Chapter Two ~
Time and chance reveal all secrets - Proverbs (18th Century)
Wednesday, 30th December 2009
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to remember Zachariah Bennett. A well-respected businessman here in Mystic Falls but also a father to his daughter, Bonnie Bennett. A daughter he loved so…" the words spoken by the priest begins to sound muddled to Bonnie's ears.
Zoning out of her present; she is yet wary of the moment thanks to Caroline holding her hand and her suited up nineteen-year-old cousin, Michael Bennett seated on her right. Her arm looped through his, as he played the role of her anchor for this moment.
Numb
That's all she felt. She wasn't here, this was all a nightmare, right? She would be waking up to her father cooking his infamous chocolate chip pancakes, and they would catch up along with his usual lecture on her decision to continue misusing her magic. Then she would argue with him that it was his choice to give up practicing magic, but it didn't mean she had to as well. She couldn't, not when she had the power to protect her loved ones.
What was the point of her argument? She couldn't protect her Grams or her father! Biting her bottom lip hard, Bonnie tried to hold back her tears and tightened her grip around her best friend's hand and her cousin's arm. Her grip was probably hurting them both, but they didn't say anything. Michael placed his hand over hers while Caroline with her free hand tapped Bonnie on her shoulders. Bonnie averted her attention to the blonde girl who motioned with her eyes towards her shoulder. Bonnie smiled weakly and let go of her hold on Michael and Caroline.
Michael's dark brown eyes watched his cousin casually lay her head on Caroline's shoulder while the girl wrapped her hand around Bonnie's shoulder and ran her hand through her hair in comfort. Bonnie's left hand reached out for Michael who instantly grabbed hold of it in hope to bring some comfort to his cousin. She closed her eyes and allowed the comforting actions sooth her, but that still didn't stop the tears falling.
Time flew by and before she knew it somebody stood in front of her. She lifted her head off Caroline's shoulders to look up to the tall, dark-skinned suited man. Her father's older brother, Gabriel Bennett. He was two years older than Zachariah, and it was killing him inside that his younger brother was now dead. Letting go of Michael's hand she stood up from the seat. Gabriel placed a hand on her shoulders and stared at her with his dark brown eyes asking her if she was alright. She nodded to his unasked question and stepped towards the hole where her father would now lay. Gabriel takes a seat beside his wife. Rosario Bennett. He finds his peace and comfort by holding her hand. The thirty-nine-year-old woman's brown eyes looked up at her husband, her eyes watering again at the fact that her husband had lost not only his mother but now his brother within the last two weeks. Intertwining their fingers, she placed her head on his shoulder as they watched Bonnie step towards her father's grave hole.
Bonnie bent forward a little and grabbed a handful of dirt. She stepped back to watch Zachariah Bennett's coffin get lowered to the ground. Stretching out her arm, she let the handful of dirt slip through her fingers onto the surface of the smoothly varnished coffin as the priest's words rang in her ears.
"We, therefore, commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life."
Moving her hand back to her side, she closed her eyes and vowed in her mind, "I promise you, dad. Klaus Mikaelson will die by my hands."
Stefan shrugged off his black tuxedo jacket already rolling his eyes at the sight of his older brother in his bedroom. Seated comfortably with his legs casually on his study desk with a drink in his hand.
"So the little witch didn't want you at the after-funeral thingy?" he asked.
Stefan just walked past Damon tossing his jacket onto his bed "No. She just wanted to spend it with her family" he explained while tugging off his black tie.
Damon nodded and took a sip of his drink "So Elena is over there?" he asked.
Stefan paused and looked at Damon, "You know she just left here upset because Bonnie still won't talk to her. And I meant family as in her uncle, aunt, and cousin."
"Small family" Damon mumbled before finishing the rest of his scotch.
Stefan tilted his head to the side trying to figure out what game his brother was playing at, "What's with all the questions?"
