~ Chapter Eight ~
"Everything has to come to an end, sometime."
- L. Frank Baum (The Marvelous Land of Oz)
Saturday, 13th February 2010
Bonnie sighed falling back on her bed. Dinner was over. Everyone went through with it without attacking Derek. Tomorrow the coven was going to deal with Derek. How were they going to do that? She didn't know how, but in the span of the year, Derek formed a friendship within the coven. A bond meant that he couldn't be interrogated so quickly like past vampires. Emotional levels would be running high, and bad judgment calls in interrogation situations.
She turned over to her side, readjusting her head on the pillow.
"Would he even tell us the truth?" she muttered softly to herself.
"Did we even matter to Derek?" she wonders.
Bonnie lifts her head from her pillow at the sound of her phone. She reaches out to grab it off the bedside table to see she had received a text message. She takes an unconscious intake of air reading seeing Joshua's name.
Swiping to unlock her phone, she bites her bottom lips reading the text
"Be amazed by this vampire's cooking skill tomorrow."
She groans turning back staring hard at the message "You came out of nowhere too in my life. Are you going to betray me too, Josh?" she said to her phone that would never reply back to her.
Joshua Carter was going to be just a friend to her. Bonnie reminded herself several times when she would stare at him a lot longer than she should or when she had the urge to hold hands with him when they would walk down the streets of Light Haven.
Every moment spent with him was knocking down the wall around her heart. Bonnie wanted to take the leap, God she wanted to, but since finding out about Derek's betrayal. That planted a seed of doubt in her head about Joshua. Derek stuck around Light Haven for one year, what if Joshua was planted by Klaus to keep an eye on Grams. Then they would mean Klaus knows about the Prophecy. Then again Joshua could just be an innocent vampire living out the rest of his life as best as he could, and Bonnie was jumping to conclusion.
Bonnie shakes her head slightly assuring herself as she types her reply to him "I need to protect the coven" she taps send and locks her phone.
Placing her phone back on the bedside table, Bonnie stands up "I need a shower."
Bonnie looks at her phone briefly thinking if she should wait for a response.
"No, you've replied, that's it" with that certainty she makes her way to her small adjoined bathroom.
Meanwhile in the little apartment away from Whitmore College. Joshua Carter closed fridge door proudly after putting in the big bowl of marinated meat for tomorrow planned lunch with Bonnie. He hears his phone go off in his small living room. Walking out of the kitchen into the living room he picks up his phone from the glass-topped coffee table to see Bonnie's name. Joshua smiled unconsciously as his thumb swiped across the screen. His smile drops when he reads her message
"Sorry. I have to cancel for tomorrow. Something urgently came up."
"Urgently?" Joshua questions.
"Was she hurt? Was someone in the coven injured?" without another thought pressed call and placed the phone against his ear.
The phone rings a couple of times soon it directs him to voicemail.
Joshua hears the beep and leaves his message "Hey Bon, got your text. Hope everything is okay-" he scratches the back of his neck nervously "-call me when you're free, or I'll just call you again. Bye," he finishes quickly
Ending the call, Joshua tosses the phone back on his couch and leans back covering his face with his hands embarrassingly.
"Call me when you're free?" he mocks himself he hits his forehead "A little demanding don't you think?" he questions himself.
Joshua sits up and looks to the small green wrapped up box on the table.
Joshua grabs the box and sighs in defeat "Maybe it's too cheesy to confess on Valentine's Day."
Sunday, 14th February 2010
Late in the afternoon, Matt yawned as he lazily got out of Scott's car. While Scott grabbed their bag of takeaway dinner, Matt opened the back doors he grabbed his bag and Scott's bag from the backseat. Shutting the door he walks ahead when he sees Scott take a phone call.
Opening the front door, he hears Scott behind him "Are you serious about re-investigating Jackson and Dahlia's car accident?"
Matt walked in and held the door for Scott "I'll crash at Matt's place and pick up the rest of Zachariah's files from Bonnie's house tomorrow. Are you sure you don't want me to grab your mother's journals?" Scott asked Gabriel while placing their dinner on the small kitchen table listening to Gabriel's response.
"Okay, then. Watch out for my nephew when you question Derek. Thanks" he said and ended the call in time to see Matt walk in.
"I left your bag in my sister's room. It's as clean as I could make it, but I just haven't been able-"
Scott raised his hand to silence the kid "Say no more. I get it, kid."
