You guys! Thank you for being here. I'm kinda amazed I'm still writing this. lol

Jade: so happy to have you along for the ride. Glad you liked Nora! lol - And there's definitely something to be said about Enzo and his father's relationship.. Carenzo friendship (occasionally couple) is something I could always get behind, too.

deenew: there's something waiting for you in this one! ;)

...

They crept closer through the underbrush, slowly, stealthily. Bonnie was no soldier, she was also still somewhat tender and gingerly walking at times; she didn't know what she was doing, but she was doing it.

She had gathered up the hem of her long coat to keep it from dragging, she was watching her every step carefully, at the same time making sure she kept close to Enzo, who kept turning around to check on her. He put a finger to his lips when they were very close to the horses, the poor animals anxious and whinnying.

Enzo was signalling to Cole. A few strange hand signs, and eight raised fingers. Eight strangers.

He gave Bonnie a look. Golden. He was worried about what they might have to do to get out of their situation, what he might have to do to some of her people. What she would think of him.

I know you're not just here to slaughter anyone. Whatever happens, must happen. She bit her lip. There was nothing more to say.

With a nod, he motioned for her to stick with Caroline while he and Cole would assess the situation up close.

Be careful, she implored him, her panic shifting from a general one to a fear of losing him. He gave her a last look, then barged out into the open, Cole coming from the other side, Eternal weapon raised.

Bonnie held her breath.

…

Caroline had huddled up with her, hiding behind a fallen tree, but she kept peeking over it to see whether she was needed.

"If I have to go, you stay here, okay?" she whispered so quietly that Bonnie had a hard time understanding her against the light rustle of the forest around them. She gave a half nod. She wasn't stupid, and not suicidal. If she could help it, she'd stay hidden for as long as it took.

She couldn't hear what was going on with Enzo and Cole, and it terrified her. His mind seemed completely shut off, she couldn't even glean any information through her link. What if he… No, she couldn't allow that thought. She had to stay strong. He'd singlehandedly wiped out that troop of Silveren before, he'd be alright.

They would be alright.

"I gotta go," Caroline suddenly hissed, already jumping out and away, and Bonnie froze, her breath stuck in her lungs.

She was alone.

Waiting.

For how long should she wait, though? Should she try and help after all?

No. Enzo...

She couldn't just sit around passively.

You have to! Promise me…

It was good to feel him, but it didn't ease her mind. He didn't want her to endanger herself, she got that, but still.

How long until she knew which side had won, then? How long…

Suddenly, she heard a low growl and a snarl, so close it made the nape of her neck prickle uncomfortably. Sowly, she turned her head to the side and she saw a long snout pointed in her direction, sharp teeth visible. A large wolf, or was it a dog? She wasn't even sure… the animal's dank breath hit her and made her wrinkle her nose in disgust and she felt her stomach turn.

Don't throw up now, Bonnie Bennett, she told herself, stomach heaving.

But she didn't have time to worry about it anymore when she saw that the beast hadn't come alone…

She pushed herself up against the tree, trying to remain completely silent. She was alone. There was no one there to help her now, only herself.

This was not good…

…

Enzo fought with his body alone, arms and fists, and powerful kicks. He leaned far back, evading an aggressor's attack, then ducked down to dive and hit the woman from behind.

He needed to get her dagger before she managed to hurl it at him, but she was a strong opponent, small and flexible, always moving, like a freaking gymnast.

In the back of his mind he felt Bonnie's panic peak, and the worry about her kept him from paying attention when the Golden came at him again, dagger aimed toward him.

Reflexively, he stretched out his arms to deflect her, though he didn't even have his weapon on him, and his eyes widened when he watched the blade connect with his weapon-arm as if in slow motion.

He was aware of Cole and Caroline fighting somewhere alongside him, aware of the Golden bodies on the ground…

They had identified Cole as an Eternal right away and not waited to attack. There hadn't been a chance for a peaceful solution.

