I disclaim. I own nothing.

AN: So what happens when a vampire is crazy about a witch who's in love with a werewolf who has anger management issues? Things get...murky.

Chapter 13

"Dad." Voice bouncing off the walls, Tyler rushed through the house until he came to the door of his father's office. Normally, he would knock then wait until his father granted him access. But there was no time for that and he nearly pulled the door off it's hinges in his desperation. "Dad, I need your help."

Richard Lockwood glanced up from the papers in front of him to give his son an impatient look. Only to become even more unhappy when his wife appeared in the doorway as well. "Not now, Tyler."

"Yes, now. It's Bonnie…her Dad…that fucker-"

"Language Tyler." Carol admonished as she took the chair opposite her husband's desk.

"Bonnie's dad signed away his rights."

Carol, who just started to raise the tumbler to her lips, frowned in confusion. "She's seventeen. What was so urgent that he couldn't just wait a few months?"

"He took a job in London and he gave some bull-" Off his mother's pointed look Tyler sighed. The woman turned a blind eye to her husband's abuse but swearing she just could not take. "Load of crap story about not wanting to pull Bonnie out of school. But it's not like he hasn't left her alone before. He was never home anyway, so what would it matter. Other them him being a dick. He gave her away!" He grabbed the empty chair besides his mother and sent it flying into the wall. Carol jumped at his outburst while his father looked on calmly. "Just tossed aside the only good thing he's ever contributed to the world."

"So she's a ward of the state now." Richard leaned back in his chair. "Why don't Elizabeth or Jenna take her in. Though neither of them are exactly hands on with the girls they have."

"Bonnie's not a ward of the state or whatever. Damon Salvatore is her guardian now."

"Well, problem solved. Bonnie stays in Mystic Falls and you can stop acting like an over grown child."

"I'm going to have to disagree." Carol began. She'd seen the disbelief on her son's face quickly give way to anger. Knew what the peak of his anger could be during the full moon cycle. Better, she knew what the peak of his anger could be when Bonnie was involved. "I can't believe Sean would sign his seventeen year old daughter over to a twenty…what…five, twenty-six year old man. One who has a history of running around with teenage girls."

Richard gave a tired sigh. "Look the girl isn't leaving. What else do you want me to do?"

"Damon Salvatore doesn't deserve to be any where near her." Tyler began slowly. "She belongs with me. She should be here. With me."

"Out of the question." Richard dismissed immediately. "Do you know what it would look like if we move our son's girlfriend into this house? No, it's just asking for trouble."

"How would it be any different from me living there, with her?"

"Because you're a teenage boy, people won't see anything wrong with you taking advantage of your girlfriend's absentee father. She moves in here, it looks as though the girl went and got herself into trouble."

"It's not the fifties, dear." Carol rolled her eyes as she went to the wet bar in the corner to pour herself another glass. "Girls don't 'get themselves into trouble' now days. And since the girl isn't pregnant, it should be a rumor that's cleared up fairly soon."

"Stop it." Tyler nearly shouted. "Stop referring to Bonnie as 'the girl', like she's some minor problem you're simply putting up with."

"She is." Richard answered, he noticed the darkening of his son's features but did not heed the warning in his eyes. "Granted Bonnie Bennett is leaps and bounds above that trash you were running around with before. She's still a witch. Don't forget it was a witch that placed this curse on us."

"They didn't curse me." Tyler growled. "Bitten, not born. Remember? Bonnie saved me."

Richard was around the desk in a instant and roughly grabbing his son by the collar; surprised when Tyler shoved him away. He reached for his son again, only for the boy to knock him back a few steps. Temper spiked he grabbed Tyler by the scruff of his neck, tightening his grip the more the boy struggled until losing patience and all but throwing his son into the wall. "I'm sick of you and this damn girl." He glared contemptuously, narrowed eyes like flint. "Don't you see, she makes you weak. This thing you have with her…it's high school. It won't last. I suggest you end it now before it makes you even more foolish. You want to take pleasure in her body, can't say that I blame you, but you will not see her beyond that."

When Tyler would later tell Bonnie he really couldn't remember what happened next; it would be the truth. It was like a red haze clouded his vision. He didn't see the fear in his father's eyes, didn't hear his mother's scream, or remember giving his body permission to move. What he would remember was standing in the broken remnants of the mahogany built-ins, glaring down at his father.

"Help me protect my girl." There were tears in Tyler's tawny eyes. "That's all I asked you to do. Just help me keep my life out of that bastards hands and you couldn't-" The words were cut off when Richard jumped to his feet.

Tyler grabbed him mid-charge, throwing him into the opposite wall. When it looked as though Richard was going to try again, Carol stepped between them.

"Enough! Richard, that's enough!"

