Title: The Witches of Mystic Falls

Pairing(s): Bonnie/Stefan, Emily/Damon, Tyler/Elena, Matt/Katherine, Caroline/Jeremy, Bonnie/Klaus, Emily/Elijah, etc.

Summary: When Stefan and Damon Salvatore return to Mystic Falls to find the two witches that they fell in love with in 1864, Sheila Bennett must reveal to her granddaughters, Bonnie and Emily Bennett that they are immortal witches with untapped powers, a revelation that turns their small-town life upside Series Rewrite inspired by Witches of East End.

Warnings: Character Death, Violence, Infidelity, Sexual Content, Non-Canon, etc.

Author's Note: No editing here so sorry for any errors. Got a lot of my plate at the moment and my brother's girlfriend is in labor so I am waiting on news! Hope you all enjoy the update! Thank for the love in the reviews!

Part Two || Comet

Mystic Falls, Present Day

Emily Bennett wiped down the bar top as the customer she had been waiting on left for a table in the corner. It was quiet. Working the graveyard shift usually meant as much. For the most part she was just there to do her homework and make sure that the place didn't get robbed before it closed.

She'd spent most of the day on campus but almost as soon as she came back into town she had been haunted by strange occurrences. There was the crow that seemed to be following her around. Then there was the ever present fog. She had been stuck in traffic on the way home had simply said aloud, "I wish this light would turn green," and it had. She thought it was a fluke but then it worked on the next one and the one after that. As skeptical as Emily was, she couldn't hide that there was something going on and likely more to her grandmother's ramblings than she realized.

Emily hadn't wanted to tell Bonnie. She didn't want her sister to worry. Bonnie had as a child claimed to see her mother commit strange acts. It had often caused fights between Rudy and Abby and Bonnie had always blamed herself for the divorce and their mother leaving. Emily didn't want her sister to go through that kind of pain again if what was happening didn't mean what they thought it meant.

"Please tell me you have some good bourbon behind that bar," A deep voice said from behind her.

Emily stopped her task and turned toward the sound. She couldn't hold back the smirk as she watched the man with blue eyes, dark hair and a devilish smile sit across from her at the bar. She touched her hair subconsciously making sure that no stray strands had left her bun. "Depends on who's asking," she replied, even as she felt something about the man draw her in.

"Damon Salvatore," he introduced himself, "And I happen to be a big tipper."

"Emily Bennett and I happen to be unimpressed by flash and cash. I might be a broke college student but I'm not easy and I can't be bought," she said, "I can do you one better than a bourbon though."

The stranger raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Really," Emily replied, "If you want to give me a big tip, I at least want to earn it. My cocktails are legendary and you sir, look like you're in the mood to taste something epic."

"You're looking pretty epic yourself," he replied, "Is that an invitation."

"Not by a long shot." Emily laughed as she began to mix equal parts Grand Marnier and Drambuie. "For future reference flattery will get you nowhere," she said. She eyed the bottle of 151 but thought better of it and picked up a bottle of Sambuca instead.

"Interesting choice," Damon said. He was eyeing her oddly and Emily almost second guessed herself with was strange. She never second guessed herself.

"Well," Emily said, topping it off, "With a name like Salvatore I thought that you'd appreciate it if I went with something Italian. I'm trying to earn that tip remember?"

Emily looked up as Damon suddenly leaned over the bar. She eyed him warily as he placed a hand over hers. His skin was cool to the touch but she felt a heat where their skin made contact. There was something eerily familiar about it. His hand over hers.

"It's anise flavored, you know," he said, "Elderberry in it too. I knew a girl once….no a woman. She smelled like elderberry. Floral. Like summer. Her mouth tasted like anise. Sweet. One of those tastes you either love or you hate. I loved it. Couldn't get enough. Now every time I taste it I think about her lips."

"I've always favored anise myself. Took all my sister's black licorice on Halloween as a kid." Emily felt a tingling sensation where their hands touched. "That woman you knew before she must have been special it's definitely an acquired taste," she commented.

"You have no idea," Damon replied.

Emily blinked a few times and when she looked down it was to see that the mixture was now on fire. While she had intended on lighting it as that was what the preparation called for she didn't remember doing so.

"A Backdraft, right?" He asked. Emily looked up at him again, becoming distracted as he began to run his fingers over the top of her hand. "I'm assuming that's why you lit it on fire."

He was right and so Emily nodded.

"I can't say that I've ever seen one light up without a match or a lighter before," Damon said, "When you said legendary you weren't lying."

"I..," for once Emily was at a loss for words. She looked down and noticed the flames had gone higher. She felt herself begin to panic and as suddenly as the flames appeared they extinguished. "You must be mistaken. Of course I used a match. I'm just quick with my hands."

Damon only smiled as Emily handed him straw and pushed the drink towards him.

Emily tried not to think about the fact that she had lit something on fire with a simple thought as she watched him drink. Instead she ended up watching his lips as they wrapped around the straw and his throat as he swallowed.

"Tastes just like I remembered," Damon grinned. "Anise and fire." He licked his lips and Emily watched the movement of his tongue. "How much do I owe you?" he asked.

Emily gave him his total and she found that she was disappointed as he stood to leave. She watched as he took several bills out of his wallet and slid them across the counter. She frowned at the amount. "You weren't lying about the whole big tipper thing," she laughed, "I can't take this."

"You brought back some good memories for me," Damon shrugged, "I owe you more than you think."

Emily pulled a pen out of her apron and began to write on one of the bills. "Find some other way to pay me back then," She said, sliding the bill back across the counter after writing her number on the surface.

"That can be arranged," Damon grinned, "What form of currency do broke college girls that can't be bought accept?"

Emily put the rest of the bills in the pocket of her apron. "I'm sure you'll think of something, Mr. Big Tipper. Use your imagination. When you think of something give me a call. Not before. I don't like my time wasted."

