A/N: Normally, I take the good reviews with the bad because constructive criticism is always welcome. Criticism is how an author improves. Moreover, I appreciate that all of you have continued to read this behemoth. However, someone recently accused me of lying about the endgame of this story. It is a peculiar thing to lie about since it is my story and I can choose any pairing that suits my fancy. Therefore, I am going to address this for the last time. This is a Bamon story. Bamon is endgame. Bonnie is dating Tyler as part of her maturation process. Up to this point her only relationship has been with Damon and he spent the entire time cheating on her. Bonnie deserves to explore life and that is going to happen. The good news is that their marriage has been burned to the ground (which was always my plan). Now they can try building a friendship. The friendship will lead to a reconciliation where there is trust and honesty.

Now I have received some reasonable criticism on pacing. I am working on the outline to see if I can streamline the story so that it can move faster. It is an ongoing process but I hope to improve with each chapter.

Bonnie was furious after her encounter with Damon outside the church, but she refused to let him ruin her holiday plans. For the first time since she was a toddler, she would be spending Christmas with both of her parents. Six months ago, she could not have imagined Abby and Rudy being in the same room without fighting. They were behaving civilly towards each other for Bonnie's benefit. The sacrifices that parents made for their children were truly amazing. However, Bonnie was not her parents' sole focus. They were both eager to ensure that Sarah had an amazing Christmas, too.

Sarah was weathering the massive changes in her life admirably. While she obviously missed her father, she was adjusting well to living at Abby's house. She spent her days playing with Cooper and being spoiled rotten by her grandparents. Christmas was such a large production for the Salvatore family. Bonnie was desperate to ensure that Sarah did not miss a single second of the pomp and circumstance. Fortunately, Abby practically turned into Martha Stewart during the holidays. She had filled every nook and cranny of the two-story home with Christmas decorations. The children were probably most enamored with the elevated train set that wrapped around the massive Christmas tree.

On Christmas Eve, Abby had hosted a dinner party at her house. Their cousins from Milazzo attended the party. The Lockwood and Donovan families had joined them, too. Last night had been so much fun, but Christmas morning was a more intimate affair. Bonnie, Abby, and Lucy stayed up most of the night playing the roles of Santa Claus and his elves. Abby had even revived one of her grandmother's Christmas traditions. She placed Christmas stockings at the foot of each child's bed. Abby filled the stockings with small toys, chocolate, nuts, and oranges. Then the women spent the rest of the night assembling the larger gifts that had been hidden from view in the days leading up to Christmas. Rudy even showed up before sunrise to lend a helping hand.

When the kids finally woke up, the living room was overflowing with gifts. It was also covered in fake snow. The kids were awestruck by the winter wonderland. Even Jamie, who had stopped believing in Santa Claus years ago, had a permanent grin on his face. The children had torn through their gifts like little Tasmanian devils. Their hyperactivity was probably bolstered because they had eaten their weight in chocolate by 9 o'clock in the morning. However, none of the women could find it in her heart to be annoyed by the raucousness. Instead, the adults quietly exchanged gifts and watched the children enjoy themselves.

The morning's festivities concluded with a veritable smorgasbord prepared by Abby and Rudy. Everyone lounged around the living room while grazing on the brunch spread and watching Christmas movies. However, around noon Bonnie had to start getting Sarah ready so that she could spend the rest of day with the Salvatore family. They spent most of the time choosing which of her new toys she would take with her. Bonnie had already packed the Disney princess costumes that Rudy had bought for his granddaughter. In hindsight, she probably should have put a limit on what Sarah could take with her. Bonnie just didn't have the heart to tell her little girl no. In all, Sarah packed four bags to take on an overnight trip—she was her mother's daughter.

