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.
Part Eight: Soul Bound
The past can teach us as surely as the present can. We are not the sum or our experiences or even our lives as a whole. We are more than that and we are less than that. I was raised by a woman that knows who she is. A woman that made mistakes. A woman that has faults. A woman that is beautiful and wise and poetic and strong. A woman that to me and the people who love her most, is perfect. Because of her I can feel comfort in who I am. Because she is unafraid of being who she is I feel as if I don't have to hide myself from the world. Because she demands love and respect, I also demand it. Because my father thinks she hung the moon and is the reason the stars shine I think so too. If I am even half the woman she is one day I would be proud. Because she is not afraid to share her mistakes with me I can learn from them. Because I know that she will never leave my side I feel secure enough to make my own path. Like my father I would do anything for my mother. Like my mother I cannot sit back and do nothing while the people I love are in danger. That is why I have to take this leap and why I know that my mother will forgive me for it. If anyone would understand the need to protect what I love it would be my mother Bonnie Sheila Bennett-Salvatore.
― From the journal of Mila Aimee Bennett-Salvatore circa February, 2028
Mystic Falls, Virginia, 2011
Mila Bennett-Salvatore sat next to Matt Donovan in a booth in the back of Mystic Grill. She was staring down into a chocolate milkshake that Matt had bought her in exchange for the cheese fries that were sitting in front of him. He had been quiet for the most part but she knew that he would soon grow tired and begin to ask questions. She knew his mannerisms well. She had known him since the day that she was born after all. But she couldn't tell him all he wanted to know. She wasn't supposed to reveal anything about the future. The only reason she could even reveal who she was, was because they would all know she would exist when her mother returned anyway.
"Are you going to tell me why you're here?" Matt asked.
Mila sighed heavily, but she nodded just the same. She turned to him, her brown eyes locking with his blue ones. "It's simple really," she said, "I know all the history. My mom…she's never been secretive about her past. She's never been ashamed of it. Of some of the things she's done though…some people like to judge her. Some people think that she should feel bad for the person she'll be when she comes back. But she doesn't care. She is just her. Unapologetically her. I've always admired that."
Matt blinked. The Bonnie that she was describing was a very different person than the one that he knew. Than the one that had left. She had always been focused on everyone else. She had always tried to make everyone believe she was alright whether she was or not. Especially toward the end. She had become a people pleaser in a lot of ways. That didn't sound anything like what Mila was telling him but to be honest, Matt didn't think that was such a bad thing.
"All of my life everyone around me has been there to protect me," Mila continued, "To love me. My mom. My father. My uncle. My grandparents. Raoul. Thomas. Aimee. You. Caroline. Ty. The list goes on and on. But when mom told me about what was happening now in this time. About everyone going out of their way to keep mom from being turned to make sure that I exist…well I just kept thinking that why should I just sit back and let everyone protect me from beginning to end. I mean mom is going to come back pregnant with me, she'll hardly be in any condition to fight any battles but you know how she is. She'll do it anyway. Especially when she finds out about me. But she's my mom you know. And it's my life and hers that everyone is trying to protect. I felt like I had to do something, anything to help. To protect the people that I love and to make sure that I existed for their sake. Because I know what would happen to them if something happened to me."
Mila looked up from her speech to find Matt staring at her oddly, a wistful sort of smile on his face. "You sound like, Bonnie," he said, and then cleared his throat before correcting himself, "I mean…you sound like your mom." Matt had found the whole thing hard to wrap his head around but in that moment he believed without a doubt that Mila was in fact Bonnie's daughter.
"That's probably the best complement anyone can give to me," she grinned. She took a sip of her milkshake before she next spoke. "I can only stay long enough for mom to get back safely," she explained, "I can't be here when I'm born because I can't exist in two places at once. It will mess the time space continuum or something. Whatever. The spirits are allowing me to be here on the condition that I don't screw anything up and I don't reveal any details about the future."
"Have you done this before?" Matt asked, "The jumping I mean." He wondered what it was like. To live in and out of time without a real place or a real home.
"Once or twice," Mila nodded, "Not as much as mom and the others though. She started a little after I was born. Does it off and on. I would tell you more but I have a weird spell gag on me."
Matt laughed as her face scrunched up with displeasure, her nose crinkling in a way that brought Bonnie to mind. "Does Bonnie know you're here?" he asked, "Your Bonnie I mean. Future Bonnie."
Mila nodded. "She knew that I was going to go before I decided to," she said, "You guys remembered me being here so…and she also knew that I was too hard headed for her to stop me so that's why she's the one that put the gag on me."
Matt laughed and shook his head. "Seriously?" he said, "I always thought she was too nice to be a strict parent. Or at least she was…"
"She isn't strict per se," Mila shrugged, "She's just knows me well that's all. I'm kind of outspoken. Something that is completely her fault. Plus she was afraid I would tell my dad he's…well my dad and then it might interfere with how things play out when mom gets back with…Stefan and Damon."
Mila looked as if she had to try really hard to remember to refer to the Salvatore brothers on a first name basis. It didn't surprise Matt as one of them was her father. He doubted that she would be able to pull it off without the spell in place as her expression was one of frustration. "So it'll be easier if they don't know who you are at all then," Matt guessed, "What are you going to tell them you're a distant relative of Bonnie's or something?"
Mila shrugged. "I guess," she said, "I hadn't really thought about it. Even if I do tell them who I am the spell won't let me reveal anything beyond me being mom's daughter. So I guess it doesn't matter. But I won't have to see them until after they talk to Grandma Mary anyway. In the mean time I can help you fix up mom's house."
Matt frowned. "Grandma Mary?" he asked, "As in Mary Salvatore? As in Stefan and Damon's mother?" His frown deepened as Mila nodded. "I thought that she was dead," he said.
Mila shook her head and took another sip of her shake. "Not exactly," she said as she swallowed. Matt took a French fry and popped it into his mouth as Mila told him the story about how she had found her grandmother. About finding Giuseppe Salvatore's journal and learning Mary's true fate and going out to seek the woman out. "She's with them right now so I'm sure she'll explain things," she said once she was finished.
"I'm curious," Matt said, "Everyone I talked to has said that your mom is going to come back different. What exactly did she tell you about the time that she spent in the eighteen hundreds?"
"'We changed again, and yet again, and it was now too late and too far to go back, and I went on. And the mists had all solemnly risen now, and the world lay spread before me'," Mila said, "That's what she told me the first time I asked."
Matt stared at her his expression blank. "What?" he asked after a moment.
Mila giggled. "Obviously you're not an avid reader but I kind of knew that," she teased, "It's a quote from Great Expectations. Charles Dickens. Anyway if we put into the context of mom's situation it basically means that she changed and she changed the people around her to the point where she knew there was no going back to the person that she was before. She was freed from that person and the things that weighed her down when she left and she realized in that moment that there was a whole world out there. Outside of this small Virginia town where she had spent her life used, abandon and unappreciated."
