chapter rating: teen (coarse language, gore, violence)
word count: 8,320
xiv.
"Do we even know what direction we should be going in?" Tyler sighed, walking at the back of the group, kicking at a stray rock. "What are you sniffing for? Wet dog?"
Braeden frowned back at him. "Mad you're just a 'roided up dick when the full moon isn't out?"
He pursed his lips in reply. "I'm just saying… We've been out here a while."
"And you wanna head back. Shocker. Nobody's keeping you here. You can turn around anytime."
"Right, because splitting off from this circus wouldn't end in me getting hunted down." He rolled his eyes. "No, thanks."
"Then help or shut up." She bent then, dropping a knee to the ground as she picked up a few cracked twigs. "They came this way. They got excited about something." She pointed to where the dirt was disturbed ahead of them, noticeable claw marks in the ground. "See? They were wrestling."
"For fun? Or were they fighting?" Scott walked over to stand next to her.
"No blood. Looks like they were just having fun." She stood, dusting off her hands. "They're happy she's back."
"They don't even know her." Tyler scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"It's instinct. Kind of like how your instinct is to always argue." She marched ahead, leaving them to follow.
"If they stopped to wrestle, doesn't that mean they're not being forced to go to her?" Scott hurried to catch up to Braeden. "They can't be in much of a hurry if they took time to play."
"It's probably more like they're searching her out to show they're on her side. Damon didn't explain the whole 'controlling' thing too well. All I know is Bonnie can control the magic that's inside of all of you."
"Which could be good or totally terrifying," Stiles said, tripping over a reaching tree leg. He frowned back at it and then turned, to keep walking, only to slam into Scott's back. "Whoa. A little head's up next ti— Holy shit."
The group had stalled mid-step. Braeden at the front, Scott just to her left. Derek on her right. Stiles stood behind her, with Tyler right behind him. And all around them were wolves, lined up in a perfect circle, penning them in.
They were completely surrounded.
...
"Well, brother, I'm all ears…" Klaus smirked at Elijah from across the room, but the wrinkle atop his brow promised he was more than eager to fight.
"Before you start screaming about betrayal," Elijah said, already sounding exasperated, "the Mother of Magic is awake. Kai and his heretics raised her in the town square. I'm sure you saw the light show."
"Saw it? The streets went mad. A good chunk of the werewolf population turned against their will. They were attacking every vampire in sight."
Stefan frowned. "Just vampires?"
"Yes. Why?" Klaus' eyes narrowed suspiciously as they moved over the room. "What did you lot have to do with it anyway?"
"Nothing. We thought when Bonnie woke up, she'd declare war." Elena shrugged. "Not so much."
"So, you went off to fight the creator of magic with some stake guns then…?" Klaus grinned. "Little underwhelming, don't you think?"
"We used what we had. It's not like there's an Amazon wish-list for what you need to take out all-powerful witches." Alaric rolled his eyes as he leaned back in the desk chair. "Considering you've been burning down the town more than putting out fires, I don't think you get to talk."
"On the contrary, I think it's my turn to talk." Klaus' brows arched as he stared at his brother. "Why is it that you're running around with this lot? I don't remember receiving any memo I'd been traded in for the Misfits of Mystic Falls."
"You weren't traded in…" Elijah rolled his eyes as he let out a long sigh. "You've shown little interest in saving the town, Niklaus. I've spoken to you about the prophecy and Damon, and each time you seemed aggrieved that I'd asked you to help. I took it upon myself to seek out more information."
"You mean from the witch." His mouth twisted up as he cast his gaze toward Abby, who glared back, not intimidated in the least. "I thought when you called off the engagement some twenty-plus years ago, we'd be rid of her." He walked to the drink cart then and poured himself a glass.
"I'm sorry, what?" Caroline's brows hiked. With a shake of her head, she stared at Abby. "You were engaged to Elijah Mikaelson? How? When? Why?"
"It was a long time ago." Abby shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Can we focus, please? Bonnie is awake and we need a plan. She's got a banshee and her daughter, who, let's be real here, is probably insanely powerful herself. She's a direct descendant of not only Bonnie, but of Damon, too. This girl is just as much a powerhouse as her mother."
"What girl?" Klaus asked, frowning.
"Bonnie resurrected her daughter as well," Elijah informed him.
"Her name is M'Kenna. And she's one of their three children." Sheila stepped forward then. "I think we're missing an obvious piece of the puzzle here. Bonnie used Lydia's abilities to raise her daughter. She took Lydia on purpose."
"You think she's going to wake up her other two kids…" Stefan's brow furrowed. "Why bring them back if she just wants to destroy the world?"
"Haven't you told them yet?" Klaus clapped a hand against Elijah's shoulder. "The prophecy suggested she was coming here to play judge and jury. It doesn't say who she's judging…"
"So what, she's come back to wipe out the humans specifically?" Lucy frowned. "Not unlikely. They are the ones that caused all this in the first place…"
"But she didn't hesitate to wipe out the heretics to bring M'Kenna back."
"Look, none of us want to admit it, but we don't know what she wants." Elena looked around at each of them. "Or what lengths she'll go to get it."
...
