Set during 6x09, "I Alone"
Carve your name into my arm
Instead of stressed, I lie here charmed
'Cause there's nothing else to do
Every me and every you
Sucker love, a box I choose
No other box I choose to use
Another love I would abuse
No circumstances could excuse
In the shape of things to come
Too much poison come undone
Sucker love is known to swing
Prone to cling and waste these things
Pucker up, for heaven's sake
There's never been so much at stake
Like the naked leads the blind
I know I'm selfish, I'm unkind
Sucker love I always find
Someone to bruise and leave behind
All alone in space and time
There's nothing here but what here's mine
Something borrowed, something blue
Every me and every you
"Every Me Every You" - Placebo
A/N: So I know that I said that the flashbacks would be from their time in the prison from now on. That being said, however, the flashback below is a pre-prison world one. I got a request from one lovely reviewer for it, and I realized that I haven't really explored the early stages of their relationship so I hope you guys like it. Also, Kai's original (true for the present too) intentions for Skye weren't that pure or...sane so be forewarned.
Chapter 10 - Never Been So Much at Stake
December 1992
Did standing outside of a classroom, waiting for the girl you had only been on four dates with qualify as creepy or romantic?
Kai wasn't sure. And which way did it lean if he also brought coffee for her?
He wasn't sure of that either, as this whole arrangement, ritual, whatever was still new to him.
It was only an experiment, really. Overall, she was an experiment to him. He began it as a way to determine if he was ready for an escalation, of sorts, in his victim choice and M.O. because the usually willing forfeit (from Jo when she was in pitying moods; Nicoletta and Joey barely understood his angst, just wanting their big brother to cheer up and make them laugh again), sometimes occasional thief, (from Eva and Isaac when they really pissed him off or simply annoyed him, and the twins when Kai was feeling really spiteful) of his siblings' magic and slaughtering cute critters from the forest, out of frustration when he couldn't access their magic, could only sate him for so long.
He wasn't supposed to approach Skye in the first place; it really wasn't necessary for what he initially had planned, after entertaining several increasingly horrific and gratifying scenarios. He'd settled on a straightforward approach - coming up to her one night as she walked home alone from work, and sticking his hunting knife straight into her gut. Watch the shock and dismay, the gripping panic in her eyes as blood gurgled out of her mouth, and more dripped out of her wound, staining the cement of the sidewalk, until she reached the precipice and held on futilely. At least, he thought she would; she seemed like a fighter and that's what he wanted in a victim. Then, when she inevitably slipped, he could finally observe the light leaving the eyes of something more intelligent than a rabbit, cat, or a squirrel.
A rueful smile crossed his face as he contemplated it.
Kai had only acted on impulse that particular night two months ago, bored, and unable to resist the urge to play with his prey. Besides, statistically most people are attacked by someone they know! It would be funny to play into that statistic, he decided.
But the concept of escalation had taken on a new focus, forged a new path that started the moment Skye offered him her hand. It stemmed from his utter astonishment and fascination after he felt the it - when their hands met, when she looked straight into his eyes for the very first time - a zing that had nothing to do with magic, but had still felt so... good. It was enough to convince him to desist his original plan for her and ask her on their first date instead, and then the rest of the dates to figure out what the hell it meant.
In that time, he also grew to appreciate other aspects of her. She was smart - not just book smart, but shrewd. Perceptive. He could tell when her eyes shuttered a bit, when forgetting himself, he made some too off-the-wall remark. He would always be quick to cover his slip up - distract her, follow it up smoothly with something false and agreeable to erase any barely visible, lingering doubt.
Kai valued other elements - like the fact that, not only did she laugh at his jokes and antics, she was the first person to ever make him legitimately laugh, with her witty and sarcastic humor. Not to mention they shared an affinity for black humor as he first discovered on their third date when they saw Heathers at an indy cinema nearby campus.
Lastly, he sensed a dark side within her, one he had glimpsed sparingly so far - when she worked herself into a rant about some loquacious idiot in class, an obnoxious teacher, or some annoying, gossiping co-worker. From the sound of it, she entertained very violent fantasies, thought he suspect she would be horrified about turning them into realities. Other times, he could see it in her eyes, or face, when he caught her staring at him. It was something he was desperate to coax out further.
Maybe, someday, he could convince her it was her best side.
Since then, for all those reasons, Skye had upgraded to shiny new toy, and he, the child obsessed.
Soon, the door of the classroom opened, and various people trickled out, some stopping to chat in the hallway with each other or other students waiting, others headed quickly for the exits.
Kai saw her before she saw him because she was locked into a conversation with another girl as they crossed under the threshold. The brunette glanced up and smiled knowingly, recognizing him, before putting her hand on Skye's arm, alerting her to his presence, interrupting her. The girl indicated to his presence behind Skye with a tilt of her head.
Skye turned, her confused expression transforming into surprise.
"Hi," he said, donning what he'd dubbed his charming smile, the one that he knew showed off his dimples. One that worked wonders for him, concerning women. And while Skye was an exception in many ways, she wasn't immune to it. He wasn't sure whether that pleased or disappointed him. It certainly made it easier, though.
"Hey," she said back, a little unsurely, but she came close to him, distancing herself from her friend. Something he liked to see.
"Got you this," he told her, holding out one of the Styrofoam cups. He had drank out of both of them, wanting to pervade himself in every way. "Just a little warning. I got carried away with the sugar dispenser. It might be more sugar than actual coffee."
"Thank God," she said, grabbing it, him ensuring their fingers brushed, and immediately took a sip. It was her favorite drink, she had told him so on their second date, which had been a coffee date. Her face melted into pure satisfaction. It caused a pleasurable, almost foreign thrill to go through him. "How did you know?"
"Know what?" he asked absently, his focus trained on her lips, which were glossy and pink.
"I was running late this morning so I didn't get a chance to make some coffee before I left," she explained. "But thanks for saving me. Jesus, I needed it after that class."
"Glad to be of service," he drawled, smirking, bowing dramatically, paying proper attention now. She smiled, and he remembered his reason for being outside of her classroom. "Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to hang out for a little while, until your next class."
