Author's Note: Since coming back this probably was my favorite drabble to write!

A Snapshot in Time

Klonnie (and the rest of the Mikaelsons): The baby won't stop crying

She has read somewhere that in the first few weeks you are responding solely to their physical needs. The emotional comes later as they learn to navigate the world around them but in the beginning it is food, sleep, and a dry bum.

She thinks she can manage to satisfy those needs.

She thinks wrong.

One thing she quickly learns about their son is that he does not want to be put down. She tries if only for a quick moment so she can eat or heaven forbid shower. Henry responds by opening his mouth and letting out an ungodly wail that shouldn't be possible for someone with lungs so small. It stops the moment he is pressed to her skin so she puts off whatever task that had been on her mind.

When Kol comments that she has looked better, she angrily thrusts the baby at him. It might not be his mother's arms that Henry rests in but he seems content enough for her to wash away a few days' worth of funk. She learns a valuable lesson while she hums under the hot water. Henry doesn't crave her as much as he craves any contact.

So it becomes a game of pass the baby.

Henry makes his way around the compound, passed from mother to father to uncle to aunt before making his way to his mother again. It is a pretty good system and it allows Bonnie to form some sort of routine (all the books spoke of routine) as well as get some down time. One afternoon she even finds herself curled up with Klaus in their bed while Henry is rocked dutifully by Elijah.

It works — until it doesn't.

One night Bonnie bolts up in bed, instinct already pushing her to reach for Henry before she even realizes his crying is what woke her. Beside her Klaus opens one eye and mutters something about his hungry son before drifting back to sleep (some days she wonders if he is part lion instead of part wolf — he is infinitely more lazy than she ever imagined him to be). She thinks he is right and sets about feeding Henry. Only he won't latch. Instead he balls up his fists and howls (definitely part wolf).

Klaus wakes and takes Henry from her. If he isn't hungry one of his other basic needs must be met. He somehow manages to change a diaper, no easy feat given how Henry squirms. Bonnie pulls herself out of bed and tries a few things that have seen success in the past: rocking, bouncing, this strange move that looks more like interpretative dance than anything (Klaus eyes her with a raised brow on that one). She gives up when Henry continues to cry and tags out.

His father tries to tell him a story as he walks the length of their room. Bonnie finds Klaus' voice soothing but apparently Henry is immune to such things. He shows no signs of slowing down.

Kol is the first to appear, coming to stand in their doorway with a scowl on his face. "How much longer are we to be subjected to this?"

Bonnie throws him a look. "You are free to sleep elsewhere."

"Have you tried stuffing his mouth with your —"

Klaus comes to stand in front of Kol with Henry's raging body held close to his chest. "If you value your life, you will not finish that sentence."

Kol eyes his nephew. "Perhaps a gag then?"

"Get the hell out," Bonnie says as she comes to stand next to Klaus. It is automatic for her hand to come out to brush against Henry's back. She can feel all his muscles straining. Her heart aches for her son.

Kol does as she asks, muttering under his breath as he goes.

"Give him back," Bonnie says, her arms open to receive her son. He pushes against her, arching his back as he screams. "Maybe a walk…" She leaves the room before Klaus can point out he has been walking for the past ten minutes. She moves past of the rest of the bedrooms quickly, feeling like she has a live bomb in her arms. She descends the stairs into the courtyard, not even thinking of the acoustics of the Mikaelson home.

If anyone had been still asleep — they aren't anymore.

Rebekah appears next, moving to drape herself over the railing so she can look down at mother and son. "Poor babe," she muses. "He probably just realized he has a mutt for a father."

"Rebekah," Bonnie chides as she bounces Henry once more. Not helping. So not helping.

"My apologies," she says. "I have been told I am rather vicious when I am woken from a dead sleep."

"I am sorry." Guilt hits Bonnie. Not so much because she has woken up the household but because she has no idea what to do to help her son. She should know right? She is his mother.

Rebekah waves the apology off. "I knew what I signed up for. Does he have gas?"

Bonnie has already tried patting him on his back but she is desperate at this point. She tries again. Henry is clearly not pleased by the actions. If anything he manages to up the volume. He sounds livid now. "Oh baby…"

Klaus is by her side within a blink. He has Henry's favorite blanket (or at least they presume it is his favorite). Together they wrap Henry up with it. Bonnie takes one look at him swaddled and makes a face. "He looks like an angry burrito."

Klaus gives her a look (he must be questioning her sanity; hell she is questioning her sanity).

Freya comes next. She seems more alert and Bonnie remembers she is a night owl. She passes her grumpy sister and descends the stairs. She has a sympathetic look on her face as she comes to stand next to the new parents. Her fingers smooth along Henry's cheek. "Perhaps a spell? Something small to send him off to sleep."

Bonnie is horrified at the thought. Though she knows Freya means well, she can't help but clutch Henry to her. "I want him to always be in control of himself," she says firmly. She knows what it is like to have your mind clouded by magic. She will not do to that to him even if he won't ever remember.

Freya bows her head in deference to Bonnie's wishes.

When Elijah finally joins then, Henry has been crying for nearly an hour. Bonnie feels drained by it all, close to tears herself. She looks down at her son, the guilt and desperation mixing together with disastrous results. Her gaze falls on Klaus. "Why won't he stop? I should be able to help him. I can't help him. I am a complete failure as a mother."

Klaus frowns and looks to Elijah. His brother nods his head (are they communicating telepathically?) and then steps forward. "Bonnie, I will take my nephew."

Bonnie is near panic now and has to be coaxed to hand Henry over. Elijah carefully takes the baby and she slumps forward. Klaus is there to catch her, his arms coming around her. Her head lands on his chest and she tangles a hand in the shirt he has worn to bed.

"Bonnie, love, you are far from a failure," Klaus tells her quietly. It takes a moment for his voice to break through the sound of Henry's wailing. "You are an amazing creature. Strong, fierce and determined. He is a baby and sometimes he will cry until you think he will run out of air. He won't I assure you and just because he does it doesn't make you a bad mother. You are learning. We are learning."

She sighs, closing her eyes.

Henry lets out an abrupt shortened cry and then stops all together. Bonnie raises her head to look at Klaus. Together they glance over at Elijah to find him covered in every ounce of what Henry has eaten in the past few hours. The older Original stands there, looking a bit shell shocked.

Bonnie's mouth falls open a little and then she steps forward. "Uh…"

Elijah tries to maintain a shred of decorum (is it…yep, it is in his hair) as he holds Henry out. "It would appear all is fine now."

Bonnie brings Henry to her and notes the way he snuggles into the crook of her neck. She breathes a sigh of relief. "Yes…I should…I should put him back to bed."

She and Klaus both retreat to save Elijah's pride from any further damage. She is changing Henry out of his soiled clothes when she hears it — Kol once more.

"Ugh, brother, why do you smell like rotten milk?"