"This place is even creepier at night…" Malia frowned as she looked up at the eerie church, all of its hollows looked especially dark when it was lit only by a waning moon. The door they had left open from their previous visit banged against the wall from the wind.
"You don't like churches?"
"Do you?"
Damon shrugged. "Can't say I've ever worshiped anywhere but at my wife's feet. And I don't think they'd like my technique around here…"
Malia's nose wrinkled.
Climbing up the stairs, Damon waved for her to follow. She stepped inside carefully, toeing at the floor as if she thought it might cave in under her weight.
He walked casually to the end of the aisle while Malia took a seat in an old pew, the wood whining as it resettled.
"I won't be long." He cast his eyes up toward the wooden cross in front of him.
Malia looked from him to the open door. "Should I poke you if someone shows up?"
"You expecting somebody?"
"Things come out at night…" She shifted in her seat. "Things that can't walk around in the day."
He hummed. "I'll know if danger's close, don't worry."
Malia said nothing, chewing on her lip.
He raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"
She shrugged.
"I'd bring you along, but I'm pretty sure the ones with the feathers frown on that. Something about not letting mortals near the other realms unless they've got a passport. Which you only get when you die, so…"
"I'll be fine." She sat up a little straighter then and painted on her brave face.
Damon hesitated, but eventually nodded. He trusted her, and he had a time limit in front of him.
Spreading his arms out to the side, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
...
A single wolf broke from the back and loped forward.
"Stay still," Derek said, his mouth barely moving. "No sudden moves."
"They can smell fear though, can't they?" Stiles' eyes darted in every direction. "'Cause I'm sweating buckets here."
"Shh."
Striped in black and white, the wolf made his way toward Braeden. She felt Derek's fingers stretch toward her and brush against her forearm. But a snapping growl in his direction forced him to stop.
Braeden's heart hammered in her chest and echoed in her ears. All she could hear was Grams' voice in her head, telling her to be sure, to be careful, that she was strong. A part of her wanted to go back, to tell her that she wasn't always strong. Sometimes she was scared. Terrified, even.
The wolf stepped right up until its paws touched the front of Braeden's boots. It tipped its head back to stare at her with eerily bright eyes, and then it circled around her, sniffing. It knocked its side against the back of her knees, forcing her to walk forward a step. Her arms went out to steady herself and she swallowed down the noise crawling up her throat.
The wolf stepped to her side then and yipped, as if encouraging her. It looked forward and lowered its snout for a moment, before taking another step.
Braeden's brow furrowed. She pushed one boot out and the wolf barked again. "I… I think it wants me to follow."
"This is crazy," Tyler pointed out. "You have no idea what you're doing. It couldkill you."
Braeden shook her head slightly. She took another step forward and the wolf's tongue lolled from its mouth. Feeling a little steadier, she kept walking, until she reached the edge of the ring, where the wolves parted for her.
She turned then, and looked straight at Derek.
He stared back, brow furrowed and jaw tense. He lifted one leg, but a growl stopped him.
"Stay." She nodded encouragingly. "I'll be okay."
His mouth thinned into a line. "You don't know that."
"But I believe it."
He took a deep breath, and let it out on a sigh, before he nodded shortly.
Heart still pounding, Braeden looked back to the wolf, and said, "Okay… Let's go."
The wolf lingered only a moment, and then walked ahead. Slowly, it picking up the pace, forcing Braeden to jog to keep up. She could still hear her Grams' voice in her head, only this time Sheila was telling her she was playing with fire, and she really ought to use her sense more often. She was probably right.
...
"Two visits in less than a week. Should I be flattered?" Polly grinned, turning on her heel to face him. "Don't tell me you've come to lament that I wasn't a better mother. I already told you, it all serves a greater purpose."
"You mean war?"
"I mean justice." Her smile turned brittle. "Why are you here, Damon? You clearly hold me in little regard at the moment."
"Bonnie's back. So is M'Kenna."
"I saw…" She turned her back to him and strolled to a tall-backed chair, sinking down on the seat. She lounged with her hands stacked in her lap. "As I hear it, she's still quite upset about what the humans did. She's seeking recompense."
"When I went to the other side, I asked them for all three of my children. For whatever reason, they only gave me M'Kenna. Why?"
Polly scoffed. "You expect me to know what those feather dusters are up to?"
"You had this all planned out. For thousands of years, you waited. There's no way you haven't considered any obstacle that could get in the way. So why…?Where are Neci and Dysin?"
Her mouth pinched then, and she sighed. "I had no control over it. A deal was made and I had no say."
"What kind of deal?"
"A human—" Her nose wrinkled with distaste, "—he made a deal with one of the angels. You have to realize, at the time, they weren't happy with the decision I made. They thought I was undermining Father's will by giving Bonnie her abilities. If the humans should die and the earth with it, it was fine. He would simply rebuild a better world with better people. I… interrupted that process by giving Bonnie her abilities. She replenished the earth and so the humans survived. Not only the humans, either, because Bonnie went on to have children, magical in their own right. And not just anyone's children. Yourchildren. Half demon. The grandchildren of the devil herself…"
She scoffed and shook her head. "Father's brown-noser's thought it was ablight. They didn't like that Bonnie was a woman, that she was the most powerful being to walk the earth. They worried that the magical would become too powerful and they would overcome the world. But it didn't turn out that way. Instead, because humans were so fearful and ignorant, the supernatural went into hiding."
