source of magic to avoid draining from her. If they were kept close to a strong source of magic, they would siphon from that instead."
A heavy silence descended, pressing against them. Just then, Elijah's phone rang, pulling him back to the present. Hayley was calling. He cast a glance at Klaus, who nodded imperceptibly, and Elijah stepped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone with Caroline.
Klaus flexed his jaw, the beat of his heart hammering against his ribs like an urgent war drum. He looked down at Caroline, her figure so still on his bed, her golden hair fanned out like a halo against the dark pillows. In that moment, she looked fragile and vulnerable in a way that both captivated and terrified him.
"Do whatever you must," he said, his voice a low growl, steeped in possessiveness. "Stabilize it. Bind their siphoning if you can. I don't care how."
Freya nodded resolutely, moving with purpose as she prepared to retrieve a bracelet from her room. She infused it with her own magic, creating a protective barrier, before carefully fastening it around Caroline's wrist. "This should keep the babies from siphoning from her for at least the next two hours."
Klaus didn't budge from Caroline's side as he absorbed the information. His gaze lifted to Freya once more, an unrelenting worry tucked beneath his irritation.
"It's not enough," he muttered, almost to himself.
Freya met his gaze, her eyes steady and serious. "I know. I have an idea, but… I think we should discuss it with Hayley too."
Klaus's brow furrowed, confusion lacing his features. "Why? What does Hayley have to do with this…?" A realization struck him suddenly. "You don't mean…?"
Freya nodded, determination written across her face. "This could be beneficial for both sides. Hope has an excess of magic, and since she's too young to control it, she needs somewhere to direct it. The twins need magic to survive. All we would need is for her to stay near Caroline as much as possible. The proximity alone would allow the twins to access Hope's magic."
Klaus inhaled sharply, understanding dawning with a mix of hope and uncertainty. "Okay," he conceded. "We'll talk about this with Hayley later. For now, you should see what she wants with Elijah."
As Freya left the room, Klaus returned his attention to Caroline, engulfed by a tumult of emotion. He remained by her side, his heart heavy with worry, praying for a miracle that would bring back the fierce woman he had once known, and the life she carried within compound had long since fallen into an enveloping silence, the kind that seeped into the very walls like a heavy fog, cloaking the night in a thick stillness that weighed heavily in the air. The usual hum of activity from the city beyond the French Quarter seemed a world away, as if the universe itself had come to understand the delicate balance of the moment and chose not to intrude.
Klaus sat in an armchair positioned by the bedside, his posture tense yet weary. One elbow rested on the armrest, his fingers pressed thoughtfully against his lips, the rough texture of his stubble grazing his knuckles. His gaze was fixed intently on the sleeping figure just a few feet away, the light of the moon casting soft shadows across her features.
Caroline.
Freya's bracelet still glimmered faintly on Caroline's wrist, a shield against the siphoning force that had once threatened to consume her completely. Freya had come back multiple time to replenish the magic inside it as Haley had yet to come back. And as much as he wanted to help Caroline, he would not take an important decision about their daughter without her.
Klaus took a steadying breath, watching as color slowly began to return to her cheeks, her skin warming from the icy pallor that had overtaken her form upon her arrival. The immediate danger was under control, but the exhaustion that encased her like a shroud lingered. Her magic had been diminished, her strength waning, and she hadn't stirred once since collapsing into unconsciousness.
Klaus shifted in his seat, leaning forward slightly, his forearms resting on his knees as he intertwined his fingers, fighting the restless urge to reach for her. He hadn't moved much since Freya had left one hour ago; his world had narrowed down to the space between him and her bed. Elijah had tried to coax him into leaving, breaking the grim atmosphere with the news that Camille had been kidnapped by Aurora. But no matter how much he cared for Camille, Klaus had refused to abandon Caroline's side. He had told Elijah to handle it without him.
He couldn't leave her. She had come to him.
Despite everything that had passed between them—against the backdrop of their tumultuous history, the betrayals, the bloodshed—Caroline had chosen him. She had chosen to enter his life once more, to trust him. It was a decision weighted with countless reasons for animosity, yet here she was, a testament to her own courage, being here with him when she could have easily chose an easier route.
Klaus studied her face, softened by the embrace of sleep, its edges still tinged with fragility. She appeared too weak, too small, but there she was—undeniably Caroline. The brave, maddeningly stubborn woman who had continuously faced down his darkness with her light. Her resilience was woven into her very being, a trait that he both admired and chided.
A lock of golden hair had fallen across her cheek, and he found himself drawn to that small detail, reaching out hesitantly. His fingers brushed against the silky strands, trembling ever so slightly as he tucked it back behind her ear, letting his touch linger against her temple for just a moment. The warmth of her skin ignited a flicker of hope within him, and he whispered softly, "You're safe now, love." The words felt foreign and heavy in his throat, unfamiliar as if they had been uttered by a man he rarely allowed himself to be. "I won't let them touch you again. Any of you."
His gaze dropped to her midsection, where life pulsed with a quiet intensity—two lives, impossibly conceived from love intertwined with magical trauma. When Caroline had first entered his home looking like death, it had nearly shattered him. He felt his heart constrict painfully, a visceral reaction to the sight of her suffering.
He thought of the Gemini Coven—of their arrogance, their cruelty, their willingness to twist the very fabric of magic for their own insidious purposes. How they had violated Caroline's body, encroaching upon her life without her consent. Klaus's jaw tightened, a familiar piece of rage igniting within him.
He would burn the world for less.
A slow, measured breath escaped him, coiled with a fire and determination he hadn't felt in years. This was different, he reminded himself. This wasn't about vengeance or pride or the thirst for power that had once consumed him. No, this was something far more profound. This was about her—about them.
His family.
Though Klaus was not linked to these children by blood, he felt an undeniable bond forming within him. From the moment those souls had been transferred to Caroline, he instinctively knew they were hers. There was no doubt in his mind that she would fight fiercely to protect them, and he would do everything in his power to safeguard her. That was a truth that had not changed since their time in Mystic Falls—his ability and willingness to protect those he cared for ran deep. And he cared for her deeply, always had.
As he leaned back into the chair, his eyes never straying from her sleeping form, a solemn vow began to stir within him, stronger than any proclamation of power. "Let them come," he murmured, the weight of his voice like the rumble of distant thunder, low and reverberating. "The coven. The world. Anyone foolish enough to believe they can take what's mine."
He paused, allowing the weight of his promise to hang between them, a whisper filled with conviction. "They'll find nothing but death waiting for them."
And there, in the quiet shadows of the night, where moonlight poured like liquid silver over her delicate frame, Klaus Mikaelson kept vigilant watch—no longer the monster, no longer the king. He was simply a man, guarding one of the thing that mattered more than anything else in this fractured world: Caroline, who had risked everything to come to him. In that moment, rebuilding the threads of their connection seemed more essential than breathing, and Klaus swore to himself that he would not falter; he would protect her, no matter the cost. And this time he would not let her go.