13

Whip, whip. The strands of hair that came loose from the sloppy bun hit Bonnie square on the face. It was annoying, but not enough to keep her from continuing the movement without missing a beat. With labored breathing and heart beating against her chest, Bonnie completed the sequence of fouettés with a triple pirouette. Much to her surprise, she didn't feel like puking afterwards; going back to the old ballet class was almost therapeutic.

Her black leotard was sopping wet, the sweat dripping onto the floor every time she made an abrupt movement. After a month of no physical activity, besides browsing through the expensive shops in London and then Barcelona, Bonnie was trying to get back to her routine. Pilates or yoga in the morning, ballet technique classes before lunch, and contemporary in the afternoon. Pregnant, she didn't have as much energy like before, but Bonnie was determined to keep up with the rest of the class until she physically couldn't. Attending Tulane as a dance major was something Bonnie loved, something that made her more than just a witch from the Bennett line. She had friends at Tulane, a whole new life that had nothing to do with the supernatural world and there was no way Bonnie wanted to lose that.

Being known as the mother of Klaus Mikaelson's child was just like being known as a Bennett witch, and Bonnie didn't want either for herself. After leaving Mystic Falls, Bonnie would not be satisfied until she was her own person.

Feeling her used muscles starting to cramp, Bonnie leaned against a wall and slid right to the floor. The dark wood floor was stained with rosin from the pointe class earlier, but Bonnie didn't care. As a matter of fact, the smell of wood mixed with the sticky powder was comforting and familiar to her.

"You're a mess," Bonnie muttered to herself when she caught her own reflection on the mirrored wall. Hair sticking out in all directions, some of it almost glued to her damp forehead and face shining with all of the dripping sweat, Bonnie looked like she was in a fight. Her muscles sure felt like she had been pummeled. Strangely enough, this was the best Bonnie's felt in days.

With the atmosphere at the plantation still tense due to Klaus' weirdbehavior, Bonnie was more than happy to be back at the familiar place. At least here she could forget the fucked up situation at home and focus on herself. If she couldn't figure out what was going on with Klaus, then she would heed Mrs. Wyatt's advice. Work until she physically couldn't anymore so she wouldn't be left that far behind.

"You're not just a human," Mackenzie announced, holding two humongous water bottles and pushing the door open with her butt. Sprawled out on the floor, Bonnie tensed as soon as she heard those words.

"Huh?" Bonnie asked with a forced laugh, trying to keep the panic at bay. Did Mack know? If she did, how did she find out? As far as Bonnie knew, Mackenzie had no link to the supernatural world, but one could never be certain.

"You were struggling with fouettés before the break. Now you come back pregnant and kicking ass. That's just not normal," Mackenzie explained; her mouth agape with sheer admiration. The redhead knew Bonnie was talented, but today she seemed particularly good, doing the combination that wiped them in class with ease.

Mackenzie didn't notice, but Bonnie released a relieved breath through her nose. She also mouthed a silent thank you to whatever divine force was above her. Even though it would be nice to have another person to confide her troubles, Bonnie didn't want Mack involved with all of this. Some of the vampires and witches in New Orleans were no joke, and Bonnie knew they wouldn't hesitate in using Mack to get to her. And she knew Mack's family; a sweet couple from Georgia and her young brothers, twin terrors if she was remembering right. Bonnie would never forgive herself for causing them pain.

"Mack, I was in demi pointe and shhhh! I don't want people knowing about this yet," she admonished the redhead with a smile, pointing to her stomach. Covered by the black Yumiko leotard, the bump didn't look as obvious as before, resembling a small food baby now.

"Didn't you tell Mrs. Wyatt already?" Mack asked, handing Bonnie the bottle before moving to sit next to her on the floor. "Who cares what the rest of them think? So what you're a pregnant sophomore?"

Bonnie almost spit out the water she was drinking, gulping it down at the exact moment. If it was anyone else, she would feel some type of way, but this was Mack. Girl bought her gallons of sweet tea and held her hand while she went through dozens of Clearblue sticks, so Bonnie knew this was her way of lightening up the mood.

"Thanks for that, Mack. I'll have you know that pretty soon I'll be a pregnant junior," Bonnie said in a faux snobbish tone, before releasing a peal of laughs that came with imagining herself in technique class and bumping into everyone with her big belly. God, she was going to be ridiculous.

