It had been three days since Damon had last seen that Bonnie Bennett in the alleyway. But, he hadn't been out in public for the last three days, that was because Sybil just wanted him to stay inside of the apartment catering to her and serving her and getting him to give her whatever she wanted. He did and said whatever she asked for to keep her pleased.

Today had been the first time that he was out in public for the last three days and that was because Sybil had told him to go out and get her a special coffee drink from a local coffee shop, then later she wanted him to take her out shopping at the mall, so he would. As for now he was getting her that coffee drink and headed inside of that coffee shop. Once inside, he headed towards the counter and prepared to order, however half there sat Bonnie Bennett at a table. She was drinking a mug of steaming coffee while looking down at her phone. And from where the table was it made it impossible for him to pass by to get to the counter, without her seeing him. He wondered if he should have went back out to avoid her, because he knew that was what Sybil wanted him to do, avoid Bonnie at all costs.

Yet he also knew that Sybil wouldn't be happy if he came back without her coffee drink. So, he decided that he would just get the drink, not say word to the witch, and get out as quick as he could. Looking forward he started to make his way to the counter, as if he never had his eyes on her. A few steps away from her table is when she looked up and spotted him.

An expression of surprise came upon Bonnie's face as she hadn't been expecting to see him there.

He saw that she saw him, but remained silent and walked a little passed her and the table.

That was when Bonnie called out to him. "Wait…...I have something to tell you."

Damon responded. "I don't have the time to listen."

Bonnie kept going. "Trust me, you'll be interested in hearing this one out for me."

Damon returned. "As I said, I don't have the time. I need to get a drink and get it back to my queen at the apartment."

"This conversation won't take that long, just have a seat and listen to what I have to say first." Bonnie insisted.

Even though he told himself that he should ignore her, order the drink, and get out. There was something inside of him that he couldn't explain that had him pause in his actions, like he had an urge to listen to her. That was why instead of walking away, he turned and took the seat across from her.

For a moment they stared across the table at each other.

Then Damon grumbled. "Make it quick."

The green-eyed witch started. "Isn't it something that this would be the fourth time since we met up in public since you have said that you don't know me, the fact that we have ran into each other at the exact same place, at the exact same time. It's like fate is telling us that we are meant to be close."

Damon snorted. "I don't believe in that fate nonsense."

"Well, you should because I certainly do." Bonnie returned.

"Is that what you wanted to tell me, that fate has us destined to be in a relationship?" Damon wondered.

"Actually, I was going to tell you that I have an offer for you." Bonnie told him.

"An offer." Damon repeated.

She took a sip of her coffee. "An offer that is a challenge from me to you."

He had to admit that he was intrigued. "What is this challenge that you speak of?"

Bonnie cleared her throat. "One that will prove that you and I are indeed close friends."

Damon smirked a little. "I have to say Bennett, that you are persistent, almost makes me what to respect that."

"Yeah" She went on. "The more that someone tells me that I can't or shouldn't do something, the harder that I tend to fight."

"Then." Damon gestured. "Tell me more about your challenge to me."

"I challenge you to spend time with me to prove that I'm not lying to you. That are relationship is very indeed real." Bonnie leaned across the table.

The eldest Salvatore just cocked his head to the side.

Bonnie explained more. "You can't remember me, I know that. So I request that you spend some time around me, let me try some things to see if it can spark your memory of me or at least prove that our friendship is real."

Damon muttered. "What things?"

Bonnie shrugged. "Anything that I can think of or know about of the things that we did to bond, the fun stuff that we did together, other things that we did when we became friends. Just to see if you remember. You'll actually have to accept the challenge to see what is what."

"Are you serious." Damon mumbled.

Bonnie did indeed know Damon Salvatore, she knew him like she knew the back of her hand. She knew his personality, what made him tick, what made him think, knew what drove and motivated him. Even knew how he breathed. Knowing him better than anyone else that she had met in her life.

One of the things that she knew about him, was that he was a man with a sense of ego and pride. Those traits that made him jump at a challenge when one was properly represented to him. Always glad to prove someone else wrong or himself in the right. Or get a win over someone.

That was way she saw representing him with her challenge as an opportunity to get a chance to get through to him, even if it was going to require some work.

