A.N: It's really been nine months huh? Go figure. Trigger warning for a racial slur.

The restaurant is bustling with activity. Nearly every table is filled and the poor staff are being overwhelmed. At their table Sheila almost chokes on a piece of lamb due to Charles' story.

Sheila swallows her food before speaking. "Oh Charles you didn't."

"Yes I did. It was a well deserved wedgie if I do say so myself." A proud smile on his face as sipped his red wine.

"Oh Chukwu you're a mess."

The mood at the table sobers as Charles reaches across to take Sheila's hand in his. He gently rubs his thumb over her fingers, turning her wedding band over and over. Sheila takes his other hand and intertwines their fingers.

"We need to do this more often. Go on little dates and the like."

"Charles, honey, the last time you said those words we made Abigail."

He grins mischievously at Sheila. "Want to give her a younger sister or brother? Better yet, you can join the mile high club in one of the private jets while doing so."

Sheila looks scandalized, her face rapidly turning red. "Charles!" She whisper-yells.

He tries to make himself look innocent but fails miserably. "What? Why not? We're still young by mage standards, barely even at the halfway point. Ain't nothing wrong with mixing our beautiful genes once again to produce another child. A mini me or you wouldn't hurt."

"As tempting as that sounds...absolutely not. Abby is enough."

"I'm inclined to agree with her." Says the voice in a dark tone.

Sheila views the interrupters with indifference while Charles rolls his eyes. Joshua stands before them flanked by High Priestess Mairi McCullough and Crone Edgith Harman. Other customers were starting to stare at their table.

"Where is he, lady Bennett?"

"There's a lot of hes in the world Josh, be more specific." She says behind her glass of wine.

"Do not get sassy with me, Sheila. Where is my son? Where is Malachai?"

Sheila gingerly sat back after taking another bite of lamb. She swallowed her food and then spoke. "Safe from you."

Charles snorts. "Oh now he's your son."

"Do not test me Charles." Joshua directs his attention back to Sheila. "Sheila bring my son to me or there will be consequences."

Charles shoots out of his seat and is in Joshua's face. "I suggest you take your ass back to Portland, Josh. You better be glad two for things: the Covenant and the fact that your coven would die if I killed you."

The hard edge in his voice caused Mairi to back up and Edgith to raise an eyebrow. Sheila smiles into her glass of wine. Joshua's eyes narrow but he remains unaffected.

"Joshua if you don't leave this instant I will tell Kai what you plan on doing to him. About how you want to lock him up for things he hasn't even done."

Mairi flinches and Edgith mutters about sociopaths and how men shouldn't run things.

Joshua sneers. "Yet."

"If you and Imogen were better parents then well," she swirls the wine in her glass, "we would not be having this discussion right now would we?"

Joshua sighs. "Now I have no choice but to call a Council meeting to try you Sheila."

"Well by all means Joshua go for it. Just be prepared to discuss certain things when they arise." She returns to her meal. Charles goes to stand behind her chair with his hands resting on on the back of it. "Nwee ezigbo mgbede."

Mairi and Edgith nod their goodbyes. Joshua says nothing. The three coven leaders then leave the restaurant.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." Bonnie's mind was multitasking left and right. Kai's grandmother had them at an impasse. Kai was being held with an immobilization and silence spell, Bonnie never bothered to learn fae weaknesses were. Never thought she would have to deal with them. Talk about screwed. She bit her lip in thought but kept her eyes trained on Kai and the Queen.

The Queen continued to stroke Kai's hair affectionately. She leans over to whisper in his ear. "Come with me. After all I am the only one left who will treat you right."

"Oh yeah aunt Sharon's dead. Damn, now I can't finish fixing up the car. I liked that car."

"My poor grandson has no one left in his corner. Sheila only took you in to save others, not you. Her husband and granddaughter don't want you around so why stay with them? I can give you what you want Malachai."

His mood swung from being creeped out to rage. Boiling in your blood and seeping into your bones level rage. He didn't need a reminded he's helpless to do anything because he has no magic. Being like this just fueled his need to merge and win more than ever.

"Draw first blood, I need to draw first blood to distract her." Looking at Kai's feet she notices a portal beginning to form. "No!" Bonnie nearly paused at how frantic her voice sounded for Kai's well-being. She snatches up the letter opener and brandishes it like a weapon.

