Thanks so much for your kind words everyone! Sorry, I'm still struggling. *Sigh*
Anyways, I finally managed to finish this chapter. So here it is:
…
Bonnie's world stutters to a halt. The cave, the chipper looking man with his blinking bright blue eyes before her fade away as her Grams' words ring in her head.
You're Faerie folk, Bonnie, she said. A child of the land. - And you can't - under any circumstances - mingle with the ones of the sea.
It just doesn't make sense. Faerie folk? What does that even mean?
~ It means you're fae, child. You weren't supposed to come into your powers before your 25th birthday, however, which is when faeries come of age. But your… accident must have triggered your transformation. ~
Now Grams is just being ridiculous, and Bonnie doesn't like it. Transformation makes it sound a lot grander than the already mind-blowing fact that she's using telepathy to communicate.
"Who are you talking to BonBon?"
Damon's voice chimes back in, making its way into her conscience, and she looks to him, shrugging.
"What's it to you?"
"Whoa, no need to be so testy. I just want to know whether whoever has the power to reach you down here can also locate you."
~ Don't tell him anything. Remember, you need to stay away from him and his people. ~
She closes her eyes, sighing.
~ It's a little too late for that. I'm stuck in a freaking cave with them, Grams. What would you have me do? - Oh and also: Damon would like to know whether you can locate me down here… ~
There's silence for a while, long enough to make Bonnie think her grandmother decided to just leave her, without providing any answers, but then - while Damon is doing a funny, almost cute little impression in front of her, tilting his head and waving his arms - Sheila is suddenly back.
~ I don't know where you are. All I see is water. - Babygirl, you need to be careful. Faeries and those of the sea… ~
She trails of, not continuing, and it makes Bonnie's hairs stand on end.
~ What? What about faeries and those of the sea? ~
~ Don't tell him what you are, Bonnie. Promise me that. Under no circumstances. ~
~ Why not? What are you not telling me? ~
~ There's been a war between our people, for centuries… - Your mother was abducted and almost killed by one of them, but she could escape. She's never talked about it since, but I do believe it's part of the reason why she left us, why she left you… - Bonnie, these people, they're our foes. Don't let them get too close. - We'll have to try and get you away from them, get you out of there. ~
This is all too much. Her mother… she was abducted? By one of Damon's people? Is this what's happening with Bonnie, too?
~ How did she escape? ~
The question makes its way out of her, a deep need to know making her cling to it, making her wait in desperate anticipation for her grandmother's answer. There's this odd feeling growing inside of her that an important piece of information is still missing, something rather crucial.
~ It doesn't matter. One day, she was back. She stayed for maybe a year after that, but she was never the same. It was as if part of her was still gone, away. Eventually, she had you, but even that didn't bring her back. And then she was gone again, this time for real… ~
Bonnie doesn't know what to think. She can't - can't think, can't process. Her family are faeries. She's in an underwater cave with two men that apparently belong to a species that has been at war with hers for a damn long time.
"BonBon, I really need to know who you're talking to, and whether they can-"
"It's my Grams, alright?!" she blurts out, angry now, upset, glaring at Damon. "And no, she doesn't know where I am!"
"Easy, now. - That's… good. It means the old man won't be able to use her to track us. - Any idea how you guys can communicate like… that?"
He nudges her forehead, the touch warm and light and way too gentle, way too… soothing. She wants to lean into him, wants to give up and give in and take a few deep, deep breaths. But of course she can't. That's just ridiculous.
"I…"
She almost blurts out what her Grams told her, at the very last second remembering that she can't. If Damon finds out she's a faerie…
~ You're… fae?! ~
Bonnie freezes, holding her breath, Damon's unblinking stare boring into her. Oh no…
…
Taking a few calculated steps back, Damon scrutinizes the girl in front of him, wary now - even though he's not as afraid as he probably should be. Because wouldn't you know it, Bonnie Bennett is a faerie. In the glow from the rocky ceiling above, her skin has taken on a deep and almost cool bluish hue that makes her look even more enticing. That is just his luck, falling for the enemy.
"Isn't this bloody perfect," Enzo suddenly blurts out, always with the timely and annoyingly obvious statements, and Damon rolls his eyes in anticipation of what his friend is about to say. "Damon Salvatore manages to rescue and abduct a bloody faerie, so now there's not only your father coming for us, but potentially an entire army of these… things."
"Hang on, what? Bonnie? Is that… you're all kidding, right?"
Poor Blondie looks more lost than anyone, and Damon almost wants to go over to where she's sitting and compel her right here on the spot to forget everything, but he doesn't. Too much is going on, and her delicate feelings are not a priority.
