summary: "Run all you want, but it won't change anything, Bonnie. It doesn't matter what world we're in, you'll always be my wife." After being sucked up into what they assumed would be oblivion, Damon and Bonnie soon find themselves in an idyllic little town where they're free to find peace. Which is exactly what they have for twelve years, until reality comes calling to bring them home.

XVII.

TEN YEARS

Bonnie stared at her ring a lot. A warm fluttering in her chest never failed to make her smile. She had been a happily married woman for 6 months and it was… everything and nothing like what she'd expected it to be. So, there was this piece of paper that officially stated that she had a husband. That she was a wife. One half of a duo. As a child, marriage had always been a touchy subject. Her mom had taken off when Bonnie was young, leaving behind her family with no answer for why. Bonnie's father didn't have answers either and could offer little reassurance that marriage could work, for people who want to be married and people who try. It wasn't that Bonnie grew up jaded against the institution of marriage, but her romantic relationships were few and rocky, which wasn't exactly a green light for any future wedding bells. That seemed like a lifetime ago now. She'd been with Damon for so long. Even before they were dating, when they were just here, in this strange afterlife of theirs, she'd felt connected to him in a way that was grounding and supportive. He was still his asshole self then, but he put real effort into being and doing better. And it paid off. The man he was today was nowhere near the shell he'd been when he first, well, died.

Married life was a lot like not-married life in that very little changed. Maybe it was because they'd lived their lives so entwined before that there wasn't anything to change. Or maybe there were subtle shifts that she just wasn't seeing. Either way, she was happy then and she was happy now. Just with an extra ring that she liked to stare at for extended periods of time, twisting it around her finger with her thumb or angling her hand so the light might catch on the gold.

"You're doing it again."

Bonnie startled and looked up to find Naomi watching her knowingly. "What?"

"The staring at your ring thing. Girl, you are dopey. It's sickening just how happy you are. Seriously. I'm sickened."

With a snort, Bonnie pushed off the counter and raised an eyebrow. "No, you aren't."

"You're right, I'm not. I might be jealous though."

Smiling, Bonnie shook her head. "You wanna drop by the jewelers, pick out something sparkly for Carissa?"

"Not today." Naomi grinned. "But ask me again tomorrow."

…

Mina was kicking up tufts of snow as she ran circles around the yard, bounding in every direction. Meanwhile, Damon and Sofia worked together to build a family of snow-people. Sofia's cheeks were a ruddy pink and her nose almost Rudolph red, but she was non-stop grinning. She had her all-pink snowsuit on, pink wool mittens with silver snowflakes on the backs, and an even pinker scarf wrapped around her neck. At two and a half, she was mostly stable on her feet. Her spatial awareness was a little wonky, so she occasionally tripped or got ahead of herself and stumbled, but she was more toddler than baby. And she had a special fondness for her Uncle Damon.

Giggling at Mina, Sofia toddled after her, hands outstretched. Mina leapt around and barked cheerfully. She raced past Sofia just close enough that Sofia was knocked to the ground. Damon leaned over, eyebrows arched. "Are we making snow-angels, Babycakes?"

"Angels!"

"All right. Move over." Damon joined her in the snow, shivering as it burned the uncovered nape of his neck. "Arms and legs, Kiddo. Just like this."

She watched him for a few seconds, her face screwed up curiously, and then her arms and legs started mimicking him. While not completely coordinated, it was enough that she made the angel she was aiming for.

The door swung open behind them then and Bonnie poked her head out. "Hot chocolate's ready!"

"Oooh, you hear that?" Damon groaned as he sat up and pushed himself onto his feet. He dusted off what he could reach and then held his hands out for Sofia. She put her mittened hands in his and giggled as he pulled her right up off the ground and into his arms. She sat in the crook of his elbow, snow clinging to her from head to toe. "I don't know about you. but I could definitely go for some of Aunty Bonnie's world class hot chocolate."

"Marshmallows!"

"Please, what do you take me for? Hot chocolate and marshmallows are a time-honored tradition around here. Just like Bon-Bon's burnt gingerbread men. They'll crack your teeth, 'cause she's never perfected the recipe, but it's okay. You know why?"

Sofia shook her head.

Damon chucked her chin. "'Cause you got baby teeth. If we crack a couple, they'll just grow back stronger. Me, on the other hand, I have to spend too much money on my dentist. His name's Dennis and he's perfecting his golf swing on my dime. All because I'm an awesome husband who eats his wife's terrible cookies. Where's the justice, huh?"

Sofia's head fell back as she giggled.

Damon grinned. He was sure she had no idea what he was talking about. Sofia just loved how animated her godfather was.

"Don't think I can't hear you putting my gingerbread cookies down," Bonnie called out knowingly.

Damon knocked his boots free of snow before pulling Sofia's off and doing the same against the doorjamb. "Me? Are you kidding?" He helped Sofia out of her little pink jacket before yanking his own off, hanging them up and closing the door.

Bonnie snorted, her lips pursed to hide a smile.

He crossed the kitchen and slid an arm around her waist, pulling her toward him to bury his cold face in the crook of her neck.

Bonnie shrieked. "You're freezing!"

"Mmm… You know what would warm me up?"

"Hot chocolate and rock-hard gingerbread cookies." She smiled as he lifted his head to kiss her. "Grab the marshmallows?"

"You got it!" He popped one last kiss on her lips before he made his way to the pantry to dig out the bag of rainbow-colored mini-marshmallows. He handed one to Sofia before he plucked her up and placed her on a stool. "See, what'd I tell you?"

Sofia shoved the pale green marshmallow in her mouth and hummed happily. "More?"

The face she pulled was pure puppy-dog. Damon laughed under his breath. "When your dad asks me why I fed you so much junk-food, that's the face I'm gonna blame it on."

…

On New Years, Damon found himself standing in the town square. Arms wrapped around Bonnie's waist, chin perched on top of her head, they waited for the fireworks. Heaps of snow littered the ground and holiday decorations hung from every lamppost. He couldn't help but remember Mystic Falls and their tree lighting ceremonies. Of watching the ball drop on TV or, if he was feeling particularly festive that year, in person. Of parties filled with drunken revelry, bubbly champagne, and noisemakers. He remembered the girls dragging him and Stefan out to participate in town events, even when they groaned and complained. And now he found himself joining in.

Danny and Peter were drunk on spiked eggnog, and Chris and Brandon were well on their way there. Even Naomi had her fair share, a fact proven when she started dancing on Carissa, who decided it was time to cut her off. Annette and Carla were huddling together for warmth, refusing to go home early because they had spent "good money on a babysitter." Strangely, it was Kayla and Lisa who had split early, unapologetic about wanting to get into their pajamas and sleep through the coming new year.

Bonnie covered his gloved hands with her own. "We had a pretty good year, hey?"

"Yeah, I think we did okay." He squeezed her. "I don't know about you, but married life is treating me spectacularly."

She laughed lightly. "I have no complaints."

"Good. Considering all Santa put in your stocking this year was lacy red lingerie, I don't have any either."

"I don't know how you made it on the nice list."

"It's a real head-scratcher." He ducked his head down and kissed her cheek. "You ready for another one?"

She tilted her head to meet his eyes. "I'm looking forward to it."

Fireworks burst in the sky above; Damon could see the reflection of them in her eyes. "Me too."

…

Come Spring, Bonnie was happy to see the snow had melted and she could trade in her winter mittens for gardening gloves. She donned the floppy sun hat Kayla got her for her birthday and made her way out back. She had big plans for the garden. Damon had built her an area specifically for her fruits, vegetables, and herbs. There were certain things she planned on using for work and others that were for home. The family grimoire was useful for more than just spells and history; it also had lengthy explanations for different salves and drinks that were good for everything from smelly feet to healing bones. She wouldn't be eradicating cancer, but with her own memory of things Grams had made and the grimoire to help guide her along, she had an idea of what she wanted to make.

