Hello, my lovely readers. We're finally at the end. On with the show…

Epilogue: Keep Holding On

Five Year Later:

"Ree-ally!" Caroline Mikaelson shouted from the sideline of the little league soccer game. Grabbing the whistle from around her neck, she blew it so hard other parents had to cover their ears. A head of curly red-ish-blonde hair popped up, a pink pout pointed at the mother-soccer coach before the four-year-old trudged toward her mother.

"Sorry, Mommy," Patience Reley Mikaelson raised her large eyes, so much like Klaus' to look up at Caroline. "I didn't mean to kick the ball sooo hard. I can't help it." Nudging the dirt at her feet with the toe of her cleat, she glanced back up at Caroline with a look of guilt.

"Honey," Caroline bent down and placed her hands down on the slender shoulders of her little girl. "I know you didn't mean it. You just have to be careful." She watched Reley—who used her middle name thanks to family members going "Really!" when the child forgot herself and used her powers.

A voice came from field. "Mom! Send her back in!" NiKai Kol Mikaelson shouted, his hands on his blue shorts, his eyes wide with exasperation, "We're winning!" He sounded so much like Klaus. And his short curls and dark eyes made him look just like a miniature version of Klaus, too.

"This will only hurt for a moment," the doctor had said and Caroline felt the pinch of the needle entering her middle. She went behind Klaus' back to have this test done, just to be sure. She had to know that these were their children and that Silas would never haunt their lives again.

A week later Klaus was standing in the living room of their new apartment. His eyes pinned Caroline as she approached. "Hi," she greeted him, dropping her bag on the floor.

"Caroline, you received a piece of mail today." Klaus removed a wide envelope from the coffee table. He tapped it against his fingers and Caroline gulped. "Do you have something you want to tell me, darling?"

Caroline closed her eyes. "I had to know, Klaus."

'And now we will," Klaus said, handing her the envelope.

Eyes widening, Caroline gaped at the lip of the envelope which waved at her. She narrowed her eyes. "You opened it?"

Klaus shrugged. "You were dishonest with me. I did not think I needed to oblige your need for privacy given it is my business as much as it is yours."

Stifling a whole slew of retorts that entered her head. She needed to read the results. "So, are you happy?"

Klaus gave her a blank look.

Puffing out a sigh, Caroline removed the results and looked them over. They slipped to the floor and she began to cry. "Tell me you're happy, Caroline," Klaus said, catching her before her knees could give out.

"I love you, so much." Caroline lifted her face to find Klaus' lips. "I love you, Klaus." She gave into the pleasure of their embrace. Silas was dead. Silas lied. Klaus Mikaelson was the only father her children had, genetically and otherwise, and Caroline could finally be free.

"Aunt Caroline!" Constance Caro Mikaelson shouted, stomping her foot and throwing her arms up in the air. "Give her back!"

"Coming, C. C.!" Reley!" shouted, waving to her cousin and turning to Caroline. "Can I?" she begged, hands clasped together.

"Yes," Caroline nodded, grabbing a bottle of water from her side. Her eyes fell on Elijah Niklaus Mikaelson. After a long discussion, Hayley and Elijah had compromised with a family name to end their arguments which became useful for Caroline and Rebekah who also chose to honor family—and friends in Caroline's case—with combinations of Rebekah's Hayley's and Caroline's name for their daughters.

The little boy's eyes were focused on his book: Frog and Toad. Eli didn't enjoy sports like his cousins did. "You okay, kid?"

"Yeah," Eli nodded before turning back to his book. Caroline grinned and turned her attention back to the game. They had a ritual to get to tonight. Let the kids enjoy the day.

~0~

Opening the front door of the Mikaelson family home, Caroline watched the kids run in in front of her. She had her hands full of groceries and she entered the house which had entire wings closed off for renovation.

Esther and Caroline were in the midst of opening a new school for kids like Reley, NiKai, Eli and C. C. And post-graduation, Caroline found she needed more from her life than to be a stay-at-home mom. After much discussion with Esther, opening the school seemed like a good idea. At first Mikael had disapproved but they won him over.

~0~

"Every day the children grow in power, Mikael," Esther cried over a family dinner.

Mikael shook his head. "The family business is how we make our income. It is how we've always done thing."

"But we can be better. For the kids," Caroline argued.

