HAPPY HALLOWEEN, folks! ? Another update, and this one's a longgie. I've done a time skip 'cause who's got time for year-by-year developments, right? No need to scratch your heads about how old they are; I've got that covered below. So, dive in and enjoy! ?

PRESENT AGES: Bonnie, Tyler & Matt - 13 ; Elena & Caroline - 14; Vicki -15 ; Jeremy - 11

It's been years since that day, and now I'm 13 years old. So many changes have happened, and my missions have been steadily getting completed, with the help of my family, of course. I mean, that day was just nerve-wracking. I can't believe I revealed everything to them: from being reborn, seeing a TV show life, and planning to have more connections with other vampires. Thinking about it, I thought my life was going to change, and it did, for the better.

~Flashback starts~

The moment I spilled the beans, my family's expressions were like a rollercoaster of emotions, going from puzzled to uncertain and then concerned, all while their eyes darted between each other, signaling their alertness. It felt like my secret dropped like a bombshell, and they weren't quite sure how to handle it.

But what struck me the most was the silence that settled around us. It was one of those heavy, pregnant pauses that seemed to stretch on for an eternity. No anger in sight, which was a relief, and I took it as a good sign. I couldn't bear the thought of my family hating me or feeling disappointed in any way.

Yet, as seconds turned into minutes, that silence became unbearable. It was as if we were all waiting for something, but no one knew what. The tension hung in the air, and I wished for the moment when someone would break it and say something, anything, to fill the void.

Thankfully, it was Mommy who broke the silence. Her voice quivered as she spoke, and I could see unshed tears glistening in her eyes. "My dear Bonbon," she began, "are you saying that you've lived another life before this one?"

I gave a nod, my emotions mixed between relief and anxiety. "Yeah, Mom, it's true. I remember my past life and... how I died." Her eyes welled up with tears, and they began to flow down her face. I couldn't help but imagine the thoughts racing through her mind. For me, my death was just a distant memory, a quick moment of pain, and then a strange kind of relief. But I knew for mothers, it was an entirely different story. Even grams had tears welling up in her eyes, and it touched me to see their emotional reactions.

"Hey, don't worry about me remembering how painful my death is. I only felt a moment of pain, and it was over in the blink of an eye. After that, I was suddenly surrounded by white light," I reassured them with a smile. However, their concern still lingered in their expressions.

"Mommy, Daddy, Grams," I began, feeling a little unsure but determined to be as honest as possible. "I'm not entirely sure about the deity at first, but I'm here because of them, and I'm really grateful for it. As for why they chose me, I'm in the dark on that one. They appeared to me as this radiant figure of light, and they basically said, 'Hey, you get a second shot at life.' The 'whys' and 'hows' were a bit fuzzy, to be honest. But they made it crystal clear that I'm here now as your daughter, Bonnie Bennett."

I continued then with a soft smile on my face, "The Great Deity Life gave me this chance, and even though I don't have the foggiest idea why they picked me, I'm not complaining. I mean, look at this wonderful family I've got." I couldn't help but beam with genuine happiness. I wrapped my arms around Mom, who was quietly sobbing, and she gently patted my head. Then, I turned to my father and grams, who had a warm, teary-eyed smile on their face. It was a moment filled with profound emotions and connection, and I couldn't have asked for a better response from my family.

However, I knew that there might be skeptics among them, as well as doubt and suspicion. From a witch's perspective, like my Mommy and grams, the explanation might sound like possession, similar to the times when other beings took over human bodies, like when Celeste took over Sabine's body or when Klaus possessed Alaric's body. I couldn't blame them for having such thoughts. Unfortunately, I couldn't offer any proof of my rebirth. This was the drawback of revealing this information to my family. Still, I felt relieved that they were allowing me to continue explaining without resorting to violence, and that gave me hope that they would eventually come to accept my story.

"Hey, sweetie," daddy said, giving me an inquisitive look after clearing his throat and reassuring mommy, who was now all ears, "What's the deal with this deity giving you a second shot at life here? You know, was there some kind of catch or something? Who's this deity exactly?"

