*This chapter is a lot shorter than I wanted it to be but I wanted to give y'all something. The next chapter will be soooo better I promise!! Love ya!!!*

For once, Madelyn had her own room. It was small but perfect for a nearly nine month old baby. While Madelyn slept peacefully, Claire grew restless. She had grown used to Madelyn sleeping in her room. It was like even though Claire was asleep, a part of her was still awake. The part that listened for Madelyn to make sure she was alright. Now that they were in two separate rooms, Claire felt a sense of separation anxiety.

Despite it being two in the morning, Claire found herself wide awake. She was no longer sleeping in the most comfortable bed in the world beside Henrik Mikaelson but leaning against the doorway of her daughters bedroom.

Claire hardly slept now-a-days. The fear that Mikael would find them haunted her. She was getting a piece of how her mates felt the past thousand years. The anxiety, the fear, the constant looking over the shoulder, it was exhausting.

"Elskan" A gentle voice called out. She turned her head and smiled at Elijah. He always knew when she was awake, when her anxiety was over the top. She gave him a small smile as he continued to walk towards her.

"I'm sorry" She whispered knowing her anxious emotions had woken him up, yet again.

"You really need to stop saying that" He mutters wrapping his arms around her waist. He pulls her back to his chest, his nose nuzzling into her neck. She could feel her anxiety slowly diminishing, her body relaxing against his. "But you need to relax, Elskan" He whispers. "Mikael isn't going to find us, Madelyn is safe." He reassures her.

"I'm so used to sleeping beside her" Claire whispers to him.

"Would you like to move her crib into your room with Henrik?" Elijah questions wanting to help erase her anxiety. He needed her to get some sleep.

"No" Claire mutters shaking her head. Elijah lifts his head, resting his chin on her shoulder. "She won't be able to sleep in my room forever." Elijah kisses her cheek softly.

"Please get some sleep" Elijah begs quietly.

"How did you do this?" Claire whispers frowning her eyebrows. He hums questionably. "Deal with this... everything with Mikael. The constant moving around. The... paranoia, anxiety, everything."

Elijah turns Claire and presses her back into the doorway. He presses his body against hers trying to calm her down, trying to get her to relax. He hated this. He hated her feeling like this. Him and his siblings have felt this for a very long time, he wanted Claire to live a life without the burden of Mikael.

"This will not be forever, my love." Elijah tells her sternly. "We are going to get rid of Mikael, we are going to move back to Mystic Falls and you are going to return to your life. You're going to finish high school. We're going to have a future together. Madelyn is going to be safe. I give you my word."

"I trust you, Elijah" Claire whispers rubbing his chest gently. He smiles and places a soft kiss on his lips. He desperately wanted to go further but restrained himself knowing she needed rest.

"Please go back to bed." He whispers against her lips. She gives him a small smile. She gave him another soft kiss. Her head turned towards Madelyn. She watches her daughter sleep for a few more moments before nodding. "I love you" He mutters pulling her into a comforting hug.

"I love you more" She tells him. He grins kissing the top of her head. He leads her away from Madelyn's room and back to Henrik. She gives him another soft kiss before going into Henrik's room.

Elijah closes the door before returning to his own room. He pauses by Madelyn's door. He enters her room, gaining a better view of her sleeping form. He smiles to himself softly at her before leaving for his own room.

"Where'd you go?" Henrik muttered. Claire laid on her back while Henrik nuzzles his head into her neck, their legs instantly tangling together. One of his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her as humanly possible to him. Claire smiles leaning her head against his. One of her hands rest on top of his arm, the other messaging his head.

"I just wanted to check on Madelyn." Claire whispers kissing his hair. His arms tighten around her. "Go to sleep" She encourages quietly. Henrik kisses her neck gently before the both of them fell asleep.

Elijah was the first to wake later in the morning. He changed into his clothes for the day before going to collect Madelyn. She was slowly waking up and he smiles at her. He picks her up gently and carries her into the kitchen.

He was working on getting a bottle for her, while she sat in her high chair, when Klaus joined him. Neither of them said anything to each other at first, the both of them simply nodding to the other in greeting.

Klaus walks over to Madelyn, placing a gentle kiss on the baby's forehead. Madelyn giggled waking up more. Klaus smiles widely and pokes her nose. Madelyn's face scrunches just like Claire's making the hybrids heart swell.

"I think we should take Claire out today." Elijah said. Klaus looks at him. He didn't like taking her outside the safety of their home but even he had to agree with Elijah. Elijah wasn't the only one that could see Claire slipping into paranoia and anxiety.

"You said she enjoy's shopping" Klaus mentioned. Elijah grins and nods. "Well, I suppose she'd like that... If she ever leaves the bedroom." Klaus grumbles.

