10:00 A.M.
Bonnie's Apartment
Summoning all her courage, Bonnie prepared to turn the knob in her hand when the door suddenly flew open of it's own accord, banging painfully into her forehead and knocking her soundly on her ass.
"I hit something!" Bonnie heard Alaric exclaim. She winced and pressed a hand to her head. She could feel a lump forming already. *Great, it'll match the one I have on the back of my skull from the other day.*
The door swung inward and an astonished party of four stood on Bonnie's threshold. They gazed down at her in wonder until Meredith smacked Alaric's arm. "Something? You hit Bonnie! That's all she needs is more head trauma!"
Bonnie smiled grimly. "It's okay," she murmured. "I'm getting used to it." She paused as they continued to stare at her. "Come in already, and help me up."
The four came in and Bonnie took the first hand that offered itself to her. Once upright again, she found herself eye to eye with Stefan. She smiled in spite of herself at his dizzying good looks and wrapped her arms around him. "It's good to see you," she told him genuinely.
Stefan chuckled quietly. "It's good to be seen. I missed you Bonnie." He could feel her energy already having a positive effect on him. He kissed her cheek and released her, knowing that Elena was waiting her turn.
Bonnie turned and felt familiarity wash over her as Elena came into her view. The familiarity was quickly accompanied by a sense of foreboding. How much pain, emotional and physical, had she been through during her friendship with the willowy blond in front of her? She'd been on her own for two years now, and didn't want to slip into her old role as Elena's sidekick. She gazed around the room, taking in the fact that Matt was now standing in the doorway, silent with his surprise at seeing Stefan and Elena. What did this mean, this apocalyptic gathering of old forces? Bonnie knew she could dismiss nothing as soon as she saw the quivering smile on Elena's face. It was the same smile that she'd seen a hundred times before, the smile that said, "Guys, I love you, but a lot of people are going to die." Yes, she remembered that smile all too well.
She sighed. Even with her inward sense of wisdom and defiance, she knew she could do nothing but respond to her former queen. Impulsively, she moved to embrace Elena. She was a second away from contact when her mind was invaded.
*Bonnie.*
She stopped cold, her eyes widening and hands instinctively moving to clutch her head.
*Damon.*
"Bonnie?" Elena touched her friend's shoulders. "Bonnie, are you okay?" She frowned as the redhead continued to stare at the floor and cradle her head. "Bonnie, can you hear me?"
"Jesus Christ, Alaric. How hard did you hit her with the door?" Meredith's voice was worried.
Matt rushed into the room and over to Bonnie and Elena. "She was hit with the door? What the hell have you people been doing?"
Elena blinked up at him in surprise. "Matt," she said incredulously. "You're here."
He turned an ironic grin on her. "Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" he asked. "This is Fell's Church. I'm always here."
*They're all freaking out aren't they Bonnie?*
*Damon, where are you? How---*
*Ask and you shall receive. You've been calling me for days.*
*But--you're here? In Fell's Church?*
*More specifically, I'm right outside your apartment.*
Bonnie staggered and Matt caught her swiftly. "Damn girl," he muttered. "Aren't you getting tired of this fainting bit?" He carried her over to her couch and laid her down.
"She hasn't fainted," Stefan noted quietly. He came to stand beside Matt, but his gaze never left Bonnie's face. "Look, she's conscious."
"I'm okay," she whispered. "Just a little dizzy."
Meredith headed toward the kitchen. "I'll get some ice."
Seeing that Bonnie wasn't about to keel over, Matt turned to stare at his former best friend for a moment. "You look like hell," he finally said.
Stefan's eyes widened perceptibly as he took in what Matt said. Then he broke out into a huge grin and they both burst out laughing. Stefan enveloped the blond in a bear hug and clapped him on the back several times.
"I don't understand," Elena said to Alaric.
Alaric shrugged. "Don't try to. It's a guy thing."
Bonnie took all this in subconsciously as she sat on the couch trying to sort out the voices in her head. And as always, Damon was being his usual helpful self.
*So, would you care to tell me why in hell you've been calling me here?*
*Well--Caroline was murdered.*
*Caroline? Should I--*
*I can't believe you don't remember her! Tall, red hair, curves to die for?*
*Ah, yes. The annoying one who stole Elena's diary. She was murdered?*
*You mean you didn't know?*
*How would I have known? Unless. . .why, darling Bonnie---you think I did it?*
*Not exactly--it's just, I've been having these dreams----*
"Here's some ice, Bonnie. Bonnie. Bonnie?"
