"Come on in!"
Caroline followed him inside.
"So," Klaus sat down in front of Caroline, a man came and served her a coffee,
"Really? Klaus...Servants?" She shook her head.
"How, all of a sudden, there are so many cures available?" Klaus ignored her comment, and went on.
"Okay…..Can you send him away?" She asked.
"Oh..Okay.." Klaus, confused as he was, did what Caroline asked him to do. He waved a hand, and the man disappeared.
Caroline took a sip of her coffee, looking at Zach who was sleeping on the couch beside her.
"Is this so secretive, love?"
"Actually….Very." Caroline took a big gulp of the coffee. After six hours of driving, it felt like heaven. "Klaus, this has to be a secret."
"Okay...I'm intrigued, Caroline!" Klaus sat up straighter. "I'll take it to my grave….."
Caroline snickered,
"When Katherine gave birth to Zach." She told him, "The cure went in him, and since Stefan was a vampire then...."
"His blood is the cure." Klaus Mikaelson stood up, he was shocked. "And when he dies, the cure will be available forever, since he has the blood of a vampire."
She looked at him.
"And if people knew that he was there….They would come after him." He turned back at Caroline.
"Say what, Caroline…" He looked straight at her. "What is the word about Zach in your town?"
He asked.
"I compelled everyone, everyone thinks he's dead." She looked at Klaus, tears formed in her eyes. "Even Stefan."
He took her hand.
"They are holding a funeral today."
"Love...That is the safest thing you could do for him." Klaus told her, "The most cruel thing for his parents…."
He smirked.
"That is not funny, Klaus."
Klaus laughed. He turned around, Caroline's lips trembled, she had tears in her eyes.
"What happened, love?" He asked.
"It's not funny." She repeated, in a hoarse whisper this time.
He held her.
"I'm sorry." He whispered, she was truly distressed by what she had to do. "It'll be okay….Soon, love."
She nodded.
"You have to change his name, Caroline." Klaus told her, "You did this much….You have to change his name….Not many have seen him, but his name is recognizable."
She nodded,
"But I have taken everything from him," She told him. "His parents," She thought of Stefan. "His town." She thought of Mystic Falls. "His Uncle." She thought of Damon Salvatore.
"You can give it back, as soon as he is safe." Klaus told her. "You have to change his name."
She looked at him.
"I can't…" Her eyes formed tears, "You do it,"
"How about we just change it from Zach Salvatore to Zach Mikaelson?"
"Mikaelson?" Caroline was shocked. "Really? Klaus?"
"Well, you did bring him to the Mikaelson house for protection." Klaus told her, "Since I am not known for having an orphanage in my home…."
Caroline shook her head softly.
"He's just the same age as Hope." Klaus continued, "We'll just say they are twins."
Caroline stood up.
"Oh My God!"
"What?"
"I can't believe it is you saying that!" She went over to the other side of the room. "I can't believe…"
She looked at Klaus,
"Really?" She asked again.
"For an innocent child?" Klaus looked at the sleeping baby, like his own daughter….he had the innocence on his face, something he had grown to love.
He smiled. Something he had lost. All the good they had, and he had lost most of it.
"Why not?"
"Thank you, Klaus…" She smiled. "I can't believe you…."
Zachary Lorenzo Salvatore became Zachary Lorenzo Mikaelson and settled down in the Mikaelson Compound.
Caroline met Kol Mikaelson for the first time then.
Hayley was holding Zach, and Caroline was holding Hope, sitting in the living room, when he came upstairs.
"How is my beautiful niece?" He stood in front of Hayley and looked at Zach. "And who are you?"
"Kol…" Klaus stood in the doorway, "That's not Hope."
Hayley smiled.
"She isn't?" Kol asked. "I thought the wolf was the mommy?"
Hayley snickered.
"This is Hope." Caroline told him.
"And who are you?" He asked Caroline.
"Caroline Forbes."
"So, you finally got her here." Kol turned back to Klaus, who grinned.
"I sure did."
"Have we met?" Caroline asked, surprised. She hadn't met him before.
"Not really!" Kol confessed, "But we all refer you to the blonde girl who turns down Nik all the time."
Caroline laughed.
"So, who is this?" Kol asked, looking at the baby in Hayley's hands.
"Zach Salvatore."
Caroline shot Klaus a look, and Klaus looked at Hayley. He came inside, sitting in front of Hayley.
"He is going to Zach Mikaleson for a while, little wolf."
"What?" Hayley jumped softly.
"He is in trouble." Klaus explained. "It's just a cover, for some time."
Hayley nodded. Kol Mikaelson listened intently.
"This a secret, Kol." Caroline told him, "Can you please do that?"
"What will I get in..." Kol started to ask mischievously, Klaus gave him a nasty stare. "But anything for Nik's girlfriend, if I am not daggered."
Klaus smiled.
"See, love." He told Caroline, "No one is telling anyone."
Caroline put down Hope in the crib, because she fell asleep. Hayley followed her,
"I need to go to the town…" Caroline told Hayley, "Can you take them?"
Hayley nodded,
"I'll keep them tonight." She told Hayley.
"Yes...I am invited to the Bayou." Hayley told her, "I am going to need you to Hope for the whole night."
Caroline nodded.
"Hold on!" Kol Mikaelson jumped up, "I'll come with you!"
"Why?" Klaus asked.
"Since, I haven't seen it in a hundred years, I thought I might." Kol snickered at Klaus. "I think Caroline might show me around."
"No…" Klaus tried to interject.
"Of course, I will." Caroline shook her head, she turned towards Kol, "It's okay, Kol."
Kol smirked, and Klaus made an angry noise, Hayley jabbed an elbow in his chest, she didn't want Zach or Hope to wake up.
It's fine, Klaus!" She told him, "Caroline can take care of herself, and Kol….he doesn't want to go back in that box...They'll be fine!"
Klaus Mikaelson, satisfied with the explanation Hayley gave him, and settled down with Hope in his arms, and laid back on the couch.
"She better not wake up!" Hayley hissed at him.
"She won't!" Klaus smiled at his daughter who
was making faces in her sleep.
Hayley smiled, as she went out. Klaus couldn't see her.