A/N: Okay, long author's note ahead… sorry. Also, I NEED to apologize for my loooongly overdue chapter update. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I hope I'm forgiven? ::peeks to see:: Review if you forgive me, please? On another note, as a thank you to everyone's patient waiting, I have decided to make this a double update, so yay! (yay, right?) I have one more quick thing I wanted to say based on the reviews from the last chapter, so please bear with me… and then onto the chapter goodness. Okay, sooooo…. While I do certainly love all of the suggestions it is (always) impossible to please everyone. And while I know (almost) everyone is reading this for the Damon/Elena interactions, I do have a broader story line than just that… so I apologize if some of you are suffering through the other parts. I will try to focus more on the Damon/Elena scenes, but they won't be the only ones involved. Just to be upfront, this is one of the less Delena-centric chapters. Next one will be better, I promise!!! As always, you are ALL so completely amazing and I LOVE all of the reviews. ^_^ (Whew, that was entirely too long. I promise to never do that to you again. And…. Cue tape…)
First Cut Is The Deepest (Part 1)
The first cut is the deepest
'cause when it comes to being lucky she's cursed
First Cut Is the Deepest by Sheryl Crow
Bonnie was surprised how at ease she felt being twirled around the dance floor by the complete stranger who had just asked for a dance. Something about the way he looked at her made her think of Elena and Stefan together and she sighed in contentment when the stranger offered her a name, and asked for hers in return. Maybe, she thought briefly. Just maybe fairy tales do exist.
"I guess I should say 'happy birthday' before the clock strikes twelve," Bonnie smiled as she allowed the stranger to lead her from the dance floor after the slow song ended.
Eric raised a brow and leaned in closer. "I'm not Cinderella, you know, Miss Bennett. I won't turn into a pumpkin or anything after the stroke of midnight."
Bonnie giggled. "I didn't mean that… it's just, I am a pretty big believer in luck. So, happy birthday."
He smiled- a gorgeous, dazzling smile that made Bonnie breath hitch in her throat and her mouth hang agape. He placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the drinks.
"Well then, I thank you." He poured a glassful of the punch and handed it to Bonnie, who looked skeptical.
"Look, if you're just trying to get me drunk and take me back to your room, I have to warn you… it's not going to happen. I have to drive my friends back to Mystic Falls tonight." Bonnie set the drink down and looked up into the grey-green eyes of the tall, mysterious man, wondering why on earth she was being so forward and up front with him when she rarely was with anyone else.
It shocked Bonnie when he laughed. But he did; letting out a long, hearty chuckle at her comment. "I guess as a frat brother, I deserved that…" he said, brushing a lone curl from her forehead. "But, this whole thing isn't really my scene. The boys of the house kind of go all out… you know, any excuse for a party. And I couldn't exactly bail when we're supposedly celebrating my birthday." He led her over to the couch and sat down. "In fact, I would much prefer to be at a coffee shop with a good book, or home watching a movie with a bottle of wine."
"Oh," was the only thing Bonnie could muster to reply. She felt foolish and childish for even assuming what she had in the first place. What a stupid high school girl she really was. Caroline would have known better; Caroline knew how to talk to guys in a way that Bonnie had always envied. She stared down at her hands, silently cursing herself for her horribly blunt way of talking to him. She should have known better; what was she thinking assuming that this guy was even interested in her that way?
"So, Bonnie, tell me… what is your scene exactly? You don't seem like the party type." His eyes, more grey now than green, were intent on her when she glanced up.
She had only caught every third word, but the way he looked at her made her curious about his motives once again. She cupped her hand to her ear and spoke a little louder than normal, "What? I can't hear you over the music."
He frowned for the briefest instant, and then pointed toward the front door before making a talking motion with his hand the way people usually do when someone is droning on. Bonnie's eyes lit up and she smiled, allowing him to lead her outside so that they could speak easier.