"Not helping, Enzo," he therefore merely says, then focuses back on Bonnie, who is still standing before him, a little further away now, arms crossed in a defensive stance, green eyes gleaming bright, and he has to smile.
"You're faerie folk. Bonnie Bennett, who would have thought. I rescued a goddamn faerie."
Shaking his head, he snorts, running a hand over his face. This is pure gold. It's also rather inconvenient. If his father learns about this new development of things, there won't be any chance for him to save Bonnie anymore. And he still wants to save her, even now.
Especially now.
She's a faerie.
"Somehow I thought you folks looked… smaller."
Bonnie rolls her eyes as he chuckles.
"I know, I know, not funny. We don't have fish tails, you are not minuscule or have wings."
"You think this is all a joke."
"I don't. But you gotta admit it's a bit funny at least, us being here. Under the sea… - Legend has it you folks can't live long underwater, so I'm a little surprised you made it down here. You were in the water for minutes after your accident, too…"
His thoughts are suddenly racing, suspicion making its way into his mind. Frowning, he steps closer again, getting over his first initial wary reaction.
"What are you really?"
"Excuse me?"
Her exasperated stance is rather endearing. She's short - for a human, her arms pushing up against her boobs in a way she probably doesn't notice makes her cleavage look way too enticing. Damon has trouble keeping his eyes away, and is glad when she doesn't seem to pick up on it.
"You think this is funny? That I'd come up with something as… as idiotic as this? My Grams even told me not to tell you this, but of course I managed to screw it up, because I didn't even freaking know faeries existed up until… let me think, five minutes ago! Now I'm supposed to be one, and you are supposed to be my enemy, and I'm basically at your mercy! Wouldn't you think I'd have come up with something else than pretending to be a faerie to protect myself? Lying about this would make zero sense. Zero!"
He smiles. Maybe he should have interrupted her little rant, but she's kinda cute when she's angry, and besides… Listening to her made him aware that she's right. It wouldn't make sense for her - or anyone - to lie about being a faerie. Still, something doesn't add up.
Turning to Enzo, he inclines his head, thinking.
"You ever heard of a faerie getting turned into one of the sea?"
Enzo - sitting on a rocky ledge, arms folded, and leaning back like he's watching a play unfold - shakes his head. His friend's attitude would annoy Damon if he wasn't so used to it. Besides, he's often guilty of the same kind of nonchalance.
"Can't say I have, mate."
"Yeah, me neither."
Damon isn't done thinking this over, when Enzo's following question makes him aware of more problems.
"Now, could you enlighten me on what the plan going forward should be? Between Guiseppe and the potential wrath of the faerie folk for stealing one of theirs," he waves off-handedly over to Bonnie, "who do you think is gonna get us first? Because I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather not get caught by either of them."
Enzo has a point, unfortunately. Sighing, Damon steps closer to Bonnie, putting an arm around her shoulder leisurely.
"BonBon. Your revelation puts us into a bit of a tight spot."
She shakes him off, glaring for just a moment before she visibly deflates. Blondie is by her side in seconds, tugging at her friend. And while Bonnie may have stopped staring daggers at him, he can't say the same about this girl.
"So, Barbie. Are you a faerie, too?"
He beams at her as her angry glare intensifies, then he holds up his arms to appease her.
"Just a question... - We need to know what we're up against here. If you're one of them too, or, heck, a wood nymph going by your looks, I'd like to know it now. - I still need to talk to my dad, make sure we can get you girls out of here, preferably without falling prisoner along the way."
Blondie scoffs, Bonnie snorts, making him grin at her. She really is cute when she's frazzled.
"I'm not a wood nymph," Blondie interrupts his thoughts. "What is this, a fairy tale? Tell me all these creatures aren't actually real."
"Sorry to disappoint, gorgeous," Enzo chimes in. "But for once Damon's not making this up."
"Hey," he makes, shooting Enzo a look that makes his friend shrug.
"So, you still going to set out and talk to the big bad merking? - What about the ladies?"
"Well…" Damon makes a face, shrugging. "Despite Bonnie's rather shocking heritage, I do still have to chat with the old man, it's not like we can stay down here forever. - You'll have to go and grab them some grub, some dry clothes, and wait here till I'm back." He creases his brow, taking Bonnie in again. It's a shame he can't read her thoughts, because he'd love to know what's going on behind that pretty face.
~ You sure your 'Grams' won't be able to spy us out? ~
~ I already answered that. Would help if you listened sometimes. ~
She's sassy, he likes it.
~ Easy there, Bon. Just making sure. - Can you ask her to hold off on sending the cavalry? I promise I'm just keeping you down here for your own safety. ~
~ Cavalry? ~
The poor girl doesn't know a thing. And Damon finds himself feeling sorry for her. For a freaking faerie.
