The remainder of the afternoon was spent by Bonnie hiding inside of the massive, empty Salvatore house in somewhat of a trance. Pacing the wooden floors of this house had become a therapeutic habit during her seclusion, and evidently it still was.

She lost track of the hours as they drifted by until nightfall approached. She thought in desperation of just how much she wanted to walk out the front door and see what the rest of the world was up to. She should locate Jeremy, whom she could feel was no longer residing in Mystic Falls, nor anywhere else nearby. Assure him that she's alive. She should go to Caroline's house, try to teach her to be strong while she is healing, and remind her that with inner strength it is possible to trace her way back from despair.

That particular thought left Bonnie grounded just as she was, standing alone on the wood floor of that damp, old house. She changed her mind. It wasn't time for her to move forward yet. How was she going to be there for her friends, when she remained somewhat broken still, in her core?

She would not lie to her friend who was mourning her Mother. Tell her that with enough inner strength anything was possible. Because, it wasn't possible to come back from the depths of hell and remain unchanged. Truth be told, Bonnie was just as damaged as Caroline. Perhaps even more.

Bonnie recalled flashbacks of Kai's torment. The way that they would creep inside of her thoughts at very inconvenient times after she was all alone, abandoned in 1994; causing her to feel powerless. Even now the memory of him attacking her caused her to feel very much alone.

One by one, every light bulb in the hallway shattered to pieces, falling on the floor all around herself and the entire floor upstairs until only the moon light shone in from the windows. There she stood, frozen in the darkness while her emotions got the better of her.

Bonnie forced herself to block out the fear and anger that so haunted her whenever it was too quiet, and she slowed down her breathing. Shut her eyes. Once free of the stressful recollection, she regained control of herself and her power within. Candle light fire flickered before her vision from various walls and table tops up and down the long corridor in front and behind her.

As thrilled as she was to have had her magic once more- and she certainly was thrilled; the rush of power engulfed her every fiber on unannounced whims, was something that she still hadn't yet adjusted to. Her magic felt like no power she'd ever been gifted with before. It felt like no force she had attempted to control on her own…and she suspected that it was potentially stronger than even Expression had been.

Bonnie suspected that if she learned to project enough of her emotions in one direction at a time, that there might not be any immortal creature or enemy that could challenge her in this life. The young Witch smiled, walking down the dimly lit staircase as that realization occurred to her for the very first time. She would never again be a victim to anyone.. And she wasn't afraid anymore.

...

Damon had chosen to accept the chance to leave that morning once he heard the shower turned on by Bonnie, and the bathroom door click shut behind her. There wasn't anything he could say that would have made either one of the two lovers feel better about their deception, nor did he want to apologize for the fact that it happened. … His experience with her was not one soon to be forgotten. So Damon did what had to be done. He was the asshole who left her there without another word, and felt it was for the best to continue living his life as if Bonnie hadn't come crashing back into it. She wasn't ready to be back yet anyway.

Rather fortunately for him, Elena suspected nothing at all other than what he had explained happened with his phone not being available the night before, and he knew that the last thing she would ever question about him was his loyalty. Besides, she was far more pre occupied with her neck getting snapped by emotion-less Caroline Forbes.

All afternoon her, and Stefan were hunting down the "conscious free" blonde vampire and to Damon, the least he could do was lend a hand this evening. After all, he had made a promise to his friend, the Sheriff that he'd protect Caroline as much as he could after she was gone.

The pale Salvatore shook his dark head back and forth partially in disbelief of what a mess their lives had become in so short time, but also due to the weight of his guilty conscience. His unkempt hair blew in the wind as he approached The Grill in his convertible from Stefan. How badly things have spiraled downwards since Sheriff Forbes passed on. Damon could feel himself actually hoping that Liz wasn't able to see how screwed up things were for those left living in her absence.

...

Elena stood outside The Grill awaiting Damon's arrival when his car approached in perfect timing. Phone held to her ear and eye brows in full furrow, she used her free hand to open the car door to slide inside while still continuing to panic with his little brother.

"I've checked everywhere Stefan. Her things are gone from the house, and no one at the grill has seen her since last night."

The brunette vampire slid further in the passenger seat next to Damon, reached and grabbed his hand within her own as to signify her happiness just to see him. Despite recent drama, he was her silver lining and she loved him for always being there for her. Elena hung up with Stefan shortly thereafter, sighing heavily as she did so.

"He is in complete denial if he thinks she would knock me out without a care in the world and still have her emotions intact today. You know she has to have flipped by now right?"

"Well. Stefan is an optimist. You of all people know the lengths of his denial mechanisms"

Elena gave him a playfully annoyed glance while he continued,

"...Especially when he loves someone."

The vampire smiled and nodded, both of them knowing that he does truly feel for Caroline, and that it is the one reason he's hoping for the best as hope seems lost. She laced her fingers between his own on the leather interior between them, moving her thumb back and forth over the back of his hand.

"...All I know is that I am in desperate need of a shower, a change of clothing, and 15 minutes alone with you before I continue the hunt for my blood thirsty best friend. Interested? "

"Ouch, 15 minutes? I know the lack of memory is still an issue at play here, but don't insult me."

The pair laughed in unison, her brown eyes melting into his icy blue. She could still make him forget about everything else in the world when she was near him.

Well, almost anything that was.

He removed his hand from Elena's, and placed it on the steering wheel with the other. When his eyes returned to the road, Bonnie's face appeared clear as daylight in his mind. Her laugh, her sarcasm. Her big white smile as she wrapped her arms around him in the kitchen the night before. He loved them both in that second.

Damon was also smart enough to know that because of this- inevitably, it meant he was going to lose them both. He was being selfish, and unfair in his urge to keep both wonderful women for himself. In reality, he didn't even deserve to have either of their affections.

…..

They pulled up the driveway to the boarding house, Elena hurrying to get out of the car before it was even put into "park", with a seductive and flirtatious grin upon her lips. But he held her arm back to himself- unable to lie to her about Bonnie a second longer..

"Elena. There's something that I need to tell you"

He started what he knew would be one of the most difficult confessions he would ever have to make.

But- without fully listening to Damon, or what he was trying to get at, Elena pulled her arm away from him in an instant. She sprinted at vampire speed from the old blue convertible towards the wet front lawn of his house. Still seated in the driver's seat, Damon squinted into the dark lawn where she disappeared, only to hear his girlfriend squeal in happiness just inside the boarding house front door.

With that sound, Damon knew that the two best friends were reunited again and that things were about to get a lot more complicated for all of them here on out. But for now, he hoped that they could simply enjoy this moment with each other. Bonnie and Elena deserved to be happy after the hell that they both went through this past year. They were finally back together; at last.

"Damon, get in here! …. IT'S BONNIE!" Pure joy radiated from her sweet voice, as Elena called for him to come and welcome their long lost friend.

...