Boogeyman Chapter 3: Love Is A Four Letter Word by Yinx1

Damon's jaw ticked at the pixie haircut woman being cradled by a dog in the row ahead of him. He shifted in his seat crossing his arms; Bonnie's head lowered to settle on Tyler's shoulder, his arm tighten around her. Even in this lamenting occasion, Damon felt as if he was looking through green colored lenses and now they were turning red. He hated this. He hated feeling this way about her, about her with him, about her with them.

As much as he wanted to shake these jealous feelings, he couldn't. Bonnie was his well not his. He had been with her since she was eight. He had watched over, her protected from herself and others, he had loved her for over fifteen years. Now this dog had the nerve to put his paws on what was rightfully his. Damon shook his head, grateful that he and Bonnie didn't share one of the most imitate bonds. He knew she would never approve of what he was thinking and would most definitely leave him with the silent treatment as punishment. But he couldn't help the thoughts that ran through his mind; he knew the pup wasn't the one to be afraid of.

The congregation stood as the light blue urn was carried out by the mother and father. The crowd filled out after it, heading for the reception. An older gent, that seemed to appear out of nowhere, tapped Bonnie's shoulder and she immediately embraced the tanned man with blue-green eyes.

The mutt look disgruntled at the affection that wasn't shown to him; Damon couldn't help but smile. That dismissal was all he needed as proof the pup wasn't even a threat to him. He watched as Finn linked Bonnie's arm through his and escorted her outside leaving Tyler in the mist of the exiting crowd.

Smirking, Damon walked up and patted Tyler on the back. "You didn't really think you had a chance, Mutt," he hissed; then passed him keeping Bonnie in his line of vision.

"I have more of a chance than you do," Tyler challenged.

Damon turned around as the last of the people exited the sanctuary. The look on his face would have shut down a lesser man, but not Tyler Lockwood.

The man continued, "Bonnie will never see you as anything more than some kind of disturbing father figure. She will never love you the way you want her too. You are..." Tyler couldn't finish his statement as he was now pinned to the cross at the back of the pulpit. The toes of his black church shoes barely touched the ground.

"What are you," he croaked, his nails clawing at Damon's face and hands, watching the wild-eye man heal fully from the abrasions less than a second later.

Damon smirked, "You will never know, Shifter. As for Bonnie she is mine," his grip tighten around his neck.

Tyler sputtered his face growing a deep color of mauve; his eyes began to burst blood vessels, "Bonnie will never forgive you if you kill me."

"You hide behind her like I give a damn. I can dispose of you easily and she will never know." Damon let him go and Tyler fell to the floor on his hands and knees gasping for the much needed air.

Damon bent down next to him. "I don't like repeating myself, Tyler. Next time saying Bonnie's name won't save you." He stood adjusting his jacket, and smoothing his raven hair. "I do so like our one-on-one chats…" Damon stepped over Tyler's shivering body. "I would actually love them if you weren't in it."

Rubbing his neck, Tyler opened his eyes; Damon was gone.

Bonnie sat at a back table of the reception hall. She watched as Elizabeth Forbes cried unmercifully on her ex-husband shoulders. The young woman swallowed hard looking away, tears creeping into her eyes; if she had been only few minutes sooner, an hour earlier.

"Stop it, Bonnie."

Wiping her eyes, Bonnie turned to see Damon sitting next to her. "What?"

"You couldn't have saved her, Bonnie," he whispered taking her hand in his. "There was nothing to do once we got there. Caroline was dead."

Bonnie shook her head fiercely, reminding Damon of the plaits she wore when she was a child. They would slap her face when she did that; the memory brought a smile to his lips. "I felt her, Damon. If we have gotten there-"

"I said, stop it!" The ice blue of his eyes darken, the smile gone, the whites of his eyes turned a blood red and midnight black veins appeared under his eyes. Everything normalized once Bonnie snatched her hand away.

Bonnie's enchanting green eyes narrowed, "I hate it when you do that, Damon."

"I'm sorry," he reach for her hand only to be rejected as she placed her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry," he repeated sheepishly as he copied her hands placement with his own. "You know I don't like you beating yourself up over things you have no control over. You had no control over what happened to Caroline; I won't have you blaming yourself."

"I could have-," Bonnie began but stopped at the look he gave her. She looked away and the table went silent.

