Disclaimer: TVD belongs to the CW/LJ Smith.

A/N: Hey guys, I hope that everyone is well and that if any of you are back in school that you don't work too hard! I wanna thank everyone who participated in the poll whether by voting or messaging me. After some thought and conversations with my BETA about everything I have decided to do a second Damon/Bonnie story dealing with the idea from the poll. However it will not be posted until I have AT LEAST 10 chapters so that I won't be pulling my hair trying to update everything I have going on lol. A few of you asked about this story and how long do I plan to continue it and, well, as long as I still get ideas I'm gonna keep writing. Right now I personally don't feel it's stale or boring—I would hate for it to stick around until it became that way—so whenever I get that feeling that's when I'll end it. I know it's a lot to get through if you're a new reader and I apologize lol but if you've made it this far I also offer you freshly baked cookies! Anyway ramblings aside on to the update!

What Happens In Vegas

"So the town hasn't burned down without me?"

Sitting on the balcony of their expensive Vegas hotel suite, Bonnie stared out at the brightly colored lights of the city and listened as her best friend giggled on the other end of the phone. Old habits were hard to break and that included checking in on the people she cared about more than anything else. Even though she was happy to be away. Even though she was happy to have Damon all to herself. Even though she'd never felt more free than she did with Mystic Falls far in her rearview mirror. She just couldn't shake worrying about her friends a little bit. Damon said it was because she had a kind heart but she wondered; if they needed her right now would she go?

Past Bonnie would have immediately answered yes without hesitation but that was the Bonnie that still had her Grams. The Bonnie whose mother wasn't a vampire and who had not been stalked by a pony drawing hybrid bent on whining and threatening until he got his way. The person that she was now felt harder and more mature.

The person that she was now realized if she didn't take care of herself she'd suffer more than anyone else. And where was the law or rule that said that had to be the case? Not that she was comparing tragedy notes with Elena but how was it fair for her mother to leave to save a child that wasn't even her own? How was it fair that she had to grow up motherless while Elena did at least get several years with hers? Why did the world expect her and others to pay with their lives and happiness so that Elena continued to come out on top?

Frowning at her thoughts, she wet her lips and stretched out her legs under the soft beige blanket. She wasn't sure where that line of thinking originated anymore but sometimes she found this odd sense of resentment where her best friend was concerned. Once she'd said that she would die for her—now she wondered why she'd ever thought that in the first place. Deep down she sometimes wondered if Elena was still really her best friend. There was just so much drama surrounding them. From Elena's crush on Damon to lots of other stuff.

It made Bonnie sad sometimes because before the Salvatores came back to town they were thick as thieves. She couldn't help but wonder where those girls had done.

"Bonnie? Hello? Are you there?"

"Sorry. I'm sorry what did you say?"

Elena chuckled softly. "I said no things are quiet here actually. It's weird to be honest. I guess I'm so used to being scared for my life or whatever that when I'm not, it doesn't seem normal anymore. Is that how it feels for you?"

Bonnie rubbed the back of her neck idly. "Kinda. But at the same time I'm having so much fun with Damon. Words I never thought I would utter but seriously this trip has been amazing. I feel like—like we've grown so much closer." Pause. "You know when we got together everything was amped up and sometimes I would think that once things calmed down for good, we'd fizzle out and just be stuck with this magical connection. But it's not like that at all. It's been just the two of us for weeks now and if possible I want him more than ever."

"Aw that's so sweet." Elena cooed dreamily. "You always have been the one to get to Damon's core and not get burnt by it."

Bonnie arched a brow. "I've gotten burned, maybe not as bad as others but I've gotten burned. I think the difference is that I burned back."

Her friend hummed in response. "Could be. In any case I am happy that you're doing okay. I know this has been a trying year for you."

Sometimes Bonnie wondered if Elena was as sincere as she claimed to be. "Yeah. Having ones' vampire mother take off on them for a second time doesn't exactly scream best year ever. And all of the Klaus shit…" She rubbed her forehead. "If I didn't have to I'd never come home."

