Hello, my lovely readers. The first chapter of this story was posted about a zillion years ago. Sorry about the long wait. On with the show…

Chapter 2: Getting on with It

Taking in a shallow breath, Klaus lay on his back on the bathroom floor. The tile was cool beneath him. At the moment all he wanted to do was lie here. He had absolutely no desire to drag himself from the space that he inhabited to join his mother and Caroline in the preparations for this evening's festivities. 'What was Caroline even thinking?' Klaus thought darkly as he turned his head to look out through the open doorway of the bathroom. Their apartment was far too small to be hosting a party. Why could the party not be hosted at the Salvatore's, like almost every other party had been since they turned?

Caroline was talking animatedly to his mother. His girlfriend was hanging a string of lights from the ceiling. Esther held up a roll of tape to the young woman who stood atop a short ladder. Taping the lights to the ceiling, Caroline smiled at her handiwork. Klaus had to admit that he enjoyed seeing Caroline happy. There were not many smiles that were shared in the past year under this small roof. The stress of trying to live a "normal" life added to their financial struggles and Klaus' short temper meant that their happiness was clouded.

"Klaus, would you please get off the floor and get dressed?" Caroline shouted as Klaus rolled his head back to stare upward once more. If she left him, she would be better off. He was not making her happy and he knew it. Now, that there was to be a child, the stress would only increase. How was he to provide for their child? Klaus had never had to rely on a human's capabilities to survive. His last year as a human, Mikael and Esther were still caring for him.

This was ludicrous. He would laugh if it were not for the fact that he was holding back tears. Damn the emotions that were overwhelming him. Gritting his teeth, Klaus refused to speak or to even acknowledge that Caroline was speaking to him. Perhaps she would simply walk out the door and leave him all alone. "Klaus," a voice called and Klaus clenched his jaw.

"Go away," Klaus whispered to the woman who was standing above him as the front door closed with a bang. Looking at the living room, Klaus noted that Caroline had left. Shifting his head to look up at his mother, Klaus sighed heavily before forcing himself to sit up and lean against the wall.

Esther gingerly took a seat on the cool floor beside her son. "Niklaus," she whispered to Klaus and he continued to stare at the opposite wall. "If you do not begin to behave like a grown man she will leave you."

Scoffing, Klaus choked on a quiet sob. "What would you know about being a grown man?" he yelled. Twisting his body, he glared at his mother. "You made me into a monster, Mother. You never allowed me to grow up. Now, what would you like me to do? I spent over a thousand years trapped in the body of an eighteen year old. Did it not occur to you that with agelessness also came the curse of never being able to shrug off the age that you died? Yes, I experienced more life than any other eighteen year old man before me but it never changed who I was. It was like I was frozen, never able to escape my own youth."

"Niklaus, I have watched you act like an insufferable brat for over a thousand years. You feud with your siblings and kill others when they do not give in to your every whim. You are right. I did fail you. It appears that I need to finish raising you," Esther retorted and Klaus' jaw dropped before he snapped it shut.

"How dare you speak to me thus?" Klaus snarled as his Mother stared back. He was irritated by the way that his mother held his gaze steadily. No one other than Caroline dared to show him so little respect.

"Niklaus, it has been two years since you transitioned into a human. I did not believe that it would be a gift for you now more than it was then transition. Nor did I expect you to be grateful to me for this gift of a second chance at a human life. However, once again, you are heading down the path of destruction… and I do not know how to help you." Staring at her hands which were laying in her lap, Esther looked defeated. Klaus had never seen his Mother this wary in his life.

"Mother," Klaus had no idea what to say as he looked at the woman whom he had feared for so long.

"Niklaus, you are going to be a father. I know that your own father was not a very good example of what that means exactly -" Esther began but she stopped as Klaus narrowed his eyes at her words.

"You mean Mikael," Klaus replied.

Sucking in a deep breath, Esther nodded. "Yes, Niklaus, I mean Mikael."

"Who was not my father," Klaus replied sharply, giving his Mother a sullen look before staring at the ceiling once more.

"Yes, I know that Mikael is not your biological father. And I know that I should have told you. I am sorry, Niklaus. But you must understand that there was a part of Mikael that did love you," Klaus tilted his head to give his mother a look that said he did not believe her. "I understand that you must believe that is impossible the way that he treated you but he was always afraid that you would never learn to take care of yourself properly and you would die. Why do you think that he had you turn with the rest of us? Do you think that if he did not truly care that he would have insisted that you live? When he found out that you were not his, he lost his mind and the vampirism exacerbated his rage. Rage turned to resentment which became overwhelming hate and the desire for revenge. What he did to you was not right, Niklaus. For the pain that he caused you, I am so very sorry."

