Yeah…I got nothing…Just read.

And of course review as you see fit.

11

Damon

"Game over, Salvatore. You lose."

I heard Mutt speak behind me as Bonnie gasped from where she stood on the stairs. I felt the slow smile spread across my lips before I realized it was happening. Ha…if only you knew…Mutt.

I turned slowly to face him and saw the look on his face. He meant for it to catch me 'off my game', was how he had put it in his head a moment ago. Don't! Please Damon, don't hurt him! Bonnie screamed in my head, her block totally gone. He's not here to hurt me…He doesn't want to hurt you either. He wouldn't do that!

I glanced at her over my shoulder, smiling and nodding. "Mutt," I said through my teeth, looking back at him. "May we ask what brings you to our home?"

He didn't step forward, but he didn't back up either. His eyes were trained on Bonnie where she stood. "You know what I'm here for, Damon. And I will have what I want."

I chuckled low, and heard Bonnie run to my side. Her hand rested on my arm to steady me and my breathing, which had picked up in the last few seconds of the discussion, now slowed to normal. "Damon, what's he talking about?"

"Ask him, cara. I'm sure he's dying to tell you himself." I crossed my arms over my chest, and leaned back on my heels. Bonnie's hand was still in place on my arm, and I reached over and placed one hand over hers.

Bonnie looked at Mutt then, her eyes blazing. "What the hell is he talking about, Matt?" She turned to face him fully, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. When he didn't speak, she let out a loud huff. "I'm waiting."

Mutt looked surprised. He's trying to figure out the best way to speak to you and not upset you, cara. I spoke to her silently. Give him a moment. I'm sure you'll find this absolutely fascinating.

Bonnie looked at me, smiling sweetly. She turned on Mutt then and reached her hand out to him. My heart stopped a moment watching her. The last time she had attempted to be nice to him I was in a tree. It was a completely different story when she was standing next to me…in the foyer of our home.

"I came…to…take you home, Bonnie." He said softly. I saw her head cock to the side, a habit she had picked up from spending so much time with me, and I held back a chuckle.

"I am home, Matt. This is where I live." She stepped back to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I heard the double meaning behind the word, but I knew this idiot would never pick up on it. So she would tell him herself. "Damon is my life now. And I won't leave him. Ever."

I heard Mutt's sharp breath and I almost laughed. We all heard the car doors outside, the front door still wide open and I heard Bonnie's heart rate quicken when she smelled the familiar perfume coming through the door. "Elena…"

* * * * * * *

Stefan

I could hear their thoughts before the car came to a stop at the middle of the circular driveway. The door had been left open in their haste, and I could smell Matt's fear as he tried to determine if he was doing the right thing. I found myself wishing he could read thoughts as well as Damon and I could, or even at all.

"I came…to…take you home, Bonnie." Matt spoke softly, and his heart rate sped up like a freight train.

"I am home, Matt. This is where I live." Bonnie said, and I could hear my brother's pride at the last word. There had been a double meaning to it. "Damon is my life now. And I won't leave him. Ever."

I squeezed Elena's hand and looked down into her eyes. "It's time."

We got to the door just as Bonnie looked up and spoke Elena's name. "What are you all doing here?" Bonnie asked softly, releasing Damon and coming to stand in front of us. She turned back toward him. "Did you know they were coming?" Damon shook his head slowly, his eyes glued to mine.

Not now, brother. I heard him say.

Elena's slender arms encased Bonnie and I saw a tear fall down her cheek. "Oh Bonnie, we missed you so much." She's still…her. She's still human. I nodded slightly, but I knew she saw me.

Bonnie pulled back and looked at all of us. "That still doesn't explain what you're all doing here. Elena? Meredith? Alaric?" She looked at each one of us and still no one spoke. Her arms came across her chest and she leaned over on one leg. "I know this isn't a social visit. Exactly how many of you are here to try to convince me to leave?"

Her eyes swept over all of us, and she was angry. I told you this was a bad idea. Elena thought to me. I glanced over at Damon, and he nodded in agreement. We shouldn't be here. I told you I gave him my blessing where she was concerned.

I stepped forward, taking Bonnie into my own embrace and leading her to the middle of the room. "Bonnie, we're all just trying to make sure you're happy. I swear that's all."

Meredith and Alaric were looking around nervously. Stefan, we need to tell her, Meredith thought to me. I nodded, still looking at Bonnie.

