I do not own anything in regards to the Vampire Diaries

Chapter 4

Bonnie drove home from the Grill with a huge smile on her face. She couldn't believe that she had just had dinner with Mason…and of course Tyler. She was surprised at how easy and comfortable it was to be around him. All this time she'd been afraid of approaching him and worrying about what to say when it couldn't have been any easier. He was so down to earth and likeable which came as a pleasant surprise because typically guys as hot as Mason were major douche bags. She was happy to know that he was a nice guy. And, when he touched her, sparks shot up her arm like she had been zapped by a bolt of electricity. And, when Damon came to their table, Mason held on to her arm lightly squeezing it reassuringly. Mason and Tyler walked her to her car probably sensing that she was a little worried that Damon might be waiting for her but thankfully he had left.

Bonnie pulled up into her driveway and got out, still smiling and thinking about Mason, so she didn't notice Damon sitting on her front step until it was too late. She stopped cold. What the fuck was he doing here…at her home. She didn't even think he knew where she lived. It was like he could sense whenever she was in a good mood then just show up and piss all over her happiness. She didn't feel like dealing with him tonight.

"Damon, what are you doing here?" she asked her voice full of irritation.

Damon looked at her, noticing that she wasn't coming any closer to him, so he got up and walked to her. He smiled when he saw her body tense, but she stood still not stepping back like he expected.

"I told you that I needed to speak with you and since your guard dogs had you surrounded I decided to try my luck at your home." He said. "So, are you going to invite me in?"

Bonnie laughed. He had to be joking there was no other explanation. What made him think that she would invite him into her home? Not in a million fucking years. Damon had seriously lost his mind.

"Damon, I am not inviting you into my home. Whatever you need to say to me can be said right here."

"Bonnie, you are such a fucking hypocrite. You come into my home all the time and do I say anything about it, hell no."

Bonnie shook her head in disbelief at the absurdity of what he said. "Damon, I am not a psychotic vampire with changing mood swings and homicidal tendencies."

Damon laughed at that. Bonnie could be pretty funny when she wanted to be. "Is that how you see me?"

"Yes!"

Damon sighed. He walked away from her and sat back down on her front step. Bonnie wasn't sure what to do. She could tell that something was on his mind and apparently he wanted to talk to her about it. She reluctantly walked to the foot of the steps.

"Damon, what is going on?" she asked. He put his face in the palm of his hands shaking his head before running his fingers through his hair in frustration before looking at her.

"I just have a lot on my mind. I realized something tonight…and if I wasn't such a fucking idiot I might have saved myself a lot of trouble and heartache." He said, rubbing his eyes.

Bonnie didn't know what to say. Damon Salvatore was sitting on her front step talking about his feelings, like a real person. Who knew that he had feelings?

"Elena is never going to leave Stefan for me, is she Bonnie?"

Whoa, she did not see that coming. Her mind was reeling. Is this really happening right now? She was having a deep conversation with Damon…of all people.

Bonnie took a deep breath releasing it slowly. She didn't know how to answer him. If this had been anyone else, she would have told the truth. But, because this was Damon and he could react in any number of ways, she wasn't sure how to proceed. If he didn't like her answer, he could lose it and go on a killing spree. She couldn't risk anyone getting hurt or killed because of her.

Seeming to read her mind Damon laughed sadly. "Bonnie just tell me the truth. I promise not to kill your neighbors."

Bonnie looked at him for a moment before finally answering. "No, Damon, she won't." Bonnie saw his shoulders slightly slump. If this had been anyone else but Damon, she would have put a comforting arm around him. But, because it was Damon, she just stood there.

"I'm just so fucked up that it isn't even funny. You would think by now I would have been able to get myself together, but no…I keep falling in the same trap. What sane man keeps falling in love with women who want nothing to do with him? I really am fucking crazy."

Bonnie felt so uncomfortable. She could see that he was hurting. But, why was he here telling her all of this? This was something you would tell your closest friend. Then it hit her. Damon doesn't have any friends. For the first time ever, Bonnie felt sorry for Damon. He didn't have anyone. She couldn't imagine her life without Elena and Caroline. They saw her through her parent's divorce and her mother leaving. They cried with her when Grams died, and rejoiced with her when she won an academic scholarship to the college of her choice. And, to not have friends like that was unthinkable. Damon must feel so alone.

Because Bonnie Bennett had such a huge loving heart and couldn't stand to see anyone hurting, she did what she would normally do in a situation like this. She comforted Damon by hugging him and gently rubbing his back. Damon's body tensed for a second before relaxing. No one had hugged him like this since he was human. He didn't know what to do with his hands, so he left them at his sides.

Bonnie pulled back and looked at him. "I think hell just froze over." she said and they both laughed.

"Thank you, Bonnie, I appreciate it. I know that I must be really pathetic in this moment for you to hug me." He said getting up. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone."

"Damon, no one would believe you." She said laughing.

Damon smiled. "Bonnie, I meant what I said the other night…you really do have a pretty laugh." He kissed her forehead. "Good night, Bonnie." He said, and then walked away.

Bonnie sighed. This has been one hell of a night; she thought walking up the steps, unlocking her door and going inside of her house.

