Eyes on Fire

Damon's eyes fluttered open gently as he watched Bonnie walking back into his bedroom quietly, wearing nothing but a lacy midnight blue bra and underwear set, and holding two steaming mugs in her hand.

The lingerie was from La Perla, she told him last night, before he so recklessly peeled it off of her, and got down to business. He considered it an appropriate reaction to what had just occurred minutes before.

Bonnie finally admitted her feelings to him—her actual wanting to be with him—and he couldn't have been happier that the witch had bravely come clean about it. Sure, it took her way more time than he desired, but nevertheless, she'd said it, and now they were officially together.

They'd even consummated the fact on the rooftop of their apartment building, beneath the stars, while the better part of Manhattan was suffering from a "blackout" caused by Miss Bennett herself. What a way to start it off with a bang; literally.

Damon was eased out of his thoughts as Bonnie slid back into his bed, and he sighed before slipping a hand around her waist, and drawing her in a bit closer.

How she looked this good in the morning after a night of him, the world would never know.

"I was beginning to think you'd realized just how drunk you were last night, and you took off to write up a speech about why none of it should have happened," Damon said, as Bonnie placed the second mug into his hand and scoffed.

"I woke up early and made us spirit tea, you jerk. I decided to do something nice since you were so jealous you had to settle for coffee yesterday morning," Bonnie answered, and Damon raised an eyebrow. "I… know what happened last night, Damon. I wasn't that drunk," she added before taking a sip and placing it on a coaster on the night table.

"So, you know you're my girlfriend, now?" he asked bluntly, and Bonnie couldn't help but smile when she watched the genuine curiosity in his eyes multiplying.

Just how had she gotten herself into this, anyway? She went from wanting to avoid him to confessing everything she had been holding in, in twelve hours flat, and she still couldn't wrap her head around it. Maybe she wasn't as good as avoiding him as she had once thought. Maybe she wasn't meant to avoid him, she realized, as he continued to look into her eyes, and it shook her down to her core.

She was Damon Salvatore's girlfriend, and call her crazy, but she was actually kind of okay with that.

Oh, how things could change.

"I… know," she eased out, and before she could say another word, Damon was swallowing a mouthful of tea, and then her lips, as the rest of her words were immediately muffled by his tongue against hers.

He placed his cup on the night table as well—because god forbid he spilled anything on his perfect eight hundred thread count Egyptian cotton sheets—and within moments, his hands were holding her down at the shoulders, while his mouth was moving busily all along her neck.

This had been the routine—since last night, actually—and Bonnie honestly couldn't understand how he was still finding ways to make her body succumb to undeniable passion. Just when she thought he had tried every trick in the book, something else happened, and she was right back to square one; shivering at his touching, and moaning a few words and profanities that would have embarrassed her during any other time of the day.

Damon liked a lot of sex. And now that they were officially dating, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be conditioned to, as well.

It didn't help that he was so damn tempting, to begin with, she realized.

At least he had given her five minutes, last night, to turn back on the lights in the city before they went right back to what he considered "priority number one."

As Damon's teeth made their way across her throat, Bonnie exhaled deeply, while her hands combed through his messy locks, before finally pulling him away to face her.

He smirked mischievously.

"We have a lot of sex," she stated, and Damon scoffed as his hands moved beneath his sheets, and slid along her thighs ever-so-slowly.

"People in new relationships do this," he answered, and she rolled her eyes. "Besides… it'll keep my mind off of the fact that you're Glinda the Good Witch again, and there is absolutely nothing I can do to talk you out of it," Damon added, and Bonnie let out a deep sigh before placing her hands on his cheeks and massaging them gently.

He didn't look half as bewildered as he did last night when she showed him her powers, but he also didn't look happy right now either, as the memories of what magic had done to Bonnie in the past resurfaced.

Truth be told, he was fucking petrified that history would undoubtedly repeat itself. And though Bonnie was in a good place and he was more than capable of reining her back in if she fell into the darkness like he had before, he just didn't want her to have to experience that pain once more.

