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.

word count: 9,420


XVIII.


SAVANNAH, GEORGIA – 2014


Eyes closed and face half-buried against Stefan's chest, Caroline mumbled, "We're wasting time."

Coming his fingers through her messy, tangled hair, Stefan stared at the ceiling of their hotel room. "I don't know if 'wasting' is the adjective I'd use... Maybe reuniting... making up for lost time... taking advantage of the inevitable calm before the storm..."

Caroline pinched him and raised her head to frown, even if her eyes were still warm with affection. "We've spent three days in this room doing exactly nothing productive... We have to find Lucy and get the Bennett grimoire back from her."

"Lucy's already headed toward us. She'll be here by tomorrow."

"We could've met her..." Caroline pulled a face. "You don't think it's weird she wouldn't tell us where she is?"

"Considering you were being held by a coven, again, I get why she'd be a little suspicious. I'm surprised she agreed to meet us and give us the grimoire at all. We're just going to have to trust her."

"I know." She sighed, long and loud, and rolled herself over, her head perched against his shoulder. "I can't believe it's really happening. I mean, I do. I have to believe that this is going to turn out the way it's supposed to. But we've tried so many times and it's been so long..."

"You never gave up, and now that's paying off." He rubbed her arm soothingly. "You haven't talked much about what happened with Ducasse."

Caroline's body went still. She swallowed tightly and shook her head slightly. "It's over now. That's all that matters."

"It is over, but the things I saw when I got into that warehouse... Caroline, if you want to talk about it—"

"I know! I know that when I'm ready to fall apart and cry, you'll be there and you'll help me get through it. But right now..." She shook her head. "I can't. I can't think about that because I don't have time to be upset. I just want to meet up with Lucy, get the grimoire, and figure this stuff out with Cass... I want to bring Bonnie home. And Damon too. I know Cass said that they're okay over there, but it's not here. It's not home."

Stefan stared at her searchingly. "Okay."

She deflated with relief, her shoulders slumping abruptly. "Thank you."

He combed her hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "We figure this stuff out and bring them home. And when you're ready to talk, I'll listen."

"Thank you." She smiled softly. "I love you."

"Love you too." He tugged her closer. "Now can we enjoy our time alone before Lucy shows up?"

Humming, Caroline leaned down to kiss him. "What do you have in mind?"

She let out a shriek that turned into a laugh as he rolled them over.


ELEVEN YEARS


Bonnie wiggled side to side. "It is way too cold for line-ups."

"Here." Damon brought her hands up to this mouth to blow warm air on them. "What'd I say about gloves?"

She leaned into him. "I thought I grabbed them."

"I left your back-ups in my other jacket." He pulled a face before burying his mouth against her hands again. "Gonna need back-up back-ups."

Bonnie stared up at him, her heart squeezing. Sometimes, it was just the little things that reminded her how happy and lucky she felt with him. "Hey, what movie are we seeing tonight?"

"Something sappy. Dramatic confessions, probably in the rain, and PG-13 sex that mostly happens behind doors."

She rolled her eyes. "We both know you love romance."

"No… I love romancing you. And I do it with a lot more style than anybody on these movie posters."

"What, you don't think we're a romantic-confession-in-the-rain type of couple?"

"We're a happily married couple. And if I'm confessing anything to you, it's not going to be in the rain. You think I want either of us to get hypothermia? I'm a wuss when I'm sick, Bonnie. And if we both get it, who's gonna take care of us? Huh? Kayla? Danny? Danny's chicken noodle soup sucks!"

Bonnie laughed. "Okay, okay. No pneumonia and no rainy confessions. Just frostbite waiting for a movie."

Damon tugged her closer and buried his face against her neck. When his cold nose met her skin, she gave a little shriek. "Team effort, Bon-Bon. I can't warm you up if I'm cold."

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she turned her face against his shoulder. "We could always skip the movie, you know… Go home, run a hot bath, open a bottle of wine, have not so PG-13 sex…"

Damon raised his head. "You had me at 'bath.'" Turning on his heel, he tugged on her hand and walked them right out of the line and back toward their car.



Bonnie stood in the centre of a very white room, a glass of champagne perched between her fingers. Kayla had invited her to an art show and Bonnie had cheerfully accepted. It wasn't long before Kayla was swept off by a few familiar faces and Bonnie was left to her own devices. It wasn't all bad though; so far, she'd seen a lot of creative pieces. She wasn't completely sold on what they were supposed to represent, but it was fun anyway. Until she found herself standing in front of a gold-painted toilet, a stand with a near-empty roll of toilet paper next to it.

"Brilliant, isn't it? How it bridges the wealthy and the poor?"

Bonnie blinked and turned to the man next to her. "Hm?"

"Enough money for a golden toilet, but once the paper runs out, you're the same as anyone else."

Nodding, Bonnie turned back to the art piece. "Yeah, I guess that's one way to look at it."

"Is there another?"

"Excess. You spend all your money on making sure the toilet is gold, you don't have enough for two-ply… It's all about appearances."

He hummed. "Art being subjective makes for an interesting experience."

"The free champagne helps too."

He laughed.

"Bonnie!" Kayla skidded toward her, nearly tumbling in her heels.

Bonnie caught her elbow. "Whoa, hey. You okay?"

"Totally." She waved it off. "Did you know there's a photography room? Candid grabs. Kinda reminds me of your scrapbook."

"Really?" Bonnie brightened. "Show me!" Hooking her arm through Kayla's, Bonnie nodded farewell to the man she'd been talking to and followed Kayla.

"Sorry I ditched you. I didn't realize how many people from college would be here." She waved at a few people as they passed. "Anyway, I really think you'll like the photography. It's mostly black and white and it's meant to be 'in the moment.'"

Once they stepped inside, Bonnie felt a sigh leave her. "Wow."

"Right?" Grinning, Kayla led them to the beginning of the exhibit.

