11:20 A.M.
Bonnie's Apartment
"The REST of the story?" Alaric asked incredulously.
Elisabeth nodded. "Yes, dear. You wanted to know about Sebastian, didn't you?"
"Goody," Meredith mumbled under her breath as she mopped up the coffee Alaric had sprayed all over the table. "I can't wait."
Elisabeth ignored her. She lowered herself out of her crouch and sat on the floor, Indian-style. With her hair back, she looked like a young girl. The illusion was vaguely amusing to Bonnie.
The redhead turned her thoughts to Stefan, confident that Damon's tumultuous emotions were in check for the moment. She hadn't really noticed it before, but being in close physical proximity to Stefan heightened her mental awareness of him as it did with his brother. It was no where near as strong as the feeling she got from Damon, but there it was-his mind humming quietly at the edge of hers.
Stefan chose that moment to turn and look at her. *I feel it too,* he said, while giving a small smile.
Bonnie couldn't help but smile in return. However, she wanted him to know that she was still concerned. *Are you okay?*
*Honestly? Not really. But I will survive.*
Bonnie's smile grew wider as she sent Stefan a quick mental image of him in a disco club crooning along to Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive". Stefan looked at her, wide-eyed, not knowing what to say.
Damon said it for him. *Bonnie, that is truly disturbing. You are a depraved individual.*
*Besides,* Elisabeth added, letting them know that she had caught the conversation as well. *I always pictured Stefan to be more of a Bee-Gees fan.*
That did it. Both Stefan and Bonnie dissolved into much needed laughter. Elisabeth joined in while Damon merely shook his head in resignation.
Meredith and Alaric looked at each other in bewilderment then back at the spectacle before them.
"Is this the Twilight Zone?" Alaric asked.
Meredith rolled her eyes. "They have got to stop this telepathic crap. It's just a tad annoying." As she said the last part, she raised her voice dramatically. The comment went unnoticed and the laughter continued.
Alaric still stared at them, dumbfounded. "Stefan is laughing Meredith. I didn't think he could do that."
The brunette sat back and sighed. "Apparently that insanity he's been waiting for has finally kicked in."
*If you could cease your merriment for a few minutes, I think that we still have unfinished business.*
Damon's silent admonition quieted the laughter instantly. Bonnie regarded Stefan with wonder. His eyes were lit up and his face full of warmth.
"You have dimples," she said to him. It was true. The laughter and broad smiling had brought forth two adorable dimples on either side of his mouth. "You should laugh more often."
Stefan looked around the room, his face slowly sobering as he remembered what they were facing. "I wish I had more to laugh about," he replied.
Elisabeth cleared her throat and Meredith threw them all a look as if to say "It's about time!" Bonnie smiled sweetly at her as Elisabeth resumed her tale.
"Sebastian," she began. "Was a comfort to me from the very beginning." Her eyes sparkled happily with her words. "As a mortal, I'd never had the chance to become a mother, so I reveled in every aspect of Sebastian's upbringing. He had the finest nurses and governess, and when the time came, the finest tutors. I spared no expense on him.
"And as he got older, the loneliness in me decreased even as my wonder grew. Looking at Sebastian was like gazing at Isabella, Damon and Stefan all in one package. He grew to be sweet and well mannered, with crisp wavy hair just like his twin. But his eyes. . .oh, his eyes were purely Isabella and Damon. And he had Damon's aggressive passion. He was interested in something new every week. Sebastian was the smartest boy I'd ever known. Despite the separation, he was growing up just as fine as his brothers were. I knew I was keeping my promise to Isabella."
"But how did you know what Damon and I were like?" Stefan questioned.
Elisabeth smiled gently. "Darling, I kept tabs on you. I still had friends in Italy who were more than happy to keep me informed about every aspect of yours and your brother's lives."
"Did Sebastian know he had brothers?"