She and Damon had spent the weekend at the gardening store, picking out seeds and soil. Given his constant input on what he could use for his cooking, she had an idea that he would be joining her in the dirt eventually. She could already see him in her head; carefully tending to his tomato plants, a sunburn scoring the length of his nose, his familiar whining as she reminded him he should have put the sunblock on like she told him to. Maybe she should get him a sunhat too and head off the whole thing… Then again, where would she be if not for Damon's, well, Damon-ness.

As if he knew she was thinking of him, she heard the sliding glass door open and the familiar sound of Mina trailing behind him as he crossed the deck.

"I made lemonade. You want some?"

Wrist deep in dirt, Bonnie sat back on her heels and swiped an arm over her sweaty brow. "Please!"

A few minutes later, she looked up as he handed her a cold glass, ice cubes clinking around inside. She tugged off her gloves and took it from him. While she thirstily drank down half, he swiped the hair back from her forehead. "Thanks," she said, a little breathless as she licked away the tart juice clinging to her lips.

"How's it coming?"

"It's slow, but it's getting there." Pushing up from the ground, she dusted her knees off. "What kind of tomatoes were you thinking of? Did we get the seeds for them?"

His eyes lit up.

Bonnie smiled as she listened to him rave about different tomatoes and what kind of flavor they added to various pasta sauces.

…

"Brandon brought up adoption last night."

Damon paused, mid-dart-throw; it left his fingers and careened wildly off-path, landing in the wall. "What?"

"I know…" Chris sighed. "Don't get me wrong. I want kids. Eventually. I just… I'm not sure now's the right time. Things are going great. We're back on track. We're spending more time together, picking up new hobbies, trying to keep things interesting." He grinned. "We had sex in my office yesterday. Completely spontaneously. It was great."

"And a kid would mess that up?"

"It would complicate things, for sure." Chris frowned. "Brandon would be a great dad."

"So would you."

"Yeah, sure. I just…" Chris pulled a face. "I want to be sure we're doing it for the right reasons."

"You think he wants a rugrat because it'll save your relationship?" Damon shook his head. "Sounds like you're doing pretty good at that already."

"I know. We are. But I don't want to rush it." He scrubbed a hand over his chin. "I just want to be stable. I want us to be ready."

"Did you tell him that?"

"Mostly."

Damon rolled his eyes. "What's mostly?"

"I said I needed to think about it."

"How is that mostly? That's the opposite."

"I panicked!" Chris' eyes widened. "We were making out and then he said, 'we should have a baby.' What was I supposed to do?"

Damon shrugged. "Get him a puppy."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Why did I come to you with this?"

"Because Danny's biased. You go to him, all you're gonna get is dad jokes." Damon tipped his beer at him. "What you need to do is talk to him. You know how I know that? Because that's always your advice when I tell you I'm going through something with Bonnie."

Chris groaned. "I just want to make out with my boyfriend without thinking about diapers and formula for at least another year. Is that too much to ask?"

"Not if you tell him that. Just be honest. Tell him you want kids, but you want to figure you guys out first. Brandon will get it." He sat back on his stool. "Anyway, adoption takes a while, doesn't it? If you apply now, maybe you'll have a little bundle of joy in a year or two."

Chris paused, his brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Should we then?"

Damon raised his hands. "That's for you and Brandon to figure out. I'm just throwing out ideas here."

Chris nodded, but his head was elsewhere now.

Grabbing up a new dart, Damon aimed and threw. It landed center this time.

…

"It's college, not high school. There's no prom."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Then why are we dress shopping?"

"I'm dress shopping. You're complaining." Kayla rolled her eyes as she swiped through dress after dress on an overpacked rack. Flashy, muted, sequined, ruffled; every color and style of fabric all shoved together with no rhyme or reason. "I need it for the ceremony and the dinner after. No dancing involved."

"Don't you wear those robe things? Can't even see a dress under those." Damon made a face at a little red number she pulled out. "Too sparkly." At the orange one she grabbed next, he shook his head. "Nope."

"Bonnie made reservations at a really nice restaurant. The kind of restaurant I can't wear jeans and my leather jacket at."

"Says who?"

"The guy checking jackets at the door, probably." Kayla made a frustrated noise as she looked through and discarded another rack of dresses before moving on to the next one. "None of this is me. I can't wear any of these."

"Hey, calm down." Damon swung an arm around her shoulders. "Maybe you're just looking in the wrong place." Leading her out of the store, he walked her to another one. The high-energy pop music was traded in for delicate piano, and the women milling around screamed of 'designer brands only.'

"I haven't seen a price tag and I already know this is outside my budget," Kayla mumbled.

"Budget smudget." He directed her to a series of racks. "Here. Pick out a bunch you like and try 'em on."

"Damon…"

"Chop, chop."

Sighing, Kayla did as she was told. It wasn't long before she had an armful of clothes and was walking off to the dressing rooms.

Damon found an armchair to sit on and scrolled through his phone. The local equivalent of Twitter was ripe with town gossip and he decided to pass the time catching up. A good forty-five minutes passed before he looked up, only to find Kayla admiring herself in a mirror, twisting this way and that, chewing her lip uncertainly. The dress was a dark blue, not overly embellished, just a simple cut that cinched at the waist and flared out around her hips. It had a high collar with a vine pattern stitched along the top.

"You like it?"

She smoothed her hands down her waist and reached for the skirt with gentle hands. "Do I… Does it make me look pretty?"

Damon cocked his head to one side. "You don't need a dress for that, Kid." He stood and tucked his phone in his pocket. "Do you feel pretty?"

She looked at him through the mirror, tucked her hair behind her ears, and half-smiled. "Yeah."

He nodded. "You want it?"

Shaking her head, she said, "It's like, twice what I brought with me."

"Consider it a graduation present." Never mind that he and Bonnie had already gotten her a gift. This could just be another one on top of it. He could already see Kayla working up to a protest, so he squeezed her shoulders. "Come on, we still gotta grab shoes and then we're hitting the food court. I want a hot dog or three."

Kayla pulled a face. "You're gonna eat a food court hot dog? Seriously? How strong is your stomach?"

He grinned. "Like steel."

Rolling her eyes, Kayla took another look at herself. "Are you sure?"

"I offered, didn't I?" He waved a thumb over his shoulder. "Throw it on the counter."

Grinning now, she hopped on spot, and then rushed off to the dressing room. A few minutes later, she came out in her ripped jeans and t-shirt, holding the dress in her arms carefully.

"I changed my mind."

She looked up at him, worried, her brow knit.

"Food court hot dogs are shit. We'll grab your shoes and then hit the grocery store. I'll show you how to make a chili dog."

Her shoulders slumped in relief. "I've never had a chili dog."

"Good." He wiggled his eyebrows. "It'll be a religious experience for you."

She snorted a laugh and laid her dress down on the counter. As it was rung up, Kayla watched him, as if the sale price was going to make him wince. But he simply handed his card over and passed her the bag.

"Shoes?"

She nodded. "And then chili dogs."

He crooked his arm out for her to take and she tucked hers through it.

If he picked her up a few groceries too, he used the excuse that she was still a poor college student for a little while longer.

…

It was 2 am when Bonnie got the phone call, waking her out of a dead sleep. She was still scrubbing at her eyes, a muffled 'hello' mumbled into the phone, when she heard 'hospital' and 'emergency contact.' She sat up straight in bed, her heart hammering and her eyes wide. "What? Is he okay? I'm on my way!"