The Queen smiles looking up at Bonnie then it drops when she gets a glimpse of the object that the young girl grabbed. "Oh come now child, you do not-"

Bonnie put all of the magic she could muster into this toss. The letter opener went sailing through the air but came to an abrupt halt a mere few inches from Kai's face. Now it's down to a battle of willpower. The Queen turned it from her and Kai and effortlessly back to Bonnie. Bonnie could feel her nose beginning to bleed just trying to keep up.

"She's toying with me." Her knees began to buckle. "But if I don't stop her she'll take him. I won't let her take him." Bonnie pushes harder against the Queen's magic. The letter opener turns back to them with a vengeance.

Kai's eyes widened at Bonnie's tenaciousness. "She's going this far? For me?"

"Oh." A smile etches itself on the Queen's face. "I think I stand corrected." She looks down at Kai. "It seems you do have someone who wants you around after all. Even though it will be at the expense of her own life." With a few small hand movements it's back being closer to Bonnie than it was before.

The letter opener inched closer and closer to Bonnie. "I have only one more shot before I pass out." Concentrating her efforts she directs an antique candle holder into the portal spreading around them and brings it up cutting into the Queen's upper thigh and hitting her in the face. Bonnie only has moments to enjoy her scream as her control on Kai falters and she begins to black out from the overuse of magic.

Kai steps out of the portal and takes advantage by grabbing his grandmother's arm taking as much magic as he can. She pushes Kai away as he hits her with a motus spell, she crashes into a wall denting it while Kai slams into Bonnie colliding with the closed door. Other objects in the room shatter and fly about. The Queen stands up touching the cut on her thigh sending the girl crumpled under Kai a rather vicious sneer.

"I will leave you alone for now Malachai. The next time I return you will be begging me to take you to the Faelands."

Kai snorts. "I highly doubt that grandma."

"Hmph, we shall see."

She steps through the portal she created vanishing from Kai's sight. Moving his legs from Bonnie's torso he props himself up against the door. He slams his fist into the door in anger. His grandmother was probably going to torture him in some way and now he could probably never relax his guard again.

"Come to Mystic Falls Sheila said. You'll be able to live a normal healthy life away from Joshua and Imogen she says." Kai rolls his eyes. "Although..." He lets the word hang in the air glancing down at Bonnie's unconscious body.

"It seems you do have someone who wants you around." Kai smiles as he bends down to sling one of Bonnie's arms around his neck. "I'm so holding this over her as soon as she wakes up."

There's a hard thump against his lower back as someone slams against the door. Hooking one arm under her knees and the other just underneath her breast he comes up cradling her bridal style. He spins away from the door just as it bangs open revealing the angry faces of Tyler's mother and father plus a few others like the Sheriff.

"Oh hi! I'm just taking her home, the cultural erasure plus the dressed up sawdust you people have the audacity to call food didn't agree with her." Kai adjusts Bonnie in his arms. "If you'll excuse me."

Kai went to squeeze pass but the Sheriff held out her arm to stop him. She scans the room noting the absolute chaos and nods her head in the direction of Tyler's parents. "Check the room. Make sure nothing is missing. This boy isn't from around here."

Kai's face went blank but inside he's screaming. "Dammit!"

Meredith steps into Elena's room with a full mug of steaming passionflower tea carefully watching her friends after the events that transpired. Caroline is curled up in Elena's arms crying profusely. Elena is rubbing gentle circles on her back.

"He-he, oh God Elena-" So broken up Caroline can't even get her words out. Just harsh sobs.

"Shh Care, shh. I'm here. We're here for you."

After placing the mug on the nightstand Meredith repeatedly checked her phone for any missed calls from Bonnie while pacing back and forth. Since Bonnie wandered off with Kai earlier in the evening she didn't respond to any text messages or calls.

"Elena make sure Caroline drinks all of this." She points to the cup. "I have to go."

"Wait a minute. Go where? Why?"

Grabbing one of Elena's jackets she was halfway out the door. "Bonnie hasn't called or texted me back and it's been well over a hour."

"What?" Elena sat straight up on the bed but was mindful of Caroline. Her mind raced through the evening's events. Caroline arrived with Damon, some talking, she urging Stefan to dance with Caroline, Damon attempting to get her back on his side, Meredith and Bonnie interrupting him and Damon leaving.

"Bonnie got a text..." She let the sentence trail off.

"Yes, more than likely from Kai. Suspiciously right after Damon left."

"Oh Meredith, you don't think Damon did something to her? Like before he attacked Caroline?"

"I honestly don't know." Meredith said solemnly. "But I will find her."

Elena is torn, Caroline needs her for support but Bonnie is effectively missing. She grabs her phone and places it on the bed. "Call me every fifteen minutes Meredith. If you don't I'm calling Sheriff Forbes."

