A/N: I can't believe that we have reached 700 reviews! You all are amazing. I love the support and feedback that you give me. I hope everyone is having safe and happy holidays!

P.S. I promise that we see Damon again next chapter. It is already written and it is kinda great in my opinion :-)

Bonnie was livid after leaving Dr. Correa's office. She couldn't get away from that hack or her infuriating husband fast enough. She saw that farce of a counseling session to be further proof of their toxic relationship. It was startling to realize, but Bonnie had come to hate her husband. She was ashamed to admit how much she wanted to cause him pain. Her verbal barbs simply were not good enough anymore. She wanted to draw blood because that was the only language men in the mafia understood. However, Bonnie didn't want to stray down that path. She and Damon had children together. They deserved parents capable of civil discourse or at the very least didn't assault each other.

The young woman felt lost in a sea of chaos. She had not been raised with the proper conflict resolution skills for this situation. Her grandmother had been a fighter, or perhaps a brawler was a better word. Giuseppe was not always the instigator of the physical altercations that plagued their dysfunctional relationship. On more than one occasion, Bonnie had witnessed her grandmother strike the first blow. Usually, Giuseppe would say something ignorant, hurtful, disrespectful, or generally rage inducing. Recently, she learned that her mother had behaved similarly with Rudy. Bonnie was desperate to break the insane cycle. She owed it to her children to find a reasonable way to deal with her anger.

Bonnie knew that seeing a professional was the only way to deal with her issues. She was angry, hurt, and lost. Moreover, Bonnie felt as if Damon and Niklaus had taken pieces of her soul that she could never get back. Too often, she felt hollow and cold inside. Vengeance seemed to be the only thing that generated a spark of life within her. She needed to develop coping skills that did not lead her to violence. However, those rational and mature thoughts were better left for another day. Bonnie could not bring herself to engage in domestic violence with Damon, but there were no such concerns with Niklaus. He was merely a business associate that had crossed the line. A violent retaliation was well within her right.

Tyler had wisely chosen a safe house in Antelope Valley as the site of tonight's festivities. The unassuming bungalow home sat on a couple acres of fenced land. Moreover, every inch of the house had been soundproofed to ensure not even a single unwanted sound could escape. The house was registered to a shell corporation to ensure no one could connect it to the Bennett organization. The only downside to the safe house was its distance from Los Angeles. However, the extended drive time gave Bonnie the opportunity to relax. She needed a clear head before seeing Niklaus. If everything went according to the plan, the action would be over before she arrived.

She knew that Tyler was not happy about her involvement, but she needed to see Niklaus face-to-face. He had to understand that while men had carried out the attack, the order had come from her. She was in full control of her family's organization now. At Elijah's house, Klaus had seen a brief glimpse of the young woman's true nature. She had pressed a switchblade to his throat while threatening his life. Bonnie wanted to reinforce that she was no longer the little girl afraid to speak up for herself. She deserved as much respect as any of her male counterparts did.

Bonnie walked into the bungalow. She smiled seeing Mason, Brady, Cesare, Cristian, and Tyler lounging in the living room. Pizza boxes and beer bottles littered the room. She grabbed a slice of pizza as she sat on the arm of the couch.

Tyler discreetly squeezed Bonnie's thigh in greeting. He had been worried about the counseling session with Damon. Matt had sent a text to warn him that it had been a disaster.

Matt plopped down on the couch and swiped a bottle of beer. He popped the top and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. "Tell me there's a Hawaiian pizza here somewhere."

Tyler nodded. "I've got you covered."

Brady shifted the boxes until he found the right one and passed it over to Matt.

Bonnie nodded towards the television as she finished one slice and grabbed another. "Who's winning?"

"Warriors," Mason complained.

"When are you going to give up on your pathetic Lakers?" she asked teasingly.

"Never," he countered with a good-natured smile. "I'm not a bandwagon fan like my nephew. He's corrupted my eldest, too."

The younger man shrugged. "I was never a Lakers fan. I was a Kobe Bryant fan. There is a difference. He has retired and now I am a Steph Curry fan."

"Me, too," Bonnie replied. "He's cute and I've always been attracted to men with a nice jump shot."

Tyler winked at Bonnie knowing that the comment was directed at him.

"I hope he goes home to the Charlotte Hornets when his contract ends this summer," Cristian added.

Brady snorted. "No one willingly goes to Charlotte."

"West Coast elitist," Bonnie joked.

"He is from there," Cristian argued.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at her cousin. "You only like the Charlotte Hornets because they have an Italian player."

Cesare scoffed. "He's from Northern Italy."

She chuckled. Her family had some strong opinions about northerners.

