Thank you everyone for your reviews regarding the last chapter. You have no idea how nervous I was about how the letter would be received, Bonnie's reaction and Caleb's powers. Thank you so much for rolling with me through this fic.
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
Damon opened the front door of the boarding house and leaned in the doorway facing Trevor. It had been three days since Caleb collapsed and Bonnie had spent every moment with him, so apparently her little professor had tracked her down.
"Can I help you?" Damon asked.
Trevor looked at Damon and cocked his head to the side, "Hi, I'm here to see Bonnie".
"Mmm…", Damon looked around, "I think she's with her son upstairs, I'll tell her you came by", Damon started closing the door, but Trevor stopped the door from closing with his hand.
"She's actually expecting me", Trevor leaned closer to Damon.
Damon smirked, "Is she now?"
"Yes, I am", Bonnie answered from behind Damon.
Damon sighed and moved out of the way as Trevor entered the house and walked over to Bonnie, bringing her into a hug, "I was happy you called, I wanted to make sure everything was ok".
"Everything is ok…umm…we need to talk, Damon…", Bonnie turned to Damon, who was listening intently, "Caleb actually wants you to play a game with him".
"Caleb wants me to play a game with him?" Damon asked suspiciously.
"Yes, now go up there and play with him", Bonnie widened her eyes.
Damon looked at Trevor and then at Bonnie and headed up the stairs.
Trevor shook his head with an amused look on his face, "You two…", he gestured upstairs and then back at Bonnie.
"Are always at odds", she finished, "but I want to talk to you, join me…", she gestured towards the living room.
"Oh wow…this feels like a kiss off", Trevor chuckled uncomfortably.
Bonnie gave Trevor a self-deprecating smile.
"Oh wow…that's exactly what this is", he shook his head.
"Let me explain, it's not you…as clichéd as it sounds, it really is me. I thought I was ready for this—but the truth is, I'm not. There are so many things going on in my life right now, that being with you would be unfair. I wouldn't be able to give you what you deserve. You are a good guy Trevor and I don't think that I could be the woman that you need", Bonnie explained, "I had fun with you and we had a really good time together, but I don't want to continue rushing off or being distant from you".
Trevor nodded, "I understand".
"Do you really?" Bonnie asked uneasily.
"Bonnie, I see you have a lot going on here and despite the fact that you haven't told me, I kind of figured out that Damon is your child's father and I don't know exactly what's going on there—but I know that its not all figured out".
"Damon has nothing…"
"Yes…yes he does", Trevor stated touching Bonnie's arms, "and it's ok. I mean, I'm disappointed and I wish that things were in my favor, but they're not. However, when you work things out—maybe we can give it another try?"
Bonnie smiled, "Maybe we can".
He nodded before giving her a hug, "I mean what I say about giving it another try", he whispered in her ear.
Bonnie hugged him tightly, feeling confident that she was making the best decision.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Damon heard the front door close and Bonnie sigh. He heard the entire conversation between Bonnie and Trevor. He wanted to let out a knowing laugh as soon as he heard Bonnie dump the Professor in the most clichéd way. Damon wasn't sure what his status with Bonnie was, but he knew that the Professor wouldn't last in their world long. "Play", Caleb ordered as he handed Damon a car.
"No one can ever deny that you don't have the Bennett Bossiness", Damon commented as he took the car from Caleb and began to drag it across the floor.
Bonnie appeared in the doorway shortly after and stood in the doorway, "Caleb, I have to speak with Damon for a few seconds…ok?"
"Ok, Mommee", he answered going back to the cars as Damon walked over to Bonnie stepping out in the hallway.
"What's up?" he asked.
"We're going to talk to to Caleb tomorrow about you and then we're leaving for Washington to go see Abby", Bonnie declared, "we need to find out about Caleb's conception and he needs to know who you are so he knows that you are someone who will protect him".
Damon nodded, "I'm glad that you know that".
"I haven't doubted your feelings about Caleb since you came back", she stated and turned walking away from him.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Later that night, Damon joined Stefan on a bar stool at a dive bar right outside of Mystic Falls. He took a sip of his bourbon as Stefan downed his beer, "Do you know how long it's been since I've had food from the source", Damon turned to look at the dance floor where a bunch of college girls were dancing drunkenly on the floor.