He never wanted Bonnie to hurt, ever again.

Bonnie's emerald eyes blinked as she looked into his, and offered a reassuring smile.

"Damon; I'm gonna be okay," she said, as her thumbs brushed along his jawbone, and he bit his lip. "And you said that you would respect this; you would respect my decisions."

"I do," he answered with a short nod. "But it doesn't mean that I have to like them."

Bonnie's lips pursed together as Damon pulled away from her grasp, and sat up in bed. She continued to look up at him with observant eyes while he grabbed his mug and took another healthy sip. It wasn't very often that Damon was struck at a loss for words, so she figured this meant something, as the vampire combed his fingers through his hair before looking back at her.

Those few seconds of silence were deafening.

"I'll try to be the 'supportive boyfriend,' if that's what you want, Bonnie… but I just… I need to know why."

Bonnie bit her lip before finally sitting up, and leaning herself against his mahogany headboard.

This was the moment of the truth; the inevitable moment where she would have to tell Damon just what her reasoning had been for dabbling in magic again, and brave the incredulous stares from him, as nothing but his eyes would make it clear that he thought she was out of her mind.

Yeah. She was definitely looking forward to this all morning.

Bonnie brought her blanketed knees up to her chest, and exhaled a deep breath before finding the words to say.

It was much harder than she thought.

"Jeremy's death… wasn't an accident," she said, and Damon's eyes squinted as he remained silent to hear all that she had to say. "I… had a dream, Damon—a nightmare, actually—that night of his burial, and I haven't been able to shake it since then."

Damon ran his tongue over his teeth and furrowed his brows.

"You… became a witch again because of a nightmare, Bonnie?"

"It wasn't that simple," she reasoned, and Damon went quiet again. "I—I saw him, Damon. And it felt real—so real —and he told me the truth… He said that this wasn't an accident. And I know that it's foolish to just trust some weird vision that I had when I was mourning his death and really upset but… when have my visions ever been wrong?" she asked.

Damon couldn't argue that.

A witch's premonition was even stronger than of a woman's, and Bonnie's had never failed her. She saw things and experienced moments for no other reason than being meant to do something about it. And when it came to Jeremy, Damon knew just how much Bonnie had loved him, and done all for him.

He couldn't possibly expect her to just let this go, and pretend the whole thing never happened. She wouldn't, he realized, and even if this whole magic thing pissed him off beyond belief, he respected it.

He respected her for always having the strength and the courage to do what was right.

Damon finished off the tea in his mug in record time, and Bonnie pressed her lips together when he took her free hand into his own and they locked fingers. His smooth skin against hers felt unbelievably calming, if she were honest, and it didn't help that his voice softened too, the next time he spoke to her.

"So, what are we gonna do about this?" he asked gently, as he looked into her gaze. "Because you know there's no way in hell I am letting you go at this alone, right?"

Bonnie swallowed hard, but she nodded at his words in response.

"I know," she admitted. "And I… sort of have a plan. I just need to summon Jeremy's spirit; talk to him, again, and maybe get some answers. I'm almost strong enough to do it. I just need to do a few more big spells to able to harness enough power."

"Kind of like that whole 'bringing down the stars' thingy you did last night, to confess your undying affection for me?" Damon asked, and Bonnie let out a short laugh as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. Something like that."

Damon nodded as the silence passed between them.

"You know… whatever you need, Witchy, I'll do. If you're going to be getting into some bonehead plan, I feel as though it's only right that I get into it with you… Though I must say, your track record when it comes to getting shit done is probably as flawless as mine, so—"

Bonnie picked up a pillow to swing at his head, but the vampire caught it quickly, and she let out a squeal as he consequently held her at the sides, and nuzzled his lips against her shoulder.

Bonnie finally stopped laughing when Damon looked down into her eyes, and she smiled purely as he brushed back a strand of her hair and simply gazed at her.

It was the most captivating thing she had experienced in quite some time, and she had to resist the urge to scream with horror when she realized just how much of a sap that made her.

