A/N: I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to update, I hope you're still interested in reading more of this fic. Thank you for all your wonderful reviews. Enjoy!

Council headquarters

"Freya, are you okay?" Bonnie isn't sure how long it has been since Freya got her vision, a couple of seconds, a few minutes; time stands still as she waits patiently for the Mikaelson witch to regain her composure.

"I have to go." Freya stands up.

"What?" Bonnie tries to stop her but Freya grabs her purse and coat and bolts out of her office without another word.

"Freya!" Bonnie calls after her in vain. "Wait! Please-"

Freya is gone before Bonnie can even process what the hell just happened.

Shadow steps inside the office sensing Bonnie's distress.

The look of panic on Freya's face has Bonnie feeling anxious and her familiar can feel it. "I'm okay," she murmurs while gently petting the wolf's head. No, she's not okay. She's worried.

Mikael is awake.

The man who had been married to Nik's biological mother, the one who had caused Nik so much pain. Bonnie doesn't know all the details but the little she knows has her worried. Her first thought is to call Nik but she quickly discards that idea. Freya should be the one to talk to him first and explain her vision.

But what will happen now?

How is Mikael awake?

Is he coming after Nik?

Bonnie suppresses a shiver. She once again has the urge to call Nik but forces herself not to. Let him talk to Freya and process the news first, she tells herself. Then I will talk to him. She has so many questions, and Nik is the only one that can answer them but for now she has to wait.

It's not an easy thing but she has to keep herself calm and think clearly. She should not let her emotions get the best of her.

Bonnie is filled with disappointment as she exists Freya's office. She didn't even get a chance to talk to her about Grams. Her poor Grams whose condition has not changed. Once again, her mind goes to Nik, he could do something for Grams but with all the craziness surrounding them, helping her grandmother is probably the least of his priorities.

And Mikael is awake…

Bonnie takes a deep calming breath. She's bonded to Nik now, which means he can sense her distress and if he decides to check on her before talking to Freya about her vision…no, Bonnie shakes her head and does her best to control her emotions. Let Nik and his siblings figure out what to do about Mikael. She has her grandmother and the council to think about.

What you and your cousins can do is neutralize the power of the council from the inside.

You must fight for your place in the council

Bonnie thinks back to Nik's words. The only way to neutralize the council's power is by taking her place as their leader. With her grandmother in a coma, it's only reasonable for Bonnie to take charge. She is next in line and given the circumstances, she is by all intents and purposes, the queen.

It's a heavy burden.

One Bonnie doesn't feel ready to take.

But I don't exactly have a choice, do I?

Deep down, Bonnie knows that if she stands in the sidelines, the council will do whatever the hell they want. Without anyone to check their power, they can get away with anything, including eliminating her family.

I must not let that happen.

No sooner has the thought formed, when an idea strikes her.

It's worth a shot, Bonnie thinks. She smiles down at Shadow and scratches him behind the ear. I know what I can do. She checks her phone to see if Lucy is done with her statement but she has no messages. Good, that will give her time to do something very important.

It's time to be more proactive in her role as future queen of the witches.

The hospital

"I don't understand why you won't let me see my grandmother," Emily says while feeling exasperated with the nurse in charge.

"I know you want to see her Emily, but you of all people should know that patients in intensive care cannot receive visitors."

"Can I see her medical chart at least?"

"No."

Emily groans in frustration. "Look, I get that you are doing your job but I could help too. I helped with the cure for Stefan and Luke," she reminds the nurse. "A pair of fresh eyes might be able to see something different, something you might be missing. I'm a healer too-"

"Are you saying we're not doing our jobs?" the nurse snaps.

"No, of course not. I just-" Emily takes a deep breath. "We're running out of time, patients who don't wake up within 72 hours from their coma…" she doesn't dare to finish her sentence. Grams is running out of time and she doesn't want to think about what would happen should Grams never regain her consciousness. "I just want to see her, please. She's my grandmother!"

The nurse's eyes soften. "I'm sorry, Emily. If it were up to me, I would let you in, but I have orders." With that she walks away.

Emily watches her go sadly.

"Emily."

The familiar voice has her turning around suddenly. "Damian," she murmurs, surprised to see him at the hospital. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see if there had been any changes with the queen's condition," Damian replies with a soft smile. "They refused to tell me anything."

"Me too," Emily mutters bitterly. "You would think they would make an exception since I work here."

Damian walks towards her and places a gentle hand on her arm. "Our queen is strong; I have no doubt she will make it out of her coma." he reassures her gently.

Emily smiles. How could Bonnie think that the council is the enemy when Damian is here, worried about their grandmother? She's sure the other council members are just as worried as him. She shakes her head; Bonnie doesn't know what the hell she's talking about.

"I was wondering…" Damian rubs his thumb over her shoulder. "Perhaps we could have coffee and talk…" he pauses and looks around the rather slow hospital halls. Once he is sure no one is listening to their conversation he continues softly, "given the queen's condition, I feel you as her eldest granddaughter should be aware of some important things, council related things, I mean."

Emily immediately straightens up. "You want to discuss council matters with me?" She can't hide her surprise or the pleasure she feels.

"Why are you so surprised?" Damian questions her. "You have always been the most responsible and sensible of the queen's granddaughters," he looks down and seems almost ashamed to admit his next words. "I wish no offense to our future queen, she's young and-"

"Immature," Emily finishes for him; she got a taste of how immature Bonnie truly is earlier that morning.

