Lucy hummed as she used the food processor to turn a batch of bland mashed potatoes into an unrecognizable puree for Mari. She became alert when she heard the front door slam shut. She wasn't expecting anyone to return just yet. Bonnie and her friends were supposed to meet with Nadia at the park after the wards were in place. She eased out of the kitchen ready to throw a nasty spell at the intruder. However, her chocolate colored eyes fell onto Bonnie. The girl was a hair's breadth from becoming outright hysterical. She was immediately worried that the travelers had made their first move prematurely. Lucy immediately went to Bonnie's side. "What's wrong, Bonnie?"

Bonnie moved away from Lucy because she was terrified of hurting her. The younger girl's eyes were dark amber because she was on the verge of transforming. Fearing for her mate's safety had triggered the change in her. It had taken a herculean amount of strength to make it home in that state. She had just enough awareness at the time to call Damon for help. Bonnie only hoped that she hadn't sent her best friend to his death along with her mate. She doubled over in pain as her bones started to break. Bonnie let out a blood-curdling scream as she hit the floor like a sack of potatoes. She growled, "Get Mari and go!"

The older Bennett witch watched in horror as her cousin's fingers transformed into claws and shredded the rug beneath their feet. She had to do something fast or Bonnie was going to complete the change in the middle of the entryway. Lucy knew enough about wolves to know that they were impossible to control in a panic. Lucy swallowed thickly and squared her shoulders. She put both hands on her hips and snapped, "Stop this nonsense, Bonnie! You are a witch. More importantly, you are a Bennett witch and it is high time that you start acting like it. We control nature. We control animals. We control magic. You have all three inside of you right now. Now stop letting your instincts run the show and take control!"

Lucy's outburst had the desired effect on the younger girl. Bonnie snapped out of the frenzy that had triggered her transformation. She decided to focus on her magic because she understood it more than she understood her wolf side now. The talisman around her neck began to shine brightly. It worked to help focus Bonnie's magic on calming her wolf side. Her eyes were on the cusp of turning gold and black. However, the color slowly started to recede as she stopped hyperventilating. Her limbs shook violently as her bones snapped back into the appropriate positions. Bonnie collapsed onto the floor with a grunt.

Lucy released a huge sigh of relief when she was certain that the danger to Bonnie had passed. She had not been concerned for own safety or that of her young daughter. Any witch worth her salt could fend off an attack from adolescent werewolf. She slowly slid down the wall and sat beside Bonnie. Lucy gave her younger cousin a few minutes to recuperate from the ordeal. Preventing a transformation was even more physically taxing than if she had simply completed the change. She gently swept the girl's hair away from her face. Lucy asked, "How are you feeling now, Bonnie?"

Bonnie imagined this was what it felt like to have a car hit her at full speed. Every muscle in her body was strained and throbbing with red-hot pain. She inhaled and exhaled in a controlled pattern as her magic soothed away the worst of the pain. Bonnie's vision swam as she slowly moved into a sitting position. The young witch looked up at her cousin and gave a grateful smile. Bonnie had no doubt that she would have shifted if not for Lucy's timely intervention. She said, "You certainly have the mom thing down to a science. For a moment, you sounded like Grams to me."

Lucy huffed out a laugh and put an arm around Bonnie's shoulders. She leaned her head against the wall. Lucy joked, "Well, I was just mimicking the tone that my mother has used on me a million times in the past. My magic developed when I was very young and sometimes I would become overwhelmed. In the beginning, my mother would coddle me. However, Grandma Amelia put a stop to that. She said that my mom was not doing me any favors. I had to learn to control my magic or I was going to hurt someone. The same is true for you, Bonnie. You will learn to control your wolf side with time. This is still new to you. Can you tell me what happened to trigger the change?"

Bonnie blinked as the rest of her senses returned like a crushing wave. Her stress level immediately skyrocketed once more. Her talisman began shining again as her magic soothed her wolf. Bonnie took a moment to rely on the bond she shared with Tyler. She relaxed when she felt a wave of annoyance from his side of the bond. Annoyance was better than fear or panic. Bonnie felt silly for not relying on the bond from the outset.

