A/N: The story picks up three years later. Sorry for the long ass wait. Please excuse grammatical errors. Smut. Bad Language.
Disclaimer: not mine.
"And that concludes the story of witchcraft in America. It's been a pleasure teaching you this semester. Don't forget to leave your evaluations with Carl as you pick up your final papers on the way out." Dr. Galen said her violet eyes magnified by the giant black rim glasses that sat on the end of her nose. Bonnie stuffed her notebook into her bag and joined the crowd of students wading to the front of the auditorium.
"Ms. Bennett, can I speak to you for a moment?" The Auburn headed professor called. Bonnie slid between two students making her way over to the podium. Bonnie smiled at the woman flipping through a stack of papers on her desk.
"Bonnie, I have your paper here. And, I must say it is excellent work. Have you decided which program your going to pursue your graduate studies at?" The woman pulled a packet from the stack extending it to the witch. Bonnie took her final from her professor, eyeing the 100 on the top of the first page. A sense of pride swelled in her. They all told her that Stanley was difficult, and it was virtually impossible to get an A.
"I still have a few weeks to decide but it's between Amherst, Riverside, and Tulane." Bonnie said glancing at the door. Paul waved to her from the hallway.
"It's your decision Bonnie, but UMASS Amherst is by far the superior program, although the others are good too. If you want to pursue academia, as we discussed, Amherst would look great on your CV. Have they offered you funding?" Bonnie nodded. All three schools had offered her an assistantship with free tuition, but Tulane and Riverside had offered the most money. Bonnie knew that Amherst was a good choice professionally, but Bonnie had learned a while ago that she had to look at the complete picture.
"They did, which makes this an even harder decision. But, thanks so much for the recommendation, and all you're input. I'll let you know what I decide." Bonnie said stowing her paper in bag. "Your classes have been an inspiration." The old woman smiled coming around the podium. The professor stunned the young woman when she pulled her into a hug.
"You do that. Sheila would be so proud." Bonnie smiled up at the woman. Professor Stanley liked to tell Bonnie stories about her grandmother and the kooky things they would do at professional conferences. She never knew that side of Grams. Bonnie was bowled over when she found out her favorite anthropology professor who lived and worked across the country from Mystic Falls was one of Gram's closest friends, and she had found her by happenstance. It was a small world.
"Thanks again, Dr. Stanley. Have a great summer!" Bonnie said walking out into the hallway.
Bonnie's nerves spiked as she glanced at the beautiful black man before her. Her eyes roamed over his tall muscular frame. Paul had propped himself against the wall as he waited for her to finish her conversation. "So I'm leaving for Atlanta tomorrow." He said looking into her eyes. After a moment, the mahogany skin man added, "You could always change your mind." Bonnie walked over. She stretched up on her toes and kissed him softly. He closed his eyes savoring her taste. He knew it would be the last time.
"You're going to get in Atlanta, and forget I exist. You're going to find some ridiculously beautiful woman who makes you happy. Your going to love her, then marry her and invite me to your wedding to gloat." Paul pushed off the wall. Bonnie chest panged with guilt seeing the hurt that had been marring his features for the past few weeks.
"You're that girl." Paul stated quietly. Bonnie shook her head.
"No, I'm not." Paul sighed, moving to the side to let a throng of students pass.
"I don't understand. I thought the past two years have been great. We have so much in common. Who can understand you better than I can?" Bonnie tried to stop the flash of green and brown eyes. Her memory served up nights in front of a fire wedged in between two men…two monsters.
The strange part was Paul was right. They were perfect for each other. He was a genuinely great guy: sweet, handsome, and intelligent. Bonnie could count four women who were drooling over him in Humanities main hallway at that moment.
Paul was a skinwalker from the DuBois family line, and she was a Bennett witch. She didn't have to hide any part of herself from him, although he shied away from his supernatural gifts. He wanted to be a doctor, and settle down and have two kids. He was offering her a perfect normal adult life. The problem was Bonnie didn't want perfect and normal anymore. It turns out being normal is boring. It's quite possible she never wanted normal, after a few years of soul searching she figured out what she truly needed…stability and love. She had found that once. More importantly she had found it in herself.
"I know you don't think so right now, but I'm not the one. I'm so far from being the one. When you meet her your going to look back at this day, and laugh. Then you're going to owe me big time for saving your ass from a pathetic and an ordinary life. You deserve spectacular. I deserve spectacular. We just have to be brave enough to go after it." Paul shook his head at the witch.
"You're crazy. You know this speech just makes me love you more right? You get that?" Bonnie looped her arm into the man's.
"Come on Werebear. Before I have to beat the women off with a stick. I'll buy you a chocolate ice cream cone." Bonnie said cooing at the man.
"Not helping." Paul said intent on enjoying their last few moments together.
-o0o-
Bonnie trudged through the foyer of the ancient Victorian home. She loved this house. It had it's own personality. It would groan at you if you took the stairs too fast. The doors would creak if it thought you were up too late. And if you didn't listen, the electricity would just suddenly go out in the room you were in. Cass and Lucy had called thousand of electricians. They greased doors and replaced the steps. They even asked a necromancer and medium over to bust some ghost, but Bonnie knew it was just the house.
They started to believe her when a shutter they had just replaced fell off and hit an insurance salesman in the head. Cass had told him she wasn't interested several times, but the guy wouldn't take no for an answer. Lark Manor showed him who was boss. Yes, this house was alive and she would miss it very much. She knew it was mutual when she had recently been having trouble with the sticking front door. The house knew she was moving on. She wished she could pick it up and take it with her. Maybe she could find another like it, a place to call her own.
Bonnie followed the aromas wafting through the air. She walked into the messy kitchen spying a boiling pot on the stove. Valerian root was being boiled with a few more nasty ingredients. A huge stone mortar sat on the counter filled with jasmine oil, Shea butter, and from the smell of it mint. One of the double ovens was on emitting the most delicious chocolaty aroma with a small hint of cannabis. Lucy's kitchen was a strange amalgamation of healing and hex magic. Her cousin was an enigma. The young Bennett witch found said cousin in the green house off the kitchen snipping from her poison oak bush with lavender stalks under her arms.
"How was your last day?" Lucy said walking back into the kitchen. Bonnie shrugged.
"Bittersweet." The curious witch propped herself up on a stool watching her older cousin work. Lucy's long brown bangs fells into her eyes as she ground lavender into the mixture in the mortar. She whispered a few words over the stone vessel. Then started spooning the mixture into a small jar. "What are you making?"
