Cristian groaned when he heard someone pounding on his penthouse suite door. He glanced at the clock and realized that it was slightly after 5 o'clock in the morning. He was lingering somewhere between drunk and hungover after only sleeping a few hours. Despite Andrew following Cristian back to his hotel, they hadn't done more than collapse into bed. Kol had spent most of the night plying Andrew with alcohol and scantily clad women. The teen's uncle seemed bound and determined to prove he wasn't gay. Cristian had been happy to play interference all night. He had enjoyed drinking Kol's expensive liquor and flirting with his high end escorts.

Andrew had been exceedingly grateful for Cristian's help appeasing his uncle. Cristian understood his plight better than most people could. He had been raised in the hypermasculine world of organized crime, too. Cristian had dreaded coming out to his family, but Cesare had encouraged him. It felt safer knowing that his older brother was in his corner. Fortunately, everyone had mostly taken the news in stride because his grandfather's word was law. It had taken the family's patriarch time to come to terms with his grandson's sexual orientation, but he didn't allow anyone to shame or harass him in the meantime. However, that didn't stop well meaning uncles, cousins, and friends from trying to convince Cristian of his 'inherent straightness'. They didn't seem to understand that being bisexual meant that he liked women, too. He had enjoyed the influx of beautiful women in his bed, but it hadn't 'cured' him as they intended. Kol's feeble attempts to 'cure' Andrew would be even more fruitless.

Cristian felt his eyes closing again when someone pounded on the penthouse door again. He grabbed his gun from the bedside table and stumbled out of the bedroom. He muttered, "Son of a bitch…"

He looked out the peephole and frowned upon seeing Klaus standing there. The man's furious expression made Cristian grateful that he thought to grab his gun. However, he did wish that he had thought to put on pants. His family would never let him live down getting shot in a pair of The Flash pajama bottoms. He placed the arm holding the gun behind his back and opened the door.

"There a reason you're knocking on my door this late, Mikaelson?" Cristian asked. He casually eyed the other men loitering in the hallway. They were obviously protecting Klaus. Something was definitely wrong if he was rolling with such heavy security. Klaus was a man that was known for being capable of taking care of himself.

Klaus tried to rein in his temper. It was normal for Cristian to be incensed by someone waking him up at such an ungodly hour. It was obvious that he had been asleep for a while. He replied, "Wouldn't be here if you saw fit to answer your fucking phone, mate. Your family is looking for you, but that's not my concern. Is my nephew with you?"

Cristian relaxed marginally and put the safety on his gun. However, a deep feeling of dread settled in the very pit of his stomach. He could only think of a handful of reasons that their families would be looking for them at this time of night. "Yes, Andrew is crashing here for the night. Why would my family be looking for me? Did something happen?"

Klaus stepped into the penthouse when Cristian waved him inside. He motioned for the guards to remain in the hallway. He didn't know exactly what state of undress he'd find his nephew. Andrew was a shy soul and wouldn't appreciate an audience. He said, "Someone shot Tyler Lockwood tonight while Damon was standing beside him. Everyone is working on the assumption that Damon was the intended target. A couple hours later, my brother's poker game was hit, too. Kol was shot and a couple others were killed. Henrik and Andrew were both supposed to be there tonight, but no one could find them. I called Lucy and she told me that you were staying here. I hoped that Andrew would be here with you."

Cristian's blood ran cold as he listened to Klaus run down the situation. He needed to get to Bonnie immediately. She had to be going out of her mind if Tyler had been shot. He said, "Well, you can put everyone at ease. Your brother and nephew have been here for hours. They're both safe."

Klaus was relieved to know Henrik and Andrew were safe. They were both so young and he wasn't ready to contemplate a world without them in it. He nodded slowly and then frowned. "They're both here...with you?"

The mobster ran a hand through his raven hair and scowled at the silent accusation in Klaus' question. He said, "Andrew was pretty wasted when we left the poker game. I think Henrik came along to protect his virtue. It wasn't necessary because I don't fuck men or women too drunk to give consent. They both crashed in one of the spare bedrooms."

Klaus felt as if he had been granted a double miracle tonight. He would be sure to toss few thousand dollars into the collection plate the next time he visited Finn's church. He shouldn't have been surprised that Henrik would designate himself as Andrew's 'chaperone'. He was only two years older than their nephew was but he had always been protective of him. He took out his phone and said, "I need to call my brother."

