Damon followed Bonnie into the basement. He was not happy about her plan but they were running out of time. Elijah had already made contact with Bonnie to express his brother's disapproval. Klaus was very close to taking his wolf form so that he could rip Ansel limb from limb. Apparently, the hybrid wasn't interested in a reunion with his old man.

He asked, "Are you sure about this, witchy? Wolf Boy is wearing a hole in my floor with all his pacing."

She smiled at Damon. "I want an opportunity to talk to Ansel. I need to make every minute count because I don't know how long we have. I promise to keep a safe distance from him."

Damon frowned at Bonnie but he trusted her survival instincts. She had been giving her own safety more consideration since being resurrected. He nodded. "I will be upstairs. Scream if you need me. Stefan dug out the crossbow just in case."

Bonnie promised, "It won't come to that, Damon. I'll just melt his brain or something if he tries to attack me."

He unlocked the door and said, "Good luck…"

Bonnie walked into the damp cell with a plate of ham and cheese sandwiches and a bottle of water.

Damon closed and locked the door. Then he walked away to give them some privacy.

She hovered near the door for a few moments so that she could get a good look at their prisoner. Ansel was shackled to a chair and his system had been flooded with wolfsbane to weaken him. However, Tyler had implored Bonnie to resist letting down her guard. They had no way of assessing the ancient werewolf's true strength. Tyler seemed to think the wolf had been holding back when they tussled at the motel. There was a slim possibility that Ansel would be able to break free from his shackles. Moreover, they still didn't know his intentions.

Ansel studied Bonnie but remained silent. In fact, he had not spoken one word since he regained consciousness twenty minutes ago. He had taken great pleasure in ignoring everyone's questions. There were only a few people that he had any interest in speaking to and only one of them was here. Fortunately, she had just walked into the room. He couldn't get over how much Bonnie looked like Drue.

She slowly approached the chair and placed the plate on Ansel's lap. The shackles limited his range of motion but he was still capable of feeding himself. She said, "I know that we interrupted your meal back at the motel. I thought you might still be hungry."

Ansel sniffed the food before picking up a sandwich. He took a bite and chewed slowly. He watched as Bonnie put a safe distance between them. Ansel would not hurt the girl but he understood her trepidation. He asked, "What is this? The meat tastes sweet…"

Bonnie slowly sat down on an overturned wooden crate and opened the bottle of water. She said, "Uh, it is honey ham. I didn't really know what you would want to eat. I hope this is okay."

He looked perplexed by the description but continued eating. Ansel could not remember ever being this hungry in the past. It would seem that his body was making up for lost time. He said, "It is very tasty. Thank you."

Bonnie felt as if she was making some progress. Ansel was actually speaking now. Tyler had been thoroughly frustrated by his failed attempts at communicating with him. She replied, "You are welcome."

His blue eyes watched the small black kitten sitting beside Bonnie's foot. He smiled. "She is your familiar, yes?"

Bonnie scooped up the kitten and smoothed a hand over her soft fur. She was surprised that Ansel knew about familiars. Then again, he had been involved with two witches. He must have picked up some useful information.

She said, "I am starting to think that she might be my familiar. She helped me find you today."

He nodded and finished eating the first sandwich. "Do you know much about familiars?"

She shook her head. "I know from reading grimoires that familiars can take the form of any animal. I also know that familiars choose the witch that they wish to serve. I guess she chose me today."

Ansel started eating his second sandwich. He was not impressed with the girl's magical education. Ayana had warned him that Bonnie's education and wellbeing had been neglected for a variety of reasons.

He said, "That is only partially true. Sometimes the spirits of a particularly powerful witch's ancestors send a familiar to help provide guidance. A very long time ago, one of my daughters had a familiar that looks very similar to your new friend."

Bonnie couldn't think of a better segue than Ansel bringing up his daughter. She didn't want to run the risk of him clamming up. She asked, "Are you talking about Drusilla?"

