Epilogue to Part VI - Witch's Surprise

"Hi. Can we talk for a minute?"

Bonnie had just opened her door to Elena's knock. The visit was not expected, but it was Elena - she was welcome anytime.

Bonnie managed a smile and nodded her head towards the inside of her house.

"What's up?" Bonnie asked.

Elena took a deep breath. It had been hard when she told Jeremy, harder when she told Alaric. Now she had to explain to Bonnie that Jenna would not remember the incident at home or at Bonnie's house just a couple of days earlier.

Damon had made sure the needed repairs to the Gilbert house were done. Then he had done as she asked.

No one was taking it well. It seemed everyone's opinion of her was diminishing. Jeremy wasn't talking to her again. Alaric just nodded and invited her out. Stefan had barely acknowledged her the only time she had seen him since it had happened. Even Damon was more reserved, less open around her.

She felt completely alone. She almost wanted to do something reckless enough that she would be surrounded by the idiots again, something that would bring them close enough to her to be seen. She kind of wanted to see someone helping her, protecting her. And not judging her.

Worst of all, she wondered if everyone was right. Had she been selfish? Was she changing?

Of course she was. But she could choose the change. She could make it for the better. Was she changing for the better or the worse?

"You've been my friend forever, Bonnie. You help me, you celebrate with me. Sometimes you yell at me, but you care. At least that's always what I've thought. Am I wrong?"

"No. You're right."

"You need to know that I asked Damon to compel Jenna to forget about when she was attacked, brought here and learned about vampires and witches."

"You mean about vampires, witches and Elena."

"I do." Elena said nodding. "I couldn't bring her into this, Bonnie. Everyone else seems to think I did wrong, but I couldn't leave it like that. She's done too much for me, worried about me too much. I couldn't."

It wasn't quite the reason she had given Damon, but it was what she was wanting to believe.

"I understand, Elena."

Elena was surprised. "You do?"

"Yes." Bonnie said. "You're the only one who knows about me and my family. Well, you were, but now some of those that help you know. And if it weren't for you, I'd try to erase their knowledge about me. It's not safe for them or me."

"Exactly, the rest of us can help each other, protect each other. Jenna would be alone. Who knows what would happen?"

Bonnie nodded, hesitated, then looked at Elena and asked "Convince yourself yet?"

Elena stared at Bonnie for a minute, then shook her head. "I'll never know if I did the right thing. And I'm not sure anyone who knows will ever completely trust me again."

"Well, I never completely trusted you."

"Bonnie!"

"And you don't completely trust me Elena. Too many mistakes by both of us. Too much faith in the wrong people. You trust vampires too much and I fear them too much."

"Vampires do seem to be at the root of all the problems between us," Elena agreed.

"Now if we can just agree on a way to eliminate the problem," Bonnie said with a slight smile.

"Which is another reason I'm here. Not to eliminate the problem – but to affect it. Bonnie, would you put a spell on a vampire for me?"