Chapter 9
Nick sat up, still half asleep. A persistent knocking at his door had roused him from a dream of racing and sports cars. He straightened his pajama pants as he climbed from the sofa bed and walked to answer the door. He yawned and raked a lazy hand through his spikey dark brown hair. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he opened the door and yawned again. He was surprised to see Bonnie standing there with her arms wrapped around herself. She looked very troubled, "Bon, what's wrong?" His brow furrowed as he walked her inside and put his arm around her shoulders.
He hadn't been in fell's Church for too long, a little around a year. Bonnie had been a great comfort to him from the first moment he had met her...
New Salem had grown unbearable. Adam and Cassie had began plans for their wedding. He couldn't understand why Diana was so willing to help with the arangements. He could only guess that she was a far better person than he was. New Salem just seemed to be suffocating him every waking moment of every day. So when a friend from college told him about a job possiblity in Virginia, he was anxious to get that chance. His bags were packed before the coven ever knew about his ache to be gone. Even when Erik told him that the job was to start their own shop, Nick was ready to go. He knew it was a finacial risk, but it was one he was willing to take.
He and Erik packed up his car and drove to a place called Fells Church. Erik had taken out a loan back in New Salem and with that money they opened up shop. With a little work, they turned the reposesed garage they bought into a custom body shop. In the eight months they were set up and open they became very popular with the customers. People would come from several cities over to get body damage repaired or to have a custom adjustment made to their vehicle.
Erik eventually got his own place out in town while Nick stayed in the apartment above the shop. He gradually became more of a silent partner and Nick was okay with it. This way Nick could hire his own employees and run things the way he wanted. He was sure that Erik wouldn't have any problems with the way he ran things, but all the same he liked it better when it was his show to run.
The apartment above the shop was meagerly furnished. His bed was a fold- out couch-bed. He used the actual bed room as storage for various personal things and car parts. His kitchen table was something he had rescued from a curbside as were the two mismatched chairs that were pushed up to it. The washer, dryer, stove, and refrigerator were fixer-upers that had been left in the apartment. His TV, VCR, and DVD player were all bought at a pawn shop. His microwave was acquired for a decent price at a yard sale. He wasn't living the high life, but it was comfortable living.
He had first met Bonnie when she brought her beetle in; the paint was bubbling up due to a bad paint job at the factory. It was an easy fix, it would only take him a day to get it all done. When she came back the next day to pick up her car he decided he had to make his move. He asked her out on a date. He figured it was worth a shot. The worst she could do was say no. He was determined not to turn Fells Church into New Salem.
They had only been together for a week or two when she told him that she was researching her druid roots. So, of course he confessed his wiccan ways. He offered to teach her what he knew and she eagerly accepted his offer. After another three weeks he discovered another secret of Bonnie's. Evidently Bonnie kept unusual company; she had vampires for friends. Nick found out completely on accident. He had walked in on a conversation between Bonnie and Stefan. He had heard far too much for either of them to explain their way out of the truth. Somehow Nick was fine with this bit of news. Perhaps it was because wicca had taught him to be open-minded to the fact that most everything was possible. Perhaps it was somehting else. Either way he assured them that the secret was safe with him.
It had grown close to a year since he had first arrived in Fells Church. Everything was great for him. Nick had been drawn into Bonnie's circle of friends with open arms. It had come to feel more like home than New Salem ever had. He was glad for that. The last thing he wanted was to move away from one place that made him miserable and move to another place that was just as bad.
"It's happening again," she frowned as she walked over and sat on the edge of the couch bed. Her brown eyes were dim with worry.
He sat down next to her and put his arm back around her shoulders, "What's happening?"
"The killings," she fought back a sob. "When Stefan and Damon first came here they were followed by two other vampires. They started killing and Stefan was blamed for it all. It was horrible.
"Yesterday, someone was found dead on the roadside in front of the cemetary. The news and the police say it was a hit and run. I know it wasn't, Nick. I just know it wasn't. Then, earlier tonight someone was killed at a dance club. It's all over the news. They said it looked kind of like a dog had mauled her throat. How would a dog get into a club and no one see it? It's happening again." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked to him for an answer. His heart ached when she looked at him like that.
"Have you told Stefan?"
