"I think your friends like me," Kai gleamed turning left out of the driveway as Bonnie fiddled with the radio.

"I think they liked Colonel Mustard."

"He was an intensely brooding man – those were the main two traits that were in my character booklet, and to be 'calm and collected'; how do you think I did?"

"Pretty convincing," Bonnie nodded, "what else did yours say?"

"That I was dignified, dapper, and dangerous," he chortled, "I liked that. I was the victim's lawyer and argued frequently over legal issues, oh and I had to play mysterious and not talk so much."

"Well you failed in that department," she snorted, "was the Colonel harboring any secrets?"

"What kind of question is that? He's a Colonel; he's full of secrets. But the only ones revolved around the game were that I knew about the affair with Mrs. White and to get closer to the potential suspects; her and Miss Scarlet."

"Oh so that's why you wanted to partner up."

"No, is that why you agreed to?"

"Yes," Bonnie admitted smiling, "you had a high motive being the lawyer and handling all of his money so it made sense to investigate you."

"When in a dramatic twist you were actually the cold-blooded killer."

"I was, and I was damn good at it too; no one's suspicions stuck once Mrs. White's dirty laundry started spilling out across the floor."

"That was a smooth move; was going after the maid a personal choice or Scarlet's vengeance?"

"That was all Miss Scarlet; most of my secrets were information on Mrs. White that I could use to frame her - oh and that I'm the one everyone is looking for."

"That's a pretty good secret; did you have fun?"

"I did," Bonnie smiled sleepily and Kai saw her looking over at him out of his peripheral, "what's with that look?"

"I seem to recall you saying 'fun' wasn't a word you would use to describe tonight," he perked glancing over with a satisfied expression.

"That was before I really embodied the role of Miss Scarlet; once I got to switch personalities and take a break from real life it was great."

"See, if we left early you wouldn't have been able to sass out all of your friends and walk away the champion."

"That's true."

"And we can't pass over Scarlet and the Colonel's adventures, those were pretty unforgettable," Kai glanced over winking and felt his teasing expression fade seeing Bonnie's faraway look of content, taking a moment before noticing he was watching.

"I'm not thinking the same thing as you," she said with a roll of her eyes, "I've missed dancing almost as much as seeing my friends, or being back home; it was the only thing I could do to de-stress and unwind after another action-packed day in Mystic Falls and was my only real escape."

"Why didn't you continue in '94?"

"I did at first, I had Damon dancing all over that house but it was just to stay upbeat and optimistic. Once he started losing hope his personality went with it and I kind of just fell out of it, and then he left."

"I was still there."

"Yeah, right," Bonnie scoffed, "the reason Damon left without me in the first place is because you shot me with an arrow."

"Because you tried killing me with a pic-axe," Kai reminded her, "I guess that wasn't one of our best days. But what about after the first couple of months when you realized 'oh hey he isn't going to kill me'?"

"I have yet to have that revelation," she let out with a skeptical look over his face, "but I didn't know anything about you then; I definitely didn't know you could dance."

"Did I blow you away?"

"You... surprised me, that's for sure; but blow me away? I'd have to see this dance battle before I started using statements like that."

"Okay, it's a date," he grinned wide at Bonnie's sharp glare in return, changing topics before she could argue and arrived at the house within minutes. "You hungry?"

Bonnie's response was an unladylike grunt as she dragged her feet through the front door and down the hall turning right into the bathroom, Kai shaking his head smiling as he checked the clock reading 12:48AM and rifled through the cabinets grabbing chips and a glass of water and leaned back on the counter. As far as the last few decades went Kai was pretty sure tonight made the top 10; and it was up against some tough contenders having free range to do whatever he wanted from flying planes to being the Captain and only passenger on massive cruise ships. The first time they slept together it was electrifying, intoxicating; making him have an insatiable craving for another person which was to say the least unforeseen, and had him stalking Bonnie around the house cornering her every chance he got. Even though Kai took on the same tactic during tonight's rendezvous his motive behind it wasn't just about drawing Bonnie in, but pushing someone away from her.

For some unexplained reason Kai couldn't shake this anger towards a guy he hadn't even met until a few days ago and it was escalating to the point of seeping into his other thoughts and interfering with his mood. He liked to think he had a carefree and levelheaded mental state when it came to most situations but there was something about this situation that was causing Kai to physically act out; the shake in his control making him firmly believe murder is a perfectly acceptable solution to your problems when they are the cause behind it. It couldn't be jealousy which Bonnie poked fun at him about earlier because he didn't feel envious of Jeremy or want to be him in any way; he just wanted him to back off. Kai did try to warn Bonnie more than once that he was a possessive and proprietorial man over the things he wanted, being leader of the Gemini Coven coming to mind first and foremost as a fine example.

