Time Stands Still
"Here you go—pancakes, eggs, and… a glass of blood."
Elijah slowly opened his eyes to see Bonnie standing there before him with a breakfast tray in hand, and a tiresome look on her face. He sat up in bed, and ran his tongue over his teeth. He glanced at the clock on his end table, and brushed his hands over his jaw before letting out a yawn.
As a vampire, he had never usually been tired or needed sleep, but after the pain that he'd felt last night, he was downright exhausted.
Mourning did that to you, sometimes; whether you were an immortal being, or not.
"You made me breakfast?" he asked gently, and Bonnie sighed softly as she placed the tray onto his lap, and folded her arms with a shrug. "I didn't—"
"You didn't ask; I know," she filled in, and his brows furrowed. "You didn't have to. After last night, I figured you could use a break from being the chef, for once. And I was here, already, so…" she trailed off, as she looked at her feet. "I wanted to be helpful."
"You are," Elijah replied quickly, and Bonnie's green eyes met his. "You're… extraordinary."
Bonnie silently tucked a strand behind her ear as the time passed, and she inhaled a deep breath. She'd spent the night here with Elijah after revealing Finn's death, though she knew it probably wasn't the smartest of ideas. Her mind was already scattered between him, Damon, Caroline's possession, and Tatia making an appearance, so an impromptu sleepover probably should have been the last thing she was getting involved with. But she wanted to be here for him, and so that's exactly what she did.
The two laid in bed, silently, as Elijah's arms wrapped around her waist, and she lay wide awake, listening for any signs of a mental breakdown, on his end. She didn't hear any, but she did wake up a few times at the feeling of his tears on her shoulder.
To that, she didn't say a word; she only clasped his hands even tighter.
Things didn't go any further than that, and she was thankful for it. Her biggest intentions were to be a friend and a hero right now. She had to find some way to stop Tatia. Especially after she stood with Elijah, as he explained just what had occurred, to his siblings.
Klaus was vengeful, predictably, while Kol was undoubtedly furious, and Rebekah was tearful. She'd never had sympathy for The Originals in all their time in Mystic Falls, but in that very moment, she admittedly felt for them. She'd never had a sibling—therefore she didn't know what it was like to lose one. But she could only imagine it—the pain, the grief, the blame—she expected that it could be crippling, if you let it consume you. And although Finn may have been on the opposite side of them, he was still family. And family meant much more than anything to these people.
"You shouldn't be the one looking after me, Bonnie." Elijah said, as he placed the tray aside, and looked up into her eyes. "It's been my duty to protect you—"
"That's not your duty," she answered, as she picked up her grimoire from his dresser and sighed, when she flipped it open. "I have magic, Elijah—I can look after myself. Besides—it's definitely going to a busy day, for me. I need to find out just what the hell Tatia is, and how she possessed Caroline... She even knew about Alaric's stakes, Elijah. Is she actually dead, or alive? I just—Everything was so crazy last night, and my head is spinning, and—"
She was immediately silenced when Elijah appeared before her. His shirtless frame glowed against the morning sunlight that peeked through his curtains. With a strong look on his face, he gazed at her, as no words passed his lips. Bonnie swallowed hard when he took the book out of her hand, closed it, and placed it back on the dresser behind her. She bit her lip as he moved in closer, and his eyes never dropped from hers.
"You need to take a break, Bonnie; from all of this. You'll tire yourself out with the details."
Bonnie huffed and folded her arms across her chest.
"I can't do that, Elijah—this isn't the time for me back off. Tatia is out there, and who knows what she'll do next. I need to be one-step ahead of her—"
"We," Elijah said, as he took Bonnie's hands into his own, and tightened his clasp around them. "We need to be one step ahead of her. And… I believe you should leave this up to me."
Bonnie scoffed, and shook her head.
"You're mourning Finn—"
"All the more reason to put this in my hands," he cut her off. "I work best when I'm angry. You must trust me on this one, Bonnie."
Bonnie's forehead creased as she frowned, and looked into Elijah's smoky eyes that seemed to be studying her even more intently than usual. She didn't like where this was going; this idea that he seemingly had that didn't include her.
"Okay, fine—you're right. You definitely can handle it, Elijah," she admitted, and the Original nodded in agreement. "But you're making it seem like I'm not capable of this," she answered, with a bit of an affliction to her voice. "Because you know that I'm capable, right? I—I can do this, Elijah. I can save everyone—"
"I know that you can," he interrupted. "I know very well what you can achieve as a witch, Bonnie, and I do not doubt you, however… as a human, I believe that you need not get involved, yet. You don't always have to work so hard… You would benefit greatly from a break, don't you think?"
Bonnie pursed her lips as she didn't say a word, as Elijah slowly led her back over towards his bed. She exhaled longingly as she sat beside him, and pouted a bit. She knew that he was right; as a human, maybe she needed a break from the supernatural—if only for a day—to clear her head, and start anew. Maybe she needed to take it easier on herself, as well, too. And if Elijah was willing to handle this, why not let him?
Because she was afraid.
"What if she hurts you?" Bonnie asked, as she looked into his eyes. "She's after you and Klaus. If she hurts you and I could have done something to stop her… I don't think I'll be able to handle it."
Elijah pressed his lips, as his hand brushed her smooth hair behind her ear, and something reminiscent of a smile crossed his lips. She'd almost forgotten what a smile looked like, from him; especially after the tragic events of last night.
"I am… the oldest vampire in the world, Bonnie, and you are fearful for me?" he asked lightly. "I must say, I am… tremendously flattered. You are… adorable."
Bonnie scoffed but she felt a slow smile form at her lips before she looked up at him, and shook her head.
"Do you use that line on all the girls?" she asked, and he laughed softly, as his hands cupped her cheeks, and his thumbs grazed over her jaw.
Bonnie inhaled a deep breath as his charcoal eyes searched hers. Something about them resonated deeply within her, in this very moment, and it almost made her lose her train of thought.
