Some time later.
Ryan walked back along the narrow trail that led to the bonfire, a fresh bottle dangling loosely from one of his hands—something he'd grabbed after messing around a bit with the Salvatore brothers. His mood was visibly better than before, his expression far too relaxed for someone who had just beaten two centuries-old vampires.
Speaking of the torture he'd inflicted on those two.
That was what had left him relaxed. Deeply relaxed.
Like someone who had unloaded months of stress in a single night.
The music was louder now; someone had started dancing near the bonfire, and for a moment everything seemed… normal.
Thanks to his sharpened senses, he noticed it even before he arrived.
Elena wasn't there. Neither was Caroline. And Bonnie was sitting alone on the log, her body leaning forward, fingers clasped with excessive force, her gaze fixed on some random spot on the ground, looking thoroughly shaken and worried.
Ryan slowed his steps.
"Bonnie? Where is everyone?"
Bonnie snapped her head up quickly, as if she'd been waiting for him from the very first second. Her eyes were wide, shining with panic and relief.
Something had happened…? Why did he have the feeling he'd forgotten something important?
"Oh my God, Ryan! You're finally back!" Bonnie stood up quickly and hurried toward him. "I was worried—you disappeared for almost an hour…"
Ryan stopped in front of her and raised an eyebrow, asking casually,
"Did something happen?"
Bonnie bit her lower lip for a moment before explaining.
"Ryan…" Her voice came out low and shaky, as if the words hurt coming out. "Something happened. With Vicki. Jeremy found her body in the woods. Elena had gone after him to lecture him—you know, about smoking weed again—and then… then they found her there, on the ground. It looked like she'd been attacked by an animal. Bites on the neck, blood… It was horrible…"
Her eyes widened, filled with a certainty that went beyond the obvious.
"It's them, isn't it? The vampires. It has to be."
Ryan sighed inwardly. So that was it? He'd completely forgotten about Vicki while having fun with the Salvatore brothers. Pretty cruel of him, wasn't it?
Well, he didn't care about some random druggie.
The most important thing now was to calm Bonnie down—she was practically freaking out at the possibility that a vampire had attacked Vicki. If he hadn't told her the truth earlier, Bonnie would probably have been only mildly worried instead of in this state of panic.
Even so, he didn't regret telling her everything.
He set the bottle of liquor down on the ground, then gently cupped her face with both hands, his thumbs tracing soft lines across her cheeks.
"Hey, hey, breathe. Calm down, Bonnie. It's okay, I'm here." His voice was low and soothing as he held her face and maintained eye contact. Without letting go, keeping that contact as if he could push the panic away with it alone, he asked, "What happened after that?"
Bonnie swallowed hard, her hands trembling slightly as they covered his.
"They called an ambulance. Matt went with her—he was freaking out because she's his sister. Jeremy wanted to go too, but they wouldn't let him since he's not immediate family or whatever. He kept insisting, almost fighting with the paramedics. Then Elena asked Caroline for a ride to take him and her to the hospital. I… I stayed behind to wait for you and let you know. And Elena said to call her if anything came up. She was worried about you disappearing again, thinking something might have happened…"
Ryan nodded slowly, absorbing every word as if cataloging the details for later use. His thumbs continued tracing light circles on Bonnie's cheeks.
"It's okay…" he murmured, his voice low and steady—the tone that always managed to cut through her panic. "Everything's going to be fine, Bonnie. I promise."
He pulled her into his arms without hesitation, wrapping her in a tight hug—one arm around her back, the other hand at the nape of her neck, fingers lightly tangling in her soft curls. Bonnie let herself be enveloped immediately, as if her body knew before her mind that this was exactly where she needed to be. She buried her face in his shoulder, inhaling the familiar scent of soap, bonfire smoke, and something warmer, something distinctly him. The trembling in her arms gradually eased, her racing heart slowing against his chest.
For a moment, neither of them said anything. Just the distant crackle of the fire, the muffled music someone was still stubbornly playing, and her breathing calming against his neck.
When Bonnie finally lifted her face, her eyes still damp but steadier, she asked in a low voice,
"What do we do now?"
