A/N : This is a Sequel to The Dead And The Forgotten. I really didn't think I'd write another VD fic (Midnight left me greatly disappointed), but this idea for a sequel kept bugging me, so here I am.

Disclaimer : The talented LJ Smith owns The Vampire Diaries, not SinnersLikeUs.

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The Damned and The Gone:

Left foot, right foot. Left. Right. This had been Damon Salvatore's mantra for the past month. Breathe. Left. Right.

He was going back for them. For Bonnie and Elena.

At first, his revival had been disorienting. He hadn't known who he was, where he had to go—but he did know that he had to go back for a girl with golden hair, and a fiery witch with big, brown eyes.

More or less, he was himself again. A little more leveled, a little more honest, maybe. But wouldn't death certainly change a person?

When Damon arrived at where he thought the boarding house to be, he was surprised. It was different. Totally new. He could smell that Mrs. Flower's still lived here, however, the scent of herbs and tea teasing his nose.

He almost knocked, but shrugged it off. He was Damon; he didn't knock. He might as well show back up like he never left.

So, for better or for worse, he opened the door and stepped inside the threshold.

The group was in the front room, talking and drinking beverages. Elena and Stefan shared the loveseat, holding hands. Meredith sat with Alaric, who had come back from wherever the hell he had been, evidently. Matt sat in the arm chair with his head hanging in his hands. Mrs. Flower's, Damon assumed, was somewhere in the kitchen.

The thing he noticed the most, however, was that they were all dressed in black, with melancholy faces. Elena was crying, and even Meredith looked close to tears.

"Who died?" It was the first thing that slipped out of his mouth, and everyone jumped at his voice.

Nobody said anything for a while. Finally, Elena and Stefan stood. "Damon," the blonde breathed, eyes still crying.

Ignoring the depressing aura of the room, he sat on the couch, lounging with his hands folded behind his head and his feet kicking up on the coffee table. "I'm sure you all missed me," he said cockily, surely. Still the Damon everyone loved to hate.

No one challenged him. No one answered. Matt sighed.

"Why's everyone so damn upset?" he finally asked, curiosity getting the best of him. "And where's Bonnie?" She couldn't have gone to college yet, right? And, if anyone, she'd be less than depressed to see him.

From the other couch, he heard Meredith gasp, and Elena chocked on a sob. Stefan winced before walking towards him.

"We thought you were dead," he said, sitting down next to his brother.

Damon shrugged. "Guess not." Why wasn't anyone asking what had happened to him? "Why are you all dressed like your going to a funeral?"

"Shut the fuck up." Damon found himself starting at the crude language. Not even he himself used such coarse words in the boarding house, not particularly wanting to be chastised by Mrs. Flowers.

Everyone looked to Matt in surprise. "Matt," Elena said gently, "Calm down. He doesn't know."

"What don't I know?" Damon stood now, making a point to glare at everyone. He found himself getting nervous. "What happened? Where's Bonnie?"

Stefan stood to stand in front of him holding his hands out peaceably. "Damon, you were gone for over a month. A lot has happened..." the younger Salvatore brother ran a hand through his hair. "You have to understand not everything is how you left it."

They were talking in riddles now? "Where the hell is Bonnie?" His voice was low, scary to even himself.

Meredith stood now, surprising everyone. "She's gone, Damon. I know you want everyone to rejoice about you coming back, but I'd trade you in a heartbeat." She gave a startling laugh. "God, is this why Bonnie had to go? Was this some sort of sick trade-off?"

Alaric gripped her hand, pulling her down and speaking to her in whispers. Meredith was crying. Damon doesn't think he ever saw the cool-headed girl cry before, never mind bawl like she was now.

He turned quickly, grabbing Stefan's shoulders hard enough to probably leave bruises. "You tell me what happened, little brother, and you tell me now."

Stefan shook his head slowly, not looking afraid. "Bonnie had been depressed lately, to a point where her magic was almost uncontrollable with her feelings. I remember one day, I went outside and the ground was literally shaking. I calmed her down, but..." he trailed off.

Damon gave him a swift shake. "Tell me."

"Bonnie killed herself." Damon looked away from Stefan, to Matt who was blankly staring at him. "She hung herself in her closet. I found her when she stopped coming over."

The black-haired boy dropped Stefan, taking a step back. No. His Redbird couldn't be dead. He couldn't have failed so quickly...

"Her... Her funeral's today," Elena continued, staring at the floor.

Damon spun so that he could face everyone. "You're lying! You're all fucking liars!"

"Damon, I—"

He didn't want to hear it.

So he ran.

Simply turned on his heel and bolted out the door not stopping until he reached the cemetery, knowing he wouldn't find Bonnie's grave site there. According to the group, she hadn't been buried yet.

"Bonnie!" he shouted anyway. "Why are you so stupid? I was coming back! For you!" He glared up at the sky, as if it were supposed to answer. "Damn it, Bonnie, you answer me!"

Nothing happened, and he fell to his knees in broad daylight. People passing gave him a wide berth.

His bit at his lip until he tasted blood. How could he already had failed? It didn't make sense! Finally, he looked down at his hand, where the lapis lazuli ring sat, protecting him.

Grinning masochistically, he fingered the jewel.

Well, if he was damned anyway...

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A/N : I know what you're thinking. "He has Elena still! Isn't that enough?" No, not it isn't. I think he loves Bonnie, in his own way.

Review please!