Note: Really intrigued as to how you guys are going to respond to this. Hmm. Also, everyone send good karma out into the universe for me. Running low at the moment. Hugs to all XO
"One who does not know when to die, does not know when to live"
-John Ruskin
Bonnie stepped into Elena's bedroom and clicked the door shut behind her before she could change her mind or Elena herself could protest. The vampire flashed to her feet, immediately crossing her arms as she stared Bonnie down. Bonnie however, knew Elena well enough to know that though this looked like a defensive gesture, it was only being used to push down her apprehension. Neither of them were good at confrontation; hence the current state of their 'friendship'. As much as Elena took everything around her for granted, things Bonnie bent over backwards to ensure, Bonnie was as much of an enabler as Elena was selfish. The perfect friendship really; if the one doing all the giving didn't realise it. But Bonnie had realised it and she was doing her best not to simply throw her friendship with Elena down the drain. She was going to set the record straight and leave the ball in Elena's court; whatever happened to their friendship after that was up to the doppelgänger.
"I'm not here to fight." Bonnie said evenly as she stepped further into the bedroom, walking toward the wide window, with her back to Elena she started talking again, "I know you've realised something's happening between me and Damon and I'm sure you've mulled it over and looked at it this way and another but I'm here to set the record straight." She spun around then, her short brown hair framing her heart-shaped face with long sweeping waves of glittering colour. She looked Elena dead in the eye, "I love him Elena, you should know that," she didn't give herself a chance to deconstruct all the emotions fluttering over Elena's expression, "I love him and he loves me." Elena's brows were furrowed and her pretty mouth was pressed into a flat line. "You got to love him and he got to love you and then when he died you threw that away…and the reason I'm bringing that up is because it's not one of the reason's he loves me. I'm bringing it up because you shouldn't have done it…you should have grieved him, you shouldn't have let the misery define you as a person…that's no way to grow…and I mean, with Damon – I get it. I'd die for him too but it means something different when I say that, because he'd die for me– he even offered to before he loved me, well…before he said as much."
"I know why he loves me," Bonnie went on, "it's both fortunately and unfortunately one of the things that came with us turning into hybrids together and whatever 'cosmic bond' Amelia is convinced we managed to keep intact even through the separate dimensions…that's the reason we're hybrids, not why we're in love," Bonnie drew in a breath, "I personally think you should get your memories back 'Lena, you should get them back and you should mourn them, and mourn him, in a healthy way, a good way and you should let the people who care about you help you and not hinder you. You need to stop hiding behind everything else when it comes to your feelings and the consequences of them…it's not fair – not on anyone, especially the people you've been using as a shield." Bonnie looked down at her feet, the pain in Elena's face almost causing her to waver in her train of thought, "More than anything I wanted you to be happy, I died for you to be happy, more than once…but not once for myself. But all it ever did, everything I ever did for you, held you back…and I'm not doing that anymore. I'll always protect you and I'll always love you but I'm not putting you in front of my own needs anymore…and you should count yourself lucky," Bonnie said, her green and blue eyes hard as she snapped her head back up to Elena's face, "You should be glad I haven't turned and left you behind because a part of me knows it's the right thing to do…for both of us. I mean, what kind of person lets everyone else die in their name Elena? You kept saying you didn't want it to happen, you kept crying about it and 'fighting'," she curled her little fingers around the word angrily, "against it…but not really…you never really stopped it from happening, so in some way, no matter how small, you thought yourself worthy of everyone else's sacrifices, everyone's deaths, losses and pain…and yes, we decided to see it through, for you…but you didn't have to be so damn passive about it." Bonnie spat before sucking in a startled breath and blinking her anger away, "You need to grow up Elena, you need to find whatever shreds of the girl I love inside of yourself and put them back together and then move forward and find out what more there is to you – because I don't for one second believe this shadow-of-a-person vampire girl standing in front of me with the last five years between us is all there is to you. But if it is, then I don't want anything to do with you. But if somewhere in there, you can love me back, you can fight with me and for me then that's the girl I need right now. I need my best friend back and if… if you do get your memories back and you remember your love for Damon… I hope you remember this; I'm sorry if our being …in love, hurts you, but this is one thing I will not be putting on the altar of sacrifice of your name and I will resent you if you ask it of me." Bonnie hugged her arms to her body then, letting her words sink into the dense atmosphere around them, "…I love you Elena, never forget that." With that said Bonnie flashed out of the room, entirely unsurprised when she slammed into Caroline and Lucy who'd been eavesdropping. Saying nothing, she made her way up the stairwell to the third floor and took determined steps to Fahada. As she neared the other vampire girl, Bonnie pulled off Damon's leather jacket, revealing a tight-fitted black tank top underneath it that she'd paired with thick tights and bright green sneakers.