Once outside, Bonnie couldn't help but breathe in the cool, fresh evening air. Air that no longer smelled like cigarettes, marijuana and stale alcohol. Bonnie felt herself relax a little as she took a seat on the porch railing. In the moonlight, she was even more taken aback by how beautiful this man was. He looked like a marble statue in the blue-white glow of the moon and for the briefest second, she wondered why on earth he would be talking to her. Bonnie had never been one to capture men's attention the way Elena and Caroline did. Her best friends had a classic beauty that often made Bonnie think that they were every man's type without even trying. She found herself jealous of them far more often than she thought she should be, but now, standing here with Eric all of those memories faded into the distant inky black of the chilly night.
"So, this isn't your scene huh?" she asked doubtfully.
He shrugged. "Nah, I'm much more of a book worm than a playboy." He grinned again and Bonnie forced herself to recover more quickly than last time.
"I don't know," she said, eyeing him playfully. "Out of the whole group in there, I'd say you look like the biggest playboy of them all."
He moved swiftly, closing the distance between them in what felt like a fraction of a second until she could feel his breath on her face before he spoke. "Then I think you should give me the opportunity to prove you wrong," he whispered into her ear, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end until she shivered involuntarily.
Elena blinked, several times, attempting to force the word to take hold somewhere in her mind. Identical. Somehow the only thing that she could think of was learning the definition of the word in fourth grade. Identical. I-d-e-n-t-i-c-a-l: similar or alike in every way; being the very same. Even in her alcohol induced state her mind focused with pinpoint accuracy on that one word. Everything tumbled down around her but managed to stay in place; like the world had stopped spinning on its axis and shattered into a million pieces all at the same time. Nothing made sense- least of all the fact that she was apparently Katherine's doppelganger. The name rang through her head as pieces started to fall into place.
She gulped and found herself light headed. It was far too much to take in. "Is that why you… why Stefan…" She couldn't finish the sentence; hell she could barely finish the thought in her own head.
Damon's arm tightened around her and as much as she wanted to pull away, she knew she wanted to hear the answer more. She needed to know if her resemblance to Katherine was the only reason Stefan had dated her, the only reason Damon seemed the least bit interested in her for more than just a plaything. Unless that's all this was to him, a game; unless all she was to him was a toy that he could play with until he got Katherine back, because after all, wouldn't the doppelganger be the next best thing?
"I can't speak for Stefan's motives Elena," he said coolly, pulling her away just enough to look into her eyes. "But last night had nothing to do with the fact that you resemble Katherine. You are not Katherine, you are nothing like her."
"But it is why you're here…" she stated rather than questioned. "Why you both came here in the first place, isn't it?"
Damon didn't answer for a long moment, staring into the dark forest.
"You know what; I can't do this right now. Bonnie and Caroline are waiting for me." Elena scoffed and broke free of Damon's hold. She knew if he wanted to, he could keep her there. Obviously he had his own reasons for not wanting her around right then. Whatever it was, Elena didn't want to know; she found her way back inside and grabbed a drink, downing it quickly before searching out Caroline on the dance floor.
Stefan was finding himself letting loose the tiniest bit and actually having some fun as he and Matt shot pool. It reminded him of the last night with Lexi, and although the night had ended horribly, it was the first time in a long time that Stefan had felt free. It worried him, how he was never truly able to feel that way around Elena. Maybe it was due to the guilt he felt over not telling her about Katherine. It would only be a matter of time before Damon spilled the beans to her on a whim, or to do more damage to Stefan and Elena's already faltering relationship. At the very least, Elena would find out if Damon ever managed to break Katherine from the tomb, something that Stefan wasn't counting on, but couldn't rule out completely. Matt and Stefan finished their third game of billiards when Matt abruptly dropped his cue on the table and let out a sigh.
Stefan's forehead creased with worry, as it often did. "Everything alright?"
Matt rolled his eyes, holding up his phone. "It's Tyler," he chuckled. "College girl's boyfriend came home and he's too drunk to drive. Says he needs a ride back."
Stefan nodded in understanding. "Ahh," he replied, setting his own pool cue on the table.
"Want to come with me and drive Tyler's ride home so he has it tomorrow?"
Stefan weighed the options for a moment, and then resigned. "Yeah, I guess I can do that. Otherwise Mr. Saltzman might come looking for me again," he laughed quickly and then pulled his jacket off the chair and shrugged into it.
