A plan that has a deadly passion put forth into it will be more likely to succeed than if performed by beastly imbussels with a dream.
The small assembly had joined together once more, this time on wickeder terms. Bonnie's idea had yet to be presented to the small group before her.
Her eyes darted around the round table; Matt's eyes were locked to the bagels in the center of the table, Tyler was whispering words to Caroline, who in turn was giggling like a school girl. Meanwhile, Alaric was hiding his face, dozing off into a light sleep, the brunette seated next to him, Elena, was sleepily rubbing her temples, Jeremy watching her intently.
Each mind was in a different world, whether it was directed to food, love, sleeping, a rough life, or worry, they all knew the reason behind the gathering.
Damon.
The spider-web-of-a-plan spinning in Bonnie's mind was becoming vaster with each tick of the clock; the wicked grin placed upon her lips was ever expanding.
"Everyone," Her voice suddenly filled the air, snapping heads in her direction, "Listen closely because every, single one of you are a part of this plan." She flashed a brilliant smile.
6 PM- Grand Gold Casino
"Just don't blatantly say anything, alright?" Her right hand was on her hip as if the two were directly in front of her. Once the word of reassurance was spoken, she bid her farewell, and ended the call.
The small group had spent the past seven hours doing what they called, 'research' on the current activities of their prey, Damon. With Bonnie leading the team, they were confident that the overall plan would pull together brilliantly. But with the dreamers came the skeptics, mostly Elena with a small tag-along, Caroline. She would wind up stepping to the side when the early stages of planning were in full-throttle. In the end, she had casted doubt upon many of the group members by stating, "He's Damon, it's not like he'll care anyway." And just like that, she shrugged her shoulders before heading off to get dressed.
There was absolutely no way that she would stay in the hotel room all night. Simply impossible. She would wind up pacing the floor, keeping her eyes locked to her phone's screen for any incoming calls or messages. She was not in the mood for any games that night, so as Elena dressed in her finest clothes, she made sure that she added a hint of 'Damon-y' flare to it. The leather jacket that she had kept after their brief trip to Georgia was now draped across her upper-body as the group entered the casino.
With a sigh, each member said a silent prayer before heading off into separate directions in hope of coming face-to-face with their target.
Tyler's feet shuffled across the marble flooring, eyes surveying the entire wing of the casino. Each male that fit the description was not disregarded, for he walked up to each man, time and time walking away with no Salvatore.
As he came upon the end of the entrance wing, he was spotted by a familiar face. Alaric casually walked towards him, his hands pushed into his jeans' pockets.
"Well?" Alaric kept his eyes surveying the casino grounds, scrutinizing each person.
Tyler sighed, "Nothing. Are you sure we came to the right place?"
Alaric snapped his eyes to him, "I asked several women at the bar over there," He pointed towards the bar that was buzzing with life, "And each one told of a man that fits his description to a T."
"Guess we'll just have to keep searching." With a long, weary sigh, Tyler nodded before starting off towards his side of the casino once more. Alaric narrowed his eyes before heading back to the south side.
"Nothing?" Bonnie asked through the phone's speaker.
"Nothing, he hasn't even stepped a foot in the door in the past few hours as the security informed me." Caroline glanced over to Elena, who was keeping sentry over their side of the casino. Drawing her voice to a whisper, she said, "I think we should've kept Elena at the hotel."
Bonnie's eyes narrowed before she quickly muttered, "I've got to go, Caroline." The breath was hitched in her throat as she ended the call, prowling slowly to the back of a column. With a deep breath, she peeked around the corner towards the entrance.
"You're late," She whispered, mustering the breath that she somehow found deep within herself.
The leather jacket that was slung over his shoulder casually was accenting the altogether bad boy look. The sunglasses were long since left at the hotel. His combat boots clicked against the marble flooring as he came to a halt, the sudden feeling of more than just admiring eyes falling upon him.
His eyes were drawn to the source as he listened to the racing heartbeats surrounding him. Just as Bonnie peeked around the corner to confirm that she was not imagining this, he directly spotted her, watching her every move.
