A/N: Copyright Infringement not attended. I don't own these characters, but they are written in my own light, OOC. This is an AU.

DTBT Chapter 2: Manifest

Damon dazed at his phone, ignoring Stefan impatiently ringing his doorbell. "Oh," he said, snapping out of his trance. He zoomed to the front door and opened it for his brother.

Stefan raced his brother a perturbed look, and Damon was looking at him all the while, thinking if he really wanted to tell his brother that Bonnie had informed him that he was coming over? He decided against telling Stefan about her call.

Stefan stood there, tapping his foot peevishly against the concrete. "What the fuck man? Are you going to let me in or what?"

"Shit," Damon chuckled nervously; he stepped aside, allowing his brother entry.

Stefan slant an irritated eye as his brother as he marched inside and then plopped down on the couch. He struggled to get comfy on the boxy sofa. He wiggled about, propped an arm up, and stretched a leg out on the pillows. He glanced over at Damon who was sitting as still as a statue with his hands linked between his gapped legs, giving him a distracted regard.

Stefan jumped up off the large, white leather sofa, stalked over to the entertainment unit, and grabbed a novelty of the shelf. He scrutinized over the curio before he placed it elsewhere but the place he grabbed it from.

"Stefan, is there a reason you're here?" Damon hopped to his feet, vexed. He angrily grabbed the figurine and placed it perfectly back where it belonged. He eased away from the object, surveying its placement. He curved his mouth smugly.

"Bonnie makes me so fucking angry! It's okay to talk about her shit, but when I need a shoulder to lean on, she wants to bail. Typical! Fucking typical!" he nagged. He looked at his brother go back to the couch, strongly messaging his neck.

"Hey, you got anything to drink?" He drew in a long breath, exasperated.

"I have beer and water," Damon rose slowly to his feet.

"You don't have anything stronger?" Stefan wrinkled his brow and chuckled galling.

"You don't need anything stronger, because your ass is going home to Bonnie," Damon said with a roll of his eye. He took two brewski's from the fridge and slammed the icebox door with a kick of his foot.

He went back to the living room, mulling over what to say to his brother. He didn't want Stefan to leave on bad terms with his wife, but more importantly, he couldn't bear the thought of Bonnie's heart being broken.

Stefan hadn't said another word since his angry outburst earlier, and Damon was still contemplating on what to say. Never had he noticed how he dragged his feet, until this moment when he became extremely bothered with his black slippers, clapping against the hard wood floor of his condo. Even the filtration system in the aquarium unnerved him when so many times before it calmed him.

He handed his brother the beer. They dropped down to the sofa in a synchronized motion.

"I'm waiting," Damon shot.

"If you're in a mood, I can go somewhere else," Stefan jabbed.

Damon sighed, trying to get rid of the chip he was currently wearing on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. Tell me what happened," he encouraged, then took a sip of his beer.

"Bonnie doesn't get me," he inhaled. "Sometimes I wonder why I even stay in this marriage." He looked down at his wedding ring with unfocussed eyes.

Damon's brow wrinkled, his interest piqued. "What the hell are you saying? Bonnie's amazing." His words wandered off.

Stefan sighed. "You don't think I know that?" He slammed his beer down on the table, forgetting the coaster that begged to be used. "I'm tired of arguing with her. Why can't I express what I'm feeling without her looking at me like I'm the bad guy?"

"I don't know man," Damon was preoccupied with trying to save his coffee table from the sweating beer. "She is there for you, but right now, she doesn't want to think about losing you. Can't you understand that." He slouched back into the sofa. "Hell—I don't want to think about what could happen over there. What's wrong with her trying to live in the moment? What's wrong with her trying to create all the happy memories she can with you?"

"Nothing." Stefan mumbled. "I want to prepare her for the worse. I know it will devastate her if something happens to me. I want to know how she'll cope without me."

"God, you're fucking morbid." Damon's face twisted cynically at his brother's comment. "You mean to tell me—you rather talk about how much pain she's going to be in, rather than make sweet love to her?"

A discerning look painted Stefan's face. He laughed madly once his brother's words reached his logical senses. "Oh, my, God, that sounds so bad when it's said aloud."

He laughed a lot louder. Damon too became amused.

