A/N: Happy 2020!

I received the new year with the flu, I'm still bouncing back cause it hit me really hard. I haven't been sick like that in years but I'm getting there. I hope this year brings happiness and prosperity to all of you lovely readers. I deeply appreciate all your support. I'm doing my best to update all my stories although I can't make any promises as to when but I want you to know that I haven't abandoned them or forgotten them. I just need to find the time to write which unfortunately, with work and school I don't have as much free time as before but I'm definitely working on new chapters and hope to update, so please bear with me. As always, thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Boston

The convent of the perpetual sisters hasn't changed at all since Ernestine's time, Elena thinks while studying the stone structure before her. In her gloved hand she holds a small white and black picture taken a century before. The same street, the same walls, the same church right next door; it's almost as if she is back in time. Elena is so lost in thought that she hisses when the cold morning wind nearly rips the old picture from her hand. "Damn."

"Are you alright?" Elijah asks.

Elena quickly places the picture inside her purse, she doesn't want to lose it. "Yeah…just…nervous." They are heading in the right direction; she can feel it. They are on the verge of finding something big, something very important that might even lead them to a way to bring Bonnie and Klaus back. Whatever link the mother superior of this convent had with Ernestine is the key, of that Elena feels sure. But there is also a strange tightness coiling in her stomach. It's not a bad feeling per say but it's definitely weird.

Elijah gives her a reassuring smile and places a gentle hand on her lower back, leading her towards the front steps. Elena feels glad she's no longer human otherwise, he would know how crazy her heart gets whenever he's too close. The butterflies invading her at his closeness are definitely not strange or unwanted; she likes the growing closeness between them. She tucks a strand of lose hair behind her ear and smiles to herself.

An older and demure nun receives them with a frown for the nuns are not expecting any visitors today, let alone two creatures of the night.

"Good morning," Elijah greets her with a charming smile. He speaks softly, eloquently, and swiftly takes hold of the nun's gaze and will.

Elena is struck by how seamlessly he compels her. He doesn't need to step in the nun's personal space and intimidate her with his height; one smile, one look, that is all it takes. She can't help but be amazed at the confidence and calmness Elijah radiates.

The nun lets them inside without question, chatting quietly with Elijah along the way. They talk about the history of the convent, their way of life, the orphanage which has been running for over a century. Elijah is trying to get as much information out of her as he can. Elena meanwhile walks quietly by his side, watching and learning.

They run into a couple of nuns who give them curious glances but no one stops them or questions them.

Elena begins to relax.

"Would you happen to know anything about a mother superior named Angelique?" Elijah wonders suddenly.

"Yes, of course." The nun smiles with fondness. "She lived to be over a hundred years old you know."

"Fascinating," Elijah shares a look with Elena before prodding the nun for more information. "What was she like, do you know?"

"A good, kind woman she was."

"Did you ever meet her?" Elena asks her

"Oh yes, when I first came to the convent. She was quite old by then, but her mind was sharp as ever. She did a lot for the poor and the sick, and the children. She loved all of them as if they were her own, everyone who ever lived in the orphanage found a happy home and those that didn't get adopted were able to find work and housing thanks to her."

"She sounds like a remarkable woman," Elena murmurs.

"She was the best thing that happen to this convent," the nun replies softly. "Her work ethic, her devotion, and her compassion inspired many, myself included."

The nun introduces them to sister Margaret, who is in charge of the archives. She's a small woman, frail looking even, but she stands straight and proud. Her eyes are a vibrant blue, watching them curiously-and unable to hide her surprised that they were allowed inside. The sisters guard their archives like a gold treasure and no one outside their order or scholars from the church have ever had access to them.

"The mother superior gave them permission to access the archives?" Margaret questions in a soft but firm voice. "She didn't say anything this morning-"

"Yes, she did."

Elijah smiles at her. "My name is Elijah."

The older woman gasps when he takes her hand and places a tender kiss on her bony knuckles. "It's a pleasure to meet you." He looks directly into her eyes and takes hold of her mind. "Could you please show us the way to the archives?"

Margaret smiles and nods.

