Bonnie slowly walked down the hallway of the Salvatore Boarding House. The slinky, black dress restricted her movement and she took small steps to avoid twisting an ankle in the black stilettos. She had atrocious balance and never wore heels, though she'd had a quiet obsession with designer shoes since middle school. Her heels clicked against the floor, the red bottoms reflecting in the polished hardwood.

Bonnie admired the various paintings adorning the walls. She doubted Damon had an appreciation for fine art and pegged Stefan as the art collector in the family.

Bonnie stepped into the living room. A chandelier emitted soft light from above. Damon sat on a red couch sipping an amber drink from a crystal tumbler. She guessed it was bourbon, his favorite according to Caroline. He sat staring straight ahead at the fireplace, which was full of thick logs but no fire. The light aroma of cedar filled the room.

"What took you so long?" he asked.

"What is this?" Bonnie asked, not quite sure how she'd arrived at the boarding house in the first place.

In the blink of an eye, Damon stood in front of her. She did her best not to flinch. He wore a matching black dress shirt and suit tailored impeccably to his slim body. A red silk tie finished off the outfit.

"This is your dream, not mine," he said, his eyes trailing her neck.

No way. Why would she dream about a jerk like Damon?

"If that were the case, Channing Tatum would be here instead of you," Bonnie said. "Showing a lot more skin," she blurted out. Bonnie slapped her palm over her mouth, embarrassed by her frankness

"Not that innocent after all, are we?" Damon grabbed her hand and twirled her around.

"Whoa." Bonnie somehow managed to keep her balance in the ridiculously high heels as he spun her in a full circle. He stopped her mid-twirl to face him. Damon rested both hands on the exposed small of her back, pulling her flush against his chest. He radiated sandalwood and lavender, the fragrance deceptively comforting.

"You look good in that," he said, swaying with her in his arms. His translucent blue eyes were as hypnotizing as his scent. A jazz ballad played in the background.

Bonnie gulped. Her heart fluttered as fast as a hummingbird's wings.

He's hot.

Suddenly, the logs in the fireplace blazed with bright orange flames.

"That's more like it," Damon said.

Heat rushed to Bonnie's cheeks. "Did I do that?"

"You really have no clue, do you?" Damon asked with a curious gaze.

Bonnie examined the living room, the antique furniture and Persian rugs, the artwork on the walls. The last time she'd been at the boarding house, she'd spent most of her time in Damon's bedroom. She would never have retained this much detail of the living room in her head.

"This is your dream…not mine," Bonnie said. The fact that Damon had the power to control her dreams rubbed her the wrong way.

"Impressive," he said, pulling her closer. "Most people never realize that."

"I guess I'm not most people."

"You certainly are not. It's almost impossible for a vampire to compel a witch, but your dreams are a lot less guarded." Damon lowered his face closer to hers. "Have I told you how ravishing you look in that dress?"

"What are you doing?"

"Picking up where we left off," Damon said, his lips less than an inch from hers.

Just as Damon's lips brushed hers, Bonnie jolted awake. The sheets clung to her sweaty body as she sat up.

She took quick breaths, peering into the darkness of her bedroom. She was alone. Her alarm clock read 4:26. Bonnie groaned, plopping back down onto her pillow.

First, I'll set him on fire. And then I'll kill him.

She smiled at the thought; though she was pissed that she would not be falling asleep anytime soon.


Damon sat directly above Bonnie's bedroom, on the roof of her two-story house. He stroked the head of the crow perching beside him.

Invading Bonnie's dreams had been more fun than he'd expected. He wasn't sure where his control ended and hers began – a first for him.

In the beginning, he'd been the one directing the dream, planning on seducing information on Katherine's location from her. He was especially proud of the skimpy dress, exactly like one he'd seen years ago in the window of a chic NY boutique. That small detail had been solely for his benefit.

Control had shifted, however, at some point during their dance. The "almost" kiss had been her doing, confirming what he'd suspected - she felt something for him; even though she would literally trip over herself to avoid him whenever their paths crossed. He could definitely use this to his advantage.

