Foreclosure of a Dream

Part 4: Stray Cat Blues

The chapter title is by The Rolling Stones, circa 1968

I own none of TVD characters. This story is for entertainment value only.

A/N: Okay guys…I have had some really interesting and inspiring reviews to this story. I love them all-well mostly-except the ones that were hateful, but whatever, can't let someone's prejudices get me down. Anyhow, I'm editing chapter 6 as I post this and have up to chapter 12 finished, but all those chapters are unedited. This is looking to be a 15-20 chapter fic and (honestly) I'm still fence sitting as far as who I think Damon should be with, so… I've decided to write two alternate endings. That way, I get both my Bamon ending and my Delena fix. Now, I'm sorry if that makes some shippers mad, but if you think about it this way—everyone gets their big happy in the end. It's a win/win. So, I hope you'll bear with me and have faith that I will do each couple justice.

Thanks again for all the love this story is getting. I know my wishy-washy-ness has been hard, but I see so many positives in both relationships. So much potential for love with both Elena and Bonnie. Hang in there with me and hopefully, I can satisfy both my need for a 'very happy' Damon and yours, because really this fic is about Damon—not Delena or Bamon. OR Beremy. If you want that ship…I'd suggest you stop now, because Jeremy will not be a huge player in this story. Sorry, but I love Damon above all others and I just want that gorgeous vampire to finally get his big-fat-big-happy! I think he's earned it! :) :) Right?

Okay, enough from me. On to the next part.

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The Salvatore Boarding House.

Bonnie's POV

The first thing I realize as I wake up is I have a headache from hell itself and my mouth tastes like something crawled inside it and died.

"Ugh," I groan rolling over and sitting up. Oh bad idea! The room spins and I grab my head, hoping that will stop everything from tilt-a-whirling.

No such luck. It only gets worse and now my stomach has joined the cause and is grumbling as well.

I drank way too much last night. Especially when you consider I rarely drink—although, I have to confess Damon and I tied one on a few times over the last six months, just not like we did last night. I should have known better, but everyone wanted to celebrate and I went along for the ride—a decision I'm now sorely regretting. My stomach roils again and I take deep breaths to calm myself. After a minute or so, I slowly open my eyes to survey my environment. I'm in a large bedroom decorated in lacy white curtains and antique cherry wood furniture. I know this room. I've been sleeping in for the last six months. Funny, even as wasted as I was, I somehow managed to find this particular room out of all the other rooms in the boarding house. It almost feels like home to me now.

The world tilts wildly again and my tummy takes a nose dive and I suddenly know without a doubt I'm not through paying penance for overindulging.

"Oh God!"

I leap from the bed and barely make it to the bathroom in time to toss my cookies into the porcelain bowl located just inside the adjoining bathroom.

Once I've emptied my stomach of everything, (possibly including some major organs) I splash some cold water on my face and wash my mouth out. I open up the medicine cabinet and find it stocked with toothpaste and mouth wash. Thank God I picked this room to crash. Many of the other rooms don't have a bathroom included and I would have never made it down the endless hallways to one of the other guest baths. It was the reason I picked this bedroom when Damon and I found ourselves trapped here on the other side—that and I remembered Elena used to use this room—when she wasn't in a relationship with one of the Salvatore Brothers that is.

I wince. "Okay, that sounded catty," I say to myself in the mirror. "Even to yourself."

I know Elena never intended to lead either of them on. She was confused. You can't help who you fall in love with… right? I guess, Elena just fell for the wrong brother first. That has me rolling my eyes at myself, because honestly, I never understood her love for Damon. Yes, he's certainly easy on the eyes, but he can be a total dick, too. I always figured it was a vampire sex thing that kept her going back to him time and again. And then I got trapped with him in our own little private world and now I get it. He's a lot more than a bad-boy with a pretty face and fangs. There's a whole other side to Damon Salvatore, one he rarely lets anyone see. Elena saw it, but he would've never let me that close, had I not been trapped with him for half a year.

Speaking of a certain blue eyed vampire. I think of the talk we had last night. Damon has no memory of the other side. And it's funny, because the irony of him losing his memory while Elena erased hers was not lost on either of us, but at least now I understand why he was looking at me so weird. Damon doesn't know we actually became more than grudging frienemies. He can't recall Kai, pancakes and crossword puzzles, blood-sharing and the kiss that should have never happened. And last, but scariest of all, he doesn't have any recollection of the Goddess Morrigan, who says he belongs to her and also slapped a big whammy on us right before we jumped into the portal.

