The Aftershock
(Summer Solstice)
2

Once again, I only own Neve! All the dedications remain the same and I will try and keep this one flowing!

Bonnie's In Love

Bonnie's eyes snapped open. Her room was dark and she couldn't see a thing - the wardrobe still positioned in front of her window. For instant she wondered whether her parents would wake up, but realised Damon had obviously sedated them pretty well. The alarm clock by her bed read: 12.30 p.m. and she blinked, wiping her eyes in disbelief. Surely not
"Bonnie? Are you awake?" Damon whispered, nuzzling her neck with his nose and smiling. Bonnie didn't reply, and she shut her eyes. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to be awake with him right now.
"Bonnie?" Damon rolled her over and he saw that she was still asleep (or so he thought). He smiled and looked down at her, brushing her auburn hair out of her face. "Bonnie…" he tried to wake her up, nudging her slightly. Bonnie felt her arms erupt in goose bumps as he rubbed her arm, affectionately, trying to wake her up. His hands were so warm…

"Come on you, I know you're up." Damon laughed, kissing her on the cheek. Bonnie screwed her face up but she still said nothing – did nothing – but lay there. Damon sighed and rolled off of her, lying next to her. "Are you okay?" he whispered, clutching her hand.
"Fine," Bonnie told him. It wasn't a lie – she'd never felt happier. But she missed the others…
"Damon…"
"Stefan can take care of himself for now. We'll leave for Italy tonight,"
"But Damon…" Bonnie breathed, sighing.
"What is it?" he asked, drawing up so close to her that their bodies were touching.

"I'm scared," she muttered, ashamed. Damon laughed, not in an evil way, or even an accusing way, just a normal laugh.
"Of Tyler Smallwood? His brain is in his pants!"
Bonnie giggled. "Yeah? And right now yours is too."

Damon frowned, but he blushed nevertheless. Bonnie wondered how old Damon actually was. She knew he wasn't older than twenty-two, but Stefan had never said.
"Twenty one," Damon smiled.
"W-What?"
"I'm twenty one." He told her, caressing her cheek with his middle finger, grinning like a kid.

"Oh," Bonnie sighed. "Damon, look, aren't you in the least bit suspicious of how Tyler could have single-handedly captured and kidnapped five people?"
Damon looked away from her face and frowned in thought. "I've thought about that."
"And?"
"And he's a werewolf. Who knows what he's capable of? He could've picked them up one by one or he got Stefan and then they gave up. I don't know Bonnie – I'm more concerned about what he's planning to do with them." He sighed. "But let's not worry about that right now. We can't do anything yet. We need our rest."
"Like we're going to get any rest!" Bonnie giggled, her cheeks pinking. Damon laughed and launched on her, clambering on top of her.


"Elena!" Tyler called, waving the girl over. The blonde girl's head looked up and she frowned, disgusted.
"What is it?" she growled, standing up – the chains connecting her ankles clinking as she did so.
"It's time for my massage." Tyler grinned, a sneer painted across his ugly face. Elena was almost sick but some form of magic forced her to walk forward and up to the other boy. She stood over him, appalled, and her hands shot out, automatically, ready to strangle him.
The woman sitting in the chair, with Meredith at her side, looked up at her and muttered a few words. The next instant, Elena's hands contorted from claws into a less threatening position and against her own will, her hands ducked beneath Tyler's shirt.
Elena moaned in protest and Caroline glared at the woman furiously. Meredith refused to acknowledge the woman – she didn't even look at her.

"Master Tyler?" The woman smiled.
"Mm?" Tyler shut his eyes and relaxed, Elena's hands calming him down. Elena wanted to wipe that smile off of his face, but she was bound with powers she couldn't describe.
"I was wondering whether I could have this girl as my assistant." She told him, pointing at Meredith. The black-haired girl turned cold and she frowned, bowing her head. Tyler's eyes snapped open and he glanced at Meredith, briefly, before waving a hand.
"Sure, whatever." The woman bowed as if she were a humble servant of a great king and plucked Meredith from the floor.
"Come child." She beckoned, directing Meredith into the adjoining room.


"Damon!" Bonnie moaned, giggling under the covers of her bed.
"Yes?" Damon teased. He got a slap for it, but he couldn't help but laugh. He'd never realised before how beautiful Bonnie was.
"Stop it! You know what I mean!" she laughed, kicking him. Damon grabbed hold of her and they rolled over so Bonnie was on top. Some how, Damon turned her kick into a little game of footsies and they lay there, one on top of the other, completely untouchable.

"Damon…"
"Mm?" he replied, watching her intently.
"D-Do you love me?" Bonnie asked, searching his eyes for even the slightest hint that he did.
Damon stiffened and looked away, making Bonnie feel disgusting and cheated.

