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Chapter 7

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Resist

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2 and a half years ago

Bonnie's eyes grew wide as her grandmother pulled out a folded wad of freshly written spells from her coat pocket.

"How do you write new spells at a time like this?!" Bonnie said in shock and awe, they had been hiding out in the personal library of a witch who was close friends of her Grams for the last few days. They meditated, read, and scavenged every waking moment, it was at a time that most people thought the virus could be waited out.

"How can I not?" Gram's lifted an eyebrow studying her granddaughter's face.

"My spells don't even work half of the time." The-18 year-old sulked.

"Don't say that." Gram's scolded. Bonnie bit her tongue.

"You're a Bennett. There's nothing you can't do." The woman continued and sat down on the floor sorting the papers.

Bonnie nodded but didn't feel as strongly about her magic as much as her Grams did. Tabitha, the woman's home they inhabited, walked to her bookshelf and pulled out a book and handed it to Bonnie. Taking the heavy thick book, Bonnie murmured 'thanks' and read the title of it. 'The Business of You: Being a strong woman in your career and pursuits'. On the cover was a woman in her late forties with short hair wearing a grey suit smiling with her arms folded and chest puffed out.

"When the world gets you down, you have to keep pushing. You have to keep fighting through it, no matter what." Tabitha smiled.

Bonnie's boots thudded on the ground as hurried gasps filling her lungs. The cool autumn wind fluffed wild curly hair around her shoulders. Dust was kicked up on the dirt path she traveled that was dimly lit by the setting sun. Reaching out with a gloved hand, she climbed on top of the trunk of a powder blue Camero and gripped onto it.

"Easy! Easy!" Damon shouted wincing feeling Bonnie's body collide with the back of his precious car as he looked at her through the rear view mirror.

"Go!" She shouted looking through the back window before facing the infected behind her.

It had been a week into Bonnie's training and Damon thought it was a good idea to kick things up a notch. It started with him flinging wood and her burning it in mid-air, getting her to hunt deer which she refused, then attacking the infected in small groups. After a few shots of bourbon, he convinced her to run around a hoard as fast as her legs could take her and see what she could do with all that power that was growing in her.

Damon blasted music from his installed CD player, one of the latest additions to his car he began to slowly modify. It was Stefan's idea to armor up his car. It took a couple of years of constant badgering on the younger siblings part, stressing how important it would be in the long run. Stefan's excuse to work on something outside of the council and Damon didn't blame him, the council had a way of draining people of their personality and character.

Damon did drugs, bashed skulls, and made big plans. Stefan modified guns, cars, and took an interest in building secret compartments. Eventually, Damon gave in and let his brother add a few major upgrades whenever the right resources were found.

Bulletproof windows and improved air intake system for horsepower. Carbon fiber hood, doors, and trunk for strength. It made the vehicle lightweight and resistance to corrosion. Damon's only concerns were with how long it took to get the right paint job to match the original color. Stepping on the gas they started at a low speed of 30 mph.

Bonnie whipped her head around watching limping bodies coming out of the shadows in increasing numbers. She reached out an extended arm and an explosion of deep orange fire erupted the size of a wrecking ball.

"Atta girl!" Damon cheered proudly at his little witch. Over time he grew fond of her regardless of how many times she called him no-good. It raised a few eyebrows in the council when he called out Katherine for teasing her knowing all the things Bonnie went through.

Bonnie rolled her eyes at Damon's buzzed praises, figuring it was entertainment for him. She had to be ready for the bunker run if she ever wanted to make things right. From what Damon told her he could barely handle it on his own after clearing out the entrance. Another burst of flames knocked out four walkers grouped together. It was hot but never burned her skin or singed her clothes and hair. Left and right, it was like a walk in the park until Damon hit a bump and nearly sent her flying.

"Watch it!" She yelled half annoyed and half scared, her fingers gripping into the metal with one hand until it hurt.

