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"Hi, I'm Asia…the receptionist here at Viva Art Gallery", Asia greeted Damon by standing up and standing in front of him.

"Hello Asia…" Damon's eyes drifted away from Bonnie and down to the petite women in front of him, "why don't you take a long lunch and while you're at it, put the closed sign up".

Asia stared into Damon's eyes, "Ok".

"Asia…no…just take a lunch, don't put the closed sign up", Bonnie called out, but Asia was already grabbing her purse and putting the closed sign up.

Bonnie folded her arms, "Why would you say that about my legs".

Damon chuckled, "It was a joke, Bon Bon…I thought you used to have a sense of humor. I mean, when we were separated for a couple of months—the first time you saw me, you ran into my arms and wrapped your legs around me…it's been 5 years, so I expected the same".

"That was different", Bonnie said quietly not exactly making eye contact with him.

Damon grinned at her, he could tell he had knocked her through a loop showing up. Now that he knew exactly why he felt compelled to show up in Chicago out of the blue.

When they closed Elena in that tomb, he had convinced himself that it would be easy to wait 60 plus years for her to awaken. He waited 100+ years to open the tomb and be reunited with Katherine, 60 was nothing. He had made that decision to save Bonnie and allow Elena to remain in her slumber and he didn't necessarily regret it…or he didn't regret it at all. Bonnie Bennett had saved him more than once, she had given him the cure, she convinced him that he could be a better person and she was willing to sacrifice anything and everything for the people around her—he could not let her die at the hands of Kai or anyone else. He considered her one of the most important people in his life and he wanted her to know that he would never forget how she sacrificed herself to get him out of that prison world.

The day that Caroline came in shouting to the top of her lungs about Bonnie disappearing in the middle of the night and leaving letters, he couldn't believe it. Bonnie had become one of his best friends (and sometimes, his only friend); he could not believe that she would just leave without so much of a phone call.

Caroline handed him the letter that was addressed to him, but he couldn't read it. After what happened to Elena, Bonnie was the only one that he felt he could talk to about everything. A couple of months drifted by and after dealing with the havoc that Lily and her family wrecked on Mystic Falls, they fell into a pattern. They would spend time talking about Elena and more often than not, Bonnie would ask Damon questions about the Bennett witches. He remembered her face when he told her how he saved Emily's children—it was a mixture of admiration and something else; he was quick to break the tension with a statement about how he did it because he and Emily had a deal, but Bonnie made sure to tell him that she wasn't completely convinced of that. So when she disappeared on him, he was angry at her. He found himself burning the letter and vowed that he would never think about Bonnie Bennett until he got word of her death.

However, as he looked at her standing in her office with an uncertain look on her face, dressed in all black with smoky eyes and looking like the person that he considered his best friend years ago—the vow was broken.

"So look like you've done pretty good for yourself here", he replied walking around the office and admiring her awards.

"Well I kind of find my niche here", she shrugged, "but Damon…umm…what are you doing here?"

"What you didn't miss me?" he turned to her smirking, "I would like to think after 5 years, you would be curious about my goings on…afterall, I thought that we had become close during our time in 1994 and imagine my surprise when you up and left without a word…"

"I wrote letters…" Bonnie began.

"Letters Bonnie?" Damon cocked his eyebrow, "I thought we were better than that. You left a letter, no phone call…no text…nothing in five years".

"I…"

"And Bonnie, I would have understood if you just needed to get away. I understand that more than anyone, but what I don't understand is why would you cut me off over everyone".

Bonnie frowned. Cutting Damon off was actually the hardest for her. Their time in 1994 had changed their relationship forever. It had almost taken a toll on her and her feelings for him. She could admit way back when, that Damon was attractive; however, spending time in 1994 had shown her a different side to him. From the moment she found her way back to the present and found that the only place she wanted to be was the Salvatore house, where she knew he would be—she knew that her feelings had changed. Even coming back and fighting through her PTSD from what Kai, being alone for months and seeing Damon with Elena, there was a part of her that saw Damon in a different light. She couldn't help it that some of those feelings became not so platonic. When Kai threw her up against that wall and collapsed her lung, when he taunted Damon to let Bonnie just die so he could be with Elena, Bonnie prepared herself to die. When Damon came over, apologized to her and kissed her on her forehead—she felt the tears form in her eyes, not just because her body hurt like hell, but because the one person who she thought had her back always was abandoning and walking away from her. She was devastated and the feelings that were stirred up inside of her were a mixture of disappointment, devastation and hopelessness. She had actually started to feel like he cared; cared more about her than he did most people. When he decapitated Kai, rushed over to her and gave her some of his blood-the feeling that came over her, she couldn't explain. When he lifted her up off of the floor and carried her out of the wedding venue, she felt something in the pit of her stomach and it attacked her with a vengeance.

