A/N: First of all I'M SOO SORRY! I have a few excuses (extra hours at work, business travels...) but most importantly I was just stuck on that chapter. I started it a few times over and corrected it again and again and again but still, the sentences were incomplete, thoughts I started were left hanging … . I'm sorry.

And though I started on chapter 17 I can't make any promises there either because I'm moving – across the whole country (or across the state if you're from Texas ^^). Why I had to do that? Ya, I wish I knew.

Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed or added the story or me to their following or favorites lists. I really, really, really appreciate it. I hope you're continuing giving me your support. I'm sorry for not responding individually to your reviews this time. I try to be better for the next chapter.

Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries and everything connected with it belongs to their rightful owners (if there was any doubt left – not me). I'm not making any money with it (that would be considered a useful hobby – earning money doing your hobby – eew!). Just righting a few (a lot) wrongs. And neither do I own anything else you might recognize – I see it more like free advertizing and promo.

Enjoy!

Chapter 16:

As soon as Bonnie had entered her home she closed the door behind her. Holding her breath, she sagged against the closed door and sighed. It was all too much. This whole weekend, the last 24 hours, damn, her whole holidays even, had been too much.

Just until a year ago, her life had been alright. Sure, her mother had been dead (at least as far Bonnie was concerned) and her father had never been around. But it had been okay. Like Whitney once had said 'It's not right but it's okay'. She had been happy.

She'd had all the family she'd needed around her. Grams hadn't just been her grandma and a motherly figure for her, she'd been her companion, her confidant, her familiar, her go-to-person when life got too tough.

Then, there'd been the ever-present Sheriff Forbes and even though she'd been intimidating as all hell to the little girl, she'd been a constant fixture and a massive rock in her life. If there'd been any trouble, Sheriff Forbes could handle it. There'd been nothing out there the intense woman couldn't defy.

And last but not least, there'd been Elena's parents. Every time Bonnie had visited the Gilberts it had been as if she'd been part of the family. The Gilbert household was the only original, traditional family and family life Bonnie had ever known.

Another important constant had been her sisters, Elena and Caroline. Ever since kindergarten they'd grown up and gone through all different kinds of problems together. Stuck together when Elena didn't get a pink bicycle like she wanted for her sixth birthday but a green one, when Caroline's father had left her mother, when their first crush had still thought that girls had cooties, when school had been too demanding or a beloved pet had died. They'd bonded over their troubles and had come out stronger. They'd been a unified front against every and any harm in the world.

All that had changed with the last summer.

Suddenly, the only traditional family she'd ever known was no longer, the only warm, welcoming parents she'd ever had were gone. Her best friend, her sister was never to be the same after their loss. The appearance of Stefan and in his wake Damon only had let them drift further apart.

At the same time, her powers had started to manifest themselves. At a moment's notice, she'd had to keep herself and her emotions in check, she'd had to stop fires from going off anywhere and juggle all those things with her everyday life, entertain her best friend and save her friends from themselves. To top it all off, her grams had begun to drill her.

Her life had changed – sadly, not for the better.

With Caroline's turning, she had lost everything she once had.

The last straw had been her failed attempt at holding on to normalcy with a 'boring', non-supernatural relationship with a normal, ordinary guy. But then Damon had to come and mess it up. Now, she wasn't just a witch with a messed up life but she was the (supposed) soul mate of a psychotic vampire.

And there was no one there to talk to.

Bonnie sighed again, thumping her head a few times against the front door.

Getting a grip on herself, the girl made her way up to her room and jumped onto her bed. She wasn't yet up for more than an hour but she was already exhausted – all thanks to Damon.

After a few cozy moments in her bed thinking about nothing for once and snuggling into her blanket, Bonnie turned herself over in her bed and was now staring at the ceiling of her room. Sometimes she wished she could just lay here and forget everything around her: her father, her messed up life, her powers, the supernatural world, the tense situation with her once best friends, her grams' death, everything.

Self-pity, however, wasn't an option.

Shutting her eyes tightly, Bonnie sat up. She'd wanted to enjoy this day and whining wasn't going to accomplish that. The girl rose from her bed and grabbed for her mp3-player before going into the bathroom in search of sunscreen. Protection's important. Bonnie blushed. Damn girl. Get a grip. You start to sound like a twelve-year-old. Blushing at stupid puns.

Bonnie put the things she was going to need onto her desk before she attended to the task of finding her bikini. Okay, bikinis. Even though she had complained about them yesterday, she loved bikinis – it was only trying them on in the bright-lit shops she hated.

