Title: 1922

Pairing(s): Bonnie/Klaus/Stefan/Rebekah, Bonnie/Klaus, Bonnie/Stefan, Bonnie/Rebekah, Stefan/Rebekah, Klaus/Rebekah, Klaus/Stefan, mentions of Stefan/Elena, Bonnie/Jeremy, ect.

Summary: When Bonnie does a time travel spell to send her back to 1922 in hopes of gaining information that can both bring Klaus down and convince Stefan to come home, she gets a lot more than she bargained for.

Warnings: Sexual Content, Explicit Sexual Content, Incest, Pre-Polyamory, Polyamory, ect.

Author's Note: Alright, folks here I am back from another hiatus. Times are chaotic at the moment but I am hoping positing updates can proved you with some escape and enjoyment! There is so much going on in the world right now so remember to take care of yourselves! Stay safe and well! Happy Reading!

part two || a temptation of monsters

"Strange children should smile at each other and say, 'Let's play.'"

― F. Scott Fitzgerald

Chicago, Illinois 1922

The back booth hadn't seemed as claustrophobic in her own time. Hell, it hadn't even seemed so small from the stage only moments earlier. However, as Bonnie sat down beside Klaus, even with trying to keep her distance, their sides still touched. Klaus had an arm around the back of the booth, his fingers dangling down, not quite touching Bonnie's shoulder. The lights of the chandelier above them seemed lower, softer than the lights everywhere else. It turned the red wallpaper on the wall behind them a darker shade, shadowed and crimson, the color of blood.

Stefan and, who Bonnie had confirmed was Klaus' sister, Rebekah sat on the other side of the booth in a similar position, Stefan sitting with an arm thrown over the back of the booth and around Rebekah's shoulders, only the blonde was leaning back into Stefan's side rather comfortably where Bonnie made sure to sit upright as to not touch Klaus. Still, it all felt rather intimate in an odd sort of way, as if the rest of the lively atmosphere had seemed to fade into the background around them.

Bonnie was brought out of her thoughts as Klaus slid a glass of champagne in front of her, his other arm still draped casually around her shoulders. "You've been on stage before?" He was asking.

Bonnie nodded. She took a sip from her glass. A part of her was reluctant to drink anything that Klaus put in front of her, but a larger part of her needed to get a buzz going. To take the edge off. Things weren't going as planned. She hadn't prepared for this. She hadn't come up with a backstory because she had intended to spy on them from afar and hoped that whatever witch that they had a relationship with would be with them so that she could finally discover her identity. That plan had been shot to hell now, clearly.

She decided to stick as closely to the truth as she possibly could. It wouldn't matter in the long run as she would only be staying another couple of hours at best as the portal would be closing at midnight, and they probably wouldn't remember her presence once she returned to her present time, either way. She would be a blip in the eternity of their existence. One night, one encounter, in a sea of nights. Even now, she told herself that they were only using her to stave off boredom until their witch arrived. Though, Klaus' initial reaction to her suggested otherwise.

"I've had a few small gigs," Bonnie expanded, after Klaus continued to stare expectantly, "But nothing like this." That's an understatement, Bonnie thought, with a wry grin. "I usually perform with my cousin. Or I did when I was back home." As in a different time period, Bonnie resisted the urge to voice aloud. "But I thought it was time to strike out on my own."

"It was a good decision," Klaus complemented, "You were phenomenal."

Bonnie couldn't help but smile, even given who the complement was coming from. "Thank you."

Klaus leaned in closer to her and Bonnie could only take solace in the fact that she was sitting on the outer edge of the booth and could make a run for it, if necessary. "You're very welcome, love," he said, "But I'm only giving a complement where one is due."

A clearing of the throat interrupted the moment. Bonnie looked across the table and met Rebekah's blue eyes. Klaus's sister was giving her a measured assessing look and Bonnie fought the urge to squirm as the boldness she'd adopted on stage began to leave her. "So, this cousin of yours," Rebekah asked, "Is she a witch as well?"

Bonnie raised an eyebrow at her. While Stefan had hinted at knowing her true nature, the blonde didn't bother playing coy. Bonnie had used her powers while on stage, so she really shouldn't have been surprised.

"Forgive me for being blunt," Rebekah said, sounding unrepentant, "But all of us here are very familiar with your surname. It's quite notorious, if you would allow me to continue to be frank. I'm just a bit curious about you and I'm never one to mince words."

Bonnie nodded. "I can respect that," she said. She thought of Margo, glad that barely any time would pass in her own time at all between Bonnie coming back and returning, knowing her cousin would worry otherwise. Just two minutes she'd be gone in present time once she returned home, but sitting in the booth, it was feeling like an eternity already. "And no, she's not a witch. My powers come from my mother's line, she's a cousin on my father's side. But we are close. She keeps me grounded. Tethered, to the person I am outside of my power. I initially came here to see her, actually."

"You mentioned home before," Stefan said, "Where's that? Where are your from originally?"

Bonnie swallowed. "Virginia," she said.

"You do have that Southern girl charm about you," Stefan's eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned forward. "So, is that how you know me by reputation?"

Bonnie looked down. "In part," she answered, "Gloria told me some. You're still a bit different than I thought you'd be, though." She hadn't expected Stefan the monster to be so magnetic.

Bonnie silently gave herself a pat on the back. She was being truthful, but vague enough to be able to keep track of her own story and not give anything away.

"I've known a few Bennett witches in my time," Stefan responded, "You seem different than most. You're voluntarily hanging around us, for one. Which, automatically makes you more fun."

"Or less intelligent," Bonnie quipped.

"That could be argued, I suppose. But intelligence is subjective," Stefan grinned.

"That's something that someone who has frequently had their intelligence questioned would say," Bonnie laughed.

She watched as Rebekah placed a hand over Stefan's in a clear bid to regain his attention. "I question his intelligent all the time," Rebekah said, "Also, his overall judgement. His choice in attire. His taste in alcohol. The list goes on and on, really." Stefan rolled his eyes, but he was giving Rebekah this fond sort of indulgent smile that was much too soft for someone that was capable of what Gloria had claimed him capable of. "In fact," Rebekah continued, "The only thing I've never questioned is his taste in women. At least in respect to me, because clearly, it's impeccable."

Bonnie very slowly and deliberately let her gaze travel over Rebekah. "I can't really argue with that," Bonnie said. She had meant it as a sort of joke, a way to ease the tension as Rebekah clearly seemed to be the least hospitable to her presence. But it ended up sounding more like a come on than a joke. From the way Stefan's eyebrows shot up and the way that Rebekah shifted in her seat crossing her legs beneath the table, it had just created tension of a different sort.

Klaus' arm moved from the back of the booth. Bonnie felt Klaus' fingers trail down her spine a moment later, his hand stopping at the small of her back. His touch was warm, and Bonnie felt it acutely even through the material of her dress. His lips were at her ear a moment later. "Miss Bennett," he whispered, "May I be so bold as to ask, where exactly do your tastes lie?"

Bonnie bit her lip. She couldn't exactly blame him for the question since she had just checked his sister out pretty obviously, even if it had been in jest, in part. She could admit to herself at least, while vampires, everyone at the table was physically attractive. Rebekah was striking in her beauty. She had always found Stefan attractive; she could remember raving about his 'romance novel stare' to Elena upon meeting him. Though, she had to admit she liked the cocky sort of swagger he carried in this time much more than the brooding puppy softness he had in hers.

And Klaus, ….Bonnie hadn't had enough encounters with him in her time to form an opinion on his appearance, especially given the one time she had seen him in his own body he was writhing in pain as she tried to kill him. But now that he was, he was sitting next to her, rather closely, she could admit that there was something sexy about him. He had a smooth sort confidence, and an almost animal grace to his movements, untamed and yet purposeful. His voice was deep, his eyes and endless blue. He was extremely handsome, for a homicidal maniac. She could appreciate that on a base level at the very least.

Klaus seemed to take her hesitation as a product of the time they were now in, because the next moment he said, "Be honest. We're not ones to judge."

His lips brushed against her skin again as he spoke, and Bonnie squirmed a bit in her seat. Now would be a prime time to run, Bonnie thought. Instead she said, "My tastes tend to lie where my interest lies. If my interests are a bit more varied than most, I suppose that's my business and not anyone else's." It was veiled and unlimiting enough for them to make their own assumptions and to not rule out the chance of any of their interest being reciprocated.

Bonnie figured it was best to string them all along for now, then target the most responsive to her for information later. It wasn't like anything would come of it.

"You'll fit right in with this crowd, love," Klaus grinned, "Then again, I thought you might."

