Elijah raised his arm over his forehead, taking a deep breath as he stared up at the ceiling, enjoying almost complete silence except for Selina's gentle, steady breathing as she slept beside him. It was no surprise to him that she was still asleep. She had stamina for sure, and as last night proved once again, their lovemaking was still as passionate now as it had been at the beginning. But at the same time, something felt…off. He swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat and the worry preying on his mind, his eyes shut tight.

She hadn't been pregnant for so long. Not that he thought of her as being around solely to bear his children. She had the children she wanted, and that was that. But that in itself was very strange. He knew her enough to know that despite the fact that she had birth control pills, she didn't always remember to take them, due to other, bigger things occupying her thoughts. Granted, she could have a sudden fit of responsibility, but…he doubted it.

That meant something was wrong with him. Him, the mighty Elijah Mikaelson! Member of the first family of vampires! That was like being punched in the gut again and again without being given the chance to get back up!

He opened his eyes and turned to face his sleeping wife, who was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, a shy smile curving his lips. Turning, he gently caressed her cheek so he wouldn't wake her. His woman, Selina Warren Mikaelson, who'd finally agreed to add his name to hers after the détente with his father was declared. Then, he moved his hand, frowning. He couldn't let her know he could be sterile. With her needs and habits, there was no room in her bed for a sterile man, not even him, he was sure of that!

Pushing the sheet off himself, he rose from bed, his bare feet lightly touching the floor. As usual, he was naked, and as he looked around for something to put on. Cursing, he remembered that everything he'd worn the night before was in a rumpled pile by the couch. He and Selina had been left alone at the farm for the first time in ages and, of course, had taken advantage of it. They'd started making out on the sofa, then stripped down and he'd proceeded to take her the rest of the way, right there in the open living room.

All that was around for him to cover himself with was a robe of Selina's, covered in flowers. He grabbed it, put it on, and tied it shut. Who cared? Now that he was sterile, it wasn't as if wearing a flower-covered robe would hurt his virility any!

Quickly, reached the bathroom and shut the door behind him, opening the robe, spreading his legs out, and examining himself. But everything seemed normal. No deformities or weird colors or anything that would need a doctor's attention. And everything was still the same size too. He grinned at that. What a relief!

He was so into studying himself that he didn't hear the door open as Selina entered the room, only turning around when she cleared her throat.

"Sorry," she apologized, wide eyed. "I can see you're…busy. I'll wait to brush my teeth unless…unless there's something I can help with."

"Selina," he breathed as color filled his cheeks.

"I…are you…can I ask why you're wearing my bathrobe?" She wanted to know, her jaw dropping.

"You know I'm not one to judge and I think that if it's the case, I'm glad you're trying new things in life. My bathrobe looks good on you," she told him. "A nice color that goes with your eyes."

"Thank you, but…I just grabbed it when I got out of bed," Elijah told her, closing the robe and tying it. "You remember from last night that mine is downstairs? I know I was kind of…desperate to have my way with you."

"Well, of course I do," she nodded and then came over to nibble his neck while a slight blush covered her cheeks. "But I remember what you did after more. Good thing we were alone. I didn't mean to scream so loud. But I was in your chair and…" She chuckled. "It was both naughty and brilliant to take me in your chair." She paused and blew out a breath that ruffled her bangs. "So."

"Yeah…" He shrugged. "So?"

"What…what were you just doing a second ago?" She asked. "Is there a problem? You know you can tell me anything."

"Oh, it's nothing," Elijah shook his head. "Just…cleaning everything down there after last night. It's very important to be clean after all that."

Selina raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "I see." She was wearing a pastel purple robe and night gown set she'd put on after getting out of bed.

"Yep," Elijah nodded, feeling a little uncomfortable because of the intensity of her gaze. "You see, all right! I was hoping you wouldn't, but you do! Not that there's anything to see, really." He cleared his throat and kissed her forehead. "Well, this was an interesting little interlude, darling, but you'll have to excuse me. I have an appointment to go to today and I really should be getting ready for it." He kissed her softly and held her close for a little bit.

"You do?" She asked. "What appointment? You didn't put anything on the schedule board in the kitchen!"

Her mother, who was much more organized than she was, had suggested improvements to their schedule board so that everyone knew the big things everyone else at the farm was up to. But, Elijah had to admit, sometimes he found it a bit intrusive and didn't put every little thing out in the open for everyone to see. That had included his appointment today.

"I know I didn't, but it won't be long," he assured her. I'll be back here in time for dinner, I promise."

He then disappeared into the bedroom, and as Selina wet her toothbrush and put toothpaste on it, she thought to herself, Elijah Mikaelson, I know you well enough to know when something is wrong with you, and even though you're hiding it from me, I'll find out what it is if it's the last thing I do. Mark my words!

