South of France
Eight Years Ago

Elijah returned a week before the twin's first birthday. He informed her that Niklaus was in a bad way and implored her to return to New Orleans, to give his brother a chance. Her stubbornness was a gift from Sheila. Klaus was nowhere near capable of the responsibilities parenthood entailed. Maybe if he was more like his brother…

Bonnie hated that the comparison even came to mind. Elijah was patient, kind, and gentle. He handled the twins with care. It softened her heart whenever the twins lit up in his presence. It gave her hope that maybe one day, the same could happen in their father's presence.

But that was a false hope. Klaus would break them. He broke everything he laid his hands on. She couldn't afford the damages he'd inflict on their children. She had to keep them away. They needed a fighting chance and she refused to subject them to a childhood they would one day have to heal from. She didn't want what happened to their father to happen to them.

Klaus had traumas he'd never healed from and subsequently spent a millennium redistributing the pain inflicted on him. His father was abusive, his mother manipulative, and in his reality, everyone—including her—had betrayed him in some form or the other. He was tyrannical and couldn't be reasoned with. Until he was ready to face his hurt and address his tragedies, she knew he would never be ready to raise their children.

So she remained in the shadows and afforded her children the best father figure she could produce, their Uncle Elijah.

Of course, it was hard watching him with them and not imagine would it'd be like to have a complete family. Growing up, she felt an ache in her heart not knowing Abby. She was too young to remember when she left and when she did meet her, she wished she hadn't. She justified excluding Klaus from their lives with her own reasons for not having a mother; you couldn't miss what you've never truly had.

She knew it was bullshit; however, when they were older, she'd have valid reasons for her actions. She simply hoped they would accept those reasons. Deciding to keep their father away from them felt like cutting off her leg to save the rest of her body from infection. If only there was an antibiotic available at the time. To her, Elijah was said antibiotic. He eased the pain that came from the loss of Klaus. His presence appeased the twins for now. They were too young to feel the effects of Klaus's absence.

Elijah was the shoo-in. Plenty of times he caught Miss Bennett standing in the doorway, watching silently as he rocked Nikolina to sleep or when he fed Nicky into a milk-induced coma. Feelings began to arise, feelings he shouldn't have towards her. Still, it didn't stop him from wishfully thinking. Sometimes, he caught himself pretending that this little family was his own. That he was human again and was given a life that was stolen from him centuries ago.

In a perfect world, Bonnie was his, the twins were his. It was a curse he'd grown to accept; always coveting that which belonged to Niklaus. Except he was here and Klaus was not. The thoughts that plagued him kept him from revealing their location to his menace of a brother. He wanted to keep this to himself for as long as he could. It was easier if they made Klaus the villain in this situation—justifiable.

Childbirth looked good on Bonnie. The way her silk robe hugged her child-bearing hips sent Elijah in a trance sometimes. Her milk-heavy breasts rested on her forearms as she folded them across her slightly protruding belly. They leaked with milk sometimes and Elijah found it strangely attractive. He was always appreciative of the female anatomy. A woman's body was truly something to marvel.

Bonnie was softer, rounder, and he loved it. Each time she bent over to pick up something off the floor or tip-toed to grab something out of reach, he caught himself staring. He shouldn't, but he couldn't look away. Though he was always the perfect gentleman, his thoughts were less than respectful.

Apparently, Bonnie's weren't either.

As her body recovered from the stress of childbearing, her hormones fluctuated. She was aware of Elijah's presence. That awareness led her to his bedroom door one night. Elijah watched as Bonnie entered his room. He lay supinely on the neatly made bed, fully clothed—he rarely slept. His shoes were tucked neatly underneath the bed and his jacket was folded neatly on the desk chair across the room. Bonnie was met with his argyle patterned, sock-clad feet first. His eyes were trained on her as he rested with one arm tucked beneath his head. His sleeve was rolled meticulously, a look she loved on him, and his free arm rested across his abdomen. Bonnie climbed into bed next to him. She kept a safe enough distance to remain respectful which did nothing to still her beating heart.

"Are you unable to sleep again, Miss Bennett?" Elijah peered down at the young girl, smiling ruefully when she nodded. Without hesitation, he pulled his arm from behind his head and offered her refuge. With ease, she closed the space between them, resting her head on his chest. Bonnie relaxed when his arm wrapped around her.