The young woman was genuinely surprised when Damon adhered to their agreement and allowed Rose to pick up Sarah. Bonnie's only complaint was that her estranged husband had used his friend as a courier service, too. Rose turned up with no less than ten gifts for Bonnie. On a scale of one to ten, it wasn't the worst thing he had ever done. However, the move annoyed Bonnie. She meant it when she told Damon that she didn't want anything from him. She certainly had no interest in gifts that his friend/assistant purchased for her. Bonnie resisted the urge to return the gifts to him out of spite. If Damon was trying to be civil then she could do the same. She would just toss the unwanted gifts in the back of her closet as she had every Christmas since they were married.

Bonnie spent the rest of the afternoon with her family. She had a great time, but Sarah was never far from her mind. They had only been apart for a few hours but already she missed her little girl. Bonnie was happy that Damon wanted to be an active part of their daughter's life. Sarah deserved nothing but the best from both of them. Moreover, Bonnie knew how 'daddy issues' could cause a host of problems in a young person's life. Rudy's absence from her childhood was the cause of many emotional issues that Bonnie had never addressed. Meanwhile, Damon was damn near an emotional cripple because of his old man. She hoped that she and Damon could prevent history from repeating for their daughter.

Around six o'clock, Lucy agreed to drive Bonnie over to the beach house. Tyler had already been there for a few hours preparing for their date. Bonnie didn't want him to put his preparations on hold just to pick her up. Besides, she hoped to overcome her jitters during the short drive to the beach house.

She wondered what he had planned for their first date. Bonnie was both nervous and excited for the night ahead. She had changed her outfit a half dozen times before settling a simple red shift dress. Bonnie didn't want to overdo it when they were staying in for the night.

Bonnie climbed into the passenger side of the SUV and tossed an overnight bag onto the backseat. She said, "Thanks for agreeing to drive me over there, Luce. I haven't had a reason to get my car from the Manor since Matt and Tyler have been driving me everywhere."

Lucy pulled away from Abby's house and said, "It's no big deal, little cuz. I am running you over there for my own selfish reasons."

Bonnie flipped down the visor and gave her makeup a once over. She asked, "How do you mean?"

"I want juicy details first thing in the morning. We can compare notes between Brady and Tyler," she explained with a salacious grin.

Bonnie made a sound of disgust. Brady was hot but she didn't think of him that way. She certainly didn't want details about her older cousin's sex life. She shook her head and scolded Lucy, "We are definitely not doing that."

"Don't be such a stick in the mud. It isn't as if you have a wealth of experience to use as a watermark. You don't want to get sucked into a relationship with someone that is a bad screw—trust me. I might have put up with Jonas' kids hating me if he wasn't absolute trash in bed," she admitted.

The younger girl huffed out a surprised laugh. "Lucy!"

"What? I am just trying to share my years of wisdom with you, Bon," she replied with a grin.

She rolled her eyes in amused exasperation. "Sex isn't everything. Tyler checks off every other box on my list. I'll take a man that respects and loves me over 'good sex' any day of the week."

Lucy cut her eyes at the girl and said, "See that is some shit a woman says when she has never had good dick. I would have thought that Damon's game would be better since he's been whoring around half his life."

"I didn't say that he was bad. It just…isn't very important to me," she explained.

The older woman's expression sobered. "All jokes aside, I have wanted to have a conversation with you for the last couple days. I just didn't really know how to broach the subject. The last thing you need is anyone telling you how to live your life right now. However, I would be a bad cousin if I didn't warn you about what is on the horizon."

Bonnie understood her cousin's apprehension. All her life other people had been making decisions for her with varying degrees of success. Now that she was in control of her own life, Bonnie wasn't eager to relinquish that control again. However, she was wise enough to understand the value of keeping an open mind. She had taken Tyler's counsel on how to handle Klaus. Moreover, she often leaned on Richard for guidance. He had decades of experience and wisdom that he often used to advise her.

Bonnie said, "I am always willing to listen to advice from those with more experience or a different perspective than I have, Luce. I am not going to reject what you have to say without considering it. I am certainly not going to bite your head off when you are only trying to look out for me. What's on your mind?"

Lucy relaxed when she realized that her fears had been unfounded. Somehow, Bonnie managed to be more mature than Lucy had been at the same age. She had rebelled hard and fast against the rules her family tried to place on her. It led to some unfortunate mistakes and a lengthy stay in rehab. She was happy that Bonnie seemed destined to avoid some of her pitfalls.

