𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐘

Chapter Eight

Bonnie sits outside on a lawn chair next to the pool, looking up at the sky. The only good thing about being in the middle of the woods in New Orleans was the sky clear enough to see all the stars and calmness of the wind blowing through the trees with the scent of the water on the breeze.

It almost made her forget the fact that she was stuck living with the Mikaelsons until she was no longer linked to a witch with a vendetta. Unfortunately, her peace was interrupted with the weight of Klaus sitting next to her.

"Trying to keep an eye on me?" Bonnie asks, looking in his direction.

"How do I know you won't run the second you're left alone?" Klaus responds.

"How can I? I'm linked to a witch hungry for vampire blood, remember?" She sighs heavily. "You don't have to act like I'm a child who needs 24-hour surveillance."

Klaus was silent for a moment, and Bonnie noticed he wasn't looking at her. He was looking somewhere off in this distance like his mind was elsewhere. Maybe it was, and for a second, Bonnie remembered the concerned look she had seen directed towards her on Klaus's face earlier.

"Why did you come here?" Klaus asks. There was a vulnerableness in his voice. "You could have just gotten rid of it, saved yourself from this predicament."

He was right. She could have just had an abortion or found some magical way to make this pregnancy disappear. She didn't have to come to New Orleans to find Klaus. She didn't have to worry about this at all. Yet, the thought of getting rid of her baby had only crossed her mind for a spilled second. She hadn't even dwelled on it enough to formulate a plan to do something about it.

"Because I know what it's like to be thrown away for something that isn't your fault." Bonnie had loved her Grams more than anything and had no problem being raised by her. But she always thought about what it would have been like if her mother hadn't abandoned her. "And as much as I didn't plan for this or didn't want it...this isn't the baby's fault."

Klaus's mouth turned up into a small smile. "Oddly enough, I understand that feeling as well." He might understand more than anyone how it felt to be thrown away and demonized for just being born.

"That's why I'm willing to deal with all of this. Because I loved my Grams, but I know how abnormal my upbringing was. I don't want the same for my child. I don't want anyone or anything to hurt it."

Klaus finally looked at Bonnie. This conversation reminded him of why he had been so drawn to her back in Mystic Falls. "You and I are a lot alike, Bonnie. Unfortunately, I believe Sophie Ann has backed us into a corner. And we have no option now but to fight."

Bonnie nods without breaking her eye contact with Klaus. "Then we fight."

Bonnie had barely gotten any sleep, but she didn't feel tired. She was running on fumes of determination and adrenaline. Eventually, she knew she would crash, but that hadn't happened yet. She walked down the stairs and could hear talking coming from the living room. Walking in there, she was greeted by Klaus, Rebekah, and Damon.

"Where's Elijah?" she asks, noticing immediately that the nicer Mikaelson was missing.

"Doing some early morning business," says Rebekah, "Why? Don't trust us alone with each other?"

"Not based on experience."

Damon cleared his throat. "As I was saying, do you two have a plan to overtake this Marcel person?"

Klaus rolled his eyes. "And I said leave it to me. Marcel needs to be knocked off his throne, reminded that he may be powerful here but only because we left. He's a puppy with his chest puffed out."

"Everything he learned, he learned from you, dear brother. He might be more of a threat than you expect being raised by a psychopath like you."

"But he will never best the original."

"Was I not supposed to be in on this plan?" Bonnie leaned against the door frame.

Klaus stepped over to Bonnie and placed a hand on the top of her head. "You, my little witch, can help everyone by staying put. If Marcel finds out anything about you or the baby, it'll be harder to do something about him."

Bonnie swatted his hands away. "So, I'm supposed to sit here like a princess in a tower letting my vampire knights save me?"

"I'm more like an auntie being forced to help because of an annoying familial bond," Rebekah quipped with a small smirk.

"That makes me feel so much better." Bonnie groaned, turning her attention to Damon, "You're alright with this?"

Damon shrugged his shoulders. "Do I really have a choice here, Bon? While you're connected to the witch with a chip on her shoulder, I'm going by Mikaelson rules."

Klaus grabbed Bonnie's arms, making her look at him. His grip was tight but non-threatening. It was more protective than anything. "Stay here." He let go of her and motioned for Damon and Rebekah to follow him. Klaus and Rebekah walked out the door, but Bonnie grabbed Damon's arm.

"I can protect myself, Damon," says Bonnie, "I didn't come here to be a prisoner."

"No. You came here to protect your baby, which is what you're doing by staying put. We know nothing about Marcel, but the Mikaelson's do. For now, we play by their rules. At least until all of this is over, and we can go back to Mystic Falls without any problems. Alright?" Damon hated being the voice of reason. He was starting to sound like Stefan. But he knew Bonnie wasn't going to just sit on the sidelines. Not without some coaxing and explanation. "Just sit here. I'll be back." And with that, he followed the Mikaelson siblings out the door.