Chapter 1
Bonnie stared at the Salvatore mansion. Her eyes were skimming every inch. Her arms crossed in front of her, hair blowing around her heart shaped face in the warm, thick May breeze. It was humid and sticky out but the mansion looked cold and dark. As if a storm cloud was above it. As if it were located deep in the mountains.
A single shiver ran down her spine. It wasn't the same anymore.
Through her trance Bonnie could here grunting. Caroline.
Caroline was struggling with one of Bonnie's bags. The bag was winning.
Bonnie smirked. "Care, you want some help?"
Caroline paused for a moment, hair in her face, looking more like a wild cat than the sophisticated lady she had grown into.
"Geez, Bonnie, what gave that away?!" Caroline stepped back and started fixing her hair playfully nudging Bonnie as she stepped in to take care of the bag.
Bonnie took the bag out the trunk and put it in the back seat. "See? Brains over brawn." She smiled cheekily.
"Ha. Ha. You're funny. Okay, I just have to grab my phone in the house. I wanted to take a picture quick before you leave an-
"Care, Are you sure this is what I should be doing? I mean I don't know if I should leave? I just think with everything going on and with Stefan and, and Damon…I don't know what I would do if…" tears started to pool in Bonnie's eyes.
Caroline put both hands on Bonnie's shoulders, "Now you listen to me, moving to Atlanta is an amazing opportunity for you. If it wasn't for Matt pulling some strings and getting you into the police department there then you would have to stay here and be miserable." They both laughed, knowing that their misery was really not humorous. "I never would have thought that Bonnie Bennett would want to be a police officer but you remind me of my mom, and you are so selfless. You deserve happiness. It's been four years, four years! Enjoy life."
Bonnie nodded, "You are right, Caroline. I need a change. I need to leave Mystic Falls. I love you all so much but I can't stay here. I have too much guilt. Too many reminders." A smile crept across her face. "You are absolutely right, thank you."
The two women pulled each other in for a hug and wiped away their tears.
"Okay! I am off. I want to be there tonight cus I actually start in the morning and will be meeting my new partner too." Bonnie lifted both eyebrows and smirked as she started for the driver's side of her Prius.
Caroline smiled a big toothy grin. "Crap! I wanted a picture!"
Her grin immediately went into a frown as in the equivalent to a child losing their ice cream.
With the keys in one hand and the car door resting open on her backside she shouts to Caroline, "How 'bout a selfie on the way?"
"No! Stay right there. I will be right back." She can hear Bonnie laughing and chiding her to hurry.
Caroline grabbed her phone quickly. No one liked being in there anymore. She didn't know how Bonnie had lived there for those last four years. It would have been impossible for her. That house had grown eerie.
She heard something…
And again.
Caroline froze and then ever so slightly she tucked a tendril of a curl behind her ear and honed in her hearing. What was it? If she bolted really fast for the door, whatever it was she could escape. She thought, maybe just maybe.
It spoke.
"She going?"
She stayed quiet.
"IS SHE GOING?" The words carried heavily across the room almost like the person was drunk on volatile anger. They gave you an ominous feeling. The feeling you get when no matter what you say, they will be just as cruel.
Caroline managed to slip out one tiny word. "Yes."
The door swung open.
"Caroline! What the hell girl?" Bonnie was laughing and tugged her out the door, looking back she confirmed that she got her phone and asked her what took her so long.
"It was nothing, just nothing." Caroline looked back at the house, the large Salvatore mansion. It was dark whether it was day or night. So much pain & punishment had happened there. She had to get Bonnie away. She would deal with this problem on her own. Bonnie didn't need to worry anymore. There was nothing but decay in Mystic Falls. And something that Bonnie needed to know nothing about.
Bonnie was finally on her way. She looked her in rearview mirror to see Caroline waving and smiling but also seen her sideway glance at the house. It wasn't the same look she had towards Bonnie.
Bonnie grimaced but then said to herself, "You are leaving, you are moving to an entirely different state, you need to just relax. Music!" She turned her IPod on and started feeling better, letting the music surround her.
Even though it had been four years, it really felt like it was just yesterday to Bonnie. Elena being linked to her. Jo dying.
Kai dying.
She realized she was listening to one of her sad songs. "Shit."
She managed to think about him a lot more than she should have. Mostly if she should have accepted his apology and then she gets angry at herself and says that he shouldn't have reacted that way. But then she ultimately realizes she changed after being kept in a prison world for 2 months as opposed to 18 years.
But he killed Jo. And Liz. Why was she thinking about this? Oh right sad songs. And this is what was stewing in her mind when she was alone.
Two more hours to go. Two more hours thinking of Kai and all the could haves, would haves, and should haves she thought.
The sign read "Welcome to Atlanta, Georgia". Bonnie was so happy and excited. Her legs were starting to cramp up in her tiny little car. She didn't want to stop at all but she did for a bathroom break.