"No," he said honestly, and she bit her lip. "Only on the ones who are persistent enough to bring me, a vampire, breakfast in bed… So, that makes one of you," he revealed, and she grinned. "Even the blood was warm. How could it get any better than that?"
Bonnie inhaled as his thumbs continued to smooth against her cheeks. The look in his eyes was intoxicating, as he seemed to draw her in closer, towards him, with hardly any effort at all.
Bonnie's heart quickly caught onto what was going on in her head, as it began to race uncontrollably, and she shut her eyes tightly, for clarity. When she reopened them, he was even closer than he had been before.
So much for keeping this strictly friendly.
"I could… do something, to help you, with this Tatia thing. Since you won't let me be there."
"Bonnie, it is not necessary for you to do that—"
"Hear me out," she insisted, and Elijah sighed gently. "There's… a spell," she began, and his eyes followed hers, as she exhaled, and licked her lips softly. "I can… make you a clairvoyant, for the next 24 hours," she said, and Elijah's brow rose.
"I don't believe I've ever witnessed this one, before."
"Probably not," Bonnie admitted. "Most witches won't do it, because it gives somebody else the 'all-knowing' edge in the room, and if you don't know this already, witches sort of have a complex."
"You? A complex? You don't say," he replied with a wink, and she rolled her eyes softly. "What will being a clairvoyant allow?" he asked and Bonnie sat up straighter.
"Well, what happens is that when you find Tatia, your senses and perception will be heightened to a bit of an extreme level. You'll be able to figure her out—her motives, her agenda, and most importantly, what she is, exactly. If we know what she is, maybe I can figure out a way to stop her, completely. I can probably do a locator spell to find her, too, since she just possessed Caroline, and—"
"No locator spell," he replied. "I… have a good feeling of where I need to find her," he answered, and Bonnie nodded. "Now, the clairvoyance… Do you truly believe it will work?"
"It should," Bonnie said, as she tucked her feet beneath her. "A witch cannot enhance their own senses with it—it eventually breaks, because our power pushes it out. But we can transfer it to other people once we harness it. Including vampires."
Elijah pursed his lips and nodded.
"We shall do it, then."
Bonnie quickly hopped out of bed, and grabbed her grimoire off of the dresser, and sat back down in front of him, with it. She busily flipped through the pages before finding the spell she'd glanced at a few times, just to refresh her memory, and she cleared her throat.
Bonnie finally closed her eyes, and Elijah watched on quietly as the witch began to recite the words of the spell beneath her breath. He watched on, intrigued, as the young girl folded her hands tightly, and began to speak louder with the contents she'd already memorized.
He had always been interested in magic—even as a young child, when he and Klaus used to hide in the shadows of Ayanna's lair, as she explained things to their mother, Esther, and a young, but entertained, Rebekah. As men in the family, Mikael told them they were not to be interested in sorcery and witchcraft, but instead, hunting and fighting, in the event that they needed to protect and care for their family.
Elijah may have listened to his father by simply appeasing him, but it never meant that he agreed with him. In Elijah's opinion, witchcraft was a dark, but beautiful thing. He admired Ayanna, and the rest of the settled witches, for wanting to bring peace and balance to their village.
It always pained him to know, however, that the very witchcraft that his mother learned was what turned him into what he was today.
Until this day, he wondered what Ayanna thought of the monster he had become.
"Elijah," he heard, and he snapped out of his thoughts as he saw Bonnie's green eyes glowing in an exceptional way that he was sure was spell-induced. "I'm ready."
"Very well," he replied softly. "What do I have to do? How do we transfer the ability?"
Bonnie sighed as she looked into his eyes, and she relished in this remarkable feeling, as she realized she could quite literally feel what was on his mind. This incredibly renewed and heightened sense of everything was intoxicating. She almost felt sad when she realized she'd be losing it, very soon.
"The quickest way is by blood," Bonnie said, and Elijah's brow rose as she reached for the first button on her shirt, and undid it. "Y-You have to feed on my blood. The neck is easiest, I think."
Elijah bit his bottom lip, and Bonnie quietly looked away as she headed for the second button. She knew from experience with Damon that if Elijah was going to feed from her they needed to do it right.
When her fingers lingered at the button, his hands stopped her. His eyes shot her a look of calmness, as her warm skin began to heat up at his fingertips. She immediately felt his emotions running through her, at almost an alarming rate, as the vampire felt everything from concern, to vulnerability, to duty, to lust, all within one touch.
She honestly believed that she just might pass out.
"Please—allow me," he said, nearly inaudible, and she Bonnie inhaled smoothly as Elijah's hand pushed hers aside, and undid one last button of her shirt to clear access to the vein he'd steadily been eyeing.
"I'll be gentle," he promised, and Bonnie could only breathe in return, as his lips pressed to her neck, and she suddenly felt high from the simple, but incredibly intricate, action.
He started off slow—much slower than Damon had, actually—as his lips brushed along her skin, and he seemed to be inhaling the scent of her blood before actually diving into it.
For Bonnie, the anticipation was killing her. She knew that this was "just for a spell" but at the same time, it wasn't.
Elijah having her blood meant much more than that, and she'd be a liar if she considered this no big deal. As she felt his hand slowly slide away the collar of her shirt to reveal her shoulder, she felt even more anxious than she had been before. It was just like Elijah to make a huge moment out of this, and she couldn't say that hated it—because she didn't, at all.
When Elijah's fangs slowly appeared against the nape of her neck, Bonnie withheld a gasp that threatened to escape her lips. Instead, she gently placed her hands at his waist, and waited for the stinging, but euphoric sensation of his teeth, digging into her flesh.
When he finally plunged into her skin, she could barely contain the wave of ecstasy that emitted throughout her veins.
