for all that it's worth now

by malachai-hades-parker

After Rudy and Abby's (messy) divorce, Bonnie Bennett uproots from San Francisco to move across the country with her mother. When the Parkers offer to house them for a short time, secrets about Bonnie's true lineage come to light. A pawn between two covens, Bonnie uncovers a plot that could turn her world upside down.

A/N:

happy new year, fambily. y'all know i was insta-trash for this coven drama/incest AU allie was talking about in the discord, so, uh... here it is. the initial idea and the inspiration for the plot (and also some of the scenes) is all directly from allie's abandoned fic. i did do a full rewrite of the entire thing, so this is 100% my writing and my version of it, but some of the ideas and the general plot are still in place. if you don't know who i'm talking about and have somehow stumbled upon this whole ass mess on accident, allie is donutworry on ao3 and fuckitimfangirling on tumblr. definitely be sure to check out her fics and follow her- she's probably my closest bk friend and one of the fanfic writers that inspires me the most with this pairing.
the idea that the bennetts are the only witch coven to not have to sacrifice anything to keep using magic was something that i mused about a long time ago, and sort of semi inspired allie's idea for this initially. so now it's coming full circle and i'm v excited about it. 3
also *BIG WARNING*, this fic deals with a lot of coven drama and blood purity themes. as a result, the main romance (between bonnie and kai) is incestuous. there's also a heavy theme of them kind of being witch soulmates, so... do with that what you will. this isn't going to be light incest, either. it's going to have a lot of plot, but also be very smut heavy, lol. if you're not ready for that, please turn away from this now. aside from that, it deals with the typical bonkai kink material like exhibitionism and dark shit.
thanks for reading~

xxxx

"Bonnie, it's for the best," Abby says as they're on the flight back to Mystic Falls.

Bonnie doesn't believe her.

Rudy's relationship with all of the Bennett women had been strained for years- the pressure of having a wife who was also the Potentate of the most powerful witch coven in the world had worn him down. Bonnie had never thought of her father as someone who liked complicated things. From his mundane obsession with crossword puzzles to his very methodical approach to work and home life, he'd never been a good fit in a household constantly full of herbs, spells and magic. The first time Bonnie accidentally hexed a boy from school, Rudy had grounded her to her room for almost two weeks. She hadn't been entirely sure if it was punishment for her actions or a result of Rudy's fear to be in her presence.

Bonnie sometimes wonders why Abby ever married him.

She knows the answer, of course. Or at least part of it. She watches her mother as the older Bennett woman leans back in her plane seat, putting on the headphones of her old walkman.

Abby had tried dating another witch before- Joshua Parker, of the Gemini Coven. From what she knows about it, the affair did not end well. Maybe Rudy had been some sort of relief from the supernatural from her. Some sort of attempt to fix whatever hole Joshua had left.

Bonnie only knows as much as she does because Abby had decided to be open about what had happened for the sake of the longstanding friendship between their two covens. Ever since Bonnie had been anointed Potentate to take Abby's place on her eighteenth birthday, it had become her responsibility to then uphold these alliances.

But now, this was being put to the test. Because Abby, Bonnie and Sheila were all going to be staying in the Parkers' mansion for almost a month, if not more.

After Abby and Rudy's recent divorce, Abby had decided the best course of action would be to leave San Francisco and move back to their hometown of Mystic Falls, Virginia. While their house undergoes renovations, however, the only place for them to go is to the Parkers'.

Abby says she should be grateful. She's not. At least, not yet— but she is suspicious.

Grams had always told her it was a Bennett gift to have psychic premonitions. Bonnie always listens to hers.

xxxx

The rest of their trip from San Francisco to Mystic Falls flies by.

They take a cab from the airport to the Parkers'. Abby says the rest of their belongings should be arriving by UHaul either tomorrow or the next day. Bonnie just nods along. As much as she wants something familiar to cling to, even her own possessions, she can't help but feel like she owes it to herself to learn more about the Gemini.

To know what kind of coven it is that Abby might have married into if it weren't for the Bennett condition.

