It had been three days since Giuseppe's funeral but there was complete radio silence from Damon and his uncles. Bonnie was grateful for the reprieve even if she was somewhat concerned. She did not know if Damon was merely sulking or if he was planning a way to counter the threatened coup at Velocita. Richard had been working diligently to ensure they still had the necessary votes to unseat Damon if it came to that. Currently, it did not seem that any of the board members had switched their allegiances. However, Bonnie knew from experience that smiling faces told lies. She would give Damon two weeks to resign before calling a no confidence vote.

In the days following the funeral, Bonnie had made an effort to stay off her feet. She was reluctant to admit it but the pregnancy was taking a toll on her body. She felt tired more often than not. She had swollen ankles and her body ached periodically. Cole visited with Bonnie every day to maintain a close watch on her condition. He assured the young mother that her maladies were normal. Fortunately, Bonnie did not have to do much because Abby was doting on her as much as possible. However, Bonnie had other concerns. She realized that in a few months' time she would have to delegate most of her responsibilities to avoid exhaustion.

Bonnie was fortunate because she had a strong family and organization supporting her. She knew that the men and women in the Benedetto organization would be her eyes, ears, and boots on the ground. However, Bonnie was worried about taking her hands off the tiller while she prepared to give birth. She had gotten her hands dirty to weed out all the traitors just a few short weeks ago. The organization was stronger because of those early sacrifices. Nevertheless, the reason those once loyal men turned traitor was because they doubted her ability to lead the organization. They assumed that Richard was running things rather than reporting to Bonnie as her consigliere. She did not want to history to repeat itself.

She would have to find a way to balance her responsibilities as a mother with her duties as the boss. Bonnie did not know how to accomplish that goal yet, but there were was no shortage of advice. She had the good fortune to be born into a family that knew the value of women. Her great-aunt, Geneva, had made her bones as a bagwoman for the organization. She had been a young mother at the time and never allowed it to slow her down. Bonnie was soaking up all of the woman's invaluable knowledge. Spending time with Geneva just reinforced Bonnie's desire to visit Milazzo before giving birth. She was eager to see the aunts that did not make the trip.

Bonnie had enjoyed her mini vacation, but it was time to get back to work. She would be attending the New Year's Eve bash at Niklaus' nightclub. It was the hottest ticket in the city but he had graciously extended an invitation to her. Bonnie hoped that meant he was not harboring any ill will following the mutilation of his hand. If everything went to plan, he would be firmly in her pocket by the end of the night. She needed to find a dress that would turn heads but it was not as easy as she had hoped. Thus far, Bonnie had tried on about a dozen dresses but she did not like anything.

Lucy was trying on a gold sequined cocktail dress. She was shaking her ass to Drunk in Love while looking in a full-length mirror. She never choose any dress without testing if she could 'drop it like it's hot'. She said, "I don't know why you are tripping, Bon. We are Benedettos and we look amazing in everything. Just choose something already."

Bonnie scowled at her cousin before plopping onto the couch with dramatic flair. She was wearing a satin bathrobe and a colorful satin headscarf. She said, "That's easy for you to say. I am starting to show. The two dresses that I like the most aren't fitting right over my bump."

Gemma rolled her eyes at Bonnie as she adjusted her cleavage in the mini dress made of red silk. The dress was gorgeous but all eyes would be on the nearly obscene plunging neckline. She said, "You have looked beautiful in every dress that you tried. You are being difficult for no reason."

Lucy said, "Wear some Spanx if you are really concerned."

Abby nodded in agreement from her armchair. She took a sip of tea and said, "Your cousins are right, baby girl. You look beautiful in everything. There isn't a bad dress in the bunch."

Lucy asked, "Do you know what this is really about?"

Bonnie asked, "What?"

"You are just feeling self conscience because Tyler was out all night partying," Lucy explained.

She rolled her eyes. "I am not as insecure as that. I am glad that Tyler had fun with his uncles and cousins. They all deserve to celebrate their freedom from the Salvatores."