"Tell me what?" Bonnie's eyes bore into mine and at that moment I knew we were too late. No matter what happened now, everything we had come to do today would be in vain. We couldn't stop her transformation, it was nearly complete. Now all we could do was wait for its conclusion.

"Bonnie," I began, but was immediately cut off by Matt.

"Marry me, Bonnie," Matt shouted from where he stood in the corner. "Come home and have a normal life with us, with me."

Damon was silent, and very still. I could feel him restraining his emotions. There was anger and a lot of amusement. Bonnie was confused, and I could feel something else…remorse. "Aw Matt," she said, turning to him. Her expression and tone were both exasperated, and she threw her hands up in the air before she brought them down to her legs with a loud slap. "You gotta be kidding me!"

Matt looked at her, eyes wide. Damon smiled and held his hand out to Bonnie, who took it as she returned to his side. "I'm already engaged."

I whipped my head around to look at my brother and he nodded. "So you see, Mutt," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "The game is definitely over. But I believe you are the one who loses."

* * * * * * *

Damon

"Marry me, Bonnie," Mutt shouted from where he stood. "Come home and have a normal life with us, with me."

And there it was. The pathetic attempt at gaining her affection wasn'texactly what he had planned, but I could see him running out of options.

Please say yes, Bonnie! His thoughts were just as annoying as his voice. Please Bonnie!

My anger had subsided for the most part, but he was really starting to annoy me. I could see Bonnie's eyes, and she wasn't going to sit very long with this. I saw his eyes too, and now they were begging her.

"Aw Matt," she said, turning to him. Her tone made me want to laugh, but I restrained myself for Bonnie's sake. She threw her hands up like I had seen people do in movies when they were upset. I had never actually seen anyone do it in person, and I found it extremely amusing. "You gotta be kidding me!"

Mutt simply looked at her. I heard her irritation with him in her thoughts and I smiled, holding my hand out to Bonnie, who took it as she came back to stand with me. "I'm already engaged." Good girl, I thought.

I saw my brother's head whip around to me and I nodded. "So you see, Mutt," I said, thoroughly enjoying the pained look on Mutt's face. "The game is definitely over. But I believe you are the one who loses."

Elena's eyes widened and she grabbed Bonnie from me, wrenching her out of my grasp and pulling her into the next room with Meredith on her heels. I followed them with my eyes, folding my arms back over my chest. My brother stared at me in disbelief. So you haven't changed her yet, but you plan to. And soon.

Is there really a need to discuss this, brother? You already knew all of this months ago. My boredom would soon win out and either I would leave or snap someone's neck. The predator in me preferred the latter.

"Can you please not do that?" Alaric said from the corner of the room. "There are those of us in the room that can't exactly read minds."

Huh…I had completely forgotten there was anyone else in the room. "Mr. Saltzman," I said turning to face him, leaning against the wall I stood in front of. "What can we do for you?"

Alaric walked over to me and stopped midway. "I don't suppose you did any…research?"

Ah, so you've shared your theories with the hunter, have you, brother? Stefan nodded in my direction but was still listening to Alaric. "No," I said after a moment. "But I'd be glad to let you all know once everything is said and done."

Stefan growled and I laughed quietly. "Damon-"

"Oh enough, brother," I said shrugging him off and walking past him. Mutt still hadn't moved from where he sat on the bottom step of the stairs. "Take your pathetic little band of rebels and go."

"I don't think so," Stefan said from behind me. "We're staying as long as Bonnie wants us. And you know as well as I do that she wants us here." I heard her just as clearly, Damon.

I rolled my eyes at the boys in my foyer. "Fine," I started walking toward the room the girls had gone into. "Then go get your bags. You can all bunk together."

* * * * * * *

Bonnie

This can't be happening.

Only you, Bonnie, would have such bad damn luck.

Not only did Matt show up unannounced at my house, but then the rest of my friends came with him. And then a proposal! Oh you have got to be kidding me!

I sat in the formal living room with my head in my hands. Meredith and Elena sat on either side of me, both with their arms around me trying to console me. No, this is exactly happening.

"Did you know?" I asked both of them without looking up. I could hear their shrugs beside me. Wondering what to say?

"No," Meredith said quietly. "Matt didn't come to any of us with his…intentions."

I snorted. Figures. "So none of you could stop him. And of course you had no idea about me and Damon." Elena started to speak and I held my hand up to stop her. "And none of you bother to call me anymore, so-"

"Enough," Damon stood in the doorway, his arms folded across his chest, watching me. Are you alright? I nodded. "I think this conversation would be better had at a later time. You are all welcome to stay here tonight, if Bonnie is alright with it." I nodded again. "But I assure you, you will not upset her further."