Bonnie knows how it works. Witch covens, since the beginning of time, had each maintained a unique covenant to the Ether that guaranteed their family's continued magical heritage (and sometimes even their survival). Usually it was gruesome; morbid. Involving sacrifices— human or otherwise.

The Gemini were no exception. Their coven practiced a 'Merge' ceremony at age twenty-two that essentially sacrificed one twin to crown the other leader of the coven. If the current leader were to die at any point, it meant death for the entire coven.

The Bennetts were different. They required no such sacrifice. They were the only witch coven in the world with an untainted covenant to the Ether— one that begged no sacrifice in return for their magic and prosperity. They had endless power.

The catch, obviously, was that mixing bloodlines with other witch covens could potentially threaten this if the Bennett line was lost to that other coven. As such, the Bennetts had spent generations marrying average, non-magical men and breeding children that were sometimes non-magical (but always had at least one girl that was to become Potentate).

Bonnie doesn't have to wonder what Joshua is really like for too long.

"Bonnie, is it? It's, uh.. nice to finally meet you," he says as he holds the door open for her to wheel her carry-on in. When he shuts it, he reaches a hand out for her to shake.

Bonnie can see why Abby had liked him. He's handsome, with silver hair and warm eyes. There's something else there that she can't quite shake— something in the set of his jaw. The way he holds himself. Maybe it's just because he's the Potentate of his own coven, she thinks. Her mother is like this too, in a way. A little bit serious and a little bit stiff.

"Likewise," she says, taking his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Joshua."

He gives her a small smile, releasing her hand. "My girls Josette and Olivia share a room, but I'm moving Jo over to Druilla's room to make some space for you. You can find Liv's room at the end of the hall on the right after you go up the stairs."

She gives him a nod, pressing her lips in a somewhat forced smile.

Bonnie starts heaving her luggage up the stairs when she hears Abby and Sheila come in.

"Josh, it's so good to see you," the older Bennett woman greets, and Bonnie turns just enough to see her mom giving him a hug in greeting. Sheila is coming up behind her as well, shooting a wry smile at the Gemini Coven leader.

"You too, Abby. I hope coven negotiations for the new year have been treating you well so far. You and Sheila can stay in the guest bedroom- there are two beds. Please, make yourself at home."

Bonnie turns, heading up the stairs to go find Liv's room.

The other witch is watering a succulent on her window sill when she comes in. She'e dressed in small pajama bottoms and a thin tank top, her curly blonde hair unruly.

"Oh," she says, straightening up. "It's you." Her tone isn't necessarily hostile— it's almost tired.

Bonnie cocks one brow. "Yes..?" She rolls her suitcase in and folds her arms uncomfortably. "Who else did you expect? Santa Claus come early?"

The blonde gives her a sour look. "Look, Bonnie, I don't know you, but.. if you're here to oogle our coven for the freaks we are, I'm gonna need you to at least keep your opinions to yourself."

Bonnie gives her a hard stare. "You're Olivia, right? Sorry, I don't think we rolled the introductions out before you started pushing your personal insecurities on me."

The other witch's lips twitch and guilt settles in her blue-grey eyes. "You're right... I guess. I don't mean to sound bitchy, it's just.. we're usually more closed off than this, y'know? Our covenant isn't exactly normal. Especially not compared to yours."

"No one's comparing. Besides, we essentially don't have a covenant. I'm not going to blame you or judge you for yours." Bonnie lugs her suitcase over to the still-made twin bed on the far side of the room. It's obviously the one Joshua had intended for her. "Thanks for letting me sleep here. I know how random this all is. Our parents used to date, so... the fact my mom even wants to come here this soon after the divorce with my dad is honestly a little weird."

Liv's eyes widen in alarm. "Wait— your mom and my dad?" She huffs. "Is there a reason he didn't tell us about this?"

"Maybe it's because I'm his super-secret love child," she says dryly. She means it as a joke, but Liv's shoulders only grow stiffer.

"You? Dad's kid? N-no way. That's— that's like some kind of covenant sin. No one in witch politics ever courts a Bennett. To have a kid with one?" She's more upset than Bonnie would've expected.

