Title : Sleeping with Ghosts

Rating: Mature R

Pairing: Bonnie/Dean/Damon

DisClaimer: I do not own any of the characters used in this story.  (Though i wish i did.) and no money is being made.

Summary : Leaving Mystic Falls and the memories of a normal life behind Bonnie finds her calling on the road helping others. When Elena and Stefan tie the knot she's forced to return and face her demons head on, with a little help from Dean Winchester

Beta :  Jacal Ste. Worme

Need to Know

In this universe there is no doppelganger effect. Katherine was killed and the supernatural mayhem ceased for the most part. Poor Tyler was still caught as a wolf. They went to Bonnie for a little magic that makes him cognate enough to recognize friend from foe when he's in wolf form. Yes Miss Bennett is truly that powerful now

In this universe there is no doppelganger effect. Katherine was killed and the supernatural mayhem ceased for the most part. Poor Tyler was still caught as a wolf. They went to Bonnie for a little magic that makes him cognate enough to recognize friend from foe when he's in wolf form. Yes Miss Bennett is truly that powerful now

Sleeping With Ghosts: Chapter1

Admitting defeat to the sunlight streaming through my window, I forced my sand-lined lids open and sat up in bed. I'd been off the grid for over a month on a hunt, so the moment my head hit the pillow last night I'd been out cold. All I wanted to do now was sleep, but I knew it was time to catch up with the life that never waited for me while I was away.

"No rest for the wicked," I whispered, clearing my throat as I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

Stretching my arms above my head, I pulled my mused hair into a ponytail and headed down the stairs to the coffeepot in the kitchen. Hitting the brew button that started my pitcher of liquid miracle, I waited until the pot finished before hitting the play button on the answering machine.

"Job, job, acquaintance," I thought, monitoring as I inhaled the rich of aroma of Columbian coffee wafting up to tease me my nostrils. Filling the black mug to the brim, I smirked at the red letters scrawled across the front making it my favorite. 'Warning: Don't say a word until you've seen me take at least one sip.' Closing my eyes I savored the first taste that exploded onto my tongue as the voices on the machine droned on.

"Bon, you really need to check your voicemails more often! We're coming up on the time for the rehearsal dinner, followed by the walk down the aisle that will officially make me a Salvatore. I know you've been busy with ... work, so I wanted to remind you again, that it's next weekend. I know how you feel about this town and him... but you promised. I hate to pull that card, but I'm holding you to it. I could never say 'I do' without you by my side. Call me when you get this so I know you're safe and sound. Love you."

"Fuck," I hissed, closing my eyes against the dam of memories that threatened to overflow in my head. Turning to open the cabinet over my head, I pulled out a bottle of whiskey and added an ample amount to my mug. This was going to take a hell of a lot more than coffee beans.

~
"You have to let me go, Elena, because I can't be here anymore," I whispered brokenly as I paused in stuffing my duffle bag to face her.

"I know you've lost a lot, but this is your home, Bonnie. Jenna, Jeremy and me are the only family you have left."

"Everywhere I go in this town holds a painful memory. It was bad enough when my mom left, but now, with Caroline gone, Grams and Dad are dead... There is no place for me here."

"This isn't how it's supposed to be," she sniffed before roughly wiping away her tears. "All that fighting we did, all the people we lost, for what?"

"To make it safe for everyone else," I whispered, smiling at her sadly as I placed my hands on her arms and meet her sorrowful brown eyes. "So we could spare them all this pain."

"Stopping Katherine was supposed to be our ticket back to normalcy," she stated softly, sighing as her shoulders dropped in defeat.

"That's the problem. After everything, I can't pretend to be normal," I chocked, forcing back nausea as the memory of the metallic taste of blood and the feel of bits and pieces of things that belonged on the inside of the body assailed me. Sitting down on the bed beside her, I allowed myself to soak in the affections she offered as she placed an arm around me.

"Where will you go?"

"I don't know. Anywhere but here," I answered honestly. "Until I find a place that feels like home."

"You'll stay in touch though, right?" she pleaded with those wide brown eyes I could never deny much of anything.

"I can promise you I will always stay in touch and be there when you need me most," I whispered as we exchanged a gentle kiss to seal the vow, a witch's kiss. As binding as a blood promise the witch's kiss was a potent exchange.

"Damn it, Elena," I whispered, caressing my tingling lips absentmindedly. The witch's kiss had gotten me into trouble more times than I liked to remember.

There was no way I was stupid enough to walk back into Mystic Falls solo. I needed someone who could run interference, someone not afraid of things that went bump in the night. I needed Dean Winchester.

"I'll need a drink to deal with this one," I thought, letting out a deep breath as I set aside the empty mug and crossed the kitchen to the fridge. Pulling out a Heiniken, I popped the top and took a long drag as I thought of the best way to approach him. Dean and I had an on-and-off relationship, and right now, we were way off. Tossing the empty bottle into the garbage, I picked up the phone, hoping I could catch him between womanizing and hunting.