"You don't have a chance," one of their attackers had hissed before Cole had stabbed him, "we know you're here; we're everywhere. We're coming at you from all sides."

The man had grinned a bloody grin, even after the first wound had opened on his body, oozing silvered blood.

All sides. The forest… Enzo had to hurry and get this over with before they got to Bonnie, but now, he was staring at the dagger, his arm. His eyes traveled up to meet the enemy woman's. There was an excited expression on her face that suddenly faltered and fell. Confusion flooded his own mind, it was such a strange feeling that he wasn't sure whether it was his own or Bonnie's.

And then he noticed that his arm was unhurt, the dagger having slid through the sleeves of his coat and shirt with ease, but not penetrated the fabric of the bandage at all.

No new pain…

He used the moment of surprise to jolt up, grabbing the woman's dagger and plummeting it straight into her own throat. She took one last gurgly half-breath, then Enzo was already up and helping Caroline against the Golden that had thrown her to the ground and was holding her there now, pointy end of a knife not an inch away from her windpipe, when Enzo slammed into him from the side and hurled him off his friend.

It didn't take long from there. Cole had taken on the majority of the enemies, and they sprinted back into the forest quickly, ready to get Bonnie and make a run for it.

Please be okay...

...

There were too many of them. She didn't have a chance, but when she braced herself, summoning whatever defiance and fight she had in her, something happened.

The pack leader - a dark gray beast with amber eyes - lunged for her, showing its dagger like teeth, and he was so close that Bonnie thought for sure he'd be at her jugular in a split second, but then…

… another, slightly smaller animal, a wolf too, perhaps, or maybe a husky, sprang to meet the dark one and the two collided. Balls of fur, fighting in the air for a second, then on the ground, harsh growls in the air, and Bonnie shrank against the tree, her fingers guiding her as she tried to slowly step away, as stealthily as possible.

Maybe she did have a chance after all.

…

When Enzo saw her, he froze for just a moment before adrenaline kicked in and propelled him forward.

Too many of those beasts. Those freaking dogs…

He raced to meet her, signaling for Cole and Caroline to come from the other side, and he got to a startled Bonnie just before one of the dogs standing closest to her tried to make its move.

Enzo snarled almost as ferally as the animal, then pulled Bonnie behind him, inching them both away as best as he could while Cole decimated the pack with terrible ease, almost making Enzo wish he had kept the stupid Old One.

The shack wasn't all that far away, and what with the prospect of more Golden waiting for them, he would probably have to go back there and remorsefully ask for it back. He clenched his jaw, the prospect making him feel sick to his stomach.

There was no winning in war.

It won't be for long, babe. Bonnie's slender fingers came up to touch him from the back, just a graze against his shoulder, but it was the grounding he had needed and he kept going.

When most animals were either dead or had been scared into leaving, he pulled Bonnie up and away from the tree, half carrying her with him, pointing deeper into the woods, back to the shack.

"I'll need that freaking weapon if we want to make it out of here," he hissed at Cole and Caroline, just as Cole stooped down to inspect one of the dogs on the ground. The beast was hurt and panting, eyeing him warily. He was about to finish it off too, when Bonnie suddenly jumped into his path with a loud "no," startling them all.

"What the hell?!" Cole yelled at her, making Enzo rush over to Bonnie's side as if he needed to protect her. He glared at the other man, challengingly, warningly, and Cole stared right back at him, finally lowering his arms in a "no offense" gesture. "Should eradicate them all," he muttered, though.

Bonnie looked at Cole, then Enzo with strange concern.

"Not this one," she muttered, making Enzo frown at her, and as she kneeled down, carefully extending a hand for the animal to sniff, Enzo had to fight the urge to pull her away.

"What are you doing?" he hissed, alarmed and on edge. He didn't trust those animals, but then Bonnie did something, transferred images into his head, shared her feelings.

The dog - or was it a wolf? - seemingly coming to her aid… And now it was slowly, guardedly approaching her, its fur raised on the back.