"I'm on hundred percent serious." Bonnie nodded. "I just ask that you give me a fair amount of time to prove our relationship to you or at least reintroduce you to our friendship."

Damon sighed. "No, Thanks, not interested."

Bonnie questioned, "Why not?"

"Because." Damon said. "I don't need you to prove anything to me, no proof will make me believe you."

"Based off of Sybil telling you not to believe me." Bonnie furrowed her brow,

"Uh, duh. She wouldn't lie to me." Damon stated.

Bonnie peered at him, over the tip of her coffee mug. "Are you Sybil's damn robot, she presses a button and you just go out and do it and say it."

The black haired vampire flared his nostrils. "I am not a damn robot."

Bonnie put down her mug. "Really? Because she is turning you into hers, tell me ever since you remember meeting her, have you done and said things on your own, with you coming up with it first. Are they truly your own thoughts or do what you say and believe in, is from the point of view of what Sybil told you."

He opened his mouth to retort, but couldn't come up with one because he released that she had a point, most of the things that he said or did in the recent days was because of Sybil telling him.

"That's what I thought. She is having you do stuff such as having you call her 'my queen', which I find rather ridiculous by the way." Bonnie lifted her chin.

"What are you getting at here." Damon gruffed.

"This is your chance to show me that you aren't her robot, that you can have thoughts and feelings that are of your own." Bonnie commented.

The scent of whatever perfume or lotion that she was wearing entered his nose, and mixed in with the smell of coffee he found it appealing coming from her. He blinked his eyes to keep himself from being distracted. "You want me to do this challenge for your sake."

She corrected. "I want you to do this challenge for both of our sakes. You once told me that we need each other, you were right. Let me show you how much that we need each other."

Damon shook his head. "Not saying that I am interested but even if I was, how do you expect me to meet up with you Sybil knowing that I met up with you, and how she wouldn't be pleased about that."

"Who even says that Sybil has to know about our meetings." Bonnie pointed out.

"Wait." Damon squinted his cobalt eyes. "Are you telling me that I should hide meeting with you from her, like keep it a secret?"

"Of course you can do that. She won't know or find out about it if you don't tell her. You aren't around her every second of the day, whatever free time that you have away from her you can take to meet with me." Bonnie suggested. "Unless you think that you need permission from Sybil before you do anything, do you have to ask her if you are allowed to blow your nose before you do so."

Damon narrowed his eyes.

"Sounds like more of a mother, child relationship that you have there. You need her permission to do everything, so you hesitate to take this challenge, even if it interests you. Sad that I thought that you were your own man, but I guess since you are Sybil's then you won't be accepting this challenge so….." With a sigh, Bonnie stood up from the table and turned her back on him like she was going to walk away.

"Hey, I'm Damon Salvatore, I am my own man and don't need permission from anyone to do everything." Damon took offense to her statement.

A smirk that rivaled his signature one came across her face, he had taken the bait that she dropped. Bonnie turned back around, sitting in her seat. "Then prove that you are your own man, who can make his own choices. Take me up on this challenge, if you are truly interested in it."

"How do propose that we meet up? Where would we be able to without Sybil knowing?" Damon rubbed the back of his neck.

"We could meet up at my dad's house…..well it's my house now really since he passed away. But, I doubt that Sybil knows about that house since I moved out of there before she even came to this town. It's still available to hold our meetings though," Bonnie suggested.

"So, you're offering me to met you at your place for some secret meetings." He wanted to make sure.

Bonnie nodded. "Yes, exactly."

Damon's eyes scanned over her. "And if I do this thing and still don't remember you, or connect to you, what happens then? I tell you what, I just might and I'm not saying that I will, but just might consider this challenge on one condition."

Bonnie questioned. "What's that?"

His tone was firm. "If I put a fair about of time into it, and still don't remember, or know you, or want to know you, then you leave me the hell alone and drop this thing."

Although Bonnie didn't like the idea of leaving him alone because it would imply that she is giving up, she figured that she had to accept, because saying that she wouldn't might turn him off to the idea all together. "Fine, if after a fair amount of time passes and you still don't remember me or want nothing to do with me then I will leave you alone."

"With what you just said." Damon leaned back. "I'm still not guaranteeing you that your challenge is something that I want to do. As far as I'm concerned you have proven nothing and I have no reason to believe that Sybil would lie to me."

