A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. I'm glad most of you guys still want me to continue even with my erratic posting. I've just been really busy this summer and sadly next semester starts soon but I'm still very determined to finish this story(: This chapter is longer than the last so hopefully that again makes up for the wait. I wanted to take my time on this and the next one because you guys only deserve the best.
And about Bonnie and Damon being so bi-polar, I know but things will come together. There is one more important thing I need to discuss Before we get any further into the story, I want to change up the Jordan family FC's. Not that I have a problem with Emily's original FC, it's just that I like to keep things fresh and inventive in my stories not to mention her character was never a major one to begin with. Since I want to add relevance to Emily, for this story her Face Claim will be Paula Patton. I know it may take a while to get fully behind but be optimistic. Her character does play a big role in this so I really want her to pop out and because I love Paula(she seems a bit more womanly/older looking). For Luka his new face claim is actor Jesse Williams. And Conor as Kelly Slater(can you see the resemblance?). But from this point forward I will only be adding one more character's from VD if that's even possible(guess who), but any other added charries will be completely original. Happy reading! [Sorry my edits didn't go through, bare with me. I'll fix em' later today.]
Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 10: A Montage of Heck
Sunday, April 28
Later that Night
"Here." Emily passed the manilla folder on to Katherine where she sat on the sofa.
Katherine flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for. "This is all that you found?"
"Yeah, girl is clean as a whistle... who is she anyway?" The light-skinned woman questioned thoroughly.
"Why does it matter?"
"I think I should know who I just gave you information about, now spill?" Emily demanded, not mentioning the fact that if anyone found out she could possible lose her job.
The brunette stood up, tossed the folder down onto the coffee table and walked over to the large bay window. Mindlessly she peered out into the bustling city, the question of why she was doing all of this originated from a deeply rooted stem whose name just so happen to be Damon Salvatore. For years she found herself consumed by every move he made. Even with being away from him for so long. Even with knowing that he slept with her best friend but still made her out to be the enemy of state. Katherine still loved him. Any smart person would have resolved to moving on yet here she was doing everything in her power to get him back. Even going so far as attempting to ruin someone elses life. "Have you ever truly loved someone and made a huge mistake.. y'know, would do anything and didn't care who you had to step over to get them back?"
Emily lowered her eyes to the folder lying on the table, Bonnie Bennett... Bonnie Bennett, why did that name sound so familiar? But back to the question at hand struck a nerve that caused Emily to keep from asking anymore questions about the mystery woman. "I get it, Katherine...That's what I'm trying to do now." She answered, obviously speaking about their crippled friendship, which was the only reason why Emily gained access into public records to get intel on this Bonnie not caring that it could cost her job.
Monday, April 29
The house was on separate terms once the aftermath of the day at Lake Hollywood proceeded. Elena was ignoring both Caroline and Tyler, Tyler was pissed off at Trevor because he thought he told Matt about everything, Caroline was angry at Elena for taking Matt's side, Rebekah and Vicky both scorned Caroline, and Jeremy and Kol in turn saw the entire house in a new light. Bonnie was obviously hesitant when it came to being around Trevor. Nor to mention her argument with Elena last night either. It was like a rope of intertwined problems and anyone who tried to explain it was bound to get confused halfway through.
The bronzed skinned woman laid motionless in her bed while staring up at the popcorn like ceiling. This had been one of the first nights she had a dreamless slumber. But who could blame her for not even finding solitude while sleeping, with everything that happened last night.
She could still hear the morose conversation echoing through her head.
After catching a ride from Trevor and finding out that he did indeed see something, Bonnie found herself frantically entering the house and shutting the door behind her. From where she was she could see the kitchen light on accompanied by a few voices. Bonnie began to head in the direction hoping to find Tyler and Caroline but heard Elena's judgmental voice instead.
"Now look what you've done... this whole house is in cahoots because of you. Everybody is mad at eachother...geez Caroline. You don't have to screw every guy that's looks your way."
Emerald hues widened at the pure disdain she was hearing from her friend, and all she could hear was the muffled sobs coming from the blonde haired girl. Of course, Caroline was a bit flirtatious when it came to men but that was still no reason to ridicule her.
"I mean, me and Matt hadn't even broken up for a week before you were all over him... Since me and Stefan broke up should I just give you his number now?"
"Shut up Elena... she's already feeling bad so there's no reason for you to judge her." Bonnie stepped in, just not having the power to will herself to listen to Elena any longer.
"It's not my fault she got caught acting like a slut, so you can defend her all you want but it still doesn't change anything. Matt nearly got sent to the hospital because of it."
"She made a mistake, we all make mistakes but we're supposed to be friends... and friends are suppose to be there for each other not ridicule them."
"I have... you think this is the first time her and Tyler have messed around... or the first time she's tried to sleep with someone one of us have dated. I bet she didn't tell you about Kyle did she?" Elena glanced over to Caroline who rubbed her eyes and sobbed a bit louder.
Bonnie also looked over the blonde with a questioning look, "What is she talking about, Care?"
"I'm sorry." Caroline choked out through her continual water works.
The name Kyle was derived from the man Bonnie once dated when she first moved to California. She met him through Elena after going to a beach gathering, and he later inquired about her from the brunette. Their first date went well and from there it turned into more informal meetings. Bonnie had never really had a first boyfriend before him so she learned so many things about herself. He taught her so much about dignity, character and virtue that having sex was never something he pushed. Odds and ends were the least of their worries until suddenly Kyle had a shift in behavior. Stories swirled around what changed Kyle but overall, he started turning into a man who Bonnie didn't even recognize anymore. Breaking up happened over the course of a few weeks after he tried coercing her into sex several times all to which she would decline. After another week, it seemed like Kyle found solstice elsewhere and no longer pursued interest in Bonnie sexually. The day before Christmas, he unexpectedly broke up with her although others say they seen it coming a mile away. Elena was there for her, in the sense of only telling her that she was better off without him. Their age difference alone could have been another factor, and while Bonnie was only eighteen, Kyle at the time was twenty-three. Another reason Bonnie is apprehended when it comes to Damon. Yet, an opposite transition of course does take place considering her and Damon have already done more things intimately than her and Kyle had. But it was something that confused her, and now that Elena was bringing it up, Bonnie couldn't help but question it.