So, which one to wear? Few minutes passed by before the witch admitted that this decision would depend on which bikini she'd found first. Tossing a red bikini bottom onto her bed and a green one and a dark blue one, a aquamarine bikini top and a white monokini (a gift from Caroline) Bonnie found both parts of her light yellow triangle bikini. She'd almost forgotten she had that one – what had she'd been thinking buying it? Such a light color was bound to get transparent when wet; no amount of lining could prevent that. But for lying in the sun, soaking in every ounce of light and warmth she could get, the yellow bikini was great.

Deciding on that bikini, the witch put it on. In the shadows in the house the bikini was a bit cool but the bright sunshine outside promised to remedy that. Trying to carry as much as possible in her arms, Bonnie descended the stairs, walked into the living room and fumbled with the knob of the french doors to open them up to their backyard. A few unsuccessful tries later, the girl admitted defeat and put some of the items onto the couch in the living room. She'd have to go a second time anyway.

As soon as Bonnie stepped into the rays of the sun, a huge smile spread across her face. She loved the feeling the warmth caused in her body. Walking over to the cot Bonnie put her book, her mp3-player and the sunscreen on to the small table which separated two sun loungers.

With a heavy sigh, the girl stood up straight again holding her face into the warming sun and stretched her back. She loved days like this – even more so when she was out of school. Returning to reality, the witch went back in to get the rest of the 'needed' items.

Retrieving a glass and a pitcher of lemonade (bought, not home-made, honestly, what more was she supposed to do?) out of the kitchen as well as her shades and CD player from the living room where she had deposited them earlier on the couch, Bonnie made her second trip into their backyard – forced to leave glass and drink behind if she didn't want to risk falling and so spilling and breaking everything.

The difficulty came after that. Where had her father stashed those batteries to go into her CD- player? She was a witch but she didn't want to waste her energy on creating electricity to hear some music. And running an extension cable into the yard was way too cumbersome.

After an unsuccessful search, the little witch decided to use her magic. She might not have wanted to waste her energy for some entertainment she could easily get another way, but that didn't mean she couldn't do a small finding spell. There had to be some perks in being a witch!

When she had everything she needed cradled in her arms (leaving glass and lemonade once again behind), she went back to the small table next to the lounger and put the items on it, before she finally got the lemonade and her glass. Hopefully that was the last trip she had to do.

"Damn it!" Bonnie cussed.

The small table was crowded with all the things Bonnie had brought out. Placing the CD-player beneath the table and rearranging the items on it, Bonnie was finally done, laid herself onto one of the sun loungers and sighed deeply.

Was about time.

Moments passed in silence while Bonnie enjoyed the sun, the warmth and all the peaceful noises surrounding her and just … relaxed.

After a few moments of quiet peacefulness, the girl leaned herself over and reached for both of her players. Connecting them with each other, Bonnie searched for the perfect soundtrack to her afternoon. Pop music seemed to do the trick.

Shallow, vacuous songs with an easy going beat always brightened her mood. Lying back down, Bonnie inhaled and exhaled deeply and sank into the soft cloth of the lounger.

At least she tried to.

Somehow it was impossible for her to stay still. Every few seconds she changed her position – quite a fee on the small and narrow cot. Whatever she did nothing seemed to be of any use, relaxation just wouldn't come to her.

When the craved peace didn't come after almost an hour, the teenage girl looked at the time on her mp3-player. Only ten minutes had passed. Huh, I would have sworn it was longer than that.

Not one to give in easily, Bonnie forced her body to stay put for a little while longer. She had wanted to do this yesterday already but couldn't, she wouldn't allow it to happen again. Bonnie was determined to have her day of relaxation and sun – and today!

Moving for a few more minutes, the little witch managed to drift off after a while. With a deep sigh she gave into the restful trance which took a hold of her while joyful beats were sounding from the speakers.

In front of Bonnie's house was at the same time an all too familiar becoming picture enfolding itself.

After he'd brought Bonnie home, Damon had driven back to the Boarding House just to find it empty once again. Sure, most of the time he preferred his solitude and was glad when no one disturbed his peace. However, a manor house like the Salvatores' wasn't meant for one person. Why else does Hugh Hefner always have company? I've never seen him alone in his mansion.

Even when it had been built, it'd been meant for a huge family with a bunch of kids and lots of servants buzzing in and out and all around. Especially after Bonnie had wanted to leave, the silence was louder than ever before. And it was driving him nuts!

He couldn't stay there. Not now, not alone. He was that close to trashing his room, any room, in this grave. Shortly after he'd walked in, Damon walked out of the Salvatore house again and got back into his Camaro. Driving around the town the vampire tried to get out of the funk he was in and his thoughts back into order.

Life had been so much easier when he'd just drunk, drunk and seduced. When someone tried to f#ck with him, he'd reacted in kind and dealt with it. His only enemy had been witches – and he'd either seduced them or stayed far away. Easy as that.

There had been nothing else out there. No werewolves, no originals, no hybrids. What was a mere human to do to him? - That's what he thought.

