New Orleans
Two Weeks Later

Rebekah hadn't heard from her brother in months and knew without a doubt that Niklaus had done something to him. She and Elijah were known to take their "Nik Sabbaticals" quite often. Whenever their brother became unbearable, they would jet before they ended up with daggers in their hearts. That she hadn't heard from Elijah in the past several months was alarming since she knew that Elijah was faithfully serving next to Nik's side as they ruled New Orleans' underworld. She had her reservations about returning. She and Marcel were at odds after he'd chosen, yet again, his own self-interests over her. Last she'd heard, he was overthrown, his kingdom had fallen, as she predicted and in addition to losing everything, he lost her as well.

Served him right for rejecting her yet again.

Differences aside, she had to see about her brother and make sure everything was okay. However, upon arriving at the Abattoir, she learned that nothing was okay. Everything was fucked. Bonnie Bennett was back. Niklaus was a father, to TWINS! And Elijah was missing in action.

There was simply too much to process.

Rebekah stared at the twins as they played in the courtyard. She couldn't deny the similarities between the four of them. They looked exactly like Nik and Bonnie but how was this fucking possible?

"Bonnie, how the bloody hell were you able to hide this?" Rebekah wanted to know. Despite being a Bennett Witch, Niklaus had the uncanny ability to track people down. It's why Katherine remained mobile for 500 years; she was unable to stay in one spot for extended periods of time. Whenever Rebekah went on her sabbaticals, she too would have to move around. Yet, the little witch managed to provide a stable life for her niece and nephew. Rebekah's eyes flitted over to the twins once again. They seemed oblivious to what was happening around them.

"Should you tell her, Little Witch, or should I?" Klaus's sing-song voice made Rebekah shudder just a little. She knew her brother and knew he'd done something grizzly. Rebekah carefully regarded the witch, bracing herself for what she was about to hear. The look in Bonnie's eyes should have killed her brother on the spot.

"Elijah helped us," Bonnie muttered. "He found me outside of Paris just before I gave birth." The color left Rebekah's face as she glared at her brother. In a flash, she was in front of him.

"What did you do to Elijah?!" The panic Rebekah felt propelled her. Niklaus grinned and poked her nose.

"The usual, Love. With just a little pop of color," he answered with a tap to Rebekah's nose. He caught sight of Bonnie rolling her eyes and smiled to himself.

"He bit him," Bonnie translated since Klaus had no intention of being forthcoming. "And put a dagger in his heart." Instantly, Rebekah barred her fangs and growled. She turned away from Klaus and appeared before Bonnie quicker than either of them could react.

"This is all your fault! You dragged him into this!" Rebekah wrapped her hands around Bonnie's throat and yanked her close, ready to sink her fangs into the witch. Before Klaus could process what he was doing, he sped up behind Rebekah and snapped her neck, watching as her blonde hair spun from the force. Her body crumpled at his feet and he visibly relaxed once the threat to his mate was eradicated. Bonnie coughed and held her throat. She didn't have time to react before Rebekah was on her. Her eyes stung with tears; the force of which Rebekah grabbed her nearly snapped Bonnie's neck and crushed her windpipe.

Bonnie's eyes met Klaus's and instinctively, she flinched when he reached out to her. He held his hands up, palms stretched to show that he meant no harm. At his second attempt, Bonnie relaxes against him, visibly shaken. He held her against his chest, coaching her to calm down before attempting to offer her his bloodied wrist. She craned her neck and tensed upon gazing into his amber-colored eyes. Memories of him forcefully feeding her his blood surfaced and her heart began to race with fear. Her reaction caused him to falter; that night wasn't his proudest. The fear he inflicted both satisfied the vampire and sickened the wolf. His heart was in constant conflict—nothing was ever black and white with her.

"No gimmicks," he promised with a soft tone. "You're hurt," he goaded gently. Bonnie searched his eyes, looking for any signs of deception. What she found instead was concern and in response, her heart twisted with a familiar feeling. She stared down at his closing wound and took his wrist into her hand.

Klaus relished in the feel of her lips pressed against his skin. His eyes closed as he enjoyed the feeling of his blood leaving his body with each pull from her mouth. As she drank, Bonnie felt the feelings she's repressed for the past ten years surface and increasingly grew ravenous. She wanted to remain in this moment forever but knew that eventually, she would have to let go. Still, she drank her fill of him and Klaus did nothing to stop her.

Several minutes later, Bonnie pulled away from him. Her magic thrummed beneath the surface of her skin and her green eyes darkened with lust. She took several steps back and tried focusing on Rebekah's unconscious body in order to ground her. However, one look at Klaus made her want to continue what they started—a few moments ago or ten years earlier, she wasn't sure. She closed her eyes to block out the intensity of his stares but was assaulted with images of the night she appeared on his doorstep a decade ago.