"I talked to my granny last night to wish her a Merry Christmas. She reiterated something that I already knew to be true. Uncle Johnny is in favor of your relationship with Tyler. However, I am sure that you understand his enthusiasm is about more than just your happiness. He plans to use what Giuseppe did to you to leverage Damon into allowing Richard and his family to leave the Salvatore organization."

She took a deep breath and asked, "He wants them to be aligned with our organization—publically?"

Lucy nodded. "You will lose some of the influence you have over the Salvatore organization but it is a smart move to free your best people from the Salvatore organization."

The younger girl frowned but nodded in understanding. She had expected nothing less from Big John. He loved Bonnie and wanted her to be happy. He had been against her marriage to Damon from the beginning. Then again, he wasn't exactly fond of the Salvatore family. He always thought that the Salvatore family was beneath them. He had fought valiantly with Sheila in the days following her terminal cancer diagnosis. John believed that arranging a marriage between Bonnie and his grandson, Cristian, was the best solution. It would have reunited the Benedetto family for the first time in more than eighty years. In his desperation, Big John even suggested a union between Bonnie and Tyler. The Loiacono family was a stout bunch of loyal soldiers. Their numbers were large in Milazzo. Big John had believed that they could force the Salvatore operation out of Milazzo completely if Bonnie and Tyler married. Unfortunately, Sheila insisted on completing her mother's plan to take everything that belonged to the Salvatore family.

"I appreciate you warning me about Uncle Johnny's ambitions but you do not need to worry. I just got out of a bad marriage that someone else arranged for me. I do not intend to let anyone else badger or cajole me into another one. I am dating Tyler because I love him. I always have and I always will. Maybe Tyler and I will learn that we are soul mates. There is also a chance that we were only ever meant to be best friends. Either way, Tyler and I will make that determination without anyone's interference. We owe that much to each other."

Lucy felt a sense of relief knowing that Bonnie wasn't walking into this situation blind. Her grandmother had been of the same mindset when she shared the information with her. Bonnie had done enough sacrificing for their family.

She said, "You know Uncle Johnny would never try to force into marrying Tyler. However, he will probably try to appeal to your sense of duty. Getting the Loiaconos from under the thumb of the Salvatore family is tantalizing."

"Oh, I agree. I am actually in favor of Uncle Johnny leveraging Damon for their freedom. I hate that Uncle Richie is so shackled by having to move in the shadows. Of course, I will discuss it with him first. This is not a decision I can make for him. The Loiacono and Salvatore families have a long history. However, none of that hinges on whether or not I am in a relationship with Tyler."

The older woman grinned. "Okay then, boss."

She laughed and said, "Don't call me that."

"It is what you are and I am proud to be working for you, little cuz."

"Thanks," Bonnie said.

Lucy smirked and said, "Now that the serious stuff is out of the way, tell me you packed some lingerie in that overnight bag."

She huffed out a laugh and said, "Yes, I packed this baby doll nightie made of blue lace. It is cute. Gemma went with me the other day to buy it. I had no clue what to get. I've never bought lingerie before."

"Oh, baby girl, I didn't even think about that but the baby doll nightie sounds cute. Anyway, I trust Gemma's judgment because she knows her way around lingerie. She has done the honey pot thing enough times for the family. I am going to take you shopping for more lingerie soon. There is just no substitute for making a man's jaw drop when you walk into the bedroom. It is the ultimate confidence booster. Trust me."

"I don't know about making his jaw drop," Bonnie stammered.

She chuckled and asked, "Are you blushing?"

"Shut up. I am worried enough about doing the seduction thing," the girl confessed.

Lucy pulled into the driveway and put the car park. She said, "I am just picking with you. There is no need for you to be nervous. I see the way Tyler looks at you. You could walk into the bedroom with a paper bag on and he would lose his damn mind."

