chapter rating: mature/explicit
warning(s): sexual content, blood play
word count: 13,676
summary: Three years ago, Bonnie Bennett died. After waking up in an unmarked grave, she returns to the land of the living with a whole lot of questions. Like how did she die? Who brought her back? Where is Damon? And how long until the cruel grip of Death comes for her again?

nine lives (and a tenth for good behavior)
-3/3-

Bonnie and Damon didn't get around to asking the spirits for some answers for a couple days. Much of which was spent in her bedroom, or the shower, or a few times in the kitchen. But eventually, they showered and dressed and managed to keep their hands off each other.

"On a scale of 1 to that time you died in a dark cave and didn't tell anybody, how much energy does it take to call these ladies up?" Damon was sitting in an arm chair, flipping through her grimoire absently.

"Not too much." She dug a messenger bag out of the hallway closet and brought it into the living room. "I'm still opening up a conversation with people not really on this side, so it can be draining. It's like when we went to the witch's house. The leftover magic helps open that bridge."

He snapped the book shut and stared at her. His brow was knotted in a way that suggested he didn't believe her, or perhaps that he didn't believe anything could ever be too easy. Experience would agree with him. "That was when the witches were still hanging around. After the Other Side collapsed, it knocked things out of whack, didn't it?"

"Right, but I'm not contacting someone from the Other Side. I want someone who's found peace."

He hummed. "You mean like your Grams…"

"Preferably, but I'm not holding my breath. Contacting someone there isn't easy. When the Other Side existed, it was an in-between. Not quite heaven or hell, but not here either. The barrier between us and them was thinner. But to reach someone who's at peace, I have to go beyond that barrier."

"Yeah, the more you talk, the more exhausting this sounds." He pushed up from the arm chair, grimoire tucked at his side. "Are you sure you should be doing this? It feels like playing with fire…"

"I need answers."

"So let me call a few of my leads. I've met my fair share of witches over the last three years."

She cocked her head. "And how many of them are willing to talk to you anymore?"

"Eh, three or four."

Her lips pursed.

"I grow on people. They didn't get the full Damon Salvatore effect."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Anyway. I found the spell to open up lines of communication. All I need is somewhere a little more… magical."

"We're going to the graveyard, aren't we?"

"Well, it does have a high concentration of magic and spirits."

Damon sighed. "Fine. But we need to stop off at the boarding house after. I have souvenirs for the nieces and a vintage bottle of tequila for Stefan."

"What'd you get Caroline?"

"Earplugs. She always complains that the sound of my voice gives her hives."

Bonnie snorted.

"Since the feeling's mutual, I got myself some, too."

"You're ridiculous."

He grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at her. "Come on… There's more room in my bathtub. We can stretch out. I think I got a cramp just sitting in your tub."

"Mm-hmm. You weren't complaining at the time."

"Nobody complains when there's a beautiful woman in front of them, dripping wet and covered in bubbles. Especially if that woman is you. That's a fantasy I've had for years. I wasn't about to let a cramp ruin it for me."

"How romantic."

"I aim to please."

Bonnie collected the pillar candles spread out on the coffee table and tucked them away in her bag. "All right. Let's go. Maybe after we talk to the spirits, it'll be dinnertime and Caroline will take pity on us. Because I don't feel like cooking and I can't eat anymore of your pancakes."

"You're right, wouldn't want to ruin a good thing." He pointed at her, brows hiked. "We should have a monthly pancake day. The anticipation will make them even better."

Pressing her lips together to hide a smile, she strolled out the door. "If you say so."

"I do." He walked next to her as they crossed her front yard, close enough that their shoulders kept brushing. When they reached the car, he stepped ahead to swing the passenger door open, waving at her to climb in.

Bonnie took a seat and accepted the grimoire as he passed it to her. With a thrust of his arm, the door closed, and he circled around to the driver's side.

"Ready?" He shoved the key in the ignition.

She took a deep breath and nodded. Despite wanting answers from the moment she'd woken up in her grave, now she was feeling a little reticent to chase them down. What if she didn't like what she found out? What if all of this really was temporary? Or some kind of fever dream for the dead? The idea that she might've actually gotten a no-strings second (third? fourth?) chance just seemed so unlikely.

"Sooner we get some answers, sooner we can start focusing on other things." Damon pulled away from the curb and took off down the road. "Like your marriage proposal."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I didn't ask you to marry me."

He grinned at her. "Not yet."

Bonnie laid out a circle of candles in a part of the cemetery that was well known for its magical affiliations. It was an off-set of the general cemetery, where they'd buried the witches in unmarked graves. It was a darker part of history that the town didn't like to discuss. At some point, someone had expanded the fence to include it, despite the fact that it looked empty. Suspicious people fearing retribution from the supernatural thought it might keep people from walking on sacred ground.

Bonnie sat herself down in the center of her candle ring, her legs crossed beneath her.

Damon kept his distance, perched atop a headstone, eyes sharp and mouth flat.

One by one, the candles lit, orange flames stretching up impossibly high before they settled.

Taking a deep breath, Bonnie closed her eyes and focused. The words from her spell came out clean, with the sort of seriousness she always applied to magic. This was no place to disrespect the people who would be sharing their knowledge with her.

It took time. She repeated the spell, over and over, until a rough tickle made her throat ache. But she could feel the magic around multiply, so she pushed past the feeling and focused on her chant. The atmosphere grew heavier. The air seemed to thicken and Bonnie felt a pressure form all around her.

And then, a shift…

A knot formed at her brow before she opened her eyes.

It was not Sheila Bennett that sat before her, but Emily.

"It has been a long time, Little Witch." Emily lowered her chin an inch in greeting.

Bonnie felt her heart lurch in her chest. She'd told herself not to hope for Grams, but now, she couldn't help but wish somehow Sheila Bennett had pushed through. Shaking off the feeling, she remembered her objective.

"You have questions." Emily searched her face. "I think I owe you answers after the difficulty I caused. Family is family, Miss Bennett. Ask what you will, I will answer what I can."

Bonnie nodded, a quick jerk of her head, and then choked out, "How…?" She cleared her throat. "How am I alive? I died, three years ago. A heart attack."

"You think you don't deserve it? A chance to live the life you never had."

"It's not about deserving something."

"Isn't it?" Emily tipped her head, staring at her curiously. "The legacy of Bennett witches is one spoiled with sacrifice. We put others before ourselves. We fight for the Balance when it won't fight for us. We demand that others do right, but are never treated with the same respect. With Lucy's passing, you are the last of us. The last Bennett witch. With your death, we are lost. A footnote in magic's history."

Bonnie shook her head. "So that's it? I'm alive because you were afraid the Bennetts would be forgotten?"

"You are alive because you deserve to be. Because we have allowed ourselves to be martyrs for the cause for too long. No more. No more laying down your life in exchange for another's."

"I have these gifts for a reason... If I can use them for good—"

"Your powers are your own, Bonnie. We will not limit you. But think of what led to your heart failing you. Think of how much you gave, how you pushed your body and your magic to the brink. Think of why you died, and ask yourself if all of it was truly worth it."

Bonnie's throat swelled, and her eyes burned. "I was trying to do the right thing."

"And you paid the price." Emily leaned forward, catching Bonnie's gaze. "This is a gift. The combined efforts of every Bennett witch before you has offered you the chance to live again. Live the way we cannot. Live the way life has rarely offered you. Be free, Bonnie. Free of the shackles that have weighed down your ancestors in ways that we still see today. Owe nothing to anybody but yourself. Take from this opportunity what you deserve."

"So it isn't… There's no time limit on this?"

"Only what you put on yourself. Extend yourself too far and your heart can only take so much. Take care of yourself, return to your roots, give to nature what you take from it, and you can live a long and beautiful life."

Blinking back tears, she smiled. "Thank you." She looked around, despite knowing she wouldn't see anymore of her ancestors, especially not the one she wanted to see most.

Emily smiled back, lowering her chin, and then she faded out of sight, leaving Bonnie to her seat on the dry grass, surrounded by slowly dying candles.

"Well?" Damon called.

Bonnie's shoulders fell, relief rushing through her. She pushed up from the ground and dusted herself off. "I think I'm going to be okay."

"Yeah?" Damon hopped off the headstone and walked toward her. He stepped over the flickering flames and into the candle ring, and then paused, giving a full body shudder.

