Cut My Roots Away

Summary: AH – A series of snapshots of a whirlwind summer romance.

Song Inspiration: Lovely Lady May – Tyler Childers

AN: Guys I'm OBSESSED with this song. It's so cute, and because I love it so much, I'm posting this chapter differently. Each verse will be a snapshot of their time together.

…

I'm a stone's throw from the mill
And I'm a good walk to the river
My workin' day is over
We'll go swim our cares away

…

Damon made his way through the trail; one he could walk blindfolded at this point, and down to the river with a smile on his face. This was the best part of every day. He remembered the day he met her, at this very spot two months ago. She was swimming in the river by herself, staring up at the clear blue sky, her arms treading gently in the water. He heard her before he saw her, her voice humming a tune he didn't recognize, and she seemed so lost in her own world she didn't notice him approach the shore.

.

"You're trespassing, you know." He called out to her with a smirk.

She turned her head to look at him, and a mischievous gleam sparkled in her eyes. "Uh oh…you aren't going tell on me, are you?"

"I don't know. I might." He teased, walking down and sitting on the rock.

She rolled off her back, and waded in the water, just her head and shoulders above the surface. "Well that's not very nice." The look on her face was relaxed and unworried, more playful than concerned. "What about you? If I get in trouble, aren't you worried I'll take you down with me?"

Damon chuckled. "I doubt that."

"Why?"

"Because this is my grandfather's land you're trespassing on." He laughed a little harder when he saw her straighten, the smile dropping from her face. "Don't worry, I won't say anything. I'm glad someone other than me gets to enjoy it."

She looked at him from under her lashes. "Well, by all means…" she spread her arms and sunk further under the water, floating backwards. "Join me."

He was powerless to say no, and he stood, toeing off his shoes while he unbuttoned his shirt. He could feel her eyes on him as he undid his belt and dropped his jeans, leaving him in his black briefs. He walked down the small embankment into the warm river, dunking his head under and smoothing his raven locks back as he swam towards her. "Hi." He rumbled softly.

"Hi." She returned, coyly, biting down on her lower lip. "I'm Bonnie."

"Damon."

.

He ducked under a low hanging branch, and there in the middle of the river was Bonnie, smiling up at him affectionately. "It's about time! I thought you were going to stand me up."

He shed his clothes, and jumped in, splashing her. He tugged her towards him, and she latched onto him like a koala bear. "Are you kidding? This is easily the best part of my day." With a boyish smile, he brought his lips down to hers, capturing her in a tender kiss. "I missed you."

Her fingers played with the wet curls at the back of his neck. "You saw me a few hours ago." She smiled with warmth in her eyes.

"I missed you the minute you left." His eyes flitted over her face adoringly.

Bonnie's arms tightened around him and she pressed her body closer to his. "Smooth…you use lines like that on all the girls?"

One of his hands brushed the hair from her face. "There's no other girl but you." His tone was serious and genuine, and it made her heart race.

"Well, Mr. Salvatore…this is starting to sound kind of official. What will that do to your bad boy bachelor reputation?" She teased, but there was nervous waver to her tone. Damon made her feel things no one else ever had, and she didn't want to lose that.

He chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that went out the window the second I saw you floating in this river." Damon had had his share of women, but not a single one was anything like Bonnie. She was a free spirit, spontaneous, wild in a way he wasn't used to, and she put him under a spell with those emerald green eyes that sucked him in like a moth to the flame. "Would that be so bad? If it was official?"

She beamed at him. "I think I can live with that."

…

Put your toes down in the water
And a smile across your face
And tell me that you love me
Lovely Lady May

…

Contrary to the rushing waters of the river they frequented, the lake was as steady as the days were long. Bonnie and Damon sat on the edge of the dock, with their feet hanging over the edge as they watched the stars above shimmer in the reflection. With the summer coming to an end, these last few nights had them both wishing there were more hours in the day, and more days in the weeks, and more months in the year. They had been so swept away that the thought of what came after this seemed too real to think about; too much of a damper on the magic that sparked between them. But it was killing him…the not knowing.

"So…when do you leave?" he asked, his hands gripping the wooden dock on either side of his legs as he stared out across the dark waters.

Her head snapped to his and she let out a scoffing laugh. "What, you trying to get rid of me?"

"God, no…the opposite." He chuckled. "But I figured I'd prepare myself now for letting you go." He admitted with a weak smile. "I know you can't stay here forever."

"Why not?" Damon's eyes snapped up. "I mean, I don't have school anymore and I could find a job here. Give me a reason to stay." She looked at him from under lashes.

His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing her bottom lip. "What if I told you I was in love with you? Is that a good enough reason?"

Her eyes glanced up as she pretended to think about it. "Mm, that's a pretty good reason."

Damon grinned. There was something about her that was so endearing and charming to him. "You think so?"

