A/N: Let me just begin this author's note by reminding everyone that this story is rated 'M' AND does have trigger warnings. I don't post trigger warnings with every chapter, because it's in the story summary. I know I haven't posted new chapters in a while, so I just wanted to remind everyone that. This chapter is a dark one and the next one will be, too. So, enough rambling on my part. As always, reviews are more than welcome.

I DO NOT OWN THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, OR THE CHARACTERS.
Music Credit: "Into the Nothing" – Breaking Benjamin

~*.*~
'Screaming on the inside – I am frail and withered – cover up the wounds that I can't hide.
Walls that lie between us – the sadist and sinner – I have lost the nerve, but it's alright.

Carry the wounded and shut your eyes.
All will be forgiven – none will rise.
Bury the fallen and lead the blind.
I will find the lost, dead inside.

Into the nothing, faded and weary.
I won't leave and let you fall behind.
Live for the dying – Heaven, hear me.
I know we can make it out alive.'
~*.*~

Chapter Twenty:

The taunts from Damon didn't stop – if anything, they escaladed. He started leaving more notes and trinkets. They were his way of letting me know that he was getting closer to making his move. He was putting me on edge. This is what he wanted. He wanted me to stay petrified. Well, he was getting his wish.

He was trying to worm his way into my head and he was in there. I can't seem to get him out. He's like the monster that you're terrified if under your bed, when you're a kid. The only difference is, Damon is worse than any other monster out there. He wasn't afraid to get his hands bloody; he's proved that point more than once in his lifetime. I have the scars to prove it.

I didn't change my daily routine. Even though everyone was advising me against it, I was still going to work. Well, if you can call it that. I was going through the motions and doing my best not to seem visibly frazzled. I'm sure that it showed, but I would be damned if I let Damon take anything else away from me. He's taken enough. I'm not about to let him take anything else, not without a fight… The fight is what I'm afraid of.

I know that if it comes down to an all-out throw-out between me and Damon, there's a good chance that I won't be walking away from it. I'm trying to be okay with it. I don't want to die. I want to live, but at the same time, I can't spend the rest of my life hiding and being afraid of him. That's no way to live. I can't expect anyone else to fight my battles for me. That's far. I wouldn't be able to live with myself, if anyone got hurt because of me. I'm not that kind of person. I never have been. If anyone is going to fight for my right to be free of his sadistic terror, it's going to be me.

If I don't do this and stand up to him, he'll always have power over me. I know that. I just have to do my best to get ready. It's going to happen, when I least expect it, when I'm not ready. That's the way that Damon operates. He feeds on fear, especially when he's the one who is instilling it.

"Bonnie," chills poured down my spine, as I recognized the voice that called my name. I looked up and saw Stefan staring at me. He didn't look the same as he did, the last time that he came to threaten me. He looked tired. He looked like he didn't want to be here… So, why was he? It doesn't make sense. He was never one to really do Damon's bidding. He's always more or less thought for himself.

"Leave, Stefan." I replied, evenly. The only thing that betrayed me, was my shaking hand holding the coffee pot.

"I would if I could," he sighed. I looked at him harder. He looks stressed out. Yeah, well, join the club. "I don't want to be here. If I didn't agree to come, then Damon threated to hurt Elena. You know how he is." He tried to explain. I shrugged. He doesn't deserve my sympathy. He's never done a thing in his life to help me. I don't know what he expects me to say.

"That's not my problem. You can protect her. You've made it perfectly clear that I've never been yours." I told him, coolly. He stiffened and took a step back. I don't know if he has anything left to say, but I don't want to hear it. I hit in the silent alarm under the counter that notified Klaus that I needed him at the café.

"He's coming for you. That's it. That's what he wanted me to tell you. Be careful." Stefan walked away, like he handed just dropped the world's biggest bomb on me. I stared at the door, after he left. It didn't take long for Klaus and Kol to show up. Before they could even ask me, I just shook my head.

"It was Stefan. He said Damon's coming." I reiterated his message and continued to give refills. I felt like if I stopped what I was doing, then I would fall apart. I wasn't ready for that. I couldn't afford it.

"Let's get you home, sweetheart." Klaus suggested. I shook my head and wiped my hands on my apron. "Bonnie –"

"No, I'm staying." I refused. "I'm not giving him that power over me. We knew that he was coming. Let him come. I'm not running. If he wants to play games, then let him play. I'm done playing." I stood my ground. Klaus looked like he wanted to argue, but Kol put a hand on his arm, and Klaus nodded. It was reluctant, but I could stay.

"We're staying, too."

The lights were off at the Mikaelson estate, when we arrived. Something is off. Klaus and Kol seemed to pick up on it, too. I grabbed the gun that Klaus had given me a few days before, out of my messenger bag. He showed me how to use it. I had a knife in my boot, and a taser in my jacket pocket. If I was going down, I wasn't going down, easily.

When Kol opened the door, it was quiet, an eerie quiet. It's never this quiet, not here. Something clattered a few rooms away and Kol motioned for me to stay behind him. Klaus stayed behind me, expecting someone to come at us from behind.

I saw something move out of the corner of my eye and spun. Stefan had Rebekah. My heart fell to my stomach. He had a gun to her temple and an arm around her middle. A noise sounded through the mansion from the other direction. Stefan looked away. The guys still hadn't noticed Stefan. I prayed that my shot would be on target. I clicked off the safety and pulled the trigger. It hit Stefan in the shoulder. He started to fall and Rebekah broke away from him and bolted upstairs. Klaus and Kol started at the scene unfolding in front of us in shock. I just shrugged. I had no idea that I could do that.

