Hello friends, I'm so sorry it took me long to continue this. I was dealing with a lot including writer's block. I am now finally able to continue with this. Again, big apologies. I will be finishing this to completion.

Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or its characters.

Chapter 4

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Walls

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He knew he was fucked. Undoubtedly, irreversibly, and psychologically fucked. He could feel the tainted blood taking its toll on his body. It made him sick, like a bad fever. His mother warned him not to save someone that was bitten by drinking from him or her, but he was feeling stupid and rebellious. That little witch thought she would have the upper hand but not if he could help it. He thought he showed her who was superior by saving her life only for it to backfire intensely.

The amount of blood he consumed was too much. The edge on the cliff of taking a life was a dangerous one. The consequence was getting more than a full belly; he got every single detail and memory Bonnie had. It left a permanent thumbprint in his mind. He knew what hurt her the most, what made her smile, how she liked to be touched, her favorite coffee. Everything. Her memories were mostly awful ones bordering on traumatizing.

The combination of feeling her experience and the tainted blood being rejected by his body was unbearable. Pushing himself to the edge of his bed, he reached for a trashcan.

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One Week Later

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'Dear Diary,

I don't mind dying if I can get out of this mess with a clear conscious. I really don't care. Caroline is getting restless, but I can't take her with me. It's too dangerous for most humans.

The days are less hot but I don't think I can leave once winter hits, not yet. I'll scout a place until then. God, debt is such an ugly thing. There's this guy. He's so sure of himself it makes me sick, he thinks he's one-upped me by saving my life. I think we're bonded or something. Jo couldn't really explain it, it has only happened once before but the vampire that it did happen to up and left. I thought his mother set it up but Jo told me not to say a word to anyone about it. Not that it matters, once I'm out, I'm out.

I know going south means better winters, maybe I'll head all the way down to Florida. I'm not sure how well I'll handle the summers but I won't have to worry about that for a while. Jo managed to get rid of my wisdom tooth. She's a good person, I can feel it but she doesn't look to be well adjusted. Like me. Can't talk much. I sound like a chipmunk, I kind of look like one too.

BB'

The wrinkled notebook paper burned to leave a pile of dust in her hands. Brushing her palms off, Bonnie pushed open the door to her living unit with her usual gear. She sported leggings, a knife clipped to a thigh belt, and a fitted thermal top. It was too warm for her leather jacket but at least she had a place to leave it behind. Having favorite clothes was a luxury. Bonnie marched towards the entrance with her body buzzing, she didn't know why but she felt anxious working with him. The last time she saw him he was saving her life but it felt like he was taking it away. A void of being consumed and swallowed up. She could still feel his teeth in her throat as she faded away.

Bonnie pulled her bandanna over her nose to hide most of her face and a baseball cap on her head, it made her feel less exposed. Frosty eyes twinkled as Damon leaned against his motorcycle, flask in hand, and ankles crossed just like his younger brother often did. "Afternoon Sleepin' Beauty." Bonnie was taken aback at how casual he seemed. Slowing her heart beat, her head made a jerky nod. She didn't want to acknowledge him but people were watching and she didn't want to come off as the village bitchy witch.

Bonnie felt an intense stare at the side of her head like he saw right into her soul. An energy that he knew everything about her. It was violating yet somehow made her feel curious as to why it affected her in such a way. Damon quirked a brow and closed his flask watching her drag her feet past him. He could tell by the pattern of her heartbeat and smell she was afraid of him. Damon had a new motive, he couldn't deny that it would give him something fun to do. A new puzzle to figure out, a hive to poke with a stick. The witch made a little pocket in his brain that kept him from ever harming her. Him being an annoying gnat constantly flying in her face was the price she'd have to pay to make things even.

She gave him a little hope that he could stop Lily from what she was doing. Bonnie had a sense of justice that would be dangerous if he didn't get on her good side before it was too late. She was good, stubbornly good. Her blood was even better, it felt like an endless galaxy, a nebula of colors and flavors he didn't know existed.

"Chipper up. Don't worry I'm not gonna bite. This time." He wiggled his eyebrows mockingly to lighten the mood, Bonnie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Better not or I'll have to explain to your mother why you're a pile of ash." It was hard to pronounce her words with a cotton ball tucked in the socket of her removed tooth. "Ouch, kitty can scratch. You better hope those claws can hold." The little witch was feeling feisty that day, Damon knew today's task would be entertaining. "We've got an apartment to clear out and lock up. We have a couple hours till we get back. Get your game face on witchy."

Once a cleared place was chained and locked up, the keys were given to the community's looters who scavenged clear areas without worry. Damon liked to clear areas, looting was too boring, and scouting survivors bummed him out unless they were really good looking. He picked up a heavy book-bag that was stuffed full of god knows what. She grabbed the smaller book-bag full of ammo near her feet and pulled it over her shoulders.