She starts to wonder if maybe it's less of a joke and more of a lucky guess. Her stomach churns and she suddenly feels like she's going to throw up. Rudy...? Not her dad?

"Okay," Liv says, wringing her hands. "I'm officially un-inserting myself from whatever Hell-drama is about to break loose between our covens over this." She moves for the door. "Just... unpack, Bonnie. I'll stay out of your hair."

Bonnie watches her go. Her stomach is still churning.

xxxx

When it's time for dinner later that night, Bonnie meets the rest of the coven.

She was only able to see the coven's mother, Gwendolyn Parker, from the photos lining the hallways. She was blonde, and looked eerily similar to Liv. Joshua tells her she passed because of cancer two years ago and Bonnie murmurs her apologies.

It isn't until they get to the dining room that he points out each of the kids.

Everyone is seated around the table, and the plates are already set. There's a lasagna entree with a couple sides of mashed potatoes and green beans in the center.

Bonnie recognizes Liv sitting next to a boy that looks strikingly similar to her.

"You've already met Liv. This is her twin, Lucas. To the right is Druilla, Joey, Adelaide, Elias, and then..." He gestures towards a dark-haired girl that looks to be Bonnie's age, or at the very least a year or two older than Liv and Luke. "That's Josette. She and her twin brother are in line to be Potentate." He clears his throat, and Bonnie notices Jo glance down quickly at her plate, as if uncomfortable.

Abby and Sheila are already seated at the very end of the long table, but there are still somehow extra seats. When she makes eye contact with her mom, the older witch smiles a tight-lipped smile of encouragement.

"This is Bonnie," Joshua clarifies, his hand touching the small of her back. "I expect all of you to make her feel welcome here."

There's a murmur of greeting that's almost eerily in unison. Bonnie wonders if it's not because the family is just used to Joshua being strict and no-nonsense about coven matters. After all of her time being raised as a lone witch with only her mother and grandmother as guidance, she can't imagine being in a family this big, much less a coven.

As Joshua's hand leaves her back, she awkwardly heads for the seat next to Jo at the end of the table.

Her behind barely touches the seat when she feels the entire room tense up once more. Looking around to see where everyone's gaze is drawing towards, she sees him for the first time.

"I'm hoooo-OME," he calls out in a sing-song voice, the front door slamming behind him and shaking the walls of the house. "Wow, are we, uh, cooking something? It smells like someone cooked a four-course meal without me."

The first thing Bonnie thinks is that he looks to be Jo's twin. He has her same dark-haired look, which she assumes they both inherited from Joshua. It's hard to say since their father has since gone silver.

He has pretty, expressive features, with a grin that's just as radiant as it is mischievous. There's a cold glint to his blue-grey eyes, though. Bonnie can feel her psychic connection alight within her, sensing just his chaotic presence alone. He's dressed in a blue baseball jersey, his hair ruffled as if from the wind.

He steps over the threshold, eyes cutting from one side to the other as he surveys each row of the dining room table. "You really did cook a four-course meal without me. And a dinner party, too? Ouch."

He moves to Bonnie's side of the table, taking the seat next to her. He seems to realize as an afterthought that the actual food is still in the center of the table, but he's too far to reach it.

"Hey, can you pass me the lasagna?" he says to Bonnie, moving a little too close to her. She tenses up, but she isn't sure why. Something about the way he poses his body makes her feel like it could be a weapon.

"Sorry, manners. I'm Kai— nice to meet you. What you should probably know about me, since my entire family seems to be shell-shocked right now, is that I'm what you'd call a 'siphoner'. So, yeah, uh.. nevermind on that lasagna pass."

Bonnie barely has time to process this or what it means when his hand shoots out, snatching her wrist. He gives her a little wink just before she feels it hit her.

It's a tearing at first— the feeling of magic peeling from her atoms and being sucked straight into his fingers. It almost hurts, but there's something else. A pleasure to it. It's almost like that thrumming sense of warmth before an orgasm.

She takes in a shuddering breath, keeling over on the table. She can vaguely hear shouts of outrage from the background, maybe from Joshua.

