He let her go. It was hard but he did it, but old habits die hard. Damon found himself right back in the endless Stelena/Delana debacle. Three years after Bonnie left for California, with minimal visits and contact with her, he decided to pack his shit and go to California for a visit. That morning Blondie showed up with a newspaper with an article saying Ms. Bonnie Bennett was graduating early from Berkley and had been awarded a Rhodes scholarship. She was going to be studying medicine at Oxford University. Everyone was surprised when Damon burst into laughter and said.

"There's that ocean!" and stormed out of the boarding house.

He showed up a week later and was told by Elena that Stefan left to go find him after hearing reports of African American co-eds turning up missing around the local colleges. He had been on a "soul food" buffet tour, he told her.

"Are you okay Damon, you seem overly upset about Bonnie." She questioned.

"She asked me to allow her to live her life away from all this and I did." He explained.

She didn't like the way that sounded.

"I know you allowed her to leave was hard because you needed her to protect me Damon and I am grateful for that."

He looked at her like she grown two heads. "What?"

"I miss Bonnie; I do, but I am happy for her, don't beat you up because or witch left." She explained.

He wanted to strangle her then, stake her through her selfish heart, but a part of him recognized that he was one of the people who helped make this monster. He was going to destroy it and himself the only way he knew how, so he kissed her.

She seemed startled at first; I mean he hadn't made a move towards her in 3 years. But he felt her give in and before long they were in his bed rolling naked and that's how Stefan found them.

Elena ran after him trying to explain that it "just happened." But Stefan knew better and that was the last time Damon saw his brother, until 2 and a half years later when he strolled back into the boarding house.

/

"Stefan," Elena said breathlessly when he walked into the kitchen.

"Elena, Damon, I am in town for a few days to see and old friend." he explained.

"I hope you don't mind me staying here."

He looks different, Damon thought. "Sure brother," grabbing Elena around the waste, "what's mine is yours."

Stefan smirked, glaring between him and Elena, "Don't I know it."

He grabbed his discarded bag off the floor and left the "happy" couple alone.

As soon as Stefan was out of the room, Damon let go of Elena.

Two and a half years and he was sick of it all. Sure they had great sex and appeared to be the "it" couple of Mystic Falls but he couldn't imagine spending the rest of his undead life, partying, taking care of her and the endless me me me's that came out of her mouth.

Elena Gilbert was the same girl at 16 when he'd met her that she was at 25. She took classes at Whitmore because it was expected, she had no desire to do anything outside of being the bell of the ball but when they entered social events, Damon could see that the town had finally grown bored with her and so had he.

"What do you think he came back for," she whispered conspiratorially

"He told you, an old friend."

"What, who, his only friends are our friends."

"Are they?" he smirked and left the room.

Blondie barely tolerated him and Elena and Jeremy was off in the Army, stationed in Europe somewhere. Elena barely heard from him. The only friend she had was Caroline but it wasn't the same with any of them, not since Bonnie left.

Damon kept tabs on her for a while, but once he fancied himself in love with Elena again he made himself let her be. He overheard her father say he had visited her in England and that she was doing well. Caroline would also give him updates. She still talked to Blondie and they had remained great friends, unlike Elena who lost contact with Bonnie after she went off to school. Caroline told him Bonnie had graduated from medical school and was interning at Johns Hopkins. She was studying to be a Cardio Thoracic surgeon.

"A heart surgeon," Damon smiled proudly , "it fits."

Caroline smiled sadly back and even though she couldn't stand him, she recognized that Damon was showing her something, something that she didn't think she was supposed to see.

/

He waited downstairs for Elena to get dressed, tonight was the Mayor's Ball and he was yet again being dragged to something he had no desire to attend.

He stared into the fire, sipping his bourbon, so deep in thought that he didn't hear his brother enter the room.

Stefan was dressed in a simple black tux also.

"You going to the shindig too?" he questioned.

"Yeah," Stefan said barely looking at him, Damon couldn't blame him.