Bonnie sincerely hoped that her cousin was right. She really wanted tonight to be a success. Fortunately, her standards were low. Bonnie would consider the night a success if she didn't embarrass the hell out of herself. She said, "Thanks for the ride and the pep talk, Luce."

She reached into the back seat and grabbed Bonnie's overnight bag. "You are welcome. I love you. Have a good night."

"I will try. I love you, too," Bonnie said as she climbed out of the car.

The girl walked up to the beach house and unlocked the front door. She heard loud music playing in the kitchen. Her mouth started watering the moment she walked into the house. Bonnie didn't know what Tyler decided to cook but it smelled delicious. She locked the door behind her and stopped at the digital panel to set the alarm.

She dropped her bag and purse in the living room before walking into the kitchen. Her eyes skimmed over all the pots and pans littering the counters. Tyler had made quite a mess while trying to cook dinner. She took a moment to watch Tyler stirring some sort of sauce. He was dressed simply in a pair of dark denim jeans and a black shirt. She felt better about the dress she chose for the night. Despite this being their date night, he had a gun holstered on his hip-always prepared. She called out, "Hey."

Tyler smiled and lowered the volume of his music when he heard her. He walked over to Bonnie and pulled her into a warm hug. "Merry Christmas, Bon. You look beautiful."

Bonnie's green eyes moved down to admire the way the black Henley stretched across his broad chest and muscular arms. "You look good, too. How did you manage to keep that shirt so clean while you were cooking?"

He admitted, "I might have changed a couple minutes ago. Dinner is ready to serve. I was just keeping everything warm while I waited for you to arrive."

"Where are we having dinner?" she asked.

Tyler pecked her lips and said, "You can go sit down in the dining room. I will bring everything in there."

Bonnie tried to peer around his broad frame to get a look at what he had prepared for their meal. However, Tyler turned his body to block her. She asked, "Are you sure that you don't need my help with anything?"

He chuckled and patted her on the butt. "I am positive that I don't need your help with anything, Bon. You just go have a seat and I will be there soon."

Bonnie laughed softly and reluctantly pulled away from his embrace. She left the kitchen and walked into the scarcely used dining room. The room's decoration left her speechless. It felt as if she had stepped into a field of flowers. Nearly every available surface was covered in intricately designed floral arrangements. However, instead of bouquets of random flowers, each arrangement featured white calla lilies, red carnations, and jasmine. A centerpiece composed of orchids sat in the middle of the Queen Anne style dining table. There were two place settings on the massive black lacquer table. However, candles and the centerpiece made it feel more intimate.

She bit her lip in an effort to suppress the giddy feeling taking over her. Bonnie shouldn't have been surprised that Tyler knew her favorite flower. He had always been considerate. However, it was still greatly appreciated. Bonnie slowly sat down at the table and eyed the bottle of sparkling cider chilling in a silver bucket.

Tyler walked into the room with a couple serving dishes.

Bonnie said, "This room looks so beautiful, Ty. I can't believe that you did this for me."

He kissed her cheek and asked, "I did a good job?"

She nodded. "It took my breath away."

Tyler plucked a jasmine blossom from one of the arrangements and tucked it behind Bonnie's ear. "I know the feeling…"

Her heart began to beat faster when he caressed her cheek.

"I will be right back and then we can start eating," he promised.

Bonnie surveyed the food with a grin. Tyler had gone old school for the dishes he prepared this evening. One of the many things that the Benedetto and Loiacono families had in common was their seafaring roots. Once upon a time, their ancestors had been fishermen. Therefore, most of their families' oldest recipes contained seafood. It was actually true for many Sicilian families. However, the Benedetto and Loiacono families hadn't lost that connection even after living in America for well over one hundred years.

He returned a few minutes later with the last of the food and then sat beside Bonnie. "You don't need to worry. I talked to Ailene first and made sure that all of this stuff was safe for you to eat."

She leaned over and kissed him without warning.

Afterwards he pulled back with a smile. "What was that for?"

"Dinner…"

He chuckled and said, "You haven't even tried it yet."

She said, "I don't care. This is all amazing. Thank you, Ty."

