half shut her eyes. "Because, my dear Elena, Helena, Aliena, Al iana, Laynie, El a - I would not wish
'Ulma'on anyone, much less my lovely daughter."
"Why not cal her Adara?"Lakshmi put in suddenly. "I always thought that was pretty, since I was a kid."
There was a silence - almost a stunned silence. Then Elena said, "Adara - it's a lovely name."
"And not at alldangerous,"Bonnie said.
Stefan said, "It wouldn't stop her from starting a revolution if she wanted to."
There was a pause. Everyone looked at Damon, who was looking out the window expressionlessly. Everyone waited.
He final y turned. "Oh, excel ent,"he said blankly, clearly having no idea - and less interest - in what they were talking about.
"Oh come on, Damon."Bonnie's eyes were Stillswol en, but she spoke brightly. "Make it unanimous! That way Lady Ulma wil be sure."Good God, Stefan thought, she must be the most forgiving girl in the universe.
"Certainly, then,"Damon said indifferently.
"Forgive us,"Elena said tightly to the room in general. "We've all been going through a bit of a hard time."
That gave Lady Ulma her cue. "Of course you have,"she said, smiling the smile of one who has known bitter suffering.
"Bonnie has told us of the destruction of your town. I am deeply sorry. What you need now is food and rest. I'l have someone conduct you to your rooms."
"I should have introduced Stefan at the start, but I was so worried I forgot to,"Elena said. "Stefan, this is Lady Ulma, who was so good to us before. Lady Ulma - Well, you know who this is."She went on tiptoe to kiss Stefan lingeringly.
Lingeringly enough that Stefan had to gently detach her and put her down. He was almost frightened at this display of bad manners. Elena was really angry at Damon. And if she didn't forgive him, the scenes would only continue to escalate - and if he was right, Elena was truly getting closer to being able to cast Wings of Destruction.
He didn't even consider asking Damon to forgive anyone.
After the girls had whispered raptures over the baby again, they were conducted to opulent bed chambers, each furnished in excel ent taste, down to the smal est decoration.
As usual, though, they al congregated in one room, which happened to be Stefan's.
There was more than enough space on the bed for the three of them to sit or flop. Damon wasn't present but Stefan would bet his undead life that he was listening in.
"All right,"Elena said briskly, and went into storytel ing mode.
She explained to Bonnie everything that had happened through their taking the Master Keys from Shinichi and Misao, to their flight to Lady Ulma's bathing chamber.
"To have so much Power suddenly torn away from you in an instant..."Bonnie had her head down, and it wasn't hard to guess who she was thinking about. She looked up. "Please, Elena. Don't be so angry at Damon. I know he's done some bad things - but he's been so unhappy..."
"That's no excuse,"Elena began. "And, frankly, I'm - "
Don't, Elena! Don't tell her that you're ashamed of her for putting up with it! She's already ashamed of herself!
"I'm surprised at him,"Elena said with only the smal est hesitation. "I know for a fact that he cares for you. He even has a pet name for you: his little redbird."
Bonnie sniffed. "You always say that pet names are stupid."
"Well, but I meant names like - oh - if he cal ed you 'Bonbon'or something."
Bonnie's head came up. "Even that would be okay for the baby,"she said, with a sudden smile, like a rainbow after a storm.
"Oh, yes, isn't she adorable? I never saw such a happy baby.
Margaret used to just look at you with big eyes. Adara - if she is Adara - should have such a happy life..."
Stefan settled back against the headboard. Elena had the situation in hand.
Now he could worry about where Damon was going. After a moment he tuned back in, to find Bonnie talking about treasure.
"And they kept asking me and asking me and I couldn't figure out why since the star bal with the story on it was right there.
Only the story is gone now - Damon checked. Shinichi was going to throw me out the window, and that was when Damon rescued me, and the Guardians asked me about the story too."
"Strange,"Stefan said, sitting up alertly. "Bonnie, tel me how you first felt this story; where you were and al ."
Bonnie said, "Well, first I saw a story about a little girl named