Title: Emote

Rating: M

Genre: AU/Supernatural/Humor/Romance

Pairing(s): Bonnie/Stefan, Bonnie/Klaus, Matt/Rebekah, Tyler/Caroline, Abby/Finn, Kol/Lucy, Elijah/Katherine, mentions of Damon/Elena, past Stefan/Emily, past Stefan/Sheila, past Klaus/Ayanna, past Klaus/Gloria, past Klaus/Greta.

Summary: Stefan Salvatore finds it much easier to sin now that he cannot feel emotion. The only thing that he can want now is to make Klaus suffer. The only person that can help him do that is Bonnie Bennett. But she has no faith in her powers anymore, and he has no will to help her restore it. But he knows that all power has a stimulus, and for a witch, power is tied to emotion. So even without a will to feel of his own, he plans on provoking any emotion in Bonnie that he can in any way that he can to bring the power she is too scared to use now to the surface. Fear is good. Anger works better. But the emotion with the highest success rate is lust. But what happens when Klaus discovers Stefan's methods and finds reason to want to make use of the Bennett witch himself. Set During 3x10.

PART TWO: UNWANTED

"Any emotion, if it is sincere, is involuntary." ~Mark Twain

Tyler Lockwood sighed as he answered yet another one of Klaus' questions. He still couldn't believe that he had missed Caroline's birthday in order to spend the entire night talking to Klaus about Bonnie Bennett of all things.

Tyler was more than a little suspicious about Klaus' interest in the witch but the sire bond being in place made it impossible for Tyler to deny him. Still he found solace in the fact that he wasn't really throwing his girlfriend's best friend under the bus completely as he didn't know all that much about Bonnie. Even though he considered her a friend, it wasn't as if they talked much or hung out one on one.

Tyler sat across from Klaus in his unfinished manor and finally asked his sire a question that had been burning in his mind since Klaus summoned him. It was the thought that he could possibly get Klaus to trust him long enough to give him the answer that had kept Tyler from leaving and fighting against giving Klaus information.

In spite of his loyalty to Klaus, there was still his love for Caroline, and if Klaus wanted to know about her best friend then Tyler would tell her and if he could he would give her a reason. "Why are you suddenly so interested in Bonnie?" He asked.

"Perhaps if I trusted you I would let you in on that little secret," Klaus replied.

Tyler wasn't really offended that Klaus didn't trust him. In truth, even with the sire bond he had no real reason to.

:::

Bonnie stood in the basement of the decrepit house that still held the spirit of the witches that had been burned there. There were candles everywhere, the white dress that she wore seeming to glow against her skin in the soft light.

The sealed coffin sat in front of her, unmoving as she held her hands over it reciting the spell that should've caused it to open. It remained shut and Bonnie stomped her bare feet in frustration. She stilled when she felt arms wrap around her from behind, and she was pulled into a hard body. She reached behind her hesitantly and her hands came in contact with a bare chest. Frowning Bonnie moved to turn around but the arms locked around her preventing the motion.

"Keep trying," a voice whispered into her ear. She recognized the voice immediately, as Stefan.

Bonnie swallowed as he trailed kisses from her neck to her collar bone to her shoulder and then back up again. Still she held out her arms and began the spell again. Stefan touched her as if he had done so a million times before. His hands moving over her body through the material of her dress, his tongue tasting the skin of neck.

Bonnie held her breath. She hadn't meant to give any reaction. Her mind was telling her to keep reciting and to pay Stefan no mind, but her body was unable to follow instructions it seemed. She had to force the words of the spell to leave her lips and she had to force herself to keep her concentration in regards to her powers, but her reactions to Stefan were something she had no control over.

As much as Bonnie tried to remain unaffected, there was something pulling her in the opposite direction. She tried to force her body to remain rigid, but instead it seem to melt into his touch, welcoming it. It wasn't something that she did consciously; the hitch in her breathing, the surge in her power, the quickening of her pulse, it was all instinctual.

Bonnie's eyes closed as she felt Stefan lower the zipper on the back of the dress that she was wearing. The candles around them began to flicker, as he slid the straps of the dress down her shoulders and it fell to the floor in a pool at her feet. Still the coffin remain closed. "It's not enough," Bonnie whispered, stopping her attempt at the spell.

"It's a good thing we're just getting started then," Stefan shrugged, "There's plenty more power where that came from."

Bonnie did turn to face him then, stepping out of her dress as she did so, seemingly unembarrassed to be standing in front of him in only her panties and bra. "What makes you so sure?" She asked.

"I'm an experienced man when it comes to witches," Stefan commented, "Or did you forget?"

She watched as he unbuttoned his jeans, resisting the urge to run her hands down his chest. "Do you really think that reminding me that you've slept with people I'm related to will get me in the mood?" She blinked at him.

"You're already in the mood," he said, "I can read you now. Every subtle little detail, or did you forget that too?"
Bonnie frowned, even as she closed her eyes in anticipation as he leaned in to kiss her. He stopped moving just before their lips touched and Bonnie sighed in frustration. She knew what he was doing. He wanted her to close the distance between them, to prove a point. She wanted him and they both knew it, and this was his way of making her admit it without her having to say it out loud.