Coming back to Mystic Falls really did a number on him. Suddenly there had been a lot more people in his life – one of them his brother. Damon hadn't known how to treat him – was it 'his brother' something akin to a curse? Or was it 'his little brother' who he no matter what would always protect, who know one but him had the right to bad mouth?

He'd tried to synchronize his easy-going life with the ghosts of his past who'd awaited him in Mystic Falls. Least to say he hadn't been too successful in doing that. Several dead bodies had made him into the bad guy. He'd been right where he'd begun all those years ago. He'd even been in the same town.

Same town, same place, same girl, same enforced part. Role?

Only three things had been different this time around: (1) his father wasn't anymore, not a big loss, (2) the relationship to his brother was barely there, it was once so strong, they used to be so close, (3) Bonnie was more fun to aggravate than Emily had ever been.

With a sudden jolt of clarity, Damon saw that he'd been drifting aimlessly for the last 2 years. He'd played the part everyone else had thought him to be and had started to identify himself with it. However, he'd lost himself along the way.

Huh.The peacefulness he'd hoped would come out of his aimless driving never came. Instead his thoughts were quite depressing. He needed a drink. At least at the Mystic Grill it was quite the chance to find Alaric there. If the history teacher wasn't at school, he spent most of his time at the bar.

Taking a look at his surroundings, the vampire realized that he was close to Bonnie's home. Before he could comprehend what he was doing, he'd driven up to the Bennett home, parked his car and had gotten out of the vehicle. He didn't get far.

What am I am I doing? Damon couldn't understand what he was doing. He hated it when girls got all clingy after just one night and here he was doing exactly the same and they hadn't even done anything (yet).

Discussing and fighting with himself, Damon came to the conclusion that now that he was here he couldn't just go without bothering the teenage witch for a bit. Or you're getting obsessive all over again. "Shut up." You know that I'm right – or is it you? Taunted his voice inside his head. It was time, he was losing it.

Deeply lost in his mind, the vampire already stood in front of the door before he realized that his little witch wasn't in there. Panicking he tried to think logically. Who could have her? "Klaus", growled Damon. If that piece of shit did anything to

His depressive mood and anger were suddenly interrupted by a sigh. It wasn't his. It was a female who'd sighed. When he'd gotten himself under control, it became clear that the noise had come from the back yard. Concentrating on the noises in the Bennett garden, Damon recognized the person as Bonnie. She wasn't kidnapped but sunning – precisely as she had said earlier. The shock that had taken a hold of him slowly eased its claws on him.

Her quiet breaths and low rustling when she moved, the breeze which gently stroked her skin, her heartbeat. The blood that was running through her veins. Sweet noises.

God, was he glad that neither witch nor vampire could easily read one's mind.

After looking out for Bonnie for a while – that was exactly what he was doing if she asked. He wasn't ogling her, honestly –, he had to do something. Lurking in the shadows and watching the girl from afar was totally his brother – stalker much? And the little witch called him a pervert.

Soft-footed, Damon sneaked upon the finally peacefully resting girl. Placing himself so that his shadow fell right over her body, he couldn't help but smirk evilly.

With a jolt Bonnie opened her eyes. Suddenly the sun was gone and it was getting cool. A presence was close to her, someone with an aura of danger and death but safety and comfort at the same time. As her conscious thoughts returned, the girl was able to place the strange feeling: Damon Salvatore.

What is he doing here? When Bonnie opened her eyes, their gazes connected, witch and vampire only staring at one another for a few moments.

"What are you doing here?" Once again he'd managed to rattle up her emotions. She was irritated with him for stealing her sun and putting a damper to her plans. On the other hand, however, the feeling of safety and bliss she always got from him ever since that dreadful day brought her its own kind of relaxation. She hated to admit it but it was like she could only truly relax when Damon was with her. The night she had spent in his bed had been the best sleep ever since … ever since before the death of Elena's parents.

She was just finding back to herself.

"Hmm, let's see. Being somewhere and doing some stuff or being here with you seeing you basically naked, tossing and turning in the sun, taking deep breaths and sighing?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. Yep, she shouldn't have asked. However, she didn't want to give in, she wouldn't give him that satisfaction. Fighting every Fiber of her being the witch refused to lift her arms in front of her chest and cross her legs. Best way to deal with Damon was to ignore him when he had his 5 minutes until he was done being a jerk.

"Now, raise your arms and untie the strings of your bikini top."

Or not.

The glint in her eyes that followed his suggestion shot a jolt of anticipation through his body. Bonnie had enough. If you can't win this little match by ignoring him, then beat him at his own game.

Raising herself up on her arms, the girl stretched her back and tilted her head back. Putting her legs up a bit she only let her knees touch each other and groaned his name. "Damon … – Quit it. Not even with compulsion is that going to happen", Bonnie told him resolutely.