"I don't know. You tell me." Bonnie rolled her eyes. She was hardly the naïve little witch that had showed up on her doorstep three years ago. "Hmm…jasmine for circulation and to hide the ground turmeric." Lucy looked up at her cousin and smiled. "Turmeric as an anti-inflammatory. Shea butter for skin moisture and as a cream base. Mint for soothing, and lavender to dull the senses. It's for arthritis or lupus."
Lucy smiled again. "I usually have tea with Mr. Kim down the road on Tuesdays. He cancelled yesterday because he's having a bad flare up. I'm going to take this over to him later." Bonnie nodded, her brow arching.
"That's nice. Whose the crabs curse for?" Lucy turned to the black pot on the stove. She took out a long wooden spoon stirring the pot. She dropped a few poison oak leaves in with her gloved hand. "That is for Kurt Voss. He's got one more time to bring up the lesbo's on the corner at the community beautification meeting. A little scratching never hurt anyone." Bonnie snorted shaking her head. "Does Ca-"
"Don't you say it. Besides she's been working on a tough case. She's tired. She doesn't need anymore stress." Bonnie grabbed a grape out of the bowl on the counter.
"Is that why you're baking magic brownies?" Lucy grinned.
"No. Those are for me. But you two can have some. Cass needs to relax and you need to celebrate and chill the fuck out. Your aura is wrapped in fear." Bonnie sighed looking down.
"We've been through this. You already know what you want to do. There will be no regressing on my watch. Bennett's never back down from a challenge." Lucy said preparing her poultice.
"Um…Can I have a moment of pause? I mean I left them. It's been three years. Kol hated me. Stefan stopped calling two years ago. This is kind of a dick move just to show up back in their lives demanding to be loved." Lucy nodded in agreement.
Bonnie laughed throwing a grape at her. "I feel like I should say some corny inspirational shit here." Lucy informed the young witch. Bonnie shook her head.
"Worst mentor ever." Bonnie said folding her arms. Lucy smiled.
"Wait I got one. I got it…" Bonnie face pulled into faux fascination.
"Fortune favors the bold" Lucy said her hands waving as she said it. Bonnie gasped.
"Thank you sensei. All my problems and anxiety have melted away." Lucy stuck out her tongue.
"But for real. Girl please? You're hot. You're powerful. You're talented. They would be crazy not to take you back, and if they don't so what. You got graduate school. You got a job with Charmaine, and your living in one of the coolest cities in the world. You're going to love New Orleans. The magic there is so intoxicating. If I weren't tied to the old ball and chain I would probably be living there right now. Plus girl all them fine Cajun man."
"You're right. I'm really looking forward to training under Charmaine." Lucy sighed.
"Don't let Cass hear you say that." Lucy said sliding her brownies out of the oven.
"You still haven't told her. She's going to kill you, me, and Charmaine when she finds out."
"What Cass doesn't know won't hurt her."
"What was that?" The raven headed woman said walking into the kitchen. Cassandra Lark was powerful. She was the deadliest mage on the west coast, probably on the continent. She ran Lark investigations a firm dedicated solely to the supernatural. She was also beautiful, otherworldly beautiful and madly in love with Bonnie's cousin. At the moment though she was covered in green goo. Lucy scrunched her nose at her wife. Cass grabbed a microbrew out the fridge and turned towards the hallway.
"Don't ask. I'm going to take a shower. When I'm done. I would very much like to discuss things that Cass doesn't know."
Bonnie eyed her cousin hopping off the stool. "You in trouble." Lucy pursed her lips as she watched her younger cousin walk out the door.
"Yeah…leave me alone with the evil sorceress to explain your life choices."
-o0o-
Bonnie trooped up the stairs heading to her bedroom. She stopped just before reaching her door and turned towards the attic stairs as if she was being beckoned. The familiar feeling of latent power rolled over her. No matter how many times she had been here, no matter how many hours she spent in the corner, her nose stuck in a book, Bonnie was still humbled by the heritage in this room.
Her family's legacy was meticulously cataloged in Lark Manor's attic. Lucy acted as the family historian. She maintained over forty Bennett witch's grimoires, eighteen personal journals, and hundreds of books of shadows. Countless bookshelves lumbered under the weight of a myriad of arcane magical texts. Ancient tools and artifacts littered the space. Qetsiyah's staff hung in the center of the room, the emblem of dynasty.
Bonnie walked over to the family tree that was carved into a giant slab of wood bolted into the wall. She touched her leaf, a ritual that kept her grounded. Bonnie had found herself in this room. She had learned to love her craft in this room. All thanks to Lucy and a mother with enough insight to know when someone else could help her child, better then she could at the moment. Bonnie smiled when she remembered her first moments in California with Lucy.
As the wheels touched down, Bonnie didn't know what to expect. What if she was feeling lost after defeating Silas and grabbed at the first straw that was offered to her. What did she really know about Lucy? Was her mother's word enough? What if she didn't fit into this new life either? Then what?
'Hush child. Those are just your nerves working. Let Lucy show you a bit of the world.' Bonnie calmed as her Grams' words danced in her spirit, but the witch still wondered what was in store for her.
Bonnie shuffled through the airport managing to claim her bags without too much of a hassle. She found the exit Lucy was going to meet her at with ease. The plane was early so she just hung out against the wall watching people come and go. The sorrow that she had suppressed unfurled when she witnessed a soldier kissing her husband in a warm welcome home. She missed Stefan and Kol so much. She didn't know how long this trip was going to last. She didn't know how long she was going to last without them. Everyone's head snapped around when a shiny black convertible wheeled into the loading zone blasting one of Bonnie's favorite songs 'Chaiyya Chaiyya'. Bonnie exhaled in relief, a good sign.
Lucy jumped out of the car just as a security guard came over. "Ma'am I'm going to have to ask you to turn down your music." Bonnie watched her cousin flash a thousand watt smile and flip her hair.
"I'll just be a minute officer. Then I'll be on my way. It would go a lot faster if you could help my cousin with her bags." The balding man's eyes glazed over. His mouth pulled into a lazy grin. The dazzled officer's eyes flickered over the crowd finding Bonnie as Lucy turned to her. He quickly grabbed Bonnie's trunk and suitcase. "What's up Cuz long time no see?" Lucy said extending her arms. Bonnie smiled incredulously walking into them. The two women embraced for a moment, Lucy popped the trunk for the security guard, and then they were on their way.
"What did you do to that guy?" Bonnie said once they had cleared the madness of the airport. Lucy smiled wickedly.
"Oh that, just my magical version of compulsion: part feminine wiles and a minor infatuation spell that works through smell. Pheromones ain't nothing to fuck with." Bonnie glanced at her cousin in a curious amusement.
"Couldn't you have just turned down the music?" Lucy grinned at Bonnie.
"What fun would that be, besides it was at my favorite part." Bonnie shook her head as Lucy cranked up the music. "We got a long ride ahead, chica. I live in the middle of nowhere."
