SIX long, torturous months had passed since Klaus saw his wife and children last. The silence from their absence was heavy, and not knowing if they were okay was killing him. He fell into a deep depression for the first three months and couldn't bring himself to leave the compound or speak to anyone.

Elijah, also grieving over the situation, did everything he could to convince Klaus to get back on his feet. Using the excuse of the longer he stays hidden, the longer Valentina and the twins would be gone. That seemed to be enough to motivate Klaus.

Together, the Mikaelson brothers killed the werewolves wearing the moonlight rings, discovered that almost their entire family had resurrected before the other side collapsed, and tried to uncover Esther's diabolical plan against them.

A few states away, Stefan spent most of his time searching for ways to bring back his siblings. Alaric would feed him leads, and he would follow just for it to be a never-ending path of dead-ends. Unable to bear the disappointment any longer, he gave up, settled down in Georgia, and accepted that they were gone forever.

Elijah upheld his promise to check in on Stefan, almost feeling sympathetic for him as Stefan filled his days with random bar fights and drinking past the edge. He didn't leave without telling Stefan that Valentina would be disappointed to see how he had let his life fall apart.

While Valentina protected the twins in secrecy, she mourned the loss of Damon. It was hard for her to accept that her older brother had vanished from existence completely, and his last words to her were that phone call. She wished she had been able to say more or had the chance to help but ultimately knew it was all unrealistic. Her heart shattered when she thought about how Damon would never meet her children. They would never know their uncle, along with the others. She would never get to hug him, belittle him, or laugh with him ever again.

Some days, it felt like she was crawling on all fours across glass shards just to say on top of everything looming over her.

Despite the separation only being temporary, she yearned for her husband. Taking care of twins solo certainly wasn't an easy task, and there were days she sobbed to herself, feeling guilty for the choices she made and telling herself she was a horrible mother when they would cry for hours on end. Especially when the babies were still in the NICU. She spent every day with them, hoping they would get better. Her silent prayers were answered after four months when they both showed improvement by being able to breathe sufficiently on their own.

After graduating from the NICU, Valentina brought them home to her secluded house away from civilization. Their pediatrician said it was important to maintain a routine with them, so she did everything she could to stay true to that.

Valentina put the twins down for their mid-day nap and decided to use the time to herself to sit by the window, enjoy a cup of Chai, and write in her journal.

Ever since leaving New Orleans, she kept a journal of her thoughts and important moments, so when she and Klaus reunited, she could share them with her. It gave her an outlet to vent to since she was completely alone. It was funny because she used to tease Stefan for writing in his journal, and yet there she was, doing the exact same.

She was torn away from her own internal thoughts by a bird smacking right into the window. Furrowing her eyebrows, Valentina rose to her feet and looked through the glass. She shrugged it off and was about to turn away, but more of them violently flew into the house. She jumped as the sound grew louder.

Well aware that this was an unusual event and more than likely a witch's threat, Valentina ran into the nursery to frantically pack the twins' bags full of necessities. She pulled out the burner phone she bought for this exact reason and quickly dialed a number by memory.

She held it between her shoulder and her ear as she tossed their bags by the front door and ran into her room to pack her own stuff. Listening to it ring, she stuffed clothes into a duffle bag without actually looking at what they were.

"Hello?" A masculine voice with a British accent greeted her in confusion from the other end.

"Nik, it's me. I don't have a lot of time, so just listen. Esther's found us. I have to take the babies and run but I don't know where to go." Valentina explained quickly, not giving Klaus the chance to truly register that it was his wife. She waited for a response but was only met with silence. "Nik?"

"Head west." He suggested after snapping out of his dazed trance. "I'll text the plans to you."

"Thank you." She expressed her appreciation, zipped the bag closed, then pushed the curtains back to peek outside for any starlings.

"Anything for you." He mused affectionately and fell silent again for a moment. "I miss you so much." He admitted, his voice breaking and cracking under the weight of his emotions.

Valentina's green eyes watered with tears as her bottom lip quivered slightly. She had been in such a state of panic that it hadn't hit her that she was finally talking to her husband. "I miss you far more than you know. I don't want to hang up, but the longer we---"

"I know." He cut her off in an understanding tone. "I know."

They both remained silent, waiting for the other to hang up first. Valentina squeezed her eyes closed as tears leaked out from the corners and rolled down her cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. There were so many on the tip of her tongue, and nothing seemed worthy enough to be uttered.