"You know how the hell Bonnie feels. You see her sulking around the house; you know she's sad, and it's your duty as her husband to let her know that everything is going to be okay. Even though you know you may die, you can't drill those kinds of depressing thoughts in her head, it's not healthy. You can't do that her. She doesn't deserve that," he expressed hilariously.

They sat engrossed over how stupid Stefan was being for a spell and drank their beers. The cat had jumped in Damon's lap. He softly rubbed his kitty, a peaceful look in his eyes, and a curl on his lips.

"I don't want to die Damon." Stefan's eyes watered, his legs stretched out before him. His beer dropped to the side of him, leaning dangerously close to spilling on the sofa.

The peaceful look in Damon's eyes had gone. His baby blues were laced with reddish irritation from the salty tears swimming in his eyes. Not once did he glance down at the bottle of beer practically laying on the pristine couch, coming close to wasting.

"I don't want to leave Bonnie. My friends," he diverted his gaze to his brother. I don't want to leave you."

"You're not going to die Stefan," Damon dreadfully dragged out.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know everything." They looked deep into each other eyes.

That filtration system was louder than ever now, insanely loud.

Stefan simply smirked, chuckled, and then full on spilt his sides laughing. He raised up off the couch, cackling and slobbering all over himself. "You know everything, that's hilarious. Man, you're funny," he snickered.

Damon was not laughing. He sat in the corner of the couch, in shock, paralyzed from their conversation.

Stefan went into the kitchen and grabbed another beer. He drank most of his beer when suddenly he felt the urge to relieve himself. Instead of opening the door to the bathroom, he entered Damon's office. Determined to leave and find the bathroom, his attention was grabbed by blueprints laying on top of Damon's desk.

He ran back to the living room, blueprints in hand. "Damon, your building a house?"

Damon looked up at his brother's childlike face and peeled himself from his melancholy mood.

"Oh, yeah," he cleared his throat. He walked over to his brother, taking the blueprints in hand, and then spread them out on the table.

"This is the bathroom?" Stefan slapped his finger down on the paper.

Damon gave him a serious eyeroll before answering, "It's a kitchen sink, that's a toilet," he rudely corrected, with a hard jab of his finger.

"Oops. I have to pee." Stefan ran off.

Damon shook his head at his brother when he spied the empty bottle of beer and the beer Stefan had recently opened sitting on the counter.

"How's work?" Stefan asked, rushing back to him.

"Work is great, but your housekeeping skills—not so much," Damon scolded with a severe glare as he blindly poured out the rest of his beer.

"Hey! I just opened that!" Stefan strongly protested.

"You get one more drink. A cup of coffee, and yes, work is fantastic when you're your own boss."

"Yeah, I hear ya. Now show me your blueprints."

They went back to the table and went over his drawings with his brother. This time Stefan was more educated on what he saw on the plans. He clearly saw the difference in the toilet and the kitchen sink. His brother still couldn't resist putting him in the headlock and given him a series of noogies as punishment for his innocent blunder.

"Since you and Bonnie are clearly on the outs, and I'm pretty sure you won't be getting any around noon tomorrow, or any other time for that matter," he teased a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Psst, please. I have Bonnie wrapped around my little finger. If I want it, I can have it," Stefan bragged.

Damon gave him a nasty scan, then let out an indignant diss, "Fu—, you," he wavered through tight lips.

"What?" Stefan shrugged and let out a blameless chortle. "I don't mean it in a bad way. I simply mean—she loves me. She's not going to send me off without a proper goodbye."

"Don't disrespect her. She's your wife—Stefan. She's not some bitch off the streets."

"Oh, my God. What is it with you two? You're always so protective of her. What about me? I'm your brother."

Damon slammed the cabinet door after pulling out a bag of coffee. He filled the canister, still giving his brother a dirty look.

"Dude, I'm sorry. Now tell me about your plans tomorrow."

"I bought some land to build my house. I want you and Bonnie to see it and some of the buildings around town I had a hand in making," Damon explained reservedly.

"Yeah sure; we'd love to go riding with you. I can't believe you're building your own home?"

"Yeah." Damon grabbed two cups and poured them some coffee.

