Prior to her transition, Bonnie never understood the whole people watching thing she caught Damon doing from time to time around the town. But now she shew that it was because of the melancholy that washed over you at the realization that you were no longer one of them. Once you become immortal you were literally frozen in time. You no longer got to grow old, having children was no longer an option and in Bonnie's eyes marriage no longer seemed realistic. Sure it was technically the same concept; spending the rest of your life with someone but when your life had no expiration date in sight…
Was spending an actual eternity with someone possible?
But to each their own, she thought to herself, her pessimistic side surfacing as she looked around the room full of guests happily celebrating the recent nuptials of Matt Donovan and Rebekah Mikaelson. Waiters weaving around the room serving flutes of champagne for the upcoming Best Man speech. Among the guests, she spotted her group of friends huddled in a corner talking among themselves and briefly considered going to join them but decided against it in favor of going out onto the balcony needing a break from the crowd. She had long come to terms with her senses being on overdrive but she still found it to be a bit overwhelming from time to time.
Once outside she strolled over to the edge, resting her arms on the railing as she took several deep breaths. Trying to find one sound to focus her hearing having grown tired of the town gossip.
…
"You came."
Damon stilled at the sound of the voice, wondering why he felt the urge to run in the opposite direction instead of the feeling of happiness that seized his very being at the mere thought of being in her vicinity. Luckily for him he'd had years of practice at fighting his urges―for the most part―when it came to Mystic Falls' favorite doppelganger and forced himself to turn to face her. Fully expecting those familiar warm doe eyes and hesitant smile, only to be taken back when he's greeted with a bright smile that even reaches her eyes. Which were unguarded, almost childlike, instead of the worry that had practically taken residence the last he saw of her. He watched as a small blush colored her cheeks, her whiskey colored orbs lowering to the floor as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, seemingly growing self conscious under his stare. But what really left him stunned was the not so subtle diamond ring adorning her left hand ring finger, right along with a wedding band.
"And you're married." He stated forcing himself to look away from the ring and physically struggling to not roll his eyes when she looks back up at him, suspicion clear in her eyes. Though he can't really bring himself to blame her. After years of making his world revolve around her, how could she not expect him to have been keeping tabs on her?
"I thought you knew." She said in that breathy timbre of hers after seeing that this was actually news to him. "I thought for sure that Stefan would have told you." Initially she had chalked his absence up to his disapproval of her marriage but now she can't help but feel a stab of betrayal. Both Bonnie and Stefan had shown up to her pleasant surprise but when she didn't see the elder Salvatore she had just assumed that he didn't want to come and neither had made any effort to assure her otherwise.
"Stefan?" Damon repeated almost inaudibly. He hadn't talked to Stefan in years but Damon never thought that he would ever pass up the opportunity to throw this in his face. Stefan had everyone under the false pretense that their rivalry was all on his end. When in reality his little brother could be just as petty and childish as he could be. Difference was; he didn't feel the need to hide his ass.
"No." Elena frantically shook her head back and forth when her eyes took note of the tick of Damon's jaw and the flash of anger in his eyes as he looked around the room. "It's not Stefan." She rushed to get out, not wanting him to make a scene.
"Then who…" Damon trailed off, a frown settling across his features when a man with brown hair, brown eyes and an olive complexion suddenly sidled up next to Elena, muttering an apology for something that Damon tuned out not caring enough to hear. Words from Bonnie resurfacing as he assesses the man standing before him that was making a point of pretending that he isn't even here. "When I told her to go off and live her life, maybe settle down with a boring boy...I think she took my words just a little too literally." At the time he had thought Bonnie was talking about someone that Elena had recently met and wasn't taking anything too seriously. Now he was seeing first hand how wrong he had been and how right Bonnie was.
"Damon, this is Liam Davis, my husband. Liam this is Damon Salvatore." Elena introduced the two. Slightly thrown off when she looked back to Damon noticing the smile that he has raised his flute of champagne to his lips to hide as he his gaze has shifted elsewhere.
"Nice to meet you Damon." Liam smiled.
