Disclaimer: Not Mine.
A/N: I got this idea from watching an episode of Hart of Dixie. I started writing this after Jeremy died, so it's an AU after that point I guess. Jeremy's death affected me more than I thought it would, so this is me reconciling his death and Bonnie's madness. As always, Baroline is off in this thing. Sorry for any grammatical errors. Mild Graphic Violence. Some sexual content.
How did she get here? She didn't know. One minute she was talking to Caroline and the next she was running through the woods trying to escape her attackers. They weren't fast she could easily outrun them, but there were so many. The forest was littered with corpses and strewn body parts. Blood and gore was everywhere; the stench of it sickened her. She ran but she wasn't sure why. She wasn't scared, well until she watched in horror as hundreds of reanimated rotting bodies shuffled towards a poor man. His comrade lay at his feet being devoured alive. He screamed trying to hack away at them with his utility knife but an undead creature came from behind him and took a bite out of his shoulder. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the gurgling scream then backed away from the mob, a few turning to follow. She ran down a hill trying to navigate the slope when she tripped on a…was that a hat? What was a sheriff's hat doing in the middle of the forest? She fell, cursing her luck, tumbling landing on her right side. She closed her eyes bracing for impact afraid of what she would find when she opened them.
It was not the familiar smell and feel of the earth beneath her. She peeked opening her eyes slowly. She found herself inside a dark room. Maybe it was a cellar. Everything around her was cold dark grimy metal. A window to her right revealed nothing but blackness splashed and dotted with various colors of light. It was if the night sky had swallowed her whole or if she was in spa-…no she couldn't be. She was behind some pallets but she heard growling and the clinking of metal. Bonnie slowly rose to a crouch moving silently towards the noise. She watched as deformed men tried to pry open a metal door. She heard yelling and the thud of bodies hitting the grates below her feet. She could only make out a few names, "Zoe, Jayne, and River." She felt a presence behind her and turned to stare into a horrifying face. He had patches of flesh removed from his face. Cuts were sewn together in the most haphazard fashion. One of his ears had been sliced in half and the other looked as if it had been bitten off. From what she could tell as he stood there growling and drooling several of his teeth were missing, and he had no tongue, it had been cut out, but he did have a gun or something resembling a gun. He grabbed her shoulders turning her.
Bonnie was expecting pallets and a deadly battle when she turned not the scene before her. It was like she was in a dessert except the sky was black and fire raged all around her. The heat was suffocating. She scrunched her eyes trying to make out the figures in the distance. She looked down at the plateau she was standing on and the molten rock that surrounded her. Thousands of men were chained to the walls. Their agonizing wails filled her ears. The man nearest her wore a grimace. His hair was short, blonde, and spiky. His eyes were green-grey or green brown she couldn't tell. His bare skin was red except for the black tattoo of a pentagram inside a star on his chest. He hung stone-faced unlike his fellow prisoners. Bonnie had seen him somewhere before, but where? Suddenly black thorny creatures materialized below her, leaping up trying to reach her. They were shaped like dogs but their eyes were crimson. Their claws sharp as they dug into the rock trying to attack her. Snarling and snapping as they slid back down unsuccessfully. She tried to gather her power but it was no use. Behind her a growl escaped a beast's lips. She turned just as he lunged at her throat.
She stumbled backwards she was falling into the pack of beasts that waited ready to tear her flesh from her bones. She landed hard but in a seated position. Wails and growls were replaced with soft music. She was in a wood chair? She looked around the dim room lit by candlelight. She was alone with a plate of pasta and shellfish. The clams on her plate started moving, music were coming from their shells. She leaned down to listen… she knew this song. Was that JT?
Bonnie opened her eyes. Justin Timberlake's Pusher Love Girl was coming from her iPhone on her nightstand. She reached over to cut off the alarm on her phone. She looked at the time and groaned. She forgot to set it early for today. Shit. She was going to be late. Caroline was going to kill her. Why did she promise she would help with this stupid fundraiser? Oh yeah, so her dad wouldn't lock her away in the loony bin, which Caroline would be forced to break her out of. It had been almost six months since she had regained her "sanity." Caroline told her she needed to get out, to move on, to live again. She guessed she could try.
