Bethany
A/N: Hey everyone! This is a one-shot I've been working for the last few weeks…and I FINALLY finished it. I hope you all enjoy it :) It's a bit different from the stuff I normally write.
Damon Salvatore mused silently as he perched in a tree outside the cemetery of Fells Church, trying to decide what his next destination would be.
It was something he did every year these days, to visit a certain grave. And not just any unimportant grave, no, it was the grave of….he felt a small pang in his chest as he thought of the name, of Bonnie McCullough.
It had almost been twenty years since her death. In the end, that supposedly foolish prophecy her grandmother had made about her being "young and beautiful in her coffin" had come true.
Flashback
"Damon."
The dark vampire turned at the breathless, desperate yell coming from behind him and whirled around to face the small, redheaded young woman.
He frowned sternly. "Redbird, I told you not to follow me."
Her brown eyes looked as though they were glistening with unshed tears as she bravely took another step towards him.
"Damon, I know you're sad about what Elena said to you, and I agree that some of the things she said was out of line, but…but, you can't just leave, I….."
"I can and I will," he snapped out harshly without thinking. He didn't need anyone's pity. Especially not hers. "Farewell, little bird."
With one last desperate attempt, she desperately grabbed at his arm as he attempted to turn away.
"Please Damon. You can't leave. I….I love you!"
This made the vampire grow silent for a moment, and she took the opportunity to conintue to plead her case.
"I know that you love Elena. And….and maybe you always will love her, but it's true. I love you. I have for a while now."
She let go of his shoulder as she continued, and gathering up all of the courage she had within herself, she looked him straight in the eyes.
"Do…do you think there's a chance? I know it's slim, but…."
"Redbird." He cut her off, already knowing exactly where the flow of this conversation was going. "I'm going to be brutally honest with you."
She nodded meekly and he sighed.
"Your little confession was sweet. However, the feeling isn't mutual." He dropped his voice down an octave before continuing. "I don't love you. And frankly, I doubt I ever will. So the answer to your question is no."
"Oh." Though no tears had yet spilled down her cheeks at his words, he knew full well that she was fighting them off.
He sighed again and leaned down to kiss her forehead.
"I do care for you. And I will return if you shall ever be in danger and in need of my help. But that is all it will ever be."
And without taking a last glance towards her, he transformed himself into a crow and flew off.
That had been the very last time he had laid eyes on Bonnie McCullough.
His dark heart sagging, Damon flew off the tree branch and in an unknown direction, the memories hitting like rough, ocean waves.
He thought about the day he had first found out that she was gone.
Flashback
Only a month had passed before he had realized he'd made a mistake…..both in leaving Fells Church, and about what he had said to his little bird right before his departure.
Thoughts of the little redhead had plagued his mind constantly….he hadn't been able to get her out of his head.
And eventually, he slowly came to a realization.
He loved the little psychic. It had always been her…..from the very beginning. It had taken him a long stretch of time and some distance away from the town in order to realize it, but it was true nonetheless. Damon loved her. And it was now time to correct the mistake he had made only a month ago and claim his little bird as his completely….how she was always meant to be.
He wasted no time as he strolled into Mrs. Flower's boarding house. He had already stopped by the McCullough house, but no one had been home. However, he was sure that his little brother was still staying in this shack, and no doubt, Elena too. She would know where Bonnie was.
"Damon?"
He turned in the direction of Elena's voice, and saw her standing on the beginning of the staircase, her beautiful face a mixture of shock and icy fury.
He smiled a charming smile. "Ciao, princess. Long time no see."
The icy-faced blonde simply stared at him for a few more moments before in a flash, she moved directly in front of him and slapped him across the face.
Damon glared the abrupt step back from her more out of shock than anything else. He could see from her red hand that the slap had most likely hurt her more than it had him, but it didn't mean that the action hadn't displeased him.
Before he could get a word out, however, Elena was screaming at him, a small amount of unshed tears in her eyes.
"How dare you Damon! How are you decide to come back after this!"
He held up two hands. "Now, now princess. What good is shouting going to bring us?" He flashed another smile at her. "I understand that Bonnie has more than likely informed you of what happened right before my departure, but if you would allow me to see her…."
"You can't see Bonnie Damon."