Bonnie looked down as she was wringing her hands together. "About the first one. I told him that I thought it might have been Damon. He seemed a bit distant when I told him. I am begining to have my doubts about my first assumption. I don't think he would feed in front of so many people. He takes risks, but nothing that would put him under that much exposure."
Nick was begining to feel in over his head, "Do you think that maybe the other two are back?"
She shook her head and wiped away a few tears, "We killed both Katherine and Klaus. They can't come back."
With that said, Nick remembered everything the coven had gone through with Black John. He felt horrible for Bonnie and her friends. From the sounds of it, they had their own Black John...times two. If Black John had come back once, could vampires do the same? He hoped not.
In a way it almost seemed that bad luck was following him. Just when he thought he had escaped, everything was catching up with him. He had never told her why he left New Salem, what had happened, and what he had left behind. He was begining to wish he had. "I think we should tell Stefan," his voice interupted his own gloomy thoughts. Could he really have brought misfortune with him? Were the gods punishing him? Was it all in his mind?
Bonnie nodded, "You're right, he'll know what to do." She leaned against him for comfort. "It's just so scary to see this all happening all over again. I'm glad you're here."
Nick kissed her forehead before he stood up. "I'll call Stefan. You sit here and try to calm down. Stressing yourself isn't good." He smiled at Bonnie and went to the kitchen. Nick grabbed a t-shirt from atop the dryer and pulled it on. He lifted the phone from it's cradle on the wall next to the dryer and dialed Stefan's number. It rang four times before Stefan picked up the phone, he sounded wide awake. Nick was almost surprised, but that faded.
"Hey man, we need to get together and talk."
"About what?"
Nick rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced, "Well, Bon seems to think the past is coming back to haunt you." Silence came from Stefan's end of the line so Nick continued. "She told me about the first time you came here. She said you were blamed for a bunch of killings. She said there was a murder at a night club earlier tonight...er...last night rather. She thinks these two recent killings tie into the original ones somehow." For some reason he felt awful saying this.
"Yes," Stefan said. "She told me that she thought my brother had some- Wait a second, there was another murder?"
Nick nodded, "That's why we need to talk. This is really eating away at Bonnie."
"I'll be right over."
Nick sat up, still half asleep. A persistent knocking at his door had roused him from a dream of racing and sports cars. He straightened his pajama pants as he climbed from the sofa bed and walked to answer the door. He yawned and raked a lazy hand through his spikey dark brown hair. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he opened the door and yawned again. He was surprised to see Bonnie standing there with her arms wrapped around herself. She looked very troubled, "Bon, what's wrong?" His brow furrowed as he walked her inside and put his arm around her shoulders.
He hadn't been in fell's Church for too long, a little around a year. Bonnie had been a great comfort to him from the first moment he had met her...
New Salem had grown unbearable. Adam and Cassie had began plans for their wedding. He couldn't understand why Diana was so willing to help with the arangements. He could only guess that she was a far better person than he was. New Salem just seemed to be suffocating him every waking moment of every day. So when a friend from college told him about a job possiblity in Virginia, he was anxious to get that chance. His bags were packed before the coven ever knew about his ache to be gone. Even when Erik told him that the job was to start their own shop, Nick was ready to go. He knew it was a finacial risk, but it was one he was willing to take.
He and Erik packed up his car and drove to a place called Fells Church. Erik had taken out a loan back in New Salem and with that money they opened up shop. With a little work, they turned the reposesed garage they bought into a custom body shop. In the eight months they were set up and open they became very popular with the customers. People would come from several cities over to get body damage repaired or to have a custom adjustment made to their vehicle.
Erik eventually got his own place out in town while Nick stayed in the apartment above the shop. He gradually became more of a silent partner and Nick was okay with it. This way Nick could hire his own employees and run things the way he wanted. He was sure that Erik wouldn't have any problems with the way he ran things, but all the same he liked it better when it was his show to run.
The apartment above the shop was meagerly furnished. His bed was a fold- out couch-bed. He used the actual bed room as storage for various personal things and car parts. His kitchen table was something he had rescued from a curbside as were the two mismatched chairs that were pushed up to it. The washer, dryer, stove, and refrigerator were fixer-upers that had been left in the apartment. His TV, VCR, and DVD player were all bought at a pawn shop. His microwave was acquired for a decent price at a yard sale. He wasn't living the high life, but it was comfortable living.