He smiled thankfully while Scott opened the bag "Grab us some plates cause I'm starving."
Matt went to grab the plates in the top cupboards behind Scott. Handing a dish to the older man, they both sat down and began grabbing their ordered meal.
He looked to Scott and said, "Hey I'm sorry about your brother and sister-in-law's car accident."
Scott chuckled "Thanks, kid, but you have nothing to be sorry for unless you caused the crash. Sorry that you had to lose your sister like that."
"You don't have to be sorry too," Matt said.
Scott lifted his bottle of coke causing Matt to do the same "No more misery talk. We find our closure and keep moving forward."
Matt nodded as they clinked their bottle and drank.
"Ahhh," Scott said refreshed putting his bottle down and picking up his burger "Now you were thinking up some weapon ideas."
Matt nodded enthusiastically at Scott and so began their conversations from defense talks to supernatural talks to life talks.
Meanwhile back in Light Haven, Derek leaned against his seat outside of Haven's Bar waiting for Alexis. Being seated alone outside gave him some peace as he rhythmically taps the top of the table and watches the people that walk past on the streets. For a small town, Saturdays always seemed busy. Especially this Valentine's Day. Today was their first Valentine's Day together, and he was going to spoil his girl.
"That heartbeat tapping habit of yours," a male voice said causing Derek to look at the man who seated across from him.
"Klaus," he said deadpanned "I see you still haven't returned to your original body."
"Hmm it's all about the timing," he said.
Derek made a move to stand up, but Klaus's voice stopped him "I wouldn't leave right now unless you want me to kill everyone in that bar right now."
The younger vampire with a clenched jaw sat back down in his seat "Good choice."
"What are you doing here?" he asked getting straight to the point.
"Your loyalty's wavering," Klaus said, and in a blink of an eye, he had Derek against the wall in the alleyway of the bar away from the public's eye.
With his hand around Derek's throat he compelled him "Stay still" he smirks sadistically of the words he was to sprout in his compulsion to Derek "the next time you see Alexis you will transform back to your ripper state and drink only her blood."
"No," Derek said weakly using all his strength to get out of Klaus's grip, but he held him in his place and watched Derek's pupil dilate allowing Klaus to continue "You will no longer be in your ripper state the moment you have your fill of Alexis's blood."
Derek nods.
"Good" Klaus said tapping the boy's cheek playfully then vanished.
Derek let out a scarce breathe and felt his phone vibrate. Looking down his breathing pace quickened at the sight of Alexis' name and couldn't talk to her in this state. He rejected her call and quickly text her back. He took a deep breathe in and out and sped back to his apartment.
Alexis looked down to her text frowning a little knowing Derek wouldn't shut up about the Valentine's Day plans he had for her "Do vampires even get sick?" she wondered.
"He's hiding something," she said to herself and decided to make her way to his apartment.
In the quiets of his apartment, Derek worried about how he was going to avoid Alexis. He was already spending so much time with her that it would look suspicious that he was pulling away. His phone vibrates and frowns when sees Gabriel Bennett's name to have sent a message.
Opening up the text he reads out loud "We need to talk. Alone. Do not bring Alexis."
He sighed a little bit relieved that he wouldn't have to see Alexis for now and stood up from his bed and grabbed his keys off the table.
Exiting his apartment he froze from the sound of her voice "You have some explaining to do" she said walking towards him but stopped when he raised his hand
"Don't come any closer!" he yelled out gripping tightly of the door knob.
"No" he whispered feeling his fangs elongating and the veins creeping on his face. The smell of Alexis's blood was becoming stronger and was weakening his control.
"Derek, what's wrong?" she asked walking cautiously towards him but froze when he looked at her with his vampire face, and before she could register what was happening, he had her against the wall with his fangs piercing the skin of her neck.
Her screams didn't break his ripper state as her blood filled her system. Through her tears, she shut her eyes and mentally recited the aneurysm spell, Bonnie taught her and it seemed to work as it registered to Derek what he was doing. He pushed himself back to hit the other side of the wall and look at Alexis in shock. Alexis weakly places her hand over her bleeding neck as Derek approaches her repeating over and over "I'm sorry."
"No! Stay away!" she cries out hysterically, and from the shock of it all she passes out.
Derek rushes to her side, tears pouring as he cradled her "No, no, no, no" he repeated biting into his wrist and placing it against her lips. Seconds that seemed like minutes past, and soon he felt suction against his skin and watched in relief at the bite marks healing. Moving his lips away he lifted her up bridal style and walked back into his apartment and placed her on his bed.