Grabbing a jacket, Bonnie shoved her feet into her slippers and hurried out the door to her car. Her hands were shaking and, for a moment, she had to sit back and just breathe. But she only gave herself that moment before she was turning the ignition and pulling out of the driveway. It was a good thing the roads were essentially empty, because the drive to the hospital was a blur in her memory. She was sure she missed a few stop signs and ignored yielding entirely.

By the time she was parked and hurrying inside the hospital, her nerves were frayed. She rushed to the information desk, keys clutched tight in her hand. "Damon Salvatore? He was brought in from Mina's Bar?"

Directed to a stretcher in the emergency room, Bonnie swallowed down her heart as it tried to climb up her throat.

She found him sitting on the end of the stretcher, his shirt discarded, and his undershirt soaked in blood on one side. The noise she made was strangled and loud enough to catch his attention.

Seeing her, his face fell. "It looks worse than it is. It was a broken beer bottle. I got in the middle of an argument and their aim wasn't great."

Bonnie fell into him, her arm slung around his waist as her face dropped to his shoulder. "You're okay?"

"I'm waiting on stitches, but it didn't hit anything serious. Probably have a wicked scar though. I hear girls like that."

She lifted her head. "It's deep?"

He shrugged, but immediately winced in regret. "Doc says there shouldn't be any nerve damage." He nodded at the gauze stuffed on top of his arm. "You wanna see?"

She pulled a face. "Do I?"

He chuckled. "You should've seen Chris right after. Knocked the guy out cold. Lot of excitement for a weekday."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Where is Chris? Is he okay?"

"Told him to stay at the bar. And before you ask, I told him not to call you. It's late. I didn't want him freaking you out."

"He didn't. The hospital did." She frowned. "And next time you get taken to the hospital, I want to know, immediately."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Are we expecting a next time?"

"I'm surprised it's taken you this long."

He laughed under his breath. "Me too, actually."

Brushing her fingers through his hair and down his neck, she leaned into him. "How do you feel?"

"Tired. We were just about to close up when the brawl broke out." He shook his head. "Guy was pissed 'cause he was losing at pool."

Bonnie pursed her lips. "Stupid."

He rubbed his hand up and down her back. "You okay? You're shaking."

She nodded. "Just worried."

Damon pulled her onto his lap, ignoring her protests that he was injured. "Stabbed me in the arm, not the leg."

Groaning, she hugged her arms around him. "It's not funny."

"You didn't see his face when he realized who he stabbed instead." He snickered. "Begged me not to eighty-six him right before Chris showed up."

"He stabbed you in the arm! He's banned!"

Damon hummed and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Is that a hard rule?"

She glared at him. "Yes."

A throat cleared then and a doctor appeared. "All right, Mr. Salvatore, let's get these stitches done…"

Bonnie shifted off Damon's lap, ignoring the disagreeable noise he made. "I'm gonna call Chris, let him know you're okay."

"What? You're not gonna hold my hand?"

"Do you need me to?"

Damon held his hand out and wiggled his fingers. "Need… want… Is there a difference?"

Smothering a smile, Bonnie took his hand and squeezed. "Baby," she said, soft and affectionate.

He grinned and pulled her hand up to kiss her knuckles.

…

"You want to go clubbing?" Bonnie's brow furrowed. "How old are we?"

"What? We can't go dancing when we hit a certain age?" Carla waved dismissively. "I already talked Annette and Naomi into going. We'll get drinks, dance until our knees hurt, and head home before they play Closing Time."

"Do they even do that at clubs?" Bonnie frowned. "I haven't been clubbing in so long… Isn't it just techno and strobe lights nowadays?"

"I don't know, Bonnie. You know why? Because I'm married and I have a kid and I go to book club and wine club and all the wrong clubs."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't trade your family for a little bump n' grind any day of the week."

"No, I wouldn't." Carla slumped against the table dramatically. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to have a little fun."

"We went to Music in the Park two days ago."

"And it was great! But I want to dress up and wear heels and sweat my make up off." She stared at Bonnie pleadingly.

"Fine. We can go clubbing this Saturday. But we draw straws on who'll be the sober driver!"

"Deal." Carla did a little hip-dance. "It'll be great!"

"Uh-huh. We'll see."

…

Going clubbing wasn't terrible; it was actually pretty fun. Bonnie didn't draw the short stick on staying sober, but she also wasn't completely wasted. That would be Annette, who had taken her night off very seriously. It took both Bonnie and Naomi to help walk her up the driveway to her house, dropping her off in Peter's arms, already snoring on his shoulder before the door had even closed. Bonnie, however, had maintained a nice buzz. The energy of a few drinks and a lot of dancing left her body feeling warm and floaty.

Naomi drove everyone home until it was only her and Bonnie in the car. "You have fun?"

"I did." Bonnie had already kicked her heels off and was stretching her toes out. "You?"

"Never had so many people trying to buy me drinks." Naomi sighed. "It's a waste I couldn't take any of 'em up on it."

Bonnie hadn't missed the line of boys that had spotted Naomi and tried their best to turn her head all night. Naomi had looked amused more than anything. "Free drinks are nice."

"Yeah, the water was particularly good tonight." She shrugged. "I'm glad we went though. It was nice to see everybody let loose."

"Annie especially." Annette had thrown herself head-first into dancing. She didn't care who was around her or what song was playing, she was all arms and hips and out-of-tune singing.

Naomi laughed. "Yeah, she had a good time. It's nice, you know? When you got kids at home, it's a whole new world. You love 'em, you'd do anything for 'em, but sometimes… You just need a little reminder that you're more than just a mom. Doesn't mean you aren't one. Just that there's more to you than that. That's why Carla and Annie need nights like this." She reached over and took Bonnie's hand, giving it a squeeze and a little shake. "You'll know what I mean one day."

Bonnie half-smiled. "Yeah, one day."

Naomi pulled up in front of the house and put the car in park. "You good?"

"I'm good." Grabbing up the straps of her heels, Bonnie reached over to hug Naomi. "Drive safe."

"I will. I'll call you tomorrow."

"All right." Climbing out of the car, Bonnie closed the door behind her before crossing the lawn. She dug her keys out and let herself in.

The only light left on was above the sink. It gave the kitchen and living room a faint glow. Mina was sprawled out on the couch; she lifted her head, spotted Bonnie, and thumped her tail before rolling over and going back to sleep. Bonnie made a stop at the couch, gave Mina's ear a scratch, and then continued down the hall.

The deck light was on and she could make out a familiar figure sitting in a chair. Leaving her heels on the floor next to their bedroom door, she joined him on the deck. "Hey," she whispered.

Damon looked up and half-smiled. "Hey." He patted his knee, inviting her to sit with him.

Taking a seat in his lap, she leaned back against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder.

"How was your night?"

"Good." She reached for his arm and pulled it around her waist, stroking her fingers along the lengths of his. "Yours?"

"Quiet."

She hummed. "We should go dancing, just me and you."

"Yeah?" He tucked his face in the crook of her neck and nipped at her skin. "You miss me out there on the dancefloor, Bon-Bon?"

She bit her lip. "Mmhmm." She'd forgotten how worked up clubbing made her; the music so loud it made her whole body vibrate.

Damon kissed from the crook of her neck to just behind her ear. He nuzzled her hair and reached down, tugging at her dress, drawing it up to her hips. Bonnie shivered at the cool air breezing across her thighs. She parted her legs, so they hung open on either side of Damon's knees.

"You think about me while you were dancing?" His hands slid up and down the tops of her thighs, skimming her hips, thumbs trailing over the thin, lacey sides of her underwear. "When your skin got nice and warm and you could feel the sweat sliding down your back…"

"I wanted your hands on me." She reached up and pulled the straps of her dress from her shoulders, letting them slide down her arms. Damon kissed the exposed skin, teeth scraping lightly.

