I'm kinda depressed right now...Going from 20 reviews in three days to nine in a whole week. Less than half in twice the time. How did that happen? I mean, I thought you people liked this fic! Please don't tell me you dislike the fact that I saved Grams?! I had a hard enough time deciding what to do about that! And now...hard as I try I just cannot find the inspiration to continue writing Promises of Salvation...I have most of the story worked out in my mind, but I just can't seem to be able to write the chapters.

I wasn't sure if I actually should update. But in the end I decided that at least nine people wanted to read it, so for them I would do it. I really, really hope this will be good enough that readers will come back. Please! It's not even funny that I went from being so ecstatic I was practically bouncing off the walls (I think I actually scared my mom and sister, acting crazier than usual), to this...so depressed. I don't like being depressed!

So please! Take some pity on me!

And well, to those nine who did leave review: THANK YOU SO MUCH!! You're the best.

Now, here's the next chapter. Let the Angst begin!

Chapter 4. Dream and Reality

***Dream***

She could feel the wind surrounding her, the sun shining on her face, the moistness in the air sticking to her, keeping her cool despite the exertion her body seemed to be in.

She was falling…

Or perhaps not, perhaps she wasn't falling, it didn't feel exactly like falling, the wind was whispering around her, instead of hitting her from below, and she didn't feel the panic she was sure she would if she were actually falling to her death.

Besides, if she were falling, she would remember falling from somewhere, right?

That wasn't the case, instead it felt as if she had been doing…whatever it was she was doing, for a while now.

Floating?

Maybe even flying?

Who knows?

It still felt awkward though, like a baby bird who just discovered what its wings were for, it felt as if she had no actual control over her own actions, could do little more than allow the wind to carry her around as it pleased.

And yet…and yet she didn't feel afraid.

Even though she was so used to being in control, and in that moment she most definitely wasn't, she felt perfectly at ease. As if somehow, deep inside her, she knew that everything would be alright, there was nothing to fear; what she was feeling was perfectly normal, she just had to let go and enjoy it all.

A single sound reached her ears, it felt as some kind of call, though it wasn't a human voice. It was coming from slightly above her, as if someone were following her, or watching over her, or a mix of both.

She heard the call, and even without actual words a part of heard knew the message it was trying to convey: 'I'm here…'

She could feel the need to answer, to reassure her companion that she was fine, and enjoying herself immensely. Even when, consciously, she had no idea just who her companion was supposed to be, it felt perfectly natural for that individual to be there in that moment, she was just about to turn her head, just a little, just enough to face him; she felt something akin to a caress on her face, something feathery light…

***End of Dream***

Bonnie opened her eyes ever so slowly, a part of her brain registering the soft fabric of her bedrooms curtains as it whipped her face slightly, due to the morning breeze; the rest of her mind however was most focus on how the curtains were actually touching her face, when her bed was on the opposite side of the bedroom from her window. It didn't take her long to realize it, and there was just enough time for her mind to process the required thoughts for her to flip and land in a crouch right next to her window-seat.

It was the fifth time in the past week.

She would go to sleep after doing some reading on magic, then at some point her dream would switch from whatever nonsense it may be to that same sequence: the wind, the sun, her mind trying to rationalize everything before accepting the fact that she seemed to be flying, noticing someone was flying along with her, right above her, but before she could finish turning to look at what or who that might be, she would wake up, about three feet in the air!

The first two times she hadn't actually moved from her bed, and while her bed had creaked loudly when receiving her weight back in such a sudden way, nothing had actually gone wrong. Then the third time she had woken up to find herself halfway through her room, while still floating! Her shock had been so great she had plummeted right down the moment both of her eyes were open, earning a few bad bruises on her legs and the arm upon which she fell.

The previous morning she had actually realized what was going on, a fraction of a second before the magic seemed to leave her; she tried to move but just wasn't fast enough, earning herself a sprained ankle when she tried and failed to land on her feet.

This morning though, she had been better prepared. Taking deep breaths so as to hold onto what was left of her dream at least a second more, and then putting in practice everything she'd learnt during her time as a cheerleader, she managed to land in a crouch. The landing was actually a bit rough, but at least this time there were no ankles twisted or bruises on her body. She had wondered how she would explain those if they kept happening.

And the possibility was there, for she still didn't know what exactly her dream was supposed to mean, and how long she might keep having it. She wondered if her floating from her bed was related to what she was actually dreaming about, or if it was just a consequence of her powers being a bit out of control. It's not like she could actually do a repeat of it during the day, while perfectly awake.

