Three Rounds with Damon and Bonnie
"Who's there?" Damon called when he heard the front door open.
"It's just me," Bonnie yelled back. She pulled the door shut behind her and took off her shoes before descending into the living area. Damon came sauntering in as Bonnie opened the decanter and poured them each a generous glass of bourbon. It was evening and the Salvatore living room was dimly lit, the dancing flames throwing shadows across the walls. It was such a massive room but it always managed to look cozy.
"So," she said, "catch up time! What have I missed?" Bonnie passed him his drink and took a seat on the couch in front of the fireplace, tucking her feet underneath her. "Cheers," she toasted with a nod, giving his glass a gentle tap. Clink. It felt so good to be back. She couldn't believe that she had almost taken her own life, but things had felt so hopeless back then. Being here with Damon felt like old times, in a good way.
He took a seat across from her, slinging his arm up along the ridge of the couch. "Well, let's see," he started ticking off on his fingers, "You sent me back, I found out Elena had Alaric erase all good memories of me—"
"Wait, what!" she exclaimed, leaning forward.
"Yep, tell me about it. I understand that it must have been hard. I mean, Stefan became a mechanic in Savannah for Christ's sake, but it still hurt knowing that the girl I love chose to forget me."
"So, what? Did Alaric get rid of the compulsion when you got back?"
"Nope. Our favorite resident Original is no longer a vampire."
"What?" she repeated, "But how?"
"It turns out that if you cross the magic border—which no longer exists by the way— and someone is able to patch you up, you become human again. . .which brings me to Jo, the lady witch-slash-doctor, who saved Alaric. And," He said with emphasis as he tipped his drink towards her, "I just very recently heard that he is now engaged to her and they are having a baby."
"Are you serious right now?"
Damon just nodded his head and downed the rest of his drink.
"Surprise," he intoned as he got up to pour himself another. "Refill?" Damon offered.
Bonnie wordlessly held up her glass, her face registering some shock.
"And that's just the tip of the iceberg," he added. He finished pouring, replaced the decanter, and back slid onto the couch across from her with a slight smirk.
"Okay okay," Bonnie said, shaking her head, "back to you and Elena first. What happened? Did she find another way to recover her memories?"
"Afraid not," he said. "It just so happens that when the girl you love blinks out your entire relationship and only remembers you as the arrogant Salvatore brother who favors killing sprees and being a dick—"
"Fair enough," she agreed with an innocent shrug and a sly look in her eye.
"Heeyy," he drawled, picking up a pillow and throwing it at her. She easily deflected it, laughing.
"Sorry, go on," Bonnie encouraged, still grinning.
"So anyways, she didn't particularly fancy old me, felt weird anytime that I'd mention our relationship and things she couldn't remember. Eventually she decided that she wanted to just move on. But, to make a long story short, she realized she still had feelings for me, and now we're making new memories."
"Aww, see! It all worked out," she said waving it off with her hand and taking a sip.
"Good thing too." She pointed at him. "If I would have had to hear one more Damon/Elena sob story—I swear the two of you have more obstacles and drama than any couple I've ever met," she teased in exasperation. "But," she paused, "when you're good, you're really good. You deserve some new memories, Damon."
"Thanks, Bonnie."
And she really meant it. After all that time they had spent in the prison world just talking together, she had a whole new perspective on Damon. Sure he was a jerk sometimes, but there was so must more to him than that and he truly loved Elena.
"Well, speaking of memories," Damon resumed, interrupting Bonnie's thoughts, "you remember Kai, right?"
"I try not to honestly. That's one thing about my time in 1994 that I don't ever want to think about again," she said, her voice growing tight. Damon didn't like the pain he saw suddenly cloud her eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked gently, searching her face for answers. She noticed his concern and tried to shrug it off, wanting to keep things light.
"Don't worry about it," Bonnie told him, attempting to be nonchalant. "Tell me. Has that sadistic little prick been wreaking havoc here?"
"You know what? It's not a big deal. . ."
"I'm okay," she breathed. "Just give me the Cliff Notes version."
