Chapter 6 – The Beginning to Forever

Caroline was trying hard to keep in her tears as she hugged Elena goodbye, she knew that she would see the girl again but she didn't know when. Bonnie had given her a nod, but hadn't said anything before she walked to wait in the car with Damon and Jeremy. When they pulled apart Caroline noticed that Rebekah was hugging Matt while Klaus shook Stefan's hand, all of them held small smiles on their faces.

"Goodbye Care, don't take too long before you come to visit." Elena said as she took a few steps back, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"I promise it will be soon." Caroline replied, wiping a stray tear from her face as she did.

Elena nodded, gave a quick glance to the car and said, "I'll talk to Bonnie, she will come around."

"Thank you Elena." Caroline responded and gave her another hug, they separated and she added, "Now go, before I decide to force you to stay here with me."

Elena let out a lite laugh before she turned and walked away.

Matt came and stood in front of her, "I know you know what you're doing, as long as it makes you happy, I won't try to change your mind."

"Thanks Matt, for everything." Caroline told him and gave him a strong hug.

Matt smiled at her, "I hope you come soon, remember, I won't live forever." He joked, and Caroline cracked a laugh.

Caroline nodded quickly before he turned and went to join the others in the car. Stefan was giving Rebekah a hug, and she could see he was also whispering something in her ear. She wondered what he was saying, but didn't want to pry into Rebekah's privacy, especially not when they were finally starting to get along.

She turned to look at Klaus, he was busy talking to Elijah, but both seemed happier than she had ever seen them together.

"This is your last chance to change your mind." Stefan's voice said from behind her.

Caroline turned, a smile on her face, "I think that chance passed a long time ago."

Stefan chuckled, "You're probably right, but you can't blame a guy for trying. I am going to miss you Caroline."

"I'll miss you too." Caroline said before giving him a hug, and added, "It isn't like you can't stay here too you know."

Stefan laughed again, "I can't leave Damon alone, who knows what kind of trouble he'll get into."

Caroline smiled at him as the separated, "Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where I'll be."

"And I won't forget the offer." Stefan agreed, and as he walked away, "I'm not going to say goodbye, just see you soon."

"See you soon Stefan." Caroline repeated as she watched him climb in the car before it drove away.

Klaus came to stand next to her, "Regretting it yet?"

Caroline turned to look at him, and gave him a sly smile, "Did you really think it would be that easy to be rid of me?"

Klaus let out a low chuckle and smiled at her, "I was certainly hoping not, I don't ever want to be rid of you."

"Good." Caroline replied with a smirk before turning to walk back into the house, Klaus following close behind.

Caroline was nervous as she sat in the Mystic Grill waiting to see her friends again since they had said goodbye in New Orleans two months prior. She spent the whole previous day talking with her mother, and explaining to her in person what she already had the over the phone. Caroline was surprised how understanding Liz was about her relationship with Klaus, and couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with her father.

"Hey Care." A voice said suddenly and Caroline was shocked to see who was standing in front of her.

"Bonnie, I thought you didn't want to speak to me ever again." Caroline answered as the former witch sat down in the chair across from her.

Bonnie sighed, and looked down at the table, "I was wrong to judge you so harshly. I should have trusted your instincts and your feelings. I let my own feelings about Klaus take over and forgot about my feelings for you. You're my best friend and I never should have said what I did. I can understand if you're still upset with me, or if you don't want to accept my apology. But I just had to come here and tell you, I'm sorry."

Caroline nodded her head, tears falling slowly down her face, "Bonnie, of course I accept your apology. I just needed to hear you say it."

Bonnie finally looked the blonde in the eye and saw tears that matched her own, "Are you sure?"

Caroline stood and walked around the table before she leaned down and gave Bonnie a long, comforting hug. After a few minutes Caroline released her friend and returned to her seat, both women took a moment to wipe the tears from their faces, before letting a little laugh.

"So, how is living in New Orleans with the Originals?" Bonnie asked as she finally regained her composure.

