A/N: I can't apologize enough for the delay on this update. I know it's been way too long but I wasn't inspired and I didn't want to put out something my heart wasn't in. But it's here now and I'm excited to have my mojo back! Thank you all for the continued reviews in my absence and letting me know you haven't forgotten about this fic!

Happy Reading!

Song Credit: Desperado by Rihanna

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries, only my OCs. No copyright infringement intended.


12 - Desperado

There ain't nothing here for me anymore

But I don't want to be alone

- Rihanna

This decision was an easy one for Stefan. "This is it," he declared, confidently. "This is the one." The light caught the diamonds perfectly as the jeweler held up the ring, causing it to shine brightly and awe Stefan, someone who'd never cared much for jewelry aside from a good watch.

"She'll love it," the jeweler promised as he placed the ring in its box.

Stefan had been at this for hours, going from shop to shop trying to find the perfect ring for Elena. The price was a steep one, but he had the funds, and he knew his girl was worth it. Once he stepped outside, newly equipped with the means of a perfect proposal, he sighed heavily as a familiar face swam unwillingly into his brain.

He climbed into his car and pulled out the box again, opening it to examine the ring. He was really going to do this, and he was going to have to do it alone.

"Goddamn it, Bo," he muttered to himself as he took out his phone and snapped a picture of the impressive rock. "You were supposed to be here."


90s pop music blasted from the juke box in the Mystic Grille and the laughter of a group of dancing twenty-somethings filled the bar. The women glared, the men stared, teenagers watched awestruck. The only person not paying attention was one Damon Salvatore who was demanding the bartender bring him a full bottle. His drinking buddy huffed at his distraction.

"Damon, what the hell are you doing?" Lorenzo demanded to know.

"What the hell does it look like?" Damon snapped. "Bartender! Hellooo! I know you can hear me!"

"You're worried about the wrong things, mate," Enzo huffed. "Turn the hell around."

Damon huffed as well and swiveled in his chair. Enzo pointed out the girls. Damon immediately zeroed in on the brunette in the center of the group, dancing like she was in a music video. She was undeniably hot. Tall, slender, nicely tanned, she wore her white pants tight, and her light pink top short enough for her toned abs to peek through. And she'd had her eye on Damon since she walked into the place.

"All of that..." Enzo said in his smooth accent. "All of that is for you." Just as he said it, the girl locked eyes with Damon. She kept them on him as she rolled her hips in a sexy manner, sending every red-blooded male in the Grill's blood rushing south. Damon's eyes travelled her body and she smirked. He could see himself throwing her over the pool table and taking her from behind. Then a painfully familiar face swam into his mind unwillingly and for some reason he couldn't figure out, he felt guilty for having that thought. For just a split second, then he was cursing himself.

"She's not my type," Damon lied, turning his chair back toward the bar.

"Not your type! Damon, she's exactly your type!" Enzo cried. "What the hell is your problem?" Damon ignored him and took a drink. "You can't possibly still be thinking about that Bonnie chick." Enzo waited for a denial and when he didn't get one he shook his head in disbelief. "She left weeks ago! She's in Miami partying with Drake and you're in Mystic Falls sulking? When Damon is single he doesn't sulk, he fucks 9s and 10s. And that chick is a solid 9. Now these girls are coming over here so you better get your shit together or I'm finding a new wingman." He quickly slapped a smile on his face. "Hello, ladies."

The bar was suddenly swarmed with an army of beautiful women, ordering drinks. Their body heat and perfume enveloping Damon, Enzo, and the one other guy sitting at the bar who was quite literally drooling. Enzo was already charming the two nearest him, using his silky accented voice to his full advantage. The Hot Brunette gave the bartender her drink order and gave Damon a sly little smile. He pulled a bill from his pocket and slid it to the bartender as he returned with her drink.

"So, you're not a man of words but a man of action," HB observed as she picked up her drink. It was pink and fruity and unlike anything Damon would eve drink.

