What Now?

Chapter 32

Hope walked into the house shivering from being soaked mixed with the coolness of the night. Klaus and Caroline were watching her curiously as she walked into the living room and sat down on one of the long leather couches. Klaus and Caroline followed her giving each other one last glance before Klaus sat in a large leather chair next to the couch and Caroline took a seat across from Hope on the other couch.

Hope was staring down at the coffee table in front of her waiting for her ragged breaths to even out.

"Hope sweetheart, what's wrong?" Klaus finally broke the silence as he noticed Hope calmed down a bit.

"There was a vampire in the woods, and it was feeding on Ric. I didn't get to him fast enough. The vampire finished him off and then a big gust of wind knocked me over and the vampire was gone. I didn't know what to do because when I got to Ric he was... he was... dead."

Caroline stood up with a horrified look on her face. "Where is he now?"

"He's on the porch. I didn't know what to do with him. I'm so sorry Caroline." Hope started hysterically crying and Klaus moved to the spot next to her and was hugging her letting her cry on him.

Caroline vamped outside "No! Ric! Ric... please wake up. Please." She yelled as she fell on her knees next Ric's lifeless body on the porch.

Klaus kissed Hope's forehead with tears welling in his eyes. He wasn't sure what to do. He knew Hope needed him, but hearing Caroline's sobs were tearing him apart.

Hope pulled back and looked into Klaus' teary eyes. "Go be with her. Please. I'm going to go lay down in my bed. Come get me when you guys are done since Caroline will want to let Lizzie and Josie know tonight."

Klaus squeezed her one more time and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "I love you, Hope." He whispered into her hair.

She gave him a sad smile and walked away to her room. Klaus took a deep breath to prepare himself for what he may see, but what he saw affected him more than he thought it would. Caroline was sitting next to Ric with her chin on her knees sobbing.

She sensed his presence and jumped up and hugged him. He held her close as she cried into the crook of his neck. He let a few tears fall and realized he didn't necessarily care that Ric was dead. He cared that it hurt Hope and Caroline and when Caroline tells her girls, they will also be hurt. How was he, the guy that isn't supposed to care, help the most important people in his life right now?

She pulled away and looked into Klaus' eyes. She reached up putting both of her hands on his cheeks using her thumbs to wipe away the tears that escaped him. She kissed him slowly. "Let's go get Hope, and go to the school." She said while their foreheads rested against each other.

Caroline went and got a blanket and laid it on one of the couches and then Klaus moved Ric's body there. Ric's clothes and hair were still damp from being out in rain, and his skin was pale. Klaus vamped to get a sheet and covered Ric so that no one had to continue to see him like that.

Caroline texted Matt to send someone over to Klaus' to pick up Ric and take him to the morgue. She explained all the she could and he said he'd come over along with the ambulance to get him and for her to just spend time with her family. He promised to have Ric out by the time Klaus and Caroline came back home, and with that that Klaus, Caroline, and Hope left for the school.

When they pulled up to the school they remained in the car. Caroline took a deep breath and closed her eyes to stop the tears from falling again. She felt Klaus take her hand and give it a soft squeeze and then she felt Hope place her hand on her shoulder. With that Caroline gathered the courage to get out of the car.