Cecily's apartment; 9:00 A.M.
"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP"
"Did one of you just beep?"
Bonnie and Cecily looked at each other then back at Matt in amusement. They smiled in unison and shook their heads while smoothing out their matching silk nightgowns.
Matt was annoyed. Here he was with two beautiful women who'd both just professed their undying love for him, and SOMETHING was making this god-awful beeping noise. He began to tear around the candle-lit bedroom in search of the sound.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Silly," Bonnie giggled. "It's not coming from here. You're dreaming."
"What?" Matt stared at them incredulously.
Cecily nodded. "This is a dream Matt. And it's time for you to wake up."
"But--"
"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP"
Matt opened his eyes and groaned wearily. *Why do I always have to wake up before the good part of the dream?*
He glanced over to his alarm clock to see what time it was only to be greeted by a lamp instead. *Wait a minute. . .* He sat up and took in the room around him.
"Cecily," he exhaled and looked at the spot next to him on the bed. It was empty, but the memories from last night flooded his brain. Upon closer inspection, Matt saw a piece of paper lying on Cecily's pillow. He snatched it up and read its content out loud.
"Matt, thanks again for last night. You could definitely become a habit." He blushed and cleared his throat before continuing. "Sorry to run out on you, but I had to be at work early. You're welcome to stay in the apartment as long as you want today. You have my number--I want to hear from you. We don't have to hide anymore. Kisses, Cecily. P.S. You look extremely adorable when you're sleeping."
*We don't have to hide anymore. . .* Matt wasn't sure what that meant. Did Cecily want to date him or just fu---
"BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP"
Matt sighed. His pager. He found it lying on the floor near his jeans and cursed when he saw what time it was. "9:00! Shit! This better be good." He pushed the button and frowned. He didn't recognize the number, but it was followed by a 911 code, which meant "emergency".
"Someone had better be on fire," he muttered as he stretched across the bed to reach Cecily's phone. A bright female voice answered after he dialed.
"Good morning, Day's Inn. How can I help you?"
"Uh. . ." He was beyond confused. "My name's Matt Honeycutt, and someone just paged me with this number. I'm not sure--"
"Oh yes, Mr. Honeycutt. You have the right number," the girl assured him. "I'm to forward you to Mr. & Mrs. Saltzman's room."
"Mr. & Mrs. Saltzman?" Had they forgot to mention something yesterday? Matt chuckled as he waited for the connection. He was dying to hear about this one.
"Hello? Matt?" Meredith's voice was breathless.
"Mr. & Mrs. Saltzman?" he repeated.
He heard her sigh. "It's a small town. We thought it would be better just to avoid any problems. You know what this place is like."
"Do I ever," he agreed. He sat up and leaned back against Cecily's headboard. A particularly inviting image of him in this same position with Cecily on top of him replayed in his head. "You do have a good reason for paging me at nine o'clock in the morning, right Meredith?"
"Can you meet us at Bonnie's apartment in an hour?"
He frowned. "Why? Is Bonnie alright?" Guilt swept over him. If she'd been hurt last night while he was with Cecily. . .
"Bonnie's fine Matt. We just all need to get together and decide what we're going to do." She paused and Matt saw her in his mind's eye--pinching the bridge of her nose in concentration as her dark hair fell around her face. "I don't know about you," she went on, "but Alaric and I are clueless. We've got less than nothing to go on here. I think we just need a major brainstorming session. Will you come?"
Matt closed his eyes. *Do I have a choice?* "Yes, I'll be there."
"Good." He heard her hesitate. "Um, I called your house before paging you. Out of curiosity---"
Sensing what her question was, Matt cut her off. "I'm at a friend's house."
"Okay," Meredith replied slowly. "I'll see you at ten."
He began to hang up the phone but paused when he heard her voice again.
"Matt?"
"Yeah?"
"Alaric and I have something else. Don't freak out when you get here, okay? Just be prepared."