All he had to do was look at her, and she was floored. How did that even happen?

"So, how long do we have before you've got that spa date with Laila?" he asked curiously, and Bonnie grinned as she looked into his eyes in disbelief.

"You actually remembered me telling you that?"

"The hell I did. Laila won't hesitate to castrate me if I make you late," he said, and Bonnie giggled appropriately. "That girl is scary sometimes."

"Said the vampire," Bonnie replied, and he hissed at that. "But to answer your question… I have about an hour before she's expecting me. And you have—"

"Until whenever the hell I want, because I am my own boss," he reminded, and Bonnie smiled at that. "This 'time' thing seems to be working out in our favor, today, Miss Bennett."

Bonnie pushed him onto his back, and Damon growled with approval the minute she slid on top of him, and ran her finger nails across his naked chest. His face was already glowing with passion the minute he'd seen her walk in this morning. It didn't take much to multiply that feeling by a thousand when she was sitting on him like this.

Bonnie leaned down and kissed his lips fervently, while his hands made their way up her back, and fiddled with the hook of the bra. His first thought was to just tear through it like the animal that he was, but something about how delicate she looked in this moment made him want to take it slower than usual.

Time restrictions, be damned.

He slid down the straps of the navy blue top, and she pulled him in by his broad shoulders to meet her, as his lips pushed along her own, until breaking away and making the journey across her cheek bones.

Laila would not be amused his antics, at all.

"How long do we have before we can't use the 'new relationship' excuse, anymore?" Bonnie asked, as her legs tightened around his torso, and his lips separated from her skin.

"Six months, give or take," he replied, and Bonnie sighed breathlessly when his fingers dug against her thighs, and definitely left a few bruises that she was sure she would be feeling later.

She'd give him a few of his own, just for payback.

"I'll keep that in mind," Bonnie breathed, and Damon smirked when the little witch pushed him onto his back again, and attacked him at the lips, again.

He sighed happily as he felt her pulling the sheets over their heads, and it was in that moment he knew Bonnie Bennett was going to act as if the clock ticking steadily across the room was nothing but a lazy prop, and didn't exist anymore to either one of them, at all.

XXXXX

"So, I know that I thanked you like five times for bringing me home, but seriously—thank you. Again," Caroline said, as she fastened her pink robe over her body, and tucked a loose strand of her golden waves behind her ear. "I really appreciate it."

She was instantly brought back to the night before that had gone quite terribly in her opinion, until her surprising Knight in Shining Armor had swooped in to save her.

She marched back into that club, prepared to tell Stefan off, and to so ready to fight for what she believed should have been hers, just like Laila told her to, but she was stopped in her tracks when she realized that he was gone.

Stefan and Elena were nowhere to be seen, and right along with Caroline's luck, Laila had disappeared, as well, texting her briefly to inform her that she had found a distraction for the night.

So there she was; in the middle of this club, alone, as the drunken party goers danced sloppily all over the place and she felt her own annoyance rising the longer she watched it.

She realized that regaining your soberness around a bunch of people who were extremely intoxicated was a troubling experience, because it made you want to hit everyone.

And to add insult to injury?

The lights went out, five minutes later, and everyone was forced to evacuate the club, as New York experienced its first blackout of the summer.

How convenient.

Caroline stomped out of the club, heels in hand, and muttered more than a few curses beneath her breath as she attempted to hail a taxi. She soon figured that idea was probably shot, considering none of the traffic lights were working, and now there were cops at each intersection trying to direct the mess, as the honking and yelling crept up to an all-time high.

Gotta love New York, she thought, because it was time for plan b: vamp speed.

She'd have to make sure she was out of the aim of public eye, but she considered that couldn't be too hard, considering how many alley ways existed in Manhattan. All she'd have to do was duck into one, and voila: she'd be home in no time.

Caroline made her move to cross the street, and she was suddenly grasped back by someone who undoubtedly just prevented her from getting hit by a car, as she fell back into their arms, while a Maserati whizzed by at 65 mph.

