Damon
Her head was pounding. As if someone was banging it with a hammer. She forcefully gulped and took notice of the dryness of her mouth.
"Ugh" she moaned. The metallic taste that was in her mouth made her think about how she had gotten herself in such a predicament.
Silas.
That was the first thought that popped up in her mind and immediately her nostrils flared with fear, her hands started shaking and the visions from her latest nightmare came to mind. She exhaled hard, hoping to get some sort of control over her body when it hit her. Was she actually awake or was she dreaming? After being taunted by him, she was starting to second guess everything every time she opened her eyes.
She had a small gold pendant she wore around her neck that had been a gift from her dad on her fifteenth birthday. At some point, she had to take it out for whatever reason and decided that it would not be missed. Until Rudy died. After that, she searched for the golden piece and put it back on, vowing to never take it off again. It was also one of the few things that helped her clear her mind and have a better understanding of her surroundings. For some reason, the small object seemed to do wonders and unclog her mind, at least where Silas was concerned.
After that nightmare in this strange world, Bonnie figured that dipping necklace in the herb mix that she had curated would keep the unwanted visitor away, and she would actually have a semi decent night. It wasn't completely bulletproof but it was something and Bonnie would stick with that for now.
The young witch touched the penchant hard and closed her eyes, she inhaled deeply and tried to open her senses as much as she could.
Is this real? She asked into nothing. She wasn't expecting a reply per se but she knew that it was something that would help her answer her own question. At least part of it because, right now, she felt like she was stuck in some twilight zone. None of this should exist if we were being technical about it. This place was never supposed to be here and she was supposed to be...
Either way, she was sure of one thing, she was real. What she was feeling, the penchant, the bed – it was real.
"I am real" she said aloud this time and she felt it. The power of her statement, she'd mean it and that's how she knew she wasn't dreaming.
She slowly opened her eyes expecting to see her own furniture and books around, instead, she was met with a manly and dark presence. For a second there, panic spiked through her.
Could it be that he had managed to get her even if she was fully awake? Was her brittle protection wearing off so soon?
Bonnie looked around again, she knew this room, she'd been here before. She let out another groan but this one was of annoyance. She couldn't believe she had gotten herself in Damon's bed again. Even that very sentence felt odd and otherworldly, like she was in a movie or something.
The young witch shook her head and immediately regretted that action. She mustered up enough strength to push herself into a sitting position and out of bed. Glancing around the room, she noticed that, for one, she had been wrong. This was not Damon's room; this must've been a guest room. There was a sense of relief that washed over her.
Another thing that caught her attention was the fact that she was alone, the incorrigible vampire wasn't there to irritate her. The last thing, though, was that she had once again fainted because of Silas. It started happening about a week ago, almost right after the nightmares started, and the young Bennett was getting more frightened by the second. Today, had been the second time she had lost her senses and fallen flat on the floor. Silas was somehow getting more powerful and that translated into him being able to overpower her even when she was asleep.
That was obviously a problem.
She would not let him control her but, at the same time, she didn't have enough resources. Though she had been practicing her Latin and trying to get her magic back, it was still very much a work in progress and, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't really rush it. All she had were the herbs and her pendant.
She thought about going back to The Witches' house and see if she could pick something up this time around. Even if she only got whisked whispers, or a gush of wind, that would be something. It would literally mean that her hard work was really showing up and that she had a real chance of escaping this reality and Silas.
She was going to make it, even if it took all of her effort but she was getting out and getting that happiness. That was final.
She planted her feet on the cold floor and felt a tingle go through her entire body. She also realized that she was still wearing her pajamas – nude shorts, a top, and a cardigan – and almost immediately covered herself despite being alone in the room. She located her sneakers neatly put in the corner and put them on without giving it much importance.
She left the room and ventured into the hall looking for a bathroom; she needed to splash water onto her piping hot skin and she needed something for the massive headache. She reached one of the bathrooms and easily opened the door. The girl approached the sink and gladly welcomed the cold water that came out of the fancy faucet. She scoffed because only the Salvatore manor would have actual golden faucets.
Bonnie avoided looking to closely at her face; she knew she'd look like a crazy mess, so she didn't need the reminder. However, she did untangle her hair that seemed to look like a bird's nest for some reason. She finger-combed it without too much of a hassle.
I need a haircut, she thought.
Inwardly, she grimaced because no matter how much Bonnie appreciated going to the salon and getting her hair done, Sheila was always the one that had the magical touch. She'd been Bonnie's hairdresser since she had been a baby, she'd done her braids, cornrows, twists and haircuts all her life. The young girl even recalled the first time she decided to go out into a salon and get her hair done for a random party. Sheila had been upset for two days straight, calling that the "ultimate betrayal".
She chuckled because Grams had always had that dramatic streak in her, one of the things Bonnie loved the most about her grandmother. That and her impressive sense of humor. Her chuckle quickly became a thin grim line and Bonnie decided she was done with fixing her hair. It wasn't like she had anyone to impress anyway.