Elena gasped in surprise. "Really? What about your dad? I mean your whole life is here."

True but it hasn't been much of a life lately. "My dad who is always gone for work and my life that usually consists of casting spells that may or may not be sending me to an early grave." She tossed back the blanket and stood, walking over to the thick stone railing. "Do you know how much magic I've had to do since Damon and I left? None. Everything I've did has been just for fun and it's been so nice. Screwing with people; this cougar put her hand on Damon's thigh at the blackjack table and I made tiny cinders from this dude's cigar set the back of her wig on fire. It was hilarious."

The brunette was quiet a second before replying, "That doesn't sound like you."

Bonnie smirked at the memory—I bet it was hard getting out that fire extinguisher cream. "Well the old me would have called her a tranny mess and glared until she left. The new me likes being more proactive when someone goes after what is mine. Besides it's not like I set her on fire. I knew someone would help her before things got too intense."

Elena shifted around noisily. "Have you been using a lot of magic since you've been gone? I mean—I mean that spell you did to help us catch Klaus was a major one. Even your mother said it might change you."

"I haven't been bringing in the tide but I've been having fun. And my mother's advice is worth beans because of how she treated me." Rolling her pretty green eyes, she examined her nails. "She didn't care anyway. She felt guilty about ditching me for a second time so she was just trying to save face."

"I'm sure she loves you, Bonnie. She just—she's lost." Elena said slowly. "Anyway I just think you should be careful when it comes to your power. Using too much might seriously hurt you."

"It's funny how no one cares about my well-being when my magic is the only thing standing between them and death." Frowning, she ran her fingers through her hair. "I could kill myself but it would be okay as long as they're fine."

"That's not true. I never want you to get hurt and I—I'm sorry when you do. Especially if it's for me." Elena replied fiercely. "I know things have been strained between us because of Damon but you're still my best friend, Bonnie. You're the only sister I have and I love you."

Bonnie exhaled deeply and pushed down the strange whispers telling her it was all just a smoke screen. She knew deep down that Elena did care about her; it was just getting harder lately to honestly believe it. Even since that spell she did with Jeremy… "I love you too. Don't mind me. I…wanted shrimp but the hotel ran out and I've been kinda cranky since then."

Elena laughed lightly. "Aren't you guys staying someone totally posh?"

"Yeah but there are several big wigs here and you know how it goes. Damon can't compel everyone." She explained. "Anyway though yeah keep me posted and if you guys need us we'll come home." Maybe.

"I will. Tell Damon I said hi." Pause. "Take care Bonnie."

Bonnie wet her lips. "You too, Elena. Bye."

Ending the call, she tightened her fingers around her cell phone and huffed. Maybe I'm pmsing or something, that would explain my short fuse where some things are concerned. She and Elena had basically made up since their small falling out but she was curious as to if her friend still had feelings for Damon. And would it be a problem when they returned to town? A part of her said no but she couldn't read thoughts so she would never know for sure. Not that she could blame Elena—Damon was magnificent on his worst day.

And he was hers.

He was all she had if she really thought about it.

My father is hardly ever around and most of my friends have hectic life shit going on right now. My mother couldn't leave fast enough after helping with the Klaus spell and my grandmother is dead. And I have no way to get in touch with Cousin Lucy. I could so easily be alone.

Tears pricked her eyes and she sniffed, suddenly angry. Why her? Why did she have to suffer so badly? What was wrong with her?

Growling, she hauled back and threw her phone off into the distance as far as she could. She hoped that it didn't hit anyone but if it did, oh well. People needed to look where they were going.

"Upset with your data plan?" Damon leaned against the glass doors leading into the lavish hotel room, shirtless with messy bed head.

"I'll get another one." She whispered quickly wiping at her eyes.

He frowned and strolled over to stand beside her. "What's wrong? Elena piss you off?"

She shook her head. "No more than usual. I just…" She sighed. "Remember when we were still feeling each other out, and I had that fucked up dream where Emily tried to choke me? And you said you didn't care if I lived or died?"

