Monsters

A/N: Hello?(echoes) (echoes) (echoes) lmao. Yeah—I haven't updated this in quite a bit but SOMEONE (my good buddy Kat) made me so I hope you all haven't withered away. LOL. Enjoy.

"You know—it's been quite some time since I've seen you last, Damon… you would think things would be a bit more pleasant between us," Rebekah noted as she placed both hands on her hips, and the vampire scoffed in response. "How are you?"

It was bad enough he was going to be dealing with somebody's murder case; it didn't help that the She-Devil was here now, too. These damned Originals had a habit of showing up at the least opportune times. Like now; when he needed to find Bonnie and find out if she was a ruthless murderer or not.

Rebekah had gone missing since the night she ran Elena and Matt off of Wickery Bridge, and no one had seen her since. Damon happily presumed that the blonde was just dead or something, though he knew how unlikely that was.

Now, he wished his theory had been true.

"I'm busy," he shot back in response, as he grabbed his keys out of her hand and walked towards the door. "And I really don't have time for th—"

Damon's body came to a halt when Rebekah appeared before him again; blocking the doorway with nothing more than her stare. Damon scowled at that.

"You'll make time," Rebekah said, in a simple but hypnotizing voice, and his eyes dilated the moment hers met his.

Damon took in a deep sigh and shook his head. Seriously?

"Compulsion, Rebekah?" he asked, as he stared at her pointedly. "How inconvenient—"

"I don't care," she cut in, as she folded her arms over her chest and moved in closer towards him. "I have questions to ask you and I don't exactly have the time for you to tell me to work around your schedule. I'm an Original, and you're not—that's just how this goes. Now, sit."

Damon took in a deep breath but did as he was told the minute the order passed her lips. Rebekah smiled as he headed towards his chair and her hand landed on her hips.

"Why didn't I bring any vervain to New York?" he asked himself as he sat down and faced her. "What do you want?"

"Answers," she said, ash she folded her arms and walked over towards him, slowly. "I think I've waited long enough to get them, don't you think?" Rebekah asked, and Damon snorted as he glanced up at her and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, Bex," he said, letting her name roll off of his tongue smoothly. "You're the one who killed Elena because you were tired of running, but then you ran anyway… What do you want to know besides the fact that Bonnie did save your bastard of a brother, only to have him later toy with her mind, like she was his fancy new plaything?" Damon asked bitterly and he watched as Rebekah cocked her head and sucked her teeth in response to his inquiry.

"Oh, I'm not that out of the loop, Mr. Salvatore," Rebekah informed, as she stared into his deep blue eyes. "I'm very well aware that my brother had his way with Bonnie and not too long afterwards, you did as well… And you're still spending that special time together, now, as we speak… Can I just ask what is it with you only wanting a woman after she's already been with or belonged to somebody else? Is it a fetish of yours? It's quite unhealthy."

"What the hell does my sex life have to do with any of this?" he asked sharply and Rebekah sent him a smile and pursed her lips.

"Nothing—I just like to see you squirm," she winked and he rolled his eyes. "Now, onto my questions—"

"I don't know where Klaus is," he said, and Rebekah licked her teeth as she waited for him to continue. "Elijah made a deal with Bonnie that she could do whatever it was she wanted with his body—just so long as she didn't kill him—and she told him where he was, after her lifetime. Nobody knows where your bastard of a brother is except for her—"

"Then bring me to her," Rebekah said. "After all, you're looking for her anyway, right? Let's make this a group project."

"Just in case you haven't noticed, I'm actually really sick of you, altogether," Damon said bluntly, and the minute the words crossed his lips, he regretted them, as his back slammed against the wall.

Damon groaned as he opened his eyes and Rebekah was standing above him, with her shoe digging into his chest. He did his best to stifle his sounds of pain emitting from his lips.

"I don't give a damn about any of that," Rebekah informed, as Damon stared up at her. "Find me Bonnie and perhaps I'll let you live, if I'm in the giving mood and the end of this all."

Damon huffed as her heel continued to dig through his shirt until finally he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone as his white flag. Rebekah didn't relent, however, as she watched his dialing a phone number and she listened closely as the line began ringing and he placed it to his ear. She lifted her heel just long enough for him to speak freely.

"Laila," Damon said the moment the line was answered and he took in a deep breath. "Have you seen Bonnie by any chance? I've been calling her cell, but I think she got sick of me and turned it off," he joked dryly as the girl scoffed in response.

"Her audition with Tisch is today—didn't she tell you?" Laila asked, and Damon ticked his jaw before swallowing his breath and forcing a smile.

"Oh, right—I think I forgot," he said, though he was totally drawing a blank on Bonnie mentioning anything about NYU. "I vaguely remember having a conversation," he lied and Laila laughed.

"Yeah, well, you better remember to get her some flowers if she makes it in…I don't even know how she scored an audition; admissions stopped in the Fall," Laila said, and Damon bit his lip.