Just then Elena made her entrance, she was flawless as usual, but he didn't care.

He did watch his brother's face light up, he was still in love with her.

Damon grinned to himself. Maybe there is a way out of this for me after all.

"Look at the three of us together like old times."

"You look lovely Elena, "Stefan said.

"Thank you." She looked over to Damon anxiously waiting for his compliment but he had turned his back to her and was pouring himself another drink.

He gulped it down in one shot and faced the two of them with not a care in the world.

"Let's get this over with."

/

The three of them walked in together just like old times, except Stefan refused to take Elena's arm and walked a short distance behind them.

"Ms. Elena Gilbert, escorted by Damon and Stefan Salvatore."

Stefan glared at the young man but said nothing.

The crowd turned to see them and began to whisper, Damon and Elena could hear the whispers and it had nothing to do with them they were curious as to why Stefan was back in town after a 2 year absence.

The town was officially over Elena Gilbert.

The three of them sat at the table together miserable. Stefan was trying to indiscreetly look at Elena, Elena wanted to dance to which Damon refused, but told Stefan to be his guest, to which Stefan refused. A half hour into the cocktail portion of the evening Blondie and the Mutt showed up, she was all bubbly and chatty and Elena's mood was lifted somewhat.

As they prattled on Damon noticed a man leaning casually on the bar staring at them and particularly him. There was something about him that reminded Damon of him. He had dark brown hair and although he didn't judge guys, this guy looked like he stepped off of an Abercrombie and Fitch poster. He had a knowing smirk on his face and when Damon made eye contact with him, he raised his glass in a mock salute.

"Who is that?" Stefan asked curious also, "He has been staring over here all night."

Tyler, Elena and Caroline all turned to see who the guys where referring to.

"WOW," Caroline said. "Who is he indeed?"

To which Tyler cleared his throat reminding her he was present.

"Sorry babe."

"Why is he looking over here?" Elena asked. "You think it has something to do with me."

"Jesus," Tyler said rolling his eyes and saying what everyone else has been thinking

" Get over you Elena, everyone else has!"

She looked taken aback and lowered her head when she watched Damon ogle a pretty petite brunette that passed their table.

His blues found their way back to the stranger and he recognized why he reminded him of him. He was a killer. Damon saw it in his eyes and his stance. Finally he stood to approach the guy when Blondie let out a squeal that he was sure dogs could only hear.

They all turned to see what she was squealing about and that's when they saw her.

"Bonnie." Elena said in her raspy breathless voice. "Oh My God."

Damon couldn't move, she was there, his Goddess.

The girls hugged her and fawned over how different she looked, she was breathtaking!

She hugged Stefan and Tyler and finally turned to Damon.

"Hello Damon." She smiled.

"Witch" he said trying to play it cool. She reached up and pecked him softly on the cheek.

There it was again, that pull, that electric pull.

Blondie began to ask her a million questions, how long was she in town, when was she leaving, how was work, why didn't she tell her she was coming into town.

Bonnie smiled and shook her head , the same old Caro.

Damon couldn't take his eyes off of Bonnie; neither could the rest of the guys for that matter, she spoke with a confidence and a poise that men desired in a woman.

A waiter came to the table to offer them champagne and when Bonnie went to get a glass, Caroline screamed again.

"Bonnie Bennett, what is this?" she asked her grabbing her hand and pointing at the ring on her finger.

Bonnie blushed and looked around the table at all of them. Elena looked at her curiously and when her eyes stayed on Damon's the longest, begging perhaps pleading with him.

No he thought, please no.

"There is someone I want you all to meet." She said turning around and motioning to the bar.

He knew it before he even saw him, the man that had been staring at them…

He sauntered casually up to the table and placed his hand possessively on Bonnie's shoulder and bent to kiss her on the cheek.

The stranger smirked and smiled at Damon.

Bonnie grabbed his hand and smiled, "This is my husband, Jake."