She breathed in relief.

Sure she was a vampire and getting hit by a car wouldn't kill her, but she would definitely have no explanation for the ambulance or hospital when she magically regenerated new skin, and healed herself of her injuries within record time. She would be screwed, if it weren't for whoever the hell it was that just saved her, and she owed them big time, she realized.

Caroline whipped around to thank her unlikely savior, and her brows furrowed when his deep eyes met hers.

"Thank you for… allowing me to stay the night," he said in response, as he stood in her doorway. "Your hospitality has been… overwhelming."

Caroline's cheeks flushed at that, as he took her hand into his own, and kissed it softly.

She instantly remembered what those lips felt like all over her skin last night when she so easily invited him into her and Stefan's apartment and proceeded to thank him in more ways than one.

She passed out before any actual sex happened, but she'd definitely done enough, considering the fact that she didn't even know this guy, but she had him moaning her name six ways to Sunday.

It wasn't like he was a complete stranger, she reasoned, as he helped her untie her dress, and she helped him remove his tie. She had seen him before, and she even knew his name, thanks to the fact that he had made himself known earlier last night while they were out.

But she was pretty sure this was yet another one of her stupid decisions, and she would pay for it dearly if she was found out.

Which was why he needed to leave now; just in case her lovely roommate Stefan decided to ever show his face again.

She'd only hooked up with Chase because she was pissed off at him, but when she sobered in the morning, she realized that she was completely against rubbing it in his face.

Stefan would be extremely hurt that she'd let some random guy stay the night, and even more so that she'd fondled him like she was some horny teenager at a basement party.

Even in her reckless and spiteful nature, she didn't want to completely ruin all that they had between them. She considered Chase a one and done, and if she told Stefan about it, she'd be sure to be clear about that.

None of this meant anything to her.

Caroline prepared herself to say goodbye, but instead, her lips were stopped when he pressed his own to hers, and engulfed into a long kiss that made her weak at the knees and tremble at the bones.

His soft mouth continued to work against hers, and she eagerly gave in, as her arms made their way around his shoulders and he quickly pushed her against her wall.

Caroline sighed as his lips kissed all over her neck, again, and she shut her eyes in pure bliss when they landed on her ear, and spoke to her softly.

"Will I see you again, sweetheart?"

She nodded in reluctant confirmation, and she felt him smiled against her porcelain skin before separating his mouth and looking into her eyes. He brushed his fingers through her wavy hair, and she bit her lip when she remembered just how handsome he was.

She should have realized that just because she didn't plan on seeing him again didn't mean he was going to adhere to those designations.

Especially because he now knew where she lived as well.

"You have my number, Chase. And I assume you know how to use a telephone, so…" Caroline trailed off, and he smiled heartily before kissing her once more. "You know how to reach me."

"Indeed, I do."

His hands finally dropped from hers, and he made his way back over towards the door, as Caroline did her best to hide the glowing smile behind her cheeks, and he stopped as she continued to stare at him again.

Chase smirked.

"How about we gather your friends and do something fun tomorrow night?" he asked softly, and Caroline thought for a second before shaking her head.

"I'm a dork, and I think I made plans to Skype with my mom—"

"Cancel them," he said firmly, and Caroline's eyes immediately focused on his. "Cancel your plans with Sheriff Forbes, and see me instead."

Caroline nodded mindlessly as she continued to stare into his eyes, and a slow smile appeared onto her lips.

"I'd love to," she agreed and Chase gleamed as she continued to follow his eyes.

"Very well then," he answered, as Caroline remained completely still. "Invite all of your little friends to whatever it is you want to do, but be sure to do me one favor."

"Anything you want," she said, in a hypnotized tone, and Chase bit his lip.

"Make sure Bonnie is there," he said firmly. "I need to see her, and it will be most opportune if you organize something. You were always quite good at that," he reminded, and Caroline smiled dumbly. "See you then, love."