"I can't control the road Bon!" 'Bon' was a nickname she picked up during their runs. His reply to her questioning was that it was easier to say than Witch or Bonnie. It was really that it was short and cute like her.

Eventually, the number of rotten bodies thinned out and they slowed to a stop. Turning off the music, Damon leaned out of the window and propped his elbow on the door. "You wanna go again?"

Bonnie slid off the back of the car and rested on her knees as she hit the ground. Damon climbed out of the car and went around to check her vitals, listening to her heartbeat and seeing if the color was drained from her lips and cheeks. It happened when she pushed too hard. Bonnie was durable but still had the body of a mortal. Massaging her sore shoulder, she shook her head at him. "Think I'm going to need a break, then maybe..." Her voice trailed off as Damon reached out to wipe her upper lip with his thumb.

She was still uncomfortable with being close to people and physical contact but Damon was different. He never tried sexual or harmful advances regardless of his flirting and she knew since feeding on her the bond kept him from thinking of endangering her.

"I'm calling it a day." He looked at his bloodied thumb with concern.

Bonnie groaned and wiped her face. She learned when Damon was in a protective mood he got fairly dramatic about it. "Its fine, it's only a little blood."

"Yeah, don't care. We're done. Get in the car." Damon instructed sternly, hoping to distract her from his tongue swiping his thumb clean. Most of his meals were from the bag or Katherine's Dali. Lily suggested he had one of his own but he knew it would be too much responsibility. He liked the taste of Bonnie's blood and snuck it everytime she hurt herself, it wasn't smart but his options were limited and witch's blood was even more limited.

Bonnie dragged her feet to the passenger side of the car and pulled off her gloves. "I don't want to go back, I need more time out here."

"Oh, we're not going back." He smirked climbing into the car, there were a few locations he still could go to when he wanted to get away and relax.

"Where are we going?" Bonnie furrowed her brow. The only place that had anything to do for fun was the community they lived in.

"Its a surprise." He wiggled his eyebrows flashing a too perfect smile.

Jo was checking the measurements of an herbal concoction when she heard a knock on the clinic's door. A knowing smile crept across her face as she made her way to open it. She was greeted with a poorly wrapped package. "Happy Anniversary!" Alaric smiled passing it to her. "Christmas already?" She looked down at the snowman wrapping paper then back at him with dancing eyes. "Thank you."

"Open it!" He squeezed her shoulder excitedly and she shook her head putting down the medium sized box. Alaric had been giving her attention since he brought up the subject of marriage, hoping he could coax her into agreeing. It was the reason he got up in the morning and pushed through his day.

Jo shook her head and returned to her work. "Later, we can open both our gifts together. I haven't seen you in a couple of days. How has hunting been?"

Her boyfriend shrugged. Most of his responsibilities were to bring back animals that could be farmed or hunt them if they were injured. It was a calming job since he worked around the community's territory which had minimal threats.

"Oh, you know. It's work. The usual, mostly rabbits and deer. Had to take out a dog with rabies, almost couldn't do it. Lily has been grilling my ass about finding horses. We're running really low on gas for everyone else and may have to start dipping into the Council's reserve. Our radius is near its five-mile peak so I'm thinking we can start a plant out there somewhere to make new fuel."

"Have you suggested it to her?" Jo began adding crushed petals and oil to the herbal mixture in the glass bottle.

Alaric shrugged again. "Lily said she'll think about it but I know she's more old school. She wants horses so that's what we'll probably get instead." Alaric wasn't the type to think far ahead but he was practical and quick-witted.

Jo waved her palm over a lit red candle then a white one. Corking the bottle, she tied the neck of it with a thick string long enough to be worn. She whispered her intent and poured the melted white wax over the cork sealing it.

"You know," she began, "it's not a bad thing. We can't have pets under strict rules so think of it as the next best thing." Handing Alaric the tiny glass bottle, she kissed his cheek.