Klaus raised his coffee cup to his full lips and took a big gulp as he gazed out the window into Mrs. Johnson's empty backyard. A few weeks had passed since the ugly reveal of the secret affair between Julian and Eleanor, and though Angelica was acting normal, he knew better

He took another gulp and slowly turned his head toward the door as he heard the clack of Angelica's heels on the floor. "Good morning, Angel," he greeted her. She wore a black and white suit that he didn't look away from as she passed by him, tote in hand, to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Klaus," she returned before taking a sip of her own cup of coffee. "Oh, this is heavenly," she murmured. "You really know how to make excellent coffee!" She raised her glass in the air, then turned her head to look out the window, freezing as her face drained of all color.

There it was! The two seconds he needed to be certain her cool attitude was an act and she was just pretending to be okay so he wouldn't worry and give her trouble. The affair was still occupying a large space in her mind.

"Where's my morning kiss?" He asked, in an attempt to distract her, eyebrow raised. "Don't I deserve a kiss for all the wonderful coffee I make you every day?" He put a finger over his full lips.

"Oh, you big baby!" Angelica grinned and rolled her eyes. "Of course you deserve a kiss!" She approached him and kissed him on the cheek. "There you go!"

"On the cheek?" Klaus make a face. "That's it for me, Angel?" He grinned, in the mood to push her buttons. "Could you be less affectionate if you tried?"

"Well," she shrugged, playing with him too as she sat on his lap. "I certainly could if I wanted to. Now, I have a very long day at work ahead of me. Two long, boring, and very expensive rich people weddings where the only nice thing about them is the big fat commission, which will buy me several pairs of well-earned designer shoes!" But when I get back in the evening, I'm all yours. All of me!" She then hopped off his lap, grabbed her tote, and made her way toward the kitchen door.

He followed almost immediately. "You know, you're a very cruel woman," He teased before firmly but gently grabbing her left wrist to pull her against his chest. "Now, I know that the wedding won't start without you so now is as good a time as any for us to have a talk."

"Why? Why do we need to have a talk? Why now?" She tried to get away. "I don't have time to play games. I don't have time to talk with you. I have to go now."

"No, you won't," he said firmly. "You'll stay here and make time because I said so!" He slipped her tote off her shoulder and put it on the kitchen floor.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" She asked. "Lay off me! I'm not your property! You can't just do whatever you want with me and order me around!"

"Well, that's an interesting concept," he chuckled, his full lips curving into a smile as his hand slid around her waist. "You as my property. How much?"

"What? What are you saying?" She asked. "Where is this conversation going?" She hit his chest with her fists. "I don't understand what you want from me!"

He chuckled. "There she is again! The little girl I love and care for!"

"Don't call me that!" She spat. It was like being at the mansion all over again. "I'm not a little girl!" She stomped her foot on the floor.

He buried his gaze in hers. "I was asking how much for you to become my property. To be mine."

"What?" Angelica shook her head, eyes narrowed. "You know, that is just gross! I am a grown woman, not a beer you buy at the store! If I wanted to feel like a man's property I would have stayed home with my father instead of running off with you!" She lashed out but kept her eyes downcast, a blush coloring her cheeks. It was something she didn't want to admit, but there was something very naughty in what he was saying.

"Why not?" Klaus asked, reaching out and making her look up at him. "Imagine all the possibilities if you were mine. If your father were truly out of the way. So, do you want me to ask him what his price for you would be? I have no doubt I could pay it."

Angelica scoffed, but her eyes were wide "I have no doubt it would be incredibly high. And you'd have to be insane to ask that anyway. It would be safer to steal me." She paused and swallowed. "Are you insane to ask me that, though?" She wanted to know. Her brown eyes were wide open.

"I suppose I am," he nodded. Then he whispered in her ear. "But that doesn't bother you, does it? You want to be owned by me."

She closed her eyes as his silky, sexy whispering made goosebumps break out all over her body, damn him! And of course she relaxed when he nibbled on her ear!

Then he cupped her face and met her eyes, the mood suddenly broken. "Now that I have your attention, Angel…have you called your mother? Have you spoken to her at all? It's been three weeks at least. And I know it's eating you up to keep what you saw to yourself!"

"Oh, you are such a wolf!" She hissed, hating his underhanded tactics.

"Well, yes, but you knew that, so why are you surprised?" He wanted to know.

She shook her head. "I don't care about my mother, Klaus. If Dad's making her miserable and she feels like she has to have some cheap, tawdry affair with some human gigolo to deal with it, that's her business. She's doing her thing and I'm doing mine." She began to wiggle in an attempt to get him to loosen his grip on her but failed.

"Nice try, but…let's try again, shall we? Do you have another answer?" He rested his forehead against hers.

"How about 'bite me'?" She growled and stuck out her tongue. "Is that a good enough answer for you?"

"Where?" He squeezed her bottom. "Here, maybe? Something I'll keep in mind for tonight." He winked. "You know, we could stand around arguing in this kitchen all day, but I suppose it's time for you to go to work. I bet they're missing you."