Her smile morphed into a frown, however, as she glanced over her shoulder. "I really do," she said with longing, turning back, looking into his eyes, but then her tone changed to regret. "Except I already promised my friends I'd help them study until then." She grabbed his free hand, then gave it a squeeze it in contrition. He almost started at the contact, he wasn't used to people touching him so casually. Usually, he was the toucher and for means of intimation.
For his experiment's sake, he kept the contact, even as she tried to pull away a moment later. She didn't fight him, but he must have looked confused because then she swept her free hand behind her. "They really need the help. The teacher is unnecessarily difficult." When he pulled his eyes off her, and instead focused behind her, he could see her brunette friend lingering in the hallway, leant up against the wall. Next to her, though, now stood a guy - dishwater blond, skinny, glasses. Barely a blip on Skye's radar, probably. Both were watching their interaction with barely concealed impatience.
No, he immediately thought, with surprising vehemence.
"I'm sorry, Kai," Skye said, her thumb now stroking the back of his hand in consolation.
Fuck your friends, he wanted to say. He just needed to be in her space, even if it was just for an hour. She obviously wanted the same, so why was she making it so difficult?
"What about after class?" he questioned, straining to maintain his good-natured tone, tightening his grip.
She sighed softly, and he could tell he was going to be disappointed again. "I have to go to work until 9, then I have to write an essay as soon as I get home. It's due tomorrow, unfortunately."
"How about you skip class?" he suggested playfully.
She was hesitant, considering it. She almost looked pained at the thought.
It was his turn to frown now. He would have to pick a goody two-shoes, who actually cared about her obligations.
"Skye," the guy behind her prompted, disrupting them. "Can you and your boyfriend do this later?"
Skye flushed a little, dropping her eyes. Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks, he noticed, as she blinked repeatedly in disbelief - flustered at the guy's comment because they hadn't defined their relationship yet, he guessed. She turned her head towards the boy, her voice betraying her irritation with his interruption. "Just a minute, Paul."
Kai took that moment, when she was fully faced away from him, to glare hatefully at the idiot that maybe didn't have a death wish, but was working on having one generously granted to him. At least, her girl friend had the grace to be quiet while she waited. The boy instantly shrank away, while the girl just looked amused.
It was safe to say he didn't like either one of them, especially when they cut into his time.
He was careful to school his expression back into mild discouragement, however, when Skye returned her gaze to him.
"I've got to go," she said, pulling her hand from his. He let it go this time, dumbfounded at her priorities. Picking them, class, and work over him, really? "Thanks again for the coffee."
They stared at each other for a moment - this was the awkward moment when neither knew how to say goodbye to the other, since they hadn't even had their first kiss. His own fault - he didn't want to rush into anything too rashly, too early into the experiment - but it was something he planned to change very soon. Then maybe, she'd have incentive to destroy those straight - edged and, in his opinion, warped priorities.
Skye decided to bite the bullet and came up quickly to peck his cheek. "Call me tomorrow, yeah?"
Nope, Kai thought, anger burning his chest.
"Sure," he grinned. She gave a small smile back that he hated on sight because it made her seem so timid, when she wasn't.
She walked off, her friends falling into step with her as they walked towards the stairs. He sneered at their backs, and wished he had some magic in his system at that particular point in time, so he could give Kyle an aneurysm.
Five hours later, he found himself skipping his own Advanced Biology class to head to the library. They were dissecting pig fetuses. But he'd already been there and done that, and on his own time, to boot.
Skye worked on the fifth floor of the antiquated building, so that was the button he pushed in the rickety elevator. The doors dinged and opened to the reception area - his eyes immediately went to the cluster of desks, where various other library employees occupied, singling out the one on the left where Skye usually sat, the spot he'd flirted with her for weeks; it was empty.
He strolled the desks and some bookcases toward the wide, center aisle of the floor, which had rows of bookcases situated on each side. Shooting a glance left, he zeroed on her mane of blonde hair, swaying against her back, as she walked down the aisle far ahead with another student, a male. This time, judging from his back, a stockier guy than Kyle.
Damn it, were people intentionally trying his control for fun today?
She had a white slip in her hand, so she was probably helping the guy find a book. He stalked silently after them.
They eventually turned left down a smaller aisle that ran perpendicular to the middle aisle, at the very back. He picked the adjacent aisle to turn into, walking all the way to the end. He listened to Skye as she conversed with the student.
"It should be here," she said. He heard and saw some books shuffling on his side.
"I hope so," the guy replied. "It's kind of important for this big project coming up."
"Really? For what class?" Skye asked curiously.
Kai groaned internally. Why did she have to be friendly? This is why she got so easily bothered by people, because she cared about them in the first place.
"Psychology," was the gruff answer.
"Ah, one of my favorite subjects," she said. "Not yours?"
"The professor's not too bad, it's just the material that gives me trouble..."
Kai stopped listening, balling up his fist, as they chated about Freud.
Please quit talking, he begged. Seriously, how long did it take to find a book?
Finally, he heard her apology. "Sorry, it must not be here. Somebody probably has it checked out. You want me to write your name down to reserve it?"
"Sure," the guy said.
Kai resisted the urge to bang his head on the shelf behind him. This probably meant she was going to follow this asshole back to the front. But then he heard his voice again, saying, "Cody Marcum," before spelling out his last name slowly. Kai heard a scribbling, the sound of pencil on paper, and his spirits returned.
"Okay, Cody, I will do that as soon I get back to the desk." Yes, that meant she was staying behind, in the ill-lit corner. Right where Kai wanted her.
"Alright, thank you." Next, came the sound of Cody's footsteps. He was walking away, in the direction they'd come, taking the hint of her dismissal.
"Have a nice day," Skye called.
"You too," Cody replied, a smile obvious in his voice. Kai rolled his eyes. He would remember his name, though.
Kai was impatient to see Skye, who was once again shuffling the books on the shelf, but he waited till Cody turned the corner, coming into his view. Now, he had a clear mental picture of the guy's ruddy face. Just in case.