"Mhm. So, it's settled." She confirmed with a resolute nod. She leaned forward and kissed him sweetly. "And for the record…I'm in love with you too."

…

Now I ain't the sharpest chisel
That your hands have ever held
But darlin' I could love you well
'Til the roll is called on high

…

"Are you happy here?" Damon asked, a low rumble in his throat. It had been a few months since Bonnie settled in with him, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't slightly insecure about it. She was a city girl; she was used to the concrete jungle and the fast-paced lifestyle. Here, there wasn't a skyscraper in sight, and life moved as slow as the water in the creek.

Bonnie looked up at him from her spot resting on his chest, cradled between his legs as they lay in the bed of his truck. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's a whole different life out here. It's not as exciting as the city...I just want to make sure you aren't settling for less than what you deserve." He had to admit that he was worried she'd grow tired out here; that once the shine of the romance wore off, she'd want to take off back to LA.

She turned in his arms, adjusting herself so she was kneeing between his legs, resting back on her haunches. Her hands snaked around his neck, playing with the hairs there. "Hey…what are you worried about? I love you, Damon. I'm not going anywhere. I've never been happier than I am when I'm with you, so if you're worried that I'm going to run away…you don't need to be." She finished reassuringly. "Okay?"

"Okay." He beamed back at her capturing her lips with his. "I'd do anything for you…you know that, right? If you ever wanted to go home…I'd follow you."

Bonnie smiled, before settling back into his arms. She had heard from his friends and family about his tough guy, bad boy reputation, but when it came to her, he was completely at her mercy. "I am home."

…

I've seen my share of trouble
And I've held my weight in shame
But I'm baptized in your name
Lovely Lady May

…

A girl's night was exactly what she thought she needed; just her and a couple of her closest friends, who also happened to be Damon's friend's girlfriends. But the night didn't end the way she thought it would. The walk back from the pub was supposed to be refreshing, but halfway back to the house a red truck pulled up beside them.

"Who's that?" Caroline asked.

Elena looked around, and there was no one else in sight on the long stretch of road. "Let's just keep walking." It was a fairly safe town, but that didn't make it any less creepy.

The truck rolled slowly beside them as the window rolled down. "Well look who it is. Hey Bonnie…ladies." He smirked charmingly. "Y'all need a ride?"

The girls rolled their eyes. The fear slipped away and was replaced with annoyance. "No thanks, we're fine." Bonnie told him shortly. There was history there between Mason Lockwood and Damon, and even though he knew she was with his rival, it didn't stop him from trying to get with her.

"Oh come on…don't be like that. I thought we were friends." He cooed back.

Bonnie stopped and glared at him through the passenger window. She could see that his brother Tyler was with him. "When have we ever been friends, Mason?"

He grinned. "Well, I personally would prefer we were closer than that. But you won't give me the time of day."

"That's because you're an asshole." Caroline snapped with a plastic grin.

Tyler glared at her. "No one was talking to you, blondie."

"Look, we're just trying to get home…why don't you guys just move along." Elena said, trying to reason with them. They continued walking, but Mason sped forward and parked the truck horizontally in front of them.

Both guys hopped out, and the girls stayed close together, backing away as the brothers came around the truck. "You know, I'll never understand why you picked Damon. What is it about him huh?" Mason directed at Bonnie with a little slur to his words.

Bonnie stood her ground. "You're drunk and you're embarrassing yourself. Just leave us alone."

Elena, subtly texted Damon before anyone noticed.

We're up the road. Mason's here. Come now.

Mason raised his hands in surrender dramatically. "Just tell me what I want to know and I will." The whole summer and even before she met Damon, Mason had been trying to get her to date him, and when he found out that she was seeing his rival, it only made him double his efforts. He came to stand right in front of her. "I'm crazy about you, Bonnie. Since the second I met you, I wanted you." She shifted uncomfortably. "Why won't you give me a chance?" he asked, softer this time, almost desperate for her answer.

Bonnie swallowed. "I love him." And for a moment she felt sympathy for the pained wince he made at her words. "It's always going to be Damon."

He tucked a loose hair behind her ear, unbothered that she jerked away. "That's because you haven't had me yet." He grabbed her face and force a kiss on her, stumbling slightly when she ripped away from him and slapped him.

"What are you doing!?" She exclaimed. He grabbed her arm, roughly yanking her towards him as she struggled to loosen from his grip. "Let go of me, Mason!"

"Mason, let her go!" Caroline yelled.

"Tyler!" Elena snapped at him, wondering if he was going to let his brother continue this way. They had known each other since pre-school, and she knew he was better than this. "Do something!"

Tyler gave in, reaching for his brother. "Hey man, that's enough." Mason shrugged him off. "Mase! Get back in the truck, let's just get outta here."

