Last chapter! I disclaim. This chapter did not want to be written for some reason. Anyways, fluff!
Everyone who knew Caroline knew that she could be a rambler. A babbler-her mouth could run a mile a minute-whatever term you wanted to suggest would probably fit the profile.
Without preamble, Caroline opened her mouth and began. "I completely understand if you want to run us off to some far off place. And I'm so incredibly sorry. Bonnie, I wish it hadn't happened this way and it's my fault, I understand that. I mean, you could even send us to some developing country with terrible weather where I'd be absolutely miserable if it would make you feel better. I'm so sorr-"
Bonnie held up her hand and stopped the flow of words. "Caroline, calm down. What are you talking about?"
"I'm in love with Tyler. And he's in love with me."
Bonnie was silent for a moment and everyone watched, waiting to see if she'd explode.
Finally, Bonnie spoke, "Okay."
Caroline calmed down for a moment. "Do you not understand what I'm saying?" Caroline turned to Tyler, "I think she's in shock. I don't think she gets it."
The stress was obviously getting to Caroline, and she didn't quite understand why Bonnie wasn't upset.
"Caroline, if the circumstances were any different I would be really upset. But we're going to be okay," with that Bonnie shifted slightly closer to Damon-physical proximity to him made her feel safer and happier. "It's a lot more complicated than it seems. But it's also simpler, if that makes sense."
At that Caroline looked confused, but stepped into the arms that Bonnie held wide open at that moment for a hug.
Damon raised an eyebrow, "What, no catfight? I'm disappointed. You two are breaking the womanly code of catfighting. If another girl breaks girl code and steals your guy you're supposed to smack the bitch."
Bonnie turned to Damon, "Damon!"
"Fine, you're supposed to smack the 'girl.'" Damon did exaggerated air quotes.
Bonnie glared at him. "There must be something seriously wrong with me." She turned to Tyler and gave him a hug even though he seemed incredibly uncomfortable. "You're going to be great together. I want you to be happy." Bonnie pulled away and looked at Damon.
"I think this is our cue to exit," Tyler said, recognizing that Bonnie and Damon obviously had important issues to discuss.
XXXX
"Well, that was easy." It actually shocked Damon to realize how easy it had been for Bonnie to say goodbye to the man she'd been about to marry.
Bonnie started pacing, ignoring Damon's words.
"Maybe I shouldn't have done that." Bonnie said. "Kissing you . . . was probably just a colossal mistake."
Bonnie wasn't upset with Damon, or with Tyler or Caroline. But what had she been thinking? Obviously she'd lost her mind. Damon wasn't the commitment type, and he would drive her crazy within fifteen minutes.
Bonnie felt like she was seeing life with more clarity than she ever had before. Sure, she'd accepted that she loved Damon, and she didn't want to marry Tyler, but maybe that didn't mean they should be together-
"No." Damon replied simply, interrupting her train of thought.
"No what? No as in yeah, I shouldn't have done that? Or no as in-"
Bonnie was cut off by Damon's finger landing on her lips. "No as in it was not a mistake. Bonnie-" He stopped. This was hard to say. "I love you. I meant it."
"Good. I did too."
Bonnie and Damon stared into each others eyes for a moment.
Love was supposed to be enough, right? It was supposed to get her through the fact that she and Damon were a disaster waiting to happen, to get her through the fact that so much change had occurred within minutes. Love was supposed to be enough, Bonnie assured herself. They'd have to work hard at it, but it would work out. She had to believe that.
"So what comes next?" She asked nervously.
Damon, noting her nervousness, took her hands in his. "We figure it out. Together."
Bonnie was about to comment on how shockingly enlightened he sounded when he cut her off with a sharp kiss. After that she'd completely forgotten just about everything, except for her and Damon in that single moment.
XXXX
The day of the failed wedding attempt was the best day of Bonnie's life.
She wasn't hurt that Caroline and Tyler were in love—she was pretty sure she'd realized it a few months beforehand, but she hadn't mentioned it because she thought they had it under control. She'd also thought she had her feelings for Damon under control—but she couldn't have been further from the truth.