"Do you have one of those mini scale versions of the house with little toy cars and shit?" Stefan joked. He managed to get a laugh out of his brother.

"Actually, I do have a little model house," Damon chuckled.

"Oh, let me see it!"

Damon brought out the model of his home and sat it on the table. Stefan couldn't get enough of playing with the scaled house. He even stole him another beer, much to his brother's displeasure.

Damon managed to get another cup of coffee in his brother. Stefan drank his cup of joe while they reminisced over old times and discussed their goals and ideas for the future.

Stefan talked himself to exhaustion. "Man, I'm tired."

They raised up off the couch, yawning and stretching.

I better go home to the old ball and chain."

"Hey," Damon warned with a thinning of his eyes.

"All right! All right! I'm joking."

"Bring it in." Damon opened his arms, inviting his brother into a squeeze.

"I love you man," Stefan professed.

"I love you, too, hero hair. Now go home and tell—no, not just tell, show Bonnie how much you love her. Paint her toes; give her a back rub; feed her strawberries."

"I got it. I got it. Be her work horse," Stefan replied, breaking away from him.

Damon grabbed him by the collar and pulled him coarsely back to him. "This is not a game Stefan. You need to be doing this shit for her every night, and every day," he strongly enunciated.

They eyed each other seriously. Stefan's cockiness eased. "All right, man. I'll do better. I promise. Don't worry. I got this," he reassured.

"All right. Now get the fuck outta my house," Damon joshed, shoving him towards the door.

Stefan snickered.

Damon walked his brother to the car and said goodbye. He came back inside, did a little cleaning before locking the house up for the night. He dragged himself to his bedroom, not turning on the lights, and wearing a smile on his face. He lethargically dropped down on the mattress, resting an arm on his forehead. He turned on his side to see his phone on the nightstand and decided to call Bonnie.

"Damon, hey. What happened?" She answered on the first ring.

"Stefan's on his way home. He's ready to make up with you," he gloated.

"You're my angel. Thank you for being here for me—for always being here for me," she said gratefully, blushing.

Damon's blues sparkled with happiness. "I love it when you're happy," he noticed.

"Why wouldn't I be. I have a wonderful brother-in-law."

"Yeah, I'm the brother-in-law," he replied disappointedly.

"Stop it. You're like blood to me," she wandered off in contemplation. "If only I had met you first," she exhaled heavily.

Damon quickly sat up on the bed. "You'd—you'd—you'd date me?"

Bonnie widened and narrowed her eyes, appalled. "I mean—yeah, sure I would. Any girl would be lucky to have you or your brother," she stammered.

"Duh, I knew that. Besides, you're not even my type," Damon fumbled.

"Oh, okay," Bonnie plunged down in to the recliner, then looked in the mirror. She straightened her hair and scrutinized over her features. "Well, I better go. Stefan should be here in a minute," she replied dimly.

"Bonnie!" he called dramatically and swiftly stood. "I told Stefan you're an amazing girl and that he needs to make things right with you."

She beamed. "You did?"

"Yeah, it's the truth, right?"

"I guess."

"No need to guess. You're a great girl. Any guy would be lucky to have you. No, not lucky. Blessed."

"Thank you, Damon. You always know what to say. You always know how to make me feel better," she said, her voice unsteady.

"I'm not just saying this. I mean every word."

"I know. You'd never lie to me. That's why you're more than just a brother to me."

Damon reddened with happiness. "Good, I'm glad to hear you say that," he respired.

A pleasant quietness fell over them.

"I have a full day lined up for us tomorrow," Damon interrupted. He didn't want their conversation to end.

"Oh, yeah. What do you have planned?"

"It's a surprise," he answered cockily.

"Oh, I like surprises."

"I know."

"Mmm, you say that as if you know me," she said naughtily.

Damon walked to his bedroom window and beheld the darkness of the beautiful night sky that revealed each star.

Across town, Bonnie was now looking out her window, too.

"I know you Bonnie. I know you more than you know yourself," he said in a thoughtful and deepened voice.

Bonnie's southern region tingled with pleasure at the sound of his voice.

"Things are so easy with you. I wish I had this with Stefan. You know?" She rubbed her arm, warming it from the cool room.

