Sorry for the delay, but for once…TVD has given us something to keep us occupied. Bonnie is a BAMF. Love her!
This chapter gets a little deep in the whole Bonnie-Elena dynamic…enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Present Day Mystic Falls
"I can't believe you just let him go", Damon sighed as he entered his bedroom closing the door.
"He gave me the name and I held up my end of the bargain", Bonnie shrugged, "I can't believe that Greta and Luka's mom is the one behind this…or at least, I think it's their mom…she could be an aunt".
"She's their mother, she wants revenge for what happened to her children", Damon replied.
Bonnie focused on the wall, "I miss Greta…she was my best friend in the Other Mystic Falls. She was so happy and carefree and here…"
"I was the one that killed her", Damon answered.
Bonnie nodded slowly, "Different places".
Damon sighed as he pulled Bonnie into an embrace as they lie down on his bed, "Definitely a different place", he whispered kissing her on the forehead.
Other Mystic Falls-Two Weeks Before the Resurrection
Bonnie looked in the mirror at her hair. It had grown considerably over the last couple of months. It was almost to her shoulders and she was contemplating cutting it again. She turned her face looking in the mirror.
"You look fine", Damon said.
Bonnie turned to face him, "Do I?"
Damon walked in the room, "You definitely do".
"I think I like this length".
"I think I do too", Damon said running his hands through her hair staring into her eyes and pulling her closer to him.
"Damon…"
He kissed her exposed shoulder and Bonnie closed her eyes, "Damon", she breathed as she felt him moving her back towards her bed.
"You know, I spent the day running around with Giuseppe doing a million things and all I could think about—was getting back to you, in this room and touching those lips with mine", he said wrapping his arms around her body and lifting her off of the floor and onto the bed.
Bonnie closed her eyes as she felt Damon's hands trailing up her shirt. She breathed in deeply as his kisses moved towards her stomach and then she opened her eyes, "Damon…stop…"
"Bonnie…we've been doing this dance for a couple of weeks now, you want this…I want this…"
"Damon, we are not doing this right now…I have to leave for class in a few minutes".
Damon sighed, "Bonnie Bennett".
"Damon Salvatore", she replied walking over to get her paint bag.
"I don't understand why we haven't…"
"Because…", Bonnie said moving a strand of hair behind her ear, "I'm just not ready to go down that road at the moment".
"Why…I thought we were getting closer".
"We are".
"Then why are we acting like two 15 year olds about this?" Damon asked exasperated standing up.
Bonnie turned to look at him, "What?"
"We're both adults here, we're together in some capacity and it's been a long time…for both of us".
Bonnie stopped searching in her bag and turned to Damon, "What?"
"We've been away from Mystic Falls…or the other Mystic Falls for a long time and I am sure that you feel some urges and I definitely do…so why are we torturing ourselves?"
Bonnie blinked for a few moments, "I really don't know what to say. I mean, the last couple of months I've been slowly convincing myself that you are different and that we were becoming…", she found herself a little choked up, "I thought that things were different and we actually started to like each other, but I had no idea…no idea…that I was just a substitute or just a warm body for you to…".
Damon immediately realized that what he said came out wrong, "Bonnie…no…that's not what I meant…"
"I don't want to talk to you right now, I have class", she said brushing past him and walking out of the room.
He followed her down the steps, "Bonnie, you misunderstood what I was saying".
"I understood perfectly Damon and it's ok", she turned to him throwing up her arms, "trust me, it is perfectly ok".
"Bonnie wait…", he said rushing over to her, "listen to me for a few minutes…"
"I have absolutely nothing to say to you", she replied knocking into him before going outside.
Damon watched as she threw her bag in the car and tore out of her parking space.
Present Day Mystic Falls
The next morning, Bonnie sat on one of the stools in the Salvatore kitchen swirling her spoon in her bowl of oatmeal. She spent most of the night up staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts were filled with Helen Martin and her obvious vendetta, memories of Greta and dreading the conversation that she will have with Elena and Jeremy eventually.
