Disclaimer: Not mine. Everything belongs to LJ Smith and the CW.

This chapter will be the end of Promises and Friendships. I am marking the title as complete once this is uploaded. However, the story will continue under the title of Friends, Lovers, Family

Sunlight filtered into the bedroom and skittered along the discarded clothing on the floor. A crumpled velvet cocktail dress, pieces of an Armani suit, a tailored shirt, heeled sandals, and lingerie created a haphazard path to the foot of the king sized bed. On the bed, a dark haired girl was snuggled against the pale chest of her lover.

Damon Salvatore slowly opened his eyes and cringed at the light. He remembered hangovers from his human life but could not recall his head ever pounding this badly since his transition. Stretching carefully so not to wake Bonnie, he flinched. Raising his injured arm, he saw that the werewolf bite had spread farther than the gauze bandage he'd used to cover it the day before. Bonnie nestled in closer to him as she slept on . He craned his neck to look down at her. Last night had been nearly perfect and well, today should have been absolutely perfect but it wasn't going to be.

Realizing that he was listening just a little too intently on her heartbeat, Damon picked up the hand laying near his dormant heart. Before edging out of bed, he pressed a kiss to her knuckles just below the ring he'd slid onto her finger over dessert. Bonnie mumbled incoherently at the loss of her bed mate but did not wake.

Pulling on last night's discarded pants, Damon made his way down to the kitchen where he first started the coffee maker and then grabbed a bag of blood out of the fridge.

The Day before...

"Come on Bon-Bon, it's the last request of a dying man." Damon pouted.

"Don't you dare say that!" the witch shrieked. "We can still find a cure." Tears streamed down her face.

He quickly wrapped his arms around her and pressed her face to his chest. "Shhhhh. I'm sorry." he whispered, stroking her hair. "Okay, think of it this way. We've been through a lot lately. Let me take you out on a real date tonight. Dinner, dancing, the whole deal. For a few hours, can't we be a normal couple?" The prior day had been spent with Elena, Jeremy and the gang laying John and Jenna to rest.

Sniffling, Bonnie looked up at her vampire. "We'll never be normal, not in a million years." She smiled finally. "But yeah, you can take me on a date." Stepping away from him, she took a green velvet dress out of the closet and packed it along with the coordinating shoes and jewelry into a bag. "You can pick me up at 6:30."

"Pick you up?"

"Yes, I'll be with Grams at her house." Bonnie was now grinning. "If this is a real date and since we've never had one, you get to present yourself to her and let her decide if you're good enough to date me.

Damon laughed. "I'll try my best to impress her." He picked up the bag and carried it down to her car. "See you in a few hours." He kissed her cheek and opened the door for her.

"By the way," she giggled. "Don't be expecting me to put out on the first date either. " She pulled out of the driveway before he could respond.

Whistling, he climbed into the camaro. He had a lot to do in the next few hours.

At 6:30 pm on the dot, Damon was ringing Sheila Bennett's door bell. The owner of the house opened the door and crossed her arms. "So you're the one wanting to take out my granddaughter." She was trying hard to look stern but the side of her mouth kept twitching. "You do know I can make you suffer if you try anything? A lot."

"Yes, ma'am." Damon grinned broadly, and then held out a single yellow rose to the woman.

"I trust your intentions toward Bonnie are honorable." She took the flower.

"Absolutely." He absently touched the pocket of his suit jacket. The sound of heels clicking on hard wood had him looking at the stairs behind Sheila. "Wow." was all he could say as Bonnie came into view.

Bonnie had spent the afternoon at the beauty shop getting a manicure and her hair done. The stylist pulled the front of her hair away from her face with crystal accented bobby pins but let the entire mass trail down her back in ringlets. The hairstyle and the dress gave the impression of a Greek goddess and Damon felt his world shrink to just her as he handed her a tissue wrapped bouquet of white roses tipped with red.

