The thought of Fred returning brought an overwhelming amount of joy to George and Raven, Damon was happy for them both and couldn't wait to meet the man who was spoken so highly of by his mate and his new... Friend?. Death had asked them to give him some time, a few hours at most and the trio took that opportunity to go to the grill. Surprisingly, Stefan was already there with none other than Bonnie and much to Raven's delight, they seemed to be getting on well.
"How was school, children?" George teased as he sat beside Stefan, along with Damon whilst Raven took the seat beside Bonnie, whose face brightened the moment she laid eyes on the magical couple.
"I'm literally over a hundred years older than you" Stefan chuckled, smacking George's hand away when he tried to grab a few fries from the vampire's plate.
"And yet, I'm more devilishly handsome" George responded with a confident smirk, making Stefan chuckle with a fond eye roll whilst Bonnie giggled, gaining George's attention.
"Ah, there's our favourite little witch. How was school sweetie?" Both George and Raven had developed somewhat of a parental protectiveness for the Bennet witch and due to them being quite a bit older than her, they hoped to fill in that voice that she no longer has.
"It was fine, the new teacher Alaric was decent enough" She responded with a shrug, though they could all see the fondness in her eyes as she looked between Raven and George. Raven smiled at the young witch and placed a kiss on her temple, Bonnie subconsciously leant into the affection which earned soft smiles from the other three at the table. (George is technically 31 but had now stopped aching)
"So, where's Elena? I thought she'd be here too?" Raven asked Stefan with a frown, worried that his absence would cause more conflict in their relationship than it already has. Stefan sighed and ran his hands over his face, showing a clear sign that he was either emotionally exhausted or rather frustrated.
"She is probably at home, we had a little disagreement-"
"It wasn't a disagreement Stefan, she accused you of cheating and fraternising with the so-called enemy" Bonnie hissed, clearly feeling annoyance towards her best friend. This earned confused looks from George and Raven, both now noticing that Damon had wandered off to the bar where he seemed to be in a conversation with none other than the new teacher.
"Cheating? With who? And please don't tell me that she thinks we're the enemy?" George questioned in disbelief, glancing at his mate who was looking at Stefan with a worried frown, seeing that the arguments have been taking a toll on the vampire.
"She thinks I'm sleeping with Raven behind her back and yes, George, she thinks you are both some sort of ploy to drive us away, for you to kill her" This was met with complete silence, they were both completely flabbergasted by the accusations, especially Raven who would never be with anyone except her mates.
"Has she lost her fucking mind?" Raven sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair, feeling frustrated that her platonic friendship with Stefan was being thrown back in his face by none other than the woman he loves. Sure, she wasn't aware of the fact that the men she is with, are quite literally her soul mates but it still frustrated her that Elena couldn't see the genuine friendship they had and the clear love she felt for both Damon and George.
"She stormed off after Caroline and I put her in her place, she accused us of betraying her" Bonnie rolled her eyes before shoving a fry into her mouth, chewing aggressively with a deep frown. George let out a sigh and grabbed her hand from across the table whilst I did the same with the other. Bonnie smiled appreciatively and gave their hands a little squeeze, it was clear that their gesture brought immense comfort to the young witch.
"Where's Damon?" Stefan asked, changing the topic as he looked around the grill.
"He's talking to Saltzman at the bar, doesn't seem like it's going well at the moment" Raven chuckled when she noticed that clear anger on the teacher's face whilst Damon was smiling cheekily.
"I should probably intervene, we have other matters to do after this" She sighed and walked towards the bar, gaining the attention of quite a few males that were sitting around the grill.
"You aren't causing trouble, are you sweetheart?" She asked Damon sweetly, his head snapping towards her with a wide smile whilst the teacher tilted his head in curiosity.
"Of course not, I was only introducing myself" Damon chuckled, though they both knew he was doing a little more than a simple introduction. She hummed and raised her eyebrow in amusement before turning towards Alaric, sticking out her hand with a smile.
"Raven Potter-Black"
"Alaric Saltzman" He responded and shook her hand, it is the one with the ring which allowed her to get a more in-depth feeling of the magic.
"It's nice to meet you but unfortunately, we have other business to discuss. So if you'll excuse us" Alaric looked between the two with a small frown but nodded his head with a smile, though it was rather strained. She grabbed her mate's hand and pulled him away, not missing the small whining mumbles coming from him as they did so.
