Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.
The first thing Bonnie remembered was gasping for air, lying in sweat soaked sheets, and feeling a hollow pain lodged in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes darted around the room, finding nothing but emptiness. Her only solace was the Bennett talisman hanging around her neck and the memory of her nightmare.
Once her chest stopped heaving and her heart beat settled, she could remember the events that startled her waking dream and possibly mended her heart after Kol's sudden departure.
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24 hours earlier...
Tears pierced her eyes as a searing pain in her chest woke her out of her sleep. Her phone vibrated manically on her end table, and she gathered all her strength to snatch it off the surface and turn it on. Over 20 missed called, voicemails, and texts. Frowning, she clicked on her texts, finding Stefan's first and opening it.
Bonnie, it's Elena. We need your help. Please.
Bonnie ripped the covers off and tapped the call button. Her phone rang once before being picked up.
"Hello?"
"Stefan, it's me. What's wrong?"
She heard him sigh, "I don't know Bonnie. Suddenly, she's very sick. Throwing up blood and screaming about visions. It has to be a result of killing an original."
She lost the grip on the phone. "No," she murmured. She grimaced in pain, touching her chest. The realization struck her like a knife wound. Kol was dead. Ignoring the frantic talking on the other end, Bonnie tossed the phone away from her and crouched down before blindly searching for her Grimoire. She tore it open to the page that she had been studying to a point of obsession over that last few days and then reached into a drawer on her opposite end table and pulled out a knife. Dragging the knife down her arm, she began the chant despite the several warnings in Latin that littered the page. Her mind was made up; she would bring him back no matter the cost.
As she concentrated on the chant, she heard frantic knocking along with the sound of Klaus' screams, which soon faded out by the growing cacophony of white noise that filled her ears…
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Her eyes flew open, meeting nothing but darkness. Her body lay prone on a chilled, hard ground and the foreign sensation sent a feeling of alarm throughout her whole body.
"Bonnie Bennett," announced a strange female voice.
Bonnie's eyes adjusted to the darkness and focused on the person. The woman, dressed in a bright blue dress that wrapped around her like a toga and a crown of black roses adorning her hair, stood over her. The sight stunned Bonnie into silence, and she remained frozen to her spot. The ethereal figure walked around her, tilting her head as she peered at Bonnie. "I'm assuming you don't know why you're here?" She reached out and laid her hand upon Bonnie's forehead, sending a sharp jolt of excruciating pain all over Bonnie.
Her scream pierced the silence, refusing to end while the pain ripped through her body as if it was tearing her apart. After the strange woman pulled away, Bonnie fell against the ground like a lifeless rag doll. She was paralyzed by the fear of feeling the pain again; the only signs of movement were the streaks of tears that fell from her eyes.
The woman stared at the teenager, overcome by a sense of sadness. The feeling was incredibly strange, since her emotions have been shut down since the greatest betrayal of her life. "Love, my descendant Bonnie, is a fool's emotion. As much as I hate to punish you, I cannot avoid it; you chose this when you risked your life for a being of an abominable nature." She kept moving, her eyes never leaving the whimpering girl. "I'm assuming you read the spell in its entirety. You knew what the cost of binding yourself to him would be. Now, you must pay the price." She crouched down, meeting Bonnie's eyes. "Your noble sacrifice for love has bound you to a burden that I've had to carry, since I was punished for falling in love." She rolled her eyes, "Of course, the object of my affection ended up being unworthy. I hope yours is worth it." She reaches for her crown, placing it atop Bonnie's head. "You are now the keeper of the veil. Every supernatural creature who dies will pass through you, the sensation will be felt in its entirety by you only." She patted Bonnie's head gently. " I, Qetsiyah, will remain here. But, you will be forever tied to this place, and one day you will have to return here and fulfill your duty. For now, I will return you. Be wise and weary of who you trust, Bonnie. Especially that band of vampires that you call friends. The doppelgänger caused this mess for you, just like her original form—Amara—caused my unhappiness. Be alert."
Bonnie listened diligently, but disbelievingly. It felt like a nightmare, one she hoped to wake up from as soon as possible. As if Qetsiyah read her mind, Bonnie's eyes drifted closed, and when she opened them, she found herself in a new environment. From one nightmare to the next...
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"Nicklaus," Elijah's stern voice reverberated in her ears. "Calm down."
The hybrid scoffed. "Calm down, brother? Our brother was killed by that doppelgänger bitch; I will not calm down. This was not supposed to happen." His eyes focused in on Bonnie. "The witch will fix it. She better."
Elijah released a bored sigh, "I think the wisest thing to do would be to refrain from threatening Miss Bennett. She cares for Kol and has no reason to be a part of her friends' plan."