There were so many to see and Bonnie wanted to take her time, lingering on the different faces, the freckles and wrinkles and chipped teeth of it all. Humanity in such crystal clear definition. Time was lost. It was just her and Kayla moving picture to picture, arm in arm, pointing out what they loved about each. Hours could have passed and Bonnie wouldn't know. But when they reached the end, she found herself a little disappointed it was over.

"Thanks for inviting me out tonight."

Kayla bumped Bonnie's shoulder with her own. "Thanks for coming."

"Any time. This was fun!"

"Even the toilet?" Kayla scrunched her nose. "Statement art. I'm not a fan. This though…" She waved at the room. "It makes you feel like you know people you've never met. Makes you wonder what their lives are like, what makes them happy or sad, what makes them laugh or cry… Who loves them? Who hates them? What do their voices sound like?"

Bonnie smiled. "You get all that from a picture?"

"A picture's worth a thousand words, right?"

She hummed. "I guess it is."



"I can't believe you looked up a recipe for a dog-friendly birthday cake."

Wearing a cardboard birthday hat, Damon looked entirely too self-satisfied. "Would you rather I paid hard-earned money for one of those overpriced doggy-bakeries to whip one up?"

"Since I didn't even know those existed, no." Bonnie fiddled with her camera, getting it ready to snap a picture of Damon and Mina. Entirely too accommodating to the whole thing, Mina hadn't even fought him on the matching birthday hat. Though, that could be because she'd spotted the cake and was on her best behaviour to earn a piece. "How old is she now? Six?"

"Yep. I did the math on that too. In doggy years, she's forty-two." Damon scrubbed his hand down Mina's back. "Lookin' good for middle-aged, hey girl?"

Mina' tail swung excitedly, her eyes darting toward the cake.

"All right, all right. I think we've built up the suspense enough. Bon, you wanna start?"

Bonnie stared at him flatly, her mouth edging into a smile. "You seriously want me to sing Happy Birthday to our dog?"

"She'd do it for us if she could."

Rolling her eyes, Bonnie turned a grin on Mina. "Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to you…"

Damon joined in.

"Happy birthday, dear Miiiinaaa… Happy birthday to you!"

Damon placed the cake on the floor for her, sans a candle, and watched proudly as she gave the cake a cursory sniff before chowing down.

Hands on her hips, Bonnie watched for a few seconds before glancing at Damon. "Worth the work?"

"She seems to think so."

Bonnie wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder. "Sap."



Sofia was sprawled out on Bonnie's chest, arms and legs akimbo. A half-empty bowl of popcorn sat on the table while a movie played quietly in the background. Bonnie's hand soothingly ran up and down Sofia's back while she admired Sofia's plump round cheeks, flushed pink from the warmth her fuzzy, bright pink onesie provided her. Bonnie ran her fingers through loose brown curls, smelling sweetly of the baby shampoo she'd used at bath time.

It was date night and Carla had practically begged Bonnie to babysit after her usual sitter had to cancel due to mono. With Damon working a late night, Bonnie figured it was a good time for her and Sofia to have a little girl's night together. So, after they got through dinner with minimal complaint, there was a bubble bath and discussion of which of Sofia's bath toys was the best (Rainbow Sparkle, her faithful unicorn). Then it was time to pick out Sofia's favorite pajamas before they settled on the couch for manis and pedis with sparkly pink nail polish. And finally, Sofia got to pick a movie, which she promptly fell asleep through about twenty minutes in, using Bonnie as her personal pillow. Bonnie wasn't complaining.

It was a low-effort night, for her at least. She imagined there were probably many nights that Sofia kicked up more of a fuss over the veggies on her plate or made a bigger mess at bath time or didn't want to go to bed, no matter how tired she was. But there was something so sweet and fulfilling about holding Sofia in her arms, safe and content, without a care or worry in the world.

Bonnie wondered if her own mother had felt this way about her once upon a time. If Abby ever thought about her now and missed the days she could cuddle Bonnie just like this. It seemed forever ago and yet the ache, dull as it was, still existed in some distant echo of her chest. And then Sofia shifted, rubbing her nose against Bonnie's chest, leaving a trail of drool across her skin, and stretched her little arms and legs out before falling limp with sleep once more.

Bonnie kissed the crown of her head and pushed any thoughts of Abby out of her head. That was a lifetime ago. It almost felt like a different life entirely. Bonnie wasn't the same girl who grew up desperately wishing she had a mom. She had a family of her own now, one that would continue to grow and flourish.



"Wow… This is… green."

Damon flicked one of the two sparkly green top hats attached to springs sticking up from Bonnie's green headband. "You're one to talk."

Rolling her eyes, Bonnie motioned to the bar. "This is a little bit more than a headband."

Damon shrugged. "Dev went a little overboard. Believe it or not, this is only half of what she wanted to put out."

"Half?" Bonnie scrunched up her nose. "I guess I can appreciate her dedication."

"St. Patrick's Day tends to bring a crowd and the drunker they get, the richer we get. So, I can't fault her logic."

"Speaking of drunk crowds…" Bonnie grinned at the table their friends were circled around. "I hope you hid the darts because Danny's eager to play and way too drunk to aim right."

"He couldn't aim sober, so yeah, dart board was put away a while ago." Damon smirked. "But this might just be a great time to introduce him to the pin ball machine."

Bonnie snorted. "Chris is still complaining it wasn't worth the money, huh?"

"Constantly." Damon rubbed his hands together as he walked backwards toward the table. "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" Grinning to herself, she watched him clap his hands down on Danny's shoulders before angling him away from the beer and toward the pinball machine.

"What's he up to now?" Naomi sidled up to Bonnie's side, a daquiri in hand.

"The usual." Bonnie squinted at her. "How drunk are you?"

"Drunk enough that you could talk me into some karaoke."

With a laugh, Bonnie said, "That's my favorite kind of drunk."

"Me too." Naomi hooked arms with her. "Come on, we'll start and before you know it, we'll have the whole table on stage with us."

"TLC?"

"No Scrubs, baby."



