Here is chapter 3, hope you enjoy. It's not my fav chap cause I'm trying to get past the canon of the story, so bare with me please my loves xx
Bonnie nodded and tried to remember all the information she got from a millisecond of physical contact with the mysterious dark hunter, all whilst Damon's piercing blue eyes stared distractingly into hers. There was definitely something different about the way he was looking at her. "Well, there was about five or so men gathered in a circle around a woman – she was a witch…" Bonnie began.
Damon nodded, urging her to continue.
"I don't understand," Bonnie stammered, "I don't think Connor was in the vision at all..."
Damon blinked and stared into the middle distance, deep in thought, before hitting Bonnie with his gaze again. "Okay…forget about it for now. We'll figure that out later – together."
Damon stopped speaking, which was curious because it seemed like he had more to say. But Bonnie's unasked question was answered when Stefan rounded the corner of the building quickly.
"What are you guys doing out here?" he asked immediately, "the ceremony is about to start."
Damon got interested looking at grass which left Bonnie to either tell the truth about their currently none-existent assassination plan or make something up. She made a snap decision to go with neither – instead she grabbed her "boyfriend's" hand and pulled him back up the steps to the church, casting back an almost business-like nod to Damon. He'd figure something out.
Stefan and Bonnie rushed through the large oak doors into the crowded Church. Bonnie looked over the sea of heads to the podium where Mayor Lockwood herself was currently standing. On either side of her, on the stage, were large portraits of the diseased, along with white roses and burning candles. Bonnie's and Stefan's pace slowed considerably as they walked down the aisle and scanned the room simultaneously for a gap in the benches they could squeeze in. Bonnie couldn't help but notice that she and Stefan were quite in sync with each other – but she quickly admonished the thought. In her mind, Stefan still belonged to Elena. On their way down they ambled past Tyler and Caroline.
"What are you doing here, Tyler?" Stefan asked with his usual concerned tone.
"Being sensitive to the community's loss," Tyler retorted back tartly.
Stefan nodded knowingly, his sea green eyes still perusing the room before him. "But with a hunter out to get you?"
Bonnie gave Caroline an apologetic look whilst their boyfriends continued to bicker. She was going to get it in the neck from her best friend for not contacting her for two whole days. Caroline gave her a look back which loosely translated to 'girl-we-are-going-to-be-having-a-talk-soon!'
"Also," Caroline chirped to Stefan, "If he shows his face, I'm gonna kick his ass," she smiled.
Stefan didn't reply but it wasn't hard to tell he was thinking something along the lines of 'yeah, right.'
Mayor Lockwood began to garble her speech to the crowd so Stefan quickly sunk into a seat, pulling Bonnie in to sit beside him. She stared at their entwined hands uncomfortably; Elena was just a few rows ahead of them, and beside her was Matt and Jeremy.
She shrunk into her seat miserably. This way of things wasn't so fantastic after all. She felt so overwhelmingly terrible for something she consciously hadn't done.
"…I know that April Young wanted to say a few words about her Dad. April? Are you still here honey?"
An awkward silence settled in the large room as everyone turned their heads in various directions, looking for 'April Young'. Bonnie vaguely remembered her as a shy little kid who Elena used to babysit on occasion. She side-eyed Stefan who nodded back at her. Anything in Mystic Falls was creepy until proven otherwise and the two could smell a rat right now. It seemed unlikely that April would skip out on her own father's memorial.
"Where's Damon?" Stefan hissed to her as The Mayor made a plea for someone to come up and say something – anything – about Pastor Young.
"No idea," Bonnie murmured back. She wouldn't be surprised if he'd ditched the whole event completely. She turned her head to look to the back rows to see if the elder Salvatore had snuck in unnoticed but he was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh God, what the hell is she doing now?" she heard Stefan's voice groan quietly.
Bonnie turned back to face the front and narrowly refrained from face palming as she saw Elena staggering up to the podium. Damon chose that moment to enter the room and dip his fingers into the holy water ironically before sliding onto the bench on Bonnie's spare side. She glanced from one brother to the other, suddenly feeling a little claustrophobic sandwiched between the two.
"She doesn't look so good," Damon commented as he saw Elena on the small stage.
Stefan squinted in confusion. His brother was right – but he shouldn't be. Stefan, to his knowledge, had Elena on a safe animal-only diet.
Bonnie noticed Stefan's unknowing expression and gaped at Damon incredulously. "…Have you not told him?" she hissed.
Stefan's eyes yo-yoed between looking at his girlfriend and his brother. "Told me what?"
"Great. Good one Bonnie," Damon murmured sarcastically.
"Either of you wanna let me know what the hell you're talking about?" Stefan growled under his breath.