Nowhere was accurate. Bonnie was at least an hour away from the nearest beach. Forty minutes away from university. She was lucky that Lucy and Cass like to travel and took her along. Their small desert town didn't offer much. It was the perfect place for Bonnie's rebirth.
Bonnie's magic whispered through her until the book she needed was dancing towards her. She looked down at the cover. Her name had been engraved into the leather. It was empty when she arrived, now the bindings were barely containing the three hundred plus pages. Her heart longed for the men who had given it to her.
"Soon." She declared aloud, kneeling at her ancestral altar.
-o0o-
"Are you planning on hiding from me all night?" Cass said walking into Bonnie's bedroom. Bonnie grimaced. Bonnie and Cassandra had grown close over the last three years. The witch idolized her. Bonnie was nervous to hear her thoughts, especially if the woman was disappointed in the decision she had made to intern with her ex-partner for the summer.
"No. Well, yes. Actually, I planned on ducking you until I left for the airport," Bonnie answered biting her lip. Cass grinned.
"At least you're honest," Cass said sitting on the window seat. Bonnie watched her cousin prepare her thoughts. Bonnie would listen, but she would not change her mind. This was her life.
"This life I lead is dangerous, Bonnie." Cass started.
"You don't think I know that. I've had my fair share of danger." Bonnie reminded her. Cass and Lucy treated her like a child. Her magical knowledge was so limited when she arrived, so the couple took it upon themselves to educate her. Bonnie was grateful for their expertise. It was scary what the two of them could accomplish if they ever chose to do so, but Bonnie knew that she had done great things as well all with minimal training from Qetsiyah on the fly.
Cassandra nodded again acknowledging the witch's claims. She looked into those moss green eyes and rebutted, "Not like this, Bon."
"Silas was the most powerful wizard-" Bonnie began. Cassandra cut in.
"And it took you and all of your friends to take him down. And you ran to California once it was over. What happens when everyday presents you with a new Silas? What happens when you graduate from wizards to sorcerers, then dragons? What happens when you're facing sidhe royalty with unimaginable powers?" Cassandra questioned.
"You don't think I'm capable?" Bonnie responded somberly. Hurt coiled around her words. Cassandra heard the sadness in her voice and proceeded carefully.
"I know you're capable, more than capable. I just want you to know what you're getting yourself into. I want you to be safe, and happy. You're the closest thing I have to a little sister and honestly, I want better for you. When you got here you wanted nothing to do with magic. Lucy had to trick you into that attic. Now you're ready to be a witch for hire? What changed?"
"My perception." Bonnie answered honestly. The witch looked to her mentor silently urging her to recognize her advancing skill, and accept her choices. This was a good thing. After a moment the witch added, "I really don't understand Cass. You love your job. You love your life. I just want to follow in you and Lucy's footsteps."
Cassandra brow arched. "You want to come home covered in green slime every night? Do you want ugly scars and persistent aches at the tender age of thirty-five? You want to risk your life for people who are clueless, and often times ungrateful?"
"I want to use my craft to protect innocent people. It's my calling. I've been running from it all this time. Running from my powers and myself because I was too scared. Tired of being used, as being seen as only a tool, afraid of losing myself in the chaos. I know who I am. I know what I am doing. This is my magic on my terms. I would very much like your blessing, but I don't need it." Cassandra smiled to herself.
"Oh." The sorcerer laughed. There was the old Bennett tenacity. Cass's wife had a hard head. Apparently, so did her cousin. "You hear that babe. You've created a monster." Cassandra said to Lucy who was eavesdropping down the hall.
"Don't blame me. You're the one who insisted she needed to know about everything that goes bump in the night. You showed her your world and she fell in love." Lucy called back. Bonnie shook her head at the couple. Cassandra pursed her lips then conceded.
"I will give you my blessing with a few conditions. You listen to everything Charmaine tells you. You call every week, and if you get into trouble you call me or Lucy right away."
"Okay." Bonnie said smiling at the mage. She hopped off the bed and hugged her.
"One more thing. I want to meet these vampires." Cassandra said pulling back from their embrace to look into the witch's eyes. She wanted to know who she should kill if anything happened to her adopted sister.
"Oh, I don't even know if that is going to happen. I haven't talked to them. I'm not hoping too much. I mean I haven't decided about school. I have until June to declare intent. That's a whole month in New Orleans. I just want to focus on my apprenticeship with Charmaine."
"Bonnie. I get up everyday and face demons, lamias, loups, and ogres. Some of the time it's kickass and fun. Sometimes it really sucks. I tell Luce I love her everyday because I'm not sure if it will be the last time I speak to her. Life is short. If you love them, if there is a chance, take it. It will help you get through all the bullshit." Cassandra stood walking to the door. She turned back to the witch who looked terrified.
"Choose happiness, Bon."
-o0o-
Bonnie drove cautiously along the streets afraid she was going to get stopped by the police in her rental car. The car was a beige Nissan versa and definitely didn't belong in this neighborhood. As she crawled up the boulevard, she listened to Caroline complain about her coworkers on Bluetooth while she watched the ascending numbers on the houses. She finally spied the address she was looking for and pulled to a stop by the curb.
"Are you sure this is the right address Caroline?" Bonnie whispered. Bonnie didn't want to be heard by the vampires. She still wasn't sure if she could muster courage to get out of the car. The enormous ancient home looked like it crawled out of a horror film and plopped itself on the most unkempt lot in the Garden District.
"Do you feel like you should run away screaming?" Caroline asked, her voice being slightly hampered by the sound of keystrokes in the background.
"Fuck yes." Bonnie said eyeing the building.
"Then you're in the right place. The evil lair of Kefan." Caroline confirmed.
"Have they gone that far off the rails?" Bonnie asked exiting her car warily.
"When was Kol ever on the rails? He was just on his best behavior around you. Bon, you should wait until I come up next week before going there. Maybe I can get Tyler to come too for backup." The blonde suggested.
Bonnie and Caroline were both bummed when they found out they both graduated a day apart and couldn't figure out how they could attend each other's ceremonies. They decided to meet in New Orleans for a small vacation before Bonnie got too involved with her summer job. The two best friends hadn't seen each other in six months. Caroline was the only person who visited her in California. To be fair she was the only one Bonnie asked to visit.
"Caroline, what aren't you telling me?" Bonnie asked stopping right before the massive black iron gate.
"Nothing. I'm telling you nothing, because that's all anyone knows. Stefan hasn't talked to anyone in two years, and after you left Kol basically disappeared into thin air. No one has heard from them. The only reason I know where they live is because Stefan emailed me the pic when they brought the house. They were supposed to fix it up. That was two years ago. When I was in New Orleans last year, Stefan never called me back." Bonnie was alarmed.
