Natalie was still in shock as she looked in Nico's direction, but all he did was shrug, as unsure as she was how to react to what Milo had just told them. Finally, she settled for shutting her eyes tight and muttering under her breath. "Fuck, Milo, now isn't the time to make jokes or pull tricks! It's a very serious situation! If you're going to start pulling bullshit, you can just leave!"

"I don't think it's bullshit," Nico whispered back and put a hand on her arm. "It's more than we had before. We need help, and he's willing to provide it."

"It's not bullshit, Natalie," Milo said at last. "If you'd gotten over yourself and kept in contact with me, you would have been well aware of what was going on in my life."

Natalie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "And I suppose that would have included your long list of girlfriend and boyfriends?" She scoffed angrily. "No, thank you. That's not something I care to be kept up to date on!"

"Actually, you wouldn't have heard anything about that!" Milo snapped, even as a faint blush colored his cheeks. "Since I started studying to become a doctor, I haven't had time to date or anything like that at all. The only people I see on any regular basis are my brother Noah, your aunt Roxie, and my grandfather Sean. And I surely won't be dating any of them!"

Still not wanting to believe him, Natalie just shook her head stubbornly. "This is some new game you came up with to pass the time!"

Milo just scoffed and shook his head. "You know what, Natalie? I don't give a damn whether you believe me or not. It's clear you won't, even though I'm telling the damn truth!" He pushed his sleeves up his arms. "I know you don't want anything to do with me anymore romantically, and I get it, but apparently, civility and friendship aren't in the cards either. Fine. But our friend Michelle is about to give birth, so can we at least be civil enough to help her get through it?"

"Yes, please," Michelle said through clenched teeth. "Everyone just shut up and help me!"

Natalie's eyes widened at his words, and she raised her chin. "Fine, Mister Wannabe Doctor!"

"Thank you!" Milo ignored her latest attempt to get a rise out of him, then turned his attention back to Michelle after sitting on the coffee table.

"What should I do?" Nico asked, standing up. "I'll go get hot water and towels." He walked away, leaving Natalie and Milo alone with Natalie. Milo immediately began pushing her skirt up her legs.

"Okay, Michelle, I know this might be hard, but we need to get your panties off. Can you do that yourself. Or do you need help?"

"'Get your panties off'" Natalie rolled her eyes and began pacing back and forth. "Of course those are your next instructions!"

"Natalie, if you're not going to be helpful, you can just leave, and Nico and I will handle this by ourselves!"

Then they both jumped about a mile as a surprise contraction caused Michelle to let out an ear-splitting shriek. "I don't care about your damn lovers' quarrel or if you see my vagina. Just get the damn baby out of me!"

Natalie took a deep breath and rubbed her hands together. "All right. What can I do to help?"

Milo gestured next to Michelle. "Just sit there and hold on to her. Keep her as calm as you possibly can."

"I know you say you know what you're doing, but…shouldn't we call for help instead?" Natalie quested as she sat beside Michelle and rubbed her back. "Someone who's, you know, had actual training?"

"That would be preferable," Milo agreed. "But all the phone lines are down because of a bad storm." He picked up Michelle's panties and put them on the table, then got down on his knees in front of Michelle's parted legs.

"And the wedding…" Natalie realized, her heart sinking. "Anyone who could possibly help us is at my aunt and uncle's farm!"

"Exactly," Milo nodded, turning his attention back to Michelle. "There's nothing more we can do at this point other than wait for nature to take its course."

"What do you see?" Natalie asked nervously. She'd vowed never to be nervous or vulnerable in front of him, but Michelle was her friend and the thought of something happening to her friend was making her nervous.

Milo just barely gave her a glace before he winced. "Honestly, at the moment, all I see is a woman who can't stand the sight of me and is asking a lot of stupid questions!"

Natalie's eyes widened and she scoffed. "So that's how you want it? Do you want to be reminded of when I found you kissing another girl on my sofa? Was I stupid then?"

"Yes," Milo nodded and put a hand on Michelle's stomach to figure out how the baby was positioned. "You were stupid enough to believe another woman could replace you, Natalie."

"Oh, would you stop it with all your crap, Milo?" Natalie lashed out. "You expect me to just believe whatever you say while I you sneak around with other women behind my back and in my own apartment?"

"That's not what I said," Milo muttered under his breath as he tried to stay calm while helping Michelle and the baby. "I'm trying to say that I made a mistake, and I'm sorry, but you can't accept my apology and trust me! You can't accept that not everyone is as perfect and guiltless as you!"