Mikael frowned, twirling his fork. His eyes went to two-year-old Eli who flicked mash potatoes at Klaus who let out a surprised laugh. The hint of a smile tugged at the edges of his lips. He looked at Elijah who carefully extracted the fork from his son's hand. Elijah let out a cry and Hayley pulled him out of his high chair.

Sighing, Mikael looked at the twins, Reley and NiKai who were sitting in high chair between their parents. Reley began to hum and the light went off. "Again?" Rebekah cried.

"Reley!" Caroline said. The lights came on and Mikael nodded.

"I suppose you can give it a trail run," Mikael told his wife and daughter-in-law. "But if it fails, you will have to do the clean up."

"Fine," Esther agreed, smiling at Caroline.

~0~

"You're home," Esther said, catching C. C. before the child could run past her. "Give grandmother a kiss, love."

C. C. kissed Esther on the cheek. "TV?"

"Of course. But only for an hour. You'll need to be ready for tonight," Esther said, setting C. C. down.

"Did you make cookies, Grandmother?" Reley asked, bouncing up and down on her toes.

"Yes. I did. Chocolate chip," Esther told the children.

"Yay!" they cried before running toward the kitchen.

After graduation, Caroline talked Hayley and Rebekah in to moving into the Mikaelson family home. It just seemed safer for all of them to be under the same roof, most of the time. Right now, Hayley and Elijah were down in New Orleans, helping to show that the new hybrids were not a threat to the supernatural world. And they would also be doing some recruiting for the new school.

Phone ringing in her pocket, Caroline pulled it out and glanced at the screen. "Hey, Marcel," Caroline greeted him. "How's the play going?"

"It's going to happen," Marcel replied. He'd been penning his own play about growing up as the son of a single, working mother and the love of a two-person family.

"Great." Caroline smiled. "You deserve this." He'd be back home, from New York, along with Elijah and Hayley tonight.

"Rebekah home?" Marcel inquired.

"Not yet." Caroline checked the clock on the wall. "She'll be here in about two hours. Her last class ends in an hour." Rebekah had opened her own yoga studio by day and used the space to meet with her growing coven of witches at night. Rebekah needed yoga to keep her inner calm…

Two weeks after the defeat of Silas, everyone in Caroline's group had been trying to relax when a knock came on the dorm door. The three girls' eyes had flashed to the door. They were having a little alone time, just the three of them today.

"I'll get it," Hayley said, her shoulders squared. Caroline stood by Rebekah's bed, her arms folded over her chest while Rebekah sat on the edge, her fingers digging into the bed. "Hello?" Hayley sounded surprised.

"Ms. Marshall. Is Ms. Mikaelson in?" In all of the chaos, the girls had forgotten about Detective Nadol.

Hayley did not reply before Rebekah called out. "Let him in, Hayley." Standing up, Rebekah gave Caroline a hard look.

"Hello, Ms. Mikaelson. Is there any way we could speak in private?" the Detective asked, looking at Hayley who did not move and Caroline who just stared at him.

"My friends can hear whatever you have to say to me," Rebekah retorted.

Sighing, Nadol took off his hat and held it between his hands. "Ms. Marshall, the door, if you will?" Hayley closed the door and moved to flank Rebekah. "Look, Ms. Mikaelson, I came to inform you that we found the body of George -. According to the coroner, he'd been dead since the night that he… Well, I'm assuming he raped you, Ms. Mikaelson…?" The question hung in the air.

Nodding to himself. Nadol seemed to have all the answers he needed. "I wanted to tell you that we took DNA from the body and were able to link him to a series of unsolved rapes and murders in the area. You, Ms. Mikaelson ended the life of not a man, but a vicious monster. And I've chosen to mark his case closed. You won't ever have to hear from anyone about this, in your life, again."

Dropping onto her bed, Rebekah let out a choking sob. "Thank you," she uttered.

Nadol nodded and Hayley led him back to the door, shutting it behind him. Together, she and Caroline wrapped Rebekah up in a fierce hug. Rebekah was free from one more nightmare, but her trauma would last for much longer and would be a battle she would have to find outlets for.

Shaking her head, Caroline returned to her conversation with Marcel, listening to him with her full attention. "I should be there about that time," Marcel replied. "If the plane doesn't get held up."

"See you then," Caroline replied.

"Bye, Care." Marcel hung up.