This was becoming a nightly routine for them. The two of them would lay in the dark and enjoy one another's company, nothing more. She still grappled with being away from Klaus and craved his presence. Elijah would have to make do and he did. A sigh escaped her lungs as she draped an arm across Elijah's mid-section.

"Have the urges gotten any better?" Elijah broke the silence.

"Worse, actually," Bonnie confessed. Those urges increased every full moon it seemed. If only she knew then that she and Klaus were mated, things would have made more sense. Instead, she suffered silently.

"It will fade with time," he assured. But Bonnie didn't want them to fade, she wanted a release. Elijah sensed this but never broached the topic. Though he coveted her, he was afraid of crossing that line. He was sure he'd be met with certain death if he did; pretending was one thing, acting on his fantasy was a different sin.

Bonnie's fingers traced the outlines of the buttons that decorated the length of his chest. It had a soothing effect that made her draw nearer to him. Elijah watched silently as two of her fingers found their way past the opening between two buttons. It was the last set of buttons right above his belt buckle. Her touch sent a shockwave through him. Her fingers loosened a button and more of her hand slid inside of his tucked shirt.

"Bonnie," he warned softly. She looked up with those large doe eyes of hers and smiled softly. Elijah watched as she closed in the space between them. He was the moth to her flame and while he knew she was off-limits, the danger of being burned did not deter him.

Her lips touched his and he didn't fight it. His large hands cradled the back of her head and pulled her closer. His kiss was feverish, hot and breathtaking. There was something about his constant restraint that lured Bonnie. He was forbidden to her, just as she was to him and maybe that was the allure.

As she kissed him, she pretended. She pretended they were both human and normal. Him a wealthy landowner and she, a kept woman that stayed home with the children and had nothing to worry about except a canceled hair and nail appointment. She wanted a fantasy with Elijah, a normal, boring life with no stress, strain, or struggle.

She didn't want to exist as Bonnie Bennett, a girl on the run from her estranged, psychotic lover with two kids she had to keep hidden for their safety. She held on to Elijah as they kissed and prayed that this fantasy would never end. Elijah did the same.

With Bonnie, he felt more human than he had in his thousand-year existence. In her arms, he felt as if he had the life he'd always secretly desired. At his core, he was a provider and Bonnie allowed him to act accordingly. She appreciated all of his gestures, both minuscule and grandiose. He explained his actions with wanting the best for his niece and nephew, however, he wanted the best for Bonnie as well.

Bonnie was his in secret. He didn't have to share her with anyone as long as no one knew about what they had. He suddenly understood why some men (and women) sought a double life. It was a respite from their ordinary, mundane life. Though older, he always felt second to Niklaus. His brother was the black sheep of the family and because of this, he garnered the most attention from his parents and their siblings. Elijah lived in the shadows, in Klaus's shadows. Each of the women in his life was linked to Klaus in some way. Tatia loved both he and Niklaus, so did Katerina, and countless of others. Bonnie did as well, however, she was here with him, and not his brother.

Elijah deepened the kiss and laid Bonnie on her back. It felt nice to rebel against his tyrant of a brother. Bonnie represented that for him and the thought sent a pang of guilt through him that made him pull away from her kisses.

"You deserve better than this, Bonnie," he tried to reason. Bonnie smiled. Her name on his lips sounded foreign. It was always the formal Miss Bennett, never Bonnie. She surmised it was his way of keeping her at arm's length. Bonnie pushed his hair out of his face and offered a gentle smile.

"Elijah," she began. Her voice sounded sweet to his ears. "You think so low of yourself." Elijah felt the warmth of her words grip his heart. His lips found hers again and his hands found her breasts. He kneaded her nipples until she writhed with pleasure beneath him. He longed to get lost in her but his allegiance to his brother made him hesitate.

Bonnie must have had the same thought and pulled away. Relief flooded him, though it pained him to be away from her. With her eyes downcast, Bonnie climbed out of his bed and muttered a soft apology before exiting the room quicker than she appeared. While her body and her magic craved Elijah, she couldn't allow herself to cross that line. The mere thought flooded her with guilt. If Klaus ever found out, the two of them were as good as dead.

-X-

New Orleans
Seven Months ago

Klaus was used to Elijah taking sabbaticals during their years together. If he wasn't right by his side or laying in a coffin, Elijah was out pursuing the world, for what, Klaus never truly cared. Elijah had been gone for several weeks this time but Klaus was acclimated to it. For the past ten years, Elijah came and went as he pleased and Klaus thought nothing of it. Though this time, he noticed something off about his brother and he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

Physically, Elijah looked the same as always. It was impossible for his looks to ever falter, though, his aura was different. The entire week he'd been home, Elijah seemed different. He pressed but got nothing; Elijah would tell him once he's ready, Klaus was sure of it. Nevertheless, a week passed and still, nothing. Niklaus grew agitated. His agitation led him to Elijah's room, demanding answers.