"Oh, I have an idea how," he said. "Thanks Laila. I'll talk to you later," he said before hanging up and looking at a slightly amused Rebekah Mikaelson. "Ever been to college?"

XXXXX

"Have you heard anything from Damon?" Elena asked, as she walked out of Stefan's kitchen with a mug of coffee and the vampire sighed as he shook his head.

"No, not yet. I'm sure he's fine though—we'll figure this all out," he said.

Elena nodded as she sat down beside him on the couch and bit her lip.

They could hear the faint sound of Caroline's shower running as the two sat in silence after finally deciding to turn the T.V off to escape the news about Chase Sotheby's mysterious death. The minute after hearing all of the details, Caroline turned into a bit of a recluse and insisted on cleaning herself up for the day, without much more of a word to either of them.

It upset and confused Stefan, because he knew exactly what was happening; Caroline was blaming herself for Chase's death and she felt guilty for not only cheating on him, but for plotting their breakup as well. It may not have lasted long, but Stefan knew Caroline wasn't heartless; she cared about anyone that simply breathed in her direction. No matter how many hours she knew them.

Chase was no exception.

"Do you want some?" Elena asked, as she held up her mug in Stefan's direction, and the scent of the coffee filled the air between them. "I know that I wasn't always the best at making this stuff—"

"You were fine," Stefan said and Elena smile softly as another silence passed between them before he spoke again. "Listen, Elena—about that morning—"

"I get it," she said immediately, suddenly recalling the last time she saw Stefan, when he evacuated her living room faster than a house that was on fire when he told her that he had feelings for Caroline.

She had to admit, it still hurt, but she was going to get through it; she'd promised herself at least that much.

"No, you don't get it—because it doesn't make any sense," he spoke up, and Elena's brows furrowed. "And I'm sorry… I'm sorry that you can't understand—"

"But I do; I do understand," Elena said, as Stefan looked up and met her eyes. "Caroline's really special, Stefan—and whether I've wanted to believe it or not, you two have always made sense, I just… it took me a little while to realize why," she said.

Stefan swallowed hard as Elena sat up straighter and folded her hands over her lap. His eyes followed her own as she spoke.

"I love you, Stefan; I will… always love you—I know that… But I can never give to you what she gave to you… And that was freedom," she said and he took in a deep breath as Elena bit her lip. "The freedom that you have with Caroline—it's what you need. And the freedom that I have without you or Damon—it's what I need… And it wasn't until I saw Damon last that it really sunk in; that... things have changed between the three of us and it's time that I change, too."

Stefan pressed his lips and he watched as Elena tucked a strand behind her ear. Her eyes met his again.

"Things are different now," she said as she blinked softly. "Between…. you and Caroline, Damon and Bonnie… you and Damon—you're happy. And I don't want you to feel guilty for being happy."

Stefan nodded as he inhaled deeply.

"I… don't know how to thank you for saying that."

"Then don't," she replied with a smile as she held her mug towards him again and Stefan smiled as the doppelganger gently tugged at her lip. "Coffee?"

XXXXX

"Do we have a Bonnie Bennett here for an audition?"

Bonnie looked up from the ground she was stretching on, before hopping to her feet in the hallway inhabited by dozens of dances students preparing for their workshop and flashing a smile.

The woman waiting in front of the door leading into the dance studio scribbled a few things down on her clipboard before gesturing Bonnie into the room and closing the door.

As Bonnie looked around, her eyes met with the quiet group of students who were—definitely wondering who she was, obviously, and—preparing themselves for some routine it looked like they'd all but mastered even before she got here.

Bonnie set her dance bag down and the woman with the clipboard—her name was Aria—sat down at the desk while she stretched her arms over her head and offered her a confident smile.

"So, Bonnie," Aria said softly as she eyed the girl's petite frame that was appropriately housed in a pair of tights and a tight tank top. "We don't normally accept auditions like this—especially not this late into the game for our Performing Arts Program, however… I understand your father, Rudy, is quite an important person to this school. He's one of our favorite alumni—and a very generous donor."

Bonnie smiled knowingly at that, because everything she was saying was true, after all. She'd have to remember to send her father a Thank You card when all of this was said and finally done. He was the reason—after all—that she was able to just call the Tisch School up, like she owned the place, and ask for an audition into their program, though she knew she was definitely very late and extremely ballsy.

But she'd gotten lucky—and here she was, getting ready to audition for the opportunity of a lifetime just because she had a little guts.

It felt good to do this—to want something—and be very close to getting it, she realized the moment she walked through those doors and eyed her competition like they were nothing more than the flavor of the week.

These girls ranged from tall, taller, thin, and then thinner. Bonnie was small girl, but that meant in height too—as she barely stood above five feet tall. From what she remembered about the world of dance, it was slightly difficult to get yourself noticed if you weren't as tall as a giraffe and as graceful as a swan. So she was definitely had a height disadvantage.

But that didn't matter to her, anymore—nothing did.

All that mattered was getting into this and being the star she knew that she could be; no matter how many legs she had to break.

Literally.

"Over the phone, you told me you were classically trained in ballet, contemporary, and modern dance."