As he walked out of view, Kai turned the corner on the other end of the aisle, coming up right behind Skye as she straightened the shelves, but she was half-turned away and unable to spot his presence, even in her periphery.
He stood, silently. She was so easy to sneak up on, as wrapped as she seemed to get in her tasks.
Finally, she had to have sensed his energy, because she turned jerkily to look straight at the books, then jumped, bringing a hand to her mouth.
"Oh my god, Kai," she gasped; she brought her hand down. Then she started to laugh. "What the hell are you doing here? Trying to murder me with a premature heart attack?" She ended her laughing with a smile.
He said nothing because he was entranced, feral want tore through him.
This smile was so much different to the closed-mouth, shy, uneasy one she had first flashed him the first time he'd snuck up on her. This smile was a grin, revealing the top row of teeth - it sent her eyes shining, and showed how genuinely happy she was to see him unexpectedly again that day.
He stayed still, keeping taciturn. Her smile faltered, confused at his bizarrely intense expression and lack of babble.
In the next second, his body pinned hers to the shelf, which rocked precariously for a moment from the impact. Kai barely registered it as he grabbed her face with both hands and crashed his mouth against hers. It wasn't soft by any means, like most first kisses probably should be, but being soft wasn't in his nature, and he'd waited too long. At first, it was frantic, a little awkward, and he was slightly distracted, battling himself, fighting the strong impulse to be more aggressive, forcefully open her mouth and plunder- probably a little too soon for that, he reckoned. Skye didn't seem to mind at all, however, judging by the way she was eagerly responding back.
Kai had kissed plenty of girls before, but they had been girls from other covens. Witches with strong magic that beckoned his voracious appetite. Kissing them had been his way of distracting them, a method to extract what he really wanted. Most didn't take too kindly to it, as one could imagine. That didn't matter much to him, anyway, because by the time their pain overcame their pleasure, he had already completed his endeavor and received his reward. The few others were sympathetic to his plight, the really rebellious ones who had some vendetta against their parents, and they let him go much further, gain a good bit of experience. But they left when they realized he wasn't interested in doing the emotional crap.
But, God, this was so different, he was discovering as the kiss progressed. Because he didn't sense magic under her skin, couldn't possibly siphon from her, because she wasn't a witch. But kissing her still felt reminiscent of in-taking magic - a sensation that spread through his whole body, ignited every nerve with a pleasant heat, filled him up, made him feel powerful. This particular sensation was only a bit different in that it seemed...amplified. Like, times a hundred, if it were possible, and he was enjoying it immensely, lost in it, really, while also simultaneously in complete disbelief that magic had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Moving his hands to her hips, checking himself, he let his tongue skim her bottom lip. Skye pulled away abruptly. He leaned forward, unconsciously, but she leaned completely back, dodging him.
"Kai," she said breathlessly,warning. Panting, her lips already swollen, her chest rose and fell against his tantalizingly, but she was making a big effort to regain composure. "You couldn't have picked a better time to do this?"
He furrowed his brow, trying to catch his breath, still too distracted by the new sensation to fully comprehend the words.
"Like, perhaps, when I'm not supposed to be working?" she suggested, sounding put out, with a snarky edge, but also something else.
He couldn't tell what it was, too fixated on his irritation at the disruption of activity.
However, her hand was still on his nape, her fingers moving in his hair. Her other fist still clenched the fabric of his shirt at his waist. Her eyes clearly focused on his mouth.
He only smirked, "Would you have preferred I'd done it in the hallway earlier today?"
Her eyes back on his, she raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, sarcastically asking, "What do you think?"
He wasn't deterred. "Does that make you an exhibitionist? 'Cause that's kinda sexy."
"It would have been exhibitionism if we had sex in the hallway while completely naked," she corrected. "It's just P.D.A., for a kiss."
"I think it's a little too early in our relationship for hallway or library sex," he teased, with a wolfish grin. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm up for it if you are."
But Skye was staying serious. "Look, if my boss sees us, I'm going to lose my job. If my co-worker sees us, I will still lose my job, but then everyone will know why I lost my job. Either way, both options are not favorable for me."
Kai finally figured out then what else was laced within her tone - worry. Another layer to add to his list - she didn't like getting in trouble. Also had a healthy fear of authority and, apparently, judgment.
With everything else he had learned about her, this surprised him. He wouldn't have guessed she could be so self-conscious.
Skye had paused to look down the aisle, towards the mouth of it, which was empty from their vantage point.
Kai took that moment to dart forward, and start pressing kisses to the hollow of her jaw, working down her jaw line slowly. She had let out a gasp at the first one, turning her head back to face him, and he knew she was losing focus as he continued peppering more on the other side of her jaw.
Good, he thought as he dragged the edge of his teeth against the flesh there, and he dug his fingers into her hips.
She shivered, quite violently.
"Okay, I don't care anymore," she gasped out. Her hands grabbed his face now, and, with abandon, she latched on to his lips. This time, her lips parted and her tongue was poking out. He met it with his, and they tangled, battling for dominance, which she ceded to him after a moment. His predatory side cheered, for her lapses in control.
The new sensation flared up again, impossibly stronger, stirring within him the urge to do deeply depraved things to her. Things, of course, that would still leave her alive and well enough in the end, just so he would be afforded more opportunities for it. He'd bet any amount of money that she'd let him too, after an initial and cursory reluctance, calling to mind her own shadow he glimpsed. A little corruption could go a long way, and he was enlivened by the prospect.
They stayed, making out in the Psychology aisle for what felt like a long time, but was really only thirty minutes. They managed not to get caught or raise too much suspicion. He had remained relatively gentle, stayed PG-13 - his hands didn't drift under her T-shirt or in her pants, though they were itching to. He remembered their surroundings, and her responsibilities.
