18

We need to be strategic about this, Niklaus. You can't just go in there and challenge Marcellus," Elijah argued; frustration present in his voice as he tried, yet again, to present his point to his stubborn younger brother.

As expected, Klaus was resolute in his opinion that Marcel's defiance should be met with a strong reprisal. They were Original vampires; much more powerful than every single one of Marcel's minions.

"I fail to see what's wrong with my strategy of going there and ripping Marcel's heart out of his chest, breaking these bastards' necks and setting them on fire," Klaus responded; his hand tightening around the glass of Bourbon until his knuckles were paper white and the crystal made a noise signaling it was about to crack. Knowing this would be the fourth broken glass in a period of three hours; Klaus set it down on the antique coffee table.

Also nursing a drink of her own, Rebekah stayed quiet on this matter. She knew Klaus enough to realize that he would rebut every single idea either of them had to offer. He was feeling guilty, maybe for not being able to shield Bonnie and his daughter from possible danger, and that guilt would never allow him to take a backseat and analyze the situation. No, he was ready to go on attack mode and take the scorched earth route.

"That would be a perfectly fine plan if it weren't for the fact that Marcel has hundreds of vampires following his orders and, most important, a powerful witch to do his bidding," Bonnie pointed out, making her presence known as she entered the room.

After getting a much needed rest and calling Dr. Lydia to make sure her blood pressure spike wouldn't lead to any dangerous complications in her pregnancy, Bonnie was ready to face the music. As much as she wanted to go back to bed, go to sleep and pretend everything was okay, she knew better. Ignoring this problem wouldn't make it go away, unfortunately. It would snowball until Marcel, his band of vampires and werewolves were knocking on their door.

"I'm fine," she said before Elijah even had the chance to open his mouth. Ever the worrier, he would probably argue that she should sit this one out, which was so not an option to her.

In that subtle yet almost patronizing way he had perfected, Elijah raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to side; questioning her without having to say a word. In another situation, Bonnie would have been annoyed with that. This time, she understood why he didn't believe her. No smart person would; one glimpse at the dark shadows under her eyes would prove her wrong.

"Come on, you know I'm not going to stay up there while you're down here discussing our future," Bonnie argued, moving to sit on the armchair next to Klaus, who was standing by the unlit fireplace.

Shifting from side to side, she tried to get comfortable against the soft velvet fabric, but it was no use. She was a ball of nerves, full blown anxiety and God knows what else. If it weren't for her swollen and sore feet, she would be probably pacing across the floor; burning through the expensive rug.

"Well, love. You just interrupted Elijah rejecting a perfectly well crafted plan, but from the looks of it you agree with him," Klaus said, causing the rest of the room to roll their eyes. Elijah in a more discreet way, as to not agitate Klaus, and Rebekah and Bonnie with no discretion at all.

Leave it to Klaus to turn this discussion into a popularity contest and grumble about not receiving enough support.

"Oh please. I thought this was an open discussion, not a 'let's do whatever Klaus says' thing," Bonnie shot back; almost chuckling when she saw his face contort into a grimace.

"No, but I would think this was a 'let's go with the best plan of action', which happens to be mine. Marcel and his vampires are small ants compared to us. I could take hundreds of them in one go," Klaus boasted; not understanding why Bonnie and his siblings were so hesitant when it came to his plan.

"You're right, you might be able to take them down in one go. But not Davina. She's loyal to Marcel and powerful enough to incapacitate you," Bonnie argued; bringing up the point that Klaus seemed to ignore. Perhaps he was just too confident in his abilities as a seasoned killer, but Bonnie knew that underestimating their opponent was a big mistake. Klaus almost rejoiced in the fact that he seemed to be feared and hated by the supernatural population in New Orleans and yet he ignored how those feelings might influence their actions.

Processing her words, Klaus walked towards the bar to pour himself another drink. This time it was an aged scotch served with two ice cubes. Bonnie, now thirty weeks along, noticed that all of them had a full glass in their hands and looked on with envy. What she wouldn't give to be able to get pissing drunk and just sleep through this mess.

"What do you suggest then? I won't just sit here with fiddling thumbs while Marcel gets stronger with the wolves' help," Klaus replied; gesturing his arms in an abrupt way, causing some drops of the amber liquid to spill on the floor.

As Elijah used measured words to argue his point once again, Bonnie found her mind drifting away from the present conversation; his melodic voice almost a lullaby for her wandering thoughts. Instead of focusing on Elijah's strategy, her eyes fixed on the way the Rebekah's white gold ring encrusted with small ruby gems glittered when the afternoon sunlight hit it at a perfect angle. Her brain always did that whenever she was under a considerable amount of stress. She would space out; maybe as an act of self preservation.

Summer will be here soon, Bonnie thought as she looked out the window and saw nothing but blue skies and fluffy white clouds. Maybe this would be over before summer. She would be a thousand weeks pregnant, and uncomfortable as hell, but they could have a barbecue at night when it wasn't too hot, lounge around the pool.

"Holy crap. That's it," Bonnie muttered to herself louder than she intended; catching everybody's attention.

"Something you would like to share with us?" Elijah asked with a raised eyebrow. If Bonnie weren't so excited with her sudden epiphany, she would've made a comment on his annoying school teacher ways.

"There's something none of us has considered. Marcel missed the chance to talk to the werewolves. By his own making, the Crescent curse keeps them trapped in their wolf form except during the full moon. Josh said Marcel planned on convening the werewolves, meaning he didn't do it yet. And he will only be able to do it next month. I doubt he would risk entering their territory, considering a werewolf's bite is lethal to him," Bonnie concluded, feeling perky and not nauseous for the first time in the afternoon.

"We were speaking as if this alliance between them was a done deal, but it seems like the game has only begun," Rebekah said; blue eyes glittering with so much excitement that was almost unsettling. Maybe she was anxious to destroy Marcel after being shafted so many times. Whatever it was, Bonnie knew that getting revenge would be cathartic to the blonde and that rage could be useful to them. It was a win-win, really.

"Then I see no point in getting concerned. The werewolves will never support Marcel in his claim for the city. Not after they had to spend years living like mongrels in a dirty Bayou," Klaus stated with confidence and a grin on his lips. From where Bonnie was standing, better yet, sitting, he looked a bit relieved.

It was subtle, but Bonnie had learned to read his every detail; interpret the changes in his facial expressions and body language. She frowned, a little confused. After longing so much for this war, she would expect him to be counting down the minutes.

"Nik, you know it as well as I do that this isn't about that anymore. We've been here for two years, and Marcel has never even considered bringing back the werewolves. This mess isn't about pretty little Crescent City and who is going to be its leader. He wants to rally them so they can all destroy their one common enemy: us."

"As you've said, Marcel had two years to go after Niklaus and he chose not to do so," Elijah started to say, pacing back and forth as he tried to make sense of this. "What could trigger such a drastic reaction from him?"

That same question had plagued Bonnie even in her sleep. Now that she had figured out the answer, she dreaded having to say it loud. Uttering the words made them real. However, what could be more real than the threat brewing at the French Quarter?

"Her," Bonnie answered and placed both hands on her bump. "Davina felt her; she actually interfered with her magic. I can also feel her sometimes, but I never thought she was that powerful."