"If you had this with Stefan, then what would you have with me?" he inquired amorously.

She twitched tensely, "I better go. Stefan's here," she lied.

"Yeah, you better go, and be with my brother." He hushed, pondering. "You're my brother's girl."

Bonnie ignored his reflection.

"Bye, Damon."

"Bye, Bonnie."

They both stood inactive, still on the phone, looking out the window.

"Damon."

"Yeah."

"You didn't hang up!"

"No, you didn't hang up," he toyed. "Remember the last time we hung out, it was a month ago yesterday. You accompanied me to the Jazz Fest on the port. Then later we came back to my place and watched corny scifi movies?" he gurgled in recollection.

"Yes; we had a nice time. Why do you mention this?" Curiosity gleamed in her eyes.

"Promise me you won't be a stranger after my brother goes away. I don't know what I'll do without our outings. I love spending time with you," he remembered wantonly.

"I'd like to think we'd hang out more. Somebodies got to keep you in line while your brother's away."

Damon's lips furled into a crooked slant, amused by her remark.

"I better go, Damon."

"Okay, Goodnight Bon Bon."

"Goodnight," she replied.

"I love you, Bonnie," he professed tenderly.

His declaration was gob smacking, flooring her for the first time.

"I love you!" she rushed out in the hopes that he would hear her.

Damon's heart skipped a beat. "You'd think this was the first time you told me you love me."

They laughed tensely.

"I know right," she tittered skittishly. "I really have to go Damon." She hung up the phone and tossed it on the dresser. She pressed a hand to her throat, alarmed by their encounter.

Damon looked down at his phone, surprised to hear nothing. He looked at it in a trance a moment more before laying his phone carefully down on his nightstand. His heavy body floated down to the bed. HeHehe He sat there for a moment, his expression a mixture of euphoria and distress. He sprawled across the mattress, "Oh, God," he inhaled. "Bonnie's married to my brother."

.o.O.o.

Bonnie hurriedly threw the covers over herself and closed her eyes. She heard the alarm beep; Stefan was entering the house. He rushed upstairs. He reached for the light switch but decided against turning it on once seeing Bonnie laying perfectly still in bed. He hurriedly pulled off his clothes, leaving them in the middle of the floor, and then eased in to bed. He scooted close to Bonnie and gently thread his arm through hers to cuddle her closer to him.

"You awake?" He asked gruffly.

"Yes," she replied somberly as she slowly opened her eyes.

"I'm sorry I stormed out. I should have stayed and tried to work things out with you."

"It's okay Stefan. You did the right thing. We were both angry; we needed the space."

"I love you Bonnie, and tomorrow…I want to make nothing but sweet memories with you."

"You mean that?"

"Yes." Stefan answered.

They lay in silence. Bonnie still trying to process her earlier conversation with Damon.

"Stefan."

"Yeah," he answered.

"Do you think us being together is a mistake?"

Stefan was stunned by her question. He raised up, propping himself up with his elbow and looked down at her, then turned her gaze to his.

"I know I don't make things easy, but we're not a mistake. I love you Bonnie, so much. You are everything to me. I want to make this work. Do you?"

"I do care about you Stefan, and I'd like us to work things out, but we always fight. I'm tired of fighting."

"Bonnie, a marriage is not without its troubles. I love you and you love me. If we have love, we can make this work," he refuted.

She observed him in thought. "I do love you."

"Will you wait for me?" he asked concerned.

"Oh, so now you think you're coming home?" she pestered.

He howled at her retort.

"Yes! Mrs. Thing, I'm coming home—to you. I'll be damn if I'm going to die without making it right with my baby," he proclaimed affectionately.

"You better." She gave him a long wet chaste kiss to the lips.

"Do you really feel like sleeping?" He trailed his fingers down her tight tummy to her southern valley and slipped a digit into her wet slit.

"No." She hummed with pleasure and spread her legs wider as he worked his middle digit deeper into her slippery center and deeply kissed her. They ended the night making love after all.

.o.O.o.

Stefan and Bonnie were up early the next morning. They could no longer ignore Damon's wake up calls. He wanted to get the day started early. He wanted to have them all out on the boat before sundown.