She left the bathroom quickly and went downstairs. She was sure she'd find him drinking as usual or doing something very Damon-like. However, to her surprise, he was nowhere to be seen. Despite still being absolutely pissed at him, part of her felt like something was wrong, like he may have run into trouble. Or maybe run into Si– Nope, she was not going there, not again. Damon was a grown vampire with the attitude of a child, he could take care of himself.
Her moral side, though, wanted to go and look for him but the other part, the one that couldn't stand the sight of him, wanted to let him struggle. She didn't even know if he was actually in danger or if he'd taken off again. Hopefully, it'd be for good this time. She didn't need him and his stupid remarks.
"Hello Bonnie"
He spoke so incredibly close to her that she actually jumped and turned around fast "What the hell Damon? Are you insane?"
He pretended to think about it for a second "You and I both know the answer to that"
She scowled in response and decided to leave the manor before Damon could say something obnoxious. However, he was right in front of her in less than a second "You sure seem alive now"
She sighed heavily "Get out of my way Damon"
"Not before you tell me what's wrong with you" was his reply.
"Right now, you are the wrong thing" she dropped acidly and made a move around him so she could reach the door.
He grabbed her arm fast "Where do you think you're going? We have to talk"
She shook her head "We? No, Damon, I have nothing to say to you and I really don't want to listen the sound of your voice"
"I saved your life twice now; you better drop the tough witch attitude" his voice was full of venom.
"And I saved your life at least a million times so there goes your impressive number" she replied equally spiteful "Just because you were slightly decent for one day and gave me breakfast, doesn't mean that you can boss me around"
He invaded her personal space and clouded her face. His gaze was intimidating, demanding, but she never backed away. This was Damon after all, she could take him, he didn't scare her. In fact, he should be scared of her.
His eyes took in her face very closely. Her beating heart drummed in his ears, it was clear that he made her feel some type of way, and if he had his way, that feeling would be dread or arousal – his favorites – whichever made it easier to bend her to his will. But this was Bonnie Virginal Bennett, he was sure she didn't even know what arousal was.
Her eyes were bright and big, that green was inviting and full of fire despite their color, her small nose was making a weak effort to take in all of that oxygen mixed with his cologne. His gaze dropped to her slightly crooked mouth, her plush lips were parted, the carbon dioxide that was being released through them evaporated between the two beings.
She had rage written all over her face, such a devious face she had. A face that could tell lies, a face that got him in trouble more than a couple of times. A face that he could never understand.
Of course, she'd have a face like that – beautiful yet tragically unavailable. That would be Bonnie Bennett in all of her glory.
"Let go of me Damon" her voice was supposed to be stern but this toxic proximity shook her a bit. She was used to his antics but the way he was scrutinizing every single detail of her person made her feel overwhelmingly self-aware. His icy stare felt like needles prodding and searching her – too intrusive, too violent and way too foreign.
It all felt too Damon and she hated that. She hated that he was still able to get a rise out of her, to make her emotions roam free as if they belonged to him. If she had her powers, she would have given him an aneurysm and put some good miles between them. Unfortunately, her powers were still very much dormant. She shook her arm out his grip only to have him pull her closer to him. She reacted by palming his chest so that she could get away but he wasn't letting her go at all.
"It's interesting Witchy, how fragile you are without your powers"
She cursed when she felt his defined chest "Damon, I'm not warning you again"
He gave her a good look again and finally let her go "I'm not interested in vague threats Bennett. Something's up, I know it and you're hiding it from me"
She scoffed and crossed her arms "Don't ever touch me again Damon, I mean it!"
He leisurely poured himself a glass of his favorite drink and smirked "You have my word Bennett"
She gulped "Good"
She was about to open the front door and leave the manor for good when she turned to him with an undecipherable expression. Her eyes were hard and her tone was just as cold "Did you feed me your blood?"
The vampire glanced at her; sizing her "What?"
"Did. You. Feed. Me. Your. Blood?" she enunciated every word carefully, making sure that he knew she wasn't playing games.
Damon almost let the answer slip out of his tongue but he stopped himself at the last second. Why should give her what she wanted so easily? Especially after what she had said earlier.
He was an old vampire, not a lot things got to him, and especially not a lot of people, but what Bonnie said back at her porch was... uncalled for. He had beheaded people for much, much less and yet, here she was, a tiny thing on her two feet demanding something from him. Again. Acting like he owed her an explanation – again – like he was some lost soldier and she was his commander in chief.
No, he had to set things straight. He and Bonnie were nothing alike. She was a teenager that barely grasped the true meaning of her legacy – something that he suspected she didn't even know about – and he had centuries of legacy behind him. Just the very whisper of his name could make people shiver in some parts of the world, he had books written on him, on his crimes. She was not on his level. A powerful witch sure, but a teenager all the same.
He could feel her anger mounting up from where she stood. Even without her magic, Bonnie's emotions flowed like water to him. The rage and unsettledness waved through the air but he was unfazed by all of it. Right now, he could take her. Just two seconds and she'd be history, along with her judgy remarks and self-righteous attitude. He could end her.