Damon raises an eyebrow at the sentiment wondering just how much Elena has told Liam about him considering that it's the first time that he's ever heard that from someone and had actually came off as genuine. Though after meeting Liam's eyes he sees that Elena's apparent husband was just really good at bullshiting.
"So…" Elena started, wanting to diffuse the tension that has suddenly started to become clear to her between the two men. "Damon, how have you been?"
Damon parted his lips to tell her a censored version of what he's been doing since she ran off into the night. Unsure of how honest she's been with the man whose ring she now wears when it came to what really went bump in the night. But is spared from bothering to do so when he sensed another presence that had him looking around the room in all directions until he found the reason for his senses suddenly going on high alert. He was faintly aware of Elena calling his name but he didn't bother to answer in favor of watching as they slipped through the crowd and out of the double doors.
"Excuse me," He muttered to the couple standing before him. Set his now empty flute on a passing waiter's tray before making his way through the sea of people until he's at the threshold.
"Missed you at the ceremony," He began after allowing himself a full minute of watching her before making his presence known. Not wanting to give her the opportunity to beat him with a barb of her own. "were you afraid that you'd burst into a ball of flames?"
Bonnie grinned at the greeting, normally she would have been irritated at the interruption but she found herself more amused than anything else. "How long did it take you to come up with that one?" She questioned, sparing him a glance over her shoulder.
"Faster than it took you to get into that dress." He smirked when she rolls her eyes after he makes a point of letting his eyes drop from hers to take a long look at the dark blue dress that's practically molded to her body once she turned to face him. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm always up for a family reunion."
"Caroline sent a second invite telling me that she already RSVP'd me along with a first class ticket. I didn't really have a choice. Plus it's always nice to see Matt smile." Bonnie added with a shrug, when he gave her a look making it clear that he didn't believe her. Out of everyone, she knew that the only person who's hatred for coming back to Mystic Falls that could possibly rival her own was Damon.
"Well if you're going to be here, you should probably show your face. Dodging everyone kind of defeats the purpose of coming in the first place."
"I'm not dodging them," She denied with a shake of her head. "it's just hard to deal with them all at once and the crowd...I've been...this" She made a sweeping motion with her hand down her frame. "for years and it still takes everything in me to not start draining people left and right. And no offense, but the only person that could possibly stop me is Ty and he's not exactly free to walk around until the crowd starts to die down."
"It helps if you focus on-"
"One sound," Bonnie cut him off feeling her irritation flare up. "yes I know but my senses are-"
"your heartbeat." Damon finished, watching as Bonnie looks back up at him. "It's faint and only happens once every couple of minutes if you haven't fed in a while but it's there. Just focus on that sound and the flow of your own blood and you'll be fine. Contrary to popular belief our hearts do beat, that's kind of the purpose of drinking human blood and how we have blood flowing through our bodies in the first place. And as I'm sure you've figured out by now five years isn't shit to a vampire. So you're still basically brand new."
Bonnie cracks a small smile despite herself. "Yeah, but Care just makes it seem so easy."
"Well Blondie has proved to be the exception to the rule time and time again. She kicked my ass on her first day." He recalled the memory bitterly. "And don't compare yourself to her. You took down the First Family of our species in a month without anyone's input but your own. Speaking of the First Family…" He let his sentence trail off and let the frown on his face make his stance known on the subject. The look on his face when he got the invitation for the wedding was one for the books. At first he thought that it was some joke, but when he called Bonnie for confirmation he had been even more baffled than he was when he initially received the invite.
"Rebekah and Kol never did anything to me," Bonnie said bringing him out of his thoughts. "and now that she's with Matt, I doubt that anyone has anything to worry about. Kol only reacts, he never actually does anything to anyone unless provoked or bored."
"Yeah, until she has her breakdown when he finally bites it." He remarked, and laughed through the pain he felt when he was flat on his back in the next breath. His neck being crushed under Bonnie's grip as she slowly leaned down towards him, veins sprawled beneath the surface of her skin, her normally green eyes lost in red.
"Talk about him like that again, "Bonnie said in a low voice. "I dare you."
"Bonnie!" A voice hissed, bringing Bonnie back to reality, and making her remember that despite being the only two out on the balcony she's not exactly in the most private setting. After feeling her fangs retract she sighed and slowly rose to her feet, carelessly tossing Damon aside. Eyes going to the doorway and watched as Caroline stepped out onto the balcony.