Cristian said, "And I need to call my family to let them know that I am okay. Andrew and Henrik should be in the second room on the left."

He nodded and took out his phone as he followed Cristian's directions.

Cristian went back to his own bedroom and picked up his phone from the nightstand. He winced at the thirty or so missed calls. He would never hear the end of this. He decided to call his older brother first. The last thing he wanted was for Cesare to drive out here to check on him. He was already going to get a lecture for putting his phone on silent. He sat on the side of the bed and called his brother.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Cesare bellowed into the phone. The concern was evident beneath the anger.

The younger man had expected this response from his brother. He also knew it was well deserved. He said, "I'm sorry. I was all fucked up from a night of drinking. I passed out. Klaus just turned up looking for his nephew and brother. He told me what happened. How are Tyler and Bonnie doing?"

There was a moment of tense silence. Then Cesare said, "Tyler took one to the shoulder. It was a clean through and through. He lost a lot of blood but he's had a transfusion since then. He wouldn't even let the doctor admit him to the hospital. He's a stubborn son of a bitch like his old man. Bonnie was nowhere near the shooting when it happened. She's fine physically but Tyler getting shot took a toll on her."

Cristian was glad to know that Bonnie hadn't been in the line of fire. However, someone hitting the Salvatores and the Mikaelsons on the same night wasn't a coincidence-it was war. He scrubbed at his face in exhaustion. "What do we know?"

"Damon's people returned fire and clipped one of the shooters. His partners dumped the body a couple blocks away from the hospital. Our people in the PD made an initial identification on the body from fingerprints. His records lists him as an associate of the Dezerians."

He took a minute to think about the crew's name. He had been briefed on them weeks ago. The Dezerians had used the upheaval in the Salvatore organization to start encroaching on their territory back in December. "The drug runners up North that have been kicking up dust lately?"

"Yes, but he's only a known associate. Could be that these attacks were organized by the Dezerians or someone is trying to manipulate us."

"It would explain the perplexing decision to drop a body so near the crime scene. They had to know that both organizations would be monitoring the police's investigation. It would be the perfect way to send us on a wild goose chase. Where are you now?"

Cesare said, "I'm at the Salvatore Manor. Bonnie thought it best to present a united front with Damon. Abby is here with the kids, too. I'm trying to keep her from killing Alaric. It hasn't been easy. The morose fuck won't leave Abby alone and she's carrying."

Cristian knew that Abby still held a grudge against Alaric. The older man likely underestimated how close he was to death's door. People had a habit of not taking Abby's quiet rage seriously. He said, "I am on my way over. I'll try to keep our cousin occupied."

"It would be appreciated. She's always liked you better anyway…" he replied wryly.

"It's because I look more like Papa than you do," Cristian joked.

Cesare said, "That's true. We haven't talked to the Mikaelsons directly yet. Damon has been dealing with them. What impression did you get from Klaus?"

He considered their brief interaction and said, "He was mostly relieved that Andrew and Henrik were safe. We were all at Kol's poker game hours before the shooting happened. I didn't get the impression that he was accusing us of anything."

"Are they still there?" he asked.

"Yes, I can hear them talking in the other room. Does Bonnie want me to do anything?" he asked.

Cesare said, "Give me a minute…"

"Okay." he waited as Cesare spoke with someone in the background.

"Cris, I am so glad that you are okay. We were so worried about you," Bonnie said.

He swallowed thickly hearing the earnest emotion in his cousin's voice. Bonnie had enough to deal with since Tyler had been shot. He said, "I am sorry, Bonnie. I should have been with you tonight when you needed me."

Bonnie huffed out a soft laugh. "You don't have to apologize to me. You were out having a good time. I'm happy that you were. Someone should be able to say something good about this shittastic night. I'll fill you in later about everything that happened to me tonight."

He argued, "But I should have left my phone on."

"There is no use crying over spilled milk, Cris. We've all put our phones on silent before to disconnect from the rest of the world for a minute. How were you supposed to know that everything would go to complete shit in the span of a few hours?"

He smiled a little. Leave it to Bonnie to try cheering him up in a moment like this. He conceded, "I know that you are right but Catholic guilt is a hell of a thing."

