"Tell me something, Bon," Kai said to Bonnie after sneaking into her room one morning and standing at her bed side, playing with her hair as he waited for her to open her eyes. "Now that our relationship has advanced, do you think you could find it in you to let me out of this prison? Hmm? Please?"

"No," Bonnie sat up and shook her head. "Just because I let us get a little closer doesn't mean the basic rules of this whole situation have been thrown out the window. It's still not safe to let you out among the general population, so this is where you and I are going to stay from now on."

Kai stared at Bonnie for a few seconds and then burst out laughing. "I get it," he said. "You just want me all for yourself. You're afraid that if you let me out into the real world, another woman will try and steal me away and it will drive you insane with jealousy!"

"If that's what you think, you're really off the mark," Bonnie told him firmly. "My desire to stay here has nothing to do with you having other conquests and me being jealous. I'm doing this for humankind, not for myself."

"Well, how altruistic of you," Kai told her. "Not sure I believe it, but if that's the story you're going with, then all right."

"It is!" Bonnie cried. "How could you not believe me about that?"

"Because it's impossible!" Kai cried. "Think about it. No one can be as selfless and altruistic as you claim you are. I think up to a point it can work, but beyond that, it's all bullshit and the reason why you stay here has nothing to do with human kind. You stay here because you want to. Because you like me. Because you like having a chance to just…just be without your friends asking you for help or treating you like their own personal servant because you have powers that they need. That's why you don't want to go back: you don't want to return to being treated like nothing until someone needs something from you, and frankly, I don't blame you one bit."

"I-I…you couldn't be more wrong!" Bonnie cried. "I love my friends. They mean the world to me!"

"But do you mean the world to them?" Kai asked, coming up behind her and pulling her against himself as he whispered in her ear. "If you could see what they were doing right now, would they be mourning your loss, or would their lives just be going on as normal? As if you never existed?"

"Of course they would be mourning my loss!" Bonnie cried. "They care about me just as much as I care about them. And even if they didn't, someone has to save them from whack jobs like you. And since I have the power, that job falls to me, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Kai sighed irritably. "I suppose it does. Although why anyone would want to save the most boring bunch of people I've ever seen outside of my own family is beyond me."

"You don't care about anybody, do you?" Bonnie asked. "Or at least you like to pretend you don't. But I bet I could get you to care about someone. I could. Cause that's what will get you out of here, you know? Showing that you can treat people the way they deserve to be treated without feeling the need to murder them every two seconds! Especially my friends!"

Kai said, "I really didn't want to have to do this, but you don't leave me any other choice, do you?" He then brought Bonnie into her room and told her to sit down on the bed so that she was looking at the television straight on. He placed her teddy bear in her lap and then muttered a spell, causing the TV to turn on, and what it showed were her friends. And they seemed…happy. Or at least not like some terrible tragedy had befallen them.

"You know, today is Bonnie's birthday," Caroline told Elena. "What do you think we should do to celebrate? Just cause she's not here doesn't mean we should forget about it."

"See?" Bonnie told Kai. "I knew they wouldn't forget about me. I told you."

"Just wait," Kai told her. "Just wait."

"You know, I would," Elena said, twirling her hair. "But I'm busy tonight."

"Busy with what?" Caroline asked. Then she scoffed. "What am I talking about? I'm sure that trying to juggle two dates because you absolutely refuse to pick between Damon and Stefan would take up your entire night."

Elena's gaze darkened for a moment and then she brightened and said, "Why don't you come shopping with me? I need something new to wear and you have a much better sense of fashion than I do." She paused. "That blue dress of yours…why don't you let me borrow it? Damon always says I look so good in blue!"

"No, I…" Caroline trailed off.

"Thank you!" Elena told her. "Let's go and get it now. I still have so much left to do to get ready!" She sighed. "If only Bonnie were here. With those powers of hers, I could get dressed in half the time!"

"I can't take any more of this!" Kai snapped and turned the TV off. "Can I kill her? Or would you let me do it?"

"Well, I suppose…I suppose…no," Bonnie shook her head. "What Elena said was unkind, but she doesn't deserve to die for it. You can't just go around killing people because you don't approve of what they do or say."

"Now see, I think that's the one thing you and I are never gonna agree on," Kai replied, his hands still balling into fists because Elena's words were going through his head. "Now, of course I won't make you leave, but…how could you be all right with them talking about you like that? Like you have no use other than your powers?"

