CHAPTER 14

I don't own the Vampire Diaries, duh.

A/N: Thanks for all the love, this one's for you guys!

-I there is a huge twist in the storyline in this installment.

4GMK

Elena's body hits the floor with a sickening thud. As Bonnie stands there looming over the body of the woman who was once her best friend, a smirk creeps up to the edges of her mouth.

She had sacrificed so much for this girl, and what did she have to show for it? Death, only death. Elena hadn't even looked for a way to bring her back, she had only been too preoccupied with her grief over Damon to think of her best friend.

Bonnie contemplated death now, for Elena. She could make it swift, a steak to the heart and a flame to the flesh and no one would ever be the wiser. It would be a good thought, she mused, but Bonnie had something else entirely in mind for Elena.

A few hours later Elena woke. The fire was chirping merrily in the hearth, and she thought about how nice and warm it seemed in the room. Her thoughts were promptly interrupted though, from something tickling deliberately at the edge of her brain.

In a second a migraine fierce than any she'd ever encountered wracked her and threatened to send her back into unconsciousness. She tried to slam her hands over her ears, but that was when she realized that she couldn't. Her wrists were burning from contact with the vervain soaked ropes that bound her to the chair and suddenly the whole night's events came roaring back into her mind.

"Bonnie!" she screamed.

The migraine stopped as abruptly as it started and Elena slumped over in the chair, huffing from the exertion.

"Ugggghhhh" she struggled against the bonds now infuriated at her current predicament.

"Where are you, wench?!" she snarled.

"Uh-uh-uh" Bonnie chuckled, detaching herself from the shadows at the perimeter of the room and slinking her lithe frame into view.

"I wouldn't struggle if I were you, one wrong move and you'll lose those pretty arms of yours for good."

Elena looked down at the ropes again, and her eyes zoomed in on the fibres of the rope. Embedded into the wind of the rope were little silver flecks, sharp as knives and thin as razors. One wrong move and she could gather them all into one spot and literally sever her hand from her wrist. Looking at Bonnie now, she felt all the underlying hatred for her she had always had, bubble up onto the surface, like a deep well finally being unearthed.

Her eyes were black with the bile of hatred.

Bonnie watched as the real Elena surfaced. Elena had always been nice to Bonnie, invited her over for dinner, stayed the night for sleepovers, cheered next to her on their team. She had even done her makeup and been her partner for several school projects, but that was it. Even though they had shared secrets and laughed laughs together, Elena had always been just that, nice.

How can you complain about your best friend being nice? Her mind had raged at her when she was younger.

Bonnie had always been somewhat of an outcast. Close enough to touch but never quite embraced by many in their lives. But, such was the way in small towns. Everyone was cordial, everyone was nice, but no one ever really cared.

They'd invite you to town events, but only to have their token black girl there. The guys would be interested but only as far as a little jungle fever would allow them in the midst of a society where everyone's parents knew each other and there was an unspoken code about sticking to your own race.

Caro and 'Lena had always stood by her, but for very different reasons. Elena for the popularity of the self-righteous (my best friend is black) and Caroline because she truly and genuinely loved Bonnie.

She remembered the phone calls in the middle of the night when the Salvatore brothers had just come to town. How Caroline would call her crying and asking her if there was something wrong with her. Bonnie remembered Caroline bringing in her favorite treats for her because she just needed to try out this new recipe, or picking out clothes for her because Bonnie just had to have it, it was her color.

Caroline had always made Bonnie feel warm, where Elena had always made her feel cold. It was that coldness she was seeing in her eyes right now, that unmasked hatred that she had always felt she had for her. The one that was always simmering just below the surface. Even in grade school things had always been a competition for Elena. She had to be the best, and have the best, it was why she had to sample both the brothers before she decided to latch her claws into Damon.

Elena had known Bonnie was a threat from Day 1, and decided to keep her close because of it. She would make little condescending remarks, and praise her when boys that she didn't want were interested in Bonnie.

People always said that Elena looked like Katherine, but was her exact opposite, and that was partially true. Katherine never cared to hide her manipulative ways. But that all changed when Elena became a vampire and everything about her was magnified, especially her dark side.

Elena had always been possessive, and she liked to have the best. She wanted everything to focus on her, and needed attention like a drug. Of course, she had been good at hiding it when she was a human, but now that she was a vampire, she was more capable at concealing it, but also of losing control.

