It's been a long time since I wrote anything ff related so please forgive me if this isn't the best. It'll probably get better once I start get back into the swing of writing because while I am a writer, I haven't done much of that either lately. Anyway, since Vampire Diaries did capture my interest with the whole Bonenzo storyline, I thought I would dabble with creating what I would like to happen in season eight.

This chapter is rather long when it comes to backstory and exposition. I might delve further into it later on but I haven't given all the details away with Jade and Enzo in this chapter. It's skimming the surface to put it lightly with what I have planned. Next chapter should focus more on the main plot.

Anyway, hope you enjoy and feel free to leave a review :)


Chapter Two: Combat Witch

Caroline, Stefan and Bonnie. I look at their faces and they look intrigued but also really suspicious of me. It's the Bennett witch who has me interested though because her one is harder to read. I guess I touched something. I seem to be doing that very quickly here. I should explain myself before they start jumping to more of their own conclusions which probably aren't positive ones.

"Listen, we can forget the part where we all pretend that we don't about vampires, witches, werewolves or whatever other creature that you've seen in this town with its quaint small charm and bridges." I start. "You can relax, guys. I'm not here to cause mischief but I guess that's been said by everyone who has ever caused that."

"How do you know Enzo?" The Bennett Witch asks.

I wonder how I should explain this. This could either be done really simply or I can give them the entire story. Let's see how this conversation goes before I open any of those doors into my long past.

"Like I said, he's an old friend. Really old." I answer understating.

"Funny, he's never mentioned you before."

Of course he hasn't. I'm pretty sure that he thinks I'm dead. The left corner of my lip moves up slightly at the thought of him keeping that to himself. He wasn't the most open person.

"I know about you. You're the Bennett Witch. Bonnie, right? I have to admit, love, I was half expecting you to use that pain spell on me to knock me out."

"Don't call me 'love'."

I put my hands slightly like I'm surrendering. I shouldn't hit anymore sore spots at least not right now. I'm not sure what to expect with this lot yet. They might just kill me if I annoy them too much.

"I guess I should answer your questions about me. Let me see if I can guess all of them. Who am I? What am I? Why hasn't Enzo mentioned you before? Are you a bad guy?" I continue. "Am I right?"

"It would be a start." Stefan answers.

Yeah, I thought as much. I sit down on the sofa and I sigh feeling how comfortable this seat is after sleeping in a damn car. I could fall asleep right here just listening to that fireplace. It's so relaxing.

"Well, you know my name. I guess that's a good starting point. I'm not a vampire, not a werewolf and I'm not a heretic if they actually exist. Seriously, do they?"

"Yes, they do. Sorry, what are you then? How can you be an old friend of Enzo's if you don't live forever?" Caroline questions.

"Good question. Well, I'm something they call a combat witch. My boyfriend once shortened it to CW but I think that makes me sound like this crappy TV network. I'll just give you the cliffnotes version of what I am. I am mortal but I age really slowly because combat witches are a warrior race. It makes us fight longer. I'm not a typical witch. I can't cast spells like Bonnie here but my magic means I get all the perks of being a vampire without any of the cons. There are a few other tricks that I have but you'll probably learn about those as you go. You never answered my question by the way. Where's Enzo?"

They all remain silent and that's the same silence I got when I asked about the older Salvatore brother. I roll my eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.

"He's missing too, isn't he?" I realise.

"Yeah." Bonnie answers.

"Oh, that's just perfect. I finally manage to track down where he is and he's gone again. I guess I'm going to be here for longer than I planned. Maria won't be happy with me or Gabriel."

"Why do you want to see Enzo?" Stefan asks.

"So many questions. Like I said, old friend. Is it so hard to believe that he has those?"

Stefan shrugs slightly which answers my question. Here I was thinking that Enzo's charisma would make him popular with everyone. How much has he changed since I last saw him?

"Consider me flattered then. Look, Enzo went missing last time I saw him as well. I couldn't find him and I didn't have the resources I have now back when it happened last time. Then I stop hearing about the Armory which got my attention. They're a lot of things but they don't just vanish like that once you've earned the 'honor' of their attention."

"How did you hear about them?" Stefan asks.

"I have my sources. A little place known as the Syndicate. It's something like the Armory."

"What? Shady and untrustworthy?" Caroline responds.

I chuckle a little as I should have seen that coming with that comparison.

"No, we're not that. It's a place run by the supernatural for the supernatural. We try and stay as good as we can which isn't a easy thing. Well, some of our guys went to investigate the Armory or what was left of it. They uncovered some files and one of them was about a vampire named Lorenzo . I don't believe in coincidences when it comes to this place. It was founded by a so I guess Enzo found his family. Good for him but it looks like it didn't go well. They told me something about a vault being opened but I didn't exactly care once I heard his name so I took off. Needless to say, I wasn't meant to do that."

There's only so much information I can share at the moment. If they prove to be trustworthy then I'll share more of my story.

"What did they say about the Vault?" Bonnie asks.

"Something about an ancient evil that can control your mind and strip everything good about you. That's all I heard before I started focusing on booking the next flight to Virginia. I heard that Mystic Falls is a supernatural hotspot and I learned that last night when some stupid vampire chose to attack me. Safe to say, he learned the hard way."

"Did they say anything about stopping it?" Stefan pushes with a mixture of hope and anticipation in his voice.

