Title: The Gods of Virginia

Rating: M

Genre: AU/AH, Time Travel/Romance

Pairing(s): Bonnie/Stefan, Bonnie/Damon, Elijah/Katherine, Tyler/Caroline, Rebekah/OC, Matt/Katherine, etc.

Summary: When an accident sends Bonnie Bennett back to 1864, and circumstance forces her into becoming a "kept" woman, she is less than excited to find that Damon Salvatore will be the one for whom she will play placée, but it is the price she must pay to live amongst the gens de couleur, a society that holds the only ancestor she has with the power to send her home. However, Bonnie begins to interest Stefan Salvatore as well and to make matters worse Mystic Falls isn't ready to witness open concubinage between a white man and a black woman especially when that woman is suspected of witchcraft.

Warnings: Time Travel, Non-Canon, Racism, Sexual Content, Violence, Original Character etc.

A/N: Hey everyone! Finally, an update for this one. So, the length is not as long as previous chapters, but I am hoping to get the length back for the next update. Honestly though, 8,000 words isn't too shabby. This one took so much out of me to go back to for a number of reasons and I hope that this update is one that you all enjoy. Thanks for reading!

Part Eleven: Home

When I look at my mother, my grandmother, Aimee, and all the women of my line I see a line of fire, a line of strength. When we say we take care of our own we mean it I have spent my short existence trying to live up to the Bennett name. Trying to make them proud, no one more than my mother.

I asked my father once what drew him to my mother and he told me that at both times he had known her in, he admired her fierceness, her power, her loyalty, and her endless ability to love. He told me that she gave of herself freely and without expectation. He also told me that he realized almost too late that even without the expectation she deserved far more than anyone around her ever gave. That he almost lost her because of it.

My mother does not expect me to be there for her in the time to which I will journey or at this time. She loves me unconditionally and without expectation. However, I will not make the same mistake my father made before me. I will give unto my mother without expectation and show the same loyalty, the same fierceness, the same power, and the same love freely before it is too late.

― From the journal of Mila Aimee Bennett-Salvatore circa February, 2028

Mystic Falls, Virginia, 2011

Mila Bennett-Salvatore sat next to her father in the library of the Salvatore boardinghouse, her head on his shoulder. It was almost time to perform the spell that would free the Bennett line from Esther, they only had to wait on word from Aimee. Her mother would be home the same night and Mila knew that, though he would not say so aloud, her father was apprehensive.

Mila looped her arms through Damon's and smiled softly as she spoke into the silence. "What will you say to mom when you see her?"

Damon frowned. "There's a lot I want to say," he murmured, "A lot I need to say. A lot I should have said a long time ago, even before I remembered what she is to me. I'm not sure where to start, or if she'll hear me."

Mila's grip on him tightened. "She'll hear you," she said, "I cannot tell you the outcome, but I can tell you that much."

"It's probably more than I deserve to know," he said, quietly, and then, "You shouldn't worry about me. What about you? Are you nervous, about the spell?"

Mila shook her head. "Magic is something I know and am comfortable with," she said, "Mom made sure of that. She always said that she went into so many situations with inexperience and there was a lot of pain that she could have avoided if she hadn't been pressed into corners where she had to act even when there were so many unknowns. She didn't want that for me, so I learned our history and came into my power at an early age."

"She's right," Damon admitted, "We've expected a lot from her. Forced her into a lot both intentionally and inadvertently because of our actions. But when it came to helping her learn, it's one more way that we haven't been there for her. It's why I'm glad that Aimee and Thomas are here, and even Abby. They can be there for her in that way."

"They will be," Mila nodded, "And you, Stefan, and the others will have a chance to make up for all the ways in which you've failed each other. Things get better in time. By the time I'm born you all are in a much better place with one another." She sighed before she continued. "I'm not nervous about the spell but I do miss home. I miss being around all of you when you already know and love me. When we share memories and experiences. I miss mom a lot. Even though she knew I would come here before I even made the decision to, we held each other for so long before I left. I never like saying goodbye to her, you know, even if it's just for a little while."

"I know what you mean." Damon nodded, turning and kissing Mila on the forehead. "When she left, when I thought she ran it took so much out of me to say those words to her," he murmured, "It felt as if I were being torn into pieces at just the thought of letting her go. Even now, I miss her so much I ache with it. When she comes back, I still won't be able to say those words to her."