"A woman as stunning as you needs a man of action," he responded and internally cringed. That was awful. When did he get so off his game? Regardless, she smiled, showing off her perfectly aligned, pearly white teeth and he knew his waning charm was still working.

She held out her manicured hand for him to shake. "Crystal." He took it.

"Damon."


A spark of excitement had went through Stefan when his phone rang and he saw the smiling face of his best friend on the screen. His excitement was quickly dying as he realized she was bringing the conversation to a close. It had been weeks since he and Bonnie had last talked on the phone. If it wasn't for social media he wouldn't know too much about all the parties and club openings she was attending and all the high profile clients the salon was receiving, or how much business was already booming. Stefan was quickly seeing a change in Bonnie, a lot of it physical, according to Snapchat and Instagram, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. It was apparent Lucy had gotten her hands on her little cousin and seemed to be trying to morph her into a mini version of her. Bonnie was wearing more make-up, shorter shorts, higher heels, tighter dresses, crop tops, and extensions that nearly reached her bottom. She didn't look much like Bo anymore, but a Miami party girl. She was always so busy Stefan could hardly get a text back, so he'd pretty much stopped trying, figuring she'd reach out when she was ready.

A few hours after he'd sent the picture of the ring, she'd finally picked up the phone. She was gushing with excitement, and full of apologies about their lack of communication and that she couldn't be there to help pick out the ring. She was talking so fast, trying to fill him in on everything that had been going on in her life, he could hardly get a word in edgewise but he was so happy to hear her voice he hardly cared. Then she was questioning him on everything happening in Mystic Falls, which wasn't much, and how everyone was doing. He had long ago decided that he wasn't going to tell her about the incident with Damon and Tyler. He didn't want her feeling guilty and putting a damper on her time away. As their conversation was ending, Stefan noticed she hadn't yet asked about his brother. He knew they hadn't talked at all since she left, and was sure she was dying to ask but being too stubborn.

As Damon returned home he caught the tail-end of Stefan's conversation. "It's okay, there's still more to be done," Stefan was saying as Damon walked up behind him. "It wouldn't be the same without you." Stefan turned and caught Damon lingering. "I thought you were out. No, sorry, I was talking to Damon. Okay...okay...talk to you soon. Love you too." Stefan ended the call and turned back to his brother. "Decided to cut your bro date with Enzo short?"

"Who were you talking to?" Damon questioned instead of answering.

"Bo," Stefan replied, reluctantly.

"Hm." Damon slightly nodded and fell silent, appearing thoughtful before asking, "How is she?"

"She seems to be doing well," he informed him. "Working hard, playing harder. She sounded happy."

"Hm," Damon said again. "Good for her."

Stefan nodded. "She did say how much she misses home, though. And she's upset she wasn't here to help me pick out my engagement ring for Elena."

"Wait...what?"

Stefan produced a jewelry box from his pocket and popped it open, revealing the huge glimmering rock laying on the velvet. "Wow..." Damon was momentarily at a loss for words. "Are you sure you're ready to take that step, baby brother?"

"I was ready the day I met Elena," he responded, closing the box. "Obviously, I'm going to need you to keep this between us."

"Of course. When do you plan on popping the question?"

"I'm thinking the 23rd of next month," he said. "It'll be the anniversary of our first official date. I might take her up to the Falls."

"How sweet," Damon said, sardonically. "So sweet it's almost sickening."

Stefan chuckled. "Thanks for the support." He stepped past him and headed for the stairs. Damon spoke up, stopping him in his tracks.

"Did she ask about me?"

Stefan hesitated. He was now wishing she had, just to avoid this moment.

"Who?" He looked at Damon with a fake look of curiosity He thought he had successfully distracted him from thinking about Bonnie with the engagement talk.

Damon's face hardened. "You know who."

Stefan exhaled. "No...no, she didn't." He didn't think it would do anybody any good to lie. "But we didn't talk for very long and it was mostly engagement stuff-"

"Don't," Damon said sharply. "Don't do that." There was nothing he hated more than being patronized or someone trying to mollify out of pity. He turned and headed back toward the front door, pulling out his phone to text Enzo.