Caroline was about to speak when three people walking in the door caught her attention. She smiled and rose to her feet. Elena immediately brought Caroline into a hug while Matt and Stefan each took a seat at the table. The two women separated and each took a chair for themselves.

"It is great to see you Care." Stefan commented with a smile, "Now, answer Bonnie's question. We all want to know."

Caroline smiled, "It is actually quite amazing. New Orleans is a beautiful city, and every week seems to have a different event to celebrate. There is never a boring day."

"Yeah, that sounds fun, how is it living with the Originals?" Elena insisted, smirking at the blonde, "How are things going with Klaus?"

Caroline couldn't help but blush, "My relationship with Klaus is great, he is actually very sweet and caring when he wants to be. He has a surprise for me when I get back. Rebekah is still avoiding her feelings for Marcel, but she and I are getting along, so that's a plus. Elijah and Katherine are doing great. Katherine is becoming a vampire soon, her body is finally over all the trauma from the coma it was in." She paused and then asked, "How are things here in Mystic Falls?"

"They have actually calmed down for once, no one is trying to kill us. It's almost as if we are living a normal life again." Matt joked, smiling as the rest of the group laughed.

"Really?" Caroline asked, her eyes going wide, "There is nothing supernaturally evil going on at all?"

"Nope, the only supernatural people in town are us, and things are back to how they used to be." Elena answered, laughing at Caroline's confused face, "Maybe the trouble was just following you around Care."

"Don't even joke about that." Caroline scoffed before laughing along with the rest of them.

"How are long you staying?" Stefan asked when they had stopped laughing at her surprise.

"Just until tomorrow, then I really need to be getting back. I just came to see you guys and spend time with my mom, her birthday was yesterday." Caroline replied, smiling at them all.

"Well then, tonight you are coming over to our place and we are giving you a proper going away party." Elena told her, and with everyone in agreement, how could she say no.

Caroline felt lighter than she had in a long time as she walked back into the compound that housed the Mikaelsons. Her friends were finally supporting her and her mother had wished her nothing but the best while promising to visit her soon. Even Damon had seemed warmer to her than he had the last time they saw each other, though if she was honest she had never cared about he thought.

Klaus was waiting for her as she soon as she entered the courtyard, he smiled at her and said, "How was the trip?"

Caroline tilted her head and laughed at him, "Please, like you weren't watching me the entire time."

"I feel insulted by that accusation." Klaus replied, placing a hand over his heart while the smirk on his face revealed his true feelings.

Caroline laughed again and looked up to the balcony, "What did you think of Mystic Falls Diego?"

Diego chuckled and answered, "It was very lovely, quaint I would say. But if you knew I was there why didn't you invite me into the party?"

"I thought you'd want to keep your cover." Caroline replied with a smirk before she whispered to Klaus, "I would expect no less from you."

"I'm glad I didn't disappoint." Klaus responded, and grabbed the bag from her hand while placing a kiss to her cheek. As they walked up to their room, he told of her the night's activities, "Katerina has chosen tomorrow night, she has been very impatient, and annoying, in waiting for you for to return."

"I'm surprised she even agreed to wait for me at all." Caroline commented as she started to unpack her bag.

"I am pretty sure she was planning to break the agreement but then Rebekah told her that she would throw a party as long as she waited for you." Klaus explained, reclining on the bed and admiring the view as he watched her unpack.

Caroline turned to look at him, "You let Rebekah plan a party without me? I am insulted."

Klaus chuckled at her, "As if I was given a say in anything that happened, apparently my control is all an illusion and the women of this house are truly in charge."

Caroline smiled and kneeled on the bed next to him, "I'm glad you are smart enough to realize it." She leaned in and gave him a kiss.

Klaus took control and flipped her over, hovering above her he said, "I am also smart enough to know not to let a beautiful, intelligent woman leave my bed if I've managed to get her there."

Caroline giggled, and smiled up at him, "I believe you said you'd have a surprise for me when I came home."

