So don't be alarmed or upset that I am putting up a new story when I still have two stories still in progress. I am still working on both and am halfway through the next chapter of Falling Down the Rabbit Hole though I am having trouble with that story. If anyone has any helpful suggestions please pass them along. I am of course also working on Not About Angels but I have clear direction with that story. As for my one shot Another Love I know a lot of people have expressed an interest in me continuing the story but to be honest it was only meant to be a one shot. I knew that I was going to have Bonnie save herself in Not about Angels and I simply wanted to do a quick story of how I would want Damon to save her so unfortunately I think that's it for that story. Thank you though to everyone who loved it and wanted more…what a compliment. And a special thank you to a certain reader who stood up for me against a rather nasty Delena fan. Thank you for caring. All I will say about that is if you don't like the ship don't read the fanfiction. Ok so this story is clearly my take on the other side. I started writing it right after the finale of season 5 as you'll clearly be able to tell. Elena never erased her memories and Stefan never left. And obviously they don't go to the same place as they did in the show. I understand if people don't like my take on what I think should have happened but I do hope you guys at least give it a chance. I posted two chapters just to get the story rolling. Please let me know what you guys think!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries, its characters, or its storyline. That all belongs to the CW.
Chapter 1
Damon's eyes popped open. He was met with darkness and a stale smell. His hands automatically shot out to assess his bearings. He hit wood and after more inspection he realized he was in a box. He was in a make-shift coffin. He took a deep breath to calm himself before punching a hole into the middle of the coffin. Dirt poured in…he was buried alive. The thought only slowed him down for a second and then he was digging his way through the mountain of dirt to freedom. Soon after he was dragging his body out of his grave and dropping down on the moist ground. He had barely breathed a sigh of relief before he heard screaming and his name being repeated over and over.
"Bonnie?!" He screamed her name and rushed over to the grave beside his and began frantically digging to get her out. He could hear the fear and panic in her voice and he was terrified she would suffocate before he could get her out. "Bonnie? Calm down and listen to me." He waited until she quieted down before continuing. "Do you still have your magic?" There was a beat and then she responded. "Yes. I think so." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Blast a hole through the wood! It'll make it easier to get to you." He could hear her heartbeat slowing down so she had to hurry. He didn't think he would get to her in time if she didn't help him. The next thing he knew most of the dirt was blasted away from the hole and most of the top of the coffin. He crawled back to the hole and removed the rest of the dirt that was in his way and then dragged her out. She was unconscious but alive. He brushed the hair from her forehead and rested his forehead against hers. After reassuring himself that she would be fine he lifted her and made his way to his brother…he didn't know how he knew where to go, he just knew.
DBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDB
The house was on secluded land at the end of a tree lined driveway. It was big and white with a huge porch. He knew that it had five bedrooms and 3 and ½ bathrooms. He knew it had gleaming hardwood floors and high ceilings and a back yard that seemed to stretch forever. Damon knew all this because he owned this house. His brother must have moved there with Caroline and Elena once they realized they couldn't enter Mystic Falls again and they must have brought his and Bonnie's bodies with them and buried them close. It hadn't taken long to get to the house even without having fed so he knew they hadn't been buried too far away. He stood on the porch and listened for sounds within. He couldn't hear heartbeats but he heard voices. He tried the knob and discovered it was locked. Bonnie still wasn't awake and the fear for her life had started to take over so instead of knocking he kicked the door open…it hit the wall violently and stunned everyone standing in the living room. Three heads whipped around and looked at him in shock, horror, and elation. He didn't even take the time to acknowledge them; he just walked in and headed straight to the nearest couch to lie Bonnie down. He sat beside her and tore into his wrist and pushed it against Bonnie's mouth. She probably didn't need it but he knew it would make her wake up sooner and he would finally feel okay. He decided it was finally time to acknowledge the three shocked people staring holes into his back. He turned to Stefan and lifted an eyebrow in elegance and smugness before saying, "Do you think you could get me some blood, brother. I'm rather parched."
DBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDB
After a long hot shower, Bonnie sat on the couch wrapped in a white, silk robe clutching a glass of water while everyone stared at her…well her and Damon who was positioned in front of the fireplace drinking a mixture of AB negative and honey whiskey. She could tell that everyone wanted to ask a million questions but didn't know how to start so she figured she should begin. She took another sip of water to calm herself and then pushed on.
"So how long have we been…?" She cleared her throat and searched for the right word. "Gone?"
Stefan immediately spoke up. "About half a year..."
She let out an audible gasp and looked up at Damon who only lifted an eyebrow and pursed his lips. Stefan took notice of this. "Did it seem shorter to you two?"
Damon turned his back on everyone and stared into the fire. "Not shorter..."
Caroline, who was seated very closely to Stefan on another couch, finally came out of her trance and spoke up. "How long did it feel to you guys?"
She just put her head down. She didn't want to answer and assumed that Damon would just answer for both of them but he continued to stare into the fire and ignore everyone. Everyone was looking between them with perplexed looks. Elena who had been pacing the living room trying to calm down said, "Guys how long were you gone?"
Damon let out a huff and replied. "Probably around six years."
"Six years?" Caroline, who was clearly shocked, asked.
The left side of Damon's mouth lifted in a cocky grin. "Give or take a year."
Bonnie could see the wheels turning in their heads and she honestly didn't want to answer any more of their questions.
"Um guys do you think I could have something to eat? I'm kind of starving."
"Of course, Bon!" Caroline jumped up. "We'll, ahhh, we'll go out and get you something, ok?"
"Yeah that's fine. Thanks"
Stefan and Caroline started making their way to the front door but Elena continued to stand there staring at Damon who seemed completely oblivious. Stefan cleared his throat loudly to get her attention. "Elena why don't you ride with us and let them get used to being back?" She looked conflicted. She obviously wanted to speak to Damon but so far he had barely spared her a look. She finally gave up, hunched her shoulders, and made her way out of the house. As soon as the front door closed behind them both Bonnie and Damon let out a sigh of relief.
DBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDB
Caroline had barely made it to the car when she realized she had left her phone inside. "Stefan? I think I left my phone inside. I'm going to run and get it."
"Caroline I have mine. Come on."
"Stefan…" She stood there tapping her foot until he relented and she sped to the door at which point she realized it wasn't completely closed. She stepped through quietly, not wanting to scare Damon and Bonnie. It was dark in the foray and neither the old vampire nor the witch noticed her standing in the shadows. Instead of making her presence known she watched as Damon slowly walked to Bonnie, removed the glass from her hands and placed it on the coffee table, before dropping to his knees then placing his head in her lap and wrapping his arms around the back of her legs. Bonnie immediately put her hands on top of his head, tangling her fingers in the thickness and letting out a contented sigh. Caroline froze with her mouth hanging open. She resembled a marble statue…moving had become impossible. She heard Bonnie sniff and realized that she was crying. Bonnie then spoke and Caroline barely stopped her body from jumping.
"I don't want to be back here Damon."
He lifted his head from her lap and his eyes, which were full of unshed tears, met hers. "I don't want to be here either baby."
"I know they meant well and I know we should be grateful but I was happy. Here…I'm not happy."
He stood and made his way to the bar to pour himself more whiskey. "Maybe we can find a way to be happy here." He turned back to her with his eyebrow quirked waiting for her to respond.
Bonnie stood and began to pace. She suddenly stopped and whipped around to Damon. "How? We can't be together here Damon. Elena is still obviously in love with you."
"So…"
"So? So…that means that telling her that her boyfriend and best friend fell in love and lived together in wedded bliss for years isn't really a possibility. And," She stopped and put her head down. She was reluctant to say the next statement. "Let's be honest now that we're back you'll probably go back to her so there's really no point in saying anything."
Damon sped in front of her and lifted her chin. "Bonnie Bennett Salvatore, I love you. I finally found my soul mate after almost 200 years…I'm not going anywhere." She looked up at him with adoring tear filled eyes and he leaned down and kissed her softly.