"Morning", Stefan said entering the kitchen.
"Hi…"
"Damon told me that Hudson left last night, he took the blood and decided to transition".
"He did and hopefully he will never come back, but now we have to deal with Helen Martin whenever she decides to make an appearance. Lucy is contacting some people she knows to get a lead on her, but right now it's just a waiting game".
"Well she doesn't know that Hudson gave her up, so that's one positive in our column".
Bonnie nodded, "And god knows we need positives right now".
Stefan grimaced, "Have you spoken to them?"
"If by them, you mean Elena or Jeremy…no".
"Bonnie, I know that you and Elena are close".
"I'm not so sure about that right now".
"Either way, I know that she may be upset now, but you two will get past it. I am sure of it".
"And if we don't?" Bonnie asked raising an eyebrow.
"You and Elena both have big hearts, you would two would never turn your backs on each other".
"Things have changed Stefan", Bonnie replied, "I'm not the same anymore and I doubt Elena is".
Stefan nodded, "Can I ask you a question, completely unrelated to you and Elena?"
"Please".
"Giuseppe, what was he like from your perspective?" Stefan asked, "Damon hinted at him being completely different, but I want to know from an outsider looking in…what was he like?"
Bonnie thought, "He was nice and encouraging. He loved Damon and I would say, he loved him unconditionally. I think he was a better man and as a result, he made Damon one…I don't know…it was weird, but Giuseppe he really cared. He was a great father to Damon and I know that Damon misses him".
"Wow", Stefan said quietly.
"And I also know Stefan, that Damon in some weird way wanted you to be there with him and Giuseppe. He wanted you to know the man that he knew there and I think he believed that if you two had that Giuseppe for a father, things would have been different".
"I wish I had a chance to meet him".
Bonnie smiled.
"So what about you, I know what Damon found there—but what about you?"
Bonnie looked down at her oatmeal and then smiled brightly, "Stefan, I was happy there. I almost feel guilty saying it out loud to you, but I was. I had my Grams, I had friends, I had…"
"Damon without all of the drama".
Bonnie smiled, "Damon without all of the drama…there was no fighting for our lives on a daily basis, I was able to just enjoy life. It was something that I never thought could happen again and when it was snatched away, I did feel lost. I still sometimes feel lost here, but it's getting better".
"If you had a chance, would you go back there?" Stefan asked.
Bonnie looked at Stefan, "I want to say no…but, every day I become less and less sure of that answer. This Mystic Falls is so foreign to me now, even though things are exactly as they always were".
Stefan frowned as he touched Bonnie's shoulder, "No…things really are not exactly as they always were".
SSSSSS
Damon stood on the porch of the Gilbert house. He waited until Jeremy had left to avoid any accidental murders. He wanted to speak to Elena before Bonnie had a chance to. He believed that he owed her that much. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He waited a few moments and then the door opened as Elena stood on the other side with her arms folded, "Damon, I really don't want to have a conversation with you", she stated looking down and then directly in his eyes.
Her voice was hoarse and he could see that she had been crying.
"Elena, let me come in…I think that we should at least clear the air".
"Clear the air…", Elena chuckled humorlessly, "what exactly do you want to say? That you're sorry? That you started a relationship with Bonnie behind my back? What could you possibly say to me right now that I would even want to hear from you".
"Bonnie's ok, in case you were wondering", Damon replied.
Elena's eyes flickered and he saw a trace of guilt in her eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly, "Well I was sure she would be after you gave her your blood", Elena almost spat out.
Damon sighed and held up his hands, "What do you want me to say…ok…I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the way this happened and the way it came out, but I never lied to you about why I had to end our relationship. I did change".
"You sure did". Elena said taking a step back and slamming the door in his face.
Other Mystic Falls-Two Weeks Before the Resurrection
"Bonnie, we are supposed to be painting an angel", Greta frowned as she looked over at Bonnie's dark angel with black wings and black wardrobe.