"You'll be one of these fabulous pregnant girls, rocking those maternity clothes," Mackenzie assured her, almost as if she could sense what Bonnie was thinking. "Now, I wanna know two things. How did Wyatt and your baby daddy take the news?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes at that ridiculous term; it made her feel like she was embroiled in an episode of Love and Hip Hop, one of her guilty pleasure reality shows.

"Wyatt was disappointed, but she tried to hide it. I was surprised, she was actually trying not to upset me," Bonnie answered, noting the way Mackenzie's mouth is left gaping with the news.

After all, the head of the program, Madeleine Wyatt was a stern, sixty year old British woman. She had joined the English National Ballet when she was seventeen, rising through the ranks in record time. Everyone who was anyone in the world of dance respected her, and the woman was responsible for single handedly reviving the dance program at Tulane. Wyatt always had a full schedule, but she made sure to learn about most of the students under the program, especially those who participated in workshops and had expressed interest in fast tracking, such as Bonnie and Mackenzie. As much as Bonnie feared her, Wyatt was akin to a mother when it came to dance and even the program at Tulane, guiding Bonnie through many hoops. So seeing her reaction- disbelief and disappointment all rolled up in a nice package- had messed up with Bonnie, even if she wasn't willing to admit it to Mack.

"And Klaus? Don't even think about lying to me because I saw your instagram. Posing backstage with Alina Cojocaru one day and then New Year's Eve party in Barcelona? Did you get back together?"

Bonnie took a big gulp of water before getting up with some difficult, her arms having to make up for what her sore legs wouldn't do. Five minutes in and her body was already pumping lactic acid full force. She was going to be wrecked by the end of the day.

"Let me take a shower before I answer your question. It's getting late and I stink."

Mackenzie might not be the most perceptive person in the world, but she knew avoidance when it was right in front of her. Not one to be a nosy bitch, she didn't say anything, knowing Bon would talk when she was ready.

"Wow," Mackenzie muttered, so shocked that the gust of cold wind hitting her in the face as they walked out of the building didn't even register.

While she hadn't expected Bonnie to give her a sappy story on how Klaus was just ecstatic to learn he would have a child, Mackenzie would never think the guy would go the asshole route and flat out deny being the father. "That's so crazy and so not you. You just went to the airport and got on a plane to Virginia?"

"Yeah, I was reeling. You know when it feels like you're about to crawl out of your skin?" Bonnie said, being careful not to mention that she was ready to use her powers and set the plantation on fire. "I couldn't stay there anymore. And yes, I know the whole thing sounds dramatic as hell."

"You're right about that. I guess you did what you had to do," Mack commented with a shrug, kicking a pebble on the ground.

"Yeah, and everything turned out..." Bonnie started to say, but trailed off when she looked ahead and saw him.

Leaning against her black Audi, Klaus almost didn't look real. After not seeing his face in the last couple days, it was kind of surreal to see him there on campus. Especially because Klaus was adept of the 'do your thing' mentality when it came to Bonnie and her education. Besides cutting the tuition check, he had never expressed much interest in it. It was surprising that Klaus even knew where her building was located.

"Call me later, okay?" Mack requested, giving Bonnie a light push towards his direction.

Bonnie didn't go into every detail of her relationship, but even a blind person could see that the couple was in need of a long talk. And maybe some good ole roll in the sheets.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her red trench coat, with confusion stamped on her face. "How did you even know that-"

"You really think I don't know most of your steps? Little one, you know me better than that."

Klaus' handsome face took on a smug expression, with his lips curling in a grin that made him even more attractive. At that moment, Bonnie hated his pretty boy looks and her weakness for them.

"I figured I would be a nice gentleman and take my girl out on date," he said, taking on a fake Southern genteel accent. In a different occasion, Bonnie would've found it charming. Now, all she could do was roll her eyes.

"Uh, how about we take a raincheck on that?" Bonnie suggested with an ironic voice, moving to fish her keys from the outer pocket of her dance bag.

Some other man would have been outraged by her clear dismissal. Klaus, however, still kept that confident stance. He looked like a man ready to get his woman back.

"Bonnie," he said, reaching out to hold her arm. The tone of his voice was stronger, but pleading at the same time. Their eyes meet and his blueones showed her more than he could ever tell. Looking into them, it was almost like she could hear I'm sorry, please forgive me. Klaus would probably not say these words, so this was the best she would get for now.

"Fine. Pay me lunch," she said in agreement, before flinging the car keys in his direction. Of course he caught it with one hand and no effort. "You drive."