A moment later Bonnie was standing on her toes and closing the gap between them. Even knowing how smug he was about the whole thing she couldn't help but kiss him hungrily. Even as his hands reached down and grabbed her ass to pull her closer to him, she kept her hands at her sides. She wouldn't touch him, if she touched him it would be another battle that he have won in the unspoken war that was between them each time they came together this way.

Bonnie's eyes opened as she pulled back in from him in order to breathe, and she was horrified by what she saw. It was no longer Stefan that was standing before her shirtless with his hands on her but Klaus. His blue eyes danced as he raised a brow at her. "Have you figured it out yet?" He asked.

Bonnie moved to get away from the attack that always seem to come after those words but he was too fast. However, this time, instead of his fangs buried in her neck, Bonnie found that his lips were being pressed hard against her own. At first she fought against him, but settled surprisingly easily when she felt Stefan's presence behind her suddenly his hands on her shoulders. "There's a good girl," Stefan whispered as Bonnie opened her mouth and allowed Klaus' tongue to sweep inside.

She was embarrassed by the sound of protest she made when Klaus pulled away from her. She wasn't sure what was happening or where Klaus had come from but her magic was responding to him, to both of them. "Whatever you're trying to do," Bonnie said, not knowing which one of them she was talking to, "This isn't going to work."

Ignoring her Klaus knelt down on his knees. Bonnie's eyes widened at the sight, but then shut as his hands found her hips and he began to kiss his way down her stomach.

"Try the spell again," Stefan whispered.

Bonnie did as she was told as Stefan's lips found her neck again, if only to stop herself from having to process what was happening. She had to push the words of the spell from her lips, the sensations humming through her body making it that much harder. The flames of the candles reached a dangerous height as Bonnie felt Stefan unhook her bra.

As the words ended on the Bonnie's lips her concentration shot, the lid to the coffin began to creak open.

Bonnie Bennett had forgotten all about missing her best friend's birthday until she woke up from what had to be the most traumatizing dream that she had ever had in all of her seventeen years to a call from Elena Gilbert regarding her absence. She didn't know where the hell that dream had come from and for the first time she began to doubt that the spirits had sent the ones she had had prior.

Bonnie half listened to Elena ramble on, as she felt guilt at not only having kissed Elena's ex-boyfriend, but in having a semi-erotic dream involving not just said ex-boyfriend, but Klaus as well, of all the monsters she could have had a nightmare about. She felt even guiltier when the pounding in her head and the dryness of her mouth made her want to hang up on her friend. But Bonnie let go of her guilt and embraced her anger when she remembered why she had been drinking in the first place.

Bonnie knew for a fact that Caroline had no interest in celebrating her birthday as she had been upset about not being able to grow old of all things, but Elena had been determined to change the blonde's mind, and apparently if Bonnie had been there it would have all gone so well. But Bonnie had wanted no part of it, as it was yet another example of Elena policing someone's life, even if in this case it wasn't a life or death situation involved.

Bonnie was hung-over and tired, and she really didn't feel like dealing with Elena's bullshit wrath about the whole missing Caroline's birthday, especially when none of them would remember her birthday next time it came around, just as they had conveniently forgotten last year. Bonnie gave some bullshit excuse before hanging up the phone and getting back into bed, though she doubted after the dream she had woken up from that she would end up going back to sleep anytime soon.

However, as soon as Bonnie's head hit the pillow her phone went off once more. She was about to move to turn the phone off but saw that it was Caroline and answered it.

"Hurry up and get in the shower," Caroline's voice said into Bonnie's ear as soon as she answered the call, "We don't have much time."

Bonnie frowned and rolled her eyes. "Time for what?" Bonnie asked, "I feel like shit so I'm not going to school today."

"Meaning," Caroline said, "You're upset that Elena sent Jeremy packing and you're going to mope around the house eating ice cream all day. But you don't get to be self-deprecating today. I think not. After missing my birthday which just so happened to be the most boring and unwanted celebration known to man, you owe me big time.

"I mean I can't believe you let Elena plan a party. I mean never mind the fact that I was in no mood to celebrate, its Elena, we both know she is the worst party planner ever. I mean who the hell celebrates their birthday in a crypt. Yes, her intentions were good because the whole, me saying goodbye to my old life thing was something I kind of needed to do, but seriously? There were spiders, Bonnie! Huge spiders! And to top it all off Tyler never even showed up. Okay so maybe he had a good reason because he was trying to figure out the whole sired thing with my dad, but who has a birthday party without their boyfriend there? And really it wasn't even a party. I know parties, I plan the best parties. This is my eighteenth birthday so everyone expected a blow out and they got nothing because I had to be in this stupid funk. But I am better now and I have a reputation to uphold. So you are going to listen to me and get your ass in the shower. Besides, I never said anything about going to school."

