Vampire Diaries Blood Brothers

~Chapter Twenty Nine~

After Damon disappeared Stefan dropped me off at the Bennett house. I tried to compose myself as I approached the door. Bonnie was the one who had suffered tonight, I needed to be strong, for her. I also needed to think about what I was going to tell her. Stefan and I agreed she should know everything - about vampires, my reaction to vervain and compulsion, the Salvatore's past, everything. Since she already had her own supernatural, I figured she would be open to keeping this one, but a little voice in my head told me Bonnie would hate Stefan and Damon even more after learning they were vampires. I could only hope she would understand.
   I offered a sympathetic, tight lipped smile as I closed the door to Bonnie's bedroom. "Hey, how're you holding up?"
   I sat cross legged beside Bonnie on her bed, searching her face, hoping to find some hint of emotion besides shock and confusion. Her messy curls fell around her face as she looked up, her eyes full of tears. "Eva," she sobbed. "What happened to me?"
   "Oh Bonnie," I hugged her. "I know it's scary, but you need to listen to me. I promise to explain everything, but first I need to know what you remember."
   She nodded slowly, wiping her face with a tissue. "I remember the seance. I asked you and Caroline to... Where is Caroline? Oh, Eva, did I-"
   "No," I answered quickly. "No, Bonnie, you didn't hurt anyone. Caroline's fine. She's at home, she was just a little freaked out after the seance," I reassured her.
   "Oh, OK. Um, I remember asking you and Caroline to help with the seance. I thought Emily had a message for me but... Something happened. There was a bang and all the lights went out. After that all I remember was waking up in the woods and there was, blood and Damon and Stefan and you and... Eva, what happened?" She pleaded.
   "Emily possessed your body, Bonnie. Her spirit came inside of you and you were, you were her. You still looked like you, but you weren't... You. She cast a spell which trapped Caroline and I in the house but we called your Grams and she lifted the spell. Caroline went home because she was totally scared but Grams took me to you in the forest."
   "What was I doing there? And why were Stefan and Damon there?" She sniffed, blowing her nose.
   "Bonnie," I took a deep breath. "I haven't been completely honest with you," I confessed. "In fact, I've been lying to you for weeks now because I have a secret, like your witch secret, just a little different. Ever since I found out I wanted to tell you, but it wasn't my secret to share, it was Stefan's and he told me it would be dangerous for him and for you if I told you. He only told me because I was on the verge of finding out anyway, but he made me promise not to say anything. Lying to you killed me, especially after you trusted me with your secret, but I couldn't break my promise to Stefan."
   "Eva," Bonnie frowned, tears trickling down her face. "I don't understand. What secret?"
   "If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell another soul," I warned her.
   "OK, OK, just... What is it?"
   "Stefan and Damon Salvatore are... Well they're... Vampires."

I spent hours telling Bonnie everything. It was the easiest and the hardest conversation I'd ever had. It was easy because ever since I found out I'd wanted to tell her, but it was hard because I had no idea how she would take it. She would either take it in her stride like I did, or she would hate it and would want nothing to do with the Salvatore brothers ever again. 
   The more I told her, the better I felt. With every sentence, it was like a weight was lifting from my shoulders until everything I had kept from her was no longer secret. I told her about the Salvatore's past with Emily Bennett, and Katherine and how they became vampires and Damon's cruel mission in life. Then I told her about Vicki and what really happened that night at the Halloween Party. I also gave her an insight into me and Stefan's relationship and the reason for our on-off relationship. And I didn't forget to tell her about my unnatural reaction to vervain and compulsion either. 
   Bonnie listened just as I had when Stefan first explained it to me, the only difference was that by the end of it we were both sobbing. To my relief, Bonnie wasn't mad that I'd kept this from her, only baffled and a little bit frightened.
   "I understand why you didn't tell me before," she said as she wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve. "I'm glad you've told me now though."
   "I wanted to tell you," I grabbed her hand. "It just wasn't my secret to tell. And you had enough going on with your witch stuff and I didn't think you were in any danger of Damon. Now I see how wrong I was. I hope you can forgive me."
   "Oh Eva," she reached over and pulled me into a hug. "Of course I forgive you. I could never not forgive you for anything, you know that. You were only trying to keep me safe. But it's a good thing I know. Now I know to be on my guard when Damon's around. Does Caroline know?"
   I snorted. "Caroline? Seriously? She couldn't keep a secret even if you paid her too, and this one's just too dangerous to risk it getting out."
   "So no one else knows about vampires in Mystic Falls?" She clarified.
   "Not exactly, no. Damon's gotten close with Sheriff Forbes and has been involved in Council meetings. At first I was horrified but Stefan told me, as a member of the Founding Salvatore family, Damon had a right to be on the Council."
   "But why would he want to be on the Council?"
   "The members of the Council know all about Mystic Falls history with vampires. Since finding the bodies drained of blood, they've been suspicious of the return of vampires. Damon joined the Council so that he knows where they're at in terms of vampire suspicion and so he can hopefully put them off their trail. If they found out the Salvatore's were vampires, they'd kill them. Or at least try to, and either way, a lot of people would die."
   "But can Damon be trusted? I mean, I don't trust him. He tried to kill me! But can he be trusted not to do anything bad in terms of the Council?"
   I shook my head. "Damon can't be trusted to do anything good, but it's not just Stefan whose life depends on nobody else finding out. If Damon leads them to Stefan, Stefan can expose Damon. Both their lives hang in the balance and Damon's a survivor. He wouldn't risk his own skin just to get back at Stefan."