Bonnie excelled at being the quintessential mob wife. She knew how to be charming and demure around her husband and his business associates. She was always careful not to outshine Damon because his ego couldn't handle it. However, she commanded the respect commiserate with her station when socializing with the other wives. It didn't matter that she was a decade or more younger than some of her counterparts. She held herself in a way that let them know she wasn't to be discounted. Unfortunately, the age disparity meant that Bonnie didn't have many friends. Either she was too young to have anything in common with them or they were too far down on the food chain to join her social circle.

Damon hated the tedious nature of these social gatherings. It was always a careful dance ensuring that no one felt disrespected or slighted. It became an even more complicated prospect when dealing with the Mikaelson family. The Mikaelsons and Salvatores had been allies for several decades. They survived the mob war 30 years ago because of their alliance. However, hurt feelings and misunderstandings could damage even the strongest relationship. Therefore, Damon always looked to Bonnie to maintain the social relationships between the families. She was responsible for remembering milestones and acquiring the appropriate gifts. She reminded him about the key details in the lives of the men loyal to both families. He knew the men but he often drew a blank on their wives and children. Whereas Rose ran Damon's life in the realm of legitimate business, Bonnie ran this side of his life.

Normally, Bonnie played her role of the dutiful wife effortlessly. However, today had been something of a struggle for the young woman. She hoped that she managed to keep anyone from noticing but Bonnie was off her game. She had been in a sour mood for days now. She was certain that pregnancy hormones and morning sickness were at least partly responsible for her disposition. It was hard to feel chipper when she was sneaking away to vomit periodically. However, spending the holiday with their family had taken its toll on Bonnie's psyche and her spirit. Watching her mother and Jo navigate around one another for three straight days was a kind of torture.

Bonnie was certain that she was viewing Abby and Jo's situation through the prism of her own damaged relationship. She kept feeling as if she was watching a scene arranged by the Ghost of Christmas Future. The young woman couldn't imagine spending the next twenty years of her life pretending to be deaf, blind, and naïve on the matter of Damon's dalliances. It was hard enough suppressing her more violent tendencies around him. She found it laughable how soundly Damon slept beside a woman that could slit someone's throat and then go about her day as if nothing happened. Bonnie had moments when she wanted to unleash her darker nature to show her loving husband exactly whom he married. However, she had worked too hard and sacrificed too much to tip her hand now.

Bonnie was standing beside her 'devoted' husband and pretending that she didn't want to pull out every strand of his luscious raven colored hair. Predictably, Damon was arguing with Elijah Mikaelson about American football versus what the rest of the world called football. The friendly arguments were always ridiculous seeing as the men were avid fans of both sports. Damon and Elijah had even attended a few games together. Bonnie had come to learn that they just enjoyed arguing with one another.

Meanwhile, Hayley gushed about Hope's part in the Nutcracker. More than anything Bonnie wished that she could be at least a little intoxicated. They had just finished a six-course meal after spending two hours at baby Erik's christening. Now they were enjoying cocktail hour at the Mikaelson's mansion. Correction, Damon was enjoying cocktails. Bonnie was stuck drinking sparkling cider and ginger ale. At the very least, the beverages were helping her keep the nausea at bay. All Bonnie really wanted to do was go home so that she could curl up in her bed.

The best part of her evening had been socializing with Hayley Mikaelson. The 30-year-old woman was as much of a free spirit as one could be while married to a crime lord. Hayley owned an avant-garde art gallery that had become quite popular in recent years. However, the women got along so well because Hayley understood Bonnie in a way that few others could. Hayley had married Elijah, a man 12 years her senior, in order to prevent a mob war ignited by her older brother's reckless actions. The Labonirs sacrificed their only daughter for the good of the family. The move had also saved their son's life. The beginning of their marriage had been rocky. Rumors of affairs ran rampant. There had even been questions about Hope's paternity. When the chaos faded away, it left behind a marriage that was even stronger. Bonnie had hoped the same would happen for her marriage. However, the longer she was with Damon, the harder her heart became towards him.