"Well, at least we know her humanity is on." Damon muttered once he felt his throat heal, feeling a twinge when Bonnie flinched at the mention of venture off of the deep end.
"We talked about this." Caroline scolded, disregarding Damon's commentary. "You can't just go around manhandling people. Even if it is Damon." She added, glancing at the vampire who makes a face at her. "How long have you been out here?"
"About ten minutes."
"Do you need a drink? Rebekah suggested that we have a couple of blood bags behind the bar just in case." Caroline gave Bonnie a small smile when the former witch nodded, and glared at Damon as she guided Bonnie past him back into the ballroom.
"So how has Bex been?" Bonnie questioned spotting the blonde in question being twirled along the dance floor by Elijah's corporal apparition with a grin on her face. While Matt danced with the apparent eldest of the Mikaelson siblings. Who gave Bonnie a nod of acknowledgement before returning her attention to Matt.
"She's fine...as long as Matt is around. Or you, when you decide to grace us with your presence every five hundred years."
Bonnie smiled and shook her head at her friend's exaggeration. "You're welcome to come visit me at anytime you want. You know that. But this place isn't for me anymore. After everything…"
"Yeah, I know but it still sucks that I can only get you to come back here is on the occasional holiday, my birthday or when someone gets hitched. Speaking of weddings...why did you leave me alone at Elena's?"
Bonnie grinned. "I had a flight to catch, besides you love weddings, and you weren't alone and even if you were you've never had a problem making friends. Besides, I thought you liked Liam."
Caroline rolled her eyes deciding not to mention her not being on the best of terms with the doppelganger at the moment "He's about as interesting as...Elena, Liam, hi." She dragged out the greeting with a wide smile.
"Caroline." Elena smiled but it wavered when she caught onto how Caroline swiftly elbowed Bonnie when the former witch snickered. "Hi Bonnie."
"Hi Elena," Bonnie mirrored the doppelganger's greeting, giving a small smile to Liam who responds in kind. "How have you…" Bonnie trailed off when she hears a small heartbeat that grew louder when her eyes dropped to Elena's stomach as she heightened her hearing for confirmation. "Oh my God." She breathed, her eyes shot back up to Elena's own, eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
"Bon?" Elena called warily, blinking in surprise when Bonnie suddenly snatched the glass from her hand and downs it.
"How much have you had to drink?"
"That would have been my first." Elena answered curtly, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes when her two childhood friends seemingly have a silent conversation that ends in a gasp from Caroline who looks back at her eyes wide as her eyes dart back and forth from her to Liam. And the next thing she knew she's being dragged away by her arm by the blonde while Bonnie apologized with a smile to Liam before following after them.
"You're cut off." Caroline said.
"What?" Elena frowned. Why?"
"Because Mother Nature decided to cancel her monthly visits."
"Caroline," Bonnie scowled. "When was the last time you had your period?"
Caroline rolled her eyes but relented, watching along with Bonnie as realization dawns on Elena, eyebrows raising when a curse falls from her former best friend's lips as her doe eyes nearly bulged out of her head.
"Shit," Elena breathed, waiting for the small flare of embarrassment that usually followed whenever she cursed.
"Not exactly the best way to find out but at least you know." Caroline offered after getting over her shock, out of the three of them Elena was the one that hardly ever used expletives.
"We never talked about this."
"Well, he is your husband. It's not like he's some random guy you hooked up with at a Frat party that resulted in you getting knocked up." Caroline replied bluntly.
"I thought that this was what you wanted." Bonnie said after staring at Caroline until she looks away, trying to keep her currently growing resentment to Elena's reaction at bay. This was what they all worked hard for the brunette to keep. What she lost her own life for.
"It is, just not now. I was thinking maybe in a couple of years, it wasn't supposed to happen this soon."
"So you know, now what are you going to do?"
"Besides telling Liam...preferably after the wedding." Caroline added. "Can't have the spotlight taken completely off of the bride...who has been eavesdropping the whole time."
"I just started my residency." Elena said, pushing her hair back deciding to ignore that tidbit.
