A/N: I so feel like this chapter is filler. Straight filler, y'all. Ugh. Nevertheless, thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter and to those who followed or added to their list of faves!

Disclaimer: These characters are the creative property of LJ Smith/CW Network. No copyright infringement is intended.

Once again united as three peas in a pod, fresh faced and young. Immortality young. But their chemistry pH balance was off, not the same. It was tainted with unresolved transgressions, sores and lesions left untreated and at the mercy of the passage of time to heal old wounds. What the mouth may pardon the heart would never forget, and through valiant their effort to let grudges stay buried, their avoidance to rehash and be real with one another increased the gap between them.

Tension became an endemic, problems were ignored in favor of being cordial for the sake of being cordial; a facsimile of their old dynamic. It was easier for Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie to pretend to get along than admit collectively they were strangers playacting as best friends.

None of the girls were the same, and there was nothing wrong with growing, maturing and coming into one's own leaving childhood things behind. But instead of pointing out the pink elephant that made itself home among them at the curbside café, they laughed, smiled, and talked about absolutely nothing.

Christmas was just three weeks away and Caroline had come up with the idea of doing Secret Santa. When she first brought the idea to the table, Elena and Bonnie's reaction had been…not enthusiastic but they didn't outright shoot it down either. Their smiles kind of dimmed but remained intact, yet Bonnie had chosen to take a strategic sip of her green tea putting Elena on the proverbial hot seat to be the spokesperson.

"I think…" the doppelganger began slowly, "I think it's a good idea. We're all back together again. No one's dead. No one should have to spend Christmas alone."

The blonde vampire beamed. She may have mastered how to conceal troubles by throwing rave-like parties, but that didn't make her inept in reading between the lines.

For weeks now, Bonnie and Elena had been dancing around each other not exactly spending any real quality time together. Maybe back during their junior year of high school Caroline would have capitalized on their rift to solidify herself as Bonnie's number one best friend. But now seeing them avoid making prolonged eye contact, doing a rendition of an avoidance tango, it bothered and saddened her simultaneously. She didn't know what the problem was. Caroline was aware that Bonnie, in not so many words, called Elena a sellout and a quitter for taking the easy road in having her memories of her tumultuous relationship with Damon compelled away. Caroline certainly hadn't agreed with it, but in the end figured it would be best since the girl pretended as if she didn't have the strength to go through the entire grieving process and move on to the next chapter of her life. Drama free. It was Elena's life and everything in her life was a thousand times more difficult than everyone else—to hear the doppelganger tell it. No one understood pain, loss, heartache, or feeling hopeless like Elena. She held the patent on everything.

Even now, as Caroline squirmed around in her chair, she tried not to roll her eyes. Damon wasn't worth all that in her humble opinion. Stefan? Yes.

She cleared her throat not wanting to think about the younger Salvatore, either. He had been an infuriating ass with her, and their situation hadn't gotten any better or even budged from their blow up months ago.

Ivy, Stefan's pseudo girlfriend, had been captured and killed by Tripp Fell who met his end a few weeks prior via Lorenzo my friends call me Enzo. Yeah, Caroline may have wagged her finger at him for shockingly behaving like a vampire, but she could at least be thankful he got rid of that human menace who had it out for blood drinkers.

That was one less thing to worry about.

Realizing the silence was lapsing for too long, Caroline sat up straighter in her chair, smile still stuck in place. "All right, so we can get together on Friday at the dorm and pull names for Secret Santa. I'm gonna go get a refill. You guys want anything?"

Elena shook her head, while Bonnie muttered, "I'm good."

Caroline was gone in an instant and the fog of tension thickened leaving zero visibility of escape between the two estranged friends.

Bonnie hated feeling like this towards Elena, but lately something about her had just been rubbing her the wrong way, and she couldn't put her finger on what. Bonnie chalked it up to still adjusting to being back, alive, and a witch once more but the novelty of it had already lost its luster. That wasn't it. Plus, she didn't feel this way around anyone else save Elena and even Jeremy by extension.

Maybe what she was feeling—a kind of unrest weren't her feelings explicitly but those of the common thread between, Damon. Elena hadn't brought up the words exchanged between her and the blue-eyed immortal that night at the restaurant, but it had been written on Elena's crestfallen face that Damon hadn't automatically fallen for her charms.

