Chapter- Dangerous Minds
Bonnie slammed her hand on the snooze button for the fifth and final time; Bonnie told herself that she was going to get out of bed, she had to meet Caroline at the Lockwood mansion to help finish sitting up for the miss mystic fall pageant. Grams had guilted Bonnie into signing up.
"Its the miss mystic falls pageant for founding families, why exactly must I attend? Its not like our family is considered one of the founding families." Bonnie groaned. "Because my darling, I would like to see you in a gown just once before I'm dead child." Sheila chuckled innocently at her stubborn Granddaughter...
Bonnie rolled her eyes. She didn't like when her grams made jokes about her death as if she had seen the inevitable future or something.
"What color is the gown?" Bonnie huff-ed at her grams.
At first Bonnie had looked forward to the pageant up until her grams informed her of round two with Luka; yet another misfortune for Bonnie her grams saw potential in that boy, to further add too the complications of Bonnie's everyday life; there was a new coven coming to mystic falls and the Bennett's were the welcome wagon, grams told her that the future leader of the so- called coven was very popular. Meaning he was handsome and probably would't be on the market for much longer, Bonnie could only hope.
Bonnie rolled her eyes at the notion.
Finally she rolled out of bed, she headed for the closet to look at the dress she and her grams picked out. Bonnie pulled the zipper down on the garment bag, the dress was mermaid sheer with a deep v Neck and a lace sweep train satin. She loved it the moment she laid eyes on it; she knew it was the one.
She's only ever known one other thing so unflinchingly well and that was Damon.
BUZZ, BUZZ... Bonnie sighed it was probably Caroline again. 'Where are you?" Bonnie typed back finally, "On the way." putting the phone down she run to the bathroom to get ready for a very long day.
_
"Their is someone asking questions?" Stefan stated simply. Damon sighed closing the worn book he'd been reading, tucking it out of sight. Stefan noticed but decided not to pry for the moment.
"And what does that have to do with me?" He stated nonchalantly. "Because of our family history... the counsel their looking into all of these so called animal attacks."
Damon smirked, "Those attacks were not me... at least not all of them." He shrugged.
"Dammit Damon. this isn't a joke... ever since you came back, there's been nothing but trouble it just follows you everywhere doesn't it?" Stefan's face was pained with worry.
Damon closed his eyes, this is nothing new for Stefan and Damon, Bad shit happens its Damon's fault, everything thats ever gone wrong in their life blame Damon.
Damon stood suddenly, "I didn't ask for any of this brother...Or have you gotten."
Guilt suddenly crosses Stefan's marble face. "No, Damon I haven't, But-"
"But, I'm responsible for my actions..." Damon cut Stefan off as they stand face to face. "Yes."
"I promised you a life of misery and you will get it; you turned me into this and the consequences of my actions will haunt you, Brother." Damon bumps pass Stefan;leaving him to mull on the choice he made in 1864 when he made Damon turn, he took the choice from Damon, he couldn't let his brother go, so he made him into a vampire; everything Damon has ever done is because Stefan couldn't live in a world without him and everyday he wonders if that was the right choice.
"Bon , just pulled up." Matt informs Caroline. "Finally, and what about Elena."
Matt shrugs. "No sign of her yet." Just then Bonnie comes rushing in. "Sorry..."
"Well at least you showed... I need the table placements set-up." Caroline ordered clearly irritated at Bonnie and Elena's tardiness.
Bonnie mustered a pleading smile of forgiveness. "Taking the supplies from Caroline who also managed a smile; No matter what Bonnie did; the blonde could never stay mad at the witch for too long.
Bonnie sighed in relief as she and Caroline joined Tyler and Matt at a nearby table.
Tyler takes a moment to look at Bonnie, he's missed her although he's seen her all week.
"Have you guys heard that Mark is missing." Tyler said discreetly... "Yeah, his parents said he never made it home after the party." Matt added.
