Silhouettes – Part IV
AN: First of all, thank you to the guests that reviewed; I really appreciate your kind words. Every song I pick means something to me, and this one has been running on repeat in my head for weeks. Fancy – girl, get an account so I can reply to you lol! I was so inspired by the comments that I was able to turn out another chapter! Also, I'm sorry of there are any of you weirded out by the Damon/Emily thing lol. Please note that it's not a huge romantic interest. His history with her was meant to be sort of a stepping stone to Katherine…a reason for her jealousy and catalyst for her pursuit of him. It was never sexual, just a brief innocent romance. Alright, on to the next! – Vanessa
…
I'm tired of living in the shadows
These paper walls I can't break through
I'm sick of standing by your window
Tracing silhouettes of you
Tracing silhouettes of you
Tracing silhouettes of you
Tracing silhouettes of you
Tracing silhouettes of you
I light the fuse
And I watch it burn
And somewhere deep inside I know there's a lesson to be learned
It's not the crime but the way that we pay for
Feelings unmutual
…
Damon rolled the amber liquid around in his tumbler, as he stared into the fire. He was almost out of bourbon. Since Katherine left, he'd drank his way through most of the stash. It was almost too much to process. He hadn't thought about his little tryst with Emily in nearly a century. When he was human, it felt like a big deal, but when Katherine pushed her way into his life, she left no room for anyone else. Even after he turned, she had a grip on his heart; enough so that she eclipsed whatever adolescent feelings he had for her handmaiden. That's what Katherine's power was; she crawled into every nook and cranky then consumed you from the inside out. Even after her compulsion wore off, he was so desperate for her that he rationalized her actions. Maybe that's why he was so devoted to protecting the Bennett lineage, even after Emily's betrayal; he felt obligated to her. He watched over the Bennett witches over generations, but he never immersed himself in their lives. Not until Bonnie. He was so drawn to her; it was like he couldn't help himself.
He knew what Katherine was capable of, and he wouldn't put it passed her to use Bonnie to force his hand in some way, but she never did something for nothing. He was racking his brain for her motive for coming back here, and what she could possibly want.
His head darted up when he heard the voices of his brother and Elena coming in the front door, and he looked over his shoulder hatefully before speeding to her and pinning her to the wall.
"Damon what the hell!" She gasped, looking to Stefan for help.
He immediately ripped Damon off her, trapping him to the opposite wall with both hands pinning his shoulders. "What the fuck are you doing?! You could have hurt her!" he raged, the red filling in his eyes.
He glared at her over his brother's shoulder; she was rubbing her neck and panting in fear. "You sure that's Elena?" he questioned on a growl.
"Of course it is!" Then realization washed over him as he stepped back. "Wait…why wouldn't it be?"
Damon was still suspiciously eying her but relaxed as he heard the steady pounding of her heartbeat. "Had a visitor last night." He pushed off the wall and walked back to the bar, filling his glass again with what was left in the decanter. He grunted in disappointment. "Kitty-Kat's back in town, little brother. And she's got impersonating your girlfriend down to a tee."
Elena balked. "What? Katherine's here?"
"Yup! And she's making moves, but what I can't figure out, is what she wants." Damon grumbled, staring back into the fire.
Stefan snapped out of his shock. "How long has she been here?"
The older Salvatore scoffed. "Days, weeks, who knows!"
"What does she want with Elena?" Stefan questioned nervously.
Damon's jaw clenched, suddenly brimming with rage. "It's not Elena she's after, Stefan." He stated pointedly, below swallowing down the rest of his bourbon.
"Bonnie…" Stefan deduced.
Elena shook her head in confusion. "Wait, Bonnie? What would Katherine want with Bonnie?" No one answered her, and she quickly got frustrated. "What the hell is going on, Damon?"
He dropped his glass on the coffee table as he passed it. "I need more bourbon." He glared at Stefan as he strode towards the door, a silent but strong warning to keep his mouth shut.