Mila laughed softly. "So dramatic," she teased, and then, "You've always said you love me more than anyone or anything, even mom. But I don't think that's true. I don't think it's greater in magnitude, just a different kind of love, a kind you've never felt before. But with her, your love for her takes up your entire being, I know that that scares you right now, not just because you've never felt for anyone what you feel for mom either, but because you don't know if she'll accept it or if she'll return it. I can't tell you much, but I can say that from the moment I was born I've seen you live in the love that you have for her. I've seen you express it loudly and freely. I've seen it light you up from the inside so much, that I won't accept anything less when I fall in love with someone. So, when she comes back, don't be afraid to show that love to her, even if the outcome isn't the one, you're hoping for."

Mila felt her eyes water at the sight of the tears in her father's eyes. "You know," he said, "I don't think that your mother is the only person that you came back to save."

Mila offered Damon a watery smile before wrapping her arms around him. He hugged her tightly and even though she missed the father that knew her, the one that raised her, she loved this one just the same.

"I existed for your mother almost from the moment I laid eyes on her," Damon said, as he pulled back. "Now I exist for you too. I don't know how long you'll be here, in this time, after the spell is done but I want you to know that I love you. I can't wait to meet you, in this time, and watch you grow and learn. I'm proud of who you are and if I had even the smallest role in you becoming this person, it doesn't matter the outcome when Bonnie comes home, because no matter what happens you and your mother will always be my family. Man or monster my heart will always beat for you both."

Mila wiped the tears from her face and kissed her father on the cheek. "I know that," she replied, "I love you too, so much. Who I am now, who I will be, has everything to do with mom and with you."

They hugged again but pulled a part at the sound of footsteps. Mila turned towards the sound and smiled at her uncle as he hesitantly entered the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt," Stefan said apologetically, "But Aimee is here. It's time."

Mila nodded as Damon ran a hand down her back. Taking a deep breath, she stood, wiping her own eyes. Smiling, she walked up to Stefan and took his hands. "I told…Damon to love my mother and me out loud and I want you to do the same," she said, "I can't tell you any more than I told him but just know that no matter how this ends we'll all be together, even if its not in the way that you picture it right now. I know that there's a lot that still needs to be said, and the only way to move forward is for everyone to put everything on the table."

Mila looked deep into Stefan's eyes and hoped that she had conveyed her message. While she was unable to answer the question of her paternity before her mother returned home, there was someone else who knew the truth and could make it clear.

Stefan smiled and nodded. "I'll be sure to say everything I need to say," Stefan answered, "Not just to your mother. With that in mind, I'll tell you that you are a remarkable young woman, and I could not be happier to have you as my blood. I love your mother all the more for bringing you into this world and into our family. I know that you miss home, but wherever we are, in whatever time, your home will always be with us."

Mila hugged Stefan, her hands rubbing his back comfortingly as she did so. "Thank you," she whispered, "I love you."

Stefan squeezed her in turn. "I love you, too, sweetheart."

Mila turned back to Damon as she pulled away from Stefan. Damon was now standing and looking in between the two of them warily.

Damon's eyes settled on Mila when he spoke. "Do you want us to go with you?"

Mila shook her head. "I'll have my grandparents, Aimee, Raoul, Thomas, and if Aimee is ready that means that Lucy is here as well," she said, "I'll be fine. Rebekah has agreed to keep Esther distracted. Ty and Care will be there for backup. We'll be at the house where mom will reappear, and I don't want to overwhelm her when she gets back. Besides, the two of you have one last conversation to have. It's time to stop avoiding it. Mom will be home soon. You're running out of time."

At Damon's nod she walked over and hugged him again before squeezing Stefan's hand and leaving the library. She had done everything that she could for them where her mother was concerned. They would have to take care of the rest. In the meantime, Mila still had her own promise to her mother to fulfill.

:::

Mystic Falls, Virginia, 1864

Damon Salvatore watched as Bonnie Bennett sat on the steps of the house, she would no longer occupy in just a few hours, watching as the sun rose over the horizon. He had come back after leaving her hours before, only to find her in the arms of his brother. He had left soon after, both unwilling to interrupt their goodbyes to one another and unwilling to subject himself to them. He was back again now because he had come home to his father and the sheriff plotting Bonnie's demise. Because saving the life of the woman he loved was more important than anything she may have felt for him or his brother.

Damon dismounted the horse he had road over on and walked towards the house. His eyes fell on his brother's own horse tied out front before he turned back to Bonnie. When his eyes landed on her, she was staring at him with relief in her eyes.

Bonnie stood from her seat on the steps and Damon was surprised when she launched herself at him, her arms wrapping around his middle. Damon hugged her in turn, closing his eyes as he pulled her into him. "I was hoping that you would come back," Bonnie said, "I wanted to see you one last time before we had to leave."

Damon swallowed as he pulled away. "I suppose that my brother and I had the same idea."

