"The more a daughter knows the details of her mother's life [...] the stronger the daughter."
― Anita Diamant, The Red Tent
Today was her tenth birthday, the day before she had been nine. The night before Uncle Matt and Aunt Caroline had stayed up all night with her, they had eaten funfetti cupcakes and then Uncle Matt had sang her favorite song before they sat down and watched a movie. Before midnight hit, Auntie Caroline had rushed off to get something.
"Well kiddo, you're about to turn ten," grinned Uncle Matt. He ruffled her hair and then kissed her forehead. "What's do you want most?"
Rhea looked down at her hands, twiddling her thumbs. What did she want? She knew what she wanted but she couldn't tell him what it was. It would hurt their feelings. "Could I have some more ice cream?" she asked, looking up at him with malachite colored eyes. Uncle Matt gave a sad smile.
"Sure thing kiddo. Vanilla?"
She shook her head. "Whichever one Mom would have liked," she answered.
She saw him pause. He looked like he was about to try but he nodded. "Sure thing, I'll see if we have any left."
He walked out the living room just as Aunt Caroline came bursting in with a bag. "Happy Birthday Rhea!" she exclaimed with a happy smile. She pulled out a small container and Rhea felt a smile cross her face. A red velvet cupcake with vanilla bean frosting. She sat it down in front of Rhea while Matt came back in with a bowl of ice cream. Caroline placed a candle in the center of the cake and lit it.
They sang happy birthday in a slightly off-key pitch. "Make a wish Rhea."
She shut her eyes. She had so many things she wanted to wish for. But she chose only one. I wish I could have met Mom. She blew out the candle, watching the flame exhaust.
"Yay!" cheered Caroline. "Oh sweetie, you're ten years old!"
"How does it feel Rae?" Matt asked.
How did it feel?
That was a question she left unanswered. After that, she nibbled on her cupcake and ate some of the s'mores ice cream. Now she was in the backseat of Uncle Matt's car as he drove with Auntie Sarah in the passenger's seat. They were heading to New Orleans so she could spend her birthday with her uncles and aunties there. The Mikaelson family, her father's family, loved her as best they could. She knew her uncle Niklaus wanted to keep her in New Orleans but Rhea wouldn't leave her family in Mystic Falls.
Her father had left her in the care of her godfather before he left. That was three years ago and ever since, she had been with her Uncle Matt and Aunt Sarah. Before that, it had been her and her father. She would get visits from her mother's friends. She had no family on her mother's side aside from her cousin Lucy. She knew she had a grandmother, Lucy had told her as such.
"Abby isn't mother of the year," her cousin has told her with a scowl on her face. "She'd rather take care of someone else's kid."
"Did she ever see my mom?"
"A few times. I don't even know if she knows your mom is..."
They could never say the word. No one could. Not her aunt Caroline, not her Uncle Matt. Her father couldn't say it either. He spoke of her mother often, told her of how she was beautiful, selfless. How loyal she had been and how she knew the risks of bringing Rhea into the world.
"You were all she was thinking about," her father had told when she was six years old. He looked down at her, his eyes soft. He kissed the crown of her head and smiled warmly down at his child. "I couldn't talk her out of finding another way. One in which you would both live, but she wouldn't listen."
"You weren't mad at her, Papa?"
"No," he said. "I understood her completely."
"Why?" she asked.
"Because my little tiger-lily, your mother said the only words I needed to hear."
She cocked her head to the side, confused. "She said you were worth the risk." Answered her father.
Worth the risk? How was she worth the risk? What about her was worth any risk?
"You alright back there, kiddo?"
She looked over up at Aunt Sarah. "I'll be okay," she answered. "Just thinking that's all."
Sarah looked like she was about to open her mouth when Matt announced they had arrived.
:::
The first ones to greet them had been Marcel and Elena.
