A/N: I really hope this sort of answers the question surrounding Bonnie and Damon's marriage. There's still love there and I hope there can be improvement too.

Chapter 2: I Want You to Want Me

Just as Elena and Bonnie were linked by their husbands' last names as were Caroline and Katherine. Caroline had been in a loving union with her husband Klaus Mikaelson and Katherine's diamond ring had been given to her by Elijah Mikaelson. Their relationship had been more superficial than the latter with their shared love for the finer things in life but they still would go to war for another if called for it.

Katherine called her trips to designer shops self-care. She dipped her wrists in the gold and most polished accessories, her clothes were equal quality and her shoes were just stellar. Her acquired taste of fashion came from her long stint as a model. In pumps, she was a staggering 5'11 and sickly thin. That was until Elijah made an honest wife out of her 4 years ago.

The neighborhood tended to look down on her since she represented the worst qualities of a housewife; lazy, gossipy, spoiled, pampered, and jobless. Katherine didn't care though, she went through man after man after fleeing her mother's home in Bulgaria to finally meet her dashing Elijah. She liked her life and was glad that he scooped her up when he did because her contract was ending. Her agency said that they needed some new faces. Fresh meat was on their way to replace the one and only Katherine Pierce.

As always, she dealt with the changes.

Caroline and Katherine had been having brunch in the early afternoon. The meal that they were consuming was provided by the courtesy of the maids hired by Katherine and her husband. Well, he was never home really, so the help really served her. The ex-model sighed looking at her stiletto shaped nails while her friend rambled on about her toddler.

"I told her no-chip," Katherine complained, "Maybe I wasn't clear. I'll definitely have to go to the shop today." Her schedule was more than clear to do so but Caroline wouldn't say that aloud, directly at least.

"Well, if you can find time to do that, then I say do it," The blonde encouraged in a lame tone before drinking from her apple juice.

Katherine removed her focus from her average nails, "Anything you'd like to say Care? You know it wouldn't take anything to go to that agency on Rodeo Drive but Elijah's word."

"Nothing, at all," Caroline sighed, "As Henretta's godmother-

"I'm second if something happens to Rebekah just putting that out there," She reminded the mother.

"Right," Caroline snapped her fingers. "I just really love your style and I think you should go with him and me to pick out her dress for Freya's wedding."

"Ugh," Katherine planted her fork in her Nutella covered crepes, "That girl is going to be the cutest little ring bearer." She took a flavorful bite of the thin pancake and continued, "but it's a little naive of you to think I will advocate for her dress being store bought."

Before Caroline could respond, the housewife stopped her completely and stood up making movements with her hands and explaining her grand plans for. The blonde couldn't help but chuckle to herself slightly. This was Katherine getting over her boredom for the next couple of weeks until the wedding date approached. All it took was one brunching for the brunette to obtain a new obsession

After Katherine and Caroline's talks of the wedding ended, the ex-model asked her maids to clean up the mess that she and her guest made. She wasn't kind when she asked and she didn't ask them, really. Katherine made her appointment to go to the salon and took a nap in the meantime. A couple of hours later, one of the servants shook her resulting in her waking up in a very annoyed state.

She was frowning in her baby blue silk robe, the material alone did not call for an upset face.

"What are you birds chirping about now?" Katherine croaked.

"Misses Mikaelson, there is the man you told us to forget about is at the door for you, he wants to see you."

Katherine was nervous. However, she could never visibly show it; weakness was never the answer. She put on her best face and assured them it was nothing to worry about and put her right foot forward in a confident sashay to the front door. The woman of the house opened the door bravely to see her past lover as of 2 months ago.

"Wrong time?" The young man asked jubilantly.

She frantically pushed him onto her evergreen lawn and screamed at him, "Are you insane? You have no rights to show up on my property unannounced when I ended things weeks ago! I'm married and happy again."

"Aw, Katherine I don't like being your real life makeup sponge for whenever your husband isn't paying any attention to you." The brunette crossed her arms looking away from him. The sandy-haired man walked looked right in Katherine's direction.

