Chapter Text
When Cassie Bennett realised that she had been reborn in The Vampire Diaries universe as Bonnie’s older sister, she didn’t know what to think. As a six-year-old, looking at her newborn baby sister, she felt all her memories of her past life crash into her brain.
She had a fever for more than a week until her body and brain adjusted to this new reality she had just realised around her. For a few years, everything was good and happy. And then her mother left. Then her father created this invisible distance between him and his children. Now she is left to care for herself and her sister, living with their grandmother in this shitty town that is a hotspot for supernaturals.
She knew these few years would be peaceful and wanted to find her magic and learn witchcraft to protect her sister and grandmother.
But everything changed that night.
“Bonnie no!” Cassie ran to her sister, who was about to fall from a chair. Her grandmother, who was setting up the table for dinner, came to see the cause of her distress.
Cassie caught Bonnie before she could fall, with as much grace as a 12-year-old can have, that means falling on her back as Bonnie fell on her, safe from any injury.
Cassie’s heart was racing, and her head throbbing at the place where she hit her head on the cold floor.
“Cassie! What the hell are you doing?!” Her grandmother yells at her as she snatches Bonnie from her.
Cassie looks at her, confused at the sudden harshness in her gram’s voice.
“Grams, What’s wrong?” She asks as she sits up, looking confused at her behavior.
But her grandmother is looking at her with such hatred that Cassie flinches at her eyes. She stands up, taking a step forward, which is mirrored by her grandmother taking a step back, clutching Bonnie’s hand in hers.
“Grams?” Her voice cracked as she rooted in her place, watching as her grandmother looked at her with hatred and fear, taking Bonnie away and locking Cassie in her room without dinner.
At first, Cassie called out for her grandmother, hoping she would let her out, hoping she would not be mad anymore, hoping she would care. But nothing happened.
Cassie is a siphoner.
The realisation made Cassie sob. Her grandmother’s behavior finally made sense. But didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. After that day, Sheila Bennet made sure to keep her eldest granddaughter away from everyone, never letting her touch anyone, not even Cassie’s beloved sister.
Cassie was heartbroken, often spending time alone, reading and learning anything she could about magic without anyone’s help. But there is a limit to self-teaching and trial and error.
Danielle, Cassie’s best friend, knew Cassie’s home life wasn’t great. She could see the pain in Cassie’s eyes, and she hated it. When they were 15, Cassie had finally told her why her grandmother hated her and treated her the way she did. Danielle never felt so much hatred for anyone as she did for Sheila Bennett.
“Dani, you can’t tell anyone about this, please,” Cassie whispered urgently.
“Your grandmother is a bitch!” Dani was seething. “She has no right to treat you like this! So what if your magic is different from others! You are still her family!”
Cassie stood there, looking at her bestie with tears in her eyes. “Dani, I love you so much.” She came forward to hug her. Danielle immediately hugged her back.
However, the comfort of a best friend didn’t last long. At 16, Danielle was moving.
“You should come with me,” Dani told her one day.
Cassie’s head snapped to her, eyes wide. “What?”
“Your grandmother treats you like shit for something you have no control over! Your mother ran off years ago; clearly she doesn’t care. Your father is never around, and even if he is, he never stops your grandmother, and your sister is too young to understand what is happening and can’t help you.” Dani says in one breath.
Cassie blinks at her. “Wow, you had been holding onto that.”
Dani rolls her eyes. “I am serious, Cassie!” She grabs her shoulder, shaking her as if it would put some sense into her. “I know you care about your sister and don’t wanna leave her, but for once in your life, be selfish! Look out for yourself!”
Cassie is silent for a moment before she asks, “Do your parents know about this offer you are making me?” Cassie tries to find a way to deny this.
Dani sighs, knowing her best friend all too well. “They were the ones who suggested this.”
Cassie straightens. “What?!”
Dani scoffs. “They are not blind, Cassie.” Dani holds Cassie’s hand in a soft grip. “You know my mom works in child protection services, and my dad’s a teacher. They know kids with troubled home lives when they see one.”