He hates faeries. They're sneaky little bastards, they killed too many of his kind, and yet… He can't hate this girl. She doesn't even know who she is yet, doesn't know anything.
~ You really have no idea, have you? ~
There, the crossed arms again, the defiant stance. Blondie is huddled up by her side, but Bonnie looks almost protective of her friend. One thing is for sure, the other girl - whatever she is, if she is anything other than human - she also doesn't have an inkling.
"My Grams says your people and ours have been fighting a centuries-long war. Is that true?"
He nods, wary, unsure what she's aiming at.
"She says to tell you that there is indeed a 'cavalry', as you call it, lying in wait to retrieve me if need be."
"This is getting better by the minute," Enzo says from his remote spot, but Damon ignores him this time, and so does Bonnie, whose eyes are trained on Damon alone. He can't say he minds. She has beautiful eyes...
"Did you tell your grandma what I said? I'm not gonna hurt you. I'll try and come up with a plan to meet your people somewhere so you can get back to them, but you have to promise I'll be safe, too. Can you do that?"
That's the real question.
…
She feels like a mouthpiece, talking about things she doesn't understand, can't comprehend for the life of her.
~ You'll learn, babygirl. Soon, you'll learn. For now, reiterate what I told you. ~
She rolls her eyes, taking a deep breath.
She's a faerie, and there's tons more like her. How is that possible? Exchanging a glance with Caroline, who looks at her, wide-eyed and nervously fingering some token in her hand, she then turns back to Damon.
His eyes are gleaming even bluer under the light of the bioluminescence coming from above, and she can't help but feel drawn to them - to him. Something about him…
Shaking her head to jolt herself out of it, she opens her mouth. Out loud, she says, "They'll give you until midnight tomorrow, then they'll come for your kind. They'll come for them and kill them until Caroline and I have been returned."
"Why don't we get you two out of here right away?" Enzo hops up, sidling over to Damon, his gaze on Bonnie as he continues talking. She can't read either of these men, but Enzo gives off an almost hostile vibe that doesn't seem to go with his words.
"Enzo, we've been over this."
The men glare at each other, and Bonnie exchanges another glance with Care. Maybe it could help them if they got these two to start arguing, to get distracted. Then again, how are they supposed to find their way out of the cave and up to the surface without their help? Pressing her lips together in annoyance and frustration, she decides to just observe for now, and listen.
"That was before it turned out the girl you saved is faerie folk - before it turned out she will be very capable of taking care of herself, and that she has a bloody army behind her."
"Now you're exaggerating."
"Damon." Enzo rolls his eyes, shaking his head as he does. Then he walks closer to Bonnie, closer to Care, and Bonnie pulls at her friend, trying to stare him down as he gets too close. "Tell him you don't need his help, love, and this can be over in minutes. We'll bring both of you up. Your people will take care of you. Guiseppe will be their problem to deal with, as will keeping you alive. It's easy."
"Lorenzo. Shut up, will you? You're missing the finer points of this all."
"Which are? Enlighten me, mate, I really want to know."
Damon makes a face, looking at Bonnie with an excusing smile as he walks over until he's right in front of her, so close she can feel the warmth emanating from his body, can feel his breath against her cheek.
"Apologies, BonBon. My dear friend is a little rash sometimes. - Enzo, if you bring the girls up right now, chances are you and I will get kidnapped in the process - killed if we are lucky. And I know you have a streak for the morbid and all, but I'd rather not die just yet. So, keeping them down here will preserve our own safety."
Bonnie's head is swimming. But in the craziness that is her life now, Damon's words actually do make sense. Still...
"What about Guiseppe then? The longer we wait, the higher the chances he'll find us here."
"I'll still have to go and talk to him. If you don't hear back from me before the ultimatum is up, it'll be on you to get the girls to safety."
"And potentially get killed in the process, alone?"
Damon grins innocently as Enzo scoffs in annoyance.
"Bloody fantastic."
Bonnie can't help but agree with him. Damon's "plan" is no plan at all. What is he even trying to accomplish by talking to his dad - this man... Guiseppe, the king?
~ Did you say, king, Bonnie? ~
Suddenly, Grams is back in her head, her tone sounding odd, and Bonnie feels the back of her neck begin to prickle.
Damn telepathy.
…
…
Going for a swim has always been the best way to clear his mind, but it's not the reason why Stefan finds himself in the ocean now. The waters are choppy, a storm brewing up ahead, and he can feel a shift in the atmosphere, like something dark is about to come down on all of them.
The clouds above have taken on a rather deep gray color and he has no doubt that it's about to pelt down on him - but of course that doesn't matter when you're already soaking wet, and a creature of the sea.
He looks around himself, then takes a measured breath before he dives back down with ease, his vision quickly adjusting to the murkiness underneath.
