Try Again (Fight)


She couldn't say for sure how long she'd been sitting in that same spot, she just knew that her body was out of tears to cry. Again. That last letter tugged at her heartstrings in so many different ways.

Sheila had always had a way with words, but this was definitely different. She mentioned the unspeakable; she mentioned something they'd never had the chance to talk about in real life and that left the young Bennett unsettled. The previous (and brief) feeling of light and love was now taken over by regret and sadness.

That cursed night was one memory she had purposely locked away in the farthest corners of her mind. She still remembered it vividly; every single detail, every breath of moment of dread and the danger surrounding them. Most of all, she remembered the guilt she carried. Bonnie remembered it all because it never went away. The feeling that she should have done it differently, that she should have seen it coming, or that she should have just said no. The guilt that insisted on living right under her skin and keep her awake on many sleepless nights.

To be fair, the younger witch welcomed it – all of it – because why shouldn't she? Why should she carry on living as if nothing had happened? That terrifying night hung over her head like steak knives, and, in some twisted way, Bonnie found comfort in that. It would never make up for her role in Grams' fate, but as of now it had to be enough.

She was so used to sacrificing herself for her friends when she should have done it for the one person that she cared about the most. She had the magic, she had every magic, she just needed to find the spell. But now, being stripped away from her light source Bonnie had to find another route, or a solution to her problem.

She'd brought Jeremy back, she managed to keep Klaus alive even when he was outside of his body, not to mention Alaric and Tyler, whom she was able to give a second chance at life. She did all of that for them, she'd go the extra miles for Grams.

"I'm going to make it" she whispered feeling a mist of uncertainty and strength, however diluted in delusion "I'll get my magic back; I can do it. I have to"

I promise.

Her caramel fingers piled the letters together neatly and carefully. If anything, these words were proof that maybe not everything was lost. Maybe Bonnie would find her way back to her family, maybe this hell hole didn't have to be her final destination.

A tear spilled out of her soft eye, hugging her cheek as it made its way downwards. Her chest was heavy with emotion and there was a part of her that was scared to give in, scared to dive into that well and come out bruised again. Another part however, the part governed by her heart not by reason, clung onto that shred of opportunity that had presented itself to the young Bennett. The part that yearned for something, anything, other than the complete and utter numbness and pain she'd been in since she opened her eyes after the Other Side collapsed. That side took control over her primary senses and her innate instincts.

Though she'd been wary, Bonnie knew that coming to Sheila's house would shift something inside of her. She could feel it. The questions and the doubts were still very much present but the voice – her voice – the one that she longed to hear for so long had spoken to her and Bonnie knew that it was real. It had to be.

It had to.

Bruises and cuts healed over time, but not a broken heart let alone a broken spirit. Bonnie was going to give in and fight one last time. For you Grams, was the silent promise. It was thick in the air and Bonnie exhaled.

One. Last. Time.

As she looked inside the box, she noticed something, it looked like a bunch of metallic objects that surely composed a more defined and cohesive item. She took each piece in her small hands and carefully analyzed the pieces. On their own, they looked like parts of a bigger device, a clock maybe? She tried to make up a shape but soon realized that whatever it was that Grams left for her wasn't complete.

Bonnie licked her lips; she wasn't about to give up. Whatever this thing was, it could definitely mean something major. Could it be that Grams was actually helping her from wherever she was? Immediately, a smile graced her features because this meant that she and Grams had a somewhat direct connection now, like a line they could access to. This changed everything.

Taking a deep breath, Bonnie knew that she wouldn't be able to decipher the current enigma without resorting to her family heirloom. She still couldn't read it but there was no denying that whatever this device was supposed to be, it would for sure pop up in the timed book. There was also the fact that the box was still very much glued to the floor, and it reacted to her necklace that rested atop the lid.

There was magic in this world and there was certainly magic in this house. Maybe there was still a sliver of magic in her. That had to mean something, right? There were so many questions and clearly not enough answers, or answers at all. She would have to figure it out on her own.

However, for that to happen, she'd have to leave the Old Witches' house. Although it provided her with much needed protection and safety for the past month or so, Grams' is where she needed to be. It was where she belonged. Her birthright.