"I'm guessing there's a reason you guys want me to talk about that. Don't tell me that's real as well."

Again, that silence fills the room which is starting to become all the confirmation I need for things. I should really learn not to be cynical about creatures that the Syndicate talks about.

"Damn and I'm guessing that's why Enzo and your brother went missing. Looks like I came at the right time." I say sitting up.

"Yeah and why's that?" Bonnie asks.

"Well, the Syndicate isn't like the Armory but they have resources capable of tracking them down. I might have to do a fair share of apologizing though. It won't happen overnight because Maria's a stubborn one and I'm not sure how this Vault thing or whatever it is works. It could be cloaking them for all I know so we might have to do this the old fashioned way. Besides, at least now I have a genuine reason to be here so that should smooth things over when I have to make an awkward phone call. I'm not a guardian angel but it looks like I just came to your rescue."

"How are we meant to trust you?" Bonnie wonders suspicious.

"Look, you barely know me so I'm not gonna say you should trust me right off the bat. That's just not gonna be possible. If you guys know the Armory then I guess you have the same type of history that I have with those damn people. It's not a good one. Besides, I'm here to see a friend that I've wanted to see for years. Decades, even. I'm a stubborn one myself and I'll be damned if I let this Vault thing get in the way of that."

This boarding house is massive. It feels like I need a map just to find the kitchen. How did those guys get used to living in this place? If I had to live in a place like this with only a few people, it would still feel empty. This place is big enough to fit about ten or maybe twenty people at a time. Stefan said I could stay here but I don't think that Caroline approved. Bonnie, I think had the mentality of keeping your enemies close. She's a smart one. Besides, I like the idea of staying in a good bed tonight and getting a night of sleep that doesn't involve vampires attacking me. Well, hopefully not. I go into a bedroom seeing a guitar there and I wasn't expecting that. Stefan doesn't strike me as a musical person. I love the guitar though. I go inside taking the guitar off its stand as I start playing the opening chords of La Vie En Rose sitting on the bed.

"Hold me close and hold me fast. The magic spell you cast. This is la vie en rose. When you kiss me, heaven sighs and though I close my eyes. I see la vie en rose. When you press me to your heart, I'm in a world apart. A world where roses bloom. And when you speak, angels fly from above. Everyday words seem to turn into love songs. Give your heart and soul to me. And life will always be la vie en rose." I sing gently.

I continue strumming as I hear someone behind me. That stops my singing.

"Can I help you, love?" I ask.

"What did I say earlier?"

"Sorry. It rolls off the tongue sometimes. You can come in."

I turn around to the other side of the bed so I can look Bonnie in the eye.

"I didn't think that Stefan was the musical kind of guy." I say.

"It's not his. It's Enzo's." Bonnie answers.

"He always was a romantic. I guess he would like the guitar."

I look at her and I can a pain-filled look in her eyes that quickly fades away when she goes back to look at me. It seems like Enzo means a lot to her. I wonder...

"Can I ask you something?" I request.

"Sure."

"Are you Enzo's girlfriend?" I ask.

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a hunch. You got a bit depressed when I said 'romantic.' I'm observant when I want to be. How long have you two been together?"

"A year but we've known each other longer than that."

Enzo took his time with her and that does sound like him. I guess he hasn't lost his old fashioned charm over the decades. That's strange because most vampires change over the course of time. At least in some aspects.

"Why was he missing for so long?" I ask.

"It's a long story."

"I can fill in some of the gaps. Here's what I didn't go into, Bonnie. I met Enzo during World War Two. I was working as a battlefield nurse in Europe and just by chance, I met Enzo. The problem is with being a vampire at war especially as a soldier is that his injuries healed quickly. Unnaturally so. I figured out what he was from there but one day, he just stopped being treated. I heard that he died in battle but he's a vampire. I guess a shell could have hit him and blew him up but I didn't trust it. Dr. Whitmore transferred overseas shortly after that as well. Remember that I said that I don't believe in coincidences. I just couldn't risk digging into it in case I ended up disappearing as well."

"Whitmore?"

"The name rings a bell with you?"

"Enzo was captured by this vampire hating society called Augustine. They experimented and tortured him for seventy years. He only managed to escape a few years ago. He's an old friend of Damon's. That's how we met him."

"Damon? How did they meet?"

"They were cellmates in the 50s. Damon broke out but he couldn't save Enzo."

Damn, Enzo's been through a lot of hell. In the 50s, I was dealing with my own problems with the Armory. If I knew about that then he would have been free a lot sooner. This guilt starts to overwhelm me because if I had just looked into it properly without worrying about being spotted then he may have been spared of so much pain. It's pain he never deserved.

"Well, if he can survive that then he'll survive whatever he's going through now. You'll find him again, love. I managed to. Or close enough."

"Don't call me that."

"Sorry. I keep on hitting sore spots today. It doesn't normally happen."

"Enzo calls me that."

I nod realising why that was touchy territory now. I'll be careful with my words from now on. I don't want to cause any harm. Intentionally or otherwise. Bonnie starts walking away before I could say goodnight to her. I guess we're not on those terms yet. Wow, Enzo. You did well for yourself. Still, I wonder what Enzo would be like as a boyfriend. When I knew him, he was sweet. He didn't trust easy and I guess with what he has been through, he must be damaged by it. Then again, if he managed to get a girl like Bonnie then he must be doing something right.