"You're pregnant," Caroline crossed her arms. "not crippled. You'll be able to carry it out, you just won't be able to participate in everything."
Elena looked at the blonde incredulously.
"Why don't we start with letting Elena have some air?" Bonnie suggested and began to lead her old friend out onto the balcony, watching as she strolled outside stopping just before the railing.
"You know, it wouldn't hurt to be considerate."
"Unbelievable," Caroline shook her head ignoring Bonnie's comment. "even when she's not trying she still manages to get the spotlight on her."
"And after everything that's happened you still defend her." Caroline muttered under her breath when she remembers Bonnie's scolding. "I don't know why I expected anything different, it was always Bonnie and Elena. I was just on the outside looking in, waiting until one of you looked my way...well mainly you. I knew I was always just going to be her backup until you were available, and on some level I was your substitute for her too."
"It's not like that."
"But it is, you died because of her and then you put them down just so they wouldn't be able to touch her in your absence."
Bonnie laughed. "If Elena hadn't opened her mouth you wouldn't even be here to say that to me."
"What are you talking about?"
Elena was just about to insert her key into her lock to go inside of her home when she felt a sudden rush of air that she's come to associate with a vampire making their presence known. She waits a beat for them to say something, and when she doesn't get as much as a "Hello." she lets out a shaky breath as she attempts to unlock her door as quickly and quietly as she possibly can to slip inside before they can attack only to relax when she hears,
"Relax Elena, it's just me." Bonnie said with a wry smile only to frown when the doppelganger practically bolted into her home, standing just behind the threshold. "Ouch." Bonnie said through a laugh.
"Why are you here?"
Bonnie stared at her for a moment. "Unless I imagined the whole thing, you are the one that wanted to talk to me. I just decided that I should at least give you that before I leave."
"So that's just it?" Elena narrowed her eyes. "You put them down and then you just leave?"
"That was always the plan." Bonnie reminded her. "So what did you want to talk about?"
"Why did you do it?"
"Do what?" Bonnie questioned, walking up the steps to her porch and made herself comfortable on the porch swing as she waited for the doppelganger to answer her question.
"Everything." Elena breathed. "Go through with the transition, go after the Originals, you could have killed them but you just neutralized them."
"Did you honestly think Esther just came back to kill her children?" Bonnie tilted her head as she stared at Elena whilst she stepped outside taking a deep breath before she joined her on the porch swing. "Esther came back to right her wrong." Bonnie continued once the doppelganger was seated. "Her children aren't the only vampires in the world. She wanted to get rid of them all. And in case you forgot...Caroline and Tyler aren't humans anymore so they would have gone down just like every other vampire. Or hybrid. I couldn't let that happen. They never asked to be turned and not every vampire is like Klaus, Elijah, Damon or Stefan so neither did they."
Elena looked away feeling guilt flood her at Bonnie grouping the Salvatores with the Mikaelsons.
"As far as going through with the transition, I'll be damned if a Salvatore is the one that will be the end of me and it was the only way that I knew I could protect Caroline, Matt and Tyler. Damon and Stefan would only look after you and maybe each other. Everyone else is fair game."
"Are you sure your humanity is off?" Elena asked after a moment, surprised that she managed to get it out without her voice shaking or flinching under Bonnie's stare.
"No, not particularly." Bonnie answered with a slight smile at Elena's boldness. "If you think about it...it's a paradox. The whole point of a vampire flipping their switch is so they can't feel but because a vampire's feelings are heightened. It's a constant state of flux. When you're by yourself is when it works because there is nothing around. But when you're around people you hate or consider your friends, those feelings come back with a vengeance. Stefan told me that no matter how much you try to fight it, your humanity just fights harder. As much as I hate to admit it, he was right."
Bonnie let out a frustrated breath at the confession. "But anyway, everyone is under the impression that an emotionless vampire is just sooo dangerous so everyone around you is either tense or hell bent on getting the old you back and it's annoying as hell. However if you really go by the logic or mythology of flipping the switch...nothing would happen if you just left the vampire alone and stayed out of their way. But again everyone is under the impression that it's bad for a vampire to not have feelings so the vampire in question is kind of forced to prove a point and afterwards they feel little things here and there. But to answer the question you're really trying to ask me...it was Stefan." Bonnie nearly laughed when she saw the flash of anger in Elena's eyes.