Damon sat forward on the bench, arms resting on his knees, watching her move across the floor with an effortless grace. Her hair had sprung loose in places, curls plastered to her neck and forehead from sweat. The room was far from empty; there were a couple dozen other dancers moving around her, but his eyes were stuck to her figure, leading them in a choreographed dance. The music was distant, the dancers blurry masses; there was just Bonnie for him. Everything else faded away.

He watched her arms swing and her legs glide. She twisted and turned; arched and flowed; pushed and pulled. Until finally, she slowed to a stop; her chest heaved and then fell, a full-body sigh. She turned then, smiling proudly at her class, and the world sped back up for Damon. He could hear the chatter of mixing voices, padding feet, and rustling bags.

Standing from the bench, Damon made his way to her.

Bonnie guzzled down her water bottle and wiped her face and neck down with a towel. When she was done, she was still a little breathless. "Hey."

"Hey. Is this everything?"

Tucking her towel in her bag, she nodded. "I need to check the change room, make sure everyone's out; turn the sound system off; and lock up."

He hung the strap of her bag over his shoulder and nodded. "Hup two, Tiny Dancer."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, smiling as she walked away.

Damon nodded to a few familiar faces as the last of the dancers slowly exited. It was a few minutes before Bonnie finally wandered back to him.

"All right, we're clear to go." She pulled her jacket on and reached for his hand. "How was your night?"

"Pretty slow. Yours?"

"Good! I had a few newcomers tonight. They're raw, but they're eager to learn." Bonnie leaned into his side. "Wanna go for a drive?"

"Any particular destination in mind or are we just cruising?"

She squeezed his hand. "Cruising."

Damon half-smiled. "We can do that."



"What do you call a pig that knows karate?"

Damon threw his head back and let out a long-suffering sigh. "How did a hike turn into Danny's Greatest Hits – Dad Joke Edition?"

Poking at random foliage with his walking stick, Danny merely grinned. "I take an opportunity when I see one. Anyway, you should be happy. I've kept the jokes to a minimum lately."

"Which is exactly how I like it." Damon whistled, calling a sniffing Mina back to his side. She was off-leash and wearing a bright yellow bandana for him to keep a close eye on. "All right, hit me with it. What's the punchline?"

Danny paused for comical effect before finally saying, "Pork chop."

Damon shook his head, even as a faint smile pulled at his mouth. "That might be the dumbest one yet."

"Are you kidding me? That's gold!"

"Let me guess, you told it to Sofia and she laughed herself silly."

"Because she's got a great sense of humor, unlike her godfather."

Damon rolled his eyes. "No, because she laughs at everything."

"Okay, what about this one? How do you tell if a vampire is sick?"

"Vampires don't get sick."

"By how much they're 'coffin.'" Danny grinned at him, eyebrows hiked. "Get it?"

Shaking his head, Damon guzzled back a long drink of water. "We need to get you some new material. You know there's a comedy night next week. We should drop in. Maybe it'll inspire you."

"Yeah? What day?"

"I don't know, Thursday I think." Damon shrugged. "We should see if Chris wants to come too. Dev can watch the place for the night."

"Sounds good." Danny wiped his face off on his shirt sleeve. "Hey, what'd the yoga instructor say when the landlord tried to evict her?"

Damon sighed. "What?"

Danny cracked up. "Namaste."

"You're getting worse."

"Come on…" Danny clapped a hand down on Damon's shoulder. "You know what, you'd miss me and my jokes if I wasn't around all the time."

"No threat of that happening any time soon."



"That ice cream truck was a scam!"

Bonnie buried a smile behind licking a stripe off her scoop of double chocolate.

"Six dollars for a single scoop. This is highway robbery!"

"Okay, Old Man, I think we can spare a little extra." Bonnie bumped his arm with her shoulder. "He's a fellow business owner. Shouldn't you appreciate the hustle?"

"Not when I'm the guy getting hustled. I could buy a bucket of ice cream for that."

"So, next time we'll do that and just make a couple cones at home." She shrugged. "Anyway, you're only gonna get madder if your ice cream melts by the time you're done ranting."

"Good point." He slurped some of the ice cream dripping onto his hand and then pulled a face. "It's good."

"You wanted it to be bad?"

"I'd feel a little more justified if it was, yeah."

"How low is our date jar right now that you're worried about this?"

"It could be lower."

Bonnie shook her head, amused. "Eat your expensive ice cream."

Damon sighed. "Yes, ma'am."


BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – 2014


"Does she know about Malachi?"

Stefan looked up from the collection of maps and notes spread out on the table in front of him to find Cass lingering nearby, her eyes set on Caroline in the distance, chatting with a few coven members, hands waving around emphatically. He shook his head. "No. I didn't want to burden her with that. I can take care of it on my own."

Cass hummed. "Caroline doesn't strike me as the type of person who lets her friends carry a burden on their own."

"She isn't. But she'll have her hands full with Bonnie." He stood back and crossed his arms. "She's put a lot into this. Finding someone who would help her bring them back wasn't easy. She doesn't need to hear about the complications this plan has."

"Are you sure that's the reason and you're not worried she'll judge you?"

"Judge me?" His brow furrowed. "If this Malachi guy is as bad as you say he is—"

"And that's all it takes? My personal guarantee that he deserves to die?"

Stefan stared at her a long beat. "Are you asking me this because you're worried I won't do what has to be done?"

"Partly." Cass met his gaze with her own, not the least bit cowed. "You've done a lot of work to get here, Stefan. It won't be long before we head to Mystic Falls and put things into motion. I just want to be sure that if we do this, you won't get cold feet. From what I've learned about you, killing is not in your second nature."

Under different circumstance, he might've laughed at just how wrong she was. "There was a time when it was too much of my nature."

"We all carry the sins of our past. It's better to learn and do better than to let them bury us." She clasped her hands together. "That said, death has its purposes and some are more deserving than others… Malachi is an evil I can't risk being free. When they return, you have to find him. Fast."

Stefan nodded. "I will."

"A word of advice?" Cass paused. "Secrets will only add more stress. If Caroline is half as headstrong as I know she is, she'll understand. But keeping it from her will only make it more difficult when the time comes."