"That love, will have to wait until after the party." He informed her before closing the gap and giving her a long kiss.

Any of Caroline's questions disappeared as she got lost in what his lips, and hands were doing to her.

Katherine watched as Klaus and Caroline talked in the courtyard from the library window and turned around to look at Elijah. She smiled and said, "She is back."

Elijah smiled at her excitement and asked, "I'm still surprised you agreed to wait for her return."

Katherine shrugged, "I guess I've come to think of her as my good luck charm."

"You and Niklaus both." Elijah joked, and then became serious, "Have you come to a decision on how you want to do it?"

Katherine shook her head, "I can't decide, there so many different ways to die, and all of them are painful. I can also only think of the ways that I've killed people, strangulation, suffocation, neck snapping, stabbing and all other ways there are. None seem like a good way to die."

"Neck snapping would be the quickest, and least painful." Elijah offered, it would be his preferred method, all the others seemed more brutal.

"I know that, but do I deserve a quick, painless death?" Katherine asked and joined Elijah on the couch.

"I think two painful deaths are enough for one person to endure." Elijah replied, and gave her a small smile, "Not to mention how many less permanent deaths you have experienced in the last 500 years."

Katherine nodded, and looked at her hands, "I am so ready to be a vampire again. I hate feeling weak and vulnerable."

"Tomorrow night you will be a vampire again, and then you won't have to have worry about feeling that way again." Elijah tried to comfort her, placing one of his hands over those in her lap.

Katherine looked up, and with a small smile said, "What if you turn me tonight, instead of after the party tomorrow? It would certainly be a surprise to everyone if I showed up already vampire."

Elijah looked her over carefully, "Are you sure that is what you wish? I thought your deal with Rebekah was one last party as a human."

Katherine shrugged, "I am sure that she will forgive me, there will still be a party after all. And I haven't broken any agreement, I waited until Caroline came home."

"Why are you in a such hurry? What's one more day?" Elijah asked, noticing that in the last week she had upped her desire to be a vampire more and more.

"I was a vampire for over 500 years Elijah. I have been a human again for months, and I miss who I used to be. This feels foreign and I'm afraid, afraid that any day something will happen and I'll just die. I want to be immortal again and I feel that each day we wait is a day we are wasting." Katherine explained and looked him straight in the eye, "Please, let's do this tonight."

Elijah nodded, he didn't see a reason to argue, "Have you decided on a way to do it?"

"Neck snapping, as you said it will be the easiest and quickest." Katherine told him and let out a sigh as she smiled at him.

Elijah brought his wrist to his mouth, biting down on it before bringing to her lips, "Just to be sure there is enough blood in your system." Elijah told her when she gave him a look, he had been slipping little bits of his blood to her just encase there was accident.

Katherine greedily sucked on his wrist, savoring the taste of his blood as it coated her mouth and throat. She pulled away and licked the blood from her lips, she was so focused on his face that she never saw his hands rise to her neck, and she barely felt any pressure as her head turned and everything went black.

Caroline sighed and rolled her eyes as she saw Hayley and Jackson come through the entrance to the courtyard. She looked over at Rebekah, "Did you really have to invite her?"

Rebekah laughed at her companion, "All the clans had to be invited if we want to keep the peace treaty." Rebekah glanced at the werewolf pair, "What is it about her that annoys you most? That she spelt with my brother or her personality?"

"Her personality." Caroline replied, "I really could care less that he spelt with her, we weren't together. I just can't stand her, she betrayed Tyler and all lose hybrids and she never faced any consequences. Plus, she snapped my neck, and I don't appreciate having my neck snapped. If she wasn't some stupid werewolf queen or whatever I'd have repayed her for that already."

Rebekah laughed again, "Well we only have to see her on occasions like this, and if it wouldn't cause a war I'd say I'd help you come up with a deadly way to repay her for snapping your neck."

"I just like to remember that she is just a werewolf and therefore won't live forever." Caroline replied with a laugh of her own.