Bonnie cocked an eyebrow, knowing that Damon always choose flowers for the significance of their colors. "Thank you. They're beautiful." She glanced at Sheila who only mouthed 'later'.

"And you are gorgeous." Damon couldn't tear his eyes away from her until Sheila cleared her throat loudly. He checked his watch. "We'll be late for our reservation if we don't head out." He offered his arm to the girl.

"I'll put those in a vase." Sheila took the flowers from Bonnie. "You two enjoy the night. " She watched as Damon escorted Bonnie to the freshly detailed camaro and opened the door for her. The older witch smiled sadly as the pair drove away. She'd scoured every grimore that she and Bonnie had found in Jonas Martin's collection without luck of finding a cure for her best friend. Looking at the roses she sighed. White for purity and red for passion, together they stood for unity between giver and receiver. She had no doubt of Damon's devotion to Bonnie nor her love for him but this was not going to end well. Still she couldn't deny the lovers this night for anything.

Damon had put the top up on the convertible to give them privacy as they drove. He told Bonnie of the restaurant they were headed to and how it reminded him of the speakeasies he'd frequented in the 20's.

"I would have loved to have lived during that time." Bonnie turned in her seatbelt to watch him. "The Great Gatsby with Robert Redford is one of my favorite movies. After I saw it for the first time, I used to wish that I'd lived during that time."

"If you had money, it was a blast." Damon agreed, "Then came the Depression."

"What did you do then?"

"I went to Europe for a while. Mostly Paris and Italy."

"Really?" Bonnie studied his profile. "Maybe you could take me as a graduation gift next Spring."

Damon frowned briefly. His girl was trying so hard to be optimistic. "Yeah," he looked her over. "We'll do the whole tour before you head to college." Tonight was about dreams, not reality.

Dinner was sumptuous. Between the appetizer and main course, they danced to the strains of the jazz musicians. Over the entree, he told her stories of police raids on the underground clubs and celebrities he partied with.

As the waiter set dessert on the table, Damon looked nervous. "What's up, Babe?" Bonnie watched as he fumbled with something in his pocket.

Damon took a deep breath and a long drink of water. This was harder than he expected and her reaction could ruin the night but here goes. "I know this question should be a couple years down the line. At least till you're done with college." He pulled a small box from his pocket and flicked it open with his thumb. "But if there had been time and this was five or so years from now..." He placed the box in front of her. "What would your answer have been?"

Bonnie stared at the box. An oval cut diamond flanked by baguettes of lapis lazuli set in platinum stared back at her. "Is this...? Are you...?" She looked at Damon as tears began welling in her eyes.

"Oh damn." Damon moved closer to catch a tear before it could fall. "The last thing I wanted was for you to cry." He started to retrieve the box. "I just wanted you to know that this, this was my ultimate plan for us. I needed to hear your answer. It was a selfish idea."

Bonnie placed her hand over his to stop him. "That ring will look much better on my finger than in that box." She caught his eyes and held them. "And the answer is and always will be yes. Now ask me properly"

Kissing her, he extracted the ring from its box and smoothly slid it onto her finger. "Miss Bonnie Bennett, will you do me the extreme honor of becoming Mrs. Damon Salvatore?"

"Absolutely." Bonnie agreed, kissing him again.

"Another dance?" Damon stood and offered his hand.

Bonnie took his hand and allowed him to lead her back to the dance floor. "I think I like the sound of Mrs. Bonnie Bennett-Salvatore." she decided as she settled into him.

"Anything you wish." He said, resting a cheek against her hair and wishing this was more than make believe.

"And you are not allowed to weasel out of your proposal once we find the cure." Bonnie stated confidently. "You are stuck with me."

Damon remained quiet but held her tighter.

They went back to the boarding house after dessert was finished. From the foyer, they could hear Stefan talking with Lexie. "We'll tell them tomorrow." Damon assured his fiancé before picking her up and speeding to their room.

