Disclaimer: The characters in this story are the property of LJ Smith and the CW.

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait, guys. The response to the first chapter has been AMAZING! I want to thank everyone for reading, following, favoring and writing reviews! I dedicate this second chapter to all of you :-) I hope you like it!

Special Note: jazzywazzy08 and Lapis Love, you two have no idea how much you inspire me. Keep writing always!

If you haven't read their fics, please do so ASAP :-D

Song of the Day: 'Fade Into You' by Mazzy Star.

Chapter 2 – Pride & Prejudices

Bonnie knew why she loved him.

Despite his poor choice to resume a love affair with a ghost, Jeremy had a good heart, 'had' sadly being the key word.

Running.

She remembered running. Away from Shane.

Falling on top of … Jeremy. Placing both palms on his chest. Healing him. Saving him … But it was an illusion. All of it.

Jeremy was gone.

More running … which became stumbling as the pain set in. He's really gone.

Tears stung her eyes. She couldn't see her way through the thick bushes attacking her moving legs. Jeremy?! He was just with me! Shock and confusion at his sudden loss tore at her insides causing her to lose her footing. She staggered out of the bushes openly weeping. A blurry face she did not expect to see swam before her watery eyes.

Stefan?

Bonnie mopped at her eyes with the back of her hands until her vision became clearer.

Stefan.

He stood in the clearing, a few feet from her, wearing what appeared to be an expression of relief.

Why would he be happy to see me? I failed miserably and now Jeremy is dead. Bonnie watched him warily. He opened his mouth to put that satisfied look into words when she was suddenly lifted off her feet and wrapped in a steel embrace. "I can't breathe," she gasped as the arms surrounding her tightened.

"You're lucky it's a hug and not a chokehold. Where the hell have you been?"

Why did I even bother? Stefan thought; looking equal parts annoyed and slightly amused. His brother's ability to deviate from a plan after agreeing to it was incredible. Does he listen to anything I say? … Seems doubtful, a little voice inside him sounding remarkably like an eight ball answered sarcastically. He almost smirked. He had been seconds away from asking her the same question when his brother beat him to the punch line. My sentiments exactly, he almost said his brother's approach tested personal space and boundaries. Tone and delivery were also a problem. Damon's attitude didn't scream concern but his posture said otherwise. Bonnie wouldn't realize this, however. The tears were already drying on her face. She looked ready to assassinate his brother.

"Put me down, Damon!"

"With pleasure." He dropped her without a care for her landing. "Don't ever make me worry again."

Rubbing dirt off her rear she got to her feet. "Worry? You? That's rich coming the guy who bit me over a necklace! You don't worry about anything unless it has long brown hair and is named Gilbert! You certainly weren't worried about your brother's feelings when you began sleeping with his ex two seconds after they broke up. So 'worried' my ass! And don't touch me!"

"FYI, Stefan and Elena were done a while ago. And"—he emphasized the word—"I will touch you whenever I damn well please!"

The 'brother' in question was tired of hearing his name thrown about in their petty squabble, especially when his love life was a sore subject at the moment. Plus they had more important things to worry about. "Speaking of Elena, who is taking care of her?" Stefan directed his question to his brother who was busy scowling at Bonnie.

"Blondie, Doctor Kevorkian or Alaric part two. I'm not sure." Damon replied nonchalantly, eyes still trained on Bonnie. "You were taking your sweet time, Stefan, so I thought I'd come back here to speed up the process." More like, I never left … But they didn't have to know that.

"You left her alone with Jeremy's body?" Stefan clenched his teeth in frustration. "Because she's somehow fit to deal with the loss of her brother? Maybe you don't love her as much as you claim to."

Damon watched Bonnie's face drop at the mere mention of Jeremy. This is not the time to discuss this, he almost barked. Jeremy was already gone and there was nothing they could do about it. Bonnie, however; was alive. And in order to keep her that way, they needed to take the necessary steps (literally) and leave this place. They couldn't afford to lose any more members of the team.

"You never read past the prologue, do you? I swear it's always the same with you. You don't think before you act! Whim before strategy, right? You only care about yourself, Damon! If anything happens to Elena I'll—"

"You'll what?" Damon's eyes finally left Bonnie's. He whipped around and took one unrepentant step toward his younger brother. "Devise a plan to hit me? If you ask me, Stefan"—five more steps—"you spend too much time thinking … Waiting. You've really got to do something about your passive aggression." One final step brought them toe-to-toe. "Women prefer men of action. Ask Elena. Or Katherine, if you're feeling particularly reflective. Tell me, what would you have done if I hadn't showed up? I'm curious. Would you have waited for Bonnie to decide what she wanted to do in her current state?"