Bonnie frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just a weird energy surge. Pretty sure it's a witchy warning to get off your ancestors." Ignoring it, he ducked down to gather up the candles in reach. As soon as the first one was removed from the ring, the other candles went out. Damon packed them away in Bonnie's bag and looked up at her. "So, who did it? Was it Sheila? I feel like she's probably running things over there."

Bonnie smiled faintly. "Her and everyone else. It was a gift. I'm the last of the Bennetts and they didn't want us to die away like that."

"They just took matters into their own hands?" His brows hiked, and then flattened, seeming to accept this twist. "Pays to be a witch, I guess."

"Sometimes." She put her grimoire away in the bag with the candles, and watched as Damon stood, hitching the long strap over his shoulder. He held a hand out to her then. She folded their fingers together and held on tight as they left the cemetery.

"So you've got your sixty years back then? No more heart problems?"

"As long as I take care of myself. She said I should reconnect with my magic and nature, and I think she's right. I've been doing this on my own for a while, pushing limits I didn't even know I had. I think it'll be good to get back to basics, try to do this without the weight of some apocalyptic deadline to think about."

"Whatever keeps you on your toes, Bon-Bon." He bumped her shoulder and grinned down at her. "Feel better?"

She blew out a relieved sigh and nodded. "A lot better."

"Great. Then after we play nice with Stefan and Caroline, we get to talk details."

"Details?"

"Yup."

"Is this your roundabout way of asking how long-term this is?" She motioned between them.

He swung their joined hands back and forth. "I think we both know I've had some… complicated relationships in the past. I was hoping to skip the messy parts here and just get to the good stuff. I'm not saying 'let's pick out the wedding china,' but it was a long three years. Settling down and keeping you from kicking anymore buckets sounds like something I can sign up for."

She bit her lip as she smiled. "Well, with an offer like that…"

Damon released her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her in against his side. He dropped a kiss atop her head and walked them toward the car. "Is that a 'yes'?"

"It's a tentative 'let's see where this goes.'"

"I can work with that."

…

Matt slumped down onto a stool with a sigh. He dropped his Sheriff's hat on the bar and nodded to the guy making drinks, wrapping an appreciative hand around a bottle of beer that was quickly set in front of him.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "Long night?"

"Did you know people still tagged things? I've been chasing sixteen-year-old kids all night and their graffiti work…? Nothing to be proud of."

She laughed, and raised her glass of bourbon in cheers. "To hard work."

He knocked his bottle against her glass and took a long drag. "What about you? What'd you do today?"

"Honestly? Not a lot. I found a coven a town over, I've been emailing back and forth with their leader about different ways to connect to my powers. She says it'll take a lot of time and meditation, especially if I've extended myself too far. I need to teach it to trust me… Like it's a pet I mistreated or something."

"Huh. And it's going okay?"

"Yeah. Just slowly." She shrugged. "It's given me some time settle back into things. It's weird, it was only three years, but the town feels different. A lot of new faces."

"People forget all the weird things that happen around here. Turns into urban legend, so the families move back, looking for that small-town charm." He shook his head. "Comfort of not looking behind the curtain, I guess."

"Yeah, well, you've got that handled, don't you, Sheriff?" She leaned over to bump his shoulder with her own. "Must be hard, juggling the regular police work with your after-hours vampire hunting…"

"It's not easy, but… I don't know. I like it. Keeps me young."

She snorted. "I don't think you need to worry about that…" She looked around pointedly at the many young women that were casting an interested eye in Matt's direction. "Do Sheriff's have groupies?"

He shook his head, laughing under his breath. "Whatever. You don't get to talk. Hooking up with Damon…" His brows hiked as he looked at her.

Bonnie frowned and shifted on her stool. "Is that weird?"

"It's different." He shrugged. "Not unexpected though."

"Really?"

"Damon is… Damon. We're never gonna be best friends, our priorities are too different for that. But the one thing we can agree on is you."

Bonnie stared up at him, a little confused. "Me?"

"After everything happened, when you died, I tried to hold out hope. You have a way of coming back, so I wanted to believe it'd be like that. But eventually, you just get jaded. Old wounds don't heal, they just harden. Figured it was easier to stop hoping for miracles and get back to what I'm used to. Grieving over people that deserved better…" He licked his lips and stared down at his beer a long moment. "Damon, he wasn't willing to do that. Don't always like him, but he never gave up on you. It's funny, you know. When he first turned up in town, those first couple years, he would've thrown any one of us to the wolves. But he's loyal. If he cares about you, he's in it for the long haul."

Bonnie hummed. "Yeah. He's clingy, right?"

Matt grinned. "I'm just saying, I get it. I'm not his biggest fan, but you and him, you make sense. It was a long time coming, I think."

"Did you pre-drink?" she teased.

"Hey! I'm trying to be supportive here."

"Well, don't. Eventually he'll screw up, and I need you to be my sounding board when I need to vent about him."

He chuckled. "Deal."

Leaning against him, she let out a long, content sigh. "Thank you, though."

"Any time."

…

"I'm not knocking meditation. I'm just saying, there are a lot of other things I could be doing right now… Reorganizing the girls' bedrooms, finishing up that awful book for book club, wedding planning, sexing up my ridiculously hot fiancé, making dinner, scrapbooking…"

"Caroline." Bonnie opened her eyes to frown at her best friend. "You're the one that offered to help me reconnect with nature."

"Well, yeah, but I thought it'd be more like going for a hike in the morning or something. Not sitting on the ground, humming like monks. Not to mention, it's getting cold out here. It's November. I wouldn't be surprised if it starts snowing."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "It helps me focus. And it makes my magic stronger."

"Well, it puts me to sleep. I'm bored! I don't know how you can do this every day."

With a shrug, she said, "Sometimes I just do yoga. It helps me wind down and focus."

"Yoga I can do!" Caroline brightened. "I can fit that in between dropping the girls off at school and town council meetings. It's been a little hectic lately because we're discussing details about the fair next month. You wouldn't believe how many people want to argue about whether an apple crisp should be allowed in the pie contest."

"I really wouldn't." Bonnie shook her head. "Look, you don't have to come out. Really."

"No, I want to." Reaching across the space between them, Caroline grabbed Bonnie's hands and gave them a shake. "I'm sorry. I'm too neurotic to just sit still like this. I've got a hundred and three things on my mind."

"It's fine. We'll do yoga together. I can do my meditations on my own."

"Now I feel bad." Caroline frowned. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

"It's fine, Care, seriously. You've been awesome. Except maybe about the bacon thing. I still don't get that."

"It's bad for your cholesterol, which affects your heart." Caroline stared at her sternly. "I just want you to eat right."

"Okay, but you can't pick bacon off my food. Not only is it unsanitary, but it's crazy."

"Crazy is how I show my love." Pushing up off the forest floor, Caroline dusted herself off and then helped Bonnie to her feet. "Speaking of, did you check in with your cardiologist?"

"Yes, and just like always, Dr. Choi said my heart is fine. I don't need to see her every week. It's been six months and there's no signs I'm going to flatline any second." Grabbing up her things, Bonnie turned on her heel to walk back toward the boarding house, Caroline keeping pace at her side, swinging her water bottle back and forth. "I know you're worried, but I'm really okay. I told you what Emily said."

"Sure, but that wouldn't be the first time a witch lied to us. I just want to be absolutely certain. Last time was…" Caroline's face twisted up. "I know it's selfish, but I can't lose you again. I tried to be okay after. I threw myself into being a mom and making sure my family was happy. But there was always something missing. Someone missing."

"I know." Bonnie bumped Caroline's hip with her own. "But I'm not going anywhere. Not for a long time anyway. My heart's good, I'm working on my magic, and I'm resting. A lot. Almost more than I like."

"Good." Caroline nodded. "So, subject change, are you coming to dinner tonight?"

"It's Friday. I wouldn't miss it. I know you said not to bring anything, but I found an old recipe of Grams' and I think you'll love it."

"Awesome. The girls really want to see you."

"I saw them last Saturday. I was the one cheering so loud I was getting dirty looks."

Caroline giggled. "And they appreciate it. Especially the homemade signs you make. I was wondering where all my glitter glue went, but now I know."

"They're good kids. Questionable soccer players, but really good kids."

