CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

δδ

"I'm going to stab her," Elena says vehemently.

Lexi and Bonnie share twin expressions of concern as Matt and Caroline nod enthusiastically at the display of homicidal urges. Vicki keeps an understandably wide berth as Elena continues to pace and rant viciously.

"Who does she think she is? I should find one of her vampires and set them on fire. See how she likes being sent warnings."

Stefan frowns and crosses his arms as he enters the living room. "Are you going to come down from your mountain long enough to tell me what's wrong, or do I have to deduce it from your murderous ravings?"

"Isobel took Jeremy," Bonnie summarizes for him, and Stefan groans. "Yeah. She compelled two humans. Matt and I saw everything."

"His freedom in exchange for the piece of the Gilbert device, I'm guessing," Stefan says, and at Bonnie's nod, he places a hand on Elena's shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. "Calm yourself. Did she give you a period of time?"

Elena sighs, rubbing her face as if to dispel the sudden exhaustion. "I have until before the festival. If Isobel doesn't get the device, she's going to compel Jeremy to drown where our parents did."

"Ouch," Matt comments, despite already knowing this information, but they all inwardly agree Isobel's threat is overkill.

"The festival is ten days from now," Vicki says. "But I have a feeling Isobel might get...impatient. Like Annabelle did with the tomb."

Stefan looks around the somber room. "What's the plan?" he asks after a moment.

"I disenchant the device," Bonnie says. "The only issue is that I know I'm being watched. Noah confirmed it after he killed one of Isobel's spies on my front lawn."

Lexi grimaces. "And if one of her lackeys sees you cast a spell on it, bye bye Jeremy." She winces. "Sorry, Elena."

Elena gives her a small smile. "It's alright."

"I can't believe John would just allow Isobel to use his nephew like that," Caroline complains, biting her lower lip. "It's just not right."

Elena snorts humorlessly. "He didn't," she grumbles. "John came home before I left, and he was covered in bruises, ring missing. My guess is that Isobel punished him."

"Punished him?" Matt repeats, appalled. "What kind of wackjob?"

"The most intelligent person in the room has arrived," Damon announces, buttoning up his shirt and rolling the sleeves up to his elbows as he enters. He wiggles his eyebrows at Bonnie, and she flips him off. "Bon Bon is in fact being watched constantly, my crows confirmed it, but her grandmother isn't. Sneak the device off to Sheila and make her disenchant it."

Vicki frowns, forehead wrinkling along with the corners of her mouth. "Would she really? Sheila has been pretty obvious on how she feels about us and vampires in general."

"She sympathizes with you though," Bonnie points out. "And I can use that in my favor. You were turned against your will and obviously don't deserve to die."

Lexi turns to Damon. "Alright smartest person in the room, have you learned anything from Sheriff Forbes about how The Council is going to use the device?" she asks.

"Nope." Damon clicks his tongue. "My guess is that John is keeping them all in the dark until showtime, or he's only planning to involve Isobel. Since they're working for Katherine, my guess is that they just want to kill her loose ends—aka me, Stefan, and Annabelle—and leave town before she arrives."

Bonnie shakes her head. "Something still seems off about all of that. They already managed to kill Pearl without the device. What's keeping them from getting you all one by one?"

"Appearances maybe?" Matt guesses. "The Council sees John get rid of vampires, and Mystic Falls is fine and dandy again?"

Caroline hums. "No, Bonnie is right. It's all really fishy." She taps her chin twice. "It's not like we can just walk up to John and ask him what he's hoping to accomplish for Katherine."

"Katherine is also not returning quietly," Stefan points out. "We know that she's on her way here. Maybe her arrival will fall on the festival itself after the use of the device?"

Lexi shudders. "I hope not," she grunts. "But it's also the most likely. All of us incapacitated means Bonnie is open to just be up and grabbed. No offense Matt, Caroline, and Elena, but you're going to need us to fend off Katherine. Vervain and neat gadgets won't be enough."

"Only if she expects them," Elena argues optimistically.

"Please use your brain," Damon sighs mockingly. "You human teenagers are just so cocky. If you could actually best Katherine, I'd drop dead in shock."

"I'm looking forward to it," Caroline spats, glaring.

Bonnie steps in between them so Damon doesn't antagonize her further. "I'll give the device to Grams. She's currently at Whitmore for the weekend doing who knows what since she's on sabbatical."

"Is she still looking for your mom?" Elena blurts out, and then cringes upon realizing that only she and Caroline know that particular piece of information. "Shit, sorry."

Matt's eyebrows rise to his hairline. "Why is Sheila looking for your mom?" he asks

"I wish I could tell you," Bonnie grumbles, reaching for her coat in what clearly is a dismissal of the MFG meeting. Everyone wisely knows not to question her further.

Stefan offers to see her home. She lets him. Neither of them say anything.

δδ

The next morning run is solemn. Tyler picks up on the somber mood immediately, eying his two friends in worry.

