Title: Unfinished

Rating: M

Genre: AU/Supernatural/Romance

Pairing(s): Bonnie/Klaus, Stefan/Rebekah, Bonnie/Stefan (minor), Klaus/Stefan (minor), Bonnie/Rebekah (minor), Caroline/Tyler, Matt/Katherine, Rudy/Gloria, Abby/Elijah, etc.

Summary: Bonnie uncovers memories of a previous life that she spent with Klaus, Stefan, and Rebekah….

Warnings: Violence, Sexual Content, Racial Tension (Slurs, Racially Motivated Crimes and the Like), Character Death, Bad use of 1920's slang, ect.

Part Seven: A Trick of the Light

Bonnie Bennett looked up and rolled her eyes when she saw Nik walk into the club. She continued to scrub the table top that she was working on and ignored him even as he sat down at the very table that she was cleaning and stared at her pointedly. It was the third time that he had shown up without Stefan and she was beginning to get annoyed by his presence and yet for some reason she was beginning to like having him around as well. It was contradictory she knew but it was the way of life.

"You're a mean woman Bonnie Bennett," Nik said, as she leaned across the table. She looked up and he smirked as their eyes met, glad to finally have her attention.

"A homicidal hybrid calling me mean," Bonnie said dryly, "I don't know whether to laugh or slap you with this rag." Nik narrowed his eyes at her and she sighed. Tossing the rag on the table top, Bonnie placed a hand on her hip and considered him. She had taken to wearing Stefan's old clothes, shirts that were too large for her that she had stolen from his haunt, when she cleaned at work and the button down that she had adorned today afforded a certain amount of cleavage when she bent down, something that Nik could appreciate. "What have I done to displease you now?" Bonnie asked.

Nik raised an eyebrow at her, adjusting his tie. "Isn't it obvious?" He asked. She gave him a look that he had come to associate with flames or aneurisms, neither of which he was in the mood for. "I've been pursuing you for three whole days and still you won't give in and let me take you out on the town," he said.

Bonnie huffed, letting out a bark of laughter. "Let's set aside the fact that you would be pained to find a place where we could actually be seen together without bloodshed happening for one reason or another," Bonnie said, "And I'll simply address the fact that you seem to think that pursuing me for three days is some sort of feat."

Nik shrugged. "It is for me," he said, honestly, "Normally it only takes me a few minutes to get what I want, a few hours at the most, especially from a woman."

Bonnie picked up her rag and moved on the next table. "Well," she said, "I'm not that easy, jack."

Nik stood and walked up behind her. As she leaned over the table he placed his hands on the table surface on either side of her. When she stood upright her back was flush against his chest, and he smirked. "That's why I want you so much," he said, "You make it so hard for me."

Even as Bonnie turned to face him, Nik didn't move his hands from the table, and her actions brought them closer than they had been, they would have likely been nose to nose were she not so much shorter than him. "You're wasting your time," Bonnie said, "I don't date vampires."

"Good," Nik said, winningly, "I'm not a vampire, I'm a hybrid so I guess I'm still in the running." Bonnie shook her head rolling her eyes at him again. "So how's about we go dancing?" He asked.

"I don't dance," Bonnie said quickly before she could catch herself. Of course she danced, it was her job to dance.

It was Nik's turn to roll his eyes. "A hoofer that doesn't dance," he said, "You should really rethink your choice of occupation, doll." Bonnie glared at him, but he remained unbothered. "I can keep you occupied if you want," he suggested.

Bonnie bit her lip to stop from laughing as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "Sorry, mac," she said, "As far as you're concerned the bank is permanently closed."

"You wound me, love," he said, giving her his best hurt expression, "It's like you don't even care that I carry a torch for you."

"That's because I don't," Bonnie said, tossing her rag back on the table and looking away from him. She didn't understand why she was even entertaining the thought that he did. She didn't even know why she was even talking to him. Perhaps because when she wasn't thinking about killing him, she was simply thinking about him.

"One meal," Nik said, unfazed, "One meal and you don't even have to get dolled up. I will take you to the fanciest joint this town has to offer and you can wear Stefan's hand me down shirt if you want to."

Bonnie laughed, closing her eyes and letting out a long suffering sigh. She knew that he wouldn't give up, he would likely try harder which would mean that she would end up getting unwanted attention from not just him but others as well. People were already starting to talk. "One meal and you'll leave me alone for good?"

"One meal and you won't want me to," Nik said.

Bonnie looked back at him and his eyes seemed to be burning a hole through her. "Fine," she huffed, "But I won't be going out on the town in hot back's clothes. You want to take me out then you're fitting the bill for some new glad rags."

Nik smiled even as she pushed him away from her. "As you wish," he said. He had managed to wear her down much sooner than he thought he would.

"Now pipe down or better yet leave before my boss comes out here and you get me fired," Bonnie said.

"Well if you get fired then you can leave early and we can just make a day of it," Nik pointed out, the idea appealing to him. If she did get fired like her boss kept threatening then he could simply compel the idiot to give her, her job back, or take care of her himself.

The threat in Bonnie's eyes was clear and Nik decided to quit while he was ahead. "Unless you want me to bump you off before you get a chance to take me out then I suggest you scram," she ordered.

Nik nodded and moved to leave. They heard footsteps, likely her boss coming up from the back. Nik stopped as he walked past her, leaning down and whispering in her ear. "Until tonight," he said.

Nik kissed her cheek and wasn't surprised when she pushed him away her eyes on the door that led to the back. "What are you doing?" she hissed, "I said get out of here."

Nik laughed shaking his head. If she was going to say things like that and expected to be taken seriously then she would have to stop smiling when she did it.

Bonnie Bennett closed the journal that held the memories that she couldn't remember. She was sitting in an arm chair in her living room. She placed the journal onto her coffee table. She looked over to where Klaus lay fast asleep, sprawled out on her couch. She had been in his arms only an hour before, they had been speaking to each other quietly about everything and nothing until he had fallen asleep. After Klaus had fallen asleep Bonnie had started to read the journal.