"Okay," Caroline said lightly, and she watched as Chase left the apartment quickly; leaving her a bit confused and flustered once she snapped back into her thoughts shut the door behind him.

She had no idea why, or how, but the only thing she had at the moment was the overwhelming urge to get Bonnie to Chase, by any means necessary.

She couldn't be bothered to know why this felt as though it was her only life purpose.

XXXX

"If you're okay now, I'm gonna… go," Stefan said, as he looked up from his cell phone, and slid it into his pocket. "I just… should probably get home. See how Caroline's doing, you know?"

Elena nodded in return as they both rose to their feet, and she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her pajama pants. She breathed in a deep sigh when Stefan's eyes didn't even bother to cast a gaze on hers before he made his way to the door, and out his hand on the knob.

This was all so incredibly awkward.

Stefan had carried her home last night, apparently, and when she had finally awaken from her drunken stupor, he was sleeping on her couch, still dressed in his clothes from the evening before.

She knew that nothing had happened between them—because Stefan just wasn't that type of guy—but it didn't make her feel any less weird about this situation, anyway.

From what she had recalled, she openly admitted her feelings to Bonnie, Caroline, and Laila when it came to Stefan, as she vowed to do whatever possible to get him back into her life. She knew, deep down, that she should have just let this go; that she should have just left him alone, because Stefan deserved more than this—but she couldn't bear to follow logic while her heart was screaming so loudly to be heard.

She'd been the one to break up with him because she just couldn't do the supernatural life anymore, and she'd realized it was the biggest mistake of her existence not too long after that.

She was miserable without Stefan, as she pretended that things were all that she wanted with Matt, and wasted not only her time, but his own, selfishly forging s relationship that she knew could never last as long as she was in love with somebody else.

She may have had strong feelings for Matt—she always would—but they were nothing compared to the things she felt for Stefan. And seeing him after Jeremy's death reminded her of just that; Stefan's presence was the only thing to calm her—to ease her pain—as he took her into his arms, and whispered truthful things about Jeremy being in a better place into her ear, before she tossed roses at his grave.

Stefan's beautiful green eyes were the only thing to soothe her when she felt like shattering into a million pieces each and every time someone asked her if she was making out okay.

Stefan's smile was the only thing that relieved her each and every time that she lied when she said she would be fine, because he made her believe it; he made her believe that things would be okay, one day.

So it went without saying that she wanted this feeling to last forever; hence the reason why she moved to New York.

She absolutely wanted to fix her bond with Bonnie, Caroline, and even Damon, but most importantly, she wanted him back; she needed him, in fact. And though it made her feel pathetically desperate smiling at him the way that she did, and lighting up at the cheeks each time she saw him, she would not stop herself.

She was in love with Stefan Salvatore, and she'd come all the way here to prove it.

Talk about determination.

Elena watched as Stefan began to twist the knob, and she blinked quietly as she tried to figure out the words to say.

She'd said "thank you," enough times to last her until forever, but there was still something else she was dying to get out before he made his great escape.

There was still so much more to say.

"I'm sorry," she settled with, and Stefan turned around to face her plainly. "I am… really sorry, Stefan."

The vampire shifted at his feet uncomfortably before shrugging his shoulders and stuffing his hands into his pockets. He remained unphased.

"It's no problem, Elena… I brought you home because we're friends," he stated, and she moved in a bit closer at that, causing him to immediately shut his lips.

He knew what else was coming.

"I… wasn't apologizing because of that," she said, and his eyes narrowed. "I mean—I am really sorry about being such a drunken mess, but I—I'm sorry because… I hurt you."

Stefan took in a deep breath, and his eyes seemed to be filling with dismay, though he mostly hid it well. Elena stepped in closer, and Stefan held up both hands to stop her.

She halted in her tracks.

"I—I don't want you to apologize to me, Elena," he said firmly, and her brows scrunched, as he struggled to speak strongly. "You were right, about me… causing nothing but problems in your life… And you absolutely had a reason to give up on me. You don't belong in the world of the supernatural—" he started, only to be interrupted by her voice.