"I am," Bonnie said proudly.

"So, for your audition—right now—I need you to perform an abbreviated ballet barre, adagio, and modern technique movement across the floor so I can properly judge your methods, and see where we can go from there. I can have one of my students pair with you for the adagio, but everything else—"

"I'm on my own," Bonnie smiled. "Got it."

Aria pulled smiled softly before clicking her pen and placing it to the paper while Bonnie quietly stood before her. She adjusted her glasses and never dropped her eyes, all the while.

"I'm ready to begin when you are, Miss Bennett."

XXXX

"What the bloody hell is Bonnie doing auditioning for a dance program?" Rebekah asked, as she filed into the Tisch School behind Damon—the raven-haired vampire instantly showing his frustration as his eyes casted among the crowd of students hanging out in the hall, though he had yet to see the one he was looking for.

Bonnie Bennett.

It didn't help that Rebekah had a question about everything, but was still so unwilling to open up as to why she was really here in the first place—never really elaborating as to why she was so vehemently looking for Klaus, of all people.

Sure he was her brother, but The Original siblings fought even worse than he and Stefan did, sometimes—going centuries without speaking to each other, just because they were pissed off, and even daggering one another, simply because they were getting too annoying to deal with.

Damon was annoyed with Stefan sometimes—and even convinced himself he'd hated him for years on end after the Katherine thing—but he couldn't imagine a life completely without him, no matter how hard he tried. It secretly made him happy that his brother was here, in New York of all places, because they'd spent so many years of their lives fighting, that he never truly got the chance to be a big brother for so long.

And he wanted that; he wanted a simple and functional relationship with his baby bro, no matter how many times he fled from it or even denied it.

It was just his luck, though, that the minute he and Stefan were reaching common ground, he and Bonnie weren't.

Something always had to be off in his life, didn't it? He could never just have nice things, altogether at once. Not when it came to them, anyway.

Add Rebekah Mikaelson to his list, and he had 99 fucking problems to deal with.

And every single one of them were supernatural human beings who were hell bent on not getting their shit together.

At least it seemed like Bonnie was headed in the right direction, coming back to school, and finally picking out what could be her real major.

He just wondered why she hadn't had the decency to even tell him about it.

Damon and Rebekah waltzed right up to the door to the dance studio—ignoring the dirty looks that they got from the pretentious snobs who were layered all over the walls in this place, and he opened the door knob slowly to peek a head in; his eyes immediately capturing the body of a woman he knew quite well, as she moved across the wooden floor with such fluid movement, he actually felt a bit hypnotized himself as he watched her.

"Bingo," Rebekah said softly, as they watched Bonnie from the doorway, executing an impressive modern dance routine in front of a one-judge panel and the prying eyes of the rest of the students who happened to still be in the room.

All eyes were on her, as she delicately spun on her toes, extended her leg to new heights and smiled confidently as she knew she'd stolen every person's attention, mind, soul, and then some.

Damon folded his arms over his chest as he watched her move a hand down her chest and he felt Rebekah's eyes burning through him as well, while the girl played on. He finally faced her with a curious look on his face.

"What?"

"She's good," Rebekah said surprisingly, as she turned back to Bonnie and shrugged her shoulders. "Great, actually—I didn't know the Bennett Witch had it in her."

Damon licked his teeth at that as the music finally stopped and Bonnie glimmered happily when congratulatory cheers filled the room; she even got the applause of the woman who was judging her.

If that wasn't any indication that she was officially a student at the Tisch School of the Arts, he didn't know what was.

Bonnie Bennett was absolutely flawless.

"Bonnie can do a lot when she sets her mind to it," Damon answered, as he watched the girl speaking happily to the woman with the clipboard, before she turned around and saw them. "She's a…mystifying one, that girl."

"And you're completely enamored by her," Rebekah replied as they watched Bonnie walk over and she lowered her voice. "Careful, Damon—I think Miss Bonnie, here, has completely got you under her spell."

Damon didn't answer that as Bonnie finally appeared before the both of them with a curious look on her face as she met the blonde Original before giving Damon a quick peck on the lips as he stood there quietly. She tied her hair into a messy bun and cocked her head as she adjusted her bag over her shoulder.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Bonnie asked bluntly as she looked into Rebekah's eyes and the blonde smiled. "Better yet—what are you?"

"Laila told me all about your impromptu audition that you didn't inform me about. I figured I stop by and see how it was going. Rebekah's just… visiting."

"Hello, Bonnie," the blonde grinned as her blue eyes floated over her arms, waist, and legs, before rolling all the way back up to her eyes. "Very good audition—you actually weren't half as bad as I imagined you to be."

Bonnie feigned a grin at that as her hand tightened around the strap of her bag and Damon eased both hands onto her shoulders to avert whatever screaming match was going to happen between the two. He didn't need that here, or now, or ever.

Especially not when they had this Chase thing to figure out and Bonnie—oddly enough—seemed like the biggest culprit in the entire story, though he believed he knew better.

