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Chapter 7
Once they arrived at Rowan College, Damon parked the car and asked Bonnie to do a little scrying for Katherine. Through the crystal, Bonnie could see Katherine drinking red wine. Of course even her alcohol of choice was the color of blood. It looked like she was in a bar, hanging out with a few friends. There was a neon sign that read "Scooter's" above the shelf of bottles.
Once she had described it all to Damon, he opened the car window and dimpled at the first co-ed passing by. "Hello cupcake, where's Scooter's?"
The girl did a double-take, a reaction Damon was accustomed to. "I was going there myself" she grinned at him. "Why don't I get in the car and we can go there together?" her voice had a flirtatious edge. She was eyeing the handsome Damon with obvious admiration and desire.
"Damon was about to let her in when Bonnie jumped into the conversation "Just tell us where the bar is please". She didn't want to put this stranger in harm's way.
"The old ball and chain's a little jealous" smirked Damon, putting his arm around Bonnie, squeezing her to his side. Bonnie tried to push him away.
The girl pouted. "Its not far. We could all just walk."
The entire way to the bar Damon held Bonnie's hand in a tight grip so she couldn't escape. But it didn't stop him from flirting with the college student. It was a bit awkward for Bonnie to have Damon pretending they were together, yet seemingly humiliating her by bantering with another woman in a sexy manner.
Suddenly Damon stopped dead in his tracks. He sniffed the air and gave a small growl. Both Bonnie and the other girl were alarmed. Damon turned to the college student and looked directly into her eyes. "Get out of here" he said. "Forget us." The girl turned and walked the other way. "Katherine's nearby" Damon grunted to Bonnie. Bonnie looked towards where Damon was gazing and saw a sign that said "Scooter's" on a deep turquoise awning. Bonnie felt herself being dragged at lightning speed into the bar.
Damon spotted Katherine immediately. She was sitting at a table with another woman and two men. She was filled with her trademark languid laughter, her cheeks rosy with drink and enjoyment. She suddenly looked up, and her eyes locked with Damon's. She didn't favor him with a look of recognition, just continued to delight in the company around her. Damon, still holding Bonnie's arm in a death grip, strode to Katherine's table and stood so close that all four occupants looked up at them. Finally, looking upwards, Katherine beamed "Well, hello Damon". She looked over at Bonnie and winked at him. "Brought us a snack?".
Damon smiled grimly. He wasn't sure what he had expected. Katherine throwing herself at him the second she saw him? Katherine feigning disbelief that he had found her? He managed to say "Hello Katherine… surprised to see me?"
Katherine shook her head. "Took you long enough to find me" she said, as the others at the table started back on their drinking game.
One of the guys at the table pulled out a chair and said "Shouldn't make a lady stand" and gestured for Bonnie to sit down. Bonnie was not so sure she wanted to sit at that table, but Damon practically pushed her into the chair and grabbed one for himself. "So" began Damon "What have you been doing with yourself? Why haven't you contacted me in all this time?"
"I've been busy" Katherine said.
"For 160 years?" Damon asked lightly. "Where have you been?"
"Around."
"Around" repeated Damon, as the other three tried to teach Bonnie their game, which involved a tongue twister, a shot glass and a nickel.
"A little traveling. Spent some time in Italy, London, Rio… you know how it is"
"Katherine" Damon began, his voice an octave higher than normal. "I've missed you."
"Oh, everyone misses me" giggled Katherine.
Damon got right to the point "I spent a century and half trying to get that damn tomb open, and when I finally did, you were not in it."
"No" mulled Katherine and took a sip of her wine. "I was not in it."
They talked a bit more, Katherine slyly evading direct answers every time, until Damon realized with a start that the table was empty and only he and Katherine were still there. Where was Bonnie? He scanned the bar and didn't see nor sense her. "Looking for someone?" purred Katherine. "Looks like my friends took a liking to your little witch." Being an centuries-old vampire, of course Katherine was able to discern Bonnie's true nature.
"Where are they?" asked Damon stiffly.
"Not to worry" said Katherine. "They won't hurt her. Much."
"I don't want her hurt at all." stated Damon, surprising himself. Why was he concerned about Bonnie when he had Katherine in the flesh in front of him? "She's mine. Where did they take her?"
"Probably one of the abandoned warehouses by the river" Katherine answered. "But if you leave me now, you'll never find me again."
Damon, who had been about to get up, hesitated. "Why? What do you mean?" He was speechless, something that only happened once in a blue moon.
"I mean if you choose her than you lose me."
"I'm not choosing her Katherine" insisted Damon. "Let me go get her and send her home. Then you and I can –"
"- pick up where we left off?" finished Katherine. "Perhaps. If you stay here. I will tell you everything about what I've been doing for the last, oh, century and a half. You'll get every answer you want. But if you go after that witch, you will not find me when you get back. So choose. The witch. Or me."
