Bonnie focused on the wick of the frankincense candle. The unlit piece of string taunted her, daring her to light it with magic.

"Clear your mind," Prof. Shane said from across the desk. "Feel your way back to your magic."

Bonnie squinted her eyes and crinkled her brow, focusing solely on the wick, speaking the incantation in a low whisper.

Only ten minutes remained until Shane's next class. She had been at this for almost two hours, with absolutely no result.

Bonnie had been meeting with Prof. Shane every Tuesday and Thursday since the two had met. He'd been kind enough to use his break between afternoon and evening classes to teach her everything he knew about Expression.

This would be a lot easier if he were actually a witch, Bonnie thought. She was grateful for his help, but it had been almost a month since they started and she was no closer to regaining her magic.

Bonnie exhaled sharply. "It's not working," she said, flinging herself back into the chair.

Shane sighed. "You're afraid," he said.

"Afraid?" Bonnie scoffed. "No offense, but you hardly even know me."

Since Grams's death, Bonnie had been on a short fuse. And these constant failures ate away at the fuse even further.

"I know a lot more than you think," Prof. Shane said. He moved to the bookcase behind his desk. "You and your grandmother were close. And you watched her die, unable to use your magic to save her." He scanned his finger across the books. "Post-traumatic stress is a beast of an emotion, one that's difficult for anyone to grapple with. Your mind needs as much healing as your heart."

Bonnie's anger dissipated, replaced by a desolate despair she feared would engulf her. Grams had been her life jacket, and without her she was slowly sinking, just barely treading water.

"I'm useless. I can't even light a cheap drugstore candle," Bonnie said, gazing out the window. A young woman sat on a bench with her lover, caressing his hair as he rested his head in her lap. She laughed at something he said, her face lighting up.

I'll never be happy again. The thought stopped her cold.

Suddenly, the door to the professor's office swung open. Damon strolled through.

"Bon-Bon," Damon said with a smirk. He shot Shane a glare. "Professor Shady."

"What are you doing here, Damon?" Bonnie asked, surprised and annoyed.

"Your brunette bestie was more than happy to divulge your whereabouts," Damon said.

Bonnie frowned. She needed to have a conversation with Elena, though she doubted it would do any good. Her friend followed Damon around like a lost puppy nowadays. She seemed to spend more time with him than anyone else right now.

"You shouldn't be here. You're only going to distract Bonnie," Prof. Shane said, joining Bonnie at her side. His hostile tone surprised her; he was always so laid back. She suspected he had a darker side that he kept hidden, but that didn't worry her. Everyone had a right to keep their skeletons locked in as deep a closet as they liked.

"What happens between Bonnie and me is nothing to worry your curly little head about," Damon said, flashing his canines.

"You'd better get to class," Bonnie said to Shane, a little worried that Damon might try something. He'd made no attempt to hide his dislike for the mysterious scholar.

"Here," Shane said, handing her a book. The leather was worn at the corners and the tissue-thin pages were rough around the edges.

Bonnie opened the cover. The handwritten title read "Moses Magic." The author took her by complete surprise. "Harriet Tubman?" she asked, bewildered.

Damon snatched the book from her hands.

"Damon!" Bonnie yelled. Times like these made her grateful she'd never had a big brother.

"Harriet Tubman, huh?" Damon asked. "Remarkable witch."

"Witch?" Bonnie gasped. "You can't be serious."

"According to Emily, she was extremely gifted and tough as nails. She was also a really good shot. Never got a chance to meet her, though," Damon said.

Bonnie sometimes forgot Damon was over a century older than her. And that he'd once been lovers with her ancestor, Emily Bennett. The thought should have intimidated or disgusted her, but it oddly made her feel closer to him, knowing Damon had once been human and in love at one point in his life. He was just the sexy older guy in her eyes.

"Harriet Tubman was one of the most powerful witches to ever live," Professor Shane added. "And she freed over seventy enslaved families and friends."