He only exercised this restraint because he didn't want to scare her off. Honestly, there were attributes of himself, that any smart, self-respecting girl would note with alarm and invoke reservations, that were possibly already doing the job for him. But they were also, inexplicably, probably drawing her closer. Girls - any straight girl- were attracted to handsome, dangerous boys. The ones who claimed they weren't, were lying. Skye was not an exception there again, unfortunately, but she was underestimating his particular brand of danger, just how lethal he could and wanted to be.
Just not with her, not yet anyway.
Overall, the only thing he wanted to do now was drown everything and everyone else out until all Skye cared about was him, and him alone.
Skye was still reeling, horrified from the events of the taxi ride, as she walked with Kai down the campus's sidewalks, across the quad silently. Well, she was quiet. He was whistling, strutting, slightly ahead of her.
He had released her wrist minutes before to catch an errant Frisbee, which he tossed back like he was a carefree teenager, and not a recently escaped criminal.
He really was extraordinary, she thought, and not in a good way. She shook her head at his gall.
The whole experience might've been something out of her past life, if she didn't think too hard about it. Her and Kai, strolling around a college campus together. Except, it was in her nature to think critically, deeply, and without delusion, and this wasn't the University of Oregon in 1993. It was a completely different campus in a completely different century, and she was with a completely different Kai. Who apparently thought he was above the law, and any other order, supernatural or not.
"Aren't you afraid you'll get caught?" she asked him curiously and anxiously, speeding up her gait to match his. He had left a dead body out in the open, with people nearby. He hadn't used any measures to prevent detection of evidence. Both of their fingerprints littered the car doors, and his were still probably warm on the earphones.
He turned to her, smirking. "Yeah, they'll lift our fingerprints," he granted. "Of course, we both know mine are in the system for that one time. You know, that dick that kept grabbing your ass...," he trailed off, undoubtedly reliving the memory of the fist fight he started with the stupid frat boy at their college bar in 1993. He'd gained the upper hand quickly since his opponent had been intoxicated. But then he'd started bashing the guy's head against the bar. Skye only remembered that part vividly - Kai grinning like a maniac the whole time, with bloody teeth, while she hung on to his arm, yelling at him to stop. He'd stopped before he inflicted too much damage, and was able to avoid prison time.
Now, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her snugly against his side. They might've resembled any other meandering couple on the campus, except Skye's arms were folded defensively across her chest, clearly uncomfortable with the contact. "Anyway, they'll find that they belong to a twenty two year old who went missing in 1994," he explained slowly, as if to a child.
She sighed, exasperated. "I know that, Kai. I didn't ask the question to get lectured on your past and police procedures."
He raised his index finger in the air, signaling for her to have patience. "The beauty of it is that they'll get my picture and age it 20 years because I'm sure that technology has only advanced with time. They'll be looking for a 40 year old." He gestured to himself with his free hand, to his hair untouched with gray, his unbroken physique, unwrinkled face. "Which, obviously, I do not look like. The only perk of that misguided prison world." He began laughing boisterously. "Oh, I wonder how my dad would react if he knew that his little punishment was only enabling me to commit more crimes. Oh, the irony is hilarious."
He only stopped laughing when he pulled them to a stop in a front of one of the campus's buildings. Red neon letters spelled out "Scull Bar" on the building front.
"A bar?" she asked. "We came all the way to Virginia to go to a bar? I know we've been out of the loop for awhile, but I'm sure these establishments can still be found pretty much anywhere."
His answering look to her was unamused, but his expression quickly changed to one of restrained glee. "Oh, babe, this bar is special. I can feel it," he said. Strengthening his grip on her shoulders, he moved forward, reaching towards the door. She balked suddenly, and ducked out from under his arm.
Kai swung around, his hand already extended out to make a grab, his actions quick, like he thought she was bolting. But Skye stood where she'd stopped, scanning their surroundings.
"What are you doing?" he asked, puzzled, dropping his arm.
"Where do you think the library is?" Now she turned completely around, to stare across the quad at the buildings on the other side.
"Hate to break it to you, Skye, but we don't really have the time for some leisurely reading."
"Yes, because reading is the very first thing I'd promised myself I'd do upon returning to the real world," she quipped, facing him. "Because that make so much sense, Kai."
Titling his head, Kai studied her intently. Waiting for an explanation that would make sense, no doubt.
"You never tell me anything," she accused. " So why should I tell you why?"
"Come on, I tell you plenty of things," he countered casually. Which wasn't a lie, technically. The truth of it was he just didn't tell her much relevant information she'd actually like to be privy to.
"Oh really?" she challenged. "Why are we in Virginia? Why are we at some bar on a college campus? Why do you wear so much jewelry? Why are you so crazy? All are questions I believed I've asked before, in some form or another. All are questions I still don't know the answers to."
Kai only grinned widely, clearly entertained. He was so damn infuriating.
"I'm not going into that bar," she said firmly. The grin instantly dropped from his face.
"You're so funny, babe," he chuckled coldly. "Actually thinking that I care about what you want." He took a menacing step forward.
"Nope," she protested, taking a step back. "You can go do whatever you want in there. I'm going to the library."
"So cute-" He grabbed her arm roughly, bringing her forward and his hard, uncompromising face close to hers. " - to think that you have a choice."
She wasn't fazed by the intimation tactic. Instead, she focused on making her tone sound less antagonistic and yanked her arm back. "Let's make a deal, okay? If you let me go, I promise to come back."
His face shifted, becoming blank. She recognized that particular detached look, the one that usually came across his face before he did something unpleasant, a move that signified just how much he did not care for her conduct. But she needed to secure the deal, and quick before he settled on a method to erase its possibility completely.
"I will be back in an hour," she pushed on. "I won't question you again. I won't interfere either, in whatever else you have planned." God, she hated how pathetic she sounded. She was practically begging. She also hated the terms she was agreeing to follow. However, if that's what it took, she was willing to go to those lengths.
Here, his expression turned speculative, which had the potential to be promising, but she could tell he was still not entirely convinced. "And I'm just supposed to believe you?" he finally scoffed. "Even though you've been betraying me left and right for the better part of this last week - what with your absconding of mystical objects, joining forces with judgmental witches, and planning dramatic escapes without me. Yeah, not looking so trustworthy."
