Part 3

Bonnie's head was spinning as she tried to stand up, the women before her put a hand on her shoulder.

"Child, stay still." she told her, with a worried look on her face.

"How…" Bonnie whispered, unable to completely process the scene before her.

"No, it can't be, this can't be happening." she stood up quickly anyway, stumbling towards the side of the women, her eyes wild.

The women stood, looking frightened as Bonnie looked all around the room, hands shaking.

"Darius, get in here." she said slowly.

"Oh my god." Bonnie inhaled deeply, crashing into the woman's son as he walked into the room from a small side room.

She gasped, trying to push away from him, startled. This had to be some sort of trick, those people who had kidnapped her, and Damon… They must have messed with their head. That was the only logical explanation.

"You're okay, it's okay." The woman said quickly stepping over to Bonnie as her son grabbed her arms to hold her still.

"Did something happen to you?" she asked Bonnie, putting her hands on her face tightly.

Bonnie just stared at her with wide emerald eyes, arms held down at her sides. After several moments of remaining quiet, the boy finally let her go.

Bonnie swallowed hard. Whatever was going on, she needed to get out of there, and figure out how to fix it.

"I have to go." she said quickly, and stepped to the side, the woman's hands sliding off her face.

"You seem ill, are you sure?" the woman asked, raising her eyebrows.

Bonnie nodded, "Y-yes.." she started, "Mame."
"I ask you to at the very least, let me find you some proper clothing." she offered, eyeing Bonnie with a confused look.

Bonnie looked down at herself, and realized if she was in 1863, she definately wasn't prepared to be out in the public.

"Could you? If it isn't a problem." she looked back up at the woman and her son.

Fifteen minutes later, Bonnie was glad in a worn pale creme colored dress that reached her ankles, with long sleeves and ties tightened around the waist. Her hair had been pulled back away from her face, braided on two sides, pinned in the back.

"Thank you, so much." she told the family.

Once outside, Bonnie saw the ground was covered in snow. She looked down at her feet. She was wearing sneakers, which did not at all suit the time period nor the weather. Bonnie sighed, and looked around her. The house she had been in was beside the much larger property of the neighbors. She grabbed handfuls of the skirt of her dress, and started briskly through the snow.

Either she was having one hell of a trip, or she really was in 1863.

Bonnie wasn't exactly sure where she was headed, but she kept moving across the snowy yard, speeding up to a running pace, trying to get to the road she could see from a distance. Suddenly she crashed into someone, air rushing from her lungs, and Bonnie stumbled backwards, falling onto the ground.

"Excuse you." a female voice said, but as Bonnie's eyelids fluttered she realized she hadn't bumped into the woman.

Bonnie's eyes flickered over, and standing right beside the woman was a slightly younger, more slender, pink faced Stefan Salvatore. She was hit with a wave of relief.

"Stefan!" she breathed, as he reached out a hand, pulling her up from the snow.

Bonnie instantly tossed her arms around his neck, hugging him. But as she pulled away, seeing the confused, slightly amused look on Stefan's face; she realized this Stefan was not the Stefan she knew. He was 1863 Stefan.

"Do you know her?" the blonde woman asked, with a annoyed look on her face as she eyed Bonnie, then Stefan.

"No…" Stefan said slowly, "I don't think so."

"Who are you? What are you doing on my property?" the woman asked folding her arms over her chest.

Bonnie tried to search for something to say, but she couldn't take her eyes off Stefan. He looked so much happier, warmer, human.

"Rosalynn." Stefan whispered, looking over at the woman.

"I'm sorry for running into you." Bonnie said to Stefan, and he turned his attention back to her.

He let go of Rosalynns hand which he had been holding, and she noticed there was an engagement ring on her left hand.

"It was an accident." she continued, babbling, nervous.

"It's quiet alright." Stefan replied, eyes shifting down to her dress, "You've gotten snow on your dress."

Bonnie looked down, brushing her dress off with several swipes.

"Thank you." she said, looking back up at him.

Bonnie eyed the woman, Rosaynn. In fact, she was less of a woman, more of a girl. She seemed maybe sixteen years old; with her blonde hair in curls around her head, pulled back at the sides.

In fact. She looked strikingly similar to Caroline, and Stefan seemed to be engaged to her. This was something Bonnie had never known, but, it did answer one question. When, in 1863 she was. Bonnie gathered she was there before Katherine and Emily had gotten there.

"We've already been forced to rid of you, so unless you're someone else, leave." Rosalynn said with a frustrated look on her face.

It took Bonnie a few seconds to understand what the girl meant, and she instantly wished she'd gotten sent even just another year forward.

"I am not a slave, if that's what you mean." Bonnie replied rather bluntly, which surprised both Stefan and Rosalynn.

Rosalynn scoffed, "I'll be in the house."

Bonnie watched her turn around, and head through the yard.