Bonnie could confess to being curious as to where things may go between those two in the future, but so long as Elena's memories were gone, they were at a stalemate. And something about that secretly pleased Bonnie. Though she'd deny it.

In the past Bonnie always thought Elena could do so much better than both the Salvatores, yet she became addicted to the danger, the supernatural, the idealized romanticism of loving a vampire. Got caught up, chewed up, and lost her life as a result. Who knows? Maybe it had always been part of the design for Elena's life to become a vampire. In any case, the distinction between human Elena and vampire Elena was so clear it was the literal manifestation of night and day.

Elena felt her spine crippling under the weight of Bonnie's scrutiny who didn't seem to be aware she was gawking at her unblinkingly. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked:

"H-how are the house renovations coming along?"

Bonnie snapped out of it. "They're coming," she laughed self-deprecatingly. "I thought I had a pretty good idea how much work it would take to buy and then make small repairs to a house, but it's…it's more than I anticipated. I don't regret doing it because it feels awesome coming home to my own piece of real estate. I just wish I would have waited. So…what's new with you?"

"Nothing much. Classes are kicking my ass," Elena shrugged and pushed her cup of java back and forth between her hands. "Bonnie this is weird."

"What is?"

"This," her hands waved around frantically. "Us. I feel…I feel like we can't be ourselves around each other. I feel like you're mad at me about something."

Sighing, Bonnie laid her elbows on the table, slid to the edge of her seat. "I'm not mad at you, Elena. I'm just…my head space is different from what it used to be. I'm just learning to not keep certain things bottled up, or being so closed off. Life is too short not to leave everything out on the table," she pierced Elena with a taunting stare, "right?"

Elena was positive there was a double message in there somewhere. "You're right," she replied tentatively.

"It's not you," and could you stop making everything into something about you, Bonnie wanted to add yet didn't.

They were quiet for a moment until Elena found something else she could talk about.

"Actually there's something I wanted to run by you."

"What?"

"I've been putting this off and now with the holidays looming around the corner, well…it's never a good time to break up with someone, but I've been thinking about breaking up with Liam."

"Why?" Bonnie questioned and then wondered how long did it take for a cup of coffee to be refilled. Where the hell was Caroline?

"Things have gotten to that point where it's do or don't time. Whether to share my secret with him or not. I don't think I'm going to because I don't see a future with Liam. Don't get me wrong he's," Elena rubbed the back of her neck, "he's a nice guy, terrific kisser, but he's fallen into the Matt category."

"Ahh." Bonnie needed for further explanation.

"And as much as I like him, there's something missing and no matter how many dates or study sessions we have, I don't see things lasting." Elena paused and gauged Bonnie before filling in the second half, which was really the real reason she wanted to end things with Liam. "I'm thinking about having the compulsion lifted."

Bonnie had expected this moment yet she couldn't account for why she was screaming "Nooooo!" inside her head. She had called out Elena for taking the coward's way out of her grief, and now she wanted to reverse what she did. Shouldn't she be…happy?

"Oh, um…when did you decide that?" Bonnie swallowed the lump of coal that suddenly manifested in her throat.

Elena's shoulders lifted up and fell down. Should she answer honestly and say she came to the decision after Damon's rejection, or because she had seen the subtle glances Bonnie and her ex had thrown one another that night? Either one would make her sound insecure and pathetic, so Elena opted for practicality.

"I'm tired of having this gaping hole in my memory where Damon is concerned. Even some of my memories about Stefan are gone. I guess our ties were so deep, lines may have been crossed, which makes me sick to my stomach and question what the hell I was doing.

"Like for instance, there were moments when Stefan and I were still together after I transitioned, I didn't trust him but I can't remember why I wouldn't trust Stefan. Or why he had gotten really upset with me. I can picture the hurt and anger on his face, but I can't remember what happened to make him look at me like I was driving a stake through his heart. But…I know those gaps are because of whatever occurred between me and Damon. It's time for me to remember again."

Bonnie nodded. "Are you doing this to get back together with Damon?" she concluded her question in a raspy voice.

"I know that's how it seems, but I need to do this for me."

"I thought…you were happier where you are now? And didn't you write yourself a note warning not to get your memories back, to move on, find yourself?"

"I did, but without my memories…who am I? Bonnie—"

"—do you have a crush on Damon?" she interrupted.

Elena flushed and stared down at her hands. "No, I don't."

"You don't have to lie to me."

