Paris, France
Present Day
When faced with a defining moment, you either grasp it or allow it to pass. Too many times, Tyler allowed it to pass. Running into Bonnie and the twins was a defining moment in his life to exact revenge against Klaus; he allowed it to pass. Choosing to stay away from Bonnie in the name of self-preservation, he let it pass. It would seem that, as he contemplated the last several years of his life, the moments he chose to grasp brought him one step closer to death.
He grasped the moment to be freed from a life of solitude. He grasped the moment he allowed himself to grow closer to Bonnie. He grasped the moment he allowed his desire for her to consume him. He allowed himself to feel after being on the run for over a decade.
And he didn't regret it in the slightest.
Currently, he sat in The Louvre in the exact seat Bonnie sat in when they first laid eyes on one another, years after of blowing the dust of their podunk town off their feet. At the time, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He couldn't fathom how The Bonnie Bennett fell into Klaus's web of toxicity.
Everyone in his life had a link to Klaus. Bonnie, The Twins, Caroline…
It incinerated him that even while being banished, Klaus found different ways to (indirectly) taunt him. It was why a selfish part of him always took satisfaction of winning Bonnie's heart—a very small portion of it, at least.
He knew deep down Bonnie would never be able to pluck Klaus from her heart. They were mated. Tyler always assumed Bonnie knew about the bond but, as he looked back on small clues, he realized she truly didn't know.
Wolves usually only mated with other wolves and the moment it happened, they knew. But there were no textbooks about anything supernatural, only lores written in grimoires, usually by witches that have gone mad. And though Tyler had his suspicions, he never mentioned it to Bonnie. He didn't want to know. It was easier to ignore.
Being with Bonnie was always borrowed time for him. Though faint, Klaus's scent was a part of hers. But as they grew closer, it was easier to ignore. In a way, this was Tyler's revenge. In a twist of fate, the odds were in his favor for once. Klaus had taken everything from him and while it may have been wrong morally, Tyler's heart justified his actions.
He loved Bonnie and would do anything to be with her.
His wolf wanted to claim her for himself but Klaus had beaten him to the punch. Still, it didn't stop him from imprinting. He couldn't help it. Imprinting was different from mating. Imprinting was one-sided, typically. It was the first step in the mating process and Tyler was forever stuck in it until he found someone else to imprint upon.
But he didn't want anyone else. He wanted Bonnie.
It placed him in a peculiar predicament. Bonnie feared for his life and therefore, sent him away. He didn't care about self-preservation if it meant being away from her. It was crazy. He left only because she wanted him to, not because he was afraid of dying. Still, he couldn't leave too far. He had to stay close enough in case she needed him—in case Klaus wasn't in the forgiving mood if or when he arrived.
Bonnie's intuition as a witch never failed. He knew she sent him away with good reason but he couldn't help but feel threatened by Klaus's presence. Though the bond had weakened from years of being apart, he knew that the moment the two of them crossed paths again it was curtains for him. It was amazing that she went this long without him and Tyler suspected that it was because she wasn't a wolf. Had she been one, Bonnie wouldn't have left; the pull was too strong, or so he heard. Even now, he felt an urge to be with her after months of being apart. The situation he was in was dire and Tyler accepted the moment he fell for her that his days on earth were numbered.
Every day, he sat in this spot and stared at his phone, waiting on her to call and tell him the coast was clear and every day, he left disappointed. When he got back to his apartment in Puteaux, located not far from the Eiffel Tower, he wrote letters. Letters she never responded too. He had to believe she received them. At night he dreamed about her and many times, he had to stop himself from driving eight hours to Cassis to check on her.
Being away drove him nuts.
Given that the museum was soon set to close, Tyler stood to his feet and was about to call it a day when his phone chimed. His undead heart skipped a beat.
Only one person had this number.
He checked the phone and nearly growled at the text message.
Klaus is here. We're moving soon so we won't be here for long. I love you so much and I cherish the time we had together, but to keep you safe, I have to let you go. I'm so sorry. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. Please don't be a hero, Ty. I mean it. Live for yourself and don't worry about us. We'll be okay. I just need you to be okay too.
I love you.
-Bonnie
Tyler's brown eyes glowed yellow.
Like hell he would.
