New Orleans
One Month Later

Elijah's eyes fluttered open abruptly as if he was startled from a deep sleep. He immediately sat up and surveyed his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't in his coffin. He had become accustomed to waking up inside of that dreaded pine box. He also noticed that there were no scattered remains—as Niklaus had promised—and a quick check of his neck revealed that there was no bite mark either.

'I'm dreaming,' was his initial assessment. That was the only way Klaus would fail to keep his promise. A sniffle garnered his attention and he was faced with none other than Bonnie Bennett.

'I'm dead,' was his second thought. There was no way the two of them survived Niklaus; no way that Bonnie Bennett was alive and well and staring at him with those beautiful eyes of hers.

"Elijah." Relief, hope, and anticipation shrouded her tone. Elijah listened as her heart skipped several beats. Everything seemed real but he couldn't allow himself to believe it. As she moved closer, Elijah reached out for her. His hands shook as he held her face. His thumbs roamed over her lips, her cheekbones, over her eyes. He could hardly believe what he was seeing or feeling. In order to solidify the fact that this was real, he pulled her in suddenly for a chaste kiss. Their lips crashed into one another and Bonnie sobbed as he kissed her fervently. He was alive, he was awake, and he was going to be okay.

"How long? The twins? Where is Niklaus?" His questions, though choppy, flowed from his lips as they came to mind. Bonnie sighed happily and giggled to herself as she tried to contain her joy long enough to answer him.

"I can't say for sure. You left us about eight months ago. The twins are okay." Bonnie paused. "They're out with Nik now." Bonnie watched as fear washed over his features. His eyes darted around quickly and for the first time since he opened his eyes, he realized where he was.

"He brought you all here? To New Orleans?" There were still so many questions he wanted to ask. "When will he be back?"

"Not for a while," she explained. Their eyes searched one another's briefly. Elijah sighed, his joy short-lived.

"Bonnie, I don't know what you had to do to save me—I can't thank you enough—but my brother won't hesitate to kill me permanently if he returns and find that you've awakened me." Though happy to be healed and delivered from entombment, Elijah couldn't relish in satisfaction for long. The looming threat his brother posed was crippling. For he had watched and helped his brother hunt down enemies in the past, therefore, Elijah knew first hand just how brutal Niklaus could become.

"You let me deal with him," Bonnie doubled down. Elijah wasn't having it.

"For your sake, Bonnie, I cannot be awake when he returns." Elijah was more concerned for Bonnie than himself. He did not wish for her to be cut down. If he had to spend the next thousand years in a coffin, so be it.

"He can't kill me, Elijah," she assured without any elaboration. They could get to the logistics later, she just needed to get him as far away from this house as possible. "Elijah," the tone in which she said his name sobered him of his thoughts and forced him to look at her. "Get your things and follow me, please."

He didn't have to be told twice.

-X-

The two of them drove for an hour before they reached their destination. Bonnie checked them into a quaint bed and breakfast in a quiet area in Slidell, Louisiana. The drive was silent as Elijah contemplated consciousness after being in a slumber for so long. This duration was the shortest. He expected centuries to have gone by and while it wasn't too far from a year, he was grateful that not that much time had passed. Eight months was a blink of an eye to him.

Once inside, Bonnie spelled the room so that no one could eavesdrop or barge in unannounced. She turned to face him and took in his features for a moment, thankful that he was alive and well, physically. It had been so long since she's seen him mobile. Staring at his corpse day after day was beginning to take its toll on her. With a deep breath, she began to debrief him.

"The twins and I have been in New Orleans for a little over a month now. When you left Cassis, you let me know that you made it back safe. After that, You went radio silent." She paused, allowing him time to offer information that would help fill in the blanks.

"Niklaus attacked a week after I returned to New Orleans," Elijah informed, allowing her to piece together a timeline in her mind. A pained look flashed across her face as she realized just how long Elijah had been immobilized. She exhaled slowly as she finished filling him in on what happened since they last spoke.