"Got it." With that Meredith was out the door.

Grabbing Elena's jeep keys Meredith doesn't wait for it to fully start up before peeling out of there. "Please be okay Bonnie."

Tyler's parents got to work checking things. First their area then the Fells. The other guests were shooting Kai looks that range from curiosity to contempt. He gave them a mocking smile in turn.

Kai grew impatient once they got to the Salvatore section. "Seriously? I have an unconscious girl in my arms, who happens to be bleeding mind you, but you want to check to see if old crap is missing or damaged?"

"Bleeding?" the Sheriff asks. "From where?"

"Her nose. Now can I get her home?" The magic was making him feel funny.

"Wait a moment." Patting her pockets she pulls out an unopened packet of tissue. "Bring her over here." She points to the couch that Tyler is on. Correction, was on.

"Where did he go?" Kai huffs but makes his way through the crowd to place Bonnie down gently on the couch. He tilts her head forward pinching the soft part of her nose with his thumb and pointer finger. Taking the now open packet from the Sheriff he wipes Bonnie's nose and around her mouth. When done he drops the bloody tissue into the sheriff's hands.

"What's going on in here?" A new voice asks. "Is that Bonnie?"

Kai rolls his eyes at yet another intrusion but looks up from his place on the floor. A tall dark skinned black woman is peering down at Bonnie. She's holding on to a rosary tightly muttering in Portuguese. She crutches down and cradles Bonnie's head in her hands. Something about her feels familiar.

"Liz, why is she here and not home in bed resting?"

"Because the boy is suspect Gabby. Bonnie never comes to these things but this unknown child comes to town and now she shows up?"

Gabby levels Liz with a look and Kai finally realizes who the woman looks like. Muriel, the mean silent one in Bonnie's little clique.

"So this is her mother." Kai mutters to himself.

"He's an attractive young man Liz, I don't think it would be too hard for him to convince her to come to this event. Did you forget about teens and their hormones? Or how we were as kids?"

"Hmm I like her already." Kai eyes the sheriff with growing agitation.

"But he's-"

"Innocent." She cuts her off. "I doubt Mrs. Sheila or Mr. Charles would allow that in their home." She places Bonnie's head gently back on the couch. "Let this boy take her home."

"Fine." She shoots Gabby a look that says we'll talk later. "Take her straight home. In the morning I want you at the station to talk."

"I was trying to do that before this little fiasco started." He says completely ignoring the last part of her sentence. He lifts Bonnie into his arms again and makes his way to the front of the mansion.

Getting to the car Kai places Bonnie against him so he can open the passenger door. Just as he gets the door open the sound of car tires squealing catches Kai's attention.

"Speak of the devil." Kai mumbles. The boy couldn't get Bonnie in the car fast enough.

Meredith jumps out peering around the area. She spots Kai and starts heading in his direction. She sees Bonnie's limp form and immediately grabs for her. When she's safely secured in her hold she scowls at Kai.

"There better be a damn good explanation for this."

Kai shrugs. "We were attacked."

Meredith checks Bonnie's neck. "I don't see any bite marks on her."

"By something else."

"By something else, he says."

"Yes something else Mercedes, Bonnie came to my aid and she ended up worse than I did."

Looks him up and down. "Yet you don't have a single scratch on you."

"I was stuck." He said with a growing edge in his voice. "Can I please get her home now? This has been a really trying day for us."

Meredith clutches Bonnie to her then heaves a heavy sigh. She gestures for him to move from in front of the passenger door. She places Bonnie in gently checking her over once again and secures her with the seat belt. She looks at Kai as he gets in the driver's seat. "Nothing else better happen to her."

As soon as she closes the door Kai snorts starting the car. She steps back and then Kai peels off.

Arriving Kai notices the house is dark meaning Sheila and Charles were still out. Kai looks over at Bonnie's sleeping form. He pokes her cheek but she doesn't budge. He parks the car gets out and stretches.

"Time to see what this Fae magic can do." Sticking out his hand Kai mutters an aperta spell. The front door bangs open...and so does every other house and car on the block.

"Oops." He hurriedly closes all the car doors save for the passenger one. Taking Bonnie out of the car he closes the door with his foot. He runs up the front steps into the house and deposits her on the couch. Muttering a comminus spell everything around him slams close. He plops down beside Bonnie on the couch.

"I should take her upstairs to her room."