Meredith's voice jolted Bonnie away from Damon. She heard him chuckling softly in her mind as she blinked up at Meredith and accepted the ice pack that was being offered. "Thanks," she mumbled vaguely.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Elena asked as she came to sit next to her on the couch. "You look pretty out of it."
Bonnie grinned weakly at Elena and sighed. "A lot has happened in the past couple of days. It's overwhelming, but we're used to nothing less, right?"
Elena's eyes were wet. She seemed wounded by Bonnie's resignation. She nodded almost imperceptibly and took a deep breath. "What's Fell's Church without a little mayhem?" she agreed as she wrapped her arms around the petite redhead. "I don't want it all to happen again Bonnie," she added, "but I'm glad to be home and to see you."
"Yeah, speaking of happening again--" Matt addressed Stefan, "you or Damon don't have any more ex-girlfriends that could have possibly gone psychotic, right? 'Cause this whole "Picking off our friends one by one" thing is getting pretty predictable."
Meredith snorted from her perch on the arm of the couch. "Not to mention that we're rapidly running out of friends to kill. Next time it could be one of us."
Stefan's eyes glittered darkly at the bitterness of Meredith's words. "I don't think there's anyone you have to worry about on my account," he replied. "Damon, however, has centuries that he's never accounted for. And knowing his wonderful personality, I'm sure he has legions of enemies."
*Are you talking about me up there?*
*They are. Damon, they need to know that you're here.*
*Not yet, not until I know just why I am here, and if it's worth staying for. Now, would you like to tell me who the vampire that you're currently hiding in your apartment is?*
*You know about Aurora?*
*Aurora? That's her name? She's powerful. When did you start making friends like that Bonnie?*
*She was called here too. It's--it's like last time, with you and Stefan. She said she was just sort of. . .compelled to come here.*
*Yes, this place is rather like a traffic accident. You don't want to look, but have to out of sheer morbid curiosity.*
Bonnie laughed in spite of herself at Damon's acidic humor. She stifled her giggles when she saw the others staring at her strangely. She cleared her throat and mumbled "Sorry."
"Bonnie?" Alaric queried. "Don’t you think we should take you back to the hospital? You might---"
"No!" she exclaimed. "I'm fine."
"But---" Matt began. He was silenced by a fierce glare from his former girlfriend.
"Don't start with me Matt." She stood up and walked the length of the room. Turning, she held her arms out and addressed the whole group. "See, I'm fine, guys. I'm not going to break."
She was answered with silence accompanied by astonished stares. "What?" she asked sharply. "Did I suddenly grow another head or something?"
Matt shook his head and pointed toward her. It took Bonnie a moment to realize that he wasn't pointing at her, but beyond, to the hall. She turned around.
"Aurora!"
"Did you forget about me, petite?" the dark-haired vampire inquired softly. "I was beginning to wonder."
Bonnie fumbled. "No, I didn't forget you. I was just---" She looked back and forth from her silently surprised friends to the beautiful vampire next to her. Aurora had exchanged the jeans she'd been earlier for a slinky black skirt with a rather large slit up the side and had swept her tumbling black curls back with some of Bonnie's barrettes. Her violet eyes sparkled with mischief. Bonnie knew she had trouble in mind. "Oh, hell." She sank down on a barstool in defeat.
Aurora smiled as she gazed around the room at Bonnie's friends. *This is going to be fun.*
Always first to regain her composure, Meredith smiled tightly. She appeared vaguely amused by Aurora's presence. She looked as though she wanted to speak, but changed her mind. Instead, it was Matt who questioned, "And you are?"
"A vampire," Stefan remarked quietly. His eyes were blazing with intensity as they focused on Aurora. His eyes shifted to Bonnie. "Care to explain?"
"I can explain myself, Stefan." Aurora's reply was quiet, but very light. "La Petite is tired. I'm afraid I'm a rather demanding houseguest. And then there are those pesky dreams she's been having. . ."
"You've been having dreams?" Elena interrupted, her voice sounding slightly strangled.
Bonnie sighed. "Are you really that surprised?" she asked as she leaned against the breakfast bar. "I used to have prophetic dreams all the time, especially during our previous brushes with psycho killers."
Elena's eyes dropped. "I remember," she murmured.
An awkward silence ensued, broken finally when Alaric cleared his throat roughly. "Your dreams were the precise reason I wanted us all to meet here this morning. Those dreams are the biggest lead we have so far, and we need to explore them."
Matt snorted. "That's all fine and good Alaric, but didn't you forget about our mystery vampire here?" He gestured toward Aurora. "I think we need to finish with this little introduction before we get down to business."