Stefan focused on the girls falling all over each other, "Damon…"
"Look, I'm not like you. You know I like feeding from the source, now it's been over a month since I've been back and I've been a good little vampire and besides, after we see Abby and figure out what the hell happened—we may have a war on our hands. Caleb is coming into whatever power he may have and someone must already suspect that he has some type of power".
"If what he did to that bird can work on others…including supernaturals, there may be others that may want to use him to raise god knows what".
"But there has to be a limit to his power though, he's been around you for years and you're still technically dead", Damon finished his bourbon and pushed his glass over to the bartender for a refill.
"That probably won't stop others from testing those limits though", Stefan conceded.
"Exactly, so I think this is going to be much bigger just an isolated kidnapping…I think they are just biding their time and waiting for us to lower our defenses", Damon downed his glass of bourbon and stood up, "and that is why we need to be ready…excuse me".
Stefan watched Damon walk over to the college girls and start dancing in the middle of them with his limbs going every which way sending them into a fit of giggles. Stefan shook his head as his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He looked down at the caller ID and smiled, "Hey".
"Hey…I thought you were coming by tonight".
"I'm sorry, I will be a little late tonight…I'm out with Damon".
"Lovely", the caller deadpanned.
"Don't sound like that", Stefan chuckled, "but I promise that I will come by as soon as I'm done here".
"Ok, please do…I know you're going away for a couple of days and I want to say goodbye properly".
Stefan smiled, "I will give you a chance to do exactly that, I promise".
"I look forward to it", Stefan ended the call as Damon walked over and picked another drink of bourbon.
Stefan sat back and chuckled, he would play the chaperone for his brother for a little while longer.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Bonnie was asleep in the glider in Caleb's room when she heard something break downstairs. Her eyes shot open as she looked over at Caleb, who was still asleep. She rose from the glider as her heart began to beat feverishly. She quickly mumbled a protection spell around Caleb's room and headed down the hallway slowly. Multiple spells ran through her mind as she padded down the steps and heard someone knock into one of the little tables and then promptly curse. As soon as she heard the voice, she stopped and rolled her eyes.
She slowly made her way down the rest of the way and folded her arms as she watched Damon trip over his own feet and land on the couch. Drunk and if she looked close enough, she could see traces of dried blood on his face.
She shook her head as she watched him mumbled to himself on the couch, "Well…well…well…", she remarked from the archway, "where is your chaperone?"
"Stefan…pfft…he went to go get laid somewhere".
"What? Who?" Bonnie asked.
"Got me", Damon shrugged.
"Uh, huh", Bonnie replied entering the living room with her arms folded, "and what, you didn't get lucky tonight?"
"I will have you know Lucky…I mean…Bonnie…that I haven't gotten lucky in 3 years, I think you know the exact date and time that happened", he wiggled an eyebrow at her.
She shifted uncomfortably, but managed to croak out an "Whatever…"
"I really was lucky Bonnie", Damon focused on her through his drunken haze.
She focused on him as he continued to talk, "I know I messed up big time and I know that you don't want to believe me…I know that Elena is a factor that we can't ignore, but my feelings…they are complicated…"
"Damon, just sleep off your alcohol and your blood intoxication", Bonnie started to leave.
"But I still love you. I can admit it. I don't know what it means or what I can do about it, but I still love you…", he called to her and then stated more quietly, "yeah…I still love you".
Bonnie closed her eyes. Hearing him admit that he loved her, did something to her. It made a warm feeling come all over her. The feeling that made her shake her body a little to get it to go away.
"And it wasn't supposed to happen…or maybe it was…I don't know…but I'm telling you the truth".
Bonnie turned to face him and noticed that his eyes were closed. She smiled wryly as she walked over to kneel in front of him. "Sleep it off…we need to have a conversation with Caleb tomorrow and you don't need to be hungover when we have it", she stood up and left him drifting to sleep on the couch.
Bonnie walked towards the archway of the living room and touched the wall looking back at Damon, before turning to go upstairs.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Bonnie poured a cup of coffee as she touched her stomach the next morning. Butterflies were attacking her this morning. She wasn't sure if she ever actually dreamed of how this moment would go, but ready or not, it was time. Throughout her pregnancy, she had moments when she thought about what she would say to Damon about Caleb. She promised herself that she would write a letter to him before she died. She hoped by then, that she wouldn't be as angry.