The last time she had done this was the night when she and Damon had both been kidnapped by Klaus and Rebekah. She was reluctant but willing to do whatever was possible to help the vampire heal—especially since he had helped her. What she didn't expect, though, was to like the feeling, so much. As a vampire, Damon was, inherently dead, but somehow, giving him her blood made her feel something else from him. It was almost as if he were alive, again, as the blood awakened something in him that she never believed love, or magic could do.
Blood was the very source of a vampire's life—and giving them life was, somehow, incredibly fulfilling, for her, as a witch.
She'd sworn that she would never do that again—simply because she was Bonnie Bennett, and it was supposed to be something she strongly opposed. But deep down inside, she knew that it wasn't very likely that she'd stick to those convictions.
Especially if Elijah Mikaelson was in the picture.
It wasn't something she'd admit to wanting, but she did—and with the current state of her emotions, she needed him, right now—much more than she could ever imagine.
Elijah breathed heavily as he gulped in the sweet taste of Bonnie's blood, and let it infiltrate his veins. It'd been a long time since he fed on a live human being, and he had almost forgotten just how unbelievable it felt.
The sound of her beating hurt slowing with every pull, the engaging feeling of his teeth delved deeply into her skin—it was everything that made becoming a vampire wonderful. He sometimes cursed the fact that he had stuck to blood bags for so long, because this experience? It was all too much to neglect.
Elijah yanked his teeth away, and he inhaled at the aroma of her blood swiftly filling the room, and lingering just before him, as he never bothered to wipe it away while it dripped down to his chin. Bonnie's eyes reopened, and she looked at Elijah silently, but with quiet conviction, as she took his face into her hands, and smoothed her fingers over the remaining veins at his eyes.
She could feel something else, too, as her fingers touched his skin, and the weight of his temporary power seemed to radiate from him. She breathed with relief that the spell worked.
"You feel it?" she asked softly, as her hands continued to loiter at his face. "The spell—"
"It worked," he confirmed, finally placing his hands on hers and pulling them down to her lap. "You did a fine job."
Bonnie's lips pursed softly, as his fingers tightened around hers.
"What am I feeling?" she asked gently, as he gazed deeply into her eyes. "What is it telling you?"
Elijah looked down at their hands, and he caressed them with his thumbs. The feeling that was generating throughout his bones was astonishing, and since becoming a vampire, he hadn't felt this much clarity in his entire afterlife. Being a vampire meant having a crazy range of emotions, and ridiculous highs and lows. But being a clairvoyant, right now, made him feel like he understood everything.
Bonnie, in particular.
"You are… grateful that the spell worked, however, still tentative. I can feel your worry," he said, and Bonnie nodded. "You needn't be scared, Bonnie. Especially not when I am at such an advantage." Bonnie sighed in relief, and Elijah moved in a bit closer, as he finally released her hands, and placed them at her sides. "And now… you're a bit hopeful, though you'd rather not reveal it, because you desire for me to stay on my guard," Elijah added, and Bonnie laughed shortly.
"Exactly," she said softly. "You're… exactly right."
"Allow me, then, to ease your mind a bit," he said in a low voice, and Bonnie sighed when his lips met hers in a deep kiss that shook her all the way down to her core.
Bonnie's hands wrapped at his shoulders, and Elijah easily pushed her onto her back, as their lips continued to meet in a powerful way. Bonnie's fingers clutched at his back, as Elijah's tongue moved against hers, and she instantly felt sparks raising along her skin.
She'd told herself that she wasn't going to let this happen—an intense make-out with Elijah—but it started way too quickly for her to stop it. And with this feeling buzzing throughout her, it was escalating just as rapidly, as well.
Bonnie's legs wrapped at Elijah's waist, and he separated his lips from hers just long enough to trail them across her chest, and back up to her ear.
She was already having trouble handling that. Never mind the fact that he didn't exactly keep quiet while he was there.
There was no way in hell she even had the guts to repeat half of what he just said. She was blushing just thinking about it.
Bonnie let out a soft moan as his hands smoothed over her stomach, and up the sides of her ribcage, before his lips crashed against hers, again. The fact that both Damon and Elijah had these little, extremely sexy ways about them was completely unnerving, and absolutely annoying.
How, exactly, was she supposed to make a decision when they both had her questioning her sanity, morals, and thinly-intact virginity, every single time she was alone with either of them?
Elijah's hand moved across the wound on her neck, and he suddenly stopped kissing her.
Bonnie reopened her eyes to gaze at him, and she tried to decipher the look that crossed his face as his jaw ticked, and he abruptly sat up. Bonnie let out a heavy sigh, and her brows scrunched as she continued to study him.
He licked the remaining remnants of blood from his lips, and Bonnie sat up as well, desperately trying to catch her breath.
"Are you okay?" she asked, and Elijah exhaled silently before looking into her eyes.
The look he was giving her, at the moment, wasn't a loving one and she was a bit concerned, to be quite honest. Elijah licked his tongue across his teeth, and shrugged.
"I felt something… when I touched the bite in your neck," he replied, and her eyes squinted. "It's no worry—"
"What was it?" she asked, as she sat up, and he swallowed hard, as he got out of bed.
Bonnie watched as the vampire walked over to the other end of his room, and proceeded to twist open a bottle of scotch. She didn't say anything as he grabbed a glass, and poured a healthy serving. He sipped it quietly, before turning to face her once more.
"Damon bit you," he replied, and Bonnie's mouth opened slightly. "Didn't he?"
Bonnie let out a long breath, and tucked a strand behind her ear.
"It was a really long time ago, Elijah. I had something that he wanted and Emily possessed me, and—"
"I should rephrase my accusations," he cut in, and she cocked her head. "You… allowed Damon to feed on you. Recently. And you had his blood, as well. Am I correct?"
Bonnie bit her lip, and folded her arms at that.