Bonnie ignored Caroline's diatribe about Jeremy and a list of other things she really didn't care enough to ask about. She was still pissed about Jeremy being shipped off to no man's land and still wanted to tell him the truth about what Elena had done but she had come to accept the fact that she couldn't control everything, and unlike Elena, she wasn't going to try to. She would let it all play out and when it blew up in Elena's face Bonnie hoped the girl would learn her lesson, though she never did.

"I'm listening," Bonnie said, getting out of bed and accepting the fact that she was now up for the day.

"We are going to have a girl's day out and you are going to buy me the most amazing birthday present ever and we are going to throw the biggest party this town has ever see. I mean people expect more from me than a night out in a crypt. If I can't pull off my own birthday party I will never get voted to be the head of any event planning committee ever again," Caroline told her.

"But you never get voted," Bonnie pointed out, "You usually just appoint yourself head." At least Caroline was back to normal. Still, as the dream replayed itself in her head, only to be shut out by the image of her kissing Stefan, Bonnie knew that she was in no way going to be able to handle a girl's day.

"Oh just shut up and get ready," Caroline said, "We have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in. I'm not taking no for an answer."

Bonnie sighed. She wasn't in the mood for a day out. She wanted to crawl up in a ball and eat greasy food and pop aspirin, then watch television all day. But still, it was better than school, she had missed Caroline's birthday, and it would keep her mind off of her worsening dreams and whatever was going on between her and Stefan. "Alright," Bonnie said, "I'm in."

:::

Elena Gilbert sat down next to Damon Salvatore on the couch in the living room of the Salvatore Boardinghouse. This war between Stefan and Klaus had to end, they both knew it. It would be one thing if it was leading to Klaus' demise, but so far it was just pissing Klaus off.

However, Stefan was no longer letting anyone in and he was out of control, and therefore unable to be reasoned with. "If we could just figure out what was inside of the other coffin," Elena said, "We could figure out if it could help us kill Klaus."

"Well it can't be opened," Damon said, "And frankly, if my little brother hadn't taken it upon himself to first save Klaus and then steal his family the friendly neighborhood hybrid would be either dead or out of town by now. He wouldn't be our problem."

Elena huffed crossing her arms over her chest. She needed to get to school, and really it wasn't a good idea to be alone with him after what had happened between the two of them. But Elena had come up with a plan, a plan to find out what was in the coffin and a plan to figure out if Klaus could be killed. They knew where the coffins were and there was still someone who could help them. Klaus had Rebekah back so she was out, but there was someone else that Elena felt that she could trust, especially after she revealed to him what Klaus had done to his own mother.

Elena had planned on going to Damon with her idea on asking for assistance but the more she thought about it the more she knew that coming to Damon had been a bad choice for more reason than one. She would have to go this one alone.

"I have to go to school," Elena said, even knowing that she would be heading toward the house where the witches had been burned instead. She stood and Damon raised an eyebrow at her. She looked at him expectantly, a frown marring her features.

"What?" Damon asked, "No kiss goodbye."

Elena winced, her guilt coming back to her full force, which was likely to be Damon's objective. Yes, she would definitely have to do this alone. "Goodbye Damon," she said.

As he watched her go, he thought that he heard a double meaning to her statement but as with most things concerning Elena that he didn't want to face, he ignored it.

:::

Stefan Salvatore was sitting on her porch steps when Bonnie Bennett came out of her house so that she could wait for Caroline to arrive. She shouldn't have been surprised to see him but she was. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she thought about the kiss the night before, and then she had to fight the urge to bang her head against the side of her house as she once again thought of the dream she couldn't make herself forget.

It was bad enough that she had gotten drunk, but the fact that she had actually allowed him to kiss her… Drunk or not Bonnie had more sense than that. She knew better, just like she knew better than to dwell on a dream that was likely just the side effect of alcohol. Gratefully, however, she couldn't remember the kiss entirely, and that did wonders for the guilt that she felt that she probably shouldn't have felt.

She and Stefan were both single after all. Even though there was the matter of Elena and Jeremy, Elena was seemingly moving on with Damon and Jeremy had apparently always been in love with Anna. But that didn't matter really, Bonnie wasn't fooling herself. She knew that her feelings for Jeremy had not disappeared with the unspoken end of their relationship and when it was all said and done, once Stefan could feel, and even when he wasn't allowing himself to, it was Elena that he loved.

And she wasn't like Stefan, she didn't have a switch that she could use to turn everything off, and if she got involved with Stefan physically no matter the reason, things would get emotional and messy. Hell, as far as she was concerned things were already messy.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked as she turned to lock the door behind her.

Stefan kept his seat on the porch not turning around. "Do I need a reason to be here?" he asked, "I mean I am your new partner in crime, right?"

"Yes," Bonnie said, walking across the porch and sitting down next to him on the steps, "So I assume you're here to talk business as there would be no other reason you'd come." She sat as far away from him as possible and avoided eye contact, neither action surprised him.

"There are plenty of others reasons I'd want to see you," Stefan said, turning his head to face her even as she stared straight ahead, "Especially, after I found out how good you tasted last night." He smirked at the look on her face. She was always good for getting a reaction.