She pushes back. Using the endless connection between her own magic and the Ether, she imagines wielding that magic and shoving it towards the siphon. His grip loosens in surprise, even a small gasp escaping his lips.

Bonnie shoves one more current towards him for extra measure and he lets go of her.

"What the hell was that?" he exclaims, more confused than angry.

Bonnie's heard of siphoners before. Of course she has. They're part of the legacy of the Gemini Coven— a fun little side effect. She turns to look at him, shooting him the coldest look she can muster. "You're right, Kai. Your manners do need a little work, don't they? If they were in check, you would've asked me what my name was. I'm Bonnie Bennett, and I'm the Potentate of the Bennett line. If you do that to me again I'll crush your skull without even flinching."

Kai's mouth presses into a sheepish line that's somewhere between an amused grin and a concession. "Well, Bonnie. It's nice to meet you. If you don't mind—" Raising the same hand he'd used to siphon her, he levitates the lasagna dish over to his spot at the table and takes it from middair.

Joshua is standing up out of his seat, eyes flashing with anger. "You have the gall to wonder why you weren't invited to dinner and then you pull a stunt like this? Magic zapping our house guest? The Bennett Potentate?"

"Joshua," Sheila speaks up, having placed her silverware down. Kai is in the background piling food onto his plate as if his father isn't talking. "Give it a rest, child. Bonnie can handle her own just as any of us Bennett women can."

"Wow," Kai says, shoveling food into his face so liberally that Bonnie can't help but be taken aback. "It's so dramatic in here. Very 'Days of Our Lives'."

Joshua shakes his head, giving an exasperated sigh, but sits back down. "Malachai is Josette's twin, Bonnie. Like I said, the two of them are in line to become the next coven leader. I wish I could've warned you about his attitude problem, but I doubt it would have done any of us much good. You've seen firsthand how he acts, now."

Bonnie notices Jo is still doing her best to look away. She watches the other witch for long enough that she almost forgets to reply to Joshua. "Uh.. Don't worry about it. I guess." She busies herself by piling food onto her plate.

Kai shoots her a look, his eyes glinting with amusement. She looks away quickly, wishing he would stop doing that with his gaze. It's almost like he knows exactly what she's thinking or feeling, she realizes. The bizarre, unspoken electricity between them is still lingering in the air.

Finally, from the other end of the table, Luke clears his throat. "Well, this is just great, guys. Nice attempt at a family dinner. I think we can all give ourselves a pat on the back for this one."

Liv snorts from his left.

"Bonnie," Luke continues, fixing his gaze on her. "Are you in college or anything? What do you do outside of coven business?"

Bonnie shoots him what she hopes is a grateful look. His question helps take her mind off of Kai, who is still eating like a complete slob next to her. "Um, yeah, actually. Er, I will be, anyway. I took a break after graduating high school to travel with my mom and take care of coven business. But, now that we've left San Francisco and are staying in Mystic Falls, I'm getting an application ready for Whitmore. I want to study Education so I can eventually start a school or a collective for witches in training." She shoots Sheila a smile. "Kind of following in my Grams' footsteps in that regard."

"That's a great idea, Bonnie," Joshua pipes up. "And if you need any witches to help, you know our coven is always a friend to you."

Bonnie cuts at her food, giving a half-hearted smile. She'd really intended to have the conversation with Luke, but it looked like Joshua was trying to intercept even that for his own gain. She wonders why he's being such a kiss ass. It couldn't all be coven politics, could it? She makes a mental note to ask Abby later.

Eventually, the awkward spell from Kai's disruption dissipates and everyone starts talking again. Now that the attention is no longer on her, Bonnie turns to Jo. "Hey," she says tentatively, offering the Parker girl a friendly smile. "Sorry about totally stealing your room from you. I really appreciate you letting me stay there, though."

Jo finally looks up, giving Bonnie a hesitant smile. She's pretty, Bonnie thinks.

She has the same dark-haired looks Kai has, but her eyes are a lot more blue than his. "Really, it's no problem, Bonnie. We're glad to have you here. Don't mind my brother being a complete ass. Wish I could say it's a special occasion, but it turns out he's just always like that."

