!Content Warning! If you have a high sensitivity to dealing with characters of a volatile nature, and harsh depictions of sensitive subject matter, please be warned this story is one of mature content and adult themes such as abuse and language. Subject matter will get heavier as the chapter's progress. Also I do not own these characters.
*Thanks for your reviews and support of yet another difficult subject matter I've decided to take on. Hope you'll continue to support this story. Let me know what you think.
Forbidden fruit. A strong desire or craving for something all the more because it is not allowed.
Chapter 2 - You've been mine since you were nine
Chapter Rating T
The wind was blowing gently through the leaves of the trees. It was that type of day. Dew sat on the flowers in the garden and it smelled like a symphony of sweet Gardenia, Lily of the Valley, Hyacinth, and Iris' flooding the walk ways of the Salvatore Manor.
Damon smelled them as he walked through and around Manor, searching until he found her. She sat in the Garden one morning she was humming. He stopped and listened before trying to approach her. He was reminded of the little singing girl he used to look out for.
Her humming was melodic. He sat down on a nearby bench, and just listened. Bonnie fed the ducks and birds, and then began to sing, and when she sang, his heart sank in his chest. Her voice was that of sorrow. He hurt her the night before, and he knew he brought that pain in her voice.
He sat there the entire time, until every melody fled her. When she finished she got up and turned around and saw him. The initial look in her face was fear, and he hated it. He especially hated that he was responsible for her feeling that way. Then he saw a bruise on her face, and he remained speechless.
Then her face relaxed. She gave a glance of indifference, and walked away without so much as a word. This became their routine for a several days. He looked for her in the garden, listened to her sing, then she left him there alone.
4 am, Bonnie was up. It had been days since she had spoken more than a few words with him. Since that day, her words to him were few and far between. Her eye contact was sparse. She even opted to switch with Sarah, and go back to working for Stefan, even though he was messy, he didn't dare hurt her. Stefan was too busy focused on girls at his age.
"Bonnie, why do you wish to work for Stefan?"
"I don't know, I worked for him the last four years, I suppose I am used to him." She says.
"Bonnie, why have you a Bonnet so low on your face these few days. It is getting hotter outside I know you are burning up."
"It's okay ma'am it keeps my hair out of my face."
"None-sense child your hair is in a braid. Oh my word!" Lily said pulling the Bonnet off as she watches Bonnie's sweat saturate her skin. "Bonnie did Giuseppe hit you in the face?"
Lily looked at the purple bruise next to Bonnie's eye. It was fading away and it should be clear in two days' time.
"No ma'am."
"Who? Damon?" She asked surprisingly. As far as Lily knew the boys didn't hit Bonnie.
Bonnie nodded her head. "Yes, ma'am.'
"Well, why did he strike you in the face?"
"Ma'am he said I am not allowed alone with a man."
"Who were you alone with?"
"Jeune Gilbert."
"The Gilbert boy?" She was perplexed, because he was nowhere near a threat. He is just a boy. "Well I'll talk to him. He should know better."
Lily leaves it alone. But she grows concerned for Bonnie. The young bewitching girl was bound to attract the attention of boys of every background or status. A lot of the French immigrants were marrying American girls for citizenship. Many young slave girls, were marrying immigrants for declaration of freedom. At Bonnie's age many girls already had suiters. Bonnie was focused on her tutoring as she promised Giuseppe and Lily. She already had the education level of a college freshman. This didn't happen for slaves.
The Gilbert sisters were older, and neither had a college education. Yet Elena had a suitor in Damon, and Katherine was engaged to Elijah. Bonnie had a lot to offer a young suitor as a wife. The only thing keeping her from having many options of suitors was her status. She was a slave. Slaves didn't always get the happy ending.
"Today is the day to go to the market Bonnie. Are you ready?" Lily asks.
"Sure, Mrs. Lily. Will Jeune Salvatore be taking me?"
"No, I thought it a pleasant change if just us girls go." Lily was giving Bonnie a break from clutches of her eldest son. It was very strange of an owner and their slave to behave in such a manner as Damon did with Bonnie. Although Bonnie walked a fine line between being the help, and being a Salvatore herself. Damon was behaving possessively with her. It was an eye sore to Lily. Watching her son become like Giuseppe.
"Bonnie's face lit up. Yes Ma'am. I'll get my things. I will be ready before you know it." Seeing Bonnie glow, made her smile.
Both women walk out to get in the carriage, Damon arrived home with Giuseppe from working. He saw Bonnie leaving with Lily. Her Bonnet was removed from her face, and he saw the light purple fading bruise on her face.
"Where are you two going?"
"The market place" Lily says. "I figured I'd go with Bonnie. This way we didn't have to disturb you, we know you hate the Market place, and all of the French Immigrants." Lily says as she looks at Damon, then Bonnie's face, then back at him.