Kai knew Bonnie didn't believe him but whatever has been escalating between them isn't just an act; there is something planted deep in his mind coercing him towards his actions of continuing to spend time with her, not just killing the twins and any of their little compadres that tried to defend them, and squaring off against his father. The fact that the Gemini leader hasn't made any direct attacks against him – only Josette – when they're winding down to almost two days until the merge ceremony fills Kai's every waking thought and action with a hyperawareness of everything around him. No one knows better than Kai the paranoia and terror his father can instill in a person to achieve what he wants but this was not his first naïve battle where he was unarmed and defenses down – it was war, and one of them had to fall.

The funny thing about Joshua Parker was that he seemed to be able to move fluently between mental and physical pain, seeing which triggers what reactions and using that knowledge to his advantage - even with it directed specifically at Kai he couldn't hate on the coldhearted work that went into it. What he could detest was the new layer of difficulty it put in his plan, knowing that there's only one person in both world's he's been stuck in that genuinely likes him. When it came down to it Kai was going to become the new leader of the coven so he needed to cover his bases and deal with every possibility that could stand in the way of that happening.

Crossing the kitchen into Bonnie's room he scooped the three Grimoire's off the desk and flipped through scanning them all at rapid speed; sticking a piece of paper inside the Bennett's Protection Spell she used on him before they left the prison world and continuing on coming up short and whipping one of the books across the room. Kai heard it make contact with something and looked over to it falling on the pillow, a memory arising of a picture frame flying off the wall towards the both of them and being blocked by the shield. Running up the flight of stairs into the attic where his bags of clothes were laid he traded out the tight jeans for comfy black sweats and crouched in front of the backpack pulling out the Parker Grimoire and headed back downstairs plopping on the bed. Finding the spell he wanted didn't seem to be the issue, an exterior shield and interior shield within pages of each other, but the concept and process of it was thoroughly contrastive.

"You look very deep in thought," Bonnie said in an exaggeratingly bass tone, crossing the room to the dresser in a towel.

"Not anymore," Kai looked up smiling putting the open book against his stomach, watching her slide on a pair of blue panties followed by small white pajama shorts and dropped the towel showing her bare back before slipping on a tank top. Pursing his lips Kai looked over the deceivingly innocent look the all-white outfit gave Bonnie and he felt a violent urge to defile that image after the night they had. "Well don't you look like a paragon of virtue."

Bonnie's eyebrows drew in looking over her outfit and back up with a glare, grabbing the towel off the floor and hurdling it in his direction before sitting on the bed near his feet.

"Doing some light reading?"

"You could say that; I have an idea I want to run by you."

"Okay."

"I want to put a protection shield on you in case my dad tries anything."

"You mean the protection spell I used on you before?"

"Partly; the other one is an internal shielding spell, similar to the one I put up when you start breaking beds," Kai winked nudging her thigh with his foot and watched a flush of heat go up her neck, "both simple spells, it's just with this one it's shielding you from within and it needs to latch onto something so... it's kind of going to suck."

"What do you mean?"

"Well the ramblings a little spotty," he said picking the book back up, "but basically it sounds like the shield first forms around the life-source – which would be your heart – and pushes its way out protecting you from any physical or mental harm. For it to fully work it needs to attach to your energy so that could feel pretty unpleasant, but once it's up it'll stay intact for a full week! So you'll have a few days before and after the ceremony it works out rather brilliantly."

"If that one's so great why do I need the protection spell too?"

"I like to be prepared; if by any way he loophole's his way through the shield, the spell will ensure you come back."

"You think he'll kill me?"

"I think he'll kill everyone. I thought he would have shown up by now and the fact that he hasn't means I have to plan five moves ahead."

"Chess," Bonnie nodded in understanding and he smirked forgetting she's both heard and seen the type of man his father is.

"And my father is one hell of a player; he always said I couldn't beat him because I was too impulsive and couldn't see the big picture," Kai remembered and chuckled softly, "he wasn't wrong. But this time is different."

"How?"

"I've had another 18 years to plan out every possible move he could make."

"But he has tried getting to you already, remember? Damon didn't kill you out of the kindness of his heart but from your dad telling him to. And he already knew you would come back and you were on the verge of dying anyway so there is a plan he's working on right now."

"I'll figure it out," Kai reassured but her worrisome expression stayed the same, "he probably just wanted the protection spell out of the way so he still has time to try something before Saturday."

"You could have just put up another one."

"No, part of the ceremony is not being under any outside magical influences otherwise the twins won't be able to make the connection. I have the tricky benefit of devouring magic and turning it into my own which he could have assumed I would do but he knew once the spell was down I was fair game, so what is he waiting for?" Kai felt his features starting to harden focusing in on his father and the shift in personality that came with it; quickly pulling himself out of it by leaning forward and pulling Bonnie onto his lap. "So which spell should we start with; the painful one or the pleasant one?"

"Rip off the Band-Aid," she grumbled replaying his words from earlier and his smile widened running his hands over her bare thighs.