And now he was losing his patience. Damon could understand the fact that Elena was protecting her friend, but he was no one to like to be told what and what not to do.
"Now listen here…."
"Bonnie is dead."
Those words made him abruptly stop his train of thoughts.
"What?"
Elena sighed, not even trying to hold back her tears as they cascaded down her pale cheeks. "Bonnie is dead. She died in a bad car accident with her sister, Mary. Mary survived, but Bonnie didn't. Her funeral is today."
No. That was the only word that seemed to echo in his mind. No. His little bird couldn't be dead. The very idea wasn't plausible.
"Where were you Damon? How does it feel to know that…..where are you going?!"
He was done listening to her. Without saying another word, the vampire was gone, having marched out the door and transformed himself back into his crow form, flying away.
He hadn't gone to the funeral.
It wasn't because he hadn't cared about it. No, it was because he hadn't been quite sure how to handle all of the grief that threatened to seize his heart.
He had been too late. Bonnie McCullough was dead. His little redbird was gone from this world….forever. And he hadn't, and won't ever, be able to correct the mistake he had made before he had left Fells Church, and tell her how he really felt towards her.
Hours after the ending of the funeral, Damon had visited the small cemetery and in no time, found her grave.
Here lies Bonnie McCullough
Daughter, sister, and friend
For a short time, he simply stared at it, slowly coming to terms with this reality.
And then, Damon Salvatore's stone finally cracked, and he knelt to the ground, a lone tear slipping from one of his eyes.
That had all happened nearly twenty years ago. And still, the dark vampire found himself returning to the small town once every year to visit her grave.
After flying away from his perch on the tree, his chest heavy, he set his sights on a new destination….a brand new town to immerse himself in and forget the human emotions he was currently feeling, if only for the rest of the night.
He found one after about twenty minutes of flying, and he saw the sign as he flew into it.
Welcome to
Bluefield, Virginia
It seemed simple enough.
After entering the town, he landed, transforming himself into his normal form as he walked the rest of the way.
Now to find someone to keep him company….
His dark eyes scanned the area. It was late noon, and the sun was just beginning to set. But surely there would be some young woman coming home from work to charm.
"Lisa! Slow down!" A laughing, feminine voice shouted, and he could hear a bustle of footsteps.
There was something oddly familiar about the bubbly, soft voice that made him stop in his tracks.
Intrigued, Damon transformed into a crow again, flying up into a tree in order to properly analyze the approaching girls.
There were two of them. A tall one, with long, dark brown hair, starling blue eyes and a smile on her face as she struggled to catching her breath from the energy she had used by running. And then behind her came a petite, redheaded girl, who ran smack into her, not suspecting her pause in running.
The redheaded girl let out a giggle at her friend, Lisa, caught her before she could fall and hit the ground.
Lisa rolled her eyes, murmuring low beneath her breath. "Klutz."
The smaller girl balanced herself back on her feet, glaring playfully. "You were the one who stopped in the middle of running and made me crash…."
Now that she was standing upright, Damon could observe her more closely. And the sight he took in made him freeze.
This girl, whatever her name was, was his little redbird. Or, at least she was the spitting image of her. Every nerve in his body wanted to swoop down and approach her, but he restrained the urge. He needed to fully understand who she was and why she had the shocking resemblance before he did anything.
After a few more minutes of playful arguing and shouting, the two girls began to walk silently and calmly away.
"We should probably head home. It's getting dark." Even her voice sounded exactly like Bonnie's had.
Her friend nodded in agreement, a small smirk dancing on her lips. "Chicken Bethany?"
Bethany. So that was her name….
The Bonnie look-alike, Bethany as she was now known, shook her head.
"No! But my parents will KILL me if…." Her voice tailed off as they walked further away from the tree, drowning out their voices from Damon's senses of hearing.
After they were gone, he flew off, still in his crown form, off in another direction.
He had an old partner he had to pay a visit to….
"Incarnated souls are very possible, and in cases of psychics, very likely," Camille answered, as she searched through her shelves.
Camille was an old witch that had given Damon assistance a few times over the last few decades. He was a bit impatient that she was searching through her shelves rather than giving him her full, undivided attention, however, he excused it in favor of making this visit brief.
The dark eyed vampire cleared his throat.