Stefan cast his gaze toward Caroline, who was giggling at something one of the witches was telling her. When he looked back, Cass had left.


...


"You're being weird." Caroline looked up from where she was packing her suitcase. "You've been quiet and broody all day."

She wasn't wrong. He'd been weighing the pros and cons of keeping his secret ever since his talk with Cass. The thing was, he'd gotten used to telling Caroline everything, and keeping this from her felt wrong. At the same time, a part of him was worried she would judge him. The bulk of their friendship had been built on the support she'd given him in fighting his Ripper instincts. She'd seen him at his worst and never flinched and yet, the idea that he might do something she couldn't stand, couldn't forgive, terrified him still.

Stefan half-smiled from his seat in the corner of the room. "Brooding is part of my appeal."

"Mmm, maybe when you were the mysterious new guy…" She crossed the room and climbed into his lap, knees tucked on either side of his hips. Hands on his shoulders, she squeezed before letting them slide down his chest. "What's up?"

Stefan tipped his head back and stared at her. "In order to get Bonnie and Damon back, I had to make a deal with Cass."

Caroline's expression went flat and he felt her body grow stiff. Her voice was wary as she asked, "What kind of deal?"

"It's complicated…" He sighed and reached up to rub at the furrow of his brows. "But the short version is that when they come back, they won't be alone. They'll be bringing someone along with them, unintentionally, and that man… He's done things. Terrible things. And the coven, Cass, the only way she would agree to bring them back is if I agreed to kill him."

Caroline blinked quickly and shook her head. "So, what, she wants you to be her personal assassin?"

Stefan dropped his hands to her legs and rubbed them soothingly. "He's a killer, Caroline. A sociopath with no conscience. And if he gets loose, the damage he could do…"

"So, you think this is the right thing to do?"

"It's the only thing to do." He shook his head. "I don't want to. That's not who I want to be. But if means Damon comes home… If it means Bonnie has another chance…"

Caroline's gaze fell. "We've both killed people because we had to… Sometimes because we didn't have control… But this feels different. Planning it. Knowing we'll do it before we've even met them."

"Not we. Just me."

She raised her eyes then, a stubborn set to her mouth. "That's not how this works."

"Caroline…" He half-smiled gently. "I have to do this. I made the deal and I'll carry the consequences."

"That's not fair!"

"It doesn't have to be fair. Hey, listen…" He rubbed her shoulders. "We do this and we get them back."

"And then what? There's still the magical barrier. Cass said her and the coven might not be strong enough to bring it down. Do we just leave? Forever?"

"Would that be so bad? We have our apartment and we can go anywhere we want. We have the rest of our lives to figure out what we want to do. As much as Mystic Falls will always be home, all I care about is you and Damon."

She pursed her lips in a pout and sighed. "You're right. I know you're right. I just… I guess I want everything tied up in a neat little bow."

"Let's take it one step at a time, all right?"

She scrunched up her nose. "You expect me to have patience too?"

He laughed under his breath. "What was I thinking?"


11 and a Half Years


"As anniversaries go, reclaiming my position on the leadership board for mini-golf isn't the worst thing, but we could probably do better." That said, Damon still swung and sunk the ball right where he wanted to. "Remind me again why we're not shelling out wads of cash on a fancy, black-tie restaurant?"

Bonnie shrugged, her mouth busy around a straw, pink lemonade rapidly disappearing. She'd underestimated the weather and was regretting not bringing her sun hat.

"Candlelight dinner, some light piano, those high heels with the straps that climb your leg…" Damon bit his lip, his eyes cast away thoughtfully. "No underwear, of course. Why waste them, you know? We'll just go commando; both of us. And when we get home, break open a bottle of bubbly, and hit the couch."

"The couch?" She rattled the ice around in her cup. "Too worked up to make it to the bedroom, huh?"

"I'm feeling frisky; we should make out first. It'll be fun." He walked backwards toward the next hole, his golf club slung up and resting against his shoulder. "Like sloppy teenagers, Bon. Just a whole lot of clothes-on grinding. The anticipation is half the fun."

Bonnie smiled. "All right, I'm in. Even though those strappy heels you love kill my feet."

Damon winked at her. "Already looking for a foot rub, huh? Doting husband that I am, I'll add that to the itinerary."

Bonnie handed him her lemonade while she lined up her shot. "For the record, I'd be happy skipping the fancy dinner and just ordering take out."

He tipped his head thoughtfully. "Will you still wear the shoes?"

Bonnie laughed. "Sure. And I'll skip the underwear, too."

He grinned. "Deal."



Damon launched a squealing, excited Sofia into the air, where she kicked her legs and waved her arms until she crashed into the water and came bobbing back up, the pink floaties on her arms quickly bringing her back to the surface. Slapping her hands against the water, she cried, "Again! Again!"

Laughing, Danny fished her out of the water and tossed her toward Damon. He laughed as she disappeared under water only to pop back up, cheerfully demanding to be thrown. "Higher!"

Bonnie and Carla were on the beach, stretched out on long towels, sunglasses on as they soaked in the sun. It had been a bit of a trek to find a less crowded part of the lake, but they'd managed to drag all their gear with them, including a hefty cooler packed full of food and beer, and a portable barbecue for them to roast some hot dogs later.

Damon tried to remember a time when something like this could have happened back home, with Stefan and the gang. But with the chaos that Mystic Falls always seemed to court, they didn't have much down time. It was strange when he really thought about it, how much peace he'd found in death over life. But this really was the better of the two.

After a few more tosses of Sofia going back and forth, Damon tapped out and made his way back to the beach. He knelt down on the towel, directly over Bonnie, grinning as she shivered when the cold lake water dripped onto her warm, bare skin.

"Damon!"

Laughing under his breath, he gave his head a shake, spraying the water from his hair against her.

"Jerk!" She swatted at him and tried to crawl away, but he hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "You're freezing!"

"Then warm me up." He sprawled out on the towel next to her, half on the sand, and propped his head up on one hand.