"I just need you to do one thing for me," Bonnie's raised eyebrow sufficed as more than an answer, "I don't know where the candles are."

"Oh," Bonnie laughed, whatever thought that popped into her head evaporating as she hopped off his lap and out the door, appearing a minute later with two long candlesticks in their holders.

"Miss Scarlet!" Kai yelped with hands raised, "Just drop – the weapons – and everything will be okay."

Bonnie glanced down at the candlesticks and back up with a mischievous grin, crossing either side of the bed and putting one on each side table. "I don't know Colonel; you almost blew my cover tonight, and right at the end."

"Oh the Professor never would have sided with me, even if it did result in his own death." Grabbing her hips Kai pulled her back over his sweats and felt her wiggle to get comfortable running her fingers over his shirt buttons; pulling her in and running his hands under her shirt.

"What are you doing?" Bonnie uttered quietly, not smacking him away when he lifted the material over her head and placed his palm flat above her chest.

"It's for the spell; I need to be close to your heart and touching skin for the connection to work, although I probably would have done it anyways with you straddling me and all," Kai joked seeing a hint of amusement flicker before her apprehension was back scratching restlessly against his chest. "This isn't going to feel great so try not to fight me on it."

"We'll see," she sighed closing her eyes and exhaling a shaky breath, her heartbeat racing under his right palm as he reached for the Grimoire with the other and started in.

Phasmatos Spiritus Praesidio Clypeus, Custodi Me A Malitia

The candles ignited on either side of them as a look of discomfort shot across Bonnie's face, repeating the spell again with slow enunciations making her grip his wrist.

"It hurts."

"That means it's working," Kai reassured saying the verse again and Bonnie tried to force herself backwards pushing against his weight as the flames burned brighter and a harsh cry formed in the back of her throat.

"Can't breathe – on fire."

"You're not, I'm right here," Kai said in a relaxing tone leaning forward and pressing her flat on the mattress when she tried scrambling away, "and I can feel your heart beating strong. It's almost over."

Kai had never unintentionally done harm to anyone – there has always been a reason behind the pain and suffering he's inflicted, and had to admit to loving that feeling of righteousness. This, on the other hand, was not the same. The crazed look that comes over a person when they realize they are the helpless prey against him has given Kai a strange sense of satisfaction in the past; every person having the same urge to either fight or flight being the most exhilarating part of the whole endeavor but Bonnie's struggles were wearing against him. Making a deep rumbling sound of frustration Kai slid his hand off her chest pulling both arms over her head and held her wrists with his left hand putting the other back in place, getting through the last of the spell feeling her wrists and chest burning up under his palms before he was blown backwards into the closet.

"It works," Kai coughed pushing away shoes and bags of clothes stumbling his way back out.

"Are you okay?" Bonnie asked sitting up rubbing the same spot above her chest.

"Yeah, are you?"

"I think so," she nodded once and he hesitatingly reached for the side of her neck, bracing the electric shock to shoot him backwards and hummed when it didn't happen; lifting her chin up to look at him. "I feel pretty good now, actually."

"Well you're about to feel a whole lot better," Kai said with an undercurrent of flirtation, grabbing the Bennett Grimoire off the dresser and leaning over her as she pushed herself back to give him room stretching them out sideways across the bed.

Laying his clothed chest flat across her nakedness Kai had to take a minute to look Bonnie over and stop himself from letting his urges get the best of him, not able to resist running his nose up the side of her neck to her ear and feeling her shiver in response. Breathing out a rough sound as Bonnie readjusted underneath him Kai glided his hand down her right arm lacing his fingers through hers and pulled them over their head resting on the bed. Kai flipped open to the correct page and lifted onto his knees putting a few inches of separation between them as he started in on the second spell, the flames reigniting in an instant.

Phasmatos Tribum Nas Ex Viras, Purgal Animum Sous Obscarus. Phasmatos Repallus Tantian, Maltuscanum Anium Par Vas.

Bonnie breathed in a deep exhale of appeasement, massaging her hand up his chest and neck into his hair anchoring herself to him and he couldn't do anything but watch every satisfying expression cross her features.

"Okay, this might be more difficult than the last one," Kai huffed through gritted teeth feeling his body tense seeing Bonnie coming undone in front of him when he's putting in minimal effort.

"So much better," she whispered and he breathed out wanting to wrap his arms around her and thrust into her but needed one hand to keep the connection and the other to hold open the Grimoire.

Saying the chant again Bonnie's grip tightened in his hair pulling his forehead to hers and grinding up into him in the same movement, letting out a gasp feeling him hard against her.

"You are the opposite of helping right now," Kai ground out tucking his forearm that was still holding her hand under her head for leverage and driving forward, his chest vibrating over Bonnie's breathy noises puffing out against his face.

