Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries, if I did my student loans would be paid off.
Sorry about the wait, but I wanted to give you guys so fluffiness before the drama begins because the truth will come out in the next chapter. Plus I had to rewrite the chapter because I didn't like the first version of it. So enjoy….
Chapter 10-Careless Whisper (a cookie to who knows where this title came from)
"There you go, Cinderella's all ready for the Ball," Sheila said as she finished putting the last pin in Bonnie's hair.
"Thanks Grams." Bonnie got up to look at herself in the full length mirror. She had to admit, Caroline was right when she said the empire waist, strapless, silk, cobalt blue gown looked "absolutely perfect" on Bonnie. Grams had swept her hair up in an intricate pinup and her silver, 4 ½ inch Jimmy Choos completed the outfit. She was amazed at her transformation. Gone was the girl next door and in her place stood a sexy young woman. "Wow," she whispered to herself as she turned to view herself at every angle.
"You look amazing, baby," Sheila said as she watched her grandchild. "You feeling a little better now?"
Bonnie looked at her grandmother, "What do you mean? I've been fine."
"Little girl, I know you better than you know yourself. I know when something is bothering you and something has been bothering you for the past week. I may be wrong, but I think it may have something to do with the fact that you haven't been seen in the company of the eldest Salvatore lately. Are the two of you back to hating each other?"
"Why does everyone think I'm upset because I haven't seen Damon? We had a deal and he upheld his end, there is no need for us to see each other on a regular basis anymore," Bonnie said, not making eye contact with Sheila. "There is nothing between me and Damon."
"There may be nothing going on, but that doesn't mean there is no feeling involved. And I would bet my life that you have strong feelings for Damon," Sheila replied, tilting Bonnie's head with her fingertips, so that they were looking each other in the eyes.
Bonnie looked at her grandmother and could no longer deny her feelings. "I think I love him. But it doesn't make a difference, he's still in love with Katherine and he always will be," she got out between gulps of breaths to keep from sobbing.
Sheila wrapped her arms around Bonnie, conflicted as to what to say to her beloved grandbaby. On one hand she wanted to do as she was directed by Emily and encourage Bonnie to fight for Damon, anyone could clearly see that he had some feelings for Bonnie. On the other hand, if Damon was still obsessed with Katherine, then what did that mean for Bonnie? Sheila inhaled deeply and chose her words carefully, "Give yourself some more time away from Damon and listen to what your heart tells you. If you feel Damon is the one you want, then the only thing you can do is let him know your feelings and hope that he can let his love for Katherine go. Just don't dwell on it. You have a lot going on right now. We have the Ball tonight, its two weeks until your birthday, and then your prom and graduation. You have a lot going on; enough to help keep your mind off Damon."
"Alright," Bonnie answered. "It's a good thing I wore waterproof mascara, otherwise we would have to redo my makeup, and Caro would kill me for being late."
Sheila smiled as she fixed a stray lock of Bonnie's hair and the two walked out the door.
Mystic Falls Founder's Day Ball
Bonnie and Sheila walked into the ball room. It had been transformed into a beautiful sea of black and white. Bonnie had to admit that Dana Lockwood was the best when it came to throwing a party.
"Looks like we're just in time for them present the pageant court," Sheila said.
"The first runner up to the title of Miss Mystic, Elena Gilbert," the emcee said as the two witches took their seats.
Bonnie watched with pride and excitement as Elena made her way down the staircase and onto the arm of Stefan. It appeared that Elena had gotten over the fact that Stefan had been engaged in his human life. Of course Bonnie had to hear the brunt of Elena's anger at Stefan, because of Caro's lack of knowledge about Stefan and Damon being vampires. How would Elena explain the fact that "18 year-old" Stefan used to have a fiancée? So they came up with excuse that Stefan had a serious girlfriend in his past to explain why Elena was angry at Stefan to Caro (not that Bonnie herself understood Elena's anger. Did Elena really think she and Katherine had been the only women in Stefan's life? At least he was honest about being engaged and had not hidden it like he did Elena's resemblance to Katherine). Bonnie closed her eyes in frustration at all the lies and half-truths that she and Elena had been feeding Caroline. Sometimes Bonnie just wanted to tell Caro the whole truth.