"Yes. I'm fond of women making their own choices." Probably not in this case, he might have added if his brother weren't trying his temper. He could tell Damon was seconds away from carrying Bonnie off the island regardless of her wishes and he refused to give his brother the satisfaction of knowing he would do the same if it meant keeping her safe. The fact that they might see eye to eye on this issue was not one he would disclose. Not this time. He had his pride. "Unlike you, I don't need supernatural help like a 'sire's bond' to get women to see things my way."

As far as insults went, that one was meaty. Damon wanted to punch Stefan in his relaxed face. But fortunately he didn't need to. He knew his brother well. Stefan's poker face could only hide so much. My romance with Elena still bothers him. "Well, whatever works. You know how Elena can be," he said with a smile, twisting the knife deep. "Bonnie's a different story though. She will listen to reason. And if she doesn't, there's a spot over my shoulder reserved just for her."

Before Stefan's right fist could descend on Damon's left cheek, he froze. Damon didn't attempt to block or retaliate which could only mean one thing: his brother couldn't move a muscle either. Suddenly they were forcibly separated and made to face Bonnie who was seething with rage and … something else.

Damon recognized the magnitude of her grief instantly. Anger is just a cover.

"It's just business as usual with you two. Elena this, Elena that. I know"—her eyes narrowed on them causing their ribs to fracture—"lets discuss Bonnie as if she weren't standing right here. Because she'll do exactly as she's told." Her voice was mocking.

I stand corrected, Damon thought, wincing. She's clearly upset. His mind was the only part of him not under her control.

And then she broke. "Jeremy's de—" she gulped, unable to continue. "I mean, I ca-can't … And then you idiots …" Her voice trailed off and her gaze darted to the ground as is if she'd been struck by some great epiphany.

I was right the first time. Definitely sadness. Damon revised his opinion yet a third time. Apparently whatever was on her mind made her loosen her spiritual group on him and his brother. They hit the grass; hard. One sideways glance at Stefan, who was had his arm wrapped around his middle, told him that it was time to do what needed to be done. He offered a small 'thank you' to God above, whom he hadn't spoken to since his days as a soldier, but he'd just been delivered from a very ugly confrontation if his broken ribs were an indication so the man upstairs deserved his due. He dragged himself to his feet with some difficulty. Stefan was quicker though. He was already limping the short distance toward Bonnie.

Stefan had never seen her so vulnerable. Still, she didn't appear to need protection. She was strong. She wasn't Elena. What she needed was a friend. It had been foolish of him to allow his brother to goad him when she stood before them: broken. Her lowered head made him feel even more guilty than he already did. They were all on edge because of Jeremy's death, but that was no excuse to make a bad situation worse. As he approached her, he thought, a friend. Yes, I can be that. But when she suddenly looked up at him with those green, luminous eyes, 'friendship' and words like it flew out of his mind.

No. It wasn't like he didn't want to be her friend … It was just … Just—what? She opened her mouth to … And he knew what it was: an overwhelming urge to protect her. She was speaking now but he couldn't hear anything outside of his thoughts … She will definitely object to being treated like a damsel in distress but …

"I can bring him back, Stefan." At that moment, she knew she could. "Destroy the veil and he will be yours," Shane had said. And she would. She had the power, the will and … nothing left to lose.

Her words brought Stefan out of his revelry and Damon lighting into her. A newly invigorated Damon charged her and grabbed her shoulders. "You can't! It's too dangerous not to mention out of the question!"

She looked to Stefan, giving him the 'back-me-up' look but he eyed her skeptically. He really was no help at all. He didn't even make a move to remove his brother's hands from her person. Damn Salvatore men. The whole arch enemy thing was just for show. In the end, they always banded together. She smacked Damon's hands away from her while giving Stefan the meanest look. He gave her a puzzled stare as if to ask, 'what did you expect?' Not much, she almost hissed before sharing her nasty glare with his brother. "I'm not asking your permission, Damon."

"Is that so?" He asked innocently in a small docile voice.

"Yes." Bonnie answered defiantly.

"Great." He grit his teeth, his voice now surprisingly jovial. "Because then I would have to ask for yours."

Before she could figure out what he meant. He hefted her over his shoulder and began speeding towards the closet exit off the island.

Stefan shook his head as the chorus of 'Put me down's', 'I hate you's', and his personal favorite, 'you idiot!' faded into the cover of the trees as his brother sped off. He would have criticized his brother's abrupt action if he didn't agree. She was lucky he'd been taken aback by her threat to drop the veil or his shoulder would have been her ride. Bonnie is proving to be as reckless as Damon, he thought before taking off after them.