"So this young girl, Bethany….she is essentially Bonnie's old soul reincarnated into another life?"
Camille nodded. "If she seems to look and sound like her, then most likely yes."
"And if this were the case, would her personality characteristics be the same as well?"
She laughed. "If it's the same soul, then of course. Being on the earth as long as you have, I would have assumed you would know a bit more on the topic."
Damon's jaw ticked slightly in irritation. He didn't take being insulted well. "I wouldn't assume things with such an ignorant manner if I were you."
Camille didn't respond to his statement and instead, continued to rummage through her shelves. When she finally seemed to find what she was looking for, a ruby-red jar, she turned back to face him.
"Well, you got your question answered. What do you plan to do now?"
A smile crossed the vampire's lips. "Why, introduce myself to her of course."
He tracked her down again. It was fairly easy, with how small the town was.
She was standing outside the high school titled "Franklin High", frantically typing something into her cell phone.
He approached her slowly, his dark eyes flickering with interest as they usually did when he had his eyes set on a woman he desired. "Hello."
His sudden greeting caused the small redheaded girl to yelp and jump a bit at the surprise.
As timid as a little kitten, Damon thought to himself with a chuckle, as a wave of memory washed over him.
Bonnie, or Bethany, he corrected himself abruptly (It could prove to be disastrous if he slipped and called her "Bonnie" out load) turned to face him, her warm brown eyes widening as she took in his form. "Hi."
Her voice came out in a nervous flutter and Damon had to hold back another chuckle of amusement…and yes, happiness. She was just like her.
He held a hand out to her. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Damon Salvatore, a new resident to this town."
With a flare of nervousness, Bethany accepted his hand, shaking it. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Bethany McCurdy."
McCullough. McCurdy. Even the surnames sounded similar. Either fate was finally doing its job and damning him, or it was by luck, rewarding him.
Damon took her hand to his lips, kissing it in a noble gesture. "It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, bella."
She giggled. "The pleasure is all mine."
They stood there silently, before Bethany finally let out a sigh, looking out towards the streets. "I should probably be getting home…." She looked towards him one last time. "Will I see you again?" Hope was evident in her gaze.
He shot her his 500 kilowatt smile. "Of course. I am not one to manage to stay away from a beautiful woman for too long."
She blushed. "Okay. Maybe I will see you tomorrow then?"
After he nodded, she turned on her heel and walked down the street.
For the first time in over twenty years, Damon Salvatore almost felt…warm.
He smiled at nothing in particular as he laid lazily across the bed of the hotel he was currently staying in.
Tomorrow, he would see her again….and he would shower her with affection, gifts, and the old charm that never failed to work on women. And he would have what rightfully belongs to him again.
It was strange, and a thought he would never voice out load, but he already loved the redheaded maiden, Bethany. Because in her very essence, soul, and nature, she was Bonnie. His little redbird.
That car accident all those years ago hadn't permanently taken her away from him after all. She was back. And now he was going to correct the mistake he had made.
He saw her again, as promised, outside her school once it had ended.
Her face, to his amusement, lit up at the sight of him. "You're back!"
Damon smiled charmingly at her, winking as he held the small bouquet of ruby-red roses out to her.
"Well of course. I did tell you I would, hadn't I?"
Bethany beamed and accepted the roses, bringing them up to her face to inhale their scent blissfully. "Thank you."
"Beautiful roses for a beautiful maiden," he replied smoothly, causing her to blush. He had to resist the urge to reach out and touch her. She may be her in spirit and soul, but in her mind, she is Bethany McCurdy. Remember that.
He cleared his throat. "I have an idea on how you may be able to repay me."
She looked up at him with a gaze of nervousness and surprise. "How?"
"Allow me to treat you to dinner tonight."
Her surprise became even more evident. "Really?"
He nodded. "It would be my pleasure."
"Okay," she replied happily.
Later that evening, he drove a newly upgraded Ferrari that he had gotten just for the occasion over to the McCurdy household.
It was a relatively large house….larger than the McCullough had been anyway. Damon assumed that his little bird had been born into a bit more of a wealthier family in this second life.
He knocked formally on the door, and in a few short moments, it swung open.
There in the doorway stood an elderly woman who looked to be in her late to mid sixties of age.
"Hello." He smiled pleasantly at her. "I'm here for Bethany. Is she currently present?"
