Despite their best efforts, Ric's uncles had been unable to lure Giuseppe to the Salvatore compound. They weren't certain if he suspected a trap or if Giuseppe was just being overly cautious. In any case, his squirrelly older brother insisted on meeting Bruno and Giacomo at a café in the heart of Milazzo. The location ensured the safety of all three men. None of them wanted the heat that would come from turning the trendy tourist area into a shooting gallery. The Salvatores had a good working relationship with local law enforcement. The police largely looked the other way as long as they weren't dropping bodies out in the open.
Alaric was even more concerned about their trip to Milazzo now. Giuseppe could be lurking in the shadows while Damon met with the capos. He knew that his brother would have no reservations about killing his own son. Giuseppe's number one goal was always to survive. Therefore, the security on this trip would be suffocating. They were taking fifteen of their most loyal soldiers from this side of the Atlantic. They would also have twenty men from in and around Milazzo that Bruno trusted implicitly. Damon wouldn't be able to move an inch without another body shielding him. His nephew complained about the security plan. Damon thought it made him look weak. However, Alaric's job was to get the soon-to-be mob boss out of there alive.
Ric closed his book with a sigh when he realized that he had been staring at the same page for five minutes. His brain was enumerating all the ways in which everything could go horribly wrong. Moreover, catering to Damon's whims was making his life more difficult. The original plan had been to fly to Milazzo late Monday afternoon. However, his nephew had decided he wanted to leave Sunday night. Damon wanted to stopover in the Canary Islands to see Katherine. Ric didn't care about his nephew's affairs as long as he kept them out of the public eye. They didn't need the media glare that would surely come from that. However, the change in plans irritated Ric because it meant that he had less time to spend with his families. His personal life was in upheaval right now and Ric needed to do damage control before he left.
Alaric, Jo, and their girls had spent the evening celebrating Erik Mikaelson's christening. As soon as he dropped them off at home, he drove the 40 minutes out to Huntington Beach to see Abby and their kids. Unfortunately, the younger kids were already asleep when he arrived. Meanwhile, Jamie had locked himself in his bedroom as soon as his father walked into the house. Ric decided to stay the night so that he could see them in the morning at breakfast. Then he planned to spend the rest of the day with his wife and daughters. Alaric was trying to cram in as much quality time with his children as he could because he would be out of the country for at least a week.
Ric took off his reading glasses as Abby walked into the bedroom. He smiled and asked, "Did you have a good bath?"
Abby grabbed a bottle of lotion from her dresser and sat on the side of the bed. She nodded emphatically. "A long bath was just what the doctor ordered. I needed to relax and regroup. Savannah is not on board with my potty training plan."
Ric chuckled as he placed his long neglected book on the nightstand. At this rate, it would take him six months to finish the novel. "Was it really that bad?"
Abby scowled at Ric over her shoulder as she lotioned her toned legs. She said, "Your daughter took off her pull-ups and peed on the floor no less than four times today. The last time she had the nerve to laugh while I was cleaning it up."
He bit back a laugh because Abby wouldn't appreciate it. He knew that he was on thin ice with her. Ric scooted across the bed so that he could rub Abby's back. "This was only the first day, honey. It will get easier with time."
Abby relaxed a little and nodded. "I know that it will get easier. I have potty-trained three children successfully. I can do it again. Today was just stressful because Cooper was demanding my attention, too."
"Jealous of his baby sister?" he asked.
"Maybe," she hummed. "Or he was just bored. Cooper really enjoyed playing with the other kids while we were staying at the manor. I was thinking that I might talk to Bonnie about scheduling a playdate for Cooper and Sarah next week."
"That is a good idea. Those two are as thick as thieves whenever they get together. Reminds me of Stefan, Tyler, and Bonnie when they were that age."
Abby laughed a little as she closed the lotion bottle and put it on the nightstand. She scooted back to rest against the headboard. "Well, my Bonnie was more demanding than little Sarah is. The way she used to order those little boys around was comical."