Bonnie brought her face closer to the monster with a pretty face, taking her time to scan over her features. When she was finished, she 'hummed' a note of approval and stood back, crossing her arms over her chest and looking the vampiress squarely in the eyes.

"I'll bet you have a lot of questions."

Elena took a moment and swallowed. Of course she had questions. But she swallowed them, and stared intently at the woman who stood before her. Bonnie had changed, she wouldn't underestimate her again, so she framed her question to gain the most information while giving away the least.

Clad in a soft, cotton dress that came down to her knees and had a beautiful sheath fit, Bonnie was happy it had come to this.

"You're supposed to be my best friend! How could you sleep with him, Bonnie? You know how I feel about him!"

"Hmm, that's funny 'Lena. Nice try. Let me fill you in on a little something now, so you won't get your panties in a knot later. Damon is my husband, and we spent a whole lot of time on the Other side doing a lot more than sleeping."

"Your husband?"

"Yeah," Elena's eyes flashed to Bonnie's left hand only to see a huge diamond ring and wedding band nestled comfortably there. Damon had presented it to Bonnie shortly after she returned, but Bonnie had concealed from her friends eyes, as there hadn't been any opportune moments of convenient explanation, and as such, they couple had decided to keep it a secret. Sexy.

"How could you?"

"Well, I don't think you need the details, 'Lena. You need to accept this. I am giving you one last chance, for the sake of our childhood."

Moving her hands so that the ropes disengaged their hold on her, Bonnie untied the mad vampiress.

Elena's eyes hadn't changed.

In the next moment she as lunging at Bonnie again, but this time Bonnie held up her hand and blocked her with a wall of Power.

"I don't want to fight you 'Lena. But you leave me no choice." The priestess' words had become charged with emotion, she was thinking of her little girl and all the harm that the jealous ex-girlfriend of her husband of five years could cause.

Holding her in a paralytic stance Bonnie reached up and placed her fingers on either side of Elena's head.

The other woman's eyes flashed open and a flood of visions of the future poured into Bonnies mind. There were several ways that Elena was planning on killing her. She saw all the chances would take, all the time she would spend on trying to kill her and Damon. She saw Elena trying to seduce Damon, and killing Stefan, Matt and Enzo. Bonnie watched as Elena crept into her house and stalked up on her young daughter. She watched as her fangs descended and she drained the life from her small body. She heard the little girl's voice ringing in her ears as she screamed out "Mama!"

Trembling from the visions Bonnie released her. Looking into the brunettes eyes, Bonnie saw only darkness, only hatred, only spite. Elena's teeth flashed, white fangs descending.

"I will destroy you."

Her voice was cold, only faintly resembling the girl she had known. Bonnie felt sadness as she knew what would come of tonight's encounter.

Taking advantage of the waver in Bonnie's defense, Elena lunged yet again at the smaller woman, seeking to overpower her. This time, Bonnie was knocked off balance and they tumbled to the floor.

Arm over arm and limb over limb, Bonnie and Elena matched each other blow for blow. Each one relentless, each one ferocious. In a moment of cruel reversal, Elena had managed to sink her teeth into the edge of Bonnie's neck. It wasn't a fatal bite, but she did bleed profusely.

Time was running out.

Because of the massive loss of blood, the priestess was beginning to take on more damage. Since she had imbued her whole body with Power, she was able to keep up with the vampiress' movements, but now, the Power was fading and she was slowing down.

In the backs of their minds they both heard the man coming up the stairs, but they ignored it, one for reasons of murderous intent, and the other fighting for her life.

Things were starting to dim for Bonnie. Elena saw this and thought to finish things now. Grabbing both sides of her head, Elena slammed Bonnie's skull into the tiles at the foot of the heart. Repeating the motion again and again, the un-dead woman released a wild cry, looping both hands into the hair of her opponent, which had grown to her hips since her stay in the prison world.

Concentrating the last of her energy she split the remaining power into protecting her head, and sent the other into her hand.

Flashing up the stairs to the dorm room that Bonnie shared with Elena and Caroline. Damon could hear the enraged screams of the women inside. Bonnie's voice was weak, the realization of such making his limbs burn with exertion as he tried to reach the room as fast as possible.

Just before he reached the room he heard all the commotion stop. Silence flooded the hallway and his senses went haywire trying to pick up the scent or sound of Bonnie, but he was too emotional, the only thing he could hear was his undead heart thudding against his ribs, trying to break free of its (semi)immortal cage.

Nearly ripping the door off its hinges, Damon burst into the room.