"Meredith, what are you talking--" The line went dead in the middle of his sentence. "Why the hell is she being so mysterious?" He got up and headed toward Cecily's bathroom, intent upon a shower.
*I feel like I'm on The X-Files or something.*
* * * * *
Across town; 9:55 A.M.
Damon Salvatore always did what he wanted. And what he wanted always suited his purposes. He wasn't about working toward the "greater good" like his pure-hearted little brother was. The only "greater good" he was aware of was himself.
*Then why,* he asked himself as he stared up at what he knew was Bonnie's apartment, *am I here?*
It was a stupid question. He knew why. Bonnie's psychic voice had been screaming at him for days. Nothing coherent of course; no, that would have been useful. No, all he'd received from her was anger, confusion and a lot of nonsense about her dreams.
However, she alone wasn't enough to bring him back to fun-filled Fell's Church. True, Bonnie's psychic voice was as vibrant and as beautiful as the redhead herself, but there were beautiful girls everywhere--ones that came baggage and memory-free. Damon could have ignored Bonnie permanently if it hadn't been for. . .
He grimaced as he leaned back against his car. This was where it became fuzzy for him. Something else wanted him here. . .something familiar. But he didn't know what it was.
He'd been parked across the street since dawn, trying to make sense of the whole thing. All he knew was that she wasn't alone and that the other person in there with her was female. . .and a vampire.
"A vampire with a lot of power," he mused. "Now when did Bonnie start keeping company like that?" Whoever she was, he couldn't read her thoughts. She was just as powerful as he was.
*That's annoying.*
Was she the one who'd called him here? *Damn* When did he lose control of his own impulses? "Probably about the same time I first walked into Fell's Church." He smiled slightly. This town had to be his personal Hell. That was the answer.
Damon's smile faded as he saw a red jeep pull up to the curb in front of Bonnie's building.
"You know, I'll just bet that the rest of the gang has arrived," he murmured blandly.
Sure enough, a quick glance as he moved out of sight, afforded Meredith sliding out of the passenger seat. Damon studied her from his position behind a conveniently parked ice cream truck. She looked as pensive as he remembered her. Her serious demeanor always made him chuckle. He always wondered what it would take to make that perpetual frown melt off of her face.
"Ah, and here's the professor," he intoned as Alaric entered his field of vision next. He came around from the driver's side and slid the passenger seat forward to let someone out from the back. *Matt* was Damon's assumption.
His jaw dropped. His senses were immediately overwhelmed by the sight of her. The silky hair, the brilliant blue eyes. . .it was Elena. *Still beautiful. . .*
"But where there's Elena, there's---" Damon's eyes narrowed. Stefan had come around from the other side of the jeep and was now saying something to Elena. She nodded her head and he touched her shoulder briefly. Damon didn't fail to notice how strained their contact was.
"You don't look well, brother," he whispered. That was an understatement. Stefan looked like death warmed over. *Which would explain why I don't feel his presence here. He's too weak.*
Elena too seemed limp and defeated. *Why must they continually be so ineffectual?* he asked himself as he watched them disappear into the building. He cursed inwardly. Stefan, the sainted, gets the girl and he's still not happy. *Only you, little brother. Why are you so damned dismal?* He turned his gaze back to Bonnie's window.
"Better yet, what are you doing here?"
His thoughts were interrupted by the screeching of tires. A small gray Chevette pulled up behind Alaric's jeep.
"Tsk tsk. You're late Matt," Damon admonished sardonically as he watched the blond boy emerge from the car and dash into the building. He felt a sudden wild urge to follow Matt and join their little pow-wow.
*Wouldn't that shock their fragile sensibilities?* He glanced back at the window. He could feel Bonnie's apprehension. She was nervous about seeing Elena and Stefan again. *She's really the only one I need to talk to right now.*
Damon felt an inner satisfaction at seeing Bonnie again. She amused the hell out him. She was so much fun to set on edge and provoke. And he might as well have a little fun while finding out some answers. . .
He closed his eyes and directed his thoughts at one person.