Ric chuckled in response. "I seem to remember you having a similar temperament as kid."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied with a grin. "I was always sweet to you. You were the one that was mean to me."
Ric pulled Abby on top of him and rested his hands on her hips. He kissed her neck and murmured, "That's not how I remember it."
"I guess we can add senility to your growing list of ailments," she teased.
He laughed and rolled them over so that he was on top of Abby. "I don't know why you find it so funny. You are going to be the one responsible for taking care of me in my old age."
Abby said, "I think you completely misunderstand the role of mistress, Alaric. When you get old and decrepit, Jo will be the one taking care of you. I doubt I'll even have the opportunity to see you."
Ric's playful attitude faded away at the mention of his wife. "Why would you say that?"
"Because it is the truth."
He asked, "Where is this coming from?"
Abby sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Forget that I said anything. You were just about to prove how young and virile you are."
"No, I think that we need to talk. Things have been strained between us all week. I apologized for not telling you about what happened to Bonnie. I thought that you accepted my apology," he said.
She said, "I did."
"Then what the fuck was that crack you just made?" he asked.
Abby sighed, "I guess I am just worried about what comes next."
"What do you mean?" Alaric said as he sat beside her.
"What if Jo gives you an ultimatum once you tell her about us?"
He tensed at the suggestion. "She wouldn't do that."
Abby huffed and said, "I think that Jo is at the very least suspicious of us already, Alaric. She offered to set me up with someone from the hospital. Then she made a wisecrack about my age."
"What did you say?" he asked through gritted teeth.
She rolled her eyes and said, "I turned her down, but that is not the point. What if Jo makes you choose between her and me? I just need to know that you will still be part of the kids' lives. Jamie knows the truth now. You can't just disappear on him. It will break his heart."
"Jo wouldn't put me in that position. And she would get a rude awakening if she did," he replied. "But no matter what happens in either relationship, my kids will always come first. I am their dad before I am anything else."
Abby could rattle off a list of reasons why that was complete bullshit. At the top of her list would be his refusal to put his name on Jamie, Cooper, and Savannah's birth certificates. However, addressing that topic would just drag them into a fight that Abby didn't have the energy for now.
Ric could practically see Abby struggling against saying what was on her mind. She was confrontational by nature—so was he. It was the reason that their relationship had always been so volatile. Abby had only been afraid of one person and that was Sheila. She would cuss out everyone else at the drop of a hat. Abby gave him hell whenever she felt like it and didn't care that he dwarfed her in height and weight.
The doorbell ringing broke their stalemate.
"Who the hell would be coming here at this hour?" Ric asked.
Abby climbed out of the bed and pulled on her robe. "I have no idea. Maybe it's Jo coming to confront us."
"That's not funny," he snapped.
"I wasn't joking, dear. Stay here. I'll go see who it is."
Ric raked a hand through his sandy brown hair and groaned. He didn't need these complications right now.
Abby walked downstairs and opened the iron cutout in the front door. A thick piece of bulletproof glass sealed off the hole but allowed an unobstructed view of the porch. Abby and Alaric had made a compromise mingling design and safety when she chose a Craftsman style door with an iron viewer.
Her hazel eyes widened in surprise when she saw her daughter standing outside in her pajamas. Abby threw open the door. "Bonnie? What's wrong, baby girl?"
Bonnie's eyes were puffy as if she had been crying. "I'm scared and I don't know what to do, Mama. I don't know what to do now."
The older woman's heart nearly stuttered to a stop at the appearance of her oldest child. Bonnie hadn't called her 'Mama' since she was a little girl. "Come inside, baby."
Ric stood at the top of the stairs wearing his boxers. "Is everything okay?"
Bonnie froze as her eyes darted up to Alaric. "I'm sorry to bother you. I thought that he would be at Niklaus' party. I shouldn't have come here tonight. I'll go."
Abby closed the door. "Don't be silly. You aren't leaving here in this state. Alaric was just leaving. Weren't you?"
