A/N: The beginning mirrors the beginning of chapter five (sorta) and that's on purpose. There's another note from me at the end of the chapter as well. Enjoy!

South of France
Present Day

"What took you so long to find us?" Klaus blinked as he stared at Nikolina, both amused and affronted by her candor and tenacity. He didn't know what to make of her but he admired her Bonnie-like fierceness.

"Mom and Uncle 'Lijah said you were in a faraway land!" Klaus directed his gaze to Klaus the Younger. The mention of his brother brought about a twist in his chest that he quickly ignored.

"I was," Klaus confirmed as he glanced back at Bonnie. She stood silently behind him with her arms folded. She was wound tight like a tension coil. "A place called New Orleans," he elaborated. "Our family established it many years ago."

"Can we visit?" Lina wanted to know. "Is it safe now," she questioned.

"Mom said you had lots of enemies and that we couldn't come to see you," Nicky felt his anger ebb a little, realizing that though she kept his children away from him, Bonnie made certain, it seemed, not to paint him as the bad guy. Klaus stared into his children's curious copper-colored faces as he tried to determine what they knew of him and what he wanted them to know.

"Yes, that's true," Klaus agreed, not wanting to dismantle the vision of him that Bonnie painted. It wasn't wrong.

Bonnie watched as the twins backed Klaus in a corner, taking pleasure in his discomfort for a moment. It wasn't every day that one got to see the great hybrid so unsure of himself. Chuckling, Bonnie leaned against the doorjamb as the twins went back and forth, asking questions and sharing information with their father before he had a chance to answer, confirm, or deny. Finally, after watching him squirm, she offered a lifeline.

Bonnie moved to sit between the twins on the bed. She could see Klaus relax a little and chuckled at his discomfort, always enjoying a moment to ruffle his feathers. "Guys, be gentle," Bonnie teased, earning a scowl from Klaus. She ignored him successfully and kissed the tops of their heads. "Your father has been traveling for quite some time to see you and he will answer your questions, in due time," Bonnie smiled. Klaus was grateful for the reprieve. He watched as the twins leaned against their mother with a familiarity he envied. He wondered if they were close to Elijah in the same manner. The thought made him both angry and a little guilty.

"Is Uncle 'Lijah coming soon? I miss him," Nicky sighed. They hadn't seen Elijah in months, per the norm, but this time around, his absence was felt. Elijah typically called to check in on them but for months, there was nothing.

Klaus's guilt increased. His children had taken a liking to their uncle in his absence. Klaus's eyes met Bonnie's. She stared through him as if she knew exactly what he had done and truthfully, he wouldn't be surprised if she did know. It wasn't enough to simply dagger him, Klaus wanted him to suffer endlessly.

"Maybe, he's off on a mission to make our home safer for us," Klaus embellished. He didn't want to lie to them but he also didn't want to be the bad guy that took their cherished uncle away from them. At his revelation, Nicky squinted at Klaus and he had to marvel at how intricate genetics were. The boy completely stole his face.

"Hey guys, do you mind unloading the car for me? I'm making Coq au Vin tonight." The twins jumped up with excitement and sped out of the room at lightning speed. "Whoa! Slow down," Bonnie yelled behind them, not expecting them to listen one bit. Once they were out of earshot, Bonnie turned to Klaus. All traces of humor fled her face and in its place was a stony glare.

"Did you kill him," she asked.Him meaning Elijah. Klaus gave a sinister smirk.

"No, but I imagine he's wishing he was dead about now." Bonnie's heart sunk to the pit of her belly.

"Nik, what did you do to him?" The panic in her voice made Klaus growl. He leaned in close to where she sat opposite of him until they were a breath away from one another.

"I tore his throat out and sunk a dagger in his chest," he boasted. Bonnie held her stomach and looked away. Klaus took satisfaction as the color drained from her face. "No worries, Love. I promised to deliver you to him," he falsely consoled. When Bonnie glanced up at him, he smiled and added, "in pieces." She shook her head in horror.

"Your issues are with me, not Elijah. He could go permanently insane, Klaus," she urged. "Let him go," she demanded. Klaus glared at her. He placed his hands on her kneecaps and squeezed them tightly.

"Let me catch you up to speed, Bonnie. You are done calling the shots," he stressed. For ten years she made asinine decisions that negatively impacted his life. That shit was over now. Klaus violently gripped Bonnie's chin, forcing her to look at him. It was then that he noticed the unshed tears she held for his brother. The sight made him want to reach into her chest and relieve her of her heart. "I will let Elijah rot for the next ten centuries if I see fit," he asserted. A sob tore through Bonnie's chest as hopelessness began to fester within. She had no clue how to fix the mess she caused.