"What does that have to do with Neci and Dysin?"
"You always were impatient." She rolled her eyes. "When you and Bonnie died, you were preserved on earth, you never passed over. The angels could do nothing about that. But your children… They had a choice there. M'Kenna, she died first. Before the deal was struck. I was able to sneak her through, settle her on the Other Side. But Neci and Dysin, they died later, after the deal was struck."
Damon's brows hiked impatiently.
"Angels are biased. They pretend they aren't, but they're liars. Especially back then. And so they let his twisted tongue convince them he was doing them aservice by creating another place for the magical. He told them the magical shouldn't rest with the humans, that their spirits should be sent elsewhere. They couldn't send them here, to me, because they hadn't harmed anyone, they didn't fit the qualifications for someone in need of punishment…"
Her mouth turned down at the corners. "But the angels agreed to let him try his hand, if only because they didn't want to deal with the issue anymore. He took Neci and Dysin's spirit and ferreted them away somewhere, an in-between like this. I argued it wasn't right. Once I knew what had happened, I petitioned to have their spirits passed down to me, but they wouldn't allow it. They did agree he wouldn't get anymore magical spirits. They created another world, different from his, but especially for the magical. Despite that, their agreement was still in place. He was allowed to keep Neci and Dysin's spirits. There was nothing to be done about it."
Damon's eyes narrowed. "Who is he?"
Her face darkened and her eyes lit with fire. "Zarius. On his death bed, he called out. He knew where he was headed, right down here, to serve out eternity paying for his sins. The angels were willing to hear his pleas for forgiveness. I told you. They're biased. They listened to dad's speeches about humanity and what good could be found there." She scoffed. "They weren't as jaded as they are now."
Damon's skin turned a mottled black, scaled and fiery. "Zarius. The same man who helped kill me, who hunted Bonnie down, has had my children's spirits forthousands of years…"
"He can't harm them, it's against the rules. Well…" She smirked. "For anywhere but here."
He shook his head. "Why? What does he want them for?"
"To control them. So long as they're in his possession, they can never know true peace. He's a zealot, Damon. His actions have no real purpose but his own drive for power."
Dragging a hand over his mouth, he shook his head and tried to breathe through the rage that was building up inside him.
"Oh, if you're going to set fire to something, avoid the drapes. They're new."
He glared. "I want them back."
Polly waved a hand. "You'll have to take it up with the feathered ones."
"If Bonnie finds out about this…" He took a deep breath; when he let it out on a sigh, smoke left his nostrils. "If they were afraid about a magical uproar before, they're about to have a real one. She'll decimate this entire planet."
"And why shouldn't she?" Polly stood from her seat, her back rigid and her chin lifted. "Those are your children, Damon. Your little girl and boy. Don't you remember what Neci was like? How she used to cry on your shoulder that the other people wouldn't like her? That she's a freak and a monster. Zarius probably has her locked away somewhere. Her soul left to rot away in a tiny hole. And Dysin! Who loved to be free, to float on the wind like a wingless bird, he's probably chained down, stripped of any freedom he could ever want. Doesn't that hurt you, Damon? Doesn't it burn you up inside that your children—"
Fire burst across his skin and rippled up his face. Every inch of him was black and scaled, his teeth long and sharp. When he spoke, flames danced along his lips. "You think I don't mourn for my children? My hands were the first to hold them. I remember every word they ever spoke, every scrape on every knee and elbow. I couldn't sleep for weeks when they were first born, terrified that something might happen to them if I wasn't watching them every second of every day. I would give my life a thousand times over just to hear their voices again. Do not speak to me about pain! You have spent an eternity down here, sentencing the damned, while I rotted in the ground, hoping that somehow, despite everything, they survived. And now you want to tell me that no matter what I did or what I sacrificed, the man who destroyed my family has imprisoned two of my children this whole time."
Polly stared at him, her eyes glittering with feral intensity. "Then join me. Let us destroy every one of them. These humans deserve none of your pity or forgiveness. Your family is owed more than can ever be repaid." She reached for him, unafraid of the fire that rippled off of him, and pressed her hands down on his shoulders. "Bonnie was meant to rule. Her place is at top of the hierarchy. Let her take her throne, and find your own at her side."
Damon stared at her a long moment. Slowly, the fire began to recede and the scales flickered away. "She doesn't want to be a queen. She only ever wanted to be a mom. She was happy with her life, with our house and our kids and us. She doesn't want to rule anybody. That isn't who Bonnie is. Just because she could doesn't mean she will."
"It's a waste. She could be more than that."
Damon tapped her hand aside and stared her down. "Tell me how to get them back."
"You can't. Their spirits belong to Zarius."
"Zarius is a human. Deal or not, he has no claim to any of these worlds. And you know that." He growled. "You let him keep them because they were a back up plan. If Bonnie got her kids back, she could've been content. She might've let this whole thing go. You couldn't risk that. So you let Zarius keep them because you could throw that at her feet, too. Once she knew, she'd be unstoppable."
Polly bared her teeth at him. "Good."
Damon's eyes narrowed. "You think Bonnie's the only one with power around here? I want my kids, mom."