-X-
'Home' Bound
Currently…
The stability Bonnie and Elijah worked so hard to establish for the twins was pulled from under them the moment Klaus arrived. Everything Bonnie worked hard to prevent was happening and their future was now uncertain. Thankfully, the twins saw it as an adventure. To finally travel to America where their mother grew up. The private jet Klaus chartered wasn't big enough to contain the two of them. Bonnie sat still while the twins ran up and down the aisle. During the journey, Bonnie retreated within herself. After texting Tyler, she turned the phone off and packed it in the lining of her luggage. She prayed that Tyler took heed to her advice but had an inkling suspicion that he wouldn't.
Tyler was just as stubborn as she.
She could have fought against leaving with Klaus but thoughts of Elijah suffering in a pine box motivated her to go along with whatever Klaus had planned.
And what did he have planned?
Klaus wasn't certain.
None of this was apart of his plan. He was to return to New Orleans with the body parts of a Bennett Witch in his suitcase but instead, he was returning with two new additions to his family. Family he couldn't protect while they were an ocean away. Family he honestly had no fucking clue what to do with. His head was still reeling.
The twins didn't seem to mind the change.
Bonnie—well, he didn't care about how she felt. Not once in ten years did she regard his feelings.
Still, he silently watched her from the opposite side of the plane as she sat idly, unflinching in a daze. He wanted to choke her and hold her at the same time. To know what thoughts ran through her mind. To know whether or not if it was another she was thinking of and not him. Tyler, perhaps? Maybe Elijah? Both? The thought made him furious beyond understanding and he wondered if this is what karma felt like. In his thousand years of wrongdoing, this felt like a strange bout of penance. Her betrayal cut so deep it threatened to send him into a flying fit of rage any time he dwelled on it too long.
But unlike other times, he couldn't act on his rage. Not without damaging his children and proving her right. No, he had to prove her wrong. It was the only way he knew how to make her pay. Make her miss what she could have had if only she had come to him.
Why didn't she give him a chance?
The question burned him up. Though their tryst was short, it was more real than anything Klaus had ever felt. Blood, magic, and alcohol helped, but his heightened feelings as a hybrid propelled him over a cliff and for three months, he slept, ate, and breathed Bonnie Bennett. She consumed him more than any bloodlust he's ever felt. She incinerated him more than any rage he's ever felt. It happened so quickly, he was never able to recover from her.
Humans would say she was the 'one that got away'.
Except she ran, intentionally. Leaving him in millions of broken shards to piece back together on his own.
The thought brought him to his feet and without a word to anyone, he retired to his quarters. He needed a moment to calm the fuck down.
-X-
New Orleans
Several Days Later
Aurora de Martel anticipated Klaus's arrival. When he left, she was ensured she'd have his undivided attention once he returned. The two of them picked up where their romance left off after being apart for almost a millennium, but Aurora suspected that Klaus's heart resided with another. Jealously wouldn't allow her to rest until he plucked whoever kept the two of them from truly being together from his heart. She anticipated Klaus's devotion when he returned.
She did not anticipate two children with his eyes along with the mother that bore them.
Bonnie Bennett.
She was something like a phenomenon. Aurora had heard of multiple Bennetts throughout the years. The legendary Goddess, Qetsiyah, Ayana, and Emily were among the top three but Bonnie, in her short amount of time, had been known to cause quite the stir in her hometown of Mystic Falls.
Aurora never anticipated meeting a Bennett. They were rare and elusive and at times thought to be nonexistent. The supernatural realm anticipated their impending extinction given the number of times Bonnie had died. What they didn't anticipate was that not only would she thrive, but that she would duplicate.
No one saw that coming.
The two women regarded one another silently. The magic that radiated from her kept Aurora from attacking. Though psychotic, Aurora was no fool. If Bonnie managed to survive Niklaus's fury, she was not to be trifled with.
Still, a challenge presented itself and Aurora couldn't help kicking the bear.
As to where to apply pressure…
"I'm sure Nik has told you all about me, yes?" Bonnie hefted her chin and glared at the woman before her. Aurora smiled as she circled Bonnie, eyeing her curiously.
"No, actually," Bonnie corrected. Aurora chuckled softly. Bonnie could smell the crazy on her and was ready to defend herself if need be. Aurora waited for Bonnie to inquire about her, frowning when the inquiries never came.
"Aurora," she introduced. "Nik's first love," she clarified, watching Bonnie keenly for any form of reaction.
