Thanks for the reviews, BonnieandDamon4evr, nisey610, meli2010 and Alexis! So today you will find out what happened and why! Enjoy! And btw: there is a passage in past perfect and I hope I got everything right with it. If not, I apologise, english isn't my native language, please ignore it.

~Chapter 10~

Damon chuckled to himself as Bonnie and Stefan were gone. Of course he didn't appreciate that Elena made his little bird cry. But on the other hand he knew that everything was fine, more than fine, and maybe for the first time ever even healthy.

When he had stormed out of the alley after the talk with Stefan Damon had had a plan, a simple plan. Wait for Elena, listen to her declaration of love and then take her to the Dark Dimension without even saying goodbye to Stefan.

Yes, simple. Three steps out of the alley a thought had come to Damon that had left his body weak and his mind restless. Bonnie. What would she think when he went away like that? He should say goodbye to her, at least.

So he had added this point to his plan. Still he had felt uneasey without knowing why.

He had discovered the reason a few minutes later. As he had come to the boarding house Bonnie had been there.

Finally!, Damon had thought. One could think she's afraid of me, staying away all the time.

Mrs Flowers had been intrusive. But Damon had apologised to her, it hadn't been necessary to make a scene. Plus, he hadn't wanted to waste time with the old witch when he had needed to talk to the young one.

He then had sat there, thinking of how he should bring the news to her. As he had spoken the words had left his mouth as a question. He had intended to make sure she wasn't too hurt when he went away with Elena.

And that was when realization had hit him. He wouldn't see Bonnie ever again if he went. She might even turn to Stefan and although Damon had once intended this, he couldn't stand the thought. Plus he hadn't thought about Elena for the last days, days, for god's sake, he had been busy keeping an eye on Bonnie.

And he wanted to stay here and keep on doing that. He wanted to be the one to protect her. The one she could turn to when in trouble. He wanted to be there for her.

What was this? He never ever had wanted to be there for somebody without ulterior motives. Not even Elena, who he had considered as a perfect, beautiful glowing girl at his side. Someone he could be seen with in the Dark Dimensions. Yes, of course Elena had awoken his passion and his belligerence for Stefan, understandable. She still did when he thought of her. But when his mind went to other things, he forgot about her.

He never forgot Bonnie. Somehow he was always thinking of her. Not quite so passionate, yet, because it hadn't occurred to him ever. And for right now, it didn't even matter.

In this seconds while sitting in the kitchen he had realized he didn't want to go to the Dark Dimensions. Why rule something when he could just stay and see Bonnie every day?

He had looked at her as if he had never seen her before. Of course she hadn't understand and he had known she would need time to forgive and finally trust him.

And time was something he had a lot of.

"Damon!"

Stefan was back, oh glory!

He banged the kitchen door and stared at Damon, who got up.
"Yes, little brother?"

"What in heaven's name have to told Elena?"

"Oh, that. Why don't you ask her?"

"Because I ask you."

Stefan stepped closer and Damon didn't go back. It wouldn't come to that. Besides, Stefan was smaller than him and he could easily look down on him when he was so close.

Damon grinned and then abruptely turned seriously.

"I told her that she hadn't have to decide between us. Now isn't that something you like?"

Stefan frowned, startled. "How come?"

"Oh brother!", Damon sighed, eyes rolling. "You aren't a fast one, are you? After your words in the alley I of course wanted to proof to you you're wrong. But as it turned out you were right."

"So…" Stefan bend his eyebrows. Damon layed his hands on both Stefan's shoulders and leaned forward to look him in the eyes.

"Yes, that's right. I take the witch, you go back to your 'lovely love'. By the way", Damon leaned back and twitched Stefan's t-shirt, "As I mentioned that she didn't need to bother to love me any more and very accidentally dropped the name Bonnie, that was when your lovely love screamed. Jealous bitch."

Damon shrugged his shoulders. In the next moment something hit his cheek and it began to burn.

"Don't ever call her that again", Stefan panted. And then he was gone, hurrying upstairs.