"Coffee? I thought you stopped drinking that years ago", Stefan smirked entering the kitchen.
"I did, but I guess I can't have wine this early", she shrugged and then she raised an eyebrow, "are you just coming in?"
Stefan looked at the refrigerator and retrieved a blood bag, "Is Damon still sleeping off his bourbon?" Stefan changed the subject as Bonnie smirked at him.
"Ok, I will drop it for now".
"Thank you".
"Where's that truck?" Damon grumbled as he entered the kitchen rubbing his head.
Bonnie looked at him, "So we decide today is the day that we tell Caleb about you being his father and last night, you decided to have an Old Damon Vampire party?"
"No Bonnie, I hung out with my brother and filled up on some blood, because if things hit the fan…you want me at my best", Damon stated taking the blood bag from Stefan, who chuckled grabbing another one from the refrigerator.
"Only you would rationalize getting drunk off of booze and blood as training for war".
Damon smiled, "Bonnie, you are just mad that I didn't offer you any bourbon last night".
"Not even close", she stated.
"But I said nice things to you last night, didn't I?" Damon wiggled his eyebrow at her.
"I hate you", she hissed.
"Ok…kids…we love each other today, remember?" Stefan interrupted, "and we have to talk to Caleb in a few minutes, so I need you two to put on a happy face".
"And that's what I will do", Bonnie replied, "IF he behaves himself".
"Damon…", Stefan turned to his older brother.
"I'm always a good boy", Damon winked at Bonnie, who scoffed in disgust.
Stefan sighed loudly, "Ok…let's go".
Damon finished his blood as Bonnie started out of the kitchen followed by Stefan and Damon. Caleb was sitting on the floor watching one of his favorite shows and Bonnie walked over to the couch, picking up the remote, "Caleb, we have to talk to you", she stated turning off the television.
He looked up at the three adults and his face twisted into a confused look, "Trouble?" he asked.
"No, you're not in trouble", Stefan answered as he sat down and patted the space on the couch next to him.
Caleb got up and climbed on the couch next to Stefan as Bonnie gestured for Damon to sit next to Caleb and she sat down on the floor in front of them. She was so nervous about this conversation, that she almost wished she could blink herself out of the room.
"So…we wanted to talk to you about what happened the other day first", Stefan began.
"When I touch bird?" Caleb asked looking at the three of them.
"Yes, Caleb…when you touched the bird and you got sick. You scared all of us", Bonnie spoke up, "and we don't want you doing that anymore. If you see anything that is sick, please don't touch it…it could make you sick too".
"Ok Mommee", Caleb mumbled.
"We know you just wanted to help the bird, but it could have hurt you", Stefan added.
"Ok".
Stefan looked at Bonnie and then nodded. She took a deep breath and then smiled, "Come here, Baby", she smiled holding out her arms.
Caleb slid off of the couch and sat down in Bonnie's lap. Damon looked down at the two of them and he felt something, he hadn't necessarily felt in a long time—his heart welled up and the emotions that almost stayed hidden as a vampire came to the surface. It was a beautiful sight to see Bonnie and Caleb together. For the first time, he saw the mix of both him and Bonnie in Caleb's face and it overwhelmed him.
"Caleb, do you remember when we told you that children have mommies and daddies?" Bonnie asked as Caleb looked up at her with full attention.
"Yes, and some have Uncle Steffy!" Caleb grinned as he focused on Stefan as Damon's eyes shot over.
"Yes some do have Uncles, but not all have Uncle Steffy", Bonnie laughed, "Caleb, Stefan is your Uncle…do you know why he's your Uncle?"
Caleb looked at Stefan, then at Damon and then at Bonnie, shaking his head, "Well Stefan is your Uncle because he is your daddy's brother?"
"My daddy's brudda?" Caleb asked.
"Yes…your daddy was away for awhile and he's been here with you for awhile now", Bonnie stated.
Caleb looked confused as he knitted his eyebrows together, "My Daddy?"