Ric frowned at his girlfriend. He didn't particularly like being kicked out of his own house. Moreover, he was interested in what was happening with Bonnie. He needed to know if it was something that he needed to talk about with Damon. They didn't need problems with the Benedettos right now.
He said, "Abigail…"
Abby glared at Ric for his stubbornness. However, she wrapped an arm around Bonnie's shoulders and guided her into the kitchen. "Have a seat, baby girl."
The green-eyed girl sniffled softly. "I don't want to cause trouble between the two of you. I know that you are both going through a lot because of what Jamie overheard. I should have called first but I just needed…"
Abby smoothed a stray curl behind Bonnie's ear. She said, "You needed your grams but all you've got is me."
There was no malice in her reply. She was grateful that Bonnie came to her but it also scared her. She couldn't imagine the situation that would force the girl onto her doorstep in tears.
She nodded. Bonnie figured that there was no sense in lying when her mother obviously knew the truth. "I just…it feels like we've been getting closer lately."
"We have been. I am glad that you came to me. I know how it feels to be completely alone in the world. But you're not alone because I am right here."
"Thank you," she whispered in response.
The older woman put on the kettle and pulled out a selection of teas. Abby kissed the top of Bonnie's head and then said, "Pick something. I will be back soon."
Bonnie sat down at the granite-topped island and pulled the container to her. A cup of tea sounded soothing with the way her stomach was churning in discomfort.
Abby squeezed Bonnie's shoulder as she walked by. She went upstairs to the master bedroom and frowned at Ric. She couldn't believe he was just lying in bed. "I wasn't joking. You need to go, Alaric."
He caught his pants when she threw them at his head. "Why do I have to leave? I can just stay up here while you talk to Bonnie."
She folded her arms over her chest and scowled. "She won't feel comfortable talking to me with you lurking around up here. And don't tell me that you won't try to eavesdrop so that you can report back to Damon. Because we both know that would be a bald-face lie."
Alaric walked over to Abby. "You are being ridiculous. I'm essentially her stepfather. I might actually be of some help here."
Her hazel eyes narrowed into slits as she laughed in his face. "You are no such thing. I am not about to have this argument with you. You need to leave, Alaric. My daughter needs to talk to me. It is probably about that idiot nephew of yours."
"Don't start a fight with me, Abigail," he warned.
"Then get the fuck out of my house, Alaric. Go home to your wife," she sneered.
Ric scrubbed a hand over his face. This attitude was why he was with Abby instead of at a strip club with his brother and nephews. Something was off between the two of them and he couldn't figure out what it was. He had this nagging fear that one day he would walk through that door to find his family gone. He asked, "Do you blame me for what Giuseppe did?"
She sighed heavily. "I blame a lot of people for what happened to Bonnie. I blame Giuseppe, my mother, Damon, and myself. And you are right. I blame you, too. You promised to look after my little girl. You promised to protect her from that monster. I trusted you. But I shouldn't have because you have always been Giuseppe's bitch. You didn't protect your own flesh and blood from him. I don't know what made me think you would protect mine."
The mobster's jaw ticked when Abby called him a bitch. No one else would be brave enough to speak to him so disrespectfully. "Do you really want to get into a fight with me tonight? Keep talking like that."
She sucked her teeth derisively. Abby said, "I don't have time to deal with you right now. My daughter needs me. Get. The. Fuck. Out. Of. My. House."
Ric glared at Abby for a moment before he started putting on his clothes. He didn't really want to fight with her while Bonnie and the kids were in the house. After Ric finished getting dressed, he pulled Abby into a hug.
He kissed her tenderly and then said, "Call me when Bonnie leaves. I will come back. I think we need to talk."
She merely nodded in agreement. They did need to talk but it wouldn't be tonight. Everything that was festering between them would have to wait until he returned from Milazzo.
Ric took Abby's hand and walked downstairs with her. He kissed the top of her head. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
Ric nodded and reluctantly walked out of the house.
She locked the door and then took a moment to collect herself. Afterwards, she walked into the kitchen to check on Bonnie.