"I tried contacting you, but when I didn't receive a reply, I thought that maybe you were playing it safe, so I backed off. After two months without a word, I sent Tyler away. I knew something was wrong." In hindsight, she probably should have fled, but maybe a part of her welcomed what was to come. Maybe a part of her was tired of running. "I waited to hear from either you or Klaus; then, seven months after you left, he showed up on my doorstep," Bonnie chuckled dryly and shook her head at the memory. It felt like ages ago when really just over a month had passed. "I was out getting groceries and when I came back… I just knew. I knew he was there."

Though she said the twins were okay, Elijah's heart still dropped at the thought of things going horribly wrong during their reunion. "Jesus, Bonnie." His declaration said it all.

"I know." She closed her eyes. "It was the first and only time I've ever let my guard down in ten years." Bonnie still hated herself for that moment. If Klaus was the person she met in her teens, her life would be completely different right now. "I could have gotten them killed." Her voice broke at the thought. She knew that Klaus would never harm the twins but sinister memories of the Klaus from long ago still lingered—against her best wishes.

"Shh, shh," Elijah quelled. He pulled her into his arms and naturally, she fell against him. His embrace felt natural to her and until that moment, she didn't realize how much she missed it. "My brother may be a lot of things but he would never harm a child. Certainly not his own," he assured.

"I know, but he is impulsive. What if he didn't realize they were his and he snapped." Bonnie was always plagued by the what-ifs. She didn't want to always think the worse of Klaus, but for years it was all she knew. Try as she might, her mind wouldn't allow her to let that version of him go.

"You can't think that way. Just be fortunate that wasn't the case." Elijah held Bonnie as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I'm so glad I found you," she sighed once she was calm enough to form a rational thought. "I don't know what Nik will do to me once he finds out what I've done," Bonnie paused as she thought about Klaus's reaction. When the thoughts became too insidious, she closed her eyes and shook them away. "I feel like every move I make is destined to drive a wedge between us. I don't know how to fix any of this, Elijah." Bonnie didn't intend to fall apart in front of him; it naturally happened. For years, he has been her strength, her shoulder to cry on. Seeing him made her realize that she had no one to talk to about this. Since Klaus's return, she's been isolated and kept most of her feelings bottled.

Elijah, for once, was at a loss. There was nothing he could say to calm Bonnie. He opened his mouth several times to speak but nothing that came to mind sufficed. The two sat in silence, holding one another while Elijah contemplated his thoughts. Inhaling deeply, he attempted another effort to calm her with his words but was interrupted by her cellphone vibrating against the two of them. Bonnie took a breath and braced herself for what was to come. She didn't spare the screen a glance as she reached into her pocket and answered.

"Hello?" She tried to train her voice to the best of her abilities. There was a long silence that followed that told her everything she needed to know about who was on the other line. She closed her eyes and tried in vain to stifle the cries that threatened to escape.

"Do not make me look for you." His velvet voice dripped in ice. Bonnie placed a shaky hand on her chest in efforts to calm her beating heart. The anger and malice in his voice were tangible. As he spoke, he emphasized each syllable in each word articulately. His anger was unbridled and she knew that had she been anywhere close to him, his impulses would've won and she would be no more. "Get back here, now!" Bonnie jumped and pulled away from the phone just in time to see that the call had ended. She dropped her phone on the bed and placed her head in her hands. Elijah watched helplessly as Bonnie sobbed. He reached out to comfort her, pausing when she jumped slightly. She began to frantically search through her bag, producing several blood bags in the process. Elijah held the bags she placed in his lap, feeling his gums ache with the need to feed.