He brushed his brother off carelessly. "I'm not done yet." He turned back to Bonnie. "You think I don't know what you're doing? Walking around, tempting me the way you do. I think this is exactly what you want." He leaned in again, even as she pushed hard against his chest.

"Mason, stop!" she yelled.

That's when the sound of a rumbling engine and bright headlights caught their attention; the large black truck screeching to halt and thrown quickly into park. It was enough to loosen Mason's grip for Bonnie to rip herself away, and the girls pulled her towards them protectively. Mason and Tyler turned to see Damon hopping out the driver's seat, a heated glare in his eyes as he made eye contact with the older Lockwood. The scene he rolled up on had him fuming; Mason's hands aggressively gripping Bonnie's arms, the fear on her face. He grabbed the baseball bat from the bed of his truck, and strode over intimidatingly.

"Oh fuck…" Tyler swore backing away with his hands up. "Hey, man calm down, okay."

He looked at him sharply. "Calm down?" He swung the bat at their truck, smashing the passenger mirror off. "Sure, I'll calm down."

"Fuck!" Mason exclaimed. "That's my truck man!"

"Oh I'm sorry! I thought we were touching things that didn't belong to us now! Wonder where I got that idea!" He swung the bat again at the windshield, shattering it.

"Fuck!"

Damon stormed over the Mason, his eyes never leaving him. "Bonnie, get in the truck. Now." She was stunned for a moment, but Elena and Caroline recognized his menacing tone and ushered her along quickly to the truck watching the rest of the scene unfold. He grabbed Mason by the collar and landed a devastating right hook. Mason fell to the ground, spitting up blood on the concrete as Damon kicked him in the stomach with a heavy boot, causing him to groan painfully. Leaning down, he gripped him by his hair. "You touch Bonnie again…I'll kill you." Mason swallowed nodding in understanding, and Damon released him roughly, pushing his head back down to the road. When he stood back up, Tyler looked like a scared little boy. Grabbing the discarded bat, Damon pointed it in Tyler's direction. "If he so much as looks her way again, me and a few friends are going to pay you two a visit. And it's going to be a lot worse than this." He hopped back in the truck, and ripped back to the house, leaving Mason bleeding on the pavement.

.

Damon caressed the bruises growing on her arms, regretfully. It was then she noticed the cuts on his knuckles. "I'm okay." She assured him gently. "Here, let me clean that up." She stood from the couch, and prepared a warm bowl of water and a cloth, bringing it back and settling on the ground beside the him, cleaning his bloodied hand. "Thank you. I don't know what got into him." She stated with a wobble in her tone. Mason may have been an asshole, but she never thought he'd go so far. Damon was silent for a long while, obviously lost in his own thoughts. "I've never seen that side of you before. Is that the bad boy streak I've been hearing so much about?" she teased, trying to ease the tension.

"That's the tip of the iceberg." He grumbled back. "I haven't always been a great person. I've done terrible things…hurt people. And since you've been here, I haven't wanted to be that guy. But tonight…" he raised his eyes to meet hers. "That guy came out, and I'm sorry you had to see it."

"Damon, it's okay…"

"No it's not. I don't want you to see me that way. I don't want you to ever be afraid of me, but just know that I will flip this town upside down to protect you, Bonnie. I'll never let anything happen to you." He explained genuinely, bringing her hands to his lips.

She smiled up at him lovingly. "I'm not afraid of you. What you did for me tonight…no one has ever been there for me like that. I've never felt safer."

…

Lord, the wind can leave you shiverin'
As it waltzes or it leaves
It's been rushin' through my timber
'Til your love brought on the spring

…

He was nervous. It had been a year since the day he found her floating in the river, and they had built themselves a happy little life together. But he was ready for more. He was ready to call her his wife. Most would say it was too fast, that a year wasn't long enough to know whether you want to spend the rest of your life with someone. But Damon knew. He knew a month in, when he found her dancing around the kitchen flipping pancakes in his plaid button up. He knew when he watched her help his grandfather into his favorite chair and poured him a stiff drink, just like he liked, and left him with a kiss on the cheek. He knew the first time she referred to his mother as 'mom'.

She hadn't seen him yet, so lost in her own world, looking up at the sky, laying on her back in the river. Damon watched her with a smirk. "You're trespassing, you know?" he repeated his first words to her.

Her head shot up and grin broke out on her face. "It's not trespassing if I live here." She nodded at him. "You coming in?"

"Not today…come here." He uttered softly, watching as she swam over, walking out of the water in sexy turquoise bikini. He kissed her affectionately, not caring that her wet body was pressed against him, dampening his clothes. "Mm…hi."

"Hi. Good day?" she asked, wringing out her hair.

He nodded, exhaling away the nerves. "About to get better I think." He handed her the towel, waiting for his moment.

