Breaking The Rules of Attraction

Author: Lapis Love

Disclaimer: The characters are the creative property of LJ Smith. I own nothing. Please don't sue.

Summary: Takes place after Midnight. Bonnie has been living in Scotland for the last six months running away from a broken heart, but an urgent message from a close aquaintance in the Dark Dimension has her thrust back into Fells Church. Multi-Chapter fic.

Chapter 1

Glasgow, Scotland

Nineteen year old Bonnie McCullough stood on the fringes of her great Aunt's estate watching a herd of snow white sheep graze lazily on the vast lawn. Dusk was nearing painting the shy in vibrant reds, dark purples, and defiant yellows. Just behind her stood her family's two story vine covered cottage that dated back to the 16th century. It was summer here and the days ran mild to hot from early morning to mid-afternoon.

Scotland was so visually different from Fells Church that each morning she found herself staring wide-eyed as the sun reached over the hills and sat to fire everything it touched. The grass was so green, the air so fresh, the water so pure that it was literally like living in a fairytale all these months she'd been stationed here.

Once done with her morning routine, she'd join her Aunt Matilde and her cousin Jessica in the kitchen. Her aunt would always laugh at Bonnie's child-like expression as she danced down the stairs, took up her apron, and joined her at the stove to ready the oatmeal.

Jessica could typically be found pouring goat's milk into the coffee while Aunt Matilde pounded the dough with her rolling pin to make fresh biscuits.

They might have lived tucked away in a 16th century cottage, but it contained 21st century appliances and amenities. Yet her aunt cooked and made everything from scratch from the butter and cheese to the wine they sipped at dinner.

The legal drinking age was eighteen which Bonnie took full advantage of.

The estate was also home to cows, hens, a few pigs, goats, sheep, and horses. Sometimes Bonnie would take her horse to canter in the apple orchard that was just west of the house. Or she'd read to her mare which she named Courtney near the rose bushes.

This morning's routine had been no different except that there was one notable difference. When Bonnie woke up the sun was hidden behind a patch of dark, ominous looking clouds. The smell of rain had been heavy on the air and she could hear her aunt and cousin fussing if it would be a good idea to start the laundry now or wait until the sky cleared.

It wasn't just the threat of rain that had Bonnie feeling peculiar. Since she had been staying in Glasgow it had rained a number of thirteen days. So ideally it had been a perfect summer thus far. The winds were calm; the animals of the estate didn't seem too worried that their opportunity to graze might be cut short. Everything appeared fine yet Bonnie couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that something bad was going to happen and soon.

Now here she stood ten hours later and nothing devastating had happened. It had been her turn to shear the female sheep and she didn't have a Final Destination moment where she slipped on sheep's pee and accidentally decapitated herself with the shears. She and Jessica had gone down to the brook that was located a mile away east of the property and neither one of them got caught on any debris and drowned.

She and everyone she cared about had survived the day, yet the feeling was still there.

Bonnie held her cell phone in her hand her finger poised to hit the speed dial button to call Meredith. Meredith who was always so level-headed would tell her to go with her gut instincts and jump on a plane back to America. But Bonnie didn't want to be told: come home. She had left for a reason and it wasn't a reason she wasn't going to call a mistake in hindsight.

Her titian hair, which now reached the middle of her back and fell in wispy layers, snaked across her creamy unblemished face in the gentle wind. When she first landed in Scotland and her aunt and cousin took one look at her, she could tell they wanted to laugh but held in their chuckles because of the deep circles that lined her eyes. Six months ago Bonnie could careless about her appearance; she just wanted away from all the death, heart break, and disappointment that happened during a series of events that took place not long after her second return from the dark dimension.

Aunt Matilde's critical eye took in the state of her wrinkled clothes, her soulless dark brown eyes and the fact her once curly hair now looked flat and lifeless. When she wrapped a meaty arm around her niece and felt how skinny she was, it became Aunt Matilde's mission to fatten her up and make her whole again.

Ideally she knew it would be Bonnie's decision to return to the land of the living and she would support her as best as she knew how, it didn't stop Matilde from trying.

So that's why she allowed her great niece to sulk for a week before charging into her room at the crack of dawn, shoved a tin pail at her and told her to get to work milking the cows before breakfast.

That was the catalyst for reigniting the spark in Bonnie. Matilde had seen her share of little ones throw tantrums that would make the bravest men shrink away in fear, and as Bonnie ranted fat tears poured down her enflamed cheeks, Matilde just stood before her and absorbed it all. The girl needed to express herself, get it all out in the open, which Bonnie did. Fifteen minutes later, after she was spent and her upper lip was covered in a fine sheen of mucus, Bonnie realized what had happened and laughed maniacally before schlepping off to do her aunt's bidding.

That was the breakdown and breakthrough Bonnie reasoned she needed. She realized, afterwards, that she was only hurting herself by keeping her true feelings locked up.

