Thank you for reviewing, adding to your favorite, and following. Just hope you will review more. Here is the new chapter.
Thanks to my amazing beta Danielle aka isawyouasaperson
I disclaim everything, I only own the story line and Leila
"If you answer it, I am breaking up with you." Damon broke their kiss and looked her straight in the eye.
His eyes could hardly carry the threat because his lust had deepened the color of his irises into a deep blue. He kissed her neck while he waited for her to answer his threat. She let her fingers graze his back; much like him, she was not enjoying the interruption but she did not have that much of a choice.
"Yeah, that is not happening, but soon that little girl will start crying, so let me save both of us the heartbreak. She probably had a nightmare." She countered him confidently and she tried to shove him away but he just let his weight make her sink back in the bed.
"Mommy…papa… MOMMY!" Leila started shouting from behind the closed door.
It was only matter of time before she woke the entire house up as she did the other days. She had been knocking for a minute and with each second passing, she was becoming cranky.
"Bonnie, Baby, you can't always fall for that nightmare excuse. It's all a masterplan. Babe, just an hour, I'll be fast. Baby," Damon drew the word out with the sexiest tone he could use.
He stopped her moving legs and he replaced himself between them. He kissed his way from her neck to her breast. He could always try to keep her distracted. He grabbed her legs and wrapped them around his waist. He kissed more passionately when he noticed her attention straining away, this was the first chance he got in a week to have sex with his beautiful girlfriend but his daughter was not having it.
"Damon Salvatore, will you be kind enough to let me go, our daughter needs us," Bonnie groaned as she succeeded to move him from above her. She sat up and he grabbed her waist to stop her. "I know that you understand that she will not stop until we open this door." She leaned to kiss him after she broke his embrace.
"We are raising a spoiled child. I blame you for this and that. How does she do it? Does she have a sixth sense that informs her? 'Stop them they are trying to make another child!' Bonnie, your child is evil," He said jokingly but his voice had an edge of frustration. He looked adorable with his pouty expression. She would have given in if Leila were not so insisting with her knock.
"One, we are not trying to make a child, we can't even deal with one without you calling her a demon. Two, you can survive without round three." She rolled her eyes at him even though she wanted him as much as he wanted her. However, she was the reasonable parent in such cases. She quickly tried to fix her morning sex appearance. She looked for her nightgown that Damon threw somewhere in the midst of their lovemaking.
"I'm just trying to get it out of my system before I have to spend an entire week without you." He said with a soft tone and he gave her one of his trademark smirk that a pout quickly replaced. She smiled at his childish self and she was sure that she would miss him as much he did her when she would be in New York trying to fix the last details for her big return to school.
She bent to smooth his frown away with another kiss and he used the opportunity to drag her back into their bed. He passionately kissed her and he pushed her back under him. She moaned under his assault and he started kissing her jaw with the same passion but quickly another loud knock destroyed the mood. If she knocked one more time, Leila would break that door.
"MOMMY…PAPA…MOMMY…PAPA!" she only shouted louder. Damon sighed and he reluctantly let go of Bonnie.
"Send her off or we're breaking up." He added after he slapped her ass. She rolled her eyes at him, but grabbed his hand and held it for a second when she caressed his fingers. He grabbed his shirt and threw it to her so she could wear it. Bonnie grabbed his pants from the floor and threw them at him.
"I don't want my child in therapy." She said as she walked toward the door after wearing Damon's shirt and waiting for him to cover up.
"Your child will need therapy anyway; actually you both need it to break you apart." He sassed with a mocking smile. "You can open now, we both look decent," he added after she stood a good minute near the door waiting for him to be dressed.
"Papa!" Leila ran straight toward the bed once Bonnie opened the door. She jumped on the bed and Damon did not need a second to forget all of his complaints. After all, his princess was still a daddy's girl.
She finally laid on the bed once she was exhausted, and Damon wrapped her in a bear hug. Bonnie rolled her eyes as she closed the door to their room but as soon as her eyes landed on her small family, a big smile overtook her features.
"But I'm the one spoiling her," she mumbled as she climbed back into their bed. She kissed Leila forehead and the little girl broke out of Damon's embrace to kiss Bonnie on the cheek. "Hey baby girl, you are awake early." Bonnie said between kisses on Leila's cheek. "You missed your daddy," she added just to tease Damon, who had an unamused smile, which was slowly turning in a bright one now that his daughter was holding on to him like a monkey.