"What are you talking about?" Bonnie again inquired.
"Yeah, that place Kyle went to when you turned him down?" Elena stated even though it sounded more like a question and her glance over to Caroline seemed to answer it. "Little miss took care of him... and then some." The brunette concluded.
Caroline nearly flinched when Elena spilled the beans about Bonnie's so long ex. She wanted to fling out that the fact was, her and Kyle were both stoned off their asses when it happened. But making excuses for the ultimate type of betrayal concerning a close friend, she simply kept her mouth shut.
The toffee skinned woman didn't want to believe what Elena was telling her initially and even more went on to deny until Caroline's silence continued. It was the sudden realization that it could actually be true...her close friend hooked up with her ex; at the time boyfriend regardless of how rocky the relationship had turned. And while Caroline suffered from daddy issues, it was still no justification.
"Is it true Caroline?" Bonnie asked solemnly.
"I'm sorry Bonnie... I'm so so sorry. I don't know how it happened."
Slut!
Bonnie's mind shouted at her despite her protest in pity - what ever location that emotion took place in her brain. At first, a wave of anger and unwritten jealousy surged through her body. But the more she thought about it, the more she understood one of two things. Firstly, Elena had only admitted it to hurt not only Caroline but herself, which felt even worse because it wasn't like the brunette was being a good friend about it. And secondly, that Caroline had probably done her a service by proving what a dog Kyle turned out to be. With those two rational things in mind, Bonnie decided to play it cool.
"No, he was a dog anyway...and thanks for telling me Lena." She said in all seriousness. "I'm tired, so I'm going to bed.." And with that, she left both women to an awkward and unnatural silence.
...
As crazy as it sounds, just this once did she look at work as being that imaginary escape to paradise. The abrupt roar of the air conditioning system coming to life startled her from her wonderous play out of the day. Besides, there was more pressing issues at hands like how was she going to get to work. Every one in the house was automatically placed in the 'refuse to ask' list and she had her reasons. She glanced over to her I-phone set on her nightstand.
Did she really want to ask him for a ride? Or did she really want to waste thirty bucks catching a cab?
She groaned as she tossed the covers to the side, grabbed her towel, toothbrush and almond butter body wash.
...
The buzz of her phone sent her over to her nightstand. There was a text message from yours truly stating that he was outside. She clicked the screen off and grabbed her shoulder bag. Bonnie had gotten dressed already; clad in a pair of black shorts, her employers shirt and black and white Converse's.
It only took her about two minutes to travel from her to the front door which she was currently locking.
"Is this going to be a reoccurring thing or what?" Damon asked, now starting up the engine. and bringing them onto the road.
"Well, hello to you too... and you're the one who insisted. I was the one who said no." She quickly reminded him. "And why did you leave last night without saying anything?"
"The same reason you left the Country Cub the other day."
"Because you felt uncomfortable?" She asked—seeing as that was the obvious reason she did. "I can understand that."
"You said you weren't feeling well." Damon accused. "So you do lie."
"No, I really wasn't feeling well...mentally." Bonnie began to softly nibble the inside of her cheeks as she thought of something else clever to say. "And of course I lie... I lie when I'm scared... when I'm angry...to protect the people I care about." Okay well maybe it didn't sound that clever but it was the truth.
"Don't we all." Damon stated cooly. "So... did the scooby gang make up?"
Ten Minutes Later
Damon knew he shouldn't have asked. He just knew. But no, he just had to be more commutable and engage in conversation with the chatter box.
For the last ten minutes he had to listen to her explain everything that's been going on in the house. It went a little something like this:
Caroline this...
Tyler that...
She and Elena this...
Elena and Matt that...
Trevor and Tyler this...
And then he said she said this...
And blah blah blah.
Boy was he happy once he pulled into the parking lot of Larry's Bar & Grill.
"Thanks for the ride... Really, you're the best." Bonnie flashed him a cheeky smile.
"I know."
She pursed her lips and rolled her eyes annoyingly. "Bye."
There were two cop cars parked outside of the establishment and her first thought was that there had probably been a bar fight more than likely over today's game. And she thought nothing more of it.
Larry's Bar and Grill
Bonnie looked to Andie worriedly as she watched an officer huff around a large German Shepard through the employees room and two more talking to employees. To her left, several of her co-workers were entering the bathroom with plastic containers.
"What's going on, Andie?" The young woman asked as she held her bag close to her shoulder in discomfort.
The taller woman placed a hand over her hip, the other moved a strand from her bangs to the side. "All I know is that the GM got a call stating that some employees have been doing drugs, and you know Larry's has that strict no substance policy unless you have one of those marijuana card thingies'." She shrugged alacrity. "So, now he decided to do a random mandatory drug test, everybody has to take one before the end of the day... if not then its immediate termination."
For a second, Bonnie thought she was going to pass out from feeling light-headed. The urgent palpitation of anxiety began to surface once she realized that there would be no escaping this. It was impossible for the cocaine and even marijuana that she briefly smoked and snorted was completely out of her system. She couldn't take the chance and risk being found out that way, disappointing Andie bummed her out more than anything but being looked at as a 'druggie' frightened her once more. She was always sticking her neck for Bonnie, and now she had gone and thrown everything away for what? For a night of partying that didn't even turn out all that great. It was that moment that she realized she couldn't go through with it.
"So, hurry up so you can start your shift."
Bonnie shook her head, "No, I can't... "
"What do you mean, Bonnie?" She asked. "Just drink some water."
"I can't..." Quickly pivoting on the heels of her black and white converses, the teen hastily made her way though the employees' only door and rushed through the patrons and out of the establishment.