As they walk down to the archive room, Elena hears the bells tolling. In the distance, she can hear laughter. Children, she realizes. Their happy laughter and chatter follow their every step and she can't help but think of Grams. Did Bonnie know her Grams was adopted? If she hadn't, would she have grown up in the orphanage with mother superior Angelique?

The archives are in alphabetical order but the nun moves past the shelves with the letter A, guiding them to a corner of the room instead.

"I thought her name was Angelique," Elena whispers to Elijah.

"It was."

"Angelique was the name she took upon joining the convent," sister Margaret glances over her shoulder with a knowing smile. "What you are looking for is under her birth name."

Elena and Elijah stiffen.

Sister Margaret stops walking and turns to face them.

"You're not compelled," Elijah's eyes narrow.

"I know how to pretend," sister Margaret replies in a calm voice. "I knew you would come one day, she told me you would."

"Angelique?" Elena wonders.

Margaret nods. "She could see things before they happened. She knew things too, things that would come true later on." She absently touches the rosary around her neck. "She could move things without touching them and…" she trails off and shakes her head.

"She was a witch," Elijah realizes.

The look on Margaret's face is indescribable. "I know about God and the devil but I do not know or believe in witches," she tells them. "Mother Angelique was a good, honest woman with a rare gift."

"And she entrusted you with her personal items?" Elijah questions. "Why?"

"I knew her since I was a child," Margaret confesses. "I was an orphan, raised by the nuns of this convent and like them, I found my calling." Her fingers are still tracing the beads of her rosary.

"She gave you that rosary, didn't she?" Elena states.

Margaret nods.

Elena and Elijah share a knowing look. They are both willing to bet that the rosary has some sort of protective magic, or vervain in order to keep Margaret safe from vampires, or even other supernatural creatures too.

"Before she died, she left instructions that her personal papers and correspondence be placed in a box under her birth name. She said a man named Elijah would come for them." Margaret stares at Elijah as she speaks. "When you introduced yourself, I knew."

"She knew you would come," Elena stares at Elijah. This is a surprising turn of events and she can't help but feel excited for what they are about to uncover, because she knows it will be important.

"You can use this table," sister Margaret points to the long wooden table right next to a lovely stained-glass window. "I will get you the box."

"She must have had a vision," Elijah says while they wait for Margaret to return with Angelique's things.

They both take a seat; minds still swirling.

"Do you think she knew about Bonnie and Klaus?" Elena wonders suddenly. "That Bonnie would find the ascendant and that they would travel through the prison worlds?"

"I…" it rarely happens but Elijah has been caught off guard. "I don't know."

"Here you go," Sister Margaret deposits a medium size box on the table. "This is what you are looking for." She looks between the box and the two of them. "Let me know when you are done," she says before leaving them alone.

"Oh my god!" Elena stands up. Her hands shake as she traces the name written with black marker on top of the box. "Elijah, look!"

"Diana Bennett," Elijah reads with surprise.

The mother superior who visited Ernestine at the asylum, who ran the orphanage Sheila Bennett was adopted from, and who knew Elijah would one day come for her things was also a Bennett witch.

Suddenly things make a lot more sense than before.

Bonnie takes a long hot shower, letting the water wash away the chill in her bones. The trip to the asylum, the painful memories they witnessed, and the sensations she experienced when the voices exploded in her mind were enough to make her want to curl up in bed and never wake up. She feels tired and hungry but the voices are gone.

How could Ernestine do it? Bonnie wonders as she steps out of the shower.

Her mind had nearly shattered by the invasive thoughts and Ernestine had lived with that for years. It was heartbreaking but it was also a testament of how strong Ernestine was. Even though she ultimately met a tragic end, Ernestine had lived long enough to create the ascendant, to give birth to a daughter, and to do her best to destroy the demon that ruined her life.

Now it's my turn to finish this.

Bonnie finds a pair of jeans and a nice comfy sweater inside one of the drawers. Being back in the apartment, in the room they have been sharing for a while now, makes everything feel almost normal. This is not their home and it will never feel like home but the sense of familiarity and security is good. She's not sure how long it has been since the ascendant brought them to Boston.

