AN: Hey Fam! Quick shout out to a guest reviewer 'Fancy' for your review on the last chapter. It really made me laugh, and inspired me to get started on Part III. Also want to give a shout out to all my steady reviewers/readers for your continued support: pixie1976, SteVie'SGirL, DayDreamer612, teambonbon972, IntrovertedxxMusings, Joanie's daughter, Lovepeaceandwar and everyone else who's read and left lovely comments! Let's get on with Part III shall we? We pick up right where we left off - Vanessa

…

Rumor Has It… - Part III

Oh, be honest, girl, now
Do you wanna do this or not?
Should we keep 'em talking, girl
Or should we just make 'em stop?

…

As Damon was storming down the driveway from the main house, Caroline was running up; her curls bouncing as she rushed up to him, but he didn't stop walking, forcing her to fall in step and try to keep up with his long strides back down the driveway.

"Is it true?" he ground out.

She pulled a sympathetic face. "I don't know…but everyone's talking about it." Damon let out and frustrated grunt and she had to run to catch up as he quickened his pace. "What the hell is she thinking?! I'm gonna talk to her, maybe knock some sense into her or something." She offered eagerly.

He let out a tumultuous sigh. "Just stay out of it. Please." He grumbled.

"No, she's clearly lost her mind to think marrying Mason is a good idea. It's only been a year! No, I'm gonna go over there-"

Damon stopped in his tracks, cutting her off abruptly. "Caroline! Just stop! I don't need you meddling in this."

"Meddling? I'm trying to help!" she exclaimed, put off by his reaction. "I have been your biggest cheerleader in all of this, why are you get mad at me?!"

"Because Caroline! Despite you being the reason I met Bonnie in the first place, you have also gotten in between us anytime something is about to happen! Graduation night! At the falls! Hell…even the night Mason asked her out, I was this close to telling her how I felt and there you were, stealing her away, as usual!" He laid into her, his eyes wide with anger. "I love you Care, but please…for the love of God, just stay out of it." He stormed off leaving her staying in the driveway, stunned and mouth agape.

…

As he sped over the Lockwood house, even with all the other emotions piling up, he felt a pang of guilt rise to the surface. He didn't mean to unload on Caroline that way, but he was furious and she was there and that's what he did. When faced with emotions he couldn't deal with, he lashed out.

He'd apologize later, but now he needed to see Bonnie. However, as he pulled into the driveway, he noticed all the cars and people entering. Fuck. He forgot that Sundays were the day the Town Council met. He didn't care. He threw his car in park, and as he stalked to the door, Stefan hopped out of his car and intercepted him.

"Damon…don't do this." He pleaded, putting a hand to his chest.

The elder Salvatore sneered, ushing forward, but his brother held him in place. "Let me go, Stefan."

"Caroline called me, in tears, because you flipped out at her, and now you're going to barge in there, where our father, the Mayor and the Sherriff are, to what! Pick a fight? Are you insane!" Stefan retorted in disbelief.

"Wouldn't be the craziest thing I've done. But I'll have you know, I'm not here for Mason…I'm here for Bonnie." He pushed passed, and glanced over his shoulder. "But if by some miraculous twist of fate, I run into to him first…then that's just a happy accident." As he climbed the stairs, Mason was walking out. "Well, would you look at that? If wishes were horses." Damon's lips split in a malicious smirk.

Mason returned his smirk with an arrogant one of his own. "Hey Damon! Come to congratulate me on the good news?"

"Where's Bonnie?" He forced out, his fingers flexing at his sides.

"I thought we had a talk about you staying away from her. Look, it's time for you to move on…she has." Mason spat.

"Has she? Because it wasn't long ago, she told me that if came down to me or you…it wouldn't be you." Damon provoked, and he barely had time to register the fist coming at his face before he was knocked back, nearly stumbling down the steps. Damon caught himself, and punched him back clean across the jaw, grabbing Mason by his shirt throwing him down the few steps to round about driveway. Mason clamored to his feet, but Damon pushed him back down, standing over him and landing another punch before his dad, Stefan and Mayor Lockwood were able to pull him off. He shrugged them off roughly, wiping the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Damon! What is wrong with you?" His father yelled, as he pulled him away, putting distance between the two young men. "Do you have any idea the position this puts me in?"