Matt frowned thoughtfully when Mila was finished. "I did appreciate her," he said, "I still do. I never meant to make her feel like I didn't. She's probably the best friend that I have left."
"Then maybe you should tell her that when she gets back, Matty," she sighed, "Because she needs to hear it and I can tell you that you'll lose her if she doesn't."
Matt nodded and then. "What about Stefan and Damon," he said, "I mean I get how they could fall for her. She's Bonnie. I mean…she's your mom. Even before she left she was brave, and loyal and she self-sacrificing and a bunch of other things that you probably already know. But they…let's just say they aren't as worthy of her so I don't really get how she could…well you know."
Mila drummed her fingers against the table, puzzling over the question a moment before she spoke. "I asked Stefan once what love was and he said. 'I'll tell you...what real love is. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to someone who smites it.'"
Matt rolled his eyes. "More Charles Dickens?"
Mila nodded. "He and my mom are alike in that way," she laughed, "They think the answers to the worlds questions can be found in books. Which is probably why when I asked my mom what happened between the three of them then she just said, 'In a word, I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong.' Which you would understand if you knew what happened but I'm not sure how much I can tell you because it isn't really my story to tell. I think though that…Damon explained love best. He said to me that love has no definition. It's different for everyone. It isn't something that is meant to be defined or controlled or contained. It's something that is meant to be cherished in whatever form it comes. It's when you try to do the former and forget to do the latter that the problems start."
"Damon said that?" Matt asked, one eyebrow raised. Mila nodded. "Damon Salvatore?" Matt questioned still looking unconvinced.
"I know what he can be like sometimes," Mila grinned, "Trust me I know…but…Stefan said that mom she encouraged him to live outside of the world in his own head. To see things outside of the selfish filter that he normally viewed it in. To think of things from the perspective of others so he could see the bigger picture. So he could understand things in a new light. After a while she didn't have to encourage him anymore it just became a habit. That's what I love about mom. She has these major effects on people and sometimes she doesn't realize it. She doesn't even have to do anything. She's just herself and that's enough. I want to be that for someone."
"What?" Matt asked, "A miracle? Because that is what that is. I'm pretty sure since you said Bonnie changed him you haven't seen the Damon that I've seen. What she did isn't a small thing."
"Well she'll tell you she didn't do anything," Mila smiled, "But that's because she didn't really have to. Thomas always says that people see you in different ways, that the trick is in always knowing who you are no matter how anyone sees you. So maybe she's Damon's miracle. Maybe to you she's your best friend. Stefan always says that she's his soul mate. For me…she's my mom, she's my angel, she's everything. But for mom she's just…well she's Bonnie. She is who she is."
Matt smiled and then a thought occurred to him as he studied the earnest expression on Mila's face as she talked about her mother. "Bonnie always said that she didn't think she could be a good mother because she never had one," Matt said, "I'm sure you know that Abby left her when she was really young. But you turned out pretty awesome. So maybe you're Bonnie's miracle. Maybe you don't have to wait to have some major effect on someone just by being you. Maybe you already have."
Matt regretted his words a moment later because Mila looked as if she might cry and he never did well with girls and tears. But instead the next moment she surprised him by launching herself at him and hugging him tightly. "You were always my favorite out of all of mom's friends you know," she whispered.
"Don't ever let Caroline hear you say that," Matt replied.
Mila laughed and nodded as she pulled away. "Don't worry," she said, "I know better than to break the poor girl's illusions. She still thinks that she's planning my wedding."
Matt shook his head as Mila climbed out of the booth. "We're leaving already?" he asked, "I haven't even finished my cheese fries."
Mila rolled her eyes. "You eat those things all the time," she said, "Come on we have to pick up some things for the house."
Matt climbed out of the booth and grimaced as he saw Rebekah enter the diner out of the corner of his eye. He grabbed Mila's arm and began to steer her toward the back. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," Matt muttered, "I just think we should go out the back way. My truck is parked out back so…"
"But I wanted to go and tease aunt Bex," Mila pouted, "She'll never guess who I am."
"Wait what?" Matt said, his eyebrows knitting together, "Aunt who? Bonnie and Rebekah don't even talk to each other."
"Well, yeah," Mila conceded, "Not now but….it's…kind of…"
"A long story that you can't tell me because it might affect the future," Matt finished as he continued to move the girl away from Rebekah.
"You're being so smart today, Matty," Mila smirked as she reached up and pinched one of his cheeks.
Matt shook his head and sighed. "If I'm your favorite," he said, "I'd hate to see how you treat everyone else."
"But seriously Bex can't know I'm here now because she'll probably tell Klaus," Mila said, "We have to keep me and our plans away from the Originals."
Matt nodded wrapping a protective arm around Mila's shoulders. "Considering how many people are here that will be willing to protect you and your mom," he said, "I don't think that'll be a problem."
:::
Mystic Falls, Virginia 1864
Bonnie Bennett frowned as she woke up. Her head was pounding and her mouth felt like it was full of cotton balls. She had the urge to curl up in a ball and go back to sleep when she heard the sound of soft snoring. Glowering Bonnie peeked her eyes open and they landed on Damon who was sound asleep in a chair next to her bed. She blinked at him a few times before she forced herself to sit up.
She clutched her head as the dizziness and pain increased. Taking a moment to catch her equilibrium Bonnie internally chastised herself for drinking so much. She reached out a hand and placed it on Damon's knee. "Damon," she whispered loudly as she shook him, "Wake up."
Bonnie sighed in relief as he began to stir and tried to fix her tangled mess of hair before he awoke completely. "Good morning," Damon said, drawing her attention back to him.
Bonnie met his too blue eyes and gave him a questioning look. "What do you mean 'good morning'," she said, "What are you doing here?
"You asked me to stay," Damon shrugged, "I didn't think it would be prudent if I slept in the bed so I slept here in this chair."
"I don't remember asking you to stay so you should probably leave," Bonnie muttered. She always did idiotic things when she drank too much. Idiotic and embarrassing things that she regretted in the morning. That was why she was usually more careful. She was supposed to be keeping him and Stefan at a distance. That had been the plan. It was one of the few things she still had control over. But it seemed that that control hadn't lasted as long as she had hoped. Why would she ask him to stay? She frowned as she remembered William's story. "Oh," she muttered, "that's why."
"I'm sorry?" Damon asked studying her, "Are you sure you aren't still drunk." Bonnie just blinked at him. "I assure you that you asked me to stay," he said as he stood, "it was right after you told me how much you like me and right before you tripped and almost fell right over there by your bed. I caught you. You're welcome by the way. You passed out once or twice in between all these things but I assure that they did in fact occur."
Bonnie began to remember things as he said them. Still she decided the best thing for her to do would be to play dumb. "I told you that I liked you?" she asked, and then, "I must have been really drunk then."
"If that is what you must tell yourself then that's fine," Damon shrugged as she sat down on the edge of her bed. Bonnie wasn't sure about how she felt about him being in her space, on her bed. Especially given the things that she had said the night before. "In any case I'm glad I stayed," he said, "Since you got here I've usually spent my days counting down the time until I'm able to see you starting from when I woke up. This morning I didn't have to wait. I just opened my eyes and there you were."
