Well, chapter six already. Shocking. I disclaim. Thanks to all who have put this story into their favorites or on alert, it means a lot. Also, to all who have reviewed: you are a major reason I keep writing. Thank you.

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The next day, Bonnie was expecting visitors. When by noon none of the people she'd expected had shown up, she realized that, indeed, they needed her to go to them. She wanted to assume that everything had gone perfectly on the "dates" she'd orchestrated, but she didn't actually believe that to be the case without proof.

So, in the meantime she was going to hunt her friends down to make sure that everything had gone smoothly.

And, if it just so happened that by providing such friendly services she could avoid thinking about . . . her indiscretion the night before, then hey, she'd take it.

She really didn't want to think about it, but she felt like it was tattooed in her memory, she couldn't not think about the kiss. The freaking kiss. She'd stayed up all night, desperately trying to fall asleep, but unable to until she'd given up and brewed herself some sleeping tea.

She'd still woken up early, and had treated herself to a cold shower—just to numb herself and stop the tingling that was still making her feel like she was on fire. It was intense, and scary. And weird.

So she was numbing herself, and attempting to focus on anything other than that.

XXXX

Bonnie looked at Caroline and almost wanted to join in on her crying. Her original intention had been to visit Caroline and report back to Stefan—who also wasn't responding to her text messages, and she was beginning to wonder if the night before had been some sort of torturous exercise in life's unfairness.

Bonnie stepped in quickly and shut the door behind her. "What happened?" Bonnie asked, concerned.

"I—things were going well. We were, you know, hanging out, but then . . . " Caroline burst into tears. "Elena."

Bonnie felt a bit of anger beginning to build within her. "Elena?"

"She showed up, and we both said pretty awful things. But then . . . she wants him back. So I just left. I don't need that in my life." Caroline said, almost as if she believed it.

Bonnie didn't though, because she was pretty damn sure that Caroline rather wanted Stefan in her life. They'd become close recently, and Bonnie could tell they had less than platonic feelings for each other. She'd seen a bit of yearning in Caroline's eyes months before Elena and Stefan had ever broken up, though Caroline had never even made a slight romantic overture towards Stefan, choosing to respect his relationship with Elena.

Bonnie sighed. Elena. Why couldn't Elena do the same? Elena seemed to have just lost control of who she was. Bonnie missed the sweet girl she knew Elena could be. Oblivious, yes. But sweet.

"You left them together?" Bonnie asked. She didn't want to believe that Stefan would just fall down and worship at the great Shrine of Elena, but there was always the chance that he would.

"Yeah. I think they're back together."

"Why?"

"She broke up with Damon, and Stefan's still in love with her. Why wouldn't they be?" Caroline asked, almost as if she wanted to be proven wrong.

"Maybe he's not as in love with her as you think, " Bonnie replied simply and kindly. She hugged Caroline close to her. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Caroline had never admitted how she felt about Stefan to anyone before, and she wasn't going to start now.

Bonnie closed her eyes and gathered her courage. It was time to rip off the damn band aid. "Because you love him."

Bonnie could feel Caroline stiffen in her arms and pull away. "Why . . . why would you say that?" Caroline started to pace a little, throwing her arms in the air as she attempted to deny Bonnie's claim. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Stefan and I are just really good friends. Almost like—" Caroline stopped herself and grimaced.

Bonnie tried to hide her smile. Caroline wasn't far enough in denial to say they were like brother and sister.

"Bonnie—" Caroline broke down and tears started to fall freely again. "What am I going to do if—"

"If they get back together?" Bonnie completed. She really didn't know what she would do. "They won't," Bonnie said with a confidence she didn't feel. "But even if they do, you'll be fine."

Caroline quickly closed to the distance between her and Bonnie and hugged her tightly. She cried into her friend's shoulder. "I think you might be right."

Bonnie sighed, "I know you, Caroline. You're in love with him."

"I—what do I do?"

"Fight for him," Bonnie was surprised to hear herself say. Then she realized that that was exactly what Caroline needed to do. "Don't play the game, don't fight with Elena. Just fight for Stefan. Does that make sense?"

Caroline lifted her head and bit her lip. "Because it's not about Elena. It's about Stefan."

"Exactly," Bonnie placed her hand on her friend's cheek, smiling. She nudged away the tears with her thumb and tried to get Caroline's hair out of her eyes. "You'll be fine."

"How do I even—what do I do?" Caroline felt like a helpless child, like she didn't even know where to start. And a part of her believed that trying at all was futile. Stefan and Elena were . . . surprisingly perfect together. At least, they had been until they'd broken up.

Bonnie hesitated. "Start off by apologizing? You said you said some "awful" things."

Caroline quirked her head to the side, "I already apologized."

"Do it again. At least you'll have a reason to go and talk to him." Bonnie grabbed and squeezed her friend's hand. "But why don't you wait until I talk to him first? Let me feel him out a bit."