"What was that?" Anna said stepping into Bonnie's room. She felt guilty being there. Her actions had broken the young witch's heart. "What was what?" Anna gave a Jeremy a pointed look. He sighed moving towards Bonnie's bathroom door. She was showering inside. She used to sing in the shower. Now she usually cried. He sighed as he heard the sobs in between the drops of water hitting the tile.
"I'm calling it an intervention." He said folded his arms across his chest. "Jeremy, you shouldn't be here. You're entering her dreams now? You'll never move on if you can't let Bonnie go." Jeremy disappeared and reappeared in front of Anna's face.
"Let her go? She didn't let me go? I can't…I love her." Anna winced at his declaration. He grabbed her hands. "I hate to see her like this. This is my fault. I need to help her. Help her move on. I can fix this." Anna squeezed Jeremy's hands pleading with her eyes.
"Jeremy you can't stay here forever. I get why you want to help her but Jer- you might be stuck here forever. You can come be with me, my mom, Jenna and Alaric. We can be together forever." Jeremy smiled at the thought, but still he dropped her hands.
"I have to take care of Bonnie first. I owe her."
"What about me Jeremy," Anna said softly? "You know I love you, Anna. I love you both but I can't leave here knowing she is alone. We will have each other forever. I'm just trying to make sure Bonnie has someone too."
At that moment Bonnie walked out of the shower. She stopped and looked around her room like she knew they were there. Jeremy faded quickly and Anna was going to follow but she stopped as Bonnie turned towards her. Anna gasped. Could she see her? Bonnie stared at the spot a few more seconds but then turned walking slowly to her dresser. Anna felt the pull as Jeremy travelled further away from her. She disintegrated, off to find Jeremy. He was right. It was clear the Bennett witch was struggling and needed their help.
"Tiki that banner is far from straight." Caroline barked as she signed a clipboard for a bored deliveryman. "April!" April appeared beside a clearly infuriated Tiki. "April can you help Tiki straighten the banner? Then see if you can find out what's taking the bakery so long to get here?" April nodded scurrying off after Tiki. Caroline put her hands on her hips looking around the room. "Where the hell is Bonnie Bennett?"
"She's outside Barbie, and these "marble" columns are clearly plastic. At least you could have found something a bit more tasteful," Rebekah said wrapping silver gauze around the stands. "Remind me why you're here again?"
Rebekah straightened to her full height, and said matter-of-factly, "Not that you care or that it's any of your business but I want a normal life with or without the cure, and Mystic Falls has a certain allure." Caroline rolled her eyes. "Well if that Allure is Matt Donovan, give it up. I plan on him and Bonnie getting married and having adorable babies." Rebekah glared at Caroline. Caroline ignored her turned and went off in search of her bestie.
"Bonnie" Bonnie looked up at the oh-so-familiar "are you having breakdown" Caroline face. Bonnie couldn't blame her. She did go a little crazy forcing her friend to sacrifice twelve of her sisters. She had been having mini breakdowns ever since: nothing big, just a small fire, minor property damage, and a seared Salvatore here and there. What's strange is Damon just puts the fire out. He does not fight back like he used to. I guess they are afraid of the psychotic witch.
It had been three months and counting since an incident. "Yeah Care" Caroline took the seat beside her friend. "What are you doing back here?" Caroline said looking around the stoner pit. "I don't know. I miss Jeremy. Sometimes it's like he's here with me." Caroline wraps an arm around her friend. "I know." They sit in silence for a while. Finally Caroline pipes up, "Why don't you come back inside and help me yell at my minions?" Bonnie smiles. "I don't think they would like being called that Caroline, especially Rebekah." Caroline huffs.
"She's just mad because I got voted committee chair. I mean the nerve of that be-otch trying to head up the committee when the fundraiser was my idea?" Bonnie smiles knowingly. "What!?" Bonnie laughs. "Come on Care you know you got this idea from Hart of Dixie. Bidding on picnic baskets to win a date with a bachelor? I was at your house watching it with you when your face lit up like a Christmas tree." Caroline looks sheepish. Then rolls her eyes.