Bonnie reached up to swipe his damp hair back from his forehead. "Having fun?"

"I was. Now I'm a little tired." With a dramatic sigh, he said, "Not as young as I used to be, Bon-Bon."

She snorted. "All right, Grandpa…" She rubbed a thumb across his cheek. "We should probably get some sunblock on you though. You're starting to burn."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "You rub me down and I'll return the favor."



Kayla handed him a bag of popcorn. "Ready?"

Damon tossed some popcorn into his mouth. "For 'Blood Ripper 16: The Final Chapter?' Uhh, yeah."

She snorted. "They always say it's the final chapter and then, every year, there's another one."

"More blood and more ripping. Just the way I like it." He grinned and nudged her with his elbow. "Hey, where's my Swedish fish?"

"They only had one box left and Bonnie made me promise I'd buy her some. Sooo… It's either Jugyfruits or Mike and Ikes. You pick!"

He plucked the Jugyfruits from her fingers with a frown. "If it was anybody but my wife making these demands, I'd be pitching a fit."

Kayla rolled her eyes. "I'm fully aware. Anyway, you should be glad I didn't get you like, Good n' Plenty or something."

"And get kicked out of the family? You wouldn't dare." He tipped his head toward the theatre door. "All right, get ready for some murder and mayhem, Kid."

Grinning, Kayla said, "Lead the way."



"Okay, but do you hate pumpkin spice because it's overdone or because you just hate the smell?" Bonnie wondered, kneeling down in front of shelf, a half-empty box of candles next to her.

"I hate it because it gives me a headache." Brandon stood on a ladder the next aisle over, readjusting the autumn decorations they'd dug out. It was mostly a collection of different fake gourds with dark green vines that spread across the tops of the shelves. There was a cornucopia set up in the front window, surrounded by kitschy labeled candles, jars of ointments and salves, and some of Miss Cora's honey.

"Oh. Are the candles too strong? When they're all together like this, I get a little dizzy myself. But that's all the candles, not just the pumpkin spice."

"It's everything. You could wave a pumpkin spice latte in my direction and I'd get a migraine."

Bonnie snorted. "I'll remember that."

"Now peppermint, sign me up for that. If I could skip autumn and go straight to winter, I would."

"Seriously?" Bonnie scrunched her nose. "I love autumn. Everything's so beautiful, and I don't have to worry about ice or snow."

"The only thing I love about this season is Halloween. And that's mostly because of cute kids in outfits. I'm already dressing my future children up as chubby-cheeked pumpkins for their first Halloween."

Bonnie grinned. Pushing off the floor, she rested the empty candle box on her hip and circled the aisle to stand next to Brandon. "Have you heard anything back from the adoption agency?"

"Not yet." He pulled a face. "They told me not to get my hopes up that things would happen quickly. I used to think I was the patient one in the relationship, but this is testing it." Climbing down the ladder, he sighed. "It'll happen when it happens, I know that. But a part of me wants to be a dad yesterday."

Bonnie rubbed his arm. "You're gonna be an amazing dad."

"Thanks, Bon." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her toward the front desk. "All this talk about lattes has got me thirsty. I think I'll stop at the coffee shop and grab something. Now, if this was winter, I'd suggest an egg nog or peppermint latte, but it's not, so what will you settle for?"

Bonnie laughed under her breath. "How about a tea? I think they have a cinnamon-apple herbal tea. I wanna break open that jar of honey Miss Cora left for us and see how it tastes."

"Tea it is." He gave her a squeeze before grabbing his jacket and heading to the door.

Bonnie gave the shop an appreciative look-over. The fall season was peppered all over and gave the place a nice, homey feel. Taking a seat on the stool behind the counter, she looked through the stack of flyers that were left for her. Whichever ones she liked, she'd hang up on the door or in the window for passersby and customers to see. Maley Farms was already advertising their annual hay rides and pumpkin patch. The local fall fair was three weeks away and they wanted to remind folks about the annual pie contest, which meant the Oakley Orchard was quick to tell everyone when the best times to come apple picking would be. She snapped a few pictures with her phone and sent them off to Damon before digging out a roll of tape and making her way to the door.



Bonnie took Damon's hand as he helped her up onto the back of the truck and joined him in a corner seat on a hay bale. Her free hand cradled a cup of steaming hot apple cider. There was a bite in the air she had luckily dressed for, wearing a thick scarf and a pair of gloves that rolled back to reveal the tops of her fingers.

"Remind me again why we're doing this now? If we pick a pumpkin this early, it'll be soggy by the time Halloween gets here." Bonnie sipped at her cider and leaned into Damon's side, trying to steal a little more of his heat.

"This pumpkin isn't for Halloween, it's for the pie contest." He wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her arm to help warm her. "I've got the recipe figured out from last year. See, I was thinking too in-the-box before, but now I've got the secret ingredient."

Bonnie's brow furrowed. "And it's here on the farm?"

"Nope, I just want the freshest possible pumpkin I can find."

"You're not putting raisins in it, are you? They're too controversial. If you find one judge who hates raisins, you're done."

"No raisins. I learned that the hard way with the cookie contest."

Bonnie stifled a smile. "Okay, then what's the secret ingredient?"

"You know I'd tell you, but we're out in the open, Bon-Bon. Somebody could steal my idea. And I didn't spend all these years perfecting pumpkin pie just for some nosey stranger to steal it out from under me."

Bonnie hummed. "Last years was my favorite. I don't know how you're going to top that. That jam between the pumpkin and the crust… Delicious."

Damon pulled a face. "It was a homemade plum jam, and I still say I was robbed of first place."

"Definitely. I mean, Susan's pie was pretty great too. But that jam was amazing."

"Orange zest," he muttered. "Susan throws a little orange zest into everything and calls it special."

Bonnie rubbed a hand over his chest soothingly. "So, if it's not plum jam and you think this one will take home the First Place ribbon… Do I at least get to try some of the rejects?"

"Oh, you're gonna hate pumpkin pie when I'm done." Damon grinned. "And we're loading up on all the best pumpkins our arms can carry."

