Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to L.J. Smith/The CW.

Summary: Bonnie can't seem to help herself anymore. There are just some things she needs.

A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you for all of the reviews for the previous ficlet; they were awesome. I had every intention of posting this Wednesday night however my computer died and it took me a while to fix it enough to run and finish the remainder of this one shot. I wanted it up before Bloodlines but better late than never I suppose. However if it were fitting at all with the show it would take place before episode 11. Anyway enjoy and let me know what you think!

Needful Things

Standing in front of the mirror in Elena Gilbert's bathroom, Bonnie Bennett sighed and slowly scrubbed at her caramel colored skin with a damp cloth, watching as the streaks of crusted blood faded away. She smoothed her finger where the gunshot wound should be, marveling at the sight of nothing but silky flesh. Not even a scar. For as scary as vampires were, their blood could be the missing link in curing disease if it could ever be used that way.

However she didn't have time to think about being a scientist and saving the world. First she had to save herself…and her relationship with her best friend.

Elena was currently downstairs with Damon and Stefan, probably badgering them both for answers that only Damon had. And he was no doubt keeping things close to the vest because he could or because he actually figured it was her job to break the news. He would be right of course but she was terrified of how Elena would react.

What if she rejected her? What if she thought she was insane? What if she was right?

Sighing, she rinsed the cloth and folded it into a neat square when she was done, laying it off to the side. She glanced to her ripped shirt, and then the simple long sleeved t-shirt Elena had gotten out for her to wear, opting to put that on instead. She grabbed up the tattered pieces of her blouse and yanked until it was even more so, stuffing it down into the trash so that no one would see it.

Wetting her lips and taking a deep breath, she exited the bathroom and slowly headed down the stairs. Just as she'd suspected, the vampires and her best friend were sitting in the living room, quietly staring at each other. All heads turned when she entered, and she felt like she was about to be on trial for a serious crime. As long as it didn't end with her tied to a stake!

"How are you feeling?" Stefan inquired, breaking the silence.

"Um, good." She cleared her throat. "A little tired."

He nodded. "Damon. Perhaps we should go and…let them talk."

Damon's brows quirked up in amusement. "And miss the show? What if one of us is needed in the phone a friend kinda way?"

"Haven't you already caused enough trouble?" His brother asked. "You did get her shot."

Bonnie rubbed her forehead. "It—it wasn't his fault."

Elena grumbled loudly. "I can't believe you are taking up for him! He tried to kill you!"

This is not going to go well. Taking the brunette's arm, she pulled her upstairs and into her room, closing the door afterwards. "Okay so this is not going to be easy for me, so please just sit and here me out."

The other teen scrunched up her cute face, but plopped onto her bed with an expectant expression. "Alright. I'm listening."

"I know this is—that it's crazy. You probably think I've lost my mind or that he's controlling me, and hey, you might be right on the first part. I could be completely insane." A beat. "When Emily possessed me it was painful and unbearable. I was trapped inside my own body but I couldn't move or speak, I could just watch. And I watched myself throw Damon into a tree and destroy the necklace. When he attacked me, I thought I was going to die."

"So then you go out for drinks with him?" Elena tilted her head to the side.

The young witch started to pace. "No. I had full plans to stay away from him forever if it was at all possible. But Emily she—she did something to the both of us. In the final moments of her spell, she linked me to Damon so that he wouldn't be able to hurt me after she left."

"Linked how?"

"That's the thing, it's so confusing to explain!"

"Try, Bonnie. Please."

"It's some kinda…blood spell. In theory he can't hurt me—he's actually protected me a few times. Tonight being one of those times. But it—it's more than that. It makes me dream about him. Vividly. It makes me…want him."

Big brown eyes widened. "Want him? As in…wait. Is Damon this mystery guy you've been daydreaming about? Are you sleeping with Damon?!"