Bonnie was blowing on her tea to cool it down. She said, "I made a cup for you, too."
Abby smiled tiredly. "Thank you. Let's go get comfortable in the living room."
The girl followed her mother with a package of buttery crackers she had dug out of the cabinet. She had a seat on the couch and toed off her shoes. Bonnie knew that she had to look insane showing up in the middle of the night dressed in her pajamas.
Abby took a sip of the tea. "Mmm, ginger. This was a good choice."
"I hoped it would settle my stomach. I have been nauseous for most of the day," she explained.
"Ginger tea is great for that. I had such terrible morning sickness when I was pregnant with Cooper."
Bonnie chewed at her bottom lip and said, "I hope that I didn't cause too much trouble between you and Alaric."
"Don't worry about Ric. He is a big boy. He will be just fine. Frankly, I could use a break from him right now," she confessed.
Bonnie nodded a little and slowly sipped her tea. She was losing her nerve now that she had Abby's full attention. Bonnie had only ever shared her story with a priest under the seal of confession. However, after what happened tonight she needed one safe place in the world. She prayed that her mother could be that place.
"What's going on, baby girl? What has you all worked up?" Abby asked gently.
She took a deep breath as tears began to blur her vision. She explained, "I am about to trust you with something that only three people in the world know. You can't tell anyone about this. You can't tell Ric, Lucy, or Uncle Johnny. You definitely can't tell Damon. I just...I need you to be in my corner. I need one person that is going to take my side. If you can't do that then send me home. I won't hold it against you, Mama."
Abby put her mug down and scooted closer to her daughter. "I swear on my life that I won't say a word to anyone. I just want to help you. You are scaring me. I have never seen you like this before. What's wrong?"
"I made a mistake when I was sixteen. Now it is coming back to haunt me and I don't know how to fix it. This situation could ruin everything that I have worked so hard to achieve. But the part that scares me the most is how people would look at me if they knew the truth. I don't even want to think about what Damon would do," she explained in a trembling voice.
She said, "Most teenagers think they are invincible. I certainly thought I was at that age. I got into so much trouble that your grams considered sending me to live with Uncle Johnny. I'm sure that she used me as a cautionary tale for you."
Bonnie smiled a little because Big John was a big ole teddy bear. He wouldn't have been any firmer than Sheila was with Abby. He always let Bonnie get away with murder whenever she visited him.
Abby continued, "I don't care what happened. I am not going to judge you. I love you and we will figure out a solution to this. I know that I have let you down in the past but I am here now, baby girl. I'm not going anywhere."
The young woman wanted to believe her mother because she couldn't hold this burden alone. "The year that I turned sixteen, Grams and I stayed at the manor as we did every summer. Caroline and Stefan's twins had just been born a few months earlier. One night, there was this huge beach party in Malibu. Stefan and Caroline decided to make it their first night out as new parents. I begged Stefan to let me go with them. Grams and Giuseppe were out of the country on business at the time. Stefan figured it would be safe since there was bound to be armed security at the party. It was Niklaus' 25th birthday after all. Mikael might not have been fond of him but he always made sure that he was protected."
She winced in sympathy. She had seen firsthand just how much Mikael despised Niklaus. Abby never understood how Esther allowed the man to treat her son in such a heartless way. Sheila would always standup to Giuseppe when she thought he was being too hard on the boys. It didn't matter that they weren't her blood, she wasn't about to stand by and watch children be abused. Unfortunately, it only worked while she was there to put her foot down.