"Where do you want my hands? Show me."

She found his hands, still caressing her legs, and brought them up, until they were pressed at the crux of her thighs, against damp panties.

"Here?" He pressed down and she felt the heel of his palm against her clit.

Bonnie let out a husky sigh. "Mmmm…"

Damon slid his hand under her underwear and cupped her pussy, his other fingers lightly teasing her inner thigh, making her squirm.

Leaving his hands to their work, Bonnie pulled her dress down and cupped her breasts, her thumbs circling her nipples. She thought briefly of what Naomi had said. That the other women were going home to their families, to babies and toddlers, to picking back up the mantle of mom. And she admired them for that. She knew she wanted that too, one day. But today… Today, she was just Bonnie. Just a wife with a husband. Just a woman with a man and an ache she wanted satisfied. And he was so good at satisfying her.

…

Bonnie groaned, glaring down at her phone. "The restaurant just cancelled our reservation for Kayla's grad dinner."

Damon popped his head in from the garage, his brow furrowed. "They can do that?"

"Apparently… they found mold. They'll be closed while they get it figured out. They said we get dibs for the reopening."

Humming, Damon scrubbed his grease-stained hands on a rag and walked further into the kitchen. "Remind me again why we can't just do it at Mina's?"

"I just wanted it to be different, to stand out a little. I love Mina's, but it's where we go for everything."

"That was kind of my whole pitch when I bought the place. If we're everybody's first choice, the lights stay on." He circled around behind her and dropped his chin to her shoulder. "What if I break out the nice cutlery and have someone origami the napkins?"

Bonnie pursed her lips to hide her smile. "There's nice cutlery?"

"Rude." He kissed her cheek. "Come on, Kayla loves Mina's. Her and Lisa are my top karaoke singers. They absolutely suck, but they pre-pick their songs and then eat their weight in wings, so I reserve complaint."

"You've never missed a chance to complain in your life. I bet you tease them every single time and then you join them."

Damon grinned. "If I do, it's just to get them back on tune."

"Mmhmm." She leaned back against him. "I'll ask Kayla. I'm sure she'll be fine with it. She was a little uncomfortable with how high end the other place was."

"Great!" He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Problem solved."

…

"Do you have any idea how many feet have been in these shoes?" Damon pulled them on dubiously, his nose wrinkled.

"You're such a snob." Bonnie shook her head, amused. "You can always invest in your own pair."

"How often are we planning on going bowling?"

She shrugged. "No idea. I just know Peter picked it for group date night."

"Nothing says 'date night' like wearing smelly shoes and eating bad pizza."

"The pizza isn't half-bad here." Peter grinned good-naturedly as he walked down the stairs to join them. "The beer could be better."

Damon sighed. "Just what I like to hear."

"What are the odds you picked this place because you suck at bowling?" Danny asked, lacing up his own shoes.

Peter smirked. "Slim."

"This is why you don't get invited to guys' night." Danny leaned back and spread his arms along the plastic chairs next to him. "That and the last time we played darts, you hit me."

"I was drunk!" he defended.

"You probably shouldn't be pointing fingers at other people for their poor dart throwing either," Chris reminded.

Danny rolled his eyes. "For all I know, that waitress wanted to get hit! Could've sued me or something."

"Yeah, I'm sure she took one look at you and thought 'money pit.'" Damon snorted. "Anyway, we do invite Peter to guys' night, he just never makes time for us."

"Which is why I thought it'd be fun if we all got together." Peter clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "How do we wanna do this? Girls against boys or split into groups of four?"

Annette nudged Bonnie's arm. "If the girls team up, the boys'll bicker themselves into a loss."

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah, but there's a three to five ratio…" Her eyes narrowed. "Team captains? I'll pick the girls, but which boy should we grab?"

"Peter or Brandon?"

"Brandon lawn bowls. Maybe it'll transfer to regular bowling?"

Annette shrugged. "Can't hurt."

Bonnie stepped up. "Okay. We're splitting into groups of four. I'll take Annie, Carla, and Brandon."

Damon squinted at her a beat, but then shrugged. "Deal." They shook on it. "Loser buys the pizza?"

"Make sure you get extra mushrooms. And Annette's a vegetarian."

He smirked. "I'll write it down for when you have to put the order in, right after you lose."

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at him. "Only one of us going home a loser, and it won't be me."

Peter looked between them warily. "Are you guys always this competitive?"

"Yes," they said simultaneously.

Bonnie's team won the first game. She bought Damon a consolation beer. It was watered down, but he drank the whole thing anyway. It was the principle of the thing.

…

Bonnie loved watching him cook. She sat on a stool, a glass of wine in front of her, just watching him move around the kitchen. He was always so focused when he was cooking, so eager to show her things, even if he never expected her to copy or repeat them. Actually, he would probably prefer she didn't, since her cooking skill continued to be minimal, at best. But that worked for them. Especially in moments like this, when he was in his glory and she was happy to just be his taste-tester.

"You taste that sweetness? That's our tomatoes." He pointed at her as she licked her lips and hummed. "You can't get that in a grocery store. Too many pesticides."

"I'm sure they also don't talk to their tomatoes as much as you do."

"Hey, it's a proven theory that plants grow better when you talk to them."

Amused, Bonnie rolled her eyes. "You tell them stories about Mystic Falls and different times we saved it."

"Who says tomatoes don't like a good action story?" He wiggled his eyebrows. "Anyway, they should know their inevitable consumption is going to a good cause… The health and well-being of two badasses."

"Former badasses. Nowadays, we're a little too domestic for the title."

"Hey, I have a very attractive scar that says different. And we both know Bonnie Bennett-Salvatore is a badass no matter what she's doing." He grinned. "It's not all bloodshed and glory."

"No, it's homemade pasta and a mortgage." She smiled. "I kind of prefer this version."

"Yeah?" He held the spoon out for. "It was my tomatoes that sold you, wasn't it? Come on… you can admit it."

Bonnie looked the sauce from the spoon and shrugged. "No comment."

…

The celebration was over and all that was left was the clean up. It was just Damon, a few evening staff, and the faint sound of Salt n' Pepa playing in the background.

"Didn't take you for the sweeping type."

Damon looked up, brows arched curiously. "Yeah, well, when you're footing the bill for the party, you cut corners where you can… What're you doing here? Thought Bonnie was gonna take you and Lisa home."

"She was. Is. I asked her to wait a couple minutes."

"Yeah? You leave something behind? If it's cheap, it's in the Lost n' Found box. If it isn't, I never saw it."

Kayla rolled her eyes. Walking toward him, she shrugged her shoulders high. "I'm gonna get sappy on you, so you might as well just grin and bear it."

Damon groaned. "What happened to covering up feelings with good old-fashioned booze?" He pointed a thumb back at the bar. "I've got plenty to share."

"I'll take you up on that sometime…" Kayla blew out a sigh. "I'm not good with this stuff."

"What, the squishy heart stuff?" He scrunched up his nose. "We could just hang out a few minutes. Bonnie won't know."

"She didn't send me in here."

"Chose this torture all on your own, huh?" He clucked his tongue. "Rookie."

Kayla snorted. "Look, all I wanted to say was… Thanks." She chewed her lip. "School was… hard. Really hard. And I can't totally believe I'm done. But… it would've been a lot worse if I didn't have you. And Bonnie, duh. But… You helped me find my first apartment, and you fixed my bike, and you picked me up from school that one time there was a blizzard, and… and a million other things. Groceries, bills, spending money, my grad dress, everything."

Damon stared at her a beat and then nodded. "You're welcome."

