Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The quote used is by Samuel Johnson and not any property of mine, simply borrowed.

-Single and loving it! By Ruth South-

"Revenge is an act of passion, vengeance is an act of Justice"

But I implore you my darlings, seek neither revenge nor vengeance on those who've done your wrong, rather turn a blind eye. Is it not better to love your tormentors instead of sinking to their level? More virtuous even, something every young woman should aspire for. But under no circumstances should you become a walkover!

-Single and loving it! By Ruth South-

Bonnie is roughly 8 here and Damon 11.

Bonnie clenched her tiny fists, eyes lidded with tears she refused to shed. She wouldn't give that little weasel the satisfaction. She yanked at the branches in her stride making her way to the old oak tree.

Panting slightly she craned her neck, spotting two pale legs dangling from a branch high up the tree.

"Damon Salvatore you get down here right now!" she shouted stomping her foot for emphasis.

She heard him laughing but other than that he showed no indication of having heard her.

"Don't let me come and get you!" she warned though secretly she hoped he wouldn't, climbing trees was hard enough without being in her Sunday best. Grams would have her neck if she came back with it torn and dirty again.

"Barney is that you?" he mocked.

"That's not my name!"

Bonnie wished that in her anger she'd thought of coming along with Elena or maybe Stefan because even though Stefan was younger then Damon, Damon listened to him more than he ever did her.

Just when she thought she might actually have to climb up she saw him begin his slow decline and begrudgingly Bonnie noted he still climbed trees better than any of them. Then again Damon was older and had longer legs and arms.

He landed with a thud a smirk on his face and Lolly Pop dangling by the neck in his hand, "Looking for this?" he asked shaking the limp doll.

Bonnie sucked in her breath so she wouldn't cry. How dare he steal her precious Lolly then dangle her so?

"You give her back right now!" she threatened.

Damon struck a pose, a look of boredom on his face, "Is that anyway to greet an old friend?" he asked with a smirk.

Bonnie glared at him, "I'm not your friend!" she hissed and reached out for Lolly but Damon being taller simply raised her higher.

"Too bad if we were friends I might have given her to you, but since we're not," he began with a shrug, "I'll just have to go find another girl... maybe Caroline would like her, what do you think?"

Frustrated Bonnie bit thoughtfully on her lower lip, yet there was no alternative. Her shoulders sagging she accepted defeat, "Fine, we are friends," she said.

Bonnie didn't even understand why Damon wanted to be her friend. Not only was he mean and older but he had friends. Mean boys who where always up to no good, well that's what Grams said they were always up to.

Damon beamed throwing an arm over her shoulder, "Was that so difficult, Barney?" he asked giving her the doll.

Bonnie clutched her doll to her chest and glared up at him, "You better not call me Barney then," she told him.

He rolled his eyes, "Fine, but then it's Bon Bon," he said with finality.

He was relaxed and really didn't expect what she did next. Seeing her opening Bonnie rolled her dress up, clutched Lolly tighter and bit down on Damon's arm, hard. When he released a yelp in pain she was already running as fast as she could.

"This isn't over Bonnie!" Damon called out after her, rubbing at his arm, "remember you have a lot of dolls and I have a lot of time!"

Back to current timeline

Bonnie checked her cell phone, she had exactly an hour before the Elena's dinner. Groaning she pulled of her tee and kicked off her shoes. It gave her exactly 30mins to soak in the tub with her book the thought alone had a rather calming effect on her.

Twisting her hair into bun, she walked over to the tub and started the water for her bath adding a generous amount of bubble foam. Humming to herself she kicked the bathroom door shut and stripped out of the rest of her clothes. After scrubbing her face clean she turned off the tap and sank into the water.

She released a content smile as she settled in, her book on her side within reach. She'd just closed her eyes for a moment when she heard the door open, thinking it was Elena bringing her extra towels, because that was such an Elena think to do she didn't even bother to open her eyes, "Girl, you can stop with the towels, you'd swear I came to stay here forever," she joked with a little laugh.