Damon laughed taking his feet off the desk and placed them on the wooden floors, "My paranoid brother. I was merely curious, that's all" he said standing up ready to leave, but Stefan's voice stopped him by the door frame.
"Let's play along with my paranoia, Damon. What were you doing at the funeral? I know you couldn't care less for Bonnie-"
"And you care brother?" Damon questioned him still with his back to him.
Stefan's green eyes narrowed to Damon's unusual question "Yes I do. She is my friend. Why are you curious about her? Is there something about Bonnie you haven't told me?"
Damon frowned at Stefan's question and turned around, "Who said it's about Bonnie? Maybe I was trying to find out more about Elena's situation, so I can go over to her place and comfort her."
Damon stalked towards Stefan now having his curiosity peaked. His mind flashing back to Bonnie's words to her grandmother's tombstone, "I think there's something evil in me, and it's fighting to get out."
"Why Stefan, is there something about Bonnie that you're not telling me or not telling Elena?"
Stefan hoped to God that his poker face fooled Damon as he takes off his tie and makes his way to his bathroom.
"Nothing Damon. Bonnie has already lost too many people in a short period because of us" he finished.
Shutting his bathroom door, he hears Damon yell out in a defensive tone "Hey! We're not responsible for her father's murder!"
Stefan placed his hands on both sides of the sink and looked into the mirror. He shuddered a little remembering Bonnie's demonic red eyes in the hospital. Did something happen the night of her father's death? Stefan had asked Elena if anything changed with Bonnie but Bonnie still wasn't on speaking terms with Elena yet. Stefan was just as much as in the dark with their friendship. Were they even friends anymore?
"Why did a vampire kill her father? Should they be worried about this vampire?" Stefan wondered.
Switching on the tap, he placed his hands under the rushing water gathering it and splashing it onto his face; attempts of washing away his worries for Bonnie. Switching off the tap, he looks back to the mirror and reflects on Damon's words. He was right; they weren't responsible for 's death. Why did he still feel at fault, like he should have been looking out for her? Especially after Sheila's death. Could he have been there to protect Bonnie and probably be there to stop her father's death?
After an afternoon of reminiscing memories of her Grams and her father over dinner with her uncle, aunt, and cousin; Bonnie now seated comfortably at the end of the long couch in her living room.
Dressed in her pj's consisting of black cotton pants and her father's red and black plaid flannel shirt engulfing her body she is left alone with her Uncle Gabriel. Pulling her legs up and tucking it under her bottom, she looked to her uncle who held out an envelope addressed to her.
Gabriel looks poignantly to the envelope consisting the letter long ago written by his brother. He just never knew the day would come so soon to give it to Bonnie.
"Your father told me to give this to you after his death," he cleared his throat uncomfortably after processing his sentence.
Pushing aside his emotions Gabriel continued his explanation "He told me you would have more questions after reading this letter and that I would be able to give you the answers, but this should give you a starting point of…everything."
He handed her the white envelope, which she accepted with shaky hands at the thought of her father's last words to her. Looking at it, she tears up at the sight of her father's cursive handwriting.
"I'll give you some space," Gabriel said standing up and leaves the room.
Bonnie quickly turn the envelope over and breaks the seal. Pulling out the folded letter she unfolds it and read to herself:
To my dearest Bonnie,
If you are reading this letter, then that means I am dead. Days after your birth, I foresaw the future of my death [which is very rare in our psychic abilities]. I know you must be angry that I didn't change the future. By now you should be aware that if I tried to alter the future than it would be somebody else dying and I couldn't risk that.
There are family secrets that I will be keeping from you. I've told my mother to keep it a secret from you and only to speak about our witch heritage when you begin to show signs of magic. I've already told my brother that he is to become your guardian if something were to happen to me (do not worry your Grams agreed to this and will follow you to Light Haven).
