Heart of the Ocean

by Erin Salvatore

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.

Note: I got the idea for this a while back. It's an AU (it was originally going to be an AU/AH, but I changed my mind), and the plot is this: While on the run from their father, Klaus and Elijah head to America aboard the RMS Titanic. It is here that they meet Katherine Pierce and Caroline Forbes and the seeds of romance begin to bloom.

Don't ask why I thought of this, but here it is. No spoilers, except it's not going to be a copy of the movie.

Chapter 1

Southampton, England, Wednesday, April 10, 1912

Klaus Mikaelson had a smile on his face as he looked at the luxurious ship in front of him. The reason he was so happy was because this was his ticket to salvation. He had been running from his vindictive father for centuries, and, after hearing that there was going to be a new ship heading to America, he got the idea in his head to use it as a means of escaping him. His brother, Elijah, looked at it as well, marveling at how grand it was.

"The humans weren't joking when they mentioned just how big this ship is," he said. "It's definitely not like the clipper ships of last century."

"It's not the size that impresses me, brother," said Klaus. "It's the fact that this will be our means of escaping Father. We have to be ahead of him at all costs, and he certainly won't be expecting us to use the Titanic as our getaway vessel."

Elijah then turned his attention to his brother. "While we're on this journey, Niklaus, it is in our best interest to blend in with the humans as much as possible. We have no way of knowing if they've got vervain on board to prevent vampires from compelling them."

"Point taken," said Klaus. "And as far as blending in, I shall pass myself off as a wealthy artist who is traveling to America in pursuit of my next greatest masterpiece." He smiled at Elijah. "And what will your alias be, brother?"

"My alias, as you put it, Niklaus, will be that of a professor who has been transferred to a university in America."

Klaus smirked. "Ah, excellent. I'll bet they'll be loving that up." He checked his pocket watch, seeing that the time read 11:45, fifteen minutes until departure. "Well, we should board. The ship is going to be leaving in fifteen minutes."

Elijah nodded and followed after his brother. He got another look at the marvelous ship as they walked up the first class walkway, glancing briefly at the third class passengers that were being screened for lice before boarding, finding it appalling that they were being treated like animals. Honestly, just because they were from a different social status, that didn't make it right to subject them to prejudice like that.

Elsewhere...

Another car pulled up and when the doors opened, out stepped Katherine Pierce and her friend, Caroline Forbes, a pair of lady vampires who had also booked a first class ticket aboard the luxurious Titanic. Caroline eyed it curiously as they walked toward the walkway for the first class passengers, the stewards carrying their bags.

"It's definitely everything we've heard about," said Katherine. "I tell you, Caroline, the things that the humans can create. If it isn't skyscrapers, it's ships."

"Is it true what they're saying about the ship being unsinkable?" the blonde vampire replied. "Humans do have the tendency to exaggerate."

Katherine laughed at her friend's skepticism. "Oh, Caroline, will you stop? I'm sure that they were telling the truth about the ship being unsinkable. Do you think that they'd be foolish enough to allow people to travel on a sinkable ship?"

"You have a point there."

"Of course I do," said Katherine. "Now, you know the plan, right? Blend in with the humans and try to show as much restraint as possible. After all, they could be using vervain to prevent compulsion. And, if anyone asks, we're a couple of wealthy orphan girls on our way to New York."

Caroline smiled and said nothing more as she and Katherine walked up the walkway, passing the third class passengers who were still being screened for lice. She scrunched up her nose at the sight of it, not exactly finding it to her liking. How paranoid were these humans anyway? Just because someone was of a different social status, that didn't give them the right to treat them like animals.

Once they got to the top of the walkway, they looked on their ticket to see where their staterooms were. They were on B deck, in room B57. Nodding, they headed down to their cabin, followed by the stewards that had carried the bags from the car.

Finally, at the stroke of noon, the Titanic was untied from the pier and slowly began to pull out of the harbor. Klaus smiled as he saw the onlookers waving goodbye to the passengers. Even though he didn't know a single soul, he did as the others did and waved.

The waving continued until the ship had left the harbor completely and once it was over, Klaus made his way to the stateroom that he and Elijah were sharing, room B59. He maintained his smile, mainly because he knew that this was going to be a most interesting journey for them.

Note: Thus begins my new story. Yes, there is going to be romance eventually, and I shall have them meet. For now, I'm just setting up the plot. And yes, Klaus, Elijah, Caroline, and Katherine are all vampires.