"Yes, your daddy…", Bonnie smiled as she looked over at Damon, "Stefan's brother, Damon…he's your daddy".
Caleb turned to look at Damon with a look as if he was seeing him for the first time and then he turned back to Bonnie, "Daymon…my daddy?" Caleb asked with a hint of a smile.
Bonnie looked at Stefan who nodded, "Yes, Damon is your daddy", she stated with finality.
Caleb looked over at Damon and grinned, "Daddy Daymon!" he leapt off of Bonnie's lap and rushed over to Damon, who lifted him up onto his lap as Bonnie stood up from the floor, "you're my Daddy?" Caleb asked.
"I am…I'm your Daddy", Damon said.
"Yay!" Caleb yelped as he wrapped his arms around Damon and kissed him on the cheek.
Bonnie stood watching the scene and despite how she felt about Damon at that moment, her eyes welled up. Stefan stood up and walked up next to her and wrapped his arm around her, "This was the right move", he whispered in her ear, "he's young, which means its easier for him to accept this".
Bonnie looked over at Stefan and nodded as they watched Caleb and Damon, "Mommee!" Caleb called out excitedly, "now I have a Daddy and Uncle Steffy".
"Yes…yes you do", Bonnie stated.
Damon looked up at Bonnie and Stefan as Caleb hugged him and mouthed, "Thank you".
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
As Bonnie packed the last of Caleb's shirts for the trip to Washington later that evening, Stefan walked in and started handing her shirts, "I think I'm going to stay here for maybe a day or two and then come to Washington", Stefan turned to Bonnie.
"Wait…why?" she met his eyes, "I thought we were all going to see Abby".
"Bonnie…", Stefan sat down on Caleb's bed and looked at her, "we just told Caleb who his father is, you all need to get used to being family".
"Damon is Caleb's father, we are co-parents..."
"Bonnie, I know that eventually you and Damon will somehow get past all of the hurt and pain that he caused from leaving…"
"Stefan, are you trying to take a backseat because Damon is back now and now Caleb knows who his father is?"
"I think that Damon and Caleb need to bond Bonnie and I think it would help if I'm not around".
"But you are an important part of Caleb's life…"
Stefan gave Bonnie a smile to calm her down, "I understand Bonnie and I am confident in my role in Caleb's life. I just think that you and Damon should spend some alone time with Caleb".
Bonnie looked down and sighed, "I know, I know…I shouldn't act this way".
"Are you afraid of what will happen if you are Damon don't have me as a chaperone?" Stefan teased her.
"What…no…no…absolutely not, we're adults Stefan…I'm an adult and your brother disgusts me", Bonnie closed Caleb's suitcase, "I definitely do not need a chaperone".
"Fair enough…I will be in Washington in a couple of days, if you need me to come sooner once you get there-let me know and I will be there".
"Ok", Bonnie hugged him as he wrapped his arms around her returning the hug.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Damon carried Caleb to their seats on the plane. Bonnie chose a late flight, so that Caleb could sleep throughout their trek to Washington. When Stefan informed him that he would be along in a few days, Damon was secretly pleased. He knew that he was being a tad selfish, but he wanted to have Caleb and Bonnie to himself for awhile. Spending time with Caleb was his top priority at the moment. While Caleb had accepted him with open arms, he realized that it was mainly because of Caleb's age—he probably didn't truly know what Damon's role in his life was. Hell…Damon wasn't sure what his role in Caleb's life was, but he was determined to be a better father than he had.
Then there was Bonnie. Even though both Bonnie and Stefan denied that there was anything going on between them and their feelings were strictly platonic—there was a part of him who doubted that was completely true. They leaned on each other, they had bonded over Caleb and Damon knew exactly the effect that being in close quarters with Bonnie Bennett could do to a man after a couple of months, let alone years. He was aware that she was still angry with him, but he wanted to make it up to her.
They took their seats and Bonnie strapped Caleb in between them and the little boy quickly fell asleep against Bonnie's arm as soon as the plane took off when he realized that he couldn't see much out of the window. Damon watched Bonnie view a magazine on her iPad for the first hour and then he decided that they had many hours in front of them and they should put it to use. He unstrapped Caleb from his seat and placed him on his lap. The little boy opened his eyes for a moment and then drifted off to sleep again.