She finished her second slice of pizza and asked, "How did everything go here?"

Tyler lifted an eyebrow and passed her a key. "He's still alive, Bon. He is locked up tight in the office."

She chuckled. "Well, that's good news. Did you do the thing that I asked you to do?"

He grinned at Bonnie and said, "I let Brady handle it. He has a surer hand than I do."

Brady said, "It was a clean cut, Boss."

She said, "I guess I shouldn't keep our guest waiting any longer. I wouldn't want to be rude. Save me a couple slices of stuffed crust or I will be pissed."

Matt smirked. "You aren't even supposed to be eating this junk. I should rat you out to Abby."

Bonnie stuck her tongue out at Matt before she walked out of the living room. She made her way to the office and unlocked the door using the key that Tyler had given her. When she entered the sparsely decorated room, her eyes fell onto Niklaus immediately. They had left his face largely untouched so that he could hide the damage from Elijah. If his older brother learned of the attack, he would surely demand answers that Klaus couldn't give him.

Niklaus should have been suspicious when Bonnie called him earlier in the day. She had asked him to meet her at this off the radar location so that they could 'talk'. Unfortunately, his guard was always down when it came to the green-eyed enchantress. Klaus didn't realize that he was walking into a trap until five masked thugs descended on him. In the beginning, he assumed that Bonnie had finally told Damon of his transgressions. However, the methods used to assault Niklaus quickly dispelled that notion. It was obvious that his attackers meant to leave him alive. The men had strung him up in the garage before working him over with heavy gauge rubber hoses. The attack caused him severe pain and he would be sore for at least a week but there would be very little evidence. Even the mutilation of his hand had been done with care.

Bonnie scowled at the growing puddle of blood beside Niklaus. She grabbed the first aid kit from the desk and pulled a chair over to him. "I'm sorry about this. I assumed that they would have the courtesy to see to your wound."

He growled. "Don't pretend to care for my well-being, petal. You obviously orchestrated these theatrics. Damon is a mouth breathing knuckle dragger. He lacks the finesse for something like this. He would have just killed me in a fit of rage."

She chuckled as she removed some peroxide from the kit. "I do care for your well-being, Niklaus. If I were heartless, I would have had them sever the tendon in your dominant hand. However, I would never take away your ability to paint and draw. I know how much your art means to you."

Klaus had assumed that his assailants had erroneously chosen the wrong hand to mutilate. In a petulant voice, he asked, "Am I supposed to thank you for that kindness?"

"No, I would not expect you to thank me for any of this. Well, unless you are a masochist and this sort of thing gets you off. However, I think we both know that you are a sadist," Bonnie quipped as she doused his upturned hand with peroxide.

He hissed and bucked against his bindings. He growled, "Now who is the sadist?"

She smiled innocently and repeated the action to ensure the wound was clean. "I never said I wasn't a sadist, Nik."

Klaus bit his lip to keep from screaming. He wouldn't give Bonnie the pleasure of hearing how much pain he felt. "Well done, petal. You truly made me believe that you could accept my apology. Generally, I am not so easily fooled."

Bonnie patted his hand dry and then began wrapping it with a clean bandage. "I tried to forgive you, Nik. I wanted to forgive you because I believed your words were heartfelt and honest. However, you and I were both raised to believe that an eye for an eye is the only adequate retribution. I had to come up with an alternative since I had no interest in raping you or hiring someone else to do the deed. This seemed to be the perfect solution. Frankly, I went easy on you. What would you do if a 25-year-old man took advantage of your teenage daughter?"

He wanted a say something biting but the words died on his lips at the mention of his daughter. Klaus would literally eviscerate a cretin that dared lay a hand on his child. There would be nowhere to hide and no line that he would not cross to end the pervert. He swallowed thickly. Begrudgingly, he asked, "What happens now? Has your thirst for blood been quenched or should I be watching my back from now on, petal?"

She smiled at him. "I am going to finish bandaging your hand and you will be free to leave. This was never about killing you. I could have had you murdered in prison at any point. I had a lovely friend in your cellblock. You got along quite well with Bam-Bam, didn't you?"

Nik blinked at the name of his former three hundred pound cellmate. The men had crossed paths in the prison's lackluster library. Bam-Bam had been a literature major before he was convicted of manslaughter. Nik's lively debates with the older man were his only source of intellectual stimulation. They had slowly formed a friendship that was put to the test just a few months later. Niklaus was entering year three of his prison sentence and had settled into a routine. His older brother had called in favors and spent an obscene amount of money to make sure he had protection. However, one day in the yard the three men meant to protect him were killed by rivals of the Mikaelson family. They started a riot with the intention of assassinating Klaus. However, Bam-Bam had came to the rescue and taken a shiv to the stomach for his trouble. Afterwards, Niklaus had demanded that Elijah pull whatever strings necessary to have Bam-Bam transferred to his cell. He tensed at the realization that everything had likely been a set up.