As he walked out the front door, he could hear the back and forth between them; Elena undoubtedly panicked at the thought of her doppelganger walking around pretending to be her. Stefan cooed gently, trying to calm her down despite his own nervousness.
Damon walked past his car, opting for a walk instead to clear his head. It wasn't long before he found himself standing outside Bonnie's house…again. This was the only way he felt he could be close to her now. She ran from him. The thought of him even having any sort of feelings towards her, literally made her flee from his presence. That hurt. But what did he expect to happen? That he'd kiss her, and she'd throw her arms around him like she'd been wanting it as much as he did? That was never going to happen. So, he'd take what he could get; these fragmented little moments where he could watch her without judgement, where he could imagine every move she made was for him; that she wanted his eyes on her. Katherine was right…he was pathetic. How did he let some young witch weasel her way into his heart?
He caught her shadow walking passed the window, and he felt a bolt run through him as he straightened. She was pacing. Both hands running through her hair, then shaking out to her sides. She was stressed, and so was he wondering what she was thinking. If his heart could beat, it would be pounding in his chest. He felt the urge to reassure her; take it all back, tell her that he felt nothing for her, and another part wanted to lay it all on the line and promise her he could give her everything she ever wanted. God, what a hopeless sap he was. He sucked on his lower lip and slowly, keeping his eyes on the window as long as possible, he walked to the front door, knocking before he could stop himself.
Damon could hear the scuffle as she came down the stairs. He took a deep breath when he felt her on the other side, and her scent captured his senses making him close his eyes. His palm laid on the door, feeling her energy on the other end. She knew it was him, and she was debating whether to open it. He rested his forehead on the wood with a thud. "Bonnie, please open the door." He asked her gently, in a tone he rarely used with anyone.
Her breathing was shaky. "I can't." her tiny voice filtered through.
"We need to talk about this."
"That's the last thing I want to do." She breathed. "Can you just go…please?"
Damon raised his head, stepping back from the door. "I'm not leaving until you come out." He turned and sat on the steps of her porch, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared out onto the street, rubbing his palms together. He sat there for several minutes silently, before he heard the lock and the door creak open. He glanced over his shoulder to see her standing there, looking incredibly small in an oversized sweatshirt and pajama shorts. Her eyes were looking everywhere but at him, and she self consciously tugged the sweater down. "Hi…" he greeted her softly, the blue in his eyes seeming brighter in the dark night.
She let out a ragged exhale, finally meeting his eyes. "Hi."
He stood gracefully, stepping towards her cautiously, like she was a frightened animal that may run off on him. "I'm sorry." Bonnie's sage green eyes were wide in surprise as he continued. "I handled this all wrong. What I should have done, was just be honest with you." He sucked in a deep breath, fear rippling through him. "I like you, Bonnie. I think you're amazing." She stood there stunned into silence. "You're smart and you're strong, and you're gorgeous…" he took another step towards her, and she blinked several times as she forced the tears back. No one had ever said such beautiful things about her before, and the fact that it was Damon saying it was sending her reeling. "And seeing you give the time of day to a guy that will never appreciate you the way you should be I…I panicked. I don't think I've ever been more jealous in my life." He admitted, the words just tumbled from his mouth now, unable to stop now that the floodgates had opened. His fingers brushed the hair back from her face; caressing the smooth mocha of her skin. His eyes flitted over her features, admiring her with a tender smile. "I want you. I noticed you…I can't get you out of my head."
Bonnie's hand reached up, and for a second his smile grew as it grasped his hand by her face, but it slowly faded as she pulled it down, dropping it by his side. "Damon…I'm sorry. I just don't… feel that way about you." She found herself genuinely feeling sympathetic for putting that dejected look on his face. She slipped back inside as he stepped forward, but stopped suddenly looking up at the at the invisible barrier. "I'm really sorry." The door closed on him, and he hung his head in rejection.