Skye's temper flared, at the unfairness of it all and his nerve, but she kept her voice even, not wanting to spark any ire and prevent his capitulation. "Malachai, I don't think we should compare our lists of betrayals." Because my list of yours would be exponentially longer, was the part she left unsaid.
His eyes flashed dangerously for a second, glinting madly, but he said nothing.
He looked away then, and appeared to be mulling it over. Probably trying to decide whether the reward she was offering was worth the risk of letting her go off on her own.
Hopeful, she examined his profile, searching for a sign that he'd relent, her eyes zoning in on the scratches on his left cheek from earlier in the day. The marks were fainter now, pink, less noticeable, but they bolstered her confidence, emboldened her to continue.
"I know what you're capable of," she told him softly. "Have I tried to run away yet? No, because I know how absolutely pointless it would be. Nobody would believe my story, anyway."
He returned his gaze to her face and scrutinized her carefully, gauging her sincerity.
She wasn't lying - she didn't want to run away, at least at this moment. Besides, she didn't know when she'd get the opportunity again.
She knew she had won when his blank mask found its way on his face again.
"Fine, an hour," he agreed begrudgingly.
Reigning her excitable emotions, careful not to let them show, she instantly turned, and took off in the direction they had come.
"A 'thank you' would be polite and appreciated," Kai called after her. She didn't acknowledge him.
It took fifteen minutes of wandering around the campus before Skye even found the library, on the north edge, even after consulting a map. A stately building with Georgian architecture. However, she still felt completely lost when she stepped into its lobby. The scent of musty books didn't greet her, but instead, the scent of coffee from a kiosk, front and center.
She had to travel to the second floor to even find books.
Drifting around, she looked for the huge cabinets that would contain card catalogues, but her quest proved fruitless. Instead, she was met with only desks, home to what she assumed were computers, but the machines were much sleeker than anything she had seen in the '90s.
Some desks housed actual people, employees ready to help, but Skye wasn't sure what to ask them. She would only reveal her own ignorance and make a fool of herself, and probably gain nothing. Besides, what were the chances that a college campus in Virginia had copies of recent phone books from the Portland area? Because that was the only viable place she could think of to begin her research. And, who knew if they even printed phone books anymore?
She wished she had asked Kai to explain the comment he'd made about the Internet in the prison world, and for a demonstration on how to use the cellphone in her back pocket.
She was starting to believe she really hadn't thought this excursion through all that well.
Trying to quell the all too familiar feeling of defeat, she soon collapsed at an empty table. Burying her heads in her arms, she took deep breathes. All that haggling with Kai was for naught, and now she was still beholden to the terms. As if her life couldn't be dominated anymore by the sociopath and his machinations.
Obviously, he was keeping her around for some reason. Otherwise, she knew with terrifying certainty, he would've already disposed of her.
He would get rid of her when she had fulfilled her purpose, she was sure.
But what was her purpose? For him? What could she possibly be good for? She wasn't a witch or a vampire, possessed no other paranormal gifts. She was normal, painfully so, and completely, hatefully vulnerable.
And I might never see my family again, she thought, her heart seizing up in her chest. They had been the anchor she had clung to, while trapped in the prison world. The hope that kept her sane throughout the endless cycles of merciless violence and twisted domesticity she had engaged in with Kai. The memories of them only grew more and more faded as the joke of time stretched on.
Her mom's smile - her wrinkles around her eyes crinkled up, right?
Anya's aggravated tone as they argued some intellectual concept - why had she fought with her so much?
Anthony's giggles as she tickled him - were the sounds as joyful as she wanted them to be?
Sitting up, she rubbed her fingers across her stinging eyes, removing the moisture.
Just more deep breathes, she told herself. Don't think about them. You've made it this far. You're half way there. You're think of something. You'll see them again.
Because they had to still be out there, wherever. They had to be missing her, had to be in denial about the information that had been undoubtedly given to them after her disappearance. They knew her because they were her's, and she would be theirs again.
Until then, she needed a new purpose for herself, she decided, a drive her mind recollecting back to the blank look on Kai's face.
She felt responsibility, in some small part, for his condition - for failing to notice what he was before it was too late ... for their past - for not doing more that night..for their present and their future, which was going to be messy - filled with corpses, ruthless bids for power, misguided plots for revenge, and, quite possibly, her own demise.
Perhaps, her new purpose could be to minimize his damage from here on out, although that went against all the terms she had earlier agreed to. Skye could walk that line- she could undermine him in incremental degrees- discreetly and subtly, without some perverse sense of guilt.
Besides, it wasn't like Kai had ever kept his promises.
And just maybe, she would get lucky and somehow make it through to the other side, when everything was all said and done. Unlikely, but she was desperate enough to hold on to the small chance with everything she had left.
She pulled the phone from her back pocket, to check the time. Before, miraculously, she had managed to get the device to flash her the time when she had departed from Kai's presence. Now, she set to work, pressing all the buttons on the sides of the phone, the gadget chiming different notes, until the screen showed her the time again. She had five minutes to make it back to the bar. Bracing herself, she slipped the phone back into her pocket and exited the library.
Boy, was the irony building, Kai soon discovered, seated behind the physical bar, that was being tended by his baby sister. Who really wasn't a toddler anymore, but his age - well, the age he appeared to be. She had come a long way from headbands, tutu skirts, and unicorn t-shirts. She went by 'Liv,' which had caused him to smile. She was going to be the opposite of her nickname, after he was finished with his business here.
But he had a hour to kill first. So, after he requested a Zima from his unsuspecting sister who categorically did not have a proclivity for customer service, and been given Coke instead, he played a game of Angry Birds on his phone. Soon, he became angry himself at his own ineptness, then perused Twitter instead. He set up his own account. His sister didn't like his twitter handle - CobraKai1972- but he knew Skye would approve. Perhaps, he could set one up for her-WeirdMacchioAdmirer- but only because the guy had aged so gracefully.