Like clockwork, his senses focused on that pulsing vein in her neck. Her carotid was looking more alive than ever. The blood rushing through her seemed to ebb away any other sound and the way she breathed hard pushed her heart to beat faster. This was, naturally, music to his ears.
Strong emotions always brought out one's flavor which is why he often preferred to seduce his victims. Arousal gave them that twang he needed, but anger... anger added right kick to it. Not to mention that it was well known in the supernatural world that witches' blood tasted like nothing else in the world. It was raw, complex, intoxicating and violent sometimes.
Addictive.
He licked his gums and felt the tip of his fang. His thirst was creeping in and he had to be careful otherwise he would drain her dry right this second. He wondered what she would taste like right now. Would it be sweet like Elena's? Strong like Caroline's? Or something else entirely?
He had Bonnie's blood once before but he barely even drank it. He just ripped her neck and hoped he had sunk enough for to die. That didn't count, not properly that is. He had, at most, a couple of drops before he walked away in a fit. Back when she was just another useless kid, in a forgettable town and saved by his own brother. Back then, he didn't care much for her blood, or at all really, because all he cared about was Katherine.
That cunning bitch.
But now, with no one else around and after so much history between the two of them, he wondered how long it would take for Bonnie to stop fighting him and give up after he made his move. She couldn't rely on her magic so he had the upper hand now. What would happen if he were to drink from her? Should he even try it?
She was saying something right now, more like yelling it seems by the way she looked flustered and took mean steps towards him. With each step he could smell her blood even more, the fury burning out of her.
Mouth-watering.
"Are you even listening to me?"
He grinded his molars.
Yes Bonnie, I can hear you just fine. Your heart rate is going at the speed of exactly one hundred and sixty beats per minute, your blood is running high on adrenaline and you smell amazing.
She came closer to him with her chin high "I swear Damon, if you did it I will–"
"What?" he interrupted and bore his eyes onto hers "You'll do what exactly?"
She squinted her eyes accepting the challenge "Don't underestimate me, Damon. I might not have my magic but I can still hurt you" somehow some way, she thought.
He lowered his head. He could hear her heartbeat going off like crazy and the supernatural in him was ready to take that plunge and go for the cake. She had no idea what she was setting herself up to.
"Be careful Bennett, it's a dangerous path you're treading here"
"I'll take my chances. Did you do it or not?" she asked again, arms crossed and all.
Take it! Take her! Take it! Take her now!
He was so close. He could do it and she wouldn't even know it; she'd be trapped already. "What if I did?"
Her jaw slammed shut and her hand made a move but he caught it. She was expecting that he would because her knee was making its way to his manhood but he caught it too and soon had her trapped between the wall and his frame.
"Let go now!" she warned.
The grip was tight, not enough to leave a mark but tight enough. He expected another kick but it never came. Damon wasn't sure what to make of that, in fact, he couldn't even think straight, her blood was calling on him. It was too alluring to just leave her alone. If just lowered his head he could rip that sensible vein and have at it.
"You will pay, trust me, you will" she spoke with a low voice but the menacing tone could still be felt "You know I keep my word, Damon Salvatore; you will regret what you did"
Take it! Take her! Take it! Take her now!
Damon don't.
He froze. His delusion halted and his hunger vanished quickly. The vampire blinked away and let Bonnie go.
She pushed past his shoulder, making sure she hit him as much as she could in one go "You disgust me"
He didn't even try to stop her, he wasn't really paying attention to her, only to those two words that echoed so soundly, so beautifully. His name only sounded right when it was said like that – breathed out, raspy and full of emotion. That was the right way to say his name and he just heard it.
Damon. Damon.
Damon. Damon. Damon.
Damon.
Melodic. Smooth. He had to chase it; the feel and the smell of it. He had to have it.
Damon.
Damon. Damon. Damon.
Damon.
"Damon!" was yelled followed by the sound of a horn beeping continuously.
He blinked again not even sure of what had happened.
"I'll run you over" she said pressing her foot just a tad lower on the gas brake "Move!"
She rolled her eyes because apparently, he had gone deaf and refused to move out of her way. She shrugged. She was tired of him and she just wanted to leave. Damon would survive being run over by her Prius.
She pressed the gas brake and was mildly satisfied when she noticed she didn't have to hit him, however, that was short-lived because the bastard was in her passenger seat. Bonnie slammed the brakes hard and slapped him across the face not even a second later.
He let her have a go at it because he was honestly a bit stunned.
"I didn't do it"
She rolled her eyes again but remained silent. His time was more than up now.
"I just brought you home being that you fell face first to the floor" he had his head back against the head rest and his eyes closed. "You should be more careful Bonnie" he repeated.
"So should you, but here we are" she replied with spite "Now leave Damon, there's only so much I can take before I end up actually hurting you."
He turned his cyan eyes to her not expecting those emeralds staring back "We went through this earlier Bon Bon, you can't hurt me."