"You'd go against me, your own father, for some girl." Richard was practically trembling with a mix of rage and fear. No one had ever looked at him as Tyler was looking at him now; as if the next words out of mouth could cost him his life. "You'd choose her over your family."

"Choose?" Tyler bit the word off. "There is no choice. There's Bonnie. Just Bonnie."

Carol waited until Tyler marched out of the room to relax her stance. Honestly she thought one or both of them would run through her. And because her nerves were still jittering over that fact, she went back to the bar. "Well, that was brilliant Richard. He could have killed you."

Pride already very much bruised, Richard straightened his tie. "He'd have tried. And regretted it."

"He's stronger then you." Carol spoke slowly as if talking to a dimwitted child.

"What are you talking about?

Carol rolled her eyes at the confused expression on her husband's face. "Tyler imprinted on Bonnie before he could crawl."

Richard gave an impatient huff, he should have known better then to even begin this conversation with her. The woman rarely made sense. "And."

"You still don't get it. Tyler imprinted on a witch. A witch that is the direct descendent of Salem witches; on both sides of her family tree. Bonnie Bennett is a very powerful young woman and because she's chosen our son she makes him stronger." Finishing the last of her drink, she set the empty glass back on the tray. "Next time a wizened old witch comes to explain the ins and out of the supernatural, you might want to stop patting yourself on the back long enough to pay attention. You'd be surprised by what you might learn."

"I think I owe you an apology."

Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline were in Bonnie's bedroom packing up a few of her things to take to the Salvatore boarding house. Caroline's mom had recognized that leaving them at school would be pretty much a waste so she signed out Elena and Caroline while Damon signed out Bonnie.

Caroline had come into the room and immediately turned on Bonnie's stereo, not wanting their conversation to be overheard by anyone on the first floor. Though Bonnie and Elena knew that the one that really needed to be cut off from their conversation would actually hear every word.

"I think I should apologize, too."

From her spot at the foot of the bed, Bonnie looked up at her two friends with a frown. "Why?"

"I was glad when I heard you could have gone to London, but you weren't." Elena announced. "For a moment I was actually grateful to Damon, grateful that because of him you'd still be here…with me…and not…not here with me."

"I actually realized that if I'd been given the choice," Caroline began. "If someone came up to me and asked if I preferred you in London with your dad or here in Mystic Falls with Damon. My gut instinct would be to have you here. It's selfish, I know it's beyond selfish, and I'm sorry."

"Well, it's no worse then me." Bonnie gave a sad smile, knowing that she could say this here. That here she wouldn't be judged, with them she could say what she couldn't with anyone else. "After…when I realized what your mom was actually telling me…I wished…" The tears gathered in her eyes, but she battled them back. She wouldn't cry anymore, couldn't cry anymore. "I wanted to go back to when your mom first pulled me out of class, I wanted to go back and have her tell me he was dead. I wished my own father was dead because I didn't think it would hurt as much. What does that say about me?" Caroline and Elena moved quickly to flank their friend on the bed.

"It says more about him." Elena spoke softly, rubbing a comforting hand in circles across Bonnie's back. "It says how much he hurt you. Just how much he's let you down."

"You guys and Tyler…You're all I have left." In all the world, they were all she had, and she couldn't stand the thought of losing them. Realized she'd do anything to hang on to them. And that scared her. It made her feel out of control. That same dizzying madness she felt when she lost Grams. When her anger battled back the sadness, until it festered into physical pain that eventually turned to rage. After Grams death, Bonnie had known she been capable of anything. Would have done anything, just to make it stop hurting.

She was hurting now. Her sadness, her anger, and her power pumping away inside her so strongly she feared she'd explode if she didn't release it.

The comforting silence that engulfed the room and surrounded the three girls was broken when the open window carried in the sounds of screeching tires. Bonnie knew, even before the car door was slammed violently shut that Tyler was back. And she knew that she had to get to him before he came inside and glared at everyone out of gold eyes.

"That's Ty," She moved away from her two friends, by the time she got to the top of the stairs, Tyler was walking in the front door. "Hey," She held out her hand, beckoning him to her before the Sheriff or Ms. DeMarco could say anything to him.

Tyler took the stairs in two strides, wanting to get to Bonnie as quickly as possible. She wouldn't let him speak, simply brought his face to her neck. Giving him a chance to calm down.

"Uh-oh." Damon mocked from the bottom of the stairs. "Did someone not go on the paper like a good boy?"

"Not the time, Damon." Keeping her eyes on Damon's, she took Tyler's hands in hers. Leading him back into her room.

"Do you want us to…" Elena was on her feet, gesturing to the door.

"No, we'll just be a minute." Bonnie waved her friends off as she and Tyler headed into the bathroom. "Alright, talk to me."