Then came the time where the few, weekday evening stragglers had made their way out of the bar, and he decided to order a real drink. Gin, because it could put hair on your chest.
Liv had to look over his I.D. twice before she even recognized who he was, (apparently his father had done a stellar job of erasing his existence) but, by then, he was able to start draining a good portion of her magic, a euphoric surge overtaking his veins, while she writhed against the bar top, whimpering.
The second irony presented itself in her retaliation. She stabbed him in his left shoulder with a knife from the bar, close to where Skye had stabbed him yesterday, and broke away, running. Apparently, the women in his life had it out for his rotator cuff.
He only responded to that by magically locking all the doors, and chasing her to the second floor of the bar, which over-looked the first.
Perhaps the biggest irony of all was when, right when he had Liv cornered, after taunting her about still abysmal Hide and Seek skills, a man - his witchy intuition told him he was a werewolf, or maybe he gleaned that from the strength the guy possessed - appeared out of nowhere, and while saying something undoubtedly dumb, pushed him through the balcony railing. He landed, with a resounding thud, behind the bar.
He had almost come to his own death while pursuing his sister's.
So there he laid, done with irony for the day, and, yep, his ribs were definitely broken because the simple effort of breathing was excruciating. Blood was welling up in his mouth.
He was glad he'd stolen so much magic from Liv. Raising his left hand, he brought it to his chest, and chanted, " Phasmatos Sanabitus." The spell was warm as it travelled through his body and repaired the damage. Soon, he was able to grab the edge of the bar's shelves, and stand to his feet. Once he was upright, he cracked his neck, and he heard a knocking at the bar's entrance. He unlocked the door with a swipe of his hand.
"Kai?"
He inhaled sharply at the voice, something akin to relief flooding through him. Here she was, his next order of business.
Skye walked into the atrium-like interior of the bar. Her eyes were roving the vicinity, taking in the splintered railing above him, him hunched over the surface of the bar.
"So I'm not gonna ask, like I promised," she said, taking a seat on one of the stools.
Good. Because that whole situation had been embarrassing and had not gone down the way it was supposed to at all. And, well, that was maddening.
"But since you're already behind the bar, mind making me a drink?" she continued coyly.
He grinned at her slyly, and felt a bit of the blood dribble out of his mouth. Her answering smile was half-hearted, weary, with a small hint of disgust. Her person betrayed nothing of what she had been up to in the last hour.
"Let me guess," he said, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. "Straight whiskey?" He was already reaching for a shot glass, from the underside of the bar, as she nodded. He picked Jack Daniels, and filled the glass before passing it to her. She knocked it back, impressively, barely wincing.
However, before she even set the glass down, he had muttered, "Sorry, babe," and,
gripping her head, he swiftly slammed it down on the rough surface of the bar. With only enough force, he hoped, to knock her out. She slumped against the bartop, unconscious, but still breathing. So enough force, then. "Actually, I'm not really all that sorry," he told her callously.
Leisurely coming around to the other side of the bar, Kai talked all the while: "You kinda pissed me off earlier in the car. And, well, it just really hasn't gone away. Funnily enough, It's really only gotten worse." Here, he glared up at the balcony above his head.
Reaching her spot, he pulled the backpack off her back, dropped it to the ground, and lifted her, until her body lay flat on the surface. Her forehead sported a nasty cut, right side, starting at the middle of her forehead and stretching diagonally up into her hairline. It was bleeding profusely, like all head wounds were apt to do - he was roused by the sight, as per usual. It was something pure that had never gotten old, that he never grew tired of seeing.
"Also, you have a really jacked up way of showing your gratitude. After all the trouble I went through to get you here, and you tell me you want Damon to kill me. Like, pfff, as if he could." He laughed at the mental image that surfaced at the ridiculous thought.
But, apparently, some random werewolf, with ties to his baby sister, could come close. He stopped laughing abruptly- the events from earlier still didn't set well with him.
He refocused on Skye, his voice soft. "And then you demand some separation, making promises I know you won't keep." He pushed her hair aside, half-tenderly. But his action was too late as he noticed some strands contaminated by the blood. "Well, I guess you did keep one - you came back. But, then again, I already knew you would," he finished smugly.
Bending down, he picked up the backpack. Unzipping it, he pulled the Grimoire from it, and opened the book up on the bartop. He skimmed several sections, before he found the spell he wanted. Running his fingers over the words of the incantation, he murmured them quietly, repeatedly, until he felt had a decent grasp of their order and pronunciation.
Scanning behind him, Kai sought the knife he'd pulled from his arm and tossed on the ground earlier. Spotting it, he summoned it into his hand, using magic. Deftly and unflinching, he slashed his own palm.
He pressed his bloodied hand against her cut, the reds mingling. Closing his eyes, to better concentrate, he whispered the spell, "Phasmatos vinculum per sanguinem, quis damnificatur utriusque. Phasmatos vinculum per sanguinem, quis damnificatur utriusque." He felt a flow of energy rushing between his hand and her head. It pulsed - the sensation was hot, an invisible fire, almost unbearable in its intensity. He expected his hand to be charred when he pulled it away.
When the extreme warmth dissipated, he opened his eyes and took in a deep breathe. Bringing his hand down to her cheek, his thumb stroked her cheekbone, his smile soft.
"You won't want me dead now, babe," he told her, icily, his tone a contrast to the expression on his face. He removed his hand, leaving behind a bloody hand-print, stark on her pale skin.
Finding an older model vehicle on Whitmore College campus he could hot-wire was easier than he had expected. What was difficult, was carrying an bloodied, unconscious girl around, though his muscles no longer ached, since they were renewed by the healing spell from earlier. Good thing he still had Liv's very convenient magic to cloak them - with just enough left for some more light fun.
The map of Virginia in the glove box was also a fortunate find. Using his still bleeding hand, he dripped some blood on its surface, reflecting back to Liv's face and crazy, curly, blonde hair.
His blood travelled to a spot labelled, "Mystic Falls Cemetery," just a few inches from the dot that denoted the township itself.
