Chapter 8: Ape Shit.

Date: September 1, 2018

Warnings: None

Pairings: Bonnie/Klaus/Marcel

It had been weeks since Bonnie and Klaus unleashed hell on one another and for the most part, the Hybrid had been quiet. That worried her. The only time Klaus wasn't flexing his muscles was when he was up to something. From her years of knowing him, she knew that wouldn't bode well for anyone in New Orleans. The old geezer had a nasty imagination.

It wasn't until the mail came on Saturday morning that she'd heard from The Hybrid. She was headed out to the farmer's market when she came upon an envelope with a red ribbon tied neatly around it. It looked so out of place on the dirty welcome mat. Bonnie knew the moment she touched it that it was from Niklaus. His power was radiating off of it. Carefully, she untied the bow and opened the letter to reveal uncharacteristically neat handwriting. She hadn't seen such calligraphy since she'd been invited to the Mikaelson Ball, and it was then she realized that Klaus was the one who had written the invitations, not Elijah like she originally suspected.

Bonnie pushed the trivial thought from her mind as she read the note.

Mrs. Bennett,

I have not come to this city to get into a pissing contest with my most formidable foe. I write this letter in hopes to call a truce. Should you accept, I invite you to join me this morning for brunch. You have my word that no harm will come to you, neither the citizens of this great city. Please take this into careful consideration, for I am sincere.

Warmest regards,

Niklaus Mikaelson

'Lies', Bonnie thought. Anytime Klaus' lips moved, a lie spewed out of it. If he wanted him to believe her, he should've gotten Elijah to write a better letter. Still, Klaus only reached out to her for one reason, he needed something from her, and if she could use that to her advantage then so be it. She was more than capable of handling herself if things went south. That said, she found herself agreeing to meet with him by texting the number attached to the letter. Curiosity would always get the best of her.

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The annoyance on Klaus' face was palpable when he saw that Bonnie showed up with Marcel. The door handle nearly snapped in two as he graciously welcomed the vampire and witch inside. He fought to keep from throwing daggers at Marcel and feigned a humble resonance as he offered them a seat at the table. A chef entered in from the kitchen to add more food to the spread before them. Marcel looked unbothered while Bonnie looked overwhelmed by the assorted dishes.

"Who'd you think was coming here, the Queen of England?" Marcel's voice broke the silence, followed by a light chuckle from Niklaus.

"I never half-ass anything, you should know this," Klaus responded. Marcel nodded, recalling the many outlandish parties the Mikaelsons hosted throughout the years. Always the gentleman, Marcel pulled the seat out for Bonnie at the opposite end of the table before sitting to her right, serving as sort of a buffer between her and Klaus. Klaus sat alone at the far end of the table entertaining only a glass of blood, elegantly placed in a snifter. He wore a button up sweater vest and tie, opting to roll the sleeves of his undershirt to his elbows. It was a far cry from his usual henley and jeans and Bonnie wondered why she was even taking the time to notice his attire.

"I know you don't trust me, so Jonathan here will serve as your taster. Jonathan?" Before Bonnie could protest, Jonathan walked over calmly with a fork and knife and cut into her omelet, taking a bite for himself. He then began tasting various items placed before her, before pouring two glasses of mimosas from the carafe and then drinking from one of the glasses. Bonnie waited on baited breath for a reaction but Jonathan simply stood back emotionless before nodding graciously at her, signaling that she was in the clear.

"What the hell, Klaus?" Bonnie didn't know what she expected but that definitely wasn't it. "Did you compel him?"

"Of course not, Love!" Klaus truly looked offended. "I paid him very well." The entire ordeal would've been comical had this occurred with anyone other than Klaus. Bonnie stared at Klaus for a long while before grabbing the glass. She sniffed it again just out of habit and drank slowly.

"You can start talking now," she ordered. This whole ordeal felt weird and out of place to her but she chalked it all up to her skepticism to Klaus in general and the fact that he was never this nice. That said, he disarmed her, giving her no real grounds not to go along with all of… this.