"Hey…" Caroline protested good-naturedly. "They're eight. They'll get better."

"If you say so."

The boarding house came into view then, and they picked up their pace to cross the backyard to the door leading inside.

Stefan was sitting at the kitchen table, book open in front of him.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that what we're supposed to read for book club?"

He smiled, amused. "It is. Caroline said she was too busy with town council, so she asked me to read it and give her the Cliff's Notes."

"Caroline!"

"What? I am too busy. Besides, Stefan loves reading. And he's better at breaking down the character's motives than anything I could find online."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You guys are ridiculous."

"I know." Grinning, Caroline circled around to kiss Stefan, and then took a seat in the chair next to him.

"You guys are done early…" Stefan looked between them.

"Someone got bored, so we called it quits." Bonnie crossed the kitchen to grab an apple out of the fruit bowl on the counter.

His brows flicked up, unsurprised.

"I'm starting to feel a little picked on here," Caroline said, but she was smiling.

"You bring it on yourself." Taking a bite out of her apple, Bonnie started across the kitchen. "Anyway, I should head out. I told Damon I'd drop by the Grill when I was done here."

"Oh, how's that going?" Caroline frowned thoughtfully. "It's weird to think that he owns it now."

Bonnie shrugged. "Keeps him busy. Sometimes I think he bought it just so he could tell Matt that if he ever loses his badge, he can have his old job back. They're getting along okay. I think Matt's glad Damon's around to help with anything weird going on around town. I know he has you guys, but I think he felt bad, since you have the girls."

"We're always happy to help in whatever way we can," Stefan said.

"I know." Bonnie smiled. "Anyway. I'll see you guys tonight. I'll bring that potato dish I was telling you about."

"Okay." Caroline sat forward in her seat and stole Stefan's coffee. "And hey, call me later."

"I'm seeing you in like eight hours."

"So? I want to talk anyway. I have a busy day. Things happen!"

With a laugh, Bonnie waved at her, before pushing through the kitchen door and making her way out.

Bonnie found Damon sitting at a table in the corner of Mystic Grill, paperwork spread out in front of him.

"Hard at work?" She slid into the booth beside him and looked over the papers, employee's names and hours scribbled out in his slanted writing.

"Something like that." He finished his sentence and then turned, popping a kiss to her cheek. "How was meditation?"

"Short-lived." She sighed and leaned back in the booth, eyeing him. "Caroline's not cut out for sitting still. She did offer to do yoga with me, though."

"Yeah? I have a feeling she won't like it when you get into downward dog and I join in."

Bonnie laughed. "You're going to have to keep your hands to yourself, caveman."

"I'll see what I can do, but I make no guarantees." He dropped a hand down to her thigh and rubbed the heel of his palm down the length of it. "How are you feeling?"

"Good." Bonnie leaned over and laid her head against his shoulder. "I know you're worried, but I'm okay."

"You haven't been pushing yourself?"

"Damon, I sat on the ground and hummed for like a half an hour today. If anything, I'm restless."

"You want an apron? You can run bar if you want."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I already waitress for you three days of the week. I'm good."

"So, what do you want then?" He shifted to look at her. "What would make you happy?"

"I want to go the meetings you and Matt are having. I know you think you're hiding it from me, but you're not. You guys get together on book club nights to talk strategy about keeping the town safe. You avoid telling me when something dangerous is happening. I don't want you to coddle me. We're partners. You said that. Bonnie and Clyde."

"Yeah, well, that Bonnie didn't have a heart condition."

"It's not a condition, and it's been dealt with. Damon, I'm healthy. I'm taking care of myself, every day, and I'm not overdoing it. I don't need magic to help you keep the town safe. We've hunted down vampires with stake guns and no magic before. I can do this. But you have to let me in."

He frowned, not looking entirely convinced, but eventually sighed. "Fine. But only because Matt is a terrible 'Bonnie.' He second guesses everything I do."

"So do I."

"Sure, but you do it out of love. He does it because he doesn't trust me."

"You guys have a spotty history."

"So do we."

"We were different. For one thing, Matt was never forced into an isolated prison world for four months with nothing but your company to keep him going."

"Is that a suggestion?"

"Damon."

He grinned. "All right, fine. Back to business. Yes, you can start hanging out with us while we talk about what's going on in town. But no magical cures. Not until we're sure it won't result in a trip to Dr. Choi."

"Okay." She pulled his arm up and around her. "You put Taylor on to manage tonight, right? We've got dinner with Stefan and Caroline."

"Yeah, she's coming in early. You still planning on putting together that potato thing?"

"Mm-hmm. I'm gonna head home soon."

"How soon?"

She raised an eyebrow. "We're not hooking up in your office again."

"All right, but anybody could walk into the bathroom…"

Rolling her eyes, she elbowed him in the side.

Damon merely laughed.

…

Damon grumbled about wearing matching shirts, but he'd promptly forgotten all about his whining after Lizzie and Josie took both of his hands and jumped around excitedly upon seeing him in it. He was wearing Lizzie's soccer jersey number and Bonnie was wearing Josie's. It was the last game of the fall season and they'd shown up in support, especially since Caroline was bogged down with town council stuff and wasn't sure she'd be able to make it.

With the girls racing from one end of the soccer field to the other, not particularly invested in whether they won or not, Bonnie and Damon took a seat in the stands, cheering whenever the girls looked their way.

"Are you warm enough?" Damon looked Bonnie over, her jacket unzipped so she could rep Josie's number more obviously.

"I'm fine." She smiled up at him and leaned against his side. "It's not that cold."

"It's almost December. You should have gloves on."

"You're such a worrywart."

Taking her hands in his, he rubbed his own over them, and lifted them up to blow hot air between her palms.

Bonnie giggled, and dropped her head against his shoulder. "There's like five minutes left, I think I'll avoid frostbite."

He hummed, but didn't drop her hands, his gaze set on the field.

Suddenly, Lizzie had the soccer ball in front of her. She stood, staring down at it in confusion.

Damon leapt up. "Kick it!" he yelled. "Run, Lizzie, run!" He waved his arms, pointing at the opposing goal.

Startled into movement, she kicked the ball, and she was off. Grinning wildly, she ran it down the field, carefully avoiding the other girls.

"She's gonna do it… Holy shit, she's gonna score." Damon was clapping and cheering her on. "You got it! Keep going, Lizzie!"

Bonnie stood with him, clapping and cheering.

"Is that my daughter?" Caroline appeared next to them, her eyes wide. "That is my daughter. Oh my God. Oh my God! Go, go, go, Lizzie! You can do it, baby!"

Down on the field, Stefan had his arms up, one holding a clipboard, the other buried in his hair. "Yes! Yes!"

Just short of the net, Lizzie kicked the ball, and it sailed past the tiny eight-year-old goalie. Score!

Damon let out a shrill whistle and laughed. "That's my niece!" He pointed at the field excitedly. "That's my niece!"

Bonnie was laughing happily, a hand covering her mouth.

Josie crossed the field in a hot second and tackled her sister to the ground in a hug.

Stefan ran out onto the field to grab them both up; he picked them right off the ground and spun them in circles.

Caroline and Damon both turned and high-fived each other over Bonnie's head, riding the high of the moment enough to forget they still semi-disliked each other, depending on the day.

Damon wrapped an arm around Bonnie's shoulders and pulled her into his side, grinning so wide that it transformed his whole face.

She smiled up at him and breathed out a happy sigh, turning her head to watch Caroline hurry down and join her family, hugging and kissing everybody. What had seemed to suspiciously perfect just six months ago now seemed exactly right, for everybody involved. Bonnie was glad that Caroline had her happily-ever-after with Stefan and the girls. And she was grateful she'd found her own, too.

Damon shuffled them off the stands so they could walk down and meet the excited girls, each holding Caroline or Stefan's hand, bouncing happily, with big smiles and flushed cheeks.

"Did you see? Aunty Bonnie, did you see what I did?" Lizzie leaned over and grabbed at Bonnie's hand, tugging enthusiastically. "I got a goal!"

"I saw. You did such a great job!" Bonnie stroked a hand over Lizzie's blonde hair and grinned at her. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you!"

"You know what this means?" Damon said.

Both Josie and Lizzie pushed up onto the tips of their toes, eyes wide as they looked up at him. "Pizza?" they chorused.

