Chapter 16

Note: Sorry it took me so long to write this; had a strong case of writer's block. Where are all my reviewers at? Besides the two usuals (you know who you are ;)) I haven't got any since last chapter. Please review.

Her eyes closed gently as the rest of her body fell asleep. Damon watched as she became still, the coffin encasing her slender figure. He sighed, took one last look at her and closed it. He turned behind to look at Stefan who smiled sadly at him.

"Let's go," Damon whispered softly to Stefan, forgetting that Elena wasn't really 'asleep'. They made their way to the car in complete silence. Their relationship certainly hadn't been the same in a while. Damon doubted it would ever be the same. However, Stefan was acting stranger than usual. He was more quiet and had barely said a word to Elena, someone who Damon knew for a fact he cared about. He had barely even looked at Caroline since she came to New York. Damon knew something was wrong, but he wasn't in any hurry to find out what. He didn't have the right to question Stefan now, when he helped bring him back.

"So…" Stefan began.

"So?"

"You and Elena…"

"I don't know, Stefan," Damon said, although he did know. It was over. A relief for both of them at this point.
"What about Bonnie?"

"What about her?" Damon asked, pretending to not know what Stefan was talking about.

"Don't act like you don't know. She's the one that woke you up."

"And?"

"And I'm just saying. I know how you feel about her but do you really think after everything you put her through that it's right to do anything about it."

Damon sighed, surprised at Stefan's sudden curiosity. "No," Damon admitted. "But I'm not going to fight it anymore. What happens, happens. If she wants to pack up and leave, then fine, I'll deal with it, but if she wants to stay…" He paused. "If she wants to stay then I'll stay too." Stefan looked a bit annoyed, but he quickly covered it up by focusing his eyes on the road.

Something clearly was amiss.

"We've got to get to her," Damon said. "She's less vulnerable now, but you never know. Who do you think did this to her?"

Stefan shrugged. "Whoever it was, I'm sure they won't do it again. She's stronger now, she'll be fine."

"Do you really believe that?" Damon asked, a tinge of suspicion in his voice.

Stefan nodded nonchalantly.

Bonnie scanned the room with her sharp eyes, clutching the part of her throat that had been cut. The scar had healed due to her vampiric healing but the bloodstains were still on the carpet. They made her feel sick, but she kept them as a reminder to never let her guard down again. Her door and windows were securely locked as she sat on her bed facing the door,. She always kept the door in her lane of sight, paranoia keeping her from looking away. She had some of her old weapons ready if anyone attacked, a gun with wooden bullets now sitting on her bedside next to several of her sharpest kitchen knives, along with another gun filled with strong vervain.

She was strong now. Stronger than she had ever been. With one swing of her hand, she could break down that door. The thought scared her because it meant that despite having strong locks on it, any vampire could easily get in. She couldn't even do a spell to prevent that from happening. Yes, she was strong, but she felt as powerless as she had felt when she lost her powers. It felt unnatural. Strange. Her powers were gone. Forever.

There was a knock on the door. Startled, she picked up the gun, as well as the sharpest knife and walked toward it, slowly. Then came a second knock, louder this time. She pulled the door open swiftly and stepped back aiming her gun at the person who had knocked.

Stefan raised his hands above his head, smiling slightly.

Bonnie sighed and lowered her weapon. Thank god it was just him. She let him inside and collapsed back on her bed.

She shivered, not because it was cold, but because she knew she would always be this paranoid. She'd almost shot Stefan!

"How are you coping with… everything?" He asked, awkwardly.

"I don't know. I haven't really had time to process it." She shivered again, realising that she know had nothing but time. Immortality granted her that.

"What if I told you, you didn't have to process anything," Stefan said, smiling.

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie asked, suddenly feeling afraid and excited at the same time.

Stefan pulled something out of his leather jacket. A vial?

A small, corked bottle of red liquid was in his hands. She recognised it almost instantly. The cure for vampirism.

She didn't even know where he'd found that. It was incredibly rare. Elena had drank the last vial she knew about.

"Where – Where did you find that?" Bonnie said, staring at the liquid in surprise.

"Damon was going to take the cure with Elena. One more vial was just sitting, unused in the Salvatore mansion."

"I can't take that…" Bonnie said, but all she wanted to do was drink it. "It wouldn't be fair to Damon."

"Who do you think suggested it?" Stefan said. He was being strangely persisitent. She stared at him for a minute, folding her arms as if she was cold.

He removed his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. It was a kind gesture, although he knew she couldn't actually feel cold anymore.

She smiled at him, and took the vial in her hand, staring down at the mesmerising red liquid. The thought of drinking it scared her, for some unknown reason. Instead, she focused her gaze on the leather wrapped around her shoulders. Immediately, a vision popped up in her mind, almost making her drop the vial.

A man wearing this same leather jacket storming into her apartment. A man with an all too familiar face, except without the emotion. She felt fear, anger and confusion flood through her, but all she did was smile at Stefan.

"You know, it smells a bit strange. Do you mind getting me a glass of water to help stomach it?"

"Of course," Stefan said, smiling.

He stood back up and walked toward the part of the room where a bottle of water was kept.

Without a moment's thought, Bonnie silently scooped up the vervain gun and quickly shot a few vervain darts into him. Stefan screamed in pain before becoming unconcious. She picked up her phone and texted Damon, 'Help', before running to Stefan's still body.