Sighing heavily, Klaus hung up the phone without saying anymore. He didn't want to give any affection over the phone, worried that it would give up their secret and put his family more at risk.

Valentina listened to the line beeping after it went dead and let out a silent sob. She covered her mouth with her hand so as not to make a single sound. She allowed herself a brief moment to break down from her grief before pulling herself together and gathering items again.

She tossed the bags in the back of her van, strapped the twins into their car seats, and climbed into the driver's side. Her phone beeped as she started to peel out of the driveway. Quickly glancing down at the digital message, she memorized Klaus' instructions and started off in that direction.

Elijah sat alone in a diner booth and pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket when he heard it ring. A smile crossed his lips from Hayley's name flashing on his screen until he noticed a man sitting at the bar, staring at him as his phone continued to ring. Unnerved, Elijah ultimately ignored the call and slipped the phone back into his jacket picket.

A waitress walked over to refill Elijah's coffee, so he, out of suspicion for that mystery man, compelled her for answers. "Tell me, has there been anyone out of the ordinary today?"

"Just you." She answered honestly.

He smiled kindly and nudged his mug toward her to top off his coffee. When she started to pour it, she accidentally spilled some on his wrist.

"Oh, I am so sorry, let me--" She immediately apologized as she attempted to clean it for him.

Trying his best to remain polite and unbothered, he held a hand up to shoo her away. "It's quite all right. Thank you."

The waitress received the hint, gave him an apologetic smile, and walked away to tend to her other tables.

Elijah frantically dabbed at the stain on his sleeve with a napkin, which sends him into flashbacks of his time being tortured by Esther. He looked across the restaurant to see the waitress whispering to the suspicious man at the bar. Both of them turned their heads to stare at Elijah, which made him even more paranoid and agitated.

Hours passed, day turned to night, and still Elijah waited nervously for Valentina's arrival. His head instantly snapped up at the sound of the door opening, and he rose to his feet upon seeing his sister-in-law entering the establishment with a large stroller.

Valentina grinned ear to ear when their eyes made contact. The two shared a tight hugh that lasted longer than normal once she reached the booth. "I've missed you." Valentina breathed out in a wavering voice.

"Believe me. The feeling is mutual." He admitted quietly, gave her another squeeze, kissed her cheek, and then broke apart so they could both sit down. He watched in anticipation as she uncovered the mesh from the stroller to reveal the babies. He stared dotingly at them and bent down at the waist to kiss them both on the forehead. "They're so big. They're so perfect."

"Yes. They are." She agreed affectionately and reached down to grab her son's hand. "They look so much like Nik that it's almost scary."

"Ah. I wouldn't be so sure about that. They do bear some resemblance to you." He playfully assured her. "Let's hope they don't inherit either of your stubornesses."

"Oh. There are worse things to inherit. Like the Mikaelson ego." She joked back while sitting against the plastic booth seat. "Speaking of ego... How is he?"

"He is... as one would expect him to be given our circumstances." Elijah replied, hinting at how Klaus was without giving away any details.

Valentina glanced down at her hands with a saddened frown. "And Stefan? Have you been keeping an eye on him?"

"Yes. He's spiraling. I'm not too sure there is a way to comfort him. In his eyes, he's lost everything." He explained, which only made her feel worse, but he simply ogled at the babies. "I can't imagine the joy of spending every day with them." He mused in slight envy.

Valentina let out a heavy sigh and ran the palms of her hands along her jeans. "It hasn't been. Don't get me wrong. I love them with every atom, and I am so grateful to be their mother, but it's hasn't been easy or joyful. It's been terrifying, especially since I've been alone. They were confined to the NICU for four months. At one point, it didn't seem like they would survive because their lungs were still so underdeveloped even with Nik's werewolf genes." She filled him in on the events of her time away, tears rolling down her cheeks from the memories so fresh in her mind. "They were on ventilators for what felt like forever. She contracted pneumonia, so that was another thing for her to fight. They're already so vulnerable, and now that Esther has found us. We're not safe. I'm not sure we ever were."

"Yes. She tortured me for days with memories I thought I'd buried long ago." He licked his lips nervously and paused for a moment before speaking. "Then, she made an offer... to make us all mortal again. Even you. She believes that by placing us in new bodies, we can then reclaim some kind of... purity. We can begin families of our own again. And, I have to confess... this invitation, however cruel in delivery, had a certain... appeal."