A part of Klaus, the one responsible for most of his ego, beamed with proud. Of course a child from his seed would be powerful beyond what anyone could imagine. In her journal, Ayana did say their offspring would be a combination of them; the best of their qualities put together in one little person.

"Josh said Davina was freaked out, and she couldn't even do spells," Rebekah pointed out, frowning as she realized what that meant. "That was why he came here. He wanted to know if what Davina was sensing was true."

"He got his answer, and now he's acting on it," Bonnie concluded with a quiet voice; fingertips nervously tapping the cushion of the armchair. "Marcel knows our daughter is powerful on her own and he doesn't want us taking advantage of that."

Blue eyes hardened at the thought of Marcel going after Bonnie and their daughter. Klaus could take Marcel being an ungrateful bastardwho liked to pretend he had built New Orleans, he could take Marcel usurp him of the kingdom that was rightfully his. He would not accept Marcel trying to form a coalition of supernatural creatures to destroy his child's powers.

"I'll just destroy him like I've done with anyone who was ever bold or stupid enough to come after me," Klaus said as if he was very sure of that.

Bonnie knew wasn't one to doubt his abilities, but she didn't think he quite got the magnitude of it all. This wasn't some delusional vampire who got high on blood and Bourbon and then believed he could kill the Original Hybrid.

"We should make a deal with the werewolves," Bonnie suggested, almost cringing when she looked up and saw the look of distaste stamped on Klaus' face.

"And align ourselves with those vile creatures?" Klaus asked; eyebrows raised so high they almost reached his hairline. He truly sounded disgusted that Bonnie would ever suggest something like that. "We are the Originals, you're a Bennett witch, you come from Ayana's line. Why would we ever do that? Our enemies would take any agreement with the wolves as a sign of weakness."

Bonnie wanted to laugh at his passionate rant and point out his major hypocrisy. He was so powerful and lethal because he was also a werewolf and yet he looked at them like they were a weaker species; a bunch of savages running around the Bayou.

"What if Marcel turns around and goes to the witches? Agrees to lift the ban if they help him neutralize our daughter's powers?" Bonnie asked; heart racing up in anxiety at the mere thought of that situation coming to fruition. Nevertheless it was something they had to consider. She may be powerful, but she was without a coven while living with vampires, meaning the number of witches willing to help her would be close to zero.

"I know Marcel, I raised him. He would never humiliate himself by going to the witches," Klaus shook his head no in a rather forceful way as if to emphasize the unlikeliness of that possibility.

"We didn't think he would ever go to the pack, but that's what he wants to do. Point being, you can't tell what he will or won't do until his back's against the wall. If Davina, his special powerful weapon, tells him she's scared of what a baby in the womb is capable of doing, you can bet he's getting desperate," she said, looking at him and almost seeing the gears shifting inside his head. Usually he would adopt a pretty good poker face, but this matter was getting to him. "You may have this camaraderie going on, but at the end of the day, Marcel isn't going to stand by and let you have a powerful weapon, even if that weapon is our daughter."

Bonnie flinched as she said the words, realizing how fucked up she must have sounded. The thought of somebody seeing her baby as nothing but a weapon was disturbing.

"Okay," Rebekah spoke out when she noticed the tension building up. If they kept at it another argument was bound to happen. From where he was standing, Nik was exuding guilt and anger and that could be dangerous. "Why don't we try to think of a solution instead of bickering?"

"Uh, isn't it obvious? I'll have to break the curse before Davina and..." Bonnie hesitated, staring down at her slightly swollen hands. They would never be able to come back from the path she was considering.

The three siblings peer up at her in curiosity. Rebekah arched a pale eyebrow, urging Bonnie to finish without uttering a single word.

"Hybrids. Turn them into hybrids," Bonnie finished, wondering if she had lost her mind somewhere along the way. It probably happened two years ago, when she agreed to working with Klaus in New Orleans. "I know it's crazy, but that may be the only thing we have over them."

"That might be an interesting idea," Elijah said, stuffing a hand inside his pocket and looking down the floor; deep in thought as he analyzed the feasibility of that. "However, we can't make a deal on empty promises. There's no guarantee they can be turned. Niklaus hasn't been able to successfully make a hybrid in years."

"Nik didn't have our baby's blood yet," she grimaced; feeling like the world's worst mother for even thinking about involving her daughter in something so wretched. It was bad, but the alternative of them having to surrender could be much worse. "Lydia said her blood was the key to everything hybrid. I know, I hate myself for saying this," she said when she saw the stunned expressions on their faces.

Klaus kept quiet; feeling torn. If this had happened a few months ago, he would have agreed to it without hesitation. Now, the last thing he wanted was placing his daughter right in the middle of the crossfire.

"Rebekah, Elijah, can you give us some time to talk?" Bonnie asked in a quiet voice when she noticed his hesitation. Whatever decision they took, it would be made by the two of them. "Talk to me, Nik. Tell me what you think."

She pulled him by the cuff of his black leather jacket, urging him to sit on the coffee table right across from her.

"This is a risky move and I don't know if joining forces with the werewolves will be good for us. They spent years confined in that goddamn place, and they will want revenge. Who knows where their loyalties will lie after we give them some power?"

She closed her eyes with a sigh, and bit into one of her manicured nails. It was a nervous habit that had started when she was ten and attending cheerleader competitions with Caroline and Elena. Bonnie had been able to break it when she became a teenager and having perfect, long nails painted in bright colors was the utmost priority. Now that she was an adult and her ultimate priority was keeping her family safe, Bonnie didn't give a crap about her nails.

"I hear you. I hate doing this as much as you do, but the thought of all of them trying to destroy us and getting her makes me..." Her heart raced in an unpleasant way when she imagined those vampires, or even worse, the witches getting their hands on her daughter. She would die before that ever happened. "'I don't think we can do this on our own. Not if they get together."

"Shh," he whispered, moving a hand to cup her cheek. "I won't let anything happen to either of you, love. Anybody who tries to hurt you will die a slow, painful death," he assured her; his blue eyes never leaving hers as leaned forward to peck her forehead.

"Can you please consider this? We won't do if you're not on board," she pleaded, turning his his hand to place a kiss on his palm. "I gotta go take a nap. This pregnancy business is not for the weak. Catch me later, okay?"

It was late at night when Klaus finally caught Bonnie. Like most people, Bonnie was in bed; the white cotton sheets thrown haphazardly on her, only covering part of her legs as she had kicked it off her on her sleep. Due to her expanding belly and the ache in her lower back, Bonnie had been having trouble sleeping. Most of her rest came in the form of naps in the middle of the day, which made her feel like a small child and totally ridiculous. This time, however, Bonnie welcomed her insomnia as she sensed Klaus coming through the door. His scent, the citrusy yet masculine Grey Vetiver cologne, was unmistakable and she would have recognized it anywhere and anytime, put a small smile on her face.

Even though he can't see her face, which was buried into the pillows surrounding her, Klaus returned that smile. The corners of his lips turned upwards as he admired her. Damn, she was exquisite even in her sleep. Her dark brown hair, curled in the ends, was sprawled out against the pillow like a curtain. Just as he thought her body couldn't be more appealing, her new curves developed. He wasn't even an ass man, but there was no ignoring the alluring dip in her low back that lead to her behind and those long legs. Even Elijah, a man with a much better self-control, had turned his head to take a better look. Surprisingly, Klaus didn't mind. Bonnie was his and Elijah would never know what it was like to have her, to kiss her. For once, he had bested his perfect older brother.

