Chapter Seven
"Oh, Bonnie. I've missed you so much!" Poppy cried into her shoulder.
Bonnie pushed back her younger cousin and smiled through her tears. Then she frowned once she realized a small problem with this whole meeting. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
Poppy turned to stare at the boy who was standing next to her. He nodded and moved forward to offer Bonnie his left hand.
"I'm sorry. Bonnie, this is my soulmate, James Rasmussen. He is the reason I'm alive today."
Bonnie took his hand, feeling mildly dazed. Soulmate? Then her psychic senses took hold of her and she narrowed her eyes at him, then at Poppy.
She smirked once she realized the irony of it all. "I can't believe this," she muttered.
Poppy was completely taken back. Phil was frowning.
James realized first, dropping her hand. "She knows about vampires," he said quietly.
"She does," Bonnie said with a self-satisfied smile.
Poppy stared at her in amazement. A grin slowly spread across her face. "Then we won't have to explain anything!"
"I've already told you the incredible risk she might be taking with this," James said, voice stern when he faced his soulmate.
Bonnie could see an old argument starting to rise between them.
"I don't care! You have no idea what it feels like to know you're going to die. I do. If given a choice of death or life, I'm sure she'd choose life."
"She's too old for it, Poppy," James said, not giving one inch.
"I think it would be worth the risk." Poppy's chin rose up, demonstrating the McCullough blood that came from her father's mother.
"Look-" James began, pointing a finger at his soulmate. Poppy was shaking with frustration and anger. Phil looked like he was about to laugh in disbelief; obviously, he had never seen them fight before. Bonnie was just getting a little annoyed about being the cause of an argument but not part of it.
"Enough!" Bonnie yelled. They both turned to stare at her.
Phil came up behind her, schooling his face into an appropriate expression.
"First of all, enough of this. It's my life on the line here and I don't appreciate people arguing over something I've never even been asked about. Secondly, what do you mean too old? I've met a vampire who was turned around the same age as I am now"
James smirked. "Obviously, he lied to you. That could only be true if he is lamia."
"Lamia?" Bonnie asked.
"Born a vampire," James said irritably.
Now Bonnie was mad. "No. He. Is. Not. Lamia." She wasn't sure if it was an anger formed from her illness or the fact that James was calling Damon a liar. Nobody knew what Damon was, but he was not a liar. Well, Bonnie considered, most of the time he wasn't. He might lie to protect himself but not when it was important.
"Look, Bonnie," Poppy said in a soothing voice, "forget what we are arguing about. We're offering you a chance to live. Do you want it?"
Bonnie sat down in a plastic chair and placed her head in her hands.
Phil knelt down in front of her and gripped her shoulders. "Bonnie?" he asked.
"No," she said softly.
"What?" Poppy yelled. "You can't actually mean that. Look, ignore James. It's a chance. How can you give up so easily?"
"It has absolutely nothing to do with giving up," Bonnie replied, looking up at her distant-cousin. "I want to live but I won't be turned like this."
Poppy stared at her. "Bonnie, there is only one way to do it."
James smiled in understanding. "You mean that neither Poppy or me would be your first choice."
"Buddy, neither of you even made the list."
"How many are on it?" Phil asked, partially taken back.
Bonnie smiled self-mockingly. "One."
"And does this person know?" James ventured cautiously.
"No."
"Well, ask." Poppy said.
"It's not that simple. It would be a betrayal of what he means to me."
Poppy cocked her head. "More than a friend?"
"Only for me," Bonnie said with a depressed sigh. "Look, I do appreciate you both coming down here to help me. And I'm very glad you survived, Poppy. But, honestly, this just doesn't feel right."
"But Bonnie-" Poppy began.
"It's finished, Poppy," James said soothingly. "The choice has been made."
TBC
"Oh, Bonnie. I've missed you so much!" Poppy cried into her shoulder.
Bonnie pushed back her younger cousin and smiled through her tears. Then she frowned once she realized a small problem with this whole meeting. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
Poppy turned to stare at the boy who was standing next to her. He nodded and moved forward to offer Bonnie his left hand.
"I'm sorry. Bonnie, this is my soulmate, James Rasmussen. He is the reason I'm alive today."
Bonnie took his hand, feeling mildly dazed. Soulmate? Then her psychic senses took hold of her and she narrowed her eyes at him, then at Poppy.
She smirked once she realized the irony of it all. "I can't believe this," she muttered.
Poppy was completely taken back. Phil was frowning.
James realized first, dropping her hand. "She knows about vampires," he said quietly.
"She does," Bonnie said with a self-satisfied smile.
Poppy stared at her in amazement. A grin slowly spread across her face. "Then we won't have to explain anything!"
"I've already told you the incredible risk she might be taking with this," James said, voice stern when he faced his soulmate.
Bonnie could see an old argument starting to rise between them.
"I don't care! You have no idea what it feels like to know you're going to die. I do. If given a choice of death or life, I'm sure she'd choose life."
"She's too old for it, Poppy," James said, not giving one inch.
"I think it would be worth the risk." Poppy's chin rose up, demonstrating the McCullough blood that came from her father's mother.
"Look-" James began, pointing a finger at his soulmate. Poppy was shaking with frustration and anger. Phil looked like he was about to laugh in disbelief; obviously, he had never seen them fight before. Bonnie was just getting a little annoyed about being the cause of an argument but not part of it.
"Enough!" Bonnie yelled. They both turned to stare at her.
Phil came up behind her, schooling his face into an appropriate expression.
"First of all, enough of this. It's my life on the line here and I don't appreciate people arguing over something I've never even been asked about. Secondly, what do you mean too old? I've met a vampire who was turned around the same age as I am now"
James smirked. "Obviously, he lied to you. That could only be true if he is lamia."
"Lamia?" Bonnie asked.
"Born a vampire," James said irritably.
Now Bonnie was mad. "No. He. Is. Not. Lamia." She wasn't sure if it was an anger formed from her illness or the fact that James was calling Damon a liar. Nobody knew what Damon was, but he was not a liar. Well, Bonnie considered, most of the time he wasn't. He might lie to protect himself but not when it was important.
"Look, Bonnie," Poppy said in a soothing voice, "forget what we are arguing about. We're offering you a chance to live. Do you want it?"
Bonnie sat down in a plastic chair and placed her head in her hands.
Phil knelt down in front of her and gripped her shoulders. "Bonnie?" he asked.
"No," she said softly.
"What?" Poppy yelled. "You can't actually mean that. Look, ignore James. It's a chance. How can you give up so easily?"
"It has absolutely nothing to do with giving up," Bonnie replied, looking up at her distant-cousin. "I want to live but I won't be turned like this."
Poppy stared at her. "Bonnie, there is only one way to do it."
James smiled in understanding. "You mean that neither Poppy or me would be your first choice."
"Buddy, neither of you even made the list."
"How many are on it?" Phil asked, partially taken back.
Bonnie smiled self-mockingly. "One."
"And does this person know?" James ventured cautiously.
"No."
"Well, ask." Poppy said.
"It's not that simple. It would be a betrayal of what he means to me."
Poppy cocked her head. "More than a friend?"
"Only for me," Bonnie said with a depressed sigh. "Look, I do appreciate you both coming down here to help me. And I'm very glad you survived, Poppy. But, honestly, this just doesn't feel right."
"But Bonnie-" Poppy began.
"It's finished, Poppy," James said soothingly. "The choice has been made."
TBC