Tyler cradled Bonnie's face and kissed her again. "You're welcome. Now let's eat because I am starving."

"Me, too," she agreed.

Tyler wasted no time piling food on his plate. He filled Bonnie's glass with sparkling cider. He settled on a bottle of beer.

Bonnie's eyes flitted between the different dishes on offer. She didn't know what to choose first. Finally, she decided to just get a little of everything. Bonnie started eating and she wasn't disappointed. The meal tasted as good as it smelled.

"This is amazing, Ty," Bonnie complimented.

"Thank you."

"Did you have any help?" she asked skeptically.

He chuckled and said, "Maybe just a little. Lexi actually made dessert for us and I pinched the recipes from Nonna. But I cooked the meal on my own."

"I am impressed. What's for dessert?" she asked curiously. Bonnie had a notorious sweet tooth.

"Lexi baked almond cookies and made Bacione di Taormina," he said.

Bonnie gave an involuntary moan. "That sounds heavenly. I kinda want to skip dinner and go straight for dessert."

Tyler grinned at her. "Me, too."

She bit her lip in response to the innuendo.

The young couple focused on eating dinner with only light conversation about the food. Neither would admit it aloud but they were both nervous.

When they finished eating dinner, Tyler asked, "Do you want to eat dessert in the living room?"

"Sure. We'd probably be more comfortable in there."

He kissed her cheek. "I will clean up in here and meet you in the living room."

Bonnie decided not to offer her help. She knew that Tyler would not accept it. He seemed set on spoiling her tonight and she loved it. "Okay."

She walked out of the dining room and grabbed her overnight bag. She had stashed Tyler's Christmas gift in it. Afterwards, she walked over to the couch and kicked off her heels. She curled up in the corner of the couch and waited for Tyler.

He emerged from the kitchen sometime later with a large tray. The tray contained both dessert options and two mugs of hot chocolate. He placed it on the coffee table before sitting beside Bonnie.

The girl wasted no time swiping several almond cookies to dunk into her hot chocolate. She sighed happily. "Remind me to thank Lexi for baking these."

Tyler chuckled. He got comfortable on the couch and said, "You've got it. How has your Christmas been so far?"

He hated that they had to spend a portion of the day apart. However, they both had commitments to honor with their respective families. Besides, they had spent Christmas Eve together. Tyler couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun.

"It was great. I had such a good time with the kids this morning. You should have seen them riding their bikes around the neighborhood. I even got some good video of Jamie trying to teach Sarah to ride her bike without training wheels."

He smiled. "That's great, Bon. Maybe you can show me the video later."

"Sure," she replied.

"How was it having your parents in the same house for Christmas morning?"

The green-eyed girl explained, "Well, I have always spent Christmas with my mom. She was there every year even if she was touring with a band. It was strange having my dad there this morning but nice. I really enjoyed spending time with him. They really made an effort to be civil. I know there is still bad blood between them but they put it aside for me. I am grateful."

Tyler said, "That is great, Bon. I am glad that you got to spend Christmas with your family."

"How was your Christmas?" she asked.

He chuckled and said, "It was crowded as fuck but fun. We played basketball in the backyard after the kids opened their presents."

"Who won?" the girl asked curiously. Bonnie had witnessed the competitive nature that the Lockwood men seemed to possess.

"Depends on who you ask," he replied with a smile. "My old man hard fouled me on the way to the basket. My mom called the game early and declared my team the winner of the game."

She laughed softly and shook her head. "Mama's boy…"

"Guilty as charged. She owed me anyway for acting as a buffer between her and Kelly. Navigating around them was like walking through a mind field. They hate each other and I have no idea why."

Bonnie laughed and shook her head. "My mom said they've been like that for as long as she can remember. Knowing Kelly's reputation it is probably about a man."

"Probably…"

She winced, "Don't tell Matt that I said that."

He laughed. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Did you get anything good for Christmas?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. Mom and Dad bought a bigger TV for my media room. It is humongous but Mom paid extra for someone to install it for me. They're coming next week. Just in time for the start of the playoffs."

