Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Note: Not a lot of Bamon in this chapter but it leaves room for some father and boyfriend bonding time... Read, enjoy and feel free to comment. =)

Chapter 19

Before Damon could really get the chance to ask Bonnie why she was considering it she was helping Stefan up the stairs along with Elena's help. He grumbled after them but didn't say anything as he randomly stared at the wall. He couldn't figure out what exactly was bothering him about it; he knew Bonnie's decision to even consider it definitely bothered him, but something else too. What was it? He asked himself as someone coughed. He slowly turned to look at Rudy, he almost forgot that man was here.

"What do you want?" Damon asked as Rudy gave him a harsh stare.

"Well I don't mean to interrupt your thoughts Damon but could I possibly trouble you for a drink? Stefan said it helps with the headaches" Rudy explained. Damon reluctantly got up and moved toward the shelves. "What poisons do you have?" the man asked joining Damon in looking at the bottles. "That one looks good" he said pulling down the bottle of a rather fine expensive bottle Stefan used to be obsessed with.

"We've got Bourbon too, it really helps the headaches" Damon said shaking the almost empty bottle as Rudy looked from one bottle to the other.

"Okay, pour me some of that" Rudy said pushing the glass toward Damon. Damon smiled victoriously, he never would've pegged Rudy for a Bourbon man but with Damon's winning smile he could convince anyone to do anything. Except Bonnie. Why the hell was she overthinking this? He wondered sliding the glass back to Rudy as he poured another one for himself. "Cheers…" Rudy mumbled as Damon screwed the cap back on.

"Careful, not too many of these, you'll end up like me" Damon told him with a wink as he downed his drink, not even making a face even though the strong liquid burned his throat a little. Out of habit he poured another one.

"I don't think that could be possible" Rudy replied but then let out a heavy sigh as he set his glass down. He looked around the room, Jeremy had disappeared somewhere between Stefan going upstairs and Damon pouring drinks. "Though, being like you seems to keep Bonnie safe" he said as Damon raised an eyebrow at the man,

"Yeah, I don't know if you noticed, but Shelia wasn't here to talk about her bingo night with the girls; she wants to take Bonnie—"

"She's overprotective" Rudy interrupted. "Like I should've been" he said and then shook his head as he went back over to the couch. "When I got bit, I should've ran away from Bonnie, not toward her" he said in a saddened tone.

"You were compelled, you had no choice. Besides, Bonnie wanted me to give some blood, she knew the consequences" Damon explained as he finally took a seat across from the man, setting his drink on the little table next to him.

"Shelia just wants Bonnie safe," Rudy said as Damon bit his tongue. "I just, I didn't think she was capable from speaking from the other side" he said as Damon shrugged. He didn't want to let on that he knew nothing about how Shelia was able to do that.

"I know she does, but she also knows I told her to stay away" he replied. "I can protect her too, and keep her alive" he added though at the moment that seemed debatable.

"They're only after her because of us" Rudy said but Damon snorted.

"Because of me" he corrected.

"Are you that much of an enemy in the vampire community?" Rudy asked.

"I've pissed a lot of them off; if Stefan wasn't my brother he'd have my head at least eight times by now" Damon half joked glancing over at the stairs.

"Will he be okay?" Rudy asked glancing at the stairs as well.

"Yeah, Klaus will do anything if it means he gets his stupid cure" Damon answered.

"Are you going to take it?" Damon let out a low sigh; that seemed to the question of the week. Sure way back he secretly dreamt of being human, he used to secretly miss it. But now? There was just so much to being a vampire, so much he could do, so many people he'd be able to protect. But in the back of his mind he knew being human meant spending a lifetime with Bonnie. For real. He froze, he couldn't allow himself to think of that. It meant disappointment, and disappointment meant destruction.

"It's a loaded question, better save it for a less edgy night" Damon replied as he picked up his empty cup and strolled into the kitchen to wash it out and then walked back out. Rudy's eyes didn't seem to stop staring at him as he moved toward the stairs. "Any questions or is the interview over?" he asked sarcastically.

"I'm just trying to see what Bonnie sees in you" Rudy said in a casual but obviously meaning for it to sound rude.

"Naturally my good looks" Damon replied, feeling his humor come back a little as he tried to push down the fluttering type feelings. If Rudy could see Bonnie was interested in him, knew she wanted to be with he honestly couldn't ask for anything else. He paused on the top step, debating if he wanted to say his next words.

"I love your daughter Rudy; I've hurt her in the past but bringing her back to life was when I realized she meant so much more to me. I can't promise I won't be a dick, but I will do anything to protect her. I will do anything to keep her on this side, with us, with me." He wanted to add more, maybe something Bonnie said or some assumed feeling she had for him, maybe a sarcastic comment, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, he seemed to have said all he wanted to, it came from his heart and he meant every word and for once he let himself smile, a true genuine smile as Rudy's eyes softened just slightly. "Goodnight Rudy" he added.

"Goodnight Damon" Rudy replied in a perfectly level tone as he headed down the hallway. He quickly turned at the sound of a crack, thinking it was Rudy about to attack him for whatever reason, but instead Bonnie was standing there.

"Hey you" he said lightly as Bonnie continued staring at him. She had a certain look in eyes, Awe? Love? Sadness? Lust? All of them? He couldn't quite tell but before he could ask what was wrong her lips were against his. An urgent, demanding passionate kiss.

"I need to get a few things from my house, can you drive me?" she asked, her voice low, almost a whisper as her eyes searched his for understanding. It took a few seconds, but Damon realized what the underlying message was.

"You sure?" he asked as Bonnie silently nodded. Damon nodded back. He took her hand and they headed downstairs—Rudy was in the kitchen—. As they made their way outside Damon felt his inside close to bursting. He had never been this excited before. Well, there was that one time…but he wasn't going to think about that, he had Bonnie and she wanted him. Now. He could only pray no one waiting in her house; he would seriously kill the next cockblocker. Before she got in the car Damon kissed her on the lips again, soft, gentle, he was half glad they didn't do it before, when he saved her from Silas at the school or even the times he attempted to since then. He knew this was going to special, he was going to be slow, careful, loving.

"I love you Damon" Bonnie whispered as Damon felt his jeans become a little smaller in certain areas as he quickly moved into the driver's seat.

"I love you too Bonnie," he replied in a hoarse voice before speeding off.