Peeling himself off of the couch he once again picks her up bridal style carrying her upstairs. Kai feels Bonnie subtly shift in his arms snuggling her head more into the crook of his shoulder. Kai smirks to himself.

"I'm so going to have a field day with this."

Shouldering her room door open he dumps her on the bed then stretches across the foot of it. He clenches his fist. Now that he was home he had time to think about the magic coursing through him. Fae magic. His grandmother's magic. It felt ancient, like old as time. And he can't control it.

"I guess I'll wait for Mrs. S to get in. She should know what to do about this."

Sheila tosses her keys on the small end table and throws her coat on the sofa. She pinches the bridge of her nose thinking about dealing with the Council. She could manage but she really didn't want to put Bonnie and Kai through that. Charles, after locking the door, comes up beside her a look of determination on his face.

"We'll get through this." He says as he puts an arm around her shoulder.

"Oh I know." She pats his hand. "Now where are those kids?"

"Probably fascinated with Emily's necklace." Charles pauses. "Please tell me Bonnie has it and not Malachai."

Sheila's eyebrows furrow in thought. "Maybe it might be best if he has it." She continues on before Charles can object. "He absorbs the magic within and it's useless to that vampire even if he does get his hands on it."

"Ah good point. Kids!"

They both look at each other when no one answers them. Making their way upstairs Kai greets them at Bonnie's bedroom door looking disheveled. Charles's eyes narrow.

"Boy, explain yourself, now."

"Chucky." Sheila cautions.

"My grandmother showed up."

Charles' rising anger deflates immediately at seeing Bonnie's prone form laying on her bed. Pushing pass Kai he crutches down beside her bed checking her for injuries. When he speaks his voice is hoarse. "What happened?"

Kai sighs. "We were tracking the necklace but my grandmother was waiting for us in the Heritage display room. The vampire has the necklace now."

Sheila goes to sit on the bed and motions for Kai to sit as well, he takes the computer chair. "Continue."

Kai picks up one of Bonnie's many stuffed animals toying with it. A dog with a little top hat and a bowtie. "There was nothing we could do. She siphoned the little magic I had left and put an immobilization spell on me. Bonnie tried her best and I do mean she tried but my grandmother is..."

"That much more powerful." Sheila finished for him calmly. She looks over at Bonnie. "We're going to have to reinforce the house."

Charles glares at Kai. "Or we could send him back to let Joshua deal with his mother since he suddenly wants his son back."

Kai paused from playing with the stuffed dog looking to Sheila. "What?"

"Your father stopped by with Edgith and Mairi while we were at dinner. He played the part of concerned parent then devolved into threats when I told him I would not hand you over."

Something in Kai shifted at those words, he blamed it on the new magic coursing through him. First his grandmother and now his father. Sheila protected him from both of them. He gave her a cheeky smile.

Charles adjusted Bonnie in the bed leaning over to kiss her forehead. He stands up whirling around to face Sheila and Kai. "So now there will be a get together in our near future."

"Great."

"Oh Mrs. S that reminds me I siphoned some magic from my grandmother but I can't really control it. Tried a simple opening spell and I'm pretty sure majority of the block opened as well. The heritage display room looks like chaos after I used a motus spell on my grandmother."

Her eyes narrow. "We're heading outside. Give me a moment to change."

"Okay."

Bonnie groans rolling over in bed, she opens her eyes to moonlight cascading through her window. What fully wakes her is the other body in her bed. Kai is laying with his back facing her fiddling with something. Sitting up she realizes she's still in her outfit from the Founder's party. Sensing her movement Kai rolls over to face her with Mr. Woofykins in hand. He changed his clothes.

He props his head up on his chin. "Hey."

"What are you doing in my bed?"

"Waiting for you to wake up."

"Why?"

"Because we need to talk about earlier."

She sighs. "Damon has the necklace."

Kai's face scrunches up. "No not about him, about you and what you did."

"What I did...oh."

He sits up and scoots closer to her. The only thing separating them now is Mr. Woofykins. If she shuffles back away from him she'll fall off of the bed. Her face warms at their closeness.

"You overused your magic to protect me."

"I couldn't let her take you." She says softly.

He smiles at that admission and leans closer to Bonnie. "You care about me don't you?"

"No I can't stand you but that doesn't mean I'd rather have you become some type of weapon for that that mpempe nke nke shit." She huffs. "There's no word for shit in the Igbo language."

He laughed at the term she used to describe his grandmother. Bonnie giggles as well. Kai stops laughing taking in Bonnie's glow in the moonlight, the way it dances over her skin, the way it makes her eyes glow.

