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"Go on I'll be fine I promise. Just bring me back an order – I'm starving," Rebekah smiled as she subconsciously laid a hand on her baby bump.
"Call if you need anything," Stefan worried.
"Oh for heaven sakes!" Caroline exclaimed and the girls pulled Stefan out the door. They were very careful to give Elijah's townhouse a wide berth.
"Please light on the sugar," Bonnie called as she grabbed the table.
"That's the best part," Caroline giggled.
"As if you need more sugar," Stefan shook his head. When everyone settled at the table Elena raised her cup of coffee in an impromptu toast.
"Here's to eighteen weeks everyone. We made it this far and we're going to make it the rest of the way!" Everyone sloshed their coffee a little as they joined the toast. Stefan looked at each of them seriously then.
"Seriously thank-you. We couldn't have done it without each one of you."
"Especially Bonnie's clever spell to hide the heartbeat," Elena grinned.
"Clever but exhausting," Bonnie sighed and as the beignets arrived she took one. The excess of powdered sugar fluttered into the air. Elena blew some off the top of her beignet all over Caroline. Caroline of course had to retaliate and soon everyone had powdered sugar on them though Caroline and Elena were by far the worst.
"Okay Bonnie and I are going to do the grocery shopping," Stefan said. "I have everyone's lists. You'll get these back to Rebekah?" He gave the bag to Elena.
"Yes and we won't let her have any coffee no matter how much she begs," Caroline asserted. Stefan gave them a grateful smile.
"I'm glad he's back," Elena said to Caroline as they walked towards home.
"Yeah it's a bit of a load off and I don't feel so guilty for wanting to spend time with Klaus," Caroline said and Elena nodded her agreement.
Elijah and Klaus had easily picked up their scents leaving Café du Monde – because let's face it the younger a vampire is the more naïve they are. They followed the girls as they wandered around The Quarters but just as Elijah thought that perhaps they had been made Elena and Caroline slipped through a gate into a courtyard.
"Let's say hello shall we?" Elijah grinned to his brother. Klaus nodded and they walked to the front door giving it a knock.
"Did you forget your keys again?" Rebekah asked as she opened the door and her smile died on her lips.
"Rebekah what are you doing here?" Klaus immediately became worried. "Leave them alone!" He raced towards the door but was stopped by the threshold. As Rebekah backed up in fear Elijah got his first really good look at his sister. Shock colored all of his features.
"It's not possible," he gasped as he looked at his sister.
"I assure you it is," Rebekah said as she rested a hand on her baby bump.
"Caroline!" Klaus worried still trying to pass the threshold to come to her defense.
"I assure you she has nothing to fear from me," Rebekah said. "Girls!" she called back into the house and a minute later Elena and Caroline appeared. Elijah and Klaus were clearly angry, hurt and confused. Caroline pulled her cell phone and began texting.
"Why don't you invite us in so we can all talk about this?" Klaus offered and Caroline, Rebekah and Elena were all shaking as they took in his wrath.
"No," Caroline said firmly and she glanced down at her phone again. Elijah smirked and uttered a small laugh of self-derision.
"They can't brother. They're short one witch. I have to hand it to you – very clever putting the townhouse in Bonnie's name."
"I'm calling Kol. Once we have the witch all we have to do is turn her and this is over," Klaus grinned maniacally.
"No!" the girls exclaimed. Klaus was already on his phone. Suddenly Rebekah gasped and leaned forward a twinge of pain crossing her features.
"Bekah!" Elena worried. Elijah's expression immediately turned to one of concern. Elena helped Rebekah into the living room to sit down.
"They'll kill him if they catch him," she worried.
"Shh…it will all be okay Bekah. Don't give up on us yet. You just take care of the baby. That's all that matters." A moment later they were diverted by a sound upstairs and a minute later Stefan Salvatore and Bonnie Bennett appeared in the entry hall. Bonnie had a malicious look on her face that could rival Kol's. Their brother joined Elijah and Klaus outside a moment later looking murderous.
"What is this about Rebekah being in Bonnie's house?" he was obviously very concerned.
"Bonnie I think you need to do it," Stefan said.
"I'm not sure I'll be able to put it back," she warned.
"I don't think you'll have to," Stefan said. He walked into the other room and returned with Rebekah.
"OMG," Kol gasped as he took in his big sister's appearance. Bonnie began to chant as her hand hovered over Rebekah's abdomen. A moment later Rebekah and Stefan smiled as everyone except Bonnie could hear the very fast, small heartbeat. Elijah couldn't help the smile that came to his face – not only did he know that Rebekah had wanted to be a mother for a long time but also he recognized the miracle for what it was – the Mikaelson family would continue.
Rebekah looked hopefully to her brothers. Kol was in shock, Elijah was amazed but Klaus was still furious.
"Bonnie you let me in this house this instant," Kol demanded.
"Why all the secrecy?" Elijah asked.
"Surely that should be self-evident," Elena replied gesturing to their reactions.