Caroline jumped at that,"Would you? That would be great."

Bonnie smiled, "Of course." She hugged Caroline. "Anything for you two."

"Thank you, Bonnie," Caroline whispered.

"Anytime."

XXXX

Damon threw his glass at the wall. He watched it shatter and grimaced. "I thought that would be more satisfying."

"What, throwing or breaking the glass?" Stefan asked, suddenly coming into the room.

Damon waited for Stefan to say something like, 'Oh, yeah. Elena and I are back together because as soon as you broke up with her she ran to me for comfort.' He also waited for some sort of regret or pain at that idea. He felt neither. "Is there a difference?"

Stefan smiled. "Yeah. Breaking the glass means you want to cause destruction, whereas the actual throwing of the glass is more about releasing aggression."

Damon just stared at his brother, lifting an eyebrow. "And you really felt the need to explain that to me?"

Stefan nodded. "Obviously. Anyway, so I heard you and Elena broke up."

Here it comes.

"I'm sorry."

Damon looked at his brother in surprise. "Really? She didn't come running to you and throw herself at you?" Damon smirked, "I'm impressed."

Stefan hesitated. Damon felt a twinge of disappoint. Neither one of them ever seemed to learn their lesson. "I take it back."

"She was just . . . upset."

"And you being the lovely ex-boyfriend that you are, decided to ditch the blond to comfort her. Can't say I'm surprised."

"Damon, shut up." Stefan smiled to show that he wasn't actually upset. "You have no idea what you're talking about, as per usual."

Damon raised an eyebrow. "Wow. I'm proud of you, brother. Finally, you got yourself a bit of a spine," Damon slapped his brother on the shoulder. "Good job. How did she take it?"

Stefan merely shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Damon. She doesn't need me right now. What she really needs is to find herself again."

Damon just looked at his brother, "Yeah. Because the Elena we're dealing with right now is kind of a raging bitch," he said in all seriousness.

He waited for a denial. It didn't come.

"She'll be fine," Stefan said again. "Anyway, I'm supposed to meet Bonnie—"

"Bonnie? Why are you meeting Bonnie?" Damon cleared his throat unnecessarily. "Is something wrong?"

Stefan looked at him as if he was acting awkwardly . . . which, well, he was. "She just wants to talk."

"You're really getting around, aren't you?" Damon heard himself say. "Sorry." Damon winced.

Stefan lifted an eyebrow. "She's a good friend, Damon. Something you'd know if you bothered to be a friend."

"I try."

"No, you don't," Stefan replied almost immediately.

"No, I don't." Damon admitted. He thought carefully for a moment, "But maybe I should."

"Seriously?" Stefan asked, incredulous. "Wow."

"Don't seem so shocked, Stefan. Anyway, you should probably go talk to the witch. You wouldn't want to be late."

Stefan quirked his head to the side before leaving, "It's nice to see you back to your old self."

"What do you mean?"

"You were . . . different. It's nice to see that you're still Damon . . . but maybe a bit more, I don't know, open maybe?" Stefan shook his head. "Bye."

"Hey, see if Bonnie's still angry with me," Damon felt himself say without meaning to. Wow. He was like a nervous schoolboy. He would have slapped himself, but he rather thought that would cause more questions on the part of Stefan, to which he had few answers.

"Why would she be angry with you?" Stefan asked curiously.

"She's always angry at me," Damon replied. "You know that."

Stefan just stared at him, slightly suspicious, before turning around and leaving.

XXXX

Elena was cried-out. She was done. She felt tired—but in her soul. She wanted to sink into the ground and take a nap for a few hundred years. Sleepy Beauty-esque.

She sighed. "Maybe that's a little melodramatic," she said softly to herself. "But maybe it's true."

She sat on her awkwardly shaped rock in the middle of the woods—where she was sure she wouldn't get interrupted—and almost fell over when she heard someone speak.

"Maybe what's true?"

Elena turned and felt a smile form. "Matt," he always had the power to make her smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking a walk. Just to, you know, think."

"I didn't know you often felt the need to take walks in order to 'think.'" Elena said in surprise.

Matt sat down on a rock next to her and turned to her. "Sometimes I do. Sometimes I just need to think."

"Deep thoughts?"

"Sometimes yes, sometimes not."

Elena felt her smile grow. "I get that."

Matt smiled. "Yeah. Everything's been so weird lately, you know?"

Elena nodded. "I know."

"Tyler's been super weird, and I feel like all of the couples I know are playing some complex version of romantic square-dancing."

Elena laughed at that.

"That didn't make sense, did it?" Matt asked. "But it made you laugh, and that was my goal. What's wrong, Elena?"

Elena's smile disappeared. She felt Matt place his hand on hers in comfort. "Nothing."