I just gave him a little smile and said, "You know, this deity is actually quite familiar to all of you - Daddy, Mommy, and especially you, Grams." They all looked at me, totally surprised, so I went on, "It's the Great Deity Life, the one who's behind everything in this world, the giver of life to every living thing. You might call them God, but in our witchy circles, we lovingly refer to them as Mother Nature." Their faces got even more bewildered. Wish I had a fancy camera phone to capture those priceless expressions, but let's get back to the story.

"Anyway, the Great Deity Life only has one condition for me here, and that's to make choices and changes that benefit not just me, but everyone else too. I'm here to live a life without any regrets." I turned to my Grams and Mommy, adding, "Believe it or not, in my past life, I had a whole bunch of regrets, most of them about not doing more for my family, so..." I trailed off, bowing my head in sorrow.

"So, you've made it possible here," Grams, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke. Her voice carried a mix of wisdom and a hint of doubt and suspicion. Witches and their skepticism! "Dear, I really want to believe you as your grams, but as a witch, can I personally check to ensure that you are what you say you are, my granddaughter?"

"Mom!" Mommy said with a scolding tone. "You can't be throwing around the idea that our daughter might be tampered with or, heaven forbid, possessed!"

I couldn't help but let out a little giggle and flashed them a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Mommy," I said, giving her a comforting hug. Daddy just ruffled my hair, his face still filled with concern as he glanced at Grams. "I mean, I'd probably ask the same thing if I were in Grams' shoes. So, go for it, Grams."

Grams shot me a soft smile. After I'd moved away from my folks, I positioned myself in the center of the kitchen. She closed her eyes and began chanting something under her breath. I started glowing with a faint white light, indicating that she was checking to see if I'd been taken over by some supernatural hitchhiker. Once the glow disappeared, Grams opened her eyes, approached me, and gave me a tight, reassuring hug. "You're completely untouched. So... you're really telling the truth. Life is, in fact, Mother Nature, and they've given you this second chance." She wore that gentle smile again and patted my head gently. "But it also seems like there's more to your rebirth here than you're letting on," she added as she guided me back to my spot at the table with my parents, taking a seat herself. My parents couldn't hide their relief, grinning at us after the whole spell-check thing.

"Actually, Mom, Dad, Grams... this part is a bit tricky." I hesitated, searching for the right words. It wasn't easy to explain to them that the world they were living in was a TV show in my past life. The other Bonnie had made countless sacrifices and ended up living a rather lonely life. She traveled extensively, got married to someone who wasn't particularly significant, and became incredibly powerful with her magic. But a happy ending? Well, that was nowhere to be found.

Thinking about it, canon Bonnie's childhood had been far from ideal – her parents were divorced because her mother had left them, citing the ridiculous reason of protecting the family from the supernatural and her own loss of magic. Her father was more focused on work, neglecting Bonnie and not giving her the paternal love she needed. Her grams, well, she was the one who raised Bonnie, but she had a reputation for being eccentric, always spouting witchy things, and nursing a drink.

All in all, canon Bonnie lost so much in her life: her happy childhood with her family, her family itself, and eventually, the man she wanted to be with – her true love. Canon Bonnie's life had been pretty tragic, all because she was a martyr dedicated to making a certain copy happy. Ugh... Elena Gilbert. Do I really need to share this timeline with my family? Well, I guess I do.

"Whatever it is, princess, we're here to listen," said my ever-supportive daddy. I'll always be grateful for him. Grams and mommy only smiled at me encouragingly.

"So, here's the thing... the world we're living in, with all the supernatural stuff?" I began, feeling a bit uneasy, "Well, in my past life, all of this... every person we know, everyone we're yet to meet, and every single event that's gonna unfold in the future, it was all part of a TV show called 'The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.'"

