Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. Characters, etc. belong to LJ Smith, the CW, and any other respective owners.

A/N: Thanks so much to those who reviewed last chapter! The positive feedback was really reassuring and it's nice to know I'm not writing something awful! Also, a big thanks to those who faved and put this on their alerts :)

I finished this chapter much earlier than I had planned, but hopefully this is a sign that I'll be updating somewhat regularly!

This chapter begins shortly after 2x05: Kill or Be Killed and covers 2x06: Plan B.

Enjoy!

2. Baby Steps

The last thing Bonnie expected was to find Damon Salvatore outside her window late at night. She had no idea what he was doing there and she honestly didn't care to find out. Their past two encounters exceeded her lifetime quota and she was not in the mood for anymore awkward heart to hearts with Damon.

Not to mention it was mildly creepy to find him staring at her through her window. She supposed it could have been way more awkward, though. At least she was decently dressed.

"What the hell are you doing?" She snapped after she opened the window.

"Have you ever noticed that you start our conversations with pretty much the same line? Don't you ever find it boring?"

"No," she replied shortly, moving to close the window. At least he wasn't able to come into her home.

His hand shot out to stop her. "I came here to tell you that you need to be careful."

"Careful? Of what?" She asked, raising a thing dark eyebrow.

"Apparently we now have a werewolf problem. Mason Lockwood nearly killed me and Stefan today and was ready to do the same to Elena and Caroline," he explained, taking a seat on her roof. He knew better than to try and get an invitation inside. "Oh, and now Liz knows about us. Well, she knows about everyone except you."

"Sheriff Forbes? But she's a part of the Council—" She broke off as another thought occurred to her. "You didn't…"

"No, I didn't kill her," Damon answered, rolling his icy eyes. "I don't kill every single person I come into contact with. Besides, I kinda like Liz. We're just keeping her with us until the vervain is out of her system and we can compel her into forgetting everything."

"The entire Council hates vampires and if Sheriff Forbes knows that Caroline is a vampire…" Bonnie trailed off.

"She refuses to even acknowledge the fact that Caroline is her daughter now," Damon replied. "Still think she couldn't use you?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually feel bad for her," Bonnie scoffed.

"That doesn't sound like me does it?"

"Of course not." She went to close the window again, but he reached out and grasped the sleeve of the oversized sweater she was wearing. It was the only thing of hers that he could get ahold of because part of it had fallen outside of the safety of her home.

His fingers brushed the soft skin of her wrist and she caught a glimpse of another world. There was a tall, thin man who looked very stern and a younger Stefan and Damon.

"Vampires are creatures that come from the darkest parts of hell. They have the ability to seduce your mind and spirit and they must be destroyed along with any who stand with them."

Her vision couldn't have lasted more than a minute, but Damon clearly knew something was up.

"What did you see?" he asked.

Good question, she thought. "It wasn't anything important."

"Then why not tell me?"

Bonnie knew he wouldn't be pleased with the fact that she had gotten a peek into his past, but he clearly wasn't going to let it go. "You and Stefan when you were maybe a few years younger than I am now. You were with your father and he was lecturing you on the evils of vampires," she told him.

"He gave us one of those lectures almost every day," Damon snorted. "They were all the same: vampires are evil and must be destroyed, etcetera, etcetera."

"Is that why you sympathize with Caroline?" Bonnie asked. She wasn't entirely sure what to think. Last time she checked, Damon Salvatore was shallower than a kiddie pool, yet now she was uncovering a whole new depth to him.

"Hardly," he replied. "You think I'm heartless? I have nothing on my father. He gunned both me and Stefan down because we tried to save Katherine. I never had the misfortune to see him after I turned like Stefan did."

Damon had said it so nonchalantly, but Bonnie found herself taking a step back, horrified. "Your own father killed you?"

"Don't get too hung up on it." He rolled his eyes at her. "I'm already it over it. Although, I'm curious why you would see him of all things."

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just get what I get. I have no control over it."

He hummed noncommittally and lifted himself into a crouch. "I meant what I said earlier; be careful. If Mason sees you with Elena, he'll put two and two together. Oh, and in case you're wondering, silver does shit against werewolves. I already tried."

"You started the entire fight, didn't you?" She accused, placing a hand on her hip, knowing that she probably didn't need his answer to know he did/

"I suppose you could say I did." He shrugged. "Stefan didn't, though. He actually tried to call a truce. Obviously, that didn't work out so well, so watch your back."

"And you came here to warn me out of the goodness of your heart?" Bonnie asked sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Of course not," he replied, humoring her skepticism. "I came here to warn you because we'll probably need you and your witchy juju later and it'd be a damn shame if something happened before then."

"Goodnight, Damon," she said, moving to close the window for the third time.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite…or should I say werewolves? Or would you prefer vampires?" With that, he sped off into the night, leaving a bemused Bonnie behind.

Less than a week later after her strange late night conversation with Damon, Bonnie was at the Lockwood mansion, decorating for the upcoming masquerade ball.

Only in a small town like this would you find formal events about every other week, Bonnie thought dryly.