Matt laughed along with him. "True, and you do owe me one after all," he grinned and headed for the door.
Stefan followed him, knowing that this would be the perfect chance to talk to Matt about Mr. Saltzman and see if he knew anything about the strange happenings in Mystic Falls. There was only so much one person could see, even if that person was a vampire.
Bonnie couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her lips when Eric delivered the punch-line of a joke and the carefree ease that the conversation flowed made her cheeks flush and butterflies fill her stomach.
"So, what are you studying?"Eric asked her casually as they chatted on the porch.
Bonnie blushed so brightly that even in the darkness he could see. "Ummm… confession?"
Eric cocked a brow, something that Bonnie couldn't help but categorize under 'gorgeous'. "I knew it… finally, something wrong with you! It's not physical education is it? No, no, lemme guess… anthropology?"
Bonnie fidgeted nervously. "Well, I actually don't go to school here. I go to school in Mystic Falls… high school."
He smirked. "Ahh, got a taste for the older men, huh?"
Bonnie shook her head and shrugged. "Not exactly. I was kind of brought here against my will by my two best friends." She leaned in closer to whisper, "they're a little boy crazy…" She rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance.
"I see. Well then, I'll have to find them and thank them for dragging you here. I wasn't expecting to have such a good time tonight." Bonnie blushed again. She couldn't help but notice how his eyes twinkled when she did. Did that mean he liked it?
"Me either," she said wistfully. Bonnie pulled out her phone and looked at the time. "Crap. I really need to go. I wasn't expecting to be away from them so long… and well, they don't generally stay of the right mind to make decisions." Well that was true for Caroline anyway, and who knew what Elena was up to at this point.
He nodded. "I know the 'protector' mode well. I will let you get back to your friends on one condition."
Bonnie folded her arms over her chest faking defiance. "Oh? And what might that be?"
Eric smiled that heart-piercing smile again and Bonnie felt herself melt a little. "You have to let me take you out; somewhere real where we can talk."
Bonnie smiled shyly, wondering if this was how Caroline and Elena felt all the time. If it was, she could certainly get used to it.
Elena swiftly moved back into the house, resisting the urge to turn around and look back at Damon. She could feel his eyes on her, burning holes in her clothes. That thought sent strange shocks of pleasure through her and she bit back a smile. Not after tonight; not after learning the truth about Katherine and the Salvatore brothers. It was one thing to be in the middle of a love triangle with two brothers. It was a very different thing indeed to re-live a love triangle a century and a half old- especially when she could be the first girl's twin. And nothing could get her to forgive them now. Nothing.
Elena was sure she would never be able to recount what happened in the next few moments because of how quickly it all occurred. She had been searching through the house for Caroline, who had managed to disappear from the dance floor and was nowhere to be seen in the whole downstairs. Beginning to feel panicked, Elena quickly made her way upstairs and began opening doors.
What first appeared to be an innocent make-out session on a bed that belonged to neither Caroline nor the man that was on top of her, quickly turned into the scene of horror when Elena saw the frightened horror on her friends face. It was only when she hissed a string full of obscenities and the man lifted his face from Caroline's neck that she saw the bloody mess all over the bed.
"OMIGOD CAROLINE!" Elena yelled, running toward the bed. She knew full well there was nothing she could do against a vampire, but this was one of her best friends and impulse won the quick battle over rationale and she was by Caroline's side in an instant.
The vampire slapped her away and she was thrown into the opposite wall with a loud thud, knocking a bookcase from against the wall. It tumbled down on top of her and it took Elena a long moment before she was able to move. And even then the book case was far too heavy for Elena to pull off of herself. She laid there, watching helplessly as Caroline continued to squirm and fight against the vampire who was quickly draining her blood.
And then, in the blink of an eye, the vampire was thrown into the wall and Caroline was being cradled by new, strong hands.
Elena breathed one word in a deep sigh of relief. "Damon…"
A/N: Unnecessary cliffie… I know. BUT… no need to fret, head on over to chapter 12 and see what happens next! I promised back to back updates after all! Oh, but don't forget to review ;) Love each and every one of you!