"What made you think that?" Bonnie asked, raising any eyebrow.

"You took a lot of risks up there on stage," he said, "I thought it'd be safe to assume you'd be willing to take a few risks elsewhere. Was I wrong?"

She hadn't been much of a risk taker before aside from being willing to gamble her own life to protect other people. But being there was a risk within itself. So, Bonnie responded, "No, you weren't wrong."

Bonnie took another sip of champagne. She hadn't been having any fun before the summer, before Chicago. Back in Mystic Falls with all that was going on, she had forgotten what fun felt like. Even getting together with Jeremy had been more angst than fun, first because of her hang-ups about him being Elena's brother and the fallout from Luka. Then, the angst had come from the death sentence that had been hanging over her head after she had channeled all of that power.

Before leaving for the Chicago for the summer, fun had been a thing of the past. She had more fun than she ever remembered having at home since her arrival. Hell, even doing the time travel spell had been fun. She realized; it was the first spell in a long time she had done because she had wanted to do it. She hadn't been pressured into it by someone else. She had her own motives and even the choice of getting on stage once she'd crossed over had been bred on her own desire to have the experience. She liked the feeling of doing what she wanted for a change and not thinking too hard about the repercussions. If she got nothing else out of the spell, it'd be worth it.

"You said that you made the choice to strike out on your own," Klaus said, regaining her attention. His fingers brushed across her shoulder, prompting her to turn to face him. The move brought her closer to him, and as she looked at the satisfied expression on his face, she realized that'd been his intention. "What prompted that decision?"

She felt like she was under a microscope with the questioning, but it was also somewhat appealing to have so much attention focused on her at once. To have some interested in getting to know her and what she had to say. It was so rare nowadays. She had spent so much time keeping so much inside and even her friends didn't really know her at all anymore she realized. They definitely didn't know how she had spent her summer or about the changes she had made even before the spell. It was refreshing to be able to open up again, to have people to talk to. Even if she wasn't being entirely truthful. Even if one of those people was Klaus. Even if her audience weren't really people at all.

Besides that, the interrogation wasn't altogether unexpected. She was a witch who had come out of nowhere. Being on stage had drawn even more attention to her. Of course, they had questions. Even so, she wasn't sure about how to answer the questions. Didn't know how to go about asking all the questions she had of her own.

She thought about the relief and freedom she had felt being away from Mystic Falls all summer. She thought about the realizations she was making regarding her relationships back home and her role in things. She thought about the time period she was now in and a sort of answer came to her. "After finding out about what I am, about my powers, my life sort of descended into chaos," she frowned, even before Klaus, even if he was the root of the more recent chaos, "It just kind of became this collection of losses and everyone around me started to forget that I was a whole person with interests and agency outside of my powers. Especially me. I... spent a lot of my time giving of myself to other people, using my powers for the benefit of other people. I never got back what I gave, and it just became miserable. The more powerful I got the more lost I became and the more everyone around me expected of me. I was willing to sacrifice a lot and I did. But I didn't realize how tired I was off it all, you know. Not until I was away from it. Nothing was what I thought it was. I guess I got a bit disenchanted and just wanted to be free of it all."

"I know what you mean," Stefan said, and Bonnie glanced at him across the table.

"We all do," Klaus stated, and Bonnie's gaze moved back to him, "Sad lot we all are. Disenchanted with the world outside of a trusted few." He downed the rest of his drink. Looked back at Bonnie. "Go on, then."

Bonnie couldn't read his expression or that of the others, so she continued. "I lost the one person who could teach me about my powers. How to use them properly. I had a few other connections with other witches in passing. But they didn't last long or weren't genuine." Bonnie sighed as she thought about Luka. "Not until Gloria. I told her I felt like I was in chains. Not just because of the people around me, but the Spirits too. I was always told they were there to guide me, but it just seemed like the opposite. All they seemed to do was police my power and deal out consequences that just led to me suffering more and more and feeling more powerless. I didn't think anyone would understand. Gloria understood."

Bonnie felt a bit of guilt in that moment. Going against Gloria's advice and digging up and revisiting the past, quite literally. The woman had treated her better than most, revealed a lot, even with what she had kept from Bonnie. And Bonnie really believed her when she said that she'd wanted to protect her.

"They're fickle creatures," Klaus sighed, rolling his eyes, "The Spirits. Calling them guides is being generous. They keep witches pigeonholed and negate their role in creating the monsters they label us as. They keep more secrets than they reveal and deal out more punishments than assistance. They're the reason why most witches stay away from us. From me. An abomination."

Bonnie wanted to argue with his assessment of the Spirits, but she found that she couldn't. She was always being kept in the dark by them. Even in terms of Klaus 's true nature, him being a hybrid, she hadn't been told. She hadn't known she could channel power from other witches before Luka. Hadn't known she could circumvent the Spirits themselves until she had been mentored by Gloria over the summer. She'd always thought that her absence of knowledge had been due to her Grams dying before she could teach her, and it was, in part, but Bonnie was sure that part of it was also by design.

He turned to her his eyes narrowed. "You're good at playing dumb, but not that good. I know for sure if Gloria's been teaching you, she's told you what and who I am." He glanced at Rebekah, "Revealed our history, as well as Stefan's. If she hired you to sing here, she likely wants an alliance of some sort. Besides, she's too protective of her own kind to let you go into this gig blind. She knows me too well to let someone like you on the loose without giving you a warning."

"A warning? What exactly would she be warning me away from? Are you planning on killing me?" Bonnie asked, just a touch of jest in her tone. Though, she knew if he saw her as a threat it would be a possibility.

Bonnie watched the path of his tongue as Klaus licked his lips. "I have plans for you, love, but killing you isn't one of them."

Bonnie wasn't sure why, but she leaned in closer, her tone teasing as she spoke. "Then, are you saying that I'm your type?"

The in all honesty, was laughable to Bonnie, even with his suggestive tone. Or at least it was until she took note of his expression, the heat in his gaze. He didn't confirm or deny it when he spoke, however. "I'm saying, you know more than you're letting on."

"I do." Bonnie admitted. "She did tell me about you. Warned me to stay away." A lie and yet the truth, she'd clearly known who he was before Gloria, but had discovered about his past with Stefan through her, and she was talking of a Gloria from her present time. Still, it gave her an out, since he had picked up on her knowing too much information about them already. The comment also told her that Gloria indeed knew more than she let on, and Bonnie wondered if she could get the answers from the Gloria in this time, since the one in her time was being difficult and withholding information.

"And you decided not to listen?" Klaus asked, sounding amused.

"Since going off on my own I've become very useless at following directions," Bonnie said, "Taking advice. Adhering to rules. None of those things seem to appeal to me anymore."

"It's all very tedious, isn't it?" Klaus said, pouring himself another drink.

"Yes, very boring," Bonnie agreed, "That and I'm a bit too old to pay attention to forbiddance."

Klaus laughed, and it was strange hearing the sound. "Or still too young to know better."

"Maybe," Bonnie shrugged, "But, you get to be in my company either way. So, I guess you got lucky."

"I'm not complaining," Klaus said, lowly, his voice deeper. His eyes darted to her lips and Bonnie realized that the whole back and forth thing hadn't just been some strange banter, but they had been flirting.

Bonnie didn't flirt with anyone. No one really flirted with Bonnie. Okay, perhaps that was an exaggeration. She was just never one to be very forward and it never ended well when she put herself out there. Her first date with Ben had ended in a kidnapping, Luka had been using her to get his sister back, and Jeremy hadn't talked to her much all summer and acted odd when they actually did speak. It felt like they had all but broken up over the summer without saying the words.

However, flirting with Klaus was probably one of the better experiences she had with men as of late. Which was just sad. Also, weird, as she hadn't expected to be able to have civil conversation with Klaus at all. But, the only two times she'd encountered him 'in person' so to speak, as technically the first time he was in Alaric's body, she'd been trying to kill him. So, to be fair she hadn't had the opportunity or desire to have a sit-down conversation with him.

Flirting with him, though, felt nice and natural. Easy. She didn't feel like she had to try so hard. She just responded to his energy, let her words match his snark. It was odd that she felt so comfortable in doing so. She had grown accustomed to being a certain way and biting her tongue even around her friends and she had known them her whole life. But around Klaus, somehow her filter seemed to be obliterated.

Even stranger still, was the fact that Klaus was flirting with her. Though, considering what Gloria had told her about the witch that Bonnie was looking for and the fact that all of Klaus' entourage when he'd surfaced in Mystic Falls even outside of Greta Martin had been witches which was how he'd gotten into Alaric's body in the first place, Bonnie shouldn't have been as shocked as she was.

