AN. New chapter is coming up! Don't own anything yada yada yada. Please review yada yada yada. ENJOY ;)

Rachel half walked, half stumbled out the front doors of the hospital. Her mum was fussing over her and had a tight grip on her left hand. Her head still ached but her mums fretting wasn't helping any, there were only so many times a girl could hear "are you sure you're OK? Why didn't you tell me your poor head was injured?!" before it gave them a headache... not to mention the shrill quality her mums voice had taken on didn't help any.

She had woken to the devils penetrating gaze, yes she meant the azure eyes of one Damon Salvatore before he rattled off yet a million more questions she couldn't answer. For gods sakes, she didn't remember how she got the injury, let alone why it was there. When he realised that he wasn't going to get any further with her, Damon sat up with a huff and stormed out the room like a huffy teenager. He had to be what? Twenty two at least, why he had tantrums like a 13 year old she would never know.

After Damon left, her mother rushed in – hair flying everywhere a look of panic on her face – before collapsing down in tears at Rachel's bedside. Mothers, so darn emotional! Rachel reassured her mother everything was fine now and after some serious persuasion on her part, got an early discharge. Which left her to now. Sitting, forehead pressed against the steamy window, as she listened to her mum ramble on and on about how she had to take more care of herself.

"You don't want another scar on your lovely body, it isn't good," Rachel snorted, it couldn't look worse than the fucking monstrosity that scarred half her body anyway, what would one more do? She ignored her mums speech about self preservation and drew little hearts on the window glass. What she wouldn't give to be away from mystic falls and the weird shit that went down there. Trees and building whizzed by and Rachel sighed thinking of a time when things were easier, simpler. A time before mystic falls, before her scar. A time before Damon.

The wind and rain had picked up since leaving the hospital and Rachel wondered if perhaps, the weather understood what she was feeling and if she was somehow controlling the weather. Now wouldn't that be awesome. Feeling the car come to a stop, she unbuckled her seatbelt and made a dash for the front door, getting sick was not something she wanted to do after just being discharged. Sitting herself down in the living room, she heard a beep from her mobile. Checking her messages she noticed she had a few. All from Stefan, Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt and strangely enough... Tyler. Weird, he always seemed to be that dick jock type that didn't give two shits about anything but his reputation. After sending a few texts back to let them know she arrived home safely, Rachel plodded up the stairs yelling to her mum about saving her some dinner for later. You'd think after being unconscious for hours she'd be right as rain but truth be told, she was fucking exhausted. Face planting into the bed Rachel closed her eyes and with a soft,

"Fuck yeah, love this bed," she was asleep.

She was stuck in a nightmare, she knew this because every time she turned a corner she found herself back in the same place. Flown backwards, Rachel screamed hard and desperately tried to twist the arm wrapped round her slim neck. Every time she failed. Every damn time she died. Blood drained, body bruised. The arm tightened around her neck.

"Let me go you big piece of shit, you can't kill me again!"

"Shut up, you stupid stupid girl. You always die, you know this. You ALWAYS die"

Rachel's arms and legs flailed about but to no affect. She was losing air and fast. Once again she had lost, once again he had won. Hearing the cruel sounds of laughter escape the man who was holding her and the ones watching and listening to the howling winds and crackling thunder, she sank into oblivion.

A scream tore from her lips as she bolted up from her position on the bed, a second rising when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Shhh, honey it's just me," her mum whispered above her, stroking away the hair that was sticking to Rachel's forehead, "Have a nightmare again? I thought you didn't have those anymore. IF you like we can get those sleeping pills for you again I'm sure the doctor won't mi-"

"Mum, mum, no it's fine. Honestly. See? Big smiles," Rachel then proceeded to smile and show as much teeth as possible, all the while trying to slow down the frantic beating of her heart.

"Hmm... Well OK then. Dinners in the microwave if you want it dear, I'll just be in my room if you need me," Her mum left, switching on the bedroom light as she went. Once Rachel was sure her mum left the room she took a shuddering breath, gulping in some much needed air while trying to steady her shaking hands.

"Get a fucking grip Rachel, it was a nightmare, nothing you've never seen before," she scolded herself, pushing off the bed and scraping a hand through her hair. Making her way downstairs to the kitchen she could hear the soft sounds of her brother playing games in his room, a sound that oddly enough calmed her frazzled body and mild. Her nightmares were so rare now that when she had one she was totally unprepared for them and therefore when she had them royally freaked out.

After heating up chicken pie and potatoes, Rachel slumped down on the sofa – watching whatever trash was on the TV – and practically inhaled it within seconds. What? Who the hell doesn't love chicken pie? A buzzing noise interrupted her foodgasm (food orgasm, a word she used for food that if human, she would sleep with... weird but yeah) Picking up her phone, she looked at the caller ID and answered,

"Sup S-Dawg?"

"...S-Dawg, really Rachel?"

"Yes really, you're my home boy and have to have a fitting title," she laughed slightly, practically hearing Stefan's eye roll through the phone.

"Yeah, yeah OK then. I was just calling to see how you were feeling"

"I'm feeling a lot better, thanks. Although I'm still confused on how I got the head injury in the first place but you know, whatevs" Stefan hummed in agreement.

"Well I was wondering, well me and Elena were wondering, if you wanted to come round to the Gilberts' house tomorrow for dinner? Just a little get together with friends, what do you say?"

Rachel hmm'd for about two minutes pretending to decide whether or not to go, before laughing and answering,

"Of course you big lump, I'd be offended if I wasn't invited," Stefan once again laughed at her funny, sarcastic attitude. She went so quickly from being the shy girl to this feisty, funny person that made Stefan quite curious. How could she trust to be herself with him so easily... especially after the kidnapping/not kidnapping incident.

"Well I'll see you tomorrow at school then, OK Rachel? Please try not to cause anymore harm to yourself," he smirked hearing Rachel's mock outraged gasp and chuckled, saying goodbye when she proceeded to bash her mobile off a table making an awful noise in Stefan's ear.

Picking up her empty plate – licked clean thank you very much – Rachel placed it on the side counter beside the sink before walking back upstairs to her bedroom. Although tired, sleeping was not an option. Not so soon after a nightmare, funny how chicken pie and a call with Stefan could make her forget her worries, if just for a little bit. Picking up a random book from herself, she sat Indian style on her fluffy faux bear fur rug and read hours and hours into the night.

AN. OOOOH NIGHTMARES GUYS NIGHTMARES. More will be revealed later about those, and I may have sneakily... or not sneakily if you found it, put a little teaser in about something that'll become very important in future chapters. Till next time Ol' chaps! XO.