He smiled at the mention of his daughter. He nodded. "Drue was always a powerful witch. Her gifts showed themselves early in her childhood. However, she grew more powerful as she entered her late teens. Sometimes her magic would roll across the village like a fog. Ayana tried teaching Drue how to control her magic but her dual nature made it complicated. Usually a witch is only capable of producing as much magic as her body can contain...because witches are human."

It felt as if a lightbulb went on in her head. She said, "But Drue was a hybrid even if she hadn't triggered the werewolf curse yet. Ayana might have bound the wolf but she couldn't change Drue's true nature. Her magic was more powerful for the simple fact that she wasn't merely human."

Ansel smiled when Bonnie started putting together the pieces. He could tell that she was a bright girl that was eager to learn.

"You knew who I was when we met at the park, didn't you?" she asked.

"Do you think I could be in the presence of my granddaughter and not know her?" he asked with a small smirk.

Bonnie tried to ignore the warm fuzzy feelings that his question generated. Her wolf had been at ease around Ansel from the moment they met. Bonnie believed that was the real reason that she hadn't been suspicious of him. She said, "Well, we are separated by a couple hundred generations. I hardly think that counts as a connection any longer."

Ansel shook his head. "You don't believe that. Years and generations mean nothing to werewolves. You are my blood. Your wolf knows that Niklaus is pack, just as it knew that I was pack when we met. You knew that I meant you no harm."

She couldn't argue with Ansel because he was right. Bonnie felt something that she couldn't describe whenever she was around Klaus, Cary, and the rest of the pack. She was getting the same feeling now.

He continued, "I have been keeping an eye on all of you. These are dangerous times."

Bonnie nodded and said, "Because of the travelers. Is that why you are here? Did the travelers help you cross into this world?"

Ansel's jaw clenched at her accusation. However, he settled down. It was natural for Bonnie to be suspicious of him. She didn't know him yet. "I would never help those that seek to harm my own flesh and blood, Bonnie. Drue and Ayana sent me through the veil because Esther and Mikael are working with the travelers."

The young witch's blood ran cold as she thought of Esther and Mikael teaming up with the travelers. It was bad enough that husband and wife were working together. Bonnie studied Ansel carefully because she wondered if he was being truthful. Sending her off on a wild goose chase would be a good strategy.

Ansel asked, "You doubt me?"

"Can you blame me? The legends say that you had some great love affair with Esther. Why would you sell her out now?" she asked.

The man shook his head and said, "It is true, there was a time when I loved Esther. My love for her faded long ago."

"Was that before or after you took up with Ayana? Not that I am complaining because I wouldn't be here if you hadn't carried on an affair with my ancestor. Thanks for that…I guess," she replied skeptically.

Ansel frowned because he didn't know how to answer the question. He took a couple seconds to arrange this thoughts. He said, "There are things that I know about Esther that I cannot share with you. She has done things that changed my opinion of her. She is not the same woman I once loved. I am not sure that she was ever truly that woman. Either way I will not allow her to harm my son or any of my descendents."

Bonnie didn't like his vague answer. She also knew that it wouldn't be good enough for Klaus. The Original Hybrid would torture the answers out of Ansel before killing him. She said, "I get why she would want to kill Klaus. Esther wants all of her children dead. She has some serious buyer's remorse about turning them into vampires. What could she possibly want with the rest of your descendants?"

Ansel looked down at his nearly empty plate and admitted, "Esther has learned of my affair with Ayana. She wants to punish us both for betraying her. There is no better way to punish us than to erase our descendants from this Earth. All of you embody our legacy and in that way...we will never die."

"She's touchy for someone that was already married when she started having an affair with you," Bonnie quipped.

"I have learned that Esther does not forgive betrayal easily. She has been working with the travelers on the Other Side. This madness is her creation and they were only too willing to act as her tools. Mikael is the one that convinced the travelers to unleash those abominations on you. In the past, he had helped the Augustine Group with their plan to eradicate all vampires," he replied with a pained expression.

