Chapter Four
It had been a week since she had told her parents the truth. It was the first day that her family had let her out of the house without an escort.
Her mother was still crying herself to sleep. Her father sat in the front room holding a bottomless glass of whisky and smoking cigarettes. He normally lit it and then let it burn all the way to the filter, taking a single puff before it burnt his fingers and then butted it out before reaching for a new one. She hadn't seen him light a smoke in ten years. Then again, she hadn't smoked at all until this strange turn in her life.
Her sister had tried her connections within the hospital and clinic in hopes that something would come available to her. Anything that might save her live was proposed, but all the doctors that had looked at her tests had said the same thing. It was far too late.
Most of her other family was flying in at one time or another.
Bonnie stared down into her strawberry milkshake and felt mildly nauseated. Memories of another time and place echoed back and forth through her mind.
Would it have been better had she died fighting Klaus? At least she would have died for a reason, not simply because her own body was betraying her. She would have died for friends and family, for a love so strong it beat out death and brought two people she cared about back together.
Bonnie did wonder if there was anything out there in the world that she could call her own. If there was someone who would-
Elena walked into the coffee shop and approached her hesitantly. Bonnie could feel the thrum of her friends newly acquired power surge under the fair skin. The lapis lazuli eyes were covered by dark glasses. She hadn't seen anyone but family for the entire week, but wasn't at all surprised that her friend had chosen to become a vampire again.
Bonnie sighed and tried to put on a happy smile. "I'm glad you came."
"I'm sorry. I slept in this morning."
"Busy night?"
Elena shifted uncomfortably.
"I know Elena and I am happy for you. I think you made the right choice. Did it take much convincing?"
"Not that much." Elena grinned sheepishly.
Bonnie couldn't help but stare at her mouth. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. Anything."
Depression was something new for Bonnie. Her upbeat attitude was being squashed by fear and self-doubt. And perhaps, a touch of humiliation that Damon hadn't contacted her.
"What is it like to have forever?"
********
Bonnie's cousin Ashley sat next to her bed, looking more than upset. She had just arrived from Scotland with her grandmother, Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Connor.
"I still can't believe this is happening. It's just like grandma said."
Bonnie narrowed her eyes. She held out her hand. "Read my palm."
Ashley stared at her uncomfortably and started to make an excuse to leave.
"Please," Bonnie said, adding a pleading touch to her voice. She'd already learned that that whiny note sent her family running to do anything she wanted.
Ashley hesitated, but eventually and gripped her hand. Bonnie sat up and stared down into her palm. She watched her cousin slowly draw a finger along the ridges and lines of her hand.
"Okay, this is your love-line. This is your lifeline-" Ashley took a deep breath when she noticed how short it was.
Bonnie jerked her hand away, clenched in a tight fist. "Can I be alone for a little while?"
Ashley nodded several times and quickly rushed out of the room, hoping that Bonnie hadn't seen the tears in her eyes.
Bonnie carefully opened up her hand and stared down into it.
Strange, she thought. I don't remember it ever being so short.
It had been a week since she had told her parents the truth. It was the first day that her family had let her out of the house without an escort.
Her mother was still crying herself to sleep. Her father sat in the front room holding a bottomless glass of whisky and smoking cigarettes. He normally lit it and then let it burn all the way to the filter, taking a single puff before it burnt his fingers and then butted it out before reaching for a new one. She hadn't seen him light a smoke in ten years. Then again, she hadn't smoked at all until this strange turn in her life.
Her sister had tried her connections within the hospital and clinic in hopes that something would come available to her. Anything that might save her live was proposed, but all the doctors that had looked at her tests had said the same thing. It was far too late.
Most of her other family was flying in at one time or another.
Bonnie stared down into her strawberry milkshake and felt mildly nauseated. Memories of another time and place echoed back and forth through her mind.
Would it have been better had she died fighting Klaus? At least she would have died for a reason, not simply because her own body was betraying her. She would have died for friends and family, for a love so strong it beat out death and brought two people she cared about back together.
Bonnie did wonder if there was anything out there in the world that she could call her own. If there was someone who would-
Elena walked into the coffee shop and approached her hesitantly. Bonnie could feel the thrum of her friends newly acquired power surge under the fair skin. The lapis lazuli eyes were covered by dark glasses. She hadn't seen anyone but family for the entire week, but wasn't at all surprised that her friend had chosen to become a vampire again.
Bonnie sighed and tried to put on a happy smile. "I'm glad you came."
"I'm sorry. I slept in this morning."
"Busy night?"
Elena shifted uncomfortably.
"I know Elena and I am happy for you. I think you made the right choice. Did it take much convincing?"
"Not that much." Elena grinned sheepishly.
Bonnie couldn't help but stare at her mouth. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. Anything."
Depression was something new for Bonnie. Her upbeat attitude was being squashed by fear and self-doubt. And perhaps, a touch of humiliation that Damon hadn't contacted her.
"What is it like to have forever?"
********
Bonnie's cousin Ashley sat next to her bed, looking more than upset. She had just arrived from Scotland with her grandmother, Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Connor.
"I still can't believe this is happening. It's just like grandma said."
Bonnie narrowed her eyes. She held out her hand. "Read my palm."
Ashley stared at her uncomfortably and started to make an excuse to leave.
"Please," Bonnie said, adding a pleading touch to her voice. She'd already learned that that whiny note sent her family running to do anything she wanted.
Ashley hesitated, but eventually and gripped her hand. Bonnie sat up and stared down into her palm. She watched her cousin slowly draw a finger along the ridges and lines of her hand.
"Okay, this is your love-line. This is your lifeline-" Ashley took a deep breath when she noticed how short it was.
Bonnie jerked her hand away, clenched in a tight fist. "Can I be alone for a little while?"
Ashley nodded several times and quickly rushed out of the room, hoping that Bonnie hadn't seen the tears in her eyes.
Bonnie carefully opened up her hand and stared down into it.
Strange, she thought. I don't remember it ever being so short.