She smiled wickedly "I'll find a way, I always do"
There was another silence. They stared at each other for a few seconds before each turning away and staring ahead. Again, how she got herself in this situation, she wouldn't know.
Things never went like planned and Damon was plain unpredictable. He got on her nerves so much and all of their fighting just left her exhausted. Like she'd run a thousand miles and had only now stopped for water.
Her fingers played with the wheel. She meant what she said. She always made good on her promises and if Damon was lying about feeding her his blood, then she would have to do something about it. Magic or not, she would find a way and maybe that was just the trigger she needed to activate her magic again, who knows?
Back there, inside the manor, she could feel her anger simmering just below the surface and she knew that with powers, she'd be able to take him. She'd be able to show him. So maybe she just had to dig deeper and find what would bring her magic forward.
The young witch sighed. There was a place that she could go to – should go to, actually – but she had been avoiding it for days now. No matter how dire the situation got, Bonnie was still unable to go and visit Grams' house. She tried it, she did. Last week when she was all alone and had another of those god-awful nightmares, she ran all the way there but she couldn't even step closer to the porch. It was like her legs would stop moving out of their own volition and Bonnie had no choice but to obey to their commands.
She was standing there, with a speeding heart, a fearful mind and this need to go inside the house but her fear was too strong. It was paralyzing.
Bonnie knew she needed to get over her irrational fear and go over there. In fact, she wasn't even sure what it was that left her so scared but she knew it literally disabled her from having any real control over her body.
Ever since that night last week, she hadn't tried to go back to the house but she wanted to try again. That in itself, wasn't so simple, but at least it was something that was in her mind, something that she would soon start to find a way around. A real solution to a very real problem.
The young girl closed her eyes and let her head rest against the headrest. Her hands were still gripping the wheel and she was almost sure that Damon was still in the car with her. She didn't care now; she was sure he'd get bored and go back to the manor at some point. Or she would get grow impatient and drive home, and Damon could find his way back for all she cared.
It was getting more and more difficult spending another night in her house. Even with the herbs and her pendant, she could still feel eyes on her skin whenever she closed her own eyes. She could feel another presence – very briefly at times – and right away she wouldn't be able to sleep for the night.
She was exhausted, her body was aching and crying for rest but, as much as she wanted the same thing, she just couldn't bring herself to have a full night of sleep. Now that she thought about it, she was feeling a bit more restored and like herself after waking up in the Salvatore manor. She was still very much drained but that eerie feeling that she used to feel whenever she went to sleep was gone. At least she didn't have any recollection of it but she was sure that the feeling would come back as soon as she stepped foot inside the Bennett residence.
The young girl bit her lip. She had to endure another night in her home. She couldn't (and would straight up refuse) to spend a night with Damon Salvatore. She just had to endure her own demons. That's how it worked for some people, and that's how it worked for her now. She just had to be strong.
With a sigh, she opened her eyes and started the engine.
"Are you coming by tomorrow?" he asked in a calm voice.
"No" was her answer.
He cracked his knuckles and looked at her "Bonnie, you are coming to manor tomorrow"
She chuckled, softly at that but then her tone changed drastically "Are you trying to compel me Damon?"
He had a smirk in place "Wouldn't even dare to do it. I'm just letting you know what needs to happen tomorrow"
"You–"
"I didn't do it Judgy, I didn't feed you my blood" he was quick shushing her and holding her gaze he said "I will, if I have to, though. See you tomorrow"
Bonnie blinked a couple times; her mouth was left open for a few seconds before she checked herself and closed it. She didn't know if she fully trusted that Damon was able to be decent but she would play it by ear. There was quite a lot that she needed to think about. Turning the car on, she drove away from the manor and headed straight to her home in deep thought.
Her scent was still strong in the air and much to his dismay, his senses picked up on every single component of it. Her shampoo, her perfume, her blood. That rich and velveted combination of power and adrenaline was beyond compelling; he was sure that he would end up biting her at some point.
Damon usually had his thirst under control. Hell, he had been the one to teach The Ripper all about restraint! He had been taught by Katherine Pierce, and as much of a self-serving bitch as she was, she was also what one could call a master when it came to controlling one's urges. Countless were the lessons he was given by her.
"You have be to be able to control your hunger if you want to become a predator. There is much more joy in alluring your prey than just destroying your meal in less than twenty seconds. Learn the game." she told him at the time and he still lived by those words.
But ever since arriving here, the Salvatore could feel his primal side take over bit by bit and, to be honest, he wouldn't have any problems with that. The tricky thing here was that he was closer and closer to attacking the one source of warm blood here and the only chance he had at escaping. And yet, he had been so close to crossing that line. So close to taste her and let himself get lost in what he was sure to be an ecstatic ride.
Fuck.
He had to get his mind straight and get a grip. He couldn't kill his one chance of freedom, not to mention that he still needed to know what they were up against, and even if Bonnie was almost utterly useless now, she could still be an asset.
The vampire took another bottle and went to the garden. He sat roughly in one of the benches and looked up at the sky. It was nighttime already; the stars blanketed the sky and with a gulp he let himself fly through the clouds.