Feeling the emotions take control, Klaus began to cry. Feeling his mother pulling his head into her lap, he relinquished control and allowed himself a moment of vulnerability that he would not usually. This humanity was exhausting. If only he could simply turn it off as he had seen so many lesser vampires do over the centuries. Removing himself from his mother's embrace, Klaus got to his feet. "I think I shall take a walk. Perhaps it will clear my head."

Walking toward the front door, Klaus heard Caroline heave a frustrated sigh. Turning to look at her, he noticed the unbecoming dark circles and just the hint of age that no one who had not been living for over a thousand years would detect. Oddly, he still found her beautiful. He believed, that no matter what, he would find his Caroline to be the most extraordinarily beautiful creature to walk the planet. That is why he had to fix what his mother had done to them. He could not live in a world that Caroline did not and as each day went by the possibility that he would lose her increased. No, he would not allow it.

"Klaus, where are going?" Caroline called causing Klaus to meet her intense gaze. She did look terribly tired. He hoped this wasn't due to the child growing inside her. If so, then he had done this to her. She was not happy and she was suffering because of what his damned mortal body had done to her.

"I'm going out for a walk. Perhaps I'll pick up some paper cups for the party," Klaus suggested with a forced cheerfulness.

Narrowing her eyes, Caroline did not seem to believe him as she climbed down from the ladder. Making her way over to him, she reached out and yanked him to her with a ferocity that she had not exhibited in some time. Kissing Klaus on the lips, Caroline sighed as he opened his mouth. Pulling her closer to him he wished that his mother was not in their home so that he might take comfort in his lover. "Be careful," Caroline whispered as she pulled away.

Yes, he would be. He would be careful to not be caught trying to rid them of this newfound plague. There had to be a way around this. There was no spell ever created that did not have a loophole. He just needed to find the right witch who would fix this for him. "For you, always," he whispered back, pressing another kiss to Caroline's lips before he left the apartment.

Heading down the stairs, he nearly ran into Rebekah who was carrying every manner of item you might need for a party, minus the guests and music. "Hello, Nik," she greeted him with a smirk and he wanted to curse his luck. She had to appear at this moment. She was the only one of them who was actually happy to be human, Rebekah was taking to the new lifestyle as if this had been her whole life. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" she inquired.

"Going to get some cups for the party," Klaus grumbled.

"Really? Well then you are in luck that I caught you; otherwise you'd be wasting a trip. I already brought cups, plates, forks, spoons, knives, food, some of these little hats, napkins and a table cloth. I know that you probably can't afford a proper one and Stefan had an extra…" Rebekah trailed off when she noticed that Klaus was growling.

"We do not need your bloody charity, Bekah," Klaus snarled. "Now take these things back. Right now!"

Holding her bag to her chest, Rebekah glared back. He had offended her and he could care less. "This is not charity. This is what one does for family. Thank goodness Caroline understands the meaning of gratitude when it comes to taking help when you have to."

"What the bloody hell would you know about helping anyone? Other than yourself to whatever you please. You are one of the most selfish, spoiled girls that has ever walked this earth," Klaus taunted his baby sister who looked wounded but she would not let him get to her.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Rebekah shouldered her way past Klaus. "I do not need to listen to your insults. I am going to keep the little baby mama company since her boyfriend has decided that he is too busy running useless errands."

"You do that," Klaus replied with a mirthless chuckle.

"Loathsome fool," Rebekah called over her shoulder as Klaus ran down the remaining steps and out into the daylight that remained.

He did not make it past the parking lot before he ran into yet another person that he would like nothing more than to not have to endure. "Hey, Klaus. Are you ready for Caroline's party tonight?" Katerina asked, blowing one of those annoying noisemakers in his face and grinning.

"Why in hell are you here?" Klaus demanded.

"Didn't you know that wherever Elijah goes I follow suit?" Katherine asked with a smirk.

"Yes. Isn't that a pleasant situation that I do so hope ends soon. Perhaps Elijah will see reason and find a woman that has not been with half the town and is more than likely working on the other half behind his back," Klaus said slowly watching as Katherine's smirk faltered with each new word. "Have fun at the party."

"Go to hell, Klaus," Katherine yelled after his retreating back.

Waving good-bye, Klaus continued on his quest. There was a certain witch that he was planning to visit. Not because he thought that she would help him but she might have a list of contacts somewhere in her home, for an emergency. And this was an emergency. It was a matter of life and death. Niklaus Mikaelson had not lived for over a thousand years to die now. No, he would find another way or God help those who stood in his way.

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Peace,

Jessica