The first secret you will learn is of our coven, not only is it a coven but it is a coven of assassins. A coven that dates back to 1864. An assassin coven created by a Bennett to continue the works of keeping the balance of nature, and to protect the prophesized cursed witch. The Bennett assassin coven is still present today and is currently under the leadership of my brother…your uncle, Gabriel.
At this very moment you are in your crib, and I can't help but admire your innocence, and it brings me peace of the choice I've made in leaving the assassin life behind to raise you. I wanted you to have a healthy somewhat normal life. Your uncle Gabriel is disappointed that I want to hide you from this, but he understands. He promises to raise and train his son to be the best so he will help you when the time comes. You are not alone, Bonnie. Rely on the strength of our family. They will help you get through anything and help you become the assassin you were born to be.
I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to stay alive to see you grow up to be the beautiful woman I know you are going to be. Beautiful just like your mother.
Growing up, you will see me take a lot of "business trips" and some of them will be actual business trips but the other trips are for you. I left the coven with a lifetime assassin assignment. To find out who more about the Prophecy that the coven had to protect all these years while figuring out who is going to kill me and if they may be a danger in your life. All the information I will gather over my years alive; I will store in a secret room. The entrance is on the bookshelf. This book is everything to me.
I love you always my daughter, my beautiful Bonnie Marie Bennett.
Bonnie takes a deep breath in and out still reeling from the new information about her father…her family. This other life they all kept a secret from her. She should be angry, but she can't help but feel understanding towards her father of keeping the assassin life from her. Quickly wiping away her tears she placed the letter back in its envelope and called out to her uncle.
"What did he write?" he asked once in the living room.
Bonnie turned the envelope over, and her finger fondly traces her father's handwriting, "Dad wrote about the assassin coven and something about a prophesized cursed witch?"
Gabriel blew out a scarce breath, taking a seat beside Bonnie "The cursed witch to become a witch hybrid."
Bonnie raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow "A witch-hybrid?" she stated confused, "Is that even possible?"
"According to the Prophecy," the older man said.
Sensing the start of a story, Bonnie placed her father's letter on the coffee table and gave her uncle her full attention.
Gabriel nervously scratched the back of his black buzzed-cut hair and turned his body to look at his niece, "The Prophecy has been a secret passed along the covens generations for many years. It was first written down in the 10th century by our ancestor, Ayana Bennett. She only wrote brief details of the curse, and it's from then on particulars parts of this curse has been passed along our generations by word of mouth. No witch has activated this curse nor do we know what exactly activates the curse."
Bonnie nodded in fascination letting the story sink in as Gabriel imputed "Although I don't see the curse as a curse. I see it as a gift."
She looked at her uncle in surprise "A gift? Why?"
"According to the Prophecy, this cursed witch becomes a hybrid. Strong enough to kill the original hybrid."
Bonnie's eyes widened in surprise "Original hybrid?!"
Gabriel smiled a little at his niece's reaction, "The first hybrid created in this world. The hybrid's nature is unknown but whispers of it being a werewolf-vampire hybrid pop up a lot in other covens as for us we're still seeking evidence to present as facts to confirm the hybrid's nature."
Bonnie frowned remembering something she had read the many books her Grams gave her to read "What about the witch hybrid? Isn't it considered against nature for a witch to be anything other than a witch."
He nodded "It is. From the pages we read and translated from Ayana's journal, she wrote that the prophesied child would only grow up to be half witch until they activate their other half. A demonic side. The child would become a witch-demon hybrid. Although from Ayana's journal and what we could translate, the abilities the witch hybrid would possess did sound very much like a vampire. Although if we go back to the past it has been said that vampires are a branch of demons."
Bonnie took a sharp intake of air and looked away from her uncle. Gabriel looked at her in concern, and he sees a flicker of realization in her eyes.
"Bonnie, what is it?" she hears the echo of her uncle's question.
She remembered her nightmares. The vision of seeing herself after taking off that mask.
She remembered the red eyes and the fangs.