"You know, if I knew you had this vindictive side maybe we could have been friends before this." Rebekah said with a smile before her eyes feel on a certain vampire.

Caroline followed the Original's eyesight and cocked her head, "When are you going to giving up this game and just accept that you still love him?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." Rebekah replied and looked away, "Where is our guest of honor? I haven't actually seen her all day."

"I'm sure she is being fashionably late. He still loves you too, you know. You are both just being so stubborn. I've talked to Klaus about it, he promises not to interfere in your love life anymore."

"I really don't know what you're going on about. That ship has long since passed and I have no desire to try for it again." Rebekah told Caroline but her eyes drifted back to Marcel nonetheless.

"Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?" Caroline asked before she walked off to find Klaus.

Rebekah looked at Caroline as she walked away, and the question bounced around her head as she glanced over the growing crowd below her. She had long ago given up hope of ever actually having a relationship with Marcel. She had watched him grow into a strong man, one she had fallen for in a different way than any other, but he never put her first. He chose becoming a vampire over being with her, and then when the plan with Mikael failed, he let her believe he was dead.

She heard Caroline laugh and focused her eyes on the bubbly blonde, she was talking with Davina and Josh. Klaus was standing right beside her as he held his own conversation with Marcel, she watched as her brother's smile shifted to something more when he glanced at Caroline. She was amazed that someone like her brother could change so rapidly just because of the affection of one person. It made her wonder if perhaps Marcel was able to change as well. There was no longer the threat of Klaus daggering her and killing him for their affair, which had always been the largest problem in the past.

Stefan had told her to follow her heart and be willing to accept love again, while apologizing for not being able to be that person for her. Rebekah wondered, now that she had some clarity on it all, if she only fell in love with Stefan because she was fresh off the loss of Marcel, and, at least in a way, that Klaus approved of him. Marcel had been almost a son to Klaus, where Stefan had been his friend. But all that didn't seem to matter anymore to her changed brother, and just because of Caroline.

Rebekah had never really believed that Klaus would find redemption, that had been always Elijah's platform, but now she could see that all he needed was love, and not the kind her received from his siblings. Caroline's love was something that Klaus had had to fight for, it was just given to him out of fear or family loyalty, and that was what caused him to change. Rebekah wished that she had seen what Caroline could do for her brother long before now, so many problems could have adverted. But Rebekah could see no point in dwelling in the past, she needed to look forward, and she didn't to decide if she would move forward alone or if Marcel would be allowed to join her. She had a safe bet on what the answer would be and went to test the waters.

Katherine was both excited and nervous as she waited the perfect moment for her grand entrance. Rebekah and Caroline had been trying to get ahold of her all day, after a while she gave in and simply sent them each a text to tell them she would be there tonight, but until then she needed to be alone. Elijah had been helping with the stall tactics as well but he was actually allowed to go out and speak to people. She couldn't help but wonder if some of them already suspected why she had hidden herself away all day, and she hoped the surprise wouldn't be horribly ruined.

Elijah gave two quick knocks on the door before entering, "Everyone has arrived, are you ready to go?"

"Do you realize that this is the true start to our future together? I am vampire again and there are no more obstacles standing in our way." Katherine told him, her smile huge, "I love you Elijah."

"I love you too Katarina." Elijah said and gave her a long kiss, he pulled away and asked, "So, are you ready?"

Katherine gave him a large smile, "As long as you are by my side, of course. Let's go to my party."

Elijah smiled at her in return and extended his elbow, "Please, allow me to escort you."

"I would expect nothing else from a gentleman such as yourself." Katherine replied and placed her hand on his arm, "Led the way."

Elijah nodded and together they left the room, walked the hall and made their grand entrance.

Katherine smiled at them all and waited until she had all of their attentions, "Thank you everyone for coming tonight. I know this was supposed to be a celebration of my last night as a human, but I'm afraid I got impatient. Instead, this will be a celebration of my successful transition into what I was always meant to be, a vampire." She then flashed them her fangs, earning a combination of surprise and laughter from the guests. She returned her face to normal and said, "Now everyone dance and enjoy yourself, this is a party after all."

