Wherever You May Be – Part I
Summary: AH – It's been ten years since high school ended, and even though Damon has traveled the world with his music, one woman drew him back home. This is based on the movie '10 Years'. The song lyrics will be within the story.
Song Inspiration: Never Had – Oscar Isaac
…
His phone hadn't stopped ringing. Damon wasn't even going to go to the reunion but this morning he found himself boarding a plane to Virginia; not only was it on the other side of the country, but he had a show the next day back in LA. To say his agent was pissed would be putting it likely. But he had to go; it wasn't often he went home, nor did he see his friends as often as he'd like and most of all…she might be there.
Sucking in a deep breath when the cab pulled up to the venue, Damon paid the driver got out and sauntered up the steps. He tried to keep a low profile as he walked in, keeping his shades on, but it wasn't long before he was noticed. He was greeted by old classmates wanting a picture with him or an autograph and modestly he smiled and pleased the fans.
"Okay, okay!" The familiar voice carrier through the hall. "Let the man breath for a minute will you. God, it's like you've never seen a famous person before." She mocked pushing through the crowd. "You made it!" She shrieked in excitement, throwing her arms around him.
Damon chuckled, hugging her back. "Hey Caroline." He pulled away to look at her, slipping his sunglasses on top of his head. "Look at you, you haven't aged a day since I last saw you."
She rolled her eyes, with a slap to his chest. "Thank you, but there are three little monsters at home that say otherwise." She pulled him away and led him to the table with all the labels and the registry.
She wrote his name, and slapped the sticker to his chest. He looked down at it. "Really? Is that necessary?"
"Probably not, but just cause you're all famous now, doesn't make you special. Everyone gets a name tag. Sign." She handed him the pen.
With an amused shake of his head, he did as she asked. "I truly did miss you, Caroline. No one humbles me quick like you do." When he was done, he turned back to her. "Where's everyone else?"
"The bar." She answered as if it was obvious.
He let out a relieved sigh. "Thank God."
"Look who I found!" she sung out as they approached the bar, and he was greeted by all his old friends, coming up giving him hugs and claps on the back.
There was Stefan, his brother and Caroline's husband. His closest friend Ric who brought his girlfriend Jo, and Enzo who was flying solo as he usually did. They caught up, drinking, laughing, doing shots and easily being the loudest group there.
Ric clapped him on the shoulder. "So, what's it been, Damon? Four, five years? Look at you… went and made something of yourself. Got the hell out of this place. Happy for you." He told him genuinely.
"Thanks, Ric…kind of all happened in a blur." He laughed it off. "One day, I'm pouring drinks at the Grill, next thing I know my song is on the radio." Damon was grateful for his career; he woke up and did what he loved every day but he did miss the little things. Like walking down the street without being recognized, or planning his own schedule, seeing his friends more…
Damon found his eyes roaming the room, looking for someone in particular. He was sure if she were here, she'd stand out in the crowd, just like she always had. "Who are you looking for? You've had your head on a swivel since you got here." Ric observed curiously.
"No one, it's nothing." He brushed it off brusquely, quickly deflecting the conversation away from the subject. "Want another one of those?"
Enzo walked up behind them perched on the stools, and slung his arms lazily over their shoulders. "How about a safety meeting, for old times sake?" he announced quietly between them.
Ric frowned. "A safety meeting?" Enzo held the joint out in front of his face. "Yeah, no thanks." He answered quickly.
Damon chuckled. "Oh come on, Ric…you were a stoner in high school, you can't tell me you don't smoke any more."
Ric rolled his eyes. "I haven't smoked weed in five years."
Enzo broke out in a devilish grin. "This will be fun then."
Ten minutes later had the four of them standing in a circle in the parking lot nearly in tears with laughter as they recalled memorable moments from their younger years. And out of the corner of his eye, a cab rolled in, and someone got out. His mouth went dry when he saw who it was. Silently, he watched from behind his shades as she shut the back door of the cab, and fixed her purse on her shoulder before walking towards the front entrance…and right passed them.
Her lips curled in a smile, when she walked by, obviously aware of what they were doing. What he didn't expect was for her to meet his eyes, holding it for a tense beat before passing him. He huffed a laugh to himself, before glancing over his shoulder to watch her strut through the glass doors and into the main foyer.