Well, there was a moment of silence, but it didn't last long before Mommy asked, "What do you mean by that, Bonbon? A TV show?" Their expressions showed disbelief, but there was no sign of doubt, which I found quite relieving. I just needed to make them believe me. "So, you're saying our lives were basically a show for everyone's entertainment?" There was a touch of anger and resentment in her tone, and I couldn't blame her. I mean, who'd be happy to be someone's entertainment without their consent, right?

"Well," I looked down at my hands, pondering how to make them believe me and perhaps see the benefits of having watched the show. Then, it struck me; I could use a spell from the Potterverse again, like the Pensieve. Although, I might have to tweak it a bit. Instead of extracting memories, maybe I could project them? Yeah, let's do that. I raised my hand in front of me and conjured a small TV screen.

"Wow, dear, is this spell from your past life as well?" Grams said in awe and wonder as she looked at what I had created.

"In my previous life, I was totally hooked on reading fantasy, sci-fi, and mystery stuff. Plus, I was a huge fan of TV shows and movies in those same genres. Funny thing is, I didn't have a shred of actual magic, but I had all the spells, charms, and enchantments tucked away in my brain thanks to those hobbies," I explained, giggling a bit. "Grams, I can totally share what I've learned with you. I mean, I got all these ideas from the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling. I hear her latest one, 'Harry Potter: Goblet of Fire,' just hit the shelves. And if my memory serves me right, they're making a movie out of it too, set to release next year. Man, I can't wait to watch it again and maybe spoil everyone's fun with my insights before they even see it," I added with excitement.

My family just cracked up at my enthusiasm, and I beamed at them before turning my attention back to the screen. "Alright, so this TV show's all about this girl who's lost her folks, right? Then, she gets dragged into this whole supernatural circus. There are vampire brothers who are head over heels for her, a super-loyal witch best friend, a bestie-turned-vampire, and even a hunter brother and stepdad all in on the action to keep her safe. And here's the kicker – her face is like a spitting image of her ancestor, who's like the hottest item on the Original Hybrid's shopping list. So, basically, everyone's got to keep her from ending up on his supernatural shopping cart and protect her from all the other dangers that might just end her for good."

As I shared the TV show's gist, I projected scenes from it. By the looks on their faces, they were definitely connecting the dots and seemed rather confused. "This...this witch best friend, she looks like how you will look like in the future, princess?" Daddy inquired, exchanging glances with grams and mommy.

"Yeah, that's right," I replied sadly, but with a smile. "It's because I am her. Well, I became Bonnie Bennett when I was reborn here."

"How?" My mother's voice trembled with concern, and her face mirrored that worry. She must have seen the future I projected, a future where her daughter was bound to be miserable.

"I can't really say why the deity chose to have me reborn as Bonnie, but that's what happened," I explained. I could tell that my mom, dad, and grams were all pretty concerned. So, I hurried to reassure them, saying, "But don't sweat it, guys. I've already made some decisions and changes that are going to shake up that supposed future of mine. The big ones, in my book, are that Mom is still here and happy with Dad, Dad's not buried in work and he's right here with me, and Grams isn't hitting the bottle all the time."

Yup, I just spilled the beans on some heavy stuff. I let them in on the tough childhood canon Bonnie had to go through, and bam, the waterworks started. All three of them just enveloped me in a tight bear hug, tears flowing freely. They took turns patting my head gently, bawling their eyes out, and squeezing me like there's no tomorrow. It was a real tearjerker, I tell you.

After a while, they composed themselves, and mommy commented with a chuckle, "Well, I guess now we know why you're so against befriending Elena. That girl in the TV show looks like your future self."

I continued, my voice tinged with frustration, "Yup, she is." My grimace deepened as I gazed at the future Elena on the screen. "The show is mainly focused on her, and everyone's life is just nothing compared to her. Her family, her best friends, and even innocent bystanders died directly or indirectly because of her. Decisions and actions that could have been made differently and could potentially benefit everyone were destroyed and not even considered because of paranoia and distrust of others. It's also because it's only supposed to benefit Elena, so the decisions and actions that are made result in making other people's lives miserable or end tragically, potentially causing more enemies and troubling consequences."