Emily walked down the counter to the customer who sat down at the other end of the bar. She thought she heard Damon say, "Some things never change."

Emily turned to ask him what he meant but when she turned around he was gone.

:::

Mystic Falls, 1864

Damon Salvatore walked into his kitchen in search of the source of the strange smells wafting out of it. His father was out on town council business and so they had free reign over the house for the moment. As he opened the door Damon's first view was of Emily. She was standing at the table at the center of the kitchen grinding herbs with a mortar and pestle. There were draw string leather bags of them that she had gotten from the apothecary lined across the table's surface. She emptied each bag into the mortar and then grind them up before dumping them back into the back and handing them off to Bonnie.

Across the room Bonnie was seated at the kitchen table, funneling herbs and spices into bottles before corking them. He had seen them complete the task before and had wondered at it before discovering what it was they were. Since discovering their secret his brother had been recruited to help, writing labels that he glued to the bottles.

Damon walked further into the kitchen and watched his brother and Bonnie for a moment. It was always amusing to do so. It was strange that in temperament Bonnie was more like Damon and Emily was more like Stefan. Stefan and Emily were for the most part very buttoned up and reserved. Even now Emily's hair was pinned up tight and her demeanor was stiff and concentrated as she worked.

Whereas Bonnie was wearing her hair half up and half down, some of it tied up loosely with a ribbon while the rest spilled down her back. She was less poised as she funneled in the herbs, some of them spilling over the edges of the bottle and landing on the table. When they did she would brush her fingers through it and wipe them across Stefan's face giggling softly when he scowled.

The sister's contrasted each other in the same way he and Stefan did. Stefan's touch was gentle and his eyes were focused in spite of Bonnie's attempts to distract him, taking the task very seriously as he made sure each label was glued on straight and each one was written in neat script, even going as far as to throw away the ones with the slightest ink smear.

Damon on the other hand had not been asked to assist again since the first time because he'd been too heavy handed with the pestle and he had ended up knocking bags off the table in his haste and boredom.

From the outside it might have made more sense for Damon and Bonnie to be drawn to one another they were so alike in character, both free spirited and they argued enough to say that they were evenly matched in stubbornness. Damon considered her the closest thing he had ever had to a friend but she had put it in the best of terms herself when she stated that people like them needed a counterbalance. That was why she and her sister remained so close, she kept Bonnie grounded. Stefan did the same for her in a different way.

In the same vein Bonnie was able to get Stefan to open up, to break himself out of his own confines the way that Damon had thought only he would ever be able to do. He wanted to be that for Emily. He wanted to be someone that she felt comfortable enough to be her entire self with, no reservations, but he wasn't sure about how to go about it. For Bonnie it had been easier to bring about that side in Stefan, he had been open to it and half in love with her before they even met.

Bonnie also had a way about her, a selflessness that made her impulsiveness seem more endearing. Damon on the other hand had the trouble of being impulsive in a way that made him seem uncaring and sometimes he was, but with him it was always easy to misconstrue things either way. So Damon knew that he had to take his time so that his intentions were seen as more than recklessness and impulsivity.

Damon came up to stand beside Emily, though he acknowledged Bonnie and his brother first. Emily stayed focused on her work, even as he stood close enough for their sides to touch. "Oh, Bonnie," Damon called across the room.

Bonnie spared him but a glance as she smeared lavender powder onto Stefan's cheek and he attempted in vain to swat her hands away. "Yes, Damon?"

"Are you teasing my dear sweet brother?" He gave Stefan a grin as his brother looked up at him with a glare before catching Bonnie's hands at the wrist.

"Oh, yes, terribly," Bonnie responded on a laugh. She tugged her hands away from Stefan and wiped them down his pristine white shirt before laughing harder.

"Do continue," Damon encouraged. He watched as his brother sighed before pushing the labels aside and turning to kiss Bonnie which sufficiently distracted her.

"You two are the most bothersome people I have ever encountered," Emily said from beside him, "We will never get anything done. Next time I'll ask Stefan alone to help me."

Damon rolled his eyes. "You know he only agrees in order to spend time with Bonnie," he said, "Your pleas will fall on deaf ears."

"I can be very persuasive when the mood strikes me, Mr. Salvatore," Emily replied and Damon turned to meet her brown gaze.

"Can you?" Damon asked but Emily was already back to her task as if she hadn't been implying what he thought she had. "Why don't you wear your hair down like your sister?" Damon asked after a moment.

Damon watched as Emily's hands stilled. "Such vulnerabilities need to be earned," she said, simply.

"Are you saying that Bonnie's are earned more easily?" Damon asked.

Emily turned to him then her eyes narrowed. "I am not implying anything of the sort about my sister," she said, "She is young. It is common for young girls to wear their hair in such a way. Even so she wears it down in front of people she trusts, myself, Katherine, your brother, and you. You should feel lucky to be among those named. She's as decisive as I am about who she makes herself vulnerable for, just in a different way."

Damon nodded in understanding. He watched as Emily licked the residue from the anise she had been grinding from her fingers. It was an odd thing to do, she never did it with any other herbs or spices. Bonnie said she liked the way it tasted. It was an acquired taste, but so was he, he supposed. "I hope to see your hair down one day, Emily," he said as he watched her pull her finger out of her mouth.

"I do not waste my time on hopes, Mr. Salvatore," Emily said, giving him a sideways glance, "If there is something that you want, I find that your efforts are better spent on going after it rather than hoping for it to come to pass."

"How does one get what they want from you?" Damon asked, it was a bold question but he never did anything by halves.

"You could pass as a smart man, Damon," Emily answered, "Ponder on it long enough and I am certain you will come up with something."

Damon smirked as Emily went back to work. "I do believe, Miss Bennett that I will take you up on that challenge."

