"Bonnie, wake up!" her father shook her shoulder roughly, "Caroline is here."

"What?" Bonnie uttered groggily as she slowly awoke.

"Black Friday," he reminded her, "you're going to the mall."

"What time is it?" Bonnie blinked her eyes a few times before the big numbers on her alarm clock came into focus.

5:08 am

"Oh my God!" Bonnie leaped out of bed and dashed across her bedroom. Elena!

"You slept in your clothes?" her father called after her. But Bonnie was already out the door and he heard her thumping down the stairs. "Women," he sighed under his breath. "I'll never understand the shopping thing."

Bonnie jumped down the last few steps, losing her balance and nearly crashing into the blonde haired girl waiting for her.

"Isn't that what you wore yesterday?" Caroline asked with a questioning look.

"Have you heard from Elena?" Bonnie countered ignoring the inquiry.

"Not since yesterday. Bonnie are you OK?"

"I have to make sure she's alright…," the witch continued as she quickly grabbed her phone and keys. "Can you drive me to her house?"

"The mall opens in twenty two minutes and we HAVE to be there when they open the doors to get the free gift cards," Caroline informed her. "We'll text her in the car."

"Not good enough," Bonnie snapped.

"Rude much?" her friend shot back.

Bonnie ignored the comment as she exited the house, leaving Caroline standing in the foyer. A quick glance into the driveway revealed both her father's car and Caroline's were blocking her own. She couldn't wait for them to move their vehicles and so she broke into a hasty stride. Bonnie's legs churned as she raced to Elena's house.

She'd run about two blocks when a car pulled up beside her, slowing to match her pace.

"Bonnie, what are you doing?" Caroline yelled out the driver's side window.

"Elena," Bonnie panted as she made the turn around the corner.

"What about the mall?"

"Screw the MALL!" Bonnie shouted as she forced her body to run faster.

"FINE!" Caroline yelled back.

The tires on her car screeched as she came to an abrupt halt. Bonnie didn't need to look to know that Caroline had turned around. She knew Caroline was angry, but right now Elena was more important than a stupid $10 gift card.

Four blocks later, Bonnie thought she was going to vomit from exertion. Her lungs ached for breath and her legs were so shaky she barely made it up the few steps to the front door of the Gilbert residence.

With her chest heaving, she lifted her hand to the doorbell. She jumped back in surprise when the wooden door opened suddenly. There stood Damon, wearing only a pair of fleece pajama pants.

"A bit early for fornication," he grinned. "I haven't even had my coffee yet."

Bonnie used her mind to knock Damon on his ass. While it was clear Damon had spent the night and the witch's curiosity was roused, she ignored her own thoughts to focus on the safety of her friend.

"I know you like to take top, but…" Damon replied as he propped himself up on his elbows.

"Shut up Damon!" Bonnie ordered as she stared down at the vampire lying on the floor. For once Damon listened and stayed silent.

"Where's Elena?" the witch demanded.

Damon's eyes met hers and she felt the penetration of his deep stare.

"Is she upstairs?" Bonnie continued trying to shake off the emotions coursing through her from his gaze. She headed for the stairs, assuming that Elena was still asleep in her bedroom. The witch attempted to take them two at time but she was still winded and climbed them one by one as quick as her body would allow.

Halfway up the stairs Damon suddenly appeared in front of her. "She's not here."

"Get out of my way," Bonnie gave the vampire another push with her mind and continued up the stairs. The floorboards creaked under her shoes as she navigated the hallway. The bedroom door was ajar, revealing a neatly made bed. Elena hadn't slept here.

"Told you so," the husky voice cooed into her ear.

"Where is she?" Bonnie began to panic. "Is she with Stefan?"

The vampire grabbed the witch by her shoulders spinning her around. "What's going on Bonnie?"

"I…I…need to…talk to her," Bonnie stuttered. It was all she could say without telling the truth – which was the last thing she wanted to do, especially with Damon.

Damon's grip tightened and before she could act, she was half thrown against the wall. The impact knocked the wind out of her and when she opened her eyes, Damon's face was inches away from hers. The deep black veins ran down his cheeks, his lips were curled back revealing long gleaming incisors.

"What did you see?" he growled.

"See?" Bonnie whispered trying to regain her breath.

"Well, obviously you had a vision," was the curt reply.

"A vision," Bonnie repeated. That was a good cover. "I saw Elena. She was hurt." That wasn't exactly true, but it would have to do. She couldn't, no, she wouldn't tell him about Katherine.

"Stop lying to me," Damon sneered as he came closer. A hair's width separated them.

"Damon?" Jenna's sleepy voice interrupted them.

"Go back to bed," Damon replied not moving a muscle.

Bonnie's eyes darted to the doorway where Jenna stood. She had on a button down flannel shirt, which was in the same pattern as the pants Damon wore. It shouldn't have bothered Bonnie, but it did. She didn't need to see proof of Damon's extra-curricular activities.