Damon who sat down at the same table where she first served him saw her heading out of the place in haste. Another waitress went to greet him but he held up a hand as he stood up from the table. Following after the green-eyed girl led him outside. He glanced around, she was nowhere to be found until he spotted her short legs J-walking across the street.
"Shit."
Bonnie lifted her head to the darkening skies, inwardly citing curses at mother nature. 'Don't you dare fucking rain'...A trundle of thunder sounded off just as she neared her next crossing. 'I'm sorry, please don't rain. Please'. The first few splashes of raindrops landed right on her cheeks, soon a few more sprinkles jetted down onto her bare arms. Gearing herself for more of the droplets to come, she quickened her pace.
Honk!
She casted her eyes over to the black BMW M6 Gran Coupe, surprised to say the least that Damon was driving along side the sidewalk. By then the rain started picking up even worse than it had before. Her medium lenght hair was now slick with water as well as her uncovered legs. Bonnie wouldn't allow herself to be burdened by him any longer.
"Get in the car!" Damon yelled through the rolled down window.
"No!"
Did he miss something?
"Bon-"
"Just leave me alone!" Bonnie shouted back and quickened up her pace. There was no way in hell she was going to get into his car, but nothing readied her for what happened next. Before she knew what was happening, Damon had driven up on the sidewalk and pulled around horizontally so that he blocked the woman's path. Emerald hues shot open as she watched him ruthlessly drive on the sidewalk.
"You're crazy!" She shouted.
"I know! Now get in the car!..." Damon placed the vehicle in park. "I'm not moving until you do."
Tick Tock...
Partially because she was afraid of him getting into trouble by any police officer who might stroll by combined with her own digression of getting furthermore wet caused her to angrily yank open the door and roughly closed it once she was inside.
Water dripping from herself laced the leather seats in dampness and she smiled happily.
Damon brought them back onto the road, a few onlookers stared in disbelief as he rounded the corner.
It was completely silent in the car aside from the accelerated skids from the wipers and sounds of the tire sloshing against the rapidly flooding pavement. The Salvatore inwardly cited his anger calming steps.
Breath.
Bonnie huffed angrily as she brought her slender arms up to her wet chest.
Count.
"You can just take me home." She stated flippantly.
Breath Again.
After ten minutes of driving through the flooded streets, Damon decided it would be best to just stop for a while and let the roads clear up a bit. He took the first turn down a primarily vacant street that had multiple abandoned warehouses. When he reached the turn off, he pulled into the empty car garage.
"Why did you stop here?" Bonnie asked in disquietude of the direful garage they parked inside.
"It's a flash flood, you want my car to end up in the shop... again?" Damon leaned forward and shut the car off completely. "I'll take you after the rain stops."
She sighed. "And what if it doesn't stop...?"
"Well then I suggest you lean the seat back." He said as a matter of factly.
"And I guess you're also going to suggest I stay in these wet clothes and catch ammonia?" She questioned.
Damon tapped on the steering wheel rhythmically before suddenly opening the door and heading towards the trunk. The immediate rush of cold air scampering inside sent chills all through her body. She shivered, and rubbed at her arms infected with goosebumps. When Damon returned, he set the dark small duffel bag on the console.
"There."He said lowly.
Bonnie looked down at the bag, still unsure of what exactly she should be doing. "What-."
He brought his cyan orbs towards her, flashing her choleric expression as he tightened his lips. Whatever it was, Bonnie stopped talking all together and just watched him unzip the bag. Damon handed her two types of clothing; a black shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants.
"You can change into this..." Damon admonished, only receiving an ebb of silence. "Or you can sit there dripping wet and catch ammonia. Choice is yours." Again, the green-eyed girl didn't answer right away and quite frankly, it was beginning to piss of the Salvatore. 'Fuck it." He rebutted, shoved the items of clothing back into the bag and tossed it in the backseat. "Freeze then."
The caramel skinned woman turned her head to the right as she bit her bottom lip anxiously. She began to run her fingers through her damp and wavy locks. It didn't look as if the rain was going to let up anytime soon, which meant them sitting there for another hour might actually be in effect. One could say she were in a melancholic mood since her spirits were already low. She was just tired. Tired mentally and physically and while Damon was a sight to behold, his looks didn't always cross out his attitude. She disliked the way he looked at her sometimes, despite all the nice things he had done for her. Maybe it was just his naturally peculiar eye color that made him look more menacing. Not to mention she was now more than likely unemployed.
Shiver.
He knew she was cold. What he didn't understand was why she just wouldn't take the clothing he offered. Not that he's one to talk because he's dealing with a lot of forwarding problems but Damon could also see that Bonnie had some issues too, more so with accepting anything from other people. In this cut throat environment they call the world that would gladly take from her any day and he for the life of him couldn't figure out her ordeal.
Shudder.
He calmly reached in the backseat for the bag once more. "Bonnie." said a soft voice. "I know you're cold and indisputably stubborn...but I would rather you not get sick on my account so please change."
She peered at him through faded green eyes. A few seconds passed by before she finally took the bag in her grasp. The shirt and sweatpants were once again found—only she had no place to change. Instead of turning it into another big ordeal, Bonnie climbed into the back seat where she intended to change.
For once, Damon was a gentlemen—he didn't bother trying to sneak a peek.
After she was done changing, Bonnie folded her wet clothing into a neat pile and placed it inside of her own bag. When she climbed back into the front seat, Damon appeared to be asleep.
"Thank you..." She paused. "But you don't have to get so crazy about everything."
"I am crazy, Bonnie." Damon admitted openly.
"Don't you mean you're bat shit crazy... that much has been established." She joked.
"So you do know I can't be held accountable for anything that may or may not happen." He said in all seriousness. "Since you've already determined that I'm crazy... bat shit crazy to be exact."
She noticed his usually translucent eyes darkening and giggled. "You're serious aren't you?"
"Very." He stated through and through. Damon dug into his pocket to retrieve his cell finding that there was a text message sent from Mason about an hour ago.