She took a deep breath and said, "An old enemy showed up unexpectedly. He has obviously been watching us but I don't know for how long. Tyler went to confront him, but he would not let me come with him. He was trying to keep me safe but I was scared…I am still scared that Klaus is going to kill him. He has taken a perverse amount of satisfaction from destroying Tyler's life."

All of the blood drained from Lucy's face when she heard the original hybrid's name.

The younger woman looked at her cousin when she heard her heart begin to race. Bonnie gently squeezed Lucy's arm to draw her attention. "Are you okay?"

She swallowed thickly. "I thought Klaus was in New Orleans."

Bonnie studied her expression and replied, "He was in New Orleans. At least, that's where I thought Klaus was until about ten minutes ago."

Lucy slowly got to her feet and said, "We need to ward this house against anyone with ill intentions."

"Klaus is a vampire. He can't enter my home without an invitation," Bonnie reasoned.

"He can compel a human to do his bidding."

Bonnie looked on in shock as Lucy marched into kitchen with the aura of a woman on a mission. She groaned in pain as she stood up and followed Lucy. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean? There is a dangerous hybrid in town. I am doing the sensible thing and protecting the house," Lucy explained.

She walked into the pantry and checked what ingredients Bonnie had on hand. The ward to protect the house needed different components than the one they constructed to safeguard Mystic Falls from travelers.

Bonnie stood at the doorway of the pantry and said, "I get that Klaus is a threat but…I don't know this feels different. Do you know him?"

Lucy used the bottom of her shirt to collect the necessary ingredients. "Yes, I know him. I helped Katherine evade him for many years. It is better to never underestimate that barbarian."

"You're lying or at least not telling me everything. I know that we don't exactly know each other well. However, if you are in some sort of trouble with Klaus then I am willing to help. You don't have to tell me your business…just let me know what I can do. I also wouldn't blame you for deciding to leave town. You have a baby to protect," she declared.

The older witch stopped grabbing bottles and looked at Bonnie for a long moment. "Do you remember earlier when I told that my life was crazy the first time we crossed paths?"

She nodded and slowly drawled, "Yeah."

"My life was crazy because of Klaus. I worked for him once upon a time. He needed a Bennett witch and I needed money. I needed too much money to get it in any way that was aboveboard. Klaus and I struck up a binding magical contract. I was young at the time but not stupid enough to become his indentured slave for the rest of my life. The terms of the contract were that I would work for him for five years and he would pay me very well for my efforts. When the contract ended, I would be free to go my own way. I did just that. I stayed under his radar for years. Only Katherine found me at some point. I can't prove it but I know she had a hand in arranging the circumstances from which she then rescued me. She wanted me in her debt because of how close I had been to Klaus in the past. When she summoned me to Mystic Falls, I knew it was only matter of time before he found her. I had to get as far away from here as possible."

Bonnie said, "I am guessing that Klaus found you at some point after he broke the curse. He probably asked you to work for him again since Greta was killed during the ritual."

"Smart girl," she retorted with a wry smile.

"And he was still angry because you left after your contract ended?"

Lucy quipped, "You are two for two."

Bonnie remained quiet for a few moments as she worked out what Lucy was leaving unsaid. "Oh!" she sputtered.

"And the penny drops…"

Bonnie's jaw dropped. She stared at Lucy unable to formulate a coherent sentence. Suddenly, she started laughing.

The older woman raised an eyebrow at her cousin's reaction. "I am glad to see that my emotional turmoil is so amusing."

Her expression sobered immediately. "I am not making light of your situation. It's just that I found out yesterday that our ancestor Ayana and Esther Mikaelson both had affairs with the same man. That means we are distantly related to Klaus, which is problematic for so many reasons."

"Yes, Grandma Amelia let me in on that little tidbit of family history when she invaded my dreams last night. I feel like that is something that should have come up sooner. I have a bone to pick with Ayana," Lucy scoffed.

Bonnie said, "Well, on the bright side it's so far removed it hardly rates mentioning other than the fact that he is an ancient homicidal maniac. On the not so bright side, Klaus is your baby daddy. I am going to go out on a limb and say that he has no idea."

"No and it has to stay that way. Mari is only safe because no one knows the identity of her father…including him," she said in a solemn voice.

"You don't have to worry about me saying a word to him about it, Lucy. I won't tell anyone else either."

The older woman studied her face. She smiled wryly and said, "But you are judging me."