The elderly woman didn't respond and instead, wordlessly fled from his view, leaving the door ajar.
Damon frowned in mild annoyance, but just after he considered taking some sort of action, the petite form of his little bird appeared as she shut the door behind her.
Bonnie, or rather Bethany looked up at him rather bashfully, delicately biting her lower lip.
"I'm sorry about that. My grandmother can be a bit….odd sometimes."
He grinned and smoothly laced her arm with his, a giggle sounding from her as he led her towards the Ferrari. "Not to worry cara. I am only pleased that my eyes once again have the pleasure of being gifted with the sight of you."
She blushed. "Well I….I can say the same thing about you!" Her brown eyes widened at the sight of the sleek vehicle parked outside of the house. "That's yours?!"
He laughed at her excitement. "Yes, it is." He opened the door and held it open for her as he shot her a wink. "I drive in style."
"It's beautiful," she replied, peering at the car for a few more moments before smiling gratefully at him and sliding into the passenger seat.
"Grazie, beautiful," he replied cooly.
When they arrived at the destination of their "date", Bethany's brown eyes widened at fraction at the restaurant of Damon's choice.
"Damon! This place is so expensive…."
He only smiled. "Don't fret cara, I am more than capable of covering it. And my….dates only deserve the best."
Bethany smiled at the restaurant for a few seconds before grinning brightly at him. "Well….thank you. So much. I've always wanted to eat here."
"And that you will," he replied, quickly taking her hand as they stepped out of the car.
About an hour later, Damon was escorting Bethany back to the doorstep of her large house.
"Thank you once again. I had a really nice time," the redhead sincerely said with a smile.
"As did I," he answered, smirking. He then took her hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing it. "Thank you for gracing me with your presence, little bird."
She giggled and the sound, along with the huge, beautiful smile on her face combined, created such a perfect image that the vampire simply could not restrain himself any longer.
Gently, he cupped her face in one of his hands and pressed his lips against her soft, warm ones.
Though the kiss ended sooner than he would have preferred, he supposed it would quench his need for the time being.
A flush was evident on her cheeks once they parted, but the smile had grown even more prominent. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, bella. Sweet dreams."
As he walked away from the house, a small, though clearly visible smile danced on Damon's lips.
"So um….does this make you my boyfriend?"
Bethany asked the question shyly and hesitantly, Damon assumed, as she climbed into the passenger seat of the Ferrari once again so he could drive her to school.
He couldn't help but chuckle at the simplicity of the word "boyfriend". It was far too human of a word to associate himself with.
However, in this case, he didn't seem to mind it.
"I assume that depends on what you desire. I am sure you are now well aware of what I want." He winked at her.
She blushed. "I do like you." She paused. "I guess I…I just don't really understand…."
"What don't you understand, cara?" He asked casually, stroking her curls absentmindedly as he parked the car in the school parking lot.
Bethany looked down. "I guess I just don't really understand why you would want me."
Silence echoed in the vehicle. She eventually took his silence as a sign for her to continue.
"I mean, you're you!" She strongly empathized the word "you", as if that single word should explain everything. "And I'm just….well, me."
Despite her efforts to hide it, he could hear the tinge of sadness in her voice, and it threatened to shake his undead heart. She still had the same insecurities as she had in her past life.
"Look at me," he ordered sharply, placing a gentle hand underneath her chin. "Cara, you are precious." He pecked her on the lips. "And it would be an honor if you would allow me the privilege of being your boyfriend."
Disbelief flashed through her eyes before they became warm again in happiness. "Yes."
"Thank you Bo….Bethany," he replied, having almost slipped and called her "Bonnie". To show his gratitude, he kissed her on the forehead.
The redheaded teenager let out another giddy laugh and stepped out of the car, after waving goodbye, Damon watched as she disappeared into the school building.
As he watched her go, the vampire thought about what had just transpired between them.
Bethany McCurdy had the same insecurities as he past life Bonnie McCullough did. In both lives, she was blind to how special she truly was.
However, in this life, the ending result would be different. He may have failed with showing Bonnie McCullough how special she was, but he would not fail with Bethany McCurdy.
"Sometimes I….I feel like you're the only one that really sees me," the redhead murmured as she leaned against him.