Bonnie laughed softly and said, "Well, we can put that good old fashioned Catholic guilt to use this morning. I need you to talk to Klaus for me. Let him know that I'm praying for his family and that I'm here if he needs anything. I would call myself but I don't want to intrude."

"Leave it to me. I'll handle it, Bonnie. I will call you once I leave the hotel."

"Do you want me to send someone over there to escort you? It's dangerous to be out alone right now. I still don't know if Tyler and Damon were both potential targets…" she said anxiously.

Cristian knew that his cousin had good reason to be worried. However, he didn't feel like waiting for bodyguards to reach his hotel. He didn't want to delay joining his family. He wasn't keen on his family being in such close proximity with the Salvatores. He said, "That's not necessary. I have a bulletproof vest. I'll put it on before I leave."

"Watch your back, Cris. I'll see you soon."

"Always," he promised.

He ended the call and then ran a hand through his dark hair. Cristian got to his feet and walked out into the living area. The three Mikaelsons were discussing where they were headed next. Klaus wanted them to go home but they were determined to be by Kol's side.

Andrew looked worse for wear after a night of drinking and partying. However, his inebriation was dulled by serious concern for his family. He walked over to Cristian and said, "I was just about to come find you. I'm going to leave with my uncles. We're going to the hospital to check on Uncle Kol."

"It's okay. I need to check on my family, too. I hope your uncle is okay. Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything...even if it's just to talk."

He nodded and said, "Thanks, Cristian. You can call me, too."

Cristian squeezed his shoulder and said, "I will." He walked across the room and asked, "Can I have a word with you, Klaus?"

He nodded his head at Henrik and said, "Wait for me out in the hallway."

"Come on, Drew. We should call Freya," Henrik called out.

Andrew winced because he was not looking forward to that call. His mother would be equal parts hysterical and furious. She wouldn't be pleased to know that he had been at Kol's poker game or that he had been drinking. His brush with death would be another matter entirely. It would be more proof that he was becoming more involved with their family's business. He quickly followed his uncle out into the hall.

Cristian waited until they were alone. "Bonnie wants you to know that she is praying for Kol and your entire family. She knows how close you two once were. Please, let us know if there is anything we can do to help. She would also like to talk to you at your earliest convenience. There is no rush, Bonnie knows that this is a trying time for everyone."

Klaus knew that Bonnie was likely eager to remind him of their friendship. He couldn't blame her for being concerned at a time like this. He said, "I going to the hospital to check on my brother. But I will be sure to call her afterwards."

"That would be great. I hope Kol makes a swift recovery. I've only just met him tonight but he seems like a good guy," he said.

Klaus nodded. "Thank you."

Cristian walked him to the door and then secured it. He sniffed himself and decided a shower was necessary. He didn't know when he would have another opportunity. He couldn't spend the rest of the day smelling like liquor, cigar smoke, and perfume.

Cole took off his rubber gloves and discarded them in a nearby trash can. He said, "After a thorough examination, I am going to concur with the ER doctor's assessment. Your greatest concern right now will be infection. You'll need to keep the wound clean and take a full course of antibiotics. Did the hospital give you guidelines for wound care?"

Tyler suppressed the urge to roll his eyes in frustration. Cole was only doing as he was told. His efforts were appreciated but not strictly necessary. He still couldn't believe that Bonnie had dragged his cousin out of bed in the middle of the night for this. He had already been evaluated and treated at the hospital. This wasn't Tyler's first time being shot. His injury wasn't even particularly life-threatening. However, Tyler didn't object too much because he knew that Bonnie needed to be reassured. He said, "Yes."

Bonnie sat on the edge of the bed and said, "I would like you to go through the wound care regimen with me, Cole. You know how stubborn Tyler can be. I want to make sure that Mr. Macho Man doesn't develop an infection or sepsis."

"I'm not stubborn," Tyler replied in a mulish tone.

Cole lifted an eyebrow but wisely refrained from joining the couples' argument. He thought Bonnie was right to be concerned. Tyler should have allowed the doctor to admit him to the hospital. The gunshot wound was fairly mild, but the loss of blood was disconcerting. Moreover, the risk of infection was high. Nevertheless, Cole couldn't imagine himself staying in the hospital if the roles were reversed. He would want to be on the streets to help protect his family. Cole wasn't known to be violent and he certainly didn't possess the sadistic streak that seemed to run in his family. However, even he was armed with a glock because of the heightened threat level.

