disclaimer: I do not own the vampire diaries, only the character rhea.

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New Orleans

2028

He hadn't been able to hold his wife in ten years. He had missed her-everything about her and he hadn't know how badly it hurt until he had woken up that morning to find his wife sleeping beside him. Her hair was wrapped up in a satin night cap, wearing simply his shirt from the night before. She slept from the time he woke up at the peek of sunrise, to when there came knocking at his door. Bael sighed and leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her temple and got out of bed. He slipped on a pair of pants and went to answer the door.

Caroline was on the other side, looking lost. It had been two days since his daughter was sent back to the past. He wasn't even sure how long she was staying in the past. But he could see a small spark of hope in her eyes.

"Please tell me Damon wasn't playing some cruel joke when he said Bonnie's here."

Her voice was shaky, but he moved aside and let the vampire in. Sky blue eyes searched the room, taking in the bright and vibrant lilies and orchids. Belladonna flowers also hung in the air. It felt like Bonnie's greenery, smelt like it too. She turned her eyes to the bed and her lips fell open, a soft gasp escaping her. She was on the bed, taking up the side of the bed Bael slept on, and she peered down at the sleeping woman.

Her eyelids fluttered before a single green eyes blinked up and looked at her best friend. "Good morning, Care-bear."

Caroline choked on her words. "G-g-good morning, Bonnie."

The woman sat up, hair still in her cap and she rubbed some sleep away before she opened her arms for her. Caroline let out a sob as she hugged her. Bonnie rubbed circles on her back as she let her cry into her chest. She herself was misty eyed. Her cries must have been enough, because someone came to the door.

Bael watched as Elena came in, having heard Caroline's cries. They had been comforting each other when Damon interrupted them. She had just put her ex-boyfriend down to rest by means of snapping his neck when she heard Caroline. Now, her eyes filled with tears at the sight. Bonnie smiled softly to her and nudged Caroline. The blonde stole a look at Elena and scooted over to make room. Elena hugged them both and the three held each other, crying all the while.

Bonnie watched as her husband slipped out the room. They hadn't seen each other in ten years, but when he turned his eyes on hers, a promise to return but he wanted to give her time with her friends, she didn't feel so bad. They had ten years to catch up, ten years to talk and remember; just like she had with all of them.

Right now, he'd give that moment to her friends.

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Mystic Grille

2013

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Caroline watched as her best friend picked at her food as she spilled slowly on a strawberry shortcake milkshake. Bonnie had called her this morning, after dropping Rhea off with Matt for the day. She had no idea where those two were, but she trusted him, even if he didn't want to speak with her. After that, she had called for a lunch with her best friend. She wanted to eat junk food and not think about how she swapped spit with a Mikaelson the night before.

A really sweet, really cute and compassionate Mikaelson.

Her chili cheese fries suddenly didn't look so appealing anymore. She pushed her plate away and sighed into her hands. Caroline took another sip and waited. She was trying really hard not to tap her fingers against the table. Bonnie would tell her what happened when she was done. She'd come clean with whatever was bothering her.

"I kissed Bael last night."

Caroline coughed on a strawberry chunk before she cleared her throat. "Weren't you two fooling around?"

"No," Bonnie said, feeling heat warm her cheeks. "We just hung out a lot."

"You flirted with this guy for an entire semester, and you never once laid a kiss on him? What the hell is wrong with you, Bennett?" Caroline demanded and set her drink aside. She and Stefan were a lot more than kissing and she was honestly mad that her best friend was not getting anything.

"Actually," she retracted. "What the hell is wrong with him? You're a catch. He should be worshiping you at your alter."

Bonnie frowned. "Caroline, please don't."

"Look, with everything happening with Rhea and the Heretics, you deserve some good in your life." Caroline said with gusto. "Not that Rhea isn't good, but we still don't know why she came here. She's been with us for a semester and her family still hasn't come for her."

"I am her family," Bonnie stated.

"Yes, you're her mother that she is being very hush-hush about." Caroline replied, eating a fry off Bonnie's plate before continuing. "Look, I love her. She's adorable and sweet and I could just spoil her all day, but she is hiding something. Something that's involving you, and that's going to eat away at me and you more than if Bael is a good kisser or not. Speaking of which, is he a good kisser?"