After being set back on her feet, Bonnie noticed the bed was covered in rose petals. "Hey, I thought I told you that I didn't put out on the first date." She teased.

"But you've never gotten engaged on a first date before." Damon wrapped around her.

"This is true." She grinned when her released her lips. "There are a couple things I've never done on the first date before." Backing him up to the closed door, she raised to her tiptoes and kissed him again before pushing the jacket off his shoulders.

Continuing to kiss his jaw, she untucked his shirt. Stepping back, she fisted the tails and tugged. Buttons flew. "I always wanted to try that."

"Oh really."

"Uh huh." She nodded as she ran her hands down his bare chest, stopping to scratch at his nipples. When he moaned, she leaned in to kiss and lick at one. Damon moaned louder and cupped the back of her head. Without warning, Bonnie bit down, hard and he gasped in pleasured pain.

Soothing the sting she'd caused with her tongue, her small hand skated down his stomach and searched for his belt buckle. Getting that open, Bonnie looked around the room and the candles Damon always kept fluttered to life. Dropping gracefully to her knees, she opened his trousers.

As Bonnie ran her talented tongue over his length, Damon blindly reached out for the light switch, allowing the room to be washed in the glow of the candles. "God, Bonnie." he growled.

Bonnie rose to her feet and placed a finger to his lips. "I don't want you to cry to the gods or call out my name. I want you always to demand more." She told him as he had told her not so very long ago and stroked over him before cupping his package.

"More," Damon choked out as he fought for control enough not to toss her onto the bed and take her.

"As you wish," Bonnie gave a saucy wink before she grasped the hem of her short dress and dragged it up and over her head. Dropping the garment to the side, she stepped backward while watching Damon's eyes dilate with desire. Finally she turned and sauntered to the bed, looking coyly over her should and crooking a fingering in his direction.

Damon pushed away from the door and shrugged off his shirt. "A thong? " He toed off his shoes. "I thought you preferred bikinis."

"But you like thongs. " she responded while unhooking the dark green strapless bra and let it fall to her feet. "Now lose the pants and come here."

Doing as commanded, the vampire soon found himself seated on the edge of the mattress with his witch kneeling between his thighs. He gently pulled the bobby pins free so that her hair fell around her face and his lap as she took him as deep into her mouth as she could handle.

Bonnie bobbed her head up and down his cock being sure to swirl her tongue over the head until she felt his sac tighten in her palm.

Standing, she quickly turned her back to the man and sat down slowly on his lap, taking him into her tight passage. "So good." She breathed as she adjusted to the position.

Lifting one of her thighs, Damon moved it to the outside of his own. Bonnie understood his intention and mirrored the action with her other leg. With his legs now together, Damon was able to lift his pelvis and thrust gently into her heat. Sucking the middle and index fingers of her left hand into his mouth, he mimicked her previous actions. He then moved her damp fingers to her core. "Touch yourself." he murmured in her ear. "Let me watch you."

Bonnie opened her eyes, realizing that they were once again in view of the full length mirror. Hesitantly, she began to rub her swollen clit but picked up speed as she felt Damon twitch inside of her. Her other hand went to the space just below his balls to massage and apply pressure to sensitive area.

As he pinched an erect nipple, Damon used his free hand to fist her hair so that he could place open mouthed kisses against the girl's shoulder.

"Bite," Bonnie moaned, enthralled with the image of Damon slipping in between her nether lips as she stimulated herself further. She raised her eyes to catch his in the glass. "I need more."

Damon shook his head slightly. After seeing Rose in her last days, he no longer trusted himself to be in control when drinking from Bonnie. Instead he moved his hand from her hair to join hers at her center and gave a sharp pinch to her nub while doing the same to her nipple.

Bonnie's mouth opened with a silent scream as she began to shudder in orgasm. Before the waves subsided, she found herself on her hands and knees among the rose petals as Damon thrust erratically to his own completion.

Easing out of her, he helped her roll onto her back.

