Back in Fells' Church Matt had just begun to calm down and think about going home when his cell phone rang. A couple of minutes later he went pale.
"My wife was in the car, she was on her way to the airport! Oh my god, oh my god! No, she hasn't rung me. Yes of course I'll ring if I receive any news. Thank you"
He hung up and turned to Stefan and Elena, "They found the car, it crashed on the slip to the freeway into the barrier. Bonnie wasn't in it when they found it." The tears were threatening to well up again, Stefan got up and took his car keys from the side. "Elena, stay here with Matt I'll go look, she might be trying to hitch a lift or something. Call me if you here anything." Stefan didn't think he'd be able to cope with more tears from Matt and Bonnies' behaviour had become increasingly alarming and out of character. How would she be able to get to the airport now? He didn't think that she would hitchhike but then again she might, he just didn't know. Equally he wished that Meredith wasn't away with Alaric right now, he liked her ability to think calmly and rationally in any situation.
Of course! Stefan rushed back inside to his room where Matt was on his cell phone. "He's trying to call Bonnie but her cell's switched off" said Elena, guessing Stefan's reason for bursting in. Matt shook his head and shut his phone. "I've left a message for her to ring me urgently. God I hope she's okay."
Stefan nodded and turned to leave when he saw Mrs Flowers on the landing. "I'm sorry if we disturbed you Mrs Flowers, one of my friends has gone missing." The old lady nodded and just as Stefan started down the stairs she called after him "she'll be okay Boy, your brother made sure she got to the airport safely." Stefan stopped dead, Elena and Matt came out of the room, both shocked. "She just needs some time to make a decision. It's not going to be easy though the poor dear," she said to Matt, although the last part was said almost to herself.
"Well, goodnight and try and get some rest," with that she walked down stairs without any further explanation.
"How would Damon know?" asked Elena, Stefan shook his head Matt just looked glumly from one to the other, then realisation dawned. "He was there wasn't he, when she left me. He couldn't have Elena and then when he helped us to fight Klaus he discovered Bonnies' powers had developed. But she was with me so he couldn't have her then and now she's left me he's seen an opportunity," Elena grabbed his arm look desperately between the two boys. Not now, please she sent silently to Stefan but he shook his head slowly at her.
The unmistakable sound of a Ferrari engine came from outside and before she could stop them, Matt and Stefan rushed outside leaving Elena to grab a bath robe and follow in their wake.
Damon got out of the car and grinned at Stefan and Matt who were standing on the porch, muscles tensed ready for a fight. "A welcoming committee, well isn't this nice. Hello Elena, there's really no need to put the robe on. I much prefer you without it, especially under that light." Stefan leapt at his brother followed two seconds later by Matt as Elena hastily pulled the robe shut around her. Matt got brushed away like an annoying fly as Damon took hold of his brother with both hands and threw him back onto the porch with a snarl. "What have you done with my wife?! If you've even so much as hurt a hair in head…"
" You'll what? You stupid little human, you have no idea what you're dealing with . She was out of your class anyway," "just stop it! All of you just stop it!" yelled Elena.
"Damon, what have you done with Bonnie?" she asked as she bent down to see if Matt was alright. "I haven't done anything with her. I saw her leaving so I decided to follow and when after she crashed I took her to the airport. She asked me to let you know that she was okay but perhaps I shouldn't have done if this is the thanks I get, especially from you, brother," he snarled.
Damon opened his car door but Elena ran towards him, "Wait! Damon, please. We're sorry, we're just worried about Bonnie. Did she say where she was going or when she'd be back?" Damon flashed his million watt smile at Elena that made most girls go weak at the knees. "Since you asked so nicely I'll tell you. Scotland and no she didn't say when she would be back. I didn't ask," and with a knowing look at Stefan who was glowering on the porch, "is there a reward perhaps, for the information?" He reached towards Elena's robe but she slapped him away and stepped backwards holding a hand up to warn Stefan not to react.
"I'll take that as no then and bid you goodnight fair lady." With a small bow he disappeared into his car and sped off, leaving Elena relieved.
"Do you believe him?" asked Matt as he got up, Stefan nodded. "my brother may be a lot of things but he's not liar. I guess we just have to wait and see now, I'll give you a lift home" Matt nodded.