Damian's lips curl and his eyes are gleaming with satisfaction. "Exactly." He still has his hand on her shoulder. "She is a child. You on the other hand…" he looks deeply into her eyes, voice low and seductive. "You are not only smart and extremely talented but a powerful witch in your own right, I feel that you could be of great help to the council during these difficult times."

Emily nods, completely taken by his words.

"Shall we?"

"Of course." Emily smiles at him and lets a smirking Damian guide her towards the cafeteria.

Council headquarters

"Bonnie!" Madame LaRue is happy to see Bonnie step inside her office. "What a lovely surprise, my dear!"

"I hope I'm not interrupting." Bonnie smiles as the older woman hugs her warmly. Out of all the council members Josephine is the one Bonnie has had more contact with-being that she is Gram's closest friend- Josephine is the one person whose support Bonnie feels she can gain.

"Of course not." Once they break apart, Josephine invites her to seat. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you and your cousins are okay." She reaches out and squeezes Bonnie's right hand. "Davina has been wanting to go see you, she was really worried."

"I know." Bonnie has received plenty of texts from Davina.

"You understand of course, I couldn't let her out of the house with those monsters terrorizing the city." Josephine shivers involuntarily. "Even when she begged me to go to the hospital and see Stefan and Luke, I just couldn't, she's safe at the manor and-"

"It's okay, Madame LaRue. I know." Bonnie understands Josephine's over-protectiveness towards Davina, in many ways it resembles her own Grandmother's protectiveness towards her and her cousins. Davina is the only family Josephine has and the only link to her daughter who died tragically young. Josephine overcame the loss of her only child by putting all her energy in raising her grandchild; if any harm were to come to Davina, Josephine wouldn't be able to resist it. "I wanted to talk to you about that actually." Now, it's Bonnie who squeezes Josephine's hand. "Everything that has been happening lately..." She feels nervous but knows in her heart this is the right thing to do. "You are one of Grams' closest friends and a highly regarded member of the council," Bonnie's voice is calm despite the nerves invading her body.

Josephine nods, vibrant eyes searching Bonnie's face, she can sense how important this is for her.

Those eyes had frightened Bonnie as a child. She often felt like Josephine could see beyond a person's face, and was able to reach into their soul. She feels much the same way now. "I need your help."

"What can I do for you, dear?" despite the sweet tone of her voice, something akin to worry flashes across Josephine's eyes.

"Grams is in a coma. We don't know when she will wake up…" Bonnie struggles to keep her emotions in check. "As the future queen, I feel it's my duty to be informed of what's going on." She pauses momentarily to gather her thoughts. "I'm not trying to replace Grams by any means but I would like to know what the council is doing to help her, to find out who was behind her attack, to know more about the creatures that have been terrorizing our city and what the council is planning to do to ensure there are no more attacks….I…" she takes a quick pause. "I want to be informed of what's going on. I want to have a seat in the council," she finishes firmly. She had a similar conversation with Damian Lescheres before, when Emily had been in the hospital but nothing came of it, Bonnie hopes this time will be different.

To say that Josephine is shocked is an understatement. "Bonnie…" the older woman is at a loss of words. She pulls her hand away and tries to regain her composure. "I don't think-"

"I have a right to know what's going on," Bonnie interrupts. "It's my duty as the future queen of this city to do something, to help-"

"Are you telling me you want to be in charge?"

Does she want to be in charge of the city?

Does she want to rule as their queen?

No, that's Grams' duty, she is the queen not Bonnie. But she doesn't have a choice anymore, she has to take charge. Bonnie can't live in the dark forever, she can't sit around and wait for the council to decide things without consulting her family. Bonnie needs to know who in the council is conspiring against her family and the only way to do that is to be involved with them. She discussed it with Nik too, he told her she and her cousins needed neutralize the council's power from the inside. There is only way to do that.

Bonnie is very much aware that Josephine can see all the emotions crossing her face, all the conflict, all the doubts, all the fear. Josephine's eyes have always been intimidating and now that they are seeing right through her, Bonnie knows better than to look away for it could be seen as a sign of weakness. Bonnie also knows that she needs to choose her words carefully. "I know that the council has taken the reins of the city. It's the logical thing to do given the circumstances."

"But you do not agree with it?"

"I'm sure they will do their very best to protect and rule New Orleans until my grandmother wakes up." Bonnie does her best to sound convincing. She cannot allow Josephine to see her unease towards the council. "I also know that I'm not prepared to rule New Orleans…" it pains her to admit just how out of her depth she is. "Many probably think that I should be focusing on school or taking care of Grams…"

"It's the sensible thing to do," Josephine agrees.

Do you feel the same way? Bonnie wants to ask while feeling her stomach sink. If Josephine LaRue, her grandmother's closest friend doesn't think she is ready, how the hell is going to convince the other council members to let her attend their meetings and voice her opinion? "I can't pretend that everything is going to be fine, someone is clearly out to hurt my family. My friends and I were attacked, Stefan and Luke barely made it out alive. My Grandmother, the queen of this city was brutally attacked in her own home, which one of us is going to be next?" the current of anger she feels gets the best of her. "How long before another attack comes?"

The lights inside the room suddenly flicker on.

The windows tremble with the pulse of her magic, so much so that a crack forms over the glass causing it to break completely.

The shards of glass fall to the ground.

Josephine shivers and gives Bonnie a curious look.

Damn it.

Bonnie closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Get a hold of yourself Bonnie, you can't lose control like this. She opens her eyes and the pulsing around the room stops as she gets her magic under control. "I have every right to know what's going on. I need to know who is behind these attacks, why are they coming for my family and friends?"