How long ago did Elijah and Elena appeared in the living room of the apartment? Had it been yesterday? Or was it the day before?

How long had she and Klaus spent inside the red building?

Bonnie sighs.

She's not even sure what day of the week it is, or what month, or how long it has been since this adventure started.

Time is irrelevant when you're stuck traveling through different prison worlds.

She contemplates her reflection in the mirror. Even though there are many things weighing heavily on her mind, she feels calm; tired certainly but she is glad the voices are gone. She finds comfort in the certainty that her thoughts are her own. She is not being invaded by anguish cries or hundreds of voices pleading for help. Had Grams not intervened she would have ended up a broken creature. Just like Ernestine, she thinks sadly. Poor Ernestine whose ghost is still trapped inside the red building. I need to help her find peace, Bonnie thinks. And there is only one way that can happen...they need to defeat the demon.

When she finally makes it to the kitchen, her stomach rumbles loudly.

She can't even remember the last time she had something to eat.

Klaus smirks at her over his shoulder. "Just in time." He puts a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of her.

Bonnie's mouth waters instantly. "Thank-you." She gives him a light peck on the lips before taking a seat around the kitchen table.

While Bonnie eats her food, Klaus's eyes dart towards the living room and the red letters painted on the wall.

MOLOCH

The name of their enemy.

"Mo-"

"Don't say his name!" Bonnie cuts him off quickly; eyes wide and uncertain.

Klaus arches an eyebrow, an amused grin on his lips. "Why? If I say it, will he materialized out of nowhere and devour us?"

He's teasing her but Bonnie doesn't find it funny at all. "You saw what he did to Ernestine, the way he manipulated her," she remarks angrily. "I rather not take any chances and accidentally summon him before we're ready to kill him."

Klaus studies her face, tilting his head to the side. "Kill him?" he repeats. "You've grown rather ruthless love." There is no judgment in his voice, it's merely an observation. If anything, he likes it.

"The prison worlds clearly can't stop him, what other option do we have?"

"True."

Bonnie gives him a curious look. "You're over a thousand years old, have you ever heard that name before?"

"Not really," Klaus replies while thinking back to all the different creatures he has encounter in his long life. "In fiction I suppose, he was a God associated with child sacrifice or something the like."

"He's a demon not a God," Bonnie snaps. She angry at the way Moloch had used Ernestine. "The stronger he became the weaker Ernestine got. She was lonely and desperate for love and he took advantage of that." He will pay for it, Bonnie thinks angrily. She's determined to avenge Ernestine.

"He must have been trapped by one of your ancestors and when Ernestine traveled through the prison worlds, he latched onto her and followed her to the real world," Klaus summarizes. He's been thinking about Ernestine and her tormentor too; specially because the demon wants Bonnie. "He's much more powerful than any other creature trapped in here but like all the others, he needs a Bennett witch. He needs Bennett blood in order to be set free." He glances around the apartment. "For all we know he's lurking in here somewhere."

Bonnie shivers. "Do you think he has magic?"

"I doubt it."

"The ghosts inside the asylum fear him," Bonnie states. "The way he was able to follow Ernestine into the real world..." she pauses. "I don't know...I guess I'm scared of what other powers he possesses."

"He might be stronger than the other creatures trapped in here but not enough to break free on his own."

"What is he waiting for?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why hasn't he attacked us yet?" Bonnie pushes her empty plate away and stares into his eyes, trying to put into words all her troubling thoughts. "He planned this. He wanted me to be here, so he could use me to break free but he still hasn't shown himself to me yet, he has tried I guess..." she thinks back to the time she heard him whisper her name and how he had touched her leg while she had been sleeping but other than that, she can't really think of a time where they have come face to face with Moloch. "If he's lurking here somewhere, if he's controlling the other creatures in the prison worlds and trying to get to me why is it taking him so long to act? He should have done something more by now, don't you think?"

"Something is holding him back."

"Or he's planning something big, something to catch us completely off guard."

"I wouldn't give him too much credit, love."

Bonnie gives him a strange look.