Now all she could wonder was if her feelings of dread had more to do with the summer drawing to a close, or if it was a warning that something bad was coming to hunt her specifically or her friends back home.

She had checked her email that morning and there was nothing but good news all around. Matt was packing up to head back to Kent State. Meredith and Alaric were on the last leg of their South American tour.

Yet there were two additional emails Bonnie purposely ignored and sent to her "Not Now" folder she had created just for them.

Anyone else would probably call her actions petty and childish but Bonnie didn't care.

To her, her actions were more than justified.

Eighteen weeks. That's how long it took Damon to resurrect himself and return to Fells Church in the same weakened state Stefan had been in when they freed him from prison.

Bonnie couldn't believe it. She had spent months on her knees praying to God for his return, not wanting to give up the vigilant fight to keep Damon's memory alive. It would seem her prayers weren't for naught and she wanted to be the first to run and jump in his arms, but of course Elena had beaten her to the punch.

So she stood to the side, watching as Elena clung to him like he was a wrecked sailor returning to his beloved after spending months at sea. When Bonnie looked over at Stefan to gauge his reaction, she saw the tears glistening in his eyes, and she knew instinctively he wasn't crying because his girlfriend was fawning all over his brother. No, Stefan was too noble to play the jealous and jilted boyfriend. He was crying because he had his brother back.

Her heart went out to Stefan, it really did. And she felt herself slipping farther in the shadows, as Stefan walked like a mummy over to his brother, fell to his knees, and embraced him.

Bonnie's tears had continued to fall. They were a mixture of happy and sad tears. Everything Elena wanted now laid in her arms, yet at the same time what Bonnie wanted was using her friend's hair as Kleenex.

When Damon finally realized he, Elena, and Stefan weren't the only people in the room, and his midnight eyes found hers, Bonnie plastered a smile on her face and waved. A flash of something, maybe confusion masked his face until Damon forced himself to his feet and slowly approached her.

Bonnie felt her heart beating in her throat.

Damon's hand shot out and softly caressed several strands of her scarlet tendrils between his fingers.

"My little red bird," he said hoarsely.

"You remember me!" Bonnie threw herself in his arms and she laughed when he hugged her back with an equal amount of ardor.

But the hug ended too quickly for Damon dropped to his knees, taking Bonnie with him, trapping her under him. Elena and Stefan had moved to pluck Damon off her, but Bonnie kind of liked having his weight on her. Her cheeks had reddened as she laid there on the kitchen floor of the boardinghouse. Stefan had stretched out a hand to help her up and at that time she saw Elena disappearing with Damon up to one of the bedrooms.

She didn't get to see Damon for a few days after his abrupt return.

Her mind could only imagine what he and Elena had been doing all that time. Elena was convinced only her blood would help Damon recuperate from his second or third death. Honestly she had lost count of how many times Damon died.

So Bonnie did what she could to occupy her time until she could speak with Damon alone.

She, Stefan, and Ms. Flowers had played card games to pass the time. She read books. Tried to spend time with her family, but her thoughts were always with the dark vampire.

On the sixth day Bonnie marched into the boardinghouse with every intention of demanding to see Damon. Elena had to know how ridiculous she was being by keeping Damon isolated from everyone because in her mind her blood was more powerful than everyone else put together.

And that's precisely what she did. She marched into the boardinghouse with a full blown attitude but then immediately found herself coming up short at the scene in front of her.

Stefan was nowhere to be found neither was Ms. Flowers where she could only assume the two had gone into town to run an errand. So essentially that left Damon and Elena all alone and the two took full advantage of it by making out in the kitchen.

Bonnie swore her heart stopped, sputtered, stopped again, and finally resumed its beat.

She had only seen Elena and Stefan kiss-passionately even-but what she saw would have been given an NC-17 rating.

The way they stood, arms wrapped tightly around each other that if one let go the other would vanish came second to the ferociousness of their lips devouring one another. There was tongue involved and Bonnie figured it was short of a miracle Elena still had breath to kiss Damon.

Her heart clutched in her chest accompanied by a lancing pain that made her wince.

Damon must have picked up on her palpitating heart because he ripped his lips from Elena who started at him petulantly for a second.

Woodenly Elena turned her head to acknowledge Damon's reason for stopping. Her eyes ballooned with fear and then guilt.

Bonnie took a step backwards.

Elena instantly jumped out of Damon's arms and put the entire kitchen between them.

"Bonnie..." she said like she was trying to calm a raging beast.

Damon too took tentative steps in her direction. He'd be a fool not to see Bonnie's broken heart in her eyes at that moment.

"Little red...please..."

Bonnie furiously shook her head and felt her anger reach its plateau. She exploded!

Bonnie didn't know she still clutched the doorknob in her hand and when she became aware of that, she stepped into the kitchen completely and slammed the door shut. The noise of it not only startled Elena, but Damon as well yet he kept his expression cool.

Bonnie's finger stretched out in a point like a dagger and was poised to stab Elena.