Two weeks had passed since that trying night when the two last witches of the Bennet Line had attempted the impossible and managed to keep their lives; though just barely, in Sheila's case, as she was still in a coma due to the draining of her magical-core.

It had been two extremely long and tiring weeks since Bonnie had received answers, and ended up with twice as many questions. There was so much she still couldn't understand, not only regarding the memories she still couldn't recall, but also a certain Damon Salvatore and his involvement with the hazel eyed witch. Still, all that madness had to take a backseat to Bonnie's growing magic.

Ever since that day the young woman had taken to meditating every morning and every night, as well as practicing her elemental manipulation every afternoon and reading more on the theory of magic every evening; in the weekends her schedule was even tighter.

And yet, it wasn't enough, nothing seemed to be enough nowadays.

Her magic just seemed to keep growing faster than she could learn how to control it. It was growing exponentially, and Bonnie had a feeling that if it weren't for those flashes granting her some insight to at least some of it, she might have totally lost it a while ago.

.---.

On Monday, on the last week of classes before the Christmas break, Bonnie arrived to the school with barely any time to spare, they had their History exam that day, and as nice as Mr. Saltzman tended to be, she still didn't want to be late.

The young witch had noticed how the man seemed to almost nervously glance at Stefan every so often, and that he barely looked at Elena unless absolutely necessary and never for too long. She'd a feeling there was something going on there, but since it wasn't her problem, decided not to get involved, she had enough on her plate already.

Besides practicing her magic, keeping with schoolwork and visiting her Grams daily to make sure she was still on the road to recovery, Bonnie had also been having an internal struggle: Should she confront Damon with the information she now possessed? Should she go to him to try and find out if he remembered anything at all about their past? Maybe, even if he'd forgotten, he was now remembering, like she; maybe, he was just as baffled and confused about it all as she was.

Who was she kidding? Damon Salvatore baffled and confused? That was just not gonna happen. Still, a part of her wanted to know what had happened, to understand when and why it had all gone wrong. She wanted it so much it was almost a physical ache, something that just wouldn't leave her alone no matter how hard she tried.

Elena had obviously noticed just how introverted her best friend had become, the way she seemed to be distancing herself from everyone; and still she chose not to impose. The brunette could still remember how it felt to feel so lost, so empty, she had felt that way for a long time after losing her parents, only when finding Stefan had that ache begun to ease, and even after six months it still wasn't fully gone. Even if Bonnie's grandmother wasn't dead, she was still at the moment lost to Bonnie, and that had to hurt the girl.

There was also the fact that Elena's relationship with Stefan seemed to finally be recovering after that awful fiasco with Katherine's old photograph and Damon taking her along on his road trip to Georgia. The tensions had lasted a bit too long for her comfort, but she wanted to believe it had made them and their relationship stronger.

The young woman now knew she was adopted, and that there was a very high probability of her being somehow related to Stefan's old lover Katherine; still, she had decided she didn't care, Stefan loved her now, not Katherine. Actually, and from what he'd told her, he hadn't ever really loved Katherine, she'd compelled him to notice her.

So Elena had managed to convince herself she didn't care if she looked like a carbon-copy of the disappeared vampire, neither did she care about her ancestry, blood or no blood she was a Gilbert, nothing else mattered. And yet…she had a feeling this ancestry thing would come back to bite them all in the end…probably literally.

Caroline was probably the only friend who didn't seem to be noticing anything at all, busy as she was with the new and blossoming relationship with Matt. Who would have ever guessed those two could make such a good couple? It certainly would have never occurred to any of their friends, considering just how different they were, and yet it seemed to be working just fine for them.

Another that seemed to be distancing himself was Jeremy, he'd barely been seen all week, moments in school aside; he seemed to be keeping to his room more and more every day. Elena had a feeling it was related to that vampire-girl Anna, that Jeremy felt depressed because she had left; in a way, for him, it was a repeat of the situation with Vicki, even if he didn't know everything there was to know about either girl.

Bonnie, on the other hand, had a feeling that there was more going on with Jeremy than one could notice at plain sight. Elena's younger brother had gone the deep end in the summer, true, he had been many things: irresponsible, drug-addict, half-crazy, depressed…whatever, but stupid certainly wasn't in that list. Jeremy was actually quite smart, even if he usually hid it well; there was no way so many things could keep happening around him, without him eventually realizing something odd was going on…if he hadn't already.