She was wearing a simple black dress, snug to mid thigh, and a cropped maroon leather jacket. Her legs were bare and toned, feet encased in heeled ankle boots, and her long bob fell in beachy waves to her shoulders. She was even more beautiful than he remembered her being…and he always thought she was beautiful.
.
Ten Years Ago:
Senior prank day. It was a time-honoured classic. It brought all the cliques together, and it usually ended up with a field party on campus that night, and nearly every senior showed up to celebrate.
He spotted her standing behind the bleachers next to the parking lot, alone and on the phone, pacing a slowly path back and forth. She looked like she arguing with whoever it was, and he waited until she hung up before he separated himself from the group and wandered off to talk to her.
"Hey…" he greeted watching her spin around to him in surprise. "You look upset…everything okay?" Maybe it was the alcohol, but despite not having exchanged more than basic pleasantries over the last four years, he spoke to her comfortably.
She seemed a little taken aback by the concern, but answered him honestly with a smile. "Oh I'm fine, thanks. It's just…my boyfriend was supposed to come pick me up. And now he's not." She added bitterly under her breath.
"I can get you a ride if you need." Damon offered, entirely too eagerly.
She shook her head. "It's okay, I'm just going to walk…it's not far."
"In those?" he gestured to her yellow pumps.
She laughed. "Oh yeah…piece a cake. They're my favorite shoes. I could walk a mile in these puppies." They both shared a chuckle, before she waved shyly. "I'm Bonnie. I sit behind you in chemistry."
Damon's eyes gleamed as he granted her a smirk. "I know who you are, Bonnie Bennett." She reeled back slightly impressed. "I'm Damon."
She matched his energy, smirking back. "I know who you are, Damon Salvatore." She drawled.
"Well, if you don't want a ride, will you at least let me walk you home?" He countered, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jacket.
Glancing past him briefly, Bonnie met his gaze. "What about your friends?"
Damon dismissed it quickly. "They won't miss me."
With a shrug of her shoulders, she agreed. "Sure, thanks." With an awkward smile, Bonnie nodded in the direction of her house, spinning on her heels as he fell in step with her. "I'm surprised you know who I am. Kinda ruins the whole mysterious loner vibe I was going for." She joked.
Damon chuckled, glancing down at his feet. "Well, you are a mystery, I'll give you that. Isn't school supposed to be about making friends and getting to know people? Making memories?"
She shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe for some people. But I don't mind flying under the radar. After this year, everyone is going to move on or away and live their lives…they don't remember the people they went to high school with." She explained indifferently before glancing up at him. "I bet you'll forget about me too." She added pointedly with raised brows.
Damon straightened. "I'll take that bet. Five bucks, what do you say?" He held his hand out to shake on it and Bonnie took it with a beautiful trill of laughter.
"Okay, you're on!" she shook on it, knowing that it was an empty bet but enjoying the camaraderie of it. They kept walking in a comfortable silence as they sauntered in a leisurely pace to her house. "Very gentlemanly of you...walking me home." She teased.
He reeled back slightly, playfully offended. "I can be a gentleman!"
"I'm not saying you can't; we've just barely even spoken to each other…I wasn't expecting it I guess." Bonnie nervously avoided his eyes as they walked, his arm just barely brushing passed hers.
He shrugged noncommittally. "Maybe I'm shy." His lip curled in a smirk when she shot him a disbelieving glare.
"You're shy?" she scoffed a laugh. "I don't believe that."
"Well then maybe its you." The words slipped by his loose lips before he could stop them. "Maybe you make me nervous." He stopped walking when she did, turning to look down at her gaping at him.
"I make you nervous?" she uttered skeptically and a bit dazed by his honestly.
He huffed out an embarrassed laugh. "Little bit, yeah."
"Why?" She seemed so puzzled by this, and it only provided more proof to him that she clearly wasn't aware of her affect on him.
He sucked in a breath, debating with himself for a brief moment. Fuck it. "I might like you a little bit." Damon shrugged, playing it nonchalantly.
Bonnie blinked in surprise, her mouth dropping open as she tried to find the words. Her eyes spoke volumes to her surprise, and something else…one he thought he recognized as desire but before she could say anything the phone rang obnoxiously. She fished it out of the back pocket of her jeans urgently, hoping to silent the loud disruption, but her face pinched when she saw the name. If she didn't answer, he'd just keep calling. Meeting his eyes regretfully, she winced. "I have to take this."