Setting the logs ablaze also confirmed that she was a powerful witch. The Bennett line had always been especially talented, but Bonnie surpassed all of the Bennett witches he had come in contact with since Emily.

Damon frowned remembering how he and Emily had parted over a century ago. He'd caught her in bed with another man, after she'd sworn that she never had been – and never would be – with anyone but him. Time had healed the wound of her betrayal but the memory caused an occasional ache in his heart.

"Still sulking, Damon?"

It can't be.

Damon turned to the woman who'd suddenly appeared beside him. The crow cawed and flew away.

He'd been human the last time he'd seen her, but her features were just as stunning as they had been in the 19th century. Her long brown hair fell in soft curls around her heart-shaped face, belying her wicked nature. She wore a black leather jacket over a dark red silk blouse and skinny jeans, which flattered her long, shapely legs.

"Long time no see, Katherine," Damon said in a steady voice, though his emotions were in overdrive. He fluctuated between shock, lust and anger in a matter of seconds.

"Miss me?" Katherine asked, hook her arm across his.

He wanted to fling her arm away and tell to her burn in Hell, but his bond to her wouldn't allow it. Distance and time had done nothing to quell his obsession with her, which he resented more than her forcing him to become a vampire. Her touch both repelled and attracted him.

"Barely thought of you," Damon lied. She had been all he'd thought of for decades – until he met Bonnie.

"She smells delicious, your witch," Katherine said. "Like apples and cinnamon. I wouldn't mind a late-night snack."

"What are you doing here, Katherine?" Damon wanted to keep her attention as far away from Bonnie as possible. He stood and glided down the rooftop, reaching the edge. He jumped the two stories, landing lightly on his booted feet.

Katherine followed, landing right beside him. "I figured it was time for a visit to Mystic Falls, considering my two favorite vampires are here. I thought you'd be a little more excited to see me."

"While I thought you were starving and desiccated in a tomb, you were gallivanting around who-knows-where, without a second thought to me or Stefan." He resented how Katherine's presence turned him into a whiny brat. "How did you even know we were here?"

"A little birdie told me."

They walked away from Bonnie's house. He wondered if that little birdie had been her, since she had claimed to know where Katherine was. But that wouldn't make sense; Bonnie had no reason to want a dangerous vampire like Katherine anywhere near her friends and family.

"I checked in on you from time to time," Katherine said. "You had much better hair in the 80s."

"This visit isn't about me or Stefan. Spill it."

"Emily's talisman. I need it."

"For what?"

"All you need to concern yourself with is how to get it. Or maybe we should try asking that Bennett witch of yours."

Damon zipped in front of her, facing her head on. "She's off limits."

Katherine squinted her eyes, her expression curious. That was never good. "Do you have feelings for her? I thought you would've learned your lesson with Emily."

"Don't mention her name," Damon said in a low voice.

"Still so sensitive." Katherine patted his cheek. "You sure know how to hold a grudge. It's not like she was completely to blame."

Damon glared at her. "Meaning what?"

"Don't tell me you still haven't figured it out."

Damon only stared in response.

"After all this time?" Katherine asked. She laughed and Damon wanted to make her stop in the worst way.

"It's actually kind of sweet, how gullible you are," Katherine said. "Emily cheated on you – after I compelled her to."

"You're lying," Damon said. "Vampires can't compel witches."

"I'm not a normal vampire." A black cat crossed Katherine's path and she hissed, scaring it away. "Don't you find it strange that there's an exact copy of me – my literal double – walking around Mystic Falls?"

Damon had always found Elena Gilbert's eerie likeness to Katherine disturbing. The fact that Stefan had fallen in love with her was even creepier. "Get to the point."

"It's not just a coincidence. I was supernatural – in more ways than one – before I became a vampire. As such, my blood has certain useful effects on witches, including the power to compel those who ingest it."