When he reached his destination forty-five minutes later, he left Skye in the car on the side of the road, still unresponsive, just outside the city limits.
The cemetery was surrounded by some woods, as the map had shown him, but it wasn't dense, easily traversed.
Soon, he met two others, though not the two he had anticipated.
No, it was even was comforting the whiny girl beside him. So that must be the Elena. She didn't appear all that special to him, at the moment. He almost expected to start doing tricks at any minute, if only to live up to her reputation.
Talk about respect for the dead, he mused, as they sat on the ground, casually leant against a headstone, as if it were the headboard of a bed. Another irony, if you thought to hard about it, considering the two were technically dead.
What really titillated Kai's interest the most was the object Elena held her hands.
"... until the next comet, or full moon, or eclipse," Damon assured softly. "As long as we have that we can go back as many times as we need until we get her back."
"Wait, are you guys talking about Bonnie Bennett?" Kai made his presence known, leaned against a tree, messing with a stray flower he had picked up on his way through the forest (maybe if he shoved it in Skye's face when she woke, she wouldn't be mad at him, and instead confounded. The potential to creep her out was always an added bonus for him). Their heads snapped to him, in tandem. It was almost adorable. To somebody else, probably. To him, absolutely disgusting.
"Because, honestly," he admitted, throwing the flower aside. "I didn't think she was all that great."
Then raised his hand, and waved his index finger, sending the Ascendant from Elena's hand into a tree nearby, where it shattered upon impact into pieces that littered the ground. "No!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet, and running to the bits.
Damon stood to his feet, appearing to size Kai up.
"Where's your girl?" he asked, mock- curious. "'Cause I know she ain't with Bonnie."
"She's safe," Kai answered, stepping forward. "But it's really nice of you to worry."
"So has she tried to run away from you yet?" Damon matched his step, smirking. "I'm only wondering since I know for a fact that she hates your guts. "
"See, unsurprisingly, Damon, that's where you're wrong," Kai corrected.
"So showing up to greet you with a baseball bat was an expression of her love?"
Kai remained unruffled by Damon's attempt to goad him. "We're just kinky like that," he shrugged.
Damon's lip curled into a snarl. In the next second, he rushed Kai, a blur of motion. But Kai's hand went up, and Damon was visible again, as he fell on the ground, incapacitated and groaning. He clutched his head, more strangled sounds of pain coming from his mouth.
"Oh, yeah, Damon, I stole some of Liv's magic when I tried to kill her," he informed. stepping around the vampire, who was still recovering from his magic aneurysm.
Damon took a swipe at Kai's legs as Kai passed but missed. "I think some of it still may be in my system. So, pardon me." Kai flicked his hand again, and Damon was swept backwards a few feet by an invisible force.
Kai turned, focusing on Elena, who had been foraging through the grass like a mad women during his whole exchange with Damon, desperate to find all the pieces of the Ascendant, most of which were now gathered in her hands.
Kai approached her. "Ah, ah, ah," he tutted, crouching to grab that pesky golden gear.
"You missed one," he told her while she stared back at him, fearful and mystified. "Phasmatos Incendia," he chanted, letting the gear fall onto the pile of metal she had collected in her hand. The gear caught fire, and soon all the pieces were on fire, and spreading to her hand, licking up her arm. She fumbled around, crying out, dropping the pieces. But it was too late, as her clothes were ignited.
Kai stood, and waited. Anticipating Damon's attack from behind.
He heard Damon's rushing, and quickly cloaked himself before Damon could get his arms around him. Kai had simply stepped to the side, and he was working hard to keep in his laughter as Damon spun around wildly, looking in all directions.
Damon, surprising Kai, took a heavy, thick branch from the ground and swung it behind him.
Hitting Kai, it propelled him backward through the air, uncloaking his figure. He had flown over the Cemetery's low fence, and landed with a loud "oof," this time on his front. What was with people and knocking him around today?
On his knees, trying to get his breathe, he looked up at the vampire couple. Elena had put the fire out, Damon had dropped the branch. They both drifted to stand together, united. Damon started rubbing her ashy arm. "You okay?"
Yuck. But he kept his inner commentary to himself, for once, and instead turned his attention to the border of the iron fence.
"Huh, I guess, this is that anti-magic border," he guessed. "Which means now there's a psycho loose in Mystic Falls, and no vampires around to stop him."
They glared at him. "Whoops," he taunted, then proceeded to walk away. He smirked to himself, while headed back to the car. Giving vampires aneurysms was a lot of fun, but their pain was only half of it. The other lied in the ability to gain information from the brains, if you focused enough, even while the target was in pain. He had the werewolf's name and address now.
A/N: So it never made sense to me that Kai didn't know werewolves existed until he had been bitten by Tyler in the season finale. So in this story, he does know about them. Also, I know aneurysm spell don't allow a witch access into a vampire's mind, but guess what. Technically, this is an A.U. fic, even if it, at points, is canon-complaint, and I do what I want, lol. Otherwise, how the hell did he know who Tyler was or where he lived? Surely, Tyler wasn't Damon's and Bonnie's main topic to discuss in the prison world?
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter will feature the continuation of this episode - I had to split again because this was getting so long. But, as always, doing so also affords more opportunities for flashbacks.
Thanks everyone for the continued support and welcome to newcomers. I want to reply to the reviewers of Chapter 8 (since I couldn't last time) and Chapter 9 so I apologize for the length of this A/N in advance.
Guests - Re: Chapter 8 and 9- Thanks so much for the enthusiasm and praise. You guys are funny and so nice.
Savily - Thank you so much! Re: 8 - I'm glad you're enjoying it so much! Sorry Ch 10's flashback wasn't in the prison world, but the rest will be.
RHatch89 -Thank you for both reviews! For taking the time to say anything at all consistently is something I really appreciate.
Kay: Thank you, I hope you like Chapter 9 and this chapter too.
Prettygirl16 - Re: Ch 8 - Thanks for the review! No, Skye's not a witch. As for her becoming a vampire, we'll have to wait and see. It's gonna be a while before she can come to grips with how she feels romantically about Kai.
