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"Cut it out," Matt whispered The guys straightened up and stilled beside hi his pale blond hair out of his eyes

A Celtic harp began to play, and the gathered audience rose to their feet

Bonnie’s older sisters came down the path first, pretty and solemn-faced in rose pink Then came Shay, Zander’s second-in-command, who smirked at Jared as she stepped into place beside the sisters Meredith followed, tall, sliolden hair pulled back and a soft sed themselves in a line in front of the minister and a hushed expectancy fell over the crowd

They all stood and turned as Bonnie appeared, ar and lacy, and her red hair shone in the sunlight She didn’t wear a veil, but a circlet of white rosebuds, and she carried a bouquet of white roses in full bloo a bride was supposed to be, Matt thought: beautiful, excited, a little shy Like a princess Mostly, Bonnie looked happy

She squeezed her father’s aro, and stepped back Bonnie looked up at Zander and reached out to take his large hands in her save her the sloeet sive to anyone but Bonnie

Auto for Jasmine, and found her seated a fes back Her sweetwarm blossomed in Matt’s chest

He’d miss Bonnie when she went to Colorado with Zander But love was love was love, and, basking in the light of Jas else for Bonnie This, he knehat was going to reeting, and the audience sat and settled The wedding party turned their attention to hiaze was confident and steady, the sunlight low

"Dearly beloved…" the roup, was now so sure and poised that a flare of affection lit in Matt’s chest He could see the skinny kid, the sassy teenager, the clear-eyed woman, all in the sarateful for her, for all of them They’d all found someone, his little band of friends: Bonnie and Zander, Meredith and Alaric--even Elena would find her way back to Damon, he knew And he had Jasmine

Beloved…

As Da the cererown up She was looking lovely, too, her face tilted politely to the ave the appropriate responses: yes, she would have and hold, yes, she would love and honor The overgroolf boy beside her was clearly over the ood for him

Damon couldn’t help it as his attention drifted fro beside her What was she thinking, his princess, behind her soleone through this ritual when they’d had the chance? Was she regretting all that she’d lost?

She’d loved his brother with her whole heart, and it would have been strange if she hadn’t thought of that now, mourned the life they’d lost as she watched Bonnie and Zander e of hieneral contentment, a warm joy at her friend’s happiness If there was a certain wistfulness about her joy, it didn’t seem to center around anyone in particular Not that she let Damon see, at least

Elena had let him kiss her, in the car while they hunted Siobhan More than that, she had drawn on his energy, charged her oer It had been more intimate than any of their kisses before, and he still felt an echo of that closeness

He knehat that kiss had meant to him The question hat had it ht three weeks before when they’d killed Jack, they’d been cautious and polite with each other, circling each other warily in the confines of Elena’s aparth, he’d felt the brush of her regard, turned to see Elena’s lapis lazuli eyes watching hihtfully and with affection

Damon permitted himself, sometimes, to hope

The minister said, with a smile, "I now pronounce you husband and wife," and Bonnie leaned up for Zander’s kiss, her face shining

Damon stood with the rest as the bridal party went down the path, and then followed and joined thene

Bonnie’s father cleared his throat, holding his glass aloft "My baby girl…" he began, tears in his eyes Daaze drift around the circle of faces Bonnie’s faement father, comfortably plump mother, two round-faced practical older sisters His redbird was like a rare rose in a garden of dandelions

"Like the cliché goes, I’ a son," Bonnie’s father said, putting an aard hand on Zander’s shoulder Everyone smiled, and Damon felt a small stir of sentiment At least they adored her, Bonnie’s plebian suburban family They’d never quite comprehend how fiery and sweet and full of Power she was But they loved her

When Bonnie’s father finished his toast with a clulass Daht to be aan "When Zander started dating Bonnie, we all thought she esome, but ere, like, ‘Really?’ because she wasn’t, uh, the same kind of person ere" The boy paused, and his eyes traveled slowly around the circle of attentive faces

Da to have tothe words wolf, Pack, or Alpha Without that, the whole lot of therown frat boys Fair enough, really

On the other side of the circle, Zander’s Beta girl--Shay, that was it--twitched, and Da to smack the boy over the head

Jared stumbled over his words, stared down at his feet, his floppy hair falling over his eyes, and finally looked up, s his cheeks, and launched into an anecdote about Bonnie and Zander together There was a little ht, than Bonnie’s mother would have preferred, but his affection for theh Werewolf crisis averted