This house carried so many memories, it harbored so much of her identity that it seemed almost nonsensical that she would take so long to come here.

Better late than never, she thought grimly.

She folded the letters carefully and lay them on the bed before exiting the room altogether. The walls in the hall were completely bathed in light, the previous shadows were nothing but a memory. This, of course, went unnoticed by the young Bennett as she fiddled with her car keys. Her heart was drumming against her ribcage with a mix of fear and boldness. Her stride was stronger than it had been in weeks, so much so that when she turned the key in the ignition, the engine's purr matched her energy.

Her fingers caressed the wheel while her right hand placed a strand her hair behind her earlobe. The urge to nibble on her lip was strong as she felt the doubts creeping in with a renewed strength. It was as if the farther she was from Grams' house, the more her insecurities banged on her fragile heart. The pull from her own darkness licked the back of her neck and she could feel her stomach tie itself in mysterious knots.

Not today, not now. She gulped. She was on a mission, and she had a goal. Get it and get out, maintain the focus and hopefully this won't blow over.

Her foot pressed the brake a tad harder, and she wondered why she should care about limits when there wasn't anyone in this town. She made a left and pressed forward. The wheels branded the pavement, and, for a moment, Bonnie almost missed her exit. The gloom was starting to envelop her in an unwanted hug. She felt it in her spine despite her efforts to shake it off.

Not today, not now.

She was almost there, not too long to go. Her Prius hadn't failed her before, and surely it wouldn't fail her now. The former witch sighed loudly when the familiar house came into view. Her viridian eyes glued themselves to the front door. She shot out of the car and made a beeline to the woodened door.

Relief washed over her when she noticed that Emily's necklace was still in the same hole it carved on the basement floor. It wasn't like the necklace would disintegrate out of its own volition – or maybe it could – but the point was, Bonnie didn't have to fear it disappearing or being stolen. Damon, as much of an asshole he was, he also knew that there was nothing he could do with the talisman without her. Furthermore, Bonnie had her suspicions that because it belonged to Emily, the talisman wouldn't want to work.

As insane as it sounds.

She quickly climbed up the stairs and spotted her gun. Holding it, she counted the vervain bullets satisfied that the number was just right.

The real challenge though, would be to retrieve her grimoire. For the last month, she'd been feeling hopeless, she'd fallen into such a pit that it seemed impossible to climb out of it. Her current state wasn't much of an improvement, but the circumstances surrounding her gave her some perspective. She was taking this very rare moment of courage and fulfill her promise to Grams, they would be reunited. Even if she was dreading going back to her house, she'd make it one way or another, which was why she had her gun tightly secured in her small hand.

She was sure her pulse was going a mile per minute, giving away how freaked out she was by the whole thing. She let out a gush of air as she parted her lips and tried to steady her heart. Her brain ordered her legs to push forward and leave the house. As soon as she did so, her feet stopped moving, contradicting her very explicit and innate orders. Why weren't they moving?

If her poor heart was working particularly hard just moments ago, now it had skyrocketed. Her panic levels increased faster than she could comprehend. It was like she was stuck, her entire body felt as if it was made of concrete. Not a single muscle in her body was moving, the only exception being her forest green eyes that tried to scan her surroundings the best they could. In contrast, the soft breeze blew a few strands of hair away from her face.

The birds were chirping away, the sun stood witness to these happenings and Bonnie remained glued to that one spot. Only a few steps away from her car.

What the hell was going on?

She commanded every fiber in her body to obey her instructions and get her the hell out of here, but again, nothing happened.

This could only mean one thing.

Immediately, her eyes swelled up and she tried her best to swallow up those tears. You are not going to cry Bonnie! But it was easier said than done, although she successfully prevented those tears from falling down.

As if he had read her mind, he stepped in front of her with a lazy smile gracing his face. The sunlight highlighted his features and his bluish orbs darkened with mischief and wickedness. It was uncanny the resemblance he shared with Stefan. They were more than lookalikes; they were a mirror of each other, in more ways than one. Where Stefan was caring and compassionate, Silas was detached and cold. He didn't care about anything that didn't directly involve him or benefit his interests somehow. He was calculative and took pride in toying with her emotions.