:::

Mystic Falls, Present Day

Sheila Bennett frowned as she looked down at the sets of pictures and drawings. Lifetimes and places they had lived over and over and over again. Forty times. She had watched her daughter give birth to Emily and Bonnie forty times. Had watched her granddaughters die each time before the age of thirty. No sooner had she buried them, Abby would be nine months pregnant with Emily again and then once she came, Bonnie would soon follow. The cycle would continue and continue. The curse of immortality with endless motherhood.

It never got easier, watching them die. Not when they were burned in Salem. Not when they had drowned when fleeing Klaus in England. Not when they were burned again in Mystic Falls. Not when they had been killed by that mysterious vampire in the New Orleans massacre. Not in any time period or in any case. It was their curse to watch the girls live and die again and again.

Sheila's own curse was nothing compared to her daughter's. The curse of nine lives. She had only lost three in all these years and yet the prospect of losing the others still terrified her because she would no longer be there to protect her own once they were done.

Abby had thought that things would be easier this time around. That taking herself out of the picture and not telling the girls what they were would prolong their lives. She'd even gone as far as to perform a spell that kept the girls from noticing things when their powers began to develop. It hadn't worked well on Bonnie but it had worked too well on Emily. Sheila was afraid that all of the preventative measures that her daughter had taken over the years would backfire.

In their lives before, the girls had known what they were from the beginning. They had learned to harness and hone their power from a young age. They would have been close mastering their craft by the ages they were now. But in this time they were ignorant of their gifts and Sheila had a limited time to teach them what they needed to know now that the danger was already afoot. This time they were at a disadvantage.

She would need help. That meant that it was time for her daughter to come home. Sheila had a phone call to make and then afterwards she had a ritual to prepare for. Sign of impending doom or not that comet was a celestial event that they could harness energy from. They would need to perform the protection ritual whether the girls wanted to or not. Sheila would have to make them believe because what was after them was coming whether they chose to believe or not.

:::

Mystic Falls, 1864

The body had been found two nights ago ripped to pieces. It had almost been unrecognizable. The town council was in a frenzy and Emily was determined to protect Katherine and the others if only because that meant protecting her sister and herself as well. If the vampires went down, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't reveal her and Bonnie's secret and take them down as well.

Emily needed to examine the site of the murder. She needed to make sure that Katherine was telling the truth, that there was something outside of the vampires doing the killings. According to Katherine, they would never be so sloppy. Bonnie trusted her. Emily wasn't so sure.

She walked around the circle of trees looking for the one that Pearl claimed that she would find. She jumped as she heard movement behind her.

Emily turned around fast and sighed in relief when saw that it was only Bonnie standing behind her with an oil lamp in hand. "Did you really think I'd let you come out here alone?" Bonnie asked.

Emily shook her head. "Not likely," she said. She moved and Bonnie followed. They both stopped at the same time and Emily suspected that Bonnie could feel the power coming from of the tree that John Gilbert had found the slain body in front of that morning. "Shine the light over here," Emily instructed, "I think this is it."

Bonnie moved the light over to shine on the tree. She frowned as she eyed the symbol carved into the bark. "I feel like I've seen this before."

Emily nodded. "It looks like an eye," she whispered, "I'll have to check my grimoire."

Bonnie shook her head as Emily traced the carvings with her index finger. "Emily that isn't an eye….look closer," Bonnie said.

Emily looked at the symbol again and after a moment, realization donned. She looked at the talisman on Bonnie's neck. "It can't be," she said.

Bonnie touched her talisman and frowned. "It's the same," she whispered, "Someone carved this here on purpose. All anyone has to do is look at my neck and they'll think I'm responsible. They'll come for us. They'll come for us both."

Emily reached out and took her sister's free hand. "I won't let that happen," she promised, "We'll be protected. I swear it." Emily turned back to the tree and with a whispered spell it went up on flames. "Even if we have to destroy this symbol every time we see it."

:::

Mystic Falls, Present Day

Bonnie held onto Stefan's hand as she led him upstairs and to her room. She loved her room at home more than the one she had at her Grams even though she spent more time at Sheila's house. The room at the home she shared with her father held more of her personality in, more of herself. The room her Grams kept for her hadn't changed much since she was about eight.

"You're like the only person who's ever been in my room besides my sister, my Grams, my dad and my best friends so don't laugh, okay?" Bonnie said as they stood outside of the door with the wooden door plaque that had her name on it.

"I won't. I promise." Stefan said and Bonnie nodded before opening the door and letting him inside. She pulled him in with her as she watched his eyes move over the room.

The ways were painted sky blue and Emily had helped her paint landscape scenes on them, trees, grass, flowers of all kind. Butterfly decals dotted the walls as well and Bonnie's dad had gotten her a collection of tree lamps when he was on the road and found this weird bohemian store where he'd also bought her Grams a hemp purse for her birthday, something Sheila Bennett might have thrown right into the trash if not for her granddaughters' protests. The lamps looked like actual trees and had twinkle lights on the branches.

Bonnie's bed was a canopy bed with fake vines and leaves woven around the pillars surrounding it and her sheets were teal and floral print. Her carpet was some imitation grass stuff that her father had gotten from a hardware store and replaced the plush carpeting in her room with a few years back, Bonnie liked to walk on it in her bare feet.

"When I was little I used to hate having to come inside," Bonnie said by way for explanation, "So much so that my sister, Emily, and I would have sleepovers in tents in the back yard just so I could feel the night air and hear the nature sounds. I used to cry when it rained because we had to come inside and I would end up sleeping on the porch and listening to the rain anyway. I got one too many colds and a few too many mosquito bites and so my dad said we had to compromise. This was the compromise. I know it's kind of weird but I've always felt this connection to nature."

