Her body ached but it throbbed with something other than pain.
Bonnie cracked her eyes open slowly, her vision blurred and dull. As she blinked, the world began to come into focus, enough for her to make out the white ceiling above her. She recognized it as her bedroom ceiling because of the chipped paint from the time Klaus woke her up by beating the ceiling with a hockey stick.
Her brows furrowed as she tried to remember what was going on. She didn't dare move an inch until she was able to recall. Her brother and sisters had attacked their parents and she had tried to stop them.
She quickly sat up, instantly noticing the changes in the room. The bunk beds were gone, replaced by a large bed with a black wood head board and silver covers. She was laying in the center of that bed. The room was no longer painted pink, but had deep blue walls, and the curtains were no longer white, but now instead were silver like the duvet over her. The toys were gone, the only one remaining in the whole room was Henrick's old bunny, which rested on a pillow on the other side of the bed.
She fought the tears back at the sight of the boy's toy and looked around again. It was their bedroom but also it wasn't.
She threw the covers from around her and looked down at the white nightgown she was wearing. She stared at her longer legs, wider hips, and larger chest. She was fourteen the last time she remembered, shorter than Jeremy and not developing breasts unlike Caroline who already had her own set.
She knew something was wrong.
She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her bare feet brushing the cool hardwood floor. She struggled to stand, her legs not working the way she wanted them to. When she finally managed to pull herself into a stand the door flew open and she was attacked by a whirl of blonde.
Bonnie stiffened as the blonde woman hugged her crushingly into her body and sobbed loudly. "Oh God, Bon, you're really awake, I can't believe it. I was out shopping and as soon as I got back I heard your quickened heart beat and first I thought I was imagining things again, but then I heard your irregular breathing." The blonde pulled back and stared into her eyes. "Are you okay."
Bonnie recognized her quickly, even though she was older than the last time she saw her. An adult now, not a child. "Caroline?" she croaked.
Caroline frowned worriedly. "Do you need water? Of course you need water," she shouted.
Bonnie quickly shook her head. "No, not now," she said, she needed answers, "what happened?"
Caroline's face went blank before she moved to the side of Bonnie and helped her sit back down on the bed. "What do you remember?" She held her hand.
Bonnie frowned. "I tried to stop you guys," she answered.
Caroline nodded and tears filled her eyes. "Bonnie, that was years ago," she said bluntly. "You went into some sort of coma. We tried finding ways to wake you up but nothing worked, father said that maybe it had something to do with your powers, that they were what made you go into a coma. Your power seemed to be keeping you alive and your body healthy, so we had no choice but to accept the fact."
Bonnie wasn't completely comprehending all of what Caroline said. "Father," she said slowly, "you guys didn't kill him?"
Caroline looked displeased. "Because of you, he's alive, spending his retirement deep in compulsion on some island, living the high life." She rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively.
"Compulsion?"
Caroline smirked. "Its a trick we discovered we could do to humans. Dad wasn't telling us what we needed to know before we discovered it. It comes in handy a whole lot." Bonnie frowned at the implication that Caroline didn't see herself as human. She wasn't surprised about the compulsion thing, but decided not to give it much thought. "After mommy's untimely death, we inherited the house and money. No one wanted the company so we sold it, after destroying all of our documents of course." Bonnie frowned. Caroline smiled at her sadly. "How about we talk about all of that another time? Are you hungry?" She stood, helping Bonnie up along with her.
"Where are the others?" Bonnie asked, she wasn't hungry.
Caroline avoided her gaze. "Let's get some food in you first. I just went grocery shopping."
(II)
After forcing herself to eat half and omelet and a bowl of fruit, Bonnie leveled Caroline with a imploring stare. The blonde sat across from her, face in her cell phone. She knew Caroline was avoiding telling her somethings.
"We have to go shopping for you. I mean, all of your clothes are made for a fourteen year old, not to mention completely out of fashion. We should do that soon. I guess you can barrow some of my clothes until."
"You talk a whole lot more," Bonnie observed, "borderline ranting."
Caroline smiled awkwardly and a little sadly. "We'll without my mouth piece around I had to make do." She shrugged. "Talk enough for the both of us."
Bonnie watched her face for a moment. "The others?"
Caroline cleared her throat and stood, gathering her own plate and Bonnie's as she headed towards the sink. "Well, no one really likes to live here anymore considering the circumstances of our childhood." She dumped the dishes into the sink. "Elena, she calls herself going to college, she comes around the most often when she not in school." She rolled her eyes. "She wants to be a teacher." The two sisters shared a smile at that. "Anyway, me, I just shop, spending mommy and daddy's money." She shrugged.
"And you looked after me," Bonnie put in.