She tried to play it off that nothing happened to her since her dad's death, but she changed not just emotionally but physically. Many of these changes were very much like a vampire transitions. The heightened senses, which she was thankful to have gotten the hang of thanks to Stefan's little focus exercise in which she learned to apply to all her senses. Next came her heightened emotions. That was something she had the trouble of handling internally, but that may be due to her habit of bottling her emotions. And lastly the fangs. Bonnie consciously touches her lips in remembrance of the sharp pain when her fangs first pushed through her top her gum. Where was her bloodlust? It couldn't be her.
"Can you stop being in denial? It is getting irritating that you're ignoring your true self."
Bonnie heard the familiar voice in her head immediately causing her to shut her eyes and shake her head to rid the voice.
"Bonnie," Gabriel said a little worried.
He placed a hand on her knee to get her attention, but he hears her whisper loud enough for him to hear "It's me."
Gabriel's eyes widened "She awoke her powers, already?" he thinks in shock. He didn't think she would activate her demon powers so soon. Now he needed to tell her the truth.
"I know. We all knew" Gabriel confessed.
"You knew?!" she exclaims standing up, but he grabs her hand tugging for her to sit back down. She sits back down.
"You began to show signs of your demon powers when you were around six years old."
"What signs?" she questions confused. Wouldn't she remember this let alone already master the control of her hybrid nature?
Gabriel shrugs his shoulders "Zach told me that he and my mom were able to delay the appearance of your demon side. When did you start feeling the change?"
"When I saw dad dead."
"Meaning if Klaus knows about the Prophecy that may be the reason he killed my brother."
"Klaus" she mouths, "You think that Klaus is after me? Because of my demon powers?"
"He either wanted you on his side" she scoffs "Or he sees you as a threat. He won't be the only one. Once words start getting around to other covens of your existence, we'll have allies and enemies."
She looks at him baffled "Enemies? They don't even know me."
"They don't have to. Some witches only know what you are and sadly over the years, some covens viewed this Prophecy as a warning. To get rid of you or the original hybrid before the fulfillment of the Prophecy."
Hearing about other witches would begin to view her villainous enough to get rid of stung a little. Changing the subject, she asked, "Who is the original hybrid?"
Gabriel shrugged his shoulders "Nobody knows. Ayana conveniently left that important detail out, or we haven't found a piece of her writing yet as there are missing pages in that journal of hers. It has been an unanswered question for many centuries."
Bonnie nodded slowly, letting out an exhausted breath of all the new information she had to soak in.
Gabriel placed his hand on her shoulder and spoke truthfully to her "You're not alone in this Bonnie. You have your aunt, your cousin, the assassin coven and I. We will grieve our losses. We will hold onto their memories and become stronger. We will learn about your new powers and help you understand them. We just have to take it one day at a time, but we will be there for you Bonnie-" he paused once he sees tears from Bonnie "Did I say something wrong?" he asked worriedly.
Bonnie laughed shaking her head and just hugs her uncle thankful to him.
Tears still falling she whispered loud enough for him to hear "You said nothing wrong. I haven't heard those words in a long time."
Wrapping his arms around her, he pats her back consolingly "So I said all the right words?"
Bonnie nodded into his shoulder.
"You think you can relay that compliment to your aunt?"
Bonnie pulled back laughing tearfully. Wiping away her tears she looked at the bookshelf beside the fireplace and with the power of her uncle's words, she felt a sense of clarity.
She was ready.
She needed to learn more about her family, this prophecy and about her powers to become stronger. To kill Klaus and this so-called the original hybrid. She was born to carry her family's legacy along with her cousin, Michael.
Gabriel smiled at Bonnie with pride when she looked back at him with determination.
"I'm ready to join the coven."