"Protection charm, keep it on you but don't push your luck cowboy." Jo knew what the horses were for, if she did marry Alaric and get pregnant, Lily would send her to the Farmlands. If anything between the council and the Originals happened, it was their place to stock up on resources. The Farmlands was where Lily kept her favorite mortal residents and breeding grounds for horses and trainable dogs.

The only reason she did not make moves to be sent to the Farmlands was that she had to be sure someone would be in her place looking over the wellbeing of the residents. Maria had enough on her hands as the other witch who was busy healing the wounded, sick, and drawing blood from healthy survivors. Lily made medicine and charms, though she could not use magic, her potions made her useful enough for Lily to keep her around instead of being sent off to be used. Or so she thought.

T he baby blue Camero pulled up the driveway to a closed fence. Climbing out he ignored Bonnie's questioning glances and unlocked the padlock that kept it closed. Getting back in he drove up to the boarding house.

"What is this place?" Bonnie leaned out the window, squinting at the iron bars that were drilled over the windows to prevent break-ins.

"This place is my place. Grew up here." Damon whistled feeling nostalgic. Parking out front, he climbed out and jogged back to the gate to close and lock it.

"You're from here?" She assumed he was from anywhere but her small town. "Why did you take me here?" Bonnie frowned, suspicious of the unfamiliar place. It didn't look warm or inviting from the outside. The walls were covered in overgrown ivy that was browning and dying.

"I'm being friendly. Is that so shocking?" Unlocking the front door, he tilted his head for her to come inside. Hesitating, she crossed her arm and looked around. The place was secluded and hidden by the wooded area around the property's gate. It was just as safe as the community. Bonnie wondered what her old home looked like or what her Grams home looked like. Dragging her feet she walked in after him. "I'm pretty sure there's a catch but I'll play along."

He gave her the grand tour starting and ending with the wine cellar. With much convincing, he helped her onto the roof and sat to watch the night sky with a bottle of bourbon. With the drink between them, Bonnie stared out into the distance with her arms curled around her legs. Damon laid down with an arm tucked behind his head, the other draped over his stomach. The relationship that developed between them was complicated. He was a jerk and a pervert at times with his words but he respected her personal space and didn't let a council member bad mouth her in front of her face. For that, she tolerated him and would even consider calling them a team but friends was a bit too strong of a word for her.

"Did you ever go back?" Damon asked with his eyes closed, his hand idly reaching for the neck of the liquor bottle.

"Go back where?" Bonnie blinked with heavy eyes. She was almost drunk while Damon was completely sober. The witch tried to match him sip for a sip but decided to stop and let him catch up with her. If either one of them was going to be drunk, she rather it be him than her. He could be entertaining at times, especially when he danced.

"Home." He blinked and took a few big gulps. The word had meaning but even his own home didn't feel like a home at all. Just a hideout that only he, Stefan, and Lily knew about. Before the Council was created, the family agreed to keep the location a secret. It didn't mean much of anything as Lily could show up whenever she wanted and turn it into a hideout for the heretics if things with the Originals blew over.

"I'd like to. I guess I never really thought about it." Instead of fighting the weight of her body, she laid down and folded her arms behind her head copying Damon. A moment of comfortable silence passed. Her eyes fluttered closed and her thoughts wandered. When her dad turned, it was her Grams that came to the rescue. That day, she lost her home, a week later Gram and the young witch was chased out of her grandmother's house by raiders. The old woman managed to take a few of them out but could not risk exhausting herself with her granddaughter under her care. Since that day she fantasized about having a safe place to call her own.

"I had a dream of a home." Opening her eyes, she looked at Damon, his eyes nearly glowed as they caught the moonlight but it didn't scare her. If anything, she found it calming like watching river water flow. "Not my home but... a home. Maybe a home I'd like to have. Somewhere far away from here."

Damon sat up and took the bottle to finish it. Once empty he tossed it hard and watched it soar out of sight. "What did it look like?"