Bonnie winced, of course he would bring up the kiss. She wasn't sure why she expected any different, especially given the state he was currently in. Bonnie coughed loudly, clearing her throat. She turned to him, her eyes hard. "Why are you here?" She asked again, speaking slowly as if talking to a child.

"We need to move the sealed coffin," he said, "Elena was at the Boardinghouse this morning and I have a feeling that she's about to do something stupid."

While the spirits were hiding the coffins from Klaus, Bonnie didn't know if they would hide them from Elena or Damon, if they decided one or both were not a threat. The spirits always did as they pleased and right now they had more control over what happened to the coffins than Bonnie or Stefan did.

That was a bad thing, especially considering both Elena and Damon knew where to find the coffins. The witches might've hated Damon, Emily in particular, but the right words of persuasion or a well-placed threat could cause the witches to choose to reveal their secret.

"So basically Elena and/or Damon has a plan that is bound to fail and so you want to head them off before it does," Bonnie stated. Her anger over Jeremy's departure made it easier for her to talk about Elena in such a manner, and it was allowing her to keep her guilt at bay and so she clung to it. Still anger or no, she was right about Elena.

"Bingo," Stefan nodded, "You were always smarter than everyone gave you credit for."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. He smirked and edged closer to her, and as she was basically as far from him as possible on the narrow steps, there was nowhere for her to run. "So since you can obviously carry the coffin by yourself," she said, "I am assuming you're looking for a hiding place. Somewhere, only the two of us would think to look, or would have open access to."

"Exactly," Stefan said, "Which is why I brought it here. I mean Damon isn't invited in and really, when is the last time anyone has actually come to see you?" Bonnie scowled and looked away from him again. "As far as anyone knows," Stefan continued, in spite of having pissed her off, "I am done working with any of you and so no one has a reason to look here."

"There is a problem with your plan," Bonnie said, "It will require me to invite you into my house if you want open access to the coffin and that is not something I'm comfortable with doing."

Stefan placed his hand on her jean clad knee and leaned in so that he could whisper into her ear. "Well," he reasoned, "Seeing as we are going to be working rather closely together in order to get the coffin open, I don't think that you have a real choice. So I suggest you get comfortable."

There was really no room to question the implication of his words. Bonnie bit bottom lip and cursed her raging pulse. "That hasn't been decided yet," she said, "I mean, if I remember correctly, I wasn't very impressed by your performance. If you can't get any reaction out of me with a kiss, I don't see it going any further than that. So I suggest you come up with another plan."

"You would just love for me to give up that easily, wouldn't you?" Stefan asked. Even now, he could tell that she wanted to run. She was practically begging for him to let her leave, to escape the situation. Stefan knew that if he wasn't persistent that they would never get anywhere.

"Considering I don't want any part of your little plan," Bonnie sighed, "Yes, I would."

"You can say what you want, Bonnie," Stefan said seriously, his hand moving up her knee and resting on her thigh, "But you're reacting to me even now. You're fighting it but we both know it's a lost cause."
"I don't know that," Bonnie protested.

Stefan squeezed her thigh, and placed a closed mouth kiss on her neck that caused her to shudder. "Then why," he asked, "Haven't you pushed my hand away yet?"

Bonnie stood abruptly, coming to her senses. Stefan's face was smug as she looked down at him and she wanted so much to give him an aneurism but with Caroline on the way she needed him out of sight more than she needed him in pain.

She climbed up the steps and walked back toward her front door. "Caroline is coming so you need to lay low in the house until we leave," she said, her tone businesslike, "You can bring the coffins in through the back. If you bring one then you may as well bring them all. There should be enough room in the basement. You don't have to worry about anyone coming. I have plenty of protection spells on this place. It's locked down tighter than Grams' house. No one's coming in unless I want them to come in."

Stefan stood and followed her, standing close behind her as he watched her unlock the door. Pursuing her was more fun than he thought it would be. She wasn't the first to fight him, but the others had given in quickly. Every woman he pursued gave in quickly. He had forgotten how much he liked the chase. "Since you're about to invite me in," Stefan said, "I guess it's safe to assume you want me here then."

He hadn't told her yet, but he wasn't planning on moving in the coffins and then heading off on his merry little way. Staying in an old house full of witch spirits was unpleasant, and there was no way that he was going back to the boardinghouse. He had better things to do than watch his brother be ungrateful to him for saving his life, and witnessing the same brother going after his ex-girlfriend. Staying at Bonnie's house was the best option, he could escape the endless drama that his brother and Elena brought, focus on his plan to destroy Klaus, and have access to Bonnie at the same time. It was perfect. He just hoped Bonnie didn't think of his possible motives herself before she invited him in.

"If you want to stay alive long enough to witness Klaus' demise as much as you claim you do," Bonnie said, as her front door swung open, "Then you should really shut the hell up."

"Yes, mam," Stefan said, holding up his hands in a defensive manner.

