...

Katherine exhaled deeply. Then, panting, she tried again. Her curls, wild and tangled, were blown around her head as the axe flew down on the big lock. It finally sprang open and revealed… nothing!

What the hell?! She was getting angry again. All of this sucked. She needed a break. So she laid down the axe and sat down by his feet, massaging them for him. She began telling him a sad story and appealed to the last bit of good that was still in him. She made him almost overexert himself by draining off more of the Bennett witch's little magic veil to let her take a stroll among the living.

And this time, it really worked.

...

"Hello girls!" She cheerfully exclaimed, and the two adorable minions ran to her like they had ran to that siren Seline before. Their parents should seriously step it up with the lessons about stranger danger. Then again, neither Seline nor she had been real strangers…

"Kathy!" The bolder one screeched, as she put her arms around her. Her sister followed quickly behind.

"We thought we wouldn't see you again." They sounded so adorably concerned.

"Mommy made us stay somewhere else, she didn't seem to like you for some reason. She said…"

Katherine smiled at them. "Don't worry, girls. Your mommy won't mind. Besides, it's just gotten so much easier for me to see you two. No more sneaking behind mommy's back to help a princess in need. I'm here to stay."

"You are?" The girls' eyes widened, they were so excited. When she gave them a quick nod, they started screaming with excitement. She laughed. She had to admit these two were really cute.

She wondered whether she could claim them as relations of sort, seeing as Caroline had carried them like they were her own, and, well, Katherine had been her "vampire-mother," so to speak. She grinned to herself.

Suddenly they grew quiet. It was Lizzie who leaned forward till she was very close to Katherine's ear.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"That scary man… he's not staying, too, is he?"

Her smile widened. "Funny you should bring him up. As a matter of fact, I think I may need you two to help me one last time so that we can get rid of him eventually. One last spell… Do you think you could do that?"

The twins nodded happily.

"Good."

...

Unspecified past

...

"Sweetie. Please don't cry. I'll come get you as soon as I'm done here, okay? Mom is still at her Founders event? Did you try calling there? Okay. I'll… I'll have to finish something at work and then I'll come get you. I'll be quick. I promise. - But you need to promise me something in return. Go inside now and wipe your face. Wipe the tears off. We don't want that stupid teacher to see that she got to you, right? That she hurt you. So no more crying now, and when I'm there, we will talk to her, together." The same handsome smile he wore on his face could be heard in his voice. "I love you too, sweetie."

Enzo had involuntarily heard the entire conversation and could only marvel at how sick this man really was. There he was, one hand still embedded in Enzo's ribcage, and with the other he'd checked his phone, then answered it, saying, "I'm sorry, Lorenzo, this one I have to take. Please, try not to make too much noise."

Enzo had felt the beginnings of a disbelieving grin on his face then, but he'd reined it in.

That man was really serious.

Once Gilbert had ended the conversation, he slowly extricated the hand he'd kept in Enzo's body the whole time he'd been on the phone. With his daughter, Enzo presumed. There were details you learned about the lives of your torturers. Details that'd slowly turn into a picture.

"I guess one of us is the lucky one today. I get to be the knight in shining armor for my beautiful daughter. And you, well, you get to go back to your room now." Grayson Gilbert sighed. "All this for naught. I'm afraid I'll have to start from the beginning tomorrow then. The surgery is coming up very soon and I really need to make this approach work to save that poor man's life. He has family, Lorenzo. People that love and need him…"

Enzo felt his body shake as if it wasn't his own. As if he was merely an observant.

Not again. He kind of wished that girl had never called. At least then there might have been a chance Gilbert would have finally finished his cardiothoracic surgery practice and would have moved on to something else.

Now, though...

Grayson Gilbert cleaned his arms and hands in the big steel sink on the far wall of the room. "On the plus side, I'll get to hear you scream again. It's become such a rare pleasure, but there's always something missing without it. Something…" he paused, lost in thought for a moment. When he reemerged, he had a strange look on his face.

"You don't want to make me have to hurt others, do you, Enzo? Because if I don't believe that you're truly suffering anymore, I need to find someone who still does. Suffer…" he paused again, taking a long glance at Enzo, "Also… I'd have to believe you don't have what you pretend to have: a soul. And then your argument would be proven wrong. Wouldn't it?"

He didn't wait for Enzo to say anything. They both knew he wouldn't. Instead, he simply left, leaving his "subject" with his chest cavity open to the ice cold air. With all the time to hate his life another day and to hope, hope beyond hope, even though there shouldn't even be any hope left in him, that one day, he'd finally be rewarded for all this pain and that he, too, would have someone he could love, like that man loved his family. And that maybe, then, his pain would finally end. That he would get revenge.

