Chapter 13: We Need A Resolution

Bonnie picked up the unknown pills off the bedroom floor. She was going through her mother's purse so she could get a dollar to buy some ice cream like the other kids on her block were. Accidentally, she stumbled upon some white pills and was curious to see if they were anything like the sleeping pills her grandmother took before bed.

Abby came in the room to see her young daughter scrambling on the floor with her supplies and almost lost it.

"What the hell are you doing? Get off my shit!" She hissed, pushing the girl away.

Bonnie's face was red as she breathed in and out watching her mom pick up all the pills hurriedly.

"I-I'm sorry, mommy, it-it won't happen again," She sniffed.

"It better not," Abby approached her, pointing in her face. "And you better not tell Ma what you just saw or I'm going to go away, again."

"But I don't want you to leave again!" Bonnie cried out, hugging onto her mother's leg and wailed loudly. A hand tugged at her pigtail and screeched out in pain.

"Shut up, Bonnie!"

Elena came up to Bonnie with a wet towel and a bottle of water. She pressed the woman's forehead that was beading with sweat across it. Her body temperature was through the roof.

"You need to get your fluids up," The brunette informed her as she drunk. "Plus, you have a slight fever, you might be at 100."

"Did I...did I scream last night?"

"Yeah, you were screaming out for Abby, but hey don't worry about it, it was just a bad dream or memory."

"No, I screamed last night in the car..." Bonnie looked at Elena who had a confused expression on her face. "You know what, forget it."

"Okay, um Stefan's got us some breakfast so he's cooking right now."

Bonnie fiddled with her thumbs. "Oh, does everyone else know where we are?"

The nurse reached across her and cupped her face. "Does everyone else even matter to you?"

No.

"Yes, they do matter and we should still have this group meeting."

Elena dropped her hand. "Ugh, you're no fun."

Bonnie took several bites of the decadent french toast she was eating. It had slices of banana and strawberries on it with scissored syrup that covered the whole plate. She'd eat the plate whole if it was possible.

"What?" She asked, uneasy that Elena was looking at her with more interest than the plate in front of her.

Elena smirked and invaded her space by using her thumb to wipe off the sticky substance on Bonnie's space. "You had a little something on your face."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "It's syrup, all you're doing is spreading it trying to be cute."

"Oh, i'm sorry." A hand grazed and squeezed her left thigh. "Would you like me to lick it off?"

Bonnie parted her lips in contemplation at the idea. It lingered in her mind longer than it should have before saying her eventual no. Elena groaned in irritation before backing up out of her space.

"Boo. You're no fun, again."

The woman slid off of her chair to wash her clean plate in the sink. After she was done, she leaned against the counter and crossed her arms.

"None of this fun or funny, you went too far last night."

"Define 'too far' for me, please." Elena challenged.

Stefan walked towards her causing her to turn around to face him.

"I will, the club hopping, the drinking, this too," He rambled, holding the same plastic bag from her purse.

"That's not mine," Elena denied, shrugging carelessly and walked past him.

He caught her arm. Nice try. It was in your bag," He replied.

The accused brunette looked at Bonnie who nervously put her hand behind her neck. It was obvious that she hadn't held up her end of the secret.

"I can't believe you right now, Bonnie."

"I-"

Elena broke away from Stefan and approached her longtime friend with earnest eyes.

"I wouldn't take those pills for no reason, you know how bad I needed them last night," She sighed sadly. "I mean my very own best friend was trying to have. an intervention for me."

Stefan laughed dryly at her explanation. "You actually have convinced yourself that what you're doing is justified."

She whipped her head around to face him and sneered, "I'm sick of you coming in between me and my friend's relationship."

"No, you're gaslighting her, how does one pill turn into this?" He held it up for her to see again.

"I'm aware of the stupid bag, Stefan! And it isn't even mine, I'm holding it for someone."

"Oh, okay. I guess a nursing degree for a low-level drug pusher is a fair trade in your book," He taunted.

"Fuck you, I'm out of here."

"Wait, where are you going?" Bonnie inquired, finally speaking.

"To prepare for my intervention at 5," Elena turned to them. "But maybe you two can screw in the meantime."

"Elena, I didn't mean—"

But she slammed the door already, proving that she didn't care enough to hear her reply.

The six of them in Caroline's living room were tense, to say the least. Bonnie wanted her blonde friend to start intervening. Prying was her specialty.

"You put us through hell yesterday," Caroline started and stood up. "I mean the cryptic Instagram post and deletes were making my nerves go on overload."

"Alright, love please sit now, I'm begging you." Klaus sighed and guided her back to her seat.

"Care, I wasn't trying to stress anyone out here— contrary to popular belief." She looked at Stefan. "I just, I'm 25, okay and just want to live life without any negative opinions."