"The night started out fun. I was having a great time but then Damon and Sybil showed up. I hated that cow more than I hated anything else in the world. It was bad enough that she was dating the guy that I had this silly schoolgirl crush on but she was a total bitch to me whenever she got the chance. Damon lost his shit when he realized that Stefan brought me to Niklaus' party. He made me stick close to him and it drove Sybil up the wall. I might have antagonized her a bit by making Damon pay more attention to me. Eventually, she got fed up and 'accidentally' wasted an entire pitcher of strawberry daiquiri all over me. I looked like a drowned rat. I had never been so embarrassed in my life. Fortunately, Rebekah and Niklaus were living at the beach house at the time. Rebekah told me that I could go upstairs and take something from her closet. Niklaus walked into her bedroom while I was changing clothes. He apologized and then left the room while I finished getting dressed. But when I was about to head back downstairs to the party…he stopped me. He asked me to hang out with him since it was his birthday after all. He said that he was having the worst birthday ever. And he kinda was…he'd just found out that Hope was his daughter. Elijah and Hayley had lied to him about it for three years. He only found out because Mikael blurted it out in the middle of an argument."
Abby's heart was thumping loudly in her ears because she didn't like where this was headed.
"I figured there was no harm in hanging out with Niklaus. I had known him for years. He had never shown any interest in me before. I thought it was innocent at the time. We were playing this game where we traded shots of vodka while sharing stories about our shitty parents," Bonnie paused. "I'm sorry…"
She shook her head. "No, you had and have every right to say that about me and Rudy. We have both let you down."
Bonnie took a deep breath and said, "Niklaus kissed me while we were sitting on his bed. I wasn't expecting it. I didn't really know what to do. I had only kissed one other person before him. It was kind of nice at first but then he took things too far…"
Abby's hands curled into fists. However, she managed to keep her voice unaffected by the storm brewing inside her. She asked, "Did he rape you?"
Bonnie lowered her eyes and fiddled with the Saint Christopher's medal hanging from her neck. "At the time, I didn't think so. But I'm older now and I know that what he did to me wasn't okay. I was stupid for even going into his bedroom. It's my fault…"
In that moment, Bonnie looked her relatively young age. Abby just wanted to hold her, so she pulled the girl into her arms. She smoothed her hand over Bonnie's hair and murmured soothing words.
She melted into her mother's embrace and let a few silent tears fall. That feeling of warmth and comfort allowed Bonnie to let go. Her sobs were muffled against Abby's robe.
"It's okay, baby girl. I've got you," she whispered. Abby didn't know exactly what happened but she had a good idea. "Did it happen just once?"
She shook her head and said, "It happened a few times that summer. The worst time was when we were at the Mikaelson's house following Mikael's funeral. I had never seen Niklaus so mad or so drunk before. I was scared that he was really going to hurt me that time. Niklaus forced me to perform oral sex on him in the pool house."
Abby stared in shock because she had attended dinner at the Mikaelson's house the night of the funeral. She couldn't believe that maniac had raped her daughter under her nose. Abby searched her memories for even the slightest hint that something had been wrong with Bonnie that night. "Why didn't you tell your grams?" she asked gently.
"I was scared that she would be disappointed in me. It's not like I ever said no to him. Not once. Whenever he wanted to touch me, I just let him. I never fought him. I just took it. I thought if he made me orgasm that I must have liked what he was doing on some level," she whispered.
"It doesn't matter if you didn't say no. The point is that you didn't say yes. Besides, you were too young to consent even if you had wanted to have sex with him. He was 25 years old and you were sixteen. He had no business touching you for even a second. He was the adult. Niklaus knew better and he took advantage of you. How far did this go, Bonnie?"
Some small part of the girl knew that her mother was right. However, that tiny voice was drowned out by the louder one that berated Bonnie for being weak and stupid. That voice was also the one that made her believe that Damon's disinterest in her was because there was something wrong with her. She wasn't pretty enough. She didn't do enough to please him sexually. She wasn't interesting enough. It was the voice that made her question why her own parents hadn't wanted her. Bonnie hated those weaknesses that hid deep within her soul.
Bonnie was powerful. She was smart. She could be as deadly as any of the men that worked for her family. She had the ability to bring the Salvatore organization to its knees. Yet there she sat crying over something that should have been water under the bridge. The amount of self-loathing rippling through Bonnie was staggering.