"That show's like all about the MC, princess," Daddy chimed in, shaking his head. "Seems to me, if we stick to the script like they do, our lives might just turn out as miserable as theirs, or maybe even worse– you know, dead."

"Yup," I jumped in, "That's exactly why I want to stay far away from getting mixed up with Elena Gilbert, like, never ever." I pulled up some clips that seriously got on my nerves and started flashing scenes with Elena, Jenna, Caroline, Bonnie, Damon, Stefan, Vicki, and Jeremy. "Elena's got this annoying thing where she's always trying to play the boss. I mean, seriously, she's super controlling. It's like she thinks she can make all the decisions for everyone without even asking or giving a heads-up, and she couldn't care less about their opinions. She just marches on like she's got the right to do it."

Then I showed a scene where Vicki was trying to call Jeremy while stuck at the boarding house as a vampire and Stefan got kidnapped by tomb vampires and trapped in a house. "Whenever trouble's brewing, Elena's gotta be right smack in the middle of it. She's the first to dive into the mess, even when she doesn't need to be there half the time. Her 'help' often makes things worse. It's like she's so obsessed with trying to change everything that she forgets to wonder if she should. It's like she never stops to think if it's even a good idea."

More scenes with the brothers followed. "Then there are the Salvatore brothers. Elena couldn't make up her mind about them, so she just kept stringing them along, giving them hope that she'd pick one of them. I was always yelling, 'just make up your mind already!' whenever the romantic scenes popped up."

I showed more moments of her being totally self-absorbed. "And to top it all off, she's a pro at dragging her loved ones into danger without even trying, because she only thinks about herself. People end up getting hurt, emotionally and physically, all thanks to her self-centered antics."

Then, I balanced it out by showing some scenes that highlighted her good qualities. "Sure, she had some good points, but honestly, the bad stuff just seemed to overshadow them, at least from where I was standing."

"We've got a different Elena here, Bonbon," Mommy said with a smile. "I'm sure we can help her become a better person and not turn out like that Elena."

"I tried, Mommy. Remember when we had our first playdate with other kids?" I whined and showed her the scene from the past, "I was hoping I could try to be friends with her, but her bossy and controlling nature just seems to be a part of her character. It's like it's ingrained in her." Then I thought to myself, 'Though, since she's a copy of others, maybe it's a built-in trait.'

"I guess it was pretty hopeless from the start," I admitted, then shifted the screen to show the original Bonnie. I started with the scene where Damon bit Bonnie because she didn't know she was a witch. "This Bonnie, the one from the original show, was really different from me, Mom, Grams, and Dad. She didn't even know she had magic until she turned 17, and by that time, the vampires were already in town, so you can imagine how vulnerable she was."

I showed scenes of Bonnie using her magic. "Throughout the series, she ended up becoming the go-to witch for solving all these magical problems that the Salvatore brothers couldn't handle or just wanted to kill. And everybody kept turning to her for help without really considering what it did to her. She took loads of risks to help them, and in the end, she got like, minimal gratitude in return."

Lastly, I showed the scenes where Bonnie had to witness her grams dying due to magic drain, saw her mom get turned into a vampire, her dad getting killed, and the tragic death of her lover. "She made so many sacrifices to protect and make others happy, but she never really found happiness herself. It's just so unfair," I grumbled in frustration.

Daddy held me for comfort, Mommy handed me a chocolate milk tea, and Grams watched with concern. "It's okay, princess. You're not that Bonnie, and we're here. That will never happen to you," Daddy reassured me.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Daddy," I said softly, taking a sip of my drink. "We'll just have to be very careful and be prepared from now on, especially when the doppelganger brings forth all the trouble in the future."

"What do you mean, dear?" Grams asked, confused and very wary. "And doppelganger? Is it Elena?"