Stefan had helped her out with an apartment financially. She didn't want to have to deal with a roommate so she told him it would just be a loan and she would pay him back. He just smirked and shook her hand. Knowing that any battle picked with her was a losing one.
Bonnie slid her key in the door knob squinting her eyes, teeth biting on her bottom lip in excitement, she squealed with anticipation. Finally a place all to herself. No vampires or werewolves. No other supernaturals. Just her.
The door flung open and she flicked on the light. As she walked in her mouth was draped open, eyes wide as they traced every nook and cranny of the apartment. She set down the bags she had in her arms and set her keys on the deep emerald and opal marble countertops in her kitchen. She ran her fingers across it. Admiring the craftsmanship and also the coolness of it.
It was even hotter there.
Fan. She needed her fan.
She had gotten everything out she needed for the next morning but she would have to do the other stuff later. The U-Haul van would be there tomorrow with the bigger stuff. She set up her bed in the middle of the living room with her laptop and a warmed slice of pizza.
There were large windows overlooking the entire city. She had on a white camisole tank top and light pink boxer shorts. She only had one fan but the apartment had several ceiling fans and it cooled off in there very quickly.
Stefan had a bottle of wine waiting there for her with a note that just read: Take Care. S
He wasn't the same anymore but he still cared. He would never shake that.
Bonnie stood by the windows holding her cup of wine and a piece of paper. She raises her cup to her mouth but stops.
"Matt…" she whispers
Her phone starts ringing.
She turns her head sharply and blinks fast. And then like almost be snapped out of trance lurches for the phone and picks it up.
"Hey, Matt."
"Uh, hi Bon." He gives a slight chuckle. "How did you, oh you know what never mind."
"Caller ID." She knows that he knows.
"Well, I just wanted to see if you made it alright and if you like your new place?"
"Oh yes. I made it all in one piece." She laughs almost ironically. "I love the apartment. Can't wait for the rest of my things to get here and to start at the station tomorrow! I really can't thank you enough Matt!"
"Bon, seriously, you are always lookin' out for me and everyone else. You worked hard the last couple years. Plus you are gonna look hot in that uniform." Matt's voice gets a bit lower. Bonnie can tell he is throwing out the flirt. She was always unsure of where to put Matt. Which category did he fit in? She loved him being her friend and didn't want that messed up.
"Yeah, thanks. I am sure I will be an absolute knock out."
Bonnie looks up at the uniform she has hanging on her living room closet door. She looks at where her name tag "Bennett" will go proudly. She never thought she wanted this until after being stuck in that prison world. She found out who she wanted to be. She always wanted to help people; save people. It just never occurred to her that she could do it in this capacity.
"Oh, Matt. I was looking at the letter I received from the department. They sent it to this address, they didn't forward. They were telling me a few things like they changed my partner? I thought I was being paired with another woman? Now it is some—" She glanced at the paper skimming through the parts but Matt answered before she could.
"Jake Connelly. He is one of the best. You are really lucky to be honest. He saved his last partner. He took a bullet for him but they were ambushed. He got him out of there but his partner couldn't recover. He was taken out of active duty. Jake is a real solid guy."
Bonnie waited a moment. "Guy crush much there, Matty?" they both laughed.
"Well I have never met him before just heard of this and I would really like to meet him so hopefully since he is going to be your training officer, I can meet him." Matt laughed, a hearty one. She missed him. He didn't remind her of sadness. He reminded her of normalcy. Maybe because he was human. A pure human.
"Alright, well I will see what I can do. I am gonna get going though. Early morning! Wanna impress this guy since he is so impressive himself." Bonnie smiled to herself knowing those blue eyes of Matt's would be sparkling with curiosity.
After they hung up Bonnie plugged her phone in, turned all her lights off and made sure all the doors were locked. She looked up from her home made bed at the vast, open windows.
"Well that's not creepy, not creepy at all." She decided she needed shades and curtains for at night. Definitely a good idea.
She snuggled deep in her bed, she hadn't closed her laptop yet and by the light of the screen she could see the letter still that the department sent her. She began rubbing her thumb over his name.
Jake Connelly.
She hadn't even realize she was rubbing it over and over because she was staring into the computer screen and thinking about the day Kai was catching snow flurries with his tongue.
Back & Forth. Faster. A slight smile on her face.
Jake Connelly under her thumb.
Kai on her mind.
"Ouch!" She looked down. She got a paper cut. She blinked a couple times, realizing what she did or was doing.
She put her thumb to her mouth, the blood tasted coppery. And the tiny wound was sore.
What was she doing? Why was she doing it? She didn't care. That's all she knew is she had to stop. She was meeting Jake Connelly tomorrow and he was her training officer.
She had to stop thinking about Kai…
She needed to stay focused.
She shut her laptop and was surrounded by complete darkness. Sleep now. Sleep she told herself.
Tomorrow you meet someone new.