Bonnie blushed. "No! Yes. Yes to the first and no to the second." She sighed, pulling her sleeves over her knuckles. "I know how it sounds. It's irrational but it's not something I can help. I've tried to stay away from him but it's like it's not possible. And he keeps showing up either way so…"

Her friend frowned slightly. "So this spell makes you wanna hang out with him?"

If only it were that simple. "Yes. It makes me want to be with him in ways I've never wanted to be with a guy before. And the dreams—do you really want me to get TMI on you with them because I can."

"Um, no I think I can fill in the blanks." She smiled softly. "It's just hard to wrap my head around everything. You were a mess after the attack, and now you're sneaking around with him? Does your Grams know?"

A nod. "She figured it out—smart lady. It doesn't mean that I'm not scared cause I am. I don't know what's gonna happen or if any of this means anything to him. I could give in and he could ditch me. Or kill me. Or kill me and then ditch me. But I kinda need him."

Elena blinked. "Why? Bonnie, he—he's not like Stefan. He hurts people and he doesn't even care. You saw what he did to Caroline, and I told you all about Vicki. He can't be trusted."

Bonnie glanced down to the floor, lowering her voice. "I've thought about all of this, I swear. It's all I think about sometimes. And yet when he kisses me or actually manages to be nice, it's like it doesn't matter. It does but you know what I mean." Pause. "In a way that doesn't make any sense what so ever, Damon can make me feel safe and annoyed at the same time. This thing between us—it's growing bigger, Elena. Especially the more we are around each other."

"Then stop being around him."

"Could you stop being around Stefan?"

Sighing, her friend tucked her long hair back, knowing the other girl had a point. "So what are you going to do?"

Good question. "I wish that was the only thing I had to worry about, but it's not. Apparently there are other vampires in Mystic Falls and they are not nice people. It was one of them that shot me."

"Why?" The brunette questioned. "Do you think it was the same vampire who turned Logan Fell?"

"No. This was some blonde who was upset that…Damon killed her friend to help me." She fudged the details a bit. "Grams said I should be careful because a vampire witch could be just what they are looking for."

Elena rubbed her cheek. "Wow. Why didn't you come to me before now?"

"I was scared." Bonnie whispered. "I didn't know how you would react, and I didn't wanna lose your friendship. I need you in my life now more than ever."

"Bonnie…" She pulled the other girl in for a big hug. "There is nothing you can't tell me that I won't understand. Granted you and Damon is like—it's a little—no it's a lot hard to wrap my head around, but if you say it's some kinda over the top protection spell then I believe you. I know you wouldn't be with him otherwise."

Relief flooded the little witch and she smiled, hugging her friend again. She felt a little silly for hiding everything, like she should have known that the girl she once made mud pies with would understand. However the situation wasn't exactly I spilled soda on your favorite shirt or I saw your boyfriend kissing another girl. But having Elena's support renewed her faith in their friendship.

"So…" The brunette eyed her. "You've been making out with Damon."

She flushed red. "It—it's happened once or twice."

"Uh huh. What's it like? When I think of Damon kissing anyone, they don't have lips afterwards."

"Heh, it's nice. He's very—I can't believe we're actually talking about this—but he's very passionate. Sometimes too passionate."

"And you're not scared he could…you know…"

"In those moments, no. It's the other moments that worry me."

"And these dreams. How dirty are we talking here?"

"If they were movies, they'd be NC 17 with full frontal nudity."

"Oh my God. What was Emily thinking doing this to you?"

"I ask myself the same question quite often. But maybe there was no other way for her to be sure he wouldn't kill me."

"Yeah but now you're having lusty feelings for Damon, which makes no sense. You can not sleep with Damon."

"You slept with Stefan."

"I also trusted he wasn't gonna rip my throat out or dump me right after. Not to mention, I wasn't a virgin."

Bonnie groaned and hid her face. "I knew that was going to come up eventually."

Elena giggled with a shrug. "Oh c'mon. Like you haven't been dying to have some real girl talk with everything that has been going on in your life. I might think this whole thing is…" She threw her hands up into the air. "…dangerous and confusing, but you're my best friend. So I'm gonna be best friend girl while warning you on the dangers of Damon Salvatore. Especially having sex with Damon Salvatore."

