Nightmares were not a stranger to Bonnie Bennett. After all, her life was a nightmare she couldn't wake up from.

The forest hummed with life. The deer pranced past her as she walked deeper into the forest. Its trees beckoned her into its farther sections as the birds hummed to her. She stopped when she was on the edge of a clearing. An ink-black wolf rested in the middle of the clearing on patches of lavender. A wolf she recognized.

"Klaus?"

The wolf's icy sapphire eyes snapped open. The wolf let out a low growl before getting up. He trudged further into a denser, darker section of the forest where it would be harder for a regular person to walk. Still, she ran toward him, but couldn't keep up even at her pace.

"Wait!"

A hand caught her as she tripped on a rotten tree branch that lay on the forest floor. She tilted her head up to see a mischievous pair of blue eyes. Damon.

"Let me go."

She pulled herself out of his grasp. He laughed.

"You never were good at making friends."

"Fuck off!" she hissed.

"Does it sting? That Elena chose me over you despite everything?"

She tried to run again, but her legs could only manage a slow walk. Her fingers trembled as her body was cooled by the wind picking up. Damon's presence was a shadow that crept behind. She pushed her legs to sprint, but it was no use. She couldn't escape him.

"You're nothing without your magic."

"Leave me alone!"

"What will you do if I don't? There's no one to protect you, witchy."

She cried out for Klaus, again and again. She tried to yell despite the tears trickling down and her throat becoming raw from her pleas. Her voice became drowned out by Damon's snickers and chuckles.

"It's just who I am, witchy. Elena would understand."

Still, she called out to Klaus.

She had been spun around and forced to face him. She sneered as Damon's eyes dilated. She clawed at his hands which had an iron grip on her arms, but it was no use. She was a caged rabbit ready to be devoured.

"If you killed me, Elena would never be able to forgive you." His ghoulish smirk widened. "I think she'd forgive me if I killed you, wouldn't you agree?"

A shaking hand woke her up from her nightmare. She wheezed as she caught her breath. Her eyes fluttered open to see Klaus sitting on the bed beside her. His blue eyes were wide as he watched her. Was he concerned? She bit her lip.

"Was I loud...?"

"No," he paused. "I... heard you calling for me in my head."

Her eyebrows raised. How had she called to him mentally? The bond must be shaping up. Bonnie let out a few even, calm breaths before leaning against the bed frame.

He asked, "were you having a nightmare?"

She nodded. Her guilt from earlier clawed at her. Even in her nightmare, she wanted to talk to him, but was this the right time? Her eyes scanned his messy hair and pajamas. Maybe she should wait? The guilt could eat her up more if she let it go on for longer.

She placed a hand over his. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Klaus's jaw tensed. "I shouldn't have expected you to change your opinion of me so quickly. I supposed that shows one of my flaws."

"Flaws make you human."

"Human?"

"Yes, human." She gazed down. "It's hard for me to be vulnerable. I'm sure you can understand."

"I'm not exactly the most trusting person in the world."

"It's like I want to trust you, but I've been disappointed before."

"By me?"

"A little. It has more to do with my prior friends."

"You are afraid of being betrayed."

"Betrayed. Hurt. Fooled."

"I understand. We can take it one day at a time." He flipped his hand over, so his palm was touching hers. "Do you want to talk about your nightmare?"

"It was about Damon."

"I know your friendship was strained."

"We weren't friends... I don't think even Stefan knows the full story between me and Damon. We had to be allies but I hated him." Her brows furrowed. "The only time I had control over Damon was if I hurt him with magic. He would take it as a sign to leave me alone or shut up. Elena would laugh at the fact I'd do it or the others would ignore it and move on or think he deserved it and moved on. Stefan was usually not present or if he was, Damon would behave better." She exhaled. "The one time an ancestor contacted me, it was about Damon. Emily had made a deal and all this crap. Well, she didn't give him what he wanted and told it to him when she possessed me. He got mad and attacked me despite the fact he knew Emily was only possessing me. It was awful. Stefan had to give me blood due to it. It wasn't the first or last time Damon threatened me. It was just the first time he got physical. I wasn't the only one. I mean he used Caroline when they had a thing. She was basically a fuckable blood bag to him. Anyway, he would threaten me when he or the others needed something. I got used to being hounded by him for demands, but I tried to make him miserable to some degree. It was the only thing I could do. Aneurysms, throwing, fire..."

"Did you tell Elena?"

"I mean she was there when I got attacked the first time. She was there other times as well. I don't think Elena thinks he's changed his ways now if that's what you are thinking. I think she only cared as long as he didn't go too far. Last summer when she cheated on Stefan with him, I think she only thought about how he treated her and not anyone else."

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know she had cheated. Did she and Damon forget why Stefan was even with me that summer in the first place?"

"That's one reason I was able to forgive Stefan. I felt bad for him and saw he was treated shitty like me."

