AN: I am humbled by all the lovely words of encouragement. They lifted me up and motivated me to update another chapter. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. This chapter give a bit more insight into Bonnie's upbringing and may be a little hard to read early on, at least I thought it was a bit sad. Anyway please enjoy. Stay safe and be good people, but I already know that you guys are the best.

Chapter 3

Now...

Bonnie and Klaus tracked the kids to a dark alleyway. Crouched down in a corner the creature whimpered and hissed as it looked out into the darkness, frightened and confused.

Bonnie slowly moved closer to the beast, trying not to make any sudden movements that would scare it. As she moved down the dark alleyway, Klaus was following on the roof tops, hoping to get a position near the creature without it sensing him.

Bonnie was the diversion to get the frightened creature out from its place hidden in the corner where they wouldn't be able to bind it without a fight, which was something neither of them wanted to do.

Bonnie got as close as she dared, not wanting to agitate her babies more, but also wanting to draw them out. She bent down on her knees and extended her hand. "It's mommy, come out my loves," she whispered."Come out….come out….my sweets. Please come to mama." Bonnie's voice caught in her throat as her emotions started to overwhelm her.

"My sweet babies, you are up too late and mommy needs to tuck you in and read you your favorite story, but first you have to come closer." she coaxed softly, hoping the prospect of hearing their favorite story would break through to them as this creature.

There was movement in the shadows, slowly the creature edged forward, cautiously moving. Its head tilted as it watched Bonnie keenly for any sudden moves, but also with a hint of recognition.

"That's it, babies come to mama...that's it…" She softly encouraged the creature as it crept closer. In front of Bonnie a few yards away the creature stood, breaking her heart as she saw the fear and confusion in its eyes.

She slowly stood up, with both hands stretched out, palms down, she ever so slowly edged closer. The creature held out its arm as if wanting to hold her hand, so she moved closer.

Unexpectedly, Klaus jumped down from the roof behind the creature, startling it. In that moment the silent and fragile connection between mother and children was broken, causing the creature to suddenly tear into Bonnie's arm.

"It's okay, love calm down. It's okay, it's just daddy, my love," she said through the pain trying to calm the beast as it growled, thrashing against the chains that Klaus was able to get around it.

Abattoir

While Klaus and Bonnie had been trying to retrieve their children, Davina was working on a containment spell for the creature that was once her young charges. They didn't want them to hurt themselves in the state they were in, but they didn't want to keep them bound by chains.

In an empty room Klaus with Elijah's help deposited the sleeping creature carefully on the floor. Once they were out of the room Davina said the spell over it.

It was a clever spell which effectively turned the room into a padded cell, using the air within the room as protection. The creature would be able to move around, but if it became restless or violent trying to throw itself against the walls or window it would only hit air which would push it back. Kol said it was a magical bouncy house prison.

"How's your arm?" Klaus asked as he walked into their bedroom, concern and guilt written all over his face.

Bonnie went to him, lifting her arm to show him that it was healed. She reached up to cup his face. "It wasn't your fault. Just bad timing." She weakly smiled.

He took her hand and kissed her palm. "How long will the sleeping spell last? You need rest and Davina looks like she may fall over," he chuckled.

Bonnie smiled, "She is such a sweet girl. I hope Kol doesn't hurt her. She offered to sleep here so that she could help with the kids. A room was already prepared for her. I'm sure Kol won't mind her staying here." She said as she began taking off her clothes.

"The sleep should last a few hours. I think we could both use a shower and a quick nap," she informed her husband as the last of her clothes were discarded and she took his hand leading him to their master bathroom.

"I don't need rest, but a shower with you is certainly a must." He said with a smirk.

"Klaus you need rest, if nothing more than to rest your mind for a few minutes and I need you to hold me," she countered solemnly.

Klaus had finished undressing as she turned on the water, getting the temperature right. He grabbed her shoulders, turning her around to hold her in his arms. "Of course. And we will fix this. Don't you fret your pretty green eyes, little witchling," he whispered near her ear. She hugged him tighter as she drew from him the strength she needed.

Bonnie woke with a start and realized that she had to go to Mystic Falls, she had to get answers and it was better to do it without Klaus making things worse. She gently removed herself from his arms and hurriedly gathered her clothes and went into the bathroom to get dressed.

Klaus hadn't realized he had actually fallen asleep until he woke up alone in his bed, he got up quickly, extending his senses, trying to find Bonnie. He couldn't feel her, she wasn't in the abattoir.

Klaus rushed down the stairs looking for someone to tell him where Bonnie was since she didn't answer her cell phone. He walked into the dining room to find Kol and Davina at the table. A great portion of the table was covered in grimoires and vials of herbs, spices and other potion making ingredients, the two stood close as they were animatedly discussing, more debating over the properties of the potion.

"Have you seen Bonnie," Klaus inquired as he walked in.

Kol looked at Davina giving her a worried look before she answered. "She said she had an errand to run and she would be back as soon as possible."