Damon scoffed, licking the cut on his lip. "Right…cause it's all about you, isn't it?" He pointed at Mason, who was being helped to his feet by his dad. "He comes at me again, and he'll get worse than a swollen jaw." With a sharp exhale, he turned and ambled down the driveway to his car, ignoring Stefan's calls to him, and as he slid in the driver's seat, drops of rain lightly hit his windshield.

He needed to clear his head, and there was only one place he could think of.

…

Bonnie looked up at the sky as the drops hit her cheeks. It was unusual for it to rain at this time of year, but not completely unheard of. The weather was still warm, and the sprinkling of rain was refreshing on her skin. The sun was coming down over the horizon, casting the falls below in oranges and purples. There were so many memories here; good and bad…and one in particular stuck out in her mind.

.

Bonnie popped her head over the surface of the water, smoothing her hair back, and shooting Damon an expecting look. "Come on! You're not going to leave me in here by myself, are you?" she treaded gently with a relaxed smile as Damon kicked off his flip lops and pulled his shirt over his head.

"Wouldn't dream of it." He mumbled to himself before diving in.

Bonnie waited for him to come up, and started looking around with a frown before she felt him yank on her leg, making her gasp and shriek; her voice echoing against the rocks of the falls. He resurfaced, droplets running down his face and shook out his raven locks, splashing her. She giggled in a way that lit him up, and he shot her a toothy grin. "You're an ass."

"But it's a cute ass." He responded cockily, earning a dramatic eyeroll. She dunked him under, but he grabbed her, jumping up and throwing her over his shoulder earning another scream before she splashed into the water.

It was the summer before her grandmother passed away, and they both had not a care in the world. It was just the two of them; young, restless and bored, but too scared to admit to each other that they were more than friends. They had spent so much time as just friends that the thought of changing, and possibly losing this great dynamic made them both hold their tongues. This was easier…it was less complicated.

.

Bonnie wished she could go back to the less complicated times. Now, things were more complicated than ever.

"Well, I guess I should be saying congratulations." Bonnie's head snapped in the direction of his voice and hopped off the rock, as he approached.

As she was about to respond, she caught sight of his face in the moonlight, between the drops of rain as they started to come down faster. "What the hell happened?" She rushed over, turning his cheek to see the bruising and the cut on his lip. "Damon, tell me this isn't what I think it is?" she ground out.

"Sorry, Bon." He drawled in derision. "You think this is bad, you should see the other guy." He laughed sardonically.

Bonnie dropped her hand, letting it slap her thigh. "Are you kidding me right now! This is exactly what I didn't want!" she exclaimed as the rain came down harder.

Water dripped down his face, making locks of his hair fall to his forehead. "Well, what the hell did you expect me to do, Bonnie, huh! I just found out that you're engaged to a man that I loathe." He yelled back. "I'm not really thinking straight right now!"

"Well clearly! You should have come to me first, then maybe I'd be able to explain!" she blinked as the rain showered down, hugging her arms around herself.

He threw his arms out widely. "What's there to explain! I just need to know one thing. Did Mason ask you to marry him or not." He demanded, swallowing the knot if his throat as his eyes darted between hers desperately.

Her face contorted in distress. "Yes…yes Mason asked me to marry him." Damon turned and walked away, and she had to call out to him. "I said no!" He stopped, and she could see the relief make his shoulders drop. "He wanted me to think about it…and I did, even though I knew it wouldn't change my mind. So, we met for dinner and I told him that it was over. Because the truth is, I could never marry him knowing how much I love you, Damon." Her tears mixed with the rain, and her chest heaved as she waited for him to turn and face her. He did so slowly; blinking, processing, staring at her wide-eyed and bewildered. She let out an ironic laugh tossing her arms up. "So, there it is!" She called out. "It only took me four years to finally say it out loud but…there it is. I love you, and I'm t-tired of feeling guilty for it." She stuttered, forcing down a sob.

And in five long strides Damon was back in front of her, cradling her face in his hands and craning his head down to kiss her passionately. Her mouth parted in a gasp, and her hands clung to the wet fabric of his shirt desperately. It was like every nerve ending in her body was igniting, and with each caress of his tongue with hers she felt the pit in her stomach flutter and grow. She'd never felt this kind of desire; she had to clench her legs together for relief as one of his hands trailed down her neck and bare shoulder, skating down her hip to her lower back, and pulling her impossibly tighter to him. She moaned into his mouth and he groaned in response.