"I was getting good information, why did you drag me away?" He huffed as she pushed him down into his seat, earning amused looks from the other three occupants.
"Damon, he looked like he wanted to stake you in that very spot-"
"I can't die, baby" He spoke with a smug smirk, earning confused looks from Bonnie and Stefan whilst George chuckled. Raven, however, did not look all that amused and simply stared at him with an emotionless face. The smug look slowly drifted on his face and was replaced with a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his neck, realising that he had annoyed his mate.
"Sorry, beautiful" He mumbled, earning a hum and a smile from his girl.
"So, what did you learn?" Bonnie asked eagerly, ignoring the amused but surprised looks from the others.
"I'm not sure if I was seeing this but it seemed like he recognised me... I could see an intense hatred in his eyes. As far as I know, we've never met" This earned curious but worried looks, though the mates knew nothing would ever happen to him permanently if Alaric decided to make a move. For what reason, they didn't know but they will make sure to keep an eye out.
"Maybe you did something in your past that relates to him somehow" George suggested, at first it seemed Damon was going to deny such claims but stopped when he got a thoughtful look on his face.
"That's a possibility..." He mumbled, hating the thought of his past catching up with him. Even though nothing can truly harm either George or Raven, that didn't mean these people couldn't use Stefan or even Bonnie to draw him out.
"When I shook his hand, I felt the magic from the ring-" This caught everyone's attention, who all subconsciously sat straighter and scooted to the end of their seats in curiosity.
"It wasn't our type of magic, it felt similar to Bonnies but darker... At first, I thought it was an immortality ring but I sense that it protects him from supernatural creatures. I know vervain can stop compulsion and shit, but I don't think this ring's job is to do that. Maybe I'll ask Mortem" Seeing the confused expressions on both Stefan's and Bonnies faces at the unfamiliar name, George whispered that Mortem was indeed Death, earning shocked looks from the pair.
"I think it's time we leave, he'll be waiting-"
"Wait, you're leaving already" The trio looked at Bonnie, who was looking at them with sad eyes. Damon looked at his brother with a questionable gaze but was met with a confused shrug, both wondering why the witch was acting so out of character. Yes, they saw her vulnerable on numerous occasions but had never been sad about people leaving before.
"Little love, what's wrong?" Raven asked softly, taking Bonnie's hands in hers when she noticed her brown eyes tearing up. Raven and her mates shared a worried glance when the young witch lowered her head, in embarrassment or shame... They couldn't tell.
"I'm all alone at home, Gram is gone and the house has too many memories. I don't like being alone" She sniffled, causing an ache in their hearts. George looked at his mate, tilting his head with a knowing expression which was responded to with a nod and a soft smile.
"Sweetie-" Bonnie slowly raised her head and looked at George, who was smiling softly.
"We are very much aware that you're feeling alone, in more ways than one. In all honesty, Raven and I have been discussing this very topic and would love it if you would come and live with us. You need to be around people that care about you and we can teach you all about our kind of magic. Plus, our manor has the most powerful protection wards on it that you will be the safest there" Bonnie was completely speechless, looking between the couple in utter disbelief at being offered something that she could never have dreamed of. She felt connected to her magic but she also knew she wasn't confident enough to try new things alone.
"I-I don't know what to say" the group looked at her with soft smiles, even Damon, who, until a month or so ago, hadn't even had his humanity. He wanted to be a better person for Raven, even though she has made it quite clear during our chats, that she would rather him be himself than pretend to be someone that he is not. He hadn't ever felt accepted more than he did with both his mate and George, and he can see that they both can be there for Bonnie more than anyone.
"Say yes, Bon-Bon" Damon chuckled and even though Bonnie is still unsure about him, even she could tell that ever since George and Raven came into his life, he had gotten much happier and free.
"I-Yes, yes I will accept. Thank you!" She was immediately pulled into a hug, squashed between both Raven and George and for the first time since she was a child, she felt the loving embrace that parents provide.
"Great, I'll get the house elves to pack your belongings and you can figure out if you want to keep some things or not. For now, we need to get home, Stefan, you're more than welcome to come along" With an appreciative nod, Stefan followed them to the car before making their way home to the manor.
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As they entered the home, the magical couple could feel the excitement and anticipation build, knowing that they will soon be reunited with Fred.
"Kreature, Riley, Lotty" Raven called out and suddenly, 'pop' sounds were heard as three different elves appeared.