There was a little blood on its flank, visible where the fur was silvery white just around its head and left front leg, and vanishing into the different shades of gray of the rest of its body.

The animal looked at Bonnie out of light blue eyes, sniffed her hand, then suddenly sprang away just as she whispered a "thank you."

With a sigh, she got up, looking a little perturbed, and Enzo gave her a brief hug.

"I'm sorry, love. They're wild animals…"

"I know. It's just… He was different. He tried to save me…" She looked after the animal with a strange longing gaze, and Enzo felt even sadder for her. For the things she had given up - had had to give up after bonding with him of all people.

I've gained you.

He smiled a small smile at her. That you have, love...

"Sorry to interrupt," Caroline said, walking over, eyeing them, clearly aware that something had gone on between them. "But we should really get that weapon, warn Esther and Nora, and then make a plan on where to go. I'm suggesting we take the horses and walk through the forest, get at them from behind."

The others nodded, then quickly made their way back to the cabin…

…

Esther was blinking at them, an almost mirthful seeming smirk appearing on her face. "I knew you'd be back," she said directed at Enzo, shoving the weapon back at him before any of them had even opened their mouths. "And before your over-imaginative heads get the wrong idea: no, I did not send anyone here, and I'm asking you to please leave me out of this. I'll keep Nora with me and just close my doors now. Nothing I haven't seen before. This corner of the world has always been a highway of sorts, troops coming through from every direction."

She clicked her tongue, looking back at Nora, who was still sitting casually on the couch, watching her host as if this was nothing out of the ordinary.

Enzo looked so unhappy that Bonnie felt a pang.

You don't have to take it… she told him, lightly touching his back where no one could see it.

I should have just kept it. I wasn't thinking clearly. It had already taken a toll on me. But I should have kept it and just taken it off. It would have come in handy just now-

Don't do that.

What?

Blame yourself. Talk like that. You couldn't have known they'd ambush us so quickly.

I'm a bloody soldier, Bonnie. An Eternal. I'm used to being hunted. I should have kept the Old One.

It turned out alright… Just promise me you'll only wear it if there's really no other way.

That's my intention.

His words were not as clear as she would have liked, but she had to accept it. If she was honest, she had been relieved when he'd finally taken off the weapon and it freaked her out that he might put it back on. She guarded those thoughts carefully, however, not wanting to upset him even more.

"You're not going to tell them that we were here?" Caroline was just asking Esther and the woman shook her head. I've never told them anything and I intend to keep it that way. To them, I'm just the Californian, a slightly crazy, mostly mute hermit. Don't tip them off to the truth," she winked, "that I'm more than slightly crazy and love my tea with sugar…"

Caroline pressed her lips together, nodding.

They really needed to get going, and so she led them all back out and on their way.

Enzo turned around briefly before leaving, looking at Esther one last time. "Thank you," he breathed, and her smile became warmer.

"Anytime. Just watch that girl of yours now. Keep her safe…"

Enzo clenched his jaw and gave a quick nod of his head, then he was out the door, hoping to never see her again.

…

Bonnie shivered. Temperatures had dropped significantly once more, seeping into her bones like an illness.

The rustle of twigs against twigs, the strange noises of the animals made her nerves tingle, triggering her anxiety to new levels. It was so dark that she could barely see a foot in front of her, and they all stumbled through the forest like blind people on a path into doom.

She just hoped the Golden weren't already secretly surrounding them, only to light a fire at some point to show them they had been watching since the beginning.

Your imagination makes me feel creeped out, love, Enzo informed her, but she could feel a somewhat inappropriate amusement in his words.

She rolled her eyes even though he wouldn't see it. I'm just so ready to get out of here and hopefully back to the settlement in one piece. I… She faltered. Maybe she shouldn't tell him that.

What is it, love?

She felt rather than saw that he had strayed a little closer to her side, his horse nuzzling hers briefly, but it still felt like he was just way too far away.