I can't help but wonder if Morrigan gave him a dose of selective amnesia to make him more vulnerable. If Damon doesn't know what she looks like, he won't know she's a threat. The thought sends a small shiver of apprehension through me and I remind myself to warn Stefan and Caroline, as well as Damon that we need to crack a few books and do some research about her before she shows up again. Not to mention, we need to get Damon his memories back before he walks right up to the bitch like some kind of sacrificial lamb.

My head is pounding again and I desperately need a shower, so I open the cupboard next to the claw foot tub (that doubles as a spectacular rainfall shower) and grab a white fluffy towel out of the neatly stacked bundles stored there. I get a sense of deja-vu because this whole routine is so familiar to me and as I turn on the water, I can't help but think if I take away the raging hangover, it's almost like I'm still back in 1994 again.

After an amazingly long and refreshing shower, I get dressed and head downstairs for some much needed coffee. I notice how eerily quiet the place is. For once Damon's not up before me. I walk into the kitchen and it just seems weird to not see him at the burner flipping pancakes and doing his 'Damon dance' to some mix on his IPod dock.

That image brings a smile to my face that lasts while I get the coffee started. It reminds me of all the silly ways he used to prepare my pancakes—the vampire ones secretly amused me, but of course, I never let him know that. I hope he's doing okay. He was pretty torn up about Elena and I felt bad for him. I can't imagine how I'd feel if Jeremy erased his feelings for me from his mind. Thinking of Jeremy makes my stomach flutter with a rush of nervous excitement/anxiety. I'm pretty sure he was really ticked at me for not telling him I wouldn't be making it back when we took down the wall to the other side, but at the same time, I really want to see him; even if he is angry with me.

With that in mind, I hurry through my coffee and scribble a quick note saying where I've gone before snatching up Caroline's car keys and heading out the door. I take two steps outside and stop, totally surprised when I spot Elena's small SUV in the drive parked behind Damon's Camaro.

"Well, that was quick," I mutter.

I don't really have to wonder who let the cat out of the bag. I'm sure it was 'well meaning' Caroline who stuck her nose where it doesn't belong again. It wasn't me and it sure wasn't Stefan, and knowing Damon the way I now do, he would have rather faced a firing squad armed with vervain laced wooden bullets than pick up the phone and call her. So, that leaves Care, and I know I shouldn't be upset with her, but there was a reason no one called Elena—despite at least one of us (me) dying to see her. Damon's a mess and while he may have put on a great front last night, the only things keeping him from going on one of his notoriously angst-ridden Elena fueled killing sprees are his brother, his bourbon and not having a face to face with the girl who broke his heart before he's ready.

Caroline should have thought about that before making the decision (on her own) to tell Elena he was home.

For a second, I hesitate. Maybe I should stay and help him pick up the pieces if things go badly. It's what a friend would do, but then I remind myself that my feelings for Damon are all over the place and too complicated right now. Plus Stefan's here. If anyone can pull Damon off the ledge, it'll be him. Best I leave Damon and Elena to deal with their own issues—with Stefan as chaperone. Which in turn reminds me I have a few of my own relationship issues to work out.

I hurry to Caroline's little silver Prius and commit my first GTA…

At least I left a note, right?

Lockwood Estate:

I park Caroline's 'borrowed' Prius in front of the huge white mansion and take a minute to compose myself. I flip down the drivers visor and check my appearance in the mirror there. Make-up—check, hair done—check. I look good and I know it. I also know I shouldn't be so nervous. It's Jeremy. He loves me and hopefully he'll be so happy to see me back, he'll forgive me for lying to him about the fate I knew I faced when I took down the veil and helped everyone cross over.

After a few minutes of talking myself up, I finally get out of the car and head to the front door…

The music is blaring from inside so it's not surprising that I get no answer to my knock. I try the door, find it unlocked and go inside.

And I'm totally unprepared for what I see there.

To my shock, there's Jeremy, in nothing more than a pair of boxers with a blindfold over his eyes.

"Marco," he says, grinning, arms outstretched as if searching for someone.

"Polo," comes a giggling reply from within the living room. And yeah, that is definitely a girl.

