I want to thank everyone who reads this story and for your wonderful reviews! It makes me beyond happy!

I am so sorry for such the long wait, but I do hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Eight hours ago they were happy. Eight hours ago they felt normal…..almost content.

But it was all too good to be true.

Now, the pain clouding everyone's hearts was unbearable. Matt was dead, Elena was in the hospital in a comatose state, and Bonnie didn't have her powers anymore. Everyone else was able to walk away with scrapes and bruises, but mentally and emotionally….they were damaged.

The Gilbert house was destroyed…..only a few things were salvageable in the explosion that Elijah and Jonas caused.

Bonnie held onto Caroline as she cried in her arms, remembering everything that happened not too long ago. It was all too unreal to her….everything. One moment they were enjoying a nice dinner and the next Elijah made an appearance warning them what would happen if they tried to kill him. That's when Jonas entered letting them know of a vision he had of them finding away to kill Elijah and they couldn't allow that….. so they gave them a warning.

It didn't feel like a warning to any of them. Matt was dead. Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena had been friends with Matt for the majority of their lives, and now he was gone; just like that.

Bonnie tried not to think about it, but she couldn't help the horrible memories that clouded her thoughts. After Elijah and Jonas made their announcement, before anyone could say or do anything, Elijah rushed at Matt and shoved glass through his throat. Caroline tried to help Matt before he took his final breath, but Jonas used his powers to give her, Damon, and Stefan aneurysms. Aneurysms stronger than the one's Bonnie would bestow upon them.

Bonnie tried using her powers to fix everything, but Jonas gripped her with so much force by her head and said a spell; taking her powers away. It left her feeling exposed and violated.

And when Bonnie thought it was over, she ended up waking up outside on the grass only a few feet away from an unconscious Jeremy.

Everything else was still blurry, as she tried thinking about the rest. Seeing the Gilbert house on fire, hearing the sirens of the ambulance, hearing crying and screams from Jenna, before everything went dark. When she woke up in the hospital, she was able to go home, and so was Jeremy, but Elena wasn't so lucky.

Bonnie let Caroline stay with her tonight, knowing that her best friend did not want to be alone in a time like this. And Bonnie was grateful for Caroline's presence, because she did not want to be alone either. It was Caroline and Bonnie comforting one another that was helping them get through this hard time.

They left the hospital an hour ago….well were kicked out, because visiting hours were over. Bonnie and Caroline only left because Stefan would stay the whole time and watch over her, keeping them inform if anything happens. Jenna and Jeremy would be staying at Alaric's place, even though Jeremy wanted to stay with Bonnie. Jenna quickly put her foot down; wanting her family to stay close to her.

Bonnie understood completely where Jenna was coming from, because right now Caroline was her family, and she wanted…no she needed her close.

A light knock at her window brought Bonnie out of her thoughts; frightening her just a little until she saw who it was.

Damon.

For a moment her heart jumped in her chest, but quickly pushed the feeling aside, as she slowly got out of bed, making sure not to wake Caroline, and walked over to the window.

They were both unable to say anything for a moment, both lost in each other's eyes; trying to find the right words to say in such a hard time. But all Bonnie could really think of was….

"Come in Damon." She moved aside to allow him access into her room.

Damon paused, not expecting those three words to escape Bonnie's lips. The look on the little witch's face showed sadness. He expected that after everything. But she was exhausted, and anyone with eyes could see it.

Before Damon could say anything, Bonnie whispered, "Let's go downstairs, I don't want to wake her."

Damon really didn't care about waking Blondie, but since Bonnie did, he decided to listen and follow her downstairs, where they made their way on one of her couches in the living room.

"Why are you here?" That may have not been the question Bonnie wanted to ask, but it was better than letting him know that she was glad he was here.

Truth be told, Damon didn't know why he ended up at the little witch's house, when in reality he should have been at the hospital with Elena; not caring of the glares Stefan would have given him. But, watching as Jonas took away Bonnie's powers and not being able to do anything about it, and finding her unconscious on the lawn after the explosion did something to him.

