Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Recently I found myself having muse in developing a crossover story between Bonnie Bennett / Jax Teller, so I decided instead of wasting this muse, I've use it and try to create a very interesting cross over between The Vampire Diaries and Sons of Anarchy. I know both shows are entirely different since one deals with the supernatural and the other deals with real life, but since I love the TVD characters so much, I figured why not give it a try?

I know how we all love supernatural things, but in this there will be no supernatural characters.

This is also my first time writing Bonnie, so she WILL be a bit out of character from time to time since this isn't TVD verse and since I wanted to write her as an adult and sort of a bad ass. If you've seen Sons of Anarchy, you'll know why, and if you haven't, then let's just say all the women on that show are pretty bad ass, so Bonnie had to be one too! Once again, thank you so much for taking your time to read this very long first chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

A little disclaimer: I do not own any of these character! No copyright infringement is intended.

Chicago, Illinois

It started with an idea. A simple idea, but one she knew she could standby. All Bonnie wanted was to go home. All she needed was to get the protection that would help her feel safe again. It was simple; however, the more she thought about it, the more she knew how wrong it would be.

Going back to Charming meant a lot of things, and could hurt a lot of people, though as she stood there in the middle of her one bedroom apartment in Uptown Chicago, she knew what had to be done.

She was a runner. That's what they called her. That's what they referred to whenever her name was brought up in a conversation, but little did they know, that was far from what she was. She just needed time, that's all – time for herself and time away from the bullshit that being associated with Charming entailed. But now that it was over, the desire to flee from the sole place that housed her knight in his darkened glory couldn't overpower her sense to return. And, more or less – there was nothing else she could do.

Bonnie Bennett was possibly the last person Jackson Teller wanted to see, the last person anyone in Charming wanted to see; however, as she packed her things almost carelessly, tossing each item in whichever box that sat nearby, their approval of her return was the last thing she could think of. Because right now, she was in survivor mode, and going back home, she was convinced, was her only means of survival.

As shirt after shirt was thrown into the box, she wondered why it was that she was doing this again. What was it about this situation that made her feel as if she needed to run? Sure, breakups happen and people get hurt, but after filing that restraining order against the ex that deliberately ignored the meaning of stay away, Bonnie knew that she had no other choice. If she wanted to stop the late night house calls, threatening phone calls, and random appearances at her work, then she needed to disappear, only unlike before, she would disappear back home.

It's been years, eleven to be exact, though despite losing all contact to those she considered friends and family, Bonnie Bennett had no other choice. She had to go back to Charming. And she had to go back there tonight.

Finishing off the last of her boxes with tape, Bonnie exhaled deeply, loudly, as the last one was pushed aside. This had been an all-day affair, and although she felt as if tonight was the night she needed to go, she was far too exhausted to budge. Home could wait until tomorrow, because right now, she just needed to rest.

As she sat there, legs folded Indian style, back hunched forward somewhat slightly, her face quickly fell into the palm of her hands.

"What the hell am I doing?" she asked herself, her words muffled.

Running her hands over her face and through her hair, her palms moved downward until stopping at her neck. As she exhaled again, she could only hope that by the time she left, she'd get the answer she was looking for.

Until then, Bonnie broke herself away from her spot on the floor and stood up. Looking around the apartment now, taking in the minor clutter of boxes, crumbled newspaper, and discarded furniture, she inhaled before pushing the smallest of the boxes towards the door with her foot.

She had too much stuff – useless, dated, unwearable stuff, yet instead of keeping it here where it belonged, she knew that every bit of it had to come with her, because despite leaving, she needed to take a little piece of her life from here.

"Yeah, I finished packing. But I think I'll be leaving tomorrow. Instead of tonight," she said, speaking into the other end of her cell phone. Just as she was about to get into bed, a co-worker decided to call and postponed her chance to sleep.

"I'm not even sure if I have a job down there yet. The hospital hasn't gotten to me about it, but I figured it's better than staying here right now." As she went on to tell her co-worker, one of the nurses that worked under her at the hospital in the pediatric unit, half-truths behind her reason(s) for leaving, Bonnie jumped just as she heard a knock at her door.

It was late, almost midnight, and despite having someone there with in spirit via phone, she was too on edge not to worry about who it could be.