Bonnie watched as Stefan closed the door behind him and kicked off his shoes. "That's not weird at all," he smiled, "The first girl I ever fell in love with she loved nature too. My father didn't approve so we had to meet in secret. Most of our meeting places ended up outdoors. She said that everything had a pulse and she liked to feel it, be a part of it and it made things more intense when we were together."

Bonnie looked thoughtful a moment. "That's exactly it," she said, "Like there's this energy from nature and it heightens certain experiences. My Grams calls it channeling but she also thinks we're witches. Did your first love believe in magic?"

"I told you I'm not well versed in the witch stuff, she was though," Bonnie watched as Stefan's expression became almost wistful. "She believed in a lot of things, a lot people, myself included."

"You really loved her," Bonnie stated, it was clear in the way he talked about her, in the tone of his voice.

"I did," Stefan nodded, looking away, "We didn't have much time together. I learned a lot from the relationship. Namely not to run from connections when I find them because you'll never know how much time you're going to get."

"I think I like the philosophy," Bonnie said, "We don't always get something good out of it. It's not always a lesson. Sometimes you just get left." Bonnie frowned as she thought about her mother and then shook of the feeling. "So you ex-girlfriend believed in magic?"

Stefan studied her a moment and Bonnie thought he might ask after her expression but she was relieved when he didn't. "So much so that she used to dance naked in the first rain of spring with her sister to celebrate spring equinox."

Bonnie laughed. "That's intense," she said, "Also sounds like something that my Grams would encourage. She wants Emily and me to perform this weird protection ritual on the night of the comet. She thinks it's a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."

Stefan walked up to her and leaned over her, placing his hands on the bed on either side of her. "So during this ritual are you guys supposed to wear blue?"

"Yes," Bonnie frowned, "How did you….? Wait if this have to do with the whole first love thing because if that's the case I don't know whether to be jealous or weirded out because you clearly have a type."

"No," Stefan said shaking his head, "I've just read Practical Magic; you know the book by Alice Hoffman. The one they made of move out of starring the amazing Sandra Bullock and the incredible Nicole Kidman. It states and I quote, 'If a woman is in trouble, she should always wear blue for protection.'"

"Okay I hate you, because first of all we promised no witch talk," she said, "And second that's literally one of my favorite movies of all time and I've read that book front to back, cover to cover at least ten times."

"You haven't," Stefan said shaking his head. "But we did promise no witch talk so if you want to change the subject we can."

"I have," Bonnie laughed and then, "I can't probably quote it better than you. 'Avoid men who call you 'Baby', and women who have no friends, and dogs that scratch at their bellies and refuse to lie down at your feet. Wear dark glasses; bathe with lavender oil and cool fresh water. Seek shelter from the sun at noon.'"

Stefan shook his head. "You have read it," he laughed.

"According to my Grams it's surprisingly accurate which means either Alice Hoffman is probably a witch too or she at least knew one," Bonnie joked.

"If that's the case I'll avoid ever calling you 'baby'," he declared, "Because I never want you to avoid me." He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose before pulling back and continuing, "But the real question is do you bathe in lavender oil."

Bonnie covered her face with her hands. "I'm embarrassed to say that I do," she admitted, "It has healing qualities. Sharpens the mind and strengthens then spirit." Bonnie expected him to laugh at the statement but Stefan just smiled.

"No wonder you smell so good," Stefan said before leaning forward and kissing her on the lips.

Bonnie closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss. When Stefan pulled away she sighed. "I'm sufficiently distracted from the chaos," Bonnie said smiling, "Thank you."

"I didn't think I was being that transparent," Stefan said moving to sit down next to her on the bed, "But anytime and you're welcome." Stefan wrapped his arms and around her and Bonnie leaned into his body. "Would it be so bad to believe in magic?"

"I used to believe in all of this stuff when I was little," she said, "Then my mom left and I just stopped. It just seemed silly I guess. But what if it's real Stefan?"

Stefan's hands framed her face. "Maybe you're debating it because you want to believe it's true," he said, "Why not test it? This ritual your grandmother wants to do, do it. What's the harm in it? If it doesn't work it doesn't but if it does you'll know the truth."

Bonnie was surprised he was taking her at all seriously. Most people would have laughed her off. "Don't tell me you believe in all of this?"

Stefan shrugged. "I believe in you which is the same thing," he whispered.

"But you just met me," Bonnie said, eyeing him in disbelief. "How could you possibly say things like that to me? This doesn't make any sense."

"We met long before this," Stefan said and Bonnie's eyes widen, "We've been dreaming about each other, remember? I've known you for a long time, Bonnie Bennett."

:::

Mystic Falls, 1864

Bonnie liked to meet at the maze at night. She loved to make love beneath the moon and the stars. Being near him always made her powers harder to control, nature gave her something the channel the excess power through.

So every night when the sun with down and his father and brother went to bed Stefan took the woolen blanket his mother had woven him as a boy and went out into the maze to find Bonnie.

Bonnie always arrived first. That night had been no different. Stefan knew that she would be outside all the time if she could, out in the garden among the flowers.

Stefan found Bonnie laying in the grass in her night gown, her feet bare and her hair down. Stefan had at first come out as buttoned up as ever but as the nights went on Stefan left the suits that he wore through the day behind. He came out that night in nothing but his trousers, his feet bare, chest bare, feeling like a tramp raised in the wilds of the woods.

"Why do you never wait for the blanket?" Stefan asked as she came upon Bonnie laid out on the ground.

"I like the feel of the ground beneath me," Bonnie said as she sat up.

The blanket fell from Stefan's hands as Bonnie grabbed his arm and pulled him down on top of her. Stefan went willingly the way he always did, fitting his body between her legs as he kissed her.

The wind picked up around him and Stefan knowing that he was Bonnie, relished in the chill, in the goosebumps that rose on his skin. He gripped her thighs as she ran her fingers through his hair and he was lost. Lost again in the touch and the feel of her as she opened her mouth for him.