Damon sat back; his eyes scanned her as she avoided eye contact and began playing with a paper napkin. She needed space and so did he. Talking about death with her was something he had a hard time doing even when she was eight.

He cleared his throat before standing, "I'll be back with our plates," he started over to the potluck buffet. Once back he found his seat taken by Finn and Bonnie was eating from the same plate as he. Damon saw red, but shook the color out of his eyes before sitting down on the other side of Bonnie placing a plate in front of her.

"Don't worry, I got her something already," Finn pointed to the shared plate.

He smiled smugly, "Well, you're too busy gawking to know that Bonnie hasn't touched her side." Damon informed him pointing at the untouched food.

Finn looked down seeing he was right.

"Our little Bonnie here is a picky eater," Damon continued handing her a fork. "Not to mention most of the food you have hoarded from those that need food instead of blood to live on, she's allergic too."

"Why didn't you tell me," Finn asked dumbfounded watching her start to eat from the plate Damon brought.

"It was just really sweet how you brought over the plate so we could share." Bonnie replied after she finished chewing. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"But you could have gotten sick."

"Correction. Died." Damon piped up sitting back slinging an arm over the back of Bonnie's chair. "That's gelatin shit right there could have killed her in five different ways...might could have killed me," he winked callously at the still dumbfounded Finn.

"Shut up, Damon," Bonnie hissed.

Smirking, Damon went back to his meal.

"Again, Finn, the gesture was too sweet to refuse," Bonnie placed a hand over Finn's replacing the Begone's frown with a smile.

Damon's jaw ticked as he stabbed his carrots, "Sweets can kill you, Bonnie, remember that."

"Damon, stop being rude. Today isn't the day." Bonnie pleaded.

Damon swallowed his food, "I'm just looking out for you, or do you want to die over a sweet gesture," his glare went from her face to Finn's plate then back to her face.

"Can you just be nice this one day-"

Raising an eyebrow he cocked his head to the side, "Sure…I mean I knew the person in that urn…did you Finn?" He ignored Bonnie's gasp.

"I'm here to support Bonnie," Finn nodded at her as he stood. "I can see she is in well protected hands." He took Bonnie's hand, kissing the palm. "I'll tell work to give you a few more days off. Maybe I'll see you to lunch soon." He bowed out and vanished before Damon could get in a retort.

The two were silent for a few minutes, "So did you try the mac-n-chesse, it's actually good," Damon asked stealing a bit of hers.

Bonnie pushed her plate towards him, looking off into the crowd. "I'm ready to go when you are."

"How was it," Rebekah asked standing quickly from the stairs she accompanied as the two walked in the boarding house one hour later. Damon had sat and finished both his and Bonnie's plate before he was ready to go.

"Fine," Both Bonnie and Damon answered at the same time exchanging a glance.

"O...K," Rebekah cocked her head to the side. She watched as Bonnie took off her heels and started up the main stairway. The corner of her mouth went up in a smirk at Damon's disgruntled look followed the ascending girl. She opened her mouth.

"Now's not the time for your bullshit," Damon seethed. Then turned and made his way into the parlor.

Rebekah closed her mouth, maybe now wasn't the best time to tease. She flashed up the stairs to see how her best friend was doing. Knocking on the door then entering the messy bedroom. Bonnie was nowhere in sight but the light was on in the bathroom. Rebekah plopped down on the bed and waited. Not at the least bit surprised seeing her friend on her bed when she walked out in a long sleeve sweatshirt and short gym shorts, Bonnie tossed her clothes in the hamper and began picking up the others off the floor.

"Wow…you must be fuming," Rebekah watched in awe.

Bonnie straighten up looking at her friend, her brow knitted together in confusion, "What?"

"Damon. He's got your panties in a twist and not in a good way…Bonnie you're cleaning." She chuckled in amusement.

Glancing down at the clothes in her hands before, she dropped them. "Ugh, he makes so angry, Bexie." Bonnie moaned crawling up in her bed sitting across from her friend. "He just ruined Caroline's funeral being rude to Finn…I haven't seen Tyler since the church. I bet Damon said something to him because I was crying on his shoulders. Why? Why can't he just be nice for once with others that are not me?"

