Three's a Crowd: A Bamonenzo Story
Kayer713
Chapter Five
Kayer713
Immediately all eyes went to Damon. Bonnie straightened up, rising from his hold.
"What? I'm not the only vampire in the world that fits that description," he remarked.
"Hell, I'm not even the only vampire in this town that fits that description."
He was right of course. Because contender number two had literally just left the building.
"Where's Enzo?" Matt wanted to know.
Stefan sighed tiredly. This wasn't something he wanted to deal with right now.
"He just took off. Don't ask."
But Matt was in an inquisitive mood.
"Well I'm asking, Stefan. At least thirty people are dead and one vampire did it. Now Julian's a blond and Nora & Mary-Louise are girls. Beau could hardly be described as having dark hair considering he has none. That leaves Damon and Enzo. Now I know that human lives don't mean squat to your kind but I take human deaths very seriously."
Stefan took a break but didn't respond. Caroline took a step forward.
"Hold on Matt, that's not fair. You know we don't feel that way."
"Yea, no one here has ever taken a human life before."
Caroline opened her mouth but obvious guilt closed it. She glanced down at her feet.
"Not everybody in this room is a vampire, Matt."
He looked at Bonnie.
"But we've all fought for this city," she reminded him, "and none of us, not even Damon wants to see it overrun by vampires. So let's cut the "us against them" talk and focus on finding the vampire that actually did kill those people."
Though he didn't seem satisfied, Matt relented. It was obvious that his animosity toward vampires was only growing. But that was a conversation for another day. She turned toward Damon now.
"Last night, where were you?"
He shrugged nonchalantly.
"I went out."
Caroline folded her arms.
"Out where?"
Damon blew a breath.
"You know, just for a ride. To clear my head. To have a drink."
Matt's hand went to his revolver.
"But," Damon went on, "I didn't kill anybody. I just had a few drinks and blew off some steam."
Oh god. Stefan shook his head in disappointment.
"Yea we know how you blow off steam, Damon," Matt accused, "a body here, a body there."
"Hey, I said I didn't do it. If I had I'd own up to it."
"With no remorse," Caroline murmured, "you'd probably make some snide comment and gloat."
Bonnie shut her eyes for a second and took in a deep breath. She still hadn't processed Enzo's claim. She wished that she could go after him, talk to him and get to the bottom of things. Just when she'd thought that she'd finally moved on from Jeremy. Just when she'd thought she'd found someone who appreciated her for her. Now he had to go and ruin it by accusing her of loving Damon.
"Hold on now guys, let's give him a chance to explain," Stefan urged everyone.
"Believe it or not everything that happens in this town isn't Damon's fault."
"Thank you brother."
Bonnie opened her eyes to find Damon gesturing toward her.
"I didn't kill anybody and Bonnie knows it. She saw me this morning. No ounce of blood on my person."
Matt rolled his eyes.
"Oh please like you can't take a shower."
Stefan shook his head.
"No, Damon didn't come home."
"Vampires are pretty good at covering their tracks."
"Come on Donovan if I'd killed thirty people in a bar do you really think I wouldn't be covered in their blood? These are the same clothes I wore yesterday. Just ask everyone here."
Bonnie noticed. Even after that morning he still hadn't changed. Well at least vampires didn't have to worry about B.O.
"I did see him at the dorm this morning," Caroline admitted.
"Granted he almost killed Brody but—"
Matt raised his weapon. Aimed it at Damon.
"Donovan I swear if you don't put that thing down so help me God I will shove it down your throat."
Before that could happen, Bonnie flung the weapon across the room and out of his reach. Matt was not pleased.
"Bonnie what the hell!"
"I believe him," she silenced him.
"Damon's telling the truth."
"You would take his side!" Matt fumed. "You're becoming more and more like everybody else. Just making excuses for Damon. Taking up for Damon. Giving Damon a free pass on everything!"
Damon mimed with his arms as if he were playing the violin. Stefan smacked his shoulder.
"You think I make excuses for Damon?" Bonnie repeated. "On what planet have you been living? I've never made excuses for his behavior. I know what he's done. But just because I'm willing to investigate and not jump the gun doesn't mean I'm giving him a pass."
She pointed a finger at him, beyond offended.
"Tell me, what evidence do you have that it was Damon? Other than 'a dark-haired vampire did it.'? Because like he said he's not the only vampire in town. So instead of automatically assuming his guilt how about you act like the cop you spent all of those months training to be and actually investigate. Huh?"
Matt huffed but he didn't argue.
"Well I guess I could if you hadn't let the other suspect leave the premises. Does anybody have any idea where Enzo went?"
