Chapter 39

Elena was staying in her room for the time being and Bonnie couldn't really blame her but since her friend had gotten hungry she was on her way down to the kitchen to whip up some lunch. She passed the three vampires in the courtyard and gave them an open smile before she continued towards the kitchen. The babies seemed to be telling her lunch needed to be Mexican so she got out the making for taco salads. She got started on the carne asada steak with lime marinade and put the shells in the oven before she got the rest of the ingredients pulled together. She'd decided she might as well cook everyone lunch since the smell was likely to attract a crowd. She snatched a pickled jalapeño slice and popped it into her mouth as she worked.

"Is it good?" She turned to see Damon there and smiling at her.

"The babies seem to like it." She answered as she went about cutting some of the food until he took over and placed it where it needed to go.

"She hates me," he said and looked at her. "Elena-she hates me."

"Angry but I don't think that she hates you." Bonnie told him, unsure of the answer herself.

"Then why hasn't she left her room?"

"She and Kol are watching her baby birds and trying to get them acclimated to vampire interaction." She gave him a pointed look. "That and the fact that she's engaged to Elijah-he's unsure of what you want with her."

"So Kol, Klaus and Stefan spend time with her?"

She nodded.

"Katherine wanted to speak with her. Could you arrange something like that happening?"

"We're actually one big happy family these days," Bonnie smiled and then rubbed her baby bump, "and growing. Alone? Completely alone? I don't think so." Bonnie shook her head. "I might-well, could try to arrange it with Elijah present but if I trick both of them...well punishments around here are steep and I love Kol too much to risk being shut out. How about just the two of you in the courtyard and everyone else has to remain on the upper walkway? That's probably the best I can offer you and even then at least Elijah is likely to go ballistic at the suggestion."

"He's going to go ballistic? Just for wanting Katherine and Elena to talk?" Damon was amazed.

"He punished Rebekah to be away from Stefan and Lilly for six years." She said with a shiver. "That was after Lilly was born and it was known that Rebekah snapped Elena's neck and placed her in the vervain room."

Bonnie finished the preparations for lunch and Damon helped carry everything outside and then followed her carrying the tray with Bonnie, Elijah, Elena and Kol's salads on it. He stopped at the door to Elijah's suite and passed the tray to Bonnie with a smile before he vaulted over the side and rejoined Katherine in the courtyard to help prepare her lunch and get his own.

Elijah took the tray from her the moment she crossed into his suite alone. As they began eating lunch Elijah heard Bonnie's heart rate kick up a moment.

"Katherine wants an audience with Elena...alone," Bonnie began. She noticed Elijah was about to protest and she raised a hand to forestall his response, "I told him that the best I could likely negotiate was Elena and Katherine in the courtyard with everyone else on the upper walkway. I told him I would ask..."

"I'll do it." Elijah turned to stare at Elena. "After what happened to me, I understand her a little bit better."

"Then I'll be down there with you." He promised.