"Once upon a time, there was a wolf king who fought a war for the most precious treasure in all the kingdom... His beautiful, little Princess... but victory came at a price... allies lost... new enemies made... And so, the wolf king stood alone. Happily ever after it was not, but sometimes even the worst endings are not really endings at all...And you should know, my littlest wolf, that, even when all seems burnt to ash, in our story, there is always another chapter to be told."
~Klaus Mikaelson, The Originals 2x22
Little Love
~X~
He wakes up with a loud gasp, a familiar scent reaches his nose, and he breathes it in like a man starved. Bonnie, her name has a jolt of electricity rolling over his body. He would recognize her scent anywhere. It's familiar, it's comforting, desirable. He tries to stand up but he can't. His body feels heavy, weak, and he can hardly open his eyes at first. A groan escapes his throat as he tries to adjust to the low light. When he attempts to stand up again, a gentle hand on his chest pushes him down once more. Her palm rests right over his heart, it's soothing. "Nik…" her soft voice reaches his ears and makes his heart skip. It's a voice he has longed to hear in the darkness and emptiness of his prison; it reassures him that this is in fact, not a dream. She's here. She's real.
"It's okay," Bonnie whispers. "Just relax, your body is still adjusting."
A few candles are lit up, casting shadows over the two of them. The paralyzing effect of the desiccation slowly subsides and he can finally feel his arms and his legs. Relief. He is free at last. His eyes adjust to the soft light the candles provide. Through the stained-glass windows on either side, he can tell it's morning outside. He decides to focus on her face. It's a breath of fresh air. "…Bonnie…" his voice sounds strange to his own ears. How long has it been since he last spoke?
"Hi," Bonnie smiles down at him, her fingers tracing his face gently. She seems to be in awe of him just like he is of her.
"Your hair," he reaches up slowly, his arm trembling, but he manages to touch her face with shaky fingers. He had meant to grab her hair but it's okay, he likes touching her face.
"You like?" Bonnie moves her head from side to side, showing off her cute bob. "I know you liked my long hair but-"
"You're beautiful," he whispers. She's a sight for sore eyes, a mirage in the desert.
Bonnie grins and leans down, touching her lips to his in a tender kiss.
Klaus shudders, exhilaration washing over him as he savors the soft press of her lips. She tastes like honey, and he desperately wants nothing more than to deepen the kiss and lose himself in her arms.
Someone clears their throat.
Bonnie pulls away startled, and looks over her shoulder at the shadowy figure keeping watch on the door. Klaus growls, hating the interruption. His senses slowly alerting him to the vampire a few feet away from them.
"We have to go."
It's only when Bonnie helps him into a sitting position that Klaus takes notice of who the vampire. Out of all the people he expected to see, Stefan's name had never been on the list.
"Hey," Stefan greets him with a nervous smile, hands inside the pockets of his jeans.
Klaus nods at him before looking down at his hands, they're still a bit greyish, thin red lines slowly disappearing before his eyes. It lets him know that he has been desiccated for a while. There is a burning sensation in his throat, he feels thirsty, really thirsty. His eyes flash gold momentarily as hunger pains invade his stomach. He licks his lips and gets a hold of himself. He is the Original hybrid, not a newborn vampire who can't control his thirst.
"There is blood in the car," Stefan says, recognizing the sunken eyes, and thirsty look on Klaus's face. "We have to go," he glances at Bonnie, a rather urgent look on his face. "There is no way to know for sure if they know you broke the spell and got him out," he tells her.
Bonnie nods. "Come on." She helps Klaus to his feet.
His legs are wobbly and he has to wrap an arm around her shoulders to keep himself steady. He feels weak, so weak and tired. Not too mention hungry.
Stefan hesitates, wanting to help but also knowing that Klaus wouldn't appreciated it, the Original hybrid is too proud after all. He leads the way instead, walking ahead of the couple and pushing the heavy wooden doors open for them.
"It's okay," Bonnie tells him as she wraps an arm around his waist, the two of them walking slowly. "Once you feed, you will feel better, I promise."
Klaus nods. He realizes they are inside a church and looks back at the altar, then down at the floor, where a silver coffin lays open. It's where he was trapped. For how long? He wonders with a heavy heart. How many years has it been? Decades? Centuries? He desperately wants to ask but he can't find the courage to do so. Instead, he tightens his hold around Bonnie's shoulder and breathes in her sweet scent.
The three of them exit the abandoned church without a word.
The sunlight nearly blinds him and he comes to an abrupt halt. He closes his eyes, smelling the crisp morning air, and senses going haywire as they pick everything under the sun. There is a stream nearby, he can hear the water moving. He easily picks up the heartbeats of a couple of wild animals and hears the rustle of the leaves due to the wind.
"Nik?" Bonnie asks feeling worried by how rigid he suddenly stands.
"Give him a moment," Stefan tells her. "Heightened senses," he explains. "It takes a while to adjust."
He opens his eyes and resumes walking, heading towards the black Jeep parked a few feet away from where they are standing. The church is secluded in a rural area, far away from prying eyes and the bustle of the city.
Stefan gets behind the wheel while Bonnie and Klaus take the back seat.
"Here," the vampire throws him a pair of sunglasses, Klaus catches them with his left arm.
"Nice reflexes," Stefan teases.
Klaus smirks and puts the shades on. Stefan turns the ignition on and begins driving.
Bonnie rummages through her satchel and pulls out two blood bags, handing them to him without a word.
Klaus takes them quickly, tearing one open and taking big gulps of the blood. He's starving. He moans in approval as the red liquid goes down his throat, filling his empty stomach and re-energizing his body. He feels pleasantly surprised to find the blood warm. He looks at Bonnie.
"Heating charm," Bonnie replies his silent question.