Bonnie grimaced, her arms dropping to her sides. "He came after you left last night," she answered, "There were some things we needed to confess to one another while we had the chance. We kissed and I can't say that it was completely innocent, but it wasn't anything more than that."

But it had to have been more than that, it couldn't have been anything else. Not when Stefan had called her a piece of his soul. Not when he had seen them kiss. Not when Stefan never came home that night. He wanted to believe her but a part of him couldn't help but think that she was trying to downplay things to protect him.

Frowning, Damon shook his head. There were higher stakes a play and he couldn't focus on what had happened or had not happened between her and his brother. "It is of little importance now," he said, "Just tell me this, did you say your goodbyes? Will you part ways with as much weight lifted as there can be, given the circumstances?"

Bonnie looked up at him with watery eyes and nodded. She bit her lip, and he knew that there was more that she wanted to say. "We were honest with one another," she said, simply, "We have come to terms with our feelings and our choices. I believe given time we'll find closure."

She was being honest and protecting his feelings all at once and he loved her all the more for it.

"Then that is all I want for you both," he said, clearing his throat, "My father comes soon. With the sheriff and Lockwood in tow. You haven't much time. I've come to warn you."

"We expected as much." Bonnie nodded. "Stefan warned us and then Raul came just before you," she revealed, "We have a plan in place. We have a way to incapacitate them so that we can run freely. He's explaining everything to Stefan now."

"Good, that's, good," Damon nodded, his voice strained. He knew his father all too well. Knew how far he would go to break someone down. He knew the depths of his malice and his control. "Just make sure you're safe."

Bonnie's expression became one of steel and Damon felt his own fortitude strengthen when she spoke. "We will all be safe. Emmanuel and William are already enroute to a safe haven. The rest of us are determined to protect one another. I promise you, nothing bad will befall any of us. I will make sure of it."

Those words, that fierceness, Damon had no trouble believing in. "I know you will, little witch," he grinned, "You are one of the bravest people I have ever met."

"Then I will be brave now and tell you what I have left to say." Bonnie reached out to him then, her hands landing on his chest. "I'm at peace with how I left things with Stefan but not with you," she whispered, "When Stefan came to me last night, he brought me clarity, as he always does. I love him in a way that is quiet. That is soft. That gives me calm and can exist in a way that is steadfast and unchanging. A way that I can still find value in even if it is never more than what it is now." Her words brought a frown to his face until she continued. "I love you in a way that sets my whole body aflame. In a way that, like fire, only grows the more I breathe air. It is the most terrifying thing that I have ever experienced because as much as I wanted last night to be the end, to be the closure we both needed, I see no end in sight. There was a time when I thought that I could not dislike someone as much as I did you and now, I don't believe that there's a real way for me to let go of you."

Unable to stop himself, Damon pulled Bonnie into a kiss. He spilled every bit of hope and anguish he felt into the moment.

"I do not like how we left things either. I…I couldn't say the words. I couldn't say goodbye to you because whether you believe it to be true or not, it physically pained me to do so," he said, as he pulled back. "I have to believe that I will see you again Bonnie, I cannot live on any other way. You asked me not to wait and I will respect that if I must. But know that if I still exist at all when we next see one another, because we will see one another again, it will be because of you." Damon framed her face with his hands. "You, Bonnie Bennett, are the very heart that beats within me and there is nothing that you could ever do to undo the way I feel for you. I knew nothing of passion before you and even less of peace. You are the love of my life, and I will never know any greater. If you burn for me now, then never stop, be my eternal flame and I will hold onto you even after my last breath."

Damon kissed her forehead and Bonnie wrapped her arms around him. She clung to him, hot tears burning into his chest. They pulled away from one another as the door to the house opened behind them. Bonnie wiped her face frantically and she was all business when next she spoke.

"The means in which we'll incapacitate your father, Lockwood, and the sheriff has been added to the town's water supply," she said, "You'll need to make sure that he drinks it, and you and Stefan drink it as well."

Damon's brows furrowed in confusion. "I can ensure father will drink it, but why must I? Why must Stefan?"

Damon's eyes left Bonnie as he followed the sound of footsteps on the porch and his brother and Raoul appeared. "It will give you both deniability," Raoul said, "When your father discovers that we have all fled he will have questions. If the two of you have also been incapacitated, it'll look as if we turned on you as well. It won't be hard to convince him of it, you know how he loves being proved right."

Damon sighed but nodded. "I wish that there was more that we could do to assist in your escape."

"You've done enough," Bonnie said, squeezing his hand.

Stefan descended the steps and Damon stiffened as his brother pulled Bonnie into a hug. "You are greatly loved, and you will be greatly missed," his brother whispered. They held each other for some time, Bonnie pulling away first. "Write when you can," Stefan said, louder as they separated, "Even if you cannot let us know your whereabouts, let us know that you are safe."