He thought it hurt watching her run away from him? Seeing the pity in her eyes as she tried to let him down easy…well that nearly broke him. The irony wasn't lost on him either. Wincing, he sauntered down the steps, casting one last look up at her window, and was surprised to see her looking down at him, before she turned and let the curtain fall back into place. The blow to his ego was enough to make him want to rip someone's throat out, but if Damon was anything, it was persistent; and he wasn't going to win her over that way.
…
"So, what does she want?" Caroline asked from her spot on the couch in the Salvatore living room. The next morning had everyone gathered to discuss the newest big bad in Mystic Falls. Elena sat on one couch, with Stefan beside her and Caroline on the other with Alaric perched on the arm.
Stefan shook his head. "We don't know yet, but it can't be good."
Elena chewed on her thumbnail. "Where's Bonnie? She was supposed be here half an hour ago." She dropped her phone back to her lap.
Damon stood by the window, looking outside contemplatively. "I wouldn't hold your breath." He mumbled.
Seconds later, his head snapped to the door. It opened, and Bonnie rushed in, avoiding his inquisitive stare as she dropped her bag, and sat on the couch beside Caroline. "Sorry I'm late." She uttered, feeling Damon's heated gaze on her. "What did I miss?"
He decided to push down whatever he was feeling, and sauntered back to the group, portraying an air of nonchalance. "Katherine's back in town. She's been pretending to be Elena; she's already fooled me, and you."
Bonnie frowned. "When?"
His gaze softened. "She was at the Grill the other night." Her brows raised in realization, and he held her stare pointedly. "So we can't be too careful. Katherine isn't to be taken lightly; if she wants you dead, you will be dead, there is no other way around it. But that's not what she wants. She's playing a game, and we're all little chess pieces she's moving around the board. We need to find out what her end game is."
Alaric sighed. "And how do we do that?"
"By playing her game." Stefan confirmed. "If she thinks she's in complete control, eventually she'll slip up and show her hand. If you come across her pretending to be Elena, don't let on that you know…find out what she wants."
Caroline shifted nervously. "Well, how will we know its not Elena? You said they're identical, right?"
"I always wear this necklace." She held up the necklace Stefan had given her. "It has vervain in it."
Alaric stood, wiping his palms on his pants. "Well, I have to get to class…" he looked at the other four. "So should you." He gave a nod to Damon and headed for the door.
Stefan and Elena grabbed their bags and stood as well, but Bonnie didn't move. "Do you want a ride?" Elena asked.
Bonnie forced a smile and shook her head. "Um, no I drove. I'll catch up." When the door closed behind them, she risked a glance up to Damon, who was looking at her curiously. "So…Katherine. This must be a dream come true for you."
"More like a nightmare." Her head reeled back in surprise. "I want nothing to do with her…kind of have my sights set elsewhere."
Letting out a sharp exhale, Bonnie rubbed her forehead. "Damon…"
"I know…" he forced a tense smile. "You don't feel that way about me. Not yet. But it doesn't make it any less true. All I'm asking is you give me a chance to prove to you that I'm not the man you think I am. That I'm not the man I used to be…" He stepped towards her, and crouched down so he was eye level with her. "I need you be careful, okay? Katherine is unpredictable and the last thing I want is for you to get hurt." He pleaded quietly.
Bonnie swallowed, shifting slightly under his intense gaze. "You think she'd come after me?"
He nodded reluctantly with an empathetic wince. "To get to me…yes." She let out a shaky breath, her hands trembling as she gripped her knees. One of his hands covered hers reassuringly. "Bonnie, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise. You might not trust me…but you can trust in that."
Sucking on the inside of her cheek, Bonnie nodded. "Thank you…" She pulled her hand away. "Um…I should probably go to school."
He rose, backing up and giving her space as she followed suit. "Yeah." He walked her out slowly side by side, both hesitant and anxious. She was a teenager, what the hell was his excuse? As she crossed the doorway, Damon stopped her. "If you're in trouble…you call me." He commanded. "Katherine is not someone you take on by yourself, do you hear me?"