She watched Mrs. Lockwood run around in what Caroline once dubbed 'queen bitch mode', dictating how were to be set things up. Bonnie and Elena could only bite their lips and smile, not quite having the heart to tell Caroline that she had a tendency to act the same exact way at these sorts of things.

It seemed like it was an entire lifetime ago since things were that simple. She would have given just about anything to return to those days.

"You're here," Elena said softly, as she watched Bonnie approach with a cardboard box full of candle.

"I'm here," Bonnie replied dully, setting the box down. This was the first time she had seen or spoken to Elena since the whole mess at the carnival.

"Caroline's not coming, I told you," Elena said as she began to take the candles out of the box and place them in the candlesticks.

"Just making sure," the witch replied, taking candles out of the box and setting them down on the table. After seeing what Caroline had done at the carnival, she didn't want to risk it happening here.

"You know, eventually you're going to have to talk to her," Elena told Bonnie, pausing her work to look at her friend.

With those words, something inside Bonnie snapped a bit and she could feel the frustration well up in the pit of her stomach. "Could you make it a little less obvious that you're on her side?"

"There's no sides, Bonnie!"

"Come on, Elena. We haven't seen or spoken to each other since Caroline became a vampire." She paused for a moment, trying to choose her next words. "Losing Caroline was bad enough. I didn't think I'd lose you, too."

"Come with me," Elena said, moving past Bonnie, away from the table.

"Where?" She asked her friend, turning to look at her but otherwise not budging form her spot.

"Somewhere quiet," the cute brunette replied, extending her hand towards Bonnie. "We need to talk."

Bonnie hesitated for a moment, wondering if this was a talk she really wanted to have. On the other hand, it wouldn't make much sense for her to complain about how she hasn't spoken to Elena and then refuse to, though. She nodded and then took her friend's hand.

They walked around the lake, heading towards the other side as Elena told her what had happened with Tyler's uncle, how she and Stefan were pretending to fight to avoid Katherine's wrath, and how Caroline somehow got trapped as a pawn in the middle of it all.

"I can't believe this…" Bonnie said softly as they crossed the little bridge and headed towards the small bench that lay on the other side. The pit of loneliness in her stomach seemed to have grown larger since they began their walk.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Elena said sympathetically as they sat down.

"It's not that you and Stefan are pretending to fight. It's that I didn't even know you were fighting at all," she said softly.

For the first time in a long time, she watched Elena struggle for the right words to say. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to keep things from you, but you've made it clear where you stand on the whole vampire thing."

"Yeah," Bonnie replied, nodding with a sad little smile. "So, then there's me: the odd man out. I had to hear from Damon of all people that there are werewolves in Mystic Falls."

Elena's big brown eyes widened. "Damon told you?"

The witch nodded, still looking directly into her friend's eyes, seeing the guilt there. She almost wished that she was the type of person who gained some sort of satisfaction in that, but instead it seemed to make that some old pit in her grow even more.

"I'm sorry," Elena repeated.

"I know where I stand and I know where you stand, but where do we stand?" Bonnie asked quietly. It was a question she had wanted to ask ever since Grams' death. She remembered when there was a time when she had never even considered questioning her friendship with Elena.

"You're my best friend, Bonnie." Elena looked down, picking at one of her cuticles. "I never meant for all this craziness to get in the way of that, but Caroline needs you too, you know," she said, looking back up to meet Bonnie's green eyes.

This time Bonnie was the one to break their eyes contact. "Not yet. I just…" she trailed off, not knowing how to tell Elena her feelings. "She's a vampire. I can't." She looked at the preparations going on across the lake. "We should get back." And with that, she all but ran away from Elena.

In that previous lifetime, the one where everything was simple, this talk would have fixed everything. She would have told Elena all about her guilt and loneliness and all the pain that had been welling up inside her and her best friend would have found a way to get rid of all of it and they would have laughed about how stupid they were both being and hugged each other.

Now, instead, she found herself hardly able to say anything to Elena and able to say more to a man that she hated. Well, she thought she hated him.

She didn't know what to think anymore.

This has got to be the most awkward car ride ever, Bonnie thought as she stared out the window. She had unsuccessfully been trying to wipe out the rapid thoughts swimming through her head telling her what a horrible awful thing she was doing. It didn't help that she couldn't get her hands to stop shaking.

"Calm down, already," Damon said, looking at his reluctant passenger. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"By your definition, maybe," she muttered.

"He's already threatened everyone but you. He wouldn't hesitate to come after you, either."

"That doesn't make it okay, Damon!" She snapped.

"I told you that he's a threat to Elena. Would you let him snap her in two just because you think it's not right to harm him in any way?" He asked, clearly annoyed by Bonnie's second thoughts.

"Of course not…I just also happen to have a conscience unlike you." She looked down at her hands. They still hadn't stopped shaking.

Silence fell like a heavy blanket.

"What if he wakes up before we get to your place?" Bonnie asked nervously.

"Use more of your witchy juju to incapacitate him, then," Damon responded with an uncaring shrug.