Rhea didn't mind Marcel, he was rather nice. But Elena made her feel slightly unease. The brunette was almost always looking at her, awaiting on her for everything. Auntie Caroline said it was because she felt bad for what happened to her mother. She knew the story of how her mother's life had been connected to Elena's. A madman by the name of Kai had placed it, because he didn't like that his mother had hurt him.
Rhea could only put it in the way of a little boy being angry that the girl he liked didn't like him back.
"Well if it isn't the birthday girl," grinned Marcel. He bent down to her level. "Hello there mon petit."
Rhea felt a blush stain her cheeks. "Hello Marcel."
"Did you enjoy your trip?" he asked.
"I did."
"You must be hungry," he mused and then looked at her guardians. Caroline had come earlier in the day so it was only the two humans. He took in Sarah's slighty rounded stomach and smiled sweetly. "You all must be hungry. Come along, the others are awaiting us in the dining hall."
"Is my father here?" she asked. He never missed one of her birthdays, with the exception of her birth because he had been healing uncle Elijah.
"He is on his way," Marcel said.
Rhea nodded. Matt patted her head. "Don't worry kiddo, he'll be along."
Elena smiled nervously as she walked up to them. "Hello Rhea," she addressed the little girl. "Happy Birthday."
Green eyes peered up into chocolate brown. "Hello Elena," she replied, smiling warmly at her. "Thank you very much."
Elena nodded. "Well, we shouldn't keep them waiting."
Marcel smiled and guided the doppelganger by the small of her back. "Wonderful job," he praised.
Before they could make into the dining hall, Rhea noticed her cousin rushing towards her. Hope was lovely. A head full of blonde curls, the button nose of her father but everything else about her screamed Hayley. According to their aunts, the young girls were each other's polar opposites. While Hope was fair skinned, blonde and lovely; Rhea strongly resembled her both her parents. She had her mother's eyes, her mother's slanted jaw and the soft pink coloring and cupid's bow shape of her lips. But her hair was more of a light brown, like her father's. The shaping her eyes were like her father's as well. Her nose was also Bonnie's.
"Rhea!" cried the young girl wrapping her younger cousin in an embrace.
"Hope!" squealed the ten year old. "I missed you!"
"I missed you too!" cooed the teen.
"Hope dear," called her father. Klaus paused when he saw his niece standing with her guardians. He opened his arms for her. "Rhea darling."
"Uncle Nik!" Rhea rushed towards him and hugged him. He held her tight, it had been far to long since Christmas (when he has last seen her). He kissed the crown of her head. "I missed you."
"I missed you too dear." He turned towards the others. "Marcel, come along, we can't keep a pregnant woman on her feet."
They all headed into the dining hall.
:::
The birthday party had gone off without a problem. The only issue Rhea really had was Damon's constant glare. She knew he didn't like her and when he had shown up for her birthday, the only excuse he gave was that her uncle Stefan had said he'd keep him in check. Uncle Ric was keeping a better eye on him than uncle Stefan.
Her presents were far and plenty. Uncle Matt and Auntie Caroline stood next to her as she sat on her "birthday throne" as Auntie Bex called it. "Liking your gifts so far?" asked her uncle.
"Yup."
Caroline gave a teary smile. "Well, we have something else for you. A present from your mom."
She looked up, shocked. "Really?"
"You want to open it now, or wait for your dad to get here?" Matt asked.
Rhea bit her lip. "Can I open it now?"
It was a present from her mother. Her mother had always had a small trinket for her. She wondered what it this time. Auntie Caroline, Uncle Matt and even Elena smiled as Caroline rushed off to get it. The blonde returned and had a emerald green bag with her. She looked like she had to keep herself from crying as she gave her the bag.
Rhea reached inside, pulling out a teddy bear. Damon's eyes widened as he noticed the bear. Elena inhaled shakily before she cooed. "Aww," she whispered.
"A bear," mused the child.
"It was your mother's," Elena explained fondly. She walked up to the child. She pointed to the bear, "May I?"
Rhea nodded and handed her the bear. Elena continued her explanation. "Your mom loved this bear, even in adulthood. She wanted this to be your first present but according to Caroline, your dad was able to hold her off til you were ten years old. She said it was very special."