"You don't," she finished. She got up off of him and crawled out of the bed, picking her slip off of the floor. She felt the tears fall down her face.
"I didn't say that!" Damon hissed, getting up out of bed.
"I can't believe I let myself get used like that…" Bonnie scolded herself, getting dressed again.
"Bonnie…"

Bonnie bent down and cried into her sleeve.
"Go away!" she cried, furious at him.
"Bonnie, I didn't say…"
"Leave me alone!" she screeched. Damon started to tremble, terrified and angry.
"Bonnie, don't… I do love you, I do…"

"You're just saying that! I can't believe I was so stupid! I should've realised the only person you love is yourself!"
"Bonnie!" Damon growled, furious. He was about to pounce on her, when his eyes snapped to the leather jacket, black shirt and jeans in Bonnie's hands. He looked around the floor and realised that his boxers were somewhere in that mound too.
"What are you going to do with them?" he sneered. "You're toying with me – aren't you? You don't want me to put my clothes on again. You love my body too much." He laughed. Bonnie felt sick and she flung his clothes at him.

"I wish I'd never -" she ran to her door and unlocked it, pulling it open and running downstairs crying.
Damon rolled his eyes and started to put his clothes back on. He didn't know how he felt. He thought he was furious with her but he just loved her even more. Because he did love her, and he wished he'd told her.


"Your name is Meredith, no?" the woman asked, sitting down next to Meredith on the floor. The girl shied away, not wanting to talk.
"My name is Neve. Neve…"
"I know who you are." Meredith spat, furious. "You were my grandfather's first wife."
Neve nodded and stroked Meredith's long black hair with her fingertips. "That is correct." She agreed. "I am also your grandmother."
"That's a lie! My grandmother was called Claudia Portman. She married my granddad and then they had my dad! You're lying!"
"Don't be stupid, child. Look at me!" Meredith, despite her efforts, was forced to look at Neve. The woman looked in her late twenties so how she could be her grandmother, she didn't know!

"Look at our hair, child, this is the hair of the Armani's – the most powerful family of witches on Earth! Your father has this family trait - we all have it. I married your grandfather to get back at that snivelling husband of mine. I know it was bigamy but I suppose I loved your grandfather, too. I had your father and then I gave him to your grandfather. I faked my own death and left. After a while, your grandfather remarried this 'Claudia' you speak of and I moved back to Transylvania.
"Over the years, my husband and I had been on silent terms. We moved back to Germany, my husband's hometown. He was always busy with this apprentice of his. A beautiful girl name Katherine…"

Meredith froze and stared at Neve, unbelieving. "Y-You was married to K-Klaus?"
"That is correct." Neve nodded. "And then what happens? Katherine kills him! Got too evil for her own good. I wasn't too upset. Katherine moved away, Klaus was revived and he was alive again. He is one of the Old Ones after all. He…he then left me.
"Years passed. He came back to me one day and I told him I had another husband and a son in America. He was furious. He asked the name of my other husband and I told him. I warned him that he was now an old man and my son was grown up with a daughter – you. I also told him he'd remarried, but nothing stopped him. That was not that long ago."

"But you are still young. I don't understand…"
"I am a vampire, child. It is in your blood, too. I learned magic from my mother and Klaus - I was far better at it than he. He learnt powers for fighting, I for binding and healing. There is no magic I do not know. After I married Klaus he made me a vampire, whereupon he began to teach me how to 'thrive in the darkness'. Child you are my granddaughter, you are an Armani witch."
"And a vampire too." Meredith frowned, sick.
"Not quite. Over the years your blood has been somewhat diluted. You no longer have any vampire traits or instincts. You are human more-or-less. Otherwise you are only half-vampire. Unless…"
"Unless what?"
"Unless you are reinstated." Neve muttered, turning away.

"No thanks." Meredith frowned. Klaus had almost killed her grandfather – almost killed her. Did he know, the night of the Summer Solstice that it was, in some form, his grand daughter in the clearing? I am the step-granddaughter of an Old One.
"That is correct, child. As I am a vampire I cannot have children with a mortal. I was already pregnant with your father. You are not a Sulez." Neve spoke, reading her mind.
"Oh my God…" Meredith breathed. "Klaus is my… my real grandfather?"
Neve nodded. Meredith let out a moan and collapsed in her grandmother's arms.


"Have you calmed down yet?" Damon asked, his eyes fixed on the road. Bonnie didn't reply, she just sat there – her face blank.
"Bonnie, please! I do love you, okay? I'm not just saying that. I swear!" Damon begged, furious that he was being made to feel like he was weaker. Damon hated many things but mostly he hated feeling weak.
"Bonnie…"
"Damon I don't want to talk about it. The sooner we get to Florence, the better."
"We'll be on a plane together for about twelve hours – we can talk then."
"Whatever," Bonnie frowned. Damon sighed and took a right turning. They'd been in the car for about an hour already and Bonnie hadn't spoken at all on the way down. Now they were nearing the airport, Damon was getting nervous.