They could get caught at any moment he knew, the house was dead asleep but his father often had meetings with the town council members long after Stefan and Damon retired for the evening. Meetings to discuss those secrets that he would take to his grave.

Stefan could bring himself to care as Bonnie switched their positions and began kissing down his chest. "Tomorrow," she said in between kisses, "The first rains of spring come. Emily and I are going to go out into the woods and dance naked under the moonlight."

Stefan moaned beneath her. "You know I have dinner with the Lockwoods tomorrow and I will hardly get to see you at all as it is. You say things like that just to torment me," he said.

"I do," Bonnie conceded moving back up to his mouth, "But it is true. We will dance naked our bodies wet and bare before the earth. It is a thing we witches do from time to time. All those Salem legends of the 1600's had to come from somewhere. I'll be sure to say a blessing for the man I love as I welcome the spring."

"You'll be my end I swear it." Stefan's hand wandered underneath Bonnie's nightgown as he left a trail of opened mouthed kisses down her neck. "I love you, Bonnie," he whispered, "Say a blessing so that we'll be together forever."

"Forever is a long time," Bonnie murmured against his lips as he turned his head to look into her eyes.

Bonnie began to work her hand into his trousers and Stefan sighed. "Ah, not long enough."

:::

Mystic Falls, Present Day

As much as Bonnie had wanted Stefan to stay the night he had left shortly after she had fallen asleep. In the morning Bonnie still awoke with a smile. Stefan had been with her in her dreams again and she felt as if she were on an all-time high.

Bonnie got dressed, deciding on a blue mini dress and a black cardigan and black boots. She put on a pair of blue earrings and got her things for school.

She stopped by her Grams house and they had ended up deciding to go and see Vicki Donovan in the hospital. As weird as Bonnie felt about it, she knew that she'd feel worse if she didn't go.

Bonnie had gotten a teddy bear from the hospital gift shop and they had gone to her room just before the schedule visiting hours. Both Matt and Vicki had been asleep once they got there, Matt in a chair by Vicki's hospital bed.

Sheila stood in the doorway as Bonnie moved forward and touched Matt's shoulder, gently shaking him awake. As he woke Matt looked at up at her with the same doe eyed expression that he always did as she stood over him. "Hey," he said, smiling at the bear in Bonnie's hand, "Thanks for coming."

"Of course," Bonnie smiled back, "How's she doing?"

"She's been sleeping mostly," Matt replied, "The one time she was awake she said she didn't remember anything. I just wish I knew what happened."

"I'm so sorry, Matt." As Matt stood Bonnie hugged him and looked at Vicki's prone frame over Matt's shoulder.

Bonnie pulled away from Matt and walked over to the hospital bed. She placed a hand over one of Vicki's and the girl suddenly gasped loudly. Bonnie watched as he eyes flew open and the girl grabbed Bonnie's wrist her grip bruising.

"Bonnie!" Vicki wailed, "You're next, Bonnie! Your fate is coming! You're not safe! Protect your own! Protect your own!"

"Vicki, what the hell?!" Matt exclaimed and before Bonnie could react he was ripping Vicki's hand away from her and her Grams was pulling her into her side.

Matt grabbed Vicki around the waist as she continued to try to lunge at Bonnie. "I have to tell her Matty!" she screamed, "I have to warn her! No! Fate waits for no man! Fate waits for no woman! The answers in the power! The comet is coming! Use it, Bonnie! Protect your own!"

Bonnie backed out of the room as the nurses and orderlies came in to the room and sedated Vicki as Matt looked on in horror.

"We need to go now," Sheila hissed in Bonnie's ear before dragging her out of the hospital.

Bonnie never made it to school. She ended up back at her grandmother's house watching as her grandmother frantically gathered candles and crystals and a large ornate book with yellowed pages and a brown cover.

Sheila piled everything up on the coffee table in the living room and then sat next to Bonnie on the couch as they waited for Emily got come home from work.

"What was that back there Grams?" Bonnie asked, her voice faltering.

"A warning," Sheila stated, "We don't have much time. When the comet comes we have to do that ritual. It's the only thing that can hold off what's to come."

"Is Vicky going to be alright?" Bonnie shook her head. "What do you mean what's to come?"

"I'll come and see about her once things calmed down. I'll explain everything when your sister gets here but this time I need you to hear me, Bonnie," Sheila said grabbing both of her hands, "Do you understand?"

Bonnie nodded. She was afraid but something in her knew that she had to take her grandmother seriously this time around. "I understand," Bonnie nodded.

Sheila framed Bonnie's face with her hands and kissed both her cheeks. "We'll be fine," she said, "You hear me? We'll be fine."

It seemed like an eternity before Emily came home. When she finally did and she took note of Bonnie's face and Sheila's face she frowned. "Who died?" She asked and Bonnie wished that she could laugh.

Bonnie told her what happened with Vicki as their grandmother left the room. "If this is something witch related," Emily sighed, "I don't want to hear it but I might have to."

Bonnie gripped Emily's shoulders as her sister sat down next to her. "You weren't there," she said, "You didn't see it. It was so real, Em. It scared me. Grams things this ritual can protect us from whatever is going on. Maybe it can and maybe it can't but we have to try. Something is going on even if it isn't this and if nothing else this ritual thing will give Grams some peace of mind until we figure out what the hell it really is."

Emily looked at Bonnie long and hard before she sighed. "Fine," she said, "I'll do it for you. But you need to be honest with me. Are you starting to believe all of this witch stuff?"

Bonnie swallowed. She thought about meeting Stefan. She thought about all the odd occurrences before and afterwards. She thought about Vicki's warning. "I am," she said seriously.

Emily crossed her arms over her chest and looked to be debating with herself. "Some weird things happened to be today and then earlier at the bar earlier when I met this guy I think I did something or felt something," she said, "So maybe I'm open to the possibility."