"You're not done yet, are you?" She wrapped her legs around his waist and attempted to pull him back to her.

"In a thousand years, I could never be done with you." Damon promised as he claimed her lips and rejoined their bodies.

Back to present...

"Hey, you okay Damon?" Lexie was standing at the kitchen counter next to him.

"What?" Damon looked as the countertop at three empty blood IV bags. "Shit." How could he have drank all three without realizing it?

"Damon?" Lexie asked again

"Yeah, just peachy." He grabbed two mugs from the cupboard and fixed coffee for himself and Bonnie. He thought it ironic that is was only within this past week that he finally perfected the right amount of cream and sugar to add to have it taste like when his girl, nay his fiance, prepared the coffee. Avoiding any further comments from the blonde vampire, he carried the mugs to his room.

Bonnie had just stepped out of the shower as he re-entered the suite. "You're at it early." He said as she took a sip of the hot liquid and then set about dressing.

"I have to run an errand before the picnic this afternoon. Stefan is going to see Elena, he offered me a ride into town."

"Picnic?"

"Gone with the Wind at the park this evening." Bonnie yanked on a pair of faded jeans. "Caroline suggested we all meet early to get a good view and have a picnic."

"I don't know..." he hemmed.

"It's something a normal couple would do with their friends," she suggested. "Besides, Caroline thinks you hate her now since you got bit while rescuing her and Tyler."

"I don't hate Care," rubbing his arm absently. "It wasn't her fault."

"You tell her that. And," wiggling her upraised fingers "we can make an announcement."

"Okay, when are we to meet?" he surrendered.

"Around 5 pm." she beamed. "Now I have to dash." She placed a hurried kiss to his lips. "I love you."

"Love you too." He tugged at her collar and pulled her back for a longer kiss.

After watching Bonnie drive off with his brother, Damon took a fast shower and dressed quickly. Booting up his laptop, he began to print of documents. A knock at the door broke the silence and Lexie stuck her head into the room.

"Ana gave a call." she explained. "Alaric isn't doing so hot since Jenna's funeral. I'm going to go check on him."

Damon nodded but kept his eyes on the computer screen. "Yeah, he needs a shoulder to cry on."

"You going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine."

Once the woman was gone, he looked over the documents he'd printed. Lists of account numbers and the contact information for his stock broker and accountant, the combination for his safe, and various other assets were all there in black and white. He checked his safe. There was an envelope of cash for the times when he'd needed to get out of town quick. He pulled out the title for the camaro and signed it, adding Bonnie's name as the new owner. He and Stefan had already signed this house over to Elena. She could sign it back over to Stefan if he wanted it. Sitting at his desk again, he took out a fountain pen and a sheath of personal stationary.

Bonnie fidgeted in the car next to Stefan. "I really don't like keeping Damon out of the loop on this."

"Neither do I but if this turns out to be another dead end, it will be better if he doesn't get his hopes up." Stefan pulled his car into the clearing and they got out and walked the rest of the way to the witch house, as they had all dubbed the old mansion.

"There is a place toward the back," she explained, "the sunlight doesn't get in during the day, if you can speed past the rest, you should be safe if the spirits take offense."

"Meet you inside." Stefan took a breath and then rushed into the building.

Upon joining him, Bonnie lit the candles and sat. "Keep your fingers crossed." and she began to chant.

A half hour or so later, the witch quieted. "They don't want to talk to us. Not to help a vampire." she stated sadly.

"Try again," Stefan encouraged. As her chant began again, he called out. "Damon Salvatore has protected the Bennett line of witches for the past century and a half. How can you deny the Bennetts their guardian?"

"Please Emily," Bonnie broke the chant to cry, "I love him." Taking in a sob, she looked to Stefan. "Klaus. They won't say how, but Klaus can lead us to the cure."

"Alright then." Stefan stood and sped out of the house.

Bonnie gave thanks to the spirits and extinguished the candles before following the vampire.

