Sorry it took a bit. I'm currently wedding planning, trying to get into a master's program, and find a better job all at once. So, yeah, life's a bit crazy right now. BUT, I'm so excited to keep this story going and I hope you all love it!


Dressed for the day in a beige cardigan and dark skinny jeans, Bonnie skipped downstairs where Damon was cooking breakfast for the girls.

"You're in quite the cheery mood!" Meredith noted, still groggy.

Bonnie took the seat opposite Meredith and laughed at the way she was slumped onto the table looking half-awake.

"Was someone out with Alaric all night again?" Bonnie questioned suggestively.

Meredith smiled widely through her fatigue, "Why yes someone was," She stated proudly.

Bonnie giggled and made a teasing "ooo" noise that brought a short laugh from Meredith's mouth. The dark-haired girl smiled brightly at her small friend, catching something red on her neck as she casually turned her gaze back over to Damon—wait! Meredith's emerald gems darted back over to Bonnie's neck, doing a double take, and her smile dropped entirely, "You weren't with Eric last night, were you?"

Bonnie blushed a light pink, twisting a strand of her hair between two nervous fingers, "No, why?"

Meredith stretched further across the table and gestured Bonnie forwards. The apprehensive redhead leaned close to her cat-eyed friend, chocolate orbs growing more concerned by the second.

"Then you might want to cover that up before Elena sees…" Meredith suggested, pushing a finger against the circular, red love-bite at the base of Bonnie's throat.

Bonnie's eyes bulged as she gasped, slapping a hand over the place she had felt Meredith's finger poke.

"I take it Damon finally paid you a visit?" her olive-skinned friend wiggled her perfect, brown brows flirtatiously.

"Gooood morning everyone!" Elena's bright voice rang through the kitchen. Bonnie and Meredith whipped their heads to the left, seeing the leggy blonde practically skip into the room.

The two girls looked back to each other as Elena headed in Damon's direction. Meredith's brows rose, silently asking the jittery redhead across from her if the awkwardness she felt in the air was warranted. Bonnie shook her head at Meredith and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie from the center of the table, taking a huge bite and targeting her eyes at her lap. Meredith sunk back into her seat, her sights never leaving Bonnie, who chewed in long, slow bites as if she were only half-present. Yep, the awkward tension hanging in the air definitely had a purpose. She really needed to get back with Alaric about moving in with him…

Elena walked up to Damon, poking at some scrambled eggs with a silicone spatula. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she hugged him. Damon's arm came around her easily, tugging her close. With a small pout turning down her cupid's bow lips, she turned sad lapis eyes up at him, "Where have you been all morning? I missed you."

Meredith looked to Bonnie just in time for the redhead's eyes to meet hers from underneath an anxious brow. Taking in a deep breath, Bonnie brought jittery hands up towards her mouth and took a hasty bite of her cookie, averting her gaze from Meredith's. The green-eyed girl quirked a corner of her mouth up as she analyzed the situation through judgmental lenses.

"I got hungry, so I came down here and then I just got caught up reading something." Damon lied easily, keeping his gaze firm on the sizzling eggs.

Elena's pout disappeared and she perked up slightly, "Oh! What did you read?"

"Uhh…" Damon's brows furrowed as he flipped the stove off and turned to put the spatula in the sink, easily slipping from the inquisitive blonde's grasp. As he rinsed the steaming spatula off under the cooling water, his eyes caught sight of Meredith, one elbow on the table, chin in hand, and the snarkiest smirk plastered across her lips. "Uhh…" he began again, his mind frantically searching for something clever as he flung the water off his hands.

"Can't remember?" Elena giggled softly from behind him.

"Oh, I'm sure he remembers…" Meredith inserted.

Damon's narrowed gaze returned to her emerald slits and he threw up his middle finger at her before giving his hands one last shake over the sink. Meredith's smug smile widened slowly across her face. Turning judgmental eyes back onto Bonnie, she was met with the tops of Bonnie's knees as the redheaded ball of nerves had rolled herself up and sunk down shamefully into her chair, still chewing away on her half-eaten cookie.

Damon caught sight of a magazine lying in his periphery vision and nodded to it, "It was some article out of that magazine. Nothing crazy. I was just bored." He turned to her after drying his hands off, leaning casually against the counter with a suave smirk.

"Well," Elena pushed off the opposite counter and walked towards him once more, winding her arms around him, "next time you get bored you can always come back to my room, you know…"

Damon smiled down at her and pulled her into his chest, resting his cheek against the crown of her head, "I know, princess. I'm sorry." And he was sorry as he let out a long breath that fanned over some stray golden threads along her pin-straight locks. He was sorry that he didn't return to her room. He was sorry that he went into Bonnie's room rather than running straight back into her bed. He regretted spending the morning nurturing the obstacles between them instead of mending her sore heart.

"The eggs are done!" he called to the two silent girls behind him and Elena bounced from his arms, eying the scrambled eggs hungrily.

Meredith flattened both hands atop the table as she stood, pushing her chair back. She leaned down towards Bonnie, seeing the sadness pooling in her amber eyes, "I've got your plate."

Bonnie looked up at her gratefully, "Thank you."

"Mhm!" Meredith hummed, letting her nails slide off the edge of the wooden table.

Everyone gathered around the table with plates of food except for Damon. Meredith sat Bonnie's plate down in front of her and she sat up, tucking red ringlets behind one ear. Elena sat her plate down on Bonnie's left and happily pulled out the chair next to her petite friend. Meredith's smile dropped entirely as her butt hit the seat and her eyes landed on the bright crimson splotch on Bonnie's throat. Her wide gaze shifted to Elena, smiling as she settled into her chair. Tapping the tip of her boot to Bonnie's leg under the table, the redhead looked up to her, brows pulling over unhappy eyes. Meredith made a pointed gesture, running her fingers through the untucked brunette locks at the left side of her face. Bonnie's brows pulled tighter as she reached a hesitant hand up to the curls on her left. Her fingers just brushed her hair as Elena froze beside her, staring at something she couldn't see.

"Is that a hickey?" Elena questioned.

Bonnie's eyes bulged as she stared at Meredith, her soundless signal finally clicking. Her brain berated her as it went into panic mode, frantically trying to find all the answers while fighting to conceal its own fright. Meredith nodded in front of her, giving her somewhere to begin.

"Uh, yeah—yes! Mhm!" she answered, untucking her hair from behind her ear too late.

Chocolate orbs filling with tears, Bonnie clenched her fingers around her fork in attempt to keep her from trembling as her nerves went wild. She felt as if she were being swallowed whole as her heart pounded out of her chest. Training her eyes on the eggs and toast in front of her she bit down onto the trembling lip threatening to make her cry.

Damon cast intense eyes on her from his seat at the head of the table. His ears anchored onto the sound of her racing heart; she was crumbling under the pressure. Through supernatural sight, he could see the tiny tremors rolling through her body as she fought not to let them shake her rigid posture and give her away.

"Were you with Eric last night?" he asked, sounding irritated as he played his part while guiding her into hers.

Brown gems flicked to his, glistening under the light as they drown in guilt. Damon gave her a short nod as he feigned anger. Holding her tears, Bonnie swallowed hard, "It's none of your business."

Elena waved Damon off as a relieved smile spread from cheek to cheek, "Oh my gosh! You snuck out to see Eric?! When?! You have to tell me everything!"

Meredith scratched at her temple and stabbed her fork into her eggs. She could hear the manipulation in her best blonde friend's voice. She wanted Damon to hear the things "Eric" had done. Not that she could blame her. Little did she know that all she was really asking Bonnie to do was to tell her what Damon had done. Meredith shook her head at the mess unfolding in front of her as she chewed on the unseasoned eggs, too distracted to care about the taste of her breakfast.

A deep stab struck Bonnie's heart as she looked directly into Elena's giddy blue eyes.

"Was he ok after the compulsion?" she asked, genuine worry in her eyes.

Meredith froze, shooting Damon an accusatory look. He stared back angrily, challenging her to assert her annoying opinion.

"Y-Yeah. He um, he didn't remember coming to pick me up so it was easy to kinda pick up where we left off." Bonnie's smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"So you guys finally had your first kiss then! That's exciting!" Elena beamed, casting a quick glance back at Damon to make sure he was still listening.

"Yeah!" Was all Bonnie offered as she attempted to sound bubbly.

"I'm so happy for you!" Elena nudged her before eating her breakfast.

"Thanks…" Bonnie's voice faded into a whisper as she let her guilty gaze crawl to Damon's. The irritation she got from his stare was just as intense as the guilt they shared.

Their glued gazes tore as Elena clanged her fork against her plate suddenly, "Oh my God! My discussion post! I'll be right back!"

Elena ran out of the kitchen towards the grand staircase that led upstairs, leaving Meredith, Bonnie, and Damon alone at the table. Awkward silence hung in the air as Bonnie picked at her eggs, unsure of what to say. Damon simply raked an exhausted hand through his dark hair.

"You compelled Eric?" Meredith broke the silence with her sharp tone, staring Damon down with narrowed emeralds.

"Little bitch deserved it." Damon grumbled, putting a boot up onto the chair next to him.

"Woah!" Meredith exclaimed in tandem with Bonnie.

"Hey!" she shouted in warning.

"What the hell did Eric do to you?" Meredith questioned.

"Exist." Damon hissed.

"He was just trying to pick me up and Damon wouldn't let me go, like I'm five or something…" Bonnie's irritated tone faded to a mumble.

Damon rolled his eyes almost audibly as he lurched forward over the table, "If you really wanted to go, you would have. It's not like you couldn't have driven to his house on your own. You have a car!"

"How could I with you listening to every move I make?!" Bonnie shot back, leaning towards Damon.

Damon stood, muscles in his arm tensing as he held himself up over the table, gesturing wildly with his other hand, "I wasn't going to stop you a second time. But you wouldn't know that, would you? Because you were already at the house of the man you wanted…" a smirk pulled one corner of his lips up wickedly, "So why leave?"

He plopped back down into his chair smugly as Bonnie boiled in her seat, mouth agape, searching for a counter and coming up blank. Meredith's fork had stilled in her eggs as her gaze darted back and forth between the two arguers. Her gaze had settled on Damon as he sat back confidently in his seat, and she couldn't deny that she was impressed by his unwavering conviction. But he was still a complete asshole.

Blushing nearly as red as her hair, Bonnie pushed away from the table and stood, "I've gotta get to class."

Picking up her backpack and grabbing her keys from the shelf on the wall, Bonnie fled out of the backdoor and to the five-car garage where her blue Mini Cooper sat in between Damon's sleek, black Ferrari and Meredith's forest green, BMW SUV. Starting up the engine, she huffed as she backed out and took the long, windy road down to the main road.

"So are you planning on starting a harem with my two best friends or are you actually going to pick one?" Meredith asked casually.

"I have picked one." Damon muttered.

"The way you looked at Bonnie just now says otherwise." Meredith countered.

Elena burst back into the kitchen then and tore a list from the refrigerator door, "We need to go grocery shopping. You wanna come, Mer?"

Meredith picked up her plate and stood from the table, "Can't. I have work in twenty."

With that, she hugged Elena and bypassed Damon on her way out to her car.

Damon stretched as he stood from the table, "Would you like me to stop and get you your favorite Frappuccino on the way?"

Elena smiled, playfully devious and Damon laughed.


Stepping out to Damon's Ferrari, he opened the car door for her and ushered her inside. Elena thanked him as she went to sit down, but Damon's fingers wound around her arm and pulled her back. Suddenly, unexpectedly, his lips landed on hers. Elena stiffened for only a moment as Damon's kiss flooded her with desire and she responded. They kissed gently, Damon's fingers running through her silky strands as she shivered and let her hand travel along his torso, feeling each muscle as it flexed beneath her fingers. Damon deepened their kiss, pressing closer to her. When she didn't pull away, he smiled against her lips and their kisses grew faster, messier with each new meeting of their lips.

Elena's phone rang, the shrill ring startling her from her haze as she jumped back from Damon.

The black clad vampire groaned, "Let it go to voicemail."

"It's Bonnie." She said, fishing her phone from her crossbody bag.

"Hello?" she answered.

"E-Elena?" Bonnie's voice sounded on the other end of the phone, thick with tears. Damon's mood instantly became serious as he listened in to the call.

"Bonnie! What's wrong?" Elena questioned, panic bubbling inside her.

There was sobbing, and Elena could hear sirens sounding in the distance.

"Are those sirens? Bonnie, where are you?" Elena was frantic to know the answer as she listened close, pressing the phone closer to her ear.

"Get in the car!" Damon commanded Elena as he sped around to the driver's side. The engine roared to life as she sat in the low seats and closed the door behind her.

"I'm at exit 9" Bonnie cried and Elena grabbed the door handle to keep herself steady as Damon sped off down the road. "There was an accident."

"We're on our way, ok? Are you hurt?" Elena clutched the phone tight as she awaited the answer.

"I think I'm o-ok. It's just a lot! But someone else is really hurt!" she sobbed. Elena felt the car push faster as Damon dug into the throttle.

"Are the police there? Is there an ambulance?"

Small sniffles sounded through the phone before Elena heard her answer, "Yeah. The ambulance just got here."

"Ok, good. Just take deep breaths, alright? We're coming as fast as we can. Are you in the right lane?"

"Yes. Just before the exit." Bonnie cries grew soft.

Time had seemed to fly as they hit the interstate much sooner than normal, "Alright, just hang on, we just hit the interstate. We're almost there."

"Ok." Bonnie whimpered.


Remaining on the phone until they reached her, Elena could hear the EMTs asking Bonnie questions as they examined her and tried to calm her. As they approached the scene, traffic was stopped for at least a mile. It was bumper to bumper and all red taillights as Damon took his car off-road and drove along the shoulder up until they could see the crash. Parking the car, Elena gasped as she saw four cars crushed and broken in various places as they lined up in front of the exit. The third car back was Bonnie's blue Mini, the back of the car was caved in into the trunk space, one tail light had popped out and the rear windshield had a large crack traveling up towards the roof. Someone had rear-ended her…hard.

Elena struggled to keep up with Damon as he stormed forward towards the first officer he saw. Red and blue lights flashed, illuminating the damage with their colors. Elena stood back, searching for Bonnie's thick, red hair.

"We're here for Bonnie McCullough. Short, red hair—"

"She's getting bandaged up at the ambulance back there," the officer cut in, pointing behind him at the first of two ambulances.

Damon looked passed the officer to see Bonnie a few yards ahead, sitting on the back of the ambulance. An EMT wrapped her hand up with blue gauze. Bonnie, a cut on her lower lip, winced at the action and a guy with dirty blonde hair kneeled at her side, holding her hand in his. Damon ground his teeth, and he felt Elena's presence as she walked up to him.

"Is that Eric?" she asked, her human eyes unable to see with such a distance.

"Yes" Damon seethed, and Elena looked up to him. Worried lapis gems turned sorrowful at the pained etched into Damon's features.

"At least she wasn't alone this entire time." Elena offered, trying to make Damon feel better about the situation. Not only had he had to see the love bite on Bonnie's neck from her escapades with him, but now he had to see Eric taking care of her in the most crucial of times. She could only imagine how hard it was for Damon to be put through all this at once.

The EMTs finished up with her and patted her on the shoulder. Eric helped her up and held her close. Elena noticed the knuckles on Damon's fist going white and she cupped it in both of her hands, accidentally snapping him from his wrathful trance as he looked down to her.

"Why don't you go to her?" she offered, giving Damon a sweet smile. She could handle this much, especially if it meant making Bonnie feel better.

"She'd probably rather have Eric there. I mean, she called him for a reason." Damon nearly growled.

Elena gave his fist a small squeeze, "She was scared, Damon. Even I know she'd rather have you there."

Damon looked back towards the ambulance and saw Bonnie hastily limping towards him. Eric walked after her, trying to stop her from moving so quickly. Without hesitation Damon left Elena's side and set off for Bonnie. Eric halted as soon as his eyes landed on Damon speeding ahead. All Damon could see was the small redhaired girl and the small cuts and bruises coating her body. He wanted to whisk her away, take away her pain, heal her, erase all of this trauma from memory…but she would never allow it, even as tears streamed down her puffy face.

Just as Damon left her side, the crunch of boots against the pavement ran up next to her.

"I'm here! Is Bonnie ok?" Meredith asked a bit breathlessly as she halted beside Elena.

"Yeah, she's alright. Just shaken up mostly." Elena said in a somber tone, her eyes never leaving Damon's retreating back as he walked further from her.

"Where's Damon?" Meredith asked and Elena pointed ahead. Just down the road was a leather-clad Damon taking up a small, frightened redhead into his hold. "Oh…" she said, mostly to herself.

"Damon!" he heard her small voice call and his arms were already wrapping around her slight frame as he took her up in his embrace.

Slender arms wrapped tight around him, and her hands fisted in his shirt, gathering up the material in trembling fingers. She sobbed into his chest, sucking in sharp breaths between each cry that fell from her lips and got muffled against his skin.

"Shh. Shh. I've got you. I've got you." He soothed her, brushing his fingers through her tangled curls and reveling in the way the silky strands seemed to worship his fingers. They swayed as she sobbed and he turned them, facing his back to Eric.

"Is anything broken? Where are you hurt?" he continued, pushing her back from him a bit so he could look over her body.

"I'm ok. Just my ankle and wrist. They're sprained." She held up her bandaged wrist to him, wiping her eyes with the back of her undamaged hand.

Damon pulled her back into him and took her face between his hands, thumbs gliding along the apples of her cheeks, "You scared the shit out of me."

"I'm sorry." She whimpered, watery gaze latching onto his as the midnight irises penetrated hers, flitting side to side as they dove deep into either chocolate pool. Heady breath whispered out from between his parting lips and ghosted over hers, coaxing her towards him as he leaned downward.

Without thinking, Bonnie popped up onto her tiptoes and eliminated the space leftover between them. Damon's hands fell into her hair as he kissed her harder, letting her feel the height of his hidden hysterics. Bonnie's dainty digits clawed into the front of his shirt as she calmed his panic and relaxed into him as she felt the safety of him envelop her, washing the fear from her anxious body.

Yards back, Elena went rigid, her teeth digging into the side of her cheek as she watched the guy she loved kiss her best friend. A warm hand touched her arm with all the care in the world and she felt Meredith's emerald eyes studying her.

"Elena…" her careful voice began softly.

Just as quickly as the kiss began, it ended as Bonnie felt Damon's body harden beneath her fingers and he jerked back. The reality of her surroundings flooded her as the noise of officers analyzing the scene flooded into her ears. Harsh static of walkie-talkies buzzed around her, rushed questions from EMTs as they talked the injured through their aches and pains mumbled in the background. Flashes of the crash bogged her mind and then faces appeared, Eric's…Elena's…

She gasped as she realized what they had done, following after Damon down the rabbit hole.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" she breathed, lips remaining inches from his.

Flashes of azure and crimson bounced off Damon's jacket, and her hands came up to her mouth, "Oh god! Oh god!"

Damon caught her hands, squeezing them in his, "Bonnie!" Saucer eyes shot up to his. "Eric didn't see," he told her, saving her from the panic rising in her chest.

"But…Elena—" she began again.

"I'll talk with her. Don't stress, love." Damon pulled her head into his chest and swayed them lightly. His arms wrapped her up tight and he pressed his lips to the crown of her curls, kissing her worries away just before he looked up to meet his.

Elena was being consoled by Meredith, looking upset as she hugged her arms around herself.

"I'm ok. Really. I know he cares about her. I just didn't expect to see…that." Elena explained, unsure if she was trying to convince Meredith or herself that she was fine.

Meredith continued rubbing a soothing hand along Elena's back, "I'm sure he wasn't trying to hurt you. Emotions are just high, you know? He probably wasn't thinking."

Elena nodded, "I'm sure you're right." She offered Meredith a quick smile before regluing her eyes to Damon, still comforting Bonnie as she clung to him like he was a steady float in a sea of unrest.

Meredith looked over Elena's hardened face, seeing no amount of ease unclenching her jaw from its fixed position. A long sigh broke from her lips. "Elena…" she began cautiously, "I want to see you happy, I really do, but…I think you were expecting to come back to a version of Damon that no longer exists." She watched Elena's lapis eyes turn to her, brows quirked over flooded crystals. "And I know you say you're ok, but the roles have reversed. Now that Damon's the one struggling with his feelings, are you prepared to go through that? Because I've seen what it did—what it's still doing—to these guys, Elena, and it sucks! I just don't want you to be in pieces by the end of this."

Elena's wary gaze lingered on Meredith for a moment, processing her words, and then she sighed, turning her stormy oceans back to Damon, finally detaching himself from Bonnie. "I hear you, I just—I don't know what to do."

Meredith dropped her hand from Elena and sighed a similar long sigh, "This really fucking sucks…"

Blonde brows crinkling, Elena looked back over to her brunette friend. Meredith glanced at her, "Well I can't root for Damon to be with you because the moment I do," palm up, she shot a manicured hand pointedly towards Damon and Bonnie, "I see her upset, and then I want Damon to be with her," dropping her hand, she lifted the other to Elena, "But then you have that depressed look in your eyes and I regret ever wishing for him to be with either one of you!" she finished, flinging both hands overtop one another in an X shape before shoving them down at her sides and huffing loudly.

Elena's response halted on her tongue as she saw Damon walking back over to her solo. Bonnie limped further away, back towards an awkward Eric, leaning stiffly against the door of his truck.

"Eric's driving Bonnie home. I figured we could all meet back there." Damon announced, stopping in front of the two girls.

"You're actually letting Bonnie get in the car with him?" Meredith couldn't hold the surprise from her voice.

Damon turned narrow eyes on her, "Well it's not like she can exactly fit in my two-door Ferrari, now can she?"

Elena shrugged, "I could've ridden back with Meredith."

Damon's inky glare mellowed as he turned to the blonde, feeling that familiar sense of guilt stabbing at his chest, "I'd prefer you to ride with me, if that's alright with you?"

Eyes fluttering, wisping away some of the jealousy there, Elena nodded and took his outstretched hand. "See you back at the house," she called over her shoulder to Meredith, letting Damon lead her to his car.


Taking exit nine, the car was silent as Eric took the first U-turn available and re-entered the interstate. Bonnie shivered as they merged onto the busy road again, heading North. She jumped, feeling Eric's hand slide over hers and taking it in his. She relaxed, letting his fingers lace with hers.

"Can we talk? I know you've had a stressful day, but—"

"Go ahead." Bonnie answered, figuring it might be a nice distraction from the traffic zooming all around them and shredding her nerves to pieces.

Eric's hand tightened on the wheel, "I know you said once that Der—um, Da…?"

"Damon." Bonnie assisted, apprehension gripping strong around her heart. How much had he seen?

"Damon," Eric corrected, "I know you said he was Elena's boyfriend, but—well, what is he to you? Because, back there, it felt more like—" he cut himself off, and let out a long breath, "I guess what I'm trying to ask is what's the story between you two? Because he obviously has a place in your life."

Bonnie swallowed hard and bit down onto the side of her lip that wasn't busted open, "Um…"

"Is he an ex?" Eric questioned.

Taking in a long breath, Bonnie began in the best way she could, "Uh, not really. I've known Damon for a while, all of us have. And, uh…over the summer, he and I got closer, I guess," she added, tears building in her chocolate pools, "but it was nothing, just a stupid fling. He's always had a thing for Elena."

Eric flashed a glance over at Bonnie, head bowed and dabbing at her eyes. "So back there, what was that?" he asked, the bumpiness of the road jostling them.

"What do you mean?" Bonnie turned confused eyes on him.

"Well, are you guys still close? Because it seemed like—"

"He was just worried about me. That's all." Bonnie interjected before his words could send her tears over the edge.

Hearing the strain in her voice, Eric tightened his hand on hers and dropped the subject, "Ok."

See you all soon! :)