— 2 —

"Bonnie, you know we're doing this for your own good."

"Save it, Stefan." She really didn't want to talk to him, but unfortunately he was all she could see whenever she lifted her head from her slumped position over Damon's shoulder. She so wanted to be in her room right now… Away from them. "If you really care, Stefan, prove it. Tell this neanderthal I can walk the rest of the way home. You do speak neanderthal, don't you?" Damon smacked her rump. It didn't hurt but her fury rose. Her voice raised an octave. "Are you really going to allow this, Stefan? You're supposed to be the good one. If I kill him, it will be your—" A fit of coughing interrupted her perfect threat. "Fault," finally came tripping of her tongue after the fact when the smoke cleared her nostrils.

Smoke?

"Keep ignoring me, Glinda. I don't have a bucket of water to throw on you so this will have to do." Damon whacked her behind once more.

"… And if you insult me again, the next one will be skin to skin …" he was saying but it was translating "Waahh! Waahh!" as she focused on the fire in her lungs. Doesn't he ever get tired of whining? And where the hell is this smoke coming from?

And for the love of—is Damon still talking? Seriously? "… I wonder what your ass will feel like against my—"

"Try-y it and you're de-ead," she retorted, more like coughed, cutting him off.

He came to a sudden halt.

Wow! Her words had finally gotten through to him. Maybe now, Damon realized she didn't make idle threats. He would put her down any minute now … Except he didn't. One look at his brother revealed her error in judgment. Why does Stefan have that look on his face?

Not knowing began to eat away at her. Slowly her eyes began to mirror the horrified look reflected in Stefan's eyes.

Damon lowered her to her feet before she could work up the courage to demand what was going on. She faced his chest, not wanting to turn. Fear over what she might discover held her in thrall. She didn't want to confront the sudden heat at her back. Didn't want to see what had stunned the Salvatores into silence. She wanted to hide in the rumpled folds of Damon's shirt. Wanted to cling to him …

She spun around.

Silence.

Then … A gasp.

The Gilbert House was on fire.

Elena stood outside watching it burn.

She too, stood silently, transfixed by the appalling image. The world surrounding her began to fade as the very flames that filled her vision consumed her heart.

Flight.

She suddenly wanted take flight … To fly past Elena into the flames for … for …

Wobbling legs moved forward answering her will.

Strong arms wrapped around her mid-section rooting her to the spot. Bonnie, unaware that she had been moving toward the fire, panicked internally. She felt quelled; imprisoned … powerless. All she could do was stand there blinking; hoping the fire was a figment of her imagination.

No, this can't be! My eyes are playing tricks on me! Flames could not be engulfing the home she'd practically grown up in. Not with—she began to struggle violently against the protective embrace—Jeremy still inside. She had to go … She had to save him!

A deep voice caressed the hair on top of her head and she was pulled back against a rock solid chest.

"Bonnie."

She froze.

Damon.

Oh yeah … He's right behind me.

His husky voice was somehow soothing. It became her only anchor to sanity. "Stay right here, Bonnie. Beside me." She could feel Damon's shirt brushing against the back of hers; his arms coiling around her tightly. He was here in every sense … but she was fading. She grabbed his forearm and clung for dear life as she fought to get a hold of herself. Jeremy's name threatened to spill from her lips. Her legs shook from the need to go to him. She couldn't breathe. "Jer…" she tried, but only succeeded in inhaling more smoke. Her next attempt came out as a body-wracking cough.

Without releasing her waist, Damon maneuvered himself to stand in front of her. "Are you alright?" He barked, fighting his growing concern. She opened her mouth to say something when she gulped suddenly and closed her eyes. For one terrifying moment, he thought she would throw up on him when her eyes flew open and she squinted at him as if she were seeing him for the first time. "Bonnie?" He said, searching her glazed eyes for answers when he witnessed her gaze drop to his lips. Unable to stop himself, his eyes followed suit, focusing on hers in return. Breathy little sounds escaped her trembling lips. "Bonnie," he repeated, his voice the barest hint of a whisper. Her lips are—he cleared his throat. Masking this dangerous response, he spoke harshly. "You calm now? Can you manage to stay put?"

She had no idea what he was saying even though she tried to read his lips. At least she hoped those were his lips because she could no longer see through the fog of smoke. She stepped in closer and narrowed her eyes, but still—nothing. Her lids were becoming as heavy as her lungs.

She couldn't see …

Couldn't breathe …

Couldn't …

Damon cursed.

