A/N: Thanks to ZOEYSEES, RayenMacawi, jazz, Yson, Crystal1998, Reighn Venhem 33704, Vie, Cici G for reviewing and thank you so, so much to everyone who added my story or me to their following list or even to their favorites. I can't say how much your support means to me.

This chapter is an interlude but the original chapter got longer and longer and I decided to divide it. The next chapter (or second part of it) will be up pretty soon (at least faster than the last two chapters).

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries or anything connected to it and neither do I own anything else you might recognize nor the song 'Pretty Girl Rock' – that one is sung by Keri Hilson.

It's time for a little girl talk. Enjoy reading!

Chapter 7:

All eyes on me when I walk in,
No question that this girl's a 10
Don't hate me cause I'm beautiful
Don't hate me

With a sudden jolt Bonnie was shaken out of her reverie. Her cell phone was ringing somewhere – if she just could remember where she had put it. Searching all over her room she found it on her bedside table. Hurrying she went to answer it knowing that if she didn't answer her phone the first time called Caroline would first ring her again and again and then bitch her out for ignoring her.

Been there, done that. The half an hour reprimanding tirade wasn't anything Bonnie wanted to repeat. Once was enough.

"So, how are you and daddy?", the blonde on the other end of the line asked.

"What? Who?" What was Caroline talking about?

"You and daddy. Honestly, who do you think I'm talking about? I'm something like the love child of your relationship." Great dread spread through Bonnie. Please, don't let her talk about who I think she's talking about.

"You and Damon of course. Bonnie, where do you live? It's obvious. You cared for me and asked him to protect me, to save me and he was 'the man of the house' and did his duty of protecting his family. See what I mean?" During her whole explanation Caroline kept her happy tone.

Bonnie, however, felt like shit. It had been so easy to blame Damon for Caroline's transformation but to admit that she herself had a great part in it as well was a whole other story.

"Caroline, I'm so sorry. I didn't want any of that to happen. But I couldn't save my Grams with my magic back then, and I couldn't risk losing you too. And Stefan had saved me even though I was as good as dead and Damon offered. And you know how Elena is, she ponders about anything until it's too late. I … I couldn't lose you. So, I told him to do it. It was my fault in the first place, that you were laying there. If I had deactivated that device like everyone wanted me to do, the crash would never have happened and you wouldn't have been in the hospital. I … I … I had to do something ... I had to right the wrong. I'm so sorry. I never wanted any of that to happen, Caroline." Bonnie sobbed.

She felt sick. Her bad conscience was a burden to her since last year. If she hadn't been so stubborn, nothing of that would have ever happened. Her best friend wouldn't have had to endure any of the crap she had been through, no torture, no nothing, she still could be happily oblivious to what was going on behind the curtain.

"Hey, hey. Bonnie, stop it. I didn't mean it like that. I've never blamed you – at no time. Sure, it would have been nice to do without the blood thirst and to have a family of my own someday but you, Bonnie Bennett, saved my life. You did what was necessary and cooperated with the one person you couldn't stand, to make sure I was save. You even relied on him – and all for me. I could never be angry about that. This way, I get to be with all of you and isn't it way easier to be my friend when I know what's happening than to think of excuses all the time?"

In all of her confusion right after her transformation, Caroline had never thought of Bonnie being the reason she was a monster. And after the first shock was overcome she'd never thought of herself as a monster, either. Not in that mean, ugly kind of way. She had great friends who stuck to her through it all – even if it took some getting used to.

"I'm sorry, Caroline. For all of it." Slowly, Bonnie got a hold of herself. What was done, was done and all she could do now, was to apologize to Caroline over and over again and to be her a good friend – especially since she did such a poor job of it in the beginning.

"Bonnie, I'm over it. You'd prefer me dead?" After a significant pause the vampire continued. "That's what I thought. And just for the record: me neither. So, on to happier stuff. How are you, mommy and daddy?" Oh, the witch on the other end of the line could not only hear the mischief in Caroline's voice but picture it all over the blonde's face.