"Hate it, huh?" Bonnie smiled. "I'm prepared to put that to the test."

She would later regret just how much pumpkin pie she ate over the weekend. But, weeks later, when he finally won that hard-earned First Place ribbon, she figured it was worth it.



"I did it!" Kayla rushed into the shop, out of breath and bursting with excitement. She raced up to the front desk and held a newspaper out for Bonnie to see. "It's small and basically at the back, but I did it. My name is officially attached to a published article. I'm a freaking journalist!"

Smiling, Bonnie took the paper from her and thumbed through it. Kayla was right; it was a small little write up. But it was there, in black and white, with Kayla's name in bold. "Kayla, this is… amazing! I'm so proud of you."

Bouncing on spot, Kayla reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears. "I can't believe it. I feel like I'm floating. That or I'm having some kind of out-of-body experience." She giggled. "But I did it. I wrote it and they approved it and there it is. Can you believe it?"

Bonnie pulled her into a hug. "You deserve this."

Kayla let out a breathless laugh. "It's probably dumb to be this excited. It's not even a hard-hitting piece. It's about fall fruits and the harvest season. But it's a start, right?"

"It's a start." Bonnie nodded. "And it's definitely going in the scrapbook."

Kayla dug her phone out. "Take a picture of me with it. I want to send it to everyone."

Taking the phone, Bonnie handed her the paper. "Say 'I'm published!'"

Kayla beamed. "I'm published!"



Bonnie sat on his stomach; her camera cradled in her hands. "Say cheese!"

Sprawled out on their bed, Damon grinned up at her. "Are we making a home movie, Bon-Bon?"

"Hardly." She snapped a picture of him, his hair in disarray. She pulled the Polaroid free and gave it a shake. "I'm just collecting evidence that you do drool in your sleep."

"Blasphemy." He tugged her down toward him.

Laughing, Bonnie turned so she was laying on her side next to him, her leg slung across his stomach. "See, right here…" She rubbed at his chin. "Drool."

"Must've had a good dream." He stroked her hair back from her cheek. "I'd bet good money you were starring in it."

She smiled. "Yeah? Still drool-worthy, huh? After all these years."

"Are you kidding?" He plucked the camera from her hand and dropped his head down next to hers. "I'll still be drooling over you when I'm a ripe ninety-two."

She laughed, and he snapped a picture. Kissing her cheek, he took another. And a third as his mouth trailed down her neck. She couldn't be sure his angle was right, given he wasn't looking, but she wasn't about to correct him. She did take the camera away, if only to put it somewhere safe as she climbed back into his lap. Mouth hovering just above his, nose to nose, she murmured, "Ninety-two, huh?"

"And ninety-three—" He kissed her. "Ninety-four—" Kiss. "Ninety-five…"



Damon whistled to himself as he made his way down the hall of Willow Tree Pre-School. On Wednesdays, both Carla and Danny worked later shifts, so Bonnie usually picked Sofia up from school. But the honor fell to him that day.

"There's my girl!" Damon squatted down as an excited Sofia abandoned her drawing and came barreling toward him. He caught her in his arms and stood. "Hey, munchkin, how was pre-school?"

"Fun! I went on the swings and I drawed Mina and mommy and daddy and you and Aunty Bonnie and Uncle Chris and Aunty Kayla and—"

"Whoa, any room left on the page?"

She shook her head, beaming proudly. "I shared cookies with Dustin too, but he can't have milk 'cause it makes him poop a lot." She wiggled to be let down then. "I wanna show you my picture and you can say 'hi' to Miss Julie. She reads good stories even though she doesn't do the voices like daddy does."

"No? That's too bad." Damon let her drag him over to the table with her colorful drawings scattered across it. There on the top was one filled with round faces with no distinct features aside from the odd pair of glasses. And they were all smiling. Even Mina. "You know what, this is definitely going on the fridge. Mine or yours? You pick."

"Mmmm… Yours!"

"All right." He held a hand up for a high-five and she gave him two. "So, what do you say we get all your stuff and head out?"

"Okay. Is Aunty Bonnie outside?"

"Nope, 'fraid not. Aunty Bonnie has a stomach bug. She didn't want to get you sick so she stayed home. But, she did say that if you saved her an orange slice like you usually do that she gives you permission to give it to me. But only if you want to."

Sofia scrunched up her face. "She can't eat oranges?"

Damon thought back to how familiar Bonnie was getting with the toilet that morning and shook his head. "She's mostly eating crackers, I think."

"Oh. Okay." Sofia nodded. "You can have it, but next time, Aunty Bonnie gets two orange slices."

"Two?" He raised his eyebrows in faux-surprise. "Well, I think I know who your favorite is, huh?"

"Mommy," she said happily.

Damon laughed. "All right, fair enough." He pointed to her pictures. "Are we taking all of these?"

"Uh-huh."

"You wanna grab your bag and we'll pack everything up?"

Sofia raced over to the cubbies to get her bag, jacket, and shoes. She climbed up onto a tiny chair while Damon helped her put her light-up shoes on and then stood and tucked her arms through the sleeves of her jacket while he held it up. With her backpack on, art stowed away inside, she held onto one of Damon's hands, the other busy with an orange slice.

As they walked out, Sofia told Damon everything she did from the moment she woke up and brushed her teeth to the second before he walked in to pick her up.



There was a chill in the air, the promise of snow to come. Bonnie's nose was bright red, a match for her toque. They walked arm-in-arm down the sidewalk, Mina swerving left and right, trying to sniff everything in reach. The street was lit up with Christmas lights. It seemed like Halloween was just yesterday and already Christmas was spreading its cheerful message. Damon was just glad the music hadn't started yet. In a couple weeks, 'Dashing through the Snow' and 'Jingle Bells' would be playing non-stop. For now, it was just a chilly November night with sparkling lights strung from lamp post and trees.

"You think the fountain is frozen over?"

"Not yet. Why? You got some change you wanna get rid of?"

She shrugged. "Maybe a penny or two." She tugged on his arm, redirecting them toward the town square.