"Dance today with nonna, mommy, but I missed you too not only papa." The little girl was too excited to form a full sentence. She rearranged herself between her parents.
"That is in the afternoon baby, and now it is barely six in the morning," Bonnie said before she broke into a laugh. Only her daughter could have such reaction. "Let me guess, you didn't sleep thinking about it," she said matter of factly. Leila nodded and Damon mouthed to Bonnie the word spoiled. She slightly tapped on his shoulder, and she refocused her attention on Leila.
"Sorry mommy," she apologized a bit embarrassed but the excitement was still there. "Can we just go this morning mommy?" She pouted and she made her best to appeal at Bonnie's weakness. Unfortunately, Bonnie was becoming a tougher audience, especially with Damon's presence. If she gave in, she would not hear the end of this story.
"What if we sleep first all together in this bed and then we will go visit your nonna?"Damon only rolled his eyes at the suggestion but already made some space for their daughter.
"Here." Bonnie laid on one side of Leila and Damon was on the other side. The Bennett girl kissed her daughter's cheek and then she kissed Damon.
"Baby girl you should take a break." Bonnie shouted to Leila, who had been practicing a jete for almost half an hour. She slowly sat near Lily who had been observing them since they arrived. She smiled at her daughter who was such a studious learner; her little girl always gave her best.
"Does she ever stop?" The Salvatore matriarch asked in a happy tone. She was trying to make conversation with Bonnie. She had to admit that with time it was becoming easier to talk with her son's girlfriend. However, it could be better without the slight tension on both sides. They were always those awkward silences, but it only had been few days since she arrived.
"She doesn't stop and it is exhausting for everyone around her, but I think we are all grateful that she has enough energy to get all of us exhausted," Bonnie answered with a voice filled with pride. Her beautiful face lit up with a proud smile. Lily agreed silently to the statement. She was as happy as Bonnie was for the change in her granddaughter's condition.
"I don't think I did it when we met but thank you for what you did," Lily said with a sincere smile. She understood that without Bonnie's marrow, her granddaughter would be living in hell and going through so much pain. The middle age woman continued observing her joyful granddaughter with a content smile.
"You didn't have to, I am just happy that she is perfectly fine and from now we don't have to worry about any health complications. I cross my finger; I don't want her to go through anything else," The Bennett girl answered but her eyes stayed on her daughter. She would do everything in her power to ensure that her little girl would have a happy childhood.
"Can you wait for a second Lily? I think if I don't stop her this little girl will break her leg." She quickly stood to walk back to the place where Leila was practicing.
Lily quietly observed the mother daughter pair as she had done the past days. It was so easy to be aware of the deep-rooted love between them; she stared at them as Bonnie was forcing a reluctant Leila to take a break. She was grateful that Leila finally found such love, but she also felt that little anger that it happened so late. She put some of the blame on Bonnie's actions in the past but mostly she blamed Rose for being a bad mother. That small lingering feeling created some of the tension between the two women.
Bonnie gave the little girl a water bottle and she finally smiled when Leila agreed to sit for at least ten minutes. Lily looked at Bonnie. She was becoming more inclined to make space in her family for the young woman. They still needed to clear the air, but she could say that the Bennett woman was her son's only girlfriend who got close to receive a stamp of approval. She acted responsibly; she was independent, maybe even to a fault.
"Sorry it took longer than expected; she is as stubborn as her father. You should join her. I am sure she will love having a different dance partner. She is getting tired of her mother." It took Bonnie a second to notice that she referred to herself as Leila's mother. She had never done it before, at least, she had not done it in the middle of a conversation with anyone else than herself. A small smile crept onto her lips because suddenly she realized that was what she was.
"I will leave dancing to you; I never was a great dancer. It must be something nice to share a passion with her. I remember when I use to take Damon to his drama class; it uses to warm my heart," Lily warmly said. She thought that it would be nice to share some memories with Bonnie, just anything making it easier to avoid the awkwardness still present. Lily was certain that Bonnie would last longer than any other women in Damon's life could, she had that deep-rooted feeling, and maybe that was what made it a little hard to let the young woman fully in the circle.