As if the universe was making fun of Bonnie, a sudden wave of nausea hit her. She tried sipping her ginger ale but it didn't help.

Damon felt his wife tense beside him and glanced in her direction. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and flashed a winning smile. "I'm fine. Could you just excuse me for a moment?"

He eyed her with some concern but pecked her cheek. "Hurry back."

Bonnie placed her glass on a nearby table and calmly walked out of the room.

Hayley quickly caught up with her. "Follow me."

The younger woman didn't even question her. She followed Hayley into a guest room on the first floor.

"You can use the bathroom in there. No one should be coming in here to disturb you."

Bonnie raced into the bathroom and lifted the toilet lid just as she began to vomit. She hadn't been able to eat much at the restaurant but it was all coming back up in a blaze of glory now. She slowly stood up after ensuring that her stomach was empty. Bonnie flushed the toilet and put the lid down. She couldn't have been more embarrassed.

Hayley stood in the doorway. "There are new toothbrushes, mouthwash, and travel sized toothpastes in the drawer to your left."

Bonnie smiled in gratitude. "Thank you." She easily located the items and rinsed her mouth before brushing her teeth.

The older woman left the bathroom to give Bonnie some privacy but waited in the guestroom for her. Hayley had a seat in a chair by the door. She was glad to know that Bonnie was simply pregnant. She had been concerned about the girl all evening. Hayley could tell that something was wrong but couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Bonnie emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later wearing a sheepish smile. "I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Hayley said, "There is no need to apologize, Bonnie. I have been there before—dozens of times. How far along are you?"

"I'm 14 weeks pregnant…with twins," she confessed. Bonnie didn't see the point in lying to Hayley now.

Her face lit up. "Congratulations! I am so happy for you."

"Thank you. But we're not really telling anyone just yet…"

Hayley nodded. "I understand. I promise that I won't say anything to anyone. Are you excited? I can't believe that you are having twins!"

Everyone had been waiting for Bonnie to get pregnant since marrying Damon. Some of the wives had begun to wonder if the young woman had fertility issues. They knew Damon couldn't be the problem since he already had a daughter. However, others wondered if he was too busy sleeping around to do his duty as her husband. Fortunately, Bonnie's pregnancy would finally silence those rumors.

"I am excited, but I'm a little scared, too."

"That's natural. I was terrified when Hope was born. I was even more of a nervous wreck after Julian was born," she replied.

Hayley didn't need to explain Julian's importance. The pressure to have a son had been unbearable after Hope was born.

Bonnie asked, "Does it get easier with time?"

She nodded, "Of course it does. I finally had a handle on motherhood once Helena and then Erik came along. I'm not nearly as neurotic as I used to be. I have learned that there is no such thing is a perfect mother. I wish someone had told me that in the beginning."

Bonnie said, "Being a mom to Sarah was easy. I mean she was already a year old when I married Damon. I am worried about having two tiny people needing me to always be at my best."

Hayley said, "You have a close knit family, take advantage of that. I certainly did. Esther and Rebekah kept me sane after Hope was born. And there is no shame in making use of your nanny in the middle of the night. An exhausted mommy is no good for anyone."

Bonnie didn't have much of a support system at the manor but she knew that Caroline would have her back. She was definitely her best friend. Caroline also had invaluable experience in raising twins.

"That is great advice that I will be sure to keep in mind. Thank you, Hayley," Bonnie replied earnestly.

"You know that I am here if you ever need anything." Hayley stood up and said, "I should get back out to the party but you can stay in here as long as you like. I'll let Damon know that you are feeling a little under the weather."

She smiled. "Thank you. You are a lifesaver."

Hayley squeezed Bonnie's hand in support before slipping out of the room.