There wasn't one.
"Okay?" With a perked brow, Bonnie waited for a point to be made. She didn't have time to deal with a scorned lover.
"As to be expected," Aurora recovered. "Nik's never mentioned you and I suppose I find myself curious. I wonder… what did he see in you?" Before Bonnie could tell Aurora where to go, Klaus's voice sounded from across the courtyard.
"Ah, there you go, Love!" At the pet name, both Bonnie and Aurora glanced up and Bonnie silently cursed her instincts. He did that shit on purpose. Klaus grinned proudly as he moved to stand next to Aurora.
"Have you been keeping Miss Bennett company," Klaus asked, rubbing his snub in Bonnie's face. Bonnie fought against rolling her eyes and Aurora snickered. She leaned into Klaus's side and smirked at Bonnie with a satisfied look on her face.
"I have. Cute little thing," Aurora pipped. "I see why you were intrigued by her." Bonnie gritted her teeth. Her green eyes flashed with what Klaus perceived as envy. His smirk broadened.
"Where's Elijah?" Bonnie asked suddenly. All traces of humor immediately fled Klaus's face. Dark veins flittered beneath his eyes and Klaus flinched as if he was about to attack. Aurora held him in place, slightly perturbed by the reaction Bonnie elicited from him.
A whisper of a smile appeared on Bonnie's lips. It would take more than meaningless flirting to set her off.
"Elijah is having a bit of R&R," Aurora answered. "We're not sure when," Aurora smirked, "or if, he'll be back." Bonnie controlled the impulse to melt the lips off of homegirl's face.
"You both better hope for your sake that he does," Bonnie threatened. Klaus bristled.
"And if not," he asked glaring at her. He took a step forward, challenging her with his looming height. Bonnie stood strong in the face of adversity.
"If not, you both will be 'relaxing and recuperating' right next to him," she said, turning on her heels. Aurora gave Klaus a look of expectation, wondering what he planned to do to the mouthy witch. She was annoyed to find him staring after her with an amused glint in his eyes and without thinking, she sped in front of Bonnie, baring her fangs.
"You better watch your tone, Witch," Aurora sneered. Before Bonnie could retaliate, her view was blocked by Klaus's back. Bonnie moved to sidestep him, growling when he moved with her.
"Aurora, sweetheart, that's no way to treat a guest," he grinned. Bonnie tried once again to sidestep him but was headed off when he moved in front of her… again.
"Put a leash on this bitch, Nik," Bonnie growled. Aurora lunged at Bonnie but was halted by Klaus's hands on her shoulders.
"Go wait in the car," Klaus said firmly. Aurora glared at Klaus but did as she was told, not before shooting daggers at Bonnie. Bonnie returned the glare and waited until Aurora left before turning her attention to Klaus.
"Seriously? I am not about to deal with this juvenile bitch the entire time I'm here. Keep her away from me and keep her away from my kids," Bonnie demanded.
"Our kids," Klaus corrected stoically. Bonnie rolled her eyes.
"You heard what I said. Don't bring her back here." Anger rolled off Bonnie in waves and Klaus fought back a grin.
"I don't think my girlfriend would like that very much. She can get rather possessive. Besides, what's mine is hers," he antagonized. Bonnie rolled her eyes.
"That is a chew toy," she countered. "And she's about to share this ass whoopin' with you if she tries me again." Her threats made him grin.
"We're back to dog jokes, are we?" Bonnie glared up at him. She knew she was being petulant but she didn't care. Anger consumed her.
"I said what I said," she doubled down. Klaus glared down at her for a few moments before taking a step back. His light chuckles taunted her.
"I'll be back later," he paused, "alone." Bonnie cut her eyes towards him. "I don't need you setting my girlfriend on fire," he teased with a smirk. He turned and began making his way towards the main exit. "Have the twins ready by this afternoon," he called over his shoulders as he made his way out.
-X-
It took Bonnie a while to calm down after Klaus had left. She decided to channel the anger she felt into something productive. It was the first time since they arrived that Klaus had left them alone and while there were no spies in the house, she was sure he had several vampires camped outside, waiting to see if she'd try to make a run for it again.
Capitalizing on this moment, she sprang into action. She allowed her magic to scan the area for any signs of Elijah, hoping beyond hope, he was somewhere on the property. The Abattoir was massive and from the moment she arrived, she began her search for the elder Mikaelson. Without the assistance of magic, Bonnie would have had to search endlessly for him. However, it didn't take long for her to pick up on small traces of his aura.