"Is your dear husband home now?" She didn't answer and that gave him free reign to taunt the slender woman on her own lawn.

"Yo, Elijah! Get your prissy ass out of there. Kat here has to tell you something," He yelled outrageously. Katherine ran over to him and tackled him hoping the grass wouldn't stain her premium robe. While on top of her former lover, she looked at her false nails; one of them had broken and was even bleeding but she didn't feel the pain. All she felt was anger and disgust for the immature man beneath her.

"Ooh, Kat, I love when you take initiative like that," He looked up at the sky and back at her, "And in the broad daylight too like you once said wherever the passion takes us."

She groaned and pushed herself off of him. "What do you want, Mason? Money? Gifts? A job? I can offer you anything in the world if you just never show your face here ever again."

Mason stood up, dusting himself off, "Money and gifts I understand, but a job? As if you would let your good name be tarnished by," He walked over placing his hands around her waist and whispered in her ear, "My dirty little mouth. This isn't extortion, you're the best I've ever had and I'm not ready to give that up for that old British geezer."

He continued, "You miss it too, our sex being forbidden makes it so much hotter."

Katherine closed her eyes as Mason kissed her neck, a neighbor could easily walk out and their suspicions of her two-timing would be answered quite visually. They were reckless which is why she pushed him into her home engulfing her cherry red lips against his. The two took a break, breathing in and out. Mason used his teeth to tug at her bottom lip and cinched his hand around her waist again.

In between kisses, she said in an irksome voice, "I'm missing a much-needed trip to the nail salon because of this."

Mason was in her face, his eyes staring deeply into her as he asked, "Now why would you miss you little old appointment for me?"

"Because my husband has never hailed me as the best he's ever had," Katherine grabbed his hand and led them upstairs giggling. She stopped and turned back to face her servants.

"Mao, you're dismissed for today and Mr. Mikaelson doesn't need to know about anything you saw odd today. I'll see you on Friday."

The ladies nodded abruptly and began grabbing their belongings and began heading out of the house as Katherine instructed them to. Two months and she was doing so good without that deviled Lockwood boy. All he had to do was semi-embarrass her and rub against her on the lawn and she was putty.

Yes, Damon Salvatore shamelessly used sex as a weapon. He knew he could scam almost any woman out of her panties and bra if he needed something. If the company had a female client not budging he could take one for the team and seduce her into making a deal with him. His wife, Bonnie, fell right under the category for the baby stages of their relationship but he couldn't fuck the trust she had for him back into her.

His extramarital affairs resulted in him being on the road for so long, he just needed a body to lay beside for the time being. He told his wife he'd fight temptation but he never promised her. She was a fool to think he would. Meaningless sex was okay with Bonnie for a while. Well, after she went to contact an old flame - Marcel. Who could blame her? Her marriage to Damon had been in limbo.

Her husband had said in so many words that the company on the road and she just had to deal with it. More late hours at the office would do her good but she was hurting. Her reunion dates with Marcel had turned into a frenzied passion and she wouldn't stop until Damon stopped his affairs. At first, she had enough respect for her and Marcel to bed in places that wasn't her home until she opened an unpaid credit card bill.

Damon was paying for a woman's penthouse in San Diego and all she saw was red. It took everything inside of her not to swing a baseball bat to his prized convertible and then to his face. He had to be damn near in love with the woman to be footing that bill. That day six months ago when she found out is when she fired her servants and began planning her in-home office.

Bonnie couldn't flat out leave her husband she was committed to him and did love him very much on an emotional sense. Business wise, it would destroy her and everything she's worked hard for. Silently building a case againist him until it was the right time to hit him with divorce papers would come, one day. Right now she needed to keep up this facade of being a working woman with a happy life and marriage so the clients could keep rolling in.