"I'm not. I feel…drawn to him," she admitted on a wavering breath. "While he was searching for you he was just so determined it was like seeing an entirely different version of him from the one in my mind," Elena averted her eyes.

"So," Bonnie dragged out the word, "are you saying his care for someone else has made you attracted to him?"

"Maybe, I don't know. Is that bad?"

"Bad you don't know or bad that you find yourself liking his ability to be compassionate?"

"It just made me wonder if Damon could put so much energy into getting my best friend back, be so focused, what was he like when I…" was the center of his life, Elena wanted to add but judiciously vetoed that bill.

"You want to know what it feels like to be the center of his world," Bonnie filled in what the doppelganger couldn't.

Elena chose not to confirm or deny anything. She carried on with the point she wanted to make. "His looks aside, there is something magnetic about Damon that pulls you in even if you don't want it to. I mean…you had to have felt it at some point. You were alone with him for four months," Elena arched a brow.

"Four months of arguing and throwing shade at one another. Making hollow death threats but that's our thing," Bonnie snorted.

Elena stared at Bonnie from underneath her lashes, felt like she was hiding something. "I'm sure there were times where it was…nice being around him."

This discussion was making Bonnie uncomfortable. She didn't want to rehash her time with Damon and least of all to Elena because sure, she might not have her memories, feelings still hummed and dealing with any kind of jealous backlash was not on Bonnie's menu. Plus, the finer details of her time with Damon were…private.

"It's your life, Elena. Do what you want as you've always done. But if you want your memories back simply because Damon isn't falling all over himself to circle in your orbit, or sacrificing puppies just to get a smile out of you, then don't do it. Don't cheapen yourself that way," Bonnie rose from the table and slipped on her jacket.

"Bonnie…?"

"You're right…there were times it was nice being alone with Damon and…I wouldn't trade those moments for anything and I'll always cherish them. Even the bad moments where I wanted to stuff his head down the garbage disposal…I would never ever have those erased." Elena gulped guiltily. "Tell Caroline sorry for bailing. I'm late for something."

And it was at that moment Caroline finally reappeared. "Where are you going?"

"Where have you been?" Bonnie countered. "Did you go to Columbia for that refill?" she tipped her head in the direction of the cup in the blonde's hand.

"Sorry it took so long but I saw one of my professors and needed to talk shop for a second. Seriously, where are you going, Bon?" Caroline glanced down at Elena and saw her staring dejectedly at nothing. "We haven't finalized any ideas on Secret Santa."

"I know, I'm sorry, but I really have to go."

"I can take your place."

All three females turned their heads to the accentuated voice.

Enzo grinned at the cold reception as he took inventory of each babe in attendance. Elena looked her usual constipated and lost self, Caroline annoyed but possibly strangely excited by his presence, and Bonnie—the pinnacle of unimpressed boredom.

Caroline folded her arms. "That won't be necessary," she addressed Enzo.

He slung his arm over Bonnie's shoulder who stiffened at his touch, and recoiled the second he tucked her right next to him. "C'mon, Gorgeous, even you won't deny me the opportunity to be surrounded and share a cup of Joe with three Venuses."

"Oh, don't you mean the two Apollos whose dicks you were thirsting after this summer?" Caroline debated. "I'm surprised you haven't figured out a way to move into Damon's tighty whities."

Bonnie snickered and wiggled her way free from Enzo who looked ready to crucify her best friend. "And on that note I have to go. See you girls later."

Savannah, Georgia

Damon stood in front of Stefan's sad excuse for a stove contemplating if he should spike his eggs with bourbon when he heard the purr of an engine. And not just any engine, but the siren call of a grease monkey's dream vintage ride.

"No. Way," Damon said, dropped the bottle of bourbon and flashed outside just in time to see Stefan roll a cobalt blue, fully restored 1967 Chevy Camaro into his driveway.

Sunlight glinted off the awe-inspiring paint job nearly blinding Damon with its color that nearly matched his eyes. The scent of new rubber tires filled his nostrils, and he chuckled once at seeing a green, pine scented tree shaped air freshener dangling from the rearview mirror. It was taking everything in Damon to remain parked where he was and not eject his little brother from his ride he thought was a demolished ball of metal at the junkyard.

Stefan shifted the car into park and killed the engine. He slid his shades down to the tip of his perfect nose and leaned his head out the open window.

Damon pointed at the vehicle. "That's my car."

"That it is."