"I've been called a lot of things in my life," a voice drawled and Bonnie's eyes flew open in surprise, "But I can assure you, 'girl' is not one of them,"

Bonnie took a deep calming breath, glaring daggers at the towel clad Damon, "What the hell are you doing in here?" she demanded angrily.

He smirked closing the door slowly behind him, "What does it look like?" he asked hooking his thumbs on his low hanging towel.

"It looks like you're lost!" she snapped crossing her arms over her chest.

"Bon Bon my Bon Bon, I'm not lost if anything you are," he replied casually.

Bonnie shook her head, she was not going to get mad. She decided.

"Damon, this is the bathroom to my bedroom," she reminded him with strong emphasis. She knew for a fact Damon's guestroom had a built in bathroom.

Damon waved his hand dismissively, "Well, my shower is broken so I'll just use yours then," he stated like it was totally normal.

"Fine, but then you'll just have to wait till I'm finished," she said coolly and all but bristled when she realised the jerk was trying to peer through the bubbles, "And stop leering at me!" she added fluffing the bubbles around her.

"This coming from the woman who couldn't keep her eyes off Damon's ass, what a hypocrite," he chided with an eye roll as he proceeded towards the shower, "Look Bonnie, it's not like we are sharing a shower, you won't even notice me,"

"Damon, I swear-"

"Can't hear you over the water doll," Damon said cutting off her warning as he turned on the water.

Bonnie sat there seething mad, "What the hell are you doing?!" she demanded as if it wasn't obvious that he'd ignored her completely and went ahead with his shower.

"Well, if you must know...right now I'm running the sponge over my pe-"

"Stop!" Bonnie practically shouted, "I don't want to know," she added mortified while covering her ears with her hands.

"Get your mind out the gutter Bennett; I was going to say my pectorals," he said dryly, "Running the sponge over my pectorals,"

"I bet you were," Bonnie mumbled angrily.

"What, you want to scrub my back?"

"NO!"

She heard Damon chuckle, the jerk probably thought it was some grand joke. If she'd hoped he'd matured over the years she was sadly mistaken, but something had changed. She was no longer some girl he could tease just because he could. She'd have her revenge not right now when her only saving grace was rapidly dissipating bubbles, but she would.

From the shower she could hear Damon humming away so she took the opportunity to estimate how fast she could snatch a towel to wrap herself in before taking the others towels with her. It would be sweet revenge to have Damon begging her for a towel. With a smirk Bonnie quietly and cautiously stood up taking a moment to wonder why the bathroom hanger was all the way across the room before she stretched out one leg, watching the shower door from the corner of her eye.

And she would have made her dignified escape had that wench fate not decide at the exact moment to screw her over. It was the sound of the shower door sliding opening that distracted her, in a hurry to get to the towel she misjudged her stepping and with a yelp slipped ungraciously onto the tiled floor on her back.

There was a long silence that seemed to be broken only by the shower that was still running but Bonnie was too mortified to move let alone open her eyes.

"If it's any consolation I have my eyes closed," Damon said obviously trying to hide the amusement in his face, "Would you like me to retreat back into the shower while you get decent?"

Yes how very gentlemanly of him. Bonnie thought darkly, "Yes," she replied her voice thankfully calm.

"On one condition,"

She should have known there was some catch, "What's the condition?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"We leave the past behind and renew our friendship," had he not sounded so sincere Bonnie would have scoffed at the idea and he must have thought that because he quickly added, "We were good friends once,"

And they had been, so begrudgingly she knew she had to accept his terms. Besides there were worst things then being Damon's friend, like lying naked on the bathroom floor, "Okay just go back into the shower and let me get decent," she said.

"Anything for a friend," Damon said smugly.

Bonnie waited a few more seconds before opening her eyes and peeking to make sure he had indeed given her some privacy. Standing up she snatched the towel and quickly wrapped it around her.

"Are you done yet?" Damon asked sounding bored, "Some of us have to also get dressed you know,"

Biting her lower lip in contemplation Bonnie eyed the remaining towels. Oh what the heck! She thought evilly as she grabbed them and made a beeline for the door, "Oh and Damon?"

"What?"

"Payback's a bitch!" she called out just as she slammed the door behind her muffling his curses.