Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or its characters.

Chapter 1

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Victim

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Many things changed in the last few years except for the songs the birds sang. Their songs only grew louder, longer, and brighter as the world began to eat itself. The front door to a shabby trailer home in the sticks swung open and a blonde young woman stumbled out. She didn't make it past the doorway before vomiting on the front steps.

"Caroline?" Her friend from inside shouted worriedly.

She mumbled curses between heaves. A few droplets of blood hit the cement steps. "...shit ...shit."

"Caroline?!"

"I'm fine Bonnie!" Caroline horsely responded slightly annoyed having to raise her voice, speaking coherently after spilling her guts first thing in the morning wasn't on her agenda for the day.

With her back haunched over, Bonnie hurried pulling her socks up to her knees over small grocery bags she fitted on her feet. She didn't have time to change in and out of her black boots when running through every single puddle deeper than three inches. She also didn't have time to take care of a fungus if she got one so it got the job done. Stocking, plastic bag, long sock, then boot. Just like her grams instructed.

In the background she heard her childhood friend reenter and pick up a tin container off the tattered floor. Bonnie's tongue pushed against her swollen gums, she bit her cheek more times than she could count in the past week due to a wisdom tooth. It decided to grow in sideways cutting the inside of her mouth when she spoke too much. There was a constant dull ache, she wasn't sure if was normal. If she sucked on her teeth too hard she could taste the bitter copper of blood coming from her inflamed gums. So she stuck to liquids, food was hard to come by anyway lately.

'Dear Diary,

Filled the journal, burned it. You mister napkin are next, but what's important is that I get this out of my system. I'm pretty sure that's what any sane person would tell me if there any alive right now. So, It's the third year anniversary since the undead virus has spread. Things are getting a little bit easier in terms of coping with the loss of Jeremy. I'll never forget what he did. Yesterday Caroline and I made a memorial for Elena, Matt, and him. Built a pillar and set it on fire. It feels good letting Caroline know I'm a witch. It took over a year but when lives were on the line I had no choice.

In other news I stink and I hate it. I ache and I hate it. I want to pull my teeth out one by one with a pair of pliers and unbraid my hair and give my scalp a good scratch or shave my head completely. But I've let them be.

I have to keep pushing, keep looking til I find a community safe enough to leave Care there. She's not doing well, she's sick and she's hiding it. I know she doesn't want me to worry.

-BB'

Rays of fire orange bled into the destroyed bedroom between crooked blinds as the sun began to rise. Standing, Bonnie stomped her feet testing her sprained ankle, it wasn't too bad. She was ready to go. Black leggings for flexibility and range of motion, basic brown thermal shirt to keep warm, and a leather jacket in a shade of deep green that matched her eyes. Simple and practical.

The trailer home the two women inhabited was already looted when they found it. It was badly dented with water leaks and the rancid stench of mildew, all it offered was a place to hide at night. Fall was approaching which meant the smell of rotting corpses in the summer heat would no longer be her first thought during their walks. After two days of squatting, they figured it was time to roam again.

Caroline scraped her rusted spoon against the bottom of a unlabeled can of beans. On one side, most didn't care to take unlabeled cans except for them, on the other side 80 percent of those cans were filled with dog or cat food. At that point neither girls were picky as long as the content was still edible. "Almost ready Care-bear?" Bonnie pulled off the tattered blanked still resting on her friend's shoulder. The blonde set the can on the floor and nodded weakly.

Caroline grew more and more quiet over the past few months since the virus took over most of the city. The loss of half their group made her nearly mute, she screamed and cried herself silent. It would be wrong to think that was better than hearing doubts and sobs but Bonnie wasn't exactly running for Miss Mystic Falls. Caroline set the can and spoon on the stove and pulled her book-bag over her shoulder.

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x

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Midday approached and so did the humidity of late summer. Caroline peered through her binoculars as she led the way. Bonnie stayed close behind keeping an eye on their surroundings tonguing the side of her mouth all the while. The good thing about being a witch was being able to set any undead corpses on fire and send them flying when they got too close. Unfortunately, that power wasn't infinite, especially when tired and malnourished. If she pushed herself too hard to play the hero, she was as good as dead.