"Oh, that's true Damon told me that you use to be a famous actress before meeting his father. That must have been amazing to be in all those cinematographic productions but it also must have been hard to find time to have a proper family life. I already have hard time to rearrange my schedule to match my different jobs with the time that I need to spend with Leila. Now with going back to school we might have even less time together. I can't believe that I will have to find her a ballet class," Bonnie said regretfully and sighed heavily. However, she was really trying to create a connection and maybe receiving so advice from Lily could help.
Her return to school was complicating many things but she had her entire family's support, and it kept her focused. She was already dreading the week she would have to spend away from them. However, she wanted to have something of her own, so she was holding on to dancing. She was Leila's mother before everything else, but as her grams pointed, she could keep things of her past life that made her happy without affecting her new dynamic. She did not have to forget about herself for anyone's sake; she needed to protect her happiness because she could not be a good mom if she was unhappy while doing it.
That was what happened with Abby. You can only fail your daughter if at the end; you resent her for every unhappy moment in your life. She finally started to understand few of her mother's choices. Abby was not always that selfish mother and Bonnie was trying to not follow in her footsteps. She would do her best to be happy if it meant that she could maintain balance in her life.
It was different from her younger years when she thought sacrificing her dream would be the only way to achieve a happy family. Suddenly, her happiness mattered too because the people around her cherished her enough to be affected by her emotions. Damon wanted her fulfilled in every aspect of her life, Sheila wanted her happy, and Leila deserved a mother that showed her what self-care was. Having a life out of those people was necessary for her sanity, knowing when to make selfish decisions would be her salvation, and she finally found the balance between her generosity and a well thought selfishness. She had been too generous before and then she had been too selfish at other times.
"Oh that was quite early; I gave up after Damon became a handful, he was a bit of a mama's boy. Then it was hurting me more to be away from him, I had the impression that I did not deserve to be his mother if I could not make time for him. I was fulfilled as a housewife. I actually only became an actress by accident but it helped me meet Sep, so when time came to pick between my child and a fun job, it was easy. However, we all have different parenting styles. Things are different for you, and a dancing career might bring fulfillment that motherhood would never and well..." Lily stopped before she added that Bonnie had not been that present before these past months, so it might not matter at the end.
However, between the questioning tone at the end and her condescending tone could, Bonnie picked up on her meaning.
Lily was from a very conservative Italian family, some of her view could be strongly criticized, and on some other things, she could be extremely modern. When she noticed that her words were out of place, she promptly stopped, but sadly, their corrosive powers were in full effect. She smiled politely but the Salvatore matriarch noticed the growing discomfort. The unsaid resonated loudly in their newfound silence and she stuttered as she tried to go back to lighter subjects.
Talking about turning your tongue seven times in your mouth before speaking. The young woman hardly deserves such harsh words, she thought regretfully and she was ready to apologize, but she looked at Bonnie and the young woman had a stoic face. The rampant anger was slowly surfacing.
The little part about being a deserving mother did not escape Bonnie, she tried to bounce on everything else that the matriarch had said along her little explaining, but that sentence stuck because Leila had only recently started to call her mommy. Until someone else questioned how deserving of being Leila's mother she was, it never became clear that the question should never be asked. She drew some air, trying to clear her throat, but it failed. The sentiment of warranted irritation was strong. No one had the right to question the mother that she was, and she wanted that fact understood by everyone.
"Would you wonder the same thing when it comes to Damon? He works six days a week but that does not make him an undeserving father. He comes home right on dinnertime, so that is enough to make him a deserving father. However because I can't be present for ballet classes and have dream of my own. I don't deserve my daughter?" she asked bitterly. The double standard exhausted her.
She was not fond of the idea that school could change the structure of the family that she was building; she had needed reassurance and an extra push to pursue her dream. Lily was unaware of the background and all the trouble she went through with pursuing a career while being an active mother. However, her words latched on insecurities that were slowly becoming prevalent in Bonnie's thought.
Will she feel abandoned? Will we make it work? Is it so important? Maybe I can wait few more years until Leila is no longer scared of being abandoned? What if I focus too much on my career then I neglect her as much as my father neglected me? Those were her constant thoughts and she was fighting hard to silence them.
Lily's pour choice of words just stumbled on an assortment of issues. Bonnie did not need someone voicing her thoughts aloud; she did not want someone to state them as fact. Her father was a workaholic who never made time for her. She resented it, but until she saw a prime example of a balance relationship between fatherhood and work, she had no idea that it could be done.