"My bad. It was worth a shot", grinned the vampire.

The girl rolled her eyes once again at him, now lying comfortably back down on the lounger again. "What do you want?", she asked again.

"How about a glass of home-made lemonade?"

"I'd say go right ahead. Have fun making it. I'd like a glass, too", the witch quipped.

"Little girl don't get smart with me", Damon joked.

"Old man stop sounding like a grandpa."

"Grandpa? Grandpa – really? I'll show you grandpa." At her words the vampire felt challenged. In the blink of an eye Damon was standing next to the sun loungers in front of Bonnie and lifted his shirt. What grandpa has a body like mine? Witch, please.

Bonnie's hormones were raising. Damon was hot, there was no denying that (not convincingly at least) and without a shirt Bonnie had a hard time to stop drooling and picturing him with even less clothes on.

With great willpower the witch came back to the here and now just when Damon was about to pull his pants off.

"Hold it. What do you think you're doing?" The witch demanded to know while stopping Damon in his tracks.

"Tanning. What does it look like?"

"And why do you have to undress for that?"

Duh. His glance said it all. "I don't know. Why do you have to lay there in less than your usual underwear? What do they teach you kids in school nowadays? I want a tan, how am I supposed to get one with jeans on?"

"You're a vampire. The only time your skin darkens is when you're parched or burning to crisps", deadpanned the little witch. "But that's not what I meant. Your pants and open zipper are low enough for me to see that you're not wearing any underwear. And if you even do as much as think about obtaining a tan without tanning lines than I'm going to set your wick aflame."

"I wouldn't dream of it. Oh well, who am I kidding? I did dream about it but I wouldn't do it", Damon stated innocently. It was plainly obvious that he was lying.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked again. She was tired of repeating herself but if she wasn't persistent, he was going to remain elusive. However, she wanted to go back to her peaceful afternoon. With Damon being in her close proximity it wasn't going to happen.

"I was bored", Damon admitted and sat himself onto the second sun lounger. "Besides, you owe me one." At Bonnie's raised eyebrows he continued. "For drooling all over me. You know when I said I like it when women drool over me, it wasn't meant literally. But you totally fell asleep on me last night – with your mouth wide open." Damon grinned.

"That so didn't happen. I don't drool. Least of all over you. Regardless if I'm awake or asleep. Besides, you're a vampire, a creature of the night and a player, you're best friends with other, nastier body fluids than saliva", Bonnie defended herself.

Damon had a lot of things he wanted to say to her last remark but for the sake of peacekeeping he resisted. He bloody well knew that any responds to that would become very disgusting very fast. For a few minutes vampire and witch just laid there in the sun though only one of them could enjoy the feeling of it. As a vampire, Damon didn't feel the sun – or the warmth of the sun that is. All he knew was that his senses started to tickle like flimsy, meek electric jolts. The calmness the little witch got from the warmth was lost to him.

"What did you do today?" Damon broke the silence after a few minutes. Silence gave him time to think, to wonder, to dream. It never had gotten him far.

Bonnie rose her eyebrows. Is he for real? The expectant look he shot her told her, yes, yes he was. He was definitely losing his mind.

"You do remember that I slept at your house last night, don't you? That you made breakfast for us and drove me home afterwards? And just when I'm home and about to doze off you're back again. What do you think I did? Bungee-jumping? And then sleep because that's an everyday occurrence and my body is used to huge amounts of adrenalin pumping through my veins and it doesn't affect me anymore?"

"I was just asking. Don't jump down my throat", Damon pacified. Intentionally or not, Damon's answer made Bonnie feel guilty. He was right. For once he was behaving like a human being and didn't threat to kill someone in every other sentence and here she was shutting him down, provoking him, ignoring him. Nevertheless, he was still there – with her.

"Damon, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to … I … Look, honestly, I have no idea how to handle our new-found friendship or whatever this is. It's strange. I'm trying to cope here and I know you're doing the same but I can't just go from ignoring each other to easy-going conversations 24/7. I don't know how to", Bonnie told him the truth – she owed him that much.

The vampire knew what she meant, he understood her. They were similar in a lot of things – that was why he appreciated her apology and explanation: He knew how difficult it had to be for her to other those words. Because both of them dealt with their emotions by ignoring them until it was all too much and someone was hurt.

Another few minutes passed in comfortable silence between the two supernaturals until the blaring of 'Best Friend' by S Club 7 disrupted their peace. Elena was calling.

A/N: Totally showed my age in that chapter, didn't I? If you don't know S Club 7 (or S Club later on) listen to their songs. The one mentioned isn't one of my favorites but the lyrics are fitting to the T, so there.

See you next chapter!