"Mistress called! Lotty misses Mistress and Master" Lotty beamed with happiness, making all five of them smile as Raven crouched down, opening her arms before the sweet elf ran into her embrace.
"Oh, I miss you too little one. How are you, quetty and Poppy?"
"We be keeping the manor nice and clean!" Lotty says as she pulled away, her big eyes watering.
"Mistress called?" Kreature asks, shaking his head disapprovingly at the overly emotional younger Elf. George chuckled at the older elf's impatience, patting Lotty on the head affectionately as she moved to stand beside him. Bonnie and Stefan exchange amused and awed smiles, both still getting used to their kind of magic and what comes along with it.
"Yes, I'd like you three to go over to Bonnie's home and pack everything, she will be moving in here. Place her belongings in one of the heir's bedrooms" This earned shocked looks from the elves, all three looking at the Bennet witch hesitantly before nodding their heads. Without another word, they disappear.
"How do they know where I live? And what's the heir bedroom?" Bonnie questions with a confused frown. She notices the nervous smiles that are exchanged between Raven and George, making her nerves and confusion increase.
"Well, elves tend to know more than people give them credit for. In all honesty, we aren't sure how they know but they just do and to answer your other question... Well the heir bedrooms are there for the children of the lord and Lady of the house"
"But... That means-"
"This may sound confusing and I apologise if we overstepped the boundaries, but ever since we met you, we've had this parental protectiveness for you and it only seems fitting that you, as our daughter, take the heir bedroom" To say Bonnie was stunned was an understatement, it wasn't hidden knowledge that she didn't get along with her parents. Her mother had abandoned her when she was a child and her father would rather be anywhere but Mistic falls, leaving her in the custody of her grams, but after she died, neither one of her parents even bothered to come to her funeral, let alone check how she was feeling. Without a single word, she ran towards the couple and threw her arms around them, sobbing hysterically.
"It's okay, little witch. We are here" George reassured softly, holding both girls close. Damon and Stefan watched the exchange in shock, both wondering how two strangers could have changed all their lives in such a short amount of time. They could see how much this meant to Bonnie and knew from now on, she wouldn't ever feel alone again.
"Interesting" They all spun around, Stefan and Bonnie both on guard at the unfamiliar male that was leaning against the door frame, whilst the other three shook their heads in amusement.
"Mortem, can't you see you're interrupting an emotional moment" Raven scolded half-heartedly, making his lips twitch in amusement as he held up his hands in surrender.
"My apologies Mistress, I just didn't expect to meet your magical bonded daughter so soon" This earned confused looks from all five of them, which seemed to amuse death even more.
"Are you going to explain or just stand there with that smile?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow, making Mortem huff as he whispered under his breath 'always ruining my fun'.
"There are many different magical bonds, it seems that you two share a parental bond that connects to the ancestral witch. I felt it when you arrived in mystic falls, I just wasn't sure of who it connected to" This was a shock to them all but brought wide smiles to the three, who once again was pulled into a tight hug by George, placing a kiss to the top of their heads.
"Now, we have a job to do... Well, I have a job to do" They chuckled and followed Mortem into the ballroom, where a ritual-like circle was stationed, surrounded by candles.
"George, I'll need some of your blood" Death stated, wiggling an empty vial in front of the group. Bonnie, Damon and Stefan exchanged concerned looks but noticed that the others didn't seem all too worried about the fact that George will have to quite literally slice open his hand to pour some blood.
"Fun" George grinned and grabbed the dagger that mortem conjured, without a second thought, he sliced open his palm, clenching it into a fist and allowing the blood to flow into the vial, filling it halfway before waving his hand and immediately healing it. Raven noticed Bonnie's nervous expression and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, smiling down at her.
"Not to worry, he's perfectly fine" Bonnie sighed and Raven felt her body relax instantly as the young witch leaned into her.
Death stepped into the ritual circle and used George's blood to draw various runes onto the wooden floor. Then, he began to chant in a language that only Raven seems to understand. They felt the temperature drop and the candles began to flicker, the magic in the air increased as Death's chants became more aggressive and fast. From the shadows, they saw a figure step forward and joined Death in the circle. As the chants continued, the figure began to grow solid. Lighter red hair appeared, followed by slightly tanned skin, muscles, brown eyes and freckles. Those who weren't familiar with Fred simply saw someone who looked identical to George but without the beard and extra features that formed after they completed the bond. Slowly but surely, the chanting began to decrease until the figure was completely whole. Once Death had finished, the temperature went back to normal along with the magic in the air.