"How do you know something bad didn't happen? Why didn't you say anything?" Bonnie said peering through the bars. She definitely didn't like what she saw.
"Honestly, I didn't know if you cared. You had Paul. You were in school. I thought you had found what you were looking for." Caroline said coolly. Bonnie knew Caroline was just being truthful but it still hurt her feelings.
"I cared." Bonnie said. She compared everything Paul did to Kol and Stefan. She thought it would fade with time, but she finally had to admit that she was totally and unequivocally in love with both men. To go on with Paul was not only a mistake it was also cruel.
"Well, I know that now. Besides, Stefan or should I say the ripper has quite the reputation in New Orleans. He's alive and well." Caroline said over the sound of a printer.
"I'm going to go knock. If I don't do it now, I may never get the courage again." Bonnie said more to herself than Caroline.
"I'll be there in eight days. If you wait I can go with you." Bonnie sighed thinking about the blondes offer. The truth was she was dying to see them. She wanted to look into their eyes. Speak to them, even though she had no idea what she would say. She wanted to hear their voices so she could confirm that their time at the cabin was real and not some fantasy world she created to escape from her shit life. It was now or never.
"I'm here now, so. I'll call later." Bonnie said quickly.
"You'll call or text me in approximately 20 minutes or I'm flying to New Orleans, and calling Charmaine, Luce and Cass on the way." Caroline threatened.
"Okay twenty minutes." Bonnie whispered into the phone. She hung up before Caroline could say anything else. She pushed open the rusted gate. The metal creaked in warning.
Bonnie surrounded herself in a protection ward. She was anxious to see them not suicidal. She tried not to trip over the stones jutting out of the ground. Once upon a time they were probably a beautiful cobblestone walkway. Now they were a death trap. Weeds, herbs, and flowers sprung up and ran wildly in the yard. Overgrown bushes blocked most of the porch, and when Bonnie placed her weight on a step it gave way. The witch moved just in time to not fracture her ankle.
On the weathered porch, the green eyed woman walked up to the massive door. Its knocker was quintessential gothic. She reached up and banged the demon's tongue against the door. Her heart was trying to jump out of her chest. Her stomach was churning. Her palms damp with sweat. This was simultaneously the scariest and most exciting thing she had done in forever.
Butterflies fluttered in her chest when she heard footsteps approaching the door. It swung open and Bonnie was staring at the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. The most beautiful half naked woman she had ever seen.
"What!" The dark skinned woman spat. Her deep brown eyes were ellipses, currently searing the witch.
"Hi. I'm Bonnie Bennett. I was wondering if Stefan or Kol was home?" Bonnie said trying not to look at the woman's large erect nipples peeking through the gauzy dress she was wearing. Hell Bonnie was trying hard not to look at the woman period. She was the very definition of sensuality.
"They're busy." The Ebony Venus sneered. Bonnie heard someone else approaching the door and a muffled voice.
"Who is that?" A woman inquired from inside the house. The beauty at the door shrugged, looking the witch up and down.
"I'm Bonnie. Bonnie Bennett." Bonnie tried again. The door flung open wider. Another breathtaking woman appeared in the threshold, similarly dressed. Her blonde curls wild, sun kissed skin glistening. Her green eyes were half lidded.
"Yes?" The woman asked her brow arched. Bonnie huffed in frustration. This was beyond embarrassing.
"Is Kol or Stefan home?" Bonnie repeated.
"They're busy." The blonde informed her.
"We'll let them know you stop by, Betty." The mahogany woman said bored.
"It's Bonnie. Bonnie Benn-" Bonnie watched as the heavy oak door slammed in her face. Bonnie pursed her lips. "From what I can see, they seem to be very busy." The witch said carefully descending the stairs. She pulled out her phone to text Caroline before she went home and cried into a bottle of wine.
-o0o-
Bonnie sat at her cubicle squinting at Charmaine's case notes trying to decipher and enter them into the client database. The problem was the woman had very small loopy writing. The script matched the small light-skinned woman who wore edgy designer dresses and heels to work everyday. Her new boss was shrewd and full of personality. Just like the city Bonnie inhabited.
Bonnie had been in New Orleans for two weeks and was just barely starting to get her bearings. Her days started by navigating the busy streets getting caffeine for her boss and the staff, and ended with her running small errands. The boulevards were becoming familiar. Strangers were becoming neighbors. Bonnie was starting to feel at home. She wondered if that had more to do with the city or the proximity of two of its citizens. She tried to quiet the yearning in her heart by burying herself in her summer job, and her research on graduate schools. She had a week and a half to decide if she was going to stay in New Orleans or travel to Amherst or Riverside in the fall.
Lucy and Caroline thought she was crazy to even consider Amherst and Riverside when she could study in the city were her both halves of her heart resided. Cass agreed with her that while Stefan and Kol was a consideration, their presence should not be the determining factor. Hell, she hadn't spoken to either of them in ages. After she put herself back together in the manor's dusty attic, she realized that her feelings for them had not diminished, if anything they had grown. She had been wondering if maybe they felt the same way? Well, now she knew. Who would be thinking about the fickle eighteen-year girl who left you when you had half naked goddesses roaming around your real life haunted mansion?
She would have to swallow her feelings. And make the best decision for her career and her life in general. That's the way it should be anyway. Yeah, who needs sexy vampires who give mind-blowing head and make the greatest waffles on earth? Bonnie reasoned with herself. I do, little Bonnie piped up. Traitor. Bonnie thought looking down at her crotch.
"Bonnie, have you finished organizing the files on the Fenty case?" Ari said walking over to Bonnie's desk.
"Yes, they're in the conference room as you requested." Bonnie said to the pink haired woman. Ari was a squat woman with pointy ears and pale, almost translucent skin. She looked very much like a pixie. In Charmaine's line of work Bonnie often wondered could she be one.
"Good work. Char and Winston are in her office. She wants you in to take notes in five. I'm leaving for the day. Send all my calls to voice mail." Bonnie watched the woman raid the weapons locker and strap a number of weapons, supernatural and man-made to her person. That's going to be me in three years, Bonnie thought happily. Bonnie saved her work and jumped up, a notepad in hand, walking over to Charmaine's office.
Charmaine Clermont was a force to be reckoned with, and that was saying something in a city like New Orleans. NOLA had numerous formidable supernatural factions, including the Originals, but the middle-aged necromancer had carved out her own territory in less than five years. Charmaine had a ruthless reputation. She was a mage for hire, and come hell or high water she always got the job done. She employed six magic practitioners all with their own specialty. If you needed a supernatural job done in New Orleans and didn't have the resources you called Clermont and Associates. If she couldn't help you then no one could.