Tears began to fill her eyes. "About my mother…what do you want me to say, for my grandpa's sake?"

"Tell her the truth!" He urged. "Tell her that you saw her with another man and you're not okay with it. That you won't try and dissuade her or make her feel guilty, but you need to get it off your chest and talk with her." He wiped her tears off with his thumbs.

"No!" She shook her head as more tears fell. "I can't! I'm not that strong. What good person tells their miserable mother that what she's doing to try and be happy is ruining their life? I can't do that to her, especially if Daddy is making her as miserable as you say. If she deserves to be happy, the only thing I can do is hold all my pain in. Already doing it with Daddy, what's a little more?"

"Angel, that's not good, and you know it." He held her close. "And your mother won't think you're terrible or just trying to make her feel bad. You deserve to be at ease about this just as much as anyone else. You are a strong, capable, admirable woman. You can do this!"

She continued to shake her head and babble nonsense for a little while longer, then snapped her fingers, stuffed Smokey the dragon, who had suddenly appeared, into her tote bag, pushed Klaus away, picked the tote up off the floor and rushed out of the kitchen.

"Dear Steve," Klaus muttered to himself, running his fingers through his hair as the door slammed shut. "This is going to be much harder than I thought!"

Angelica smiled with satisfaction as she signed the contract on the desk with a flourish. Then her eye caught the blinking red light on her desk phone. "Yes, Cecelia?" She asked.

"Ms. Morningstar, your aunt Selina and her daughter, Mackenzie are here to see you."

"Oh, of course," Angelica replied. "Thank you for letting me know. Send them in, please."

"My pleasure," Cecelia replied. "Just a minute."

After she got off the line, Angelica closed the file and rose to her feet, walking around the desk to be ready to welcome her aunt, who appeared shortly and shut the door behind her. "Hi, Selina!" She greeted with a wide grin.

"I hope that Mackenzie and I coming isn't interrupting your work day," Selina told her before giving her a kiss on each cheek.

"Oh, not at all," Angelica assured her. "Time for a coffee and chocolate break anyway." She held out the bowl of candy from her desk. "Want something?"

"Sure, thanks!" Selina took a small bag of m and ms from the bowl, tore it open, and popped a couple in her mouth.

Then Angelica looked around. "Where's Mackenzie? Cecelia told me to expect both of you!"

"Oh, she got distracted but I'm sure she'll be here soon," Selina replied cheerfully. "And by the way…"

But before she could finish her sentence, the office door burst open and a tall, dark-haired young woman with a fifties hairstyle strode in with a sketchbook under her arm. "I'm here, Ms. Morningstar," she announced. "So sorry to keep you waiting!"

"I'm sorry," Angelica told her, a little perturbed to see a stranger barge into her office unannounced. "Have we met?"

"You have, but she looked different," Selina grinned and pulled the young woman close. "This is Mackenzie." She winked. "That's what I was trying to tell you before she barged in and interrupted."

"You don't have to make excuses for me, Mama," Mackenzie told her mother. "Since I'm an adult, I'm perfectly capable of apologizing to Ms. Morningstar myself."

Angelica's eyes widened. "Oh, my grandpa! That's Mackenzie? She's really grown up!"

"Yep, this is my daughter, Mackenzie," Selina nodded. "And believe me, there's only on like her!"

"What do you mean by that, Mama?" Mackenzie frowned. "It sounds insulting!"

"No, it's not," Selina shook her head. "Honey, you know me better than that. I meant it in a purely good way."

"She looks just like you," Angelica observed, then winced a little, knowing from all the times she'd heard it growing up (especially from her father) how annoying it could sound

"She does," Selina replied with a shrug. "Everyone says so and I can't disagree."

"May I kiss you, Ms. Morningstar?" Mackenzie asked excitedly.

"Of course," Angelica smiled as the young woman kissed her on both cheeks. "And please call me Angelica."

"Really? Thank you, Mrs. Morn…I mean, Angelica. That's a real honor!" She put her hand on her chest to feel her pounding heart. "I mean, it's so nice to finally be able to meet you, woman to woman, and show my appreciation for your work and remind you how much I still want to work here someday."

"Still?" Angelica grinned. "Usually dreams change from childhood." She glanced at Selina, who was grinning widely.

"Oh, no," Mackenzie shook her head. "Things haven't changed at all. I want to work here now more than ever!" She nodded enthusiastically and pushed her sketch pad into Angelica's hands. "Here are some of my sketches if you have a second to look at them.

"Wow," Angelica replied, flipping through a couple. "I'll have a better look for sure. Thank you so much for all the effort!"

Mackenzie blushed. "It's no trouble. Would you mind if I took a tour of the showrooms?"

Selina's eyes widened. "Mackenzie, it's bad manners just to make demands of people like that! Did it ever occur to you that you could be disturbing Angie during her work day?"