It might seem uninformed but she had no experience with healthy family dynamic. She understood broken family because she came from one and she saw a lot around her, the Mikealson family had absent parents that bought their children's affections. Kol was another example of what she thought resulted from family with working parents. Therefore, she was reasonably worried about the situation until she understood that those people just didn't care about their parent role.
"Well Damon had been present all along her life, it already makes him more deserving, we can't say the same about you…" Lily said without a second thought. Mostly, it was a motherly defensive stance. She jumped without a calculated answer to protect her son from what she assumed to be an attack on his part as a father.
It took her a minute to process her own words and Bonnie's meaning. She deeply regretted going there, specifically because she promised Damon never to use Bonnie's teenage mistakes against her. She quickly tried to apologize as she slowly took conscience of her insulting tone. She looked at Leila who was still dancing, oblivious to the complicated situation happening between the adults in the room.
"I am sorry, that was uncalled for, and I always try to be polite. I apologize again." She tried to fix her mistake with words, but Bonnie was not quite ready to accept a cheap excuse.
"My grams has the habit of saying that sometime politeness is a short path to hypocrisy. It might be easy for the both of us to reach an understanding if you say what you want to say, Mrs. Salvatore," Bonnie said after she caught another suspicious look from Lily. She raised an eyebrow and she did her best to keep her voice low. They were both making efforts to have a cordial relationship, but everything was turning into a great farce. It was exhausting to walk on eggshells and maybe this was a good thing. Finally, there was some honesty, even if it was hurtful.
The surprise caused by Bonnie's words brought an instantaneous bright red flush to Lily's cheek. She quickly tried to look away. However, what was the point of doing so when the young woman already caught her? She had already spilled some of her controversial opinions. Bonnie was much like her grandmother, she could be extremely blunt if the situation requested it. The Salvatore matriarch was already familiar with Sheila's sharp tongue. She took a deep breath and tried to approach the conversation with an open mind.
"I wish there were some wine in this place or something that could help loosen the tongue. I am a bit of an old fashion person; I like to have heavy conversation when the atmosphere is not oppressive, but I already spoiled the mood," she said with a polite smile. Politeness was a great cover for a woman like Lily. She was the madam of Florence and sometimes biting her tongue was necessary in her environment.
She certainly had a great deal of opinions to share with Bonnie, but she was careful about it. There were no needs to antagonize the Bennett girl if later on she could prove her wrong. She was satisfied with the polite silence and careful observation. However, it seemed Bonnie was one for confrontation rather than hypocritical peace. Definitely the perfect match to her son.
"Damon told me not to hold it against you, but we think differently. I think that I can judge your will to be a mother on it. We all have hard time and when I was pregnant of Damon I was almost as young as you but I surely did not think he was a meal ticket." Lily went straight to the point she wanted to make. After several days of avoiding the subject, she clearly felt lighter.
"You'd think that having a child at a young age might give you an internal knowledge of what led to my actions," Bonnie said with a soft tone. She could understand the conclusion that people drew on her surrogacy situation. She rearranged herself on the floor and she sat comfortably. She stopped supervising Leila and focused her full attention on Lily. The woman seemed to be willing to have a constructive conversation once she exposed her concern.
"Everyone seems to forget that Damon would not have a chance to be a father if I did not step down. Leila would have had an awful life if I had keep her and I am not saying it because I want to ease my conscious. At seventeen, I was gullible. I was stupid enough to end up in a complicated situation, and worst of it all, I was unstable. Choosing to be a surrogate was a mistake that resulted in a complicated situation because it was not a mature decision. There was anger, there was frustration, but there was also a lot of love. I love my daughter more than anyone else in this world, I always have, and that is not something to be questioned." Bonnie's tone was cutting but it conveyed all the emotion she wanted. She refused to cry because of the rampant anger and emotion.
Somewhere, she was already talking to herself. She was finally sure that she had no reason to question her place in Leila's life. She took a deep breath, thinking about the fact that for seven years she had not realized the truth. She never understood her own actions all along and it was heart wrecking. She punished herself during six years for the wisest and the most selfless thing she did.