He brushed away the strands of her loose hair and closed his eyes to rid the image of her terrified look. He never wanted her ever to look at him that away again. He leaned forward and placed a kiss upon her forehead.
"I love you" he whispered as the tear fell upon her skin.
Derek quickly wiped away his tears. He needed to leave, before putting Alexis in more danger. Derek needed to make sure Klaus would never use him or anyone to harm Alexis again. With his vampire speed, he packed what he needed and sent a message to Michael.
Opening the front door, Derek took one last look at his beautiful girlfriend. The last image he would ever see her until fate let them meet again.
Michael rushed up the last set of stairs taking a breather as he reached the fourth floor of this apartment building and turned to his left and walked to the end of the hallway to Derek's apartment.
He gripped the doorknob, not surprised it was unlocked and opened the door preparing himself for what he was about to see. His heart broke at the sight of Alexis sitting up in Derek's bed, silently crying as she held onto a piece of paper in her hand.
"Alexis," he said shattering her little bubble.
She looked at him with swollen eyes "I…don't…I…don't" she sobbed out as Michael rushed to her side.
Sitting on the edge of the bed he noted the small remains of what looked to be blood, but his attention diverts to the note in her hand.
She looked to Michael "How did…I…"
Michael just pulled the girl into his side as she sobbed into his chest.
He ran his hand in comforting motion through her hair "It's okay. It's going to be okay" he assures her through her sobs.
Every tear, every sniffle from Alexis just made Michael more determined to find Derek and kill him. Never did he want to hear Alexis get hurt like this again. He was going to do better in protecting his coven, his family.
Monday, 15th February 2010
Scott pulled out of the Bennett residence with all remaining of Zachariah's files in the backseat and began to make his way to Falls high to drop the house keys to Matt while Marcus's echoed in the car filling him in on the latest Derek situation over the phone.
"Shit. Is Alexis okay?" Scott asked.
"She's….quiet" was all Marcus could say to describe Alexis's state, "Like a turtle crawling back in its shell" he concluded.
"Poor girl. Are guys going to tell Matt? Or will I be doing that and stopping him from getting into my car."
Marcus laughed "No. Bonnie said she'd fill in Matt. For now, she wants to focus on Alexis. This quiet Alexis is kind of scaring and worrying everybody."
Scott nodded in understanding of Alexis's talkative personality; even he was a bit scared to come back to that.
"So Derek just vanished?"
"Yeah. Mr. Bennett wants us to focus on mom and dad's accident. Becuase the brakes were tampered with; was able to get the video files with my permission of the security cameras at our place on the day or the day before the accident. The Bennett family are going through the clips, and hopefully, they'll find something when I see them after school."
"Good idea. I better let you get back to your study period."
Marcus chuckled and asked "Take-out for dinner? My shout."
"I can't say no to that" Scott said pulling into the parking lot of the school "I'll pick you up from Bennett's place when I see what they have."
"Okay, bye," Marcus said and ended the call.
Scott parked the car and grabbed Matt's house keys from the container and got out of his car, remembering something about float building for Founder's Day. Whatever the hell that is. He followed the crowd of students towards the school yard only to hear screams. Scott looked towards the direction of the screams. His eyes widened at the sight of Matt's arm trapped underneath a float. Two guys were struggling to lift the float off Matt's arm.
"What the hell, kid?" he said and motioned for the Hispanic looking teen to make room as he stood in front of him with his back facing him.
He lifted the float only to hear Matt cry out in pain when the float put more pressure on his arm
"Magic," Scott thought angrily looking around for the witch, but he didn't have time to look the witch. He had to counter it without getting caught.
He looked to Matt "When I count to three you move your arm as quickly as you can" he looked to the white, brown haired teen behind Matt and then to the Hispanic teen "At three you guys lift okay?"
"Yeah okay!" they said in a struggle.
"One…Two…Three!" Scott yelled and with his powers counteracted the spell, and it seemed to work for a second giving Matt enough time to slip his arm out.
Scott let go and angrily looked around the crowd for the witch but spotted a doe-eyed girl turning away from a woman and looking worriedly at Matt.
The Hispanic kid was by Matt's side while the other white kid was staring at that girl.
"This must be them," he thought and crouched down to Matt who was cradling his arm still in pain.
"Already a broken arm" Scott teased Matt who just mumbled back painfully "Not funny."