"You were only nineteen at the time. There's no way you could have made that happen," he said with stubborn disbelief.

She finished wrapping his hand and sat back in her chair. "I was a 19-year-old that inherited her family's business."

"Damon inherited your family's business," he countered.

She laughed. "Damon believed that he took over the organization. He was certainly the public face and took all the risk but I had my people in place. On my 19th birthday, I decided that killing you would be my present to myself."

He eyed her suspiciously. "Had a change of heart, love?"

Bonnie's expression softened and she nodded. "About a week before Bam-Bam was set to kill you, I attended Julian's birthday party with my little girl. While I was there, I saw Hope. She really is a precious girl, Niklaus. Hope was so patient and sweet with Sarah as she tried to teach her the mechanics of some game. Sarah couldn't have been more than three-years-old at the time. She was never going to figure out that game but Hope didn't seem to care. Watching her made me realize that I wasn't cruel enough to kill her father. I knew she would one day learn the truth about her paternity. I couldn't rob her of the opportunity to know you."

Niklaus stared into Bonnie's green eyes searching for even a hint of deception. He asked, "You paid Bam-Bam to be my friend for three years?"

She chuckled. "Well, he's still on my payroll but he actually started to like you. You have that effect on people, Nik. Either they love or hate you—there is no in between."

"What about you? Do you love me or hate me, petal?" he asked curiously.

"You're still alive, aren't you? I think that would answer your question," she quipped.

Niklaus said, "Perhaps or you just want to avoid a war with my family. It isn't as easy to cover up a murder outside of a prison."

Bonnie smiled at him. "Elijah would be devastated by your death but he is a reasonable man. He would stand down once I directed him to your older brother. Father Finn has quite the tale to tell about the summer of 2011. The morning after July 4th, I visited the church. I expected Father Kieran to hear my confession. I was so upset that it took me a while to realize that it wasn't his soothing voice on the other side of the privacy screen. When I recognized Father Finn's voice, I felt even more humiliated. I thought about bolting out the confessional."

He didn't need to ask Bonnie about the significance of that date. He had attended Giuseppe Salvatore's annual Fourth of July party. The alcohol flowed freely and everyone was distracted by the revelry. It had been easy to pull Bonnie into an empty bedroom completely unnoticed. They returned to the party more than an hour later and no one was the wiser. "Why didn't you leave once you realized my brother was hearing your confession?"

She said, "He offered to tell me a secret. He promised to tell me something that caused him as much shame as I was feeling. Afterwards, I truly believed that I could trust him. I told him about how afraid I was you were going to hurt me if I rejected you. I told him that I was afraid my grams would be angry with me if I went to her with the truth. More importantly, I was terrified that my weakness would be the cause of bloodshed. I didn't want good men, men that had sworn to protect my family, to die because I was weak and pathetic. Father Finn promised that he would help me without breaking his vow. I guess he didn't try or it didn't work because three weeks later…well, you know what happened the night of Mikael's funeral."

If this were a cartoon, time would have frozen as Klaus saw the big picture for the first time. Not long after Independence Day, his pious older brother had visited him at the beach house in Malibu. He suggested that it might be wise for Klaus to leave California for a while since Hayley and Elijah's betrayal had thoroughly gutted him. At the time, spending a few months at their family home in the Westman Islands sounded pleasant. He was days away from jetting off to Iceland when Mikael was killed in a car accident.

She continued, "I was angry and distraught the next time he heard my confession. I told him what you did to me after your father's funeral. I asked how God could love me if he let you hurt me that way. I could only assume that I had done something to anger God and that he was punishing me for it. I don't remember how long Father Finn spent trying to convince me that I was wrong. I still didn't believe him when I left. Then a few weeks later the police arrested you based on the surveillance footage from the church's parking lot. I underestimated your brother. I think perhaps you did, too."

His entire body throbbed from the rubber hose treatment, not to mention the searing pain in his hand. However, none of that could compare to the emotional toll of this conversation. It wasn't just hearing the words but seeing the pained expression on her face. Klaus felt genuine shame. He shook his head. "I'm sorry."

"I know that you are, Nik. I have forgiven you and I am ready to move on from that terrible time. I just wanted you to understand why I did this. I needed you to suffer and now you have. I would like to be friends. Our daughters socialize and one day my Sarah will marry into your family."