"We have powerful allies on our side," Klaus continues with a sly smirk. "Your Grams, the ascendant even..." he might not fully trust the bloody thing but it's clear Bonnie has the ascendant's loyalty. "For all we know, there are other forces deterring him from getting to us." There are bound to be powerful creatures in the prison worlds that do not fear or bow down to Moloch like the others had. They might even be able to use that to their advantage.

"We need to find out more about him, his origins..." Bonnie mumbles. "How he came to be trapped here. We need to know his weaknesses too."

"We can always rip his heart out or decapitate him."

"You really think it's going to be that simple?"

Klaus chuckles. "Considering the fact that he's hiding, no. But it's worth a try, don't you think?"

"I don't know."

Klaus reaches out across the table and takes her hand. "All supernaturals have weaknesses, Bonnie. Even witches, mo-" he stops himself just in time. "He must have them too."

"We need to contact Elijah and Elena," Bonnie proposes. "Your brother has unlimited resources, maybe he can find information on this demon, things that we are not able to have access here in the prison world."

"You think that you can reach out to his witch?"

Bonnie shrugs. "It's worth a try. They're must still be in Boston right? we're in the same place just in different timelines, if I can reach out to her, through a spell or a dream, we can share all we have found and come up with a good plan of attack."

"Alright, but first you need to rest."

"I'm fine, I-"

"After what you went through, you need to laid down and sleep."

Bonnie wants to, oh how she wants to get in bed with him, close her eyes and forget for a bit. "There is a lot we need to do, Klaus-"

Klaus places his index finger over her lips, silencing her. "We will but right now, you need to rest." He moves his thumb over her lips before tenderly tracing her cheek. "You've been through a lot sweetheart. A good nap can do wonders."

"But-"

"Don't worry, I'll be right there with you."

Bonnie doesn't protest when he pulls her to her feet and leads her back towards the bedroom.

She yawns as she gets under the covers. A nap sounds wonderful, specially with him.

His chest is pressed to her back and he nuzzles her neck as they spoon in bed.

It feels nice.

Bonnie falls asleep with Klaus's arms around her, feeling safe and content.

Safe house

"Come on, Becks! When was the last time the two of us had any fun?" Kol asks while following his sister out of her bedroom. He's bored out of his mind and wants to have some fun in the city before they are forced to continue researching ways to bring Nik home.

"We have a brother to rescue, Kol."

"And Elijah is doing a wonderful job at it," Kol dismisses her protest. "You really want to spend another lovely day trapped in this house and looking through old files?" It's the same old boring thing day after day and frankly, he needs a distraction. "I need to get out and have some fun." He's never been one to deny himself anything, much less a warm and pretty meal. He gives Bekah a pleading look.

Rebekah pauses. For the past hour or so, Kol has been trying to convince her to go out and have some fun and she's tempted, really tempted. "I don't think-"

"Whatever Elijah and Elena find at the convent is going to be far more useful that anything we could potentially uncover in those dusty old files."

Rebekah sighs when she sees the puppy eyes he's sending her way. She doesn't really want to spend another day locked inside the safe house and as much as she wants to rescue Nik, she could also use a couple of hours of distraction.

"You know you want to." Kol wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. "The two of us haven't had fun together in ages!" He taps his chin with his index finger trying to remember the last time they had any fun together. "A century or so, I wager."

"Yes, but-"

Ahhhh

Rebekah frowns.

Kol gives her a strange look.

"Yes…oh…"

"Please…"

Both siblings stare at the last door down the corridor where the very obvious moans are coming from.

"Loretta's room," Kol whispers.

Rebekah blinks in confusion while Kol makes a face of disgust. "Is the old hag pleasuring herself?" he asks in disbelief.

"I…" Rebekah makes a face as another string of moans is heard through the door.

She uses her vampire speed and leans over the door, pressing her ear against the wood. Her sensitive vampire ears hear the panting and moaning as if she were standing right there by the bed-which is creaking loudly.

What the bloody hell?

Kol comes to stand next to her, nose twitching.