"Where's the nurse room? Get you bandaged up before they take you to the hospital" Scott said.
Waiting outside the emergency room as Matt got bandaged up, Scott looked to the boy rushing towards him "Hey, is Matt okay?" he asked.
Scott nodded "A broken arm. Just getting his cast done" he stuck out his hand "Scott O'Donnell."
Stefan placed his hands causing Scott to sense the vampire nature of this teen "Stefan-"
"Salvatore" Scott finished as the boy removed his hand quickly.
Scott raised his hands up defensively "Don't panic. I know Bonnie, and the coven knows all about Elena and the Salvatore brothers."
"Oh" was all that Stefan said remembering Elena's update about Bonnie training with her coven.
Scott stood up straighter "I guess the doe-eyed girl is Elena Gilbert?"
The vampire numbly nods as Scott chuckled in disbelief "Matt got hurt on purpose then?"
Stefan looks away ashamed "Yeah. Isobel was threatening Elena to give her the Gilbert device."
"If that device falls into the wrong hands then it's bad news for you guys."
"What do you mean?" Stefan asked confused.
"The device is enchanted to take down vampires" Stefan's eyes widened to the revelation "So my advice to you guys is to protect that device with your life."
Scott looked at him to see Matt walking towards them and quickly tells Stefan "You do not get him involved in this mess that is going on now, okay?"
"Okay, what?" Matt asked confused
"Okay that I have to go," Scott said pulling out the house keys from his pockets and handing It to Matt "Thank you for letting me crash, and I'll say hi to everyone from you."
"Thanks," Matt said then reminded him "Don't tell them what happened, I know Bonnie would come running."
Scott nodded understandingly "Don't get hurt again, or Rosario will just end up adopting you to keep you safe."
Matt chuckled to the woman's protective nature towards him as he said: "Especially don't tell her."
Scott patted Matt's shoulder "Take care, kid" then looked to Stefan and with a nod "You too, Stefan."
"Yeah" is all Stefan can say as he watched the older man walk away from them and out of the hospital.
Curious Stefan looked to Matt asking "How do you know him?"
"I'm not sure if Elena told you but I have been out of Mystic Falls for almost a week now and just got back yesterday."
Stefan just blinked in surprise as Matt chuckled and then told him seriously "No offense to you, Stefan, but I know everything about my sister's death-"
"I'm so-" Stefan started, but Matt raised his free hand to stop Stefan
"Please don't apologize right now. I think it'll be best if you and your brother stay away from me. I'm still trying to deal with it all and resist the urge to kill you guys…for Elena's sake."
Not wanting to hear Stefan's response, he left to go and fill out the rest of the required forms of his visit to the hospital.
Stefan just blankly stood in place wondering what just happened. From Bonnie's coven helping him when he was kidnapped, meeting another witch and now Matt knowing everything, Stefan couldn't help but feel like he was missing something. The something that would change everything. The vampire shook his head. No, he shouldn't be focusing on Elena and the fact that not only was Isobel after this Gilbert device, but it seemed that John was as well. Now knowing what the device did, the restless feeling in the pit of his stomach wouldn't leave him.
Marcus closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and out preparing himself for what he was going to see. Opening his eyes, he watched the front door of the Bennett boarding house open to reveal Bonnie smiling slightly at him.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
He wordlessly nodded.
Bonnie tapped her ear "Your heart beat says otherwise" reaching out to him.
Marcus let her pull him into the house as he used his free hand to close the door.
Marcus looked down at her "I'm nervous of what you guys discovered" he confessed.
Bonnie smiles a small smile in understanding as Marcus continues, "All this time I believed my parents died in a car accident and now to see that it was all a plan with the help of someone I trusted is killing me right now."
Linking her arm around his arm, she leaned her head against his arm "I know" she whispered as they walked to the living room where the laptop was set up with the clips.
Michael turned around seeing Marcus "Hey bro; we found something" he turned back around clicking on the prepared folder. Bonnie let go of Marcus' arm, as they made their way around the long couch. Marcus and Bonnie took a seat with Michael in between them clicking on the first video file. Once the clip started playing, Michael paused it to explain "This was on the day of the accident, you would've been at school, and I remember your parents here summing up the last minute stuff for that mission they had in Europe, cause I know dad was going to drop them him. Meaning the house was empty, and the car was in the garage" Marcus just nods as Michael taps the space bar on the laptop, leaning back so Marcus could lean forward to watch the clip.