Her lips pulled in a small smile. He was showing her a different side of him right now, and she wondered to herself if this was the real Damon…the one he hid from everyone else. She had no idea what it was about her that brought it out of him, or why…but it left her wanting to know more. "I won't. I'll see you around, Damon." She rushed off, and he stood there watching her pull out of the driveway.
It wasn't much, but it was progress.
…
Things had been quiet the next couple days, but everyone knew that meant trouble was coming. However, this was Mystic Falls, and there was always some kind of event going on, and if they wanted to play her game, they had to act like nothing was out of the ordinary. That's why they were all at the carnival, pretending to have a good time while they waited for Katherine to make her move.
"No way! You're kidding!" Elena exclaimed as she tossed another ring over a bottle.
Bonnie leaned her butt against the game booth, crossing her arms. "I wish I was. Now I don't even know how to be in the same room as him without feeling like I'm going to shake right out of my skin."
When she won, Elena accepted the stuffed giraffe from the carnival attendant and they walked off. "Well, how do you feel?"
Bonnie's head rolled back on her neck. "I don't know! I mean, it's Damon. Hating him is like second nature to me."
"Well, I for one, think you should steer clear. Wherever Damon goes, chaos follows. It's the vampire way." She stated with a shrug.
Bonnie frowned, raising a brow at her friend. "Stefan's a vampire."
"Exactly. I love him, don't get me wrong, but you have to admit that things got a lot more complicated since they came into our lives. Plus, look at what Damon did to Caroline! He's a monster, Bonnie. He gets off on hurting people, and I don't want that person to be you." Elena continued her explanation, slightly bumping her friend's shoulder.
For some unknown reason, she found herself defending him. "Yeah, okay, he's done some pretty awful things, but I think he really does care. Maybe he's not the monster you think he is." His words from the other day echoed in her head that whole day. All I'm asking is you give me a chance to prove to you that I'm not the man you think I am. That I'm not the man I used to be…
Could it be that all the bravado was a front? A wall he put up to keep people out? Was she responsible for breaking through it? Could she trust him? These were the questions that kept her up at night. She had to admit, if only to herself, that hearing him express his feelings for her filled her with a warmth she wasn't expecting. Did he really see her that way? He seemed so genuine and…dare she say human.
Elena continued on, but Bonnie mostly tuned her out as they wandered the carnival grounds.
…
Damon and Stefan walked side by side, surveying the grounds subtly. "So…things between you and Bonnie are awkward." Stefan commented casually.
"Yep." His brother responded, his eyes floating around through the crowd.
"Did something happen?" Stefan prodded.
Damon tossed a handful of popcorn in his mouth. "Sure did."
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not particularly." They continued on in silence for a few moments, Stefan keeping a relenting stare on him, until Damon finally rolled his eyes skyward and caved. "Fuck…fine. I told Bonnie how I felt about her. I laid my heart at her feet and she basically closed the door in my face. Needless to say, it did not go well." He admitted guardedly, leaving the emotion out of his tone.
Stefan shoved his hands in his pockets, bowing his head. "Sorry. So, it's true then…you do love her?" He sensed his brother's hesitance. "You can be honest with me, Damon…I'm your brother; I won't hold it against you."
The brows on Damon's forehead knitted together contemplatively. "I think it's more than that." He said quietly. "It's not love in the way that I knew it with Katherine. She makes me want to be better; not just for her…but for me." Damon swallowed down the lump in his throat.
Stefan bit down on his lips, forcing back a happy grin, knowing it would only make his brother even more uncomfortable. "Sounds like love to me."
"Okay." Damon exclaimed, feeling himself hit the threshold of 'share time'. "Enough of this…who knows how many eyes and ears Katherine has floating around here. For the record, this little conversation stays between us," he wagged a thumb between them. "Because I know your deep dark secrets too, little brother."