"God help her," he complained.

Bonnie touched his cheek and said, "However, I need you to understand that friends are all that we will ever be, Nik. I am not in love with you. I could never fall in love with you because of our history together. What happened the night of Erik's christening can never happen again. If you ever cross the line with me again, it will be the last thing you ever do. As you have realized, I can be quite sadistic and I will make your death as painful as humanly possible. Do we have an understanding or should I kill you right now? I promise to make it a clean kill so that your family can have an open casket funeral."

Klaus' eyes focused on the gleaming blade that Bonnie had seemingly pulled out of thin air. He looked down as the sharp tip bit into his already sore skin. The angle of the blade ensured that he would die within minutes if Bonnie thrust it into his chest. Someone had obviously trained her in the finer points of murder. He would put his money on Sheila. The older woman had been formidable enough that Mikael had feared getting on her bad side and he had been a raging misogynist.

"That will not be necessary, petal. I understand that I squandered whatever chance I might have had with you years ago. I am capable of behaving as a gentleman and that is how I will behave with you."

Bonnie retracted the dagger that Tyler had stashed in the first aid kit on her orders. She smiled at him. "I am glad to hear you say that, Niklaus. The less stress in my life the better it is for my babies."

"Are you unwell?" he asked with genuine concern.

"A stressful life isn't really conducive for a healthy pregnancy but I am clearing all the negativity out of my life."

Klaus said, "If there is anything that I can do…."

She smiled coyly. Bonnie could think of a dozen ways that Klaus could help her. However, that would come in a few weeks after the botched DEA bust. She was hoping for a lucrative partnership.

"I will keep that in mind. Will you be able to drive with that paw? If not, I can have someone drive you home."

He shook his head. "No, I do not think it would be wise to drive with one hand. However, I do not want to go home."

"Name your destination and I will ensure you make it there in one piece," she promised.

Klaus considered her for a moment. "The five brutes that accosted me…."

"They work for me and don't have a clue why I set this up. They will not harm you further. My men know better than to question my motives or disobey my orders. Rest assured that my mother, a dear friend, and Father Finn are the only people that know what you did. I intend to keep it that way. Where should I have them take you?"

He answered, "Marcel's house. He can get a physician to evaluate my hand discreetly. I do not wish for Elijah to know about my injury until I have a suitable cover story."

Bonnie nodded. "I can make that happen. Don't worry about your hand. I consulted a doctor before I had you sliced. A severed tendon can heal in about twelve weeks if reattached by a skilled surgeon. In the meantime, I like knowing that every time you feel a twinge in that hand you will think of me and why I did this to you."

Klaus shook his head as he watched her stand up.

"What?" she asked.

"You are incomprehensible."

Bonnie laughed airily. "That's not true at all. I am known and understood by those that have made the effort."

He watched as Bonnie walked out of the room.

Twenty minutes later, Cesare walked into the office without a mask. He said, "Try to attack me and I will kill you."

"Sounds fair," he riposted.

Cesare was older than Niklaus by a few years but he dwarfed him in both height and weight. He unlocked the handcuffs and shackles that had kept him place. In a gruff voice, he asked, "Can you stand?"

Niklaus slowly got to his feet. He wasn't the type to show weakness in front of an enemy. Cesare was clearly his enemy even if Bonnie swore that she had not disclosed his transgressions.

The older man grunted, "Follow me."

Niklaus felt lightheaded from the blood loss but managed to keep his balance as he walked down the hallway. When they entered the living room, only one person remained. He instantly recognized the man as another of Bonnie's cousins. However, he couldn't immediately recall his name.

Cesare threw Klaus' car keys at his younger brother. "Did Bonnie give you the address?"

He caught the car keys and stood up. "I already put the address into the navigation app on my phone. I know where I am going."

Cesare said, "Good. I will be following you to make sure there are not any complications."

Klaus huffed. "I am not going to attack the person driving my custom built McLaren. Frankly, I am concerned about bleeding on the hand tooled leather upholstery."

Cristian chuckled and motioned for Klaus to follow him. He walked out of the house and unlocked the car.

Klaus counted three cars still parked outside the house. He wondered if Bonnie was still there or if his other attackers were staying out of sight. He climbed into the car and awkwardly closed the door.

Cristian climbed into the car and let the seat back some. Like is older brother, he was several inches taller than Klaus was. He placed his phone on his lap as he started the car. Cristian waited to pull away from the house until after Cesare waved him forward. He nodded towards the radio and asked, "Do you mind?"

Klaus shook his head. "No."

Cristian turned on the radio and searched the channels until he found the radio broadcast for the Lakers/Warriors game.