It was her happiness against mine. It was a secure home with two willing adults or nowhere to go after being released from the hospital. It was a piece of my soul against an assurance of a childhood for my baby. She finally understood the choice that she made after she found Leila in Damon's arms. She cleaned the proud tear before it fell and she drew more air. It felt as if her lung could infinitely expand. Her complicated and painful choice led her to this moment when she could sit on the side while she observed her daughter dancing happily.
"The day when you have to choose between yourself and your child, the choice you make says it all. You chose Damon over acting and I became deserving to be her mother when I let Damon happily walk out of that hospital with my child. From her first breath, I might have made mistakes but she was always a priority. I knew that I would never be the same after if I gave her a way, I cried on that hospital ground with only one thought as comfort; 'My baby will have a bed tonight; she will have food tomorrow and a loving family as she grows up.' It was the best decision because now look at her. I have been present since the beginning and I gave her more than I had." She finished confidently and she felt the weight of years of remorse fly away. She did her best seven years ago, she did what a good mother had to do, and it took her seven years to understand it.
"I never knew how much it cost someone else. I saw her two days after Damon brought her, and I had no thoughts for the sacrifice you made. I had to spend a week without Stefan the second he was born because he was premature. He was in the next room and still my heart broke. I can't understand the amount of pain you went through. However, I can be humble enough to issue more than a polite apology. No one can say that you're not her mother and I assumed rather than understanding," Lily sincerely said and she was wiping a tear in the corner of her eyes.
He found himself a strong woman. The thought became so clear in her mind. She felt ridiculous for caring such prejudice.
"I know you said my opinion does not matter but you definitely are a good mother. Now that does not change the fact I will be looking above your shoulder, not because I am suspicious but simply that is what Italian mother in law do. I know I must come around as a difficult person but maybe I just care too much from child as you do yours. I am a bit bitter because my son will soon be yours but having you as a daughter will be an honor. I can't say I understand the hardship of the situation but at the end, Leila did found her way to you because definitely you deserve it every time she calls you mommy." Lily expanded on the matter and Bonnie answered with a smile but she was almost in tears. Talking about the abandonment always was a touchy subject.
"Thank you for saving her seven years ago, because that was what you did. I am sorry I overstepped my boundaries and I really did not intended the day to finish in such heavy conversation but I am glad I have to see your point of view. I wanted to offer you these as a peace offering this morning but right now, it is more a thank you gift and also I will apologize better." She extended an usb flash drive to Bonnie whom wore a surprised expression but she gladly took it because for once she was sure that it was not force politeness.
This time Lily was genuine and she could easily say that she had now a strong affection for the young woman whom had bare her scars with so much dignity. Bonnie had not begged for pity, she had explain the reality behind a hard decision. She had politely reply to a misinformed judgement. She shared something deep; she shared a piece of history behind what saved her granddaughter from a harsher life. Lily bent and she kissed Bonnie's cheek in a very motherly way and she smoothened her hair. It took Bonnie by surprised but she later on hug the woman, she felt as if she had just reach an understanding. They will both do everything for their children and that gave them a ground to build a relationship.
"Inside there is videos of Leila, tones of baby picture. I brought it for Damon because I wanted him to have them now that he was more involved. Sep and I use to babysit a lot. It was hypocritical to judge you when it took Damon few years to come around too, but it seems god has been working on a schedule for my grandchild; she got her parent when she needed them the most. You missed so many moments of her life, and I hope this can help correct some things," Lily added with a contagious smile. She could only agree that Bonnie Bennett was a lovely girl.
"Thank you," was all Bonnie could say but she held the flash drive tightly. She turned her attention back to Leila, who was finally slowing down. "I think she is finally exhausted. It was a long day and I think she might want to sleep after that." Bonnie was happy that they could easily transitioned to lighter subject. The ice had been broken and it felt good not to worry about what Lily thought of her.
"I doubt it will be the case. I would stay to help, but I actually have dinner with your grandmother. She wanted us to have a talk. Should I be worried?" Lily joked but now she was impatient to properly be introduced to the woman that raised Bonnie.
"Well if you want to be invited to the family dinner of Friday, you need to pass this mock test. Damon and Stefan had to survive those one-on-one dinners," Bonnie supplied as an answer.
"Oh, I will do my best but I think she does not like me that much, I was a bit awful to you the first day," Lily said, getting worried. She saw the tight clan that they were forming around her granddaughter and she would be happy to be part of that circle.
