Bonnie's Theft

Chapter 26

Kahlan

Bonnie stood in the kitchen of the Salvatore home that she had been calling her own for the past year. She thought if she stayed here instead of finding her own place that she'd somehow still be connected to him. She wondered what he was doing now. Was he looking for them? Did he hate her? She brought the knife down on the cutting board slicing into a carrot. Cutting them into small pieces. She looked over at her daughter who was babbling joyfully. Finishing off the remnants of apple slices she had placed on the high chair. Getting a little in her soft brown curls.

"Are you watching mommy cook?" She said to her daughter playfully. She set down the knife and wiped her hands on her apron. Going over to her daughter and planting some kisses on her puffy cheeks. She tasted like apples.

"I don't think she is, but I am?" Mason sad.

She jumped. "Oh God." She clutched at her chest to see Mason leaning casually against the door jamb. She rolled her eyes and went back to the kitchen counter to cut up the rest of the carrots. "Stalking again. . . I seem to forget that's your most favorite pastime."

"It's not stalking if you're welcome." He said going over to the baby and picking her up.

"Which I regret every moment of every day," she sad through gritted teeth. Dumping the finished carrots into a boiling pot on the stove. She wiped at her hands one last time and untied the apron throwing it on the island in the kitchen. "Alright Mason hand her over. Diaper check time." She said holding out her hands to her little one.

The baby whimpered a bit as she changed hands. She then looked over at mason. "DaDa."

"Did she just. . ."

The frown that already tugged at the corner of her mouth seemed to deepen. "No, no baby. That's not dada?"

"Oh sure it is. I'm all she knows." He said reaching back for the baby.

She stepped out of his reach. "Mason would you just go."

"I can't leave now she just said her first word."

"And her father's missing it," she said sternly leveling a hard gaze at him.

He smacked his lips and looked back at the baby. "Mason will be back hun." He said straining over his name as he disappeared into nothing.

She kissed her baby on the forehead. "Don't listen to him sweetie. Daddy's not here." She pulled out the necklace from around her neck and opened up the locket. "See sweetie. This is daddy. His name is Damon and he's not here." Her shoulders slumped as she walked out of the kitchen ad took the stairs one at a time up to the baby's room. "And that's all mommy's fault."

Kahlan - Two Year's Later

"Come on baby. Come on baby," she said cheering her daughter on as she rode her tricycle by herself for the first time. Waving at her as she rode down the block.

"Nice to know that those training wheels I put on her are coming to good use." He said popping in next time.

Nothing could wipe the huge grin off of her face not even seeing Mason. "Remind me again to put a warning system outside." She shielded her eyes against the brightness of the summer sun.

"I'm hurt," he said mockingly pointing to his chest. "Especially when I think about what a great surrogate father I have been to little Bonnie."

She sighed inwardly. "I appreciate you putting the bike together while I was sleeping. Even though I told you I would do it myself in the morning. But I need you. Hey look at me." She screamed directing his attention back to her. She glanced at her daughter quickly who was already turning around and making her way back to her. "I need you to stop confusing her or I'm going to have to ask, no demand that you stay the hell away from her. Her father is Damon Salvatore not some fake angel named Mason."