In any case, the young witch had already had decided that when that problem blew up, if it even became a problem, it wasn't really hers to deal with. She might be a witch, true, but in the end she wasn't the one dating one of the undead…with all respect to Stefan.

And that thought just brought her directly to the one thing…person…vampire…she didn't want to think about:

Damon Salvatore. Her Dark Angel.

Was he even her Dark Angel still?

That was one question she was afraid of finding the answer to.

.---.

After History they had no more classes, and since Bonnie already knew her best friends would be spending that time with their respective beaus she decided to make herself scarce, and using some research she was doing for extra-credit in Philosophy she left for the library.

The place was practically empty, something the young woman was actually grateful for as she began searching through the bookshelves. She actually hated philosophy, which was why she was so close to failing, hence the need for the extra credit.

Truth is, that while Bonnie didn't dislike reading, she actually enjoyed it at times, texts of Philosophy tended to tire her, most were just too boring as far as she was concerned, and getting bored wasn't exactly the best motivation for doing something.

She was moving her hand through each book, searching for some old philosopher's book on whom she could make a paper, it was due for the following morning and she didn't have much time, especially not if she wanted to keep her scheduled magical-training.

Her hand froze quite suddenly, as her mind registered the name on the book, a name she actually recognized, not exactly because of the man's actual work, but because of something she could remember that involved that name:

***Flashback***

"I hate Philosophy, it just has to be the worst subject every invented." A fourteen-year-old Bonnie complained as she dropped onto a bench in the park.

School had just let out for the day and she had been mumbling and groaning all the way from there to the park, where her friend had insisted they stop for a few minutes. He heard her as she complained and ranted a bit regarding useless subjects and boring-teachers-who-just-want-to-see-their-students-suffer.

"We have to write a paper about at least one Philosopher that made his work on the topic of Liberalism and all that. It's due in two days and I have just no idea about anything at all." She groaned as she buried her face in her books. "I hate school."

"You shouldn't." He mumbled.

He sounded so serious, something especially unusual when she was being childish, as in those occasions he much preferred to mock her, that she couldn't help but turn to him in interest.

"Education is an important thing." He explained to her in a calm but serious manner. "Now war, that is something to hate."

"I don't exactly get the comparison." She admitted. "I mean, of course war is bad, but it seems strange to compare it specifically with war." She watched him closely for a second and then added: "And yet you seem to be speaking on experience."

"I am." He admitted soberly. "You don't know how much I would have preferred if I had been able to go to College instead of being sent to the War."

"I believe you once told me you had deserted the army, right?"

"Yes, that's right. And it's actually related to all this Philosophy you seem to hate. I never liked the idea of going to war. Unlike other young men my age back then I didn't have any delusions of glory or victory or anything that idiotic. War's a stupid thing, it's what I've always believed and always will believe. While a battlefield is definitely a great place for one such as I to find food; as far as you humans' lives, it's nothing but a waste."

Bonnie sighed softly to herself, only he could be that compassionate yet cold at the same time; sounding so concerned and so indifferent at the same time. Her friend was defiantly a walking contradiction, yet she wouldn't prefer it any other way.

"I read a lot while I was in the army." He continued. "Books and pictures were most of the time the only source of comfort any of us had; and the sporadic drink once in a while." He shook his head. "Many of those books I read belonged to my bunkmate, his name was Mitch, he was a small frightened thing, barely more than a child really. He loved reading, anything he could get his hands into he would read, he was definitely not cut out for battle, didn't survive long. Our superior officer was all for throwing away most of his stuff, but I was curious; after seeing him every night reading those books, I wanted to know, to understand what made him so interested in all that. Turns out most of his book were on Philosophy. At first I found it boring too, until I began understanding. Philosophy is more than just a theory, it's the mix of thoughts, feelings and experiences of particular individuals; you can see their work as their journal, their record of everything they've learnt, experienced and discovered at the same time; sometimes it also things they wish or hope for."

There was such a passion as he spoke about all that, Bonnie could hardly believe it; in all the years she had known the man she had never imagined him as a Literate Man, a Philosopher, yet in that moment it made perfect sense.

"Those books are what kept me grounded during the months I spent in the battlefield." He continued. "I read them again and again, until I knew most of them by memory; but I tried my best to not only memorize them, but also understand the truths behind it. For example, John Locke, he was a British Philosopher, considered by some as the major influence on modern liberalism; others have also called him revolutionary, troublemaker, as well as other…less civil terms. In the end the only thing sure is that he was a Thinker, one who put his thoughts into paper, and eventually became famous for it. He talked about separating church and state, when such a thing wasn't even an idea yet; he also wrote about religious tolerance, property, politics, etc. He wrote of what he knew and what he hoped for. Many more Philosophers did that, in their own particular ways. And even when some agree and others seem to contradict one another, it doesn't matter, because they each were right in their own way."

