The rain beaded down in swarms, bouncing off the ground as my fretting fingers are nibbled away. The door opens, a relieved sigh falling from my lips as I grip a blanket and storm over "Where have you been?"

"Look Drewden, your mother's being overprotective again" the brightest, biggest cheeky grin you've ever seen beams, black shoulder length locks dripping from his face

I wrap a blanket around my boy, drying his hair as his father grabs another towel taking his sodden shirt off to reveal his toned chest "Drewden, go change into your nightwear sweetheart"

As he leaves, I throw the blanket at his father as I stand "you're an awful influence on him, he could have caught his death"

Laughing gleefully as I turn the stew he rounds my waist "he's four Verity, a little rain won't hurt him… we had fun"

Just then a loud sneeze echo's the house "mother?"

We turn to find the small boy dressed in a night shirt and rubbing his nose, I turn to my husband with a raised brow "Eoin!"

He groans with a chuckle as I smack his head and wonder over to take my little boy in my arms, I gather him up into the warmest cloths and hold him close, my lips brushing his brow as my hand trail through his father's black mane that lay on his head, holding him close to me at his sniffles. A hum escapes my lips as a lullaby flees from me "Sleep O babe, for the red bee hums the silent twilight's fall, Aoibheall from the grey rock comes, to wrap the world in thrall. A leanbhan O, my child, my joy, my love my heart's desire, the crickets sing you lullaby, beside the dying fire."

He nuzzles into me, his small arm wrapping around my waist as Eoin walks in with some stew, my blue gems meeting his hazel caramel orbs as he leans against the doorframe with a lopsided smile "Dusk is drawn and the Green Man's thorn is wreathed in rings of fog, Siabhra sails his boat till morn, upon the Starry Bog. A leanbhan O, the paly moon hath brimmed her cusp in dew, and weeps to hear the sad sleep-tune; I sing O love to you."

I feel his breath even as sleep overtakes my boy, looking down to him I smile, his nose is red and cheeks flushed from the cold he gained playing with his father in the damp winter rain. He looks so peaceful, my beautiful little boy "I love you Drewden"

As I kiss his ruffled hair his frail grip tightens, a whisper escaping his sniffles "love you to mother"

"Verity?... Verity?" I turn to see my golden haired sister looking to me; hand on hip, a concerned look on her face

It takes me a moment to realize I have tears running down my cheeks, without a word I wipe them from my cheeks and grab some papers of the desk, standing to hand them to Rebekah "I found out that a Carol Lockwood is head of the Preservation Society, talk to her, find out what you can about the white oak… we need that tree destroyed"

Looking over the papers I handed her she nods "alright, and what will you and Nik be doing whilst I'm flirting with the Mayor?"

I look at her as I pick up more papers "Niklaus will be searching for our suicidal brother and I shall be finding your nephew"

I place a quick kiss on her cheek before walking out of the office only to be halted by her question "Verity, what about mo… Ester?"

My blood boils as I turn to her over my shoulder "you'd do well not to concern yourself with that woman sister… her fate is her own undoing"

With that I leave her to find Klaus sitting pensive with his sketchbook "how is it coming?"

"I can't get his bloody chin right" he sighs in irritation but hands me the sketch, looking back at me was my son, his eyes filled with the adoration I remember, not the distain I received last night

Shaking my head I smile "No, no this is perfect… thank you brother. Now find Finn, I want to know what that witch did to my little boy!"

Standing he asks, not looking me in the eye "Verity, what makes you so sure she did anything to him? It has been a long time, people change"

I glare dangers as I square up to him "people change, but not the love of my son, Drewden would never abandon me this way and I will never abandon him…"

Taking the picture I don't stay long enough to see his down trodden expression, I'm busy!

Walking around town pinning up posters from the sketch Klaus drew, I just finish putting one on the post outside the hospital when I hear the doppelganger and the woman Kol was flirting with argue, and I wait as she rounds the corner a look of fear in her eyes at the sight of me "Hello Elena"

"Verity… please" she begs backing away slightly

I take a step forward with a shake of my head "I'm not going to hurt you. Why did you do it Elena? What threat did we have on you?"