Damon's expression was terrifying…to everyone but me. When I looked at him I saw nothing more than the pure love he had for me. He was concerned for me. I'm fine, really Damon. It's fine.

His face softened as he listened to my thoughts. He reached for me and I stood, looking at both of the girls on either side of me. "We have plenty of room. I'd like it if you stayed." They both nodded and left the room quickly. I turned to Damon after they had gone and pulled him to me, kissing him deeply. "I don't wanna wait anymore."

I felt him smile against my kiss, and his tongue traced my bottom lip. "Ah cara," he whispered, and I felt his hand weave into the hair at the back of my neck. "You have no clue what that does to me. Tell me what you want and you can have it."

"I want to be with you. Tonight."

* * * * * * *

Damon

I walked silently into the room and listened. "Did you know?" I heard her ask them.

They both shrugged looking at each other as if they were trying to figure out what to say. "No," Meredith said quietly. "Matt didn't come to any of us with his…intentions."

She snorted and I held back a chuckle. I could feel her cool start to fade and the frustration begin to set in. "So none of you could stop him. And of course you had no idea about me and Damon." Elena started to speak and she held her tiny hand up to stop her, sighing quietly. "And none of you bother to call me anymore, so-"

"Enough," I said from where I was in the doorway. I folded my arms across my chest, my eyes on my Bonnie. Are you alright? She nodded. "I think this conversation would be better had at a later time. You are all welcome to stay here tonight, if Bonnie is alright with it." She nodded again. "But I assure you, you will not upset her further."

I looked at the girls, daring them with my eyes to say anything more. Finally I caught Bonnie's gaze, and she spoke to my mind. I'm fine, really Damon. It's fine.

My resolve crumbled as I listened to her thoughts. She was thinking about our wedding day, and more importantly our wedding night. I reached for her and she came to me, looking at both of the girls on the couch. "We have plenty of room. I'd like it if you stayed." They both nodded and left the room. Bonnie turned to me, kissing me passionately. "I don't wanna wait anymore."

I smiled as I kissed her and brought my tongue across her bottom lip. "Ah cara," I whispered, entwining my hand into the curls at the back of her neck. "You have no clue what that does to me. Tell me what you want and you can have it."

"I want to be with you. Tonight."

My concentration broke at her words. "Tonight? But Bonnie-"

She put her finger to my lips and I grabbed her wrist, a little rougher than I had planned, and pulled her wrist up to my nose. I ran the tip of my nose down to the inside of her elbow, enveloping myself in the smell that was all Bonnie. Simple and sweet, and tonight, extremely seductive. My voice was husky when I finally spoke. "Bonnie…I-"

She tilted her head to the side, exposing her throbbing vein which now taunted me, clouding every sense and stopping me mid-thought. I could think of nothing other than what she felt like in my arms, and wanted to feel her under me, her arms wrapped around me, touching me wherever she felt led to. But there were more pressing issues. I knew how she thought, and everything about her actions at the moment was screaming desperation. And I couldn't let her give in this way.

Damn. Who the hell am I?

"Cara…" I whispered, trying to pull her away from where she had attached herself to me. "Rossa…please." She wasn't budging, and I wasn't fighting hard at all. "I can't let you do this."

Why? She didn't speak audibly; her lips were otherwise occupied. We both want this, Damon. Please don't deny me what I want.

Damn, damn, damn… Every fiber of my being wanted to let go; to take her without abandon. But I knew she would regret this later. She wanted to give her gift to her husband on her wedding night, not before. I didn't want her to scold herself later, and I knew she would. Yeah, Salvatore, you are officially someone else now. And I do not know you.

I put my hands on her upper arms and gently pushed her back to look at me. Her eyes were still closed and she was breathing hard.

Bonnie, look at me.

No.

Please, cara. I need to see your eyes.

Slowly, she opened each eye, but wouldn't look at me. Her thoughts hit me like a truck. You don't want me.

All reason flew out the proverbial window and I snapped.

I grabbed her by the waist, picking her up and moaning as her legs instinctively wrapped around me and locked at my back. I felt myself placing her up against the wall and had to keep reminding myself that my strength was more than ten times what hers was. But I couldn't hear, think, smell…

All I could do was feel. And Bonnie McCullough felt like both heaven and hell to me right now. "Now?" I whispered into her mouth as I kissed her.

She snaked her hands into my hair and nodded. "Now."