"The bottomline is that I know you, Damon. I know the very heart of you." Bonnie emphasized. "I know that if there is a part of your life that is important to you, that you would want to know about it, and that you would want to learn about it. That you would hate losing out on that part of your life, this is your opportunity to gain that back."

Damon just drummed his fingers on the table.

"You can accept this chance that I am giving you, unless you are afraid of knowing that all that Sybil made you believe is a lie and that she is misleading you for the gains of her own pleasures." Bonnie added softly.

She got out a pin and a piece of paper, writing something on it. "This is the address to the house that I spoke of. I'll be there tomorrow afternoon, waiting on you. If you don't show up all day then I know that you would have rejected my challenge and really aren't interested." She slide the paper with the address across to him.

After pausing, Damon took the paper and slide it into his pocket. "Are we finished here?"

"For the moment, just please think of what I told you today." Bonnie pleaded.

Saying nothing more he got up from the table and proceeded to buy that coffee drink.

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Later that day Damon was taking Sybil out to the mall as she wanted him to do. They had been at the mall for about two hours as she shopped for clothes. He followed along as she tried on clothes in the fitting room, inflating her ego by saying that she looked good in everything. Sybil brought clothes and had him carry the shopping bags, as he went with her to shop to shop. Doing what a lot of men wouldn't be up for, which was spending hours shopping for woman related things, but Sybil had him trained to do what she wanted him to do.

Now they were in one of the most expensive shoe stores in the mall, for the last thirty five minutes Sybil took her time trying on pairs of shoes. Damon just sat there watching as she did so.

"Do you approve of these, Damon?" Sybil asked of the red high heel shoes that she was currently trying on.

Automatically, Damon nodded.

"These look great on me don't they." Sybil moved her foot around.

"Yes, they look great on you." Damon agreed.

"Then we will buy them." Sybil stepped out of her shoe and looked towards him. "Don't you just love it when we have outings like this."

Damon said. "Yes." Because he knew that was what she wanted to hear.

"My dream our future as a couple, you will love too." Sybil stated.

"What is that dream?" Damon asked.

Sybil told him. "The dream of us living in Paris, France, as a couple. Paris the most romantic city in the world, where we can move to eventually, getting away from this sad town of Mystic Falls and it's residents. Then you would propose to me, we would get married in Paris, having a happy life there. You will do that for me one day, won't you."

Damon returned. "Whatever you wish for to make you happy, my queen."

Reaching over Sybil patted his cheek. "That's a good boy!"

As Damon kept following her around the mall, he kept thinking back to his run in with Bonnie Bennett earlier in that day, one that he hadn't told Sybil about. He still had the piece of paper that she had given him with that address in his pocket. He knew that his mind was suppose to be one hundred percent on Sybil at the moment, but yet there was something about what Bonnie had said that he couldn't quite shake and again he couldn't explain the reason why.

It stuck with him all the more now that Sybil had just told him that she wanted them to move to Paris together. That she wanted him to propose to him, that they would get married. That thought never crossed Damon's mind until she mentioned it, and he felt obligated just to go along with it because that he what Sybil had said.

Bonnie's words stuck in his mind. " The Bottomline is that I know you, Damon. I know the very heart of you." "...she is misleading you for the gains of her own pleasures."

Days before, Damon was confident that he could trust in Sybil, believing that he could trust everything that she was telling him and that it was true. Now he was wondering if she really was misleading him for her own pleasures. A part of him felt conflicted, he wanted to stay loyal to Sybil, because he felt like he was suppose to be. Yet, he was curious about that challenge that Bonnie Bennett had brought to him. He had a choice to make and he didn't know what that was going to be.

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On the next day Bonnie woke up that morning, she took a shower and got dressed, then spent the first few hours of the morning at the cabin with Enzo. Around afternoon, she left the British vampire there and headed by herself to what was her dad's house before he passed away. The house had been signed over to her in his will, along with about sixty thousand dollars, a good amount of which was still in her bank account as she made sure that she spent carefully, and worked her job to add to the amount that she had in the bank.

