"How is she?" Damon bombards the moment his brother shuts the door of his cherry red convertible.

"I didn't actually see her Damon, so anything I tell you would only be secondhand information," Stefan replies, attempting to navigate his way around his interrogator and into the boardinghouse.

"Secondhand is better than no hand," Damon retorts, halting his brother's attempts to retreat.

Stefan looks closely at the older vampire. The worry evident in the furrowing of his brow, the tension displayed in his posture. His brother was a man in love, who had gone a week without speaking to the object of his affection.

Bonnie had neglected her attendance at school, instead choosing to spend all of her waking hours working on a daylight ring for Caroline.

If Damon called her she wouldn't answer. If Damon arrived to her house she would ignore the bell. Finally, after three days she'd texted him asking for space.

Though, with much resistance he agreed to respect her request. And now he was left to savor whatever morsels of information Stefan could throw his way.

Taking pity on his distraught brother Stefan finds a seat on the hood of his car before saying, "She's dealing with her best friend's death."

"But Barbie's not really dead," the other man replied, finding a seat next to his brother.

"Her heart doesn't beat. She doesn't have a pulse. She's dead."

"Yeah, but Bonnie is obviously attracted to me and I have the same symptoms."

"She met you as a vampire. She's known Caroline as a human for her entire life. I think that she just needs room to acclimate to the changing conditions."

"Room…space. God I'm tired of those words," Damon says with a frustrated sigh

"It's what she wants," his brother replies calmly

"It's what she think she wants."

"Damon whatever you're thinking. Don't," he warns

"I think I should go see her."

"Absolutely not."

"What am I supposed to do then? Wait around twiddling my thumbs. Hoping she can get over this by herself," standing up from the car.

"She's not by herself, she has Elena and together they're going to help Caroline get through this."

Damon rolls his eyes at this information.

If Bonnie would stop being so stubborn, he could help her get through this.

"You know, all of this is because Katherine. I can't see Bonnie. Elena has become immune to your brooding charm. Katherine is the enemy little brother."

The dark haired vampire had a gleam in his eye. A gleam that sees to only appear when he is plotting a diabolical scheme that would inevitably lead to chaos and destruction.

Stefan knows he needs to remove that gleam or at least dim it.

"Yes, Katherine is to blame. But we also need to take in consideration the fact that she's only the puppet in this game. Someone else is pulling her strings," Stefan replies

"Or I could just rip out her heart. Bonnie will be happy. Order will be restored to the universe and they might even make me an honorary saint for ridding mankind of her evil bitchness."

"Or we could try and figure out who's moving the pieces on the board, instead of focusing on taking out the queen."

"Sure we can do that. And while we're at it lets tell the sheriff we're vampires and that we steal blood bags from the hospital on a regular basis. You know since you're filled with all of these wonderfully terrible ideas," he responds sarcastically

"I know that you're frustrated, but let's look at the bigger picture. If we kill Katherine then someone else will just take her place," Stefan reasons

"Then we'll kill them too," Damon answers simply

"That would just repeatedly put Bonnie, Elena, and the entire town at the mercy of unknown element. At least with Katherine, we have some idea about what we're dealing with."

"So you think our best bet is to wait around with our dicks in our hands?" Damon questions

"I think our best bet is to use our brains instead of other parts of our anatomy."

"Are you saying I'm thinking with my dick?"

"I'm saying that you're not thinking clearly."

"Oh okay. And what are you doing? We wouldn't have this problem if it wasn't for the girl that you are currently screwing."

"You're right. But I love Elena-"

"And I don't love Bonnie?"

"I don't know. Do you?"

"I wouldn't be trying to figure out a way to help Caroline if I didn't love her. I wouldn't be getting information from you on how she's doing if I didn't love her. Jeremy Gilbert wouldn't still be breathing if I didn't love her."

"Okay. I believe you."

"I don't give an ounce of a damn if you believe me or not. Just know that from now on my first priority is Bonnie. If that happens to align with what is also best for Elena, great. But if not, oh fucking well. Elena is your problem not mine. Katherine might have caused this clusterfuck but Elena is the reason for it."

"Hurting Elena would hurt Bonnie. It would hurt me."

"I know that. Don't you think I know that? But if push comes to shove, I'm sorry little brother, but I'm protecting Bonnie."

"I can live with that."

"I don't need your approval Stefan."

"I know you don't. I still giving it anyway."

"Really? A minute ago you thought all of my actions were motivated by my libido."

"To be fair, in the past all of your actions were motivated by your libido…or your thirst."

"When you're right…"

"So how does Bonnie feel about you?"

"How do you think? Look at me?"

"You're right. So handsome, and humble too, how could a girl resist."

"I'm not going to do this sentimental crap with you, just so you can have something to write about in your diary."

"Ah yes, you've caught on to my evil plan."

"Yeah, well you're pretty transparent. Anyways, I'm going for a ride to clear my head."

"But your head is already so empty."

"Keep it up funny guy."

"Seriously, Damon don't go see Bonnie. You'll only upset her."

"Just because you spend all of your time stalking Elena, doesn't mean I have to do the same with my girl. Now let me borrow your car."

"Why? Yours is right in the garage."

"I want to feel the wind in my hair."

"I'll pretend to believe that that is true, but don't say I didn't warn you when she kicks you out," Stefan replies tossing his brother the keys.

"Yeah, yeah. It's past your curfew so I expected you to be in bed when I return little girl,"

"Very-"Stefan words are interrupted by the sound of screeching tires.