"What's wrong with my painting?" Bonnie snapped.
Greta looked at the picture again and frowned, "Oook…is something wrong?"
"Nope", Bonnie said throwing more black paint on the picture.
"Ok…if you say so, I guess".
"Well students that is all the time we have for today, we will finish the rest at our class next week", the instructor replied taking a second look at Bonnie's Hell's Angel before walking out of the class.
Greta and Bonnie packed up their things as they moved towards the door of the classroom. "Well that was fun", Greta snarked.
"I'm sorry, I'm not in the best moods", Bonnie apologized.
"It's ok, we all have good days and bad days. Do you want to hang out, maybe go to the Mystic Grille…"
"I'm not really in the moo…"
"Or I have a new friend who works at a bar in the next town over and he will actually make sure that we have a good time", Greta grinned.
"Greta…"
"Bonnie, please come on…you obviously are upset about something, so how about an hour or two just forgetting all of your troubles and hanging out with me?"
Bonnie thought about going back to the bed and the breakfast, but she honestly had no intention on talking to Damon tonight or for awhile—so maybe she should hang out with Greta.
"Ok…who's driving?"
"I will, you drive like Mrs. Daisy", Greta bumped Bonnie's shoulder.
Bonnie smiled, "Ok…and you are lying, I drive fine".
"If you say so…"
Present Day Mystic Falls
Bonnie sat cross legged on one of the chairs outside of the Salvatore boarding house with her eyes closed. If she thought hard enough and listened just a little bit closer, she could almost hear Greta laughing about something silly she and Bonnie had witnessed or talked about. She could almost see Greta laughing, dancing or sitting next to her in painting class.
As she thought about those memories, her eyes began to water. She opened her eyes and allowed the tears to fall from her eyes.
Ever since Hudson told her that Helen Martin, Greta and Luka's mother was behind his mission to kill Mystic Falls vampires, she had been plagued with thoughts of Greta and guilt about what happened to her.
When she worked with Klaus, Bonnie had no idea who Greta was. She was just some witch that Klaus was using to harm her friends. She protected her friends and that's why she didn't bat an eye knowing that Damon planned to kill her—but now? After knowing her, after considering her one of her best friends for the time she was away, she felt guilty and she ached with regret that she would never see her again or talk to her and now with Helen Martin more than likely on her way to town, Bonnie would be faced with another hard decision in saving her friends.
"I hate this place!" she screamed to no one in particular, "I hate it here", she whispered as she began to cry covering her eyes.
Other Mystic Falls-Two Weeks Before the Resurrection
After spending hours with Greta dancing and drinking at the club outside of Mystic Falls, Greta dropped her off at the Bed and Breakfast. She didn't feel comfortable driving her car and decided she would just pick it up in the morning from the community center. Bonnie quietly opened the door and quietly padded towards the stairs, when a voice stopped her, "Surprised you even came back", Damon replied.
Bonnie stopped and didn't bother to turn around.
"I can tell by your walk that you had a little too much to drink".
Bonnie walked up the stairs without turning around to look at him. She didn't hear him follow her and she breathed a sigh of relief as she walked into her bedroom closing the door behind her. She undressed as she prayed that Damon would just leave her alone.
As soon as she slipped into her nightshirt, there was a knock on her door.
"Bonnie, I will stand outside of this door all night and knock until you talk to me".
She rolled her eyes.
"You know that I can be very persistent".
She sighed loudly and walked over to the door, flinging it open, "I'm only doing this because I know that there are guests here and I don't want you to drive them away".
"Thank you".
Bonnie rolled her eyes and walked away from the door as he followed her.
"I'm only going to say this once…what I said today, I understand how you could have taken it the wrong way".
