Bonnie lifted her psychology book so it was at arm's length. She stared at the picture for a moment before she tilted it to the side and continued to stare at it. The brain that she had been staring at suddenly looked like a heart and she smiled sweetly to herself at the thought. "What are you doing?" she heard Meredith ask and she immediately dropped the book back on her bed.

She looked towards the door and found Meredith standing in her running clothes looking sweaty and flawless all the same. Bonnie smiled sweetly and ignored her own blushing cheeks because she had nothing to be ashamed about "Nothing, just messing around I suppose." She rolled on her bed and lay down so she was flat on her belly and watched Meredith cross the room to her side where all her stuff was located. Just as Meredith began to rummage through her clothing Bonnie asked "So how was your run with the boys?"

Meredith, being Meredith, went running with Zander and his pack. She was fast and strong enough to keep up with them because of her hunter origins while Bonnie herself went for only a nice occasional jog with Elena every now and then. Though lately Elena had been pushing her to go almost four times a week. It was exhausting and completely unnecessary in Bonnie's opinion. The only good thing about her tiny figure was that she found gaining weight to be difficult, thank her ancestors.

"It was fine. I left early though because they wanted to, you know, do their pack stuff. How's your homework coming?"

Bonnie glared pityingly at the pathetic half sheet of paper she had completed. She still had another chapter to continue and another page to fill out. "It's going." Was all she could say.

Meredith laughed half heartedly before stating that she was going to have herself a nice long shower. "Have fun." Bonnie said as her old friend left their dorm room. Bonnie looked vacantly at their room. It felt oddly spacious now that Elena had moved out to live with Stefan. Their house was only a few blocks from the school but it was still weird to Bonnie that they moved out so quickly. They had an eternity of each other to look forward to.

When Bonnie thought of eternity it made her insides go all slushy. Next week she and Zander would be two years into their relationship and already she would find herself getting bored with him. He always talked about the same old things and the same old people and just the same old everything and she could feel herself becoming same and old herself.

Suddenly she stood up and looked at herself in her closet mirror. She had grown not even an inch but her bra did get a size bigger. Her jeans fit more snug but that had more to do with Elena's plea to run hills with her. At first it was difficult but now it wasn't that hard. It was more of getting up off of the couch that was hard.

This year was Meredith's last year before she left to Europe with Alaric and already Stefan and Elena had moved in together. Matt had transferred to a big UC College in the beginning of the year and though he called every now and then, she could feel herself becoming more and more distance towards him.

When Bonnie thought of the future she only saw darkness and she had a feeling her grandmothers' premonition had been correct. Bonnie was indeed going to die young. So she didn't see a point in breaking up with Zander or even telling her friends. She should just be with them while she still could.

So she saw no point in finishing her homework. Instead she called her dad and talked to him about how things were going at home. It made her sad to think of her dad at her funeral but she ignored that nagging feeling to tell him and just tried to act as cheery as possible. It wasn't that hard after all. Bonnie herself had been through much worse.

And besides, she had lived a good long life. Hadn't she?

Damon lifted a finger off of the smooth translucent skin before he dropped it back down again. The body beneath his hand shifted and he could feel himself becoming annoyed. How was this young thing still alive? He ignored the part of him that told him to just leave her alone and continued to feed on the blood bag. He drank from her until there was no beating pulse; he drank from her until he was completely full. He stands up and wipes his mouth with a handkerchief before throwing it back at the naked body. She really was beautiful. She had long red hair but it wasn't curly, it was straight. And while her eyes were a nice blue, she had this delicate skin that showed all her blue veins and such. Damon suddenly felt disgusted. He ran away, and he ran fast.

Meredith called Elena after her shower. She didn't want Bonnie listening. They had all agreed that Bonnie shouldn't be a part of this investigation. She had already sacrificed enough of her life for things that were out of all of their control. Elena answered on the third ring. "Meredith," she sounded extra cheery and that made Meredith think that she had just finished having a good laugh. That made Meredith herself smile. Elena deserved to have a good laugh.

"Anything new on the Slasher case?" she asked almost regretfully.

"Hold on," Elena said more somberly and the next time Stefan was the one who spoke, "Another body was found in Mississippi."

"So it's getting closer." Meredith murmured more to herself.

"Now we don't know if this has anything to do with the supernatural yet. I've looked at the murders and if this was a vampire, it certainly is doubtful. Even more so a werewolf. And the victims seem to be more random than anything."

"Even if this is a human―"

"―we'll do what we can." Stefan says reassuringly and Meredith had to sit down. This was the eleventh body found and she didn't have to ask to know that this newest body had probably been raped and dismembered just like all the others.

"Have you heard anything from Damon?"

Stefan paused for a second and Meredith could hear him moving. He didn't want Elena to hear and her interest peeked. "Meredith. I think we should meet. With Bonnie."