Enzo was very upset with him. They'd talked to the girls at the bar for awhile, Damon and Crystal flirting heavily, Enzo working his magic with her sexy friends. Then Crystal placed her hand on Damon's arm, batted her false lashes, and made her intentions clear, and just like that Damon was over it. He suddenly stood up, said he had things to do, bid the ladies goodbye and left the bar. Crystal was left stunned and confused.

Enzo called him up as he headed home. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" He seethed. "I needed you, man! I had gotten the girls to agree to come back to my place with us but they changed their minds once you left. You just cost me a full night of sex!"

Now, Damon had had a change of heart.

His text to Enzo was to the point, 'Call up the girls. I'm coming over'.


Bonnie was rooted to her spot after her phone call with Stefan, deep in a well of emotions. Hearing her best friend's voice had brought a smile to her face and tears to her eyes. It was incredible how much she missed him. Then hearing him casually mention his brother's name...Bonnie had done her best not to think about Damon over the past month and a half. Her life had been so hectic it should've been fairly easy. She'd never really understood how successful her cousin was before, and she'd been put to work the day after she arrived. Every night, however, when she lay her head on her pillows, bright blue eyes and a sexy smirk was all she saw once she closed her eyes. Memories of shared meals in bed, stolen kisses, petty arguments, and passionate love-making invaded her brain. She missed him, plain and simple.

The men in Miami were much different than the men in Mystic Falls. Most of the ones her age just seemed interested in hooking up, not actual dating and relationships. As much fun as she was having experiencing this lifestyle, Bonnie wasn't going to give in to the hook-up culture. She was a relationship girl and always had been. It was obvious with how badly the "sex-only" attempt with Damon had turned out that it wasn't meant for her.

Then there was Colby. He was a professional athlete and a good friend of Lucy's. A 28 year old divorcee, Colby Johnson was 6'5, lean, brown-skinned, and fine. More importantly, he had a massive crush on Bonnie. Lucy had thought it would be a good idea to get the two connected once she realized they would be in town at the same time. She didn't care much when Bonnie said a million times she wasn't interested in meeting someone new at the moment. The meeting happened, and the second Colby laid eyes on Bonnie, he liked what he saw. And he was a determined man.

She'd been asked on many dates, offered many trips on his private jet, and Bonnie had refused every single time. No one could understand why a small-town Virginia girl wasn't awed by someone of Colby's status and basically worshipping the ground he walked on. Bonnie didn't care that he had money. Damon and Tyler both came from money, and she had never been too hard up for anything herself. She knew she wasn't ready to jump into anything and Colby's reputation as a womanizer was no secret. She was protecting herself from being hurt again, and she didn't want to waste his time.

As she stood in the back room of the salon, thinking about her friends back home, Lucy's assistant, Brooklyn opened the door and stuck her head in. "Bonnie, someone's here for you." And she was gone just as quickly as she'd come.

Bonnie got her emotions in check and followed Brooklyn out onto the floor. A man of great height was having a conversation with Lucy as she worked on a client's hair. Lucy looked past him and grinned at Bonnie. He followed her gaze and when his eyes landed on Bonnie he flashed her the brightest of smiles himself. Colby.

Bonnie internally sighed as she approached them. "Hey Col," she offered him a small smile as they exchanged a friendly hug.

"Wow, you look gorgeous," he said in admiration.

"Thank you," she responded. "What brings you in today?"

Lucy snorted. "As if you don't already know."

"Shut up, Luce," Colby said coolly. "I came to personally invite you to a party." Lucy's eyebrow raised in interest. "I just bought a new house here and I'm having what you can call a...housewarming." He handed her a card with the address. "It's going to be a lot of fun."

Bonnie nodded. "Okay, thanks for the invite. I'll think about it."

"Please do. It wouldn't be the same without you." He flashed her his toothpaste commercial-worthy smile once more and turned to walk out.

"Excuse me?!" Lucy exclaimed, her hand on her hip and her neck rolling with attitude.