Telling a lie was as natural as taking a breath for Katherine. Damon shouldn't believe her a word she said. But his gut told him she was telling the truth – and Damon always trusted his gut. Elena's existence had to be more than a coincidence; and in his experience, something beyond coincidence usually involved the supernatural.

Emily's betrayal had also been so unexpected – so out of character – that her being compelled suddenly made a lot more sense to him than her being unfaithful. His anger at Katherine's manipulation hit him like a freight train. He wondered if he was fast enough to rip her heart from her chest.

"You knew how much I loved her," Damon said.

"She was a weakness for others to exploit," Katherine said. "I freed you of that burden."

"You really are heartless."

"You love that about me. Now, you're going to help me get that talisman, or else Bonnie is going to suddenly strike an interest in someone else. Elena's brother might do the trick."

Katherine must have been in Mystic Falls for some time, spying on him and Stefan. Damon had to stop her, but he was not strong enough to fight her on his own. She could compel Bonnie if she wanted to and he would be helpless to stop her. He needed time.

"Fine," Damon said. "I'll get the talisman for you, but I'll need a few days. But know that if you hurt Bonnie, I'll destroy it."

"You have a day. If it's not in my possession by then, your witch is mine," Katherine said, before zipping off into the darkness.

Damon was in desperate need of a plan - preferably one that resulted in Katherine's death.


The aroma of fresh-baked cookies drifted into the dining room, where Bonnie worked through the last of her Calculus homework. Math was her favorite subject and solving problems helped distract her from more troubling thoughts, like her disturbingly sexy dreams of Damon.

Bonnie flipped her notebook shut and walked into the kitchen to join Grams. She spent more time at Grams's house than at her own. Her house felt cold and empty, even on the rare occasions her father was home from one of his many business trips.

"Get 'em while they're hot," Grams said as she pulled a sheet of chocolate chip cookies from her antique oven. Bonnie loved how almost every piece of furniture or appliance that Grams owned was probably older then she was.

Grams sipped from the "World's Best Grandma" mug that Bonnie had made for her as a child. She guessed the mug held a mix of peppermint tea and whiskey, her grandmother's favorite evening beverage.

"I hate chocolate chip cookies," Bonnie said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Not when I make them," Grams said, bringing a plate of cookies to the table.

Bonnie snatched one, still warm from the oven, wolfing it down in a matter of seconds She figured chocolate chip might do the trick after all.

"You'll get a tummy ache," Grams said, dipping a cookie into her drink.

Bonnie grabbed another cookie. "When have I ever gotten a stomach ache?" Bonnie asked between bites.

"You only eat like this when something's bothering you. What's wrong, child?"

Bonnie leaned back in her chair, stuffing the last of the cookie into her mouth. She clutched the amber jewel that still hung from her neck, the one she never left home without. "Have you ever felt like someone was controlling your dreams?"

Grams eyed her granddaughter. "Bonnie, what have you been up to?"

"Me? I haven't done anything. It's just," Bonnie looked away, avoiding eye contact with her grandmother, "I may have met a couple of vampires."

"Who?" Grams asked, though she did not sound that surprised at the mention of vampires in Mystic Falls.

The doorbell rang to Bonnie's relief. She wasn't ready to reveal that Damon and Stefan Salvatore were vampires, or the fact that Damon had sort of tried to kill her.

"Who could that be at this time of night?" Grams asked, moving to answer the door. Bonnie followed close behind her.

Grams opened the front door. Damon stood smiling on the other side.

"Good evening, ladies," Damon said.

Bonnie's heart raced; whether from fear or excitement, she wasn't quite sure.

"Can I help you?" Grams asked in a haughty tone.

"I'm Damon. I'm here to see your granddaughter. We're good acquaintances from…high school."

"I've never heard of you. And you're too old to be a high school student."

"It's okay, Grams," Bonnie said. "You can let him in."

Grams crossed her arms, staring Damon down. "I'm not inviting a vampire into my home."

"Grams! How did you know he was a vampire?" Bonnie asked in shock.