Bonnie walked into her house and turn around to face Stefan, standing in the doorway. Everything in her wanted to send him flying across the street. She knew that if she invited him in then that meant agreeing to not only work with him, but also agreeing to his plan. A plan that she didn't find as repulsive as she had when he had first purposed it. Still there was a chance they could find another way. And if they couldn't Klaus dying would make it all worth it, wouldn't it?

Bonnie shook her head, deciding not to overthink things. It was too late to turn back now, and while Stefan was amiable now, he was obviously unpredictable. Who knew what he would do if she backed out on him. "Come in," Bonnie muttered, taking a step back.

Stefan walked over the threshold, closing the door behind him as he did so. Bonnie made a face at him and he rolled his eyes. "Don't look at me like that," he said, "Be polite. I'm your guest."

Bonnie huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I invited you in and you're still alive," she said, "That's good enough. Now move…Caroline will be here soon."

"But," he reasoned, gesturing with his hands, "She's not here yet. So that means that we have some time to have a little fun before she gets here." Bonnie, opened her mouth to protest, but the next second he grabbed her shoulders and switched their positions. She found herself trapped between Stefan and her front door before she could blink. "I mean, I know you found me unimpressive last night," now his tone held an edge of sarcasm, "But I'm a whole other experience when you're sober, in the light of day."
She was sure that he was. Of course the experience would be different in the light of day, because it would be harder to black it out, to make excuses, and to deny her reactions to him. But that was what he wanted. "I'm not interested," Bonnie stated.

Stefan didn't move from his position looming over her. He had never met someone so responsive to him without meaning to be. He could get a response without deliberately trying. His very presence was making her power thrum through her body, and yet she was still denying it. "You can control your words," he whispered, "What you say, but that doesn't mean I'll pay attention. Do you know what I'm paying attention to Bonnie?"

Bonnie didn't answer, but even she knew that she wasn't doing the best job at hiding her attraction to him. But even if she was attracted to him, it didn't mean that she would act on it.

"I'm paying attention to the things that you're telling me without words," he continued, even though she had said nothing to prompt his words, "Your pupils dilating, your heart racing, your power coming to the surface, and I bet if I leaned in just a bit…" Stefan leaned down, his eyes on her lips. Bonnie's eyes closed in anticipation. He stopped just before their lips touched however, and waited. He almost laughed when Bonnie's hands clenched into fist. "All you have to do it come the rest of the way," he told her, his lips brushing gently against hers as he spoke.

She let out something that sounded close to a whine, and Stefan let her conflicting emotions surround him. The shame, guilt, and desperate need, he could no longer feel, causing the lights in her formerly darkened home to flicker on and off. "Hate's not bad, and fear is good, remember?" Stefan said, "Anger….now that's better…but nothing works…"

"Better than lust," Bonnie swallowed.

"There's a smart girl," Stefan said, his tone placating as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I'm really starting to hate it when you talk," Bonnie breathed, "I used to think you were smart but now I realize you're just an entitled asshole." An entitled asshole that her friend was in love with. An entitled asshole that had bedded her grandmother. An entitled asshole that had gotten them into this mess in the first place. An entitled asshole that she dreamed about having threesomes with. An entitled asshole that she really wanted to kiss. She could feel the moment Stefan moved to speak. "Don't talk," she hissed, "I mean it."

"If you want me to stop talking," Stefan said, his tone antagonizing, "Shut. Me. Up."

Bonnie raised her hand to send him flying across the room, but instead she found herself grabbing the front of Stefan's shirt and pulling him down until their lips finally met. She hadn't meant to do it, it hadn't been what she had wanted to want to do, but it was and that scared her.

Suddenly the sound of a car horn could be heard from Bonnie's drive way and she knew that it was Caroline. She pushed Stefan away from her and glared at him more fiercely than she had the first time she had seen him the day she had returned to Mystic Falls after her grandmother's death. "Be gone when I get back," she said.

"That's the thanks that I get after giving you such a sweet kiss goodbye?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie's rage caused her powers to surge and all of the lights in her house turned on the bulbs burning brightly until they shattered. Bonnie ran a hand over her face and took a deep breath to calm herself. "I mean it," she spat.

Stefan nodded, giving his acquiescence even as he planned to do otherwise. "I'll give you a break if that's what you want," he said.

"Thank you," Bonnie muttered, relieved. She opened the door and practically ran out without looking back.

:::

By the time Elena got to the house that held the witch spirits, the only coffin left was the one that she had been looking for. As Stefan no longer trusted her or Damon anymore she wasn't surprised that he had moved the coffins. As much as Stefan's rejection, behavior, and mistrust hurt Elena; this time it was working to her advantage.

She walked over to the coffin and opened the lid. She stared down at that man inside. She knew that she had to act fast before Stefan returned for the last coffin. Stefan's methods obviously weren't working. While Klaus was suffering and pining over his family, that didn't stop him from threatening and going after the people that she cared about. If anything it had made things worse.