Bonnie was ecstatic to be under her tutelage since Cass refused to let her step foot into Lark Investigations. After a number of guilt trips about Lucy stranding her in Mystic falls, Lucy made a call to Cassandra's old partner, and Bonnie was an apprentice for one of the best in the business just like that. The experience was invaluable. The pay didn't hurt either. She was after all a struggling college grad trying to make her mark in the world. Bonnie was going to get a dual degree in criminology and anthropology, get licensed, and then open her own agency.
Bonnie knocked on the door, and waited for Charmaine to call her into the room. She heard the medium summon her and entered the room quietly taking a seat. She pulled out her notepad and began to transcribe the meeting between Charmaine, Winston, and their new client.
The energy in the room was intoxicating. Bonnie was trying to concentrate but she was finding it more difficult as time drug on. Her eyes kept drifting towards the older gentleman droning on about his lost children. The man was quite dapper when you got a good look at him. The more Bonnie pondered him the more she realized that she was attracted to him. Very attracted. She wouldn't mind wrapping her lips…
"Bonnie. Are you okay? You've stopped writing." Winston said amused. Bonnie looked down at her notepad. Her notes had stopped mid-sentence. She looked up embarrassed. Charmaine chuckled.
"It's no matter. Mr. Vegara was just leaving." Bonnie watched Charmaine shake hands with her new client. Winston led him out of the office. The handsome old man tipped his hat at her as he exited the room. Bonnie tried to smile professionally and not die of embarrassment. After he was out of ear shot Charmaine handed Bonnie a small recorder.
"He's an incubus. He's supposed to make you drool. Make sure to throw up a protection spell when meeting with clients. They may not attack you outright or intentionally, but some can't dampen their natural powers completely." Bonnie nodded mortified. Lucy would have her hide. It was witchcraft 101. How could she be so stupid?
"Don't beat yourself up. It's a rookie mistake. Some day I'll tell you about the time I got hexed by the notorious Lucy Bennett, and had fur and a tail for two days. What do you know about Incubuses?" The mage questioned switching gears.
"They're vampires that feed on chi through sexual contact. They have an overpowering need to mate with human females to produce offspring, mostly females who are born succubae. They live in a hive like formation with the incubus sire acting as the proverbial queen bee. When the rare male offspring are old enough they will form their own hives. The females will stay with their hive until their sire perishes at which time they can go off on their own or remain in formation."
"Very good. I see Sandy has taught you well. Vegara has lost half his hive. He had to travel to Europe on business, and was detained by an old enemy. His children thought he was dead, and sought to strike out on their own. He is looking to reunite his family. He has traced a few members to New Orleans, and has hired us to track them down."
"I thought there was some kind of compulsion that held hives in place. If he truly wasn't dead how could they leave?" Charlene nodded in appreciation.
"Good question. It could be a talented necromancer was cloaking him in death magic. A witch could have broken the compulsion with a spell, or a sorcerer could have charmed some kind of containment device. God knows what a dragon or the fae could do. He's not giving us any deets concerning Europe. For now we won't go there."
Bonnie soaked up the information like a sponge. She was eager to learn all she could. Despite the many hours she had spent reading about Dragons, and the Sidhe she still couldn't wrap her head around it. Girl, not two seconds ago an incubus had you ready to give up all your goodies. The supernatural world was expanding everyday for the witch.
"Where is Vegara from originally?" Bonnie inquired trying to focus.
"The Philippines. Have you finished Ari's files for the Fenty Case?" Charmaine asked writing something on her desk calendar. The necromancer didn't use technology. It went haywire when she was around, hence the lo-tech device, and old fashioned transcribing. Bonnie was happy her magic didn't interfere with technology.
"Yes Ma'am." Bonnie responded quickly.
"Good. I need to run down a lead. A local antiquities dealer read smuggler might have been the girl's way into the country. If not, I would bet my last dollar he knows who did get them here. I'm going to visit him at his place of business in the quarter. You up for a drive."
"Yeah. I mean yes Ma'am. Absolutely." Bonnie said stunned. Charmaine grinned.
"You okay Bennett? You look like your going to be sick." Bonnie beamed.
"Yes. I'm fine. I'm great. I just didn't think you would let me out in the field so soon." Bonnie explained thinking about Cass.
"You want to push pencils all summer or you want to learn something?" The older woman said, her gray eyes twinkling.
"Learn something, definitely. It's just that Cass never-" Bonnie began not wanting beef between the old friends.
"I've always been an hands on kind of instructor. Sandy knows this. You're never going to know if you want to do this job if you're getting me coffee all day. Everyone in this firm started out the same way your about to. I know Sandy has trained you in weaponry and self-defense, and Lucy probably has armed you with a shitload of hexes and spells. Besides you're the witch that put Silas down, and Klaus, if my sources are correct. I think you can handle this." Bonnie just nodded excitedly.
"Relax kid. It's probably going to be pretty uneventful. I'm going to ask a bunch of questions, and the ass whole is going to lie through his teeth. Just observe and I will get your take after were done." Charmaine grabbed her Louis Vuitton bag, heading out of the office. Bonnie followed her heart soaring.
-o0o-
Bonnie and Charmaine walked down the crowded sidewalk dodging cars, street performers, and excited tourists. Bonnie was glad her small apartment and apprenticeship was not located in the tourist trap that was the French Quarter. Drunks were everywhere, and the food and entertainment was astronomically priced. She liked her little avenue in Tremé. She wanted to live in the real New Orleans not an amusement park for frat boys and middle-aged women trying to reclaim their youth. If she decided to stay the university was only twenty minutes away from her flat.
Despite her feelings about the quarter, she had visited Bourbon Street the first few nights she was in the city. She noticed now that her and Charmaine were heading to the less populated area of the road. They took a small side alley and found themselves in front of a nondescript metal door. Bonnie blinked at the small fading sign that hung off the side of the building, The Green Eyed Witch.
"This is the place. Old boy and his partners own the whole block. He works out of the backroom in the bar." Charmaine said walking through the entrance before Bonnie could say anything. Bonnie followed the older woman down a sparsely lit hall that spilled into the main room.
It was bigger than she imagined. A battered bar was nestled on the right. Pool tables were located against the back wall. Dartboards hung in a far corner, and worn and comfy looking chairs were setup in groupings on the left. An old fashioned jukebox sat by the entrance churning out old blues tunes, the kind where the singer begs for a jilted lover to take them back. Charmaine walked between the pub tables in the center of the room over to the bar, slapping it to get the bartender's attention. An East Asian man turned and smiled. He was very easy on the eyes.
"Well if it isn't Death Rider herself. Who's your friend?" The muscular man said eyeing Bonnie a little too long. Charmaine ignored him.