Klaus tears through the second bag and gorges on the blood without care. Neither Stefan or Bonnie call him out on his lack of manners.
While Stefan drives, Bonnie pulls out her cell phone and sends a couple of quick texts.
"More," Klaus says upon finishing his second bag. He's not even close to being satisfied, he feels drained and his body needs more nourishment before he can even begin to feel like his old self.
Bonnie pulls two more bags from her satchel and hands them to him.
Klaus frowns when he sees the gold dagger inside.
He feels enraged at the sight of the cursed thing. The dagger his progeny stuck in his heart. The reason he was desiccated and put in a coffin while his enemies took his city. He growls.
"I wasn't going to leave it in the church," Bonnie says. "The last thing we need is for this dagger to fall in the wrong hands." She touches his arm. "I will find a way to destroy it, I promise. It will never be used against you again."
Klaus's jaw clenches. He still can't believe there was a witch powerful enough to create a dagger that actually neutralized him. Then again, the Strix are notorious for their coven of dark witches.
Bonnie moves her hand up and down his arm and that's when he notices the red burning marks on her hands and arms. "What happened?" he asks while taking her right hand in his and examining the fading scars.
Bonnie shrugs. "There was a nasty spell protecting the old church."
He catches Stefan's eyes through the rearview mirror. Klaus has the feeling that there was more to it than that.
"It's fine," Bonnie assures him. "See," she shows him the fading lines. "They're already healing." Which each passing second, the red lines disappear from her caramel skin, until there is none left.
Klaus traces the now invisible lines. He has seen her heal this fast before, one of the perks of her miracle pregnancy.
A cold knife pierces his heart. He hasn't asked, and she hasn't volunteered the information either. His throat feels thick, and his stomach churns violently. He feels sick, almost feeling the need to throw up. How is she? That should have been the first question out of his mouth but he's a monster, isn't he? Monsters don't care, monsters don't love.
Lies.
It's all a big lie.
The truth is quite simple, he's afraid.
How weak and pathetic you are boy, his father's cruel voice haunts him to this day.
Bonnie squeezes his hand, somehow sensing that he feels troubled. Her small hand fits perfectly in his and he likes it. Touching her gives him comfort. It makes him feel a small sense of peace, and dare he say it, hope.
How many times had he fantasized about touching her while he laid buried underground?
How many times did he dream about her in order to keep his sanity?
Bonnie smiles and he looks down at their joined hands, that's when he catches sight of the platinum band encrusted with tiny diamonds on her left hand. It sparkles with the sun, and he feels like he has been punched in the stomach. Another dagger pierces his heart.
You didn't seriously expect her to wait for you, did you?
Klaus drops her hand as if he has been burned. Bonnie frowns at the gesture but thankfully, doesn't call him out on it.
A tense silence invades the car.
"Niklaus, the girl is carrying your child," his brother Elijah tells him after he takes him to the cemetery where the New Orleans witches hold Bonnie Bennett hostage.
It is the most ridiculous thing Klaus has heard, he laughs at them.
Bonnie gasps and clutches her stomach, her heart skyrocketing, green eyes searching his face with disbelief. She's far too stunned to say anything.
"You're all out of your minds if you think some liquor-fueled one-night stand," he glances at Bonnie. "No offense, sweetheart- means a thing to me."
Bonnie looks down at the floor, her cheeks flaming at the memory.
Prom night.
"You are going to help us take back the city or we will kill them both," Sophie Deveraux threatens him.
Elijah growls menacingly, already feeling protective of the girl.
Klaus's eyes narrow in anger, he takes a menacing step forward which causes the coven to immediately take a step back. Even Sophie, in all her bravado falls back, afraid of the angry hybrid. The only one who stands her ground, is Bonnie, who watches the exchange quietly.
"Kill her and the baby," Klaus hisses. "What do I care?"
He leaves without another word, Elijah desperately calling his name. He hears what sounds like a gasp but he refuses to turn back and look at her. He diapers with the night, determined not to let this news affect him.
While Klaus sulks and gets drunk, Elijah makes a deal with the New Orleans witches, and Bonnie Bennett saves herself. While the witches are arguing what to do next, she summons enough magic to break free of their binding spell, knocks them all down, and gets the hell out of there. She doesn't need a knight in shinning armor to fight her battles and save her from the mean witches, Bonnie knows how to take care of herself and her child.
X
X
X
"My brother tells me you are going back to Mystic Falls," Klaus appears on her balcony the next day, after the fiasco with the witches has spread like wildfire.
Bonnie ignores him and angrily shoves her clothes into her duffel bag. She was kidnapped and taken away from her home by a crazy coven of witches, she just found out she's pregnant and he pretty much told her to go to hell. She's not in the mood for this.
"There is a price on your head," he says conversationally. "The vampires are going to hunt you down, Marcel doesn't like it when witches practice magic in his city and your stunt last night deems you a threat."
"So?" Bonnie turns around to face him. "Why do you care?"
"Marcel Gerard is not like the vampires of Mystic Falls and the witches won't stop coming for you just because you leave town."
"If they come for me and my child, I'll kick their asses again."
"You feel protective of it."
Bonnie gives him an incredulous look. "It's not an it, it's a baby. My baby and who ever wishes it harm will suffer." The room vibrates as her magic comes alive, fueled by the protectiveness she feels for the child she carries in her womb.
"You care for it?" he questions with something akin to shock.
"Of course, I do," Bonnie snaps angrily. "And stop calling an it."
"Why?"
"What kind of stupid question is that?" the exasperation in her voice does not go unnoticed. "It's my baby, of course I love him or her, already."
"Even if it's mine?"
"You finally accepted your paternity," Bonnie replies sarcastically "Yay!"
Klaus growls at her. "Answer me!" he demands.
