A/N: I would love to thank everyone who reviewed my story. I appreciate your support.


Feelings are the most inconvenient truth

Chapter Six

"Come away with me."Jeremy all but blurts out.

Bonnie nearly chokes on her iced latte. Somewhere in the back of her mind she thought that meeting Jeremy at the Grill, a nice public place, would prevent Jeremy from making any neo-romantic overtures.

She was wrong.

Jeremy holds up a hand, taking note of Bonnie's obvious sign of disapproval, "Before you say anything, I meant it in the most platonic way. I want to go to my family's cabin and I would like you to accompany me. Nothing that you don't want to happen will happen."

"Even so, I don't think that this is the best idea, Jeremy."

"What's wrong with getting away to have some time to think and relax."

"Nothings wrong with that, but we would be thinking and relaxing together."

"Is that such a terrible thing?" The earnestness in Jeremy's voice melts Bonnie. She knows that she should be setting boundaries for him and herself but she doesn't want to disappoint him.

"You were like this before the accident, you know."

"Like what?"

"A little hard to get. So worried about what people would think if they knew about me and you. You were seriously worried about Elena's reaction."

Bonnie knows that part of the ordeal. She's broached the topic with Elena recently, and Elena gave her shinning stamp of approval: "It's fine, Bon. I can't think of a better person for Jeremy."

Bonnie didn't think it was fine, though.

"Maybe some time away would get him off you mind." Jeremy says, knowingly.

Bonnie doesn't form a verbal response, but she leaves her eyes open and honest. She really didn't want to have a conversation about Damon with Jeremy.

"That guy's no good for you."

"I wish everyone would stop assuming that they know what is good for me. I lost some of my memory, but I didn't lose the ability to think for myself. Besides, Damon's in love with Elena so you are wasting your breath."

Jeremy forms a skeptical mask on his face. It doesn't go unnoticed.

"What's that look about?"

"It's just...I wouldn't put it past Damon to get something going with you just to stick it to Elena."

"Because he wouldn't want me for me, right?" Bonnie asks in a humorless tone.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. It just that Damon operates with an agenda. He always will."

Bonnie remains silent. She sips leisurely at her drink and looks at the people around them. She wonders, distractingly, where all these people would go if Mystic Grill were to close its doors.

"Look, I understand that you don't want to jump into anything with me. I get it. But I want to spend time with you. I want to be around you. I want to see you laugh and smile and you haven't been doing that lately. Maybe a change of scenery would help.

Bonnie has a sudden thought, and she wonders why she hasn't considered it before, "Would this be the first time since your parents that you go there?"

"Yeah, it would."

"And you want to share something like that with me?"

"I wouldn't want anyone else."

Bonnie softens.

"Okay but no funny business, Mister Gilbert," Bonnie responds in mock sternness.

Jeremy smiles a sly smile, "You say that now..."


Damon follows the sounds of closing and opening kitchen cabinets and hushed voices.

He smells coffee. Eggs. A hint of fresh blood.

Elena must have Stefan on a feeding schedule.

How quaint.

He strolls tiredly into the kitchen and the fact that Elena and Stefan instantly stop talking is not lost on him.

Damon gives a ceramic smile with hardness in the corners of his mouth, "This is a new occurrence," Damon begins as he pours himself a cup of coffee. "You usually talk about what a horrible bastard I am to my face, not behind my back."

"We weren't talking about you, Damon." Stefan responds, scoffing at Damon's paranoia.

"Is that true?" Damon's question is thrown at Elena.

He can trust that Stefan wouldn't hide the life or death things from him. It's the small things that make lying between them too easy.

Elena doesn't conceal her surprise that Damon would ask the question of her and not of Stefan. Maybe he thinks she's the most honest with him. "It's true. We weren't talking about you," Elena verifies.

Damon gives a small nod of his head. "Then what were you two talking about?"

"Nothing. It's not important," Elena answers.

"Well if it isn't important, why are you two being so secretive?"

"Drop it, Damon." Stefan warns.

Damon gives his brother his best plastic smile and then eyes Elena. She'll usually break first.

"It's none of your business. Now stop interrogating us." Elena is firm in her request, steel and unwavering in her posture.

Damon narrows his eyes at that girl he claims to love so much. Elena would never be this rude to Stefan, would she? "You know, Elena. If I didn't like you so much, I'd find you very annoying."

With that, Damon brushes past the supposed girl of his dreams and the brother he can't bring himself to kill even on his worst day and heads to his room, coffee in hand.

Stefan sets down his own cup of coffee on the counter and walks the short distance to where Elena stands.

He wraps his arms around her, securely and Elena responds immediately.

It's like Pavlov's dog. As soon as Stefan touches her, she succumbs to this overwhelming need to get closer to him.

With her head on his chest, Stefan smiles a soft smile, always amazed that such a little girl could be so tough.


Caroline doesn't jump when she sees Damon standing next to her locker after closing it, books in hand for the next class.

Caroline has worked hard at not being such a scaredy cat. Damon's impressed.