It didn't take long to reach the fountain, which was running a little sluggish, so maybe the pipes were starting to freeze. The Christmas lights danced on the water, making it look mesmerizing. "What are we wishing for? Good health and prosperity?"

She hugged an arm around his waist. "We've got that."

"So, we wish for it to stay that way."

She smiled. "What about happiness?"

"We've got that in spades."

"Can never have too much." She dug some change out from her pocket and held it out for him to pick from.

Damon plucked a nickel up and flipped it in the air, catching it in his palm. "All right, let's see… How many wishes can I put on this sucker? Five?"

"Or one really important one."

"Really important, huh?" He nodded. "Okay. Got it." He used his thumb to flip the nickel into the water with a plonk.

Bonnie looked up at him. "What'd you wish for?"

Damon tapped her red nose. "The rules say you can't tell anyone your wish or it won't come true."

She rolled her eyes but smiled. Raising her own nickel, she tossed it toward the water. "There."

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he kissed her temple. "Any chance your wish had something to do with a nice warm fire back home?"

"No, but I could be convinced…"



Damon grinned to himself, nursing a beer as he watched Bonnie, Carla, Naomi, Annie, and Kayla all stand on stage, singing karaoke, loudly and so very off-key. Below, cheering them on, were Danny and Peter, holding up lighters and swaying side to side. And just behind them, Chris and Brandon were dancing together, sloppy and sweet.

So far, the Christmas party was going over well.

This was his favorite part about owning Mina's. It was the go-to place for so many, but most of all for his own friends and family to all get together and celebrate. Maybe it was the holiday season, but nostalgia was hitting him hard tonight. He'd put so much time and work into getting his life exactly how he wanted it, and somehow it didn't blow up in his face. At some point, he'd stopped waiting on the other shoe to drop and just accepted that life was good and maybe he even deserved it.

"Those look like some heavy thoughts." Bonnie dropped into a seat beside him. "Shouldn't you be out there singing and dancing with the rest of us?"

"Felt like being an observer." He leaned back and slung an arm around her shoulders. "Having fun?"

"Tons." She sipped at a glass of water. "You?"

He stroked her arm. "I'm happy."

They sat like that for a while, just watching their friends get progressively goofier. Until Danny called to Damon, a song already picked out, and the boys on stage, ready to go.

Bonnie grinned at him. "Your turn."

He kissed her forehead. "Prepare to have your socks blown off."

"I'm not wearing socks."

He winked at her. "Underwear then."

She grinned. "Not wearing that either."

He smirked. "Look who's on Santa's naughty list this year."

Bonnie laughed and waved him off. "Go make me proud!"

Damon joined the guys on stage and joined Danny next to a mic.

Drunk and happy, the guys slung their arms around each other and started to rock side to side, slightly off-beat with the music. Indulgent and amused, Damon swayed with them.

Below, Bonnie had joined the girls in cheering them on.



Bonnie double-checked her bag to make sure she had everything. She wanted to stop at the craft store to pick up a few things for her scrapbook, but she had a theme going, so she brought the book along to compare. It wasn't exactly light, so she was kind of regretting not just snapping a few pictures with her phone and using those for comparison. Meanwhile, an excited Mina was sniffing at any and everything. The sidewalks had been salted and snow was carefully packed into hills at the edges. The holiday season meant that much of the town was tucked away with family, many stores running shorter hours while others opened earlier and closed later to take advantage of Boxing Day sales.

Bonnie was just happy to be out and about. She'd had her fill of sleeping in, robust turkey dinners, and entirely too many boxes of chocolates. It was nice to get out and breathe in some fresh air.

"Are we stopping at the shop?" Damon wondered, keeping an eye on Mina as she swerved around a couple to sniff at a suspiciously yellow looking snowbank.

"Just for a minute. I already put a sign up that we won't be open until the new year, but I forgot to bring the stock list home. I have a few orders in, but I think they're arriving on different days."

"Okay, then the craft store, and then we should pick up a few groceries." He swung their joined hands. "I've got brunch already planned out in my head— pancakes, blueberries, whipped cream, and an ungodly amount of bacon."

Bonnie grinned. "What happened to eating healthy now that Christmas is over?"

"I was hoping we could start that somewhere around January 2nd." His brows hiked. "Anyway, I threw some fruit in there. That's healthy."

"Making a vamp face with blueberries hardly counts when it's smothered in syrup and whipped cream."

"Says who?"

"Says me. And probably every doctor you'll ever meet."

"Doctor shmoctor." He whistled to let Mina know she needed to catch up. "But if it makes you feel better, I won't put whipped cream on the pancakes… I can just as easily lick it off you later."

Bonnie snorted. Just as she was opening her mouth to tease him back, she felt something. A strange tugging sensation in her stomach. Her footsteps slowed to a stop and her brow furrowed.

"Bon?" Damon squeezed her hand. "You okay?"

"I don't kno—"


MYSTIC FALLS, VIRGINIA - 2014


Caroline hugged her arms around herself, pacing, as she nervously watched Cass and her coven standing in a wide circle, chanting in low, ominous tones. Cass couldn't say how long it would take, just that it was a process that would take a lot of power. To Caroline, every minute felt like time was mocking her yet again for trying and failing to get them home.

"How long is this supposed to take?"

Caroline turned a glare on Jeremy. "As long as it needs to." She shook her head. "Why are you even here if you don't think this will work? What happened to art school in Santa Fe?"

Jeremy shrugged, his hands tucked in his jacket pockets. "When Elena mentioned you had a whole coven involved, I thought you might actually get something done. But since we've already been here an hour and there's no result, I probably should've just stayed there."

"Then leave." Caroline pointed out into the woods. "Nobody's stopping you, Jeremy. Run away like you did before, like you always do."

He scowled. "That's not fair."

"Isn't it?"