Rebekah's mouth turned down in playful contemplation. "Maybe because he has that asshole gene, you know the one that makes you an asshole." She sighed at the sad look Bonnie gave her. "Okay…okay, truth." Rebekah lurched as if she was about to throw up. "Damon…ugh, he loves you…oh dear my stomach just churned something fierce."

"Seriously, Rebekah." Bonnie pleaded.

"Please don't make me say it again, I just had a really delicious lunch of some hipster that just ate IN-N-OUT Animal Fries." Rebekah begged but it didn't work, she sighed placing a truthful smile on full lips. "Damon loves you, Bonnie and not in that platonic way…though it is kind of like some West Virginia platonic love if you really think about in a bizarre-"

"Bex!"

"It's the truth. The guy practically raised you, plus you two have conjugal visits every week. and when you two are in each other's presence, I see the way you both look at each other…Bonnie what you and Damon have is what the rest of the world searches for. You really think Damon's love for you is platonic?" The blonde scoffed crossing her arms over her chest.

"I…I" Bonnie stammered. She ran her hand over her hair, drawing her knobby knees to her chest. "I don't know…Damon and I…we have never talked about those things."

"Well, maybe this is a good time too. I mean with Caroline dying…" she saw Bonnie tense. "The time is now, life is too short to be forever without your other half, Panda Bear." She smiled as Bonnie began to contemplate on her words.

Bonnie walked into the parlor around two that morning to find Damon sitting on the couch watching the dying flames of the fireplace and nursing vintage bourbon straight from the bottle. He was still dressed in clothes from the funeral.

"I couldn't sleep," she mumbled to the back of his head, knowing he knew she was there. "I…I got hungry and thought I should get a snack."

Damon took a swig of the muddy brown liquid, "Why are you telling me? You know where the kitchen is."

Bonnie brushed off his rudeness, "I wanted to know if you wanted something…if there is something I can do for you."

"Anything?" He still had not turned around.

Cocking her head to the side, "Within reason," she replied.

"Then never mind," he took a longer drink.

Bonnie marched around the couch to face him, snatching the bottle from his hand, and getting an eye full of fangs as Damon vamped to her growling animalistic in her face. She stood her ground, smelling the alcohol on his breath, until the upyr took a step back. Swallowing hard, Bonnie glancing away before she spoke, "We need to talk, Damon."

"Am I allowed to drink while you are talking?" he asked falling back on the couch placing his feet on the coffee table and crossing them at the ankles.

Bonnie handed back the bottle then sat down on his lap surprising the raven haired man. Damon's blueish silver eyes stared unblinking as she snuggled against his chest. She had never shown this forwardness of affection with him in public. Not even in front of Rebekah or Katerina. Damon's heart leaped as she laid her head on his shoulders. Don't get your hopes up, Salvatore, a small voice told him.

He cleared his throat, "What is this, Bonnie, some kind of fucked up intervention?"

"No…we need to talk about us, Damon," Bonnie sat up looking at him in the eyes. "I…I need to know how you feel about me."

"Wha…what do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb, Damon, it's not cute," Bonnie called him out. "I know you were listening in on Bex and I's conversation hours ago." She looked away towards the fireplace, "I need to know if you love me the way she says you do."

Damon swallowed hard wondering if he should tell the truth. "Yes," he muttered, their eyes locked when she turned back to him.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Shrugging, Damon lifted the bottle to his lips only for Bonnie to snatch it back. A low growl came from his throat.

"Why didn't you tell me, Damon? She repeated. "I have known you most of my life, you even took the place of my father when I was little. Then when I was twenty one we-"

"What's the point of this memory lane, Bonnie," he interrupted.

Bonnie sucked in a deep breath, "The point is, Damon, you never said anything. How was I to know? What if Finn and I had gotten together?"

"What about it?" Damon moved her off him to stand. "If you were happy Bonnie that's all that matters-"

Bonnie watched him as he went over to pour himself a glass of liquor. "What about your happiness, Damon? Do you think you deserve to be happy too?"

Damon downed a glass straight. "Maybe someday..." He poured another glass then turned around to face her. "I'll find someone."

"Someone..." Bonnie whispered sadly as her shoulders sank, "Oh…um I…I…I think...I think I'm gonna head to bed." She muttered.

"What about your snack?"

Bonnie hugged herself as she avoided his piercing eyes, "Not...not as hungry as I thought...night, Damon."

