She woke up with her hands around Kai's neck, still leaning over him. She pulled her hands away quickly and listened to his even breathing, no sign that he was jolting awake or trapped in a nightmare. She leaned back on her knees and put her hand over her mouth as she stared down at him, replaying everything that just happened. His father is behind this? She went over the days since he first started having the dreams and the rapid progression of poor health and shift in personality that came along with it.
'Your friend Damon sought me out…' she smiled sadly to herself, wondering what had happened to her fellow prisoner and what he was doing in the real world. The simple pleasure of knowing Damon was still fighting for her weighed heavily against the repercussions it's put against Kai, and the deadly turn of events for an outcome.
She sighed to herself and got off the bed quietly, slipping out the door before he woke up and headed for the kitchen. She spent the next twenty minutes in a constant battle of heart against mind as her thoughts played through every scenario that could happen depending which path she chose, and going over what she has had to endure up to this point.
When she found herself an hour and a half later, after a dazed shower in Stefan's bathroom still going over the same thoughts she felt like she could rip her own hair out. All she had done was given herself more questions and not a single answer solved. It was like a riddle that she couldn't figure out and it was eating away at her.
The heaviest question weighing on her mind was 'what are you going to tell Kai?' Because, honestly, she didn't have the slightest clue and that was what she needed an answer to immediately.
She wanted to tell him what was going on; she's gotten to that point where she can tell him things and he does the same and there's this mutual – thing - between the two of them. She's even set up a few hypotheticals where she can justifiably say why she brought Kai with her to present day, and it doesn't make her queasy.
What does make her queasy is the thought of holding on to this major secret; one that will ultimately end in Kai's death if she keeps it to herself. She was the first one to admit Kai and his killing sociopathic ways needed to be put down and she did it herself to ensure it – but the way she sees him has drastically changed since then.
She rounded the corner still lost and thought and found him in the kitchen cooking breakfast. She stopped mid-step and tried to slowly back away but he glanced up at her.
"Oh there you are," he smiled. "Scare you off in the middle of the night?"
She looked over his features and inwardly cringed at how much worse he looked. His eyes were dark and glazed with deep marks underneath giving him the look like he hasn't slept in days. He wore matching black sweatpants and a sweatshirt over a gray T and still seemed like he was cold. She glanced down at her own t-shirt and shorts in the comfortable weather and stepped closer, hovering in front of the seat at the island.
"No, I just got up early and didn't want to wake you. How did you sleep?"
"Surprisingly pretty good, I remember starting to fall into something but then it was just black and I didn't dream about anything."
She smiled, a small triumph coming over her at her attempt to pull him out of his nightmare being a success, even if it didn't go as planned.
He scooped the eggs and bacon on two plates, bringing them both over to where she was and sitting beside her.
"So, either you guessed that already or you had something to do with it," he nudged her elbow when she didn't respond or move to eat. "Bet I can take a guess on which one."
She smiled sheepishly, her thoughts still running on overdrive and not knowing what she wanted to tell him or keep secret.
"Yeah I might have had something to do with that. I didn't want to say anything since you didn't want me doing it in the first place."
"Hm," he thought. "I didn't want you to do it because I thought you might make it worse, but, maybe I was wrong."
She looked to her side at him as he spoke, picking at his eggs before going for a piece of bacon.
"I mean it's a rare occasion, maybe once every decade or so – but it does happen."
She rolled her eyes and grabbed a piece of bacon, her stomach turning at the thought that maybe I did make it worse before she could take a bite.
She stayed quiet as she picked at half the food, her thoughts and sudden onset nausea taking away from the delicious smells. She threw out what was left on her plate and headed for the living room with him trailing behind.
"What is going on with you?" He asked after ten minutes of silence.
"Hm?" she asked, lost in thought.
"You're acting weird, have you noticed? I have, it's pretty obvious and all over your face."