He held out his helmet to her and climbed onto his motorcycle starting it immediately. Surprised he didn't make fun of her speech, Bonnie stared down at the helmet in her hands. It was a little big and smelled like him, making her nose wriggle. He smelled really good, assuming it was essential since vamps had a heightened sense of smell. She wondered if his stink wound up on her it would get her funny looks. Her Grams taught her that her reputation should be guarded with her life as it would outlive her. She didn't want to give anyone the idea that she was chasing something she had no business chasing.

"You ready?" He looked over his shoulder at her as she climbed on and gripped onto the bag strapped to his back. "Just go." Damon took off ignoring the unfamiliar ache in his chest that made itself known hearing the emptiness in her voice.

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x

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Bonnie wiped the sweat from her brow and gripped the gun in her hand tightly. The black peacock was leading her to a building they were assigned to clear out and lock up to prevent spreading and create a safe place to pick up possible survivors. The ride was two hours long, they ended up in a neighboring city. The tall grass tickled her through her leggings. It smelled like it was going to rain, if it did she wasn't going to be able to see very well which would affect her magic. Damon set down his bag and opened it revealing bolt cutters, chains, and padlocks.

He gave the front door a few taps, only stillness replied on the other side. Picking the lock with skill, he waved his hand into the darkness and passed the threshold pointing his gun left to right. It was eerily quiet, there was little sunlight that came in making plenty of shadows in every corner. So quiet she could hear her own heartbeat heavy in her chest. This was the first time she would be seeking those things out. Bonnie only interacted with them when she had no choice, it made her feel unsafe. The first floor was cleared with only one wanderer that didn't put much of a fight, it's lower half had already worn away. Damon shot before Bonnie could even react, she grumbled under her breath.

"Don't feel too bad. It was getting really annoying trying to save people in their own house. Couldn't get past the first door." He emptied his flask into his mouth and tucked it into the back pocket of his black jeans. One of the reasons he drank was that he never forgot about all the people screaming in terror in their homes and all he could do was holler helplessly for them to invite him in. They never did.

Trailing behind him, climbing the stairs to the second floor, she cringed at his loud footsteps. Even if he wasn't a vampire, he'd still be strong with such a durable build, he reminded her more of a raven or crow than a peacock. His personality on the other hand was a foghorn belting 'look at me! look at me!'.

"So where are you headed to after all of this?" He could hear shuffling but no heartbeat and shoved his shoulder into the next apartment door bursting through. Two rounds were fired, one in the throat and the second between the eyes of a corpse. No matter how long he'd been killing them, he couldn't get used to the smell. Most humans said it smelled like any other corpse or dead body, but to vampires, they smelled far worse.

"Why do you wanna know?" Bonnie bit, ignoring him failed to keep him from talking. She felt awkward enough that there was some pull he had, like he belonged by her side. The notion was stupid, he just was a stranger and she was passing through. If he needed to absolve himself of any guilt he could do that on his own time. If he was looking to be buddy-buddy, it was never going to happen.

"I'm ditching the whole thing." Damon shrugged, eyes shifting under thick lashes as they adjusted to the dark reaching the third and final floor.

"Ditching your own mother? That's class defined." Bonnie chirped sarcastically, brushing past him she ventured in to check the next apartment that was unlocked. She wanted to shoot something, his mouth was giving her an itchy trigger finger.

"She's practically a cult leader. A megalomaniac. Mother or not." He admitted looting a half-empty liquor bottle from the top of the kitchen counter, his tongue was already loose from pre-gaming at the settlement.

Bonnie's head popped out of the hallway she entered, her brows were furrowed suspiciously. "What did she-?"

"Nothing. Take the room on the left if you can handle it." Catching himself from running off at the mouth, Damon stuffed his lips with the opening of the bottle.

"Pft. I think I know what I'm doing. Try not to get shitfaced." Bonnie reached for the doorknob sensing something on the other side. A brief smirk flashed across Damon's face. "Yea, okay." Lifting his foot he kicked in the door she was about to open making her nearly jump out of her skin. The squeak she let out made him chuckle. He checked the room first, Damon instinctively raised his gun, stalled, then lowered it looking at Bonnie expectantly.

Bonnie peered around the door and saw it, a large figure, nearly seven feet tall and built like a tank. It turned as soon as it heard her gasp, Bonnie raised her gun and fired. She only shot a gun a few times in her life so it was no surprise that the bullet hit its chest. "Nice going, Bon." The black peacock chirped not making a move to shoot. Bonnie sucked at her teeth and fired again hitting its throat. "Come on gunslinger. Now you're just wasting bullets." Damon taunted. Bonnie growled and yelled. "Damon!" The bullet pierced it's skull before it was in arm's length nearly scratching her before it hit the ground.