Elisabeth sobered somewhat at Alaric's question. "Not right away," she answered. "For many years I struggled with how and when to tell him not only about his real family, but about myself as well."
Bonnie leaned forward and clasped her hands on her knees. "He didn't know you were a vampire," she stated.
The redheaded vampire shook her head. "No. And I agonized over it. It had been easy to tell Isabella, but Sebastian--oh I loved him far more than I ever loved her. The first time he called me 'Mother' was absolutely magical. I found myself unable to utter my secret to him. I tried, many times I tried, but the words always seemed to stick in my throat."
Meredith gazed at her, unaffected by the emotion in her voice. "Did you ever tell him?"
Again, Elisabeth gave that faint smile. "I didn't need to. I should've known, because as I said, Sebastian was smart. In fact, he really wasn't just smart. The boy was a genius. By the time he was 16, he was teaching his tutors. They were baffled. As was I."
"Why?" Meredith continued her questioning.
"Well, there was more to it than simple genius," Elisabeth answered. "Sebastian had powers. Extensive powers." She glanced up. "Much like Bonnie."
"Me?" Bonnie squeaked.
"Yes. I started noticing Sebastian's abilities when he was very young. He could move things with his mind, implant suggestions in people's minds, and he could dreamwalk." She cast another significant look in Bonnie's direction. "That is, he could enter other people's dreams and manipulate them."
"Holy shit," Alaric muttered. "You can do that, Bonnie?"
She looked at him wildly. "No!"
"But you could," Elisabeth added.
"What?"
Elisabeth gave another small grin. "You have all of those abilities Bonnie. You just haven't realized it yet. With training, you could be just as powerful as Sebastian."
"Well, hip hip hooray for that," Meredith broke in. "Isn't Sebastian the bad guy here? Why would Bonnie want to be as powerful as he is?"
"To fight him," Damon spoke up quietly. "Obviously."
Meredith threw an unimpressed glare at Damon, but settled back on the loveseat, biting her lip angrily.
"When I discovered Sebastian's abilities, I was shocked, but pleased. I helped him realize what he could do, and tried to teach him the rights and wrongs of his powers."
"I'd say you didn't quite succeed in that category," Stefan stated. He sounded bitter and tired.
Elisabeth acknowledged his comment with a slight nod. "Yes, well, it worked then. Sebastian progressed extremely well. And I was so proud of him that I let him study the mythology of his powers, all the ancient texts of the occult. That was my mistake."
"So, was that what you meant when you said that you didn't need to tell him?"
Elisabeth glanced up at Stefan again. "Yes," she replied. "I didn't need to tell him because he figured it out. Much like his mother before him, he noticed the differences in me that most other mortals chose to ignore-my pale skin, luminescent eyes, my dislike of sunlight, my light eating habits, and the fact that I never seemed to age. He made a simple deduction. And he presented me with it on his 17th birthday."
Damon snorted but Elisabeth continued.
"He said to me, 'Mother, I've been noticing a few oddities about you for some time now. And I was puzzled, until it occurred to me that you are a vampire.'"
Meredith's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "He actually said that?"
"Word for word," Elisabeth stated evenly. Her eyes glinted with something like pride. "Needless to say, I was shocked. I had no idea he even knew vampires existed. I should've known he would come across the legends though. There have always been mortals who, in their foolishness, have stumbled across our kind, and lived to tell the tale. As such, there have been printed stories about dreaded 'fanged monsters' for ages now. Mostly just nonsensical trash, but even the most ludicrous fiction must find its basis in some fact. Trust Sebastian to find that underlying truth."
Bonnie was fascinated. "He knew all about you?"
"No," Elisabeth pressed her lips together wryly. "He had basic notions, but I couldn't lie to him. I set him straight, and separated the reality from the myth. But revealing myself as a vampire led Sebastian to other questions naturally. He knew I couldn't possibly have given birth to him, so he wanted to know who did.