Silence reigned for a few seconds when he finished speaking, while Bonnie looked at him with a mix of respect and admiration shining in her eyes.

"What?" He asked, shifting slightly under her intense gaze.

"Wow…" She mumbled. "You're definitely way better at this than Ms. Richardson."

"I'm way better at everything than anyone you know." He retorted cheekily.

She laughed merrily before taking his arm, pulling him to his feet and away from the park.

"Where to?" He asked as he allowed her to lead him.

"To my home." Bonnie replied with a smile. "I think I'm ready to write my paper now."

***End of Flashback***

Still half immersed on that memory Bonnie took the book on John Locke's work from the shelf and moved to the closest desk. The British Philosopher was as good topic as any for her to write her research on, and she guessed the prior knowledge about him didn't hurt either. Maybe she would even be able to get a decent grade this time.

.---.

It was already after sunset when Bonnie finally finished her paper. After that flashback she seemed to get enough inspiration and had managed to finish all her research in just one afternoon; all that was left was for her to type it in her computer and print it.

Satisfied with her own work Bonnie was almost whistling as she made her way to her car, and then drove home. She was halfway there when suddenly she recognized a street and made a turn, in a couple of minutes she was stopping the car right at the park. The same park from all her memories, normal ones, and recently remembered ones, the same park she had visited so frequently as a child and a young teen.

'This place holds so many memories…' she thought as she took a seat, in the very same bench from her latest flashback.

As she sat there she could almost picture it all, herself a few years younger, and Him, looking exactly the same as he did in the present, as he had for the past 145 years, sitting right beside her, relaxed and grinning; but not that arrogant, mocking smirk he seemed to have in the present time, but the true, delightful smile she used to be able to bring out in him.

So lost she was on her reverie that she didn't sense the approaching presence until it was almost too late.

Letting instinct take over Bonnie spun to a side while still sitting on the bench, she then held onto the armrest, using it to proper herself backwards, flipping over the back of the bench, managing to get out of reach of the new arrival just in the nick of time.

It was a vampire, the red veins, black eyes and shadows on her face showed that right away; another thing Bonnie noticed right away was that her moves were firm, collected; she wasn't just throwing herself at her, she was hunting her.

In a second Bonnie's mind pushed aside school, her home, and everything inane or even human; her instincts taking over as she tried to remember everything her Dark Angel had taught her once about defending herself from vampires, as she remembered she began repeating everything in a whisper, and she could almost hear his own voice as she called up another of her long forgotten memories:

"Always stay on high alert, don't depend on your eyes, human eyes can't follow a vampire's movements, instead focus on your sixth sense, focus on foreseeing his movements, for only then you'll be able to keep him from hurting you. If you have to fight, never stop moving, don't allow your opponent to plan a way to get at you. Never look a vampire in the eyes, witch or no witch, if they take you with a low guard they can compel you, and it will be all over. And mainly, never, never, let a vampire find you with your guard low."

She mentally kicked herself, remembering the oak stick she had sharpened a few days prior with plans to carry it in her hair inconspicuously and use it as a makeshift stake when in an emergency. She had totally forgotten it on her vanity that morning.

"Ok," she mumbled angrily at herself as she tried to concentrate on her magic. "A vampire already caught me with a low guard, lets not forget anything else."

But, apparently, it wasn't to be, she had all her focus on the vampire stalking before her; to the point where she didn't realize there was a second one until he had her in a headlock.

Bonnie began cursing herself, she'd definitely been stupid, staying in the same spot instead of keeping in motion like she had been taught. If she could only focus enough to call on fire…but the vampire kept holding her tighter, and tighter, and it was becoming so hard to breathe.

Suddenly, air rushed back into her lungs, it was so sudden that it took her a second or two to realize that she was free, and the vampire that had been holding her captive was now in the ground, writhing, a stake through his chest.

Bonnie was vaguely conscious of the first vampire scrambling away from her, keeping to the shadows so as not to be noticed; the rest of her mind was entirely focused on the one other person in the place; the man who had just saved her…again.

Two words left her lips before she could so much as think about stopping herself:

"Dark Angel…"

And say you'll hold

A place for me

In your heart.