Warning: Angst, angst, and more angst.

Chapter Fourteen
New Orleans
Two Weeks Later

Aurora seethed as she watched the 'girl twin' fawn all over Niklaus. Since Elijah's departure, Niklaus has been the doting father to the Witch-Bitch's bastards and Aurora couldn't stand it. For the first time in over nine hundred years, she had what she wanted. Her first love was back in her arms, finally, only for him to be ripped away from her yet again. The young girl was gorgeous, Aurora had to admit, but pride and envy wouldn't allow her to be happy for Niklaus. The only silver lining was that Bonnie seemed to be distancing herself from the hybrid.

During several visits, she observed the witch sulking around the compound, and for that, she was satisfied. She was sure that Niklaus was only keeping her around to further torment the witch but she didn't care. Any attention was welcomed in her book. Still, as much as he tried to pretend as though he wasn't bothered, Aurora knew that deep down, Nik was unhappy. On occasion, she caught him staring at Bonnie and did all she could to distract him. When the light in his eyes all but diminished, she used her charm to keep him focused on everything but the witch; nevertheless, nothing seemed to work, and quite honestly, her ego was beginning to take a hit.

That said, Aurora lived to make Bonnie's life hell. She made sure to turn it on extra-thick whenever Bonnie was around. Overusing pet names, showering him with love and affection, anything she could to make the witch jealous. She knew that she was playing with fire but she didn't care. In her eyes, she was there before Bonnie and would assert her dominance in Nik's life—children be damned. Klaus didn't seem to mind; she was a nice distraction that he welcomed, though, she tried not to think about the fact that he hadn't touched her intimately since Bonnie's arrival.

Every time she initiated sex, he flat out refused and each time, her ego was bruised. Nevertheless, she made herself available any time he called. Maybe it was loneliness—she tried not to guess—but part of him was better than none of him.

Her train of thought was derailed when the 'boy twin' appeared before her. Neither twin liked her, but Nicky was always the nicer of the two—even if he nicknamed her, 'The Bride of Chucky'.

"How may I help you, little one?"

"My name is Nicky," he corrected with the arrogance of his father. Despite his sass, Aurora smiled.

"Nicky," she addressed. "How may I help?"

"I want you to leave so that my mom can sit with us. She won't come out if you're here." Ever perceptive, Nicky was the first to notice the tension between the adults. At his blunt statement, the 'girl twin' and Niklaus shifted their focus to the two of them. Aurora forced a smile as she tried to save face.

"No one is stopping, her, from joining us." Aurora caught herself, almost using the moniker 'Witch-Bitch' to refer to their mother. She couldn't imagine that going well.

"You are," Nicky deadpanned. "She doesn't like you and when you're here she acts funny. So does dad." Aurora's lips snarled slightly but before she could respond, Niklaus spoke up.

"Nick, your mother can join us any time she pleases, no matter who is here," Niklaus attempted to cajole. Nicky gave Aurora a look but decided to let things go for now. Aurora breathed a sigh of relief that was short-lived when she caught the 'girl twin' staring at her with a peculiar look, almost as if she could see through her.

"But she's sad," Nicky muttered with a frown. Aurora kept her face trained, to the best of her abilities, waiting until everyone's attention shifted before she cracked a smile. She bit her lip to hide it but not before Rebekah noticed the mischievous gleam in Aurora's eyes. Their eyes locked and Aurora plastered a fake smile on her face in hopes to thwart Rebekah.

The blonde wasn't swayed.

For weeks Rebekah remained as neutral as possible while she watched Aurora weasel her way back into her brother's life and for the life of her, she couldn't understand how Niklaus hadn't staked the bitch. Aurora was a minute past delusional and a quarter past psychosis. It was awkward for everyone anytime Aurora and Bonnie crossed paths, that is, whenever she saw Bonnie.

Since Elijah's departure, Bonnie made herself scarce, only surfacing when absolutely necessary. Rebekah knew that Aurora's presence was Klaus's evil way of punishing the witch and though she and Bonnie weren't exactly besties, it was painful to watch. Rebekah blamed her naturally empathetic nature for why she empathized with the woman that ruined her brothers' relationship. She knew firsthand what it was like to be on Klaus's bad side and did not envy Bonnie. Still, by extension, Bonnie was family, and like it or not, they'd have to deal with her for the next decade, at best. The sooner they all got their shit together, the better off they'd be.

