Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement intended. Yes, that includes the song, L.J. Smith and Alloy entertainment characters too.
A/N/Warning: This one-shot has my favorite pairing Bonnie and Damon. Since I'm not L.J. Smith the characters are totally OOC. I did try, though. So please bear with me a little.
I forgot. I post it without a beta check. Sorry for the mistakes and horrors.
From the pain...
"Without pain, how could we know joy?" ― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: That word is love." ― Sophocles
"They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for." ― Tom Bodett
She woke up startled with the intense pain. Oh! No, not again. Please not again.
She clutched the sheets as a new slashing sensation marked her right arm. She saw her blood oozing out, slowly painting red her incredibly cute kitten pajamas. Shoot, another one bite the dust.
After that she couldn't think clearly again. Wave after wave of pain made it impossible. Her sheets not longer dry. Her blood making them wet and cold, too cold for her taste. Then, the pain of a broken bone. She couldn't feel her tears. It has happened before. She knew the hollow dark comes next.
The next second she took her last breath...
Roaming the world could be a paradox. You could feel it as an incredible experience or as he felt the last couple of weeks it could be absolutely boring. Countries he had already visited in his long, and for the moment everlasting life. Cultures he knows by heart. Human tendencies and attitudes that never changes no matter the century his living in.
He fled because he needed the space. His undead heart demanded it, he succumbed and obeyed his desire to go away. But, to almost to a point of distaste he kept tabs on them. Damon contacted his brother with the excuse to letting him know he was still alive. At other time he sent a congratulation gift to Mutt. Oh! He knew that human boy had cursed him again. Of course, there are the sent birthdays wishes notes to his girls. Even if none of them were actually his. Once he sent a gift to the Little Bird. He almost let his mouth do a smile at the memories of her.
An almost imperceptible smirk appeared on his features. Maybe, it was time to return. The hollow in his heart didn't feel so present any more. Four years had passed and he needed to know if something like hope was a real thing. So, he did like he always does.
Damon did what he wanted, not questions asked. He returned to Fell Church.
In Damon fashion way he arrived in time for the gathering between friends. With his grand entrance he quickly assessed the situation and everyone. The scary Mary was there with her professor. What was his name? Ala, something. Who cares? Not him definitely. The old witch serving as hostess. It was natural, it was her house. Nothing strange there. The glaring sensation came from the human boy, Mutt.
Yes, he missed messing with him. But a warm sensation distracted his mind from the boy. He turned to it expecting the Princess, but alas it was his brother. Damon liked it and he will die first before admitting to it.
He nodded toward Stefan, his Little Brother, to let him know everything was okay. Lastly he dare see her, the reason of love and hate in his heart, Elena. She was beaming and looked so happy. In a careful and slowly way he studied her. Every single detail and his heart leaped. He saw the ring.
A strange thing happened too. He didn't lose his hope. Damon didn't know why, but he was certain of something. This time he wouldn't mess with his brother's happiness. More than five hundred years of that was enough for him. He didn't need it any more.
The scene felt familiar and yet something was missing. His other girl was missing. The words escaped without him thinking it through. A rare thing for him.
"Where is Red Bird?"
Princess' face crumble a little. "She couldn't make it."
That only made him question; what the hell happen?
Later that night he had the obligatory talk with Stefan. It was more of a summary than any other thing. After his departing to Europe, the gang kept mostly together. A few fights with some supernatural creatures, but nothing like the kitsune or Klaus debacle. The slow burn and return to each other between Elena and Stefan, scary Mary's professor return and the process of Red Bird falling in love with a dog. I hate werewolves!
Stefan didn't bother to ask why I didn't come to our human's graduations. Or why I kept the contact to a minimum. He knew too well my reasons. At some point of our strange journey he had felt that kind of pain too. A forceful silence descended upon us. I guessed he wanted to say something more, but he was struggling with it.
"Brother?"
He let out a sigh and determination appear within his eyes. Stefan has decided, turning a little to look at me straight to my eyes.
"Damon, I think something happened to Bonnie?"
"What do you mean?"
"I saw Bastian the other day with his pack. He asked about her. My surprise face was enough for him to know, so he talked. He had broken up with Bonnie. Almost a year ago."
Damon felt a strange twist. Maybe, it was relief. He'd ignore it not willing to analyzed it more than it should.
"And I don't see the problem with that. In fact, that's great news. The Red Bird doesn't have a dog any more."
"Damon!"
"What brother? It is the truth."
"Try not be you for a second and listen to me. They have broken up and Elena or Meredith didn't know. In fact, they believed she was happy with him and that was the main reason for the few phone calls and the none existent visits. She haven't returned to Fell's Church since graduation. The point is..."
Damon knew. A dreadful feeling started to rise and as he completed Stefan's words.
"Not like her at all."
"Yes."
"You are telling me all of this. Why?"
"I know you care about her. I thought..."
"You thought I will find her and bring her back."
There it goes again. Expecting me be the hero and for what. What would I gain from this. There is no more Elena and frankly I'm tired at everyone wanting me to act like Stefan. The infuriating fact is that I will do it. Even if I let them all believe I don't give a damn.
"I'm not her keeper, Stefan."
I transformed and flew away from him. My plan was to eat, but I ended up going to my Little Bird parents house searching for answers questioning why on earth none of them did it before.
After a torturous road trip with necessary stops for his essential needs like taking a delicious bite and savor the different tastes blood could have. Drink from the cheapest bourbon to the expensive one he could find. It didn't matter the result would've been the same one.