The time stamp read 15th January 2009, 10:00 am.
Marcus' eyes widened at the sight of the witch walking to the front door of the O'Donnell and waving cockily at the camera "Her?" he said in surprise watching the dark-skinned girl waved her hand over the door knob and easily walk into the house.
Standing up he repeated in anger "Her?!" looking down at the now paused clip "She said she was here for a break from her dad."
"We all thought that," Michael said looking up to Marcus "She's a Martin, and we trusted her. We didn't know she was already working with Klaus."
Bonnie stared at the image of Greta "She was the witch that helped Klaus kill me dad" she said.
Marcus looked the clip shaking his head in confusion "Why is Greta even working with Klaus?!"
Michael shrugged "I don't know, man. To think about it, we haven't seen that girl in years; and she might be a different girl now."
Marcus sat back down breathing heavily from what he had just seen then remembered something his mother had said when Greta had shown up in town.
Bonnie looked over to Marcus asking "What do you remember?"
"Something my mom said when Greta showed up. Our family and the Bennett family were only acquaintance with the Martin family when we were kids. She was a little older than us, but mom said that something was different about Greta. Of course, I laughed it off and said that the last time she saw her was when she was eight."
"Your mom's judgment on people was always pretty accurate" Michael noted.
Marcus shook his head "My parents couldn't have been just because of my mom's suspicion."
Michael played the next clip "I don't know, but we are aware it was Greta that messed with the brake line" as the trio watched Greta enter the garage and easily get into the car with her magic.
Closing the files, Michael closed the laptop and looked at the still confused Marcus "Why did Klaus want my parents dead? Did they stumble on something like Bonnie's dad?" he asked and saw Michael and Bonnie look to each "What? What are you guy's thinking?"
Michael nodded to his cousin to speak. She looks to Marcus "My uncle and aunt had filled me on one of their assignment of helping a coven in Greece-"
"Yeah, something about rogue witches possessing humans. My parents dealt with those witches. What's that got to do with their death and Klaus?" he asked confused.
"To thank your parents, the coven gave them the information they had received that would lead them to what was suppose to be their upcoming trip to Bulgaria. Did they tell you that information?" she asked.
Marcus pinched the bridge of his nose and with closed eyes tried to remember of any mentions of the information "All they told me was that there was a coven that had information on some vampire" he paused "Don't say it was about Klaus?"
Bonnie shrugged her shoulders "It's possible. Uncle Gabriel got in contact with the coven in Greece apparently the witch that was supposed to give you the information was found dead a couple of days after your parent's car accident."
Marcus let a breath of disbelief "Meaning whatever lead for the reason of my parent's death is gone."
"Sorry, man" Michael sympathetically said.
Marcus just nodded standing up and walking out of the living room. Michael made a move to stand up but Bonnie placed a hand on his shoulder stopping him "Let me" she said.
He looked at her with a look of "Are you sure?".
She nodded with a smile "I'm sure" she said standing up and making her way to the backyard knowing exactly where Marcus was heading.
Looking down at his reflection in the water the bottom of his shoe just teasing the top of the water. Marcus closed his eyes the moment he sensed her presence behind him. She takes a seat beside him and lays her head against his arm waiting for his next move. His next words.
"I need to know," he said.
"I know" she replied back. Bonnie understood his undertones. He wanted answers, and he didn't care how far he was going to go and get the answers.
"I know Klaus has to die, but I need to know why he killed my parents" he looks down at the top if Bonnie's head "why he killed your father."
Lifting her head up she looked to Marcus "We need closure" he said.
Bonnie nodded "We'll get our answer and then we'll give Klaus a death he so deserves."
Marcus smiled at Bonnie's words holding out a pinky finger "Promise?"
She chuckled and linked her pinky with his "Promise" she said as their knuckles moved against each other and their thumb pressed against each other "Promise sealed" they said together.
Later that night...
Bonnie leaned back in her seat staring at her finished work. It was a detailed account of Klaus and what she learned so far. She now added Marcus's parents to the wall with Bulgaria? Written on a post-it notes.
"Klaus, Greta, and Derek are working together" Bonnie recounts out loud.
Her eyes shifts to the post-it with Sun Moon curse written on it, "Klaus wants to break the sun and moon curse and is using vampires that need to remove their debt with him by finding this moonstone."
Bonnie looks to the post-it with Katherine written on it "The Moonstone was last heard of with Katherine. Klaus is following her tracks."