"Spectacular," Bonnie said, snatching the book back from Damon.

"She risked her life for a greater good," Shane continued. "And I think reading this may help you tackle your own fears." He stuffed graded papers into his satchel. "I want you to have read the entire book by next week. No excuses."

The professor shot Damon a nasty look before departing.

"That guy really needs to get laid," Damon said. "Probably not a good idea to be alone with him, Bon-Bon."

Bonnie sighed, not in the mood for Damon's snarky comments. "How'd you even know I was here?" She placed the book and Grams's grimoire into her handbag.

Damon twirled a strand of her chestnut hair around his finger. "You weren't returning my phone calls, so you gave me no choice but to ambush you."

Bonnie swatted his hand away. "What I'm doing here is serious, Damon. And the last thing I need is you distracting me."

Damon's eyes lit up. "Am I really that much of a distraction?"

"Shut up," Bonnie said, wary of his heated gaze.

"Anyway, doesn't look like I interrupted much." Damon's eyes landed on the unlit candle.

Bonnie stuffed the candle into her bag, brushing past Damon on her way out.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her, blocking her way. The scent of his cologne, mixed with his unique spicy scent, made her mouth water.

Why does he always smell so good? Damon's hypnotic blue eyes began to draw her in. Bonnie took a step back, taking a deep breath of Damon-free oxygen.

"What's so important that it couldn't wait until I returned to Mystic Falls?" She asked, narrowing her eyes. "You didn't turn my other best friend into a vampire, did you?"

Damon gagged. "Don't even joke about something like that."

"Well, spit it out then. I haven't got all day."

"You're more prickly than usual," he said, examining her.

Bonnie found concern where she expected to see criticism. "I lost the two things that mattered the most to me in this world. Being moody is the least of my problems."

Bonnie refused to look away as her eyes watered. She was not ashamed of her sadness, she would make no attempts to hide it from him. He was the one who'd sought her out and he would have to deal with her as she was, which was kind of a wreck.

"You haven't lost everything," he said gently. "There are a lot of people who care about you."

"Really? Elena spends her every waking moment with you and Caroline is too busy hooking up with Tyler to even notice me. I don't have anyone."

Damon caressed her face with his eyes. "If you opened yourself up, you would see how much you mean to the people around you."

The loneliness took Bonnie's breath away. She wanted to let him in; to feel safe and have him tell her everything would be alright - the way he had the night Grams died.

But Damon was a vampire – the complete opposite of safe. He attracted danger like a magnet and killed at the drop of a hat.

Vampires lived and breathed death. Witches lived and breathed life. A relationship between the two could never end well.

"I can't," Bonnie said, closing herself off to him. "I have to focus on getting my magic back. And if you can't help me, then stay out of my way."

Bonnie rushed past Damon, ignoring the knot in her throat. Her heart wanted to turn back, but her desperation moved her forward.

Damon poured another glass of bourbon, the amber liquid sloshing over the side and onto his hand.

"Shit," he said, licking the liquor from the side of his palm. It was his fifth drink in less than an hour.

The emptiness in Bonnie's hazel eyes - usually so full of life - had worried him. His mother had gone through life with those same eyes, living in the shadow of an abusive husband. It pained him to imagine Bonnie struggling through her own personal hell. And it pissed him off that he couldn't help her.

In the end, he hadn't been able to save his mother, but he would do everything in his power to protect Bonnie; even if it meant protecting the girl from herself.

Pursuing Expression would kill her and he was the only one who could pull her back from the darkness, before she got sucked into that black hole.

He sank into his favorite leather armchair. A knock sounded at the door of his study.

"Go away!" Damon barked. He took a deep sip from the tumbler, the burn of the liquor as comforting as a hug.

"Damon, it's me," Elena said, opening the door.

Damon sighed. "Not in the mood, newbie," he said.

"It's important." Elena glided across the room, her movements more vampire than human.

Damon was impressed by how quickly she was adapting to her new abilities. He doubted she was as helpless as Stefan made her out to be.

