Note: I don't own TVD or it's characters. If I did, this would be a very different show. Reviews are love.

What's the appropriate amount of time a girl should wait to approach her brother after he catches her making out with her boyfriend's – former boyfriend's? - brother? Especially considering said boyfriend's brother has given Jeremy every reason to want to use him for target practice. Elena sat herself down on Jeremy's bed, trying to pretend that the last few hours had not happened.

His back faced her as he put the last of his clothing away in his closet. "Don't worry, Elena. I won't say a word. You're more than capable of figuring this out on your own," Jeremy said as he turned to his sister and walked back to his suitcase. She nodded uncomfortably, understanding that this was not a conversation he was willing to have at the moment without berating her.

Her eyes fell to the suitcase he had just removed more belongings from, pausing at sheets of paper lining the space underneath. She pulled them out and found herself looking at the drawn faces of her parents and the family. "I see you kept up with your drawing. These are great, Jer." As she leafed through the drawings, she halted as the image of her best friend stared back at her, wearing a smile that seemed so foreign now. She looked up at Jeremy, whose eyes were fixed on the drawings.

"It's weird, you know. When I settled into Denver, I kept feeling like I'd left something important behind. Like there was a void. Then it was just a face that would flash in my mind and disappear before I could figure out who it belonged to. Before I knew it, I was drawing it. And then I realized it was all because I was missing who it belonged to. I haven't stopped thinking about her since. And there isn't really a damn thing I can do about it, is there?"

"Well, why not?"

"Because I betrayed her trust. Because I hurt her. And then I just left. I don't even know why I did it. When I think about it now, none of it makes any sense. I never wanted to hurt Bonnie. I wasn't in love with Anna. And she wasn't in love with me, either. We were together because we cared about each other and we both felt alone. That was it. I wouldn't have hurt Bonnie over that. It's like I had no control over my own thoughts and my own actions. What if there was really something else going on? And then leaving?" Elena watched Jeremy's agitation increase as he began to pace, becoming more nervous herself. "I wouldn't have done that either. Not with everything going on here, and with you guys in danger. Why would I just abandon you? I wouldn't choose that. I wouldn't-"

Jeremy turned back to the pictures of Bonnie and froze. How was it that he was only just realizing? She wouldn't have, not again. Not after the last time. He looked at her sister. A guilt-ridden face. He was wrong. She had. Again.

"You're kidding me." Jeremy reached for his backpack, turned and stormed out of the room. Elena jumped off the bed and rushed after him down the stairs.

"Jer, wait! Listen to me! We were just trying to protect you! Alaric and Damon and I-"

"Damon! Of course Damon was involved! Because when it comes to taking people's choices away, not respecting them, yet jumping at the opportunity to get in good with you, Damon's the guy to call."

"We just wanted you safe, Jeremy." Elena's words sounded hollow to her own ears.

"Right, and I was so safe with the Original pretending to be my friend." Jeremy finally turned to her, daring her to keep trying to convince him she was right.

"I...No. You're right. Bonnie was right. I should have listened to her..."

"Wait, where does Bonnie fit into this? Why would it matter to her?"

"She was upset with me for taking your choice away. But I was so sure I was doing the right thing for you."

So Bonnie of all people had been the one to defend him. "Yeah. You realize that you trying to do the 'right thing' ends up getting people hurt?" Jeremy grabbed his jacket and headed to the door. "It's not just you and the Salvatores affected by all this, Elena. So you and the Salvatores shouldn't be the only ones making decisions for the rest of us."

Bonnie awoke to the distant sound of hammering and turned to the clock on her nightstand. She'd overslept, something she'd been doing consistently for the past few days. She pushed herself out of bed as she caught sight of the black beaded dress Caroline has dropped off the previous day. It didn't matter how much Caroline insisted; there was no way she'd go to the decade dance. How could she go to a school party and smile and laugh and enjoy herself when all she felt like doing was crawling back into bed and hoping it would swallow her whole?

An hour later, Bonnie found herself trudging down the stairs toward the source of the hammering: the backyard where Jamie was knocking away at the siding of her house. She could have sworn that once Abby left, he'd want nothing to do with Bonnie, that he'd blame her for the trouble that had entered their lives and for Abby's death and transition. Which is why she was stunned when, the day after Bonnie's "visit" with Klaus, Jamie showed up at her front door, telling her that no matter what his and her connections to Abby were, no matter how dysfunctional the relationship, if Abby was important to Bonnie, then Bonnie was important to Jamie. He didn't feel right about staying at the farm house Abby had abandoned. He wasn't her brother, but he was her confidante, one who took her side, and he had pretty much become akin to family, so Bonnie invited him to stay with her. It wasn't as though her father would mind. He'd have to be home or keep in touch with her for that to happen.

"You know, you've made my house practically unrecognizable," Bonnie told him as she walked out.

Jamie looked down at her from the ladder, returning her smile. "Well, you have your secret super identity as a witch. I have mine as Ty Pennington," he joked.

"Easy, let's not announce that to the neighbors, okay? But really, Jamie, you don't need to do all this."

"I don't mind at all. Plus, no offense, but it's a wonder this place hasn't fallen apart by now." Jamie climbed down the ladder and followed Bonnie into the house. "You know, what I do mind is this whole mope-around-the-house, 'I just don't want to go to the dance' business you've got going on."

Bonnie frowned at him. "Wait, how did you- Caroline, dammit..."

"She wants you to let loose after everything you've put yourself through. And I think she's got the right idea. Come on, it'll be fun. Remember fun? You know, that thing that makes the corners of your mouth go up? We humans call that 'smiling'." A smile of his own played on Jamie's lips.

"Oh haha. Everyone will have a date, and after Jeremy...I'm just not in the mood."

"I'll be your date." Bonnie stopped in the middle of gathering her belongings for school and shot him a look. "Okay, relax. Can't a friend ask a friend to a dance as friends? I just want you to get away from all this chaos without having to hide in your house from it. And so what if things ended badly for you and this Jeremy guy? He's gone, right? You'll find someone who treats you right, Bonnie. But only if you get out of this house for more than just class and fighting the big bad hybrid. Think about it?"

Bonnie sighed. "Fine, I'll think. But just warning you, the chances of my 'hell no' turning into a 'yes' are minimal at best." She headed for the door.

"Have a good day at school," Jamie teased.

Bonnie rolled her eyes. Jamie's words had carved a dent in her reservations. That is until she was at her locker hours later and happened to look down the hall, inadvertently catching the eye of the boy she hadn't been able to get over despite the time that had passed. Jeremy shot her a tentative smile, one that said "Hi", "I missed you", and "Please don't hate me anymore" all at once as he maneuvered around other students, and Bonnie found herself confused all over again.

Note: Okay, not the best, but I needed to start somewhere. Beremy angst in the works, and we'll see why Jeremy couldn't control the Anna kiss :) Let me know what you think!