"How…?" the elder was completely speechless.

"Couldn't let it fall into unappreciative hands. I had it towed and transported to the garage where I used to be a mechanic. It was my summer project."

Damon took several steps forward until his knees nearly crashed into the chrome grill. He lovingly ran his hand over the hood. He couldn't believe it and he was looking right at his baby. This was damn near bringing tears to his eyes.

Stefan climbed out of the car and gently nudged the driver side door shut. He studied Damon. His lips twitched, fought not to smile at his older brother's bemused and besotted face. Stefan knew there weren't many things in his life he could be proud of, but restoring Damon's ride just to see the emotion overtaking him was certainly a priceless.

"Should I give you two a moment alone?" Stefan teased.

"Shut up," Damon mouthed yet continued to smile goofily. "I can and can't believe you did this."

"Yeah, well," Stefan slid his hands in his pockets, "I couldn't step foot in Mystic Falls. I had nothing else to tie me to home, to you except this."

Damon soaked that all in possibly realizing for the first time in a long time how much his little brother loved him; and the knowledge didn't immediately fill him with contempt. This was a genuine gesture from Stefan's heart—one of many, and what usually would have made Damon wriggle with discomfort, he felt undeserving of the highest degree. Their history wasn't the best, and he had over-delivered on his promise to make Stefan's life hell, something Damon was feeling ashamed about while he continued to gape at his car. When would people realize he wasn't worth this much effort?

"You feel remorse…there's hope for you."

"I was going to wait until Christmas to reveal what I had been up to," Stefan scratched behind his ear, "but then I realized I'm tired of chauffeuring your ass everywhere."

Damon shook his head and finally made eye contact with Stefan. "I feel crappy because I haven't gotten you anything for Christmas."

"You still have time. Just make it good. Or…you could just give me cash. Cash is good."

The brothers shared a laugh, but Damon sobered first. "Thank you, Stefan. You didn't have to do this."

He inclined his head.

Staring at his car once more, Damon murmured, "She was right."

A divot formed between Stefan's brows. "Who was right?"

"Bonnie."

"She normally is. So what was she right about this time?"

"Witchy tried to explain to me how I should be happy and fortunate but also thankful that I've had my brother around for as long as I've been alive. She's lost her entire family, and that's why her friends mean everything to her. She said it'd be a shameful waste if we were to come back and you and I started being at each other's throats again and over a chick. When our bond as brothers is so much more than that. Or should be."

Stefan was thoroughly surprised that Damon and Bonnie had spoken at all about their strained brotherhood.

Damon furthered his point by saying, "She was right because at this moment I don't have it in me to fight with you anymore, Stefan."

"I never wanted to fight with you, period, Damon. I've never forgiven myself for making you…"

The elder waved away the words of the younger knowing what he was going to say. "That's water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned."

"Regardless I'm still sorry that I forced you to turn."

Damon wagged his head to the contrary, "Our lives have been shit but…no less extraordinary."

Stefan blew out a breath, "Well it sounds like you and Bonnie got close, really got to know each other."

Damon signaled with his finger. "Can you pop the hood?" he opened it once the hatch was released and whistled, "Beautiful."

Stefan waited for Damon to stop ogling the engine and to reply to his testament. "You and Bonnie…"

"Oh, right. Yeah. Couldn't be avoided. We only had each other and you know," he fought tooth and nail not to smile, "if I had to go through all of that again, I wouldn't change who I went with."

"You wouldn't?" Stefan was shocked.

"No. In a lot of ways I had to grow up. That was real fun for her," he beamed and closed the hood.

"I just bet it was," Stefan grumbled good-naturedly. "She's your Lexi, isn't she?"

Damon thought for a moment before responding. He shook his head. No, Bonnie was like Lexi but in many ways she was more than what Lexi had been to Stefan. He wasn't a blood addicted, self-sacrificing vampire, and Bonnie wasn't his motivational coach popping up every few decades or so to keep him on a straight and narrow.

In many ways he and Bonnie were drift compatible. Yeah, he saw Pacific Rim. They knew precisely how to get into the others head to cleave out the positive result they wanted, but most importantly to work symbiotically. It sounded very clinical, but opened up a door to a level of intimacy Damon hadn't shared with anyone else in his life. Apart from his brother.