Damon watched her ascend the stairs. His hearing made sure she was on the second landing before throwing his glass into the fireplace. The flames coming alive was reflected in his eyes.

"What do you want?" He growled at the figure behind him coming into the parlor.

Katerina saucer in from the shadows of the kitchen plopping down on the leather bound couch. "Just getting my bedtime Milano cookies and Yellow Tail, stayed for immensely entertaining and sad conversation. That was very gallant of you, Salvatore. Emily would be proud."

"She had better be." Damon said gruffly, coming over to sit in the arm chair. "I just gave up the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me because of her."

"Maybe in another life," Katerina smiled sadly.

Damon chortled shaking his head, "The thing is has always been I don't want another life I want this one with her...with Bonnie."

"The notorious Damon Salvatore wanting to settle down after how many centuries?"

Damon's head fell back resting on the back of it. "Does it even matter...it can't be with her because I have to protect her." They sat in silence for over five minutes Damon lost in thought. "What if being with her is protecting her?" He spoke suddenly making Katerina jump slightly in her seat.

"You really want to walk that line with Emily Bennett. The bitch is dead but that doesn't mean she won't come after you. The Bennett Sangoma line is the oldest and most powerful line I wouldn't even want to cause ripples, Damon. "

"I promised Emilia I would protect her line, which I have for over a century now."

"And you know the rules Guardians aren't supposed to mix with Nature. If you and Bonnie become one do you know the evil that can be conjured? How would we be able to fight that when it can be avoid so easily...Do you even know the danger a child of yours can do...what it can be?"

Damon stood. "I know that risk, Katerina, but can be and will be are two separate things. I should at least let her know how I feel. I owe her that." He nodded goodnight to her and flashed into the kitchen.

A silent tear ran over the bridge of her nose. Damon's rejection shouldn't have this effect on her. They just slept together, he helped raise her, maybe that's why it hurt so much...twice as much.

Bonnie curled her tiny frame into a ball retreating into multiple layers of covers on her bed. Placing her face into the pillow, wishing for sleep to take her so she will be able to forget for a while. She heard her door open and close; the overhead light came on. Listening to his footsteps step over the clutter and up to her side of the bed. Bonnie didn't budge as something clinked on her nightstand.

"Here's your snack," Damon spoke to the plate of Oreos and glass of warm sugared milk. He glanced at the small bundle of covers. "I'm sorry, Bonnie...there are things," he shoved his hands into the front jeans pockets, "things I can't tell you about what will happen if we were together."

"What is the point of you being here, to make me feel worse." She muttered.

"Not my intension, Little Bird, believe me, I don't want to ever hurt you. I want to tell you why...but I can't."

Bonnie turned her head, peeking over her covers, her eyes met his. "What are you saying?" She moved to sit up, "We are some kind of forbidden love?"

"In a fucked up way, yes. I protect you, Bonnie, like you already know. I've also protect your line of witches."

Bonnie's brow knitted together in confusion, "So you're my Watcher to my Buffy?"

He chuckled, "In a way..." Damon repeated sitting down on the edge of her bed. "I have protected your line for a long time. I really wish I could tell you everything, Bonnie, but like I said I can't."

Bonnie stared at the natural curves and organic design of her comforter. "What does that mean for us?" She asked apprehensively. "Do we have a future together, Damon?" She looked up at him. "I won't get caught up in you just for you to dismiss me."

Damon watched as she blinked back coming tears, one freed itself and ran down her cheek. He reached over cupping her cheek and thumbing the tear away. Leaning in, Damon brushed his lips against hers for a soft kiss than turned into a heated one as Bonnie cupped his face holding him to her as she attacked his mouth with hers. Moaning, he enjoyed it knowing it may be his last intimate touch.

He broke the kiss panting slightly, "When you love someone you're happy when they are happy even if it isn't with you." His lips brushed hers as he spoke noses gently poking the other. Damon watched her eyes flutter open, "We would be happy, Bonnie, but our happiness wouldn't last. She...they would make sure of it."

Bonnie's fingers feathered over his 5 o'clock shadow, her eyes pleading, "We can fight them together, Damon, whoever they are."

"I will not put you in danger, Bonnie." He removed her hands from his face. "I'm sorry." He felt a gush of wind blow across his face.