Silas was a fucking nightmare. He was her own designated executioner. Instead of making her meet her untimely fate in a quick manner, Silas wanted to drag it out, he wanted to make sure he'd turn this afterlife into her personal purgatory.

She gulped and willed her hand – the one with the gun – to please, please, move so that she could shoot him and buy herself some time.

He cocked his head to the side, his face expressed amusement and the tip of his lip curved upwards. He took a step closer, then another and another, and soon, not much space was separating the two. Bonnie was sure that if she had control of her body, her legs would be trembling, but they remained rigid. She hissed when she felt the tip of his index finger run across her cheek and down her neck which he eyed with such intent that Bonnie feared he was going to bite her. There was nothing and no one to stop him from draining her dry right now. She couldn't move and there was literally nothing she could do. Was this going to be her end? Was Silas going to be the last face she saw before she parted from this world?

Something in her snapped. No. It didn't matter that she was now powerless, it didn't matter that she was frozen in that one place, she wouldn't let Silas think he had won this round. Not after she had just regained some hope. Not after making contact with Grams. No, she wouldn't go down like this.

He smiled, canines in display "Relax, I'm not going to eat you... now. You smell delicious though" he removed his finger from her face and redirected his gaze into hers "I've missed you Bonnie, where've you been?"

Her stare could easily be translated into fury "Oh, right, you can't talk" he said flippantly and then snapped his fingers "There you go. Now, answer me Bonnie dear. Oh, and please do be gentle, I haven't forgotten how we left things off the last time"

"You monster!" she spoke through gritted teeth "Fu–"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Bonnie, no" Just like that, he placed his finger on her mouth effectively silencing her "A mouth like yours shouldn't say such vile words. Although, I am offended you would choose to use them on me"

Bonnie tried to find her voice, but it was somewhere lost within her throat folds. She could feel it, the impulse, but it seemed as if her mechanism wasn't allowing her to access her own instrument. He began circling her, she could feel him all around her, like a lion ready to pounce and bite to kill. A cold chill went down her spine and she tried her best not to let it show.

"You want to know what I find interesting?" he asked casually "Witches are all about balance; keeping the equilibrium between life and death, the nature and the animals, the birds and the bees" he went on, folding his arms behind him and stopping by her side "There's a reason why they're considered guardians. By some of course, the ignorant only see what they want to see. They judge and cast us aside, but little do they know we're the ones making sure they even get to judge and ostracize"

"If you ask me, it will bid well to teach them a lesson" he said with a glint in his eye "Don't you agree Bonnie? Make those nonbelievers into our very own worshippers. Ah, that would only be... righteous" he added as he stepped in front of her again "But I digress, my point is, witches are a different breed. Sure, they're not vampires and they can't live forever, but there's not much a witch can't do. Well, a Bennett witch... that's where the real power is at." he mused mostly to himself before continuing "So, what is it that you did Bonnie? I've been looking for you"

Her only response was to curse him out in her head and hope he would get the message.

He examined her face for a while before speaking up "How did you do it? How did you get me out?"

She looked deep into his eyes and almost found herself swallowed up by the darkness in them, so she quickly averted her gaze.

To be frank, Bonnie had blocked out that particular memory. The last time Silas had come to taunt her left her all kinds of shaken up and she did not want to relive a single second of it. What he'd done to her... that was something that she wanted to forget. It had only lasted a few seconds, but it was more than enough to leave the young witched frightened to the bone.

How she got him out was a mystery to her as well. She didn't remember being the one to cast him out.

Her eyes turned to him when she felt his light grip on her arm "It doesn't matter anyway. I barely scratched the surface last time, now we get to try again and do it properly. This time around, I am prepared"

Before she had time to blink, she felt her mind being overwhelmed with a strong energy, stronger than she had ever experienced before. It was crushing her. The weight, the power, it was all too much. She could feel her essence being diminished and backed into a tiny corner of her mind and as much as she was trying to fight it off, it seemed as if Silas was cornering her and leaving her no space to breathe.

Her time was running out, she could feel it. She didn't know exactly what it was that he was doing but she knew she had to fight back.