He was different than the journal portrayed him, yet the same. He was warmer, more open. It made Bonnie wish that she could remember even more. The Bonnie in the journal would be a better recipient than she was. Bonnie didn't know what to make of this Klaus, but the other Bonnie, the one that she had been, the one that she didn't remember, had longed for him. She had wanted the whispered declarations of love, the warm looks and tender touches. She had gotten that to a certain extent, but she had never gotten the words, and she had wanted those words so much. Now Bonnie was getting the words and she couldn't appreciate them, not in the way that she would have had she remembered wanting those words.

Bonnie stood and walked over to the couch. She knelt down beside Klaus' sleeping form. He wanted to make up for what he hadn't given, and he wanted to have what he had lost. She wanted that for him, she wanted to give that to him. But she couldn't, not yet, not while her mother was still powerless.

Bonnie felt powerless. She was dealing with so many feelings, many of which she couldn't understand. With every page she had read in the journal a new feeling was ignited, a new feeling that was hard for Bonnie to process. But the more she knew of that life the more she wanted to remember. She wanted to remember listening to Rebekah read poetry. She wanted to remember writing songs with Stefan. She wanted to remember making love to Klaus, and arguing with him, and hating him and loving him all at the same time.

Bonnie reached out her hand hesitantly and ran a finger along Klaus' jaw line, then she outlined his lips with her finger tip. She leaned forward and placed a kiss on his forehead, her hand reaching around to play with the hairs at the nape of his neck. "I want to know what it's like to want your love as much as she did," she said, "And she really wanted it. She wanted those words. It makes it harder, knowing that I was her once. I wonder what I would think of you, like this, if I remembered everything. If I would look at you differently." She considered him closely; already she cared for him, she wanted him, and even in spite of everything he had done and what they had gone through she was still in need of his presence when he wasn't there. "I think there would be more," she whispered, "More of everything. More of watching you when you think I'm not looking. More wanting to be close to you just so we could share the same space. More wanting to see you happy. More wanting to wake up next to you. More staying up until you fall asleep just so that I could see you at peace. More beating myself up for loving you. I would be consumed by you, I think. I would love you until the point of distraction and even if it destroyed me I would be so happy, because it was you."
Bonnie closed her eyes a moment. It was easier telling him the truth when he was asleep, when he couldn't hear her, when he couldn't look at her with those eyes. "I don't even know what I'm saying," she said, "I…this whole thing makes it hard for me to think. I feel like I'm me but I'm someone else at the same time. Someone that someone like you could love…or even scarier…someone that can love someone like you."

Bonnie took the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch and used it cover Klaus. She turned out the table side lamp. She moved to leave the room but then stopped. Kicking off her shoes, Bonnie walked back around to stand in front of the couch. She pulled the blanket aside and climbed in next to Klaus. Even in his sleep he wrapped his arms around her. Bonnie smiled softly as she laid her head on his chest. "I once made you promise me that for every day that I had to wake up without you," Bonnie said wrapping her arms around his middle, "There would be ten that I wouldn't have to. Even though I don't remember forcing you to make that promise, I can still hold you to it, can't I?"

Klaus' arms tightened around her, and even without being conscious, Bonnie took the gesture as an affirmative answer.

:::

Matt Donovan sighed as he walked out of the Salvatore Boardinghouse. He had been looking for Gloria. After dropping Bonnie off he had gone back to Sheila Bennett's house only to find Abby there but Gloria absent, off in search of some sort of book that was supposed to help Abby redevelop her powers. But Matt hadn't given up his search, though in the end it still ended up fruitless.

He had wanted to talk to Gloria about Bonnie. She was the only one who had been with Bonnie in the past that he had felt would actually give him some real insight on who she had been. Klaus was busy sorting things out with Bonnie; and Stefan and Rebekah wouldn't be very cooperative either way.

Matt didn't want to admit it but he was afraid. He loved Bonnie and he was afraid of losing his friend once her memory returned. He knew that Bonnie would never do something like that, not the way that she was now. But there was a chance that she could change once she remembered. He knew that it would help if he knew how much of her had changed and how much had stayed the same. Klaus and the others still loved her and so perhaps she was still very much the same, then again they had waited for her so long they could probably love her through anything and no matter who she became. But Matt could say the same thing and one thing that he knew for sure was that he wasn't losing another person, so if Bonnie got it into her head that she would abandon her friends from this time once she remembered the time before then he simply wouldn't let her.

Matt was so distracted by his thoughts of Bonnie that he didn't realize that someone was coming up the stairs just as he was going down them until he bumped into the person. Frowning and muttering an apology, Matt looked up and came face to face with Katherine Peirce. He could tell even without the way that her hair was curled, that it was her. She might look like Elena on the outside, but they had different ticks and different mannerism. Matt hadn't had too many one on one encounters with Katherine but he had been with Elena long enough and had known her long enough to know how she acted and how she moved, and even when imitating Elena, Katherine was still in a league all of her own.

However, Katherine seemed almost out of her element as he looked down at her. She looked out of sorts. It was odd to see someone who was always so sure and so confident look as if she were unsure. "Are you okay?" Matt asked.

Katherine looked at him seeming to notice him for the first time. When she realized who he was, she raised an eyebrow at him. "You do realize who I am right?" She asked. She knew from the concern on his face that there was no way in hell that he thought that she was anyone other than his manic depressive ex-girlfriend who just so happened to be her doppelganger.

"Yes," Matt said pointedly, "I know who you are, Katherine." He ignored the look of surprise on her face. He didn't know why he was so concerned, probably because seeing her off her game was a disturbing sight. "Are you okay?" he asked, "What's going on?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this," she said, "I need to go see, Damon."