"You shouldn't be too hungry, but here," Bonnie sniffled as she tried to focus on anything other than Klaus's ire. "I've been slow feeding you for a month since I gave you the cure. I couldn't chance to wake you up after months of you going insane so I tried healing you with my blood first." To her ears, she sounded as if she was rambling and not making a bit of sense. "I collected these blood bags so that you wouldn't wake up and go on a killing spree." She tried to think of everything, but Klaus was always the wild card. "I don't think he's figured out that I freed you yet," she paused. "Right now, he probably thinks I'm just running away again." Her fingers ran through her hair and Elijah found himself taking in each detail about her. She looked the same, except skinnier. The stress of being around his brother was taking its toll.

"Bonnie." Elijah wasn't sure what to say. Bonnie held her hand up to prevent him from continuing.

"I'm going to go back before he loses his shit," she sighed. Her body shook with nerves and Elijah wanted nothing more than to comfort her. "The room is good for a week but I suggest you leave before then. There's a phone in this bag with my number programmed in it. Text before you call. Go somewhere far but don't tell me where. There's enough cash to keep you afloat for a while."

"I'm not running, Bonnie," Elijah interjected once he realized what her plan was. Bonnie frowned with confusion written all over her face.

"Elijah, he will kill you," she stressed. The fear in her voice was almost tangible.

"He hasn't yet," Elijah countered. Bonnie didn't appreciate his joke. "I won't let you face him by yourself, not again." Bonnie wanted to scream at his stubbornness.

"Elijah, please don't put me in this situation. I'm not worth it. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you." Elijah grew impatient.

"I've watched you be the martyr for years without ever asking for anything in return. Allow me to return the favor to you." Elijah reached out and cupped her cheek. "You are worth a thousand deaths. If I die on your behalf, it would be a death well served." The weight of his words left Bonnie bereft. They were both soothing and terrifying to think that someone of his caliber was willing to sacrifice their thousand-year existence just for her. The two of them stared at one another. The tears that gathered at the brims of her eyes made their way down her cheeks in a free-fall.

"You would have me go through all of this trouble to save you just to walk yourself right into the slaughter?" Bonnie had no fight left in her which was dangerous considering that she would have to face death himself within the next hour.

Elijah took a deep breath and without hesitation responded with a simple, "Yes."

For her, he would do whatever it took.

-X-

Klaus paced back and forth as he waited impatiently for the mother of his children to return. Upon noticing she was gone, the first thing he did was check where he buried his brother. Everything seemed intact but if he knew his little witch, she was up to something. The past month seemed perfect, too perfect if you asked him. He knew Bonnie. She was always up to something. She could be just as calculating as he sometimes. Who else could pull a disappearing act on him for ten years? Even with Katherine, he always knew where she was. Running was just a part of her penance. With Bonnie, it was different. She completely vanished without a trace. When he wasn't pissed, he could allow himself to admire her brilliance.

Nothing was as it seemed with her.

That thought brought him back to the present, standing in the spot in front of where he entombed Elijah. His instincts kept leading him back to the spot and on impulse, he punched through the brick wall just to confirm his suspicions.

As he suspected, nothing. Elijah was gone. With both hands bracing the wall, Klaus tried with all of his might to contain his rage. In a flash, he was at Rebekah's bedroom door. When she opened it, the look on her brother's face made her gasp.

"Whatever's got your panties in a wad, I just want you to know that I've been a model citizen since I've arrived." Rebekah knew her brother. No one but Bonnie Bennett could set him on edge like this. "What did she do this time?" The blonde suddenly feared for Bonnie's life. Mated or not, there were only so many times you could cross Klaus and come away unharmed. Klaus didn't speak. Instead, he chuckled humorlessly. The irony of one, fun-sized witch constantly getting the best of him, drove him insane. Taking a deep breath, Klaus smiled at his sister and clapped his hands together. The act made Rebekah flinch, foolishly.

"Do me a favor dear sister and take the twins… somewhere far." Rebekah opened her mouth to protest but one look from Klaus made her think against it. She and the twins bonded quite nicely since she arrived and though she missed Elijah every day, she began to enjoy the synchronicity their little family developed over the past few weeks. Sadly, that may be coming to an end soon and she found herself saying a quick prayer on Bonnie's behalf. She was going to need it.