"With many reservations, I told him about Isabella and of his father and brothers. He was overwhelmed--and very angry with me for some time. I think it was at least three weeks before he would even say 'good morning' to me. Finally though, he did come to me. And it was with a request that I swore I'd never grant."
"He wanted to travel to Florence."
Elisabeth looked at Damon with grim assent in her eyes. "Yes. He wanted to see his mortal family. He was especially obsessed with meeting his twin brother, Stefan." She paused and heaved a great sigh. "When I told him it was impossible, his anger returned. He wanted to know why he couldn't go. And though I didn't want to hurt him, I had to be honest with him. I told him that his father believed him to be dead, and that very possibly his brothers didn't even know of his existence."
"Why did Father never tell us about Sebastian?" Stefan asked in a jaded tone.
Elisabeth shrugged. "I would assume for the same reason he never told you about me. I imagine that Giuseppe wanted to forget everything connected with his wife's death. I've said it before, he truly loved her, and must have been heartbroken when she died."
Stefan nodded and rose quietly, moving across the room. He stopped and leaned back against the wall by the kitchen, a pensive frown on his face. His green eyes were blazing with a frustration Bonnie could feel building up inside of him. As she gazed at him, she wondered silently when all of it would come bursting out.
*Knowing my brother,* Damon answered her seriously. *Perhaps never.*
Meredith cleared her throat and rose as well. She began pacing the room, a curious expression evident on her lovely face. "Did Sebastian accept your refusal?"
"Hardly." Elisabeth rolled her eyes. Then she looked up and moved so that she was sitting in the spot on the couch Stefan had just vacated. Her gaze followed Meredith's path around the room as she answered. "He was relentless for months. Always coming up with new tactics and arguments." She paused, still watching Meredith's movements. "Is there any reason why you're pacing?" she asked suddenly.
The brunette stopped quickly and threw a critical glance toward the redheaded vampire. "I'm thinking," she replied, before resuming her pace.
Bonnie felt a warmth rise in her at a glimpse of the old Meredith. Alaric was wearing an affectionate smile as well as he explained to Elisabeth, "She can't sit still when she's thinking."
"Right," Elisabeth mumbled. She leaned back and sighed deeply.
"So, what happened next," Bonnie prompted. "You caved didn't you?"
"Like an avalanche. I couldn't stand to see Sebastian unhappy. I told him we would go to Florence, and he could see his family, but we couldn't make contact. That seemed to suit him. He just wanted to lay his eyes upon them.
"So, to Italy we went. This was in May of the year 1562." Elisabeth paused and looked at Damon and Stefan pointedly. "A month that turned out to be very eventful in Florence."
Bonnie turned to see both brothers grimacing in distaste. She caught a thought from Damon.
*Katherine.*
Elisabeth nodded. "Exactly. When Sebastian and I arrived, I had some of my servants inquire about the Conte and his family before I would take Sebastian anywhere near them. It was then that I learned that Giuseppe had some long term houseguests present--a Baron Von Swartzchild and his daughter Katherine. From the way my servants spoke of her habits, I was instantly suspicious of her. I told Sebastian to wait until I could look things over for myself."
She sighed. "Of course, being the impetuous teenager that he was, he didn't listen to me. One night, thinking I was asleep, he rode off to see the Salvatore estate by himself. I was angry, but knew he would never give up until he got it out of his system. So, I followed him on my horse, at a discreet distance, careful never to let him become aware of my presence.
"When we reached the estate, it was twilight, and familiarity washed over me. For a moment, I almost expected to see Isabella roaming about the gardens, with Damon balanced on her hip. But when I came along the outer wall, I saw a very different scene. It was Damon, and Stefan, and they were arguing."
Elisabeth didn't pause to take in the sidelong glances the brothers threw each other, but continued with her tale full-force. "Sebastian wasn't far ahead of me, but he was completely and utterly absorbed in watching his brothers. For, one look told both of us that that was exactly who they were. Even in the rising moonlight, the resemblance was uncanny. My hearing caught their words very quickly. It was Katherine they were arguing about."