"Damon…now is not the time", Bonnie said not looking at him.
"I have a feeling that will be your mantra for the next 16 years, if possible", he sighed.
"Damon, I don't really know what you want me to say? I think we said just about everything the other night", she whispered.
"No, you yelled at me and I listened".
"Damon, we are not discussing this on a plane…not right now".
"Elena's in a coffin", Damon stated looking down at Caleb's curly head and he noticed Bonnie's entire body stiffen out of the corner of his eye, "and while she was in that coffin, we made love and created Caleb. We didn't plan to do it, we probably wouldn't have done it if Elena was awake and walking around. We would have ignored our feelings or pushed them down or not acknowledged them and just went about our lives being best friends".
Bonnie turned to look at Damon, "Damon…"
"Bonnie, things changed…they've changed a lot".
Bonnie closed her eyes and then twisted around to look at him, "This is so easy for you, isn't it? You can feel free to love me, have a relationship with me, live whatever life you envision with me and then I die and then you can have a wonderful life with Elena…must be nice huh? I had one night when I let down my guard and gave in to my feelings. I told myself that I would deal with the fallout, that I could deal with the fallout—but the truth is, I can't do that. I don't want to do that because no matter how many nice words you tell me, I will always feel like a stand in for Elena and I'm not interested in that".
"That's not what you are," Damon clenched his teeth, clearly frustrated.
Bonnie pursed her lips and sat back, "For four months all you could talk about was finding a way to get back to your girl and before that, you stalked me because of Emily and tried to kill me because of another girl that you fell in love with and waited 100 years or so for, so now? You want to convince me now that you are not waiting for Elena and I'm the girl you want? Try again, Damon".
He stared as Bonnie turned back to her iPad, placing headphones on and focusing on a movie. His mouth dropped. He thought at the very least that she would talk to him, but she wasn't budging an inch and to make matters worse—he wasn't sure how to make things better between them.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
The plane landed at midnight and Damon, Bonnie and Caleb headed to a hotel for the night. Due to the late flight, they made plans to go see Abby in the next afternoon instead of arriving in the middle of the night. "I got a suite for us", Bonnie said as Damon carried Caleb off of the elevator, "there's a pull out couch in the living room", she pulled out a key as they reached the suite door.
"Oh yay…I wonder who's the lucky person who gets to sleep on that", Damon remarked sarcastically.
"If you would prefer your own suite, that would work as well", she stated.
"No…I will rough it".
Bonnie chuckled, "When have you ever roughed it?" she asked as they walked into the suite and Damon took Caleb into the bedroom laying him on the bed, before joining Bonnie in the living room area.
"I will have you know Bonnie Bennett, there was a period during the 50's and 60's when I did not have the ability to enjoy the finer things in life".
"Oh what…you didn't have the best bourbon or the best clothes…the horror", she rolled her eyes.
"You know the more you tease more, the more I am convinced that I am breaking you down", Damon came closer to smiling down at her.
"Damon, I realize that we have to have a united front in front of Caleb and in front of my mother to a degree. Where Caleb is concerned, I am your partner. However, whatever you may think about me and you? You need to stop thinking about it. I've changed and with that change, I see things differently…I see you differently".
"I never meant to hurt you Bonnie".
"I actually believe that, but it happened and all I can do is learn from it", she shrugged and turned to go into the bedroom, "we can go to Abby's in the afternoon".
Damon sighed, "ok".
She turned and headed towards the bedroom, closing the door behind her leaving Damon staring at the door.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Damon could feel the bed dip a little as he slowly opened his eyes. He had the worst night sleep in ages and he wasn't too happy with being awakened. He opened his eyes to see Caleb's aquamarine eyes staring back at him with a grin on his face. "Daymon Daddy, you wake?" Caleb whispered close as possible to Damon's face.
Damon looked around the suite, it was still dark outside and he had no idea how long he had been asleep—but it didn't seem long. He looked at his cell phone…it was 4am. "I am now", Damon stretched.
