“There’s nothing to read into. I’m here to collect my beloved Damon andStefan is just helping me.”Bonnie looked at her with her brows knitted and her mouth pursed, butdidn’t venture a word.“Bonnie?”“Um-hm?”“Did I just say what I thought I said?”“Um-hm.”Elena, with one motion, gathered an armful of pillows and deposited themon her face.”

“There's nothing to read into. I'm just here to collect my beloved Damon and Stefan is just helping me.”

“Whatever. I just won’t have Elena hurt, is all. Or the little red-headed witch.” “Ah, yes, sweet Bonnie. I wouldn’t mind one or two like her. One for Samhain and one for the Solstice.”Damon snorted drowsily. “There aren’t two like her; I don’t care where you look. I won’t have her hurt either.”

“Damon spoke without moving. “I’m not like you.”“You’re not as different from us as you want to think,” Matt said. “Look,” he added, an odd note of challenge in his voice, “I know you killed Mr. Tanner in self-defense, because you told me. And I know you didn’t come here to Fell’s Church because Bonnie’s spell dragged you here, because I sorted the hair and I didn’t make any mistakes. You’re more like us than you admit, Damon. The only thing I don’t know is why you didn’t go into Vickie’s house to help her.”Damon snapped, almost automatically, “Because I wasn’t invited!”Memory swept over Bonnie. Herself standing outside Vickie’s house, Damon standing beside her. Stefan’s voice: Vickie, invite me in. But no one had invited Damon.“But how did Klaus get in, then—?” she began, following her own thoughts.“That was Tyler’s job, I’m sure,” Damon said tersely. “What Tyler did for Klaus in return for learning how to reclaim his heritage. And he must have invited Klaus in before we ever started guarding the house—probably before Stefan and I came to Fell’s Church. Klaus was well prepared. That night he was in the house and the girl was dead before I knew what was happening.”“Why didn’t you call for Stefan?” Matt said. There was no accusation in his voice. It was a simple question.“Because there was nothing he could have done! I knew what you were dealing with as soon as I saw it. An Old One. Stefan would only have gotten himself killed—and the girl was past caring, anyway.”Bonnie heard the thread of coldness in his voice, and when Damon turned back to Stefan and Elena, his face had hardened. It was as if some decision had been made.“You see, I’m not like you,” he said.“It doesn’t matter.” Stefan had still not withdrawn his hand. Neither had Elena.”

“Bonnie who had never hurt a - a harmless thing for malice. Bonnie who was like a kitten making airy pounces at no prey at all. Bonnie with her hair that was called something strawberry but that looked simply as if it was on fire. Bonnie of the translucent skin with the delicate violet fjords and estuaries of veins all over her throat and inner arms. Bonnie who had lately taken to looking at him sideways with her large childlike eyes big and brown under lashes like stars...”

“She heard Stefan’s voice.“Elena! Let go! Fall and I’ll catch you!”How strange, Elena thought, as if in a dream. His love and panic had distorted his voice somehow - making him sound different. Making him sound almost like-“Elena! I’m with you!”-like Damon.Shaken out of her dream, Elena looked below her. And there was Damon, standing protectively in front of Meredith, looking up at her, with his arms held out.He was with her.”

“She was still looking down and she saw tears spill from her eyes and fall toward Damon’s outstretched arms. Elena didn’t know why she was crying, but part of it was sorrow for her ever having doubted him.Because Damon wasn’t just on her side. Unless she was wrong, he was willing to die for her - was courting death for her.”