Chapter 16,

Dear Elena,

You'd be here every year, every Christmas

There must be a lesson for me to learn
If you don't trust in love, you'll get nothing in return
Why should I be lonely, don't tell me it's fine
I have my pride, but I'd rather be with you tonight
-Luther Vandross

Another holiday almost ruined all because I can't live up to the traditions.

I woke up this morning, feeling a bit aggravated even though it was Christmas. This was starting to feel a bit annoyed with my depressed attitude that I had lately. So I decided that new traditions needed to be formed. I got dressed, not in sweats I figured let's give them a holiday too, and grabbed my phone and trekked outside. I went to the side of the cabin where the fire wood was situated and grabbed the axe and walked towards the forest looking for something that resembled a Christmas tree. When I found one, it was tiny but perfect. I don't think the cabin could hold a big Christmas tree. Anyway, I don't have any decorations.

The burner phone rang then and I answered it without looking at the caller ID, "Hello?"

"Bonnie!" Caroline's voice isn't what I expect it to be. I mean she's generally excited to talk to me. Now it's like she's a bit at me about something.

"Hey Care." I smile and place her on speaker so I can cut this small tree, "I haven't heard from you in a while."

"Well I guess that's what happens when you become BFFS with Enzo!" She huffs. I freeze in midair with the axe in my head.

"Care-" I sigh but she interrupts me in her normal Caroline fashion, "You don't even deny it!"

"It's so complicated." I put the axe down and take the phone placing her off speaker phone.

"No it's not," She says, "Oh my god?"

"What?"

"Is that who's been protecting you?"

"Caroline." I sigh and try to reason with her, "I-"

"How is he protecting you from the people who he is related to?" She says, her voice filling with more anger, "I mean he could be digging your grave for you."

"No he doesn't work for them anymore."

"I beg to differ," Caroline said, "I got Ric to pull out some database about their employees and who has recently clocked in and out of the Armory. And for someone who apparently left the armory he sure does hang out there a lot."

"Caroline," I say trying to boil any anger, "I said he doesn't work for them, not that he left."

"Hello, what's the difference?"

"Caroline, think about what I told you." I say to her. I guess there's no better time to come out with everything than now. I sort of was going to not tell her and was hoping when you read this; you'd catch her up to speed. I know it's bad but I figured I'd be long gone as in dead for her to get man any, "I told you the Armory was after me."

"Yes." She interjects but I continue.

"I told you the Armory needed me for something and I didn't know what!"

"Yes!"

"But I know that it's for something important," I say to her, "And that they can't track me because of these pills I'm taking."

"Yes!"

"Where would I have gotten that information from…where would I have even gotten the pills from?" I say to her, "Think about it. Enzo worked for them, he's related to them…he knows them."

Caroline is silent and I can hear breathing as she now attempts to calm down, "Ok…it's starting to make sense." I sigh in relief, "But why would he help you? He's trying too hard to protect you."

Good question.

"I don't know but I am grateful that he is," I say to her, "Look can we talk about something else."

"Does he live with you?" She asks with another tone of voice I can't exactly pin point but it's the same one she used when Matt first asked you out.

"Caroline!" I shake my head placing the phone back on speaker phone and put in on the floor. I pick up the axe, "It's Christmas. I'm not talking about things that pertain to my life line."

"Um, asking whether or not you love with Enzo is not a lifelong question. Unless," She says and the screeches, "OH MY GOD BONNIE BENNETT!"

"What?"

"ARE YOU SLEEPING WITH HIM?"

"WHAT?" I say. I'm even mortified by the idea, "Are you crazy? No! The guy's old enough to be my great, great, great grandfather. He's even too old to be with Grams!" Maybe that's one too many greats but I was trying to get my point across.

"Um one; Elena's date not one but two 'old' guys." She says old with very animated tone, "and secondly, Enzo is hardly old looking," I roll my eyes, "and thirdly; you have always been so, and I mean like so prude with spilling the details about your sex life!"

"Caroline!"

"No seriously," She continues, "I don't even think you've ever told me about your first time."

"Ok I'm hanging up now!" I say to her taking the phone from the ground.

"Bonnie wait!" She stops me.

"What?"

"Merry Christmas." She says causing me to smile.

"Merry Christmas Care."

When we are done talking, I cut my small mini tree and walk back to the cabin. I set up the tree in the corner of the cabin in the living room. Having it there already lifted a little bit of the heaviness I had of the holidays. I decide I should make myself a new Bonnie Bennett tradition Christmas dinner. I find ingredients for the perfect mushroom risotto meal, I think I made too much but left overs ae always fun. I find some candles and place around the coffee table and manually light them. I look in Enzo's booze cabinet for wine but only find Bourbon and Whiskey.

I find my laptop and decide to log into Netflix (under Enzo's account-shocking right Enzo has a Netflix account but he never uses it). Looking for a movie took a little longer than I thought it would so I decided to go with something a little clichéd and watch The Holiday Inn. The movie came out in 1942 and it was a musical. This should be interesting considering I'm not the biggest musical type of person but this Christmas is all about new traditions.

