the return midnight

L . J . S m it h
T he V am pir e D ia rie s
T he R etu rn : V ol. 3 M id nig ht


F or A nne, th e a nim al- w his p ere r
W ith th anks to th e r e al P rin ce ss J e ssa ly n , a nd to L ouis e
B eaudry fo r h er h elp w ith F re nch tr a nsla tio ns.

C onte n ts
1
E le na G ilb ert p ut d ow n th e p en r e lu cta ntly . S huttin g h e r

d ia ry …
2
E le na c o uld n’t h a ve b een o ut fo r m ore th a n a fe w …
3
D am on le aped. S om ew he re in th e m id dle o f th e le ap
E le na …
4
“F ir s t,” M ere dith a ske d, “ is D am on r ig ht? If y o u g o b ack…
5
“I th o ug ht y o u w ante d to g et o ut s o w e c o uld …
6
B onnie c o uld n’t g et to s le ep a fte r D am on’s w ord s to h e r.
7
B onnie w as in h e r n e w fir s t- flo or b edro om , a nd w as fe eli n g …
8

D am on n o dded th o ug htfu lly , g la ncin g b ack a nd fo rth b etw een
th e fig htin g …
9
D am on d ro pped h is h a nd . H e s im ply c o uld n’t m ake h im se lf
d o…
1 0
D am on w as m akin g h is w ay u p th e b eautifu l r o se -c o ve re d
tr e lli s …
1 1
W he n M . le P rin ce ss J e ssa ly n D ’A ub ig ne h a d d ru nk h e r fill
o f…
1 2
“S te fa n. S te fa n!”E le na h a d b een to o n e rv o us to s ta y o ut…
1 3
E le na , s le epin g s e re ne ly w ith o ne h a nd lo cke d o nto S te fa n’s ,
k ne w …
1 4

T he n e xt m orn in g E le na n o tic e d th a t M ere dith s till lo oke d
p ale …
1 5
B onnie w oke s lo w ly , c o m in g u p fr o m s o m e d ark p la ce .
1 6
“O nce u p on a tim e,” b egan B onnie , “ th e re w ere a y o ung …
1 7
M ere dith a nd M att w ere s ittin g a t th e b re akfa st ta ble ,
w hic h…
1 8
A fte r b re akfa st M att w ent o nli n e to fin d tw o s to re s, n e ith e r…
1 9
B onnie d ecid ed, w ith s e co nd s p re cio us a nd s e em in g to
s tr e tc h fo r…
2 0
M ere dith u sua lly fo und h e r p are nts fu nny a nd s illy a nd d ear.

2 1
S om eone w as s till k no ckin g o n S te fa n’s d oor.
2 2
“M am a s a id n o t in F ell’ s C hurc h,” M rs . F lo w ers r e peate d to
S te fa n.
2 3
In th e c a r, M