"Give in Bonnie" she heard his voice "Give in and let go" it was like a whisper. She wasn't sure if he actually said it or if she'd imagined it. Nevertheless, she figured it was a trap.

There was something pulling her down, like she had weights strapped to her ankles. She tried to free herself from them, but she was paralyzed, her body didn't belong to her, and she could feel her mind slip away. The weights were heavier now, her waist felt tight and soon her entire being was so heavy.

It was getting harder to fight. The darkness brought the sadness to the forefront and Bonnie wondered if she should keep fighting. She was starting to feel numb all over. She wasn't sure where she was, she just knew she was alone. There was something she needed to do, the young witch realized, despite feeling tired, her heart told her that this wasn't her time yet. There was an urgency to do something but what was it?

Oh, she moaned, the temptation to go under was alarming. What was it that she had to do? She could hear him, but it was far away, his voice was a murmur and before she let herself go, she heard "Bennett witches, such wasted potential"

Wait.

That triggered something in her brain, but it was so foggy and dark that she couldn't think as fast as she wanted to. She knew that had to be a clue, that had to mean something. What did he mean by wasted potential? Was it her? Was it–oh, Grams! Grams! She had just found her; she wasn't about to lose her all over again. Especially not because of Silas.

Mustering up all the energy and strength she could, Bonnie Bennett pulled herself out of corner and for a split second she regained control of her body and her motor functions. Silas was clearly surprised by it as the shock marred his face. However, Bonnie didn't let that deter her. Groggily she first shot him in the foot and as he grabbed her by the neck, she shot his leg.

She felt the gun being yanked from her hand and before she could make sure she was safe from the immortal; she felt her entire body collapse.


When she woke up, it was a soft pillow that she caressed and a silk sheet that covered her body. Her mind was still fogged and pieces of what had happened were still coming up.

Her head was pounding, and she needed an aspirin immediately. Her entire body felt heavy with exhaustion, which was surprising. She'd been so used to suppressing strong emotions and numbing herself, that it almost felt foreign to be this tired.

Sure, these past couple of days had been an emotional carrousel, and yet, it didn't compare to this. Bonnie couldn't really explain it, or fully understand it herself, but what she was experiencing right now was so massive.

She felt odd, as if she was out of place. Like she didn't belong. But, for once, that had nothing to do with her external environment but everything to do with herself. She felt different. Off.

Stretching her slender arms upwards, she dared opening her eyes and another realization slammed into her. She was in Damon's room. Again. That alone was enough to snap her into a sitting position a little too fast for her human body. Her body groaned as it adjusted to the sudden and unexpected movement.

This was becoming an annoying pattern. She would black out and then wake up in the boarding house, in Damon's room, in his bed.

There were far more important things that she needed to think about than dealing with an arrogant Salvatore, like the letters Sheila left her, or the grimoire or... Silas.

That gave her major pause to her rambling thoughts. Silas found her; he invaded her privacy.

He did...

He did something to me.

Suddenly, she remembered his words "I can feel you."

Now that she was on full alert, her mind cleared up and she remembered what happened back at the Old Witches house. She recalled every sensation – vividly – and recoiled as each one of them replayed in her body. They were so strong that it made the young witch nauseous. She could feel her throat tighten and even that reminded her of losing her voice.

"Oh god" she managed to gasp before running to the adjacent bathroom and spill the contents of her stomach.

Thankfully, she made it to the toilet in time and, with a push of a handle, she flushed the evidence away. However, it did nothing to tame her growing uneasiness. Silas had been able to tamper with her mind again, only this time he had gone further. It was like he wanted to... she shook her head off in a vain effort to get the tumultuous thoughts out of her mind.

Holding the marble sink, Bonnie splashed water across her face and washed her mouth. She washed it once, and then again and again, but the bitter taste of dread refuse to part from her. Damn it.

A month. That's how long she went without seeing him. That's how long she went without having him haunt her. It terrified her to know that he had been looking for her, or maybe that was another way to play tricks with her. Either way, being on his radar left her nervous. She wanted nothing but distance from him, especially now. It was as if he couldn't leave her alone.

What if he was looking for her now? She knew he wasn't dead. The vervain bullets wouldn't be enough to stop him at all. Oh, what if I pissed him off? It's not like he didn't deserve it.