"Nik, please," she begged. "He doesn't deserve this, it was my fault, I begged him not to tell you." The more she cried for his brother, the angrier he became.

"Where was this concern for me, Bonnie?" His question seared like a hot knife. "You left like I never fucking mattered to you!" Klaus's volcanic anger resurfaced as he gripped the back of Bonnie's neck. He stood to his feet and pulled her up with him. Using his human strength, he pushed her into the corner of the room and flashed in front of her. Bonnie gasped for air, flinching at every sudden movement.

"This right here is exactly why I fucking left!" Her voice was like icicles. Bonnie's bottom lip trembled with fear of what was to come. She could kill Klaus in an instant if he pushed her to that point but for the twins' sake, it was in her best interest to keep him alive. Bonnie held her throat, forcing herself to stand tall. "You are unbearable. How was I supposed to trust you with the lives of our children when you can't even control your fucking anger!" Bonnie's truth burned like venom and wrapped itself around Klaus. Knowing that Bonnie was fearful of him created conflicting emotions. Each time the vampire raged, the wolf held him back. It was truly frustrating. Klaus wasn't a man of reason whenever he was angered, but Bonnie challenged him to see things from her perspective, even when he didn't want to.

His ears twitched at the sound of the twins shuffling around downstairs. His awareness of them forced him to take a step away from their mother. Her words left him in a trance. He was a terrible person without question. The fact that Bonnie felt that way about him, even after he opened up to her as he had with no one else, pained him. As though there was no one left on earth that believed in him.

Bonnie watched as Klaus visibly recoiled. Her words, though harsh, had their intended effect. She refused to raise her children in a volatile climate that they'd have to heal from as adults. Their father had been raised in one and she wanted to break that cycle. She didn't want them to end up like either of them.

Bonnie took a step closer to him and cupped his face in her hand. Klaus stared through her, his thoughts a million miles away. "I'm not saying your anger isn't valid, Nik. It's your reaction to that anger that gives me pause," she explained. Klaus prohibited himself from leaning into her touch. His eyes closed as he listened to the sounds around him. The rhythm of three hearts beating as one calmed him just enough. He opened his eyes to find Bonnie still staring up at him. His golden irises reflected in her vision. He didn't know what to make of her and her effect on him.

"What happens when they become teenagers and begin acting out? Are you gonna dagger them too?" Bonnie's question was valid and Klaus didn't like that.

"I would never," he urged. Bonnie stared at him with something that resembled hope in her eyes. "I doubt the daggers would work on them anyway," he added offhandedly. His children, like him, were virtually indestructible. Bonnie frowned and dropped her hand.

"You're missing the point," she chastised. Klaus watched as the small fraction of hope in her eyes began to dwindle. His chest swelled with slight panic that led him to grip her hands in his and clutched it close to his chest.

"What did I do to make you lose faith in me?" His emotions were everywhere. While she could piss him off to the brink of insanity, she could also calm his raging sea of emotions. Bonnie was almost taken aback by the sudden vulnerability he allowed her to see. The question broke her heart.

"Nothing," she choked out. She stared at their hands. His warmth engulfed her and she couldn't help the relief she felt at having him close, even if he wanted to murder her. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to bask in his ambiance. She wondered if she was nuts. "I was too afraid to give you a chance."

-X-

Klaus was riddled with pent up energy that he needed to release. His emotions were on a rollercoaster ride and he fluctuated from one extreme to the next. One minute he wanted to tear Bonnie into thousands of pieces and the next, he wanted to lock her into a room and spend hours reclaiming what was his. He was forced to sit through dinner like a normal human being, but the full moon that loomed in the night sky beckoned him to go outside and sink his fangs into any and everything. He sat at the table watching Bonnie and the twins interact, twitching his leg. He was ready to shift; his glowing eyes confirmed as much. Bonnie showed no signs of noticing his demeanor as she doted on Nikolina and Nicky. Klaus was split down the middle. As much as he wanted to stay and bask in their presence, his wolf was dying to escape.

Bonnie poured hot water into four mugs, dispersing one of each to Klaus and the twins. Without hesitation, the twins began to drink their tea but Klaus paused. He could smell the herbs.

"What is this," he questioned. Bonnie offered a timid smile.

"It helps with the urges," she explained. So she had noticed. As Klaus sat silently, Bonnie could feel the tension coming off of him in waves. Being around him after so many years did not change things. She was still sensitive to his presence.