Bonnie's mouth opened and closed and finally she shrugged. "I…I don't know. It's just…I've known them forever and I can't see myself not protecting them just because they're unkind to me. That's not how I am."

"Well, I think you're decision not to leave here is a very wise one," Kai told her. "And you're lucky I can't."

"Are you trying to tell me that I'm wrong to think that way?" Bonnie asked.

"Of course I am!" Kai cried. "Damn it, I don't know how much clearer I can say it." He scoffed. "If your plan was to keep me down here through fear, that illusion has been shattered. I don't care how powerful you are, I won't be afraid of a woman who can't even stand up to people who treat her like garbage. I don't care how powerful you are."

He strode off then, slamming the door behind him. Bonnie clutched the bear to herself, feeling oddly embarrassed, and even a little ashamed. Maybe he was right. Maybe she had been too giving of herself with her friends. Then she paused. No. No, that wasn't right. Why was she letting him get in her head, anyway? He had no moral compass at all, so who was he to judge her for doing the right thing? She blew a raspberry at the open door he'd left through, clutched her bear to herself, and threw the blankets over her head, trying to calm herself down and get his voice out of her mind.


She must've dozed off because when she opened her eyes again, she could hear his voice in her mind. He must have sneaked inside her while she was asleep.

"Bonnie…" He was whispering. "Bonnie, get up now!"

"No," Bonnie shook her head and buried her face in her pillow. "No, no! I just want to be left alone!" But as she no longer had total control over her own body, she got out of bed against her will and began making her way to the living room, wondering what in the world was so important. Then, suddenly her eyes closed and she fell on her face on the floor.

"Sorry!" Kai apologized as she got to her feet. "I didn't want to spoil the surprise for you and I forgot that you should only walk around with your eyes closed if you have someone around to guide you."

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked. "Just tell me. What horrible thing have you done?" But then she paused by the kitchen and gasped. It had been decorated for her birthday and there were even presents.

"Oh, my god," she said. "You didn't have to do this!"

"Yes, I did," Kai nodded, appearing beside her and taking her in his arms to kiss her. "Because no one else would, as we clearly saw."

They sat down and had cake first, then Bonnie opened her presents, each one being what could be termed a sexy gift.

"Handcuffs, new black see-through underwear, and a vibrator?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah," Kai nodded. "The vibrator is for when I'm not here, per se…when I've decided to be one with you in a way that…"

"Yeah, yeah," Bonnie cut him off. "I get it! On the other hand, this underwear is awfully beautiful…" she went and put it on, then emerged from the bathroom. "What do you think? Good? Bad?"

Kai looked at her and his jaw dropped. "I, um-what?" He asked.

"I'll take that to mean I look good," Bonnie smiled and came toward him, throwing a black leather speedo-looking thing in his lap. "Put that on," she said with a wink.

"What?" Kai asked, looking at the skimpy piece of clothing…if it could be called clothing at all. "You…you actually want me to wear this?"

"Yeah," Bonnie replied against his ear. "You wear that or my new underwear and I will spend time making friends with that vibrator. It's my birthday. I should be able to have at least one thing I want."

"Oh, fine," Kai said as he heaved an exaggerated sigh. "But you have to promise not to laugh."

"Why would I do that?" Bonnie asked. "You won't be wearing it for long anyway."

"I'm holding you to that," Kai replied. He went and changed, trying not to blush as he emerged from the bathroom and saw her smirking at him. Then, her tongue poked out from between her lips and she got up, sashaying towards him, pulling him against her, and kissing him deeply.

"You look good," she said when she pulled away.

"It's nice that you think so, but…can I get out of these now?" Kai asked.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Bonnie smiled, taking his hand and leading him back to her bedroom where she watched him remove his underwear from the bed and then climb up beside her on the mattress. He lay there looking up into her eyes for what seemed like eternity and then she leaned down to kiss him.

"Since it's your birthday, shouldn't I be doing this for you?" He asked.

"No, shhhh!" Bonnie shook her head. Using her powers, she dimmed the lights and then, after giving Kai a smile, laughed as she heard him cry out while she touched him. Then, he felt her lips and her tongue, and just as he was going to beg her to release him, she raised her head up again. "That was much better than the cake," she told him. "You mind if I try again in a few minutes?"

"Yeah, sure," Kai nodded, his breath catching. "It's your birthday after all."

"And a damn good one, too," Bonnie added as she climbed off the bed to go get something to eat. "Thanks a lot."

"Oh, no," Kai told her. "It's me who should be thanking you."