"Only if nothing is the weight of the world." Matt looked into her eyes. "Tell me."

Elena felt herself tear up again. "I screwed up."

"What happened?"

"First I broke up with Stefan, which was a huge mistake. And I was dating Damon, and that was a mess. And then I've been this terrible person lately . . . "

"You're not a terrible person, Elena." Matt tried to assure her.

"Yeah, I am. I told Caroline that she'd always be the rebound, and that no one would ever just love her."

Elena waited for Matt to pull away, but he didn't. "That was a bitch move, Elena."

Elena felt her heart sink. "I know."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It's weird. After everything with Katherine, things just . . . settled down. I guess I got restless. I just started to feel . . . out of place. And one day I just thought that Damon would make me feel alive again. And in the meantime I just got so defensive and angry at everyone." Elena sighed.

"Elena, no one can make you feel alive. You need to be able to do that for yourself."

"I know." She did.

"What happens next?"

Elena thought carefully. "I don't know."

"Why don't you start with an apology?" Matt suggested.

Elena sighed. "I don't think—"

Matt interrupted, "Stop, Elena. Stop the self-pity. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You're not the girl I used to love. Remember that girl?"

Elena smiled. "I do."

"Do you want to be her again?"

Elena thought carefully. "Actually, no. I want to be a better version of her, ideally."

"Then start now."

"But I—"

"Elena, do any of your friends want to speak to you right now?"

"No."

"Have you or have you not been a little evil lately?'

"Yeah."

"Elena, do you want to end up alone, just because you went through a bad patch?"

Elena sighed. "No. I miss—I miss Bonnie, and Caroline. I miss Jeremy, because he just won't talk to me. I've made a mess of things."

"And?" Matt asked expectantly.

"And I should start with apologies." Elena leaned over and kissed Matt on the cheek, "Thank you."

Matt smiled. "You're welcome. But, Elena. Whatever happens, don't let anyone, not even me, become a crutch. You have to do this because you want to. Because you want to be a better you."

Elena smiled sadly. "I know, Matt. Stefan, he, um, said some things last night. Caroline, Damon and Bonnie—they're all upset with me. And I had some time to think about it. I—I need to take a more active role in the world. I can't just keep being so passive aggressive. I need to—I need to be someone worth loving."

Matt moved a stray bit of hair out of her face, "You already are. You just have to be that girl, Elena. Don't be the kind of girl you don't even like."

Elena knew he was right. "Thank you."

"No problem."

XXXX

Stefan was slightly nervous to see Bonnie. Sure, he liked Bonnie, and she was a great friend . . . but there might have been such a thing as too good of a friend. He didn't want to be bombarded with questions, or with criticism for how he let Caroline run off the night before.

He knew that he'd screwed up. Which was why, actually, he was surprised when Bonnie didn't demand answers or explanations and simply stared at him, eyebrow raised like a weapon.

Stefan smiled slightly, "I know."

"Really, do you? Because Caroline spent most of last night crying. At the first chance to get back with Elena, you bailed." Bonnie said.

"I know." Stefan said again.

Bonnie sighed at that. "You know how she feels. She never feels like she's anyone's first choice." Bonnie wasn't trying to judge, but she was anyway. She needed to see the extent of Stefan's feelings for Caroline—for both of their sakes.

"That's not true."

"It's how she feels, Stefan."

"I didn't choose Elena."

Bonnie smiled a bit inside. Well, at least there was that. "You may as well have."

"Bonnie. I'm not in love with Elena anymore."

"I'm not the one you have to convince of that."

Stefan stared at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Do you not even realize it?" Bonnie demanded an answer. Her glare indicated that there was no right answer to her question.

Stefan felt like the universe had stilled, waiting for his answer.

Finally, Stefan sighed. "I was afraid to. But now I'm afraid that if I don't . . . I'll be worse off."

There was no right answer to her question . . . except for that. She smiled. "Stop being afraid, Stefan," she chided gently.

Stefan didn't seem to know what to say, "That's a lot to ask."

"How do you feel about the alternative?" Meaning, not taking a chance, and having Caroline—and himself—be heartbroken.

"You're right," Stefan said simply. "I wouldn't like it."

"Because . . . ?"

"I think that's something I should say to her first."

Bonnie happily hugged him, "That's exactly what I wanted to hear."

In the midst of their hug, Bonnie and Stefan didn't even notice that they were being watched by Damon.

Who just so happened to feel a painful pang in his heart at that moment. Because from his vantage point, their hug seemed a lot more than friendly.

And for some reason that bothered him, though he wasn't yet ready to admit why.

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Sadly, I have a really important paper due for a class, so you won't get an update out of me for a few days. Also, someone wanted to know how long this fic is going to be. The answer is that there are about three or four more chapters. But all of my chapters are pretty long, so at least there's that, right? Review? Also, I promise lots of Bamon for the last few chapters!