The epiphany made his mouth go dry and his phantom heart pound. He shook it off and stared at Stefan. "No, she's not my Lexi but she's…something. Enough talk about chicks. Let's take this girl," he tapped the hood twice, "for a ride."

Stefan chucked the keys to Damon who caught them blindly and then folded his lean body on the supple leather seat. Cranking the engine, he listened to the sound.

"Oh, yeah," he crooned and backed out of the driveway the second Stefan was strapped in.

The spray of water from the overhead nozzle ceased with one twist of the knob that squeaked in protest. Steam curled and floated toward the ceiling, and like notes on a music scale, the sound of her humming rose in a soft crescendo to her audience of one.

Bonnie stepped out of the shower reaching for her towel, still humming while her thoughts ran down the long list of errands she needed to do and things she had to accomplish. It was a strange feeling. Being in charge of her own schedule for once. Not anticipating when that next frantic call would come that would have her rushing out during the dead of night, or early in the morning to save her friends. Bonnie didn't want to say she missed those days, but she felt like a foreign body calling the shots on what would get her full attention and what could be postponed to another day.

It was liberating—feeling normal. She had neighbors who knew her name and she knew theirs. Even the nice newlywed couple who lived down the block had invited her over for dinner and a Scrabble tournament. It was bemusing. To interact with humans who didn't know the first thing about what she was, the power she contained in her very core, her nuclear essence.

She smiled softly at the thought and opened the door to her in-suite bathroom. Bonnie took two steps into her bedroom and froze.

Her bedroom window was wide open, the new curtains she just hung up earlier billowed each time the wind blew.

An open window wouldn't be disconcerting if…she had opened it prior to taking her shower, which Bonnie hadn't. All windows and doors for that matter had been shut and locked tight. So how did it get open?

Senses going on high alert, Bonnie covertly swept one end of her room to the other looking for a shadow that did not belong. It was early morning. Most of her neighbors were at work or school making this the prime opportunity for a home invasion.

Nothing seemed as if it had been disturbed. Her bed was still unmade. Her clothes from last night were sloppily scattered over the bare hardwood floor. Her knickknacks and other odds and ends remained in their decorative resting places. However, that didn't mean anything. She might not be facing a burglar, and that was reason enough for her to throw on her robe, and stretch out her hand.

Bonnie drew her tongue over her bottom lip and took cautionary steps forward, magnifying her hearing as she concentrated on each, individual noise the house made. Her skin pebbled but she chalked it up to the late fall pre-winter air flowing into her bedroom, and not the fact a stranger may be hiding in her house. A stranger that could be a sexual predator.

The taste of bile tickled the back of Bonnie's throat, and the feeling of being cold was instantly replaced with a wave of heat. A light sheen of sweat intermingled with her shower damp skin whilst the frequency of her heartbeat switched from normal to atypical.

Should I check the closet? Bonnie pondered. She had left the door open and though she stood diagonally across from it, Bonnie couldn't see beyond the dark that waited.

Instead, she snapped her head toward the full length mirror positioned caddy corner to her bed that offered a view, though slight it was, inside her closet.

Nothing but a line of clothing could be seen in detail.

Flinging out her arm Bonnie telekinetically slammed the closet door shut, spelled it shut would be more accurate. She held her breath waiting to hear someone protesting to be let out, or threatening her bodily harm if she didn't open the door. Silence, the deafening kind followed.

Her feet carried her deeper into her room.

Bonnie caught movement in her peripheral and when she flicked her head in its direction she screamed and pursed her lips at catching her reflection in the mirror. Rolling her eyes at herself, Bonnie inched closer to her door.

If someone was in her house the commotion and noise she just caused surely would have notified them, but no pounding footsteps sounded on the stairs, down below, or in the hallway.

No one was in her house. She was all alone, but maybe someone had been in her home and left the second she came out of the bathroom.

Her cell phone chirped and it made Bonnie's heart freeze in her chest. She scrambled over to it. It was an Instagram alert.

Brow furrowed, Bonnie opened up the picture and her jaw plummeted to her toes.

There on her screen was Ms. Cuddles posed behind a pair of wrought iron bars of a gate of some kind intending to make the poor stuffed animal appear as if it were incarcerated. Its little paws somehow attached to the iron bars, snout pressed between them seemingly pleading to be rescued or set out on bail.