The fire in her eyes was long gone from earlier when he teased her at dinner, but he expected that as well.

"Well I figured since Stefan was brooding around the hospital over Elena, I might as well come over here to keep you and Blondie company," he smirked.

The mention of Elena hurt her heart. She wanted to be there with her in the hospital as well; actually she wanted Elena here with her…conscious. If that made her selfish, then that's exactly what she would be. But, Damon's reasoning for being here was a little too farfetched for Bonnie's liking.

"Did the explosion by chance make you forget who you are?" Bonnie questioned, not being able to break eye contact with him, "If anything I would expect you to be at the hospital as well."

"Expect the unexpected, little witch."

"Don't call me that," she said just a bit above a whisper, as she glanced down. She wasn't a witch anymore. Without her powers who was she?

He noticed the tear escape her eye, as she quickly wiped it, "We will get your powers back, Bonnie." He gently intertwined her fingers in his, and to both of their surprise she didn't pull away.

Damon was giving Bonnie that feeling of comfort, and that is exactly what she needed right now. They stayed in silence for awhile, not sure if speaking would ruin the moment they had formed. The moment that was so abnormal for both of them together.

"It was as if he violated me," Bonnie softly said, not being able to keep what she was feeling in any longer, "He ripped away the most important thing about me…. with so much force, and I couldn't do anything about it." The tears that she tried so hard not to let escape her eyes, came down fully.

Damon didn't realize the moment he pulled Bonnie into his arms, and let her cry against him, but quickly realized the moment; he caressed her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"What am I going to do now? Without my powers, how am I supposed to protect everyone? None of this would have happened if I were stronger. Grams would have never let this happened." She didn't care that she was being hard on herself, because it was true. If she would have practiced more and pushed passed the pain of the magic pushing back, she could have prevented all of this. And now, Elena was hurt and Matt was dead….

And that's when the tears began to come harder. Mentioning Matt. She should have saved him. He didn't know anything about the supernatural….he was innocent, and now for being friends with all of them, it caused him his life. And now his mom would be mourning the loss of two children, thanks to them.

Damon could only think of one thing he could do to bring Bonnie some ounce of peace. He waited for her to drift off to sleep, and entered her mind just like he did the moments before she died.

Bonnie's eyes opened to a place very familiar to her. It felt like déjà vu, as she looked around, noticing her favorite place as a child. The park that Grams use to take her and her friends. The place where Damon brought her just moments before she died. She looked down, noticing that she was in the same flowing white dress as well.

She took a much needed breath, inhaling the fresh air that tickled her lungs, making her feel at ease. When she felt someone walk up behind her, she quickly turned around, not surprised to see Damon standing in all black just like before.

A smile formed to her lips, a smile that tugged at Damon's chest. But he wouldn't let her see that just that little action held an affect to him.

"Why did you bring me here?" She was curious yet grateful at the same time. The pain she felt, the sadness, the feeling of being violated was not coursing through her body anymore. She felt content…happy even. She liked this dream world, and a part of her wanted to stay here forever….with Damon of all people.

"Why do you ask so many questions, can't you just thank me and be done with it."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, still waiting for an answer, that Damon soon gave afterwards, "I figured last time this place brought you at ease, and I didn't mind doing it again."

"Thank you," she smiled, "This side of you….I like it."

"Don't get use to it," he smirked, "Besides I like this place, and seeing you in this dress is a plus….want me to help you out of it." He winked.

Bonnie rolled her eyes but didn't suppress the laughter that escaped her lips. Not having her magic here was okay because she didn't need to protect anyone. There was nothing supernatural about this place….well except for Damon, and here….he was harmless. But she would refrain from telling him that.

They then sat down on the fresh green grass, and Bonnie positioned herself in Damon's arms just like before. To them here…..this was normal.