Bonnie remembered how his held her. The way his hand pressed against the small of her back. He was a good kisser, she was blown away with how amazing he kissed. But it was the smaller gestures that she loved. How he held her, how his thumb brushed against her cheek.

"Oh he was good," Caroline said and squeaked. "You're hooked on him."

"I can't be," Bonnie denied and reached for Caroline's shake. She took a sip and then sighed. "He's a Mikaelson, Care."

Caroline blinked. That was impossible. They had met all the Mikaelsons. "How? He's got a heartbeat, I can smell his blood."

"I don't know, but I saw a memory. He was with Rebekah and he said 'You can't pick your family'. I don't even know if she knew it was him." Bonnie explained.

"Does Klaus know?" Caroline asked.

"I doubt it." Bonnie answered.

They sat in silence for a moment before the door opened. Matt came through, holding onto Rhea's hand. The little girl noticed them and made a rush for their booth. She plopped down and wrapped her mother up in a hug before waving to Caroline. Caroline waved back and offered her some of the now luke-warm fries but she declined.

"Uncle Matt is getting me some," Rhea answered, looking around for him before she found him. Her eyes widened when she saw who he was with. The girls followed her gaze and Bonnie felt like the world was going to swallow her.

Rebekah Mikaelson greeted them with a smirk as she and Matt headed back to the booth.

"Hello girls, miss me?"

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Mikaelson Manor

2028

Rebekah watched as her brother walked into the kitchen. Between his sudden return and Finn rejoining the family this early morning, she was not in a mood for any more surprises. One of her nieces was missing and she was not happy with it. She hadn't been this upset since Elena came to live at the compound, and she still wasn't.

Beside her, Marcel perked up at the scent of vanilla rolling off Bael. He looked like he had gotten some good sex the night before. He frowned, not sure where the scent was from, but he did whistle at the red scratch marks all along his lower back. It also caught Rebekah's attention.

"Your daughter is missing and you have the audacity to go out and sleep with some lowlife strumpet?" His half sister shrieked and shot up from the table. Her brother glanced at her before he continued to make coffee and a plate. No, he was making two of each. She growled and rushed over to him.

"What the hell is your problem?" She demanded. "Your own child is missing, and you're not showing any signs of being worried for her. She's god knows where in some odd timeline and you're standing here doing what you've done for the last three years-not giving a damn!"

Elena and Caroline came into the kitchen and the brunette scooted around the Original daughter to take her seat on the opposite side of Marcel. He handed her the cup of tea he had been watching and some food. She thanked him and he rewarded her with a peck on the cheek, which made her blush.

She was rather happy Damon had been knocked out. Between his conflicting feelings for Bonnie and how awkward it was to be around him because he kept holding out hope for her, she didn't want him to see them. Marcel understood, and he had told her he would keep it under control. Their relationship was still fresh, only a few months old. What started out as a mentor-ship for them turned into more.

"Rebekah," Bael spoke, finally getting a word in when his sister stopped. He dodged the plate she hurled at him, and caught the next just before it hit the next person coming into the room; which happened to be his wife. He set the plate down and handed Bonnie her cup of coffee. "I'd appericate it if you didn't yell in the mornings. Bonnie is still getting used to it."

"Thank you," Bonnie said to him and kissed his cheek. She turned to a shocked Rebekah and hugged her, careful of the coffee. "I'm not a strumpet, Bex. But I'll let you slide because I haven't annouced I'm back yet."

She released her, but never made it to the table because Bonnie was hurled into a bear hug by a teary-eyed Matt. Sarah had taken her cup of coffee and rested it on the table beside her. Bonnie peered at the woman from her peripheral. It had definitely been a long time because Sarah was pregnant, and she caught the matching wedding bands.

"I'm so sorry," Matt choked into her hair. "For everything."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Bonnie assured and hugged him back. "You watched over my baby girl. All of you did and I couldn't thank you enough."

"We didn't," Caroline said softly. "She's not here."

"She will be," Bonnie said. "I don't know what my Grams has planned, but I know it's a good thing. And she's watching her from the other side."

Bael wrapped an arm around her. "So what do we do, love?"

"We wait for her," Bonnie answered. "But we also make sure she comes home, safe and sound."