The Young and Gifted

0. prologue

Caroline gripped the little girl's hand, rambling on and on about which colour bed sheets she should buy for her. But Kaura didn't pay any attention to the blonde mom. Instead, her gaze and mind were fixed on the home the emerged before her. The building looked stable enough to fit four, maybe five, members and it looked comfortable enough to last decades.

Caroline let go of her hand and knelt before her with a beaming smile. "There's nothing to be worried about. Inside there," she pointed at the oak front door. "Are the best people you'll ever meet. They are your cousins." Caroline waited for Kaura to respond but the child kept staring at the house. "They're your family from now on. But listen Kaura." This got the girl's attention and she turned to Caroline. "I am not trying to replace your mom. Bonnie will always be your mother, okay?" Kaura only blinked and returned to stare at the house. Caroline offered a small smile and heaved herself to her full height. "Okay, here we go. Do you like ice cream? Today is Friday so you and the twins can have sodas and all the junk food you want. But just for today," she laughed, leading her to the door. Caroline fished for her keys and pushed the door open. "Lizzie! Josie! I'm home."

Two quick paces of footsteps erupted down the hallways and as rapid as lightning, the two polar opposite twins arrived before them. By now, Kaura had let go of Caroline's hand and stared at the girls, the same way she stared at the house.

"Girls, meet your new friend, Kaura. She's going to be staying with us now," Caroline introduced.

Josie was the first to lurch forward, grabbing Kaura's arm. "Hello Kaura, I'm Josie! Do you want to see my room? Daddy just put a new bookshelf against my wall—"

"Our room, Josie," Lizzie scoffed.

Kaura pulled her hand away from her cousin and didn't move. A heavy silence fell between them and Caroline cleared her throat. "Kaura is probably tired, we had a long drive. Lizzie, you don't mind if she sleeps with you, right? At least until Daddy builds a new bed."

Lizzie huffed, crossing her arms but nodded. Caroline beckoned the kids to the kitchen where Ric sat at the counter, looking over all the forms. They hadn't opened up and finalized the Salvatore Boarding School yet and when Damon left with Elena to move to the eastern side of the world, it sort of left all the heavy paperwork on Ric. Literally.

The twins returned to the dining table, finishing what seemed to be their cups of ice cream. Kaura didn't follow and instead, she stood in the middle of the room, watching.

Ric waved awkwardly, offering a timid smile. "Hey, Kaura. I'm Alaric. That might be a bit hard for you to say so call me Ric."

Kaura blinked at him and averted her gaze, taking in the kitchen, the living room, the wide windows. Caroline took a deep breath and said with enthusiasm, "You know what? Lizzie and Josie, why don't you show Kaura your dolls? You have plenty, go play." The girls quickly slipped out of their seats and Josie dragged Kaura upstairs.

Ric turned to his wife and sighed. "What's up with her?"

"I don't know," she groaned, sinking into the stool chair. "She hasn't spoken at all since the drive. I'm scared that...that maybe after what happened with Bonnie and the fact that I had to literally dig her from a grave has somehow pressed trauma into her." After Caroline heard the pulse of the child herself, she quickly cleaned her up and called Ric to fill him in. Ric took the news calmly, even with the fact that the father of the child Caroline was bringing home killed his ex-wife just as they were getting married.

"I'm sure the girls will make her feel better," he said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "They are bundles of sun and moon, Kaura will be the stars."