"Now introducing Miss Mystic 2010, Caroline Forbes," the emcee announced. Caroline practically floated downstairs into Matt's waiting arms. Bonnie beamed with happiness at Caro and Matt. She was so happy for her two friends. Matt seemed to ground Caroline and Caro, in turn, seemed to bring smiles to Matt's handsome face more often. The two were currently leading the court to the dance floor for the annual pageant court dance. Bonnie waved over to Jenna and Jeremy, who were seated two tables over from them. Jenna appeared to be dateless but Jeremy was holding hands with a pretty young girl who looked to be of Asian descent.
"Bonnie, you look positively stunning," Dana Lockwood said as she came up behind Bonnie and Sheila.
"Thank you, Mrs. Lockwood. You look lovely also. You did a great job organizing Founder's Day this year," Bonnie answered.
"Thank you. But I didn't get everything I wanted: I did fail to get you to join the pageant court. It's a sin that you are not on that floor dancing with right now. I know for sure Tyler would have been happy to be your escort," Dana said.
Bonnie laughed, "I think the court is perfect without me, but you did make it difficult for me to turn down. Grams, I'm going to go take pictures closer to the dance floor." She grabbed her camera from her purse and glided over to the edge of the dance floor. As she was taking pictures, Caroline caught her eye and waved. Elena threw Bonnie a wink as she and Stefan twirled on the dance floor. That's when she felt him walk in. Damon had arrived. Bonnie looked over to the doorway of the ballroom to find him staring directly at her. Bonnie felt herself began to salivate at the sight of him lazily lounged against the doorway. He was sin in a tuxedo; desire on two feet. The air was all but crackling between blue eyes and brown ones.
Sheila felt the power surge as she was talking to Dana. She looked up to find Bonnie and Damon in a staring contest. The air between the two was practically sparking with sexual tension. It was then she realized and accepted that Damon was Bonnie's mate. Whatever reservations and doubts Sheila had burned to ash at the look of fire on Bonnie's face and the look of hunger on Damon's.
Sheila wasn't the only one who felt the change in the atmosphere. Stefan looked up to see what was making the air around room heated. He looked at his brother stare down the witch and watched as Bonnie stared right back at Damon. You could cut the tension between the two with a dull knife. Stefan saw Damon shift slightly and knew his brother would be making his way over to Bonnie. "Bonnie," Stefan called to her telepathically, hoping to break the spell between the witch and vampire. There was no way he could allow his brother to get to Bonnie. Not now that he had read Emily's grimoire and spoken to another witch. He knew what Damon's plan was, now all he had to do was figure out how to tell Bonnie as gently as possible that his brother had been using her all along.
Bonnie shivered back to reality at Stefan's call. She broke her eyes from Damon's. She saw that Damon was now making his way through the crowd towards her. Bonnie made her way in the other direction, hoping to reach the other ballroom door so she could go pull herself together in the ladies room.
Damon saw prey attempting to escape. She looked absolutely breathtaking in her gown. He had seen the appreciative, lustful looks she had been given by the men in the room and had wanted to drain each man dry for daring to look at his witch that way. She was HIS and his alone. He had been miserable this last week. Nothing he did took away the feeling that he was missing a part of him. He tried drinking but his inability to get completely drunk got in the way of drowning his sorrows. He tried taking a few ladies out for "dinner" but alas, he only drank from them and sent them on their way with memories erased. Now looking at the little witch running in the other direction, he knew why. He wanted her. He needed to taste her again, not her blood, but her. The sweet taste that was Bonnie alone; it was a combination of innocence, power, kindness, strength, and something Damon couldn't put his finger on. Something that drew him to her; something that made him forget all about Katherine Pierce and focus only on Bonnie Bennett. He had no idea what that meant for his plan to get Katherine out of the tomb, but right now he didn't care, he had to have Bonnie. Damon was following the object of his desire to the other exit when he felt a hand grab his forearm. "How may I help you, Your Highness?" Damon said to Caroline.