Matt shook his head, wondering why he even bothered. "Well," he said, "Excuse me for caring." Obviously, Petrova women didn't give a damn about men that gave a damn about them. He should act like he didn't give a shit, then she would probably be all over him. Not that he wanted her to be all over him.

"Last time I checked," Katherine said, moving to walk around him, "No one asked you to."

"Well," Matt said, his worry for Bonnie and the situation with the originals and the caves, and the threat of Mikael that no one wanted to talk about it making him on edge, "Maybe if you didn't act the way you did when someone did give a damn about you then more people would, and I am not talking about affection that you manipulate out of people. I mean real caring, stuff that last. But you wouldn't know about that would you?"

Katherine's eyes went from indifferent to lethal. She had meant what she had said. She didn't have any time to deal with any of the little children in her doppelganger's circle. She had been spending the last few days as Mikael's personal blood bag, before he had left her to die and now the psychopath was on his way to Mystic Falls. She was agitated, irritable, and she wanted to kill something. She knew she had to warn Damon but there was something about the scathing look that Matt was giving her that got under her skin.

"What the hell would you know about a lasting relationship?" Katherine asked, her tone mocking, "How many breakups have you had in the last couple of years? Now pining…that's something you know well, right?"

Matt took a step forward, partially because he needed an outlet for his frustration, and partially because the stress of everything was beginning to take its toll. "You don't know anything about me," Matt said.

Katherine rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe the idiot was actually trying to look threatening. What the hell would he be able to do to her? "I could say the same thing about you," she said, "You know nothing about me."

"Maybe not," Matt shrugged, "But I know what I've seen. I know that instead of taking your losses and learning from them, and valuing the people you have you choose to do the opposite. I know that I would never want to be like you. You survive but you're alone and you can blame Klaus or whoever else you want but it's just as much your fault as anyone else's. You want to know what I know about lasting relationships. I have friends that will die for me, and I would do the same thing for them. And ten years, twenty years, thirty years from now, we'll still be friends. I thought I knew what loneliness was but I don't, not really. You do and I would pity you for that if you weren't that way by choice."

Katherine was seconds away from sinking her teeth into his neck and ripping his throat out. Did the little shit really think that he could get away with talking to her that way? "You must have a death wish," Katherine stated, plainly.

Matt laughed sardonically, thinking about clinging to death at the pool before Bonnie breathed life back into him. He had wanted to die as to not be alone but the thought had seemed silly now. "I did once upon a time," he said, "But I figured out I wanted to live, not survive, but live. I would tell you the difference, but honestly it isn't worth it. You'll be happy to know that you got what you wanted, I no longer care."

Katherine smirked. "The question is, why would you start caring in the first place?" Katherine said.

Matt shook his head, as he walked around her and continued to walk down the stairs. "I don't know," he said, "But I bet that that's not the first time that you had to ask that question. Tell Damon that I said, hello, I didn't get to see him when I popped in just now." The last sentence he said sarcastically, as he walked toward his truck determined not to look back.

Kathrine sighed. He was supposed to the gentlemen, at least that was what everyone said. She didn't like seeing him play the part of the asshole; not only did it make her want to kill him but it didn't really suit him. But the fact that his ire was directed at her made it worse somehow. Worse than that, he was actually making her think, his words somehow cutting through her thick skin and prickly persona. "Do you really want to know what's wrong?" Katherine asked.

Matt turned around to face her, an eyebrow raised though he didn't speak.

"Just….," Katherine said, eyeing him, "Those friends of yours, the ones that would die for you, those friends that you would die for, you should probably warn them. This Mikael, he's dangerous, especially where the witch is concerned. He's on is way here so you should probably be careful, you know so you don't end up alone like me."

Matt looked surprised, concerned, and then frowned looked remorseful. "Thanks," he said, "I'm sorry. I had no right to talk to you that way. I'm just having a really shitty day."

"Yeah," Katherine said, letting out a humorless laugh, "I know the feeling." She studied him a moment before she spoke without thought. "You want to tell me about it?" she asked, teasingly, "It'll give me a break from my solitude."

Matt raised a brow at that. "When did you start to care?" He asked.

Katherine frowned. She was tired, had been fed on and wearing the same clothes for days. Obviously she had suffered some sort of brain damage as well.

"See you around, Katherine," Matt said, "And hey, you be careful too."

Katherine watched as Matt climbed into his truck and drove away. Her eyes followed his truck down the road. She had the passing thought that, if Matt survived this whole Mikael thing it wouldn't be so bad, even if almost everything that he said made her want to kill him.

:::

The light in Stefan's room was flickering again. It seemed that it only did that when Rebekah read Poe out loud. Stefan thought the phenomenon was rather interesting himself, but Bonnie, like many a witch, was superstitious. She believed that it was a bad omen, or perhaps a sign of a restless spirit. Nik believed that Stefan needed to change the light bulb in his lamp.

Stefan lay on his bed with his head in Rebekah's lap, listening as she read from, "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," watching as the light flickered ominously.

He watched a Bonnie looked at the lamp as well, a frown marring her soft features. She sat at the foot of his bed, her eyes on the lamp, though they seemed unseeing. "I feel like something is coming," she said, "Something bad."

Nik was gone. She always got this way when Nik was away. Sometimes it got to the point where she would close off to them completely, wrap herself around some unknown feeling that Stefan and Rebekah couldn't understand.

Sighing Stefan got out of bed. He walked across the floor and into the kitchen. He dug around in the drawers until he found a new light bulb. He reentered the room and finally changed the light bulb, like Nik had told him to do long ago. But even as he finished changing it, the light continued to flicker. He gave Rebekah a look and she traded in Poe for something more romantic, in Emily Bronte. Still the lamp flickered. Stefan frowned.

"Something is coming," Bonnie said again, "Something that we can't stop."

Stefan walked over to Bonnie and stood in front of her. He kissed her forehead and smiled down at her. "Nothing bad is going to happen, green eyes," he said. A week later Bonnie was dead.