"Gloria must trust you a great deal then," Rebekah interrupted, causing Klaus to lean back slightly, "to risk life and limb by revealing our secrets to you."

Bonnie glanced in her direction. "She does, and I trust her too."

"She's one of the few that we trust as well," Klaus said, his calm tone clearly meant to break the tension that Rebekah's implied threat had caused, "so that lends you even more favor than your performance on stage and the notoriety of your surname has."

Bonnie let out a breath. She was relieved to hear it, for now. "Good to know."

"So, we've established that you know what I am," Klaus said, "An Original vampire. A hybrid besides, though my wolf has yet to be unleashed as it were. So, tell me, Bonnie Bennett, do you think me an abomination?"

Bonnie frowned. At first, she thought about what he might want to hear. Flattery perhaps, but it would be empty, and they'd all been around long enough to weed it out if she went that route. They were all watching her. Waiting for her answer. It was clear he had insecurities there, though he hid them well. Being insecure herself made it easier for Bonnie to read his.

She thought about playing on his insecurities a bit. But the as she thought about it, she began to wonder how much of Klaus's existence might've been different had he been given a different label. There was still humanity there, buried, but she had read about it in the torn-out pages of Stefan's journal. Seen it in the art that hung on the walls of the abandon apartment. Even now, in that moment when he was in search of her approval.

And how much different would her own existence be if she was given a different label. Taught that she had a different purpose. Servants of Nature. She had been told. That was the role of the witch. It was in that one word "servant", that held a form of imprisonment. There was no agency in that word. No choice. It reminded them that their powers weren't their own. That they were to serve the 'greater good' and keep the balance. That they were subservient and subject to the whims of those around them, be it the Spirits or vampires in one way or another. Their job was supposed to be to keep the balance. But where was the balance in that?

Then there were witches like Gloria, who rejected the label in favor of creating their own. She was powerful, independent, and free. It was a part of the reason that Bonnie had been willing to be taken under her wing. She wondered what Gloria was like in this time she was now in. She doubted she'd be there long enough to find out.

"That's just it," Bonnie said, finally, "Abomination. It's just a word. It only has power if you give it power. It's easier to call you an abomination than to admit that no one understands how or why you exist. That your existence breaks rules that were supposed to be set in stone. That you're proving the impossible possible. You could've just as easily been called a miracle, but that would give you too much power."

"Make others believe that they could bend the rules, too," Klaus nodded. His eyes were wide, and his brows furrowed as his mind tossed around her words.

"Exactly," Bonnie said, keeping with the train of thought, at first because she seemed to have his attention and that was her goal. Get his attention. Learn his secrets. Figure out what witch he was keeping in his orbit. "Take witches for example, Servants of Nature. Not Guardians or Enforcers...but Servants. That label is in part to put us mentally in the mindset of servitude. We serve the Spirits. We serve the 'greater good'. Blah, blah, blah. So, when the Spirits police our powers it's just seen as a part of our role. Our label."

"So, essentially," Klaus said, expanding on her thought. "The labelling me as an abomination and you as a 'servant' would serve the same function. To keep us in line. To keep us from gaining power or realizing the power we could have."

Bonnie hated admitting it, but it could've easily been the truth. "It would seem so," she shrugged, "They're job is to keep the balance, right? The existence of vampires, of a hybrid disrupts it. As does the existence a witch with too much power at her disposal. Especially, one with enough power to find ways to circumvent the Spirits." Gloria had told her she was strong enough more than once; it was just a matter of learning how. "If enough vampires come into existence," Bonnie continued, "enough witches decide not to fall in line, the balance breaks. The scales tip. Their control slips and they go from being the ones with the power..."

"To being the powerless," Klaus finished.

Bonnie nodded. Her words seemed to bring about an epiphany for Klaus, just as Bonnie was having her own. She had gone down the line of thought because she had been looking into not just Klaus, but Stefan, and in part Klaus's sister in this time for days. She knew they wouldn't respond to her moral compass. Wouldn't react to her appealing to their sense of right and wrong. Stefan had gained Klaus's favor because he was a ripper, after all. While she had originally planned to observe from afar, now that that wasn't an option, she knew she would have to appeal to them, to Klaus with a different mindset. Something darker, to keep their attention, now that she was in the thick of it until she went through the portal.

The problem was, she knew that there was truth in what she was saying. So much truth that she began to doubt the role she and had taken onto herself. Savior. Martyr. Protector. She had placed the wellbeing of everyone around her above her own. She'd been prepared to die. Would've died. For Elena. To protect the people that she cared about.

Not even the Spirits had helped her find a way to stay alive, though they had warned her of the consequences of channeling all that power, because even in dying she would have served their purpose in killing Klaus. She was forever the sacrifice.

With Bonnie dying killing Klaus it would have been like killing two birds with one stone. At least from the perspective of the Spirits. Two potential disruptions to the balance eliminating one another. Klaus would be gone, and dead, Bonnie wouldn't have access to all that power she'd channeled to take him out if she died doing the job. but it hadn't gone that way. Klaus had survived and so had Bonnie.

Bonnie had gone out of her way to stay out of loop during the summer and enjoy the break from it all. But a part of the reason she had done the time travel spell in the first place was because of her ultimate goal of bringing Klaus down and Stefan home. She'd had to get back in the loop for that reason and she had found out that Klaus was still in a vulnerable position in her time. Damon and Elena had tracked Stefan and Klaus to Tennessee last Bonnie had heard. According to what Damon and Elena had discovered, though he could access his wolf, Klaus couldn't make hybrids. Without an army, Klaus could only be so much of a threat.

And now, Bonnie had lost the power of the dead witches bringing Jeremy back from the dead. A consequence they had called it. But what if it had just been an excuse to take the power away. Cheating death was breaking the balance in a way, but they had allowed it with Jeremy, even while Bonnie would've died outright were, she to have killed Klaus, because the end justified their means. Because of the price Bonnie would be made to pay to save Jeremy's life. Losing the power of the dead witches. So, even though she and Klaus hadn't eliminated one another as they thought would be the case when Bonnie had channeled that power in the first place, in the aftermath, in their own ways she and Klaus had both been neutralized. Bonnie had lost her power and Klaus was unable to make hybrids. Both threats to the balance of things thwarted for the time being.

Perhaps she was wrong. Maybe she was overthinking things. Losing faith in the Spirits because of her loses. But what if she wasn't? It was a possibility and that alone was unnerving to her. She had been made to suffer so much already, if she didn't find a way to fight back, how much more would she be made to suffer. But maybe, coming to the past could change things. She just wasn't sure how yet.

"There's only so much anyone can intervene in anyone's path, anyone's, destiny. Even the Spirits and even with that, they can't stop individual will or free thought," Bonnie said, thinking out loud, "Maybe that's why they dish out consequences to the more powerful of us witches and that's why beings like you get labelled as an abomination, an outlier, an enemy. Not to say that I agree with what or who any of you are, or the behavior of those of your nature, but I've seen witches work with your kind before, voluntarily and involuntarily so I know it's possible. The more I think about it the more it makes sense. Sometimes when I used my power, before, it took a toll on my body, physically. I've never seen it happen to another witch. I thought it was a natural consequence but I'm starting to wonder at that. About how much power might be at my fingertips if they're working so hard to keep it bay, to keep me from accessing it."

She had been able to channel the power of one hundred dead witches, had been able to wield it. Wielding it could have killed her, but it hadn't. When she had told Gloria about channeling it in the first place she'd looked Bonnie dead in the eye and said, "There's no way one person should have been able to channel all that power to begin with unless they had enough of their own to counteract it and keep it from consuming them." She had been thinking about it on and off ever since. It was part of why she had felt untouchable enough to do the time travel spell in the first place. But she was disrupting the balance by going back in time and Bonnie knew there would be push back. She had read as much in the grimoire the spell had come from. All the more reason to get the information I need and get out, she thought.

"Are you saying you're powerful enough to disrupt the entire balance of things on your own," Rebekah smirked, "That's seems a bit cocky."

Bonnie rolled her eyes as she turned to face the girl. "That's not what I'm saying at all," she said, "But if enough witches decided to stop listening to the Spirits and learned how to act of their own accord without consequence, I am saying the balance would topple over. I'm one person, yes. But so is Gloria. So are all the witches who came before me that stepped out of line. You all have been around enough to know that that's how movements start. A small group of people who think they know better than the powers that be. An idea repeated over and over again, that spreads far enough. People whose behavior is being policed growing tired of living under constant restriction. I mean, look at the time we're in right now, it's full of people trying to break away from the status quo and find different less restrictive forms of self-expression."