What could she really say, honestly? She hadn't told Elijah about that moment with Damon because she wasn't sure just what his reaction would be. She had no problem being honest and open—especially about the fact that she and Damon kissed, but with this? She had become a bit uneasy.
Sharing blood with Damon was a surprisingly intimate occasion, and though she owed allegiance to neither him nor Elijah, she still felt a little weird about bringing this up. She wasn't entirely sure how "Vampire Bro Code" went when it came to getting bitten by one, but she was 99% sure that Elijah wouldn't be too pleased to hear about it.
And now? He knew everything. This spell was officially a gift and a curse.
"He was hurt, and so was I," she answered flatly, as Elijah took a sip of his drink. "Klaus did that, remember?"
"I do," Elijah answered, simply. "I remember well."
"Are you upset?" she asked, finally, as his finger tapped against his glass, and she rose to her feet. "Because… I shared that with him before you?"
Before Elijah could answer, the door opened, and they both turned around to see Klaus standing just outside of the frame, with an intrigued look on his face, as he gazed between his brother and the witch.
"I don't mean to interrupt—"he began.
"Of course you do," Bonnie shot back, and he smirked. "You get off on being a prick."
"Perhaps about just as much as you 'get off' on being a finicky, and extremely difficult, little bitc—"
"What do you need, Niklaus?" Elijah asked sternly; quickly stepping in to diffuse the situation. "And please—refrain from referring to Bonnie in any other name that she has given you strict instruction to use," he added, and Klaus smiled.
"My apologies, love," he winked, and Bonnie rolled her eyes, and began to re-button her shirt. "I can call you 'love,' right?"
She may have felt "sorry" for Klaus losing his brother, Finn, but not that sorry. He was still an asshole, either way, and she didn't have enough time in the world to put up with this.
"I'm leaving, now," Bonnie said to Elijah, and he sighed as he watched her grab her grimoire, and pocketbook off of the dresser. "Let me know if you need any help with Tatia."
"Surely," he replied, and Bonnie left the room quicker than he would have liked.
Elijah turned to face Klaus, and he held up his hands in defense as he gazed at his brother's miffed expression.
"Don't glance at me, I apologized," he replied, and Elijah pursed his lips in response.
He shouldn't have expected anything more from his brother, to be quite honest.
Xxxxxxxxx
"Nik is an ass—he heard everything," Bonnie heard, as she neared the front door, and she stopped in her tracks when she saw Rebekah standing just a few feet away, with her arms folded across her chest, and an unmoved expression on her face.
Bonnie shook her head in acknowledgement for the girl, but to be honest, she was just itching to get the hell out of here. After that little moment with Elijah gone horribly wrong, she decided that she just needed to take him up on his offer to take a break from it all, for one day.
It was never too early to get on that.
"He always seems to get a bit jealous when Elijah is paying attention to anyone other than him," the blonde revealed, as she moved in closer towards Bonnie, and let out a sigh. "Actually, that kind of goes for all of us. Finn, too."
Bonnie remained silent as she looked at her—her blue eyes, gleaming with the morning sun, and her silky blonde locks perfectly straight at her shoulders, as they typically were. The last time she'd really had a conversation with Rebekah was the morning she came to her house asking her to look for Elijah.
Bonnie didn't believe that she owed the girl anything at all, but she did it anything—for the sake of Elijah. The two hadn't become friends, but Bonnie could comfortably say that she tolerated the girl the most out of all of Elijah's siblings.
Rebekah may have been brash, cunning, and very impulsive, but she was also strong-willed, with a great sense of loyalty, and she had no trouble being outspoken. She often called Klaus out on his exploits, and she didn't hesitate to voice her opinions when she thought that he had gone too far.
She was the only girl left, amongst all of these men, and for some reason, Bonnie found herself respecting her. Even if she didn't exactly like her, all that much.
"Anyway," Rebekah began, as she clapped her hands together and moved in. "Thank you, for staying with Elijah. He likes to go on, as though he's not hurting and he doesn't need any assistance, but … I know him better than that. And you seem to, as well."
Bonnie nodded, as she let out a breath, and her eyes met Rebekah's.
"I… would want someone to do it for me," Bonnie revealed. "And he would… Elijah would."
Rebekah remained still, but she didn't say a word. The silence that passed between the two was deafening. With each passing moment, it was getting tenser and tenser, as the two really didn't know what to say to each other, at all.
Rebekah had slept with Damon, who was now sort of involved with Bonnie. Bonnie was kind of seeing Elijah, who just so happened to be Rebekah's brother. The two were much more connected than they wanted to acknowledge, or even admit, and Bonnie couldn't decide whether that was a good thing, or not.
She decided that she'd be better off not exploring.
"I know it's me or them, Bonnie… Klaus told me what Tatia said," she suddenly added, and the witch sighed. "I don't know what you're planning—"
"Nobody's dying, okay?" Bonnie interrupted, and Rebekah's eyes softened. "I will do… everything in power to stop it. Unfortunately, I was ordered to 'stay out of it' for the next 24 hours, so I'm just... taking that as my cue, I guess."
"Funny," Rebekah answered, as Bonnie stared at her. "They always want us women to stay out of it, but when push comes to shove, we're actually the ones who get things done." Bonnie laughed shortly at that. "I suppose I should say 'thank you,'" Rebekah said, and Bonnie nodded. "Thank you for trying to keep us all alive, and… Take care of yourself, Bonnie."
"You too," she replied gently, and she watched as the blonde turned on her heel, and began to walk away just as quickly as she had appeared.
Bonnie twisted the door knob to make her exit, but she stopped in her tracks and turned around, just the catch the girl before she fully made her exit.
"Hey, Rebekah," she called, and the vampire spun around, with an inquisitive look on her face, as their eyes met. The silence floated between them for just a second. "Since we've both been banished from doing anything today, I was… wondering if you'd wanna hang out?" Bonnie asked suddenly, and she watched as the blonde nearly choked on the air before her, though she did her best to play it cool.