"Gee, Elena, me expressing concern for you is me being negative or judgmental."

"Hmm, maybe the negative part was a reach but you are judgmental, though," The caregiver replied casually.

Caroline's face contorted in disbelief. "I am not judgmental, you guys am I judgmental?"

She got a slew of answers that were silently agreeing with Elena's statement. Her mouth was wide open in shock as she looked around the room. Her being critical must have been a habit that went unnoticed until now.

"Oh my God, I'm totally judgmental," Caroline cried out. An eye roll quickly came from Elena's direction.

"Within reason, sweetheart, within reason," Her fiancé placated while rubbing her thumb in her lap.

"Yeah within reason of you potentially shooting heroin up in some club bathroom!" Katherine spoke up.

"Please. You're being dramatic."

"How can you be so glib about this?" Caroline inquired, annoyed at her apathetic demeanor.

"You're right, let's start this off again." Both her sister and friend straightened up for an apology.

"I would have never known about this little meeting you were planning if it wasn't for Bonnie," She spat, looking directly at the perpetrator.

"What?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "I cannot believe that you all would think she would choose your secret plan to confront me over our friendship. Common sense is an obvious factor here."

"C'mon, don't be like that...," Bonnie said, weakly.

"It is true, though," Caroline agreed, turning to face Bonnie with crossed arms. "You haven't even taken any responsibility for this!"

"Caroline," Klaus clenched through his teeth but it fell on deaf ears.

"I am really sick of your behavior," She directed towards Elena but flipped around quickly to Bonnie. "And you knew that—you promised not to tell and you did anyway!"

"I-I'm sorry, I guess I didn't see it that way, how I messed up everything." Bonnie sighed.

Elena smirked and caught the distraught woman's gaze and subsequently lost it, leaving her more puzzled than ever. All this blame-shifting was going to make her sick.

"Hey, you, me, in the bathroom, now," Stefan told Elena, and she reluctantly rose from her seat with a playful eye roll.

A couple of minutes passed while they were in there and Bonnie's leg couldn't stop twitching. She really wanted to know what was taking them so long because it was really distracting.

"If they aren't out in the next five minutes, they're definitely screwing," Katherine said through her teeth as the seconds went on.

"Don't be silly," Klaus replied.

"Six, almost seven months is a long tine, the reunion just doesn't stop at a glance. Just saying." She eyed Bonnie's non-expression. "What do you think?"

"They—Stefan isn't like that, so I think entertaining that theory is pointless."

Katherine just smiled while Bonnie rolled her eyes. She didn't understand the woman's motive since this meeting was supposed to be positive and growing. Her energy was sinister and Katherine-like as usual.

Finally, Elena emerged from the bathroom with Stefan behind her. She looked modest as she came out with her hands crossed. Her eye contact with Bonnie was the most sincere. It was her non-verbal way of saying that she was sorry. Everyone was oblivious to their language.

"So, I just want to say that I'm sorry to everyone and that I am ready to face some real questions and give some truths out."

Caroline sighed. "Just take a seat and we'll start this all over. I'll even forget last night even happened for the sake of everything."

Knowing that, Bonnie made a silent sigh of relief. The pressure was too much for her to handle to be blamed for another person's actions. She wasn't owed one, but hoped for an apology from Caroline after today.

"The reason why I have been so distant and spiraling lately is because I am struggling with something that I have finally come to terms with," Elena half-revealed while everyone anticipated her confession.

"I am a lover of people—take that as you will and I don't want to hide or make everyone else suffer because I wasn't ready to admit it."

"I've known you my entire life and you're not gay. Now that's ridiculous," Katherine intervened.

"I think the term is bisexual."

Klaus grabbed Caroline's hand and squeezed it. "Me and Caroline are fine with it, right love?"

"It stunned me at first but overall, I'm okay with it and I love you either way. Just don't push us out anymore."

"I have no issue with it, either. None of us should," Bonnie said, and everyone nodded.

"I guess there could be a possibility of my twin being gay—bi." Katherine turned to face Elena. "It was the last thing on my mind which made it so unbelievable for me."

"I don't want anymore secrets between us which is why I have planned a trip to Hawaii where we lay everything bare," Elena announced cheerfully.

"When is it?" Caroline inquired, nervously shaking her leg.

"Um, end of August. Why?"

"This is not what I wanted to happen, Elena but we, the four of us have already decided to take a trip to London."

Elena's smile cracked. "You four decided to take a trip without me?"

"It wasn't to exclude you...it was just that we thought you wouldn't be interested because it's a pseudo-couples trip," Caroline stated, unsure of how to approach the question.