"What's with you two?" he asks. "Worried about the Gilbert kid or something? I heard from Elena he's really sick and has to miss out from school for a while."

"Somewhat," Matt answers vaguely. "It's been a really weird week. Like one of those 'I've got a bad feeling about this' Star Wars vibes, you know?"

Tyler squints and then nods. "Yeah, I get what you mean," he says. "My mom and dad have been really anxious. Turns out my uncle is coming to town soon too."

"The one who went to Florida to become a professional surfer?" Matt asks incredulously. "No way. I thought he left this place behind for good."

Tyler sighs. "Yeah, so did I. We weren't really close or anything, so I don't care. But something tells me it's not for some nice family reunion."

"Maybe they asked him to come back for the festival?" Bonnie guesses, and she's met with disbelieving snorts. "Okay. Farfetched. Um. Maybe Florida isn't what he thought it would be?"

"It's been ten years," Tyler responds. "He must be homeless if he's coming back."

Matt must have realized Tyler doesn't want to talk about his uncle anymore when he says, "Hey, by the way. You up for some pool with Stefan on Thursday?"

"You play pool on Thursdays?" Tyler raises a brow. "With Stefan?"

"What? We've been doing it for months. I'm surprised you haven't noticed."

Tyler turns to Bonnie for confirmation, and she nods. They've all slowed to a walk now. "It's true. You don't have to be jealous." She laughs as Tyler splutters. "You should give Stefan a chance you know. He's great."

"Sounds like he stole my best friend," Tyler playfully grumbles.

Matt grins and wraps his arm around Tyler's shoulders. "Never. He doesn't judge me like you do when I eat cookie dough."

"It's going to kill you one day."

"See?" Matt sighs dreamily, and Bonnie shakes her head at their antics. "I love it when you nag."

δδ

Bonnie returns home, and nothing is as it should be. Shit, she swears internally, running up the stairs after noticing the broken back door.

Her bedroom is a mess, furniture thankfully not overturned, but her drawers and closet are wide open. The sheets are pulled off the bed, and Mr. Cuddles is on the floor. She picks him up first and sighs in relief when she still sees the device in his cotton.

Bonnie grabs her phone, and Caroline picks up on the first ring despite the time of day.

"What's up? Everything okay?" her voice is hoarse, and her slurred words makes Bonnie feel better, never failing to put a smile on her face.

"I'm fine, but everything else isn't," Bonnie says, massaging her temples with her other hand. "Someone broke into my house and messed up my room looking for the device."

"Wait, does that mean Isobel found out you have it instead of Elena? How?"

Bonnie heads back downstairs, grimacing at the broken door. Her father is going to freak if she doesn't find a way to fix that with her magic. "No idea. I need to give the device to Grams now, or someone might find it the next time they break in."

"Is she back from Whitmore?"

"Yeah I saw her car in her driveway while I was coming back from my run with Tyler and Matt."

"Alright. Tell me how it goes, and if we need to gather the others. If you don't want to stay with Sheila, you can always sleep over at my house."

Bonnie hums. "I know. Thanks, Care. Sorry for waking you up this early."

"It's fine," Caroline reassures her. "It was important."

Caroline hangs up, and Bonnie grabs her keys from the floor when she'd dropped them in shock. She pauses at the front porch when she sees the moving van in front of Mrs. Gibbons house, feeling a sense of deja vu. Bonnie doesn't see the new owner anywhere, but she makes a quick note to welcome them to the neighborhood another time.

Coffee and cinnamon fill Bonnie's nose when she enters her grandmother's house.

"What in the world are you doing up at this hour on a Saturday?" Sheila greets, sipping from her mug and shutting the door behind Bonnie. "Did something happen?

Bonnie shrugs off her coat. "How was Whitmore?" she asks, wanting to ease into asking her grandmother for a favor. Sheila would need to be buttered up first. "I thought you didn't have to go back to the campus on sabbaticals."

"You don't," Sheila answers, giving her an inquisitive brow. "But I wanted to find an old book I kept in my office."

"About?"

"Curses," Sheila says shortly. She sets down her mug. "So, want to tell me why you're really here?"

Bonnie sighs and collapses onto the couch. "Someone broke into the house."

"Pardon?"

"They came in through the backdoor and messed up just my room. You need to show me a spell to fix locks by the way, or dad is going to have a stroke."

Sheila sits beside her. "What were they looking for?" she questions.

"This." Bonnie uncurls her fingers to reveal the piece of the Gilbert device. "John and Isobel want it, and I can't let them have it."

Sheila grabs it and begins to examine the pocket watch. "What is it?"

"One of the Gilbert devices Emily enchanted to help Johnathon Gilbert hunt vampires. We believe Isobel and John plan to use it during the festival, and Isobel kidnapped Jeremy to force Elena to hand this over."

"And why haven't you given it to her yet?"

Bonnie gives her grandmother a dry look. Isn't it obvious? "Because we need to disenchant it first. I can't do it because Isobel is watching my house, and she'll get violent if she finds out I tampered with it."