Mackenzie pouted. "But Mama, How am I supposed to learn about my future career if I don't show interest and take initiative?"

"She's right," Angelica replied before Selina could respond, giving her aunt a wink. "And truly, it's no bother to me or Cecelia. Your daughter is a nice vacation from businessmen in suits who only care about money and numbers." She gave Mackenzie a smile. "Go see Cecelia and ask her to take you to the fabric room. We have some lovely samples there today."

Mackenzie smiled. "Thanks so much, Ms. Mor…Angelica!" She clapped her hands, then let out a cry as she backed into a console table. "Sorry," she apologized. "Didn't see that there. I'm off to see Cecelia now!" She scampered out of the office and shut the door behind her as her mother collapsed into a nearby chair.

"Dear me," she sighed.

"Oh, she's not so bad," Angelica chuckled. "I think she's enthusiastic and adorable. And I'll definitely look at her sketches."

"Elijah and I have really loved all the sketches she's shown us," Selina told her. "She's truly talented." She then got up and moved to sit in the chair on the other side of Angelica's desk.

"We can always use new talent around here, so if I see something I like, which I'm pretty sure I will, I'll give her a call. She'll have to start at the bottom like everyone else, of course, but I have no doubt she'll work her way up the ladder."

"Well, it's very much appreciated," Selina told her. "Since this is something she has her heart set on, it's nice to know there's a way to make it come true."

"And by the way," Angie continued, sitting at her desk and grabbing some little peanut butter cups out of the bowl. "I'm so sorry I had to postpone our meeting. I was getting ready to go out of the country and it slipped my mind to let you know in a timely fashion."

"Really?" Selina raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Was it Klaus you went out of the country with?"

"Yes," Angie blushed. "I went out of the country with Klaus." She saw no point in lying to her aunt.

"Did you have a good time?"

"Oh, yes, it was heavenly!" Angie nodded and grinned. "The best time! I miss it already! When I decide some day that I have too much money and retire, I think I'll tell Klaus I want to live there."

Selina chuckled. "You think you'll be with him that long?"

"Yeah," Angelica nodded. "Why not?"

"No reason," Selina shook her head. "And…the whole vibe of the place was okay for you?"

"Please," Angie scoffed. "It's no worse than I saw at home. I saw things that my father probably likes to pretend I didn't."

"You have a point," Selina replied.

"Cappucino?" Angie offered.

"Yes, please. That would be wonderful."

Angelica nodded. "I'll ask Cecelia if she'll bring us two cups." Then her eyes widened as one hand clutched her belly and the other covered her mouth. "Not again! I don't feel very well."

"Well, you don't look well," Selina remarked as she observed her niece's suddenly pale complexion. "What can I do?"

"Nothing, I just…I think I'm gonna be sick!" Angie got up and ran toward the bathroom attached to her office. "It's happened several times this week."

"No need to be sorry," Selina waved her concern away. "Don't worry about me. Now I'm more concerned about you." She followed her niece inside the large, elegantly designed bathroom just in time to see her kneel in front of the toilet and empty out what seemed to be the entire contents of her stomach.

"You poor thing! Let me get a wet towel for you." She grabbed a fluffy white towel off the rack and wet a section under the faucet. "Are you feeling better?"

A little," Angie nodded as she got to her feet and tried to stop her body from shaking. "I really don't know what's going on with me. Maybe I should make an appointment at the hospital."

"Here," Selina put a towel to Angelica's forehead, smirking. "I don't know if you need to go all the way to the hospital to figure out what's wrong though."

"What? Do you want me to just stay sick?"

"Of course not!" Selina assured her shocked niece. "But honey, we're supernatural creatures and there are just a couple of reasons why we would get ill in the first place, if that many. You, spending a week on Klaus' naked party island has probably led to one of those reasons. You know," she nudged. "Alone, on a naked island…with only a limited list of things to do…romantic moonlight…do I need to have Mackenzie draw you a picture?"

"Yes, apparently. Because I don't understand what my vacation has to do with my being sick!" Angelica paused. "It's probably just a virus."

"Yeah, a virus that you'll have for about nine months and even after the sick part's over, there's always gonna be a reminder of it," Selina told her. "Honey, you're pregnant." Her tone was blunt despite the term of endearment and didn't soften anything in any way.

Angelia froze, eyes wide, her jaw dropping. "What? No…no, no, no! I can't be pregnant, I…shit!" she swore. "Yes, I can. I put my pills in my suitcase, then was so excited about getting on the plane that I forgot to put them in my cross-body bag after Klaus told me to leave the bags behind! Shit!"

"There you go," Selina nodded.

"I…no, I'm not pregnant," Angelica said, resorting to denial and making Selina groan.

"Well, if you need to hear it from a professional, I'm sure it wouldn't be hard for your useful grandfather to do a test for you."