To Bonnie's surprise, Klaus had the idea to take the dessert- cheesecake bites with raspberry sauce- to go and enjoy the rare warm winter day at the park. Lunch had been awkward, with the conversation stilted as both of them danced around the issues, not willing to face what was wrong. Funny how that was; two incredibly strong people who lived to fight were too scared to confront each other.

It was beautiful out there, even though the grass was not as green as it could be and the wind was on the strong side. Sitting on a red blanket over the grass and wrapped in another fleece blanket, Bonnie tried to take in the view in front of her instead of the man next to her.

A couple with a toddler was close to their spot. The little boy, looking like two, ran as fast as his chubby little legs could carry him, letting out a belly laugh when his mother finally caught him. Watching that adorable scene would put a smile in anyone's face. However, it just left Bonnie with a gut wrenching sensation, her throat starting to close upwith the urge to cry. Would her child, little girl or boy, be as happy as this one? How could that be possible when she was at odds with Klaus most of the time? And that was not even considering how the outside forces would interfere with them.

"You want to tell me what we're doing?" Bonnie asked, tightening the blanket around her and being careful not to face him. She would not be able to hold the tears at bay if she did.

Even though Bonnie was sitting next to him, she couldn't have been more distant. And that was driving him crazy. His little witch had been cold towards him from the minute she first saw him, and he couldn't even blame her for this behavior.

"We are talking," Klaus answered, mentally chastising himself for not having a better answer. Bonnie let out a humorlesschuckle at that.

"You sleep next door to me. Are you sure you couldn't have talked to me three days ago? Because from where I stand, it seems like you were anxious not to talk to me!" Bonnie cried out, finally turning to face him.

She expected to see him there with raised chin and intact pride, but that was not what she saw. Klaus had worry lines on his forehead and his shoulders were down. Raising her hand, Bonnie uses the tips of her fingers to trace the lines marring his face. As soon as her warm hand came into contact with his skin, Klaus closed his eyes, enjoying the closeness. Bonnie noticed the drop in his guard, so she tried to drop hers too.

"Whatever is going on, you need to figure out what you want, Klaus," Bonnie said. Her voice was not even angry anymore, it just showed her frustration. "This back and forth, now we're good and now we're not can't continue. We're going to have a baby, and if that's not what you want, you gotta let me know."

The words left Bonnie's lips in a whirlwind, so fast that she didn't really know what she had said. Judging by the surprised look on Klaus' face, it was something extreme.

"I'm so tired of this instability between us. Our time in London was so nice, and I thought we were in the same page. Then it's two steps back when we return home and you don't even look at me. I can't take this anymore; I'm not a high school girl who thrives on drama with her on-and-off boyfriend." Bonnie continued, letting out a long breath as soon as she was done. Telling him that lifted a huge weight off her shoulders.

"That was not my intention, love. I just got caught up with something," Klaus explained, moving his right hand to cradle the back her head, almost forcing her to keep facing him. It was the right move, because Bonnie looked ready to turn around and leave.

"You would leave at nine in the morning and get back at dawn because you got caught up. Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit," Bonnie muttered the last part. Klaus would have laughed if he wasn't so worried about getting things back on track. Seeing his little witch, usually so prim and proper, curse like a seasoned sailor was comical.

"I got this right after we landed," Klaus said, getting his phone out of his leather jacket's pocket. He pulled up the messages that have been haunting him for the last days and showed it to her.

Bonnie was expecting a lot of things, but seeing her own face in multiple pictures was not one of them. Getting past her surprise, Bonnie scrolls through the various text messages, each of them with photos of herself, taken at different occasions. Damn, she was being stalked and didn't even realize it.

This one yours? She smells delicious. Watch your back, 'King' Klaus Mikaelson.

Those were the only words in the message apart from the pictures, and they left Bonnie feeling violated. From the looks of it, someone followed her for quite some time and she was none the wiser. Whoever did it obviously had an ulterior motive and was trying to rattle Klaus by sending him those texts.

"Why didn't you talk to me instead of acting like a maniac?"

Bonnie felt ridiculous that a part of her was relieved that this was the reason for his behavior. However, the rational side of her was upset that he didn't think to come to her.

"Don't you understand, Bonnie? They went after you because of me, and they were close enough to hurt you just to get to me! In some of this, you were already pregnant and-" Klaus started to say, agony and intensity oozing out of him so strongly that Bonnie had to interrupt him. She cupped both of his cheeks in a rough manner. It was her time to force him to look at her.

"Why did we start all of this, huh? Why did I come here in the first place? I'm a Bennett witch, I can hold my own. Besides, if they wanted to hurt me, they would've taken their chance."