"Alright, so you need me to do it. What next?"

"We give it to Isobel in exchange for Jeremy, and the festival doesn't become Vampire Roundup 2.0."

Sheila snorts. "When do you want the device by?"

"I'll come later. I need to fix my room, the door, and take a quick nap. Best they think I just came here to tell you someone broke in." Bonnie is a little apprehensive her grandmother agreed quickly, but she's glad. "Emily says—"

Sheila waves her off. "I know how to disenchant magical objects, child. Don't you worry."

"Okay. I'll be back sometime after noon then."

"Don't forget to take a shower. You smell like a high school locker room."

"Rude!"

The moving van is already gone by the time Bonnie returns, though it's only been thirty minutes, and she blinks at the still home, seeing no lights on, or even that someone is living there. After a moment, Bonnie shrugs, heading up the front porch and seeing the crows on a nearby streetlamp.

She curses when she catches sight of the broken backdoor again and quickly calls her grandmother about the spell.

δδ

Bonnie smells and feels the soil beneath her cheek instead of clean linen. She pushes herself up, fingers digging into dead leaves and becomes irritated at the white dress she wears. Honestly, at least her visions could have some sort of realism. Who wears a short white dress in the middle of the winter without shoes?

Something behind her snaps, and Bonnies takes off running without glancing back, jumping over exposed roots and dodging low branches heavy with snow. She doesn't know how long she runs for, but the area around her becomes familiar, and she gasps at the sight of the Old Witch House.

The door is wide open.

"Come in!" a voice yells out, and Bonnie can't pinpoint where it's coming from. "Come in before she gets you!"

"She?" Bonnie echoes, pushing her hair out of her face. "Who?"

Arms encircle Bonnie's waist and pull her back into a chest. "Got you," Katherine purrs into her ear.

Bonnie screams and wakes in her bed, branches slamming against her window under the force of the wind.

δδ

"So how are we doing this?" Caroline asks, holding the device. Bonnie had gotten it from her grandmother about thirty minutes ago, and Caroline felt it best to hold a meeting before making the exchange for Jeremy. "Isobel knows Bonnie has the device, so should she hand it over?"

Elena shakes her head. "No, it has to be me. Remember how Isobel said I needed to stay away from Bonnie? She probably won't be happy to see her if she has the device."

"And she might get suspicious," Lexi points out. "Where are you supposed to meet her?"

Elena grimaces. "The cemetery." At everyone's irritated expressions, she nods in agreement. "I know. It's really awful that she's like this."

"Do you need any of us to be close by?" Stefan asks. He frowns when Elena shakes her head.

"I don't think Isobel wants to hurt Elena," Vicki interjects as he opens his mouth to argue. "She would have done so already. Multiple times actually, but she's hurt other people instead to warn Elena, so keeping our distance is a good idea."

Caroline hands the device to Elena and scowls. "I don't like her, and I can't wait to see the look on her face when the device doesn't work."

"Me too," Bonnie agrees. She ignores the weird feeling currently in her gut. It's probably because she hasn't eaten lunch yet. "I just hope she doesn't go on some twisted rampage."

"Hopefully John will stop her from doing so," comes from Lexi. "Sounds like those two don't always see eye to eye, if she banged him up just for not liking the fact she took Jeremy."

Stefan crosses his arms. "I'm not surprised. She turned off her humanity after all. Isobel must be unrecognizable to John right now."

"Do you think he has feelings for her?" Caroline asks aloud to no one in particular.

"Probably," Elena mutters, grimacing. "When I asked him about her, they weren't close in high school at all, but he really liked her, and then they had me along the way."

Vicki cringes. "Yikes. She has John's kid despite not being into him, and she leaves Alaric to become a vampire. What the hell goes on in her head?"

"Who knows?" Elena snorts. "And I have no plans on finding out. I just want her gone already." She grabs her coat and shoves the device into the pocket.

"Remember to take vervain with you," Stefan tells Elena as she prepares to head out. "None of us will be at the cemetery, but if you scream loud enough, we'll hear."

Caroline chews her bottom lip in worry. "Anyone else getting the feeling that something bad is gonna happen?" she asks.

Elena glares at her. "Thanks Caroline. That's exactly what I want to hear before I meet my fond-of-throat-slashing biological mom."

"Not about the exchange," Caroline protests, holding up her hands. "Just everything...after."

Matt nods. "I get what you mean," he agrees. "It's like the air is full of bad energy too."

"Again, not helping!"

Bonnie puts a hand on Elena's shoulder and holds up the other to stop Caroline and Matt from talking. "She's right. We first need to focus on getting Jeremy back. We've done everything we can so far, and the next problem will have to show itself before we can think up any solutions."

"Aye aye, captain," Caroline says, saluting, and Bonnie laughs, rolling her eyes.

