Author's Note: It has been a while and I've had to go back a re-read this fic from the beginning as it and my other Bamon Fic 'Amends' could cause me to cross-contaminate the stories, lol. This is not a long chapter but good enough to move the story along, and get my muse to writing on it more. I hope this all flows well when you read it. Also, I sincerely hope that if you read it you will review it. Thank you!


"So glad you could grace us with your presence, Ms. Bennett," Damon said sarcastically when Bonnie entered the kitchen, where he, Stefan, and Lexi were already seated at the table eating dinner. Stefan and Lexi tossed her a smile in greeting which she returned as she sat down at the table, nestled in between Damon's spot and where Lexi was seated. She had only been a couple of minutes behind them, but still, Damon was growing impatient with waiting and was about to head upstairs to get her.

"Sorry, I was working on the spell I got from Dru," Bonnie glanced at Damon as she picked up her spoon and began to eat the soup he had made. "It's really rather basic but still impressive that Dru was able to make it work, given she's still a novice to the craft. I've been playing around with it and I think I've been able to tweak it a bit to add on some enhancements to it."

"Well, I hope you're not planning to undo the spell, Bonnie. I know the idea of living forever has always kind of freaked you out, but I rather like the idea of you being immortal with me," Damon said and his words made Bonnie look at him with a smile on her face.

"Wait, what?" Stefan spoke out as he looked at Damon and then over to Bonnie, "Bonnie, you're immortal?"

"Yep, courtesy of Dru," Damon was the one to respond. "She tied Bonnie's life to mine, so now she's immortal like me, but not a vampire."

"And it's ironclad, I couldn't make any counterspells to undo it," Bonnie frowned a little as she thought about that, "I don't know if Dru did that intentionally or if it happened accidentally due to her inexperience."

"Oh, I get the impression that she knows exactly what she's doing, and she's not as innocent about things as she lets on," Damon tossed out.

"Damon, what exactly are you talking about?" Lexi questioned as she sent confusing eyes over to Damon.

"Bonnie's witchy cousin, Drucilla," He started to explain. "You know, the girl who stopped by earlier."

"Technically, she's not my cousin," Bonnie tossed in.

"Yeah, yeah, potato, patato," Damon huffed out as he waved her off, "She's a witch and definitely a Bennett because only you Bennett witches can work my nerves the way you do. Also, do you have any unattractive female relatives, or is it some kind of spell that makes you all so good-looking?" He asked as he scowled up a little and cast his eyes onto Bonnie, who giggled and smiled sweetly at him.

"Uhm, Damon, are you feeling, okay?" Stefan asked him.

"I feel fine little brother," He answered with a chuckle. "I know once upon a time 'I' would have never given such a compliment to any Bennett witch. Leave it to me to actually go against my nature and fall for one of them, but that's what has happened," He proclaimed as he shot a wink at Bonnie who sat smiling at him and looked quite amused.

"Damon, you falling for Bonnie happened a very long time ago, way back when we were all alive in our old world. We all noticed it, even Elena did. Hell, me, Caroline, and Alaric had a bet running on how long it would take you to realize it," Stefan said and Bonnie looked at him intrigued as Damon just looked annoyed. "What I'm concerned about is why you've been carrying on a conversation with yourself for the past 5 minutes," At this Damon's brow furrowed in confusion as he stared across at his brother until Bonnie's giggles captured his attention.

"Sorry," She spoke out around her giddiness. "That's my fault, he was actually replying to me," Bonnie said.

"But you haven't said a word since you sat down," Lexi stated as she smiled over at Bonnie.

"I actually have, but only to Damon, telepathically."

"Say what now?" Damon chimed in his interest peaked.

"One of the tweaks I mentioned I did to the spell. I wasn't sure it would even work, but thought I would test it now."

"Oh, that's neat," Lexi said excitedly as Bonnie nodded in agreement a wide smile on her face. "Does it work both ways?" She inquired and Bonnie was about to ask Damon to try but the words died on her lips as she locked her eyes to his. They all sat in silence for a moment with Bonnie and Damon looking at each other, while both Stefan and Lexi look back and forth between the two. Finally, Bonnie averted her eyes down to her bowl as she coyly bowed her head a bit, while Damon smirked as he reached for one of the dinner rolls housed in the basket in the middle of the table. "Well, I'll take that as a yes," Lexi said as she took in the way Damon leered over at Bonnie and the way Bonnie blushed and couldn't meet anyone's eyes. She didn't need much imagination to determine that Damon had said something sexually charged to Bonnie.