She blinks for a moment at my question before answering "Klaus, he killed my aunt, he sacrificed me, he…"

"How can you be so hypocritical... he's done wrong, yes. However so have your precious Salvatore's yet they deserve to live. I'll never forgive my brother for the things he's done, but I'll never let anyone harm him either." I glare with rage as a cherry chipped truck tears in to the parking lot

I shake my head to her as Matt climbs out and over to her "I'm disappointed Elena… I think we could have been great friends"

"Elena, are you ok?" the blonde busboy questions and I can't fight the roll of my eyes, why did everyone assume because I'm a vampire I want to kill everyone

Taking a step to them I hand out a poster "have either of you seen him"

Seeming taken aback the gentleman takes the picture, showing it to the girl as they both shake their heads "very well, but if you happen to see him please call, my number is at the bottom. Good day Elena, Matthew"

I climb into my new car, apparently it's a classic GTO; I just liked the color, it reminded me of frosted cherries in the winter snow. However as I start to drive I end up a foot backwards "woops"

Fixing the stick thing I carry on away from the two people I had hoped would be my friend's. It wounded me, their decisions, but right now that didn't matter… I was going to see an old friend, I could only prey they could help me

The drive wasn't as long as I thought it would be, but as I walk into the restaurant I smile, instantly spotting my friend, because standing there was a well-kept, bob cut dark blonde with grey green eyes, standing with arms wide open "Verity!"

"Mae!" I call as we embrace; the hug is tight in comfort

Pulling away she smiles brightly to me "I was shocked when I picked up the phone to your brothers voice mind, but it is good to see you old girl"

"Likewise, how is that lady of yours, I trust your still mad about each other?" I ask as we take our seats

Nodding she smiles "we are thank you, Olivia sends her love, she would have joined us but thought you would need a friend… she didn't want to be intrusive"

Reaching over her hand grips mine "Verity, I heard what Klaus did… I'm so sorry"

Swallowing hard I squeeze her hand, I turned Mae back in Argentina 1654, she was a maidservant with nothing but an abusive stepbrother for company, I only found out one afternoon when I discovered her weeping, trying to launder the crimson stain from her gown with a broken arm. I offered her my blood to heal, warned him off… only for the brute to beat her to her demise, he was her first meal. After that I looked after her, but in 1688 she met Olivia and moved on with her life, I was and remain happy for my friend… despite the bitterness of my own grief

With a steadying breath I return her grip "as am I; however my brother's betrayal is not my priority. Tell me what you have known of Drewden since my absence"

She offers me a tight lipped smile along with her words "after you were taken he found us in Paris, poor thing was beside himself; he stayed for almost a year before deciding it was time. I didn't see him again until the mid-eighteen hundreds; he seemed content, then again during the fifties but…"

"But what? Tell me Mae, please" I beg with earnest

Her gaze meets my own as she leans forward and speaks "he seemed different, dismissive almost. He reminded me of… he reminded me of Mikael"

My breath catches in my throat, hand on my heart as I fight back the pain of my brimming tears "Verity… what's going on? I'm your friend, you can trust me"

"My family reunited, only for our mother to deem us unfit of life. She's trying to kill us, her own children and Drew… you should have seen him, so much hate… I don't know how or why but she's turned him against me Mae, my little boy" my voice breaks into a sobbing whisper

Without worry for our audience she rounds the table to enfold me. Giving me comfort on her warm arms as the tears break from me, she stokes my hair from my brow whilst cupping my face "oh my sweet Verity… look, I have some witches who owe me the odd favor, I'll get them to see what we can do to fix him. It'll be alright I promise"

She lays a tender kiss on my brow before touching it with her own, earning us a snort of disgust. I snap to the other table with a menacing glare "I know I should respect your opinion, but that's challenging because in the extremely short time I've known you I realized you're an ignorant, small minded simpleton, I believe the modern term is… douche bag"