She glanced at him and back at the TV, so sidetracked in her daydream that she had forgotten he was still in the room.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," he turned so one of his legs was resting against the cushion.
"I know I asked this before, but, what do you plan on doing to your coven when you get out of here?"
"Why?"
"Call me curious."
He stared at her, a genuine look of confusion spreading across his features.
"Because if I remember correctly," she went on when he didn't, "I seem to recall you saying something about an excruciating death."
"I'm surprised you remember that," he laughed. "That may have been a slight exaggeration; I don't need the whole coven to suffer, where's the fun in that? And I do need a coven to lead after all."
"You still plan on merging with Jo?"
"After a chat with my father," he smiled.
"But," she got up from the couch, pacing in front of the coffee table. "You'll kill her. And your dad, and probably everyone who performed the ritual that night."
Her thoughts kicked up another notch to panic mode as she felt a wave of dizziness hit her.
He leaned forward, his arms resting against his thighs as he closed his hands together.
"What's going on?"
"Kai…"she hesitated before looking over at him rising slowly, stepping around the table towards her.
She backed up quickly and stood behind the couch putting distance between him. He raised his eyebrows.
"No, really, what are you doing?"
Panicking she answered internally, her scattered thoughts tipping her actions into a frenzy.
"Just let me think for a second," she breathed, her hands resting against the back of the couch.
How am I going to be able to spend the next few days with him as he gets worse if I can't even get it together right now she argued internally, her head dropping momentarily in aggravation.
When she lifted it back up he was standing at the end of the couch a few feet to her side. She pushed herself away to the other side but he was faster, wrapping his hand around her bicep and pulling her into him.
"Bonnie, what's wrong?"
She felt her eyes start to water from being so overwhelmed with emotions; her brain wanting to physically split in half over her contradicting thoughts. She looked down and tried to push him away but his grip on her tightened, turning her so she was between him and the back of the couch; she was trapped.
"Kai, stop."
"I will, after you tell me what the hell is going on."
"I'm thinking about everything," she tried to keep her voice strong as she stayed looking down at their chests being an inch away.
"Okay," he pressed.
"And… I'm terrified. I couldn't let you leave before, because I knew what you were capable of doing. I've gotten to know you better since then but, you plan on killing people when you get out of here. I don't – I can't-"
He tried lifting her head under her chin but she looked away to the side, her emotions trying to fight its way out of her body the only way it knows how; unexpected and at the worst time.
He let go of her arm and put both hands on the back of the couch, leaning down until he was eye level.
"I don't plan on hurting you. Or anyone else you care about for that matter, but my coven and I have unfinished business. If my timeline adds up then the other twins are turning 22 soon and that's my only opportunity."
"You can't just let it go?" she looked into his eyes, pushing at his shoulders while his posture stayed the same. "Take being able to leave this place as reason enough, and not go off on your vengeance path?"
He looked back and forth between her eyes, his eyebrows drawn as he took in her expression.
"This was why I was born Bonnie, I am next in line to lead my coven and I'm not letting him take it away from me twice. If there was any other way, I would choose it, but this is how it has to be done."
She turned her head away, swiping quickly at a tear falling down her cheek before crossing her arms. She stayed that way for at least a minute, feeling his eyes on her and refusing to meet his gaze.
"We have to leave soon," he said quietly.
Her head shot back to his, his expression almost fragile under his fatigued state. Her anger towards him, his father, and the situation she was trapped in pressed down physically against her; a headache already brewing in the back of her head.
"I don't know about that," she gritted.
"Why not?"
She knew saying one wrong thing could tip his feelings of confusion to rage.
"Do you really not understand why I would have trouble bringing you back into a world where you are going to start killing off people?"
"People you don't know, or have any connection to. You know me better than those people and you have tried to kill me, two times. You have no moral obligation to them, so yes; I don't understand why you're having trouble with this."
She kept her gaze on the wall next to her.
"I tried to kill you because I thought you were a terrible person."
"So are they."
