A/N: 1st I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed so far, I really appreciate it. Don't worry about being too critical; I really need your honest opinions on this. I haven't read VD in a while so any pointers you give me on making the characters more believable will be really helpful. This is the last time I'll be updating for a while. Aside from writers block, life's been pretty hectic and I've got finals in a few weeks.
Vampire Diaries V: The Morrigan
Chapter 1
Didn't You Know? I Love You
"Bonnie! There you are."
Bonnie sighed in barely restrained frustration. She knew it wasn't their fault that Matt and the others had picked that exact moment to come looking for her, but she really did want to know why Damon had tried to seduce her if it wasn't for her blood. She started when someone began waving their hand in her face. Pushing it away in annoyance she glared at its owner. "Matt! What are you doing?"
"Temper temper Bon Bon. I was just trying to get your attention. We've been calling you for 5 minutes and you have yet to answer." Matt took her by the shoulders, looking at her with concern. "You alright Bonnie? You seem a bit dazed."
Shrugging out of his grasp and taking a few steps back to reclaim some much-needed personal space, she replied, "I'm fine Matt. I just wanted a little alone time. Things have been pretty intense."
"Even so, you shouldn't be wandering off like that, it's not safe." Putting his arm around her shoulder he led her off in the direction of the others, calling out, "Hey guys! I found her!"
~~~~~***~~~~~
2 hours after meeting back up with the others Bonnie finally managed to get that nice long bath. She was lying in bed now, snuggled down under the covers, enjoying the relative peace and quiet.
"Ye gods what a day," she sighed. Stretching herself out in a massive yawn, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It was an envelope on her pillow. Reaching over and picking it up, she saw that it was completely blank. It didn't even have a name on it to show who it was addressed to. Opening it she found a letter in beautiful old-fashioned script:
Bonnie,
I'm going to keep this short; no point in dragging out what is obviously an undesirable acquaintance for you. I won't go into the details of that night; there really isn't any reason to. I want you to know that I am truly sorry that I hurt you, that was never my intention. I am leaving Fells Church, to where, I don't know. But you won't have to worry about my interfering in your life in any way; I'm keeping my distance. However, if you ever need anything, if you're in any kind of trouble or you just need money or a place to stay, you know how to find me. It's the very least I can offer after all you've done for me... and my dumbass of a little brother. You're an incredible woman Bonnie I hope you realize that. *Fare non lasciare bastardo ottenere tu discendente.
Damon
"Huh." It was all she could say really. A note. A note and then nothing. He just left. It was just as well really. For all her protests, she really did want to go with him. She certainly wouldn't be bored if she did, that was for sure. But whether she wanted to or not, she wasn't ready to. There was so much she still had to figure out and she had to do it herself. Which meant she couldn't depend so completely on anyone, not even Damon.
Thinking about her need for independence brought Bonnie's thoughts to a very unpleasant subject. Explaining to her parents and friends that, not only was she not going to college, but she was also leaving Virginia to go on a road trip. One that could conceivably last several years.
These last few months had made her realize how many things about the world she needed to know, out of a general curiosity and for her own protection as well. One thing was certain, she was no longer a dabbler, she was now a practicing witch. Her parents had always told her to stop screwing around and make some serious decisions about her life, and she had done just that. There was obviously a lot more to Wicca than reading palms and with the Power she had, it was time to either train and study and harness that Power, or just stay the hell away from it all together. Being a flake about it would only get her into trouble. Or worse, killed.
Whatever she planned to do with her life, she wouldn't be able to accomplish it here in Fells Church. Unfortunately she had no idea where to start. Reaching over to turn out the light, Bonnie decided that stressing out over it now, when there was nothing she could really do about it either way, was pointless. Taking a few deep breaths to try to relax, she snuggled down under the covers to try to get some sleep.
~~~~~***~~~~~
*Italian: Fare non lasciare bastardo ottenere tu discendente.
Translation: Don't let the bastards get you down.
~~~~~***~~~~~
As Damon drove out of Fells Church, he thought about her. As he boarded his flight, he thought about her. Pacing the balcony of his villa in Italy, he thought about her. He was drowning in her soulful brown eyes, lost in the taste of her sweet mouth.... and crushed by her scorn for him. He couldn't get her out of his mind; if he were quite honest with himself that had always been the case.