"Put your fangs away and don't yell at me," Bonnie hisses. "I don't give a damn if this is your baby, it's MY BABY," she emphasized the words. "MINE." She walks towards the balcony unafraid of getting close to the most cruel and ruthless of vampires. She is not afraid of him. "I don't need you, or Elijah. So, tell your brother to stop following me round like a lost puppy. This is my child and I am going to take care of him or her without you or your family meddling." She crosses her arms over chest and raises her chin, she's proud, defiant, and already loves the tiny life growing inside her with all her heart. "I can do this on my own."
"Do you realize all the enemies that I have made in the past one thousand years?" Klaus questions her. "The moment they find out about this…child," he still can't wrap his head around it. "They will come for you, for him."
"You might consider this baby a weakness but I don't." Her eyes shine with a fierceness that reminds him of that night when she channeled so much power and brought him down to near death. "I've been willing to die to protect my friends; to protect my baby, I will burn the world if I have to."
He believes her.
"Take back your city Klaus, do what you do best and forget about me and my baby, we're better off without you." She shuts the balcony doors in his face.
He tells himself that he doesn't care, that he can turn his back on them and never look back. He doesn't need nor want a child and Bonnie made it perfectly clear that she doesn't want him in their lives either. But even as he angrily leaves her hotel, Klaus knows that he won't be able to forget or stay away. It's his baby too. Which is why he follows her back to Mystic Falls that night.
Stefan leaves them at the hotel with the excuse that he has to go hunting. Klaus doesn't call him out on his lie and neither does Bonnie, she actually seems relieved that they are being left alone. After he showers and changes into the clean clothes Bonnie brought for him, he stands by the window, lost in thought.
"Our plane leaves later tonight," she says conversationally.
Klaus keeps his back to her, contemplating the busy street. Budapest is beautiful, and packed with tourists at this time of year, he almost wishes he could be one of them and forget all the demons that plague him.
"You must have a lot of questions," Bonnie says quietly.
He can feel her staring at his back. He has to force himself to remain in place. He wants to touch her, he wants to kiss her, he wants to lose himself in her like he did that night on Prom. But he can't. Whom did she marry? Is she happy? Does she love him?
"Nik…"
"How long?" he asks in a strained voice.
"Seven years."
He curses angrily. Seven bloody years. Those bastards took seven years of his life. His hands clench painfully and his entire body shakes by the rage he feels. The moment the first vampires he and his siblings sired arrived in New Orleans, he knew they were there to cause trouble. I should have killed them when I had the chance. But no, he and Elijah had been busy trying to stop the prophecy that foretold the demise of his family, instead. It had all been a lie, a plan orchestrated by Tristan, Aurora, and Lucien to destroy the Original family and take over as the leaders of the vampire race. The whole war between the sirelines had been bullshit, they had been working together from the start. We fell right into their trap, he thinks bitterly.
Klaus is pulled out his thoughts when he feels her warm hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry it took me this long to find you," Bonnie's voice trembles. "They hunted us down, I had to hide. I had to keep Ava safe."
Ava.
His little girl.
She had been a baby of six months the last time he saw her, the last time he held her, and kissed her head. A chubby little thing with caramel skin and a big smile. Now she is a girl of seven. How many times can a heart be broken in a matter of hours? The pain is unbearable.
"Does she know who I am?" Klaus turns around to face Bonnie. He can't hide the anger he feels. It's killing him, poisoning his blood, and clouding his brain. "Does she know I am her father or have you replaced me in her heart the same way you replaced me in your bed?"
"What?"
"Should I expect your husband to make an appearance soon?" His voice is like acid.
"What are you...?" Bonnie gives him a confused look.
"Will he be waiting at the airport? At home with my child?" He asks towering over her small frame. "Does my daughter call him father?" he snarls, vampire face showing. He's angry, he's hurt. He's jealous. While he was rotting away in a coffin buried inside an old church, she was living her life, marrying some guy, and forgetting about his existence and erasing him from his daughter's life. That's probably what hurts the most.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Bonnie snaps, coming to stand in front of him. Bonnie never backs down, not even when he wants to intimidate her. She has never been afraid of him. She is the only one who can stand up to him and live to tell the tale.
Klaus looks down at her hand, where the wedding band is hard to miss.
"This." Bonnie touches the platinum ring, comprehension written all over her face, she laughs.
It makes him angrier. He tries to leave the room but the door shuts in his face before he can cross the threshold.
"Don't even think about it," all the laughter is gone from Bonnie's face as he turns back to face her. "It's not what you think," she tells him in a much gentler voice. She takes the ring off.
Klaus frowns when she murmurs an incantation, the wedding band becomes a small rock. Now it's his turn to look confused.
"The first town I moved to after you and your siblings went missing," Bonnie begins tells him. "The people were nice and friendly, really friendly," she shakes her head. "And this lady who rented me a room, was determined to set me up. She kept telling me that I was a nice girl who needed a nice man by her side." She rolls her eyes at the memory. "I didn't stay there for long but when I moved again, I didn't want that happening, so I transformed this rock into a wedding ring and told all my neighbors and anyone I met that my husband was in the army." She chuckles. She's been lying a lot in the past seven years, she had to in order to keep Ava's identity a secret and survive. "I found the spell in one of my grimoires, turns out one of my ancestors became rich by selling fake diamonds." She shrugs. "I never stayed in one place for too long, so no one questioned why my husband never came home," she finishes with sadness. "So, no. I didn't get married while you were desiccated."
Silence follows her words and he looks away from her face, feeling ashamed by his outburst.
"There is no need to be jealous," she tells him coming to stand a couple of inches away from him and lightly touching his face. "I always knew you were out there somewhere, I never gave up." She looks into his eyes, encompassing all her emotions in one powerful look. "I never lost hope."
He feels his throat constrict.