"Well it was good idea and no one else thought of anything better." Bonnie chuckles and shakes her head. "Admit it. It's a good idea." Caroline says standing reaching out a hand for Bonnie. "It's a great idea." Caroline smiles pulling Bonnie up. "I'm glad you're here today Bonnie, and I have a surprise for you!" Caroline says bouncing up and down on her tiptoes while reaching into her pocket.
Bonnie's eyes grow wide and she says hesitantly, "What is it?" Caroline grips an envelope in her hand. "Now promise you will hear me out." Bonnie scrunches her eyes then nods in consent. "It's your birthday coming up and I wanted to get you something special. Something you need and something that would be fun." Caroline bites her lip then says quickly, "SoI'mgivingyou$500dollarstobuythebasket/bachelorofyourchoice."
Bonnie is confused at first then her brains processes what Caroline says. She let's go of her friend and starts moving toward the school auditorium. "No." Caroline follows her. "Yes." Bonnie turns shaking her head. "No Caroline. Uh-Uh." Caroline sighs. "Yes Bon. Look I get it. You loved him. You moved heaven and earth to bring him back. You were going to destroy the veil between the worlds to bring him back…again." Caroline says raising her arms in the air.
Her voice drops to a whisper as she sees the deadly look on her friends face. "I get it Bon. You loved him, but I love you and he's gone. It's almost been a year." Bonnie purses her lips. One perfect tear slides down her face. "Having fun for one night, living your life, moving on does not mean you love him any less. Jeremy would want you to move on." Caroline says wiping her friends tears. "Besides…you don't have to marry the guy. Just do something for yourself."
Bonnie started to shake her head; Caroline grabbed her hands looking at her with puppy eyes, "then do it for me." The truth was Bonnie did love Jeremy but not strictly in a romantic sense, in the end she thought they may have been heading back down that road. But honestly, she would have done all of those things for any of her friends.
But more relevant to her dating predicament was the fact that she just didn't trust herself. How could she date people when she did not trust that she would not kill them or set them on fire if they did not say the right things? She struggled against the darkness inside her daily.
Besides she had been manipulated and used long before Shane and Silas showed up and she just did not know if she could deal with people right now, not in this state. A small voice inside her head piped up. Caroline is right. Being sad and lonely is tiring and…well…lonely. Isn't it time? Her pessimism reared its ugly head. Who would want you anyway? She could see it now, "Bonnie Bennett? Nah…I'm good. That bitch cray." Her loins rebutted, it had been more than a year since someone besides herself had touched her intimately. There was that time with Stefan but she didn't want to think about that.
Bonnie sighed, looking into Caroline's hopeful eyes. "It's your money." Caroline started bouncing again "Yay!" Bonnie shook her head but smiled despite her anxiousness. "I don't know what your happy for? Once the guy finds out it's crazy Bonnie they are going to run for the hills." Caroline rolled her eyes. "I have a plan." Bonnie sighed. "Of course you do." The amused witch started to walk towards the auditorium again.
"We are going shopping to get you out of this depressing granny look you got going on. We are going to let Tiki's mom do your hair and makeup because as much as she annoys me, her hair has been flawless lately. And I love your demure style but tomorrow we need to sex kitten you up. I saw Matt buy the walking dead for his basket so remember that." Bonnie stopped in the middle of the school hallway.
"Wait…Matt? You're trying to hook me up with Matt?" Caroline pulled her friend forward. "Duh. Besides me, who has checked on you everyday and brings you burger and fries from the Grill every Friday?" Bonnie rolls her eyes. "Matt." Caroline moves her head up and down. "That's right Matt. As far as I can see he's the only other person besides Tyler and me who acts like he gives a damn. Okay and maybe Stefan too when he's got his blood lust under control. Don't give me that face."
Bonnie starts, "but Matt's been with you and Elena." Caroline rolls her eyes, "Who cares. And really…Elena who? Matt deserves the best. You deserve the best. Y'all are the best. End of discussion." Caroline says turning to look into her friend's eyes. Bonnie bites her lip. I mean it wasn't as if she was opposed to the idea. She really cares about Matt. He had stuck with her. She wants to cry at that thought. When did she become so…weepy?
