4

Elena closes the door, the large smile and rosy cheeks impossible to hide.

"Back from another date with Tom?" Bonnie teases and Elena rolls her eyes, but the smile is almost permanent. It was nice to see Elena glowing. Bonnie had almost forgotten what it looked like to see her this way. Her previous dates over the last five years weren't exactly memorable.

"He's such a gentleman, Bonnie," She breathes out the sentence while staring out into space, and flopping on the couch. "I feel so comfortable with him. Almost like I've known him in a past life. Do you believe in that sort of thing? Star-crossed lovers."

Those words set an alarm off in Bonnie's mind. What if...? Is it possible? "Really? Do you have a picture of him?"

"No. This was only our second date, Bon." Elena reaches toward the chips in the middle of the coffee table, taking a handful to calm her grumbling stomach as she talks. The date with Tom was over coffee in between his shift at work. Which sounds less fun than it actually was, but he is captivating. Everything about him draws her in. From his sparkling green eyes to his cheeky grin to the silly way he pronounces caramel like car-mal. She finds herself genuinely laughing when she is with him even if there wasn't a joke being told. "Where's Caroline?"

Bonnie's eyes were locked on her laptop, determined to find Tom online. "She's with her secret boyfriend again."

"Does she think we don't know what's going on?" Elena almost laughs at the idea of Caroline thinking she is slick.

"I don't know. I mean, we at least don't know who her boyfriend is. That's something." She shrugs one shoulder, and Elena tries to peek around at the screen.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to find your perfect gentleman."

"What? Like some deep dark secret about him?"

"I guess you could say that." Secret....like he looks just like your ex-boyfriend. She turns the screen around, "Is this Tom?"

"Yeah, that's him! Find any secrets?" She wiggles her eyebrows, smirking a little as if she is confident that Bonnie wouldn't be able to find anything.

Bonnie shook her head with a half-smile, not wanting to give her best friend a reason to suspect that anything was wrong. She doesn't know how she would go about telling Elena that she is falling in love with her ex-boyfriend all over again.

It seems like yesterday that Elena was devastated over the death of the Salvatore brothers, and this would complicate everything. She could revert back if she knew the truth, and Elena has worked too hard on her career for it to crumble now.

Despite all of the many reasons that Bonnie can come up with as to why Elena doesn't have to know, she can't keep this from her best friend. It isn't right even if telling Elena might destroy her.

She decides that telling Caroline first would probably be better. They can discuss what to do together and whether or not they need to bring out the box.

In the end, Bonnie knows that she will be right by her side, helping her in picking up pieces that Elena never truly placed back together.

-

"Bye Elena. Have fun!" Bonnie shouts after her as she closes the door to go to the hospital. Caroline starts talking, but she is soon cut off. "Elena is dating Stefan!"

Caroline's eyes go wide, "W-what? Stefan? He's dead!"

"No. Her new boyfriend, Tom," She turns the screen around to show Caroline, "looks exactly like Stefan. He is another doppelganger!"

A small gasp escaped her lips before she covered her mouth. It seems like she is quiet for a long time when in reality, it was probably only a minute. "Should we tell her?"

Bonnie knows the answer to this—they have to tell her, but maybe if she could delay it a little more....

It is early in their relationship. Why tell her now when things might not work out? Doppelgängers don't always end up together...right?

"I don't know, Care. That's why I told you, but...you didn't see how happy she was the other night. I have a feeling that telling her will only bring back all that distress."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. It's going to be so weird to see them get married though." Caroline speaks so casually as if it is a fact that everyone knows.

Bonnie can feel her nerves build in her stomach, forcing their way up. They would definitely have to tell her before they got engaged. "What makes you think that they are going to get married?"

"Uh, hello? You said it yourself. They are the doppelgangers. It's their fate." There is a small pause before she says, "I wonder how weird it'll be if she calls him Stefan instead."

"Caroline!" Bonnie smacks her arm but laughs at her nonetheless.