"They didn't go around murdering their siblings!"
"No just sacrificing their children every generation."
She looked back at him, his slumped posture to meet her eye level giving the impression that he was somehow smaller and less intimidating. Ironic, she thought, watching him let out a shaky breath and cough into his sleeve.
"Would you kill me to escape here?"
He shook his head, laughing in exasperation.
"Is that what it's going to come down to?"
"Say it was, would you?"
"Stop it Bon, let's just go home together."
"What if I can't?" she questioned.
His gaze grew even darker as she took note in his body tensing.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said lowly.
She stared into his eyes, knowing deep down she didn't want to hurt him either. She didn't want to leave him here to die, or have him be trapped for another 18 years. She's grown to not have a disdain for his presence around her all the time and has even wondered how that would play out in the real world.
Before she had a chance to register, Kai had gotten under her skin and now he was in her blood stream, flooding through her body and mind and becoming her source of energy; of power.
"You know me," he urged, standing up straight and leaning in closer to her.
"I don't know anything anymore," she shook her head.
"I'll wait, if that's what it takes to prove whatever it is you need to see, but I'm running out of time."
She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes, knowing just how right he truly was. His hand grazed up her hip and arm to her shoulder, her chin trembling involuntarily at the contact.
His hand continued to the side of her neck, cupping it and lifting her head with his thumb. She could feel her vision getting cloudy as tears brimmed the bottom of her lids, trying not to blink so they'd disappear before they fell.
His look of concern was off-putting under their current conversation as his eyes searched her face trying to piece everything together.
"What aren't you telling me?"
She tried to turn her head away but his hand kept her locked in place.
"Kai, please…" she let out shakily.
"Tell me."
She tried to keep her hold onto the one strand that was left keeping her grounded, planted in her moral path.
He stood still; his hand on her neck, pressed up close as his face searched hers a few inches away, coaxing the truth out of her. She felt her control draining from her body leaving a deep chill in its wake.
"Your father-"she shivered, "is trying to kill you."
His gaze stopped roaming and locked into hers, her chest tightening and not letting her exhale.
"What did you say?"
His close proximity was making her feel claustrophobic, her air supply dwindling with each passing breath. She put her hand on his chest to give a gentle nudge backwards but it had no effect on him.
"Bonnie, what do you mean?"
"I feel dizzy," she whispered, her adrenaline hitting her so fast a wave of vertigo followed.
He sighed in obvious irritation, scooping her up and leaning over to sit her on the couch. He walked around and sat so close their knees were touching.
"Talk to me."
"I found him, in your nightmare," she started. "Not a dream version but the real deal. He's the reason why you've been having nightmares, and why you're sick. He's-"she tried swallowing but her throat was completely dry. "He's killing you, Kai."
"That's not possible," he said in disbelief. "I can't die here, I've tried; I always come back. I think if he could have by now he would have."
"He said something about not being able to before, didn't have the stuff. And… you didn't have a Bennett witch until now."
His eyes never left hers, the cloudy daze getting covered by white hot rage simmering under the surface. She could tell his teeth were clenched by his jaw sticking out and his slouched posture turned tense and alert.
"I have to get out of here."
"I know," she sighed.
"Did he say when, or how long it's going to take?"
"No, just that he needed more time to complete the spell. And not to intervene, or else."
He scoffed, his hand wrapped around his other fist, moving them restlessly.
"So did I pass your test, have you decided to take me with you?"
"I don't know. I haven't made up my mind."
He stared her down, one eyebrow cocked.
"Think harder."
She let out a deep breath, knowing she would inevitably find herself stuck in this moment but surprised at the other factors that were thrown into the equation. His father, his newer – better – self, and the way she felt about him were just a few that made the top of the list.
'Don't cause any alarm or try anything foolish and you will be home shortly, safe and sound…'
"Okay," spilled out of her, her heart winning the battle against her mind. She shook her head staring at him. "I regret it already, but okay, let's get out of here."