She longed for some alonetime with him…

She bit her lip, then exhaled forcefully. I just… almost wish we wouldn't have to go anywhere, wouldn't have to go out there and find that Golden. I wish we could just stay at the settlement, make a living there, somehow. Hiding from the world. Just… us.

You know that's just a nice little dream. A place like this… like Esther said, this is like a highway, and the settlement… well, it's just a little too close for comfort. I wouldn't want you and our baby to live anywhere near that danger…

I know.

And she did. But that didn't mean she couldn't still be sad. She stifled a sudden chuckle, earning herself a stab of confusion from Enzo's direction.

I'm sorry. I was just thinking… its funny how we keep oscillating from one opinion to the next. First you tell me you just want to ride off into the sunset and I tell you it'll be rewarding in the end if the keep fighting, and now…

It's the other way around.

Two sides, one coin…

That's us. Round and shiny. Heads and tails.

She tried not to chuckle, but for a moment, lightness was back in their lives and it was a welcome relief, even though they knew it wouldn't last all that long.

Suddenly, the moment all too suddenly ended as Cole stopped, making them almost crash into him and Caroline.

"We should stop here and try to rest," he suggested, and Bonnie didn't like the idea one bit.

Rest? In the dark of the forest? Where they couldn't see properly?

But that was exactly Cole's reasoning. "Sight is getting worse. There's no moon tonight, and I honestly can't see much more than a little ahead of myself. There's a little dip right here, we went downhill for a bit, and the underbrush is thick enough to give us a bit of shelter and shield us from any scouts."

"Shouldn't we rather use the night for cover?" Bonnie asked, feeling dumb as soon as she had done so. Arguing with actual soldiers didn't seem like a smart idea, but she was surprised when Enzo agreed.

"She's right. We gotta get out of here, no one's gonna get rest in this bloody darkness anyway."

Cole was barely visible, but when he moved, Bonnie caught a glimpse of the sheen on his arm - he was still carrying his weapon, and something tensed in her. Panic coming back.

It's just Cole, she told herself, but it wasn't easy.

The situation was getting to her. She needed to get out. She needed it to be over. That weapon, that sheen… it reminded her too much of the past. What if they wouldn't make it out of the forest alive, what would she do when she'd have to face her own people, framed by three Silveren soldiers? She couldn't think anymore. She couldn't do this.

She couldn't...

...

Easy, love. You're okay. It'll be alright.

She found herself clinging to Enzo, not remembering when she had begun to do so, and his arms were around her, holding her close, Cole and Caroline just two distant figures, sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree, their horses tethered right beside them. She felt Enzo's breath in her hair, calming her, reassuring.

Did I just lose time because of a panic attack?

I'm sorry, love. Too much too soon. We should have let you stay at the settlement.

She shook her head, leaning it against him. No. I wouldn't have stayed behind, anyway. Besides. I'd have probably panicked even more.

She could tell that he wasn't convinced, but he didn't argue, and didn't say anything else. Instead, he slowly guided her over to where the other two were already sitting and motioned for her to do the same.

"Time to rest. Close your eyes for a little bit.

"So we agreed on stopping after all, huh?" She grinned awkwardly and was so relieved when she made out Caroline's genuine smile.

"We did," she said, handing Bonnie what looked like a slice of bread. She stretched out a hand and took it, ridiculously grateful for something to eat. "Someone's gotta look out for you two - and baby," Caroline smiled at her warmly.

Cole's sonorous voice startled her, as if she hadn't heard him speak in a very long time. "Why don't you two try and get some sleep now while we take first shift," he told them. "We'll need you both as rested as possible tomorrow. We don't know what we are facing…"

She nodded; she heard Enzo exchange a few more words with the others, but part of her was already succumbing to the pull of sleep, and the last thing she felt was how her head fell against Enzo's chest and how his arms came around her, holding her.

She hoped he was getting some rest, too, but she kind of doubted it.

