"I had a thought, dear
However scary,
About that night,
The bugs and the dirt
Why were you digging?
What did you bury,
Before those hands pulled me
From the earth?"
- Hozier, "Like Real People Do"
Burial of Bonnie Bennett-Mikaelson
2028
:::
The day he had buried his wife, Bael Mikaelson had felt detached from the world. He could remember how only a day before, he had woken up to his wife's scent; vanilla and lilac. He had held her as she stirred, roused from her sleep by the stubborn kicking of their unborn daughter. Their first born, but not their first conceived. Rhea would be their miracle; their bit of life and Bonnie's only moment of motherhood. That morning, he made love to his wife, whispered sweet nothings along her skin and spent hours talking to his child. The next night, his wife was dead and his daughter already with a bounty over hers.
Damon Salvatore had never liked him. Whether it was the fact he was a Mikaelson (granted he only carried the blood and name of one; Bael had been raised by his mother and her second lover, the man who would become her husband before Bael's first breath) or simply because the vampire could not see that he had loved Bonnie as more than a friend, he did not know nor did he care.
His daughter was all that mattered to him.
The warlock sat down upon the wet grass and stared at the headstone. "I haven't even been gone a day," he began with a soft chuckle. "Rhea is gone; sent back to the past."
There was a soft rustle of the wind. "Do you hate me?" he whispered. "For abandoning our child?"
The wind did not rustle this time, only silence. Bael sighed as he stood in front of the grave. The wilted lilies Caroline left days before laid next to the fresh roses. Tyler must have come by to see her. Even in death, his wife was loved. He knew Elena was always trying to make up for what happened. He knew Damon would never forgive him or Rhea for what happened to Bonnie.
He couldn't forgive himself.
:::
Dorm Room of Bael Mikaelson
2013
Bonnie hit the mattress with a soft thud, a sigh of exhaustion escaping her lips. There was an added weight as Bael laid down next to her, peering over at her with curious blue eyes. "Rough couple of months, huh?"
"Pretty much." She answered. "I mean, what can I do? Caroline can't touch her somewhat boyfriend because of his ex."
Bael sat up. "Well, as a fellow practitioner of magic, I can't really help on that front."
Bonnie snorted and tossed a pillow at him. "You're horrible, Michaels."
"Sue me, it will make one hell of a case."
"I think I'll pass."
"Why?"
"For one, we don't have any lawyers in town at the moment," Bonnie said and sat up. "And another, why would I sue you for being horrible when I can do it for you being so damn adorable? Seriously it's a crime."
He winked. "I can't help my dashing good looks. I get them from my father, or at least that's why my mother always told me."
"You never met him?" she asked.
"No," Bael said with a far off look. "I was raised by my step-father since birth, til his death and my mother's shortly afterwards."
"How old were you?"
"Twenty," he said and looked at her. "For the last six years, I've been on my own."
Bonnie blinked. "You're twenty-six?"
"More or less."
Bonnie fell back down on the bed. "Wow."
Bael sank down and rested his head on his arms. "Hey now, you can't possibly be shocked about this. I mean, you're friends with vampires and werewolves. You've combated hybrids and died, what four times? I've only been practicing spells all my life. Between your twenty-one years of epicness and my twenty-six of boring, I'd say that isn't the least bit of a factor here."
Bonnie turned her gaze on him. "You're right it's not."
"Hmm," he said and then caressed her cheek. "You look so kissable."
She let out a very unlady like crackle. "What kind of a pick up line is that?"
He moved and straddled her. "A very cheesy one," he sad with a shrug and then leaned down to kiss the small sliver of flesh on her stomach. "But it's a very affective one." He said each word after a kiss, kissing up her body til he got to her neck. Not once did he kiss her lips, but he kissed everywhere else. Her brows, her nose, her cheeks. He seemed to really love kissing her jaw and neck.
"Bael," Bonnie moaned.
He paused and looked at her, lust swimming in his eyes. "Say it again," he whispered back, his voice a low rumble as he went back to her neck, this time his hands sliding along her curves before coming to her shirt.
"Bael," she repeated and shivered as he started playing with the buttons on her shirt. "Don't tease."
"Don't you know, Bennett?" he asked and looked at her with a gleam in his eyes. "Teasing is only half the fun."
She groaned as he continued as then moved towards her pants when there was a loud knocking at his door. The two paused and Bael sighed as the knocking continued. "Bonnie!" cried Alaric.