"A part of me doesn't want to go back," she confessed, "I'm afraid. If anyone else dies…if Elena dies I can't….I won't be able to…"

"Ssh," he whispered. This place was meant to keep her calm and steady, not to upset her, "Elena will live. You have to stop being so hard on yourself Bonnie and you definitely need to stop putting others before yourself."

"I can't help that, Damon. That's who I am…who I'll always be." Maybe it was a Bennett thing. She had to protect the people she cared about, and if that meant her losing her life, than that's what would have to happen.

As they set in silence again, Bonnie unconsciously caressed his hands, and somehow that little action Damon couldn't ignore. He was on top of her fast, nudging her legs apart with his thigh. Bonnie was definitely caught off guard by Damon's burst of movement, but would not deny the rupture of excitement that coursed through her body.

Before she could say anything, Damon's lips came crushing down on hers. He wanted to be gentle but he couldn't, and that's when the thoughts invaded Bonnie's mind from the dream they shared. The dream they never got to talk about.

Damon couldn't help but kiss Bonnie in that moment. The urge came out of nowhere. He knew the moment she began to think about the dream they shared and he knew the exact moment when Jeremy entered her mind. And when that happened, his kiss grew more intense, his hands were tracing all over her body, as if he had something to prove.

Bonnie could have sworn she heard him say, "Mine," but that could have just been her imagination. And when Damon's sharp canine's pierced her throat, she gasped…..

Bonnie shot straight up, and winced as the sun shined through the window, leaving her almost blind. She looked around, and noticed she was back in her living room on the couch. But Damon wasn't.

She slouched back down, and took another deep breath. She was beyond confused. Everything that was happening with Damon was giving her a headache. And what really started to make her feel ill was feeling as if she was cheating on Jeremy.

Damon didn't know what was coming over him where Bonnie was concern. There was a soft side that not even Elena fully had from him that Bonnie was quickly getting. His intentions were not to bite her, but a possessive animalistic urge came over him, and he couldn't help himself. It was as if he needed to make his mark; brand her even. He would never tell her that though.

But when Jeremy entered her mind, he didn't know if it was because she felt guilty or if she was picturing him while they were together. And that he would not have. He would kill the little Gilbert if it ever happened again.

Going to the little witch's house last night was a mistake, but he had to see how she was doing. He wanted to kill Jonas for what he did to her, and before the day was over, he would….and he would kill Elijah.

The day was long and full of grief. Jeremy, Bonnie, and Caroline were at the hospital for the majority of the day, but once visiting hours were over, they made their way back home. And this time, Jeremy went over to Bonnie's.

Bonnie so desperately wanted to tell Jeremy about everything with Damon, but she just couldn't. At least not until she told Caroline, and right now was not a good time. She didn't know when a good time would ever be for any of them.

"It still feels like a bad dream, you know?" Caroline said, as she rested her head in Bonnie's lap, "Like Matt's just going to walk through the door, and…" Her sobs cut her off. Just speaking his name, she couldn't help but cry. Caroline felt as if Matt's death was her fault. Maybe she should have left him alone….he didn't know anything about the supernatural, and now, "This is my fault…"

"No, Caroline, It's not," Bonnie had to hold it together for her friend, "Things happen, and sometimes we can't control it. It's no one's fault. And Matt wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

For a moment they stayed like that until Caroline decided to go upstairs and lay down. Bonnie then made herself comfortable in Jeremy's arms, not feeling the same contentment she did when she was with Damon. And she hated that.

"How are you, Jer? With everything I haven't had a chance to see how you were doing." She said, sincerely.

"I'm holding in there. I wish I could have stayed with you last night." He said, kissing the top of her head.

Jeremy was everything Bonnie needed, but as of right now, she wasn't feeling how she should. And she was so glad when the doorbell rang.

She moved to go answer it, and was surprised to Stefan at her door. An instant feeling of worry invaded her. She couldn't read Stefan's facial expression, but tears sprung to her eyes at the thought of Elena being dead.