Friday, 1st January 2010
Dear Elena,
I'm sorry to leave you and everyone, but my uncle is now my legal guardian, and it's my dad's request that I learn more about my magic with my family. I know I left our friendship at an awkward stage, since the last we saw each other was at the funeral. I'm sorry I hurt you, but you need to know that I was angry with you long before then, but you were so wrapped up with Stefan and trying to be the consoling friend to Damon's broken heart that you didn't take notice.
You didn't bother to see how I was dealing after I lost Grams. I became lost in my anger and grief; I began to blame people.
I blamed you.
I blamed Damon and Stefan.
But you know who I blamed more than anyone. Me.
I blamed myself because I wasn't strong enough. I blamed myself for not taking my power as severe as I should have. That is why I need to leave, to become stronger and to track down the vampire that murdered my father.
To do that, I need to change my way of life to suit the training set up by my family. The first and only rule my uncle laid down to prove my seriousness for training was to cut my connection with you and all my friends here. He believes you will all be a distraction to my training. I was able to compromise with him that we can keep in contact but only through e-mail and texting and it can't be about any vampire trouble where you need a witch because he knows I would come running.
It hurts me to do this, to leave you and Caroline. My two girls. My two sisters. But as much as I don't want to admit it…it's for the best. Please protect Caroline as best as you can, Elena. I don't want her involved in this supernatural world. I don't want it to taint her world, I hate that I won't be able to protect her, so don't forget her. Don't be so wrapped up with the Salvatore brothers and their troubles. Remember you have your brother, your aunt and your friends to talk to when you're feeling lost.
Love you, Lena. We will meet again when the time is right.
Happy New Year.
Love, B.
It had been two days since she had seen her at the funeral and now. Now she was gone, and all she had left of Bonnie was a letter. Elena collapsed onto her long couch in shock, with shaky hands she quickly re-read the letter, but soon the words became blurry, and soon enough wet spots begin to imprint the page. Placing the letter on the coffee table, she put her face in her hands and sobs for her lost. How blinded could she have been not to see Bonnie suffering? What kind of friend had she been? Elena thought Bonnie needed her space with dealing with her Gram's death. But still, Elena went out of her way to help Stefan and Damon, but she couldn't even do that for Bonnie!
Elena's self-pitying party is on a halt from the sound of Caroline's ringtone. To calm herself she takes a deep breath in and out and then picks up her phone from the coffee table.
"Hello," she says sniffling a little when she hears Caroline in hysterics about Bonnie suddenly leaving.
"Yes, I got a letter too…yes, that's what Bonnie wrote for me as well" Elena replied.
"Protect Caroline as best as you can, Elena" echoes in Elena's mind as tells Caroline, "How about we hang out today?"
Elena feels a tinge of guilt when she hears a surprise response from Caroline, as she tells her that it may have to be later as she had promised to meet up with Matt before he starts his shift at the Grille.
"Oh okay, why don't I meet you at the Grille and we can pick up some food and chill at your place?" she compromised with her blonde best friend who agrees heartedly "See you later then," Elena says and hangs up.
Sitting alone in the living room, she picked up the letter the hurt igniting again from the lashes of Bonnie's words, but she pushed past the pain and reached out for that light of understanding within her.
"You take care of yourself for once, Bonnie. Until we meet again" she whispered.
Standing on Matt Donovan's front porch, Bonnie smiles weakly to the sad blue eyes staring at her.
Slowly comprehending what was happening he pulls Bonnie into a tight hug, "Just promise you will look after yourself."
Bonnie unable to respond just nodded, her chin tapping his shoulder with each nod. Matt feels his shirt getting wet and pulls back to see her tears.
Placing his hands on either side of her face, he wiped away her tears with his thumb "I'm going to miss you so much" he tells her.
"Me too" she mumbled tearfully.
"I'll Skype you in two weeks."
