Not You Again

Chapter 24- Different Girl

"So you're telling me you're just going to drop everything with Klaus and the baby and your work and head off to Ohio oh-so-impulsively with Damon?" Caroline asked me, as I packed my bag the following morning. I threw in a gray halter neck tank top and nodded.

"Yeah, basically," I responded, cheerily.

"I'm so proud of you!" She exclaimed, a giant smile on her face. She came over and gave me a small hug. "Bonnie, you're not the uptight career-crazy gal fresh out of Harvard that first came to New York anymore,"

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked her, as I placed some more clothes into the little gray suitcase.

"It's an amazing thing. I knew you had more potential than you let on," Caroline sipped on some coffee she'd made herself when she first came in, "Well done. So how long are you staying?"

"I'm not sure yet, to be honest. Damon got us open-ended tickets. He said I can go home at any time I want," I informed her, placing my final items into the suitcase before zipping it up. I ran a hand through my sleek hair before I brushed it back into a ponytail which would be more practical for travelling. Sure, the flight wasn't long but that didn't mean it didn't have to be comfortable. Meredith had told me it was still okay to travel because I was only 3 months pregnant and the symptoms still weren't that extreme but I still wanted to make the baby as relaxed as possible.

"That's even more exciting!" Caroline cooed then she winked at me, "You and Damon traveling together to visit his dying father," She sighed. "How romantic,"

"And Elena and Stefan. And just because Damon told me I could tell you about his Dad doesn't mean you have to keep talking about it. And when Damon comes to pick me up, don't you dare mention it, Care," I pleaded, as I smeared some pink lip-gloss (to match my light pink tank top and faded skinny jeans) onto my lips.

"Fine mother," Caroline joked, as my cell phone started to ring. Elena.

"Hey Elena," I called into it, as positively as I could. I'd decided I was going to be positive this whole journey, for Damon's emotional state more than anything. When I'd left his apartment late last night, he was in a far better mood than when I'd arrived but he was still on the moping side, which was nothing like the spunky, naughty Damon Salvatore I'd come to know since High School.

"Oh Hey Bon. Are you ready? Damon just left the house now to go pick you up," She announced.

"Yes, I'm ready. Did you board your flight yet?" I asked. Because Elena and Stefan had booked earlier, they had earlier flights. Damon couldn't find any first class tickets (for he insisted we traveled first class) on the same plane, so we'd booked one a few hours later. I was honestly happy that I wouldn't have to endure Elena for the flight because even though she was supposedly okay with the whole pregnancy thing, I still felt things were awkward between us.

"Um, we just boarded. I'm supposed to get off of the phone but I just wanted to make sure you hadn't backed out," She giggled.

"I don't turn my back on friends," I said, firmly, a little bit annoyed at her comment. Why would she assume that I'd back out? Damon and I were friends and I'd be there for him like he was for me.

"Yes, I know that, Bon. So I have to go. See you in Ohio?" She asked, excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah. See you then," I murmured before I hung up. "Annoying,"

"What happened?" Caroline rolled her eyes at me before grinning.

"Elena's just being Elena," I muttered, and I started to tow my bag out. Caroline carried my handbag for me and we sat in the living room waiting for Damon to come. I took a sip of a glass of water I'd gotten from the kitchen and sighed, placing my phone on top of the coffee table so I could see it when it rang.

"So what does Klaus think about the whole Ohio trip?" Caroline asked, curiosity seeping through her tone.

I shrugged, "He was cool about it which was so weird. I expected opposition. He probably feels guilty about our recent fight," I muttered, biting my lip and placing my glass of water down onto the table.

"Maybe," Caroline agreed chirpily, as she walked into the kitchen with her coffee mug and my cup. I heard them drop into the sink and the gush of water. A few seconds later, she walked back out.

"So what are your plans for today?" I asked, needing to change the subject because Klaus wasn't a subject I was comfortable about, at least until I dealt with what I was going to do about me being in love with Damon and Klaus being in love with me and the ever-annoying love triangle between us.

"Um, Tyler and I are going to see a movie," She admitted, running a hand through golden hair. "He told me a movie called Promethus was good,"

"That's Sci-Fi though. I don't know if you'll be into that sort of thing," I replied, honestly.

Caroline's eyes glinted mischievously, "Who said we'd be watching the movie?" She winked at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh I see," I muttered and I was just about to comment on how easy she had it with her whole love life when my cell phone buzzed with Damon's number signaling that he was downstairs. "Well, that's Damon,"

Caroline nodded and helped me with my bag. We locked up my apartment and then hurried down the steps. Damon met us in front of the door to the building and he took my bags from me and Caroline and placed them in the back of his car. Caroline threw her arms around me, hugging me tightly.

"Stay safe," She told me and I nodded.

"I'll try. You too. I'll miss you, Caroline,"

"Me too! Don't be a stranger, okay?" She asked, and I thought I saw tears in her eyes.