"Call any of us if you need anything," Lexi says. "Does Aunt Jenna still believe Jeremy is staying over at Annabelle's house?"

Elena nods. "Yeah. She plans on spending time with Alaric today, so I don't have to worry about her following me or something if she gets suspicious." She turns to Bonnie. "Why don't we meet up at the Grill later? It's been a while since we all sat down for dinner."

Matt groans and rubs his stomach. "I work there, but I hardly get to eat any of the food. I'm totally down. I need some fries."

"Ditto," Caroline agrees as Bonnie nods. "It's been a while since I've stuffed my face."

"Great." Elena beams despite her anxiety. "I'll see you guys tonight."

They watch Elena leave the Boarding House and enter her car. Vicki sighs after a moment.

"What is it?" Matt asks his sister.

She doesn't answer until Stefan pushes back the curtain once Elena's car disappears around the corner. "Someone's here."

They all tense and step closer to each other.

"I don't sense anything," Lexi murmurs, looking around for anything suspicious. "Are you sure it's not Caroline's paranoia bothering you?"

Vicki's brows furrow, and she shakes her head. "No, I can definitely tell someone is watching us."

"That would be the neighborhood rat, Noah," Damon answers, slamming the door shut behind him. "He and I had a little chat about spying on teenagers, and how it's against the law. He swears he's just making sure Isobel doesn't do anything stupid before Katherine arrives."

Bonnie snorts. "I never took you for a person with morals."

"I don't have any. I just wanted to see him squirm."

Stefan rolls his eyes. "Where have you been all day?" he asks wryly.

"Out," Damon deadpans. "While you guys were trying to get Gilbert Jr back, I was convincing someone from The Council to talk, but they're all tightlipped, demanding more vervain than usual. I don't like it."

"And you're going to give it to them?" Caroline asks.

"Obviously, blondie. They'll get suspicious if I tell them no."

Lexi hums. "It's weird that they're not telling you anything. Did John tip them off not to trust you?"

"I don't know." Damon shrugs. "Liz is out of the loop just like I am, though. She's pissed the Lockwoods are scheming behind her back about something. I can use that in my favor."

Caroline scrunches up her nose. "I hate it when you talk about my mom as if you two are best friends," she complains.

"That's because we are. I promised her greasy burgers tonight, and you don't get to have any."

"As if I want your dumb burgers!"

Bonnie sighs as the two begin to bicker, rubbing her face as Caroline ominously rolls up a newspaper Stefan had opened on the dining table.

"You okay?" Vicki whispers close to her ear, and Bonnie almost flinches, not realizing when she actually got so close.

"Fine. Just a little tired because I haven't eaten yet."

"If you want free mozzarella sticks later at the Grill, I'll hook you up," Vicki promises, grinning.

Bonnie groans playfully and rubs her stomach like Matt had moments ago. "You're an angel sent from above," she says. "I don't deserve you."

"What are you two talking about over there?" Caroline questions, distracted from Damon and eying them quizzically.

"I'm going to leave you for Vicki," Bonnie quips, trying not to smile as Caroline whines. "Sorry. She had me at free food. I'm a fickle woman."

Stefan laughs. "They do say that the best way to reach the heart is through the stomach."

"You're not helping, Stefan!"

Vicki expression is a mixture of bemusement and mirth as Caroline lists the reasons as to how she'd be a better wife than Vicki. Matt, immediately taking offense on behalf of his sister, calls out Caroline, and Bonnie can only watch in amusement as they all start to argue who realistically would be the best person to run away to France with.

"Caroline is going to be really disappointed when Stefan whisks you away while her back is turned," whispers Lexi, and Bonnie rolls her eyes.

Her and Stefan in the countryside of France. That's actually something she can envision, and the thought almost makes her smile. Lexi winks, as if sensing what she's thinking, and gets a shove for it.

δδ

The Mystic Grill is in full swing around eight p.m. It's a Saturday, and the biggest restaurant in town. Bonnie isn't surprised. Vicki is on shift tonight, and Bonnie catches her eying them longingly whenever she passes by with an order or to attend to another table.

Elena takes a deep breath and says, "Jeremy knows."

"What?" Matt asks, blinking. He's halfway into shoving several fries into his mouth, and Bonnie hands him a napkin.

"Jeremy knows," Elena repeats. "After I brought him home, Annabelle came over, like she's been waiting nearby for me to get him back. Then right as I was about to head out to meet you guys, I found him looking at a vial of blood, and he said she told him everything about vampires. He's mad at me for keeping it a secret."

Caroline gags, pushing away her plate, and Matt steals some of her fries despite still having a hefty amount of his own. "Why did Annabelle give him her blood?"

"To protect him and turn him the next time he's kidnapped by someone who isn't afraid to kill him," Bonnie answers for Elena, and she's met with grim expressions around the table. "Which will be inevitable, because he's connected to us."

Elena groans and hides her face in her hands. "What the hell am I supposed to do? I'm not letting him join the MFG. Aunt Jenna already thinks it's weird how much time I spend at Stefan's place to talk about homework."

