Tonight was a bad night.

Tonight he didn't feel that bond between them. The string connecting him to her was tense, wavering.

Elena sat hunched up against the wall, knees pressed up against her chest and hands covering her ears. She was trying to shut him out. Squatting down on his haunches in front of her, Stefan picked a lock of hair licking her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.

"You think I'm a horrible person, don't you?" her voice was gruff and flat.

"No" he spoke softly, his hand cupping her stiff chin. Tapping her head backward against the wall, Elena observed him through her wet eyelashes.

"Why not?" she asked, a sneer on her face as if disgusted by his desperation. Dipping his head, he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"You're my wife" his heartbeat pounded in his ears, a cry stifled in his throat. He needed a drink, he needed a shower, he needed his Elena and the discomfit was palpable.

"I wish you'd stop being so self-righteous and try honesty for a change" she croaked, lip snared between her teeth, "They don't deserve that baby, Stefan" she shook her head, lips quivering as her big eyes stared at him.

"They don't, did you see them?" her voice raised a few decimals, cheeks burning as she levelled her gaze with his. Stefan was tired, it had been a long evening and quite honestly he didn't know how to feel about Damon becoming a father. He didn't know how to feel about the fact that his brother had succeeded in the one thing that he didn't, that he couldn't.

Uncle Stefan, the idea made him clench his eyes shut. It hurt, it all hurt and he had to hide it from her because one of them had to bare the pain, one of them had to shoulder the burden.

"I don't they think they even want it" Elena continued as Stefan rose to his feet, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose to stop himself from crying. He walked to their bar, the city lights dazzling from the big wide windows.

"They don't deserve this!" she whimpered, her eyes narrowing into tiny slits to help the tears. She's putting on a show, Stefan thought and he loathed himself from thinking like that. Digging his fingers into the crystal decanter, he clenched his teeth and asked her, "Would you like a drink?"

She shrugged. She was being indifferent to him and indifferent to herself. His wife was a coward, his wife was an escapist. A dull pain began to pound in his head and he tossed a handful of crushed ice in his mouth to distract himself from the ache, to distract himself from her.

"Scotch?" he asked after taking a pull straight from the decanter. When he didn't hear anything, Stefan glanced at her over his shoulder and saw her slumped there looking defeated. Her mousy hair stuck to her wan face, eyes staring into space as she plucked the threads of her Caroline Herrera dress. He could remember them buying it at Harrods during the London trip a year ago. Suddenly he felt compelled to remind her that those were some of the perks to being childless, travel. He decided against it. Dragging in a breath, he trudged toward his wife and hovered over her. She tilted her head up to look at him when he handed her the hefty drink, her eyes big and wet.

"I'm sorry" she murmured, the chiffon ruffles of her dress tickling her chin. Stefan nodded once and squeezed her hand.

"Come to bed" he suggested with his hands outstretched for her.

"Not now"

"What will you do?"

"Stay right here and drink scotch until the sun comes up" she rattled the ice inside her glass. Stefan looked at her steadily then turned around to head to the master bedroom.

"I'm going to bed, honey" he said as he left the lounge "with or without you"

..

The glowing digits on the alarm clock swam into focus.

It was 10.15am but it felt like she hadn't slept a wink. She saw a figure silhouetted against a white wintry sun before squeezing her eyes shut. The glare was too strong and her eyes felt too raw.

"Caroline"

It was Klaus's voice but he sounded like the grinding traffic going down Times Square at peak hour. A feverish heat swept over her as she propped herself up.

"Everything hurts, even my teeth!" she gasped, willing her sudden nausea to recede.

"Coffee?"

"Shutters. Close. Now" she said gruffly just like a cave woman. The caffeine smell seemed to agitate her nausea even more. This must be a rare an unusual hang over, one not caused by simple sake.

"Wasn't it you who said tequila fixed everything?" Klaus remarked coolly, settling on the bed next to her.

"Whose side are you on?" she cried, a red flush colouring her cheeks as he tweaked her nose and kissed her forehead. Setting the coffee aside, he joined her in the bed and gathered her in his arms.

"I really put my foot in it last night didn't I?" she moaned, head hammering.

"You wouldn't be Caroline Forbes if you didn't" Klaus chuckled and slid his warm fingers in her messy hair. She liked this, having him so warm and so close to her but she still hated the nauseating smell of those Brazilian coffee beans.

..

Bonnie's childhood bedroom felt smaller than usual. Normally she liked sleeping in Brooklyn, liked having her grams a few doors down the hallway and liked eavesdropping on Jamie's midnight phone calls even though they grated her at times. Today wasn't one of those times. Her bed sheets itched which she found hard to believe because her grams was nothing if not hospitable. She's probably using a new fabric softer, she thought as she swung her feet off the bed. She stretched and scratched her leg, her old flannel pyjamas barely licking her ankles. She padded around her old bedroom, bumping into her old scrapbooks and coin collections. Grabbing an old robe, she made her way downstairs with the sun streaming through the large hallway windows. She was looking forward to Sheila's beacon and waffles but she certainly wasn't looking forward to the interrogation.

