Chapter 2

It had been 5 years since Klaus and Caroline had last seen each other: however, even though they both continued to live as if nothing had happened, they had never spent a day without thinking about each other. The moment of the day when this happened in a particular way was the night, when they both looked out the window, perhaps hoping to see the other. They knew very well that this would not happen and so then, a little disappointed, they moved away from that now "their" place and went back to the usual chores. One night of hers, something changed in her gaze, something took her where she swore she would never go: to him. Caroline, as soon as she arrived in New Orleans, was overwhelmed by the wonderful atmosphere that filled the air, but without wasting a moment, she began the search she had decided to undertake.

"You, come slowly towards me and don't scream. Can you tell me where I can find Klaus Mikaelson? " Caroline asked forcefully to a passerby.

"Yes, he lives in the Mikaelson villa not far from here, outside this neighborhood; but you can also find it in the bar down the street "he replied calmly.

"Thanks a lot. Now he goes home and forgets this conversation ".

As Caroline was about to head for the mansion, not far away she heard two people laughing and talking. Suddenly her heart stopped because she recognized that voice and she would be able to recognize it too among a million people. It was him. He was her him. As she approached, she saw a scene that stunned her: her heartbeat slowed to a stop, she could no longer move. The one just seen of her hurt more than a wooden stake driven into her heart; everything, every emotion, she had lost color and vanished into nothing, the very nothing that now surrounded her. She disappeared before he could notice her; however, that scene remained so vivid in her eyes that, like a bad dream, she continued to cloud her mind. Klaus had moved on in her life keeping his promise to her, without fear of letting the numb part of her prevail, her strength to be respected, without remorse over the choices made ... without her. For the first time he had won: he had his city, his family at his side and his beautiful and beloved child. For his part, however, Klaus, he knew that having everything but not the person you would like to share every day with, didn't mean being happy. He kept telling himself that he was fine now, that leaving her free was the right choice for her, but ... if it wasn't really like that? The thought that didn't go away drove him crazy. The first few days he had killed so many people that it was difficult to count them, he had brought out the animal side of him and no one approached him for fear of receiving the same lesson, only her daughter was able to give her a little peace. He did nothing but think of her and sometimes this led him to make gestures not to be proud of: it was just then that he understood that Caroline brought out the best part of him; an observation that, once again, confirmed how much she missed him. He would have done anything to have her there, by her side and he knew he could do it, but he wanted things between them to go differently, he wanted her to come to him, freely, for her choice of hers.

In recent years he had tried to forget her, he had tried to move forward with other women too but he had failed, the only failure he allowed himself. The hours were always too long and the days seemed to never end: he was tormented, distressed and no one could get him out of the abyss into which he had fallen. Yes, she was at least trying, she knew well that Klaus's heart did not belong to her ..

"Will you grant me this dance?" she asked laughing at Klaus.

"It would be an honor," Camille replied with tears in her eyes from so much laugh.

They spent a lot of time together because one made the other feel good, even if in any case, that emptiness left by Caroline, that sense of loneliness from which she could not free herself, only her daughter was able to fill it.

Caroline would never have expected Klaus to succumb to the charm of any woman other than her. She had felt rejected and alone, just now that she had decided to reclaim what she felt about her. Despite her luck that he hadn't seen her, she had spent a sleepless night, turning and tossing around in her bed, unable to hold back her tears. At dawn, unfortunately, she had to admit her inadmissible: she loved Klaus despite what she had done in the past and despite what she had seen, she loved him for how she managed to feel free and vibrant with him. Simply put, she was in love with him. It was precisely for this reason that her "betrayal" of her was worse than a thousand splinters that pierced her body. Klaus had taught her a lot, and she finally realized that she had a lot more power than she thought. Only then did she realize that she had been too unfair to him: nothing should have gone this way.

As she drove down the driveway to the private estate, she Caroline struggled to relax. It was time she was waiting for. When she got out of the car, she found herself in front of a spectacular villa in an antique style but revived with colors. She knocked a couple of times but no one answered, she looked around and saw that there were no cars parked; she was about to leave when the door opened. Caroline was stunned when a little girl no older than 5 appeared at the door.

"Hello little one, where are your parents?"

"Mom and Dad are not there" she innocently replied the child.

"Can you tell me if this is the Mikaelson mansion?"

"Yes, this is it. Who are you looking for? "

"Don't worry, I'll drop by another time when your parents are home. But promise me not to open the door to strangers anymore, "she said with a maternal Caroline.

"But you are not a stranger!"

At those words, Caroline moved a little backwards not for fear of her, but for her astonishment that suddenly caught her. How did that little girl know her? Who was she?

In that brief moment, the little girl was joined by an adult who scolded her.

"Honey, how many times have we told you you don't have to open the door to strangers?"

"But uncle, I know her."

As soon as the little girl said that, he looked up and was as surprised as she was.

"Elijah!" Caroline exclaimed in surprise.

"Caroline! Sorry for my bad manners, just sit down and sorry if I didn't recognize you right away "Elijah promptly replied.