Bonnie looks over at the bar, spotting a familiar face, and plays with the straw in her drink. "Let Alaric talk to him," she says after a moment. "He's some sort of vampire hunter, right? Maybe Alaric can teach him self-defense, so you don't have to worry about him...well, you'll still worry but just less than before."

"That makes sense," Caroline states. "Alaric can take him under his wing or something. It'll definitely be good for him."

"What if he gets close to Damon through Alaric?" Elena asks, shuddering. "That's my worst nightmare."

"Damon would rather bathe in cyanide than be nice to anyone else," Matt points out. "He and Alaric are friends because they both share heartbreak and taste in alcohol in common. It also looks like Alaric makes Damon behave. Jeremy needs that type of maturity and stability."

Caroline adds, "And Jeremy would be good for Alaric too. The poor guy has been through a lot already."

"Did I tell you guys how Isobel showed up at his house and tried to bite him?" Elena asks. Being met with shocked gasps, she continues. "Yeah, it's crazy. She was apologizing to him, and when Alaric didn't accept it, she went ballistic. She threatened him and Aunt Jenna, and when Alaric tried to go back inside his house, she attacked him from behind, but Damon got there just in time."

Bonnie sinks into her seat. "Holy shit. We need to get rid of her, and soon."

"Totally," Caroline agrees. "I'm really sick of the vampires in this town, and I want to go to prom without worrying about some psycho drowning someone in the punch."

"Here, here," Matt says, raising his drink. "Hopefully once this device stuff is out of the way by the festival, we can find some normalcy before Katherine ruins it again."

Elena sighs into her drink. "I get first dibs at stabbing her," she grumbles. "Especially if she tries to touch Bonnie."

"Speaking of Katherine," Caroline starts, turning to Bonnie. "Did you have any more visions about her?"

"Just one, but it was really vague." Bonnie shrugs at their concerned faces. "It had nothing to do with the festival, thankfully."

Matt shoves more fries into his mouth. "But how can you tell the difference between a vision and a nightmare?" he asks.

"I don't really know," Bonnie admits gloomily. "Sometimes my visions are just nightmares that will become reality, and it really sucks."

"Do you get them every night?" comes from Elena.

Bonnie looks toward the bar again. Alaric is gone. "Nah. I used to though, back when I was still new to the whole witch thing. It really sucked because I wasn't getting the rest I needed."

"Well, we're here for you." Caroline squeezes her shoulder. "If it gets too much, I remember how you didn't have visions when you slept with us, so maybe contact with other people stops them?"

"Ah, cuddling." Matt grins as they roll their eyes. "The one true power of a witch."

Elena slaps his arm. "Get your brain out of the gutter, idiot."

δδ

The day of the festival arrives faster than Bonnie is ready for. She hopes no one can see the utter panic on her face as she scans the roads for any sign of Isobel, John, or maybe even Katherine.

"I'm going to burn this suit after today," Tyler says through the clenched teeth of his poor grin.

Bonnie snorts as she waves at the crowd. "Drama queen," she teases. "I think you look really nice."

"I should be with the football team." Tyler's grin falls into a pout. He looks over to Matt. "At least you're suffering with me."

Matt puffs out his chest. "Suffering? I look hot." He adjusts his tie. "The ladies love me."

Caroline slaps his arm. "Yeah the old ladies," she teases.

"She's right," Stefan says as Matt whines about being bullied. "Mrs. Getrude by the fire hydrant blushed when you waved at her."

Tyler makes a face. "Doesn't she have the weird collection of dolls?" he asks.

"Yep," Elena answers, fixing her dress while leaning on Stefan's to steady herself. "I swear when I helped paint her living room, their eyes were following me."

They all shudder, and then Bonnie smiles brightly when she sees her grandmother standing beside her father.

"Is he planning on staying for a while?" Caroline asks her, waving enthusiastically at the pair. Her 'father-in-law' waves back, though warily, and Sheila blows a kiss. "He's been leaving more and more."

"Apparently no one can get enough of Mr. Hopkins," Bonnie answers wryly. A part of her thinks that her dad is just running away from the obvious that his daughter is a witch just like her mother, and there's nothing he can do about it. "Demand for him on projects is increasing. He's already packed to make his way to Connecticut before Spring."

Tyler whistles. "Man, I wish I could travel as much as him. He doesn't pay anything out of pocket, does he?"

"Nope." Bonnie snorts when Mrs. McCormick practically screams at the sight of her. Mr. McCormick gives her an apologetic smile. "All he has to do is pay for his food, I think."

"If he misses your prom and graduation, he's not invited to our wedding," Caroline sniffs. "He has to remember he's a dad too and not just some hotshot engineer."

Bonnie smiles softly and leans over to squeeze Caroline's hand in thanks. Mrs. Lockwood is probably somewhere taking a picture of the moment, citing no harsh feelings between them over the pageant.