Yes he had lusted after Elena. But he'd never loved her. It was closure he had needed. She had seemed just like Katherine, and Katherine had never made her choice. Never confessed to loving either his brother or himself more than the other. Had never been willing to truly give up everything for the sake of that love. "Killing" herself so that him and Stefan would get along didn't count. It was romanticized bullshit and he'd thought better of her. When he'd met Elena, she was more of a symbolic conquest. He had to know who she loved, who she'd die for. It had never even occurred to him that the same thing would happen. That she'd love them both, die for them both.
It had never occurred to him that this time it would break his heart. He knew she loved him; she always would, in her own way. After all, if things went well, legally, he'd be her brother. And that was fine by him. The more he knew Elena, the more he realized she was nothing like Katherine. All the two women had in common were looks. And the more he knew Elena, the more he realized that he'd never loved either of them. Katherine had seemed innocent, sweet. He'd needed unconditional love and in those times, he'd only be able to get that from someone innocent to the ways of men. But Katherine was weak. And, lets face it, Katherine was insane. Elena was strong, he thought she could handle what he was and still love him. He was half right; someone strong in their convictions is not gonna flake between two guys. In her defense, Elena was only 17 and people twice her age have done the same. But the point was that was not what Damon wanted or needed. And she was a manipulative bitch. Now he manipulated people all the time. Influencing people telepathically is exactly that. But he was upfront about it. She did it to her own friends without bating an eye. Hopefully these last few months of being hunted and killed helped to put things in perspective for her. They had certainly helped him.
Gazing out into the night, watching the lights of the city wink out one by one, Damon thought about the very first time he had kissed Bonnie. He remembered seeing her at Alaric's party, a fiery haired goddess among mortals. She was sitting with some friends from school he only barely recognized, talking and laughing. Suddenly, she looked up and her gaze locked with his own. It was as if she had him under a spell, and for the longest time, he had thought exactly that. He could feel himself being drawn towards her. A young man sitting next to her had the audacity to call her attention away from him just as he was about to speak, prattling on about some high school football game or the like. But even with her attentions on another, he still felt that strange tugging at his heart, urging him on. So he put on his most charming smile, chatted her up, and came up with an excuse to kiss her. Some insanely ludicrous line about kissing redheads to cure a fever. She let out the most beautiful laugh, her eyes sparkling with amusement. And he kissed her.
It was the sweetest, most chaste kiss he'd ever given a woman. His lips barely grazed her own, his hand lightly caressing her cheek, brushing against the silky curls of her hair. It set his soul on fire. He still pursued Elena, doing his very best to ignore Bonnie and the hold she seemed to have over him. But as he watched Elena and got to know her, he got to know Bonnie. It became painfully obvious that the feelings he had for her were no spell. She would never do something so petty. He was simply falling in love. And he hated it. With all his infatuations, he had never imagined that falling in love would mean such a total lose of control. The inability to think, eat, sleep, or even breathe properly (not that he needed to) without seeing the object of his affections for just one moment a day.
He had thought when he left the first time that he'd be able to forget about her. And at one point he'd almost managed to convince himself that he had. Then she called to him, summoning him and his brother back to the hellhole that was Fells Church to face a new evil. And of course, without hesitation, he came running back to her.
When he had asked her to come away with him, it had never occurred to him that she would refuse so vehemently. Though in retrospect, in made perfect sense. Damon prided himself on keeping his cool, never revealing too much as to what he was thinking. Upside, it kept people guessing. Downside, it tends to confuse people when, after showing no regard for them whatsoever, you suddenly ask them to leave their family and friends behind just to be with you. So when Matt's interruption distracted her, he took that moment to leave. He followed her to make sure she got home safely, and left her a brief note while she was taking her bath. It was short and didn't really answer any of the questions she had asked him, but hopefully it left things more or less all right between them.