He thought.

As the three began to walk out, Damon heard an intense shout of pain from behind them and they whipped around to see one of the dancers who'd been there when Bonnie walked in, hunched over in pain as she landed to the ground and devastatingly held her right leg.

The flood of students rushed over to her and one dialed help immediately, as she began to cry out in intense pain; convincing everyone around her that it was broken and she didn't know what just happened.

Damon's brows furrowed as Bonnie continued to walk on, until he grabbed her by the arm and her olive gems met his eyes. He squinted inquisitively as a hint of emotion never traced along her normally compassionate features. Instead, she was just staring—after a few moments, she even dared to smile.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

Damon glanced back at the girl who'd been doubled over on the floor because of her injury and then back to Bonnie—who didn't seem to care, as she pulled out her chap stick and applied it to her lips.

Did she actually do this?

"Bonnie—" he started and the girl licked her teeth as she stepped in a bit closer and Rebekah continued to watch their interactions, as if it were a part of a daytime soap opera.

"Aria said I was in the dance program—however, there wouldn't be spot for me in the first showcase, because they already had too many girls… I was just securing I'd get my shine."

Damon's eyes widened as he stepped in even closer towards Bonnie with a hushed whisper as a paramedic finally made it into the studio and his gaze was blaring.

How could she be so nonchalant about it?

"You just broke that girl's leg? Are you out of your mind?"

"Slightly, yeah," Bonnie admitted with a smirk before she turned to Rebekah and pursed her lips. "I know why you're here—and it's for your brother, Klaus, right? That asshole who manipulated, used, and abused me, right?" Bonnie asked bluntly and Rebekah nodded in agreement before stepping into the huddle and meeting her eyes.

"Surely that's the one."

"Good. Because when we actually find him, I want you to be the one to see it as I desiccate him completely, before dropping his body into the ocean where it'll never be found."

Rebekah immediately had Bonnie by the throat as she pushed her up against a wall, but Damon was there quick enough to rip her away as he stood between them. Rebekah's blue eyes were as sharp as daggers as she met Bonnie's. The brunette could do nothing but smile as she felt the girl's ever-growing sense of anger and frustration.

"What the hell did you do to my brother?" Rebekah asked through tight teeth and Bonnie shrugged flippantly. "Bonnie, I am warning you—"

"I killed him," Bonnie said lightly as Rebekah's eyes widened and Damon's did as well. "Temporarily, anyway. That's until he hops into the next unfortunate person's body and comes after me again—talking about the end of times or whatever he was babbling on about. I stopped listening the minute he gave my necklace back."

Bonnie turned on her heel to walk away and this time Damon's hand stopped her shoulder. She groaned in annoyance as she turned around to meet him. His blue eyes were studying her so intently, she'd almost forgotten what it looked like to see a Damon who was so concerned.

So helpful, so anxious and worried; aka, so boring, so tired, and so uninteresting.

She actually yawned.

"It was Chase, wasn't it?" he asked as he met her eyes and Bonnie cocked her head. "You killed him because Klaus was in his body."

"I killed him because I wanted to," she said as his forehead wrinkled. "And as someone who used to be such a ruthless murderer, I don't think you have the right to judge me."

"I'm not judging you, Bonnie—I just want to know what the fuck is going on… I understand hurting Klaus but that guy—he was innocent person. How could you—"

"Because I can," she answered shortly as Damon pressed his lips and Bonnie offered a smile. "I did it because didn't think that I would—because no one thought that I would… Cute, selfless, and morally honorable Bonnie Bennett would never hurt someone for no reason—she always has a motive; a purpose."

Damon didn't say a word as Bonnie moved in a bit further and captured his eyes. Her hands planted firmly against his cheeks and he sucked in a breath at the warm feeling that floated over his veins before she finally offered him a grin while he silently studied her.

Her formally sad eyes—they were full of something powerful; something magical that made Bonnie Bennett become a little more confident and definitely a lot bolder.

She'd just admitted to killing someone and also unjustly injuring another.

What had truly gotten into her? More so, how the hell was he going to get it out?

"Do you feel that?" Bonnie asked gently, as the feeling in her bones made its way to his and he tried his best not to succumb to the intoxicating euphoria that she was unapologetically bestowing upon him. "That's the feeling I get when I do something I want to do," she said as he met her eyes. "It's the feeling I get when I stop being selfless and prim and 'perfect.' And you know what, Damon? I like that feeling… I actually love it."

Damon let out a short breath as Bonnie finally dropped her hands and turned to face Rebekah again—who was staring at her in quiet disbelief—but intrigue—at just how audacious the Little Witch had actually become.

The Bonnie she knew was a nice girl, who was willing to do anything and everything for the people she loved—even forgoing her own happiness, once or a thousand times.

But clearly, not anymore.

No, this Bonnie had a vendetta against the world and the people in it, simply because she had been suppressing her own desires and saving their asses for far too long.

This Bonnie was sick of being nice and she definitely wasn't the one to talk to about playing fair.