The sight of Bonnie standing before him with his blood coating her tantalizing lips threatened to release the beast from within. He was ready to take her on every surface within the room but anticipated her next move. He inhaled deeply, taking in the aroma of her arousal. She was beginning to smell like him again.

His tawny eyes glowed and his stomach coiled with the need to claim her. Before he could talk himself out of it, he had one foot in front of the other until the distance between them was nonexistent. The moment he was near, she gripped both biceps, an act meant to keep him at bay but instead, pulled him closer to her until their lips met. A whimper left her lips as he kissed her fervently. That familiar drunkenness took root, urging her to throw caution to the wind and allowed Bonnie to be consumed by him.

Her legs hit the edge of the desk and Klaus wasted no time leaning into her until she was laid flat on it. His lips grazed her neck and Bonnie shuddered with each kiss he placed on it. The irony of them making out on the same desk the twins were conceived was not lost on her. She burrowed her fingers in his mess of curls, holding him close as he kissed the areas Rebekah's hand had been. Just as he moved to grip her thigh, Klaus's movements stilled. Bonnie also stilled and searched his face for answers. His ears twitched slightly and before she could complain, he was standing up straight, pulling her with him. Bonnie opened her mouth to speak but was silenced by Klaus's finger.

He glanced down at the floor and that's when Bonnie shamefully remembered that Rebekah was still down there, unconscious. He had a bad habit of making her forget her surroundings. In a flash, he sped out of the room with Bonnie following him at a more human pace. The twins were now out of sight and Bonnie paused to check on them as she passed their rooms. They were both now in Nicky's room, fighting over who would go next on the game console their father bought for them. Rather than break them apart, Bonnie allowed them to sort through their dilemma and softly closed the door.

Downstairs, Niklaus met Aurora at the courtyard's entrance. The look on her face was none too pleased as she demanded why he chose to ignore her for the past several hours. Aurora was convinced Bonnie was the reason and, well, she wasn't exactly wrong about that.

"My sister's here," was the only explanation Klaus offered. In truth, he had no desire to quell Aurora's psychotic thoughts about him and Bonnie.

"Yeah? Is that why she's up there guarding you like a watchdog?" Klaus turned in the direction Aurora was staring and found Bonnie standing on the steps behind them with her arms folded, indeed looking similar to a guard dog, Klaus smirked as a sense of pride swelled in his chest.

"I assure you, it's not me she's guarding." Though, he didn't quite believe his own words.

Bonnie descended the stairs, watching with keen interest as Klaus tried in vain to appease Aurora—who was convinced that he and Bonnie were up to something. Bonnie wondered how long he'd keep that psychotic bitch around just to spite her. Either way, it didn't matter; everyone knew the truth rather they accepted it or not. It was a tough reality but she and Klaus would ultimately find their way back to one another, no matter who got hurt in the process.

It wasn't until Rebekah joined the party that Aurora decided it was best to leave. Maybe it was because Rebekah showed up with a wooden chair leg and stabbed Klaus in the shoulder, threatening to do the same to Aurora if she didn't leave immediately.

Bonnie also left, leaving the Mikaelson siblings to sort out their grievances. From past experiences, she knew it would take a while, hours to be exact. After checking on the twins—who were trying to pretend they weren't eavesdropping—Bonnie spelled Nicky's room to keep the twins from witnessing their aunt kicking their father's ass.

Left with her thoughts, she pondered again of how she could possibly acquire Klaus's blood. She thought to acquire blood from the twins but thought against it. She didn't want to involve them in her schemes, however, it was looking like the only option until suddenly, a thought occurred. With Klaus currently distracted, she used this moment to her advantage and slipped inside of her room. Once inside, she pulled out two small bowls and a knife. She sliced into her hand and allowed her blood to pour into one of the bowls until it was nearly full. She quickly healed her wound and began to chant until the blood in the bowl began to stir and levitate.

"Separata est sanguis…" Slowly, her blood began to separate from Klaus's until they were both hovering over each bowl. Once the spell was complete, both bowls were half full. She placed Klaus's blood in a large vial and did the same with hers in a different vial. She began to clean up the evidence of her spell when she sensed his presence approaching. With a snap of her fingers, she glamoured the room and hid the vials of blood in her closet just as Klaus walked inside.

"Are you okay?" Though it wasn't much, Klaus could sense that Bonnie was bleeding. Paranoia overcame him and he immediately left to check on her. He entered the room fully and took her in, assessing her for any damages. Bonnie smiled a bit at his concern and wondered if he realized or cared that his 'heart' was showing.

"I'm fine," she assured without an explanation. She assessed him as well, noting the dried bits of blood on his face and where Rebekah stabbed him. "Is Rebekah still alive?"

"Unfortunately," he grumbled, though a small smile played on his lips. Bonnie also smiled, knowing that as much as they despised one another, the Mikaelson siblings couldn't live without each other. Her smile was doused by thoughts of Elijah.

