Sitting at a table outside of the town's café
"I've got something for you two!" The green eyed girl sang, as she sat down at the table with her two friends. "Grams and I were working in her garden, and some of the flowers and herbs are supposed to have protective properties. And she helped me make these bracelets that have a bit of them in the bracelets. And true or not about the protective properties, I think the final products are pretty, and now we all can match!"
The two girls smiled as they put on their new accessory. "Wow, Bons! These are so nice. Thank you."
They hugged. "Now you've got to promise to wear them always. Otherwise, they can't protect us."
They agree, and quiet down as the server delivers their drinks to the table.
"We missed you Friday, after school, Bon. I feel like we hardly see you outside of school and cheerleading practice these days." Elena look questioningly at her friend.
"I know. I'm sorry guys. It's just that ever since that night in the woods, with Vicki, I guess I was reminded of how fragile life was. I mean, I have a mother who placed out to God only knows, a father who only comes back randomly, and I was treating the one person, in my family who actually cares about me, as if she was nothing more than a drunk. So, I've been spending more time with her. Plus, we have gone to go visit Vicki a few times."
"You guys really don't have to keep checking up on me, it's okay. I'll be out of here in a couple of days." Vicki says, sitting up against the pillows in her hospital bed, with homemade food spread out in front of her on the tray.
"Shut up, Vicks. If they stop coming, so does grams' food!" Matt implores to his sister, while doing a pretty great impression of a Hoover vacuum with the food in the container he is eating from.
"Now child, you know that any time you want my cooking, all you two need to do is show up. I worry about you two, all alone."
Matt looks slightly embarrassed, "Grams, you don't have to worry. We've got it covered."
"I know you do, baby, but you two don't have to do it alone. You are always welcome at our house. Anyway, that wasn't what I was talking about… I am concerned, because despite my efforts to correct the situation, neither of you are good cooks. In fact, I would go so far as to say you are both absolute disasters in the kitchen."
They all laugh, the mood in the room relaxing.
"It's okay, grams. I do my best to make sure Matty and V don't starve."
Matt smiles as he sets down his fork in the now empty container, putting his arm around Bonnie he says, "That's true. Bons, shows up randomly to make a few meals for the week."
Nodding, Vickie replies, "If it weren't for her, we might have both died from heart attacks from all the food we would have eaten from the Grille. This is why I always not so secretly hoped that you two would end up together. Don't get me wrong, Elena was fine but she's worse in the kitchen than Matt and I both put together!"
They all shudder as they remember, the doe-eyed girl's terrible attempts a her "famous" chili and baked goods of every type.
"You don't have to tell me, child. That girl better hope she marries someone who knows their way around a kitchen. Famous chili." Huffing out a laugh, "famous for the food poisoning you'll get after trying to eat that terrible dish."
"I know! She's my best friend, but nobody should have to put up with her well intentioned, yet terrible attempts at food."
"You don't have to tell me. Just think about how bad it was for me; we were dating! No guy wants to have to crush their girlfriend, by telling them that you could possibly die from eating their food. Those were some rough times, until Caroline finally told her to never step foot in the kitchen or else she'd set her hair on fire." He touches his fingers to his forehead and crosses to each shoulder, as if to pray to the lord.
"Well, Elena's misguided attempts in the kitchen aside, I expect to see more of you two. I'm thinking Sunday dinners at my house, starting this Sunday after Vicki gets released."
"Oh, we couldn't impose."
"Child, don't make me hurt you you are already in the hospital. I miss seeing all of you kids running in and out of my house making a ruck."
"Come on, V! My grams, don't you miss spending time with us?" She does an over exaggerated pout until the girl in the bed relents and agrees. "Besides, Stefan is going to be attending these Sunday dinners, and I'd really love it if all the attention wasn't focused on him and I. Plus, if you guys are coming over once a week, you guys can help me in the garden. Grams is relentless!"
Matt purses his lips nodding slightly, "I see how it is, Bons. You are just using us as buffers and for manual labor. Sneaky."
Smiling, Bonnie spreads her arm, "You caught me."
"Figures." They all laugh, before he smirks in her direction. "So…. You and the new kid, huh?"
"Ugh, not you too, Matty!"