"Maybe we should talk about this when they aren't downstairs listening." She mused.

"Good idea." Her friend chuckled. "I think we should focus on who is after you and why."

She knew why of course, but she wasn't sure if the Salvatore brothers wanted Elena to know about the vampires in the tomb. Or that Katherine was one of those vampires. "Yeah that—that sounds like a good idea. To be honest I'm kinda scared and not just for me. I'd hate for anything to happen to you or anyone else in my life."

The brunette rubbed her shoulder. "Don't worry. We're gonna help each other through this."

Bonnie smiled and embraced her, glad that she was able to finally get everything out in the open. At least now she had someone to talk to when things got too rough or too hot and heavy with Damon. Because there was a storm coming to Mystic Falls and they were all going to be stuck in the middle of it.

After a nice hot shower in the privacy of her own bathroom, Bonnie crawled up onto her bed and let her head rest to the pillows. She exhaled and stared at the ceiling, counting the swirls made by the paint. Now that she was alone, she had time to think about being shot and how frightening it had been. The feeling of the bullet embedded in her flesh, ripping apart her insides the deeper it burrowed. The fact that it had been wooden is probably what made it hurt even worse. Whoever this Council was, they sure had some interesting ideas. Who needed a stake when you could propel one out of one of the most modern weapons ever made?

And how had blondie ended up with one?

A shadow flowed past her window and she gasped, bolting upright in bed. When she realized who it was, she growled deep in her throat. "Damon."

The handsome vampire smirked. "Surely you were expecting me."

She shrugged. "Yes and no. I figured we had some things to talk about."

He sat down on her bed, smoothing a hand along the soft comforter. "Just thought I would check up on you."

She arched a brow. "Wow. What is that? Your like good deed for the century?"

"For the millennium." He countered with a smile. "Besides you know the drill. If you're dead who am I gonna eat?"

"Everyone else."

"Yeah but what's dinner without dessert?"

"Well I'm fine. Better now that Elena knows everything."

"Everything?"

Bonnie picked at the bracelet she'd received from Stefan. "I didn't tell her why vampires have been so interested in me lately. You included. But she's probably gonna find out sooner or later."

Damon leaned back on his elbows, showing off the smooth lines of his body underneath his black t-shirt. "How much do you know about the tomb?"

Biting her bottom lip, she sighed. "I know there are vampires in there, and that you want them out. You want this Katherine out."

He nodded. "Emily was Katherine's hand maid you know…"

"I don't remember any of that. Just the brief conversation in the woods." She explained slowly. "But if Elena knew there was a chance Katherine could come back, I'm sure she'd be less likely to be around Stefan. Which is why I hope she never finds out."

"Yeah, me too. Anyway…" He was up and moving around. "You're gonna need to be more careful. No more acting like a stupid girl in a horror movie, and hanging out in the woods alone with six inch heels on."

She snorted. "I was waiting for you. I knew you'd find me…you always do."

"It's a small town." He walked over to where his jacket hung on the back of her door. "You didn't bleed on it, did you? Blood is a bitch to get out of leather."

A beat. "No. Your superhero cape is safe."

He stared at it, giving it a flick. "I'm probably gonna get another so you can keep this one."

How close was I to death if he's being nice to me? "Thanks." Running a hand through her hair, she pulled a pillow into her lap. "Damon, I know this isn't easy for you either. Being linked to me or whatever. So thanks for having my back so many times."

His light blue eyes rolled her way. "O…kay."

Bonnie chuckled softly; it's like he was incapable of showing genuine emotion that wasn't rage. But then she reasoned it was just how he protected himself from getting hurt. "Oh, um so my Grams wants to talk to you."

Damon's brows shot higher. "Why?"

"I don't know." She admitted.

"Meeting the family—this isn't a prom date you know? If it was I'd be getting laid at the end of the night." Sighing, he was suddenly lounging beside her, hands behind his head. "I know you think I'm a great kisser. You should take me for a test drive and see what else I can do."