"There is no Damon and me. There's Damon and then there is me. You know how it is. I don't feel anything for that psychotic vampire but loathing. And even if I did, there is a Damon and Elena. No matter if anyone will admit it or not. So stop your matchmaking where it isn't needed nor wanted!" The last sentence came out harsher than Bonnie had intended.

Without obvious reason did that thought irritate the witch. It bothered her somehow, but Bonnie wasn't sure what it was.

Her friend wasn't as clueless as Bonnie. Giddily, she detected the rejection in the witch's voice. Seemed like it was all falling into place. No longer a threesome of Stefan/Elena/Damon, no longer any Damon/Elena, no longer fights between the brothers over some girl. With time it got really tiresome to observe the same happenings over and over again. No longer loneliness for Damon, no longer loneliness for Bonnie. And no longer some half-assed relationships for both.

It was time to start a new chapter.

"Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Why do you ask that question? Did you know? Did you know what he was doing? And you didn't say a thing?" Bonnie was flabbergasted. Her best friend let her run into such a surprise without any notice or warning? Who's friend was she?

"He came to me this morning and asked me to come with him. He was all cryptic and shit but somehow I got more out of him. He even apologized to me! Can you believe that? Damon Salvatore apologized to me for what he did when he came first back into town. Admitted, it took some insults on his part and tears on my part but he did it. And you know he doesn't ever apologize or thank anyone."

"He did. A few times actually", the little witch told her friend sheepishly.

That was news to Caroline. "Damon Salvatore apologized to you and thanked you? Honestly? And you've never told me? And you still believe you can't stand each other. Was he serious about it? Or was it just like with Elena. His 'I'm sorry, okay? What do you want me to do? I'm not him' gibberish?"

"It was honest. At least he sounded that way", answered Bonnie in a small voice.

"And you still believe there is no you and Damon? Honestly? How can you be that blind?!"

"Caroline." The witch was aggravated and the furniture in her room started to vibrate.

"No, Bonnie. If you want to refuse yourself something which we all know you're in dire need of, be that way. That's not why I called. What did Daddy get you and how did you react?"

And just like that the vampire and the witch were just two ordinary teenagers with ordinary teenage drama (if you ignored that 'that one hot guy' bought her not flowers or movie tickets but designer shoes and cloths).

"No, he didn't!" Bonnie just had told Caroline about his last gift.

Though, her friend couldn't see her, Bonnie nodded. "Mhh, he did. You should see it. All lace and stuff. I could easily perform in Mouline Rouge with it. I'm not kidding. I just don't know when or where to wear it."

"Oh, I think you could always ask Damon for advice. He probably has some good ideas."

Gaping, the witch couldn't believe her ears. Did Caroline really say that? Caroline of all people? "Caroline! Stop that! You of all people should tell me to stay away from him. You of all people have the right to tell me that! Opposed to other someones who like to pretend ...", Bonnie mumbled the last part.

Even though quite some time had passed and Damon was healed, Bonnie still wasn't over the way Elena had treated her while Bonnie was doing everything possible to find a cure for the bitten vampire – no matter how forlorn the situation had been. That her supposed to be best friend was just sitting at the bedside of her boyfriend's brother – a little too close if you asked Bonnie –, spending comfort, while she was doing all the work to save the day – again – just to be disregarded, insulted and yelled at by her friend since kindergarten cut the witch deep. That her "sister" didn't trust her, had left its marks on the Bennett girl.

"But you need something good in your life"

Before the blonde ended her sentence, Bonnie interrupted her. "And you think Damon is 'something good'? Are you out of your freaking mind?"

"Stop being so dramatic. That's my style or Elena's. You're the sensible one, remember? And you damn well know I didn't mean it like that. He isn't all good. But you have to admit, he isn't all bad either. We all know you're long since over your hate for him. And no one can stand him all the time. It's common knowledge. He is Damon Salvatore after all and if his name as its own definition isn't enough to explain the magnitude of his antics I don't know what is."

"But ..."

"Not buts, Bonnie. You know I love you and I just want what's best for you. Ya, ya, don't try to interrupt me. I know how he is and nevertheless, I think he would be good for you. I mean you could also go to a bar and pick up a random guy but that's not you. I know you're 'the lone fighter', you don't need anyone but Bonnie, sometimes it's nice to have someone to rely on. And I'm not talking about someone like Jeremy. He's a nice kid – when he's out of his emo-phase that is – but he's just that: a kid. He doesn't know what to do with a powerful woman, with a witch, with you. It's a school boy crush and not a strong relationship – and I'm not even talking about a romantic relationship. Bonnie, I love you that's why I say what I say, you need to let go from time to time. And if it's with a person you have a lot of passion with, then go for it. And you and Damon have a lot of chemistry. Your fights are full of it. You just need to redirect that passion."

Luckily for Caroline, she didn't need to take a breath anymore otherwise she would have gasped for air after her rant/ pep-talk/ reprimand.

"Caroline! Shut up! You know that's not going to happen. I'm not like that and there is no way in hell Damon and I are like that. Or going to be like that." The witch was determined.

"Why?"

One word, one little word, brought the witch out of concept and had her considering. Yeah, why not? Why not take what's right in front of her? Why not someone who won't be clingy after the deed, someone who couldn't get her pregnant, someone who couldn't infect her? Someone who seemed to care for her? Someone who was supposed to be her soul mate?

Someone she had feelings for.

What?! No. No, no, no, no! Maybe acquiescence like for a grumpy little niece or nephew you put up with because they were family; but not those feelings. It's just Caroline and her talking. I don't have feelings for this, this … vampire … No, absolutely not. I don't want him to kiss me with his luscious lips, and I don't like it when he corners me and I feel his muscles close to my body. And I especially can't stand it when he stares at me with those intimidating eyes of his. No, I can't stand it at all.

Damn it. Even to herself her arguments sounded forced and so not convincing. But if he wasn't hot, she didn't know what was. Why was it always that the hot ones were assholes? All of them. Sure, there were different layers to the most of them but was it worth to break the first irritating layer and the other thousands of it following to get to know the real one? To see the different side to him? Question wasn't if it was worth it but more if she could bear his irritating, show-off side long enough to see what else was there.

What if the core of his character was her 'True Love' but he hid himself behind so many layers that she never would meet him?

"Caroline, you know it isn't that easy." Shit! That small confession was a big mistake. "And even if what you say was true – and I'm still thinking here you out of all people should veto that – there is still Elena. You know how it is. It doesn't matter if feelings are included or not – I refuse to have a fling or a fb-relationship with a guy who is not only stuck on one special girl but on one of my best friends. I won't do that.

And I sure as hell won't get mixed up in all their drama. Could you imagine that? You, you're on my side. Done. Then, I would have to tolerate Damon. When that's done, I had to convince Stefan that Damon didn't find a way to compel me and that his brother wasn't blackmailing me or that I did a spell wrong. After that, it be Elena's turn.

She would be all self-righteous claiming she only wanted to protect me and that I couldn't trust Damon, and he was just using me to make her jealous. And after that, she had her brother privy to it all and then, Jeremy would come back and trying to make my life hell and 'make me see reason'. And when we would have passed that, there'd still be my father. And probably those witches. My ancestors aren't to keen on vampires. You see, a short time of fun isn't worth all that trouble. And it would be anything but 'no strings attached'."

Bonnie couldn't help herself, she had to laugh at her thoughts. It would be so much more than just fun.

"Someone seems to have thought thoroughly about it." The blonde grinned.

The witch couldn't believe her friend. "Caroline, did you listen to me at all?"

"Yeah, I did. You thought about how it'd be if you and Damon would hook up. Or became a couple 'cause if you would just fool around no one else would need to know. You just have to justify yourselves when it's serious."

"Caroline"

"Hey, I'm just saying. But I have to go. I'm meeting with Tyler. See you soon, love you."

"Love you too." But the line was already that.