A sudden movement from behind Caroline had her spinning on her heel to avoid an attack, pure instinct putting her on edge when she came face-to-face with her loving and devoted husband of four years. "Hi, honey!" Klaus said, picking her up and kissing her.

"Hi, love," Caroline attempted to imitate his accent and failed.

Laughing, Klaus set her on her feet. "Uncle Nik!" Eli came running from the kitchen with a cookie in his hand. "I read your new book!" the little boy cried with a huge smile. Eli would grasp that creating the illustrations for a book did not equal writing one soon.

"You did?" Klaus bent down to be eye level with Eli. "Did you like it?"

"I love dragons!" Eli told him with a wide smile. "Aunt Caroline, did Mommy and Daddy call yet?" His eyes pinned Caroline to the spot.

Caroline glanced at her phone. She stopped herself from looking worried. Hayley and Elijah could handle themselves. No need to worry. Yet. "Eli, I'm sure they're just a little bit busy. They'll be home for the ritual." Glancing at Klaus, she added, "How about you and Uncle Klaus go to the art studio and he can show you the new book he's working on?"

"I am?" Klaus' confusion disappeared in a second. "You're right. A sequel to the dragon story. Come, Eli." He held out a hand and Eli took it. The little boy's eyes were clouded with worry.

Gritting her teeth, Caroline sent a quick text to Hayley: "Eli's worried. Hurry home. Please!"

~0~

Hours later, Caroline stood in the middle of the living room. The kids were lined up in the row, Reley looking pleased with herself. NiKai to his sister's left. C. C. next to NiKai, holding back a yawn. And Eli, who kept looking at the doorway, his frown deepening by the minute.

"Hello, darlings. Guess who brought presents?" Kol Mikaelson called, entering the room.

"Kol!" Klaus thundered as the kids began to break from their formation. "Children, later!" he called to them.

"Daddy!" NiKai complained, folding his arms over his chest.

Kol plopped bags down at his feet. "Soorrry." He didn't look sorry as Rebekah glared at him from her place on a couch. Her fists were clenched. She'd been the most resistant to the ritual, although she'd agreed to it in the first place. "Shut it, Kol!" she snarled.

"Good to see you too, Sister," Kol replied, plopping down beside her.

"Where is your fairy?" Rebekah demanded.

Kol glowered. "Davina is not a fairy."

"No. And you're not a leprechaun. I don't know why Davina did not go through with her threat. You stalk the poor girl for years –" Before Rebekah could continue her litany, Kol jumped in.

"She's thousands of years old!" Kol protested.

Rebekah scoffed. "And she'll probably turn you into a toadstool one of these days."

"He deserves it," Marcel's voice came from the doorway.

"Marcel!" Rebekah leapt to her feet and ran to her husband. You'd think they'd not seen each other for years, not a couple of days.

"Daddy!" C. C. broke from the formation and ran to her father.

"Not again," Esther sighed. She would have to redo the preparation to the ritual, for the fifth time.

"How you doin' baby?" Marcel asked C. C.

"Good, Daddy." C. C. laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm going to her in a rit-u-al."

"Yeah." Marcel looked at Rebekah. "You sure about this?"

"Yes." Rebekah's one word sounded forced.

Before Caroline could add anything the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." She forced herself to her feet and walked to the front door. Kai Parker, Bonnie Bennett and Katherine Pierce stood in the doorway. "Hi, Bonnie," Caroline greeted the girl she'd known most of her life first. For a moment Caroline's thoughts turned to Elena, Bonnie's best friend. She was touring Europe with Damon and Stefan.

The couple had found Stefan on a remote island off the Caribbean Islands. Stefan had little clue of how he'd ended up there and had little hope of being found when Damon and Elena had shown up. Damon had sent Caroline messages, detailing what happened and a photo where Stefan resembled Tom Hanks in Castaway with a long, shaggy beard and major memory loss, thanks to Silas.

Damon had relayed to Stefan what Silas had done in his brother's place and Stefan, in his horror, decided to forgo the trip home, anytime soon.

Caroline forced her mind back to present matters. Bonnie looked like she'd come into her own. She exerted a newfound confidence. Her long silk dress made her look an adult, rather than the college coed Caroline last saw. "Hello, Caroline," Bonnie even sounded older, but her eyes twinkled with light and when she smiled; Caroline felt relieved.