Damon nodded and watched her. "I was in denial. Obviously."

She smiled a little. "I know. But what if that had never changed? What if I'd never felt comfortable being linked with you again? You might be with Elena right now and I—I'd be alone."

His brows knitted together. "You wouldn't be alone. You'd still have the hapless wonders otherwise known as Caroline and Matt and what's his face."

True. But… "It's not the same as having you." A beat. "You had countless flings over the years—some you even really liked—but it wasn't the same as having Katherine. I just don't know when my life turned into this, Damon. When it went from stupid teenage problems to having almost nothing."

Damon reached over and took her hand, entwining their fingers together. "I don't know either, babe. I think your mom is a bitch for all that she's done to you. But you're awesome and you have wonderful taste in men." He nudged her shoulder playfully. "And I get it, you're wondering if there is something wrong with you but there isn't. Other people are assholes. My dad was an asshole and he didn't give a fuck what Stefan and I wanted. If this were 1864 he wouldn't care that I loved you. All he'd see is skin color but maybe more than that the fact that you're a witch. People let you down—it's what they do."

She gazed up at him, falling into his piercing blue eyes. "I won't let you down."

He smirked. "You're not exactly people either, are you cupcake?"

The nickname made her snort but her spirits felt a tad lifted. "Do you think I'm using too much magic?"

Damon checked his watch before wrapping his left arm around her chest. "I think if it makes you happy to nearly set someone's wig on fire then you should do it. It's not like she got hurt or whatever. And she was kinda asking for it by molesting me."

Bonnie chuckled. "My magic used to scare me but it doesn't anymore. It makes me feel empowered, and I don't wanna let go of that. Considering what we have to go through in Mystic Falls having more confidence in myself isn't a bad thing." She turned into him, rubbing her cheek against the cool skin of his chest. "And being a little naughty amuses me. Plus like you said I've only did bad things to people who tried to get into your pants. I'm not going around hurting orphans or whatever."

He massaged the back of her neck. "Lemme guess, Elena thinks you should cool it?" She nodded and he continued. "While I'm sure she's just worried about you I think you're okay. You're dealing with a lot and acting out helps. I better than anyone know all about that. At least you're not taking your frustrations out of family like I did."

Not yet. Slipping between him and the railing, she patted his biceps and smiled as he lifted her so that she could perch on the cold stone. She looked down to the road and cars the many stories below, knowing that if she slipped she would plummet to her death. And yet with Damon's hands on her waist she'd never felt safer. "Are you enjoying Vegas?"

"It has it's good points." He nuzzled her throat, kissing her pulse point. "Winning a lot of money and pissing off people being pretty high on the list. I thought we were going to get kicked of the casino if I rolled another seven."

"Hah they did look pretty mad." She admitted. She wrapped her arms around his neck and played with his hair, just looking at him. "Hungry?"

Damon wiggled his brows. "That an invitation?"

"If you want. I don't mind."

"Mm I know and later I will take you up on that offer, but I'm good. Got plenty of blood bags hidden in our little cooler."

Bonnie never forgot that Damon was a vampire and it wasn't because it was glaringly obvious or because sometimes he took off his ring to shower and afterwards would walk through a beam of sunlight only to curse loudly when he was burned. It was because sometimes he'd say something in passing about something she couldn't possibly know about. Some event that happened a long time before she was born, and she would stop and say to herself my boyfriend is a vampire. She didn't care anymore but she couldn't help but wonder how his extremely old age figured into his attraction to her.

She was just a seventeen year old at heart, underneath the witchy powers and sassy attitude. Why did he want her when he could have anyone? Hold out for twenty years and maybe find someone better. He talked about things like down the road and forever, and she couldn't shake the feeling that he was actually being honest with her. That for whatever reason he saw himself with her for years and years. Like Spencer and Andrew but without the despair.

But why? Or is it not the vampire aspect but just like any other normal couple? Like high school sweethearts or something. "Do you find humans terribly boring?"