Bonnie made a big breakfast of omelets, beacon, and toast. She wanted Stefan's last day at home to be filled with all the things he loved.

"Do you want orange juice or apple juice?" She asked.

"Surprise me." Stefan grinned.

"Here's your coffee, your breakfast, and one orange juice coming up." Bonnie placed his food down on the table in front of him. She kissed him on the forehead while running her fingers through his golden-brown hair.

"Mmm," Stefan lemented at the taste of her lips.

She rushed to the fridge once hearing someone fiddling with the doorknob.

"Hey. What smells so good?" Damon chimed.

Bonnie stuck her whole head in to the fridge, trying to avoid him.

"Morning. Bonnie made my favorite—omelets and pancakes," Stefan loudly announced, thrilled.

Bonnie remained silent.

Damon pulled off his shades. His glance flickered toward her beautiful shapely legs. He guiltily adverted his contemplation ahead. He grabbed the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut, and gathered his senses. "Hi Bonnie." His eyes darted as he tried to avoid gawking at his sister-in-law.

"Hi Damon," she replied under her breathe, denying him a glance.

He walked to the kitchen counter, noticing two omelets on a plate. He peeped over at Stefan who was already eating, so he assumed the other one was for him.

He washed his hands, then grabbed a plate from the cupboard. He was about to put an omelet on his plate when he noticed her out the corner of his eye.

"May I have one?" He looked over at her.

"Sure, I made it for you." She still didn't afford him a glimpse.

He nudged her with his hip, to get her consideration. "May I have a pancake, too?" He flashed her a smoldering glance.

"You know you can Damon." She finally rewarded him with her shimmery emerald headlights. She fixed her plate, then sat down at the table next to Stefan.

Damon hung around waiting for her to sit. He scooped down in to the chair next to her, scooting his chair closer to her before finally digging in to breakfast.

They ate quietly, enjoying their meal. Bonnie folded her feet under her bottom. "Excuse me," she said after her thigh landed smack dab down onto his lap. His eyes widened at the exchange.

Stefan was laughing at something on his phone, oblivious to his surroundings.

"You're warm," Damon acknowledge with rosy red cheeks and a goofy grin.

"That's because I'm hot," she flirted.

"…and I'm bothered," he murmured. She bit down on a giggle.

Damon rested his hand on her naked leg and said, "This is a great omelet."

She looked down at his hand, touching her flesh.

"I'm sorry," he stated, shamefaced, and snatched his hand away.

"It's okay." She took his hand and placed it back on her leg, smiling at him all the while.

He awkwardly continued to eat as his left hand lay stubbornly on her thigh. Innocently his fingers traced her warm skin as he engaged in humble conversation with his brother about sports. She started picking over her food, not moving a muscle otherwise.

Stefan and Damon finished their food and got about their business.

"Time to show the porcelain God who is boss," Stefan shared.

"T M I," Damon replied nonchalantly as he cleared the table.

Bonnie sat at the table, her forehead resting against the palm of her hands, her eyes closed. Guilt had settled into her. She didn't understand why she would allow herself to flirt so shamelessly with her brother-in-law, and in front of her husband no less.

"How did things go with my brother last night?" he asked, tensing up, and inattentively doing the dishes.

"Damon, you don't need to do the dishes." Bonnie whipped a wary expression his way and ignored his question. She got up from the table, placed her plate in the microwave, and turned to exit the kitchen.

"Bonnie, hey? You okay?" His full attention was now on her.

"Yeah," she answered with her back to him.

"Unf." Damon lightly chuckled. "I sense a little attitude."

"I was in the middle of something, it's not always about you."

Damon sent her a wounded look. "Ouch."

"What?" she shrugged.

"I never said it was about me. What's up with you? Last night you said you loved me, and we just had a little moment at the table, and now you're pissed with me."

She cut her eyes at him sheepishly, then walked over to him. "I do love you Damon," she proclaimed weakly, plunging her hand down in to the soapy dishwater to take his. "Sorry."

"It's okay," he smiled. "…but if you ever treat me this way, again, I'll put you over my knee and give you a good spanking."

"You promise?" she seduced. Her words encouraged a long and yearning gawk between them. Their bodies seem to have a mind of their own as they begin to loom closer to each other.