Lucy did not look convinced. "It isn't a judgment about you. I fucked Brady in the hookah bar's bathroom last night for good measure. We haven't said that we are exclusive. I just wanted to remind him why my kitty is the only one he needs."

Abby frowned at her younger cousin's filthy mouth. "Lucy Marie…"

Gemma erupted in laughter. She asked, "Are wedding bells in the future?"

Lucy said, "If I was wearing pearls, I would clutch them. I am not the marrying kind. But I am willing to cook him breakfast in the morning."

"What about you, Bonnie?" asked Gemma with a raised eyebrow.

"Wedding bells for me? I haven't even divorced my first husband yet," Bonnie argued with a small smile. "Ty and I are just taking things slow."

All three older women turned to look at Bonnie with varying levels of disbelief.

Bonnie started giggling. "Maybe we aren't taking it slow but we also aren't racing toward marriage. I just want to take my time with Tyler. He is so important to me. I don't want to ruin what we have."

Lucy sat on the arm of the couch. She asked, "Has he talked to Elena again?"

The younger girl tensed at the name of Tyler's ex-girlfriend. She said, "I don't know."

Lucy said, "Damon is such a petty son of a bitch. He is only setting Elena up with Angelo to be spiteful."

Bonnie bit her lip and shook her head. "I don't think that spite was his only motivation. It is a smart strategy and it is good news for us. It means that Damon truly believes that Grayson is loyal."

Gemma asked, "Do we know anything about Angelo?"

Bonnie said, "I know him passing but I can't make any sort of judgment about his character. Senior is going to fill in the blanks for me Monday. Do you know anything about him, Mama?"

"I haven't seen Angelo much since Giuseppe shipped him off to Denver. When he was younger, he was a nice kid. He could be braggadocious at times but not malicious. I never heard rumors of him being overly violent. Senior will have more up-to-date information. He and Giuseppe might have grown apart over the years but he is close to their other relatives," Abby replied.

Lucy sighed quietly. She felt incredible sympathy for Elena. She was grateful that her family had never required such a sacrifice from her. Lucy did not want to imagine being forced into a marriage with a man she did not know. She murmured, "Thank God for small blessings."

Bonnie walked over to the rack of dresses. She did not care about Tyler going clubbing with his family last night. However, she was concerned about Elena's plight. Tyler's reaction to the news had been strong. Bonnie did not know if he was just worried about the girl he loved at one time or if it was something more. She wanted to ask Tyler but feared that she would appear petty or insecure.

Abby, Lucy, and Gemma all exchanged knowing looks.

Bonnie pulled a dress from the rack and examined it closely. The color scheme of the bejeweled cocktail dress reminded her of a peacock's feathers. The green in the dress matched Bonnie's eyes perfectly. She held the dress against her body and turned to look at her family. "What do you guys think?"

Lucy tilted her head to one side. She confidently declared, "That is the dress…"

Gemma nodded in agreement.

Abby stood from her chair and walked over to Bonnie. "Gabi will have your makeup on point, too. Tyler won't be able to take his eyes off you, baby girl."

"Well, I have to try it on first. It might not fit," she complained.

The older woman took her daughter's face in her hands. "It is going to fit and you will look marvelous. Let me help you."

Bonnie handed the dress to her mother. Then she untied her satin bathrobe and placed it on a nearby chair.

Abby unzipped the strapless dress and helped Bonnie step into it. She easily pulled the dress over Bonnie's curves and zipped it. "Just as I predicted, it fits you like a glove. What do you think, baby girl?"

Bonnie stood in front of the mirror and studied her reflection. She moved a hand onto her baby bump and smiled. "I guess I do look hot."

Lucy huffed and asked, "You guess? Now you are just fishing for compliments."

Bonnie grinned at her. She said, "Well, I guess I found my dress for the night. I know tonight is about business, but I plan to have fun, too. I deserve it."

"Damn right, you do," Lucy agreed.

Bonnie removed the dress with Abby's help and returned it to the rack for now.

Abby asked, "Are you hungry? You should probably get something in your stomach before Zari gets here to do your hair."