"Yup, the root of all problems, Elena," I sighed with frustration, then began showing images on the screen as I explained, "Elena is basically a carbon copy, down to the face, voice, body, and personality, of her ancestor, Amara Petrova." I went on to show scenes about Amara, Silas, and Qetsiyah Bennett. I explained how Silas had betrayed Qetsiyah by swiping the immortality elixir and downing it alongside Amara. In revenge, Qetsiyah kidnapped Amara and used her immortal and indestructible body to bind the spell that created the Other Side. "The real issue here is that Amara and Silas broke the natural law, which says that all living things must die. Nature, in response, balanced things out by creating mortal shadow versions that could actually die. Doppelgängers have been around for as long as immortals, born and died in the place of Silas and Amara. Every 500 years, a copy of the original shows up, and with each of these significant copies, there's always been a Bennett who knew about them and, well, usually died because of them or indirectly thanks to them."

"Princess," Daddy began, sounding a bit worried, "does this mean every Bennett who's mixed up with these doppelgangers ends up with some tragic fate? And do you know the names of those Bennetts, kiddo?"

"Not all died but yes, another reason for me to stay away from the recent copy," I stated casually. Then, I went on to explain the doppelganger history and their unfortunate fates, showcasing scenes from the TV show. "So, we've got Tatia Petrova here. Esther swiped that immortality spell from Ayana Bennett and used Tatia's blood for two reasons: her doppelganger juice is some kind of magical rocket fuel, and she couldn't make up her mind about which of her sons to love – pretty much like how Elena toyed with Damon and Stefan in the show. So, Esther goes ahead and accidentally turns her kids into the first vampires and binding her son's werewolf side," I explained, playing some scenes with Tatia, Klaus, and Elijah and the mystical mumbo-jumbo they did. "Then, 500 years later, we got Katerina Petrova. She was exiled by her family for having an illegitimate daughter and was ultimately brought to the Original Hybrid for the sacrifice. However, she managed to escape by turning herself into a vampire," I continued, showing scenes from that era. "Years later, she had her fun with the Salvatore brothers, treating them like her own Ken dolls, which ended with the brothers becoming vampires and Emily Bennett getting burned alive thanks to Katherine's betrayal." I showed scenes from that time and said, "Fast forward another 500 years, and we have the latest doppelganger, Elena Gilbert. Her mere existence is bound to bring the Originals and Katerina Petrova, aka Katherine Pierce, back to our town."

"And here's an interesting tidbit, Mommy," I turned to her with a question, "Remember when you desiccated the vampire that caused you to lose your powers?"

"How'd you...?" Mommy began, then paused, remembering how I knew all this stuff from the show.

"You know, that was Papa Original who you dessicated, right?" Mommy was left momentarily speechless when I revealed this information, and the surprise on her face mirrored that of daddy and grams. "You can't kill the originals by the usual means, but with this, we might have a chance to make an alliance with the Original children, who've spent their lives fleeing their papa."

"Okay, princess, please explain very carefully because what you're telling us now is to ally with vampires," Daddy said incredulously at my words, and both grams and mommy shared his disbelief. "Not only vampires, but the Original vampires who can't be killed at all."

Grams jumped in with a puzzled expression and a frown on her face. "Vampires go against the laws of nature. They wreak havoc and kill humans, and as their servants, we should be putting an end to these abominations, not teaming up with them."

"Grams," I began carefully, my voice filled with conviction as I explained, "Vampires were created ages ago, and I firmly believe that if nature or the deity of Life were against their existence from the get-go, that spell to create them should have failed." I displayed images of people all over the world, illustrating the problem of overpopulation. "Now, here's the thing: in our world, we've had a serious overpopulation problem since the '60s, right? But with vampires in the mix, that issue has been steadily lessening, and honestly, it's not much of a concern anymore. Unlike my previous life, we don't have vampires to help balance things out, and as a result, my old world is steadily depleting essential resources like food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and it's even raising the risk of conflicts and wars. Humans are also expanding their territories, which can seriously disrupt ecosystems and mess with biodiversity in a major way. Nature there is slowly turning into cities, with less of the natural world left." I also showed them images of the world with dwindling green spaces as I took a sip of water from the cup in front of me. "So I guess, the deity didn't have any issues with vampires at all; in fact, it seems like they might have given their stamp of approval. It's like they're helping to balance things out."

