"Well, it seems to me the best relationships - the ones that last - are frequently the ones that are rooted in friendship. You know, one day you look at the person and you see something more than you did the night before. Lick a switch has been flicked somewhere and the person who was just a friend is...suddenly the only person you can imagine yourself with." - Gillian Anderson
Matt was in his late fifties, strands of grey in his hair, visible lines penetrating the skin surrounding his eyes, when he thought of Elena without first thinking about how she took the one thing away from him he never wanted to lose. She was probably with Stefan again, forever wondering if she had chosen the right brother. There was no doubt in his mind that she would be as beautiful as the day she broke his heart.
He had been convinced that Elena was going to be the girl he would marry, have kids with, and grow old with all in one lifetime. Now, she had multiple lifetimes to find new loves to replace him.
He wasn't even sure if she would end up with a Salvatore. Perhaps that was still the part of his brain that refused to accept that he was nothing.
But he was something.
Bonnie had loved him more than anyone else, even more so than his own mother. As often as he could, however, he tried not to think about her, at least while their kids had remained in the home they bought together. He thought of her daily now that they were living in their own homes.
Matt and Bonnie's house had so many photos that at first he didn't enjoy having around as a constant reminder. Now, he couldn't imagine walking into his house without first seeing the photo of them and their two sons dressed as a family of cats.
He loved seeing her cat pose, fingers arched menacingly and face scrunched up.
He distinctly remembered her saying meow instead of 'cheese', rebelling against her dad's orders even in her forties.
Maybe that's why he had loved her so much, still to this day. She made him feel like a child in his maturest of moments. She was fun, much more so than he ever remembered Elena being.
Bonnie was a family girl, who put her needs below anyone else's. Elena always asked for Bonnie's help, even until the day she died.
Elena was the reason she died.
And now he was back to thinking of her only in anger. He would never forgive her and he wanted her to know that.
She did know. He sent a big hint by ignoring her phone calls and then changing his number.
But now she wouldn't leave. She stood outside his door, knocking profusely.
"Stop," he mumbled, knowing fully well she could hear him.
She refused.
"Matt, let me in."
"You want my forgiveness," he said louder, still remaining firmly in place on the leather couch that rested just meters away from the entrance. "You're not as selfless as you pretend to be."
The knocking stopped.
"You say you want me to forgive you so that we can be friends again. But why do you think that I want to be friends with you again? Why would I want you in my life? So you can get me killed me, too?" His face was hard, fists clenched. "We will never see or hear each other after today, understood? Leave."
Matt had never held any power over supernatural creatures. But when it came to Elena, he had the power to break her into a million pieces, maybe more, with just his words.
He didn't care.
He once had but that was while Bonnie lived and breathed. Now she rested beside her grandmother's grave.
He would see her again, he knew. Just not right now. He had to live for his kids and then when old age finally killed his heart, he would be on the other side, hopefully.
And Bonnie would be with him once again where Elena wouldn't be able to touch them; heaven as he imagined it to be.