"The wrong way? You know Damon, for someone who is over a hundred years old…"
"For someone who is over a hundred years old, I am still someone who says the wrong things but my actions always speak louder. Yes, today I said something that I wish I could take back. I never want you to feel like I am using you as a substitute for anyone or anything. Bonnie, we've been here for quiet some time and so many things have changed. I have accepted that we are new people now and our life here is a second chance to be people that we couldn't be before. Over the last couple of months, you have become much more than I could have ever imagined…you are important to me Bonnie".
Bonnie looked at him as he walked over to her and placed his hands on her cheeks, "And in case your mind is thinking it…you are not a replacement for Elena. What I had with Elena was important to me and at one time, it did consume me…but I was also a different person, leading a different life back then. Ever since we stepped foot here, you have been the one by my side…listening to my fears about Giuseppe, encouraging me and telling me that I could be a better person. Elena and Stefan always told me that, but I didn't start to believe it until I had you telling me. Maybe its because out of everyone in Mystic Falls you hated me the most and yet, you were still able to see something good in me. So no…Bonnie Bennett, you are in a league all your own where I am concerned".
"Oh really?"
"Do you know how many brain aneurysms you gave me when I was a vampire and I didn't kill you, that says a lot doesn't it?" Damon smirked.
"You have a way with words".
"I want you to believe me that you are not a substitute and my words today were spoken out of frustration because…I want you…really…really…really bad", Damon said widening his eyes.
Bonnie felt her anger melt away—she believed him, "Damon, I have some insecurities…ok…", she shrugged, "but I just need some time".
"Time…well…I guess we have that", he smirked kissing her on the forehead and bringing her into a hug, "we're not going anywhere any time soon".
Present Day Mystic Falls
Damon walked into the living room and poured a glass of whiskey and downed it in one gulp. "Good day?" Stefan asked.
"I went to see Elena, she slammed the door in my face".
Stefan chuckled, "And what did you think she would do?"
"I don't know, I was trying to do the good and honorable thing".
"Wow…what did that time away do to you?"
"Thanks", Damon deadpanned.
"No, no…I like it. This Damon is much more brotherly than the one who left a couple of months ago".
"And even then, you were willing to resurrect me?" Damon asked.
"You're my brother, no matter what happened between us…we're all we have".
Damon nodded, "With Giuseppe, there was not one day that I wished you weren't there".
"Really…not one day…"
"Ok, I had my days when I was grateful to have him all to myself, but most of the time—I wanted to share him with you. You deserved to know him in that world. You deserved to have a good father too".
Stefan nodded as tears shone in his eyes, "I guess I will just have to rely on the stories that you tell about him".
"Sounds like a plan", Damon nodded and then looked towards the stairs, "is Bonnie here?"
Stefan shook his head, "Actually she left a little before you came, I think she needed some space".
"This Helen Martin thing is going to be tough for her. I guess we never really explained, Giuseppe was not the only person who turned up alive in the other world—Greta and Luka Martin were there too and Greta and Bonnie became close surprisingly".
"Ahh…"
"So Helen Martin trying to kill all her friends will probably put her in a tough spot".
"Never a dull moment here", Stefan said pouring them both glasses of whiskey.
"Never", Damon said clinking his glass with Stefan's.
SSSSSS
Bonnie stood on the perimeter of the high school track watching Jeremy run around. She knew that he saw her at least once during his run. When he paused, she walked over to him. He folded his arms, "How did you find me?"
"Matt told me that you come here every afternoon".
"Hmm…remind me not to tell him anything about my life anymore".
"Jeremy, I know you're angry with me…"
"I don't know what I am with you Bonnie. Damon…really…Damon?" he said disgusted shaking his head, "after all he's done and the fact that he was Elena's boyfriend, your best friend's boyfriend…why…how could you?"
"I didn't plan it".
"How cliché", Jeremy snorted.
Bonnie nodded, "Fine…ok…you're right, it is cliché and I guess my apology is as well, so I will just leave it at this. I never set out to fall for Damon, never thought we would ever have a relationship where we didn't want to kill each other, but things changed and now we are together".
