Chapter 11

Damon had seen the look in Alexander's eyes as Serena offered to walk with Bonnie to the bathroom. 'Sorry buddy but the girl doesn't want you following her around all the damn time.' He was beginning to feel sorry for him, the whole eager to please bit was starting to get irritating not to mention pitiful. 'Humans.' He thought with contempt as he felt the warmth of the fire touch his skin and he looked toward the blaze. 'Ah fire, lovely yet terrifying at the same time. It can keep you warm on a cold night or it can destroy your entire world. Much like love.' His musings were cut short by a scream nearby. 'That sounded rather feminine.' Beside him Alexander shot up, raced towards the direction of the scream and didn't bother to look back. It was just as well for if he had he would have seen a vacant spot where Damon had been sitting. Damon was near the bathrooms in the blink of an eye.

He found Bonnie standing alone eyes wide and a frightened look on her face. Damon instantly forgot Alexander, Serena and all the rest of the silly humans at the festival. He was at her side in a flash taking her in his arms in a comforting gesture. "Are you alright? I heard a scream." Bonnie pulled away slightly and looked up at him. "I thought something bad was happening again. Ever since Klaus things have been kind of quiet, I didn't know if our town was being invaded by some other paranormal freak of nature." Damon noticed she was shaking and pulled her closer. "Now what happened to that brave girl that stood up to the big bad blonde meanie? Has Bonnie the warrior druid gone chicken again?" His teasing tone was greeted by a small punch in the gut as Bonnie tried to pull away.

"I didn't stand up to Klaus." She said in a soft voice. When Damon raised a quizzical brow she grinned. "I sat there in front of him like a hard headed kid unwilling to give up her favorite toy." Damon's chuckle was rich and it echoed in the night. "Hard headed? You actually admit you were hard headed and I didn't get it on tape?" Once again his comment was greeted with a punch but this time he caught her wrist before she made contact. "Temper temper. Do you know how cute you are when you're mad?" Bonnie rolled her eyes and tried to pull her wrist free but Damon held fast. "I probably look even cuter to you scared." Damon shook his head as he finally released her wrist. "No you don't look cuter when you're scared, you just look scared." Along time ago the flicker of fear in a person's eyes would have made his pulse race but his brother and the others had managed to change him somehow.

They say sometimes change is for the better but he still couldn't believe it though. One year with his brother and his brother's human friends had made him softer and now he was getting protective over a bubble headed friend of Elena's. Looking down at her he realized she was looking up at him with a curious expression on her face. "What?" He asked gruffly, his little bout of selflessness was beginning to rub him the wrong way. Shaking her head she gave him a small smile. "Nothing just wondering why you came to the rescue is all." Damon clinched his jaw and looked over her head at the bathroom door. "Because I'm responsible for you till this stupid festival is over with. Now if you don't mind I'd like to get back to the bonfire. I'll wait for you while you use the restroom."

Bonnie's brown eyes narrowed at his nonchalant tone and she turned away towards the door. "Don't bother waiting, I can make it back to the bonfire on my own." Her tone was icy and the slamming of the bathroom door silenced any further comments from Damon. "Women." He grumbled softly under his breath and was tempted to leave her to return to the bonfire by her self but he didn't, he stayed and waited. When she hadn't exited the bathroom after ten minutes he began to worry much to his dismay. Knocking on the door he called her name but didn't receive an answer. His hand stilled on the doorknob and he battled with the idea of just walking into the ladies room. He decided to knock one more time and still not getting an answer he made up his mind.

Turning the knob he opened the door slowly and poked his head in. "Bonnie? Bonnie look I'm sorry. I really was wor-." His sentenced trailed off as he realized the bathroom was empty. "What the." He looked around the last stall and found another door. "So much for my apology." He said as he excited the bathroom the same way Bonnie obviously had.

End of Chapter 11: As always comments are welcomed. I appreciate everyone's patience as I write this story as things come to me.