My family fell into a shocked silence after that revelation, and after a while, Grams finally asked another question, this time about Papa Original, which I was relieved about. That topic had been pretty heavy. Whew! "And what do you mean by 'fleeing'? He's their father, dear. You can't mean that he's after them or something, right?" Grams inquired.

"Actually, grams," I began, showing them scenes depicting Mikael's relentless pursuit of his children, particularly Klaus, "Mikael is not just an Original vampire; he's also the first vampire hunter whose sole purpose is to find and kill his kids because he sees them as abominations. Their mother shares this view and will also attempt to kill them in the future." I displayed scenes of Esther's attempts to kill her children as well.

"WHAT?!" Daddy exclaimed in shock. "How? How can he do that? They're their parents, for God's sake. I can't even fathom the thought." Grams and mommy were equally taken aback by this revelation. The idea of parents attempting to kill their own children was incomprehensible to them.

"Yup, it's crazy if you ask me," I said, taking a bite of one of the cookies that grams had placed before us. "Killing an original would kill the entire sireline, which means countless vampires around the world would die, causing unnecessary panic. Imagine countless grayed-out corpses just lying all over the globe, all dying with the same symptoms at the same time. Chaos." I chuckled at the thought.

Another hushed silence fell over us, the fourth one in a row, it seemed. I couldn't help but be amazed by the impact of my revelations, one after another. "Think about it, guys," I continued, "If the Originals had established a firm grip on the rest of their vampire race, put in place rules like selective turning, limiting feeding, maintaining strict secrecy, and maybe even having a vampire police force to keep rogue vampires in check, things might have turned out a whole lot differently today. Vampires could be living like law-abiding citizens, always being cautious not to break the rules and draw attention from their vampire rulers. Too bad they couldn't pull that off back then. With their ability to control other vampires, perhaps they could've. The only problem we really have with vampires is how out of control they tend to be, right?" I pondered, my expression thoughtful. "Well, now that Mikael is out of the picture, maybe the Originals can start thinking about something like a government system to control their offspring," I suggested, speaking the last sentence more softly, but I had a feeling they still caught it.

The silence dragged on as they pondered my idea. It seemed like my proposal was sinking in because, let's be real, it's a pretty logical suggestion.

Yup, hook, line, and sinker. Grams, the ever-logical but also wary witch, chimed in, "About this alliance, dear, what does it entail?"

"Grams, it's actually a step-by-step plan," I said, wearing a sheepish smile as I twiddled my fingers. "You remember my new friend, Enzo, right? The one I helped, and you asked to meet him?"

"Yeah, Bonbon. What about... Wait, he's a vampire, isn't he?" Mommy replied, her face showing confusion at first before narrowing her eyes. Daddy and Grams had similar expressions as they looked at me.

"Well," I began as I showed them the history of Enzo and the events of me freeing him from his prison. Their faces displayed a range of emotions, from horror and disgust to realization. The last expression seemed to come as they realized that Enzo was the lover of canon Bonnie. "Yup, I saved him, and I'm sorry for burning the clinic, but I don't regret it at all."

"Alright, princess," Daddy said resignedly, "since that's already in motion, set up a meeting for today, and we'll meet him. Now, tell us more about your plans."

~Flashback ends~

Yep, that was quite an eventful day! Note the sarcasm there. On that day, my family found out about my missions, and while they were unhappy about me setting the bridge on fire at first, they eventually understood my reasons. They've made it clear that I shouldn't be setting any more fires, though. I'm definitely not going to mention my upcoming plan to set the Augustine Society ablaze. I think Enzo is excited about that part. Did I mention he was over the moon about receiving his very own bag of holding? He was so grateful that he even picked me up by my waist, just like that scene with Ariel and Eric.

