Their Anonymous Guardian Angel

Chapter 24 : 21st Birthday

Third Person POV -

As the years went on, Klaus and Caroline continued to date without trying to be too serious about it. They had all the time in the world and both wanted to get the relationship right. They took sas time to get to know each other and building on trust, which had been difficult when all they both craved was to be near the other. Caroline also put her foot down in moving in right away with Klaus and his family. If they were going to take that step in their relationship, she wanted a house that was theirs and theirs only, a sanctuary away from Rebekah whining and Kol's antics.

Camille stopped frequenting the abattoir to see Klaus since Caroline reappeared in his life. He was initially confused but Rebekah finally let him know that the other woman had deep feelings for him. It left confused him even more that he had been oblivious about her intentions. His sister left the bewildered hybrid in the lounge laughing, couldn't believe how ignorant he was to the bartenders feelings. She had been a good friend, but she could never compare to how deeply he felt and cared for Caroline.

Rebekah and Caroline had gotten closer to each other after many attempts at shopping and girl nights. The pair still bickered with each other, their bantering and love for Klaus brought them closer, much to Klaus's annoyance. Rebekah loved to use her new friendship with Caroline to tell her all about Klaus' human life which Caroline was very eager to hear about. She revelled in the tales of viking Klaus and the affectionate side he had with his siblings and the gory details of his vampiric adventures, re-awakening Caroline's wanderlust with the tales of their adventures.

Caroline may have travelled around most of the world with Bonnie and Enzo, even with her mother, but she still wanted that adventure Klaus had promised her all those years ago.

Paris, Rome, Tokyo.

Hayley and Caroline were on speaking terms, having tried to become friends for the sake of Hope, and the family events she attended. Honestly, the pair was just happy with the rare odd interaction a year.

It took Hope a year to feel completely in control of her new vampire status before wanting to complete the transition to become a hybrid. She missed her wolf incredibly and she was finally ready to become whole. She insisted on finding a criminal and with a quick snap to his neck, she began the painful process of shifting. Her father sat beside her through it all in the bayou, murmuring soft words to calm her down and watch over and protect her when she finally became a wolf.

Becoming a wolf for the first time was absolutely freeing to Hope. She loved the powerful feeling in her bones, the draw to nature and family more so. It brought her closer to her parents and she shifted each full moon with her mother and their wolf clan.

Everything clicked into place.

Hope spent the next two years focusing on her supernatural powers and family, which distracted her from her education. She understood that she was now an immortal creature that would have all the time in the world. She was forever eighteen and could attend college any time she liked. Her dreams of going to New York were more attainable after she finally settled into being a hybrid. There was only one person left to convince, which was her father. She was planning on dropping the college bomb after her birthday dinner, when he was full and drunk on wine and Caroline.

The family and their usual close friends, Marcel, Bonnie, Enzo, and Caroline, plus a few of Hope's gathered at the Mikaelson's home to celebrate her 21st birthday. Rebekah had wanted to organise another ball, but relented under Hope's insistence of a small meal.

After a relatively calm meal with only some slight bloodshed where Kol was stabbed by Rebekah (in her defence he had warranted it and was lucky not to have his neck snapped) they finally gathered into the lounge to give Hope her presents.