Could she really blame her after she heard about the way that Niklaus treated her? How he used her?

Try as she might, she couldn't blame Bonnie Bennett at all. This girl had secured herself the right to have at least twenty-five more psychotic breakdowns after all that she had done for her friends, family, and The Original Hybrid, himself.

She'd definitely earned that.

"I'll help you find your brother's body and you can have it," Bonnie replied simply as Rebekah followed her eyes and gently pressed her lips. "But after my birthday and definitely not before… I'm really not in a rush to help him or you. But I figure if you came all this way, it wasn't out of the kindness of your heart, but with a purpose."

"That's right," Rebekah said easily when her hands landed upon her hips. "I just want my family back."

"And you'll have him, eventually" Bonnie replied as the girl looked into her eyes and she offered a callous smile. "Why don't we all just have some fun until the time comes, though?"

XXXXX

"I have good and bad news," Stefan said, as he walked into Caroline's bedroom that evening and met her eyes.

The blonde looked up from the book in front of her as Stefan sat at her feet on the edge of her bed and she sighed. It'd been a long day since finding out the news about Chase, and even though it still hadn't been confirmed that it was him, she still couldn't shake it.

There was just something in the pit of her stomach that told her he was dead; especially considering the fact that he'd yet to answer any of her phone calls or text messages since before. She wasn't sure what happened or why, but she was intent on getting to the bottom of it, if it was the last thing that she did.

She was one of the very last people to see this guy alive and perhaps it was even her fault that he was gone. Who knew what happened to him last night after he left here? What if he had been mugged, kidnapped, and killed?

Chase Sotheby's family left him a grand of a fortune when he died and if anyone knew that, didn't it surely make him a target? Was this just another senseless act in the world she was still getting used to, or a calculated one?

She didn't know why, but she just had to know.

"The bad news is that I spoke to Damon; he finally got in touch with Bonnie about last night and nothing…Chase was fine to drive when he dropped her off, and the last thing she remembers is seeing his car speed off. After that? Nobody knows what happened to him or how he ended up in Jersey."

Caroline sighed at that as her fingers rubbed through her hair and she nodded. Stefan's hand gently rubbed her leg.

"I figured that," she replied. "I just… wanted to convince myself that we could solve this… That we would figure this out, you know? I just feel really horrible about it."

"Trust me, I know," Stefan answered as he eased his hand over her skin and Caroline frowned as she shook her head. "I may not have been partial to the guy but he was still just a human being… And he didn't deserve this."

"Definitely, Caroline said as she looked into his green eyes and exhaled a gentle breath. "When the police finally figure out that it's him…can we go to funeral?"

"Of course we can, Caroline," Stefan nodded. "We can do whatever you want. We can even…hold off, on this entire thing," he gestured between them as Caroline ticked her jaw, "Until you're ready. I know you didn't date Chase for very long—and it surely wasn't serious, but I know it's weird and kind of fast to just jump into something else."

Caroline agreed with that as she felt her hand hold onto Stefan's tightly while he looked into her eyes.

It was so typical of her to be so torn up over the death of a guy she barely even knew—she admitted to that. But it was also typical of Stefan to want to take a step back and give her the space that she needed after each and every single situation they had been in.

How could one person be so selfless all the time? How the fuck was he so goddamn patient?

Her thumb moved over his as she looked at their hands and shrugged.

Honestly? She had no idea what she was doing anymore. From one day to the next her life had been blown up into a million pieces and at this point, she didn't know what to even make of it. Would waiting soothe the ill-provoked sorrow that she felt for this man that she barely even knew? Would moving on be a complete and utter disrespect to his memory, even though she hadn't known him that well to begin with?

Decisions, decisions, and more decisions.

"Stefan, I don't wanna push you away—"

"I know. But maybe if we just give this some time…for us both to get a bit more grounded before this becomes a we—"

"How'd your talk with Elena go?" she asked suddenly, as she had never quite forgotten the doppelganger's presence earlier that day, when she was the one to come by and tell them to turn on the news.

Caroline was wary about the fact that she was even here in the first place—considering how awkward it was that she'd declared her love to Stefan about a millisecond before, he turned her down in favor of her, and now, the three were supposed to pretend none of that happened; like they were one big happy family.

She just couldn't do it.

As much as she wanted to be friends with Elena, she knew now wasn't the time; not when she was on the cusp of fucking her ex-boyfriend from here to the Mississippi, without a regret, apology, or real hesitation in sight.

She wanted Stefan; she really did, and for once in her life, she was sick of feeling sorry about that—as if she owed Elena or anyone else and explanation for feeling everything that she had felt.

Stefan was someone she'd been interested in since the very moment she laid eyes on him. And while the feeling wafted over time—while she dated Matt then Tyler and he busied himself with Elena—that way that she noticed the butterflies in her stomach when he was around never actually left.

It'd been him, all along; she knew that. And it was going to be him, forever—no matter how slow or fast she took it this time.

But there was still Elena; Stefan's "epic love," who was apparently going to let him go, but no doubt, always be there.