He recalled the voice he heard earlier. Damon. It was almost like a spell and he couldn't have enough of it. He longed for it and for her voice. He always loved the sound of his name on her soft lips. The vampire closed his eyes and let himself wander to his memories of her. Her chocolate hair and alluring eyes. He could always read her emotions just by looking at her eyes, they were direct access to her emotions. Elena could never really shield from him, even she tried he could still read her like an open book.
She would deflect and try to tell him how wrong he was about her and how she wasn't in love with him but he knew, he always knew. Then, she came to it and allowed herself to be truly happy. That was the happiest day of his life, when she opened her heart to him and vice-versa. She gave him a chance to be happy, to be loved, to live fully.
Unlike her bitch of a doppelgänger, Elena saw the man in him before she saw the beast. She convinced him to find and mend his broken heart, to fix it up. Up until her, the eldest Salvatore had never seen the need for such things. He thought he was fine like he was – a ruthless killing machine that enjoyed indulging in sex, blood and alcohol.
Admittedly, he only gained interest in her because she resembled Katherine and even after that, when he learned that Stefan cared about the girl, Damon made it his mission to destroy her in a very creative way. However, somehow along the way, that same girl was able to look at him and treat him with decency, she gave him the benefit of the doubt and even when he did the most despicable things, she still found it in her heart to forgive him. That was rare and even more in Damon's case.
After that understanding the both of them forged, it was all history between them.
He loved her, like really loved her and it wasn't a teenage crazed or an obsession like it was with Katherine. This was real and strong and it wasn't going away – ever. This is why what Bonnie said about his relationship left him more than upset. He knew he was flawed, hell the entire world knew about that, but he liked to believe that he was a changed man now. He wasn't the same vampire that showed up in Mystic Falls seeking vengeance, he was different, he had matured now.
Truthfully, he shouldn't give a rat's ass about Bonnie's opinion, it wasn't like she was in a better position to judge but she had been the one to voice what he felt about himself deep down.
Under all that love he felt for Elena, under all of the good things he did in the name of his brother and at times the rest of the gang, he still feared that none of that would be able to top up every bad thing he'd done. He feared that one day, Elena would realize that and walk away. And now that they were here, without any plan or means to go back, he didn't want to think that, at some point in the future, say sixty or so years, Elena would look back to his mistakes and be glad the she dodged a bullet. He feared that the world would be telling her that.
Frankly, he wanted her to be happy and to experience all that the world had to offer. He wanted her to live a life where she didn't have to run from enemies or constantly grieve her friends. He wanted that, he truly did, but he wanted to do those things with her. He wanted to be the one to stand by her side, he wanted to make love to her in all of his favorite corners of the world, he wanted to love her, but he couldn't.
Damon opened his eyes fast and opened the bottle. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much that he had planned and wanted to show her. She made him a better man and a better brother. She made him have hope and now he barely had any. It was just him, his growing hunger and an uptight witch.
Speaking of whom, he had to find out what she was hiding from him. The Bennett girl had always had a way of misleading everyone around them whenever she saw fit but he always saw through her. The fact that she hated him so much made it that easier for him to know when she was lying and today had not been an exception.
He knew she wanted to get out of here as much as he did so that fact that she was omitting something made him curious. He was counting on her to find a way out and for that she had to be on her best shape. She would fight him of course, he was expecting that, but as long as she listened to him and stopped being so stubborn, they could find a way. After all, he hadn't told her what he had found and that would certainly change things.
Getting up was a struggle. Not because she was in pain or anything but because her entire body felt like blocks of cement that didn't know how to function together. She figured that sleeping on the couch had that effect.
Bonnie Bennett closed her book and massaged her forehead. She spent the entire morning reading and writing down some spells. She couldn't understand most of them but she was starting to notice key words in most of them and wrote them down. She smiled proudly; she was getting somewhere, not everything was a dead end after all.
Even so, her brain was full of information and she needed to rest for a bit. Moving to the kitchen, she prepared a hot cup of tea and decided to sit out in the porch. As she rocked on the wooden swing, she thought about last night.
Damon told her that he hadn't fed her his blood, however, her body was feeling as heavy as it did whenever vampire blood was in her stream. Staring at a random car across the street, she thought about her options. Damon could be lying, which wouldn't be a surprise at all since all he knew was to lie and manipulate people into his biding, or he could be telling the truth and her exhaustion came from the stress she was under, or both options could still be simultaneously true. Which sucked.
Ugh, she groaned.
Either way, she needed to do something about it because if Damon was lying then she'd have to keep her word but how? He knew she was still magic free and it was not like she could just straight up shoot him, and even if she did, he would make sure she'd feel the consequences of her actions.
At the same time, he was the only ally she had and she could use his vampire abilities. Oh joy, she thought sadly. She'd have to partner up with the world's most arrogant and unreliable vampire if she wanted to get out of here in the foreseeable future.
She had to be smart about this.