When her grams had opened the door for her in the middle of the night, she had been alarmed but tired and Bonnie hadn't been in the mood for explanations. This morning it was time to face the music. She could hear her grams' voice and Jamie's laughter and another voice she was not quite in the mood for, Emily.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in!" Emily exclaimed, handing her baby to Jamie. Bonnie groaned, her yes drifting from Sheila to a ragged looking Jamie. She guessed that he had been out last night which would explain why his phone had been off and her grams had to open for her. She was tired and no energy for Emily.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie shuffled past her sister, moving like a zombie toward the smell of hot, fluffy waffles.

"She's bringing her laundry" Jamie drawled, burping the baby, "It's her Thursday ritual"

"Morning child, you sleep well?" Grams squeezed Bonnie's shoulder when she slogged past her.

"Morning Grams"

"Hmm-hmm-uhmm-hmm" Emily drummed her blue nails against the counter, tapping her foot. Bonnie could tell she was dying to say something. It was too early for Em to just be visiting so she knew someone had told her that she'd slept over. As she piled waffles on her plate, Bonnie glared at her little brother Jamie. She just knew he was the culprit.

"Bless them waffles, "Emily hummed, glancing at her "they sure taste good" she licked the sticky syrup off her finger as she stared at Bonnie.

"Yes, they do." Bonnie rolled her eyes and she took in a forkful, "Thank you, grams"

"Is there some reason why you're in Brooklyn so early in the morning?" Emily relented, narrowing her eyes at her sister.

"Emily, you need to mind your own business" Sheila warned making her way to the lounge with her cup of coffee. It was time for her General Hospital reruns and she never missed an episode.

"She is my business grams, she's my sister" Emily called after her, tossing her ironed hair over her shoulder. Bonnie caught sight of the ring again because Emily was obviously taunting her with it.

"That's rich coming from you" Bonnie finally mumbled between her sweet mouthfuls. Wagging a manicured finger at her, Em laughed and said, "I'll ignore that. I love you and I'm concerned.

Then very coy as if she was mother Mary herself; she asked, "Trouble in paradise?"

"Oh, it hasn't been paradise for a while, child" Jamie came out of nowhere with that one and nearly gave Bonnie whiplash. She wondered why she was being attacked by her own siblings.

"I'm gonna go and take a jog around the block" she said to no one in particular while dusting off her plate.

"I didn't wanna anything but you are looking rather chunky around the middle" Emily laughed raising a hand to high-five Jamie.

"Preach!" he exclaimed, holding his hand up. Casting Bonnie a sidelong glance, he rolled his eyes earning him a husky chuckle from her. Bonnie didn't have time for their antics. Shaking her head, she strolled past the chortling duo with their fingers laced together as their eyes followed her up the stairs.

"And that's my cue "Bonnie laughed dragging herself up the stairs, hands pressed to the cherry-wooden bannister.

..

When Hayley's black town car pulled up outside the loft, Klaus was still buttoning up Hope's pink tweed coat. He picked up her Louis Vuitton suitcase and plonked it on the hardwood floor next to her.

"Hey, you're gonna miss daddy?" he tilted her face to kiss her forehead before lifting her in his arms. He couldn't stand the idea of her being miles away from him but knew he had no choice He shared custody with his ex-wife and Hayley had just about the same rights on Hope as he did.

"Very very much!" Hope exclaimed gripping his neck as he carried.

"How much?"

"This much" she kissed his cheek and they both broke into laughter as they headed for the door. When he swung it open, Hayley was standing in the sunlight hallway, an anxious smile plastered on her face.

"Morning" she blinked, her big chocolate brown eyes sparkling up at him.

"Hey" Klaus nodded, still holding on to his daughter. Dragging her eyes away from her ex-husband, the brunette focused on her daughter, "Hey, sunshine!" she greeted, raking a gloved hand through Hope's tousled hair.

"Has she been good?" she asked Klaus as he handed Hope over to her.

"Always" he replied curtly, his eyes fixed on his daughter. Hayley set Hope on the floor so that she could walk on her own two feet then took her suitcase.

"I'll see you next week then?" he raised his eyebrows, swiping a hand over his curly hair. He sensed hesitation on Hayley' part as she held Hope's hand.

"I'm going to L.A for a few weeks" she explained looking up at him.

"And you're taking my taking my daughter with you?" he didn't like the sound of this. He hated Hope being in Park Avenue, Los Angeles felt like another galaxy.

"Our daughter, Klaus and yes" she reminded him, leather cloaked fingers running through her shampooed hair. He caught a whiff of her as she stepped closer to him, airy and rosy like a blooming flower.

"Hale…" his voice broke, eyes darting down to Hope.

"It's only two weeks and you can fly up and visit her whenever you like" Hayley promised.

"What's in Los Angeles?" he asked as they walked away from him.

"A job offer" she replied matter of factly without casting a glance over her shoulder. Klaus stood on the threshold of his loft watching them until they disappeared into the elevator.

He was going to miss his daughter.