Stefan and Elena were "over—"for now, at least. But what if something sparked again, way down the line, and the pair found their way back into each other's arms just like they always did?

Could Caroline handle that? Did she want to? Why was she even doubting him if he, in fact, chose her?

Her head stopped spinning the minute he finally heard her voice.

"Our 'talk' was fine," he said as Caroline twisted her daylight ring around her finger. "We just… drank some coffee and hung out, when you decided to hole yourself up in this room and never come back out until she left."

"Pardon me for being stubborn. I was in a mood."

"I understand," he replied as he followed her eyes. "Just like Elena understands that I'm into you and she's promised not to stand in the way of that… She sees why I would fall for someone so… smart, and funny, and bubbly," he added as a soft smile landed on her lips and he moved in a bit closer. "She understands exactly why I fell for you."

Caroline pursed her lips at that as Stefan leaned slowly and planted a sweet kiss on the top of her head. She didn't let him leave, as her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she held him in tightly. Stefan chuckled lightly when she brushed her nose against his and her mouth formed into a smile.

Seeing her smile—he realized it was all that he wanted, during this entire day.

"So, is that the good news? Elena… isn't going to play destiny and swoop in, trying to steal you away from me?" she asked and Stefan snorted.

"That's part of it, I guess," he said as Caroline tilted her head in question. "The other part is that we have plans tonight—if you want to partake in them, that is… Bonnie, apparently, got into the dance program at the Tisch School of Arts and Damon invited us out to celebrate… Allegedly—Rebekah Mikaelson is in town as well. Go figure."

Caroline choked on that as she loosened her grip on Stefan's arms slightly as she looked into his eyes.

"You had me until Rebekah Mikaelson. I can't stand her."

"Same," he said with a smile. "And obviously neither can Elena, since she's the one who killed her and all."

"Yeah—I'm gonna have to say no on hanging out with her," Caroline answered. "Maybe me, you, Damon and Bonnie can do something tomorrow? Like a double date?"

"I'm sure that's possible," Stefan answered. "I just don't get why my brother and Bonnie are even entertaining the idea of this girl being here… Seems weird."

"Do you wanna go so we can keep an eye out? I'll go if you want to, Stefan."

"No," he said, as he eased into bed beside her, wrapped the girl into his arm and let out a deep breath as they both lay back against the pillow and stared at the ceiling. His hand began to slowly stroke her blonde curls and she moaned with delight when they did. "If my brother needed us, he would have made it sound urgent—but he didn't. I know he'll be fine, Care. Somehow he always is."

Caroline nodded at that without saying a word and melting into her own brand of comfort as they silently lay here.

There was always something soothing about the way Stefan played with her hair; no matter what type of mood she was in before.

"I just wanna stay like this for the night," he said airily as he shut his eyes and her head cuddled against his chest. "Just me, you, your ceiling—"

"My flawlessly painted ceiling," she corrected with a smile. "You did a good job, handyman."

Stefan grinned at that before kissing the top of her hair and Caroline could only hug her arms around him tighter, to reaffirm her grip.

This felt nice; this felt normal.

"We haven't even started dating yet and we're boring," she replied playfully. "We're gonna be that boring couple, Stefan."

"Mmm," Stefan answered as his fingers traced along her ear and Caroline tingled a bit at the spine when he did it; he would never not pass at touching her in all the right places, to be honest. "I'll be boring; just as long as I can be boring with you."

Caroline flashed a toothy grin before shutting her eyes completely; the sounds of his movement filling the air around her—the sounds drowned her.

"Me too," she finally replied, much to his happy satisfaction. "I'd be anything with you."

XXXXX

"Have we honestly come upon the day where I am out drinking two vampires? This is equal parts sad, embarrassing, and insulting."

Damon groaned at that as he placed his empty shot glass on the bar in front of him and Bonnie smirked as she wiped her lips before diving in for another. Rebekah watched on in amusement before taking back another and garnering a look of approval from Bonnie in response.

She wiped her cherry red lips as well before looking Bonnie straight in the eyes.

"More importantly—have we come up on the day where Bonnie Bennett actually learned how to be fun?" she asked as the bartender slid her a martini and Bonnie an ice cold beer. "I know I'm supposed to be mad at you for snapping Niklaus' neck or whatever, but—"

"You're having a good time without him," Bonnie filled in, as Rebekah's eyes gleamed. "You're having a great time without anyone controlling you… I know the feeling," she tipped her glass.

Rebekah smiled faintly at that before taking a sip of her drink and Damon sighed in annoyance at the budding bromance between his girlfriend and the She Devil that was happening right before his very eyes.

He was also kind of pissed because out of the three of them, he was definitely the least inebriated, and at this point? He surely didn't understand why. Shouldn't he be drinking his stress away?

He'd lied to Stefan about Chase and though that sort of thing normally wouldn't have bothered him so much on a normal day, but tonight? It was eating him up inside.

He'd done it in hopes that Bonnie was just having a minor relapse; that this wasn't her, again, and all he had to do was wait a little bit until she came back around. Because she would, right?