Her husband knew a bill was coming to him since he was the one who threatened his mistress with withdrawing the payments on the lavish lifestyle she was living. The woman tried to extort him and he lied and said his wife knew all about the affair. Well, at least Damon thought he lied. Bonnie was a gifted lawyer which meant once she got that bill, she did some other woman had a name - it was Rose.

She started out as her husband's secretary until she fell ill and out of work. Suddenly, an older woman started filing Damon's papers. The illness that Rose had was pregnancy. Bonnie damn near died finding out that information. Sure, her and Damon were late on having kids of their own but that didn't mean he should go try with his mistress.

Rose was pregnant so that gave Bonnie all grounds to bring her lover over whenever her husband wasn't home. However these days, especially with her watching their nephew Damon was around much more. The novelty of first night back sex wore off and she was back to having her titanium guard up. Damon just acted as if they smooth over it, he even made dinner to show he was giving effort. The three of them were all eating dinner quietly.

"My mother asked for money so I wrote a check in your name if you don't mind." The lawyer poked at her steak and took a bite. It was just a little overdone. She would make a note to tell her husband that before dinner was over. Damon nearly choked at the news. He would not be funding Abby's drug addiction because Bonnie was mad at him.

"Hell yes I mind Bonnie you know that Abby is a habitual liar; that money is not going anywhere nice."

"It is, she needs a deposit for the...RV."

"RV? Yeah right. You watch too much Breaking Bad."

"Well you've been gone for the past 4 days you don't know what's on my Netflix queue."

Damon stood up and dramatically dropped his fork on the table and yelled, "I apologized what more do you want from me, woman?"

"Oh, please," Bonnie scoffed, "I'm not one of these mindless whores you can plow your charm into, Damon one night of makeup sex isn't going to cut it."

The raven-haired man grunted, the temporary peace had been broken. Bonnie met his gaze with equal fury. The matters she knew her husband were in would make him want to leave his standing deposition and cry at her knees similar to a child would after being told no. Her face still had been furious but she had a slight smirk. Damon ironically thought he had the power as of now standing over her.

"I invited Daddy over for dinner if that's okay. Also, the steak might be a little burnt Uncle Damon but it's still edible, I guess," The child spoke.

Bonnie facepalmed; she brought up the "S word" in front of a child. Thank God for Jackson's ability to shift the subject when needed. Damon was about to sit back in his seat until he heard his brother ring the doorbell. Stefan was holding a bottle of wine to which Bonnie grabbed from him and he pulled her into a quick side hug.

"I hope he isn't causing you too much trouble," Stefan told her as the three of them walked towards the dining room.

"In that case, I'm glad you weren't here a mere five minutes ago," Bonnie replied already looking for a corkscrew for the bottle.

"Well, Hello Brother, how's the single bachelor life?" Damon greeted as he patted Stefan on the back. He didn't get a chance to answer the ludicrous question since his son was running into his arms and hugging him. Damon wiped off a faux tear at the sight. Secretly, he wanted to enjoy the joys of fatherhood but his marriage had been way too messy to go down the fertility road with Bonnie.

Stefan looked around the place with his hands in his pockets and replied, "It's not really single if I and Elena haven't divorced yet."

"Right yet," Jackson said hopefully, "Aunt Bonnie said Mommy can change her mind anytime and end the separation process."

There was a loud popping noise, it had been the wine bottle. It was Moet, it was like Stefan knew that the couple was at odds again. He selected the finest wine. She offered wine and poured them all glasses except for the child in the room of course. It was a good time to talk about someone's else marriage that wasn't her own. Stefan kissed Jackson's forehead and sent him upstairs wishing him a good night as it was getting late.

"So, you told him about the separation process," Stefan stated.

Bonnie shrugged, "Well yes, you know I'm a straight shooter, he asked and I answered. And you guys aren't making it easy on him y'know living in separate homes and all."

"I'm a straight shooter too," Damon agreed placing his hand on Bonnie's shoulder. No matter what they were a team and wanted what was best for Jackson. He wouldn't be lying if he said that he wanted their happy family of three back around town. Even if he had a normal illness of jealousy.

He continued, "You two really just need to get your shit together and decide if you want to break the kid's heart now or six months from now when she can file."

"So, I went on a date a few weeks ago," Stefan said.

Bonnie poured herself another glass. She just couldn't deal with another Salvatore pursuing another woman. She wanted no parts in keeping this from Elena. Stefan put his hand over hers stopping her from gulping it down.

"Just listen. It was torture, you wanna know why?"

There was a pause.

"Well, don't keep us girls waiting, why was it so horrible, Stefan?" Damon asked throwing his hands up in the air.

"Because a picture of Elena, Jackson and I fell out of my wallet and she picked it up and we started talking about it.I remember it because it was when we went to Disney World for Jackson's fifth birthday. Anyways, I mean she knew I had major baggage but that stop her from wanting to go out with me again. All we did was talk about Elena and how clearly I'm still in love with her."

"So, " Bonnie began, "What's your relationship to this helpful woman now? Since she's one closer to you getting your wife back."

"Oh," Stefan took a bite from the steak and commented, "This is really dry or maybe it's because I have a sensitive tongue. You didn't make this, did you, Bonnie?"

The bronze-skinned woman noticed how quickly he changed the conversation and pointed at her husband who was sitting right beside her. Damon wordlessly cursed at her. The one night he makes dinner he got ridiculed. Stefan coughed and washed it down with his glass of wine.

"So, baby bro, like Bonnie said who's the lovely lady?"

"Her name is Ivy and we may or not be having casual sex."

"I could slap you right now," Bonnie said, glaring at Stefan.

"You know what? I wouldn't blame you."

"Come one, Bonnie don't get too hasty the man's deprived!"

"Hornyness does not give you the liberty to spread some pretty little thing's legs who is not your wife," She looked at Stefan accusingly, "The one you said you're still in love with."

"They're separated!" Damon interjected. Bonnie didn't know whose side he was really on and squinted at him trying to see where the hell his head was at.

"Look, Ivy knows that we're both completely and utterly disposable to one another. She's in on me getting Elena back."

"Sure, but you do realize sex isn't just sex for women they want more and your last name exemplifies the exact meaning of more."

"You talk like you know from first-hand experience," Damon said to his wife.

"I know more than you think, silly husband," She lightly tapped his face and kissed his forehead. Damon grumbled and accepted her slight taunts towards him. She just didn't want him thinking anything too out the of the box. Bonnie sighed and turned to Stefan, "You have to completely promise me this thing you have with this Ivy girl is merely you being a weak and predictable man not being able to abstain."

"I promise," Stefan said.

"Okay, I will take your word for it and will not say anything to Elena about it."

"Just like that," Damon uttered in an incredulous state. Those two were thick as thieves, he couldn't believe his eyes or his ears witnessing before him. Bonnie looked blankly at him and looked at Stefan and then back at her husband. She knew Stefan first and he was like a little brother to her, their bond was very overlooked. Damon's disbelief turned into a shocked gleeful outlook. Bonnie ironically was keeping her brother-in-law's other relationship a secret for love. In court she did way more morally grey things to win cases, this was child's play.

"I think you should make your stride again for Elena's heart at the Mikaelson wedding next month."

"I was thinking that too," Stefan said, agreeing with the woman of the house as the three of them discussed details.

7 AND A HALF YEARS AGO, DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

Damon held his then girlfriend's eyes over with his hands as he led her across the busy Grand Avenue. He looked up at his - no, their new home. She giggled and bit her lip in excitement. She could sense they were headed on an elevator. Bonnie could smell the new apartment smell from where she was standing as her platform heels stepped onto their floor. Damon still had his hands over her eyes.

"Damon you can ruin the surprise now," she said.

He opened the door and told her to open her eyes. Bonnie marveled at the apartment's decor. She wasn't sure if it came like this or her boyfriend put the time and effort to actually semi-design their new place. Everything was top of the line. They were an array of her favorite warm colors and even a Keurig machine on the counter for whenever she was on a morning rush and needed it.