But once Elijah was awake, he would take care of Klaus, or at the very least keep him in line for Elena's sake. Even if things backfired, she had to try. The quicker they got rid of Klaus, the quicker that they would all be free. She would have Stefan back. Jeremy would be able to come home. Tyler would be free from the sire bond. Everything would be back to normal. Making up her mind, Elena pulled the dagger from Elijah's chest.

Elena waited until she saw his eyes open and he took in the fact that she was the one that had woken him.

Elijah Mikaelson was surprised to see that Elena Gilbert was the first person that he saw when he opened his eyes after he had been un-daggered. They hadn't parted on the best to terms the last time he had seen her, he had betrayed her and he wondered at her motives for waking him.

"To what do I owe this honor?" He asked as he looked up at her, his words having a sarcastic edge.

"I need your help," Elena said simply, her tone flat, "I need to get rid of Klaus and this time I need you to see it through."

Elijah raised a brow at her as she tossed a blood bag onto his chest. He had figured his brother was the motivation behind Elena's choice to wake him. "And why would I do that?" He asked. He might be fond of her, but his loyalty lied with his family and that was something she should have realized by now.

"Because he is the one that killed your mother," Elena said, "Not Mikael, and because he's the reason that Stefan kidnapped the rest of your family and refuses to let them go. You let Klaus go for your family. Stefan wants Klaus gone, you help us get rid of him and you'll have your family back."

Elena knew that she had Elijah's attention. He sat up in the coffin, his face seemingly blank. However, what Elena didn't realize was that Elijah was calculating. He was uncertain of whether or not he could trust her. He knew that she would have no qualms lying to him after he betrayed her, especially if it got rid of his brother in the process. But his family was at stake and if Stefan had them then that would be a problem.

As far as Elijah was concerned, he would get the family that he had back first even if he did have to team up with his brother to do so. Then, later, once the others were awake, if need be, they would all take care of Klaus together. If Klaus had followed through with his plans to sustain Stefan on a diet of human blood, then Elijah knew that the Salvatore was likely disenfranchised from the group, which would mean he would lack protection, which would make him a rather easy target.

Elijah smiled disarmingly at Elena. All he needed now was information. "Tell me, Miss Gilbert," he said, "What exactly have I missed?"

:::

Bonnie tried to be enthusiastic about the whole party planning thing but she couldn't bring herself to even force the enthusiasm. Her mind kept straying to Stefan. She wished that Caroline fretting over whether to go with a DJ or a live music could keep her mind off of things, but really Bonnie was completely zoned out.

She wasn't surprised, as she sat across from Caroline at a diner, just outside of town where they had ended up after going shopping, that the girl was giving her weird looks. "If you want to say something just say it," Bonnie sighed.

Caroline frowned. There was a lot she wanted to say. At first she had thought that Bonnie was pouting over Jeremy leaving but if what she had overheard when she went to pick Bonnie up was any indication, she was obviously wrong. Then there was the matter of what Tyler had revealed to her just before she had showed up at Bonnie's house. "I wasn't going to say anything," Caroline said, "Because I didn't want to ruin our day, but it's kind of a bust anyway since you're so distracted so…"

"I'm sorry," Bonnie said sincerely, "I tried, but I am just….there's a lot going on with me right now. Things I can't explain entirely, but its fine. What do you want to tell me?"

"Tyler," Caroline began, "He's been working with my dad on the sired bond thing you know…but…well he saw Klaus yesterday."

Bonnie immediately looked concerned. She was actually a little relieved to be worried about someone else's problems others than her own, even though she was genuinely worried. "What happened?" Bonnie asked, "He didn't try to make him hurt anyone else did he? I mean after Jeremy-"

"No," Caroline said quickly, shaking her head, "It's not that." Bonnie raised a brow and looked at her expectantly when she didn't continued. Caroline sighed. She didn't really know how to say what she was about to say. "Look," she said, "When Tyler was with Klaus…he asked about you…a lot. Tyler said that he seemed very interested."

Bonnie flushed, thinking of her dream, and then shook her head. "In my powers," she supplied, when Caroline ended there.

Caroline looked down at her food and picked at the French fries on her plate. "In you," she said, after a moment, "Not your powers. Just you."

Bonnie's brows furrowed in confusion. "That doesn't make sense," she said, "Why would he be interested in me?" In spite of what her subconscious was putting in her head while she slept, Bonnie knew that Klaus had as much reason to be interested her as Stefan had in bedding Sherriff Forbes. Though, now that Bonnie thought about it, seeing as he had bedded her Grams; that was a bad analogy.

"Okay," Caroline sighed, "I get that you don't have much experience with guys and you're still not over what happened with Jeremy but really I am not going to let you sit there and act like it's some bizarre phenomenon for a man to be interested in you for something other than your powers. I mean you're hot, you're loyal, you're brave, and you'll go to hell back for the people you love. If I wasn't with Tyler then I would totally date you. You know if I had those types of inclinations."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't go for you," she said, "You're too high maintenance." Caroline looked offended but Bonnie merely took a sip of her milkshake and looked back at her innocently.

"Just be careful," Caroline muttered, "Elena told me you've been having dreams about Klaus, so maybe they're a warning."