I gave her one last hug, waved and then entered the passenger seat of Damon's car. I hadn't realized he'd gotten into the car and left us to say our goodbyes. He waved at Caroline, for old time's sake, and she waved back before we took off towards JFK where we would be boarding our flight to Ohio.

"So how have you been?" I asked, softly, a few minutes later.

"I'm okay, Mom says that Dad was pleased that I'm coming but I'm not sure about that at all," Damon commented, somberly, as he turned the car onto the highway towards the airport.

"I am sure. He's probably excited about you coming, I mean as excited as he can be. Damon, you have to promise me you'll try to work things out with him, for yourself and for him," I pleaded, earnestly. I pushed my bangs away from my eyes and looked towards him.

His light blue pools of eyes were focused on the road ahead of us and he didn't reply.

"Hmm?" I pressed.

"Fine," He responded, a second later. "I'll try,"

"Good," I touched his shoulder, rubbing it softly and comfortingly. His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror. He smiled a tiny smile then.

"Thanks for coming with me, Bonnie. It means… I don't know if you know how much it means to me," He concluded, his voice breaking slightly on the last couple of words.

"It was my pleasure, D. That's what friends do," I responded, feeling close to tears after his emotional revelation.

Damon sighed and then smiled once more. "You're an amazing girl, Bonnie. Klaus is a lucky man," He murmured and I didn't know what to say to that, so I just kept rubbing his shoulder and whispering comforting things to him. I couldn't tell him what I really wanted to say which was that I cared for him and not Klaus and how much I loved him.

After we arrived in the airport and we checked our bags in, I got an overwhelming desire to eat some pizza. When I told Damon, he said he was my fairy godmother and that my every wish was his command then when he towed me towards Sbarro, a pizza and sandwich store in the airport, I wanted to kiss him.

"Wow, this is good," I munched on a giant slice of margarita pizza while Damon just sipped on a carton of orange juice.

"It looks good," Damon admitted, looking amused at my appetite.

"You wanna try?" I asked, holding it up to him and he shrugged and took a tiny bite.

"That is good, but I'm not that hungry to be honest," Damon divulged uneasily, "I'm mega nervous about everything,"

I touched his hand on the table and then squeezed it. "Don't be. Everything's going to be okay… no better than okay, perfect," I told him, my voice as full of conviction as I could make it.

I shoved some pizza into my mouth happily and Damon just watched me and smiled, a weird sort of secret smile playing on his lips.

"Why are you smiling at me that way?" I asked, confused and slightly self-consciously. "Do I have pizza on my face?"

Damon shook his head, "Nah, no pizza on there. You're just so different than the girl I knew back in High School or even just a few months ago," He commented.

I noticed how Caroline had said the same thing and wondered if Damon thought it was good or bad. I asked him and he sighed.

"It's beyond my belief. Before, I thought you were amazing because of how smart you were and beautiful and dedicated but now, in addition to your shrewdness, beauty and perseverance, you're the sweetest, most loyal woman I know and I…." Damon looked like he was thinking something over, "I love you, Bonnie Bennett. I'm in love with you and I know you're with Klaus and you love him more than anything and you're having his damn baby, and that kills me and I'm blabbering now because I'm nervous and I don't know why you're not saying anything…"

I'd dropped my slice of pizza by then and I was flat out staring at him, gobsmacked because I couldn't believe he'd said that. And because I felt the exact same way he did. I felt tears fall from my eyes as his words kept ringing in my ears and Damon stopped talking and looked over at me, surprised.

"Why are you crying? If I'm so repulsive, why did you agree to come with me?" Damon asked, "I know I'm no Klaus Mikealson but we're friends and I can be a good person-,"

I shut him up with a kiss. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I wrapped my arms around him, all thoughts of my boyfriend Klaus forgotten, and kissed him with all the passion and love and all I felt towards him. Damon kissed me back and it wasn't until I felt his wet tears meet mine in the perfect amalgamation was when I realized how passionately he felt about me.

When I needed to breathe, I pulled back. "I was crying because I feel the same way, Damon. I love you so much it hurts. I…I don't know how it happened but I fell for you. And when you cried yesterday, I felt like you'd taken a chunk of my heart with you. You're no Klaus Mikaelson, but you're Damon Salvatore and you're who I'm in love with," I admitted. "I'm dating Klaus and I tried to push away the feelings I felt towards you but I can't,"

Damon threw his arms around me and we just hugged before he placed a tender kiss to my forehead then each one of my cheeks and just held me there. It was like a freaking romance novel; I couldn't believe this was happening. I was at the top of the world with Damon and I never wanted to be without him.

"What about Klaus?" Damon asked in a murmured voice.

That question crashed me back to reality and I felt terrible as I thought of my faithful and caring boyfriend whom I'd just cheated on by kissing Damon. I felt rotten especially as I recalled how much he trusted me to go with Damon without anything happening. I was such a slut; I didn't know what to do with myself.

"I don't know. All that I know is when I'm with you, I never want you to leave me alone," I admitted breathlessly.