"Am I invited to the wedding?" Stefan asks, raising a brow.

"Only if you promise to give us the most expensive item on the wedding registry."

"Deal."

Bonnie outright laughs when the two actually shake on it.

δδ

"Matt says he's on his way with Caroline and Tyler," Elena tells her as they watch the festival unfold later that day. "They're taking Tyler's car."

Bonnie rubs her arms. It's the warmest night in ages, but the chill she feels goes past her bones, as if that's where it is originating. "I have a really bad feeling about all of this," she mutters and then cringes, because they've all been saying relatively the same thing for the past week.

"So do I," Vicki says from where she's standing with them, searching for any signs of Isobel and John. "But is The Council really going to try something with the whole town outside? They'll definitely see something."

Elena shoves her hands into her pockets. "We still have some time before the fireworks. Maybe while everyone's distracted with food and games, they'll try to use the device." She glances at Bonnie. "Which won't work, right?"

"I'm sure my Grams disenchanted it," Bonnie reassures her. "Everyone will be fine tonight, and if Isobel tries anything as a plan B, we'll be ready for it."

"And where are Lexi and Stefan?" Vicki asks, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"Patrolling with Damon and Alaric," Elena answers. "At least, that's what they were doing when I called Stefan."

Bonnie grimaces. "They're keeping an eye out for Katherine, right?" she shudders. "If she really does show up tonight, I honestly can't predict what she'll do."

"I honestly want her to show up just so she can hurry the hell up and tell us what she wants," Vicki huffs, cracking her knuckles. "I hate this whole being kept in the dark thing. If villains acted like they did on television, we would have kicked some serious ass already."

"I wish," Elena snorts. "But when has anything ever been easy when vampires are involved?"

Bonnie, Elena, and Vicki all share knowing looks at that and nod. They then separate, promising to keep each other at least within seeing range, and Bonnie makes her way over to her father eating a candy apple.

"You like that?" Bonnie greets, disgusted. "Are you sure you're my dad?"

Rudy takes a large bite of his candy apple out of spite. "Yes, on both accounts," he replies after swallowing. "Candy apples are god's gift to mankind. It would be a sin to hate it."

"I'm pretty sure you're the only person who feels that," says Sheriff Forbes, clapping Rudy on the shoulder and smiling at Bonnie. "How are you two? I haven't seen you in a while, Rudy."

"Architecture firms along the east coast have been wanting my help," Rudy explains after Bonnie replies that she's in good health. "One of them actually wants me to move to New Jersey, but I can't imagine myself leaving Mystic Falls. At least not until Bonnie moves away and has a family of her own."

Bonnie raises a brow. "This is the first time I'm hearing about this."

Rudy smiles sheepishly. "I rejected the offer anyway. Didn't feel like it was important to tell you," he admits.

"I can't imagine you in a big city anyway," Sheriff Forbes says after a moment, clearly realizing there's some tension between the father and daughter. "I hear the pigeons are menaces."

Bonnie laughs into her hand. "Oh, he knows. A pigeon tried to steal his sandwich when he took me to New York with him."

"That damn bird," Rudy grumbles, finishing his candy apple. "The audacity. The gall."

Liz leaves them shortly after that, mentioning something about needing to talk to the Lockwoods, and Bonnie continues to watch her father with a frown.

"Did a part of you want to accept it?" she blurts out.

Rudy blinks owlishly. "No, not really," he says slowly, recognizing the land mine he's about to walk onto that is teenaged feelings. "Like I said, I'm not really a big city type of guy. I like being a part of their buildings' construction, but I don't want to live in one."

"Oh, okay."

Rudy sighs. "I'm not taking you away from Sheila." He strategically keeps his eyes away from Bonnie. "I realized too late that it would be impossible anyway."

"So you know then?" Bonnie asks, rocking back and forth on her heels.

"That you're a witch?" Rudy snorts, lowering his voice. "Of course. I'm not dumb, deaf, and blind."

Bonnie frowns, wishing they were having this conversation at home and not in the middle of a festival. "And you're okay with that?"

"No," Rudy says flatly, and Bonnie tries not to flinch. "But am I gonna ignore it or force you to stop using magic, no. That would be disastrous."

"Not like I would let you anyway."

"Exactly."

Bonnie spots Annabelle standing by herself beneath a lamppost and excuses herself, letting Rudy enjoy another candy apple in peace.

"Without Jeremy tonight?" Bonnie asks, approaching the girl as one would a wild animal.

Annabelle smiles at Bonnie. It is predatory. "Jeremy went to get us drinks before the fireworks. I think he's arguing with Elena right now, though." She nods in the direction of some booths, and Bonnie doesn't turn her head, refusing to look away from Annabelle even for a second. "I see you and your friends are on alert tonight. A special occasion I should know about?"

"I don't know why I'm warning you, but Katherine might show up," admits Bonnie, and Annabelle freezes.

"How do you know that?"