"You'll both know as soon as I reach home," Bonnie promised.

Damon moved over and hugged her as well. Words seemed insufficient as he buried his face in her neck.

When they pulled away, Aimee had joined Raoul on the porch and Damon joined his brother and saying their goodbyes to the couple.

Stefan mounted his horse first and Damon hesitated before looking back at Bonnnie. "We'll see one another again," he said.

Bonnie nodded, offering them a small smile. "We will. Take care of each other until we do."

"We will." Damon promised.

Damon mounted his horse and turned away from her. He wished that they had more time. He turned to face her one last time and found Bonnie waving with tears in her eyes. He realized as the rising sun set Bonnie aglow, that no amount of time would ever be enough.

:::

Mystic Falls, Virginia 2011

Stefan Salvatore eyed his brother as Damon sat down across from him in the parlor. They had moved from the library. Both needed the liquid courage they had found on the wet bar to forge ahead with their final conversation before Bonnie came home.

Stefan couldn't help but remember that even in the end, he had let his brother get the last word when it came to Bonnie. Even in the end, he had listened from the doorway as they declared their love for one another. Even in the end he had been the one to step aside, though he had gotten to say his piece in a way. He had gotten one kiss. One declaration. But Damon had gotten the last kiss. The last declaration. The only night together in Bonnie's arms and in her bed. Now he would have Mila as well. But Stefan could never deny his brother anything, not really, and in the end, whether Damon found out the truth from him or Bonnie, it wouldn't change who Mila's father was. Though, it also would not change Stefan's own love for Mila and her mother.

"Mila said that there were some things that we needed to clear up," Damon said into the silence, "I'm assuming she's talking about what happened between you and Bonnie the night before she left. It's the only thing I wouldn't let myself hear. The only thing that I'm still running away from."

Stefan sighed, staring down at the glass of bourbon in his hand. "It is," he revealed, "And once you hear everything, it'll clear up something else as well."
Damon's blue eyes were full of barely suppressed hope and Stefan wished that he could hate his brother in that moment. But he didn't. He wanted Damon to be happy. He wanted to do right by Bonnie and by Mila. He didn't want Bonnie to make her choice based on Damon shying away from her due to any misconception or misinformation. He wanted to be the one that Bonnie wanted, as much as he was sure that outside of allowing them both in Mila's life, Bonnie would walk away. However, he was sure that his chances would dwindle just the same because what he was abut to reveal would only further his brother's determination.

"Alright," Damon said, licking his lips, "Go on, I'm listening."

"The night that you and Bonnie were together, I came to her and told her how I felt," Stefan told him, "I wanted to go to study in France, to take her with me. I wanted us to run together. I told her that I loved her, that she is a piece of my soul. I say is, because that hasn't changed. She told me how she felt about you. She said that she loved you. That she loved me too, but it felt different. That it would have been easier for her to face her feelings for both of us if she and I had been honest and let things happen naturally. She was probably right. We kissed. I initiated it. It didn't go further than that."

Damon frowned. "But I saw you," he said "I came back because I didn't like the way Bonnie and I left things and I heard you and then I saw the two of you on the couch. I knew where it was going and so I left."

Stefan wasn't all that surprised that he had seen them. He had figured as much when Damon refused to listen when they had first remembered. "She stopped us," he said, "Stopped me. She said it didn't feel right. I watched her sleep. In the morning she looked at me and said, 'You don't have to speak at all—I know what you'd say…', a quote from The Woman in White, and that was how we said goodbye. Because even then she knew every word from my lips and thought from my head before I could even speak them. Then she went out to the porch and waited for you because she knew that you would come."

Stefan waited for his brother to react, for him to understand what he was saying. "She told me, that it was just a kiss, not entirely innocent but it didn't go further," Damon said, "I wanted to believe her, but I couldn't. I saw you two together. Not just that night but, all the nights before. I knew how you felt about her and saw the way you looked at her. I was sure you would have taken any chance to be with her the way that I had, and I just knew she was trying to protect me, but she was telling the truth."

"She was telling the truth," Stefan said, firmly, "Mila is your daughter, Damon."

As Stefan watched the tears spring into his brother's eyes, he knew that he had done the right thing. "She's mine," Damon sobbed, "I knew it. I could feel it. God, Stefan, I'm a father."

Stefan smiled despite his own underlying pain. "You're a father."

Damon's eyes met his and they were tinged with so many emotions, Stefan couldn't read them all. "Mila is still your blood, Stefan," he said, "She's our family. She's ours."