"Okay… I think everybody needs to calm down." Stefan stepped in between Caroline and an agitated Jeremy. "Look, we're all on edge. We've tried this before and it hasn't worked. But this is different. I know it's taking a while—"

"Because it's going to fail, just like every other time. When are you going to get it?" Jeremy shook his head. "Bonnie's gone. She's dead. And she's not coming back. The sooner you accept that, the sooner the rest of us can move on."

Veins flared around Caroline's eyes as she bared her teeth. "You need to leave, or the next time we resurrect someone, it'll be you."

"Caroline! Stop." Elena stepped forward, a hand on her brother's shoulder. "Look, Jeremy's just tired of getting his hopes up. We all are."

"Then go!" Caroline laughed, her voice tense and irritated. "It's not like any of you helped with this anyway. The second it got hard, you gave up."

"Caroline…" Stefan said quietly.

"No! Do you think Bonnie would have? You think she would've left any of you on the other side for this long?" She waved a hand toward the trees. "Go ahead, walk away, stay away. I don't care anymore. But I'm getting Bonnie back, and Damon, and when I do, I'll make sure they know how little you cared."

"That's not fair…" Elena shook her head. "I care. I cared too much! I was barely functioning out here. That's why I left. Why I couldn't keep doing this!"

"Then why come back?"

"Because! I… I needed to know. If you're right and he comes back, then I needed to be here… And if he doesn't, then I needed to let go." Elena took a deep breath. "This is the last time, Caroline. The last time I hope that somehow, he can make it back. If this doesn't work, then… Then I say goodbye."

"To who? To him? Or to all of us? Because my phone hasn't exactly been blowing up lately."

"It hurt too much." Elena's shoulders raised and fell on a sigh. "I needed to walk away. If I was ever going to survive, then I needed to let all of it, all of you, go."

Caroline blinked quickly against the heat in her eyes. "I was here a long time before Damon. So was Bonnie. And we would've been here a long time after, too. But if that's all you can see, all you care about, then maybe you should go. Maybe that's what's best for all of us."

Elena stared at her a long beat, her own eyes shiny. "Maybe it is."

A burst of blue light suddenly filled the area. Caroline threw her hand up to shield her eyes against it. A deafening sound, like a tornado of wind rushing against her ears, drowned out everything else. She could feel Stefan beside her, his arm wrapping around her head as he drew her in close. Seconds passed before finally, the light faded away, and silence filled the woods. Caroline raised her head and blinked to clear her vision. Cass and her coven were still standing, bound hand to hand, their heads bowed, but their chanting now finished.

And there, in the center, stood two familiar, and very confused, faces.

"Bonnie?" Caroline choked out. "Oh my God… Bonnie!"

Leaving Stefan, Caroline lurched forward and ducked under the joined hands of two coven members before launching herself at Bonnie, wrapping her in a tight hug. "You're here… You're really here!" An elated cry shook Caroline's whole body. She had to swallow it down, but her every limb vibrated with shock and excitement. Leaning back, she cupped Bonnie's face and searched her eyes. "You're home… Bonnie, you're home!"

Bonnie stared at her, wide-eyed. "Caroline?"

"Yes! Yes, it's me." She laughed and shook her head. "I can't believe you're real. I tried so many times. I… I wanted to hope it would work but I was so scared. I…" She turned, searching for Stefan, as if his reaction would help cement what was happening right before her eyes.

There was a blur next to her that quickly formed into Elena, her arms thrown around Damon's neck and her mouth plastered to his. He cupped her face and brought it back, staring at her with the same shock Caroline was feeling. And then he was laughing. He gathered Elena up into a hug and swung her around. His laughter rung through the trees, rich and happy, and Caroline found herself doing the same. Once he let Elena go, he was reaching for Stefan. They collided in a rough, clinging hug, with Stefan's hand fisted in the back of Damon's jacket. And Caroline could do nothing but smile at Stefan as he stared back at her over Damon's shoulder, mouth ajar, and eyes bright with tears.

It was real. They were finally home!

Caroline turned back to Bonnie, beaming. But at Bonnie's lost expression, Caroline's smile dimmed. "You must be so confused, or angry. I would totally understand if you were angry. It shouldn't have taken so long. But I want you to know, I never stopped trying. I was always looking for a way to bring you back. And I know a year is a long time, but so much happened. I don't even know where to start! I—"

"A year?" Damon leaned back from Stefan, an arm still around his shoulders. "What?"

Stefan nodded solemnly. "It took a lot longer than we thought. If we're honest, we weren't totally sure it would work. But, we had some help."

"We were gone a year here?" Damon's brow furrowed. "That's it?"

"Yeah…" Caroline frowned. "Why? Did it seem like longer?"

"You could say that…"

Caroline looked back at Bonnie, her chest aching suddenly. "How much longer?"

Bonnie stared at her a moment before giving her head a faint shake. "I don't…"

"You don't know?"

"I don't remember."

Caroline paused. "Don't remember what? How it happened? How long you were over there?"

Bonnie stared at her. "Any of it."


tbc


author's note: i apologize for the long wait and for any errors there might be. i've edited this a few times and then added bits here and there. it's after midnight and it could probably use yet another edit, but at this point i feel like i need to put it out there. i wanted to give bonnie and damon one last great year with their friends/family before it all changed. at the very end here, since i imagine some people might be surprised by damon's reaction, this is his initial shock in action. he hasn't had time to process what this means or what, exactly, he's lost. only that he's seeing people he loved and lost twelve years ago and it's exciting. the fallout starts next chapter. and there's a lot to deal with...

it's really exciting to be at this point because initially, the whole idea for this fic was around this moment. the return after building up such an amazing life. it's takes us a while to get here but i'm so glad we finally have!

thank you to everyone who has so loyally stuck with me on this story after such long waits in between chapters. i'm sorry for that, truly. recovery's been a long process, especially with work on top of it, and writing has been really difficult. on top of that, financially, things have been tough with working less hours at work while trying to get back on my feet, quite literally. i'm starting full weeks now and that's got me even more exhausted. but this is one story i always come back to and work on bit by bit, so while updates may take a while, they are coming!

thanks so much for reading. please try to leave a review!
- Lee | Fina