Chapter Seven:

No Way Out

"No one ever will love me better than your everlasting love. I found only one way in and no way out." Rie Sinclair.


As was customary around the Salvatore Boarding School, Damon, Elena and Matt joined the teaching staff for dinner on Sunday nights before leaving the property, and their friends, for a week while supernaturals took over the school grounds. Bonnie and Jeremy finished up their lesson plans for the week and after making a quick stop at Bonnie's room, they headed to the lounge for a drink before family dinner. Jeremy strode over to the bar and grabbed a whiskey tumbler, flipping it in his hand as he picked it up. Bonnie smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Ever the flair, Jer." She mumbled with a laugh. Jeremy smirked, looking unapologetic as he poured her a whiskey. He passed the now half-full glass to Bonnie with a smile as he grabbed himself an identical glass from the bar and pouring the very same drink. Bonnie stood and gestured to him in cheers from a meter away. Jeremy did the same.

"To my next big career move." Bonnie said with a smile. Jeremy nodded. "Hogwarts Professor." She finished. Jeremy laughed as they both took a small sip of the warm, smokey liquid gold. They headed to the lounge, where they sat on opposing couches. For a brief moment, they sat smiling at each other. Each of them remembering how much fun they had had earlier that afternoon, despite the fact that they were merely making lesson plans. Jeremy's eyes hooded over as his expression grew serious. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, they were interrupted.

"Hey Bon." Damon said from behind her, entering the lounge. He looked sheepish. Bonnie nodded in acknowledgement at him.

"Damon." She greeted with a smile. He hugged her around the shoulders from behind and then leaped over the back of the lounge chair to take a seat beside her. Jeremy stood and left the room to get some more clean glasses for pre-dinner drinks. Damon sighed, still looking at Bonnie with a sheepish smile.

"Bon, I'm sorry for what I said last night about you and Jeremy." He told her. " I thought I was helping but I know you're just not ready to be thinking about that yet." He continued. Bonnie smiled at him reassuringly.

"It's okay." She told him firmly. "I know you were just trying to help." Bonnie continued. "It's already forgotten." She promised him. Damon looked visibly relieved.

"Good. Cause Elena was furious when I told her." Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Why would you even tell her something like this?" Bonnie asked him incredulously. Damon shrugged.

"Talking about me?" Elena's voice came from behind Bonnie as a pair of hands covered her eyes. Bonnie laughed.

"Hey!" Bonnie replied and turned on her seat to hug her friend over the back of the couch. Elena laughed.

"I can't believe I get to see you every weekend now!" Elena exclaimed in joy, pulling away from Bonnie to walk around and take her own seat on the couch opposite. Bonnie smiled, realising how happy she was herself - a stark contrast to how she had felt when she returned to Mystic Falls for Elena and Damon's engagement party.

"I'm actually really glad I came home." Bonnie told them both earnestly. As she spoke, she glanced up at the doorway opposite her seat on the couch and saw Jeremy standing in the archway, his head resting contentedly against the wooden panelling as he smiled at the sight before him. Bonnie couldn't help it. She smiled back.


Bonnie's third night back in Mystic Falls was both similar and completely different to her first. The first night she had arrived, all she could focus on was those absent from their family dinner. This time, what struck her was the vibrant smiles and warmth of those present. Caroline's eyes positively glittered as she spoke loudly with Matt about Founders Day. Matt laughed at something she said, his laugh lines crinkling around his eyes jovially. Ric and Jeremy were having an animated discussion about one of their students, positively beaming with pride at the fact that this week he was finally sitting an exam that he hadn't felt confident enough for previously. Elena and Damon were speaking in hushed voices, both looking at Elena's left hand as Damon stroked the back of it tenderly. The chemistry between them practically spat fire. And while those missing were still eerily present, the gaping holes they had left behind seemed somewhat more full.

If Bonnie had looked closer, she would have seen Liz Forbes' hand resting on Caroline's shoulder with pride at her still-strong town pride. She might have noticed Stefan standing on the opposite side of the table from Caroline, watching her with a longing smile as the soft candle light of their dinner played havoc with the reflection of her hair, or caught him smile with pride at his older brother who was definitely capable of both love and happiness, like Stefan had thought all along. She might have witnessed the fleeting smile of Jo as she watched Ric discussing children he was proud of, or her eyes flickering over the young twins she had never got the chance to meet. She may have caught a glimpse of Tyler and Vicki holding hands as they stood protectively behind Matt, their best friend and brother who had achieved his dream as the town sheriff. She might have realised that Jenna stood between her niece and nephew with an arm around each of their shoulders and a warm smile on her face. And lastly, she may have caught a glimpse of the man she had loved with all her being, who remained in her life, right beside her, every step of the way.


After dinner that night, Bonnie was sitting out on the patio in a wicker chair, staring into the ominous woods. She had a glass of champagne in hand, dangling it loosely over the arm of her seat as she stared into the abyss.

"Mind if I join you?" Jeremy's voice sounded from behind her suddenly. Bonnie snapped to attention, turning her head to look up at his hopeful face. He was holding a half full bottle of champagne in his left hand and a an empty glass in his right. She shook her head with a warm smile.