"I'd feel more comfortable speaking to you without your bodyguard accompanying you," he began, letting his annoyance slip. "But given recent events, I can't say I blame you," he acknowledged, referencing his attack on her. "As I stated, I simply want a truce. I have bigger fish to fry and I can't do that if I'm constantly at odds with you. A war with you requires my full attention and as tempted as I am," he smirked, " I simply can't afford it, right now."

As Klaus spoke, Bonnie's stomach began to growl. Though soft, she knew both vampires could hear it. As much as she didn't want to give in, she found herself picking at the omelet. She gave Marcel a side glance and he nodded, although he wasn't sure why she sought his approval.

"I suppose you won't tell me what this 'bigger fish' is," Bonnie spoke up finally after dissecting his words. Klaus smiled and shrugged. With Bonnie, everything was about transparency.

"It doesn't involve you, Love. I simply wish to make a home here and take my city back," there was a pause. "From this one," he added, looking directly at Marcel.

Savage. Was all Bonnie could think as the tension shifted from herself and Klaus to Marcel and Klaus. She could see Marcel's jaw twitching. Bonnie ate in silence as the two men entered a face off.

"You've got some kind of nerve, Mikaelson. You show up after centuries of abandoning 'your city' and the moment you see that I've got things under control, and am thriving, you want to swoop back in and take it all away from me. You must be out of your damn mind!" Marcel's voice quivered with anger as Klaus's plan was finally revealed. Bonnie breathed a sigh of relief. For once, she wasn't playing monkey in the middle. Old Bonnie would have spoken up on Marcel's behalf but this Bonnie Bennett was a bit more selfish. This had nothing to do with her for a change, and it felt good.

As the two men argued, Bonnie ate quietly. The more she ate, the better the food tasted. The bottomless mimosas may have contributed to that, as well as the fact that she seemed unbothered by the ongoing argument happening in the background. She took the bowl of fruit and began eating it once her omelet was done and nearly sighed with happiness when the maid brought out a basket of hot rolls and apple butter. She was always a sucker for rolls and biscuits.

When the mimosas ran out, she opted for just the champagne and sipped while the men went back and forth. She was surprised that the two of them hadn't started tearing into one another already. It wasn't until Klaus's gaze landed on her that she realized that she was now the center of attention.

"What?" Bonnie's deadpan expression made Klaus snicker and Marcel roll his eyes.

"Glad to see you're enjoying yourself, Love." There was a gleam in Klaus' eyes that should've unnerved her but Bonnie was too tipsy to care.

"I'm just glad that for once, I'm not the center of all this drama. I will say this only once. Whatever you two have going on, count me out. I'm not in this shit." It may have been the alcohol talking, but Bonnie fully believed that had she not had six glasses of mimosas and champagne, she would've said the exact same thing. "Klaus, you have your truce. Just don't kill any innocents and don't get in my damn way." Bonnie stood to her feet. She'd momentarily forgotten that she had on heels and went crashing back down in her chair. "Fuck." She kicked off her heels and stood once again, stooping down to grab them. Unbeknownst to her, she received a gaze from both men, Jonathan as well; however, their gaze quickly shifted once she was upright. She flipped her hair out of her face and signaled to Marcel.

"Take me home," she commanded without giving him much of an option. Without a word, Marcel stood up, eyes never leaving Klaus as he walked with Bonnie out of the estate. Once they were gone, Klaus grinned to himself, taking a sip of his tailor-made breakfast as he noticed the completely clean plates sitting in Bonnie's absence. An air of triumph washed over him as he mentally calculated how the next few months would unfold and smiled with glee when every possibility ended with him on top. With a wave of his hand, the table was being cleared and he watched with mirth as he took another sip from his glass.

"Let the games begin, Love."

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The last thing Bonnie expected when the two of them got home was an argument. The entire ride, Marcel was quiet but once they crossed the threshold, Marcel jumped in her shit.

"What the hell was that?" He barked.

"What was what?" Bonnie was clueless and drunk, but mostly drunk.

"You agreed to a truce with him? What the fuck, Bonnie?! You heard what he had planned and what? You think you can just stay out of it? It's never that fuckin' simple!"

Twenty minutes later, they were still arguing and Bonnie was at her limit.