Finished with her argument, Bonnie let his face go. Her heart was now beating at a furious pace against her chest, and she was feeling a little light headed. As if sensing Bonnie's sudden malaise, Klaus moved closer to her and set on calming her down, running his fingers through her hair. By no means of imagination was he an expert on pregnant woman, but even he knew that getting upset was bad for the child.

"Why didn't you tell me this? We're supposed to be a team, Nik. You don't have to do everything on your own, you're not alone anymore," Bonnie mumbled against his chest, accepting his embrace.

These pictures, this threat, were secondary to the frustration she was experiencing. Had he talked to her in the first place, it would've saved her from a lot of stress and heartbreak.

"I wanted to do this my way, and I didn't want to worry you. I'm sorry, love," Klaus whispered before dropping a kiss on the crown of her head.

Both of her and the baby's heartbeats went back to normal, and he was relieved by that. He would never forgive himself for causing harm to Bonnie and their child.

"Don't do this again, you hear me? We work together now, you don't shut me out," Bonnie demanded, sounding like a general giving orders. If it was anyone else, Klaus would have reacted. This time he would make an exception.

"You got it, love. There will be no secrets between us. This one was maddening, I had to..." Klaus promised, and tried to explain his motivations only to be shushed by Bonnie.

"Did you catch them? If you did, we're not talking about this anymore."

"I traced him all the way back to Baton Rouge. A vampire, but he wouldn't tell me who put him up to it. I have him at a warehouse now."

Bonnie sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She would love to put this newfound trouble behind her, but that wasn't possible without knowing the true culprit.

"Did you kill him?" Bonnie asked, already thinking up ways to make these vampires talk. Klaus shook his head no, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "Good. I'll try to do something to make him talk."

"No, I don't think that's a good idea," Klaus began to say, shaking his head side to side. There was a reason why he had done this behind her back. He did not want to involve her in this mess and risk having something happen. Bonnie didn't see it this way, though. The witch seemed to be resolute in her decision.

"You used your torture methods and it didn't work, right? So, let me help you. We're together in this," Bonnie reminded him, knowing exactly what to say to soften him.

After spending many of his years alone and not knowing who to trust, Klaus still had the instinct of doing everything by himself. Bonnie had been trying to break that habit, but the process was still slow. Convincing a stubborn thousand year old hybrid to change his ways was not an easy task.

"Fine, witch. Have it your way," Klaus grumbled, annoyed at his inability to say no to her. Just a bat of eyelashes and a small smile were enough to melt him down.

"We'll take care of this, Nik. Don't worry," Bonnie assured him, pulling him down to drop a kiss on his jaw and breath in his cologne.

Was it pathetic that she felt a sense of elation just because they were fine again? Was she letting him off the hook a little too easy? Bonnie tried not to let her thoughts run away from her.

"So, how are you going to make up for these horrible days you've put me through?" Bonnie asked with a grin that turned into a full laugh when she saw the trepidation that took over him.

It turned out that Bonnie wasn't at all picky when it came to making up. She was happy to return to the plantation, hole up in her room and roast marshmallows at the fireplace she barely used. There was an episode of 'Real Housewives of New York' playing on the background, much to Klaus displeasure.

"Do you really need to watch this right now?" Klaus complained from his place on the floor, watching with intent as Bonnie bent over to get more chocolate and crackers for the s'mores.

Klaus wouldn't admit it out loud, but he would gladly continue to watch this trash if Bonnie kept prancing around in those tight yoga pants and the cropped t-shirt she was wearing right now. Her toned dancer's body seemed to have taken a new form as the pregnancy developed, with Bonnie growing more curves every day. Her ass, which was already a very nice feature of hers, was now a thing of beauty. Something to be revered. Thank the lord she hadn't realized it, because he would be ruined if she tried to use those kind of powers on him.

"Yes, I do. Now, stay pretty and quiet. I have something to tell you. Well, two things," Bonnie announced, coming to sit next to him. Klaus frowned, confused by the change in her demeanor. She was putting on that exaggerated smile, the one she used whenever she tried to hide her anxiety. "Take a look."

Just as he was about to ask what, Bonnie pressed a small piece of paper into his open hand. A few seconds passed by before Klaus could recognize what was in front of him. A black and white grainy picture of his child comfortably settled inside Bonnie. Hearing the heartbeat was one thing, but seeing him was a whole 'nother beast. If Klaus was still human, he was sure he would've stopped breathing for a moment. As an ancient hybrid, not many things could amaze him, but this was one of them.