"It's about time," Sheila said walking back into the room, "But I'm going to need you girls a little more than open."

Both Emily and Bonnie looked at her as she came to join them. Bonnie watched as she laid out pictures and drawings over the rituals supplies. Some black and white and some in color. Drawings from medical times. Sepia exposures dated 1864. Black and white pictures dated 1920. More black and white photos from the 1960's. Color photographs from the early 80's and finally on into present day. The pictures had one thing in common, they were all pictures of Bonnie and Emily.

"Now I'll ask you again," Sheila said, "Are you both ready to really listen?"

Bonnie reached out and found that Emily's hand was already reaching back. Bonnie gripped her sister's hand tightly as Emily spoke. "We're ready," Emily nodded.

Bonnie watched as her grandmother sat down in a chair across from them and began to speak. She told them about their powers, about their family. She told them about the curses on their heads and how they had been born and reborn. She told them things that Bonnie could hardly fathom. She told them the real reason behind her mother's departure and while Bonnie was relieved she could finally stop blaming herself she wasn't sure if she was ready for her mother's return.

"So this whole time," Bonnie said, "I was right. Even back then when I told you all about mom and her response was to put some kind of spell to make me forget or something?"

"She thought she was protecting you," Grams said, "Both of you. She thought if you didn't know about magic you'd be safer but what was coming for you came for you anyway and now you're not as prepared as you would have been had you known. This spell we'll be casting on the night of the comet will give us protection and buy us some time. Time for you to grow in power, to learn how to use your gifts, to learn about your pasts and time to prepare for what's coming for us all."

Emily's grip on her hand was iron tight and even though she looked put together, Bonnie knew her sister well enough to know that she was just as scared as Bonnie was. The difference was Bonnie had always wanted to believe in magic, Emily hadn't. Bonnie tried to make a joke to break the tension. "So do we really dance naked in the rain during spring equinox?"

Emily laughed and Bonnie smiled. "We do," Sheila said, "It's very cleansing and powerful. Who told you that?"

As Emily laughed harder Bonnie shook her head. She would definitely have to find out more about Stefan's ex-girlfriend.

:::

Mystic Falls, 1864

"How many lives do you think you've had already?" Katherine asked Bonnie as she tightened the strings on Katherine's corset. "How far back do you think this thing goes?"

Katherine had her hands prompted on each side of her full length mirror to steady herself. "I'm not sure," Bonnie shrugged. "I know of a few but if we could remember any of the ones before we'd know who was after us by now."

"I'm a doppelganger so do you think you encountered one of my shadow selves?" Katherine laughed, "Do you think that we were friends before? I know we were when we met in England but who knows you could have been dealing with the Petrova for decades."

"Then I am certain that one of my deaths was by suicide," Bonnie grinned.

"Ouch," Katherine laughed, "You love me and you know it. Are coming with me to Pearl's later? I need you to preoccupy Annabel. She's quite smitten with you I believe."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, letting the strings fall. "I am not like you Katherine," she said, "I don't need hordes of suitors giving me constant attention. I'm only interested in Stefan."

Katherine huffed. "You don't have to be interested in the girl to get her out of the way for a bit," Katherine sighed, "Besides, I know clearly where you interest lies and he is very much in love with you in return."

Katherine turned to Bonnie and touched the side of her face. "What is it?" Bonnie asked, "You're giving me your puppy eyes."

"Have you thought about what will happen if you and Emily meet the same fate as before," Katherine said, "If you die young. What will happen to your suitor then?"

Bonnie frowned. She didn't want to think about it but she had, especially since the bodies started piling up around town. "He'll move on," Bonnie murmured, "Marry. Have a normal life."

"What if he doesn't want a normal life?" Katherine asked, "What if he wants to be with you forever?"

"Forever is a long time," Bonnie said, shaking your head.

"He told me you would say that," Katherine frowned, "When he approached me asking for me to turn him."

"What?" Bonnie scowled, stepping away from her.

"Don't look like that I haven't agreed to it yet," Katherine sighed, "He loves you. He knows that if something happens then you'll come back to him and he wants to be with you in any way that he can for all eternity. What is so wrong with that?"
"I'll come back but it won't be me," Bonnie said.

Katherine gripped her hands and squeezed. "It will in all the ways that count," Katherine said, "Trust me I know. I found you again for a reason. Your friendship means more to me now that it did then. You have to know that. Everything that's good in you, your loyalty, your humor, your power, your beauty, and your love it lives again Bonnie, no matter how different you are each time."

"Katherine," Bonnie shook her head, "I couldn't ask him to do something like this."

"You wouldn't be," Katherine said, "He loves you and he's asked for it. At the end of the day it's his choice to make. All you have to do Bonnie Bennett is for once in all of your lives be selfish and let someone make a sacrifice for you for once. You know what it's like to love him, do you really want to rob your future selves of that and do you really want to rob him of you?"

"I'll discuss it with him," Bonnie promised, "I'll consider it."

:::

Mystic Falls, Present Day

Bonnie Bennett stood in front of the Salvatore Boardinghouse, hand poised to knock on the door. She had come straight after her talk with her grandmother. She'd told them everything and it was all true. They were witches. Witches with a grandmother cursed with nine lives and a mother cursed with eternal motherhood that was apparently being called back into town to help solve some mystery that apparently spanned hundreds of years regarding who the hell was torturing her family. Bonnie had turned to Emily and her Grams for comfort for only a moment and then her first instinct had been to run.

It hadn't taken her long to find out where Stefan lived. It was a small town and people talked. Bonnie wanted to tell Stefan everything but knew that she couldn't and so she had decided that being around him and revealing what she could would be enough. Something about him made her feel stable, grounded. Everything was chaotic at the moment and apparently she hadn't been imagining all of the odd occurrences happening around her, it had been her powers surfacing. Her Grams said that her powers were tied to her emotions and so she knew that she needed to calm down, at the moment, Stefan was her calm.