"It seems as though a woman's intuition remains with her, even in death." She wasn't sure if his words were meant for Rebekah or Aurora. She assumed both.

"I'm sure she's just worried about him, that's all." It was Klaus's turn to wonder whom she meant; Rebekah or herself. There was a crack in his armor when Bonnie looked up at him with worry in her eyes; not for him, but for his brother. Part of him wanted to appease her and at least cure Elijah of his venomous bite, the other half wanted to carve his treacherous brother from her heart.

The two of them stared at each other for what felt like forever before Bonnie looked away. "If you would just…"

"No," he growled, knowing what she was getting at.

"We have no idea what your bite is doing to him," she urged. A growl shook his chest as he advanced on her. Bonnie backed away slowly.

"We'll find out, one day." The desire he had to appease her was snuffed out just as quickly as it came.

"The twins are asking about him," she tried once again. Klaus growled angrily. His fangs unsheathed along with his claws. He picked Bonnie up by her shoulders until they were eye level. She winced as his nails dug into her sleeves.

"I'm their father!" Bonnie shut her eyes as he yelled in her face. Visibly rattled, Bonnie trembled as she spoke.

"I know that! But they love him too! There's room for both of you in our hearts." Klaus set her back onto her feet before turning away from her. So many emotions plagued him at once. His insecurities could not accept her betrayal. Feelings of inferiority urged him to expunge his brother from their lives and fear kept him from doing the right thing. He couldn't bear the thought of his children preferring their uncle over him or even Bonnie for that matter. Elijah had spent the last ten years forming bonds that Niklaus never got to experience.

The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Love," Klaus closed his eyes. "We both know I require more than a tiny space in a coat closet."

"Why are you looking at it that way!? Elijah will never take your place, Nik. We've never tried to replace you—"

"It definitely seems that way," he cut in angrily. The tension that always laid beneath the surface flared. His exasperated expression was now replaced with a look of anger. It never took much to set him off. "While you all were on the other side of the fucking ocean playing house, I was here, losing my fucking mind looking for you!" Bonnie's chest twisted with that familiar ache.

"I didn't know, Nik! I didn't know we were mated! I was convinced that what I felt was one-sided. Why didn't you tell me?! Why would you keep that shit from me?!" Their chests heaved as they glared at one another. At some point during their screaming match, they gravitated towards one another until they were toe-to-toe. The power struggle between them was cataclysmic.

"You didn't stick around long enough for me to fucking say anything," he bit back. Perhaps what Bonnie hated most was how true his words rang. "I barely had enough time to process what the fuck I was feeling before I was left alone to deal with…" Klaus's anger and pride wouldn't allow him to finish. There were so many emotions running through him, he could barely take it. The anguish he felt made him want to tear his hair out.

A growl tore through his chest and his eyes flashed amber. True to his nature, whenever he was hurt, Klaus lashed out. Bonnie's magic flared to defend herself. Klaus sensed it along with a spike of fear that lingered in her pheromones. He closed his eyes and dug deep within himself to calm down. He would not allow her to drive him over the edge. He could not prove her right.

The look in his eyes when he opened them left Bonnie broken. "Klaus," she choked out. "I can't apologize enough. I don't know what else to do." There was a hint of desperation in her voice—a longing that called to him and Klaus fought against his wolf to answer it.

She reached out to grab his hand but Klaus pulled away from her. A sob rattled her chest as she watched him walk away from her. Her feet began to move on its own until she was following after him. "How can I fix this?" It was a simple question that could easily go undetected by human ears but Klaus heard her perfectly. He stopped his retreat and thought about what she was asking him. He didn't have an answer. No solution felt good enough.

"You can't."

His answer left her standing alone in the hallway with regret weighing heavily on her shoulders.

A/N: Hey guys! Welcome back to my collection of words lol. So, I know it seems like Klaus and Bonnie regressed back to hating one another, but this is a part of their healing. They will have up and downs and a good bit of angst before they get it all out. Consider this progress, though. Klaus didn't lash out… this time, lol. Also, Bonnie is softer and more apologetic than she has been in the past so, they're getting there. They just need to feel the feels. With the bond and the heightened emotions, they're a hot mess and all over the place right now lol.

Anyway, the response to this story has been insane and I can't thank you enough. I'm glad you all like it as much as I enjoy writing it. I take great pleasure reading your comments and they give me the strength to keep going. One thing I have to learn while writing is to trust my gut and the flow of the story and not let my head get in the way lol. I'm so glad that for the most part, Elijah has been received well. I was nervous about how he'd be accepted and am pleased that it seems as though I did my part in showcasing the dynamics of his and Bonnie's situation. Translating thoughts to paper is rough, man!

Thanks again and stay safe out there!