Bonnie removed her goddess locs a couple days ago. Abby washed, conditioned, and then braided her hair into simple cornrows last night. It was all in preparation for Zari's arrival later today. Bonnie decided that she wanted to switch to a lace front wig for a while. Much like the goddess locs, the lace front wig was something she would have never tried previously. However, she was giddy at the prospect of experimenting with different looks without altering her real hair. She was not quite ready to buck her grandmother's golden rule about hair maintenance. Sheila never allowed Bonnie to cut her hair. In the coming months, Bonnie planned to try different styles, lengths, and colors via wigs.

"Well, I guess that I could eat beacuse it is almost lunchtime. Do you need some help with lunch, Mama?" Bonnie asked.

Abby pecked her daughter's cheek and said, "You are supposed to be taking it easy. Tonight is a big night for you. I can take care of lunch without your help. I have Nonna Emily's winter stew cooking in the crock pot. I'll make some sandwiches to go with it."

Bonnie's eyes lit up at the mention of her great-grandmother's winter stew. She said, "That sounds delicious, Mama."

"Are you craving anything special?" Abby asked.

"Not really. I am sure that I will be happy with whatever sandwich you decide to make. I am quickly becoming spoiled from all the delicious food you have been cooking lately," she replied.

She collected her teacup and said, "Well, my baby girl is pregnant and deserves to be spoiled a bit. I'll let you three know when lunch is ready. It shouldn't take long."

"Okay, Mama," Bonnie replied happily.

She smiled as she walked out of the room. Abby felt grateful that Bonnie was allowing her to help in some small way. She could no longer use her charms to extract information from Alaric. Their relationship was hanging on by a thread. She planned to cut that thread in the coming weeks. Fortunately, she and Jo had come to an understanding for the sake of their children. Both women decided that the children should not suffer because of the sins of adults.

Bonnie pulled on her robe and then sat down on the couch with a relieved sigh. She was happy to have found a dress for tonight. Now she could relax until it was time to get ready. She looked to Lucy and asked, "Is Brady coming with us tonight?"

The Lockwoods were not required to attend the night's festivities. There were enough Benedettos cousins to ensure Bonnie's safety. However, Tyler and Mason had already signaled their intention to be front and center tonight.

The older woman stripped off her dress and said, "Yes. I plan to ring in the New Year with Brady inside of me."

Bonnie laughed at her cousin's raunchy response. She had expected nothing less from Lucy. She watched as her cousins finished redressing. They would all turn heads tonight.

Gemma sagely said, "Aunt Sheila always said the way you ring in the year is how the rest will follow. I have always taken that to heart."

Lucy said, "Exactly! I plan to be riding Brady like a thoroughbred when the ball drops. What about you little cuz? Will you and Tyler try to slip away at some point?"

Bonnie groaned and said, "Cole gave us the all clear but Tyler is being cautious. He has been worried about me since I fainted earlier this week. There will be no New Year's Eve sex for me."

Gemma cooed teasingly, "Povero bambino."

Bonnie flipped both of her cousins the bird. "My hormones are already out of whack. Add that to the fact that I am trying to make up for lost time…"

Lucy smirked, "You are going about this all wrong. Stop letting Tyler take the lead. Get him alone and take off all your clothes. Tyler won't be able to turn you down. He is a good boy but he isn't a saint."

Gemma nodded in agreement. Her tongue firmly in cheek, she replied, "Listen to Lucy. She knows all about seducing men. She could write a damn book."

It was Lucy's turn to flip off her cousins. She had always been confident in her sexuality. Frankly, it came in handy when she needed to disarm her male adversaries. Lucy did not care if they were staring at her tits during negotiations. Her only concern was walking away from the deal having thoroughly fucked them –- and she did not mean in the sexual way.

Lucy gave an exaggerated hair flip and boasted, "I could write several books about seducing men and women. I like to be versatile. Thank you very much!"

Bonnie laughed so hard that she snorted.

Lucy grinned. "Don't knock it until you try…"

Bonnie said, "I will take your word for it, Luce. All joking aside, I wanted to run something by the two of you."