"I know," Stefan agreed, "I love her, Damon. I love you both, and I love her mother. This doesn't change anything."

Damon opened his mouth to respond but they were interrupted as they picked up on their mother entering the boardinghouse. They heard her footsteps as she entered the front door and then she was calling out. "Boys are you home?"

Damon brushed away his tears and cleared his throat. "We're in the parlor," he called back.

A moment later Mary Salvatore sped into the parlor stopping in front of them and eyeing them both with concern. "Has Bonnie returned yet?" she asked, looking in between them.

Stefan shook his head as he eyed the worn book in Mary's hands. "Not yet," he answered.

"Good," Mary nodded. "You have time to process things before she gets here."

Damon scowled, standing to his feet. "Process, what? What's going on?"

Mary drummed her nails against the cover of the journal in her hand in a nervous gesture. "Nothing bad," she said, "Just a bit unexpected." She turned towards Stefan. "The information that you and Aimee found that confirmed that Solomon and Bonnie were father and daughter in another life, in Salem, got Jonah curious. Noah, your Salem counterpart he had an older brother."

Stefan nodded, remembering the name he had planned on looking into after they were done looking into Solomon's counterpart in Arthur. "Isaac," he confirmed.

"Right." Mary said, turning to Damon. "Jonah was curious about what happened to his counterpart, Arthur, and Bonnie's, counterpart, Alice when they escaped Salem after Noah's execution. As it turns out, Isaac was the one who assisted them in their escape. Jonah was able to recover his journal."

As his mother held out the journal in her hand to Damon, Stefan knew what she was trying to tell them even before Damon opened the journal from the middle and began to read it aloud. "I know that my brother loved her with is very soul and that is spirit will haunt me all the more if I succumb to these feelings," Damon read, "But every time I look at Alice my body feels as if it is engulfed in flames. It cannot be helped. I fallen utterly and completely in love with her."

Stefan watched as Damon pulled out a lose page, a sketch that Damon studied with wide eyes before handing it to Stefan.

Stefan took the sketch with shaking hands and looked down at the image of what appeared to be himself, Bonnie, and Damon in another time and in another place. "The three of you have walked together in lives past as Solomon and I have," Mary said.

Stefan handed the sketch back to his brother. Damon carefully placed it back into the journal and placed the journal on the sofa next to him.

"I know it's a shock, Damon," Stefan said comfortingly, "I was shocked when I found out about Noah and Alice. But whatever life they lived. It doesn't invalidate what we feel for Bonnie now."

He wasn't sure if he was trying to reassure Damon or himself.

"I know that," Damon said, "We may have the same faces or souls, or whatever. We may have even walked similar paths, but the experiences aren't the same. The times aren't the same. We aren't the same people. It's interesting to know but it changes nothing. It doesn't matter. What matters is how we feel about Bonnie in the present. What matters is making up every wrong we've done to her in the here and now. What matters is telling her how we feel and respecting whatever choice she makes for herself. If we keep thinking about past lives, or our memories, or missed opportunities, or possible futures, we'll never be able to live in the right now long enough to move forward. Bonnie said that she wasn't going to put her life on hold for anyone, we can't let any of this keep us all at a standstill. I say we tell her how we feel and leave the rest for later."

"Agreed," Stefan nodded. Even so he couldn't help but think about how Bonnie had felt as if they had always had bad timing. About how Noah had loved Alice for a time but ultimately her fate had led her to Isaac after Noah met his end. About how Bonnie had found it easier to let him go than to let go of Damon. There was a pattern there that Stefan didn't like, one he couldn't help but wonder how many times it had repeated itself.

Stefan knew that his brother was right. They would have to live in the present. They could not dwell on the past. They could not speculate on the future that Mila was unable to reveal. They could not even depend on the connection between them in Bonnie in a past life that neither of them remembered. All that they had was the here and now. All that they could do was focus on telling Bonnie how they felt when she came home and let her make her choice.

The problem was; whether it was the past or present. Whether it was life or in death. Whether it was by choice or by circumstance, it seemed that Stefan was always cursed in one way or another to lose Bonnie to his brother.

:::

Mystic Falls, Virginia 1864

A heatwave the likes of which no one had ever seen hit Mystic Falls the moment the sun rose completely. The slaves that still remained on the plantations and the gens de colour that were preparing to take their leave from the town were the only ones unaffected. The townspeople awoke to such heat and thirst that they came to wells in droves, some diving into the lakes and delving underneath the falls. Some even drank from animal troughs. No matter what they did, the thirst never seemed to ebb.

Even as Bonnie Bennett used her power to drain the whole of Mystic Falls dry, she calmly laced up her black dress. The color of mourning, in honor of Solomon. She pulled up the top of her hair with a black ribbon and ran a hand down her front. Taking a deep breath to compose herself she picked up the pocket watch that sat atop her dresser, looping the chain around her neck.