Finally got the part for the school girl. Tell her it's ready. ;)
—Mason
"Don't you think you should have told me before we—y'know..." She trailed off—originally just playing around at first.
"Before we what, before I finger fucked you?" He chuckled. "You are a virgin aren't you?"
"Why? Is that a surprise?"
"Not really. Saving yourself for Mr. Wright?"
She didn't answer.
"Sex isn't all that trust me.. It's way overrated, I mean it feels good, it goes in, it goes out a few times depending on the guy and that's it. There's no fireworks in the background. No Barry White... just dick and pussy."
Bonnie chewed on her bottom lip at his vulgarity. "Well maybe you're doing it with the wrong person."
"Yeah, maybe. Are you volunteering?"
"I'm taking a nap... wake me up when the rain stops please ." Bonnie said, adjusted the seat to lay at an 120 degree angle and curled up with her back facing him.
"A simple no would have sufficed." He spoke on deaf ears.
...
She fell asleep, he stayed up for another couple of hours. The rain stopped an hour ago but he didn't bother waking her up. Instead, he let her sleep in peace.
Wednesday, May 1
Mason's Garage
Mason grinned perversely when he saw the young Bennett adorned in what appeared to Damon's clothing, or in other words 'the morning after' outfit. Her ruffled hair, and slightly phlegmatic face tone spoke volumes too. "Rough night?" He asked although it sounded more like an authentic statement rather than a question.
"Very." She answered sanguine-ly and glanced over to Damon who rolled his eyes methodically. One of the first times she slept in a car—it wasn't so bad.
"Can't say I don't enjoy a rough night every now and again." Mason grabbed his clipboard from desk after wagging his brows slyly at Damon."Okay, so I replaced the belt, fixed the hood so that it actually stays locked and tossed in a tune-up."
"Thanks Mason... If I ever have anymore car trouble you'll be my first and only choice." Bonnie reached into her bag for her wallet. "How much?"
The curly-haired shook his head in the negative. "Nothing... any friend of Damon is a friend of mine. I'm not going to charge on the account of us being friends."
That earned him a bright smile, and an affectionate hug. The hug earned him a pure look of disdain from his close friend which caused him to let go of Bonnie suddenly, ending their brief hug.
"Well, I gotta get home and change for school."She continued, "Thanks again Mason, I really appreciate it. Bye Damon." Cheerfully, the college student strolled off towards her vehicle.
"Mhm." The Salvatore hummed through sealed lips. He only waited a second subsequent to him returning to the shop to avoid the beaming sun.
Mason offered the young woman a wavering smile and waved as he watched Bonnie saunter over to her car. After he saw her pull out onto the road, the curly-haired man went back into the shop only to be roughly shoved against wall in anger by Damon.
"Whoa man, don't be jealous that I got a hug and you didn't." Mason joked. "You probably got more than that last night anyway."
Too bad that wasn't the problem.
"Why the hell would you tell that prick what happened with Katherine?" He spat.
Mason released a deep feigning breath in his attempt to find the right way of telling Damon. "Look man, I'm sorry... we went to the bar and I had one too many and it just slipped out."
"It just slipped? That's bullshit... this asshole embarrassed me because you let something slip? He brought up my deceased child!" Damon bellowed and for once Mason actually feared for what might happen.
"I said I was sorry, and besides... you started all of this by sleeping with his WIFE! Don't drag me in the middle of this, Conor works for me and me and you are like bros' so let's not let this shit get between us. C'mon."
Damon kneaded his bottom lip under his tongue while releasing Mason and taking a much-needed step back. "You're right. We are like bros'. So I know you're gonna do what's right."
"What's right?" Mason scrunched his brows together in confusion.
"Yeah... see. I think he needs to check himself before trying to commit to a stable work environment." The Salvatore rubbed at the bottom of his chin, "I mean, he did attack me at the club."
"What are you saying, Damon?" He questioned, clearly not liking where the conversation was going.
"I'm thinking termination..." Damon responded. "That's sounds about fair."
"Ah c'mon man, shit. I can't fire Conor... he's one of the best guys I got here." Mason defended.
"I think he'll be easily replaceable."
"Damon, I-"
"If it wasn't for me you wouldn't even have this place, in fact you'd still be drowned in debt. You say we're bros, so as my bro I'm asking you to do this for me."
"What if he apologizes?" He stated, trying to come up with an absolve so everyone would be happy.
"No... Fire him, and tell him IF he wants his job back, he has to beg ME for it." Damon knew he was taking things just a tad too far but Conor stroke a nerve. A very vengeful, spiteful nerve for bringing up his deceased child. "Just like his wife did." And he couldn't just let that go. "Make sure you add that part."
Mason wasn't going to get around this, the bad thing about all of it was it mostly his fault... well entirely his fault. If only he had just kept his mouth shut none of this ould have happened. Not to mention Damon was right, neither him or Conor would even have a job if his friend didn't come to his aid. But wanting to take it to this extinct, it was way out of Damon's character. "I'll take care of it."
"I know you will." And with that, the Salvatore was just about ready to make his way out of the establishment until a few parting words stopped him.
"Oh, and I thought you should know... Nonno Giorgio passed away this morning." Mason didn't want to say anything after Bonnie left but being shoved against the wall almost made him forget.
The Salvatore turned to face his friend, the one who had been there with him for so long. He began to double think what he was asking Mason to do. Nonno Giorgio was an honorable man and a very important figure to Damon. He was the grandfather of both Mason and Katherine. And if you haven't already figured out yet then yes, Katherine and Mason are cousins; his mother, her father are brother and sister.
When they were younger—16, Damon went to Santa Catalina Island to stay for summer break with Mason since his grandparents owned a home and boat there. It was one of the first times that he actually met Katherine, which believe it or not didn't go so well. Or at least not well enough to think that a baby would be in the making just a few years later. Anyway, Nonno Giorgio taught both Damon and Mason how to maintain the boats and fish in open waters. You could say he was like the father Damon didn't have around during his teenage years. Contrastively, Giorgio felt the same about him and ordered him to call him Nonno (grandfather). In those 80 days, Damon had ended up gaining a new mentor and above all family member. So when Mason released the news of his own Nonno passing, he felt it. A tightening ache ignited at the pit of his stomach, producing the immediate urge to want to drink.
