Chapter One:

Brave

"I think I'll be brave, starting with you. But I'll fall away if you tell me to." - Tawgs Salter.


"Bonnie, we're desperate!" Caroline pleaded on the phone, her voice was shrill and unrelenting. "Freya had to rush back to New Orleans and now we don't have a witch on staff! What on earth are we going to teach these kids?"

Bonnie was sitting at a cafe in Paris, sipping a thick, strong coffee in between 'uh-huh's and 'hmm's to one of her best friends. It was cold, but sunny and looking around, if it weren't for the shrill screaming in her ear, it would be a perfectly picturesque day. Of all of the places she had visited in her quest to live up to her promise to Enzo, Paris was by far her favourite. It was where she felt closest to him - a feeling she craved even after 4 years and two days since he'd been gone.

"Bonnie? Hellooo?" Caroline drawled out, still shrill. Bonnie shook her head a little, trying to force herself to respond. She let out a deep sigh and set her coffee on the wrought iron table in front of her.

"Okay, Caroline. I'll do it. I'll come back." Bonnie rolled her eyes as she said it. The last time she had been to Mystic Falls, it had only reminded her of all she had lost. But that was over two years ago now, for Damon and Elena's engagement party.

"Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Caroline gushed loudly. Bonnie had to hold the handset away from her ear while Caroline calmed down. "I'll clean out a spare room for you." Bonnie shook her head.

"Care, I've got a place. I can stay there." She argued.

"But all of our staff stay here!" Caroline objected. Bonnie bit the side of her bottom lip and sat back in her chair. That was precisely why she didn't want to stay at the boarding house. She had seen Jeremy only a handful of times since he'd moved back to Mystic Falls. Each time had been awkward. He had known years ago that she had moved on with Enzo - through Matt, and Tyler before he had been murdered - but it seemed as if he had never done so himself. It had made her feel guilty for not rekindling their romance when she had escaped from the prison world, but that could never be enough to make her regret what her and Enzo had shared.

"Care, I don't know. I'll come back to teach until you find someone, but I'm not sure about staying at the boarding house. It might be a bit much for me. I like my solitude these days." She explained with a sigh. Caroline sighed in response.

"We'll talk about it when you get back. We love you and can't wait to see you!" And with a click, Caroline hung up. Bonnie plonked her phone on the round table in front of her, drank the rest of her coffee in two gulps and then flopped back in her wrought iron chair. It looked like she was going home.


Five days later, Bonnie stepped out of her hire car in front of the Salvatore Boarding House. She had on her aviator sunglasses and she felt like a mess after so much travel in such a short space of time. She shut her car door and clasped her thin, long beige cardigan close to her, feeling a chill in the air despite the warm temperature. The chill was in relation to the haunting memories all around her. She stared up at the foreboding house for a moment before gripping her oversized handbag as it hung over her shoulder and heading to the front door.

It took Bonnie a good 30 seconds of staring at the solid wooden door before getting up the courage to knock. But somehow she found it.

"Coming!" Caroline's voice came from beyond the door. "Girls! Put that vase down!" Suddenly a smash sounded from inside. Bonnie winced. Knowing the decor within, it was probably something expensive. "I said put it down, not stop levitating it!" Caroline shouted. Loud footsteps could be heard coming towards the door and a familiar, gruff voice told her they'd reached it.

"I'll get it, Caroline." The door swung open and there stood Jeremy Gilbert, towering over Bonnie. His broad shoulders and light scruffy facial hair were the main differences, but Bonnie also saw some similarities. His eyes were as earnest as ever and his eyebrows just as expressive, with a few more lines than she remembered sprinkles across his brow and eyes. Bonnie took in a deep breath while Jeremy took a moment to fully register who was on the doorstep before him.

"Bonnie." He said quietly. His eyes softened in recognition and his brows lowered, but crinkled up in the middle with uncertainty. Bonnie gulped.