She tried not to think about the way that she had left things with both Damon and Stefan. They would drink the water like everyone else, even though they too would be spared from the heat. She had ensured as much with her half truths about giving them deniability. They would forget her the same as the rest of the town, but she had known that from the time she had arrived.

She knew her feelings now, so clearly. The problem was that they would not remember her when she returned. Still, she would find a way to bring their memories back. There was always a loophole. She would find a way to bring them all closure, even though she now knew it would mean letting go of one romantically and trying to salvage what might still be there with the other.

She would acknowledge the pain they caused her in the present time and the pain she had caused them with her indecision in the past. Even if the end was her losing both she would say what needed to be said. She owed that to Solomon, who had lost his life protecting her. Who could only find his love in death. She owed that to not just Corrine, but Thomas, William and Emmanuelle who had lost their loves and choice to circumstance. She owed it to Aimee and Raoul who loved her, Damon, and Stefan as family. She owed it to Damon and Stefan, at least the parts of them that were human, the parts of them that had loved her deeply and fully. But more than that she owed it to herself.

But those words were things she would have to tackle in her own time. Now she would have to make sure that she and the people she had grown to call family made it out alive. She was done running from herself, from her feelings, and from those that would oppress her. She was done running period.

"We will all be safe," Bonnie said, to herself, "We will all leave this town alive. I will burn this town to the ground before I let them take anyone else from me."

Bonnie knew that it was time to go home but she refused to leave without seeing that the others had made their escape.

Leaving her bedroom for what Bonnie thought would be the last time, she made her way through the house that would be hers no longer and down the stairs.

She met Aimee and Corrine in the foyer. They stood in front of the front door waiting patiently for her. Bonnie reached out a hand to both women as she made it to the bottom of the stairs. Aimee took one hand and Corrine the other.

"Are you ready?" Bonnie asked, looking in between the two women who had become both her truest friends and dearest family.

"I am ready to leave this place," Corrine said, "But I am not ready to say goodbye to you."

Letting go of Aimee's hand momentarily, Bonnie turned to Corrine fully pulling the woman into a hug. "Nor I you but I am grateful to have known you," Bonnie whispered, "Grateful to have loved you and to have been loved by you. Grateful to have known a mother's love, even if it was only for a short while."

Corrine squeezed Bonnie tightly to her. "You will have my love for the rest of my days, no matter if I never lay eyes on you again," she declared. "I will miss you, my brave, sweet girl."

Bonnie pulled away from Corrine and smiled at the woman sadly. "I'll miss you more," she said. She turned to Aimee and took both of the woman's hands in hers. "Aimee," she said, "My teacher, my friend, my sister, and the woman I aspired to be from just laying eyes on your photograph, thank you for protecting me and taking me in as your own. I love you, dearly, and even if we never meet again, I will never forget you."

Aimee hugged her in turn and kissed the top of Bonnie's head. "I love you, my poupée," she smiled, her eyes brimming with tears, "You need not aspire to be anyone but yourself. You are more than enough. I am proud to call you my own. Live in your power. Own it. Do not let anyone take it away again."

Bonnie nodded as she pulled away from the embrace. There was a pounding on the door that caused all three women to startle slightly. Bonnie shared a look with Aimee as she grabbed her hand and Corrine's once more. "It is time."

The women turned towards the door as one and Aimee opened it to Giuseppe Salvatore, George Lockwood, and the town sheriff. Even as the sweat drenched the men like hogs, they looked satisfied, vindicated as they stared the women down.

Bonnie met the hard gaze of Giuseppe and the hungry gaze of George Lockwood as the sheriff spoke. "Bonnie Bennett," he said, "You will be taken into custody for the crimes that you have committed against this town and against Giuseppe Salvatore. You have been accused of the bewitchment of his sons and heirs, as well as the murder of Solomon Hardaway, who was hence property of Mr. Salvatore. You have been accused further of the bewitchment and assault of George Lockwood. You will be taken into custody immediately, as will any person who offers you aid."

Bonnie's face was stone as she listened to the charges. She had expected nothing less. It wouldn't matter. She would not be facing the fate they wanted today, she was taking control of her own destiny.

She watched as Giuseppe dabbed at his forehead with a handkerchief. "Are you hot Mr. Salvatore? You look quite unwell." she said, her tone cloyingly sweet and taunting. "Been drinking water all morning, haven't you? No matter how much you drink, the thirst only grows. There's an irony in that I suppose, considering what fate will one day befall your sons."