The flash of light in Kai's peripheral to his left drew his attention to the blown out candles signaling that the spell was complete and sealed his lips over Bonnie's before she could come back down from her little bout of elation. Bonnie's small whimper in his mouth almost had Kai losing all sense of control, his body curling around her in response and deepening the kiss holding onto the side of her neck. He could feel her tugging near his chest and leaned back watching her eyes go straight to his shirt and unclasped his right hand over her head to tear the top half open in one quick move; the action being one of the sexiest things Kai has ever seen. Going back in Kai kissed up her chest, his hands kneading and massaging everywhere his lips went and groaned when he felt Bonnie's teeth sink into the crook of his neck hoisting her up into him. Feeling her fiddle with the last buttons Kai scooted back off the bed pulling the shirt over his head and yanking her shorts down after.

"Kai – the rule," Bonnie muttered reminding him of the no sex clause in her Gram's house.

"We don't have to do anything; I just want to touch you," he admitted hoarsely, crawling back over her and sliding his hands across her body watching her react to him.

"What spell did you do earlier so the kitchen didn't get destroyed?"

"One of the external shielding spells to protect the room."

"There's a shield that protects the entire room?"

"Mhm."

"Why haven't we been using that the entire time?" Bonnie puffed and Kai trailed his hand farther down her stomach staying on his knees and brushed his fingers over her clit making her arch up into him, a sound of want falling out of her lips as the drawers rattled inside the dresser.

"I like it."

Bonnie pulled his face down to hers; her lips and nose almost touching his making Kai's level of control drop another two points and felt her breath hot on his face.

"Say the spell."

Grating out the words so low he was surprised it was even coherent, Kai glided his tongue over hers the moment it was over and explored her mouth the same way he was with her body; sensually slow and suggestive to build up that burning need inside. Bonnie lifted into his fingers driving them deeper and let out harsh pants in Kai's ear dragging her nails sharply down his back jerking him forward unconsciously. Withdrawing his fingers he snaked his arm around Bonnie's waist hauling her up and felt his back thud against the headboard as she threw a leg over him and moved gently over Kai's sweats, closing his eyes as his head fell back.

"You look like you're holding your breath," she teased leaning in leaving small pecks under his jaw as his arms caged around her hips.

"I probably am," Kai smiled lazily sliding his hand over her skin and pressing forward feeling her thighs shake around him, "but so are you."

Bonnie's hands moved aimlessly from Kai's chest around his shoulders and neck and into his hair as her nails left scratches across his skin, his self-restraint diminishing the harder she clenched around him moaning out fragments of incentive. Leaving gentle kisses up Bonnie's chest and neck Kai brushed his lips over hers breathing heavily over her bouncing into his touch and felt her movements turn erratic when he held onto the back of her head and slid his tongue inside her mouth, growling in the back of his throat and swallowing her groan as she fell apart around him. Panting into his mouth Kai let out a dark noise when Bonnie grinded into him hard as stone underneath her and leaned back as a hunger masked over her eyes.

"If you even think about it I'll lose my mind," Kai warned and smiled brighter when Bonnie's flushed face turned red.

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"I always know," he said with a tilt of his head kissing her nose and cheeks before letting out another shaky breath as Bonnie steadily rocked into him making every muscle tense and ache.

"I still don't believe you're psychic, Colonel."

"You should, Scarlet," Kai gritted through clenched teeth running his other hand up her spine sliding both around her neck, "I've been reading your mind all night."

A wicked smile surpassed her lips as a hint of mischief shifted her posture, trailing her fingertips down his chest and stomach playing with the waistband. Kai couldn't hear anything over his own deep breaths staring at Bonnie's parted lips and flexed his fingers inching her in closer as he tried to keep it together. Lifting onto her knees Kai thought Bonnie had pressed her chest in front of his face as an offering – which he gladly accepted, but it wasn't until he felt her hands pulling at the drawstrings that he knew what she was up to.

"If you think we're both going to be naked, on a bed, and not having sex then you are out of your mind," Kai let out in a rough undertone as her fingers slipped under the waistband.

"But there's not enough room with the boxers on."

"You're telling me," he muttered and felt her thighs shaking over him from laughter, "I'm just forewarning you."

"No sex in my Gram's house."

"Then one of us should probably keep our clothes on," Kai stated logically, every part of him hating the words he was saying as moments from the kitchen started springing to mind. Bonnie scooted sideways off the bed crouching down out of sight and back up wearing the same pair of blue see-through lacey underwear smiling with a feeling of accomplishment. "You know I can just tear those off too, right?"

"Wrong; these ones are staying on," Bonnie said dismissively kneeling next to his thigh on the bed and tugged down near his hips, his mind going through five or six different ways this could end and lifted off the mattress briefly as she pulled down both his boxers and sweats past his knees.

