CROOKED

"I don't know why I am doing this again" Bonnie huffed, almost annoyed. "I mean, the way you almost got me killed the last time, just because you could not keep your bloody head cool enough around a bunch of hungry bloodsuckers, I probably shouldn't have come out for the sake of patrolling, with you."

"Reasons Bon-Bon…" Damon was quick to speak,"One: You can't reject me. Two: You can't repel my charm and three: You would like to have my company for the night, rather than your lonely room. Oh! Point to be noted, I meant that 'company for the night' phrase in the simplest of ways, no twisted meaning, not that I don't intend to." Damon Salvatore commented abruptly along with his ever-famous smirk.

Bonnie bolted up straight in the passenger seat of Damon's blue-blue camaro. "See! That's what you are. Always it's just about 'yourself' for you. Have you ever thought of caring about some other people, you jackass? Try it, feels good!" She snapped.

"Waste of precious time." Damon's answer was quick and non-chalant as ever.

"Yeah, off course!" Bonnie snorted and bumped back into the seat, while Damon drove on.

They were driving through the town of Mystic Falls for more than two hours now. Since there was a report of some sort of strange attacks occurring during nightfall, the Scooby gang took it upon themselves to look for the killers. Teams were divided and just as an obvious result of Bonnie's ill-fortune, she was teamed up with Damon 'freaking' Salvatore of all people! Bonnie wondered why it's always her who suffers. The answer was already known though. The other four, i.e. Stefan-Elena and Caroline-Tyler, were so much teamed up romantically that it would be sin of the century to even try to separate them. God alone knows how the two couples are going to keep an eye on the town, with never being able to keep their hands off of each other.

So that leaves only Damon Salvatore to have as companion. And as much as Bonnie would love to go alone, Damon certainly wouldn't allow that. Because, 'don't get to woo Elena, then irritate Bonnie!' Simple as it is!

"Disgusting" Bonnie muttered under breath.

"I heard that witchy!" Damon said in a sing-song voice as he killed the ignition if his camaro. Bonnie rolled her eyes.

They were at the parking area of the Grille. It was eleven at night and there were only a few cars left at the area. Bonnie got out through the passenger side door, shutting it afterwards. She leaned against it, arms crossed over her chest, careful eyes watching the area ahead with caution. Any moment the horrible supernatural killer can jump out of the darkness from anywhere. One must be careful for own safety.

Damon was leaning against the driver side door, their backs facing each other. Hs posture was relaxed, but all his senses were alert to the presence of every single movement around, eyes boring through the darkness, ears catching the faintest vibration. Suddenly he spoke.

"You know, I do care about people other than me."

Bonnie was so engrossed in her own thoughts that it took her a few seconds to realize what he hinted at. She stiffened a bit.

"My mistake…how could I forget Elena Gilbert."

Before Bonnie could even blink, Damon was before her, leaning in her personal space (practically, he doesn't believe in the concept of personal space!), his fingers gripping her upper arms so tight that Bonnie was sure to get bruised. Damon's jaw clenched, eyes dark, he hissed through gritted teeth.

"Everything is not about Elena Gilbert all the time, Bennett. Stop saying her name every time you need me to back up because it won't work."

Bonnie stared at him, eyes wide with shock at his reaction. She has never seen Damon so affected at something so simple. Though she was shaken at his outburst, Bonnie didn't flinch at all. She bit her bottom lip and answered a little softly.

"I intended to keep Stefan out of your list, because it's too obvious."

"It's not only Stefan or Elena I care about." Damon's voice had lowered but he never loosened his grip on her.

Bonnie eyed Damon's face in confusion, in search of indication of what he meant. Damon's eyes never left hers, as if searching for something too.

Before Bonnie could say something or question, his hands fell by his sides, Damon turned a little to face away from her. Bonnie's brows furrowed even more when he spoke softly (!)

"You are too stubborn to understand anything."

"What?" Bonnie asked in extreme confusion. But she never got the answer because Damon pushed her away from her place. She hit the ground hard, with Damon following.