Kai's gaze snaps up, a lazy grin curling the corners of his mouth upward. "So bitter, Sissy. I guess you wouldn't really understand the kind of stab in the back it is not to be told about a dinner party when you're the de facto family chef. When's the last time you've cooked at all that didn't end in a disaster big enough it threatened national security? If you were on Food Network, Josie, Gordon Ramsay would make you into an idiot sandwich."

Jo makes a face at him that Bonnie can really only describe as unamused. "Eat my shoe, Kai. Not all of us are sociopaths with an acute baking obsession."

"You talk a lot, don't you?" Bonnie says to Kai, tone cool. "It would be such a shame if you woke with your tongue spelled to the roof of your mouth."

"Did you want to put my bib on, too?" Kai asks, and Bonnie gives him a look of confusion and disgust. "I mean, if you're feeding me free magic and all. Since you're a Bennett, it's basically like an all-you-can-eat Siphoner buffet, right?"

"Malachai," Joshua warns, and Bonnie sees it this time; the way the earlier warmth zaps from his eyes when he looks at his son. There's nothing but a bottomless well of hate and impatience in there.

Bonnie wonders if she should even blame him. There's a malice to Kai that she can't swallow, but she still doesn't trust Joshua either. Her urgent need to corner Abby and get some answers is only growing by the second.

"I'll just choke you," she says, and then stops abruptly. An automatic heat washes over her face— she definitely hadn't intended for it to come out in that fashion. "The magic will, I mean. If you siphon me." She gives him her best attempt at a cold smile, putting her silverware down. She can't afford to falter in any confidence, especially as Potentate. "So maybe don't get in my way."

He smirks into his food. "Kay. Your loss."

xxxx

The rest of dinner passes quickly. Dru, Addie and Jo help Joshua clean in the kitchen while Luke, Liv, Kai, Joey and Elias split off to their rooms for bed.

Bonnie almost forgets that everyone except for Jo and Kai are still in high school. She privately wonders why the twins aren't in college yet— maybe some morbid tradition of waiting until after the Merge so no time or money is wasted on schooling for the dead twin.

Sheila and Abby are in the guest bedroom at the other end of the hall by the time she goes to knock on their door.

Abby has her hair in a towel as if she'd just taken a shower and Sheila is posted up in the bed on the far side of the room, reading a book.

"Bonnie," her mother greets, looking surprised. "Come in, sweetie. We were just talking about dinner— I'm just so glad you finally got to meet Joshua and the coven."

Bonnie gives her a tight-lipped smile, stepping over the threshold. "I'm not here for small talk, Mom. I just had the weirdest confrontation with your ex-boyfriend and his psycho eldest son over lasagna, so you can imagine I have a few questions."

Abby sighs, plopping down on the end of her bed and patting the mattress to indicate Bonnie should sit down next to her. "Like?"

Bonnie doesn't sit down. Her patience is only waning. "Like, I dunno, why Joshua hasn't told some of his kids you two even dated? Seems an awful lot like someone hiding something, doesn't it? When did you even get pregnant with me, anyway?"

Abby goes paler than Bonnie's ever seen her before, and it's suddenly crystal clear.

She's not Rudy's kid. Her psychic senses don't even have to be tingling for her to know. It's written on her own mother's face.

"Bonnie," Abby starts, but she's already shaking her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

"You weren't even going to tell me," she chokes, backing up. "You were seriously just going to wait until I put the pieces together, weren't you? That my dad isn't even my dad? That Joshua has some fucking agenda to have us over here like this? You really took that risk? Even if /I/ was lucky enough to be born with the Bennett covenant, /you can't mix our bloodlines/. What if all of the Bennett Potentates following us broke tradition too and bred with other covens? We wouldn't all be so lucky. One day another witch will overpower us and we'll be assimilated into their coven, /bound/ to their covenant. The Bennett gift wiped away." She's shaking now, her anger sending magical currents through her body from her head to her toes. "You really want to risk doing that to your kids or your grandkids? Just for a fling with /one/ guy?"