"Stop staring at me when I'm sleeping like a creep," Bonnie said; her voice muffled by the pillow. "Come lay down with me."

He was stripping down to his black boxer briefs, throwing the pieces of clothing on the floor without a care before she even finished her sentence. A small giggle escaped from her lips when he plopped onto the bed, pulling the covers over them. The weight of the day's events caught up to him as he laid there. Even as a hybrid, Klaus felt exhausted, both physically and mentally.

"Why did you take so long to catch me?" Bonnie asked; reaching back to clasp her right hand with his and placing them on her bump. That was natural to them ever since her belly became noticeable. Their hands seemed to be drawn to the life inside her. "I didn't see you for the rest of the day."

"I was just thinking, love," he answered; kissing her shoulder and burying his nose in her locks; inhaling that sweet smell of coconut and jasmine. "Love?"

"Mmm?" she asked; actually starting to feel sleepy now that she was comfortable with him there.

"You're right about the werewolves. Let's act when the next full moon comes," he whispered against her neck.

"We'll be okay," Bonnie said as a way to assure him, but it sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than anything else. Not wanting to be a complete jerk by poking holes at her plans and pointing out all the ways they would not be okay, Klaus nodded and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Even though Bonnie was playing strong, like she had done for most of their time together and probably all her life, Klaus could feel the anxious energy coming from her. She was terrified of what the future could bring. He didn't blame her, though. After years and years of being treated like shit by her friends and then discovering a new life for herself in New Orleans, she just wanted to have some peace and happiness. At the point, there was little he wouldn't do to ensure Bonnie and his child got exactly that.

"We will." He brushed his closed lips against her shoulder; feeling her soft and fragrant skin. It smelled of that cocoa butter lotion she used to lather on herself to prevent stretch marks. Her smell, so familiar, combined with the feel of her body against his, started to stir something inside him. "What do you say to finish what we started this morning?"

Klaus wasn't one to beg or to admit that his self-control wasn't as impeccable as he would prefer, but being like that with Bonnie, only made more obvious how much he missed her. A small giggle and an arch of her back, rubbing her ass against the front of his pants, were her answer to his proposition. She might be tired, lazy and not at all anxious to move, but her hormones were so on edge that she was more than ready to go.

"When's the last time we've done this?" he wondered to himself as his right hand pushed her large Saints football t-shirt up her thigh, dragging the soft material against the light brown skin in a painstakingly slow motion. Bonnie pushed herself off the mattress so he could remove it from her. "I can't believe I went so long without this, without you." His blunt teeth scraped her neck; the pressure just right to make her mewl on the sheets like a kitten. "I love hearing you, love."

He pushed her messy curls in a loose ponytail exposing her neck and shoulders. There was something to be said about a woman's shoulders and Bonnie's were so perfect and delicate. As if he was thirsty to drink from her, Klaus latched on the juncture of her neck and shoulders; sucking a pretty red mark on her skin.

"Nik," Bonnie whined as she pushed herself against him again; tired of his teasing and anxious to have him inside her.

A relieved moan escaped from her lips when Klaus finally moved her cotton panties to the side and found her clit. With a precision that he applied to everything in life, he stroked the sensitive nub; smirking with pure masculine pride when Bonnie squeaked out in inhibited pleasure and started moving against his hand, eager for more pressure. The warmth in her lower belly radiated to the rest of her body; droplets of sweat forming and making the hair on the nape of her neck frizz up even more. She probably looked like a crazy person, but that was the last thing in her mind. All she could focus on was his hot breath, murmuring words of encouragement, telling her she was beautiful and how amazing she felt.

"Nik, get inside me," Bonnie pleaded in a low voice, almost sobbing as she moved to slide her panties down her legs. "Please, please."

Not one to deny his lady; especially when she was so exquisite like that, Klaus did what he was told. In one smooth motion, he took off his briefs and entered her; closing any space there was in between them. Bonnie sighed and reached back for him. It was a bit of an awkward task, with her big belly and whatnot, but she would only be satisfied when her hands were gripping his hair, pulling sandy blonde strands to encourage him to move faster.

"You want it like this?" he asked in a low growl; snapping his hips and playing with one of her nipples. All she could do was desperately nod and pull him for a kiss. The angle wasn't quite right; her tongue licking his bottom lip instead of meeting his. Neither of them minded the mess. Bonnie tightened around like a vice, making him lose his rhythm for a second.

"I'm, I'm-" she wasn't able to finish her sentence as her whole body tensed up, reaching her climax in record speed and intensity. Puffing a hot breath of air against her ear, Klaus came with a quiet groan.

"Let's not wait another two weeks before doing this again, okay?" Bonnie asked, pushing some curls out of her eyes; trying to catch her breath.

"Love, I wouldn't be able to stay away from you even if I wanted," he admitted in a whisper, smiling when he realized she was sleeping; her soft snores the only sound in the room.

"Okay, Bonnie," Lydia said; her voice taking on a maternal tone, soft and concerned all wrapped up in one. At least that was how Bonnie felt, like a small child who had misbehaved and was now awaiting punishment. "How are you feeling?"

Bonnie opened her mouth to answer, but closed it when she realized she had no idea how to explain how to translate her feelings into words. The last few weeks had passed them by in a tedious yet tense way. While Marcel had not made any open threats or declared war against the Mikaelsons, it was decided that the best course of action for Bonnie was to lay low. Not wanting to rock the boat, Bonnie agreed to spend her summer break at the plantation. A decision that she had come to regret a couple days later when she realized that spending her time at the plantation basically meant being grounded, with Elijah giving her a dirty look every time she tried to go to the fucking grocery store.

All of that coupled with the fact that all of her friends from Tulane had decided to vacate the city to enjoy greener pastures for the summer made Bonnie feel like shit. Mack, for one, had decided to join her sisters in a road trip to California. Many of the sophomores and juniors were at a special summer dance program offered by New York City Ballet, some others trying their luck by auditioning to companies all around the country. Everybody was out there, being productive and living while she searched for a way to break the Crescent curse and watched her feet get swollen to the point where they resembled little piglets.

Sure it wasn't all that bad. Online shopping was a God's gift to humanity and the only thing that kept Bonnie's sanity intact. She and Rebekah had given her black Visa-courtesy of Klaus- a vigorous workout with their baby shopping, buying all of the paraphernalia that a baby needed. However, that sweet baby bubble made of frilly pink dresses and white embroidered socks could only last for so long.

"Honestly? I don't know," Bonnie answered, almost surprised that she let herself say the truth instead of covering it up with a smile like she usually did. Lydia was probably a psychologist on top of being an OB-GYN. "I've been having headaches for the past two weeks, last night I had black spots in my vision. The stress is getting to me, I guess."