Bonnie also watched the flying bottle grow smaller and smaller as it vanished. "It was kind of small, two stories. Painted blue. Surrounded by a lavender field. I think there was a vegetable garden in the back. And a large lake to fish. Nothing fancy." She shrugged. It was a dream that was unattainable and only made her homesick for a place that didn't exist. Bonnie needed to remind herself of the harsh reality. "Just a dream...it'll never happen."

Damon cleared his throat and stood up, and offered an outstretched hand. He wasn't going to let her get down on herself, they had big plans and he wanted her in the right headspace. The vampire knew what it was like to be stuck in the dark places of his mind.

"We should head back."

Bonnie looked at his hand and then him. There were times Damon wasn't a pain in her ass, times that he was tolerable and it gave her hope that things could be changed for the better. They were both dysfunctional and maybe that was what worked for them. He saw potential in her and wasn't afraid to let her know she was more powerful but vulnerable than she thought herself to be. She took his hand.

"Okay."

The following morning Bonnie snuck away to go on a run alone. She was confident enough to defend herself and ignored the static and bad jokes Damon made through the walkie-talkie to get her attention. They found it during her training and he thought it would help during the future bunker run for supplies. Turning the volume down but not off, she clipped to her belt loop securely. The talk she had the night before with Damon inspired something in her and she began to start running. The witch wanted to feel the cool autumn wind and sun on her face.

She wanted to go back and feel what it was like when she was a careless teenager. Her body moving, her feet hitting the pavement as she flung herself at full speed. Bonnie needed to seek inspiration to keep her going, her own powder blue Camaro. Her legs began to burn and tire as she kept up her pace until she reached her destination. A soft sigh of accomplishment passed her lips as she gazed up at her old house. It was in ruins as she climbed through the back window. Most of their belongings were stolen except for her locket with Jeremy's picture and . Her own powder blue Camaro.

"Woah, this is mine now!" An extremely drunk Damon plucked it from her clutches after she went to visit him and caught her with it tucked under her arm. "Damon, no!" She used her power to fling his body into the couch. He stubbornly held the bear in a vice grip unfazed, laughing. Running over, she took the couch pillow and hit Damon several times as he raised an arm to shield himself.

"Give her back!"

"You're too violent for this bear! I don't think she's safe with you!" He taunted with a grin. It took some time and effort but he had his way of bringing her out of her shell. "Damon! She's fragile and you're way more violent than me!" She hopped on his back and put him in a headlock, half playful and half furious.

"I'm violent?! You're the one attacking me. I'll save you !" Damon swung himself in a circle making her incredibly dizzy. Bonnie's arm gripped around his throat tighter knowing it wouldn't do much damage as he began to cough and drop to his knees. "Give. Her. Back. Monster." Swinging his arm around he tackled her to the ground. Straddling her, he held the bear above his head as she reached up to try and reach it.

In the distance, Katherine burst into Damon's lounge area screaming. "Liquid Zoo! Liquid Zoo! It's that time for the Liquid Zoo-" She paused with the bottle of Jack Daniels clutched against her chest. "A...am I interrupting something?"

Embarrassed at their current position, she pushed at Damon's chest but he didn't budge. "Maybe. We're in the middle of a custody battle." He announced still holding the bear high above his head. Letting out a growl Bonnie gave him an aneurysm and pushed off his body that crumpled on top of her. Snatching the bear from the vampire, she tucked it under her arm.

Katherine blinked at the two unamused. "...anyway, we got business at the Zoo. Original business. We gotta be there in an hour which is perfect for me." Letting the bottle of liquor fall to the floor nearly smashing it, she wandered to Damon's coffee table and opened a drawer to find bags of goodies. Taking a handful of blue pills, she popped four and put the rest in her back pocket. Damon rolled onto his back and looked at Katherine down the pills by picking up the bottle she dropped earlier.

"That's today?"

"That's what I just said." Katherine nudged Damon with her foot before turning around and making her way out.