They traveled in areas with little to no popularity in a disaster for safety sake. They followed along 200 ft east or west of any major roads. As they passed the rubble of what used to be a shopping mall, Bonnie noticed one of the display windows were still intact, the witch did her best to avoid seeing her reflection. Every time she forgot how she looked she made the mistake of picking up a shard of shattered mirror or glass. Frizzy curly hair pulled back into a tight french braid that settled between her shoulder blades. Underweight. Dark circles under puffy eyes. A permanent scowl on blotchy skin, her brows stitch together in frustration by default.

A year ago she only looked half as bad, and back then it bothered her. Now, not so much.

Reaching a clearing in the wooded area they entered, Bonnie stopped her limping. She noticed Caroline fall into a coughing fit. This time the blood couldn't be hidden as easily, Bonnie caught a glimpse but said nothing. If Caroline wasn't ready to reveal it, there was no point in pressuring her to the point of stressing her out further. The thought of losing her best friend, the only friend she had left terrified her.

"Hey Care, we should take a break. My ankle is throbbing again."

It was partially true but better to appear weak when she wasn't for the sake of her friend over thinking her own lack of health. She gave her best friend another week give or take until she would have to stop traveling and set up a place for her to stay until she fully recovered. Bonnie relaxed on a small pile of leaves to stretch her legs.

"How's your tooth?" Caroline rasped as she plopped down on a tree stump and began to sharpen her buck knife.

"It's pointy." The only thing stopping Bonnie from pulling it out herself was the thought of the empty socket dry rotting. The witch ran her tongue over her teeth feeling the caked on grit. She went from a toothbrush and water to chewing on sapling twigs. She couldn't look away from Caroline's shivering, the blonde didn't even realize it herself.

Leaves rustled and groans of the undead could be heard faintly in the distance. Caroline sharpened her long buck knife faster. "I really wanna find some water, 'fore these bullion cubes. Have four left." She had to stop talking just to regulate her breathing. The groans gradually grew louder.

Bonnie took those few minutes to relax, she missed listening to her friend talk. To simply enjoy a not so horrible moment to push out the strength required when needed. She was tired. Too tired to throw her arms around her best friend. Too tired to keep fighting. So she rested until they came closer. Once they were close enough to be heard yards away, Bonnie tsk'd and pulled out a book of maps. "Not even 5 miles to the next town entrance. Shouldn't be so populated here."

Normally Bonnie took care of the hoard bulk with fire. Caroline cleaned off any stragglers or any that were strong enough to continue walking. The moment she raised her hand to cast a spell gunfire erupted causing bodies to fall one by one. Bonnie snapped her gaze to Caroline with a wild look. "Lookout much?" Her friend shook her head and raised her shoulders in confusion as to say she didn't see anyone around.

The firing ended quickly and the smoke cleared, a figure came jogging towards them. Bonnie stood in front of Caroline protectively. He looked like a goddamn golden retriever in all his glory. It felt surreal seeing someone well groomed at a time like this. His golden hair waved in the wind, hazel eyes lit up shimmering, and those god awful perfect teeth smiling.

"Hey! You two alright?" His eyes went from Bonnie to Caroline, his expression growing weary. Neither women replied , Bonnie took a few steps back continuing to shield Caroline.

"My name is Stefan, I mean no harm. See?" He raised his rifle then dropped it on the ground, kicking it aside and backing away with hands raised. "I have water, and food," he signaled towards Caroline with an index finger, "our settlement has doctors."

Bonnie signaled for Caroline to grab the weapon as she tried to read his aura. If his intentions were fair there was no reason she could deny her friend proper medical care. Walking up the the stranger, she never broke eye contact. Bonnie stopped a foot away, basking in the strength of his energy that surrounded him. Right away she could tell he was a vampire, the only reason she didn't burn him alive was that she saw his will was pure and selfless.

"If you want, there is a canister of soup in my backpack. Take it if you need it." Stefan informed softly, his patient disposition calmed her. Caroline picked up the rifle but did not aim it, instead she stood a few feet behind him watching Bonnie over his shoulder.

"You have doctors? A large settlement? Is it well established?" Bonnie studied his face, with a short nod, she allowed him to lower his arms.

"We have two, a nurse, and a midwife . The settlement is within a large bording school campus. The perimeter gate is made of wood and steel-"

The sound of the rifle letting out a shot made Bonnie jump and Stefan howl in pain. Looking behind him, she saw that Caroline had collapsed with her finger on the trigger. The vampire grabbed his forearm in pain inspecting the wound. The witch ran to her friend's side shaking her by the shoulders shrieking. "No! Wake up! Wake up!"