The younger woman locked the door and turned off the lights. She needed a moment to lie down on the bed. Bonnie was exhausted and still felt sick to her stomach. Cocktail hour was nearly over but Damon had yet to sneak away to talk business with Elijah. She could be stuck there for at least another hour. Bonnie closed her eyes for a moment and willed her stomach to stop churning. She really didn't want to throw up again.

Lying down in the dark was probably a terrible idea considering she was having trouble sleeping at night. Niklaus had invaded her dreams and turned them into nightmares since she received his gift.

Bonnie was on the edge of sleep when she heard someone walk into the bedroom. Her heart immediately began to beat faster because she knew exactly who it was. A locked door had never been an obstacle for him. However, she foolishly hoped that it was her husband coming to check on her. "Damon?" she asked.

A vicious laugh echoed off the walls as heavy footsteps thudded closer to the bed. "Guess again, love."

Bonnie recognized the owner of that smooth voice immediately. She fumbled with the lamp on the nightstand until soft light flooded the once darkened bedroom. "Niklaus," she breathed in a barely audible voice.

Klaus took a moment to drink in Bonnie's appearance. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. He tenderly cupped her cheek and stroked his thumb over her plump bottom lip.

The young woman clumsily got to her feet so that she was out of his grasp. Bonnie was furious at herself for being so stupid. She should have known that Niklaus would come for her the moment she was alone. She had felt his intense gaze on her from the moment she walked into the church that evening. Bonnie hastily tugged at the hem of her emerald green cocktail dress. She had chosen the dress at Damon's behest because it accentuated her sharp eyes.

"What are you doing in here, Niklaus?"

He ground his teeth in response to Bonnie's tone. However, he could forgive her this once since she looked ill. "I saw Hayley shepherd you in here and I got curious when you didn't rejoin the festivities. Are you unwell, petal?"

Bonnie tensed at the pet name Klaus had given her years ago. She had forgotten how the simple word had the power to strip her bare beneath his hungry eyes. For the briefest moment, Bonnie felt as if she were the powerless girl that had fallen under Niklaus Mikaelson's spell once upon a time.

Bonnie made a snap decision to keep her pregnancy a secret from him. Klaus was unpredictable when he became enraged. She wouldn't risk him doing something rash to harm the twins. She stepped into her pumps and afterwards tried to move around him. "It must have been something I ate. I feel better now. I should return to the party."

"What is your rush?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. His stormy blue eyes studied Bonnie as if she were a puzzle he was trying to arrange.

Bonnie could have easily caused a commotion that would have drawn attention to their location. However, she couldn't risk Damon and Niklaus behaving like idiots. The two men had been rivals since they were children. Bonnie had no interest in causing tension between the two families if it was unnecessary.

"We shouldn't be in here alone. It is not proper. Someone might get the wrong idea," she explained.

Klaus widened his stance to block her exit. "Well, you have been avoiding me all evening. I thought this might be my only chance to speak to you."

She had hoped that her efforts to avoid Klaus would have escaped his notice. Bonnie smiled at him sheepishly. "I haven't been avoiding you, Niklaus. You were busy at the church seeing as you are little Erik's godfather. Congratulations on that by the way. He is a lucky boy."

His eyes twinkled as he looked at her. He brushed his fingers through her soft curls. "That doesn't explain why we didn't speak at the restaurant. Or why you conveniently chose to chat up my sister when I spoke to Damon earlier."

Bonnie had to will her body not to flinch away from his touch. It would only encourage the intoxicated man to be rougher with her. She could smell the scotch practically bleeding out of his pores. "I planned to speak to you, Niklaus. I wanted to thank you for the beautiful gift you sent me, but your family and friends have surrounded you all evening. Everyone is thrilled that you are home again."

He chuckled deeply at the half-truths falling from her painted lips. He cupped her cheek and replied, "Everyone is excited with the exception of you. Isn't that right, petal?"