"Your point?" Rebekah asked, one eyebrow raised. Bonnie couldn't tell if Rebekah was challenging her deliberately or if she was genuinely interested in what she was saying. A bit of both perhaps.

Bonnie was undeterred. She was making her own realization and it was clear that both Klaus and Stefan were paying rapt attention. "My point is that all change starts with a thought," she said, "All revolutions start small. A lot of them start with one person. Maybe it won't be me. But I'll say this, revolutions may start small, but they grow, especially if enough people are tired of the status quo. Eventually, everyone has to choose a side. Now, I can't speak for everyone else, but generally speaking, I find the side of the people that think they know better than the powers that be to be the more persuasive."

She was embellishing a bit, but it was important to, considering the company she was in. None of them played by the rules, and as long as she was in their presence, Bonnie knew that she couldn't either. Though, if what she was saying was at all true, she wasn't sure she'd be too inclined to when she got back to her time either. She'd broken the rules going back in the first place.

"Not because I like rooting for the underdog or anything so trite," she continued, "But because those people who think they know better are usually the ones advocating for me to do whatever the fuck I want, the powers that be, be damned. And I just can't seem to bring myself to pass that up." Bonnie paused as Stefan chucked. "The Spirits are always going to be there, but now I know that they aren't as all powerful as they would have all of us believe," she went on, "So, I don't have to start a war with them, because now I know they aren't infallible. That the balance is already broken. That every action they take is a desperate attempt at restoring it. If I know that, if they tell me I can't use my power for this reason or for that reason. Or that Klaus is an abomination. Or that vampires and witches don't mix. If I know that they're acting in their own interest it makes them less credible. Whether I believe it or not becomes more of a choice, my choice, and less of a given fact. Though, my own personal experience with vampires is enough for me to come to my own conclusions, what I now know about the Spirits makes me question why they would want me to come to their conclusion."

"It creates doubt," Klaus nodded, talking to himself a moment, "In their capability and culpability. And that seed once planted can only grow and be replanted in the next person, again and again until it becomes something outside of their control." Bonnie watched as Klaus smiled. "Then that means that, it's fear that motivating them then. Of what I am, of what my existence already means. Of what it has the potential to unearth. Of ideas it could plant into the minds of others. It doesn't even just apply to Spirits. But to my family, my own kind. Of course,...that's it." He stared Bonnie down. "The same could be said for you. If you're as powerful as you say. If you were ever able to access the full extent of it. If others even knew it was a possibility, you could plant some seeds of your own."

Bonnie frowned, but hid it quickly. She knew she had just planted some dangerous ideas in his head, where both he and she were concerned. But her memories where intact, so she already knew where it would lead. Nothing had changed yet. She had lived it, so there was no point in trying to backtrack now.

She thought Greta, and about the male witch Alaric had mentioned, Maddox she thought his name was, that had been following Klaus in her time. If what he said was true and witches shied away from him in this time, perhaps this conversation had inspired some form of manipulation for Klaus to use. He might not have remembered having it with her, one night wouldn't cause her to stick out in his memory. But the ideas she had unearthed were likely still present. Elena had said Greta had said something about being loyal to Klaus and a "new order". Bonnie hadn't paid it much mind but perhaps this had been where Klaus had started his revolution. She had mixed feelings about that.

Bonnie had never been on the receiving end of that manipulation on Klaus's end, so she'd never know for sure. Though, things might've been different if they hadn't been adversarial from the start. When Klaus had tried to kill her, it hadn't been personal, it had been because she had placed herself in his way. She'd made herself a threat to him and his goals because she'd been hellbent on protecting Elena. Not that she was excusing him by any means. But she wondered what it would have been like if they hadn't been on opposing sides. What Greta and other witches like her had seen in him. She supposed that this was the closest she would get to finding out.

Even if she had unknowingly given Klaus the tools in which to manipulate other witches in the future, that didn't change her own personal unrest brewing from the thoughts the conversation had evoked. Something took root in her own mind, the idea that she could be free. From the obligations of her friends. From the Spirits. She could do the things that brought her joy again, like singing. She could take back her agency. Not just terms of her power. She didn't have to start a revolt in the supernatural world, it'd be enough for her if she could manage it in herself. "Like I said," Bonnie murmured, "All revolutions start small."

"My sister was wrong," Klaus said, "You, Bonnie Bennett, could start a revolution all on your own." Klaus had gotten close to her again, too close. His eyes were on her lips again and she felt the urge to run.

Stefan must've felt her uneasiness because he was standing a moment later and holding out a hand to her. "I love this song," he said, "May I have this dance, Miss Bennett?"

Bonnie frowned, not even noticing the music had changed. She glanced towards the stage and found a young Gloria there, even more beautiful than her photographs. She was singing a slower sultrier rendition of Olive Kline's, "I Might Be Your Once-In-A-While", but her eyes were on Bonnie, narrowed and a bit suspicious. She decided to take Stefan's offer of escape.

Klaus scowled as she took Stefan's hand. "Easy Nik," Stefan said, teasingly, "We're here to have fun and you've been interrogating this poor girl for the last hour. I'll bring her back in one piece." He winked and then, "Unless she asks me to bite."

"Which she won't," Bonnie said, even as she allowed Stefan to lead her out to the dancing patrons.

Stefan wrapped an arm around her waist. "You never know, sweetheart," he smiled, "The night's still young."

:::

Rebekah and Klaus sat in their booth close together watching as Stefan and Bonnie danced. It'd been a ploy to get the witch away from the table so that Rebekah could talk to her brother. But from her vantage point, she could tell that the witch had caught more than Nik's interest.

Even as Rebekah spoke Nik's eyes stayed on the witch. "It's a bit convenient," she commented, "We talk about you being lonely and the same night this witch shows up out of nowhere and seems to be tailor made for you."

Klaus smiled ruefully. "It's almost too convenient to be a coincidence," he nodded, "But we don't believe in fate. So, what do we call it?"

Rebekah knew it could have been orchestrated, but she hadn't the faintest idea of who would do so, and who, besides herself, would know him well enough to know exactly how to bait him. "I'm not sure yet," Rebekah said, "But it's definitely, something."

"What do you think of her?" Nik asked, after a moment.

Rebekah shrugged, stiffly. "She seems to say all the right things, makes me think she can't be trusted." She gave her brother a sideways glance. "I'd ask what you and Stefan think, but you're both being a bit obvious in that respect."

"You're the one who was moaning away about me meeting someone before I tear you away from your poor, Stefan. Now, there's someone of interest and you don't seem too jazzed about it," Klaus grinned. "Jealous?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes. Instead of responding, she tuned into Stefan and Bonnie's conversation. "You must have a high body count to be this charming," the witch was saying, "Only someone with a lot of blood on their hands would work this hard to seem harmless."

"You want to talk about facades?" Stefan laughed, "What about you?" Rebekah smiled, hoping Stefan would work on getting some answers from the girl. She knew too much about them all for them to take her words at face value. "You play transparent, but there's a wall there. Thick and sky high. You've got secrets. And maybe you're trying to protect yourself."

The witch looked amused. "From who? From you? I'm not afraid of you, Stefan."

Rebekah could tell the witch was telling the truth. She wasn't afraid, she could probably take Stefan down if she wanted at the very least. But Stefan wasn't wrong either, the witch had her secrets.

"Maybe not," Stefan said, regaining Rebekah's attention, "At least not in the sense that you fear for your life. Being what you are, and as powerful as I'm assuming you are, you could probably put me out of my misery before I could make a move to attack."

"Probably," the witch, nodded.

"But you're afraid of something," Stefan pressed, "Vulnerability maybe. Of what would happen if you let those walls come down. You know what I think, only someone with a predisposition for monsters would work so hard to keep their guard up around them."

Rebekah saw a flash of something in the witch's eyes. Something that told her that Stefan was onto something. Bonnie kept her tone light as she replied to him, however. "There's a joke in there somewhere," she said, "What do you call a group of one or more monsters? A temptation."

When Stefan laughed, Rebekah felt the warmth she always did at hearing the sound, although she recognized the witch was a threat to her in more ways than one.

"In an age where everything worth having is off limits, what else would we be called?" Stefan smiled.

"Exactly," Bonnie winked, "Besides, I'm not exactly a kitten myself."

"No, you're not," Nik murmured, from where he was sitting beside Rebekah, "More like a bearcat."

Rebekah wasn't surprised that he was also listening. Getting sucked in deeper by the second. Admittedly, Rebekah was drawn to the witch as well, which was another problem altogether. But of the three of them, she knew that she had to be the one who kept her head on straight.