"My sons will never see the likes of you again. You will be a blight on their existence, but I will burn that stain out before they can even mourn the loss of you." Giuseppe glared pulling a water flask out of his jacket pocket, the man wearing a full suit even in the unnatural heat. Anything in the name of decorum, comfort be damned. He took a swig of the water flask before handing it off to George Lockwood who did the same. "You can mock me all you want girl," Giuseppe spat, as the sheriff pulled out a water flask of his own, the sun boring down on them harder, "Make all the idle threats you want. But you'll know the fires of hell. First when we burn you for your crimes and then when you rot in death with the devil."

Bonnie smiled as she concentrated her powers until their skin blistered in burned. "You said you wanted proof of who I am, of what I am," she sneered, "Here it is, Mr. Salvatore. But know that you will burn before I do, in hell or otherwise."

"Come out and face your fate, you bitch," George growled, lunging forward, "Come out or will force you out."

Bonnie stayed where she was as she knew the wards would keep them from crossing the threshold. There was no more hiding their malice and ill intentions. She was provoking them into acting in ways their twisted sense of duty and morality could not even make excuses for. Their ill intentions were all out in the open now, unmistakable by magic and men alike.

"Hell is too good for the likes of you two," Bonnie spat, "You're both lucky I only intend to take your memory and not your lives before I leave this place. I will not burn today or any other, but I pray that you both one day know what true hell feels like."

They heard the sound of horses and Bonnie looked beyond the men in time to see Raoul and Thomas arrive in a carriage pulling in just behind where the sheriff's carriage that was intended to be Bonnie's prison was parked.

"Now," Aimee said, squeezing Bonnie's hand.

Closing her eyes Bonnie began to chant the spell that would wipe the town of their memory, Aimee's voice soon joining hers. "Somnus et somnium somniant amissionem. Cadat memoria, et odio requiescantur."

As they chanted the three men fell down unconscious landing unceremoniously onto the porch. Bonnie knew that the rest of the town who had been exposed to even a drop of water would soon follow. The chanting continued until the heat stopped and a cool breeze blew through the town.

Bonnie opened her eyes and looked at Aimee. "How long will they be out?" Bonnie asked.

"Long enough for us to leave town safely," Aimee said, "They will be unconscious along with the rest of the town outside of the slaves and the gens de colour. The slaves that have made the choice to run will run. Those that are fearful have been left with the means to heal and care for themselves in our absence. Since the town will have no memory of us upon waking, we can one day return to assist those who will wish to escape at a later date if this war does not end the abomination that is slavery before the time comes. In the meantime, we must go, and we must go now."

Bonnie nodded and the three women left the house, stepping over the unconscious men as they did so.

As they reached the carriage that held Thomas and Raoul, Raoul left the carriage and helped Corrine inside. Thomas got out and hugged Bonnie tightly. "Masterfully done, mon ami. It has been an honor to learn alongside you."

Bonnie grinned. "Je fais au mieux."

"And modest, too," Thomas laughed. His face became serious as she pulled back. "We will not be here to care for you anymore dear sister," he murmured, "So you must take care of yourself."

"Don't worry about me," she said, "I'll be fine. You live your life. Love again and for the love of all that is magical keep practicing or you'll never be any good at checkers."

Thomas laughed again and kissed Bonnie's cheek. "I'll be good enough to rival you in the game," he said, "Just you wait."

Thomas climbed back into the carriage, followed by Aimee as Raoul assisted his wife's entry. When only Raoul was left, he turned to Bonnie and pulled her into him. "You are a treasure, a delight, and I love you, dearly little doll," he whispered, "We will see you again one day. That is a promise. Take care of yourself until then."

"I love you, too," Bonnie smiled, "Whether or not we see one another again, you will always be with me. Live with Aimee and be happy. I will do my best to figure out what makes me happy in my time and I will hold onto our time together all the while."

Bonnie watched as Raoul got into the carriage. She watched as the carriage door shut and the driver pulled away, the horses speeding away from the house. Bonnie laughed as both Thomas and Aimee leaned out of the carriage windows on either side and waved.

"Je vous aime tous!" Bonnie shouted after them. She waved to them until she could no longer see the carriage. Until all that was left of them was dust and memories.

Turning back to the house Bonnie swallowed, tears coming as she walked back towards it. The plan was for her to take Clover and ride to her Grams house so that she could appear in the same place she had come. However, despite all that she had lost and the mess she had made of things in the end, this house that she had shared with all of the people of this time that she had called family, was the only place she wanted to be when she was on the other side of time.