"John and Isobel are using tonight to finally kill any vampires with a connection to Katherine. That means Stefan, Damon, and you."

Annabelle hisses through her teeth. "I'd like to see them try. My mother didn't expect John to attack her, but I will not be so naive."

"You shouldn't talk about your dead mother that way," Bonnie says.

"I refuse to wallow in grief any longer. Elena will be an orphan again, I'm afraid."

Bonnie squints. "You know Isobel and John are her biological parents?"

"Of course. You think I visit the Gilbert house just to have sex with Jeremy?"

Bonnie makes a face. "TMI," she mutters. "Why haven't you tried to kill John whenever you visited?"

"He has the enchanted miracle ring," Annabelle replies, pursing her lips. "Which I'm sure you know about. He can die but won't stay dead. How unfortunate."

The first firework lights up the sky, and it surprises Bonnie, making her look up, wondering why they'd started the show so early.

"Ah!"

Bonnie looks back at Annabelle to see her doubled over, pressing her hands against her ears. "Annabelle?" she grunts as she's immediately pushed to the side by two police officers. One stabs a syringe into Annabelle's neck while the other hauls her away. "Wait!" they ignore her.

Panicking, Bonnie begins to look around, noting that there are several people kneeling on the ground in pain. None of them are Vicki, but she recognizes the man who harassed the woman outside of the cafe where she met Noah, and the cashier at the supermarket that had been surprised when Bonnie blew out a light with her magic.

"Oh, shit," she mutters, running through the crowd as more fireworks.

"Bonnie, over here!" Elena calls out, and Bonnie sighs in relief when she sees Elena tucked between two trees, successfully hiding Vicki behind shadow and her body. "I thought you said your grandmother disenchanted the device!"

Bonnie bites her lower lip nervously. "She did! She said she would."

"Well she didn't," Vicki snarls through clenched teeth, pressing her hands against her ears like Annabelle did.

Elena shakes her head. "We can worry about that later. You need to find Stefan and Lexi. I'll watch over Vicki."

δδ

It's easier said than done. Lexi nor Stefan pick up their phones while Bonnie runs around downtown like a mad man trying to figure out where the police are taking the vampires. She doesn't see her grandmother anywhere and guesses that Sheila is no doubt hiding away in her home to avoid Bonnie's wrath.

Seeing a cop car driving away from the Gilbert clinic gives Bonnie hope. Seeing it catch fire before she can reach it is another matter entirely.

"Bonnie!" she turns to see Stefan running up to her. "Lexi and Damon are inside!"

She gives him a once over, not finding any injuries. "How did you…?"

"Alaric," Stefan replies. "He managed to hide me, but Damon and Lexi weren't so lucky. Was Vicki taken?"

Bonnie releases a weak breath, running her hand through her hair. "Vicki's fine. Elena's quick thinking saved her." She kicks the ground in frustration. "I can't believe Grams would let this happen."

"I hate to say this, but maybe it was for the best."

Bonnie's neck practically snaps at how quickly she turns it toward Stefan. "What?"

"Didn't you see them?" Stefan asks. "So many vampires collapsed in town. There's definitely more of them than there were in the tomb. How the hell did so many people get turned, or even worse, who is letting them sneak into town if they're not from here?"

Bonnie shakes her head. "We can talk about that later. We need to get Lexi and Damon out of there." She makes a face. "Definitely Lexi at least. Damon got what's coming to him."

Stefan just smiles sadly, and the two race to the clinic.

"I'll control the fire, you get them out," Bonnie instructs, and at Stefan's nod, she begins to concentrate. The flames brighten the street and warm her face, and she focuses on those, pushing her magic. A path opens almost immediately, as if the fire is actively avoiding the space where her magic touches, and she hopes it can stay that way long enough for Lexi and Stefan to get out.

"Alright, I'm going in."

Bonnie closes her eyes and stretches her arms toward the building, refusing to break her concentration.

"Saving vampires? Is history always meant to repeat itself?" comes from her right, and Bonnie nearly gasps as the fires consume the door again, but she pushes them back. John chuckles. "I'm afraid there's no tomb this time to hide them in. But I appreciate your stubbornness. The Council won't when they find out what you're up to."

"You'll tell them?" she snarks.

John sniffs. "No, but they already suspect your magical awakening. You're not as subtle as you think you are."

"If you try to hurt Stefan or Lexi when they get out, I won't let you."

"Even if they do, Katherine will finish the job. Do what you want." He walks away, and Bonnie nearly falls to her knees as Stefan chooses that exact moment to drag Lexi and Damon out onto the street.

"We should go back to the Boarding House before the Council arrives," Bonnie instructs, helping a drugged Lexi to her feet. "You okay?"

Lexi grunts. "Annabelle is dead, and so is Mayor Lockwood." She stumbles when Bonnie does. "Yeah, I'm shocked too. But Lockwood wasn't a vampire. We have no idea why he was affected by the device."

"Which your grandmother was supposed to disenchant by the way," Damon snaps.