Bonnie groaned tossing her head back she wonders "Do I need to go back to Mystic Falls and talk to them?" she shakes her head not wanting to deal with that yet and looks to the added information "What has Bulgaria got to do with you, Klaus?"
She leans forward and looks to the photo of herself and her father "Dad, what did you discover of Klaus that got you killed? Why didn't you inform the coven straightaway of what you discovered?"
She stared at the picture hard as if her father was going to jump out of the picture and answer her questions. The loud ring of her phone shook her out of her thoughts.
She looked at the caller ID and answered "Hey Matt. What's up? Please don't tell me you got hurt again."
Matt laughed "Since lunch time...no. I am safe at home about to eat but just wanted to say I spotted Elena making some trade with a lady. The Salvatore brothers were there so that can't be good. I was able to take a picture without getting caught. Thank God for zooming on this phone."
Bonnie's phone beeped to indicate a text. Bonnie pulled the phone away and placed Matt on speaker as she checked the pictures sent to her. Her eyes widened at the object in the older woman's hand. It wasn't a precise detail of the object, but the shape was clear enough to know what it is.
"Shit. Did this just happened?"
"Yeah about ten, fifteen minutes ago. So it's bad news."
"Very bad news. That is the Gilbert device."
"The one that kills vampires. I thought Elena said Damon had the device."
Bonnie paused and then laughed off what she had been sensing all along "Damon cares for Elena. You getting hurt were the first threat. Isobel must have threatened somebody close to Elena to make Damon willing to make the trade."
"Family" Matt said remembering Gabriel's words during training "You want to make an impact in your threats you go after the family."
"Family" Bonnie repeated "Thanks Matt for letting us know. Try not to get in too much danger back home."
"I'll try. Night Bon"
"Night, Matt," she said ending the call and looked at the time on her phone reading 8:36 pm.
"News to end the night," she said shaking her head. She would've just called Elena right now, but her coven has been teaching her to stop putting herself in situations that she has to help. Reaching out to Elena was one of those things. Maybe, this time, they'll be lenient and let her call Elena for answers.
Tuesday, 16th February 2010
Gabriel ended the call and turned to look at Bonnie seated by the kitchen counter "Are you going to tell me the deal with Sheriff Forbes, again?" she asked still lost on the whole IOU deal her uncle had with Caroline's mom.
Gabriel sighed and walked around the counter to take a seat beside his niece who looked to him awaiting his answer.
"There's a group that was formed in Mystic Falls many years ago known as the Council. The members of the Council are only the Founding families, all sworn to protect their town from vampires."
Bonnie pulled a face making Gabriel laughed "Yeah may be lacking in that as I've just informed by Elizabeth that Damon Salvatore is a member if the Council."
With her eyes widened "No. They don't know" she said surprised.
Gabriel shook his head "Doesn't seem to be with Liz singing praises for the guy."
"Wait, that doesn't explain why the Sheriff was willing to give you information."
"While the town may have written the Bennett families as the strange ones in occult the Council knew of our existence as witches. They already set their focus on protecting the town from vampires, so they didn't dare mess with us, but Liz wanted advice on how to defend against vampires."
"Stakes and vervain."
Gabriel nodded "Something they knew, but I guess they didn't know the full potential of vervain. All of this happened around the time you were born, and Rosario and I were in town to visit you. She knew about witches and the Council's wishes to not associate with us, but she still wanted advice from us. So I came up with a plan with Zach Salvatore of a way for him to grow vervain in the boarding house for the Council. He was a founding family member that would be more accepting of him."
Bonnie nodded filling in the blanks "So from there Sheriff Forbes said she owed you one."
"Correct."
"Did you get your answers?"
He sighed defeated "Only that John Gilbert has wanted that device and that she has a feeling that the Mayor and John have plans for using that device."
"But Isobel has the device…so we think" she eyed her uncle who rolled his eyes
"You are not calling Elena."
"Why?" she whined, "She can tell me everything without us doing all the sneaking around."
"Or I can see another source for an update."
Gabriel and Bonnie looked at the entrance of the kitchen to see Scott leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Who?" Gabriel asked.
"Stefan."
Bonnie didn't have to look at her uncle knowing his answer as she hears and immediate "No. They failed on keeping that device hidden."
"Is it that or because he's a vampire?" Scott asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes and he's a Salvatore. Does everyone forget what just happened with Derek?" Gabriel questioned looking between Bonnie and Scott.