"That's such bullshit!" Natalie yelled. "You have no idea what the fuck you're saying!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" Michelle cried and grabbed a fistful of Milo's hair as he let out a shriek of pain. "Are you two going to be helpful, or do I have to kill you with my bare hands after which Nico and I will deliver this baby ourselves?"

"Let me go!" Milo wailed. "Not my hair, please! Someone help me!"

"We're done," Natalie promised, caressing her friend's blonde locks in an attempt to calm her down. "Please let go of Milo's hair. It's the one nice thing he has left."

Michelle let out a growl and let him go just as Nico returned, his arms full. "All right, I got the clean towels and hot water, and I found antibacterial gel too, so I thought it wouldn't hurt to bring that."

"Okay," Milo rubbed some of the gel on his hands. "It's game time. Are we ready?"

"You think I'd let a bunch of people sitting and staring between my legs if I wasn't?" Michelle barked.

Natalie shrugged and glanced at Nico, who rolled his eyes.

"All right," Milo sighed. "I'll take that as a yes!"

"Wow!" The young man exclaimed as he parked and turned to stare at the gorgeous blonde at his side. "Is your granduncle rich or something? You never said."

"You could say that he is," Celine nodded without looking him in the eye as he sat clutching the steering wheel and waiting for answers. He was tall, blond, and good looking, but she felt nothing.

"And who's getting married?" He pressed. "Your grandmother, did you say?"

She ignored him, pulling some lipstick out of her clutch bag and putting it on.

"Hey," he got out. "Are you with me?"

"What?" She turned and stared at him as he heaved a heavy sigh. Whatever had made her think bringing a human to her grandmother's wedding was a good idea? What could she say? That her granduncle was not only rich, but one of the Original vampires? And what would she say when he invariably asked why her grandmother only looked a decade older than her due to being eternal? "Did I say grandmother? I don't know where my head was. I meant my cousin. This is my cousin's wedding."

"Well, grandmother or cousin, I'm happy to be here with you," he told her. "Thank you for asking me to be your plus one." He winked and put a hand on her left knee.

She winced, gently grabbing his hand and pushing it away. "Right. We should be going. We don't want to be late!" Then she opened the door of the car and got out.

To be frank, the only reason she'd brought this particular human boy along was to protect herself in case she bumped into Mr. Noah Morningstar, her godfather, or as he was now, the man who had broken her heart in a million pieces.

She took a deep breath and stood tall after getting her balance on her heels, her baby doll dress covering her upper body in layer upon layer of lace.

"Maybe we could skip the reception and go find a place to be alone after the ceremony," he suggested, coming up behind her after he got out of the driver's seat. Then he tried to pull her into his arms, but she pushed him away.

"Listen, Kevin," Celine winced as she said the young man's name, already regretting her decision to bring him here. "Thank you for coming here with me, but we just met, and now that I've had a chance to think about it, I think it was a bit rash of me to…"

"To what?" Kevin asked, his dark eyes narrowing. "I hope you're not going to say that you regret bringing me here. I went to all the trouble to wear a suit and all the ridiculous stuff just for you. And I think I should be rewarded for my efforts instead of being strung along by some cheap tramp!" He pulled her to him, and she cried out.

"Get your filthy hands off her!" called out a voice Celine was happy to hear. It was a voice that she had prayed for, even though she figured he probably wouldn't come. "If you don't move away immediately, the last place you'll be is your bed! The bottom of a lake is more likely."

"Fat chance," Kevin smirked. "I'm a good swimmer."

"Not if you're unconscious," Noah returned.

Celine watched this exchange and tried to speak, but her words stuck in her throat as she watched Noah standing in front of them, tall and proud, with hands on either side of his waist.

"You know this punk?" Kevin asked Celine as he pointed at Noah.

"Yes I do," Celine nodded, chin raised. She looked Noah over as redness filled her cheeks. He looked so handsome with his Fedora hat and striped black and white shirt under his black suit. It had been several weeks since they'd slept together, and his effect on her was still the same. He could create a fire in her core with just a look.

"I'm her godfather," Noah replied. "And now, punk or not, I don't feel particularly inclined to let you live."

"How is he your godfather?" Kevin asked, dumbfounded.

"We look very young in my family," Celine replied, turning her attention back to the man who had broken hear heart. "What do you want, Noah? As you can see, I'm busy…and in very good company."