Gemma's eyebrows furrowed. "What is on your mind, conigiletto?"

"I have been thinking of buying another house…"

Lucy looked concerned and asked, "Is there something wrong with the beach house?"

"No, I love the beach house. The décor finally fits my personality. I feel very comfortable there, but I was thinking that I might buy something bigger," she replied.

"How much bigger were you thinking?" Lucy inquired. The beach house was large enough to accommodate Bonnie and her children with room to spare.

Bonnie said, "Shadow Hills will always be our family home, but for now I live in California. I want something large enough to accommodate my family that I love very much."

Lucy gave her a knowing look. She asked, "Is this about Abby?"

The green-eyed girl admitted, "It is to a certain extent. Mama will never say it but I played a part in the demise of her and Alaric's relationship."

Lucy interjected, "Uncle John is this thrilled about that. You know how much he hates Ric."

Bonnie nodded in agreement. She had heard many tirades by her uncle in recent weeks. She continued, "She is going to have to move eventually. The deed to this house is in her name but Alaric is the one that bought it. He feels a level of ownership over it and her. You can see that by how he continues to show up unwelcome and unannounced."

Gemma nodded in agreement. "Aunt Geneva already broached the subject with Abby."

Bonnie was glad to hear that she was not the only one with concerns. To her knowledge, Alaric had never been physically violent with her mother. However, their recent arguments scared Bonnie. Growing up around Sheila and Giuseppe, she knew the warning signs for physical violence all too well.

Lucy said, "I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to protect your mama, Bon. I would do the same for mine in a heartbeat."

"It is not only that. I have enjoyed staying here with her. I don't think I am ready to give that up."

Gemma said, "We were all raised in multi-generational households. There is value in having so many family members around. I am always spending time at the compound in Milazzo. When I show up, I never know which cousins will be there."

Bonnie nodded with a small smile. "That is what I want for my kids. I like the idea of them growing up in the house with their nonna, uncles, and aunt. I want the cousins to stay with me when they come into town. I just don't know if Mama will want to do that. I mean living together for a few weeks is very different than a more permanent arrangement."

Lucy said, "I think that you should just talk to Abby. See where her head is at with all of this. She might just surprise you. Despite all the craziness around us, I cannot remember my big cousin being happier than she is now. Just make sure you have room for me in the lavish estate you are planning to buy."

Bonnie laughed and said, "You already know that you have a place anywhere I am living, Lucy. I appreciate you moving out here to support me."

Lucy said, "Think nothing of it. It isn't as if I have had a permanent base of operations in a long time. I bounce around from city to city and country to country for work."

"You have a condo in Miami," Bonnie pointed out.

"It is a condo that I rarely used. Besides, I only bought it so that I had privacy. I would never disrespect my grandmother's house by having sex there," Lucy replied.

Jamie knocked on the glass doors.

"Come in…" Bonnie called out.

Jamie said, "Mama told me to come get you guys. Lunch is ready."

Bonnie smiled at her brother. "Thanks, Jamie. Tell her we'll be there in a minute."

"You had some packages delivered, Sissy. They are in your room," the pre-teen replied as he left the room.

Bonnie frowned and said, "I don't think that I am expecting anything. I am going to see what was delivered. I will meet you two in the kitchen."

Gemma stood up and said, "Don't take too long. You know Jamie eats like he has a second stomach."

Lucy argued. "He is a growing boy."

Bonnie giggled quietly. "I am going to tell him that you said that."

Lucy and Gemma laughed as they left the family room.

Bonnie walked to the first floor in-law suite that she used as her bedroom. She walked into the sitting room and frowned because she did not see any new packages. Bonnie assumed that Jamie must have left them in the bedroom. She could not blame him because the sitting room was cluttered with gifts she received from Christmas. Bonnie would need to start transporting everything to the beach house. She was coordinating with Caroline so that a moving company could retrieve her belongings from the Salvatore Manor. Her sister-in-law graciously offered to supervise the Manor's staff while they packed for Bonnie.