"No do not worry. You have every right to be surprised and then why would you have known it was me? "

"Eeh .. I ... I never stopped hoping for this day to come," Elijah admitted embarrassed.

There was a moment of silence in which both did not know what to say, but luckily the little girl was not lacking in words.

"You are Caroline, then?" she asked softly.

"Yes, and who are you?"

"I'm Hope Mikaelson."

Those words were enough to make Caroline look up at Elijah, silently looking for answers to her questions. The little girl seeing that she no longer had attention on herself, she tried to take it back.

"You know my mom and my dad ..."

"Oh, right little one! Who are your parents? I know them?"

"Of course yes. My mom is Haley and my dad is Klaus, "she said with a beaming smile, proud of her parents.

Once again Caroline was stunned and speechless. Now her heart was bleeding and for the second time Klaus was the cause of this, she was killing her slowly. She had to get out of there, and now.

"You came for my dad," Hope asked, oblivious to the pain Caroline was in.

"I, uh ... I ..." Caroline couldn't answer, she had opened her mouth without being able to get the word out.

"Honey, it's not polite to ask for these things without having the forethought of manners," Elijah scolded.

"Sorry uncle," Hope replied sorrowfully with tears in her eyes.

"Quiet Elijah, don't worry. Sorry little girl, but how do you know me? "

"Because, from a very young age, she has always known who her parents are and how she came into the world, but also because ..." the little girl interjected and completed the sentence "because my dad told me about you, because he painted you and why I believe in fairy tales. And you are the princess who will save my dad ".

"So ... you know me ..."

"Sure, and I know you make my dad happy."

"Mom!!" the child screamed as she flung herself into her mother's arms.

"Hi Hayley!" in an instant Elijah was close to her and kissed her passionately: a gesture that made Caroline petrify and Hope rejoiced.

"So you are with Elijah and not with Klaus?" Caroline asked with a faint smile.

"I? Of course not! I'm with Elijah, and as far as Klaus is concerned, I'm just the woman who gave her a daughter, "Hayley admitted, blushing.

"Sorry, my head is popping. I'm not understanding anything anymore, "Caroline said ruefully.

Footsteps were heard in the distance, everyone knew who they belonged to and this only increased the embarrassment and anxiety: as soon as Klaus crossed the threshold of the house, silence gripped the room.

"Dad dad…."

"Hi Honey! Don't welcome me so happy and hopping because this time you won't be able to convince me to keep you up late and…. "

The sentence was broken as soon as Klaus saw Caroline. He could no longer utter a word and none of the forebodings in that room dared to speak. Klaus was impassive, petrified and couldn't get a word out of his lips. Caroline had managed to surprise him and for the first time she saw his vulnerability and fear. He had now given up on her and the dream of the two of them together, but once again she was in control of the situation by putting his back to the wall. Klaus hated not being in control and most of all he hated feeling so exposed.

For her he had risked losing everything to convince her that there was a good part of her in him too; however, whenever he approached her to show her parts of himself that no one knew, she pushed him away. And now she was there, she was there for him and this awareness came to him like frozen water, making him return to himself. No one had ever had the courage to contradict him, no one had ever dared to answer him and go against him, but she did. Caroline was the only woman who could stand up to Klaus, the only man who could make Caroline feel protected and free at the same time. Klaus and Caroline belonged to each other: it would have taken some time, perhaps, for them to admit it, but they knew that one was the strength of the other. None of them could have won a battle if they weren't together. They were able to compensate each other because in the absence of one, the other took over. This situation of silence was driving everyone crazy, so, once again, to save, or maybe not, the situation, it was little Hope who, regardless of her father's reaction, showed all her innocence.

Klaus looked at her daughter with eyes in love with her even though he was furious at her: he could never hurt her. Shortly after he looked at Elijah and Hayley who in the meantime had approached him and in their eyes he could only read the fear for the little girl, a look that hurt him a lot. He approached the girl, kneeling to be on the same level as her and, stroking her cheek flushed with her happiness, she couldn't help but laugh under the astonished gaze of Elijah, Hayely and especially Caroline.

"You should see your faces" she finally managed to say, laughing, Klaus.

"Just wait for me to take a little misstep to jump on me. It hurts me to see that, once again, you don't trust me, especially you, dear brother. Yeah ... what should I expect after all? "

"I didn't want to disrespect you and I absolutely didn't want to ..." Elijah immediately began to apologize

"No, brother. You have thought many times that I am not the best person to be a father, especially after the example we have had. It is true, I am not a good person and I have often committed gestures that I regret; but believe me when I tell you that I ... I could never, ever hurt my daughter. Yep, I know what you're going to say. "Klaus stopped Elijah before he even started speaking.

"As soon as I found out about her I went crazy, I was out of control, I even thought of killing them both, but ..."

"But he loves me," Hope admitted with a faint voice, going to hug her father.

"I know my dad is not bad."

The conversation destabilized everyone a bit, but in the end Klaus was able to admit in a weak voice "We need to talk". Everyone stood still, only Hope began to cry out happy cries as she saw her father and Caroline walk away and open, perhaps, that long-awaited glimmer of hope.