A New Beginning (sequel to Coming Home)

7. Coming Home

A/N: Please like my facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/JenniferBirdsBooks

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Caroline came back to the house I was renting. She wasn't talking, but I saw how she kept glancing at my stomach. She had opened her mouth several times, as if she wanted to ask me something, but every time she changed her mind and her lips would snap shut.

Finally we reached my house. Huh, I just realised that I had never once referred to it as my home. As much as I loved this small town, I hated that I wasn't there... with him.

I opened the door and let us both in. I went straight to the kitchen and turned on the kettle. Finally Caroline spoke, "What the hell?"

It was the first thing she had said since I had stood up revealing my swollen stomach. I didn't answer her until I had poured out my herbal tea. God I missed coffee, but I didn't exactly know all the rules for a mystical pregnancy in a vampire body. So I was applying the human rules.

She sat across from me at the table. As I looked at her, I realised that if the situation wasn't so messed up I would have laughed at her expression. Of course I hadn't laughed in months.

"I don't know where to start. This shouldn't be possible. I don't know what the witches did to me. All I know is that they were planning on using me as leverage to force Nik to help them. I couldn't have that, I'm not some pawn.

For months now I've been on my own. I moved around America at first, but I would only be in a place a few days when I would sense someone following me, watching me. I didn't know if it was the witches or Nik's people, so I kept moving.

I landed in Dublin about six weeks ago, but there were still too many people. So I made my way to this small town of Dundalk."

I finally looked at Caroline, she looked lost for words. "Jennifer, this is defiantly something you shouldn't be dealing with on your own. I don't even... I don't know where to begin. How do you feel?" she asked, concern on her face.

That one question, that look of genuine worry on her face. The walls I had spent months putting up around me started to crack. The tears started building behind my eyes.

"Oh Care... I feel like I'm going crazy. Physically I'm fine... still a vampire, remember. But my emotions are going to be the death of me. One second I'll be fine, calm... in the next instant I feel like killing every person around me." I looked down at my fingers, "Of course, every second of every day... I just want Nik. I'm finding it harder and harder here on my own. That's why I rang you, there was nobody else I could turn to."

"Well now, I believe that is where you are mistaken."

At the sound of the new voice the cup fell from my hand, it hit the table spilling the tea everywhere, but not breaking.

"Elijah?" I could hear the shock in my voice.

There, standing in the doorway in his trademark suit, was the oldest Mikaelson. I looked at Caroline, there was no way he could have found me, not this time. She saw the accusation on my face. "I didn't tell him... I swear."

"It wasn't Miss Forbes that gave away your location," Elijah explained, "as you said yourself Jennifer, there was no one else you could turn to. While my brother wanted to find you by more... impatient methods, I managed to persuade him to be patient. You see I knew that eventually you would reach out to someone and I knew that your friend Caroline would be that someone."

He paused in his explanation to nod at Caroline before continuing, "I've had someone watching her for some time now."

As I processed what he was telling me, my mind was racing. On the one hand I was beyond happy to see Elijah, but on the other hand, I was angry with myself for being so stupid. Of course they would have someone watching Caroline, it was no secret that she was the only friend I had left other than the Original family themselves, nor had I any family other than them.