"They don't mean anything," Bonnie frowned, embarrassed, "He's not interested in me. Besides it's me, I'm always careful."

Caroline decided to bite the bullet and confront her about what she had overheard. "Well," she said, "Considering the fact that an emotionally deprived Stefan Salvatore somehow won himself an invitation into your house I don't agree with that last statement." Bonnie opened her mouth to deny the accusation and Caroline held up her hand. "Before you deny anything," she said, "Let me remind you that as a vampire I kind of have super hearing so you can't really hide all that much from me. And yes I blew my car horn at that particular moment for a reason."

Bonnie slumped down in her seat. She wanted to crawl into a corner and disappear. At least Caroline didn't seem to be acting particularly judgmental. However, Bonnie knew that she would have to cover her tracks. "How much did you hear?" She asked.

"Enough to know that Stefan has no qualms with propositioning you now that his switch was flipped," Caroline huffed, "I mean, I saw him sneak and check you out a couple of times before, even when he and Elena were a thing-"

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked. She knew that Stefan had mentioned wanting to sleep with her before but she hadn't taken him seriously.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "I forgot how oblivious you can be sometimes," she said, "Especially about guys. I mean I know Stefan and Elena loved each other and whatever but he's a guy. Stefan's checked me out before too, but I think he was just curious. It's not like with you. I mean you could tell that he really thought about it you know, on the rare occasion he stopped being a saint long enough to let himself. But you know how Stefan is, he wasn't obvious about it. Very low key. And well…Elena was kind of too busy pretending not to pay attention to Damon to notice. Speaking of which, I totally thought that out of the two of them Damon would be the one to have the balls to go for you first. I mean he's practically begging for hate sex every time you two snark at each other."
Bonnie's eyes widened. "What?!" she nearly screamed, "Damon?"
Caroline sighed. "Seriously, Bonnie?" she said, "He sleeps with everyone, so you have to have at least realized that he's thought about it. I mean sometimes when he stares at you I kind of fear for your maidenhood. Matt even said that he's pretty sure Damon wants to get you into bed just to knock you down a peg or two if nothing else. You know cause he thinks you're all high and mighty or whatever. Though, now that I think about it, Stefan is kind of acting worse than Damon at the moment so it makes sense that he would throw caution to the wind and have the balls to go for you now. But we should really keep this from Damon because, well he kind of wants what Stefan has, and I am pretty sure he's had some bondage fantasies about you anyway so-"

"If you don't stop talking, I am going to stab you with my fork," Bonnie said, "Then use it to gauge your eyes out and set you on fire." It was bad enough she had Stefan, and now apparently Klaus to deal with, she didn't need to think about Damon and bondage. "I think I'm going to be sick," she said, "Seriously, Care, let's just pretend this conversation never happened and be grateful that I wasn't taking anything you just said seriously."

Caroline shrugged. "Fine," she said, "Stay in denial. And since you're obviously not going to tell me what is going on with you and Stefan I will drop it…for now. But you really need to look out for Klaus. Tyler says he has a track record with witches, and well…he was kind of all in your personal space on senior prank night. And considering I am pretty sure he would kill someone for stepping on his toe, I am thinking there's a reason why you're still alive even though right now you're his biggest threat. That coupled with your dreams spells trouble."

"It's nothing," Bonnie said, "You're being dramatic as usual and you're seeing things that aren't there."

"Fine," Caroline said, "I know you're smart and with the way you feel about the Salvatore at the best of times I doubt Stefan will even be able to get close to you. But if you invited him in your house I'm assuming something is going on there. Just remember that Elena won't be happy if you get mixed up with Stefan when he's like this, and this Stefan can't be trusted."

"I know all this. I didn't even trust Stefan before, and I have no reason to trust him now. There's nothing to worry about," Bonnie insisted. It was the truth, but Bonnie knew that trust and attraction had nothing to do with one another.

Caroline shook her head. "Okay there's nothing to worry about," she said, "But you know…if you end up in some weird triangle between Stefan and Klaus don't say I didn't warn you. Although….before all this happened those two were friends right. So you know…they might just be nice and share you."

Bonnie ran hand over her face and stood. "I have to go to the bathroom," she lied. She wanted to cry. She knew that Caroline was joking and hoping to lighten the mood but as far as Bonnie was concerned, it wasn't funny, it wasn't funny at all.

She had gone from mourning over the loss of her relationship with Jeremy, to fighting an attraction to Stefan, and dreaming of Klaus almost overnight. It wasn't as if her feelings for Jeremy had disappeared but that just made it worse. As did the feelings that Bonnie was sure Stefan still had for Elena. Even without those factors, Stefan being what he was and acting in the dangerous manner in which he was, was enough for Bonnie to not want anything to do with him. And the issues that came with dealing with Klaus in any way were so great in magnitude that she didn't even have to go over them to know how wrong it all was.

When Bonnie made it to the restroom she splashed water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror. She wondered if she would even recognize herself anymore when all of this was over. She wasn't sure how much more that she could take.