He had first met Bonnie when she brought her beetle in; the paint was bubbling up due to a bad paint job at the factory. It was an easy fix, it would only take him a day to get it all done. When she came back the next day to pick up her car he decided he had to make his move. He asked her out on a date. He figured it was worth a shot. The worst she could do was say no. He was determined not to turn Fells Church into New Salem.
They had only been together for a week or two when she told him that she was researching her druid roots. So, of course he confessed his wiccan ways. He offered to teach her what he knew and she eagerly accepted his offer. After another three weeks he discovered another secret of Bonnie's. Evidently Bonnie kept unusual company; she had vampires for friends. Nick found out completely on accident. He had walked in on a conversation between Bonnie and Stefan. He had heard far too much for either of them to explain their way out of the truth. Somehow Nick was fine with this bit of news. Perhaps it was because wicca had taught him to be open-minded to the fact that most everything was possible. Perhaps it was somehting else. Either way he assured them that the secret was safe with him.
It had grown close to a year since he had first arrived in Fells Church. Everything was great for him. Nick had been drawn into Bonnie's circle of friends with open arms. It had come to feel more like home than New Salem ever had. He was glad for that. The last thing he wanted was to move away from one place that made him miserable and move to another place that was just as bad.
"It's happening again," she frowned as she walked over and sat on the edge of the couch bed. Her brown eyes were dim with worry.
He sat down next to her and put his arm back around her shoulders, "What's happening?"
"The killings," she fought back a sob. "When Stefan and Damon first came here they were followed by two other vampires. They started killing and Stefan was blamed for it all. It was horrible.
"Yesterday, someone was found dead on the roadside in front of the cemetary. The news and the police say it was a hit and run. I know it wasn't, Nick. I just know it wasn't. Then, earlier tonight someone was killed at a dance club. It's all over the news. They said it looked kind of like a dog had mauled her throat. How would a dog get into a club and no one see it? It's happening again." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she looked to him for an answer. His heart ached when she looked at him like that.
"Have you told Stefan?"
Bonnie looked down as she was wringing her hands together. "About the first one. I told him that I thought it might have been Damon. He seemed a bit distant when I told him. I am begining to have my doubts about my first assumption. I don't think he would feed in front of so many people. He takes risks, but nothing that would put him under that much exposure."
Nick was begining to feel in over his head, "Do you think that maybe the other two are back?"
She shook her head and wiped away a few tears, "We killed both Katherine and Klaus. They can't come back."
With that said, Nick remembered everything the coven had gone through with Black John. He felt horrible for Bonnie and her friends. From the sounds of it, they had their own Black John...times two. If Black John had come back once, could vampires do the same? He hoped not.
In a way it almost seemed that bad luck was following him. Just when he thought he had escaped, everything was catching up with him. He had never told her why he left New Salem, what had happened, and what he had left behind. He was begining to wish he had. "I think we should tell Stefan," his voice interupted his own gloomy thoughts. Could he really have brought misfortune with him? Were the gods punishing him? Was it all in his mind?
Bonnie nodded, "You're right, he'll know what to do." She leaned against him for comfort. "It's just so scary to see this all happening all over again. I'm glad you're here."
Nick kissed her forehead before he stood up. "I'll call Stefan. You sit here and try to calm down. Stressing yourself isn't good." He smiled at Bonnie and went to the kitchen. Nick grabbed a t-shirt from atop the dryer and pulled it on. He lifted the phone from it's cradle on the wall next to the dryer and dialed Stefan's number. It rang four times before Stefan picked up the phone, he sounded wide awake. Nick was almost surprised, but that faded.
"Hey man, we need to get together and talk."
"About what?"
Nick rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced, "Well, Bon seems to think the past is coming back to haunt you." Silence came from Stefan's end of the line so Nick continued. "She told me about the first time you came here. She said you were blamed for a bunch of killings. She said there was a murder at a night club earlier tonight...er...last night rather. She thinks these two recent killings tie into the original ones somehow." For some reason he felt awful saying this.
"Yes," Stefan said. "She told me that she thought my brother had some- Wait a second, there was another murder?"
Nick nodded, "That's why we need to talk. This is really eating away at Bonnie."
"I'll be right over."