"Bonnie, this sounds like more than stress," Lydia noted; her pale blonde eyebrows knitting together in concern as she glanced down at the scribbles on the monogrammed notepad. To anyone else, it would be just a bunch of unintelligible words put together. To Lydia, those words spelled trouble, and she was not anxious to break the news. Damn it. "Your blood pressure is through the roof and all of those symptoms are very concerning to me. I am afraid that you might have developed gestational high pressure, maybe preeclampsia, but I would have to do some tests to confirm it. "

Bonnie didn't know much about pregnancies and its complications, something she really ought to know, considering the pile of books that were in her nightstand drawers, catching dust. She did know, however, that pre-eclampsia was not something any pregnant woman would like to hear. Sitting on her usual spot, next to her, Rebekah gasped a little, probably because she understood what that meant better than Bonnie herself.

"What's the plan? You think there's a chance it develops into eclampsia?" Rebekah started to question; her tone all business, which made Bonnie smile. Even in moments like these, when Bonnie was too in her head to form a complete sentence, Rebekah had her back.

"I don't know if it's pre-eclampsia yet. I would say the odds are low, considering she's had a picture perfect pregnancy. But we do need to consider that this is a little hybrid. I'm comparing her development with a human fetus, so there's a margin of error. We want to be on the safe side, and do anything to avoid you having that little girl before she's ready," Lydia said, trying to be careful with her tone and words. Bonnie was a smart girl, she would understand where Lydia was getting at. No need to try and scare her.

"What does being on the safe side entail?" Bonnie asked, already dreading the answer. She had seen enough movies to know whatever came next wouldn't be fun.

"I would strongly suggest modified bed rest just until everything gets back to normal," Lydia said, feeling bad as she saw Bonnie's face contort into a grimace; her green eyes shutting as if she was actually in pain.

"Bed rest?" Bonnie grumbled; her eyes still closed and not willing to face the music.

"Modified," Lydia chirped; trying hard not to grin at the dramatic faces Bonnie was pulling. The witch was so mature that Lydia forgot how young she really was. Barely in her twenties, Bonnie was going through some things that not even grown adults could handle and yet she still stood. Perhaps she deserved a moment of frustration.

"What about doing magic?" Bonnie wondered, pretending this was just a casual question, but the way her eyebrows raised let Lydia know what the witch was thinking.

The doctor pushed her perfectly coiffed hair behind her ear and sighed. She knew how much a witch cherished her magic, so telling Bonnie she couldn't use it was not something she was looking forward to.

"Bonnie, your magic might be stronger than ever, but you also need a healthy body to handle it. So, I think it will be better if you lay off your spells for a while."

The doc laid down the law and Bonnie felt like she had been punched in the gut. Knowing she had complications with her pregnancy was already terrifying, but having their plans fall apart was too much for her mind to process. She had figured everything out. Break the Crescent curse, help the werewolves, defeat Marcel if he went against them. A very important bargaining chip was lost, which could very well turn the game against them.

"Just tell me what I need to do," Bonnie muttered, clasping her hands together. In the end, she was a mother at heart and the only thing that really mattered was her little girl. Another battlefield strategy would come.

"We'll have to monitor your pressure regularly and I would-" Lydia stopped talking, and looked around as if she had heard something. Rebekah opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but the doctor just placed her index finger over her thin rosy lips.

With uncertain steps that didn't really match her personality, she peeked through the white blinders and cursed under her breath.

"What?" Rebekah asked; her body already tensing up with hesitation.

"You should leave, through the back, get on your car and drive until you get home," Lydia instructed with a eerily calm voice. Both girls were able to pick up what she was trying to say.

Rebekah gave her a jerky nod and jumped up from the chair as if she had been shocked. Her blue eyes moved to look at the door and then at the window; considering her next move. With a limited experience in this kind of thing, Bonnie sat still in her chair, not really knowing what to do.

"How many?"

"Five, I think. They seem like Marcel's guys," Lydia said, cocking her head to the side so she could pick up more details. Yep, definitely Marcel's. There was this cocky attitude in the way they moved that screamed French Quarter vampires. "We could take them, but..."

Lydia trailed off, attempting to have a silent conversation with her sire. Observing their every move, Bonnie was able to pick up what Lydia meant. And she hated it. A helpless damsel in distress she was not, hadn't been for her entire life.

"Stop. Whatever you want to do, I can do." Bonnie had that determined and stubborn look on her face, making Rebekah shake her head in disbelief.

"Witch, she just told you to lay low, no stress or magic and you want to run around and fight vampires?"

Shit, Rebekah was right. Bonnie slumped down on the chair a little, allowing herself to feel stupid for a moment.

"Bekah's right. You get out of here and I'll hold them. The last thing you need is getting into a scuffle with vampires."

"Yeah, sure. Give these little fuckers your best."

Despite all of the tension, Lydia managed a smile as she took off her white doctor's jacket. Rebekah, while confident in her progeny's ability, looked worried. The two off them had a quiet conversation, and Bonnie felt like she was invading their privacy as she watched Rebekah lean and peck Lydia's forehead with a kiss. The loving moment was over as soon as it began, and they put a little distance between their bodies, looked at each other and nodded; an understanding between them.

"Let's go, Bon," Rebekah pulled Bonnie by the hand, leading her to the side door in the kitchen.

Bonnie turned her head back, just in time to catch Lydia greet them with a "how can I help you, gentlemen?"; her voice nice and calm.

By dumb, sheer luck, Lydia was enough to distract them. Not for long; they were vampires with enhanced senses, after all. Just enough to give time for Bonnie to haul her belly into Rebekah's car.

As they were speeding off, Bonnie glanced back and saw them; black veins under their eyes, sharp canines extended out. This was not a social visit to the quaint neighborhood.

This was an intimidation tactic; to show her who was the boss. On a normal day, Bonnie would've laughed and knocked them on their asses with one measly spell.

Today, whatever they were trying to do worked. Perhaps it was the hormones coupled with the stress, but Bonnie was officially scared.

And she hated that.

Another thing Bonnie hated? Having people make decisions for her. After her turbulent teen years in Mystic Falls, Bonnie promised to herself that she wouldn't let anyone but herself make choices regarding her life. She didn't expect having to fight Klaus for the right to choose what she thought was best for herself, though.

"What? No!" Bonnie cried out, jumping from the bed to her feet in one go, surprising both Klaus and Elijah. Rebekah was just so anxious with the way Bonnie was reacting to the suggestion that surprise didn't even register in her brain. "Are you serious? We have everyone knocking on our door, ready to take us down; why in the hell would I go to another city? Y'all can get that out of your crazy minds. Baton Rouge? Get the fuck outta here."

Despite himself and the situation at him, Klaus smiled. Only Bonnie, decked out in a pretty sundress and her belly sticking out, could still be adorable while cursing under her breath. A lesser man would've felt intimidated with the way her green eyes narrowed into two slits, wishing he would drop dead right at that moment. His smile only spurred her on even more, and she crossed her arms over her chest, almost bouncing with angry energy.

"Bonnie, we are simply trying to come up with a way to keep you and your child safe," Elijah tried to explain.

Focused on Klaus, Bonnie whipped her head to look at the older Mikaelson. The way her eyebrow arched, wordlessly saying 'shut the fuck up and stay out of this' was so clear that Rebekah had to place a hand over her mouth to cover a chuckle.

"Whatever you want to do, it doesn't make sense. Besides, we need to break the Crescent curse to strike up a deal with the werewolves. Last time I checked, none of you are witches."

"You can't do that spell either, Bonnie. Not without putting our daughter at risk," Klaus reminded Bonnie; softening his voice as he decided to take a gentler approach to this.