Kayla hesitated a moment longer and then blew out an exasperated sigh. Crossing the floor, she threw her arms around him in a hug. "I'm gonna say this one time and we never have to talk about it again, but… You've kinda been like a dad to me. An amazing one, actually, and… I really needed that. I didn't know how much until you were there. You and Bonnie kinda saved my life and… I'm really glad you did."

Damon half-smiled to himself. He put the broom aside and wrapped his arms around her. "Yeah, well, you wouldn't be the worst kid to have."

"No?" Kayla's voice come out thick.

Damon patted her back. "I don't do that stuff 'cause I have to. I do it 'cause I want to. 'Cause I care about you." He rested his chin atop her head. "You're family, Kayla… And me, Bon, we'll always be here for you."

"Okay." She sniffled. "Okay." Letting him go, she stepped back and hastily wiped at her eyes. "Sappy moment over. Return to regularly scheduled whatever."

He grinned at her and ruffled her hair. "Congratulations, Kid."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks."

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - 2014

"Stefan Salvatore in the Crescent City, this ought to be good… or entertainingly bad."

Stefan stared at the shot in front of him, lined up next to a dozen empty glasses. "Can't say I'm in town for a little R&R…" He threw the shot back, pulled a face, and dropped the glass to the bar with a clunk.

"Of course not. If that were the case, I'd expect you'd let me know. But here you are, noticeably alone…" He cast his gaze around curiously. "No Caroline around to keep your Ripper-half woefully leashed?"

Stefan winced, his mouth pulled up in a grimace. "Caroline's gone."

Klaus went still, his brow furrowed. "Gone?"

"Missing. She was taken…" Stefan waved for another few shots. "Lucy Bennett's been looking for her, but apparently… a very strong coven must be blocking her."

Klaus hummed. "How long?"

"Six weeks." He gritted his teeth. "We were in Texas. We got into it with these… cannibal witches —don't ask— they took Caroline. Lucy and I tracked them down. They're dead. But someone else was there, someone took her."

"You're telling me that not only was she kidnapped, but you let it happen twice?" A slow, amused smirk pulled at Klaus' mouth. "My, my, you have lost your edge."

"I get it. You think you could've done a better job. Pat yourself on the back later. I need your help…" He turned on his stool to face Klaus. "Six weeks… I don't know why they want her or what they're doing to her, but I need to find her…" He stared at him searchingly. "Can you help me?"

Klaus tipped his head to the side thoughtfully and looked Stefan's face over a long moment. Finally, he stood. "I'll be back. Try not to wander off."

Stefan rolled his eyes, but nodded. As Klaus left, Stefan turned his attention to the shots lined up and waiting. He made quick work of knocking each back. He was waving for more when Klaus returned, shaking his head at the bartender in a gesture to cut Stefan off.

"Weren't you just telling me I should let loose?"

"Drowning your sorrows is hardly what I meant." Retaking his seat atop the stool next to Stefan, Klaus placed a napkin on the bar and slid it toward him.

"What's this?"

"I reached out to a few old friends. Caroline is with a coven in Baton Rouge and that… is a number you can use to reach the leader. I'm sure she'll be eager to speak to you."

Stefan blinked once, twice, and then shook his head. "Just like that?"

Klaus shrugged. "Just like that."

"Klaus…" Stefan stared at him seriously. "Thank you."

"Yes, well…" He stood from the stool. "Next time you find yourself in New Orleans, perhaps it'll be for something other than a favor."

Stefan nodded. Before he could say anymore, he looked up to find Klaus had already left. Sighing, he left the bar, pulling his phone out as he went. It picked up after only two rings.

"Stefan Salvatore," a coy, knowing voice answered. "I think it's time we talked."

…

The café he was told to meet at was a forty-five minute drive from New Orleans. Stefan sped the entire way, his heart lodged in his throat and his stomach weighed down with nerves. He ordered a coffee, but it sat cooling on the table as he waited outside, his eyes sharply bouncing from one person to the next, wondering which one might be who he was waiting for.

Finally, a chair was pulled out as a beautiful black woman with cropped brown hair and dark eyes took a seat across from him. "Cassiya Bell," she introduced herself. Her voice was sweet but firm with a faint Southern twang. "You can call me Cass."

Stefan leaned in, one of his hands balled into a fist. "Where's Caroline?"

Cass smiled slowly, showing off pearly white teeth. "Safe."

"Where—"

"I think you misunderstood me, Mister Salvatore. You are not in a position to be dictating how this conversation unfolds."

Stefan clenched his jaw and gave a short nod.

"Now, Caroline has been a guest with my coven for some time. We had hoped we could come to a quick and easy compromise, but she is proving… stubborn."

His eyes narrowed. "A compromise on what? You kidnapped her from a coven who had already kidnapped her. Unless you're in league with—"

"Marielle Ducasse was a disgrace to witches everywhere, let me be clear about that. I don't approve of the methods in which she found her end, but I was not her friend and have no interest in avenging her death or that of her coven's… No, one of mine removed Caroline while you and Lucy Bennett were raiding Ducasse's warehouse."

"Why?"

"A few months ago, Caroline made a deal with another coven. She would collect everything on a list and, in exchange, they would help her remove the magic-ban placed on Mystic Falls. An item on that list is rather valuable."

The amulet, he thought.

"We want it, but that's not all we want."

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "What, you have your own 'To Do' list now?"

Cass smiled, slow and amused. "No. Rather, we have a 'Not To Do' list. One we want you and Caroline to be aware of."

He shook his head. "I don't understand."

"Bonnie Bennett."

Stefan went still, his brow furrowed.

"While Caroline has been with us, she's been… haggling."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Stefan couldn't help but feel a familiar warmth fill his chest. "Of course she has," he muttered.

"Caroline agreed to tell us where the amulet is as long as we help her bring Bonnie Bennett back."

Stefan shook his head. "And you won't?"

"We can't." Cass raised an eyebrow. "I knew Sheila Bennett personally. She was a good witch. Strong, proud, and capable… And nearly twenty years ago, she recreated something utterly magnificent. A spell I could hardly believe was achievable."

Stefan frowned.

"Sheila understood that life and death are levels; that there are in-betweens. And if you have enough power, you can bend them to your will. You can create an access point where there shouldn't be one, and you can place people in them, as easily as putting change in your pocket."

"And you think Bonnie's in one?"

"I know she is. Sheila told me herself."

Stefan took a deep breath and sat back in his chair. "You… You talked to her? And she told you this. She told you that Bonnie—"

"Bonnie is in a pocket world. And so is your brother."

Stefan felt like the ground had slipped out from under him. "He's…" His throat tightened and he reached up to drag a hand over his mouth.

"They're safe. Sheila made sure of that. When Caroline started bargaining with me, I considered agreeing to it. But I had to do some research of my own. That led to reaching out to Sheila, to see what insight she might have."

"And you… You know how to get them out? You can help us bring them back?"

"I could." She stared at him a beat. "But I won't."

Stefan's brow furrowed. "Why? I don't understand… Bonnie is a witch. She's like you. She's done nothing wrong."

"I know. Sheila made it very clear that her granddaughter was a good person. And if that was all I had to consider, I would happily return her to this plain."

"Then why?"

"If I bring Bonnie back, she won't be returning alone."

Stefan felt his heart clench. "If this is about my brother—"

Cass frowned. "No." She paused. "Should I be worried about your brother?"

"No. No, I…" He sighed. "What do you mean? Who else would be returning with her?"

"When Sheila sent Bonnie to the pocket world, she couldn't use her own magic, not really. While there's residual magic after you die, it's not as potent as when you're alive. Instead, she had to use existing magic that was already linked to her… The same magic she used to bind Malachi Parker to a prison world in 1994. If I release Bonnie, then I open the door for Malachi to return as well… And that is not an evil I can unleash."