"Klaus will never help us." She said once she reached the car. "Not after we tried to kill him."

"Elijah knows he owes us." Stefan tried to sound confident. "He'll help us. And I won't be cheated out of a sister-in-law." he smiled.

"How did you?"

Stefan took her left hand. "Congratulations."

Damon threw several pages into the fire. He started several letters to Bonnie but none seemed right. Finally he simply wrote that he was sorry and that he loved her till his last moment. Leaving the message on top of everything she'd need to take control of his personal fortune, he headed to the lounge.

There was a bottle of very old scotch tucked in the back of the liquor cabinet. Pouring some in a crystal glass, Damon savored the taste for a moment, allowing it to swirl on his taste buds as he remembered when he purchased the bottle. Closing the cap, he left it for Stef and Lexie to find. He then opened the heavy drapes for the late afternoon sun to filter in. Bonnie and Sheila would curse his name for a while but he felt his willpower ebbing. This was better.

Facing the window, he fiddled with the ring on his finger before removing it and dropping it to the rug. Setting his jaw, he refused to make a sound as his skin began to blister. He'd go out on his own terms.

Suddenly his back slammed into the wall away from the sunlight.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Stefan demanded.

"Time's up, little brother." Damon coughed. His legs would give way if Stefan wasn't holding him up. "It's all downhill from here."

"Not yet, brother." the younger man argued. "Just a little longer."

"Let me go, it's over."

Stefan straightened and released his brother then swung a punch that sent the dark hair vampire to the floor. Picking him up, Stefan carried Damon to the cellar and locked him in one of the cells.

Lexie hung up her phone and turned to Alaric. "We have to go."

"Excuse me?" The history teacher had been drowning his sorrows.

"Damon tried to off himself. Stef needs us on babysitting duty."

"Let's go." The fair haired vampire hunter stood and waivered. "you drive."

Lexie smiled and grabbed his hand.

Stefan crossed the park to where Elena, Caroline and Bonnie were setting up the picnic. Elena rushed over to him for a hug. "I need to speak to Bonnie," he said after returning the hug.

"Stefan?" Bonnie joined them as she heard her name.

"You should go to the house with your grandmother."

"Where's Damon?"

"He's in lock down till I find Klaus."

"Klaus?" Elena looked between her friends.

"He may be able to provide a cure for werewolf bites." Stefan explained. "Lexie and Ric are keeping an eyes on Damon but you should go over."

Bonnie bit her lip but nodded. She explained quickly to Caroline and the newly arrived Ana and Jeremy that she needed to leave.

"I'll be back as quick as I can," Stefan told his girlfriend before heading off toward the last known place where Klaus had been.

Damon woke in the holding cell. His head hurt like hell.

"You're an idiot. You know that, right?" A voice called from the door.

Damon looked at Ric as the teacher peered through the bars. "What are you doing here?"

"Bringing you gifts." Ric passed a bottle of bourbon to Damon. "And this as well." He handed the vampire his daylight ring. "I don't envy you having to explain to your girlfriend what you tried."

"Ric, let me out."

"Not a chance." A second face joined Ric's at the bars.

"Lexie, " Damon sighed. "We all know how this ends, let's get it over with."

"I have a feeling someone will beg to differ." Lexie turned to where she heard footsteps coming down.

Bonnie tried to remain calm as she descended the stairs as Sheriff Forbes and two of her deputies followed behind her. They had ambushed her in the driveway.

Upon seeing the sheriff, Lexie and Ric raised their hands in surrender.

Liz looked into the cell to see Damon leaning against the wall as though he was ready to collapse. "Unlock the door." She demanded.

"That would not be a good idea." Ric claimed.

"No one asked you." the sheriff shot back. Seeing the keys, she opened the cell door and nodded to her deputies to retrieve the ailing vampire.

Confusion broke loose as Damon's survival instincts kicked in and he knocked out the deputies and sped past everyone and out of the house.