She turned a little to face him. "Is sleeping with me like your Mount Everest?"

"Bonnie…" He reached up and twirled strands of her hair around his slender finger. "Being with you like this is the Summit. All I have to do now is stick in my flag to show people you've been claimed."

God he is suck a cocky bastard. Worse is that I'm kinda into it. "And if I never let you do that?"

Smirking, he yanked her closer, making her fall across his chest. "We both know it's only a matter of time before you do. Not to mention our lives might depend on it." Pause. "For the good of Mystic Falls, we may have to take off all our clothes and just…touch each other for a while."

A tingle rolled down Bonnie's back and she shivered, glancing away from him. In the mix of being shot and coming clean to Elena, she'd forgotten all of the simmering sensations that were just laying in wait for him to stir up. One simple touch or one simple kiss, and she was back to fighting what seemed almost natural. Wanting Damon. Craving Damon. Needing Damon. Resting against him now and feeling his penetrating eyes on her made her cheeks turn crimson. The thoughts that were swirling in her mind about giving in to what he wanted made her heart thud against her ribcage.

Engaging into anything with Damon Salvatore was a huge mistake. And she'd never wanted to make a mistake so badly before.

Smiling, Damon sat up and pulled her into his lap so that she straddled him. He smoothed his hands along her thighs and up her sides, taking her white tank top with them. He tossed it aside, finding her pink lacy bra to be quite adorable. He flicked the straps down but didn't remove it, just got it out of the way so that he could kiss softly along her trembling shoulders.

A breathless sigh escaped her lips and she held tight to his biceps, the material of his silk shirt annoying her. Very slowly, she swallowed hard and began to undo the buttons, having trouble with a few when her nerves got the best of her. Soon however his garment was open and she was pushing it down his arms. Damon's skin was cold to the touch, colder than usual and she figured it must be due to getting staked and sharing his blood with her.

"I could be dead right now if not for you…" She whispered, gripping the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Less talking, more kissing." He pulled on her chin, sealing his mouth over hers.

Damon's hands were everywhere, chilling her flesh, causing goosebumps to break out. They slid up under the back of her bra and with a flip of his knuckles the metal clasp was broken. She was so tiny; he could literally toss her around if he wanted to. Yet he found that he enjoyed the moments when she was being sassy and standing up to him. Not many people did—or lived afterwards—but when she did it was interesting. Feisty.

She whimpered against his lips, giving his tongue just enough room to slip past. He was feeding off her sounds and especially her heat, wondering how he was controlling himself. The veins at the crinkle of his eyes were protruding and just as he was about to question himself whether his fangs were showing, he felt her tongue swipe delicately across one. A grunt sounded deep in his chest—that grumble she always caused him to make whenever she invaded his thoughts—and although he didn't have much blood, what he had raced southward.

In minutes he was hard and throbbing, his hands plastered to her waist so that he could rock her back and forth over his erection. He pictured what it would be like if he tossed her onto her back and ripped off the rest of her clothes. Stretched her legs wide and eased inside of her, letting her damp warmth surround and cover him. It didn't make sense; the passion his body was experiencing from just touching and kissing. He liked to skip the minor leagues and head straight for the major, and yet with Bonnie he could get hot in 2.5 seconds.

For that reason alone he wanted to consume her. To feel her tighten around him as she came—as he sunk his fangs into her throat and drunk the sensations from her.

"Ai, Damon…" Bonnie didn't know whether to blush or melt at the strokes of him against the seat of her pajama bottoms. It was so dirty but also thrilling and exciting. It made her want to claw at him but she was already doing that, so instead she bit down on his shoulder, having no real idea where the action came from. It was just something she needed to do."

"Fuck!" He yelled, his hands accidentally ripping the fabric of her pjs.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and before Bonnie could collect herself, she was under the covers and her father was barging into her room. "Bonnie! Are you okay? I thought I heard…" He looked around. "A noise."