"Jesus," Stefan murmured. He ran a hand through his silky hair, making the curls tumble into his eyes. Bonnie'd never seen him look more distressed, or more gorgeous.
*Why is it that catastrophe brings out the nympho in me?* she wondered silently.
*Maybe you took one too many lessons from Elena in high school.*
Bonnie turned to Damon, mortified that he had heard her thought. *Damon!* she exclaimed.
*Don't worry,* he returned blandly. *I won't tell St. Stefan you were having impure thoughts about him.*
*I was not!* Damon merely gave her a wry grin in response. She felt the blood rush to her face and fought to calm herself as Elisabeth went on.
"Stefan was telling Damon to leave Katherine alone, and Damon was of course being his usual charming self---baiting Stefan endlessly. I truly think they hated each other."
"We did," they said in unison.
Elisabeth raised her eyebrows, but made no comment. "Anyway," she began again. "Damon got bored and walked away from Stefan, going back inside the house. Stefan followed a moment later, still boiling with anger.
"I was fascinated. You two had looked just like I thought you would. I could tell that Sebastian was enthralled as well. I was about to approach him, when another figure emerged into the garden. It was Katherine. She'd been hiding behind the hedges, eavesdropping on Stefan and Damon, just as Sebastian and I had been.
"One look at her confirmed my suspicions. I knew she was a vampire. Newly made at that. Still, I immediately cloaked Sebastian's and my presence. I wasn't taking any chances on her sensing us. I didn't have to bother though, because she wasn't paying the least bit of attention to us."
"What was she doing?" Alaric asked.
"Hunting," Elisabeth answered. "She caught a rabbit in the garden and drained it dry, then strolled back into the house, pretty as could be."
Bonnie could hear the disgust in Elisabeth's voice. "I guess you didn't take a liking to Katherine?"
The vampire smiled grimly. "Show's does it? I didn't like how she had pitted Damon and Stefan against each other. They thought she was sweet and innocent, but I saw the look on her face after she witnessed their argument. She liked it. She wanted them to fight over her. Yup, I hated that little blond psycho from the first moment I saw her."
Bonnie smothered a laugh at Elisabeth's words and instead took in the look of shock on Stefan's face. She felt waves of surprise coming from Damon as well. It was clear they'd never heard that particular opinion expressed about Katherine before.
"However," Elisabeth continued. "My point of view was not shared by Sebastian. When I rode up next to him, he wasn't even surprised or dismayed by my appearance. He was too taken with the young girl he was watching.
"'She's beautiful,' he whispered to me. 'She's beautiful like you, Mother.'
"'We are not alike,' I told him in return. 'She may be of the same species, but her blood runs far colder than mine.'
"He didn't believe me. She was pure in his eyes. He fell in love."
This time, Bonnie couldn't hold back a short spurt of laughter. Meredith had ceased her pacing and was now gazing at Elisabeth incredulously. "Did everyone in Florence fall in love with Katherine? Was it the 'in' thing to do?"
Elisabeth merely shrugged. "Perhaps it was a 'Salvatore thing'."
Damon and Stefan ignored this comment, both remaining silent. Damon however, did roll his eyes and shift. Bonnie jumped slightly when his leg touched hers. She heard him give a silent chuckle.
Alaric was looking at his watch. "Tell me this story does have an ending," he pleaded. "I need to take a shower."
Meredith nodded in agreement. Elisabeth looked around. "Why don't we take a break then? I do need to eat."
Bonnie frowned. "But we just-"
Elisabeth merely smiled at her. "Darling, you know what I mean."
"Oh."
The vampire addressed everyone again. "Alright, what say we convene back here in two hours?"
They all nodded in response. Alaric and Meredith headed off in the direction of the bathroom.
"Nothing kinky in my shower!" Bonnie called after them.
"Bite me," was Meredith's reply.