Kai's entire body ached; his dick so hard it curved up to his bellybutton and felt like he could lose it by the slightest touch. Bonnie's eyes darkened giving him a once over before tossing her leg back over, her thighs rubbing up on his underside in passing causing him to reach around and yank her into him. Grumbling's of sounds started to blend together when Bonnie wrapped her hand around him firmly, pumping with a quick rhythm giving his body the illusion it was the real thing and felt his body temperature rising.

There were many moments where Kai could have flipped Bonnie crushing his weight into her and pumping into the thin material until he found sweet release but this was something that she wanted to do, and far be it for him to interfere with another person's conquest. Against his every urge Kai tried steering clear from the uncontrollable vigorous path that he favors and went with his second favorite; persuading Bonnie to see things to his liking and feel the same desire he can never seem to appease.

Leaning into her Kai sucked and nibbled his way up her chest and neck running his hands leisurely across her body. His right arm trailed around her back feeling the energy buzzing out of his fingertips tracing up her spine as the other glided across her smooth skin over the lace and traveled lower gripping Bonnie's inner thigh under her cheek and her breath hitched causing her to squeeze him tighter. Easing his fingers back and sliding them under the barely there fabric Kai ran them through her folds resting the pad of his thumb against her rear and jumped when Bonnie's palm slammed against the headboard a few inches to his right. His body vibrated from laughter and he sealed his lips over hers still smiling trying to soothe her electrified state with impassioned kisses, feeling her body curl into him holding onto the side of his neck to take control.

Bonnie grinded against his thighs and fingers making them curve feeling her squeezing him so tight he didn't know how he was still holding himself off. Fighting the need to finish Kai put more pressure against his thumb and ran his other hand through her hair keeping her locked in his hold. Violent jerks broke through Bonnie's self-restraint, pulling at the roots of his hair while digging her knees into the mattress and gasping into his mouth; the overall effect triggering the memories from earlier tonight as her hidden confessions started replaying on a loop.

"Bon," he ground out, the hoarse sound vibrating in his chest when she picked up the pace and her legs started to tremble around him.

Pushing his fingers in sharply Bonnie bowed backwards tugging her hand up with the movement and Kai's chest heaved hearing the blood roaring in his ears. He kissed softly up her stomach and chest repeating the movement and felt the impact of the headboard against his head and back as Bonnie grabbed the sides of his neck riding out her orgasm; watching her come undone setting off his own and snaked his arm around her to pull her chest into his. Bonnie continued to massage herself over him and Kai clenched his jaw feeling how stiff he still was, knowing how much more built up tension and endurance he had within him. One of the only things he's discovered that he hasn't liked from getting closer to Bonnie is this feeling of still wanting more after; whether it be what they're doing now, their somewhat friendship, or anything in between - and the incertitude was wearing on Kai's composure.

"I don't know if I'll ever get enough of you," Kai murmured leaving small kisses against her collarbone and up her neck.

Hovering in front of her face Bonnie closed the distance and exhaled a deep breath through her nose relaxing into his touch as his fingers traced designs across her bare back. Kai's body still felt alive with a charged energy but he could feel hers rapidly decreasing; her comfortable posture nestling into him the more her exhaustion kicked in and leaned back resting her forehead against his with her eyes still closed.

"We're taking this to the grave," Bonnie whispered, "tonight never happened."

"Oh, but it did; and it is gonna happen again... very soon." Kai teased and rolled his hips up into her hearing his voice coming out gravely. Bonnie's thighs clenched in response to Kai's dark promise and groaned in frustration pushing her head away from his as he laughed. "If I shower are you going to fall asleep?"

"Mhm."

"Well stay awake for two more minutes I'll be in and out," he promised pecking her lips and easing her off his lap to the left seeing her slowly fall into unconsciousness.

Kicking off the clothes near his ankles he swiped the boxers off the floor and headed across the hall to the shower, rinsing himself off and turning the water on extra cold to chill down his fevered state of being. Drying off and slipping back on the boxers Kai smirked seeing a rumpled half naked Bonnie cuddled up waiting for him, crossing the room and crawling up the bed to her. Kai listened to her grumbles of protest feeling him shift her around and lay down on his back near the middle, pulling Bonnie up and over to lie on top of him. He was waiting for the beating against his chest or a sign of discomfort but Bonnie's fatigued state had her readjusting pushing herself up slightly to bring her face into the crook of his neck. Feeling her breath tingling against his neck Kai wrapped his arms around her holding onto his wrist to keep them locked and Bonnie's hand slid up his stomach resting against his collar. He could feel Bonnie's limbs unwinding the longer he had her in his embrace and exhaled the same relaxing breath and drifted off, taking her with him.