Her face lit up when she walked into the bedroom. Two beautiful flower arrangements were waiting for her on the dresser. Bonnie took a moment to smell the flowers.

Tyler relaxed on the king sized bed with his eyes closed. His lips twitched into a smile when Bonnie walked into the room. He said, "Hey, Bon."

"Are these from you?" she asked happily.

He nodded. "Do you like them?"

"Of course I like them. The flowers are beautiful, Ty. Thank you," she replied. "Is there a particular reason why you are buying flowers for me?"

"Nope. I bought lunch for us, too. Your mom helped me set this up. I hope you don't mind."

She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. Tyler knew how to make her feel special. "Not at all."

"C'mere," he said with a crooked smile.

She grinned and locked the bedroom door quickly. Bonnie climbed onto the bed and straddled Tyler. She kissed him deeply and asked, "What are you doing here? I figured you would still be sleeping it off."

Tyler pulled Bonnie into another kiss. He smiled up at her and said, "I probably should be asleep but I missed you. I wanted to spend some time together."

"I missed you, too. Did you have fun with your family last night?"

"Yes, last night was great. It could have only been better if we were back home," he replied.

She understood that sentiment all too well. "You should come with me when I visit Milazzo."

He chuckled quietly. "They'll try to get us married…"

"True," she replied with a smile.

"What did you do last night?" he asked.

"We taught Jamie how to play Scopa last night. It took a couple games but he finally got the hang of it. You know my family doesn't believe in allowing kids to win to spare their feelings."

Tyler said, "I am sorry that I missed that. I have always loved playing Scopa. Was there any money on the game?"

She chuckled. "Not last night since we were just trying to teach Jamie how to play. But I wouldn't object to playing tonight after we come back from the club. I am sure that I will be too wired to sleep."

Tyler still did not like that Bonnie would have to interact with Klaus tonight. He did not trust the bastard. Klaus was a prideful man. Tyler did not believe that Klaus would simply accept the mutilation of his hand without retaliation. However, he had no interest in arguing his point again. Bonnie had made her choice. Tyler's role was to ensure it went off without a hitch. He grinned at Bonnie. "Are you going to be my partner?"

"No."

His eyes widened and he repeated, "No?"

Bonnie smiled and said, "I love you but I am going to have such an attitude if we lose because of you. You know I am a sore loser."

"I do know this about you but I won't lose," he replied cockily.

"Cesare is a better player than you are."

Tyler flipped Bonnie over with care and began tickling her sides. "Those are fighting words!"

Bonnie giggled and squirmed. "Stop! You can be my partner."

He stopped tickling Bonnie and kissed her softly. He dropped down beside her on the bed and pulled her into his arms. He said, "That's better."

She snuggled up against him. Then rested her head on his chest. "Have you heard from Elena?"

Tyler stiffened at her question. Worrying about Elena was part of the reason he had not been able to sleep. He felt guilty about her predicament. Damon would not have pulled this if Tyler was still dating Elena. He nodded. "I talked to her this morning."

"How is she?" Bonnie asked. Her eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"She is upset and angry."

"Understandable," she murmured. "I am sorry…"

Tyler cupped her cheek and said, "This isn't your fault, Bon. This is Damon's doing. He has always been a vindictive son of a bitch. He decided to turn the screws on Elena because he can't lay hands on me."

Bonnie heard the venom in his voice. "I don't think that there is anything I can do to help Elena. I don't have any leverage with Damon after I demanded his resignation as CEO. Stefan won't tell me anything other than Damon is pissed at me. I am not really sure what to expect from him going forward."

Tyler knew that wasn't necessarily true. Bonnie had leverage over her ex but she wasn't going to waste it on Elena—someone she never truly liked. He understood why she would feel that way. Moreover, the leverage might be useful at a later point. "I understand. As much as I might hate it, this is part of our lives. We trade our daughters for alliances, power, and territory."

Bonnie nodded sadly. "Sarah is only five-years-old and already her future is decided for her. It is sick. Every day I pray that Hayley and Elijah are raising Julian to be a good man. I don't know much about Angelo but if he is violent, I will do everything in my power to protect Elena. I won't let anyone abuse her."