When I have my meal, my glass of bourbon and the (crappy) fire is set, I sit down at the couch and start of the movie. I enjoy my meal but this movie is just torturing me. At that stage I would rather have Alex capture me and torture me to death.

"Oh god it's freezing in here!" I look up and watch as Enzo walks in with two wrapped boxes, "And I'm technically dead."

I had not seen Enzo since he promised to find out more about Michael. That was about a week and half ago. He absorbed my setting after he set everything down and took his coat off, "Well this is cozy yet awfully depressing."

"Not like I had much of a choice." I shrug at him, "I trust your Christmas was better since you're mocking mine."

"Actually it was worse!" Enzo sighs and sees the bourbon out and smiled widely, "Ah my faverote."

"I hope you don't mind," I say to him, "It's really good."

"On the contrary College Girl, I'm just glad to see you enjoying something other than cheap booze." He smiles at me and pours himself a glass, "And it is the holiday. So cheers." He lifts his glass up to the air and takes a long sip.

"I take it you had to spend time with Alex for Christmas?"

"I made the mistake of asking her about her siblings and she went all aggravated on me in the middle of Christmas lunch." Enzo huffs in frustration, "So I left."

"So nothing on Virginia and Yvette?"

"Sorry Love." He sighs as I just frown. Back to square one. The disappointment must have been very evident in my face because the next statement Enzo made was rather chirpy, "Perhaps this will make up for my lack of bored results." He holds out a baby blue and lime green box and a thick file underneath it.

I look at it and then take it from him. I look at the file first.

"Everything I could find on not only Michael Craine but also The Craine Coven." Enzo says coming to sit next to me with bottle of bourbon and his glass. He tops up my class and then his, "Turns out you were onto something. Michael Craine was a distant cousin of yours. Like really, really distant. However the Craine witch bloodline stopped with him."

"He had no magic?"

"Seems like it." Enzo shrugs, "Could have been a siphon and was just unaware of it. I mean how does it work when you get your powers."

"Well I'm not quite sure if it's the same with every witch," I say, "But with it was always somehow always just in me…I just needed to concentrate hard enough for it to happen. You know this one time at a high school car wash I set a car a light and all I was doing was focusing on the flame and I was mad cause I was told to clean a pavement."

"Well clearly he didn't live an exciting life." Enzo says sarcastically. I glare at him and he just chuckles but then is serious, "That's all I could find so take a break from diary duty and see what you can dig up there."

"Aye-aye captain." I say placing the file on the table. I then look in the box, "Do I even want to know what's in the box."

"Well that's what Christmas is all about isn't it?"

I smile at him and then open it. I gasp at what I see inside. It's a portrait sized framed picture of Grams and I. I know this picture, it used to hang in her house in an older frame- one she found in her store room and just glued it together. This frame is white and smooth. I lift it up and look at it and smile. Underneath that frame is another of me, Caroline and you. We're wearing our cheerleading outfits and laughing at something your mom said while she took the picture.

I look at Enzo with eyes full of tears and a huge lump in my throat, "Enzo…"

"Don't have to say anything," He shrugs, "You've felt so lonely lately, a lot actually. I figured it wouldn't hurt bringing some of the old into the new life you plan on embarking on once all of this madness is over. Oh and," He stands up and grabs the other box and hand it to me, "I figured you need this back."

I open the box and there lies my camera, now with a new frame, "My camera." I smile widely at him and then sigh.

"What is it?" He asks concerned.

"This is too much," I say to him shaking my head, "I didn't get anything for you."

"Actually," He sighs, "Bonnie, I was thinking about it the other day when you told me you wanted me to be happy. That I need to be happy…That alone is enough for me to make me happy, believe it or not." He looks at me, "Someone caring enough that I'm happy. So I want for you to out into the world and be happy too."

In that moment I was lost for words, I know that doesn't happen often. I smile at him and then say before trying to clear my throat of the lump, "Thank you Enzo."

He smiles and then points at the kitchen, "Besides that delectable Risotto smells good enough to be a Christmas present." He stands up to make himself a plate.

After he has eaten, rather quickly, he says picking up his guitar "Now time for a charismas carol."

"Seriously?" I can't help but laugh as I continue to sip on my bourbon.

"Seriously." He says sitting next to me with his guitar on his lap.

"When was the last time you had a proper Christmas?" I ask him looking at the fire he managed to fix before he ate.

"Give or take three years before I went to world war two and then the Augustine's captured me." He shrugs. My faces turns into one of sadness and he sees that, "Don't worry about it…it wasn't all bad. In the Augustine Cell, they used to let me listen to the radio and listen to carols that were playing at the time."

I smile, "Ok…what was your favorite one."