Bonnie argued, "You should still be in the hospital, Ty. You were shot only a few hours ago and had to have a fucking blood transfusion. You are being stubborn for no good reason. I will not let you die because of some stupid idea of masculinity."

"This doesn't have anything to do with masculinity. We were hit tonight, Bon. Do you really think I could stand being apart from you right now? I am right where I am supposed to be," he replied. The steel in his voice was tempered by the hand he rested on her belly.

The twins kicked against his palm.

"See they agree with me," he said with a small grin.

Bonnie scoffed but her eyes had already softened. She rested a hand on top of his. She confessed, "I would have found it hard to leave you laid up in the hospital like that. But I'm needed here."

Tyler grinned in triumph and pecked her cheek. "If I am going to be laid up, it might as well be in a cushy guest suite in the Salvatore Manor. The thread count alone is doing wonders for my recovery."

She chuckled softly and said, "You are an idiot sometimes, but you are my idiot."

"Always," he promised. Tyler looked at his cousin and chuckled. Cole was looking everywhere but the bed. He had to commend Cole for pretending that they weren't arguing in front of him. He cleared his throat. "I might have been a little woozy at the hospital. Could you run through proper wound care, cugine?"

Cole bit back a smile and nodded, "I have a checklist for you. Wound care for a gunshot of this mild nature is simple but the details can get lost in the shuffle. You're going to have to clean the wound twice a day. You'll need to do that with warm water. Don't use anything like alcohol or peroxide to clean the wound because they have astringent properties that can delay the healing process. Astringents tend to shrink the tissue around the wound and that isn't what we want in this situation. Once the wound is cleaned, cover it with Vaseline and a clean bandage. Don't use anything with an adhesive on it. I'll come by every day to check on your progress personally."

Tyler knew everything that Cole had just explained but Bonnie seemed less tense. He said, "I don't think it's necessary for you to check on me personally, Cole."

"You're my cousin and I'm going to make sure you don't get gangrene because you don't recognize the start of an infection. If you put up too much of a fuss...I'll tell your mother," he said with a deadpan expression.

Bonnie laughed softly and said, "I should have called Carol from the start. There's no way she would have let Tyler walk out that hospital. She would have told Uncle Richie to take off his belt to get you in line."

Tyler winced because his mother had already chewed him out over the phone. She probably would have convinced Richard to keep him at the hospital. "I've been shot. Isn't everyone supposed to be nice to me?"

Bonnie smirked and said, "You can't have it both ways, Ty. Either I need to be sweet and treat you with kid gloves or you getting shot is no big deal."

He chuckled deeply and said, "Be sweet to me."

She leaned over and pecked him on the lips. "Then I don't want to hear anymore complaints out of you. Let me take care of you, please."

"Okay," he relented.

Cole's voice was drenched with amusement. "Do you want me to be sweet to you, too?"

Tyler flipped him off. "Fuck you, asshole. You just make sure I don't lose a fucking arm like Zio Savio."

"That, I can do." Cole looked to Bonnie and said, "I want you to take it easy, too. Your blood pressure was within range earlier but we don't want it to spike too high. Rest when you feel tired. Eat little meals throughout the day even if you don't have much of an appetite. Call me if you start feeling lightheaded."

Bonnie rubbed her stomach and nodded. "I feel fine now but I will call you if that changes. Thank you for coming over here before sunrise, Cole."

"You are welcome but I am glad to be able to help in some way. Did the hospital prescribe you anything for the pain, Ty?"

He nodded with a small grin. "Yeah. Bonnie had to throw her weight around to make it happen. They weren't eager to be helpful since I was leaving AMA. I told her that we could have just get you to write the scripts."

She huffed, "He's lucky that I didn't ram his fucking head through a wall. Fucking condescending asshole…"

Cole chuckled under his breath. Bonnie was fierce when it came to the people she loved. He could just imagine her reaction when the doctor planned to make Tyler leave without prescriptions for pain medication or antibiotics. "Make sure you take the entire course of antibiotics as directed. Also, if you run out of pain meds or need something stronger...just let me know."

