Chapter 2

She looked so peaceful as she slept, all signs of her worry and distress from earlier seemed to evaporate from the contours of her face. But he knew that this reprieve would only last for a few more hours. Because for as long as he's known Bonnie she had always been a restless sleeper, whether they had sleepovers as kids, or had crashed out together after a night of partying in their late teens/early twenties, she would constantly wake throughout the night. He doubted she slept more than 3 hours at a time. One day he was talking about it with Sheila following a night out on the town, he and Bonnie had gone to a gig and they got totally wasted, so he stayed at Sheila's after dropping her off. Whereas the effects of alcohol always seemed to act as a sedative for him, sharing a bed with Bonnie that night completely threw that concept out of the window; between the constant fidgeting and tossing and turning, and the endless times she got up to use the bathroom; it was fair to say he didn't get a wink of sleep that night. Hungover, the next morning he remembers trudging downstairs to vent to Sheila. Complaining, he had stated that Bonnie was the worse sleeper he had ever met, to which Sheila agreed and disclosed that Bonnie had trouble sleeping from the age of four, it started after her mother left both her and her father, in the dead of the night without so much as a warning. He never complained again after that; poor Bonnie, for a man that thoroughly enjoyed his sleep, he genuinely felt sorry for her- and on her behalf found himself hating her mother even more. So, it was a rarity to see Bonnie as restful as she was right now, although he suspects the outburst of tears that had transpired an hour ago, had acted as a catalyst for her said slumber. He was glad for it, because she was going to need all the energy she could muster to get through this ordeal.

His best friend was about to have a baby, and under normal circumstance they would have celebrated the joyous news, but instead the news was tinged with sadness and doubt. Bonnie and Enzo had always talked of starting a family of their own. With both coming from broken family backgrounds (in Enzo's case no family at all); they were keen to create something that neither one of them had growing up- a strong and nurturing family where their children could truly thrive. But sadly, with Enzo's life hanging in the balance, it looked as though Bonnie would be bringing this child into a world under circumstances that she abhorred. No wonder she had shut down, because after everything she has been through, to be faced with the loss of her husband and then having to raise her child without a father was too painful of a reality to accept.

Two days before she received the news that Enzo's was missing, she had taken a home pregnancy test, to confirm her suspicions. Excited, she had initially kept the news of the pregnancy to herself, because she wanted her husband to be the first to know. But then she received the phone call from the army base, and she found her reasons for keeping her pregnancy hidden had changed entirely. Stricken with grief, she felt she could no longer go through with this pregnancy alone, and decided that maybe a termination was the best way forward.

She had not planned on telling Damon, for one, Damon was pro-life. Like Enzo, he had dedicated most his life and career to the medical practise and saving lives, so ending a life was not an option he would even begin to consider. Secondly, it was no secret that Damon loved children, just watching him interact with his two nieces spoke volumes. He and Stephan were always family orientated, and for the last two years he had been keen to start a family of his own, however, much to his dismay Katherine was always finding reasons for them to wait. Bonnie knew that by telling Damon how she was feeling, he would more than likely talk her into keeping the baby, as would her Grams to be fair. But the moment he drew her into the warmth of his embrace, and caused her floodgates to come crashing down, she realised she couldn't keep this secret to herself for any longer, because it was driving her crazy. And maybe deep down, subconsciously she wanted him to change her mind.

Before she dosed off, he made sure to remind her that she was surrounded by people who loved her, and whether Enzo made it through this or not, she was not alone. "I'm not leaving you Bonnie", he promised her, meaning every word. They had been best friends since they were eleven, and he wasn't about to let her down now, not when she needed him the most.

"Enzo promised me the same thing", she recalled painfully, fighting back fresh tears... "Damon there is no point in making promises you can't keep, because nothing is certain in life... and besides that you have your own life to live, you're getting married in the Spring and I doubt Katherine will be happy about you playing "surrogate stand in" to my child..." she trailed off in pessimism. She knew he meant well, and she loves him for offering, but no matter how she looked at it, nothing compared to having Enzo beside her...

But whilst the future of this baby remained uncertain, Damon refused to drop the matter, not until he got his best friend to look at her options differently... "Bonnie- don't worry about Katherine, if she loves me, she will allow me to do what I think is necessary... and being here for you is not an option for debate. All that I ask, is that you think about this decision very carefully, and believe me when I say that I will do whatever I can to help." He looked at her intently... "I understand that you're scared Bonnie, and the not knowing if Enzo is dead or alive is making this even harder on you. So, whatever you decide to do, you will have my full support, but I wouldn't be a true if friend if I didn't tell you that I think that having an abortion is a mistake. Pushing aside the fact that I don't necessarily agree with it, I can't help but think that if the worst comes to pass and we find out that Enzo is dead; I don't think you'll be able to forgive yourself if you got rid of his baby. And whether your last words to him were said in anger or not, I know that you love that man, and this baby is a direct product of that love." Gently, he lay his hand on top of hers... "Bonnie, if Enzo is gone, then this baby could be the most tangible link you'll ever have to him, do you really want to lose that? Because honestly, I don't think you do... "

Whatever Bonnie's thoughts were following Damon's emotional plea, she had momentarily kept them to herself. At the end of the day, she was facing a life changing experience under tenuous circumstances, and whatever decision she made there was no turning back from it. Therefore, she needed some time to think about it, without feeling pressured. And knowingly, Damon did not push her for a response either- he had said what he had to, and now she needed space to fully consider all her options. So instead, wordlessly he invites her to lay her head back down and close her eyes... He was conscious of how emotional wrung she was, and the effects that this could have on her baby. So first things first- she needed to rest, and then following that he was going to get her to eat something. And finally, once satisfied that she has built up the physical strength she requires, he will leave her to her thoughts, giving her all the space and time she needs.

But until her decision is made, regardless of what it might be, he makes a silent vow to not only look out for Bonnie, but to look out for the life of her unborn baby too.