In truth, she was glad she had her gun with her because who knows how far things would have gone if she hadn't? Granted, she was too weak to have a proper shot, but it worked, and he stopped whatever spell he was doing on her. It slowed him down, even if only for a second. That was something she could work with. She just needed to perfect it.

It wasn't enough to just slow him down; she needed to kill him before he came to finish the job. She'd have to find a way because, as of right now, she was an easy target, and she was already petrified as it was.

Give in and let go, he had said.

She could hear his voice as clear as day repeat those ill words in her mind and her body went stiff with fear.

Give in and let go.

Give in and let go.

Give in and let go.

She almost did. She almost let herself slip away into the vastness of her consciousness before she snapped out of it.

As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, Bonnie noticed that her eyes were bright. Not like before when her curiosity and her naivety ruled her spirit. Back when she thought her future would be immensely different from what it currently was. They weren't shinning like they used to whenever she performed a spell. No, this was different... but she welcomed it regardless. The green that stared back wasn't as strong as it had once been but there was something there. Maybe it was the result of facing off Silas and coming out of it victorious. For now. Whatever it was, it showed. Her hair was longer, it was messy. Her curls weren't as defined, but that was low on her list of problems. Silas was getting close. He had gotten closer already.

Her shaky hands gripped the marble harder, and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard his voice.

"Glad to see you're finally awake" he was leaning against the door, arms crossed across his chest.

Slowly, her eyes met his icy stare. They gauged each other for a few seconds though it felt like minutes. His face was a blank canvas but there was a noticeable tick going in his jaw. Lately, Damon was synonym with every unpleasant thing she could think of. His whole demeanor irritated her to no end, but now, as she looked at him, she realized that she'd prefer to deal with him than with Silas.

Nevertheless, that didn't mean she wanted to break bread with him anytime soon. So, with that thought in mind, she was quick to find her exit.

Damon, annoyingly, took hold of her arm "We need to talk" and before she uttered a single word, she was sitting down on his bed while he was standing in front of her with a closed off expression "So, talk"

Taking orders from Damon was not on her list today, so naturally, that really ticked her off. As she was about to tell him a piece of her mind, she stopped at the very last second. Her mind was playing tricks on her. She'd already gone through what happened with Silas. Literally, she'd just done it so why was it that the shock of it was catching up with her now?

Bonnie knew what Silas was capable of, she knew that he was coming for her again and she knew she had to be prepared. Said preparation entailed getting out of Damon's room and get the things she needed to figure out a proper plan, so why couldn't she walk away? Why couldn't she move?

Not this again, please.

Was it Silas messing with her again? Could he be doing this?

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Her heart was beating rapidly. She was sure that if she was completely human, she'd be having a heart attack now.

No, I can't let him mess with me.

That sentiment felt hollow to her for it echoed in the chambers of her mind but did nothing to calm her down. It didn't help that she was being interrogated by someone she despised, and she had yet to formulate a plan.

She didn't have her magic and now that she had used her gun, Silas would be expecting her to use it again. Naturally. He just wouldn't forget about it. He would be prepared – ready – to accomplish whatever goal he was aiming at, so she needed to up her game, urgently. But how?

He was an immortal bastard, and they were in another plane which meant that there could be a new set of rules she needed to be mindful of. In retrospect, she could confirm the veracity of that one statement with the simple fact that they were in a replica of Mystic Falls where Emily's necklace dug a hole in the ground by itself.

Wait, that's it. The necklace has magic in it.

She meant to study it before, when she was still up for it but now, she didn't really have a choice. It was either her or Silas.

Suddenly, her vision became cloudy, the room started shifting and morphing until she was back at the Old Witches house and Silas was staring back at her. His eyes were filled with something she was too scared to name.

Bonnie blinked a few times. Was this real or was her mind playing tricks on her again? Was it Silas?

"Bonnie" she heard him say but his lips were sealed shut. His eyes pierced her, his stare was unwavering.

"Bonnie" she heard again but this time she knew that the voice didn't belong to the ancient being. No, this was someone else.