"Well then, I guess that is all there is to say", Jeremy said turning and running away from her.
Bonnie sighed as she turned and walked away from the track.
SSSSSS
Damon climbed up next to Bonnie in bed later that evening and smiled, "So what a banner day we had, those Gilberts really know how to shut people down".
Bonnie shrugged, "I knew Jeremy would be that way, I'm not looking forward to speaking with Elena. I know I have to, but it is not something that I want to do".
"But we're ok, right?"
Bonnie looked at Damon and smiled, "Of course we are, I've meant every word since we got back. I am going to be happy here no matter what it takes and if my happiness is with the guy who I wanted killed in the most horrible and disgusting way, then so be it".
"You really know how to sweet talk a man", Damon smiled leaning over and kissing her.
Bonnie grinned as he lowered her down to the bed.
Other Mystic Falls-A Week Before the Resurrection
"So what are you doing for your birthday next week?" Bonnie asked as she sat across from Damon in the kitchen of the Bed and Breakfast.
Damon looked at Bonnie and raised an eyebrow, "My birthday…how do you even know when my birthday is".
"Well for better or for worse, I have known you for a couple of years and…um…. Elena may have mentioned it once".
"Oh…well I am doing absolutely nothing, unless you have something planned with entails us with very little clothing, if any at all", Damon wiggled his eyebrow.
Bonnie narrowed her eyes, "How about this…what have you always wished you could do on your birthday as a non-supernatural and you never had a chance to?"
"I could do anything I wanted Bonnie, there is nothing I want to do that I haven't done…except…", he reached over and whispered in Bonnie's ear sending tingles up and down her entire body.
"Damon…we are going to do something. Will you let me plan something?" Bonnie asked.
"You really want to plan something?"
"Yes, this place has been a new beginning and this birthday is kind of your first one, so yes…I want to plan something".
"No party".
Bonnie scoffed, "Why would I plan a party, you have very little friends here".
"Ha, ha…I would have you know Bonnie, that I am part of the town council and I have plenty of friends".
"Fine…no party".
"Good".
SSSSSS
"He's against the party, so I think we need to make sure the entire town is there", Bonnie grinned as she sat across from Giuseppe in his office.
"Thank you Bonnie for helping".
"It's my pleasure, I love torturing Damon".
Giuseppe chuckled, "I don't think that's exactly accurate".
Bonnie shrugged.
"But I do think that you two click. I know that he can be a little difficult at times, but I see how you can put him in his place differently than others can…I think he likes that the most about you".
"Damon has definitely changed a lot since we landed on your doorstep".
"So have I", Giuseppe added.
Bonnie smiled.
Present Day Mystic Falls
Three days had drifted by since Damon and Bonnie's relationship had been outted to their friends and three days since Elena left the Salvatore boarding house and never appeared again. Bonnie realized that she would much rather wait longer to speak with Elena, but with Helen Martin undoubtedly on her way, things needed to be squared away within the group before she arrived and that meant having a talk with Elena.
Bonnie wasn't sure what she could possibly say. As many times as she went over it in her head, she knew that the conversation would not go well. There was just no easy way to tell your best friend that you fell for her boyfriend.
As she parked her car in front of the Gilbert house and noticed Caroline's car outside, she took a deep breath. Caroline was playing mediator, she kind of insisted on it when Bonnie told her what she planned to do. Bonnie figured that Caroline wanted to play referee if things got out of hand.
Bonnie closed her car door and walked towards Elena's front door. Although this house was not the Gilbert house that she spent her childhood in, she couldn't help but feel some nostalgia. She looked down and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.
"Bonnie! Come in!" Caroline said grinning like a crazed soccer mom.
"Hey Care…", Bonnie said walking in and entering the living room where Elena was sitting on the couch with her arms folded. She didn't acknowledge Bonnie's presence when she walked in and for some reason that stirred something fiery within Bonnie. She couldn't explain it, but it did, "Hello Elena", she said with a slight edge.