Bonnie nodded raising her hands to pull his hands away from her face. She looked down at their interlaced hands, his touch bringing her comfort. God, she was going to miss him so much, She may say Elena and Caroline were her best friends, but Matt was also her best friend. He was the friend that she didn't have to tiptoe around on what to say; she didn't feel herself getting judged with every word she said to him. Maybe it was because of his genuine kindness and empathy that drew her to him. Whatever it was, she was glad to have him in her life; she prayed that he didn't hate her so much if he were ever to discover the world of supernatural in Mystic Falls.
Bonnie with a playful stern tone tells him "You better keep that promise."
Matt nodded then motioned with his head for her to leave, "Go before I call Caroline to convince you to stay" he says jokingly.
Bonnie laughed out loud and hugged him one last time.
"Call me if you need me for anything."
Matt looked at her weirdly but nodded "I know Bonnie. Nothing strange will happen, it's just me going to school and work."
"I know," she said, but it didn't lessen her protective nature of him. She looked at him letting the image of him imprint in her mind and walked away to the parked black Jeep.
Opening the door, she gets settled into the front seat. Bonnie looks to her cousin sitting in the driver seat.
Michael Bennett. They were close as close as family could be living miles away. Though they didn't speak on a regular basis, they only made contact via the usual special holiday visits or phone calls on birthdays, but that was it.
The dark-skinned boy looked to his cousin, "So why did Matt have the courtesy visit and not the other two so called best friends? Is he your boyfriend or something?" he asked while starting the car and glaring at the unknown boy.
Did Bonnie forget to mention that being two years older than her made him very protective of her? Even though they had limited communication, that didn't stop Michael from filling in the role of an overprotective big brother every time he saw her or spoke to her. Always wanting to what's going on in her life and if she is being treated well by everyone.
Bonnie rolled her eyes playfully at her cousin's questions and looked at Matt who waved goodbye to them while watching the car drive out of his driveway.
Bonnie waved back and explained as simply as she could to Michael "Matt understands."
Michael's brown eyes stayed on the road, but he was still skeptical of her reasons, "He doesn't know about vampires or about you being a witch. How can he understand?"
Bonnie turned to look to out to the passing landscapes, "It's not the matter of knowing what I am or about vampires. Matt has this empathy that makes him step back and analyze the situation before judging. Matt says that's my talent, that's why he feels so comfortable talking to me his troubles. Although he doesn't realize that's exactly how I feel about him. Matt has had it tough growing up, and that makes him less judgemental of people's decision, He may not like some decisions a person makes but he tries to understand why. I love Elena and Caroline, but they're both selfish, and it's not a bad thing. It's just, if I saw them now, they wouldn't let me have a word in to explain why I need to leave to make them understand. They'd see me as giving up and not fighting on your dad to let me stay."
"Well, he does have legal rights as your guardian not to let you stay here."
"I know, but Elena and Caroline seeing me so eager to leave will find it insulting and think that they can help me. It'll only last a few weeks and then before I know it Elena will only contact me when she needs me to perform magic and Caroline will get wrapped up in whatever next event and pushing me to help her even when I need times to grieve. Matt-" she paused and smiled a little "Matt was upset that I wanted to leave, but he didn't judge me for wanting to get out of here. He supported me, telling me he was glad I was finally worrying about myself. He said I would never be able to grieve properly here because I would just distract myself with other people's problems."
Michael smiled impressed by Matt's words, "I'm beginning to like this Matt guy now. Was it Donovan his last name? He sounds like a better friend than-"
Bonnie turned to Michael and punched him playfully on his shoulder before he could finish the sentence "Be nice" she said.
"Ow. Driving here" Michael said with a pout.
Bonnie just giggled at her cousin's antics and looked back outside in time to see them approaching the Leaving Mystic Falls sign.
"Goodbye, Mystic Falls" she whispers as they drove past it.
Bonnie's eyes widen at the sight in her side view mirror of the black crow landing on the top of the Mystic Falls sign.
Bonnie chuckled lowly remembering the last time she saw the crow and whispered "Goodbye birdie."