"We never had intercourse. It was mostly just oral sex and sometimes he would penetrate me with his fingers. He never went any farther that summer. By the time Grams and I visited for Thanksgiving, Niklaus was already in prison."
She asked, "Did seeing him tonight bring all of those memories rushing back? Is that what upset you?"
Bonnie nodded. "But it is more than that. He cornered me tonight after the christening. He was drunk and high but his intentions were clear."
"Did that bastard touch you?" Abby practically snarled.
Bonnie didn't want to lie to her mother but she was worried that Abby would feel compelled to tell someone. "Damon showed up before it went too far but Niklaus promised to see me again soon. I was at home alone tonight when he called my phone. I don't even know how he got the number. I don't know what to do, Mom. I love Damon but I don't think he would understand if I told him the truth. There is also the chance that he might kill Niklaus in a rage and you know what would happen then."
She could see the irony in her fears. Bonnie was worried that her cheating husband would think of her as tainted or damaged goods because of something that happened before they were married. However, the men in this life were territorial. Honestly, most men were territorial regardless of their line of work.
Abby took a deep breath because Bonnie needed her to be calm. She couldn't believe that her little girl had been holding in this pain for five years. She held her daughter's tear stained face in her hands.
"I know that I can't tell you not to feel ashamed but you did nothing wrong. Niklaus saw a broken little girl and he took advantage of you. I am so sorry that we didn't give you a life where you felt safe enough to tell us what this man was doing to you. Your grams loved you so much. She would have never let this stand…not even for the sake of the alliance. You need to know that. Nothing was ever more important than you, Bonnie."
Bonnie hugged her mother and cried for a long time. There wasn't a magic word or phrase that could fix this. More than the emotional toll, the threat to her safety was very real. Niklaus could be reasoned with when he was sober. He was charming and could be incredibly sweet. Bonnie believed that some part of him truly cared her because they were kindred spirits. However, tonight was proof that he was off the wagon or perhaps had never been on it. There were plenty of ways for a man of Niklaus' means to obtain illicit substances while in prison.
"I don't know what to do," she whispered to her mother in a broken voice.
Abby stroked her hair. "We will figure it out, baby girl."
She sniffled. "I appreciate you listening to me. I couldn't tell anyone else. Lucy would fly off the handle and try to kill Niklaus. You know how quick she can go from 0 to 100."
Abby knew that Bonnie didn't mean it as an insult but it was. Her daughter didn't think that she could or would protect her from a man that meant her harm. This was a man that molested and took advantage of her as a teenager. However, Abby realized that she had earned her daughter's doubt.
"Do you want to stay over tonight? Your brothers and Savannah would be thrilled to wake up with you here in the morning. I could make blueberry and ricotta pancakes for you."
"I can't. Ric will probably tell Damon that I came here in tears. I am already going to have to make up a lie for why I was here. I'll need a bigger one to explain why I stayed the night. Can I just sit here a little longer?"
Abby kissed her forehead and stood up. "You can sit here as long as you want, baby girl. Make yourself comfortable on the couch. I am going to go upstairs to check on Savannah."
Bonnie curled up on one end of the couch and closed her eyes. It was silly but she felt comforted being there with her mother. She would worry about Niklaus later.
Abby walked upstairs and went into Savannah's room. The little girl was sleeping peacefully. Abby remembered when Bonnie was this small. It was before everything went so off track in her life. Maybe if she had run with Bonnie, her daughter wouldn't have gone through all of this hell.
She felt helpless and spineless. Bonnie was fighting for her life and Abby was just watching. Maybe she offered a shoulder on occasion or worked Alaric for information but it wasn't enough. Bonnie needed Sheila but Abby was here now. It was time for her to be the mother that Bonnie deserved. She had the reputation for being a peace-loving hippie that believed in homeopathic remedies. However, Abby had been forged in the same fire that produced her daughter, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was capable of getting shit done when necessary.
Bonnie was sleeping peacefully by the time Abby returned.
Abby grabbed a chenille throw blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over her daughter. She pressed a kissed atop the girl's head. "Mama's here now…"