"You really think, after what you did to me, I'd agree to help you with a problem that has NOTHING to do with me? You must be out of your rabbit ass mind. Don't think I've forgotten Marcel. You have another witch siphoning off me and it's STILL happening. Do you honestly fucking think I'd actually be on your side? Newsflash, I'm not on anyone's side but my fucking own!" Bonnie's chest heaved with anger. The two of them stared each other down. What Marcel said next was like a splash of cold water in her face.

"You think I'm that fucking bad? Why the fuck are you still here, then? Get the fuck out!" Bonnie recoiled at the growl in Marcel's tone. She couldn't actually believe what she was hearing. Bonnie chuckled breathlessly as she shook her head.

"Just like a man to throw a bitch away after he's done with her. You know what, I never could get how you were 'nice' enough to let me stay here all these years. You were just fucking using me. Like every other fucking person in my life! You're no better than my so-called fucking friends!" Bonnie scoffed. As Bonnie's words sank in, she began to grow angrier and angrier. Neither of them realized that the sky outside had darkened and the wind was grossly upsetting the trees.

"I tried to help you! I took you in when you didn't have shit and all I ask is that you take my side on this one thing." Marcel calmed for a second before sneering at the Bennett Witch. "You ever stop to wonder what the common denominator in all of this is? It's you, Bonnie. People use you because you fuckin' let them!"

That was the absolute wrong thing to say.

Before Marcel had a chance to recant, he was engulfed in flames. Immediately, he fell to his knees, screaming in agonizing pain. Bonnie stood silently, watching as the flames devoured him. The amber hue of the fire gave her an ominous glow. Her magic radiated underneath her skin's surface as she took pleasure in Marcel's screams. Her eyes darkened with lust as she danced with Marcel's fate. She was jolted out of her trance when she realized that his screams had started to dwindle.

Bonnie ceased the flames and the roar of the fire silenced. The room was silent save from her and Marcel's light breathing. Marcel wheezed as he stared up at Bonnie in pure horror. The Bennett Witch smiled and kneeled next to his charred body.

"I am sick. And tired. Of everyone treating me like a second-class citizen." Bonnie gently caressed Marcel's cheek, smiling once his handsome face slowly began to restore itself. "I'm letting you live out of a courtesy for being kind to me when I needed it most," she started, "but the next time, I will fucking kill you," Bonnie spoke in a sweet voice, but by the way Marcel twitched, she could tell her point was made. She stood to her feet, never breaking eye contact with him. "Get rid of your witch before I do it for you." Her threat was ominous but clear. Without another word, Bonnie walked out of the room to gather her things.

When would they learn that she was not to be trifled with?

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Damon spent the last few weeks trying to restore Stefan and Caroline to the closest he could get to 'normal'. The little witch had done a number on them. After she left that night, Stefan and Caroline magically 'found' their humanity. For Caroline, it was barring her soul to her 'shell of a friend'. For Stefan, it was the fact that he almost had his heart ripped from his chest. Still, even with their humanity 'on' they were not fully themselves. Stefan still found it all too easy to drink from humans and Caroline's usually chipper self, was jaded and still very dark.

Still, it was a step in the right direction for the both of them.

Damon felt like a weary father, trying to keep an eye on his volatile teenagers who wanted nothing more than to go out on their own and not answer to anybody. However, if he wanted Bonnie's attention, he had to honor her wishes. There was no way he could get her on their side if they were anything less than what they once were. She could barely tolerate them during their 'prime'. He knew she wouldn't hesitate to kill Stefan next time.

Old Bonnie was in the wind.

Part of him was proud that the witch finally grew into herself but, the selfish part of him wished she hadn't. Old Bonnie was easier to manipulate, which would've saved him a lot of time. Old Bonnie also didn't have the power she had now, so he also had the added worry of trying to stay alive in her presence.

Part of him wanted to give up and go home to lick his wounds, but Damon Salvatore was not a quitter.