"Hey, Melinda, someone's at the door – hold on, alright?" After getting the okay, Bonnie brought the phone to her chest; silencing any noise from passing through to the other end as she slowly walked towards her bedroom door. "Who is it?" she called, the obvious display of worry sweeping over her features. Though, when she didn't get an answer, she tossed the cell onto her bed before heading toward her closet. "Who is it?" She called one more time, but once again, there was no answer.

Getting somewhat annoyed at the lack of response, as well as suspicious, Bonnie glanced in the direction of the front door one last time before she stooped down inside the closet and leant forward toward a few cases of leftover shoe boxes. After rummaging through the first few only to come up empty, she finally found the one she was looking for.

Being a single woman with a psycho ex-boyfriend on the loose, Bonnie was convinced she needed protection, though unlike most single women in a big bad city, a single can of pepper spray would be her last idea of what could protect her – because after all, she was a Charming's girl, which in her opinion, was the best explanation for anyone who could've caught her pulling out a silver on black 9mm handgun.

It wasn't a gift. She had no interesting story behind how she came about having it, but it was hers, and right now, it was the only thing that made her feel comfortable in her own home.

She wanted to call out again, maybe get their attention before letting her fear get the best of her, but instead, she walked over to the front door cautiously with the gun held firmly in her gasp and her finger vacant of the trigger before stopping directly in front of the peephole. As she took a deep breath and prepared herself on who it could be, she looked into the tiny little window before breathing a sigh of relief.

Her paranoia was getting the best of her and immediately, she felt annoyed by it.

"Jesus, April—", she said to herself audibly before unlocking the door and pulling it open. "I totally forgot you were stopping by tonight." Bonnie paused for a moment, her annoyance now surfacing for other reasons. "Didn't you hear me asking who it was?"

"No, I was on my phone…" as April clenched her jaw, her lips parted slightly with a frown to show how sorry she was. "I tried to get here earlier, but we were swamped in the ER. I'm so sorry, Bonnie."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," she said before stepping aside and letting her in.

"So, what is it that you need me to give to the movers?"

Looking at April somewhat skeptically, she hid the gun behind her back. That was the last thing she needed to explain right now.

"Um…" Bonnie surveyed the living room. "Everything you see here. Furniture, boxes– all of it." She paused. "I can't take all of this with me in my car, so, that's what the movers are for."

As she watched April nod while taking in all she had to do, Bonnie excused herself silently before returning back to her bedroom and putting her gun back where it belonged. One day she knew she'd need it, but since it was April, she knew she wouldn't need it today.

Practically forgetting about her phone call with Melinda, Bonnie returned back to the living room before seeing April, one of her eldest friends here in Chicago, trying to lift one of the smaller boxes.

"So, when are they coming again?"

For a moment, Bonnie said nothing as she watched her friend help her without much objection. This was unlike before, unlike the time she left Charming on her nineteenth birthday, but it didn't make her feel any less guilty. As if it were nothing, Bonnie could and would always uproot her life if need be, ultimately leaving those whom she cared about behind. It was the best for her, the thing she needed to do for her, but sometimes, she wished for her selfless nature returned long enough to keep her around for those who needed her, instead of running away whenever she felt she had to. Bonnie helped people every day and gave everything in her power to save lives of strangers – yet, when it came to friends and family it seemed to be the last thing she wanted to do.

Though maybe one day, that'd change.

Snapping herself out of her reverie, she finally responded, "Wednesday. That's probably around the time I'll actually get there, so I'm taking a few suitcases with me."

As April nodded, Bonnie squint her eyes slightly.

April wouldn't say it, not without a push, but Bonnie could tell that she had her own opinions about this – about her leaving.

"Hey, look. How about you come visit me sometime? I mean, Charming isn't the best vacation spot, but overall it's a pretty decent town. You should come up, you know, when you need a change of scenery."

When April smiled just a little and glanced over to Bonnie, she smiled back, hoping to warm her up to the idea.

"I'll think about it."

"Good," Bonnie said before walking over to her and pulling her into a hug. "I'm really going to miss you."

"—Heh, yeah. I'm going to miss you, too, but really, don't worry about me, Bonnie." They pulled apart. "I mean you're going back home, and that's not something you should feel bad about. Besides – imagine how all of your friends are going to feel when they see you again."

Oh. Bonnie could definitely imagine which made her so skeptical about her return.

Those in Charming, California never took kindly to those who left, especially when so many were hurt in the process, and even if she didn't want to admit it, that's what scared her the most about going back.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, April."