"Who is he?"

"A siphon without a conscience. He murdered nearly his entire family. And the price of his crimes was eternal banishment." Cass shook her head. "Sheila made the decision to send Bonnie to this pocket world for her own good. She'll be safe there, her and your brother."

Stefan sat forward in his seat and stared at her earnestly. "I hear what you're saying… But this is my brother. If he's out there, if there's a way to bring him home…"

"By unleashing an unholy evil on the world." Her eyes narrowed. "You would risk that?"

I would, he thought, but bit his tongue before his honesty could spill from his mouth.

"What if… What if I could guarantee that this Malachi Parker would be taken care of? That we would stop him before he could hurt anyone?"

"And how would you do that?"

"You said that if you open the door, this guy would come out too. So, we'll be ready. Sheila sent him to a prison world, so either we send him back or… Or we kill him."

Cass stared at him a long beat. "You would take that responsibility on?"

"If it means getting Bonnie and Damon back, then yes…"

"My coven cannot be exposed to him. The harm he could do by touching even one of us…" She shook her head. "It would be up to you to put him down. Immediately."

"I'll do it." Stefan nodded. "The amulet for their return, and I'll take full responsibility for anything that entails."

Cass hummed, her head tipped curiously. "I will take it to my coven and let you know what we decide."

"Okay. In the meantime… Caroline?"

A faint smile pulled at Cass' mouth as she reached inside her jacket and pulled out a phone. Plugging in a number out of Stefan's sight, she waited as it rang and then turned the screen toward him.

Stefan watched as Caroline's confused face filled it before, abruptly, her eyes widened and a smile lit the screen. "Stefan!"

He swallowed a lump in his throat. "Hey…" He tried to smile back, even as his mouth wobbled. "You're okay?"

"I'm bored out of my mind!" she cried. "And these witches are so stubborn! All day, every day, it's all 'balance' and 'nature' and 'amulet,' but I ask for one thing… Just resurrect two people and suddenly I'm the bad guy. As if they didn't kidnap me."

He laughed, a thick, throaty noise from his throat.

Caroline's expression softened. "I'm okay, promise. They make faces every time I ask for a blood bag and they watch so much reality TV. Toddlers and Tiaras, Stefan. It's awful!"

"I'm figuring it out, okay? I'm talking to Cass and—"

"Tell her you won't give her the amulet! Not until she brings back Bonnie and Damon. It's a hard rule, Stefan!" She pulled a face, her eyebrows arched and her mouth in a flat line. "I'm not budging."

He smiled. "I know."

"And?"

"And we're working out the details. It's not off the table."

She deflated with relief, her eyes closing briefly. And then she laughed, a hopeful ring to it. "It's going to work. I can feel it!"

He nodded, his eyes warm. "You were right… You never gave up and you were right."

"You helped me." She gazed at him softly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Cass made a noise then and Stefan glanced at her. "Caroline, I have to go, but we'll figure this out, okay?"

"I know. I trust you."

After he handed the phone back, he stared at the table a moment. "When will I hear from you?"

"I'll leave here and talk things over with the coven. You'll have an answer within the week."

"And if everything goes right, if we can really make this happen, how long before it's done? Before they're back?"

"We'll need time to gather everything we need and to figure out the spell. I'll need access to Sheila's grimoire."

Stefan nodded. "I can do that."

"Then… a month. Two, at most."

"A month." He blew out a slow, heavy sigh. "Okay."

"Okay." She stood from the table then. "Good talking to you, Stefan. Reckon we'll be seeing each other again soon."

He nodded, and then paused. "Klaus… Did he… Was he a part of this?"

"The Mikaelsons have many friends. One of theirs found one of mine and let me know that it would be in our best interest to reach out… Truth be told, with how stubborn Caroline was being, we likely would've called you soon anyway."

He half-smiled. "When she sets her mind to something, there's no changing it."

"That doesn't surprise me in the least."

With that, Cass left, and Stefan sat back to try and process their meeting and the ramifications of it.

In a week, he could see Caroline again, and in a month, he might have his brother back.

A bubbly feeling filled his chest; the onset of uncontrollable, joyful laughter.

TEN AND A HALF YEARS

The grass was cool against Bonnie's bare feet. The backyard was filled with the faint chatter of their closest friends and lilting music. Giggling children raced around with Mina bounding after them excitedly. In the center of it all, Bonnie danced with Damon, her chin perched on his chest as she stared up at him.

He squeezed her hand and smiled. "Well, you survived a whole year of married life, Bon-Bon. How's it feel?"

"Pretty good." She flexed her fingers from his shoulder up to his neck, carding through his hair. "Did you ever think we'd be here? Years ago, when this all started…"

He stared at her searchingly. "I don't know what I expected back then… That a miracle would send us back home and everything would go back to normal, probably."

"Normal." She took a deep breath and looked around. "Our normal is pretty different now."

"Yeah, it is. It's pretty great." He nodded. "It's missing a few key people, but… I think we lucked out."

Her chest warmed. "I wouldn't trade it… Everything that happened and everything we lost. I wouldn't do it differently."

"No? None of it?" He pursed his lips. "I remember a few pretty serious screw ups I'd do different if I could."

Bonnie shook her head. "No. Because everything we did, every choice we made, it got us here. And I've never been happier, never been freer, than I am right here, right now."

Damon grinned slowly. He cupped her face and bent to kiss her. "I love you."

She laughed into their kiss. "I love you too."

He kissed her again— once, twice, three times— and then he was kissing her forehead. "A thousand tomorrows, Bon-Bon…" He nuzzled her cheek and hugged her close, swaying them gently to the music. "I'm gonna make you so happy."

She closed her eyes. "I know."

…

Chris stared at him. "You bought… a pinball machine."

Damon nodded. "I bought a pinball machine." He waved a hand dismissively. "It's got a good old school vibe."

"We run a bar, not an arcade. What are people going to do with a pinball machine?"

"We run a successful bar slash restaurant. And you're underestimating the amount of money people will spend on nostalgia."

Chris scrubbed a hand over his forehead. "How much did you spend on nostalgia?"

"We'll make it back, don't worry." With a wink, he said, "Come on, I'll spot you a quarter and we can see who gets high score."

Sighing, Chris followed him over. "You know I was reigning champ as a kid…"

Damon smirked. "You don't say."

…

Damon was on cloud nine. He was spending his day off at the park with Mina and Sofia and couldn't be more content. After a long morning of playground climbing and chasing Mina, Sofia was happy to take a nap, resting atop his chest as he sat against a tree, a book in one hand and an apple in the other. Mina was falling asleep herself, her favorite ball tucked under her chin as she struggled to keep her eyes open, stretched out next to Damon's legs.

Turning the hand holding his apple, he checked the time on his watch. In another thirty minutes, he'd transfer Sofia over to her stroller and make his way over to Bonnie's shop to take her out for lunch.

Danny and Carla were enjoying a rare morning to themselves, asking Damon to babysit Sofia for a few hours. Always happy to spend some time with his goddaughter, he'd taken them up on their offer, and had been periodically sending Bonnie selfies from their day out. Speaking of… He dropped his book to his lap and dug his phone out of his pocket to take a picture of a sleeping, and drooling, Sofia.

A few seconds after he sent it, Bonnie texted back three heart emojis.

He grinned to himself and sent her the heart-eyes in return before putting his phone away. Plucking his book back up, he continued reading.

It wasn't until Mina shifted next to him, kicking at his leg before she stood, that he put his book aside.

"No, don't move!" Bonnie held her phone out to snap a picture of Damon and Sofia. "Okay. Got it." She smiled at the screen. "This is definitely going in the scrapbook."