Bonnie had no idea what she was doing, exactly, but she didn't care. If she was being forced out of the plan, she might as well do something fun tonight. She also attributed this to the fact that she couldn't bear the thought of Rebekah grieving by her lonesome, while her brothers were out, fighting the evil beings of the world. Rebekah didn't have any friends that Bonnie knew of, so what could be the harm in hanging out with her for one night?
"You… wanna hang out with me?" Rebekah asked, almost with a surprised tone to her voice.
It immediately made Bonnie a little sad that the girl was so surprised that somebody wanted to spend time with her.
"It could be fun," Bonnie said, though she knew that may have just been wishful thinking.
She was still Rebekah after all.
"Okay," the vampire agreed, with a kind of lightheartedness to her voice that, oddly enough, made Bonnie smile. "Shall I meet you at your place, tonight?"
"Perfect. See you then."
Bonnie let out a deep sigh, and finally exited the house, feeling a bit wary, but excited, all at the same time. It may have been a huge mistake to hang out with Rebekah—but maybe it wasn't. Only time would tell.
All she knew was that she needed an outfit for tonight.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx
"You're still here?" Damon asked, as he walked into the living, pulling on a fresh black t-shirt, as Caroline sat on the couch. "I thought you would have blown this joint, after all that body snatchin' that went down last night. Who are you avoiding?"
The blonde looked up from one of the books she had gotten off of his shelf, and sighed as she slammed it shut, and looked him in the eyes.
She'd been here since last night, actually, when he got the shit beat out of him, and she was still recovering, post-possession. He didn't really need Caroline here to take care of him, but he figured he'd entertain the thought if it made the girl feel better. After all, she was completely about being a "do-gooder," or some shit like that. He might as well let her do something, while in turn looking out for her and making sure she made a speedy recovery.
He guessed she was feeling much better by the typical sour look on her face.
"I'm not hiding…" she informed, as she tossed the book on the coffee table, and grabbed her glass of bourbon, that was near empty, and chugged the rest. "I just… would rather not talk to anyone today," Caroline replied, and Damon rolled his eyes. "What?"
He sat down on the couch next to her, and let out a long sigh as he looked into her eyes.
"You can… talk to me," he started, and Caroline snorted at that. "What's so funny?"
"No offense, Damon, but you're not exactly the 'talking' type," she informed, as she rose to her feet, and fluffed her blonde curls. "Besides… you probably can't give me any advice on my relationship with Tyler, or the recent fact that Klaus Mikaelson is stalking me. You can't even figure out what you're doing when it comes to Bonnie."
Damon's brows furrowed as he watched Caroline pouring herself another drink, and he immediately sat up straighter.
"What do you mean?"
"What do you think that I mean, Damon?" Caroline asked rhetorically, as she took a sip from her glass, and his eyes settled on hers. "Have you told her, yet?"
"Told her what? I'm not following, Blondie," Damon said in an annoyed tone, as he looked up at the girl, and she stomped her foot as she followed her arms.
"You're kidding."
"I'm not," he shot back, and Caroline sighed at that. "What the hell am I supposed to be 'telling' her, Barbie? I don't have all day to figure this out."
Caroline ran her tongue over her teeth, as she made her way back over to the couch. She silently sat back down next to Damon, and let out a long breath as she looked into his curious blue eyes. She pursed her lips before speaking.
"It's… kind of obvious, Damon, for everyone to see… Everyone but you."
Damon shook his head in confusion, as he continued to eye her, and he shrugged his shoulders at that.
"See what?"
"Can't you see that you love her, Damon? You are… in love with Bonnie."
Damon almost choked at the words as they floated into his ears, and he felt a bit paralyzed as they settled on his ears.
He what?
"Caroline, listen," he started. "I know that you watch a lot of Sex and City, and read a lot of romance novels... But that's not how it happens in real life, okay? At least not with me."
Caroline watched as Damon rose to his feet, and made his way over to the tumbler. He grabbed a glass, and poured a large serving of bourbon; raising it to his lips, in hopes that he could burn away the thoughts that now plagues his mind.
He was in love with Bonnie? On what planet?
"You know how I know this is real, Damon?" Caroline asked, and he scoffed.
"Caroline, stop—"
"The look in your eyes when you told her to go after Elijah," she continued, and he huffed as he took another sip. "I have watched you fawning over Elena for so freaking long, Damon… but not once did you ever have that look; the one where you actually wanted her to put somebody else first… because you knew how much she cared about him… Because you care about her."
Damon rolled his tongue over his teeth and sighed.
He and Caroline weren't friends—hell, they weren't anything, as far as he was concerned—but the fact that she was seemingly reading him like a book sort of bothered him. He figured it had to do with the fact that she was his "sire," or whatever, though he didn't really believe in that garbage for one second. Being Caroline's "maker" didn't exactly stop him from wanting to kill her, at some points, and it surely didn't stop her from beating his ass a few others.
How, all of a sudden, did she know him like the back of her hand? And why? Why did she even care about him, anyway?
"I was terrible to you, Caroline," Damon suddenly said, and the blonde's eyes met his, as he took another sip of his drink before setting it down. "I treated you like garbage."
"And what does that have to do with Bonnie?"
"It has everything to do with her," he shot back, and Caroline suddenly grew silent. "You… think that I want her to fall in love with somebody like me?" he asked, as he ran his fingers through his hair. "When… she has guys like that—guys like Elijah—who can give her everything that she wants?" Caroline exhaled softly, and looked to the ground. "I want her, but I don't deserve her. And… I let her go after Elijah last night, Blondie, because I know that. I know that she can do better than me; I know that she already has."
Caroline gulped at his words, and folded her arms across her chest.
Damon was a World Class Asshole, when it came to terms with his relationship with Caroline, in the past. He fed on her, had sex with her, used her as his servant to run his dirty little errands, and compelled her to forget everything; he was basically took full advantage of her, and was completely unapologetic about it.
