Clair de Lune - K.M.

c h a p t e r s e v e n t e e n

Despite my persistence, Klaus is dead set on driving me home rather than to Elena's house where my car is. He ignores all of my protests, promising that he'll return my car to me in the morning in favor of me allowing him to drive me home. Sure enough, I wake the next morning to find my car parked neatly in the driveway and the keys hanging by the door.

I call Bonnie several times before I fall into a restless sleep, none of which she answers. By the time the sun peeks out from beyond the horizon I realize that no matter how much I want to talk to her, it's likely not what she wants right now. That's why I decide to switch tactics and call Caroline.

"Hey Stella," she answers. I can hear the stress behind her words and I screw my eyes shut as I attempt to mentally prepare myself for this conversation.

"Hey. Have... have you talked to Bonnie?"

I hear a shuffling sound from the other end of the line. Caroline says something quietly and her voice is followed by the soft click of a door before she brings the phone back to her ear.

"I'm with her and her mom right now."

"I tried to call her."

"She doesn't want to talk to anyone," Caroline tells me. "It's just too much."

"Her mom?"

"She's going to complete the transition."

We're both silent for a while, not sure how to process that information.

"Do you need any help?" I offer.

"It's okay, I've got it. I think more people would only make things worse right now."

"Right," I say, having known what she would say before I even asked. I love Bonnie, but me being there wouldn't serve as anything other than a reminder about what she's going through.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asks me. "I heard that Klaus used you and Elena to get Damon to do what he did."

"It wasn't Klaus," I tell her. "He didn't know anything. And I'm fine. Besides, Esther is the one to blame for this."

"I know," Caroline says. She lets out a long sigh and I just know she feels as bad as I do. "I just hate that this happened to them."

"Me too," I say softly. "Do you think she's going to do alright? As a vampire, I mean."

"I don't know," Caroline says reluctantly. "You know how it is, the first few days are so hard. She's having a really tough time. They both are."

"I wish there was something I could do."

"Me too."

"Care, you just being there is the best thing for her. If anyone can make this process easier, it's you."

"Thanks Stells."

Our conversation is interrupted by the sound of someone knocking loudly on the front door. Caroline hears the noise too, both of us pausing as I crane my neck from my position on the couch in an attempt to see who's standing outside on the porch.

"Do you have to go?"

"Yeah, someone's here and I'm the only one home. Tell Bonnie- tell her that I'm here if she needs anything. You too."

"I will. Bye Stells".

"Bye Care."

I hang up and move toward the front door, rolling my eyes when I part the curtains and see who's standing outside.

"No," I say to Damon as the door swings open, glaring at the vampire standing there innocently with his hands in his pockets.

"No?" he asks.