Stefan watched his brother flee from the scene for the second time today. Once again he couldn't help but agree with his brother's decision proving it was a sad day indeed. His only solace was knowing he would have acted sooner. I would have hightailed it before she fell unconscious. He rolled his eyes heavenward. Damon was always slow on the uptake. What part of 'humans and smoke don't mix' was difficult to understand? In addition to inhaling too much smoke, Bonnie had looked ready to—he didn't know. This was a problem. With everyone being so concerned about Elena's reaction to Jeremy's death, Bonnie's feelings had slipped through the cracks. Right before she lost consciousness, he saw fire in her eyes. And this after she'd spoken of resurrecting him on the island. She was taking this much worse than Elena, which was understandable because she was the other person closest to him. Bonnie was really going to need a friend to lean on.

… She was moving … Her head rested against hard flesh … No heartbeat, but it felt … nice.

"Open those unique eyes of yours and look at me, preachy. It would be a shame not to see that color again." She didn't stir. Her lids remained shut. "I remember the first time I saw them; huge, blinking and evergreen. I couldn't decide if they were the color of grass or tree leaves because you were moving pretty fast."

A sound. It was close by … The chest against her cheek rumbled deeply.

"But no matter how hard you tried, your chubby little legs couldn't keep up with your mother as she ran smiling with that ridiculous kite. And I have absolutely no idea why I'm telling you this. I didn't even know it was you at the time. So I guess it's a good thing you're unconscious and won't remember this cause I would hate to endure a lifetime of questions followed by 'Damon, I never you were sentimental' and endless laughter."

It was strange but she felt a smile against the side of her face … Maybe it was a dream.

Damon lifted his head from her face and chuckled to himself once more. Nuzzling her cheek was going to far … but it wasn't like she could stop him in her current state. His smile became a grin. He couldn't help it. The fact that he could take this to the grave without anyone—grave? I crack myself up. Instead of laughing, it occurred to him that he should be evaluating the situation and examining that fleeting need to rest his face against hers. They had a relationship that worked. She didn't need to know he cared. It would ruin their 'one-of-these-days-I'm-going-to-kill-you' dynamic and then heaven forbid, he'd be dealing with the 'f' word: 'friends'. He tried never to make those … Somehow the response he imagined she would have to his mushy monologue kept popping into his head, making him want to laugh some more. God, she was so vexing … which was why he needed her to wake up. He needed to hear her annoying, judgy voice again.

The smile left his face. This was his fault. He never should have left Elena to her own devices. Stefan had been right … like always. But admitting that, out loud, was a definite no, no. He'd just as soon eat grass and he knew what it tasted like—what could he say? He'd experimented, but that was beside the point. He'd messed up and would therefore find the fix. And he would do so without his brother's help. After all, he had his pride.

— 2 —

The flames …

She could still see them in her minds' eye.

"Wow! You sure clean up nice. Not that you ever needed to clean up. You're always a knockout."

Elena had taken away her chance to say goodbye. Then there was Damon … Either she had been hallucinating or she'd heard him recall a memory that was dear to her heart.

Maybe you dreamed this whole thing up, Bonnie.

Well, truth be told, she'd been barely conscious at the time.

But I could almost swear …

No. How could Damon possibly know about that? That sunny day when she'd worn a teal dress with ruffles and flown a kite with her mother was one of the few vivid memories she had of her mother while growing up. It also happened to be the first and last time they had flown a kite together …

Matt couldn't decide what to say next. Bonnie was a million miles away. His compliment was supposed to make her smile; bring her back to herself somehow … He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her smile. He knew she was still grieving over Jeremy. They all were. But this was their senior prom; their chance to abandon the chaos of the last two years, embrace the good left in their lives and make new memories to erase the bad. So if he were gonna save them both from drowning in the pain of their loss; he had to do it quick because Bonnie deserved a spectacular prom. Tonight, he would put an end to a trend that required her to use magic every time the gang got together. It was not her job to supernaturally clean up the town's mess, but it was his, as one of her best friends, to ensure that she be treated like a normal teenage girl who received the prom of her dreams. He smiled at her, remembering her on his doorstep after he'd discovered Vicky was dead. She'd visited everyday with some lame excuse like 'I was in the neighborhood' when she lived on the other side of town. It would be an honor to make her happy. He tried the compliment thingy again. "Blue, no matter the shade, is definitely your color."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Matt. Did you say something?"

"Not since we left your place an hour ago."

Awkward … She nodded politely.

