Author's Note: Alright guys, it's been awhile. Sorry about that. SO, I decided where I was going with this story and I'm stoked! :D Enjoy.

I DO NOT OWN VAMPIRE DIARIES OR THE CHARACTERS.

Chapter Ten:

I woke up next to Damon. I can't believe that actually happened last night. I never thought that things would get that far. I don't regret it. I know we have a messed up history, but the things he makes me feel are surreal. I'm not ready to dive into anything. Everything with Alaric is still so fresh. I want to give things time. I know things were kind of rushed last night, but that doesn't mean everything has to be. We'll take things slow.

"Good morning, Judgy." Damon smirked. I looked over at him, abandoning my thoughts.

"Morning Damon," I looked him over. He looks so good waking up. He leaned forward and kissed me. I kissed him back before pulling away.

"What's wrong Witchy?" He traced the side of my face with his fingers.

"What are we doing Damon?"

"Well, we were kissing." He kissed me again. I shook my head.

"You know what I mean."

"We're comforting each other."

"Is that all it is?" I pressed.

"What do you want it to be?"

"I don't know… I like being friends with you. I'm not ready for it to be anything else."

"Oh," Damon pulled away from me. I frowned.

"I'm not going to go mack on someone else. I just need things to be slow. Really slow. A lot slower than they were last night." I tried to explain. He nodded.

"I get it. You need time. I won't push you."

"Thank you."

"I guess that makes us friends." He got off of the bed. I nodded. He helped me up. I pulled on my underwear and his shirt from last night.

"Friends who occasionally kiss each other… sometimes." I clarified. He smirked and bit my lip. I made a face. Something crashed downstairs. I jumped. "What was that?"

"I don't know. Stay here." Damon rushed to see what the commotion was. I followed, quietly. I'm not staying here. He should know better by now. I froze in my tracks when I reached the bottom of the steps.

"Stefan?" How is this possible? He was supposed to be with Klaus.

"Hello Bonnie, seems like you've been busy."

Stefan was released from Klaus' compulsion, but he still wasn't quite Stefan. He didn't act the same. I keep waiting for the punch-line. He's been gone for so long. Klaus was up to something, but Stefan couldn't tell us what. He did tell us that he was here to stay. He said that Elena knew he was back, but she wasn't coming back. She didn't want to relive past experiences. I can't really blame her. She hasn't exactly had the best experiences in Mystic Falls.

I took a shower while Stefan and Damon caught up. They've both missed out on a lot of things in each other's lives. Most of the shower went by in a blur. I put on the clothes that I had on the day before and went downstairs.

"So, you're back for good?" I asked as I walked over to Stefan. He nodded. "Good. It's been crazy without you." I sneaked my arms around his waist. He looked down at me, surprised. "If you don't hug me back, I'll give you an aneurism." I teased in a sing-song voice. He smirked and embraced me. I let him go and took a step back, looking him over. He doesn't really look different, but he feels different.

"See something you like?" He teased.

"You're different."

"I was bound to change sooner or later. Anyways, I called Ric and asked him to come over. I figured I'd fill him in." Stefan said. I looked over at Damon, trying not to panic.

"Why did you do that?" I asked him. Damon put an arm around my shoulders. I looked up at him. "You didn't tell him?" I asked. He shook his head. "He needs to know. Tyler and Caroline do." Does Jeremy know? I don't think we told him. He just knows we broke things off.

"Stefan, call Ric and tell him you'll meet him at the Grill later on, instead. Please." Damon suggested. Stefan looked confused. "I'll explain things after you've called." Damon told him. Stefan pulled out his phone and made the brief phone call. "Bonnie why don't you wait upstairs? We'll come up when we're done." Damon said softly. I nodded. I made my way back upstairs.

I seem to spend more time here than I do in my own house. Truthfully, I feel safer here. I know Damon is a big part of that. It's crazy how fast things can change. Yesterday, I didn't think I would ever see Stefan again. Now, he's here. A year ago, I would have never thought that I would have been in a toxic relationship with Alaric, but hey, that happened. I never would have believed that Elena and Matt would just up and leave or that Tyler and Jeremy would actually become legitimate friends. I definitely wouldn't have believed that I would have such strong feelings for Damon Salvatore. Things change so fast.

I plopped down on Damon's bed and snuggled underneath his covers. I love that his bed smells like him. It's soothing. It makes me feel like nothing bad could happen here.

It wasn't long before they made their way upstairs. Stefan looks pissed.

"He really did that to you?" Stefan asked softly. I nodded, slowly.

After an awkward conversation with Stefan, he invited Tyler, Caroline, and Jeremy over. My guess is that he's choosing to ditch Alaric. Everyone got filled in on Stefan being back. I have this feeling that something big is about to go down. I just don't know what.

Author's Note: Alright guys, so first of all, I was hoping this chapter would be longer. But I didn't want it to drag too much. I'm psyched for the next chapter. I have it all planned out and everything. Let's just say that Alaric had good reason for behaving as he did, considering the circumstances. Will Bonnie forgive him once she finds out? What's Klaus up to? Find out next chapter.

Xo Xo
Anneryn