disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to the CW and are based upon characters created by L.J. Smith and the film was written by J.S. Cardone.

Chapter Eight

"I'm sorry, I'm pretty sure I'm hearing things," Pogue said as he looked up from the car he had been working on. "Did you say vampires?"

He had expected a lot of things when Reid had called for an emergency meeting a half hour ago--learning about vampires was not one of them. Caleb had offered up the garage since they were closing early for admin and some light repairs. Reid had shown up twenty minutes later with Bonnie. Tyler had been the last one of them to arrive and the three had not left each other's sides.

It made Pogue jealous of how close they were. The three youngest who had a bond so deep that when Bonnie ever had problems, she went right to them before she ever went to him. Not that he could blame her; going to Pogue meant finding a way into Caleb's orbit.

He had honestly thought this meeting was going to a way to get Caleb and Bonnie to ease into the circle again. But when Reid launched into a rant about Bonnie getting attacked by vampires, to which she insisted she was fine and it was weeks ago; which all four of them called bullshit. Pogue had seen how she scratched at her neck. That had set off alarm bells in all of them.

Caleb stood leaning against a Harley he had been working on. Bonnie sat on the hood of Reid's car; a pretty blue Mustang that Pogue had painted as a graduation present the year before. Reid tapped his finger against the hood while Tyler tapped his foot beside him.

"Fucking vampires," hissed the youngest Son. He looked up at Bonnie, face twisted in concern. "I can't believe you would let that happen."

"I didn't let it happen," Bonnie retorted. "I had been possessed by my own ancestor moments before. So the minute I was back in control, I was attacked."

"That's even worse!" Tyler snapped back and turned to the others in the room. "We can't let her go back."

Bonnie glared as she spoke. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here!"

"We aren't keeping her here if she doesn't want to be," Pogue said and looked to Caleb for support. The eldest Son was quiet as he listened. Finding he wasn't going to get what he needed, Pogue turned back to the other three.

"We just want to know what is going on," he said, directed at Bonnie before he glared at Tyler. "We love and care about you Bons."

Bonnie huffed, arms crossed over her chest. Reid moved to squeeze her arm in support. She turned and thanked him with a small smile; just a slight curve up of her lips.

It eased a bit of the tension in the room.

"You guys...you knew I was a witch before I did," she began and looked at each of them. Tyler diffused and went to scratch the side of his ear. Caleb's arms came up to cross at his chest but he nodded. Pogue cleared his throat but voiced his own answer with a yes. Reid did the same.

"When I found out I was a witch, I was so happy. I knew about your powers. You guys always showed me when we were alone. I thought I was finally able to catch up with them; share this with them." Bonnie held out her hand and called forth a bit of her own power. The soft spark of the flame as it lit and she cradled it with a tender smile. "I wanted to tell you guys but...so much happened. You guys know my friend Elena?"

They knew of her. Pogue didn't really like her; the girl seemed to bring trouble like a beacon. He had asked his dad to see what they could find. He hadn't told Bonnie what he knew yet: Elena's adoption records had been sealed shut. But something supernatural had his senses on high alert.

"Yes," said Caleb.

"Her parents died this last summer and that's why I didn't show up. I couldn't just leave her when she was hurt. I see you guys every year but..."

"She's your friend," Caleb stated.

"She's like a sister to me," Bonnie clarified. Caleb nodded and waited for her to continue. "After the summer, I started seeing things. Numbers and visions and I wanted to call you guys but then the animal attacks started and I was bombarded with even more dreams and..."

"Let me guess you got possessed by your freaky ancestor?" Reid ventured as he hopped up next to her.

Bonnie's snort was loud. "She wouldn't like you calling her that you know. Emily was powerful."

Pogue frowned. "Emily? As in Emily Bennett?"

Bonnie nodded. "How'd you know?"

"My mom has some of her journals in her study. I could see about getting them for you?" He offered to which she voiced her appreciation.

"So Emily possessed you," Tyler prompted.

Dinner that night had been rather quiet. Evelyn had retired early after spending the day "battling a headache". Caleb had never understood why his mother tried to hide her drinking until Bonnie came to visit.

