The sun was starting to set. Elena and Stefan had spent the day talking about trying to control her bloodlust and about what was going on with Caroline and the council. Elena had also started trying some of the animal blood. It was actually not too hard for her…she seemed like she very well be able to deal with that. They were still sitting on the couch talking, but her mind kept rambling.

"I can't stop thinking about Jeremy," she said to Stefan with a concerned look on her face.

"I can go check on him if you want," said Stefan.

Elena was quiet for a moment until she suddenly nodded.

"Are you sure you will be fine alone here?" he asked.

"Yes. I'll be ok."

He stood up and looked at her intensely. Elena finally stood up too and hugged Stefan.

"Thank you," she whispered. They held each other for a moment until she moved her head back, staring at him, and then finally kissed him softly. Stefan held her hand for a second before he finally took off.

Damon and Bonnie had gotten what they needed and were finally back near the old witch house. As they were walking up to the house, Bonnie tripped slightly.

"Clumsy much?" said Damon.

"Well I can't see, it's too dark," Bonnie shot back.

Damon's hand was suddenly around her arm. He could see better than her, and so he led them the rest of the way into the house. When they got to the main room, Bonnie lit one candle with her magic and then passed Damon a box of matches, indicating to help her light all the candles in the room.

"This, again," Damon said with an irritated tone as he lit the candles.

"Thanks," Bonnie said somewhat sarcastically as they finished.

Damon was back in the corner and Bonnie was in the center again. She put the herbal mixture she had made in her hands and began to whisper her chants.

After about half a minute she got quiet. But then Damon grew tense as she began chanting again, and she got louder and louder. Damon felt very uneasy when suddenly Bonnie screamed and then fell to the floor.

Damon froze for a second, he didn't know what had just happened. He realized that some of the candles had fallen over and the room was starting to catch on fire. It happened so quickly and it seemed as if the room was engulfing in flames at an unnatural speed. He quickly went to pick Bonnie up and he held her in his arms as he tried to escape the fire.

He finally got out of the house and gently placed Bonnie on the grass.

"Bonnie?" he said earnestly. "Bonnie!"

She finally opened her eyes and began coughing a little. She looked up at Damon with a confused expression on her face. And then her eyes widened as she looked at the house.

They both watched as the entire house went up in flames and then Bonnie became unconscious again.

"We need to get out of here" he thought.

He picked her up again and began to carry her to his car.

Elena felt so helpless sitting in the house all by herself. But then again, she didn't feel comfortable anywhere else at the moment. And though the sun was down now she still didn't want to go outside until Bonnie could make her a piece of daylight jewelry. She wondered where Bonnie and Damon were and if they had even come close to finding anything.

"I can't torture myself with this…if they find something they find something," Elena said to herself.

Elena picked up her diary and began to mindlessly flip through the pages when finally something fell out.

She picked up the small little white rose that was slightly dried out. It was the one Stefan had just given to her at the dance and though it was only a few days ago, she had forgotten that she had placed it there afterwards.

Elena stared at the rose for a minute and then suddenly her head tilted. She began flipping through the pages of her diary again. She found a specific page and began to read it.

August 3, 2009

Dear Diary,

Today was strange. Sometimes I wake up and everything feels normal…it is almost as if I forget that my parents are gone. But then I eventually go downstairs and I see Aunt Jenna in the kitchen. I love my aunt Jenna, but her presence in the morning brings me back to reality and reminds me that my parents are dead. I really don't know what to do with myself anymore. People keep asking me if I am OK and honestly, how am I supposed to answer that? Everyone also keeps trying to get me out, like they think if I go and have a little fun that I will forget about everything. The truth is I don't even know how to handle myself right now, but I can see Jeremy slipping away too. I am really worried about him; everyone is doing the same to him too. Today, Aunt Jenna tried to get me to at least get out of the house on my own. She gave me money to go shopping. It took a lot of convincing but I finally went by myself. It was weird too because I haven't been driving my car very often. I still have a slight panic attack when I get inside a car and today I was like a clumsy idiot. Before I walked into the little boutique I almost tripped and then when I was getting ready to leave, I couldn't find my keys anywhere. I went back into the shop and everything. The weird thing was when I walked back to my car I noticed the keys sitting on the hood. It was weird because I could have sworn that I looked there already. I seriously though I was going crazy so I sat on a bench outside for a few minutes before I took off back home. I was disappointed in myself and I could sense people passing by me, pitying me. I probably looked so sad and pathetic, plus everyone in town knew what had happened. I just wished that I could be stronger, that I could somehow find a way to live again. In that moment life just seemed so pointless. But when I finally got home, I noticed something on the handle of the front door. It was a single white rose with a long stem. There was something so strange about it, almost mystical. "Why would someone leave this here?" I wondered. It has already been over two months since my parents died. Those sort of sympathy gifts stopped coming a while ago... But still, something about this rose brought a glimmer of hope to me. With that and even the strange key incident, I can't help but feel like maybe someone is watching over me. Maybe I will be OK… But for now, I am still somewhat lost.

Elena.

Elena closed her diary and looked at the rose in her hand again. Her eyes sparkled and a smile washed over her face.

Damon got into Bonnie's house and walked upstairs put her in her room. Bonnie was still unconscious as he tried to gently place her on the bed. He thought of maybe taking her to the hospital, but then she seemed like she would be fine and they might ask too many questions.

Damon looked over and noticed a slightly worn teddy bear sitting on the other side of her bed. He stared at it intensely as an old memory suddenly washed over him.

He was in Mystic Falls and the last time he was there, he had seen Stefan. It was years before. But right now, he was here to take care of some things. Damon walked along the street reading the address signs. He finally stopped as he looked across the street and saw a few little kids playing in front of a house. He saw a little girl, no more than five years old with dark olive skin, brown hair and piercing green eyes. She had a teddy bear in her hand. There was another older woman hovering over her, they didn't look related…

"That must be the nanny," Damon thought.

He saw a little boy run up to the green eyed girl and snatch the teddy bear away from her. She followed him as he taunted her with it and then he finally through it in the middle of the street.

The nanny watched in horror as the little girl began to run across the street to grab her bear. Saw a car coming very quickly, and though she took off running and shouting, she knew in that moment she wouldn't be able to get to the girl in time. She stopped before she hit the road…the car had passed by and yet everything seemed fine. She looked up and a wave of relief crossed over her as she saw the little girl on the other side of the street in the arms of a man.

The nanny ran across the street and looked to the man as he set the little girl down.

"Oh my goodness, thank you so much. I was terrified. Thank you," she said to the man.

"No problem," Damon said back to her with a smile.

He then crouched down to the little girl.

"What's your name?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. She was another Bennett witch. Or at least she will be...

"Bonnie," she said with a little voice as her expression grew shy.

"Well, Bonnie…" continued Damon as he turned to the side to pluck a flower from a small garden.

"Stay safe," he said with a smile as he handed her a small yellow rose.

He looked at her intently as she took the rose and her eyes widened as she stared at it. She finally nodded as the strange man stood up and began to walk away.

"Thank you," she said in her little voice. Damon turned his head back and gave her one last smile before he finally took off.

Damon looked back at Bonnie. Something felt wrong about seeing her laying there, looking helpless and weak. It just didn't seem right…

He suddenly felt very strange and confused.

"What should I do?" he thought.

"Should I stay here until she wakes up again? I definitely don't want to go back to the boarding house right now…or sit in my car all night like I just did…"

Damon finally walked over to a chair that was in the corner of Bonnie's room, and sat down. He sat there in deep thought for a few minutes until he finally closed his eyes.