"But I belong with you," she said clearly, and she watched as all of the color flushed from his skin. "I… belong with you, Stefan, and it wasn't until I was without you that I realized it—that I realized that I can't live without you… I—I can't even breathe."

Stefan took in a deep breath as he watched the brunette with the olive skin making her way towards him, and he shook his head again as he backed up. Elena frowned at his reaction.

"You don't know what you're saying," Stefan replied, and she pursed her lips. "I've changed, Elena… and so have you. It'll never work again," he said simply before crossing his arms over his chest. "I—I've finally learned what it's like to live without you and you can't just go changing that."

Stefan watched as Elena held back the tears that threatened her eyes, but didn't roll down her cheeks. Elena's tears had always been his kryptonite, and he was extremely thankful that she at least had the decency to control them right now, as her words did nothing less than suffocate him.

Elena exhaled a deep breath.

"I know that I've done wrong, Stefan; I have. And I know that we're both different, but how I feel about you? That's something that's never going to change," she revealed. "Please tell me that you understand that."

Stefan remained still, but reluctantly nodded his head at that.

He'd known it all along; he knew that Elena loved him, and despite what she had said during their break-up, it would never change. And he knew that he loved her, no matter what he wanted to believe, and it was something he expected to live with for the rest of his life.

But what was he to do, now, that he also had feelings for Caroline? Very strong ones that threatened to unearth the foundation that he and Elena's love had stood on for so very long?

What he felt for Caroline was something he'd never quite experienced in all his life. Sure, Elena knew him well, but Caroline knew him better. She was his best friend—his soul mater, practically—and whether he was willing to act on it or not, there were feelings that that confused, shook, and unraveled him much more than he had ever known all his life.

Elena meant everything to him, but was it possible that Caroline meant even more than that?

He'd tried to call her last night to let her know that he was taking a stumbling Elena home, but with the blackout, he'd gotten nothing but her voicemail ten times in a row. And even after that? Her phone rung with no answer until he finally gave up.

Caroline was pissed off, understandably, by his reaction to Elena, and that made his life all the more difficult.

If he were still acting this way towards Elena; so protective and so caring, didn't Caroline deserve better than that anyway? He would never want her to be in a relationship with him if his mind was still settled on somebody else, and that's what was happening exactly.

He wanted Caroline, but he couldn't let go of Elena at all.

And honestly? He had no fucking clue what to do about it.

Stefan snapped out of his thoughts once he realized Elena was standing right in front of him, and he breathed when she placed her hand to his cheek, and brushed it softly.

Everything inside of him burned with just one motion.

"I just want to start over," she said, nearly inaudible, and he bit his lip. "It doesn't matter what you've done or what has gone on while I haven't been here… I just… I only care about one thing right now, Stefan, and that's you. I care about you."

Stefan swallowed hard as her fingers trickled down to his neck, and she moved in even closer. His stomach was nearly in knots just because of how close she was, and with each breath, he could hear the familiar sound of her blood pumping throughout her veins.

He'd tasted that blood before; it gave him life, many times, when he was on the verge of losing it all, and Elena gilbert reached in and saved him.

She'd saved him, many more times than he gave her credit for, and here was his chance to do the same—to save her from heartbreak if he so chose to let her into his life again.

"I love you, Stefan," Elena confessed softly, as her nails grazed against his skin, and his back pressed to the door. "You promised you would hold onto that."

Stefan captured her hand into his own, and she followed his eyes as they pierced through her own, and closed softly as he relived her words.

His hands were now at her waist, as he drew her in gently, and Elena held her breath when the distance closed between them accordingly.

It was taking everything within him not to kiss her right now, and he was struggling; as the smell of her skin filled his senses, and the sound of her exhale drove him absolutely wild.

Why was he such a slave to this, he wondered, as his fingers steadily crawled beneath the bottom of her shirt, and rested on her toned stomach?

