A/N: I'm glad you guys like the last chapter! And I'm glad that most of you won't mind if some chapters are longer than others! I'll use it to my advantage (insert evil laugh here) I'm grateful for all the reviews, favs and follows. You guys are sweet! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nope, I do not own the characters. They belong to the CW and LJ Smith.

Bonnie was getting impatient. Damon hadn't texted her that he was back as yet. And if he let her know that he was back she wouldn't have to do the locator spell. Bonnie looked to her side and saw Elena looking through the window. She seems so concerned. Elena was always concerned. Damon where the hell are you?

"Do you think that is correct Miss Bennett?" her teacher asked her.

"Uh, maybe?" Bonnie answered.

"Stop daydreaming and pay attention Miss Bennett."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Smith," she replied as the bell rang.

Bonnie and Elena walked out of the classroom together and saw Caroline swapping spit with Tyler. Do they ever get tired? Bonnie thought. They walked over to the couple and Caroline apologized. Tyler hurried away. It was good to see that their relationship hadn't been hurt too much when Caroline started receiving attention from his sire.

"Keeping it classy as usual Caroline," Bonnie smiled at her friend.

"Shut up!" Caroline laughed, "So, I was thinking about things and you guys are aware that we are graduating soon right?"

"Yes," both Elena and Caroline replied.

"And we haven't even had any time to look at colleges or to apply to any."

"I already applied to a couple of colleges," Bonnie stated.

Bonnie watched as her best friends' eyes widen with shock.

"What?! When?!" Caroline asked her.

"At the beginning of the school year, I did early decision so I've been accepted to Duke, Northwestern, BU and NYU."

Her friends gaped at her. Bonnie knew how they must have felt, but she hadn't really spoken to her friends much these past months. With all the Klaus and Elena drama, she hadn't felt as part of her group as she had been in the beginning. They shouldn't be shocked or alarmed anyway because they were vampires and would live forever.

"Wow, that's great Bon!" Elena said smiling, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Yeah, what Lena said, so have you visited the colleges?" Caroline asked.

"Only Duke."

"Excellent!" Caroline squealed, "Road trip to the others?"

"Uh, what?"

"I wanted us to go visit some colleges! It's time we got rid of all the supernatural crap and starting acting like teenagers, never mind the fact that I'll be a teenager for the rest of eternity."

"Sounds great Care!" Elena exclaimed, "We could invite the guys, and make it a nice trip for winter break."

"Bonnie?"

"Sure."

Caroline squealed and hugged her best friends. Bonnie was happy to see if her friends smiling and excited. Her phone buzzed and she saw a text from Damon, 'Honey, I'm home. ;)'

"How about we plan the trip at the Salvatore boarding house?" Bonnie suggested, "I have to do the locator spell anyway."

"Yes," Elena said too eagerly, "Let's get to the house."

The girls left the school compound and headed on the drive to the Salvatore mansion.

"Brooding isn't a look that you wear well, brother," Stefan said as he approached Damon.

"I should leave it to the professionals such as you right?"

"Hilarious, where have you been?"

"Out and about!"

"Damon," Stefan growled.

"Relax, I just wanted you and Elena to have some time together."

"Damon,"

"Stefan,"

Damon watched as his brother became frustrated with him. Stefan took himself too seriously at times, kind of like Bonnie. Bonnie, he smiled, I texted her that I was back, I wonder if she will show. Damon heard his brother scoff at him and said something.

"Repeat please?" Damon smiled.

"We were worried; you could have left a note or something."

"Am I on suicide watch?" Damon feigned shock, "Does this we entail Elena as well?"

"Damon,-"

"Calm down, I've accepted that you are Elena's choice and will always be Elena's choice."

"She still needs you as a friend, Damon."

"And she will have me as a friend when I'm ready to be, I'm trying to detox myself from Elena, I don't want to come between you two."

"Who are you and what have you done to my brother?"

"Funny," Damon said sarcastically to his brother, "I had a wakeup call and did some soul searching."

"I'm glad."

Stefan held out his hand for his brother and they embraced in a quick hug. Bonnie, Elena and Caroline entered at that moment.

"Aw, the brothers are hugging," Caroline chimed.

The boys quickly separated while Bonnie and Caroline laughed. Elena looked uncomfortable as she stared directly at Damon. Elena had dark circles under her eyes, like she hadn't slept in days.

"We need to lock that damn door," Damon said.

"But then we wouldn't have been able to see such a loving exchange," Caroline smiled, "Where were you Damon?"

"Away on business," Damon answered as he stared at Elena.

"Ok," Caroline turned to Bonnie, "No need for the locator spell then."

"Bonnie was going to do a locator spell to find me?" Damon asked.

"Yes, Elena was worried and Bonnie wanted to help."

Damon was quiet for a second as he looked over to the witch. She looked a little nervous as she stared down. Bonnie had kept it a secret. She hadn't told anyone, not even Caroline. This will be fun.

"I don't see why she would do that, Bonnie knew where I was," Damon smirked, "Matter of fact, we've spoken every night since I've left, I even texted her that I was back."

Everyone turned to stare at Bonnie. They all knew she was blushing; her blood was strong and filled their senses. Damon was pleased. Friends did that to each other right? They embarrassed each other and made fun of them.

"Bonnie, you knew where he was?" Elena asked.

"He asked me not to tell so I didn't," Bonnie replied.

"I think the better question is when did Bonnie and Damon become friends?" Caroline said.

"We are not friends," Bonnie interjected.