"Bonnie-"

"I was chosen to be the next queen for a reason," she reminds Josephine. "I never asked for it."

"Destiny is unavoidable," Josephine murmurs sadly.

"In an ideal world, I would have years to prepare, to learn from Grams herself, but the world isn't ideal and I have a duty to my city, to my people, and above all to my family." The more she speaks, the more convinced she becomes that this is the right thing to do. "I want to make them proud, I want to make Grams proud-"

"She is very proud of you already, Bonnie."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Sheila would have preferred for you to live a happy and normal life, or as normal as possible in the witch world. Being a member of the council is not what people think, and being queen is definitely not a bed of roses. It is a burden unlike any other," Josephine tells her. "Sheila wouldn't have wanted you to take the burden of being queen so young, not unless you absolutely had to-"

"Given the circumstances I think I have to, don't you?"

Josephine sighs and stands up. She turns her back to Bonnie and stares out of the broken window.

A cold wind sweeps inside, and the hustle and bustle of the city below fills the silence in the room.

Bonnie waits expectantly.

"I think you should wait."

"Wait?" Bonnie repeats incredulous.

Josephine turns around and faces her once more. "There is no need to rush into anything," she explains softly. "There is time for Sheila to wake up from her coma, there is time for you to think about this."

"I don't need time to think about this, I-"

"You don't have to make such an important decision just yet, Bonnie. It's admirable that you want to step up and take action but it's not necessary."

"Not necessary?" Bonnie screeches while standing up. "Are you kidding me?"

"The past couple of days have been chaotic certainly but the council will ensure things return to normal."

Bonnie is more than ready to protest but Josephine doesn't let her.

"You should focus on taking care of your grandmother. The council in the meantime, will focus on finding the culprits behind her attack and we will also take measures to ensure nothing like this ever happens again."

"You don't think I can do it?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you clearly don't want me to get involved with the council," Bonnie points out angrily. "Why?"

"Bonnie, there are a lot of things you don't understand. The best thing for you to do is to stay out of this. Trust me, you don't want to get involved in ruling this city, not yet."

"Then why the hell was I chosen as the next queen?" Bonnie practically yells. "What's the point of having a queen in this city when the council can take care of things?"

"The council was put in place to check the queen's power; we serve her, we advise her, we protect her," Josephine recites in a monotonous voice. "The council has the queen's best interest at heart."

"Bullshit."

Josephine's lips twitch. They both know it's a lie, a well-crafted lie but a lie nonetheless. There is so much Josephine wishes to say but she can't bring herself to open her mouth. Years, upon years of keeping her head down, of following the rules, and not revealing her real thoughts keep her from opening up to Bonnie. She tells herself it's for the best.

"Why don't you want to help me?" Bonnie asks in a small voice. She feels angry and frustrated and the hope she had in heart that she would at least have Josephine's support has turned to ash.

"I do want to help you Bonnie."

"But you don't think I can be part of the council? I know I'm not prepared but I can learn I swear, I-"

"My dear girl, if you only knew…" Josephine presses her lips together, she doesn't want to say things she will regret later. She takes a deep breath before walking towards Bonnie. She comes to stand a few inches away from her and cradles Bonnie's face with both of her hands. "There is a fire in you Bonnie, you have managed to keep it hidden…you even fooled me…" she lets out a small laugh. She has gotten a hint of Bonnie's power and can't help but be amazed. "You let me see what I wanted to see, I suspect you have done that with everyone, your own Grams included."

"I…"

"I want to help you but I can't." Josephine lets go of her face and turns away from her once more. "My hands are tied."

Bonnie frowns. "What do you mean?"

"A queen cannot rise while another is still alive."

Those words are like a knife that cuts deep into Bonnie's heart.

"As long as Sheila's heart beats, you have no power, no authority in this city." Josephine gives her a poignant look. "There are rules in place, ancient rules that we all must abide too. The council will never let you attend our meetings, not until you have ascended to the witch throne."

"But there must be a way…"

Josephine sighs.

"Josephine please, even if you don't want to help me, at least tell me what can I do…" Bonnie begs. "There has to be a way," she insists once more.

"Council members are meticulously chosen," Josephine explains gently. "We serve for life, twelve members in total, no more, no less. All twelve seats have been filled," the last member to be appointed having been her own protégé, Vincent Griffith. "We have also sworn a vow of secrecy, the things we discuss, the secrets we hold are not to be shared with anyone outside the council chambers. Even if I wanted to keep you updated on what the council is doing to investigate the attacks against your friends and grandmother, I wouldn't be able to do it, the vow prevents me from divulging anything."

All of Bonnie's hopes are crushed upon hearing Josephine's words, she feels her shoulders slump and finds herself looking at the floor.

"However,"

Bonnie looks up, a new wave of hope surging.

"Within every organization, exceptions can be made." Josephine's eyes sparkle like jewels as she gives Bonnie a complicit look. "You cannot be another council member and you cannot be queen as long as Sheila lives but given her condition, you can invoke your rights as the head of the Bennett family, and ask to represent your grandmother."

"Meaning?"

"You would act as your grandmother's representative, you would take her seat in the meetings, allowing the Bennett's position as the leaders of the witch community to remain intact."

Bonnie's heart leaps to her throat.

"I'm not going to deceive you Bonnie, if the council allows this to happen, you won't have the same power as your grandmother. Your opinions would be taken into consideration obviously but at the end of the day, the council would still rule until your grandmother gets better at least."

"A symbolic role," Bonnie realizes.