Stefan's attention was divided in between the memory and what Rebekah was telling him about Mikael. Mikael who was her father. Mikael who had hunted them for years. Mikael who wanted not just them, but all vampires dead. Mikael whom his idiotic brother had released. But they would deal with it, they would survive, because that was what they did. Stefan told Rebekah as much, as they sat on his bed, holding hands.

"We should have told you sooner," Rebekah said, "Should have tried to make you understand. We wanted to protect you, to protect Bonnie. But I realized that after she died, we had gone about it the wrong way. If she had known who Mikael was when he approached her. If we had told her even after he had cornered her at the club the first time, because we knew then, it would all be different."

Stefan squeezed her hand. "You are telling me now," Stefan said, "There no sense in us focusing on things that we can't change. Mikael is lose thanks to my brother, we have to live for the right now. We can't focus on the past, not when the threat in the present is being thrown in our face. You heard what Damon said, just now when he interrupted us. Mikael is awake, he's free, and he is feeding off of vampires. He's coming for you and Nik, and even Bonnie. We have to protect each other this time, and we have to be honest with each other."

Rebekah nodded. She laid her head on Stefan's shoulder. "I want to be with you until he comes," she said, "We can plan and prepare and we will likely still not be ready for him. We can protect each other and be honest with each other but I want us to just be together too, like any other couple. I want to walk the halls with you even if I think high school is next to useless. I want to go to practice with Bonnie even if I hate cheerleading. I want to dance with you at homecoming, even if I am sure that the music will be terrible as well as everyone's state of dress. I want to be as normal as we can for as long as we can."

"Then we will," Stefan said, "Though, I am kind of surprised that we're going to homecoming."

"We're not," Rebekah said, causing him to raise an eyebrow at her, "Not until you ask me. I know we're together but really I have standards. If half the football team can ask me then I am sure that you can bring yourself to stomach the task."

Stefan grinned. "I'll get right on it," he said seriously, "Right after I kill half the football team." Rebekah laughed. Stefan leaned forward and kissed her lips, lingering.

The moment was broken as Gloria came into the room and told them that Bonnie knew of her past life and that she had reacted badly. Stefan sighed wondering if it would ever again be the way it was, as the light in his room began to flicker.

:::

Alaric Saltzman frowned as he looked at the walls of the cave that was hidden under the Lockwood property. Every time that he blinked, it seemed, something happened around him. Something changed. He hadn't been paying much attention to the Gilberts or their friends lately, but when both Stefan and Rebekah had missed school, and Matt and Bonnie had disappeared early, Alaric had decided to corner Tyler Lockwood for information, as he was friends with Matt and sired to Klaus, Alaric figured he would have inside information on both sides. But Tyler had beat him to it.

Alaric didn't really know what to make of everything that Tyler had told him. He knew that Bonnie had seemed rather interested in the twenties and had been doing better in his class, but the idea of her being reincarnated just seemed surreal. Then there was the Mikael issue, and lastly the caves that Tyler and he were now exploring. Just a few weeks ago, Klaus had been their biggest problem. Yeah, things changed every time Alaric blinked.

"Could you raise the light a little higher?" Alaric asked, glancing over his shoulder at Tyler.

Tyler nodded and then raised the light. "Do you think that this will actually tell us anything?" Tyler asked. He was worried about a lot of things, about protecting Caroline from the threat of Mikael, about Bonnie dealing with her past life, about surviving. He was tired of the supernatural, tired of the lack of normalcy. He just wanted to live free of threat and worry, even if it was just for one day.

"I don't know," Alaric said, "I hope so. Let's see what I can decipher."

Tyler stood behind him, hoping that his mom didn't show up home soon. He didn't like keeping things from her, they were in a better place. But just like knowledge was at times power, ignorance was sometimes safer than knowing the truth. His mother didn't have anything to protect her from the supernatural aside from him and he would be sure that he would not lose another parent, another person. His father and Mason had been more than enough.

"This couldn't be right," Alaric said, as he ran his hands over the runes that were carved into the cave's walls.

"What is it?" Tyler asked.

"If these carvings are correct," Alaric said, "Then this Mikael is the father of the Originals and the Original witch is their mother."

Tyler sighed, everything went back to Klaus and his family it seemed. He was beginning to miss the times when everything went back to him being an entitled asshole. "So what you're saying is we're going to have to talk to Klaus," he said.

"What I am saying," Alaric said turning toward him, "Is that you are going to need to talk to Klaus. I know that it's possible for him to use the bond that you have with him to his advantage even though he hasn't yet, but maybe you should see if you can turn it around on him."

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked.

"You have no choice but to trust him," Alaric said, "In a way that means he had no choice but to trust you over anyone else. Even Stefan, because it is harder for you to go against. Hard but not impossible."

"So you want me to use the sired bond to get information?" Tyler asked. Alaric nodded. "I'll try," he said, "But honestly there is someone who he would likely tell without having any issues if they asked him anything. Someone who is loyal to all of us and wants to protect everyone,"

"Bonnie?" Alaric asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tyler nodded. "Matt said that Klaus loves her," Tyler said.

"And you believe that?" Alaric asked. It was clear that Alaric didn't. Alaric doubted the monster was capable of emotion, let alone love.

"I don't know," Tyler said, "I haven't seen them interact really, not like he has. But those journals that I found, and those pictures, all of Bonnie in her past life. When you read her words you can tell that she loved him, a lot. And those pictures. You don't look at a woman the way that Klaus looks at Bonnie without there being something there."

"But you said she doesn't remember," Alaric said, "And while her personality may be the same, her experiences aren't."

"It doesn't seem to matter," Tyler said, "At least not to Klaus."

Alaric nodded. "Alright," he said, "Ask Bonnie to see what she can find out. But be prepared to be our back up. Even if she can find something out, we might need you on this,"

Tyler nodded. Normal, seemed even farther away from him than before.