"When he told me that he was the one that was supposed to kill me because he lost the coin toss, something in me just snapped. And if it weren't for Tyler I would have ripped his heart right out of his chest and left it for you as a present. I thought it would be poetic because in the Salvatore's minds whoever killed me was the one that you wouldn't choose and we all know Stefan will never love anyone the way he loves you. You would literally be the one that has his heart. But you'd toss it―because who keeps a heart?―just the way you would have metaphorically done if you chose Damon."
"Twisted and demented, I know," Bonnie acknowledged when Elena did nothing but stare back at her with a mortified expression marring her features. "but even you have to admit that it is fitting."
Once again Elena stayed silent, unsure of what to say.
"Tell you what," Bonnie said when Elena began to bite her lip. "if you really want to make it up to me you will go off and live your life, maybe settle down with a boring boy, far far away from here. Do that, and I'll consider us even for the whole me dying just so you get to live thing. But" Bonnie paused and broke Elena's stare. "if you decide to not do that and go ahead and follow your heart or whatever and choose to be with either Stefan or Damon...you're free to do that as well because it is your life. I'm not going to try to convince you to do otherwise. But just know that I won't be a part of your life if that's the road that you decide to take. They've done nothing but carve everyone out and leave shells of who we used to be. We might be better people in some cases but the ones that did become better people were forced to grow up way too fast and the ones that didn't need to get away from here to do just that. Things will only get worse if they don't."
"And by the people who didn't you mean me. Right?"
"Take it what you will." Bonnie shrugged, rising from her seat after checking the time on her phone.
"Where are you going?"
"I have a flight to catch. Take care of yourself Elena." Bonnie smiled over her shoulder, stopping when she reaches the bottom of the steps to turn to face the brunette staring back at her with a sad look in her eyes. Almost pleading with her to not go but she chooses to ignore it. She may not be able to die anymore but she couldn't stay. Mystic Falls had jaded her and nothing was keeping her here. Her father was only God knew where. Her mother had ran long before her life took a downward spiral. And her friends were either strangers, indifferent to whether she lived or not or surely wanted nothing to do with her anymore. And she couldn't blame them. "Do me a favor?"
Elena stared at Bonnie for a moment, trying to commit her appearance to memory. Elena perked up as she caught a familiar look in her best friend's eyes before Bonnie tore her eyes away from her. Elena held her breath at the possibility of her emotions fighting their way back in but when Bonnie finally shifted her eyes to her meet her own she was greeted to that heart clenching indifference. Deflated, and coming to peace with losing the one friend she had left, Elena nodded her head.
"Tell Damon that I'll be in touch." Bonnie said, turning on her heel. Once she reached the sidewalk she stops when a familiar scent assaulted her senses and pivoted to see a figure lurking in the shadows along Elena's house. She held their stare for a moment debating on approaching them or not ultimately deciding against it not wanting to spend anymore time in Mystic Falls than necessary. Instead opted to lift her hand to wave at them before she sped away.
Bonnie stared at the baffled look on Caroline's face at her recollection for a moment averting her eyes when she grew tired of waiting for her response.
"Bonnie," Caroline stared at her. "I've been awful to her, I...I-"
"Don't put that on me. Just like everyone else you've felt a little resentment towards her for what happened. You like being a vampire but you blame her for what happened with Klaus and Tyler. Even more for breaking Stefan's heart." Bonnie added with an eyeroll.
"Bon…"
"It's fine, he's your friend. I don't blame you for that."
"Are you sure about that?" Caroline asked when silence falls over them.
"Yeah, it would be hypocritical if I held that against you when I'm not exactly anti Damon anymore." Bonnie admitted. "For the most part."
"You want to tell me how that happened?"
"I'd prefer not to." Bonnie answered, twirling around and walking right into someone. An apology was the first thing that comes to mind but it dies on her lips when their touch brought back memories of a body lying in a puddle of blood. "Excuse me," She gritted through her teeth, and stepped around them and heading straight for the bathroom. Rolling her eyes when she feels an arm wrap around her waist and finds herself standing outside of the entrance to the ballroom just before she reached the door.