This time she shied away from his touch, because she could see that his pupils were dilated. She couldn't believe that he was high on Erik's special day. "Please, move, Niklaus. Someone might come looking for me."

"Damon?" he asked bitterly. He continued, "He slipped off into my brother's office as soon as you disappeared with Hayley. I am sure that he will be occupied for a while."

Once again, her husband was nowhere to be found when she needed his protection. Yet this time he had no way of knowing that she would need him. This time it was Bonnie's deception that had left her vulnerable to attack. She knew that dangerous glint in Klaus' eyes intimately. He was angry with Bonnie and wanted to punish her for the perceived slight. Bonnie edged away from him. "Klaus…"

Niklaus easily picked Bonnie up despite her protestations. Then he placed her on the mid height chest of drawers and wedged himself between her stocking clad legs. Kol had been offering to set him up with whores all week. However, he had turned down all of his brother's generous overtures. There was only one woman he desired and her name was Bonnie Bennett-Salvatore. He pushed her dress up until he could see the black lace of her panties. A guttural growl escaped his pink lips shocking them both.

Bonnie trembled as she tried to figure a way out of this situation because she knew what came next. "Please," she pleaded quietly.

Klaus hooked one of his fingers into her panties and pulled them aside so that her perfectly waxed sex was exposed to his heated gaze. He stared at her in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Then he said, "I don't like that you were trying to avoid me tonight. It makes me think that you didn't miss me. I missed you during those lonely nights in prison. They would have been a little less lonely if you had written me even once."

She swallowed thickly but decided not to fight him-yet. Bonnie still clung to the hope that she might be able to talk herself out of this disaster. Dealing with Niklaus was like wrangling a boa constrictor. Struggling just made him clamp down tighter. She dragged her manicured nails up the base of his skull and stroked at his blonde curls soothingly. "I'm married now, Niklaus. You know that, right? I couldn't write you without Damon or Giuseppe learning the truth."

His eyes flashed dangerously at Bonnie's attempt to manipulate him. He grabbed her face in a tight grip and stared at her with unbridled rage. Klaus used his other hand to force two fingers inside of her. He pumped his fingers into her slowly but it still hurt without lubrication or even a hint of arousal. "You know I don't like when you call me by my given name, petal. What are you supposed to call me? Have I been away so long that you have forgotten our times together?"

Bonnie's body rebelled against the invading digits by clenching around them painfully. She whispered, "Nik…"

He smiled as his fingers slowed to a stop. He brushed his lips against hers. "That's better. Yes, I know that you are married to Giuseppe Salvatore's manwhore heir," he spit out with distaste. "However, we both know that you should have been my wife. After all, you were mine first. Does he know?"

Bonnie's mouth snapped shut with a defiant click.

He growled and wrenched her face so that she was looking up at him. He spoke with a taunting lilt to his voice, "Does he know that I had you first? Does he know that my seed was the first you tasted? I should have fucked you when I had the chance then he would have known that you belonged to me."

Bonnie thanked God everyday that Niklaus had left her intact. He had foolishly thought he was saving her virtue for himself. She couldn't imagine what Damon would have done if she wasn't a virgin on their wedding night. Bonnie's fingers fumbled with the wide garter that held her stockings in place.

Niklaus wrapped his hand around Bonnie's throat as he became more enraged. "Answer me!"

A metallic click disturbed the silence of the room and briefly confused Klaus. Bonnie saw her opening and pressed a switchblade against his pale throat. She ground out, "I am so fucking tired of men manhandling me as if I am little more than a piece of property. I am not yours, Niklaus. I don't belong to anyone."

His blue eyes widened at Bonnie's unexpected defiance. His adam's apple bobbed against the cold steel. Klaus went from looking shocked to grinning like a mad man. However, he slowly withdrew his fingers from inside her. "What are you going to do? Are you going to tell Damon about this? The Salvatores wouldn't risk destroying the alliance…not even for you."