He would end up in a forsaken little town with some strange vibes fortifying his inner walls and being alert. How on earth from all places Little Bird would end up here? Didn't she learn from her experiences on Fell's Church? His hunter instincts made him take some time to study it.
She ended up on another supernatural crossroads. Ley lines present, check. Psychic tones and undertones surrounding the town, check. Old cemetery, check. Curses and spells easy to detect, check. Dark and strange town history, check. Oblivious human beings, check. Of course, he could bet his fortune he could find vampires, werewolves, witches and anything else the supernatural world could concoct. After all Red Bird lives near another door for the Dark Dimension. This brings a question; did she search for this door? Or the second option, which is the one he believes more, Red Bird stumble with it.
Yes, ironic.
Damon is sure Red Bird knows how to cloak her gifts and aura. She learned that. Red Bird knows how to do spells and if he recollect right she is all aware and know how to use her druid heritage properly. But if something is utterly wrong a damned place like this one, with all the supernatural activity juxtaposing one over another, is the perfect place to hide. Places like Fells Church and here Charon Town always have bigger fish to fry. Here she could hide at plain sight. No human knows her like in Fell Church. Risky but smart. Quite clever Little Bird!
It's time to hunt a bird.
Damon found her soon enough at the local elementary school. The sight in front of him keep him intrigued. The playground full of children running and being just that, children. Red Bird is good children and it was obvious the little buggers love her. A long time ago Elena told him what Little Bird finally had chosen to study. He didn't pay too much attention to it, after all he was with Elena and that was what mattered the most.
Kitten had chosen well he could perceive that clearly, but something was not right. Her clothes were different from her coworkers they actually look too hot for the weather. Red Bird keep drinking water and drying her sweat from her brow. Why did she wear a black long sleeve turtle neck in summer weather? He didn't mind the color choice, but still.
At some point he saw her standing still like any prey when they sense the near predator. Red Bird did a three sixty searching for what she had sensed. Damon fortified his walls and tighten his aura's cloak. He felt a gentle prodding, like an invisible wave. Impressive, Red Bird, very impressive! When did you learn to do that?
Suddenly a boy came running and hug her. Red Bird wince when the boy touched her, her face showed pain. Definitely something is wrong with you kitten.
Damon knows how to wait and observe every detail. More often than not those details gives him the answer he's seeking. So, he waited and followed his Little Bird for the rest of the day. He needed answers and he would get them.
The night arrive and Damon felt at home and at this time he revealed his presence to his Kitten. He caught Red Bird by surprise at her apartment with a simple knock on her window. This time he sent his power wave as a counter measure to Little Bird mental probe. She knows his mental touch and he counted on that for her to let him in. What he didn't expect was she saying no.
Red Bird didn't want to invite him in and told him to go away. It bothered him but it was a surprise at the same time. Interesting!
"Someday you'll have to get out, Little Bird. I'll be here. You can count on it."
He returns to the shadow waiting. Apparently, cat and mouse, were the game they were playing and he excelled on it. Damon waited until he heard her scream. He flew to her door and open it. The pungent smell of blood invaded his senses, that could only mean one thing. She's bleeding, someone attacked her. Damon burst into her room and found her fragile body smeared in blood on her bed. Only silence was what he could hear and feel; no breathing. No breathing! How?
He didn't think about anything. Not about who attacked her? Or about the fact he could open her door an enter to her apartment. About the reason because she no longer exists. How the attacker slipped through his warnings? Why didn't he sensed anything?
Damon lifted her from the mess on her bed and cradle her on his lap, gently almost lovingly. The body cold to the touch, with the natural stillness of death. This could not be happening, not under his watch. Time passed he wasn't sure how much maybe hours. Damon didn't know and he didn't care. He kept his Little Bird cold body near him and spent some time memorizing every detail. Her fiery hair, paleness of her skin, how delicate and little she was and the marks on her arms.
Frowning he carefully inspected the marks again. They seemed a day old because the healing process were already under way. Then, he remembers what happened with the boy. Red Bird had wince in pain maybe, the boy touched her one of her wounds when he hugged her. Damon moved the seam of the shirt Red Bird is wearing and he saw red. There were marks everywhere, like someone had punched her. With his fingers he delicately traced one of her injuries. You had suffered a lot, Little Bird.
His hand keeps moving tracing without stopping it, his mind elsewhere on old memories of her full of life and the hidden courage that he could only see. Always Red Bird hidden away behind Elena's greatness. Elena is the sun and his Red Bird was. What is Red Bird? The moon? The moon who could only be seeing after the sun is gone. Moon his eternal companion who always be there for him as a creature of the night. A maniacal laugh emerged from deep within him. Now I'm thinking poetic nonsense!
Damon leaned his head a little towards Red Bird face. If, he wasn't feeling the cold of her body he could easily believe she was sleeping. Her face so serene and at peace. His hand stopped tracing her injuries, now it's carefully tucking away the loose curls of her fiery hair off her face. Then, he let his hand caress her cheek. Would it be possible that now is when he realized how much he will miss her. Now when there is no more birds on the nest. He kept caressing absent-mindlessly. What a cliche!
The first rays of the sun came out and with it the shocking truth. His Little Bird took her first breath.
With no comprehension at all of what is really happening. The mixture of the surprise and relief emotions mixing up together he heard what his heart was craving. Red Bird sing-song voice came out a little raspy, but it was there real.
"Damon"
In a long time he hadn't felt the burst of energy coming out from deep within him. It was a pure feeling, simple as that. He felt pure joy.
A/N: If you read it completely Thank you. I hope you really like it. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this. Maybe, one more chapter that at this point has not one word written. I guess, what I need to know if it's good enough to do it. Let me know.
I'll love some feedback.