"Bonnie!" Caroline shrieked, flinging open the door. She grabbed her friend and squeezed her tightly. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"Me too, Care," Bonnie gasped. "But maybe dial the vampire strength down a notch?"

"Oh, right- sorry!" Caroline instantly released Bonnie, who drew a large breath. After she felt she could breathe normally, she looked around. "Where's Elena?"

"Shower," Caroline replied cheerfully. "Is this the ice cream?" She reached for Bonnie's bag. "Let's make sure it doesn't get all melty. C'mon!"

"Somebody knows her way around the Salvatore pad," Bonnie observed.

"Well, you know…" Caroline said offhandedly, dragging Bonnie by the hand at almost breakneck speed. "I've just been here keeping an eye on Elena (she insists on catering to Damon's every wish- so annoying) and in the meantime, Stefan and I have been trying to come up with something else that will break this stupid sire bond since Damon's too much of a coward."

They finally reached the kitchen and Caroline began depositing the contents of Bonnie's sack into the refrigerator/freezer. Bonnie winced as she noticed it was filled with a combination of blood bags and liquor. But better than eating people, she supposed.

"Oooh, Cherry Garcia! Nice!" Caroline was inspecting ice cream cartons with gusto.

"I don't think so," Bonnie said quietly.

"What? No Cherry Garcia for you, then. You can have the Chunky Monkey." came Caroline's muffled reply, her face lost within the refrigerator's depths.

"No, Care- " Bonnie hesitated. "I meant I don't think Damon's being a coward."

Caroline could only stare, hands gripping a bottle of chocolate syrup for dear life. "What?"

"Okay, well not just a coward," Bonnie amended quickly. "I mean...I don't think it's that simple."

"How can you not?" Caroline demanded.

"I just...I don't know...Damon's been so in love with Elena for the longest time, right? And now she loves him, too- but then it's all fake. Or maybe it is. Maybe it's not. We don't know. But come on, it's crazy to think that he could basically command the person he loves to stop loving him with zero hesitation. I think that'd be really hard for anyone."

"Bonnie, are you kidding me?" Caroline growled, throwing the plastic bottle in the refrigerator and shutting the door loudly. "First of all, Elena is definitely not in love with Damon and to even suggest that she is is plain wrong- and gross. Secondly, it is totally and completely selfish of him to keep her all goo-goo eyed over him, so- "

"I never said it wasn't selfish," Bonnie started. "But- "

"But what?" Caroline exploded. "Where's this all coming from, Bon? What- you and Damon spend one plane ride alone together and suddenly you're BFFs now? You're defending him?"

Bonnie didn't have a chance to reply. Both girls jumped at the sound of a voice coming from the other side of the kitchen.

"Who's Damon's BFF?"

"Elena!" Caroline forced a smile. "No one, no one…" She threw an apprehensive glance in Bonnie's direction and mouthed: Don't. Say. Anything.

"Hi…" Bonnie said weakly.

"Bonnie!" Elena said excitedly, giving her a big hug. "Hey, how are you? I haven't seen you since…" Her face fell.

"Since Jer's funeral. Yeah…"

"You okay?"

"As okay as can be expected, I guess."

Elena nodded sagely. "Yeah, totally. I get it. I almost couldn't handle it all. But then Damon just sat me down and said I'd be okay and I'd get through it. And I realized, you know what? That's so true! Really good advice."

An awkward, tense silence hung in the air.

"Ummmm…" But Caroline couldn't seem to get beyond that. Finally Bonnie spoke, her voice cracking.

"I'm...I'm, uh, really glad he told you that, Elena. I'm glad that worked for you."

"I'm serious, Bonnie. If you take a sec and really think about it, I'm sure you'd feel much better instead of moping around looking so sad."

"Elena!" Caroline gasped.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes, but kept her voice even this time. "Well, unfortunately..." Bonnie said acidly, almost spitting out the word. "I'm not sired to Damon, Elena. I can't just do whatever he tells me."

"I don't just do whatever he tells me," Elena protested irritably. "God, I wish everyone would stop saying that! It was a smart suggestion and I followed it. I get that I'm sired to him, but that doesn't mean I can't think for myself."

"When it comes to him, yeah, it kind of does," Bonnie retorted.

"Will you guys please stop fighting?" Caroline was wringing her hands anxiously. "Come on, we were supposed to have fun today…" She trailed off pitifully.

Bonnie felt something inside her snap then, and she started to laugh.

"Bonnie?" Caroline ventured. But to no avail.

It was an empty laugh that answered her. A hollow, flat sound- so unlike Bonnie that no one said anything; Caroline and Elena both looked more and more worried the longer it went on. Bonnie gasped between chuckles.

"It's...kind of...funny...now that I...think about it," she squealed, doubling over. Her friends looked at each other then back at her cautiously.

"What is?" Elena asked tentatively.

"Well, we can't ruin Caroline's day, can we? That would be the real tragedy, wouldn't it? Never mind that my boyfriend died." She stood up suddenly, no longer laughing but glaring. "You asked me to come over so I could commiserate with you about your ex over junk food, like we're normal high schoolers with boy problems. Like Tyler isn't a werewolf. Like we haven't had the year from hell. Like people haven't been dying right and left. Like Elena's whole family maybe. And never mind that my grandmother, mother, and my boyfriend were some of those people. My boyfriend, my relationship, that you guys never seemed to notice, even though I've been there for you through all your relationships no matter how crazy." She threw Elena a withering look. "You know, if it weren't for your boyfriends, none of us would even be here. My Grams would still be alive..." She was whispering now but then her voice grew harsh again. "But she's not. And it's your fault."