"More or less," Josephine confirms. "However, this will allow you inside the council, which is what you truly want."

Bonnie gives her a look. "Why do I feel like there is a but coming…"

Josephine smiles at her cleverness. "Unfortunately for you to act as your grandmother's representative, the council must vote on it. Out of the twelve members you must secure seven votes in your favor."

Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. The majority of the council members would have to vote in her favor. Bonnie locks eyes with Josephine. "Would I have your vote?" she challenges the older woman.

Josephine sighs. "I don't think you should do it," she replies honestly. "Sheila wouldn't want you to."

"Don't try and guilt trip me with what my grandmother would want," Bonnie warns coldly.

"Taking this step will by all intents and purposes put a target on your back," Josephine cautions.

"I already have a target on my back," Bonnie counters.

"You're not going to give up, are you?"

"No."

Given no other alternative, Josephine has no choice but to give up trying to convince Bonnie not to do this. "You will find yourself in a difficult position," she states. "And you will also find yourself confronting some terrible truths. So, my question to you is, are you truly prepared for it?"

"Yes." Bonnie doesn't waste time thinking about the answer.

Josephine scrutinizes her carefully before responding, "then in that case, yes. You will have my vote."

Bonnie releases the breath she had not even realized she has been holding and smiles. "Thank-you, Josephine."

"Don't get so excited just yet, you still have six other members to convince."

Bonnie nods. She knows it won't be easy but she's determine to do it and having won Josephine's support makes her feel like she has won the first battle. "I will do my best, I promise."

"I will do my best to support you," Josephine promises in turn. "Be different Bonnie," Josephine tells her with incredible sincerity. "Be a leader, not a follower. Don't make the same mistakes your grandmother made. Play the game better than everyone else, it's the only way to survive."

"I will."

She has to in order to win.

Mikaelson Mansion

"Just so you all know; I hate family meetings." Kol strolls inside the study without care. "You interrupted me right as I was having a lovely time with a sexy leggy blonde."

"This is important Kol," Elijah tells his brother while Freya frowns from her place by the fire.

"Can we just get it over with?" Kol drops himself in the leather chair across from Freya. "What's going on?" he asks upon noticing the worried look on her face.

"Niklaus will be here soon."

That's enough to let Kol know that things are bad, really bad. He makes his way to the liquor cabinet. He's going to need something strong to get through the rest of the day.

It doesn't take long for their brother to arrive.

He takes one look at Freya's and Elijah's faces and Nik knows his day is about to be ruined. "Bad news, I take it."

Elijah hands him a glass of whiskey.

Nik arches an eyebrow.

"You'll need it," Elijah tells him.

Nik takes the offered liquor and looks between Freya and Elijah. "Well?" he takes a sip of the whiskey, savoring the taste.

"Father is awake," Freya responds without preamble. "I had a vision earlier today, I saw him."

"Fuck," Kol hisses.

Nik doesn't respond at all although his hand clenches around the glass.

Elijah studies his brother's reaction carefully. "You don't seem surprised."

"It was bound to happen," Nik mutters coldly. "We all knew it was just a matter of time." Lucien, the bastard had warned him as much too.

"How the bloody hell is he awake?" Kol snaps. "Wasn't he supposed to stay desiccated for another century or so?" he turns to look at Nik. "You said we wouldn't have to worry about him for the next couple of centuries!"

"Calm down Kol," Freya stands up.

"Calm down!" He shouts angrily. "He is going to come for us, we betrayed him. He will hunt us down and he won't stop until he gets his revenge!"

"He hunted us down before, Kol." Elijah gives his brother a reproachful look. "From the moment we chose the immortal life Niklaus offered us, we knew Mikael would hunt us. We outsmarted him for centuries…"

"I don't want to go through that again," Kol hisses. "I hated that life! No matter where we went he would find us and destroy everything! I don't want to go through the same thing again!"

"I know," Elijah murmurs in understanding.

Kol stares at Nik. "What are you going to do?"

"What are we going to do," Freya corrects him. "We're all in this together, Kol."

"What are we going to do?" Kol asks again. "And why the bloody hell are you so calm about this?"

"What will you have me do?" Nik questions a small current of anger slipping through. "Yell like an angry little boy like you are doing now?"

Kol growls.

"Go into a mad rage and burn our house down?" Nik continues. "Cry in fear of the big bad monster coming after us?" When no one says anything, he continues, "this news is nothing we didn't anticipate before. The desiccation spell was bound to wear off eventually, we all knew it."

"This happened sooner than expected though," Elijah mutters darkly. "He clearly didn't wake up on his own."

All eyes turn to Freya. "All I saw was Mikael rising from the coffin. I couldn't see much else, there were candles, it was a dark room..." she shivers. "I couldn't see if there was anyone else with him. I feel like there were more people present but I didn't actually see them." She hates not being able to provide more answers.

"Rebekah?" Kol wonders suddenly. "Is she-"

"Her condition remains the same," Elijah informs him. "As soon as Freya shared the news with me, I checked and…" he trails off. "I had hoped she would wake up but…"

Kol's hand clenches into a fist and he lets out a string of curses in a foreign tongue.

Freya hugs herself and tries not to cry at the thought of her poor sister. Her baby sister, the one she couldn't protect.

For a while no one says anything.

Each of them is thinking of Rebekah.

Freya in particular feels guilty for not being able to cure Rebekah from her curse. She hasn't even come close, not even after all this time of trying.

"What we need to do now is find Mikael," Nik says after a while. "And hunt down those who helped him wake up."