"You know when I was carrying you up here you snuggled into my shoulder."

Her eyes narrow and she stops giggling. "I did no such thing, no one likes a liar Kai."

"Oh come now Bonster denial isn't cute."

Moving Mr. Woofykins out of the way he reaches for Bonnie's face. Her head jerks back but he cups the back of her head and leans forward pressing his lips to hers.

Bonnie freezes up for a moment. Kai's lips were on hers and she didn't know what to think or feel. Kissing Kai wasn't what she expected-not that she ever thought of what kissing him would be like-but it wasn't bad.

"Oh. His lips feel soft."

Her body relaxes into his touch and she kisses him back. His fingers weave their way into her hair gently grazing her scalp pulling a moan from her throat. Kai takes advantage sliding his tongue inside tasting her. Bonnie grips his biceps as she sucks on his tongue. He tastes like alcohol and yogurt. He pulls back giving her a moment to breathe. She bites her lip. Moving forward he crushes his lips against hers again sucking the breath from her body.

Kai's hands begin to wander down from her hair to her body. He starts to remove the straps of her dress. Bonnie tenses again then pushes at his chest. He reluctantly moves back letting go of her. She can't handle the way Kai is looking at her, like he wants to devour her. Bonnie gets out of bed and runs to the adjourned bathroom. Closing the door she leans against it sliding down until her bottom touched the cool tile.

"I just kissed Kai." Bonnie touches her lips. "And I liked it."

She puts her other hand to her chest. Her heart is beating fiercely and her skin feels like it's on fire. "It was an 'in the moment' type of thing, that's-that's all it was. I definitely don't want to do that again." She thinks to herself.

Bonnie makes a small noise of pain and curls in herself, her mind a mess of conflicting emotions. While her mind said no her body wasn't in agreement and Bonnie feared her body and possibly her heart was winning out.

Kai had his earbuds in jamming to Disturbed while getting lost in his thoughts. Bonnie was avoiding him. She was gone long before Kai awoke around seven. When he saw her in the school parking lot with her friends she ran off. He was going to have to think of a way to catch her alone. Maybe during Tanner's class.

Retrieving his Spanish notebook Kai closes his locker and comes face to face with Tyler.

"Sup Parker." Tyler says as he takes out one of Kai's earbuds.

"Hey Ty."

He stepped closer to Kai. "Don't 'hey Ty' me! What the hell happened yesterday? Make sure you leave nothing out. Me and the lump on the back of my head need an explanation."

Kai grimaced. "Now? We aren't even in the same class. What are you going to do, skip class to join mine?"

"Nope, we're skipping together." He seizes Kai by the shoulders roughly turning him back toward his locker. "Go on, stick that book right back in your locker."

"What if I wanted go to my Spanish class today? Did you think about that?"

Tyler's glare worsens. "No kid enjoys going to school Kai."

Kai smirks. "On second thought I didn't feel like going to my Spanish class anyway." Kai smiles gesturing for Tyler to go first. "Lead the way."

Tyler's entire attitude changes. He gives Kai a bright smile. "Cool we're heading to Ridgemont."

They dip and dodge around the other students heading for the front doors.

"Ridgemont?"

"Yup, I have a few errands to run and Mystic Falls doesn't have what I need."

"This ought to be fun."

Tyler unlocks the car and gets in. "We just gotta grab Matt then we can go."

Kai tosses his bag in the back and settles in the front seat. "Good, honest Matt is skipping school? How will the football team ever survive without you two?" He pulls out a bottle of soda from his hoodie pocket.

Tyler rolls his eyes putting the car in reverse. "They have good ol' Stefan, they'll live. In fact with the way Tanner's falling all over himself to suck his dick he probably won't notice we're gone."

Kai choked on his soda. "Yo." He coughed. Tyler swatted his back twice. "Dude, a little warning next time!"

Tyler laughed. "But did I lie?"

Kai wheezed. "No."

They pull up in front of Matt's house. Tyler shot a look at Kai. Kai just glanced at the house then at Matt. He's standing outside looking dejected with an old letterman jacket on. He climbs in the backseat letting out a hefty sigh.

"Where are we headed?"

The joy in the car stops. Kai and Tyler glanced at each other then turn to face Matt. His eyes were red.

Tyler killed the engine. "Dude you okay?" When Matt didn't answer he turned all the way around. "Look, you bringing down the mood in this car man."

"Can we just go wherever it is you plan on going? I don't want to talk about it."

Kai eyes both of the boys. "You heard him Ty. Just go."

"Fine whatever."