Sleep, she tried to tell him, sleep…

…

Morning came a minute later - or at least that's what it felt like to Bonnie when Enzo gently shook her awake. She looked at him out of wide confused eyes, and pulled herself up into a more sitting position from where she had apparently spent the night leaning against him. She felt groggy and tired, because she had been woken from a very deep dreamless sleep, and was surprised to see the first rays of sun pierce the ground through the trees' canopies.

She inhaled deeply, letting the air fill her lungs for a moment before finally exhaling. We gotta get going, Enzo informed her, and she nodded. He looked at her, cocking his head, just taking her in, then his lips curled into a smile and he kissed her, tenderly, carefully. Then with a little more passion that made her gasp.

She laid a hand against his chest, half trying to push him away, mentioning the presence of the other two to him, but then she saw they were still asleep, just as Enzo pulled away with a sigh anyway and said, out loud. "I know now is not the time, love…."

"Soon," she told him firmly, trying to make herself believe it, and he smiled.

"Yes, Bonnie Bennett, soon."

With that he stood up and walked over to wake the other two up, who still lay curled together beside a heap of fallen trees. Bonnie realized that Enzo must have been watching all three of them, never waking her up to share the "shift," and she was grateful yet also concerned about it. She wished she could have spent the night with him awake, yet she knew her body was rejoicing that she had slept through it.

...

It didn't take them long to get their things ready and be on their way. With every step they took, Bonnie's anxiety grew, a prickling feeling making her uncomfortable and on edge. It was like she was knowingly walking into her own demise, and she hated it.

What was awaiting them on the other side of the forest. Who?

And how many?

When they finally reached the outer edges on the other side, where the trees grew less dense, letting more and more light in, leaving more room to walk their horses through, more room to see, it was almost too easy to see what they would be facing.

Too many. There were way too many Golden soldiers. A hundred perhaps, maybe more. There was a whole camp of them. How was that even possible? And why were they there?

Bonnie swallowed hard, tugging at Enzo, who had stopped in his tracks, just like Cole and Caroline.

"We're fucked," Cole was saying. "There's no way-"

"Let me try and talk to them. Maybe I can lead them away," Bonnie suggested, not even knowing where that had come from. She wasn't normally one to bravely walk out to face danger. But she was the only Golden in their midst.

"No." Enzo's reply came instantly and firmly. She grabbed the lapels of his jacket and looked at him.

"It's our only chance."

"She's right," Caroline pointed out. "If they see any of us, they won't hesitate and kill us. But a fellow Golden…"

"They probably know who she is!" Enzo hissed. He was very obviously angry. "I'm not gonna let her-"

"You're not gonna let her what? Try and save her life? And yours?" Caroline challenged. "Enzo… you know she's right. I get it. I really do. You're worried about her. But she'll either die right away by our side. Or she can give us a fighting chance."

"There's gotta be a better way. We'll go back. We… hide and wait."

"We could never hide in here long enough. And you heard their outpost. There must have been a Bonded among them warning the main troops. They know we're here."

They all looked at him with sad sympathy. He stared at Caroline, then Bonnie, his jaw working again like it always did when he was agitated.

I can't lose you. He wasn't looking at her when he said it.

She looked up to him, touching his face lightly, making him turn to her, making him see her, and her affection for him was threatening to spill over. Tears were welling in her eyes unbidden, and she tried to blink them away.

I can't lose you. She told him. And that's why I have to try.

Then she kissed him, so passionately as if there really was no chance for a tomorrow, before she forced herself to step away.

"Have an eye on him for me?" She told Caroline, and the girl nodded at her, sadly smiling before giving her a quick hug.

"I'll try and steer them away from here," Bonnie said, "I'll tell them I lost my bond-partner. I'll… come up with something. Just… promise me you'll try and get away as soon as they're gone, and then… " Come find me.

She gazed at Enzo one last time, then she was off, walking out into the light, blinking as the first Golden faces turned in her direction.

I love you, Bonnie Bennett, and I will find you.