"So I can't do a spell and you decide to ship me off to another city," Bonnie concluded, starting to let her thoughts run away from her.

His eyebrows rose until they almost disappeared in his hairline; surprised at where she was going with this.

"Bonnie, you know it's not about that," Rebekah said; the frown on her face matching Elijah's.

"Marcel came here that day, now his minions follow you around in the open. What do you think will be their next move, huh?" Klaus asked; cocking his head to the side as if he was expecting an answer out of her. He wasn't.

Without the extra dose of adrenaline pumping in her veins, Bonnie sat back down on the edge of her queen sized bed. Somewhere deep in her head she actually agreed with him. The surface Bonnie, the one who was scared and feeling insecure, would fight him on this until the bitter end.

"It's just a matter of time until they're bold enough to try and hurt you."

Klaus took a few steps to get closer, sat on the spot on the bed next to hers and placed a hand on her warm skin. Leaning down so his lips are almost touching her ear, he whispered; quiet enough that even his siblings wouldn't be able to understand him. He made a gesture with head, signaling for them to leave. They did his bidding, quietly slipping out of the room and closing the door.

"I just want to protect you, love. Make sure you're safe. Won't you let me do that?"

The way his hot breath hit the damp skin of her neck made Bonnie shiver. This close contact between them made her want to drop her walls.

"My place is by your side. That's what you told me, remember?" Bonnie asked, resting her head on his shoulder; closing her eyes as she finally felt the events of the day taking a toll on her body. After all, she was a woman on the third trimester of her pregnancy.

"And I meant it, but it would be selfish of me to keep you here if you're not safe," Klaus whispered, wrapping his arm around her. "I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to you or her, knowing I could've prevented it."

Eyes still closed, Bonnie didn't respond, but she gave him a slight nod. She didn't want anything bad to happen, didn't want Klaus to live with any guilt over her.

"So you want me to move to a new house in a new city where I don't know anyone and be alone six weeks before my due date?"

The hand lazily drawing circles on Bonnie's back stopped as he began to find some faults in his brilliant plan. Okay, he hadn't focused on that particular matter, Bonnie's safety at the forefront. Knowing that Marcel's daywalkers had the audacity to stalk Bonnie and intimidate her had sent his mind spinning; trying to think of something he could do to solve the problem.

"You wouldn't be alone. You'd be living with Georgia."

Georgia was an old acquaintance of his, a fifty something year old witch who owed him a favor and was willing to protect Bonnie as if she were one of her daughters. Klaus knew her residence in Baton Rouge would be safe haven for his little witch.

"I don't want Georgia, I want you," Bonnie muttered in a whine. Maybe she sounded like a grumpy five year old, but she didn't care anymore. "I'm not leaving the city, so you should just let go of that stupid idea."

Klaus sighed, knowing that he shouldn't even try to argue anymore. It probably was a stupid idea; one he wouldn't even consider if he wasn't on the brink of desperation. He liked to have Bonnie there, close to him. He liked listening to her steady breathing at night and her giggles when she watched old cartoons on Netflix. Her presence was a comfort, and he didn't want to part with it, but he'd rather have her miles and miles away than six feet under.

Then, something clicked in his mind.

"I have a house. On the other side of the lake. It's not New Orleans, but it's close enough," he murmured, moving his hand up; tangling his fingers in her curls.

"You have another house?" Bonnie asked after a minute of silence; her voice genuinely surprised as her noise crinkled in confusion.

"It's not much, I haven't gone there this year. I bought it because it's right on the lake and I would fish."

"Wait, since when do you fish?"

Bonnie moved her head off his shoulder, staring at him like he had just sprouted a second, and maybe a third head. Out of all the things she had imagined Klaus doing, fishing was never one of them. He had always given her the vibe of being an indoors person.

Almost forgetting the reason why he had mentioned the lake house in the first place, Klaus let out a throaty chuckle at the surprised and offended look on her face.

"How did I not know you liked fishing enough to buy a fucking lake house? I'm the mother of your unborn daughter, for goodness' sake."

He smirked, but didn't say anything. She had taken to using that argument, knowing she was right and nobody could argue with her on that, ever since he refused to make her tomato soup with grilled cheese, one of her cravings.

"I'm the father of your unborn daughter and there's still a lot about you that I don't know. So don't worry, love."

He brought her hand to his lips, kissing it as a way to reassure her. His little witch, maybe because of hormones or even her young age, seemed to be developing an insecurity when it came to their relationship.

With their daughter slated to make her debut in six weeks, Klaus suspected that the life changing event was starting to mess with her head. As a matter of fact, Klaus was surprised he had been able to keep his mind together. Sure he had lost it a little with the whole Rebekah thing, but there was so crippling anxiety whenever he remembered he was a few weeks away from becoming a father.

"It's not too far from here?" Bonnie questioned; white pearly teeth nibbling on her lower lips as she pondered on whether leaving the plantation was the best move.

'That woman is going to give me whiplash with all of her different moods' Klaus thought, shaking his head at how quickly she changed subjects. He looked at her, seeing how vulnerable she looked; and couldn't do more than shake his head.

"No, love. Two hours by car; right near the water. You'll love it," Klaus said, and he wasn't even lying about that last part.

As a witch, Bonnie was drawn to nature; even felt physically better when she was outside, bare feet on the grass and leaves stuck on her hair.

"I don't want to be alone."

"You won't. Rebekah will go with you and I'll be there every day. I'll even teach you how to fish, if you're good."

Still not completely sold, Bonnie looked up to stare at him, suspicion clear in her eyes.

"Bonnie, I can't focus if you're here; if I'm worrying about you, your health and our daughter. I just want to do this knowing you're safe from all of this. You're my weakness, remember?" Klaus mumbled, surprised that he had said those words out loud without any type of liquid courage. After all, last time they had this type of conversation, he had downed five bottles of Wild Turkey in less than three hours. Pleased with this development, Bonnie beamed and cradled his face with both hands.

"We're your strength, remember?"

Klaus did remember. He remembered every single detail of that late night conversation on the cold floor of the nursery. He remembered her eyes filled with tears and trying to swallow down his own. However, it didn't feel like Bonnie was his strength. She felt like his downfall, as he knew he would lose his mind if anything happened to her.

Finally, after a minute or so filled with silence, Bonnie nodded and let out a small okay.

Klaus, for his part gave her a jerky nod in response and breathed out, feeling relieved and just hoping he had steered her in the right direction.

Being at the lake house was surprisingly not bad, Bonnie had concluded after a short week. The three bedroom house was not 'not a big deal' as Klaus had previously put. With exposed wood beams, windows large enough to let in the most natural light possible, and a beautiful wraparound porch, the place looked nothing like she had envisioned.

Sure, it was weird having to acclimate to a whole new place while hauling a cumbersome belly and being uncomfortable with basically everything, but Bonnie had come to appreciate the freedom she had there. With only Rebekah, her appointed nanny of sorts, Bonnie was able to come and go whenever she pleased without being shepherd.