She smiled. "You've been out of the game for some time, Damon. You really think you can hold your own against me?"
"If I have to."
She rolled her eyes. "Arrogant, just like your father."
"Funny, I always thought that was a trait I gained from you."
She laughed, light and musical. "Arrogance is for those who think more highly of their accomplishments than what they're worth. I promise you, I've earned every bit of my pride."
He hummed, smiling emptily. "You think you'll be proud of this when it's over?"
She eyed him, a brow raised. "So long as it turns out the way I want, yes, of course."
"Interesting." He turned on his heel and walked down the stairs.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I want you to remember this moment."
She frowned down at him.
He raised his arms out to his sides. "When I hand you Zarius' heart on a silver platter, remember that you were no better than him. You let them stay there. Your own grandchildren. All to serve your greater good." He shook his head. "You are him, Polly."
Her eyes widened then, but before she could rebut, he closed his eyes.
When he opened them, he was back in the church, with a half-asleep Malia dozing in a pew.
She startled as he dropped his arms and birds flew down from the beams above. "Wha…?"
"It's late. We should go."
Rubbing at her eyes, Malia pushed up, yawning so wide her jaw cracked. "Where?"
"I'll drop you off at the boarding house, you can get some sleep."
"What? No. Where are you going?"
"To find Bonnie."
"Oh. Well, I'll come with. She's probably got Lydia with her still. I need to know she's okay."
He raised an unconvinced eyebrow at her. "You're falling asleep on your feet, Kid."
"I'm fine." She stared up at him, her face set, and Damon sighed.
With a nod, he motioned for her to walk ahead.
Malia grinned, satisfied, and marched forward.
...
Kai rattled the chains currently stringing him up, hanging from the ceiling to keep him captive. He had no idea where the rest of his coven was. He presumed they were in a similar state in some other room. From what he could tell, the Mikaleson Mansion had no shortage of rooms. Maybe each coven member had their own. Or maybe he was special. He preferred that.
It was Grandmama Witch that walked in to face him first. He could hear the muffled arguing going on above him, but it had died down some ten minutes ago.
As she walked toward him, her eyebrows arched and her mouth pinched in that severe way that was supposed to put fear in his itty, bitty, black heart.
"Let me guess, a little torture is going to turn that frown upside down…"
Her eyes narrowed. "I have questions."
"And you're hoping I have answers?"
"I know you do."
"Is this about Mother Dearest? Because I thought we were all on the same resurrection bus. I mean, different end goals, sure. But you wanted her bright eyed and bushy tailed, too. Right?"
"Jeremy Gilbert."
He blinked. "You've lost me."
"He called you. He told you where to find me and mine… That we had Bonnie."
"He told me the witches were acting strange and I should keep an eye out for them."
Sheila nodded, and began to circle him, forcing him to turn and crane his head to try and keep his eyes on her. "How long were you two in cahoots?"
"That is a great word. Cahoots. That should really come back in fashion. It's too bad the world is going to end, or I'd definitely use it more." He hummed, looking dramatically disappointed.
Sheila waved a hand and Kai cried out as his brain started to pop, tiny aneurysms exploding inside. His eyes rolled back in his head and a trickle of blood slipped from his nose to stain his lips.
Sheila stopped in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest. "Why did you target my daughter, Kai? Why was your coven chasing them all over town, burning them out of their homes?"
He grinned, his teeth dripping with his own blood. His head fell back as he began to laugh. And then he swung himself forward on his chains, even as they tore into his wrists and the hooks, planted through his skin, pulled and ripped. "Honestly…? We were bored."
Sheila blinked, surprised.
"There's only so much we can do around here before blowing things up and eating the locals loses it's shine. Besides, they threw the first punch. They interrupted dinner and Abby had to go and kill one of my heretics. It was rude. We had to retaliate." He grinned at her, completely amused. "After that, it was just for funsies…"
"How did you know where they were?"
"Please! It was a tracking spell. My coven is huge. Or it was, before they all went belly up to bring back Mom. All you had were four little witches trying to push back hundreds. We could've found you in our sleep."
"And Jeremy?"
"He's been playing Hunter for weeks, picking off my coven whenever he got a chance. He stole a phone off one of the bodies, called me, told me to keep an eye out for you. It's not hard to put two and two together. He weighed his options and decided we were the lesser of two evils." He shrugged. "Sure, he didn't say it, but we figured it out. He wanted us to drain her, wipe her out and eliminate the threat. Poor little misguided idiot. Why waste all of that potential?"
Sheila took a step back, her eyes turned away as she turned that new information over in her mind.
Kai stared at her searchingly. "I felt it, you know… Her power." He inhaled deeply, his eyes fluttering closed. "It was intoxicating."
Pressing her mouth flat, she shook her head at him. "What do you think is going to happen? If she wipes us all out, you go too."
"I'm a survivalist. Always have been. But if I had to go, why not bite it knowing I had a hand in the apocalypse? I mean, for the short time we're all still here, at least I get a slice of infamy."
Sheila scoffed, and the doors behind her opened. "I heard all I need to. He's all yours."
Stefan walked forward, a few people behind him. "He tell you anything interesting?"
