"Caroline! Bonnie! Stella! Kate!" Stephen yelled for the umpteenth time.
Damon who was walking in front just about had enough of Stephen calling out the names of the women. This will make them easy targets for Melinda if she is close by. "Why don't you yell Melinda's name too. That way the bitch will know that were here if she doesn't know it already." He whispered hard.
"I'm sorry. It's just we have been walking for hours and nothing." Stephen said with a deep worried look on his face.
"I get it brother we all are. The cabin is here let's start there."
…
"Did you guys hear that? The cabin door just opened." Stella whispered through dry lips.
"Its Melinda she's back to kill us." Kate said and covered her face with her hands crying softly.
I'm going to take a look. You two stay here." Caroline said. She got up and moved towards the window painstakingly slowly.
"Be careful. I can hear her in there." Stella whispered to Caroline.
Caroline nodded her head. She got up straight and peeked cautiously through the window. Her heart jumped with joy and relief when she saw her husband's loving adorable worried face. She saw Damon too and Jack. Caroline knocked hard on the window and screamed out Stephen's name.
When he saw his wife his heart almost skipped a beat and within seconds, he was out the door with Damon and Jack close on his heels.
Caroline fell into Stephen's arms, crying uncontrollably. Stella almost passed out when she saw Jack was alive. Damon helped Kate up. He looked deeply troubled because Bonnie was not with them. "Where's my wife?" he asked the women. It was Kate who answered him. Telling him how Bonnie offered herself up as bait to get Melinda away.
"Damon, we tried to stop her." Caroline said as fresh tears rolled down her face.
Damon nodded his head and said. "Stephen and Jack take the women to safety I'm going to go get my wife."
"Damon you can't go out there alone. I will go with you." Stephen said and Jack too was stepping forward ready to go with him.
"Let them go with you Damon we can make it back to the car on our own." Stella said. There was no time to argue Damon nodded his head and lead the way.
…
With the bow securely pointed at Bonnie. Melinda said. "Any last request Mrs Salvatore?"
Bonnie looked down at the flower with sad eyes. "Yes, I do. I want you to pick this flower for me Melinda."
Melinda looked down at the flower between them and started to laugh hard and ugly. There was a mad glow in her eyes. Her deformed and hideous face twisted from laughing at Bonnie. "You want me to pick you a flower? You don't want to beg for your life. Oh well, I did say last request and if it's this flower you want so be it."
Bonnie cleared her throat and said. "She only appears when you really need her to my Ma once told me. She is the heart of the dark woods. Beautiful, isn't she?" Bonnie said but she was rudely interrupted by Melinda. "Shut your mouth. I'm not interested in hearing that load of crap." Melinda said with a look of disgust on her face. She grabbed the flower and squashed it in her hand. She let it fall to the ground and stepped on it with a sick satisfying smile. "There's your flower."
Bonnie closed her eyes in pain. "You shouldn't have done that." She said when she opened her eyes.
"And why not hmm?" Melinda mocked in a cold voice. "You people and your silly beliefs." She raised her bow and ready herself to aim but just when she was about to release the arrow, she stopped. Something in her or was it around her felt different, strangely weird. She shook her head to get the feeling off but doing that just made it worse. A strange tingling sensation creeped slowly through her body.
Melinda looked at Bonnie with a wild look in her eyes. "What the hell is happening to me?"
Flashback
"Do not touch her." Sheila called out sharply at Bonnie when she saw how close Bonnie was at touching the flower.
"But why not? She is so beautiful look at all her vibrant colours. She will look beautiful in my room Ma can I take her with me."
Sheila clicked her tongue and walked closer. She dropped down on her knees next to Bonnie. "Silly child, as beautiful as she is, she is ten times more deadly. She is the true femme fatale of Mystique Lake and she only appears when you really need her to."
"How can something so beautiful be so dangerous?" Bonnie said with her eyes suspiciously on the flower.
"Her beauty has lured many men to their death Bonnie. Sir Ackerman's brother was one of them. He was a young man rich and spoiled. He thought he can have everything in this world without asking for it. In his foolishness he thought he can come here and take her too. But there is only one place for her and that is here where her roots are buried deep in the ground. Her poison travelled quickly through his skin at first touch and then the blood destroying every living cell along the way. It went straight for his heart and when it got there it was too late." Sheila said with a soft smile. Her eyes admiring the soft contours and bright colours of the flower.
Bonnie looked down at the flower in sheer horror. Suddenly the flower didn't look so beautiful to her anymore. She wanted to get as far away from it as possible but Sheila placed her hand on Bonnie's shoulder keeping her in place. "Do not let your fear take away her beauty that you can still see Bonnie." Sheila said.
Bonnie felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach when it suddenly hit her. "Ma, you speak of it as if you were here that day the young man died." Bonnie said in shock.
"I was." Sheila said bluntly.
"But, but why didn't you warn him Ma." Bonnie said wide eye shocked.
"Do you really think a poor black girl like me could have stopped a white man. A rich white man whose father owns half of this town and who is used to getting everything his eyes sets on? You got a lot to learn little Bonnie, having white friends doesn't mean you are one of them. That man was evil his own family didn't like him but he was blood they had no choice but to clean up his mess that he made all over town. That he made all over Silver Lake." Sheila said with a hard look on her face.
"Can we go home now. I have homework." Bonnie said and got up to her feet.
"He didn't suffer Bonnie. I made my peace with him that day. Nothing hurts when you touch her. It numbs the pain and prepare the body for eternal rest. Oh, how I envy the one she takes. No sick bed. No pain." Sheila said as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Ma, please can we go home now. I don't ever want to come back here again." Bonnie said with teary sad eyes.
Sheila looked up at Bonnie as tears rolled down her face. "You don't get to choose that my child, none of us do, just like me that day." Sheila said in a soft sad voice.