She looked so embarrassed, Matt laughed. "I'm kidding. I was speaking. But don't worry, I only said what every guy in this room is thinking. You're beautiful."

"Thank you." She said before looking down.

"This is the third time tonight you've glanced at your feet. Are you trying to tell me something?" His tone was teasing; playful. "If I didn't know any better I'd think your were trying to tell me to ask you to dance. So will you, dance with me?" He extended his hand.

Bonnie looked up at his request. She could see the sincerity in his eyes which made her smile. He really was a good friend. She reached out to take his hand when she saw herself on the dance floor … Resting her head against Jeremy's chest as they swayed to 'Last Kiss' at the Sixties Decade Dance. Earlier that night he tried to give her his ring, wanting nothing more than to protect her from her decision to sacrifice herself for his sister. He loved her that much … She froze, unable to take Matt's hand. He, being the eternal gentleman, claimed that she couldn't dance on an empty stomach and offered to get her some hors d'oeuvres and punch.

Damon watched Bonnie from across the room. Quite simply put: she was stunning in her evening attire. The gown hugged her in ways he could appreciate. And he did … appreciate her, that is. Contrary to the date, she looked as though she hadn't aged a bit. She appeared the same as she had that day. Clearly she had the gene pool of a goddess. Egyptian, if you took into account the voluptuous curves on her small frame. Also, her dress was a form fitting navy blue this time. Not the corseted frock he'd seen when … He returned to Mystic Falls.

Home sweet home, he remembered thinking on his way to the Boarding House. He'd come back to harass his younger brother as was their family tradition for the past hundred years. But since he was in the neighborhood, he decided to check up on Abby Bennett to make sure all was well in Bennett land as per his agreement with Emily.

She wasn't home, which he was certain she did on purpose so that he would have to take time out of his day to look for her. Fortunately, his afternoon meal was kind enough to give him the whereabouts of a 'Ms. Bennett' to cut a long search short. She was helping out with some pageant or another at the town square. The town was always celebrating some random thing. He remembered thinking; there is a pageant for everything here.

As he circled the drain—town, he meant town; he stumbled past a tacky float and kept walking until … He froze, and then backtracked, realizing that he had just passed by his goal.

He stood in front of the float watching Abby work diligently to set up props. Her back was to him, but he'd know her anywhere (years of watching kind it made it difficult to forget) … He'd been tasked to protect her and he had until he witnessed her happy and content with her daughter. Satisfied with the sight, he'd left and never looked back … But since he was back in town now, he figured he might as well check on her. Apparently she'd lightened her hair. Kudos to her, she finally did something daring, he thought with a smile. The lavender color of her gown brought out her highlights. It was a good thing he'd returned on—he didn't know—'Lavender Day'? Whatever. He'd wager that was the name of the day anyway.

She turned.

His mouth dropped open. It wasn't her.

How could he have mistaken her? Her eyes were—those were not her eyes. No, these were … He had seen that interesting color before, only now they rested on a beautiful, adult face.

The little girl?!

He couldn't quite believe it. Abby's little girl! His eyes widened as he watched her. Not a chubby limb in sight. Her mother had been a sight to behold, but she—she was unearthly. "Elena," he heard her call. "Come here for a sec."

"Be right there, Bonnie." Another brunette replied as she made her way onto the float. Truth be told he didn't—couldn't spare the other girl a glance. His eyes were glued to Bonnie. He let them linger over her for another minute before leaving the square.

For Emily's instructions had been clear: "The oath you take is to protect. Fraternizing with a Bennett Witch is strictly forbidden." Her edict had been accompanied by a special glare because she knew his reputation with women, Katherine being the only exception. She didn't want anyone from her line added to his lists of conquests. Naturally, he'd understood her concern. He was very attractive. But that was beside the point. A deal was a deal and so he'd agreed, knowing it would be simple because he would have Katherine. And it had been … Until today.

Even as he walked away, he couldn't make his legs straighten. As the expression 'weak-kneed' came to mind. He cursed the romance of it all. Where was Katherine when you needed her?

In a tomb, his subconscious reminded him a full five minutes later as he entered the Boarding House. Apparently, Bonnie Bennett had another gift: temporary insanity. She'd certainly made him forget what was truly important. Now, he was really annoyed. He needed to vent his frustrations … And then he smiled, remembering why he'd returned to Mystic Falls in the first place: Stefan.

