If We Had Met First

Chapter Seventeen:

            Once Elena and Bonnie had both gotten in the car Elena turned to her friend and said, “before I drive anywhere I need you to know what you’re getting into. I can’t make that choice for you.”

            Then before Bonnie could say anything she launched into a very quick and brief explanation of what was happening. She started with the fact that Anna was a very old vampire who had Jeremy. She explained how Anna was threatening to hurt Jeremy unless Elena showed up with the witch who according to Anna was Bonnie.

            “How do you know about all of this Elena?” Bonnie asked.

            “I’m sorry Bonnie but I don’t have time to explain right now. You have to choose, I can either drive you home then go to the church alone or we can go together. It’s up to you.” Elena said.

            “You know I can’t just let you go alone. I’m in.”

            Elena smiled gratefully and pulled her car out of the parking space and turned onto the road.

            “Since we have a little time until we get to the church you should probably start explaining how you know this girl is a vampire.” Bonnie said.

            When she had found out Damon’s secret the one thing she had wanted was to keep the people she loved safe. At the time that meant keeping it a secret and keeping her two worlds, one where she was dating a vampire and the other where she was just a normal girl as far apart as possible. But was it really safer for Bonnie to walk around not knowing any of this? If Anna was right then she was a witch and had a right to know about everything supernatural going on in Mystic Falls.

            “One day when I was with Damon he told me something, something about him. He told me that he was a vampire, and I don’t know how to explain it Bonnie but it didn’t scare me. Even when he showed me his fangs I wasn’t scared because I know that whatever everyone else thinks or how any of the other vampires are he at least isn’t just some monster. So I stayed with him and I promised to keep his secret, that’s how I know about vampires.” Elena said quickly trying to get all the words out before they reached the church.

            Even with the shortened and sped up version she just barely finished when she pulled up on the side of the road. Fell’s church was just a five minute walk from the road but now that they were actually out in what was basically the middle of nowhere alone the night air was suddenly colder.

            As they walked through the trees the only light they had to guide them was the small flashlight that Elena had grabbed out of the glove compartment. The shadows the light created made their surroundings even creepier and the smallest noises were making them jump. Elena just barely stopped herself from screaming when a twig broke loudly under Bonnie’s foot.

            Soon they could see the old stone wall that used to be part of the church that was burned to the ground. It was a dark block surrounded by a dim flickering light. Every hair on Elena’s arms stood on end as they got closer to the church. When they passed the stone wall she realized that the flickering lights were a ring of torches set up in the clearing.

            Standing in the middle of the circle was Anna, she stood over Jeremy’s unconscious form. She looked so completely normal that if it wasn’t for where she stood Elena would have had trouble believing that she was a vampire.

            “No one followed you?” She asked.

            Elena shook her head, “we came alone just like you told us to.” She said.