Tyler started the car and peeled off. Kai put in one of his mixtapes. Matt rolled down the window; resting his head on his forearms and let the wind ruffle his hair while he cried silently. Neither of the boys took notice of the girl with dark brown hair watching them drive off.

Bonnie walks out of her AP English class bee-lining to her locker.

Some kids near her stop talking with one of them pointing at her.

"Don't y'all have a class to get to or something?" She asks in a caustic manner.

One of the teens goes to say something but pauses at the look on Bonnie's face. They quickly scatter. She hmphs flipping her hair over her shoulder. The constant gossip of what happened with her and Kai at the Founder's party was beginning to grate on her nerves. Everyone, Meredith and Elena in particular, were hovering around her asking if she was okay like she couldn't take care of herself. Elena had even shown up at her house in the wee hours of the morning. The kiss with Kai was not helping matters.

She comes to a halt when she notices Geraldine and one of her weird clones looking around suspiciously. Bonnie ducks beside the lockers with her phone in hand. She snaps four pictures of them stashing a bag on top of her locker. Seeing them was the straw that broke the camel's back. She was fed up. Tucking away her evidence she confronts the girls.

"Get away from my locker."

Both girls jump at her sudden appearance. They collect themselves with Geraldine sneering at Bonnie.

"Well well if it isn't the talk of the town. You caused quite the stir last night. The black girl who's too good to attend Founder parties and the new guy. I can already pic-"

Bonnie puts up a hand to stop her. "Hey Gertrude let me stop you right there, I don't care. You're irrelevant to me. Shouldn't you be working on at least being good at something besides a racist piece of shit?" She starts counting off some of her problems. "You can't dance, you're at the bottom of the barrel in academics, you're such a nasty human being that the only people who tolerate you are basically your clones and someone literally named Dick. Keep bothering me and I'm gonna to make your parents regret makin' ya ass."

Offended didn't even begin to describe Geraldine's facial expression. She could only sputter in response. Bonnie looks over at the other girl daring her to say something. She smartly chooses to stay quiet. Bonnie turns reaching for the top of the locker, she has to jump to reach it but when she does Bonnie tosses the bag at Geraldine.

"I think this is yours."

She couldn't move fast enough. The bag opens and Geraldine is hit with the contents; the smell of feces fills the hallway making everyone in the vicinity turn to the culprit. Geraldine screams as it gets all over her outfit. Her clone leaps away from her covering her nose.

"Oh look! Now you resemble your inner self!" Bonnie smirks pointing at Geraldine. "Having fun explaining how that happened." Turning on her heel she prances off to her World Music class.

Twenty minutes later she's being called to the principal's office. Bonnie rolls her eyes, it was only a matter of time. She gets there cutting her eyes at Geraldine who's trying to look pitiful in gym clothes.

"You called for me Mr. Newcastle?"

Principal Newcastle sat behind a polished cherry wood desk with a shiny porcelain plaque displaying his name in gold cursive letters. He picks up a handkerchief dabbing at the sweat on his bald head.

"Yes I did miss Bennett. Please have a seat." He gestures to the only other empty seat in front of his desk.

Bonnie sat and stared at him blankly waiting for him to start.

Principal Newcastle clasped his hands together on his desk solemnly looking at both girls. "Now Bonnie, Geraldine says you started the argument. She claims you threw the bag of, um, excrement on her deliberately."

"Yes I did. She planted the bag on top of my locker so I was basically just handing back what was hers."

Geraldine flies into hysterics. "She's lying Mr. Newcastle! She threatened me!"

He casts a sharp eyed gaze at Bonnie. "Is this true?"

Bonnie snorts. "I told her off."

"You said you would make my parents regret making me!" Geraldine screams with fake tears streaming down her face.

Bonnie casts an annoyed glance to the ceiling. "I'm surprised they already don't but then again they raised you."

Mr. Newcastle rubbed his temples in frustration. "Bonnie will you please just apologize to Geraldine and shakes hands so this will be over?"

She makes a face. "No."

"Excuse me?"

"I said no. I'm not apologizing to her. She instigated this not me." She whips out her phone going to her camera roll. She shows him the pictures of the other girl in the act. "If anything she should be saying sorry to me."

Geraldine scoffs.

Mr. Newcastle's lips thin. "Miss Bennett now you know phones aren't allowed on school property."

"Seriously? That's what you choose to focus on? Not the proof I just showed you?"

"Bonnie there's need to get testy-"

"Excuse you? I am not gettin' 'testy' as you so graciously put it. What I am is fed up with her crap." She points at Geraldine. "Screw this I have enough problems to deal with." Bonnie gets up.