-x—

Kai woke up like a bolt of lightning – not uncommon to how he generally came to before Bonnie arrived – and felt weight pressing down on his chest; flipping the attacker underneath him and taking a moment to blink through the haze seeing Bonnie sleeping a few inches away. Letting out a sigh of aggravation he tried shaking the wary thoughts free that used to surround his mind of the constant internal battle, always seeming to catch him at his most vulnerable when his defenses are down. Kai was almost used to the heightened state of paranoia, skipping past acquaintances straight through to BFF's once he hit puberty and that lingering obsessive suspicion has become a part of him that he tries to use to his advantage every chance he gets. Joshua Parker may have tricked the naïve young boy, afraid of what he was and unsuspecting of the gruesome turn of events that would unfold, but he was dealing with an entirely different beast now.

Up until now both men have had their advantages of plotting and planning; analyzing every possible drawback the other could blindside them with and having the resolution for it in place before moving on to the next one. Kai has gone over at least a hundred different ways how he could either come out victorious against his father or be defeated, and the latter didn't leave him with too many bright outcomes. While Kai has had the run of the world for the last 18 years, free to investigate his childhood home as well as other coven members and picking through every piece of information he came across, the trail still went cold May 1994 leaving all of his other predictions purely up to speculation. His father's one upper-hand is that he's been able to continue to communicate and brainwash the coven while Kai's been a million miles away doing hard time just imagining the monstrous way he's described his son over the years. Being secluded from the coven was nothing compared to solitary from his family, but there was one girl in the coven – a freshman his senior year who seemed to have a soft spot for him, and Kai's only angle to get his foot back in the door.

Reaching over Bonnie's shoulder Kai grabbed her phone seeing 8:23AM on the front screen and typed in the four digits she told him to use the night before, scanning through the options trying to find the internet and use this 'Google' everyone seems to be so fond of. It took a few wrong turns but Kai finally found himself at the right website, checking times for the 8 hour flight he could pilot from his First Class seat and saw there was a roundtrip leaving at 9:45AM. If his calculations were correct he wouldn't get back until somewhere in the witching hour which Kai thought was pretty suitable and decided to go for it. His lips pursed seeing the $488 at the top of the screen and would have to think on the go how to deal with that since he was limited on time.

Staring down at the borderline naked girl in front of him Kai had to take another full minute to absorb and appreciate this picture; one of the rare occasions Bonnie's moral high-horse and the nagging voice of reason take a break leaving her exposed to him. Not wanting to risk passing an electric current through her skin by running his hands across her, Kai settled with brushing his lips over hers and smiled hearing the hum in the back of her throat. Backing up slowly off the bed Kai ran upstairs getting dressed quickly in jeans, boots, and a black Save Vinyl t-shirt and threw his wallet, a few magazines and sweatshirt into the backpack so he had something on him and headed back downstairs. Rummaging through the cabinets and getting a variety of snacks he made his way back into the bedroom and spotted Bonnie's notebook on the dresser, flipping open to a blank page and scribbling 'be back tonight – don't miss me too much!' sideways across it before sticking it on the table next to her head.

Heading out the door and grabbing Sheila's keys without a second thought Kai hit the road for the airport, roughly a twenty minute ride and it was tipping past 8:50AM already. Pushing just past the speed limit and making his way effortlessly through the familiar streets Kai walked through the front doors at 9:15AM and scanned the room looking at the unsuspecting targets of his scheming. A rich suit in dark sunglasses chatting away on his phone to Kai's left caught his attention first, checking all the things he passes before reaching the guy and spotting the revolving rack of gift cards. Walking by casually he swiped a card running his thumb over the black strip on the back and looked behind him intentionally barreling into the guy sending his wallet, passport, and phone skidding across the floor.

"Oh man, I'm sorry," Kai said heartfelt, giving his phone a nudge with his foot sending it in the other direction from the wallet drawing the suit's attention away.

Crouching in front of the wallet he took his pick from four potential credit cards and slid one in front of the gift card, muttering 'recensere' and bringing it back into view a perfect replica. Sliding the gift card back into the wallet and his credit card in his back pocket, Kai stood up apologizing again for not watching where he was going and tried not to laugh at the obliviousness when someone is on an "important phone call". Kai made his way over unhurriedly; swinging the backpack around his front to find his ID and ran his thumb over Mr. Luxury's name repeating the spell and watching his name take its place, doing the same to the birth year on his ID.

"How can I help you?" a middle aged man smiled.

"One round trip to Portland, Orgeon, Sir," Kai stated broadly, sliding his ID and credit card across the counter for him to look over.

The man looked over his every feature going between his picture and face – Kai's grin wide since that was his actual ID from 1994 and not the card he should be concerned with, and moved onto the transaction. Kai was fluent in not showing any outward signs of what's happening inside this determined mind and kept his expression level as the card went through without a hitch and slid over his boarding pass.

"Enjoy your flight, Mr. Parker."

"Thank you," he said in a chipper tone, grabbing everything off the counter and heading to Terminal 4 for his painfully long flight.