Looking up from my plate of fully loaded Nachos, I waved Sam towards my phone. He could talk to a client just as well as I could and right now, I was plate deep in chili cheese heaven.

"Winchester," Sam said as I listened to the one-sided conversation, hoping it would be a job. We could use some extra cash in the bank.

"BONNIE! How are you!" he asked, making me toss the greasy goodness onto my plate as I grabbed the closest thing to wipe my hands on.

Ignoring Sam's narrowed eyes in response to my use of his shirt to clean up, I rushed over to the phone. Bonnie Bennett was the only girl I'd dated that had ever mattered and made sense. As a witch, she knew all about the supernatural and had dedicated her life to helping others and researching. She was smart but could more than hold her own with her powers -sort of a hot female version of Sam and me. When we were on it was electric, but when we were off... we could barely stand to be in the same room. If she was calling, it meant she was read to flip the switch back into the other direction, something I was all for.

"I'm good; doing some research on a potential case, the usual," Sam said, laughing as he gave me his back and moved around the hotel room. Little shit knew how to get under my skin. "Oh yeah. I imagine you're looking for Dean?"

He continued to elude me, that was until I talked him and snatched the cell. I shoved Sam off the bed and sprawled out. Grinning, I said, "I knew you couldn't resist me for too long, baby."

"Calm your hormones, Dean," she retorted and my smile dropped. "I'm calling in for that favor you owe me."

I was seriously looking forward to tearing up the mattress and enjoying her company. It got lonely out on the road, and all the random hook-ups in the world couldn't replace being with someone who knew the truth about who you were and what you did. "What's up?" I asked, growing serious. If she was asking for a favor, she must have run in to something pretty nasty.

"I need eye candy for a wedding," she mumbled and sighed when I burst out laughing.

"Wait. You're using up your favor because you need a date?"

"No, I need you. My best friend is getting married and I need someone to have my back."

"It must be the fang-banger if you need my expertise."

"Her name is Elena and his is Stefan," she spat as I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. When and where?" I asked rolling on to my side to grab a pen and scribble down the location and date.

"Listen, Dean. I don't want you to start anything."

"Me? Start something?"

"Dean."

"I got you. Best behavior, but, the minute I see fang... "

"Fair enough," she sighed, making me smile. Bonnie, unlike most, was smart enough to know how to pick her battles when it came to me.

"Good. Then it's settled; I'll see you in four days," I said, hanging up with smirk. She hated not having the last word.

"Why do you always antagonize her?" Sam asked.

"Because it makes the sex even hotter," I replied, wagging my eyebrows as he shook his head.

"Seriously, Dean. She's the only girl who puts up with you on a regular basis, despite knowing the truth. You might want to try to keep her."

"We break up to make up; it's our thing," I said, scowling at the skeptical gaze he was sending my way. "Bonnie and I are fine."

"The last time we saw her she tossed a cup of soda on your face, got in her car and drove off."

"What can I say? She's a spit fire," I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"All I'm saying is, you might want to try and stay on her good side." Sam said, slipping on his head phones to tune me out before I could respond.

He didn't like me touching his stuff and I didn't like him playing therapist.

"Did you get a hold of her?" Stefan asked, leaning in to kiss my shoulder sweetly as I looked up from the to-do list I'd been going over and smiled.

"Not yet," I sighed, relaxing into the massage he was delivering.

"She's probably just on a job. I'm sure she'll call you as soon as she gets in and all of this worry will be for naught."

Hearing the old world lilt to his voice, I smiled at his word choice. I loved moments like this, when his guard dropped so low that he allowed who he once was to mix with the man he had become. He'd come a long way from the man I'd practically dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th century. "I wish I had your confidence."

"Come on, Elena. This is Bonnie we're talking about."

"I know it is, but she's not the same girl I grew up with or you once knew. She hasn't set foot in this town since that night, Stef -not even to visit Grams grave, and I'm supposed to believe she'll come here and walk down the aisle beside him with a huge smile on her face?"

"Yes, because Bonnie's strong and all she's ever wanted is to see her best friend happy," he said, ending his massage as he moved to sit beside her at the table. "Remember how she stood beside Caroline when she told us about Tyler? One bite from a wolf could kill her, and he'd always had a temper; you were livid."

"I know. I feel like such an asshole about that now," I whispered, cringing at the memory.

"Remember what Bonnie did?" he asked gently.

"She told me to turn off the attitude and hysterics because luckily for us we she had a powerful witch on our side and with one carefully prepared spell Tyler would be cognate inside of the wolf solving the issue once and for all," I said, smiling ruefully at the memory. They had surprised us both getting together and taking off just before Bonnie to 'see' the world.

"That is exactly why I am not worried." He chuckled, winking before he leaned into capture her lips in a playful kiss.

"Save some of it for the wedding night, kids," Damon teased, coming into the study.

"Impeccable timing as always," Stefan shot, rolling his eyes as he resigned himself to toning down the PDAs.