"Hi Jer." She said just as quietly. The two of them stood awkwardly for a moment, before Jeremy ran his free hand through his longish brown hair and stepped aside, gesturing for Bonnie to come in.

"Do you have bags that you need help with or anything?" He asked, looking passed her to her car. Bonnie shook her head.

"I dropped them off at my place before I came over. I needed to check on a few things there first." Jeremy nodded. Caroline burst into sight, carrying half of a broken vase. Bonnie smiled and held her arms open to her old friend. Caroline's infectious smile spread over her face and she vamp-ran to Bonnie in a split second, embracing her tightly.

"Bonnie! I'm so glad you're here!" Caroline practically squealed. Bonnie found herself smiling widely, squeezing her eyes closed as she embraced her friend. When her eyes opened, she found they met Jeremy's, who had been watching her smiling. Bonnie pulled away from Caroline and gripped her upper arms warmly, smiling at her.

"I'm glad to be here." Bonnie said warmly. Caroline stepped away and placed the broken vase on a side table to their right, turning back to face Bonnie inquisitively.

"Where are your bags? Are they in the car?" She asked eagerly and turned to Jeremy about to ask him to go and get them, when Bonnie replied.

"No. Actually I left them at my place." Caroline's face fell. Bonnie felt a stab of guilt. "I needed to check on a few things there anyway. It's been so long since I've been home." Caroline looked crestfallen. Bonnie opened her mouth and then reconsidered, looking passed her to Jeremy briefly, raising her eyebrows slightly. Jeremy shrugged at her. When Caroline just tried to smile at Bonnie, clearly still upset, Bonnie found herself continuing. "I figured I could go and get them later." Caroline's infectious smile quickly spread across her face again and Bonnie found herself smiling despite the fact that she had desperately wanted to stay in her own place. Caroline stepped forward again and embraced Bonnie.

"Oh I'm so glad!" Caroline squealed again, practically bouncing as she clasped her hands together and danced on the spot. It was then that Bonnie noticed two familiar little girls in the background, only they weren't quite so little anymore. Both were looking rather sheepish, assumedly from the vase incident moments before. Bonnie pulled away from Caroline again.

"Girls!" She cried, bending down to their height and reaching her arms out to them. Lizzie and Josie ran towards Bonnie.

"Aunt Bonnie!" They screamed almost in unison. They both ploughed into Bonnie with such force that she almost rolled backwards on her feet.

"You're both getting so big! How old are you now? 15? 16?" She joked. Both girls pulled away from her with indignant expressions.

"No!" Lizzie exclaimed, looking offended.

"We're 7." Josie said with a serious nod, folding her arms. Bonnie raised her eyebrows at them and then looked up at Caroline and then to Jeremy. Both Caroline and Jeremy were smiling.

"So grown up!" Bonnie exclaimed, standing up straight again and rearranging her handbag that was still perched on her shoulder. Jeremy stepped forward and held out his hand.

"Here, let me take that." He offered. Bonnie hesitated, but then handed her bag to him with a grateful smile.

"Thank you." She said quietly. Alaric chose this moment to enter the room.

"Caroline, Chantelle would like to know whether she should make corned beef roast or stew toni - Bonnie!" He exclaimed last, noticing Bonnie in the entryway. He stepped forward to give her a hug.

"It's good to see you, Ric." She said warmly, hugging him. Alaric stepped back.

"You too, Bon." He then noticed Jeremy standing next to her with her handbag. "Nice purse, Jer." He said, raising his eyebrows with a knowing smile. Jeremy nodded and rolled his eyes. Bonnie and Caroline laughed.

"I'll just go and find Chantelle." Caroline said after Alaric had left the room again. Bonnie looked confused. "She's our cook. We have a lot of mouths to feed these days." Caroline explained. She then looked startled, suddenly remembering something. She spun around on the spot to face Jeremy. "Could you please show Bonnie her room?" She asked. Jeremy nodded. "Thank you! I'll see you soon, Bonnie." Caroline gave Bonnie another quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before she followed Ric out of the entryway. Bonnie turned to Jeremy, who was still blushing from Ric's teasing, but after running his free hand through his hair nervously, he raised his gaze to meet Bonnie's eyes.