Tyler closed his eyes in relief. As always, Bonnie knew his heart even when he did not voice his concerns. He stroked her back and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you…"

"Are we okay?" she asked nervously.

He tilted Bonnie's head up so that he could look into her eyes. "I meant what I said about this not being your fault. I don't blame you and I am not upset with you. I promise, Bon."

Bonnie relaxed somewhat.

The doorbell could be heard in the distance.

Tyler reached onto the nightstand and picked up an envelope. He handed it to Bonnie. "A gift for you…"

Bonnie looked at the envelope and asked, "A gift?"

He nodded. "Open it."

She smiled tentatively and opened the envelope. Bonnie's smile brightened as she pulled out several brightly colored tickets. "Courtside tickets to a Warriors' game?"

Tyler said, "I thought we could take Sarah, your little brothers, and my nephews to the game."

Bonnie's eyes lit up. She kissed him deeply. "This is great. Jamie is going to be over the moon."

"Oh. You aren't excited?" he asked with a knowing smile.

"Maybe just a little…"

"I know you like ogling Steph Curry," he teased.

Bonnie giggled and said, "You know I love a man with a good jump shot."

"Oh, I know. That's why you love me."

"One of the many reasons," she replied. She frowned minutely. "This must have set you back a lot…"

Tyler shook his head. "Don't worry about it. A guy owed me a favor…"

Bonnie relaxed because she felt much better about Tyler strong-arming some man for the tickets rather than spending the money out of pocket. She said, "Okay."

"Are you hungry? I picked up your favorite salad from Moran's."

"Grilled chicken with extra chicken?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

He nodded. "But no onion because I know the kiddos have been giving you heartburn. There might even be a slice of triple chocolate cheesecake for you."

Bonnie sat up against the headboard and placed tickets on the nightstand. She opened and closed her hands excitedly. "Feed me."

Tyler chuckled and sat up as well. He picked up a takeout bag that was sitting beside the bed. He pulled out a couple containers from the bag and two bottles of water. "Mangiamo."

A few minutes later there was an urgent knock on the bedroom door. Lucy called out, "Bonnie!"

Bonnie climbed off the bed and opened the door. "What's wrong?"

Lucy said, "Ric is here showing his natural born ass. Gemma took the kids upstairs to make keep them out of earshot."

Tyler got off the bed with a growl. He was in no mood for the Salvatores' bullshit today. "I'll handle it."

Bonnie shook her head. "No, I don't want you involved. Damon doesn't have as much control over his uncle as he should. I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire."

Lucy said, "Bonnie is right. This is a Benedetto and Salvatore problem. Let us handle it."

Tyler scowled as they two women left the room.

Bonnie and Lucy rushed outside where Ric and Abby were arguing in the driveway.

Abby turned when she heard the door open. Her stomach plummeted when she saw the uncertainty in her daughter eyes. She knew the chaos the girl had witnessed between Sheila and Giuseppe. Bonnie was grown now but Abby did not want to put her through that again.

"I am not going to keep arguing with you about this, Ric. My friendship with Rudy is not your concern," she said.

Ric saw red when Abby turned to walk into the house. He grabbed his girlfriend's arm and whipped her around so fast that she nearly toppled over. "Do you think that I am playing with you, Abigail? Do you think that any of this is a fucking game to me? If you are fucking that son of a bitch, I will kill you both."

Rage practically radiated off Abby as she stared up into his eyes. "I am only going to say this to you one time. Get your motherfucking hands off me, get in your car, go home, and sober up."

"Or what? What are you going to do if I don't give in to your demands? Because I have to say, I am getting really fucking tired of appeasing you," he practically growled.

She threw her head back in laughter. "Then move the fuck on, Alaric. I am only here because my kids need a father. Frankly, I am starting to realize that they can do a hell of a lot better in the father department. You are a fucking coward! You have bitched and moaned about you brother for years and you never lifted a finger. It took my 21-year-old daughter to light a fire under your ass. You are pathetic. I can move home to Milazzo. Uncle Johnny and my cousin, Gianni, would be better role models for my boys than you are."

