The Beginning Of Our Forever [1]

17. Bye-Bye Bon-Bon

Damon composed himself for a second, after finding a wave of emotions flood throughout his body. Like Sheila, he too had prepared a speech. He looked down at the piece of paper and tutted to himself, smiling. He folded the piece of paper up and placed it into the inside pocket on the left side of his jacket.

"I'm not going to bother with that," he smiled, looking up to the rest of the people in-front of him. Somehow, Damon's presence put them at ease and they all smiled too.

"You see, I had this whole speech prepared and I was going to be well behaved and stick by it, but I feel that Bonnie would have found me making it up as I go along, much more interesting," Damon began, looking across at Sheila who was laughing but also crying at the same time. Elena could see that Stefan was also laughing. She looked across at Caroline and saw that she was shaking her head as she put her hand up to her forehead. Everyone was laughing to themselves, but it was tinged with sadness.

"Bonnie was a good person. Actually, scrap that. She was a great person. She always knew the right way to reel me in when I was acting like an idiot. Or she knew the right thing to say when she knew I needed my space. As most of you are aware, Bonnie lived with a great sadness..." Elena noticed that a few people began muttering to each-other and some people even turned around to face her.

"...Bonnie and Elena were separated. In possibly the worst way that two friends could be separated. By life and now, death." Elena wished that the ground would open up and swallow her, as even more people began to turn around and look at her.

"I gave Bonnie a lot of trouble. For the longest time, I was angry at her for what happened. It's only now I realise that I wasted precious time fighting with her. I never really blamed her. I hope she knew that." A tear dropped down Damon's face as he turned to look at Bonnie's coffin.

"I'm sorry Bonnie, if I ever made you feel like I wished you weren't here and Elena was instead. Truth is, I got to have a life with you, and now I get to have a life with her." Damon looked through the rows of people in-front of him and caught Elena's eye. He smiled.

"Bonnie was a great friend. She stuck with my brother and I through everything, she supported Caroline through her darkest times, and I know first hand how much joy she brought to Jeremy's life. She was one of those magic people, pun intended, that just knew how to bring people together." Lots of people nodded in agreement, including Elena. She knew how special Bonnie was.

"I spent a lot of time with Bonnie as she grew up, helped her when she went through heartbreak, and cheered her on through her happiest moments. She had me at her beck and call in the run up to her wedding, and had me driving her to the hospital when she was in labour because Jeremy wouldn't pick up his damn phone," Damon laughed and bowed his head. Jeremy squeezed Elena's hand as he smiled, and Elena knew that this was a sign that he could remember.

"Despite our arguing and bickering, I wouldn't have changed my time with Bonnie for the world. I only hope that I helped her have the full and happy life she always wanted. She has left behind a wonderful, beautiful family that I will do whatever I can to protect and look out for, like I did with her. Bonnie lives on in all of them. I see it in her daughters eyes, her grandchildren's eyes, and all of her extended family. She played a huge part in so many peoples lives, and for that, we owe her so much. I love you Bonnie." Damon finished his speech and Elena saw that he had begun to cry. He pulled out a piece of paper from his trouser pocket and walked over to Bonnie's coffin, placing the piece of paper on top after stroking his thumb over the front of it.

Damon walked back over to his seat next to Stefan and sat down. Everyone was an emotional mess. Damon's speech had really hit home, and brought up lots of happy, and sad, memories they had all shared with Bonnie.

Elena was so amazed at the relationship that Damon and Bonnie had built up over the years. She had always thought that Bonnie's death would hurt her and Caroline the most, as her best friends.

But she was wrong.

Bonnie's death had been more painful for Damon than Elena ever imagined.

-------------

At the end of the speeches, before Bonnie was to be buried, Stefan, Elijah and Klaus made their way back to the others. Caroline and Stefan immediately embraced each-other in a huge hug, much to Klaus' obvious annoyance. After a few moments, Elena and Caroline left Jeremy in Stefan's hands and made their way to Bonnie's coffin to say their own goodbye. Damon was still at the front, surrounded by Bonnie's family. Elena didn't want to disturb him, and so quietly crept around him, trying not to draw any more attention to herself.

It felt almost unreal as Caroline and Elena approached Bonnie's coffin. For almost an hour, they had listened to people talking about her in the past tense, and for Elena, it hadn't felt like it was completely real. But now, face to face with Bonnie's coffin, it felt real. Too real.

Both of them were sobbing and even though they were holding each-other by the waist and by the hand, they didn't feel complete. Bonnie was a pivotal person in their trio. It had always been the three of them, together, no matter what. But now, there were only two left.

Caroline had brought some of Bonnie's favourite flowers with her so that they could place them on the coffin. Elena gently took them from Caroline's hand as she started to rummage around in her handbag for something. Elena walked forward to place the flowers on the coffin and noticed that so many other people had done the same thing. There were dozens of flowers, handwritten notes and photographs all placed on top. But there was one thing that stood out to Elena above all others.

It was a small piece of paper with 4 photo booth photographs of Bonnie and Damon on.

Elena immediately connected the dots and realised that this was the piece of paper that Damon had placed there after he finished his speech. Elena was careful not to disturb the photo and just peered closer to get a better look at them.

The first photo was of Damon and Bonnie pulling funny faces. Elena noticed that Bonnie looked exactly how she remembered so presumed that this one was taken not long after she had gone. The second photo was of a slightly older Bonnie, looking across at Damon who was looking down dotingly at the small baby he held in his arms. Elena knew that this had to be baby Sheila. The third photo had Bonnie holding her left hand up, showing off the beautiful, sparkly, engagement ring she had on. Damon was pointing at the ring pulling a comical shocked face. The last photo was Elena's favourite. Bonnie had to have been at least 90 years old in it. Damon was smiling as he had his arms wrapped around her and her face was equally as happy as she snuggled into his top.

Caroline walked over to join Elena, with the objects in her hand that she had been looking for in her handbag.

"I managed to find some pictures of all three of us from years ago," Caroline whispered. Elena flicked through the pictures and smiled as she remembered each one.

"They're perfect Car," Elena smiled, sniffing back a tear. She handed back a few photos and kept a few to herself. They both held hands, and with the other hand holding the photos, they threw them and watched as they fluttered down onto Bonnie's coffin.

Damon crept up behind Elena, not wanting to interrupt her goodbye,

"I hope I'm not interrupting baby, but I think it's time you met a very important person," Damon smiled, and stepped aside to reveal Sheila standing behind him.

"You must be Elena Gilbert. Mum spoke so much about you. But I must admit, you are so much more beautiful than she described," Sheila smiled, walking forwards with her arms outstretched to embrace Elena.

"Isn't she just," Damon replied quietly, smiling, as he looked over Sheila's shoulder at Elena.