Stefan could see that Bonnie was about to cry, so he moved out of the way to reveal Elena with a small smile on her face.

Bonnie let out a breath of relief, and quickly called for Jeremy and Caroline. They made their way to the door, and instantly wrapped their arms around Elena. After a few seconds Jeremy took a step back, nodding to Stefan to give the girls some time. Time that was too precious to waste.

They didn't even realize when Jeremy and Stefan left, but right now it didn't matter. Elena was okay, and that's all that mattered. Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline needed each other through this moment, and even though they may have not been completely okay, they knew that with each other, they would get there.

They stayed up late talking about everything, and even through the tears, they were still able to laugh at the memories. When Elena fell asleep on Bonnie's bed, Bonnie and Caroline went downstairs to finish talking, not able to fall asleep.

"So, I know I'm pretty late, but I still wanted to address this with you." Caroline said, catching Bonnie's attention, "Was Damon here last night?"

Bonnie's face expression told Caroline everything she needed to know, "Caroline, I don't know what's going on, but ever since the wolf accident, I haven't been able to stay away from Damon." As she explained everything to Caroline, she expected her best friend to be angry with her, but she wasn't.

"You know how I feel about Damon, but it's obvious he cares for you…"

"I wouldn't go that far, it could be another one of his games," She cut her off.

"And it's obvious you care about him. Before it gets to complicated Bonnie; if you can't stay away from Damon….you should tell Jeremy. " As sad as Caroline was about Matt, she needed to hear something else, to keep her mind off of everything.

Bonnie loved when Caroline gave her advice. It wasn't often, but when she did, it worth listening too. She still needed time to think, but she hoped soon she would get it together.

The girls talked for a little while longer, before they went back upstairs and fell asleep next to Elena. Hoping tomorrow would be a little better.

Three days had passed since Elena got out of the hospital. They were slowly coping with everything. Damon, Stefan, Caroline, Jeremy, Bonnie, and Elena were trying to find ways to kill an Original. Even though it would have been easier with Bonnie's magic, she was okay with just doing research.

They always met up at the Salvatore boarding house, and even though Bonnie and Damon snuck glances at each other, that's all it ever was. He sent her a few text messages here and there, but she ignored them. She had to keep reminding herself that Jeremy was good for her, and Damon wasn't. No matter how he made her feel.

Working with Bonnie for the past three days wasn't helping his urge for her go away. He wanted to rip Jeremy's heart out for the kisses he shared with her or the way he was making her laugh at things that were not remotely funny. And the fact that Bonnie was ignoring his text messages weren't helping.

Every night he had to stop himself from entering her dreams, but it was hard….even harder since he gave up Andie. After the dinner incident, he made sure she was okay, erased her memories of ever meeting him, and sent her on her merry way.

He even tried staying close to Elena, but with Stefan attached to her hip, it was damn near impossible to do so.

But today was different. Stefan left to follow up on lead of a way to destroy Elijah, hoping that they wouldn't get caught. And Damon was left to play the shoulder to cry on to Elena.

Today was Matt's funeral.

He didn't really care to go, but since Stefan was not here, it was his job to keep everyone safe. He hated that he was categorized as the vampire to keep everyone safe. That was Stefan's job.

Damon watched as everyone in the town of Mystic Falls were gathered at the funeral. He watched as Matt's mom, who had an interesting time with once, cried hysterically over the loss of her son and Vicki. Did Damon feel bad? Yes, and he hated it.

He saw Bonnie hugging on to Caroline and Jeremy and Elena hugging on to one another. Funerals were not his thing, so he stayed back and continued to watch. For a moment, Bonnie's eyes connected with his, and he wanted to go over there and wipe her tears away, but he couldn't. And when she looked away that confirmed that he shouldn't.