Later on, after Stefan had returned, he sat on the edge of the bed and said to Elena "Damon's not telling us everything. There's more to it than that, I'm sure of it." Elena sat up in bed and put her head on Stefan's shoulder, "what was it Mrs Flowers said about a decision that Bonnie had to make? Do you think Damon's' got anything to do with that?" Stefan kissed the top of her head tenderly and put an arm around her, "oh love I don't know what to think right now, except you look beautiful even when you're sleepy." Elena raised her head and smiled at him, Stefan turned and kissed her full on the lips, pushing her to the bed.
It had been a long flight to Washington and an even longer flight to London where Bonnie had been able to book herself into a Travelodge at Heathrow airport with some of the money that she saved, instead of sleeping in the departure lounge all night until her flight left for Inverness the next morning. After a quick bath she felt quite relaxed for the first time since she left Fell's Church the day before, she took a piece of paper from her purse and dialled her Gran to let her know of her visit, but since no one was home she left a message and fell into an exhausted slumber.
Her flight to Inverness the next morning took her 2 and half hours and over the Cairngorm mountains, they reminded her of home and she immediately felt guilty about the way she left Matt and not telling him the whole truth. She knew that her Gran would be able to help her, after all she was a witch as well and someone she could talk to who would understand more than most what she was going through. Bonnie stepped out of the aircraft to bright, cold sunshine and as she walked towards the airport she saw her Gran waving to her. She was so relieved to see her that she ran into the terminal and threw herself into her Gran's arms.
"Och now pet! What's all this?! Are things that bad?" Bonnie just nodded and buried her head into the older woman's shoulders. The resemblance between the two women was very noticeable. Bonnies' hair and heart shape face was from the Scottish side of the family, but her height was from her mothers' side who were all short men.
They collected Bonnies' luggage from the carousel and put in the back of her Grans' muddy landrover. The drive took four hours through miles of heath with not another soul in sight except for the occasional glimpses of deer and once Bonnie spotted a couple of highland ponies from a herd that was allowed to roam free and wild.
Along the way Bonnie told her Gran about everything that had happened to her since she had seen her last summer, including Stefan, Damon and what happened to Elena and her new found powers.
By the time she had finished her story they were halfway up the dirt track that lead to the house. "Well you're up to your neck in it lass, there's no denying it. But you're welcome to stay for as long as you want, it'll be nice to have a wee bit of company for a change and but we're going to need to learn about these powers of yours, especially if you've got vampires running round after you. Right, out we get, we walk from here on." At the end of the track was an abandoned village, or what was left of it. There were cottages with chimneys and no roofs, some buildings had corrugated iron roof and some had only two or three walls as they had either fallen down or the bricks reused over the centuries. Bonnie got out of the car and just stared at the breath taking scenery before her, the village stood on a rocky outcrop of land on the north west coast of Scotland and as the sun was slowly setting she looked across the sea at the many small islands dotted around and the large pointed mountains of Skye.
"Come on Lass, no time to stand there dithering there's another 40 minute walk yet." Bonnie turned around, startled out her day dreaming by her Gran's voice and then quickly ran after her Gran who had got her case out and was carrying it off at a fast pace. The walk took them over a granite path that ran alongside the sea but then turned right and made its way a bit further inland to where Tara McCullough's large Victorian house stood with the old stable block that was now used as a guesthouse for family and friends another 5 minutes walk away.
Bonnies' grandmother was 60 and a very active woman, she could certainly walk a lot faster than her granddaughter who was not used to the rugged Scottish terrain. Somehow Bonnie managed to keep up with her and was soon taking in the fresh air and the smell of the sea, it felt so different from Fells' Church, calmer and more peaceful, but at the same time there was still a strong power radiating from the rocks.
They soon arrived at her Grans' house and after she unpacked Bonnie went downstairs to eat the broth that her Gran had cooked on the range.
Over dinner Bonnie learnt the story of ColliGhille and how the remote villagers feared outsiders, then when the school teacher retired there was no one to take the classes anymore and so a teacher came from the outside. No one, not even the teacher knew that he had Tuberculosis for which there was no cure in those days, until he was dying. By that time it was too late and the whole village succumbed to tuberculosis and eventually died, the children were amongst the first.