As if sensing she was the topic of discussion, Bonnie appeared above them, walking the length of the balcony overlooking the courtyard. She kept her eyes averted as she rounded each corner effortlessly until she reached the top of the staircase. Her attire was simple; a black, floral spaghetti-strap skater dress with a pair of low-top Chuck Taylors. A messenger bag hung off her shoulder and a pair of designer sunglasses rested neatly in her mess of curls. She looked carefree despite the jaded expression on her face. She chose to focus on the thick grimoire in her hand, ignoring the looks she received—one look in particular.

Rebekah's gaze flitted over to Aurora only to find her watching enviably. Her niece and nephew didn't hesitate running to greet Bonnie once she made it to the bottom of the steps and for the first time in a while, Bonnie genuinely lit up. In fact, the only time she smiled was in their presence.

Bonnie wrapped her slender arms around each twin, squeezing them gently. Both Nicky and Lina teemed with joy as they bombarded her with questions.

"You look pretty, mom! Where are you going?" They asked, hugging Bonnie's waist. Bonnie smiled, chuckling at the fact that they were close to surpassing her in height. The notion that children grew up fast was grossly understated.

"I'm going to the park to practice some spells. I need some time alone with nature," she explained. Her time with nature diminished over the past few months. Between worrying about the twins and Klaus's presence, she rarely made time for herself. Typically, Elijah would occupy the twins while she was left to meditate. But Elijah was gone and undoubtedly wouldn't return at any point in her lifetime.

The thought made her sick.

The only time Bonnie left the house was for the essentials. Though Klaus didn't outright ban her from leaving, the few times she did, she felt suffocated by his silent disproval. Her freedom was an illusion, and as patient as she was, she was ready to go stock-raven mad if she didn't get out of his orbit.

The moment she mentioned the park, Klaus's ears perked up.

"Oooh! Can we go?" Maybe it was her mommy-senses but Bonnie had an idea this would happen. While she wished to be alone, she could never forfeit alone time with her children—whenever Klaus allowed it. The time she had alone with them was minimal, now. At first, she thought she was imagining things; each time they were alone, Klaus appeared. If they wanted to go anywhere with her, he found a way to tag-along or include Rebekah. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he didn't trust her alone with them and she couldn't honestly blame him. However, as time persisted, the more ridiculous he became.

Bonnie wondered when her breaking point would arrive. She felt it brewing, but each time she was ready to snap, she talked herself off the ledge. This was to be expected. Klaus wasn't a normal person and thus, his anger wouldn't go away in a week.

Still, he had one more time to interfere…

"I think we could all use a breath of fresh air, wouldn't you agree, Rebekah?" The sound of his voice made Bonnie want to scream.

"Oh no, you don't. Do not involve me in this travesty," Rebekah threw her hands up and stood to her feet, quickly exiting the courtyard. To keep the peace, Bonnie spoke up.

"Actually, if you all don't mind, I'd rather be alone for a bit." At the disheartened look on their faces, Bonnie frowned. "We can do something once I return, though," she encouraged. Their crestfallen faces perked with excitement as they nodded in agreement and Bonnie's smile matched theirs. Instinctively, her eyes met Klaus's and she quickly looked away, trying hard not to read into the pensive look on his face.

Just as she thought she had made it out of the compound without incident, a gust of wind ruffled her hair and instantly, Klaus was before her. The look on his face could only be described as skeptical.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie's brows raised high on her forehead.

"I've already stated where I was going, Nik. Now move," she was hardly in the mood to deal with his paranoia. When he refused to move, her magic sprung to the surface of her skin, crackling in the air around him. Klaus remained unbothered, though the hairs on the back of his neck raised with anticipation.

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"For one, I don't lie to my kids—"

"Our kids," he seethed. Bonnie mentally kicked herself for constantly making that mistake.

"I also don't owe you an explanation. Your girlfriend is in the house, probably wondering why you're so concerned about my whereabouts."

"I don't trust you," he said, taking a step closer to her, ignoring her petty jab.

"And I'm not asking you to, but I refuse to be held prisoner any longer." When Klaus refused to relent, Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Is this how it's going to be from now on? You've got me by the balls. I can't move without you knowing about it. I've done nothing since Elijah left to even indicate that I'm not trustworthy and yet you're still acting like I'm out to get you. Nothing I've ever done has been to intentionally hurt you no matter what you think. I've been quiet for the past two weeks but the twins are starting to feel the tension between us. Tell me what the hell you want from me so I can work on it." Her curt tone was due to the frustrations of not being able to fix their situation and Bonnie often wondered if fixing things would ever be possible.