She unfolded the towel, frowning when a box fell from it. She reached down to grab it, and when she stood, Damon dropped to a knee. She gasped, when she saw him looking up at her. "Yes." She stated eagerly.

He laughed. "I haven't even said anything yet."

She dropped to her knees in front of him, laughing with tears in her eyes. "You don't have to. I don't even have to open this…my answer is yes!" She threw her arms around him and they toppled back on the blanketed ground with laughter.

She straddled him, the box still in hand a beaming smile on her face. She took in a deep breath looking down at him, her hair was still wet, and droplets trailed over her sun-kissed skin. "Okay…I'm ready." She handed it to him with shaking hands.

He was thrilled by her reaction. She was unlike any woman he'd ever met, and he couldn't believe he'd ever be so lucky to have her love him the same way. His eyes never left hers as he cracked the box open, and he smirked when her jaw dropped. "Bonnie…will you marry me?" She was stunned speechless by the beauty of the ring; a delicate band encrusted with tiny diamonds, with a teardrop shaped diamond in the center. "Now you can say yes." He teased.

A bubble of laugher left her, and she nodded excitedly, holding out her left hand. "Yes…of course I will." He slipped it in her dainty finger and she stared down at it in awe. "I love it. It's beautiful." She leaned down, peppering kisses all over his face. "I love you."

He held her chin gently. "I love you."

…

Now the mountains all are blushin'
And they don't know what to say
'Cept a good long line of praises
For my lovely Lady May

…

He couldn't take his eyes off her as she walked towards him. They were surrounded by their family and closest friends, and yet, it was like she was she only person within a hundred miles. The white dress flowed in the summer breeze, her bare feet in the thick green grass. Her hair had grown long, cascading down her back in loose waves, a crown of flowers on her head. She looked like the goddess Artemis – pure and wild, one with the earth. The look in her eyes said she only saw him too.

Damon thought his face would break with the force of his smile when she finally came to stand in front of him. Tears were already pooling in her eyes and he had to force his own back. He couldn't believe that only two years ago she floated into his life and changed his whole world, and now she was going to be his wife.

…

Now I ain't the toughest hickory
That your ax has ever felled
But I'm a hickory just as well
I'm a hickory all the same

…

"Come on, Bonnie you can do this!" He encouraged as she cried out in exhaustion.

"I can't! Damon, I can't!" She whimpered out, squeezing his hand.

"Yes, you can. You are the toughest woman I know. It's almost over." He smoothed her sweaty hair back from her forehead and kissed her hand still clutched tightly in his.

The doctor looked up at her with an encouraging smile. "We're almost there, Bonnie, one more big push and you can meet your son."

Bonnie prepared herself, sucking in a deep breath and baring down, pushing with a long, drawn-out moan. Suddenly, the room was filled with the first cries of a newborn baby, and she fell back in relief and fatigue. The doctor held him up as he came out and Damon was stunned into silence. Throughout the whole pregnancy, he'd been nothing but supportive; indulging in her cravings, rubbing her sore feet, reading stories to her round belly. He wanted more than anything to feel that same connection to the baby that she did, and the moment he saw him, Damon felt his whole life shift into place.

Once the doctors cleaned him up, he was placed into Damon's arms, and he couldn't stop the tears of joy as he looked at the tiny little person they created together. He looked at Bonnie, tears falling unchecked as he grinned at her. "He's beautiful, baby…" He brought him over, and placed him gently in her arms as she sobbed. He sat on the bed next to her, wrapping his arm around his little family. "I'm so proud of you." He kissed her sweetly, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." She looked back down at their son. "He looks like a Lorenzo, doesn't he?" she whispered, tracing a finger down the curve of his nose.

Damon's face crumbled. Lorenzo was the name of his grandfather, who had passed earlier that year. "Yes, he does." It wasn't even one of the names that they had discussed, but in this moment, it seemed perfect.

…

I came crashin' through the forest
As you cut my roots away
And I fell a good long ways
For my lovely Lady May

…

Forty Years Later:

Bonnie watched from the kitchen as their grandkids chased each other around, laughter and squeals filling the room. Her husband sat in his favorite chair with Lorenzo's youngest, Idalia, on his lap.

"Tell me again, grandpa!" She bounced excited. "Tell me the story about the girl in the river!" He chuckled, as the other grandchildren gathered around.

Damon's eyes met Bonnie's across the room, and they shared a secret smile. "Okay, okay. It was a hot summer afternoon…"

Emilia, Damon and Bonnie's daughter came up beside her mother, watching along with her. "They never get sick of this story. Where did Dad come up with it?"

Bonnie smiled. "He didn't…it's the story of how we met."

…

AN: I hope you enjoyed this one. I felt like a sweet, wholesome story is what we needed around this time of year. Sorry for the delay, I have had a busy and trying very weeks. I have a few more stories on in the works so I'll be back soon! Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! - Vanessa