Bonnie had a litany of complaints about the character of the man she married. However, she never doubted his dedication to their daughter. Damon loved Sarah with his whole heart and made sure that she knew it at all times. Sure, he lavished Sarah with gifts because she was his little princess. However, he proved his love by doing the simple things like reading to her at night and checking her closet for monsters. Moreover, Damon went out of his way to spend time with Sarah whenever possible. Therefore, Bonnie wasn't terribly surprised when Damon revealed that he had rented out their favorite mini golf course for the evening.
Sunday afternoon had been a trying time for the entire Salvatore family. The men had sat their families down for a difficult conversation. They had explained that the children weren't to go anywhere with Giuseppe if he approached them. Furthermore, their families would all have round the clock security until further notice. No one thought that Giuseppe would actually harm one of the children. However, his back was up against the wall. No one could predict his next move. The younger children didn't really understand what was happening. However, they promised not to go anywhere with Giuseppe if he approached them. The older children were a different story. Josie, Lizzie, Lucien, and Jamie were old enough to read between the lines. They had more questions about what to do if they saw or heard from Giuseppe.
Bonnie hated that any of the children had to deal with this ugliness. She could vividly recall the first time she realized that danger could take the shape of someone familiar. In the beginning, parents spend so much time warning their children about the danger strangers posed to them. However, when your grandmother runs a criminal organization you quickly learn that there are different rules. There was every chance that someone that was once trustworthy would turn around and shoot you in the face. Sheila taught Bonnie how important it was never to trust anyone completely. Even the most loyal soldier could one day become your greatest enemy. The Lockwood and Donovan families had proven that.
She was anxious about Damon's trip to Milazzo. Bonnie wasn't afraid of Giuseppe suddenly appearing. She would kill the old bastard with her own two hands if necessary. The drunkard had caught her off guard once but it would never happen again. Bonnie kept a blade of some sort on her at all times now. No, she was concerned about Damon's ability to convince the old guard of his dedication to Milazzo. Her husband could be incredibly persuasive. Frankly, he was twice the man and leader than Giuseppe had ever been. However, Damon had not spent enough time in Milazzo. Bonnie had hoped that it wouldn't be a point of contention. Unfortunately, Mason was concerned because of chatter picked up by the Loiacono family. It seemed as if Bonnie would have to intervene on her husband's behalf.
Bonnie planned to speak with Big John once Damon was in Milazzo. He needed the Benedetto family's unwavering support now more than ever. The captains were smart. They all knew the importance of the alliance between the Benedetto and Salvatore families. The capos would make the right choice once they knew that Giuseppe had lost Big John's support. However, it was more than just support that mattered. Bonnie needed the capos to understand that siding with Giuseppe meant death. If the Benedettos and Salvatores were not allies then they were enemies. Enemies could not share a city the size of Milazzo. She would lobby her uncle to wipe them all out if it became necessary.
Bonnie watched as Damon chased Sarah and Bella around in circles. The girls were squealing at the top of their lungs as he pretended to catch them. All of the children, including, Josie and Lizzie, were having a good time. It was primarily a mini golf course, but there were arcade games and a playground for the kids to enjoy as well. Damon had succeeded in distracting everyone from the black cloud that was hovering over the family. However, Bonnie knew that it was only temporary. In a few hours, those fears would return in full force when the Salvatore men left for the airport.
Tyler walked over to the metal table where Bonnie had been sitting for the last hour. He placed a cardboard container filled with food and a bottle of apple juice in front of her. "You need to eat, Bon."
Her lips curved into a small smile at his stern voice. She inspected the variety of concession stand food that Tyler had procured for her. The onions rings actually tempted Bonnie a little and the chicken tenders didn't look half bad either. However, she was worried about becoming nauseous—again. The young mother was vomiting so much lately that it made her reluctant to eat anything. However, she knew that Tyler would not give up until she ate something.
Bonnie said, "I am not going to be able to eat all of this, Ty."
He shrugged. "Eat as much or as little as you like. I just want to make sure that you eat something. You haven't eaten anything since you took Sarah to brunch."