Sadly, Bonnie knew that Klaus was right. She had known five years ago, too. The alliance was more important than any single person was. It was certainly more important than a teenage girl who was too stupid to keep herself from being violated.

However, she merely smirked at him and pressed the blade against his throat hard enough to nick the skin. "Well, I guess it is a good thing that I am not a Salvatore. I am a Benedetto and I give exactly zero fucks about the alliance. I would stand aside and watch you all cut each other down until only my family is left standing."

Klaus studied the feral look on the young woman's face with interest. Something in her had changed. She was not the same girl that had fallen for his pretty words once upon a time. He took a step back and raised his hands in the universal sign of surrender.

Just then, someone tried the door. Damon called out, "Bonnie?"

Bonnie stared at Klaus and whispered, "Should we test your theory?"

Klaus couldn't tell if Bonnie truly meant her threat or not. He decided now was not the time to find out. He lifted her from the chest of drawers and placed her on the ground. "I'll be seeing you again…soon," he promised.

Bonnie watched him disappear into the bathroom to hide. She fixed her appearance and tucked the switchblade into the small pouch sewn into her garter. Bonnie had sworn that she would never again be unarmed after Giuseppe had caught her off guard. She grabbed her purse and then she opened the door, "Hey."

Damon gave her a worried look. "Are you okay, bunny? Hayley said that you weren't feeling well."

"I'm fine now. It was just a little morning sickness. I didn't mean to stay in here for so long. I think that I might have dozed off for a minute. I have been feeling tired all day. I'm sorry, Damon," Bonnie replied while she feigned embarrassment.

He kissed her sweetly. "No, I am sorry for keeping you here this long. I should have made our excuses after dinner. We can leave now. Sarah is exhausted, too. Stefan has already taken her out to the car."

Bonnie said, "Thank you."

Damon rested his hand on the small of her back as they walked into the living room. "You can go outside while I say goodbye to Elijah."

"Are you sure? I can always call Tyler to pick us up," she offered. Truthfully, Bonnie was craving the safety of Tyler's presence.

He shook his head. "No, I can talk to Elijah some other time. I am going to go home with you and Sarah."

She nodded and said, "I will see you outside then."

As she made her way to the foyer, she saw Klaus emerge from the shadows with a glass in hand. He looked at her pointedly and then smelled the two fingers that had been inside her just minutes ago.

Bonnie walked out of the house so fast that she walked right into Stefan's broad chest.

He wrapped an arm around her body. "Are you okay, Bon?"

She looked up with startled eyes. "Oh, I am fine. I just feel a little light headed."

Stefan said, "Let me help you to the car."

Bonnie allowed Stefan to lead her downhill to the idling SUV. She climbed into the car where Sarah was already waiting with their driver. "Thanks, Stef."

The little girl was engrossed in the movie playing overhead. "Look, Mama."

She smiled. "I see, bambolina. Enjoy your movie."

"Can I get anything for you, Bon?" Stefan asked.

She shook her head. "No, I will be fine. I just need to get home. It's been a long day."

He nodded in agreement. He had been ready to go home hours ago but this was part of taking a bigger role in the family business. He said, "Damon will be out soon."

Bonnie relaxed once he closed the door. Her heart rate was slowly returning to normal. Klaus was a problem. He was as violent and unpredictable as he had always been. He was also back to using drugs again if his pupils had been any indication. The only good news for Bonnie was that they had no reason cross paths routinely. He certainly wouldn't be making any appearances at the manor. Damon and Elijah were friends. However, he and Klaus hated each other. As teens and even into their early twenties, they were always competing against one another. Damon and Klaus were always trying to outdo each other with their cars, girlfriends, and parties. However, there was one place that Damon would always best Niklaus—he was the eldest Salvatore and therefore would be head of the family one day.