They all made it back to the boarding house an hour later to retrieve some of their stuff they left before they went to the funeral. They all wanted to stay afterwards, but being near Matt's mom was too much to handle. All she knew was that the house caught on fire and when they tried to escape, Matt fell and landed on something sharp.

How everyone else ended up out of the house, was a mystery to everyone. One that they had yet to talk about, but would sometime soon.

As Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy grabbed their belongings, Jeremy said to Elena, "Are you coming with us, or are you going to stay here."

Elena looked at her friends, "I think I'll stay here and wait for Stefan."

As much as Bonnie didn't want her near Damon, she wasn't going to let anyone know that…especially Damon.

"If you need anything, just call." She hugged Elena. She looked at Damon one more time, and then walked out of the door.

Caroline and Jeremy hugged Elena one last time before they followed Bonnie.

Elena was about to walk upstairs, but Damon stopped her, "How are you feeling?"

She looked into Damon's eyes, and saw the sincerity. She never really got a chance to sit down and have a conversation with Damon after the wolf incident with Bonnie. The moment when she saw his humanity show.

"I'm trying to hold it together." Her face was reddened with tears.

Damon gently cupped her face, and was really surprised when she didn't move away. So was Elena. "You're strong, Elena. And I'm glad you're okay." This was the first time he was able to say that to her, since she got out of the hospital.

Elena had no idea why she didn't pull away when Damon kissed her lips. Maybe it was the fact that she was sad and hurt from everything or the fact that his lips were warm and made her feel content. But as she wrapped her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss.

"Crap, I left my purse," Bonnie said, right before she got into the driver's side of her car.

"Do you want me to get it?" Jeremy asked.

"It's okay, It'll only take a minute." She said, making her way back up to the boardinghouse. Instead of knocking, she decided to try her chance of opening it, hoping it was unlocked. She really didn't want to run into Damon.

To her luck it wasn't locked, but she wasn't able to grab her purse, because of the sight before her. Damon and Elena were standing near the stairs making out. Bonnie's heart clenched in her chest, and she had to try her best not to let the tears fall. Not being able to stand there any longer, she left and slammed the door on her way out….hoping they heard.

And they did, but it was too late, Bonnie got in her car and drove off.

When she dropped Caroline off, Caroline was a little hesitant to get out of the car, noticing the way Bonnie's demeanor changed when she came back to the car. She tried asking her what was wrong, but she said she was fine and that she would call her later. Which was girl code for, "I don't want my boyfriend to hear, so I will talk to you when we are alone."

As Caroline grabbed her keys out of her purse, to open her door, she heard something behind her, and quickly turned around, and was shocked to see who was standing in front of her.

Tyler.

Bonnie and Jeremy made their way inside her house, because Jeremy didn't want her to be alone, and quite frankly, Bonnie didn't need to be alone. She was so hurt and angry, and she really had no right to be. She was actually glad she didn't have her powers right now, for the damage she might do.

As they made their way into Bonnie's bedroom, Jeremy finally asked, "Bonnie are you sure you're alright?" He knew his girlfriend was sad because of Matt's funeral today, but when she went to get her purse, that she didn't bring out, he couldn't help but feel a bit worried.

"I'm fine," she lied, holding in the tears. The truth was, she wasn't fine. She knew that Damon still had a thing for Elena, and that she was with Jeremy, but she couldn't help the pain that was coursing through her body right now.

"Bonnie I'm here for you if you need to talk…you know that." He said wrapping her in his arms.

A few tears escaped Bonnie's eyes, but she wouldn't allow anymore to do so. She then looked into Jeremy's eyes and saw the compassion and worry, and knew that he loved her. She knew that he would never hurt her.

When she kissed him, it was right. When he laid her down on the bed, it was right. When the kissing turned into something heavy, and their clothes ended up on the floor, and Bonnie's virginity became nonexistent….it wasn't right.

Alright I hope you guys aren't mad where I ended it or what's going on so far.

Don't forget to review! =)