"I've spent the past seven years looking for you, desperately trying to find your whereabouts, and bring you home. All the while running away from the Strix, and raising our daughter, alone." She pauses, trying really hard not to cry. "It's been so difficult," she bites her lower lip. She hasn't allowed herself to cry in years, not since those first few nights without him, where she didn't know if he and his siblings had made it alive from the fight against their first sired vampires. "And before you get any ideas in that head of yours, there has been no one else." She smiles softly, her eyes brimming with tears." Only you," she whispers while her fingers trace invisible lines on his face and down the side of his neck, causing goose bumps to form on his skin. "Only you," she repeats.
Their eyes meet.
The energy between them growing dangerously.
Bonnie's breath catches in her throat at the look he gives her. She parts her lips in anticipation. Seven years since the last time she felt his lips on her skin, she desperately wants to erase that time without him, and make new memories.
Klaus kisses her then, hard and deep, pouring everything he feels. Bonnie moans and wraps her arms around his neck, bringing him closer and responding to his passion with equal fervor.
Her cheeks are wet and her eyes are red from all the tears that spilled down her face on the drive back to New Orleans. She is exhausted, physically and emotionally. Her time in Mystic Falls has left her heartbroken.
Elijah looks relieved when he sees them entering the mansion and even Rebekah seems happy that he convinced her to come live with them.
Bonnie ignores them, keeping her head down, and struggling to contain another round of tears. She knows that the only reason they care about her is because of the baby. Elijah sees her child as the salvation of Klaus's soul and Rebekah…Bonnie is not really sure why she stays after all the things her brother has done to her. She and Rebekah hadn't had much interaction but the idea of the baby has softened her a little. She has been really nice every time they have spoken.
Bonnie's friends hadn't taken the news of her pregnancy well at first but Caroline and Elena came around and did their best to support her. Damon not so much. He had accused her of betraying them for hooking up with the enemy, never mind the fact that it had been a drunk thing on prom night. Bonnie had tried to continue with her life and things might have worked out if only Mystic Falls wasn't a hub for supernatural creatures. She had once again been forced to come to Elena's rescue and that had resulted in her father's death and a trip to the hospital after being injured by an Augustine Vampire. Klaus had been stalking her for weeks and had thankfully, intervened- feeding her his blood and killing the vampire infected with the ripper virus before he could hurt her further. After her father's funeral, he convinced her to leave with him. She's probably going to regret coming to live with Klaus and his siblings in New Orleans but she doesn't have anywhere else to go. Her father is dead, her mother refuses to speak to her, and her friends are more worried about saving Elena's life. Klaus is all she has.
"You'll be safe here," Klaus tells her as he pushes the door to one of the rooms on the second floor.
"Safe," Bonnie repeats. Can she really be safe in a city crawling with supernaturals and with tensions rising high amid the different species? Wouldn't it be the same thing as being in Mystic Falls?
No, because unlike Damon and Stefan whose priority is Elena, Klaus has made her his priority. He has started to come around with the idea of being a father, even if he tries not to show it.
"Believe it or not, I do actually like you to be here, Bonnie." Klaus's voice is surprisingly soft as is the look on his face. "Our son should be raised by his parents, in his family's home."
Bonnie touches her already visible baby bump and stares at his face, searching for any deceit in his words. "You suddenly care now?" she wonders. "A couple of months ago, you told the witches to kills us. What changed?"
"Every king needs an heir."
Bonnie rolls her eyes. She doesn't understand nor does she support Klaus's delusions about taking New Orleans back and calling himself king.
"You should get some rest."
"Caring about our child doesn't make you weak, Klaus."
His jaw clenches slightly and he tenses as he stops in front of the door.
"It's okay to care, you know." Bonnie continue softly. "It's okay to want this." While she had insulted him and complained about his stalking in Mystic Falls, she had also seen the way his eyes had soften upon spotting her bump for the first time, or how he came to her rescue without question. And how could she ever forget the worried look on his face when he carried her into the hospital or the look of wonder as they heard their child's heartbeat for the first time. She had the sonogram pictures in her purse, the memory of his smile always surfacing when she stares at them. Klaus does care, but he's afraid of showing it because he thinks it makes him weak. He is a very damaged and paranoid creature but somehow, she feels safe with him. In her heart she knows he will keep them safe, always. "It's okay to love your child."
Klaus doesn't reply, he's not good at expressing his feelings. He opens the door and turns to leave.
"It's a girl."
Bonnie's voice once again has him turning back.
"What?"
"I think," Bonnie rubs her hand over her small bump. "I'm pretty sure it's a girl, actually."
The smile on her face is happy, filled with hope, and love, so much love, it takes his breath away. He lets out a shaky breath, his lips twitching until a tender smile appears. "I hope she looks like her mother." The words fall from his lips without thinking, for Bonnie has found the chink in his armor.
Bonnie gasps, feeling strangely touched. She looks away, her cheeks growing hot.
"Right," Klaus clears his throat and leaves the room quickly.
They rip each other's clothes off their bodies, mouths clashing, hands eagerly touching every inch of exposed skin.
It's been so long. They have to make up for lost time.
They fall into the bed, naked. Their tongues battling for dominance while their hands move over the other's body. His hands cup her breasts while his mouth traces hot kisses down her neck, sucking lightly on her pulse point.
Bonnie moans and arches her back, his name falling from her lips like a prayer. When his head disappears between her legs, teasing her, she screams and the room vibrates as her magic spills from her body at the same time he coaxes her release.
She chokes back a sob, remembering the years she went to bed alone, fantasizing about his kisses and touches. Bringing herself pleasure with her hands is completely different than having his hard naked body on top of hers, or the feel of his hot tongue and expert fingers. Nor can her fantasies ever compare to his hard length thrusting deep inside her.