As much as she hated to admit Klaus was right, the new environment did wonders for her physical health, at least. Her spiking blood pressure had stabilized; it was still higher than Lydia would have liked, but she hadn't had migraines or black spots in her vision anymore. Her nerves were a different story, though. Being isolated and not knowing what was going on with their fucked up politics were messing with Bonnie's head. She was a fighter, the one who usually got shit done. Doing nothing but leisure around was great; she loved the lake and had started a small herb garden, but Bonnie was ready to get a move on. Lydia had green lighted Bonnie to start using magic again. It was just a few simple spells here and there, but the sensation of magic at her fingertips, tingling her skin like light shocks as she started chanting.

This one was a bit more complex, though. Bonnie wasn't an idiot. She knew the short time they had to approach the werewolves at the Bayou was ending. The full moon was already upon them, so they only had another two days to prove they meant business when it came to removing the Curse and having them as allies. Since breaking the Crescent Curse would put too much stress on her body, Bonnie had gone for the next best thing.

"Are you sure you should be doing this? " Rebekah asked; both hands on her hips and an arched eyebrow.

Bonnie looked up from the items sitting on the dark oak table and nodded at the blonde.

"Yep," she answered, popping the p as she swirled the liquid inside the vial, watching as it turned into a rusty red color. "It's no big deal, just a little something to make sure they know we're serious."

"What's that?" Rebekah moved to sit on a chair, looking at the object with narrowed eyes.

"A potion that can stop a werewolf from turning back into a wolf for a few more day. Well, it's not really a potion but you don't need to know the technicalities. What's important is showing them we're willing to help."

On the inside, Rebekah was impressed with Bonnie's thinking. She knew the witch was smarter than a whip, but there was always surprise when she realized how much of a mastermind she really was.

"While that's a surprisingly good idea, considering we don't really have anything to offer right now, I don't think you should be pushing yourself," Rebekah said; a light admonishment tone in her voice. Bonnie was so used to being the person responsible for fixing shit up that she had to be reminded that it was okay to be vulnerable and depend on others.

"Don't worry, that's peanuts. Besides, I know we're in this situation because of me, so that's the, um, the least I can do. For all of us," Bonnie said, stammering a few words here and there.

Rebekah frowned when she noticed the way Bonnie's face paled ever so slightly, losing the sun tanned bronze that she had acquired after spending long days out in the July sun.

"Are you okay?" she questioned with a head cocked to the side. Bonnie breathed in and out; the air forcefully entering her nose and exiting through her mouth.

"Yeah, my back's been giving me some trouble since last night," Bonnie answered in a casual tone, bringing a hand to her lower back with a small wince. "That's what happens when I don't stretch for a long time."

It made sense, Rebekah conceded. Bonnie was used to dancing six hours a day, so it was likely her body was responding to the changes. However, the alarm in the back of her mind rung.

"Just last night? Have you felt anything else?"

Bonnie frowned, almost as if she sensed where Rebekah was going. Her blood turned into iced water as her mind worked overtime to remember every single thing she'd felt in the last few days. Holy fuck. That couldn't be.

"Rebekah, no. I'm not due for another five weeks," Bonnie pointed out in a hiss, and both of them realized she was trying to convince herself more than anything else.

"Babies can come early, Bonnie. Maybe this is nothing, but considering everything, I'm calling Lydia. Just stay calm," Rebekah instructed, pulling out her phone to call Lydia.

As Rebekah walked away, speaking to Lydia in hushed tones, Bonnie couldn't even feel nervous. As a matter of fact, it felt like she had gone into a state of shock. It was too much for her twenty year old mind to process that she was might be having a baby. In an isolated place. Without Klaus there.

She could only hope her pains were Braxton Hicks.

Bonnie had a plan. It might not be a good one, but she did develop a plan based on months of reading mommy blogs, parenting magazines and incredibly thick books with some details that she didn't really to know and illustrative pictures she might not ever be able to forget. As any twenty year old who was pregnant for the first time with an unplanned child, Bonnie was terrified of the birth itself. Some may say it was the miracle of life, but that had never been helpful to Bonnie. That was why her type A, a little too controlling self, had come up with a Successful Childbirth Plan ™ that involved Tchaikovsky's 'The Nutcracker' suite crooning on the background as she was hit with contractions, laying on one of those giant yoga balls, being high up on sweet drugs and doing her best to crush Klaus' hand as she pushed a baby out of her vagina.

What was happening right now? Was not, in any shape or form, part of her plan. She was supposed to have a safe and peaceful delivery at home, when she was full term. Her mind was at ease with that particular situation, not with this one. Bonnie needed these last five weeks. Their world outside was still fucked up, and she had to fix it before her daughter took her first breath. Not being able to hold on for this short time and protect her baby made Bonnie feel like a proper failure. It also made her feel completely stupid for not being recognizing the signs of an early birth.

"Relax, Bonnie," Lydia said with a small smile as she adjusted the ultrasound probe that was fastened on Bonnie's belly, continuously monitoring the baby's heartbeat.

"She'll be five weeks premature, how can I relax? What if her lungs have not developed yet? Or if she's so underweight that she-" Bonnie started to say, but couldn't bring herself to utter the words she dreaded so much. The machine that was tracking her blood pressure beeped a tad louder, indicating some distress.

"This little girl is no normal baby, remember that? For all we know, she could be right on time. Besides, if she were just a human, she would be what we call late preterm. I don't want you to worry about that right now, okay? I promised I'll do whatever I can to make sure both of you are okay. Hopefully you'll be cuddling with your baby girl soon."

Something about Lydia's voice, maybe the way she spoke with such certain, as if she just knew everything would be turn out okay, made Bonnie relax into the pile of fluffy pillows that were supporting her aching low back.

"Where's Nik?" Bonnie asked as soon as she saw a blonde head appearing by the door. Another wave of pain hit her hard as the contraction came, causing Bonnie to grit her teeth together and clench her hands into a fist until her knuckles were pale.

"Breathe in and out, Bonnie. Nice and slow," Rebekah instructed, doing exaggerated breathing motions so Bonnie could mimic her. Despite feeling like she was going to pass out and puke at the same time, Bonnie managed to keep inhaling and exhaling until the contraction was over and she collapsed on the bed.

Like the mother hen she had become in these last few months, Rebekah finger-brushed the damp curls that were plastered against Bonnie's glistening-with-sweat forehead and pulled them into a loose ponytail. The witch looked up at her with a faint, thankful smile and accepted the cup of ice water; drinking from the little pink straw with careful sips.

"Nik was taking care of some things, but he'll be here soon," Rebekah assured her, trying not to let it show that she was also anxious.

"I'm sorry," Bonnie offered when she finished drinking. Now plopped on a rather uncomfortable armchair, Rebekah frowned. "I know how much you wanted to throw this garden tea party as my baby shower, and now you can't anymore."

Not expecting that, Rebekah opened her mouth in surprise and then guffawed; the sound of her laugh covering up the constant whoosh coming from the machine monitoring the baby's heartbeat. Bonnie was worried about other people's feelings even during labor. Some habits did die hard or possibly not at all.

"Don't worry, witch. I hear that a sip and see is the rage for Southern belles like you," Rebekah said; the corners of her lips curling upwards when Bonnie chuckled, and then groaned in pain as the muscle of her lower back went into spasm. This was turning out to be harder than rehearsing for Swan Lake.

"I guess. Besides, who would attend? Everybody is gone and..." Bonnie trailed off, realizing that she would have a baby shower for her daughter and Caroline and Elena would not be there.