Disbelieving this was real, Bonnie looked to the spot on her night table where she kept Ms. Cuddles. Sure enough that space was empty.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Bonnie read the caption below. Don't bother calling the police. You want Ms. Cuddles back, stuffing and button eyes intact? Follow these instructions to the letter…

Shaking her head, Bonnie wanted to curse and laugh at the same time. She didn't have time to play games with Damon.

She typed him a terse message. If no one has said this to you before I'm saying it now, you're a sick fuck, Damon kidnapping a bear? A poor defenseless inanimate object.

He instantly replied back. What are you talking about, Judgy?

Don't act like you don't have Ms. Cuddles. Give her back, now, and I'll let you keep your heart in your chest cavity.

Getting violent over a childhood toy aren't we?

Damon, and Bonnie filled the rest of her sentiment with appropriate emoji's to get her point across.

He replied back with several smiley faces with tears running down their faces while laughing.

You know my spells are just as effective from miles away, right? That I don't have to be in front of you to turn you into a voodoo doll? Don't wanna walk face first into a moving bus, cough up the bear.

You know, something about this conversation shouldn't be turning me on…fine…meet me outside in twenty minutes or the bear gets it. Oh and bring your sunglasses.

"Children," Bonnie muttered as she grinned unknowingly. "I'm dealing with children."

She moved like a whirlwind, tossing on her panties, shimmying her hips into jeans, breasts into lacy underwire, covering her torso with a tight white sweater with a deep V neckline. Bonnie shrugged into her recently purchased black leather jacket, slid her feet into her Doc Martens, and grabbed her shades.

When she exited the house after activating the alarm she was of course thrown by seeing a particular car parked at the curb. Had she suddenly been teleported back to 1994 because that was the last time she saw Damon's car in mint condition?

He honked the horn for good measure as Bonnie casually strolled down the walk way, and opened the passenger side door. She carefully entered the vehicle and stared at Damon who stared right back at her.

"Like my Christmas present?" he waggled his dark eyebrows.

"This is a gift? From who?"

Damon put the car in Drive and pulled away from the curb. "My baby bro, of course. He worked on it all summer.

"Oh, wow that was really nice and thoughtful of Stefan. Kind of beautiful, too," Bonnie reflected somewhat poignantly. "He never stops showing you how much he loves you."

Damon made no comment but he didn't disagree.

For just a second Bonnie found herself being envious of the Salvatores. They had each other once again while her dad rotted alone in a grave, Grams had found peace and could no longer be contacted, and her mom—pretty much non-existent to Bonnie. Blood made people family on a biological scale, but family was so much more than relation but about relationship, Bonnie knew that. It just would have been nice to have both. The family you were born into and the family you made on your own.

"Hey?" Damon reached for Bonnie's hand across the seat. She gave him her undivided attention. "Where'd you go just now?"

"I was thinking about my family…how much I miss them."

"Dreading the holidays?"

"A little," Bonnie squeezed his fingers.

"You won't be alone, Bonnie. I'll be there."

"I know," she released his hand and stared out the window. "But you can still feel alone even in a room full of people."

His finger touched the bottom of her chin and drew her face toward him. "Not while I'm around."

Bonnie nodded mostly because she wanted to get off this topic. "So back to your predicament."

"Yeah," Damon's throat clogged to which he coughed to clear it, and brought his hand back to the steering wheel. "I need help in figuring out what to get Stefan as a 'thank you, I'm actually kinda glad you're my brother' gift. I can't think of anything."

An ear-to-ear smile began to lay siege to Bonnie's face, "Are you admitting you want to impress your brother?"

"No!" Damon barked. "Well…not exactly. Maybe. Whatever."

"And you want my help?"

"Yes, Bonnie or you wouldn't be riding shotgun." She held up her hands in surrender. Damon cooled his horses. "As long as he and I have been alive…Christmas wasn't a holiday we celebrated together after turning. And other than getting him booze…it's not good enough."

"You want to give him something special and symbolic. All right," Bonnie thought for a moment, sinking into the bucket seat. "Did you two have any traditions when you were kids? I feel you may have to go old school on this."

Hands tightening on the steering wheel, Damon floated backwards through time and space to the nineteenth century. Gifts he would have exchanged with his brother would have consisted of handcrafted wooden toys. Maybe a new pair of suspenders, riding gloves, boots, an overcoat, books—the banned literature of course, or a rare sweet treat hard to come by. A huge purchase would have been a pocket watch.

At his prolonged silence, Bonnie said, "We'll think of something."