His face angers at his mother. "It isn't safe for you two women to go alone. The rebels are out there."
"We'll be fine son. We are together." Lily assured him, seeing as how he was attempting to manipulate Giuseppe to intervene.
He looks at Bonnie; she will not hold eye contact with him still. "Bonnie, you know I don't like you going down there with all of those nasty men. Their thoughts are disturbing."
Bonnie remains mute, she decides it's best to let Lilly handle her son.
"Bonnie, I am talking to you." Damon demands some recognition from her.
"Damon, Give the girl some space. What has you so angry.?"
"She knows that when I speak to her, she needs to speak back."
Giuseppe comes back out from the house, hearing the commotion in front of the Manor.
"What is all of the noise for?"
"Lily, is trying to take Bonnie to the market alone. I simply stated it was in poor taste."
"Lily, why would you go alone. Two women?"
"Giuseppe, stop allowing Damon to frighten you something inaccurate. We will be fine."
"Bonnie!" Damon to no avail will not let her be.
"Yes, Jeune Salvatore?"
"What the meaning of you going without me? You remember what I said, do you not?"
"Oui." She was nervous, her French was starting to be her choice of dialect. It was the one power she had, because Damon understood French but did not speak it. She knew it drove him crazy when she spoke more French than English. She was a smart young lady in trying to get under his skin in a non-threatening way.
"OUI? Stop that. Why must you find it so easy to go against what you are told? I told you I'd be taking you to the market place." He voiced angrily.
"Instead of raising such commotion, Damon why don't you come with us. We can all go?"
Damon knew what Lily was concocting. Somehow she wasn't allowing Damon alone with Bonnie.
"You do know; she belongs to me? Right Mother?"
"I do Damon. She is very close to me Damon, you do understand that, correct?"
"That is neither here nor there. I make any decision regarding Bonnie. Not you!"
"Okay, son, I just wanted an opportunity to bond with her. Is that so bad?"
Giuseppe once again spoke, "I suppose we will all go. That is final."
Damon was angered at both Lily and Bonnie. They all went to the market. Giuseppe was interested in the market, and how it operated. He was considering purchasing it.
Once there Lily and Bonnie went their own way, as Giuseppe tried versing Damon in purchasing small businesses. For the sake of development then selling for a profit. This is what they did for a living. But the Market, Giuseppe was considering purchasing and taking permanent control of it. Letting Damon run it.
"Who can I speak to about this place, who runs this market place?"
"Who wants to know?" A man with bronze skin comes out of a small compound with security.
"Someone interested in buying it."
"Just buying the entire market place. That's not cheap."
"I'm well aware. Say you are a colored French man?"
The man laughs. "préjudice de porc américain. You know, Monsieur, we are not a segregated people here in the market place. No slaves here."
"My apologies. After all we are business men. I'm not used to see a colored man with a status title as your own."
"Get used to it." The handsome man says with a straight face.
Both Giuseppe and Damon felt the tension. Damon also noticed he hadn't seen this man before. But that he seemed like a man that if around often would have taken notice of Bonnie.
"So you are the man I should speak with?"
"Oui. The man who owns the Market place is my boss. He is in France right now. Business. You understand?"
"Of course."
"So what, you think you can just purchase and run a market you have no idea about?"
"I'm a business man, I know how to spend and make money. That is all that matters?"
"In this business it is about how we treat our customers, to make them return, how we treat our workers, to make them want to be here."
"You don't have to verse me on business."
"But I do have to verse you on running a French business to a skeptical American consumer. For example This is you first time here. I know that, I pay attention to all of my customers. This means there is more like you out there. This hurts business. I need to make you want to come back. You see?"
"Well, I myself don't come here. No. We send our girl out."
"That is very dangerous with the rebels, No?"
"Yes. Which is why we stand before you today."
"Who is she, I know all of the maidens that come here." His bright white smile ignites his features more.
Damon didn't like the way he said that.
"We'll be in touch, when your boss gets back." Damon says. "What is this man's name, we should look for?"
"Lorenzo." Damon didn't even pay attention to the name he wanted to find Bonnie and leave. So he nods his head and turns to leave, Bonnie and Lily come around the corner.
"Bonnie!"
"Marcellus?
"Je vous ai manqué."
"Je vous ai dit que je reviendrais.
"Vous êtes belle."
"Je vous remercie."
While Lily and Giuseppe marvel in her French accent and banter with Marcellus, Damon fumes.
"English, Bonnie!" Damon spat out with tightened face, he didn't need her flirting in French in front of him.
"I apologize Jeune Salvatore, this is my friend, Marcellus, or Marcel. He always looks out for me when I come here. He is the Guard of this post, in charge of securing everything. I once saw him take a rebel with his bare hands."