Candles

Soap

Sweat

Arousal

It's very obvious what's going on in there but it's also puzzling because Loretta is supposed to be recuperating. The spell that allowed Elijah and Elena to see Klaus and Bonnie took a toll on her, on all of them really but Loretta given the fact that she was human and was the one who performed the spell had it worst. The witch doctor Elijah got for her said she needed rest. But it doesn't sound like she's resting at all; she is clearly having some sort of fun.

"I'll be damned," Kol whispers. "Who knew that old hag had it in her?"

"Shut up," Rebekah hisses.

"Yes…please..."

"Don't stop…"

Kol can't help but laugh. "Why are you so shocked?"

"She's old!"

That causes him to laugh harder. "Honestly Bekah, you have seen and done worse!"

"Shut up!" Rebekah hits him in the arm. "She'll hear you."

As if on cue, the moans stop abruptly.

"What…someone is out there? Are you sure?"

Rebekah and Kol blur out of there and hide in one of the guest bedrooms.

They both hear Loretta's door opening.

"There is no one here," The old witch says. "I know, I heard them too but they're gone."

A pause.

"Don't worry, it's fine."

A few seconds later, the door closes.

Kol gives Rebekah a puzzling look. "Who the hell was she talking to?" The old hag has clearly lost her mind; there is no other explanation.

"I don't know." Rebekah bites her lower lip. She and Kol are vampires, they can hear and sense things. Loretta is the only one in the room of that they feel sure. Her heartbeat is the only one they can hear inside the house. They cannot hear or sense anyone else with her, so who was she talking to?

"She's gone mad," Kol mutters.

A strange feeling invades Rebekah.

Who is Loretta's imaginary friend?

The convent

"Elijah, look!" Elena jumps up from her seat and rushes to Elijah's side a stack of letters in her hand. "Angelique wrote extensively to a cousin named Mary Bennett and she also wrote to Amelia Bennett, Grams' mom!" Her heart is in her throat, mind racing with all she has read in the letters she found.

Elijah takes the letters and reads them rapidly. "Sheila's adoption was facilitated by Mary and Angelique." One letter in particular catches his attention. He reads the paragraph twice before finding Elena's wide eyes. "Sheila was Ernestine Bennett's daughter."

Elena nods, feeling a lump in her throat. "Bonnie is Ernestine's direct descendant."

"That's why she has the ascendant's loyalty…why her blood is the key," Elijah murmurs. Ernestine's blood, Bonnie's blood, it's the key to everything. "It's why the darkness wants her."

"Angelique was trying to help Ernestine." It's in the letters, the desperation Angelique felt, the plan she and Mary Bennett had to give Ernestine's baby a chance at a happy and normal life. "She wanted to get her out of the asylum," Elena continues in a rush. "She made sure Ernestine's baby didn't end up with Ernestine's father, and look…" she shows him another letter. "She's the one who sent Ernestine's things to Amelia, that's why they were in Sheila's home, that's how Bonnie found the ascendant." Could Sheila have known who her real mother was?

"What is this?" Elijah notices the last page, it's a list of names. "Balthazar…Abraxas…Balor…Set..." he reads the list of names with a frown.

"Do the names mean anything to you?"

"Demons," Elijah responds thoughtfully.

"What could it mean?"

"I'm not entirely sure." He walks towards the table, searching through all the other papers inside the box. "Angelique was looking for something in particular," he mutters flipping through the pages of a journal. "It's all connected to Ernestine obviously but look," he shows her a small leather cover book. "This book is about demonology."

"Could those demons be trapped in the prison worlds?"

"Perhaps."

"Elijah…"

The elegant original looks up, noticing the horrified look in Elena's face. "What's wrong?"

"What if…" Elena clears her throat. "What if the darkness is one of those demons on the list?" she proposes fearfully. "Angelique was trying to help Ernestine. What if she figure out the darkness was a demon and was trying to find his identity or his origins?" It's hard to tell because Angelique left no explanations in her writings but now that the thought has taken root inside her mind, Elena can't help but wonder. "Ernestine was tormented by someone, or something, it's here in the letters and Angelique was determined to find out what it was and how to stop it..."