He raises up out of his chair. "Bonnie Bennett-"

Geraldine smiles. "Acting just like the animal you are. Nothing but a sambo."

Bonnie turns from the door walking back toward the girl. "What did you just say?"

Geraldine flinches away from her.

Mr. Newcastle pauses to glare down at Geraldine. "Miss Westcott you are hereby suspended for the next five days. This school has a good reputation and it will not be marred by your ugliness. We do not tolerate racism and prejudice at this school. Apologize now."

Geraldine splutters. "Wha-but I just..."

He waves her away sitting back down. "You know what just get out of my office Geraldine."

Geraldine shoots up out of the chair storming toward the door shoulder checking Bonnie in the process. Bonnie pivots pushing her hard into the door with a resounding crunch. Geraldine makes a garbled noise of pain.

Mr. Newcastle pointedly ignores Bonnie's act of self-defense.

Bonnie glares at Geraldine. "I told ya I ain't puttin' up wit ya shit anymore."

Dusting off her shoulder Bonnie smugly walks out of the principal's office.

The bell signaling the end of fourth period rouses Meredith from her sleep. Rubbing her bleary eyes she comes face to face with her Latin teacher Ms. Durand.

She peers down at Meredith worriedly. "Meredith is everything okay? You never sleep in my class."

"Oh I'm fine miss Durand." She yawns. "I just stayed up late studying that's all."

"Well alright. Just don't burn yourself out." She places a packet of stapled papers on Meredith's desk. "Here's what you missed."

"Thank you."

Meredith grabs her books and heads out of the classroom. Her phone vibrates in her back pocket. Taking it out she reads the text message:

Tyrone: Thanks again for helping me find Bubbles. You're a lifesaver.

She smiles to herself at the thought of his adorable tortoiseshell Maine coon kitten.

Meredith: It was worth it.

The poor boy called her frantic about how his new kitten went missing. So Meredith got up at five am to help him look. It took them the better part of an hour but they found the little fur ball huddled under his Camry. He thanked her profusely for her help. Her smile widens as she thinks of the way Tyrone's dark brown eyes lit up holding his precious kitten to his chest. Meredith can feel her face begin to heat up and quickly quells those thoughts. She didn't have time for relationships and he probably didn't even like her like that anyway.

Not paying attention she bumps into Stefan dropping her phone. "I'm really off my game today."

Stefan looked dazed and vaguely sick. Meredith waved a hand in his face. He blinked slowly the dullness leaving somewhat.

"Hey."

"Did Elena break up with you? You look like every guy after Elena dumps them."

He hunched in on himself. "I told him." Stefan reaches down to pick up her phone. "I told him about his sister."

Meredith extends her hand for her phone before Stefan in his torn up state breaks it. Securing her phone she clasps his shaking hand in hers. "Stefan. Stefan talk to me."

"I went over his house after I locked up Damon." He took a deep breath that he didn't need. "I barely finished before he was trying to attack me. I had to Influence him to stop."

Tactful Meredith is not, she's a brusque person, that's just how she was raised. "It's what you deserved Stefan. What made Elena's life more important than Vicki's? How will you explain that to Mrs. Donovan? How are you going to atone for what you and Elena did to his family?"

Every question broke Stefan more and more. He hesitated then said, "I'll do whatever it takes."

"Can you really? Even if it means killing Damon? If it means leaving town and leaving Elena?"

She waited for an answer but got nothing. Stefan's silence was all the answer she needed. "Some things you just have to do yourself." Meredith spins on her heel and leaves behind a dejected Stefan.

She sends one text to her brother.

Meredith: Meet me at our spot after school

He replies immediately.

Cristian: I'll be there

"Grams! Gramps! I'm home!"

"We're in the kitchen."

Bonnie comes through the back door to see her grandparents cooking and baking. Grams was pouring a cup of flour on top of neatly sliced and peeled peaches in a deep dish pie pan. Gramps is mincing garlic cloves while measuring a half cup of Cajun seasoning with magic.

Tossing her backpack on the computer chair and toeing off her ankle boots she goes to the sink to wash her hands. "What do you want me to do?"

Grams opens the oven placing the pan inside. She sets the oven for fifty minutes. Placing the oven mitts on a rack she turns to Bonnie.

"Nothing actually."

Bonnie stops. "You don't want help with the food?"

"No, we need to discuss some other things." Grams gave her a knowing look.

Bonnie shoulders sag. "Mr. Newcastle called you?"