She only sighed and began drumming her fingers against the door, wishing that the old Salvatore boarding house was closer to the Lockwood mansion instead of on the other side of town.

"If you keep that up, I might knock you out, too," he told her.

"Try it. I'll just be using my witchy juju to incapacitate you," she replied, glaring at him.

"So, there's the mean little witch I know. For a second I was worried that you were an imposter."

"Damon?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

He chuckled, but did as she requested.

When they finally reached his place, he went to unload Mason from the trunk.

So, so awkward…

"Mind getting his bag?" he asked her as he headed into the house.

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Bonnie sighed. This was all just so very, very bad. She pulled the bag from the trunk. Whatever was inside of it clanked loudly and it was heavier than she had expected, but she could manage it.

She hauled it inside and dropped it on a chair with a dry, "As you requested."

"Grab that corner," he said pointing at a white tarp that was spread out underneath the chair he had put Mason on.

"Why are we doing this?" She asked as she helped him spread it out.

"'Cause I don't want to get blood on the carpet."

And here comes another sleepless night. "I knew you were going to say something like that."

"You're judging again."

Bonnie sighed and stood up. "He won't be out much longer," she said, looking down at the werewolf.

"Looks like this guy's used to being tied up," Damon said after he pulled out a slightly tangled mass off chains and ropes from the bag she had brought in.

Okay, time to speed things up before you finally lose all your nerve, Bonnie, she told herself. She went and carefully took Mason's head in her hands.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked as he moved to secure the werewolf to the chair.

"You're looking for the moonstone and I'm trying to find it," she snapped.

"Oh. Good. While you're at it, find out if he gave it to Katherine," he snapped one of the chains shut, "Find out where she is," another snap, "And find out what they're going to do with it when they get it."

Bonnie gritted her teeth and tried to concentrate. "It's in a…well? That can't be right…" She tried to concentrate harder. "Yeah, it's in a well."

"Why would it be in a well?" Damon asked.

How the hell should I know? She looked up at him, clearly annoyed. "I already told you; I only get what I get."

Suddenly Mason lurched forward and grabbed onto her wrist and she heard herself emit a sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a squeak.

"No," Damon growled. He used one hand to pull her away from the werewolf and another hand to remove his iron grip from her wrist.

And there goes my nerves. They're officially gone now. She quickly backed away from Mason. "That's it. That's all I got." Bonnie then moved to make her getaway.

"Hey, Judgy," he called out, causing her to stop and turn towards him. "Thank you."

She felt her lips quirk up in to a small half smile and as she turned to continue leaving, it suddenly hit her that Damon was the only one who ever bothered to say thank you to her anymore.

It was another sleepless night just like she knew it would be and as always, she found herself standing outside of the tomb.

It had been nice to be with Elena and Caroline again. It would have been just like old times if it wasn't for moonstones and vervain-filled wells with vervain poisoned vampire boyfriends.

Okay, so it was basically nothing like old times, but it was nice to be with her friends again. It was nice to know that Caroline really was still Caroline after all.

She still couldn't help but wish for that lifetime ago when her biggest worry was how she was going to pass her next history test, though.

She felt as if she basically signed Mason Lockwood's death warrant today and she suppose she had. Not to mention it had only added fuel to Katherine's fire since she decided to take her anger out on poor Jenna.

What would Grams say about all this? She wondered. I think she'd be angry at me for working with vampires so much, but I don't know how else to keep everyone safe. I feel like every move I make is wrong.

"Do you really think it's a good idea coming here alone all the time. You know, with a crazy ex-girlfriend on the loose and all?" A familiar voice said behind her.

Bonnie turned to look at him. She'd be lying if she said she didn't find it the least bit annoying.

"You have guilty face," Damon told her.

"So do you," she replied.

"Really?" he asked, clearly humoring her.

"Well, maybe not guilt since we both know you don't have a conscience, but you do have that look on your face you always get whenever you screw something up," she explained. "Although, really, considering everything you do, you should really be wearing that look all the time," she added as an afterthought.

"Funny."

Silence fell between them.

"I shouldn't have egged Katherine on," he said quietly.

To say Bonnie was surprised by his admission would have been a big understatement. "No, you shouldn't have," she agreed. "But then again…" she ran a tired hand through her dark curls. "Who am I to talk? I shouldn't have helped you with Mason."

Damon didn't reply. Probably because he had already been through with her on why she shouldn't feel guilty about Mason. She was just too righteous for her own good.

They lapsed back into a silence, only this time it felt strangely comfortable.

If Bonnie didn't know any better, she'd say that their relationship was starting to take baby steps in a positive direction.

Maybe it was a sign that the world was coming to an end.

A/N: So, there was chapter two. I'm aiming to have chapter three out sometime next week, depending on how crazy my schedule is.

I know most of this is pretty Bonnie-centric and it'll probably stay this way, but I should hopefully be dipping into Damon's point of view within the next few chapters.

I'm not entirely sure if I'll be having any Jeremy/Bonnie in this fic at all. It probably won't sway my writing either way, but I'm curious, what is your opinion on their relationship?

Comments, constructive criticism, etc. is always very much appreciated!