"While that's sweet." Valentina mused sarcastically and rolled her eyes. "I can't see it having any true benefit. What's the catch? What's her real plan? If I've learned anything about your mother, it's that she doesn't do things simply from the faux kindness of her heart." She sneered in disgust and then sat forward in her seat. She was about to speak when she noticed blood smeared on the sleeve of his white dress shirt. Her face fell slowly as an uneasy feeling started to rise inside of her, sending her heart pounding.

He sensed her concern and shook his head with a stern expression. "You needn't worry. We're safe."

"Okay." She nodded curtly, accepting his answer.

Suddenly, one of the babies started gasping slightly, which caused the vampires to turn toward them.

"Oh. She needs her inhaler." Valentina promised quickly. She slid out from the booth, grabbed the infant inhaler from the medication bag hanging from the handle, and shook it. She administered the prescribed dose, waited for her daughter's breathing to return to normal, and let out a sigh of relief. With her vampiric sense of smell, she got a whiff of something pungent and wrinkled her nose. "I need to change a diaper. I'll be right back."

Valentina pushed the stroller toward the back of the restaurant. As she made her way to the bathroom, she saw blood smeared on the bar counter and glanced around uneasily.

She passed the waitress, who smiled warmly at her as if nothing was wrong. Furrowing her eyebrows, Valentina pushed open the kitchen door with her elbow and then jumped back in horror when she found dozens of dead bodies left carelessly lying around. Unsure of what to do, she backed out of the room and searched for another exit.

Unfortunately, the sound of the babies fussing drew his attention, and Elijah spun on his heels to face them. He, oblivious to her knowledge of his deeds, smiled widely at the trio as Valentina reluctantly walked back down the aisle toward him.

"Ready to go?" She asked him as calmly as she could.

Elijah nodded in response while he studied his niece and nephew in awe. "It's difficult to believe we were this innocent once. We mustn't let the world ever hurt them."

"I know." Valentina honestly agreed then discretely reached for the broom that was propped against the table behind them and drove it through his heart.

Elijah let out a loud, surprised gasp before he fell lifelessly to the floor with a heavy thud.

In New Orleans, Damon, having recently been pulled from the prison world, stormed into the Abbatoir with Stefan following closely behind and approached his brother-in-law. "Klaus! Where the hell is my sister?!"

Klaus turned around to see who was calling out to him and then made a face of genuine surprise when he noticed it was the eldest Salvatore. "Damon! What a pleasant surprise." He mused happily through a strained smile.

"Cut the formalities. I wanna know where the hell my sister is." Damon demanded aggressively.

"I'm sure Stefan has already -" Klaus attempted to beat around the answer, his light blue eyes flickering over at the younger Salvatore.

"No. See, I find it very hard to believe that she's gone." Damon shook his head side to side and folded his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry, mate, but -" Klaus was once again interrupted.

"No. You don't get it." Damon said sorrowfully as his icy eyes welled with tears. "I just spent six months in what I thought was my own personal hell, and what I clung to was the idea of seeing Valentina and those babies. I come back to find out she's dead. My little sister is dead. How can she just be gone?! How can they be gone? That's... it's not... it's not fair. They deserved to be here. She deserved to be a mom. She loved those babies. I..." He started to break down.

Flattering his lips into a firm line, Klaus walked over and clapped Damon on the shoulder. He didn't say anything, just met Damon's grief-stricken gaze, and pulled him tightly into a hug.

After Damon had settled down, Klaus broke away just as his phone blared loudly in his pocket. He removed it so he could read the caller ID. "Excuse me." He stepped out of the room to take the call, greeting them in annoyance. "Where have you been?"

"It's me." Valentina replied from the other end, causing his face to relax. "We need a new plan. There's a pile of bodies, all of whom seemed to be pretty harmless, and I'm taking a wild guess by saying it was done by Elijah's hand. This isn't like him at all."

"Her torture must have affected him more deeply than I'd realized." Klaus sighed heavily in disappointment. "Where is he now?"

"Dead." She answered bluntly while looking down at his corpse, then held a hand up and moved to correct herself. "Ah. Not dead dead. I staked him to give myself time and get us out of here without him follwoing. What do I do?"

"I'm texting you an address." He informed her as he typed away on his keyboard. "Go there. Now." He sternly commanded and hung up before she could say anymore. He strolled purposefully through the courtyard with a slight smirk on his lips and an excited twinkle in his eyes.

"Where the hell are you going?" Damon demanded harshly as he followed Klaus, who was making his way toward the front door.

The hybrid stopped in place, spun around to face his brothers-in-law. "To see my wife."

---
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-the1andonlytifftiff