Damon smiled mockingly as he felt Bonnie's reaction to the vision he had sent her. It was almost laughable how receptive she was to his thoughts. But the true humour of the situation was how responsive he was right back.
The next order of business was to feed. No problem with that. Spain was full of young girls just waiting to be... seduced.
*****************************
Stefan stood slack-jawed as he watched the beautiful redhead approach him. Is that really Bonnie he thought in disbelief. Elena, for some reason or another, was sitting slouched in a chair at the corner of the baggage claim area while he watched for Bonnie, who was supposed to pick them up.
Bonnie was already over twenty minutes late when she caught sight of Stefan's distinctive face. With a yell, she launched herself into his arms.
"Holy..." He yelped as he stumbled back slightly under her unexpected weight in his arms. "Hi Bonnie."
She kissed his jaw and then stepped back scanning for Elena. She was surprised to see Elena looking so.... lifeless was probably the best word for it. She looked like herself, but the way she was sitting, and how she had just stood up.... Non of her former confidence was there. She seemed to have aged a great deal in the five years since she had seen her last.
Elena darted a quick glance to Stefan as she stepped into Bonnie's embrace. He couldn't take his eyes off her, as much of the other passing males couldn't. Bonnie was now.... there wasn't any such word for her but shine. She shined. Where Elena had faded into a shadow of herself, Bonnie had bloomed. Elena frowned slightly while returning the hug half-heartedly.
Bonnie lay in bed that night listening to the city noises that could be heard from below. It was one of the things that she liked. The eternal quietness of Fell's Church had seemed so repressive to her. It was one of the reasons she had moved to New York.
She thought back to seeing Elena and Stefan that afternoon. Things were definetly strained between those two. She couldn't imagine why they were back in the states. Stefan had called only the day before to tell her they were coming, and could she pick them up and drive them to their hotel.
All during the ride there, and dinner after, Elena had remained mostly silent intent it seemed on watching Bonnie and Stefan converse. It had been slightly strained, but fortunately Teahgue had shown up after Bonnie's frantic call to him when she was supposed to be doing her thing in the washroom.
Teahgue had such presence and charm that it was hard for anyone top resist talking to him. He had even gotten Elena talking, which had made Bonnie eternally grateful.
As she drifted to sleep, it seemed as if those black eyes were watching her again. She shook her head of thought. He wasn't even in the U.S., she would have felt it if he was.
Damon watched Bonnie through the mirror. She seemed troubled, and once again he wished he could go to her to try and ease whatever tension she had wrapped herself in.
"Damon my love..." Regan materialized behind him and took a glance at the mirror over his shoulder.
"Fuck off." He quickly turned so the shorter girl was now glancing at his back. She shrugged and flicked her bright blond hair behind her shoulder.
"You know, I just might get in contact with this girl... She seems very nice..." Regan licked her lips, her fangs making slight indentations on her full lower lip.
That caught Damon's attention. He turned to her and growled, "You will do no such thing, halfbreed."
Regan laughed with delight. "Do you just sit there all day thinking of half-assed insults, my dear? Tsk on you. No wonder Elena bored of you..." Damon turned his back to her once more in pure disgust.
"Ah, that reminds me... You do know that your darling has your brother and his... girlfriend as guests at the moment?" She paused to see his shoulders stiffen. "Oh dear... did I forget to mention that little tidbit?" She said innocently before dissolving into her trademark mist.
"Bitch." Damon mumbled to himself. He turned his attention back to the image of the now sleeping redhead.
*****************************
"So, what's Matt up to?" Elena asked. Bonnie was startled. It was the most conversation Elena had gotten since her and Stefan's arrival two days before. And the topic was both of their ex- boyfriend.
"He stayed in Fells, the community college. I saw him last Christmas when I went back. He seems to be dating Caroline." Elena smiled slightly unable to picture the two as a couple.
"Why exactly did you two break up?" Bonnie stiffened slightly before giving a non-committal shrug.
"Matt's the type of guy that never wants anything to change. He's going to live in Fell's Church forever, probably marry someone like Caroline, and have many children before succumbing to a permanent drunken stupor... Whoops, did I sound bitter?" Bonnie smiled crookedly. "Seriously though, we just wanted different things from life."
"Bonnie." Avery walked into the kitchen where Elena and Bonnie were seated. He turned to glance at Elena almost as an afterthought. "And I've never met you, but hi all the same."
"Avery, get over here." Bonnie said laughingly. Elena appeared to be somewhat bemused.
"Ah, Bonnie my dear. I am but here to do your bidding." He walked over and sat down between the two girls.
"Elena, this is my other screwball roommate, Avery Cooke. Avery, this is Elena Gilbert. She's visiting from Italy at the moment." He smiled crookedly and shook her hand.
"A pleasure. Are you staying for dinner? You really don't want to miss Teahgue's cooking..." He smiled widely at her.
"Ah, don't mind him Elena. He's an incorrigible flirt. The first time we met, he tried to pick me up by saying he'd lost his phone number, and could he please borrow mine." Bonnie grinned.
"Yeah, and now we're living together." He said hooking his fingers through his belt loops and leaning back in the chair. Bonnie poked him in the stomache making him lose his balance and fall over backwards.
Elena smiled slightly at the very odvious relationship they had and how at ease they were around each other. When she thought about it, Stefan and she had never had that. Oh, they had had passion and love for sure. But there was never any simple easiness between them that came with being friends before lovers.
*****************************
Bonnie looped her arms around Teahgue's neck and smiled up at him as they danced. She loved dancing with Teahgue because of the fact he was an incredibly good dancer. His good looks were a plus, of course.
"Interesting things happen in the dark..." He murmured in her ear. She stopped and looked up at him quizzically.
"Wha... Teahgue?" Bonnie put her hand to her mouth to choke back the sob she knew was coming as she realized exactly who she was dancing with.
Instead of Teahgue's bright green eyes watching her, she was beset with glinting black eyes. Gone was Teahgue's light blond hair. Unruly black hair took it's place as it shimmered under the faint light of the dance club.
"Damon....?" Bonnie sat up with a start panting his name. She flopped back when she realized she was still in her room.
Damon closed his eyes again as he felt Bonnie slip back into an uneasy slumber. Then he sought out her mental self and working his way back into her mind. One day he'd have to teach her how to keep up her shields even in sleep, but now was not the time.