Bonnie looked at Damon expectantly, eyebrows raised.
Blue eyes looked heavenward for strength before speaking. "Elena's been rejecting all food sources," he deadpanned.
"What?" Stefan uttered through gritted teeth.
"You heard," Damon retorted shortly.
"And all this past week you've been allowing me to waste time getting her to feed on animal blood? The fuck Damon?!"
"I was a bit preoccupied looking after your girl," Damon jibbed.
Stefan narrowed his eyes. "Well maybe if you weren't deceiving me then I would have been with her instead of Elena."
Damon shrugged, "not my fault I put Bonnie before Elena – unlike you."
Stefan looked ready to rip his brother's head off but Bonnie intervened.
"Guys we don't have time for this," she tried to whisper calmly whilst she inwardly freaked the fuck out. (She wasn't used to being fought over in any capacity). "I think something's wrong with Elena…"
"There's always something wrong with Elena," Damon quipped as all three pairs of eyes looked up at the podium, where Elena was struggling to get her words out. Her mind was suddenly focussed elsewhere.
"Do you smell that?" Caroline whispered to Tyler over on the side of the hall they were sitting.
"…Blood," Tyler stated. The word rolled off his tongue disturbingly easily.
"Nobody move," Damon warned, "Don't turn around – it's a trap."
Bonnie looked at him curiously. Her lack of supersonic hearing was leaving her in the dark. Damon mouthed the word 'blood' to her and she instantly put two and two together and understood what was wrong with Elena. She realised it must be the hunter. He had to be stopped before Elena outted herself - but no one seemed to be doing anything. All of the gang seemed to be shocked into submission. She turned her head to look desperately at Stefan. "Get up there and help her!" she pleaded.
Stefan's thick brows furrowed together in confusion – as if Bonnie had just asked him to do something as random as the moonwalk down the aisle. "What are you talking about?"
"What do you mean what am I talking about?" Bonnie asked in disbelief, "Get up there and save my friend!"
Stefan blinked as her words processed in his brain. He stood up cautiously and made his way up to Elena.
Bonnie huffed and looked up at Damon, who was also staring at her as if she had just grown another head. "What the hell is up with Stefan?" she whispered, "and…why are you looking at me like that?"
"You…you're different," Damon stated hesitantly.
Bonnie blinked several times; what the hell was that supposed to mean? His blue eyes were searching into hers, but for what? She had a million questions to ask based on his proclaim, but as Stefan and Elena stepped down from the podium, the gathering of townsfolk were asked to stand and sing a hymn. Bonnie watched Stefan, Elena, Jeremy and Matt closely as she rose to her feet. It was difficult to see through the mass of bodies but she could see Elena shaking uncontrollably through the hold Stefan had on her. It was clear to see the newbie vamp was on the edge of losing it.
"I'm gonna go rip his head off now," Damon announced in reference to the hunter.
Bonnie's head snapped up and she was ready to retort back to him but he was already ahead of her.
"Well I think the risk will be slightly diminished when I…you know…rip his head off."
Apparently he was having a supersonic conversation with his brother.
"You have ten seconds before I go old-fashioned on the new guy," he continued.
Bonnie's worried eyes alternated between Damon and her friends a few rows ahead. Although she was only hearing half a conversation she could work out that Stefan was trying to persuade Damon to not be irrational. Well, good luck with that.
She knew she had to do something but she felt annoyingly useless without her magic. As soon as she got home she made a promise to herself to read up on her grimoires – all night if that's what it took.
"…three, two, one – bye," Damon smiled cynically and made motion to leave the row.
Bonnie was ready to reach out and grab his hand – something that she certainly would rather not do (touch Damon) but desperate times call for desperate measures.
It was unnecessary though, because something made himvstop in his tracks. He had a stunned look on his face that made the hairs on Bonnie's neck stand up; not many things shocked Damon Salvatore.
"Damon what's going on?" she asked worriedly.
"Matt's just offered himself up as Elena's lunch," he told her grimly.
Bonnie swallowed the bile that was slowly rising up her oesophagus, "what?! Is he fucking crazy?" she whispered loud enough so she could hear herself speak over the singing, "I've got to go and stop them." She tried to push past Damon but he grabbed her waist and held her firmly in place beside him. She ignored the electricity that was whizzing between them.
"Let go of me Damon," she demanded angrily through clenched teeth.
"No."
"I have to stop this! It isn't right – he can't just-"
"Bonnie if you make any move towards them right now you risk getting shot by Van Helsing up there," he told her forcefully.
She shook her head, "I don't care," she said truthfully, "Elena could kill Matt if she feeds on him when she's this hungry – I can't let them take that risk."
She tried to manoeuvre her way out of his strong hold but it was no use. She glared into his intense eyes with rage.