"Honestly, it was. Me and my brothers take a trip back to our hometown every year for our mother's birthday. Having Caroline meet her face-to-face was just a matter of striking two things at once." Klaus further added, trying to soften the blow.

"Katherine and Bonnie aren't in a relationship with your brothers, though, so you guys can go with me, right?"

"I've already said yes!" Katherine exclaimed. "Elijah says he can show me his city better than he can tell me and I want to see him live up to that."

"Really Kat?"

"Hey, I deserve that what he's offered to do for me, I deserve love and devotion like everyone else in this room," The woman reiterated.

"Fine, you're right." Elena sighed and remembered she was in Caroline's dining room. She could have been painted as the scorned single person when they planned the trip without her. Was the trip so obsolete to Bonnie that she forgot to even mention it?

"E, we can still take the Hawaii trip, I just need a different time," Caroline proposed.

"No, I don't want a different time, I want the end of August so I'll just go alone."

There it was, her stubborness filling the room and Bonnie pursed her lips as her friend spoke but decided not to. She didn't want to be the first and only person to be caught in Elena's web. Not again and not anymore.

"Despite what you and I have been through, I don't want you to feel alone." Stefan said sincerely. "So, I'll go with you."

"Please," The brunette scoffed. "Like you'd get a week off of work for me."

"I would and I am. I just texted my boss and he's going to make sure those days get approved."

Elena took another deep sigh, one that was reminiscent of relief but not quite. "Wow, I don't even know what to say. Thank you."

"Aw, it all worked out," Caroline squealed. "I say we do a group hug."

Everyone had their respective groans at the idea of a hug. It wasn't until the bubbly blonde herself made all her guests and her fiancé rise up for a bundled embrace. Even with the clear division set, it seemed like there could be room for growth.

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER

Bonnie and Elena were both coincidentally packing for both of their trips. Elena was selecting light and bright clothes for her trip while Bonnie was packing the latter since it would be some humid rain in London.

"You know, my offer still stands, if you can't stand the rain," Elena jokes, grabbing a pair of sandals to stuff in her luggage.

"I have 20 pounds of England-like clothes and I'm too lazy to re-shelve that so I can chase you to Hawaii, Ms. Gilbert."

They both laughed, their interaction and banter was natural.

"So, how are you feeling since that night?"

"Ah," The brunette began zipping her suitcase shut, loudly. "That night. Are you talking about the grinding or my confession to doing X right before it?"

Bonnie closed her eyes. "The drugs, Elena," She spoke in a low voice. "I don't know if you are yearning for some more of it or even something stronger through our casual texts."

"I can't say I haven't felt the lows but I have not went out and got more." Elena used her pointer finger to circle her hip bone. "Making you that upset is something you used to do when Abby screwed up time and time again."

"Stefan had to tell you right? I mean I was kind of upset about it but I'm glad you aren't doing it anymore."

"No, don't try to downplay it, I acted horribly that night and he said you were rightfully hysterical when you two saw the baggie I had." She scratched the back of her head. "It was a dumb mistake and won't happen again."

Bonnie exhaled. "I hope you two enjoy your week together."

"And I hope you enjoy yours, but seriously - the offer still stands." Elena reminded her.

"Okay, I know and I'll consider it, I swear."

"Re-think it to the last minute, I don't care if you have to cut ties with your precious Kol the day of the flight," Elena jokes.

"I'll keep that in mind..."

"Wait, you know that I love you, right?" Elena breathed silently in anticipation. She sounded needy but she didn't know where their respective trips would leave their friendship. All she wanted to make sure that the 'now' was positive.

"I love you too, have a safe trip,"

Bonnie let a sigh escape her lips as she ended the call and sunk to her knees.

...

The dancer smiled weakly as she laid on Kol's shoulder as the plane prepared to take off. He did say things and stroke her thumbs every now and then to keep her mind at ease. She, however, reflected on her goodbyes to her family, her home, her dance class, and Elena. Her guilt for not choosing her subsided since Stefan was accompanying her. He was a face that she did not wish farewell to and it was eating her up on the inside.

"Passengers, we are now preparing for take off," The intercom informed. "Please be seated accordingly."

"Babe, you ready for your eardrums to temporarily burst?"

Bonnie nodded quickly as she was brought back to reality.

"Yeah, but I get really emotional during,"

Kol smiled. "You're in good hands, I promise."

Even though she mentally prepared herself for the air pressure, tears fell from eyes down her cheeks. She kept stating that she was fine and she was truly the effects of the plane being in the air hadn't affected her that much. It was that plane elevating that rendered her so breathless at the moment. It symbolized the end of her relationship with Elena and that was enough to almost push her on the edge of hysterics.

A/N: Final chapter is the next update.