Family Above All

Chapter 11

Edited

"Klaus! What are you doing here?", Caroline asked with narrowed eyes. But she was internally very happy and shocked seeing him after so many years.

“I am here to talk to your friend, love, you know about Elijah’s sudden impending fatherhood”, Klaus shrugged smirking a little.

“So, are you on food delivery duty?“, Klaus asked her nodding at the bags of containers in her hands.

“Oh, these aren’t for me, Elena has been craving all sorts of weird food stuff, so I thought she could use some help”, Caroline replied quickly.

She put the bags on a table and sat down beside him on the couch, not meeting his eyes.

He always knew how to make her heart beat faster and palms sweaty.

He could very well hear he heartbeat and a slow smile graced his lips.

“How have you been, Caroline?”

Caroline turned to him nervously and said, “I-I am quite well, Klaus. Umm...How is everything going on with you?”

“Ahem”, Hope cleared her throat loudly, “ I will go and grab a bite to eat. I’ll be back soon, Dad.”

“Don’t go too far and please stay safe”, Klaus called after her.

Caroline still couldn’t meet his eyes.

“I think I have lived my life love, now it’s time for me to retire forever”, Klaus smiled sadly.

"What? Where are you going? And what about your daughter?",

Caroline asked panicking slightly. She thought he might be joking to get a reaction out of her. Klaus couldn’t die, could he?

“I am doing this to save my daughter, love .”

Caroline couldn’t say anything. The words seemed to have stuck in her throat. She couldn’t believe he had changed so much. He was sacrificing himself. The big bad hybrid who had killed for his benefits was giving up his own life.

“I..I am sorry”, she whispered sadly.

“Sorry? What for, love?”

“I know how much she means to you Klaus. I know you wish to see her growing up and spend all your life protecting and loving her”, Caroline explained.

“It doesn’t matter what I wish for, sweetheart. I just want her to live, to live a long happy life, even if it is without me. I know that my siblings are going to take care of her after me. They will do everything to protect her, just like I would have”, a lone tear rolled down his cheek.

He could never hide his emotions from her - his Caroline.

“I am proud of you, Klaus”

Klaus looked at her in shock.
“You are?”

“I am. You have changed so much. You have finally found peace with your inner demons. You have become such a wonderful father and brother. How can I not be proud of you?”

Klaus looked at her lovingly, “I wish things were different. I would have loved to take you all around the world and show what you have been missing on”.

“I would have loved to accompany you this time”, Caroline finally confessed looking into his eyes that shone with so much love.

Klaus couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Caroline finally accepted him. She finally said she would go with him anywhere in the world.

He knew what she meant. She was in love with him...after so many years. But he also knew his time was almost up.

He just wished he had more time to spend with her, to prove her how much he loved her, her smile, her stubborn-ness, everything about her.

With that, he pulled her closer and smashed his lips with hers.