Damon wrapped his arms tightly around her slim body, burrowing his face in her red curls to inhale her delicious scent.
They were currently at Bethany's house, cuddling on the couch while some sappy flick that neither of them was really paying any attention to played on the television screen.
"Why do you say that, my ruffled little bird?"
This got a small laugh out of her. "The way you talk…it sounds so strange and old sometimes." She smiled at him when he looked up from her hair to frown at her words. "But I love it."
He chuckled. "Well, I'm relieved that my intensive vocabulary pleases you." He kissed the top of her head. "Now, you were saying?"
Bethany beamed. "I do love it…I think it makes you even more unique." She then paused, hesitating at answering his question, before shrugging. "It's true. Not many people pay too much attention to me."
Damon leaned down to kiss her fully on the lips, murmuring against them. "Their foolish loss is my gain, I suppose."
It had only been a few months into their new-found relationship when she told him she loved him.
It occurred when they were on a "date" at Damon's apartment, enveloping each other in their arms as they lay in bed together on the afterglow of their very first lovemaking session.
He hadn't exactly been sure of how it had happened. One minute they had been simply kissing, and then the next; he had stripped them both of their clothing and ended up in the bedroom.
However, he didn't regret the occurrence in the slightest. And from the way she comfortably laid her head on his bare chest as their naked bodies laid there in the bed, pressed together, Bethany didn't seem to regret it neither.
"I love you Damon."
Her words came out clear and out of the blue, and Damon stopped the motion of stroking her hair soothingly to look towards her.
"Pardon?" He had heard her perfectly, but he wanted confirmation.
She sucked in a small breath. "I love you."
Silence passed over them, and the vampire only focused on the feel of her wrapped in his arms as he processed her words.
She loved him, just as she had in her old life. He had succeeded in making her fall in love with him again.
But this time he wouldn't make the mistake of letting her go.
"Il mio amore, I love you too," he murmured, pressing his lips to hers again.
It all started going downhill about two weeks later, when his little bird accidentally came across an old photo he had stored in his Ferrari.
With a tear streaked face, Bethany help up the picture she had found in his glove box….a picture of Bonnie McCullough. Her old life.
"Damon…who…who is this?"
The sadness in her voice threatened to shatter him.
Still, he kept his gaze flat and void of emotion as he answered. "Her name was Bonnie McCullough. She was an old…friend of mine."
Bethany bit her lip nervously. "Did you love her?"
He nodded. There really was no sense in denying it at this point.
She looked at the picture again before she burst into tears, angrily throwing the picture at him before getting out of the car and rushing into the pouring rain.
Oh no. She wasn't going to get away that easily. He refused to let her slip away from him again.
With great speed but not enough to make himself look suspicious, he went after her, gently but firmly grabbing her wrist to stop her from getting away.
"Now listen here…."
"No!" After getting over her initial shock at him grabbing her, Bethany began to try to fight him off, pushing violently at his chest with her free hand. "Let go of me Damon!"
Poor, naïve Bethany. She obviously had yet to realize that her efforts were futile.
Damon grimaced in slight frustration, but tried to maintain a relatively calm exposure as he pulled her closer, trying to further detain her.
"I'm not letting you go until you listen to me."
Finally, seeming to realize that fighting him was like trying to push against a brick wall, Bethany allowed him to drag her back towards the car, though tears were still falling down from her eyes.
Like he always had before, Damon opened the door for her, and wordlessly, she sat back down in her seat.
After the vampire had seated himself back into the driver's seat, he turned to face the teen sitting beside him, his voice coming out soft, though firm.
"Bethany, it's not what it seems."
She sniffled. "What do you mean? It's pretty clear to me. You only liked me because I look like your old girlfriend." She looked at him squarely. "I….I'm sorry that I'm not her, but that doesn't give you the right to…."
"That's where you're wrong, redbird. You are her."
Now she only looked confused and maybe a bit….frightened.
Damon continued gently. "You're an old soul. Bonnie McCullough was one of your past lives. That's precisely why…."
Bethany broke him off by shaking her head furiously and frantically. "You…you sound crazy! I'm sorry that Bonnie died, but I'm not her."
He grabbed her wrist, sensing that she was getting ready to try to bolt out of the car again. "You are her. You may not have her name or life, but you are entirely made up by her personality, her physical attributes….her soul. And I can prove it."