Jeremy chuckles and I see her then. A slender brunette wearing nothing but a pair of panties. She darts across the room and dives behind the couch, but her thong covered ass is still sticking halfway out so for all of us who can see—she's not really hiding anything.

"Polo! Come and get me," the twit sing-songs.

Jeremy gets this goofy grin on his face and I feel sick to my stomach. This reunion has gone from hopefully romantic to some kind of really bad 'Girls Gone Wild' video. I remind myself Jeremy thought I was dead and he's alone and single, but seriously, walking in on him with some other girl is so the last way I saw this going, it leaves me completely frozen.

Jeremy stumbles off towards the voice and I turn to escape before this situation can go from heartbreaking to gut-wrenchingly awkward as well. But I must have made some kind of sound because suddenly Jeremy whips his head in my direction and tugs off the blindfold.

"What the hell! Who—?" His expression goes from furious to startled and bewildered in less than a heartbeat. "Bonnie?!" he gasps, and yeah, he's definitely feeling as confused as I am right about now!

Before I can answer though, his playmate bobs her head up from behind the couch. "My name's not Bonnie, silly. It's Ginger and you still haven't caught me yet."

I shake my head at him, and despite wishing differently, I can't help but feel betrayed. This is as bad as Anna, maybe worse. At least with her I got why he kept it a secret. Why he kissed her; he had fallen for her long before he fell for me.

But this—this is just-ugh!

He's still just staring at me. "Are you for real or am I seeing ghosts again?" Jeremy asks, the thunderstruck expression on his handsome face making him appear far more innocent than his attire lets on.

I finally find my voice. "Sorry, as much as I wish I was dead right now. It's really me." I flash a smile that I know is as fake and fragile as I'm feeling. "Surprise! I'm back."

Jeremy is speechless and maybe that's for the best, because I don't think I want to hear him explain anyhow.

And Ginger, in all her half-naked wisdom, decides that this is a great time to finally come out from behind the couch. "Who are you?" she asks me, crossing her arms over her perky little breasts.

"Obviously an unwanted guest," I reply and turn to leave.

Jeremy races forward and grabs my arm. "Bonnie, wait!"

"Don't!" I snap, yanking my arm away. "I know I was gone, but really…" I make a face. "Is this what you've been doing, Jer?" I see all the empty booze bottles, beer cans and trash from pizza cartons and fast food take out lying on the coffee table and tossed on the floor. It reminds me a bit of Damon's wild days after Katherine wrecked him, except his place never looked like a trash can! "Real classy. Does Tyler know you've turned his parents' house into a whorehouse/pig sty?!"

Ginger, who's now (thankfully) tugging a tank top over her head decides to chime in from the peanut gallery once again. "Hey! I'm not a whore," she chirps as she's rooting around on the floor looking for what I assume is the rest of her clothes. "Jeremy and I are friends."

My brow shoots up to my hairline and Jeremy has the good sense to look embarrassed. "I think your (I air quote) "friend" needs help finding her pants. We'll talk later."

"Bonnie, don't go. Not like this," Jeremy says, trying to stop me from reaching the door.

But I've had enough. Here I was feeling guilty for one kiss while he's been doing (if Ginger's an example of his tastes) anything with legs around Mystic Falls! I attempt to maneuver around him, but Jeremy takes hold of my upper arm again.

"Let me explain…"

All the hurt and anger and confusion I'm feeling rushes to the surface and a burst of pure energy erupts inside me. "No!" I shout and suddenly Jeremy is propelled backwards. He bounces on his ass and slides along the marble tiles of Tyler's entryway. I'm stunned. Okay, that was new. "I'm sorry," I say softly. But I don't say any more. I seriously need to get away from him right now, before I accidentally hurt him.

"What the hell was that?" he asks, slowly climbing to his feet.

"I don't know," I tell him and it's the truth and thank God the brain trust Ginger is still hunting for her lost virtue somewhere in Tyler's living room, because that was a major gust of power from me and the last thing I need is someone like her seeing me use magic. "I've got to go, Jer. If you want to talk—call me later. Once I've calmed down," I say, making a beeline for the door.

He must feel the magic rolling off me, because he simply nods.