Sitting forward, he pressed a hand to Sofia's back to keep her in place. "What're you doing out here? We were going to surprise you at work."

Bonnie smiled. "I guessed." She held a bag up. "I picked a few things up. Thought we could have a picnic."

"A picnic? How romantic. A year in and you're already trying to keep the love alive, huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

"How'd you find us anyway?"

"Wasn't hard. This is your favorite tree."

He scrunched his nose. "I don't have a favorite tree."

"We always sit here when we bring Mina to the park. One time we found a bunch of teenagers here and you told them they were sitting on a fire ant colony to scare them off."

He smirked. "There's a nice sun-to-shade ratio here."

"Uh-huh." She dropped down beside him, putting the bag aside and scratching Mina's ears as she circled around to investigate, sniffing at their food. "How's your morning been?"

"Good. We went for a jog, watched some Sesame Street, and made the best sandcastle in the whole park. I had to knock some kid's second-rate Taj Mahal over for that last one, but if you ask me, we've got an architect in the making here."

"You did not."

"I didn't, but I would have. As it turned out, he was happy to knock over his own masterpiece. I wasn't kidding about Sofia though. She's got a knack for building things. She adds moats to everything, but who can blame her, really."

"We could use a good moat around here."

"Exactly."

Bonnie looked down at Sofia then, who was wiggling around, slowly coming awake. She was usually a ball of energy, but Damon liked to think he'd given her enough opportunities to get most of that out. For a while, at least. He still planned on getting her some candy before he handed her back over to Danny.

"I'm glad you had fun." Bonnie stroked a hand down Sofia's back gently. "She's grown so much."

"They do that."

She rolled her eyes. "I know. It's just… weird. To think about how much time has gone by… It wasn't so long ago that Kayla was just a kid, sweeping up the shop. Now she's a college graduate. And it feels like just yesterday when Sofia was born. Next thing you know, she'll be in high school."

"Hey, don't jinx it. She's still got a couple years left before she heads to kindergarten."

"I know. It just feels like it's going by so quick." Shaking her head, she shifted over so she was sitting next to him. Letting her head fall to his shoulder, she swept Sofia's hair behind her ear. "Are you hungry? I can make us some sandwiches."

Damon wrapped an arm around her and shook his head. "In a few minutes."

…

"I'm going to die broke and alone."

Bonnie rolled her eyes.

Kayla sat across from her, face pressed down on the table, her food forgotten.

"Hardly. Finding a job takes time. You'll find the right one at the right time." She stole a fry from Kayla's plate. "You put a bunch of applications in, didn't you?"

"Yeah, and nobody's calling me back."

"Give it a few days. And if you still don't hear, then call them, make an impression." Bonnie shrugged. "They probably get a lot of applications. It's easy to forget what's written on paper. That's why the interview is so important. But it can't hurt to get their attention and let them know you're ready to work."

Groaning, Kayla lifted her head from the table. "What if it doesn't work?"

"What if it does?"

Kayla frowned. "Why did I study journalism? I should've picked something with more job security like… accounting." She pulled a face. "Maybe not that much job security."

"You're getting down on yourself before anything's happened." Bonnie grinned. "You'll get a job. Now eat your lunch; it's getting cold."

Kayla shoved a few fries in her mouth. "I guess if journalism falls through, I could always go back to school… Just spend my life collecting degrees until someone takes pity on me."

"What happened to calm and cool Kayla who was gonna take on the world and kick its ass?"

"She went into hibernation when she realized the world was a jerk bent on making her miserable."

"Occasionally, yeah. But you learn from it." Bonnie shrugged. "Get back up, dust yourself off, and try again."

Kayla raised an eyebrow. "Just like that?"

"Just like that."

A ringing caught their attention then. Kayla turned her phone over, her eyes wide. "It's The Daily…"

Bonnie grinned. "Answer it!"

Wide-eyed, Kayla pressed answer and raised the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

…

Bonnie watched Damon haggle over a box of vintage coasters. She wasn't sure how their Sunday morning had turned into hunting through yard sales, but here they were. They had gone for a walk with Mina and the next thing she knew, they had stopped at three different yard sales. Damon had been mostly uninterested, eyeing a few antique pieces that were out but eventually discarding them as either fake or not worth the money asked of them. But he was holding on tight to the coasters. She could already see him putting them up somewhere at Mina's. He had a chokehold on the décor at the bar. He always asked Chris' opinion, but it was clear that Damon had a vision he was going for. She could appreciate that… until it meant standing in a random woman's yard for over twenty minutes while he argued over pennies.

"Damon?"

"Just a second, Bon. I'm telling Ruth here why inflation is not a thing when it comes to yard sale etiquette."

"Uh-huh. Can you tell Ruth that the likelihood of finding anyone else interested in musty, used coasters is basically non-existent and that she should just take your money and call it a day?"

He turned to her, only to see her staring at him impatiently. His eyes moved back to Ruth and he grinned, his fake but strangely charming grin. "Ruth, I have no doubt that you want to get back to selling your overpriced wares to weary neighbors that wander over for a look. Just like I want to go home with my wife while she's still in a somewhat good mood. What do you say we just split it down the middle, huh? You make a little more, I don't feel like I've been taken advantage of. It's a win/win."

Ruth stared at him from eagle eyes behind her coke-bottle glasses. "Full price. If I don't sell 'em, I'll put 'em away until next time. And if you wander back, I'll raise the price another ten percent!"

Damon ground his teeth. "Fine!" Digging his wallet out, he shook his head. "But the next time they ask me to donate to the senior's centre, I'll remember this. And so should you when your bridge club doesn't have enough for your weekly tea and crumpets." He slapped the cash down on her table, gathered up his goods, and turned on his heel to join Bonnie on the sidewalk.

Bonnie stared up at him, amused. "Crumpets?"

He shrugged. "That was highway robbery!"

She hummed. "You didn't have to buy them."

"They're vintage, Bonnie. I know the perfect place at the bar for them…"

Smiling, she leaned into him. "Yeah? Where?"

Damon's eyes lit up. Taking her hand, his box of coasters balanced against his opposite hip, he started walking down the sidewalk, swinging their hands as he talked decorating.

…

"Okay, I have a couple questions…" Carla shifted in her seat in the drafty church they were about to play Bingo in and leaned over. "What's with the weird doll things?"

Bonnie folded her lips to stifle a laugh. "They're trolls. Some people have little rituals and things they think bring them luck."

Carla frowned. "She thinks eight rainbow trolls are going to sway the game in her favor?"

"She won a $1200 pot last week."

"Twelve-hundred? What are these trolls made of?"

"Plastic, mostly." Bonnie shrugged. "She's probably lost more games than she's won, but she always breaks out the trolls, just in case."

"Well, the closest thing I've got to a troll is Sofia's stuffed donkey. She put it in my bag just in case I missed her. Which is cute, but I don't know how lucky it is. She's puked on it enough times, it's a lighter color from repeated washings."

Bonnie snorted. "You don't have to break it out. Nobody says you have to have a ritual."

"Maybe I want a ritual. I don't know how much Bingo I'm gonna play in the future, but the pot is up to, what, $1400? That could pay off a few bills."

"Okay, well, my Grams used to just turn the dabber caps upside down. We could try that."

"The dabbers won't dry out?"

"They'll be fine. Trust me." Bonnie unscrewed the caps and laid them upside down. "There. If either of us wins, we split it, right?"

Carla wiggled in her chair excitedly. "Deal!"

…

Bonnie stared curiously at a red bow perched atop a box sitting on the kitchen counter as she kicked her boots off at the door. "Damon…?"

"Just a sec!" he called from the garage, his voice muffled.