Damon looked over the moon. He held me close to him. "We'll deal with Klaus when we get back to New York or we can give him a call or whatever, but all that matters now is how we feel about each-other," He told me fervently, as he touched my cheek with a tenderness I didn't know Damon could possess.

"And what you do with your Dad," I added, sitting up and taking a bite of my pizza. "I'm here for you; our feelings don't change a thing,"

Damon sighed, "Bonnie, I'm scared. What if he acts like he hates me like he always does?" He murmured.

"Why would he ask for your presence if he was going to do that? I think he just wants to let bygones be bygones," I suggested, logically.

"Maybe, but if he doesn't and he leaves me feeling like crap?"

"Then I'll be there to pick up the pieces,"

"Who is supposed to be picking us up?" I asked Damon, as we waited in the arrivals section of Ohio State Airport.

"My mother," Damon muttered, squinting and scanning the faces of the people waiting for their loved ones to arrive.

"What does she look like so I can help you look?" I asked, feeling slightly nervous about the fact that I was going to meet Damon and Stefan's Mom. I'd hardly seen her as a kid despite the fact that I grew up in the same town as her because she was a TV Anchorwoman and was nearly always out of town. I only recalled that she had dark black hair like Damon's and a beautiful smile. Most of the single men in Mystic Falls had pined over her and even some married ones too. She was just breathtaking like her two sons. She was French and had been a supermodel in her youth so it was only logical that Damon and Stefan would be beautiful people too.

"She has black hair like mine and my blue eyes too," Damon told me and the second he did, I saw a slender woman in her fifties with short black bangs and piercing blue eyes approach us. She had only a couple of wrinkles on her face despite her age but even so, she was still stunning.

"Mom!" Damon announced, rushing forward to throw his arms around her. I dragged both of our bags along and Damon hurried towards me and pulled my arm. "Come on, Bon,"

"Mon beau fils, (A/N: Translation: My Handsome Son)" His mother crooned, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Mom, this is my…Bonnie," He introduced me. "Bonnie, this is my Mom: Nathalie Denoire," He gestured to the fifty something year old woman who smiled at me, her smile as radiant as it had been back in the day.

"Hello, Mrs Denoire," I said politely as I reached my arm out. She pulled me into her arms instead, smelling of sweet perfume and flowers.

"Call me Nathalie, everyone does," She said, in perfect English that was only slightly accented, a result of living many years in the States.

"Okay, Nathalie," I smiled at her as nicely as I could, "Lovely to meet you after all this time,"

"And you me, mon amour," She returned the smile and then winked at Damon, before she reached over and straightened the hem of his shirt. "She's a beautiful young woman, Damon,"

"That she is," Damon replied fluently and he wrapped his arm around me. It was a seemingly platonic gesture so I was okay with it. I still didn't know how we were going to deal with all the confessions and the Klaus thing too.

His mom smiled at us for a few seconds, seeming content, before she looked over her shoulder. "Jacob, Michael! Can you get their bags?" She called and two men who were dressed in the same uniform of some sort: a black shirt and some black jeans stepped forward and took our bags. I assumed they were maids of some sort and wondered how well off Damon's family really was.

"Come, mes petits," Nathalie called, and the three of us, followed by Jacob and Michael, headed towards a sleek black 7-seater BMW. Damon guided me along gently and I was glad that he wasn't leaving my side because I was more than a little nervous about everything, now that I came to think about it.

We all got into the car, me and Damon in the back 2 seats with Nathalie, Jacob and Michael in front of us and finally who I suspected was the Chauffeur at the front. I knew in that moment that the Salvatore's were incredibly affluent and that kind of unnerved me but I knew that as long as Damon was with me, I'd be okay.

The car drove off and Nathalie shared a secret smile with Damon before she relaxed into her seat, texting on her phone.

I turned to Damon, taking his hand and squeezing it. He looked more nervous than I felt inside. Next stop was the Salvatore house and I knew he was feeling edgy because of that. From what he'd said about Guiseppe, I felt kind of uneasy about meeting him, to be honest, but I'd be there for Damon no matter what.

"Ready?" I mouthed, and Damon met my muddy green eyes with tense pale blue eyes with some silver swimming around in them and gulped before he nodded.

A/N: I'm BACK! OUT OF SCHOOL AND READY FOR REGULAR UPDATES! I'm sorry for the long hiatus but I promise I;m gonna be consistent from now on… : )

Okay, I already know I'm going to get some Bonnie hate on this chapter because of her kissing Damon and all when she's still with Klaus but what Bonnie and Damon has is true love and not even Klaus can get between that.

VERY IMPORTANT: A Few chapters back, I said that 6 months had passed since Bonnie started dating Klaus but it turns out, I messed up the dates so it's actually 3 months. I'm going to edit it now for any new readers but that's the only thing I'm changing so you don't have to read it again if you don't wanna.

What do you think Bonnie should do about the Klaus dilemma? Break up with him over the phone? Or wait until they get back to NY? What do you think of Nathalie? : )

REVIEW please! Good? Bad? Say what you think!

Lily xx

Disclaimer: Me no owno Vampire Diaries.