Abby is standing now, tears filling her eyes. "Bonnie— listen— I know how it looks, okay, sweetheart? I know it looks bad. But, Joshua, he... He means a lot to me, and I'd appreciate it if you'd keep an open mind. The Gemini are a powerful ally, and—"

"Are you /seriously/ asking me to keep an open mind about breaking coven tradition? /I am your Potentate/," Bonnie growls, and the lamp on Abby's bedside table flickers off, the bulb exploding.

"Bonnie Sheila Bennett," her Grams interrupts, resting her book to the side. "We Bennett women don't talk to our predecessors like that. I suggest you calm down and think about your next words, child. Irrational anger is not a good look on anyone in a place of power."

Bonnie feels a hot burn of shame that only heightens her emotions. "You don't get to talk to me like that— like I don't get to be angry about being /lied to/ for twenty-three years. Did you know? That Rudy wasn't my dad?" Before Sheila can answer, she turns on Abby again, but her voice is softer. More defeated. "Tell me why I'm here, then. Why I'm /really/ here."

Abby takes a deep breath, looking down. "Well... It's, um.. I was going to tell you tomorrow morning, when we went out on the town, but.." She clears her throat. "Joshua has asked me if you'll bless the Merge coming up on May 9th. It's something only a Bennett can do, since we're the purest representation of the Ether. You'll just need to say a few prepared incantations and give the participants a blessing before the actual Merge."

Bonnie stares at her incredulously. "And this is, what, supposed to make them feel a little less mortified at the idea of sacrificing themselves to their own twin in the name of a magic-cult practice?"

Abby swallows. "It gives them a little more power, Bonnie. The blessing of a Bennett Potentate is a powerful gift. It gives some of our own magic to their heir in exchange for continued alliance and friendship. It's... tradition, and I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner. The part about the house wasn't a lie, either—"

"I don't need to hear any more," Bonnie interrupts curtly, holding up a hand. "That's.. enough."

When she turns to leave, she sees the tears welling up in Abby's eyes once more.

She can't find it in herself to care.

xxxx

Bonnie doesn't speak to her again for days.

Everyone else in the household catches wind of the situation quickly, and they all (especially Liv) give Bonnie a wide berth following the news.

When she comes downstairs on Saturday, she knows she's slept past breakfast. Jo is at the kitchen sink, washing some leftover dishes. A few of them, still dirty, are hovering middair next to her as she's scrubbing a skillet.

Bonnie's socks are still on as she steps into the kitchen, but the floor is slightly wet and she grimaces. "Hey," she starts tentatively.

Jo almost drops the dishes. She telekinetically catches them at the last second, allowing them to settle gently onto the countertop. "Hi," she answers curtly, throwing Bonnie a small smile over her shoulder. "Slept okay? Sorry about the, uh… incident. I heard, obviously."

Bonnie takes a deep breath. "Yep. It's basically in the witchy news, isn't it? Bennett Potentate turns out to be the bastard kid of a scandalous Gemini affair. The hottest gossip of the year."

Jo smiles a little but shakes her head. "It's not what you think. My dad wouldn't share something like that. He didn't even tell his kids, so…" She clears her throat. "Your secret's safe with us, Bonnie. Until you're ready to share it."

Bonnie gives her the best semblance of a smile she can manage. "Sorry, it's just.. It's a lot to digest. I still haven't reached out to my dad about it either." She looks out the window as Jo resumes doing the dishes and starts loading some of the scrubbed ones into the dishwasher.

"Are you planning to? Reach out to him, I mean?"

Bonnie shrugs, leaning against the counter. "Maybe eventually?" The witch cuts her gaze to Jo, narrowing her eyes. "What's the deal with Kai? Your birthday is coming up. Are you not worried about that whole siphoning thing when it comes to the Merge?"

Jo's shoulders tense up and she drops the skillet. It hits the bottom of the sink with a clunk. "I, uh… I try not to think about it." The dark-haired witch forces a sheepish smile as she turns to face Bonnie again. "What, do you think I'm so insecure I'm worried about my asshat of a brother winning against me in a magical trial of death? Please. He watches Food Network and plays Dungeons and Dragons for a living. It'll be like taking candy from a baby."

A twinge of suspicion rises in the pits of Bonnie's stomach and she wonders if she's being over paranoid. "Ohh-kay," she says finally. "Touche? I guess."

Jo opens her mouth like she's going to say something, but is cut off by a crash as the window over the sink shatters. A red dodgeball flies into the kitchen, narrowly missing Jo's head as it soars across the room.

"Jesus," Bonnie says, meeting Jo's gaze incredulously.

"Actually, just me," come's Kai's voice as he enters the kitchen. He has the same jersey on from the other day- the first day Bonnie had met him. There's black face paint smeared on his cheeks like he's been playing football, and his hair is ruffled by the wind. "I can see how you'd get us confused, though. If you looked up and saw me on my broomstick with the sun shining a halo around me, it'd probably be damned near impossible to tell the difference."

When Bonnie just stares at him like he's insane, he grins and claps her on the back. "Ki-dding, Bonnie-Boo. Lighten up- it's just a window. Dad'll probably smash my piggy bank and pay for it with that money anyway." Bending over, he scoops the rubber ball up from the ground. His shoes crunch over the glass and Jo looks like she's going to pass out.

"Are you out of your mind?" she demands, stepping towards her twin brother. "Dad told you to keep the whole Quidditch thing out in the actual woods. Every time you set up in the backyard, something gets broken. Remember that time Joey drove his broomstick into the garden shed and left a hole in the wall?"

Kai looks like he's trying not to laugh. "Uh, yes? Who in their right mind could forget that? It's not every day your little brother starts some unsolicited home renovation on the family garden shed with his magical broomstick."

"Wait, wait, sorry," Bonnie interjects, straightening up. "Quidditch? As in... Harry Potter?"

"What else would I be talking about?" Kai asks, glancing from Bonnie to Jo and back. "Is there another Quidditch I don't know about? I guess it does kinda sound like it could be a disease-"

Jo intercepts this. "Ignore him, Bonnie- he communicates solely in bad jokes. Basically, we set up two sides with three goal posts, have the ref throw the Quaffle and then play the game with all the normal positions. AKA Chasers, Beaters, a Keeper and a Seeker. The Snitch is an enchanted golf ball, the Bludger is an enchanted bowling ball and the Quaffle is just this rubber dodgeball."

Kai nods solemnly. "Also the neighbors sometimes come over to play. They're a branch of the Gemini as well— Richard, Gale and their daughters Marcy and Elizabeth."

Bonnie's sure her expression is one of disbelief. This kind of thing has always been unheard of to her, as someone who was raised somewhat isolated in the Bennett coven. She makes a decision. Might as well do something to take her mind off of the whole family thing, right? "So are you going to actually take me out there, or are you just going to talk this whole thing up?" When she says it, it's more directed at Kai than she'd initially planned.

His grey-blue eyes twinkle at her. "Your wish is my command, Sissy." He holds out his free hand to her as if expecting her to take it.

Bonnie just stares at him like he's lost his mind. "Are you crazy? Why would I hold your hand? Kai, the last time you touched me you were zapping the magic from my veins."

Jo gives the two of them a mildly disturbed look. "Yeah, this is just a liiittle too much for me. You two have fun." She turns back to the sink, shaking her head.

Kai snorts, but it sounds more like he's letting out a half-chuckle he's been holding in. "Y'know, Bonnie, it was just a nice, brotherly gesture. Figured it'd make you feel welcome to the family." She continues to shoot him a dirty look, so he just grins and motions for her to follow him. "C'mon."

Just as she starts to follow him, Jo shouts after their retreating backs. "Guess I'll just start cleaning up this giant mess. Don't mind me."

Bonnie gives Kai a worried look, but he just shakes his head and puts his fingers to his lips. Opening the backdoor, he motions for her to slip outside first.

The backyard is just as homely as Bonnie remembers it. Rolling green grass, baseball gear scattered on the steps. There are even wind chimes hanging from the frame of the porch over near the garden. It looks… lived in. It's the sort of place she's not surprised to see a big, nuclear family inhabiting, cult-like coven practices or not.