Even if she were to actually work with him, she couldn't be defenseless. There was something different about him, something she couldn't quite explain. The way he acted at the manor was suspicious, like he was plotting something... he seemed a bit out of it, but only for a second there, a second that she took notice of and replayed a few times. Was Damon feeling the side effects of being here like she was? Or was he simply missing home and this was his way of dealing with it?
As much as she wanted to, she couldn't tell what drove him to act like he did but it did make her want to take a more serious approach at protecting herself. That's when it became so clear to her. She didn't have her magic but it didn't mean that it wasn't all around them!
"That's it!" she said and stood up at once.
She could lace her bullets with vervain. They would not kill him - and it wasn't her wish to do so - they would slow him down just enough for her to run away – if the situation called for it. She went back inside and quickly retrieved her father's gun and a small box of bullets. She remembered that her dad had the town's water supply filled with vervain and she was hoping that in this reality, Rudy kept the vervain stash hidden in the cellars under his office.
The green-eyed girl started her car fast and drove to her destination. It was not long after when she slowly opened the back door that led to the cellars and found the plants. She came closer and kneeled, taking one strand into her hands. A smile graced her features and she took a deep breath.
"This is it" she repeated.
He was reading a book.
His legs were outstretched along the sofa and he had a cup of warm blood next to him, the fireplace was cracking away at the wood logs. He heard her before she knocked on the door but waited for said knock regardless.
"Witchy" was his greeting. He quickly ran his eyes over her, she had tight jeans and a simple black top covered by a black cardigan. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, so her face stood out. Especially the green of her eyes.
The girl nodded and made her way to the center of the living room "So, I'm here"
Pouring out a glass of bourbon he said "So you are. Turns out we have something we need to talk about" he offered her the drink.
Bonnie looked at it. Her first instinct was to decline, brown liquor was never her forte but now she was in this world, there were no rules she needed to follow so she took the glass. As soon as the liquid went down her throat, she started coughing and covered her mouth with the back of her hand. "That's strong" she said in between coughs.
The vampire smirked "That's the good stuff. I know you're used to cheaper options"
Bonnie squinted her eyes "You're being an asshole again"
"You're being rude and judgmental and annoying and a pain–" he started.
"Okay, okay!" she said with her hand in the air "Let's just... not"
He conceded and invited her to sit on the couch but she declined, choosing one of the big chairs instead "So, what is it that needed my undying attention?"
"Well," he said sitting down "I wanted to tell you this earlier but you decided to be... well, you, and ruined everything, but I found Emily's necklace"
Bonnie stood up fast and joined him on the sofa "You found what?"
Damon sipped on his drink and licked his bottom lip before answering her "That's right Bon Bon, I found her necklace. The one you destroyed back in our world"
She squared her shoulders "No, that's not possible"
"It is Bonnie, I have it" he countered.
She shook her head "But how? I mean, even if there was an Emily Bennett, shouldn't the necklace be with her? How is it that you found it?"
Bonnie just couldn't understand it. It was so weird and, honestly a bit confusing, that something that belonged to her bloodline would end up in Damon's hands. Not only that but back in their world, the necklace had been the key to unlock the tomb which would release all the vampire trapped inside it. Could it be that the tomb vampires had been a thing in this reality as well? And were they still trapped there?
Damon fidgeted with his glass before replying to her "I was driving and then came to this bar and everything is blurry. I just know that when I came to it, I had it in front of me"
Bonnie sighed impatiently "What bar Damon? And when was this?"
The vampire licked his lips nervously "A couple of weeks ago"
"Damon..." she started.
"Listen," he said looking at her "I don't know how it happened. I just know that I was driving and I was drunk and pissed off and wanted to blow off some steam. It just... it was... I don't know. I just kept driving and then I found the bar I took Elena to the first time."
When he fell silent after that sentence, she asked "I still don't understand. How and why would it be there?"
This time, he was the one that sighed "I don't know Bonnie. It just was!"
"Don't get an attitude with me Damon, I'm just trying to figure out why this medallion that belongs to my family would suddenly appear to you in a random bar" she said in one breath "And was there anyone else there or... you know, was it empty?"
When he looked at her, his eyes were intense "That's the thing Bon, there was someone else there"
Her eyes enlarged just to show how shocked she was "Who?"
Elena, he wanted to say. But he knew she wouldn't take him seriously if he ever told her that so he would go with the next best thing – the other person's identity, sort of.
"This man. I don't remember his name but he seemed to know me" Damon said with his brows furrowed. He couldn't even recall what they talked about, or if they'd even shared a conversation at all, but he was sure there was another man in there.
Bonnie crossed her arms. This was sure new information and a lot of it. So, now they knew there weren't completely alone, there was at least another person out there that knew Damon and that could either mean it was a friend or–
Silas.
She stood up quickly and started pacing. Fuck, what if that man was Silas? What if he found a way to actually touch her? What if her dreams hadn't been just dreams but predictions?
Oh my god, she thought, He's gonna get me!
"Bonnie! Bonnie, hey!" Damon placed his hands on her shoulders "What's going on?"