Klaus relaxed into the plush leather seat and allowed the announcer's voice to drown out everything else for a moment. His body ached from the beating he took but also from being shackled to an uncomfortable chair for well over an hour. He tried to figure out what lie his brother would most believe. Klaus thought that a car accident had promise but that required a level of planning that might be impossible on such short notice. Klaus was leaning toward telling his brother the truth without including names. It would still give Elijah plausible deniability if this damning secret ever became public. Klaus would not drag his brother to hell with him.

He was uncertain about how to proceed. However, the one thing he knew with certainty was that he would never blindly trust Bonnie again. She was not the sweet girl that somehow ended up at his 25th birthday party. Something more sinister had taken root inside her while he was in prison. Klaus couldn't help but wonder if he had corrupted her or if the nature of their lifestyle had done the deed.

Klaus was relieved when Cristian pulled into the driveway of Marcel's house.

He turned off the car and dropped the keys onto Klaus' lap. He flashed an affable smile as he climbed out of the car. "You should try to keep your hand elevated above your heart. It will help with the swelling. Good night."

The blond mobster blinked as he watched Cristian walk down the hill to Cesare's car. Klaus slowly got out of the car and ambled up to the front door. He fiddled with his keys until he found the spare that Marcel had given him a few weeks ago. He hadn't thought that he would need a key but his friend had insisted. Marcel figured that Klaus would grow tired of living with Elijah and Hayley at some point even if he had his own space in the pool house.

Klaus walked into the house and locked the door behind him. He walked towards the living room hoping to find Marcel or perhaps one of the 'orphans' that lived there. Marcel had a habit of unofficially adopting young people that had been abandoned by their families like Davina, Josh, and Thierry.

He leaned against the archway that led into the living room. He lifted an eyebrow as he watched what had to be a post coital cuddle between his nephew and bloody Thierry. He cleared his throat. "I could use a little help here. I am a bleeding."

The two young men sprung apart as if they had been burned.

Andrew literally squeaked, "Uncle Nik! What are you doing here?"

Klaus averted his eyes as Andrew and Thierry made a mad dash around the room to get dressed. "I mentioned the fact that I was bleeding. I could use some scotch and whatever pain pills Marcel has on hand."

Andrew buttoned his jeans but forgot about putting on his shirt when he realized that Klaus' hand was heavily bandaged. However, the white bandages were stained dark red from his blood. He quickly crossed the room to his uncle. "What happened? Should I call Uncle Elijah?"

Klaus sat down heavily in a chair and groaned. "First, get me something to numb the bloody pain. Second, do not disturb Elijah under any circumstances. I will tell him what happened in the morning. Third, call Marcel. Fourth, get me something for the bloody pain."

Andrew's forehead wrinkled. He said, "You said that last bit twice."

"You don't say? Maybe it is because it bears repeating, lad."

Thierry was calmer than his poor boyfriend was. The kid hadn't even come out to his family yet. He disappeared for a few seconds. Then he returned with a bottle of Marcel's best scotch and a glass. He placed both on the table beside Klaus' chair. "I'll, uh, call Marcel. He's at The Claw tonight."

Andrew stood awkwardly in front of his uncle. "Are you going to tell me what happened to you? Should I call a doctor or my mom?"

Klaus held the bottle of scotch against his body and used his good hand to unscrew the cap. He promptly gulped a healthy dose of the high priced liquor and closed his eyes. He muttered, "Definitely, don't call your mother. Freya is almost as bad a Elijah."

"What about Aunt Bekah?"

He opened one eye and then looked around the room for emphasis.

Andrew looked back at the couch and his cheeks turned bright red. He said, "I would straighten up before she arrived."

He chuckled. "No, I don't want to involve anyone else right now. I need you to promise to keep this to yourself, Andrew."

"Of course," he replied immediately. "Maybe you could keep this to yourself, too?"

Klaus chuckled and said, "It isn't my place to tell anyone about what I walked in on tonight. If I weren't bleeding profusely I would give you a rousing speech about being your authentic self. However, the abbreviated version is that we are your family and we love you. You don't need to hide this from us."

"Uncle Kol…"

"…is a moron," Klaus finished for his nephew.

He smiled a little at his uncle's reply. "He is a moron, isn't he?"

"I am afraid he can't help it. I might have dropped him on his head as a baby...more than once," Klaus confessed with a grin.

Andrew chuckled. He glanced at the bloody bandages. "I should go see if Marcel has any supplies to help stop the bleeding. I'll raid his medicine cabinet while I am at it."

Klaus took another large gulp of scotch and nodded. "There's a good lad."