"No problem," she smiled. "Well listen, I… have got to go, and I'll be here in a few days for the movers. But I love you and have a safe trip, okay?"

"You, too." Bonnie paused before remembering one last thing. "Oh, and here—" Reaching for her set of spare keys lying on the glass coffee table in the middle of the room, Bonnie grabbed them before handing them over to her.

Once April took them, the women hugged one last time before she went her separate way.

Bonnie was really going to miss her and if it weren't for her, she knew she wouldn't feel so bad about leaving.

After standing there for what seemed to be minutes instead of actual seconds, Bonnie took a deep breath before turning on her heel and walking back down the hall to her bedroom. Tonight would be her last night in this apartment, and even though she knew she had to leave, she was really going to miss it. At twenty-nine years old, this was the first place she ever owned by herself, and even she knew that one could never forget their first.

As she smiled to herself almost satisfyingly at the close of this chapter of her life, she flopped down on her bed, landing on the phone she had forgotten all about the moment April arrived.

"Oh, shit—" Leaning over just enough to reach beneath her leg, Bonnie brought the phone's receiver to her ear before calling out to her co-worker. When there was no answer, and instead a dial tone, she rolled her eyes and hung up the phone.

Later she'd have to remember to call her back; however, until then, she really needed to get some sleep.

Though, just as she stood up and began pulling back her covers, there was another knock on the door. Like anyone, Bonnie felt as if it were safe to assume that April had forgotten something, so without calling out to her, she made her way back down the hall, avoided the peephole and opened it before realizing what a big mistake she'd made.

Stunned, Bonnie remained still for a moment as the tiny hairs on her arm stood upward almost instantly.

She didn't need this. Not tonight. However before she could react, the ex-boyfriend she was trying to avoid stepped forward and pushed himself inside before giving her the chance to close the door.

Panicked and somewhat scared, she stumbled back and held her left hand out in front of her and extended her arm just enough to keep a safe distance in between them. "Get out before I call the police."

"The police?" he paused and stepped toward her, putting her even more on edge. "Bonnie. I am the police. And I just want to talk to you. That's all."

"Get out. Of here. You're not supposed to be here, and I have a restraining order that says so." As her breathing became more intense, her chest heaved up and down before she stepped toward the counter. She needed help, or something to protect herself, though, when she remembered that her gun was nowhere near, it was clear that she was in trouble.

This is why she was leaving.

He was the reason why she needed to feel the safety and comfort of the place she left behind. Howbeit instead of thanking him, Bonnie decided to show him how much it upset her.

After spotting a rogue steak knife on the kitchen counter near the sink, one that she'd thankfully kept unpacked, she grabbed it before he could reach her.

"Get out now. Or I swear to God, I will kill you."

"You'll go to jail. And, let's think about this, Bonnie. That's no place for a woman like you." As he smiled and taunted her, Bonnie stood her ground with the firm reply of "I don't care." Though, even if she did care, if killing him meant ridding the world of someone as corrupted as the man that stood in front of her, then she had to.

But thankfully, it wouldn't come to that as he took her tone, her demeanor, as well as her stance as a sign that she was serious.

"All right. I guess I will take that as a hint." As he stepped forward instead of backward, she held the knife out towards him, almost ready to use it as he stopped himself and took a step back toward the door. "I'll be seeing you soon, Bonnie. I am going to make it up to you, I swear it." Just as he took his leave, the breath she hadn't noticed she was holding quickly released from her lungs before she ran over to the door and locked it.

This – this was why she didn't feel safe. And it made her come to terms with the reality of there truly being no place like home.

As the knife dropped from her hand and her back met with the door, Bonnie's legs weakened just before she lowered herself down onto the floor. She always thought of herself as strong, independent and free to take care of herself against any assailant, but in that moment, she felt weaker than she ever had.

This wasn't the way she wanted to deal with this. Running, even now, was never the answer. But if she wanted to live without fear and constantly looking over her shoulder, then she had no other choice.

She was going back to Charming, and tonight, she was instantly reminded why.

Author's Note: And that's the end of chapter one! I hope you guys enjoyed it. I know some may have questions and if you do, I'm hoping to answer them all in the up and coming chapter. Especially who Bonnie's crazy ex is!

I'm hoping that this first chapter has roped you all in enough to stick around though, because I really want to continue the story and the more you guys love it the more I'll have muse to continue. So, review and tell me what you think! xx