"How would they even find him?" Kol wonders furiously. "Weren't you supposed to make sure he stayed buried forever!" he points his finger at Elijah. "You were supposed to make sure no one got to him. You spent months planning the whole thing, how the hell did they dug him out without you finding out the second it happen?"

"Yes, I too would like an answer to that," Nik hisses. "Elijah, you should have known someone dug him up."

Elijah's jaw clenches. "He was cloaked with powerful magic," he mutters defensively. "No one should have been able to find him."

"But they obviously did," Kol throws back in his face. "And you had no fucking clue."

Elijah looks away, a guilty look on his face. "I have no idea how they were able to find him. This shouldn't have happened." When he finally faces his brothers once more, the guilt is still there. "I will find out who did this, I swear it."

Nik doesn't say anything.

"Forgive me brother, I failed you."

Freya watches the exchange between the brothers nervously. Even Kol who is still fuming silently, knows better and keeps his mouth shut. Niklaus has never been the forgiving kind, but finally, after a handful of agonizing seconds, Niklaus nods and accepts Elijah's apology.

Everyone visibly relaxes.

"Only an extremely powerful coven of witches could have done this," Freya tells them. "A single witch does not have the power to open that coffin on her own, I made sure of it."

"Who do you think did it?" Kol asks.

"Take your pick," Freya snaps back. "We have so many enemies, witch enemies in particular, anyone in the council could be behind this."

"We might have an entire army of enemies," Elijah concedes. "But only a few would know of father's existence." He glances at Nik before turning to look at Kol with an answer, "The Gemini coven, the Lescheres family, the Bennett family, the Salvatore family possibly..."

"Bonnie and her family are not behind this," Nik is quick to point out.

Kol gives him a strange look. "And how would you know that for sure?"

"I simply do."

Kol is still watching him strangely but decides not to press the matter. "If it wasn't the Bennett witches who was it, then?"

"I will find out," Elijah promises. "And I will punish them accordingly."

"Mikael will make himself known soon," Nik states. "Once he does, we shall act." He glances at Freya. "We shall put our weapon to the test soon, sister."

Freya nods and hugs herself. She hopes that the weapon she and Niklaus created will be enough to finish their father once and for all.

The hospital

"Come on, just one bite," Katherine tries to persuade Stefan to eat. She knows hospital food is not the best, but he hasn't even taken a single bite and that worries her. He needs to eat to regain his full strength.

Stefan looks at the food with disdain. "I rather eat the jello."

"You need to eat more than that, babe."

"I'm not really hungry."

Katherine sighs. "Stefan-"

He squeezes her fingers and offers her a soft smile. "I know I'm supposed to eat but I just can't…" the taste of blood still lingers. He shivers. What would Katherine think if she knew? What would his friends think? He doesn't remember much about being infected by the virus but he does recall the taste of blood with a strange vividness that makes him feel disgusted with himself.

Katherine gives him a sympathetic look. She knows better than to force him, but she also knows he needs energy. Finally, she relents. "Okay, eat the jello. It's better than nothing."

Stefan smiles although it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

Katherine bites her tongue. She wants to ask him so many things, but she doesn't want to push either; what Stefan went through was traumatic and he's still dealing with the aftermath of it all.

There is a knock on the door.

"Come in," Stefan mutters.

Bonnie steps inside carrying a fruit basket. "I heard someone was awake."

Stefan smiles.

"That fruit looks yummy." Katherine stands up to greet her friend. "Here, you can put it next to the flowers his mother brought him."

"How are you feeling?" Bonnie asks as she comes towards Stefan's bed.

"Like I've been run over by a truck."

"I'm so glad you're okay." Bonnie leans down to hug him.

"Me too."

Once they pull apart, she takes a seat on his bed while Katherine sits on the opposite side.

"I'm sorry to hear about your Grams."

"It's been a crazy couple of days," Bonnie murmurs. "So many things happened, one right after another."

"Have you seen Luke?"

Bonnie shakes her head. "I was going to stop by his room after seeing you." Her shoulders sink. "I was also hoping to see Grams but they didn't let me when I asked." She and Lucy got into an argument with the nurse and she threatened to kick them out. I'll have to sneak into her room again, Bonnie thinks. "Lucy and I begged them to let us in but they threatened to kick us out instead."

"That's ridiculous," Katherine mutters.

"If she doesn't wake up in the next couple of hours…" Bonnie doesn't even want to think about it. She's too afraid of it.

"Do you have any idea who could be behind the attack?" Stefan questions. "We were attacked outside the mall, your grandmother was attacked in her own home, it's bizarre."

"Someone is clearly out to get your family," Katherine tells Bonnie.

"Yeah." Someone in the council, Bonnie thinks bitterly. "When are you going to go home?" she changes the subject.

"I have to stay another night at least, receive a couple more shots with the cure, and once they test my blood and it all comes clear, I will be discharged."

"I for one hope you stay longer, so I can spend time with you." Katherine gives him a quick peck on the lips. "His mom is not going to let me set foot inside their house," she explains her reasoning to Bonnie. "She tried to kick me out of the hospital earlier today."

"Seriously?"

"Stefan had to put his foot down and tell his mom to stop being such a bitch."

"Not in those exact words," Stefan tells Bonnie. It clearly saddens him that his family does not accept his girlfriend. "But yeah, she crossed the line."

"Thankfully, she left us alone and was long gone by the time Mr. Lescheres came."

"Damian Lescheres was here?" Bonnie gives Stefan a strange look. "I thought you already gave your statement to the council."