"Not when they're naked." He mumbled against her skin. "Humans have done some interesting shit over the years. Seriously. I mean just look at the washing machine for instance."

She laughed and kissed his forehead. "True but I meant more generally. How do you know that while you're with me you're not missing out on something much better? Or that like ten years from now there isn't an even more amazing witch out that you'd be better off with?"

Damon squeezed her thighs. "How do you know there isn't some other handsome vampire out there for you?"

"Because out of the three that have been interested in me, two tried to kill me." Her mind drifted back to thoughts of Ben and Klaus. "Well I suppose technically they all tried to kill me. So yeah I don't have a good track record with male vampires."

"What you and I had was a misunderstanding." Sighing, he ran his fingers through her hair. "Stop being all depressed, baby. We're having a good time so there is no need to think about what could happen. For the better part of my undead life I chased a pipe dream. I was so intent on freeing Katherine, thinking we'd be together forever. And what did I get? Just the knowledge that she never gave a damn about me. Not one single little bit." He met her gaze, his expression open and soft. "Why would I look anywhere else when I've already found what I want?"

I should be used to the fact that he doesn't mind showing me his softer side but sometimes it still surprises me. Yet I like that it surprises me. "You wouldn't. You're obsessive like that."

He snickered. "Maybe but I think it always pays off in the end. I got you, didn't I?"

Bonnie turned her face so that she could attempt to hide her smile. "I let you get me otherwise you'd still be stalking me."

He shrugged. "The details don't matter. Besides we all know you let me get you because you were dying to have sex with me." He slid his hand up her shirt and cupped her breast. "Practically throwing yourself at me in our dreams. I was lucky to get out alive…so to speak."

She laughed. "I seem to remember it a little differently."

"You've been knocked on your head too many times." He slipped on his harmless human face. "Feel better now?"

Yeah I think I do. "Yes. Except ugh, I'm gonna need a new phone."

"I got what you need to get you a new one. It's in my pants."

"I don't think I can hand that to the sales clerk."

Damon opened his mouth to give what would have no doubt been a witty retort when someone banged loudly on their door. Damon frowned and pulled her away from the edge, setting her onto her feet before sauntering into the bedroom and through the living room to the door. He peeped through the keyhole and reached for the knob. When it was opened a distinguished man in an expensive suit was revealed on the other side, with two bald men flanking him.

"Can I help you?" Damon inquired with his usual air of boredom.

"Mrs. Salvatore I am Mr. Blake. My associates and I would like to invite you to a poker tournament being held in the basement in an hour." Mr. Blake pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to Damon. "It is by invitation only. I…heard about your winning streak earlier and thought you might like something where the stakes are a considerable amount higher."

Damon looked over the card. "I'll think about it." Before Mr. Blake could say anything else Damon shut the door in his face and returned to the bedroom. "Well that totally sounds legal, doesn't it? And here I thought we were going to have to spend tonight watching tv."

Bonnie folded her arms over her chest. "Yeah I don't wanna go watch you play poker with a bunch of dudes who will probably try to beat you up or kill you after you take all their money." She threw herself onto the bed and stretched out. "I'll stay in."

"And miss the chance to star in our very own action movie?" He stretched his arms high above his head and she followed the line of his body with her eyes, grinning to herself. "Besides what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas which means I could kill them all and you wouldn't be able to be mad once we left."

Yawning, she rested her head onto a pillow. "They're probably horrible people anyway so I doubt I would be that upset to see them go."

Damon sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her back. "You're getting pretty lax in your judging. Everything okay?"

"Just a little tired." She admitted slowly. "We partied almost all night last night. I kinda just wanna stay in tonight and order tons of room service, but if you wanna go play poker it's cool. I'll entertain myself."

"I thought we agreed you'll only do that when I can watch." He teased. "Are you sure you don't mind me going though? What if I run into more cougars?"

"Then you're gonna just have to fend for yourself." She mused walking her fingers up his arm. "Would you like some pepper spray or something?"

Damon pouted and got up to find a shirt. "Let's hope none of them have vervain spray."