The months following those events, she and Damon would spend time together. They would talk about Elena, but they would also talk about what she planned to do with her life. He would also tell her about his life before all of them met and even how he saved Emily's children. The more they talked, the more time they spent together, she felt her feelings started to grow and while in a weird way to feel that way again, she knew that it would only end in her heartache because of the 'Elena Factor' as she liked to refer to it in her head. So between the guilt and the growing feelings for Damon, she had no other choice but to leave and she did feel guilty for leaving him now…especially with him standing in front of her now, like an out of place piece of art in her life.

"Damon, things were just too crazy for me. You know how I told you that seeing everyone's faces and knowing that they are just waiting for me to die for them to see Elena again…"

"Bonnie, I told you it wasn't like that", Damon cut her off.

She shrugged, "I could only do what was best for me at the time".

"So in five years, you never thought of reaching out to me?"

Bonnie stayed quiet for a few moments, "Did you ever read my letter?"

Damon eye's flickered with a hint of guilt, "I didn't get to read it".

She nodded, "You were angry with me?"

"Look…you know how I get when I'm angry and I was missing my conscience", he smirked at her.

"Ok…fine…I understand, I should have spoke to you before I took off. I'm sorry. How about we meet up later and talk", Bonnie suggested. Although, five years had drifted by…looking at Damon now, she did feel something stirring up inside of her, "where are you staying?"

"You know me, The Langham…of course", Damon smirked.

"Ok…I will meet you in the bar there and we can catch up".

"Are you sure you will show up?"

"Of course, I will", Bonnie chuckled, "but Damon, tell me…did you just come here to visit me or are you here for some other reason?"

Damon looked at Bonnie and smiled at her, "No, I'm just here to catch up with my absentee best friend".

"You're lying", Bonnie stated.

"Bennett, I promise you that I came here to see you and maybe get you to come back".

She raised an eyebrow and then smiled, "I doubt that will happen, but we will meet up tonight and catch up".

Damon nodded as Bonnie moved closer to him and she enveloped him into a hug, "It's nice to see you Damon", she held him tightly.

Damon closed his eyes and rubbed Bonnie's back, "Thanks Bon", he whispered.

SSSSSSS

After a few more moments with Bonnie making fun of the weird artwork in her office, Damon headed out of the art gallery and made his way back to his hotel. Chicago wasn't exactly his favorite city, but when he realized that he could possibly get Bonnie to come back to Mystic Falls and what he needed was in Chicago, he knew that he couldkillt two birds with one stone.

He wasn't sure how their first meeting would go exactly, but when he heard her voice—there was a part of him that knew that he was making the right decision. When she turned around and faced him in the art gallery, he absolutely knew that he was making the right decision.

She had really matured in a lot of ways since she Mystic Falls and the witch had turned into a beauty. He had watched her through the window directing the men who were bringing in the new artwork and she had a sense of confidence that he only saw on rare occasions before. Although, it had been five years…the friendship that they had built in 1994 and after was still in tact, he felt it in the hug he gave her. She would understand why he had come and she would understand why she had to come when he was done with this visit.

SSSSSSSS

Bonnie walked into her condo and could smell the garlic wafting from the kitchen. She paused in the doorway and for the first time since Damon popped up in the art gallery, she remembered about her plans with Chase that night.

"Babe…the penne will be finished in a few moments, why don't you take out a bottle of Chardonnay", Chase called to her as she entered the kitchen.

"Umm…ok", she mumbled as she removed the bottle from the wine refrigerator.

"Mmm taste", he said bringing over a spoon with marinara sauce on it.

Bonnie tasted the sauce, "Mmm…that is great", she moaned.

"I love when you moan like that", Chase kissed her on the cheek.

She smiled as he walked over looking at the pasta, "You can set the table, it shouldn't be long and after dinner…we can have dessert", he winked at her.

Bonnie nodded and then she opened her mouth to speak, "Umm…I kind of have to go out after dinner".

Chase raised an eyebrow turning to look at him, "Something at the gallery?"

"Umm…no…a friend from home came into town today and they want to meet for drinks", she shrugged, "no big deal, they just want to catch up".

"A friend from home?" Chase nodded, "you never mention anyone from there but Caroline, hell that wedding invitation that came a couple of weeks remains unopened on the coffee table…so who's the friend?"

"His name is Damon".

"Damon? Ex-boyfriend?" Chase asked.

"God no…he's just a friend…"

"Hmm…so where are you meeting up?"

