Damon spent the next week in Bonnie's room. He compelled her roommate to stay at her boyfriends until Christmas break. Just to be safe he compelled the entire frat house to not mind if she was there. Their days were monotonous, Bonnie going to classes and him doing investigating. He had gotten her to open up a little bit about the rape and had actually gotten her to consider therapy and pressing charges. He did not mention Abby or the book he found. He did show her the pictures on his cell phone and she had no idea what they were. At night they would watch a movie or she would study, once he got her to out to dinner with him. She still was super jumpy and nervous that she would see Shane out but Damon was hopeful that Abby for did what she was told and came through for Bonnie.

Right before Christmas break Abby called his cell and asked if he could meet her at the gazebo in the quad. When he arrived she told him she could no longer be near Shane, she had come upon him in his office with another young co-ed. She was sure she had interrupted what would have been a sexual encounter. She had compelled the young lady to leave and forget what happened. She approached him about what was going on and he explained to her that he had needs and if she wanted him to continue to help her she would let him satisfy them.

"So I left and now I want to see Bonnie and help her through this."

"Stay away from Bonnie, she doesn't need your help." He said turning his back to her.

Shane had not bothered Bonnie anymore and to say Damon was worried about what the professor's next move was an understatement. Shane had not gone through all of that work, meeting and woeing Abby, convincing Abby to take Bonnie's powers and research for nothing. Damon concluded Shane had bigger plans, the rapes were just apart of who he was, his sickness and raping Bonnie was something he did because he was sexual predator, he was after her powers.

That night while Bonnie slept he broke into the administration offices and stole Shane's personel file. He sat in his car and read 4 instances over the past year when female students complained of him getting out of hand with them sexually. Two were consensual and one the young lady said although he took advantage of her she felt let him have sex with her in the hopes of getting a passing grade. The other record showed a young woman said he raped her but later recanted her story. He broke into the security office to see if he could find any of the reports or the girls name. He got lucky, Megan Emery, a 21 year old sociology major from Georgia. According to the report the professor asked her to come by after his evening class to discuss her failing grade. He suggested that if she were to satisfy him, he would satisfy her grades. She refused and he assaulted her. She wasn't drugged like Bonnie so she faught back. The report said that she had bruises and scratches but like Bonnie she had washed all of the evidence away. The professor simply said she liked it rough and for some reason they believed him. Reading further along in the report, two other girls came forward and said they had observed Megan flirting with the professor. Megan had also had a one night stand a few weeks before the assault and the young man came forward and said she was " a freak". Damon wondered what one thing had to do with the other. Humans were so stupid!

Browsing through the school's directory he found that Megan had transferred to VSU about 2 hours out of Mystic Falls. He drove the 2 hours to the campus and camped outside the apartment she shared with 3 other students. It wasn't that hard to find her, he just went to the sociology department and asked around. Damon compelled a male student to describe her and the kid went so far as to show him a picture on her facebook page. "You are wasting your time dude," Showing Damon the picture on his cell phone, "but she is batting for the other team." He compelled the registrar for her address and watched the apartment until she left and got into her Honda Accord. He followed at a safe distance in his Camaro until she pulled into a stripmall and parked. He watched as she walked down a corrider and disappeared into a glass door.

He took and unneeded breathe and went through the door and was surprised to see at least 10 woman sitting in chairs in a circle. They were all different colors and ages.

They all turned to look at him.

" May I help you?" a red head woman looking about 35 asked politely.

He spotter Megan sitting in one of the chairs in the group. "Um, I think I maybe in the wrong place."

He looked around the room and fell on a sign that read, "Rape Counseling group meeting a 1 pm.

"I should go."

He said backing out of the door.

The woman who asked him the questions followed him.

"Excuse me sir, excuse me."

Damon stopped in his tracks and said again, " I was lost."

"I don't think so, do you know someone who was raped."

"No," he lied.

" A lot of men find themselves here, they are at their wits end and don't know what to do."

"I have to go." He said.

He went back to Megan's apartment and waited. An hour and a half later she showed up.

He walked up to her.

"Megan," he said.

"You are that man from the group," she said eyeing him suspiciously. In her hands she held a whistle and a can of what he thought was probably pepper spray.

" I am not going to hurt you I just want to ask you a few questions."

"About?"

" Professor Atticus Shane."

" I don't have anything to say to you." She said turning abruptly to open her door.

" I know what happened."

" Do you go to Whitemore? " she asked.

"No, I'm a little too old for college." He grinned.

"What do you want Mister…?"
"Damon Salvatore" he smiled extending his hand, she didn't take it just looked at him warily.

" A friend of mine, a female friends of mine," he started hoping she would get the picture

," had the same thing happen with the professor that happened with you."

"Look I don't know what you think you know , but all that is behind me. It was 2 years ago. I am trying to move on. I have nothing to say to you." She said defiantly.

"Is that why you were at the counseling group?" he asked angrily, he was getting nowhere.