"With friends like that, who needs enemies?"

A smile formed on her lips. "That's why I could find it in myself to work with you besides the Other Side thing. Yes, we were enemies, but our actions had made sense. We were in a survival death match. Damon acting in a similar way made no sense. He was hurting me just because he was pissed. He'd mock me in the most juvenile ways like him nicknaming me witchy. Witchy is a play on the word bitchy. I never brought it up because I didn't want Elena to take his word over mine."

"She never pushed back?"

"She did a few times, but most of them were about her. I didn't see it as her being selfish but her seeing the good in people when there wasn't any." She sighed. "How naive I was... I wish I could say I am indifferent now. I wish I could, but I can't help but hate them."

"Hatred is not a bad emotion. It reminds us of being wronged by someone."

Silence lingered in the room for a moment. Her gaze went to their clasped hands. The coolness of his palm didn't bother her. In fact, she wanted to lean into his cool touch. She could laugh. She found Klaus comforting like the time she had cried in his presence.

"In the nightmare, Damon caught me when I was following after you in wolf form. I was trying to call out to you, but you didn't come back."

His other hand reached toward her face. Her breath caught in her throat as his thumb rubbed against her lower eyelid. A wayward tear?

"Maybe I should have let you continue to sleep," he murmured. "I would have come back for you."

Her eyes met his. The warm blue eyes were back. She smiled.

"Can't let Damon have your rabbit?"

He smirked. "My rabbit?"

Her cheeks heated up.

Klaus added, "I think Damon would come to find my rabbit likes to bare her teeth. I don't think he could handle it."

His teasing grin made her want to throw the covers on top of herself. His other hand retracted from her face, but he leaned closer.

She retorted, "what else could a poor rabbit do?"

"Fool every wolf into thinking the rabbit can do no harm." He brought her hand up to his lips. "But I am more than willing to be that fool."

-X-

In the late afternoon, she was staring out the window in the living room. The snow had started to fall, and she was in awe of its beauty draping against the forest. Its pearly white color covered the ground to the trees. Despite the frigid temperatures, the animals still chattered among themselves, and deer ran as if it was any other day.

"Will we be snowed in?" Kol questioned.

"The news says the roads will clear Tuesday morning. The snow isn't the issue. The ice is really bad and will be worse tomorrow and Monday since it'll warm up before refreezing."

"More missed days for me," she mumbled.

However, it wasn't like she dying to go back to class. The amount of work she had to catch up on would be mind-numbing. At least she wouldn't be sick, she hoped. The medicine Lydia had given her had worked like a charm. Literally. She hadn't had any symptoms and she was back to having a normal amount of energy. It felt relieving to be back to normal. Well, as normal as Bonnie could be.

"You want to go out?"

She turned to see Stefan's soft gaze on her as he stood a foot away. She grinned.

"Of course."

She went to grab her comfy tennis shoes from her room before coming back out. All three raised an eyebrow as they saw her put her shoes on.

"Aren't you going to put on your winter clothes?"

She was wearing a long sleeve pajama shirt and long pants. Both were wool.

"I'll be fine. I just want to go out for a minute."

When she sprinted out, the frigid wind whipped past her. The wind was furious today especially paired with the icy temperatures. However, she couldn't complain about the crisp air that filled her lungs.

She felt one with nature. The smell of frosted pine lingered in the air. The animals chatted and she even saw some movement further out in the forest.

She could live in that moment forever. A serene view and close to nature as the birds sang her a lullaby.

She hadn't realized the temperatures were dropping until Klaus came over to her and wrapped her with a blanket. When their hands touched, her eyes widened. Her hands were as cold as his.

"You'll freeze if you stay out here any longer. You can come back out when you've warmed up."

She looked back to the cabin. Stefan and Kol were on the porch with an obvious I-told-your-stupid-ass-so expression.

She pouted, "fine."

She wanted to savor the moment even as she trudged back to the cabin. Deep down inside, she knew the good times were not the ones that lasted. They had to be cherished for their sparseness.

-X-

When twilight had hit, they had all gone back out on the porch to view it. She was certain she was the only one who cared about the view but the other three insisted. Even if they didn't care, it did make her heart flutter that they insisted on being there with her. The view, of course, was stunning. The dark clouds with splashes of a navy sky were beautiful against the white snow-covered land.

The day had been relatively quiet, but Klaus had told Stefan and Kol a snippet of what happened this morning based on what Bonnie had told him to say. She wanted them to know about what had happened between them in regard to the bond, but not the rest. Kol had been asleep, and Stefan had gone out for a walk at the time.

Her eyes went to Stefan. She didn't know how she'd tell Stefan about Damon. She didn't want him feeling guilty over what had transpired. The worst of Damon's treatment had been last summer when he was gone. It was awful. Her nightmare only reminded her of the underlying fear she had of Damon. Still, she had to tell him.