"Freddie?" The figure snapped his head up and looked at the group in front of him. Tears were pouring down George and Raven's faces, but wide smiles had appeared the moment he began to appear.
"It's about time you got the girl, brother" Fred teased, making the couple chuckle tearfully before running towards him, and tackling him to the ground.
"Ouch, fucking hell you two... How much have you eaten since I've been gone" The trio, along with death chuckled at their reunion and felt extremely happy but nervous to meet the person who meant so much to the couple.
"We missed you, Freddie" Raven sobbed. Fred's expression softened and wrapped his arms around the girl he grew to love as a little sister.
"I missed you too, little sister. Not to worry, I've been watching everything so I'm all up to date" He chuckled as both Raven and George pulled back with wide fearful eyes. Fred stood up first, pulling his brother and future sister-in-law off the group.
"E-Everything?"
"Well... I made sure I kept away from your bedroom. You're hot but I don't want to see that shit" This drew deep blushes from both of them, making Fred throw his head back with laughter.
"Mistress, you have people to officially introduce" Mortem spoke out, his lips twitching in amusement at his mistress's embarrassment.
"Right-" she grabbed hold of the twins' hands and pulled them towards the nervous but amused group.
"Fred, I'd like to introduce you to.-" but she was interrupted when Fred stepped forward, putting out his hand in front of Damon.
"Damon Salvator, my little sister's second mate and the man who secretly also has a crush on my brother. Not to worry, vamp, my brother feels the same" Both men were looking at Fred in utter shock and embarrassment, whilst Raven raised an eyebrow and looked between the two before bursting out into hysterical giggles.
"Oh, I should have made a bet with someone! I knew that was going to happen" Those around her were in complete disbelief, especially her two mates who were rather nervous to even consider their feelings for one another in case she felt a type of way about it.
"Wait, you're okay with it?" Damon asked with hope-filled eyes, her laughter died down and was replaced with a soft smile. She grabbed hold of their hands and placed a peck on their lips.
"Of course I am, imagine all the fun all three of us could have" She purred with a mischievous smile, noticing almost instantly that their bodies tensed and their eyes darkened in lust. An awkward cough drew them away from one another, where Bonnie was grinning from ear to ear whilst Stefan was standing, his arms crossed over his chest with a raised brow. Damon cleared his throat and turned back to Fred, holding his hand out which the red-haired shook instantly.
"Thank you for that" Damon said sarcastically, but with an amused smile on his face. Fred chuckled and nodded before turning to Bonnie, who grew immediately nervous and was rocking back and forth on her heel.
"Bonnie Bennet, my new and beautiful niece. Your gram wants you to know how proud she is of you and also how happy she is that you felt people that would take care of you and show you who you truly are. She said and I quote 'open your heart to your new family and don't feel guilty about seeing them as your parents, they will be the people who will raise you to be who you will become' you have a family now, little Bennet and we aren't going anywhere" Fred was suddenly thrown back by the young witch, who threw her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. He held his niece tightly and whispered soothing words into her ear, the group watch them with watery smiles.
"T-Thank you, uncle Fred" She whispered as she pulled away, Fred smiled down at her and wiped away the tears from her cheeks before placing a kiss on her forehead. Then, he turned towards the last member of the group, whose smile grew slightly nervous as the attention was now on him.
"Stefan Salvator, the vampire with the biggest heart and the man who struggles to accept who he truly is" Stefan frowned slightly, not quite understanding what he meant. Fred chuckled softly at the vampire and shook his hand.
"You are a vampire Stefan, you can control the blood lust but you just need a little bit more help than others. There's nothing wrong with it but someone on the other side has been teaching me all about it, I'm here to help you. Not that I have much of a choice in the matter, Lexi would quite literally haunt my arse if I don't" Stefan's face lit up at the mention of his best friend, who has been there for him at his darkest moments. He felt nervous about drinking human blood, knowing how he ended up before.
"Lexi asked you to help me?"
"Yes but it will be much easier for you now, we magical folk have special ways to help vampires with blood lust" Stefan's eyes widened and he glanced over Fred's shoulder, looking at the group who was smiling and nodding encouragingly. Stefan took a deep breath before nodding his head.
"Okay, I would like to try"