That earned plenty of laughs and everyone returned to their previous conversations as the band began to play.

"How long did that speech take to come up with?" Elijah whispered as they walked down the stairs.

"About fifteen minutes." Katherine responded with a laugh, and was not surprised to meet up with slightly annoyed blondes at the bottom of the stairs.

"Why did you tell us you turned before the party?" Rebekah asked, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I wanted it to be a surprise, and seeing your faces made it all worth it." Katherine replied, her smirk never lessening for a moment.

Caroline rolled her eyes before leaning in and giving Katherine a hug, "I'm glad it worked out. Though, with Elijah has your sire I don't see how it could have gone wrong."

Katherine let out a small laugh before placing her hand back in Elijah's, "I share your belief. Now, come on, let's dance and have a wonderful night."

Caroline fell onto the bed feeling exhausted, the party had lasted until dawn, and she couldn't even remember parts of it.

Klaus laughed at her as he closed the door behind him, "Katherine sure knows how to make sure the party lasts forever."

"Never again are we letting her control the amount of alcohol I consume." Caroline commented as she rolled onto her side to look at him, "Though did seem to help Rebekah get over concerns about Marcel."

"I noticed, and as before I promise not to interfere." Klaus told her with a wink.

Caroline sighed and closed her eyes, "Good, I was hoping you were going to say that."

Klaus just laughed again and Caroline heard him open a drawer, "Now keep your eyes closed until I tell you."

"What for?" Caroline asked, but did as she was told.

"I have a surprise for you, remember?" He informed her and she felt the bed dip with his weight.

Caroline smiled and held her eyes shut even tighter. She heard what sounded the rustling of papers and made a confused face, she was assuming it would just be more beautiful jewelery.

"Open them." Klaus told her.

Caroline complied and her eyes went wide as she looked at what Klaus was holding, it was a plane ticket to Paris. Her shocked smile grew into one of awe and looked to him, "Seriously? Paris!"

"I promised you I would show the world. Everything is under control here. Marcel can easily run this place, and I'm sure Rebekah will be happy to help him, and Katarina is a vampire once again which makes Elijah happy. There is nothing preventing us from going." Klaus explained to her, a smile of his own gracing his features.

"Klaus this is absolutely amazing." Caroline replied and threw herself at him, giving him a long, deep kiss. She pulled away and took the ticket from where it had fallen on the bed, "When do we leave?"

"Whenever you wish. We can leave tomorrow, or in a week, whenever you feel ready to go." Klaus told her, his hand running over the small of her back.

Caroline smiled at him, "Let's leave in three days. That gives everyone here time to prepare, and me time to pack."

Klaus laughed at her excitement, "You don't need to pack too much, we can always buy more clothes in Paris."

Caroline nodded, and then asked, "Are we just going to Paris?"

"I do believe I said 'the world', Paris is just the first stop but we will stay in each place as long as you want." Klaus informed her, his eyes never leaving her face, he loved seeing how happy she looked in this moment and wanted to remember every detail so he could sketch it later.

Caroline bit her lip and uttered the words she had felt for a while now but was too afraid to say, "I love you."

Klaus' eyes went wide at the statement and then they softened and he smiled at her, "I love you Caroline, more than I think you know."

Caroline's smile showed on every inch of her face and she quickly kissed him, savoring the feeling of having everything out on the table and the promise of a wonderful future sitting just on the horizon.

AN: And that's all there is folks. If there is enough demand I'll do an epilogue of how things are going, but only if there is demand.

I hope this wasn't a disappointing ending, everyone is getting their own happy ending :)

Please don't be afraid to tell me if you liked it or hated it, all feedback is helpful in my opinion.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, and stick with it even though I took weeks or longer between each update.

If you liked what you read, don't be afraid to check out my other fics.

Thanks again to everyone who read, reviewed, followed and favorited this story. It was a pleasure writing for you.