She looks adoringly at Marcel, as does Marcel.
"Oui. Everyone loves Bonnie here, we would never let anything happen to her."
"Damon, isn't that lovely?" Lily tries to calm him. "They look out for her, when she is here. You don't have to be so worried if she and I come alone."
"Bonnie, is a special girl, she teaches the children how to count in English. It's beautiful. She also is a very good business woman, she takes no none-sense. How you American say it, Bullshit?" Giuseppe, Lily, Bonnie, and Marcel laugh. Bonnie stops when she sees Damon is uninterested in she and Marcel.
"Bonnie, my girl. I knew having you learn French would be the greatest thing. You see Giuseppe, she has made us proud." Lily spoke in admiration.
"Yes. Bonnie. Well to do." Giuseppe said. He had never given Bonnie praise to her face too often.
It made Bonnie happy.
"We should go." Giuseppe says abruptly.
Marcel leans in to hug Bonnie and sees her bruise. He lightly grazes it and she winces. His eye brows furrow and she widens hers as to warn him against speaking on it. Her eyes plead with him to let it be. She knows he would probably beat both Damon and Giuseppe.
"Au revoir pour le moment." Marcel reiterates that their good bye is temporary. Meaning this is still to be discussed. He kisses both Lily and Bonnie's hand. "Gentlemen, please no take offence, hand kissing for the French is like hugging for the Americans. Just a gesture, he looks at Damon. Who wants Marcel to stop touching Bonnie.
"Au revoir." Bonnie and Lily say on their way off.
They all say good bye and are on their way.
The ride home was quiet. Secretly Bonnie was fearful. She knows her interactions with Marcel upset Damon.
"Bonnie, your French is lovely." Giuseppe mentions, surprising everyone including Damon.
"Merci, Monsieur Salvatore.
He kisses her hand. Takes her by Surprise.
They arrive home. Bonnie heads to the Kitchen to begin supper.
After a couple of days go by, Damon can't get it out of his head about how Bonnie and Marcel interacted. How tender Marcel was with Bonnie. How she reacted to that. How she blushed like the young girl he remembers. The young girl he looked out for and protected those years.
He finds her in the garden reading a book after her tutoring session with Elijah.
"Bonnie? May I sit and speak with you?"
"You are the one with the power. I am just the maid." She says coldly.
"Please don't sass right now Bonnie. I came to apologize for hurting you the other day. You didn't deserve it. I'm sorry."
"Thank you." She looks out into the garden avoiding eye contact.
"Can't you look at me when I speak to you. That is very disrespectful Bonnie. What is it with your attitude these days?"
"Pardon, Jeune Salvatore? You are incorrect."
"You see that. You disagreeing with me, and being sassy. I won't tolerate it."
"I apologize." She was still feeling uneasy, because even though he was saying he was sorry, she wasn't sure if he meant it.
"Look at me. You see, I don't think you mean that apology Bonnie."
"But I am sincere."
He looks into her eyes for seconds upon seconds not speaking. She could feel the intensity radiating off of his skin. His eyes were literally burning through her.
"Whenever I speak to you I want you to look at me. When I speak to you, speak back to me. This is considered good manners Bonnie. You're not a little girl anymore. I can't baby you. You have to grow up."
"I'm sixteen."
"That is old enough to be married." He speaks earnestly.
"No prospective suitors, Jeune Salvatore. Men do not look at me in such a way. Not like they look at Elena, and Katherine, and I have come to terms with the fact that I will never find love, as you and Elena have found."
"You speak falsely. I see men look at you plenty. Actually too much."
"I mean the way you look at Elena. The way you gaze at her as if she is all you will ever need. Men don't gaze at me. The use perversion when staring at me, and I ignore that. It disgusts me."
He stared at her, and for a minute, she felt him look at her the way he looks at Elena. He looked at her like she was all he'd ever need. Then she cleared her throat. "One day I suppose." She looked away suddenly.
"Bonnie, why do you do that? Why do you look away from me all of the time?"
"I have no clue what you mean by that." She acted aloof. Knowing it drove him insane.
"You can't look at me for more than mere seconds." He says pulling her chin to his face, trying to get her to open up.
"Please? Jeune Salvatore I cannot." She is pushing away his advances to get close to her.
"Why not?" he approaches her closely, grabs her by her arms and pulls her body into his, feeling the need to be close to her. The coldness of his body trying to consume the heat of hers, His need for her was becoming overwhelming. Not because she didn't want it, but because she wasn't sure what his motives were.
"I just don't want to look at you." Bonnie pushes Damon away and walks the opposite direction, and sits down.
He moves to sit in front of her. "Look at me lil bird. I just want to see your eyes." He pleaded with her, like a desperate man.