Damon flicked his gaze at her for a moment before returning his attention to the road. He had been informed Caroline was putting together a Secret Santa thingumajig, and if he participated and that was a pretty big if with his luck he'd probably pick Jeremy's name out of the hat. That wouldn't be so bad, but unfortunately common sense couldn't be purchased. Nevertheless, part of him felt he should get something for Bonnie regardless of what name he selected. After the moment that just passed between them it made the fervor to get her something nice just that much stronger.

Flicking on the radio to cancel out the silence, Damon put his torque to use the second he merged on the highway.

"I still can't believe you came up with this elaborate ruse of kidnapping my bear to get me to go Christmas shopping with you. You know, you could have just asked."

"I needed her for leverage, witchy."

"Where's Ms. Cuddles?"

"She's somewhere safe. I should be allowed visitation rights."

"Do you hear yourself right now?"

"Yes, I do," Damon said. "Fact of the matter is, when Ms. Cuddles had originally been in your care, you lost her. I think that makes me slightly more fit to be her guardian."

Before Bonnie could retort the song playing over the radio caught her ear. "Oh, I love this song!" she shrieked happily and yanked the volume up.

Damon winced.

"You keep me blinded by your flashing flights," she sang along.

A corner of Damon's mouth lifted. He was no stranger to hearing Bonnie sing. Only she used to be in the shower when she was belting out a tune. Not singing and actually sounding pretty good in front of him.

In his peripheral he saw her close her eyes absorbing the song as if they were words to a spell. Her scent changed becoming something lighter but no less seductive giving birth to a vignette in his mind. Damon saw Bonnie in flashes of black in white in a 20's inspired dress, face mask, standing behind a vintage microphone making slaves of anyone who heard her voice.

But then the crowd faded away and it was just him in the audience in a black pinstripe suit, hair gelled back, puffing on a cigarette with Bonnie putting on a performance just for him.

Inwardly he groaned.

This was a bad idea having Bonnie tag along. And due to the nature of his thoughts, Damon abruptly changed the station and soon their ears were assaulted with heavy metal.

Bonnie turned down the volume and glowered. "Was that really necessary?"

"Your singing was grating on my nerves."

For that comment he received a slap to the arm. "Who are you trying to fool, Damon? It looked like you were enjoying it a few minutes ago."

He shifted on his seat and switched lanes in lieu of responding.

"I think you keep forgetting you can be transparent like glass when around certain people. I've had four months to study you. Hide all you want, Damon, but I'll find you eventually."

He took his eyes off the road and smirked cockily, "And what will you do once you find me?"

"Expose all your secrets."

He pouted, "Here I thought you'd…"

"If that sentence ends in anything bordering on pornographic it would be wise to keep it to yourself."

The rumble of Damon's laughter made Bonnie's heart vibrate.

"I mean…you had to have felt it at some point. You were alone with him for four months."

Bonnie scowled the second she heard Elena's voice in her head.

"I'm sure there were times where it was…nice being around him."

That was the problem, Bonnie was discovering, that it was nice being around Damon. It had been nice playing board games, despite his cheating, watching The Bodyguard to the point they could speak the lines verbatim, sharing meals together, sometimes watching him read while he sat next to the fire—he didn't know that and would never know that. Cuddling. Listening to him reveal his secret of secrets in missing being human.

Panic set in and Bonnie no longer wanted to be in the car, in an enclosed space with Damon because…because things were changing and she didn't know how to stop it.

"Elena is thinking of getting her memories back," Bonnie blurted.

Damon almost swerved off the road. "What?"

"She told me the other day she's thinking about having the compulsion reversed, lifted or whatever. How do you…how do you feel about that?"

"What am I supposed to feel?" he retorted succinctly. "Relief, joy, righteous indignation, nothing at all? Why are you telling me this?"

Bonnie laughed without humor. "Why else wouldn't I tell you? You were going to find out eventually. Okay, maybe it wasn't my place, but you have to know you're the reason she wants her memory back."

"Yes but…" he let his thought hang.

"But?" Bonnie prompted.

He was finally seeing the forest through the trees…finally seeing there were other people out there who mattered…finally seeing he was changing and that change had nothing to do with loving Elena and everything to do with…

Chapter end

A/N: Yep, not reading anything wrong I did end that last sentence without really ending it. Muhahhahaha, stayed tuned for more…later. XOXO, kittens. Bring on 6x16.