She was trembling now and it took everything in her not to burst into actual tears. "Where's that necklace?"
"It's safe, don't worry" he assured her "What is it?"
She shook out of his hold and started pacing again "Are you sure that that's my family's necklace?"
"Yeah, I'm sure" he shrugged "I mean, yeah, at first I thought I was seeing things but it's real"
She came to a sudden stop and glanced at him "What do you mean you thought you were seeing things?"
Oh shit, he thought. "Well, you know I might've been a bit drunk and... high on blood"
Right there, her worries dissipated for a minute and then her frustration took over "Are you serious? Like, can you behave for once?"
"Hey, back off!" he yelled back "Shit happened and I was in my feelings. You're not the only one that's allowed to sulk every once in a while!"
"The difference is that in this case, it's a matter of whether we leave this place or not!" she argued back. How could he not see her point? Was he that conceited?
He ran his hand across his face frustrated "Don't you think I know that, Bennett? I'm not making shit up here; I'm telling you what I saw regardless of everything else!"
She shook her head and took the glass of bourbon he'd offered earlier in one gulp. She coughed even more than before "Show it to me"
He pulled a face "So you believe me now? Gee thanks so much Judgy, for giving me the benefit of the doubt!"
"For what it's worth, I'm not doubting you. I just think that all of this is very strange and I can't make sense of it yet!"
"Wait here" he said before flashing out of the parlor. He was back seconds later with the piece of jewelry in his hand "Here"
She took it from his hand and inspected the item. It was just like she remembered it, the weight and intricacies of it. The only thing that was missing was the flux of magic she felt when she touched it for the first time whereas now, she couldn't feel a thing.
"Believe me now?" he asked upset.
She looked up at him, her eyes big "Yeah. I should keep it though"
He nodded "Obviously. I wouldn't know what to do with it"
"Clearly" she commented and pocketed the necklace "So, I'm guessing this man was just as real"
He rolled his eyes and went to refill his glass "I'm not going to repeat myself Witchy"
She huffed and came closer to him "Fine. But we need to know more about him fast. We don't know who he is or what exactly he knows about you"
He hunched a shoulder "Figured as much. Think I might go there tonight"
He had been thinking about it. He knew Bonnie was right and that man could be a big help in all of this, not to mention that now Bonnie had Emily's necklace back and that could be useful in the future. But mostly, he wanted to go back because he needed to see her, hear her voice and just let himself get lost in all her soft beauty.
"I think we should wait" Bonnie's voice came through "And before you start, I do think we should look into this man asap but it would be stupid to just go in there blindly and not have a backup plan in case things go south"
Bonnie, more so than Damon probably, wanted to make sure that this man was indeed a friend because the other option was not even an option at all. She had been terrified as it was, she wouldn't be able to keep a semblance of sanity if the possibility of Silas walking around was real and closer than she first anticipated. Against him, the vervain laced bullets would be of no use and she needed real protection against him.
Damon huffed mad; he knew she was right, they had to protect their backs "Fine but we can't waste time"
This time, it was Bonnie that ran her hand across her face "We just need to figure out exactly how we're going to keep ourselves out of harm's way"
If she still had her magic, she could cast a protection spell on them but she couldn't do that now. She paced around the room deep in thought when she spotted the book left on the small coffee table. Picking it up, she asked him "Why are you reading Shane's book?"
"Information. As much of a dick as he was, that book might be of help" he replied nonchalantly.
Bonnie eyed the hard cover "Yeah but he turned out to be crazy and obsessed and he turned me into a 'time-ticking bomb', remember?"
He crossed his arms as he came closer to her "Yeees, but he was the one to accurately locate Silas, something not even the Mikaelsons were able to do, and he made sure that The Five were back in business. That, Judgy, is someone that knows their shit. Even when they're batshit crazy"
"Okay, you have a point there but we're not even in the same reality anymore" she said handing him the book "I doubt there's anything there that can help us out"
He took the book firmly in his hands "And that, witchy, is your mistake. You can't judge a book by its cover"
"Bad joke" she interrupted.
"I'm allowed one every century or so" he replied amused "But I'm very serious about this Bon Bon. I couldn't stand the smug bastard; I wouldn't be reading his book just because. I know there's something in here that we can use"
"Okay, let's do this then. But first I think we should lay some ground rules" she said.
He scoffed "Of course you do"
She raised her eyebrow "If we're going to be working together then you need to step up and stop being so impulsive. We have to be on the same page"
He nodded "Likewise. Let's not act like I'm the only one that needs to work on their attitude."
"I agree" she spoke through gritted teeth. "We can't keep secrets from each other. I mean, things that relate to the both of us. If you had let me know earlier about all of this maybe we could've done–"
"Humm I tried but you acted all self-righteous and then proceeded to collapse" he rudely interrupted her with his finger in the air.