Eventually?

His answer was doubtful, the second he saw Bonnie walk out of her bedroom—dressed in a tight plum dress that rose sharply onto her thighs, in ink black Louboutin heels, and her long brown hair so-pin straight, he didn't think it was humanly possible for her a mane to be that flawless.

And he didn't look half bad himself, he had to admit—as he wore a nice pair of black jeans, a button down shirt, a tie Bonnie herself urged him to buy, and a blazer. He actually looked pretty damn good.

But the way he looked—in no way—translated to how he felt. Because he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Bonnie had flipped—just like that—and she was dangerously close to walking the fine line between hot and a descent into madness if he didn't look out for her.

He had to make sure her magic didn't take over her life again; and he had to pray to whomever that this was temporary—just sweet, temporary, insanity.

"She's right you know," Damon heard as he snapped out his thoughts and eyed the blonde who was glaring at him with a mischievous smile as her finger circled the brim of her martini, and the music began to pump so loudly, he could hardly hear her. "You're not being yourself—you're not being fun."

"Pardon me for being a little lackluster," Damon said with a feigned smile. "But I think everyone is entitled to their 'off days.' Especially when Bonnie just killed someone, broke someone else's leg, and you're here—looking for your creepy brother who's the reason this all started in the first place."

"Life sucks; after life is worse," Rebekah quipped before taking a sip. "I really think you need to loosen up."

"And I think you need to go fu—"

"Damon," Bonnie interjected sweetly as he turned to eyes and her hand landed on his cheek. "You're being rude to our guest."

"Why do you even care? "he asked with such stark vehemence in his eyes, Bonnie could only blink in response. "You hate Rebekah."

"Right, but at least she has the decency to not be a buzz kill this entire night," she said as his brows furrowed incredulously and her green eyes illuminated with her smile. "Where's the fun Damon who taught me a thing or two about having a good time? Did I actually tame him?" she pouted.

"Not a chance, sweetheart," he replied as he challenged her eyes and she offered a slight grin. "You know me better than that."

"So prove it," Bonnie answered as she set her drink down and Damon followed her eyes. "Show me why you're still the biggest, baddest, vampire in town… Make me actually believe it."

Damon tugged at his bottom lip at that, and Rebekah snorted.

"No offense, but Baby Salvatore has nothing on me… He never will."

"I've got a white oak stake that says otherwise," he hissed and Bonnie placed her hands between the two with a laugh as she nodded her head at the impending quarrel.

"No need to fight about it when one of you could be proving it with actual actions," she said as they both looked into her eyes. "I could use the entertainment. I think it'd be fun to watch."

"Ah—a friendly little competition," Rebekah grinned as she looked back into Damon's briefly. "I've never lost one of those."

"You know—you talk a lot for someone who was daggered for the better half of her life," he shot back.

"And you both talk a lot for a pair of undead, ageless, supernatural beings who could be doing anything that you wanted, right now—just because you have that much power," Bonnie interjected as she rose to her feet and they both looked on when her hands landed at her hips. "It looks like I'm gonna have to be the baddest in town all by my damn self."

Damon and Rebekah's both narrowed as they watched Bonnie walk off confidently into the middle of the dance floor where she instantly began dancing by herself within the midst of the crowd. Damon's teeth licked over his lips involuntarily, as her hands slowly rose above her head and her eyes closed with total ecstasy as the bass in the bar thumped and her hips swayed with the sound.

Bonnie Bennett was having a great time—by herself, like she threatened she would. What the hell was he doing, still sitting here and contemplating about it? Why wasn't he over there doing the exact same thing?

Before Damon could make another move, Bonnie had her hands entangled with those of another guy and he ticked his jaw silently as he watched her spin around into his arms and smile devilishly as she pushed tightly into his embrace.

It actually made him want to slap the guy from here to Australia for laying a finger on his girl.

And when he met eyes with him—and gave him a darkening glare—apparently it wasn't enough of a hint or incentive to back off. Because Bonnie leaned closely to his ear, whispered a few words, and his hand was squarely planted against the girl's thigh.

If Damon could paint his emotions, he'd be all sorts of reds.

"She's baiting you," Rebekah said observantly and Bonnie continued to laugh while the anonymous guy in front of her worked his best to charm her. "And it looks like it's working—you are livid."

"Said the girl who chained me up, sliced me repeatedly with a bunch of knives, and un-vervained me, all because I pretended to like her… Your temper is just as bad as mine."

"I never said it wasn't true," Rebekah replied as Damon took back another sip of his drink and continued to watch Bonnie. "But I'm sure that if I were in your position—being with someone who knows that they have the entire world at their fingertips—I would happily embrace it… Pure confidence is a tough thing to come by, these days. The people who actually have it are just… all the more interesting to be around, I think."

Damon sucked his teeth at that as he watched Bonnie continuing to move to the beat—her olive eyes fluttering open slowly just look straight into his, and then Rebekah's.

