Stefan and Damon had been away for two months in Europe searching for anyone who might have answers to Alaric's death. Poor Meredith. Elena couldn't imagine what she has gone through these past months. She heard the door creaked open and slammed as someone entered the cozy home. Elena made her way hastily down the stairs and threw herself into her husband's arms. She never wanted to leave his arms again; two months was long enough. What made it worse this time than any other was the loss of Alaric. A thousands thoughts of 'what if' ran through her head. Over her love's shoulder she could see Damon, looking down with a hurt on his face.
Stefan kissed her cheek and let her down.
"So, how was your guy's flight," Elena asked as she moved towards Stefan's brother. She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek.
"So, how's my sister-in-law," Damon said as he reached to poke her sides.
"Stop it," she yelped while moving away from his arms. "I'm fine."
"Nothing weird happened while I was gone," Stefan asked.
"Just the usual sacrificial burnings and such," a voice said from the stairs. The trio looked up to where the voice had drifted. Bonnie stood at the top of the descent examining the scene very carefully. Her eyes landed on Damon and she quickly averted her gaze back to the happy couple. Damon lowered his eyes and nodded in comprehension.
"So," Bonnie continued, "any news about Alaric?"
"No. We located the place where he was murdered, but there was nothing there that would reveal anything significant," Damon replied. The whole time he did not take his eyes off the floor.
"It looks like he was looking for some kind of holy ground outside of Florence. It was a legend of some sort I suppose. Witches from that circle were burned at the stake in the old days."
"Oh, that's lovely." Bonnie rolled her eyes at the ignorance of people. She probably would have been burned back then too. "So, Stefan, what did this place look like?"
Damon responded instead.
"It was in the middle of a vineyard. There were stones laid in a perfect circle on the ground and in the middle..."
"There was a granite altar, although it did have some nice marble on the top. It also has words written in Latin I believe," Bonnie said. Stefan and Damon looked at each other with shocked looks on their faces.
"Bonnie had a vision of that same place," Elena said. "She said it got dark towards the end and she couldn't see anything, but she could hear chanting and screaming."
"Hmmm, interesting. Maybe the little witch will be of some use after all," Damon said sarcastically.
"Well gee, Damon, if you had something on your mind, why don't you just come out and say it!" Bonnie growled at him. The two looked at each, making the other couple in the room very uncomfortable.
"Alright, I will..." Damon said, standing up to his ex.
"No," Stefan stepped in and stopped the altercation. He addressed his brother first.
"That's enough. It's been two months, Damon." He then moved his gaze to the top of the stairs to Bonnie. "It's time you both move on and just learn to live with each other."
"Yeah, especially if you guys are both living here. I can't live with...," Elena professed before the elder of the Salvatore brothers chimed in.
"No need to worry yourself about that, dear sister. I'm getting a penthouse. I couldn't live here either, and I'm not going to burden you with that."
"Oh, really. Are you acting as the savior now? Do you think acting like your brother and saving Elena from seeing our fights will bring you and her closer? ," Bonnie said, with a devilish grin on her face.
Damon's almond eyes became slits as he looked up at his ex-lover.
"No, I wasn't thinking about that, Bon. And you can go to hell."
"You first," she replied back.
Damon growled at her before he opened the door and quickly exited the obviously too crowded home.
Bonnie remained at the top of the stairs, the echo of the door slamming still in her head. He was gone again, but this time he had left.
Elena and Stefan looked up at her with questioning eyes. She shielded herself more tightly; knowing well that Stefan could read her thoughts if she was not protected. She couldn't have him prying around inside her head. Not now.
When she had seen him at the bottom of the stairs, her heart skipped beats. He was absolutely gorgeous as usual. His ebony hair was a little longer than before and his eyes were still depthless. She had really wanted to run down the stairs and jump in his arms as Elena had done to Stefan. But she didn't. Instead she stood her ground and got into another fight. It was the same thing over and over again. Why couldn't they live together? It was a lost cause. For goddess' sake, they had only been in the room for two minutes together after two long months of being apart and they still managed to fight!
Oh, how she had longed to feel his skin and his arms around her. She wanted to watch his lips as he said 'I love you' like he had done so many times before. But it was not to be. It was over.
"Bonnie, I know it's hard, but we all have to get along," Elena said as she made her way up to console her friend. She put her arm around her and let Bonnie's head rest on her slender shoulder.
"I know, Elena. I'm over him, I really am."
"If you are, then why would you fight with him? Do you still consider him your friend at least?"
"After all we've been through and all we've shared together? Of course he's my friend…at least I want him to be."
"Then don't verbally attack him anymore, Bonnie. It's over. Start your friendship again."
"I verbally attacked him? What about…"
"Bonnie, I know how he is too! Don't put the blame on him and not yourself; you are just as guilty by pushing his buttons when you know exactly what pisses him off! I'm not scolding you alone. Stefan is going to talk to Damon. I'm not going to live like two separate people around you two."
Bonnie wanted to yell at Elena and tell her to shut up. But why? Was it because Elena was right? Bonnie did know how to piss Damon off; she used to jokingly do it all the time.
"Alright, Elena. I'll try and be nice around him again."
"That's all I ask, Bonnie. I love both of you too much to see you guys' fight like this. And I know that deep down there's still a love that both of you have."