"Pizza," he agreed. "Whatever you want on it. We'll make it together. I'll even show you how to make the family pizza sauce. It's a secret, you know."

"A secret?" They looked up to their parents hopefully.

Caroline and Stefan shared a look and then nodded at their daughters.

"Are we gonna make the dough? I wanna throw it!" Josie said, grabbing on to Damon's hand and leaning against his hip.

"Sure. We can make that happen."

Together, the six of them walked to the benches, where all the gear was waiting, along with an excited team and their parents, all happy to pat Lizzie on the back for her winning goal.

…

At the beginning of December, Bonnie received a surprise visit. In the middle of making dinner, or, more accurately, watching Damon make dinner, there was a knock at the door.

"We expecting someone?"

Bonnie shook her head and pushed herself off the island counter. "Not that I know of. I'll get it."

Damon paused in chopping up garlic, his brow raised. "You sure?"

"It's my house…" She walked backwards down the hallway.

He waved the knife around off-handedly. "I like to think of it as ours."

"I've noticed." She grinned, before turning on her heel and continuing to the door. Whoever she was expecting to see on the other side, it wasn't him.

"It's true then. You are alive."

Bonnie blinked. "I… How did you find out?"

"No welcome back? Should've guessed, I suppose." Enzo took a look past her, to where Damon was puttering around the kitchen, and his jaw ticked. "How long's that been going on?"

Bonnie sighed. She pushed out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. "This isn't about Damon."

"Isn't it?" He scoffed. "Wasn't it always?"

She stared up at him searchingly. "I did love you."

"Right." His mouth twisted and his brows arced, unconvinced. "Nothing says 'love' like resurrecting and searching out another man."

"It wasn't like that. For the first three months, I didn't look for anyone, you or him. I was putting myself back together. Walking on eggshells. Terrified I was going to die again and there'd be no more second chances." She crossed her arms over her chest. "It puts things into perspective. You start asking yourself why you did what you did. What you'll do if your time really is limited. Who you want to spend that time with."

"And he was the lucky winner?"

"I missed him. Not… Not more than you. Just in a different way." Bonnie sighed and shook her head. "Damon and I were complicated. Sometimes we felt inevitable and other times we felt like a tragedy waiting to happen. I told myself that he loved Elena, there would never be anyone but Elena, and that I was okay with that. I wanted to be with someone that would put me first, that would love me as much as I loved them, and you were that, Enzo."

"But I wasn't enough. Our love wasn't enough for you."

"You deserve someone who loves you with all of themselves, and a part of me was still holding onto Damon. It couldn't let go of him. That wasn't fair to you, to us." She remembered the letter, how she brought it with her, no matter where she went, unwilling to open it but unwilling to get rid of it, too.

"How is it that bloody man gets everything?" He stabbed an angry finger toward the door. "What has he ever done that deserves that kind of love and loyalty?"

"It's not my place to defend him, and it'll only hurt you more if I do." She stared up at him sadly, and stepped forward. Reaching up on her tip-toes, she pressed a kiss to his cheek, and stroked her finger across it. "I'm sorry I didn't find you. I owed you an explanation. And a goodbye."

Enzo tipped his head back and drew in a deep breath. He raised his eyes, away from her, as they shone bright against his will. "I was hoping for a different outcome here, love."

"I know, and I'm sorry."

He nodded. "Take care of yourself, Bonnie." He returned her kiss with one to her forehead. "And if you ever change your mind, I'm sure you can find me."

Bonnie said nothing. She simply stood, staring ahead as Enzo turned on his heel and walked down her porch stairs. She knew that if she turned, he would be gone, and, in all likelihood, she would never see him again.

The front door opened, and Damon stood, leaning against the jamb. "Should I be worried you're second guessing your choices?"

Bonnie's mouth turned up faintly. She turned to face him, and shook her head. "No." Stepping through the door, Bonnie didn't look back. Her hand slid over Damon's stomach and hooked around his side, drawing him back into the house with her. "Weren't you cooking?"

"Is that a hint?"

"That I'm hungry? Yes, absolutely. I was promised an authentic Italian pasta and a whole lot of wine… And not the boxed variety either."

"I'm offended you've even had boxed wine." Hooking his arm around her shoulders, he led her toward the kitchen. "And my pasta is going to knock your socks off."

"Big words from a guy whose pancake batter is the baking equivalent of grout."

"Rude."

Bonnie laughed, and the heavy feeling of Enzo's visit dissipated, leaving her feeling light and happy and whole.

…

Just about every available surface of her bedroom was dressed in candles. With a flick of Bonnie's fingers, fiery wicks grew or dimmed. She'd found a happy medium that cast dancing shadows on the wall. Her magic was stronger. She could feel it in her core. Every day she spent connecting to it, listening to it, building that trust between herself and her power, she felt something cement itself inside her.

She lowered her ring finger and watched as the lights on her left and right dimmed, while the ones ahead, on her dresser, brightened.

"Cool trick."

Bonnie blinked. The candles leveled out and she turned her head to look at Damon.

His hair was sleep-mussed and he stared up at her from heavy-lidded blue eyes, mouth pulling up faintly.

"I used to wonder why fire was my go-to element. It always seemed too destructive…" She looked down and then away, back to the candles. "I was really angry growing up. I tried not to be. I tried to be calm and accepting and…"

"Normal?"

"Average." She pursed her lips. "But I was so angry… I used to hope my mom would come back just so I could tell her I didn't need her. I never needed her. And my dad… He was always gone. He buried himself in work." She shook her head. "I had Grams, but it wasn't the same. Elena had amazing parents. I was always so jealous of her for that. Caroline, too. I don't think I really got her until her dad left and her guard came down a little more. Easier to relate to pain when you've been feeling it for so long."

Damon didn't say anything. Rather, he reached out, stroking his fingers up and down her forearm, and he listened.

"And then when I lost Grams, fire started making sense. It was like all that hurt and anger that was built up in me, this was how it was going to come out. Even when I pushed myself too far, a part of me liked it. The release that magic gave me. I could deal with nosebleeds, but I couldn't figure out how to get past the abandonment and the fear."

She bit her lip a long moment. "I'm not over it. I'm still mad at my mom. At my dad. And I miss Grams. I think about her all the time. What she could've taught me. How she could've helped me through so much of this… I was given this gift, this opportunity to try again, but I'm the last one. The only Bennett left in the whole world and it's so… It's lonely."

She shook her head. "There are other witches, I know that. But there was something nice about knowing that Lucy was out there. At least then I wasn't alone. But I am. One day, sixty years from now, that's it. No more Bennetts. And that makes me angry, too. Because we did try. We tried so hard to be good people who helped and what did it get us?"

Damon's hand sunk down into hers and Bonnie folded her fingers into the spaces between his.

Taking a deep breath, she let it out on a sigh, and then turned to him. "Am I ungrateful?"

"No."

She frowned, unconvinced.

"Bonnie…" He squeezed her hand. "You're allowed to be pissed. It's not like the world handed you much to be happy with. It seemed to be pretty happy giving you the short-end of the stick most of the time. If you want to be mad, be mad. You wanna talk about it, I'm a pretty good listener. Usually when I'm a little more intoxicated, but I can make an exception for you."

She snorted and rolled her eyes. "My hero."

He grinned lightly.

Shuffling closer to him, she reached a hand up and pressed her palm flat over his cheek, the tips of her fingers flaring out to skim against his hair. "You used to make me angry… You were always so cocky and demanding and you drove me crazy…"

"I have that effect."

"You still do. Sometimes." She stared at him searchingly. "But you make me happy, too."

"Yeah?"

She nodded. "Really happy."

His face softened. "It's mutual."

Her thumb traced under his eye gently. "I do love you, Damon. It scares me sometimes just how much. Because before I died, when you went into that box, I was so lost. And I was angry, because I put so much faith in you. I wanted to believe that no matter what happened, you'd always be there, you'd always have my back, but you left, too. And I know there are some things that you just can't promise, but—"

"I'll never leave you again." He stared at her seriously. "It was a mistake. Getting into that box, writing you a letter, hoping you'd understand, all of it. I was an idiot. I thought I was the reason you were always getting hurt. That if I just eliminated myself, you'd be safer or happier or something. But I wasn't thinking. Because at least if I'm here, I know someone is doing everything they can to keep you alive. And that's what I want, Bonnie. I just want you to be here, alive and happy. I spent three years not having you, and let me tell you, the world sucks. What's so great about living forever if the only one you want around isn't there?"