Bonnie looked down and then away, his words making her even more nervous. "Well I'm sure the sight is much more appealing when I'm more put together," she said, "Right now I look like a mess and I feel even worse."
"Yes," Damon nodded, "You are a mess." Her face scrunched up in displeasure and he smiled at her expression. "A beautiful mess," he said, as he reached out and replaced the strap of her nightgown that had fallen off of her shoulder, "But still a mess. As for the rest…the headache will teach you to stay out of my bourbon."
Bonnie wasn't sure what she found more unbelievable, the fact that Damon Salvatore had called her beautiful or that he had done so while she was hungover with bed head. She decided to brush it off and focus on the other parts of his statement. "You do remember that I'm a witch right?" she asked, "That I have the power to set you on fire?"
He grinned. "And ruin your lovely bed sheets?" He smoothed his hand over her comforter to extenuate his point.
"I have a headache and you're annoying," Bonnie laughed, "Please go away so I can get dressed."
"I liked you better when you were drunk," Damon said as he stood to his feet. He collected his things and turned back to face her. "Do you need anything?" he asked, "Water? Something for your headache? I could have Corrine bring your breakfast up if you don't feel up to coming down stairs."
Bonnie studied him and smiled a little at the genuine concern she could see in his expression. "I'm fine," she said, "I'll live."
"Good," he said, "I want you alive and happy remember?"
Bonnie nodded. "That I didn't forget," she said. She climbed out of bed and opened the door for him. Damon leaned down and kissed her on the cheek as he left. She watched as she made his way downstairs. She was certain that he would still be there by the time she got ready for the day. Sighing Bonnie closed the door behind him.
Taking a deep breath Bonnie leaned against the door. She needed to start using her head. She would have to leave soon. She only had to keep things under control for a little longer. But what was she even trying to control? She had spent so much time trying to keep herself from feeling anything beyond a certain point, she wasn't sure exactly what it was that she was feeling. Or maybe she was and she didn't want to be.
Bonnie jumped at the sound of a knocking on her door. Sighing she turned and cracked it open. She looked out through the crack and was relieved when she saw Aimee on the other side. "Can I come in?" Aimee asked.
Bonnie nodded and opened the door more fully. She stepped aside and allowed her to enter. "William told me that you had been drinking and so I brought you something that would make you feel better," Aimee said as she entered the room, "Also Emmanuelle is here to see you. I can't stay long, I have to go into town with Thomas. I passed Damon on the way up here. Should I ask?"
Bonnie shook her head as she took the vial that Aimee held out to her. "Please don't," she said. She looked at the suspicious looking black liquid in the tube Aimee had handed to her. "What's in this anyway?" She asked as she opened the lid. She frown at the smell the liquid emitted.
"You don't want to know, sweetheart," Aimee grimaced, "Trust me. Just drink it fast and try not to think about it."
Bonnie quickly downed the contents of the vial. Though the smell and the look was bad the taste wasn't so bad. Almost as soon as she swallowed the pain in Bonnie's head went away and she felt better than she had in ages. "Oh you have to tell me how to make that," she said, "It really works."
Aimee coiffed her hair, a smug look on her face. "It's my own creation," she smiled. She studied Bonnie a moment and sighed. "I have a few moments before I must leave," she said as she walked over to sit on the edge of Bonnie's bed, "Talk to me. Tell me what's on your mind."
Bonnie shrugged her shoulders in defeat as she sat down next to her. Aimee had come to learn to read her well and so she knew there was no sense in her trying to hide anything from her. Besides that, Aimee was headstrong enough to force her to face it anyway were she to try to brush it away. "I said some things last night," she said, "To Damon…when I was drunk."
"Things such as…?" Aimee said, waiting for her to elaborate.
Bonnie played with the ends of her hair, surprised at how long it had gotten since her arrival. "I might have told him that I liked him, a lot," she admitted softly, "I might have told him that I could…love him…maybe given time."
"I see," Aimee nodded. She waited for Bonnie to continue but her descendent remained silent. "Bonnie," she said, "You do not have much time left here. Whatever actions that you take are your choice but if you meant those words…even in the slightest bit then you should do something about it. Even if you do nothing but allow yourself to be honest with yourself. Whatever happens when you leave no one will remember but you and so no one will have to live with the regrets if there are any but you."
"It isn't that simple," she frowned.
"Perhaps not," Aimee conceded, "I understand the factors in play more than you know but I understand you as well. I understand that you have gotten so used to having other people brush off your thoughts and feelings that you yourself have grown accustomed to ignoring them. I understand that you are so used to thinking about how your words and actions will affect others that you probably haven't thought about how keeping all of these things to yourself could affect you. This thing with Damon and Stefan may not be simple but it isn't going anywhere. What is the worst that could happen? What is it that you're most afraid of?"
"That I'll hurt them both, that I'll hurt myself," Bonnie sighed, "That I'll lose them but I'll lose them when I leave anyway. Stefan…he made his feelings clear. I know where I stand with him. We're…friends. But Damon he left the door open…and I just don't feel right walking through it if I don't know if I can follow through with that choice. It wouldn't be fair to anyone."
"And lying to yourself and them is fair," Aimee demanded gently, "You may not understand what it is that you feel but you feel something. Maybe if you let those feelings out then they can guide you. Maybe things will become more clear. You can't expect to understand yourself and how you feel if you keep everything locked away all the time Bonnie. I know that you have been hurt and you have a right to be afraid but you said it yourself, when you return to your time you will have unresolved feelings that you can do nothing with."
Bonnie frowned. She knew Aimee was right, but she didn't know if she had the courage to even try. She knew the outcome already. She would end up alone. And when she left there would be Katherine. And then Elena and what would any of this even mean anymore. It would be like it never happened at all and she would be alone again. Alone and forced to start all over.
"I've said my peace," Aimee said, standing, "You don't have much time left Bonnie. Do with it what you will."
:::
Mystic Falls, Virginia 2011
Mary Salvatore stared in between her two sons. She knew that they would want an explanation but she wasn't sure where to start. It had been her granddaughter that found her. The pretty little thing that was full of light and determination. It made Mary want to meet the girl's mother, to see if she shared the same traits. Before Mila had hunted Mary down she hadn't even known that Stefan and Damon had been turned. She had assumed they had died long ago. She had forced herself to forget that chapter of her life. To let them go as she knew that they thought her dead and she knew that Giuseppe would never allow her to make contact with them again. Besides she had been afraid of what they would think of her and afraid of harming them. Now she wished that she had made different choices.
They were sitting in one of the sitting rooms in the boarding house. Both her sons were quiet as they stared at her. She had been watching them for some time before she made herself known. She had heard their conversation. Heard the things that they had said about Mila's mother. Mila had told her the stories, of the women that had come between them. Of the time her sons had spent at odds. Mary blamed herself. She was the first woman that had left them. That had abandon them, even if it wasn't her choice to do so.
