Lizzie

Henrik laughed softly and gladly took her hand. “It was horrible. Well, after Wyatt’s gift. It was great otherwise!” He smiled as he let her lead the way to wherever she wanted to grab their coffees from. “I mostly spent the party talking to Chris Halliwell and a little to some other people.” He explained. “Other than that, I’ve just been trying to teach myself as much magic as I can in my spare time.” He said.

“I can’t tell you that she is going to stop putting you first, little one. There is no way she is going to stop caring about you, but that is why your mother has us. To care about her when she forgets from time to time. Your mother found me when everyone else couldn’t. I will do whatever i have to do keep her safe… and make sure she has at least some part of a life.” Klaus smiled. “You really are a different soul to your mother,” he said softly. “It is okay to not want to leave home. Home - for most people - is a place you are always safe. It is the place that you are loved and cared about. If you want to leave then you don’t have. Siphon, Little Girl, or whatever you are going to be in the future. Don’t be in a hurry to grow up.” 

“I’m glad we’re on the same page then, i’d protect my mom..my family with my life and i’ll do what I have to to make sure they’re as safe as possible.” She meant that, lately with the amount she’d been through she didn’t need anything else to go wrong and she was glad she wasn’t the only one making sure her mom was safe it eased her mind a little. “Yeah, people like to tell me that I have an old soul that i’m more like my dad...-sometimes I wonder if I get most of my traits from my biological mother.” she’d never met Jo and she’d never wanted to ask her dad about her knowing the pain it brought him and that no matter what Caroline was always going to be her mom but the thought had occurred. 

She nodded, “I never wanted to before, then the war happened and the last few months...-guess it made me need to grow up a little.” She couldn’t be the little girl who hid behind her parents anymore and she refused to let what happened months ago when witches kidnapped her, happen again. 

Henrik looked at her curiously, but his attention turned when she spoke a seocnd time and he grinned. “I haven’t been up to much. You missed an… interesting, party for Wyatt Halliwell.” He said. “You can totally buy me a coffee though.” He laughed softly.

“Yeah can’t say I feel that sad about missing a party for Wyatt, I did hear about some of the crap that went down though.” She admitted with a small smile, she couldn’t imagine going with out her abilities though in the same way it wasn’t like she constantly had them like witches did. “Perfect, lets go because it’s also an excuse to get myself one.” She chuckled slightly, holding out her hand for him. 

He raised his eyes at the young girl to ask her to continue speaking. “I-” he wanted to tell her that being around the Mikaelson family was dangerous and Caroline was much safer any from him but she was just a child. “I will do whatever it takes to protect your mother,” he said. That he could tell her. “Do you think you can’t surprise people?” He titled his head to the side wanting for her answer. “Yes well it seems children can’t stay babies forever.” As much as he had hoped Hope could stay that way. 

“Thank you...sometimes I just worry that she gets so concerned with mine and my sisters safety that one day she’s just gonna forget about her own and I can’t have that.” She added with a shrug before she raised a brow at his question, “The opposite, I know I can because people take one look at me and they see a little girl or they see a siphoner and think of my Uncle Kai who’d done so much bad...-either way I get to surprise them.” She’d surprised the witches that had kidnapped her all those months ago just by giving them a taste of their own medicine and escaping. She knew full well she could handle herself if push came to shove. 

“No I guess not.” Sometimes she wished she could be a child again, sometimes she wondered if it’d make her feel any safer than she felt lately. She doubted it.

Caroline smiled, “Good, and I hope you like what I got you”. She giggled when she mentioned the museums, “No it’s not bad, it’s very you. Again is something you got from your dad”, she laughed. “I swear I have never seen a guy so excited to be surrounded by old things like him. You should had seen his face the first time we went to the armory, he was like a kid in a candy store”. She could only think of one more person that would enjoy a museum as much too. 

She smiled and rubbed Lizzie’s shoulder as she talked about her want to travel, “I know what you’re talking about. When I was your age I wanted to travel and see the world too. I could only manged to do that until now, but I promise honey, that if I can help you I will. If you want to travel and see the world then I’ll help you. Just, let’s wait until this war is over. I would worry myself crazy thinking you could be in trouble and I’m half way across the world unable to help you”. 

“You know me pretty well mom, i’m positive i’m gonna love everything.” She added with a smile before the mention of being like her dad made her grin a little wider. “Kinda can’t blame him, I’d be like a kid in a candy store too if that was me...though I don’t know whether to be worried about growing up to be a female version of dad.” She added more jokingly than anything, to her he was awesome and amazing, to be anything like him was something she strives for. 

“Pretty sure you worry yourself crazy with me here.” She teased, she could handle herself but she wasn’t one to make her mom more worried than she needed to be. “I promise to stick around until then though.”

Henrik hadn’t been expecting to see the woman as he stepped out from the Grill and onto the sidewalk. Lizzie had been one of the first people he ran into upon coming to Mystic Falls. In fact, she had been the one to help him find some temporary housing that he had been in when he reunited with Kol. At her voice, he grinned widely. “It’s been far too long.” He agreed.