-X-

By the time Bonnie arrived, Rebekah and the twins were long gone and Klaus sat in the middle of the courtyard. The silence of the room was deafening as he used his advance hearing to listen to the sounds of the car engine dying and the door opening and closing. Her shoes crunched against the gravel as she made her way to the entrance. He watched as Bonnie entered the courtyard, making her way towards him timidly. She looked small and fragile but he knew better. She was just as deadly as he. He fought against the urge to get in her face and scream at her. It's what she expected, no doubt. Instead, he sat casually, drinking cognac while smoking his cigarette—a bad habit he picked up since she left.

"Where is he?" His question startled Bonnie and she tried to feign innocence. "Enough with the bullshit, Sheila; where is he?" He didn't give her a chance to lie. Bonnie kept her eyes downcast, randomly wondering when he learned of her middle name. Just when Klaus thought he'd never receive an answer, she spoke.

"I made him wait outside." Klaus chuckled and smashed the end of his cigarette between the tips of his fingers. He neatly tucked the cigarette butt in the full ashtray beside him and set his glass down just as neatly. Bonnie couldn't read him but she could tell he was pissed.

"And like a good lapdog, he listened. Lovely," he stated sarcastically.

"I thought dog jokes were beneath you," Bonnie challenged. The words were out before she could stop them. For a moment, Klaus wished he had turned her so that he could snap her neck repeatedly until he was satisfied.

"Love," he shook his head in disbelief. "I advise you to shut your fucking mouth." He was barely holding it together. Bonnie's green eyes glared at him and though she challenged him silently, she thought against muttering another word. Even she knew when to yield—somewhat.

Klaus stood to his feet and slowly closed the distance between them. He could hear her heart racing in her chest—at least she had the good sense to be terrified. As he neared her, Bonnie could smell the alcohol and nicotine on his breath. She trained her eyes to the floor, anticipating his next move. She expected him to meet her at the door already in a fit of rage but instead, she got this. Unpredictable Klaus was the worst Klaus.

"Tell your boyfriend he can come out now. I'll play nice, I swear." Bonnie didn't trust him but what choice did she have?

"Stop it, Klaus. He's not my boyfriend," she countered.

"He's been your boyfriend for the past ten years, Bonnie—him and that Lockwood mutt." The bitterness in his tone let her know that nothing she said would ever convince him otherwise.

"Could you please—"

"What? Could I please, what?" By now, Klaus was in her face, daring her to retaliate. Bonnie took a step back only for him to close the space yet again. The close proximity unnerved her and she waited nervously for the other shoe to drop. When she tried to move again, Klaus gripped the back of her neck and pulled her closer. "Is this what you want?" His growls made her tremble with fear. "Do you want me to snap and fucking kill you?" The more he tried to contain his anger, the more it slipped from his grasp. "DO YOU?" Mustering the last bit of courage she had, Bonnie pulled away from his grasp, smacking his hands away from her.

"Stop it, Klaus!" Anger shook her entire body and her heart raced with adrenaline. "I get it, okay. Elijah has been in our lives for the past ten years and you feel threatened by that. I'm sorry." Apologies, no matter how many, seemed fruitless. "Your anger is justified but right now you are blinded by rage and I don't want you to miss out on any more of our lives because of it." Klaus tried to drown her out and focus on his anger. Having his feelings acknowledge made him feel justified but it wasn't enough. He was animalistic and that required bloodshed.

"Bonnie." Her name sounded like a groan against his lips. Bonnie stared up at him with desperation and anticipation.

"Please, Nik. I'm tired of fighting." The weariness and desperation in her voice that made him want to give in. He was tired of fighting with her too, but fighting was all he knew.