But this was not about her. There were things that both Damon and Stefan needed to know. Things about Mila. Things about Bonnie Bennett. Things about herself and what had happened to her.
Mary tossed her black hair over her shoulder and adjusted the skirt of the white dress that she was wearing. Her eyes met the green of Stefan's and then the blue of Damon's before drifting back again. "It's been so long," she smiled sadly, "You've both grown so handsome. I never got to see you grow."
"And why is that?" Damon asked, his gaze full of anger, confusion, and veiled accusation.
"What would you like to know first?" Mary asked, calmly, "Why I'm here now or how it is that I'm alive?"
She watched as her sons exchanged a look and then Stefan spoke. "The second and then the first," he said. They were both very stiff and closed off. She could understand why. But she hoped that they would understand once she was finished.
"To tell you both I must first tell you about Solomon," she said, "About my ties to him. I need you to understand because it will help you to understand why it was he did what he did even though he loved you both very much and me as well." They both looked confused but Mary pressed on knowing that once she was done that things would come together. "When I first met Solomon I was only a girl," she whispered, "just ten years old. I was drawn to him right off. I couldn't explain it…it was as if I knew him. But I knew that I hadn't me him before…I followed him around all the time. Talked to him. An annoying little girl that became his shadow but it never bothered him. In fact he began to seek me out. By the time I was sixteen every day when I worked in my garden to pass the time I would wait and wait and then I would hear his voice 'Mistress Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow?' He would tease me, you see. But I didn't mind. Everything about my life was dictated to me from the moment I was born but not this…not him. My relationship with him was my own. He was my air, with him I could breathe. I loved him. I love him still."
She wiped the tears that had fallen before she continued. She looked down at her hands unable to meet the eyes of her sons given what she was about to reveal next. "I…," she trailed and then pressed forward, "When he met his wife…Grace, I knew then that he could never love me the way that I loved him. I was too young. And she was…she was everything to him. I breathed for him but his heart beat for her. But even after they married our connection stayed. It never weakened. Not even after I married your father. We were irrevocably tied from the moment I laid eyes on him and so when I took ill I wanted it to be him at my bed side. No one else. Just him. I knew that it hurt him to watch me die but I was selfish. I needed him and so he took care of me."
Damon and Stefan listened intently refusing to interrupt. Still both of their minds were reeling with the discovery that their mother had loved Solomon in a way that neither had thought possible. They had both known to some extent that the man loved her but they had never assumed that she could have returned any of his feelings, least of all that what she felt for him was even greater in magnitude.
"When it was certain I would die Solomon in his desperation to keep me alive for me, for you, and for him sought an alternative form of medicine," she said, "There was a doctor who claimed to be a miracle healer. Solomon found him and brought him to me. The man he…he did a number of blood transfusions and I would do well for a while then fall ill again. On the last one…on the last one I died. It was then that we found out that this man was no faith healer. He was using vampire blood to heal his patients. When I died with the blood in my system I became what I am now. A vampire. Your father shut down. He called me a monster. He made me leave. Buried an empty casket. Blamed Solomon for my fate and took up a crusade against the supernatural with the town council. The only reason I agreed to stay away was because I didn't want to hurt either of you. I couldn't control the blood lust. And Stefan you were just a baby. I didn't…I didn't think that I could be around you without… well you both being what you are can understand. Anyway I was alone and afraid for a long time. I was eventually taken in by a witch. She helped me with control. By the time I thought of going back I assumed that you two were dead. That you had lived normal lives and died normal deaths. So I looked for Solomon instead."
Damon blinked at her. "What do you mean you looked for Solomon?" he asked, "I mean if you thought we were dead so why would you think that he was alive?"
"The witch that took me in," Mary explained, "her name was Anne. She was kind and strong and powerful. When I told her my story she said that it was possible that Solomon and I had a deeper connection than I realized. I used to tell Solomon that I thought that we had been together before in another life. Anne told me that there are people that sometimes die and then are reborn again and placed into different bodies throughout time and space. People that live more than one life. People that encounter the same souls over and over again. Reincarnation if you will. But this is something bigger. It's living your life with someone you love over and over again. She said that Solomon and I are such people. And so I waited for him and looked and hoped that some form of him would come back to me."
Damon looked skeptical but Stefan seemed to be thinking. His mind going over his mother's words over and over. "Did you find him?" Stefan asked.
Mary nodded. "I did," she whispered, "It's very odd but he…he is so different and yet so much the same. He's younger and he has no memory of the past life we had together but sometimes he says things or does things…things that bring the Solomon that I knew to mind. Anyway his name is Jonah in this time…Jonah Hardaway. He's here with me. In town. He's in a hotel just outside of the limits waiting for the word from me and well…" She held up her left hand and both brothers looked at the rings that they hadn't noticed before on her ring finger. "I'm not Mary Salvatore anymore. She is dead. She died a long time ago. I'm Mary Hardaway now but I would still like to be your mother."
"Is that why you're here?" Damon asked. He didn't know what to make of his mother being married to some reincarnated form of Solomon. He had loved Solomon, always would. But he didn't know what to make of a stand-in that he had never met even if the man did have the same soul.
Mary swallowed. "Partially," she said, "As I said before I thought you were dead. But then someone found me. Someone who knew your history very well. Someone who told me about you two and about Bonnie." Mary watched the array of emotions play on each of her son's faces when she said the name. "There were some things that sounded familiar to me about your connection to her in particular Stefan and so I looked into things. Well not me, Anne. She's still alive and kicking you see. She has the handiest spell to keep her from aging. One day you'll have to meet her. But I found some information that I thought you might want to have. I figured I could tell you everything when I saw you." She began to dig through the bag she had brought with her as she spoke. "Bonnie…she's descended from Salem witches is she not?" She asked, as she pulled out a worn notebook.
Stefan shared a look with Damon and then answered her question. "She is," he said, "But what does that have to do with anything?" Even as he said the words something in him knew what she was trying to tell him.
"In 1692 a man named Noah Salvatore was executed in Salem for witch craft," Mary said, "Most people that were alive at the time and a few historians claim that he confessed to protect a slave girl from being burned. Her name was Alice…Alice Bennett. Noah was a poet…he kept a journal. This is it." She held the book out to Stefan and noted Damon's frown as his brother took it from her with shaking hands.
Stefan opened the book to the last page and began to read aloud. "I have made my confession," he read, "In a few days I will be dead. Hung on the gallows. I am not afraid. I did what was right. I would rather I die then have her live in danger. When I go I will live on in Alice…she is after all a piece of my soul." As he said the last words the book fell from Stefan's hands and onto the floor.
Stefan stood and began to pace. He began to remember things. Things that he had said to Bonnie in the eighteen hundreds. Things that had happened in the present. The way Bonnie had followed him blindly down the hall on that first day of school. The speech he had given her about Salem witches. How protective he had been of her in the beginning. Sheila had said she had trusted him to keep Bonnie safe. He had thought it was because of his history with Sheila but now he wasn't so sure. "Where did you get this information?" He asked, "I know that you said that you looked into it after you were told about our ties to Bonnie but who told you about that?"