Damon held in his snort.
"Does the bear have a name?"
"Ms. Cuddles." Elena smiled and held the bear out for Rhea. She took it and gave it a cuddle. Rhea felt warm, a warmth she only felt when her father did magic around her. Magic, the bear was filled with magic.
"Squeeze it a little tighter sweetie," instructed Freya. She had picked up on the magic. She knew what this was. "Think of your mother and squeeze it tight."
Rhea shut her eyes, imagining her mother. Beautiful, short chocolate colored hair, bright green eyes. She squeezed tight and felt the warm slip inside her skin. It warmed its way into her blood and she gasped as the feeling left a tingle.
"What just happened?" Kol asked.
"Bonnie's gift," answered Freya. "The bear held a portion of Bonnie's magic. Now Rhea will always have a bit of her mother."
"Would have been better if the twerp didn't have any of her." Damon said, opening his mouth. "It would have been better if your mom had been smart and just aborted you."
Klaus was upon him in a second. "You'll hold your tongue."
"Why?" Damon challenged. "She's an eyesore. A reminder that we all lost Bonnie today. This day ten years ago and what do you all do? You celebrate it like it's worth being celebrating. All of you are erasing her!"
"Damon," snapped Elena. "Stop it. Bonnie wouldn't have-"
"Bonnie would have waited until her last breath, at the age of eighty-three, to let you wake up! Not five years Elena. She was twenty-six. Twenty-six!" Damon yelled. Rhea swallowed at the tone of his voice. He turned his ice blue eyes on her. "You took her away. You took my best friend away. Do you even care that you did? Do you care that you get to walk around, breathing air while your mother's life was snuffed out?"
Rhea felt tears water her eyes. "I..."
"Do you like knowing that you're a reminder of her death?"
A reminder...
She shut her eyes. "Damon," she heard Klaus said. "Speak one more ill word against my niece or against Bonnie's memory, I will kill you."
"Ill word? You're all standing here congratulating this brat while her father is nowhere to be seen? He didn't even want her! He abandoned her with those two morons!" Damon yelled, pointing a finger at his niece and nephew-in-law. "He would have done better killing her the moment she was placed in his arms. Bonnie would still be here."
"So you hate me because I took my mother from you?" her voice was small but he heard it. Everyone looked at her. "Do you...do you all think that of me?"
"Sweetie," whispered Caroline in shock.
"We don't think that," Elena whispered and walked over to her. She placed a hand on Rhea's shoulder. "Your mother did so much for me, but when it came down to me or her, I wanted her to live. Your mother was kind and loving, yes her death was unexpected but she did it because she loves you."
Rhea looked up at her. "You don't hate her?"
"Why would I hate her? Your mother's happiness was all I wanted. And do you know what made her happy? Bringing you into the world." Elena answered.
"You don't know that Elena," Damon snapped. "You didn't know Bonnie!"
Rhea frowned. "And you did?"
"Of course I did, I was her best friend! I know her!"
Best friend? Rhea had read all of her mother's diaries, up until her death. How Damon had caused her so much pain and even in her last moments, he didn't want to believe she would go through with bringing her daughter into this world.
"No you don't!" screamed Caroline. "You abandoned her the moment she made up her mind. We were there for her," she paused and looked at Alaric, Stefan, Matt and Sarah before she turned back to Damon. "we supported her decision."
"Liker her decision to procreate with a Mikaelson." Damon spat, hatred in his tone. He looked at Rhea with the intent to kill. Caroline wrapped the child up in her arms, protecting her like the night she was born. Rhea clutched her bear tight.
Mama, I want to see my mama. She thought and clutched the bear tight, imagining her mother. All she heard was noise. She heard shouting - Auntie Caroline's growl of "Stay away from my goddaughter!"- Damon's animalistic snarl, what sounded like furniture rattling. Mama. Mama. MAMA!