Angelica stomped her foot. "Well, that would be a wonderful idea if I wanted it confirmed…but I don't!"

"Why?" Selina asked. "Why is this such a bad thing for you?"

"Because I'm not mother material! I never have been, Selina!" Angelica cried. "I mean, look at me and Shane. We haven't talked since Sammy and I split up, and I bet Sammy's been telling him a bunch of horrible lies about what happened, which I will never have a chance to correct or explain because he hates me!" She scoffed. "Apparently it's a crime now to move on from your kid's father when you want something else in your life and find someone much more suitable!" Tears began to stream down her cheeks.

This made Selina raise an eyebrow. "Why are you being so hard on yourself?" She asked. "It's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, and I don't get it!"

"Because it's true!" Angelica roughly rubbed tears from her cheeks. "And on top of all that, do you realize what my father will do when he finds out? Klaus'll be done! He'll be sleeping with the fishes! Could this have happened at a worse time?"

Selina rolled her eyes. "Would you stop worrying about what your father thinks and letting that worry control everything you say and do? As for Klaus, he's perfectly capable of standing up for himself." She paused. "Now, if all this worry is your way of saying you don't want the baby…"

"No, no!" Angelica shook her head, then stood up to go look out the large window, her hand on her tiny but visible belly. "Klaus and I are in a good place now and this…well, the answer isn't that I want to get rid of it. Although I have to wonder…"

"How Klaus will be as a father?" Selina asked knowingly. "Unconventional but good. I definitely don't think he'll be upset to find out you're pregnant."

Angelica smiled. "I know. I've seen him with Roxie and Natalie. I assume he's the same with the others too. He's not the problem. I am."

"I see." Selina's tone was flat. Angelica was being very stubborn about this, and she had no idea what to say anymore.

"Please, Aunt Selina. I'm begging you: Promise me that you won't say a word about this to anyone, but especially not Klaus. I want him to hear it from me." Her eyes met Selina's without blinking.

"I swear on all my children that I won't say a word to Klaus about the baby," Selina promise.

"Thank you."

"But here's what I want you to do for me: Not that I'm saying you should keep the child if you change your mind, but…really take time to think things through. Would you do that for me?"

"I will," Angelica nodded. "I promise."

Elijah paced back and forth in the small exam room and tried not to shiver in the flimsy hospital gown the nurse told him to wear so that the doctor could get a better look at him.

Though it had seemed like a good idea to be looked at that morning, now that he was actually here, he wasn't so sure. Maybe he was inviting trouble instead of fixing it."

He started as the door opened and Sean Mikaelson strode in and gave Elijah a surprised look. "Elijah, wow. I mean I know it's you I'm supposed to examine but this is the first time you've ever come to see me." He put the file he held down on the counter and opened it to look through some notes.

"Sean?" Elijah asked in shock as he wiped his sweaty palms. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I work here," Sean explained, giving him a wink. "Have for years. And everyone has apparently decided that I'm the person to go to when it comes to the inner-workings of the Original body, so…here I am."

"Right," Elijah gave a nervous chuckle and carefully boosted himself onto the table. "Silly me."

"Let's have a look at you," Sean said. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"Well, you know," Elijah replied nervously and kept him at a distance. "I don't think this is really necessary. I was a little concerned this morning, but…I'm better now, thank you!"

"Oh, come on," Sean said. "Don't let this handsome baby face fool you! I'm a good doctor! I have tons of experience. And I promise I won't hurt you. So…what's going on? Let's talk first." He sat. "How's Selina?"

Elijah swore his in head. There was no turning back now. "She's good. Thanks for asking."

"And your kids?"

"All good, all successful and going down good paths in life."

"Yeah," Sean nodded. "It was clear at the dance competition that everyone is taking their own paths, right there for everyone to see." He grinned.

"Yes," Elijah's eyes were wide. "We saw a lot on that dance floor. Maybe too much."

"Do we have to go there?" Sean asked with a wince. "I mean, no offense but I'm still a little shocked that my granddaughter Angelica seems to have developed some kind of fondness for your brother, Klaus. I know she can date anyone she wants, but…why him? I don't get it."

"We really shouldn't go any further," Elijah coughed. "You knew?"

"How could I not?" Sean asked. "It was obvious to anyone with eyeballs!"

"We tried to hide it from Lucifer for obvious reasons," Elijah explained. "I only saw it for certain during the competition. Just like you."

"Do you think he'll hurt Angelica like he has everyone else he's been with?" Sean asked, his voice full of concern.

"I…I would like to assure you that he wouldn't, but…I can't answer that question for my brother, Sean. Let's hope not."

"But if it helps, he seemed really fond of her on the dance floor," Elijah remarked hopefully.

"If we call what we saw on the dance floor 'fondness'. It looked more like…" Sean trailed off and shook his head, grimacing.

"Don't go there!" Elijah quickly cut the doctor off before he could finish.