Stefan picked up the weapon and pulled the strap over his shoulder. Beyond the racing heart of the woman, he could hear the slightest pulse from her companion. "If you want to save her we need to go. Now."

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x

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Bonnie stared at the now cold cup of coffee as she sat next to Caroline's resting form. The bed was pressed against the wall next to a window, a thick white curtain giving them privacy in the pristine shared medical room. The heart monitor beeped away breaking the silence reminding her to look up every now and then. Caroline was pumped full of medication and sleeping as peaceful as one could with mucus and fluid in their lungs.

The witch ignored the door opening and closing while feet shuffled on the other side. She reached over to place her cup on the window sil and grab her friend's hand.

"Be careful, coffee doesn't look good on everyone." A playful voice whispered.

Bonnie jerked back in her seat unaware Stefan had entered their side of the room to place a tray of warm soup in her lap. Unable to ignore the smell of hot fresh food, she looked at the meal in her lap on the brink of inhaling it in seconds.

"Thanks..." Bonnie stuck a piece of toast in the tomato soup and nibbled. "I have questions."

Stefan crossed his arms and nodded as he leaned against the wall. "Reasonably so."

"First ," she began between hungry spoonfuls "I know what you are. I've-"

Stefan hushed her and lowered his palm as to tell her to speak softly. She took note as she finished her slice of toast. "I've met your kind before. Not as civilized. Second. Why didn't you give her your blood?" The few occasions she crossed paths with vampires after the spread, they always wanted to strike a deal. Blood and magic for protection was the most tame of their requests.

"We have many rules here. The humans don't know about us, we only take blood from bags, our goal is to prevent further mayhem between human and supernatural... honestly I'm not the best person to ask. You should talk to the council."

"Council?" Bonnie watched his brow crinkle under the florescent lights.

"The heads that run it are two supernatural figures. A heretic, my mother Lily and hybrid Klaus. It's probably a lot to take in. Don't worry about it. You'll meet the rest of us soon."

"Us?" Bonnie had finished her meal and felt incredibly full on so little. Her own world felt much smaller in comparison to his. Her current situation felt like a Twilight Zone episode, she didn't doubt anything he told her yet.

"I'm a member, my brother, mother's... adoptees, and a few others. You'll meet them soon enough. I didn't get you or your friend's name." He crossed his ankles making himself more comfortable.

The witch's mood shifted as she placed her tray on the floor next to her ignoring his question. Instead, Bonnie held Caroline's warm hand.

Stefan cleared his throat then proceeded to gently raise his voice. "I ask incase you or she has family here.

The witch shrugged but humored him anyway. "Her name is Caroline Forbes , I'm Bonnie Bennett. I know you won't find my family. Abbey Bennett, my mother is dead. Sheila Bennett, my grandmother is also dead." When she turned to face him he looked as if he had seen a ghost.

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x

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Bonnie sat in a deep bathtub. Her knees pulled up to her chest as she watched the steam rise from the hot water. Stefan had convinced her to rest and regain her own health in a human unit while Caroline recovered. The spacious unit was remodeled into a small apartment with two beds. She religiously checked the door to make sure it was locked six times before running her bathwater. Bonnie let out an exhausted sigh and laid her head back. Eyes closed, she drifted off.

Flashback

It was a few months since the virus spread. Bonnie's battered and bruised body slid off the front end of an old grey car. A man cackling behind her pulled up his pants and tightened his belt buckle. She was too exhausted to sob, her body curling in on itself as she felt him spit on her naked body. "Go cover yourself fuckin' whore. Tired of lookin at your ass now."

Bonnie's body twisted with leather straps bound to her wrist and ankles in an attempt to cover herself with her hands, snot dripping and mixing with her tears. The place between her thighs felt so sore it burned. She had screamed herself hoarse, her hands shook so badly she couldn't hold them still with all her strength. She hadn't seen Jeremy or Caroline in days. It was just her and Elena. Two helpless 17 year olds.

"Kai! It's my go, we got a few hours of light left, I gotta break in this doe-eyed one before we get rollin'."

"No...n-no no no no no. Please. Don't hurt her." Bonnie clawed at the side of the car as she slurred. She could do nothing. They had guns and what the girls had was taken away. "She didn't do anything wrong, please. Please!" Kai walked around the car and kicked the bronze skinned girl in the ribs sending her face down on the ground gargling in pain.

"Adam, I bet she likes it up the ass. I hope you like it dry bitch!" Kai sang cruelly.