Bonnie's green eyes widened. She quickly shook her head. "No, I wouldn't do that. I don't know your history with Klaus. I can't make a judgment like that."

"True, but you are wondering how I managed to get involved with someone with so much blood on his hands."

"Maybe a little but I can't exactly muster too much outrage. Damon has become my best friend and he is no angel. Klaus is on a different level but it is all a sliding scale of careless violence if we are being honest. Klaus is a monster to me because of the things he has done to hurt my friends and me. But I can accept that he may not be a monster to you," Bonnie explained.

Lucy smiled a little. "Well, that is an incredibly reasoned take on the situation. You are right. Klaus is a monster but there is so much more to him. I spent five years living with him. In that time, I saw another side to him. When you have his full attention, he can make you feel as if you are the only person in the world. It can be intoxicating to have someone that ancient and powerful enamored with you. I also have host of 'Daddy Issues' that probably played into that very unhealthy situation. However, I never allowed myself to forget that in a different set of circumstances he would drain me dry and toss my body out like yesterday's trash."

Bonnie took a deep breath because she was still reeling from Lucy's confession. However, she quickly decided to process it all later. She said, "I can still feel Tyler through the bond. He is okay. I don't know why Klaus is in town but we need to keep you and Mari out of sight until he leaves."

"Thank you, Bonnie."

The girl shook her head. "I wish you were a thousand miles away from this place."

"I ran once and Klaus broke his curse. Then he spent an entire summer killing innocent werewolves and humans. The collateral damage for my decision is incalculable. I should have been here to prevent his madness from ever happening. I will not make the same mistake with the travelers."

Bonnie asked, "Do you need my help making the ward to protect the house?"

She shook her head. "No, I can handle it."

Bonnie's head whipped in the direction of the front door when she heard two sets of footsteps on the porch. Bonnie's nose easily detected her mate's scent through the front door. She tore out of the house to greet him.

Tyler heard Bonnie's footsteps thundering towards him. He was marginally prepared when she propelled herself into his arms. If he were not a hybrid, certainly they would have both tumbled off the porch. Instead, Tyler caught Bonnie with a grunt. He opened his mouth to say something but she immediately kissed him.

Bonnie wrapped her legs around Tyler's waist and kissed him with an air of desperation. All of the fear that she had felt when she drove away from him came rushing out as passion.

Damon averted his eyes while the teenagers made out on the front porch.

Tyler gripped Bonnie's butt as he returned the kiss with the same ferocity. When he made Bonnie leave him, he truly thought it would be the last time they ever saw each other.

Bonnie moaned against his lips and dug her nails into his back hard enough to draw blood.

The raven-haired vampire cleared his throat. However, the young couple either didn't hear him or were ignoring him. Damon just rolled his eyes and leaned against the porch railing.

She slowly pulled away from the kiss and looked into Tyler's eyes. She whispered, "We are going to have so much 'Klaus-Didn't-Kill-You-Sex' tonight."

Tyler looked intrigued and asked, "What exactly does that entail?"

"Whip cream, chocolate sauce, and my old cheerleading uniform," Bonnie teased.

He swallowed thickly and croaked, "Really?"

She didn't reply but there was a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

Damon cleared his throat again. "X-rated Saved by the Bell is riveting but we do have a more pressing issue to address, Witchy."

The green-eyed witch looked at Damon with a sheepish expression. She hopped down and walked over to him. She pulled him into a hug. "Thank you for going to help Tyler. I owe you."

Damon feigned annoyance at the hug even as he returned it. He complained, "Ugh, you smell like Wolf Boy."

Bonnie giggled and said, "I always smell like Tyler now, Damon."

"Don't remind me," he complained. "Anyway, I didn't actually do anything. Klaus was playing nice…"

She released him from the hug and moved back over to Tyler. She tucked herself beneath his arm and muttered, "Well, that's not suspicious at all."

Tyler kissed the top of Bonnie's head and explained, "He's here because of the travelers. He is obviously nervous about his parents crossing the veil. He wants to know what the witches on the Other Side are planning. I told Klaus that we would meet with him first thing in the morning."

"At his house without any backup," Damon interjected with a scowl.