It was a bit cowardly, he supposed, to run off the way he did. But continuing that conversation wouldn't have done either of them any good. He still wasn't quite sure how he felt about being in love with her. And over the past few days, he'd been sensing a lot of confusion and stress in Bonnie. Pushing her mind to dream about her problems while she was sleeping one night showed him that what she was feeling had nothing to do with Klaus. She was upset over what everyone expected her to do after she graduated, and confused about what she wanted to do with her life. He had thought that maybe coming away with him would help her get a little peace of mind, but on second thought, what Bonnie really needed was time away from everyone, especially him. So he left her alone. He'd keep tabs on her of course. Whatever else she might turn out to be, she was at the moment his friend, whether she knew it or not.
"Signore Salvatore."
Glancing behind himself, he saw his housekeeper standing in the doorway. "What is it Danielle?"
"I have Signorina Raven on the phone as you requested." Looking down he noticed the cordless in her hand.
"Thank you Danielle." Taking the phone from her, Damon resumed his place leaning over the edge of the balcony. "Raven?"
"Hey Damon, wassup!"
"Wassup?" he said, quirking an eyebrow. "What're you, 15?"
"Well I sure as hell look it, so I figured, best to try and fit in. Especially considering the circumstances."
"And what circumstances would those be?"
"You don't wanna know."
"You're right, I probably don't."
"So Danielle's still working for you huh? I woulda figured you'd've fired her for someone younger by now."
"Well she's good. That and she didn't have a heart attack when she found out what I was."
"Always a plus. So seriously, what's up? You never call me without a reason."
"I need you to look after someone for me. She did me a big favor recently, and if any of our kind find out about it, it could mean her life."
"What kind of favor?"
"She saved my life, and the life of my brother. She ended up taking down an Original in the process."
"You shittin me!? An Original!?! You sure it was an Original?"
"Positive. She had plenty of help, but most likely it would be pinned on her."
"Who is this chick? A sorceress or something?"
"Just a normal teenage girl. Her name's Bonnie McCullough. She dabbled a bit in witchcraft, but nothing serious. Though I'm sure that'll change after all she's been through."
"Hmm. So how'd you two end up working together? You've never been much for socializing, especially with humans."
"It's a long story. One that you will never hear."
"Awww c'moooon."
"Don't whine. It's immature and unladylike."
"Bite me."
"Tempting but no."
"Pervert."
"Child."
"Psycho."
"Child."
"Grrrrr."
Chuckle. "Round one and already tapped. So are you gonna help me or not?"
"Sure what the hell. But just outta curiosity, can't this chick take care of herself?"
"Probably, if given the chance. But she's just starting out on her own, which is hard enough without newbie vamps trying to make names for themselves by offing her."
"Right. That and you wanna be able to find her whenever you want."
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb, I hear the way you talk about her. You like her. And I'm betting not just as a friend."
"Look, just keep an eye on her alright. I'm not saying follow her every move or anything like that. Unless it's necessary. Just try to make sure she's safe."
"Aight. I'll keep my ear to the ground so to speak. Make sure no one's heard about what happened. Where's is she right now?"
"Where I left her; Fells Church, Virginia."
"Wait a minute, you went to Hell's Church?"
"You've heard of the place I see. Hard to believe, it's somewhat out of the way."
"Yeah well, I been around. So what were you doing there anyway?"
"Nice try but I'm still not telling. Let me know if you find any trouble."
"Yeah, yeah, no problem. I better get on that now then. I've got a shitload of loose ends to tie up before I head out. See ya Damon."
"Ciao." Hitting the off button Damon went back into the house. The balcony was adjacent to his bedroom. He had just been in the shower when he'd gotten the phone and was wearing a pair of sweats. He went to his closet and grabbed himself some clothes suitable for a hunt, all in black of course.
He had been serious when he'd told Raven that Bonnie might be in danger. There was no telling how fast her powers would grow, especially if she trained herself, which he knew she would. So maybe she could handle herself if anything happened. But he didn't want her to have to if at all possible. And having someone keep tabs on her so he could find out a little more about her personally didn't hurt. Either way, the next few years should be interesting.
Alright, I've done my part. Now it's your turn. Click on the button and give me some feedback. Don't make me beg, it's not pretty.
Bunny