Bonnie yanked her hands out of his, staring unbelievably at him for what seemed like hours. Retreating again into her covers, "Leave, Damon," she whispered.

Damon opened his mouth only for it to be snapped shut as the door opened and his being flew out of the room. The door slammed shut. Damon got to his feet dusting himself off he walked back to her door. He tried the nob but it burned his hand upon touching. Even with his super strength, his shoulder pressed against the door, the room was impenetrable. Damon ran a hand vigorously through his hair. "I will always love you, Little Bird," he mumbled at the door Damon turned and made his way back to his room.

Fell's Church was a town of churches. To the eye it would seem every religion or spiritual avenue had erected a building to dwell in. The oldest and first church in the town was said to be St. Bartholomew. An ancient cobblestone building sat of the edge of town hidden in a small grove. It was a tourist trap the local elders called it, yet no one visited. Haunted said the youth, yet they dare not go near. Both would agree strange things happened there not at night but during the day.

During the day a strange green mist would roll in over the always trimmed grass. White smoke would billow out of the chimney. Noises, inhuman noises came from within. Shadowy figures were usually spotted at these times, but no one civilian nor authority dared to investigate the cause.

Through green misty eyes, a scalp was seen lowering into the crease of the eyelid. She cried out as the blade sliced her eye lid off little by little. The ear piercing scream filled the echoing room, dark blood gush forth blinding the crying girl's sight. The same was done to the other lid as her screams grew louder and louder until they were deafening.

Damon bolted from the chair he occupied in his room. He had dressed for bed wearing only charcoal boxer briefs but couldn't muster up getting in the lonely bed. Bonnie's screams had awoken him from a restless sleep.

He flashed outside his room and up to Bonnie's hallway. Her screams intensified as Damon tried to door jumping back at the first degree burn the handle left. "BONNIE!" He yelled, "BONNIE UNDO THE SPELL! BONNIE!" Feeling a cool breeze, Rebekah was at his side.

"What's going on," she cried at him then trying the handle. It did burn her but being a Begone it had a only minor effect. Rebekah tried with all her might to break the knob but it didn't turn.

Bonnie's screams grew more blood curdling.

Damon flashed away, leaving Rebekah pounding on the old oak floor. He was back with a very sleepy and very pissed Katerina.

"BLAST IT!" He demanded pointing to the door.

Upon hearing her friend's screams, the Petrova's dark brown eyes turn midnight black. Rebekah stepped aside as a small glow ball of pure white light appeared in the palm of Katerina's hand. Rearing her arm back, she threw the light at the handle and it sent sparks and pieces of wood flying everywhere.

The door swung open as Bonnie's cries deaden.

The three barged in. Katerina tumbled to her knees her stomach churning at the sight.

There was so much blood.

Damon felt his heart stop then drop to the pits of his stomach. He was at Bonnie's side her skintone unrecognizable under layers of dried and fresh blood. Listening for her heartbeat it was faint and fading, hoping she would forgive him, Damon ripped into his wrist and propping Bonnie's neck up he fed her his blood. Massaging her neck, he coaxed the healing liquid down her throat. Taking her slowly into his arms, Damon turned, his eyes never leaving her face. Rebekah reading his mind flashed to the joining bathroom and began to run a bath. Damon stripped Bonnie of her blood soaked nightshirt and panties then placed her in the tub.

Not waiting for the tub to fill Rebekah retrieved washcloths and she and Damon both began rinsing and gently rubbing the blood off Bonnie's body.

"Are you seeing this," she whispered.

Damon stared Bonnie's half way cleaned torso.

"There...there are not cuts, no abrasions...nothing." Rebekah continued.

Damon's piercing eyes trailed the rest of Bonnie's body seeing she was right. There wasn't even a paper cut on her. Bonnie moaned softly her eyelids fluttered but didn't open. Damon cupped her cheek; Bonnie nuzzled against it. Damon let out a ragged breath he didn't know he was holding.

Katerina looked on from the doorway, gripping the doorpost for support. Her eyes panned back over into the bedroom and dark blood soaked sheets. "Then who's blood is it?" She whispered to herself though the other two heard it both wondering the same thing.

A/N: DUN DUN DUN. I'd like to thank Esmeralda312 for being my muse and giving me some Domesticated Bamon gifsets. They really helped me finish this and push forward with the rest of the story.