"What the hell?" Bonnie shouted at Damon. Her right arm was practically hurting like hell, because she fell on it. She raised her head and found that Damon has already stood up, his eyes fixed at the place, they were standing a minute before. Without looking at her he commented, "This is hell!"

There were five of them. Except the leader one, who stood there with a lopsided grin on face, the other four were newborn, Bonnie could tell that from their auras. It won't be very tough for her to make all of them knelt down, alone. And that's what happened. One flick of wrist and that over-excited baby-vamp didn't even get a chance to attack her. A single uttering of 'inflammo' was enough to set the other two on fire. And the fourth-well his heart had been squeezed out by Damon.

Bonnie was so busy balancing between breaking bone and setting fire that it escaped her mind that the leader-vampire was much old, if not older than even Damon, and hence more powerful. It was probably her super active sixth-sense (according to Damon 'witchy sense') that she felt the approaching danger, and turned her head to the side just in time to find the bloodsucker rushing at her with its inhuman speed; while Damon was busy ripping out the one's heart, who had already passed out due to broken bones.

For the moment Bonnie was stunned, clueless, glued to her spot not knowing what to do, not even trying to save herself. As if she was affected by some immobilizing spell…Bonnie squeezed her eyes shut when she found the older vampires all fanged and veined face inches away from hers.

She waited for some dreading end, but it never came. When she opened her eyes, startled by a gush of wind and a loud growl, Bonnie Bennett found herself standing alone, safe and sound. A few meters away, Damon Salvatore was struggling wither attacker. Though Damon has attacked him suddenly, still the older vampire was getting the upper hand easily. With a loud groan of pain escaped from Damon's throat, Bonnie snapped back t reality. She realized that he is in utmost need of her help and she was willing to do anything –yes, she meant ANYTHING to bring him out of this mess safe, because…well, the self-centered bastard risked his life for her…he deserves a payback, right? Right! (She doubts if it's the only reason she is feeling so determined to save him, though.)

Bonnie concentrated harder and the two already burning undead bodies turned into pile of ashes. Bonnie turned at the situation at hand. Damon was already looking limp enough. Bonnie narrowed her eyes and channeled all the energy left in her. Soon enough the killer vampire lost his hold on Damon, who bumped to the ground with a thud. The century old vampire was now clutching his head hard in his hands and crying out loud in agony. All the blood vessels in his head were plopping hard and all of a sudden with a jerk of immense power, his head burst into pieces.

Bonnie stood there limp, totally spent, blood trickling down her nose. She was feeling like giving up but then noticed the seemingly lifeless body of Damon.

By the time Bonnie had reached to Damon and held his blood stained, motionless body, cradling his head in her lap, the other four of their gang had reached the spot. Elena was at Damon's side at once. One of her hands touched Damon and the other moved over Bonnie's face, removing her messy curls, asking if 'she was okay' and 'what happened to Damon' again and again. Stefan looked worried as hell, Caroline and Tyler also looked concerned.

But Bonnie was not noticing any of these. Her left fingers were lightly stroking Damon's face while her right hand wrist was held against his slightly opened mouth, urging him to drink from her. After what felt like eternity, Bonnie felt the piercing pain of fangs boring through her wrist and the pleasure of blood being sucked away slowly. She closed her eyes in relief.

A few minutes' continuous of a powerful witches blood was enough for Damon Salvatore, for now. He opened his eyes slowly and called even more softly, "Bonnie!"

Bonnie snapped open her eyes and looked down, "Yes, Damon…!"

Aqueous blue orbs stared at mossy greens for a few seconds. But it seemed to Bonnie that as if they are staring this way for lifetime. She felt like diving into a trance. It was so unnatural, yet so familiarly soothing, and something more.

But obviously Damon had to ruin it.

"You owe me a shirt Judgy!"

"What?" Bonnie was extremely taken aback.

"You did burst the psycho's head on my favorite shirt. You didn't need to get my back just because 'I care for you'. I got him anyway." He smirked a little.

Bonnie stared back at him for a few seconds, wide eyed. Then she raised her head and said, "You don't need to worry Stefan. He is perfectly alright. The same arrogant jackass!" Annoyance was clear in her voice.

Damon's smirk grew bigger…turning into a smile….