Bonnie took his face in her hands and directed his gaze towards hers. "I'm not asking you to accept what I did to you." Tears slipped from her eyes and instinctively, he reached up and caught them with his thumbs. He cursed himself silently for the act. "All I'm asking is that you not let it keep you from being happy moving forward." As she spoke, she held his face, hoping that he was listening to her and not focusing on doing something drastic. "I'm sorry, okay? I'll say it a thousand times if I have to. I regret running away from you. I regret cutting you out of their lives—" She took a deep breath before continuing. "Out of my life." She clarified. "I didn't know you then. Not this version of you; not the version your family sees that keeps them coming back to you. I only knew the version of you that came to my town and killed and terrorized the people I cared about."

"I'm sorry I didn't give the other part of you a chance. The part of you that slipped that ring on my finger. The part of you that doted on me for three months. The part of you that despite your darkest urges, can't seem to kill me no matter how much you want to." Bonnie sighed. Though her vision was blurry, she held his gaze. "I don't have anything to say for myself except that I'm sorry. I made a bed I couldn't bring myself to sleep in and because of that, I damaged us all. I was selfish every step of the way and I'm so sorry, Nik," she choked out. "Don't let me be the reason you damage your relationship with Elijah. You two have had each other long before I came and you will have each other long after I'm gone. Don't ruin that because of me."

Klaus stared into Bonnie's eyes for what felt like forever. Her breathing hitched when he moved to rub more tears away from her eyes. Her words managed to calm him some and the rage he felt moments ago was doused. It was just words, but they were what he needed to hear. For once, she acknowledged just how fucked up what she had done was. It was the nonchalant attitude she held when he first confronted her that pissed him off most and made him want to snap her neck into pieces.

Bonnie waited on bated breath for Niklaus to respond. His silence ate away at her until she could no longer stand it. "Say something," she pleaded. It was hard to be vulnerable with him. Her words were never good enough, it seemed.

Klaus struggled to find the right words but nothing sufficed. Instead, he placed a single kiss on her forehead and pulled her close to his chest. In truth, he was just as tired as she. The rage he felt was exhausting and was beginning to take a toll on him. A thousand years of pent up animosity against his parents paled in comparison to the hurt and betrayal he felt from her.

The absurdity of it all was that she had only been in his life for a couple of months.

Three short months was all it took to turn his life completely upside down for the next decade. It was almost laughable and in fact, Klaus found himself chuckling because of it. "You make me crazy," he murmured into her hair as he held her in his arms. He thought about all the ways he could crush her tiny frame but ultimately knew that to inflict any pain on her, he'd not only hurt the twins but himself as well. Instead, he settled for squeezing her as tight as she could stand it before letting her go.

Bonnie whimpered as he crushed her with his python grip, sighing with relief when he released her just as it became unbearable. She gasped, not realizing that she had been holding her breath the entire time and glanced up at him with wide eyes, not sure what to make of him.

"Please don't kill, Elijah," she pleaded once more. The look Klaus gave her was inscrutable but rather than protest, he simply nodded.

"I won't," he promised.

"Seriously, Niklaus," she added. Klaus loved loopholes and exploited them any chance he got.

"You have my word," he reiterated. Bonnie visibly relaxed and pulled her phone out of her pocket. Klaus watched silently as she texted who he assumed was Elijah and though he promised to behave, he couldn't help the pang of jealousy he felt towards the closeness of their relationship. Bonnie was his and it was about fucking time his brother acknowledged it.

A/N: Thank you all for waiting so patiently while I got my life in order. I'd love to hear you all's thoughts on this chapter since I stressed over it enough. What do you all think of Bonnie, Klaus, and Elijah's relationship? Do you think Klaus gave in too easily? Let me know your thoughts!

As always, thanks for reading. I don't always know what the hell I'm doing or why I'm doing it so your continued support is much appreciated, haha. If you're reading my other story... please pray for me and don't give up on me lol. Stay safe, sane, and sanitized!