End of flashback
Present time… The bow dropped out of Melinda's hand falling to the ground. Bonnie was up on her feet just in time to catch Melinda from falling to the ground. She slowly lowered the woman to the ground. Melinda held on to Bonnie for dear life. Her lips moved but no words or sound came out.
"Shush. Its okay Melinda. It's okay."
"W…W... West." Melinda croaked out.
"Yes, he is waiting for you." Bonnie said softly. She felt the coldness in Melinda's hands the eyes losing focus.
"B … B … B … Bonnie … I … I feel nothing … Not hurting any … anymore … for ... give … me" Melinda croaked out one last time before her body went numb in Bonnie's arms.
"I do." Bonnie said as tears rolled down her face and for the first time in a very long time Melinda's face looked at peace.
"Bonnie! Thank God you are safe." Damon said when he ran to her. In seconds she was up and in his strong arms. "Baby are you okay? Did she hurt you?"
Stephen walked to Melinda's body. Her lifeless eyes stared up into nothingness. He bend down on one knee next to the body and closed her eyes.
Bonnie pushed Damon gently away from her and looked up at him. "She needs a proper burial."
"Bonnie the woman tried to kill you. She kidnapped our daughter and almost blow us up. Zoe almost died Bonnie. And you want to…
"That's enough Damon! Can't you see your wife has been through enough. Let us wait. Caroline, Kate and Stella are safe. We can't leave her like this." Stephen said with unshed tears in his eyes. Seeing Stephen like this touched Bonnie deeply. She walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him. The two cried softly.
"We should burry her. Forgive me brother, forgive me Bonnie. The thought of losing my wife and child, the feeling of helplessness. I, I." Damon said as tears welled up in his eyes. Bonnie walked to him and placed her lips on his. "I am safe. The kids are safe and that's all that matters. I am here in your arms where I belong."
…
Caroline, Stella and Kate cried out with happiness when they saw Bonnie in Damon's arms. The four friends hugged each other and cried. "Thank God you are safe." Caroline said and hugged Bonnie again.
"And don't you ever pull that one-man army again. We in this together." Stella said as tears of joy rolled down her face.
"I promise." Bonnie said. She put her arm around Kate and said. "We should head home. Hendy must be worried sick."
"I can't wait to see my him again." Kate said with big shiny eyes.
"Are we all going in Damon's car? can we all even fit in here?" Stella asked.
"You're welcome to wait Stella." Damon said. He opened the door for Bonnie and helped her in.
Stella wasted no time and quickly got in the car after Bonnie.
The Salvatore Home
It was a happy tearful reunion between husband and wife. Hendy cried softly holding his wife in his arms. It was much later that everyone departed from Damon and Bonnie's home silently agreeing to put the Melinda chapter and what she did behind them for good.
Bonnie was back in Damon's arms as soon as he locked the front door behind Stephen and Caroline.
She smiled and said. "Damon at some point you have to let me go."
"Never." He said and kissed her on the top of her head.
"I have to check up on the kids Damon."
"I know my dearest wife but you can barely keep your eyes open. What you need right now is a long bath, painkillers and sleep. We can have a talk with them in the morning." Tears welled up in her eyes when Damon picked her up in his arms carrying her up to their bedroom.
…
"Mommy wake up!" Aiden said cheery. Caden was jumping up and down on the bed between Damon and Bonnie.
Bonnie slowly opened her eyes and smiled when she saw her two boys. Damon was already awake watching them with a smile. Aiden placed a big wet kiss on her mouth. "Mommy breakfast."
Bonnie laughed softly. She opened her eyes and took his small soft body in her arms. She hugged him tightly. "Hey, good morning Mr breakfast."
"Mommy is awake." Caden said and jumped on her. She took him in her arms and peppered their faces with kisses and tickled them all over. The two cuties thoroughly enjoyed themselves crying out with laughter.
"Careful boys, mommy is sore." Damon said.
"I'm fine papa bear." Bonnie said to him. Damon gave her a smirk and a hot smouldering look. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. The twins quickly covered their eyes with their hands when they saw their dad kissing their mom. "Love you, to the moon and back."
Bonnie placed her hand softly on his cheek. "I love you too." She said and kissed him again.
"Stop it!" Aiden said to his dad. He and Caden quickly play wrestled their dad away from their mother.
"Okay I'm getting away from your mother. I give up. You guys win. Daddy is no match for you." Damon said through a fit of laughter. Watching the two cuties outmatch their dad was utterly enjoying to watch for Bonnie. The sad empty feeling she woke up with this morning was gone. She was looking forward to the day and what challenges it may bring.
...
When Damon entered the kitchen, he was surprised to see Zoe there dressed in her school uniform.
She smiled up at him and said. "Good morning dad. Breakfast is ready. Is mom up?"
He walked over to her and kissed her on her forehead. "Good morning Princess. Mom and the twins will be down soon. I thought you're staying home today. You don't have to go to school today."
"I'm fine dad, really and I don't like staying out of school. I have a one hundred percent attendance record." Zoe said. She tried to smile but her dad knew she was still shaken over the kidnapping and bomb incident.
"You are the smartest girl in your class Princess missing out one day of school won't hurt your points."
"I think I know why you want me to stay home today." Zoe said with a sad smile.
"Zoe, doctor Steyn is very good and you like her. She can help you get through the trauma."
Zoe sigh softly. "Is this only going to be for one day daddy?
"It will depend on the outcome of your meeting with her. Princess let her help you like she did the last time." Damon said. He held out his arms for her.
"Okay I will do this but I can assure you I am fine. I feel fine daddy." Zoe said with her arms wrapped tightly around her dad. She tried hard not to cry.
"Already a strong woman like your mother."
…