"Oh yeah," Colby added. "You can bring Luce...but only if you want to. See you tonight, Bon." Then he was out the door.

Lucy gave Bonnie a look of excitement. "You're going, B."

"I don't know, Luce."

"You're going." she argued. "And despite that half-assed invitation, I'm going with you and we're going to look HOT!" Bonnie couldn't help but smile at her cousin's enthusiasm, wishing she could match it. If anything, maybe partying with the Miami elite would distract her from thinking about any hot, blue-eyed, trust fund baby, lushes she may have left back home.


Let me see that ass

Look at all this cash

The Weeknd played as Enzo danced, his hand full of female. Damon was on the sofa, Crystal giving him her best fuck-me eyes as she rubbed on his chest and purred in his ear. Damon was barely there, the music and laughter just fading background noise as his mind wandered. Dark liquor and pot had played a large role in their night, Damon choosing not to indulge in the latter, but no one was sober. Enzo was most likely going to score a 2-for-1 that night. Crystal knew what she wanted, and it was Damon, all to herself.

"Let's go in the room," she whispered to him. He turned his head toward her and his heart skipped a beat. For a second he saw mocha skin and emerald eyes. He stared without blinking at a loss for words. "Damon? Did you hear me? Let's go into the bedroom."

Crystal was back, her voice shattering the illusion. "Yeah," he said, half-heartedly. The liquor was messing with his head more than usual. "Let's go." With a wide smile, Crystal grabbed him by the hand and pulled him off the couch, She was planning on rocking his world to the point he'd be chasing her 'round town and blowing up her phone for months to come. She needed this hottie on her hook.

They made their way past the young ladies Crystal referred to as her "sisters", some very intoxicated, and found their way to Enzo's bedroom. Enzo wouldn't mind, Damon was sure, he could seal the deal just as easily in the living-room.

Crystal's mouth was on Damon's as soon as they crossed the threshold into the dark room. They scrambled to shed clothes, falling on top of each other onto the bed. Damon had pulled her pink tank top down and had his hands full of C-cup breasts as she kissed him aggressively. She yanked his shirt up and kissed a trail down his chest and his abs until she reached his pants. Damon closed his eyes and mumbled something as she was undoing his belt and she instantly stopped.

"What? What did you just say?!" She snapped.

"I said get off me," Damon groaned.

"No, you called me Bonnie!" She cried in anger. "You just called me by some other bitch's name!" She was giving Damon a headache. He sat up and slid away from her, fixing his belt.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Crystal shouted in astonishment as he stood up and headed for the door. "You're leaving? You're such a fucking douchebag and I can't believe I wasted my time on you!"

Damon ignored her and continued on. Enzo caught a glimpse of him stumbling toward the front door. He was too distracted by the half-naked lady sucking on his neck and the fully naked lady on her knees in front of him to call out to him. Damon managed to make it to his Camaro and nearly fell into the backseat. He pulled out his cellphone to call the only woman he cared to talk to.


If you want, we could be runaways

running from any sight of love

- Rihanna

Bonnie had been in a few mansions during her time in Miami but she was definitely most impressed by this one. Colby's sprawling estate read more like a museum than a home and she was surprised he would sully it with a house party. Bonnie kept herself from fangirling while spotting numerous celeb faces in the crowd. If she could manage to keep her cool around Drake, she could be chill around these people.

Colby was so distracted being the host, she'd only managed to get in a quick hello before his attention was being demanded by someone else. Lucy was spending lots of time with a particular R&B singer. The two were in the corner, sitting very close and whispering to each other. Bonnie was starting to feel out of place. As much as she'd enjoyed Miami thus far, it wasn't her home. There were people who could only dream of being in her place that night, and all she could think about was the fact she would be much more comfortable and having a lot more fun if she was partying with her Mystic Falls friends. Elena would be dancing on the nearest coffee table, Stefan would be keeping everyone laughing, Matt would be waiting for Elena to turn her back to pass Jeremy a joint, and if Caroline was there, she and Bonnie would be dancing together, singing whole-heartedly along with whatever song was playing as the boys playfully booed them. If he happened to be there...him...he would smolder at Bonnie from across the room, drink, make snide remarks the whole night, and try to get Bonnie alone the first chance he got. And she would let him.