Bonnie rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, letting her mind drift to nothing in particular. "That seems totally unlikely but not a bad idea. It would help us back home—or rather it would help me and Elena I suppose. Perhaps Jeremy too."

Looking at himself in the mirror, Damon popped his collar. "Old Jer will need something now that it's possible his immorality ring will one day drive him crazy if he keeps wearing it."

Frowning a little, Bonnie suddenly realized that they hadn't had one conversation about Alaric. At least nothing of substance if she couldn't remember anyway. She knew that wasn't really Damon's thing; he didn't like showing he cared too often because he saw it as some type of weakness but she knew he had to be feeling something over his friend turning into a homicidal vampire bent on killing other vampires.

"I'm sorry about Alaric by the way. I know you guys were actually friends." She replied gently, testing the waters. "If you want I could search or a spell that could at least get him back into a normal state of mind."

Damon's face went carefully blank. "I doubt that there is anything that can be done about him now. The Alaric we all knew is gone." Pause. "It'll be easier to kill him if I remember that."

She felt her heart ache for him. "It might not come to that."

He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "It's us or him. It's already to that. Besides I doubt Rebecca or Elijah will just roll over and let him stake them." A beat. "Alaric was a good guy and he didn't deserve what happened to him. And you didn't deserve to be used as a Happy Meal to get him to turn. None of us deserve the bullshit we've been put through lately."

Amen to that. Which means I need to be practicing more magic instead of slacking off. The stronger I am the more I will be able to handle whatever comes our way. I don't have the luxury to play nice anymore and frankly I don't want to. "I love you."

"I love you too." He smoothed down his hair and blew his reflection a kiss. "Okay I'm gonna go win us some more money or possibly get shot. Either way it should be a fun night." Winking, he strolled over to the bed and dropped a kiss onto her soft lips. "Don't wait up."

Bonnie watched him go and chuckled lowly to herself. "Be careful!" She wondered if he would listen.

The room was almost deathly quiet without Damon shuffling around or teasing her and it made her wonder how she was going to go back to living basically alone after spending all of this time with him. She liked waking up with his arms around her and falling asleep with her head on his chest. She could probably stay with him when her father was away but Stefan would be there and Elena would probably be popping in; they would have no real privacy. And while her home was nice it wasn't a freaken mansion.

We should just get a place of our own.

She snorted. Yeah like that would happen any time soon.

It was just when she was in her Damon bubble things made sense. Even if sometimes she questioned why he wanted her she knew deep down it was because he loved her. It was because they were threaded together and willing to die for each other. And he was right—though she would never let him hear her say that—but he had spent over a century loving one woman. Who was to say that he couldn't do it again with her? Better though because she returned his affections whole-heartedly.

Bonnie once thought that the world—because it was so big—was a scary place where anything could happen. However the world apparently had never been the issue. The issue was Mystic Falls. It attracted evil like it was using some type of siren's call or maybe Elena was the siren. Creatures wanted her dead or they wanted to use her for some unknown reason. And since Stefan would never let that happen it meant he was usually in the crossfire. Which put Damon in the crossfire because he loved his brother and wanted him safe. Everyone else just sort of got yanked into the gravity of the situation.

A shiver ran down her spine and she shuddered, wrapping the blanket over her legs. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and she didn't know why. She just knew it had to do with returning to Mystic Falls. At first she hadn't wanted to go home because she'd been having too much fun but lately it had become more than that. Lately it had become an honest to God fear that something terrible would happen to Damon. There was a darkness shadowing him in her dreams and she had no clue how to make it go away. She supposed she just had to be secure in the thought that if something came after him she would destroy it no matter what.

She would not play fair and she would show no mercy. She'd let the town die if that was what it took to save him. It was a fucked up choice but it was hers to make, and when it came to Damon, it would always be an easy one.


This is possibly the most screwed up idea you have ever had. Or the most brilliant. Honestly they go hand in hand so much it's hard to tell.