Things, however, were better this way. Sure, there were many confused wedding guests, but the four of them hadn't really cared.
Instead, after the awkward moment where they all realized that the wedding wasn't going to happen, they celebrated. They'd also thanked Stefan-but punished him for meddling by making him tell everyone that there would not be a wedding.
They still had the reception, and they still had fun. But in the end, when they all went home, they went home with the people they were meant to be with.
Finally, they'd all opened their damn eyes and stopped drowning in denial.
At first Bonnie hadn't been quite sure how to handle the relationship between Caroline and Tyler—but eventually she'd just accepted it for what it was. There was forgiveness on both sides, and all Bonnie had to do was figure out whether or not she and Damon had a chance to really, truly be happy together.
XXXX
Bonnie didn't ever think she would be this happy. Somehow she was, and with Damon—so nothing was as she'd expected it to work out.
It does though—it works surprisingly well. Caroline and Tyler are happily planning their own wedding, and Bonnie and Damon are just . . . perfect. Or, at least, Bonnie thinks so.
Damon doted—something Bonnie hadn't really expected at all. He's not perfect, but Bonnie has realized that her favorite parts about Damon are the parts she thought she'd least be able to accept.
The fact that his humor is biting and borderline cruel now amuses her—partially because he's not as 'mean' as he used to be.
She brought out the best in him. When Stefan mentioned that to Damon he'd scowled, but he'd smiled when he thought no one else was looking.
They made each other happy.
XXXX
"I'm going to die." Bonnie said. They were lying on the ground looking up at the dark night sky.
"You're human, it happens." Damon forced the words from his throat.
"I want you to make me proud when I'm gone. Don't go around screwing crazy chicks à la Katherine."
Damon was glad Bonnie couldn't see his face-he was genuinely upset. "Are you really going to pretend you don't know?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I love you."
"I love you too." Bonnie sat up nervously, facing Damon."What's wrong?"
"I'm not going to let you go." Damon said simply, as if he would accept no arguments. He was set, there were no alternative view points.
Bonnie—in the same stubborn way that made Damon love her—raised an eyebrow. "You have to."
"I won't."
Bonnie opened her mouth, ready to argue, when Damon closed the space between them and kissed her.
They pulled apart seconds later and Bonnie stared—just a little starry-eyed—at him. "This doesn't mean you can do whatever you want."
Yeah, it does, Damon thought. But it didn't matter. He swooped back down and kissed her again.
It was an argument for another day. Ideally, it was an argument for a day when it was too late for her to do anything about it.
XXXX
Bonnie normally would have used her "witchy magic" to give Damon an aneurysm, but in this case she was so shocked she did the next best thing.
She slapped him. Hard. The contact of her hand with Damon's face was loud, and it sounded like something cracked. "I said not to."
"I didn't agree."
Bonnie glared at him. "What am I supposed to do now?"
"Love me."
That stopped Bonnie dead in her tracks. She'd asked Damon not to turn her, but he'd done so anyway. She should be furious, and she was. But she also didn't want to leave Damon in this world alone. And she didn't want to leave him.
Love, it seemed, was sometimes more important than pride and the principle of the situation.
Bonnie didn't smile, but her scowl left her face. "You're going to spend the next 100 years making this up to me."
Damon smiled. "I think I can do that." He leaned down and kissed her.
"I love you, even though you're infuriating sometimes."
"You love me because I'm infuriating sometimes. I love you too, even though you're ridiculously stubborn and occasionally insane."
"It's why you love me." Bonnie smiled.
As Bonnie reflected she realized how incredibly lucky she had been.
She had no regrets—and she did have the love of her 'life.' And that, frankly, was all that mattered.
Thank you to all of the lovely reviewers-especially since some of you reviewed every chapter. I tried to respond to most of them, but when I do that I get distracted by writing, and I miss them sometimes. Anyways, I wish you all much happiness and joy! :)