Caroline smiled sadly again. "Stefan decided he wanted to learn more about the world and spends his time traveling it. He's in France, I think. Damon decided he wanted to bother Stefan and sleep with ten women in in every country in the world, so he's with him." She rolled her eyes, Bonnie smiled. "Rebekah has some boyfriend in Main she lives with, I think he's an old guy with lots of money, but I'm not judging, Bon, honest." Her face said otherwise. She paused a moment and she looked as if she were weighing if she wanted to say what she was going to say next. "Well, Klaus, he decided he wanted to take over the world and Elijah spends his time trying to stop him." Despite the flippant way Caroline said it, Bonnie knew she was being serious.
Bonnie frowned deeply. "What? Why?"
Caroline flipped her hair over her shoulder. "He's Klaus." She shrugged.
"Caroline," Bonnie said slowly, "I think this is serious."
"I know," Caroline sighed. "We found out that mom and dad weren't the only ones who were 'transforming' their children and that the government had a hand in it." Bonnie's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Yeah, I know." Caroline nodded. "Anyway, Klaus got it into his head that the world would be a better place if he were supreme overlord of everything. You know Klaus has always been a little crazy, Bon. He's been building his army for a while now."
Bonnie shook her head in disbelief. "Building his army?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "we can turn human's, Bon. All it takes is a little of our blood." Caroline ignored Bonnie's unnerved expression. "I only did it once, with a guy I was dating. It didn't work out between us and I think he's down in New Orleans or something."
Bonnie ignored the last part, deciding that would be a problem for another day. "Do you have Klaus's number?"
"He calls here whenever he takes a break for world-domination to check in on you, but he never leaves a number or keeps the one he calls from." She shrugged. "And even if I did have his number, you're not going to worry about anyone's stupid troubles except for mine. You're going to relax, shop, and listen to my man problems like a good sister who's been away for years."
(II)
Bonnie learned a day later that the only number Caroline had was Elena's. Bonnie wasn't very fond of the fact that everyone seemed so separated.
"I'm on my way home." Elena said into the phone, her voice choked with tears. "I'm so happy you're awake, Bonnie."
Bonnie smiled a little as she held Caroline's phone close to her ear. "You don't have to do that, Elena. I'll be here when you have a break from school."
"Don't be stupid, Bonnie. I'm coming home now, better yet, I'm already in my car. I can't believe you're awake." She laughed watery. "I'll see you in a couple hours."
Bonnie hung up with a sigh and watched Caroline cut open a avocado. "We still haven't found Jeremy." Caroline spoke. "After that and what happened to you, Elena was a mess for a while. We all were, everyone will be so happy you're awake." Bonnie leaned against the counter and watched her scoop out the avocado. "Maybe you can bring us together again." Caroline said quietly. Bonnie sure hoped she could. "So, I put how you were 'back' online, so, I know for a fact Rebekah stalks my page, so she'll probably be calling or showing up soon."
Bonnie didn't really know what that meant but nodded anyway. "So, that's two down four more to go." She nodded. "And you have no way of getting into contact with Elijah?"
"Rebekah usually can," she wiped her hands on a dish towel.
"What about Damon and Stefan?"
Caroline shrugged. "I left a message with the last number Stefan gave me."
Bonnie sighed.
Later on that night Elena showed up and there were lots of tears and hugging.
"Bonnie, you have no idea how much I missed you." She squeezed her tight.
Bonnie laughed, a little overwhelmed with the fact that everyone seemed so grown up. Both and Elena and Caroline were taller then her. "All us girls are almost together again." She said.
Elena finally released her and Bonnie thankfully sucked in deep breaths. "Rebekah's too wrapped up in spending her sugar daddy's cash." Per usual, Elena couldn't help getting a dig in at Rebekah's expense. Bonnie was unsure if she should be relived about the fact or annoyed.
"Shut the hell up, Elena, you don't know anything." The other blonde sister waltzed into the room and went straight for Bonnie, pulling her away from Elena and into another bone crushing hug. "Thank Goodness we have you back, Bonnie. They've been going crazy with your absence."
Bonnie smiled widely, quickly returning Rebekah's hug. "I'm happy I'm back too."
"You got here quick." Caroline stated in mild surprise.
Rebekah continued to hold onto Bonnie. "I jumped on the first flight as soon as I saw your post." She sniffled a little.
Caroline wasn't trying to hide her tears as she moved towards them. "Let me in there," she demanded forcing herself into the hug between Rebekah and Bonnie.
"Well, I'm not being left out," Elena exclaimed and quickly joined the others.
The four sisters laughed and cried as they grouped hugged. Bonnie felt in peace for the first time she had awoken, though there was something still missing and she knew it was her brothers.
"Of course, it would be the boy's who would be the last to know," Rebekah commented.
