Damon pulled up to the Lockwood residence and honked the horn. Caroline smirked from the upstairs window and left to go meet them. To Elena, Caroline was away preparing for college and making sure she was set for when she had to leave two months from now. Little had Elena known Caroline was back already and she and Tyler were joining Elena and Damon on their birthday adventure.

Tyler walked out first with a picnic basket in hand and Elena smiled, Just Tyler? Caroline's not even home?

"Elena!" Caroline shouted running out from the front door.

"Caroline?" Elena squealed getting out from the car and embraced her best friend. "I thought you were still at the college!"

"I couldn't miss my best friend's 19th birthday!" She insisted. "Plus when Damon called telling me that he had a whole picnic, out doorsie day planned out for you, I couldn't help myself from staying away."

"A picnic huh?" Elena smiled looking at Damon who shot Caroline a daggered look.

"Way to go Blondie." Damon muttered. Tyler walked back up the stairs and locked the front door. They got in the back of Damon's Camaro convertible. Damon drove along the forest lines as Caroline talked their ear off about how pretty the college is and all the plans she already for them.

They pulled up to the lake that had the waterfall fall into it. This was where the Mystic Falls volunteer day was held, this was where just recently Damon fought off a crazed vampire hunter and his best friend Alaric saved him and the cure.

The weather a warm but with a chilly breeze that blew every once and a while. Defiantly a day to go swimming. They all unloaded their things and Elena saw Damon had done some pre-preparations. Laid out was a huge blanket and at each corner was a candle holding it down. Elena looked up at her man and smirked at him. He had a brown paper bag in his hand and his other arm around her waist guiding her to the blanket.

Caroline sat down between Elena and Tyler and Elena between Damon and Caroline. "So what's first?" Tyler asked.

"PRESENTS!" Caroline insisted but then looked to Damon for the approval, since this was in fact his idea and his date. He nodded and she took a box out of the picnic basket Tyler had brought. Elena tore the paper off and lifted the lid. There nestled in cotton was a bracelet with tiny charms on it. "I know it's silly, but there are charms that describe us so far." Caroline smiled.

Elena fumbled with one of them and saw vampire fangs dangling from it. "Cute Care" She laughed. Damon smirked at the irony and she continued to look at it. As Caroline and Elena talked about upcoming college plans and the rest of the charms, Damon and Tyler started to strike up their own conversation.

"Have you heard from Stefan?" Tyler asked.

Damon shook his head, "Not since he left last month."

"Aren't you worried?" Tyler asked

"No news is better than bad news." Damon said simply. Tyler shrugged at that. "Plus, I'm not sure if this was in our contract but he said he would leave town if Elena chose me, or vise versa, no communication maybe a part of it."

Tyler shrugged again as he swigged back a beer. "It's not even noon Tyler." Elena joked.

"I've been up since 4, my body tells me its happy hour." He chided. Caroline smiled to Elena and looked to Tyler. She was happy for the first time in a couple weeks. She was all over this college thing so early to avoid the death of her one true best friend, Bonnie. Her death was harder than thinking Silas killed her mother.

"Mayor Hopkins was going through Bonnie's stuff and found this and Jeremy gave it to me to give to you." Damon said handing Elena a more rectangle flat box. Elena looked into his blue eyes and they were reassuring that there was no joke, there was nothing but love and comfort in his intentions. Elena looked to Caroline who had placed her hand on Elena's knee as a way to show support and love in the passing of their best friend. Elena ran her thumb over the paper that had been indented from the pen Bonnie used to write her name on top of the box, and gently tore the paper, and hesitated on opening the lid. It still smelled like Bonnie, something she clung to. "You don't have to open it now." Damon reassured.

"No, it's okay. I can still talk to Bonnie, but it's just tough you know, she was the rock out of the three of us." She said looking to Caroline who was now misty eyed. Caroline still refused to acknowledge she had passed.

There was a picture of the three of them at graduation. Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline dressed in red caps and gowns. She lifted the back and saw the description, Friendship is a single soul dwelling in three different bodies, Graduation 2013. Elena Gilbert, Caroline Forbes, Bonnie Bennett. Tears sprung from Elena's eyes and Caroline wrapped her arms around Elena's shoulders. Damon's hand settled itself on her back as a sign that he was there to comfort her. "It's not the same talking to her through Jer." She said mainly talking to Damon who had encountered this experience with her.

"I know." Damon said in a hushed tone.

"It's not fair, if I had just killed Katherine when I got the chance, she never would have fed Jer to Silas, Silas would still be dead, Bonnie would still be alive because she never would have switched her and Jer." Elena said.

"You can't blame yourself." Caroline said. "Things happen for a reason."

Once both Elena and Caroline composed themselves their picnic continued and there were no more tears.

I know it was short but I'm trying to get this thing off the ground and get on with the big stuff!

I love reviews, they make me happy. just saying...

thanks,

Carrie