When no one spoke up, he shook his head.
"Always protecting the vampires."
"I suppose I could do a locator spell," Bonnie suggested with narrowed eyes.
"But given Enzo's current mood I don't think you'd be the right person to question him."
"I'm the only cop left in Mystic Falls," Matt protested, "Of course I'm the person to question him."
"Right like you questioned Damon," Stefan noted, "Try that on Enzo and he'll have you for lunch. Literally."
Matt wasn't convinced.
"I can handle Enzo."
"And by 'handle' you mean kill him," Bonnie perceived.
"If it comes to that," he murmured.
She shook her head at him.
"See that's the problem. Because regardless of how you feel about me right now, I still value your life. I'm not going to stand here and let you throw it away."
Matt clenched his fists at his sides.
"Then help me. Stop defending him. Stop defending them! You may have magic but you're still human."
There was so much anger inside him, so much rage and pain. She hated to see her friend this way. She hated to see him suffering.
"I'm sorry Matt. But where we differ is I don't just value your life. I value Enzo's too."
The statement sparked something and she saw Matt's eyes darken. He didn't say anything but his eyes told her what she needed to know. In his mind she'd chosen the enemy. A door had been sealed right there.
"I have to go."
Ironic how he was walking off just as Enzo had an hour earlier when he'd been pissed about Damon. The men she cared about seemed to have a habit of doing that.
"Matt."
He stopped but didn't turn around.
"I won't let him hurt you" she promised, "But I won't let you hurt him either."
He kneeled down and picked up his gun.
"I know."
Then he left them all without another word.
"Well that wasn't uncomfortable at all," Valerie murmured sarcastically after Matt was gone.
She rubbed her hands together, then glanced at Bonnie.
"So shall we locate him?"
Caroline gave her a look, disapproving of her quick dismissal.
"Bonnie you want to get out of here and talk?" she asked her friend.
Bonnie shook her head.
"We don't have time for that. Matt's going after Enzo. He's going to kill him whether he's innocent or not."
"With all due respect, sweetie none of your friends are innocent, especially not Enzo," Valerie corrected her.
When Bonnie's jaw tightened Stefan quickly intervened.
"Try to call Enzo," he suggested, "Maybe you can get his location and be there. Valerie and I'll keep a watch on Matt."
He looked at Caroline.
"You should get back to the dorm. I know you can handle yourself but we can't put the babies at risk."
He was right. Caroline saw it.
"I hate this," she griped, "I'm supposed to be this super being and I can't do anything to help."
Stefan made his way to her, put his arms around her.
"It's okay. You're helping just fine by supporting us."
He kissed her then and Bonnie saw Valerie look away. She remembered the conversation she'd meant to have with him earlier.
"Stefan, why don't you help me with Enzo? Valerie can go with Damon and keep an eye on Matt," she proposed.
Damon raised an eyebrow.
"Come again?"
It was no secret that he and Valerie weren't the best of friends. He would always hold Lily's love of her and the other heretics against her. Stefan seemed just as caught off guard.
"You sure that's a good idea?" he asked glancing between his brother and his ex.
"It makes sense to have a vampire and a witch working together," Bonnie reasoned.
"And I really don't think Enzo would be too keen on talking to Damon right now."
Stefan couldn't argue with that. But Damon could.
"Because Donovan just loves me, right?" he quipped.
Valerie murmured under her breath, low enough for only the vampires to hear.
"Apparently he's not the only one."
Damon had no comeback for that one. He stole a glimpse at Bonnie.
"Okay," Caroline rested one hand on Stefan's shoulder, the other on Bonnie's. "My two favorite people in this room. I'm trusting you to keep each other safe. And to keep Matt safe too. I know he's being a little testy now but he's still our friend."
Bonnie nodded in agreement.
"You don't have to worry about that."
"We'll talk later," Caroline insisted, "about…other matters."
About Damon. What Enzo had said would be the topic for sure. There was no way out of that one.
"Sure thing. Stefan and I'll see you out."
She waited until after Caroline had driven off to broach the topic of Valerie.
"Stefan there's something I want to talk to you about but I know now may not be the best time."
She glanced back at the house to be sure that Damon and Valerie weren't being nosy.
"Um okay," he stated concern creasing his brow.
"I know you're a good guy. You like to do the right thing especially by Caroline but I'm a little uncomfortable about this Valerie situation."
He blinked.
"Valerie? What, do you think she'll let Damon hurt Matt because she won't."
Bonnie shook her head.
"No it's not that. I just know that you two have a past and well it's pretty clear that she still has feelings for you. With everything going on I think it may be safer if you put a little distance between the two of you. For Caroline's sake."