Without Elena's feelings being considered now, she could breathe easier. If Damon tried to do something like he had done in the past, she would strike without hesitation and without remorse.

Her heart thumped. To think a man who could be crushed by her lifting her hand scared her. All because Elena had gotten in the way. She had to live in fear of upsetting her and being hurt by him... No longer.

When they had come back in, Kol was ecstatic to make hot chocolate. The modern, American way he had said. When he went to make it in the kitchen, everyone else sat on the floor of the living room on the rug.

"We should test the bond," Stefan suggested. "Can you try calling out to me in your head?"

Bonnie relaxed and tried to call out to Stefan, but when she opened her eyes, his expression was blank. She pursed her lips and tried again.

"Nothing?" Kol asked as he came out with drinks and handed one to each person. He then settled down on the carpet with his drink.

"Maybe it is stress or fear that makes it work?" she said between sips. "I called out to Klaus because I was having a nightmare."

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "Why him specifically?"

"I saw his wolf form in my dream while I was being chased." She grimaced. "Were you asleep at the time Klaus?"

"No, I was just reading."

"I could try it on you again." She set her cup down and took in a deep breath before closing her eyes. She screamed his name in her head multiple times like a mantra. She peaked with one eye.

"Nothing."

Her eyes fully opened, but she tried again. Nothing in his expression changed causing her to sigh.

"Maybe it was contingent on fear."

"We have to also consider the bond is not fully formed," Kol added.

Their conversation shifted to other topics. Mundane ones. Yet, she would still try to call out to them throughout. None worked to her dissatisfaction. It took an hour until she fully gave up and indulged herself in her third cup of hot chocolate made by Kol and focused on their discussion.

When night had fully hit, she was ready to sleep. She went back to her room and climbed into bed, but she remained awake. She sighed as she turned on her other side again. She wondered if her body feared another nightmare. Her body was tense despite her fear of Damon being expelled. Maybe her trauma was trapped physically? She had heard that in a human psychology book for sure. Or maybe it was trauma traps itself in the mind and manifests physically? She rolled her eyes. She really should have paid attention in that psychology class.

Her eyes widened and her body jolted when she saw Stefan two feet away from the bed. Why had he been that quiet? Before she could curse him out for nearly giving her a heart attack, he held up his phone that displayed a message.

Can you do a spell to make the others not hear?

She raised an eyebrow before she nodded and flicked her wrist. She shuttered as magic flew out into the air.

"The others went to bed, so I didn't want to wake them up just in case."

"You scared me."

A boyish smile appeared. "Sorry."

"Is something up?"

"I wanted to test the bond again." He sat on the bed. "Close your eyes. Try calling my name in your head again."

She let out a breath before closing her eyes. She tried calling out to him in her mind. Bonnie was expecting Stefan to respond a "no," but something else happened instead. His lip traced her neck. His tongue and fangs then swept against her jaw.

She shivered.

His hands snaked behind her waist as his chest pressed against her. His lips met hers for a moment. The softness in his kiss became hard and rough before his lips slowly trailed down her neck again. Her body became hotter with each second.

Her face heated up when his body was fully pressed against her. Even if their clothes separated them, she could feel him. Her eyes widened when she felt something hard brush against her thigh. It twitched.

His tongue and fangs slid against her jaw again. This time she couldn't help but let out a moan. Want burned her core. No, she needed Stefan. She tugged at his hair and needed him closer. He complied causing friction between them and their clothes. They both groaned before he traced his fangs down from her neck toward her chest area.

Stefan.

Her eyes flew open when Stefan stilled.

"...It worked?"

"Since witches' magic is tied to emotions, it would make sense you could mentally call out to us with any emotion. However, since the bond is just forming, I figured only strong emotions like fear and lust may work at the moment."

"...That's..."

Clever? Smart? Bonnie was still trying to get a grip on reality again. She couldn't muster the words to fully answer. She sent a glare his way which earned her a chuckle.

"Did I surprise you?"

"Yes." She turned her head. "Though I feel a bit used."

"I can make it up to you."

Her heart skipped several beats when Stefan lifted her leg and kissed her ankle then her mid-calf. His dark green eyes stared directly at her with each kiss.

"Stefan," she stammered. "We should talk."

He gently let her leg back down. Stefan's eyes changed to concern.

"That's never a good phrase." He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I wanted to tell you about my nightmare, and I wanted to talk about us." She stuttered. "Sorry... I didn't mean to ruin the mood— I just —really want to talk to you."

"You didn't ruin anything." He moved himself to sit right beside her. "Let's talk then."

Despite her nervousness, Stefan took her right hand into his. He gave her an encouraging smile. She sucked in a breath before exhaling. It would be wrong to have continued without communicating. She was so used to going with the flow of others that she hardly vocalized her needs and expectations. If she wanted to have a healthy relationship with Stefan, she had to speak up. That in itself was the hardest part.

Still, they needed to talk.