“I’ll think about it,” Cassie says as she stands up, wanting to leave this conversation.
“Please, Cassie, just,” Dani pauses, taking a deep breath before putting a smile on her face, “We leave on Saturday next week. Please join us.”
Cassie smiles back at her before leaving without a word.
Cassie spends the week avoiding that conversation, pretending everything is fine. Spending time with Danielle as usual without bringing up the offer once, fully intending to decline.
Friday night, Cassie comes home with a heavy heart after saying goodbye to Dani. As soon as she enters her home, a nine-year-old Bonnie comes running to her, hugging tightly, “Cassie! Caroline made fun of my hair.” She complained.
Cassie chuckled, “She only does that because she doesn’t have as beautiful hair as you do.” She patted her head.
Bonnie looked up at her, big innocent eyes blinking. “Really? I have beautiful hair?”
Cassie nods. “Truly! No one has more beautiful hair than my baby sister.”
Bonnie scrunches her nose. “Not a baby!”
Cassie laughs at her cute baby sister. “My baby!” She exclaimed before hugging her tightly.
Bonnie was laughing along with her when suddenly she was snatched away from the warm hug.
“What do you think you are doing?” Sheila Bennett asked as she pulled Bonnie behind her. Bonnie looks at her grams, worried.
Cassie’s face is blank. “Hugging my baby sister. What else do you think I am doing?”
Sheila narrows her eyes at her. “Have I not told you not to touch your sister?”
Cassie scoffs, “Do you truly think I would hurt my sister?!”
“It is in your nature.” Sheila snaps at her, “An abomination. Always destined to hurt everyone around you.”
Till now, Sheila had never called her names or outright discriminated against her. It was only the way she would avoid her touch or make sure Bonnie was out of her reach. It was in the way she would look at her with such hateful eyes. It was in the way she would call Abby Bennett in the middle of the night to curse her for giving birth to a siphoner.
“An abomination?” Cassie whispered, tears in her eyes but not letting them fall. “Is that what you think of me?! An abomination? A leech? A defect?!”
Sheila’s silence was her answer.
Defeated, she sighed, shaking her head at her grandmother. “I would have saved you grams. I truly would have.” She let out a watery chuckle. “But now?”
Sheila could see the madness setting in her granddaughter.
“Now I cannot wait for you to die after Damon Salvatore forces you to open that tomb!”
Sheila’s eyes widened at her words. “What do you mean by that?!” She demanded of her granddaughter.
“Oh, so now you wanna talk to me.” Cassie laughed. “Fuck you, Grandmother! I am leaving this town, and I won’t be back.” She gave her a mocking look. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to be back, or your funeral. I won’t leave my sister alone in this goddamn town.”
With that, Cassie turned and left as she heard her grandmother shouting at her, demanding more information about her demise.
Cassie walked to Dani’s house in heavy rain, with just a single backpack on her back and hope in her eyes.
“Cassie!” Dani’s mom, Phoebe, ushers her inside. “What were you thinking, walking in such heavy rain?!” She scolds her as she brings some towels for her.
Dani’s dad, Joseph, comes from the kitchen. “Hey Cassie, how are you doing?”
Cassie smiles at him, “Better now, Mr Morgan.”
“You will be joining us for dinner, right?” He asks, with a soft smile, dimples popping on his face.
“Of course, she will be joining us, Dad!” Dani comes down from her room, running as soon as she hears Cassie’s voice.
“Oh god! Look at you!” Dani bites her lip in worry. “Come on, let’s get you to shower. Then we can have dinner.”
Dani hurries Cassie to her room without waiting for an answer.
Coming out of the shower, fresh and warm, Cassie sees Dani pacing.
“What is it, Dani?” Cassie asks, drying her hair with a towel.
Dani looks at her, worried but hopeful. “I don’t wanna assume, but,“ she pauses for a moment, “You are here a day before our move. And yes, you may not have your stuff, but you are here.”
Cassie could see her bestie is spiraling. She chuckles, “Yes.”
Dani stops and looks at her, a grin forming on her face. “Yes?”
Cassie smiles, “Yes, I am moving with you to Chicago.”