"I'm not an easy target either." The witch told Stefan.

"I can see that," Stefan was saying, the laughter dying on his lips. Rebekah stiffened slightly as he leaned down to whisper into the girl's ear. "The question is, Miss Bennett, are you tempted?"

Rebekah watched as Bonnie swallowed. Tuned into the hammering of her pulse. Followed the trail of her tongue as the other girl licked her lips. "The jury's still out on that," Bonnie murmured.

Rebekah downed the rest of her drink before turning back to her brother. "She has potential," she said, "I'll give you that."

Klaus looked altogether too smug as he nodded. "That she does."

:::

Bonnie glanced back as she and Stefan reached the center of the dance floor in time to see Klaus and Rebekah speaking closely with their heads together.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Bonnie asked.

Stefan pulled Bonnie against him and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You, of course," he said, "It's not every day we meet a woman like you. Witch or no witch."

"I find that hard to believe," Bonnie said, knowing that there was at least one they kept company with.

"Believe it," Stefan said, "Because even if you suddenly decide to start playing by the rules, Nik's going to want to keep you close. So am I. We may have to work on Rebekah a bit, but she'll come around."

Bonnie raised a brow. "There's no need for that. I already told you," Bonnie said, "I'm the kind of girl that likes her space."

"Well," Stefan said, "I guess you'll have to get used to only having a little space as opposed to a lot."

Stefan pulled her closer still, his hand on her back moving lower, mapping her body as if he had a right to do so. As if, with his words and his touch he was laying claim to her. Her gaze shifted back to where Klaus and Rebekah were still sitting. She met Klaus' gaze, steady and intense, as it bore into her. It was clear Stefan wasn't alone in his claim. This wasn't what she had come here for.

"I'm not as interested as you seem to think I am," Bonnie said, attempting to take a step back.

Stefan held fast, his grip tightening. Bonnie knew he could hear her heart hammering in her chest. There was fear there, but there was also something else present that Bonnie refused to name as Stefan leaned down and pressed his lips to Bonnie's neck, his lips lingering over her pulse point. Bonnie shuddered as he pulled back. "Do I think you're easy? No," Stefan whispered, "Do I think you're interested? Yes, even if you don't want to be. But that's what makes it a good time, right? Doing something that you know you shouldn't do. Couldn't call it temptation otherwise."

Bonnie swallowed. She felt uneasy. Like she was digging her own grave. This definitely wasn't the Stefan that she was used to. "Does your girl always sit so calmly while you try to talk another woman into bed?" Bonnie asked, trying a different tactic to separate them. She was hoping the reminder their audience would cause him some hesitation.

"Only when she knows she'll be invited to join," Stefan said, easily.

Bonnie frowned. "And her brother won't kill you for saying that?" Bonnie tried, even knowing given what Gloria had told her about their relationship it was likely useless.

"No," Stefan shrugged, "That is, assuming he's allowed to join the fun as well. You are his type you know. He's likely to want you all to himself. He's greedy like that. But if you make it clear that you want him to share you and let him get the first taste, he'll be good, I think. Or very bad, depending on how you look at it."

Definitely, wasn't the Stefan she knew. "You're insane," Bonnie said, even as her tongue came out to wet her lips.

"Arguably, yes," he nodded, "But I'm also being straightforward. A fact I think that you appreciate given that you're still dancing with me. I haven't scared you away yet, so you either have very thick skin or very loose morals. Or maybe you're looking for a vice to aid you in your search for freedom."

Bonnie was beginning to see that her plan was flawed from conception. Bonnie had never had a vice. She'd always been the good girl. The strong girl. The one on the side of right. But Stefan wasn't wrong, she was interested, tempted to let go if only for little while. Had been ever since she had found out about the witch that had shared Klaus' bed, Stefan's bed, and Rebekah's. Had been from the moment she began to ask herself what that witch was like, what had made them so interested in her and her in them. Had been from the moment she asked herself, what power the witch held over Klaus, over Stefan, and what secrets she had unearthed that could help Bonnie in the present. The moment she asked herself if it was possible for Stefan to love anyone outside Elena, or for Klaus to love at all. She realized now; what Gloria must have seen when she'd told Bonnie to stop digging. Something that was probably familiar, because as much as it had confused Bonne that a witch would allow herself to be ensnared by these vampires, these monsters, before, she could understand it now so clearly that it terrified her.

"Or maybe I'm a little insane, too," Bonnie whispered, more to herself than Stefan.

"Maybe," Stefan said. He used the hand he was holding to spin Bonnie around, pulled her back into his body too quick for Bonnie to object to, so that she was facing Klaus and Rebekah, leaning back against Stefan's chest. "But you know what I really think, Bonnie?" he asked, speaking into her ear, "You don't like your space as much as you say. I think, you're just waiting for someone bold enough to invade it. Animals, savage and unrelenting enough to tear all your walls down and not ask permission."

God, but he was good. She'd been right, he had enough charm to match his body count. What Bonnie didn't understand was, if they already had a witch in their midst, why Stefan was pursuing her so aggressively in that moment and with no objections from the others. Or maybe, it was a game of some sort.

Bonnie shook her head to clear it. It didn't matter. She wouldn't be there long enough to find out. "Let me guess." Bonnie said, her voice coming out steadier than she felt, "A temptation of monsters are just the ones to tear those walls down."

"You took the words right out of my mouth, doll."

Bonnie huffed out a laugh even as her eyes locked with Klaus' gaze across the room. "So, you're not just insane, you're predictable too."

Stefan spun her around again, so that they were face to face. "We'll see about that." He dipped her then, low and slow, pressing his body deliberately against hers as he lifted her back up. "I have a feeling, that you'll be singing a different tune soon enough."

Bonnie glanced in the direction of the doors leading to the dressing rooms. To the portal. She tried not to take his words too seriously. Soon there would be plenty of space between her and all of them. She would make sure of it.

:::

Mystic Falls, Virginia 2011

Elena Gilbert had gone into Stefan Salvatore's room what seemed like a million times since he had given himself over to Klaus. It had made her feel closer to him. But she hadn't touched his things, hadn't wanted to remember too much because she was haunted enough as it was. However, after Tennessee, after Damon had finally admitted what Elena had already known, that Stefan could be saved, Elena had the need to feel connected to Stefan once again.

They were going to keep looking but they didn't know where to start. A part of her thought there might be some clue. Some sign somewhere. Something that Stefan left behind to lead them in the right direction. But why would there be? Stefan didn't seem to know Klaus's motives any more than they did, and Elena still didn't understand what Klaus really wanted him.

He was off the rails again, Damon had said. Maybe Klaus just got off on playing with Stefan, on his suffering, on his guilt, on the killing and the torment that the call of blood caused him. But something was telling Elena that it was more than that.

Elena frowned as Damon entered the room. That was another reason she needed to feel closer to Stefan, her growing closeness to his brother.

"If you're done pining away in here, we could be doing something useful," Damon said, "Like looking for an actual lead."

"We don't even know where to start Damon," Elena frowned, "If you have any ideas, please enlighten me."

Elena ran her hands over the spines of the books on Stefan's bookshelf. Picked up one at random. Edith Wharton's, "The Age of Innocence", she flipped through the pages, noticed several were marked. Words on some underlined, some notes in the margins. She stopped at one and read an underlined passage. "I swear I only want to hear about you, to know what you've been doing. It's a hundred years since we've met-it may be another hundred before we meet again." She flipped to another marked page, read another underlined quote. "I want - I want somehow to get away with you into a world where words like that -categories like that- won't exist. Where we shall be simply two human beings who love each other, who are the whole of life to each other; and nothing else on earth will matter."

She closed the book, picked up the one that had been next to it. Thought, maybe Stefan had left her messages after all. The second book was, This Side of Paradise, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. There was one page marked, one quote underlined, "I don't want to repeat my innocence. I want the pleasure of losing it again." Elena frowned, as she looked at the margins, there was a note scrawled there in familiar handwriting, not Stefan's but Bonnie's, "I'd do it all over again," the note read, "I wouldn't change a thing."

Elena turned to Damon. "Where did these books come from?"

Damon shrugged. "Remnants of one of Stefan's binges," he said, "That particular shelf is dedicated to the 1920's. He blacked most of it out but...he kept things. Said there was someone, that he couldn't remember. Maybe more than someone, that cared about him. It gave him hope, that some piece of himself was still intact even when he was that far gone. He doesn't let anyone touch anything on that shelf. I never really understood it."