Stefan glanced down at Damon and his brother was strangely silent given the situation. It was bad enough that their mother had popped up out of the blue alive and a vampire at that. But to add to it she was telling them that Stefan had known Bonnie in another life. That their souls had walked together before just as hers and Solomon's had. Something that a part of Stefan was sure that he had known.
"Someone that loves all three of you very much," Mary said, "Someone that knew exactly what it would mean to the both of you to find me again. Her daughter…Mila."
:::
Mystic Falls, Virginia 1864
Emmanuelle Fontaine sat across from Bonnie Bennett in the parlor of her house and detailed to her the conversation that she had overheard between John Gilbert and Giuseppe Salvatore. "John seems reluctant at least," she said, "But Mr. Salvatore is adamant about bringing you down. We don't have any means in which to fight this and I don't think that he can be talked out of it. We always knew that are days in this town were numbered. I say we run. All of us together."
Bonnie frowned. The problem was that she needed to be in Mystic Falls to get her watch so that she could return to present day. Besides that she needed to stay in town when she used the watch as well. If she left and used the watch she would in up in the right time but in whatever town they ran too and she would have no real means of getting back to Virginia, at least not right away.
Bonnie wasn't really surprised that Giuseppe was taking this course of action. She expected him to act out against her eventually. She was just glad that Aimee had gotten word about the watches and that her contacts had them on their way. "We'll discuss things with Aimee and in the mean time I will talk to Damon," Bonnie said, "But if you feel that you have to run then tell us first. Let us know so that we can help you. So that we can protect you. Alright?"
As Emmanuelle nodded Bonnie frowned to herself. There was a chance that Aimee and the others would have to leave even before the watches came. She knew that they wouldn't abandon her before she got home safely however, but she didn't want them at risk so she would at least have to try to talk them into it.
She knew that even if Stefan and Damon knew it to be impossible they would still try to protect her from their father. That was another thing she would have to prevent. What was done was done. She would have to leave. She had always known that. There was no going back now. There was no reason for anyone else to get hurt for her sake just so she could remain in a time that she didn't belong in, no matter how much a part of her wanted to stay for as long as she could.
"Could you tell Damon everything that you heard?" Bonnie asked, turning her attention back to Emmanuelle. As she thought about it, it occurred to her that Damon might have known already. That he had shown up in the middle of the night to warn her and she had ruined it with her drunken antics.
Sighing Bonnie stood from the couch on which was sitting and ran a hand down the yellow dress that she was wearing. She didn't want to think about what had happened the night before or that morning. It didn't matter. She would be leaving soon. She would be going home to a Damon that didn't remember anything that had happened, a Damon that didn't care about her. It would be easier for her to stop things where they were. The more she thought about it the more sure she became that she would be leaving Mystic Falls after graduation. She had already let go of the person she was before she left, and all that was left to do now was to leave behind the people that had helped turn her into that shell that she had been upon her arrival in the eighteen hundreds.
She led Emmanuelle through the house, keeping her thoughts to herself as they reached the dining room where Damon was eating breakfast with William. "I can't let this stand," she heard Damon say as she reached the door, "If the war is getting as bad as you claim then no amount of money or influence on Raoul's part will keep me from having to serve. But if I leave now…I will be leaving Bonnie to be preyed upon by my father. I have to talk to him and make him see reason."
"And if you can't?" William asked, "I've encountered men like your father before Damon. Controlling racist bigots that cannot be reasoned with. Men that do not like being defied. The only way that you can protect Bonnie now is by letting her go. You said your peace. You told her how you feel. If you let her go now then you won't have any regrets. It's more than I can say for myself."
"You don't understand," Damon spat, "You couldn't possibly understand how I feel about her if you are asking me to walk away. I cannot. I will not. She is more to me than just someone I care for. Someone I have to protect. If I have to fight again then I might die. If I die having left her instead of spending every second that I could in her company before I absolutely had no choice in leaving her side then I will have regrets William. She is in all likelihood the only person I-"
Bonnie turned away before she could hear anymore. She knew that she was running away again but she didn't feel that she had a choice. She couldn't deal with any of this, not now, possibly not ever.
She began to walk away ignoring Emmanuelle calling after her as she began to move away from the dining room. She didn't stop until she ran into someone. Looking up she realized that she had walked right into Stefan. "What are you doing here?" She asked.
"I'm here to see you," Stefan frowned, "Are you alright?" When she shook her head, he glanced toward the back of the house. "How about we go to the garden and you can tell me what has you out of sorts."
As he led Bonnie through the house he nodded to Emmanuelle as they passed her. She didn't smile as she nodded back. Her expression was one of concern. Stefan assumed she was concerned about Bonnie's wellbeing and she was. But she was also concerned about the mess that Bonnie was creating without meaning to.
:::
Mystic Falls, Virginia 2011
The night air was balmy and dense as they walked through the graveyard. They passed a wide array of tombstones until they came to the grounds where the Bennett women were all buried. They read the names of witch after witch and Caroline Forbes frowned as she imagined Bonnie's name engraved on one of the tombstones.
But they were there for a reason. They were there to keep anything like that from happening. If they succeeded then Bonnie would not join the array of graves that spread out before them. And neither would her daughter.
Tyler Lockwood stood in front of Sheila Bennett's grave and marveled at the sight before him. A large rose bush had sprouted up and roses wrapped around the grave stone. Sterling roses. The only roses that grew without thorns. Their lavender petals seemed to glow in the moonlight.
He watched as Caroline walked up and touched one of the blooming buds. "Where did these come from?" Caroline asked, "I mean I haven't been here a lot but I came a few times with Bonnie in the beginning right after Ms. Sheila passed. This rose bush was never here."
Tyler smiled as his girlfriend looked up at him. "Mila said that a witches magic doesn't die with a witch," Tyler told her, "but we kind of knew that already. Emily helped Bonnie from the grave. Ms. Sheila is helping her too. She helped her with the ghosts and now she's helping her again. You see…Bonnie needs the roses. Or rather the spell that they are using to unbind the magic of the Bennett line from Mama Original needs the roses. The nectar and the petals of a sterling rose. That's what Mila said."
Caroline smiled, tears sprang up in the corners of her eyes. "She's the only one who's always been there for Bonnie. She didn't even let death stop her and yet we're the ones that Bonnie is always sacrificing everything for." Frowning, Caroline brought her fingers to her lips and then pressed it to grave stone. "I'm sorry Ms. Sheila, we all are," she whispered, "You loved Bonnie. You loved all of us. You trusted us to take care of her but all we've been doing is taking from her and giving nothing in return. But we understand now. We understand and we're going to do better. We love her. We'll protect her now that you can't. I promise."
Tyler nodded from where he stood behind her. "Me too," he stated, "We'll protect Bonnie and Mila. We'll look after them both."