Caleb smiled as he moved closer to Damon and snuggled up next to him, closing his eyes. Damon stared at the small boy for a few moments before wrapping his arm around him and closing his eyes again.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Bonnie woke up with a start. She looked over on the other side of the bed where Caleb was asleep hours before. She jumped out of the bed and rushed to the open bedroom door finding Caleb snuggled up next to Damon as the both of them slept. Her body refused to move for a few seconds as she got her bearings together looking at Caleb and his father. After a few moments, she slowly turned around and walked into the bedroom closing the door behind her.
She sat down on the bed and stared at the door taking a few deep breaths. She spent every hour, every minute and every second of the day reminding herself how Damon left her, how he loved Elena more than he loved her and how he hurt her. It was a necessity that she remind herself of these things or she would find herself falling down the rabbit hole again. Did she believe what Damon said in his letter? She did. She believed him when he said that he wanted to protect her, that he felt feelings for her that he didn't expect and that he wanted her to have a good life. That letter and what it entailed was everything that she had hoped he would say to her one day. She spent years feelings guilty about her feelings for Damon and that night they spent together. Damon was Elena's boyfriend. He had pledged to wait for her best friend and she had promised him that they would have a life when she could return to him. Every moment that she spent thinking about Damon and Elena, it chipped away at any ideas she had about what her and Damon could be to each other. She was serious about not being a stand in for Elena, she didn't deserve to be and she wasn't sure if she would ever believe him when he said she wasn't. They shared Caleb and he was one of the purest, unimaginable gifts that she had been given. She didn't regret her son and she didn't regret the night that he was created and it was so hard for her to reconcile that the night that she betrayed her best friend had been the best night of her life.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
"Turn right at Elm Ave", the navigation directed Damon as they made their way to Abby's house. Things had been unusually quiet between him and Bonnie since they left the hotel. He glanced over at Bonnie a few times and he saw her nervously tapping her leg.
Caleb was in the back of the car looking at one of his movies on Bonnie's iPad as they traveled. Damon glanced in the rearview mirror at Caleb engrossed in the movie with his headphones on and then looked over at Bonnie, "So what does Abby know about Caleb?" he asked.
Bonnie turned to him, "What do you mean?"
"Does she think that you just met a guy one night and that was that?"
"I told her that it was a one-night stand, the father was no longer in the picture and I was going to raise the baby by myself".
"And she never questioned you about any of that?"
"Abby has never been that interested in my life, Damon and besides, I had no intention of telling her what really happened then".
"And why not?" Damon asked stopping at a stop light and turning to Bonnie.
Bonnie gave him a look, "You know why".
"So now 3 years later, you are showing up on her doorstep with me and Caleb…"
"Because we need her help. This is about keeping Caleb safe".
"You have reached your destination", the navigation interrupted them.
Bonnie looked out of the window and closed her eyes for a few moments taking a deep breath. Damon exited the car and opened the backdoor helping Caleb out.
"Mommee…where we?" he asked looking around.
"We are at your Nana Abby's house", Bonnie kneeled down in front of Caleb, "so we're going to be on our good behavior right, you and your Daddy", Bonnie looked up at Damon.
"What?" Damon asked innocently.
Bonnie shook her head as she took Caleb's hand and led him up the stairs to Abby's front door. Bonnie took a deep breath and then rang the doorbell with a shaky hand; she was so nervous that she could feel the wind picking up around her.
The door opened and Abby took in the sight in front of her, "Bonnie!" Abby grinned as she brought Bonnie into a hug and then she looked down, "oh my God…is this Caleb?" she kneeled down looking at him, "your pictures, truly did not do you justice…you are gorgeous", as she hugged him and he looked up at Bonnie with a look of concern.
"Caleb…you know…this is my Mommy", Bonnie smiled encouragingly.
"Hello Abby, long time, no see", Damon said walking up the stairs.
Abby looked up and narrowed her eyes as she let Caleb go, "Damon", she stated with thinly veiled contempt, "what are you…" she began, but then looked at Bonnie and then Damon and then Caleb with a look of realization, "oh no…"
"Mom, can we talk?" Bonnie asked with an uneasy smile.
"Oh yes…we can definitely talk", Abby stated with her mouth in a straight line staring daggers at Damon, "come in Bonnie, Caleb…"
Bonnie and Caleb followed Abby into the house and Damon bounced off of an invisible force field at the door.
"Mom?" Bonnie asked.