"Me?" Elena cried.

"Both of you. All of you!" Bonnie yelled. "I literally put my life at risk for all of you time after time but none of you would do the same for me, I see that now. My boyfriend- my first love- died on that island too, you know. It wasn't just Elena who lost someone that day. But I guess no one ever thinks about that, huh? Do you?"

"Bonnie, stop! Please stop!" Caroline screamed. "This isn't like you!"

"Maybe that's the problem!" Bonnie screamed back at her. "Maybe poor, sweet Bonnie Bennett is tired of being everyone's doormat. Maybe it's time for a new Bonnie."

Caroline opened her mouth to respond but a familiar voice cut her off.

"Stefan, don't we have a rule in this house about no girl fights unless they take place half naked and in my bedroom?" Damon's silky smooth tones interrupted.

"I'm pretty sure you do, but the rest of us like to at least attempt decency…" Stefan murmured. "What's going on?" He stopped short at Caroline's side as Damon walked toward Elena and Bonnie.

Caroline folded her arms tightly across her chest as her eyes followed Damon across the room. "You make me want to hurl."

"Likewise, Blondie," Damon smirked. "But someone wanna tell me why our resident Bennett is looking daggers all around? One of you girls forget to return a sweater?"

Everyone turned to Bonnie, who was still fuming. How dare they? All of them staring at her like she was crazy...when she had put her life on the line for all of them, even Damon, but when could any of them say the same?

"I'm done," Bonnie said simply. "With all of you. Try saving yourselves for a change." She strode out of the kitchen, deliberately heading to the front door. Stefan and Caroline both wore twin furrowed brows, but neither could find words.

"Bonnie, look...I- I'm sorry...I was only trying to help!" Elena called out desperately, but Bonnie didn't even give her a backwards glance as she continued down the hall. In a flash Damon had himself draped in front of the door-frame, his arm blocking the path outside.

"Listen, Witchy. I get that maybe you're feeling a little under-appreciated here..."

"Move, Damon." Bonnie sighed. He leaned down, his face now inches from hers. He was so close he could see the gold flecks in her green eyes.

"But don't forget that everyone here cares about you, Bonnie." Bonnie cocked her head incredulously.

"All of us," Damon continued. "Even if- " He stopped for a moment then went on, eyes locked on hers. "Even if we don't always show it in the best way."

A wan smile pushed its way across Bonnie's lips. "Careful, Damon. If anyone overhears this people might think you have a heart."

"Yeah, well. You and I both know the truth." He smirked again and for a moment they both gazed at each other, unspoken words begging to be said, but each refusing to divulge more. Damon looked away first. "Besides," he shrugged. "You know I promised Emily Bennett I'd keep her kin alive for the rest of my life. And I'm not one to shirk a debt."

It was the wrong thing to say, he realized half a second too late. At the mention of her ancestor's name, Bonnie froze. That's all she was to him? A debt to be paid? A contract? So she was right. No one actually cared about her. No one ever had. Not her so-called friends, not her deadbeat mother- even her father only loved her conditionally as long as she suppressed her witchcraft...no, they were all either ignoring her or using her.

"Did you sweet-talk Emily into doing you favors, too?" Bonnie challenged. Damon exhaled heavily and made a tut-tut sound, wagging a finger at her.

"Not quite. Emily was- "

"Oh, so you forced her then? Makes sense. Not like she really had a choice I guess, seeing how she was a slave. I wouldn't be surprised if you kept the Bennetts alive just to have a witch on-call for all eternity. Now move." She took a step forward but Damon blocked the doorway with his whole body this time.

"Bonnie, no- that's not how it was at all. If you want, I'll tell you the whole story. The truth." His bright blue eyes peered into hers intently. For a millisecond, Bonnie paused. Then she realized it didn't matter whether he was telling the truth or not. Anything Damon did, it would be for Elena. It would always be. The Petrova doppelgangers had caught him hook, line, and sinker- only a fool couldn't see that. And this witch decided she had played the fool for the last time. She shook her head.

"There is no truth with you, Damon. All you care about is what benefits you, and you'll say anything to get it. My Grams was right: I never should've gotten involved in vampire business in the first place." She dodged to the side to slip past him.

"Bon-Bon, don't…" Damon pleaded, reaching for her shoulders. The moment his hands touched her Bonnie felt it. It was a humming surge of energy, a strike of lightening, a giant ball of inertia, like a wave she felt it rise within her and then…

"Don't touch me!" Bonnie shouted. Damon recoiled from her and hit the floor screaming, his hands covered in giant red welts. They hurt like hell but he dared himself to look back up at Bonnie first. The sight before him made him forget all about his hands. There was a fierce gale in the air now, whipping her hair around her face, her normally golden brown skin seemed to be radiating light, her pupils had turned into tiny, cat-like slits...and she was slightly levitating.

"Oh, shit." Damon muttered.


A/N: Sorry, for the delay in updating! I had work stuff then got sick and well, you know how life gets in the way of fantasy sometimes. What did you think of this chapter? I both loved and hated writing Bonnie's 180 but really, this is the scene we should've gotten on TVD several seasons ago. Leave me a review pretty pretty please! I swear I read each and every one.