What Lies Beneath

Chapter 6: Needful Things

Standing in front of the mirror in Elena Gilbert's bathroom, Bonnie Bennett sighed and slowly scrubbed at her caramel colored skin with a damp cloth, watching as the streaks of crusted blood faded away. She smoothed her finger where the gunshot wound should be, marveling at the sight of nothing but silky flesh. Not even a scar. For as scary as vampires were, their blood could be the missing link in curing disease if it could ever be used that way.

However she didn't have time to think about being a scientist and saving the world. First she had to save herself…and her relationship with her best friend.

Elena was currently downstairs with Damon and Stefan, probably badgering them both for answers that only Damon had. And he was no doubt keeping things close to the vest because he could or because he actually figured it was her job to break the news. He would be right of course but she was terrified of how Elena would react.

What if she rejected her? What if she thought she was insane? What if she was right?

Sighing, she rinsed the cloth and folded it into a neat square when she was done, laying it off to the side. She glanced to her ripped shirt, and then the simple long sleeved t-shirt Elena had gotten out for her to wear, opting to put that on instead. She grabbed up the tattered pieces of her blouse and yanked until it was even more so, stuffing it down into the trash so that no one would see it.

Wetting her lips and taking a deep breath, she exited the bathroom and slowly headed down the stairs. Just as she'd suspected, the vampires and her best friend were sitting in the living room, quietly staring at each other. All heads turned when she entered, and she felt like she was about to be on trial for a serious crime. As long as it didn't end with her tied to a stake!

"How are you feeling?" Stefan inquired, breaking the silence.

"Um, good." She cleared her throat. "A little tired."

He nodded. "Damon. Perhaps we should go and…let them talk."

Damon's brows quirked up in amusement. "And miss the show? What if one of us is needed in the phone a friend kinda way?"

"Haven't you already caused enough trouble?" His brother asked. "You did get her shot."

Bonnie rubbed her forehead. "It—it wasn't his fault."

Elena grumbled loudly. "I can't believe you are taking up for him! He tried to kill you!"

This is not going to go well. Taking the brunette's arm, she pulled her upstairs and into her room, closing the door afterwards. "Okay so this is not going to be easy for me, so please just sit and here me out."

The other teen scrunched up her cute face, but plopped onto her bed with an expectant expression. "Alright. I'm listening."

"I know this is—that it's crazy. You probably think I've lost my mind or that he's controlling me, and hey, you might be right on the first part. I could be completely insane." A beat. "When Emily possessed me it was painful and unbearable. I was trapped inside my own body but I couldn't move or speak, I could just watch. And I watched myself throw Damon into a tree and destroy the necklace. When he attacked me, I thought I was going to die."

"So then you go out for drinks with him?" Elena tilted her head to the side.

The young witch started to pace. "No. I had full plans to stay away from him forever if it was at all possible. But Emily she—she did something to the both of us. In the final moments of her spell, she linked me to Damon so that he wouldn't be able to hurt me after she left."

"Linked how?"

"That's the thing, it's so confusing to explain!"

"Try, Bonnie. Please."