Charles snorts behind Sheila. "That's an understatement. The Westcott's called as well."

Bonnie's upper lip curls in disgust. "What could they want? Their daughter started it."

Sheila tilts her head to the side. "The fight too?"

"Oh that one." Bonnie props herself up against the granite countertop. "One of her clones said they were putting my black ass back in place. Next thing I know her little buddy's glasses are hitting the floor. Geraldine wasn't even involved in the fight."

Charles hums. "Then I, quite frankly think you did nothing wrong." He goes back to mincing the garlic.

Sheila studied Bonnie's face. "Hm, anyway onto more important matters." She beckons for Bonnie to follow her into the dining room. On the dining room table lays one of their ancestors' akwụkwọ anwansi. It's so thick it can give a Stephen King book a run for its money.

"Oh. That." Thinking of Kai's grandmother did not make her happy.

Sheila picks up the book cradling it as gently as possible. The pages within are yellowed from age and Sheila uses magic to softly flip through the pages. The pages stop not even a quarter into the book. There's a crude drawing of a faerie on the page. Bonnie pulls out a chair and sits down.

"This book here belonged to our ancestor Imena Bennett, the only Bennett to ever survive being in the Faelands."

"She was the one born in the 1700s right?"

"Correct." She goes back to the front of the book to show Bonnie a drawing of a brown skinned woman with pinned up locs. "Born May, 8th 1752. Imena was the one to find out the weaknesses of the fae."

"That's because the Gemini weren't very forthcoming."

They hear Charles laugh in the kitchen. Sheila smirks. "And still aren't. Anyway the fae have four weaknesses." She looks proudly at Bonnie. "You actually sort of figured out one yesterday."

Bonnie's eyebrows shoot up. "I did?"

"Iron."

Bonnie rakes her brain for a moment. "Ah." She perks up. "The letter opener and the candle holder!" Bonnie bites her lip. "That explains her facial expression when I threw the letter opener at her."

"Right." Sheila sits down as well. "The other three weaknesses are beheading, one of the most common weaknesses for a lot of people, sugar-" she stops at Bonnie's skeptical look.

"Really? Sugar?"

"Yes it's like a compulsion for them. They must stop to count it and Alusi forbid they eat it. It's addictive to them."

"Kai makes a bit more sense now."

Sheila laughed. "No Kai is just a gremlin when it comes to food."

Bonnie flushed. "And me." She shakes the thought away. "What's the other one?"

"Knowing a faerie's true name."

Bonnie sits up straighter leaning forward. "What's the Queen's true name?"

Sheila sits back her face turning grim. "I know it but she spelled me to never say it to another."

"I-Oh."

The only sound to be heard was Charles cooking in the kitchen and the chime of the grandfather clock.

Meredith parks her Acura at the edge of town. With a duffel bag slung over her shoulder she treks through the woods. She comes to a halt near two Weeping Willows trees spotting her twin leaning against one. He's still in his school uniform. A duffel bag sat on the ground beside him. A chill fills the air causing Meredith to pull her jacket tighter around her.

"You sure you ready for this?" Cristian asks with his hands shoved in his slacks pockets. "I thought you considered this stuff brainwashing?"

She clenched her fists at her sides. "I do but I don't really have a choice in the matter. I need to protect my friends and my town."

Cristian nods as an image of a smiling Bonnie pops up in his mind. "Then I'm with you."

A voice with a light Portuguese accent rings out. "Good, that's what we are supposed to do." The twins' uncle struts up in a brown leather biker jacket. Leaves and twigs crunch under his boots. "We are hunters but also protectors of innocent humans."

"And not just from vampires but werewolves, witches and any other eldritch beasts out there." The second person that walks up shocks the twins into silence. The woman stood before them tossing her glossy black ponytail over her shoulder; her amber eyes are firm but not without warmth.

Meredith and Cristian glance at each other then the woman that walked up. "Hey aunt Meredith." They say in unison. The teens were not expecting to see their mom's best friend here for this.

Their uncle speaks again. "You kids ready for this? It's no picnic. There's a reason not many hunters keep going with this line of work. It's a psychologically and physically damaging occupation."

They both nod their consent, their faces determined.

"All right then," he eyes Meredith's duffel bag slung over her shoulder and Cristian's laying on the ground, "we're heading to the Warehouse."

A.N: Nwee ezigbo mgbede means Have a nice evening in Igbo

mpempe nke nke means piece of in Igbo

akwụkwọ anwansi means book of magic or spells in Igbo