"He's staying at the Langham, so we're meeting at the bar there".

"Oh meeting at a bar in his hotel, if I was an insecure boyfriend Bonnie, I will be a little uneasy right now".

Bonnie walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist staring at him, "You have nothing to worry about, Damon is just a friend. He was never a boyfriend and we don't see each other like that. When I finish having drinks with him, I am coming home to you and before I go and have drinks with him, I will have dinner with you".

Chase looked down at Bonnie, "That's a good thing because if this Damon came here trying to get in between us, I would have to kill him".

A slight chill went throughout Bonnie's body as she looked up at Chase, who broke into a smile, "Bonnie, I'm kidding…not that I wouldn't kill for you, but I'm not a violent guy", he kissed her on the cheek before walking over to the stove.

Bonnie plastered a smile on her face—that was probably a good thing, because Damon is not exactly a non-violent guy, she thought.

SSSSSSS

Damon sat at the bar in his hotel thinking about how he was going to broach the subject with Bonnie about his other reason for being in Chicago. He swallowed his second glass of bourbon and motioned for the bartender to give him a refill. Bonnie was already 15 minutes late and for a moment, he wasn't sure that she had stood him up.

"Sorry…I got a little held up", Bonnie's voice cut through his thoughts as she hopped up onto a bar stool.

"Thought you decided to skip out of town on me…", Damon smirked at her, "…again".

She rolled her eyes, "I apologized for that".

"So you did…so did you get held up at the gallery?"

Bonnie motioned to the bartender and pointed to one of the bottles of wine, "Umm…no…"

"Ok, so why did you have me sitting here like a stood up blind date?" Damon asked.

"You are exaggerating".

"Maybe so…so why were you late?" he narrowed his eyes.

Bonnie closed her eyes and sighed, she knew what this would lead to, "My boyfriend cooked dinner and we had dinner together".

Damon's eyes went wide, "Oooh…a boyfriend", he cooed.

"Shut up", Bonnie rolled her eyes.

Damon chuckled. He wasn't sure why he was slightly surprised, Bonnie was beautiful and there was no reason why she wouldn't have a boyfriend—and the sophisticated art gallery manager look was sexy on her too.

"So tell me about said boyfriend?"

"I'm not telling you anything", Bonnie narrowed her eyes sensing the jokes bubbling up inside of him.

"Oh come on Bon Bon, I thought we were trying to reestablish our friendship and you have to give me something to take back to Young Gilbert to torture him when he breezes into town once every 3 months or so".

Bonnie's heart jumped a little in her chest at the mention of Jeremy, she hadn't thought about him in some time, "Leave Jeremy alone".

"Ok…fine, but tell me about this boyfriend who you had dinner with and left me sitting here all alone for".

"You are really laying it on thick, aren't you?" she rolled her eyes.

"Well you know me Bon Bon, so tell me or do I have to track this boyfriend down…"

"His name is Chase, he's an investment banker and he's normal…there's no need for a ring to make it ok for him to walk in the sunlight or to keep resurrecting him after he's been killed. He's not afraid of full moons and he's a good boyfriend".

"Well then, he sounds perfect…", Damon took a sip of his drink, "perfectly boring".

"Oh you know what…"

"Oh come on Bonnie, the art gallery job…the boyfriend…your life is painstakingly perfect. Nothing like what you had in Mystic Falls, you have to miss that".

"Fighting for my life…no I don't miss that", Bonnie shook her head as she sipped her wine, "not having to look in a grimoire once in 4 years has been amazing".

Damon scoffed, "You can't run away from who you are Bonnie".

"I'm not trying to Damon, I couldn't do that if I tried…but being here, I can pretend…"

"Pretend what?"

"That there is not a group of people who I look at as friends who are just waiting for my life to end to see…you know what, forget it…I'm happy here. I have a good life here and I plan to continue to have a good life here. Things are normal here. I'm normal here and that's what I want".

"But you're hiding the biggest part of you or have you told Mr. Chase that you are a witch", Damon lowered his voice.

"No and I don't ever plan to", she whispered back, "our relationship is good and I want to keep it that way. Mystic Falls has interfered in my life enough, it has me seeing things that are not even there".

Damon shook his head, "Denial".

"And it's great", Bonnie answered as she drank the rest of her wine down.

"Fine, if you say so".

Bonnie and Damon sat quietly for a moment, "How are things in Mystic Falls?" she asked as the bartender put another glass of wine in front of her and she sipped.

Damon shrugged, "You would have to ask Caroline and Stefan".

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't been there in a couple of years".

