Damon glanced at his watch with a scowl. Giuseppe's memorial would begin soon and Bonnie had not arrived yet. He knew that she hated his father with every fiber of her being. Damon certainly did not object to her feelings considering what Giuseppe did to her. Nevertheless, skipping the memorial was absolutely out of the question. As he expected, the press had set up shop across the street from the church. The assembled media members would notice Bonnie's absence. The story would undoubtedly become the headline for countless newspapers across the country. However, the online sites and social media users would be the most worrisome. They could post content without fear of Damon suing them for libel.

He looked beside him where Nadia and Victor were sitting side by side. They were playing some game on a tablet. He was glad that they were distracted because he was certainly bored out of his mind. Although, sitting on the uncomfortable wooden pew was preferable to the thirty-minute period he had spent greeting people offering him their condolences. The church could seat nearly 1,100 people and it was nearing capacity. Family members and business associates from all over the world had made the trip to Los Angeles for Giuseppe's memorial. Damon wondered how many of the attendees were only present to ensure the bastard was truly dead. He had certainly taken great pleasure in watching as his father's body was loaded into an industrial furnace at the crematorium. Damon achieved a certain peace knowing that his personal boogeyman was no more.

He looked across the aisle at Elijah. Damon would be sitting down with the head of the Mikaelson organization tomorrow evening. There was much to discuss now that he was officially the head of the Salvatore family. More importantly, Elijah wanted to settle any lingering bad blood between Klaus and Damon. He still planned to make his younger brother his second in command. The fracas that occurred at Klaus' club could not happen again. The men would have to put their differences aside for the good of business. However, Elijah promised Damon that he had reined in his younger brother.

The frustrated mob boss was tempted to call Bonnie. Damon was only showing restraint because Abby and her children had arrived ten minutes ago. She quietly assured him that Bonnie's plans had not changed. The young woman was running late because of some family issues. Damon had waited for Abby to elaborate on the issues but she had merely walked back a few pews to join the rest of her family. He was still getting used to being on the outside of Bonnie's life. He only had a right to know what she deigned to tell him. Frankly, that had always been their arrangement but Damon had not known it. He sorely missed the time when he believed he knew Bonnie like a book that he had read from cover to cover. His wife was less a book and more a codex that he needed to decipher.

Damon looked at the pew behind him where Ric and Zach were seated with their respective families. Well, in Ric's case he was seated with Jo and their twin daughters. Lizzie and Josie were seated on either side of their father. Both girls were clutching one of his hands. Their eyes were red and puffy as if they had been crying. Damon was oddly grateful that he had killed Giuseppe before his younger cousins had a reason to hate their uncle. Josie and Lizzie had never experienced or witnessed their uncle's cruelty. Damon only wished that Sarah had been afforded the same mercy. Part of him hoped that she would repress the memory over time.

Stefan reached over and tapped Damon on the shoulder. He whispered, "Bonnie is here."

Damon watched as Stefan put away his phone. He wondered if Tyler had given him the heads up. He was the only Lockwood not currently seated somewhere in the church.

It had been strange greeting the Lockwood family as they arrived earlier. The interaction was respectful but tense and stilted. Damon still had trouble wrapping his mind around the Lockwood family's betrayal. They had spent decades pretending to serve a family that they would sooner see dead by their own hands. The kind of loyalty they showed to the Benedetto family was hard to find these days. He wondered if the sudden deaths of Alonzo and Paul had further bonded the families together. Pain and grief could be great unifiers. However, the mob boss thought it was more likely that the mutual hatred of his family had bound them together.

Damon allowed himself to relax now that he knew Bonnie had arrived. Honestly, he wanted her there for more than simple appearances. He needed her to anchor him. It was the first thing that had gone as planned today. He was still regretting the decision to pick up Nadia personally. In hindsight, he should have sent one of his bodyguards up to the penthouse to retrieve her. Spending time with Katherine had done a number on his head. It was clearer than ever that he needed to limit his exposure to his mistress. Damon lacked willpower when it came to Katherine. She was as noxious and addictive to him as alcohol and cocaine were. Rose had told him as much for years. He had always been too stubborn to heed her words.

However, Katherine was booted from his mind the moment Bonnie came into view. He could not believe how beautiful she looked. Bonnie's faux goddess locs had been styled into a regal bun atop her head. She was wearing a black Chanel dress with three quarter length sleeves. The gorgeous dress stopped just above her knees so that her toned legs were on display. The dress was made with lace that had an intricate pattern. A solid black underlining kept the dress from being see-through. However, the lining stopped at a point where the top of Bonnie's cleavage and her arms were visible. She was carrying a red patent leather clutch that matched the Christian Louboutin heels on her dainty feet.

