a/n: So this is by far my favorite chapter I've written so far. I finished my summer class about a week ago so I should be able to update at least once a week, maybe more often. I hope you enjoy! And please review!

Chapter 5 The Fortune Teller

With a wicked pack of cards, Here, said she,
Is your card… the lady of situations.
-The Wasteland by T. S. Eliot

That night, she dreamed of him. It wasn't the calm, loving dreams she remembered having only months ago. These dreams were full blown nightmares that threatened to break her entire core. Every time she looked into his eyes, she could only see the intense hunger that consumed him. This wasn't the Stefan she had once loved. This being was much more demonic, and far scarier. And every time she woke up from those horrible nightmares, she was drenched in sweet and confined in a feeling of helplessness.

Slowly, Elena pulled herself from the tangle of bed sheets she was smothered by and looked toward her window. To her surprise, Damon stood there. He didn't move when she stood up, but instead, continued staring out into the expanse of night that was before him.

For a few minutes, Elena stood and took in his utter beauty. The moonlight streaked his dark hair and made glints of a bluish-silver appear. His eyes, the ones that looked so longingly into the night, carried such concern that it took Elena's breath away. She knew it was her duty to help save Stefan, he had been the one she had loved for so long, but her entire reason for staying was founded on the boy standing in front of her. Amidst all the pain and chaos her life had become, he had never lied or hurt her. And it was in that security that she found complete and utter peace.

"What are you thinking about?" she finally whispered.

"Nothing about this feels right," Damon shrugged as his eyes finally turned to Elena. "The news should be covered with stories about deaths and disappearances of town members. What's going on? Why hasn't he attacked anyone?"

"I don't know." Elena shook her head. "Maybe he's stronger than we've given him credit for."

"Or maybe the person who has him is waiting for the perfect time to attack."

Elena fell quiet at that. She wasn't good at comforting this vampire brother. All of her expertise rested in her knowledge of Stefan. She did the only thing she really knew how to do and walked over to Damon and wrapped him in her arms.

"All of this will work out in the end," she said softly. "We'll get Stefan back."

She felt Damon's grasp on her loosen and in only seconds he pulled away from her.

"And then you go back to him, right?" Damon asked. He didn't sound angry, just hurt. "He gets out of this blood craze he's on and you see the person he's meant to be. You remember how much you love him and everything goes back to normal. A twisted fairy tale, right?"

Elena had to stop herself from punching Damon in the face. Could he really be that ignorant?

"I'm not going back to Stefan," she snapped. "I don't love him anymore."

She had never said those words out loud to anyone. Now, she felt as if saying those words made her thoughts truer. She no longer doubted her feelings of Stefan. She knew exactly how she felt toward him and those feelings were no longer enough.

"Then what is that supposed to mean?" Damon finally asked.

"I want to be with you."

Damon nodded, but remained relatively quiet for a few minutes. "You need to go to sleep Elena. We have a long day tomorrow."

Part of Elena wanted to continue the conversation now, but another part was too tired to argue. She walked back over to her bed and sat down on the covers. Instead of sleeping, she just sat there and watched Damon as he gazed into the night. Finally, tiredness claimed her being and she fell into a more restful sleep.

When Elena woke up the next morning, Damon was no where in sight. Instead, she found a note on her dresser that told her to meet him downstairs. With the anxiety of this whole mess on her mind, she quickly took a shower and got dressed. Only when she descended the stairs did she realize how quiet her house was.

The kitchen was empty except for Damon. He stood at the island and offered Elena a smile.

"Where is everyone at?" Elena asked as she took an apple from nearby.

"Jeremy and Anna have been scouting the area and asking people if they've seen Stefan recently. If they find anything, they're supposed to call my cell phone. And Alaric took Jenna to his place for a nice, romantic getaway. He knew that it would be safe from vampire attacks."

Elena nodded. That plan sounded perfect. "And what is our job going to be?"

"We're going to visit Bonnie."

At that, Elena frowned. "She made it pretty clear the last time we talked that she wasn't going to help me."

"She's all we have right now," Damon shrugged. "And she'll listen to you."

Elena shook her head. "I doubt that." But then she shrugged too. "I'll try Damon, but I'm not promising anything." Then, she arched an eyebrow. "What do you want me to talk to her about?"

"I want her to track Stefan."

Elena's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"Tracking is one of the easier tricks a witch can do," Damon smiled. "I'm sure she'll be willing to track Stefan so he can be staked in the heart. We just need to make sure to get to him before she does."

Slowly, Elena nodded. "I'm sure she'll need something of Stefan's."