They shared a look. Bonnie moved from underneath him and went towards the door. She pulled it open, seeing Alaric with Rhea. "What's up?" she asked.
"I need your help," he said simply.
"Okay." Bonnie said. "Can it wait?"
"No."
She sighed. "What is it?"
"It involves the stone."
Bonnie frowned. "You mean the stone you were supposed to get rid of?"
Rhea peeked inside and smiled, waving at Bael who returned it as he walked towards them. "What's up?" he asked.
"I need to borrow your girlfriend." Alaric said.
Bael sighed and then looked at Bonnie. "I'll allow it this once."
"Thanks," Alaric said.
"Rhea needs to stay here," Bonnie said.
"Why?" all three asked.
"I'm not letting her see another dead body," she said with finality. She turned towards Bael. "Could you watch her til I get back?"
Bael looked down at the little girl, who waved sheepishly. "Sure, come on kiddo."
Rhea hurried inside and Bonnie left with Ric, promising to be back as soon as possible. Bael turned towards Rhea after closing the door. "So, what do you want to do?"
She blushed. "It's almost Halloween and me and my Papa used to honor our ancestors around this time."
Bael nodded. "Alright, let's do that."
:::
Burial of Bonnie Bennett-Mikaelson
2028
He could admit he had been drinking.
Drinking his ten years of grief away. He had lost his best friend. His best friend was dead and in her place, he got his girl back. That hadn't lasted long. The moment Elena awoke and realized Bonnie was dead, just five years into her slumber, she had left him. Now she was cozy with Marcel. They both claimed they weren't sleeping together or even interested in each other romantically - even Elijah and Klaus backed them up on the claim, but the way Marcel was protective of her, it still made Damon wonder.
But he wasn't at his best friend's grave to tell her about his broken heart. He was at his grave to do what he did ever year since her death. He was there to drink and be bitter.
Bitter for the loss of a woman who didn't need to die.
He supposed in another life, if he had actually given Bonnie the affection she had shown him in the brief months after Elena's slumber, she wouldn't have been persuaded by the second Mikaelson bastard. She probably wouldn't have gone through two pregnancies that ended in tragedy either.
He started at the headstone. "If I had loved you the way you loved me, would you still be alive now?"
The wind rustled and his answer came in the form of lilac and vanilla.
"I guess not."
:::
Mystic Falls Morgue
2013
"This is going nowhere!" Damon snapped in frustration.
Bonnie frowned at him. This was going nowhere because before he came, she was going to try and resurrect Jo. Now she was busy trying to resurrect a Heretic so that Damon could get Elena. She sighed and began rubbing her temples together. This was going nowhere fast.
She had already set Oscar's body on fire.
That was a major setback.
What the hell was she going to do?
A warm chuckle sounded from the far end of the morgue. "You always did that when you were frustrated."
She whirled around to see Bael leaning against a table. The magic that buzzed in the air told her that time had frozen still. "What are you doing here? Where's Rhea?"
"Possibly with the me from this timeline." He smiled and walked towards her. The pads of his fingers caressed her cheek with a fondness that was like a man seeing his wife for the first time in years. It was how Alaric looked at Jo, or how he used to before her death. "It's almost surreal seeing you like this, my sweet Bonnet."
"Why?" she asked.
"I can't say," he whispered and then cupped her face. "But I can tell you that you shouldn't give up."
"But it's hopeless."
Bael's eyes narrowed at her doubt. "Bonnie look at me," he instructed and she turned her eyes on him. He smiled sweetly and pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes never loosing sight of hers. "I've lived lifetimes and seen many witches. But in my eyes, none are as great and legendary as you. You are a prodigy and your selfless heart makes you a danger to many."
"I can't be that good of a witch," Bonnie sighed. "If I'm not that good of a mother."
Bael gave a shaky sigh. "Beloved," he said though his voice broke as he spoke. "Do not burden yourself with that. Focus on the now, not the future."
"Oscar..."
"Will live," he answered and kissed her forehead. "Breathe, think outside the boarders and just focus. I believe in you."
Bonnie opened her mouth to answer when he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, almost close enough to be a kiss. "Be strong my beloved."
"Bonnie!" she jumped and turned to see a frustrated Damon and a concerned Alaric. "Are you out of Wonderland now Alice? Come on, we need to wake up the Heretic."