"Bonnie?" Jenna blinked and rubbed her eyes as she moved closer. "What are you doing here?"

"Go back in the bedroom," Damon repeated turning his head toward Jenna.

"Oh God, your face!" Jenna's hands flew over her mouth.

"You're tired. Go lie down," Damon's tone changed as he spoke. Jenna nodded absently and turned away from them. Bonnie watched her walk back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

Bonnie turned her attention back to Damon. "Let go of me. I have to find Elena."

Damon's grip loosened, but he still kept hold of her. "I don't know what you're up to, but I'm not going to let anything happen to Elena."

Your precious Elena. Bonnie couldn't help the jealous thought that crossed her mind. Stop it Bonnie. She's your best friend.

"I wouldn't ever hurt Elena," Bonnie retorted forcing Damon to release her. She was insulted that he would even imply such a thing. She and Elena were friends long before the Salvatore brothers decided to return to Mystic Falls, and nothing was going to change that. "But you're not her."

There was a snapping sound. Damon winced as the witch broke several of his fingers in the process of freeing herself. Not caring about the vampire's whining, Bonnie raced back down the stairs. She'd try to call Elena's cell, then check the boarding house. There was no way she could run from here to there. She'd have to stop at home to get her car.

Fumbling through her purse in search of her cell phone, she cursed herself for all the crap she kept inside it. In the time it took her to locate her phone and dial, Damon was back downstairs, fully dressed with car keys in hand.

Bonnie hung up the phone when she got Elena's voicemail. "Where are you going?" she asked the vampire. He didn't answer, so Bonnie followed him out the door where he got into his car.

The passenger door was locked, but Bonnie used magic to open it and was about slide into the seat when the car began to back up. The door hit her and she was knocked down. Damon's arm stretched across the seat to shut the door, but she stopped him and the car.

"Don't need a co-pilot," Damon said glaring at her. Bonnie hopped into the car anyway, using magic to shut the door behind her.

"Just drive."

Damon shifted the gears and slammed his foot on the gas pedal. Bonnie was thrown back against the seat, and then into the door hitting her head on the window as Damon took a turn too quickly.

The vampire hit the brakes, sending Bonnie into the dashboard.

"Maybe you should buckle up," he said with a smile. "It is the law you know."

"Fuck you, Damon", Bonnie replied as she reached for the lap belt. From the corner of her eye she watched Damon texting madly on his phone without so much as a glance at the road.

"Give me that," Bonnie reached over in attempt to take his phone, "you're going to get us both killed."

Damon let go of the steering wheel completely as he easily moved the phone out of her reach. Leaning back in the driver's seat he began texting again. At the same time Bonnie felt the car begin to accelerate. Then it started to veer to the side.

"What are you doing!" Bonnie screamed at the vampire as she grabbed the wheel to avoid running up onto the curb.

"Move," Damon elbowed her out of the way to regain control of the steering wheel. Bonnie slid back into place reaching for the lap belt once again. She glanced over at Damon whose brow was furrowed in deep thought.

At least he cares about someone beside himself. The witch smiled sadly to herself. After everything that happened I'm still trying to find something redeeming about Damon. I'm completely pathetic. I'm…

The thought was interrupted as Damon stopped the car right in the middle of the road. Letting out a deep sigh he turned to face her. "I'm not going to let you kill me."

"What are you talking about?" Bonnie replied in confusion. "I wasn't…"

"Come on, Bonnie," Damon reached out grabbing her wrists and pulling her up against him. "Using Elena as an excuse to get me alone. Weak. Very Weak."

Bonnie was speechless. All she could do was stare at him as he continued.

"Which makes me think this little plan of yours isn't very formidable. So I'll give you an opportunity to rethink things, because I would hate to kill the last Bennett. Mystic Falls just wouldn't be the same without any witches," said Damon as his face transformed.

"Believe me, it's the vampires that need to watch their backs," Bonnie said angrily.

"You're so cute when you're mad," Damon smiled. "I might actually miss you." His hands shifted and Bonnie felt the weight of his body on top of hers. Her mind pulsed in an effort to throw him off of her, but he didn't move. She tried again with the same result.

"Something wrong, Bonnie?" Damon's grin broadened.

"How are you doing that?" Bonnie asked with fear. How could Damon suddenly be immune to magic. Bonnie's heart pounded as she realized she'd been double-crossed. Katherine… Would she…Of course she would. She was Katherine!

The witch knew her physical strength was no match against Damon's, but she had to try. Squirming and wriggling she struggled against him, watching his amusement grow with each of her movements. She tried to use the car to her advantage. With a bit of concentration, she managed to honk the horn repeatedly while flashing the headlights. She was even able to retract the convertable top partially before Damon slammed her down again. Her head hit the inside of the door breaking her concentration. Out of sheer desperation, she did the unthinkable. Bending her head forward she sank her teeth into Damon's hand.

"AHHH!" Damon exclaimed not in pain, but in surprise. "You BIT me!" The vampire began laughing loudly. "Tsk, Tsk. That's against the rules, Bonnie"

"That game ended when you killed Grams."