:::

The next morning Bonnie decided that she would forgo going to school in favor of going to see Abby. She knew that she needed to have an actual conversation with her mother without her emotions running so high. She wanted answers, some sort of explanation. A reason other than what was so obviously clear from what she had read from the journal she had written this time, as a child, which was that her mother wanted a normal child, a normal child without the added burden of having another life.

Bonnie was nervous about talking to her mother, which Klaus seemed to sense. She sat at her kitchen table, picking at the breakfast that Klaus had made for her. "What if she says something that I don't want to hear?" Bonnie asked, "Something that I can't forgive her for?"

Klaus sat down next to her, placing a hand over hers. "Then at least you'll have your answers," he said, "My own mother refused to give me reasons for so many things. For her hatred of me. For lying to me about who my true father was. For making me what I am. For cursing me afterward. So many questions that have never stopped haunting me. You have the opportunity to get your answers. I suggest that you take it, you'll regret if you don't."

Bonnie studied their hands, before she twined their fingers together. "I'm not just afraid that I won't like the answers that she is going to give me," she said, "I'm afraid that I might lose my mother all over again."

Klaus scooted closer to her, bringing their clasped hands up and placing a kiss on the back of hers. "Even if it's not very comforting now," he said, "You should know that no matter who you lose, you will always have me."

Bonnie smiled at him. "It's actually more comforting than you know," she told him. She looked down at her untouched food and then back up at him again. She decided that she would be brave and be honest in the day time. "I'm not really used to having someone to talk to about this type of stuff. I'm used to dealing this type of stuff alone. I'm…grateful to you…as weird as that is to say. It's odd to me, you seem like three different people almost. The monster, the man, and then someone in between the two. You're different even…then how she…I mean how I saw you back when we were together before. You're warmer somehow, more open, then how she portrays you in her journal."

Klaus considered her words. He was more open because he felt that he would have to be. He had had so many regrets, so many things that he wished that he had done after she had died the first time. "Your death," Klaus said refusing to separate the person she was now from the first even though he knew that a part of her wanted to, "Left me empty and with regret. There were things I want to say to you, I didn't get to say. I never got to be the person that you saw in me. Even if I can only be that person with you, around you, I want you to witness it this time around. If something happens then I don't want to have any regrets."

Bonnie nodded, understanding. She was holding back, even now. She wondered if she would regret it later. "I should go," she said, "I should just bite the bullet and get it over with." Bonnie stood, letting go of Klaus' hand.

Klaus looked dejected a moment, before smiling. "If you need anything," he said, "Call me. And I know you might not be ready now but…you should talk to Stefan and Rebekah."

"I will," Bonnie said. She stood next to the table, looking down at him. She began to fumble with her fingers. Klaus looked up at her questioningly. "I don't expect for you to stay here all day, I know you have other things to do. But I…I was wondering if you would be back by later. It's just that I don't really feel comfortable staying at Stefan's right now, but I don't mind having you here."

Klaus gave her a more genuine smile. "Would you like me to stop by later?" He asked. He had been surprised to wake up with her in his arms that morning given what had happen the night before.

"I think you know the answer to that," Bonnie said, giving him a look.

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't mind hearing you say it," Klaus said, with a smirk. Bonnie bit her lip drawing his attention to it, before his eyes moved back up to meet hers again.

"I'd like you to stop by later," Bonnie said in a huff, "And if I find that I can tolerate your presence then I might even allow you to spend the night."

"And if I find that I can tolerate your presence," Klaus said teasingly, "I might take you up on the offer."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and moved to leave, but stopped when Klaus grabbed her hand. She turned back to him, frowning slightly.

"Remember what I said about your mother," he said. Not that he was Abby's biggest fan, but he knew what it was like to have unresolved issues where one's parents were concerned and he didn't want that for Bonnie.

Bonnie nodded. "I'll hear her out," she said, "I promise." She leaned down and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you later."

:::

Abby Bennett-Wilson sat across from her daughter in her deceased mother's kitchen sipping the tea that she had made them both. It was so like the scene of the last time she had seen Bonnie. Her daughter, so headstrong, looking at her with a mixture of contempt and love that broke Abby's heart. She could remember it like it was yesterday and not twelve whole years ago. Performing the spell to protect Bonnie from herself, breaking the promise she had made to her husband to never use against their daughter.

Bonnie sipped her tea, quietly, not knowing what to say or where to start. As Bonnie looked down at her tea cup Abby could still hear a six year old Bonnie pleading with her to let her go, to understand. Abby cleared her throat, drawing Bonnie's attention.

"If you let you let me," Abby said, "I'd like to explain why I did what I did."

Bonnie took a deep breath. "Do you mean why you left?" she asked, "Or why you took away my memories?"

Abby wasn't surprised by Bonnie's animosity. She had gotten worse upon her arrival, and was expecting worse still. "Both," Abby said, without taking Bonnie's tone to heart. Abby watched as Bonnie motioned for her to tell her story and so she did. She told her about how while she hadn't liked the fact that Bonnie had memories of another life that were interfering with her present one but she had dealt with it. She told her about Mikael being the one that had come for her, when Bonnie had been expecting Klaus or Stefan or Rebekah or Gloria. She told her about how she had been willing to sacrifice herself to Mikael and how Abby had wiped her memory in order to prevent it. She then told her the consequences that Rudy made her pay for her actions. "I know that I made a mistake but I can't apologize for it," Abby said, "I was protecting you. If I hadn't had stopped you who knows what Mikael would have done to you. You're my daughter and I love you and I had to make sure that you were safe no matter what I had to take from you or what consequences that I had to pay."