She felt a rush of warm engulf her. It felt like someone was hugging her. An elderly voice whispered into her ear. "I got you baby."
Caroline had tackled Damon to the ground, her hand dangerously close to breaking through his ribcage to get to his heart. No one threatened her godchild. No one threatened her Rhea. Damon may have been older but Caroline was driven by instinct and loyalty. She had a clear shot for his throat when someone spoke.
It was Alaric. "Where's Rhea?"
Caroline whirled around. The child wasn't in her spot. Her scent wasn't in the room. She couldn't hear her heartbeat. Freya's look of shock and worry told her that the Mikaelson witch couldn't find her magically. Caroline turned her attention back on Damon, her face no longer human. "Where is she!?" she snarled at him.
"I don't know Blondie!" snapped Damon. He moved to flip them over but Caroline had him up and threw him into the wet bar.
"Where is she Damon!" Caroline cried and moved to attack when Stefan grabbed her. She struggled against him but his grip was like steel. "Where is she? Where is my baby!?"
Her baby.
Her precious baby.
Her last piece of her best friend.
Her little gem.
Where was she?
What was happening to her now?
Where was her god baby?
Damon moved to get up. "I don't know Blondie. Maybe she decided to do us all a favorite and end herself. She is Bonnie's daughter after all."
Caroline screamed. It wasn't human. It was feral.
She wanted blood.
Damon's would do.
She broke free of Stefan and was about to attack when Damon dropped to his knees, screaming in pain. Caroline watched as he curled up into a ball. Klaus stepped over his now destroyed wet bar, grabbing the only surviving bottle of scotch and opened it. He reached for a slightly cracked cup and poured a drink. He handed it to the newcomer.
"Hello brother," he greeted. "You know, it's rather rude to be so fashionably late to your own daughter's birthday."
Cobalt blue eyes looked into his step-brother's own as he declined the glass. "Where is my daughter?" he asked.
"Ask him." Seethed Caroline as she took the drink and downed it, throwing the glass at Damon. She snatched the bottle and walked off. "I'm going to look for my goddaughter."
Damon groaned as he looked up into cold blue eyes. "Hello Damon," said the man. "Where is my daughter?"
"Like hell I know where that little brat went." Damon groaned as he tried to sit up. The heel of the man's boot stopped him.
"I'm only going to ask one last time, since I seem to have inherited my father's impatience," said the man. He pressed down harder and Damon choked as he started crushing a lung. "Now Mr. Salvatore, tell me. Where is my daughter?"
"Why...do...you..care?"
"Well as you can see, I brought her another present," the man said and turned his head towards the door. Another set of footsteps caused everyone to look up in complete shock. Klaus moved, standing in front of his daughter protectively, swallowing his own fear.
Mikael snorted. "Bael, you've lost your form. You're getting sloppy."
Bael Mikaelson said nothing as he continued to crush Damon's lung. "For your sake, Damon, you'd better hope my daughter is found on these grounds."
He removed his heel and turned, following in Caroline's direction. He left his siblings without a word, as they all stared down their father. Mikael frowned at his children's reactions.
"What are you all gawking at? Find my granddaughter." he instructed.
They departed just as quickly, leaving only the humans. A blonde male stood beside what Mikael could only assume was his wife, just barely five months with child. The hunter, it had been a while since Mikael had seen him. Still the same-maybe a years older. He must have been turned into a vampire. The doppelganger stood beside the hunter.
"If you'll excuse me," he said and took off.
:::
She was ten years old.
She was ten years old, cold, wet and lost.
She had no idea where she was. Clutching the teddy bear, Rhea walked cautiously around the woods. They looked like Mystic Falls. How did she end up back here?
And who was that who spoke to her?
She felt warm and familiar. It wasn't her mother's voice. She had heard it before in recording her Auntie Caroline showed her. So who was this woman?
Rhea frowned as she kept walking. Eventually she found herself in the center of the quad. It didn't look much different. Rhea sighed, sitting down, taking off her black Mary Jane shoes. She drew her knees closer to her and clutched Ms. Cuddles.