"Typical. Taking the facts and then off he goes, without a word of gratefullness that I don't want his girlfriend anymore. Isn't that very impolite?", Damon said to Mrs Flowers. She didn't answer. Damon shook his head and went to his room.

ooo

Bonnie couldn't sleep. She thought of Elenas words and face and shrill voice over and over again, crying, asking herself what she had done wrong. Was it something she had done in the witch world? Or had Damon just told something horrible that wasn't true? But why? And why was he acting so nice when he actually was a terrible, terrible person?

She eventually fell asleep and was woken by her phone the next morning.

Tired, she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Bonnie, it's me, Stefan. I just wanted to say that Elena is sorry for the way she acted. Don't be afraid, she will tell you herself, later. She just fell asleep and I figured out you want to know."

"Oh, Stefan, that's true. But… why?", Bonnie asked.

Stefan cleared his throat. "She overreacted. As you know she… had a little crush on Damon, god knows why." He paused and added: "Not, that my brother isn't loveably. He is, I guess, he just doesn't show this often… anyway, he told her to stay away from him."

"I still don't understand! I didn't have anything to do with it, why would she be so furious about me?"

"That you should ask Damon."

Bonnie sighed. "I'm not sure if I want to talk to him ever again."

"Well, you should."

"Why?"

"I can't tell."

"Stefan, you are truly too noble. Just give me the gossip."

"I'm sorry, Bonnie, you have to talk to him. But don't rush into things. Stay at home today, take advantage of your freedom."

"My… freedom?"

"I have to go, Bonnie, we'll talk soon."

And off he was. Bonnie looked doubtfully at her phone. Then she shrugged, put it away and went back to sleep.

She couldn't tell how much time went by until her phone rang again. Bonnie drowsy raised her head. The clock said twelf-thirty. She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

"Oh my gosh! How long did I sleep?", she pointed out when the time didn't change. Her phone was still ringing. It was Damon's number.

Bonnie hesitated. She wouldn't answer but Stefan had sounded as if he knew something and this something didn't seem too bad since he had defended his brother.

"Hello", she answered the phone.

"Hey redbird. Would you care to come over today?"

"Uhm… why?", she managed to asked, while all possible and impossible thoughts went through her head.

"That'll be a surprise."

"I surely don't want any of your surprises", Bonnie said, head shaking to herself. She wasn't that stupid.

Damon on the other end sighed. "Remember what I said yesterday?"

"No."

"I said I will make it up to you. That's all I can tell. Now will you come or not?"

"No", Bonnie said. "Because of you Elena was angry at me – I think for the first time ever! You can't walk around, say horrible things and then ask for forgiveness the very next day", she said and hang up. She was proud of herself. Old Bonnie would have said Yes to everything Damon assumed. But she somehow didn't feel like it. Big first one!

She went for a shower and then ate a late breakfast. She was in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Since it was Sunday and her parent's friends always came over for Scrabble she waited for them to open the door.

"Bonnie! You have a visitor", her mother called.

"Me?", she asked surprised. But when she came to the door her surprise was replaced with shock.

"What do you want here? You can't…" She relapsed into silence. There was Damon, leaning against the doorframe, smiling lazily at her. He now revealed a bunch of flowers he had hidden behind his back, standing straight and making a minor curtsey.

"Miss McCullough? These are for you."

Bonnie was paralysed. Did she wear vervain? She better did because Damon looked like he had something on his mind. And that just couldn't be good.

"My little redbird, when did I ever hurt you on purpose?", he chuckled.

"You… yesterday, of course!", she said.

"I assure you I did not. Please accept my flowers and sincere apologies."

As if in trance she took the red tulips and looked around where to place them. Damon spread out his hands.

"May I suggest something? Why don't you get dressed and I take you to the boarding house. Elena wants to talk to you", he said. Bonnie hastily looked down herself, realizing she was still wearing her pyjamas. How embarassing!

"Yeah, sure", she stammered, closing the door. "Wait outside!"

"I certainly will."

As the door was closed she leaned against it, feeling disgraced, bewildered and flattered at the same time. Those tulips were pretty. But what did he want with her, what was so important that Damon couldn't stop apologizing?