"Loving Leila unconditionally is enough to get anyone a seat at the table. And that I am sure you do," Bonnie replied with another smile.
Those were fancy hall, he had to admit, marble on the ground and chandelier on the roof. He slowly made his way through the corridor. He had done a good job avoiding reception and security, and now all he had to do was to find Damon Salvatore's office. He stopped in front of every door and checked every golden plaque. He was getting extremely irritated, something needed to recompense his dedication to this enterprise, and this was the fortieth floor still no sign of a Damon Salvatore.
"Hello, I have an appointment with Mr. Salvatore but I can't find the floor." He could not believe how he did not think about this before stupidly going around forty floors but it was worth it.
"Yes, Mr. Wells, the 4 pm appointment. 42nd floor." Kol smiled widely and started making his way to the forty-second floor.
He could not stop the whistle that left his mouth. When people talked about wealth, this was what they meant. He looked around and he was astounded. Sure, he came from money and he was used to luxury, but this was quite extravagant. However, he could only expect something similar from the heir of multiple casinos. The Salvatores were loaded and he could not believe that he did not jump on this boat earlier. He regretfully thought about all the missed opportunities of his youth.
He should have encouraged Bonnie to keep that child and he could have bargained for more than twenty thousand euro. He was young, naïve and in debt, he clearly lacked basic intelligence. He shook his head, thinking of how much more he could have made if he had just been smarter. Back in the day, money was not really the issue. His parent could have gotten him out the situation but he was scared to come forward.
However, right now money was an issue; in the past five years, everything went to hell. Mikael and Esther had enough of his ways and he was cut off the family's money. He quickly had to do worse than force a young girl to become a surrogate and all of that made him resentful. It seemed his happiest times were with Bonnie; he took a greater time to recover from the break up than he thought it would take. Only when he lost her did her worth became visible.
He had stalked her few years until she took a restraining order against him, the bitch. He could never forgive her; after all, he just wanted them to be back together during those years. He broke the order few times. He had followed her to New York full of hope, and she called the cops on him. That bitch, that bitch she got karma coming. Every time he thought of Bonnie, he always had that rush of anger. She destroyed his life; her leaving led to a cascade of event, or at least that was how he chose to see it.
He stopped being in control of his addiction the month that followed their break up. He needed something to help deal with the confusing emotions; he needed something to deal with the anger. Unfortunately, he had lost his punching ball. Bonnie was the person that took away the rage, and once she was gone, he only had gambling. After few too large bills, Mikael sent him a thousand dollars and told him that he could find himself a new family.
In the past two years, his feelings for Bonnie danced between obsession and putrid hate. In his head, their relationship was a sort of outlet; five years and he was still not over the fantasy. Imagine his anger and rage when he received a message from his sister, telling him that she was sorry that love of his life cheated on him and that she finally understood why he went down a dark path. He wanted to curse Freya, but he did nothing. He asked her why she thought that Bonnie cheated, and the rest was history. She could not have the life she dreamed about without him. It did not sit right with him that she got her daughter back, and now he came to get his share of this happiness.
She left him to be happy but maybe if she became unhappy she could come back. I will simply settle for seeing her unhappy with a check as bonus, he thought as he finally stopped in front of the wooden door with the name 'Damon Salvatore'. His smile spread and he softly knocked.
There were no other way to solve his problem; Damon knew he needed to come clean. However, it was all about timing. Maybe she will take it better now that Leila is healthy. Leila, you have to think about Leila. His thoughts were slowly strangling him. He could not have a break, it was an endless source of worries, and it was ruining his life. He had tried to tell her, but it would take longer than a second, which was how much time they had shared recently. Leila took a huge portion of their time, and Bonnie was extremely occupied with her return to school.
They both had a lot in their plates: returning to school, moving to New York, and finally finding the right pediatrician for Leila. He could not steal time that they both did not have. However, everything was pressing him to say something; his dad would be there in a week, and her crazy ex was back in the picture. He had blocked Kol's number, but he doubted that it would stop the man. Something the young man said caught his attention.
He remembers me, but I have never meet him, or you don't remember during that time you did a lot more for the family. At least I did more than taking on criminal case, I handled binding contract, he thought regretfully. If he handled the contract that bonded Bonnie with that debt, then he needed to tell her. She had thought that she could have kept Leila, but if she did sign a contract that he worked on, then she had no way out. If she had tried to keep Leila, she would have gone straight to jail for kidnapping.