Bonnie scowled because she had wondered about the connection between the Augustine Group and the travelers. She didn't believe in coincidences but until now she had no way to link the two groups. She snorted and said, "Of course Esther and Mikael have a hand in all this. They can cross the veil undetected while we are focused on stopping the travelers. Are you certain that she hasn't already crossed into our world?"

Ansel said, "No, the veil was repaired before Esther was strong enough to pull Mikael and herself into this world. She might have succeeded if Mikael didn't insist on joining her."

"Thank God for small blessings," she muttered.

He nodded in agreement.

Bonnie said, "I am going to be honest with you. Klaus is going to torture you because he doesn't trust anyone. Then he is definitely going to kill you. Theoretically, I could hold Klaus off because he has been weakened by a hex. Unfortunately, I am the only person that sees any value in keeping you alive. Everyone else wants to send you back to the Other Side. We have two options here and neither are truly great for you. I can turn you over to Klaus and allow him to conduct his torturous interrogation."

Ansel winced because he knew what his son was capable of doing. He had watched for centuries as his son cut a bloody swatch across the defenseless world. He asked, "What is the second option?"

Bonnie said, "I can kill you here and now. I can make it as quick and painless as possible for you."

"And what will Niklaus do when he learns that you disobeyed him?" Ansel asked in concern.

She smiled because rarely did people care about the consequences she might face. Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, "I don't take orders from Klaus and I am not about to start now. Besides, he will be more concerned with the threat Esther and Mikael pose. As I said, he's not exactly in top form right now. He would be particularly easy for them to pick off."

Ansel tensed because he knew that Niklaus would be their first target. Mikael held an irrational hatred for his son.

Bonnie smiled at him. "You don't need to worry about Klaus. I will help keep him safe. He's not exactly my favorite person but he is my little cousin's father."

He relaxed somewhat. He replied, "Niklaus and Lucy's daughter."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Is that like common knowledge over there?"

He said, "Esther knows…"

Bonnie groused, "I'm assuming Mari is on her little hit list."

Ansel nodded.

Bonnie was immediately worried for her younger cousin. Mari was an innocent in all this. However, her bloodline meant that she would be in Esther's crosshairs. Bonnie felt her magic reacting to the idea of the hateful witch harming a single hair on Mari's little head. Her eyes flashed gold and black briefly.

Ansel shifted in his chair as the temperature in the room dropped sharply. He said, "You understand now why I can't just go back to the Other Side. I am needed here."

"Klaus…"

He shook his head. "I will handle my son."

Bonnie bit her lip. "He's really good at killing things."

Ansel broke free of his chains and stood up. He smiled. "I am not so hard to kill."

Bonnie swallowed thickly because Tyler was right about Ansel's strength. She said, "Mikael didn't seem to have any trouble the first time around."

Ansel smiled wryly at her blunt response. She was very much like his Ayana. He said, "Mikael is a coward. He struck at the dead of night and targeted the women and children first. It is a miracle that they survived. He caught me unprepared...it will not happen again. I will not allow that beast to spill another drop of blood."

She heaved a sigh. "I hope you know what you are doing. I was prepared to show you mercy that Klaus does not have."

"My son was raised by a cruel man that taught him only how to butcher. I will show him that there is a better way. The wolves...there are so many of us again. We need a leader. We need a true king. There is none more suited to it than Niklaus."

Bonnie said, "Maybe you missed out on a few things from the Other Side but he has spent centuries killing our kind."

Ansel nodded. "And werewolves kill each other regularly, too. I know that you have no reason to believe me, but the world is on the brink of change. It is about to change in ways you could never imagine. You will all need someone like Niklaus to protect you."

She rolled eyes. "Is everyone that dies super cryptic? Because let me tell you, it is super annoying."

He chuckled and walked over to Bonnie. He cupped her cheek and said, "One battle at a time, min karlek. First, we stop Esther, Mikael, and the travelers."

Bonnie's wolf instantly reacted to Ansel's calming gesture. She said, "First, we have to convince Klaus not to kill you."

"As I said, I am not as easy to kill as you might believe." He asked, "Can you take me to see my son now?"