Perhaps bringing her to the witch's house hadn't been the most thought-out plan of his. But he hadn't had many options. He needed her to remember. He couldn't lose her again.
His little redbird sat nervously in a chair beside him as they watched Camille once again rummage through her shelves.
This time though, his annoyance towards it was minimum. After all, she was looking for a potion that could be the final solution to his problem.
"The vampire is correct. You are an old soul," the old witch said flatly, finally pulling out a crystal-clear bottle and began to a pour orange, powdery substance into it.
Bethany sighed in response. "I'm not even really sure about what that means…."
Camille handed her the bottle. "Drink this, and I am sure that things will become clearer for you."
The redhead looked down at the bottle, hesitantly and uneasily.
His own suspicion on high alert, Damon quickly used his power to probe the old witch's mind, and was satisfied at finding she was being completely truthful. The potion wouldn't hurt his little bird.
"Everything is alright, cara. The potion is safe to drink."
She still made no move to drink it.
His dark, midnight eyes then locked with her warm brown ones. "Trust me…at least one last time."
The slight pleading tone that managed to seep into his voice achieved his goal. With another sigh, Bethany picked up the small glass and took a sip of its orange content.
The room fell into complete silence.
Shortly after swallowing, Bethany closed her eyes, her full lips in a thin line as her body began to tremble.
Damon frowned at Camille, but the witch only shook her head, unconcerned. "She's fine."
Just as the vampire reached out to grab her, the redhead's eyes once again flew open, the trembling ceasing.
The human girl then locked eyes with him again and he could see a new kind of recognition flicker in her chocolate brown pools.
"Damon?"
The name slipped off her lips with a mix of uncertainty and disbelief.
He managed a small smile. "Yes redbird. It's me."
And then, all at once, with tears raining down from her eyes, she threw herself into his arms. "Oh Damon! I'm so sorry! I remember everything now and….."
"Shh," he said gently, rubbing the back of her head. He could feel Camille's gaze burning into them, and he didn't wish to continue the moment in front of her prying eyes. "Let's talk after we get out of here."
Wordlessly, she nodded in agreement.
"How did I….die?"
His little redbird asked the question as she slumped down into the armchair next to the fire inside of his apartment.
He sighed as he answered her question. "You were killed in a car accident while driving with your sister. She recovered, but you hadn't been as lucky."
Bethany, or rather Bonnie, was silent as she absorbed this information, her gaze filled with bewilderment and some sadness.
"It's just…so confusing. I mean, I remembering being Bonnie, but at the same time, I….I know I'm Bethany. It's like I have two different lives to remember."
At her words, a stab of guilt swelled through Damon's very limited conscious. She was confused….and it was entirely his fault. She was confused because he had been too selfish to allow himself to lose her again.
As if reading his thoughts, she suddenly grabbed his hand, smiling up at him. "I'm glad I remember though."
Damon let out an exhale of air he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
"Redbird, there is something you should know. A month prior to your death, I…said things I hadn't meant."
Her small face took on a puzzled expression, obviously having no idea what he was talking about. "What did you say?"
"I threw rejection at you when you confessed your affections towards me." He began to softly rub the back of her hand with one of his fingers. "But just know I hadn't meant a word of what I said, and that I greatly regret having ever said it."
He then leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, and felt a sense of relief when she kissed him back.
When they pulled apart, she looked earnestly into his eyes. "Damon, I do love you. And I….i'm glad that you helped me remember." She paused briefly before continuing. "But um…I do have a new life now. And in this life, I'm Bethany McCurdy, not Bonnie McCullough."
He only nodded in grim understanding.
"But I…." she smiled. "I guess you could call me "Bonnie" when we're alone, if you want."
He only responded by kissing her again, eternally grateful for this second chance.
A/N: I hope you guys liked this :)
I'm sorry if Damon was kind of OOC. You all know I'm sure that my stories are usually told from Bonnie's perspective and well, there's a reason for that lol. Even though Damon is my favorite character in the series, I feel like I don't write him quite right the majority of the time. Oh well.
PS: Sorry for my lack of writing lately. But next week is my last week of school before summer break. And no school means more time for writing *Cheers*
Please review! :)