Her chest rose and fell again rapidly as she tried to understand what the hell was going on. Silas smiled as if her confusion amused him and inched closer to her, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Bonnie!" sounded again.

"You will be mine" this time she knew it was Silas. She felt his cold breath against the shell of her ear.

"Bonnie!"

Right then, the young witch was back at the manor with a seemingly worried Damon in front of her. At some point, she must've gotten up because she was standing on her own two feet while Damon was shaking her back to reality. She blinked fast as she tried to understand what just happened.

"What the hell happened? Where were you?" he demanded to know.

Shaking her head, Bonnie detached herself from his aggressive hold and put some space between them. She quickly examined herself, stopping at her hands that insisted on shaking. What the hell? She questioned inwardly. Was that a vision, a memory or a warning? All of the above?

"Hey," Damon snapped his fingers in front of her "Snap out of it!"

She brought his eyes to him; the urge to give him a powerful aneurysm was strong, but she couldn't let herself get distracted. Silas could be lurking somewhere. He could be right outside. She didn't have time to waste with Damon of all people.

Exhaling hard, she rounded the vampire but, like it usually happened with the elder Salvatore, he stopped her plans "What?"

"Oh, so you do speak" he dropped acidly "Care to explain what just happened?"

She retrieved her arm "Not particularly. Now, if you let me..."

He blocked her way by standing in front of his door, arms gripping the frame. He chuckled lowly, darkly so "Bonnie, don't play games with me now. I am not in the mood. I'm gonna ask you one last time; what the fuck was that about? And before you say nothing, work that little brain of yours and think how you got here in the first place"

She opened her mouth and closed it again. She was nowhere near the manor when Silas found her, she was well aware of the fact, but it didn't really change her mind "I got it. Now, I need to go"

"Stop running and answer me for once!" he spat.

"This is rich coming from you" she had to scoff at that "It's hilarious actually"

He bent his knees to meet her eyes "It's Silas, isn't it?"

She chose not to comment on that but the way she gulped with difficulty was a clear answer.

"You see, it's not too difficult to connect the lines" he continued "You stare off into space and come back acting like a scared kid. You can act tough all you want but I know he's got you messed up. I've seen it, so please don't play in my face Bonnie, I can smell bullshit a mile away"

Her nostrils flared; she was upset, and she wasn't even hiding it.

So, what, Damon was right. Again, that didn't change anything. There was nothing he could do about it and even if there were, she was sure he'd find a way to ruin it. They had done this before; the whole partners thing and it went downhill. She couldn't afford to do it again, not with Silas closing in on her.

Damon could pretend he wanted to help all he cared, but she could call his bullshit too "I don't need your help"

"Of course, you don't" he quipped "You'll just venture off in your own little adventure part one hundred and hope for the best. I mean, you still don't have your magic and I know because you haven't even tried to use your juju to witchy migraine me, and I know how much you love those. So," he continued standing to his full height "Magic's out of the equation. What's left? Oh, sure, I found a cute little gun with you and that will be as of much help as holding garlic and hope it'll scare off your neighborly vampire"

She groaned and attempted an exit and he actually let her. He followed her downstairs as he continued "So, that's out of the question as well. Hmm... what else?"

The young woman huffed and aimed at the heavy door "What else is there Bonnie? Why don't you share this amazing plan of yours?"

Exasperated, she faced him with open arms "Why do you care? I can see through you Damon so let me stop you right there. I told you; I'm not helping you. Now, leave me alone! How many times do I have to say that?"

"Sure, I want to go home and trust me witch I'm working on that" he was fast replying "But, if whatever's happening with you is anything like that hallucination you had when we first got here, then best believe it's my business too. That happened months ago, I assume it's only worse now"

"Again, I don't see how this is your problem"

"Bonnie, wake up! We're stuck in a different universe, who knows how things work here! You might not have your powers anymore but whatever it is that brought us here is magical. Your feelings, your visions aren't just that. They never were. Not in our Mystic Falls and especially not here. Your Silas thing might mean a whole lot more than what we know"

The girl shook her head "So, because you think there's a chance this might come down on you, you want to... what? Help? Spare me"

He was in crowding her space in seconds "I know this is coming back to bite me in the ass just like I know it's not safe for you to walk around unprotected"

This time she broke into a smile but it was far from genuine "Oh, concerned about my safety? Isn't that ironic?"