"I'm ready!" Stefan loudly broadcasted, as he jogged down the steps, and descended promptly in to the kitchen.

Bonnie whirled around, shrieking in horror.

"Damn. Am I a ghost?" Stefan mocked.

Bonnie swiftly stomped over to him, "Shut up," she sassed rudely, rolling her eyes at him.

Damon put his attention coolly back on doing the dishes, wearing a devilish grin on his face.

.o.O.o.

Damon had just finished cleaning the kitchen. He grabbed the barstool to take a seat when he caught Bonnie coming down the stairs fully dressed and ready to go. His eyes widened big as saucers, seeing her in her too short shorts that needed a suspender contraption to prevent her derriere from becoming wholly exposed.

Her jean shorts went perfectly with her white t-shirt with urban graphics, her black choker, and her black booties. She slipped on her shades, tossed her hair over her shoulder with one swift move, and struck a pose.

"How do I look?" She asked.

"Smoking hot. I'm going to eat you up." Stefan swooped her up in his arms and start kissing her. He trailed sensual, greedy kisses down her slender neck.

Bonnie glanced over at Damon, wearing a distraught look.

He tried to force a smile once catching her eye.

"Okay, Stefan, that's enough," she cautioned.

Stefan didn't stop. He was practically trying to rip off her clothes.

"I said stop!" she scolded meanly, then jerked brutally from his clutch.

"Hey. What's up? Isn't this what you wanted, for us to enjoy our short time together?" Stefan pleaded contritely.

Bonnie was in an angry disposition. She heatedly fixed her wardrobe and straightened her hair.

"Hey," Stefan timidly took her hand. "What did I do?" he asked, his face muddled, and brow furrowed.

Damon watched them with a worried observation.

"Your brother doesn't need to see our public display of affection," she mouthed.

"He doesn't care about this shit!"

"Well I do Stefan!"

"Oh, my God. Give me a break," he jabbed.

"Don't be so insensitive," she snarled.

"Don't be such a snob!" he blasted.

"Hey! What the hell! Come on now. This is your last day together. Please," Damon interjected.

He took Bonnie by the hands, giving her an imploring look. He massaged the back of her hands with the pads of his thumbs. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she dreamed up at his milky, beautiful face.

"Please B, for me."

Stefan eyes darted curiously back and forth between them.

Damon gently brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear with his finger. She nibbled on her bottom lip, then looked over at a sad face Stefan. In a blink, she lunged into his arms, and gave him a deep, carnal kiss. Damon pushed the lump down in his throat, looking at them with a disbelieving gape.

"Damn baby," Stefan whispered after putting her down on the floor. "Where did that come from?"

Her eyes cut to Damon, then back to Stefan, entering a lustful eyeball.

Damon tensed up; his lips flattened. "That's enough lovebirds. Let's go," he commanded, pulling them apart. He shoved them out the door, barely allowing Bonnie to grab her purse.

He waited for them to make it down the walkway before shutting himself inside the house. He closed the door, fell back against it, and then slid down to the floor, devastation splattered across his flushed face.

"Damn! What's taking him so long? It's hot out here." Stefan specified. "Let me see what he's doing."

"No!" Bonnie called after him, stopping him in his tracks. "He's coming. He's probably using the bathroom," she said faintly.

"Whatever," Stefan replied coolly. He walked back to the truck and casually leaned against the hood.

Damon remained shut inside the house for over ten minutes, sitting solemnly by the door.

Bonnie start walking toward the house when Damon came out smiling and all peppy.

"Whew, sorry about that." He rubbed his belly. "Let's go!"

Bonnie crumpled her brow suspiciously at home.

Damon hopped in the truck and started it up. Stefan insisted that Bonnie sit in the front with Damon.

They pulled off. They rode with an awkward silence brewing between them. Stefan was the only one engaged in something entertaining, his phone.

Bonnie pulled out her cellphone and plugged it into the aux port. She put on Usher's, 'You make me wanna.'

"No! Can't you put on the Beatles or Metallica," Stefan grumbled.

"No!" Damon frowned. "Keep it there, B." He winked at her. She giggled.

"I should have brought my headphones," Stefan complained.

"Where are you taken us?" Bonnie asked.