I march to the door and without even trying it just swings opens for me and then slams shut as soon as I cross the threshold. And I know that's weird. My magic has never been this strong, but maybe I'm still juiced up from Damon's blood, or maybe it's because I'm just that pissed at Jer right now. I'm not sure what it is, but when I look at Jeremy's truck parked in front—all four tires suddenly explode and the vehicle drops to the ground on its rims with a loud crash.

I jump back into Caroline's Prius and zip out of there before Jeremy or (God help me) Ginger comes out and sees the damage I've done to his truck. The last thing I want to do is harm someone with my magic, but the way I'm feeling… I take a few deep breaths to settle myself and it works, but I can still feel the power just radiating within me.

It's a little scary actually.

Yeah, I'm going to have to figure out if this is because of the blood-sharing or did Morrigan do this when she leveled that gigantic magical headache on me when I went through the portal. She did say she was the High Priestess of Witches. Maybe she gave me the magical overhaul. But why? She would have to know I would use my power to protect Damon from her.

It made no sense and I decided to skip going by my house for some extra clothes in order to head back to the boarding house ASAP. A change in outfits could wait. Finding out what took Damon's memories and made me into 'super witch' couldn't.

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Elena's POV

We've all assembled in the great room of the boarding house. Stefan and Caroline along with Damon and myself.

Damon was quick to get Stefan when he learned Ric compelled more than just my love for him from my memory. They pow-wowed in a corner for several minutes before Stefan went through pretty much the same list of questions Damon had already asked me and after repeating again that 'No, I don't remember Katherine taking control of my body, or anyone named Aaron or Damon and I driving full speed into The Grille'. The inquisition was finally over.

"You need to call Ric and tell him to get his wanna-be Original ass over here and fix her," Damon growls at Stefan as he heads to the drink cart and pours himself a full glass of bourbon. "She wanted to forget me not an entire year of her life!"

I sigh. He still hasn't really said anything to me after he dragged me out of his room and I don't blame him. I can't even imagine what he's feeling right now considering we're supposedly this 'epic love' affair. It sounds so preposterous to me, but even Stefan says we were meant for each other.

And maybe I could see it if my 'epic love' would actually talk to me. Instead, he speaks to Stefan 'about' me and when I respond, he directs his replies to his brother yet again.

And soon the brothers are once again sequestered away and while Stefan and Damon put their heads together and try and reach Ric, I ask Caroline a few questions of my own. To hear her tell it, I was insanely in love with Damon—so much so that I went on some freaky kind of drug induced binge after he died just so I could hallucinate him and keep him with me.

I'm reminded of my letter to myself. "I wanted a fresh start," I tell her.

"You can still have that, Elena. He isn't forcing you to remember."

"I know. And as good as forgetting all the pain I went through sounds, I made that choice when I thought he was lost to me forever. He isn't now. He's right here and I feel this pull towards him."

My eyes drift over to Damon and for a long moment I stare at him. I've always thought he was good looking. I mean, hello, I do have eyes in my head, but I don't recall being affected by him like I am now. When I was in his room earlier, there was this intense attraction. My mouth watered and my gums actually ached—my response was instinctual and a part of me wanted to climb right in his bed and have him give me a physical narrative of some of our best and brightest moments! It was intense and I know I want to remember a passion like that.

"And…that's good, right?" Caroline says. "That means somewhere, even though you compelled your love away. You still feel it."

"But what if he doesn't forgive me, even after I get my memories back."

"He will. Trust me, Damon loves you. You're the only thing he's really ever loved. He'll forgive you."

"I guess we'll see huh?"

Caroline nods her head. "So, you've decided then? You're going to ask Ric to lift the compulsion?"

"Yeah," I reply. I look to Damon again. He's on the phone now (hopefully with Ric) and for a second our eyes meet. There's so much said between us in that instant, before he turns away. I see his pain and I want to bleed for being the cause of it, but I can't, because a part of me still sees him as a psychotic killer, and honestly, that hurts almost as bad as realizing I may have given up on the love of my life just months before he returned to me.

"I loved him, Care. I may not understand it right now, but if I needed drugs and then compulsion to help me get through losing him…" I swallow thickly. It seems so weird to be saying this about Damon—almost surreal, but… "Obviously, I loved him more than I've ever loved anyone or anything in my life and I want to remember what that kind of love feels like. I need to remember."

Damon hangs up the phone. For the first time since he brought me downstairs he talks directly to me. "Okay, so Ric will be here in a couple hours. Hopefully he can do a little rewiring with your compulsion and give you back the year you forgot. Minus, of course, the warm and squishies you used to have for me."