"Yeah, let's not go there," Sean nodded. "I agree." His eyes were wide, and he was grateful for the change of subject. "So…what seems to be the problem? You know I usually work with women's reproductive systems but I'm perfectly capable of handling yours, so be open. Nothing you say will shock me.

"Well…" Elijah cleared his throat. "It's…it's my crotch."

"Oh!" Sean exclaimed in surprise, even though he shouldn't have. It was mostly just because it was Elijah Mikaelson rather than…anyone else. "Good to get the awkward part out of the way. So, what happened? Did you get in a fight? Is it bruised or smashed or cut? Have you tried to put ice on it?"

"No!" Elijah cried, his hands immediately going to his crotch, horrified at the thought of it being crushed or hit. "I…it's different. We're not to the awkward part yet." He finally moved his hands and nervously rubbed them together.

"Oh, all right," Sean nodded. "Tell me more." He tried not to sound worried. "You didn't cut your penis somehow, did you? Or your testicles? Can I ask again if you got in a fight?"

"No, there was no fight," Elijah was blushing now. "It's just that…" he whispered the next words. "I'm afraid I've become sterile."

"I'm sorry," Sean's jaw dropped. "Say that again. I don't think I heard you correctly."

"I think I'm sterile," Elijah repeated through gritted teeth.

Sean's mouth opened and closed repeatedly for a little bit, then he got his bearings, threw his head back, and laughed uproariously.

"I swear!" Elijah shouted. "Now I don't see what's so funny about a man losing his fertility!"

"I'm sorry," Sean apologized when he could finally get a breath. "Please forgive me, Elijah; that was horrible of me. Now…are you serious? What makes you think that?"

Elijah shrugged. "Well, it's been a while since Selina and I had a child and…I know she doesn't take her pills regularly, so…if nothing is happening there, it must be because something is wrong with me!"

"Okay, if you would allow me to give you some words of advice as a doctor and a friend? I think you're overthinking all of this. Don't worry, you're not the first. But if it would make you feel better and more secure about your fertility, we could run some tests. You're already in a gown, I see."

"Could you do that?" Elijah begged. "It would make me feel so much better!"

"I sure could," Sean reassured him and grinned down at a paper he began to write on.

"Why are you still laughing at me?" Elijah demanded.

"I'm not laughing, I'm smiling," Sean corrected, a wide grin on his lips. "There's a difference, you know."

"Hey," Selina made a call and held the phone in the crook of her shoulder so she could keep washing dishes at the same time.

"Hey yourself," Klaus replied. "To what do I owe the pleasure of hearing your beautiful voice?"

Selina flushed a little before speaking. "I was just wondering if we could have a chat soon," she requested of her brother in law.

"Did something bad happen at home?" Klaus asked. He sounded worried.

"No, no, it's nothing like that. Nothing to worry about." Just then, the doorbell to the farmhouse rang. "There's someone at the door. Could you hang on a minute, Klaus?"

"I could. You might be surprised, though," he teased.

Selina didn't know what that meant so she didn't respond before heading over to answer the door, very surprised to see Klaus on the other side. "What are you doing here?"

"Is now a good time to chat?" He grinned as he shoved his phone back in the pocket of his jeans.

"You're here!" She cried. "Come inside, come inside. Can I get you a drink? I just made a pot of coffee."

As he stepped inside, Klaus looked around and took a deep breath. "Wow, this brings back some memories of the last time I was here." He sighed and lowered his gaze to his shoes.

"Yeah, Mikael and Sybil's wedding," Selina nodded. "Not to harp on it because you've probably beaten yourself up enough already, but it was not your finest moment, if I may say."

"You can," he heaved a big sigh. "I'm sorry about everything I did that day. I truly am."

"Well, for once you seem to be," she nodded. "Want to come to the kitchen with me and I'll get you some coffee?"

Klaus grinned. "You know I wouldn't refuse that," he told her as he took a seat at the kitchen island.

She then grabbed the coffee pot, filled his cup, and put some creamer in it because it was decaf and didn't taste as good without flavor.

"Thanks," Klaus told her before taking a giant swig of coffee from his cup. "You know, you've always made an excellent cup of coffee. You can even make decaf less repulsive."

"Well, thanks," Selina grinned. "Is that why you married me?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded. Then he gave her a wicked grin. "And the sex wasn't bad either, if the amount of times we traumatized Adrian says anything." He winked. Then he cleared his throat. "You wanna tell me what's going on? Why'd you wanna talk to me?"

"Oh, it's probably nothing but your brother could be sensitive about it so I don't want to say a word to him just yet. You were the only person I could think of to talk to." She sighed and rested against the kitchen island with her elbows on the counter.

"Okay, shoot," Klaus told her, after preparing himself.

"Well, like I said, it's about Elijah," she shrugged.

"What did he do now?" Klaus asked. "Something else besides putting a bun in your oven?" He smirked.