"Its' like he's completely vanished."
Bonnie's breath becomes labored at the news.
"Do they have any idea what happened to him?" Bonnie asked the pitch of voice shaken a bit.
"No idea, but I heard my parents say that some special counsel is looking into it...especially with all the animal attacks." Tyler air quotes "Animal attacks" everybody knows there is something just not right with mystic falls they just have no idea how wrong it really is.
Bonnie turns from the group, the splintered events of Tyler's party claw at the front of her mind.
"I heard you're a virgin I promise to be the best you ever had...PLEASE DON'T." The words play like a symphony on her memory.
"I'll be right back." Bonnie walks away, Caroline notices the squeamish look on Bonnie's face as she quickly follows behind her.
"Bonnie, wait up." She stops suddenly in her tracks just outside the female restroom. "Whats going on?" Caroline asks worried.
Bonnie is silent for a moment, "...When exactly did mark go missing?"
"They think the night of Tyler's party... Why?" The blonde wondered why Bonnie would care for the details she barely knew Mark.
Bonnie exhales. "...I can't remember that night, But-" She paused a heavy weight on her chest. "Bonnie, what is it?."
She took a deep breath, her hands shook slightly. Bonnie calmed herself this was Caroline she could tell her anything.
"Bonnie, what happened?" Caroline took Bonnie's hands into her own.
"The one thing I remember clearly about that night, is that I was scared...Mark, I think he-he tried to-he said," Tears build in her eyes as she avoided eye contact with Caroline. " He said what? what did he do?" A protective nature comes over Caroline.
"I don't know, I just remember him saying I was a virgin and he was going to be the best... and nothing after, I was home, what if he's missing because of me ."
"Oh Bonnie, come here." Caroline pulls the fragile girl into a hug, holding her tighter than she's ever been held by anyone. Caroline fills a rage course through every fiber of her body, Damn Mark if he did anything to Bonnie, the blonde couldn't fathom the thought.
"Did he-"Caroline trails off afraid to finish, "No."
"Listen to me Bonnie, whatever happened to Mark is not your fault." Bonnie pulls away from the hug. "But-"
"No but's, you did nothing wrong." Caroline caresses Bonnie face. "It seems to me that Mark was scum of the earth especially if he tried to hurt you...don't think about him anymore he does not deserve it."
"I know, I just can't help it I feel responsible."
"That's because your a good person, too good actually." Bonnie musters a smile. Releasing some of the guilt from her body.
"No offense Bon, but you look like shit." The Blonde said with a smile. which makes Bonnie smile for a moment.
Bonnie frowned checking herself in the bathroom mirror, the dark circles under eyes was a clear indiction of how exhausted she felt. " None taken actually, I haven't been sleeping well."
"What besides the night of Tyler's party is bothering you?" Caroline looks around before whispering the word vampire.
A sigh hung at Bonnie's lips, Bonnie had already told Caroline more about the secret world she lives in' and she wasn't willing to put her friend in anymore danger. "No, I'm just stressed about this pageant and running up against my two best-friends." Bonnie faked a smile, she couldn't even begin to explain the hellish nightmare's she suffering.
"Well, I guess its a good thing that you look like shit." Bonnie and Caroline both laugh lightly.
"Thank you, for always being a good friend to me."
"Always." Caroline hugs Bonnie. "Now lets get these decorations done before there isn't a pageant."
**************
Bonnie sit on the balcony at her grams house lost in imagines of confusion and things she can't or won't explain even if she wanted to; why were these things happening to her and how could she stop tem. Maybe she could tell grams but then grams would want to know how Bonnie ended tangled up with vampires and that was a can of worms she wasn't going to crack open.
"Penny for your thoughts." The voice rattled Bonnie from her racing thoughts. "Damon...what are you doing here?"
"I missed you." He teased. "Sure you did." She countered quickly.