"Any other perks besides telepathy?" Stefan asked mostly to stifle the sexual tension that now rested in between Bonnie and Damon, which he could tell had embarrassed Bonnie a lot. She looked over at him gratefully as she replied.

"There was one other thing," She spoke. "I wondered if it was just a one-way kind of bond. You know, was it just me siphoning from Damon's vampire life or if he could siphon from my human life as well."

"I don't think I like the sound of that, Bon-Bon," Damon interrupted.

"It's all right, it won't hurt me," She assured. "It will either work or it won't. Vivus!" She chanted out and she watched Damon intensely. He stared back at her and was about to ask her what was supposed to happen when it finally did, and he noticed the loud pounding in his head.

"Whoa…" He scrambled up from his seat and stood back a bit from the table. Bonnie leaped up and moved to him as Stefan and Lexi also stood and stared on in concern.

"Okay, what's happening now, Damon?" Stefan asked in concern for his brother.

"My heart," Damon replied as he placed his right hand against his chest. "It's beating."

"Oh my God, it actually worked," Bonnie spoke in elation as she now stood before Damon, whose eyes and face held surprise, joy, and fear all at once.

"Wait, did you just bring Damon back to life?" Lexi asked.

"No, Dru's spell tied my life to his," Bonnie began to explain. "I just made it reciprocal," She then placed her hand upon his chest and used her other hand to grasp Damon's hand, which she placed against her chest. "See, the same heartbeat," She said softly to him as he looked at her with awe-filled, wet eyes. "And I bet you can even walk out in the sun now without needing your daylight ring." A huge smile spread around Damon's face as he reached down, scooped her up into a hug, and twirled her around a bit as they both laughed out in happiness.


A while later


She found him in the study which was not unusual given it was nearly the time they all retired to bed, which meant Damon would head to the study to have a nightcap of bourbon or whiskey. But tonight, Bonnie found him stretched out on the leather couch, with both hands placed upon his chest, as he gazed up at the ceiling.

"Heading up to bed?" He spoke out to her not moving an inch or even acknowledging her with his eyes.

"Yes, what about you?" She countered.

"Yeah, in a bit. I just want to lie here for a while, at least until this headache goes away," This had her taking steps to him as worry filled her.

"You have a headache?"

"Yeah, this vamp-human hybrid thing is gonna take some getting used to," At her confused gaze he continued. "I now have a human heart beating in my chest along with vampiric enhanced hearing, it's quite loud," He replied with a smile and she kneeled down beside him, and rested on her knees.

"Maybe I should close off the connection."

"No!" He interjected as he finally snapped his eyes to hers. "Please don't, I'm okay," He grasped one of her hands and rested it back to his chest. "It's not even as loud now as it was a couple of hours ago when you first connected our hearts. This is amazing Bonnie, this feeling. Being brought here as a vampire after being human for so many years, I knew it was going to be a hard transition and that I would miss being human. Now, I get to be a vamp-human hybrid. Forever young, dastardly handsome, and oh so sexy, plus get to still enjoy being human too," He spoke in a teasing manner but she could see the hint of tears in his eyes. "Thank you, Bonnie."

"You're welcome. Besides, why should I enjoy all the perks?" She said teasingly. He smirked at her as he released her hand and moved his hand to caress her cheek. He then moved the hand to her neck and carefully and slowly pull her down to him as he leaned up a bit to meet halfway. He then kissed her softly just for a second before he pulled back. He wanted to linger but knew that if he had deepened the kiss, it would have turned the innocent moment of gratitude into something lustful. He still managed to take her breath away and she literally had to shake her head a bit to clear the heady feeling, "I'm going to head up to bed now, I'll see you in the morning," Bonnie then stood up and made her way to the exit.

"Hey," Damon called out to her just as she was about to cross the threshold and she turned back to face him. "How about you and I go out into town tomorrow and explore. See how much is the same in this world compared to ours. Maybe we'll run into some familiar faces."

"Sure," She said with a smile as she thought it would be a fun adventure for them.

"Then, we can make an evening of it, grab dinner and a movie, maybe?" Bonnie arched one of her perfectly sculpted brows to this.

"Why Damon Salvatore, are you asking me out on a date?" She posed teasingly though inside she was squealing in excitement.

"Yes ma'am. Is that all right?" She nodded before she spoke again.

"Yes, it sounds like it'll be fun, and it's been a long time since I've had fun or gone on a date."