Tyler said, "He wasn't going to agree to anything else. As much as I hate him, it is better to keep things friendly for as long as possible. We don't want a fight that we might not be able to win. Besides, it couldn't hurt to have Klaus' help with the travelers. You have to admit he's really good at killing stuff."

Bonnie chewed on her bottom lip. "Klaus is also good at ruining things because of his uncontrollable temper."

"I know that we don't have any reason to trust him, Bon. I am not suggesting that we start now. Klaus will screw us over if it works to his benefit. I just don't think he would leave New Orleans unless he was really worried about the travelers. He is in a serious struggle for control of New Orleans. Leaving for any length of time could give his progeny, Marcel, the upper hand."

She hummed, "I guess you have a point."

Damon said, "I am hoping that the bird will come through with something useful. I sent him to spy on Klaus."

Bonnie frowned. "You sent Russell to spy on Klaus? What if Klaus figures that he isn't a regular bird?"

"It isn't the first time that I have had Russell spy on Klaus. He has never paid him any attention in the past," he defended.

"He might have a witch with him, Damon. Vampires might not be able to detect the difference in Russell but a witch can. Lucy knew as soon as she walked by him this afternoon."

Damon shrugged. "Then I'll just have to find another bird."

Bonnie's green eyes went flinty at his disregard for Russell's safety.

He said, "He's your pet…not mine."

Tyler frowned. "That's cold, man. You named the bird."

Damon stuffed his hands into his pockets and snorted, "I was drunk at the time! I do all sorts of ill advised things when I am drunk."

"You've had him for thirteen years, Damon. Stop pretending like you don't care if something happens to him," she fumed.

He groaned and said, "It was a calculated risk. I want to know what is going on at Klaus' mansion before you walk in there."

Bonnie's expression softened once she understood that Damon had sent Russell into a precarious situation for her benefit. "You didn't have to do that, Damon."

"You know that I did, Bon-Bon. You won't be dying on my watch until you are all old, wrinkly, and gross."

Tyler rubbed Bonnie's back. "He has a point, Bon."

She looked at Tyler with a raised eyebrow. "You were the one that said you thought Klaus came here in peace."

"I do but it is better to be safe than sorry. We can use whatever advantage we can get with Klaus. It is important to know what he might be up to or if his siblings are with him," Tyler said.

Bonnie scowled in response. "I don't think that I like the two of you agreeing about things. It feels wrong."

Tyler chuckled and said, "Only about your safety, Bon."

Damon's phone buzzed in his jeans' pocket. He read his text message and scowled. "Everyone else is at the park with Nadia. She's getting antsy."

Bonnie groaned. "I am in no mood to deal with a temperamental vampire...other than you, Damon."

The vampire in question waggled his eyebrows. "I don't blame ya. I'm not looking forward to spending quality time with my ex's evil spawn. But she is going to want more details about this body swapping plan and it has to come from a witch."

Bonnie pulled Tyler's car keys from her pocket and handed them to him. "I know. We need to get this over with because I would really like to get Katherine out of my basement. I just need to run inside to let Lucy know that I am leaving."

Damon said, "I'll meet the two of you over there. I am going to go pick up my car."

Damon had abandoned his car in a parking lot when Bonnie had called him in a panic. He loved his Camaro and she drove like a dream. However, he was faster than his beloved car was even with the expensive rebuilt engine powering her.

Bonnie slipped into the house and walked into the kitchen.

Lucy was sitting at the table while she fed Mari the bland homemade mashed potatoes. "Is Tyler okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, he is fine. Klaus is in town for the same reason you are—the travelers. I just popped in to let you know that I am off to meet with Nadia. I hope that I am able to close the deal on this whole body swap situation."

"But you have a Plan B if she refuses to agree, right?' Lucy asked.

"Yes, I have a couple of potions on hand and a hex ready to put her down."

Lucy smiled approvingly. "Good luck."

"Thanks."

Bonnie walked out of the house and locked the door behind her.

Tyler had the car idling as he waited on her.

When she climbed into Tyler's car, she glanced in the back seat to check for her messenger bag. She had tucked the potions into the bag before she and Tyler set out earlier. Bonnie retrieved the potions from the bag and hid them in the pockets of the sweatshirt.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah."

Tyler pulled away from the curb and headed towards the park. He glanced at Bonnie. "Are you okay?"

Bonnie looked over at him and said, "I'm fine. Why?"