"I still have friends Bonnie, you can let him in".
Bonnie flung her hand towards the door and Damon stepped over the threshold, "No hard feelings, indeed", he mumbled.
"Bonnie, how about we go in the kitchen and get Caleb a snack…Damon, you can watch him for a few moments, right?" Abby stated before pulling Bonnie away towards the kitchen.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Bonnie watched as Abby removed cookies from the jar on the counter and slammed them on a plate. Her nerves had not subsided, but she was able to talk, "I know what you're thinking…" Bonnie began.
"You have no idea what I'm thinking Bonnie", Abby stated as she threw cookies on the plate, "I mean…ok…maybe I'm just assuming, tell me that little boy in there is the product of my daughter's, crazy college days and a one-night stand…tell me that the darling boy with those gorgeous eyes is not…"
"Damon's…sorry, I can't tell you that Mom. He is Damon's".
Abby sighed and closed her eyes, "Bonnie…Damon? How…why…what happened…was this…I don't…God…", Abby stammered as she massaged her temples, "Bonnie, have you forgotten all the things that Damon Salvatore has done to you…what he did to me?!"
"No, I haven't…I didn't...so many things happened and things changed and…" Bonnie babbled. Suddenly feeling like a child explaining to her mother why she did something she wasn't supposed to.
"Wait…are you two together?" Abby asked.
"No…we're not".
"But you had to be together at least once".
Bonnie nodded.
"And he's still involved with Elena despite the curse?"
"Mom…"
"Bonnie, I am thoroughly confused. Is he not a vampire anymore? How was Caleb's conception even possible?"
"That's why we're here. How exactly we were able to create Caleb is kind of a mystery".
Abby shook her head, "I can't pretend to understand this Bonnie".
"I don't mean to be rude, but you don't have to understand how things happened with Damon and me. I am only trying to figure out how Caleb came about, he has powers Mom…and I think people know about his powers. He was kidnapped a couple of weeks ago and last week, he was in the park with Damon and saw a bird die…he touched the bird and brought it back to life".
Abby focused on Bonnie, "He brought a bird back to life…are you sure?"
"I wasn't there, he was with Damon…"
"Hmm…I think I may have someone who can help us with this, I will give them a call", Abby stated.
"Thank you and we will be here for awhile, so we can talk all about what happened between me and Damon…ok".
"Maybe not all, ok Bonnie".
Bonnie smiled and nodded as she walked out of the kitchen with Abby following her.
Damon watched as Abby looked over at him with almost daggers leaving her eyes. He instantly shifted in his stance as he looked down at Caleb smiling at Abby as he took a cookie off of the plate.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
After a day of spending awkward company with each other with Caleb entertaining them. Abby went upstairs with Bonnie to get Caleb ready for bed. In the meantime, Damon walked in the kitchen searching for blood in the refrigerator. He located a pint of B negative, his favorite and smiled taking it out and emptying it into a cup. He drank it closing his eyes and savoring the taste for a moment. "Taking something that's not yours?" Abby's voice drifted from the doorway.
"Abby, I thought as a very hospitable host, that you would have no issue with sharing a little blood".
Abby smiled and within a blink of an eye, she was standing next to him and he felt intense pain in his hand. The pain was clearly coming from the knife embedded in the middle of his palm. Blood flowed steadily from his wound while Abby held it there, "How dare you?" she hissed.
He grimaced as the pain intensified and he fought every aspect of his being not to rip Abby's head off, but that wouldn't endear him to Bonnie…soo…, "Can you be more specific", he breathed out as his blood trickled out on the counter.
"You slept with my daughter and somehow got her pregnant…all the while you had a girlfriend in a coma somewhere…I won't even pretend to say I understand how selfish and irresponsible that was", Abby fumed, removing the knife.
Damon's hand healed as he lifted it up to inspect it and then he moved closer to Abby, "You have a lot to say for someone who walked out on their child when they were young, who hasn't seen her own grandson in person since he's been born and a person who barely knows her own daughter".
Abby's mouth went into a straight line.