"Me too," Damon concurred as he thought on it. "And you can expect some serious wooing and spoilage from me, Missy."

"Damon, you don't have to do anything extravagant. I already know you better than anyone. I doubt you can do anything that will shock or impress me. Nor do you need to. You're already my best friend and I already love you."

"I know you love me, BB, but I plan to make you fall head over heels in love with me," He declared and she bowed her head a bit to this news because she didn't want him to see her eyes that would have told him that she just wasn't sure she'd ever allow her heart to be open to that again, not after Enzo. She had tried it with her husband James, and they had shared a great life together. And although she had a love for James and had stayed married to him for 35 years, their love had never felt as intensely or in her mind as epic as the love she had experienced in the couple of years she had spent with Enzo. She knew she had intense palpable sexual chemistry with Damon that she would admit rivaled what she had with Enzo, but she thought it was only on a physical level with Damon. Whereas, it had been both physical and spiritual with Enzo. She desired Damon there was no doubt about that, but being in lust was not the same thing as being in love. She still wasn't sure he was even capable of being in love, no matter how much he may proclaim it. "We'll head out around noon tomorrow, all right?' He stated and she nodded in agreement.

"Tomorrow at noon," Bonnie repeated and then turned and walked out.


The Next Day


"This was fun," Bonnie mumbled around the mouthful of cotton candy she had just bitten into. She and Damon had been in town for nearly four hours making their way through the crowded streets of this new Mystic Falls. "I know Dru said that time would be different here than in our own world, but this all looks and feels just like it did in our Mystic Falls, back in 2012-2013," She proclaimed and Damon had to nod in agreement as he recalled the time. "And this was always my favorite season growing up here … well, in 'our' Mystic Falls," She corrected. "Fall is when we had the carnivals, Farmer's Market Festival, Halloween parties."

"And a Masquerade Ball, too," Damon tossed on with his left arm casually draped over Bonnie's shoulder while he used his free hand to sip the drink he held.

"Oh, yes, and the ball," Bonnie replied excitedly. "Do you think they do that in this world too?" She spoke this as she glanced up at him. In reply, he pointed to the storefront window of one of the boutiques in town, which had a large banner that announced they had the latest ball dress in stock, just in time for the ball. "I'm starting to think this world and Mystic Falls is a lot like ours."

"So, what do you say, Miss. Bennett?" Damon spoke as he tugged her closer and looked down at her.

"About what?" She asked as she scowled up a little in confusion while she looked up at him.

"Will you accompany me to the Masquerade Ball?" He asked around a smile which widened as she smiled and coyly dropped her head.

"I'd really like that," She answered. "But I don't have a dress nor any funds to buy one. Which reminds me can we stop at a few places for job applications before we head back to the boarding house?" Damon's face now held a scowl of disapproval.

"We could, but why? I'm filthy rich in this world too remember?" He stated as she shook her head to what she knew he was about to say. "I will make a trust for you, give you half of everything I have so you never have to work, BB."

"No, Damon, I can't take your money."

"You make it sound like you'd be stealing it. I'm gifting it to you. I checked the several personal accounts in my name and believe me it's more than even my great-grandkids ten times over could ever spend."

"Wow, really?" Bonnie asked distracted by this claim.

"Yeah, apparently our family made its wealth in this world from striking oil all over the world. The biggest being in Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. We're multi-billionaires, Stefan and me. And the last living heirs to the entire Salvatore fortune."

"Lucky you, but I still can't accept money from you."

"Sure, you can," Damon replied as he rolled his eyes dramatically at her. "As I recall I left you several million when I died in our past life."

"Yes, and I donated it all to different charities," Bonnie countered.

"Whatever, look, Bon-Bon, the way I see it if you want to get technical about it, it's 'really' not my money either, right? And as far as I am concern it's my reward from being robbed of my true afterlife."

"An afterlife you were sure would entail you burning up in some hell dimension," Bonnie repeated what he had disclosed to her many times in their past life.

"True, all the more reason for me not to look this gift horse in the mouth, and you shouldn't either. We've been given a second chance to do our lives over. BB, we can do whatever we want and live out all the fantasies we couldn't or were too stupid to do in our other life. So, if I want to give you a couple of billion dollars, you should just say thank you and take it."

"Wait … a couple of billion?" Bonnie choked out as she stopped them in their steps and gawked up at him with shocked enlarged eyes.