"I don't want anything from you," he snarled, but even as he said it, he didn't truly believe it. He wanted something but he couldn't say what it was. Either he didn't know or couldn't admit it to himself—but whatever the reason, it left him at an impasse.

As Klaus glared down at her, she felt a longing in her chest that was harder to ignore with him so close to her. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly as she struggled to deal with the myriad of emotions that suddenly overcame her. The bite mark on her thigh began to tingle and Bonnie fought against the urge to pick at it. Since that night, she hadn't mentioned him biting her and neither did Klaus. She wondered sometimes if he even remembered doing it. To bring it up meant unpacking a slew of shit she wasn't sure she was ready for.

"Then may I please be excused?" Her voice was soft and her tongue felt thick inside of her mouth as if she forgot how to speak. The emotions that plagued her were overwhelming and if she had to guess, it was everything Klaus was currently feeling. Distrust and apprehension were high on the list, the turmoil made her stomach hurt.

Without another word, Klaus silently moved to the side—much to Bonnie's surprise—and watched silently as she took a few tentative steps towards 'freedom'. She expected him to change his mind at any moment and drag her back inside kicking and screaming, but as she crossed the street and began to walk freely down the sidewalk, she felt the overwhelming tension begin to ease as the distance between them grew.

Klaus watched her retreating form until it was no more before returning inside to join his family. Though, he couldn't ignore the annoying tug in his chest, beckoning him to go after her.

-X-

Tyler's days were numbered. He knew it, even made peace with it. Each step closer to Bonnie Bennett meant that his life would more than likely end brutally and swiftly at the hands of Niklaus. Before running into Bonnie years ago, Tyler wasn't sure if Klaus had him to think about, honestly. After exiling him, Klaus made no effort to torment him and Tyler relied on the original hybrid's disinterest to live in peace. Though, after running into Bonnie, he realized that his days of flying under Klaus's radar were limited and was more than sure that he was now the number one target on Klaus's hit list.

All because he couldn't stay away.

Even now, he knew better than to fly to New Orleans and seek her company but that was exactly what Tyler did. For weeks, he laid low as he tried to find the best way to approach Bonnie, but she never left the house it seemed.

Not until today. From afar, he watched as she and Klaus went back and forth—about what, he couldn't tell. There were too many tourists crowding the streets below for Tyler to make out their exact words but based on Bonnie's countenance, she was pissed. Klaus had that effect on people.

Once she left, he seized his opportunity, keeping his distance as he followed Bonnie away from the compound. From the way she occasionally glanced over her shoulder, he could tell she sensed someone watching her. Knowing Klaus, he had several people on the job.

A quick scan confirmed as much.

This would make getting close to her difficult but certainly not impossible.

Tyler waited until Bonnie was settled in a secluded section of Crescent Park before making his move. One by one, he snapped the necks of Klaus's minions. He wasn't out to kill any of them, only to disable them long enough to get close.

Ten minutes later, he was standing behind her, several yards away. She sensed someone behind her and her movements stilled. He could smell her magic in the air as she prepared for an attack that wouldn't come. When she spun around, her words died on her lips as she gasped aloud.

"Tyler?" She ran towards him but stopped dead in her tracks as realization hit her at full speed. She glanced around quickly before her fearful eyes landed on him. "Tyler!" She almost sounded angry. "What are you doing here? I told you not to follow us!" The fear she felt was almost tangible. Tyler assessed her for a moment, then frowned. Something was innately different about her but he couldn't explain it.

"I needed to know you and the twins were okay. I haven't been able to rest since you sent me away." Bonnie closed her eyes, tears pouring from them unabashedly.

"You can't be here," she croaked out. "Klaus nearly killed Elijah already and there is nothing on earth I'd be able to do to keep him from killing you. Please…" Her words were pained. "Please leave, if he catches you here…" The grief in her chest felt as if it was going to tear her in two. "Jesus, Tyler, why are you here?" Bonnie was tormented.

Tyler took a step forward and reached out for her. When Bonnie pulled away, he felt his chest ache. "What did he do to you?" The question came out as a growl. Bonnie shook her head.