Bonnie tosses in her bed.

Images of Caroline in her bloody state hindering any hopes of a restful night's sleep.

She'd lost her best friend, in order to protect her other best friend.

She didn't deserve to sleep peacefully.

She didn't deserve to continue on with her life like nothing happened.

Most of all, she didn't deserve Damon Salvatore. He'd warned her about how dangerous Katherine could be, but his warnings fell on deaf ears.

And now Caroline was dead.

How could she deal with their complicated relationship when she had to deal with death of a friend and the possible death of another?

Bonnie sighs, her life was turning into a horror story and she had no idea how to defeat the monster.

Time passes by slowly, as she remains a captive of insomnia.

The absolute silence of the night was almost enough to unnerve her.

In the quiet she could hear the blustering breezy stirring up sticks and stones outside.

She could hear the gnarled oak tree haphazardly scraping against her window.

Bonnie Bennett was not afraid of the wind, and she definitely wasn't afraid of a tree. However, she was admittedly fearful of the shadow that moved swiftly across her room.

She bolts upright in her bed, her blanket shielding her from whatever she had witnessed.

No. No. No. How did she expect to kick the ass of a wicked and violent vampire if she was hiding from shadows?

Slowly she removes the buffer of the bedding, willing herself to face whatever phantom that made the decision to appear and keep her company. Paranormal Activity 1-5 had prepared her for this and she would be damned if all of the money she'd spent on popcorn had been in vain.

Now all she had to do was open her tightly shut eyes.

Her pulse quickened.

She could feel her heart in her throat.

Still, she opened her lids one by one and was confronted by a sight that she did not expect to see.

What had she steeled herself to see?

Maybe a demon of some sort, maybe a ghost, or even Scooby Doo.

Anyone and anything, but Damon.

Her pale boyfriend sits perched at the foot of her bed, as if he hasn't a care in the world. As if she hadn't asked him for space.

"Damon," she exclaims

"Boo," he grins

"You scared me."

"Do you mean I scare you with my devilish good looks?"

"No. I mean that I thought I asked you for space."

"You did, but prior to that we had a deal that I would be allowed to spend certain nights of the week with you. This is happens to be one of the agreed upon nights."

"Damon I…" she begins, not sure of what to say.

Of course she remembered their deal, but she also remembered that because of her poor decision making, Caroline would have to spend the rest of her life on a diet of blood bags. And what girl in their right minds actually enjoyed a diet?

"You can't renege on an agreement Ms. Bennett. That would be in poor taste and definitely not in accordance with the conduct expectations of a student at Mystic Falls High. I would have to reprimand you for such behavior," Damon says forcefully pulling her away from her thoughts.

"Yes well, good thing school is not in session."

"You're always a student of life Ms. Bennett."

"But you are a history teacher, not a life coach."

"To-may-to, To-mah-to."

"Where's your car? Someone will see it and call To Catch a Predator."

"Great thing that I drove Stefan's car then."

"Don't you have papers to grade? Innocent students to torture?"

"Already taken care of. Bonne it's my night."

"I know. Just with everything that happened…"

"Shh…" he whispers comforting, climbing in next to her and claiming her with his arms

Though contradictory to her attempts of get her to leave, she doesn't fight his hold, in fact she turns into it. Laying her cheek against his t-shirt clad chest.

His hand begins softly stroking her tresses, lulling her into sense of safety. In which her fears no longer confined her, because she was wrapped snuggly in a cloak of Damon.

He lifts her chin, slowly and tenderly kissing her. It wasn't as hot and heavy as their last kiss, but it was almost better because it was exactly what she needed.

Their lips move silently and sweetly in harmony.

Damon moves away, but not before placing a chaste peck against her forehead.

"I'm so scared," she says quietly settling back against his chest.

"Don't be. I won't let anyone touch you, including Jeremy Gilbert."

"I'm not scared for me. Not really. I'm scared for Elena and for Caroline. Oh god Caroline…" she keens

"Bonnie, Elena is going to be okay. Stefan won't let anything happen to her. And Barbie…well, combined Stefan and I have spent a millennium as vampires, so we can help her. Plus you're making headway with her daylight ring. She can have normal life."

"She'll never have a birthday again."

"She'll also remain hot and young forever. Sounds like a win-win to me."

"So you think she's hot?"

"I could see how someone could find her hot, but I prefer pint-sized witches, so the whole leggy blonde thing does nothing for me."

"It better not."

"Hey, a minute ago you weren't even going to let me into you're room, and now you're being possessive?"

"A minute ago I thought you were a creepy old man here to take my virtue…oh wait."

"Ha-ha. Cute witch. Now get some sleep. You have school tomorrow."

"Damon I can't."

"Bonnie I can't."

"What do you mean?"

"I told you, where you go, I go. So if you don't want to go to school, then Mystic Falls is going to be looking for a new history teacher."

"You can't quit your job."

"You wanted me to quit last week."

"That's before I knew why you were doing it."

"If you're not at that school, why the hell would I want to be?"

"To enjoy all of the attention the female staff and entire student body shower you with."

"I only want your attention."

"You have it. Just not during school hours."

"Show up or I'll call your aunt and uncle."

"Drop it or I'll kick you out of my bed."

"You play hard ball."

"I'll go back when I'm ready."

"Fine."

"Right now Caroline is the most important thing. Then…"

"Then what?"

"Then I'm going to kill Katherine."

A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this! Thanks for all your reviews, favorites, and follows!