In the era of prohibition and flapper girls Damon had fallen in with an unsavory crowd of gangsters that provided alcohol to local speakeasies. Really he'd mostly just liked the clothes but it had been fun, smoking cigars and compelling the boss to let him be his right hand man. Yeah he could have been in charge but at the time he hadn't cared for that. Getting to rough people up and kill the ones that didn't cooperate had been way more fun. Anyway being a thug suited him. Sitting in the back of a smoky club while some pretty dame serenaded from the stage and people drunk themselves into a stupor; the entire lifestyle turned hard working stiffs into such easy marks. And easy dinner.

Back then immersing himself into the culture was all he could do not to think about Katherine. And by then he'd met Sage many years before and learned the tricks of the trade—he was more or less enjoying being a vampire.

So sitting in a warm basement with shifty looking men brought all of that back to him. Made him feel old for a split second before he remembered how goddamn handsome he still was, and that there was a gorgeous woman waiting for him in bed. Bonnie would have liked that time period though—segregation and shit aside. Had she been a vampire it wouldn't have mattered of course. He wouldn't have let anyone treat her bad or made her feel like she didn't belong.

His point was that sometimes he missed being a gangster and wearing suits and fedoras. Sometimes he honestly forgot certain parts of his life because he'd been alive so damn long. Sometimes he couldn't remember what color his mother's eyes were; that fucked him up even more but whatever. He wouldn't change anything even if he could. Well maybe the Katherine bullshit but other stuff had worked out.

Other slightly off kilter ideas.

It had came to him as he'd puffed out a perfectly cigar smoke O and tossed his Royal Flush onto the table, much to the chagrin of the other players. Especially the guy with a Full House. After winning twenty grand without much effort he'd folded on the next round, saying he wanted to quit while he was ahead. Mr. Blake had not liked that—probably wanted a chance to win his money back—but Damon had grinned, collected his chips and left.

Okay so Blake's chumps had jumped him afterwards in the elevator, it was almost expected really. He'd left them alive but with broken noses. He wasn't sure if there would be anymore problems but he sort of hoped not for Bonnie's sake. Moving to a new hotel or having to leave Vegas altogether when they weren't ready would suck.

They still had to visit those strippers.

After the altercation in the elevator he'd cashed in his chips and compelled the clerk at the desk into thinking he signed tax forms when he'd done no such thing. Then he'd taken his bag of cash and left, opting for a safety deposit box for most of it instead of simply keeping it in the room. The last thing he needed was those assholes breaking in and trying to rob the place while Bonnie got some rest. Though to be honest he wasn't sure who he should be worried about considering she might set them on fire if they tried to hurt her.

Anyway it was a few hours later by the time he returned to their suite thankfully to find the door still on its hinges. The television was on in the sitting room but the place was otherwise quiet and he wasn't surprised to find Bonnie curled up in the middle of the bed asleep. She looked peaceful so he didn't make a fuss as he undressed and crawled in beside her, nuzzling the back of her neck. She always smelled so wonderful. He really liked it when he could detect touches of his own cologne on her skin.

He kissed the soft flesh beneath her ear and exhaled, trying to decide if he wanted to wake her up or not. He could just go to bed and wait until tomorrow but Damon Salvatore was not a patient guy. At one point he must have been considering how long he'd waited for Katherine but he wasn't anymore. And ya know he didn't have to wait for Bonnie because she was always there for him. She went to bat for him and called him on his bullshit. She was perfect and sexy and tasted like apple pie.

And his. All his.

The only problem was that in Mystic Falls people—and creatures—didn't respect his dibs as much as strangers they came across. Hell stupid little Jeremy would still get that look sometimes like he wanted to throw her into a car just to get her away from him. He bet there was only a matter of time before Elijah returned and decided he had to have Bonnie. Rebecca too. But as sexy as that sounded on paper he didn't share.

Oh just do it. Sure it won't make a difference to other vampires or whatever, but it's still pretty awesome. And it might make Stefan shit himself…which is always a plus.

Smiling, he smoothed his hand up Bonnie's thigh to her waist and gave her a light shake. "Wait up, Bon Bon."