The menacing smirk plastered to his lips was evident as he prowled towards the large, marble column. The palm of Damon's hand was pressed against the marble as he leaned against it casually.
"Oh, witch," He sung, "Come out, come out."
She sucked in a sharp breath before she peeked out one, final time to come into contact with the sight of a jean leg. Her eyes traveled upwards, directly to his face.
"Like what you see?" He joked, the smug smirk broad on his lips.
She shook her feverishly, "My eyes burn from the sight of you."
His tongue clicked with the roof of his mouth, "Not nice," His head tilted to the side, "What are you all doing here?"
She froze, "All?" The only option at this point was to play dumb.
He shook his head in amusement, "I'm not blind. I can clearly see the whole group prowling the grounds. Alaric, Jeremy, Tyler, Matt, Caroline, " He paused, eyes lost, "And poor, poor Elena."
The amused laugh escaped her lips, "You don't even know the half of why she's so upset."
His arms folded across his chest, "And why exactly is she upset?"
Bonnie rose to her feet, her eyes dangerously narrowed, "Why don't you find out for yourself." She collided shoulders with him as she strutted off towards the exit, leaving Damon in a dust of bewilderment.
What?
His boots thundered against the marble flooring as Damon ventured towards the tall, brunette who was keeping sentry over the west wing of the casino.
"Mutt, what the hell is going on?" He came to a halt in front of Matt, whose hands were forced into his pockets.
With a shrug of his shoulder, he simply stated, "It's such a long story," He looked towards the entrance window where Bonnie was tapping her foot impatiently, "And I really don't have the time." Matt's feet ventured towards the exit where he hopped into the rental van.
Thoughts began to rush in his head; Damon always needed to have knowledge of what was happening. And right now, the temptations of begging were creeping their way up his list. Directing his way towards the south wing, he groaned as he crashed into a tired hybrid.
"Can you tell me what the fuck is going on?" His agitation level had grown dangerously so.
Tyler sighed, "Dude, you have a brain, use it." He patted Damon on the shoulder before heading off towards the van, a broad smile playing on his lips.
This left Damon to ball his hands into fists. The smoke was beginning to pour from his ears as he ventured off towards the east wing where the wild craps games were being held. The roar of the crowds invaded his eardrums as he started towards the brunette figure who was keeping sentry by one game of craps.
"Damon," Jeremy's eyes bore into his, "How… nice to see you again."
Damon's eyes narrowed, "You better tell me what is going on."
His left side of his hand wiped his forehead from the beads of sweat that were beginning to form, "What I know, you have to figure out." His lips pursed.
Damon's eyes narrowed, his hand forming in a fist at his side as Jeremy breezed by him and out the door. The irritation was visibly high, for his face was growing a light shade of red as he prowled towards the south wing.
Alaric was pacing the floors, a glass of whiskey in his right hand, his cellphone clumsily placed into his pocket. With a long sigh, he snapped his head up to the sound of thundering boots.
"Alaric," Damon boomed, "If you don't tell me what the fuck is going on, I will be forced to kill you." The surrounding games were hushed at the words. Whispers could be heard as Damon's eyes narrowed.
Alaric raised his hand with the whiskey placed in it, "I have a ring to save me," He tapped his foot before taking a long swig of his drink, "What confuses you so?"
His feet took a giant step forward, his tone firm and full of fury, "What is it that I have to know?"
Alaric let a rusty chuckle fill the air before he looked Damon in the eyes, "I really wish I could tell you, but this is a matter that you must figure out on your own." He clicked his tongue before walking towards the exit where he was met by a waitress who took the empty glass from his hands.
This left Damon a raging bull. The horns were beginning to protrude from his skin, his sight blinded by red. The combat boots thundered once more against the marble flooring.
THUD. THUD. THUD. THUD.
The boots came to a screeching halt when his eyes landed on the brunette, the doppelganger, the undiscovered love, his wife. The breath was hitched in his throat when he took a few more steps forward, trying to gain her attention.