"Where did she go?" Klaus could sense she was hiding something.

"I didn't ask," Davina deflected with the truth. She hoped he wouldn't prob any further. She wasn't sure she could lie to Klaus.

"Kol, where is she?" He wasn't in the mood for games.

"I didn't ask either, brother. She is your wife, why don't you call her," Kol advised, desperately trying to think of a way they could get out of this interrogation without too much damage.

In that instant Klaus lost his shit, he pounced on Kol, lifting him in the air with a hand around his neck. "Brother dont play with me or I will decide that you need a time out," he hissed.

Davina gasped then hurriedly spoke, "Stop it, stop it...please. Please put him down. Don't hurt him," she cried, "She...she said she was going to Mystic Falls to see an old friend. That's it. Now put him down."

Klaus dropped Kol, pacing as he ranted and raved. "Bastard...what the fuck. She went to see that bastard and without me. Son of a bitch!"

"Brother I am sure that she can handle herself," Elijah said as he walked in, "There is no need for all the drama. Maybe you should check in on your children instead of having a tantrum. Bonnie knows what she is doing and she is doing whatever it takes to help YOUR children." He chided as he made himself a drink.

Klaus was deflated by the reproach, he started walking out of the room, on his way he turned and said, "I'm sorry Kol, I should not have done that," then he continued out of the room and up the stairs to check on his children.

Mystic Falls

Bonnie teleported near the cottage house, down the path from the large mansion, which had been long converted into the home of the New Saltzman coven, formally known as the Bennett coven.

Bonnie hadn't been back to Mystic Falls in eight years, technology ten, but she didn't count her brief lapse of judgment. After that disaster she refused to go back, not even for her grandmother's funeral, which Klaus strongly urged her to do while Alaric begged her to come back, to make things right, but she refused.

She missed weddings, births, deaths, initiations and other celebrations of former school friends and family members. Of course many of them called her a traitor to her own kind, a slut and whore to vampires and undeserving of the Bennett name. They didn't care to hear from her or see her anyway, so she figured there was no reason to put herself through the stress of opening old wounds.

Once Bonnie had left Mystic Falls, and after the passing of her grandmother, the leadership of the coven and the name transferred to Alaric since her grandmother disowned her. Sheila called her a disgrace, a disappointment and a dishonor to the legacy of the Bennetts and not fit to be the Regent of the coven.

Bonnie had grown up on outlandish bedtime stories, all cautionary tales of the horrors of intermingling. Wanting to interact and live among such creatures was equivalent to being mad, crazy, daff and stupid, but nonetheless Bonnie longed to break free from the rigid confines and bias, and find the truth. And she did and it changed everything.

This decision to strike out was, in part, due to Bonnie's forsaking of antiquated ideologies, traditions and bigoted rules set in place to keep witches segregated. Living and working among all supernatural species and humans was deemed sacrilegious and degrading by many witches and only done when it was deemed a necessity. Bonnie likened it to the Amish, who stayed to themselves and are self-sufficient, living in their own world.

But the most severe, unthinkable and unforgivable act that Bonnie committed was to fall in love, marry and make her life with Niklaus Mikaelson and his family.

The day Sheila told Bonnie she was glad that her daughter, Abby, Bonnie's mother, was dead and buried, so she would not have to live with the shame of seeing her daughter living among the fringe, shacking up and defiling herself with an abomination such as Niklaus Mikaelson, Bonnie thought her heart had been ripped out of her body, it felt like it.

That same day she left with the rest of her possessions including her mother's grimoires, which was hers by right. She officially withdrew from college, took her inheritance, left to her by her mother and father and said goodbye to her old life and headed back to New Orleans to fully embrace her new life.

See, the problem was and has always been that in witching communities, vampires are looked down upon due to their need for human blood to survive, oftentimes called leeches or faired slightly better, viewed just a notch above them, but still deemed as little more than senseless, savage animals. And human...well that was altogether another level of absurd fuckery to deal with.

The Mikaelsons had the designation of being either hated, feared, respected or shunned, many times in equal measure or a variant of combinations, due to their power, wealth and longevity. Think the Corleone family on steroids and not shy about their methods of getting things done.

Then there were Klaus and hybrids, of varying degrees, they were all considered abominations, deemed the cause of so many 'anomalies' in the supernatural world and often force-aborted or killed as infants, said to be the kindest act of all and to keep the bloodlines pure.

Bonnie hated the hypocrisy of it all, their prejudice was conditional based on their need, she herself was a hybrid of sorts, not that many knew about it. But to her it made her far more special, powerful and capable. Yet that part of herself was always forced to be bound up, victim of her witch side being nurtured and cultivated at the expense of her other side, which was another reason she wanted to leave. As much as she loved being a witch, she equally and maybe a bit more so wanted to be free to be complete and whole.

She believed the future of all supernaturals and humans, alike lay in tolerance, understanding and acceptance. Which was the reason she went out in search of just that. And she found it in New Orleans and she was living her best life.