He forced a smile. "Boyfriend?"
"Yeah…I'm sorry." She answered it, putting it to her ear before walking a bit away from him. "Hello?" She was speaking to quietly for him to hear anything else, but he knew that whatever moment they were about to have, was surely ruined. His head dropped disappointedly, but when she hung up and came back towards him, he glanced up, plastering on a casual smile. "Sorry." She let out a deep sigh, swallowing nervously. "Um…thank you for walking me home. I'm right here." She pointed at the house across the street. There was so much left unsaid here, but he could see that he scared her off and the last thing he wanted to do was make her uncomfortable.
Damon glanced at the house before nodding back to her. "No problem. Have a good night, Bonnie." He graced her with a genuine smile.
"Good night." She mumbled back, before crossing the street. As she unlocked the door, she looked back over her shoulder to catch him still standing there; hands tucked in his jacket pockets, and when she gave him a little wave with a smile, Damon returned it with a wink, before backing away and heading home.
.
Damon spotted her sitting at a table with a group of girls he remembered her hanging out with from time to time, and slammed back the rest of his drink before walking over there confidently. "Hey, is anyone sitting here?" He heard the girls across from him gasp before he slipped into the chair beside Bonnie. "I'm going to sit with you guys, if you don't mind. Hi." He turned his head to her, looking right into her eyes brazenly, ignoring the whispers of her friends.
She stared back at him with wide eyes, stunned with amazement at his abrupt arrival. "Hi." She breathed back, feeling her heart pound in her chest. His unwavering stare was sparking something inside her.
He leaned a bit closer, speaking to her in a privately low tone. "You owe me five bucks."
Bonnie's brows arched high on her forehead. "I what?"
"You owe me five bucks. We had a bet, you lost…a debt is owed." He explained simply, eliciting a sincere laugh from her.
"Wow…I forgot all about that." She nodded. "I guess I do owe you, don't I? How about a drink?"
Damon made a show of thinking about it, looking up with a squinted eye. "Yeah…I think I can accept payment in alcoholic beverages." He stood, holding out a hand for her to take. "Sorry ladies, I'm gonna steal her away if you don't mind." He teased, relishing in the slight blush on her cheeks.
"I'll be right back." She told them, before letting him guide her to the bar.
They settled at the counter, ordering a couple drinks when he noticed his brother's ex, Elena walk in the door. "Uh oh…this is about to get weird." Damon laughed to himself as Bonnie followed his gaze.
Stefan noticed too, and they hesitantly walked over to each other, with forced smiles. "Didn't they…"
"Yup." He confirmed sipping his bourbon.
"And didn't she break up with him at prom?"
"Yup."
Bonnie faced him again with a wince. "Well that's awkward. So glad I never dated anyone I went to high school with."
Damon leaned on the bar casually. "Well, you were dating that one guy, right?"
"Yeah, but he was a freshman at Whitmore. Actually, in retrospect that wasn't a good idea either." She caught Damon's frown of confusion. "Let's just say it didn't end well."
"His loss."
They shared a smile before they were interrupted by a woman who walked up to them.
"Hi Damon…I just want to say that…" She took in a deep breath, obviously star struck. "'Never Had' has got to be one of my favorite songs."
He smiled humbly. "Well, thank you. I appreciate that." He didn't miss Bonnie's confused glance.
"Honestly. I've probably listened to it a thousand times." She continued animatedly. He was used to this kind of thing, but he was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable with Bonnie sitting beside him.
"Thank you. Thanks. It's always nice to run into a fan." His smile became forced.
"I'm not just saying that because we were classmates. Seriously."
This was getting painful. "I believe you." He turned to Bonnie. "You want to get some air?"
She nodded, picking up on his desperation. "Sure."
"Okay, great." He forced a polite smile to the woman. "Hey…it was nice seeing you. Have a good night, okay." He was already off his stool, reaching for Bonnie's hand as he led her away, and she followed, her heeled boots clicking as she tried to keep up with his long strides.
When they finally got to the outdoor patio, he let out a deep, relieving breath before he noticed Bonnie looking at him, as if waiting for an explanation. "What?"
"What was that about?" She asked with amusement.