Bonnie bypassed the porch and the still open front door and walked around the house to the backyard instead. She looked around at the flowers she had planted. Imagined Stefan there reading. Imagined Damon pushing her on the swing. Imagined Solomon whittling and humming to himself. Pictured herself, Aimee, Raoul, Thomas, Damon, and Stefan chasing fireflies while Corrine and Solomon watched from the back porch. This was her home, one that though she would leave behind, that would never leave her.

Bonnie walked over to the swing and sat down on it. She looked at the garden one last time as she gripped the watch that hung around her neck and opened the face. The hands of the watch began to tick forwards and Bonnie watched through her tears as the garden began to fade and time began to pass in rapid succession.

:::

Mystic Falls, Virginia, 2011

The last of the living Bennett witches gathered together in the backyard of the house that Bonnie had inhabited in the past. Bonnie's garden remained in bloom even years later, the flowers sprouting up from the earth as if they too were waiting for the young witch's return.

Abby Bennett-Wilson, Lucy Bennett, Aimee Bennett-Mercier, and Mila Aimee Bennett-Salvatore walked out onto the lawn all dressed in white. Thomas prepared the pentagram made up of the petals of the sterling roses that had bloomed on Sheila Bennett's grave, before walking over to present Aimee with the necklace that belonged to the Original witch.

Aimee rolled the necklace in the ashes of the burdock root that Thomas had procured and placed the necklace at the center of the pentagram.

Each of the witches moved to stand at a point of the pentagram's star. Mila smiled at her grandfather as Rudy Hopkins came to stand at the point on the other side. She knew that he had been slow to accept witchcraft upon his marriage to her grandmother and had all but tried to erase the existence of it from Bonnie's life after Abby had left them both. It was no small thing that Rudy was willing to participate. But she also knew that he would do anything for her mother, anything for her.

Mila watched as Thomas placed a silver knife coated in the nectar of the sterling rose in each of their hands. Rudy eyed the knife he was given dubiously.

They all looked to Aimee for guidance and smiling the witch spoke. "It does my heart good to see our line come together for the good of one of our own," Aimee said, "I hope that it will please the Bennett's that came before us as well." She lifted her head to the stars and continued. "Tonight, we come together to free our line of a parasite and to free our sister of the ill fate that would have befallen her due to the machinations of those around her. To save her life and the life of her child. A child that has bravely come from the future to join us in our task tonight. May our family and the spirits of the beyond grant us their favor. May the power of the Bennett line finally be restored to its rightful place."

Aimee took the knife in her hand and made a small cut at the center of each palm. The other witches followed suit and Rudy did the same. Thomas retrieved the knives and those in the circle all joined hands until the circle was closed.

"May our blood reunite what one has tried to dismantle," Aimee said. She looked at the others in the circle. "It is time. Repeat after me." At their nods she continued. "Unius sanguis restituit omnium."

As everyone in the circle began to chant, those outside of it began to feel their power. Raoul came to stand next to Thomas, a hand coming down to clasp his shoulder as they eyed Aimee with pride. Caroline and Tyler watched awestruck from where they were manning the perimeter.

The necklace at the center of the pentagram levitated into the air, branches of white light emanating from it as the chanting continued.

Each arch of light branching out found a home inside the body of a Bennett witch, their power finally being restored. Esther's bond to the line was broken. The last arch of light bypassed Rudy and shot across the yard and landed at the center of the chest of a lone figure that appeared suddenly, sitting on the single swing that hung from a tree there.

As the chanting stopped the Bennett family opened their eyes feeling the buzz of the power as it settled into their bodies. Esther's necklace fell to the ground and as Aimee said, "It is done," the lone figure that sat on the swing stood to her feet.

Mila was the first to turn and her face broke out into a smile as she saw her mother standing before them in a black mourning dress, her eyes wide with shock as she looked at the crowd before her.

"Mom!" Mila exclaimed, letting go of her grandparents' hands and racing towards her.

The small crowd all turned in time to see the girl wrap her arms around Bonnie Bennett's neck as the witch they had been waiting for finally returned home. Bonnie eyed them all with shock and warmth, tears falling as she wrapped her arms around her daughter for the first time.

End Notes: So, you may already see where this is heading pairing wise. Hopefully no one is too disappointed. I have been debating on whether or not to start posting another time travel fic I have been playing around with that is Stefonnie and sort of done in the style of The Time Traveler's Wife, with Bonnie popping up at significant moments in Stefan's existence but I think I want to complete some other fics before posting anything new outside of one-shots and like short three-shots in terms of multichapter fics. I'll think about it and let you all know. In the meantime, please let me know what you think of this update! I worked really hard on these and few others I have had up recently. Basically, all of my off days holiday wise so far have been spent on updates when I am not with family. Hopefully, ya'll know how much I love ya'll! LOL!