She turned to him with tears in her eyes, "This is ours?"

"It's yours," Damon said in a nonchalant tone and walked over to her, placing his hands on her back. "But yeah it could be ours."

"Oh my God," Bonnie looked around, "How can you even afford this? I mean you said your parents were-"

"They've lessened their iron fist since I decided I want to work for the company."

"Damon-"

He placed a finger to her lips effectively shutting her up about his unwavering parents. "Enough about them, check out what I got you, baby!" He turned her around and she looked at the apartment once again. She'd already fallen in love with it despite it may coming out his parent's bank account. Bonnie went to go sit on the kitchen counter and rubbed her palm against the marble surface.

"You know this place is gonna be very high maintenance," The young college student told him while kicking a heel off her tired feet, and then another. It suddenly got hotter in the room, perhaps the AC had given out at that moment. Damon walked over to her putting his hands on her thighs, squeezing them when appropriate.

"Well, I'm going to have to deal with maintaining," Damon had his hands on her ass, "All of it."

"Oh, are you?" Bonnie whispered. "Well, I'd like to see how you do so."

They kissed feverishly on the counter and the rest was history.

..

It had been a great six months for Bonnie and Damon until a responsibility came knocking on their door at 3 o'clock. Bonnie had already graduated, top of her class, so now she was swamped with filling out applications. She had Damon's support through everything and that kept her faith alive. Their doorbell wouldn't stop ringing. Bonnie groaned and tugged at Damon.

It was his turn to groan as he had to leave his comfortable bed. Even though she told him to get up, Bonnie still sat up and had her back against the headboard listening for whoever would be brave enough to come to their place this early in the morning. Damon was still wiping at his eyes when he saw his younger brother with a bag and with tears in his eyes.

"What the hell, Stefan?" He closed the door behind them. "I don't know how you found my address."

"They kicked me out, I did something really messed up."

Damon didn't have time for sob stories. He simply walked to the fridge and poured himself a glass of milk while his younger sibling stood in the living room teary-eyed. "Well, while that's unfortunate brother you can't stay here."

"Mom and Dad said you're my last hope. You have to help me, Damon they'll send me away. Listen, I have six more months until I'm legal and you guys won't have to hear about my shit anymore. I'll be out your hair promise," Stefan pleaded his case.

The older brother shrugged, unfazed and drank his milk. "You're almost an adult, your personality and flaws have been cemented for a long time now. Nothing I can do. What do you want, money? Name your price."

Without a word exchanged, Damon went to get his checkbook. Stefan just stood there blankly, his own brother was two seconds from kicking him out. He did everything to garner sympathy. Damon of all people should know how stern their parents were. Personally, the raven-haired male had much going for him - a steady job and committed girlfriend. His shaky brother would ruin all of that.

"Hey, babe have you seen my checkbook?" He asked and then looked at his girlfriend who looked displeased with the way he was acting. Bonnie may have been a petite 5'0 but her looks right now could kill him twice over putting him 12 feet in the grave. The short female stood with her arms crossed in her black pajamas and scarf. She shut their shared bedroom closed.

"That boy is lost and needs guidance, he's begging for it and here you are denying him of it."

"Guidance? At his age, I wanted it too but Giuseppe and Lily were too focused on their angelic little Stefan hoping he wouldn't turn out as devious as me. Well, guess what, Bonnie? He did! It backfired and in some fucked up the way I win. He's going."

Bonnie stopped her boyfriend from walking out of the room.

"No, nobody wins and this will devastate him, his only family turning against him. You'll feel bad too," She reached out to touch his face, brushing his cheek. Bonnie pleaded with her green eyes, she knew the family was important and expected the same energy if one of her Bennett kinfolks came to their doorstep with a problem. Damon knew one thing, his brother was residing at a serene and quiet home whether he liked it or not.