"Ripper how dare you!" Klaus growled and he came at the threshold again.
"Niklaus I want this! Can't you see I love him! I love this baby! I have wanted a family for so long and this…this is my miracle."
"How is it even possible?" Elijah asked.
"Ayana hid a spell for us," Rebekah smiled. "All it takes is original blood, Mikaelson DNA and the ingestion of Ayana's favorite ingredient by the original."
"That's it?" Klaus worried.
"Now that I've gone to all the trouble to have the seal broken," Rebekah replied. It took Elijah a moment of thought but with a smile he was certain that he remembered. Of the three of them Klaus was the one least likely to accidentally ingest wolfs bane.
"Worried you'll commit fatherhood?" Rebekah teased at Klaus' shocked expression as he stared at Caroline. Kol knew he hadn't done so already but now he was worried because he couldn't remember what Ayana's favorite ingredient was.
"You lied to me!" Klaus suddenly turned his anger toward Caroline. "This…all of this has been a lie!" Kol looked to Bonnie with a wounded expression while Elijah stared at Elena with a hooded expression.
"Kol you're confused right now but you know the truth," Bonnie said and she was already becoming teary-eyed. "I hope you know by now how I feel about you." Elena stared at Elijah and then as everyone watched in amazement she began to walk forward. She pulled free of Stefan's grasp with a pointed look and forced Caroline out of her way.
"Elena don't!" Bonnie and Rebekah both worried.
"Bonnie you protect Rebekah no matter what," Elena said as she continued to take slow, measured steps forward. She stopped just on her side of the threshold.
"Rebekah called me to ask for my help to make her and Stefan's dreams come true. At first I didn't know what to think – what to believe – but then I heard that heartbeat and I understood Rebekah's desire to have a child. So yes we deceived you – conspired to do so – but it was all in the name of bringing new life into the Mikaelson family. For no other reason than I want Rebekah and Stefan's happiness and I believe in what they're doing." Stefan had his arms wrapped around Rebekah and their hands on her baby mound. Rebekah lifted her hands to hold the hand of Bonnie on one side and Caroline on the other in solidarity. Then to everyone's amazement Elena stepped through the threshold.
"Well that simplifies things," Kol smirked. "Since Elena is willing to come out all we have to do is flirt with her demise and one or the other of them is bound to come out." Elijah glared at Kol as if he was considering implementing Kol's plan on the architect of such a mindless endeavor.
"Kol if you even think of harming Elena so help me I will rip your heart out of your chest." Kol took one look at his oldest living brother and knew with deadly certainty that he meant every word.
Elijah calculated that from where Elena stood she had a fifty-fifty chance of making it back across the threshold before he could reach her – less if his brothers got involved; more if the Bennett witch was powerful enough to hold them off.
"By your presence on this side of the threshold in such a bold move am I to assume that you wish to make a deal?" Elijah asked.
"No I'm simply putting my trust in you and my faith in the fact that you will do the right thing," Elena said her eyes never leaving his.
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Kol had to fight from unleashing his inner vampire. He wanted to find the first human and tear them to pieces – blood everywhere. He ran from that thought quickly – in fact he was jogging back towards Elijah's place. He had to get somewhere where it was safe to lose it. He didn't know what to believe – who to trust right now. He made the gate and then went straight for the bar. He poured a drink – downed it in one gulp and poured another.
Had it really all been a lie? He had been falling so hard. Had she made a fool of him? It had all felt so real – surely that had to count for something. He threw the glass against the brick wall watching it shatter to oblivion with some satisfaction. He grabbed another glass and poured another drink. He emitted an angry growl. She had used him in the worst way! Klaus was right – love was a vampire's greatest weakness!
If that was the case then why did he feel so powerful when he was with her? He felt like he was her everything – she had made him feel that way. Had it really all been deception? Something inside him wouldn't believe it – staunchly refused. He groaned in anguish, downed his drink and poured another. If love was a vampire's greatest weakness then how had Elijah gotten Elena to defy everyone and walk past the threshold with just a look?
He missed her already – missed her smile, her laugh and the way she felt when he held her in his arms. He missed the way that she was excited to see him these days – her whole face seemed to light up and just the memory made him smile. He had another drink. Kol remembered the way his name had sounded on her lips as he had tenderly introduced her to the beginnings of love making. She had trusted him – even when his face had changed and his fangs were out. She had boldly kissed him teasing his fangs with her tongue. Surely only love could bring that about?
The second glass met the same fate as the first splattering into shards like his heart at the moment. This was foolish! He had been with hundreds of girls in his lifetime! Why should this one be any different?
She was different.
He had made her different.
Because he loved her.
What was he going to do? The third glass hit the wall and he poured himself another drink but then his head fell against his arm and he did something he hadn't done in over five hundred years. In the silence of the courtyard interrupted only by the noise of the street beyond Kol Mikaelson wept. He wept because he was confused, because he felt betrayed but mostly because he was in love with his little witch and now quite certain that he could no longer bear to be without her.
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