Hanging her jacket up, Bonnie made her way over to the counter. Aside from the bow, the book wasn't wrapped, and there was no particular event she could think of that would warrant a gift. And, since the title appeared to be in a language she didn't speak, she guessed it wasn't something she was meant to read. Which meant…

The garage door swung open and Damon stepped inside, wiping his hands off on a rag. "I found it at a vintage book store. Italian love poetry, your favorite."

She smiled. "Oh yeah?"

"Yup." He walked toward her, a familiar swagger to his step. "You wanna pour the wine and we can hit the couch, read a few steamy ones? Or should we just skip that part and head straight to the bedroom?"

Laughing lightly, she turned and reached for a cupboard door. "I'll pour the wine, you find a few of your favorites."

"Already ahead of you." He plucked the bow off and winked at her. "I ear-marked a few pages for just this occasion…"

…

"All of I'm saying is that Danny is the last person who should have blades on his feet. He's liable to accidentally kill somebody out here. And I don't like my odds!"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "It's ice skating, Damon. He's not going to hurt anybody. Except maybe himself."

"He's fallen over three times already. Who's to say somebody doesn't skate by a little too close and he doesn't slice an artery open? I'm not saying he's gonna do it on purpose, I just think he should have one of those little walkers they give kids so they don't fall over."

A wobbling Danny skated by, clutching tight to Carla's hand. "I can hear you, y'know? And I'm already struggling enough, I don't need the added stress of possibly killing somebody out here. Whose idea was it to go ice skating anyway? It's not even winter yet!"

"Which is why it's so cheap." Annie skated by, backwards, and beamed at them. "And it was Peter's idea!"

Danny turned a glare on Damon. "I thought we agreed he didn't get to pick anymore. Not after the bowling fiasco last time."

"If by fiasco you mean you guys losing…" Bonnie shrugged. "Anyway, ice skating is fun once you get the hang of it. I even brought homemade hot chocolate."

Damon smirked. "Yeah, so, if you manage not to kill anybody, there's something to look forward to."

Carla rubbed Danny's arm. "Come on, we'll stick close to the walls. If you start to feel like you're slipping, you can just grab on."

Grumbling, Danny let her lead him away.

Damon looked back at Bonnie. "Well, that's one threat temporarily taken care of."

Bonnie squeezed his hand. "Are you good now? Can we skate without you worrying Danny's going to maim someone?"

"Sure. I still think sitting on the sidelines drinking my weight in hot chocolate would be more fun, but if you insist…"

…

Bonnie pushed her sunglasses up to perch atop her head. She'd used entirely too much hairspray trying to keep her curled hair in place, but she was pretty proud of the overall effect. Finding the pink jacket was the clincher. And, really, Damon was made for being a 'greaser.'

Walking into the kitchen, her heels clicking, Bonnie found Damon picking through a pumpkin-shaped bowl of Halloween candy. "Well?" she asked, doing a little spin for him.

Damon grinned as he looked up. "Wow."

Bonnie winked. "Eat your heart out."

Laughing under his breath, Damon tossed the bowl aside, dusted his hands off, and walked toward her. He had his favorite leather jacket on, a white t-shirt underneath, and the iconic cigarette tucked behind his ear. Taking her hips in his hands, he tugged her toward him. "Do we have time for a Kenicki hickey or what?"

Laughing, Bonnie let her head fall back. "Party doesn't start for another hour, so… yeah. But watch the hair. I already wasted all the hairspray."

Damon grinned. "I'll see what I can do."

…

Damon looked up as a stack of papers were slapped down in front of him. He put aside the glass he was cleaning and skim-read over them. "Adoption papers? I'm flattered, but I don't think Bonnie will go for it. Plus, we're practically the same age and… I've got a lot of daddy issues I still haven't resolved. I don't know if it's fair to you and Brandon."

Chris rolled his eyes. "The last thing our friendship needs is you calling me 'daddy.' Brandon and I talked about it and we agreed that the whole process takes a while. I don't know if I'll be ready tomorrow, but I know I will be soon. So, we'd rather put the application in now and not waste too much time."

Damon grinned. "Good for you."

"Thanks." He tapped the papers. "There's some stuff in here asking for personal references. You're the first person I thought of."

Digging a pen out, Damon twirled it around his fingers. "This means I get first dibs on godfather, right?"

Chris snorted. "Sure, you can be the godfather of any and all of my future children. Happy?"

He smirked. "Ecstatic!"

…

Bonnie watched for a moment as Damon moved around Mina's, turning chairs over to rest on the tables, whistling to himself absently. Arms crossed, she let herself just sink into the moment. They were coming up on eleven years spent in this world and the magnitude of that snuck up on her sometimes. A third of her life had been spent here, and somehow it felt more like home than Mystic Falls ever had. There were days she missed it. The people more than anything. Days when she couldn't quite remember the sound of Caroline's laugh or Elena's voice and it left a little ache in her chest. But those were so few and far between nowadays. She couldn't imagine her life without the people she had now. She didn't want to imagine what life might be like if she didn't have Damon.

Pushing off the wall, she walked toward him.

Spotting her, he grinned. "Hey…" He glanced at the clock. "Dance class run late?"

"A little." She held her hands out to him. "Dance with me?"

He held up a finger as he searched around, found the remote for the stereo system, and put something on. "There." He left the remote on a table and took her hands. Pulling her out on the dancefloor, he spun her around. As she slowed to a stop, she leaned into him, chest to chest. He smiled down at her, his eyes bright and warm. "Feeling frisky, Bon-Bon?"

She smiled slowly. "Something like that." She cupped a hand behind his neck, her fingers combing through his hair. "I'm proud of you."

His brow furrowed. "Yeah? What'd I do?"

"A lot." She looked around. "You built a thriving business for one."

"I had a little help."

"I know, and that's something else you should be proud of."

"That I pick good people to go into business with?"

"That you picked good people to be friends with. The fact that they're willing to do that, that they love you as much as they do, is just as much a reflection on who you are and how much you've grown."

Humming, he brought their hands in close to tap the tip of her nose. "You're getting soft on me, Bon."

She smiled. "I just think, after so much time goes by, it's easy to forget where we started and how far we've come. But we're here, and you're…" She shook her head. "Damon, you've come so far and accomplished so much. It just kind of takes my breath away sometimes."

His mouth pulled up on one side and he tugged her closer. "We both have. We're kind of a power-couple."

She laughed. "Yeah?"

"Oh yeah. Definitely got a few fanclubs out there dedicated to how awesome we are." Damon spun them around and dipped her back. "But it's just the start, you know? We've got a lot more left to do."

"Yeah." Bonnie felt her heart squeeze and her chest warm. "Yeah, we do."

tbc

author's note: i know it has been an insane amount of time since i updated this and i am so, so, sooo sorry for that. i had about 7k of it written for the longest time but no matter how many times i opened it, i just couldn't get words out. and then i broke my ankle back in july and spent a significant amount of time living in a rehab hospital trying to recover and i managed to write a couple chapters but they needed some serious editing. unfortunately, after i got home, i just didn't have any mental energy to write or edit. there was a good chunk of time that i was just exhausted from the moment i woke up until i went to bed. i've gone from not being able to walk at all to using a walker and crutches to now using a cane. it's been a process, lemme tell you. and that process was painful and hard and sapped all of my energy. but i feel like i'm starting to come out on the other end of it.

on the bright side, i finished this chapter, finally, and i have another 1.5-2 chapters done that still needing editing. which is good, because that's much easier to work with than nothing at all. we are one more chapter away before the return, so i hope you're all as excited as i am. :)

thank you to everyone who is still reading. i'm sure i've lost a few of you with how ridiculously long it's been but i am dedicated to getting this story done and out there. so please just stick with me!

thanks so much for reading! please, try to leave a review!
- lee | fina