Stefan stared for a moment, processing.
"You think that something might happen? Between me and Valerie?" he almost laughed.
"Bonnie, I understand your concern but what we had is ancient history. I put it behind me long ago and she has too."
Maybe he had but she had a feeling Valerie had not.
"Stefan have you seen the way she looks at you? The way she gravitates to you?"
"That's because I'm the only one she really knows. Like you said we have a past but I don't think it's more than that."
"You don't really believe that," Bonnie remarked, "After all this time she kept your journal from 1903. And now that she's lost her place with the heretics you've allowed her to live in your home. You really don't think those feelings resurfaced? I'm pretty sure they never even went away."
Again he glanced back at the house, considering her words.
"We lost…we lost a lot back then," he confessed, "She was my first love. Before Katherine, before Elena. There's always going to be a part of me that loves her. But I love Caroline and I would never do anything to hurt her."
He was being candid, honest. It was all anyone could do in his situation.
"While we're on the subject of love though," he shifted, "Is there any truth to what Enzo said in there? About you and Damon?"
It was a question she'd rather avoid for the time being.
"I'd prefer not to go down that road right now," she answered, "To be honest, I'm not sure what I feel about Damon. I just know that I care about him and I care about Enzo too."
He understood.
"It can't be easy for you."
She shrugged it off.
"When has life in Mystic Falls ever been easy?"
He chuckled at that. Never in his over a hundred year existence.
"I guess I'd better call Enzo now," Bonnie thought aloud.
Stefan rested his hands in his front pockets.
"Should I step inside? Give you two a little privacy?"
She nodded.
"I'd like that."
He pat her shoulder supportively before leaving her in the front yard, amidst the broken glass and debris from her earlier altercation. Bonnie eyed the damage, amazed at what she'd done for the sake of protecting Damon.
And Enzo. I didn't want her to hurt him either.
But as Enzo had said, she'd only pushed Valerie in his defense. For Damon she'd flung her out the window. It hadn't even been a conscious thought. She'd just done it on pure instinct. Could it have been because she'd known Damon longer? Because she and Enzo had literally just gotten involved less than three days ago? Or did she really foster feelings for Damon, feelings of love? She ran her hands down the sides of her pants, suddenly noticing that they were sweating. She was nervous. About calling Enzo. About what he'd said in front of everyone. Everyone including Damon.
Okay suck it up Bonnie, Grams didn't raise a coward.
She took in a couple of deep breaths. Dialed Enzo's phone. It went unanswered. She wasn't sure if she was more relieved or nervous. If he wasn't answering his phone that meant that she didn't have to talk to him while she was in a state of disarray. But it also meant that she didn't know where he was or if he would ever speak to her again.
Well there were other ways to communicate. She quickly sent a text.
I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK BUT YOU'RE IN DANGER. WE NEED TO MEET AND CLEAR THINGS UP. PLEASE.
He would answer. He had to.
"So nobody's going to mention the epic bomb that Enzo dropped before he high-tailed out of here?" Valerie blurted.
Damon ignored her.
"You have to be thrilled at least. Stefan and I know how you feel about her."
He faced the open area that used to be the front window. He didn't want to talk about Bonnie to Valerie. To Stefan or anybody. Except Bonnie herself. He had to admit he'd been stunned by the revelation. At this point he was dying to see what she had to say about it. But instead of talking or even looking at him she'd paired him with the heretic and herself with Stefan. He didn't have to be a genius to know that she was avoiding him.
"I swear you people are the most frustrating, emotionally stunted idiots I've ever met," he heard Valerie murmur.
Annoyed with her voice Damon finally addressed her.
"What the hell are you talking about now?"
"You. Bonnie. You at least owe it to yourselves to talk about it."
What did she care for? She barely knew Bonnie and she knew he couldn't stand her.
"Enzo was right, you know," he remarked, "You won't get to weasel your way back into Stefan's pants by being nice to me."
Valerie rolled her eyes.
"You know what? Fine. Be miserable in unrequited love with your best friend. Forget I ever said anything."
As she left the room she added; "And for your information it was never about Stefan. I was just trying to do a good thing. You're not the only one trying to change."
Damon started to make a smart remark about her unrequited pot to his kettle but outside Bonnie caught his attention. Stefan had left her alone and she held her phone to her ear. He watched her, the concern on her soft features as she awaited an answer. When she hung up he knew that she hadn't gotten one. Her fingers danced across the screen, texting. Then she sighed.