Bonnie groaned inwardly. *Why me?*
*Aurora must be causing quite a stir. How's the meeting coming?*
*Don't ask. Damon--*
*I know. Meet me tonight.*
*But--where?*
*Oh, what the hell. Make it the cemetary. . .Elena's grave. Let's go for symbolism here. Be there at nine o'clock.*
*Damon--*
But he was already gone. She took a deep breath and tuned back into the saga happening in front of her again. Aurora looked poised to set the entire room into pandimonium.
“Who are you?” Matt asked again.
“Her name is Aurora,” Bonnie interceded while throwing the tall vampire a look. Aurora pursed her lips, but accepted defeat and took her place next to Bonnie at the bar.
“And?”
Bonnie glared at Matt before continuing. “I met Aurora yesterday when I went to investigate Caroline’s apartment.”
“You did what?” Matt’s voice was hard. “Bonnie, what were you thinking?!”
*Oh, fuck this.* She was tired of defending her actions. “Caroline is dead Matt! And Alaric is right. My dreams are the only lead we have. . .in fact, my powers are the only lead we have. And excuse the hell out of me if I’m tired of sitting around for this week’s killer to make the next move!”
Silence enveloped the room in the wake of Bonnie’s outburst. Aurora radiated approval, while shock was eminating distinctly from Matt.
Bonnie sighed. “I went to the apartment to try and do a divining spell. I wanted to see if the presence I suspected was in my dreams had anything to do with Caroline’s death. When I got there, all I found was a lot of blood. . .and Aurora.” She glanced toward Matt, whose features she could already see hardening with distrust. “And before you even think about accusing Aurora, she didn’t kill Caroline. She wasn’t even in Fell’s Church before yesterday.”
It was hard to tell what they were all thinking. Bonnie herself was so overwhelmed, she couldn’t seem to hone her psychic senses on any of their feelings. She looked to Aurora for support and found it. The dark-haired vampire took her hand and squeezed it.
*Tell them, petite.*
Nodding, Bonnie went on. “She did however, kill Chris Bentley. But it was an accident.”
“An accident?” Stefan’s voice was so quiet, Bonnie had to strain to hear him. “That makes her okay, because it was an accident?”
“No, it doesn’t.” Aurora spoke clearly, cutting off Bonnie’s reply. “I am sorry for that boy’s life, but I cannot take back my actions. I told La Petite because it was the right thing to do. I didn’t have to, and I don’t have to be here now.”
Meredith rose from her perch on the couch and crossed her arms over her chest. Bonnie recognized the look on her face as one of deadly calm. *Ever rational *
“Why are you here then?”
Aurora seemed more surprised by the sound of Meredith’s voice than by the question itself. It was the first time Meredith had spoken since her entrance minutes before. “Pardon?”
The smile on Meredith’s face was full of bitter irony. “You said you didn’t have to be here. So, why are you?”
“Why does anyone come to this town?” the vampire mused aloud. “Je suis desole. (*) Perhaps I do have to be here.” She paused. “Much like Stefan and his brother before, I was called here. Something compelled me to come.”
“You don’t know what it was?” Alaric, ever ready for information, had a pen poised over his notebook.
“Non, je ne sais pas. (*)”
“Does she always do that?” Elena asked Bonnie. “Switch from English to French?”
“Yes,” Bonnie replied dryly. “After awhile you get used to it.”
“Ha ha.” Aurora threw a sour look at the redhead next to her. She then turned back to face her audience. “As I told Bonnie earlier, there is evil here in Fell’s Church, but let me assure you mes amis, ce n’est pas moi. (*)”
Looking around the room, indecision was clear on everyone’s faces. Finally, Stefan cleared his throat and spoke up. “Bonnie is a very powerful psychic. . .I know her abilities have saved my ass quite a few times. So, even though I don't know you, I trust her judgement. If she says you’re okay, I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.”
Letting out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding, Bonnie rushed across the room and embraced Stefan fiercely. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear. Pulling back, she grinned sheepishly and began to extricate herself from his grasp. She was surprised when he held firm to her arms.
“I’m curious about something,” he said, in a voice Bonnie wasn’t sure she liked. The look in his green eyes was making her nervous. “You spoke earlier of a presence in your dreams and that you thought you knew who it was. Who would that be?”
Bonnie's eyes widened perceptibly. *Oh, fuck.*
* * * * *
*Je suis desole: I am terribly sorry
*Non, je ne sais pas: No, I don't know
*mes amis: my friends
*ce n'est pas moi: it is not me
