Part 14
2:45 P.M.
Fell’s Church
Stefan frowned at Bonnie’s words. “Found it?”
Elena stood up quickly and snatched the scarf from his hands. “I dropped it while I was walking. I don’t remember where.”
“Oh, well let us help,” Aurora grinned. “We found it outside of the Boarding House.”
Elena’s eyes widened, but her face was set in a resolved expression.
“I was just walking, I wanted to see it.”
Matt sighed from his position on the bed. “That place has been closed for months.”
“So I found,” Elena replied quietly. Her eyes never left Bonnie’s. “What happened to Mrs. Flowers?”
“She died,” was Bonnie’s flat response. She turned away and moved closer to Aurora while muttering, “Like most things in this town.”
Alaric cleared his throat. He was leaning against the wall, still by the door. Bonnie noted that she’d never seen him looking so rumpled. His sandy hair was mussed and his face was unshaven. His white collared shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the undershirt he wore beneath it. Lastly, and most astonishing of all, he was wearing jeans. . .actual blue jeans. He looked all of fifteen. Momentarily forgetting her anger, Bonnie gave a small grin to herself.
“Elena’s explained herself,” Alaric began, “and knows that she can’t go out alone anymore. So, now that this crisis has been averted, where do we go from here?”
The long-awaited question hung in the air, needing an answer that no one seemed ready to give.
Finally, Meredith spoke. Her voice was quiet, and tinged with desperation. “Perhaps we don’t have to do anything,” she whispered.
“What do you mean?” Alaric questioned.
She drew her knees up to her chest and ran a hand through her hair. Her eyes were tired. “Just what I said,” she replied. “Nothing else has happened, right? Maybe it’s over. Maybe it was just an ordinary psychopath that murdered Caroline. Maybe we’re all looking for something that isn’t there!”
Furtive looks were passed around the room in the wake of Meredith’s claim. Bonnie found herself looking from Elena’s expression of resigned pity, to Matt’s look of quiet hope. She started to speak but was interrupted.
“Meredith,” Stefan began gently. “There have been two murders. . .and Bonnie’s dreams. And remember our talk in the park?”
“Two murders?” Meredith looked on the verge of tears. Bonnie started in her direction, but stopped when Aurora touched her arm.
*Let her have her say, Petite.*
“Two murders?” Meredith repeated. “We have Chris’ killer right in front of us, why does Caroline’s death have to be such a bigger mystery?”
Matt turned to look at Auoroa. “You haven’t really explained yourself you know,” he said with narrowed eyes.
Aurora returned his expression. “I’m not the only one.”
“What are you talking about?” Elena asked.
“I think each and every one of us has some explaining to do,” the vampire replied. “We’re never going to get anywhere if we keep hiding things from each other.”
“And what is it you think we’re hiding?” Meredith inquired bitterly.
Aurora paused. Crossing her arms, she ventured forward and astonished everyone by sitting down next to Matt. He gave her a quizzical look, but made no attempt to move away.
“It does not matter what I think, Meredith.” She spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully, and looking directly at the upset brunette on the bed opposite. “It only matters what we all know.”
Meredith leaned forward. “I know I don’t want this. I want to go home.”
Alaric rushed to her side and wrapped his arms around her. Bonnie felt a sob rise in her own throat. She’d never seen Meredith this vulnerable before. Stefan moved forward and sat on Meredith’s other side, directly facing Aurora.
“None of us want this,” he stated.
“But we have it,” Elena finished.
Stefan looked up, surprised. He met Elena’s eyes though and nodded at her comment. “Elena’s right.”
Matt shook his head. “No. I’m not going in for all this foreboding crap. I’m with Meredith. . .nothing else has happened.”
Aurora laid a hand on Matt’s arm. He looked down at it and quietly pulled away. Aurora accepted this gracefully. “Something else has happened,” she said clearly. “Bonnie?”
All eyes turned to the petite redhead who was still hovering around the edge of the chest of drawers. She cast her gaze to the floor and silently cursed. *God Damnit, Aurora! I can’t tell them!*
“Oui Petite, you must,” the dark-haired vampire said through clenched teeth. “Someone must start, or we’re never going to get anywhere!”
Bonnie looked up quickly and met Aurora’s stare. *I promised Damon!*
*Everyone is poised to leave, do you want that? Then how can we help Damon?*
“What is going on?” Alaric looked back and forth from Bonnie to Aurora.