Bonnie was about to knock on the door when suddenly it flew open to reveal a man with dark hair and blue eyes. He grinned at her and greeted her with a jovial tone as if they were old friends. "Bonnie Bennett," he said, "You have no idea how glad I am to see you."

"Do I know you?" Bonnie frowned. She remembered Stefan saying that he lived with his brother and his uncle and assumed this man was the former.

"No but you want to," he said, "Damon Salvatore. The cooler and better looking brother of Stefan Salvatore the one that has been brooding all day because you didn't show up to school after your magical night of epic conversation, because he thought he scared you off. But now that you're here he can stop pouting and I can stop babysitting so…. do come in. Stefan has been moaning your name mournfully for the past few hours and praying to the stars that you'd return to him."

Bonnie blinked. "It's still day light out," she quipped, "Are you always this much of a drama queen or is me being here like a special occasion? Let me guess, first girl Stefan's meets in a new town and you couldn't resist embarrassing him. Am I close?"

Damon laughed. "She has a since of humor, does she?" he said as he led Bonnie through the foyer, "My brother knows how to pick them. Also you're not bad on the eyes. I met your sister last night by the way. She's hot. Like the Salvatore apparently you have good genes. Put in a good word for me, would you?"

Bonnie frowned remembering something Emily said about weird things happening after meeting some guy at the Grill. Stefan apparently had some kind of effect on her powers and if Damon was the guy that Emily was talking about then that meant that it was possible that he had some sort effect on hers. That meant that there was obviously more to the Salvatore than met the eye. "Sorry," Bonnie said, "You're on your own with that."

Damon placed a hand over his chest and Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I'm hurt," he said, wiping away a mock tear, "But I forgive you. We're going to be friends you and me. I can feel it."

Bonnie couldn't help but laugh as he leaned down and wiggled his eyebrows in her direction. "Are you on something?"

"I'm on life Bonbon," he said, before calling out, "Stefan your girlfriend's here!"

Bonnie had been looking around the parlor but her eyes widened at his proclamation. "I'm not…I mean we're not," she started, "Not that I don't want to…." She trailed as suddenly Stefan appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She frowned as he stopped in front of her. "Um…hi."

"Hi," Stefan smiled and Bonnie felt the nervous energy she had been feeling settle and calm as he reached out and took her hand. "You weren't in school."

"Long story," Bonnie said, looking pointedly at Damon.

"I'll leave you two love birds alone," Damon said as he walked towards the door, "Nice meeting you Bonbon."

Bonnie stared at Stefan. "He's going to call me that forever now isn't he," she said as Damon disappeared.

"Probably," Stefan nodded. "Ignore him, he's an idiot." As his brother left shutting the door behind him, he leaned down and kissed Bonnie on the lips. "He's right about one thing thought, I missed you today at school. What's going on?"

"I missed you too," Bonnie sighed. She bit her lip before she continued. "So long story short," she began, "It's true. I'm a witch and my sister is a witch and my Grams and my long lost mother is a witch. We went to see Vicki this morning and she flipped out and was shouting all of this stuff. My Grams thinks it's a warning and so the whole freaky comet protection ritual is definitely happening and now my mother is coming back to town. Apparently there's some kind of dark force coming after us and has been after us for….a long time I guess. I can't really go into details but my brain is pretty much fried and I can't even process anything."

"It is a lot to process," Stefan nodded, "But we don't have to talk about it right now. Not that it isn't amazing and I promise your secret is safe with me. If you want I'll even help you in any way I can when you start to really learn what all of this means. However, for now I think what you really need is lots of ice-cream and possibly Netflix binging. Basically anything unrelated to everything you just said up until the comet ritual of doom happens."

Bonnie didn't understand it. She'd literally known him two days and he just took whatever she said or did in stride and she was pretty sure she was half in love with him already. "I've know you a couple of days and I tell you I'm a witch and not only are you completely fine with it but you offer me ice cream. Who are you? Where did you come from? How are you so perfect?"

Stefan shrugged. "You conjured me up remember?" he said, "Come on let's get you that ice cream." Bonnie let herself be guided into Stefan's kitchen. "So can I come and watch this whole ritual thing?"

"My Grams would not approve so, no," Bonnie replied, "But we're not even going to be naked so you're not missing much. Also, we do apparently dance naked in the rain for the first spring shower to celebrate the spring equinox. If you play your cards right I might just do it in private and give offer you a front row seat."

"I've known you a couple of days and you offer me a front row seat to watch you dance naked in the rain," Stefan grinned looking at her with an over exaggerated expression of awe, "Who are you? Where did you come from? How are you so perfect?"

Bonnie laughed and she knew she had made the right choice by coming over. "I wish I could be this happy all the time." She almost regretted the words until Stefan's expression softened.

"Glad I can be of service," he said, "And after the comet ritual to ward off impending doom you'll be able to use your gifts, explore them for the first time. It's exciting. You should feel good about that Bonnie. Your powers are something that are just yours. No one can take them away. More importantly you can finally believe in magic. What could be better than that?"

He once again knew the right thing to say at the right time. As much as the scared her Bonnie wanted to embrace her powers and find out more about who she was and who she had been in all of her other lives before. The answers could also reveal whatever the threat from before had been and she could make sure that she and her family stayed safe. She could do that and learn to use her powers at the same time. Stefan believed in her and that fostered her belief in herself.

"I know we just met," Bonnie felt at ease as she looked into his eyes and spoke, "But I really don't think I could get through any of this without you."

:::

Mystic Falls, 1864

Giuseppe Salvatore followed Johnathan Gilbert the forest. They had found two more bodies in as many days and he knew that there was something darker than anything they had thought they would unearth, lurking within the town limits.