It surprised Kai that this first trip across, that he has taken so many times... was apparently until the end of time. He tried flipping through the magazines, watching the terrible movies that were playing on a loop, and chatting with other people nearby until he talked each and every ear off but the flight still dragged leaving him to watch all of the checkpoints he made on his trips passing through. By the time the plane landed it was just after 6PM with the sun close to setting and fueled his fire; renting a car and heading for the last known address he can recall his friendly coven member residing in, pulling into the driveway fifteen minutes later.

Taking the steps two at a time Kai rang the doorbell and hoped this was still the right house, about to hit the button again when a gorgeous blonde appeared in the doorway; making a move to speak but breaking into a wide grin instead. Whoever was standing in front of him had to be a model, only a couple of inches shorter than his six foot frame with a pair of long legs under her jeans and bright yellow top; looking to be the All-American beauty with blonde curly hair and smoky gray eyes .

"I knew I would have the wrong house," Kai laughed, "I was hoping someone I knew still lived here."

"What's their name?" she questioned in a sultry voice.

"Ashley Stone."

"Yeah, she's here; who are you?"

"An old friend," he smiled and she looked him over questionably, probably wondering how exactly a person that looked her age could go way back with someone who is close to forty. "How do you know her?"

"Hey Ashley!" she yelled into the house looking back to him smiling, "She's my sister."

If there was any color in his face he was certain it just faded away with his smile, his memories flashing back to hanging out at this house with Ash who had a five year old sister at the time. "Anna?"

"AnnaLynne," she corrected scrunching her eyebrows, "who..."

"Kai?" drew his attention away from one almost unrecognizable face to one that looked a little more familiar standing behind her. Both had the same blonde hair but that's where the physical similarities stopped; being opposite in height, light eyes vs. dark, and their overall appearance.

"Ash," he beamed glancing back at the little-girl-turned-model as a wave of clarity washed over her, "been awhile, how have you been?"

"What are you doing here, Kai?" she hissed stepping up to him and pushing Anna behind her arm, an incredulous side glance coming across his features as he squinted in perplexity.

"You think I came here to hurt you?"

"No – I don't know – what are you doing here?"

"Well you were one of the only people in the coven I could stand to be around, and vice verse so I thought if there was anyone that wouldn't try to kill me first chance they got then it would be you. See the thing is, I'm a few years late on the whole 'becoming leader of the Gemini Coven' thing and I really want to get that out of the way, and I am literally days away from that happening. The only bump on that road to easy living is the current leader himself who I'm sure you've gotten to know even better since I've been gone – and is still a heartless son of a bitch."

"Kai, after what you did..."

"I know, and I can't possibly expect you to understand the things that happened that led up to that night but I can tell you that at least half of the story my father gave you is false; like I was born evil or snapped one day of the blue. You don't owe me anything but other than my sister you were the only one in the coven I hung out with, I feel like you know me a little better than what my dad's been feeding you."

"I knew the kid you were before all of that happened," Ashley stressed leaning against the doorframe and shooting a glance behind her, "AnnaLynne go in the other room."

"No, I want to hear this."

"Now."

"I'm a part of this coven too."

"She's got a point," Kai smiled, "the more people that like me the merrier. So I was hoping you knew something that could get me out of this tight corner."

"Why would I know?"

"My dad and your mom were pretty close when we were growing up."

"She passed away," Ash said dismissively and Kai gritted his teeth.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Why are you sorry, she didn't like you."

"There were moments; remember that one Halloween?" Kai recalled thinking back to the twins first Halloween with Josette and all the little ones with Ashley and Anna tagging along.

Kai watched Ash's expression momentarily shift playing through the memory of everyone dressed up, including himself fresh out of high school decked out as Captain Hook and their adventurous night of trick r' treating that was actually enjoyable. His eyes shifted over her shoulder to Anna staring back at him with the corners of her lips turned up, tilting his head a fraction from curiosity when she didn't look away.

"A lot has changed since then, at least for some of us."

"Are you referring to my dashing young looks?" he winked, "I'm like a fine wine - I'm even better with age. My life isn't what it used to be either Ash, but this one occurrence is the only thing keeping me tied to the past and it's something I have to do."

"The coven leader won't let that happen."

"And how is he going to stop me; what is he planning?" Kai looked back and forth between both girls pleading with his eyes hoping one would crack and could sense her little sister's willpower draining and locked in on her. "Please."

"It's a trap," Anna spilled and Ashley's glare shot back at her.

"AnnaLynne."

"He has a right to know, doesn't he? You've told me for years you hate our leader and his methods, and Kai is somebody who can change that."

"If Olivia and Lucas merge then Joshua won't be the leader so it will change no matter what."

"Not necessarily," Kai chimed in, "they're both under a pretty tight scrutiny and will continue to do whatever my father thinks is best. I on the other hand will loosen the reigns, change the rules, and give everyone a little more independence. I know he's probably scared you all straight telling you ghost stories of me coming back to take over and destroy the coven but that's not my intention; I just want to survive."