Selina's jaw dropped. "You know I'm pregnant?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded and rolled his eyes. "I might not have had five gazillion kids with you like my brother has, but I was around long enough to know what you look like when you're pregnant with my kids, plus all the others."

Selina blushed. "We have not had five gazillion kids. But point taken. It's weird your brother didn't pick up on it though."

"Well, don't you know by now that my beloved brother is as blind as a bat when it comes to stuff like that?" Klaus reminded her after snorting into his coffee.

"It's not entirely his fault," Selina replied. "With everything going on lately, I just couldn't find a good time to give him the news about our latest addition."

"So, is that all that's bothering you about my brother?"

"No, there's something else, but it's a bit strange…" she blushed.

"Go ahead and tell me. As long as I've been around, nothing throws me anymore." He put a hand to his ear and grinned.

"Well, this morning, I came in to brush my teeth and there he was, in the bathroom, examining his crotch while wearing one of my bathrobes that has flowers on it. That last bit isn't weird though because he usually grabs something of mine if all his clothes are still downstairs after we've had sex."

"So, what was the problem?" Klaus asked eagerly before bursting into loud laughter. "Did his penis shrink or what?"

"Really, Klaus? No! If you must know, it was still as large, long, and utterly perfect as always." She grinned wickedly.

"Ewww!" Klaus winced. "You didn't have to tell me that!"

"You asked for it, you!" She scolded. "You just wanted to start trouble."

"Well, love, you know that I have no need to be jealous of my brother on that front, right? Do you remember?" he chuckled.

"I have no reason to remember," she said firmly. "But I'm sure you're adequate."

"Hey," Klaus told her. "No need to be insulting! Do you want my help or not?"

"I wasn't trying to be insulting!" Selina replied. "Saying you get the job done is not being insulting!" She rolled her eyes. "Do you have any idea, as a man with man parts, what would get your brother so concerned?"

"Well, not specifically," Klaus shrugged. "Maybe he used some sort of soap that gave him a rash."

"Maybe," she nodded. "Didn't think of that."

"Well, whatever he thinks is wrong, nothing actually is, or you wouldn't be pregnant again, would you?" he teased, his eyes on her small belly.

"You know, you're right." She rubbed it gently. "So…now you share. What's your problem?"

Klaus smiled shyly, his eyes on the floor. "I took Angelica to the island and…we just got back."

"I know," Selina nodded. "She told me."

"When would she have done that?" Klaus asked in surprise. "When did you see her?"

"Mackenzie wants a job at her company, and we went down to visit and give Angie her sketchbook," Selina explained.

"I see," Klaus nodded and nervously rubbed his hands on his jeans.

"Klaus, what's going on?" She demanded. "I know we're not together anymore, but I care about you and you're scaring me! Don't tell me that after everything, you want to break things off with my niece and are asking my help about how to do so!"

"What?!" He cried out in shock as he jumped to his feet. "No, no, no! It's just the opposite in fact."

"Well, that's comforting," Selina crossed her arms in front of her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. Angelica was already pregnant and nervous about it. If he had left her, she wouldn't have kept the child for sure. But that was her secret to tell, not Selina's, especially when it concerned the man standing in front of her. She knew she had a big mouth sometimes, but she could keep a promise.

"Something happened on the island," Klaus continued as he paced around the kitchen. "Several things, actually.

"Okay," Selina nodded, hoping she sounded comforting. "Like what?" She figured that as long as she didn't give away secrets, she could take both of them into her confidence.

"We agreed that the original reason for our relationship wasn't valid anymore. You see, we originally saw each other as two lonely people who just needed someone to have sex with but didn't want anything serious beyond that. It seemed like just being friends with benefits would work."

"Klaus, what were you thinking? Stuff like that never works!"

"Oh, please," Klaus reminded her. "You and Angelica's father had the same arrangement for a bit before you could have kids and it worked out just fine for you. On and off for at least a decade."

"Well, okay, sometimes it can work, but…rarely," Selina admitted.

"So, while we were on the island," Klaus continued, vindicated, "we agreed that we'd become close enough to drop the 'friends with benefits' label and not call it anything for the moment."

Selina made a noise and looked away.

"What?" He pressed. "What did you do that for?"

"I think you've fallen in love with my niece," she deduced, grinning at him.

"How do you know?" He asked, looking like a lost puppy.

"Well, you've refused to look me in the eye, and you've been restlessly pacing back and forth along the island for the last ten minutes," Selina pointed out with a smirk. "Hard to miss."

"I suppose you're right," he nodded.

"So…when are you going to tell her how you feel? Why haven't you already done it?"

Klaus growled in frustration and ran his fingers though his curls. "Because it's more complicated than that! I'm very difficult to love, remember? You know that better than anyone. I don't want to force that on her!"