Stefan stared down at Bonnie, watched as she did everything but look at him. From looking down at her chest as she adjusted the bodice of her dress to her liking, to examining her nails until she finally settled on staring out of the window. Which in hindsight he finds himself wondering what possessed him to chose this spot.
"So you'll talk to Rebekah, Elena and Damon" He made sure to put emphasis on his brother's name. "but you won't talk to-"
A fist smashing into his right eye, sending his head tilting backwards effectively stopped him from finishing his sentence. Leading him to expect a repeat of their encounter the last time he tried to talk to her but to his surprise she only waited until he healed before starting to talk.
"Rebekah never did anything to me, we were just on opposite sides. Elena and I are civil at best. And I never expected anything from Damon, he made it clear where we stood from the start. But you want to talk?' Bonnie threw her hands in the air. "Fine let's talk. Where do you want to start? Do you want to talk about how you were going to kill me because you lost the coin toss?" Her voice dripped with disgust matching the look on her face as she said it making him flinch at the mention of what resulted in her vampirism. "Or are we just going to gloss over that and jump to the part where you apologize and ask me to forgive you and to give you another chance because you weren't 'yourself'? You were fresh off of a ripper binge and your head wasn't clear or you weren't in the right mind?" Bonnie let out a half laugh when he broke their stare. "Well let me save you some time and skip to the part where I tell you to shove it and go fuck your-"
"Or maybe you can stop imagining my half of the conversation and shut the hell up long enough for me to talk." Stefan snapped before he could stop himself and watched the rage cloud Bonnie's features. Not entirely sure what came over him to say that in the first place.
…
Inside the ballroom Caroline let out a long breath, chancing a glance at everyone else that is unashamedly listening to the exchange between Bonnie and Stefan. Starting at Tyler who bristled, rubbing the back of his neck. To Damon who closed his eyes as he drained the remainder of his drink. To Rebekah who had stopped her glass midway to her lips before recovering and assuring Matt that she's fine from their seats at the head table. Finally settling her gaze on a newly arrived Elena who is looking at Damon, Tyler and herself as if she were questioning their mental health.
"What happened?"
"Oh nothing," Damon answered breezily. "Stefan just signed his death certificate." He finished his response off with finishing off another flute.
"He just...he reached his limit with Bonnie." Caroline offered when Elena glanced at her having clearly not taken Damon's statement seriously. Not that she could blame her. He was always one for dramatics.
…
At his response Bonnie felt rage flood her but forced herself to calm down at the reminder of the celebration going on just a few steps away from them and looked up at Stefan fighting back the urge to smirk at the fear in his eyes. Deciding to throw him off instead of sending him flying out of the window as she is sure that he and everyone else that is eavesdropping on their conversation is expecting.
"Okay,"
"Okay?"
Bonnie nodded, holding up her hand when he opens his mouth. "Not here. Everyone is listening and I'd rather that I'll be able to remember Matt's wedding without you saying something and having Rebekah blame me for her day being ruined. So let's just go back inside and...just keep your distance."
Stefan's eyes lowered in his disappointment when Bonne made it clear that it's not up for debate when she promptly turned on her heel and walked away from him afterwards. Going back into the ballroom heading straight for the bar. Her fingers drumming against the countertop as she waited for the bartender to finish pouring what seemed to be a blood bag into a glass tumbler. He began to walk over to get one of his own but was stopped by a hand clamping down on his shoulder. And finds himself with his back pressed against the wall, his brother seething as he holds his eyes.
"Have you completely lost your mind?"
"Let's skip the part where we pretend that this is because you're concerned for my life." Stefan said, and shoved Damon away from him. "After tonight, you won't have to worry about me when it comes to your girlfriend."
"She's not my-"
"Don't care." Stefan cut him off, leaving his brother standing alone as he strutted back inside the ballroom.
...
"Thank you."
Bonnie raised an eyebrow, and turned to see Rebekah along with Matt in tow. The latter helping the former onto the bar stool. Greeting her with a smile and brief kiss to the top of her head, citing that she owes him a dance before leaving the two alone.