Bonnie shook her head. She was seriously worried that Klaus would take off Ansel's head on sight. She stood up and said, "Well, let's take you to go see Uncle Klaus. This should be lots of fun."

Ansel watched as Bonnie walked over to the door and used her magic to disengage the locks. Then he followed her out the cell and upstairs.

Damon's vampire face surfaced as soon as they walked onto the main floor.

Tyler roared and began to shift.

Bonnie clutched Nyx in one hand and threw out the other. "Hey! This isn't like a hostage situation or anything. Ansel wants me to take him to Klaus. Calm down, please."

Damon frowned as he edged closer to them. "He's got a wish to die bloody?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I tried to convince Ansel to let me kill him painlessly but he really wants to see Klaus."

Damon snorted, "He would be the first…"

Tyler walked over to Bonnie and physically pulled her away from Ansel. He was fighting his transformation but her being so close to Ansel was not helping matters.

Ansel smiled because he understood Tyler's urge to protect Bonnie. It was the sign of a good bonded pair. He said, "I mean no harm to your mate, young one."

Tyler glanced at the man warily.

Bonnie said, "Uh, could we have a minute alone?"

Damon rolled his eyes and quipped, "Sure...leave the thousand year old werewolf in my foyer."

She put Nyx on the floor and practically pulled Tyler out of the room. They ducked into a bathroom and locked the door. Bonnie leaned up and kissed Tyler. "Hey…"

Tyler's eyes were still gold and black. He looked down at Bonnie. "I'm sorry...I can't."

Bonnie shook her head. "I understand why you are reacting this way, Ty. Your wolf sees Ansel as a threat. And he probably would be if he wasn't my grandfather. He is crazy strong. He was only humoring us with those chains."

He growled and sniffed Bonnie's face. "He touched you again."

She nodded and said, "I know you don't like it but it was really comforting, you know. You told me to trust my wolf's instincts, right?"

"Yes," he agreed. Tyler slipped his hand under Bonnie's shirt and caressed the bite mark. The action calmed him almost immediately.

Bonnie's eyes fluttered closed when Tyler stoked the mark on her back. She fell silent for a couple minutes and just enjoyed the sensation. Bonnie would never get over how it felt to be this connected to another person. Finally, she said, "Well, my wolf trusts Ansel."

Tyler slowly removed his hand from Bonnie's shirt. He asked, "Are you sure this isn't you chasing after deer in the woods?"

Bonnie chuckled softly. "Are you ever going to let me live that down?"

"I love that about you, Bon. But it also makes me worry for your safety sometimes," he replied honestly.

"I don't think Ansel wants to hurt me but if that changes...I will rip the flesh off his bones without a second thought. We have too much at stake to be careless," Bonnie whispered. She took his hand and moved it to her stomach.

Tyler smiled at the gesture. He kissed Bonnie softly and then said, "Okay. Did you get anything out of him?"

She smiled after the kiss. Part of her wondered if they could get away with fooling around for a bit. However, that would make for an awkward car ride to the Mikaelson Mansion. She nodded. "Uh, he had lots to say. I am going to try contacting Grams later to confirm his story. Long story short, Esther is a vengeful bitch and she has been helping the travelers."

He rolled his eyes. "That should put Klaus in a great mood."

She nodded. "It gets worse but I'll fill you in during the car ride. Can you play nice with Ansel until we get him to Klaus?"

"As long as he isn't near you, I think I will be fine."

"Are we going to take Ruby and Gabe with us? I know that you wanted to keep them far away from Klaus."

Tyler shook his head. "He already knows that I have a pack now. Besides, they are my betas. They need to know everything that is happening so that we can make the right decisions for the pack."

Bonnie nodded. "I was thinking the same thing."

Tyler kissed her softly. He said, "We should go before Klaus shows up on the doorstep."

The couple exited the bathroom and walked to the living room.

Ansel was sitting on the couch and drinking a glass of bourbon.

Bonnie asked, "Seriously, Damon?"

He shrugged. "What? He's way over the legal drinking age."