"Well I can't let you take that risk, Bonnie. I've told you once and I'll tell you again until you get it into your head; if it comes down to either you or any one of your little friends I will gladly sacrifice them. I will always choose you."
She held her breath whilst he gave his miniature speech. She might have found it somehow romantic if she was a fantasiser but she wasn't. She was Bonnie Bennett; she did things her own way and chose to do what she thought was right. In her opinion, none of what Damon had just said was right – at least not in a moral context. Her life was no more important than anyone else's. She wouldn't let her friends die. Elena might put up with that, but she sure as hell wasn't going to.
"I have to stop them," she said icily, "Take. Your. Hands. Off. Me."
Damon grinned (much to her annoyance) and released her. "Gladly. Too bad you're too late," he smirked.
Bonnie snapped her head to look over to where her friends were standing. Elena was removing herself from what would appear to be a very tight hug with Matt. White-hot anger burned up inside of her; more than anything in the world she wanted to give Damon the most painful aneurysm he would ever have the misfortune to experience. Damn the spirits.
"I mean it Bonnie," he said, breaking her tangent of wicked thoughts, "you are my first and foremost priority."
To Bonnie that was more of a hindrance than help; she'd prefer to go through life without Damon breathing down her neck the whole time. Strangely, she found herself longing for the time when he couldn't give less of a crap about her. She left his statement hanging in the air without reply and the poignant silence between them forged a rift.
"Excuse me," a voice announced, cutting through her musings and the hymns, "I just wanted to say a few words about Pastor Young."
It was Tyler. Bonnie gaped at him – was he bloody suicidal?! She felt the need to share her shock but she was too furious with Damon to even utter a word to him.
Damon sighed. "He's gonna get himself shot," he muttered, although there was a distinct lack of emotion in his voice.
The angel faced vampire's flippant prediction turned out to be right – Tyler wasn't even ten seconds into a speech when out of nowhere a small wooden stake flew through the air and into his chest. He spun with momentum as his heavy body fell to the floor and then mayhem ensued; people rushed to the exits manically as The Scooby Gang tried to push their way through the current of bodies to get to Tyler.
Well, that was, everyone except for Bonnie. She used the commotion to break away from Damon unnoticed. It was a breath of fresh air to not be by his side.
It wasn't like Bonnie to act on impulse. She was the type to plan ahead, safely and strategically in order to maximize the chance of success. Perhaps it was because she was highly strung right now from being unusually coddled by the Salvatore's. For whatever reason, something inside Bonnie just snapped.
She had to get to the hunter. Stefan was right – he was dangerous – but that didn't mean he couldn't be reasoned with. They didn't know a thing about him, and perhaps it was time they did. A small niggling in the back of her mind told Bonnie she should hold back, and think – even just for a moment – but her body continued on without volition. She ended up blindly reaching for a weapon of some sort – of all things – it turned out to be a crucifix, about the size of her forearm and made out of metal, which was beside the door.
Damon had mentioned something about him being 'up there'. She frowned and looked up – thinking she was clutching at straws – until she noticed a red stain on the ceiling, directly above the balcony. Her stomach clenched; she didn't want to think about whose blood that was. At least now she knew that Connor wasn't innocent – that would soften the blow of guilt she'd get if she managed to take him down.
Bonnie kept reminding herself that that was a worst case scenario. She didn't want to kill him. He was human – or that's what she was assuming anyway. She could give him an aneurism. Screw the spirits. In a life or death situation, she was sure she could push through their shit.
She slipped past more frantic townsfolk as she made her way to the stairway that led up to the balcony. Connor could be long gone by now – but if she was lucky (or unlucky) she could catch him if he was coming down the stairs as she was going up.
She ran up the steps, counting each one in her head to try and calm herself. She was shaking and jittering with adrenaline, which was only helping to make her anxious. She briefly realised that what she was doing was a bad idea but she was too high to register the danger. As she reached the top of the staircase, her pace slowed and she panted lightly.
The first thing she saw was the bright red blood – everywhere. It made her mind whirl and Bonnie wasn't a squeamish person by nature. Second, she registered whose blood it was – April's. The poor girl was holding her stomach in pain, and pale tear streaks marked the bronzer on her cheeks. Third, she saw Connor, packing away his equipment remorselessly, not giving a damn about the dying girl beside him. He had his back to Bonnie but he must have heard her laboured breathing. He spun around stiffly.
"We meet again," his deep voice greeted in a monotone.
Bonnie breathed in and out heavily through her nose – she was so angry it was giving her a headache. How could he? April wasn't a vampire – she was practically a child! An innocent!
She shifted on her feet as he stared at her. "You stabbed her," Bonnie stated in disgust.