"I'm always surprised they let just anyone walk into a high school nowadays. I hardly had to compel anyone. Hadn't they heard of Columbine?"

"What do you want Damon?"

He cuts to the chase, "My darling Elena and my insolent brother were discussing something this morning and kept me out of the conversation. You're going to tell me what it was."

"What makes you think I know?" A frown marring Caroline's otherwise smooth forehead.

"Because the look on your face tells me you do. What's going on?"

Caroline turns on her heels and starts walking away from him. She doesn't get too far as Damon appears in front of her.

"Where do you think you're going Blondie?"

"To class. Get out of my way before I make you." Caroline says it low and threatening and Damon has no doubt that she would try to physically move him out of her way.

Damon knows he could hurt her if he really wanted to. He's a stronger vampire; smarter, even. But there is something almost primal about Caroline. It's all of that unfettered emotion that makes her unpredictable.

Damon takes a step back, tries a different approach. A fight in front of impressionable teenagers is not always a good idea.

Not that he gives a shit about teenagers.

"You and I are so similar, Caroline. That's what attracted me to you in the first place. I knew you would get me. I bet that you haven't even told Bonnie about what happened the night of the carnival. Poor Carter. Did his family ever find his remains?"

Caroline turns pale, her stomach forming knots. Nervousness for vampires as opposed to humans feels like the amoeba virus.

"Are you threatening me?" Caroline asks, throat dry and suddenly aching.

"No. I won't tell if you won't. I just think us kindred spirits should stick together. If it's something important I should know. I could always ask Bonnie." Damon reasons.

"Bonnie's not here today." Caroline tries and fails to keep the satisfaction out of her voice. Caroline is not stupid. She knows Damon has taken a certain interest in her friend. Damon faces twitches because it's obvious he's not expecting that little bit of news.

"Where is she?" Damon asks, the pretense of boredom in his tone.

"She skipped school today. To hang out with Jeremy." Caroline states, walking around an immobile Damon to get to the class she is five minutes late for.


Despite the vow he made to himself to stay away from Bonnie, Damon goes to the Grill to look for her.

It's not uncommon to skip school and hide in plain sight. No one in this town says anything anyway.

The way life expectancy is in this area, school is optional.

All Damon encounters is a lonely Alaric, drinking deeply from glass in his hand, trying to reach the bottom of whatever reality he prefers besides this one.

"It's a little bit early to be drinking, isn't it Ric? Don't you have papers to grade or something?"

"Essays always look better than they really are after a good drink. I'm not half as bored and the students get a good grade. Everybody wins." Alaric jokes.

"Have you seen Bonnie and that Gilbert boy around?"

Alaric raises an eyebrow. Of all the things to discuss, Alaric wouldn't bet that those two would be the topic. "No I haven't seen them. Why?"

"Apparently Bonnie and Jeremy are playing hookie."

Alaric snorts, "What's new?" Half of my history class is in here. You wanna bet I won't be seeing most of them at 7th period."

Damon smiles despite himself. He thinks that Ric is an okay guy. Almost tell him so but he didn't want the fearless vampire killer to get any mushy ideas.


Damon waits. He stands near his car and watches bodies stream from the exits, fleeing almost.

It's Friday afternoon and Friday night is only a few hours away. They'll go to the Grill or the mall, see a movie, kiss their girlfriend or boyfriend, and lie to their parents about not having homework this weekend only to spend all of Sunday night scribbling something passable for the teacher on Monday morning.

He see's Stefan first and is mildly surprised not to see his better half attached at the hip.

"Where's Elena?" Damon asks, curiosity getting the better of him.

"She's staying after class with her math teacher."

"Flunking?"

"Passing. Much to everyone's dismay."

"You know if you do your girlfriend's homework for her, she's never going learn anything."

Stefan sort of grins and Damon smirks right back at him.

Sometimes, they can have these easy, breezy moments between each other and then reality crashes them back to their starting point. It doesn't last long but the little moments are lasting longer, and longer.

Damon stalls a bit, he knows the moment will be ruined by his next words, "I heard the strangest thing today. Bonnie and Jeremy didn't go to school. Know anything about that, brother?" The word 'brother' drips in sarcasm and Damon briefly wonders how many times he's invoked that word and in how many ways.

Stefan's face smoothes out, devoid of any feeling.

Damon thinks it's a little unfair. Here he is struggling to control his emotions and someone has finally taught Stefan to play poker.

"That's not your concern," is all Stefan says.

"See, normally I would agree with that. But for some reason, everyone is treating this like a secret to be guarded. Stop making such a big deal, Stefan, and I'll stop making such a big deal."

"Why do you care?"

"I don't care?"

"Right, you're just asking for your health."

The playfulness could be back if Damon let it.

He won't. He'd rather push Stefan's buttons. "What if something were to happen while Bonnie is AWOL. Klaus can't stay dormant forever, and Katherine is constantly on the prowl."

"If we need Bonnie, I know where to find her." Stefan says it like that will end the conversation.

"I'm not so sure that I'm comfortable with that."