Oh, Enzo! He's been all sweet and lovey-dovey lately. There's definitely something going on between us, but it might just be those pesky hormones at play. I mean, he's a good-looking vampire, so who can blame me, right?

Enzo's officially moved in with us, but he's still on the hunt for his friend. He got pretty mad when he found out some stuff about Maggie, but I think he's getting past it. He's out traveling every so often to search for his buddy. We've set him up in one of the empty bedrooms in the bunker. Plus, we've got Slater, our tech guru and informant, on board now. We've even got a room dedicated to all our tech gear. Living in the bunker has been a major change for the vampires, but they can come and go as they please. We've stocked up the lounge with a fridge full of blood, but here's the golden rule: no snacking on humans in the bunker without their say-so. Simple, right?

Yup, I recruited him after I posted a message on Craigslist about daylight accessories. Now he has one of his own, though he preferred a tongue ring instead. It looks painful to me, but he's thrilled about it. Then I've also set up a business, it's a small one but in high demand among vampires and humans in the know. Slater is the one who communicates with the clients, and I supply them with what they need, charging a high price for it. It's a fair price for humans, just a simple protection-spelled accessory, but for vampires, it's much more expensive, like hundreds of thousands of dollars. The gem isn't easy to come by, you know, and when using the Gemino Curse, I have to stabilize it first to prevent them from disappearing before I can enchant it. So, that's why it's so pricey. Maybe when the Originals have set up a more structured government, the prices will come down, but for now, it's not possible.

Speaking of the Originals, we've been trying to reach out to them, but those paranoid folks just aren't having it. Over the years, we've only gotten a few responses, and they're always suspicious, thinking it's some kind of trap. I even told them that we've got their pops all chained up and desiccated, ready for the taking, but they're still playing hard to get. Oh well, if their curiosity gets the best of them, maybe they'll finally take the bait this time. Those paranoid idiots, I tell you.

I really want to help establish an organized government for those struggling vampires. I mean, think about it, they could actually fit into human society just fine if we can deal with the whole not-aging and sunlight issues, plus their penchant for making a mess and that devil-may-care attitude, whether humans know about their supernatural tendencies or not. If we can only fix those things, it'd mean fewer problems with the vampires and less chaos that might disrupt nature.

But anyway, getting back to those "missions," I was genuinely thrilled about completing them, even though I can't quite call them that anymore. Right from the start, these people became like family to me and fell under my protection. Originally, my only goal was to safeguard my loved ones, but I suppose things and people can change. So, those "missions" have now turned into aspirations for a brighter future.

Let's go through the goals I've managed to successfully check off, shall we? First up, the Donovan siblings. Thanks to my meddling through Caroline in the past, they'd been completely separated from their mother, who only popped up every 2 or 3 years to see how they were doing. I mean, what a lousy excuse for a mother. I heard she's in another relationship now, and this time, it's with a younger guy. Ugh...

Anyway, Matt and Vicki were doing quite well and had been living independently, although they were occasionally checked up on by their guardian, Liz Forbes. Matt was pretty much the same, except he was more focused on his education, friends, and favorite sport these days rather than his sister. Speaking of Vicki, she's the one I'm most thrilled about.

I guess I had a soft spot for her canon self, and because of the changes, she turned out differently. Although Vicki Donovan still had that same blunt and unapologetic personality, she'd become more responsible and caring, not just for her brother and herself, but also for their future. Her canon self had turned to drugs to escape her domestic problems, but because she was under Liz Forbes' care the whole time, she had a completely different perspective on her life, what it should be, and a plan for a better future.

Yep, it was a completely different Vicki Donovan, one who was more focused on getting better grades, one who was still earning money but this time through tutoring, babysitting, and helping out with my own business as my money manager. And she'd also become a great friend and a big sister to the group, which meant only platonic relationships developed between her, Jeremy, and Tyler. I never really condoned that part of the show, because, I mean, Jeremy was only 14. Way too young in my opinion.