Bonnie uses her magic and pushes him onto his back. He gives her a look of surprise but allows her to assume control, enjoying how beautiful she looks on top of him, mouth watering at the sight of her full breasts bouncing up and down as she rides him hard and fast. She has a woman's body now. She's no longer the skinny girl who took him to bed drunk and high on magic but a woman with curves, a mother, a powerful witch who isn't afraid to take what she wants or make him beg like he has never had before.
When he sinks his fangs on her left breast, Bonnie throws her head back, crying out in pleasure and unleashing a wave of magic that shatters the bedside lamp, flings the windows open, and lifts the bed a couple of inches from the ground.
When they come down from their high, she slumps down, and rests her head on his chest, laughing at the aftershocks assaulting her body.
Klaus grins, wiping his chin and pulling her face up so he can kiss her again. He rolls her underneath him and stares into her eyes. For a split second, in the afterglow of their lovemaking, it feels like time has not passed at all and they are in New Orleans, discovering each other's bodies and forming a tentative relationship. One that was cut short.
The illusion only lasts for a couple of minutes.
Klaus kisses her passionately and makes love to her again, this time slower, gentler. He would rather drown himself in the pleasure of her flesh than in the grief and anger he feels inside.
Later, much later…
Bonnie tucks her head against his chest, a content smile on her face. Her soft hands trace his shoulder and chest, peppering his pale skin with tender kisses. She moves up his neck, pressing butterfly like pecks on his skin until her hot breath is right against his ear. Klaus shivers, his body coming alive once more by her simple seduction. He's more than ready for another round. "She's beautiful," Bonnie whispers.
The hand tracing her back stills, his body becomes rigid, and he has to squeeze his eyes shut as he suppresses the slash of hurt piercing his heart. He hasn't asked, he hasn't dared.
"She's smart, really smart," Bonnie continues with a soft laugh. "Far too smart for her own good actually, and kind, loving, and a bit mischievous at times too." She raises her head in order to look into his eyes. "People say she looks like me but I think she looks like you too. She has dimples and-"
Klaus pulls away from her and sits up, searching for his pants.
"Nik…" Bonnie whispers softly, pleading with him to open his heart and talk to her.
"I need some air," he tells her while getting out of bed and getting dressed.
Bonnie doesn't say anything, nor does she make any moves to stop him or follow him out of the room. Seven years later, she still knows him, she still understands him.
He feels like a coward as he leaves the room. He can't look back at her, for if he does, he will crumble.
"And how is our little one?" He asks one sunny afternoon when he catches her folding the baby's clothes and rearranging the nursery.
Bonnie makes a face. "Punching and kicking me nonstop," she grimaces when a particular rough kick hits her bladder. "I swear, if the Doctor hadn't confirmed she's a girl, I would think I was having twin boys."
Klaus chuckles at that and steps into the room. His eyes drifting to her swollen belly. She looks beautiful. Now that the tiredness and nausea have stopped, she has a certain glow, a light that makes her seem soft and delicate and utterly gorgeous. He feels protective of her, of them. The closer the due date arrives, the more nervous he becomes. He's not entirely sure he is ready to be a father, he didn't have a good example to follow to say the least. But the more time he and Bonnie spend together, the more comfortable he gets with the idea, the more excited he becomes at the prospect of meeting his daughter.
"Do you want…?" Bonnie lets the question hang in the air.
Things between them are not perfect but they are making the best of their situation. They are civil towards each other and when it comes to their child's well being they seem to be on the same page. It's a far better situation then when they first discovered her miracle pregnancy or when he followed her back to Mystic Falls.
Klaus gives a slight nod and approaches her tentatively. This is not his first time feeling his daughter's kicks, he felt them weeks ago, but he still feels apprehensive about touching Bonnie without permission. She had made it perfectly clear that while she is carrying his child, she is under no circumstances his. Not that it matters, all of New Orleans knows that the Bennett witch belongs to him.
His hand trembles slightly as he gently lays it across her bump. He gasps feeling the hard kick that welcomes his touch.
Bonnie smiles. "She's more active than usual," she comments, watching the look of wonder on his face. When he's not plotting, shouting, or threatening people he's quite handsome and she doesn't have to feel guilty for thinking so. She prefers this side of him, this protective, caring farther to be.
Klaus rubs her belly and smiles as his daughter continues to delight him with her kicks, even if sometimes her mother makes a face of discomfort. He surprises them both when he goes down on his knees, grabbing her gently and depositing a tender kiss on her belly.
Bonnie flushes, her heart practically bursting from her chest.
"I can't wait to meet you, little love."
Invisible hooks sink into her heart upon hearing his words. Their eyes meet for a brief second before they both look away, feeling embarrassed. Klaus stands up and leaves the room quickly, but long after he is gone, Bonnie feels the heat of his lips against her belly and his loving words echo inside her mind.
Little love.
It's not that he doesn't love his daughter, on the contrary. The love he feels for her is unrivaled, it's something he has never experienced before, something unique and beautiful.
But it hurts.
He missed seven years of her life. He didn't see her as she took her first steps or said her first words. He doesn't know anything about her, what she likes or dislikes, he doesn't even know what her voice sounds like.
It enrages him.
He curses Tristan, Lucien, and Aurora for besting him and his siblings, for desiccating them and locking them away, for robbing him of the chance to raise his little girl. What if she doesn't want him in her life? What if she is disappointed by the broken and paranoid creature he is? What if she grows to hate him? What if he ruins her in the same way his father ruined him?
It scares him.
Thinking about her, asking about her, seeing her. He is absolutely terrified, more so than when he first became a vampire, more so than when his mother cursed him, or when he found out he was going to be a father. He remembers the first time he held her in his arms, so tiny and delicate. He had held Bonnie's hand through her labor, watched as she brought their daughter into the world, her cries filling the room and his cold dead heart. The moment he held her in his arms, he fell in love. When she was a baby it had been so easy, holding her, talking to her, telling her stories about the wolf king, and now…What kind of stories did his daughter like?