Klaus rolled his eyes at his ever so level-headed brother. Neither of them noticed the gasp of breath from Bonnie.
At the same moment, a shuffling sound could be heard from the coffin, followed by a groan. Both Elijah and Klaus' eyes met, stunned by the noise coming from their brother's coffin.
On the other side of the room, Bonnie's eyes fluttered open, but the surge of pain overwhelming her senses forced her to remain still on the ground, listening to the sounds of a family reunion.
Kol gasped when his eyes opened, his gaze settling on a dark ceiling. Sitting up hurriedly, he allowed his brothers to embrace him, but the memories of what passed twenty-four hours earlier ignited his temper, causing him to grip the edges of his coffin and jump out. "When I find that Petrova knockoff, I'm going to rip out her heart and make her pathetic Salvatore boyfriends eat it," he fought against his brothers who held him back. "Let me go," he snarled.
Klaus gripped his younger brother's shoulders, "In due time we shall get our revenge, brother. But we must figure out how the hell you are still alive."
Kol stopped resisting as he listened to Klaus and felt under his shirt for the charm Bonnie gifted to him. "Where is she?" He demanded barely above a whisper.
Elijah gripped his shoulder firmly as if bracing his brother for another impact. "She is here. Klaus thought she could be of some help..."
Kol's dark eyes settled on Klaus. "You expected her to use her magic for me. Do you realize that it's a risk?"
Klaus huffed, clearly annoyed by the sappy side of his brother. "I could care less about the witch; my only concern was getting you back alive." A sickening crunch echoed throughout the basement, and Klaus held his jaw steadily as he counted to ten. "Now, I'm beginning to think it was better to leave you dead."
Ignoring Klaus' comment, Kol searched the dark room for Bonnie. He found her crumpled body in the corner, lying still. Instantly, he was hovering over her, tenderly reaching out to push a stray wisp of hair out of her face. "Little witch," he uttered as he placed his hands under her body and hoisting her up into his lap. "Bonnie," he urged louder. When she didn't move, he took a moment to observe her appearance. A sparkling crown adorned with dark red—seemingly black roses— was weaved into her hair like a headband, and her flowing dress matched the royal appearance. "What happened to you?" He stroked her cheek as he watched her worriedly. His two brothers showed up, both gazing down at the Bennet witch with curiosity.
Elijah spoke up, "Let's get out of here. We'll bring Miss Bennett back to the house."
As Kol rose, he felt Bonnie move in his arms, and he turned his head in time to meet her eyes.
Bonnie's headache lessened, providing her with enough reprieve from the pain to open her eyes and see clearly. Tears formed in her eyes when she saw him, and whether it was from relief that he lived or the dreadful price she now must pay, Bonnie cried freely as she threw her arms around him.
Kol immediately pressed his lips against her forehead, murmuring affectionate words against her skin to reassure her. She kept crying, resting her head against his chest as sobs bubbled from her chest. Taking a deep breath, she wrapped her arms around Kol's neck to prop herself up and kiss him chastely on the lips. Pushing away from him, she struggled to get out of his embrace, which Kol grudgingly allowed as he observed her palpable sorrow. The first thing she did was grab the crown from her head and drop it on the ground. She created distance between it and her, but the crown refused to allow this for long, eventually rising into the air, and following her frantic footsteps.
The Originals observed this odd phenomenon in disquieting silence; each pair of eyes followed Bonnie's movements, including her defeated resign once the crown rested in her hair once more.
"Bonnie," Kol called out, taking tentative steps towards her. "Love, what's going on?"
Biting her lip, she suppressed another sob before looking at him. "Payment," she stated. Her eyes gazing down at the long, jagged scar on her arm. "I need to go," she muttered under her breath, stroking the wound. Braving a few steps forward, she looked into Kol's eyes, silently pleading with him to understand. "You should get home and stay there until this blows over. I'll handle the Salvatores."
The pace of her breathing quickened when Kol approached her. "What's wrong? You don't seem well."
Bonnie shook her head, finding no trouble confessing the truth to Kol, "I'm not fine. I think something very bad has happened to me that I can't reverse. I need to wrap my mind around it."
Kol grabbed her cheeks, pressing his head against hers. "Come stay with me. You can have your own room; I just need to know you are close to me."
Bonnie grabbed his hands, removing them from her face and placing a soft kiss against his knuckles before dropping them. "I need to be alone, Kol. It has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I can't tell you about it yet, but trust me when I say it's serious. I want you to go back to your family and stay safe."
Kol wrapped his arms around her waist in a secure grip. "What about you love? You really think I'm going to leave you alone? No way in hell. And I've been there so trust me."
Tears fell from her eyes. "So have I."