Bonnie wiped away at the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. "If you loved me then why take what dad said lying down?" Bonnie asked, "I mean you never in all these years tried to see me. I know that dad can be head strong but if you had come to him after a couple months or a year even…"

"I didn't feel that I had the right to," Abby said seriously, "It wasn't just those memories that I took Bonnie. I may not have wanted to accept it at the time but…I took away people that you loved. And you did love them, sweetheart; so much that it scared me. But it wasn't only that. Your father was right, I took away who you are. Those memories were a part of you, just as much as the memories you made in this life. I didn't know how I could look you in the eye, let alone interact with you after doing something like that, no matter the reason. I knew that you would hate once you found out and so I lived my life as if you already did. But there was never a day that went by that I didn't think about you."

Bonnie didn't know what to believe. She had no trouble believing the reasons that Abby had done what she had done, what was hard to believe was the fact that Abby loved her. Thinking about all of this on top of the fact that she had had another life in the first place was weighing down on her. "I need some time to think," Bonnie said, "Is there anything that you want to tell me before I go?"

"Only that I meant what I said," Abby said, "I love you and I am going to do whatever I can to make sure that you remember what you lost."

Bonnie stood, abandoning her tea. "Thank you," she said, "But even if it works, I'm not sure that I can fully understand why you stayed away. I may have had dad and Grams but that didn't make up for losing you. I needed my mother. I read what I wrote about you in both times and I thought that you would understand that. You weren't there before and you promised to be here this time and no matter the reason you ended up breaking that promise. I don't know how I can manage to forgive you for that."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Abby said, "At least not yet. But I would like you to give me a chance Bonnie. I understand that it's hard given what we went through in both times but…you're my daughter and even when I left I couldn't let go of that."

Bonnie sighed, smiling sadly. "I've waited for you to come and be my mother for the last twelve years. I was waiting for you not even before that, in my past life; even then I lived to gain your approval. Maybe I'm tired of waiting and maybe I am starting to think that you're not worth it." Bonnie got no satisfaction from the tears that sprang into Abby's eyes. She didn't want to hurt the woman, she was merely being honest. "If there ever comes a day when I am willing to give you another chance," she said, "Be smart and don't waste it. If I put myself on the line for you again it will be the very last time. But I can't say that it will ever happen and I'm sorry for that. What you did, I know that it wasn't an easy choice to make. I know that you're probably the reason that I am still alive, but you're also the reason that I have to watch Klaus suffer knowing that somewhere inside of me is a woman that loves him that may never make it back to the surface. I can't separate the two."

Abby nodded, looking away. "If you're ever ready," she said, "Whenever you're ready, I will be here. I'm not leaving you, not this time, and not ever again."

Bonnie moved to leave but the stopped midstride. "Maybe," she said softly, "If you stick around long enough I might actually believe you."

:::

When Bonnie finally made it home, Klaus wasn't there but Caroline was. She was surprised to see her friend sitting on her couch, watching television and eating what was left of her Doritos. Bonnie smiled when she saw her. She needed a sounding board. Caroline was close enough to the situation that Bonnie wouldn't have to over explain things, and if Caroline saw the Bonnie was in denial then she would make her face what she was trying to ignore, and for once Bonnie welcomed it.

Bonnie walked into her living room and sat down next to Caroline on the couch. The same couch that she and Klaus had slept on together the night before.

"I used the spare key to let myself in," Caroline said as he popped another chip into her mouth, "You weren't in school so I got worried."

Bonnie took the bag out of her hands. It wasn't as if Caroline could really enjoy the food anyway. Bonnie began snacking on the chips herself. "I didn't mean to worry you," she said, "I went to go and talk to Abby."

Caroline took her eyes off of the television screen and looked at Bonnie. "How was that?" She asked, one eyebrow raised in question. The day had been weird. Stefan and Rebekah had been absent from school as well, along with Tyler who was trying to get what he could out of Klaus. Caroline had been in Matt's company for the majority of the day as Elena had expanded her silent treatment to Matt and Caroline as well as they had apparently taken Bonnie's side (though no one had told Caroline that there were sides to be taken). However, while Matt's presence was usually like a balm on a sore wound, he had seemed distracted and distant.

"I don't know," Bonnie sighed, "Weird. I didn't really know what to say to her. I'm guessing Matt told you what she did." Caroline nodded. Bonnie took a deep breath before she continued. "The thing is, she had a good reason. When I remembered, I had been willing to give myself over to Mikael in order to protect all of you and Klaus, and Stefan, and Rebekah. She made me forget so that I wouldn't give up my life. The thing is...as much as I understood why she had done it, I was still upset about it. My dad made her leave afterward because she broke this promise she made to him to never use her powers on me but I still resent her for leaving and staying away."

"That's understandable," Caroline said, "You had to live without your mother for twelve years and she took away not just your memories but the people in your life that were tied to them. Even knowing why she did what she did won't make up for twelve years of resentment that you've built up."

Bonnie nodded. "That's true," she said, "But the thing is I was more upset for Klaus' sake."

Caroline raised a brow at her. "What do you mean?" She asked. Still she was glad that Bonnie was actually opening up about her feelings.

"What she did," Bonnie said, setting the bag of chips aside, "Taking my memories. She is the reason that he is in pain now. The reason that he has to look at me and know that I may not ever remember the life that we shared together. He loves me so much and I can't help but think that if I were able to remember then I would be more than willing to return it."

Caroline frowned. It was hard for her to believe that Klaus loved anyone, least of all Bonnie, but both Matt and Bonnie seemed to believe that he did, so she wouldn't challenge that even if she wanted to. "What makes you so sure that you could only return his feelings if you are able to remember the life you have before?" Bonnie's only response was a shrug. "Fine," Caroline said, "I will ask you something simpler. How do you feel about Klaus?"

Bonnie bit her lip. That wasn't exactly simpler. Bonnie didn't know where to start. "It's hard to explain," Bonnie said softly wringing her hands. She closed her eyes a moment, as she thought. "It isn't like with Jeremy," Bonnie said, "I don't like to compare the two but I don't have anything else to go by. The best way I can think to explain it is…when I was with Jeremy, there were times when I would think about something else. No matter how much I liked being with him, there was always something else that my mind would wonder to. Someone being in danger. Someone who needed me. Someone who had left me. A threat. Little things, big things. I mean even a lot of our relationship was based on him being there for me as I learned to use my magic, as I tried to find a way to save everyone, or just Elena."