Elena shook her head. "That's not possible," she said, "At least not entirely. These books look worn so maybe they were originally from the 1920's but they've been used since then. They've been touched. This one has Bonnie's handwriting in it."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, no," he said, "That's not possible. If he didn't share that part of himself with you, why would he share it with Bonnie? That would imply that witchy hung out here and neither of us knew about it. Also, that they were closer than we thought, which makes no sense. She barely learned to tolerate us again when Klaus showed up after the whole Sheila debacle. I doubt she and Stefan became bosom buddies and decided to share books and stories of his good ole ripper days."

Elena shook her head. "I've been passing notes with Bonnie since elementary school," she pressed, "I know her handwriting."

"I still say, all this sleep deprivation coming from your mad search for my little brother has you paranoid," Damon responded, "We'll find him but you're not going to get anything from looking at some old books."

Ignoring him, Elena turned back to the bookshelf. She noticed a record shoved in between two other books. Reaching up she grabbed it. It was an old Nora Bayes song that Bonnie loved, "I Ain't Never Had Nobody Crazy Over Me," Elena remembered Ms. Sheila teaching Bonnie to play the song for their tenth-grade talent show.

There was a folded note tucked into the record sleeve. Elena put the record back on the shelf, unfolded the note and read it to herself:

Play this and think of me.

All my love,

B

Again, the note was in Bonnie's handwriting. Elena felt sick. She handed the note to Damon. "Do you still think I'm being paranoid?" She asked, as he scanned the note. "What the hell is all of this? What does this mean?"

Damon shrugged. "Well, obviously Stefan and witchy were Atlantic Starr style 'Secret Lovers' this entire time and this whole being kidnapped by Klaus thing was a fake ploy so they could run off together and let their forbidden love take flight."

Elena scowled. She knew Damon had meant it as a joke, but it seemed to be exactly what the notes and books and the record were implying. Especially since Stefan hadn't shared either with her, and they implied things about Bonnie that only someone that was close to her would know. "This isn't funny, Damon."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Okay," he said, "I admit, this is weird. But there must be explanation. One that doesn't involve your best friend and Saint Stefan having secret rendezvous behind your back. I hate to admit it, but Bonnie is way too loyal for that and Stefan loved you way too much for that to have happened."

"Loves me," Elena corrected, "You said 'loved', past tense. But he still loves me, Damon."

Damon huffed. "I know," he said, "Which is why this," he waved the note in his hand, "Isn't something you need to worry about. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation. You should go home and get some rest. We'll pick up the search in the morning and you can check in with Bonnie then."

"Fine," Elena frowned. Inwardly, she was uncertain. She had barely spoken to Bonnie all summer, but she'd called her after Tennessee, needing to vent her frustration over being so close to Stefan and having him slip through her fingers. Bonnie had seemed concerned, had asked about Stefan and Klaus. Probing questions that hadn't seemed off to Elena at the time but now felt out of place.

She didn't want to think the worst. But the more she found out about Stefan while he was away, the less she felt like she knew him. And everything she discovered left her with more questions than answers.

:::

Chicago, Illinois 1922

When Bonnie was led from the dance floor into Gloria's office, she wasn't sure what to expect. The office looked much as it did in present day. Gloria had left the stage and gone straight to the back office, sending on of the stagehands to fetch Bonnie. Now, she sat at her desk across from Bonnie puffing on a cigarette.

"There's sage burning, so we can talk freely. If you're worried about certain eavesdroppers, don't be." Gloria said. Bonnie watched as Gloria blew out smoke, somehow more intimidated by this younger confident version of her mentor than her older wiser counterpart. "That was some stunt that you pulled tonight," Gloria said, "If you weren't damn good on that stage and I wasn't looking for a new girl you'd be out on your ass, though. I've thrown folks out for less."

Bonnie frowned. "I'm sorry," she said, a lie mixed with the truth on her tongue as she spoke, "It's just that I'm a long way from home and I don't have much outside of the dress on my back and the shoes on my feet. I didn't want to cause any trouble. I came here because I'd heard there was another witch nearby. You've got a reputation about, and I thought I could learn from you. When they asked me if I was the new girl, I just saw an opportunity and I took it."

"Coming up on hard times, huh?" Gloria scoffed, "We all been there. I came up from nothing myself. I understand the desperation and you're lucky to have the talent to back it up. But...this club is mine. You come to me first, next time."

Bonnie tilted her head. "Next time?"

Gloria snuffed out her cigarette in the ashtray on her desk and held out her hand to Bonnie. "Give me your hand, sweetheart."

Bonnie frowned but placed her hand in Gloria's.

Gloria closed her eyes a moment, murmured in Latin. When they snapped open, she looked taken aback but pleased. "Just as I thought," Gloria beamed, "You've got some power in you, doll. Likes of which I haven't seen before." Gloria let Bonnie's hand drop. She stood and walked around the desk, sitting on the desktop in front of Bonnie, her legs crossed. "I'll tell you what, I might have a spot here for you. There aren't many opportunities out here for colored girls like us and if you don't know the right people to run with or the right moves to make, not even your powers will do you any favors. Women like you and me, we have to make our own opportunities. That's what I did."

"And you're willing to give one to me?" Bonnie asked, her tone leading. She had no intention of staying but it would be good to have Gloria as an ally in both times if she ever needed to come back.

"I'm willing to take you under my wing, mentor you a bit," Gloria said, "If all the you have is the clothes on your back you'll need all the help you can get. Though, I'll say that dress was a good investment." Bonnie smiled at the complement. "There's a room upstairs you can have. I usually rent it out, but I'm in between people at the moment. Had a girl that was meant to come, and she never made it."

"Another witch?" Bonnie asked, wondering if her presence had already changed things. Perhaps the witch she had been meaning to find had never shown up.

But Gloria shook her head. "No. She might've had more loyalty if she were," she said, "Just a singer that my sister in Alabama sent my way. She got a higher paying gig Uptown. Didn't tell me until the last minute. You showing up, the way you did got me out of a tight spot, actually."

"I'm glad," Bonnie said, "I really didn't mean to cause a disruption. But a room won't be necessary. I told you I don't have much. I might just end up going back home the way I came if it's all the same." Bonnie looked at the antique clock hanging on the wall. It was almost time.

"Nonsense," Gloria shook her head, "You have too much potential to pass something like this up. I'll take care of you. I take care of my own. We have a few cast off dresses and costumes and the like, to get your started until you got more of your own. I'll throw money your way. as long as you can keep doing what you did on stage tonight and keep asses in the seats. As for the magic, well if you help refresh the wards around this place, make them stronger, I'd be happy to mentor you as I said. I'd advise you though, to stay clear of the company you were keeping tonight."

Bonnie didn't feel as if she needed a repeat lecture from the Gloria of another time after sitting through plenty from the one of the present but she had to ask something she had never gotten a clear answer from her Gloria about. "Not that I don't agree with you," Bonnie said, "But if you're telling me to stay away from Klaus and the others, why have vampires hanging around in the first place?"

Gloria sighed. "I'd rather stay out of vampire business and I tend to unless I can get something out of it myself," she said, "I'm a colored woman running a club during Prohibition. That puts me on the radar of not just cops, but gangsters in the same business and booze runners. I'm a target. And I have the secret of my powers to keep. A little compulsion goes a long way. They keep the cops off my back, offer me protection. All I have to do is some spell-work every now and again, let them drink for free and look the other way when they feed. I can't control what they do everywhere, no sense in trying. They don't kill at my place though, not unless it's a direct threat to me or my business. I can't help what they do when they leave here but I like to keep my place clean. I get what I need, they get what they need. Tit for tat."

"But they said that they trust you," Bonnie said, "It's got to be more than that."

Gloria sighed. "They do," she said, "As much as they can trust. I keep their secrets and they keep mine. I trust them enough to keep this place running but I wouldn't as far as a I can throw them outside of that, doll."

"About that," Bonnie said, carefully, "About their secrets I mean...I may have told them you let me in on a few. So, they wouldn't ask questions. If you could back me up if they ask, it'd keep me out of trouble while I'm here."

Gloria raised a brow. "Can I ask who actually did let you in on their secrets?"

"A friend," Bonnie said, "She reminds me of you actually." Bonnie quickly moved forward before Gloria could press the issue. She couldn't exactly tell the woman, "It's you from the future." She doubted that'd go over well. "I don't know all that much about them, but I know enough to be careful."

"And you should be," Gloria frowned, "You're exactly the kind of prey Klaus would like to get his fangs into. The kind that doesn't usually give him the time of day. I saw the way he was looking at you, the way they all were. That's not a can of worms you want to open, doll."