She smiled, her mouth trembling. "I think I can relate."

"So no more walking away, all right? I'm here, you're here, we're good."

Bonnie nodded. "Okay."

"Okay." He leaned in then, kissing her for a long moment. And when he broke away, he stroked his fingers through her hair, tucking it back, behind her ear. "I mentioned I love you too, right?"

She shook her head.

"It was implied."

Her eyes narrowed. "Was it?"

He chuckled, grinning at her. "I love you." He pecked her lips. "I reeeally love you…" He pushed her over to lay flat on her back and ducked his head down to press a kiss to her neck. "You want me to prove it?"

Bonnie giggled, her heart feeling light and floaty in her chest. "How?"

Damon raised his head and stared down at her through soft blue eyes. "Ask me again in sixty years. I'll be right here. Glued to your side." He patted a hand against her hip. "Like an octopus."

Her mouth parted on a smile. "Yeah?"

He ducked down, lips brushing against hers as he said, "Yeah."

…

On the anniversary of Bonnie's death, they gathered at the boarding house for a Christmas party. Matt invited his new girlfriend, Sasha. Tyler drove in from California with his fiancé Dani and her son Ben in tow. Together, they all gathered in the parlor.

Next to the fire, Josie and Lizzie set up their favorite game board and placed an honorary piece on it for Alaric. Stefan was busy in the kitchen, cooking, while Caroline made her rounds, acting as host. All the while, Damon never left Bonnie's side.

"I'm not going to collapse," she assured him, when he adamantly refused to bring her the apple cider she'd asked for. Caroline had been reworking the recipe so the cinnamon wasn't so overpowering this time around.

"You don't know that."

"I had a consult with Dr. Choi this morning. My heart is fine. I did an extra hour of meditation. You didn't let me work all week, just in case it was stressful. I literally spent most of today just getting ready. The most taxing thing I did today was run across a parking lot to get a pedicure, and that was just because I was five minutes late for my appointment. Which only happened because I fell asleep watching trashy TV."

"Dr. Phil again? Did he put verbs in his sentences?"

Bonnie laughed. "Shut up."

"I'm still not getting you the apple cider. I have PTSD from that crap."

"Damon, seriously…" She hooked her arms around his waist and leaned back to look at him. "I know you're worried, but we've done everything we possibly could to make sure I was healthy."

"I thought you were healthy last time." He brushed her hair back from her face and skimmed his fingers down the slope of her neck, thumb pressing down against her pulse in a way that had become all too familiar. Sometimes, she'd wake up in the middle of the night to find his head on her chest, ear pressed to her heart.

"I overdid it before. I wasn't taking care of myself. It's different this time."

He sighed, long and loud, but then nodded. "Fine. But I still think you should've had some of my blood, just in case."

She raised an eyebrow. "We talked about this…"

"It's a valid suggestion." He stepped back from her and then turned, making his way to the table that was set up with drinks and snacks.

"Still pushing the blood thing, huh?" Caroline came to a stop next to her. "Don't get me wrong, I think he's got a point, but… I'll respect your choices."

Bonnie smiled and knocked her shoulder against Caroline's. "Thank you. And seriously, congratulations on this place. The decorations look amazing. How much time did you spend putting it all together?"

"Probably too long. Stefan found me in here hanging silver bells from the ceiling at three in the morning. He had to drag me off the ladder and put me to bed. But I couldn't sleep, I just kept thinking that the tree was an inch too far to the left." She frowned in the direction of the tall, decorated tree set up in front of the window. "You see it too, right?"

Swallowing a laugh, Bonnie stared up at her friend until she sighed.

"I know. Anyway, the girls helped, too. They magicked a lot of the decorations into place so I'd stop worrying about it. I'm glad you like it." She hooked an arm through Bonnie's. "And I'm glad you're here."

"Wouldn't be anywhere else."

Caroline took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm gonna hold you to that, Bonnie Bennett."

"I hope you do."

"Here." Damon appeared then, handing a drink off to Bonnie and then another to Caroline.

Caroline eyed the cup suspiciously, but took it from his outstretched hand. "Okay, I'm going to go introduce myself to Tyler's new little family. Maybe Ben wants to join the girls in a game of Monopoly." She wiggled her eyebrows and then walked away, putting on her friendly host face.

Damon's hand slid over Bonnie's back as he tugged her into his side. He leaned down, the tip of his nose grazing her face from her temple to her cheek. "How much longer do we have to hang around playing nice?"

"A while." She sipped at her apple cider. "It's only six. We've been here an hour, if that."

"I left Taylor with the Grill. Who knows if it's still standing."

"Oh, please. She runs it all the time, I'm sure she can handle it tonight."

"Well, see, now you've jinxed it." His hand rubbed circles along the small of her back as he bent to press a kiss to her shoulder.

"Have not." She tipped her head a little, sipping at her cider. "And pretend you don't like it all you want, I know you enjoy these get-togethers."

"Any other night, sure. But tonight…" His brows hiked. "I don't like tonight."

Bonnie hummed, and then turned to look at him. "What did you do every other time? For three years…"

"Drank." He shrugged. "The first year, that wasn't pretty. I made some less than stellar choices… People got hurt."

Bonnie pressed her lips flat. "And the other two?"

"I learned to control myself a little better. Figured I should take out my self-hate on myself and not others… Turns out that's just a recipe for drinking until I blackout."

Bonnie slid her hand up his back and turned, pressing her chest to his. His hand slid up from her neck, fingers curling in her hair. "New tradition, right?"

"New tradition."

A cleared throat suddenly drew their attention, and they turned to see Stefan standing awkwardly near the doorway leading into the hall. "Uh, someone else decided to join in."

Elena stepped through then, and smiled at the group collected. "Sorry I'm late…"

Bonnie's fingers flexed against Damon's back. His hand slid from her hair to land atop her shoulder, and squeezed.

Matt crossed the room to hug Elena first. Tyler followed after, drawing Dani along with him for introductions.

Ben, who was hiding behind Tyler's legs, peeked out curiously at Elena, who smiled down at him gently. He ducked away, and then fled, hurrying toward Josie and Lizzie, sitting in front of their board game.

Caroline swept in then, grabbing Elena up in a hug that, judging by Elena's wince, was just a little too tight, and rocked her from side to side. "I'm so happy you came!"

Elena nodded. "Me too. I'm sorry I didn't give you a head's up. It was kind of last minute."

"No, don't worry about it. We're just glad you're here." She stepped back. "Come in, come in. And let me get your jacket."

Elena shrugged her coat off and let Caroline's high energy distract her for a moment.

"We should go say 'hi.'" Bonnie swallowed down the surge of worry climbing up her throat and pasted on a smile.

"She'll find us when she wants to." Damon kept her pulled close, a finger curling around a tendril of her hair.

It was a few minutes before Elena eventually made her way over. Caroline bustled off to the kitchen with Stefan on her heels, leaving Elena to look around the room and decide on who she wanted to see next.

She walked up to them slowly, rubbing her hands together in that way Bonnie knew meant she was nervous and trying to hide it.

"Hey…" She smiled at them, eyes darting from faces to hands to the lack of space between their bodies. "Merry Christmas, I guess. I feel like Tuesday's kind of a weird day to throw a party, but Caroline was pretty set on the date."

Damon stiffened; his whole body became granite at Bonnie's side. "Yeah, well, important dates and all that," he bit out.

Elena blinked, confused, until the lightbulb turned on. "Oh. Oh, Bonnie, I— I'm so sorry. That was so insensitive. I didn't even connect the two dates."

"It's fine. Really." Bonnie smiled. "I didn't even want to do it, it feels a little maudlin, but Caroline felt like we needed it. A way to kind of put it all to rest, I think."

"Yeah, sure, that makes sense." Elena nodded quickly, fiddling with her fingers.

"Uncle Damon!" Lizzie cried from across the room. "We saved the car for you."

"Unclehood calls…" Damon unwrapped himself from Bonnie, dropped a kiss to her temple, and then asked, "You're okay here?"

"Yeah. Of course. Make sure you warn them you cheat."

He grinned. "Are you kidding? I'm the banker…" He walked off to join the girls, looking back at her twice, as if he still wasn't sure she could be trusted not to suddenly collapse.