All these scenarios were playing out in Bonnie's head as she stepped out onto the balcony. She stopped right at the railing, sipping Moscato from an expensive wineglass as she took in the view of the backyard. The place was undeniably beautiful, and the party was in full swing inside. Why couldn't she just enjoy it?

"There you are." The voice came from behind her and Bonnie turned to see Colby stepping out onto the balcony. He closed the French doors, shutting out the party noise, and approached her. "I'm glad you came, Bon."

"It's always good to see you, Col, but this...it isn't really my scene."

"You're still adjusting," he said. "I know how much of a change Miami must be for you. I know you had planned to go back home once you felt Lucy didn't need you anymore, but I think it would be in your best interest to stay."

"Colby, let's not talk about this, okay"

"What are you going back to?!" He asked. "You don't have any kids, no parents there, and you don't have a secret boyfriend waiting for you, right?"

"No...no boyfriend."

"So why go back to boring Cryptic Hills..."

"Mystic Falls!"

"...when there's nothing for you there?"

"My friends are there, my Grams," she explained. "I obviously love my cousin and it's been great being here with her but this isn't home for me."

"I used to feel that way," Colby revealed. "It won't be a place you can consider home in a month and a half."

"It's not like I'm going back tomorrow," she said. "She still wants me here. There's still so much to do. She's saying she can't find a worthy replacement for me but I think it's because she doesn't want to. She's been dropping hints that she wants me to move here permanently."

"That's because Luce is smart." Colby stepped closer to Bonnie, invading her personal space. He was so much taller than her she had to crane her neck all the way up to look at him. He softly cupped the side of her face. "You are so damn beautiful and I don't even think you know it."

"You're so sweet, Col."

"You know how I feel about you," he continued. "You're smart, you're classy, you always carry yourself like a lady and I love that. I need someone like you in my life. I can see you being my wife, the mother of my child. I can see us traveling the world, making a difference together, being so in love we don't see anybody else."

Bonnie sighed heavily. The man drove a hard bargain and most of the female population would be melting at his feet by now. "You don't want to get involved with me right now," she warned. "I'm emotionally damaged, and I can't be the woman you deserve."

"I'm a patient man." He was undeterred. "I know you just need the right man in your life to be the right woman." It fell silent for a moment as he gazed into her eyes, then he leaned down and pulled her into a soft kiss. She didn't fight it. A small part of her wanted to see if it felt right. Maybe she was being a fool agonizing over a lost love when the one for her could be right in front of her.

The sound of the French doors being thrown open and Lucy's loud voice disrupted the moment. "Hey, what ya'll-" She halted as the two jerked away from each other. "Nevermind, I'll leave you two alone."

"No, it's fine, Luce," Bonnie said quickly, stopping her cousin's return into the house. "I'm actually ready to go."

"Bonnie, you don't have to leave," Colby interjected. "I'm sorry if I crossed any lines."

"You're fine, Col," she assured him. "I had a long day and I'm tired." She turned to Lucy. "Can I have the keys to the Benz or do I need to catch an Uber?"

"You can take the car." Lucy fished they keys from her Birkin bag. "I'll catch a ride with Brooklyn if I come home tonight."

"Thank you Luce." She turned back to Colby. "And thank you." She made a swift exit.

Just as she settled into the driver's seat of Lucy's luxury vehicle, her phone rang. For the first time in a month and a half, she saw the name of the elder Salvatore brother on the Caller ID. She took a deep breath then answered the call. "Hello?"

There was a pause. "Bonnie?" Damon sounded genuinely surprised that she had picked up. Then his voice dropped to a gruff tone. "Damn you, woman."

"I know, Damon," she sighed. "I miss you too."


A/N: Thanks for reading! And please, don't forget to leave a review. And a Happy Valentine's Day to you all!