Noah shook his head and chuckled. "Sweetheart, you can tell me all the lies you want, and for your sake, I'll pretend to believe every one of them. But not this."

"Okay, whatever," Kevin shrugged and pulled on Celine's forearm. "Let's go."

"No!" Celine snapped. "And let me go! I can walk by myself!" She tried her hardest to pull her arm out of his grip.

"Release her now," Noah warned, his hands balling into fists as his eyes turned red.

"What the fuck is wrong with his eyes?" The young man's eyes widened in horror as he let Celine go and pushed her in Noah's direction, then stumped away from the pair.

Noah caught Celine, arms on either side of her waist, an inch away from her belly. He froze, eyes locked on her, surprise all over his face. "No!" He shook his head and let her go. "No!" His eyes were still wide with shock.

"What?" She questioned, looking deep into his eyes as she grabbed him to keep her balance.

"With him?" Noah's voice dripped with disdain as his dark eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" Celine asked as she pushed herself away. "I'm not a mind reader!"

He growled and reached out for the poor, frightened human man, who was doing his best to sneak back to his car and make a quick escape. But he was grabbed by the collar and pushed against a truck as Noah bared his teeth, ready to kill. "I could kill you now for what you've done to her!"

"Noah, what the hell?" Celine cried, her eyes wide with horror. "Let him go!"

The young man began choking, saliva rolling down his chin as his eyes rolled back into his head. Then he gave him a good, hard shake and let him go for a second to get his breath before grabbing him again and looking him straight in the eye. "You will forget everything about today and about her. This never happened, do you understand?"

The human nodded and didn't say a word as Noah released him. He was disoriented for a few seconds before heading back to his car and driving off at full speed without another word.

"What did you do that for?" Celine cried and pointed at the car. "That was my date!"

"I can't believe you're asking what I did!" Noah burst out. "When you got pregnant by a human man! Have you completely lost your mind? What will you tell your father?"

Her jaw dropped and she blinked several times.

"You don't think I can be so close to you without knowing that you're pregnant? Tell me what you're going to tell your father."

Celine let out a shriek, her hands becoming fists as she approached him. Then she slapped him across the face. "He's gonna say he'll kill my godfather for getting me pregnant!" she cried. "That's what he's gonna say! And I wasn't planning on giving you away. I would have come up with some other explanation."

Noah put his hand to his reddening cheek and looked at her belly again. "No, no…" he spoke nervously and paled. "That can't be true!"

"Are you saying you actually want me to have slept with another man after I slept with you?" She asked incredulously, raising a delicately arched eyebrow. "It's just…how can you be so stupid as to think I would put myself in a situation where it would be possible to get pregnant by another man!" She poked him in the chest.

"I…you're carrying my baby?" He stumbled a little but managed to stay upright.

"Yeah, we had sex, remember?" She said. "Fucked in your bed and all that." She paused. "Has this amnesia of yours made you think that babies happen by falling from the sky.

"How could this have happened?" Noah wanted to know. "We were both using protection. Or at least I know I was."

"I do," Celine replied. "But maybe I forgot to take a pill or two and here we are!" She groaned and threw her hands in the air.

"You know your father is going to kill me, right?" He asked her.

She laughed sarcastically. "Well, even if he did, it wouldn't change anything for me." Taking a deep breath, she stared into his dark eyes. "Cause you're already dead to me!" Then she turned on her heel and strode off without another word.

He watched her go, leaning against a car and breathing erratically.

"Celine…" he tried to yell out her name, but it was barely a whisper. "What…what the fuck am I going to do now?"

Dorian subtly acknowledged the appreciative glances of a couple of women who had been checking him out for what seemed like forever because he knew they'd not do anything else until he did. It wasn't a surprise. He'd always been admired for his gentle demeanor and how attractive he was. Since he and Selina had broken up and he'd come back to life, he'd only had a few encounters with call girls and had been considering stopping it all completely and just living alone…until Julia Robinson had come to redesign his penthouse.

His mind being elsewhere, he almost immediately bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry!" He apologized almost immediately.

"For what? My wife or something else?"

Dorian groaned as he looked and realized that it was Elijah Mikaelson, of all people, that he'd bumped into. Great. Just wonderful. Second time today. "Elijah…" He got out, forcing himself to smile. "I trust your mood has improved since our encounter in the parking lot.

"Mmmm…" Elijah shook his head. "I doubt anything about my demeanor will change until you're gone.