"Alright," he agreed reluctantly, "so Jo and Kai are twins. In their coven, they are required to 'merge' which basically means that the more powerful one gets all the magic and the other dies. But Kai merged with Luke instead of Jo. So she gets to live and now Kai's slightly less evil."
"Hard to believe," she scoffed. Bonnie shuddered, thinking about the torture she had endured at the hands of that monster. Not something easily forgotten.
"I can't believe so much has happened," she marveled, shaking her head. "I've only been gone for like six months."
"Well, a lot can happen in six months, Bonnie."
"True," she agreed as she finished off her second glass of bourbon, "I mean look at us. It only took four months stuck together in a 1994 prison world for us to become friends." She got up and poured them another round.
Damon suddenly became more serious, "As much as I hate to admit it, I did miss you, Bonnie. I mean I know it was probably boring as hell without me in your world, but it hasn't exactly been a walk in the park here either. I definitely could've used a best friend like you to kick my ass a time or two. You know how I am."
"I know, drama queen," Bonnie laughed sitting back down. Then she paused, "Did Damon Salvatore just say I was his best friend," she teased somewhat astounded.
"Shut up. I said a best friend."
"Oh, okay, whatever you say buddy." Bonnie smiled to herself. She thought she'd never see the day when she'd call Damon Salvatore a friend. She glanced over at him. Damon had gotten quiet as he looked down and swirled the contents of his glass.
"What is it?" she questioned.
"I don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to friends, do I? I mean look at Alaric, Sheriff Forbes, even Enzo."
"Well I hardly think that you can control cancer, and it sounds like Alaric is doing just fine now."
"Yeah," Damon said, his voice dripping with the usual sarcasm, "he only had to go a little nuts, become an enhanced Original, die, come back from the other side, nearly die yet again—"
"And let's not forget all the times you killed him yourself," Bonnie interjected.
"And Enzo," he continued, "I left him for dead. He gives me his ration of blood for a year, a whole year, and at our first chance of escape I abandon him. I probably wouldn't have even survived all those years without Enzo, and how do I thank him, by leaving his ass in a vervain-covered cage in the middle of a burning house—essentially every vampire's worst nightmare. Not to mention, I killed his girlfriend!"
Bonnie shook her head, "Come on, Damon. You're giving yourself way too much credit. We've all been through a lot and you can't be blamed for all of it."
"I can try to be!"
"Drama queen," she repeated. "I am sorry about Sheriff Forbes though. Poor Caroline. Her mom meant so much to her, you know. To all of us really. And now she's just gone, taken by something as human as cancer. I just can't imagine a Mystic Falls without Sheriff Forbes in it. She was always just there, you know. If you think about it, she was the one bright spot left in this town, the last tie to our childhood."
They both stared into the flames, thinking about the unfairness of life. Why did all the people that they loved in life always come to such tragic ends? Sometimes it seemed like there was more take than give in Mystic Falls.
"You know what we need, Damon?"
"What?"
"I think we need to go for a drive."
This statement brought a little smile to his face. He had missed this. When they were trapped in the prison world and either of them was feeling down and out about their situation, the other would suggest going for a drive. They would jump into Damon's 1969 Chevy Camaro Convertible and take off. It didn't matter what direction or time of day because that wasn't the point. The point was that it made them feel free, if only for a short while. No thinking was allowed, only feeling, the wind coursing across their faces, the swell of music pulsing in the air. Something about those feelings made them believe in possibilities and gave them some conviction that things would be alright again.
"Let's go," he decided, jumping up from the couch and grabbing the keys. Bonnie set down her glass and bounded up the stairs to slip her shoes back on. He grabbed his leather jacket and texted Elena telling her he'd be back at the house later.
"Ready?" he asked after hitting send.
Bonnie straightened up. "Ready when you are," she replied.
He opened the door and waved her through before him. He gave one last sweeping glance of the living room as he swung the door shut. Their empty glasses lay abandoned and the fire continued to roar as he stepped out into the cool evening ready to see where the night air took them.