"I may be getting older but my senses are still sharp. If you bothered practicing magic as much as you do Calculus, you would be able to sniff out vampires twice as well as me," Grams said. "What are you doing associating with one of them, anyway?"

"It's a long story," Bonnie said.

"And I'm sure she'd like to hear it someday, but I'm kind of in a bind here," Damon said, his piercing blue eyes reminding her of their intimate dream dance.

Bonnie cleared her throat. "What do you want, Damon?"

"The talisman." His eyes fell to the jewel around her neck.

"What right do you have to demand a witch's talisman?" Grams asked. Bonnie panicked at her grandmother's tone, knowing she was on the verge of losing her temper. And that only meant trouble.

"First of all, the talisman belonged to Emily Bennett. And technically, it's mine, since I gave it to her." Damon stood his ground. Bonnie was impressed. Most of her friends were terrified of Grams, especially when she'd been drinking; not that she and Damon were anywhere close to being friends.

"It found its way to Bonnie, so now it belongs to her. And she's not giving it up to a blood-sucker," Grams said.

"I wanted to keep this polite, but if you're gonna–" Damon cried out before he could finish. He grabbed his head, doubling over. "What…"

Grams glared at Damon, her eyes intense. A gentle breeze rushed over Bonnie as her grandmother used her powers to debilitate Damon.

"Grams, please!" Bonnie said, cringing at Damon's cries.

"Katherine…" he managed to squeak out.

The breeze ceased and Grams stood a little straighter. "Katherine Pierce?

"You know about Katherine, too?" Bonnie asked.

"I know a lot more than you think I do, child. What is she doing back in Mystic Falls?"

Damon stood, a little shaky on his feet. "She wants that talisman. And is willing to do whatever it takes to get it."

"Which includes hurting Bonnie?" Grams asked, more as a statement than a question.

"I won't let that happen," Damon said.

Bonnie's heart skipped a beat at his determination.

Grams smiled slightly. "So you don't plan on giving it to her, do you?"

"No, but I'm going to need it – and Bonnie – to get rid of her for good. I need Bonnie to do what Emily promised all those years ago."

"You want to lock her in the tomb? Below Fell's Church?" Bonnie asked.

"And let her starve for the next century or two," Damon said.

"No," Grams said, shaking her head. "A spell like that would require way too much power. Bonnie's not strong enough."

"With the full moon tomorrow night," Bonnie said. "I could do it…if you helped me."

"It's too dangerous," Grams said.

"If we don't handle her now, there's no telling what she might do," Damon said.

"Please, Grams," Bonnie said. "Emily said she's ruthless and willing to kill to get what she wants."

"Emily's still in contact with you?" Grams asked.

"She visits me…on occasion," Bonnie lied. Since the whole possession thing, Emily had been visiting her dreams quite often, helping Bonnie to harness her powers and gain confidence in her abilities as a witch.

Her grandmother looked anything but happy about that revelation, but she kept her thoughts to herself. She looked from Bonnie to Damon. "We'll need time to prepare."

"She gave me a day," Damon said.

"Well, you're going to have to find a way to stall," Grams said.

"I'm ready, Grams," Bonnie said. "I can do this now."

Grams crinkled her brow in doubt. "This kind of spell requires a huge amount of energy and discipline. You would have to channel energy from the moon, which is difficult even for the most experienced witches."

Bonnie looked up at the moon, shining bright behind Damon. It wasn't quite full, but would still provide enough energy to cast one of the harder spells Emily had taught her.

"Invite him in, Grams," Bonnie said. She channeled the power of the moon into her spell, her body tingling with lunar energy.

"No way," Grams said.

"Trust me," Bonnie said more forcefully than she'd meant to. The power coursing through her body was making her a little edgy. She chanted the words of the spell under her breath.

Grams sighed. "Come in," she said to Damon.

"Don't mind if I do," Damon said, moving to step over the threshold. He hit an invisible wall. He tried to enter again, to no avail.