"He's just a power-hungry sociopath." She turned away from Kai to face Stefan. "It wouldn't be right, telling you to make him pay for what he did to my family… I don't relish violence."
"So don't say anything." Stefan's arms crossed. "We'll read between the lines."
The three people that banked him stepped forward, grinning.
"Kai, this is Carlos, Jennifer and Chin. A few of your heretics killed friends of theirs. They wanted to meet you personally…"
Kai's gaze bounced between everybody. "My condolences."
Sheila walked to the doors.
"Hey, Grandma," Kai called after her.
She paused, and looked back, an eyebrow raised in question.
"She's not like me. She's not a siphon. We take magic. Absorb it. That's just our nature. But her? She's had magic pumped into her for centuries. She wasn't made for that."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He grinned. "Boom."
...
Braeden wasn't sure what she expected, but a tiny house tucked away in the middle of the forest wasn't it. The wolf led her right up to the clearing, but took a seat in the overgrown grass rather than trek closer. Braeden stopped with it, not sure if she was supposed to walk up and ring the doorbell or wait.
From what she could tell, there were lights on inside. But why a wolf would lead her to some random family, she didn't know.
The door swung open then, and a woman stepped out onto the porch.
Braeden's breath caught.
Bonnie was beautiful; she'd seen that first hand. But now, there was something about her that left Braeden in awe. There was a presence to her. The same kind that Grams had when Braeden was a little girl and she would look up at Sheila would stars in her eyes.
A nudge at Braeden's hip told her to step forward, and she let it propel her, one foot after the other. Her tongue felt too heavy in her mouth, and she found herself wishing her Grams was there. She, at least, would know what to say. Braeden was a fighter. A do-er. She wasn't a peacemaker.
Bonnie seemed to float down the stairs and across the leaf-covered ground toward her. The dress she wore was black, with an intricate floral pattern imprinted across it. It wasn't until she walked closer that Braeden realized it wasn't the fabric, but real flowers that made up Bonnie's dress, tiny green vines slithering around, knitting them together and wrapping themselves around Bonnie's legs and arms. It gave new meaning to 'at one with nature.'
"Hi," she blurted, when Bonnie was in reach, and cursed her inability to come up with something a little more formal. "I'm Braeden Bennett."
Bonnie came to a stop just short of Braeden, and looked past her shoulder to the waiting wolf. She nodded to it, and Braeden heard the retreat of its padding paws a moment later.
"You took a risk, Braeden, wandering the woods this late at night. Especially when you know what danger lives in them."
She clenched her teeth briefly. "I had a duty."
"To Lydia or to your grandmother?" Bonnie stared at her searchingly. "Or perhaps, to yourself."
She raised an eyebrow. "Is 'all of the above' available?"
Bonnie's lips curled faintly. "Lydia is unharmed. She is asleep inside. Her powers are draining. She has not slept well in some time."
"Yeah." Braeden scoffed. "Try years."
"She's young, and she fears her powers. They rebel, try to force her to adapt. She will learn."
"I wouldn't know. I'm human."
"No."
"Excuse me?" Braeden frowned. "I think I'd know."
"You have power in you. A spark of magic, hidden deep inside." Bonnie reached out and tapped a finger against Braeden's chest, where her heart lay. "Dim, but there. All it needs is a little push..." She raised her eyes to meet Braeden's once more. "Would you like that?"
"Y'know, I feel like I'm getting asked that a lot lately. I'm human. I come from witches, and I love my family, but I'm not them. I'm my own person."
"Yes. You are. But there is still an emptiness. A wanting for what you feel is missing."
"I'm not broken." Her chin jutted out defensively.
"I didn't say you were." Bonnie tipped her head curiously. "Lydia hides from her powers. Wishes them away because they hurt. Because she fears the day she might feel another loved one leave this plane. It's an honest fear. One I can relate to. You don't fear much… Isolation. Abandonment. The idea that you might be less than."
Braeden swallowed tightly and folded her fingers into her palms, squeezing her hands into fists.
"Fear offers you little. If you let it control you, it will guide you places you need not go." Bonnie reached up and tucked Braeden's hair back from her cheek. "Conquer it, and you will know strength you never knew you possessed."
"I'm not like them. I can't be."
"You needn't be anyone but yourself." Bonnie curled a finger under Braeden's chin and lifted it. "Family does not rely on magic. Yours loves you. That is all you need to know."
"The Bennetts… They're known for how powerful they are. Everybody comes to my family because they know that if something needs to get done, the Bennetts will make that happen. I…" Her voice caught and she swallowed down the lump building in her throat. "I'm the broken link."
"There are no broken links. Each person brings to a family their own unique traits. In my family, Neci learned to be courageous. To face her fears and the fear of others. M'Kenna believed in equality. That no person was greater than any other. And Dysin shared his knowledge, eager to teach others everything that he had learned."
"And Damon?"
"He was our protector. Our strength when we felt scared or weak." She shook her head. "Having courage does not mean to never fear. It means to stand updespite your fear." She took Braeden's hands and squeezed. "We all have fear in us. We all have moments where we think we are not enough. The important thing is knowing that those fears cannot define us unless we let them."
"I don't know how to be anything but human."
"Then be a spectacular human."
She smiled. "Doesn't hurt to try, I guess."