Giving up on his plight for the day, Damon retired to a bar stool at Rousseau's, drinking his sorrows as he tried not to let the weight on his shoulders crush him. He needed a break from babysitting Stefan and Caroline. In the middle of ordering his 30th shot of Maker's Mark, he felt a warm body plant itself next to him. The scent was unmistakable and the power that radiated off her let him know without a doubt that it was none other than the Bennett Witch herself. From his peripheral, he caught a glimpse of her beach blonde hair. She filled his nostrils with her signature Honey-Jasmine, Cinnamon scent but there was another unmistakable scent that wafted off her.

Charred flesh.

The thought made the hairs on the back of Damon's neck stand at attention.

Without facing her, he downed his shot as it was placed in front of him and spoke loud enough for the little witch to hear. "So who did you flambé?"

Without missing a beat, she responded, "Marcel."

"Ah," was all he could choke out. If he didn't know better, he would say that she got off on it. This was confirmed when he caught a whiff of her arousal. Damon swallowed a tight knot in his throat. He wasn't sure what to make of this new Bonnie. Damon shifted in his seat, facing her side profile. The glow that came from her was almost breathtaking. Her brown skin radiated with magic and arousal and maybe it was the 31 shots but Damon found himself ready to pounce on her. He had always noticed the witch's beauty but the hard-on he had for Elena would never let him appreciate it.

Bonnie's mossy green eyes landed on Damon. Her forehead creased with annoyance as she sipped the Mai Tai she ordered. "Why can't you all jus' leave Klaus alone? Better yet, why mus'you drag me into this?" Judging by how her words slurred, this couldn't have been the first bar she visited. Damon sighed but didn't answer right away. Instead, he actually gave her question some real thought.

"Honestly, I'm starting to wonder the same thing," he confessed. He shrugged with a defeated look on his face. "It seemed like a good idea a few weeks ago, now…" Damon shrugged. He was drunk and tired, and out of answers for the little witch. Silence befell them and the two sat for nearly thirty minutes, enjoying the other's silence until Damon broke it. "What happened to you, Bon Bon?" Damon couldn't get over how much Bonnie had changed in two years. Nothing about her seemed recognizable. Even her hair was different. Her eyes and crooked smile were the only things that still remained. Everything had washed away. Her smile lines were gone, her body had filled in, even her scent was different, slightly.

"Feelin' nostalgic, Damon?" Damon chuckled and shrugged.

"Nope. Just observing."

In truth, Damon had always cared for the little witch. During the 'Save Elena' days, he always felt it was his responsibility to make sure Bonnie came out of things… okay, at least physically. Learning she had 'lost her life' made him realize he failed her. All of them did.

"I didn't know you died."

"Nobody did." Her words stung a little.

"Tell me what happened." He genuinely wanted to know. As the person who was once tasked with making sure her bloodline lived on, Damon would say he was invested, even if he utterly sucked at the job.

He told himself the deal ended once Katherine came back but he still felt obligated to the Bennett line. Knowing she had died right under his nose didn't feel right.

"I died. I'm back. Case closed."

"Bonnie…"

"Don't pretend to give a shit now, Damon. I know what you're doing. You're trying to wiggle your way back under my skin but it's not going to work, so save it." At that moment, the waitress placed duplicate drinks in front of the two of them. Without a word, they both partook. Damon suddenly lost his taste for bourbon.

"Well, for what it's worth, Bennett, I'm glad you're back." Damon placed five, crisp, one-hundred dollar bills on the counter and downed his last shot before standing to his feet. "Even if you want to kill us," he added before shrugging into his leather jacket. His blue eyes scanned Bonnie. He took in her features, wondering if her death had been swift or brutal. Bonnie glanced up at him and saw what she swore was a look of regret behind his drunken haze. She looked away before taking a swig from her glass. She felt a rough pat on his shoulder, jolting her back to this realm as Damon's voice sounded in her ear.

"The rest is on me," he stated, explaining the obscene tip she thought he had left the waitress. "Enjoy your night."

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.