Damon stared at Bonnie, when he felt an aneurysm start. It lasted at least a minute and Damon was on his knees. Bonnie looked pissed.

"What the fuck?! Bonnie?" Damon growled.

"I'm glad you're okay, Damon," Elena said quietly.

Damon sighed and tried to increase the distance between him and Elena. He really didn't want to speak with her right now, it was too soon and he was not ready. There was an awkward silence that stretched out for a few minutes.

"Well, this is awkward," Caroline said, "Let's talk about our road trip!"

"Road trip?" Stefan asked.

"Yes, we are going to visit colleges during winter break, it'll be fun!"

"Which colleges will we be visiting?"

"Some colleges that Bonnie applied to, NYU is one of them."

"Bonnie applied to colleges?"

"Yes, without me or Elena, and she got in, I'm a little mad."

Damon stared at Bonnie; he knew that Bonnie had gotten into NYU and Duke. She hadn't wanted to apply to Duke but she had done so to please her father. Her dream school was NYU and she had gotten a scholarship for a full ride to study chemical engineering.

"Congratulations," Stefan said to Bonnie, "Well done."

"Thanks," Bonnie replied staring at Damon, her eyes pleading for him not to tell the others what he knew.

"Yeah, congrats witch," Damon smiled.

Damon watched as Bonnie rolled her eyes. She might have looked annoyed on the outside but he knew she was grateful.

"So our New York road trip is approved?" Caroline squealed.

"Do I get to join?" Damon asked.

"Why? You don't care about school or college, Elena dumped your ass, you have no need to tag along."

"Caroline!" Elena shouted at her friend.

Everyone stared at Damon. Waiting eagerly for his reply, two weeks ago he would have staked her for that comment, but now it didn't matter. He wasn't going to let one comment change what he had already made up his mine to do. He was going to be a better person and do better things, just as his witch had asked him to.

"Such love and affection Caroline," he smiled at the blonde, "I would like to spend some time with my friends."

"No one is your friend here, except for Elena."

"Maybe this road trip will change that?"

"I vote yes to Damon tagging along," Elena said.

"Me too," Stefan agreed.

"I say no," Caroline stated, "and so does Tyler."

Everyone turned to look at Bonnie, she had the deciding vote. Suddenly Damon regretted letting their alliance be known. Bonnie wasn't vindictive, she wouldn't say no just to spite me, right?

"Bonnie?" Caroline asked.

"Yes."

Damon smiled. They were friends after all. The gang then decided to go to The Grille to get a bite to eat. They had taken two cars with Damon, Caroline and Bonnie in one and Stefan and Elena, in the other.

Bonnie and Caroline were walking in front of Damon. Caroline had spent the entire car ride making plans for the trip. It turns out she was already prepared for the trip and had even rented the RV for the week beforehand. Bonnie knew something was up when Caroline had attacked her this morning with hugs.

"So, what's up with you and Damon anyway?" Caroline asked her.

"Nothing, I've learnt to tolerate his existence."

"What about the phone calls?"

"I had made a promise to him a while back to help."

"Don't tell me you are becoming Elena and believe that he can be saved."

"Damon isn't all good and he isn't all bad, he's changed since the first time we met him."

"Bonnie, do you like Damon?"

"No," Bonnie replied without hesitation, "Like I said, I've learnt to tolerate his existence."

They entered The Grille and Bonnie saw Liam by the pool table, she had totally forgotten that she told him she would have given him a rain check on their date. Bonnie excused herself from Caroline and headed over to Liam.

"Care for a game?" she said to the blonde haired young man leaning against the table.

Liam turned around and stared in awe at Bonnie Bennett, she was so gorgeous. How she didn't have a boyfriend, was a mystery to him. He had fallen for her the moment he saw her in the hall. She had looked sad and like she needed a friend. He wanted to be that friend. He was surprised when she accepted his offer to go on a date and was disappointed when she had to cut the date short.

"Will this be our make-up date?" Liam asked.

"If it's good enough, you might get number two."

Bonnie smiled at him. Such an amazing smile, he thought, Angels grow wings to that smile. He always wants to see that smile.

"That's a lot of pressure for a first date."

"Game on."

'Game on' those were the last words he heard at the end of the conversation. Bonnie was flirting with that guy, Damon realized. It was cute. She was smiling and happy. Damon liked seeing Bonnie happy. It was satisfying and almost infectious. Damon headed to the rest of the gang sitting in a booth.

"I'm like overjoyed right now!" Caroline exclaimed.

Vampire Barbie always had too much spunk sometimes. She was snuggled up to Tyler, and shooting Damon death stares. Stefan and Elena were beside each other noticeably tense. Damon stopped short at the bar when he noticed a woman there. He decided to introduce himself.

"If I buy you a drink, do I get a name?" Damon said to the young woman.

"Misery," she said as she lifted the shot to her mouth.

"Well, Misery loves company right?"

She smiled and looked up at him. Her eyes were gray and they complimented her blonde hair.

"Have a seat," she said as she pointed to the stool next to her, "My name is Leia."

"Damon."

"Nice to meet you."

"For now," he said with a wink, "I prefer Leia to Misery, by the way."

"Me too."

Stefan watched from afar as Damon flirted with the girl. His brother's eyes held mischief and joy. He genuinely seemed happy and in that moment Stefan realized that Damon had told the truth earlier. He was no longer trying to get between him and Elena. Stefan smiled, for the first time in a long time he was able to call Damon brother and mean it.

Just give up the game and get into me, if you're looking for thrills then get cold feet.