Bonnie felt a sense of déjà vu as Gloria spoke. Then something caught Bonnie's attention. "I doubt I'm the exact kind of anything Klaus would want. What do you mean he can't normally get his hands on? They approached you, I'm surprised there haven't been others."

"Klaus and I are strictly business," Gloria told her, "But, he has a thing about witches. Respects us in a way. Covets us in another. A lot of witches fear him. Most steer clear of his kind in general. Vampires. But he's not just a vamp, so, he has people more wary than most around here. All he has is Stefan and that sister of his Rebekah. Always wanted to get his hands on a witch though. I thought it was because of some spell he's been trying to get done to bring his wolf out. But...like I said, he has a type and you're it. Takes a special brand of power to strike his interest but most don't keep his attention or can't take his attention beyond that initial spark. There's been one or two that will give him a go round, one night in the sack for the hell of it, but he gets clingy, and fast. I doubt anyone besides Stefan and Rebekah could stomach his brand of devotion. It's dangerous, is what it is."

Bonnie frowned. So, when Klaus had said witches tended to avoid him, he was telling the truth. "Are you sure there's no one else in his circle. No other witch? There's been nothing long term?"

"I'm positive," Gloria said, standing from her seat on the desk, "And don't you go volunteering for the job, either."

There was no other witch. Had she come too soon? Had this all been for nothing? What was she missing? "I wasn't planning on it," Bonnie said.

"Oh, sweetheart," Gloria laughed, "Getting caught up in someone is never something anyone plans. They wouldn't call it getting dizzy if it was. They're interested in you already. Coming on strong. I wouldn't say anything if I didn't think it necessary. You don't know me, and I don't know you. But take my advice, sweetheart, it's better to keep your walls up with them and not get sucked in, than to get sucked in and not be able to find your way out."

Bonnie's eyes narrowed, "Are you speaking from experience?"

Gloria laughed. "Not hardly. I'm too smart for that." She reached out and grabbed Bonnie's chin. "But I can read people," she said, "I see something in you, in your eyes. You're looking for something. Freedom. Danger. Maybe a little of both. You're only going to get one of those things messing with the likes of Klaus. He's not the type to attach himself to folks easily but when he does, when he holds on to something, he doesn't let go. That sister of his is proof enough of that. I just thought I'd try to save you from yourself before you make the mistake you look like you're itching to make."

Bonnie frowned. The words were so similar to that of the Gloria of her time, when Bonnie had asked what happened to the witch that had been in Klaus's orbit. "I don't rightly know. Still trying to figure that out too. I think this time around I might save her from herself. I couldn't back then but maybe now I can stop the inevitable, you know."

She'd said she'd been trying to stop the inevitable. Like she was trying to stop something that had already happened before it happened. It hadn't made sense to Bonnie at the time. But Bonnie began to think, really think and things began to add up. The way that Gloria had looked at her when she first saw her. The sad sort of resigned tone Gloria used each time Bonnie asked about Klaus or Stefan or their past together. The dresses at Stefan's apartment and the shoes, that had been Bonnie's size. The magic that had warded the place, that preserved the rose, that had felt so familiar to Bonnie almost as if it had been her own. Because it was her own.

Bonnie half listened as Gloria kept speaking. "I've never seen them come at someone as hard and fast as their doing you. Just be careful."

"Shit," Bonnie said, shaking, talking to herself, "I should have seen the signs."

Gloria had tried to stop Bonnie from going back by keeping her in the dark but that had only made Bonnie want to seek out her own answers. Now she was here, in this place and... she still had a way out.

The portal was still open. She could go home. End it all there and then. But something in Bonnie hesitated. She thought about the Gloria from her time. If what she had said had been true, and Bonnie really was the witch that she had crossed time to look for, then Bonnie could still get her answers.

Gloria said that the witch, that Bonnie, had been loved by not just Klaus in this time but Stefan and Rebekah as well. That they had told her their secrets. Maybe she could still do that, get them to fall for her, reveal all to her. If she stayed long enough, it didn't matter how long she stayed as whenever she went back only two minutes would have lapsed in her time. Gloria had just offered her not only a room, but income. A chance to be on stage, do what she loved and continue to learn from Gloria in the process.

All she had to do was make them fall for her and keep herself from falling, keep a clear head while making them believe she was all in with them. In all honesty, Bonnie didn't know the first thing about seduction, but they were interested in her already and Bonnie didn't have to seduce so much as pretend to succumb to any attempts they made at seduction. But could she really do it? Could she really cross the line and break down all of her boundaries in order to find out how to take Klaus down. In order to bring Stefan home. It was dangerous, and she was already more tempted than she cared to admit. She would have to keep a clear head and she was already not thinking clearly.

She could just stay and get what she needed and leave. It sounded simple. But to get them to trust her, she'd have to make herself vulnerable to all of them in one way or another. "Klaus doesn't trust anyone he's not fucking or who isn't family or some combination of both," Gloria had told her. Could she let things go that far with Klaus? With Stefan? With Rebekah? Bonnie shook her head. No. Klaus was attractive, yes, but also the monster that had been terrorizing the people she cared about. She could admit always thinking Stefan was hot, and this Stefan...did things to Bonnie that she really would rather not think about, but he was with Elena in her time, had loved Elena. The whole point of Bonnie wanting to save him was so he could go back to Elena. And Bonnie didn't even know Rebekah. The girl was a wildcard. Admittedly she was beautiful, but Bonnie couldn't tell if the vampire was interested in her or just wanted to kill her. Not a good toss up to have to contend with. The fact that Bonnie was even entertaining the idea at all was ludicrous. She had been partially joking with Stefan, but it turned out it was true, she was definitely going insane.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Gloria asked, her hand moving to grip Bonnie's shoulder.

Bonnie nodded. "I'm fine," she said, "A bit tired. More than a little shell-shocked. It's been a long day. I didn't really expect any of this going in."

"You look like you need a drink," Gloria said, "A stiff one. Go out and wait for me by the bar. I've got a few things to wrap up and then I'll show you your room, get you a change of clothes, get you fed. In the meantime, the bourbon is imported."

"Isn't that illegal? One of the many perks of compulsion, I'm assuming." Bonnie laughed.

"One of the only perks of compulsion," Gloria winked, "For witches anyway. And don't let anyone trick you into thinking otherwise."

Bonnie forced a smiled. She stood and walked out of Gloria's office, shutting the door behind her. She had no intention of going to the bar, she made a beeline for the dressing rooms. She was going home.

Or at least that was the plan. However, like Klaus had been doing since her arrival, he turned her plan to dust as he intercepted her on the way to the dressing room. He appeared in front of her so quickly, Bonnie just knew he had been waiting for her to leave Gloria's office.

"Gloria giving you another warning to stay away from me?" Klaus asked.

Bonnie nodded. "Yes," she said, "She makes a good argument."

"Too bad you don't follow rules or listen to advice," Klaus grinned, "Have another drink with me."

Bonnie sighed. She was cutting it close already, but a part of her wanted to give in. She had come for information after all. Besides that, a part of her wanted to test the waters. She wanted to see what kind of witch she would have to become to gain power over him. How much of herself she would have to let go of. How much of her true self he could actually be interested in.

In all honesty, she hadn't even been acting all that out of character since her arrival and she had been edging along the truth more often than not and he was still very interested. It was vindicating in a way, making all the times she had felt herself not good enough or attractive enough or compelling enough to hold someone's attention the way that Elena or Caroline could, fall by the wayside. She enjoyed having his attention, and she hated herself for it.

"I shouldn't," Bonnie said, finally. She should go home. She should end the game while she still had the choice to do so. But if she were doing things she 'should' do as of late, she wouldn't have shown up in the past in the first place.

Klaus took her hand in his, threaded their fingers together. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. His touch was comfortable, casual. It was if he had been holding her hand for days. Had already been invading her space for years. She was bothered that she would even allow it to happen, but even more bothered that she was as comfortable with it as he seemed to be."So, then you will." He said.

"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" Bonnie asked. It was easier to frame it that way than to think about the truth. That 'no', was a harder answer for Bonnie to give than it should have been.

"Not where you're concerned," Klaus answered.

Bonnie sighed. "I'm going to regret this, but, alright. I'll have one more drink with you."

Klaus looked smug as he led her back out to the front. They ended up at the bar, each with a glass of bourbon that Gloria had bragged about.

Bonnie sat on her barstool next to Klaus and eyed the mirror behind the bar. It was where the picture of Klaus and Stefan had hung in her time. The picture than started it all. She wondered what about it had caused her to go so far, what about Klaus had her sitting next to him instead of going back through the portal.