The moment her magic was triggered, it was too late. Her best friend fought back so hard. Screamed so hard. Punched and kicked so hard, the only way to stop her was to beat her. But once she finally stopped moving, she stopped breathing as well. Bonnie didn't understand what happned next but there was not a fearful bone in her body. There was nothing but fire and burning flesh. Once the fire started, it didn't stop. Not even as she put on what she could and ran. She ran until her feet bled.

Now

Bonnie awoke from the same nightmare with a jolt. For a moment she forgot where she was. Grabbing soap and washcloth , she scrubbed at her skin in disgust until her flesh turned red.

Clean and out of the bathroom, she dried herself and put on the jade blouse and black pants Stefan left for her. She agreed to attend the weekly council dinner only to get a better understanding of where they were staying. Leaving the unit building, Stefan walked her to the north private manor. As the sun set Bonnie finally got a good look at the large community. The majority were humans; active, social, and unaware.

It was beyond spacious and well maintained. She could smell a small farm in the distance. People smiled as they passed but did not speak. Upon entering the small manor, Stefan told her to wait while he informed the heads of the council. Bonnie agreed to wait by the door until dinner began not looking to have small talk with any of the other guests. For a second she thought she heard Elena laughing down the hallway leading into the lounge.

Bonnie knew it wasn't her and crept in that direction just to prove it to herself. This time the voice spoke.

"...He isn't going to be spending his evenings playing hero to some trailer trash once I get him wrapped around my finger."

Once she saw the voice matched the face that it came out of, she stopped breathing. Pressing her back against the wall in the hallway, the woman looked just like Elena. Her lack of sensitivity and compassion was another thing altogether.

"I'm Katherine, nice to smell you." The brunette with large curls pivoted on her heels to face Bonnie's direction.

"You smell like a witch. A powerful one." The expression Katherine held was a familiar one, the kind a kid had when he was standing over a fire ant hill with a magnifying glass. The witch didn't like this lookalike one bit.

"What I am is just passing through." Bonnie said in monotone as she brushed past the taller woman and into the dining room. Katherine looked over Bonnie's retreating figure curiously but not for much longer after catching sight of Stefan following close behind.

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x

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The sound of a motorcycle outside caused the laughter amongst the hosts to die down immediately. Lily gestured for the main course to be served. "I guess you will be meeting all of us today. My eldest has arrived" The raven haired woman smoothed out her clothing muttering more to herself than to Bonnie.

A plate of basil pasta was placed before her. The aroma was so good she felt as if she died and went to heaven. Whoever decided to make their grand entrance would just have to deal with her stuffing her face instead of talking. God forbid she wake up from this dream and not enjoy every morsel of hot fresh food put infront of her.

The double doors where shoved open and a raven haired man dressed in all black entered, his leather jacket was bloodied and jeans distressed to the point of falling apart. His sweat soaked hair was plastered against his forehead hanging ever so slightly past his eyebrows. It was a haunting contrast to his pale skin and ice blue eyes. If Lily did not mention him, she would of assumed Stefan was not his brother at all. He immediately looked at the new addition to their community.

"Honestly, we could have waited for you to clean up." Lily smiled through grit teeth clearly bothered by her son's dramatic behavior. Stefan who sat across from Bonnie didn't look up from his plate of raw steak. Instead, he raised is eyebrows and ran his hand through his golden locks unimpressed and unbothered.

"What? And miss making such a great first impression?" His smile was surprisingly charming yet equally sinister. Removing his jacket, he revealed a grey shirt beneath that fitted him quite tightly. From what the witch could guess, he was definitely the peacock. Parading around proudly showing off his beauty. Pulling out his chair next to Katherine who winked at him, he kissed her on the cheek and dropped down in his seat.

"So mommy dearest, who is the new resident?"

"Residents." Stefan corrected before he began to eat his food not wanting to further engage in any conversation.

Lily gave Bonnie a reassuring smile before turning her head back to the eldest who sat to her right. "Caroline Forbes is in the medical building. A near fatal case of pneumonia. She will be better once her fever goes down. We're hoping for a fast recovery." Lily's voice was genuinely sympathetic as she cared for the people within their community. Lifting her hand to point to Bonnie a slow look of pride spread across her face. "This is Quetsiya's last direct decedent. One of the few remaining Bennett witches."

'Explains why everyone is so nice...' Bonnie thought. Maybe this place wasn't in her best interest.

Stay tuned more coming soon. Please pm if you would like to help me proof read before posting. D: