Present.

It was already night, the little Sarah was in Bonnie's arms. Both sitting in the passenger seat of a bus, the second and the last that they would take today to get home.

With the small body in her arms, Bonnie took a deep breath and peered at Sarah.

"Is she your daughter...?"

Her fingers combed the bangs back and the little face of Sarah was fully exposed.

No... but she's like if she really was.

That was the answer Bonnie was going to give to Damon's question, but she didn't it.

Yes... Sarah could pass as her daughter, but no... she was her little younger sister.

The little girl slept peacefully without any complaint, with her body lying on Bonnie's legs, who finished closing her eyes to her and then adjusted her better so that her head was resting on her chest.

The silence that there was now was a bit endearing, Sarah had not stopped talking vigorously until sleep completely overcame her. As much as she tried to prolong her desire to sleep, Sarah fell exhausted into her older sister's arms and now her snoring accompanied Bonnie for the rest of the way.

A smile stood out amid all the exhaustion. Today had been a uniquely exhausting day, physically and emotionally for Bonnie.

Throughout the afternoon and some of the night, she did her best to avoid thinking about him… on Damon. But now staring at the little person in her arms, with all the silence around her, Bonnie could do nothing to stop the memories will escape randomly.

Eight years ago.

Things didn't start out so well for Elena and Bonnie.

The rivalry between them arose due to circumstances. Circumstances that placed them on opposite sides of the board and that by the same circumstances were destined to be united against all odds.

As the days passed, Elena could better understand what was the strange sensation that she had experienced when seeing Damon and Bonnie together. Never before Bonnie, Elena had been able to feel it.

She, it was Elena... why would she feel jealous of others when she had everything she wanted?

Jealousy...

Yes, that was what she had felt, jealousy... that was the bitter feeling that kept her awake for several nights, but now she understood it well and knew how to control it. For that reason, she preferred to put it aside and start on a better foot with her now new sister, because Elena felt somehow safe, things between her and Damon would never change. Damon had assured her of that the very day she confronted him. And only for that reason Elena understood it and took it better than she expected, also Elena only wanted one thing...

A sister... a mother... a complete and real family...

Although for Bonnie, who had decided to stay, none of that mattered because she knew the truth.

They weren't sisters and they weren't a real family...

The weeks passed and everything was normally fine.

Bonnie only preferred to adapt and successfully tried to get involved only as necessary in family matters.

She paced the house like a ghost, roaming around like a complete stranger. Several times she bumped into Damon and little by little the two shared only small greetings that eventually turned into long conversations. It was in this way that a beautiful friendship blossomed between them. Bonnie thought that he and she shared many things and for that reason it was much easier for her to talk to him than to someone else.

It didn't take her long to get to know everyone in the house. Especially John, he really didn't have to try very hard to show Bonnie that he was an honest man, from the get-go she was convinced that John was a kind and good person, nothing compared to jerk Alexander.

John Gilbert took care of her as if he were her real father, from having nice words with her to taking responsibility for her financially without any reproach or without expecting anything in return, he even politely offered her to pay for activities extracurricular, like the ones Elena practiced, but Bonnie refused, not because she did not want it, but for the simple fact of not wanting to abuse his hospitality, because despite everything, this was the first time that someone was really good with her so disinterestedly.

"No... it's okay, it's enough for me that you, sir, let me live here, pay for my food, my tuition and all my things. But... I assure you that at some point I will pay you for all this, someday when I leave here and have a good job, I will pay you for everything you have done for me, Mr. John."

"Well, don't worry about that... you're like a daughter to me, and I just hope that when you decide to leave this place, it's to go to college. You're a good girl, Bonnie, but if you need something else or want do something else, feel free to talk to me, okay?"

"Yes. Thank you..."

That had been the conversation they had had a few days ago, and although her introverted attitude didn't show it, Bonnie was grateful for everything John was doing for her.

Bonnie didn't understand how a man like him could love a person as evil as her mother was. Abigail was too lying, controlling, hurtful, and manipulative, but being around John and Elena, she pretended to be a good wife and sweet mother. For Bonnie it was absolutely repulsive, but being forced to play her mother's dirty game herself, she had no choice but to go with the flow.

The days that passed weren't so bad, just annoying and tedious, like the commute from home to school and from school to home. It was difficult for Bonnie to avoid contact with Elena, she spent practically all day with her, they both studied at the same school, Elena a year older than Bonnie, but even so it was impossible not to meet her in the hallways and obviously she would always end up next to her when leaving school.

Elena was the typical popular girl, so unbearably enthusiastic and too spoiled and capricious like all her friends.

Bonnie did not like the false and despotic way of how they acted, many times Bonnie pretended not to know Elena and she hated when Elena referred to her as sister in front of people.

They weren't sisters... it didn't matter what Elena said. She wasn't her sister and she didn't want to be either.

This wasn't her world, it never would be, Bonnie just didn't want to be a part of it.

The first few days Bonnie started attending school, she always sat in the back seat and Elena was in the passenger seat, next to Damon. Bonnie knew it was just to show a point and she didn't care. After a week, Elena had no choice but to go back to the back seat to be able to talk to Bonnie, or rather to say everything she thought and not caring if Bonnie was interested or not in the things she said.

The relationship they both had was not the typical good sister relationship, and everyone in the house knew it.

Both were so different. Elena, on the one hand, loving and pampered, thanks to the luxurious life that she always led, she never lacked anything, she always had everything she wanted. Bonnie on the other, independent, with a too serious and cold character, realistic, reserved, not very affectionate and very distrustful, all for the life that she always led.

However, there were moments when Bonnie had no choice but to go with the flow and somehow endure Elena's childish behavior, who little by little insisted on achieving what she wanted so much, a sister.

Elena did her best to start a good relationship with Bonnie despite her indifference and despite the fact that Bonnie made it very clear to her that they were not sisters and that she did not like her calling her that.

But Elena being Elena, she was persistent and Bonnie somehow agreed to get involved in this world so new to her. Elena began by introducing her to all her friends, Caroline, Vicky, Meredith, she even dared to introduce her to the most handsome of the school, the boys who were in their last year, like her.

And one of those guys was the one who made Elena sigh.

Matt Donovan, and that was perhaps Elena's worst mistake, because when Matt first saw Bonnie, he was immediately hooked on her.

Inside the silent library.

Elena barely managed to whisper.

"Bonnie... Have you thought of any of the boys?" she put aside the boring books and was eager to find out the answer.

Bonnie was still immersed in her school obligations, she was taking her grades very seriously. With her headphones on, she didn't hear what Elena had just said.

With a blow to the arm, Elena caught her attention.

"What happens to you now?" Bonnie answered quietly, her eyes widening in warning.

Elena hit the floor with the sole of her shoe. "I just asked you a question!" she leaned in a little so as not to scream.

And Bonnie's confusion made Elena repeat it along with one of her grimaces. "What do you think of the boys?"

Bonnie snorted annoyed, she had been interrupted for the third time to answer stupid things. She knew that having accepted Elena's company would not bring her anything good, but it was too late to regret it, if she did not respond, Elena would not leave her alone.

Putting her homework aside, Bonnie took some time to analyze the answer, she did not think anything that was not true... all the people in this place were too arrogant with the pretense of kings and she did not like that.

But, being honest had brought Bonnie serious problems and more with Elena, who was too susceptible to bear the truth. For Bonnie, Elena was too spoiled and capricious, and people used to mistake those attitudes for her sweet innocence. Nonsense! she had to get out of her crystal ball and face real life.

Her eyebrows and body stretched. Her answer lacked Elena's enthusiasm, as always.

"I don't know... I think they are... somewhat pretentious? And self-centered?" she confessed without importance and hastened to continue with her notes.

Elena raised an eyebrow and her tone of voice.

"Pretentious? I'm not talking about how they behave, I know they're like that... I'm talking about how they look, look at Tyler Lockwood," Elena pulled the chair closer. "I heard she wants to invite you to the spring dance. She just finished with Vicky..." The movement of her eyebrows proposed something very suggestive and at the same time repulsive for Bonnie.

Bonnie made a terrible face when she heard her say that, no, of course not!

"Iugh... Don't put it that way... I'm not interested in him, I don't even like him." And it was true.

Bonnie was not interested in anyone, or at least not someone at school. There was someone in particular who interested her and she certainly hadn't stopped thinking about him, but she would never tell Elena or anyone else.

Elena crossed her arms.

"Oh, come on Bonnie, he's on the school wrestling team, he's one of the most popular, he's in his senior year, he's one of my friends and he's possibly taking all his friends on a trip abroad, maybe there is a possibility that he will invite you too. We can go together!" Elena used the same suggestive and enthusiastic tone again and it made Bonnie annoyed.

"And what does that matter? I don't like him. He looks at girls like they're a piece of meat and... He's your friend's boyfriend! Elena..."

"Ex!" Elena didn't mind expressing that point. Bonnie shook her head not understanding that kind of friendship between her and her so-called friends.

"Anyway... I'm not going to that stupid dance."

Elena rolled her eyes. In the time she had known Bonnie, she could tell that she was a complete bore and a nerd.

"You're crazy if you don't want to go. For my part, I'm waiting for Matt to make me the invitation..." Elena blinked and sighed like a princess in love.

Now it was Bonnie's turn to roll her eyes. "Yes whatever..."

Bonnie was tired of hearing about Elena's love for Matt since elementary school.

Ever since she had introduced the boy to her a few months ago, Bonnie realized that Matt wasn't reciprocating those feelings, he was practically ignoring Elena completely.

Deep down, Bonnie felt a little sorry for the girl next to her. She tried to make Elena see that, but it was useless, Elena didn't want to listen, so Bonnie closed her mouth and didn't say anything about it again.

Perhaps she would find out on her own someday...

Elena didn't notice when Bonnie reached for her headphones again. She blocked Elena's shrill voice and concentrated on her studies.

Staying had been with a purpose for Bonnie, she would take every opportunity to improve and have the tools to move forward on her own.

The first thing on her mind was to graduate from school and be eligible for a scholarship to college.

Bonnie was more than determined and she was sure that her dream would come true.

The weeks went by and all the progress they both made was thrown away in a few minutes.

Damon couldn't calm Elena's unexpected insults. What could he do? this was the first time he had seen Elena behave like that.

As she screamed, Bonnie ignored her staring out the window, unconcerned with being part of the nasty argument.

All because of a boy, all because of Matt Donovan's recent declarations of love.

The time it took Damon to get to the house was a record.

He got out of the car annoyed at the same time as Bonnie, who just tried to drive away before everything exploded in her face, she did not want to be part of this and she was not to blame for all this misunderstanding.

Elena's screams alerted the anguished parents.

Damon went straight to Elena, but the agility of the teenager outwitted him. Elena rushed over to Bonnie and pulled her hair from behind.

She yelled at her. "You are a bitch, I told you from the beginning that I was in love with him!"

Bonnie didn't lose her temper when Elena touched her. On the contrary she was much more sensible than Elena and at all times maintained control, but if Elena put a finger on her again, Bonnie was going to lose what little patience she had left.

She was standing there getting all the insults for something that even she didn't provoke. But Elena didn't want to realize the mistake, she had only allowed herself to be manipulated by the unfounded lies of her friend Vicky, and she had not given Bonnie the benefit of the doubt, on the contrary, Elena simply blamed her for everything.

Although she was tired of giving the same explanations, Bonnie wanted to end the fight and repeated it to Elena again.

"And that's why I said... It wasn't my fault he asked me to the stupid dance!"

Her eyes widened, explaining sincerely to prevent the conflict from escalating.

Elena didn't believe a single word, because she didn't want to believe that Matt would have preferred Bonnie instead her.

"You're a liar, he would never choose you! You didn't care about the times I told you I liked him and the first thing you did was flirt with him, don't lie!"

Bonnie didn't care if Elena didn't believe her. Bonnie was concerned to see Damon's face, who was standing near them listening to everything and Bonnie wasn't sure if he was believing all the words Elena said about her.

Of course he believed Elena, it was Elena... who would not believe Elena's words? And she was Bonnie... who the hell would believe in her?

Bonnie sighed impatiently her recent thoughts were a hard blow to accept and so she didn't mind lashing out at Elena with the same level of malice.

"I went to talk to him to tell him I didn't accept the invitation and to convince him to invite you instead of me. But... guess what? He didn't want to, because he doesn't like you. Open your damn eyes, not everyone thinks you are Pretty, Elena!"

Elena raised her hand and slapped Bonnie in response, it was a light blow compared to the punch that Bonnie returned to her. And to her own misfortune, John and Abby got out just as Elena tripped and fell to the ground.

Her tears and screams were a great uproar. Bonnie looked up the stairs when Elena blamed her for everything and immediately regretted doing it.

"She hit me! She just hit me!" Elena got up off the ground with Damon's help.

John stayed in the same spot while Abby came to her daughter's defense.

With an open hand, Abby slapped Bonnie so hard that the blow caused a small wound to her mouth.

"How dare you hit Elena!" She spat the words out in disgust.

Hearing the sound caused by the blow, everyone fell into an awkward silence.

Bonnie couldn't believe it. She closed her eyes and braced herself for another surprise blow from her mother, but it never came, it was time for John to intercede.

"I won't let you hit Bonnie like that! Have you lost your mind?"

Abby did not know what to say to the defensive attitude of her husband and she only excused herself in Elena's tears.

"But... but Bonnie hit Elena... you saw it..." She barely hesitated.

John released her hand completely disappointed.

"Did you hear Elena's insults?"

Instead of Abby, his daughter answered.

"Dad, I-"

John lowered his head, this maybe the first time he would have to put a bit of discipline. The relationship between Bonnie and Elena was apparently not as good as he thought.

Elena was his daughter, but John knew her better than anyone and so he did not side with her. Bonnie had shown him in a short time that she was a responsible, mature and independent child, the complete opposite of his daughter, but that did not justify her actions.

"Hush... I don't know why you two fought, but things don't work out this way. I thought everything was better between you both, but I was wrong. You girls have done nothing to change... from now on. you both are punished! Neither will participate in the upcoming spring activities!"

"But... Daddy, you know how long I've waited for the dance, all my friends will attend..."

Elena implored him through tears. She couldn't believe that her own father was punishing her, this perhaps was his first punishment.

"I already said it. None will go." John did not give in to his daughter's pleas.

Elena looked at Bonnie.

"I wish Damon had never found you!" she ran up the stairs and Abby followed her out, not before giving Bonnie a warning look.

John, Damon, and Bonnie were left alone.

John said nothing more and entered the house in silence.

Bonnie was embarrassed, yes... John didn't allow Abby to hit her again, but the look in his eyes told her everything... and Damon's silence was the hardest thing to bear, so she turned around and she walked to the back of the house. She didn't get very far, Damon stopped her by grabbing her arm. He pulled her toward him gently without saying a word.

"What do you do?" She asked in confusion.

Damon walked in front of her without even looking at her.

"I have a first aid kit, you need someone to see that wound on you."

His voice sounded more serious than normal.

Bonnie knew that if she refused Damon would not let her go and for that reason alone she agreed to go with him.

They both walked hand in hand in silence to the place where Damon lived.

Bonnie sat on the couch and Damon disappeared into one of the doors and reappeared with the little medicine chest in his hands.

Neither said anything.

Damon carefully proceeded to clean up the small cut Abby made on her. He was frustrated and outraged at how this woman treated her own daughter. From the beginning Damon was suspicious of Abigail's true personality, but without having proof, he couldn't do anything, even he couldn't defend Bonnie.

Sometimes he wanted to find out more about her relationship with her mother, but Bonnie always diverted the subject and Damon understood that she did not want to talk about it and he respected that decision.

However situations like this were hard to bear. Abigail never showed true affection for Bonnie or regret when she treated her daughter this way. That was something Damon hated.

The annoyance on his face was difficult to hide, Damon was upset and Bonnie without looking beyond his worries, she thought that he also blamed her for everything.

Focusing on cleaning the small wound, Bonnie's nervous voice made him look into her eyes.

"It wasn't my fault... I would never do something like that..."

Damon stopped when he heard her, in that instant he realized that with his silent behavior he was hinting at something very different from what he thought of the situation.

She believed that he blamed her for everything.

Bonnie wasn't even looking at him when she spoke.

Damon calmed her nerves and cleared up the confusion. He never believed her capable of doing something like that.

"I know... and I also know that Elena is very dramatic and a bit over the top."

He noticed the stiffness in her body and he corrected what he had said.

"I retract... she's VERY exaggerated."

Bonnie nodded gently without looking at him because she was still ashamed of what happened.

She didn't care about the blow, or Elena's insults. The only thing that mattered to her was knowing that Damon didn't think she was capable of doing something like that.

"Vicky Donovan, she was the one who accused me of this. Her boyfriend Tyler broke up with her and... he very stupid told her... that he liked me more than she did, I don't even know why he said that. I don't even like him. The truth is that... Vicky found out that her brother, Matt, the boy that Elena likes, he invited me to the dance and... I don't like him either. I... it's crazy... that girl created this confusion and Elena... she didn't believe me. I even tried to make Matt see that Elena was an amazing person, that she was better than me at many aspects... he just... he just said that he... that he liked me more than her... "

Damon gulped listening to the whole story. He cleared his throat and spoke somewhat awkwardly.

"And... Do you love... him? I-I mean... it wouldn't be your fault... it's... it's normal. You are... are a beautiful girl... and..." he couldn't even finish the sentence.

Bonnie didn't realize how nervous Damon was when he dared to ask her about that boy and she just as nervous denied the first thing he said.

"No! Of course not! I don't even like him!"

For a moment there was an awkward silence between them.

Bonnie blushed at Damon's last words. Oh my god... he considered her beautiful?

Damon looked away a bit and breathed calmly, he didn't know why he was so nervous, but he had to control himself.

Knowing that Bonnie wasn't in love with someone else gave him some relief. Scratching his head, Damon masked his joy by clearing his throat again and he broke the strange silence between the two.

"Don't worry about Elena, she'll get over it soon."

Bonnie nodded and did the same as him, she forgot for a moment what he had said about her. Inside Bonnie was immensely happy to know that he thought she was beautiful.

After a few seconds, Damon moved closer to Bonnie and very carefully lifted her chin to better see the wound on her lip and began to sterilize it.

The alcohol could cause a slight pain in a normal person, but Bonnie being a very unique person, she had no pain reflex, a grimace, nothing. That had always been strange to Damon.

He still pressed gently on the corner of her mouth knowing it wouldn't hurt, and curiously asked.

"Doesn't it hurt?"

Bonnie shrugged.

"No... There are things that hurt more than a blow..."

Damon detected that sadness that always accompanied her, and he did not want to cause her more pain, so he quickly asked something else, which was perhaps just as reckless, but Damon did not realize until the words left his mouth.

"I've never see you cry... not even when your knee was sutured without anesthesia. have you ever cried?"

Bonnie blinked feeling judged.

Yes... she was not as sensitive as Elena and did not know how to be. And... Of course she sometimes cried, but she preferred not to.

Damon knew right away that he had screwed it up. "I didn't mean to say it in a derogatory way... I just think you're too strong for that small."

Bonnie nodded.

"Don't worry... but to answer..."

She was upset with him and Damon pretended not to notice because when she was upset she looked very cute and usually he ended up laughing at her, and now was not the time to make her upset more than necessary.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes and spoke loudly.

"No! I don't cry! Cry, makes people vulnerable and I don't like being vulnerable."

Bonnie couldn't help but respond with bitterness, a lie and a truth at the same time, and Damon smirked at how arrogant she was pretending to be.

In all this time Damon already knew well the gestures Bonnie made when she told the truth and when she was not, but he wasn't going to judge her for it, because Bonnie Bennett was just an adorable girl hidden in a dark shell.

With a smile and all the trust that existed between them, Damon spoke to her with the same sweetness as always without being offended by the tone she used with him.

"You know... Sometimes it's good to cry... that doesn't make us vulnerable, it makes us human and gives us freedom..."

Bonnie turned her face towards him.

The bitterness in her faded and Bonnie thanked him silently for being the way he was with her. The conversations between them were always purely innocent, funny and too pleasant, sincere and above all real. This was why Bonnie always liked talking to him.

Seeing the intense blue in Damon's eyes, Bonnie didn't expect the closeness to make her cheeks so flush.

Being so close, the two looked at each other without blinking... It was the first time that both were so close to each other. Damon stopped cleaning the wound and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while still looking into her eyes, and for a second Bonnie thought he would it.

With her heart beating fast, Bonnie just closed her eyes and prepared herself for what would be her first kiss.

The feeling that was beginning to emerge within them was confusing for both of them, as much as Damon avoided it, he was involved in something completely special and to be honest he was afraid of what might happen. Because Damon being Damon, when he held onto something, he would never let go of it again.

And if that something was her... He would never want to let her go.

AN:

I apologize for the mistakes and the suspense. I know some wished Sarah was Damon's daughter, but in this story I really wanted to give Bonnie a different version. I liked the idea that Sarah was her younger sister and that she took care of the little one like a mother.