"I did, but Mr. Lescheres had more questions."

Katherine bites her lip. "He even questioned me again about the attack."

Bonnie gives her a puzzled look. "Why? You already gave your statement to the council."

"I know." Katherine shares a look with Stefan who gives her an encouraging nod. "He was asking about you," she confesses in a low voice.

"Me?" Bonnie repeats incredulous. "What did he wanted to know?"

"What you did, how you fought those things, I don't know…it was weird."

"He was also asking about the Mikaelsons," Stefan adds. "What Freya and her brother did when they arrived. He asks us to describe the attack in detail, he wanted to know everything, it was like he was looking for something specific." The whole thing felt strange to him.

Katherine nods in agreement. "Maybe I'm being crazy but I didn't like the way he was asking questions about you and your magic…" she shrugs. "He seems to have taken an interest in you."

Bonnie doesn't say anything as she contemplates their words; knots form in her stomach as she thinks about Damian.

"Don't get me wrong, he's hot."

Stefan gives Katherine a weird look.

"What?" Katherine says without care. "A girl has eyes."

Stefan shakes his head.

"All I'm saying is that while I think he's a hot piece of ass, there is something about him," Katherine chews on her bottom lip. "I don't know. I don't think I like him."

"He's probably just worried," Stefan suggest trying to ease the sudden tension in the room. "Bonnie is the future queen after all."

"I'm sure that's all it was," Bonnie mumbles while trying to keep a neutral face. She can't help but feel slightly worried though. There is something about Damian, the last time they talked, she hadn't felt comfortable with him and learning that he's asking questions about her and her magic in particular makes her feel really uneasy. She doesn't let her friends know though. She changes the subject quickly and does her best to focus on what Katherine and Stefan are saying while keeping Damian's actions in the back of her mind.

She needs to be careful.

After visiting Stefan, Bonnie makes her way to Luke's room.

Liv is there with him, she has not left his side at all. In fact, the staff had added an extra bed inside Luke's room so that his sister would be more comfortable.

Both twins are happy to see Bonnie.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Luke tells her warmly. "I hate hospitals. I'm ready to go home but your presence has cheered me up for the rest of the day."

Bonnie smiles at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a shiny new car," Luke jokes. "Seriously, I don't know how to convince Jo to let me out of this place. I miss my bed."

Liv rolls her eyes. "He even tried to bribe a nurse to let him escape."

Bonnie laughs. "How did that go?"

"Terribly but it was a lot of fun."

"I bet it was."

"Not at all." Liv makes a face. "Jo wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

Luke laughs. "I'm glad you came to visit me," he tells Bonnie. "As much as I adore my twin, I needed to see some new faces around here and since the rest of my family don't particularly care about me-"

"Luke," Liv gives him a warning look.

Bonnie frowns. "Jo was very worried about you and I'm sure your brothers…"

"Please, Kai was probably praying for my death. Ian and Cain are two cold-hearted bastards who have no time for younger annoying siblings and my dad, well he has better things to do than sit by bed and read me bedtime stories not that he ever did that or anything…" he says it lightly but Bonnie can see how much it hurts him.

"He came to see you," Liv reminds him gently. "Cain and Ian were here too…"

"Yeah, like once."

"I'm sorry," Bonnie doesn't know what else to say. Joshua Parker has always been cold and calculating, he never struck her as a happy or loving father and from what little she knew of Cain and Ian, they were just as cold and uncaring as their father. She feels really sorry for the twins.

"If only mom were alive…" Luke turns to look at the window sadly. Any love their father had in him had died along with their mother.

Liv looks down at her lap.

As a motherless child herself, Bonnie feels their pain. The big difference in her life though had been Grams.

"Heck, I shouldn't be complaining," Luke says after a while. "I'm alive!"

For someone who has been through a hellish experience Luke is awfully cheerful, more so than Stefan who stills seems affected by his ordeal. Bonnie can't help but compare how different both of her friends are acting after their horrible experience.

A tearful Liv looks up and manages a genuine smile. "Yes, you are." She glances at Bonnie. "The past couple of days have been rough on all us."

"Yes," Bonnie agrees.

"So much so, that I even miss school," Liv continues with an incredulous smile. "Can you believe that?"

They all laugh.

"Chemistry problems are definitely better than the real-world problems..." Bonnie mutters.

"And Gym class is way better than being on the receiving end of Mr. Lescheres interrogations," Luke adds while making a face.

The smile vanishes from Bonnie's face. "He was here?"

"The council already took Luke's statement but that douchebag was here today, interrogating us both to no end!" Liv complains. "Father is going to be furious when I tell him, we're minors! He shouldn't be interrogating us without an adult present."

Luke rolls his eyes. "Like the council cares about that."

"What did he want?" Bonnie asks nervously.

"He asked us a bunch of questions, specially about you," Luke tells Bonnie.

"What kind of questions?"

"How you fought those creatures that attacked us in the parking lot," Luke responds. "What kind of spells you used, how much control you had on your magic, if we had ever seen you doing things like that..."

"What did you tell him?" Bonnie does her best to hide the worry she feels.

"That I didn't see anything," Luke answers simply. "I was bleeding heavily and as much as I hate to admit it, I passed out while all the fun was happening." He glances at his sister. "Liv said you kicked ass though!"

"She wasn't the only one, Katherine was awesome too! And Shadow, he was a beast!" Liv smiles at Bonnie. "You have no idea how much I wish I had a familiar."

"Yeah, me too," Luke says. "I will never understand why out of all us, Kai had to be the one to get one and not us, we're the wonder twins!"