He narrowed his eyes at her facetiously. "You don't know? I'm kind of a big deal." She burst out laughing, which in turn brought a grin to his face.
"I thought I heard something about you being famous now. Big LA rock star?" She questioned with mirth in her tone.
It had been a long time since he ran into someone who didn't know who he was, and it was refreshing, but it made him wonder about some things. "No, not a rock star…just a musician. A traveling minstrel, if you will. So, what have you been up to? Husband, kids?" He questioned, deflecting away from himself.
She shot him a raised brow of amusement. "Subtle."
He laughed. "What can I say, I'm not one to beat around the bush."
"No husband or boyfriend, or love life in general…definitely no kids; well, I have a dog, does that count?" she joked. "And my work life isn't nearly as exciting as yours, but it pays the bills. I'm in real estate."
"Oh…so if I want to buy a house, I should come to you?"
Bonnie hopped up on the cement ledge and Damon joined her. "Oh, I'm sure you'll need all sorts of houses for the groupies and baby mamas." She joked good naturedly with a smirk, her eyes shining with mirth.
His eyes widened. "Baby mamas? No, baby mamas get their own baby mama condos, and the groupies are more of a on the road thing." He bantered back.
"I can see it now – all the girls on the tour bus throwing themselves at you. 'Never Had is like…my favorite song of all time'." She mocked, raising her voice an octave.
He let out a deep laugh. "Yeah, that sounds about right. You know what's funny, that song…I wrote it in two hours in a motel in Boulder and it was never even supposed to make the album. It's kind of crazy that people like it so much." He said in disbelief. Even now after all this time, he still couldn't believe it.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. It was more of a personal song. Well, what do you think?" She didn't answer right away and he eyed her suspiciously. "You've never heard it have you?"
She looked caught for a moment before she pulled a face and her shoulders slumped. "No, I'm sorry…I'm more of a podcast kind of girl. I'm sure if I heard it, I'd know it."
"Mhm…I'm sure you would." He added cryptically to himself. The irony of the situation was not lost on him.
"Okay full disclosure? I was only distantly aware that you were a musician. I'm sorry…I live under a rock." She chuckled embarrassedly. After high school Bonnie moved away to Chicago for school, and never looked back. "I would really like to hear you play though."
He eased her worry easily. "It's okay. It's refreshing actually. You're one of the first people here that's talking to me because of who I was, and not who I am now." He told her softly, modestly.
She bumped shoulders with him. "Well to be fair, you kind of ambushed me."
"Are you complaining?" He teased. "Most would say I'm great company."
Bonnie graced him with a smile. "You are…it's really nice to see you again, Damon."
His eyes flitted over her face affectionately. "It's nice seeing you again too. I have to say I really hoped I'd see you tonight." The moment got tense, the air crackling with energy as Damon started to lean in, and when she glanced down at his lips, he knew she was going to let him kiss her.
The door to the patio slammed open and they both pulled away startled. "Hey, there you are!" Enzo announced. "I'm rounding up the troops! We're going to the Grill! Ten minutes!" He continued grandly as he went back inside, the booze loosening his inhibitions.
"Oh my God." Bonnie laughed under her breath. "That place still exists?"
Damon turned to her. "Wanna go?"
"Why not." He hopped off the ledge, and helped her to her feet with gentle hands on her waist. "Thanks." Looking up at him, she found it hard not to get lost in the sea of his eyes. They were a miraculous blue, hypnotizing. No wonder the women threw themselves at him. Dropping his gaze, she slipped passed him inside, and he followed her in. "Hey, look they got pictures up." She led him through the walls of photos of their past. "I'd be surprised if I'm in one of these. I use to actively avoid every flashing camera." She commented with a titter, looking through all the photos on the wall.
"Oh!" Damon exclaimed. "Found you."
"No way…" she walked over to him, finding the one he pointed out. And there she was, a blurry figure in the background, completely unaware of the photo being taken. "Wooow…look at those yellow shoes!" She covered her mouth with her hand. "I forgot all about those." She stated wistfully.
"You forgot about them? I didn't." He was still staring at the photo, reminiscing, and he missed Bonnie's surprised glance in his direction.
She never thought that Damon Salvatore of all people would have remembered anything about her. They were from completely different cliques; he was popular and she kept mostly to herself, hanging with only a couple of close friends. "You know, those were the first designer anything I ever bought. I wore them all the time."