Bonnie grits her teeth. "I'll deal with Grams later. Shut up and get your ass moving."

While Stefan and Bonnie guide Lexi and Damon to safety, the night becomes even worse back at the festival. Her phone vibrates just as she helps Lexi into the Boarding House and hands her a blood bag from the fridge.

Elena's name flashes on the screen, and Bonnie opens the text.

caroline is in the hospital.

δδ

"Will she be okay?" Bonnie asks quietly, putting most of her weight into Matt. He looks as tired as she feels, and hopes she's not bothering his bruises by wanting his comfort.

Lexi's smile is strained, but it is truthful. "With my blood in her system, she'll make a quick recovery. I couldn't give her too much, or the nurses would get suspicious, so Caroline will probably be here for a couple of days."

"Thank you so much for helping her," Elena says, rubbing her eyes. "She was bad. Real bad. Tyler and Matt were lucky."

"I'm not so sure about Tyler," Matt sighs. "You guys hear about Mayor Lockwood?"

Bonnie grimaces and looks behind her to make sure no one is listening in on their conversation. "Yeah, Damon and Lexi saw him inside. He was affected by the device, but he wasn't a vampire."

"Why the hell did Sheila lie to us about disenchanting the device?" Elena asks. "She should have just refused instead."

"I don't know," Bonnie admits, exhausted. Whatever the reason, Bonnie will have a hard time trusting her grandmother going forward.

Lexi shakes her head. "A lot happened tonight. Right now we all need to go home and rest. Stefan and Damon survived, so Katherine is going to be real mad about that and will definitely take it out on John and Isobel."

"Did you see her?" Matt questions.

"No," Lexi answers. "And I'm happy we didn't."

"I'll go to Caroline's house and pick up some clothes first," Elena says after a moment. "The EMT cut off almost everything, and I know she'll feel better being in her pajamas than the hospital gown."

Bonnie nods. "Head home directly after, okay? It's best none of us are outside tonight for too long."

"I definitely will," Elena reassures her. "I have to tell Jeremy about Annabelle anyway. It's going to devastate him."

They all part in silence, too tired and too grim to even bid each other farewell.

δδ

Bonnie doesn't expect the knock, and she quickly towel dries her hands, thankful the kitchen is right next to the front door. Her father is soundly sleeping in his room, and she doubts he'd wake up even if she set off TNT. "Elena?" she blinks, thinking she wouldn't see Elena until the next morning. "What happened to heading straight home to tell Jeremy about Annabelle?"

"We did talk," Elena says, pushing her hair back over her shoulder. "And he pushed me away, angry that I didn't save her."

Bonnie frowns. "What? That's ridiculous. You were nowhere near Annabelle. I was." She shakes her head. "Come in. You left a shirt and shorts here, so you can stay over if you want."

"I don't think I will. I just wanted to check up on you too."

Bonnie turns, returning to the kitchen to resume the dishes she'd left before heading out to the parade. "I'm fine, really. A little tired controlling the fire, but nothing sleep won't fix. I just wanted to get these dishes out of the way so dad won't nag me first thing in the morning."

"Isobel or John didn't try to stop you?" Elena asks.

"Nope," Bonnie replies, squeezing the sponge. "Isobel I didn't see, but John knew I couldn't have saved everyone inside anyway. Not like I wanted to, but I definitely would have tried harder for Mayor Lockwood if I knew he was inside."

"Why do you think he was affected by the device?"

Bonnie shrugs. "No clue." She pauses. "Well, I have an idea, but it might not be possible. Especially if the device was specifically created for vampires."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to bring it up until I knew for sure, but I think Tyler is a werewolf."

"Really?"

Bonnie rinses the last plate in the sink. "Yeah, it sounds crazy, but I felt it when I touched Tyler on Career Night. And I still do. He responds to my magic differently than how a vampire does." She bites her lip. "But Grams said something about werewolves being extinct, so who knows. Maybe he's just a descendant of someone who was a werewolf, and the gene died or something."

Elena hums. "That's plausible."

Bonnie puts away the plate. "Well, I think it's time for bed. Honestly, I'm surprised I'm still managing to stay awake."

"Don't let me keep you," Elena says lightly. "But I don't want to go without a little taste first."

Bonnie feels Elena pressed against her back. "What?" a chill strikes through Bonnie's spine, like a frozen lightning bolt.

Something pierces her neck, and Bonnie's startled scream is muffled by a hand.

δδ

Notes:

First off I'd like to start with an apology, but honestly, my life has been incredibly hectic. With the rise of more covid cases and now hurricane laura damaging my house, updates are gonna be sporadic. I'm currently at a hotel with my laptop, and we'll be moving up north to be with extended family. Thank you all for the reviews, favorites, and follows. The notifications from my email have kept a smile on my face through these troubling times.

If there's any mistakes, I'll go back and fix them eventually. Right now I want you guys to have this update because it's literally almost been a month already damn.