Tyler had attended Mass with Bonnie and Sarah that morning. He could have waited for them in the car but he never would have heard then end of it from his mother. Tyler's family had attended that church since he was a boy. Unfortunately, something about the situation had attracted his father's attention. Tyler received a curt text message from his father as soon as the service ended. Richard had demanded to speak with him in person tomorrow morning. Now Tyler wished that he had taken Mason's advice and talked to his father days ago.
He wasn't looking forward to having this conversation with his father. Tyler knew that Richard was going to warn him away from Bonnie. However, he wasn't a teenager anymore. He would respectfully listen to his father's opinion and then promptly dismiss it. Tyler was already dealing with a mountain of guilt and anger. He was in Milazzo the summer that Klaus raped Bonnie. Tyler kept wondering if he could have prevented it somehow. If Tyler had been in town, he certainly would have been hanging out with her at the party that night. The young man knew that his father wasn't to blame but he couldn't shake the bitterness he felt.
She picked up an onion ring and bit into it. "Are you happy now?
"Very," he replied with a grin. "How do they taste? I made sure the guy made a fresh batch for you."
Bonnie smiled. "They're good. You know that I can't resist onion rings."
"I know," he replied with a grin.
She sampled all of the food Tyler had brought over to her. Bonnie was being cautious but it seemed, for the moment, that she might be able to keep it down.
Tyler studied her in silence for a few minutes.
"What?"
"Nothing," he replied.
Bonnie lifted an eyebrow. "Seriously, why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?"
He chuckled. "No, you don't have anything on your face, Bon. I was just thinking that you look beautiful."
She rolled her eyes playfully. "I look like I am dying. I feel like it, too."
"I'm serious. I never thought it was a real thing before now but you are glowing," he insisted. "Besides, the color blue looks good on you."
Bonnie immediately thought about the moment they shared at the beach house. She hadn't worn the blue and white striped sweater dress on purpose today. It was just one of the warmer options in her closet. Los Angeles didn't get very cold even in December. However, sitting outside for hours in 50 degree weather required a little preparation. That was especially true after sunset.
She tried to hide her smile from Tyler. However, the cocky grin on his face proved that she had been unsuccessful. "You look pretty good, too."
Tyler was wearing a black long sleeved Henley that clung to his toned arms and chest. He winked at her and stole a curly fry that she had largely ignored in favor of the onion rings.
She said, "It was nice seeing your mom this morning. I might have to take her advice on trying those nutritional shakes. Can you get the name of them for me?"
"Sure. I hope that you don't mind that I told her about your morning sickness. I guess that I was just looking for her to reassure me that this was normal," he confessed.
Bonnie shook her head. "I don't mind at all. I am flying without a net here. I can use all the advice that I can get. Besides, it's nice to knowing that you care."
"Always," he promised.
She tried to ignore the way her heart sped up at his simple reply. "Have you bought a Christmas gift for your mom yet? I hope you learned your lesson from last year's debacle."
He laughed. "Yes, I learned my lesson about giving my mother a gift card for Christmas. I don't know what to get for her yet. You know that my mom is old school. What she really wants from me are grandchildren—several of them. Anything I buy for her will be a massive disappointment. I'll figure something out between now and the 25th."
Bonnie huffed out a laugh. "Well, you are 23-years-old. You should at the very least be married by now."
He rolled his eyes. "You sound just like her. She keeps asking me if Elena will be spending Christmas with our family this year."
She was practically inhaling the onion rings now that she wasn't feeling queasy. Bonnie was intent on enjoying the feeling while it lasted. "What did you tell her?"
"I stuffed a blueberry muffin in my mouth and got the fuck out of there. I am sure that she will ask me again when I drop by the house tomorrow morning."
Bonnie laughed and shook her head.
"What is so funny?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You are a coward."
"When it comes to my mom…definitely. The woman is terrifying," he admitted. "I don't know why I am stressing over it. It's not like my mom actually likes Elena. But I think that has more to do with Miranda than it does with Elena."