Bonnie smiled too. "Would you like to see your friend? Lydia is sleeping upstairs. I will ask you not to wake her. She needs this rest."
"I just want to check on her. See her for myself."
"Of course." She released one hand to wave toward the house. "M'Kenna is inside, too. I am sure she would like to meet you."
Braeden nodded. She took a step forward, but stopped, and turned back. "Thank you."
Bonnie stared back at her a beat, and then smiled. She released Braeden's hand and watched her make her way up to the house.
"I see you're making friends with the Bennetts… Why am I not surprised?"
Bonnie's gaze fell to the ground, briefly, before she turned. "Damon."
"In the flesh." He forced a smile. "You weren't too hard to track down… Can't tell if that was on purpose or not."
Bonnie tipped her head, an eyebrow raised. "You think it was an invitation?"
"A guy can hope." Damon looked back, over his shoulder, and nodded at Malia to walk ahead. "Go see Braeden and Lydia. I'll get you when it's time to go."
Malia looked from him to Bonnie, waiting on her go-ahead.
Bonnie tilted her chin down, just once, and Malia took her cue, hurrying ahead to the house.
Left alone once more, Damon turned back to Bonnie. In a flash, he was in front of her, close enough to feel the warmth of her body. Staring down at her, he searched her face. "We need to talk."
"If I remember correctly, you were a man more of action than words…"
His mouth curled up slowly, and he reached for her, a hand winding around her waist and pulling her toward him until their chests met and flattened together. "When things aren't so hectic, I'll be happy to prove you right… But we've got some serious business to get out of the way first."
Bonnie reached up and dragged a fingertip along the arch of his cheek. "I missed the sound of your voice… Where I was, I could hear you, a drum in my ears… But it wasn't the same." She looked away and frowned. "I fear if I close my eyes too long, I will return there. Alone. Haunted."
"Shh…" He stroked her hair back from her face and feathered his fingers down her neck. "You never have to go back. All right? We're free now." His hand slid down to her chest. "You feel that? That's air. You're breathing. Your heart is beating. Okay?"
She looked up at him, her eyes damp. "It is not over. I may not be there, but a piece of that place lives in me. Like teeth, it gnaws away at my soul."
"So I'll find a really good dentist to tear those suckers out. Bonnie, listen to me…" He cupped her face. "I know you're angry. I know you want someone to pay for what happened to us—"
Her eyes lit with a bright green glow and she grit her teeth. "It wasn't right."
"No, it wasn't. But we have to be careful about this. We have to think this through…"
"Death is what I was given, and Death is what I'm owed."
"You think I don't want to tear people's heads off? I've killed my fair share since I've woken up, I can admit that. When I breathed air again for the first time incenturies, a part of me was ready to paint this whole damn earth in red. It still does!" He laughed, his eyes wide. "But that's not going to solve what's going on here. That's not going to make any of it better." He licked his lips and shook his head. "We lost. They caught us, they killed us, they left us to rot. And despite everything, here we are. We've got another chance. I don't know how long it'll last. But I do know this…
"I love you. I've loved you from the moment I met you. Really met you. I would do anything for you, without question. Because you are everything good in any world, and I know this, at the core of my being. When I was lost, when I didn't know who I was or what I had to offer, I met you, and I found a purpose. Loving you and our children is the greatest thing I have ever done, and I wouldn't trade one second of it. Which is why I'm asking you, please, trust me… We can do this, together. We can make some small part of this better."
"I want to." Tears trembled in her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. "But I can feel it. I can feel rage…" Her voice quaked, thick with emotion. "I can feel hatred chewing at my insides. And I cannot forgive them. I cannot let their actions pass." She shook her head. "He has them, Damon. Neci and Dysin. Hehas them."
Damon took a deep breath. "Zarius."
Her brow furrowed.
"I spoke to Mother. He made a deal with a few asshole angels and they created a… world. Not heaven and not hell, some in-between space. It was meant to be for all magical beings, but Mom stepped in and they were forced to stop. The deal is still in place, though. He gets to keep them."
"No."
Damon nodded. "I know. We'll get them back. I promise. But—"
"I will have my children." A gust of wind whistled through the trees. "And my vengeance, too."
With that, she disappeared. The house blinked out of existence, leaving behind an overgrown thicket of ivy. And standing in front of it was a confused Braeden and Malia.
Damon let out a long sigh. "That went well."
...
Caroline wasn't sure when she was invited to join in the witches only group talk, but she soon found herself standing in a room with Abby, Sheila, and Lucy. "Uh… Did something happen?"
Leaning against a wall, Lucy shrugged. "She talked to Kai."
"Okay…" Caroline frowned. "Well, what'd he say?"
"His usual psychotic rhetoric." Sheila sighed. "With a few insightful tidbits about Jeremy Gilbert."
"Snitch," Lucy muttered under her breath.
"I won't argue that, but the circumstances aren't as cut and dry as I first thought." Sheila waved Lucy's confused look off, clearly deciding it was a topic they would discuss later. "No, that's not the important part."
"What is then?"
"You remember when Klaus said that the prophecy never named who Bonnie would judge?"
"Sure."
"He thinks the apocalypse is coming for the humans. And we've been operating on the assumption that Bonnie will have a say in who lives and who dies. But what if she doesn't?"