That brings a smile to Liv and Bonnie's face.

"Yeah, Shadow is the best." Bonnie cannot deny that. "You were very brave, Liv. You held your own too."

Liv smiles.

"Did Damian say anything else?" Bonnie wonders. "Did he ask anything else?"

"Neither of us were interested in talking to him." Liv shrugs and turns to her brother.

"That was pretty much it," Luke responds. "He was mostly curious about you and your magic." His eyes gleam mischievously. "If I didn't know any better, I would say he was crushing on you."

"Oh please," Liv rolls her eyes. "You're an idiot."

"But you still love me though," Luke winks at his sister.

Liv chuckles.

Bonnie doesn't laugh and the anxiousness she feels intensifies.

Even when they change the topic of conversation, Bonnie can't stop thinking about Damian.

What the hell is he up to? Why is he suddenly so interested in my magic?

It worries Bonnie, she doesn't know what he could have up his sleeve.

Mikaelson mansion

Nik seats in his room, a white oak stake in his hands. It's hard to believe that such a simple object can hold so much hope. In this wood lies all the hard work of nearly two decades. The secret weapon he didn't have before, the one thing that can finally put an end to his personal war. So wrapped up is Niklaus in his thoughts that he doesn't hear the knock on the door, he only lifts his head when the door opens and Freya steps inside his bedroom.

"It's hard to believe this wooden stake can finally be Mikael's undoing."

"Simple looking yes, but it's the most powerful weapon ever created." Freya contemplates the white oak with pride. Countless sleepless nights, and arduous days of work had been put into creating a weapon capable of destroying their mighty father.

"We still need to put it to the test."

"Do you think all of our hard work won't pay off, brother?"

"When it comes to him…I always find myself doubting everything," Nik admits in a low murmur.

Freya watches him sadly. Mikael is a very touchy subject for all of them. The father she once adored as a child had been a cruel and sadistic monster who had brutally tortured her half-brother. While Mikael had presented himself as a good father, an honorable husband, and powerful warrior, he had secretly been torturing an innocent child. It was hard at first, to reconcile her adoring father with the power hungry monster who destroyed everything in his path but after what Mikael had done to the people she loved, to her brother and sister in particular...all the love Freya once felt for him had become pure hatred. And now he was back, a new war had begun once more. "You need to warn Bonnie."

Nik gives her a look. "Bonnie doesn't need to worry about Mikael," he hisses, hands tightening around the white oak.

Freya gives him an exasperated look. "She has a right to know what's going on, Nik. You can't keep her in the dark forever."

Nik stands up and walks towards the safe, securing the weapon once more.

"She was in the office with me when I had the vision, she knows Mikael is awake."

Nik growls and looks over his shoulder eyes shifting yellow momentarily. "You told her?"

"I did," Freya responds calmly. "She didn't seem surprised by the name. You told her about him." There is no judgment in her voice, only genuine curiosity.

"She knows some things," Nik uses his magic to hide the safe behind the wall.

"Good."

Nik turns back to face her, a surprised look on his face.

"It's about time you open up to someone other than your family." And even then, there were a lot of things Nik had not told them in regards to his childhood. "I know it's not an easy thing for you to do." Even after all these centuries, her brother still struggled to open up about his past. "But I think it's good that you talk to her about it."

Nik stays silent.

"I know we have a good plan against Mikael, a weapon that can finally put an end to his miserable existence but he's awake, he's out there plotting his revenge against us." Freya stares into his eyes as she speaks. "He can't get his hands-on Amelia Bennett because she is dead but he can definitely try and get his hands on her descendants."

Nik growls angrily. "I'm not going to let that happen."

"What are you going to do to prevent it?" Freya questions. "Lock Bonnie up in a tower? send her with Ayana?"

"The thought has crossed my mind."

"Niklaus!"

"I'm not going to lock her up or send her with my mother...not unless I absolutely have to," he mumbles under his breath.

"She's not a child," Freya remarks. "And as much as you hate it, she's in the middle of this mess by virtue of being the future queen. Not to mention that even if Bonnie is safe and sound away from New Orleans her cousins are still prime targets for Mikael."

"I don't need to be reminded of what we are dealing with, Freya. I'm well aware of the threat Mikael represents for Bonnie and her cousins."

"Which is why the sooner you speak with her, the better."

Nik sighs.

"Bonnie deserves to know that it was her ancestor's blood that allowed us to desiccate Mikael."

Nik knows that very well but he is not sure if he is ready to open that can of worms just yet.

"Have you told her about Amelia?"

"Yes. Bonnie knows Amelia helped me defeat the vampire king and that I in turn, saved Amelia's children." Of course, he left out the part about using Amelia's blood.

"Bennett blood helped us dedicate Mikael," Freya reminds him. "Now that he is back, you can bet whatever you want that the first thing he will do is make sure there is no more Bennett blood for us to use against him. He will hunt those girls down."

"We will make sure that doesn't happen." Nik has absolutely no intention of letting Mikael near Bonnie or her cousins for that matter. "I will kill him this time Freya, I swear it."

Even if it's the last thing he does on this earth, he will end Mikael for good.

There will be no mistakes this time around.

After sneaking to see her grandmother one more time and promising that she's going to find a way to wake her up, Bonnie finally makes her way out of the hospital. Shadow is nearby in the woods behind the building since the hospital staff made it rudely clear that her wolf was not welcomed inside. He had scared too many people during his previous visits. Bonnie had rolled her eyes and ordered Shadow to stay outside. She didn't want to keep antagonizing the staff in the weak hope that they might change their minds and allow her to see her Grams.