"Just sit back and enjoy the ride," Damon replied.

As the rode in silence, listening to the music, Bonnie rested her arm on the armrest next to Damon's. His eyes left the road to peep down at her naked skin, touching his. Their fingers instinctively interlocked. No bump in the road could jar their appendages loose.

"You're driving a little rough up there. You need me to drive?" Stefan joked.

"Please," Damon grinned.

Damon arrived at the first building he wanted to show them. He took them by every site that his construction company had built and that he had designed. Bonnie was impressed at how much he had accomplished in the little time that he had owned his own business.

"Now for the big surprise," he announced, speeding around a winding road, and coming upon a large acre of land where a wooden frame edifice sat on a concrete slab.

"Omigod! Don't tell me you're building a house?" Bonnie gasp.

Damon turned a prideful and elated expression her way. Her jaw dropped in amazement.

Damon brought his Chevy to an abrupt stop in the unmanicured yard. Bonnie sprang excitedly from the truck. Stefan was grinning from ear to ear as he suavely exited the vehicle. Damon coolly, opened the door to the bed of his truck and took out the model of his dream house.

"Damon, what is this? It's so cute." Bonnie was tickled pink over the miniature house.

"Cute is not the word I was going for B," he chuckled.

"Great piece of land you got here bro." Stefan flattered over the property, examining it with a vigilant eye.

"I'm so proud of you Damon." Bonnie observed the scenery before her with a glittery mien.

Damon smiled humbly over at her.

Bonnie walked over to Stefan who was roaming about the structure. "Looks like this place is going to have lots of windows. I love natural light," Stefan noticed. "I do, too," she added.

"Damon you should build this house for us instead of yourself. It's not like you're ever going to get married and have a family," Stefan mocked.

"Stefan." Bonnie warned.

"For your information, I do plan on getting married and having children," he sternly enlightened.

"Oh yeah, with who? Dude you don't even date, and when you do meet a great girl, you find something wrong with her, and then kick her to the curb."

"I don't," Damon defended.

"Damon, you've had a lot of girlfriends," Bonnie asserted her expression hardening.

A muscle in his jaw clenched; his pupils flared with anger.

"You're going to die old and alone. I can see you now, driving down the street in your drop top Beamer at seventy years old, trying to pick up twenty-year-old girls." Stefan burst into a fit of laughter.

"Stefan don't." Remorse dawned on Bonnie's face.

I'm only kidding."

"I know—but stop," she added.

"Okay. Okay." Stefan sobered, then took Bonnie's hand, leading her off the slab. He jumped down onto the ground, then held his arms out to help her down. They then walked around the property.

Damon flayed them with a daze of his blues as they took a turn about the yard. He stiffened as he powerfully clenched his fist and ground his strong jaw. Soon he exploded with rage; he snatched up his model house and broke it across his knee. He threw it to the ground and stomped the wooden pieces to splinters.

Bonnie and Stefan startled at hearing wood snapping brutally off in the distance.

"Damon!" Bonnie yelled out with bated breath. She took off to him. Stefan followed.

Damon had broken up the scaled house, leaving it scattered across the concrete slab in shards. He was now stomping off to his truck. He jumped inside and start punching the steering wheel. Bonnie leapt in to the front seat, and Stefan ran to Damon's side.

"Damon, I'm sorry! I was only joking!" Stefan professed remorsefully.

"We're sorry Damon. We love you. We'd never intentionally hurt you." Bonnie lovingly and intently rubbed his shoulder and stroked his thigh. He looked at her hand stroking him. Awe transformed his face.

"Fuck! Fuck!" He beat his head against the head rest, then facepalmed.

"Damon," Bonnie whispered, lightly brushing the back of his hands.

He focused on her lips, then let out a harsh breath, releasing his frustration.

"I can't believe I just did that. I should've never lost my cool like that."

"You only lost your temper because Stefan and I were being insensitive," she explained.

"I'm sorry bro. I was being a jerk. You didn't deserve that. I guess I'm feeling jealous because you got all the talent and I got all the looks," he kidded adoringly.

Bonnie laughed.

Damon tried to hold back his laughter, but he couldn't. His brother always had a knack for making him laugh.