He didn't know. He didn't know anything about her. It hurt.
Klaus is so engrossed in his thoughts, he barely notices when Stefan sits across from him. The hotel terrace is empty-he compelled a few people to leave him alone- the only sound comes from the fountain nearby. Neither of them says anything at first, but Klaus accepts the glass of whiskey the younger vampire offers. He enjoys the liquid burning down his throat, maybe if he gets drunk enough he will have the courage to ask Bonnie about their little girl.
"Six years for a vampire is nothing," Stefan murmurs softly. "It's a blink of an eye really, but for a child…"
"If this is your way of cheering me up, you're failing quite miserably Stefan."
"Yeah, it sounded better in my head." Stefan shakes his head and pours them anther round. "It's a scary thing isn't it? Having someone depend on you, a child to love and care for…" he trails off.
Klaus gives him a curious look.
The silence stretches between them for a couple of minutes until Stefan finally clears his throat and says, "Damon and Elena became human."
Klaus arches an eyebrow. He doesn't particularly care about the doppelganger and her lover but he would rather gossip about them than deal with awkward conversations about his feelings and the daughter he has yet to see. "How?" he asks with mild interest, it's a good distraction.
"It's a long and complicated story but they found another cure and decided to become human together."
"How is humanity treating them?" Klaus asks in a bored tone. "Damon probably wishes he had stayed a vampire," he adds with a chuckle. Seeing an aging and grey-haired Damon Salvatore would be amusing.
"Damon is dead."
That's definitely something Klaus had not been expecting to hear.
"He and Elena went to live in New York, they got mugged one night, and were shot. He died almost instantly." Although his voice remains neutral, the sadness Stefan feels is palpable. "Elena made it to the hospital. I tried to heal her with my blood but her body rejected it, Bonnie theorized later that it had to do with the cure, it changed her somehow and she couldn't be turned into a vampire again."
"Oh," Klaus doesn't really know what else to say. Actually, he does, "fucking idiots." Why in the world would those two be stupid enough to give up their immortality willingly? Then again, they are talking about Damon and Elena. They would be the ones.
"She died two days later, their son Grayson was not with them, so Caroline and I are raising him." Stefan looks into his face. "I know how scary parenting can be," he tells him. "But children are resilient, they have a way of accepting things an adult mind can't comprehend so easily. And they have pure hearts, big enough to love and accept freely without fear holding them back."
Klaus looks down at his glass.
"Your daughter is a beautiful and intelligent little girl," there is a fond smile on Stefan's face as he speaks about her. "She looks like her mother."
Klaus's throat constricts, his hands clench around his half empty glass. He hates the fact that Stefan knows his daughter better than he does.
"Except for her eyes," Stefan continues fondly.
"She has the hint of the devil in her eyes," they both say at the same time.
Stefan laughs and the pain twisting in Klaus's heart lessens a little, tiny sparks of hope surging.
Silence befalls them.
Stefan finishes another glass before standing up. "Don't let the fear of ruining her stop you from knowing what a wonderful little girl she is." He hesitates. "Neither of us are our fathers, you know."
Klaus stares into his eyes, memories of the time they spent in the 20s coming to the surface of his mind. They had been good friends once upon a time. "When did you get so wise?"
"I'm over a hundred years old," Stefan replies with a shrug of the shoulders. "It was bound to happen sooner or later."
Klaus's lips twitch. He is over a thousand years old and he doesn't feel any wiser.
Stefan begins to walk away.
"How do you know I won't fail her?" Klaus murmurs.
Stefan hears him perfectly of course. He stops walking and glances at him over his shoulder.
"How do you know she's not better off without me in her life? How do you know I won't ruin her?" The alcohol, the familiarity between him and Stefan has allowed the words to slip through his heavy guarded self.
"Because you know exactly the kind of father you don't wish to be," Stefan replies wisely. "Love is not a weakness Klaus but the greatest strength a vampire can have."
"Hi," Bonnie whispers, an adoring look on her face as she stares at her baby. "You have no idea how long I've been dreaming about this moment," she confesses, smiling when her daughter curls her fingers around her pinky. "You're so beautiful."
"So are you."
Bonnie looks up, her face brightening when Klaus steps inside the room and sits at her bedside. "I can't believe she's here," she whispers. She's exhausted but the long and arduous labor had been absolutely worth it.
"Neither can I," Klaus touches the baby's forehead with his hand, marveling at how tiny and delicate she is.
"We need a name."
"I'm not naming her Sheila," Klaus says quickly. "I know you love your Grams but our daughter should have her own name. So, don't even think about Caroline or Elena either.
Bonnie snorts. "Do you have a name in mind?"
"As a matter of fact, I do." Klaus proudly displays his dimples as he smiles at their little girl, his eyes shinning with adoration. He is completely besotted with his daughter and has not hesitated in showing it.
"And?"
"Ava."
Bonnie looks down at the squirming infant in her arms. "Ava Mikaelson-Bennett, I like it." She shares a smile with him. "Thank you," she murmurs.
"What for?" Klaus asks. "You are the one who spent half a day in labor."
"And you were here with me," Bonnie responds. "Holding my hand, encouraging me…" His support had been essential.
"It was the least I could do." He looks down at their daughter, smiling as she snuggles closer to her mother.
"Still, I appreciate it."
"I should be the one thanking you," he admits in a shy whisper. He looks up and stares into her green eyes.
Bonnie's breath catches in her throat, he has been giving her these kinds of looks lately; long and intense, creating butterflies in her stomach. Klaus leans forwards. Bonnie gasps and closes her eyes. His lips are soft, his stubble gently tickling her skin. Bonnie cradles their daughter with one arm while with the other, she touches the side of his face, their lips brushing against each other as gently as a summer's breeze.