They watched as a few of the rose buds that had been closed opened slowly in front of them. Blooming there right before their eyes. "She heard us," Caroline beamed, her voice low and full of awe.
"Yeah she did," he said, reaching down and placing a hand on Caroline's shoulder, "Now let's get the roses so that we can keep our promise."
:::
Mystic Falls, Virginia 1864
Stefan Salvatore watched as Bonnie Bennett walked around her back yard tending to her flowers. She was trying not to think about the things that were going on around her. Trying not to think about Emmanuelle Fontaine's warning. Trying not to think about the fact that she would likely not be able to say much longer. Trying not to think about the fact that the war was getting the point where no amount of money or influence on Raoul's part could keep Damon from having to fight. She was trying not to think about the things that Stefan could not stop thinking about.
He was sitting beneath the tree that held Bonnie's swing on a woolen blanket. He was thinking about what it would be like if he would have to say goodbye to her. If he would have to say goodbye to his brother. He would be alone then. He would be alone and Bonnie would never know how he felt about her.
He wanted to tell her now more than ever but then again more than ever he knew that he could not. Something had changed when he wasn't looking. His brother and Bonnie were closer now. His brother would want to spend as much time with Bonnie as possible before one or both of them had to leave Stefan knew and he cared about both of them too much to infiltrate whatever bond it was they were forming. He didn't want Damon to be hurt and he didn't want Bonnie to distance herself from them like he knew that she would and so he remained silent.
Stefan laid on his back on the blanket and looked up at the clouds. He began to search for shapes in them and tried to stop thinking. He failed. A moment later Bonnie was there laying next him and looking at him quizzically. He couldn't bring himself to look at her. "What are you thinking about?" She asked.
Stefan smiled softly. "You know," he answered, "You always know."
"Instead of brooding over the possibility of me or Damon having to leave why not just have fun with us while you can?" Bonnie said, "I know that you're afraid. I'm afraid. If your father and Johnathan pull this off it isn't just me that's in danger it would be Aimee, Raoul, and Thomas too. Maybe even Corrine, Emmanuelle and the other girls. Either way we can't stay here if its gets too dangerous, and you always knew that me leaving was a possibility."
"I told you that you knew," Stefan said, still staring straight ahead.
Bonnie sighed and looked up at the sky as well. She didn't know what was worse between Stefan's brooding and Damon's desperation to find a way to keep both he and her safe causing him to actually try and reason with their father. She didn't like the position that her presence was putting either of them in. She still couldn't face the reason for Damon's actions, the things that he felt for her.
"It isn't like I want to leave," Bonnie said, "Not in the same way that I did. I know I don't belong here but I wish I could. Things will change and I'll lose everything that I value here. That's big. But I don't want to die and I don't want anyone to get hurt. Besides…things don't seem that frightening when I'm with you. Just being around you makes me feel calm. I wish I could do that for you."
Stefan frowned and finally turned to look at her, and this time it was her eyes that remained up at the sky. "You do," he said, "That's part of the reason that this is so hard. If I lost you both I don't know what I would do. Damon isn't just my brother, he's my best friend. And you…when you go it'll be like having a piece of my soul ripped away from me. How am supposed to survive either of those things Bonnie?"
"I don't know," Bonnie sniffed her voice a whisper. She was feeling much of the same way about losing them both but it was worse. Because she was losing everyone. She was going back to a life that felt so far away, so much like nothing. But she would have herself and her memories and so she would have to use those things to survive.
He could tell that she was on the verge of tears. "Don't cry," he said, "You know I hate it when you cry."
"What happened to, 'we need never be ashamed of our tears'?" Bonnie asked as she wiped at her cheeks.
"You don't need to be ashamed," he said, "I just don't like to see them. I don't like to see you upset." Sighing he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and stuffed in into her hand. "Listen…I would rather have you leave and be safe than stay here and be in danger. No matter what happens if I know that you're alive and well I'll keep going. I'll keep you with me in a way. I'll carry you for the rest of my life. 'You are in every line I have ever read.'"
"You're always quoting Dickens at me," Bonnie laughed.
"It's true," Stefan smiled, "All the answers to life's questions are in a book remember? Including what you mean to me. Every time I read a quote about friendship and kindness and strength and beauty I will think of Bonnie in her garden begging me to read to her and flinging dirt at Damon's head when he dared to interrupt me. You don't have to be by my side for you to be a permanent fixture in my life Bonnie. Every part of you is ingrained in me. 'You are part of my existence, part of myself.'"
He sounded so sincere that Bonnie might have believed him if she didn't know different. If she hadn't seen different. But she knew that he meant it in this time. This him that was with her now. This him that was human and could not lie to her. "It shouldn't hurt this much having to leave you," she whispered, "I feel like I've done it before in a way. I know I'll have to do it again. But it really hurts just to think about it."
"Life is made of ever so many partings welded together."
"One day I'm going to burn every copy of Great Expectations that you own," Bonnie smiled shaking her head.
Stefan shrugged. "I'll still be able to quote it at you," he said, "I've committed every word to memory."
Bonnie took a deep breath and her demeanor grew serious before she next spoke. "Even if Damon goes to fight," Bonnie said, "He'll come back. I'll do whatever I can to protect him. I'll send him away with enough charms to protect the whole army. Whatever it takes. You won't be alone for long. But when I leave Stefan…I won't be coming back. Not here. So I want you to promise me that you two will look out for each other. You have to take care of each other okay? He has to make sure you go outside and get air in between reading books and you have to make sure he eats real food and doesn't sustain himself off of pie. You have to make sure that he stays out of his own head and that he knows that he doesn't have to fail just because your father believes he will. You have to listen to him when he tells you can take risks and be indecent every once in a while. You have to be brothers and you can't let anyone get in the way of that."
Stefan wanted to tell her that he loved her. That he was sure of it now. He wanted to thank her for taking care of him. For taking care of Damon. For accepting them for who they were. For giving them something to fight for. For showing them both that they could make a choice about how they lived their lives in their own way. He wanted to tell her that she would never lose him. That he would love her even in death. But he didn't. Because he knew that his brother felt the same way. Because he would love Damon even in death too. And so he only nodded and said, "Okay."
"Good," Bonnie nodded, still looking up at the sky.
She was silent for so long that he thought that she might have fallen asleep. But then she was reaching her hand out to him and she was lacing their fingers together. "What are you thinking?" Stefan asked.
"You know," she said, "You always know."
Stefan closed his eyes and squeezed her hand. He didn't know how long they had. A week. A day. It didn't matter. They would protect her from his father as long as they could and for now that was all that could be done. "I'm going to miss you too," he told her.
"See," Bonnie said, "I told you, you knew." She turned to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "You may be sure," she murmured, "that I shall never forget you."
"Now who's quoting Dickens at who," Stefan replied.
Bonnie laughed and nodded. "Yes," she said, "But I really do mean it. But we have some time left. So let's not say goodbye yet okay?"
"Okay," Stefan agreed, though were it up to him he wouldn't have to say goodbye to her at all.