Ashley's brows drew down in sympathy, biting her top lip contemplating if she was going to actually tell him and Kai glanced up at Anna looking down at her with an expression full of anticipation.

"Just tell him."

"Fine," Ashley huffed staring straight in the eyes, "I may have eavesdropped on a conversation the other day between the leader and his right hand man about some spell being complete that sealed your fate, and that it was only a matter of time."

"What spell?"

"It's actually more of a hex," she corrected, "one that needed you to die and be resurrected for it to work."

"How would he know you'd come back if someone killed you?" Anna asked and Kai smirked at his father's cunning skills using his own defense tactics against him.

"Let's just say that's not the side of the family I got my looks from. He really put a hex on me?"

"Sounded like it; he said now there was no possible way you would be able to merge with Josette and survive, even if she dies too."

"Why would she die too?"

"Your dad's going to use your sister as bait to reel you in and once you try and merge with her whatever hex he put on you will kill you, and probably her too." Anna explained in simple terms that still sounded foreign to Kai as he rubbed his hand over his face and through his hair in frustration.

"That's great; I just barely make it out of my eternal 1994, I get killed by some vampire lackey and still manage to come back to life feeling phenomenal – now to be told if I attempt to merge with my twin and siphon her magic then it will most likely take us both out."

"Tough break," Anna said through a crooked turn of her mouth making Kai puff out a laugh.

"Yeah, you could say that. Well thank you – both of you, I really do appreciate this and it's definitely useful information. Can I return the favor?"

"How?"

"Head east; get into a nice change of scenery down in Virginia where half of the coven has migrated over to."

"Why would I want to do that? Our whole lives have been there, this house-"

"That's exactly why Ash; this little bubble has been your whole world and it's always been under my father's power. Whether I become the new leader, or Josette, or one of those rotten twins all of us are over there and it already seems more... normal."

"How so?" Anna perked stepping around Ashley and past Kai onto the porch.

"You don't feel like you're some outcast in a magical coven that you can't tell anyone about because you know they won't understand. There are vampires and werewolves and rogue witches spread all around the towns surrounding Mystic Falls; it's the Oasis for the supernatural. My friend is a witch and she's gone to school and lived her life out a normal teenager, even when she discovered her powers in high school and everything took an ugly turn. I stayed there for a summer when I was fourteen and I loved it, the woman taught at the same college they now all to go to and Josette's at the hospital five minutes away."

"I don't know about that..." Ashley let out unsure while Anna's expression conveyed the opposite.

"Why don't you sleep on it, you still have a couple days before the coven changes... or doesn't," Kai shrugged and look between the two girls giving each other side glances. "Does one of you know the time?"

"It's 7:28," Anna said pulling her phone from her back pocket.

"I have to catch a flight back at 8 but think about what I said about moving; I could use a couple more familiar and friendly faces around. And thank you, I'll get in touch with you in a few days when things settle down."

"Be careful," Ashley said out of habit, Kai always being the risk taker in all things magic and physical stunt-wise that seemed to bleed into his everyday life.

"Always am," he nodded repeating his usual response and backed off the steps and across the yard, hopping in the car and zooming off the airport for another adventurous waiting game.

The trip back didn't seem nearly as painful; the first four hours blurred into an undeviating train of thought on how he could get around this massive sinkhole that erupted ten feet away from the finish line, and the last four hours were in and out of consciousness. By the time he pulled himself out of the airport and into Sheila's car it was after four in the morning and Kai was 85% positive he was going to crash on the way back, astonished with his skills of apparently driving with his eyes closed when he found himself outside the house. Kai hummed in content knowing he only needed to get less than a hundred feet and would be curled up beside Bonnie asleep within minutes. Turning the knob and heading straight for the hall the light from the TV on his left caught his attention and his line of view went to the tiny little ball of a person wrapped up in a blanket on the other end of the couch. The position looked less than comfortable and Kai had a sneaking suspicion Bonnie was trying to wait up for him.

"Hey," he said softly rubbing his hand down her arm and resting against the side of her knee, "you know there's a bed right at the end of that hall."

"Kai," Bonnie rasped out in a deeply provocative voice, "where have you been? What time is it?"

"It's really late, come on I'll help you up we can talk about all of it tomorrow."

Kai lifted her up by the waist before Bonnie's still half-asleep state could respond, holding onto her hips to steer her way into the bedroom and pulled back the sheets before she face planted into a pillow and rolled over to the opposite side. Barely able to keep his eyes open Kai stripped out of his shoes, jeans, and shirt sliding under the covers and leaning forward pushing his right hand under Bonnie's pillow and stretching out across her back. He rested his head with his lips just below her neck and threw his other arm over grabbing onto his wrist near her face, more or less caging her in and Bonnie's steady breathing calmed Kai's down until he was able to fully pass out.