"Two tickets to Florence please." Damon told the woman behind the desk, handing over his credit card.
"Will you be returning?" she asked, politely. Damon looked over at Bonnie minding the bags and nodded.
"Yes we will be."
"Your passports please." Damon handed them over. It was annoying for him to keep getting a new passport. His photo was always the same but he had to get one every year, from a different place. It was like a routine he had to do. He never went to the same airline twice.
"Your lucky, you had the last tickets. Your flight will be leaving soon." The woman handed over the passports and the tickets, swiping Damon's card and handing it over.
"Enjoy your holiday." She smiled.
"Thank you." Damon replied, putting on a grin. As he looked around, he saw that Bonnie had gone.


"Think hard, child. Think about what you want it to do and how. It's simple. Let your mind flow." Meredith hadn't wanted to do these stupid magic lessons but Neve was making her. It was better than giving Tyler back rubs though, so she tried her hardest. She kept thinking over and over that this was Bonnie's thing – not hers.

The sword that was mounted on the wall finally dislodged and drifted into Meredith's hands.
"Very good control." Neve complimented. Meredith looked the sword up and down and saw that it had 'Salvatore' engraved in the handle.
"This was Stefan's father's sword." She noted, sighing.
"Stefan Salvatore? He is a good boy, child, I not know why young Tyler try to hurt him so." Neve sighed. "His brother – not so good – but times change."

"Why are you helping Tyler?" Meredith finally blurted out.
"Because, child, a woman wants to see her granddaughter after fifty years of being apart from her and her father. Also because Master Tyler is determined to bring Klaus back."
"What?" Meredith whispered, turning cold.
"He claims he has not become a full werewolf and wants to know how to harness his powers. Klaus is the only one who can help him, he says. I, for one, want Klaus to see you. He will be so proud…"
"No, grandma, I will not meet him." Meredith scowled. If she saw Klaus she would kill him, or if not he would kill her.
"It makes my heart bleed to hear you say that," Neve sighed, going out into the other room, where Neve had used her magic to command Elena and Caroline to lap-dance for Tyler.

"Grandma?"
"Yes?"
"Don't hurt my friends," Meredith pleaded.
"I am sorry, child. I have to do what young Tyler says or he will hurt you all. Understand that."
"But he's just using them to get his… his…"
"Pleasures?"
"Exactly."

"Child it is a distraction. Not to mention a way to get back at young Salvatore and his companion, Matt. The real ritual is what is happening in the Salvatore tomb. It is evil, child, you must never stray from this house. Promise me."
"I promise." Meredith didn't have to lie – she didn't want to go out there even if it meant being a coward. Stefan and Matt were safe, they weren't being tortured – they had each other. Who did she have? A family she didn't want.


"What are you playing at? I thought I'd lost you!" Damon scowled, standing next to Bonnie. She was too busy putting nickels in a machine to answer.
"Bonnie!" Damon's eyes spun to what Bonnie was trying to retrieve from the machine and his mouth gathered into an 'o' shape.
"So I'm forgiven then, am I?" he asked, smiling. Bonnie retrieved the small packet and waved it in front of his nose.
"We'll wait and see." She grinned. Damon followed her, suddenly depressed.
"Bonnie you shouldn't have bought those – there's no point."
"Why not?"
"I can't… I can't – you know – do that."
"What?"
"That!" Damon hissed, as if it was so blatantly obvious what he meant. Bonnie stared at him for a while, not understanding.
"Oh forget it! I'll explain later!" he frowned, folding his arms.
"Let's go – we have to go through passport control and luggage. Come on." Bonnie linked his arm and led him off in the direction of their flight.


"So tell me. You can't what?" Bonnie asked, sitting back into her seat, smiling at Damon. They'd gotten onto the plane okay, and for once Bonnie wasn't feeling sick. It must be the vampire blood in my veins, she thought. Normally on flights she'd be sick but not this time.
Damon sighed and turned to her.
"I can't have kids." He whispered. "And that's the polite way of putting it." He frowned, looking around to make sure no one had heard. He couldn't have told her through his mind – he hadn't fed in ages and if he used his powers then it would be suicide.

"But you did this morning." Bonnie told him, confused.
Damon shook his head. "No I didn't."
"Yes you did!" Bonnie hissed, punching him on the arm.

"Can I get you anything, sir?" an airhostess had appeared out of nowhere at Damon's side. She smiled, pulling her trolley after her.
"No thanks. Bonnie, do you want anything?"
"Can I have a bottle of water please?" She asked, handing over the exact amount of money. The woman smiled and handed a bottle of water over.
"Thank you." The woman smiled and moved on down the aisle.

"Bonnie…"
"You can, Damon. I know you can, I…" Bonnie coughed and bowed her head.
She mumbled so quietly that Damon couldn't even hear. Now that the blood in his veins was slowly drying up, his skills were going too. Now he had the ears of a normal human.
"What did you say?"
Bonnie mumbled it again.
"What?"
"I FELT IT!" She shrieked, furious. Her face was bright pink and Damon sat back, embarrassed. All eyes were facing in their direction. Bonnie bowed her head and took a sip of her drink.
"Well, at least you heard that." She mumbled.