The One You Once Were

Meet and Greet with the Mikaelsons

How had Bonnie's spell gone so horribly wrong? It was supposed to bring something from the past to the future, not the other way around!

Speechless, I eyed her more closely. Aside from the clothes and hairstyle, she looked exactly like I remembered. But where exactly was I? Or rather when? How far away was the event that would change the Mikaelsons' lives for eternity? Even more important, how was I going to get home?

Rebekah cleared her throat. "Do you have a name too or are you going to leave me standing here?" she finally asked.

"My name," I repeated, stumbling over my words, "sure. I-"
There was no way, I could really tell them my real name, was there? They didn't know me yet, but would I risk the future by exposing it? What to do? Was I hyperventilating?

"My name... I don't remember it!" I lied with fake shock.

Rebekah lifted her brows. "You what?"
"In fact," I continued, "I don't remember anything? How I got here, my family... Not even who I am. Nothing."

"Memory loss?" the blonde asked. "You poor thing. Does that mean you have no place to stay?"

I nodded. I had to admit, this idea was pretty good. It explained any behavior they might find strange and gave me an explanation to not tell them anything personal about me. No one could ask questions I couldn't answer now!

The blonde Mikaelson seemed to think. Her eyes were filled with sympathy.
"Follow me," she ordered and started moving. Hesitantly, I walked after her.

A while later, we reached a house. Beckoning her head, she made me stand next to her, knocking on the door. The wood creaked open, revealing a woman with a caring face. I recognized her as Esther, the Original witch.

"Hello Mother," Rebekah greeted her.
"Rebekah, dear, what seems to be the matter? Who is your friend there?" she smiled, glancing my way.

"If I knew, we wouldn't be here. She says, she has memory loss and doesn't have a place to stay."
Esther stepped outside and looked at me in a strict way. "Is that true?"

Nervous, I swallowed and returned her glimpse without breaking the eye contact.

In approval, Esther offered me a hand and I took it, knowing fully well I was taking a risk. Could she sense, I wasn't human? Feel my supernatural aura? To my surprise, the elder offered a smile.

"Well, for now, she is welcome to stay with us, if she wants to," the witch decided. A smile appeared on Rebekah's face. For her, this seemed to mean that my story was real and I was safe to trust.

The thought of living under the same roof as my later enemies didn't sit well with me, but I didn't really have another choice, did I?

"Are you sure that your husband won't mind?" I asked cautiously, remembering how impulsive the man was.
"Let him be my problem," Esther smiled. "Do not concern yourself with it. Do you want to come in, dear? Let me show you, where you could sleep."

With a nod, I entered the now accessible house and took a look around. Everything looked more or less normal, nothing like a place where the siblings would later face their transition. Rebekah followed us quietly, keeping her focus on her mothers actions.

As Esther pointed to a place where all siblings seemed to sleep, the younger girl grabbed some linens and put them next to one of the others. Her mother nodded.
"You'll sleep there," she said.

"Next to who?" I asked, hoping the witch would say Rebekah.
"One of my brothers. His name is Henrik."

That would work too. At least not Kol or worse, Klaus. Though, I didn't recall knowing a Mikaelson named Henrik.

"You can make your way around town, if you like. Be home for dinner," the mother spoke, warmth in her voice. I didn't even know that woman had a kind side to her.

Rebekah waved me outside and I watched her curiously from the side. She too didn't appear to be a mythic bitch yet.

On the contrary, Rebekah seemed cheerful as she showed her new friend, me, around town. I was quite nervous, knowing that some of the townspeople here were werewolves who could, if turned, kill me with a single bite.

"So, you have absolutely no memory?" Rebekah asked again. I shook my head as convincingly as I could.

"None at all. I am really wondering how I got here."
That wasn't a lie. This question had lingered in my head since the second I arrived.

I was worried, I might never get back to my time, having to live decades until I arrived there. What if I was stuck, watching myself grow up, changing time as I went along which could have unknown consequences. Even this, me meeting the Mikaelsons could and probably would change all future events drastically.

Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to stay here in the first place. Surely, there was a witch who could help me back to my time, except for the Original one, who I didn't trust. Rightfully so, as I assumed since I had actually met the woman in my century.

In the distance, I could hear laughter and voices. They seemed familiar. Could that be...?

Rebekah was headed in the direction the sounds were coming from. I didn't want to follow her, suspecting who I would meet if I did.

Yet a part of me was also curious. Curious of how the family had been as humans.

How the original hybrid, who claimed to be so desperately in love with me in my time, had been. I remembered what he had told me on my graduation day.

"He was your first love, I intend to be your last."

Had he been serious when saying that? Did he intend to wait for me an eternity to come around? Even if he did, such a thing wouldn't happen. Never!

We were near now. I couldn't spot Finn nor Kol, however, I did see Elijah, Klaus and a kid. Maybe that was Henrik?

I couldn't help but chuckle when I saw Klaus with his long, wavy hair. He looked different from the Klaus I knew. More alive. Well, of course he did, he was still alive after all.

He laughed. He smiled. His dimples were painted on his face, beautifully sweet.

My heart jumped. I couldn't tell why. Should I just ignore it?

When Henrik saw his sister approaching, he ran to her and gave her a hug. He was young, cheerful. I wondered why I didn't know him. Had he not been turned into a vampire?

Searching my mind for answers, I suddenly remembered what Elena had once told me. About how a Mikaelson sibling had died, causing the whole vampire thing to start in the first place. Frowning, I assumed Henrik to be the poor victim.

Elijah and Klaus turned their attention to us, greeting their sister with a smile.

Klaus' eyes went to me as he examined me curiously. I felt my cheeks blush under his studying gaze, trying not to be reminded of my Klaus. Not my Klaus, the Klaus from my present.

"You are new," Elijah stated the obvious, smiling at me.
"Indeed, I am," I responded cautiously. Klaus' look was making me uneasy, as if I was being put on a pedestal to expose all my secrets.

"Mother allowed her to stay with us due to her suffering from memory loss. She doesn't even remember her own name," Rebekah told her brothers.

Klaus approached me, the new girl, and his typical smirk appeared on his face. I knew this smirk all too well. All the times he had presented me with it flashed through my head.

"What a shame," he said politely, still smirking. "I would've loved to know your name. But I guess there is nothing we can do about it, is there."
My mouth went dry as I accidentally met his eyes.

"Caroline," I said before I could stop myself. Rebekah stared at me stunned.
"What?"

"My name. I remember it now," I uttered. "My name is Caroline."