Damon grinned next to her. "She's always charming."
"That's Meredith," Stefan agreed. He moved towards the balcony. "I'm going out for some of that air I've been hearing about," he announced.
Elisabeth stood and made for the door. "I'll be back soon," she told Bonnie as she slipped her coat on. "Do try and behave while I'm gone."
Bonnie glared at her and sighed after the door closed. She and Damon were alone again. She looked over at him.
"Do you need to, um, eat?"
Damon smiled in amusement. "No I ate last night."
Bonnie blushed. *I wonder how often he feeds.*
*Whenever I want to.*
She jumped again. "God, I keep forgetting about that."
"I've tried to forget," he murmured, staring directly at her. "It doesn't seem to work."
She felt more heat rise to her cheeks and looked down. It was then that she realized she was still in her pajamas. "I'm going to go change," she stated and stood up. She started toward her bedroom but was stopped in her tracks by Damon's lazy voice in her mind.
*Need any help?*
* * * * *
Same Time
Cecily's Apartment
"Bastard. Fucking bastard. I don't need him. I don't love him."
Cecily had been repeating her new mantra for awhile, but she didn't think it was working. She didn't believe it anymore now than she did when she'd first stormed into her apartment, tears streaming down her cheeks.
As much as she wanted to believe that everything Matt had said to her was a lie, she couldn't. She was the one lying to him. She couldn't even bring herself to tell him what she was.
*He won't understand. He'll hate you.*
Cecily hadn't wanted to fall in love. In fact, she'd gone to great lengths to avoid every trace of love for all of her undead life. The pain from the first, from HIM, had been too great. Despite her fear of love, Cecily never denied herself fun. The first time she'd met Matt Honeycutt, she thought he'd be a temporary distraction. Sex with him had been like heaven. But, when she felt her feelings for him growing, she left in a hurry, going back to New York for the summer. She knew he could never love her. He had a girlfriend, one who wasn't a vampire.
But it didn't matter how far she ran from him. Matt followed. He haunted all of her thoughts. By September, Cecily had to admit to herself that she loved him. And it was with a heavy heart that she returned to Fell's Church for her next semester. At first, she'd avoided Matt like the plague, even after hearing of his and Bonnie's break-up. That merely fueled her guilt and terror.
Cecily frowned. This was the part she didn't understand. Because one day, about a week or so ago, she had woken up with an irresistible urge to see Matt, and it had led her to the cemetery. That was where she had found Elena's grave. Curious, she'd begun to research the dead girl, eventually coming across her diaries. It was in those pages, that Cecily had found a very familiar story, and a familiar name to go along with it.
*That was when the headaches began,* she mused. And now she couldn't remember the name that had upset her so. But she had continued going to Elena's grave, until Matt had found her there a few days ago. After a few hours spent with him, Cecily had begun to wonder why she'd spent so much time avoiding him. She loved him, and forgot about her terrible secret while she was with him.
Now she could think of nothing else as she flipped on the light in her bathroom. The smell of gasoline assaulted her nostrils immediately. Tears filled her eyes again as she gazed down at the pile of clothing in her tub. She reached back, but her mind was a blank for the previous night. The last thing she remembered was leaving Matt at the coffee shop, then him arriving at her apartment in great distress. She could remember nothing in between that.
*Did I do what he thinks I did?*
She turned to look in the mirror, thinking again about Elena. She picked up her hairbrush and ran it through her silken tresses. It was then that she realized how much she resembled the dead girl.
"What a coincidence," she mumbled. She grimaced as her hairbrush caught on the earring in her cartilage. She reached up and reattached the backing to the tiny lapis lazuli stud. "Can't lose you my little friend, can I?"
It was at that moment that a blinding pain struck in her forehead. Cecily gasped and distantly heard the hairbrush clatter on the tile floor. She sank to her knees and gripped the edge of the sink tightly.
*Not another headache,* was her last thought before she slid into blackness.