"Are you serious?" Dorian heaved a sigh, hands on his waist. "Do you realize that I'm here because my son is getting married? It has nothing to do with me wanting to put moves on Selina!"

Elijah's eyes narrowed and he came very close to baring his teeth. "Oh, believe me. I'm very aware of the fact that the son you had with my wife is getting married on my property!"

"Well, if we're being completely honest," Dorian returned, "I want to remind you that when you put your hooks in her, she was my wife! It's only because of my death and your taking advantage of her during a vulnerable moment that her attention drifted back to you." He cursed under his breath. He'd intended to behave himself and not rise to any bait about Selina that Elijah threw out, but that…that idea he had about completely ignoring how he'd lured Selina away…that needed to be corrected. Then he shook his head and backed away, enjoying the look on Elijah's face. "Just something to think about. Now if you'll excuse me…"

"Just where do you think you're going?" Elijah asked, arms crossed. "Are you looking for the restroom?"

"I just want to have a quick word with Selina."

Elijah growled. "Unbelievable! Can't you stay away from my wife for even two minutes?"

"Ordinarily, I would be happy to do anything that would make you be less of a pain in the ass, but this time, I can't oblige you," Dorian reminded him dryly. "I just want to thank her for all the work she put into the food and decorations."

"You don't need to see her for that," Elijah told him firmly and blocked him from going any further. "I can pass on the message."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Dorian told him sarcastically. "But I would be more confident she got my message if I told her myself in private."

"Not going to happen," Elijah shook his head. "I mean unless you thanked both of us together."

"And just what do I have to thank you for regarding this wedding?" Dorian asked. "I mean I would thank you for making this an easy experience by not being a pain in the ass for no reason, but…clearly that's not applicable."

"I…" Elijah coughed and blushed. "I got the parking all arranged."

Dorian burst out laughing. "Is that so? Well, I'll be sure to send you a thank you note. Or better yet, I'll have my secretary do it.

"I don't need thanks from you," Elijah snapped. "I just want you as far away from my wife as possible. Otherwise, drink, eat, be merry, and do as you please," Elijah said.

"When will you get over this, Elijah?" Dorian huffed. "When will you understand that although Selina and I loved one another very deeply in the past…" He trailed off as Elijah growled unhappily then cleared his throat and continued.

"Even after all that, we're done! But she'll always be Arthur's mother, my link to her whether you like it or not!"

"Well, I'll go and tell her how grateful you are for her efforts," Elijah got out as he tried to get a good breath. "I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

Dorian suddenly turned his head, distracted by the sight of a woman in a black veil passing by them. That wasn't possible. How could Julia Robinson be here at this wedding? Unless she was a guest on behalf of Angelica Morningstar?

"Mackenzie?" Elijah called to no avail. "Mackenzie!"

"Who was that woman in black who just passed by?" He asked Elijah urgently.

Elijah shook his head. "One of my daughters. No one who should concern you."

Dorian nearly choked on his spit. "One of your daughters, you say?"

"Yes, and I don't want you near her or any of them!" Elijah then turned on his heel to follow one of the women who'd just exited the large farmhouse.

"No," Dorian shook his head, feeling a little dizzy and sick. "It's not possible."

Arthur Gray came to a halt in the middle of the corridor, catching the eye of the petite brunette who was straightening some of the decorations nearby and smiling shyly. "Mom," he said, nodding and clearing his throat.

"Arthur!" She turned and jumped a little, her blue eyes wide as she approached him, nervously rubbing her hands.

"Oh, I haven't been here long. Don't think you've kept me waiting or anything. There are lots of people to mingle with and I just got in here." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek before stepping back and looking her over. "I think you look lovely in that dress.

"Thank you," she smiled. "You look very handsome also." She took his face in her hands and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Is your father here too?"

"Yes," Arthur nodded. "It should come as no surprise to you that he and Elijah have found each other already and are exchanging words."

"Oh, jeepers," Selina rolled her eyes. "I suppose it was too much to ask that they stay away from each other for a couple of hours." She paused. "But they're both still alive, right?"

"As far as I know, yes," Arthur nodded and smiled a little before resuming his serious demeanor. "I want to thank you for everything. What you did for the reception…I'm speechless that you would put in so much effort for me."

Selina joined her hands and gave her son a shy smile. "You're my son, Arthur. I know that…for reasons that make it entirely my fault, I haven't always been the best mother to you, but…starting now, with this wedding, I hope things can start to change."