But now; now as he saw Caroline sitting here, with a melancholy expression on her face, and a bit of a sad aura floating around her, he felt bad for her. Bad for everything he had done, and everything he put her through. Would it really be so horrible if he acted like a friend—or something like that—to her, now?
"I'm sorry, okay, Caroline?" he finally said, and she looked up into his eyes. "I'm really sorry for everything that I did to you. And I know that it doesn't change anything… but I just want you to know it. I just… want you to know that I know that I fucked up."
Caroline remained silent and he watched as her blue eyes seemed to fill with a mixture of tears and anger. She rose to her feet, and Damon's eyes followed her, as she suddenly appeared before him, and let out a long sigh.
This wasn't who he was—he wasn't the type of guy to apologize for things that happened in the past. He lived by the motto of "you live and you learn," and it had always been his excuse for getting away with these types of things—especially his mistreatment of Caroline.
Elena made one feeble attempt to call him out on it, and that was it. Therefore, he never really saw a reason to say he was sorry for what he did. He figured the apology would be lost on deaf ears, anyway, though he knew much better than that. He knew that it still mattered.
So the fact that he actually cared about her "feelings" right now may have went much deeper than that, if he were being honest.
And he had a feeling exactly why he cared. Her name was Bonnie.
Caroline was Bonnie's "bestie," and she made it quite clear that if you messed with Caroline, you were messing with her. Unlike Elena who always put the brother's first, Bonnie was quite the opposite. She put her friends before anything—even before him.
It was something that he actually admired about her. And by association, he had respect for Caroline; because after all that he'd done to her, he figured he could do that much.
Therefore, it'd probably be within his best interest to look out for her, whenever he could. No, he wasn't going to suddenly take Caroline under his wing, but he could make a conscious effort to at least tolerate her a bit more than he had in the past. After all, she wasn't as bad as he liked to think she was—she was a pretty resourceful girl when it came down to it.
Not to mention, he kind of owed her this. Scratch that; he definitely did. He owed her everything in the world.
"You're right, Damon—it doesn't change much," Caroline said, and he nodded his head, in anticipation of that.
Caroline had never been Team Damon, so was he really surprised that she still hated him, even after his apology? He deserved it, after all. He deserved everything coming to him.
"But I care about Bonnie," Caroline said, and he looked up into her eyes, and watched as the girl stood tall, with her arms over her chest. "And… she deserves love, Damon. Because she loves, so much, and it's what she should have in return… She should have somebody who loves her, unconditionally. And you love her—I know that you do."
Damon licked his lips, and suddenly he felt uncomfortable by the revelation.
The look in Caroline's eyes, combined with the swelling in his head, and the unwanted feeling in his heart was leading him to something; something he couldn't say, perhaps because he was too afraid to even admit it to himself.
But did his fear make any sense, at this point? Especially when Caroline could see right through him?
The blonde began to head towards the door, and Damon snapped out of his thoughts as he watched her exiting, and he called her out on it.
"Hey—where are you going?" he asked gently, and Caroline sighed before turning around to face him, with both hands on her hips.
It almost amazed him that this was the same girl that he had the nerve to call shallow, stupid, or useless. She proved to be none of those; she had become a much better person than he ever imagined her to be, and a small part of him was proud that she was still around, after it all. She'd proved him wrong—she proved everyone wrong.
"I have dance to plan," she said sharply, as she let out a sigh, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "And the world can't stop just because there are 'body snatching doppelgangers floating around... The world doesn't stop for anything," Caroline informed, and hi eyes narrowed. "It… only stops when you're in love. Or at least it feels like it does."
Damon gulped at that, as Caroline finally left, and he clutched a hand to his heart, to feel the familiar beating that suddenly began, just at the mere mention of Bonnie's name. He breathed deeply as he downed the rest of his drink, and took a seat on the couch; suddenly feeling overwhelmed, and completely dizzy by the new information.
Was he really in love? He just didn't know if he was willing to admit that.
All he knew was that it suddenly felt like time was standing still.
Xxxxxxxx
"I don't understand the logic of this game, to be honest," Rebekah said, as she held the pool stick in her hand, and Bonnie laughed. "It's ridiculous."
"All of these years on this Earth, and you can't play pool? That's kind of tragic."
"It is, isn't it?" Rebekah sighed, as she placed the stick on the table, and let out a sigh. "I say we need another drink to remedy this."
Bonnie laughed at that, but didn't object to it.
Another drink it was.
She had Rebekah had come to The Grill—because there were no other places to go in town where they played music, the crowd wasn't fifty and over, and they'd be able to be served underage—so they settled for the monotony of their lives, and took back a few shots and played a few games of darts, and now, pool.
Bonnie was reluctant to admit it, but Rebekah was much more fun that she initially expected her to be.
Not only could she drink like a fish, but she didn't seem to have a filter—especially when speaking her mind—and Bonnie kind of liked that. She liked the blunt and abrasive nature of the girl that she portrayed on the outside, though Bonnie knew something much softer lied on the inside.
She knew that much of Rebekah's attitude was not only a front, but a product of her environment—much like Bonnie herself. Both girls were forced to grow up at such a young age, and as a result, suffered immensely because of it.
Their relationships with men, their friends, and family suffered because of their tough exterior that masked, what was, a broken girl, on the inside.
They had both been used, manipulated, and forgotten by the people that they cared about. They never got the chance to live because they were too busy worrying about the ways in which they would solve the problems that threatened those around them.
They both seemed to have cold fronts, but on the inside, they were as warm, selfless, and caring as could be; especially to those who shared a piece of their heart. Because once somebody made their way in, it was tough to push them back out.
They never wanted to push anybody out.
"Here's to letting those stupid men solve all of the problems, because somehow, they fail to recognize women are better at everything," Rebekah said, as she rose her shot glass in her hand, and Bonnie grinned at that. "Cheers."