This was something they had talked about ever since they were fifteen year old girls making plans for the future. Prone to dreaming up every single detail of her adult life, Caroline had decided that they should try to get pregnant at the same time so their kids grew up together. Caroline would have the honor of being the godmother of Bonnie's firstborn, and as such, she would plan the baby shower. Now, Bonnie hadn't talked to Caroline in months and it was Rebekah Mikaelson who was holding her hand during childbirth. Bonnie had come to love Rebekah like a sister – while she might not have verbalized the feeling yet, it was there- but that didn't mean she was ready to let go of her entire past.

Almost as if her body wanted her to push that subject to the back of her mind, another contraction came, causing Bonnie to clench her hands and toes with everything she got. The minutes seemed to last way longer than they actually did, and finally it was over; leaving Bonnie breathless and with droplets of swear running down her neck and wettingthe collar of her old oversized t-shirt. Recognizing the little exhausted sigh Bonnie released every time a contraction let up, Rebekah moved to press a cold damp towel on her forehead.

"Plenty of people would have come," Rebekah pointed out to Bonnie's confusion. "Your baby shower. That little redhead friend of yours was going to help me coordinate."

A bubbly laugh escaped from Bonnie's lips, much to Rebekah's pleasure. They were already in an unexpected, unfamiliar situation. If there was something Rebekah could do to make Bonnie feel better, she would do it in a second. Bonnie might not be her official sister yet, as her and Klaus still needed to work on some shit before walking down the proverbial aisle, but she saw the witch as the little sister she's never had.

"Mack does love a good party, but now I'm scared that my sip-and-see will have tequila shots."

"You college kids wouldn't recognize quality alcohol even if your lives depended on it," Rebekah sighed, putting on a fake disappointed voice, knowing it would pull another peal of giggles from the witch.

"Sorry not everybody has the good sense of drinking the finest Kentucky Bourbon," Bonnie replied with a shake of her head.

The blaring, bright red numbers displayed on the digital clock sitting on the nightstand caught Bonnie's attention. She had been at this for a few hours now, with her contractions getting more frequent and painful by the minute. Thankfully, Bonnie had a pretty high pain threshold and had managed to keep up with the contractions without begging for drugs.

"How are you feeling, Bon?" Lydia asked as she returned to the room after excusing herself to answer a phone call, looking at the monitor screen to check both mother's and baby's heartbeat. Everything was normal, and Lydia was relieved to see Bonnie was looking much better. Sure, her face was glistening with sweat; some of her frizzy curls had escaped from the messy ponytail and she looked exhausted. But there was a glint in her green eyes that had not been there a few minutes ago. There was excitement, an anxiousness of a woman who was only hours away from meeting her firstborn.

"Those contractions are no joke, and I wish I could be so high that I don't even know my own name, but other than that, I'm fine," Bonnie answered, giving Lydia two thumbs up; making both women laugh at that. "Oh, I would be better if the father of my child decided that being here for her birth is a priority," Bonnie added with narrowed eyes and a pointed tone. This time, neither of them had the courage to laugh.

"He'll be here, Bonnie. My brother may have a lot of faults, but he's already in love with this little girl, and nothing will prevent him from seeing her take her first breath, promise you," Rebekah said with such a confident voice that Bonnie had no other option but to believe her.

A few hours later and almost fully dilated- something that surprised even the experienced Lydia- Bonnie felt like she couldn't trust anybody. She couldn't trust Rebekah, who had promised her Klaus would be by her side when the time came, or even Lydia, who had denied her drugs when she needed them the most. Bonnie had two traitors around her, and nobody would convince her otherwise.

"Ahhh, I hate this!" Bonnie gasped out when the longest contraction yet ebbed away, leaving her a puddle of aching muscles and bones; anxious for this to be over. Now she could understand those dramatic labor scenes in the movies, with the pregnant lady screaming her head off and cursing everyone out. Maybe she would feel better if she yelled out a big 'fuck this!'

So caught up in her internal conversation, Bonnie didn't even notice the atmosphere shift in the room, or the way Rebekah and Lydia looked at each other and nodded; both of them with that 'let's do this' expression stamped out on their faces. Lydia moved to the foot of the bed; contemplating the best way to make the whole process easier on Bonnie.

"Bonnie, do you feel ready to push?" Lydia asked after examining Bonnie and concluding she was fully dilated and 100% effaced. Bonnie peered at the OBGYN with one open eye, not bothering to lift her head from the mountain of pillows under her.

"I- I can't," Bonnie muttered, shutting her eyes together; trying to will her baby into staying put just for a few more hours. The pain was on the unbearable side, with her entire body aching and groaning as if she had spent an entire week rehearsing 24/7 nonstop. The urge to push was also getting stronger, but she couldn't do it.

Not without Nik by her side. After everything they had been through together, the idea that he wouldn't be there with her was just inconceivable to her.

"Bonnie, we're here for you. I know you're scared, all of this is happening very fast and we didn't plan for this, but the two of you will be okay. This is just another step for you to hold your baby girl in your arms. Then we'll defeat Marcel and whoever wants to go against us, and have a happily ever after. Well, as happy as you can be with my brother by your side. Fortunately for you, you'll have me, the best Mikaelson out of the whole brood," Rebekah whispered to Bonnie as she wiped the sweat off the witch's brow, surprised with her own words. She wasn't the most sentimental person; after being stabbed in the back (sometimes literally) for letting her emotions speak louder than her rational side, it was hard for Rebekah to let people in and emotionally connect with them.

"Okay," Bonnie piped out; her voice coming out a bit squeaky because of the lump in her throat as she tried to hold her tears at bay. She wanted to sob because Rebekah, the same Rebekah who compelled Tyler to turn into a werewolf, was doing her best to console her during childbirth, wiping her sweat and tears, and feeding her ice chips.

Just as Bonnie was about to nod, Klaus and Elijah barged into the room, both of them with wide eyes and looking as if they had run all the way from New Orleans. It was such a dramatic scene that Bonnie couldn't tell if they were really there or if her mind had conjured them as a way to cope with the disappointing reality. However, it was quite weird that her imagination!Klaus was wearing a black Henley paired with dirty jeans, looking disheveled, with his face stained with dried blood and black ash. He looked like a mess, and that was when Bonnie realized he was really there.

"Nik!" Bonnie cried out, literally. Seeing Klaus there was unexpected and exactly what she wanted, and her brain couldn't deal with the mix of emotions and the pain of the contraction that hit her. The outpour of tears started; the ugly crying and sobbing left her gasping for air.

Before she could even blink away the tears that were clouding her vision, Klaus was by her side; his smooth fingers on her damp cheeks, bringing her comfort with one small gesture.

"I'm sorry I was late, but I'm here now, love," he whispered against her hair; trying his best to console her and feeling like a proper fuckup for not being there earlier.

"Nice to have you here, Nik, but we do have to get this show on the road," Lydia said, interrupting their moment. As fascinating as it was to watch the great Klaus Mikaelson be undone by a twenty year old witch, there was a little girl ready to make her debut. Sparing a quick glance to both siblings, Lydia instructed. "Come on, guys, go get cleaned. We can't do this when you're like that; ready to contaminate the whole place."