"The bar?"
Mason nods.
Thursday, May 2
Bonnie had been hard 'at work' with job applications all day as she has filled out at least 25. Okay well maybe that's a stretch but she's filled out quite a few.
Name... Age... Work History... Never had she remembered all of her previous employers. Though, she did skip out on Larry's because she knew her hopeful new place of employment would call and find out why she left. If Andie telling them she was late nearly twice a week wouldn't be bad enough, but then for her to have to explain why she denied to take a drug/urine test to clear up all suspicions, surely that would disqualify Bonnie for sure. Before she went on a vigorous job hunt quest, she stopped by a nearby dry cleaners to have Lucy's dress cleaned thoroughly.
Even though she was granted approval to keep it, Bonnie didn't feel comfortable accepting something so costly when she was barely getting by.
At around five in the afternoon, Bonnie arrived at the Salvatore manor. While she carefully gathered the things together, emerald hues noticed that Damon's car was no where in sight which meant she could quickly drop off the dress and shoes and return home without a 'fret'. She hadn't talked to him since she picked up her car yesterday.
Ring Dong...
"Oh, hello dear. Damon isn't home right now. Was he expecting you?" Rosaline politely greeted her.
Bonnie raised her eyebrows, and shook her head firmly. "No, I'm actually here for Lucy. I have something I need to return." She said, gesturing to the dangling heels and dry cleaned dress hoisted over her left arm.
"I see. Sorry, please come in..." The older woman moved to the side to allow Bonnie entry to the home. "Lucy hasn't been feeling well all day but I'll let her know you're here."
"No, you don't need to bother her... I'll just leave this and go."
"Are you crazy, Lucy would have my head if I didn't tell her someone stopped by, I'll be just a minute. Please, have a seat in the lounge." The older woman smiled gracefully as she left Bonnie to silence in the sitting room.
She took a seat in the same spot she had the first time she visited, carefully laid the dress down beside her and placed the heels on the floor. A few minutes passed by before the woman returned with a rather somber expression on her face. "She wants you to come up dear."
"Uhm, alright."
A Long Journey of Stairs Later
Bonnie was being led down a different hall than the one used to get to Damon's abode. And somehow it felt like she were emerging into the King's Palace. Rosaline pushed opened the first set of double doors to what seemed to be a foyer only to push open another set of doors to a room fit for royalty, Italian royalty if you will. It made Damon's look like a mediocrity of furnishings compared to what her eyes were being laid upon. When did a bedroom require a foyer of its own?
Rosaline, offered Bonnie to take a seat in one of the palatial chairs next to the open patio. "She's in the restroom, just give her a minute." After seeing that the younger woman had taken a seat, she headed for the doors and left her alone again.
Ten Minutes Later
Bonnie huffed out a puff of air, she glanced over to the antique clock that continued to tick noisily. She wasn't exactly sure how much time had went by, nor if leaving all together would be rude but something didn't seem right. The teen stood up, substituted he dress in her place and cautiously headed over to the door she assumed to be the restroom. With a nonporous knock on the door, Bonnie let her voice be heard. "Lucy... Uh, I just wanted to return the dress and... I'll just go. I hope you feel better."
...Silence.
The green-eyed girl shifted her weight on the door, still unsure if she should leave but that fact Lucy was not answering scared her. "Should I call the maid?..." Again Bonnie knocked on the door only to receive no answer. At this point, she was beginning to feel a bit panic. What something was wrong and here she was just wasting time? Or maybe she was fine, but it still didn't explain why she wasn't answering. Deciding to be sure everything was okay, Bonnie turned the knob of the bathroom until it clicked. Luckily the door had been open. What was supposed to be a quick peak of reassurance turned into a trepidation. The first hing her eyes spotted were a pair of tanned legs peeking out from around the corner. "Lucy?" The woman stepped in further and felt her stomach nearly drop when she spotted Lucy lying on the floor doused in a puddle of blood originating from between her legs. Bonnie had to lean on the wall for support initially, the sight of the crimson liquid had her feeling a bit light-headed and dizzy. Unsure what to do, she quickly stooped down beside the woman and place a hand above her left breast. It took a few seconds but the steady thudding found a spot on her palm.
Meanwhile
Damon had retreated over to the left lane after the speeding ambulance sped by. The rain had finally let up just as he turned down Crestwood, immediately observing red flashing lights at the en of the road. He sped up a few miles, eventually getting close enough to tell the speeding ambulance had come to his home. Cyan orbs spotted the all to familiar silver Prius parked at the far end of the circular drive way. "The fuck?" After pulling up along the fountain, he didn't even turn the car off before heading to the doors.
Inside, slithering down the steps was Bonnie who looked up just in time to see Damon coming into the foyer. "Bonnie? What's going on?"
She wasn't even able to explain everything before she hugged him tightly, tears instantly spilling out. Her sobs were muffled by the variance of his chest and she held him so tight that he neared shortness of breath. Damon wrapped his arms around her petite frame. After he heard and felt the sobs/trembling stop, he laced his hands through the sides of her hair, softly lifting her face to him. "Hey, it's okay."
Her verde hues were met with a unusual soft cerulean pulpy of yielding. The last tear only made it halfway down her face ensuing Damon to use the pad of his thumb to wipe it way. "Just te-" His words were cut short once he saw the E.M.T's carefully maneuvering Lucy down the steps on the stretcher. Moving away, he went to help as they escorted her to the ambulance.
Bonnie rubbed her bare arms and followed after them.
"I'm going to ride with her to the hospital, you gonna' be alright?" Damon asked.
"Yeah... I should go to- I mean I could just follow behind."
Damon nodded, not that she needed his permission to begin with.