"Fuck," Lexie muttered and looked at her two friends and back to Liz who was still brandishing a gun.

"Sheriff Forbes," Bonnie began as she focused on the light bulbs that hung above them. "I am really sorry about this." The bulbs exploded in a shower of sparks. "Go, go!" she shouted to her companions and the three shielded their eyes and pushed past Liz and up the stairs.

Jeremy and Ana found Damon wandering in the town square.

"Damon, come on." Ana took his arm. "We need to get you inside."

"Anabell." Damon frowned. "My head hurts. Everything is so loud."

The tiny vampire lead him toward the Grille. "I know. Let's go in here and we can wait for Stefan and Bonnie." Jeremy walked behind them and quickly sent texts to everyone to meet up.

Sheila and Caroline were the first to join them. Sheila immediately went to Damon's side but he confused her with Emily.

"I don't know why I'm surprised to see you here, Sheila." Liz Forbes sneered as she entered the restaurant.

"Liz, don't do this." Sheila approached the sheriff.

"Just stand aside, Sheila." The sheriff pointed her gun at Damon. "This ends now." and she pulled the trigger.

Damon was already moving before the bullet left the chamber and it hits Jeremy in the chest. Ana and Caroline screamed in unison as the boy crumpled. Ana reached him first and ripped open her wrist, pressing it to his slack mouth. "No, no no." she cried as she tried to find his heart beat.

Lexie, Ric and Bonnie arrived in time to see Caroline restraining her mother and Ana weeping over Jeremy.

Sheila shook herself to stave off the pending shock. "Bonnie, you and Lexie need to find Damon and Elena." She turned to Caroline and Liz. "I'll talk to you later, Liz. Caroline stay with your mother." Caroline sniffled. "Ric, please help us with Jeremy."

"Where are we going?" Ric asked.

"I'll explain on the way."

Elena and Damon were found together in the square as Damon had confused the doppelganger for Katherine. The three women were able to bundle him into Elena's SUV and get back to the boarding house without further incident. Damon was so weak by this point that they took him to his bed.

Ana called a short time later to tell Elena that Jeremy was okay and they were on their way back. Sheila had been weakened by the spell she performed to bring Jeremy back but Ana gave her blood to prevent a recurrence of what had happened after the tomb was opened.

Bonnie sat on the edge of the bed wiping sweat from Damon's face.

"Bonnie," he whispered hoarsely.

"I should be very angry with you," she said softly as tears slid down her cheeks.

"Don't cry," he swallowed and opened his arms to her.

"I can't lose you." The witch snuggled against him.

"Being with you this year has been the best part of my life." Damon rested his head atop hers.

"Now I disagree." Katherine said from the door way holding a small bottle of something thick and red.

Lexie had been leaving a voicemail for Stefan to get home before Damon passed when another vampire blurred passed her in the foyer and up the stairs. She followed with Ana at her heels. Reaching Damon's room they saw Katherine sitting next to him, opposite Bonnie, and holding a bottle to his lips.

"Where's Stefan?" Lexie demanded.

"He traded himself for the cure?" Katherine stated bluntly.

"What?" The color was already returning to Damon's face as he struggled to sit up.

"Klaus and he cut a deal. Stefan will remain with him for the next ten years. Klaus' blood is the cure." Katherine stood and looked around the room. Sheila and Elena had reached the doorway by this point. "Now I need to disappear before Klaus realizes I'm not returning."

"Katherine," Damon tried to stand but found that he was still too weak. "You could have taken off and left me to my fate."

The older vampire shook her head. "Silly boy. You don't get it. I'll be back for both you and Stefan. I've waited this long to claim you." She glance at Elena, "what's another decade." then to Bonnie "or ten." She blew Damon a kiss. "Be seeing you, lover." and blurred out of the house, leaving everyone to wonder what was to come

The End of Promises and Friendships.

(the story will continue soon under the title Friends, Lovers, Family)

e toed" He toed oH"