Learning that Shelia used to battle her own demons with the bottle had been a jarring experience. She was one of the few witches he had looked up to and learning she was just as flawed really opened his eyes. The effects clearly had their toll on her granddaughter during and after her life. Bonnie never voiced it but he had seen how she reacted to his mother's drinking. The little scrunch ups of her nose, the look of detachment in her eyes.

Drinking bothered her. Well excessive drinking at least, since she liked being around the boys at Nicky's and they usually stopped at a beer or two.

Caleb watched as Bonnie settled on the couch after dinner, the big leather grimore that Pogue had dropped off sat on the coffee table. In her hand was one of Emily Bennett's old journals. The others were up in her room tucked away in her suitcase.

Oh, he realized as he moved to lean against the doorway. That's right, she was leaving this Sunday; heading back to Mystic Falls.

Reid had decided to take it upon himself to go with her. They had discussed it of course; together and with their parents. It would be the first time in years that a Son of Ipswich was moving out of the area. Reid had gone back to his apartment to make some phone calls and talk with their landlord. Tyler would be moving back in with his parents until he graduated.

Caleb had a suspicion that after that, he'd follow Reid and Bonnie to Virginia. At least until Bonnie herself graduated and they could move back to town. Being away from the town too long wasn't the problem. It was being away from the coven that was. Their magic was linked together; held together through centuries of community.

Losing one of them was going to be like losing a limb.

"Find anything?" he asked, letting her know if his presence.

Bonnie looked up and met his eyes. Brown on green just like in the garden. His Power snapped at the restraints he had put into place. Ever since this afternoon, learning about vampires and the existence of the Salvatore brothers, his magic had been calling for blood. Damon Salvatore's in particular.

All the Sons had felt the same: Damon Salvatore would face their wrath for what he did to their Bonnie.

"Nothing I didn't already know," Bonnie huffed as she drew her knees up. "Emily talked about wanting to flee to Ipswich with her family but she never made it. She was burned for witchcraft," she murmured.

Caleb hummed in his throat. The thought of the Bennetts having settled into Ipswich instead of Mystic Falls probably would have been better for them. At he thought so.

He wondered if they would still be where they were or would things be different.

He pushed off the doorway and walked over towards her. When she looked up at him, he gestured towards the vacant seat on the couch. Bonnie nodded back and he moved to sit be side her. He still kept some space in case she didn't want him too close but as he settled he could feel the tension already starting to grow between them.

This would be the first time since their talk in the garden almost two nights before that they were alone. She had spent the day after with his mom and then slept over at Reid's. It wasn't like he was trying to get back into contact either. He had spent the time apart either at his apartment or the garage.

"Have you talked to Sarah?"

He flinched at the mention of his ex. He had not even tried. Sarah wanted him to sort out his feelings about this whole thing. He wanted to sort out his feelings for this thing.

"I'm giving her space," he answered, suddenly finding a piece of the couch interesting.

"I take it learning your twenty year old boyfriend is engaged to a teenager would put a damper on things," Bonnie snarked and then flipped a page of the journal. "She doesn't have anything to worry about."

It sounded like she was saying that more for herself than to assure him. The talk they had the garden had been more of a closure for Bonnie.

He knew about her crush--it wasn't a secret. The whole town about her crush. He remembered all the mother's giggling and whispering about Bonnie trailing behind him. Puppy love they had called it.

Caleb was well aware that he cared for her. He had even told her that while he didn't like her that way, couldn't like her that way; he would always care.

His magic had been biting at him with every word but he meant it. They were four years apart. Mentally it was wrong; the girl was a sister to him.

She was a child; still navigating life and he was barely beginning to be an adult. It wouldn't be right and he definitely wouldn't want to hurt her.

Caleb had cursed the coven rules that night in the garden. He had sworn that as long as they were alive neither of them were going to go down that path. He just needed some space to make sure he wasn't acting irrationally.

"I still want to give her time," he replied on auto pilot.

Green eyes peered up at him over the pages.

"That's sweet of you, Danvers."

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Tyler groaned as they walked up the path. It was well past midnight and he followed close Bonnie as she used the locator spell.

Bonnie wouldn't have called it talking him into it. She had simply asked Tyler to show her where Chase had held Sarah hostage.

"You could have said no," she shot back.

"You would have gone and done it anyway," Tyler retorted as he maneuvered around the low branches. They were close to the barn now and he felt a chill run down his spine.