Stefan steps closer to his brother, really considering him. Not in a new light but with different light bulb, definitely.

"What's going on between you and Bonnie?" Stefan has asked before but Damon's shrugged it off.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"But you want there to be." Stefan responds, understanding finally dawns.

Damon blinks and his face tightens with an unpleasant grimace that could be mistaken for sheepishness if it were anyone else.

Before he could snark his way out of his own mess, Elena fits herself between the brothers, molding her body along Stefan's side.

Damon hates the look of wonderment and joy that flashes in Elena's eyes whenever she's near Stefan.

Damon continues to let Elena rain all over his parade.

"What are you two arguing about?"Elena demands to know.

"We weren't arguing. We were talking." Stefan assures his beloved girlfriend.

"Where's Bonnie?" Damon asks Elena, ignoring Stefan's knowing gaze.

Elena bites her lips. It's supposed to be cute but it only serves to irritate Damon, "What do you want with her?" Elena doesn't voice that he'll have to go through her to get Bonnie but her stance says it all.

"She can't just run off without telling anybody." Damon says, impatience making the words sound bitten off.

"She's told everyone who's important." Elena responds without thinking.

Although Damon's face forms a carefully blank wall, Elena can tell she's hurt his feelings.

Elena really wants to stop doing that.

"I'm sorry, Damon. I didn't mean ―"

"Whatever." Damon cuts her off, word sounding bitter even to him.

"She'll be back on Sunday. You can talk to her then," Stefan offers.

"Sunday? She's going to be gone for the whole weekend with Jeremy?"

Elena and Stefan share a look like they are deciding whether or not to put Damon out of his misery.

"You could hang out with us. I don't have any homework this weekend. We can do something fun." Elena wants Damon to feel like he's a part of their lives, even when he doesn't want to admit it.

Stefan looks like he'd rather stab himself in the eye with a fork than babysit his big brother. But he'll do it. For Elena.

Even a little for his brother sake, too.

"No thank you. You're pity is appreciated but I can find something else to occupy my time."

Damon picks up Elena's hand and places a chaste kiss on the skin there, letting her know that all is forgiven.

After a noncommental nod to Stefan, he jumps in his car and starts the engine.

"You two crazy kids leave some breathing room for each other!" Damon shouts as he drives away.

Elena giggles and Stefan tries not to grin.


Friday night is some ridiculous booze filled vortex. Damon doesn't know anything or anyone.

The woman riding him is vaguely familiar, but she's pleasing nevertheless. He grips her blonde hair and pale skin to bring her closer against him.

He doesn't kill the woman but he feeds from her like a starving man. It's more because he can than because he is truly hungry.

Saturday is a mix of utter abysmal existence and spectacular debauchery.

The morning sucks. He's in no mood to hear Elena's breathy moans of pleasure or his brother's stuttered declarations of love.

He'll pass, thank you.

The afternoon strikes out. Upon taking a leisurely stroll, Damon bumps into Matt and Caroline, or Ken and Barbie if you prefer. He doesn't miss the slightly glazed look the boy has.

Damon smiles a huge plastic smile to Caroline. He can't wait tell everything blows up in Barbie's face.

He has a feeling that things will blow up in his face sooner, though.

The night brings the lust and consumption that Damon lives for (besides the obvious).

He picks up this lovely young girl with perfect cider skin, and perfect green eyes, and Damon starts to think that maybe he has a type.

The sex is filthy and sweaty and Damon is having so much fun until he moans another's name.

"Who the hell is Bonnie?" The girl freezes, anger surfacing despite her still obvious arousal.

"She's...um...she's…" Damon doesn't know why he's even trying to explain. He could always compel her to shut up.

"I understand. She's an ex-girlfriend, right? Well I guess its okay. As long as I get to call you Dwight. You look nothing like him but I have a wonderful imagination with my eyes closed."

So Damon calls the girl Bonnie, and he's called Dwight and he's pretty sure this is the most dysfunctional sex he's had in a while.

He gets home 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning, head throbbing but a cocky with just fucked look all over his face.

He hasn't checked his phone messages in the longest, so he waste sometime letting the water heat up before he takes a shower to listen to his voice messages.

Stefan: "Staying with Elena on Saturday night. Don't do anything stupid."

Next Message.

Liz: "God, I hate leaving this on a voice message but I think something is going on with Caroline. Call me."

Next Message.

Anonymous: "Heard you were looking for me. It's obviously not an emergency since I talked to Elena. I guess I'll see you Monday."

The shock of hearing Bonnie's voice makes Damon sit down on the edge of his tub.

He plays the message again and he picks up Jeremy's voice in the background, wanting to know who Bonnie is talking to.

He plays the message again and he picks up a cricket or two in the background, making their spiny, green presence known to the entire world.

He plays the message again and he hears the monotone of Bonnie's words. She makes it seem like it's a big chore to call him.

He plays the message again and wonders why he has to wait until Monday to talk to her when she'll be back on Sunday. Today, he realizes.

He plays it again and realizes that he's missed Bonnie Bennett.