𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐘

Chapter Four

Now, back in the city with Damon at a restaurant called Rousseau's, Bonnie stares out the window as she fiddles with her cup of water. She desperately wanted a drink, but no alcohol was one of the many downsides to this pregnancy. Why was she so upset? It's not like she had expected anything less from Klaus.

Or maybe she had, considering he seemed to have really cared about her in the past. It didn't matter. At least she got a free trip to New Orleans out of it.

"So, what now?" Damon asked, "We go back to Mystic Falls, and you have the baby?"

"What else am I supposed to do, Damon? There's not exactly a manual on how to deal with a supernatural baby."

"Who would have thought Klaus would turn into a deadbeat dad statistic?"

Any other time, that would have gotten at least a little chuckle out of her, but not today. Today, it just made her look back out the window and continue to contemplate her life choices.

The only thing that snapped Bonnie out of her thoughts was a woman in an apron coming up to their table. "My name is Sophie Ann, and I'll be your waitress today. I haven't seen you two before. Touring the city?"

Bonnie gave her a weak smile. "You could say that."

"Well, you stopped in the right restaurant. I'm also the cook, and I've gotten a lot of praise for my gumbo. Would you two like a bowl?"

Damon waved her off. "No thanks. Anything will make her yack these days. Pregnancy hormones," he whispered, trying to be his usual coy and charming self.

Sophie Ann's smile widened. "Oh my, congrats! I've never had a child myself, but my sister did, and I think of my niece as my child. Especially now since my sister passed."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Bonnie responded. This waitress was awfully chatty, and Bonnie didn't feel like dealing with it much longer. "Actually, I think we're going to just finish our drinks and go. It's been a long day."

Sophie Ann looked between Damon and Bonnie before nodding. "No problem. Enjoy New Orleans." She walked away and disappeared behind the kitchen door.

Bonnie leaned back in her chair. "People sure are hospitable in New Orleans."

Damon nodded. "That hasn't changed since my last time here in the 20s. It was just as big of a tourist trap as it ever was." He drank the rest of his wine and stood to his feet, offering Bonnie his hand. "Let's get back to the hotel. You could probably use some rest."

He was right. She could. She felt like she had just run a marathon and was drained of all energy. She took his hand and let him lead her out of the restaurant and down an alleyway that would take them to the street their hotel was on. As Bonnie was once again lost in her thoughts, a figure appeared in the alleyway in front of them. A lamp above flickered on and off, and Bonnie recognized her as the waitress Sophie Ann.

"I'm really sorry about this, Bonnie," she said softly. With a flick of her hand, Damon's neck snapped, and he was deadweight on the ground. Bonnie felt her power surge, and she was ready to lash out at Sophie Ann, but before she could, someone wrapped their arm around her and put a cloth to her mouth.

She struggled but couldn't help breathing in the contents on the rag. Her vision clouded, her body weakened, and everything went black.

Klaus stood out on his balcony. He could see the glistening of the city lights from this high, though it felt like the city was miles away. He couldn't get Bonnie out of his head. It couldn't be true. She had to be lying. It had to be some sort of trick. But he had heard the heartbeat in her stomach. And Bonnie was smart, probably the smartest in her little group of friends. She wouldn't plot against him just for the fun of it.

While he was thinking, he heard footsteps come up behind him. He didn't have to turn around to know it was Elijah. His older brother had been there the whole time. "You want to tell me what all that commotion was downstairs, Niklaus?"

"A ghost from the past as always, brother," Klaus stated simply, "Nothing to worry about."

"That seems unlikely considering the ghost was Bonnie Bennet and one of her impetuous vampire comrades." Elijah came to stand next to Klaus leaning his back against the railing. "Do you believe she is telling the truth?"

Klaus should have known Elijah had also been eavesdropping. It was just like him to stick his nose in the middle of Klaus's business. "I don't want to believe her. But I heard it…a heartbeat. Bonnie Bennet would not be so stupid as to challenge me in such a way."

"It is not unusual for such a thing to happen. We were created by magic. You, the first hybrid, were created by magic. Perhaps this is the world's way of letting you atone for your sins, letting us all atone."

"You always find salvation where there is none, brother. Besides, I've already sent Bonnie on her way. Her and her child have nothing to do with me."

Elijah put a hand on his brother's shoulder. It was only then Klaus bothered to look at him. "You should let yourself care about something, Niklaus. I do believe all your humanity is not lost."

Klaus bit his lip and looked away from his brother. It was maddening how much Elijah always believed in him. He had done terrible things, some of them to Elijah, but his older brother's faith never dithered. He always believed Klaus was better than even Klaus thought he was himself.

As much as it pushed his buttons, it was one of the only things that kept him going. Of course, he would never mention it to Elijah. He wouldn't give the vampire the satisfaction of being right.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Both Klaus and Elijah moved from their space on the balcony to go answer it. Klaus half expected it to be Bonnie coming back to try again. But it wasn't Bonnie. It was Damon looking disheveled and uneasy.

"What do you want?" Klaus barked.

"Witches," Damon cried, "They took Bonnie."