Despite his brother's feigned flippantness about his casual sex and solitary lifestyle, he knew it bothered him to see his brother actually get the white picket fence ending they'd thought was lost to them. Not because he was still in love with Elena, since those emotions had been sorted, examined, and found to be something more brotherly.

"Damon, you're here earlier than I anticipated," I said, happy to see my soon-to-be brother-in-law. It had been months since he'd shown his face in Mystic Falls, though he had never been gone longer than six months at a time.

___

"Nice to know I'm missed." He smiled, excepting my hug with a small, but genuine smile. Freedom from Katherine looked good on him. He'd never be the man he could've been without her twisting and mangling his heart and mind; he wasn't the cold, calculating vampire he'd once been.

I wouldn't begrudge my brother his happiness, because if anyone deserved it, Stefan did. But it made me long for the things I didn't have. I'd never be the true love, roses, wine and dine kind of vamp, but I was open to possibilities. Pouring myself a tall glass of whiskey, I wondered when the little witch would be arriving. We had unfinished business to attend to; five years was long time, and I'd never been a patient man.

"To answer the question I'm sure is circling in your head, we don't know when Bonnie is coming."

"But she will be here?" I queried, not bothering to hide my anticipation. When it came to her, I didn't play games.

"Yes, Damon, she'll be here. She's the Maid of Honor."

"And lucky me being the Best Man," I drawled, saluting them.

"Caroline and Tyler should be pulling in later on tonight," Stefan said as I arched an eyebrow, curious to see how the Barbie and the Mutt had faired.

"It should be fun to have the gang back together again."

"Are you actually going to attempt to get along with Caroline?"

"The Barbie goes off on her own, gains a few new powers, and suddenly she think she knows everything," I scowled. Ignoring their chuckles, I muttered, "Just like an ungrateful child."

"I'm sure she'd looking forward to seeing you too," Elena teased, making me hide my smile behind the rim of my glass. It wouldn't be completely horrible to see the blonde, or her puppy, but it was Bonnie that I was looking forward to.

Mystic Falls, 5 Years Earlier

Crying out as Katherine shoved the stake into my chest, I clenched my teeth down as the pain raced through my body and she cackled, savoring her victory over me as she slowly rotated the wood to increase the pain. She was a sadistic bitch knowing how to take me to the brink of death without pushing me over the cliff.

"I want you to know I'm enjoying this moment. You have no idea how much trouble you've been over the years, spending all that time trying to find a way to get me out of the tomb and compromising my hiding. I don't like it when people tamper with my plans," she spat, inching the stake closer to my heart as my life flashed before my eyes.

Everything I had done had been for the heartless bitch that stood in front of me. All the pain I'd caused, all the life I'd ruined weighed down on me now that I was about to leave this world and see just what awaited me in the great beyond. I was damned as surely as I had been in life, because of Katerina Petrova, and I was forced to admit now that it had not been worth it. Groaning as she shoved the stake home, I felt my vision begin to waver as the blood seeped out of my chest cavity, coating the wood she still held, her hands, my shirt and soon enough the ground. Swaying on my feet, I collapsed as she stepped away and my lids began to slide close. I watched as her mouth went from smiling to open in shock as her body was pulled away and pinned to a tree.

I was convinced it was death hallucinations -until the battered, bruised and bloody form of Bonnie Bennett came into view. Watching the trembling of her tiny frame and the blood trickling a path out of her nose and down her top lip I knew she was barely holding it together. Funny how being on your deathbed made you realize who you actually gave a shit. Unable to focus any longer, I let my eyes close as the blood beginning to bubble up my throat crept up and out of my mouth as light appeared behind my lids. It wasn't my day to discover afterlife, because after all I had done I was bound for hell. Feeling myself move closer and closer to the blinding circle, I was stopped cold when sickeningly sweet syrup eased down my throat and a booming voice full of authority called to me.

"I call you back, Damn Salvatore, and I bind you with my blood and my spirit. Drink your feel and be healed!"

Looking back toward the darkened path I had traveled, I hesitated, unsure if I could make the journey. The light was so much closer, and that dark path only lead to loneliness and pain.

"I call you, Damon Salvatore, and you will obey me, dammit!" The voice bellowed, making me gasp as the light receded and I was tugged back down the dark path and into my body.

Opening my eye, the velvet darkness of the night sky spattered with stars was the first thing I registered, followed by the slurping and sucking of someone at my chest. Moaning as the lips pulled blood from my rapidly healing body, I was stunned by the curls I knew belonged to the witch -who was now spread out over my chest. Having drank her fill, she pulled away from me looking savage with her gleaming green eyes, my blood dripping from her lips to her chin. Moving with speed I knew was a side effect of having so much of my blood, she was beside Katherine almost faster than I could track, plunging her hand into her abdomen as she screamed, breaking the silence that had fallen in the clearing where so many had been downed. Yanking her arm back out viciously, she held the pulsing mass of red muscle in her hand, staring at Katherine until the light faded from her brown eyes before setting her body on fire.

She had saved us all in the end, and the pull I was feeling towards her told me things would never be the same.