"I had a dream the other night of children laughing and singing one minute and then the next crying and screaming" Bonnie shuddered.
"Aye, they ken you were coming Lass. You can here them on clear nights when you go down to the village, but they won't harm you. It's the Selkies you want to watch out for." Bonnie looked confused so her Gran explained.
"Selkies are the sea people, they're humans that have returned to the sea. They take the form of seals as long as they have their skins on, but sometimes on bright days, they take their skins off and become human."
"What do they do?" asked Bonnie who loved hearing about this sort of thing. "Well they're mainly just bonnie lasses who like to play in the sea. Many a man has tried to take a Selkie skin so that they would agree to become their wives, as they cannae go back to the sea if you have their skin. But you of all people have to be careful of the men folk, they are a lot like your vampire Damon from what you've told me. They are virtually irresistible and if you're foolish enough to cry seven teardrops into the sea at High tide then they will come and seek you out. If they take a fancy to you then they will take you back home with them." Bonnie looked a little startled by her Grans' seriousness. "I've got enough on my plate at the moment. I don't need anymore men complicating things," she said trying to keep the tone light.
The next morning Bonnie was up early as she couldn't sleep, so she decided to take a walk to the village, staying well away from the beach. As she was breathing in the brisk sea air she noticed a young woman come and stand next to her, gazing out to sea in the same direction as Bonnie. "'Tis a bonnie day is it not. I'm Ursilla and you are a McCullough I see." The young woman was about Bonnies' age with long golden brown hair and large black eyes. "Uh , hi, yeah. I'm Bonnie. I'm staying with my Gran Tara for a while. How do you know her?" Ursilla laughed, "ach, but everyone knows Tara, she has the sight and has a history going back to the Druids. Are ye here to learn the craft from her then Bonnie?" Bonnie nodded and hastily changed the subject. "What else is there to do around here? It's a really cool place, but I mean what would you do at night?" Ursilla laughed. "Och, the people round here usually have a wee dram down the Olde Inn which would be an hours drive from here. Myself, I don't go in for that sort of thing, I prefer to stay at home with the bairns."
"Oh, you have children? How old are they?" Bonnie didn't think she looked old enough to have children. "Four and Six, both boys. They've gone out in the boat with their father." Ursilla looked out to sea again, avoiding Bonnies' gaze.
Bonnie suddenly couldn't stop herself and found a string of words tumbling out of her mouth. "You've looked everywhere you can think of and it's not there. You can't go back home can you?" She put her hand over her mouth in shock but Ursilla smiled sadly at her. "Ay, you've the gift alright. 'Tis true, my husband has my skin, but he's probably destroyed it by now, I've searched all over the house for it and it's not there."
"The boat" Bonnie shut her eyes tightly against the words. "That's what Tara told me as well, but I cannae get access to it as he keeps the keys with him all the time, he hides them when he gets in and I dinnae ken where he puts them." Ursilla put her head in her hands and sighed.
"What about when he's drunk? Couldn't the keys be taken off him then?" a plan was forming in her mind but at the same time Bonnie felt that it wasn't her place to interfere. "No Bonnie, I have to look after the bairns while he goes to the pub, and his best friend Charlie Murray takes him there and brings him home. Charlie was there when Duncan stole my skin." Bonnie her arm around her new friend, she didn't know what else to do, except wish that Stefan and much to her annoyance Damon were here, they'd be able to help her.
"Look at me!" Ursilla exclaimed, trying to shake the sombre mood. "There's me being all mournful and keeping you from whatever you were doing. I'm sorry Bonnie."
"No! Really, I just came down to get some fresh air as I only arrived here yesterday and I'm still a bit tired. It's nice to find a friendly face round here." The girls smiled at each other. "Well you'd better go before your Gran thinks you've been swept out to sea and the bairns'll be back soon from their boat trip and I have to go cook dinner for them. I'll see you around Bonnie." With that Ursilla ran over the rocks to a small battered old car and sped off down the road, leaving Bonnie pondering on yet another supernatural mess that she was about to get herself into.