Bonnie sighed as her cell phone rang. She answered without thought. "Hello?" She said.

Bonnie closed her eyes tightly when Stefan's voice came on the line. "We have a problem," he said.

:::

Bonnie sat down on her couch and stared straight ahead. Her friend was an idiot. She couldn't believe that she had woken Elijah. The man had betrayed them before because of his family. They all knew that family was what Elijah cared about. So logically that would mean that Stefan being the one who now had his family, he would be Elijah's target. Elena had tried to get them an ally and she had created one for Klaus instead.

"You said this place was protected," Stefan said, as he sat down next to Bonnie, "Were you serious?"

Bonnie nodded. "They'll come for you," she said, "Not that I care….but it would be best if you stayed here. With Elijah and the hybrids, Klaus has enough to come after us. We can't waste any more time. We have to get that coffin open."

Stefan grinned. He was angry that Elena had put them in a compromising position but inadvertently she had made it so that they could get done what would need to be done. Stefan now had Bonnie's permission to stay and soon he was certain he would be in Bonnie's bed. He wondered what Elena would think if she knew that her actions had made it possible for him to sleep with her best friend. "Does that mean we get to fuck for the greater good?"

Bonnie frowned. "We'll start slow," she said, "We'll only….fuck for the greater good as an absolute last resort."

Stefan knew it would be necessary but didn't protest. If she wanted to have some long drawn out foreplay that was fine by him, as that was basically what they would be doing. The end result would be the same. "That's fine," Stefan said, "But I don't think that we should hide in here. If we do the others will be suspicious. We'll have to play this by ear. See what happens with Klaus and Elijah and go from there. And in the meantime we work on the coffin."

Bonnie nodded. She thought about telling him what Caroline had told her that Tyler had said about Klaus and about her dream but she decided against it. If Klaus was really interested he would have approached her by now. The dream was likely just stress. Once they got the coffin open and got rid of Klaus none of it would matter anyway.

"I don't want this," Bonnie sighed, "Any of this. When this is over….no one can know about this. Also, us being physically involved now will mean nothing later. We're doing this because we have to, not because we want to. It's just a means to an end."

She wasn't the kind of girl that thought that way, not that there was anything wrong with that, but it simply wasn't who Bonnie was. Still, in order to pull this off, she knew that would be the kind of girl she had to become. She had kissed Stefan twice already, they had crossed the line already, and there was already no going back.

"I agree," Stefan nodded, "My switch has been flipped so you don't have to worry about me getting attached. But what about you. My aim is to inspire an emotional reaction in you. Do you think you can detach yourself from that?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I'll do what I have to," she said, as she turned to look at him, "I always do."

Stefan frowned. She wasn't the only one, but he was beginning to realize that she was the only one that most of them overlooked. Part of the reason why he loved provoking Bonnie, was because he had never seen her so expressive before. She was always so guarded. There was a lot of pain and a lot of anger under the surface and it was a fascinating thing to watch it spill out. Bonnie needed to let her emotions out as much as Stefan needed to keep his at bay. In that sense, what they were doing now, became a lot less about Klaus and a lot more about them.

"I guess we have deal then," Stefan said, "Should we seal it with a kiss."

Bonnie wanted to set him on fire, she wanted to make him writhe in pain, but inadvertently she found herself leaning in. "This isn't going to end well for us is it?" Bonnie asked, "We haven't even started really and I feel like I'm going insane."

"I would feel bad for you," Stefan said impassively, "But I'm already there. Have been for a while now."

"I understand how Damon and Elena can walk away from you," Bonnie said seriously, "Its easy…not to care about you when you're like this." She had been aiming to hurt him, or get some type of reaction but he merely blinked at her.

"I know," Stefan said, "I don't want them to care about me. It's easier that way."

"Easier for who?" Bonnie asked. She turned her body so that she was facing him completely.

"Everyone," Stefan sighed.

Bonnie wanted to press the issue but decided to drop it. "I don't care about you either," she said, "So this thing we're doing. It won't be a problem for me. You don't have to worry."

"Good," Stefan said, mimicking her pose as he turned on the couch to face her, "When this is over you can walk away too. That'd be easier for everyone. No one has to know how far from sainthood I've fallen, Elena won't even have to know that you're a better kisser than she is, and you can spare Jeremy's hurt feelings when he realizes that I got some before he did."
Right when Bonnie was close accepting the situation as inevitable he had to make her feel like shit about it all over again. "Stop talking," she ordered.

"Shut. Me. Up."

When Bonnie kissed him she kept her mind blank. She was doing what she had to, that was all. Her attraction to Stefan didn't matter. Neither did the fact that a part of her was doing all this because she selfishly wanted to be wanted and somewhere deep down in the darkest part of her, she wanted to take from Elena something important. The same way that Elena seemed to take from Bonnie with every choice that she made. And she could blame even this on Elena in the end, as it was her friend's choices that put them in the position that they were in. It made the guilt lessen so much more when she thought that way. She didn't want this. She didn't want Stefan. She was doing what she had to. She would have to keep telling herself that if she would get through this.