It had been years since she had lived in this house however, she still kept it as a backup place to stay in just in case. She was in a committed relationship with Enzo and was living at the cabin but, didn't want to put all of her eggs into one basket that way. Just by the chance that her romance with Enzo went south one day, she didn't want to face the awkwardness of living with a man that she was no longer involved with. Nor did she want to have to face suddenly having to look for a different place to live if any breakup had caused her to move out of the cabin. As much as she said that she was happy with Enzo, her gut told her to keep this house just in case.

Over the years even though she didn't stay there, Bonnie had spent a day about twice a month coming to the house to clean, dust, and help keep it up and maintained. Most of the furniture that her father had left behind was still in the house, she she didn't have to worry about refurnishing it.

A couple of hours had passed by as Bonnie waited nervously to see if Damon would come and take her up on her offer. The more time that went by without him showing up the more nervous that she got wondering if he would. To keep herself calm, she didn't a little touch up cleaning, although the house really didn't need it at the time. Then she sat down and twiddled her thumbs, just waiting for him to show up.

Thoughts began to enter Bonnie's mind, such as what if Damon choose not to show up? What if he choose to ignore her warnings about Sybil misleading him, using him, and instead decided to believe Sybil? What if he thought that it was better for him to spend all of his life by Sybil's side?

Bonnie had a lot riding on the decision that she had made to offer this challenge to Damon. It was almost all or a nothing type of situation. If she had failed to convince him to come today, then that meant that she was risking losing out on him, that his lifetime would be made to suffer at the mental prison that Sybil currently had him in. It meant that Bonnie felt like she would never get a chance to have a close relationship with Damon again.

The feeling of just losing Damon like that, had Bonnie feeling panicked, desperate to keep him in her life like that. The feeling of not having him in her life forever made her sad and very disappointed. She didn't know what she would do if she failed to get him back, if her pleads to him fell on deaf ears.

Then it impacted Bonnie like a ton of bricks. Did Damon feel the same sense of panic and desperation, when he tried to get her to forgive him after he returned from desiccation? How sad was he when he thought that he wouldn't get to have her in his life forever? How disappointed was he when he could see that his pleads for her to give him a second chance, fell on her deaf ears? Now, Bonnie understood where Damon was coming from when he worked so hard to gain her forgiveness.

Bonnie reached into her purse, grabbing the letter that she had carried with her, after getting it out of Damon's bedroom at the boarding house. She stared at the letter that was still unopened. For years she had refused to read it or even open it, afraid that the contents inside would only make the heartbreak of his desiccation even worse. But, not realizing that she had come to forgive Damon, and of his sacrifice for her, Bonnie knew that this was the time to get over her fear and to finally read that letter.

This letter, which could turn out to be a key to help get Damon back, to help to get him to remember their relationship, or at least see that their friendship is real. It wasn't just important to him but, important to her too, something that could truly get their relationship back on track to where it should be. This letter was so special and she was glad that she didn't get rid of it, or throw it away like she thought of a few times, just to avoid reading it. Something stopped her from doing so, despite all of the anger and hurt that she had felt.

Finally, Bonnie opened that envelope, pulling out that letter. Swallowing she gained the courage to read the letter that she had been avoiding reading.

Dear Bonnie,

I'm a coward. I should be saying this to your face not writing this letter but, I know that if I do you'll talk me out of running away from all of my problems. You're gonna help make me the best man that I can possibly be. And I'm absolutely terrified of failing you. So I'm leaving. Because I'd rather let you down once then to let you down for the rest of your life.

Leaving you is one of the most hardest, difficult decisions that I have had to make in over the one hundred years of my life. I wish that I didn't have to do it but, I feel like I have no other choice. Because what is even more difficult for me is the thought of you dying and not being able to bring you back to life this time. That you would be dead for good. That night at the armory where you got hurt trying to protect me from Tyler scared me so much. And when I saw you in that hospital bed, recovering from your injury that was when I made my choice to desiccate.

I just can't have you die, Bon especially not for me. You don't deserve death, you deserve to live a full happy, healthy life. It would awfully crush me if you died. So I'm doing this because I want you to live. Please know that I adore you to the point where all of the words in the English language couldn't even explain. Know especially that I love you, I know you for everything that you are, everything that you represent. Understand that as I'm in that coffin, that I will miss you a lot. That I wish that I could be there to see you accomplish all of your hopes and dreams, that I'm sure that you will do in your life.