Caroline walked forward, her brow furrowed. "Why wouldn't she?"
"The ley lines have been feeding power into Bonnie since the moment she died. It's part of what's kept her from passing over all this time. Try to imagine how much power that would take. We've all said that she is the most magical being on earth, but what if it's more than that?"
Lucy's eyes widened and she pushed off the wall. "Magic needs balance."
"Right." Sheila nodded at her. "If one person has an abundance of it, it can hurt them more than help them."
Abby nodded. "Like Expression."
"Exactly." Sheila's mouth thinned. "If her powers get to be too great, they could consume her, and the rest of us with her."
Lucy rubbed a hand over her forehead. "Bonnie isn't here to bring the apocalypse…"
Caroline swallowed. "No. Because she is the apocalypse."
...
"Where are we going?" Braeden frowned as she hurried to keep pace with Damon and Malia. "And where the hell did the house go?"
"Bonnie was done talking, so she left, and she took the house with her. You know, if I wasn't so sure my marriage was rock solid, I'd make a 'she got the house in the divorce' joke."
"Rock solid?" Braeden snorted. "Then why aren't you with her?"
"Currently, we have different end goals. It's a classic case of miscommunication."
"Uh-huh. Is that miscommunication that she wants to wipe us out and you're hoping she'll be more selective or…?"
"More or less." He shrugged. "Look, it's complicated. She has a good reason for doing what she does."
"Oh, I get holding a grudge against the people that killed you. But those people are long dead. I know forgiveness can be a process, but she's gonna have to speed hers up."
"Thanks for the tip." He rolled his eyes. "I'll pass it on."
Malia looked over at him, her brow furrowed. "Did you tell her about Zarius?"
"She already knew. I don't know how. We didn't get that far. But she's hellbent on getting our kids back."
"Well, that's not a bad thing, right? You want them back, too."
"Yes, but there's a protocol to these things. She can't just storm the Other Side and start making demands. Angels are dicks. They have rules in place. You have to ask the right person on the right day in just the right way or you spend an eternity rotting in damnation…"
"Okay… Then how were you going to handle it?"
He blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Well, how do you plan on getting your kids back?"
He frowned. "I know people. With wings. Or clipped wings. It's been a while. They weren't the 'tow the line' types. They could've been tossed for all I know."
"Where do they go then?"
"Depends. Some are sent to Earth to live as humans, others turn demon, take up a job in hell with mom." He waved a dismissive hand. It really depends on just how bad they screwed up."
Malia nodded. "So, how do you find them? Another church?"
"Not quite."
Before she could ask more questions, they came upon a ring of wolves, circling a pack of familiar faces.
...
"You guys lose a Bennett recently? I hear they're in high demand these days…"
Scott, Tyler, Stiles, and Derek turned toward Damon's voice.
"Malia!"
"Braeden!"
"You're okay." Scott breathed a sigh of relief. He took a step forward, but a warning growl forced him to stop.
Damon took a look around, and then walked ahead.
"Don't."
They all started waving at him, voices doubling over each other to warn him off. But Damon rolled his eyes and kept walking. The wolves parted for him, and he scratched one behind the ear. "Calm down. They're fine."
The boys all exchanged a look, and then Scott carefully stretched a leg out. When he wasn't met with more growling, he inched forward a little more. Slowly, he made his way toward them, and smiled tiredly at Malia.
"I saw Lydia." She nodded as he looked up at her, brows hiked. "She's okay.Well, she was sleeping, but she looked fine."
"Where was she?"
"Still with Bonnie."
Braeden piped up then, "She's training her. Helping her with her banshee powers so they won't hurt her anymore."
Scott's brow furrowed. He looked between them. "She was really okay?"
"She was fine." Braeden nodded. "I don't know how all of this is gonna turn out, but if you want my honest opinion… I think she's okay with Bonnie."
A distant howl tore through the night then, and the wolf ring broke apart. They ran off toward the trees, disappearing into their depths.
"You should head back to town." Damon frowned as he cast his eyes around. "The wolves aren't the only things out here."
Braeden gave a short nod, and walked over to meet Derek, who pulled her into a hug and buried his face against her neck. "You're okay?"
She nodded, wrapping her arms around him. "C'mon… I'll tell you all about it on the walk back."
He let go of her, pausing to press a kiss to her forehead, and took her head.
As they walked ahead, Tyler lingered a moment, looking back at the others. Eventually, he walked off after Braeden and Derek, clearly eager to leave.
Scott turned to Damon. "You know her better than any of us… Do you think Lydia's safe with your wife?"
Damon didn't hesitate. "She's safe."
Scott stared at him a long second, and then nodded. "Okay."
"Okay?! Scott." Stiles stared at him searchingly. "You're gonna take his word for it?"
"Not just his. I trust Braeden and Malia. If they say she's okay…"
Stiles shook his head, his leg jittering nervously.
Another howl went up, closer this time.
Damon pressed a hand to Malia's shoulder. "We should go."
She nodded.
"You're going with him again?" Stiles stared at her, brow knit. "Malia… Think about this."
"I am. I know what I'm doing." She smiled. "I'll be fine."
Stiles looked between her and Scott, who shrugged.
"Great."