"I remember."
She was drawn back to the photo. "Look at me, even there I look like I can't wait to get out. Back then I wouldn't have even entertained the thought of coming to one of these things."
"Why did you?"
Bonnie's gaze roamed over him subtly. "Curiosity I guess."
Caroline strolled up with Stefan at her side. "Hey, where have you been all night?" Her eyes slid to the woman beside him. "You're Bonnie, right? Did you know that Damon-" She cut herself off when Stefan nudged her warningly. "he's like super famous now." She covered, earning an eye roll from both brothers.
"I heard…" she looked up at him in amusement. "He's been quite the hit tonight." The wild green of her eyes locked on his, a silent exchange of an inside joke.
"You two are coming to the Grill, right?" Stefan asked shooting his brother a pointed look. As much as Damon had tried not to make a big deal of it, he always knew that his older brother had an unacknowledged fondness for Bonnie in high school. Something about her kept a hold of Damon, and it seemed to him like not much had changed.
"Yeah, we're coming." Damon answered for them.
"Great! We brought the minivan so everyone can fit." Caroline stated excitedly.
Damon shot Stefan a raised brow. "Minivan, brother? Don't tell me you sold the Porsche."
"Nope! Still taking up space in the garage." Caroline grumbled.
"Good." Damon started as they all starting walking to the door. "Dad would kill you if you got rid of that thing. He's been restoring that car since before you were alive."
…
The vibe at the Grill was full of nostalgia. Not much had changed and it was oddly comforting. The drinks were flowing and the music was pumping, and suddenly, it was 2012 and they were all singing along to the songs they were raised on. It wasn't long before Enzo broke out the karaoke machine, and completed several, horribly painful and comedic renditions of ABBA's greatest hits.
Damon and Bonnie were tucked away in a booth, quietly talking, drowning out the people around them.
"Damon!" Enzo announced into the microphone, getting everyone's attention as he laughed drunkenly. "They have your song! They have 'Never Had'! On the karaoke machine."
"Oh no…" Damon uttered under his breath.
"Come on Damon, get up here!" Enzo continued to pressure him jovially.
"Are you going to do it?" She asked.
"No, no, no." Damon dismissed with a shake of his head, even though the people around were egging him on.
"Come on…you should do it." She encouraged.
There was excitement in her eyes and it brought a smile to his lips. "Really? You're going make me do this?" he asked her dragging a hand over his face.
"I'm not making you do it, but I would really love it if you did." She stated with a bright grin. The look on her face alone was enough to convince him; he was finding it hard to say no to her.
He narrowed his eyes at her playfully. "You should have lied. You should have said that you heard it, and that you liked it a lot."
She shrugged, but he could tell she was satisfied knowing he was about to give in. "Probably should have."
"You definitely should have, because then I wouldn't have to do this." He rushed out, sliding out of the booth and skipping up the steps to the stage. He took his place behind the mic, suddenly feeling more nervous than he ever had at any concert or show he'd ever played, and that was mainly due to the woman currently making eye contact with him from across the room. "Give a hand to Enzo, ladies and gentlemen. That's a big act to follow. Well, this is very weird…" he trailed off with a laugh. "Never karaoke'd my own song before." The music started, but something felt off about it. "I'm sorry. Hang on. Hey Matt!" He shouted to the bartender. "You got a guitar back there?"
He grinned big. "Yeah, you want it?"
"Bring it out." Damon waited as Matt brought him the guitar, pulling up a stool and sitting down. "If I'm gonna do this, I wanna do it right." Letting out a calming breath, he tested a few strums, adjusting the tuning before playing the opening strings.
Bonnie leaned forward, resting her arms on the table as she heard him sing for the first time. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. His voice was raspy and melodic, and made her warm just listening to him. The song was beautiful and she found herself getting sucked into the story of the lyrics.
I've been gone for, so long now
Chasing everything that's new
I've forgotten how I got here
I've not forgotten you
We were just children, with our eyes opened, and
You were all that I could see
You came close enough to know my heart-beat, but
Still not close enough for me
Through the good times and the bad
You were the best I never had
The only chance I wish I had to take
There was no writing on the wall
No warning signs to follow
I know now, and I just can't forget
You're the best I never had
Damon's eyes met hers as he continued into the second verse.
