Bloody Madness [A TVD Story]

Part 9

Bonnie bursts through the front door of the Salvatore home. "Nobody thought to tell me Katherine was back?!"

"Hi everyone. We are here." Enzo enters more casually and way more relaxed than his counterpart.

"Must have slipped our minds!" Damon shrugs, pouring himself another glass of bourbon.

Bonnie glares at Damon, clearly not approving of his joking nature when this is a serious problem that requires a serious solution.

"Hey Bon," Caroline pulls her best friend in for the tightest squeeze anyone has ever experienced.

"What happened?" Bonnie demands answers.

"You mean hero Stefan didn't tell you everything already and come up with a master plan." Damon slurs his words, clearly drunk. He lost count of how much he has drank.

Bonnie casts the aneurism spell, causing blood vessels to burst in Damon's brain. He is sent to the floor. "Bon!" He shouts, trying to make it stop.

"Bonnie," Stefan flashes his puppy eyes at her. She stops.

"I can do this all night, Damon. You heal quickly so the process can just keep going until I get the answers I want."

"I was out on a walk okay. I was out on a walk and Katherine ambushed me."

"You, Damon Salvatore, were on a walk?" Caroline crossed her arms over her chest. There is not a single world where she would believe that story coming out of Damon's mind.

"Yup," he shrugs, popping the p.

Stefan rolls his eyes. "He was out with Madeline. She lives next door."

"Well we need to get her over here she's not safe." Caroline expresses her concern for the new girl in town.

"I don't want her involved in this. She can't be involved in this." Damon shakes his head, adamant on this stance.

"Well, she is, Mate. If Katherine has seen her face? If she knows where she lives? It's over for her. She's not safe in her home." Enzo tries to reason with his friend.

"We need to get her over here, now." Caroline orders, taking control of the conversation.

"No!" Damon refuses. "No one is removing her from her house. That is the only place she is safe right now. Bringing her over here would be more dangerous than just leaving her alone."

"Damon is right." Stefan isn't proud to say it but he thinks that is the best course of action right now. Everyone whips their head around to Stefan, even Damon, who is surprised Stefan agrees with him. Stefan is going to have a hard time explaining this one. "Katherine hasn't been invited inside. That's the one place she can't touch her. If she's going to go after Madeline, she needs to be invited in. Damon compelled Madeline to forget everything she saw. We have time." He tries to explain his thoughts.

"Do we?" Caroline asks. "Do we have time? Katherine could come back at any moment. As evidence by what has happened. No one was prepared. Imagine if it had gone south for Damon."

"Madeline has been compelled to not let any strangers inside. She's safe in there while we come up with something." Stefan knows it's not much but it's something.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't realize Katherine needed an invite to burn someone's house down, Stefan! She doesn't have to be in the house to hurt her! I'm going over there to get her." Caroline moves to the door.

Damon grabs her arm. "Caroline, I swear to god if you-"

Caroline rips her arm away. She is not afraid of Damon. She hasn't been for a very long time. "What, Damon? If I what."

"He loves her," Bonnie stares at Damon, seeing the desperation on his face.

"What?"

Bonnie smiles, laughing. At first it is a quiet laugh but it quickly turns into an uncontrollable laugher. "This sick fool loves her!" She is overcome with laughter. Deep, belly laughter.

"Alright Bon, that's enough." Damon rolls his eyes.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry. It's just so funny. You? A vampire: in love with a human? It's comical. Really." She replies.

"What's so funny about a vampire being in love with a human?" Enzo asks quietly.

"You don't think I know that?" Damon asks rhetorically. He is really hoping she doesn't answer.

"Okay focus. Let's say for a second that Katherine is nice and gives us 24 hours to prepare. That doesn't leave us with much time." Caroline redirects the group.

"Can't we just compel her to leave town? This- Madeline girl I mean." Enzo throws out an idea he thinks will end the discussion. He thinks it's a pretty good idea actually.

"No," Damon shakes his head.

"You're not even going to listen to Enzo? Just because you don't want your little girlfriend to leave town?" Bonnie shakes her head, disgusted that Damon could be so blinded by a girl that he won't listen to sound advice.

"No, I'm saying that because it doesn't make sense for her to leave town."

"Why not? If she's not here Katherine won't go after her." Enzo continues.

Damon laughs. "You don't know Katherine. She'd kill a puppy just for fun."

Bonnie nods. As much as she hates to admit it, Damon has a point. "He's right, Enzo. You don't know Katherine."

"We have to tell her everything then. She needs to know the risk she is taking by living here and being a part of this. She should know the danger she is in." Enzo tries to appeal to the emotions of the group. That is not always the easiest thing to do to a group of vampires.

"No. I just compelled her to forget everything. I'm not going to put her through that." Damon is adamant.

"It might be the only way to prepare her for what's coming, Damon." Stefan suggests.

"No. Veto. Not happening. We will find another way to protect her. I'm not going to terrify her like that if I don't have to." Damon continues throwing out every idea they have.

"We have to, Damon. For her safety." Caroline speaks softly to Damon. She can see how much this is hurting him.

"Would you want someone to tell you a homicidah psychopath was actively hunting you? And that she could be anywhere and everywhere. Or she might even send a minion after you a minion or who has been compelled to not stop until the job is done so you can't even beg for mercy? Oh and there's no use calling the police for help because you will be long dead before anyone comes to save you. Would you want to know?" Damon walks outside, unable to continue this conversation any longer.