She pulled away reluctantly. "So what do we do?" He placed his hands on her arms and started rubbing up and down trying to soothe her.
"How about we stay here for a few months and let them have that time with us. We owe them that. And then after maybe six months at most we pack and just go."
"Go where?"
"Anywhere you want. I have a beautiful apartment in the heart of Paris. We can go there."
A smile broke across Bonnie's face and she nodded her head in agreement. Then she became solemn before delivering the blow. "But we can't tell them we're together until we're about to leave." She continued before he could say anything. "I don't want to hurt them Damon and if we tell them about us it will destroy Elena and Jeremy. Let's just keep it to ourselves. Ok?"
"And what do I tell Elena when she tells me she wants me back?"
"Tell her you're still figuring out things and a relationship isn't what you need right now. I'll tell Jeremy the same thing if he tries."
Before Damon could say anything the door flung open making both of them jump and making Caroline scream. Bonnie and Damon turned from Stefan standing in the doorway to Caroline. Both now knew she had heard their conversation and they were more than a little scared of what would happen. But all Caroline did, after she composed herself, was smile at Stefan and say, "I couldn't find it. Let's go!" She grabbed a perplexed Stefan and pulled him out of the house at warp speed.
Bonnie turned from the doorway to Damon and said with complete conviction, "Don't worry…she won't say anything." She knew if there was anyone she could count on it was Caroline.
DBDBDBDBDBDBDB
Bonnie looked back at the bathroom door to confirm that it was closed before she took a calming breath and looked down at the pregnancy test. The word PREGNANT glowed back at her like a neon sign. A smile broke across her face and she instantly cupped her tiny belly that now held the precious miracle that she and Damon had made. She couldn't wait to tell him. He was going to be so excited!
Bonnie woke with a start and looked frantically around the room taking in her surroundings. She let out a defeated sigh as she realized that they were back in the real Mystic Falls and that she and Damon would never create that little life. She then glanced at her left hand and cupped it with her right before whispering 'Return what once was lost.' She removed her right hand and stared at her cushion cut wedding ring. For once since she got back she felt a little more leveled. Sitting up, she threw the blankets off of her before tip toeing to Damon's room. In the hallway she looked around to ensure that no one was around before she lightly tapped on his door.
"Come in."
She opened the door and slipped in. She turned back to the door and locked it before calling out to Damon in the dark room. She saw his shadow stand up from the chair in front of the fireplace and whispered under her breath turning on the lights in the room.
"What are you doing in the dark?"
"Just thinking….."
"Yeah? About what?"
He turned to her slowly with his eyebrow and the corner of his mouth both kicked up to one side. "What do you think?"
She smiled sweetly and put her head down. "Do you think I can sleep in here tonight?"
"I don't know. Won't that seem a little suspicious to everyone we're keeping in the dark?"
"Damon…"
"I don't want to fight Bonnie but the fact that you're ok with keeping our relationship from everyone bothers the fuck out of me."
"I'm not ok with it. I love you Damon and I want everyone to know but we literally just got back. Maybe we should let them at least adjust to that before we spring this on them too."
He stared at her for a full minute before climbing in bed and lifting the covers for her to climb in beside him. She didn't even think about it. She immediately shut off the lights, spelled the room from prying ears, and snuggled in closely beside her husband.
Bonnie laid her head on his chest and his fingers instantly made their way into her hair. "Do you remember the first time we shared a bed, Bon Bon?"
She chuckled deeply. "Yes I do. I was appalled and you were confused."
"I was turned on…not confused."
She slapped his chest and laughed. "No you were not! We woke up in another world in bed with each other in a time where we hated each other's guts…you were confused."
"Ok…I was confused and turned on. Do you remember what I said to you after you calmed down?"
"Yeah. You said 'Hey it could be worst…we could be spooning ugly people."
"And I still stand by that!"
She snuggled into him more and breathed in his spicy scent. "I wish we could go back…."
"Me too, little bird. Me too."
DBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDB
6 months prior/6 years prior
A phone was ringing incessantly and it seemed as if it would never stop. Bonnie didn't even open her eyes. Her hand shot out from underneath her blanket and grabbed the phone from its base on the nightstand.
"Hello?"
"Bonnie! Where are you? Elena's already here, we have movies, bridal magazines, and snacks and yet you are nowhere in sight!"
"Caroline?"
"Yes, Caroline! Who else would be calling you about best friend's day but me! Where are you? Wait…are you still in bed?"
"Possibly….." Bonnie finally opened her eyes and stared at the big bay window with its sheer curtains. The sun was bright and her room was warm and she felt content but also confused. The last thing she remembered before waking up was holding hands with Damon and the light engulfing them as the other side imploded. How was she alive right now and why was she in her bedroom at her dad's home?
"Bonnie? Bonnie are you still there?!"
"Yeah. Sorry Caroline. Why am I coming over, again?"
"Best friend's day! You know spending time together sans boyfriends? No Stefan, no Tyler, no Damon. Just us! So peel Damon off of you, cause I know he's the reason you're still in bed, and get over here!"
Bonnie shot up in bed. "Wait, what?!"
"I said get out of bed and get over here before Elena and I come drag you out!" Caroline disconnected the call and Bonnie stared down at in shock but before she could put together what Caroline had said she heard a deep groan from beside her. She froze and slowly looked over and was met with the most startlingly blue eyes she had ever seen.
"Damon?!"
He shoved his hand through his hair and looked around repeatedly. "What the hell is going on?"
"Why are you in my bed?"
"Hmmm Bonnie, well the answer to that would be…I have no idea! The last thing I remember is a bright light and accepting the fact that I was about to meet my maker. I definitely didn't think I would wake up spooning you."
"Ewww, Damon, ewww!"
He sat up and shrugged his shoulder. "Hey it could be worst, we could be spooning ugly people."
Her face became tight. "Get out of my bed."
"Why do I have to? You have to go have friend time anyway so I'm just going to stay here and get a little shut eye without a judgy little witch breathing down my neck."
"Damon how many times do we have to go over this? I'm not a witch anymore."
Damon scooted up to her, slipped his arm around her waist to hold her in place, put his nose against the pulse in her neck and took a big long whiff. She immediately pushed him off and looked at him like he had lost his mind. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Just taking in the smell of old ancient magic that's lingering in your blood. You're a witch again, Bon Bon. Congrats." With that he flopped back on the bed and covered his head with a pillow.
"Damon. Damon. Damon!" She grabbed a pillow and slapped him with it on his back. He growled low in his throat and shot up. "What?!"
"Don't you think we should figure out where we are and what's going on?"
"Yes I do Bonnie. Go see your little friends and then report what you find out."
"Damon get up, get dressed, and go see Stefan or I swear to god I will light your ass on fire."
"God! Fine!" He flung the covers back and stood with no shame at all. Bonnie didn't mean to stare but there Damon was in all his natural glory and damn it, if he didn't look as if he had been carved out of marble.
He turned to her and made eye contact while tilting his head to the side. He smiled slowly and Bonnie dropped her eyes to her lap. Instead of Damon making a comment he simply chuckled and started dressing.
Bonnie finally looked up when she heard him pick up his keys. "Ok so you'll go see the girls at Caroline's and I'll go to the boarding house and see Stefan and we'll discuss what we find out tonight sometime?"
"Yeah, ok. I'll, uh, text you when I'm free."
"See you later, Bon Bon."
DBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDBDB
After taking a hot shower and donning a lacy loose fitting white top, a purple cardigan, dark wash skinny jeans, dangly earrings that got lost in her mass of curls, and flats (after determining that it was fall in this time) Bonnie walked downstairs and did a quick inspection. Her dad's stuff was all over the house: his shoes by the front door, his mug in the dishwasher, his coat in the closet. He was obviously still alive. And after further inspection she realized that it was 2009. She was still 17 in this world and hadn't even made it out of high school. She shook her head and locked up the house before driving over to Caroline's house, where she was sure to get real answers. She would have to be crafty about it though as to not raise suspicion.