Bonnie hadn't realized it at the time but Niklaus had been using her. He probably thought that getting Bonnie to fall in love with him would have forced Sheila into arranging a marriage between them. However, he couldn't have imagined the plans the girl's grandmother had for her life. Bonnie was raised to be a Trojan horse that the Salvatores foolishly allowed through their gates.

Damon climbed into the car a few minutes later and the driver pulled away from the Mikaelson Mansion. "Stefan said that you are feeling light headed. I can stay home with you tonight if you want me to."

Bonnie knew that he really wanted to go to Klaus's party. While he wasn't fond of the Mikaelsons' third son, he did enjoy strippers like the majority of the male population. She had heard through the grapevine that the party was being held at Klaus's flagship club. His right hand man, Marcel, had kept his clubs afloat in his absence. "It's fine, Damon. I am just going to go to bed. You should go and have fun tonight."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I am positive. It's not as if I will be home alone. Meredith will be on hand if I suddenly start to feel worse."

"Okay. But I want you to call me if anything changes. I'll come home," he promised. Then Damon turned his attention to dozens of calls and texts that he had missed.

Bonnie hated that her first thought was that Damon was replying to Katherine or Andie. She didn't like how paranoid and jealous she was becoming. The young woman decided to close her eyes and allowed herself to doze off on the ride home.

She didn't stir again until a strong pair of arms lifted her out of the car. She was met by Damon's smirk when she opened her eyes.

"Is this the part of the pregnancy where you become a narcoleptic?"

She laughed a little as she yawned. She murmured, "I'm sorry. I'll be better once I get some sleep."

Damon kissed her forehead as he carried her into the house. "I know. Thank you for being amazing as always. You make those events bearable."

"I didn't do anything special."

He walked up to the master bedroom. Damon chuckled, "You stopped me from calling Andrew's wife his daughter."

Bonnie snorted. "Well, it's not an unreasonable assumption to make. Dinah is my age and Andrew is old enough to be your father."

Damon placed her on the bed. "She's wife number three. I wonder how many more wives he'll have before he finally kicks the bucket."

"That's not nice."

He chuckled and loosened his tie. "It's not as if you like him either."

Bonnie said, "That's because he always stares at my breasts when he speaks to me."

Damon's smile faltered. "He does what?"

"You've never noticed?"

His eyes darkened. "No, I've never noticed that asshole ogling my wife."

Bonnie lifted an eyebrow at his reaction. She said, "He's hardly the only person to do that. Andrew just happens to be the least discreet."

Damon kissed her but his look hadn't brightened. "Has he ever made a pass at you? Has anyone?"

Bonnie winced at the way his eyes bulged as he questioned her. He always looked demented when he did that. "He's been a bit flirtatious but he's never said anything out of line to me, Damon. I would have told you."

Damon made a mental note to have a word with Andrew about his wandering eyes. "I am going to get changed so that I can head out for the night. Do you need anything before I leave?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm fine."

Damon walked into their closet to find something to wear. He called out from inside the closet, "Who else?"

Bonnie asked, "What?"

He stepped into the doorway shirtless and asked, "Who else ogles you?"

"Are you being serious right now?" Bonnie asked. She was massaging her sore feet.

Damon debated answering truthfully. Finally, he grinned. "I'm only joking, bunny."

Bonnie shook her head when he disappeared into the closet again. Damon wasn't joking and this topic would surely come up again. However, she would worry about her husband's jealousy later. Right now, she needed a plan for dealing with Klaus. She refused to live through a repeat of tonight but endangering the alliance wasn't a solution.

Her threat to Klaus had been all smoke. The Salvatore organization would undergo enough upheaval once Damon became boss. The change of leadership would surely tempt their enemies to strike against them. The alliance was crucial in making sure their attempts failed. Bonnie had her problems with Damon but she didn't want him dead. More importantly, she wanted the organization to remain strong. One day this would all belong to her son. Bonnie would protect her son's inheritance by any means.