Lucy knocked on the door and then walked into the room. "I am sorry to barge in but you're needed-now."

Bonnie got to her feet immediately. "What's wrong?"

"Abby is about to fuck Alaric right the fuck up."

Bonnie lifted an eyebrow at the second 'fuck', because Lucy obviously meant business. "Because that is exactly what we need right now. What is he doing?"

"He threatened to sue Abby for custody if she doesn't guarantee him time with Jamie," Lucy said.

"And he thought this was the right time to bring this shit up?" she muttered.

"Captive audience?" Lucy suggested with a shrug of her shoulders.

Tyler groaned and started to move. "I'm coming with you."

She shook her head. "Absolutely not. You are going to stay here while I go calm down my mother. I don't want you in the crossfire. If Ric so much as brushed up against you wrong I'd end him."

He said, "The feeling is mutual. Ric has proven that he is unpredictable right now."

Ric's meltdown outside Abby's house was still at the forefront of his mind. He didn't trust the man while he was in the throes of what must be some sort of midlife crisis. Tyler was worried for Bonnie's safety. She never liked to think of herself as delicate but she was at the moment. She was already dealing with complications in her pregnancy. The wrong set of circumstances could trigger a tragedy. Tyler didn't know if Bonnie would recover emotionally from a miscarriage. She already blamed herself for being underweight at the start of her pregnancy.

Bonnie could see the worried look in Tyler's dark eyes. She said, "I promise to keep my distance from Ric. I'm only going to console my mother. Besides, Lucy will be right there. She won't let anything happen to me."

Lucy grinned and said, "I've been waiting for a reason to gut him like a fucking pig. He was born in this house, for all I care he can die here, too. Circle of life and all that…"

Tyler took in a deep breath and nodded. If there was anyone that wouldn't give a damn about gutting a Salvatore under their own roof, it would be Lucy. "Okay…"

The young woman offered him a smile before following Lucy to the main parlor. However, the yelling would have drawn her there without any assistance.

Zacharias was physically holding his older brother back. The blood dripping from Ric's nose proved that Bonnie was already late to the party.

Bonnie asked, "Are you okay, Mama? Did he put his hands on you?"

"I'm the one fucking bleeding here!" he bellowed.

Abby shook loose from Cesare's grip and met her daughter in the middle of the room. "You don't need to involve yourself in this. You've had a hard night…"

"I just wanted to make sure that you are okay, Mama. We don't have to stay here if you are uncomfortable. We have enough people to make sure your house is secure," Bonnie promised. She could see that Abby was shaken by the encounter with Ric.

Damon and Stefan walked into the room. The elder of the two brothers had been on the phone with Elijah Mikaelson when his brother came barrelling into the office. While Damon was trying to ensure peace with one of their allies, Ric was trying to spark a war with the other one. Stefan had already explained the nature of the fight to his older brother.

He walked over to Ric and said, "You're my uncle and I love you. But if you can't chill the fuck out then you're going to have to leave. This will always be your home but I am sure that you can agree that the safety of women and children have to take precedence. Abby swallowed her pride and came here, when this is the last place on Earth she would want to be. Everyone is going to have to make some fucking compromises. Do you think I am thrilled that the little bastard my wife is dating is under my roof? Of course not, but I would rather have Bonnie and my daughter here under my protection than elsewhere."

Zach said, "If Damon can behave like he has some sense than so can you, Ric. Acting like an out of control asshole isn't going to make Abby more inclined to allow you anywhere near her children. The way you are acting, I don't even want you around my kids."

Stefan added, "I second that. Yelling at women and grabbing them is not how I want Nicky and Tony to act with girls. I'm sure you don't want Jamie and Cooper to behave that way either."

Ric glared at everyone for a moment. Finally, he said, "I'm going out. I need a minute…"

Damon said, "Take guards with you."

Ric knew that his nephew's words weren't a request. The boss had just given him an order. He tried not to let that fact further chafe his ass. He'd known since the day Damon was born that this moment would arrive. However, taking orders from his nephew wasn't easy to swallow. He nodded and then swept out of the room.

Damon turned to look at Abby and Bonnie. "I'm sorry about Ric. I didn't expect him to be…"

"Drunk and belligerent at 5 o'clock in the morning," Stefan offered.