“They’re communicating telepathically,” Stefan murmured.
Alaric’s eyes looked like saucers. “You can do that?” he asked Bonnie incredulously.
She sighed and slowly approached the beds. “Yes,” she replied. “Aurora has been teaching me some things, and my powers have been growing steadily ever since I began having the dreams.”
Elena nodded as though she’d been expecting to hear that and perched on the edge of the bed on the other side of Matt. Only Bonnie remained standing.
“Is this what Aurora wanted you to tell us?”
Bonnie smiled wryly at Alaric’s question. She again turned to Aurora.
*Do it.*
*Fine.*
She ran a hand absently through her hair. *I’m sorry Damon.* “No, that wasn’t it.”
“Then what?”
Bonnie looked around. Why was it so hard to say this? He’d help to save their lives, they should all accept him. . .and he was in trouble. He needed help. . .
“Damon is here.”
They all gaped. Even Meredith, who had spent the last minute or so in numb silence.
Elena rose from the bed. “Damon? Here?” She looked around as though she expected him to appear in the room at any second.
“How long has he been here?” Matt wanted to know.
She shook her head. “I don’t know,” she replied honestly. “He contacted me yesterday right after you guys arrived at my apartment.”
“So, that was your fainting spell, huh?”
Bonnie glanced sharply at Elena. “Yeah, he just kind of invaded my head.”
Alaric stood. “Okay, next question—why is he here?”
She blushed. “I think I was unconsciously calling him telepathically.”
“Oh really?”
Her face flushed deeper at Matt’s condescending comment, though from anger rather than embarrassment. “You don’t want to go there right now Matt,” she warned. “I promise you will not like the results.”
Aurora stood quickly and moved between Bonnie and Matt. She laid a calming hand on Bonnie’s shoulder. “La Petite thought that Damon was the one in her dreams.”
“Was he?” Meredith seemed eager to accept Damon as the bad guy again.
“No.” Bonnie’s tone was final. “Someone is trying to make me think Damon is responsible. . .I had a vision, or hallucination at Caroline’s—I thought it was Damon, but it wasn’t. Whoever—whatever is sending me these dreams, wants me to blame Damon.”
Elena stepped closer to Bonnie, her arms wrapped around herself tightly. Her face was drawn tightly. “But how do you know for sure that it’s not Damon.”
“He told me,” she replied simply. “Damon has never lied.”
None of them could dispute that fact, and Bonnie felt herself trembling as they all digested the information they’d received.
“You’ve seen him?” came a quiet voice from the bed.
She was startled. She’d almost forgotten Stefan,. He hadn’t spoken since she’d made her announcement. His lips were tight, and his eyes were extremely wet.
“Yes,” she answered. “I met him last night.” Hesitatingly, she added, “In the cemetery.”
“Appropriate,” Matt snorted.
Stefan ignored the blond and kept his eyes on Bonnie. He suddenly looked like a frightened child. “How is he?” he asked simply.
Bonnie melted. “Oh—he’s fine. Well—“ she trailed off and glanced at Aurora.
“He was last night,” she corrected.
Meredith cocked her head confusedly. “What do you mean?”
“He’s missing,” Aurora said. “We’ve tried to contact him all day and we can’t feel anything. We went to the Boarding House—“ she paused and threw a pointed look at Elena, “and found the Porsche, but no Damon. Something has happened to him.”
“Why didn’t you tell us he was here yesterday, Bonnie?”
She didn’t want to answer Stefan, but knew she had to. “He made me promise not to.”
“Typically Damon,” Alaric remarked.
Stefan stood suddenly. “Well, I think we just got our answer.”
Matt frowned. “Huh?”
Bonnie smiled at Stefan’s next words. “Our next move—we have to find Damon.” He began heading for the door.
“What, now?” Alaric asked, surprised.
Stefan nodded and donned his leather jacket. “There’s no time like the present.”
“Stefan,” Elena began. “Maybe we should wait and think this out.”
He paused and looked at her searchingly. “I’m tired of waiting Elena.”
“But Stefan—“
He interrupted Meredith. “He’s my brother.”
Bonnie grinned and moved to follow Stefan with Aurora right on her heels. She felt the rest of them join them moments later.
As they stood silently in the elevator, Bonnie heard Aurora’s voice in her mind.
*So, when should I tell them about Elisabeth?*
Bonnie looked around at all the grim faces.
*Later. Definitely later.** * * * *
Part 15