Kol frowned, pressing a kiss to her temple before picking her up. Bonnie didn't resist; instead, she closed her eyes, falling prey to her nightmare of a lone dark red throne now with her name on it.
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Bonnie woke up to someone nudging her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open and landed on a handsome boy with dark hair, wearing ripped jeans and converse who was staring at her.
Bonnie perked up in her seat, straightening her posture as her eyes scanned her surroundings. She was back in the eerie subterranean setting. Her eyes fell on the boy, her heart plummeting once she recognized him.
"Jake?" She rushed over and on instinct grabbed his face, her eyes roaming his familiar visage but not registering the look of confusion on his face. "Why are you here? What happened? I—you're—were…what happened to you?" Her wide eyes, stared up at him imploringly, desperate for an answer as to why a human Jake could possibly be in this place. Fears swirled around her head, but the worst one wouldn't disappear—the chance that Jake was turned.
The young man frowned, momentarily at a loss for words, but finally recovering. "As much as I love such a hot girl touching me; for whatever reason I can't lie to you, so I have no clue who Jake is…" He pointed to himself, a grin forming on his face, which caused Bonnie to drop contact immediately. "Kai Parker at your service, beautiful." He laughed, shaking his head. "I don't know what I did to be rewarded with someone that looks like you to greet me, but I will take it." He opened his arms, expecting a hug, but Bonnie stood still.
"I'm…sorry. I thought you were someone that I knew." Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but none of it seemed to phase him.
"Babe, I will be anyone that you want." He attempted to move closer, but with a wave of her hand, she forced him to stay at his spot. Kai's eyes widened, his mouth opening slightly before a laugh filled with disbelief and joy erupted from his lips. "You are a witch? This keeps getting better! So am I…well technically warlock, but you get the idea."
Stunned, she fell backwards, landing on her seat once again. "A warlock?" She forgot where she was and allowed a small smile to grace her face. "I've never met another witch or warlock close to my age." Suddenly remembering the circumstances, she lost the smile, turning grave. "What happened?"
Despite getting asked such a heavy question, Kai reacted nonchalantly, shrugging slightly and replying cooly, "I killed myself. It's nothing new. I've been trying to escape my prison world that my father put me in, and I need to do that every once in a while to check if I'm making progress on figuring out an escape. Plus, it gets lonely." For the first time, Bonnie noticed a flash of sadness grace his face, which made her heart ache. This job would not be easy.
"I'm so sorry, Kai."
He snapped out of his melancholy, meeting her eyes and grinning slightly. "I'm used to it. Looks like I'm not the only one stuck in a bad situation." His eyes glanced over her crown, "You replaced the other person that was here…I hate to say I'm happy about that, but you are much friendlier. It's nice." He reverted his gaze to her eyes. "I definitely hate to say goodbye, but I must return to the bane of my existence."
Bonnie took a deep breath, her shoulder sagging under the pressure of this newfound burden. Tears prickled the corner of her eyes, and it took all her willpower to not let them fall. Holding her arm out, she braced herself for the pain, but it didn't happen even when Kai grabbed her hand.
He led her arm upwards and downwards into a formal shake; the sight would've looked ridiculous had they been in a sane situation to begin with. "It's been a pleasure…I didn't even get your name."
"Bonnie Bennett," she replied. "New prisoner of the veil or chauffeur to the other side…I have no idea." She rubbed the bridge of her nose and released a giggle that contained not the slightest trace of humor. "At your service."
Kai took a step towards her, "The nice thing about magic is that there is always a loophole. You'll find one. Like I will." His confidence startled her. This situation just seemed hopeless, but he still believed in a way out. He exhaled deeply, a huge smile radiating his face, and Bonnie was breathless at the sight—he looked so much like Jake. "I think my time might be up. Hopefully, one day we can meet under different circumstances. If not, it was nice to see such a beautiful sight like you even if it didn't last."
Bonnie suppressed an eye roll at his obvious flirting, choosing instead to offer him a reassuring smile. "It was nice to meet you too. Good luck." She trembled, awaiting the inevitable pain.
Kai's grip on her hand tightened before a sharp pang startled her senses so suddenly that her body went into shock, causing her vision to black out.
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"Bonnie," Kol tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, leaning closer to watch for any sign of waking up. He had refused to leave her side.
Klaus watched the young witch, his eyes calculating her still form, but he remained silent.
Kol persisted, "Little witch. Please…" He stroked her cheek.