"Minus his ripper past after meeting him briefly, he seems like he'll genuinely help us with information," Scott said then looked to Bonnie "Help me out here?"
Bonnie bit her bottom lip looking briefly to her uncle then at Scott "Yeah he'll help but-" she pauses "I can't trust him not yet not since, Grams…"
Scott mentally reprimanded himself for forgetting "Ah shit sorry, kid."
He looked to Gabriel "I could try and keep a low profile in Mystic Falls, but it's going to be hard to get information especially since Stefan knows what I look like and I wouldn't be surprised if he lets his brother know of my identity and knowing Bonnie."
Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest, his mind formulating a plan looking to Bonnie "Someone could just compel the memory of-"
"No. You know I don't like to use compulsion. Only if it's necessary and besides we won't even know it would work since it has been a day since he has seen Scott and I don't know how powerful my compulsion is."
Gabriel raised his hands up in surrender "Okay…okay, it was just a suggestion."
Bonnie looked knowingly to her uncle "That could turn into an order."
"I wouldn't do that to you. I know how much you hate using that power."
Surprised by his answers, she said "Oh thanks."
Gabriel couldn't help but smile at the shock on niece's face and continued his plan looking to Scott "Why don't we get Eric and Amerie to go undercover. Posing as a couple on a road trip to Florida. Decided to make memorable by staying a couple of days at smalls towns like-"
"Mystic Falls" Scott finished
"I guess Matt has to pretend he doesn't know them, for the plan to work," Bonnie said.
"Or he can know them, say they had introduced themselves to him at the Grille. Maybe we should see if Matt is up to being a spy for us. Just keeping his ear out on the what's going on. He did well on the Isobel reporting" Scott eyed Bonnie knowing her thoughts on this.
"No. I thought we were going to leave Matt out of these things."
"We can just ask him. I don't want him breaking into places just paying a little extra attention to what goes on around him" Gabriel said.
"I'll ask him," Bonnie said
Gabriel nodded as she admitted to him "It's a good plan, though."
"I'll have to run it by Rosario before we present it to Eric and Amerie," Gabriel said standing up placing his hand under Bonnie's chin he tilted it up "Don't call Elena."
"I know. You said not to so I won't" Bonnie said.
"Okay," he said leaving Scott and Bonnie alone in the kitchen.
"Do you trust, Stefan?" Bonnie asked Scott.
Scott walked into the kitchen taking Gabriel's seat "With my life, no. With yours, not even a bit, but it seems the type of guy that will be helpful if it means those he care about will be protected or at least make some contribution to protecting them."
"I'm stuck on my Klaus investigation and trying to locate this moonstone. We've gotten nowhere on tracking Domenic. His girlfriend witch is cloaking her location, but I'm more surprised that Domenic hasn't retaliated after I killed his brother."
"Unless Klaus got to him," Scott said as Bonnie looks at him to continue "Domenic was meant to locate the moonstone and has failed multiple times from that group of young ripper vampires and then sending Sebastian to deal with you."
Bonnie hummed in an understanding of where he was coming from "Still I can't help but think Domenic is one of the main leads to finding Klaus."
"The other lead?"
"Katherine."
"Ah, that's what all that Stefan question was for?"
"Yeah. I can't ask Damon cause I've never actually had a conversation with him" she said ignoring the flashback of Damon cornering her at the parking lot "He would get nosey on why I want information on Katherine, and she may be a touchy subject for him."
"You think Stefan may know where Katherine has been?"
Bonnie shook her head "They would only know of Mystic Falls being the last place. I want to know more about her; maybe I'll find the connection between Klaus and Katherine. How did she even get her hand on the moonstone? All I know is that she was in Mystic Falls with Emily Bennett and she was responsible for the Salvatores' becoming vampires."
"Maybe you're right. Maybe they should be your starting point."
"Who?" she questioned confused "Stefan and Damon?"
Scott nodded "You said Klaus was following Katherine's track leading to Mystic Falls. They both fell in love with Katherine meaning they would know more of her time spent in Mystic Falls and probably the people she interacted it. Maybe someone helped her escape."
"Huh? For Katherine to be able to escape without being spotted, she would need to know somebody that would help her."
"You've gone through all of Emily Bennett's journals."
Bonnie nodded "But they all take place before meeting Katherine. I did find some pages writing about being separated from Katherine after the vampire round-up. Other than that the coven doesn't seem to have any of her-" she paused remembering something.