Damon nodded and said, "Exactly…"

Abby took a deep breath and said, "Just keep him away from Jamie, please. I...Jamie is scared of him and…"

Damon shook his head. "You don't need to explain the situation, Abby. Jamie has every reason to be afraid of my uncle. I am very sorry that is the case. He's a good kid and he deserves better from Ric. Maybe you two can try to have this conversation again when he is sober. I think we can all agree that Ric loves his kids even if he hasn't always gone about showing it the right way. But that is your decision to make I won't press the issue. It's not my place."

Abby nodded. "Thank you."

Bonnie looked to Lucy. "Take Mama to go look in on the kids, yeah?"

Lucy said, "I bet Gemma is still trying to get Savannah back to sleep. That little girl has iron will."

Abby huffed out a soft laugh as she left the room with Lucy.

Damon shifted his tired gaze to Bonnie. He asked, "Can I have a word with you in my office?"

Bonnie nodded. She was glad that Damon had settled the issue with Alaric so quickly and efficiently. She knew the benefits of being in the Salvatore Manor but she wouldn't put her mother at risk. She certainly wouldn't expose her daughter or siblings to Ric's drunken bouts of rage. Frankly, it was beginning to feel like an excuse for his bad behavior.

The estranged spouses walked to the study in complete silence. They were both still discomfited by the blow up at the hospital. Bonnie and Damon hadn't really had time to discuss it. The cops had bombarded him and Tyler with questions for nearly an hour. Afterwards, Damon and Bonnie had gone their separate ways to check on the state of their families and organizations. Then the news of the attack on Kol Mikaelson's poker game turned everything upside down-again.

Once inside the study, Damon motioned for Bonnie to have a seat. Instead of moving behind his desk, Damon sat beside her. He ran a hand through his dark hair. "We need to talk…"

"I never knew you had such a flair for understatement," Bonnie quipped in soft voice. "I think I should probably go first…"

He inclined his head in her direction and nodded. "Okay."

"I am sorry for threatening you and Zach at the hospital. I am not sorry for threatening Katherine or Alaric, there's no point in starting this conversation with a blatant lie," she explained.

He smiled wryly and said, "I appreciate your honesty. I'm not sure I would have believed your apology otherwise. And I can admit that your initial suspicion was not without cause. I've threatened Tyler more than once in the past. I know my word doesn't mean much to you, but I wouldn't kill him. I see how much he means to you now. I wouldn't want to cause you that sort of pain."

"Thank you," Bonnie replied. She reached for the Saint Christopher's medal around her neck.

He noticed what had become almost a nervous tic for Bonnie. "I actually had a good conversation with Tyler before everything went to hell. I can't say that I'll ever like the idea of the two of you together but I can see his love for you is genuine."

She raised an eyebrow at Damon and asked, "Are you giving me your blessing?"

"Never," he said with a snort.

"Good because I don't need it," she said tartly.

"I'm only saying that you could do worse. You have done worse...with me. Tyler loves you and he's loyal. But he's also worried about you. I understand why you don't trust me with the important things in your life. I haven't exactly proven myself to be someone that you can count on when the going gets tough. But I am worried about you."

Bonnie studied his blue eyes for a long moment. Then she feigned a smile. "I'm fine."

He returned the feigned smile and took Bonnie's free hand. "I think we both know that's a lie, Bunny. You're on edge and I didn't really realize it until I saw your reaction to Tyler being shot. You went from threatening to massacre my entire organization to a sobbing mess in a matter of minutes. That's never been you...not the woman you pretended to be to appease me or the woman that I have been learning that you actually are. I could chalk it all up to hormones but I think that would be short-sighted. I know that I have no right to ask but this isn't a time for secrets between us. There's too much hanging in the balance for misunderstandings."

She considered his appeal and realized that it had merit. Bonnie had no doubt that she would have seriously hurt Damon tonight if Tyler had died. She had been too emotional to listen to his account of what happened. Someone was already trying to pit them against the Mikaelsons.

"I wasn't in the right frame of mind to be out tonight. I should have told you as much when you called about Katherine's overdose," she confessed.

Damon hadn't known if Bonnie would actually open up but he was glad that he had made the effort. He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you. It was selfish of me to ask for your support."