And I hope that it's the happiest life because you Bonnie Bennett are an amazing woman, mediocre crossword player, and my best friend.

With great love and respect, Damon.

Tears brimmed Bonnie's eyes as she finished reading the letter. Tears of emotion as she had learned the truth from Damon himself on why he had desiccated, for years she had misunderstood, assuming that he had did so for selfish reasons and for himself, so that he could wait for Elena to wake up.

But, it now Bonnie knew that it was really because he wanted to keep her safe, not because of Elena or for Elena. But. because he wanted to keep her Bonnie Bennett safe. As much as Bonnie wished that Damon never choose to place himself in that coffin, she couldn't fault him for doing so if it was because he wanted to prevent her from dying. So, few cared about her life, they just wanted her magic to help them out, even if it resulted in her death and suffering, but Damon cared. He honestly thought that he was making the best decision for her, and he was sincere in his letter.

Her heartbeat picked up when she had read Damon confessing his love for her. She needed to be loved and the man that she loved most in this world had confirmed his love for her in that letter. His letter as a whole had her heart filled with love and joy towards the dark haired, blue eyed vampire. She was touched, warmed beyond explanation for her feelings for that man, especially after that letter.

Damon loved her, Bonnie had no doubts about that now. Whether that love was as a friend or something more, she still couldn't say for sure, unless he told her himself. Whatever the case, it was his love for her that got him to sacrifice himself to Sybil, to keep her alive. And Bonnie knew that his love for her would be what she would use to fight for him, to free him from Sybil's grasp.

A single tear slide down Bonnie's face. "I have to admit that's one hell of a letter." She whispered with a smile.

Perhaps Sybil some what had a point when she said that Bonnie was doing this rescue Damon Salvatore mission for herself. Yes, it was true that she was doing this for Damon, because she cared for him too much to see him have to live his life as Sybil's toy. Damon for as many mistakes that he had made in his life, as flawed as he was deserved better than that. He wasn't perfect, he wasn't a saint, Bonnie knew that, it didn't stop her from loving him. Damon wasn't a typical good guy, he was a complex, complicated man, with many layers and shapes. That was why she loved him.

Bonnie was doing this for somewhat selfish reasons. Because she didn't want to live a life without Damon Salvatore. She had seen the painful result of how that would be for three years and never wanted to experience that again. Bonnie was doing this for herself, because Damon was that important to her life and he had impacted it that much. Losing him would create a hole in her heart, having him back filled that hole, she wasn't going to risk having that hole in her heart again.

This fight was for her, this fight was for him, this fight was for the both of them. Sure she could say that she was doing it for somewhat selfish reasons. But, Bonnie had lived most of her young life doing things for others, being the selfless one who put other people's feelings, lives ahead of hers. Even if it was at the cost of her own life and suffering, she had put herself on the line placing other people before her. Bonnie was tired of being that woman, now was the time to move on to the Bonnie Bennett who was more selfish, the Bonnie who put herself first. If anyone had earned the right to be selfish it was her. And if someone had a problem with her wanting to save Damon, then that person could go to hell as far as she was concerned.

Once she had told Damon that she was going to put herself first, she was going to follow up on that promise for both of their sakes.

A ring of the doorbell broke the silence of the house, breaking Bonnie out of her thoughts. She looked down at her watch, it was just before four 'o'clock, she had waited hours wondering if he would show up and now there was a ring at the door. Could it be him? Or could it be someone else around the neighborhood that saw her enter the house earlier and now wanted to pay herself a visit. Afterall she did used to live here in her highschool years, making close friends with some of the folks who lived near by.

With anticipation, Bonnie walked to the door. Preparing for it to be him, but also trying to prepare herself for disappointment just in case it wasn't him. Taking a deep breath, Bonnie opened the front door.

It was Damon standing there, awkwardly, yet boldly. "Challenge accepted."

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As you can see I changed the letter some from how it was in the show. Kept a lot of it the same, but also took some parts away and made it longer for more meaning. Took out the mentions of Elena, mainly because I feel like JP throws Elena in as a way to diminish and cheapen Bamon's connection, in order to cater to DE Stans, they can't stand Damon caring/having feelings for Bonnie on her own. Not having that in my story.

Thanks for the reviews and the support! I apologize for any spelling or grammar errors that I missed.