"What? I just want to make sure that you're happy and that he's treating you well. So, definitely count us in for Sunday." Grinning as his friend, blushes and tries to rush her grandmother to leave, Matt turns back to his sister. Their laughter follows the two witches from the room.
"I'm glad that you guys are spending more time with Matt and his sister, Bons. I know he always considered you and Miss Sheila to be family," Elena says fondly.
"Same. Matty's like my big brother, despite him only being like twenty one days younger than me. Plus, I thought Vicki was so cool when I was younger. It's been nice to hang with them, you know… if you disregard the fact that an animal attacked her for it to happen. But it's really been nice to see Vicki be the girl that used to give me makeovers again."
"I never got to really see her like that. Don't get me wrong, her and her mom were always super nice and accepting of me when I was dating Matt. But she never felt like someone I could be super close to… even before she started hanging with the stoner kids. I was always a little jealous of that bond you guys had."
"Same. Although, to be fair, she did kind of take me under her wing after my dad left and my mom buried herself in her work."
"Maybe it's the whole abandoned by parents thing, that we have going on," Bonnie wondered out loud. "Anyway, they are supposed to come over for dinner later tonight, and it will be Stefan's first family dinner. I'm nervous. Like, I know he knows my grams… from auditing her class, but I've never brought a guy to do the whole family bonding time. You know?"
"Oh I know. I still remember bringing Matt home, for the first family dinner after we started dating. My parents had known him our entire lives and yet, my dad still grilled him. Matt was sweating through his shirt." The three girls smile fondly, remembering Elena's dad and the ridiculous things he used to do. He always seemed like such a hard ass to everyone else, but treated his kids and their friends with such kindness and love.
"Your dad was great, 'Lena. Now, my mom has never liked anybody that I've brought home. The sheriff knows every single thing that every kid in this town has done. That does not breed acceptance when the kid, who one of her deputies arrested for underaged drinking, shows up for family dinner. Yeah, no thanks."
"Ugh. You guys are not making me feel better!"
"Sorry! Sorry. It will be great, Stefan seems like a super nice guy, who is crazy for you. It will be better than great."
"Yeah! What Care said. And speak of the devil, who do you think I see walking our way?"
Bonnie half turned in her seat, smiling once she saw the brown haired vampire walking towards her. "Hey, you. Getting some coffee?"
"Hey," he said softly as he stopped on the free side of their table. "I was actually out running errands, when I looked across the street and saw this beauty chatting with her friends. So, I thought I would come over and say 'hi.' So, hi. How are you ladies doing?"
Caroline smiled, loving anytime she saw the two flirting it up. Bonnie seemed to bloom under his attention, and with the extra time with the Donovan sibling the girl seemed to be happier than she had been in a long time. "Hey, Stefan. Sit down, take a load off."
"Care, he might have things to do. Ugh, Stefan. You don't have to stay if don't want to. Despite what it sounds like, that wasn't an order." Bonnie shook her head slightly.
"It's fine. I'd actually love to sit and hang out with you guys." Sitting down in the free chair, getting comfortable, "How are you guys doing this Sunday morning?"
"Well, I'm good. I'm at my witt's end with trying to figured out how to keep my brother from completely diving off the deep end. But otherwise? Could be worse, but it could be better."
"Wait, Jeremy?"
Elena looked confused at how he knew that. "Uh… yeah, why?"
"Sorry. I just made the connection when you said that. I saw him when I went with Bonnie to go visit Vicki, once. He seemed like a good guy, and super into Vicki. How long have they been a thing?"
"Uh… I, I don't know."
"Ha! I totally called that, ages ago." The other three turned and looked at the blonde, "What? They were so obvious. Vicki may have something going on with Tyler, but Jeremy and Vicki don't look at each other like friends. They look like they know each other… biblically. You know?"
"Ugh!" Bonnie and Elena both shake their heads in disgust.
"I really could have done without that descriptor, Care." Elena shuddered.
"I concur. He's like our little brother, Care. I really don't want to think about him knowing anyone, like that. Especially not Vicki! She's like my older sister! It's all sorts of wrong," Bonnie was waving her hands in front of her face as if they could keep the thoughts at bay.