"Dance with me," Caro said, tugging him toward the dance floor.
"No thanks, everyone will ignore you and your crown in favor of my hotness. We wouldn't want that, now would we?" Damon shot back.
"Funny, but we really need to talk," Caroline insisted.
"Fine," Damon said, having lost Bonnie in the crowd anyway. The two head out for the dance floor and Caroline begins to talk.
"I don't like you," she said.
"Tell me how you really feel, there's no need to be subtle, Caroline," Damon said, putting on a hurt expression.
"I don't like you, but Bonnie does," Caro continues, making Damon's expression turn serious as they swayed with the music. "She cares about you a great deal. That makes me believe that there has to be something redeemable about you. Don't hurt her, please Damon. She's not like me, if you hurt her, she'll just retreat deeper into the shell she already hides in. She's been poking her head out more lately, and I know it's due, mostly, to you. She doesn't believe how special she is and if you take advantage of her, it'll just confirm her worst thoughts about herself. If she doesn't mean anything to you, then leave her alone now."
"Or what?" Damon asked.
Suddenly Caro's eyes flashed a slight amber color for a split second. Had Damon not been blessed with vampire keen eyesight, he would have missed it. Not that he was surprised, but it seemed that Caroline's true nature was bubbling to the surface. Wouldn't St. Stefan get a kick out of that?
"Or I will rip you to shreds. Whatever went on between us is over and forgotten, but Bonnie is a different story. If you harm her I will make you pay. Don't underestimate me Damon, I'm deadly serious," Caroline said in a soft whisper that was more intimidating than if she had been ranting and raving. "Thanks for the dance." She finished as she stopped moving and left the dance floor. Leaving Damon to wonder should he be angry, amused, or frightened by Caroline's threat. Or maybe all three, seeing as though she could actually carry out her threat if she knew what she truly was. Damon looked up to find that Bonnie had returned to the ball room and was now talking to Stefan and Elena. He made his way over to her with an aura that dared anyone to stop him this time. No, it was time for his witch to be in his arms.
Bonnie watched helplessly as Damon came over to her. She couldn't run this time; the look in his eyes had frozen her in her tracks. She was barely listening to Stefan talking to her. Damon was first and foremost in her mind.
"Bonnie, this is important. We have to talk TONIGHT," was the thought Stefan sent to her.
"Dance with me, little witch," Damon said as he approached the trio, and took Bonnie's hand.
"No," Stefan said, capturing Bonnie's other hand.
Bonnie looked from brother to brother. Seeing the passionate look Damon was giving her and the worried look Stefan was sending her. Her choice had been made long ago, though. "I trust him Stefan," she whispered to her friend.
"Bonnie, you don't know…" Stefan began, refusing to relinquish her hand.
"She said she trusts me. Now let her go," Damon said, as silent threat underlying the simplicity of his words.
"Stefan, please don't make a scene. Let them go," Elena reasoned with her boyfriend.
Stefan sent Damon a look of contempt, as he dropped Bonnie's hand. "Have fun while can," he sneered.
Elena and Stefan watched as Damon led Bonnie to the dance floor, arm and arm. Elena cold no longer contain her curiosity as to what had upset Stefan so badly. He had been seething when since last night, but would not share with her the reason why saying that he didn't want to upset her big day. Elena took him by the hand and ushered him to a secluded alcove outside of the ball room. "Stefan what's going on? And what does it have to do with Bonnie and Damon?" she asked.
"Everything. He's using her. I got complete confirmation last night. My demented brother has made Bonnie think he cares about her so that she'll do a spell to open the tomb," Stefan answered.
Meanwhile in the ball room, Damon was holding Bonnie close as the danced to an emotional love song. Damon could hear the whispers of the invited guests. Most comments on how perfect for each other the young couple seemed to be. Damon looked down into Bonnie's eyes and realized there was no place he would rather have been at that moment than right there with her. As that thought crossed his mind he leaned down to give Bonnie a full, passionate kiss that she returned with equal feeling. The kiss made several on lookers gasp audibly, some fan themselves, and some look away blushing. As Damon lifted his head Bonnie couldn't help but think that her evening was perfect.