Character do not belong to me

All the memories. The agony. It all flooded him. Sitting in the middle of the woods after burying Silas he still remembered being trapped in that vault. It tore away his sanity, all he saw was that cliff and Silas stabbing him. "No … no!" he groaned as he fell onto his knees once more after trying to stand up. Elena and Damon had walked away once more. Together. "While you were suffering in that safe grasping onto hope and fighting every second so you wouldn't lose your humanity… I was happy. I got everything that I wanted Stefan. I got to be in love. I got the summer of my dreams. I got Bonnie back." Her words cut through him. He wasn't sure he could breath.

Who you are deep down is what matters and you're so strong. You will get through this… Bonnies parting words to him when everyone found out she was dead. Even thought at the time he didn't remember her she reached out to him. I know you're hurting right now … I've seen you fight against it all… Why was he thinking of that now? He thought to himself as he stood up and walked towards the boarding house. He could breath now … he wasn't thinking about Silas. Instead he was thinking about Bonnie? He shook his head as he walked in and saw her by the fire place. Knelling down, and by her shallow breathing, he could tell she was in pain.

"Bonnie…?" he called out cautiously as he came in to the room.

"Go away … please" she groaned as she clenched her side.

"I can call Jer-" he started but she turned to look at him and he saw tears streaming down her face.

"DON'T!" she screamed as she tried to stand up but she fell against his chest when he caught her.

She began to start sobbing against him and he soothed out her hair and he fell to the ground with the young witch in his arms. "Hey… it's okay… shhh" he tried to comfort her. After a while she fell silent.

"Everything hurts Stef," she groaned as she pulled away from him.

"What happened?" he asked as they both leaned up against the sofa.

"I'm the anchor now… Every time a supernatural being passes through to the other side it will pass through me. I'll feel every death …" she whispered and looked up to him leaving him speechless. "It's excruciating."

It was easier with you.

Pain. They were both experiencing it. Her's was physical. His mental. Both lead to their insanity.

Outside the Boarding House

"What's your problem?" Elena said as he stalked away from her and towards the front door of the boarding house. He was tired of watching her fret over Stefan. Of Qetsiyah's words playing over and over in his head. Destiny. Fate. He was sick of it.

"My problem? So now you're concerned with me? Stefan's turn is done?" he asked in anger regretting his words immediately. Elena's face fell but one thing that bothered him the most was that he saw guilt.

"Don't do this. I love you Damon… now that Stefan is happy we can go back to our summer. I just needed to make sure he was ok," his girlfriend implored as she took hold of his hands and smiled up at him. He looked down at her and saw his reason. For everything.

"I love you too," he said as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and bent down to kiss her.

"Get a room!" Jeremy called out as he got out of his truck and carried a carry out box from The Grill followed by Matt. Damon knew that the reason for Jeremy's smile was Bonnie. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't curious to see the witch.

"Come on, Bonnie wants to talk to you," Elena said as she intertwined her fingers with his and pulled him in. As they crossed the threshold he heard their voices from the living room.

"Why do you think your ancestor would let you become something that would endure pain like this?" Stefan asked the witch but both stopped their conversation as they felt everyone enter the room. Matt was the first to make a move as he rushed to get Bonnie. She stood up in time to be caught in Matt's arms. He hugged her tight and Damon sat back with Elena at his side as everyone let them reunite.

"I'm so glad you're back," he told her as he stepped away from her.

"You should be thanking me," Damon called out before he could stop himself and Elena smiled up at him.

"We all know who you did it for Damon … so I already thanked Elena," the witch called him out with a smile that made him laugh.

"It's good to have you back judgy," he said not wanting to mention the conversation they caught the tail end of. She came over to him and wrapped her arms around him without hesitation. He slowly wrapped his own arms around her waist.

"Careful Damon, I'll start to think you actually care," she threw at him for the second time making him lean back uncomfortably. Elena smiled up at him, surely enjoying his demeanor. "Well, I've been day dreaming about actual sleep so I think I'll be going home now," Bonnie said as she moved away from Damon and stood next to Jeremy. He noticed a look pass between his little brother and his witch and he knew something was wrong.

Jeremy and Matt walked Bonnie out after she hugged Elena and Stefan. Damon didn't know what to think as he stood against the fireplace nursing a glass of bourbon. Stefan walked out later leaving him and Elena behind. "Thank you for doing everything you did for Bonnie," she told him as she came up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I did it for you," he whispered as he leaned down and captured her lips in a light kiss.

A/N: Please review.

This wasn't meant to turn into a multi chapter story ... yet here it is. Enjoy!