He smiled back, avoiding her eyes. "You're doing this for me, even if it costs you your marriage?" He laughed nervously.

"Oh, don't worry about your dad and Elijah," Selina waved his concern away. "They've been like that for years. Elijah knows that I'm trying to make up for being an awful mother to you…even if it's too late."

Arthur shook his head and took her hands. "It's…it's never too late to hear your mother say that…that she wants to be a mother to you." His voice broke as tears filled his eyes. He accepted immediately when she held out her arms for a hug, apparently not caring a bit if her fancy dress got wet.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that," she said and tried to sniff her tears away as she raised her hand to caress his cheek.

He took her hand and kissed it, then released it so that it fell to her side as if it had never happened.

As she wiped some of her own tears away, he cleared his throat. "Would you…would you mind if I exchanged a few words with my fiancée?" He straightened up and kept his eyes on her.

"I would, but you know it's not right for you to see her before the wedding." She tilted her head and smiled.

"Selina, Selina," he rolled his eyes and smirked.

Then her face fell. "What? You called me mom a few minutes ago. What dd I do?"

He stared at her and nodded. "Don't tell me you believe all those ridiculous wedding superstitions! What harm could possibly come from me seeing Gabrielle before the wedding?"

"Well, even if nothing happens, do you really want to ruin the surprise of seeing her in her dress? And better safe than sorry!" She winked.

"Where is she?" He asked insistently/

Selina sighed, pouting a little. "The closed bedroom door on your left," she pointed. "She's getting her dress on so be sure you knock first. That's gentlemanly and I know you wouldn't be anything else."

"I'll make it quick," he said and returned her wink before kissing her cheek. "Thank you for everything…Mom." He whispered and then made his way to the room she'd pointed out.

As he went on his way, Selina brushed another tear from her cheek. She knew in her heart that it was her fault her son was so guarded toward her and she would do her best in the years to come to make sure he knew that he was as loved as her other children.

Gabrielle stood in front of the majestic bay window of her dressing room, eyes closed tight as she breathed deeply in an attempt to soothe her anxious mind. Today was the day of her marriage to Arthur Gray, and it was a bit unnerving that something that seemed so much like a fantasy was about to become all too real.

Opening her eyes, she made her way to her wedding dress, which hung in its dress bag over the mirror. She began to unzip it, then jumped about a mile when she heard a sudden knock at the door. Then she gasped as she turned and found herself face to face with her fiancé as he entered the room and shut the door behind him.

"Arthur…" Gabrielle whispered in shock. "What are you doing? You can't be in here!"

"Why not?" He scoffed. "Don't tell me you believe in those same superstitions my mother does about not seeing the bride before the wedding!" He shook his head and chuckled. "What are the odds?"

"Yes!" She nodded and zipped up the dress bag so he wouldn't see her dress "I'm not the romantic type, per se, but I don't want to risk what will happen if we don't follow the tradition!"

"Fine," he heaved a sigh, hand running through his dark hair. "Would you like me to turn and look at the wall?"

"Well," she tightened the belt of her silk dressing down. "I guess it's fine for you to be in here and see me since I don't have my dress on yet. What can I do for you?"

He smirked. "You mean besides marrying me?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean, Arthur."

"Are you…" he reached out and grabbed her hand, gently massaging her palm. "Are you having second thoughts about our arrangement?"

To her surprise he seemed nervous and uncomfortable about the idea.

"No, I'm not," she was quick to assure him. "I'd be gone by now if I'd changed my mind. And I wouldn't do such a thing to your mother." Gabrielle blinked several times and reached for her cigarette case with shaking hands. "She's been nothing but kind and loving to me through all this."

"I'm glad she's been good to you," Arthur remarked and tried to snatch the case away. "You know, you should really stop smoking."

"Why?" She smirked. "I'm eternal. And French. It won't kill me."

"Do you do it because I make you nervous?" He asked, getting closer to her.

She scoffed. "Why would I be nervous? This wedding is just for show."

He finally managed to get the cigarettes away from her and put them on a nearby table.

"What in the…what are you doing?" She whispered.

"I have a gift for you," he told her. "I…I hope you like it." Then, before she could say a word, he pulled a small deep blue velvet box from his blazer pocket.