"Time for a new game," Damon glowered as he sank his sharp canines into Bonnie's neck.

Bonnie's first instinct was to scream and fight back, but the pain was blinding. It took all her energy to stay conscious. The pressure from Damon's body on hers only allowed her to take shallow breaths. She felt a warm trickle on her neck as Damon swallowed noisily.

Damon. She wanted to speak aloud. Get his attention. But she was feeling so tired. So very tired.

It can't end like this…Bonnie closed her eyes. I don't want to die. There was a tingling sensation in her body from the blood loss. Her limbs were beginning to feel numb. Help. She knew it was not a verbal cry. It was just a thought that no one would hear. Bonnie let her body go limp under him, there was no fight left in her. She was just thankful that it didn't hurt too much.

Dying was almost like dreaming. Obscure random memories surfaced in her subconscious.

Looking under her pillow and finding a quarter from the tooth fairy.

The Barbie cake her mom made for her birthday.

Her father teaching her how to ride a bike.

Through the memories, Bonnie looked for the light. There was supposed to be a light when you died. Maybe Grams will be waiting for me. I wonder if there's mac & cheese in heaven…

Damon's gargled whine caused Bonnie to flutter her eyes. The pressure left her neck, but the warm trickle had become a gush.

"Damon." It took an enormous effort to speak.

"Bitch," was Damon's choked reply. He coughed and Bonnie felt a spray of wetness on her face.

"How much?" he gasped as he tried to move.

"How much what?" Bonnie managed to say before Damon collapsed on her.

"Vervain," he whispered in her ear.

Bonnie took a few breaths as she tried to clear her mind. Vervain? She didn't ingest vervain. Did she?

The witch looked up to see the smiling face of Katherine. The vampire opened the door with one hand, while pushing Damon to the floor with the other.

"Kill him, Bonnie," Katherine said as she helped the witch out of the car.

"I can't," Bonnie replied.

"Yes, you can," the vampire urged pressing a wooden stake into her hand.

Bonnie looked down at Damon. He was cowered down between the front seat and the dashboard, arms wrapped around his midsection as he tried to fight the pain. He was weak, vulnerable.

"Kill him."

The witch took a step closer to the car, raising the stake to her shoulder. This was it. Her chance. So why was she hesitating?

"Kill him."

She took another step.

Damon managed to pull himself onto the seat. He was panting and sweating. She watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed.

"What's going on, Katherine?" he asked, looking past Bonnie to the vampire standing behind her.

"First of all, it's Kat," she informed Damon. "Katherine is sooo nineteenth century."

"Fine, Kat," Damon spat out. "I thought WE were a team," his eyes shot over to Bonnie's momentarily.

"Damon, Damon, Damon," Katherine clasped her hands behind her back as she took a few steps toward the car. "I thought you would have figured out by now, that when it comes to you and I - there never was and never will be a 'we'."

"Kill him, Bonnie," she added tossing a few curls over her shoulder.

"Bonnie, don't listen to her," Damon struggled to stand up, gripping the side of the car. "If you want me dead," he addressed Katherine,"do it yourself."

"Be careful what you wish for...," she smiled.

A blur moved past Bonnie as Katherine rushed toward Damon. The attack was short lived as Katherine pinned him against the asphalt, crushing his throat with her hand while pressing a stake to his chest with the other.

"This is too easy," Katherine said in a soft voice as she released Damon's throat to run her fingers through his hair. Her hand rubbed over his chest then down over the front of his jeans.

Bonnie couldn't stand the sight and turned her back to the pair of them.

Get in the car

At first Bonnie thought she imagined the voice. But then she heard it a second time, and realized it was Katherine. Not only could she hear Bonnie's thoughts, she could give orders telepathically. She almost turned around, but decided she didn't want to see what was going on between Damon and the love of his life. She walked around the front of the car and got in the driver's seat. As soon as she started the car Damon cried out loudly in pain. He was writhing on the ground, naked as Katherine leapt in the seat beside her.

"Go! Go! Go!"

She squealed while laughing hysterically. Bonnie slammed her foot against the pedal, the clutch grinded loudly as she shifted into first gear. They left a cloud of dust behind them as the Camaro raced down the road.

"That was SO much fun," Katherine clapped her hands together.

"Maybe for you," Bonnie rubbed her hand across her sore neck. She turned to Katherine who had a pile of clothes on her lap. Bonnie recognized them immediately. "You took his clothes," she said the vampire in disbelief.

"That's not all," Katherine held up her index finger. Bonnie's jaw dropped when she saw Damon's ring.

"Oh my God!" She slammed on the brakes and began to shift into reverse. Katherine's hand clamped down on hers, freezing it in place.

"But he'll DIE!" she shouted at Katherine.

"That's the point, Bonnie."

Looking ahead the witch saw the sun had already begun to rise.

SPOILER: Don't worry no vampires are dead... yet