Speak of the devil and he doth appear. Well in his case, it was remember the devil. He spotted his brother approaching Bonnie as the memory faded back into the inner recesses of his mind. He watched Bonnie avert her eyes from Stefan's advancing form. And really, he couldn't blame her. His brother obviously had that annoying effect on everyone around him. When she attempted to escape, her hair slid off her shoulder and cascaded down her back. The weak-kneed feeling returned, surprising him. He could do nothing but stare … Her hair is still that unique shade … It seemed nothing had changed. Except, he no longer desired Katherine. He was with Elena. But considering they had the same face, he was right the first time: Nothing had changed. Certainly not Bonnie. And certainly not his strange response to her. It was—

"Damon."

Well, duty calls. It was Elena. He would have to keep tabs on Bonnie and Stefan another time, although he had no idea why he would want to. He had better things to do like make sure Elena didn't kill that poor idiot that was coming toward them with her yearbook in hand. Damn! Whose brilliant idea was it to turn off her emotions? Oh, yeah. It had been his. It was like Katherine … The sequel. No, it was becoming more and more like a remake.

— 2 —

Maybe if I act like I don't see him. He'll take the hint.

No such luck.

Desperate times call for desperate measures … Bonnie turned, heading for the beverage stand. She really didn't want to deal with a Salvatore today.

"Dance with me."

Stefan didn't raise his voice over the music nor did he try to prevent her from walking away. He also didn't command. He simply stated what he wanted.

Walk away.

She turned to face him … Maybe it was because he didn't attempt to force her to comply. Her eyes met perfectly styled hair and soulful hazel-green eyes which sparkled mischievously. Do I detect cheerfulness? Someone obviously forgot the part he played in that uncomfortable trip off the island.

His eyes narrowed warmly. "About that … I apologize. I should have intervened when my brother manhandled you. And I would have if your safety hadn't been foremost on my mind."

Wow! It's like he's reading my mind, but that's impossible … Right?

She looked him directly in the eyes, wordlessly accepting his silent dare to not look away. He's not clairvoyant, she realized … just observant. She wondered what had given her away.

"The panicked then angry glare before you tried to walk away."

Really observant, with an emphasis on 'really'.

"You weren't very subtle," he explained. "But just so you know, I would have followed you."

"Why?"

"Because when you're actions make a friend unhappy, you do everything in your power to make sure she knows how sorry you are."

The sincerity behind the words made her forgive him. His eyes blazed deeply into hers and she knew he meant what he said so it was a shame she had to do this. "I'm sorry, Stefan, but I'm not in the mood to dance." She looked away. Matt, where are you?

"Fine. Have it your way. I'll just stand beside you and relive my boyhood dream of becoming a standup comedian. Although we called it something different in my day."

That caught her attention. Semi-interested, she turned back to him. "To be completely honest, I never pegged you as funny."

He smiled. "I'm not."

Bonnie frowned. "Then why tell jokes?"

"I don't." She appeared to be skeptical. "Scouts honor," he promised, offering her the three-finger boy scout salute. "I just threaten to when the need arises." He laughed revealing extremely white teeth. "My mother always laughed though. Damon said it was because I was her baby. Must have been true because I didn't find out I was corny until my middle school talent show."

She looked at him expectantly, waiting to hear the rest.

"Back then I was still under the impression fruits were meant to be eaten, but my peers knew better.

"They didn't …" Bonnie burst out laughing. She couldn't believe herself anymore than she could stop herself from cackling like a loon. The thought of Stefan getting pelted onstage with apples and oranges was too much. Dear Lord, she knew she was being unkind but she just couldn't stop laughing. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth but small giggles continued to escape her lips. Oh my God! Now, he'll think I'm a bully who gets my kicks off of kids' misfortune. But that wasn't it at all. What happened to him wasn't funny by any means. She laughed simply because she couldn't picture Stefan as an awkward kid telling bad jokes. Especially in a time when children were taught to be rigid and uptight and jokes were probably scarce. If he couldn't make them laugh when they'd probably been desperate for a good chuckle; he was nowhere in the vicinity of funny. Her laughter became hysterical.

"Don't stop on my account," Stefan commented with a grin. "Just know that I never wore my lucky comedian's cape again. No matter how many buttons my mother sewed on it."

He was making it worse. She began to hiccup. A cape? A comedian in a cape! With buttons? What was his mother thinking? At his age? He was a walking target. She couldn't remember the last time she laughed like this. Hell, she couldn't remember ever laughing this hard in her life.

He took another step, invading her personal space and whispered in her ear. "I made you laugh. That's three. I guess there's hope for me yet." He smirked.

Bonnie's eyes widened in surprise as she finally managed to stifle her laughter. He'd been pulling her leg. The miserable wretch. Without an ounce of compassion for his 'scarred childhood' she pushed him away from her.