Ryan let out a short sigh—almost a humorless chuckle—and ran his hand through her hair before slowly releasing her, keeping his hands on her shoulders.
"First, we go home. There's not much we can do in this situation. I just need to call Elena quickly and let her know I'm okay."
Bonnie frowned, the momentary relief giving way to the stubbornness he knew so well.
"And the vampires? Ryan, if one of them attacked Vicki… we can't just pretend we don't know. They're here. They're killing people."
He held her gaze, unflinching, no lies.
"I'm going to take care of them."
The answer came out so direct, so calm, that Bonnie blinked, surprised.
"What do you mean 'take care of them'? They're—"
"I know what they are…" he interrupted, gentle but firm. "And I know I'm a powerful warlock. Trust me, Bonnie. I won't let this happen again…"
She opened her mouth to protest, her eyes shining again with that mix of fear and determination.
"But—"
"Hey." He gave her shoulders a light squeeze, leaning down a bit to meet her eyes at the same level. "Trust me. I won't let anyone touch you. Not Caroline, not Elena. And definitely not anyone we know…"
Bonnie held his gaze for long seconds. There was something in the way he spoke, in that quiet certainty that wasn't arrogance but something deeper, older, that made her swallow the next words. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly.
"Okay," she murmured, almost reluctantly. "I trust you."
Ryan gave her a small smile and brushed his thumb lightly along her jawline before letting go.
"Then let's go. Grab your things. I'll get my phone and call Elena while we walk to the car."
Bonnie picked up the jacket folded on the log, threw it over her shoulders, and started walking beside him down the dark trail toward the makeshift parking area.
As they walked, silence stayed with them for a while.
When they got close to the car, he asked Bonnie to wait and stepped aside a bit. Ryan pulled his phone from his pocket, tapped Elena's contact, and brought the device to his ear.
It rang twice before she answered.
"Ryan?" Her voice came through tense. "Where were you? I—"
"I'm fine, Elena. Relax…" he cut in gently. "I'm with Bonnie now. We're heading to the car. How's Vicki? And Jeremy?"
Elena let out the breath she'd been holding.
"She… she's stable. The doctors said there was a massive blood loss, but they managed to stabilize her. Jeremy's a wreck, but he's here with me and Caroline in the waiting room. We… we still don't really know what happened."
"Got it." He replied calmly. "Do you need me to come to the hospital too?"
Elena hesitated on the other end, muffled voices and footsteps echoing in the background of the hospital waiting room. When she spoke again, her voice was lower, as if carefully choosing her words.
"No, Ryan… you don't need to come here right now. Stay with Bonnie." She paused briefly, and he could picture the way she bit the corner of her lower lip when worried. "She was really shaken when she saw Vicki like that. More than usual. I saw her face. I think she needs you right now more than we do here."
Ryan smiled ironically—he knew exactly what Elena wasn't saying out loud: the subtle jealousy, that tightness in her chest she tried to hide behind genuine concern for Bonnie. He knew the three of them too well not to notice.
"Okay…" he answered, keeping his tone calm and reassuring. "I'll take her to my place tonight since it doesn't seem like a good idea to leave her alone…"
On the other end, silence. The kind of silence that lasts only two seconds but feels eternal.
"Understood." Her voice came out softer, a thread of something sharp mixed with acceptance. "You'll take good care of her, right?"
Ryan let out a short sigh, almost a soft chuckle.
"Like I always take care of all three of you. No exceptions." He lowered his voice, making the words more intimate, just for her. "Hey… relax. It's just tonight. We'll talk properly tomorrow. I'll see you soon."
Elena exhaled slowly, as if forcing herself to believe it.
"Okay. So… Caroline's going to drop us home soon. Jeremy's exhausted, and so am I. See you tomorrow."
"Want a ride to school in the morning?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes." She answered quickly, and he could hear the shy smile that came with it. "Pick me up early? Like… really early. I want to see you before everyone else."
"Got it. Seven-thirty at your door."
Another silence, lighter this time.
"Ryan?"
"Hm?"
"I love you."
The words came out softly, almost shy, as if she were still getting used to saying them aloud. Ryan felt warmth rise in his chest—something hot that always happened when it was her saying it, an alien feeling that someone like him should have been incapable of feeling or understanding…
"I love you too, Elena. Go rest. Call if you need anything, okay?"