For now, though, Enzo clenched his teeth against the agony and tried to breathe as shallowly as possible, waiting for unconsciousness to engulf him, to give him a much needed break...

...

Now

...

Bonnie knew she'd lost her grip on him the second he clenched his teeth and she felt his jaw muscles work underneath her touch.

"Enzo," she tried regardlessly. The problem was, she understood him so perfectly. She'd have reacted the same way. What else to do when the person that had tortured you for years was suddenly back in your life? Bonnie felt like her heart was going to explode with love and concern for him. She couldn't bear to see him suffer.

She knew she wasn't responsible for his past. He kept telling her that when he'd wake up from yet another dream, sweaty and shaken. In her head, she knew that. In her heart, though, she felt like her stupid blast that had turned him human had also broken down his defensive barriers and had let in the horrors he'd had to endure in another life, a life before her.

Now all that was back; because she had brought back his tormentor. If only she could take it back.

Enzo was still standing with her, tall, his whole posture very erect. Like he was preparing for a fight. She had seen him like that before, when he put up his alpha male show, back in his vampire days. He still did it, at times, when he felt she was being threatened. Like with Stefan at the hospital. She vividly remembered that.

Despite everything, it always turned her on a little. A lot. She shook her head. Now was probably not a good time for thoughts like that.

When Enzo abruptly started walking toward the voices coming from the hallway, Bonnie gasped. Then she noticed Stefan get up, then Valerie. The others looked alarmed.

"Enzo." It was Stefan's urgent voice she heard next. They all knew what could happen, how dangerous the situation was. Stefan was trying to block the other man's path.

"Get out of my way, Stefan," Enzo snarled when Stefan didn't budge. Enzo got in his face, but Stefan remained calm.

"I can't let you do this, man."

"Do what exactly?!"

Both men were tense, but for different reasons.

"You can't fight him. This is my house, and my rules-"

"Your 'rules?' Do those include sanctuary for torturers?" Enzo was angry, angrier than anyone had ever seen him, and eerily calm. Bonnie grabbed his good arm, but he shook her off. "You'd better stay out of this, love. I don't want you to get hurt," he muttered without looking at her.

Because if he'd looked at her, he wouldn't have gone through with it. He would have stayed with her…

"I can't let you fight the father of my friend. And I can't let you hurt yourself trying." Stefan sounded determined. He pointed to Enzo's chest, his arm. It was very clear what he was trying to get at. Human, injured Enzo was no match for the very fit Grayson Gilbert.

Enzo bristled. "You don't have any fucking idea what that man did."

"I do." Damon suddenly piped up as he reentered the room.

Enzo threw his head back a little, snorting. "Then you understand why I can't-"

Damon cut his friend off, shooting a glance at Bonnie as he did. "I do. I really really do." He sounded unusually weary, and regretful. "I wish I didn't, but… yeah, well. But, Enzo, my man, this is not the time, nor the place. Besides. I just sent him home..."

"Enzo." Grayson Gilbert sounded disgustingly delighted.

Damon rolled his eyes, and exchanged a glance with his angry friend. "Well, I thought I did," he muttered, shrugging apologetically before placing a hand on Enzo's neck. "Don't," he implored the other man, and for some reason, his friend actually listened and didn't move.

Damon turned around to stare at Grayson Gilbert and spotted a slightly struggling, upset Elena by his side. She had clearly been trying to keep him from doing this, from strutting straight into the house and into the living room. But without her former vampire strength, she was no match for her father. The bastard still managed to make it all seem like some big misunderstanding. He had even put an arm around his daughter. Damon was suddenly furious.

Grayson had the audacity to smile at everyone, then zone in on Enzo. Damon closed his eyes. He'd have to do it after all, pick a side. Except, he didn't. He'd forgotten all about Bon Bon's reawakened magic. He actually tapped his head now, as he remembered why they'd even had that stupid meeting. He was an idiot. They all were.

...

Bonnie rarely lost her temper. But when she did, things could get ugly. And you didn't play games or threaten the people she loved - especially the one person she loved the most.

When she'd seen Grayson Gilbert walk over to Enzo as if he had all the right in the world to do so, a smug, triumphant grin on his face, Bonnie forgot whose father he was. She was angry now, too.

"Stay away!" she yelled as she raised one hand and grabbed her boyfriend's arm with the other, pulling herself in front of him. Her nostrils flared. She was acutely aware of the trickle of blood finding its way down onto her upper lip just as Mr. Gilbert's hand touched his own nose and came away red.