Bonnie turned her attention back to Elena and cleared her throat. "So…"

"So."

"You caught a flight out or…?"

"Yeah. Last minute. And rented a car to drive the rest of the way."

Humming, she nodded.

The tension was building, stiff and uncomfortable, until Elena finally just burst. "Can we just, I don't know, skip the awkwardness and get to the point?" She stared at Bonnie searchingly. "I'm not mad. I get it. You and Damon, you make sense. In that way that things don't seem to make sense but actually do. You know?"

"Kind of."

"He's different with you. Healthier, I think. You bring out a different side of him. Or maybe just the real him." Elena shrugged. "I won't say it doesn't hurt. It— It does. He was supposed to my forever, but… I don't have forever. I have a normal, human life, and I'm okay with that. I'm okay with where I am and who I am. I mean, I'm working on me still, but I like who I'm becoming."

"Good." Bonnie nodded.

"Yeah, I think so." She smiled lightly. "Anyway, I just want you to know that I'm happy if you're happy… So, are you happy?"

Bonnie looked from Elena to Damon, sitting with Lizzie perched on one knee, Josie on his right, leaning against his shoulder, and Ben across from him, excited to play. Damon looked up and met her gaze, a grin pulling up one side of his mouth. Bonnie's heart shifted and then settled back into place.

"I am." She turned to Elena. "I really am."

"Okay. Then that's…" She let out a little sigh. "That's all that matters."

Relieved, Bonnie relaxed. "Come on. Caroline perfected her apple cider recipe."

"Ooh, sign me up."

Together, they crossed the room to the refreshments table, and Caroline came out to meet them. Reunited, the three women fell into a familiar rhythm, sharing food and stories and laughter.

…

At some point, without Bonnie even quite realizing it, Damon had moved in. She wasn't against it. It was just one of those natural progressions. He spent most of his time at her place, so it was no surprise when he started taking up half of her closet and dresser space. As time went on, it became clear to her that he was there to stay. Through thick and thin, he was settling into life with a level of contentment she wasn't sure she'd ever seen in him. He ran Mystic Grill, fought off whatever poor, evil soul wandered into Mystic Falls, and always made it home.

It wasn't all perfect. They still bickered, especially when it came to her using her magic, but he was learning not to worry so much. Her magic was a part of her, it just needed to be taken care of. And she was doing that, every day.

Bonnie hummed sleepily, blinking her eyes open as she felt Damon's mouth sliding down the slope of her neck. "Don't you have work…?"

"I've got time." His hand skimmed down her side, pushing at the hip of her pajama pants, sliding them down her thighs.

Inhaling deeply, she stretched her body out, waking up a little more. "Keep this up and I can skip yoga."

He laughed and nipped at her shoulder. "Just trying to keep you on your toes, Bon-Bon." His fingers stroked up her inner thigh, teasing her skin.

Bonnie bit her lip and pressed herself back, the curve of her ass cradled against his lap. "That what this is?"

"Something like that." He slid his hand up her stomach and across her ribs, folding his fingers around one breast, kneading it.

Bonnie stuck her hand down between her thighs, teasing herself open. "Better than pancakes, I guess."

He nuzzled against her ear and kissed down her neck. "Remind me never to bring you breakfast in bed again."

She laughed, her head falling back, and Damon's teeth nicked her neck accidentally.

"Whoops." He reached up and brushed a bead of blood away with a thumb, tucking it between his lips for a taste. "Just as sweet as ever."

Her eyes fell to half-mast then and she looked back at him, searching his face a moment.

"What?" His fingers flexed, thumb running circles around her nipple.

"We've never… I mean, obviously, before, but…"

His brow furrowed. "You lost me."

"Blood." She turned herself over onto her back, and his hand slid into the valley between her breasts. "I know you get yours from the blood bank, but… I don't know. I guess I forgot that you might… like that…"

He blinked, and then his brows hiked. "Are you trying to ask me if I want to eat you?"

"History says you always want to eat me…"

He smirked. "A valid point."

"I guess I'm just wondering if the blood aspect of things is something you miss about sex."

Humming, Damon stared down at her a long moment. And then he tugged her pajama top up and off her, tossing it aimlessly toward the laundry basket. He returned his hand to her stomach, dragging the tips of his fingers around in random motions, tickling her skin. He slid his hand higher, teasing across her ribs, and higher still, brushing along the hills of her breasts, circling a puckered nipple. Bending, he pressed a kiss to the top of one, stroking his tongue across it. And then he kissed a winding trail up her chest and neck, until he reached the cliff of her chin and teetered there, staring down at her. "I don't miss anything."

"Maybe that's the wrong wording." She stared at him searchingly. "What I mean is, I would be okay with it. I… I trust you." She reached up and drummed her fingers along the arch of his cheek. "So if you want—"

"Do you want?"

Her face twisted up and her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I'm curious. I want to try it. See if I like it."

He grinned slowly. "You'll like it."

"Yeah, okay, Casanova." She patted his chest. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

Damon pressed a kiss to her chin. His hand slid down the center of her body, knuckles rubbing across her hip bone before they dragged along the top of her thigh and down. Bonnie raised a knee and opened her legs for him, stretching out as he took his time exploring. Damon had a way of making sure every nerve ending was lit up and blinking, completely aware of him and everywhere he touched, before he even got close to touching her where she wanted him.

"How long do we have before work?"

His face skimmed along the curve of her breast. "Long enough."

An incisor brushed against her nipple; she felt it tighten almost painfully. The simple idea of it, of his teeth sinking into soft flesh, was making every inch of her skin come to life. Ribbons of energy pulsed through her. Her heart fluttering in her chest.

"The trick is making the pain and pleasure mix together. A little pain can feel good. A lot of pain takes you out of the moment. But if you time it right…" A finger ran across the center of her pussy, circled her clit, and then moved away, teasing her, working her up.

Bonnie's eyes fell closed. She rolled her hips forward, seeking out the pressure of his fingers, but they only grew lighter the more she moved into them. Her teeth scraped against her lip impatiently.

"Make sure all they can think about is how good they feel until all the want is more."

One of her hands drifted down to cup her other breast, fingers circling and rubbing her nipple as she spread her legs a little wider. Damon sunk a finger into her and curled it up, thrusting slowly.

"And when you're sure it's not going to pull them out of the moment… You go in slow." His tongue stroked along her breast, and a pinch followed. Bonnie's head felt full, her mind trying to focus on too many things at once, so it all just blurred together in one growing crescendo.

Damon's fingers picked up pace, his thumb carefully rubbing across her clit. She could feel warm liquid pooling atop her chest; her body grew light and heavy in the same breath. Her heart thudded in her ears; it hammered at her neck and chest and in her wrists. Every part of her coiled up and her breath caught. She floated in that distant white noise before, finally, she crashed. For a moment, Bonnie was energy. She was fragments into weightless pieces of fluid pleasure. Soundless, she fell back to earth in a rush, a heavy-limbed puddle of contented euphoria. The edges of her vision were a little fuzzy, and sound was slow to return to her ears.

Damon had moved, kneeling between her legs now. He leaned down, one hand planted on the bed, and caught her swollen lips in a kiss. She reached her arms up and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him in. His free hand slipped over the top of her breast and when they broke apart, he showed her the tips of his fingers, damp with blood. He licked them clean and stared down at her with heavy lidded eyes, mouth turned up in a smug smirk.

Bonnie leaned up, pressing her mouth to his, licking up the copper flavor that still lingered. When her head fell back to the pillows, he followed her down, and rested his chin atop hers. "So?"

She shrugged. "I might be persuaded to do it again." Her knee brushed against his side, leg hooking around his waist and tugging him closer. "These were new sheets though, so you're really gonna have to sell it."

Damon laughed. "I think I'm up to the challenge."

"Yeah?" She raised an eyebrow.

Nodding, he slid a hand down, squeezing her thigh. As he pushed inside her, her mouth fell open, and he nipped at her lower lip. "Yeah."

…

Bonnie leaned in the doorway, her arms crossed. "Remind me again, what was wrong with the old bathroom?"

Damon was crouched down as he continued to pull up the laminate from the floor. He wiped an arm over his face and looked back at her. "The tub was too small."