:::
When Bonnie returned to Bael's dorm, she was met with the image of Bael with a sleeping Rhea on his lap. He smiled softly at her. "Hey," he greeted. This was her Bael, the one who looked at her like she was angel. Not the Bael who looked at her like something lost. The way Rhea looked at her most days.
"Did she give you trouble?" she asked as she went to scoop her up. Bael shook his head and carefully removed himself from the child and did it himself. She plopped her head against his shoulder subconsciously in her sleep.
"Naw, we actually channeled our magic. She's quite the smart one," Bael grinned at her and watched as Bonnie grabbed Rhea's jacket and then her keys. They walked from the boys' dorms to the girls. Once Rhea was tucked into bed, the two young adults stood in the doorway. "What did Ric want?"
"Just some stuff, "she murmured.
"You okay? You seem kind of off."
She shrugged. "Just thinking."
"About that?"
Bonnie bit her lip and lunged. Bael could admit he wasn't expecting her to kiss him so suddenly. But that didn't mean he didn't enjoy the moment her lips touched his. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Her arms wrapped around his neck and they shared a mutual moan of a satisfaction.
Bonnie pulled away suddenly, images flashing across her eyes. A vision of Mikael in what looked like the 1920s and Bael. They stood on opposite sides of a bar, Bael watching him while Mikael was watching Rebekah and Klaus. The Bael she saw in the vision gave a humorless chuckle as he downed his drink. "You can't pick your family, can you?" he asked to no one in particular.
Green eyes met blue.
"Bonnie?"
"Get out."
Bael frowned. "What?"
"Get out," she said with steel in her tone. "You're one of them."
"What are you talking about?" he asked, a playful smile on his face. She stilled, noticing the slight traces of Kol in his smile. The playful look fell when he saw the fear in her eyes. "Bonnie, really are you okay? You're worrying me here."
"You're a Mikaelson," she seethed.
He stilled at her words. "You don't sound so happy to hear that."
"Considering the hell your family has put me through, I think not. Leave before I make you." Bonnie said, the threat she made slicing through him like a knife.
He nodded and turned to leave. He paused, looking at Rhea over his shoulder before looking at Bonnie. "I'm sorry," he apologized and left her there. Bonnie sank to the floor, cupping her mouth to try to muffle her tears.
She's not sure how long she's there but she is aware that it's Damon who finds her. Damon who hugs her close as she cries her eyes out and then falls into a dreamless sleep. He picks her up, removes her shoes and places her in bed besides her daughter before sitting on the bed adjacent to them.
He doesn't go to sleep that night.
:::
Mikaelson Manor
2028
When Bael returns to his guest room, he isn't shocked to see the plants that were once Bonnie's flourished with life. Upon her death, they had all whither and died. He smiles sweetly when he climbs into bed and lays next to the body asleep on the bed.
As if his presence has alerted her, she opens her eyes.
"Hi," she said.
He kissed her forehead. "Welcome back, my beloved."
Bonnie Bennett-Mikaelson giggled as she sat up and pulled her husband down towards her for a kiss. "Hmm, that's one of the things I said I would do once I woke up," she giggled and kissed him again.
"I didn't expect this," he said.
"I know," she whispered and kissed his nose.
"How?" he asked. "You died that night. Freya and I felt it."
"I did."
"So how?"
Bonnie shrugged. "To be honest, I don't even know."
"Rhea..."
"Still in the past," she smiled. "I know. But I can't do a thing about that."
"Why?"
"I didn't send her. My Grams did, and whatever my Grams has in store for her, we just need to wait." Bonnie told him.
Bael nodded and was about to answer when the door to his room busted open. A drunk Damon came stumbling in and in his drunken haze, didn't notice his best friend. "Hey Mikaelson," he called to Bael. "You and me need to settle a score."
Bael sighed. "What score would that be, Damon?"
"Bonnie." Damon said. "My best friend...who I..."
"Don't tell me you're just now coming to terms with the fact you're in love with my wife?" Bael rolled his eyes.
Bonnie's hands rubbed his shoulders before he felt her lips against his shoulder. "Bael."
Damon frowned. "Oh, so you don't try looking for your kid, you don't grieve your dead wife and now you're screwing some common whore?"
Bael arched an eyebrow.
"Pretty colorful way to describe your best friend," Bonnie addressed towards him and removed herself from beside her husband. Damon's stupor fell instantly as he saw Bonnie standing there; still twenty-six as if she hadn't been dead for ten years. "B-Bonnie?"
She smiled weakly. "Hi Damon."