:::
Mystic Falls, Virginia 2011
Rudy Hopkins sighed as he walked up the steps to what had once been Sheila Bennett's old home. He had hoped that his daughter would be in the home that they shared together when he made it back in town but he shouldn't have been surprised that she had opted to stay in the home where her grandmother had once lived.
Because of Rudy's long stays out of town when Sheila had been alive Bonnie had spent most of her time at her grandmother's in the woman's care and so even now after the woman's death she saw her house as more of a home than the one that she had shared with her father.
Rudy couldn't help his absences however, he had to put food on the table. His job required him to travel and that was pretty much that. It wasn't as if he had had planned on having to raise his daughter alone. He had planned on raising his child with his wife. He had planned on being married and possibly having more children. What he hadn't planned was his wife leaving and his divorce. What he hadn't planned was having to leave his child with her grandmother and then alone once the woman had died. What he hadn't planned was getting to the point where he didn't know his own daughter.
Every time that he came home Bonnie seemed different. Less herself. More withdrawn. She had her friends he supposed but she didn't even talk about them when he called to check on her anymore. In fact she didn't really say anything at all. He had thought more than once about quitting his job and starting fresh so he could spend time at home. He had some money saved and so it was a possibility.
As he walked up the porch steps he decided that he would talk the matter over with Bonnie. He decided that he would let his daughter have some input. Normally he just did what he thought was in her best interest but she was getting older now and he thought it was time that she had a say in the things that were going on around her. Besides, he knew what loneliness was. He spent all his time on the road and he didn't like having to be without contact. Without closeness. Without family and so he knew it was just as hard for Bonnie if not harder.
Rudy stopped in front of the door and went to flip the welcome mat in search of the spare key that Bonnie kept hidden underneath. He froze as he heard laughter and voices coming from the other side of the door. He blinked. Now that Sheila was gone the place was normally quiet. Deciding to leave the spare key where it was Rudy knocked on the door instead.
He waited a moment and the door swung open to reveal his ex-wife on the other side. He stared down at the woman, his eyes full of confusion and shock. "Abby?" Rudy said, "What are you doing here?"
Abby looked down and bit her bottom lip. She reminded him of their daughter in that moment. "Bonnie found me," she revealed, "Listen Rudy I'm actually glad you're here. I probably should have called you sooner."
Rudy didn't know what to make of her presence. Bonnie had never really asked about her mother and Rudy never really spoke of her. She hadn't mentioned her or anything about wanting to find her when last they talked. "What's going on?" he demanded, "Where's Bonnie?"
Abby sighed. "It's a long story," she said, "Why don't you come in and we'll explain everything."
Rudy was about to ask her who this "we" was but she guided him into the house before he could make any more objections. He was led into the living room and was introduced to an unfamiliar couple, the woman of the too reminded him of a mixture of Bonnie and Abby in appearance. Aimee, Abby said her name was. Her husband Raoul was looking at him as if her were an animal he was trying to dissect and Rudy found it disconcerting. The only friendly face among the inhabitants of the living room where Abby had guided was a man name Thomas. He stood and shook Rudy's hand before retaking his seat and cleaning his spectacles.
Abby offered Rudy a seat and reluctantly he sat down at the opposite end of the couch from the couple. "Now that the introductions have been made," he said, "Would someone kindly tell me where my daughter is?"
Seeming to need no other prompting Abby launched into an explanation of the events that had occurred before Bonnie had found her and then right after. Raoul and Aimee picked up where she left off explaining where his daughter was and what was happening to her while she was there. It was a long tale full of witchcraft, time travel, voodoo, vampires, originals, and pocket watches. Rudy wasn't sure if they were all going mad or if he was.
He didn't like the fact that Bonnie had been going through so much and had not felt comfortable enough to talk to him about any of it. Didn't like the fact that she was back in the time of slavery left alone to fend for herself even if the people around him claimed that she was being taken care of. He decided as they finished that he would indeed be quitting his job and he would be staying at Bonnie's side starting the moment she came back. None of this should have ever happened. He should have been there to protect her. To talk her out of getting involved in all of the things that had led to her going back in time in the first place.
"So we just have to wait here until she comes back like sitting ducks?" Rudy scowled. At everyone's nod he ran a hand over his face. He had never felt so helpless. His child was gone and there was nothing he could do about it.
"There something else we need to tell you," Abby said, her tone slightly frustrated, "Something that the other's neglected to tell me until tonight. The situation is more dire than we thought before. The reason why they are so adamant about Bonnie not being turned into a vampire when she returns isn't just because of her own personal feelings on the matter…when she comes back…" Abby trailed and Rudy looked into her eyes. He knew the woman well enough even now to know that he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear. "When she comes back she's going to come back with child. It isn't just about protecting Bonnie any more, now we have to protect her daughter too."
Rudy had a moment where he felt sick. A moment where he knew that he had failed completely as a parent. But the moment passed quickly. This wasn't about him. This was about Bonnie. There was no way she could come out of this experience unchanged and totally unscathed. She would come back a different person. She would come back a mother. But what would not change was that she would still be a lonely girl that needed her father. That needed his help and his care and his guidance. Guidance so that she wouldn't fail her child in the way that he had failed her. "What can I do for her?" he asked, "For them. Whatever you need me to do then I'll do it."
:::
Mystic Falls, Virginia 1864
Hours after Stefan, Damon, and Emmanuelle had left Bonnie sat in the parlor of her house staring at the wall. She and Corrine were supposed to be baking but Bonnie wasn't really up for it. She didn't know what to do about anything anymore. She was just as lost as she was when she first came.
She looked down at her hands as Solomon walked into the room and sat down beside her. The man was silent. Waiting for her to speak. "I told you that you don't have to have everything figured out all the time," he said, when Bonnie remained quiet, "You don't have to be afraid. Whatever happens you'll be safe. We're not going to let anything bad happen to you, Bonnie."
Bonnie smiled running a hand through her hair. "I'm not worried about that," she said, "I would be if I weren't here with all of you. But I don't have to worry about anyone going through hell and high water to keep me safe. Not here and I'll never be able to repay any of you for that."
"No one's asking you to," Solomon shrugged, "That's what you do when you care about someone. You protect them. You don't expect nothing back."
"Not everyone is like you Solomon," she whispered, "Not everyone is that good. Some people expect you to give and give and give and all they do in return is take and take and take. And it gets to the point where you're so afraid to give any part of yourself to anyone because no matter how much they care about you, you're afraid that you'll lose that part of yourself and you'll never get it back. I just found myself again Solomon, I can't lose myself in anyone else."
Solomon frowned as he realized the source of her turmoil. "That isn't what real love is Bonnie," he sighed, "You don't give yourself away. You share yourself. You have a partner you're willing to let walk with you in life. But you don't give up your whole journey. Anyone who really loved you wouldn't ask you too either."
Bonnie turned to him, the hair that tumbled down her shoulders now falling into her face. "Grace and Mary are gone now," she said as she brushed the hair out of her face, "Is there anything that you wish that you had said to them before they went?"