"It better be," Damon said, leaning back into the couch and shutting his eyes.

"It's Jeremy. Something's wrong."

"Maybe I should clarify important," Damon said aciduously. Keeping Bonnie safe was his top priority. He didn't have time for Elena's teen drama.

"He skipped class two days in a row and won't come out of his room."

"Get Stefan to handle it. He actually likes your brother."

"Stefan and I broke up."

Damon sat up straight, his eyes shooting open. "What?"

Stefan with a newbie vampire girlfriend was on edge. Stefan with a broken heart would be unhinged.

Elena plopped onto the arm of his chair. "Lately, he's been avoiding me, not taking my calls. And then when we are together, he's a million miles away. He hates that I'm a vampire now, I know it."

Damon tuned into the hurt that she tried her best to hide. He knew the real reason for Stefan's aloofness – he was busy searching for the cure to vampirism – but he wouldn't be the one to spill the beans if Stefan hadn't already.

"So you dumped him?" Damon asked, slightly amused. This is why you shouldn't date teenagers, bro.

Damon rose from the armchair, in need of another drink. "For reasons I can't comprehend, Stefan loves you." He refilled the crystal tumbler. "He's just been busy taking care of some…family business."

"I don't really want to talk about Stefan, it's done." Elena's expression darkened. "My only concern now is Jeremy. He's never shut me out like this."

"What do you expect me to do about it, Elena? Jeremy can't help it, he was born a loser."

"I'm really worried about him." In a lowered voice, she said, "I've never told anyone this, but after our parents died, Jeremy overdosed on pills. I found him…we barely made it to the hospital in time."

Elena had a knack for ruining Damon's buzz. He felt like a dick for railing on Jeremy earlier. "Ok. I'll go with you to make sure the kid is still breathing, and that's it."

Elena hugged him from behind. "I knew I could count on you."

Damon unwrapped her arms from around his waist. "Yeah, yeah," he said, knocking back the rest of his drink.

Bonnie read through the invisibility spell Harriet Tubman had used to cloak herself and six slaves from bounty hunters. She marveled at how simple and yet complex the spell was.

The doorbell sounded, breaking her concentration.

Bonnie sighed, heading for the foyer. "Seriously? Who comes by without calling first?"

If it's Damon, I won't open the door, she thought with little conviction.

"Who is it?" Bonnie asked.

"Bonnie, it's me," a male voice said from the other side. "Jeremy."

"Jeremy?" He was the last person she'd expected to visit her.

Bonnie swept open the door. "Is Elena okay?"

Jeremy gave her a half-smile. "Besides the fact that she's a vampire? Yeah, she's okay."

Bonnie released the breath she'd been holding. "Thank goodness."

Now, Bonnie was even more confused about the meaning of his visit. Though they'd known each other since they were kids, they weren't exactly close friends. This was the first time he'd even been to Grams's house.

"What's up?" Bonnie asked.

"Can I come in?" Jeremy asked, shivering underneath his hoodie. The night was crisp but not all that chilly. She wondered if he was ill. Or using drugs again.

"Yeah," Bonnie said, stepping aside. She noticed the deep bags under his eyes as he entered. "I was just going to make some hot chocolate. You want a cup?" She led the way to the kitchen.

"Sure." He followed her, his footsteps heavy.

She hadn't been about to make hot chocolate, but he seemed to need something for comfort. Hot chocolate had been one of Grams's remedies for lifting Bonnie's mood and she figured it might work for Jeremy as well.

He dropped into a seat at the kitchen table. Bonnie put the kettle on the stove and a grabbed a pair of mugs from the cupboard. A light mist of silence lingered between them. Being alone with Jeremy reminded her of the time he'd asked her out on a date and she turned him down. It had been over three years ago, but she still felt awkward about it.

Bonnie leaned against the counter. "So…" she said, unsure of how to start the conversation.

"How long have you been a witch?" Jeremy blurted out.