It was good, seeing Mae, I'm glad she's happy but a small part of me resents that my old friend got everything she ever wanted whilst I stay here, fighting for my family's lives. By the time I get back to mystic falls the sun has fallen to slumber while the stars dance amongst the darkened sky, I look around the woodlands that now overtook the ground I once called home, I see a willow oak and ponder over, resting beside it I look to the ring on my hand as my fingers bite into the dirt "Oh Eoin, I don't know what to do… I feel so lost, you always knew the words to sooth me but now I feel so alone and Drewden, our Drew; our beautiful little boy is lost to; so lost."

I look up to the stars and smile "do you remember the day you asked for my hand, you were so nervous, you; the great Eoin terrified because of little old me… and our wedding, the way you looked at me as I walked down the aisle in your mothers gown, the way you kissed me. Oh god I miss you, I miss you so much my love"

The lake glows against the moonlight as I rip the blades of grass from the earth beneath, the other circling my swollen stomach "what did I do this time?"

"It's not you…" I sigh as the ebony locked boy sits beside me

"That makes a change" he retorts with his dazzling smile, but at my unchanged expression his arm rounds my shoulder, pulling me near "what happened?"

I shake my head in anger, throwing the blades as I speak "I was with Rebekah, we were berry picking, Henrick and Kol came along, stole some berries from our basket and we chased them, it was only some fun and I could tell they were running slower on my behalf…"

His caramel glazed orbs smile down at me as he shrugs "and? The midwife said exercise was good for you… as long as you don't overdo it, then I's have to kill your brothers and quite frankly there are a lot of them"

"Mother was accompanying them" I barely manage to whisper

"Ah, I see…" he groans in understanding

"She stood there and lectured me, saying how it was inappropriate for me to act so childish, that I needed to grow up and how could I expect to be a respectable wife when I acted in such a manner… then she had the nerve to shake her head and say 'I don't think your quite ready for motherhood' all she ever does is criticize me" somewhere along my rant I started goring chucks of earth and throwing them in the lake

Taking my grime coated hand my darling looks to me "now, Verity you listen here. If I wanted an 'appropriate' wife I'd have never married you, and would be quite bored, I mean an appropriate wife? Who would throw things at me, scream at me and refuse to explain what I actually did wrong. I still believe I don't do anything and you just enjoy causing me physical harm. As for everything else well, you are a loving, sweet, devoted and loyal, our child is lucky to have you as a mother"

His hand falls to the swell of my middle, covering my own "what if she's right, what is I'm not ready? What if I fail him?"

"You won't, you will never let him down, you will give our son your all as will I, and you will always be there for him, even if he doesn't want you to be because unlike Ester I know you would do anything for him and damn the consequences. You are going to be the best mother" he smiles that smile that captured my heart

"You don't like my mother much do you?" I laugh at his words

With a simple shrug he helps me to my feet "when someone upsets my wife, it's my duty to dislike them… and no I don't, frankly I think she's judgmental bigot"

I laugh as we stand, sharing a tender kiss "I love you husband of mine"

"I love you to wife of mine" he smiles as I jolt forward ever so slightly

Grabbing his hand I have Eoin feel his son kicking, with a smirk he rolls his eyes "yes, we love you to… so needy, he gets that from you"

"OW!"

My earth charred fingers rise to meet the rough bark of the willow as tears slice down my cheeks, I get a sense of him, my darling husband as I sit upon his time ravished grave "don't worry my love, I'll bring him home"

Standing I brush the dirt from my clothes, my right hand that bares my wedding ring pulls a kiss from my lips and grants it to the tree, soring it to my husband "Sleep well Eoin. I love you…"

As I leave the resting place of my beloved I do not find the stare that follows, the footsteps that echo as the deepest red roses are places down with a tender hand "yes, sleep well father"

Hey guys, so what do you think? Please let me know, and thanks so much for your reviews.

JJ X x