Realization dawns on Elijah's face. "Loretta said the darkness orchestrated everything to trap Bonnie, it must have done the same to Ernestine." Elijah eyes the letters they found. Angelique believed Ernestine, she never once accused her of being crazy, on the contrary, she had done her best to help the poor woman. "Once Ernestine died, all chance of escape disappeared until Bonnie found the ascendant and activated it…"

"We need to talk to Bonnie and Klaus!" Elena exclaims. "We need to show them these letters, they have to know."

"Loretta is still recovering, I don't believe she will be able to preform the spell to communicate with them again, she's-"

"Bonnie needs to know that Grams was Ernestine's daughter!" Elena practically shouts. "She needs to read these letters and see the names, maybe they mean something to her."

"Elena-"

"He have to warn them!"

"Let's first finish looking through Angelique's things," Elijah suggests. "Let's get a clear picture before trying to communicate with them again." He looks over the list of names one more time. There are thirteen names on the list, the first being Balthazar and the last being Moloch. Something jogs at his memory, things he read centuries before. "Demons are said to be far more powerful than vampires," he tells Elena. "According to legend they existed long before vampires and werewolves, they're as old as witches but not as common. In fact, it is believed they were exterminated by witches in order to preserve the balance in nature. If the darkness is in indeed a demon, he would be older, stronger, and more powerful than any original."

"He still wouldn't be able to defeat a witch, right?"

Elijah does not respond.

"He was trapped in the prison world for a reason," Elena continues. "He won't stand a chance against Bonnie."

"For all our sakes, I hope not."

"Bonnie is really powerful," Elena feels proud of her friend and all she has accomplished at a young age. "If her ancestors trapped the darkness-this demon- in the prison world, then Bonnie can defeat him." She believes that with all her heart. "And I'm sure Klaus will help her." Bonnie and Klaus are the two most powerful supernaturals in the world, they would be a force to be reckon with, even for this demon.

Elijah nods and gives Elena a reassuring look. "They must defeat him indeed, and it's our duty to help them."

Safe house

In the mirror she sees herself as a young woman, beautiful without wrinkles or body aches. She sees herself as she was, once upon a time.

She's young and powerful and her lover stands behind her, smiling proudly.

This is how things should have been had he lived, had he not died in vain.

How is he back? Loretta is not sure and she doesn't care either. He is here with her and that's all that matters.

"This is what you were always meant to be," he whispers against her ear.

"Am I dreaming?" Loretta whispers.

"Are you?"

"It feels like it." She hasn't felt this happy in decades.

"I am very real, my love." He kisses her pulse point. "We are real." He kisses his way up her neck and chin. "This is what you truly are," he whispers seductively against her lips. "The most powerful witch on earth."

Loretta smiles before kissing him deeply. She missed him terribly and now he's back and she feels deliriously happy.

Reflected in the mirror is her old and wrinkly body kissing air.

There is no one there with her.

It's all in her mind but she's too weak to realize it.

She's lost in the arms of a dead lover.

The demon has taken the face and the voice of the man she loved once and is using that long lost love to exploit her. It's what he does, it's what he has always done.

"You know what you have to do, don't you my love?"

Loretta nods dreamily, reaching up to touch his handsome face. "I will open the portal," she repeats the instructions he has made sure to burn in her brain for the past couple of hours. "I will make sure she's alone when I do." She frowns. "Why do you want her?"

"Don't be jealous, my love." He kisses her again, making her forget all doubts. His dark power poisoning her mind until she is consumed by him. "Just do as I ask."

"I will," she promises with glassy eyes.

The demon smirks.

He has absolute control over her.

Just like he did with Ernestine, Moloch latched himself into Loretta when she contacted Bonnie and the hybrid. He is feeding from Loretta's energy, growing stronger in the real world as she grows weaker and sickly. He's not strong enough to break free from his prison but he has enough power to bend this weak witch to his will. He has done this to countless others before; even after being trapped for centuries, he found ways for his seductive power to slip through and seek ways to be free, he was so close with Ernestine but now the time has truly come at last. This time he will win. Loretta will deliver Bonnie to him and he will finally be free.