His sons were loss to him, it would seem. At first he had thought that they had been bewitched by Lady Katherine, however, he soon realized that both to of their interests lied elsewhere. With the Bennett girls, the girls who had secrets of their own. Giuseppe needed a reason to be rid of them. He couldn't have his family fall into shame and mockery due to the actions of his offspring. .However, he had to be careful, and calculated.

Johnathan finally came to a stop in front of a clearing in the trees. "We must be careful," he told Giuseppe, "There is much darkness here."

As they walked through the clearing Giuseppe felt deeply uneasy. He lifted the lamp to guise his way and suddenly he saw what Johnathan had come to show him. Burden into the grass was a circular symbol with a smaller circle inside of it and three curving lines. On first glance it looked like an eye but Giuseppe knew that he had seen that symbol somewhere before.

"This symbol has been found near every body that has been discovered," Johnathan said.

Giuseppe scowled. "We'll find who's responsible and then they will burn."

:::

Mystic Falls, Present Day

The night of the comet the Bennett women donned flowing blue dresses. The material was sheer and light and dragged across the ground as Bonnie, Emily and Sheila made their way to through the forest and to the falls. Their feet were bare and their hair down. Each woman carried a crystal in one hand and a candle in the other. Sheila carried labradorite , which shielded against psychic attack, fixation and ill-wishes. Emily carried black obsidian, which protected against sorcery and ill fortune. Last but not least Bonnie carried, fluorite which cloaked your energy signature, guarded against sorcery and combatted the effects of curses.

Bonnie was brimming with anticipation as they walked across the bridge over the falls. She could feel the buzz of her powers under the surface, had felt it for some time if she were honest, it was just now she knew what it was.

"You don't have to look so excited," Emily shook her head in amusement.

Bonnie grinned back. "We're going to channel the celestial powers of a comet for our very first spell ever," she said, "If that isn't exciting I don't know what is."

Bonnie watched as her Grams took a piece of chalk out of the pocket of her dress and drew a pentagram on the bridges surface. "Do you remember the incantation?" She asked.

The girls nodded and Bonnie bounced on the heels of her feet after the set the stones in the center of the pentagram. "Can we do the thing with the candles?" Bonnie asked.

When Sheila nodded Bonnie beamed at her and Emily rolled her eyes but smiled. Bonnie held her candle in both hands and Emily and Sheila did the same. "One," Emily said,

"Two." She counted.

"Three," Bonnie finished. As Bonnie said the last number they all blew on over their candles. Bonnie smiled as flames lit the wicks as their breaths wafted over them.

"Candles down," Sheila instructed. The girls placed the candles on the points of the pentagram and Sheila did the same. "Hands." Bonnie gripped first Emily's hand and her Grams' hand and they created a circle around the pentagram. "Eyes to the skies girls, the chanting has to start as soon as it starts to pass."

Bonnie looked upward and after what seemed like forever the comet began to pass overhead. Bonnie took a deep breath and the chanting began, "Qui agit contra nos protegat. Nos protegat, et ab his tibi. Ut praesidio nostris se defendat."

Protect us from those who would act against us. Shield us from those with ill will. Protect us as we protect our own. Again and again they chanted until the crystals began to glow and the flames of the candles reach new heights and extinguished.

Bonnie watched as white light erupted from each crystal and weaved around each other before weaving around her, her sister and her grandmother. Bonnie felt a warmth from the inside out and she felt powerful as the lights shot through the sky and out into the night.

"You feel that?" Sheila grinned, "That means for now we'll safe. It's heading for your mother. She'll be safe too. Whatever is out there it's going to have one hell of time trying to get to us."

After the ritual Bonnie felt lighter and fuller all at once. She and Emily drove into town not bothering to change their clothes singing along with the radio as they made their way into town square where the rest of the town was still watching the comet as it passed.

When Emily parked the car Bonnie got out and ran through the square her hair flying behind her and her feet still bare. Emily followed at a much slower pace, laughing at Bonnie's antics.

When Bonnie found her friends, she wasn't surprised when they looked at her with wide eyes. "Bonnie what are you wearing?" Caroline asked.

"More importantly where are your shoes?" Elena laughed from Tyler's lap.

"The comet is a sign of impending doom," a voice said from behind her, "She's wearing blue for protection. What else would she be wearing?"

Bonnie turned to Stefan and beamed up at him. "We did it," she said.

"I figured," he replied which made her friends look even more confused which Bonnie didn't really care about either.

Bonnie watched as Emily made her way to through the crowd and stopped to stand by Damon. "Emily," he greeted to which Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Big Tipper," Emily grinned.

Bonnie gave Stefan a look and he shrugged. She watched as Damon looked down at Emily's feet. "Is the lack of shoes a broke college student thing?"

Emily looked over and met Bonnie eyes and smiled. "Nah," she said, "Bennet women just like to feel the ground beneath their feet."

Bonnie smiled back at her sister as Stefan wrapped his arms around her. "Your hair looks good down," Damon commented as he eyed Emily, "You should wear it down more often."

"I rarely ever wear it down," Emily said, "Consider yourself lucky to have witnessed it."

Bonnie rolled her eyes at her sister's attempt to flirt and turned back to Stefan. She watched as he pulled something out of his pocket. It was a necklace, a silver circular charm with a garnet stone. It felt almost familiar as Stefan placed it in her hands. "What is this?"

"A gift," he whispered lowly so that no one around them could hear, "In celebration of your first spell."

"Thank you," Bonnie murmured. "It's beautiful."

As Stefan helped Bonnie put on the necklace, she felt like something important had been returned to her.

Across town a couple in a tent were being murdered, their bodies left for the authorities to find. A depiction of the charm on Bonnie's necklace was burned into the trunks of the surrounding trees.

End Notes: So this fic has been really fun to write so far so hopefully it remains so! Hope you guys liked the update! Please review! See you next time!