"What the hell is going on?" Bonnie propped a fist on her hip.

"You're about to find out." Katherine grabbed the witch's arm and pulled her along to her living space.

Katherine rose her brows looking at Bonnie's chest as they perfectly filled out the cups of the dress after the thin straps were properly adjusted. "Wow, didn't know you had any at all."

"You do realize when I got here I was malnourished and nearly eighty pounds, right?" The witch snipped defensively. Comments about her body were one of the things she hated the most. It was already taking everything in her not to jump out of a window having Katherine dress her.

"You didn't fill out that much." Katherine quipped bitterly, looking over Bonnie's lean toned arms that appeared more defined than her own.

"Now now, you're both pretty!" Damon yelled from the common area with a tumbler in one hand and a bottle of scotch in the other.

"I know I look good." Katherine flipped her hair over her shoulder and spun Bonnie around ignoring the witch rolling her eyes. Zipping up her dress, Katherine began adjusting and smoothing out the fabric. "It's a little... long."

"It's not long at all!" Bonnie balked. Lowering her hand she showed how the hem hovered over the four fingers she placed above her knee.

"It could be shorter." Katherine tilted her head at how the skirt flared out more thanks to Bonnie's round firm backside.

"It can always be shorter!" Damon yelled again.

"No one asked for your opinion!" Bonnie yelled back.

"No one ever does." Katherine huffed at their exchange and walked away to sit at her vanity to powder her nose in more ways than one.

The Liquid Zoo was a private playground for the supernatural world. It was a neutral place where vampires, witches, werewolves, hunters, and demons came together to indulge in their desires. The entrance was under a bridge, a circular hole in the wall covered by a foot thick door made of steel. Rays of neon lights could be seen around the corners peeking through, vibrating with the bass from the music that blasted behind.

Katherine wore a bright red latex strapless dress. Bonnie wore a sunshine yellow dress with a matching ribbon pulling up her hair, Katherine thought it would be hilarious to put her in something that appeared to be the opposite of her personality. Damon wore his usual gear of distressed skin tight jeans and a mesh black shirt accompanied by a leather jacket. The tall brunette vampire headed to the bar to grab drinks as Bonnie and Damon searched the crowd. Bonnie's eyes bulged out of her head seeing the sea of supernaturals dance, sweat, dry-hump and feed off of each other.

Damon squinted through the laser lights of fuschia, electric blue, and lime green to see the figure behind the DJ booth. "Fucking, P-Vo! Absolute maniac! Some of the stuff he spins is genius other times its absolute shit!" He had to yell over the music to be heard. Looking down at Bonnie, he noticed she stood close behind him. "Why are we here again?" Her hand began to twirl a finger around a curl ringlet nervously.

"I have this meeting with an Original's lackey on neutral ground... You okay?" His brow arched as Bonnie began to breathe quickly, her hand pressed against her stomach for comfort. The crowd and flashing lights was a culture shock. "Bon?"

Katherine joined them and handed out drinks, Bonnie downed hers immediately hoping the alcohol would calm her. "You good?"

Bonnie handed the emptied glass to Damon and tried to look for a place to sit. "I'll be fine!" Her voice barely audible

"She should take a chill pill!" Damon shouted over the music as he leaned against the bar and head tilted towards Katherine.

"Good thing I slipped her the blues." Katherine shimmied, the drugs kicking in and she was ready to get out on the floor.

"You-" Damon looked at the tall brunette as if she grew a second head. Grabbing her arm he jerked her to him. "You did what?!" He would hate for her to run into Kai, one of the Original's warlocks who was very much alive in her vulnerable state.

"I was feeling friendly." Her tongue ran over her lips. "Sure, one pill is good for a beginner and allll buuut I think two is how you get the full experience!" Katherine chewed on her straw, tweaked out.

"Two?!"

What's going to happen to Bonnie? Katherine, did she do it with malicious intent or was she just tweaking on all those endorphins making her feel like she was Santa?

xoxo