She knew what she was doing and she was doing it well, Damon had to admit. Maybe he could just embrace it for tonight; let go of his worries and troubles, for a few hours and enjoy this.

Enjoy her.

Before he knew it, Damon's legs were headed in Bonnie's direction and she smirked with achievement when he finally came up behind her as she was dancing with "Nick," and placed a firm hand on her waist. Nick looked up at Damon shortly but didn't stop moving as Bonnie still held his hands, though the vampire's lips were dangerously close to her ear.

So dangerously close.

"What do you want, Damon?" she asked, and he scoffed in response.

"What do you think?"

Bonnie didn't answer that as she suddenly pushed Nick out of her way, grabbed the hand of a pretty redhead who was walking by and smiled at her long enough so that the girl stayed as Bonnie moved between the two.

Damon's eyes slightly widened, however, when he heard Bonnie begin to chant a few simple words as she stared into the girl's eyes and without another word, she was in a trance as she silently moved before her. Damon inhaled a deep breath again, when the lights to the club powered down and the crowd cheered as the strobes and lasers took over, while the DJ became even louder.

Bonnie smiled as she stopped dancing, placed a finger to the girl's throat, and drew it across her skin ever-so-slowly. He couldn't believe his eyes as he watched a slow but steady stream of blood begin to pour from her neck as she stood there calmly; Bonnie turned to meet Damon's face.

He swallowed hard as he felt the veins in his eyes beginning to form and Bonnie grinned as she kissed the blood off of her finger before shoving him closer to the girl.

His mouth was watering.

"I think you're hungry," she said simply as his fangs formed and threatened to spill over his lips. "Have a drink, Damon—this one's for free."

Damon let out a slight—but definitive—growl before leaning forward and taking the girl in by the neck; hungrily feeding on the wound Bonnie created on her skin, without any waiting on hesitation at all.

When he pulled back, his mouth was covered in the remnants of the stranger's blood as it slowly dripped from his lips, but Bonnie caught it with her thumb. She sucked it off of her own skin as Damon offered her a lazy smile and she returned one right back.

Her catching the prey and him devouring it could be fun; this could be a really fun game.

Damon pushed the mystery girl away from him the minute he was finished and watched as she stumbled off before he pulled Bonnie in at the waist and glanced deeply into her eyes.

She smiled at his softly as his hands floated down her hips—and gently against her thighs—but he didn't say a word before he leaned in and kissed her.

The mixture of alcohol, blood, and mint on his lips made for an interesting taste, but she was all for it. Just as long as he was having fun—just as long as they could be free together.

Damon engulfed Bonnie's mouth hungrily as she pushed him against a nearby wall. His fingers grabbed her tightly as they continued to make out and he might have nipped at her lip once or twice with his fangs, though if he were honest—he was too into it to stop it.

He sucked on it softly to help it heal, at least.

They were only—and finally—interrupted as the blonde Original walked over with a knowing look on her face for them both—as her beige dress clung to her hips and her golden waves dangled beneath her shoulders.

She may have been annoying, but she was definitely a goddess, Damon had to admit, as she swooped over behind Bonnie, eased her hands over Damon's and spoke into the witch's ear softly.

But still loud enough for him to hear it, too.

He was sure that was done purposely.

"Where's my random-stranger-treat?" Rebekah frowned as her lips met Bonnie's ear. "It seems like you're playing favorites, Miss Bennett."

Bonnie smirked at that as she equaled the push of her body between Damon and Rebekah—her hands pressed to his chest and holding him tightly, but her hips pressed to The Original—enticing her, purposely.

Damon's eyes remained fixed on Bonnie's but he didn't say a word.

"I wasn't playing favorites, I was just waiting for you to join us," Bonnie answered slowly, as she used nothing but her index again to slice her own skin this time and Rebekah's eyes lit up imaginatively when she watched Bonnie's thick red blood begin to ooze from her skin; just the smell of it was enough to drive her wild. "I didn't get you a random stranger because I was hoping you'd drink from me."

Damon could only watched on with baited breath as Rebekah glanced into his eyes shortly before brushing Bonnie's hair aside and licked her already red lips as she stared at her skin.

She smiled as her hands slid over Damon and Bonnie's before offering a response.

"Gladly."

He definitely didn't see that coming.

A/N: Hey everyone, so *dusts off this story* lmao, what did you guys think? Yay or nay on dark!Bonnie? I admittedly don't have much experience writing her but with this, I'm trying. So cut me some slack. What do you think about Rebekah being back, Bonnie admitting to killing Chase and hurting that girl, Stelena moment, Steroline cutenesssssss, and finally, a little Bamon/Bonbekah action? Like I said, dark!Bonnie isn't my forte so I would appreciate feedback (if anyone even still reads this fic lmfao) so I know what to do and how to write this. Gracias. Anyway, what's next? I'm here for predictions and whether you think Damon's going to fall into it a little too deep with Miss Dark!Bonnie. He seems to like her already. ;) Read, review, and enjoy until next time? Let's hope I update again before the year is over, LOL.