"Take another step, and you're dead." Kol promised him. Stefan nodded, almost relieved that he had an excuse not to fight back. Kol grabbed Stefan and led him away, probably to tie him up. Klaus motioned for me to follow him, as he inspected the rest of the house. Where is everyone else? I don't like this. Everything feels wrong. How did they even get in here? How did things go wrong so fast?

As we rounded the corner I saw a few of Klaus' muscle men shot and bleeding on the ground. If they weren't dead, they soon would be. The thick smell of blood filled my nose. My stomach lurched. I think I'm going to be sick. I tried to stay upright, but my knees buckled underneath me and I spewed the contents of my stomach in front of me. Tears blazed down my cheeks, as I tried to will the violent projectile vomit to stop. Klaus seemed to realize I wasn't behind him, because he crouched beside me and rubbed my back.

"I know it's disturbing sweetheart, but I doubt Stefan was alone when he came. We have to keep moving." Klaus whispered. I nodded and somehow managed to get my stomach under control. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and got to my feet. Klaus grabbed my hand and we moved slowly.

"Well, I have to admit that this was a lot easier than I thought it would be. It's almost like you were begging me to break in and kill everyone. I mean, I had fun making a bloody mess of things – who wouldn't? But honestly, how embarrassing! You honestly thought that you could keep Bonnie from me with this?!" Damon's eerie laugh filled my ears. Dread filled my body and my heart plummeted into my stomach. This can't be happening. Goddess, this really can't be happening. Not now.

I looked over at him and realized that was a mistake. He was holding Rebekah by her hair. She was shaking her head frantically. She didn't want us to try and save her. I could tell that she was trying to tell us that much. She looked just as terrified as I feel. I saw Klaus motion to Beks out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn't see what. She dropped her weight and fell, knocking Damon off balance. I heard two deafening gunshots and Damon collapsed. Rebekah ran for it.

Klaus and Rebekah were talking, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I couldn't take my eyes off of Damon's fallen body. Is it really over? Could he really be dead? Was it really that easy? I kept staring and he didn't move. I let out a shaky breath of relief.

Klaus pulled me to him and placed a soft kiss on my temple. I immediately relaxed. I jumped. I felt the pain, before I heard the shot. It grazed my side, but it went right into Klaus' torso. I pulled away from him and tried to assess the damage. I glanced behind us and saw Damon taking off his shirt and showing a bulletproof vest. Of course he came prepared. I was stupid to think that it could possibly that easy. He raised the gun and pointed it at Klaus again. Klaus didn't seem to realize what he was doing. He was trying to make sure that I was okay. I pushed Klaus and tried to get in front of the bullet. It hit me in the shoulder. I cried out and Klaus tried to cover me, but that's what Damon wanted. My heart broke with every shot I heard, but at least Klaus got a shot out.

"NO!" I cried. This can't be happening. Someone pulled me to my feet and grabbed me by my hair. Damon forced me to look up at him. His face held a cruel, sadistic smirk.

"If I can't have you, no one else will. Never forget that, BonBon." He chuckled. I didn't know what to say. I only prayed that Rebekah and Kol got away. I couldn't bring myself to think about anything else, right now. I prayed that Klaus wasn't dead. There's no way that I'll be able to live with myself, if he died because of me. It's not fair. "Oh, don't be like that. I told you that I was coming for you. You were the one stupid enough to leave me. You know that I don't take rejection well. You're mine, Bonnie. I think it's about time that I remind you of that." He laughed. He picked me up and slammed me against a nearby wall. His thumb went into the bullet-hole in my shoulder. Silent tears fell down the sides of my face. I can't give him anymore satisfaction. He doesn't deserve it. I'd rather die. He tore my shirt down the front and crept closer to me. He groped me as I trembled, wishing that I was anywhere but here.

"You have no idea how much I've missed this. Your body is fucking perfect. I love the way you bruise for me, baby." He breathed. I shook underneath of him as he towered over me. He grabbed a handful of my hair at the base of my neck and gripped it painfully. He forced me to look up at him. "Give daddy a kiss." He taunted me. I shook my head. A malicious glint grew in his eyes and I didn't care. He's already taken the only thing that I've really cared about. Their deaths are on my hands. He slammed his lips to mine and forced his tongue into my mouth. All of the memories from before kept flooding back. I cringed and felt something come alive buried deep inside of me. I can't just let him take this from me. It's not fair. He doesn't get to keep ruining my life. I can't just let him have this.

I bit down on his tongue and pushed against him. He pulled away enough to laugh at me. He backhanded me and I winced. His hands went to my neck and I forced myself to look him in the eyes.

"I'm not scared of you, Damon." I grunted out. I don't know how true it is, because I'm terrified, but I don't want to die knowing that he has power over me. His grip tightened and I coughed. It's getting harder and harder for me to breathe.

"We both know that isn't true, baby. Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you, just yet. Wait until you see what I have planned for you – for us. It's going to fun." He winked and everything started to go black.

~*.*~
'Leave me at the bottom – I am lost forever.
Letters from the dead, say goodbye.
Sorrows fall upon us, this will be the last time.
Days begin to end, but I'll get by.

Follow the hopeless and shut your eyes.
All will be abandoned – none will shine.
Gather the broken and leave this life – lying in the earth, side by side.

Into the nothing, faded and weary, I won't leave and let him fall behind.
Live for the dying – Heaven, hear me.
I know we can make it out alive.'
~*.*~