Damon walked into the boarding house and headed straight to the bar. He poured himself a drink and sat down in front of the fire place. When he left the boarding house earlier that night, he felt a hole in his heart for the loss of Elena. And, he honestly felt like he lost her, even though he never really had her. Something in his brain just clicked when he watched her and Stefan on the sofa tonight. The way they looked at each and touched each other; it was love. He had witnessed their love for each other, and that's when it dawned on him that Elena will never look at him the way she looks at Stefan and that is why he left. He needed to get out of this house and away from them. He felt like he was suffocating.

He ended up at the Grill and was in for another shock for the night when he saw Bonnie with her little wolf pack. And, that little scene just pushed his emotions over the edge. He really felt like he was going to lose it. But, it wasn't until she refused to speak with him while that big ape had his hands all over her, that Damon lost it. He left the restaurant, and an unfortunate late night jogger got the brunt of his anger, loss, and sadness. After dumping the body, Damon walked around and as the blood of his victim circulated throughout his body that boiling hot rage started to simmer down into a dullness that allowed him to think rationally again. He found himself at the witch's house and decided to wait for her.

Damon drained his glass of Bourbon thinking back on what happened on her doorstep. He didn't think he would open up to her like he did. The shit just came spilling out. He knew Bonnie was a loving, kind person, but he had never been on the receiving end of her kindness. He still couldn't get over that she actually hugged him. Damon shook his head in wonder. Not all that long ago, he had tried to kill her and yet she found it in her heart to show him some compassion and try to comfort him. She was amazing.

Damon sat there thinking about Bonnie, all of a sudden seeing her for the first time. Bonnie Bennett was beautiful…gorgeous in fact. She was smart, kind and loving. She was loyal like no one he had ever known. She was a virgin…a little known fact he discovered when he tasted her blood. And, on top of that she was a powerful witch…or at least was on her way to becoming a powerful witch. She was perfect. Damon's icy blue eyes narrowed. Mason Lockwood didn't deserve to have her. He got up and poured himself another drink and sat back down, thinking. He was going to put an end to Bonnie's little school girl crush on dear Uncle Mason. Damon smiled to himself. When one door closes, another door opens.

Damon smiled when he walked into the boarding house because he could smell that she was here. Hmmm…vanilla. Bonnie always smelled like vanilla; it is her signature scent. A pure fragrance for a pure girl. He knew that she would be here tonight because Stefan bought a rare Cary Grant movie that he found online, and Bonnie loves old Cary Grant movies. The movie arrived today, and Stefan invited her, Elena, and Caroline over to watch it. Damon had a little surprise for the little witch. He walked into the living room and saw that they were engrossed in the movie. Bonnie was sitting on the sofa with Stefan and Elena while Caroline sat in the arm chair. He walked up behind Bonnie and placed the box in her lap.

Bonnie jumped a little when the box was placed in her lap. She looked up behind her and saw Damon smiling like a Cheshire cat.

"Well, open the box little witch." He said.

Everyone stopped looking at the movie. They were more interested in the little scene that was playing out in front of them.

Bonnie didn't know how to act or what to say, this was so strange that she just did what he said and opened the box.

"Oh my god, Damon. This is Mrs. Giada's Italian Wedding Cake. How did you get this? She only makes it during the holidays." Bonnie said in shock.

"I have my ways, Bonnie. I can be very persuasive when I want to be." He said, winking at her.

"Oh my god, you didn't threaten to kill her did you?" Bonnie asked, seriously.

"No. Bonnie. I did not threaten to kill her." He said, irritated. "I just told her that I had a friend who really loved her Italian Wedding Cake and asked her if she would bake one for you. When she said no…I gave her a couple hundred bucks."

Everyone's mouth dropped open, but he was only interested in Bonnie's reaction. Bonnie didn't know what to say. So many things were running through her mind. First and foremost, the fact that he referred to her as his friend. Second, he went out of his way to get Mrs. Giada to make this specialty cake just for her…paying two hundred dollars for it…and on top of that how did he even know that this was her favorite cake. She was speechless.

"Thank you, Damon. I don't know what else to say." She said, baffled.

"That's more than enough, Bonnie. I just wanted to do something nice for you as a way of saying thank you for the other night." Damon said, honestly.

They just stared at each other for a moment. Bonnie noticed that Damon's eyes didn't look so icy and cold; for once they seemed almost warm. She turned away.

Damon cleared his throat and excused himself, going upstairs.

Everyone stared at Bonnie, wondering what the hell just happened. Leave it to Caroline to get straight to the point.

"What the fuck happened the other night that now Damon Salvatore is calling you his friend and spending hundreds of dollars to get Mrs. Giada to bake your favorite cake?" She asked in one breath.

Bonnie sighed. "Nothing happened…we just talked. He needed someone to talk to…and I was there. That's all." She said, happy that she told the truth without betraying Damon's confidence.

They weren't having it. "What did you talk about?" They all asked at the same time, including Stefan who for once went against his usually well- mannered self by being rude and asking a personal question.

"You guys, I don't feel comfortable talking about this, so if you want to know what we talked about then ask Damon. So, does anyone want a piece of my cake?" She asked. When everyone nodded, she turned and went into the kitchen.

Caroline looked at Stefan and Elena. "Well, that settles it. We have just entered the Twilight Zone."