Bonnie bit her lip as she considered what to say. The selfish part of the young woman wanted Tyler to break up with Elena. She wanted him for herself. However, the sensible part of Bonnie understood that she was tied to Damon whether she liked it or not. Going down this road would be dangerous and unfair to Tyler. She would never forgive herself if Damon hurt him or worse.
Finally, she said, "Maybe the two of you will work it out. I mean you have been together off and on for a few years now. You always seem to find your way back to one another."
Tyler didn't need to be inside Bonnie's head to know what she was thinking. She had been worried about him since Stefan's text last night. However, Tyler wasn't nearly as concerned about Damon as they were.
He smiled wryly. "I think she's cheating on me. Which, I guess is kind of fair considering what I have been up to lately."
Bonnie's eyes went wide. "Are you serious right now? Since when do you think Elena is cheating on you? You've been holding out on me a lot lately."
He shrugged. "I don't have any proof yet. It is just a feeling I have been getting for awhile now. I think something is going on with Elena and her study buddy, Aaron. They have been spending a lot of time together at his apartment."
"I'm sorry, Ty," Bonnie murmured.
He chuckled. "No, you aren't."
"No, I am really sorry. Despite everything that is happening right now, I know that you love her. You planned a future where she was going to be your wife. It can't feel good to have her betray you."
Tyler chuckled. "Thanks for the concern but I am okay. I do love Elena but I haven't been in love with her for awhile. I think if she were honest with me, she would say the same thing. Elena and I have been headed in opposite directions for a long time. She wants to distance herself from the life and I am neck deep in it. I think some part of her thought I might give it all up one day. That just proves that she doesn't know me at all."
Bonnie hummed in agreement. She could understand Elena's desire to get away from mob life. It was a difficult way to live. It was even worse for women. Many of the men believed that a woman's only worthwhile roles were as a wife and a mother. That sort of ideology could be suffocating and soul crushing. Giuseppe had effortlessly bullied Bonnie into assuming that role in her marriage to Damon. Giuseppe hadn't wanted Bonnie to attend college, make friends, pursue any hobbies, or even spend time with her own family.
"What are you going to do? I mean are you going to confront her with your suspicions?"
He said, "No. I am planning to break up with her. I won't be doing either of us any favors by dragging out the inevitable. If she isn't cheating on me with Aaron, then she certainly wants to. I mean I get it. They have a hell of a lot more in common than Elena and I do these days."
"Oh," Bonnie replied.
She stuffed an onion ring into her mouth so that she didn't say anything else. Bonnie desperately wanted to know if she was part of the reason Tyler wanted to break up with Elena. However, asking that question would be presumptuous of her. Moreover, there were too many ears around for them to have that conversation safely.
"I am going to wait until Elena finishes her finals. Not to be conceited but I don't want to distract her from that. Medical school is so important to Elena. She's determined to become a doctor like her parents."
She nodded. "That's really considerate of you, Tyler."
"I heard that your cousin is going to be in town for Christmas," Tyler said. He really wanted to change the subject. The less Bonnie thought about his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend the better.
"Who Lucy?" she asked.
"No. Cesare and my sister are bringing the kids out here for Christmas. Lexi told my mom yesterday," he replied.
Bonnie tensed at his answer. She wondered if this was an innocent visit or was Big John sending his grandson for a reason. Bonnie loved her uncle and she trusted him. However, she wanted him in the dark for as long as possible. She couldn't risk Big John interfering with her plans. It seemed her conversation with him would be even more important now. The old man wasn't stupid. He had to realize that something big was on the horizon.
"I hope I get to see Lexi and the kids while they are here," Bonnie said with a smile.
"I'll make sure to bring them by the manor. Besides, I wouldn't think that Cesare would come to Los Angeles without seeing you," he replied.
She nodded in agreement. She was pretty close to Cesare despite the age difference. Sheila and John made sure that the two cousins spent time together as children. They wanted their grandchildren to share a bond like the one they had shared. The bond was one of the reasons that the Benedetto organization remained so strong despite being split in half. They behaved as family instead of business associates or allies.
"Definitely not," she laughed. "The last time we talked Cesare mentioned wanting to attend my graduation in May. I got the feeling that he wasn't the only one that would make the trip."