Stefan laughed with Caroline, as he subtly grabbed one of Bonnie's hands and interlaced their fingers. Bonnie blushed as she smiled at him as he looked back at her adoringly. Elena smiled softly as she watched the two wordlessly interact, missing when that was her and Matt. Caroline was mentally planning their wedding, just happy to see her closest friend finally get the attention she deserved.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Does little Stefan have a wittle crush. Honestly, this is adorable."
The entire table turned to look at the raven haired man approaching the table.
"Damon," Stefan calmly acknowledges.
"Now now, brother, aren't you going to introduce me?"
"Hadn't planned on it." Stefan tilts his head slightly toward Bonnie as he stared at the man who promised him an eternity of misery.
"Ouch. I'm hurt brother. Truly. I guess introductions are up to me. Hello, ladies. I'm Damon; Stefan's smarter, funnier, better looking brother." He smiles his smarmy smile at the three girls sitting at the table with his brother. When none of them reacted, "And you are?"
"Hi, I'm Caroline, this is Elena and that's Bonnie." The bubbly girl responds in hopes that the older guy will leave them alone.
"Three beautiful ladies. Why would you waste your time with my snooze fest of a brother, when you could spend time with me?"
Bonnie rolls her eyes, "Oh, I don't know. He's been pretty fun so far, and definitely seems a whole heck of a lot less creepy that you have to hit on high school girls. Really weird, dude."
Stefan chuckles and kisses the back of the hand which he is holding. "That's my brother for you. He's kind of a creeper, as you'd say."
"Makes sense. Totally gives off creeper vibes," Bonnie responds as they ignore the standing man. "Care, did you still have plans to bring lunch to your mom at the station?"
Seeing the other two ignoring Stefan's brother, she follows their lead, "Yeah. She's been so busy with trying to calm everyone around town, what with the animal attacks."
"Oh, that sucks. Well, you guys should totally come over for dinner tonight. In fact, let's make it a big todo, Elena you should bring Jenna and Jer. It could be nice to have us all together."
Elena laughed and nodded, "Sure. But let's be honest, you just want to take more pressure off of you and Stefan."
"Obviously. But I miss the get togethers we'd have. Maybe we could keep the tradition going, you know, for your parents. Or is that too soon?"
Elena smiles sadly down at her hands in her lap before looking back up at the other three, all still ignoring the unwanted fifth party. "No. I mean yes. No, it's not too soon, and yes I think it would be nice. I'll as them, but I'd say it's a tentative yes for us. At least, I'll for sure be there."
"Count my mom and I in. I'll let her know when I take lunch to her later."
"And what should I bring? Hmm, wine? Bourbon? Just my own sexy self?" Damon interjects, annoyed that he was being ignored.
"No. I can say without a doubt that you will never get an invitation into my house. Thanks, but no thanks," Bonnie informs him.
"Don't you think you should invite your boyfriend's family to this family dinner?" The wild eyed guy demands.
"Absolutely, that's why Zach has already been invited." The witch grins menacingly at the standing vampire.
Caroline looks at her phone, "and on that note, I should head back to the house so I have time to make lunch before heading to the station. I'll see you guys later." She stands, waves as she walks away while giving Damon a wide berth.
"Same. Not the making food part, it's been made clear that my kitchen rights have been revoked. But I should head back and make sure that Jen an Jer are in for tonight. Either way, I'll see you guys." Following her friends lead, she gives herself plenty of space between her and Stefan's brother.
Damon watched the brunette walk away before turning back to the still seated couple. "I've got to say, Stefan… I can't say that I approve of this new girl; she's quite rude. And I'm hurt."
"Damon," Stefan started before feeling Bonnie squeeze his hand.
"It's okay Stefan. Truth be told, I can't say that I approve of your brother either. Seems a bit needy and hard up. Kind of desperate for attention."
Damon speeds closer to her before he stopped suddenly and grabbed for his head. The pain was like nothing he had felt in a long time. Like his brain was being liquified, and just as suddenly it stopped.
"As I said, I don't approve. But I also can't blame you for your family." Turning to face the younger vampire, she smiled and kissed his cheek. "I've got to stop and grab some things at the store, especially since this has become a bigger gathering. I'll see you tonight?"
"Absolutely," Stefan says as they both stood. He helped her into her cardigan, hugged her and kissed her gently on the lips before she walked off. He grinned at his brother, "it is truly a lovely day isn't it?"
Stefan whistled as he too walked away, with Damon left alone once more.