*Bonnie.*
* * * * *
Inside Bonnie's apartment; five minutes earlier
Aurora exited her room dressed and ready to face all the evil Fell's Church could throw at her just in time to instead face the disaster of Bonnie in the kitchen.
"Ow! Shit!"
Aurora smiled as she sat at the breakfast bar and gazed at the small redhead in front of the stove. Bonnie was dressed in faded jeans and a long-sleeved cable-knit sweater the color of warm cream. Her feet were bare and her brilliant auburn hair, still slightly damp from the shower, was up in a careless bun. She was currently sucking on her left index finger and staring indignantly at a pan that contained several strips of sizzling meat. Aurora wondered if she knew how beautiful she was.
"Preparing for battle, petite?"
Bonnie turned and grinned sheepishly around her finger. "Ah burred mah figger."
Aurora raised her eyebrows. "Would you like to translate that particular statement for me?"
Bonnie pulled her finger out of her mouth. "I burned my finger. I was trying to make bacon," she replied.
Sniffing delicately, Aurora grimaced. "Hmm. . ." She was cut off quickly.
"Some of us require more than a liquid diet." Bonnie paused after her sharp retort and looked at Aurora questioningly. *Is that my shirt?*
Aurora looked down at the deep blue button-up she was wearing. Bonnie had clearly sent the thought out for her to hear. She smiled brightly. "You want me to look good for your friends, non?"
Bonnie rolled her eyes. "What, are we dating or something? Next you'll want to meet my family." She turned back to the offending bacon and removed it from the stove.
Aurora started. Bonnie was closer to the truth than she realized. *Just tell her!* "Well. . ." She sent out some of her current thoughts.
The small redhead turned on her with wide eyes and blushing furiously. "Aurora!" she exclaimed. "Are you a. . ." she trailed off and dropped her gaze to the floor, obviously embarrassed beyond words.
"Lesbian?" Aurora finished for her.
Bonnie nodded, but still wouldn't look up.
"Oui," Aurora replied. "Very much so."
"Oh."
Frowning, Aurora leaned forward. "Petite, look at me."
Reluctantly, Bonnie obeyed and met her eyes.
"Is this really an issue?"
Bonnie sighed deeply. Aurora's simple question filled her with shame. "No, it's not. Aurora, I'm sorry---you just caught me off guard." She paused. "It's just, well, I'm not. . ."
Aurora held up a hand. "Ce n'est pas grave.(*) I know you are not gay, Bonnie. I've read your thoughts often enough." She chuckled as she saw indignation well up on Bonnie's face.
"Hey!" she exclaimed. She threw a dish towel at the vampire and fumed when she missed.
"You throw like a girl!" Aurora chided. "I've known--"
Bonnie paused in her search for something else to throw when Aurora stopped talking. "What?"
Aurora blinked. "They're here. . .coming down the hall."
"Quick! Go to the bedroom!" Bonnie began to frantically herd Aurora down the hall.
"What is hiding me going to accomplish? They need to know who I am!"
"I know. I just need to figure out how to bring you up," she explained as she tried to shove Aurora into the guest room.
The tall vampire was immobile. "Bring me up?" she questioned. "What are you going to say? 'Uh, hi guys. How've you been? Oh by the way, I found this vampire yesterday'?"
"Stop being mellodramatic," Bonnie said. "I'll let you know when it's okay to come out."
Aurora sighed, and capitulated when she saw the look of resolve on Bonnie's face. "Americans," she muttered as she shut the door. "Je ne les comprends pas."(*)
Bonnie ignored the comment and headed back to the living room. She took a reviving swig of orange juice just as the doorbell rang.
*You know, I just thought of something,* Aurora's voice sang in her head as she made her way to the door. *Lesbian Vampires from France---it would be a great Porno title.*
Bonnie nearly choked on her juice as her fingers closed on the doorknob. She groaned. It was going to be a long morning. . .
* * * * *
*Ce n'est pas grave: No big deal
*Je ne les comprends pas: I don't understand them