Next up, we've got Caroline's personality, which turned out pretty much like her vampire self. She was still caring, compassionate, loving, loyal, protective, and an overachiever, but now she had confidence in herself. With Elena out of the friend circle, she didn't have to deal with any more comparisons that made her feel inferior. Caroline just did her own thing without anyone making her feel bad about it, but she remained humble throughout. She even got into cheerleading, dragging not only me but also Vicki into it.

Though, I think Elena was the one feeling inadequate because she was competitive with us, and that's why she also joined the cheerleading squad. Not only did she want to prove herself against us, but she genuinely enjoyed it. Without me as Bonnie and Caroline in her life, she befriended Tiki, the one I saw in that sexy sud wash episode, and Dana, the one who got compelled by Klaus and killed by Stefan in season two. Well, it seems they'll eventually get caught up in the doppelganger drama in the future.

And then there's Tyler. Thanks to my incessant pestering of Mason for details about not only my family history (thankfully not the witchy part), but also everyone else's in Mystic Falls, he finally uncovered a hidden family history that no one had known about – the presence of werewolf genes. I guess after discovering that, he shared the news with his family because I noticed a shift in the behavior and attitude of not just Mason, but also Mayor Richard and Tyler.

They became more cautious in everything they did. Tyler even opened up to our group about the men in his family attending anger management classes three times a week. It appears those sessions are working really well because the Mayor is always in a good mood, and Tyler has been doing great. At the beginning, his anger issues were quite challenging, but it only lasted for a few days before he managed to get it under control.

Finally, we have the youngest member of the group, Jeremy. Well, he's still a typical boy dealing with normal pre-pubescent problems, like how Elena hogs his parents' attention, and all that comes with it. I'm genuinely glad, though, that he's become so close to the group, despite the differences in our ages. So, if that inevitable event happens again that causes the adult Gilbert to pass away, he'll have us in his corner to be his support system.

Speaking of my friends, should I include them in on the secret as well? I mean, they're like my family, and I can't bear the thought that one day they might find out about this and I'll lose them. Maybe I can share with them about being a seer, and I'll just keep the reborn part to myself. Hmm... I'll seek guidance and advice from the deity of Life on that. I mean, I still have time to figure it out.

Enzo's POV

"A word of advice. If you decide to look for your friend, remember that he turned it off, and he doesn't know." My little witch's words were crystal clear when I found out about Maggie's death, which happened shortly after my failed escape. That idiot must have been feeling so terrible about leaving me that he turned off his emotions to the point where he just didn't care anymore. Maggie must have found him and asked about me, triggering or tempting him into killing her, not realizing that I had a connection with her before. Well, that jerk better have a good explanation, and it better align with what I'm assuming.

Going back to my little witch, I hadn't noticed it before, but I do feel something for her. As she grows up, the fondness I had for her is turning into something different. It's like there's a gravitational pull towards her, telling me to protect her and be whatever she needs. This pull is making me wonder if she might be the one who will complete the missing part of my soul. We, vampires, believe in something called a "Mate." Only time will tell if she really is. I'll just have to wait until she's 17, and then everything will become clear. *sigh* Now, it's time to find that idiot Damon Salvatore. He's only blocks away from me anyway. The question is: should I greet him normally, like appearing behind his back and saying 'Hello Damon,' with a punch to his face for a dramatic entrance, or with a stake to his gut, still violent but...? Oh well, I'm leaning towards the latter.

Chapter finally done. I think this is my longest chapter yet. I did this early because I won't have access to a computer later, but I'll still write the next chapter on my phone. Though it's easier to use the PC.

So, what's your take on the chapter? Especially the 'Mate' thing? I know there's a vampire mate thing, but I kinda borrowed some inspiration from Twilight's imprinting, minus the whole intense 'BAM, you're mine now' aspect. I'm more focused on the gradual development of feelings and the pull between them, you know?

Feel free to drop your comments and any ideas for the 'mate' concept. I'm all ears. Thanks for reading. Catch you next time! ?