"Yeah, and don't worry, the second after giving it to you one of the several oil companies Stefan and I own would have recouped it back and then some. So, trust me when I tell you it would be no hardship for me. Please, Bonnie," He spoke more softly and gently to her as he looked down into her eyes. "Please let us do this for you. I've already spoken with Stefan about it and he was the one who actually threw out the number. Because of us, you experienced so much loss and unhappiness in your last life. So, allow us this opportunity to at least make sure you'll have financial freedom in this new life," She stared at him for a moment, as she really thought about the offer and his words.

"Okay," She finally replied with a slight shrug.

"Really, you're going to take the money?" Damon replied with a smile of surprise.

"Yeah, like you said you can afford it and you're right, you Salvatore brothers owe me big time."

"Damn right we do," Damon agreed and he removed his arm from her shoulder and pulled his wallet from the jacket he wore. He then pulled out a couple of credit cards and bank cards and handed them to Bonnie, who took them with a baffled look on her face. The look quickly morphed into a stunned look as she held cards that already had her name engraved on them. "I set it all up yesterday. Put in a rush order to have the accounts and trust set up for you and the cards were overnighted and arrived this morning. All the banking and account paperwork is on your bedside table for you to read over later," He stated as he placed the wallet back inside the inner pocket of the jacket and once again draped his arms across Bonnie's shoulders and started moving them again.

"How did you know I was going to agree?" She questioned as she hurriedly zipped the cards inside the pocket of the denim jacket she'd borrowed from Lexi.

"I was actually expecting you to say no, and I had just planned to pay your way behind your back. I had everything set up just in case you surprised me. And I assure you I am quite shocked and surprised," She smiled up at him as they maneuvered their way through the bustling crowd that was enjoying the fair that was going on around them.

"Thank you. I'm not gonna lie, it's a huge relief to know that I won't have to worry about money in this new world, but don't think this means you have any kind of control over me. I'm not your 'kept woman' or anything like that, Damon."

"There are no strings attached to the money, BB, which is now legally yours anyway. And no, you're not my kept woman, not yet anyway, but that's the plan," He said lowly with a teasing wink, and she stopped them again.

"Oh no, if you think that you're going to dangle your money at me for sexual favors you can forget it, Damon," She hissed out in a near whisper as she scrambled to pull back out the cards he had just given her and push back at him.

"Bonnie, that would make you a prostitute, not a kept woman," Damon clarified and she frowned at him a little as she thought about it. "Being my 'kept woman' means being kept as my lover. Mine and only mine, and I think I've made it clear to you already that that is what I want," He spoke this while he arched his brow as the corners of his mouth twitched. He fought off the laughter that wanted out at seeing the embarrassed look on her face. He knew it would be foolhardy to laugh at Bonnie Bennett when she was being dead serious about something. That could end in him getting an aneurysm or being set on fire.

"Oh," She replied as she dropped her head a little in her embarrassment. "Yeah, well, we agreed we'd go slow in that department and see where things go, remember?" She replied as they started casually walking along side-by-side. At her words, Damon decided to keep his distance.

"I know," He responded through a heavy sigh. "And I've been a very good boy, haven't I?" He nearly grumbled out as he sipped at his drink, and Bonnie immediately took note of his sudden sour mood.

"Yes, Damon, you have been the perfect gentleman, and I really do appreciate you being so patient with me," She said as she leaned closer to him and nudged him gently in his side, and garnered a playful smirk from him.

"So, how about it, Bon-Bon, shall we go pick you out a dress for the ball?" He asked purposely changing the heavy subject of their 'will they, won't they' romance dilemma.

"What? No way," She exclaimed slightly. "You can't see the dress until the night of the ball."

"Aren't we supposed to coordinate or something?" Damon questioned. "How am I supposed to know how to decide on my own attire if I don't know what you're going to wear?"

"Easy, we'll decide on a theme and color scheme together, and then we'll go shop on our own for our own outfit. And then we'll meet up at the ball and try to find each other," She said excitedly as she thought of how mysterious, sexy, and fun it would all be. She giggled as Damon dramatically rolled his eyes at what she said because despite his antics she knew he would still do it for her.

Fine, whatever my lady wants," He said as he once again placed his arm around her shoulders and tugged her snuggly to his side as they walked along.

"Hi, guys!" A familiar and excited sounding voice called out and they both turned in unison to face the voice. "I thought that was you," Katherine Pierce spoke out as she stood before them looking healthy with no signs of the sickened and weak state she was in just hours before.