Bonnie turned to Klaus and she found he was staring at her openly. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Bonnie asked.

"Like what?" Klaus asked, his gaze moving to the glass in his hands.

"Like a predator ready to strike." Bonnie laughed. The humor left her a moment later. "No one's ever looked at me the way you're looking at me, before. It's unsettling."

"Because it makes you uncomfortable?" Klaus asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "Because it doesn't." She bit her lip and traced the rim of her glass with her index finger. "It'd be easier if it did."

"I'm surprised that you're not uncomfortable," Klaus said, "I've been known to bother people. Especially witches."

"You do bother me," Bonnie insisted. Because he did. Everything about him bothered her. But something about him also drew her in. There's was an attraction there and it was frustrating, and Bonnie knew where it could lead. Gloria had told her where it could lead, and she was still too close to giving in to it. "Stefan bothers me. Your sister bothers me. I think she wants to kill me."

"She does," Klaus grinned, "She also wants to fuck you if that makes you feel any better."

Bonnie's eyes widened and she took a huge gulp of her bourbon. "It doesn't," she laughed, as she swallowed.

"She doesn't trust you," Klaus told her, which Bonnie had already gathered, "You seemed to have appeared out of thin air. I've been...alone for some time. I had been speaking to her of it just this morning and then here you are. You're more than just my type. You're terrifyingly so. It's almost as if I conjured you up."

Bonnie shook her head. She was surprised he was revealing so much to her so soon. Admitting loneliness to him was likely akin to admitting weakness.

"So, I am your type. Because I'm a witch?" Bonnie asked.

"In part," Klaus confessed, "You're powerful, yes. That does appeal to me greatly. But you're also, beautiful. You're an artist. You can deny that but your voice, your singing, it's an art. You're strong. Free thinking. Risk taking. And, every word you've uttered from the moment that we met has made me want to devour you."

Bonnie downed the rest of her glass. She felt dizzy and not just due to the alcohol. No one talked to her like that. Or about her that way. Some of what he was saying was more recent developments, things she was aspiring to be, that he seemed to already see in her. He could've been lying, sure. But for some reason Bonnie didn't think he was. "If you weren't you, I might let you," slipped out before she could stop it.

"Why wouldn't you?" Klaus frowned. "Because of what I am."

Bonnie swallowed. She'd thought so once. But it wasn't just that. Stefan had said she was afraid of something outside of what they were, and he had been right. Gloria's words kept replaying in her and head now that she knew that she was the witch she had been searching for, she knew it was possible for her to fall. "You...being what you are is a part of it. But I... you're too easy for me to be around. Even knowing what you are. You shouldn't be. Stefan asked me if I was tempted. By you. By him. By Rebekah. I couldn't say no, and that scares me."

He reached out to touch her then, his fingers trailing down her neck, tracing the line of her collar bone. She shuddered, didn't pull away. "You're right," he said, "You're entirely too comfortable around me for someone of your nature. For someone who knows who and what I am. You're a very strange creature."

Bonnie smiled, almost wistfully as his last words reminded her of her Grams, for some reason. "Kids used to call me things like that all the time when I was little. Weird. Strange." She paused as the bartender came to refill her glass. Continued as he walked away. "I hated it. I wanted to be normal. Like everyone else. But my Grams used to say, 'You don't need to be normal; you just need to find some strange kids to play with. Someone kindred.'"

"I like that. I could've used words like that when I was younger." Klaus smiled too. "Did you? Did you find your strange children to play with?" Klaus asked.

Bonnie shook her head. "No," she frowned, "I just tried to be what everyone else wanted or needed me to be after a while. And being there for everyone and putting myself second became my normal. I lost who I was. I made friends, became more complacent to hold on to them. But...I'm realizing they weren't the right kind of friends. They weren't kindred. And all I really did was leave that strange little girl to play alone while I hid her from the rest of the world." Bonnie sighed, taking a sip from her glass. She'd revealed too much. "I'm rambling. It doesn't even make any sense."

Klaus pried her hand from around the glass as she set it on the countertop. "It makes perfect sense," he said, as he brought her hand up to his face and kissed her palm, "We should have been of the same time." Bonnie frowned thinking she had been found out until he finished his thought. "The same era. It would've been nice if I had had another strange child to play with. But that place, that little boy, my humanity. It all seems so far away now. You and I though, we would've been kindred."

Bonnie was almost too distracted by his index finger tracing over the lines of her palm to process the words. His touch was a gentle as his voice had become. He was so different that she had imagined him to be. If this was some kind of game, he was good at it. "Do you really think so? I could've just as easily hated you; I think."

"No," he said, "Even if you did, I would've pestered you until you gave in. I don't know you. But outside of my sister, and in some ways Stefan, I've never met anyone that's ever understood me more. You have no idea how jarring that is. You're so like me. A lone wolf. Or perhaps a good liar."

Bonnie turned to him, the movement causing their knees to touch. "I'm not that good of a liar."

Bonnie tugged her hand away from him gently, needing the space. It was too much, too fast. Mutual obsession Gloria had called it. She could see it happening right before her eyes and she felt powerless to stop it.

"You know," she said, trying to change the subject somewhat. "I never got that saying. Lone wolf. It always just seemed sad to me. Lone wolves are supposed to be these rebels, these brave souls going it alone that no one understands. But it's not really something to aspire to. Wolves weren't meant to be alone; they travel in packs for a reason. When someone says there a lone wolf it just makes me picture this lost soul wandering around looking for a pack. Someone to understand. To connect with. To care about. Someone that won't run when they show their teeth."

Bonnie realized midway through her rambling that she had implied that Klaus was some desperate lonely soul. However, she couldn't stop herself. Once she'd finished, she expected Klaus to look offended. Angry perhaps. But he just looked awestruck and the desire hadn't left his gaze, if anything it was heightened.

"I've always thought it to meant much the same thing." He reached out and touched her face. He kept touching her. Had been the entire time they had talked as if he couldn't help but have his hands on her in some way. Bonnie inadvertently leaned in to the touch. "Where on earth did you come from?" He said, his tone sounding almost reverent.

Bonnie stood abruptly. He was right, she was getting too comfortable. Bonnie looked around the room for an out and her eyes caught sight of Stefan and Rebekah now back in the corner booth. Rebekah looked no less suspicious and Bonnie sighed and looked away. "I have to go and get changed," she said quickly, "Excuse me."

But of course, Klaus caught her wrist. "You're running," he said, able to read her easily.

Bonnie shook out of his hold. "I just...I have to go. I'm sorry."

Bonnie didn't wait for his reply. She walked quickly away from the bar counter, weaving her way through patrons. She didn't look back. Still she could feel that he was following her, could hear his footsteps behind her.

She made it as far as the dressing room door. Her hand reached the knob. She gripped it in her hand, but before she could turn the knob, Klaus grabbed her by the other arm and spun her around.

She expected him to try to convince her to stay with words, but instead, Bonnie found herself pressed up against the closed door a moment later. Klaus' hands moved to her hips, his eyes fell to her lips and then he was kissing her. The kiss came without warning, but Bonnie welcomed it. Realized as their lips met, that she had wanted it to happen from the moment she had met his eyes while she had still been on stage. That terrified her.

The kiss was messy at first, all hunger and desperation. All teeth and tongue. Then Klaus sucked her tongue into his mouth, massaged her tongue with his slowly in a way that had Bonnie tilting her head back to give him better access. She heard herself moan into his mouth, wrapped her arms around his neck in an effort to get closer.

Klaus pulled away slowly, smiling as Bonnie whimpered as he nipped at her bottom lip. "Don't run, Bonnie," he whispered as he pulled back, trailing kisses along Bonnie's jaw until he reached her ear, "Stay and play."

Bonnie closed her eyes, tried to work up the willpower to refuse him. It shouldn't have been so hard. But after that kiss, it felt near impossible. Bonnie opened her mouth finally, but a sound stopped her. She heard the chiming of the clock over the bar across the room as it struck midnight. She could feel the rumble of the door behind her as the portal closed. She would have no choice but stay.

Bonnie licked her lips, still tasting bourbon on her tongue. If she was going to be trapped there until the portal reopened, she might as well do whatever she could to get the answers she had come for. At least that was what she told herself she was doing, as she looked up into Klaus' eyes. Maybe she wouldn't stay long enough to make him fall in love, but she could be the witch that turned his head for one night.

"What game did you have in mind?" Bonnie asked, coyly.

Klaus chuckled, looking satisfied. His only other response was to kiss her again.

End Notes: As always thanks for reading! Please review, review, review! This fic is so much fun to write and I hope you all enjoyed this update! Lots of love!