"Cheers," Bonnie said, and she clinked her glass against Rebekah's, and she took the whisky back with no hesitation at all.
She shivered as the alcohol ran through her, and Rebekah made her way onto the stool beside her, and let out a heavy sigh. Clearly, she had something to say.
"So, Bonnie," she asked, with a bit of a drunken slur to her voice. "What's the deal? Are you going to choose my brother, or is Damon Salvatore more of your speed?"
Bonnie froze like a deer in headlights at Rebekah's question, and the blonde shook her head in exasperation, as she tapped her fingers against the bar, for another drink.
"Oh, come on, don't be shy. I'm not here to judge—I'm not quite good at that anyway," she said, and Bonnie sighed. "I just… want to know how you feel. I'm curious."
Bonnie let out an incredulous laugh and looked down at the bar. She honestly didn't know what to say, right now. Here sat the sister of one of the very men she had fallen for, asking her who was going to choose, and she couldn't have been more caught off guard, to be honest. She knew the risks of hanging out with Rebekah—she knew that there was a possibility that she'd ask, but she honestly believed that she wouldn't.
With the death of Finn on her mind, she figured Rebekah's mind would be elsewhere.
She couldn't have been further from the truth.
"Bonnie," the girl said, in a tone that interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to face her. "You haven't really decided yet, have you?"
Bonnie exhaled, and shook her head as she looked at Rebekah and shrugged.
"I just—I feel like a horrible person because of it, Rebekah. I do," Bonnie said, and the blonde leaned against her hand, as she became fully attentive. "Because… I-I don't even know why I'm telling you this," she immediately stopped. "It's selfish. Elijah's your brother—"
"But we're kind of something like friends now, right?" Rebekah asked, and Bonnie looked up to meet her hopeful blue eyes. "So, I'm allowed to look out for you, too… You're trying to keep me alive to save everyone, after all. It's the least I could do."
Bonnie didn't show it, but her heart warmed at that. The fact that Rebekah was concerned with her well-being was refreshing. She hadn't had enough people who cared whether she lived or died, so the fact that it was someone who she barely knew was astounding.
She decided that was all that she needed.
"I've never been this girl, Rebekah. I—I don't fall for multiple guys, and feel confused about what I want to do. I know; I always know. And now… I'm stuck. There's Elijah, your brother, who's this great guy. He's everything I've ever wanted, you know? He's sweet, mature, so down to earth, and kindhearted; I just… I can't help but fall for him… But then, there's Damon. I—I've never been the type of girl to put up with his shit. I was always the one who couldn't be affected by his charm, and now…"
"You can't escape him," Rebekah said, and Bonnie sighed at that. "No matter what you do, or how many things go wrong, you… still have this hope that, at the end of the day, it'll work because your heart wants it to—your heart believes in it."
Bonnie didn't respond, for it was the cold-hard truth.
What she felt for Damon and Elijah were two distinct things, but at the end of it all, there was one thing that separated one from the other. There was one that she'd fell for, despite all the odds, and she cursed herself when she realized just how impossible this all was.
What was she even doing?
"You've felt it, before," Bonnie noted, as she looked into Rebekah's eyes. "Feelings for somebody you shouldn't want," she said, and Rebekah smiled bitterly before taking a sip from her drink and exhaling.
"Someone I couldn't have," she corrected. "Because my own selfishness ruined everything. Just like it does anything I lay a finger on."
Bonnie frowned at that, and she suddenly realized Rebekah's distant gaze was set on something—or someone—just across The Grill. She cocked her head, when she realized she was seeing this correctly.
Rebekah was talking about Matt Donovan.
"Matt?" Bonnie asked, and Rebekah remained quiet. "You have feelings for him, don't you?"
"Pointless ones," Rebekah informed. "Kol kind of sort of broke his hand, and Matt hates me for it. It's my fault he got hurt, after all. I suppose I deserve the dirty stares he gives me in history class," she said.
Bonnie bit her lip at that, and she rose from her seat. Rebekah immediately grabbed her arm to stop her.
"What are you doing?"
"You've listened to be rant about my ridiculous situation, and you didn't judge me at all, for it. I think it's time I return the favor."
Rebekah scoffed as Bonnie released herself, and went after Matt, with no hesitation, as he cleaned a table, across the restaurant. He looked up when he saw the witch approaching, and he smiled lightly. His blue eyes glowed beneath the incandescent lights of the place, and Bonnie did her best to keep a straight face, to keep him from running away or avoiding her.
Mission succeeded, when she met him at a table, and he didn't budge.
"Hey, Bon, what's up?" the blonde asked easily, as he swiped a dish towel off of his shoulder, and wiped down the surface. "I'm not on kitchen duty, tonight, but I'm sure I can get you some fries if I ask for them."
"That won't be necessary," Bonnie informed. "But… you could do one, very huge, thing for me, and I will never, ever, ask for anything again."
"Sure thing, what is it?" he asked, and Bonnie sighed carefully, before looking into his eyes.
"Talk to Rebekah."
Matt stopped wiping the table, immediately, and his brows furrowed at the request. Bonnie anticipated it, and she held her hands up, like clockwork to stop his objections.
"Hear me out."
"No way," Matt responded, as he moved to the next table, and shook his head profusely. "Her brother tried to kill me. If there's a way to tell me I'm not welcome in the family, that is it."
"For argument's sake, Caroline tried to kill you. And you still dated her," Bonnie reasoned, and Matt scoffed. "At least give her a chance, Matt. She's not as bad as you think."
"What, are you her mascot, all of a sudden?" he asked, and Bonnie sighed as she folded her arms.
"No, but she's my... friend," Bonnie declared, and Matt stopped in his tracks. "And she really, really likes you, Matt… And she wants to apologize about what happened. Would it really hurt to just talk to her about it?"