"What's got your panties in a wad, Mate?" The two of them were to host a meeting with The Faction of New Orleans to discuss the terms of the accords they worked so hard to create and Elijah's disinterest was threatening to affect his performance later. Elijah said nothing; the look in his eyes made Klaus falter. He knew that look all too well. It was the same look in his eyes when he realized Bonnie would never return, willingly.

Klaus's face softened a tad. "Let me guess, a witch?" Klaus knew his brother and knew his type. Women—witches in particular—were Elijah's vice. Elijah fell for a pretty face at least once a decade.

Elijah said nothing which confirmed Klaus' suspicions. Typically, Klaus wouldn't entertain his shenanigans. Tough love was always his preferred method of helping Elijah get over the pretty faces in the past but after his own experience, Klaus secretly gained a bit of a soft spot when it came to lost or unrequited love. That ache he felt for Bonnie would never go away. It only faded with time. The mere thought of her made his chest twist in memory of the pain he suffered close to a decade ago. He had to bury the witch in the recesses of his mind for the sake of his sanity. Still, he yearned for her.

Elijah said nothing as his brother fished for information. He was always careful to cover his tracks but his guilt was his biggest threat. If Klaus ever found out that he was aiding Bonnie in staying hidden, he'd be banished to a coffin for the next millennium. After each of his visits with Bonnie, Elijah visited a red-headed witch in Portugal to cover his tracks. There, the witch removed any traces of Bonnie from his person. Klaus's senses were keen and even more so when it came to Bonnie. If Elijah hadn't taken precautions, their entire operation would have been blown years ago. Each time he visited her, he tried to persuade her to return but his efforts were futile. Bonnie was just as stubborn as Klaus.

"If she's ailing you this much, snap her neck. It's easier to accept death than a lost love." Elijah glanced up at his brother and for a moment, he saw a rare glimpse of Klaus's vulnerability. Losing Bonnie did a number on him and it hurt Elijah to continue keeping this secret from him.

"Is that what you're planning for Miss de Martel if things don't go your way?" Elijah finally spoke. Elijah had voiced his disdain for Klaus's rekindled relationship with the girl of his past. As much as Bonnie pretended to be over Klaus, Elijah knew she still carried his brother in her heart. As possessive as Klaus was, Bonnie could be just as fierce. He still held out hope that the two of them would reunite; they couldn't do that with significant others in the way. Aurora was undoubtedly the world's first psychopath—Klaus excluded—and Tyler would be dead on sight if Klaus had his way.

Aurora de Martel, along with her brother Tristan was the Mikaelson siblings' first vampire sires. Along with Lucien Castle, the three of them made up the Trinity, the oldest non-original vampires. A few years prior, the three of them resurfaced after living underground for centuries. It was then that Elijah learned that Tristan de Martel was now the leader of The Strix, a society of vampires—exclusively sired by Elijah—that Elijah formed in the middle ages. The group was meant to gather the greatest minds to build a better future, however, it all derailed once Mikael drove them out of town. Forced to abandon his group, Elijah left, believing that Mikael had slaughtered them all.

"Aurora is just a distraction until I one day find, Bonnie," Klaus answered. Though he buried her for now, he remained hopeful that the witch would resurface sooner or later. The supernatural community was small. "Have you heard anything by chance," Klaus kept his voice light while eyeing Elijah. Elijah didn't react. His stony features trademarked the term 'poker face'. His brother being the sharpest creature on the planet taught Elijah a great deal of stealth, however, everyone had a 'tell'. Klaus stalked patiently, like a leopard crouching beneath the grass, positioning itself to lunge at its prey.

Ever so slightly, Elijah squinted.

"Her trail has been cold for years, Niklaus." Elijah's answer was always the same in different variations; despondent and discouraging. Klaus's paranoia always led him to wonder if maybe Elijah knew more than he was letting on. It had always been a fleeting thought but this week it had been nagging at him.

A pang of betrayal pierced Klaus's heart.