Alaric grabbed Abby's face. He lowered his voice. "You have lost your mind if you think I will let you take my kids from me. You and I need to have a talk. We can't do that here without drawing a fucking audience. You are going to walk your ass down the street and get into my car."

Lucy had seen enough. She stormed towards the couple and demanded, "Get your fucking hands off my cousin, Alaric! You are out of your mind if you think I will let her leave with you."

"Shut up," he snapped at Lucy.

Abby shoved at his chest. "I am not going anywhere with you. You are drunk in the middle of the day. You are acting like a crazy person right now!"

He didn't move an inch from Abby's push. Instead, he tightened his grip on her face.

Lucy nodded and decided it was time to arm up. She made a beeline into the house. She should have brought her gun out from the beginning. However, she was trying to be nonviolent since there were children in the house.

Bonnie knew the look from her cousin very well. She decided to put a stop to this. She said, "Ric, you need to leave before something bad happens. You know that there are some things that can't be taken back. Don't make me call Damon. He already kicked your ass once this week. That's why you are walking around with a black eye."

"This doesn't have anything to do with you, Bonnie. Go inside and mind your fucking business."

Abby slapped Ric across the face. "Have you lost your fucking mind? Don't talk to my daughter that way!"

Ric's head snapped back but he refused to let Abby go. He glared at her. "If I were Giuseppe, you would be on the ground bleeding right now."

Bonnie didn't know what to do. She knew that getting involved physically was dangerous. However, she did not want Lucy to return with a gun. She knew her cousin would not hesitate to shoot Ric in broad daylight. They did not need the problems that would start with the Salvatore family. Moreover, she did not want her daughter or siblings witnessing that sort of violence.

Suddenly, the front door opened and someone rushed by Bonnie.

Bonnie's heart nearly stopped when she realized it was her 12-year-old brother. She had assumed that he was upstairs with Gemma and the other children.

"Jamie!" she yelled and ran after him.

Jamie choked up on his baseball bat and screamed, "Let my mama go!"

Alaric stopped struggling with Abby and looked over her shoulder. His heart stopped when he saw his son standing before him with terror in his eyes. Alaric slowly took his hands off Abby. He moved towards Jamie with the goal of taking the bat from him. "Everything is okay, buddy. Your mom and I were just having a disagreement."

Jamie swung the bat at Alaric's knees in fear, but he missed by an inch.

Abby looked absolutely horrified. She shrieked at Alaric as she rushed to her son. "Get out of here! Just leave, Ric. Please!"

Ric looked heartbroken. The fear he saw in his son was like a bucket of cold water. He saw his behavior through his son's eyes and it made him sick. "I didn't mean...I wasn't going to hurt anyone. I just wanted to talk. I don't know how the fuck it got so out of control."

Lucy returned with a gun in her hand.

Tyler was with her. His dark eyes studied Bonnie and Jamie for any evidence of bruises. He relaxed when he found none.

Abby pulled Jamie into a hug. "I'm sorry, baby. I am so sorry."

"Are you okay, Mama?" Jamie asked tentatively. However, his eyes lingered on his father.

"I am fine. I am okay. You just go inside with Bonnie. Okay? Go with Sissy."

Bonnie placed a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Come on, Jamie. Mama is going to be okay. I promise and I wouldn't lie to you."

Abby gently pried the bat from her son's hands. "It's okay. Go on…"

Jamie finally broke eye contact with Alaric. He let Bonnie take his hand and lead him into the house.

Abby watched until her son and daughter were safely inside the house. She whirled around with the bat in hand and made a beeline for Alaric.

Tyler spotted the determined look in her eyes and quickly grabbed Abby around the waist. "You don't want to do that. You don't want to make this worse for Jamie."

Lucy looked at Alaric pointedly.

He swallowed thickly and put his hands up in surrender. "Okay. Okay. I will leave. I am sorry, baby. Tell Jamie I am sorry, too."