"Cute shoes." Fahada said with a smirk that Damon mirrored as he rose to his feet where he'd been sitting across from Amelia learning about channelling.
"I don't exactly have 'fighting gear' or anything," Bonnie said with an easy smile as she faffed with her fringe, "So this'll have to do." Fahada patted her shoulder as she moved around Bonnie to flash to a far wall where a few weapons were hanging up.
"It's fine," Fahada said as she delicately removed a heavy-looking mace-like weapon, "I've got some that'll fit you perfectly, might be a little tight on top but I doubt Damon would complain." The elder Salvatore, already grinning, wiggled his eyebrows at Bonnie who refused to even comment. Instead she raised a curious forefinger and a brow at the thing in Fahada's hands. "This," the grey-eyed vampire said, blowing up a quick breath to get stray strands of her inky hair out of her face, "Is called a morning star, it's like a mace, but it has these spikes on the one end that do some decent damage when used properly…this one also has a small axe on the other end, you know…just in case." Damon clapped his hands and sped forward, making 'gimme-gimme' gestures with his fingers. Fahada chuckled and handed it over. One by one the others began to enter the room that had been changed into a training space of sorts. Enzo was dressed in tight black jeans and a loose black wife beater, claiming it was the closest thing he had to exercise-wear. "Like I need the work-out" he'd scoffed, earning him a smack on the shoulder from both Lucy and Caroline. The girls had worn something similar to Bonnie; Caroline in a baby-blue tank top and black gym tights, while Lucy had worn all black, tights and crop top, showing off her a sliver of flat stomach, and a pierced belly button. Caroline eyed the jewellery out curiously while Lucy snapped her fingers in front of the blonde's face.
"I was sixteen," Lucy said vaguely with a soft smile on her face, "not my best year." Chuckling, they made their way to Bonnie and Damon while Enzo stood with Fahada who had the morning star in her hands, toying with it casually, at the weapon's station, Enzo's onyx eyes wide and glittering – like the sadist he was. Stefan and Elena came up soon after as well, Stefan with his hand at the small of Elena's back, looking like a comforting gesture – but in truth he was just making sure she didn't back out. There was too much at stake for her to wallow in her emotions at present. His brother for one…and Bonnie…and, Stefan's chest tightened because he knew, he'd seen it in Damon's eyes when they were back in his house outside of Mystic Falls with Damon screaming for Bonnie and again when Damon had been shot and his first reaction being to haul himself over the balcony like Bonnie when the Hunters had attacked them. Damon would stop at nothing to make sure Bonnie was safe, and Bonnie being Bonnie was hell-bent on saving everyone, that meant that everyone had to make it out alive or she wouldn't – which meant Damon wouldn't. This meant that both Damon and Bonnie were on suicide missions and someone had to make sure they didn't have to even go there. Stefan nudged Elena forward and locked eyes with Lucy. They both nodded imperceptibly; they'd agreed to an alliance of their own after Damon was shot – when it came down to it, the people they cared about the most would surely see the next day. No matter what.
"Okay, everyone line up!" Fahada called and Imran flashed to her side while Amelia moved to stand in line with all of their visitors. "We don't know for sure how much time we have left but today and tomorrow we'll be covering an extensive training schedule to make sure every single one of us ready…before they come, the Superior will send us a note, a signal of sorts; outlining his intentions with the Hybrids and whoever stands in the way. They will come twelve hours after we receive the note…It's the way it's always been done," Fahada said the last bit with a clear bite to her tone as she flashed closer to the straggling line of supernaturals in front of her, "This is it, whoever isn't ready to fight against the Seekers, The Superior and whoever else they bring – you have this window of opportunity to leave. Take it now or prepare to fight." Her thunderous glowing eyes scanned the faces before her, not really lingering on any one in particular. A tense moment of silence ensued until Elena stepped forward. Only Bonnie and Caroline turned to look at their friend. Fahada pressed her mouth tight as she walked over to Elena who was already crying. Stefan was standing beside her and Fahada had to commend him for reigning in his rage as well as he thought he was.