Solomon shook his head. "I said what I needed to say," he said, "They knew how I felt. The both of them. But I didn't say it for them. I told them because I needed to tell them. Because I didn't want to live my life knowing that I left anything unsaid. Sometimes that's what you got to do. You got to stop thinking about everyone else and just say what you need to say for you."
Bonnie reached out and touched his hand. "I'm going to miss you," she whispered, "I love you, you know."
Solomon smiled. She had said what she needed to say to him at least. "I know," he nodded, "I love you too. You're a good girl and going to be just fine." Bonnie returned his smile as he brought her hand to lips and kissed the back of it.
They both looked up at the sound of footsteps and watched as Damon entered the room. "Corrine let me in," he said, "I can go if I'm interrupting something."
Solomon chuckled and shook his head. "I was just about to go into the kitchen," he said, "Corrine is about to bake I believe. Strawberry tarts today." He stood and squeezed Bonnie's hand before letting it go. He leaned down and kissed Bonnie on the forehead. "Remember what I told you," he murmured as he pulled away.
Bonnie nodded and watched as Solomon left the room. When he left she turned to Damon. "You came back to tell me you talked to your father," she said, "And from the look on your face I can safely say that you didn't get through to him."
Damon pinched the bridge of his nose and took the seat that Solomon had vacated. "Yes I did and no I did not get through to him." He took off his jacket and ran a hand over his face. "He says that I should be more concerned with going to fight," he said, "That I should be more concerned with the possibility of dying in the war. He's probably right. But I…I just kept thinking that when my mother died with each day that passed I began to forget things. Her smile. Her laughter. Her eyes. Her voice. But I have pictures of her, to help me to remember. You're not dying. You're leaving. But what if I forget you little by little. What if I forget your smile? Your laugh. Your voice. What then? I don't have any pictures. All I'll have is my memories and they'll fade. I just have this house and your garden. No matter how hard I cling to them they will fade. It's stupid and insane but I'm not afraid of dying or the war or my father. All that I'm afraid of is forgetting what you look like when you leave. I'm afraid that one day it'll be like all of this was a dream and you were never here at all."
Bonnie closed her eyes and Damon took her silence as a bad sign and moved to stand. "I'm sorry," he muttered, "I've said too much."
He stopped as Bonnie reached up and tugged his sleeve until he sat back down. "No," she whispered, "I haven't…I haven't been saying enough…I'm not afraid of you dying only because I'm going to protect you. I have the power to do that at least. But I…I am afraid that you will forget me. I'm afraid that someone else will appear and take over whatever it is…whatever place that I have in your life. That all of this will mean nothing. That in the end I won't matter. That you could hate me. That you could stop caring. That you could be so indifferent to me that you stop seeing me as a human altogether." She knew what those things were like. She knew first hand and that was part of the reason that she knew that she couldn't stay in Mystic Falls once she returned. She couldn't stay and be treated like that by not just him but everyone else.
Damon opened his mouth to argue with her but she shook her head. "I know what you're going to say but I need you to let speak okay?" she asked, gently. She didn't want him to say what she knew he would say because it would happen. It had happened and it was wrong whether or not they remembered her. "None of that matters because we're together right now and I don't want to spend that time thinking about what's going to happen when we can't be together anymore. I…" Bonnie bit her bottom him and tried to find the courage to say what she was about to say next. "I remember what I said to you last night," she murmured, finally, "And I meant it. Every word."
When Bonnie finally got up the nerve to look at him she wasn't surprised to see that Damon was smiling. "I was hoping that you did," he said.
Bonnie reached out and took his hand in hers threading their fingers together. "I heard what you said to William about wanting to spend every moment that you could with me until you couldn't anymore," she said, "Did you mean that?"
Damon nodded. "Every word," he said repeating her words to him.
"Then how about we just do that, okay?" Bonnie whispered as Damon leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.
"What if you fall in love with me?" he asked.
"I said it was a possibility," Bonnie laughed. She made a move to pull away from him and she wasn't too surprised when he held fast to her hand.
"It sounded to me like you thought it inevitable," he said.
Bonnie searched the room for an out as she felt as if she had admitted enough for one day. Her eyes stilled when they landed on the music box across the room. "Dance with me before I change my mind about us spending time together," she said.
As she stood Damon allowed her to pull him to his feet. He watched as she walked across the room and picked a melody before turning to him and holding out her hand. Walking forward Damon took it and pulled her into him. "I'm going to miss you, a lot," he whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Even if I step on your feet?" She questioned. At his nod she smiled. "I might miss you too a little bit," she said. It was an understatement and they both knew it.
"Only a little," he teased.
Bonnie rested her head on his shoulder as his arms encircled her waist. "It might be a lot before I leave," she said, deciding to throw him a bone, "Just give it a little time."
:::
Mystic Falls, Virginia 2011
Damon Salvatore walked next to his brother as they made their way to the front door of the home that had once been Bonnie's. It was an odd night. They had found out that their mother was alive and that Bonnie had a daughter that was hopping through time in the same instant. Neither of them knew what to do with either bit of information.
Then there was the bit about Stefan and Bonnie having a former life together. Damon didn't know whether or not to believe it but Stefan didn't seem to be having any trouble believing it. One way or another it didn't matter. The piece of information wasn't something that Damon was going to let phase him. He didn't care if Bonnie and Stefan had hundreds of lives together before. What mattered was the here and now. What mattered was that he was able to tell Bonnie how he felt. What mattered was Bonnie's happiness wherever she found it.
As they ascended the steps they paused. The lights were on inside. This was where Mary said that Bonnie's daughter would be. Their mother had told them that Bonnie would come back pregnant. Damon couldn't help but wonder who the girl's father was. Stefan had been strangely silent about the whole thing. Damon thought that maybe he knew. But all that he had said was, "It doesn't matter, she's apart of Bonnie either way. She's family either way. We have to keep her safe."
Damon had to agree so they had both agreed not to mention it to her with they saw her. Stefan moved to knock on the door and as he did so it cracked open. Frowning Damon pushed the door open more fully. Both he and Stefan stepped over the threshold at the same time.
They heard the soft sound of the piano forte. It was a sound that was so familiar. Especially in the context of this house. He caught Stefan smiling out of the corner of his eye and his lips twitched upward as well.
They followed the sound of the music and then stopped as they reached the room it was coming from and studied the unfamiliar and yet somehow familiar figure that sat at the piano forte playing a melody that was both beautiful and haunting.
He recognized the melody. It was one that he had danced to with Bonnie once a long time ago, for him anyway. It would not seem so long ago for Bonnie when she returned.
He could see Bonnie all over the girl and she hadn't even turned around to look at them yet. Mila her name was. For Sheila and their mother. "She's perfect," Stefan whispered, voicing what Damon had been thinking.
Damon cleared his throat loudly and the girl jumped. She turned around and her brown eyes seemed to light up. And God she was beautiful, just like her mother. Then she smiled and that was all it took. Damon was in love.