"I'll be going now." she said to Stefan, and started to turn around.

Stefan touched her shoulder, stepping over beside her.

"How do you know my name?" he questioned, and Bonnie cursed internally.

Stefan's face was a little flustered, however, he didn't seem disgusted by Bonnie's presence like Rosalynn did.

Bonnie suddenly had to stammer through her mind for a lie, since, telling the truth would only get her deemed crazy. She inhaled slowly, trying to buy a few more seconds as he looked at her; green eyes curious.

"I know Damon." she said quickly, placing her hands behind her back to hide the twitching of her nervous fingers.

Stefan's eyes brightened, "Oh! He must have shown you a photo of me?"

Bonnie nodded, shifting on her feet, trying to figure out the rest of her story.

"Yes, he did. I was on my way to.." she started, "visit him, because my family...died in a fire."

"I'm so sorry for your loss." he replied, "You can accompany me back to the Salvatore home if you would like."

Bonnie pursed her lips, knowing she was lying her ass off, and once she got there, she would need to continue doing it. However, it would buy her time to figure out what exactly was doing on; and, perhaps Damon would have the same idea of going to his old home.

"I would appreciate that." she told him, and began to walk through the yard with him at her side.

Once they got to the road, there was a carriage sitting there with a driver. Stefan offered his hand to help Bonnie up, and she sat down with her hands in her lap.

Stefan got in, sitting down beside her, and then motioned the driver to go.

"I must ask, what is your name?" he asked her, and she licked at her lips.

"Bonnie… Cottrell." she told him, fiddling her thumbs.

"Where do you come from?" he questioned.

She looked to the side for a minute at the passing tree's and houses.

"Michigan." Bonnie replied, looking back over at him.

Stefan blinked, "You are very brave to have traveled from a free state to…well, here."

Bonnie nodded, slowly trying to remember the things she'd learnt in history throughout high school.

"The emancipation proclamation has freed the slaves in this region has it not?" she asked.

"The Union Army has not been able to enforce the proclamation in all counties, but, Mystic Falls, yes." Stefan replied slowly, not seeming proud of the parts of his state that refused to free their slaves.

She swallowed, thinking that there could not be a worse time period for her to be thrown into. She was just lucky it was 1863, and not before.

"My father will not approve of you; but, I can assure you, you will be safe." he told her, when he noticed her getting nervous.

Bonnie just looked at him, intrigued by human Stefan.

"You are...more moral that I expected." she admitted.

He sighed, "Damon and I have our differences, however, neither of us agree with our fathers views."

"Yet, Damon would fight with the Confederacy, would he not?" Bonnie questioned.
"Our father would abandon him if he fought with the Union, both of us." Stefan said slowly, eyes a little sad.

"Better to be abandoned, than to fight for something you don't believe in." she told him, and he just stared at her for a second.

After a few moments, his lips pulled up at the corners.

"You are very smart, Bonnie." he said, "Our father will hate that, but, I like it. I'm sure Damon very much enjoys it as well."

Bonnie's face warmed a bit as the carriage stopped in front of the Salvatore mansion. Her eyes wandered over to it. It was beautiful, smaller than the boarding house, but, was certainly just as elegant if not more.

Stefan stepped out, helping her out of the carriage.

"Unfortunately, Damon has most likely not returned home from his drunken escapades, celebrating his twenty second birthday." he chuckled as the carriage rode away.

Bonnie followed him up the concrete stairs, and followed him inside the building when he opened the door. The parlor was quite, a few footsteps heard above her on the second floor.
She realized, she would need to come up with more lies, there was no telling what Giuseppe Salvatore might ask her. On an even more worrisome note, what in the hell was Bonnie going to say when Damon did get home?

"Stefan?"

Giuseppe Salvatore's voice echoed through the hallway leading into the parlor. Bonnie's heart sped up in her chest. She realized she was gripping her skirt in handfuls and quickly let go, her skirt dropping down down several inches, covering her sneakers.

"In here father." Stefan replied.

Seconds later, Bonnie turned around to face the graying older man that was Stefan and Damon's father. He was the same height as Stefan, taller than Bonnie, shorter than Damon. His dull eyes flickered over to Bonnie, and she instantly saw the distaste he carried.

"Who is this?" Giuseppe questioned, taking another step forward.
"This is Miss Bonnie Cottrell father, she is here to visit Damon, her family was...dispatched in a fire." he explained, placing his hands in front of himself.

Giuseppe eyed Bonnie.

"It is strange, Damon never mentioned you." the man told her suspiciously.

"You know Damon rarely mentioned one of his friends." Stefan said with a low chuckle.

Bonnie was confused for a moment, until she realized what Stefan had assumed.

"Oh, g-..my, no, it's not like that between Damon and I." she said, quickly shooting Stefan's assumption down.