"I swear," he said between chuckles, "it was all true." He captured her hands in his. "For someone so small, you pack a mean punch," he teased.

The physical contact alarmed her—for no reason at all of course, but she snatched her back her hand quickly anyway. One glance up at him told her he was just as weirded out by her sudden withdrawal as she was. Crap!

Fill in the silence.

Fill in the silence.

Aha, that's it! "'That's three' what?" She asked, ending the two second awkward silence.

Winded by her multiple change in behaviors, he begged the question. "Three what?"

… People who laughed at my jokes, he reminded himself of the answer a whole three minutes later. Damn. He was creating another uncomfortable moment for them even though he had no idea why either of them should be feeling uneasy. "I was just referring to the three people who think I'm funny. Let's see … There was my mother, Lexi and now …" He looked her dead in the eyes. "You."

She blinked, startled by his intense gaze although she had no reason to be. Stefan's gaze had been this direct for as long as she'd known him. "Oh … um …" Get it together you sound like a farm animal. "So-so your mom—" she exhaled.

Stefan nodded in an attempt to get her to complete the sentence. When it was clear that she wasn't going to, he supplied helpfully "Yes, I do have a mother."

At the obvious statement of fact, her ridiculous nervousness opted out in favor of a sarcastic smile which said 'I know, smart aleck. Everyone has one,' even though she'd never heard him speak of his. Come to think about, she really didn't know that much about him.

Pleased with her sudden return to 'Bonnieness' he continued taunting her with a grin. "Curious … Did you think I was an immaculate conception or something? I mean, have you met Damon?"

Against her will, she laughed again. He was so bad.

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but …" he paused reflectively.

He looked as though he were trying to find the right words.

"He is the spawn of Satan." He finished and gave her 'you-know-you-agree-because-I'm-right-about-my-brother' consecutive nods.

She countered with a headshake. "You're incorrigible."

"You're right," he agreed even though he didn't seem repentant. "I should have gone with 'bad seed'."

She was giggling so much she didn't realize she was walking. Actually, it felt more like being dragged. Her laughter ended abruptly. When did he grab my hand?

Stefan whirled her around onto the floor and positioned his left arm behind her back just as the DJ began to play 'Fade Into You'. He locked their already joined hands and began to waltz her to the music. She closed her eyes, remembering how much she loved the song as they swayed … when it suddenly occurred to her that he had gotten exactly what he wanted.

Her eyes flew open and she looked up at him. "You must think you're so clever—"

She faltered under what could only be described as intense scrutiny. His gaze was more intense than she'd ever seen it.

He hadn't realized he'd been staring until she'd looked up at him and snapped. Now she was giving him a look he'd never seen cross her face. Perplexed, he said the most untrue, most un-Stefan-like thing he could say. "I always get what I want."

"Is that so?"

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?" He dipped her slowly.

"No, you haven't." She smiled at his smooth attempt to switch topics. "But you wouldn't be trying to change the subject, now would you, Mr. Salvatore? Not when you were on the verge of telling me how you manage to get exactly what you want all the time."

He brought her back up. "Was I that transparent?" He asked, accepting that he'd been caught red-handed.

"Yes. Your devious expression gave you away."

"A smile, devious? Why, Miss Bennett, I'm offended."

"No you're not."

"I used to be good at this, I'll have you know." He chuckled.

"Changing the subject?"

"No. Giving compliments. With that said—don't try to interrupt—you are beautiful." He gave her the 'I'm-serious-nevermind-my-Kool-Aid-smile' look.

"I—"

He shushed her. "Will you just accept that you're the most beautiful woman in the room. I wish you were my date."

"Stefan, don't." She said seriously, breaking their smiley, playful vibe. They both knew he was madly in love with Elena so to say something like that horribly embarrassed them both because she knew he wasn't being sincere and it made him look like a liar. Her feet stopped moving to the music. "Why did you really come up to me? And don't say 'to apologize' or 'to ask you to dance'? Tell me the truth."

Stefan cursed inwardly. He'd done it now; destroyed the atmosphere and he wasn't sure where he went wrong. This evening he'd set out to be the friend she deserved—okay, fine, there was more. He could admit that. Her talk of bringing down the veil on the island had worried him and he wanted to make sure she changed her mind. But dammit, that had nothing to do with right now. He liked conversing with her. When she lowered her head to the ground, looking forlorn, he'd had just about as much as he was willing to take. She was beautiful, goddammit. Incredibly so, and …

He let go of her hand, stepped in closer, pushed her into him by pressing against the small of her back and used his free hand to tilt her chin upward so that she faced him. "Believe me when I tell you you're beauty is unmatched." And in that moment, no one was more shocked than he to discover it was true. It was her emerald eyes. It was the way she felt in his arms—no, the pink of her lips … When she opened her mouth to speak, he realized it was everything.