"What if I hurt him, and not like emotionally, cheating on him with a ghost. Like expression-evil Bonnie." Caroline grabs her by the shoulders. "I know you would never hurt him, or any of us for that matter. Well…" Caroline hesitates. Bonnie smiles. "Maybe Damon." Both girls say in unison. They giggle. Caroline reaches for the door, looking through the window she already sees she can't leave folks alone for five minutes.
Bonnie grabs her hand. "I love you Care." Caroline squeezes it back. "I love you too Bon. Now I have to go regulate." Bonnie watches as Caroline enters the room. "Trevor what the hell is that?" wafts back out to the hall. Bonnie smiles to herself and enters watching the Queen Bee in rare form.
"Good evening Caroline. I apologize for my abruptness, but is it too late to enter a basket?" Caroline turns to look at the immaculately dressed man before her. Why did she get the artsy original for a stalker? She raises a brow. "Elijah I didn't know you were interested in our little cause." Elijah smiles. "Well I can see the benefit of expanding the hospital here in Mystic Falls. I also have a very convincing brother who assured me the cause was worthy." Caroline sighed and rolled her eyes, secretly smiling inwardly. If she had a heartbeat it would have been a flutter. What had gotten into her? Or maybe the question was who?
Elijah glanced at her quizzically. It seems his brother was gaining ground with the baby vampire. Ah Niklaus…they always succumb to his charms. At least his intentions seemed admirably this time around.
"Yeah…I mean sure. Actually you're a lifesaver. Mayor Hopkins had to pull out at the last minute." Elijah smiled. "But you already knew that…Caroline said reading the vampires expression." Elijah handed her his basket. "You are very good at reading people Caroline, and may I say quite beautiful. I see why my brother is so smitten." Elijah turned and exited the gym. Just as Tyler, Stefan, Matt, and Damon walked in.
They all watched the original disappear around the corner then turned to eye Caroline. "What did he want?" Tyler said setting his basket down on the table. Caroline raised Elijah's basket. "To drop off his basket. He had one day to put his together and he still beat you slackers here." She glared at them all.
"Consider yourself lucky I'm doing this Blondie," Damon sneered. "Well since you and Klaus blew up the hospital I would think you would want to help." At the mention of Klaus's name Tyler winced. Damon noticed and added, "Where is your boyfriend? I don't see his basket." Caroline rolled her eyes and chanced a glance at Tyler who looked like he was going to take Damon's head off his shoulders. "Shut up Damon. Tyler is my boyfriend. Klaus is delusional. But for the record his basket was here yesterday."
Each man reacted differently to this bit of information. Matt sighed, and then mumbled "Show-off." Stefan folded his arms. Damon glowered, and Tyler rolled his eyes. After clearly showing their annoyance each man found a column to place their basket on. "Now everyone be here…" All the guys responded in unison "At 5:30 sharp." Caroline pursed her lips and looked around as everyone was laughing, even her minions. Caroline was not amused. Tyler saw her face and walked over to her pulling her into a giant bear hug. "We know Babe." He pecked her on the lips. "Me, Matt and Stef are going to the Grill then picking up our suits. Do you need anything else?"
Caroline put her hand on her chin to think. "No, Bonnie and me are going shopping for her dress after this so I think that's" Stefan lifted off the wall he was leaning against. "Wait…is Bonnie coming?" Matt and Tyler smiled. Damon's eyes got ten times bigger. "Yeah I talked her into it. I think the bribe I gave her helped also," Caroline said turning back to organizing the event table. Stefan just stared.
"That's great. Finally she's out of the house, if I had to watch another episode of Grey's Anatomy. I swear I was going to flip." Matt said shaking his head. Stefan felt guilty. Matt and Caroline really looked out for Bonnie. Even Tyler, when he was not dodging Klaus.
He had tried to visit her, but at first he could not see her like that. The guilt overwhelmed him, and then after, there was that time she had set him on fire. He deserved it. He had fallen off the bunny diet and they were spending a lot of time together. Something was shifting in their relationship; they were finding more excuses to touch each other.
On this particular night, the movie he chose on Netflix was a little risqué. He tried not to dwell on the fact he may have done that purposefully. It had been months since he had had sex. Bonnie was wrapped in his arms when the scene went from rom-com to soft-core porn. He was immediately aroused more ways than one. She looked back reacting to the sudden hardness against her back and she caught a glimpse of the ripper. Before he knew it his pants were on fire and not in a good way.