"What he's going to do to you is what I'm worried about. I'm fine Tyler, the twins are fine, I need you to leave so that I don't get you killed. Please don't let that be on me." The weariness she felt was crippling. Tyler reached out to Bonnie and pulled her into a deep hug, not caring about the world around them. The spark he usually felt between them though, was gone. Tyler pulled away confused. His eyes met Bonnie's and she looked away, almost ashamed.

"He bit me. I haven't felt the same since." Bonnie couldn't figure out what exactly changed, but the moment she felt Tyler's arms around her, she instantly knew what it was.

Tyler knew also.

"He marked you," Tyler explained, looking every bit devastated. Bonnie forced herself to look away, not able to withstand the grief on his face. "Wolves mark their mates. It's like a wedding ring but more permanent… like a tattoo. It seals the bond they have." As Tyler spoke, his voice nearly broke, along with his heart. He knew what this meant but his heart stubbornly didn't want to let go.

Bonnie took a small step backward, increasing the distance between them. While she once lived for the safety of Tyler's arms, it felt morally wrong to be near him now and it hurt. Even as her heart protested, her mind wouldn't allow her to draw nearer to him. It didn't feel right; it felt like a betrayal.

The thought made her sad and angry.

"Tyler," Bonnie didn't know what to say to him. "You have to leave. Please. I've caused so much pain to everyone around me." Her voice trailed off as it trembled under the weight of her emotions. Elijah was gone for what would probably be forever, Rebekah hated her for it, Klaus couldn't stand her and the twins both expected her to fix it all.

But how could she?

"Bonnie," her name sounded like a plea on his lips. "I only have a few more moments before Klaus's guard dogs wake up looking for blood." Bonnie watched as Tyler pulled a note from his pocket, urging her to take it. She tried not to think about what his words meant as she accepted his note against her better judgment. "I know I don't have a shot in hell and I'll leave you alone once this is all over but, at least let me say goodbye the right way."

"You are going to get us killed," Bonnie muttered solemnly. Tyler eyed her silently as he took in every detail of her, engraving it into his memory. So much had changed since he last saw her. Witches aged slower than mortals but the stress of dealing with Klaus for the past several weeks had obviously gotten to her—to the point that she was almost back to her high school weight.

"I'll die before I let anything happen to you," he swore. Bonnie closed her eyes as she clutched the note to her chest. A tear fell from her eye as her chest twisted in agony. It was the second time she'd heard those words this month and she was quite sick of hearing them.

Bonnie wondered casually if this was how Elena felt each time the Salvatore brothers—and even herself, pledged their fealty to her.

"That's what I'm afraid of," she said as she stared down at the piece of paper.

-X-

Bonnie spent the next twenty minutes sitting on the ground, staring at the note Tyler left with her. It was simply a location, date, and time. The best thing to do would be to burn the note and forget Tyler existed but she knew that wouldn't stop him. Tyler would stop at nothing which terrified Bonnie to no end. As she cried, she realized that nothing she could do would prevent the inevitable. She'd meet with Tyler, they'd say their goodbyes, Klaus would inevitably find out and kill them both.

If she was lucky.

After fiddling with the note a few moments longer, she allowed a single thought to light the slip of paper on fire. Her phone rang in her pocket and instantly she knew who was calling. Without sparing the screen a glance, she answered on the second ring and braced herself.

"Hello?"

"Care to explain to me why four of my men woke up confused after having their necks snapped seconds of one another?" Bonnie sighed and drew in a sharp breath as she recalled Tyler's earlier comment about the guards 'waking up'. She figured this would happen. After Tyler's departure, she waited on bated breath for this inevitable phone call… or arrival.

"I didn't appreciate being followed. As I said, I needed time to myself." It wasn't a total lie.

"Where are you?" Bonnie stood to her feet, dusting her legs off.

"Crescent Park," she answered coolly. "But you know that already, don't you?" Before Klaus could respond, Bonnie turned toward where she could sense he was standing. At the tree line, she could make out Klaus's form as he marched towards her. As he neared, he ended the call and Bonnie prepared herself for the third degree. Her best option was the truth, no matter how terrifying that may be.

"Where is he?" Bonnie had the decency to look confused because she was. She wasn't sure if he meant Tyler or Elijah and knowing him, it could be either man.

"You're honestly going to have to elaborate," she said and Klaus rolled his eyes.

"Both of them," he snarled.

"I can honestly say I have no clue," Bonnie confessed. Elijah was in the wind and Tyler could be anywhere within the city. Klaus scoffed.