"Please stop this." Her pleading face draws him closer to her. Building his need to have her open up to him.
"Why?" He says angrily.
"I'm sorry, it's just…."
"Just what!? Huh, you are frustrating me! Why must you always frustrate me? Look in my eyes Bonnie Bennett!"
"Please. No."
"Why not?"
"You scare me. That is why. You intimidate me." She breaths out. "But when I look into your eyes I don't even care, because, somehow… you just… it doesn't matter. Please. I want to go to my room. May I be excused?" She refuses to be emotional with him.
"No. I'm talking to you. Don't be a rude little girl." He shakes her.
"One minute you say I am not a little girl, the next minute, I am. Figure it out, how you feel. I'm not a little girl." She stood in his line of sight. "Jeune Salvatore, why must you insist on bending me to your will? You weren't always this way. You used to be tender with me, the way you are with Elena. Now you are very angry with me every day." She tries to move past him, and away from his body, his imminent power over her is consuming.
He still refuses to give her space. He needs to be in control of the situation because his fear is that she'll keep pushing him away if he doesn't force her to open up.
"Because you need to understand something. You belong to me. That is never changing. Elena may come and go, or stay; I have no idea, but you will never leave my side. You are mine." He breaths hard and is closely drawn to her, and she to him.
His words were not spoken angrily, but almost grimly. He had a way of shaking her core when he spoke. His truth was painful and she was aware that he had that hold on her. The ride could be much smoother if he could be the old Damon.
Somehow, as a child she fell for him. His protective ways, his gentleness, his loving nature. She fell in love, with the blue eyed boy who let her be herself.
Then he came home a different person she was slowly becoming afraid of.
"For almost eight years, you have been the only constant thing in my mind." He pulls her in to him to speak. He became softer spoken and sincere, "Looking out for you making sure you are safe. Writing home to Lily all of the time asking about Little Bonnie Bennett. You were all I thought about while I was away. Your safety." Bonnie looks at him shocked. "I can't help it. Looking out for you became my position in life. I will continue to look out for you, you can't change me." The heat of his breath and the heat of her breath collide as they try filtering out the world and existing solely in their bubble right now.
"I never tried changing you. I just don't want you to change me. Don't try to break me, and make me angry like you." She says.
His voice raises some.
"Angry? I want you to know everything I do is out of love. I have loved you since you were that little nine-year-old girl, singing songs and humming while she cleaned and cooked. It will never change. Do you understand Me? No Jeremy Gilbert, no Marcel, will ever come along and take you away from me. You have been mine since you were nine years old Bonnie Bennett. That will never change."
He grabbed her face tenderly and pulled her into him, then kissed her forehead. "Just know, I've got my eye on you, always. Even when you don't think I do." He walked away and left her sitting in her silence He purposely left her befuddled; and being the intelligent girl she is; his words were deep in her soul. She knew he made it that way on purpose. Bonnie knew Damon spoke and acted in riddles when he dealt with her, and the sooner she understood it, exactly the way he meant it, the less bothered by him she would be.
He had a complicated mind to say the least.
How could one belong to someone since a they were a little girl. How could one own the heart of a child? How could one know what love was to wait for it? What kind of love could he mean? Surely not romantic.
Then she remembered, they were best friends before. Before he changed. She would love to be his best friend again.
Bonnie closes her book. She had a small break for the day after her tutoring session was over, she went back to work. All she could think about were Damon's words to her. She had been his since she was nine. What did he mean. Why did he need to have her forgiveness. His need for her forgiveness was prevalent. She thought about how he handled the situation. His intensity, his passion, his touch, his need for her, his desire to have her approval. She was becoming confused by it all. For the rest of the day, she would find him glancing at her from the corner of her eye. He had this need for her and she felt it. Yet, she needed him too. In some weird way, they needed one another.
Shortly thereafter, someone arrived at the Boarding House Manor. Lily came to the kitchen as Bonnie cooked.
"Bonnie?"
"Oui, Madame." She smiles.
"Jeremy Gilbert is here. He wants to visit with you Bonnie." Lily smiles.
"Gilbert? Absolutely not." Damon says entering the room behind Lily with anger.
Translation courtesy of Google translator.
"Oui" - Yes
"réjudice de porc américain" – prejudice American pig
"Je vous ai manqué." - I missed you
"Je vous ai dit que je reviendrais" – I told you I'd be back
"Vous êtes belle." You are beautiful
"Je vous remercie" Thank you
A/N Damon saying she belonged to him since she was 9 just means since he met her he's felt responsible for her. It wasn't written to be a perversion. Trust me. I wrote it. lol This sentence was to show the depth of their complicated relationship. Which will continue to be explored. He is very intense though. His intensity increases. How'd do you like it? Is Damon redeemable? Thanks for Reading!