Family Above All

by Erin Salvatore

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story belongs to me.

Note: Okay, everyone, I'm going to write the sequel to "When You Least Expect It." This has taken a while, since I had to figure out the ages of the children at the end of the story. Now that I have, I'm going to go ahead with it while it's still fresh in my head. All of the pairings, including Klaroline, are involved, and the plot takes place 13 years later.

ENJOY!

Chapter 1

Mystic Falls Medical Center…

Klaus Mikaelson hummed as he walked down the hall to his office. It was a pretty light day so far, which he didn't mind all that much. Having no new patients to speak meant he could go on his rounds and check in on the current patients he was seeing. The past thirteen years had been very good to him. He had met and married his wife, Caroline Forbes Mikaelson, who was still a wedding planner, and he absolutely loved his children, Liam, who was now 15 years old and starting his sophomore year at Mystic Falls High School, the 13-year-old twins, Anastasia and Lillian, who were now in eighth grade at Mystic Falls Middle School, and the youngest, 8-year-old Christian, was in third grade at Mystic Falls Elementary School.

On top of that, he had allowed his biological father, Ansel Bradbury, to come back into his life following some trouble with his heartless bitch of a mother. Honestly, Klaus couldn't have asked for a better life than this.

Upon arriving at his office, he opened the door and discovered that someone was sitting in one of the swivel chairs in front of his desk. His curiosity got the better of him and he approached the chair. Before he could say anything, the chair turned and he saw…

"Father? What are you doing here?"

Mikael Mikaelson gave his stepson a sad smile. "Hello, Niklaus. I hope I didn't startle you too much."

"Well, I must say, this is a rather unexpected surprise," said Klaus. "Not that I don't enjoy seeing you, which I certainly do, but I would like to know what brings you here today." He got nervous. "Is Eleanor all right?"

"She's fine, and so are Sabrina and Olivier."

Klaus sighed in relief, but his curiosity was still piqued. "You haven't answered my question, Father."

Mikael hesitated, not sure how exactly to say what he wanted to say. On the same token, he couldn't withhold information from him. He took a few deep breaths and then gave Klaus perhaps one of the most serious looks he had ever given him.

"I need your help, son."

"With what?"

"Do you remember when I had throat cancer last year?"

Klaus nodded, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Yes, it was a horrible time for all of us, Eleanor especially. But, thankfully, you achieved remission."

"It's come back, I'm afraid," said Mikael. "I had a horrible cough last week and I thought it was just a cold that I'd be better in a few days. However, that wasn't the case, so I went to my doctor to see what the problem was. When he told me the cancer had returned, I was devastated."

"Does...Does Eleanor know about this?"

Mikael shook his head. "No, I haven't told her. I didn't want to put her through that hell again, Niklaus. It was bad enough seeing her suffer the first time this happened. If she has to go through it again, it'll destroy her."

"With all due respect, Father, I think you should tell her," said Klaus. "If you love her, she has to know."

"Are you questioning my love for your stepmother after all these years?" said Mikael. "I would do anything for that dear woman. I'm sure that you'd do anything for your Caroline, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would," said Klaus. "Caroline means the world to me, as do my children. There is nothing in this world I wouldn't do to ensure their happiness." He sighed. "Look, Father, I know you think you're protecting Eleanor by keeping this from her, but at the same time, you're also hurting her. She's going to want to know so that she can help you."

For a few minutes, there was silence between them as Mikael considered his options. He knew Klaus was right, but he wasn't sure how to break it to Eleanor. She had been his whole world since they met, and he had done everything in his power to make sure that he was a devoted husband to her. They had their ups and downs at times, but that only made him love her more.

"You are really good at what you do, Niklaus," he said finally. "It's not surprising that they respect you around here." He sighed. "All right, I'll break the news to Eleanor. I just wish it wasn't so hard."

"No one said being in love is easy," said Klaus. "But, whatever happens, we'll get through it the way we've always gotten through everything, together."

"Yes, together," said Mikael. "I'm sorry I had to thrust this on you, son."

"There's no need to apologize," said Klaus. "The most important thing is that you're here where you'll receive the best care possible."

Mikael smiled and got up from the chair, going over to Klaus and hugging him. Klaus returned the hug and gently rubbed the older man's back. While it was comforting to know that he was helping his stepfather in his time of need, at the same time, he also wondered if Mikael was going to get through it this time. Last time, he had been lucky, but cancer was an unpredictable disease, regardless of what kind it was, and it worried him.

No, Niklaus, you can't think like that, his thoughts scolded him. It's true you may be in for a long, hard road, but you have to do whatever you can to make sure he gets the best care in the world. Up until Ansel came back into your life, he was the only father you ever knew, and you owe him a debt greater than you'll ever be able to repay.

Note: There you have it, the start of the sequel to "When You Least Expect It." And it's a rocky one, to say the least. Anyway, enjoy and stay tuned!