"Rebekah took me to a doctor yesterday, one of her progenies. She said everything is fine, and the baby seems to be healthy," Bonnie told him with a timid smile, trying to study his reaction. Was he happy with this, or not? She couldn't tell.

Without much thought or effort, Klaus pulled her to his lap. Her feminine squeal of surprise caused his lips to curl in a delighted grin. The happiness he was feeling at the moment was alien to him, unlike anything he had ever experienced. To him, happiness was finally killing Mikael, the only person he had feared. Happiness was breaking the curse and becoming the most powerful creature in the supernatural world. This sensation was different; it was pure, not built on someone else's pain. It was just his and Bonnie's.

With heads close together, foreheads touching, they shared a look that said more than words ever could. I trust you, please don't break me was what Bonnie's tear-wet eyes begged him. As though Klaus could understand the exact meaning of her eyes, he shook his head no and wiped the tears away with the back of his hand.

The warmth surrounding them grew when their lips touched. It was a slow, lazy caress with them breathing in each other. Even though the holidays were filled with moments like those, stolen kisses under the mistletoe and all, this felt different to Bonnie.

Seeing the emotion in Klaus as he looked at their child's picture cemented things in Bonnie's mind. It was going to be a turbulent journey, but she was meant to be by Klaus' side.

"How do you feel, daddy?" Bonnie asked in a whisper, smiling against his smooth cheek.

Running his hand up and down Bonnie's leg, Klaus couldn't concentrate. The high he was feeling was better than any of the drug induced ones he had experienced before. Not to mention, her calling him daddy stirred something else within him.

Ever the observant one, Bonnie could pinpoint the exact moment the mood around them shifted. The light, sweet moment had become charged with pure sexual energy. After months without getting laid, Bonnie was seriously considering letting go of her qualms, and having some fun. Her self-control was impeccable, but those raging hormones and Klaus' attractiveness were killing her.

"Let's have sex," Bonnie blurted, much to Klaus' surprise and mirth.

Klaus was prepared to respect her wishes of no sex until an unforeseeable future. Bonnie tied her emotions to sexual gratification, and he liked her that way. However, he was still a man. If Bonnie wanted to have sex with him, he wasn't going to say no.

His answer to her was sweet and simple; he closed the distance between them to give her a kiss. One hand was wrapped around her ponytail, the other splayed on the small of her back. Their embrace wasn't just warm anymore, it was hot.

Unlike the previous one, this kiss was a battle of dominance. Lips and tongues clashed in a perfect dance that was familiar to them. They kissed and kissed until their lips were swollen and Bonnie was out of breath. Wasting no time, Klaus put his mouth back to work just as they parted. He sucked and licked a line of hickeys from her neck to collarbone.

Beautiful, Klaus thought as he stepped back for a moment to admire Bonnie. With her eyes closed and bottom lip caught between her teeth, Bonnie was a picture of perfection.

Already missing Klaus' lips on her, Bonnie opened her eyes to see what was happening. After months, she expected him to move with way more urgency. Oh, well. It looked like she would be the one to steer this.

Swinging her leg, Bonnie moved to straddle him. With a naughty grin, she ground her hips against his. The pleasure pooling on her lower belly intensified when she heard his whimper, surprised by her move.

"Don't do that, witch," Klaus mumbled in a warning before pulling her for another kiss.

Their tongues moved against each other now at a lazier pace. Not wanting to embarrass himself like a fifteen year old, Klaus tried to take things slow. It had been a while since they last did that, and he wanted to get reacquainted with every square inch of her body.

"Why?" Bonnie asked, head cocked in fake curiosity. Teasing him really a fun hobby, one she should practice more. "Relax, Nik," she urged, moving to take off her shirt and bra all in one go.

A comeback got stuck in his throat when her perfect tits came into view. Without hesitation, he leaned forward to take a dusty nipple between his lips. Bonnie's cocky attitude dissolved with the first pass of his tongue. All she could do was whimper, the sensation lighting up the nerves in her body.

"Klaus, please," Bonnie moaned, fingers tightening against the fabric his black shirt. She wanted it off, and feel his skin against hers.

"Shhh, don't worry. I'll take care of you," Klaus promised, inhaling Bonnie's aroma. The tropical fragrance of her body lotion, a mixture of mangoes and pineapples, was enough to make him lightheaded.

"I know, I trust you," Bonnie whispered against his ear, causing a series of gooseflesh to appear on his skin.

The subtle nod of his head showed Bonnie that Klaus knew she wasn't just talking about the sex, and that made everything better.