"Bonnie–"

"No, really, it's just so funny that when I left you all those voicemails asking for help you didn't give a damn. When I told you about them, you still didn't give a damn and now you want to help? Now, that I don't want to work with you? Isn't that convenient Damon" she accused "But you know what? I don't care anymore, like I said, I don't need you and this act is old and boring"

"You're in way over your head Bonnie" he retorted less than happy with her tone "This act is old. I know what I saw and you" he stepped closer "You weren't just scared; I've seen you scared. You were gone Bonnie. Lights out and this wasn't like the other times. You. Were. Gone."

Her eyes wavered, and for the first time in a long time, she looked away from his penetrating blues "It's not the first time I fainted, I'm handling it"

"Bullshit" he took hold of her chin and forced her to look at him "I'm talking about upstairs. Your body was there, sure, but you weren't. You were somewhere else and when you came back you looked fucking horrified. Do you know how long you were gone for? Or do you have that figured out too?"

"Damon–" she started, freeing her chin from him.

"Twenty minutes. That's how long." he cut her off "I've been alive long enough and I've been around witches long enough to know when something's up. Again, don't bullshit me. What happened wasn't normal"

Breathing in sharply, Bonnie took a step back and put some space between them. No, it wasn't normal. Unless one was possessed or performing a spell and as far as she knew, neither case applied to her. Had it really been that long? It felt like minutes. This only proved that she needed to find solutions as fast as possible, before Silas was able to take over her and do more than just hijacking her brain for twenty minutes.

Unfortunately, it seemed she had another problem on her hands. She'd been able to curb Damon's inability to mind his own business before but now that he was invading her business, she needed to figure out what do and fast. She still couldn't stand him, their fight at Bree's still stung and she wanted nothing to do with him, but she knew how persistent – and downright annoying – he could be. Plus, he was onto what was going on with her, what was the point of denying it? It wasn't like she was going to lay all of her cards on the table. Damon was, and would forever be, a wild card. A liability. He couldn't be trusted.

"You figured it out. Good for you"

"Have you even been listening to me?" he asked upset "It's like you deliberately choose to ignore everything I say! I'm trying to help you here"

She huffed "Okay, Damon and so what? You expect me to just drop everything and believe you after everything?"

"Jesus Bennett you are seriously the most unsavable person alive" he complained as he made his way to his bar.

She went after him "I don't need you to save me"

He craned his neck towards her "I'm not asking"

"You can't do that to me. I'm not Elena, I make my own decisions, you don't make them for me"

"And yet she's alive and kicking" he sneered

"What's that supposed to mean?" she crossed her arms and immediately after added "You know what, this is pointless, and I don't care"

"It means get over yourself" he replied at once ignoring the look on her face that indicated she had taken every offense in his statement "It means get up and fight for yourself. I don't care that you don't like me; trust me, I've had worse enemies. It means do something, and not because I want to go home – which I do – but because maybe you deserve more than this. I know I do, and I'm not giving it up because I'm not done fighting. And you can bitch and moan and say you don't care but I know you do. So, snap out of it and lets do something about it."

Her lips were slightly parted. She had just found a connection to Grams again and she made her promise that she intended on fulfilling, but she just couldn't let Damon help her. And what did he mean by help? Because his idea of help vastly differed from hers. He had no problem letting Jeremy kill newly turned vampires by Klaus to complete the mark or let Elena use Matt as a blood bag.

Even if she looked past that, there was still the bloodied history between the two of them. There were so many things he had done that she couldn't erase from her brain and pretend they never happened. He alone represented so much darkness and pain in her life that it was difficult to even try and see his point.

Slowly, she started backing away "I'm not– I can't just forget and go right back into it like nothing happened. I don't want to"

He scoffed "Nobody's asking you to forgive and forget Bonnie. You can still hate me all you want. Trust me, it doesn't affect me at all. But you can do that and have extra muscle when the time comes."

Her instincts were all jumbled. Her own body was sending her mixed signals, and, for the first time, she didn't know in which direction she wanted to go. Having an additional supernatural strength would benefit her in the long run - easily – however, Damon would undoubtedly drive her crazy again.