"I always do." Bonnie tried not to blush. "You know if my grams sees you-"
"She's not here I checked, Its just you and me." A seductive smile graced those lovely lips as she patted the spot next to her on the porch couch.
She exhaled the weight of the day off in the moment as he obliged her, she was suddenly grateful for him.
Bonnie and Damon have idle conversation and for a brief moment she forgets everything thats been bothering her. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Being here, being you." She said softly nugding him.
Damon smiled. "Thats the first nice thing you've ever said to me."
Bonnie laughs, "No, its not." Damon nodded. "Yes, it is... for awhile there I was beginning to think you didn't like me."
Bonnie bumps Damon playfully. "Can I ask you something."
"Anything." He glanced at her momentarily looking away just as quickly. "Well go ahead ask your question." He waited for what seemed like eternity for this question.
"I find myself thinking of human Damon, O.G. Damon... and what he was like." She shrugged her shoulder, this should be of no surprise she often found herself thinking of Damon even when she did not want to.
Damon squinted his eyes and sucked his teeth. "I'm pretty much the same...OG Damon." He teased in a seductive tone.
Bonnie scoffed. "I don't think so...I think your hardened from what Katherine did to you and Stefan."
His face soured as if she touched a raw nerve lining the outer layers of his skin...in this moment he felt as fragile as spun glass.
'Tell me you love me.' Katherine whispered in Damon's ear as she feasted on his neck. 'I love you." He whispered back-closing his eyes he gave into her in this moment, she could have anything she wanted from him; She consumed the very essence of his soul on that day.
"Damon." Her voice pulls him from the memory, he has longed to forget. Bonnie could see the sadness this brought him; Man she really did a number on him. "So will I see you tonight?
Damon gives her a weary smirk. "Well I'am apart of a founding family...So yes you will definitely see me and I'll try to save a dance for you."
"Oh really you plan to be that busy."
"Well, I'am the eternal stud." He winks at Bonnie... Who laughs a genuine laugh. Damon puts his hand to her face caressing her cheeks, "Are you okay?"
Bonnie sighs deeply. "Yeah, I'm fine." Damon lets his thumb play on her neck, "You would tell me if you weren't?"
Before Bonnie could answer she sees her grams car pull into the drive way. "You have to go."
Damon lingers his hand on her neck, He's going to keep his promise and help her with whatever's bothering her. "See you tonight little one." And with that Damon's gone.
Bonnie stood at the top of the spiral staircase in the Lockwood mansion, and it was at this second she realized how much she hated Luka's Cheshire smile; God she wanted to melt his face off.
what she wouldn't give to be escorted by a random stranger. Miss Bonnie Bennett, Escorted by a Mr. Luka Benson who was nowhere to be seen. She makes her way down the stairs and quickly notices the handsome stranger stepping forth to greet her. Those blue eyes staring up at her; Confusion spread across her face. He was the last person she had expected to be here. It was bad enough she couldn't escape him in her dreams, now he's coming at her in the real world too.
Klaus has Greta use her familiar connection with Luka to distract him from Bonnie...
extending his hand out to her she timidly takes it. "Hello love!" Klaus smiles deviously at the stunning witch; Who gulps' the cobwebs in her throat. She looks ready to make a scene.
"Come now love, have a dance with the devil." He said with a smug musing of her defiance.
She steeled her nerves as they made their way to the dance floor, She felt like all eyes were on her.
"Do I make you nervous?" He mused.
"No." Bonnie swallowed the nerves down quickly. Klaus held her hand leading her to the dance floor his hand gently sliding to the small of her back. A slight shiver eased down Bonnie's back and a tinge of heat played at her belly.
He was dangerous she could sense it; She could feel it in every inch of her body.
"What do you want?" She inquired sharply. "You." He stated simply with a laugh.
Bonnie gave him a defiant look. "You' will never have me." Tension rolled off of them as they continued the dance of near touch.
Soon as the music ended Bonnie pulled herself from his grip...Rushing off quickly.