Bonnie held Sarah's hand as they walked to the front of the church to join Damon. She was not thrilled about sitting beside him for the service. However, she was never one to shirk her duty. They were still business partners. It was imperative that she and Damon maintained the appearance of unity. Any perceived weakness in the partnership would attract the attention of their enemies.

Tyler gave Bonnie a supportive smile before he took a seat with his family. They were seated several rows back with the Benedetto family. However, he glared when he saw Klaus seated across the aisle. He did not like the way the man was looking at Bonnie. Tyler knew his irritation partly stemmed from the meeting he had just left with Rudy. They had reviewed the details for Saturday night's raid on Niklaus' club. Specifically, they discussed how Bonnie and Tyler would get him out before the feds could arrest him.

Damon stood when Bonnie and Sarah arrived at his pew. He watched as his wife and daughter genuflected to the tabernacle before sliding past him. Damon kissed Bonnie's cheek. He whispered, "Thank you for being here today, Bunny."

"You don't need to thank me," she replied softly.

Caroline discreetly waved at her sister-in-law from further down the pew. She was holding her youngest child on her lap. They had only spoken over the phone since Bonnie moved in with Abby. She did not understand why she was being punished because Damon was an asshole.

Bonnie offered a smile to Stefan and Caroline. She had missed them since leaving the manor. Bonnie was still figuring out how to maintain a relationship with people so firmly under Damon's thumb. She did not want to put her brother and sister-in-law in the position of being grilled by Damon for information. She took the seat beside her husband and then helped Sarah take off her jacket.

The little girl was wearing a sleeveless black satin dress with pearl appliqué. A blue headband that matched her eyes held her curly black hair back. Sarah waved sadly at her father as she sat between Bonnie and Nadia. She whispered, "Hi, Papa."

Damon wished that his daughters and younger brother did not have to participate in this farce. It was not fair that they had to confront mortality at such a young age. Especially, when Giuseppe was so unworthy of their sadness. He leaned over Bonnie so that he could drop a kiss atop Sarah's head. He replied, "Hi, bambolina."

Bonnie rubbed at her stomach hoping that the twins would settle. Their hyperactivity made the young mother even more tired.

"Are you feeling okay?" Damon asked when he noticed the placement of her hand.

She nodded. "I'm fine. The babies are just really active right now."

Damon knew that Cole seemed confident that Bonnie would be fine after a good night's rest. However, he was not really in the frame of mind to trust anything a Lockwood told him. He asked, "Should I be concerned?"

Bonnie offered a reassuring smile. "It is perfectly normal. I am pretty sure they are just reacting to the order of chili cheese fries with extra jalapenos and sriracha sauce that I wolfed down on my way over here."

He visibly relaxed. Damon asked, "Extra jalapenos?"

She shrugged. "It's the pregnancy cravings. I am sure that I will have heartburn later."

He chuckled.

"Uh, I talked to Dr. Huerta this morning. He wants to see me first thing next week. Will you be available Monday morning?" she asked.

Damon was thrilled that Bonnie was inviting him to the appointment. He said, "I will rearrange my schedule to make time. Just let me know what time I should be there."

"My appointment is at 8 o'clock. I snagged the earliest slot because I hoped you would want to be there," she confessed.

"Thank you," he said sincerely.

"I meant what I said last night," she murmured. "I want us to be friendly for the sake of our kids. We can't continue fighting the way we have been. Last night was a wake up call for me."

Damon nodded in agreement. It would take a long time to get the image of Bonnie unconscious out of his mind. He could scarcely remember ever having been as scared as he was in that moment. His mind had been plagued with dozens of worst case scenarios.

Bonnie said, "Sarah's dance classes are going to start back next week. You know the studio went on break for the holiday. She would be over the moon if you came to her next class."

"I'll be there. I can't wait to see our tiny dancer in action." Damon lowered his voice and asked, "Is she any good?"

Bonnie laughed softly. "Sarah is in the beginners' class for a reason but she is a fast learner. More importantly, she is enthusiastic. Mama has been working with her on the basics while the studio has been on break. She may grow bored with dancing in a few months. But for now I am going to enjoy this."

Damon thought about the video Bonnie had sent while he was in Tenerife. However, it was not the same as being there in person. He was going to do everything in his power not to miss out on the little things. Damon had always tried to be good father but often work and 'other things' consumed his limited time. Bonnie and Sarah living with Abby made him realize just how precious his time was. His schedule no longer dictated when he could spend time with his family. They were no longer merely sitting at home waiting for him to have free time.

Heavy footsteps could be heard approaching the front of the church.

Bonnie did not bother hiding her scowl when she saw Enzo.

Enzo stopped beside their pew and leaned down to whisper in Damon's ear. "Your mother is outside. She was threatening to make a scene in front of the cameras. We had to let her into the church. The parish secretary helped me get Lilly into an empty office down the hall."