Of course he still knows the way, but he has to be careful. After all, one wrong move, and he'll lead his father's guards straight to Damon's hideout.
No, he has to be careful.
Barely has he thought that thought, when he suddenly feels himself getting tangled, however, and bewildered, then shocked he realizes that it's a wide net that's being tightened around him.
No.
Wriggling, he tries to find the way out, tries to find a loophole before the net tightens too much, but within seconds it's too late, the rope too strong as it cocoons him, making it impossible for him to keep moving of his own accord.
What the hell is going on? The fishermen out here have never managed to catch one of them. It shouldn't be possible, it's the ancient way. They steer clear of the people of the sea, and in turn, the fishermen here get help from them finding the best fishing grounds.
They wouldn't just…
Stefan's thoughts come to a jarring stop as a new realization makes him grit his teeth and tense his body, trying to fight the net and its pull upward one last time.
His father made a deal, didn't he? Offering up his own son… to lure out the other one.
~ You have always been smart, Stefan, I'll say that. Now don't fight and they'll let you go again as soon as this is over and your brother has given over the girl. ~
~ Why do you even want her so badly? It's not the end of the world to have her become a Turned, is it? I get it, the thing with Enzo is still making you angry, but… not every Turned is gonna have an affair with Lily, alright? Let the girl go. ~
~ Not so smart after all. Well, if you must know... This has nothing to do with your mother, but everything with who this girl is. ~
~ Who she is? What are you on about? Do you know her? ~
~ I knew her mother. ~
…
…
Caroline wakes up with a start, finding herself lying huddled next to Bonnie in a corner, warm cushions underneath her, a blanket enveloping her, and a sky full of stars above her.
"What…"
She trails off almost immediately as memory whooshes back and she understands what she's really looking at: the eerily glooming ceiling of the cave, adorned with a few iridescent shells here and there, reflecting back the sparse bluish light. This is not the sky, it's a roof, and the one thing keeping her from being drowned by tons and tons of ocean water above her.
"Can't sleep, gorgeous?"
She pushes herself up with her arms, alert now, looking down on poor exhausted Bonnie, who is still sleeping, before her gaze falls on Enzo, who is sitting casually leaning against the other side of the wall, his face half obscured by bluish shadows. He and Damon left hours ago...
"You're back," she says, jerking her chin at him, and he smirks back.
"Fast on the uptake, I see."
She glares at him, making a face, then watches as he slowly gets up to toss something at her.
"Hey!" She's ready to protest, to get angry, but then she sees a waterproof bag lying right before her, and curiosity wins. "I hope those are some fresh clothes and toiletries, and food."
He tilts his head, clicking his tongue, then sits back down, watching her as she unpacks, and she can't help but look up again and again.
"Look somewhere else."
His scoff practically yells amusement, and it makes her even more annoyed.
"Suit yourself. I have better things to do than babysit you and your faerie friend anyways."
"Oh ya? Well, newsflash: no one asked you to 'babysit'! Also, no one asked you to abduct me and my friend. So screw you!"
He raises his arms, has the audacity to smirk at her again, then moves to leave, and she's already continuing on with unpacking whatever treasures are in the bag when he says her name.
"Caroline." He sighs, lingering as she stares up at him.
"What?"
"You should watch out who you associate with. You'll end up as collateral damage along the way if you don't, I can tell you that."
"Why's that? Because that's what you ended up as?"
She raises her chin, meeting his gaze head-on, but grows flustered the second she notices a strange flicker cross through his eyes, like her words actually… hurt him. Frowning, she tries to come up with something else to say, a question perhaps, but then he turns away, the moment over before it really began, and Enzo stalks off into the darkness of the rest of the cave, leaving her with…
A few soft dry shirts and sweatpants - sweatpants?! - and a few granola bars, bottled water, and…
"Hey, where's the deodorant? Where's the toothbrushes?" she hollers into the void, upset again as she sifts through the contents of the bag, dumping everything out eventually. "We're gonna be here for what? Another freaking day? I'll need more than this! I'll stink! My teeth already feel awful! And who in their right mind would bring a girl stupid sweatpants to wear?!"
She doesn't expect a reply, she's pretty sure he's hiding out somewhere, just far enough so he'll be able to tell Damon he made sure they are okay without actually interacting with them, but still. She has to get her anger out.
"Ugh, this sucks!"
"Don't worry, love. You'll still look gorgeous in sweatpants."
Raising her head, she blinks into the blue nothing, sighing when she can't see him. With a roll of her eyes she then looks down at Bonnie, deciding that sweats and granola bars are not a good enough reason to wake the poor girl up.
They could all use a break from this nightmare, and at least Bonnie still gets to enjoy hers.