It's a sweet kiss.
It's the beginning.
The happiest they have ever been.
When Klaus slips back inside the hotel room, Bonnie has her back to the door, she's not sleeping, he knows because of her breathing. He drops his shirt and pants on the floor and gets in bed with her. He wraps an arm around her and pulls her back against his chest, kissing her shoulder tenderly. "I'm sorry," he whispers against her ear.
"I know."
He doesn't deserve her, he doesn't deserve her understanding and loyalty, or her love-even if they have yet to admit it out loud.
Bonnie shifts in his arms and turns her body around so they can be face to face.
"What if she doesn't like me?" he asks in a small whisper.
"She can't wait to meet you," Bonnie tells him. "I told her stories, about you, about your family, her family. She knows how much you love her, how you protected her and me, how you didn't want to leave us."
"You told her stories?"
Bonnie nods.
Klaus feels a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "My brothers? My sisters?" he asks suddenly. "Do you know-"
"I have some clues as to where their coffins might be but I'm not sure." She touches his hand. "My priority was getting you back."
"They will pay. I will make them pay," he vows with a low growl.
"Later," Bonnie inches her face closer to his. "You can get your revenge later. Ava should be your priority. She needs her father Klaus."
"They took seven years of my life, my siblings-"
"We will find them," Bonnie promises. "And you have an eternity to make Tristan and his sister and Lucien pay for what they did. Marcel and Vincent are leading the resistance in New Orleans, there are many people who would love to destroy the evil trinity, myself included, but our daughter needs you. Now."
Klaus nods. He knows that Ava must come first. Still, he vows to take his revenge sooner or later.
They stare into each other's eyes for what seems like forever, enjoying the tranquility of the moment, and the happiness at being reunited at last.
Minutes, perhaps hours later, Klaus finally says. "Tell me more about her."
Bonnie smiles. It's what she has been longing to do since she woke him up.
The house is painted pale yellow, with white shutters and an equally white porch that wraps around the first floor. Klaus holds Bonnie's hand as they climb the front steps, Stefan quietly following them. The closer they get to the house, the more nervous Klaus becomes. He takes a deep breath and shares a look with Bonnie before focusing on the door once more. Bonnie squeezes his fingers and unlocks the door, inviting him inside.
Caroline is the first person he sees. "You're here!" She smiles at him.
"Hello Caroline."
"Bonnie always said she would find you." Caroline hugs her friend and kisses her cheek. "The kids are playing in the living room," she tells them before turning to her husband, a loving smile on her face. "Hi stranger."
"Hi." Stefan wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her lightly on the lips.
Grayson Salvatore is the second person Klaus sees, a pale boy with jet black hair and bright blue eyes who stares at him with curiosity. Damon had been all arrogance, a smirk always in place but his son is anything but, giving him a sweet shy smile and a simple hi as greeting. After hugging his father of course.
"Ava went upstairs to get a puzzle," Grayson tells him and Bonnie.
"Come on sweetie," Caroline takes his hand. "We're gonna go to the market and get some groceries for dinner tonight." She shares a look with Stefan.
"Right," Stefan is quick to catch on.
Klaus appreciates the fact that he and Bonnie are going to be left alone with their daughter.
Stefan gives him an encouraging look before making his way to the door with his wife and adopted son in tow. "We'll be back later tonight," he tells them.
"Nice meeting you uncle Klaus."
Klaus blinks, feeling surprised to be called uncle. He nods at the boy and watches as the family leaves quietly.
"He's a sweet boy," Bonnie tells him. "More Elena than Damon."
"There is a god after all."
Bonnie gives him a look.
"Gray, I found it!" A soft voice calls as she runs down the steps, carrying a small box in her arms.
Klaus's eyes go wide, a nervous tremor suddenly invading his body.
Ava stops at the bottom of the stairs. "Mama!" She yells happily. She looks like she is about to run into her arms when she notices the person standing next to her mother. There is a wide look on her face as she recognizes him. She has pictures of him and his siblings after all, her mama gave them to her and she treasures them with all her heart.
"Hi, sweetie."
Ava glances at her mother before turning to him once more. The box falls to the floor.
Klaus swallows painfully. She's a mini Bonnie, with the same caramel skin and angelic heart shaped face. She has light brown hair and blue eyes though. She has his eyes. "Hi," he says nervously.
"Daddy," Ava whispers. It takes her a second, maybe two, but she runs straight towards him.
Klaus gets down on his knees and catches her in his arms, hugging her tightly to his chest.
"You're here," Ava whispers against his ear.
"I am," Klaus closes his eyes, a deliriously happy smile on his face. A hug from his daughter, that is all it takes to ease the fear, and soothe the pain he feels.
Bonnie contemplates the scene with tears in her eyes.
Ava loves to talk, she tells him everything about herself, taking his hand and guiding him upstairs so she can give him a tour of her room. Bonnie leaves them on their own, not wishing to intrude.
Klaus is introduced to Ava's collection of zoo animals and dolls. They even have a tea party with old Ms. Cuddles before making their way downstairs to sit on the couch so Ava can show him her photo album. There is nothing shy about his daughter and as she talks, Klaus wonders how in the world he got so lucky to have such beautiful and adoring child?
"This is when we went to Disney," Ava tells him while showing him pictures of the trip. She is sitting comfortably on his lap, wanting to be as close to him as possible. Their heads bend together as they flipped the pages of the album. "Uncle Stefan and aunt Caroline came with us."
Klaus stares at the picture of the smiling group, Bonnie and Ava wearing matching Minnie Mouse hats.
"It was a lot of fun," Ava recalls. "The hat has my name in the back, you know."