"Damon…"

"Don't Elena. Seriously, just don't," he says and turns his back on me.

I start to argue, but Stefan shakes his head at me and I'm reminded Damon has been through hell and back. And instead of telling him to stop being such an ass! I bite my lip and don't tell him how his attitude is really starting to bug me.

"Where's Bonnie?" I ask instead.

"She went to see Jeremy," Caroline says, her smile just a tad too bright and I recognize 'keeping the peace' Caroline coming out. "She probably won't be back for a while." She grins. "I'm thinking lots of making up to do."

Damon pours himself a glass of bourbon. His third—or maybe it's the fourth since we've come downstairs. "Now there's a reunion that was probably worth the whole dying thing."

Damon looks right at me and it's not just pain in his eyes, there's anger there too and…disappointment.

I feel like such a coward now and I hate it.

He smirks as if he knows exactly what I'm thinking. "I bet Jeremy didn't hit the delete button, huh?"

I flinch when he says that, and without thinking, I give in to my irritation and snap back at him. "No, he didn't. Instead, he's sleeping his way through the entire Mystic Falls cheerleading squad to forget Bonnie!" I flash Damon a smirk. "Would you have preferred me to do that?"

Before I even finish my sentence I see everyone staring at me wide eyed. Caroline is shaking her head, trying to give me the sign to shut up, but I was so focused on Damon during my little rant, I didn't see it. But one look at her horrified face and I just know…my stomach starts to churn as I turn around, and oh God! Sure enough, Bonnie is standing right behind me.

I want to crawl into the darkest corner of hell and just disappear. How could I have blurted that out like that?

"Oh my God, Bonnie! I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have—"

She holds up her hand to stop what I'm pretty sure was about to become an endless rambling apology.

"It's not your fault, Elena, and honestly, it's not new news either." And Bonnie does what she's always done, she pulls herself together and seems to grow a little taller in her dignity. She shrugs as if to downplay her emotions and my heart breaks just a little more. "I ran into Jeremy and one of his...uh…new friends at Tyler's. I didn't really go well."

Everyone seems to try and console her at once, but Bonnie just shakes her head and stops all of our excuses dead in their tracks. "And before you all make excuses. It's okay. I realize he thought I was dead. I just need some time to process and I really don't want to hear all the gory details right now. Okay?"

I nod, but my grief at having put my brother's business out there for the world to see-and in turn embarrassing her as well-must have shown on my face, because Bonnie comes to me and then she's hugging me.

"Don't worry, 'Lena, I'm okay and I've really missed you," she says.

"I'm so sorry, Bon," I breathe and wrap my arms around her; it's incredible. I start to cry, because I never thought I'd see her again. "Please forgive me." And she does. Just like that she tells me it's alright and she loves me and I wish it was that simple with Damon, but it isn't. But at least I have my best friend back and maybe she can help me reconnect with him. After all she's spent the last six months with Damon. Bonnie must know him pretty well.

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Alright guys so hope you enjoyed it…click that little blue button and let me know what you think.

A/N 2: Had to add this after tonight's episode and the previews for next week's. So, at first Elena didn't want her memories back and then she did—but of course by then it was too late. Ric is human. And according to the previews—Elena doesn't have a breakthrough moment and *once again* Damon is going to be her whipping boy! And to add insult to injury, we've revamped an oldie and moldy plotline where Elena goes to a dance and (we can just add any face here- Stefan-Liam-Billy Joe Bob) she brings another guy. And (whew big shocker here guys) Damon gets jealous! *yawn* Okay—been there, done that. Can we just add infinitum on this scenario and get over it already Julie Plec?! I have to say, I have been so unimpressed with this season of TVD. It's like seriously? And I'll say this, I simply cannot watch Damon pine away in the shadows again just wishing for Elena to love him (for like the umpteenth time!). UGH! I have to change it. Trust me guys, in this story, Damon will never-ever be the love sick fool TVD writers want to ram down our throats each week. No. Instead, he's the prize everyone wants. And sorry for the rant, but if they wanted Damon to be unlovable—they should have picked another actor besides Ian Smoulderholder to play him! Right? ;) Who's with me on that?

Okay, so I'll keep this Damon-centric and hopefully I'll see you guys next time. Thanks again for all your love and support. :)