"So you say," Klaus answered as he stood to his feet. "The meeting is in a couple of hours, be ready," Klaus instructed, as if Elijah had ever been late to anything in his immortal life. Klaus stood to his feet with a pep in his step and left the room without another word leaving Elijah to his thoughts. Being in the same room as Klaus had been suffocating since he left Cassis. The guilt weighing on him was almost unbearable. Klaus was right in his suspicions. It had been a witch but not just any, it was Klaus's witch. Just a week before he'd come dangerously close to risking everything just to get a taste of her. Her vulnerability on the cusp of a full moon made her emphatically irresistible. The thought alone made Elijah salivate with want.

Ironically, the moon was full tonight and he wondered how she was faring. They had found that after her separation from Klaus, full moons were almost unbearable for the witch. Like a werewolf turning at its peak, Bonnie's soul ached from Klaus's absence. Bonnie surmised that it was withdrawal symptoms from the blood-sharing. Her magic had to be rebelling. Over the years it ebbed, however, it seemed that in recent years, it was beginning to get increasingly worse. One could only be away from their mate for so long before they cave in. A lesser person would have gone crawling back within weeks of being away, but when has Bonnie Bennett ever been less than?

Elijah stood with his back to the door, facing the mirror mounted on the dresser. As he removed his cufflinks, he glanced up just in time to see Klaus standing in the doorframe with an inscrutable look on his face. After a millennium, Elijah knew each time when Klaus was about to dagger him. This time was no different.

"Brother," Elijah's heart sank to his chest as Klaus placed a single digit to his lips.

"Shhh," Klaus quelled. "Let's not drag this out." Klaus's tone was stone cold as he unsheathed the silver dagger, dipped in white oak ash. Elijah's heart accelerated as he pondered how long it would be this time. Finn had done less to him and was sentenced to 900 years. Elijah only feared what was to come.

"Let me explain, Niklaus." As Elijah spoke, Klaus's suspicions were confirmed. In truth, he was operating on a hunch. The dagger was just a scare tactic to get Elijah to confess. Klaus closed his eyes as the pain of his brother's transgressions gripped his heart and latched on, sinking its claws deep into his already tattered heart.

"It crossed my mind a few times that you had something to do with her disappearance but I was always too blinded by my grief to ever question you." As Klaus spoke, Elijah wondered what exactly gave him away. He'd been so careful. "Well done, Brother. You've bested me." The bitterness in Klaus's tone seeped into Elijah's heart. He had hoped that he could be the hero and finally bring Bonnie and the twins home but as fate would have it, his luck ran out.

"I assure you, Niklaus, there's more to this that you don't know." Elijah only hoped that Niklaus would give him the chance to explain, but with each step he took towards him, Elijah knew that Klaus would not be reasoned with.

"What. I. Know. Is that YOU FUCKING BETRAYED ME!" Klaus's voice shook the windows. In a flash, Klaus was before Elijah. His hand gripped Elijah's neck as his fangs descended. Before Elijah could register what was about to happen, Klaus sunk his fangs into his brother's neck before launching him across the room.

Elijah fell against the wall with a thud as he gripped his neck. The sting of the werewolf venom began to burn him from the inside out. The realization set in as Elijah stared up at Klaus wide-eyed. Klaus glared down at his brother with tears in his eyes. He sniffled and angrily wiped his tears away. The pain his brother felt broke Elijah's heart tenfold. He was the source of this pain. For all of his talks of always and forever, Elijah had proven to his brother that no one could be trusted, not even him.

"Niklaus!" Elijah choked as he gripped his neck. Niklaus watched as his brother suffered before jamming the dagger into his brother's heart. Elijah screamed out in agony as the telltale signs of desiccation began to settle in his veins. Niklaus stooped down and gripped the back of Elijah's head angrily. There was a demonic glimmer in Klaus's eyes as he watched Elijah wither away slowly.

Before the desiccation set in, Klaus smirked as he spoke. "When I wake you, if I wake you, Bonnie's body will be scattered across your coffin." Those were the last words Elijah heard as his world faded to black.

A/N: Thank you all for your reviews! This story jumps around a lot so I apologize for any confusion that may bring. The time jumps are necessary to the storytelling though. Bonnie's actions and the reasons behind them are complex so each time jump shows how and why she hid for so long.

To cut down on any confusion, I've refrained from using specific dates which is why everything is measured in months and years. There's present day, 10 years ago when she left initially, the months following Elijah's disappearance on her end, and in the coming chapters, a flashback to how she ran into Tyler and how they formed their relationship.

Thank you all for listening to my TED talk...