"Things changed a lot since the last time you bothered to breeze into town. Where were you when she was stuck in a prison world and we were trying to get her back? Where were you when her best friend was put in a coffin because of a curse…"
"Oh you want to talk about my daughter's best friend? The one that you snapped my neck over?" Abby nodded angrily, "that's rich. How did you decide that my daughter would be your next conquest, huh? Did you think because Elena was in a coma that you would move on over to Bonnie? Mess with her head? Bonnie doesn't deserve that; she is a good person…she is a loyal person…she loves people despite the fact that they don't deserve her love".
"You don't know anything about me and Bonnie or how we feel about each other".
"Hmm…really? How you feel about each other, where have you been for the past 2 years Damon…because I have a feeling that you weren't around when Caleb was born or when Bonnie was pregnant, so where were you Damon?"
"You know what Abby, yes…I was a totally and complete selfish jackass before. I did many things that I'm not proud of and I will never be able to take back, but what I know is that I am making it up to Bonnie. What you say is right…Bonnie is a good person, she's loyal and she loves people she shouldn't. I agree with you, but I am willing to make things right with Bonnie. You have no idea how much she means to me…Bonnie and Caleb both mean a lot to me".
Abby scoffed, "Easy to say when Elena Gilbert is not a factor in the equation…you can sleep on the couch", she took another look at Damon and walked out of the kitchen.
Damon looked at Abby's retreating figure and slammed his fist down on the counter in frustration.
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Bonnie turned on her side and her eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she was disoriented until she remembered that she was at Abby's and that Caleb was sleeping in Abby's room per her insistence. She closed her eyes.
"Do you honestly think that I would use you as a stand in?"
Bonnie's eyes shot open as she sat up in bed and noticed Damon sitting in the chair across from her, "Damon…what are you doing in here?" she looked around.
"I'm in here because I want to know the answer to that question…do you think after all we've been through, after every word in my letter and all that I've said to you since I came back, that I would consider you a stand in?"
Bonnie rubbed her eyes, "Damon, what time is it?"
"Bonnie, can you please just answer me?" he asked.
"I don't know", she sighed, "I don't know what you see me as and Damon, we can't hash this out right now".
"You can't keep avoiding this conversation", Damon warned.
"What conversation? Damon, I don't trust you any more with my feelings and I think it's best for Caleb if we stay just like we are now…co-parents".
"But what's best for us?" Damon asked standing up from the chair and walking over to the bed.
Bonnie stared at him with wide eyes as her body suddenly froze. She wasn't sure what he was about to do, but it was making her nervous. He sat down on the bed, not far from her and stared at her; his icy blue eyes met her jade eyes and the heat between them was so much that Bonnie had to look away.
"So many things have changed Bonnie, we need to admit it", Damon whispered, "you know that".
Bonnie moved further away from him and he reached over and took her arm, "I'm sorry for leaving you. I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you, I thought at the time that I was making the right decision—for you. I was wrong. I should have known better, but you know I mess up all the time".
"Damon…"
"And Bonnie, if The Armory thing had not happened, I would not have left you. I wouldn't have walked away from you, but I was trying to do the right thing…you have to know that".
The moonlight filtered throughout the room and Bonnie could see it reflecting off of Damon's eyes. Just looking at him in that light stirred something in her.
"You're not a stand in Bonnie, you could never be", Damon answered, "because you and I share something that Elena and I could never, we have a bond Bon and I'm not just talking about Caleb".
He moved closer and placed his hand on the back of Bonnie's neck as she looked at him. She breathed deeply as tears appeared in her eyes. It was taking every bit of willpower she had, not to tear down her walls, "Damon, please…"
"I just want you to have that one moment when you allow yourself to believe what I say".
"I can't", she whispered looking down, "I can't allow myself to do that".
"Then I will work on you until you can", he stated before leaning over and kissing her on the cheek.
She closed her eyes and breathed as she felt his weight leave the bed and she opened them to see that he was gone.
So Caleb Bear knows about Damon and I think the fact that he's so young aided in his ability to accept it. I think it will help Damon a great deal to build his relationship with Caleb.
Damon is working overtime to get Bonnie to forgive him and she perhaps is breaking down a little. Despite Abby's hypocritical stance on Bonnie and Damon, I kinda see where she is coming from.
With time and patience, I think Bonnie will start to come around about Damon. However, the Elena factor will haunt them for awhile.
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