"I – I c-can't do this," Elena spluttered and Fahada crossed her arms as she came to stand in front of the leggy brunette, toe to toe Fahada barely cleared Elena's shoulder but the look in Fahada's eyes made Elena feel infantile in comparison in that moment. "I'm sorry, I just –"
"You may pack your things." Fahada said, turning on her heel before facing everyone else as Elena sped away, "Anyone else?" Enzo's face twisted in repulsion.
"And I thought you were bad Damon," Enzo commented off-handedly, "But Elena…she takes the cake."
"Shut it." Lucy snapped, pulling Stefan to her side to close the space where Elena had been standing. Damon looked down to Bonnie who was almost too composed. He knew she'd gone to talk to Elena before coming up for training…but he didn't think anything Bonnie could have said would have made Elena do something like this. Something so cowardly. Her leaving trumped her erasing their relationship …and Damon hated himself for not having seen it coming…Elena had never had an ounce of accountability in her life – how else had they expected her to react when push came to shove? He took Bonnie's hand in his but she didn't react, she barely let her fingers curl through his. He felt the power vibrating off of her though, and it was the only sign, outside of her shining eyes, that she was reacting to Elena at all. A quick zap of magic flickered outward from her chest, a thin line of power slipping through the cracks of her armour; startling them both. Fahada reappeared in front of Bonnie and Damon watched as the equally short girl took his Bonnie's chin in her hands and smiled sadly. Fahada pulled Bonnie into a hug around the same time Lucy began hugging Caroline who had been crying quietly since Elena had left the room. Bonnie sighed into the embrace but her face was hard when Fahada pulled away to hold her by her shoulders.
"Waver not." Fahada said and her eyes flashed to Caroline who was wiping furiously at her red face. "We will go ahead as planned; Imran will help Elena with whatever she needs before he joins us. I hope none of you planned to rest tonight, because it will not come until I say so."
"Do you have everything?" Imran asked, suddenly appearing at the door of Elena's room. She turned around quickly, having not expected anyone to see her off before she nodded slowly…she'd had her things packed for a few days now. "Come, I'll call a car for you."
"That won't be necessary." Elena said with a half-smile, her eyes still wet from crying, "I'm sure you have more important things to do right now." Imran's eyes clouded over for a quick moment before he nodded and stood upright.
"True," he agreed, "Yet I remain true to myself; I am the kind of person who looks after those under my roof…it is the way I have always been," he said watching as she yanked out the handle on her travel bag and rolled it over until she and the bag stood before him, "I guess," he said, his grey eyes boring into her dark brown ones, "I never stopped to consider what it meant when you'd one day be true to who you are." Elena looked as if he'd smacked her as his words sank in. "I'm sure one day shame will find you but until then…I shudder to think of the pain your future actions will cause."
"I'm doing this for me." Elena argued softly, "Like everyone's been telling me to do." Imran laughed then, and it was so unlike the usual happiness he bore with him, it was cold and sharp and unsettling.
"Can you honestly stand in front of me now and tell me that when Fahada spoke to you, all the times Caroline and Stefan tried to reach out to you, when Lucy extended her help and when Bonnie told you her truth – that this is what they wanted from you? More selfishness? From the girl whose been taking them all for-granted since Stefan made your acquaintance…the way Stefan spoke of you when you first met…he called me one night, drunk on love…he thought you were his …his person…his epic love, something Katherine had robbed him of, but you were so much worse than she was," Imran's kind face turned hard and guarded, like he was lifting a wall between him and Elena with every word, "Because where Katherine was brazenly untrustworthy, you hide behind your ideas of love…thinking that 'love' justifies anything you do…Well, I assure you, if this is what you think love is…then you are alone in it." Elena blinked stupidly at him; he was barely recognisable without a smile on his face. "Now come," he said lowly, "We wouldn't want you to be late."
Dang