"I love it when you scream my name." Damon laughed, clapping his hands at her little temper. Bonnie whirled around and tossed the gun at him. "You're impossible!" Shoving his shoulder with her own, she stormed off and marched out of the apartment and down the stairs. He was testing her patience, pushing her buttons like he wanted a bullet in the brain. A fuming Bonnie marched out the apartment complex and leaned against the entrance with arms crossed.

She pulled down the bandana covering her face and took deep breaths. It was overwhelming. It used to be just her and Caroline, not her depending on a stranger or working side by side with someone she knew nothing about. Bonnie didn't want the baggage of getting to know him and couldn't wait to get the hell out in the following week. She could take him out of his misery but then she would have to explain that to Lily. That woman made her skin crawl, she came across as deceitful and calculating. Twenty minutes passed until boots thumped near the door signaling Bonnie to pull the bandana back over her face.

Damon passed her obnoxiously whistling and slammed the door shut. The sudden mask of a happy face made her nervous, he chained and bound the door with a padlock. Not a single glance was made to acknowledge her, instead, he sprayed a red circle on the door and climbed on his motorcycle. She picked up her bag and pulled it over her shoulder, slowly she approached him and gripped the book bag he wore.

Halfway back to the settlement and the motorcycle's back tire blew out knocking the two off. Bonnie howled as her thighs with little protection scraped against the asphalt while Damon cursed picking up the once spotless vehicle. Bonnie rolled herself onto her back and stared at the wide blue sky after what she assumed was her heart stopping. Her legs throbbed painfully making her not want to get up. Caroline would not let her leave on her own again if she found out she was out on her own getting injured. Bonnie crawled backwards as a bloodied pale wrist came into view. It took a moment to register that he bit himself and that he wasn't hurt at all.

"What? You want me to drink that?" She looked up at him looming over her with a stern look. She hadn't seen a look like that since her father found out about a 'D' on her report card. "I don't want it-" "It's not a request, or do you want Lily to give you some grunt work? Hm? You want your friend out here because she thinks you can't go anywhere without her? Do you want to make things hard on yourself to prove some point? You can go ahead but if you wanna make it around here, high and mighty ain't gonna work." Damon wasn't above picking at her weakness, it was so easy to read her now. Shaken, Bonnie blinked, as angry as he looked he made a good point. It was almost unbelievable that he was trying to protect her in some way.

Bonnie pulled down her bandana and reluctantly sank her teeth into the wound marks. The new experience gave her a buzz, the flavor was strong, bitter, and watery like wine. Biting harder she drank feeling her body begin to tingle all over, her pain was long gone. The warming of her insides and fuzzy feeling came to a halt hearing a groan and heavy breathing that wasn't hers. Pulling away, she wiped her mouth and pulled the bandana over her face. "S-sorry if I took too much." Damon pulled down his sleeves and gave her his signature smirk. "It's fine." Turning around he squatted and pointed to his back. "Hop on."

Bonnie ignored the heat rushing to her cheeks and tipped her head to the side. "What about your bike?"

"I'll come back for it. Mommy dearest wants to see you before the council event which is in a few hours."

"Why don't you like her?" Bonnie climbed onto his back surprised it didn't make her uncomfortable.

"She's got a shit ton of power and a shit ton of skeletons in her closet. I can't really tell you about it..."

"Would Caroline be in danger?" She wrapped her arms around his neck as he stood up.

"Probably. Probably not. Stefan has taken a liking to her. But you better not make any more human friends if you know what's good for you."

"What are you talking abou-!" Before she could finish the wind hit her like a slap in the face. Her legs and arms squeezed him for dear life as he sped to the settlement. Damon stopped at the gate and set down a very dazed short witch. Bonnie reached for her head to confirm that her hat was gone possibly forever. It was disappointing now more than ever to find an article of clothing she liked but couldn't just go to the store to grab another. The gate opened and they were greeted by Mason to take their weapons and gear.

"About earlier, what you said about making friends."

Damon shook his head and raised a finger to his lips. "I don't think you're going to make any friends with those bad shooting skills. You'll shoot their eye out. Also, you're welcome." Bonnie sneered and turned to face him. "No, you're welcome."

Damon arched an amused eyebrow. "I'm welcome? Why am I welcome?"

Bonnie could feel small flecks of rage in her bloodstream, the vampire blood amplifying her emotions. "You're not as invincible as you think Damon, once that infected blood is in your system, you're as weak as a human if not weaker!" She was already saying too much. Damon backed her up into the fence his voice raising as loud as hers. "I'm pretty sure the last fucking time that happened my 'weak-as-a-human' ass saved your life!" He was close, way too close.

"You better hope I do the same for you." Her palms pressed against his chest shoving him back. He had some nerve.

I'll try to finish the next chapter before the month ends. I'm so bad at writing fast. Sorry babes.