Klaus stood still, not willing to leave her for even a second. He only moved when Elijah actually pulled him by the arm, leading him into one of the bathrooms. After changing into fresh clothes and free of the grime that seemed to be covering him, Klaus was back with Bonnie. Kneeling on the hardwood floor, he whispered against her damp skin that everything was going to be okay, that he was sorry for not being there sooner. Elijah and Rebekah averted their eyes from the scene before them; feeling like they were intruding into a private moment. Lydia was all business, though. She checked the baby's vitals and saw that they couldn't delay this anymore.

"Bonnie, give me a push on the next contraction, okay? Nik, get behind her so she can have some support. Bekah and Elijah, hold up her legs," Lydia told them, using a commanding tone that left no space for doubt or hesitation. Well, there was a little hesitation from Elijah, who never expected to be in the room while Bonnie was in childbirth, much less help with the process. He complied without a word, though. He would do anything for family, even if it left him feeling quite awkward.

If someone were to ask Bonnie the details of the magical birth of her miracle baby, she wouldn't be able to answer it. There was too much happening at the same time, for Bonnie's mind to focus on one thing. There was Klaus, behind her and bearing her weight when she collapsed onto him, exhausted from all of the pushing. There was Elijah and Rebekah, holding her, murmuring words of encouragement from time to time. There was that everlasting pain that plagued every single muscle in her body, including the ones she didn't even know she had.

What Bonnie would remember for the rest of her life, though? The strong, lush and musical cry that her daughter let out as she entered the world, and the big fat tears that started to run down her face. Bonnie couldn't blink or even move as she watched Klaus cut the umbilical cord; his hand trembling so bad that Lydia had to physically help him with the task. It felt like time had stood still, and Bonnie couldn't focus on anything other than her baby girl, who was still crying as hard as her little lungs would allow it while Lydia performed the post birth examinations. A part of Bonnie wondered if the baby was trying to soothe her concerns; with a cry this loud, there was no way her lungs were underdeveloped.

"I don't think she was early, Bonnie. She was right on time. Seven pounds, five ounces and nineteen inches!" Lydia announced, wrapping the wiggling baby with a light pink blanket and covering her head with a white hat. "Here you go, mama. She's perfectly healthy."

"Look at you!" Bonnie said in a soft voice when the baby was placed on her bare chest. The baby stopped screaming her head off; her cries quieting down to soft mewling. Bonnie was hypnotized. She was one white thin sheet away from being naked in front of Elijah, but she couldn't care less. The only thing in her universe was her daughter and her sweet coos. Bonnie traced her little hands and fingers, still in awe that this little person came from her; that she, along with Klaus, was responsible for creating something so beautiful. It was humbling, to be honest. "You are so perfect, baby."

A bit dazed, Klaus watched as Bonnie bonded with their daughter, falling in love as the seconds went by. He felt the exact same way, and it was safe to say he wasn't used to that sensation. As a matter of fact, he felt too exposed, too raw. Knowing he loved his daughter and would go to the end of the world to protect her was one thing, seeing her; a mixture of himself and Bonnie personified was a whole 'nother beast. He felt Elijah's and Rebekah's eyes on him,

"Nik, look at that!" Bonnie waved at him, trying to get him closer. With a big bright smile, she moved the hat a few inches to reveal the baby's head, which was capped with dark, wispy curls "Look at all that hair!"

He tried to resist, but how could anyone resist the pure happiness standing right in front of him?

"Here, hold her. It's not fair that I get her all to myself," Bonnie offered when he got closer, almost laughing at the way his face blanched. "Come on, cradle her head."

She handed off the baby, already missing having her small body pressed against her chest. It didn't matter, though, because watching Klaus and the absolute serene look he had on his face as he cradled their daughter in the crook of his arm was more than worth it. He looked like he was at peace; the whole world could burn to bits and he would still be like that, completely enamored with the cooing baby.

"Here, Bonnie," Rebekah helped her get into a white bathrobe, probably knowing she would start to become uncomfortable with her makeshift dress. "Lydia said you can take a shower if you're up for it. You're feeling good?"

The question made her pause for a quick second. She was exhausted, some of her muscles were still burning from the vigorous activity- no wonder childbirth was a woman's job- and Bonnie was sure that she could sleep for the next three days the minute she closed her eyes. She peered at Klaus, who had moved to the window with the baby. It looked like he was showing her how beautiful the sky was at sunset, even though she hadn't opened her eyes yet. The purples, yellows and pinks mixed together cast a pretty glow in the room.

"Never been better," Bonnie answered with a smile, feeling a sense of peace and belonging she hadn't ever felt in her life.

Sensing that his daughter wasn't quite interested in learning tidbits about astronomy, and figuring Bonnie was anxious to hold the baby in her arms again, Klaus walked back to join Bonnie and his sister. He tried to hand her off, but Bonnie just shook her head with a small smile.

"She looks like you," he commented, moving to press a kiss against Bonnie's forehead and then bending down to do the same to the baby. A tiny fisted hand escaped from the confines of the blanket as she rubbed her cheek, almost as if she was trying to wipe off his kiss. He smiled at that. Not even an hour old and already defying him. That was his daughter, alright. "And apparently acts like me."

His voice resonated with a sense of pride that reminded Bonnie of an alpha male, wanting to show off his pup. Considering he was half werewolf with werewolf instincts, no matter what he tried to do to suppress that part of him, Klaus probably was filled with alpha male pride.

For her part, Bonnie was just excited to see Klaus wasn't pulling away from their daughter, something she had feared. She knew he felt guilty for most of the recent events, and his usual reaction to guilt was shutting everyone off. Seeing him with the baby, actually excited to rock her to sleep; lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. And she didn't want to disturb that.

"Will you at least tell me the name you've chosen for my daughter, witch? Or should I go back on our deal and name her myself?" Klaus asked with a raised eyebrow.

After not being able to reach a consensus on the name, Klaus had agreed to let Bonnie name the baby. He only requested the right to veto and name their next child. Bonnie, discontented with all of his suggestions and believing this was a one-and-done, agreed without a second thought.

"I've thought of a name, Nik. One much superior than every single name you came up with."

"Don't keep us in suspense, witch. It's bad enough that you've started talking like Nik," Rebekah said; an ever present grin on her lips as she clasped her hands together in delight. She might have lots of unresolved feelings when it came to her brother, but seeing him so happy made her feel almost giddy. It was as if she was seeing that young boy again, who was carefree and filled with joy before father got to him. There was hope for them, all was not lost.

"Amari Rebekah Bennett- Mikaelson. It's ridiculously long and a bit pretentious with the whole hyphenated thing, but it's what I chose," Bonnie said with a shrug; her eyes darting from Klaus to Rebekah.

The blonde was dumbstruck with the revelation; not ever expecting Bonnie to name her daughter after her. Tears start dripping down her bare face, falling on her black spandex leggings. Knowing Rebekah would need some time to process the information, Bonnie only reached out to hold her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. No words were needed for now.

"No veto from me, love. Just curious to know where you got that name," he wondered, maneuvering the baby so he could cradle her head better. His movements were still a little awkward, considering he hadn't held an infant in thousands of years, but it was all coming back to him quicker than he expected.

"Amari means strength, and that's what she is for the both of us," Bonnie explained, watching as Klaus took on a contemplative face, looking down at the sleeping bundle; his blue eyes shining with reverence and love.

That little girl was their strength, indeed.