Matt sighed as he looked into Bonnie's bright green eyes, and he slumped.
"It will if someone breaks my hand, again," he mentioned, and she sent him a stare. "I'm kidding," he replied, and Bonnie felt a smile form behind her lips. "I'll… talk to her, okay? My shift ends in five minutes, so—"
"So, I will leave you two to your own devices, and you can give her a lift home. What do you say?"
Matt sighed as he looked into Bonnie's eyes, then at Rebekah, who sat silently across the room, with her hands folded, and a lost expression on his face. He finally nodded, and Bonnie felt a smile course over her face. Matt seemed a lot less enthused, but accepting, nevertheless. She was grateful for that.
"If I suffer any injuries, I know where to send the bill, Bonnie," he warned, and she let out a short laugh before tucking her hands into her pockets.
"You won't need to worry about that," she reassured, in a gentle tone. "If anyone is getting hit for this one, it's me."
And she absolutely meant that.
xxxxxx
Damon sat there quietly that night, on the porch swing, as he stared up at the night time sky and counted the constellations in the sky.
He was amazed by the fact that, so many years later, he could name every single one- that none of them had elapsed from his memory, or disappeared from his sight. It was the little things, like that, that he adored; it would always be about the little things.
After his talk with Caroline earlier, he'd spent much of the day mulling over his situation with Bonnie, amidst his efforts to try to figure out this Tatia situation. But while Stefan and Elena went to Duke University in hopes of being able to look through Isobel's old archives, he stayed here. Isobel reminded him of Alaric, and Alaric reminded him of how much he failed as a friend.
He'd even considered telling him how much he sucked today, but the teacher was out cold for much of the time. Damon figured his ranting was the last thing he'd care about when he came to.
So, he spent the day alone- just thinking- and never bothering to even call or text Bonnie Bennett, because honestly, what was the point? He'd already decided where he stood in her life, and he knew much better than anybody else that it'd be wise not to change that.
She needed a good guy; not someone like him, and he'd be a fool to think that he was even a credible option. A complete and total fool.
So, when he watched the headlights to the taxi cab appear in her driveway, he sucked in a deep breath, but remained in his seat, until he saw the girl emerge from the vehicle, with a surprised, and confused look on her face.
He changed his mind about staying away.
"Damon?" she asked, as she slammed the door shut, and the cab drove away. "What are you doing here?"
Her words were suddenly caught in her throat as he stood to his feet, and she saw that he was wearing a suit; an all black one, at that, and he was holding a single red rose in his hand. Bonnie's eyes widened, and she quickly felt flustered.
What the fuck was going on?
"Damon-"
"I had a lot of time to do a lot of thinking, today," he said, and she pressed her lips. "Well, I mean, I didn't really, but I made the time-"
"Why are you in a suit? With a rose?" she blinked, still feeling the effects of that last whisky shot settling in on her. "Did I miss something?"
Damon sighed, as he looked into her curious, olive eyes, and he couldn't help but melt into them. Her long brown hair, wavy at the shoulders, complemented her face so well, as always. But tonight, he was especially enamored. He believed the moon was to blame.
Damon took a step in towards her, and Bonnie placed her hands on her hips defensively, though her heart was pounding at a mile a minute, thanks to her fear.
What she was afraid about? She didn't really know. Except for those perfect blue eyes, and that neat black hair, she didn't know why this scared her so much. He hadn't done anything to terrify her, besides, looking like one of the most gorgeous creatures she'd ever encountered.
She figured that counted for something.
"Damon," she said. "What's going on? Cut to the chase-"
"Will you... go to the stupid dance with me?" he asked, and Bonnie's heart stopped as the worlds spilled from his lips.
She was very much taken off-guard, as he stepped in closer, and offered her the rose in her hand. She scoffed incredulously, as she looked up at him, and bit her lips.
Was he serious?
"What?" she asked, finally and he gulped at her response. "Damon, I don-"
"I know I don't go to high school-and thank god that I don't but... Go with me, Bonnie. I've... never taken you out on a proper date, and... call me crazy, but I think we'd have a good time together."
Bonnie didn't know what to say.
Here he was; Damon Salvatore, standing on her porch, like he was some sort of prince charming, and she completely taken by it. He was right; the two had never been on a date, and hell- she hadn't even really been to a dance that somebody asked her to. Sure, she went with Jeremy that one time, but he was her boyfriend already, so their attendance together was inevitable.
This was the first real time someone was making the concious decision to invite her. Her heart was pounding.
"But I-I wasn't planning on going, Damon. I just... I don't think-"
She immediately stopped talking when he appeared just before her, and she inhaled a long breath when his eyes met her. She felt unbearably shaky at the knees, and undoubtedly nervous at the core. Why was he doing this to her?
"Say yes, Bonnie. And I promise to make it the best night of your life."
Bonnie gulped at that, but her heart settled when she saw the deep sincerity in his eyes. This wasn't one of his jokes; he really planned on making this special. And for obvious reasons, that moved her.
Just how much he actually cared astounded her.
"Okay," Bonnie said lightly, with a gentle nod. "I... will go to the dance with you, Damon," she said strangely, as the foreign words passed her lips, and crept off of her tongue.
She took the rose into her hand, and she breathed when his hand touched hers; igniting a fire within her that she hadn't even known was there. She shut her eyes, to escape the whirlwind of crazy thoughts, but just one blaring one kept pushing forth in her head.
She and Damon were going to the dance.
A/N: Hi everyone! So this was supposed to be up last night but I fell asleep in the middle of updating, so, woops! Haha, my apologies. ;) Anyway, looots of stuff went on, & i wanted to give you all a nice long update since I made you wait so long. Thoughts on Bonnie x Elijah, Tatia, Bonnie x Rebekah, Damon x Caroline, and Bonnie x Damon? Leave your opinions in a review! As always, thank you for reading. This story has been a pleasure to write. Until next time? xoxo