Love. It was a powerful word. Certainly one that had burned him in the past. Yet the idea of Bonnie feeling that way toward him…it felt nice. Damn nice. Nicer than it would for someone who viewed her as nothing more than platonic. He thought about their interaction that morning, the beauty of her in her natural state as she'd touched his face. He'd wanted to kiss her more than he wanted to breathe. To feel her lips give in to him, open for him, invite him in.
He imagined it now. Bonnie entering the room, deciding that they needed to talk. Admitting that Enzo had been right all along. Stumbling over her confession until he silenced her with his lips on hers. Taking hers. God she had beautiful lips. Who was he kidding? She had beautiful everything. Lips, face, body. Heart. Even her mind. He found himself wanting all of the above.
He watched Bonnie dial again. Place the phone to her ear.
"Damon?"
Stefan had entered while he was unaware.
"You and Val had better get going. Matt's a cop so there's no telling where he is or how close he is to Enzo now."
Bonnie's hand went to her mouth, surprise on her face. Damon wondered what she was hearing. If she were only a few yards closer, and his brother would shut up he could hear.
"You sure you don't want to take Donovan duty instead?" he asked.
Stefan saw through his question.
"Be civil to Valerie, please. And I'd appreciate it if you laid off the comments about me and my pants from now on."
"But it's such an interesting topic."
"Damon."
He tore his eyes from Bonnie to his brother.
"All right, I'll be nice. Wouldn't want Bonnie to have to throw your girlfriend through the roof next time."
Stefan didn't find him amusing at all.
"Look will you just—"
Damon threw his hands in the air in an innocence gesture.
"Okay, okay, I'm out."
He and Valerie met at his car. Before climbing in he took one last look at Bonnie standing out front. She was still on her phone. Still listening. Her expression of surprise had shifted, however. Now she was anxious. Valerie caught him watching.
"She's not talking to Enzo if that's what you're thinking."
He didn't move his eyes.
"Then who the hell's she talking to?"
A knowing smirk lit Valerie's face.
"No one. She's listening to her voicemail."
Enzo took a savory bite of the young cashier, feeling the heat of her blood flow down his throat. He drank until she was finished, dropping her body on top of the counter with a loud thud. Even still it didn't dulled the ache he felt in his chest. Damon Salvatore, once his only lifeline in Mystic Falls had taken his only other. What reason did he have to even stay anymore?
Why hadn't he seen Bonnie's feelings before? The way she always went to help Damon, even after she knew what a monster he was. Even after all he'd done in their past. Instead Bonnie had forgiven him, bonded with him and at some point fallen in love. Why the bloody hell did Damon get that? He already had Stefan's ex, that annoying Gilbert tart. Why did he have to go and steal Bonnie too?
He supposed he couldn't fault Bonnie for this. She'd entered this thing with every intention of being with him. Even as he'd left her she hadn't fully come to terms with her feelings for Damon. But they were there and slowly but surely they'd been seeping out. It was only a matter of time. Especially given the way Damon was carrying on.
He supposed he couldn't blame him either. Bonnie Bennett was as fine a catch if he'd ever had one. She was beautiful, she was smart; she was powerful beyond measure. She was as loyal and dedicated as they came. And what they'd done in the bedroom that night…god the woman was scrumptious. He'd had countless women over the years, many witches to boot but being with Bonnie was a whole other experience. She was sensual in a way that Hollywood vixens aspired to be. He shut his eyes, remembering the way she'd breathed his name.
Now she would be breathing Damon's name.
The thought pissed him off and hurt him just the same. He'd actually thought for a moment that he could have something with her. Something real. Something lasting. If only there was a way he could fight for her, get her to love him as much as she loved Damon. But it had taken her seven years to fall in love with Damon. And an extended sentence alone in a prison world.
This is all that Bloody Kai's fault. If he hadn't put Elena to sleep then Damon would be all over her and leave Bonnie alone.
If only Kai's spell could be broken. If only Elena could return and distract Damon, then Bonnie could be free of him for good. But that was a bust. The only way El Gilbert would return was if Bonnie died and Bonnie's death was the LAST thing he would ever want. It was hard enough knowing that as a mortal she would someday leave.
She doesn't have to be mortal.
The thought crossed his mind but he quickly dismissed it. Bonnie wouldn't want to be a vampire. She loved being a witch. Her connection to nature, to her magic was everything to her. Too bad there wasn't a way for her to be both. His thoughts were broken by the ringing of his phone. One glance showed him that it was her.
Why bother?