Damon closed his eyes for a second because Lilly was stretching the limits of his patience. Rose had booked a first class ticket for the older woman. She even drove Lilly to the airport and walked her to the gate. All Lilly had to do was wait forty minutes until her flight to Paris boarded. Unfortunately, Rose had not been able to wait with Damon's mother. Her services were needed in coordinating the minutia involved in getting the Manor prepared for the repast. They were anticipating a couple hundred people.

Bonnie placed a hand on Damon's knee and asked, "Is everything okay?"

He kissed her cheek and stood up. He quietly replied, "Everything is fine, bunny. I will be right back."

Zacharias frowned at his nephew because the funeral would begin in a matter of minutes.

Damon motioned for his uncle to remain seated. He did not need Zach losing his shit in the middle of a church with several hundred witnesses. He followed Enzo down a nearly vacant corridor.

Enzo opened the door and said, "I'll make sure that you aren't disturbed."

"Thank you."

Enzo closed the door to give the mother and son some privacy. He did not imagine that the two would have a pleasant conversation. Enzo had been friends with the mob boss long enough to know how much he hated his mother. Sometimes it seemed as if he hated Lilly more than he hated Giuseppe.

Damon glared at Lilly's attire. She was dressed up like freaking Jackie O. He was sure that the vultures outside would eat up the grieving widow angle. The decades' long estrangement would only make the stories juicier. Damon had a sudden overwhelming urge for a drink. He was tempted to ask Enzo for the flask he kept on him at all times. However, he thought about Bonnie, his daughters, and baby brother. None of them needed to see him completely soused today.

He snarled. "I should have let Uncle Zach whack you last night. This is what I get for being a loving son."

Lilly rose from the chair where she had been waiting for him. She was taking a huge risk by approaching her son during such an emotional day. Furthermore, Damon had made his feelings towards her known last night. She had not expected for his hate for her to burn quite so hot. However, Lilly did not know if she would ever have another chance to reach out to her children. The stars had aligned in this moment. The boys needed Lilly even if neither was ready to admit it. Giuseppe was dead. Damon's marriage was on the rocks. Stefan was finally looking at his uncles without rose colored glasses.

She nervously smoothed her hands over the navy blue designer dress. She swore, "I am not here to cause any trouble, Damon. I would not do that to you or Stefan."

"You could have fooled me," he spat angrily. "Why are you here, Lilly? It isn't as if you are desperate to say goodbye to Giuseppe. I am sure that you are thrilled that he is dead."

Lilly would not shed a tear over Giuseppe's death. However, she was not celebrating the occasion. While Giuseppe had never fallen in love with his wife, the same was not true for her. The couple had a few good years in the very beginning of their marriage. Giuseppe had been thrilled when Lilly gave birth to a son. He had hoped that producing an heir would satisfy Domenico. He was wrong. Over time, the bitterness Giuseppe felt towards his father turned into hatred for his wife.

"I tried to explain myself last night but no one was in the right frame of mind to listen. I should not have showed up to your home unannounced. It was wrong and disrespectful. I just wanted an opportunity to support you and Stefan. For better or worse, Giuseppe is the parent that raised the two of you. I know that losing him can't be easy for either of you."

Damon did not believe a word out off Lilly's mouth. He felt certain that she was working some kind of angle. Yet, there was part of him that hoped she was being sincere for Stefan's sake. He knew how much his younger brother wanted a relationship with Lilly.

He snorted, "I don't need or want you anywhere near me. And I am sure that Stefan would prefer that you continue breathing. You won't be doing that for long if Uncle Zach finds out that you had the audacity to show up here."

Lilly took a tentative step toward her son and watched as he backed away from her. She said, "Ric explained why Zach was so angry with me. I promise that I wasn't trying to manipulate Stefan. I would never intentionally try to hurt either of you, Damon. I only told Stefan that his nightmares were real because I didn't want to lie to him. Stefan was finally giving me a chance to be his mother. I couldn't do that with lies between us."

He rolled his eyes because Alaric had disappeared for hours last night. His uncle had returned claiming that he had a meaningful conversation with Lilly. He felt certain that any misunderstandings between them had been resolved. Damon just hoped that whatever Alaric and Lilly used to have was dead. They had enough drama without the two of them striking up whatever sideshow affair they once shared.

"When do you plan to tell him that Ric could be his father?" he asked in a biting tone.

Lilly looked down at the floor for a moment. She wished that Alaric would have kept the details of their affair a secret. She could practically see the disgust on her son's handsome face. Lilly could not fault Damon for his reaction. She knew that carrying on with Alaric had been wrong. The affair was made worse by their carelessness where contraceptives were concerned.