"Uh-huh. You were feeling cramped, I get that. I was with you on getting a bigger tub, but you've overhauled everything. I'm pretty sure the toilet you picked out is more expensive than my car."

"Not quite. But it was a pretty penny… I figure, if I have to pull the toilet out anyway, go big or go home."

"You're pulling the toilet out?"

"I need to move it. We've got the standing shower to put in, so the toilet's gotta move."

"Standing shower…" She stared at him. "Do we have enough room in here for that?"

"We will when I move the toilet."

Bonnie sighed. "Fine. But once the bathroom's done—"

"Then I was planning on fixing the closet."

"What's wrong with the closet?"

"It's too small. Especially since you and Caroline have a standing shopping date. We need more room." He pushed up off the floor, tool belt hanging low on his hips. "Which reminds me… The room next door, I thought we could move the wall back. That'd give us some room for the walk-in closet. I don't want to get rid of the room. It'll just be smaller, like an office or something."

"Oh, is that why you've been measuring in there?" She raised an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted to put bookshelves up?"

"I do." He nodded as he walked toward her. "In our new office. After I've built our walk-in closet."

"Mm-hmm." His hands slid over her hips and tugged her toward him. "Since when are you such a handyman?"

"Since I realized how hot you get when I wear plaid and fix things." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Bonnie laughed, her head falling back. "It's a good look."

"I know."

...

Caroline and Stefan were married in the spring. Damon was best man, Bonnie was maid of honor, and Josie and Lizzie were the flower girls. It was a small, intimate affair that was thrown in the backyard under a gauze of white lace and pink roses.

Bonnie danced with Damon, head pressed to his chest, watching Matt twirl the twins in the grass. Stefan and Caroline hadn't let go of each other, their hands constantly wound together.

"They look happy." Bonnie stared at them, whispering to each other, smiling and laughing. If she looked back on all of it, from the very beginning, it made sense. Like breadcrumbs left for a keen eye, those two were always going to end up together. She was glad they did. Glad that life eventually threw them all a bone and let them find some real and lasting happiness.

"Probably because they are. I hear marriage does that." Damon stroked a hand up Bonnie's back and gently squeezed the nape of her neck. "You got that wedding fever yet, Bon-Bon? Say the word, I'll peel any and all garters off your legs with my teeth."

Bonnie laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you would."

He dropped his chin down atop her head and hummed. "What's a guy got to do to get a life-long commitment out of you, huh?"

"Damon…" She looked up at him gently. "Sixty years. Sixty very human years."

"So?" He shrugged. "More than a lot of people get."

"Humans go grey and wrinkle and can't exactly bend like their twenty-year old selves once could."

"I've seen grandmas do yoga."

Her eyebrows arched. "We have to be realistic about this."

"I am." He stared at her seriously. "I'm not going anywhere. When your wrinkles have wrinkles, I'll love those too."

Her heart thumped in her chest. "Easy to say when I'm wrinkle-less."

"Hey…" He reached up and brushed her hair back from her shoulder, stroking a thumb along her cheek. "There's options. Maybe one day, you decide you wanna turn. Or we find another cure. I don't know. But I'm not throwing in the towel over one very distant, potential ending… We'll figure something out." He leaned down then and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Now come on, the newlyweds are gonna cut the cake and I want a good piece."

With a sigh, she let him change the subject, even if she knew, eventually, reality would come biting at their heels.

…

Bonnie let out a muffled noise, startled when the phone rang shrilly. She wiped her hands off on a tea towel and tapped her phone screen with a still damp hand. "Hi! Sorry, I wasn't watching the time. I was just doing the dishes."

"No worries." Stefan grinned on her screen, and then turned it a little to show Caroline laid out on the bed next to him, a blanket wrapped tight around her. When he turned it back to himself, he explained, "She passed out. Sightseeing wore her down. Are the girls still up?"

"Damon's putting them to bed. They're probably on their third story. He's a pushover like that."

Stefan chuckled. "Yeah, they've got him wrapped around their fingers."

Bonnie nodded agreeably. It was clear that 'unclehood' agreed with Damon. Bonnie was happy to see he was taking his responsibility seriously.

She climbed the stairs to the second floor and walked down the hall to the guest room, where the girls were staying for the next two weeks, while Caroline and Stefan were on their honeymoon.

"...crazy vampire hunter put a curse on the cunning witch, forcing her to lose her powers and become a hunter, too."

"But she likes vampires!" Josie said, her eyes wide as she sat, shoulder to shoulder, with her sister.

"Yeah! Her best friends are vampires. That's not very nice." Lizzie shook her head solemnly. "I think the hunter should take it back."

"Well, see, she can't. But, if the witch is strong enough, like say maybe she's got some serious feelings for a certain very cool vampire and doesn't really want to hurt him, she might snap out of it and beat the curse!"

"Cool!" the girls chorused.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Maybe we can pick this story up another night…"

"Aww…" Josie and Lizzie looked up at her disappointedly.

"I know, I know. On the bright side, someone wants to talk to you before bedtime." She waved her phone toward them cheerfully.

The girls lit up as they saw Stefan waving to them from the screen.

"Papa!" they cried, and jumped up from the bed to reach for the phone.

Damon left them to talk to his brother. He stood from the arm chair he'd been sitting in and made his way to the door, hooking an arm around Bonnie's waist.

She tipped her head back to see him better. "So I beat the hunter's curse for you, huh?"

"Hey, that story could be about any cunning witch."

"Mm-hmm…"

"If it helps, you are the most cunning witch I know."

Bonnie grinned, and shook her head. "Cute."

"Thank you." He smirked. "You pick out a movie yet? The munchkins are about five minutes away from passing out. As soon as Stefan lets them get back to bed, they'll be out like a light."

"I've got it narrowed down to two…"

"I'm listening."

If somebody had told eighteen-year-old Bonnie Bennett that she would one day settle into a happy life of domesticity, she wouldn't have believed them. There was just too much going on, too much darkness in her world. Now she couldn't imagine her life any other way, and she hoped it never changed.

...

"Bonnie! Nice to see you." Doctor Julia Choi smiled warmly at the young woman as she entered the room, clipboard in hand. "How are you feeling? How's the reno going?"

"Good." Bonnie nodded. "We finished the renovations last week. The house looks pretty good. Different from what I grew up with, but I like it. It feels newer. I didn't have a lot to do with the actual work, but I had a lot of say in what was done and how it looks. I'm happy with."

"Glad to hear it. You've been taking it easy though?"

"Yes. I'm meditating every night and doing yoga in the mornings. I'm still pretty careful about my diet, but I'll be honest, I'm a girl that likes her bacon. More than usual lately. I think telling me I should limit myself made it that guilty pleasure."

Julia laughed. "Happens to the best of us. Have you been having any chest pains? Feeling out of breath? Trouble sleeping? Headaches? Anything like that stand out?"

"No. I've been sleeping more. But I started jogging last month, mostly because of the whole bacon thing, so I'm getting up earlier."

"Okay. So, I just want to get a read on your resting heartbeat and then we'll check your blood pressure. How's that sound?"

"Works for me."

"Great." Julia pressed two fingers down against Bonnie's wrist. "Just breathe normally, try to stay calm…" She kept her eye on her wristwatch and waited for a minute to pass. With a hum, she said, "One more time."

Bonnie paused, and looked up at her, worried.

"It's okay." She smiled reassuringly. "I just want to double check something. Breathe steadily."

With a nod, Bonnie concentrated on her breathing.

"Okay."

"Is there something wrong?"

"Not wrong. It's just… Your standing heart rate is usually pretty consistent. Around 70 beats a minute. You're coming in closer to 90."

"Oh." Bonnie shifted. "What does that mean?"

"A lot of things can contribute to increased heart rate. Stress, pregnancy—"

"Oh, I can't be pregnant. I mean I'm…" Bonnie paused, her brow furrowed.

Staring at her a moment, Julia raised an eyebrow. "When was your last period? Can you remember?"

"Well, it's been a little while… Before we started the reno, I think. And that was…" Her eyes widened. "Almost three months ago."

Julia smiled lightly. "Okay. So, it's an option. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We can run some tests, and you can always pick something up on the way home if you're really eager."

Bonnie was stunned. She looked up at Julia, a little dazed. "You don't understand. Damon… He can't have kids. He shouldn't be able to have kids."

"There have been cases of men who appear sterile having children. It's rare, but it happens."