Livhardy: Thank you for both? of your reviews!
romanovaquill - Re: Ch 8 - Thank you so much for your in-depth review! You're really too kind. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and Ch 9.
VampireAndLiars - Re: Ch 8 - Thank you! I do have a completely different ending planned, but the witchpires will make an appearance.
TetraGirl - Thanks so much for both reviews! I hope you like this flashback! Thanks for your concern over Skye. Sorry that it's another long one, lol. But it's split again, I'm glad you don't mind.
justfourmisfits: -Re: Ch 8 - Thank you! Thanks for the suggestion, it will pop up sometime. I don't know exactly when. Yes, I'm all aboard SaveKai2k15, lol.
Elyon - Re: Ch 8 - Thank you! Yes, I plan to write that, just know it will pop up sometime.
Princess Magic: Thank you!
LovelyFandomLover: Thank you so much for both of your reviews! Re: Ch 8 - yeah, he was asking for support in a way because she is the only one who's ever really supported him unconditionally in the past - of course, she didn't know the full story and she certainly doesn't agree with his actions. We'll see Liv's and Luke's reactions soon enough (sorry it wasn't this chapter!). Re: Ch 9 - I hope you Ch 10 just as much as this one. I'm glad you liked the marriage comment- I wasn't too sure about it.
Sarahmichellegellarfan1- Thank you for both reviews! I appreciate your continued support!
annabethchase1500: Thank you for your review! Re; Ch 8 - I feel so special, lol, to write your favorite Kai/TVD fanfic. Love your username by the way! Big "Percy Jackson" series fan, myself.
The Serpent Underneath: Thanks so much! Re: Ch 8 - Yeah, jealous Kai is fun and little scary to write - hope you enjoy the jealous moments above in the Ch 10 flashback too!
SourlessCherryxx: Thanks for the reviews! Re: Ch 8 - I hope you like Ch 10 as much as this one, lol. Sorry it takes so long for updates - life gets in the way too much.
flamegirl100 - Re: Ch 8 - Thanks for the question. Yes, I have a few sex scenes planned for the future. I just don't know how graphic they're going to be - perhaps you could let me know what you prefer. Actually, if anybody reading this response has an opinion on this topic, let me know.
evilHope89 - Thanks so much for both reviews! You're so kind.
YoCupcake - Thanks so much for both of your very in-depth reviews and support! Also, for your own amazing Bonkai stories because I love them. I've been toying with the idea of writing for Bonkai too, but can't seem to come up with any good ideas (Don't worry, guys, still 100% committed to Skai!) Re: Ch 9 - Thanks for your concern over Skye. Yeah, I plan to keep with that style. Next chapter is almost exclusively original scenes. Your insight is great- it really helps me! Also, I personally think you should never stop with the Kai smut, lol. ; ) I might just show this hate sex, if it's something everyone would like to see. Anyway, hope you enjoyed Ch 10.
SuperFan999- Thanks for the question! Re: Ch 8 - The test was to see if they would fall for his "pity party." if they reacted the way he wanted, he probably would've taken them both back without violence. But they didn't and insisted on leaving him, so that was when he had take matters into his own hands. He basically wants to keep her at his side, for different reasons. He wanted her to choose to stay with him.
Friday1221: Thanks for both of your reviews! Re:Ch 8 - You called it- she was pissed as you saw in Chapter 9, lol. I'm glad you enjoyed Ch 9! Yeah, I get wrapped up in their interactions, because they are non-canon. They're so fun to write together by themselves.
We're All M-M- Mad Here: Thanks so much! I hope you like Ch 10 too. It's gonna be awhile before Skye meets Caroline, but you bring up an interesting point I haven't thought about. Also, surprise! I took your suggestion as the basis for this flashback! I hope it was everything you wanted. Sorry it took so long, but life gets in the way and it's difficult sometime because this fic operates on two different timelines - which is my own fault but whatever, I still enjoy the challenge.
PhanPhicAddict: Thank you! Lol, I hope they were good dreams! Hope you enjoyed Ch 10, especially this flashback!
juliakaweirdo: Thanks for the suggestions! I hope this flashback shed more light for you, on their previous relationship. Skye's initial reaction to the prison world and Kai's action will be showed eventually! I'm also excited for her to meet the Scooby Doo Gang, which will happen soon, hopefully.
Lizzy B: Thanks for your review, and I'm glad you enjoy evil Kai and the story. However, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you about Skye. I think Skye's 'angst,' for lack of a better word, is completely appropriate for the situation. She is reacting how any "normal" person would - one capable of empathy and emotions. In fact, if she were able to just let everything that happened to her (everything Kai's done to her) roll off her back, she wouldn't be realistic or sane. Some might say it would be unrealistic for her to still be sane after 20 years of abuse in the prison world, but I know Skye's character. I also know that she has never been one to throw herself a full out pity party or been whiny - in fact, she's usually more concerned about others before herself, especially when it comes to Kai. Honestly, her 'angst' is only going to get worse as the story progresses, just so you know. Secondly, I also have to disagree that his parents "deserved" to have their children slaughtered by their own son. Nobody deserves that, no matter how terrible they are.
sayorii: Thank you so much! I'm definitely continuing it - it's gonna be quite long too probably, since I keep having to split up the episodes. Can I ask what your native language is?
sbritt264: Thank you! I plan to, just might be a little slow.
Khari: Omg, thank so much! Your review almost brought tears to my eyes - so nice. I'm honored you think so highly of it. I hope you like this chapter.
ThePhantomismyLove: Lol, I did, here it is! Much more to come, just can't promise when.
Half Cactus: Thank so much! Hope this update was quick enough for you, lol. Thanks for your comment about Skye - her being realistic is very important to me.
Female whovian: Thank you! Glad to see your username again! I hope you like this chapter and the flashback. Don't worry, Skai is actually the official ship name decided by the readers. Also, I can't say it's wrong to ship them, lol - that's kinda the point of the whole of the story, after all.
xxMikealsonForeverxx: I'm glad to see ya again! Thank you!