He rejected the call. Hearing her deny what he'd seen between her and Damon didn't exactly seem like something he'd enjoy. Enzo wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and sighed. It would be impossible for her to ignore her feelings for Damon. Almost as much as it was for him to ignore his feelings for her. But he refused to sit back and watch the Damon and Bonnie show. He had to have some dignity.
His phone buzzed again, indicating a text. Of course it was from Bonnie.
I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK BUT YOU'RE IN DANGER. WE NEED TO MEET AND CLEAR THINGS UP. PLEASE.
Danger? What the hell from? He was a vampire. Who'd survived decades of torture. And being burned alive. If anything HE was the danger others needed to fear. Still, he knew Bonnie wasn't one to exaggerate. If she felt that he was in danger then something or somebody was definitely after him. But who? And why?
Doesn't sodding matter.
He welcomed the challenge. After the day he'd had, he needed to work out a little aggression. Whoever was after him would do just fine. Bring it on.
She'd been hoping Enzo would call. Or at least text. While waiting Bonnie had noticed the voicemail alert and decided to listen. Now, twenty drunken messages later she sat stunned beside Stefan in his car.
"He said that?" Stefan couldn't believe, "In a voicemail?"
Bonnie nodded, unsure of what to do with the situation. The first few messages had been typical drunk Damon. Going on about how much fun he was having and how she was missing out on a good time. Then he'd started on his anti-Enzo campaign. But it was the last five messages that threw her. Damon had clearly been triple over the legal limit because he'd just let it all out.
"I don't know why you're with him anyway," Damon slurred.
"You can't be with him. He's not…he's not me. You should be with me. I would…I would make a better boyfriend than him because he doesn't—he doesn't love you like I love you..."
"I'm not sure how to respond to this," Bonnie confided.
Stefan reached a hand over to pat hers supportively. His other remained on the wheel.
"Well that's a pretty big thing to hear from a friend. It's understandable to be a little blown away."
Blown away was an understatement.
"I'm so far blown I'm in another galaxy right now, Stefan. So much has changed in only a couple of days. I mean I just reconciled with the fact that I like Enzo and now Damon's gone and said this? I don't know what to do with him."
"And it's okay not to know. Just take a deep breath," Stefan suggested.
"Don't think about what Damon said. Or what Enzo said. Think about you. You know how you feel about Enzo. How do you feel about Damon?"
Bonnie looked at him.
"Damon? Well he's my friend."
"Yea and so am I. And so is Matt and so is Tyler. Think about how you FEEL."
She pictured Damon sitting beside her. Looking at her with those smoldering blue eyes. Her face warmed considerably.
"This is weird. I should be talking to Caroline about this."
Stefan didn't disagree.
"You still can. But for now you have me so we're both just going to have to deal with it."
He chuckled to lighten the mood.
"I'm not that bad am I?"
She looked at him.
"You're a guy."
"You noticed? But seriously I have some experience having a female best friend in case you forgot. So I think I can manage."
He had a point. He and Lexi had known each other longer than she, her mom and her grams had been alive.
"Sorry, you're right Stefan," she sighed.
"I guess it's just different. Talking about Damon and all."
He seemed to understand.
"I get it. Remember, once upon a time I had a friend who confessed her feelings for me. And I screwed it up."
Caroline. After her mother had died she'd asked for an answer from Stefan about his feelings for her. When he'd been hesitant to admit them she'd taken a break from the pain and rejection. Bonnie had still been in the prison world at the time but she'd returned to find her best friend sans humanity. It hadn't been pretty and resulted in a whole other world of trouble. Amazingly enough, No-humanity Caroline was still just as detailed and controlling. Only not as friendly.
"But that all worked out in the end," Stefan continued, "Once I laid everything out on the table."
She looked at him.
"No matter what happens," he added.
Bonnie glanced ahead then. Lay everything out on the table. In order to do that she had to decipher what it was that needed to be laid out. That meant her feelings for Damon. So the question was, how did she feel about him?
"Gotcha you son of a bitch."
Matt scribbled down the location before pushing back from the computer. He checked his weapon, fully loaded, wooden bullets. The great thing about technology today, cell phones could be tracked. And he'd known Bonnie would contact Enzo sooner or later. All he had to do was get to him first. His friends might not want to take a stand, they might want to let vampires wreak havoc in Mystic Falls but this was his town. He'd grown up here, skinned his knees here, had his first kiss here. Then the vampires had returned.
If not for the vampires, Elena would not be in a perpetual sleep, Vicki would not be dead. Tyler would not be a werewolf. Bonnie would not be so mixed up and Caroline? Well Caroline would have never become one of them. All of his friends, their families, it had all fallen apart once the vampires came. But he was going to fix that. Starting with Enzo.