Bonnie said, "That's cool."

"What about you? I am sure Abby went overboard for you this year," he said.

She laughed and nodded. "You have no idea. Most of it was for the babies but she bought a ton of clothes for me, too. And shoes…lots of shoes that are gorgeous but will hurt my swollen ankles."

"Sexy swollen ankles," he replied with a smirk.

Bonnie grinned and shook her head. "You are ridiculous."

"I'm serious. It'll give me the opportunity to massage your feet and ankles. You said yourself that I have a foot fetish."

Her eyes widened comically. "I said that as a joke! Do you really have a foot fetish?"

Tyler chuckled. He leaned forward and kissed her. "No, I don't have a foot fetish. I just wanted to see your face. It was worth it."

She lightly hit his arm. "Don't make fun of me."

"I would never," he murmured before kissing her again.

Bonnie let out a quiet moan that surprised even her. She pulled back sheepishly.

Tyler knew when to pick on Bonnie and when it was a bad idea. He asked, "Do you want to exchange gifts now?"

She nodded. "Sure…"

Tyler reached behind the couch and picked up a large silver box topped with a red bow.

Bonnie clutched the brown envelope that contained Tyler's gift. She hoped that he would like what she bought for him. However, seeing the large gift meant for her was giving her second thoughts. She said, "It is almost too beautiful to open, Ty."

He chuckled and said, "Well, you just have to pop the top off it. You don't even have to rip the paper."

She handed Tyler the envelope after he placed her gift on the coffee table. "You should go first."

Tyler lifted an eyebrow but went along with her request. He opened the envelope and flipped through the contents. Tyler looked at Bonnie in shock. "This is amazing, Bon. Thank you."

"Really? You don't think it is a stupid or impersonal?" she asked nervously.

He pulled Bonnie onto his lap and said, "It is neither of those things, Bon. I love this. We're not even going to talk about how much it costs to rent a suite for the Super Bowl. I am assuming that we are going to the game together, right?"

She laughed and nodded. "Well, I was hoping that you would take me but..."

He glanced at the paper in front of him and said, "The suite comes with 20 tickets. I am sure that I can save one for you."

"You are incredibly benevolent," she joked.

Tyler said, "There is no one I want to be there with more than you, Bon. I guess we can take a few members of our annoying families. Brady might actually kill me if I don't invite him."

She laughed. "No, he would definitely kill you."

He shook his head. "Now I am worried that my gift isn't good enough."

"I'm sure that it is great, Ty. I'm going to love it because it is from you," she promised.

Bonnie lifted the top off the box and removed the tissue paper. Her eyes fell onto the 20 X 24 sterling silver picture frame first. It took a moment for her to recognize the black and white picture. Bonnie's fingers slid across the glass reverently.

Tyler became concerned when he saw tears welling up in Bonnie's eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it would upset you."

"No, I'm not upset. I love this, Ty. I honestly can't think of a better gift," she whispered in a shaky voice.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Bonnie looked up at him with watery eyes and nodded. "I am positive. It is beautiful. How did you find this?"

"I came across this picture a few months ago. I was helping my grandmother organize her photos. I decided to have it cropped and blown up for you."

She went back to looking at the photo. Until this moment, she didn't even know that there were pictures from that ill-fated wedding nearly two decades ago. She stared at the broad smile on her great-uncle's face. No one knew that would be his last day on Earth. However, for that brief moment he was happy. The picture was snapped while he was swinging Bonnie around. She wiped away her tears and said, "You said that you cropped the picture. What else was in the original?"

Tyler picked up the large frame and placed it on the coffee table. Beneath was a much smaller frame that contained the same photo. In the full version, Tyler and his grandfather were visible. The little boy was sitting atop his grandfather's shoulders.

Both pictures were incredibly beautiful but also stark reminders of what both their families lost that day. Paul and Alonzo had been killed mere hours later. Bonnie leaned in and kissed Tyler passionately. "Thank you. I love it and I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispered as he tightened his arms around her.