She spluttered, "I…"

"…are full of shit," Damon finished for her. "I don't have all day. If you have something to say then you need to spit it out, Lilly."

Lilly needed to find a way to do some damage control but now was not the time. She said, "Just let me stay in town for a few days. I want an opportunity to see my grandchildren. They have already lost one grandparent. Don't make them lose another by exiling me the way Giuseppe did. You are the boss now. You could stop Zach from retaliating against me."

Damon hated his mother but he knew that Stefan cared for her. Stefan longed for the mother he never knew. Lilly and Zacharias had put him in an untenable position.

He scrubbed a hand over his face and barked, "You can stay for the funeral but find somewhere to sit in the back of the church. You are not welcome at the Manor under any circumstances. That house has been Zach's home for the entirety of his life. I will not ask him to compromise his beliefs in his own home. Stefan and Caroline will have to take the kids to meet you at the hotel."

Lilly sighed in relief when Damon seemed to relent. She was certain that with time he would soften towards her. It was easier to hate someone that he did not know.

She asked, "What about Sarah and Nadia? I would love to meet them, too. Stefan has been telling me about them."

He chuckled coldly. "You will never get to know either of my daughters. I have no interest in playing happy families with you. My girls both have amazing maternal grandmothers and that is good enough."

"You are just going to ignore half of your family tree?" she asked incredulously.

"My tree is rotted. The best thing I can do for my children is to prune the diseased portions of my tree and pray that it doesn't spread," he declared in a heated voice.

It hurt to hear Damon speak of her that way. She asked, "How can you call me diseased when you don't even know me, Damon?"

"I know enough about you. I am old enough to remember exactly who you are Mommy Dearest," he countered darkly.

She shook her head and insisted, "No, you knew a woman stuck in an abusive marriage that wasn't properly medicated. I know that I should have done more to protect you and Stefan. I know that I failed you both but I wasn't well. I couldn't have taken care of you boys in that state. Do you know how long I stayed in a psychiatric hospital after I divorced Giuseppe?"

He just stared blankly at his mother. Damon did not know that Lilly had spent time in a psychiatric hospital. A small part of him wanted to know more about his mother's medical history. He wondered if there were any diseases or disorders that Giuseppe had neglected to disclose. Damon only knew about Lilly having bipolar because of his uncles.

Lilly decided to take advantage of her son's silence. She would take any opportunity to educate Damon about her life. He only had had a child's memory of events. She explained, "A year, Damon. I voluntarily stayed in a psychiatric hospital for an entire year because I was afraid that I would take my own life. I needed intensive therapy even after I left the hospital. I still suffer from PTSD that further complicates my bipolar diagnosis. It took me years to get my life back together."

Damon closed his eyes for a moment. He was starting to get a headache. He argued, "I understand that you suffered. If there were true justice in the world, someone would have killed that son of a bitch years ago. None of that excuses you for leaving your kids with a monster. The shit we went through clings to us like a second skin."

Lilly reached up and cradled his face in her hands. "But you both turned out so good. Look at you. You are both successful men with good families."

He shrugged off Lilly's hands. Damon barked out a harsh laugh. "Are you joking? Stefan nearly shot Ric in the face and proceeded to have a meltdown about it. His shrink has him on meds for anxiety now. I am a functional alcoholic that is incapable of maintaining healthy relationships with women."

The older woman stared at her son in shock. Lilly could not find the right words to say. Moreover, she was terrified that Damon would reject or misinterpret anything she said.

"I can't do this with you right now. I can't be the reason that the memorial starts late. Stay out of Zach's way. There are limits on what I can do to protect you from him. Zach could make you disappear without a trace. I could reprimand him afterwards but it wouldn't change the fact that you would be dead. You have good survival instincts. Use them now," Damon declared in a rough voice.

Lilly breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Damon. You won't regret giving me a chance."

He walked out of the room without looking at her. He stopped beside Enzo and said, "Keep an eye on her at all times."

"I'm on it, Damon. I will be her shadow."

Damon nodded at his friend and then returned to his seat just as the altar boys entered the sanctuary. He took a deep breath and tried to shake off the unsettling encounter.

Bonnie was concerned when she saw the hollow look in Damon's eyes. She wondered what could have had that effect on him. He seemed perfectly fine before Enzo spirited him away. She discreetly glanced around the church and found all the major players still in their seats. It seemed unlikely that there was some threat looming over the church. She decided to talk Damon about it later. Bonnie hesitated for a second before reaching over and taking his hand.

He looked down at their joined hands and then up at Bonnie's face. Damon squeezed her hand appreciatively and then placed a feather light kiss across her knuckles. She always had the ability to make him feel steady in rough seas.

She gently squeezed his hand and then looked towards the front of the church as Father Finn entered the room.

The choir stood and began singing the hymn Loved One, Farewell.