"There's no way that Big John would miss your graduation. He will be there to cheer for you since Miss Sheila can't be there. How are your classes coming along, anyway?" he asked curiously.
"Everything is great. I have almost finished writing my final research paper for Strategic Management. I just hope these next two weeks go by quickly. I am ready for this semester to end."
Tyler asked, "Are you taking a full course load next semester?"
She shook her head. "No, next semester I will only have two business admin electives and my internship at Velocita."
He grinned. "We'll be working in the same building. This of course means that we will have to grab lunch together every once in awhile to share office gossip."
"Really?" she asked with an unimpressed look.
"I'm serious. There is tons of juicy gossip at Velocita. I hear all of it because I work in security. The IT department is the only department that knows more gossip than we do. They see everything because they have access to people's company issued phones, tablets, and e-mail accounts."
"What kind of gossip do you know?" Bonnie asked.
"Zach's secretary is screwing the VP of marketing. Everyone in the security department knows because they got caught in the back of his car."
Her eyes went wide. "Where were they parked?"
"They were in the parking garage at like 10 o'clock at night. I guess they thought everyone was gone for the evening. They were going at it butt naked," Tyler explained.
Bonnie snorted loudly as she laughed but her expression became more guarded when she noticed Damon walking towards them.
Tyler didn't need to look behind him to know that Damon was approaching. He remained seated and stole another curly fry. Last night Tyler and Bonnie decided that pretending they weren't friends was no longer sustainable. It was better to act as if it were no big deal. Damon would like a controlling asshole if he said anything.
Damon walked around to Bonnie's side of the table and sat beside her. He draped his arm over her shoulders. "What are the two of you talking about over here?"
"We're talking about my internship at Velocita," Bonnie replied.
Damon wasn't sure what answer he had expected but it wasn't that. He asked, "Are you excited?"
She nodded. "Yes, I am. Zach e-mailed the internship packet it to me a few days ago. I didn't realize that I would be working directly under him."
He said, "Well, Zach handles the majority of the company's day-to-day responsibilities. I figured that you would be interested in learning what that all entails. Besides, I am the only other person I would want you working with at Velocita. However, I am sure that your school wouldn't approve of you being an intern for your husband."
Bonnie laughed. "That's a really good point."
He kissed Bonnie softly and asked, "How are you feeling, bunny?"
The younger man was glad that his hands were beneath the table because they had clenched into fists involuntarily. Tyler knew that he was walking a tightrope right now. Stefan knew Damon better than anyone else did. If his childhood friend was concerned, then Tyler knew that he should be, too. However, it was difficult pretending that he didn't want to murder Damon.
For her part, Bonnie acted as if she didn't notice the tension between the two men. Damon wouldn't dare confront Tyler in such a public setting. For now, he was just asserting his dominance. She tried not to roll her eyes at his audacity. He was mere hours away from flying halfway around the world to fuck his mistress.
She said, "I am okay. I am just hoping that I will be able to keep this food down. I didn't have much luck earlier today."
Damon's eyebrows furrowed in concern for his wife. "Maybe you should make an appointment to see Dr. Huerta again. There has to be something that he can do."
She said, "I plan to call his office first thing tomorrow morning. My mom mentioned that he might be able to prescribe something to ease my nausea."
He pressed a kiss to her temple. Damon was regretting his decision to leave early. Unfortunately, there wasn't much that he could do for Bonnie even if he stayed. "I want you to call me if you need anything while I am away."
"I will."
"I'm serious, Bonnie."
"I promise," she replied.
Stefan walked over and clapped his friend on the back. "Come play pop-a-shot with me."
Tyler snapped out of his brooding when Stefan walked up to the table. He asked, "They have pop-a-shot here?"
"Yeah. Come play so that I can kick your ass."
He huffed out a laugh. "In your dreams, Salvatore. We both know who has the better jump shot."
Stefan feigned confusion and asked, "Who played varsity basketball in high school?"
Tyler rolled his eyes and said, "I'm sorry. I can't hear you over the two state championships I won in baseball."
Bonnie laughed at the two of them.
Damon rolled his eyes. Stefan had made a concerted effort not to speak to his older brother all day.