Klaus nods, letting her explain each picture and watching the way her eyes shine as she recalls a funny story. He memorizes each of her movements, the sound of her voice and her laughter. Despite the years apart, there is an easiness to their interactions, a feeling of trust and love, a bond that his imprisonment has not tarnished. He feels emotional. Meeting this wonderful little girl, getting to know her through her stories, getting to hold her in his arms, it was what he was so afraid of and is turning out amazingly well. He can't stop grinning from ear to ear. He feels so happy.
"And this is Halloween, last year." She proudly shows him a picture of her and Grayson. He is dressed as a pirate while Ava is a fairy, with wings and a tiara. "Gray got sick because he ate too much candy but I didn't. I don't get sick at all." She stares at his face, her brows furrowing. "When I get hurt, I heal really fast too, faster than aunt Care. Mama says it's because I have your blood."
"You do," Klaus murmurs. It has been like that since she was a baby and he is glad for it.
"I have magic like mama," Ava's lips curl, she glances at the plate with sandwiches Bonnie brought them earlier. She already ate hers, Klaus hasn't touched his. Her empty plate rises into the air.
Klaus watches, feeling mesmerized by her power. His skin tickles as he feels the magic radiating off her body. She's a powerful witch, just like her mother.
Ava waves her fingers in the air and the plate floats towards them, spinning around until it drops right on her lap, right on top the photo album. She grins. "See."
"Your mother has been teaching you."
"Yes," she replies happily. "I can do a lot more."
Sweet, powerful, unique, and with a precious heart that loves fiercely. She is truly her mother's daughter. Klaus kisses the top of her head and Ava happily snuggles against him. They go through her sketchbook next. She has a rare talent and he beams with pride upon seeing her watercolors. Bonnie has many of them hanging around the house and Ava grabs his hand and shows them to him.
"I got that from you," Ava tells him later as they contemplate the lion she painted on a small canvas. "And my eye color and my dimples too." She's fascinated by the similarities they share and so is Klaus. He can see traces of himself in her, traces of Bonnie the most, but there is some of Rebekah as well, particularly in how sweet and adoring she is. There is some of Elijah in the way she walks, with her back straight and her head held high and there is some of Kol too, in the mischievous glint in her eyes and even some of Freya in the knowledge she has of her power. She has a bit of all of them in her and it makes his heart ache for his brothers and sisters. I will find them, Klaus vows as they return to the couch once more. Once he finds his siblings, he will extract his revenge on the Martels and Lucien. Their end will be so cruel, even the devil will weep. For now, he's happy to push all thoughts of revenge aside and enjoy spending time with his little girl.
"Daddy, I'm glad you are here." Ava rubs her eyes, feeling tired from all the talking and sleepy after an emotional afternoon with the father she always longed to meet.
"So am I, love." This is the happiest he has ever been, saved for the day she was born perhaps.
"Promise me, you won't leave. Ever." Her blue eyes give him a pleading look.
"I swear it," Klaus playfully tips to tip of her nose and kisses her forehead.
Ava giggles and rests her head against his chest. "Good." She has a lot of things planned for tomorrow, for him and her mother. She wants to spend the day with the two of them.
Klaus kisses the top of her head and pulls her closer against him. "I won't leave. I will be here when you wake up. I will guard your dreams and protect you always and forever."
"kay," is the sleepy reply he receives from his daughter.
"I love you, my littlest wolf." Klaus contemplates her for a couple of minutes, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, and catching the soft murmurs from her lips as she succumbs to her dreams. He doesn't know how long he watches her sleep, until a familiar presence finally pulls his gaze away. He finds Bonnie staring at them from the doorway, a beautiful smile on her face.
The sun is going down. Stefan, Caroline, and Grayson will no doubt return soon and join them for dinner but Klaus does not wish to move at all. He has spent a wonderful afternoon with his child. The perfect afternoon really. He hopes with all his heart that tomorrow will be the same, and the day after, and the one after that. He motions for Bonnie to join him and Ava on the couch. She does so without question. Sitting next to him, snuggling on his other side, and resting her head on his shoulder, just like their daughter.
Klaus wraps his arms around them both, feeling protective. "She's…" there are no words that can fully encompass all that he feels, so he settles for a simple, "amazing."
"Yes, she is."
"You raised her well," he says, feeling grateful for all she has done.
"It hasn't been easy." A sad look crosses her features. "But the love I feel for her, kept me going. Even when I felt like I was swimming against the tide."
"You are a wonderful mother, Bonnie."
She looks down, feeling embarrassed but also proud. "And you are a good father," she says, meeting his eyes once more.
Their foreheads touch, breaths mingling, and hearts soaring with the joy they feel.
There is a lot to be done still, enemies to be fought, siblings to be rescued, but for now, Klaus is content to sit on the couch, between his girls, the keepers of his heart. Whatever tonight or tomorrow brings, he knows he will face it and conquer it, for them. Because he loves them like he has loved no other. For the first time since he was desiccated and imprisoned inside the church, he truly feels like Klaus Mikaelson, for the first time since he was separated from his family, he feels at home. As long as he has them by his side, he knows he can face anything.
Bonnie kisses him lightly on the lips. "It feels like it's a dream, doesn't it?" she murmurs against his mouth. "I'm almost afraid that I'm going to wake up and you will be gone."
"I won't," he kisses her again. "I promise, this is real." Another kiss. "I won't leave you again, ever." He gives her one more kiss before pulling both of them closer to him. Ava sleeps soundly against his side, and Bonnie rests her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and dozing off. For the first time in her life, she can sleep peacefully.
Klaus has no intention of letting go, ever. Bonnie and Ava are his everything. His love and his little love.
A/N: This little plot bunny has been in my head for the longest time; I hope you enjoyed it. As always, thank you for reading and reviewing.