Fighting Fate

Chapter 25

"And this is Carmen right after bath time with her wolf towel that gives her little ears at the top," I was showing Bonnie all the photos I had taken in Atlanta. She was excited to meet the little wolf who had taken up a huge chunk of my heart.

"Aww she's so cute."

"I was thinking of bringing her here next week," I said proudly.

"Oh, for a visit?" I shrugged.

"Or to live with me."

"Amour!"

"What?" I asked and crawled off of my bed to grab the bottle of wine I left on the dresser. We were eating pasta and watching movies and while we could have done that in the living room, it was way more fun to eat in my room on the bed.

"Is this because you don't want to be alone?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You always have to take care of someone. You've never lived alone."

"Neither have you."

"Yeah but it's just worked out that way. Yours seems to be on purpose. First you stayed with me and Grams while you were in school. Then once we moved out here,"

"I was alone! Just me and Mycah." I poured myself a glass of wine, drank some, topped it off, then walked back to the bed.

"For like a second before Monique and Davina moved in. And now they're moving out."

"It's not like I planned Carmen. Her mother is dead, Bonnie. I know we don't know what that's like but we know what it's like to not have a mother. Not have that one person there that is supposed to give you this love and affection. Carmen doesn't have that. She's not a priority to anyone in the pack. She can be a priority to me."

"I thought you were applying for jobs. Trying to get a museum job?"

"Yeah well all I've gotten are denials and saying that I need more experience before I am even a curator's assistant. So I'm going back to school. I'll get another degree. Maybe sign up for an expedition," I leaned back.

"With a toddler?"

"School isn't that hard when you don't have to work every day. I can take a couple jobs. And the expedition is seriously unneeded. I've been to more dig sites than a damn archaeology student."

"Do they count your own collection when they say you don't have experience?"

"No, because how can I explain to people that my money basically comes from nowhere and allows me to own my own Dali."

"Have you thought about asking the Mikaelsons if they know anyone? Didn't you tell me they have a great collection. They must know people."

"I hadn't thought of that. But why are you so against Carmen?"

"I'm not against anything. I just want you to think with just your head. Logically, does taking her in, right now, make sense?"

"Children don't always happen on the right timeline. sometimes they just happen."

"With unplanned pregnancies."

"Maybe we need to watch Life As We Know It?" I asked her. She stopped and nodded.

"Okay, I get your point. What about her father?" The line of questioning stopped my thoughts. I hadn't explained to her what I found out about the pack. I took the time to explain everything then and by the end she was in silence.

"What the fuck," were the words that broke it.

"I know. I mean, I know. And we thought our lives were dramatic. We're supernaturally dramatic."

"They've managed to do that yet still save time to be the epitome of human drama. What Amish country type shit."

"What is Erik going to do?"

"Take care of his people. Like he always does. Like he was born to do. But seriously, taking Carmen off their hands would help him too. He and Bette love that little girl."

"I'm on board, I'm on board. I'm sure we'll all accept her just like we did with Monique and Davina." My phone rang and I groaned when I saw it was Klaus.

"What do you want?"

"Is that any way to talk to a friend?"

"I'm going to hang up."

"I just thought I would let you know my son dropped by for a visit. Wanted to mend the bonds between us."

"And did you?"

"Of course. I'm a very forgiving person." I scoffed and he chuckled. "Would you not believe it in our best interests to stay close to him?"

"I would if you both weren't similar people. He must know that you're still close with me."

"I killed you. Why would he assume such a thing?"

"Because you are now back amongst the living. I am busy having bonding time with my sister. What do you need?"

"When you told me the thing about becoming a father, that was real?" he sounded sincere. It almost shocked me.

"Did you sleep with Hayley?" There was a weird silence.

"No, I met someone when I was with the pack."

"Do you have feelings for this person?"

"I am not a child."

"Ooookay. I know you're calling because you're scared. And no one understands being afraid to live more than me. But Klaus after a thousand years, you have to try something different." I tried to tune into his future but he wasn't anywhere near me. He must have been in Atlanta or Tampa with the pack. He ended the call in reply. I looked and Bonnie and she looked at me in amazement.

"Is that what I think that was?" I cackled.

"I know right, things must be going so wrong when our problems seem so...normal," I fell back onto the bed and laid my head in her lap. "You know, had you chosen to pursue men, he was one of your possibilities." Her face screwed up in disgust then she actually started to digest the information and she relaxed.

"Actually that makes sense. In the right situation, I could see it. He's hot. And partially emotionally unavailable but also too emotional. And the way he fights for those he loves. It's actually quite admirable."

"Well don't go there now. You're taken," I teased her. She smiled softly.

"Yeah, I am."

"What's wrong?" She shook her head.

"Nothing. I was just thinking my first love will be my last. And I'm only okay with that because of who Zenia is as a person. I don't need to love anyone else. And I honestly couldn't imagine the rest of my life if she wasn't right next to me." Bonnie stared off into space for a bit then began to move. "I'll see you later. I have to go." I nodded.

Two weeks later, I was Facetiming with Erik and Carmen. "Hi littlest wolf. How are you? Are you behaving?"

"No!" she said and I grinned widely.

"That's still her favorite word."

"How unfortunate for all of you." he smiled sweetly. A way that let me know it wasn't unfortunate at all. We were all just happy she was hitting her milestones again. She had been standing but not walking. Also there weren't many opportunities to do so since she was in the playpen majority of the day.

"I think she'll be really happy to see you next week." he told me. We had all been talking about it. Claudette, Erik, Bette and I. We ultimately decided it was best if Erik brought Carmen here at night. It would hide her from the Strix surveillance and protect her from the upcoming issues the pack would face.