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Six o'clock in the morning found a drunken Bennett Witch roaming the streets of New Orleans, sipping from a neon-colored cup she got from God knows. The smell of Maker's Mark Whiskey oozed from her pores and her magic crackled off her skin into the crisp morning air. Even in her drunken mess, she radiated. She wasn't sure how, but she ended up on the porch of a large, plantation-style home that she recognized so very well. The large M engraved on the iron gates greeted her as she stumbled in the yard. A more sober and inexperienced Bonnie would have taken one glance at the misty, fog-ridden yard and turned in the opposite direction, but drunken Bonnie had no fear. Klaus was the biggest 'bad' anyone had ever known and she had taken him head-on several times. She wasn't afraid of him anymore and if the bourbon had its way, she would even admit that he intrigued her. Everyone knew of Klaus's affinity to witches and if circumstances were different, who knows how their paths would have crossed.

But the two of them were enemies, which didn't explain why was she on Klaus' porch, banging on his front door ungracefully with a party cup in her hand and her high heels strewn about the ominous looking yard? As she begged to be let in, she sipped from the cup's 'crazy straw' and giggled when she lost her balance. She fell to the floor with an audible 'oof'. The whiskey she tossed back all night was finally getting the best of her and even a witch of her stature was no match for a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit.

Klaus sensed her the moment her foot stepped into the large yard. He had been lying in bed, lost in thought as he wondered if the spell had taken its root the way Marie claimed it would. How fast it acted was based on Bonnie solely. Knowing what he knew about the witch and her tenacity, he figured it'd be weeks before he saw any sign of the witch warming up to him. However, the minute he felt her presence, he smiled to himself, genuinely surprised at the spell's effect. His blue eyes flashed its amber hue as he took in her scent. The smell of her perfume and the copious amount of alcohol she had in her system did nothing to mask her natural, intoxicating fragrance. The smell of her always drove the wolf in him mad, well before he performed the ritual to free him. He could hear her heart beating strongly in her chest and the sudden thought of draining her completely was too much to bear.

In the blink of an eye, he was standing on the opposite side of the door as he listened to her curse and yell obscenities, goading him to open the door. He could hear her small frame hit the floor beneath her and smiled to himself. Her sheer vulnerability gave him great pleasure and selfishly, he relished in the moment for a few more seconds before he trained his features into its usual icy glare and yanked the door open. The annoyance on his face seemed real and familiar to Bonnie but was a complete ruse to Klaus. He always enjoyed their encounters, good and bad.

"What are you doing here?" His thick accent pierced the air around them. Bonnie struggled to stand to her feet without much success. Ever the 'gentleman', Klaus offered a hand and rolled his eyes in annoyance when Bonnie stumbled against him. She was past the point of standing on her own, so instead of backing away, he lifted the Bennett which off her feet and ushered her inside, ignoring her scent as much as he could.

He placed the witch on the couch and took a step back to stare at her. His annoyance became real when he realized that she was not up to caring for herself. What if someone had taken advantage of her in this state? He needed her for a higher purpose, he couldn't afford to have her risk her life for a foolish drunken night out on a town riddled with opportunistic supernatural creatures.

"I thought you were more responsible than this, Witch." He whispered to her. His talent for turning the word 'Witch' into a cuss was unmatched. Bonnie sneered up at him as she tried wiggling off the couch he'd placed her on. Rather than addressing his snide remark, Bonnie cut straight to the chase.

"I'm homeless. I'm staying here…" Bonnie slurred. Klaus' eyebrows lifted clear across his brooding forehead.

"Don't I get a say in the matter?" Klaus challenged with a slight grin.

"No." By the stubborn line Bonnie's mouth made, Klaus knew better than to argue. Their arguments were always next-level.

"…I'll get you a blanket then."

Author's Note: I post this in hopes that there are some of you out there still reading and putting up with my lack of inspiration and motivation. I received a few comments on my story a month or two ago that really awakened my inspiration for this story so, thank you so much for that! I understand the frustration you all may have with me and I cannot apologize enough. It's been roughly four years… if memory serves and I'm so sorry. Life came at me faster than a nationwide commercial lol. No excuses, but I hope that there is still an interest in the story. Even though the show has already ended, I hope there are still some Bonnie fans floating around that won't let go, (like myself). If you're still reading, thank you. I'd like to see this story through!

Also, I know the chapter ended abruptly, however, there is a method to my madness, even if I'm the only one that understands it lol.