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly's Hills
Because Bonnie didn't have a flashing light, arriving to the hospital took longer. So when she did finally show-up, finding Damon snoozing on the chair at the end of Lucy's room, she didn't bother to disturb him. Lucy was still awake flipping through a People's magazine until she noticed the caramel-skinned woman standing at the door. "Bonnie, hey!"
"Hey. How are you feeling?" She asked while walking over to the bed.
"A lot better, thanks to you."
Damon shifted in his seat and slowly blinked his eyes open to the sight of Bonnie standing at Lucy's bedside. The sound of voices kept him from furthering his snooze. But he didn't make any sudden movements right away, instead he closed them and continued to listen to the conversation.
"Yeah..." She lowered her head down to the white tiled floor.
"I'm sorry for scaring you like that... I don't know what happened." Lucy placed the magazine to her side. "I was just walking and then I just felt pain, I couldn't even scream."
"I'm just glad I came in when I did. Did the doctor say everything was going to be okay?"
The Italian woman tried offering her a hopeful smile, but there was nothing to smile about. "I'll be, but not the baby. I miscarried."
"Oh my god. Lucy, I'm so sorry." The teen sympathised while placing her hands onto Lucy for comfort.
She shook her head dismissively, "No, I should have known this time wouldn't have been different. This is the third time... the third time and I can't even carry a child to term." Her voice had faltered, hazel eyes became full with salty liquid. "The one thing I can give to my husband and I can't."
Bonnie leaned in an wrapped her slender arms around Lucy as she just started to sob quietly. Damon opened his right eye and watched as the young woman consoled his step-mother. To say the least, he was beginning to feel regretful for always treating her the way he did. In turn, he even began to understand why she hadn't first told Giuseppe right away; for the fear of not being able to carry the baby. Not to mention that this was the third time it's happen, completely unbeknownst to him. This whole time he just assumed Lucy refused to have a baby for so long because she was selfish and only just now got pregnant because of the will situation. Even he knew that if Giuseppe did find out about it, he'd probably have another heart attack. That child could have been his father's salvation since he and Stefan were somewhat alienations. He for not going into the family business, Stefan for being an in-closet homosexual with the addition of not wanting to join the business; that would single handily kill his father. Lucy could have a son, one to make his father proud or at least distract him from them. The heart-felt sincerity of losing a little sibling itched at his conscious. It could have been a girl? A little sister. Maybe she wouldn't have been as annoying as Stefan... of course she would have been beautiful, successful...smart. All composites that he'd never know and it hurt. It hurt to know, to not understand why God would bestow someone with such a blessing and take it away so suddenly. Katherine... He'd then realized that the people who are bestowed with them choose to give them back. Damon wasn't sure if he was mad at Katherine for doing what she did, or God for actually letting her go through with it. But he did acknowledge that she accepted being a mother was something she did not want and he couldn't be upset about that. It was her body... her choice...her incentive but the process is what he found disgusting. Adoption crossed his mind several times, but he knew there was no way in hell he would have been okay with another family enjoying the beautiful experiences with a human being he helped procreate.
The pale-skinned man was brought back from his thoughts by the voices that continued to speak.
"I mean, I know Giuseppe has Damon and Stefan... and they're great but I just wanted to give him something of my own. He's given me such much Bonnie, more than someone like me deserves. It just... it's not fair to him. I guess I wouldn't have made a good mother anyway."
"That's not true... Every woman has that equal right, it's what you make of it. I'd bet you would make a great mom...better than mine at least." By this point, Bonnie had moved a chair over to Lucy's bed as they conversed still unaware of the attentive ears listening faithfully. "You wouldn't abandon your child would you?"
Lucy lowered her manicured brows as she gave it some comical thought. "Of course not, is that what your mother did?"
Bonnie nodded. Part of the reason she was even telling this to Lucy was to cheer up. She couldn't imagine what losing a child was like especially when they were still inside. But the other part felt rejuvenated just like the other night with Damon. It made her less ashamed to say that her mother left her and her father when she was a just a child herself. The green-eyed girl would allow herself to be at peace about everything and if that meant confessing it to others then so be it. "When I was a little girl. I don't really remember her at all... just that she had green eyes and always smelt like cinnamon." Even with not knowing or remembering her mother's touch, Bonnie would always remember that sweet smell.
The Italian woman laid back in her bed and placed her hand onto Bonnie's. "Bambina, I'm sorry that happened to you, but either way... you seemed to have turned out just great."
"Yeah, all thanks goes to my dad."
...
Nearly two hours later things had finally quieted down with Lucy sleeping peaceful on her left side and Bonnie resting her chin on her palm to keep herself from drifting off to the side. Damon managed to keep himself awake through out most of the conversation, dozing off now and then. But now he sat awake, the darkened room illuminated only by the moving shadows the flat screen television mounted on the wall displayed. Every so often he would hear nurses and doctors conversing out in the hall followed by several footsteps. Cyan orbs tumbled up from the ground over to Bonnie who fought to keep herself awake with every waking attempt.
Bonnie finally knocked the sleep away that was threatening to consume her body. The young woman retrieved her cellular device and began to type monotonously with her thumbs, pausing momentarily and then finishing up the text message.
-Hey,
Won't be getting home til later...
She stopped and stared blankly at the message before starting to scroll down her contacts to add a recipient to the message. Caroline? No Elena? No. Trevor? Hmm, next. Tyler? Not particularly. And it would seem that everyone in the household more than likely wouldn't care regardless to hear from her when she didn't even want to speak to them. But just in case anyone was worrying, she decided to send it to the one person she knew would care at the moment. Tyler.
Send
Once her message was sent off into the vast macrocosm of all things technological, Bonnie pocketed her phone only to hear that familiar I-phone whistle seconds later. The recipient was replying back with a rather dull and simple 'Mhm'. Quickly she glanced over to the other Salvatore. Even with the room being in it's darkened state, his near translucent eyes still seemed to scintillate. This whole time she thought him to be asleep, but it was never safe to say anything about Damon. "Sorry...Did I wake you up?"
Whistle, whistle..