"You didn't have to get me anything," she said, blushing furiously. What he was holding was probably something incredibly expensive. "I didn't return the favor, and I don't want you to think…"

"Having you as my wife is more than enough," he assured her. "You're my fiancée, it's our wedding day…of course I had to get you a gift." He smiled encouragingly and handed her the box.

She looked into his eyes for a few seconds to make sure he wasn't playing games with her, and then, convinced at last, she took the box and undid the white ribbon, opening it to reveal a pearl bracelet, and a locket engraved with her initials and his.

"I…I love it," she got out. "It's stunning. Why did you put our initials on the locket?"

He shrugged. "As a way to remember the day, I guess. In the town where my mom grew up, there's a legend about her that involves her having an engraved engagement locket from her first fiance. I thought it was nice, and I wanted to do the same for you." He shrugged and blushed. "Can I help you put them on?"

She nodded and he put the bracelet on her, followed by the locket after he closed it. "There," he smiled and gently massaged the inside of her wrist with his thumb. "Now everything is perfect."

"Thank you again," she smiled. "I…I've never gotten a gift like this from a man before."

He shrugged. "Well, I've never been married before, so I guess we're even." Then he leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

She closed her eyes as goosebumps broke out all over her body. But then she shook her head in an attempt to get the feelings away. This wasn't the time to get romantic! The marriage wasn't about romance at all! Just a beneficial arrangement between two consenting adults.

"I…I think I need to get ready now," she said softly and stepped away from him. "Because as you can see, I don't even have my dress on yet, and it's probably not long until we start." She then turned her back on him and put the jewelry box on a nearby dresser, hoping that he wouldn't see that she was shaking like a leaf.

She closed her eyes to take another deep breath, then opened them again when she felt his hot breath on her neck. "You get ready now," he whispered. "But I can't wait to be alone with you after the wedding, Gabrielle." She gasped as she felt his hot lips on her skin, and his bulging muscles against her back.

Then, she felt cold. She turned around and realized that he'd left the bedroom as quickly as he'd come, in and out like a ghost.

"Oh, dear," she whispered, a hand over her rapidly beating heart. "What have I gotten myself into?"

Natalie stumbled as she backed away from Michelle, who was no doubt just seconds away from having her baby. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and took a seat beside Nico, who seemed both drained and excited at the same time.

"Okay, Michelle," Milo encouraged. "You can do it! One last push!" He felt she needed it since the poor woman was exhausted after several hours of labor.

"I…I can't!" She sobbed, tears rolling down her face and neck.

"Yes!" Milo said. "Yes you can! The head is almost out! One more push, then the baby will be born, and this will all be over."

"Who's the guy sitting between my niece's legs?" Natalie whispered to Nico. "Cause it can't be Milo Morningstar!"

Nico smiled. "I know what you mean." He heaved a sigh. "But at the moment, I'm just glad he was here and willing to help Michelle and the rest of us get through having the baby."

"Of course you are," she smiled and squeezed his arm in what she hoped was a comforting gesture.

"That's it!" Milo cried as Michelle let out one last terrible shriek and he caught the baby in a towel. Then he turned. "Natalie?" He asked, his voice full of urgency.

"Yes?" She asked, by his side immediately.

"We forgot the scissors. Would you please get them from the kitchen, along with a bottle of vodka or whatever alcohol you can grab the quickest, and sterilize the scissors before you bring them back to me?"

"On it!" She nodded without hesitation and raced to the kitchen.

"Milo?" Michelle asked, her voice full of worry. "Why isn't the baby crying? Is something wrong?"

"Yeah," Nico took Michelle's hand. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah," Milo nodded, getting all the mucus out of the baby's mouth. "It's all gonna be fine. No need to worry."

But they did for what seemed like an eternity until the baby's loud wailing filled the house.

"Thank Steve!" Michelle cried out, resting her head on Nico's shoulder.

"I got the scissors!" Natalie cried, making her way into the room as quickly as she dared and handing them to Milo.

"Thank you!" Milo took them from her and deftly cut the baby's umbilical cord, wrapped him up bit more snugly. "And I'm pleased to announce that you have a healthy baby boy!" He cleaned the baby up a little more, then handed him to Michelle.

"What did you say?" Michelle asked, eyes wide with shock.

"I'm so happy our baby is healthy!" Nico cried, caught between happiness and tears.

"I said your baby boy is perfectly healthy," Milo told Michelle as he wiped the blood off his hands.

"A boy?" Michelle scoffed with disdain.

Natalie and Milo stared at each other after that.