Bonnie shook her head. "It wouldn't have been a big deal if we hadn't already fought earlier in the day. What you almost said in your office, affected me more than you could possibly understand. I...struggled for a long time with what happened to me. I spent most of that time blaming myself for any number of things. I should have fought back. I should have told someone. I never should have allowed myself to be alone with him. I was stupid for accepting his kindness and generosity blindly. The shame I felt for the way my body reacted to his touches still lingers in the dark corners of my mind. This afternoon everything I had worked years to bury came to the surface. I…"

Damon was reminded by the haunted look on Tyler's face outside the hospital. It felt as if there was a block of lead sitting in the pit of his stomach. He had unwittingly caused Bonnie an incalculable amount of pain. Damon had been angry and frustrated. He had never considered the impact Bonnie's trauma still had on her. It occurred to him that she had never actually dealt with the trauma in any sort of healthy way. She just found a way to live with it. Damon was all too familiar with that brand of 'coping'. He buried his painful childhood as deep as possible. When it surfaced, he usually beat some unsuspecting man within an inch of his life. Fortunately, he was in a line of work where that sort of rage could be channeled into something useful.

She shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "I was just overwhelmed. Too many things happened in a matter of hours. I'll bury it all deep again and I'll be right as rain."

He ran a hand through his hair and said, "Fuck...I don't know what to say to that. I could apologize but 'I'm sorry' hardly covers what I did to you. I need you to know that I don't actually believe that you wanted that. I am sorry for even putting the shit in your head. You don't deserve what I insinuated. You didn't deserve what that asshole did to you."

"On my good days, I know that. I know that he took advantage of me because I was an easy mark. I know that I didn't do anything wrong because I was a teenager and he was the adult. But today...or rather yesterday wasn't a good day," she replied.

"I am going to sound like a fucking hypocrite but have you considered counseling?" he asked.

Bonnie huffed out a wry laugh. "I want to try counseling but I'm scared. I'm scared if I start picking at the walls I've constructed over the years that it will all start crumbling. I can't have that...not now. Not while the barbarians are at the gates. But I will eventually, if only so I know how to protect our children."

Damon nodded in agreement. Their children were the reason he had made another appointment with Dr. Correa. "Thank you for being honest with me…"

"I kinda owed it to you after threatening to kill you. You could have retaliated against me for the threat alone," she conceded.

He squeezed her hand and said, "I would never hurt you, Bonnie. I couldn't…at least not in the way that you mean."

She nodded and said," Doesn't mean that you couldn't have hurt someone else to make your point."

"True," he agreed. "But I've never wanted to be your enemy and I don't intend to start now. Especially, not while someone is already trying to make waves.

"Tonight was just an overreaction. I was...not myself," she replied guiltily.

Damon caressed her cheek and said, "I know that now. I also know that I haven't handled this situation the right way. I've done the opposite of what you've wanted from the moment you told me the truth. I was obsessed with protecting you and righting the wrong done against you. In the end, I just hurt you more. Which is why I am going to leave it alone...but you have to promise me something."

Bonnie wasn't sure if she should believe Damon. He lied as easily as she did. Tentatively, she said, "Okay…"

"Come to me if this person ever poses a danger to you. I know that you can take care of yourself, but….please. I don't want you to be hurt again. I don't...I'm not trying to lecture you about the nature of men. I know that this life has shown you the very worst that my gender has to offer. I just want you to be cautious around this man. Whatever he's done that makes you want to protect him, he's not innocent. One time could be a misunderstanding, it would be unlikely but plausible. But this wasn't one time. This...coward sought you out repeatedly. He's not to be trusted."

Bonnie swallowed thickly as she studied the serious expression on Damon's face. He had seen through her lie about the man being in prison. He also had the same doubts about Klaus that Tyler did with far less information. She nodded and said, "I promise…."

Damon kissed her forehead and said, "Thank you. I called you in here for another reason. Elijah and I plan to meet in a couple hours over breakfast. I told him that you'd be joining us. I hope you don't mind. Security on the meeting will be tight so we're limited to three people per organization. No weapons…"

Bonnie nodded and said, "Thank you for thinking to include me."

He said, "You're my wife. You are also my partner. It's time that I start acting like it."