"I already have it," Damon replied as he pulled a silver chain from his pocket. "He hasn't worn this in a while, but it should still work."

Elena offered him a weak smile. "Then let's go."

"You want me to do what?" Bonnie snapped for what felt like the thousandth time. Elena's patience was growing painstakingly thin.

"You want this thing with Stefan to end? Track him."

Bonnie's gaze lingered on Damon. "I made it perfectly clear how I feel about him Elena."

"Then a truce," Damon shrugged as he leaned against the door frame. "I vow to not spill a drop of innocent blood or your full wrath can descend upon me."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes. "You have no idea what my full wrath is capable of." Then, she stretched out of her hand. "Truce."

A smirk crossed Damon's lips as he shook her offered hand. As he let go of her, he motioned inside. "May we enter?"

"If you must." Bonnie retreated into her house, but left the door open for Elena and Damon to enter. Damon gave the area a quick sweep to make sure no one was spying on them before he closed the door behind him.

Bonnie led them through the house and up to what Damon decided was her room. The walls were painted a light lavender and white covered her bed. The floors were hardwood and had slight remnants of chalk on their surface. Damon wasn't completely sure what to expect, but he knew he'd never see anything like this again.

While Damon and Elena stood there, Bonnie drew a triangle with chalk on her floor. Damon didn't know much about magic, but knew that the number three was important to white witches. He also saw Bonnie grab three lavender candles and place them at the tips of the triangle. She muttered something in a language Damon didn't understand and the candles almost instantly sprung to life.

"Come and stand on one of the legs of the triangle," Bonnie ordered as she took her place on one of the sides. "You do have something of Stefan's, right?"

Damon moved then and took the silver chain from his pocket. He handed it to Bonnie and she quickly placed it in the center of the circle. Then she held her hands out and waited for Damon and Elena to follow.

Apprehensively, Damon joined hands with Elena and Bonnie. He had never completely trusted this witch, and now, his suspicions were growing. He had seen a few tracking spells performed before, but he had never seen one quite like this one.

Bonnie then closed her eyes and muttered more foreign words. Damon wasn't sure what to do so he closed his eyes too and listened to Bonnie's monologue.

The power that skimmed across the surface of the triangle made Damon want to back up. It wasn't what he was used to and he almost felt like the power was attacking him. He shuffled his feet before his hand received a harsh squeeze from Bonnie.

Resigned, Damon focused back on Bonnie and listened to what she was saying. After a few minutes, Damon realized that she was repeating the same phrase, although he had no idea what it meant. Then, all of a sudden, Bonnie stopped speaking and tensed up. She took in a sharp breath and then fell deathly silent.

Damon wasn't sure whether to open his eyes or keep them shut. Hoping that his life wasn't in danger, he attuned his senses to the world around him, but kept his eyes tightly closed. Only when Bonnie let go of his hand did he look up.

The room was dark now. The candles had been blown out and the smoke drifted up toward the ceiling. Tears were falling from Bonnie's face as she turned to Elena with a look of betrayal on her face.

"I've never seen the future before," Bonnie said softly as she shook her head. "I was trying to find where Stefan was now, but I had a premonition." She shook her head more violently this time. "I've never seen the future before."

"What did you see Bonnie?" Elena almost shrieked. "What did you see?"

"You were with him," Bonnie replied as if she'd just been sacrificed. "You acted like this was a plan to stop him, but it never was. You were with him Elena."

"Who?" Elena said as she held onto Bonnie's shoulders for dear life. "Who was I with Bonnie? Stefan?"

"Yes!" Bonnie screamed. "You were with him."

Then and there, Damon understood the context of what had been said. Everything Elena had said earlier about not loving his brother had only been a lie. Everything he feared would happen was going to. And just like always, he was going to end up alone.

"Get out of here," Bonnie demanded as she pushed Elena away. "You walked into here begging for my help when you were going to use it against me." Tears were streaming from Bonnie's face now. "Go Elena, before I do something I'll regret."

Slowly, Elena nodded. She looked to Damon, but remained quiet as she left the room. Damon turned back to Bonnie one last time and felt part of his nonexistent heart shatter. He was sure that the look of betrayal on Bonnie's face was mirrored in his own.

"I'm sorry," Bonnie mouthed and for some reason, Damon knew she meant it.

Then, Damon turned on his heel and walked into his bleak and lonely future.

a/n: PLEASE review. I really like to know what you think of each chapter. I also like knowing what people think is going on so please post any ideas you have about this story on there too. Thanks!