When Bonnie announced she would be going to stay in Seattle, in Kai's reclusive home—to study under him—Caroline had closed her mouth. She had no right to object to Bonnie's decision.

"Just be careful with him," Caroline had said. And it looked as if Bonnie's time had been well-spent.

"Hello to you, too, Caroline." Kai grinned. "Everything ready for us?"

"We'll be ready soon," Caroline replied.

"Great," Katherine smirked at Caroline. "Does that mean you'll let us in then?"

"Oh Yes. Sorry." Caroline moved out of the way, allowing the witch, the siphoner and the vampire into her family's home. If any of them tried to hurt her kids, they would never leave the premises.

Moving to shut the door, Caroline gasped when Davina shimmered into existence before her eyes. "Davina, you scared me!"

"Sorry." Davina did look sorry. Then she smiled and Caroline felt better. "Can I come in?" Nature's enforcer, or whatever title she went by today did not need an invite.

"Sure." Caroline stood to the side, allowing the teenage-looking girl inside.

"Don't worry. No one will hurt the little creatures," Davina said, still smiling on their way back to the living room.

Caroline would have objected to her children being referred to as creatures if she did not walk into the living room to see Kai and Katherine on their knees in front of her kids. Her heart went to her throat and she let out a muffled cry. The kids were focused on the siphoner and the vampire.

"Bless them with these gifts. Open the door. Allow the chosen ones to grant them what they seek," Bonnie chanted, sitting behind Kai and Katherine, her thumbs pressed to the base of their bent necks. "Let it pass from the worthy to the desirous ones." The room began to glow, a light so powerful that Caroline was blinded by it coming from the children's hands as they held their clasped hands together.

"Wow," Caroline sighed as the light dimmed a fraction and she could see Reley, place her small hand on Kai's head and then on Katherine's. "Your gift opens when upon first sight," the child chanted. NiKai, C. C. and Eli went through the same process.

When it ended Kai opened his eyes and stood up. He flexed his fingers. "Time to find out if it worked. He left the room with Bonnie.

Katherine smiled and looked at Caroline. "You can stop worrying now."

"Worrying?" Caroline gave Katherine poker face.

"That bit about feeding me to –" Katherine stopped and patted Reley's head. "No need. They're safe. Thank you, little ones." She offered the kids a smile before she disappeared.

"She read my mind," Caroline breathed.

A series of fireworks came from outside. Klaus went to the window and pushed back the curtains. Kai was setting off fireworks…with his hands. "Kai!" Caroline called through the window. To her surprise he turned to face her with a brilliant smile.

"Sorry," Kai called back. He let his hands fall to his sides.

Klaus allowed the curtain to fall. "That was…"

"Are we too late?" Hayley cried, breathless as she ran into the room. Elijah was right behind her.

"Mommy. Daddy!" Eli cried, running to his parents.

"It's over. They're fine," Rebekah said, looking happy that the ritual ended. Kai had told them that, Silas' interpretation of the ancient text, had been flawed. The children's death would have had the opposite effect of what he wanted. Rather than unlocking his hidden powers, it would have ended in his own death, stripping him of his immortality. "Loopholes, got to love them," Kai had said, slamming a book closed with a smile.

~0~

Four months later, Caroline sat on the front porch. She had been reading a book on teaching and she closed it in disgust. Their models would not work for her new school.

"Hey, honey," Hayley called, coming out with a couple of glasses of lemonade on a tray and some cookies. She was pregnant, again, and this time with a little girl. "It is hot out here!"

"It is." Caroline nodded. "Thanks." She took a glass and looked down the street. Kids were playing in their yards. Her own kids were taking a nap.

"I'm going to go in and grab some lemons. I can't stop sucking them," Hayley said thoughtfully.

"Okay," Caroline shut her eyes.

Klaus had gone to work hours ago. He helped children who were blind make hand-paintings at the local elementary school on a part-time basis. He should be home within the hour.

A silence made Caroline stir. Opening her eyes, she peered up at the tall blonde haired woman who glared back at her. "Hello?" Caroline said, getting her feet. Before she could say another word, the woman lifted a hand Caroline sank to her knees, screaming in pain.

"May you never know the moon again," the woman said, closing her fist and Caroline felt her acute vision dim, just a tiny bit. Still. She could feel it. And she could no longer feel her wolf. "No…" she moaned as the woman moved away from her. "No…" And then all was darkness.

The End… For Now

Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.

Peace,

J