"Yeah," Bonnie murmured, but it was clear her mind was elsewhere.

"It's like I said. We don't know you're pregnant for sure, so let's not jump to conclusions. We'll do some tests and, if you are, well, we'll talk options."

Bonnie jumped a little. "Options?"

"I'm a cardiologist, so this isn't my speciality. But I have some recommendations on who you can turn to if you are pregnant. Whatever your choice, to keep it or to terminate, I'm here to support you. I'd also like to consult with any doctors going forward. With your heart condition, I'd like to be sure that we take it into consideration. We want to keep your stress levels low and keep an eye on how your heart is reacting to everything. All right?"

She nodded jerkily.

"Okay. Let's run through the rest of our usual tests and then we'll move on to finding out if you are, indeed, pregnant. Does that sound okay?"

"Yeah."

"Great."

...

Bonnie left the hospital and went to the closest pharmacy she could find. She bought three pregnancy tests and six emergency candles. She peed on the pregnancy sticks in a gas station bathroom, popped them back into their boxes, and drove to the cemetery. The gas station hadn't carried the thick, pillar candles she usually used; rather, all they had were the tall, thin taper candles. She stuck them into the ground so they would stand up right, lit them with a wave of her hand, and promptly took a seat in the center.

The chant came out sharper than before, but the answer seemed much swifter. She opened her eyes to find Emily sitting in front of her once again, nearly see-through and just as pretty and, strangely, rather smug.

Bonnie dumped out the pregnancy tests from their boxes and grabbed up a random one. She already knew what it would say. "Explain."

Emily glanced at the stick and then returned her attention to Bonnie. "You are with child."

"How?" She shook her head. "The only one I've been with since I got back is Damon. And he's—"

"A vampire. Incapable of producing offspring. And yet, despite the fact that you are the sole surviving Bennett, you were adamant that you stay with that… man." She said 'man' like someone else might say 'creature.'

"Is that what this is?" Bonnie's brow furrowed. "A way to keep the Bennett line alive."

"I told you when you first visited, you are the last of us. The end of our legacy."

"So you forced a pregnancy on me!?"

"We hoped you would produce an heir. When it occurred to us that the only possible father to this heir was Damon, we took steps to make him viable."

She shook her head, confused. "That's not possible."

"Damon stepped on hallowed ground. Our magic connected with the core of his."

"The child would be a hybrid. Half-vampire, half witch. Wouldn't it?"

"The vampire gene is passed through the blood. That's how others are turned. It's possible the child will only carry the genes and never trigger them, much like a werewolf might. We won't know until it's born."

"You can't do this," she bit out. "You can't manipulate my life like this."

"We gave you life, Bonnie. Returned you to this world so you could continue the Bennett line."

"I thought I was the Bennett line. Not that I was going to give birth to it."

"You are, and you can. What you choose to do is up to you. We can't force you to keep it. We only made it possible for you and Damon to have children."

"Don't pretend like you didn't do this hoping I wouldn't get rid of it." Bonnie's heart clenched in her chest. "You talk about how the Bennetts have been used. How our family have been sacrificed for the greater good, over and over. But you're just like everybody else that's used us up. I'm just a tool, a chance to carry on the line. I'm not a person to you, am I?"

Emily frowned. "That's not true. We—"

"You don't know me!" she shouted. "None of you know me. You watch and you judge and you think you know who I am or how I feel, but you don't. My whole life, I've struggled to be good enough. For a mom that left me and a dad that was never there. I gave up my life, my Grams, my dreams, all to keep other people safe. I had no idea what do with these powers. So, I pushed myself to the brink of exhaustion all to live up to the great Bennett name. And the people that should be on my side, that should support me in what I want, are just as manipulative as all the rest. I finally had what I wanted. I finally had a good life going. But you couldn't let it be. You couldn't just let me be happy."

Emily stared at her a long moment. "You're right."

Bonnie paused, surprised by the candid response.

"We were selfish. We let our fear of going unremembered interrupt the most important part of who we are. The Bennetts have only ever had each other to rely on, and perhaps that informed part of why we did what we did. As we saw it, you were alone out there, Bonnie. Our idea of family might be misguided, though. We didn't consider that you may already have one, blood related or not."

Scraping at her damp cheeks, Bonnie stared at Emily searchingly. "What do I do?"

Emily reached for her, and patted her hand gently. "Whatever is best for you."

Bonnie took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. "Okay…" She nodded. "Okay."

...

Bonnie found Damon at home, sitting in their library, his feet up on a foot stool and a book open in his lap.

"Hey," he greeted. Closing the book, he put it aside. "What'd Choi say?"

Sighing, long and loud, Bonnie crossed the room and climbed into Damon's lap, dropping her head down on his shoulder.

Frowning, he rubbed a hand over her back. "All right, you're worrying me… What happened?"

"You remember that peanut butter and grape sandwich I made the other night?"

"Yeah." His mouth screwed up. "Hard to forget."

"I'm pregnant."

Damon went still. "You're what?"

"I'm pregnant. And it's yours. Through witchy manipulation on my ancestor's part. They wanted a new batch of Bennetts and this was their way of doing it." She let out a laugh, verging on hysterical but not quite there.

He hummed. "You okay?"

"I'm…" She shook her head. "I'm scared. And angry. But also… a little excited."

"Excited?"

"Between you and Enzo, I think I just came to the conclusion kids were out of the picture. At least biologically. I mean, adoption was always an option down the line. There's nothing wrong with that. Lizzie and Josie aren't Stefan's, or even technically Caroline's, but they're an amazing family. And Tyler's a great dad to Ben. Biology has nothing to do with making a family, I know that. But I sat down in Dr. Choi's office today and she told me my heart rate was a little high, which freaked me out. She said it could be a few different things, one of which was pregnancy. And I thought no, that's not even possible. And this little… I felt this ache in the pit of my stomach, because I couldn't help but think about what it'd be like. A little girl or boy with your eyes and my skin and it just… It stuck with me. And then she's saying we'll run some tests, and the next thing I know, I'm at a gas station, peeing on six pregnancy sticks, and then I'm in a cemetery, yelling at Emily Bennett that she had no right to manipulate me like that. Because I am mad. It's not right and it isn't fair and they have no damn right to decide when or how or if I have kids. That's not up to them. Ever. But at the same time, there's another part of me… This very persistent part that is just so damn hopeful. Because now there really can be a little boy or girl and they'll be ours." She dug her hand in against his side, fingers biting into his skin. "Is that crazy?"

"It's complicated." He rubbed her hip gently. "So, long story short… We're having a baby?"

Bonnie lifted her head to look at him, and her heart leapt at the cautiously hopeful look in his eyes, mixed in with a little fear. "Are we?"

"You tell me. You're the one that'd have to carry it for nine months. It's your body."

She took a deep breath. "I don't like the circumstances. I don't like the manipulation, emotional or physical."

He nodded.

"We're going to have research magical contraception spells later, because I'm not sure how long your ability to have children is going to last and if it's forever, then we need to be more careful."

"Okay."

"I'm scared." Her mouth twisted up. "I didn't exactly have the best role models, parent-wise. Grams tried, she was always there, but my mom left, and dad was always working, and… And I'm scared that if we do this, I'm going to screw it up."

"So am I."

She nodded, her eyes burning. "But…"

He reached up, stroking her hair back from her face. "But?"

"But it's a baby. To me. It's a baby. Our baby. And I… I think, together, we can do this, too."

Damon grinned slowly, his eyes lighting up. "A baby... Sounds like fun."

Bonnie laughed, overwhelmed and excited. "This is crazy."

"A little." He pulled her in and kissed her cheek, her lips, and then her shoulder. "Crazy's kind of our thing, though."

Nodding, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead to his.

"Hey, if it's a boy—"

"We're not naming him Clyde."

"Missed opportunity, Bon-Bon."

"I can live with that."

epilogue to follow

note: i'm borrowing a laptop right now, which means i have to give it back and won't have it again until next week. that said, i will have it until tomorrow night and i do have the epilogue finished. so i can post it a lot earlier than i usually would, but it'd be great if i could get some reviews for this chapter before i add the epilogue. generally, if chapters are posted too close together, one doesn't get a whole lot of feedback, so please try to review this chapter.

thanks so much for reading!

- Lee | Fina