"Which one was here?" Bonnie sighed as she closed her eyes again. There was an innate desire not to piss him off that sat in the pit of her stomach, however, she knew that was impossible.

"Tyler," she forced herself to mutter and she wondered if she was even capable of lying to him anymore. Her honesty caught him off guard.

"What did he say?"

"He wanted to say goodbye properly," Bonnie explained. "Klaus, I told him to leave. I swear to—" Klaus held up his hand abruptly, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Stop talking, Love." Each word that left her lips pissed him off. There was a long silence that passed between them. Bonnie thought against speaking several times for fear of how he'd react. When Klaus finally spoke, his statement stunned her.

"I'd say my reaction to everything you've done to me has been pretty fucking mild, wouldn't you agree? People have died for far less than the shit you continuously pull so please, Love, explain to me why you insist on me burning this planet to the fucking ground." His words were like venom. Bonnie's eyes instantly became wet. She was speechless.

"Klaus," Bonnie took a deep sigh before continuing. "I know what this looks like but I swear to you, it's not what you think it is. I can't control how he feels about me—the same goes for Elijah. But what I can control is how I respond to that and I swear, I'm doing the best I can. Please let me end things the right way," she pleaded. "I don't deserve any more leniency from you, I know that but I'm trying to fix things and I can't do that unless you dig deep and find a way to trust me—if only a little. You have no reason to do so but we have to figure out something. This isn't healthy."

At her words, Klaus scoffed and kissed his teeth. "What the fuck do you know about healthy?"

"Not a damn thing," she counters. "But I know this isn't good for either of us, neither the twins. I know you want to rip Tyler to shreds and I know that I can't stop you from doing so but—"

"You don't get it, do you?" In an instant, the space between them was diminished, Bonnie braced herself for impact but it never came. "I want to burn every memory you have of them from your fucking brain. I want to compel you to forget they ever existed. I want to murder them while you watch. I want to scrub every trace of them from your body. I don't want to share you with a damn soul, Bonnie!" As he yelled, his canines threatened to unsheathe as his fur bristled against his skin. His eyes yellowed and glowed against blue irises that had since turned black, and the veins in his face flittered beneath his skin. Her eyes closed as her body trembled under the weight of his anger.

"I may not understand completely," she began. "But I'm trying. I can't change what I did, nor can I excuse it. Please know that I'm not purposely trying to hurt you. I didn't know what I was doing when I left, Klaus, and I was too afraid to come back. I wish I could change that but I can't." The need to fix the situations in her life was Bonnie's major flaw and she was never more aware of that until now. Their lives were a shattered vase and all Bonnie had to put the pieces back together was a roll of duct tape.

There was a long silence before Klaus finally spoke up. What he said was nothing Bonnie wanted to hear.

"I want you to leave." His words hung in the air as Bonnie tried to process what he meant. Part of her knew exactly, but she needed him to clarify for her own sanity.

"What?" The air in her lungs dissipated.

"Leave. Move out. I want you gone." Bonnie's immediate reaction was to dig her heels into the ground. Her anger rolled over her in waves.

"So you berate me every chance you get for how I left and now you're asking me to leave?!" She exclaimed. There was a sour taste in her mouth that was matched by the sour look on his face.

"It's what you're good at, is it not?" Bonnie felt as though she'd been splashed in the face with ice-cold water.

"The minute I leave, your paranoia is going to get the best of you and before I know it, you'll be dragging me and the twins back to prison." Klaus lifted a brow.

"Who said anything about the twins going with you?"

Again, the air had been knocked out of her chest.

"I'll be damned—"

"You may visit as often as you like but I want you gone. You insist on doing things your way and as much as I can't stand you for it, I also can't stop you, so get out. You're free to do whatever you wish but I'm not going to sit back and watch you do it."

Bereft of words, Bonnie stared in silent shock. Klaus didn't bother to stick around for a response. In a flash he was gone, leaving Bonnie standing alone, broken.

A/N: I know you guys are sick of me lol. It gets better from here on out, mostly. The angst was necessary because well, Klaus does not forgive easily, no matter who the hell it is. That said, I hope you're still with me after that chapter. Even though it may not seem like it now, these two knuckleheads got somewhere, even though Klaus... was still Klaus. Tyler wasn't going away easily because Bonnie is the flame that keeps these moths coming lol. Again, it's only up from here... with a few curveballs. :) I hope you all enjoyed it. Let me know your thoughts! Again, this is a slow burn but it'll pick up after this.