Klaus began to protest when he noticed her drinking the 'tea' as well. His eyebrows lifted in question. "Despite what you may think, it hasn't been easy being away from you for a decade," she countered. Klaus stared at her for a while before slowly raising the porcelain mug to his lips, trying not to analyze her words. From the first gulp, he felt the magic of the herbs begin to engulf him in comfort and by the fourth sip, he was fifty percent calm.

"What is this," he asked for the second time.

"It's a calming tea I use for the twins. They haven't shifted yet but each full moon, they go through the motions. The tea helps to settle them," she said.

"Why haven't they shifted," he asked before turning to the twins to address them directly. He had to stop doing that. "Why haven't you two shifted?" The twins looked at one another and blushed in unison. The sight warmed his dead heart.

"Go on," Bonnie goaded, smiling. Of all times for them to get shy…

"Mom said we could shift whenever we liked," Nicky began, "but she wanted our first time to be with you." Instinctively, Klaus looked toward Bonnie who simply smiled softly. He didn't know what to say to this revelation.

Bonnie watched as Klaus struggled with his emotions. In her heart, she dreamed of uniting their family and while she was the enemy that had stolen so many precious moments from him, she wanted there to be something that Klaus could cherish. She couldn't think of anything better than them bonding over their very nature as hybrids. It was the one thing that she couldn't teach them; the one thing Klaus had over her.

"I can't teach them how to be hybrids so, I figured I'd leave that one for you," Klaus stared at the pair of eyes that looked up at him in wonder.

"I can do that," he promised.

-X-

After dinner, the twins spent three hours going back and forth, sharing stories and memories with their father. They couldn't believe he was finally there with them. Their mother had done a great job of explaining their father to them but to have him there in the flesh was indescribable. For once, they felt complete. They felt it and Klaus felt it. Bonnie left them alone to put the kitchen back together and then retired to her room. She and her children shared numerous moments. She wanted them to have a moment with just their father. It was the very least she could do.

Klaus found Bonnie sitting at her vanity. Her heart rate increased as it always did whenever he neared her. Their eyes met in the mirror and Bonnie tried to measure his countenance. He seemed relaxed—as relaxed as he could be given the circumstances. Klaus stood in silence, watching Bonnie with a curiousness that mirrored that of his offsprings. When they weren't arguing, neither of them knew what to say to the other. They were under the same roof, yet thousands of miles apart. The separation drove Klaus insane.

"Come back to New Orleans." Despite his light tone, Bonnie knew that it wasn't a request, but a demand. Defiance swelled her chest and Bonnie shut her eyes to contain her anger. She knew this was coming, planned it for years. Still, her pride wanted her to kick against the pricks. She never fancied being told what to do.

Klaus was ready for a fight. Everything with Bonnie was a fight. Her stubbornness is what turned him on most. It also made him want to crumble her in his fists. Her strong-willed nature struggled to keep its autonomy where he was concerned. Perhaps that is why she left and stayed gone for so long.

"Am I supposed to just give up my life here all because you said so?" Bitterness decorated her icy tone.

"Yes." He didn't have time to beat around the bush. Bonnie looked at him incredulously, to which Klaus responded simply with a raised brow; a silent threat for her to defy him. "I'm allowing you to live after the shit you've pulled. I wouldn't tempt me if I were you," he warned.

"We both know you won't kill me," she spat confidently. "So quit with the threats."

"And neither can you, Love," he countered as he closed the distance between them. He smirked as he leaned in close to her, staring at her reflection in the vanity mirror. "Since we're at a stalemate, I suppose we have no choice but to get creative," he offered. "And since I've been at this much longer than you…" his voice trailed off as he placed a gentle kiss at the crook of her neck that sent a small shiver down her spine. Klaus smiled at her reaction. "I don't think you want to start barking up that tree, Love."

Suddenly uncomfortable with their proximity to one another, Bonnie stood to her feet and walked to the opposite side of the room. She hugged her midsection as she tried to control the pulse of her magic. Those urges she got each full moon were just below the surface, begging for a release she couldn't afford.

"I'll let you break the news to them," Bonnie muttered. Klaus chuckled, watching her with a knowing grin.

"I already have, Darling."

A/N: First and foremost, thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews, the follows, favorites, everything. My goal with this story (and all of them really) is to blur the 'good guy, bad guy' lines. I hope the flashbacks are meaningful and not confusing and mind-numbing. They serve a purpose I swear!

Also, thank you for your candor when it comes to Bonnie and her actions, haha. She's made a series of detrimental decisions in this story that have brought them all to this point and as they navigate through the chapters, there will be a lot of emotions flaring and truth reveals and messiness before they can heal and move on lol. Depending on how you look at things, Bonnie is the villain in this one. However, every good villain has a strong motive.

Until next time... :)