But just as he was within her perimeter, he was yet again halted by a confident blonde.
"Get out of my way, Caroline." He demanded, trying to toss her to the side.
"I'll move once you know what exactly you've been searching for," Her eyes grew saddened.
Meanwhile, his eyes were brimmed with curiosity, "I must find out for myself." His lips pursed as he pushed her aside, leaving her with a jaw to the floor.
I-I…What just happened?
She quickly collected herself before she rushed to the exit where Caroline was met by the rest of the gang.
"What happened?" Bonnie questioned, her eyes wide.
Caroline hopped into the backseat and slammed the door shut, "He is determined to find out for himself."
Tyler scoffed, "But that wasn't part of the plan." Jeremy and Matt nodded in agreement.
Alaric leaned further into his seat, "We're talking about Damon here," He frowned deeply, "There is no final plan when it comes to him."
Elena was searching the grounds, her hair partially covering the right side of her face as she kept her eyes locked onto one figure far by the craps games. Even though he appeared nothing like Damon, she couldn't help but imagine that it was him.
It was simply preposterous and crazy how she went from despising the ground he walked upon to wishing he would wrap his arms around her once more. After all, she was carrying his child.
But he doesn't know that.
Her eyes were saddened and dull as she sighed in agreement with her thoughts. What would he do when found out? Would he panic and run off again? Would he be angry?
Just as she swept her head back towards the entrance, the breath was captured in her throat. Her eyes locked with the blue ones directly in front of her. He was within touching distance, but to her he seemed to be so far away.
The fury had long been thrown out the window, replaced with the familiar jealousy, "Elena." He greeted, eyes cold.
She gulped, the noises around her seemed to be hushing as she drowned in the ocean blue before her, "Damon," She tore her gaze away from him and directed it towards the floor, "I-I have something to tell you." She stammered out.
His lips pursed, "I already know."
Elena's head snapped up, "How?"
His eyes grew darker, "I heard its heartbeat." Her eyes narrowed at the usage of words.
She gazed into his eyes, trying to read him like a book, just as she used to do before the marriage, before the drunken trip to Los Angeles. But his walls were completely up, swathed in barbed wire.
He's angry.
She bit her lip, "Why are you angry then?" His eyes bore into hers.
"You slept with someone else." He stated, eyes and tone firm.
Elena gasped. He had everything twisted, "No! I didn't."
His eyes narrowed, "You don't expect me to believe that that child is mine, do you?"
Her eyes began to burn at the words. He didn't believe a word from her mouth, "Damon," She locked eyes with him, "I did not cheat."
He scoffed at the words, "Vampires cannot procreate," His hands balled into fists, "I can't raise another man's child, so stop trying to entrap me. Just get an abortion." The words seemed to be slipping from his lips.
And before he could stop anything, her hand firmly slapped him across the face, "Don't you dare say that ever again! I would never kill our child!" The tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Damon's eyes grew wide upon realization of his words, "Elena, I-" He was cut off by the sobs emitting from her lips. With each whimper that escaped, his heart tore.
Dammit.
His arms went to reach for her, to hold her, but she pulled away and, with tears streaming down her face, she ran out the entrance, leaving Damon far behind. Once she reached the safety of the seat in the car, she muttered out, "Just drive. I don't want to see his face."
Bonnie nodded, her eyes brimming with her own tears as she put the car into drive and drove away.
Damon had retired to his hotel room, flopping down onto the mattress. His eyes were cold and lost as he stared up to the ceiling above.
"It can't be my child," His eyes narrowed, "It can't."
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. This chapter took some careful thinking. Please don't fret, Delena always has a happy ending.
Next Chapter:
Matt, Jeremy, Alaric, and Tyler set out to make Damon believe that he is in fact the father.
Bonnie and Caroline comfort Elena by taking her out to dinner. While there, all hell breaks loose.
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Please Note: I am currently working on the sequel to Puzzled Hearts.