"Oh…let's see… there was the traditional one like Come All Ye Faithful … and there was the real rock and roll stuff like Santa clause is coming to town," He then stare at me and then smiles widely, "I know the perfect one."

He begins strumming gently but a really happy tune which I immediately recognize as winter wonderland. I didn't expect him to start singing and I also didn't expect him to have such a delicately powerful voice. It was beautiful, "Sleigh bells ring. Are you listening? In the lane…Snow is glistening…A beautiful sight…We're happy tonight, Walking in a winter wonderland." He smiles at me and then says, "Join me?"

"No." I shake my head giggling.

"Why not?" He smiles while he continues to strum, "I know you know the words because you've been swaying as I've sung." I didn't even realize that I was doing that, "It's that bad, come on listen," He starts the tune again and continues the song with his freakishly beautiful voice, "Gone away, is the blue bird…Here to stay, is the new bird, He sings a love song…As we go along. Walking in a winter wonderland." He closes his eyes as he sings. Feeling the tune and soul of the song.

I sigh as he begins to the next verse and just go with it. 'why the hell not' I say to myself, "In the meadow…we can build a snowman." He opens his eyes and smiles at me when I start singing with him, "And pretend that he is Parson Brown…He'll say are you married…We'll say no man," We both mock shock in our expression causing me to giggle while he continues to sing but still smile, "But you can do the job…When you're in town."

I start singing the next line with him, "Later on we'll conspire…As we dream by the fire…To face unafraid…The plans that we've made…Walking in a winter wonderland." The next thing I know I'm singing by myself as well as clicking my fingers as he continues to strumming mindlessly. For some reason I didn't mind singing alone, "Sleigh bells ringing…Are you listening? In the lane…Snow is glistening…"

"-Yeah," He smiles at me.

"A beautiful sight…" I continue singing and swaying. I even end up closing my eyes, "…We're happy tonight...Walking in a winter wonderland…Gone away, is the blue bird, Here to stay, is the new bird…He sings a love a song…As we go along…Walking in a winter wonderland"

When I open my eyes he's grinning at me and I can't help but smile with him as he continues the songs with me, "In the meadow we can build a snowman, And pretend that he's a circus clown…We'll have lots of fun with Mr. Snowman…Until the other kiddies knock them down."

"Come on this the last verse," Enzo smile and we begin feeling very soulful as we start to sing the last verse, " When it snows, ain't it thrilling?...Though your nose, gets a chilling…We'll frolic and play, the Eskimo way…Walking in a winter wonderland… Walking in a winter wonderland" He deeply gazes at me now and I can't help but look back at his beautiful deep hazel eyes, "Walking… in a winter… wonder…land."

When we are both finish we continue to gaze at each other until I break it by laughing, "I'll hand you this Mr. Funny; you can definitely hold a tune."

"Well you weren't nearly as awful as I thought you'd be." He grins at me and I hold my mouth open mocking offence, "Don't be angry…you should be glad compare to your guitar playing…your voice mesmerizing."

I just roll my eyes at him and then look at my laptop, "I was actually watching a movie before you barged in."

"I can leave if you want?" He point at the door.

"No don't." I say quickly.

"Eager to have me?" He looks smug as he says this.

"Eagar to have your company." I smile at him, "Would you like to join me?"

He smiles at me, big and bright, "I would be happy to College girl."

As we set the laptop up on the coffee table and begin the movie from the beginning, a movie it turns out he saw when it first came out, I look at Enzo and smile.

"Enzo?"

"Yeah?" He turns his head to face me.

"Merry Christmas." I smile at him.

He chuckles a little, "Merry Christmas Bonnie."

It's crazy what new traditions can do Elena. It makes me appreciate more moments that I'm having and to live in them. I smiled for hours after I went to bed only because I was living in a moment and Enzo, was making each moment that much more special. It's odd isn't it…but what I want to say to you right now as you're reading this…is live each and every moment like it's you last Elena and don't live in old memories and old traditions. Whoever you're with, wherever you are…be happy in that moment right then and there. And know that-that happiness was accessed because you weren't feeling sad for days that passed…you were feeling happy.

B

Authors Note

Hey guys so as usual thank you so much for reading this.

A big shout out to Metro Lyrics for helping me out with the lyrics (Christmas Carols - Winter Wonderland Lyrics | MetroLyrics ) - Click here if you want to read the lyrics. Then a huge shout out to David Choi and Savannah Outen for inspiring my chapter and choice of Winter Wonderland. Click here to watch them jam out this old time classic.

I hope you are all taking note of the fact that this chapter is set on Christmas which is on the 25th of December and five days later according to TVD something big is going to happen next . So wink wink to chapter 17. I will just leave that assessment there for you to sink in because we all know what comes after that.

I know it's been awhile since e I've updated, that's only because I'm updating according to reviews so the the more reviews I get the faster the chapter comes in *wink wink*. On a serious note also been trying out the "special" chapter coming out soon so yeah:)

Loves

CJR

Xxx

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