"Okay. Good night."
"Good night."
He hung up and stood still for a second, staring at the dark screen before pocketing the phone. He took a deep breath, the cold night air filling his lungs, then turned to Bonnie. She was leaning against the hood of the Impala, arms crossed over her chest, the jacket a little too big on her shoulders. When she saw him approaching, she lifted her eyes, questioning but not pressing.
"Everything okay with her?" she asked right away.
"Everything's fine. She's actually worried about you." Ryan gave a small smile. "She told me to take you home and not leave you alone. And I agreed."
Bonnie blinked, surprised, then looked down, a subtle blush rising to her cheeks despite everything.
"She said that?"
"She did." He opened the passenger door for her, the gesture automatic and chivalrous. "Get in. Let's go…"
Bonnie hesitated only a second before sliding into the car, settling into the seat with a tired sigh. Ryan walked around, sat in the driver's seat, and started the engine. The low rumble of the car cut through the night's silence, drowning out the distant sounds of the party still going on behind them.
As he maneuvered out of the makeshift parking area, he reached over and gently squeezed her hand, lacing their fingers together.
"Everything's going to be okay…" he murmured, more to himself than to her. "I promise."
Bonnie squeezed back, saying nothing.
But the grip was answer enough.
The minutes passed quickly as the car glided along the dark road back to Mystic Falls, the uneven asphalt making the Impala sway gently, like a boat on calm waters. The headlights sliced through the night, illuminating twisted trees that stood like silent sentinels along the roadside.
Inside the vehicle, the heater hummed softly, creating a warm cocoon against the cold seeping through the fogged windows.
Bonnie stared out the passenger window, her fingers still laced with Ryan's, a firm hold that anchored her scattered thoughts. The earlier panic had dissipated like morning mist, leaving only a residue of exhaustion and an unexpected clarity. She turned her face toward him, studying his profile illuminated by the dashboard—the firm line of his jaw, his eyes fixed on the road yet aware of everything.
"Sorry for freaking out earlier," she murmured, her voice soft, almost embarrassed. "I didn't want to… I don't know, fall apart like that in front of you."
Ryan shot her a quick glance, the corner of his mouth curving into a brief, reassuring smile.
"Hey, you don't need to apologize for anything. You're dealing with a lot all at once. Anyone in your place would have reacted the same way…"
Bonnie shook her head slowly, her dark hair brushing her shoulders as she shifted in the seat.
"I don't know. I feel… powerless. Knowing about the vampires, about me being a witch, and then seeing Vicki there, all hurt, and not being able to do anything… It was like the whole world flipped upside down again. I didn't want to look like a scared little girl, Ryan. Not after everything you told me."
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, his thumb tracing a distracted pattern on the soft skin of her hand.
"You didn't look like a scared little girl. You looked human. And that's good, Bonnie. It means you still care. The supernatural world… it hardens us over time, but it doesn't have to be that way yet. You're just getting started."
She let out a short sigh, looking down at their joined hands before raising her eyes again.
"Tomorrow I'm going to visit my grandma. She always talked about these things like they were legends, but now… I need to know more. About being a witch, about how to use it. At least learn how to defend myself. I don't want to keep depending on you all the time…"
Ryan nodded, his eyes returning to the road as a curve approached.
"Good idea. Your grandma knows more than she lets on. And you're not depending on me—we're in this together. But go talk to her. It might be exactly what you need to feel more in control."
Silence returned for a moment, comfortable now, broken only by the low rumble of the engine and the occasional oncoming headlights. Bonnie leaned back in the seat, feeling the weight of the night begin to lift, replaced by a quiet determination.
____________________
(A/N: Did you enjoy the chapter? Then you should know that over on my Patreon you can read up to chapters ahead for just 5USD! And yes—for that price, you also get full access to all of my content. That's right: cheaper than a snack… and with way more drama, action, and guaranteed emotional damage.
The link is right below. See you there!
My Patreon: patreon.com/Adam_Kadmon
Thank you so much for your support — you make all of this worthwhile.)