This chapter will be more of a vantage point/general view but as the story goes on it will be from one characters' point of view. If that makes sense. Please bare with me on this.


Something happened to her while she was over there. It's worse than the way it was before. Which says a lot considering what she went through the first time she was brought back to life. Months of watching her friends from the Other Side. The only foothold to the Earth plane being Jeremy and her solace being able to see her Grams again. Witnessing her father's murder without being able to do anything about it. And being brought back to life as essentially a corporeal ghost having to feel the pain of every supernatural's death. With all that being said no one could say she wasn't strong, because even that hadn't taken the light out of her eyes. Yet five months―give or take―of being alone managed to break her.

They thought that all she needed was time but it's been weeks and she hasn't stepped out of her home. The only person being allowed in is Damon, which came as a shock and a slap to the face for most, especially the Gilberts and Caroline, the latter of which took it the hardest. Recently she allowed Jeremy in but it turned out to serve as their official break up. A few days after that she allowed Caroline in, which seemed to get her back to her old self after a couple of visits. And after a month she let Elena in, allowing her to guilt trip her into having a welcome back party. Even though she didn't want one. She could barely be around two people without freaking out, therefore being in a room full of people...well, she wasn't looking forward to it.

And now here she was, walking through the door to the Boarding House, a painted smile on her face and an iron grip on poor Matt's hand. She allowed people to hug her, taking several deep breaths to try to calm herself down, not entirely comfortable with that type of contact yet. Forcing a smile on her face once they pulled back. Keeping conversations as short as she could, not wanting to come off as rude. Though she couldn't hide her relief when Damon pushed his way through the crowd of people, compelling as many as he could to stay away from her before guiding her away to the kitchen. Concern clear on his face, noticing the panic in her eyes. Knowing what she was feeling all too well. He was just better at hiding it than she was.

Bonnie offers him a small smile, giving him an aneurysm when he puts his hands on her hips, before apologizing through a small laugh claiming that it's a reflex, raising her hands to his temples attempting to ease his pain. Nodding when he reaches out to her again, placing her on the island.

Damon rolls his eyes at her when she tries to assure him that she's fine, but gives him a grateful smile when he gives her a look telling her that she doesn't have to pretend with him. Playfully scolding her about forgetting that he was there with her as he hands her a glass of bourbon. A laugh escaping him when she drains it, demanding more.

Elena, Stefan and Caroline watch the scene from the doorway, shock clear on their faces when they see Bonnie visibly calming down with each moment that passes while she's with Damon. Taken back when they see her smile, stifling laughs when she attacks him, raising eyebrows when they see Bonnie take his pain away, allowing him to pick her up even more so when Damon pours her a glass of the bottle of bourbon he was drinking from. Exchanging looks when they hear the soft tone of voice Damon uses as he asks if she's ready to go back, asking if she's sure only agreeing when she nods murmuring something about being killed if Caroline sees that she's absent. They all rush away from the doorway when they see Damon placing her on the floor, taking her hand in his before they start to make their way in their direction, frowning when Damon gives them looks as he and Bonnie walk pass them, clearly aware of their eavesdropping.

After thirty minutes of Bonnie clinging on to Damon, Elena decides that that's enough because the understanding act she was doing a fairly decent job of, stops entirely.

Bonnie frowns when she feels Damon trying to pull his hand away, at first she figures she was holding onto him to tight but then she follows his gaze to Elena who is visibly pouting.

"Duty calls." She smirks.

Damon blinks in surprise, ready to tell Bonnie otherwise but stops when she shakes her head telling him it's fine. She didn't expect to suddenly become a priority to him. For some reason those words hurt him yet it doesn't stop him from going after her when she walks away.

Stefan raises his eyebrows having watched the scene. He looks around for Caroline seeing that she looks amused and notices the hesitation she has when she starts to go after Bonnie, but is ultimately stopped because Tyler wraps his arms around her. He frowns but when he sees Jeremy start to make his way over to Bonnie he immediately goes after her. Apologizing when he sees that he's scared her.

Bonnie's first instinct is to tell him to go away but stops, after all she never really expected much from Stefan. Out of everyone, he was the last person she expected to come to her rescue. So, instead of walking away from him she sighs and takes the hand that he offers, noticing that unlike Damon he doesn't wince whenever she accidently tightens her grip.

Across the room Damon scans his eyes over the crowd stopping once he sees that Bonnie's latest victim is his brother. Smirking when he hears a crack over the loud music when Bonnie spots Jeremy walking in her direction. His attention is turned away from them after he hears Elena calling his name, complaining about him not listening to her. Seeming annoyed when he says that he was checking on Bonnie, before a smile appears on her face stating that she likes that he's watching over her but she knows that Caroline has it covered. A frown settling on her features when Damon tells her that Stefan is actually the latest victim of her death grip.

Stefan lets out a breath when Jeremy finally realizes that Bonnie isn't really interested in what he has to say and walks away, feeling the bones in his hand slowly snap back into place as Bonnie's grip lightens as soon as the hunter leaves.

"I'm sorry." Bonnie says taking his hand in both of her's speeding up his healing.

At first he blinks in surprise wondering when she learned to do that but gives her a smile assuring her that he understands.

Bonnie immediately feels a flare of anger run through her. Tired of hearing that line but feels a twinge when she remembers Stefan being trapped in a safe. While she was alone, she was sure that couldn't compare to repeatedly drowning for a whole summer, the only relief being death.

"I-" Bonnie stops when Damon appears by her side, Elena right behind him, offering Bonnie a smile when Bonnie looks at her. Bonnie returns her smile although it's in amusement from Elena trying to be subtle about marking her territory, her attention turning to Damon when she hears his question,

"You okay?"

"Not really." She answers deciding to be honest, knowing it's no point in lying to him.

"Air or alcohol?"

"Both?" Bonnie asks, letting out a small laugh when Damon tells her to stop being greedy but relents. Glaring at Stefan when he doesn't let Bonnie go.

Stefan smirks at his brother's possessiveness but mockingly bows to him as he hands Bonnie over to Damon, grinning when he looks at him as if he wants to strangle him.

"I will go home." Bonnie narrows her eyes at Damon who rolls his eyes before guiding Bonnie to the kitchen "I thought you weren't afraid of Caroline." She teases.

"I'm not."

"Then why did you almost piss yourself when I said that I would go home?"

"Because I…" Damon trails off, huffing when he can't come up with an answer "It doesn't mean I'm afraid of her."

"Mmm." Bonnie nods clearly not believing him.

"If anyone's afraid of her, it's you." he counters "Why else would you agree to this?"

"I didn't want to hurt their feelings. I didn't let her visit for a month...I probably would've agreed to do anything."

"Even pole dancing?"

Bonnie pinches him.

Both Stefan and Elena watch as Bonnie and Damon weave through the crowd, finding their banter amusing until it becomes clear that they were no longer talking about Caroline.

"Do you think…" Elena trails off.

"Only one way to find out." Stefan smiles at the look on Elena's face seeing that it's clearly not the answer she wanted to hear.