"No..."

Reality and the past had begun to blur in her mind. Her eyes had just begun to brim with fluid as she thought about when she would cling onto Jeremy so desperately. As if she was stuck on autopilot as she continued to follow the person who once was her world and even if the being of her new world hovered behind her. The love she held for her friends was her anchor to living plane yet it seemed more of a curse as months went by. On one quiet night, Bonnie let the fact of her new life hit her. If she spent eternity walking the earth she was sure she would never feel as lonely as she felt in that moment. As Jeremy walked away with some classmate, she sneaked out other companion ship.

She found herself in deep thought constantly as she walked the realm of the living. Bonnie shook her head hard, trying to banish those thoughts. She tried everything to get the thoughts of her past out of her head. Relax, they told her. Go to the bar, they said. It's just the jitters, they said. Have more sex, they said.

Caroline had told her as she went out on another date, "The only way to get over someone is to get under one." laughing at her own predicament. The words hit her core and it became a viable cure for this odd emptiness inside her.. She followed her best friend's advice. An itch had developed under her skin and she was trying so hard to rid herself of it. No relief was found, pain and emptiness had begun to grow.

Now she was trapped in the crosshair of the one who caused it.

All night she felt as if she was being watched, it wasn't until she left for a walk around the campus to clear her mind, she found the answer. It was then she finally noticed the familiar face sitting so patiently on a bench. Adrenaline kicked in and she ran as fast as she could back to her dorm room. If she ran fast enough maybe she could outrun the memories of the past. She was utterly out of breath by the time she reached her dorm. It was all in vain as he appeared in front of her the moment the door closed, revealing his presence.

"My stupid little witch"

She slapped him hard. Bonnie couldn't breathe with the amount of fury that flowed through her. He stood before her so proud, she wanted to rip him from his pedestal.

"Never send a boy to do a man's work." he chuckled.

"Man? I only see a ghost of one." She hissed as she turned her back to him. A smile came upon her as she heard the click of his teeth slamming against each other. His arm grabbed her and spun her back around.

His eyes had a sheen that she was unaccustomed to, his face was no longer longer clenched in anger. An emotion that he could not feel. He stared and in that moment she felt fear.

Her hand overlapped his hand, clutching it softly. Kol stood before wearing the outfit he died in and she in a simple summer dress. She breathed in slowly, trying to calm her nerves. Kol placed his other hand on her shoulder blade.

"Don't..." Bonnie whispered.

Kol sighed and looked to the floor. "Reserved for the boy?" He was grim. "All you had to do was die to get him." His anger had resurfaced with a vengeance.

Bonnie's heart sank like a rock, making her feel quite ill. She shook her head as she took another deep breath.

"Be..." Bonnie said hesitantly, her hand clutched his hand harder as she looked up.

Did they live in purgatory? Do they know why no one wishes to be there even if hell is an option? No one could understand what happened while she was dead. The ache. All those who hovered in the plane often scattered to the wind as they tried to reclaim their former lives. Kol was the only person she found who understood and the only living contact she had while Jeremy slept and lived his life.

It was temporary madness.

His voice dropped low, as he leaned in closer. Bonnie stiffened as she felt his lips near her. "What do you want?...the man or the ghost?"

Think of Jeremy. Jeremy loves me. I love him. They were finally together.

"Better yet...the vampire." Kol whispered and he leaned ever closer until his chest was just grazing her chest.

Her body began to betray her. More than that, she felt it unleashing the desire she thought vanquished. Bonnie licked her lips.

They couldn't tear their eyes from each other, something so strong and primal ensnared them. He knew the answer, his lips curved slightly and he bent his head.

Kol's hand had slowly moved it's way up from her shoulder blade to right behind her neck.

He pulled her hard against him, closing the small gap. Bonnie forgot everything then. Fire ran through her veins, burning up her skin, making her ache. It felt as if she was pushed out of her body for a moment. She was shocked to hear a breathy sound escape her mouth and even more to hear a whimper from Kol's. She gripped on anything she could grab, pulling at his clothing.

A knock on the door shattered the moment into a million pieces.

"Bonnie." he whispered as he lifted his lips from hers. His hands still entangled in her hair. Bonnie's eyes remained closed but she was breathing hard.

"Bonnie?"

Bonnie's eyes snapped open as she heard her name said by someone too alive, someone too close.

Kol moved away from her so quickly he nearly shoved her against the wall.

Not now

She leaned against the wall, desperate for air. Her heart was beating so loud, it was hard to even hear Jeremy's knocking. Bonnie covered her mouth with her hands, tears rushed out of her eyes.

By the time she had composed herself, Kol had disappeared. She opened the door and was swept up in a hug.

"Everything is going to be okay" Jeremy whispered into her ear as he hugged her tight. Bonnie knew something was wrong as she clung back to him. She buried her face against his chest, trying to chase away the terrify feelings of what was to happen next.

-

The blood had begun to drip from her nose as the soul finally past through her. The soul was that of a young vampire, his true face was still on as he passed onto the other side. His last words were lost on her as they were in a language she never heard of. It made her imagination run wild what he could have spoken; had he passed some secret knowledge to her or maybe a way to stop the ache that was taking over her entire body. The little strength she had was quickly seeping from her pores as more blood flowed. Bonnie stumbled up from her desk and tried to make it to her bed. It was in vain as she finally succumbed to exhaustion a few steps away.

Hands wrapped around her waist and for a moment she felt steady. Bonnie took a deep breath and looked to see who it was.

"Jeremy?"
Her mind desperately tried to put together why he was there. She had woken up and drank some moon tea, gone to class, and...It dawn her, she had seen her boyfriend and spent time with him. She cursed under her breath. Her eyes scan her room for another familiar face. "Was he here too?"

"Who, Bonnie?" Jeremy asked softly as he brought her to the bed.

A weak smile formed on her lips. "Nobody"

There was an awkward silence between them. She didn't know what to say to him. "The one you staked, the one I..." she mouthed as if to free herself from her own lie.

"We are going to find a cure. Don't worry." Jeremy said as he went to sit back down on the bed. "We' ll do it together"

Bonnie avoided looking at Jeremy, walking to the dorm's singular window. "I think I need some time alone."

He grew uneasy. "I don't think thats good for you. You need to be around living people. Not the dead."

She forced a smile upon herself before she turned to face him. "You are a great boyfriend but we do need some space. I can manage."

Jeremy's gut instinct was telling him to stay but Bonnie's expression was begging him to agree. He spoke no more as he got dressed and gathered his things.

"Love you" he said as he gave her a peck.

"Love you too" She said quickly as she closed the door behind her.

The "nobody" was staring at her from the darken corner so much fury, she was surprised she had not turned into stone.