In this motel
Well pass midnight
When I'm bluer than a bruise
You come drifting in, through the half-light
In your funny yellow shoes
All the air was sucked out of her lungs, when he smirked at her and her cheeks flushed as she brought a hand to her mouth as realization dawned on her. This is why he was so curious if she'd heard it before, and why he was so nervous to sing it now. The moment felt surreal; like she was outside her body looking in. Here was Damon Salvatore, singing a song he wrote about her, to her, in a room full of their classmates.
I hope that's you standing, at my doorway;
That's the scratching of your key
And I hope this song I'm singing
Someday finds you
Wherever you may be…
Her lips broke in a shy smile as he finished out the song, holding his stare with allure in her eyes.
Through the good times and the bad
You were the best I never had
The only chance I wish I had to take
There was no writing on the wall
No warning signs to follow
I know now and I just can't forget
You're the best I never had
When Damon hopped of the stage and made his way back to their table, he slid in the booth beside her. "So…" He swallowed thickly.
Bonnie had a hard time finding her voice. He was so close that it was hard to concentrate. "So that's your big hit song."
He nodded. "Mhm. Yes it is." He breathed, reading her face for her reaction.
Blinking, Bonnie averted her eyes to the table. "I didn't think you remembered anything about me, let alone write a song about me." Her voice was shaky and nervous, and her fingers trembled in her lap.
"Well…you were pretty hard to forget." His eyes darted back and forth between hers. "I tried to tell you…that night…"
She nodded. "When you walked me home. I know." She shot him an apologetic look. "I got scared. I had my boyfriend…"
"And now?"
"Still pretty scared." She chuckled out. "But brave enough now to say something I couldn't then."
"And what's that?"
"That I might have liked you a little bit too." She risked a glance back up at him from beneath thick lashes.
A genuine smile pulled on his lips. "You did, huh."
"Yup. I probably thought about that night…a hundred times." Bonnie admitted bashfully, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I kept replaying it in my head thinking about what I'd do differently."
Damon watched her lips as they moved, completely enamored by her. "And what did you come up with?"
Her eyes snapped up again, and he saw the moment when she threw all cautious to the wind and gave in. Bonnie leaned in slow, brushing her lips against his softly. He cupped a hand around her the side of her face, pulling her in closer and deepening the kiss that he'd waited ten years for, and it did not disappoint. He rested his forehead on hers, their breath mingling together in the small space between them. "That was one of them." She whispered intimately, tasting him on her lips.
Damon's thumb brushed against her cheek tenderly, his other hand twinging their fingers together. "Anything else I should know about?"
Her eyes darkened with lust. "Nothing I can show you here." She teased, relishing in the tortured groan he let out, dropping his forehead to her shoulder for a beat.
"Well, that wasn't very fair. I'm trying to be a gentleman." Damon's eyes darted between hers again, hoping he didn't scare her off with his next words. "Come back to LA with me…" her brows hiked. "Just for a few days. I have a show tomorrow night, and I think it would be great to have you there. I'll take care of everything, hotel, flight; we can hit the town, and-"
Bonnie stopped him, covering his hand with hers. "Damon…you don't have to woo me with fancy things. Being with you is reason enough for me."
He broke out in a boyish grin. "So you'll come? I wouldn't be pulling you away from anything?"
"Only the luxury of sleeping my baby bother's couch for the week." She chuckled. "He'd be relieved actually; he thinks I cramp his style." She added with a roll of her eyes.
"Well then I will gladly take you off his hands." He teased.
Her eyes darted around, seeing everyone start to leave. "We should get out of here." The look she gave him had him quick to agree.
"We really should." He slipped out of the booth, and helped her to her feet, before wrapping an arm around her waist. "Quickly, before I get ambushed again." He joked, casting his gaze around the room.
They snuck out without saying goodbye, and Damon called them a cab. They didn't worry about what came after; all Damon knew was that finally, the woman that plagued his thoughts for ten years was within reach. They just lived in the moment, letting their hearts lead the way.
…
AN: Hey guys, I hope you liked this one, I really thought this song was so cute and sweet and HAD to do a fic for it. I like the idea of leaving it open ended, for a possible continuation, while also leaving some of the mystery open to the reader to decide how it could play out. I'm working on a couple other fics already that already have their first chapters complete, so you'll see me soon! - Vanessa