Why did he care at all? He should have forgotten all about Elena the minute she'd made her life with Matt, and left him all alone to drown within his misery.

It was as if he'd known—he believed—that she would come back for him, and she did, in the end, much to his desire. Elena never fully let him go, just like he hadn't disowned her from his thoughts, and he knew that there was a reason for this.

And maybe she was here, despite it all, because he was destined to find out.

He was destined to figure this all out, once and for all.

Stefan reopened his eyes, and Elena's chestnut ones were staring into his with heavy anticipation—genuine curiosity—as to what he would do next, now that he knew where she stood.

His hands floated down towards her hips, and every goose bump on her body rose as she continued to be captured by his stare.

It was truly now or never.

Stefan leaned in and pressed his lips to the corner of her mouth.

He couldn't allow himself to go any further; especially not with the way his mind was unraveling, and he smoothly dropped his hands, as he let her skin go, and Elena sighed in disenchantment.

He just couldn't do it. Not like this.

"I'm sorry too," Stefan finally said, and Elena's brows furrowed. "I'm… sorry that I… have feelings for Caroline, and it is the only thing keeping me together right now."

A look of shock crossed Elena's face as Stefan turned around and finally opened the door.

Without another word, he made his way out and down the hall, before she could say a thing or he could react to it.

His feelings for Caroline, right now, were much stronger than anything he could have still wanted with Elena, and right now, he was going to tell her that.

He probably wasn't going to be too thrilled, then, once he found out about Chase.

XXXXX

"Blondie has enough friends to organize a dinner party? Color me shocked," Damon said, and Bonnie punched his arm lightly, to which he let out a soft howl.

"Be nice," she said beneath her breath, as she knocked on the apartment door. "She probably has more friends than you do, anyway."

"I don't need friends when I've got somebody like you in my bed," he reminded, and Bonnie sneered. "Which reminds me… you promised that if I went to this and behaved myself that you'd—"

"I remember what I promised," Bonnie cut in, and Damon smirked deviously. "Don't push your luck."

"Duly noted," he winked, and Bonnie let out an exasperated sigh as she tugged at her dress.

Caroline had randomly decided to throw a dinner party at her and Stefan's apartment to commemorate their "move in," though it had happened about two months ago. Bonnie easily agreed to attend, though Damon was much harder to convince, because he'd clued Bonnie in to the fact that they had "better" things to attend to that included hot massage oil, and his everlasting libido.

She nearly smacked him for that one.

When the door opened, Bonnie smiled appropriately, and Damon did as well, as Caroline gleamed brightly at the two before throwing her arms around the girl tightly.

"Oh my god, I'm so happy you could make it," she said enthusiastically, and Damon snorted as he held up a bottle of wine, and cocked his head.

"I wouldn't miss the chance to drink this for the world."

Caroline and Bonnie both rolled their eyes at him, before the blonde captured her hands and gazed at her happily.

There was something even peppier about Caroline's attitude, and Bonnie just couldn't figure out what it was, until the girl easily revealed just what had been making her so happy.

"Don't get mad, but I have a secret to tell you," she said, as she led her into the apartment, and Bonnie shook her head in confusion as she gazed at her.

"What is it? I promise not to get mad—" she stopped when she looked before her and saw the familiar eyes and blonde hair of someone she was getting to know all too well staring at her from across the room in such a devoted way, her heart almost stopped.

What the hell?

"You invited Chase?" Bonnie whispered, and Caroline cheesed happily as her blue eyes stared into Bonnie's so strongly, she almost felt whiplashed by them.

"Don't be silly, Bonnie. This entire thing—it was his idea," Caroline smirked. "Bon appetit."

A/N: Hello, all! So I was able to squeeze in another chapter and I hope you don't mind reading from me again so soon! You have all been awesome so I decided not to make you wait for this one. ;) The plot is finally picking up now, and I have been reading your reviews as to just what you guys think is going on. I love your theories, so keep it up! What did you think this time around, and what do you think happens next? As always, THANK YOU for reading, and until next time! xoxox