When Bonnie joined them, Elena gave up trying to get to the bathroom. Her face was distressed, her blue eyes swimming with tears. Elena's serenity had been broken by hurt and regret - and underneath that, a surprisingly deep apprehension. Bonnie's intuition gave a twinge.
But she patted Elena's elbow, the only part of her that she could reach, and added her voice to the chorus: "You didn't know she'd get so upset. You didn't hurt her."
Crystal tears spilled down Elena's cheeks, and Stefan caught them with a tissue as if each one was priceless.
"She thinks that Carolineis hurt," Stefan said, "and she's worried about her - for some reason I don't get."
Bonnie realized that Elena could communicate after all - by mind-link. "I felt that, too," she said. "The hurt. But tell her - I mean - Elena, Ipromise I'll apologize. I'll grovel."
"It may take some groveling from all of us," Meredith said. "But meanwhile I want to make sure that this ¡®angel unaware' recognizesme ."
With an expression of tranquil sophistication, she took Elena out of Stefan's arms and into her own, and then she kissed her.
Unfortunately, this coincided with Caroline stalking out of the bathroom. The bottom of her face was paler than the top, having been denuded of all makeup: lipstick, bronzer, blush, the works. She stopped dead and stared.
"I don't believe it," she said in scathing tones. "You'restill doing it! It's dis - "
"Caroline." Stefan's voice was a warning.
"I came here to see Elena." Caroline - beautiful, lithe, bronze-limbed Caroline - was twisting her hands together as if in terrible conflict. "Theold Elena. And what do I see? She's like a baby - she can't talk. She's like some smirking guru floating in the air. And now she's like some kind of perverted - "
"Don't finish that," Stefan said quietly but firmly. "I told you, she ought to be over the first symptoms in just a few days, to judge by her progress so far," he added.
And hewas different, somehow, Bonnie thought. Not just happier to have gotten Elena back. He was...stronger somehow at the core of himself. Stefan had always been quiet inside; her powers sensed him as a pool of clear water. Now she saw that same clear water built up like a tsunami.
What could have changed Stefan so much?
The answer came to her immediately, although in the form of a wondering question. Elena was still part spirit - Bonnie's intuition told her that. What did it do if you drank the blood of someone who was in that state?
"Caroline, let's just drop it," she said. "I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry for - you know. I was wrong, and I'm sorry."
"Oh, you'resorry . Oh, that makes everything all right then, doesn't it?" Caroline's voice was pure acid, and she turned her back on Bonnie with finality. Bonnie was surprised to feel the sting of tears behind her eyes.
Elena and Meredith still had their arms around each other, their cheeks wet with the other's tears. They were looking at each other and Elena was beaming.
"Now she'll know you anywhere," Stefan told Meredith. "Not just your face, but - well, the inside of you, too, or the shape of it, at least. I should have mentioned that before this started, but I'm the only one she's ¡®met,' and I didn't realize - "
"You should have realized!" Caroline was pacing like a tiger.
"So you kissed a girl, sowhat ?" Bonnie exploded. "What do you think, you're going to grow a beard now?"
As if powered by the conflict around her, Elena suddenly took off. All at once she was zipping around the room as if she'd been shot from a cannon; her hair crackled with electricity when she made sudden stops or turns. She soared around the room twice, and as she was silhouetted against the dusty old window, Bonnie thought,Oh, my God! We've got to get her some clothes! She looked at Meredith and saw that Meredith had shared her realization. Yes, they had to get Elena clothes - and most especially underclothes.
As Bonnie moved toward Elena, as shyly as if she'd never been kissed before, Caroline exploded.
"You just keep doing it and doing it and doing it!" She was practically screeching by now, Bonnie thought. "What'swrong with you? Don't you have any morals at all?"
This, unfortunately, caused another case of thedon't-laugh-don't-laugh choked giggles in Bonnie and Meredith. Even Stefan turned away sharply, his gallantry toward a guest clearly fighting a losing battle.
Not just a guest, Bonnie thought, but a girl he'd gonepret-ty darn far with, as Caroline hadn't been shy about letting people know when she'd gotten her hands on him. About as far as vampirescould go, Bonnie remembered, which was not the whole way. Something about the blood-sharing substituting for - well, for Doing It. But he wasn't the only one Caroline had bragged about. Caroline was infamous.
Bonnie glanced at Elena, saw that Elena was watching Caroline with a strange expression. Not as if Elena were afraid of her, but rather as if Elena were deeply worriedabout her.
"Are you all right?" Bonnie whispered. To her surprise, Elena nodded, then looked at Caroline and shook her head. She carefully looked Caroline up and down and her expression was that of a puzzled doctor examining a very sick patient.
Then she floated toward Caroline, one hand extended.
Caroline shied away, as if she were disgusted to have Elena touch her. No, not disgusted, Bonnie thought, butfrightened.
"How do I know what she'll do next?" Caroline snapped, but Bonnie knew that wasn't the real reason for her fear. What do we have going on here? she wondered. Elena afraidfor Caroline, and Caroline afraidof Elena. What does that equal?