Damon mocked her notification ring with a sing-along whistle of his own. "No."
"How long have you been up" Bonnie looked over to Lucy who moaned and shifted over to the other side.
"Since you got here.' said the reposing Salvatore. Damon stood up from the stiff chair that had his backside aching. He curled his finger in a 'come hither' motion at the young teen.
Bonnie reluctantly stood from her spot near Lucy and traveled in the direction of Damon where he lead her to the private restroom. Once the door was shut, the bright white light beamed with an intensity that caused her to squint her still adjusting eyes. It took a few minutes for them to get fully adjusted but once they did, Bonnie glanced over to Damon who rummaged through the glass cabinets.
"Why are we in here, Damon?" She'd finally asked.
"I didn't wanna' wake Lucy." Was his response.
"Oh, yeah...right." Bonnie continued. "Since you were awake, does that mean you heard?"
He nodded.
"Did you know?"
"Yeah, I knew she was pregnant." Damon wandered away from the cabinets and back over to her.
After a minute of just gazing at one another, Bonnie finally decided to clear the air. "I'm sorry..."
A pseudo smile fell over his rosy lips in an attempt to mask his initial reaction.
Because she wasn't liking the way he gazed at her, Bonnie went to back up, but he grabbed her hips in dominance and pushed them back into the door. She tried to shove him off, but he tightened his grip. A part of her did not understand what the Salvatore was trying to achieve—considering she had just apologized for his loss of a sibling. Not only that but his stepmother was just in the other room.
"Damon." She protested..
"What!" He shouted in the form of a whisper.
"I just—I'm trying to talk to you and—"
"I'm sick of feeling pain Bonnie."He tossed his hands up carelessly, "So is it wrong of me to want to feel something else." Damon huffed exaggeratedly. Bonnie remained quiet, watching Damon "You should go home and get some sleep."
"To be honest... I don't really wanna' be home." Emerald hues eventually fell off to find something a bit less compelling to stare at. Even though Damon presented no outward displeasure, she found herself only being able to look into them for so long. "It's much more quieter and peaceful here surprisingly. Besides, you guys are going to need a ride home." She added, although she was more than sure that they had drivers and could easily have one in a matter of minutes.
...
Bonnie ended up falling asleep in one of the little daddy chairs and Damon, after getting some coffee sat in one of the visitor seats. He reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a small flask, heedfully began to pour the brown liquid into the paper cupping; careful about not spilling a drop.
"Irish coffee... Bottoms up."
Friday, May 3
Scarpetta's, Beverly Hills Italian restaurant
"Okay, and I really don't know why because contrar' to what people say I actually do work." Lucy protested.
"And what is it exactly that you do?" Damon questioned.
"Uh, hello. I'm a socialite... not an easy field either."
"That's true, look at Kim Kardashian." Bonnie tossed in her commentary as she sloshed her straw within her smoothie.
"No... she's famous cause daddy got a guilty criminal out of the big house and because she slept with the brother of a famous singer. And it just so happens that she got knocked up by a rapper."
Lucy shook her head in the opposite. "Actually, she's famous for associating with other famous people otherwise no one would care who she made a sex tape with."
"I just don't understand why people with no skills or talent can become so relevant... this generation bedlamizes me." said the blue-eyed Salvatore.
Bonnie questioned how the conversation of Kardashians came about again even though it was in fact her, knowingly thinking of the blonde who always demanded the big screen when new episodes aired. Seriously, it was so weird how people get on national television to display their 'reality' but if they aren't getting paid that's when they want to be so secretive and private.
The Italian woman retrieved her phone as the vibrations sounded off in her Coach pocketbook. "Hello...yes. Well I did and I can't just have regular roses they have to be white. " Lucy's voice went up a few octaves as she continued her conversation until finally excusing herself. "Excuse me." She said while standing up to leave the table.
Damon reached for his wine glass and gulped down the remaining wine.
Bonnie had yet to touch her glass and Damon had taken notice.
"You gonna' waste perfectly good alcohol?" He asked placidly.
The green-eyed woman glanced over to find him smirking while holding up his empty wine glass. She shook her head and picked up her own to refill his with the expensive mahogany liquid.
"Bottom's up." Damon quickly dosed his burning throat with more liquid that caused it to tinge even more.
God he needed help.
"Hey, Damon?" She said in a low tone; the way children did when their mom's left them alone.
He pretended to be fully interested in the filet of salmon on his plate. "What?"
"Can I ask you something?"
He released a deep breath quietly to not seem distressed by the pre-question. "Depends?" Again he used the legs of his fork to break off flakes of the fish.
Who eats Salmon at 9 o'clock in the morning?
"Why is it when I asked you about Katherine you avoided the question?" Her voice was stern but she made sure not over do it. It was just enough to let it be none that she would not be giving up so easy, or at least until Lucy returned. "And don't bullshit me, Damon."
"We met, we dated, we broke-up and now we're here, Bonnie." Damon quickly annotated his brief relationship with Katherine in an astonishing six words. Even if he wasn't exactly taking things seriously. He dared to take a glance at the caramel toned woman but when he did, something in her chimerical jade hues dashed with a hint of clemency - it almost consoled him.
"Stop looking at me like that, Bonnie. With those green little eyes." They almost made him want to admit what happened between he and Katherine but he couldn't open his mouth nor direct the words to form a comprehensible sentence. But he knew he couldn't just leave her hanging on the ledge that way either.
After having a moment of reconsideration, Damon switched up his approach just a bit. "Alright... we met after my sophomore year. We didn't really get along at first because I was a bit of a douche and she's a bit more of a bitch.. more than she is now. But that was around the time when my parents split, she was there for me. When I needed someone to talk to, even if it was about the stupidest of things," He took a glance down to the empty wine glass. "She was there...So, naturally I asked her out and it was good." Damon brought his cyan orbs back to the faithfully listening Bennett. "It was great...until we graduated." Pause."She got accepted into some big University and dropped me like a patata bollente."
"A what?" She asked in pure confusion.