She looked offended "Fine, whatever. No more alternative world secrets" he nodded so she continued "You can't feed me your blood – ever – and I'm dead serious Damon"
The vampire squinted his left eye. He didn't know why she was so against it. Cross that; he knew. She was Bonnie Bennett, the Damon Hating Witch, of course she wouldn't want his blood in her. Hell, it's not like he was running around begging her to drink from him, he was the one that was close to draining her!
He told her last night that if it ever came to it, he'd feed her his blood and he would stand by it. If she needed him to agree to that rule now, so be it, but when the time came, he wouldn't let her die. She could yell at him again after she was brand new again.
"Fine. You can't use your spells on me" he added.
"What?" she asked genuinely surprised "I don't even have my magic anymore"
He shrugged "Yeah but you will and I'll bet that you're dying to use those little migraine spells on me" he wiggled his fingers just to illustrate his point "We're on the same team so use your beloved spells on the bad guys"
She actually chuckled and sat back down on the sofa "You are actually insane but fine. Only if you behave though"
"I'll be on my best behavior. Now, should we cheer to it?" he asked already handing her a refilled glass.
"Why not?" she muttered "Hell is surely freezing over"
He came near her again "Enemies turned partners in crime? This is not our first rodeo Bennett" he clinked their glasses "Bottoms up"
"Okay, that was the last one and I officially hate bourbon" she said while coughing "We need a plan Damon"
"I know"
"I was actually thinking about going back to the Old Witches' House and see if something happens" she said in a small voice because part of her knew that he was about to smash her hopes somehow.
Instead, he surprised her "Yeah, I think that's a good idea. You have Emily's necklace now and even if you don't have your magic, I'm betting that it still has a whole load of magic in it"
Bonnie shifted in the sofa and retrieved the necklace from her pocket "So, it would react to it just by being there, because that house is a hotspot of magic – Bennett magic"
Damon nodded "It's worth a shot"
"I think so too" she caressed it for a few moments before absently asking "Do you think they're still there?"
"Who?"
"This necklace, you wanted to free Katherine from the tomb" she said "What if the vampires are still trapped there in this reality?"
Good question, he thought. As far as history had shown them, the vampires should be in the tomb. However, in this reality, this Mystic Falls was deserted, there were no signs of any supernatural activity whatsoever, so how could they be sure that the timeline from their reality mirrored the timeline from this world?
"What if they're not?" he added "We don't know a single thing about this world. For all we know, there might've never even been tomb vampires at all."
She pulled a face "Then how come everything else is like our Mystic Falls? I even found my herbs"
"Well, I'm sure there's potheads in all realities" he said with a shrug "What I'm saying is that we can't take everything at face value, at least not now"
Ugh "Okay" she said sounding completely defeated but then she remembered something "Tomorrow is the full moon! I remember everything about this necklace so maybe with the power of the moon we can conjure up some sort of protection!"
The vampire took in her words "Are you positive it's going to work?"
She looked back at him with uncertainty "It's not exactly bullet-proof but it should work" I hope it works.
"So, we do it tomorrow"
"We do it tomorrow" she agreed and felt her stomach churn. She really wanted this to work. They finally had concrete evidence which was something they could work with, and they could build a plan around that.
"Take your jacket, we're leaving" he said as he walked to his front door.
"Where are we going?"
He turned on his heels fast "Let's find out if the tomb vampires are real" he then made a beeline to his Camaro that was nicely parked in the driveway.
"Oh" was all that left her mouth.
Bonnie shook her head as she stepped outside; she was still gathering her thoughts when she saw something move in the trees around the manor. She tried to focus her eyesight but whatever it was, was faster than her human reflexes so she didn't waste her time with it.
A/N: Hey angels, here's another update! Thank you soooo much to everyone that followed, reviewed and favorited this lil story of mine! That truly makes my heart sing!
I hope you like this one, we have hella Bamon angst here but I think it was necessary, not only to further the plot but mostly to allow the characters to interact with one another in different ways without it being one dimensional.
Last chapter, we saw Bonnie struggle and we have the continuation of that proccess in this one as well. Poor girl has been through a lot but all of this pain and suffering will be highly rewarded. I believe that she needs to find her strength again and take full control of her life. With Damon, I have hinted in the last chapters how he was struggling with his thirst but now we see it play sort of in first hand and we get to see (a small peek) into what goes inside his complex mind. I have to say that that was the most fun part to write in this chapter. I love the character and I find myself wanting to explore more of him and show different layers, and the fact that he's stuck with Bonnie in this reality means that his true nature comes forth and it's going to be a battle for him. But hey, it's necessary.
Finally, their interactions in this chapter were absolutely insane (but so fun to write!) because clearly they're both in a very unstable place in so many aspects that they take it out on each other, and that's mad toxic. I want to explore that area because I feel like it's so romanticized but so hurtful and it's not at all what I want for Bamon. They are flawed characters (naturally) and they deserve to grow individually before blooming together and being happy in a relationship they both deserve.
Anyways, this was very long and I'm sorry for that. I just wanted to chat and give my point of view, so let me know your thoughts about this! As always, I'm sending you love and big ass hugs! Stay safe and see you next time xx