"But Caroline never mentioned that you weren't there…"

"Did you ever ask?" Damon turned to her.

"Ok…where have you been?" she continued.

"A little bit of everywhere. Mystic Falls got to be a little…stifling. I didn't want to be there knowing that Elena was asleep in some tomb and that the only other person that I've felt closest to in years up and left without so much of a phone call".

"Alaric left town?" Bonnie asked.

"Bennett".

"I'm kidding…I'm sorry", Bonnie bumped into him with a smile, "I honestly didn't think you would care that much, I just figured that I was a painful reminder of the fact that Elena's still cursed and I'm walking around…"

"It's not like that, how many times do I have to tell you that", Damon cut her off, "I saved you, didn't that show you that I accepted what the fate was for both you and Elena".

"I know that, but it still doesn't change the fact that as long as I am alive—Elena will be in that tomb".

Damon downed his bourbon and grimaced, "I am aware".

"So wasn't it easier to not have me there every day?"

Damon turned and looked at her, "No".

Bonnie felt her body tingle a little, but she willed it away, "So umm…where have you been?" she asked, "or rather, where did you stay the longest?"

"Miami".

"Miami?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you think it's my kind of town? I spent some time there, admiring the scenery and living life to the fullest".

"Picking up women all over the place?"

"Bonnie Bennett, I don't think you want to know the answer to that".

Bonnie felt something stir up inside of her…was it jealously or was she trying to be a friend to Elena, she wasn't sure, "Oook…", Bonnie grinned.

"So this Chase guy, is it serious?"

"We live together".

Bonnie noticed a change in Damon's look, but he shook his head, "Well…well…maybe we will be coming to your wedding in a few years".

"No…we're just enjoying our life now with no craziness", Bonnie stared pointedly at Damon.

"Well I want to meet him".

"No".

"Oh come on Bonnie, why not?"

"Because I don't need you making things difficult. I don't want him compelled. I don't want him dead…so you stay away".

"Bonnie, I will be on my best behavior…I promise".

She looked at Damon.

"We're best friends, remember…it's part of my job to protect you, Elena would want me to do that".

Bonnie gripped her wine glass at the mention of him protecting her because Elena would want that. It was wrong of her, but she really didn't want to hear 'what Elena would have wanted' at this point.

"It's a good thing, I don't need your protection then", Bonnie snapped as she started to stand up.

Damon gripped her arm, "I was kidding, I want to meet him because he means a lot to you".

Bonnie sensed his sincerity and smiled, "Ok, you can come over for dinner—but Damon, you have to be on your best behavior".

"And if I'm not", he smirked.

Bonnie smiled back at him, "I will practice giving you an aneurysm, I haven't done that in years".

"Nice counter", Damon deadpanned.

Bonnie laughed, "Damon, it's nice to have you here…I kind of miss this", she smiled sincerely.

"Missed you too Bon Bon", he smiled back at her.

SSSSSSSSS

After spending another hour or so with Damon, Bonnie headed home. The lights were off, the kitchen was cleaned up and she could hear Chase's sound machine going in the bedroom. Bonnie slipped into the bathroom to change out of her dress and then she walked into the bedroom.

Chase was fast sleep in bed. She stood in the doorway of the bedroom from the bathroom staring at him for a moment. She was living a different life here, but visiting home (talking to Damon) wasn't do bad either. She slid into bed with him and snuggled up next to him. She felt Chase's arms wrap around her and pulled her closer as she closed her eyes and sleep overtook her.

Chase's eyes opened and stared up at the ceiling and then he looked over at Bonnie sleeping in his arms, before closing his eyes slowly.

SSSSSSSSS

"So how were the drinks last night?" Chase asked as he entered the kitchen, while Bonnie finished up her cereal, the next morning.

"Good…I got in a little late, but it was nice".

"So your friend from home? Will I meet him?" Chase searched the refrigerator.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, "You want to meet him?"

"Of course, I want to know more about your life before Chicago, you don't speak much about it".

Bonnie shrugged, "It was very boring, trust me".

"I don't believe that", Chase smiled wrapping his arms around her and kissing her on the cheek, "you are definitely not boring, my Bonnie".

"I will set something up, but right now…I have to get dressed for the gallery, so we can continue this conversation later", Bonnie said sliding out of his embrace.

"Right…later", Chase mumbled as Bonnie disappeared down the hallway.

Chase turned on the television and began flipping through the channels, when someone rang the doorbell to the condo. He put down the remote and headed to the front door. He opened it to a tall black haired man with blue eyes, "Can I help you?" Chase asked.

"Yes, I'm looking for Bonnie…you must be Chase", the man said, "I'm Damon Salvatore".