She was pulled towards his bedroom first. His aura, though weak, still filled the space with the objects he last touched. The lingering scent of his rare and expensive colognes made her nostalgic. She was then led down a dark path towards the back of the house, beyond the massive courtyard. The corridor was ominous and looked like the kind of stuff nightmares were made of. Ivy lined the brick walls and the dank smell of the cold wet bricks tickled at Bonnie's sinuses. She came across a section of the wall and stopped when the trail went cold. Alarmed, she glanced around before trying again to put her 'feelers' out, but the trail stopped at the brick wall. Puzzled, Bonnie frowned at the giant wall before her.
"What the hell?" She searched the area for any signs of a door or passageway but there wasn't any. She was about to give up and try a locator spell using something of his in his room when something caught her eye. She walked over to a section of the wall and studied it. The bricks in one particular area appeared brighter and newer than the others and so did the caulking around them. Bonnie gasped slightly as a sinister thought took root.
"Oh my God," she whispered. She placed a hand over the wall and focused on it until her magic penetrated the bricks. When she sensed Elijah, she stumbled back, covering her mouth with her hands.
"Elijah," she choked out a sob as she contemplated what to do next. If she freed him, there was no telling what Klaus would do to either of them, but she couldn't leave him there either. With a sigh, Bonnie closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. She would simply have to deal with Klaus later—her mantra for the past ten years.
Bonnie tried to ignore the quiet guilt.
With a raise of her hand, she used her power to blast away that section of the wall and watched as Elijah's body tumbled forward from the rubble. Instinctively, she moved to catch him, falling with him under the weight of his petrified body. Dust and shards of brick rained down on all around them. Tears of relief stung her eyes the moment she had him back in her arms. She stared down at the silver dagger in his chest and contemplated what she wanted to do with him. To wake him would mean subjecting him to the werewolf venom that was bound to spread at a much rapid pace while he was conscious. That said, her guilt wouldn't let her rest if she simply did nothing.
Plagued with Decision Fatigue, Bonnie used her magic to repair the wall to its original state. She then used her magic to carry Elijah's body back to his room where she laid him on the bed. She watched over his desiccated frame for a few moments before whispering a spell to glamour the room. To the untrained eye, it would look empty which would buy Bonnie time until she figured out a way to cure him. It wasn't the ideal solution but it would have to do until she was able to undo the damage she inadvertently caused.
"Hang in there, Elijah," she whispered in his ear. She then kissed his forehead gently and stood to her feet. As tempting as it was to pull the dagger from his chest, she had to keep her emotions in check for his best interest until she could find a way to get Klaus's blood to cure him.
She placed a hand over the werewolf bite, grimacing at the decaying flesh around it. She used her magic to draw some of the toxins out, groaning in pain as her body absorbed Klaus's venom. She held on for as long as she could before finally releasing her magic. The bite looked slightly less severe but it wouldn't last long. It would only buy her some time but she needed as much as she could get.
She wasn't sure how long Elijah could survive this.
A/N: In honor of my late father, I decided to post this chapter on his birthday today! :)
Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed that chapter as I enjoyed writing it. Just to clear some things up. This story is AU and I will address some things as they come up. For now, I will say that yes, Klaus had a history with Caroline but that was sort of a one and done thing and in this story, it was more about antagonizing Tyler and going after what he thought he couldn't have. It pales in comparison to what he shared with Bonnie though because, of course, they were mated so that trumps everything.
Speaking of mating, it works differently in this story than what we're used to. In the show and in many of the werewolf/vampire lore, they have the whole 'mate for life' thing and while that's sort of true in this story, I wanted to give Klaus and Bonnie a bit more autonomy because free will is still a thing. That said, you see Bonnie with Tyler and Klaus with Aurora. This is simply them trying to force themselves to move on but the bond they have hinders it and they both can't stand it. It was only 3 months between them so their heart and their minds are in constant conflict. Their minds are struggling to catch up with what they feel and this is why they're both so damn volatile. :)
I hope I cleared up some things. More will be addressed in the story. Until next time, take care and please be safe. I hope you all are faring well during this time of uncertainty and if not, you have my thoughts and prayers.
Good vibes to you all! Muah!