"So you're her new man?" a voice broke Damon out his thoughts. Kol had been in the room for longer than a minute, but Damon still had not noticed him.
"Excuse me?" The elder Salvatore tried to clear his confused mind; the voice and that bitter tone were familiar. He raised his head and his eyes fell on a blond man with an unsettling smile standing in the middle of his office.
"Bonnie, you must be the replacement, mate. By the way, how is she?" Kol walked up to his desk and he took a seat. He quickly made himself at home, crossing his legs on Damon's desk.
"I doubt that I am a replacement to you. It's been five years; she moved on before I made it to the picture. To answer your question, my girlfriend is okay and she still wants nothing to do with you." Damon shutdown his computer and he laughed at the little frown forming on Kol's face. "You really thought that she spent five years crying over you, hmm?" he could barely hold the mocking laughs.
"But she talked about me, she told you about me," Kol replied, trying to regain some confidence. He was not here for this; he was here because he wanted his deserved share.
"A psychotic ex isn't a fun subject, don't flatter yourself, and your presence here only confirms that fact. Therefore, I will shorten the trip for you. Any threat you can come up with I have heard worse or I made worse. Whatever you want with Bonnie, for your own sake, stay away from her. You have a long history with my family, so I assume that you know that we don't make idle threats. Thanks for the visit." Damon finished his little speech, and it was clear in his eyes that he meant every word he said. If Kol wanted to get to the mother of his child, then he would have to put his life on the line. He knew how to be his father's son when the situation called for it.
"You talk big game for someone in an office. Now, I did not come here because I am after your pretty girlfriend. I am done with Bonnie Bennett; I had my share of her antics. I am here because I think I have something on you." Kol ignored everything said previously. The only Salvatore he knew to be dangerous was the one called Stefan. "You have yourself a pretty family, thanks to me." He grabbed the family picture with Bonnie and Leila.
Damon calmly took the picture and put it on the desk. He stared at Kol and wondered how fast he could find everything needed to end the man's life. He was getting bored of this little game. Looking at the man in front of him, he was probably a low life criminal who thought he could maybe get some money out of whatever information he had on Damon.
"You have something on me? I already told you, in this room, the only one able to issue threat it is I. Whatever you have, I don't really care to know it. If you thought about making money out of it, reconsider your plans. Now, get out of my office before I call the security and stay away from my family while I'm still feeling merciful." Damon had his finger on the buzzer. He was never one to be patient with possible threats. Stefan was the diplomatic son, Damon was always too volatile.
"You were less bold in that office. All honesty and wondering if such a drastic contract was necessary. She signed it without reading it. Does she know that I saved her from several years of jail time? I gave a lawyer that contract when I found out that you were playing family. You're pretty cruel, Giuseppe found the surrogacy, but you made sure that there was no way out of it. Does she know that she had no chance to keep that thing because you created an unbreakable contract? She broke up with me because I kept her away from her 'baby' but you did the same." Kol finally pressed on what he though was his advantage.
Damon did not show any sign of weakness. He was slightly relieved that his suspicions were true. He did not know what to expect from Bonnie, but this meant peace for her. He was unsure if that meant losing her but maybe if he took the guilt away, he would be able to unlock that last barrier. She might finally be more forgiving of herself and she would be able to tell Leila the truth. He knew that it was risky, but Leila and Bonnie mattered more than he did. He could handle an argument, he could handle a break up, and he was sure that he could win her back. They were mature enough as a couple to overcome whatever difficulties came their way.
Kol was the incentive that he needed to get over his fear. He always wanted Bonnie to be able to trust him more, but he hardly trusted her. She was no longer the fragile girl that he met a year ago. They had so much to lose, and she would be angry because he betrayed her trust. However, he could regain it. Now he was just harming her with his omission, and he could no longer hide behind reasons like lack of time.
"'I will tell your girlfriend' that is your big threat? Thanks for the visit," Damon said and he went back to working.
"Your little girl is beautiful, a pity if something happens to her. That will break Bonnie's heart. Is that enough of a threat?" Kol took one last look at the family picture and left. If they wanted it that way, he would give it to them.