"Hot potato." It was a common phrase only he used it in his native tongue. "She dropped me and ran off to a bright and happy future. She's been gone for two years and you know the rest."
"I can see that she's not over you, Damon." Bonnie added. "Are you?"
Just at the particular moment, Lucy returned to the table with a wide smile on her face. As she sat down, the Italian dismissed the somber expressions and delve right back into conversation. "Whew, can you belive that they tried to substitute the white roses for red ones. Unbelievable, you pay someone for something specifically and then they wanna' pasticciare voi sopra."
"Si sta ancora andando ad avere quella festa in giardino? (You're still going to have that garden party?)" Damon questioned.
And once again, Bonnie found herself in complete utter confusion of what was going on.
"Certo che lo sono. (Of course I am)" Lucy whined."Oltre compleanni e di ringraziamento, è l'unica cosa che guarda al futuro. Che io'' sicuro che saranno presenti, giusto?(Besides birthdays and Thanksgiving, it's the only thing he looks forward to. Which I'm sure you will be in attendance, correct?)" She sped through the sentence within one breath.
"Si, si, a prescindere. Io ci sarò. (Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'll be there.)" He fired back in the same lively hood that had Bonnie hooked on every accent and syllable they enunciated.
This reminded her of those times where she would channel surf, land on one of the spanish soap operas and find herself watching for nearly an hour even though she had no idea what they were saying. English had and always has been her first language despite having an three-fourth blooded Persian mother or that's what her father tells her. The most she could say were common words such as 'Hello', 'Bye', 'Thanks' in Persian—all leaned from him.
Lucy glanced over to the blank looking Bennett and slowly let a sly smile trail over her lips. "Sorry.. It's rude to talk in another language. But I'm having my annual Garden Party this Saturday night. I do it every year and I had to remind Damon how important it was that he's there." She then quickly took a sip of her wine to dampen her dry throat before continuing. "I would really love it if you came. You should accompany Damon." Because God knows she would hate to see him show up alone and even more if he showed up with some random tacky gold-digger.
Bonnie didn't bother glancing over to Damon because just like the other day where Caroline invited him—she knew it was ultimately up to her. "I'll try... I may have to take an extra shift at work." And only then did she look to gauge his reaction but he was to busy scrolling through his Samsung Galaxy S lll. So her green eyes wandered back to Lucy and she smiled.
After leaving Damon and Lucy—she had sent for a car to take them home—she returned home. Bonnie had to shower quickly and head out for her English class. The beginning to the spring semester was starting. Luckily she didn't have photography until that Sunday and even happier that it was ending soon.
...
The sun was just starting to set once her class ended. It was a relatively cool night so she was in no big rush to get home but when she did, it was clear that either everyone had been asleep or gone except for Tyler who was sitting or more so lying on the couch watching his favorite show; The Boondocks. And apparently it was the episode about famous rapper Gangsterlicious being gay. One of her favorites. Normally she would stay up and watch it with him but things just weren't feeling like normal.
Tyler paused the television. "Some things came for you earlier...I put everything in your room."
"Oh, thanks."She expressed her gratitude. "I'm really tired so I'm gonna' hit the hay. Goodnight Tyler."
He nodded. And she made her way up the flock of stairs.
When Bonnie entered her cozy room, she saw a large white gift box with the name Dolce & Gabbana written on the top. Lying next to it, she saw a slightly smaller ivory box engraved by Jimmy Choo. And three small jewelry boxes, all from Bvlgardi in all capital letters. She was in disbelief and was unsure if lack of sleep was causing her to hallucinate. A she approached her bed, there was a small white envelope entitled 'Bonnie' in beautifully scripted pre-written letters.
You are cordially invited to 'The Garden Party'
What was inside was the official invitation with the day, time and address. And something written in Italian at the bottom. Bonnie set the envelope and note down on the side of the gifts.
The first thing she opened was the Dolce & Gabbana box, underneath the sheer wrapping was a sequined nude colored strapless dress, a bustier top with a with a mermaid bottom that fanned out slightly. It was quite frankly the most beautiful piece of clothing she had laid her eyes upon. The second box was what obviously were the shoes. Hidden inside was a pair of Jimmy Choo Quinze Ankle Boots Nude. That look similar to the dress. Sparkling stones litter throughout the suede straps of a mesh bootie styled with a peep toe and stiletto heel at four and three-fourths inches tall.
A brown hand grabbed one of the first boxes and opened t have her breath taken away. Strategically placed was a beautiful necklace from the Serpenti collection. However, she didn't know it was an 18 kt white gold with full pavé diamonds necklace, even more that it probably cost more than her college tuition. The second rectangular box was equipped with a similar looking item only in the form of a bracelet. And lastly a pair of earings that gleamed immediately out of the box. On the side, a black piece of paper with white writing caught her attention.
Don't be late little kitten.
— Damon.
A/N: So Bonnie will FINALLY get to meet Guiseppe...hopefully. I think their meeting will have a strong influential power over Bamon simply because Damon respects his father so we'll see how that goes. Well, I know this chapter was a bit of a filler...Spoiler Alert! I am happy to say it's going down in the next chapter(I'm really excited for it!). Lucy and Bonnie got to bond a bit and if it hasn't been specified thoroughly, she is somewhat responsible for bringing Lucy and Damon together :). Let me know what you guys think, seriously, it helps me write better/quicker when I know what you guys look for. And be ready for lot's of progression and a few timeskips(nothing drastic though). Also, I already typed up the next chapter :o *gasp*(seriously, did you guys just think I took all this time writing one chappy) so if I get enough reviews I'll post it by the end of tomorrow(descriptive reviews make me extra happy).
Bonnie's outfit is searchable so if you're interested: for the dress- search kat graham vintage beaded gown(should be the first image), shoes-search Jimmy Choo Quinze Ankle Boots Nude (you'll know it when you see it.). Jewelry can be found on the Bulgari website. (search Serpenti collection)
Anyway, hope everybody enjoyed. Much love! xoxo