"Not at all." Bonne told him. Jeremy took a seat beside her, filling his glass before setting the bottle down between them. He was sat forward, leaning his elbows on his spread knees and his chin on his glass-free hand. Bonnie watched him for a moment. He had seemed irritated in the lounge last night but when she had asked him about it earlier in the classroom, he had hastily changed the subject. She wondered if this was the reason he seemed so anxious now. "Penny for your thoughts, Gilbert?" She asked quietly, swirling her bottle of champagne while staring down it like the barrel of a loaded gun. Jeremy side eyed her briefly but turned back to stare into the dark woods.

"Did Damon talk to you last night, about me?" Jeremy asked, just as quietly. Bonnie took a deep breath. She knew immediately what his mood was about. She frowned and looked at the pavement.

"He did." Jeremy shut his eyes for a moment, feeling the anger rising in his chest. Bonnie reached her hand out to rub Jeremy's arm reassuringly. He pulled away, sitting back in his chair with a huff.

"I don't believe him." He paused, blinking slowly. Bonnie rubbed his forearm gently. "I didn't put him up to it, Bonnie." He said. Bonnie smiled and nodded.

"I know, Jer." She replied. She took a deep breath. "He would've thought he was helping." Bonnie said. Jeremy shook his head, still fuming. "I'm okay." She told him sincerely. Jeremy looked up at her again, his eyes searching hers. She raised her eyebrows at him slightly, as if to open her eyes further for him to inspect them for any signs of distress. "Really, I am." Jeremy nodded. "Don't be mad at him." Jeremy refocused on staring into the dark abyss of the woods and they sat in silence for several minutes, broken only by the sounds of Bonnie swigging from her bottle of champagne.

"We never got closure, Bon." Jeremy said suddenly. Bonnie was in the middle of swigging from her champagne and she gulped it down and sat up slightly in her armchair. "I never got closure." He paused. "I saved your life, but you were still trapped in the prison world. And when you got out, you told me not to come back." Bonnie closed her eyes, feeling a familiar stab of guilt run through her heart.

"I'm sorry for the way things ended between us." Bonnie paused, studying Jeremy's stoney expression as he still stared off into the darkness. "I thought I was doing the best thing I could for you. I know now, that wasn't my decision to make." Jeremy swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"Thank you." He muttered. Bonnie smiled sadly and then her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Why did you get so angry at Damon?" Bonnie asked. Jeremy opened his mouth and then reconsidered, closing it again. After a moment's silence, he responded.

"Because I didn't want you to get hurt." He answered. Bonnie paused, remembering him saying those exact words so many years earlier.


"Wha- why did you have to get involved?" Bonnie asked across the Gilbert's kitchen. Jeremy turned around to face Bonnie, his face covered in scratches and bruises, and a white bandage covering Katherine's bite marks on his neck.

"Because I didn't want you to get hurt." He said quietly, his eyes hurt by Bonnie's accusing tone. He had been made to feel like a child the whole day and having her standing before him, treating him like one, hurt him to his core. Bonnie swallowed and took a step towards him, not breaking eye contact. He took a slow step towards her, without even truly recognising that he was doing it - gravitating towards her, like he felt he had been doing for so long.

"Look, Jeremy...you can't feel that way about me." Bonnie said breathily. She could feel herself almost choking on the words, almost like her own body was rejecting the words she was saying. He took another small step towards her, shaking his head.

"Don't." He almost whispered to her. Bonnie felt herself playing ignorant.

"What?" She asked. They both continued to step towards each other slowly, still not seeming to even notice the pull between them that seemed to come so easily.

"Don't act like this is one-sided. Like...like I'm some kid that has a crush on his sister's friend." Bonnie swallowed, suddenly noticing how close Jeremy was to her. Jeremy was now inches from her. He raised his right hand to stroke the side of her face lovingly. "You could have died today." He whispered. Bonnie could feel her eyes filling tears from both fighting against her feelings for Jeremy and remembering that she almost lost him that day.

"And you almost did." She whispered back. Jeremy watched her intently. His hand continued to caress her cheek.

"That was a chance I was willing to take." Jeremy took another step towards her, leaning forward to kiss her. Before their noses collided, Bonnie took a gasping breath and stepped backwards.

"I can't." She whispered so quietly that he had barely heard it. "I- I can't." She repeated, gaining confidence. Jeremy pulled away and lowered his hand from her face. "I'm sorry." Bonnie said quietly. Jeremy looked as if he was holding back tears himself. He swallowed and looked away. Bonnie headed towards the Gilbert's back door. As she reached the door handle, she glanced back at Jeremy, wondering if she was making the right decision, before she slipped away into the night.


"I know you're going through hell at the moment, Bonnie." Jeremy told her, looking at her intently. She thought about how he was only a few crow's feet away from the same face he had given her that night in the Gilbert kitchen all those years before. "I know you also are miles away yet from being ready to move on and I hate that Damon and Elena are putting pressure to hurry up and get happy so that they don't feel so bad about getting to live their happy ever after." Bonnie felt tears welling in her eyes. He was voicing what she had been silently feeling since seeing Elena and Damon the previous day. He had known without her having to say anything at all. Jeremy's eyes were also glistening with unspilled tears. "But I want you to know that I'm here. If you need anything, I'm here." He finished. Bonnie nodded. And then she glanced down at her own chest in shock. She felt something that she hadn't felt in so long that she had honestly thought she would never feel it again.

A tug at her heartstrings that wasn't from grief.