Stefan chuckled, nodding. "Your secret is safe with me."
…
As the sun went down, and the carnival went on, the three girls found themselves having fun playing games and riding the rides. Moments like this were few and far between these days, and they enjoyed them while they could.
Bonnie's hands rubbed her arms, feeling a chill in the air. "Hey, I'm just going to run to my car to grab my jacket." She stood from the picnic bench they sat at, pulling her purse over her shoulder.
"Do you want someone to go with you?" Her eyes slid to where Stefan and Damon stood in the distance, watching from afar.
She shook her head. "It's not that far. I'll be right back."
Damon straightened when he saw Bonnie stand, and he kept a close eye as she walked to the gravel lot. Slowly he followed after her, but far enough away that she wouldn't throttle him for being stalky.
She fished for her keys in her purse, but stopped suddenly when she saw someone standing by her car. "Chet…hi." She smiled prettily. "What are you doing by my car?" she questioned with playful suspicion.
He shot her a grin. "Waiting for you. Look, I wanted to apologize for the other night. I wasn't really…myself." He admitted with a little squint to his eyes. "I was hoping maybe we could start over."
Bonnie felt a blush rise on her cheeks. "I'd like that." He held out his hand, and she shook it. Then her eyes snapped up to his sharply, and she ripped her hand away, forcing a smile. "I should go. My friends are waiting for me."
Chet's eyes darkened. "What's the matter Bonnie? I thought we could kiss and make up." There was something sinister in his tone now.
"Rain check?" She suggested breezily as she walked past him to get to the driver's side of the car. When he appeared right in front of her, Bonnie gasped and stumbled back in surprise.
"Uh oh…guess the jig is up!" he laughed. "Damn you have some power in you…I can almost taste it." He stepped closer, the black veins under his eyes rippled, and his fangs descended.
Bonnie breathed heavily as her heart raced in her ribcage. "Please don't make me do this." She begged, her brows slanting sadly. He didn't stop his pursuit of her and just as she was about to begin popping the blood vessels in his brain, his neck snapped; he crumbled to the ground, revealing Damon in his place. Her eyes slid closed, as she felt relief wash over her.
Stepping over the vampire, Damon cradled her face in his hands, bending his knees to catch her eyes. "Are you okay?" his eyes darted back and forth between hers, concern for her safety written plainly on his face.
She nodded earnestly, wanting to reassure him. When her eyes met his, his thumb brushed away a tear that fell, and she forced a watery smile. "I'm okay."
Dropping his hands, realizing how close they were, Damon put some space between them, letting his eyes dart around to see if anyone saw. "Give me your keys." She handled them to him, and he popped the lock on the trunk, easily lifting Chet, and placing him in the roomy back of the SUV. When he slammed the trunk closed, he turned back to her. "I've got to deal with him." He explained pointedly.
"Do you have to?" Her voice was small, and laced with resignation. She wished it didn't have to be this way, but deep down she knew that it was the only logical option. Damon nodded uneasily in response. "It was her – Katherine. She did it, didn't she?" He couldn't be trusted now.
"Safe to assume."
She looked to the trunk before sliding her steely gaze back to him. "Don't kill him right away. Maybe she told him something. See what you can get out of him first."
He was surprised by that. Of course, he was going to do that anyways, but he admired the fact that she thought of it. "You got it, Bon." He breathed sympathetically. "Take my car," he reached into his pocket and tossed her the keys, which she caught out of the air. "And go straight home. Don't stop for anything. I'll come by when I'm done." She nodded jerkily, sucking in a deep breath. "I'm parked a few spots down."
"Okay." He watched as she walked off, but she only got a few steps before she turned around. "Be careful…okay?"
Damon let a smile pull on his lips. "I'll try." He waited until she pulled out of the parking spot in his Camaro, before he got in her SUV; destination the Salvatore cellar for some old fashion interrogation. The smile turned into a smirk. He was going to enjoy this.