Bonnie stood up surprising Scott "Grams had a picture of her in 1864, dad and I never got a chance to go through her stuff. We just boxed it all up in the attic. Maybe she has some of Emily's journals."
"Your Grams wouldn't have kept that from the coven," he said
"Only if she was using it for research."
"But wouldn't your uncle have known about these journals?"
Bonnie sat back down thinking that maybe her Grams didn't have the journals until Scott spoke: "Unless your dad was using them as references for his mission, but then that would mean it's connected to the Prophecy."
"Do you think you and I could make a trip to my place and pick up Gram's boxes?" she asked
"I'll run it by your uncle, but let's deal with this Gilbert device mishap and make sure no one is dying from it. We can get Matt to pick it up and give it to Eric and Amerie when they are done with their undercover recoup mission."
"Yeah?" Bonnie said.
Scott chuckled to the immediate mood lift "Yeah. I know your uncle will agree with that idea" he said standing up "You up for a duel?"
Bonnie smiled "Always am," she said following Scott "Who won last time?"
He rolled his eyes "You wonder why the twins act so arrogant? Look at their teacher."
She gasped taking offense "I'll have you know I'm an excellent teacher."
"Again, arrogant," he said playfully only to say "Ow" from Bonnie pushing him playfully as they both made their way downstairs to the training room.
Later that night…
Gabriel leaned back in the single couch in the living he looked across to the seated Eric and Amerie "So what do you think?" he asked after explaining the plan to them.
Eric and Amerie looked to each other silently conversing with each other and looked to Gabriel. Amerie places her hand on her husband's leg signaling she'll explain "Eric will go, but I want to stay back. For Alexis. I want at least one of us here for her."
Gabriel nodded in understanding looking up to his wife that was seated on the arm of his couch "Should we change the plan or let Eric go?"
Rosario hummed pondering over the idea she looked down to Gabriel "Why don't we send Marcus?"
The older man raised his eyebrow at the notion, but she continued "Alexis needs both parents here. Marcus is the only one that wouldn't get recognized at Mystic Falls. One week of collecting information and if you want we can send Scott with him. Marcus can say he is Matt's family friend. Their dads were childhood friends. Raises fewer questions with Matt's dad not in the picture. Scott will get the short end of the stick of staying in the house for a week to avoid getting recognized."
"Alright I like that idea" he looked to Eric and Amerie "Any objection?"
They both shook their head a little thankful that they weren't going to be involved in this mission. Alexis's reserved nature already occupied their attention since Derek's betrayal. She wouldn't even talk about what had happened. Michael had a good idea from the blood on her lips and her neck that he gave them heads up to keep an eye on Alexis and make sure she stayed alive for the next twenty-fours until the vampire blood was out of her system. Since then she hadn't said a word. Literally. Just nods and shakes of her head and an occasional shrug of the shoulders to answer the questions. They knew training wasn't going any better the more Bonnie tried to pull the girl out her shell the more she retracted. Eric and Amerie wouldn't mind if their daughter had yelled at somebody or rebelled at least then they knew she was dealing with her emotions of the betrayal. This behavior from Alexis was something new altogether and for a long time in their life they hadn't felt this lost on helping their children. Their heart ached at the sight of Alexis and angered at the mere thought that Derek did this to their only daughter.
"How's she doing?" Rosario asked shaking the parents out of their thoughts.
Amerie held Eric's hands and shrugged her shoulders "All she does is eat, sleep. Go to school and come back then eat and sleep. I know it has been two days, but we're worried how long she will be like this, not talking to us. Should we be doing more?"
Rosario leaned forward scooting to the edge of the couch's arm, grabbing Amerie's free hand "Be there for her. Keep talking to her, let her know you are there for her when she is ready" she looks to Eric "The both of you."
Eric and Amerie nodded as Gabriel smiled proudly at his wife's words. She always had a way with word of advice and this calming nature that made you believe that everything would be okay. It was one of the qualities that made him fall in love with her.
AN: Hope you guys like this chapter! Apologies for any grammatical errors. New chapter next week.
Hopefully, the links below show up (just removed the brackets when copy paste the links)... if they don't appear here you'll find them on the side link "Trilogy of War edits" on my Tumblr.
Tumblr name: naleysocute23
Relationship chart: http(/) post/151113310201/naleysocute23(-)battling(-)my(-)demons(-)relationship
Character list: http(/) post/148662424261/introduction(-)of(-)the(-)characters(-)in(-)battling(-)my