He apologized profusely then left the house. Him and Damon were to blame for so much of her loss. He had to go and vamp out on her? Especially when he had just won back her trust. It was a low point. He definitely couldn't see her after then. He texts her now and again. Her texts are curt and to the point, which he gets, and he pretty much tries not to bother her. He misses her more than she knows and more than he is willing to admit.
"Well I hope you have a fire extinguisher handy." Damon said walking out of the auditorium. "Bye Bay," Tyler said pulling Caroline into a kiss. "Uggh…Get a room. Ty, Stef I'm be at the truck," Matt said heading for the door. Tyler released his girlfriend and left the auditorium.
Caroline went back to her work, forgetting Stefan was still there, when he spoke after a moment he startled her, "How is she doing?" Caroline turned to look at her friend. She knew very well he knew. The Salvatore's had a creepy habit of stalking the women they cared about. She had seen him one night as she was leaving Bonnie's. He was in the shadows underneath her window. He and Damon had a habit of checking in on her without Bonnie's knowledge. Stefan came daily, Damon when the mood hit him. She could smell them all around her house. She didn't know if it was guilt or just fear that kept them at arms length.
"She's better. She's not 100%. But we laughed today, she made a joke, and she's going to bid on a Matt's basket so I'd say she's better." Stefan furrowed his brow and put his hands in his pockets. Matt's basket? Careful Ripper.
He avoided going to Bonnie's on Friday evenings because Matt was there. Matt was his friend and Bonnie's friend, well… that's what he had to tell himself after he looked through her window one night, and saw them cuddled on the couch. They were a little too close if you asked him, childhood friends or not. He was always afraid he was going to come late one Friday night and Matt was going to be in her bedroom. The thought frightened him, well actually the thought of what he we do frightened him. He was doing well, but he didn't have complete control over the ripper yet, especially when it came to Bonnie.
Caroline watched Stefan lost in his thoughts. She noticed his clear displeasure. Stefan quickly recovered, his lips easing into a smile. "That's good. I'm happy she's getting back into the swing of things. See you later Care." She watched him leave.
If he was in a better place, Caroline could trust Stefan with Bonnie's heart, but he had turned into a metaphoric hybrid, half Ripper/half Brooding Stefan. Bonnie needed stability no matter Stefan's growing affections towards her. He was a sucker for a project, and Caroline was certain that Stefan and Bonnie right now would be the blind leading the blind.
She had known for a while they were attracted to each other but who would notice with Elena at center stage of everyone's life. Caroline, that's who. She smiled to herself. She had lost one sister to the dark side. She wasn't going to lose another sister and her brother. No, Bonnie needed Matt. I wonder if Bonnie will take Matt's name. I mean to be a Bennett Witch does she have to have the Bennett name? Caroline looked up at April dragging a prop across the floor. "April don't drag it." Do I have to do everything?
"Well it looks like it worked. Bonnie's is going on a date with Matt." Anna said sitting down by the love of her life and afterlife. Jeremy said standing and pacing, "No…Caroline's wrong. It shouldn't be Matt. It should be Stefan." Anna frowned.
"I thought Stefan was Elena's Epic Love." Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Have you seen what's become of my sister? Besides, tell that to Damon. Stefan and Bonnie have a bond. It hasn't been nurtured in a while but it's there." Anna shook her head, grabbing his hand to keep him from moving.
"You listened to Caroline's thoughts. Stefan is two steps away from being the Ripper." Jeremy knelt in front of his mate. "And Bonnie is two steps away from being Bonnie, Mistress of the Dark. They are both in recovery. They can understand each other. Help each other without judgment or trying to make each other into something they are not. Its acceptance, understanding. Add that to their already natural chemistry and you have…"
"A supernatural Bonnie and Clyde. He rips the bodies apart. She set's them on fire to get rid of the evidence." Jeremy smirks, then sighs. "No. You have love." Anna raises her brow, and contradicts, "Or disaster." He steals a kiss from her lips. "Either way you have to admit they are perfect for each other." Anna shakes her head. "I don't know…so what are we going to do?" Jeremy steals another kiss. "We are going to nurture."
Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter is full of action and characters.