"And with Klaus?" Caroline pressed gently.

"It's just the opposite," Bonnie said, "Whether or not I'm with him, he's pretty much all that I can think about. When I try to focus on something else, it always comes back to him in some way. Just like today when I was with Abby, I kept thinking about how what she had done had hurt him. But it isn't just when I'm doing something important. Sometimes it's just day to day things. Like yesterday when I was brushing my teeth I just randomly started thinking about how blue his eyes are. Then there is the times I really shouldn't be thinking about him; like when I was hanging out with you guys the other day and we were supposed to be focusing on being normal and I just kept thinking about how it felt to be in his arms when I danced with him. It's just everything all the time. Even when I try not to think about him I think about him. His smile. The way he looks at me. How soft his hair is. The way that he smirks with one side of his mouth. That little line that appears between his eyebrows when he's confused or angry. The way his jaw ticks and his fists clinch when he doesn't get his way. The sound of his laughter. The way his face softens whenever he listens to jazz, like he's not just listening to the music, it's like he is the music. The way…" Bonnie trailed suddenly falling silent.

Caroline was somewhere between awe and dumbstruck but still she managed to smile reassuringly at Bonnie. "Go on," she said.

"That's just it," Bonnie sighed, "I could go on and on and on and never run out of things to say or think about and it doesn't make any sense. With Stefan and Rebekah it isn't as bad but it is close."

"It makes perfect sense Bonnie," Caroline said gently, "That's just how it is when you…love someone."

"But I don't…," Bonnie trailed. She was about to deny it, the way that she had been. She had told Klaus that she didn't love him. She had meant it then. It wasn't just her fear talking. But even still her heart hammered in her chest with the thought that something had changed without her realizing it.

Bonnie looked at where the journal that she had written in the twenties sat on her coffee table. She frowned as the book flew open, the pages flipping rapidly and then stopping. Caroline jumped but Bonnie moved forward and placed the book on her lap. Both girl's read over the page that book had stopped on.

Everything that I think about is Nik. I looked up at the sky today and I didn't think about how pretty the clouds were, I thought about how the sky could never compete with the blue of Nik's eyes. I supposed to be writing Gloria a song for her birthday yesterday and ended up writing a song about Nik's hands; and putting it in the drawer in my nightstand with the one had wrote about his lips and the one that I had wrote about his skin, and the one that I had written about his smile, and the one that I had written about his charm… Gloria says that I am goofy over him but this ain't no crush. This is something much more dangerous. Something that makes me dream about him even after I fall asleep in his arms. Something that makes me watch him in his sleep, and when he's awake and thinks that I'm not looking. Something that I can't stop no matter how hard I try. I am in love with him…there is no cure for it. As insane as it is even though I know it'll likely kill me one of these days, I don't want it to stop…I never want it to stop…

Bonnie shut the journal and stood. "I have to go," she said.

Caroline stood as well, clearly concerned. "Bonnie?" She asked. She placed a hesitant hand on Bonnie's shoulder and searched her best friend's eyes.

"I just need to talk to Stefan," Bonnie said, "There's something that I have to do."

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked, "It isn't anything bad is it?" Bonnie's expression gave nothing away which made it all the more troubling to witness.

"I don't think it's bad," Bonnie said, "Stupid maybe…but I can't tell you. I have to do this and I can't let anyone talk me out of it."

"You're going to tell Klaus that you love him?" Caroline asked, clearly shocked even given the recent revelation.

Bonnie shook her head. "I'm not even ready to say that to myself let alone him," she said, "But I'm going for the next best thing."

:::

Rebekah frowned as she followed the trail of books to Stefan's room. All of them classics, all by her favorite authors, all of them newly purchased. It was clear that Stefan was up to something but Rebekah was too excited about the books to try and figure out what it was as she walked from the front door of the Boardinghouse to Stefan's room, picking up books as she went.

When she finally reached Stefan's room the books fell from her hands, the stack hitting the floor. Candles filled the room and rose petals littered the floor. Stefan sat on the edge of his bead in the middle of it all his guitar in hand, strumming the chords of Rebekah's favorite song.

Stefan smirked as Rebekah walked into the room, stepping over her precious books as she did so. "What is all this?" She asked.

"You did ask me to ask you properly to homecoming," Stefan shrugged, "That's what I'm doing." He sat his guitar on the bed and then knelt down on one knee. Stretching his arms out theatrically and clearing his throat, Stefan spoke, "Rebekah Mikaelson," he said, "Will you do me the great honor of being my date to homecoming?"

Rebekah laughed, shaking her head. One the inside she was dancing however. A part of her hadn't believe that Stefan was serious about giving them another try, but the way that he was acting in the moment reminded her so much of the Stefan that she had fallen in love with, the Stefan that had dotted on her without thought, that she couldn't bring herself to doubt his sincerity. "I will," she said, smiling.

Stefan smiled too as she rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She covered his smile with her lips, kissing him in a way that reminded him of why he had fallen so hard for her so long ago.

The moment was broken by a soft knock on the door. They broke apart, turning and both ready to stake Damon, but stopping their eyes softening when they realized that it wasn't Damon standing in the open doorway but Bonnie.

Bonnie gave them a weak smile. "Hey guys," she said, "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's fine," Stefan said, as he stood to his feet, "We were actually hoping that you would stop by. Gloria told us that you found out about…your life before. Look, green eyes, we wanted to tell you…really we did…but we didn't know how you would react or if you would believe us."