Stefan said, "Hey! I was a two sport athlete."
"That just means that you are a jack of all trades, but master of none," Tyler joked.
"Fine. It's time to put your money where your mouth is, Lockwood. How much cash do you have on you?"
Tyler stood up and took out his wallet. He said, "Not much but they have an ATM here. Let's say $500 that I get the highest score."
"That's a bet."
Bonnie smirked and said, "I'll put $500 on Stefan."
Tyler's brown eyes went wide in amusement. He feigned offense. "Et tu, Bon-Bon?"
She shrugged and said, "Stefan does have a better jump shot than you do. Besides, he is my big brother. I kinda have to take his side."
Stefan leaned over the table and kissed the top of Bonnie's head. "And that's why I love her so much."
Tyler said, "But I bought you food! I made them fry fresh onion rings and chicken tenders for you!"
Bonnie scrunched up her nose. "He does have a point there. And these onion rings are really yummy."
"Wait a minute. You can't change your bet now," Stefan exclaimed.
She giggled. "Okay, I'll stick with my original bet. I'm good for the money."
Stefan laughed and said, "Let's go, Ty. Pop-a-shot is calling our names."
Tyler chuckled and followed Stefan. "We both need to hit the ATM first. I'm not taking an I.O.U. when you lose. You have a history of being a welsher on bets."
Bonnie glanced at her husband. "Is everything okay with you and Stefan?"
He shifted uncomfortably. "Why do you ask?"
She lifted an eyebrow and replied, "Maybe because he didn't say one word to you. It also might have to do with the fact that Stefan has a black eye and a busted lip. Did you two get into a fight last night?"
"We did but it's not a big deal. We were both drunk and said some things that we didn't mean," he replied.
Bonnie nodded but knew that it was more to it than that. She knew both Salvatore brothers very well. They didn't get into drunken fights that left behind bruises for no reason.
Her gaze shifted to their daughter. "It looks like Sarah is having a blast."
"She is but I have learned that our daughter is a cheater," he declared. He couldn't suppress the grin on his face.
Damon hadn't known whether to be proud of Sarah's attempts at cheating or if he should have chastised her. Ultimately, he decided not to be a hypocrite by telling her to play fair. Damon hated losing, too. Everyone knew the story of the time he put a man in the hospital during a drunken brawl. The fight had started over a contentious game of pool.
Bonnie huffed out a laugh and said, "Yes, she is. She also happens to be a sore loser and an ungracious winner."
He smirked and said, "That's my girl. I was beginning to wonder if she took after me at all."
"Oh, she's definitely your daughter. Sarah is a little angel most of the time but she has her moments."
Damon said, "She doesn't just get that from me. I remember you unplugging Stefan's video games whenever he was beating you. At least she hasn't picked up on our violent streaks."
"I was never violent," Bonnie said with wide eyes.
"I watched you throw a controller at my brother's head, Bunny!"
Damon laughed heartily. He would never forget the look on eight-year-old Bonnie's face after the controller missed Stefan's head by an inch. She hadn't been even remotely remorseful at the time.
Bonnie had enough self-awareness to look a little chagrinned by her past behavior. She folded her arms and complained, "Stefan kept choosing games that he knew I couldn't play."
Damon pecked her lips. "It was completely justified I'm sure."
"It was," she mumbled.
"I hope you are okay with me giving Sarah a phone. I know that I should have talked to you about it first."
She shook her head. "No, I get it, Damon. Sarah is scared about you leaving. I think having a way to call you at all times will make her feel more secure."
He carded his fingers through Bonnie's hair. "You know that I wouldn't leave if I didn't have to."
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I understand that it's business. I will think of something fun to do with Sarah to keep her busy. She has been asking about ballet lessons. Maybe I can take her to check out a few classes. Hayley loves the dance instructor at the studio where Hope takes lessons."
He was taken aback by that. Damon could still remember Bonnie prancing around in her tutu as a kid. Ballet was another thing she had given up when she became his wife. "Sarah wants to take ballet? Since when?"