-o0o-
The woman sighed as the blond headed man's tongue trailed down her neck. His hands were sliding up her thighs hiking up her skirt. She wanted him so bad. He had so much power. It was sexy, but she couldn't betray Dmitri.
"You're so bad. You have to stop. I'm told you I'm engaged." The smuggler pulled back kissing her softly on the lips. He walked back over to his desk sitting in the large leather chair.
"Tell me you don't want me." He said unzipping himself. The woman moved closer and watched his cock unleash itself from his pants. She murmured a little when he started stroking himself.
"You know I do. I'm so wet for you." She said her hand on her stomach fighting to lower itself inside her panties. She almost lost the battle when he groaned.
"Show me." He commanded.
"What?" She said lost in a cloud of lust.
"I want to see what I do to you." He said thumbing the tip of his penis. "I promise I won't touch you." He added when she still hadn't moved.
She walked around his desk stopping to let her skirt and panties fall to the floor. She sat on the edge of the desk spreading her legs wide until he could see all of her, pink and glistening. She almost came when he blew on her heat. Her scent overwhelmed him.
"I want you to touch yourself. Like you want me to. I want you to come all over my desk thinking about what you want me to do to you." He said looking into her eyes. It wasn't technically cheating. They weren't even touching.
She slid her hand lower loving the way he was looking at her. Like he wanted to devour her completely. She started slowly. Lightly petting her sensitive nub. The pleasure was immediate.
He watched intently loving the buildup of a woman's orgasm. Her nipples slowly hardened straining against her t-shirt. Her skin flushed. Her petting turned into massaging as her hips started grinding against her hand. The man stroked himself watching her lose herself in bliss.
"How does it feel?" He cooed, pulling on himself.
"So fucking good." She moaned.
"Is that how you want me to touch you?" The woman nodded.
"Do you want to feel my fingers inside you?" He said slowly.
"Yes." She answered breathless.
"Show me how you want me to fuck you." He said blowing against her again. He wanted to stick his tongue in her slit, lap all those delicious juices, but he had to be patient.
She slid two fingers inside her self as the other hand still rubbed at her clit. All she could think about was having him inside her. She wanted to feel that hard shaft slamming into her.
The thought made her convulse, until she was screaming. "Fuck me."
"You want my cock don't you?" He said standing. He rubbed himself in the slick warmth. She latched onto his ass pulling him against her. He slid inside her slowly. They both cried out. After he filled her completely he pulled out, and took her hard, pumping into her dripping wet center. It didn't take long until they were coming. They both froze when the wards in the office turned black-someone was using death magic in his bar. He only knew one necro bold enough to walk into the Green Eyed Witch and start throwing around power.
-o0o-
"Where is he?" Charmaine asked, her power blooming around her. Bonnie tried to ignore the feeling of death magic. She felt like insects were crawling all over her. Frenzied whispering snaked around the saloon. There were so many lost souls in this city. Souls that Charmaine Clermont could bend to her will. No wonder Charmaine left Cass in California. New Orleans was prime real estate for a necromancer.
If Charmaine focused she could tell you what every spirit in a ten-mile radius was doing. She could speak to them and unbury half the town's secrets. She could also locate every hidden corpse in the neighborhood, and raise half the bodies in the cemetery down the road. Zombies…the woman could create and control zombies. It was frightening powerful magic.
"He's not in." The bartender said nervously. Charmaine smirked.
"That's not what your Aunty Mei Mei is saying. She's says that despite being a very smart boy, you have fallen in with criminals, and the unclean. She's worried about you Ralphie. She wants you to be the good boy she knows you can be. She wants you to stop protecting the thug in the other room." Bonnie was amused at the man looking furiously around the room for the ghost of his relative.
"I'm sorry Aunty. I fell on hard times. I needed the money. Brenda was pregnant. I just tend bar. That's all. To make enough cash for the baby." Ralph pleaded with the air around him. Charmaine pursed her lips.
"Stop torturing my employees," The Blond headed man called to Charmaine. As he stepped from a side door into the room, Bonnie's heart stopped.
"Matt! Matt Donovan?" Bonnie said running over to the man. "What the hell are you doing here?" Charmaine looked between the two childhood friends. Ralph quietly slipped away to pray to his ancestors.
Matt's jaw dropped on the floor. "Bonnie? Holy Shit! I could ask you the same thing!" Matt said pulling the witch into a hug.
"So, you two know one another." Charmaine said, sitting at a pub table.
"We grew up together." Bonnie responded turning to her boss. "He was the sweetest guy I knew in High School." Matt blushed.
"Interesting. Now he's the biggest smuggler in New Orleans. His specialty is occult objects and the supernatural." Charmaine stated. Bonnie was confused.
"Matt?" She questioned. Matt lips pulled into a charming smile. Bonnie was suddenly alarmed. One, this was not the man she knew three years ago, and two, Matt was sexy. "I don't understand? Why are you even in New Orleans?"
"I came down with Kol and Stefan. They wanted to open a bar, this bar. Since I worked at the Grill as a manger, Kol asked me did I want to partner with them. I said yes. There wasn't anything going on in Mystic Falls. School sucked. I was ready for a change." Matt said, running his hands through his ruffled but perfectly dyed hair. He was actually wearing black rim glasses, and designer clothes. His watch probably cost more than Bonnie's car. He looked so bright lights big city, so unlike the boy she had grown up with.
"You own the Green Eyed Witch with Kol and Stefan?" Bonnie said processing everything the man had said.
"Yep. I'll give you three guesses who its namesake is." Matt joked, sitting at the bar in front of the two ladies. "You're turn. When did you get into town? What are you up to?"
"She's investigating the disappearance of three women, sisters actually." Charmaine said quickly. Matt ignored Bonnie's boss.
Matt pretending to whisper said, "Why are you here with the necro?"
"I work for her. I'm her apprentice." Matt face scrunched. "A fact that I'm very proud of." Bonnie said reading his expression. "Could you answer our questions for old times sake?" Matt grinned wickedly. Whoa, Bonnie thought. Someone was spending way too much time with the vampires.
"Tell you what. I'll answer any and all questions if you promise to come back tonight. I want you to see what the place is like when we're in full swing." Bonnie's face and stomach dropped at the same time. She wasn't sure if she had the courage to see what had become of Stefan and Kol if Matt was the biggest supernatural smuggler in New Orleans. She especially didn't want to run into them if Venus and Aphrodite were hanging on their arms. You know what Bon, you need to rip off the Band-Aid and get this over with. Especially since you're taking Amherst off your list, and deciding between Tulane, and UC Riverside. You also just need to face it if they have moved on. Maybe you guys can be friends…okay maybe that's a stretch.