Grams smiled at Bonnie. "A home protection spell. Impressive."

"I told you I'm ready," Bonnie said, proud to have impressed Grams with her progress. Emily was a pretty good teacher for a ghost.

"Now that we've got that settled, it's time to talk logistics. Can you let me in, already?"

"No," Grams and Bonnie said in unison. They enjoyed a laugh at Damon's expense.

He appeared to take it all in stride though, his eyes smoldering when he stared at Bonnie. She squirmed in response.

Bonnie reveled in her ability to exercise some type of control over Damon, who she suspected had been rudely invading her dreams. She could get used to being the one in control.


Damon and Stefan waited for Katherine's arrival. After informing Stefan that Katherine was in town, his brother was all for the plan of locking her up for good, though he preferred to kill her.

Stefan had been especially pissed that she had forced him to become a vampire by compelling him to drink her blood. He had been waiting over a century to exact his revenge.

Damon had invited Katherine to the boarding house, claiming to have obtained possession of the talisman. The plan was to get Katherine to drop her guard and then pump her full of vervain. Stefan had a syringe of the substance stuffed in his back pocket.

Stefan poured drinks for the both of them and joined Damon on the couch. "How did you convince Bonnie's grandmother to help? She hates vampires."

Damon smiled. "Bonnie brought her around."

"When did you two become so chummy?" Stefan asked, taking a sip of vodka.

"What's it to you?" Damon asked. The hairs on his neck rose as he went into defense mode. Stefan had a habit of sticking his nose where it didn't belong, especially when it came to the women in Damon's life.

"Bonnie's a nice girl – way too nice for you."

"There's nothing going on between us. Why would I be interested in a timid, teenage witch?"

Stefan laughed. "If there's nothing going on with you two, why are you being so defensive?"

Stefan had a knack for pushing Damon's buttons. "Look –"

"Are you boys fighting over me?" Katherine asked from behind them.

Damon and Stefan rose from the couch to face her. Damon finished off his drink, placing it on the end table. "Not a chance in Hell," he said.

"There's enough of me to go around," she said, sauntering around the couch. She wore skintight leather pants and black stilettos. She stopped in front of Stefan, placing a hand on his chest. "You're as gorgeous as ever, Stefan."

Stefan removed her hand. "And you're just as insufferable."

Damon chimed in. "Play nice children. Let's cut to the chase, already." He pulled the talisman from his pocket. It had taken some convincing, but Bonnie had agreed to give it to him, to help the plan run as smoothly as possible. Giving Katherine what she wanted would aid in getting her to drop her guard.

"Well done, Damon," Katherine said, turning away from Stefan. She reached for the necklace and Damon snatched it out of reach.

"Ah, ah, ah," Damon said. "If I give this to you, you have to promise to leave Mystic Falls for good."

Katherine crossed her arms. "You're boring me, Damon. And when I get bored, I get angry. You're in absolutely no position to negotiate."

"I beg to differ," Damon said, smirking. He reached out to caress her cheek.

Katherine gasped as Stefan plunged the syringe into her neck, emptying the vervain into her bloodstream. She dropped to the floor, unconscious.

"Nice one, brother," Damon said.

"I'll grab the rope," Stefan said, heading to the kitchen.

Damon pulled his smartphone out of his pocket, turning his back on Katherine's unconscious form. He hit Bonnie's contact and waited for her to pick up.

"Is it done?" Bonnie asked from the other side of the line.

"She's sleeping like a baby," Damon said.

"We'll meet you at Fell's Church then," Bonnie said.

"See you in ten," Damon said, ending the call.

He turned to find Katherine standing in front of him. And she looked pissed. "Not if I have anything to do with it."

Bonnie, Damon thought before Katherine snapped his neck.


A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! Bonnie's quickly gaining confidence in her skills as a witch and Damon is already falling head over heels for her, though he'd be the last to admit it. I plan on updating this every two weeks (more often if possible). Looking forward to your reviews and thanks for the faves and follows!