"Why with Bonnie?" Meredith could feel herself going into defensive mode.

"Because I think I may have a link to my brother somehow… I don't know. I used to think that these nightmares I've been having were just nightmares but… they feel so real…"

"And you don't want Elena to know we're meeting?"

"Not yet. Not until we know for sure. I've tried mentioning it to her but… you know Elena. She won't have it." Meredith could feel herself nodding. Even though Elena had chosen Stefan, she still defended Damon like she did when she thought she was in love with him. Meredith shook her head. Elena and her Salvatore brothers. Even with one of them missing, the drama was still there.

"Alright. We can probably meet you right now. The usual?"

"Yeah," Stefan said. Meredith couldn't pinpoint exactly what was in his tone but it sounded like anxiety. "How soon can you be there?"

"In about ten minutes." Meredith said exiting the bathroom.

"Good. I'll see you then." Meredith hung up the phone and as she entered her dorm room she found Bonnie sitting on her bed doing her nails. She looked up and smiled, her curls curly red hair falling carelessly over her heart-shaped face. There weren't any text books on her bed so she must have finished her homework.

"Can you change? We need to meet Stefan."

"Without Elena?" Meredith nodded and went to put her stuff away. "What for?"

"He needs your help."

Bonnie frowned and then recognition sparked in her features. "I'll get my grimoire." Bonnie said and went rummaging through her closet. Meredith watched her for a moment, remembering how once upon a time Bonnie was always reluctant to use magic since in Fell's Church she had been used as spokesperson for a spirit. But now she seemed to accept her wiccan origins. Meredith smiled at Bonnie's back. Lately Bonnie had been extra cheery, always wanting to go to parties and just have a good time. It seemed as if she was finally enjoying her youth.

"Found it!" Bonnie squealed and Meredith grabbed her boots. "Let's go then."

Elena watched as Bonnie and Meredith walked out of the campus building. She took out her cell and dialed Bonnie. She answered on the fifth ring but not before Bonnie stopped to tell Meredith something. "Hello." Bonnie said kind of uneasily and Elena followed them as they went into the woods.

"Hey Bonnie. Where are you? I thought we could hangout."

"Why, is Stefan having a guy's night or something?" The joke made them both giggle a bit but Elena had to stop herself. She wasn't just following Bonnie, she was also following Meredith. And that girl was a hunter. She had to be careful.

"Actually, Stefan did go out tonight. He said he had to go pickup some stuff to finish the bathroom. But that's not the only reason I'm calling. We could have a sleepover or something." Elena said as she herself stepped into the woods. It was dark and she didn't have a flash light but that was ohkay because the only light she could see was the one Bonnie herself was holding. The light was clear and fierce in the thick underbrush of trees and darkness. Elena was careful though, because of the branches and such on the floor.

"Oh, I don't know. Meredith is at the library and I still haven't finished my homework. Maybe tomorrow?" Bonnie said and Elena watched as they went into the hole that she knew became of the tunnels. The same tunnels that went underneath the whole school. They only met up there when they had to talk of things that couldn't be spoken of above ground. Why were they meeting without her? Elena could feel her cheeks heat with anger. She thought she and her friends had gotten past all this secrecy.

If they wanted to be secretive, then fine. But she refused to stoop to their level. She started to walk away but just as she turned she practically rammed into Stefan. She could feel him steady her, putting his hand just above her waist and she felt those butterflies. It was strange how he could still give her those feelings. "Elena, what are you doing here?" he said against her forehead and he smelled all musty and she had that urge to wrap her arms around him, where there were no secrets.

She stepped away from him, "I could ask you the same thing."

Stefan sighed and she crossed her arms. "I'm sorry for lying. But I've been trying to tell you for weeks and you won't listen."

Elena scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion before she remembered exactly what it was he was referring to. "You mean how you think those nightmares have something to do with Damon?"

"Elena, he's in every nightmare, he obviously has everything to do with them―"

"I agree with you. But I don't think he's responsible Stefan. I think it's just you being―"

"Then why can't we check? Just left me do this. It will give me some peace of mind."

"What exactly do you want to do?" Elena said blatantly.

"I don't know. But I do want to hear Bonnie's opinion. See if there is anything in her grimoire."

"Fine. But I'm not staying." Elena said and she started to walk away.

Stefan grabbed her arm as she passed and says "Why? Just stay."

"No. you didn't invite me, so I won't stay." She responds stubbornly.

Stefan says nothing and she is surprised by that. She didn't really want to leave but she walks away anyways. When she turns around Stefan is gone and she is alone in the empty woods. She rubs her arms and is suddenly cold. The trees around her curve in different cynical shapes and she looks up at the half moon. The sky is dark like the woods around her but as she walks back to campus she focuses on the silver moon, wanting to turn around the entire time but never doing so.