"Happy birthday to me," she sang softly. "Happy birthday to me. Happy Birthday dear Rhea..."
"Happy birthday to you..." cooed a voice. She stilled, feeling dread grasp her. She looked up and saw a woman staring down at her. Beside her was a man. The woman looked down at her with ice blue eyes. She knew those eyes. She had been staring into those eyes hurt a few moments ago.
This woman had Damon's eyes-the same blue. While Damon's had been angry, hers were twisted with insanity. That madness in her eyes terrified her.
"Hello dear," said the woman. "It's your birthday tonight?"
Rhea said nothing, holding her bear closer to her. The man beneath the woman frowned at the sight of it.
"Well dear?" asked the woman. "Is it?"
She she said nothing.
"Such a good little girl," cooed the woman. Rhea hated that. She hated the coo of her voice How light it became. It meant she was biding her time. Her uncle Klaus did that before he attacked. "Your mommy must have taught you well. Don't talk to strangers."
But this woman, she wanted her to go away.
She looked like she wanted to eat her.
"Your name is Rhea, isn't it?" She frowned. The man only stared at her. The divot in her forehead was haunting familiar. The blue eyed woman continued, seeing that she had gotten something. "Well Rhea, would you like a present?"
No.
She wanted to know where she was.
She wanted to get back to her family. She wanted to see her father.
She wanted to see her Uncle Matt and Auntie Sarah.
She wanted to see Auntie Caroline.
She wanted her mom.
Rhea always wanted her mom.
"Mama," she whimpered and clutched her bear. "I want my Mama."
"I can take you to her," whispered the woman.
She shook her head. She didn't like this woman. She didn't want this woman anywhere near her. "I don't want you anywhere near me."
The woman's face twisted into one of anger. "Why not?"
"You aren't my mama," hissed Rhea. Her eyes sparked with fire and the man behind her grabbed the woman.
"Let go Enzo!" snapped the woman.
Enzo frowned. "Lily, they're-" he stopped short and whirled, grabbing the stake that had been flying towards him. He missed the one that got Lily in the side. Rhea screamed in terror. Enzo dropped to his knees, his brain cells bursting. This little girl was a witch?
Rhea screamed as Enzo grabbed Lily and blurred away. She clutched the bear closer to her. She wanted to go home. She wanted to go home!
"Hey kid, you alright?" called a voice. A young boy came running up to her, his crossbow aimed as he looked around. Another set of footsteps could be heard as he bent down to examine her. "Hey, come on look at me. Are you hurt?"
Rhea peered up into chocolate brown eyes.
"Jer, is she okay?" called a voice. One she knew all too well. She grew up with that voice. She looked over as her godfather came running towards her. A younger version of her godfather, dressed in a police uniform. He paused, seeing the little girl. Rhea scampered over to him, crying as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Uncle Matt!" she cried into his shirt. "Uncle Mattie..."
Matt looked down at the little girl. He shared a look with Jeremy, who was confused. He said nothing but he scooped up the little girl, holding her close as she cried into his chest some more. She was in hysterics.
"I wanna go home! I wanna go home!" she cried. "I want my Papa. I want my Mama. I want Auntie Caroline!"
"Shh," Matt soothed.
"We need to get her out of here." Jeremy said.
Matt nodded. He surveyed the area. Enzo and Lily had taken off and right now Matt wanted to know why this little girl had another Ms. Cuddles. Between this, the tattered one Caroline had dug up and presented to Bonnie the moment she got back and the one Damon kept, there were too many teddy bears.
"Come on kiddo," he whispered and then noticed the shoes. He walked over, grabbed them and then made his way back to his patrol car. He set her in the back seat and covered her with his jacket. With a sudden urge, he kissed the crown of her head. "You gonna be okay, kiddo?"
She shook her head. Matt nodded and buckled her up. Jeremy came over and got in the passenger's seat.
By the time they pulled up to the Boarding House, the little girl was sound asleep.