Chapter Text
KLAUS P.O.V.
Staring after Katherine and Hayley, I knew that we would have to figure out how it was possible for the baby to have survived the change. But right at that second I wasn't going to question a miracle. We could have used a couple of more of those.
"What was it that you wanted to talk about, Klaus?" Marcel said, snapping me back to the room.
"My family and I are going to be leaving town, I think." I said, leaning back and looking at Elijah pointedly. "Too much has happened here and I think it would be best for us to move on. Don't you?"
Marcel took a sip from his drink, eying me up and down as he did so. "Look, Klaus, I know we've had our differences. I know you don't like how I've been running New Orleans. And I definitely know that now is not the time to be discussing politics. But, I'd be willing to change things up. Maybe run some things by you while you're away from the city, get your opinion on things."
I smiled at him, knowing that the best thing to do would be to accept this truce. We needed more allies than enemies at this point. "I'd like that."
He stood up, and I followed suit. We both shook hands, and he placed his empty glass over on the bar before leaving the house.
I turned to Elijah, who had continued to sit in the chair. He looked up at me sadly. "Where are we going to next, brother?"
"I was thinking somewhere warm. Someplace nice for us all to relax and recover from what happened here. Maybe Italy, or Greece."
Elijah agreed, staying in his seat as I left the room and headed upstairs to my studio. I let out a small cry as I took in the painting I had been working on, my heart breaking and my calm façade dropping. I let the tears fall freely as I sat down and picked up the brush, working on my portrait of Caroline, trying to pour all of my love and heartache into the picture that came to life in front of me.
She smiled up at me from the picture, a conversation we had shared in private before she was taken came to mind, telling me that everything happened for a reason. I hoped she was right, because right now it felt like everything was going to fall apart.
I painted for hours, the sun rising high into the sky as I painted. It was mid-afternoon when I finally finished the portrait. Happy with how it turned out. Deciding that, although it didn't do her justice, it definitely captured who she was.
Groaning I stood up from my stool and grabbed the canvas in hand, opening the door and heading down the stairs. I wasn't surprised to see that everyone had started to pack and gather things ready to leave. I knew that my brother would work fast.
Hayley walked over to me, her eyes bloodshot from tears. "I'm so sorry Klaus. I can't help but feel that this is partially my fault. Caroline didn't deserve to die."
"It's not your fault, Hayley. If anything, it's mine. But, I know that Caroline wouldn't want anyone here to blame themselves. So, let's just try and…let's just get ready to leave."
"Everything we need, except for your things, are packed. We're reading to leave once Caroline's mum comes." Rebekah said, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.
I walked over to the sideboard that said across the wall. I placed the picture of Caroline down and turned to everyone. "Why don't you guys head off now? I'll wait here, and follow after you once she's come and gone."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'll meet you at the airport."
#
THIRD P.O.V.
Once everyone had left, Klaus made his way down the stairs to the basement where Caroline's coffin sat. It was sitting amongst the coffins of Kol, Finn, Esther, and Mikael. He reached for the lid, hesitating before deciding that he couldn't open it.
He gripped the gurney that it sat on and pushed it out of the room and carried it up the stairs, stopping it next to the portrait he had spent hours painting. He stared down at it for a few minutes before finally deciding that he did want to open the lid, then slowly lifted it up, holding his breath.
He let out a shaky breathe as he looked into the coffin. There, laying across the satin inlay was Caroline. Rebekah had changed her out of the filthy clothes she had been in, covering up the cuts and bruises across her stomach. She had also trimmed her hair so that it was in a short pixie bob. If he didn't already know she was dead, he would think she was sleeping. She didn't look dead.
He reached in and caressed her face, tears running down his cheeks as he felt her soft skin.
"I'm so sorry, Sweetheart." He whispered, leaning down to press a gently kiss on her forehead. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect you. I would give anything to change what happened. I'd give anything to have you back here with me."
On the other side of the coffin, staring directly as Klaus' tear-stained face, stood Caroline. Not that he could see her, her being a ghost and all. But she stood there nonetheless, tears filling her own eyes as she watched her mate mourn her.
"One day in the future, I'll see you again, Love." He continued, getting interrupted by a knock at the front door.
Both he and Caroline let out a sharp breath, Klaus closing the coffin and heading to the door with Caroline following unseen behind him. He opened the large door to find Liz Forbes and Matt Donovan, both of them having cried a fair bit on the long drive. Klaus stepped aside and let them both into the house.
Liz let out a sob at the site of the coffin and quickly wiped at her eyes, not wanting to show any weakness.
"How did this happen, Klaus?" She asked, turning on him with anger in her eyes. "You told me that she would be safe. That you wouldn't hurt her."
Klaus ran his hands through his hair. "I did everything I could do to protect her. The person who did this, he had leverage I couldn't foresee. I couldn't stop him."
"Who was it? Who killed her?" She sobbed.
Caroline stepped towards her mum, wanting to reach out and comfort her, but her hand went straight through her.
"His name was Andre. He's someone I've known for 500 years. I did something to hurt him back then, and he waited until now to retaliate. He…he found a way to get to Caroline through someone she trusted."
Liz looked at him with narrowed eyes, her mind racing. "Someone she trusted? Someone she knew gave her up?"
"I'm not going to tell you who it was. I know you'll hunt them down and kill them for what they've done." Klaus said, addressing both the Sheriff and Matt. "But, I think the best punishment is that fact that they'll have to live the rest of their lives knowing that they did this. This is their fault, and no one else's. If we kill them, then their suffering is over."
Liz nodded, looking down at the ground. Klaus moved over to where the coffin sat, picking the portrait up and handing it to Caroline's mum. "I painted this for the funeral. I thought it would be nice to have instead of a simple picture. I also, I felt like I had to do something else."
She took the painting and looked it over, Caroline standing beside Klaus trying to get a look as well.
"This is beautiful, Klaus. Thank you."
Klaus motioned for Matt to help him with the coffin, while Liz went outside to open the car door. They both grabbed ends of the gurney and wheeled it across the entrance.
"I'm sorry that this happened to her, Matt. I never intended for her to get hurt."
Matt looked up at him, his expression unreadable. "I don't like you, Klaus. But Caroline saw something in you. She wouldn't have been here if she didn't want to be."
Klaus nodded and they both wheeled the coffin to the car, lifting it up inside and securing it in place. Klaus spoke briefly to Liz again before they left, leaving him at the house alone. He went upstairs and packed a bag quickly, making sure he only grabbed the things he would immediately need, and then he headed downstairs to grab his car.
He locked the door, stopping on the porch to stare out at the horizon.
"No matter what happens, I love will love you always."
Caroline stood next to him, wishing that he could hear her. "…and forever."