"Katherine," Bonnie greeted with a genuinely kind smile as Damon simply glanced at the girl before him in disinterest, before settling his eyes onto something else. "How are you feeling?"

"Please call me Kat, and I'm fine, thanks to you two," She replied as a huge smile graced her face. She quickly shot her eyes to Damon as he flicked his eyes upon her once more, and she coyly ducked her head and tucked a lock of her hair behind her right ear. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for saving my life."

"Repayment isn't wanted or warranted," Bonnie assured her. "We were happy to help you. I'm just thankful that we were able to get you what you needed."

"Yeah," Kat nodded in agreement. "Dru explained 'things' to me about who you really are … 'what' you are," She wearily eyed Damon again who in turn smirked and leered dangerously at her. He had forgotten how much he had enjoyed seeing and smelling the fear on humans when they discovered what he truly was. "It was a lot to take in."

"I'm sure it was, I know it was for me when I first learn about what I was and what he was," Bonnie said as she nodded her head towards Damon, and she noted the way Katherine coyly eyed Damon and again ducked her head a little. "But you don't have to worry, I mean, we're the friendly sort."

"She's the friendly sort, not me," Damon chimed in and Bonnie gaped at him in irritation as Katherine gaped at him in slight fear. "But I won't harm anyone unless they try to harm me or the people I love," He added on and Bonnie refrained from chastising him for she knew he was speaking his truth. It had been how vampire Damon was in their past life, and it had been how human Damon was too. It truly was his nature to protect himself and his loved ones by any means necessary and without apology.

"I can respect that, I'm the same way," Katherine replied as she nodded. "I have an older sister her name is Jenna," Both Bonnie and Damon shared a knowing glance. "And even though I'm younger than her by nearly 10 years, I'm fiercely protective of her. I'd kill anyone who tried to harm her, without hesitation or regret."

"Well, now, I do believe you and I will get along just fine Ms. Pierce," Damon said as he playfully bowed, and invoked a giggle from Katherine and an eye roll and slight frown from Bonnie.

"How is Enzo?" Bonnie tossed out suddenly and it was Damon's turn to frown and roll his eyes.

"Uhm, he's great," Katherine answered. "Oh, and he's also very grateful for how you two helped me. He's waiting back in my dorm room. He wanted to escort me out but I told him I was going dress shopping for the masquerade ball, and there is no way he was going to see my gown before the ball."

"That's what I was just saying to Damon," Bonnie said with a triumphant smile.

"You're going to the ball too?" Katherine asked excitedly. "Okay, that was a stupid question, sorry. I just remembered that Dru told me that you're a Salvatore," She looked at Damon head-on. "Your family was one of the founders of Mystic Falls, and they started the ball and the Salvatore Foundation hosts it every year. The newspaper said that this year it would be personally hosted by Stefan Salvatore. It's been the talk of the town as no one has seen a Salvatore in Mystic Falls in a long time. You're all the world traveling type they say," Damon gave nothing away as he smiled back at the girl who held the face of two women, he had loved for what seemed like forever. As he stood looking at her, he found himself pondering about what it was exactly he was so taken about. She was beautiful, no doubt, but not the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. And just based on outward beauty alone, she surely did not hold a candle to Bonnie, he thought as he moved his eyes to Bonnie's face. He frowned a little as he thought on it some more. "So, have you picked out your dress yet?" Katherine asked as she refocused onto Bonnie. Her words pulled Damon from his reverie.

"No, not yet," Bonnie replied.

"Well, if you wanted to, we could go shopping together. I was just heading to a couple of boutiques to see what they have and to look through their catalogs," Katherine offered.

"Yeah, I'd like that but…"

"Don't worry about me, Bon-Bon," Damon spoke out as he removed his arm from her shoulder and turned and started to step away. "Just come to the Grille, when you're done. I'll be there waiting," With that said he waved and blended into the crowd.

"Okay, Katherine-"

"Kat," Katherine corrected Bonnie with a friendly smile, one Bonnie matched.

"Right, Kat," Bonnie said. "So, which shop should we hit first at?"

"Uhm, well, do you have a budget you need to stay in? My dad has given me his platinum card and told me to get whatever I want and I plan to test him on that," She giggled as Bonnie smiled in kind.

"Money's no object for me," Bonnie stated as she took that moment to reflect on the fact that she was now a billionairess.

"Great, then let's hit the more expensive shops first," Katherine said with a smile as she stirred them across the street.


More to come ...