The room's silence perpetuated the intensity—the whole original family stood surrounding Bonnie, waiting for an end to the tense silence until a desperate gasp of air abruptly ended their waiting. Bonnie's entire body buzzed with a strange mix of power and exhaustion that urged her to sit up and immediately address her new surroundings. "What?" She looked at Kol, who just captured her face in his hands, pulling her forward until her lips pressed firmly against his. He kissed her desperately, forcing Bonnie to forget the whirlwind of events that assaulted her within the past twenty-four hours and settle into the comfort of his kiss. Kol, mindful of her need to breathe, broke the kiss just long enough to hear her joyful lament over his presence in front of her.
"It worked," she smiled through her tears. "I knew it. I knew I could protect you."
Kol wrapped his free arm under her legs, bringing her onto his lap so he could embrace her tightly. "Why did you do that, Bonnie? You could have killed yourself! Never, do that again." His demand, startled her.
She shook the curls out of her eyes, releasing a cold laugh. "Are you giving me orders? Don't you know?" She positioned herself to look at the other members of eldest living vampire family. "I am now the proud keeper of the veil. That means I'm stuck suffering through every supernatural being's death." She used all of her strength to push herself out of her Kol's grasp and distance herself from all of the shocked faces. "That's the price I paid for my friends' decision to kill an original vampire—and not just anyone. You." Her lips twisted into a grimace as she clutched at the material of her new dress. "I couldn't take it. You have become my best friend. I told you that I wouldn't let anyone hurt you. I'm not the weak little human you took me for the first day we met in the woods. I have full control over my powers, and a new gig chaperoning the dead. I'm not in the mood for anyone doubting my capabilities." Bonnie settled her gaze onto Kol only, but in doing so, caused her to miss the dark glint that appeared in Klaus' eye as he listened. Perhaps, the family had finally found another witch to stand by their side.
"That may be, Bonnie," replied Kol. "But it doesn't have to stay this way. There must be a way to undo…"
Bonnie cut him off, "No. There isn't. Qetsiyah made it clear."
The name captured Esther's attention, and the original witch watched the teenager more carefully.
Kol persisted, "I don't bloody care about what anyone thinks. I refuse to let you suffer consequences over me. Love, please. I don't use that word ever, but I am now. Please let me help you. Tell me what's going on." Taking a hesitant step forward, Kol reached out to grab Bonnie's hand.
"What's going on is that I am facing consequences for a spell that I completed. It's all a balance of power, and I can't escape the fallout from such a powerful spell. There's nothing you can do, but what I need to do right now is find Elena. I need to figure out what the hell happened to you and why." She maintained intensely steady eye contact with Kol, and the torrent of emotions that whirled within her surfaced through her eyes—Kol could not find the will to argue with her, for her unsettling look floored him. He had never seen such a hardness in her eyes. It succeeded in breaking his often non existent heart.
"Let me come with you," he offered while linking their fingers together.
"One condition," she replied. "No killing. Let me handle this." She waited for a sign of acknowledgement on his part before leading him out of the room. Though the last thing she wanted to do was travel to the boarding house and confront everyone, she refused to wait for answers.
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Damon wouldn't leave Elena's side after her sudden collapse that followed hours of agonizing side effects from killing Kol. He kept a steady watch over her sleeping form, while he replayed the scary events of the previous night in his head. A small sound diverted his attention from a resting Elena to the opening archway of the house where Bonnie stood with her arms crossed defiantly. Standing up, he scanned her appearance, incredibly confused by her formal attire but even more angry at her absence this whole night. "Look who decided to show up," he sneered.
"Shut up," Bonnie simply replied. No trace of emotion on her face, save the glint of anger in her eyes.
Damon frowned, "Excuse me? You've been M.I.A. this whole night while Elena suffered. What the hell do you have to be angry for?"
"Just being near you is enough to make me angry," she confessed her thoughts with an air of indifference. "Plus, you're wrong to assume that I had nothing to do with Elena's recovery. She began to feel better a few hours ago, right?" When Damon refused to respond, she continued. "My spell worked. I saved my friend tonight. As always, I fix everyone else's mess."
He rolled his eyes, "Whatever, witchy. If you did do something right tonight then congratulations. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to make sure Elena rests."
Bonnie clenched her teeth, anger surging through her, "She's my best friend. If anyone should be looking after her it's me. Don't you ever assume that I wouldn't go to the ends of the earth for the people that I love."
Damon shrugged his shoulders, sighing heavily. "Your speech over?"
She raised an eyebrow, settling on a small nod. "Sure, it's not like you are listening anyway." She turned to leave, pausing in the middle to glance back at Damon. "If you try to hurt Kol again, you'll have to deal with me." She didn't care enough to see his reaction; it didn't matter to her anymore.
A/N: I planned to update this story eventually. I know it's a long wait, but I hope everyone who reads the story enjoys it. Thank you all for reading this story and showing your support by writing reviews!