My Crow (Vampire Diaries Fan Fiction)

Chapter 16

That evening Bonnie sat down on the window seat after having finished her homework for both school and witching lessons, enjoying the warm summer breeze caressing her skin, while the scent of the roses underneath her window filled the air. Her thoughts drifted back to the awkward conversation about the crow she'd had with Elena this afternoon. She'd never seen Elena acting this... strange. And the things she had said seemed utter nonsense. However, her words somehow had stirred a feeling of unrest in Bonnie, as if her friend had appealed to instincts she'd buried deep inside when she grew more and more attached to her crow. Her crow...

A soft croak pulled her from her thoughts and Bonnie looked down to see the crow sitting next to her hand, his head cocked as he ruffled his feathers.

"Oh," she sighed. "Birdie." But instead of cupping her hands for him to hop onto, she didn't move, as she merely stared at the bird on the windowsill.

He was a crow like every other crow, a bird of medium size, with gleaming black feathers and intelligent, beady eyes. She'd grown to love this bird and every evening when he alighted on the windowsill and would hop into her hands, she would like to think that he liked being with her, liked to be petted by her, for he had even come back when she'd run out of biscuits.

The crow seemed surprised by her withdrawn reaction, because he suddenly flew up and landed on her knee. It was as close to the window as he'd ever been. He croaked indignantly as what seemed to be a questioning gaze appeared in his black eyes.

But Bonnie simply looked back, then asked: "What is it about you I should be afraid of? Why did Elena want to warn me about you?"

The crow stilled, probably from the serious tone in her voice. He blinked.

For a long moment, Bonnie silently studied him, imagining the bird staring back at her with a reproachful gaze in his gleaming little eyes. Finally, she sighed guiltily and slowly reached out. With her index-finger she stroked his little head, eliciting a purring sound from the bird. A small smile lit up her tense features.

"I don't want to stay away from you," she whispered, as her thumb stroked his soft feathers. She shifted so she would cup her hands for him to jump into, which the bird immediately did. "You've helped me through the loss of my Grams, you're there when I need someone to talk to and it always seem like you actually... understand."

The crow cocked its head as if nodding and with a bit more decisiveness Bonnie added: "I won't let you be taken away from me. You're my crow."

"Caw!"

With a ruffling of its feathers, the crow called indignantly and Bonnie smiled as he cocked his little head. "I'll just pretend that you agree with me, Birdie."

The crow simply clicked its beak and peacefully nestled into her hands, as Bonnie relaxed against the windowsill, thoughtfully looking into the general direction of her grandmother's old house.

She hadn't been lying. The bird had helped build up the courage to face the world, and to face life again and now that he was here to stay, she felt that she was finally ready to take the last step in the healing process.

"I've decided to visit Grams' house tomorrow after school," she said quietly and the crow looked up with a surprised gaze in his beady eyes. "I feel I'm ready now... thanks to you, Birdie."

The crow cocked its head and almost contently croaked at her words.

For a moment, Bonnie remained silent as she absentmindedly stroked the bird's feathers, enjoying the shivers of pleasure coursing through his little body, as she watched the last rays of the sun disappearing behind the dense wood looming behind the front yard.

The crow started to move in her hands. Darkness had fallen over Mystic Falls. And she knew that was almost time. The regretful moment that her bird would disappear into the woods. "It's almost time for you to go now, Birdie."

She cast a last glance on the dark trees across from the house. "I just wish..."

Her voice trailed away hesitantly as a blush coloured her cheeks, but the crow looked up at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue.

Then Bonnie confessed quietly: "I just wish I was a crow and I could follow you wherever you're going when you leave at night..."

With a surprised sound the crow clicked his beak and completely stilled his movements at her longing words.

"Bonnie? Who're you talking to?" A voice came from the other side of her bedroom door. Bonnie's head snapped up. It was her father. She hadn't even noticed him coming home and neither had the crow apparently.

"Ehm, just some bird, dad. He comes here sometimes for some biscuits," she replied hastily, hoping that her father wouldn't decide to come in. But after a moment of silence, her father replied absentmindedly: "Oh, ok, honey. Just don't let him soil the entire windowsill."

Bonnie's eyes widened and a nervous giggle escaped her as the crow flapped its wings in silent protest, utterly affronted.

"I'm sorry," the young witch mouthed at him as she lowered her hands to let him hop onto the windowsill.

The crow flapped its wings, understanding that it needed to be silent and clicked its beak as Bonnie made to go inside her room, a spot of black against her white windowsill, seemingly equally reluctant to leave. On an impulse, she bowed forward and brushed her lips against his little head in the smallest of caresses, making the bird go completely rigid as he stared at her with an unreadable look in his beady eyes. Then he suddenly took off and disappeared around the house.

"See you tomorrow, Birdie," she whispered regretfully and closed the window.