How many times had they been down this road? They'd agree on something (barely), then Damon would do or say something and then they'd have this huge fight. The thing was, despite having found a shred of hope, Bonnie was still very much struggling. She was still overwhelmed and scared. The only reason why she was even putting up a fight was for Grams, that was it.

Even the fact that Sheila was dead was caused by the ripple effect of actions of the very vampire standing in front of her. She couldn't forget that. No matter how desperate she was.

"I can't. No" she said at once.

"You should move in" was his counter.

Her jaw fell "Did you just not hear me?"

"Yep, and the offer still stands" he said dramatically "Unless you can handle Silas on your own with your brilliant plan that's yet to be disclosed, or conceived, but hey to each their own"

"You can't be serious" she was actually shocked he made that suggestion. Had he been someone else and she another girl, then yeah, it made sense. Why not? But them? That was unthinkable.

"As a heart attack"

"I'm not moving in with you!" she said louder than she meant but the offer was beyond ludicrous.

He came closer to her but still maintain a modicum of space between them "It worked before"

True but "Silas is– it's different and you said it yourself we don't know how things work here so–"

"–You just proved my point Bennett"

"It doesn't mean anything so, drop it" she said, her tone indicating that the conversation was utterly over.

She had just reached the handle when he added "It's also been two days"

Now, that got her to turn around "What?"

The vampire breathed deeply "It's been two days since I found you at the Old Witches house"

Her eyes moved rapidly as she tried to account everything that happened. So, whatever he did to her left her knocked out that badly? Was that why she felt so exhausted? But that didn't make much sense since her body would've had the time to recover from Silas' spell.

Or maybe... looking at him, she asked "Why didn't you say it straight away?"

"Have you met yourself?" he asked "Not easy. At all."

"It doesn't matter, you should've told me" She approached him "Did you feed me your blood?"

To that, he rolled his icy eyes "Didn't we do this bit already? It's getting tiring Bennett"

"Just answer it" she pressed.

"No" but it doesn't mean I won't if I need to.

Her shoulders relaxed visibly; however, they perked right up when she realized the seriousness of her predicament. This was bad. Extremely bad.

"You don't remember" he interrupted her inner turmoil.

"What? I do" she muttered.

"Damn" he whispered and went straight to the bar again with Bonnie following close behind.

"Damn? What do you mean damn?" she inquired urgently.

Damon downed his drink and poured her one "You weren't unconscious the whole time. After I brought you over, you went out for a few hours and then you were on autopilot. You weren't talking at all, and you were barely eating" he placed the glass in her hands "You were gone Bonnie"

The girl in question did a recap of the last couple of days. The last thing she remembered was being with Silas. That was it. She didn't remember seeing Damon prior to today. Shit. She downed her drink in one go and proceeded to pace around the living room.

"Is this why you were so hell-bent on me staying here?"

"Among other things, yeah" he told her "I meant what I said, hate me all you want but at least you'll be protected. Silas is an annoying pain in the ass that doesn't have the right to even be alive right now, let alone to screw with your brain. He needs to go and for that to happen, we need to be on the same team. Everything else can wait"

The young Bennett nibbled on her bottom lip conflicted. Before that last detail, she was ready to find a way to fight Silas on her own but now things changed. Looking at him, she knew that Damon was telling the truth, something in her gut told her that he was telling the truth despite being a skilled liar.

Silas needed to go, that she wholeheartedly agreed on, but did it have to mean sharing a house with someone she despised on so many levels? To have her privacy and her intimate corners invaded by Damon Salvatore? The man who laughed at boundaries and had a habit on crowding her space whenever he felt like? The man she had once sworn to kill? The man that brought so much chaos into her life? Could she really do it?


A.N.: Hello angels, it's been a long time. Hope everyone's well and safe. I'd like to thank everyone that's still following this little story of mine. Trust that I haven't forgotten it at all. I do hope you find this chapter satisfying and please forgive any mistakes or typos. I literally just wrote this in one go and wanted to post it straight away. Please do let me know what you think of this part, I'd love to hear your opinions especially because they're a huge help when facing writer's block xx