It was a foolish hope of course.

Bonnie walks towards the parking garage with her head down and her shoulders slumped. Seeing Grams in that hospital bed, still unresponsive and knowing that there is some kind of dark magic or curse keeping her asleep makes her blood boil. But she's not going to give up, one way or another, Bonnie is determined to find a way to cure her Grams.

She stops walking when she hears a familiar screech.

Minerva, Bonnie thinks sadly and looks up at the sky. Sure enough, her grandmother's snowy owl flies by. Sheila's familiar has been flying in circles above the hospital since the attack, anxiously waiting for her mistress to wake up. Bonnie's heart constricts. I feel your pain too, she wants to tell the owl. I miss Grams so much.

"It's a sad thing isn't?"

Bonnie stops abruptly and finds Damon Salvatore sitting on a bench, smoking a cigarette.

"She's been circling the hospital nonstop."

"What are you doing here?"

Damon rolls his eyes and blows smoke all over her face.

"Urgh…" Bonnie makes a disgusted face.

"Can't smoke inside," Damon snaps irritated.

Bonnie watches him curiously; he seems angry at something. "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing."

Bonnie doesn't believe him.

"You saw Stefan?"

Bonnie nods.

"He's more somber than usual," Damon comments while blowing more smoke in her direction.

"Cut it out!"

"Tell me something," Damon stands up, cigarette in hand. "What the hell is going on between Damian and Emily?"

"What?" Bonnie is completely caught off guard by the question. "Damian and Emily?" She gives him a blank look. "What are you talking about?"

"He visited her when she was in the hospital, brought her flowers and everything. When I was coming in today to see Stefan, I saw the two of them looking very cozy with each other, he even walked her to her car."

Bonnie doesn't know what surprises her more, the fact that Damian was at the hospital with Emily or the evident anger Damon feels. "I have no idea what could be going on between them..." she shudders with the thought. Emily and Damian? please no. Just thinking of them together makes her sick. What the hell is Damian playing at? First, he approaches her and tells her he wants to help her, then he interrogates her friends nonstop and now he's after her cousin. She really needs to talk to Nik and figure out the best way to handle Damian and his machinations.

"Well, do you know anything?" an irritated Damon asks.

"Obviously not," Bonnie snaps. "Why do you care anyway?"

"I don't," Damon hisses a little too defensively.

Bonnie arches an eyebrow and gives him a knowing look. For a while now, she's had the sneaky suspicion that something happened between Emily and Damon. "If I didn't know any better, I would think you were acting like a jealous boyfriend."

"Fuck you!" Damon throws the cigarette bud on the grass and heads towards the hospital's entrance.

"Damon, wait!" Bonnie calls after him. "Damon, come on!" She pleads but he doesn't stop.

"Forget I even said anything," Damon yells over his shoulder. "I have to see Stefan."

Bonnie watches him until he disappears behind the hospital's doors.

There is a part of her that wants to go home and confront Emily about Damian but there is another part of her that doesn't want to deal with that just yet. She wants to talk to Lucy first and hear what she thinks but Lucy went back to work that afternoon. Bonnie is going to have to wait to confront Emily, after their fight earlier that morning she needs time to cool off some of the anger that still simmers inside and which has intensified after learning that Emily is talking to Damian.

She calls Shadow to her and makes her way to her car, checking her phone as she walks. Nik still hasn't called or texted her. The disappointment she feels leaves a bitter taste in her mouth. Has he spoken with Freya yet? What is he planning to do about Mikael?

Shadow hops into the backseat of the car and Bonnie drives away from the hospital, mind still invaded by thoughts of her lover.

I want to see you Nik, she thinks with an aching heart. She hopes their bond will somehow transmit the message to him. I need to see you. Come to me, please. She has so much to tell him. She's dying to see him, to hear his voice, and feel his lips. She needs him.

Come to me Nik, she calls for him again.

The sun is low and hiding behind the trees; the orange hue nearly blinding Bonnie as she drives in the opposite direction to her home. She wants to drive for a bit and clear her head; there is too much on her mind right now.

A new song comes on the radio.

Shadow is sticking his head out of the car's window.

Bonnie is tapping one finger against the steering wheel, lips mouthing the words to the song.

A figure appears in front of her car.

A dark simmering shadow which lets out an angry hiss.

Bonnie screams and steps on the breaks.

The car comes to a screeching halt.

It's only a matter of seconds but it feels like she has lost a decade of her life.

When she finally regains her senses, her hands are still gripping the steering wheel tightly and her heart has nearly burst out of her chest.

There is nothing in front of her save for the dying orange rays of the sun on the horizon.

Bonnie gets out of the car on shaky legs, her stomach turned upside down.

There is no body, no person in front of her car.

Did she imagine the figure in the middle of the road?

She saw someone, she's sure of it.

A dark shadow appeared right in front of her car.

So, where is he?

Where did he come from?

Where did he go?

Bile rises in her throat and she has to push it down forcibly.

She looks around once more but there is nothing.

A single car drives past her in the opposite direction, paying no mind to what she's doing.

Bonnie is still shaking uncontrollably when she gets back inside her car.

Shadow licks her cheek, trying his best to comfort her. "What was that thing?" she whispers, voice quivering.

Somehow, the strange apparition feels like a warning.

A single name echoes as clear as day inside her mind.

Mikael

Was the shadow a vision?

A figment of her imagination?

Or had the former king of the vampires shown himself to her?

What could it possibly mean?