"Be seeing you." He whispered after her.
Bonnie tries to calm her nerves, she felt raw and vulnerable' as she exhaled the tension floating through her body.
Breathe, just breathe... she repeated to herself, everything since the night of Tyler's party as been different. Things she can't explain to herself. Him, he's always here. "Bon-Bon."
"Damon." Bonnie says leaping into his arms as she buried her face in his chest. "whats wrong?"
"He's here..."
"Who?"
"The vampire Nick or Klaus, or whatever his name is."
"Stay right here...I'll be back."
"What are you gonna do?" Bonnie holds onto him afraid to let him go. "I'm gonna take care of this."
Luka waits for Damon to leave before approaching Bonnie, "Sorry I disappeared, I thought I saw my sister, she's been missing for sometime."
"Oh sorry I didn't know, was it her?"
"I don't know I never caught up to the girl I saw, Missed our dance though."
Bonnie shakes her head...honestly she wasn't too broken up about it, "Yeah its fine,"
"Can I make it up to you?" She hesitantly agreed. he was the lesser of two evils so why not. "Sure."
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Damon finds Klaus checking out the art in the lockwood manison. He was bit of an art connoisseur himself.
"Leave her alone!"
"Why would I do that, she seems to be very important too you." Damon stepped to Klaus immediately closing the space between them. "I like her spirit..."
"You can stop talking, you've already said the only thing that matters; she's important to me and if you touch her I'll kill you."
Klaus smiles amused at Damon's declaration. "I've heard this threat before."
"Its a promise." Damon bumps pass Klaus whatever he had to do to protect Bonnie; Nothing would get in his way to protect her, Klaus knows about Bonnie, but how much does he know. he's gonna have to seek out an unlikely source for help.
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Finally the date had ended much to Bonnie's glee, she could not wait to get out of this ballgown and into her favorite pair of grey sweats from Victoria secret which she got on sale; She could go for some book time too, She was reading a romance novel she enjoyed reading about romance rather than being apart of them. Luka had decided to do the gentlemanly thing and walk her to her car, He just better not be expecting any sugar! Bonnie had noticed the way his eyes play close attention to her lips as well as other parts of body and his tactile hands kept close contact with her waist- She could not get home soon enough and there will not be a third date thats for sure.
"Okay, this is me." Bonnie put distance between she and Luka much to his disappointment. "Well, Bonnie I really, really, really enjoyed myself." As he spoke she had pulled the car door open giving a modest smile, "Yeah, I'm sure you did...I should really get home." He went for the hug but Bonnie took his hand suddenly shook it turned and got in her car quickly before he tried for a kiss next.
"I'll call you." He said as she drive off smoke in her trail. besides she needed to see Damon as well.
Luka pulls his Iphone from his pocket to send a Drive safe text. "I don't think the young lady likes you very much." Luka looks at the British fella confused. "I'm sorry do I know you?"
"No! but I've been watching you all night...And I didn't like what I saw."
"What are you some stalker?" Luka asked affronted.
Klaus shrugs. "More like curious." Luka scoffs as he goes to walk away. "Your a freak."
Klaus flashes in-front of the young warlock his hand through his chest. "I made the lady a promise," Klaus rips out his heart letting Luka's body hit the ground; "Now, what am'I gonna do with you?" He asks himself playfully picking up the iphone. last Contact- Bonnie Bennett. "See you soon love." Klaus says to himself putting the phone in the inside pocket of his jacket- Lifting Luka's body onto his broad shoulders he disappeared into the night.
**********
The University, Shane sits in his office.
"Its her, the youngest Bennett witch...she's the prodigy!"
"There hasn't been one in a thousand years... And especially not one from such a powerful bloodline."
Shane folded the corners of his mouth. "I think the grandmother knows."
"Do you think the girl knows?" Concern rests across his frail face and thin lips. "She has no idea."
"Good... this will be good news to the coven."