“I’m sorry about that, it’s a long story but I promise I’ll explain later.” She was talking about the months she’d been gone, she was hoping that Henrik would understand and luckily not worry like most people who knew her would but for now she kept the wide smile on her face. “You better tell me everything you’ve been up to and i’ll buy you a coffee or something...sound good?” she raised a brow.

Caroline nodded and let it go, focusing on enjoying her daughter being back. “Well, your room is clean and as you left it if you want to rest”. She moved to the stove to add the cocoa and a few drops of vanilla (her mom’s special recipe). 

Smiling she returned to her place, “Well, I mostly met with some witches and convinced them to help me with the search. I went to a few museums and visit some really good restaurants”. She glanced at Lizzie and smirked, “But….I seem to remember a few bags with your name on them. I just saw a few things that reminded me so much of you or your sister that I just couldn’t help but to get them for you”. And by a few bags she meant two rows of bags occupying one side her daughters rooms. “You know, maybe once this war is over we can take a girl trip, just you, Josie and your old mom, what you think?”

“Awesome.” She nodded, though was pretty sure sleep wasn’t gonna happen for her; she’d barely been able to sleep since being kidnapped but once again that was something she was leaving out for the sake of not having her mom worrying because she did way too much of that already. 

“I don’t know if it’s bad that the part that seems most exciting to me is the museums but what can I say.” She gave a bright smile that soon turned into a grin at the mention of her mom getting her things. “I’d like that, I was talking to Kat and she’d been in Africa and it got me thinking about how i’d like to just travel the world you know?...go to Italy, Paris, England just see everything there is to see.” She was sometimes too positive but she was a dreamer too, sometimes she wanted to do so much that it gave her hope that the war really was gonna end.

It’d been a while, months and they felt long. She was home, even if she had to lie to friends, her mom...it was just good to be back where things felt a little safer and she wasn’t sure how long that safe feeling would last.

She was happy to see him again though, “Hey stranger, it’s been too long.” She added with her usual smile.

Caroline put the pot with the milk on the stove and then sat down on a stool on the kitchen island, offering the seat next to her to Lizzie. There was something odd with her response but Caroline didn’t know if she should ask her about it or just let her tell her what was wrong on her own time. “I’m glad you know how to defend yourself, it always good that a girl is not left vulnerable, specially in times like this. And I’m relieved that it was your dad who taught you about it”. 

She looked at Lizzie and put her hand on her arm, “Sweetie is everything alright? Is there anything you would like to talk about?”. She kept her voice casual, not wanting to pressure Lizzie. “I don’t want to push, if you don’t want to tell me I won’t insist. I just want you to know I’m always here for you. You can tell me anything you want, anytime. Okay?”. 

“Yeah it was super awesome, dad is a great teacher.” She added, she was sure he was and she wished she’d gotten the chance to experience that but it didn’t matter, she was here and home now. 

She gave one of her usually bright smiles, “Of course it is, i’m just tired from all the traveling. I promise there’s nothing to worry about.” She insisted, for now she just needed things to be normal again or as normal as they could be with everything going on. “I wanna know more about your trip though because you’re you and you had to have done more than just look for Klaus...” she assumed shopping mostly, which she would’ve definitely done the same and it made her wish she got to travel more. 

It was odd how she resembled Caroline in such a way. He chuckled lightly at the way she said her words. “Now why do i feel that the idea of your mother being around isn’t reassuring you, Little One.” He nodded. “Yes,” he agreed. “I knew your mother a long time ago and i had imagined the things she would do and somehow she does more then i could possibly imagine. But I guess after this long that’s what you look for in the people you know.. Those that can surprise you. And you are very surprising. Even if you aren’t crying into your mothers chest this time around.” 

"It’s not that it doesn’t...i’ve just seen a lot, I have friends that lost part of their family because of this war and I’m not a fool...-no one’s truly invincible but i’m glad she knows someone like you, it means she’s safer and that’s all I want for my family.” she wasn’t the strongest person but she’d go to the ends of the earth to make sure they were all happy and safe, no matter where that put her. She gave a bright smile at his next set of words, “I’m glad I can surprise someone.” She admitted, it was nice to hear most people that didn’t know her well never assumed so much. “Those days were easier.” She joked letting out a small laugh before she shrugged, she was definitely gonna question her mom over this.

“You are human.” She only has to survive one life time on this earth. “Your mother will always be there for you. I can assure you that your mother will always be in your life and you will never be alone.” Klaus nodded. He knew exactly where he was at that point. Locked in a basement being tortured by… Well it didn’t matter now. “Yes. Well I was a little distracted with some family business. But it seems your mother worked it all out without me.”

“Tell me something I don’t know...-” She was sure that was meant to be comforting, though honestly with everything going on that didn’t exactly ease her mind of what could happen come worst case scenario but she offered a smile regardless.”I hope that’s the case.” She nodded, sometimes she worried that she’d turn out like her uncle Kai, though she only suspected that would happen if she lost the three most important people to her. So for now she was safe. “Yeah she’s the strongest person I know.” She meant in both the psychical and mental way, given everything she was aware her mom had gone through. 