Rebekah nodded in agreement. "We didn't want to lose you all over again," she said, "We know you must be angry-"

"It's okay," Bonnie said interrupting her, "I get it. I'm a little confused and a lot overwhelmed but I understand why you didn't tell me. I kind of wish you would have but I get it. It's a lot and…even though I understand my behavior more now…I don't remember any of you and it just makes things more confusing." She sighed as she looked in between them. "But I've decided to learn about who I was then even if I can't remember and Abby…my mom is going to work on developing her powers so she can reverse the spell that took my memories away in the first place."

"So we're good?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie nodded. "We're good," she said.

"Is that why you came by?" Rebekah asked, "To ask us what you were like before?" She couldn't hide the hope in her voice. She was getting Stefan back but she was greedy and she wanted Bonnie back too.

Bonnie shook her head. "I have my journals for that," she said, "Though I might have some questions later on." Both Stefan and Rebekah nodded and looked at her expectantly. "I'm here because I need your help with something," she said.

"Whatever it is," Stefan said without thought, "Consider it done." Bonnie smiled and he smiled in return.

"What do you need help with?" Rebekah asked, "You're not in trouble are you?"

Bonnie laughed. "No," she said, "Well not any more so than usual." She took a deep breath and when she let out her request it was in a rush of nervous word that the two vampires were just barely able to understand. "I want to give Nik my opening night," Bonnie said quickly before she lost her nerve.

When Bonnie's words finally sank in Stefan smiled wider and Rebekah looked like she was about to cry. "Now," Stefan said, "We definitely want to help."

:::

Klaus had no idea what the hell was going on. His sister had called him and told him to meet her at some abandon bar on the edge of Mystic Falls that hadn't seen booze or patron for about ten years, to discuss who the hell knew what. It was getting to be late in the day and he wanted to keep his promise to Bonnie and be there for her when she got home. However, Rebekah hadn't taken no for an answer.

Klaus could hear no sign of his sister, or anyone else for that matter, as he walked into the bar. The place was dark, and though it had been left to rot over a decade ago, it seemed as if someone had cleaned the place up.

Klaus frowned in confusion as suddenly the place was illuminated by lateens and twinkling lights, strung up from the ceiling and hung from the bar. A spotlight drew Klaus' eyes to the stage at the center, the old crimson curtains beginning to part.

"And now," Rebekah's voice said from somewhere that Klaus couldn't see, "Introducing Miss Bonnie Bennett."

Klaus swallowed hard as the curtain finally parted fully and Bonnie stood center stage in front of a microphone. She was wearing the beaded green dress that Rebekah had bought her so long ago now, a pair of black pumps, a long string of black pearls, her lips painted red, and her hair done up in shingles. She looked exactly like he remembered her, and he wanted to go to her but he stood frozen to the spot.

Klaus didn't notice Stefan sitting on stool off to the side, until the guitar began to play, the microphone by Stefan pointing down at the instrument that he was strumming. Klaus' eyes left Stefan however, as Bonnie began to sing, Billie Holiday's rendition of, "I Can't Believe That You're In Love with Me."

"Your eyes are blue your kisses too
I never knew what they could do
I can't believe that you're in love with me
You're telling everyone I know
I'm on your mind each place you go
They can't believe that you're in love with me.

I have always placed you far above me
I just can't imagine that you love me
And after all is said and done
To think that I'm the lucky one
I can't believe that you're in love with me

I have always placed you far above me
I just can't imagine that you love me
And after all is said and done
To think that I'm the lucky one
I can't believe that you're in love
Can't believe that you're in love
Can't believe that you're in love with me."

Bonnie smiled, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she took her bow. She hadn't meant to cry but, really it was Klaus' fault for looking at her the way that he was looking at her. She waited for him to applaud, to speak, anything but the staring.

Klaus could tell from the look in her eyes that she didn't remember, not yet. But for the first time, he truly didn't give a damn. The only thing he cared about was that she was there and she was pouring her heart out him, and memory or no memory, he wouldn't have it any other way.

Bonnie watched as Klaus walked up to the stage, his eye never leaving hers as he took the steps up on to the platform on which she stood. He didn't stop until he was right in front of her. She heard Stefan walk off stage but she didn't turn around. "Hi," she whispered.

"Hi," Klaus said as his hand reached out and cupped the side of her face.

"I was," Bonnie said, clearing her throat as a tear fell in spite of her inner protest, "I was hoping….maybe…that you would take me to homecoming."

Klaus laughed, leaning forward until his forehead rested against hers. "Is that what this was about?" He asked.

Bonnie nodded. Perhaps he was too old to take her to a school dance but that was nothing a little compulsion wouldn't take care of, and since she might maybe be falling in love with him it only seemed right that they should go on at least one date even it was a dance. "Sort of," she said, grinning, "And I might have had other motives as well."

"Such as?" Klaus asked. He couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she was, in any time she would always be beauty and grace personified.

"I kind of thought you might want to help me make my performance more authentic," she said, looking down slightly and the back up at him again, "I mean it makes sense to sing about your kisses when I've yet to receive one, in this time anyway. I only going off of what I wrote. I thought what maybe you wouldn't be opposed to giving me some practical hands on experience to draw from."

"Yes," Klaus said.

"To homecoming or the kiss?" Bonnie asked. She would accept either one though she was not so secretly hoping for both.

"Both," Klaus said, as if he had known what she had been thinking.

Bonnie closed her eyes as Klaus leaned forward. She sighed happily the moment that their lips touched. Klaus applied only the tiniest amount of pressure at first as if he were afraid, which he probably was. Afraid that the moment wasn't real, afraid that she would pull away. But soon his lips became desperate as they sought hers. As his tongue swept into her mouth and he kissed her hard and deep, Bonnie could feel how much their separation had worn on him, the years they had been a part, the years he had been waiting, bleeding into the kiss.

Klaus pulled back slowly, reluctantly. Bonnie looked up at him, out of breath and panting. "You definitely have some song worthy lips, hybrid," Bonnie grinned.

Klaus responded by kissing her again.