He swallowed thickly and tried to forget the feeling of terror he had sensed through their bond. "Just checking…"

She blanched as she understood the motivation for his question. It wasn't as if Tyler could have asked her about it in front of Damon without mentioning the bond. "I was just worried about you. I freaked out for a minute and started to shift. I am lucky that Lucy was there to help me get myself under control. I think it is a technique that I can use if that ever happens again."

"I am sorry, Bon," he said. Tyler reached over and squeezed her leg.

Bonnie shrugged her shoulders. "Tonight wasn't your fault. I am a new werewolf. Emotional situations are going to trigger my wolf. I have to learn how to control myself. If I had been thinking straight I would have kept track of your emotions through the bond. It's exactly what I did once I was thinking clearly again."

Tyler grumbled, "I just hate that you have to deal with any of it."

She scooted closer to him and said, "I'm not. If I wasn't a werewolf then I wouldn't be your mate. I like what we have."

"Yeah?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah. I promise. When I said that I loved you…I meant it, Ty."

"I meant it, too," he confessed.

She smiled smugly. "I know. I felt the power behind those words."

Tyler found a parking space near the clock tower and cut off the car. Then he turned to look at Bonnie and caressed her cheek. "Being a werewolf gets better with time. I used to hate it, but now I couldn't imagine going back to the way things used to be."

Bonnie said, "In the meantime, I won't have to go through it alone."

"Not a chance," he replied with a smile.

They climbed out of the car and walked across the street to where Jeremy, Stefan, Caroline, Nadia, and Matt were already waiting.

Bonnie said, "Damon will be here soon but we can start without him. He already knows the plan."

Nadia folded her arms and gave a shake of her head. "I need his word that he won't kill my mother as soon as she is in the new vessel. He isn't exactly known for controlling his temper. If Damon kills my mother I will flay him alive."

Stefan shifted uncomfortably at the threat against his brother.

The witch said, "Damon has already agreed to leave Katherine alone until we have stopped the travelers. When that is over, it is up to you to get Katherine out of Mystic Falls. If she ever crosses the town line again, I wouldn't blame Damon for ripping out her heart on sight."

Nadia's vampire face surfaced as her fangs dropped into view. "Are you threatening my mother?"

Tyler moved closer to Bonnie to protect. "No one is threatening Katherine."

Bonnie remained unmoved by Nadia. She said, "I don't need to threaten Katherine. She is shackled in my basement. She would already be dead if I wanted her that way. I don't even need to do the job myself. Klaus is in town and he doesn't really seem to be the type of person to forgive and forget. The only reason he didn't kill Katherine during his last visit to town is because she was dying. I could just hand Katherine over to him as a sort of peace offering. We could tell him about you, too. Then you can spend the rest of your life running from him just like your mother did. It has a sort of symmetry…don't you think?"

Caroline's blue eyes widened at her friend's threat.

Nadia roared in anger and charged at Bonnie.

Tyler caught the vampire in mid-air and slammed her onto the ground hard enough to crack the concrete. His eyes turned gold and he growled. "Hybrid trumps vampire...even one as old as you. Bonnie and her cousin are going to put your mom in another body tomorrow. They are going to bind her to that body so that she doesn't get the bright idea to possess Elena again. Once we take care of the travelers, she needs to leave Mystic Falls and never return. She has spent months screwing with all of us….no make that years. If Katherine ever shows her face in this town again...she won't have to worry about Damon killing her. I will."

"This is a good deal, Nadia. Stefan found a vampire to be her new vessel. She was turned in her 20's but she is about 50 years old. That has to be better than being stuck in a newbie vampire's body. You get your mother for another five hundred or so years. The only thing we ask in return is that you keep her well away from us. I feel like it is a fair trade," Bonnie added.

Tyler asked, "Do we have a deal?"

She hissed, "Yes…"

He slowly removed his hand from her throat and stepped away.

Nadia got to her feet and brushed the concrete dust from her clothes. "I'll see you all tomorrow morning."

Bonnie said, "Make it afternoon we have to see Klaus in the morning."

Nadia glared and then fled so fast that she was just a blur.

Damon strolled up to the group. He quirked an eyebrow. "What did I miss?"

Stefan shook his head. "Where were you?"

"Had to get my car," Damon said.