"Will someone please go pick up my hopes and dreams off the ground. I'm suing you for damages and emotional distress," he mocked.

Stefan jogged off to retrieve the bits and pieces of the model house.

"I guess this means you're okay?" Bonnie inquired sweetly.

Damon looked desirously over at her. He took her hand and kissed the back of it sensually as he closed his eyes. "Yeah, I'll be okay, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your day." He lovingly feathered his thumb over her warm cheek.

"You didn't ruin my day. You merely made it more memorable, and a little more exciting." She radiated.

They blushed.

"Okay, Damon's broken dreams are crumbled up in a sorry pile in the back of the truck. Now let's get to the Port before mom and dad think I went AWOL."

"Do I really have to see Giuseppe?" Damon groaned.

"Yes!" Stefan and Bonnie screeched in Unison, cracking up.

.o.O.o.

They were finally on the boat, enjoying each other's company while Damon worked up a sweat cooking lobster, crab legs, and shrimp.

"Stefan, who are you texting?" Bonnie asked.

"Oh, I hope you don't mind. I invited Tank, Justin, and Michael. Damon, I hope you have plenty to drink." Stefan nodded coolly, grinning.

"What!?" Stefan this was supposed to be a family outing." Bonnie hissed.

Damon shifted a glowering stare to his brother. "Dude!" he huffed.

"I'm sorry okay, but my family won't be the only ones I miss while I'm away. Come on you guys. They're walking up the port now to meet us," he explained imploringly.

"Stefan, I invited you, Bonnie, and our parents," Damon argued.

"You made enough food for an army!" Stefan shot back.

" How could you!" Bonnie stormed out of the cabin.

"Great!" Stefan slammed his beer down on the table.

Bonnie rushed out of the cabin and ran right into the boys.

"Hey Bonnie," Tank greeted.

"Hey," Bonnie gave them a displeased welcome, then made haste from their company.

"Someone's not happy to see us," Michael acknowledged with a half shrug.

Damon ran after Bonnie, finding her on the bow of the boat, leaning against the rail, her hair waving in the wind. He watched her enchantedly, devouring her beauty.

"Would you like some company?" he asked, drawing nearer to her with his hands jammed into his back pockets..

"Not now," she replied crudely.

Damon didn't leave. He stood on the opposite side of her, letting his presence be known. They stood, censored by anger and annoyance with their situation. Shadowing their tense moment was merriment and music. Even the sea conjured up its own waves of fun and a light, whimsical breeze.

"I wanted today to be about us," Bonnie confided.

"I know, but it still can be just about you and Stefan."

"How? His friends are here." she paused. "How should I feel? Should I be mad?" She looked to him for the answers.

"You could, but do you really want to ruin this beautiful night by being angry? It's not worth it Bonnie. He leaves tomorrow. I don't want to see you two fighting." He walked over to her, leaned over the rail, and watched her with a probing visual caress.

"When I woke up today…I imagined this day much differently in my head. I envisioned us riding and listening to music, and then coming back here to eat, share family memories, and then I pictured Stefan and I slow dancing on the deck under this beautiful illuminated moon," she explained, looking heavenward.

His eyes glinted, and he gave her a lopsided grin. "You still can do that. Take that man by the hand, pull his ass up on his feet, and demand he dance with you."

She half smiled. "Maybe later." Sadness clouded her features. She leaned down and propped her chin on her hand as she anchored her attention to the dark mysterious water.

"What about now?"

"What?" Her lashes swept up, and she blinked, surprised by his invitation.

"Will you dance with me?" he asked, holding out a chivalry hand to her.

"There's no music," she snorted incredulously.

"We don't need music to dance baby." He simpered, still holding his hand patiently out to her.

"Damon," she implored with a cross of her arms, her eyes rounded.

"Please don't leave me hanging B."

She finally gave in to the moment as she put her hand willingly into his.

"That's my girl," he said, snaking a hand around her waist, snuggling her closer to his heated body. He then swayed her slowly.

"See, we're dancing. What we are doing, is called-dancing," he clowned.

"Shut up." Bonnie laughed.

She drew in a long deep breath, surrendering fully to him. "What are you doing to me?" she asked frankly.

"Whatever you want B."