Lifting herself onto the sink, Bonnie listened as Tyler began to tell her what happened with his father. He stalked the length of the bathroom, his anger coming off him in waves. The arousal that pooled low in her belly was a surprise, but she couldn't deny just how beautiful he looked. Didn't think she ever wanted him as much as she had in this moment. Thought that what they both needed in this moment was to take all the anger and frustration they felt at the moment and turn it into something constructive. Namely of the heavy breathing, clothes ripping variety.

"I hate him so fucking much." In one swift movement he reached out and pulled the towel rack from the wall.

"Hey, come here." When he shook his head and went back to prowling the room, Bonnie made her voice firmer. "Ty. Come here." She reached out and caught his sleeve, pulling at him until he relented enough to allow her to pull him closer.

Looking at him now, Bonnie could see the wolf in him. His chest heaving, even as the rest of his body was tense and just ready to attack. His eyes were gold, narrowed into violent slits. He looked exactly as she felt. And knowing him, she knew he was going to blow at any moment.

"Turn around." When he complied she tugged at his shirt until he got the hint and helped her pull it off. The scrape on his neck was faint, but she could still make out the slight imprint of his father's hand. His back was worse as the bruises were already taking on that ugly purple green color.

Her own anger spiked. Father or no, Richard Lockwood had no right to hurt Tyler. No one did. A possessive fury shot through her body. "I hate that he touched you. Marked you." Something inside her wanted to pull him close, replace the ugly bruises with marks of her own. The possessiveness she felt with Tyler was never like this, never this fierce. She had to pull back, take ten calming breaths to keep from wrestling him to the ground and taking him, marking him, in every way. "He doesn't have the right."

"They're just bruises now." He spoke softly, resting his head back against her shoulder. "I can barely feel them. One of the perks of what I am, I guess." But he couldn't deny that the heated touch of her fingers took away any lingering pain. "I have to change tonight.

Bonnie watched as the bruises faded just that bit more. She wasn't able to heal them, not completely. At least not yet. But she was getting there; with Tyler's help she'd have it mastered in no time. "I know. And nothing's changed. I'm going to take care of you. Just come back to the boarding house."

"Bunny." Tyler thought that may be the last place he needed to go.

"We can argue about this. I can pretend to relent. But I'll stop talking to you, then you'll get all upset, and show up at the boarding house any way." She placed a tender kiss on his shoulder. "It'll be easier all around if you just give in now." Because on this she wouldn't budge. Lately it seemed that every time she looked away, she lost someone she loved. Salvatore boarding house or no, Tyler would be with her.

"Okay. But only if you promise to stop taking all the fun out of our fights."

Bonnie's lips curled against his neck. "Promise."

"Why so glum, sugarplum?" Damon leaned on the doorjamb opposite his brother. The Sheriff and Annette were speaking in the living room. It wouldn't be long before he had Bonnie under his roof. And completely under his care. "I thought you always wanted a little sister."

"Considering what it is you want with Bonnie," Stefan sent his brother a bored look. "I'd prefer not to think of her that way. How'd you pull this off?"

With a smirk, Damon turned to look out the door. Part of him wanted to tell Stefan. Because really it was all quite simple. Time his arrival at Sean Bennett's door just right, when he took off both watches. Compel him to relocate to London, sign over his rights. Then more of the same with DeMarco and the judge to speed things along. Two days work, by the time it got back to Elizabeth it was already a done deal.

"You really want to know."

"Yeah," Stefan nodded, though he wasn't for a moment fooled into thinking Damon was actually going to tell him. "I really want to know."

Damon appeared to be thinking it over before angling closer to his brother. He looked as if he were mulling over what he wanted to say. "No, not yet."

"Damon," Stefan turned to his brother, concern written clearly on his face. "Did you think this through, I mean really think it through. Bonnie is still not over Sheila's loss, now her Dad's gone. Losing them is only going to make her hold on tighter to what she has." When Damon rolled his eyes, Stefan grew impatient. "Damon listen to me. What we are, what Bonnie and Tyler are...the way we feel love is not the same as a normal human. You've seen how possessive Bonnie is of Tyler, it's only going to be worse now."

The ever present smirk was on Damon's lips even as his eyes narrowed at his brother. "You actually sound concerned, Stefan. Almost as if you're worried about me screwing things up. Admit it," The knowing smile held just a hint of evil. "You're really digging the thought of the four of us, aren't you."

Stefan said nothing for a moment, telling himself he was simply choosing not to dignify that with an answer. But his refusal to respond, was all the answer his brother needed. "What are you hoping to accomplish with this?"

There was a long moment of silence. There were so many things Damon was looking to gain from this. So many things he knew was going to come from this. Supernaturals, such as they were, tended to have just a bit of darkness below the surface. And knew that because of that lurking darkness, Bonnie's feeling in regards to Tyler often twisted. He was actually counting on it. "Just you wait and see."