Bonnie nodded. "She found my old Swan Lake costume. I showed her the video and she has been talking about it ever since. I think she even has Nico and Bella interested in ballet. Maybe I can convince Care to bring the twins along, too. They love doing everything together anyway."
Damon winced. He was glad that Giuseppe was out of the country because he would lose his shit if he thought his grandson was going to be prancing around in tights. He wouldn't even let Stefan audition for school plays when he was in high school. Damon didn't have the same type of hang ups that Giuseppe did. He didn't see anything wrong with his nephew wanting to dance.
"I mean if she's really interested in ballet, we can hire someone to teach her at the manor," he suggested.
"She's already homeschooled. I don't think that there is anything wrong with her taking a few ballet classes with other kids around her age. She needs to make friends outside of her family."
Bonnie wanted to give Sarah as normal life as she could manage. Bonnie had been homeschooled since Sheila traveled frequently. Her grandmother was old school and didn't believe in having staff raise her granddaughter. However, it meant that Bonnie didn't have very many friends while growing up.
Damon knew that his wife had a point. Sarah's social circle consisted of her cousins and the children of men that worked for their family. There was an entire world with which he wasn't letting her interact. Damon just knew the cruelty of the world around them. Everyone assumed that Damon was a legitimate businessman but that wouldn't hold once he took out Giuseppe.
He nodded, "I'll let Ric know. He'll assign another guard to go with you."
She asked, "Is that really necessary, Damon? Either Tyler or Matt would be capable of protecting us. It will be weird for two grown men without children to stand around watching the class. We will just end up drawing attention to ourselves."
"It is better to be safe than sorry. Things are a little uncertain right now. Just trust me…"
She nodded dutifully. "Okay."
Damon studied the frown on his wife's face. He relented, "The second guard can just stand outside."
She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
He wrapped his arms around Bonnie and captured her lips with his. The kiss was tender and over much too quickly for his liking. "I love you, Bunny. I know things are…strained right now but they will get better. You and me, we're forever."
"I love you, too. Honestly, I don't know how not to love you." Sometimes she wished that she did. This would be so much easier if she could just turn off her emotions.
"Well, I am a very lucky man for that reason." He leaned his forehead down against hers. Damon moved his hands onto her stomach. "What do you think we are going to have? Boys? Girls? A boy and a girl?"
Bonne shrugged. "I don't know. We will only have to wait a few weeks to find out if they are in the right position. I hope that we have at least one boy."
Damon heard Zach's voice in the back of his head saying that Bonnie wouldn't need him anymore if she gave birth to a son.
Ric walked over and cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt. Can I speak to you, Damon?"
The younger man frowned but nodded. "I'll be right back, bunny."
"Okay."
Damon followed Ric to a secluded area. "What's up?"
"I just heard from Luke. He has eyes on Giuseppe. He is staying with Sabine and her kid," Ric said.
He frowned. "Since when does Sabine have a kid?"
He shrugged. "Luke said the little boy looks a few years old. He might be three or four years old."
"Do you think he's Giuseppe's kid?"
Ric laughed and said, "I doubt it. I would know if my older brother had any illegitimate children. Trust me on that. We had that conversation years ago when I started dating Abby."
Damon chuckled and asked, "Had to make sure that you weren't unwittingly fucking your niece? You better hope that he was telling you the truth."
"I wouldn't be the only one fucked by that particular lie. It would make Abby your sister and Bonnie your niece."
He groaned and shoved his uncle. "I didn't need to be reminded about that. When we head home I was going to see if my wife was remotely interested in giving me one for the road."
Ric laughed and clapped Damon on the back. He said, "Good luck with that. Be ready to leave at 10 o'clock. Your little detour in Tenerife is going to make our schedule tight."
"Yeah, I know but it would be better if I had a grip on at least of one my situations before we go to Milazzo."
Ric nodded in understanding because he had taken the same tactic. He was on solid ground with Abby. However, he was going to have to do some damage control with Jo when they returned. Alaric hadn't figured out how to broach the topic of his affair yet. "Alright, just make sure that you are ready to leave on time."
Damon grumbled, "I heard you the first time."
He smirked. "You ain't the boss yet."