"Just when I thought you had accepted your love for Stefan I find you cleaning Damon's tonsils! How could you, Elena!"

It took a moment for Elena to defrost. In all the years she had known Bonnie, she had never heard her yell at anyone just the way she was yelling at her. Ungluing herself from her spot against the kitchen wall, Elena tried to approach her friend, but Bonnie flung herself away like she had caught on fire.

"I can explain, Bonnie..."

Then Elena felt fury coming from Damon. To him it sounded as if Elena was fully prepared to play the innocent victim in all of this.

"I don't care to hear it." Bonnie planted her brown eyes on Damon who for once looked contrite. "I hope your second immortality is worth the pain your deception is going to cause Stefan. But then...I really don't think you care anything at all for brother. All you two care about is fulfilling your own lusts and desires. You two deserve each other."

Without another word, Bonnie left the boardinghouse with what dignity she had left.

No one saw or spoke to her for two weeks after.

On the third week, her parents came and spoke with her and convinced her that getting away would lift her out of the funk she was in.

Bonnie couldn't agree more. So the night before she was to fly out to Scotland, Bonnie slapped on her big girl drawers and drove over to the boardinghouse.

Everyone was there, even Alaric which would save her the trouble of repeating her story. Bonnie had kept her eyes focused only on Meredith, Matt, Ms. Flowers, and Alaric. She couldn't look at the other three.

Her announcement was met with enthusiasm and also uncertainty. How long would she be gone? Bonnie had no idea. Would her trip become indefinite if she liked it there? Again, Bonnie had no idea and made no promises other than she'd call and send updated emails when she could.

Damon had tried to get her alone, but she made up some excuse about needing to get back home to finish packing.

Bonnie had promised to call before boarding her flight, and did but only spoke with Meredith.

For the first time in a long time Bonnie felt liberated.

She was done with hearing how sorry Elena felt about everything. She was done with hearing how much she, Stefan, and yes-his older brother really missed having her around, but Bonnie took that to mean how much they missed treating her like a child.

Bonnie hadn't done herself any favors; she could admit that without a hint of shame now. Six months ago she would have folded her arms across her chest and blew a raspberry at the person suggesting she couldn't take care of herself.

She had been full of flaws back then. Afraid of everything, passing out at the most appropriate and inappropriate times, trusting too easily.

But Aunt Matilde and Jessica had worked on making her stronger, and tougher, and above all that wiser. She was a McCullough, a descent of the Druids, ethereal in her own right.

"Lass? What ye doing? Looking for wolves?"

Bonnie turned at the sound of her aunt's voice. Smile in place Bonnie held up her cell phone as a sign she just wanted a bit of privacy and better reception to place a call.

"I have to make a call, Aunt Matilde. I won't be out much longer."

Her aunt waved a dismissive hand. "Don't be rushin on my account. Take all the time ye need. I just came to tell ye the bread puddin's almost ready."

Just at the mention of bread pudding Bonnie felt her mouth gush with saliva.

"I'll be in, in a minute. Just make sure Jess doesn't try to eat my share."

Her aunt laughed, wiped her hands on her apron before turning to head back into the house.

Alone again, Bonnie returned her attention to the sweeping landscape in front of her. Her phone was feather light but felt heavy in her hand.

The decision to call was interrupted when a flash of bright light coming from her right caught her attention. Bonnie rationalized it couldn't have been headlights from a passing car because her aunt's house was pretty much isolated and located off the beaten path. At first she was inclined to ignore it, but the light flashed again and was sustained longer.

Don't walk towards it, don't walk towards it, her mind warned her but Bonnie just couldn't fight against her own natural curiosity. So cell phone forgotten, she dropped it on the ground, Bonnie began to head towards the bright light.

She walked and walked and every time she thought she was in reach of it, the light would flash farther away. When Bonnie looked up she realized night was fully upon her and the moon was the only light highlighting her path.

The sounds of nature surrounded her and what she used to find comfort in was driving flashbacks to when the Old Wood had been taken over by the kitsune, and the trees had pumped her full of resin, and tried to quarter her.

Bonnie pushed those thoughts aside. Now was not the time to flip out being she was so far from her aunt's and there wasn't a handy vampire around she could summon. Yeah, this probably wasn't a good idea coming out so far into the woods. She knew it pretty well and was assured she could find her way back to Matilde's, but if something decided to turn her into a meal it would be easy for Bonnie to lose her sense of direction.

The light finally stopped moving and grew brighter and brighter that she had to shield her eyes from the brilliance of it.

Bonnie looked away and then she felt Power beat against her skin. Hesitantly she turned back towards the light and saw a tall figure walking towards her.

Suddenly the figure stepped beyond the light and stood before her.

Bonnie's jaw dropped.

Chapter End.

A/N: Dum-dum-da who is waiting for Bonnie on the other side of the light? Keeping reading to find out. (Aside) Just wanted to take the time to thank those for reading and/or reviewing my work. Feedback is welcome!