"I'm fine." She panted, praying she looked as much. "Wh—I thought you were asleep?"

He nodded. "I was but I went to the kitchen for a glass of water." Once again he looked around, even going so far as to turn on the lights. "You sure you are okay?"

"Yup." She kept the covers to her chin. "Night."

"Night." Eying the area one last time, he turned off the lights and left.

Bonnie pressed her face into her pillow, mortified. What is happening to my life? "Ugh." Exasperated, she held her arm over her breasts and crawled to the edge of her bed, retrieving her tank top.

Damon stuck the top half of his body through her window. "Now, where were we?"

With her back to him she put it on. "You were just leaving."

He pouted cutely. "You want my balls to be blue don't you? You want them to shrivel up and fall off. If I leave I'll have to…take matters into my own hands so to speak."

Snickering, she strolled to the window and pecked his lips without much thought. "Goodnight Damon." Pushing him out, she closed the sill and locked it, then drew the curtains.

Amused, she fell into bed and closed her eyes, content to let images of Damon relieving his own tension lull her to sleep.

Stefan Salvatore could remember a day when he and his brother were best friends. When they could talk about anything and solve disagreements like normal human beings. Of course they had been normal human beings at the time. And then came Katherine. If she had been anyone else, they probably would have been able to eventually get over the injustices they did to each other to win her hand. But when death and romance mingled, there were no easy solutions. At least not where Damon was concerned.

Even after all of the horrible things his brother had did to him, he felt that one day he could perhaps forgive him. But that is not what Damon wanted. Damon wanted them to circle the drain of anger and hurt for the rest of their un-natural lives. He wanted to punish him for several lifetimes and all because they had loved the same woman. Though Stefan wondered if he'd ever really loved Katherine or had it always been mind control. He remembered thinking she was beautiful, and he remembered wanting to get to know her better. But after that it all became a fuzzy mess of watercolor declarations of love and devotion. And as the years passed and he was able to think on everything, the fog lifted and he could see clearly.

His love for Katherine had been superficial at best. A tool she'd used to keep him in check, especially when she decided she wanted him and Damon. She had never been the gentle, sweet soul he considered her to be. Just a selfish brat who wanted her cake and ice cream too.

So now Damon wanted to free her because he honestly loved her. He honestly needed her. It made sense in an odd way. Damon and Katherine had the same lust for destruction—for treating people like playthings to discard when the fun was over. Knowing that, it made him question why she'd ever chosen him in the first place? As a vampire he didn't liked needless suffering anymore than he had as a human.

Folding his arms over his chest, he sighed and watched as the students milled out of the high school and towards their vehicles. Absently he thought about going back but things were too hectic at the moment. Maybe if they calmed down. A figure in black caught his eye and he hurried to catch up to it, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Bonnie. Hey."

"Hey Stefan." She smiled but continued walking.

Deciding to be blunt for a change, he stepped in front of her. "Bonnie I—I overheard what you said to Elena last night."

She nodded. "I know. So?"

He shook his head. "I know that you can't control your urges for Damon, but it would be a bad idea to get anymore involved with him."

"Stefan…" She began. "I appreciate that you're looking out for me but I'm handling it."

He watched her; she was so young and naïve in a way. And Damon—for all of his faults—had charm on his side. "I just want you to think about what might happen if that tomb over opens."

She arched a brow. "What do you mean? I thought Emily's crystal was the only way to open it."

The vampire shrugged. "Damon has ways of making the things he wants a reality, even when the odds are against him. If he gets into that crypt, what do you think is going to happen?"

She'd honestly ever thought of that before. "Feral vampires will attack the town."

"Yes. And Katherine will be one of them. All Damon has wanted for nearly one hundred and forty five years is to have Katherine back by his side." A beat. "If that ever happens, he won't be concerned about anything else."

Bonnie stared at him, knowing exactly what he was hinting at. That in the grand scheme of things, she was expendable the moment that tomb was opened. She supposed she'd just have to keep it from opening then. "I won't let that happen, and neither will you. None of those vampires can be set free."