Damon tucked a hand under Malia's elbow, and before Stiles could offer anymore, they were gone.
...
Malia yawned as they walked through the boarding house, scrubbing a hand over her eyes. She slumped down on a couch and pulled her legs up under her. "Hey… You never said how you were gonna talk to those angel friends of yours."
"Friend is a stretch. We were… acquaintances." He shrugged, and waved a hand toward the fireplace, lighting it effortlessly.
"How does a demon and an angel even meet? Can angels just visit hell whenever they feel like it?"
"Technically, my mother was a fallen angel when she had me. She wasn't quite the devil… Yet. It's complicated."
"Okay…" She squinted at him as she turned over on the couch and stretched her legs out to the end. "Still doesn't answer my question."
Damon sighed. "We might have a common family member."
Malia blinked. "You're related?"
"She's my sister."
"Your sister… is an angel?"
"Half-sister, and yes. Last I checked."
Through another yawn, Malia shook her head. She wiggled herself around to get more comfortable and mumbled, "And I thought my family was complicated…"
Damon snorted. He stood by the fire for a while, just watching it dance. "Briathos. The Angel that Thwarts Demons, that's what they called her… You can imagine it didn't help that she had a demon for a brother. But Bri didn't care what anyone said. She had her own set of rules."
Malia hummed.
"She visited once, before everything went sideways. Just dropped in to see what her wayward little brother was up to… I could feel it. That disturbance when someone that shouldn't be here is… I was at the lake with M'Kenna. So I grabbed her up and I ran home. I found Bri with Neci in her lap. They'd closed all the curtains and Bri was showing Neci how to make shadow puppets." He swallowed and shook his head. "She stayed the whole day. Went swimming with M'Kenna and climbed trees with Dysin. She gardened with Bonnie and sat down to dinner with us. And at bedtime, she told the children stories until they fell asleep. Before she left, she told me I was lucky. That she was happy for me… I never saw her again."
Malia took a deep breath and let it out on a sleepy sigh. "Will she help?" she mumbled.
Damon blinked, and turned toward her. With a faint smile, he walked to the couch. He reached for the blanket hanging over the back and draped it over Malia's form. "If she doesn't, we'll figure something else out. Get some sleep, Kid. We've got another busy day tomorrow."
She hummed faintly, and sunk quickly into sleep.
He let out a faint, amused laugh, and then walked to an adjacent armchair. Leaning back, he stared at the fire once more, and tried to wrap his head around everything that had happened that day. In that moment, even he felt exhausted with it. He was ready to close his eyes and sink into a light sleep. But just as he let himself relax, he felt it.
A blade against his throat.
Damon's eyes shot open.
"Not a lot can kill you. Wooden stakes and bullets, those work on vampires just fine. But you're different." Jeremy pressed the knife against Damon's neck just a little harder. "But they used a knife to carve your heart out. So you do have a weakness."
"Besides my wife? Very few."
"One slice, that's all it would take. One good pull and your neck is done, and all of this is over."
"Is it? Sounds to me like you'd be making another problem for yourself. Trust me, my wife is currently on a revenge kick. You don't want your name on her list."
Jeremy's fingers flexed on the handle, and a thin dribble of blood seeped from Damon's neck. "See? I knew it."
"Think this through, Jeremy."
"I am… I'm trying to."
"Your instincts are going crazy. That hunter gene, whatever mess that is, it's got your head mixed up. You've gotta push past that voice and really focus. Ask yourself something… Do you really want to do this?"
Damon could hear a clock somewhere in the house. Each 'tick' seemed louder than the last, like a hammer hitting a nail, closing an impending coffin door. A bead of sweat formed on the nape of his neck. He couldn't do it again. He couldn't go back down into the earth. He couldn't spend anymore time trapped, waiting to be revived. He couldn't.
"So?" His brows hiked. "What's it gonna be, Jer?"
The knife steadied at his neck; a decision made.
tbc
notes:
1) sorry this is so late. i've been bogged down with things, and this chapter felt particularly difficult to write and edit. there's just so much going on and it all got jumbled around for a while, so i hope it doesn't read as disorganized as it felt when i wrote it. :/
2) i've recently added a tip jar to my tumblr (sarcasticfina). there's a blue box with a link to a site called ko-fi where you can, essentially, 'buy an author a cup of coffee' to thank them for their fic writing endeavors. please know there is no pressure to do this. fic will continue to be free and all too abundant. HOWEVER, i, personally, would really appreciate it if those of you who can would drop a little something there. there's no set amount you have to pay. give as live or as much as you like. every little bit helps. i'm currently trying to save up for a new computer, since my sad excuse for a laptop is dying a slow death on me. there's some buttons that have just given up and she shuts down whenever she feels like it, and occasionally decides to stay off for periods of time, at her leisure. as i said, this is not in exchange of fic. i'll continue to write and post as often as i can. but as a student with climbing debt and stress, it'd be nice if there was a little something to off-set that.
thank you all for reading. it means a lot to me that've enjoyed this story. i've received a number or private messages lately asking about updates on other stories, and i'd just like to reiterate that i'm only going to be working on this story until it's finished. after that, i'm hoping to turn my focus to 'til eternity.
thanks again. please try to leave a review!
- Lee | Fina