"You're staying upstairs. I'll show you." He said kindly before leading Bonnie away. Bonnie gave an exhale of laughter.

"Like I have a choice." She said sarcastically. Jeremy smiled at her.

"She tries her best to keep the group together." He reasoned.


Jeremy opened a solid wooden door on their left as they turned onto the first floor platform and stood back, allowing Bonnie to enter first. Bonnie smiled as she entered the room. It was the very same that she had slept in during her and Damon's stay in the 1994 prison world. At least, it had been to start with. After a few weeks of non-stop company, her and Damon became closer and she eventually ended up sleeping in a bed he dragged into his bedroom. They had both been so depressed back then. Jeremy followed her into the room and placed her bag on the armchair opposite the bed. Bonnie turned back to him.

"Thank you." She said. Jeremy nodded and then cocked his head slightly to the side.

"Something the matter?" He asked her. Bonnie gulped. She should have known that he would be able to read her expressions so well.

"It's just...I've stayed in this room before." She said with a sad smile. Jeremy looked confused. "When Damon and I were trapped in the prison world, this was my bedroom." Jeremy's eyes widened with the revelation.

"I hope it's not too weird for you to stay here then." He said. "I'm sure Caroline could arrange for you to have a different room, if you like." He suggested, reaching to pick up Bonnie's bag for her again, but Bonnie stepped forward and reached out her hand to stop him.

"No, it's okay." She smiled at him. "I grew to like it here." Jeremy looked pained and Bonnie suddenly realised how that last comment must have sounded to him. She took another step towards him and her expression grew to be pained, similar to his. "Under the circumstances, I mean. It was still a prison. And it kept me away from my friends, my family..." She paused here, unsure what to call Jeremy. "And you." She finished and gulped, watching Jeremy's face with uncertainty. Jeremy grimaced, eventually making eye contact with her, his expression still pained. Bonnie took this moment to reach into her bag to pull out her keys. Jeremy took a deep breath.

"I'll come with you and give you a hand with your bags." He said, more of a statement than an offer. Bonnie tilted her head up at him with a slight side-smile.

"You know that I'm a witch, right?" She asked. "I could just levitate my bags. I'm a bit better at it than the girls were downstairs." Bonnie said with smile. Jeremy gave a short laugh.

"To be fair, I think they did that on purpose." They laughed. "Besides, I saw your hire car." He said bluntly. "Mostly I just want a chance to drive it." Bonnie laughed and held out her keys to him, thinking of the red convertible she had splurged on from the rental company.

"Okay, Gilbert. You drive." She said. "But I want to see your license first. You had better not lose me my deposit." She said, pointing at him suspiciously. Jeremy took the keys with a smirk. Bonnie could remember a similar conversation all those years ago.


Bonnie was standing out the front of the Lockwood Mansion. The Masquerade Ball had gone terribly and she had practically just been told by her cousin Lucy that her fate was in the hand of vampires and that would never change. Bonnie had let a silent, single tear roll down her cheek when Jeremy had come up behind her.

"Hey, I was gonna head home. Can I offer you a ride?" He paused as he came around to face her. Bonnie hurriedly brushed the tear away, but Jeremy noticed her pained expression. His face softened as he realised she was upset. "Are you okay?" Bonnie pursed her lips and then a small smile spread over her face.

"When did you get your driver's license?" She asked incredulously and gave a short laugh. Jeremy lowered his gaze, embarrassed that she still thought of him as a kid. He glanced back up at her once he had regained his composure a little and looked her square in the eyes, his expression turning more serious and earnest.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Bonnie." He stated simply. Bonnie swallowed, nodding. She had noticed that tonight, when she had first laid eyes on him in his suit. Then she smiled at him.

"I'd love a ride home."