"I agree." He said. "I just don't want you to become entangled with Damon so tightly that you can't break free."

"Relax Stefan, it's not like I'm in love with him or anything." She replied truthfully. "What I feel for Damon is intense, but it can't be love."

"Right. Damon doesn't know how to love. He doesn't have a heart."

"Actually, I think he does. I think he's encased it in cement walls, but he has one."

"How can you be so sure after everything you now know about him?"

"Because I saw it breaking when Emily told him she wasn't releasing Katherine."

The look in Stefan's dark eyes was passive, but his thoughts were in turmoil. No one had ever been able to read his brother so well, not even him. And yet the young witch was quite right. Katherine seemed to be the only thing Damon was still capable of loving. "Even if he doesn't turn on you if she's released, she will. Katherine hates competition in any form and she will see your connection as a direct threat to her happiness. She will kill you."

The witch exhaled. "And Elena? Something tells me your old girlfriend would not be happy to see her either."

He turned his head to the female in question where she stood talking to Caroline. "You're right. Be careful, Bonnie. Damon has made a business out of lying to get what he wants. No matter what he feels for you, I'm sure it all revolves around somehow getting into that burial chamber."

And then he was walking away.

Bonnie's brows narrowed as he did, but she couldn't deny her thoughts on the matter. She thought with the crystal gone there was no way to release the other vampires, but there was always a way. If such creatures as vampires existed and she could have magical powers, then opening a mystic door was probably no problem if one knew what they were doing. She was just glad she had no idea how to get inside. She was happy the idea had never popped into her mind one night while lazily reading over her family history.

Stefan could be right. Damon could turn on me the second that door creaks open if it ever happens. I have to make sure it doesn't. And not just for my sake.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she snapped back to attention and strolled towards her car. A case of déjà vu washed over her at the sight of Damon leaning against the driver side door, arms crossed over his gray shirt. Silently she prayed he'd arrived late, not catching her conversation with Stefan.

"What are you doing here?"

He toyed with his ring. "Annoying you."

She tried to judge his expression, but he appeared normal. "Did you go by and see my Grams?"

"Yeah, no." He smirked. "I'm not doing that."

Of course. "We'll see." Looking a few cars over, she waved. "Bye Alaric."

Her history teacher turned, waved back and cast his eyes to Damon before climbing into his car.

"Who is that?" Damon inquired.

"Alaric Saltzman, our new history teacher." She responded. "Why?"

A shrug. "No reason. Anyway I've been thinking about all of the vamps that have been after you lately, and I have an idea. You do a spell to bring one of those bad boys to us, I'll tie him down and torture him until he gives us answers."

She blinked. "What? I—I don't even know if that's possible. Wouldn't I have to have something that belongs to the vampire?"

Digging in his pocket, he pulled out a gold ring in the curve of a snake, with the animal swallowing it's own body. "I went back and took this off the blonde one before burning her body. You can't call her but maybe whoever else has handled it will come out to play."

Taking it from him, she shuddered at the cold feeling that shot down her arm. She couldn't explain how she knew, but there was evil surrounding the small piece of jewelry. "I don't know. What if we bite off more than we can chew?"

"I'll protect you, Bonnie." He caressed her face. "Besides, don't you want answers?"

"I do." She whispered softly. "I just don't know if I want them this badly…"

Unbeknownst to the witch or the vampire, a young girl stood over near a large oak tree watching them intensely. She clutched the silver pendant around her neck so hard that her fingers were cramping and the metal was leaving an indentation into her palm. Her big round eyes squinted and glared, her lips up turned into a deep scowl. She swallowed thickly at the way the vampire touched the girl, and felt a sweltering rage boil up into her chest. It snapped around her heart and she nearly winced, but managed to continue to hold herself in a dignified manner.

"You'll pay for what you did, Damon Salvatore." She mouthed the words to herself. "Mark my words, you will burn."

~Fin~