"Bonnie. We're all friends here," he said and he sounded just like he'd always sounded, nice and so very very friendly. "I still remember when you came over to have dinner at our house a lot and-"

"Stop it!" She interrupted him, she didn't want to hear it, she didn't want to be reminded of the good times. Not right now, not when Mr. Gilbert simply wanted to use the past as a means to distract her. She could see right through his lame plan.

"Bonnie? Please…" It was Elena.

"I'm sorry Elena, but I can't… I can't let him…" Tears started running down her face. Enzo was trying to get her to step behind him again, but she wasn't done yet.

"You need to go, Mr. Gilbert!" Bonnie choked out as they all heard the windows break in the house, then the tumblers and bottles the Salvatores kept in the living room. There was a weird droning sound and a horrible wind and Bonnie wasn't entirely sure whether it was only in her head or not, until she noticed everyone had started clutching their heads.

"You need to stop, love," Enzo very calmly told her, but she didn't even really know what he meant, what she was doing. There was so much anger and worry...

She glanced at him, unsure. He was smiling, but he, too, was holding his hands over his ears, and Bonnie saw the blood trickle out from between his fingers.

No, she thought. No no no no. They were all bleeding. Not just Mr. Gilbert. And they were all calling her name. She was hurting them all!

"Bonnie… look at me." Enzo fought the pain and stood up, facing the woman he loved. Gently, he took her face in his hands, flinching as the horrible noise filled his ears again, making his head feel like it was about to explode. But he needed to focus on her. He made her look into his eyes. Their noses touched, and he smiled. "I appreciate your help, love, but now it's time to stop."

"I…" her voice shook hard, "I don't think I can."

"Course you can, Bon Bon!" Damon yelled against the noise. "Come on! You started it, you can stop it. You got this, Bon. - Stop this horrible noise and I promise you, I'll lock Papa Gilbert up myself!"

Bonnie didn't see the look Elena shot Damon, she was too focused on getting her magic back under control.

She breathed in through her nose, all the while looking at Enzo. As she struggled to rein in her magic, she suddenly realized that she had to get her feelings under control first. Her hatred for Grayson Gilbert, but also her love for her friends. For Enzo. She needed to focus on the good, she needed to stop.

Enzo was still holding her face, their gazes still locked, when everything finally fell silent. The wind ceased and Bonnie fell into Enzo's arms as the world grew black around her.

"Well, Enzo, I daresay you found yourself a most fascinating love interest. I never knew little Bonnie to be such a force of nature…" Grayson Gilbert helped his wife to the nearest chair, then dabbed his ears with a handkerchief.

But before anyone could do anything, try to kill him, throw him out, lock him up, or accuse him of having lived a lie, the door to the backyard suddenly flew open and a woman in a beautiful blue dress came barging in, two little girls with her, each holding one of her hands.

...

Katherine Pierce was back.

Caroline screamed, but Katherine had let go of the girls already and they were walking over to their parents as if it was nothing, completely unaware of any danger they might have been in. Alaric and Caroline picked them up together and tried their best to shield them.

But Katherine wasn't even paying attention to them anymore.

"Well, hello. Did anyone miss me?" She said, grinning wide as she walked straight over to Grayson and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Grayson," she said, "need I remind you that your personal agenda has to wait till we are done here? You almost ruined everything. But okay, I'll forgive you, I'll even still honor our deal and let you keep your dear wifey and sweet little Elena here," she gave her doppelgänger an unwanted hug, "and this guy. Whatever the hell you see in him." She pranced over to Enzo and Bonnie, but when she wanted to touch the former vampire, Bonnie stirred in his arms, and her hand flew up to slap Katherine's cheek before Bonnie was even completely conscious again.

Katherine Pierce pretended to be shocked and hurt for a second, looking into the witch's upset face before she started laughing. "Well, I guess he's kinda cute; I'll give you that, little witch. But don't try anything!" She raised a hand, "I brought backup." She pointed behind her, where Cade suddenly appeared as if out of thin air, smiling at everyone.

Damon rolled his eyes, and Stefan made a face. Katherine chuckled at both of them.

"Let's get this party started!" She suggested, clapping her hands as she walked over to her favorite pair of brothers.

"I need a drink," Damon muttered, but when he looked over to their bar, he just saw the heap of glass shards Bonnie's outburst had left and his mouth turned into a thin, disappointed line.

...

Thanks, Anna, for your review! Yes, Valerie was Toni to me first, and I only gradually got over that. First impressions. lol I wonder whether it would have been different had I seen her first on TVD. I also didn't really like how they sprung her on us. I mean, weren't the Salvatore's all over Katherine? And suddenly there was Valerie with Stefan? I don't know.

Anyways. I'm very glad to hear you liked it thus far. I'm trying my best with keeping the characters true to their show's nature, but I'm not that skilled so it may sound better in my head then it does on paper. :)