"What about Elena?" He was too close.

Annoyed by her refusal to take a compliment when it was given (nevermind the fact that it was true) he spoke without thinking. "Don't make this about her. I spent the better part of the evening staring at you."

Fade into you

Strange you never knew

Fade into you

I think it's strange you never knew

I think it's strange you never knew

A minute passed but it seemed like an eternity in which all that could be heard was Mazzy Star's voice as the ballad came to an end. While other couples exited the dance floor, Bonnie and Stefan stood silently, locked in the most awkward moment ever.

… He stood there disbelieving the words that had come out of his mouth, and he wasn't just referring to his last comment. I fucked up. Damon would be so proud. He's always saying I think too much. And in the absence of thought, he'd spoken of a part of his childhood he'd long forgotten. His mother. That medieval production he'd called a show when she probably hadn't known they'd done those kinds of things in his day. So why had he dredged them up? Why was he over-sharing? Since when was he the type to say everything that came to mind? 'I spent the whole night staring at you?!" Genius. This would be a good time to stamp the scarlet letter on his chest. 'S' for 'stalker'.

He released her.

… She stood there wondering why she was acting so strange with him. She should have just taken the compliment. Great, she'd succeeded in making him feel awkward too. Just what the hell was her problem? How had she allowed herself to laugh and dance so soon after Jeremy's death? And with Stefan, of all people—why is my heart beating so fast?

"Well, well, well … What do we have here?" Came a swarmy voice from her left.

The second you realize Matt isn't coming … ever?

"Nothing that need concern you, Damon. Aren't you otherwise preoccupied?" Stefan gestured behind his brother. Elena was hot on his heels, rapidly approaching them.

"Bonnie," Elena greeted. "Are you here to ruin more lives? Damon, better watch her before she gets your brother killed."

"Now I say this with love: shut up," Damon warned.

It seems every time Bonnie's around, we're in complete agreement. "Yes, Elena, silence is key. Besides, don't you two lovebirds have somewhere to be?" Stefan inquired politely but there was an edge to his voice.

"I'm fine here." Damon glared daggers at his brother.

"So am I." Elena chimed in.

This is so not the time for their nonsense. "Boys, and I do mean 'boys', please save the family drama for another time. And Elena, it's always a pleasure." She smiled at her best friend.

"I'll—" Elena's voice cut out before she could threaten Bonnie's life. She opened her mouth to curse but nothing came out. Her eyes widened at the bitch in the navy dress. What did she do to me?!

Bonnie was still smiling sweetly when she said, "It appears you've gotten what you wanted, boys: Elena speechless." With that she made he exit. Destination: home.

"Well that was fun," Elena said, surprised that she could speak again. "I'm bored. What do we do now?"

Damon rolled his eyes.

Stefan didn't reply because he didn't hear a word she said … Bonnie wants to be alone. A fact, she'd just made perfectly clear. He should leave things be; let her go. He shouldn't follow her …

Damon watched his brother quit the dance floor before asking Elena to dance. He might as well enjoy what was left of the prom. He'd never made it to his prom because duty called or as his father would say, "Duty calls," which coincidently, he did say before making his son join the Confederacy. It was funny now because here he was at prom, not fighting some war … unless one called the constant strife with his brother; war. If this was indeed the case and they were fighting a war, he'd let Stefan take this round because he'd be seeing Bonnie later. He too wanted to check up on her and it also wouldn't hurt to find out what was so interesting she'd been moved to laughter. Because he knew, better than anyone, Stefan was definitely not funny.

— 2 —

"Bonnie, wait up."

"What now, Stefan?" She turned on the wide staircase. He stood two steps below her. "Matt is waiting for me outside. I can't talk now."

Before she could protest any further, he slid a rose into the hair tucked behind her ear.

"Don't say anything. Just accept this from a friend. A friend who refuses to let you leave before hearing what he came all this way to say."

She relaxed. This should be good.

"Get home safely." He smiled.

That's it? She found herself smiling for the nth time that night. Mother's certainly knew best. He was funny.

A/N: I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. PLEASE let me know what you think :-) Chapter 3 – Never Been Kissed … by you will be uploaded soon. And no, I can't tell you whom Bonnie ends up with lol. In the famous words of Gossip Girl, 'that's one secret I'll never tell'. It will be revealed as the story progresses, but don't make any assumptions just yet (wink, wink).