Nightshade - A Bonnie Bennett Story (Vampire Diaries / The Originals)

CHAPTER THREE

I tried to let the warmth of the afternoon sun comfort me, but last night's steady stream of nightmares was catching up with me. I was tired enough that even reading through the paper wasn't keeping my mind off of it.

I set the newspaper down and opted instead for sugar. On my way back from a morning of sightseeing and people watching, I decided to stop for a bite to eat. I settled on a couple of beignets and a cup of some of the best coffee in existence at a cafe down the road from the apartment.

"Mind if I join you?" I was sure my giant sunglasses did little to hide the look of shock on my face. Elijah Mikaelson, the eldest of the siblings from the Original vampire family, was standing before me. I knew they lived here in New Orleans, but I honestly didn't think I'd run into one of them. Not this quickly anyway. His appearance at my table could be very bad. We didn't exactly have the friendliest of histories.

"It's a free country," I finally replied before I took a sip of my coffee.

"May I ask what brings you to New Orleans?" There was always something about the way he spoke that simultaneously made me want to melt and run far, far away. His cadence was soft and smooth, but always carrying a note of warning, hinting at the monster barely beneath the surface held tightly on a short leash.

"No, you may not."

"Miss Bennett, you have my word. I come in peace."

"What do you want, Elijah?"

"When arguably the most powerful witch in existence appears out of the blue at your favorite cafe, one has to wonder if trouble isn't far behind. Let's just say, I'm being proactive."

"No trouble, just beignets, coffee, and the glimmer of hope that I'd be left alone."

"I heard about what happened in Mystic Falls. I'm truly sorry for your loss. All of them."

I wasn't surprised news of what went down that night had reached this far. With the help of an entire line of dead Bennett witches, we beat down the devil, finally got rid of Katherine Pierce, and closed the doors of Hell for good. It was no small feat and I'm sure the ripple effect from the magic we wielded was felt by the supernatural community far and wide. A lot of lives were lost over the course of the fight, Enzo being one of them, the one I felt most keenly.

My eyes welled up with tears all over again, and I was thankful once again for the giant sunglasses. I wiped away the tear as it rolled down my cheek.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." He gestured for me to go on.

"How do you do it? You've lived for more than a thousand years. I'm sure you've lost lots of people you loved. How do you move on? I keep waiting for the moment when I realize this overbearing weight has lifted off my chest, or for the lump in my throat to finally disintegrate, but the moment never comes. Part of me wishes I could skip forward to it, and the rest of me is terrified of it because it'll be like forgetting him. I just don't know how to do this. I don't know how to be the one who survives." My voice broke on the last words and the tears came again.

"I wish I had an answer for you, but I do not. There are those whose loss still takes my breath away if I allow myself to think about them for too long. However, there are those whose memory is a comfort. The pain of their loss is no longer a burden, instead replaced by memories of the good things we shared. One day, you will think of your lost love and instead of tears, it will bring a loving smile to your face. It won't be like forgetting him; it'll be like meeting him all over again."

He reached into the breast pocket of his suit jacket, pulled out a handkerchief, and offered it to me. I accepted, though I felt like an idiot sitting here crying in front of a vampire I once considered an enemy. Truth be told, I'd let go of the past. The Mikaelsons were just one bump in a long, rough road that led me to where I was today. I wasn't clamoring to set up coffee dates with any of them, but I wasn't holding a grudge either. My defenses broke down and I gave in.

"There really isn't any trouble on the horizon. I'm just here on vacation. I've been traveling all over the globe, and since I'd never been to New Orleans, I decided to come here for Mardi Gras." He gave me a warm smile. I couldn't quite bring myself to return it.

"Well, I do hope you enjoy the city. There is much to see and do here, especially for a witch. The Mardi Gras festival has more to offer than just drunken twenty-somethings and beads."

"The apartment I rented is actually right here on Bourbon Street. The first balcony there on the end." I pointed up at the apartment, clearly visible from where we were sitting. "I intend on spending Fat Tuesday on that balcony with a bottle of fine bourbon and a few boxes of beads."

"Ah yes, well that's a much better deal than being down amongst the fray. The whole display can be quite... entertaining." He flashed a sly half smile, and with that, he stood from his chair. I offered up his handkerchief and he held up a hand in refusal.

"Nonsense. It's yours. Keep it handy for the moments when your grief gets the better of you. I hope that one day soon it will just become clutter in your purse that you don't need anymore."

"Thanks." I really was grateful. It was a compassionate sentiment, and it made me feel a little less alone. I smiled, a genuine smile, for the first time in a long time.

"Have a wonderful day, Miss Bennett."

"You too, Elijah." He turned and walked away. I watched him make his way down the block, then disappear from view at the corner.

I fished through my purse sitting on the chair next to me and pulled out my phone and the crumpled business card Cassidy had given me. I dialed the number for the shop and waited as it rang.

"Dalcour Apothecary. How may I help you?"

"Hi, could I speak with Cassidy?"

"This is Cass."

"Oh hey. It's Bonnie Bennett."

"Hey Bonnie. What's up?"

"I'm over at Cafe Beignet on Bourbon Street, and I was wondering if you could give me directions to your shop."

"Sure. We're actually right down the street. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just having some trouble sleeping, and I want to pick up some herbs that might help." She gave me directions and I thanked her, promising to be in once I was done with my breakfast. I hung up the call and took a picture of the street from my vantage point. Opening a new message to Damon and Elena, I attached the picture and sent my love from New Orleans. I set the phone down and not two bites later, the alert went off notifying me of a new message from Damon.

We fly in Sunday morning. Miss you Bon Bon!

I replied letting them know I couldn't wait. Between Elena being in school and my recent globe-trotting habit, it'd been months since we'd been in the same room together. The promise of seeing them again had me smiling to myself as I made my way to Cassidy's magic shop.