"It's the least I could do." Bonnie mumbled, after nodding her agreement to Matt.
"I wasn't talking about that." Rebekah shook her head. "You could have tossed him through a wall for all I care. I don't even know half of these people's names. I was thanking you for having your witch friend let Elijah and Kol be here. Well as much as Elijah could be." She added after a moment.
"I couldn't get into Klaus' head."
"It doesn't matter, he wouldn't have approved and he might have gone on a rampage and destroyed everything when he found out that he wasn't undaggered."
"He's still your family."
"He once left me in a coffin for ninety years. I...as well as my brothers know that sixty years won't kill him. And like I said, he wouldn't have approved. I was always going to have Elijah walk me down the aisle anyway. It's just a shame that Finn isn't here. Can't say I blame him. If he invited me to his wedding after he let me rot in a coffin for over half of my life I would tell him to go to hell. Sometimes I wonder how he hasn't came back and asked for you to return the favor."
Bonnie raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had always pegged Klaus to be Rebekah's favorite. And chooses to remain silent on the latter. As she couldn't find fault in Finn's distance either. Out of respect and knowledge of his history she had chosen to leave him out of it. He was willing to die to kill his family and had never lifted a hand to her. It was more than anyone else had done so she figured that it was the least she could do. Leaving him to live with his long lost love in peace was simply a favor that she intended to prolong for as long as she could. One that would extend to Klaus' undaggering.
"I heard you and Damon, and Caroline and Elena." Rebekah said, bringing Bonnie out of her thoughts.
"It's your day, we're supposed to talk about you and Matt." Bonnie attempted to steer the conversation away from her friends looking around until she sees that Matt is a couple of feet away talking to Caroline and Tyler. "Are you guys staying here or…"
"No, Matt actually told me that he wanted to leave. He saw how happy you were, when we came to visit you. So we're just going to travel until we find some place that we both like."
"Is he going to turn?"
"We haven't talked about it yet."
"You're judging." Rebekah drawled when Bonnie didn't respond.
"I get it, you love him and he loves you. It's just that, if you were going to take this step...I think that that would be something that you should have talked about."
"I don't want to ask."
"I love Matt but he isn't the best at taking hints no matter how obvious they are."
"Is there something you're trying to tell me Bonnie?"
Bonnie laughed. "I would have never even tried to go there with Matt. We're both so deep in the friend zone with each other that we're venturing into the like a sibling territory."
"How long are you staying?"
"Two days, I have to talk to Elijah and your sister, set terms so he'll be able to walk freely. Pack up everything in my home and meet Stefan and pretend to listen to what he has to say."
Rebekah frowned in confusion but waves it off the whole "Five years." thing finally clicking.
"You're friendish with Damon and you're not giving Elena the cold shoulder, not to mention you're about to let Elijah out of his coffin, at least consider what he has to say."
"Whose side are you on?"
"Your's," Rebekah answered. "which is why I'm telling you that you should let it go. You're not a regular vampire, you actually have an eternity. You shouldn't spend it harbouring a grudge on someone who didn't even kill you. At least not when you're not doing the same to the one that put them in the situation or the one that carried it out."
"You've gone soft." Bonnie commented.
"I wouldn't go that far, you and Matt are the only exceptions."
Stefan walked into the bar where Bonnie texted him to meet her, stopping when he sees that aside from the bartender that he's the only one inside. He was just about to leave when he hears,
"She's over there." The bartender said, index finger pointing towards the back and when he turned to look in the direction in which the man is pointing he sees Bonnie in the midst of sitting down at a table with her back to him.
Once he started to walk over to the table he sees the bartender leave his spot and go to the door, turning the sign so it's on the "Sorry, we're closed." side before going back to his spot. His attention fixed on his current task of slicing lemons and dropping the wedges into a bowl.
He takes a seat at the table Bonnie is currently occupying and waits patiently for her to finish whatever she is doing on her phone and tried not to flinch when she finally raised her eyes. Remaining silent as he had decided to give her the decency to start the conversation.
"You wanted to talk, so talk." Bonnie skipped all pleasantries, forcing herself to not feel bad when he looked down staring at his hands.