Bonnie grumbled and pressed her face into the pillow before mumbling out, "Don't call me that." She yawned loudly. "What time is it?"

"After midnight." He whispered. He propped himself up onto an elbow and traced gentle fingertips along her cheek. "Sometimes I think about the number you've done on me and it doesn't seem real. And yeah I was pissed off as hell when I first found out about the link, and I said and did some fucked up shit but I'm glad it didn't screw us up too bad." Damon licked his lips. "I don't know what I did to deserve someone so awesome but I'm glad you continue to put up with me."

Blinking slowly and become more awake, Bonnie shifted onto her back so that she could see him better. "Is everything okay? You didn't kill those guys, did you? If you did I'm sure they provoked you."

He smirked. "No but they did try to kick my ass after I won big. I just—you make me kinda crazy Bonnie Bennett. Sometimes it's possessive crazy and other times it's just regular crazy."

Bonnie giggled and reached for the lamp on the bedside table, flicking it on. "Are you high or something?"

Possibly. "No but you're introspective thinking earlier was kinda contagious and it made me think about us. Our relationship. We've had so much damn fun on this trip, haven't we? We're like…compatible even when there isn't any danger. Maybe even more so. Honestly I'd wondered and I don't want that to sound like a slight but we did get together because I tried to kill you."

"Yeah but we stay together because you stopped that." She grinned sleepily, and damn it if he didn't find it adorable. "Look Damon, earlier I was—Elena and her magic talk just sort of got to me okay. I'm trying to be friends with her again but I don't think we'll ever be how we were. Sometimes I forget what she did but then when I remember it's like it just happened and I feel that anger all over again. But us? I'm secure with us."

His fingers tapped her lips. "You one hundred percent about that? You wanna be with me forever no matter what? Cause you're young, Bonnie. And not just by my standards but by normal ones. If you think about it, it doesn't make sense for a teenage girl to want someone so old."

"I know what I feel." She replied. "I also know that even if we break up and get back together, no one is ever gonna be there for me like you've been. I never wanna give that up. I never wanna give you up. Besides if we were just high school sweethearts we wouldn't be having this talk, we'd be just going on our emotions. Sometimes love lasts. I haven't loved someone for over a century but if I do, it'll be you."

Damon kissed her then, deep and slow and passionate until she was gasping and reaching for the ends of her tank top to remove it. As much as he wanted to continue her lovely train of thought, he realized if he were sidetracked now he'd never get back to what he wanted.

"So I had a crazy thought." He murmured against her lips. "On which I totally blame on Vegas."

"What?" She arched a brow. "We're not hiring hookers, Damon."

He laughed and produced a little black box from under the covers. "I was thinking something more traditional, actually."

That got her attention. She sat straight up and very slowly took the book from him, like it would bite. "Damon, what did you do?"

He smirked and kissed her bare arm. "Open it."

Bonnie swallowed thickly and pried off the lid. "Holy shit! That's a big ass diamond." She gaped at the shiny ring nestled inside the soft velvet. "This must have cost a fortune."

He shrugged. "Fifteen thousand. It's a princess cut or so sad the hyper sales girl. Pretty sure the commission she got from my sale will put her through college or something. See? I am a good guy."

She looked at him, her eyes round and wide. "Ar—are you asking me to marry you?"

Another shrug; so calm and blasé he seemed about the whole thing. "What if I was? Keeping in mind that we'd probably have a long, long engagement until you were possibly in your twenties. But what if I was? What would you say?"

"I—I'd say…I'd say-" Bonnie trailed off and pressed her lips together. "I'd say this is one of the craziest ideas you've ever had... I'd say when my dad found out he'd try to murder you. I'd say Elena and Caroline are going to die. I'd say this is so totally insane and kinda unlike you that I'm worried you've been replaced by a pod person." She bit her bottom lip with a tiny frown between her brows. "Oh, Damon…"

She stared at the ring again, getting lost in thought.

And Damon waited.

~Fin~