Bonnie frowned. Apparently, telling secrets was a side effect of Elena's vampirism. His question did peak her interest, though.

"Since I was a kid, I guess. I've never really thought about it," Bonnie said.

And then she remembered – the morning she'd woken up and found her mother gone. And how every light in the house suddenly flickered on as she ran through the house weeping, searching for her mother.

"Since I was six years old," Bonnie said.

"How did you know that you were…different?"

Bonnie smiled. "I've never felt normal, if that's what you're asking. I just always had this extra sense – about nature, about people. Sometimes I saw things no one else did."

"Like hallucinations?" Jeremy asked.

The kettle whistled, interrupting them. Bonnie occupied herself with preparing the hot chocolate, a little concerned. She even thought about calling Elena.

She joined Jeremy at the table with mugs of steaming hot chocolate.

"Thanks," Jeremy said, wrapping his hands around the mug she handed him.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked.

"I've been seeing things – people – that aren't really there. And they tell me to…do things."

"What things?" Bonnie sipped her hot chocolate. She definitely needed to call Elena.

Jeremy closed his eyes, his expression pained. "To kill – to kill Elena." He lowered his head.

That was the last thing Bonnie had expected to hear. "Why would they tell you to kill your sister, Jeremy?"

"Because she's a vampire," he said, still avoiding eye contact.

He's definitely on something, Bonnie thought. She tried to remember which room she'd left her phone in. She was definitely calling Elena.

Jeremy sniffed, lifting his nose to the air. "Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Bonnie asked, certain he was smelling things that weren't there either.

But then she did smell it – smoke.

"Stay in the car," Damon said to Elena, shutting off the ignition. They sat in the driveway of Grams's house. They had tracked him here after not finding him at home.

The rose bush in the front yard blazed with orange flames.

"No, I'm coming with you," Elena said, grabbing the door handle.

"Just do as I say," he snapped.

Elena shot Damon a dirty look, but dropped her hand from the handle. "Fine," she said, crossing her arms.

He knew she wasn't happy about taking orders, but he also knew she would obey. He wasn't yet ready to face the implications of her constant obedience.

Damon zipped from the car and through the front yard in one smooth movement. He grabbed the garden hose, dousing the flames with water. Smoke wafted from the bush, the only remnant of the fire.

Damon simultaneously dropped the hose and sensed a presence behind him, whirling around just in time to deflect the blonde vampire's attempt to grab his neck.

"Damon!" Elena yelled. She was frantic, but remained in the car as he had ordered her to.

Damon slammed his fist into the vampire's chest, sending him flying across the yard. Damon was on top of the vampire in a split second, wrapping his hands around his throat. The vampire's long blonde hair was splayed out on the lawn behind him, his pale face contorted in pain. He grunted, trying to pry Damon's hands from around his neck.

"Don't kill him," a calm voice said to his right.

He turned to find a woman with Bonnie's petite stature and big hazel eyes standing next to him. She looked exactly as she had when he'd last seen her - over ten years ago.

"What the -" Damon started.

"Mom?" Bonnie asked from the front porch. She stood frozen in place, her hand across her chest. Jeremy stood behind her in the doorway, a large kitchen knife in his hand.

Damon sharply bent his hands, snapping the blonde vampire's neck. He'd wake up with a killer migraine in a few hours.

"Long time, no see, Abby," Damon said, matching the woman's glare.

For the first time in over a hundred years, Damon was afraid. When Bonnie found out the real reason her mother had abandoned her all those years ago, he feared she might never forgive him.

A/N: Please forgive me for the long wait on this chapter! I honestly wasn't sure if I could complete this story, as I've got a few other projects going on. But I had to come back, I just love these two characters too much to leave them hanging. Damon's and Bonnie's relationship will be seriously tested in the next chapter, but it should be a fun ride. Hope you stick around for the next update, which I promise will be sooner than this one. Looking forward to your follows, faves and reviews!