"My apologies." Stefan cleared his throat, looking embarrassed.

Giuseppe eyed her for another moment.

"I'm sure Damon will be...delighted, too see you, and will tell us all about you when he gets back." he started, "I don't approve of you staying here however."

"She should stay, father." Stefan said quickly, obviously making Giuseppe uncomfortable with his acceptance of Bonnie.

"In the guest, house sure." Giuseppe replied.

Bonnie knew what he meant, and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from cussing at him.

Stefan kept his stance though.

"Upstairs." he corrected his father, "You may stay upstairs, we have plenty of room."

Stefan looked at Bonnie, giving her a comforting look.

Giuseppe sighed, "So be it…" he turned around and started to walk away, mumbling something to himself.

"I am very sorry about him." Stefan sighed, turning to face her.

Bonnie sighed, "It is what it is."

She knew that Damon would be there soon, be it her Damon, or 1863 Damon… Honestly she was hoping for the first. The sooner she found him, the sooner they could figure out what was going on, why the mirror had sent them here, and how they got back.

"We are having a party tonight, you're welcome to come." he told her after a moment.

Bonnie blinked, looking down at her dress, which, was nothing in terms of party attire.

"In this dress?" she asked with a chuckle.

Stefan looked to the side for a second, thinking.

"Come with me."

He grabbed her hand, and pulled her out of the room.

"Where are we going?" Bonnie questioned.

"Shh!" Stefan chuckled, pulling her up the staircase.

Bonnie laughed quietly in return, and once they got upstairs, he lead her into a bedroom.
Stefan walked over to a standing wardrobe and opened the doors on it, revealing several dressing.

"I'm sure one of these would fit you." he said with a small smile.

A few moments later, Bonnie had found a dress that fit her, and Stefan had left so she could get it on.

Bonnie slid on the blue gown, reaching behind her and tightening the cords on the bodice as best as possible. The skirt was full, and the dress was soft, the neckline in a low curve, the sleeves reaching her elbows with lace peaking out from the ends. She looked down, and once again, her sneakers looked out of place.

She exhaled, her lips vibrating, and looked back over at the wardrobe. Bonnie stepped over, picking up a pair of black shoes, they were a half size too big for her, but she kicked off her sneakers and slid them on anyway.

"Not so bad." Bonnie mumbled to herself.

She closed the wardrobe, and turned towards the tall mirror.

She couldn't help but smile at how beautiful she looked. It was as though she was in a storybook, and she was a princess. However, Mystic Falls in 1863 was no fairytale, and her situation was far from a dream.

Bonnie sighed, her green eyes flickered up to the corner of the mirror. There, she noticed a familiar blue eyed, dark haired man looking at her from behind.


Everything was far too bright.
The light hurt.
The snow wasn't cold.
Everything sounded far too loud, to almost a painful, mind numbing extent.

Damon was left wandering brought Mystic Falls, having woken covered in fresh snow.
He was hungry, but for what? He didn't understand why his teeth hurt so badly, why everything was so loud.

"Dammit!" he growled, stopping to place his hands on his head in frustration.

He couldn't remember who he was, or where he was. As he walked through the town, his damp clothing had frozen, his skin was covered in a layer of frost, yet it did not hurt. He could feel his slow, heavy pulse in his hands, face, ears, and it was driving him crazy.

"Well, excuse me handsome."

Damon heard a woman's voice to the left of him, and looked tiredly over.

"You look like you could use some company, some warming up." she smiled at him.

The woman was dressed rather scarcely for it being the middle of winter, her hair was ratty, and she was holding a bag of coins in her right hands.
"No.. I..no." Damon said slowly, confused.

"How about I give you a discount? Three dollars, and I'm all yours." she smiled, stepping over, leaning against him excessively.

Damon could feel her warm radiating around her, hear her heart beat, not to mention smell every good and bad scent she was emanating. The veins below his eyes snaked, and his fangs extended. Before he could even think, he had grabbed the woman, and bit straight into her neck.

Blood pooled into his mouth, running down his throat. His whole body tingled, and his mind went in a blurr. Minute later, and he had drained her dry of every ounce of blood inside her body.

Damon dropped the woman's body to the ground, breathing heavily.

"Oh god." he whispered.

He didn't know who he was, but, to his amnesia riddled brain, he did know he was a monster.
His heart pounded in his chest as he became frightened of his own self. Damon lifted his hands, staring at the blood on them as his fangs retracted.

Damon took off running away from the scene. So fast that anyone watching would see nothing but a vague blur, if any. He ran until he couldn't run anymore, crashing into the abandoned bar of a foreclosed estate.

He stumbled into the dark barn, falling onto a pile of hay, breathing heavily. As he stared up into the ceiling, he tried to remember who he was, why he was, and why he couldn't remember.

Damon swallowed hard, raking his blood stained fingers through his hair.

"What's happening?"