"And those idiots will have the nerve to blame us for not telling them as if we had anyway how." Caroline rolled her eyes.
(II)
After their reunion, the girls caught up over coffee in the living room with only moderate nastiness between Elena and Rebekah. Bonnie learned that Elena had a boyfriend named Matt and that Caroline was seeing some guy on and off named Taylor. Of course their was Rebekah's older man, who wasn't actually very old at all, just not in his twenties.
Caroline told them about the shopping trip she and Bonnie had partook on earlier, and the sisters had a good laugh at Bonnie expense when Caroline explained that Bonnie sense of style was that of a toddler's, and how Bonnie was simply amazed about all of the advancements in technology and had spent the better part of a day attempting to work her new cell phone.
"So none of you know how to get into contact with any of the boys?" Bonnie asked as she leaned into Caroline's shoulder and watched Rebekah text on her phone.
"Geez, Bonnie," Rebekah spoke without even looking up, "I'm starting to think we aren't enough for you. We always knew the boys were your favorites, though she could pretend that wasn't true." She rolled her eyes.
Bonnie sighed. "That's not true, Bekah. They just get into more trouble so I worry more." She was really worried considering what Caroline had told her about Klaus.
"That's for sure the truth." Caroline chimed in sounding exhausted. "Especially Klaus and Damon."
Rebekah scoffed. "Trouble? Try mayhem." She shook her head. "Sometimes I think Elijah and Klaus are trying to kill each other." She kicked her heels off her feet and stood up. "The hot tub still works right, Line?"
Caroline gave her a dry look. "Why wouldn't it be?"
"I don't know, thought maybe you sold it to pay for your shopping addiction."
"Very funny, Bekah." She shrugged Bonnie's head off her shoulder as she stood. "Just clean up after yourself this time, will you? There shouldn't be fruit in the hot tub." The other blonde waved her hand dismissively as she headed out of the room.
"Come and join me, Bon." She called over her shoulder.
Bonnie didn't really want to, considering she would have to borrow one of Caroline's very revealing swim suites, but she knew Rebekah wanted to be alone with her because she had something she wanted to say. "I'll be there in a minute." She called out after her.
"What's this about a welcome home party, Caroline?" Elena suddenly exclaimed from where she was staring down at her tablet. "Seriously? You just enjoy finding any excuse to have a party."
Caroline rolled her eyes. "I think our sister returning is a big deal, obviously worth celebrating."
"She won't know anyone at the party." Elena pointed out. "And Bonnie hasn't even ever been to France, which is where she was suppose to be attending school. What if someone asks her something or speaks to her in French."
"Don't be so loud, Elena." Caroline flopped back down on the couch. "It'll all work out."
Bonnie blinked, catching up with the rapid fire conversation going on between Elena and Caroline. "What party?"
"Don't worry," Caroline said quickly, hooking her arms with Bonnie and pulling her closer to her, "its going to be a classy party. One like mom and dad use to have for our birthdays minus all of the sleazy men funding the torment of children."
Bonnie frowned and glanced at Elena who looked like she simply didn't want to be bothered.
It seemed like she would have to get use to the changes in her sisters after all.
(II)
Rebekah let out a long sigh as she relaxed in the bubbling water. Bonnie sat uncomfortably in a large T-shirt that covered the skimpy bikini Caroline had let her barrow on the other side of the hot tub.
"This is nice," Rebekah sighed again.
Bonnie eyed her youngest sister curiously. Rebekah was always the cry baby of the kids, well, after Henrick of course. She talked a good game, especially with her word spars with Elena, but she was actually pretty soft underneath it all, easily hurt.
She had obviously grown since the last time Bonnie had seen her, like all of her sisters had, adult now, no longer children, but Bonnie had a sneaking suspicion that Rebekah was still her sharp tongued but tender fleshed self. Something was bothering her and Bonnie could tell, she could always tell, and nothing bothered Rebekah more then her two blood brothers and their antics.
"Rebekah, how are you?" She found herself asking.
The blonde looked at her, expression unreadable. Then she was moving from her side of the hot tub to Bonnie's, face troubled. "I shouldn't be doing this. You just woke up and I'm already involving you with our problems. I mean Caroline sa"
"What is it?" Bonnie quickly said. "If there something you need to tell me, please do."
Rebekah looked down at the bubbling water and pressed her lips together tightly. "Its like Elijah and Klaus are trying to kill each other." She met her eyes. "I know you're the only one that can stop Klaus from continuing on with his idiotic goal of wold domination and I know you're the one to talk Elijah into the fact that Klaus isn't so far gone that he can't be helped."
Bonnie frowned. Caroline hadn't gone into detail about what was going on with Elijah and Klaus, but what she was getting from Rebekah's distressed expression, it was more serious then she let on.