"Collateral damage," he explained shortly, "you'll be next if you don't get out of my way."
"I'm going to give you one chance," she began, "and one chance only. Leave Mystic Falls – or else-"
Connor laughed loudly at her.
Bonnie narrowed her eyes, making it clear to the hunter that she wasn't going to get out of his way. "This will end badly for you," Bonnie said honestly, "My friends, they wont give you a chance. If you want to keep your life I suggest you do it elsewhere," she grimaced, and then added "I'm trying to do you a favour."
"I ain't going nowhere sweetie," Connor said firmly. "Now move, before I make you."
If he wanted to get out of here, he'd have to get past her.
Everything whirred into slow motion as Connor grinned upon realising her choice. Deep inside of him, he felt a guilty pain at having to take out a seemingly innocent young girl – another one. It was such a shame. But it was all part of the greater good, so he pushed that thought into the abyss. He took one step towards the small girl, giving her one last chance to scram.
She stood there defiantly, glaring at him with determination. Connor shrugged – he would have given her credit for bravery if she wasn't being so damn stupid. But she had now sealed her fate.
He took another step.
Bonnie realised now was the time to knock him unconscious with an aneurysm. She took a deep breath and tried to tap into the magical part of her conscience. She felt a surge of power rising from within – coming into her body from the air around her and the ground beneath her feet. It made her finger tips tingle and her heart beat accelerate even more. Now all she had to do was release it on him.
Now, Bonnie.
Connor continued to take steps towards her, each one getting larger and quicker. He wasn't going down. Bonnie could still feel the power within her – it was dissipating rapidly – she couldn't seem to find the courage to unleash it. Flashes of her Grams, screaming in pain flew into her vision as her mind scattered with shock and fear, struggling to comprehend between what was real and what was in her head.
She faintly realised it wasn't going to work.
"Motus!" she shouted shakily as a last resort, jutting out her hand, but Connor was still advancing on her to no affliction.
She quickly realised her only option now was the crucifix in her shaking right hand but Connor had his own dagger which would surely go into her if he got in arms reach. He was bigger than her. Stronger. But perhaps she was faster, and more nimble.
He lunged at her and she narrowly dived out of his reach, managing to trip him with her legs as she slid underneath him. Before he could spin around she jammed a point of the crucifix into his muscled calf and clambered to her feet. Connor let out a roar of anger, rather than one of pain.
She had to run. She was small and fast; she was sure she could get away. The staircase was spiral so it would be harder for him to maneuver his body down it in comparison to her.
So she ran. Bonnie dropped the crucifix on the floor; it's weight would only slow her down. She jumped over Connor before he had the chance to stand up; he made a grab for her ankle. She fell to the floor, hard, and felt her body already being pulled back. Fighting the urge to scream, she looked back at Connor's face, deformed with rage, and wriggled her legs, managing to kick him in the dead, hard, hard enough for him to release her foot. She jumped to her feet without hesitation, and ran away from Connor, away from April, whose pleading eyes would be burned into her memory forever.
As she descended down the stairs she could hear Connor's heavy loud steps behind her, he must have got up despite the wound she'd inflicted upon his leg. She took the stairs two at a time, praying she wouldn't fall.
Run, Bonnie's mind screamed to her, don't stop. Don't look back – he'll catch you if you do.
It was with a sudden, awful wash of dread, that Bonnie realised her mistake. No once knew where she was, what she was doing. She cursed to herself; she had done exactly what Elena always did in the other universe. How could she be so reckless?
Don't think like that. If you get away, they won't have to come and save you. Don't even think. Just RUN.
She was halfway down the staircase now. Bonnie bounded down several more steps and then she was grabbed by the waist and swung around, hitting the narrow wall beside her with a force that knocked the oxygen out of her lungs. She gasped and her head reeled, but she threw her elbow behind her blindly, and it fortunately made contact with the hunter's face.
He grunted in pain and dropped her.
She tried to dive away and under his arms but ran straight into a crucifying punch, making her keel over in agony.
What was her first impression again? Gentleman?
Connor's arms clamped around her in a vice grip that hardly allowed breathing space, but then she realised that was the point. Her already empty lungs were becoming more and more deprived and she was beginning to dizzily see white spots. She couldn't even catch her breath to make a whimper so not even one of her vampire friends could hear her. She struggled against his strong arms but it was futile.
Open your eyes...Don't pass out...
"It was a pleasure making your acquaintance Bonnie Bennett," she heard Connor's voice whisper in her ear before her vision clouded over, consumed by blackest ink.
Thank you very much for reading. Please leave a review if you liked it or even if you didn't! I love to hear what you guys have to say, some of your suggestions may even influence me to add things in here and there. You never know :)