Chase had always terrified him. The guy had seemed nice but when it came to light what he could do with a double ascension; Tyler wasn't going to lie, Chase had reached boogeyman levels.

So when Bonnie had taken him aside after their meeting to discuss checking out the burned down barn, he had decided to swallow his fears. Bonnie was his little sister; he was not about to let her face this alone.

Besides they probably wouldn't even find anything. Chase's body had burnt to a crisp. There had been nothing left of him but a burnt outline. He just wanted to make sure Bonnie wasn't about to do something stupid.

Bonnie stopped just on the outskirts of the barn. Tyler walked up beside her and took in the sight.

The only thing that remained was about half of the barn, it definitely had the telltale signs of almost burning to the ground; scorch marks all over the practically caved in roof, blackened structure beams and the smell of burnt hay seemed to linger in the air.

Tyler scrunched up his nose before turning to Bonnie. "You really wanna try and get a read on this guy?"

"If it will keep the damn visions away, yes." Bonnie answered and marched towards the barn. Tyler wasn't too far behind her.

It was once they passed the charred remains of the barn doors that his Power went on the alert. The energy that smacked into him sent him to the ground.

"Baby boy!" Bonnie cried as she moved to help him up. He gripped at the fabric of her cardigan tightly. "Ty, are you okay?"

"Fuck," he moaned out, feeling his eyes bleed. Black overtook his vision as he looked up at her. "Bon I can't stay in here...the left over power is fucking addictive."

"Tyler, I can't do this alone," she said and reached out to feel his Power with hers. "Breathe for me,"

He inhaled a shaky breath, held it and then let it out. He repeated the action. In, hold, out. In, hold, out. In, hold, out. He did that at least four more times before the urge even started to lighten up.

Instead he tried to distract himself from it. He tried to think of something to keep him grounded. Bonnie was breathing with him and he could feel her magic.

It was like a warm fire.

"I'm struggling here Bons, but I'll try okay?" He whispered.

"Okay," she said and squeeze his shoulder. "It's all I'm asking for."

He nodded and sat up as straight as he could. He watched as she moved about the barn, making sure to look back at him every so often.

Eventually she found what she was looking for; a human sized burn outline. Tyler leaned against a beam as he watched her drop to her knees and let her hands touch the area.

She inhaled a deep breath and dug her fingers into the burnt hay and soil.

"Bonnie," Tyler warned her.

Blue met green and she offered him a wink. "I'll be okay, Baby Boy."

"You better be," he shot back. Bonnie went back to what she was doing, focusing on the power that permeated the room.

Tyler was honestly worried something was going to go wrong as she worked. But when she reopened her eyes and frowned, he thanked every ancestor of the Covenant that came before them.

"So?" He asked.

She stood up and walked over to him. "He died with some pretty vicious thoughts," she murmured as helped him. He leaned into her support and they walked out the barn.

It wasn't until they were inside his Hummer that she turned back towards the building.

"Bon?" He called.

"Incendia," she chanted and he watched as the barn started to smoke before flames incased what was left of it. It never went anywhere near the rest of the woods, staying self contained.

"Holy shit," he whispered in awe.

"Let's go before someone sees," Bonnie said. Tyler nodded, peeling out of there and trying not to look suspicious. He glanced at Bonnie as she looked back in the rear view mirror, watching it burn.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, never letting her eyes leave the rear view mirror until they were close to the Danvers manor.

"You can stop looking Bon, no one's behind us," he assured her as he turned into the walkway.

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Night Ty and thanks for helping me."

"You're welcome," he called as she climbed out his car. He waited until she was around the back of the house to drive off.

Bonnie watched as his car vanished into the night. She climbed back up the side of the house and into her room. Her aunt was still asleep and Caleb had left for his apartment hours ago after their brief chat on the couch.

As she undid her muddied boots and shed her cardigan, she ignored her unwanted guest.

"You know it's rude to not acknowledge people," remarked the man as he watched her move.

This pretty little powerhouse has been the beacon that brought him out the darkness and like a moth to an ever so tempting flame, Chase had followed it.

He watched as she settled into her bed and then drew her knees up to her chest before looking directly at him.

"Start talking," she ordered.