Bonnie parked on the street in front of Caroline's and walked up to the door but paused before knocking. She had no idea what to expect. She didn't know who this Caroline was. She didn't know who this Elena was. Obviously Elena was still with Stefan and Caroline was with Tyler but were they vampires; had they gone through all the hell and destruction that the real Elena and Caroline had gone through by this age. She didn't know and she was scared to find out. She was even more terrified to learn about her pseudo relationship with Damon.
She turned around to leave but before she could step off the porch the door opened. A throat cleared and she turned around to a steamed little blond in a pale blue cotton dress, white leggings, and an equally bright white cardigan.
"And where exactly are you going Bonnie Bennett?"
"Um, nowhere. I was just thinking I should have a peace offering for being late so I was going to run to the store and get some ice cream."
"We have ice cream. Now get in here. We have planning to do!"
Bonnie walked into the house but made sure that the back of her hand came in contact with Caroline's arm. An instant feeling of cold shot through her body and she realized that even in this world Caroline was a vampire. Elena was sitting on the couch, dressed in black pants and a long sleeved red button up top, with a remote in one hand so she could select a Buffy episode and her other hand buried in a bowl of extra buttery popcorn. "Hey Bon," she said around the kernels in her mouth.
Bonnie smiled and waved before plopping down on the floor. Elena immediately held the bowl out to her and as she reached for a handful of popcorn her hand nudged Elena's but was only met with warmth. Elena was still human and was still wearing the locket that Stefan had given her.
Caroline came in and sat beside Bonnie and handed her a coke. "So was I right?"
Bonnie took a big gulp and decided to just go with the flow of conversation and hope she wasn't giving anything away. "Were you right about what?"
"About Damon?"
"Caroline, leave her alone."
"Look we made these plans two weeks ago and little miss I'm never late was late and we both know why."
Elena shook her head and finally selected an episode. "Caroline when you and Tyler got together you disappeared for a week. You didn't answer your phone or texts. And both Bon and I forgave you so let it go."
"Fine!" Caroline said but let out a huff along with it. "Are you two at least having sex now?"
"What? Who?"
"You and Damon. Look I know that you're still a virgin and that doing the deed is a big deal but you're eventually gonna have to especially with dating Damon."
Bonnie's mouth dropped open and her breathing became short and uneven. "Damon and I are not having sex….."
Elena reached out and put her hand on Bonnie's shoulder and smiled sweetly. "And that's ok Bon. You will do it when you're ready. Look just the fact that you and Damon are even giving this relationship a chance after your bad history is a big deal so it's ok to take things slow. Ok?"
Bonnie nodded but was in complete shock. Damon and she were in a relationship and everyone was just accepting it.
"You guys are ok with me and Damon being together….." She looked back and forth between her two best friends and hoped that neither would catch on that she wasn't there Bonnie.
Elena folded a chunk of her behind her ear. "I mean at first it was kind of weird. Damon kind of got your grams killed after trying to open that tomb and well you set him on fire so everyone was pretty convinced that you two would eventually kill each other but you can't help who you fall for. And you were really there for him after he found out Katherine wasn't even in the tomb…I think that helped him fall for you pretty quickly. As long as you're happy Bon, I'm happy."
"Yep! I agree. And we both know I didn't like it at first seeing all the things Damon did to me but he's apologized and since you two got together he's been making a real effort to make it up to me. He's changing and that's cause of you Bonnie." Caroline squeezed Bonnie's hand. The only thought that entered Bonnie's mind: what the actual fuck was going on!
"How about we stop talking about me and start planning….." Bonnie had no idea what they were planning but if it meant they would drop the conversation of her and Damon she was willing to play along.
Elena's face split with a wide grin and sat on the floor on the other side of Bonnie. Caroline got up and sped to her room and was back in her position on the floor in 10 seconds flat. She sat a book down in front of them and opened it slowly and Bonnie's eyes widen in surprise.
"Ok! Let's start planning Elena and Stefan's wedding!"