She sighed sadly, knowing Lizzie was very attached to her dad. “I know, honey, I miss him too”, and she meant it, Alaric knew her so well and always gave the best advice. Her smiled widened and lead them to the kitchen, “Great! And of course! Is not a Forbes chocolate is there’s no cream. Now that you get from me, the sweet tooth and like for chocolate”. She joked and winked at her. 

Once in the kitchen Caroline moved around quickly putting the chocolate together. “Okay sweetie, so tell me, how was your time with your dad?”

Missing him may have been an understatement, mostly because in her time when she’d been taken by the witches all she’d wanted was to run to her dad but when she escaped, she knew how he was and she didn’t wanna put him in danger, so she just came home instead deciding it was better to stay quiet about it all. She gave a small giggle, “ You’re so right about that, I have an insane sweet tooth and it’s all your fault mom.” She added teasingly.

“Uh good...-” she nodded a few times, sure as ever that the moment she got on the phone to him and found out that she’d never gotten to where he was, all hell would break loose but for now she’d save her mom the worry, considering she was fine and there was nothing to worry about anymore. “Showed me some weapons...you know like he promised to do when I turned eighteen, it’s nice to know how to defend myself if all else fails.” Truthfully she’d taught herself, sort of because she had to but that was about it. 

She nodded in agreement, she like Lizzie wish this war was over and that life could go back to normal some time in the near future. 

Caroline laughed and nodded, “I definitely agree with that. Your father is one of the smartest people I know and I’m so glad you two take the best traits from him”. Even if romantically she and Ric couldn’t make it, she loves him and will always care for him. He was part of her family, probably her best friend and she would do anything for him. She giggled and sighed, draping her arm around Lizzie’s shoulders, “Oh my, good to know. It’s…it’s complicated. But I think I’m older, more lived, more matured. So…how about we talk about this and anything else you want over a cup of chocolate? Or do you want coffee now that you are older?”. When the girls were little Caroline made them chocolate when something upset them and she wanted to comfort them. 

“Yeah, I miss dad.” And she did, she knew it wasn’t in the books for her parents to be together but that didn’t mean she didn’t want them both in one place and happy in whatever capacity that came. She gave her mom a soft smile, “Deal, as old as I am...I’m still never gonna say no to a hot chocolate...with cream on top right?” she added with a childlike excitement, it was still the one thing that made her feel better even if the world was crappy. 

She chuckled, “He wants to believe he can and I’m sure he will try by all means to end it”. 

Caroline pulled back enough to look better at Lizzie, make sure she was fine. She blushed when she asked about her connection to Klaus and fought back a smile, “When did you became so smart, missy?”. The blonde vampire chuckled nervously, “I promise there will be no more rescuing trips, and about how I know him…well, it’s a long story. Let’s just say he is someone important to me and that I met him at a time in my life when I wasn’t yet ready to accept what he offered”. 

“He gets points for trying.” Just as most people did, anyone that wanted to see the end of what felt like too long a war was definitely in Lizzie’s good books. 

Her mothers words caused her to grin a little, “Blame dad, I think he passed on the smart gene...-” she added with a shrug, that’s what she liked to believe at least just like she liked to believe that she’d taken some of her mom’s traits with being positive and all sunshine-y. It was nice. “Yet?...are you ready now because i’d definitely approve...-I was always curious, ever since that time you took me and Jos to New Orleans looking for him when we were young...I mean I know it was to protect us but still.”

                ❝ Then leave ❞ Nima commented ❝ Home is where you say it is, plenty of people have left home and end up just as happy if not more ❞

Caroline smiled, yes that sounded like Klaus, “Klaus is a complex guy, but a good man at heart. And he would do anything to keep his family safe”, she smiled tenderly at her, “Just like I would”. 

She hugged her tightly without hurting her, caressing her hair like she always did. “You make me so happy with that. This town was not the same with out you and your sister. Nowhere’s home without my girls”. 

She nodded at her mothers words, a smile on her lips. “Then I definitely like him, the bonus being that if he can help end the war then even better.” She just wanted to see it end sooner rather than later and with minimal casualties.

“Good because I love you and I miss you when you’re not around but no more trips to save mysterious guys, who’s connection to you, you explain by calling them an ‘old friend’...-are you ever gonna tell us more about how you knew Klaus?” she was dangerously curious, sort of came with being young. 

“Mm,” he hummed. He thought as much. “Hey, little Liz,” he muttered, an almost shy smile softening his features as he peered over at her, hoping she’d remember him. At least a little bit. He’d loved those girls so much. They were family. Stefan nodded his head at her words. “I uh, I overheard what you were saying.. Sorry.” he inclined his head slightly as if to show this further, but he couldn’t help looking at her again, smiling the second he saw her bright, young face. “You’ve grown so much. Beautiful. Like your mom.” He knew, he obviously knew that there wouldn’t really be a likeness between them physically, but even when they were little it had been easy to forget that sometimes. It was even more so now. She seemed like such a bright light, just like Caroline.