"I'll be here." Bonnie said smiling.
"So about those questions-" Charmaine began. Matt rose winking at Charmaine.
"Oh no. I will answer them tonight when Bon shows up. You can come too necro. From what I hear you need some fun. CCA has brought down a lot of supes this year," Matt said heading towards the door that led to the backroom. Just before he entered he turned and added, "It's really good seeing you again Bon. I've missed you." Bonnie nodded and smiled. Her heart warmed. The Matt she knew was still in there somewhere under all the polish. She turned to find her psychic boss glaring at her curiously. This was the opposite of okay.
-o0o-
Bonnie liked to think of her time in California as a rebirth. A caterpillar wrapping itself in it's cocoon to become what fate intended, a butterfly. As Bonnie looked at herself in the mirror she felt like a butterfly, a fucking sexy butterfly. Three years with Lucy taught her more than magic spells and family history, it also taught her about being a woman who was fully aware of her womanhood. She had witnessed first hand the charms of Lucy Bennett. Her favorite memory was a 14 day pub crawl through Europe watching Lucy enchant every man in the room, then Cassandra breaking their hearts as she made it clear the Bennett witch was taken. Lucy reveled in the power of being a confident woman. Bonnie fully intended to wield her own power tonight. Would it be enough to win them back? She didn't know. But the witch knew she could take everyone else home in that bar tonight.
She had long cut her brown curls into a sleek bob. It was growing out now and waved around her face. She wore black sandals that balanced on a high sliver of a heel to accentuate her amazing legs. The dress she wore was slinky, skimming her knee. The black silk fluttered when she moved. The front of her dress dove towards her navel and the back was nonexistent except for the thinnest of crisscrossing straps. The frock could easily become risqué, but on her small frame she looked elegant and very much like the grown ass woman she was.
When Bonnie met Charmaine outside her apartment building the older mage eyes popped open. The necromancer was dress to kill herself so the look of approval Bonnie was presented with only confirmed Bonnie's intent. Winston had volunteered to tag along, and Bonnie thought the chubby druid was going to have a heart attack. Bonnie smirked taking in their reactions.
"Nice dress." Winston said rubbing the runes on his golden arms. He obviously needed to ground himself. The runes helped him connect with the earth magic beneath his feet. Men were so easy. She hoped two vampires would be too.
"Thank you." Bonnie said as they walked towards Charmaine's car. Charmaine remained quiet, which she had been after their meeting with Matt this afternoon. Bonnie knew a conversation about her involvement with criminals was probably coming. She was guessing Charmaine was deciding which angle to take. She didn't have to wait too long.
"So…Kol Mikealson, an original, and Stefan Salvatore, The Ripper of Monterrey named their bar after you. Oh and the Bourbon Street Don is your childhood buddy." Charmaine said once they were cruising down St. Charles Avenue.
"Holy fuck, you're the Green Eyed Witch. I heard the chick had died." Winston said fiddling with the buttons on his blazer. Bonnie eyed the man in the mirror.
"Died?" Bonnie said panicked at the prospect that she was dead to Stefan and Kol.
"That's the legend. They were inseparable to the point they both loved the same girl, but she was killed when they fought over her. At her grave, they both vowed to never fight again. That's why they moved to Nawlins to take their misery out on all of us." Winston leaned back, recounting the tale.
"Have they done that? Are they making people miserable?" Bonnie interrogated desperate to know anything about the men she loved. The men she would have to face tonight.
"Trust me, we're not all that innocent. More like they're making Klaus, and the black market miserable. The Don is making a lot of money, moving a bunch of goods, and doing a good job of covering his trail. Stefan spins his time as a playboy throwing lavish parties, and attending society events. And Kol only seems to have one soul purpose, to embarrass and harass his family whose empire is four blocks away." Winston informed.
"Klaus is going to grow tired of Kol baiting him and interrupting his business practices. There is going to be a war, and the quarter will have to deal with the fall out. Donovan has already rocked the criminal underground. So my question to you is what part does the green eyed witch play in this?" Charmaine inquired. Bonnie shrugged.
"I knew all three of them a long time ago. It seems the men I knew and love have changed. Well, except for Kol. I don't know what to tell you except I'm always going to protect the innocent." Bonnie said consciously making the choice to keep her cards close to her chest. She needed more information about everyone before she gave away all her secrets. She was starting to get the feeling that she was going to have to choose sides. What if Kol and Stefan had become the thing she wanted to fight against?
-o0o-
Once they were parked, Charmaine took a different route to the bar. New Orleans turned into a very different city after dark. The shadows grew longer, the grit thicker, and the wind crueler. The mage wanted to avoid the congestion of the quarter, and the unsavory sort, especially this close to Klaus's territory.
By the time Bonnie realized they were walking on Bourbon Street they were turning onto a thoroughfare leading to the bar. In the familiar alley Bonnie saw a young couple walking ahead of them. Both men disappeared into the Green Eyed Witch's entrance. When Winston reached for the handle, the door didn't budge. In fact, the wards on the building emitted a golden glow. What the fuck was her boys up to? A small window slid open in the metal door that Bonnie didn't even know was there.
"May I help you," a pair of hazel eyes said peering at Winston. Before the man could answer they spoke again. "Oh nah, honey. You smell like a cop. There is a donut shop around the corner." The window was about to slide back closed when Charmaine spoke.
"We're not cops. We're guests of the Don. Well at least she is." Charmaine finished gesturing at her apprentice.
The eyes glanced over to Bonnie. "What's your name sugar?" The sultry voice said as papers rustled in the background. The bouncer was checking the guest list.
"Bonnie. Bonnie Bennett." Bonnie responded not sure what to make of her evening so far.
A perfectly arched brow rose, and then the door clicked. The heavy metal door swung open. "My apologies, Ms. Bennett. I hope I didn't offend you or your guests. Welcome to the Green Eyed Witch. Allegra take Ms. Bennett and her associates to the Don."
The Saxophone's wailing assaulted them as soon as they stepped over the threshold. Voices floated down the hall that now seemed too narrow. As they made their way through pub tables following their escort Winston turned and whispered to Bonnie, "What the hell do you have on these people?" Bonnie just smiled, trying not to bump any of the bar's patrons. Her nerves were trying to revolt but the witch put them in check. She would have to face the music some times.
Allegra, their impeccably dressed androgynous guide led them through the door Matt had emerged from earlier. The four of them was in a stock room surrounded by bottles of liquor and jars of olives. Bonnie only saw one way out, a door that was open and led to another alley, until a hidden elevator door slid open. Charmaine and Winston looked at each other, and then everyone climbed aboard.