She turned to open her door and Damon pleaded.

"He raped my friend, she is hanging on by a thread, and he is not going to stop, he is looking for his next victim." He rushed out before she could disappear into the door.

He saw her shoulders slump, she took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

"Come in Mr Salvatore."

/

She offered him a cup of coffee which he took because he was so wound up he needed a distraction and keeping the cup on the saucer was one.

"How is your friend doing?"

He told her about Bonnie and what happened.

"His methods have changed," she said and Damon nodded.

"He is a sexual predator. He won't stop until someone stops him."

" I tried but… did your friend go to the police?"

"No that's why I am here, maybe you can talk to her and let her know that you know how it feels and that she should come forward."

"I don't know how good it will do coming forward at this time. You said it happened over Thanksgiving? " he nodded affirmative.

"That was 3 and a half weeks ago, I take it she showered and tried to continue on with life?"

He nodded again.

"To you it may not mean anything, she is your friend and I am sure it happened but in everyone elses eyes she may be some bitter young girls, scorned by her older lover after she gave up the goods." She said bitterly.

"Is that what happened to you?"

"Yeah, everything I did was put under a microscope, every date, make out session in the back of a car, everything! I was questioned more about my sex life than he was about his. I finally got tired and my parents, were tired to. I mean when your father is questioning whether trying to prosecute him is worth it, it's time to move on."

Damon shook his head thinking of Bonnie's absentee father, the newly elected Mayor of Mystic Falls, although he had not been around a lot when Bonnie was in high school, he appeared to be an active participant in her life now. He called her every night that Damon spent in her room and Bonnie's face lit up everytime. She loved her dad, and he seemed to love her, that was a foreign concept to Damon.

" If more women came forward they would have to do something. Bonnie is just a kid, she deserves justice and maybe she can put her life together again of he is punished."

" You care about her, I can tell, it's good she has you," she looked at him and smiled." I want to meet Bonnie and maybe I will talk to her about pressing charges, filing a report will be good for her. But I am not pushing her into anything. It is her choice!"

Damon nodded in agreement. He called Bonnie when he was on his way back to campus to make sure she was doing okay. "I'm fine Damon."

"I need to talk to you about something" he heard an audible exhale like she knew what was coming. Over the past week he had tried to convince her to come forward and press charges. She had refused each time. Her resolve was wearing thin.

"No Damon, I told you I just want to go on with my life and put this all behind me." She stated flatly.

"Bonnie this will help with that. You have to talk to someone."

"When I am ready, not when you say so."

"You need help."

"Bye Damon,"

"Wait, I have someone I want you to meet."

"Who?" she asked curiously.

"I will pick you up in 10 minutes."

"Where are we going?" she asked as they drove to the meeting place. She was dressed as usual since her attack in baggy sweats and her hair pulled in a messy ponytail.

" I have someone who I think you should talk to."

Bonnie was apprehensive to say the least but over the past few weeks Damon had proven to be a trusted ally and confidant and she had begun to rely on him for certain things. She knew during the day he was probably spying on Shane and she was okay with that, it made her feel safe knowing he was looking out for her. She had witnessed first hand how devoted he was when he cared with Elena. And not that what they had was anything compared to Delena, she was happy he was on her side.

They pulled up to a park and he directed her towards a picnic table where a young woman sat. She smiled at Bonnie as she approached. "What is this?" she asked Damon.

"Just talk to her."

Damon sat in his car while the two women sat and talked, he tried to tune out there conversation because this was something he knew was private. Damon loved being a man, he loved the power and the cockiness. He loved the fact that he had two balls and a dick and he loved absolutely LOVED using them, but over the past weeks with Bonnie and especially today he was ashamed of his manhood.

The two women concluded there talk a few hours later. The sun was setting when Megan strolled over to him. Her eyes were puffy like she had been crying. ' I think she may be ready for help. I gave her my number and the number to my therapist."

Damon, extended his hand. "Thank you" he said seriously.

"You're welcome, she is lucky to have someone like you on her side." He watched her drive away and approached Bonnie as she sat on the table watching the sun go down over the pond.

"I love sunsets" she said. I know most people love sunrises because they symbolize a brand new day, but to me every sunset mean the day is over and if you had something bad happen to you during the day it is over now, the sun has set on it."

" I never thought of it that way." He said smiling. He looked at her and she had tears pooling in her eyes.

"Thank you Damon, for everything, for finding Megan."

" You're welcome. Did talking to her help?"

She nodded. "She knew what it was like to be scared all the time." She took in a deep breath, "she knew what it was like …" her voice cracked.

He sat still and waited for her to compose herself.

"to want to go inside of yourself and just…" she waved her hand in front of her face like she was doing a magic trick.

"disappear." She concluded.

They sat there on the bench until the sun had completedly disappeared. He didn't say a word, he just sat there until she made up her mind until she spoke the words.

"I want to talk to Sheriff Forbes."