"Okay, first, you're very easy to love, Klaus," Selina informed him. "The difficult part is not loving, but keeping a level head in the relationship. As for Angelica, you can't put words in her mouth or a decision in her head. She has to make the choice herself."

"Oh, wait," he told her solemnly. "There's more."

"God, what?" Selina asked, her heart sinking.

"I transformed on the island. Into a wolf," he confessed. "And the wolf…cried out for its mate."

Selina sprayed the coffee she had just swallowed. "Oh, dear. Don't tell me…Angelica is your mate?"

"Yes," Klaus heaved a big sigh. "Apparently so."

Selina put her cup down. "Dear Steve, that would explain so much."

"Yep," Klaus nodded. "Like why Granddaddy Dearest kept us apart for so long."

"And lots of other stuff," Selina agreed. "Wat will you do now?"

"What can I do? Can you see me announcing something like that at the table while we have dinner? This would make her feel even more like she has to be with me. Like it's not her choice!"

"Not exactly," Selina shook her head. "But Klaus, let me assure you that based on what I saw today, she likes you very much and is very happy with you. She said that her time on the island was heavenly. Her exact word. And you transformed! It means a lot!"

"It does, and she…she accepted me completely when it happened. I honestly didn't think she would." He nodded.

"See, so you owe it to her to let her know! Maybe not now, but soon!

"I'll see when the moment presents itself," Klaus assured her.

Just then, the front door opened and closed and they watched as Elijah made his way into the kitchen. "Niklaus! This is certainly an unexpected surprise!"

"Yes," Selina grinned and went to join him. "Your brother was nice enough to come keep me company while you were out."

"Yes," Klaus smirked. "But Selina never mentioned where you went or why. Care to share?"

"Oh, don't start trouble," Selina snapped then turned back to Elijah. "Are you okay?" She asked, worried.

"Soon I'll get a phone call telling me if I'm okay or not," he shared, holding his phone up.

"Where were you?" Klaus repeated, seriously this time.

"At the hospital, actually," Elijah admitted. "There's no reason to keep it a secret now." He lowered his head in shame.

"Okay, what is wrong with you?" Selina swallowed a lump in her throat and tried to get him to look her in the eye. "Honey, you're frightening me!"

"What's going on?" Klaus added, coming to stand beside Selina. "Is something wrong? Just tell us!"

"I made an appointment with Sean because he was the only one I felt comfortable with when it came to dealing with such a delicate matter," Elijah continued.

"Stop being melodramatic and just spit it out!" Selina cried. "If you don't tell me what wrong right now, I am going to scream!" She stomped her foot.

"You're right," Elijah nodded. "You, more than anyone, deserve the truth, even if it drives you from my bed. I saw Sean today because…because…I think I'm sterile now." He then collapsed into a chair as if the confession had taken everything out of him.

Klaus and Selina both froze, blinking and trying to decide how to react to this nonsense before staring at each other and bursting into laughter. She was more subtle, but he was laughing loudly and hitting his fist on the kitchen, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Wow, this is really nice," Elijah announced, rising to his feet. "I open my heart, confess something truly gut-wrenching, and this is how my wife and brother treat it: like a joke!

"Brother, listen," Klaus told him when he could finally get a breath. "I know you might not think of it this way, but you have just made my week…no, my entire year!"

"Of course, I share something personal and you…you mock it!"

"Elijah no, it's not like that," Selina told him, putting a hand on his arm. "It's not like that at all." She wiped her tears of laughter away. "You are so sweet, and so strong, and so kind, but on rare occasions, you can be so blind!" She caught his gaze and didn't look away. "You aren't sterile and I know that because…I'm pregnant again. With your baby. Our baby." She put her hands on her belly, making him look down.

"What?" He asked in shock before turning to his brother. "Did you know this?"

"Well, yes, when I came here an hour ago," Klaus nodded. "But not before that. I noticed immediately." He smirked.

"You're pregnant?" Elijah walked around and gently grabbed his wife by the waist.

"Yes," Selina grinned. "I'm pregnant. Are you happy? I bet it's a big relief for you."

"Oh, yes, Selina! I'm ecstatic!" He picked her up and gently twirled her around as they both laughed. Then lowered her down to the floor as his phone rang.

"It must be the hospital telling you that you're fertile!" Klaus teased.

"Oh, shut up!" Elijah snapped and put the phone to his ear. "Hello? Yes, yes, thank you for confirming that everything is fine. Goodbye." He ended the phone call and took his wife back in his arms, a big goofy grin on his face. "A baby!" He cried. "We're gonna have another baby!"

"All right, that's my cue to leave you crazy kids alone," Klaus told them. "You're two of a kind, let me tell you!" He made his way to the door and was about to leave when Selina turned to call out to him over her shoulder.

"Don't forget what I told you," she said. "You won't, right?"

"No, I won't," he told her. But he doubted she heard him or cared about his response, as his brother had crashed his lips against hers before she even had time to say a word.