"Don't start" Elijah snips. He knew all too well of Klaus's jealousy. He wanted Claire to himself but for once, he needed to learn how to share. "She's under enough stress to have to worry about you and your jealousy." Klaus rolls his eyes and goes to respond but turns his head to see Claire.

She looked slightly frantic but relaxed seeing Madelyn all smiley in the high chair. Before Elijah had the chance to go to her, Klaus speeds forward. She instantly smiles at him.

"Good morning, love" He greets. She smiles at him. He grabs her waist, pulling her to him. "I was thinking that we could go shopping today." She almost instantly lights up.

She no longer looked like a woman fearing not only for her life but for the lives of the people she loved. She no longer looked like someone twice her age haunted by fear and paranoia. She looked like the 17 year old girl who loved doing teenage things. Klaus had missed the sparkle in her eye, the carefree smile that dances on her lips.

"All of us?" Claire questions. Klaus nods even though he'd rather it just be the two of them. He pushes his jealousy to the side knowing she didn't need it. He couldn't wait to mark her, he knew, or rather hoped, his jealousy would be subdued when he did. At least subdued around his brothers. "When do we leave?" Claire questions.

"Whenever you're ready" Elijah said drawing her attention to him. Her mind flashes back to earlier in the morning, a soft smile on her lips. She feels a pair of lips press against the back of her head. She turns and smiles at Henrik as he walks to grab something to eat.

"Hungry Angel?" He questions opening the fridge.

"Very" She said walking around Klaus and towards Madelyn. The baby instantly smiles at the sight of her mother.

"I was just about to feed her" Elijah mentions. She smiles in gratitude. Henrik begins to cook up some eggs for the two of them.

"Klaus wants to go shopping, Henrik." Claire grins.

"Does he now?" Henrik questions glancing at Klaus.

"I want to take you shopping, there's a difference, love." Klaus clarifies. She smiles at him teasingly.

"I need to get some things for Madelyn, she's quickly growing out of all her clothes." Claire said more to herself than them.

"We need to get things for Madelyn." Elijah corrects Claire. She glances over to him. "You and Madelyn are our world, Elskan. We are going to take care of the both of you, including taking the both of you shopping."

"And paying" Klaus adds. Claire shifts on her feat slightly on her feet. She still has yet to get used to them and their money.

Henrik frowns his eyebrows slightly, his back turned to Claire. His brothers had more money than they knew what to do with. He, however, didn't have a penny to his name. He had nothing to give Claire than his unconditional love, he wanted to give her more. He wanted to give her the world but didn't know how.

"Get used to it, Sweetheart" Klaus says walking back over to her, unable to stay far from her for long. "You are going to be the most spoiled woman in the world." He mutters kissing her lips. She melts into him, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"Here you go, Angel" Henrik said giving her her breakfast. Claire smiles at him and his eyes light up just because of the smile.

"It's delicious" Claire nods eating everything on the plate. Once she was done eating and everyone was ready, they left the house for the day.

The brothers took her to the best stores and spared no expense. Claire was very stingy with the money at first but soon she realized that they bought her almost anything that she looked at, especially if she smiled while looking at it.

They took turns carrying bags and carrying Madelyn. Their favorite part was when she modeled for them. Throughout the day, each of them had a rather difficult time keeping their hands off of her.

For a few hours, Claire felt normal. She felt like a teenage girl hanging out with the people she loved. She didn't think about Mikael, she didn't think about her problems in Mystic Falls, she just lived in the moment and she was happy.

When they returned home, she had a moment to herself. Henrik and Klaus were putting the bags away while Elijah dealt with Madelyn. Out of the three of the brothers, Elijah was the closest to Madelyn. The two of them truly had a strong bond.

While she was alone, she took a moment to look through her phone. She frowned when she saw nothing from her mother and nothing from Caroline. When they first left, Caroline had called her absolutely furious but she eventually understood. Her mother simply refused to talk to her, didn't even answer when Claire called.

"You alright, Angel?" Henrik asked returning to her first. Claire sets her phone down and turns to him with a smile, one that didn't reach her eyes. He walks closer and wraps his arms around her. Their foreheads press against each other. "Are you happy?"

"I am" She whispers. Henrik frowns slightly. "I'll be more at ease when everything is done and we're home."

"It won't be long, my darling Angel." He promises kissing her nose, successfully gaining a smile from her. "I'll do everything in my power to keep that smile on that face."

"Never leave, stay with me forever and I'll forever be happy." Claire whispers to him.

"I can do that, Angel." Henrik nods. She smiles pulling him into a hug. Her head dug into his shoulder and she clung to him. "I'll be with you forever, no one will keep you from me." He promises.

"I trust you" She whispers. "I love you." He smiles kissing the side of her head.

"I love you so much more" He mutters.