Just like they'd said, the Quidditch set-up is not far from the garden shed. The backyard isn't fenced in, and instead bleeds into a wooded area, so the big white posts are planted fairly far back.

The Parkers are zipping around on brooms, and the sight of it startles her a bit. Brooms could be enchanted, but it wasn't a magical world staple or anything. Looking back, she can really only remember one other time she's seen it, and it was at a witch's market full of kids under the age of twelve. With the way Kai acts, though, she can't be too surprised that he's partaking in the same activity.

"It's cool, right?" he says, leaning down to pick up the baseball bat discarded on the edge of the porch steps. "I'm not really into the whole Harry Potter golden trio thing- bunch of self-important babies if you ask me. But when Joey suggested the Quidditch thing, I helped set it up for the first time." He twirls the baseball bat around, grinning. "Sometimes you just wanna smash things." He gives her a wink that feels wildly inappropriate. "Amirite?"

Bonnie's cheeks are suddenly burning and she's looking away from him, a little taken aback. Neither this nor the hand-holding offer feel particularly brother and sisterly, but she can't quite put her finger on what it does feel like. Shame unfurls in her chest and she pushes the thoughts away as quickly as she can. What the hell is wrong with me? she thinks, watching him as he hops off the stairs. He's whistling as he starts to cross the field. She watches the broad set of his retreating shoulders and the way his battered Converse kick up dirt. Stop, she wills, tearing her gaze away. There's a field full of witches on enchanted brooms and she's still staring after her half-brother. It leaves a sick feeling in her stomach.

"Kai!" Joey roars in greeting, slinging his bat at one of the bludgers with an acute smack. The bowling ball flies through the air, headed straight for Addie. The girl jerks her broom to the side, narrowly missing the attack as she catches the Quaffle from Elias.

Meanwhile, the bludger shoots in a straight line towards Kai. Bonnie wonders for a moment if he's going to move or just let it hit him, when at the last second he drops the Quaffle, cocks the baseball bat, prepares to swing and then smacks it dead-center on the enchanted ball. The bludger soars straight for Addie's back and winds up smashing her in the shoulder. Her broom falters and she spirals towards the ground with a somewhat delayed shriek of pain.

"Kai, what the hell?" Liv scolds, and Bonnie's gaze draws to her for the first time. She's standing on the sidelines, so she guesses the girl is playing ref. "You can't just waltz onto the field like you own the place and then start dislocating shoulders when you're not even in the game." She pushes her unruly curls from her face, her pretty features soured with anger.

Bonnie can't see Kai's face, but he gives a loose shrug. "You call it dislocating shoulders and I call it self-defense. How else was I going to hand the bludger back over? Ask it nicely to stop and then hand-wrap it with a nice bow on top?"

Off behind them, Luke has landed and is helping Addie up from the ground. Tears shine on the girl's cheeks.

"Nice going, jackass," Liv's twin snaps, helping her off the field. "Did you also leave Jo to clean up your mess again?" Before Kai can respond, he shakes his head, turning away from them all.

"Can Bonnie take Addie's spot?" Joey calls, cupping his hands over his mouth. Tactful timing, Bonnie thinks. "Puh-leeaaaase, Liv."

Liv looks conflicted, biting her lower lip in annoyance. "You guys are the worst, you know that?" She groans, moving back to her initial spot on the field. "Just mount one of those spare brooms over there before I change my mind, Bennett."

Kai's turning to look at her, but Bonnie tries to avoid his eyes. She can feel warmth radiating from his gaze and it's making her feel more unsettled.

"Don't mind if I do," she says finally, heading towards the un-used brooms.

"One condition, though," Kai interjects, amusement in his voice. "Bonster's on my team. I call dibs on new sissy."

Bonnie takes the broom handle, ducking down to try and hide what she's sure is redness in her cheeks again.

She tries to swallow the weird sensation in her chest as she stands upright again, mounting the broom. What am I about to get myself into?

She somehow doesn't think it's the last time she'll be thinking that same thought.