"I don't want a boy!" Michelle cried and shoved the baby in Nico's direction.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Nico cried and took him, holding him close. "I told you were you we were gonna have a boy! This should not be a surprise to you! I'm sorry, Princess, but in life you don't get everything you want!"

"Okay, okay, how about everyone takes a deep breath and calms down now?" Milo suggested as the baby began to get fussy. "I know you're tired, Michelle. Get some rest, and when you feel more relaxed, we can reintroduce you to your son." He reached out and pushed Michelle's sweaty hair behind her ears. "I just need to get the placenta out and then we'll be all done, all right?"

"Okay," Michelle nodded and closed her eyes.

At the same time, he turned and faced the other two.

"Natalie, take Nico and the baby with you. Clean the little guy up and find some clothes for him. I'm sure my sister and your father have some around somewhere."

"Yeah, I know where they are…" Natalie paused. "But that would only be Victoria's clothes. No boy clothes yet…" She shrugged. "Oh, well…my dad's not all for super girly stuff. I'm sure we can find a little pair of jeans a t-shirt somewhere." She pulled on Nico's arm gently. "Come on, new dad! Let's put some clothes on that baby!"

Nico opened his mouth to say something about how it better not be a dress, but he was so disoriented that he completely lost his train of thought and just followed her in a daze.

As she walked, Natalie stole a look at Milo as he carefully worked to get the placenta out. It didn't feel real. It felt like she was dreaming. Not that she had anything against him being all grown up and mature, but she wasn't done hating him yet…and it was much easier to hate him when he wasn't acting like a mature and helpful adult!

Mackenzie Mikaelson hurried toward the far end of the huge tent where guests were mingling, drinking champagne, and munching on canapes

Many of them were staring at her like she was a monster who had jumped from the pages of Stephen King's latest best seller, but that wasn't a surprise, seeing as she was dressed all in black with a veil covering her face.

And sure, that wasn't something a person traditionally wore to a wedding, but for her, it was a necessity, since she wanted to keep her distance from Dorian Gray and not be recognized.

Her cover had almost been blown when her father had called for her as he'd been discussing things with Dorian, but thankfully, she'd managed to ignore him and get away before there had been any trouble.

She stopped and looked through the crowd, breathing a sigh of relief when she didn't see Gray anywhere.

Taking a deep breath, she made her way to a far corner of the room behind the DJ near one of the farmhouse's exterior walls, letting out a cry of fear when a hand suddenly covered her mouth, and she felt herself be carried off by an unknown person. She kicked and screamed and tried to break free, but whoever was holding her had a grip like iron.

The man (she figured it was a man) finally let her go and began pulling at her veil in an attempt to get a look at her face.

She stood speechless in front of Dorian Gray. Not that she had been expecting him to smile and jump for joy, but the fury in his eyes surprised her. They were narrowed, his whole body was tense, and his hands were on either side of his waist.

"Dorian," she whispered, her voice trembling.

He began to circle her like a vulture. "What a surprise to see you here, Miss Robinson," he said bitterly. "Or would it be more accurate to call you Miss Mikaelson?"

"I…what?" Instinctively, she decided the best thing would be to try and play dumb as she pulled her veil from his hands.

"Do you want me to tell you that I know who you are?" He hissed. "Or would you rather say it yourself?"

"Lower your voice, please," she requested in an urgent whisper. "I don't want…" She put up a hand, knowing that he probably would ignore her.

He scoffed and pushed it away. "You don't want what? For your father to see you in my company? Is that it?"

Mackenzie shook her head. "Mr. Gray, please!"

"For fuck's sake!" He yelled. "I've unmasked you, so we can stop this foolishness, and you can call me Dorian!" He began to pace back and forth in front of her.

"Fine," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wondering just how much of this she'd brought on herself. "Fine…Dorian. But it's complicated. I can explain, but…not now or here."

"Is your name really Mackenzie? Tell me now!" He ordered and tightened his grip on her arms enough to make her whimper in pain.

"Yes," she whispered, and then breathed a sigh of relief as he released her.

"Mackenzie…" He whispered, trying the new name out. "Fine, we'll find a private place to talk. Come!" He grabbed her hands and pulled her after him, going so fast she could barely keep up.

"Where are we going?" She asked, trotting behind him and trying not to lose her balance.

"Inside the house," he said. "There must be at least one private place there were we can talk without interruption, especially from your parents." Then he pulled her inside and shut the farmhouse door without another word.