You could her a pin drop the four of them were so quiet moving upward. Through the doors Bonnie began to hear music again, a somber electric tune. Allegra stepped out of the lift, and pushed open two frosted glass doors. Bonnie and her friends were ushered into another bar. In it, Matt was lounging on a grey couch in the back corner surrounded by supernatural beings.
"This must be VIP." Winston said surveying his surroundings. The bar downstairs was charming, the kind of bar you would expect on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. This lounge was all sleek lines and modern furniture. All the liquor was top shelf and bar itself was made of metal and glass. The earthy tones of the first floor were replaced with various tones of grey with pops of amethyst. Instead of Jazz and the blues the hidden speakers was spitting out moody lyrics with staccato beats. It matched the new Matt perfectly, or should Bonnie say the Don. There is no way I'm calling him that, Bonnie thought.
Matt rose smiling, walking over to them. "You made it. I didn't think you were coming." Matt hugged Bonnie then took in her appearance. "What are you trying to do start a riot in my bar? That dress should be illegal." Bonnie blushed. Bonnie looked around the space. Her heart dropped a little when she realized there was no one she knew here.
"I've seen your place. It's nice. How about those questions?" Bonnie said. Charmaine nodded. Bonnie could tell she was sizing up potential threats in the room. She wasn't the only one that had noticed.
"Stop that. You're my guest. If you behave, they will. How bout a drink? Then I'll let you ladies pick my brain. I guess you too Druid." Matt said leading them back over to the couch. His friends vacated the space, and when he sat two waiters brought over a three bottles of Prosecco and various hors d'oeuvres. Bonnie noticed most of the room staring. She liked to think it was the dress but she realized it was the presence of the Death Rider, and her sidekick, the dark druid. Matt looked up and everyone turned back to his or her conversations. Matt had street cred. Bonnie was at a lost for words.
"Let's make a toast. To friends, old and new." Matt said eyeing Charmaine. Bonnie lifted her glass trying to appear nonchalant, but inside she was kind of freaking out.
Her broken heart began to repair itself for the first time in three years. The world slowed. Stefan was walking through the frosted glass doors with the two girls from the haunted house in the Garden District on each arm. Bonnie gaped watching him flirt, mingle, and basically command the room. He didn't notice her sitting on the couch. He was too wrapped up in his adoring fans. Even as he made his way over to Matt's couch he never looked at its occupants until the Ebony Venus was moving to sit down.
"Donovan, I don't believe I have had the pleasure of meeting your friends." He said looking at Winston, then Charmaine, and finally Bonnie.
"Bonnie" He whispered as shock swallowed his features. All the amusement and joy went out of his eyes as he stared. "When?" He looked at Matt for help. "How… Did you?" Stefan stuttered.
"I'm living here for the summer, possibly longer." Bonnie volunteered. This confidence stuff was harder than it looked, especially when faced with someone you hurt. "I'm working with Charmaine Clermont. You may have heard of Clermont and Associates. The Death Rider." Bonnie said her hand waving towards her boss, her eyes never leaving his. Stefan stood speechless.
"I went by your house. Your friends said you were busy. I just caught up with Matt today. I didn't even know he was in New Orleans." Bonnie continued nervously. Everyone on the couch just looked between the two of them. Stefan glared at her as a hundred different emotions played across his face. Matt cleared his throat. Trying to throw the vampire a boon. Stefan looked over to him.
"Excuse me," Stefan said turning and darting for the entrance to the room. His companions rose tottering on six-inch heels after him. Bonnie watched him until the doors closed and hindered her view. She looked over to Winston and Charmaine who were brimming with curiosity. Matt took her hand and squeezed.
"I don't know about you guys but I could use something harder. It's been a long day. Allegra bring me some scotch. You know the one I like. You guys want one?" Matt said, leaning back into the couch. "Ms. Clermont, I believe you had some questions for me."
Bonnie was numb. She tried to pay attention as Charmaine and Matt went back and forth, but all she could hear were her chaotic thoughts. All she could see was the look Stefan had given her. She wanted to cry. To leave and crawl into the comfort of her bed, but she had a job to do. The problem was she didn't know how long she was going to be able to hold back the tears. She was just about to excuse herself in search of a bathroom when the air evaporated in her lungs.
Kol charged into the room and stopped at the door, peering at the couch. He wore confusion and anger like a second skin. Bonnie's heart seized as she prepared herself for the wrath etched into his face. He ghosted over to the couch glowering at Matt.
"How long has she been here?" Kol demanded his eyes never leaving Matt's face.
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Matt responded calmly pointing to the witch. Kol lips tightened.
"I repeat, Matthew. How long have you known she was here?" Matt pursed his lips in disappointment.
"About two weeks." Matt replied casually. Bonnie turned to the blond. How had he known she was in town?
"And you didn't mention it to me or Stefan the numerous times we have seen you in the last two weeks? Why?" Kol was shaking with rage.
"Because it wasn't my place to tell." Matt said taking a sip of champagne. His face was neutral but Bonnie could see the seriousness in his blue eyes.
"You fucking traitor. You're supposed to be my best mate. I want her out of my building. And you can clean all the blood off the Ripper when he comes back from wherever it is he went to cry."
"Stefan's a grown man. I would say let him clean up his own mess. But I know you won't allow your boyfriend to suffer alone." Kol swiped Matt off the couch and pinned him to the wall. Gasps rang out throughout the room. Bonnie jumped up, as did Winston and Charmaine.
"Remember what happened to the last human who tried to goad me." Kol snarled in Matt's face.
"Remember what happened to the last vampire that threatened me?" Matt threatened looking into the vampire's eyes.
"Hey! Stop it. I thought you guys were friends." Bonnie yelled at the both of them.
Kol turned to Bonnie with loathing, letting Matt go in the process. "You lost your right to speak to me two years ago. No one wants you here."
"I want her here." Matt croaked, straightening his collar.
"If you don't want her, why did you name your bar after her?" Winston said the runes on his arms glowing emerald. His eyed were glowing green as well.
"To remind me of the weakest point in my life." Kol sneered at the mage. Bonnie couldn't stand it anymore.
"You don't have to be so cruel. I get it. You hate me. Don't worry I will be out of here by the end of summer, and until then I will stick to my side of town. Charmaine, I'm sorry, I don't feel well. I'll see you at the office Monday." Bonnie said tears starting to slip down her face.
"Bonnie, how are you going to get home? Bonnie?" Charmaine called moving after her. But the witch ignored her. She pushed through the crowd slipping on the elevator and punched the buttons before anyone could get in. Once the doors slid open in the stock room, she went out the back door instead of heading through the main floor bar. As the summer breeze settle over her so did the sorrow. The witch cried until she was convulsing in the alley.
Hope you enjoyed it!