Every moment, every heated glance, every unspoken word, was built up in this kiss. It didn't matter that the rain was pelting down on them, or that the swelling of his cheek pulled on his skin painfully, or that there would be a shitstorm to deal with when they got back…all that mattered was now.

Damon rested his forehead on hers as they caught their breath. "I'm so in love with you." He whispered against her lips, nuzzling her slightly. "It's always been you, Bonnie." He opened his eyes, and pulled back, cerulean blue clashing with jade green. "Promise me…promise me I don't have spend another day without you." He swallowed nervously sucking on his lips as he caressed her face gently.

She beamed up at him, her heart hammering in her chest. "I promise."

…

One Week Later:

"Are you ready for this?" He asked her as they walked to the door of the Grill.

The two of them had spent the last week huddled away at the boarding house; only Stefan catching sight of them in the last seven days. After the falls, later that night, Bonnie snuck into Mason's house, grabbed the boxes of belongings she packed up the day before, and left him a note saying she'd be back for the rest of her things, and with that, Bonnie felt a weight fall off her shoulders. She had been burdened with a relationship she wasn't fully in for so long that she forgot what it felt like to be truly happy.

They were well aware that coming in together would turns some heads, but it was better to get it over with now before the rumors running around took flight.

'I heard she skipped town with the ring.'

'Someone told me he knocked her up and that's why he proposed.'

'Rumor has it Bonnie and Damon have been having a secret affair.'

Well…that one wasn't that far off from the truth, but that's why they were there. To set the record straight once and for all.

Damon opened the door for her, and she walked in, chin held high with Damon following and falling in step beside her, linking their hands. You could almost hear the thoughts of people as they walked past, the tension was so thick. They approached the pool table where Caroline, Stefan, Elena and Matt were playing a round. Caroline eyes turned to saucers as she came around the table and looked over them with a cocked head.

"Is this happening? Are you guys…" She looked down at their hands. "Oh my God!" She clapped excitedly, before throwing her arms around them both. "Finally!"

Damon and Bonnie chuckled, exchanging a loving glance. "You're telling me." He joked, tugging her closer to him, snaking an arm around her shoulders.

Elena and Matt smiled happily, giving them hugs while Stefan hung back with a proud grin at his brother, leaning on his pool cue.

"Stefan you are awfully quiet! "Caroline whipped around the shoot him a glare, and playfully slapped his shoulder. "You knew! You knew and you didn't tell me?!"

"Of course I knew; they wouldn't leave the house for a week. I've seen and heard things I will never be able to mentally recover from." He teased, earning a laugh from Damon and a poke in the ribs from Bonnie.

"Well, guess you're going to have to get out of the house more, baby bro…'cause there's going to be a lot more of that." Damon flashed his brows down at Bonnie, and she blushed, ducking her head. "Care…" he winced, as he sucked in a breath. "About the other day…"

She held up both her hands. "Don't even! You're totally forgiven. And I do have a habit of sticking my nose where it doesn't belong sometimes." She rolled her eyes as the group muffled their laughs and Elena muttered an incredulous 'sometimes?' under her breath."Plus, seeing you together is like going to Disneyland on my birthday! I couldn't be happier!"

They sat and had celebratory drinks as Elena and Caroline bombarded them with questions, and they indulged them. But when a familiar song came on, Damon stood, holding out a hand for her and she took it graciously.

The whispers could be heard as they swayed on the dance floor, and as Bonnie looked around, there were several pairs of eyes on them, watching and judging. Suddenly Bonnie felt like she was under a microscope. "Everyone is staring at us." She mumbled nervously. "I guess we're the talk of the town."

Damon looked down at her with a mischievous smirk. "Then let's really give them something to talk about." Bonnie's brows furrowed speculatively, but she gasped when he dipped her abruptly, pulling her up so her hair fanned around her face and their bodies were pressed close together, and captured her lips tenderly in a kiss. If he wasn't holding her, she feared her knees would buckle. "How was that? Have we got their attention?" he rasped in a husky tone.

She bit her lip, staring at him with a drunken gaze. "Yeah, I think that did it." Bonnie let out an infectious giggle than had him laughing along with her, and they continued to sway as the song played on.

It didn't matter what people said now, because the rumors that had been floating around about them for years, were finally true.

…

AN: That's the end for this mini story! I gave you guys a Bamon rain kiss, because who wouldn't have loved to have seen that on the show! Ugh, please, my heart! I'm so happy with all the response on this one; thank you so much! I can't wait to get started on the next song fic! Much love - Vanessa