"Bonnie", Elena said looking at her.
"Well…umm…I guess we all know why we're here…we need to talk…" Caroline began.
"We don't need to talk Caroline, Bonnie just needs to tell me how long she's been sleeping with my boyfriend", Elena said standing up and facing Bonnie, "I mean, you've been back for months and not once did you mention that you and Damon were what…cheating behind my back…stealing kisses…sleeping together…God…Bonnie, how could you do that to me…how could you do that to Jeremy!"
"Elena…" Bonnie began.
"We fought to get you back. We wanted you two back. I missed you…I missed my best friend and I had no idea that my best friend had stolen my boyfriend and was sneaking around…how could you be so selfish!" Elena shrieked.
Bonnie's head jerked up and she narrowed her eyes, "Selfish…I'm selfish?"
"Bonnie, you knew how much I loved Damon. You knew how much he meant to me. You knew that I wanted him back badly. You sat and listened to me talk about how much I missed him…how devastated I was about losing him before and then losing him when he came back and you said nothing…absolutely nothing! What kind of person does that?"
"I'm selfish…", Bonnie chuckled humorlessly, "I'm selfish…how dare you?"
Caroline 's eyes widened, "Bonnie, Elena didn't mean that".
"She meant it", Bonnie said focusing her gaze on Elena, "she meant to call me selfish because I, for the first time in a long time put myself first. She meant it…it doesn't matter how many sacrifices I made for her and how many people and things I lost because of her chooses. I spent most of my life protecting you, Elena. I moved heaven and earth literally to make sure that you would be safe…to make sure that I wouldn't lose you…to make sure that I helped you in any way that you wanted me to. I begged Grams to help with the tomb because Damon was threatening us all and what happened…my Grams died! I moved heaven and earth to try to bring you back from the brink of death and in return, I suffered consequences and so did my Grams…my mother died because I was helping you and was turned…my father's dead…the list goes on and I'm selfish! I have never been selfish! I have always put you first…I put you first and it killed me! I always put you first and the first time that I don't, you call me selfish. I have never been selfish in our friendship…you have…over and over again and not once throughout it all have you said a simple thank you!"
Elena's eyes widened, "I've been selfish…in what way. I have always cared about my friends".
"You brought the Salvatores in our lives!" Bonnie replied, "you did that. You didn't care what they were or what destruction followed them".
"Oh ok…and you're benefitting from it now, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am and for the first time in a long time…I am happy", Bonnie said.
"Well good for you because my heart is broken and you're the cause of it", Elena snapped.
"I guess I am, I would say I'm sorry…but since I'm selfish in your eyes, I'm not sorry", Bonnie snapped back.
Bonnie stood staring at Elena and before she could react, she felt Elena's hand connect with her cheek and without thinking her arm shot out and Elena immediately began clawing at her own neck as she began to choke.
"Bonnie…Bonnie…stop…stop…both of you…stop it!" Caroline pleaded touching Bonnie's arm.
Elena dropped to her knees as Bonnie loosened her grip and tears fell from her eyes. Elena looked up at Bonnie with tears in her eyes, "Bonnie, you were my best friend", Elena cried.
"You're right…I was", Bonnie said, "I would have given my life to keep you safe…and I did more than once".
"Why Damon?" Elena asked.
"Because he understood", Bonnie answered quietly.
Elena shook her head, "Please leave".
"Wait…no…we haven't worked this out", Caroline remarked desperately.
"Yes, we have Caroline…there is really nothing else to say", Bonnie said turning and walking out of the room and out of the front door.
SSSSSS
Damon heard Bonnie's car outside before the front door opened and he heard her soft footsteps. He put down his book and saw her standing in the archway of the living room. He could see it in her eyes immediately. He put the book down and took long strides over to her. The tears in her eyes were pooling and she looked almost broken, "Come here", he whispered enveloping her into a hug pulling her closer to him as she shook with sobs.
The next update definitely won't take as long…but in the meantime, please show your love!