Three years later and Kai finds himself in Memphis with Damon trying to track down a mutual old enemy. On their travels, Kai learns some dark truth about the woman he left behind. Meanwhile, in the psych ward, Bonnie meets a young woman named Virginia, who provides her with some valuable information about The Armory. Finally, Enzo takes matters into his own hands when he learns some devastating news from Rayna.
It's been a long three years of running, hiding, and moving across the coast of the US. Then came months of traveling throughout South America, before deciding to live in Brazil for almost a year, before seeking refuge in Puerto Rico for the past couple months. That's when he got the call. That's why he was back in America. Once his scar opened up again and he got the 411 on what's been going on back home. And this time he was gearing up for an all out war.
About a week later, making it to Memphis, Tennessee, in a stolen SUV. The heretic pulled up in a hospital parking lot. He got out and walked towards the ambulance in the bay. As he walked closer, the back doors of the ambulance opened up. And there he was. Damon Salvatore, with a dopey grin on his face.
Behind him were two paramedics assessing a long-haired hippy in an oxygen mask.
"What have you gotten yourself into now?"
"Imagine my surprise, when Stefan woke me up out of my three-year sleep and informed me that Rayna was hunting him again," said Damon, rather wildly. "How is that Kai, you made that deal with her? Why is she back to her old tricks?"
Damon gave him a look of exasperation, which made Kai blink, somewhat disoriented. He was too tired to protest. "She and I got separated in Rio about a year ago. Somehow the Armory found her and captured her."
The vampire gave him a slightly disgusted look. "A year ago?"
It wasn't a surprise to him. Living in Rio made Rayna reckless again. She got caught in the forest chasing after a vampire. Kai figured the Armory had been watching them for a while, and placed that vampire bait for Rayna, knowing she wouldn't be able to resist. After a few weeks without the huntress, Kai didn't want to stick around. He started traveling to West Indian Island and remained in San Juan for a while. He knew if he returned to America, he'd be on her radar again. With his magic not at full strength anymore, he couldn't take any risk.
With a great effort, he kept a straight face. "I had to stay hidden, just in case the Armory was looking for me too."
Blue eyes screwed up suspiciously. "I'm guessing if they really wanted some useless heretics, they would have caught you all by now." Damon said, and Kai rolled his eyes.
"Is Valerie, okay?" he asked, pushing away bothersome thoughts.
Damon nodded earnestly. "She's been with Stefan."
Kai's expression softened. At least she was safe. "What's with these guys, and who is that?"
Turning to point at the paramedics' team behind Damon and the guy laying out in the back with them.
"Long story short, Stefan had a body swap that went horribly wrong, and now he's dying in the wrong body," Damon answered casually. "I've asked these guys politely to make sure that Stefan's stays alive, and if he doesn't, then I will cut their thumbs off and feed them to the squirrels. Right, guys?"
Damon turns back for confirmation and compelled paramedics to roll their eyes before giving him double thumbs-up before he turns back to Kai.
"Meanwhile, you and I will go hunt down the sociopath that has taken residence in my brother, and then Valerie will jam his soul back in his body."
Kai frowns and narrows his eyes at Damon. "Where is she exactly?"
"At a motel off Route 70, she said she had to prepare for the spell." Damon reassured him, clearing his throat. "At any rate, she did a locator spell on the serial killer in Stefan's body. His name's Ambrose. Turns out, he's holed up in a frat house near Memphis College."
Kai processed that for a moment. "So you need me to do a snatch and grab with you."
"I needed answers, Kai. Rayna is on the move again. She knows everything about us. She went after Caroline and Alaric to get to me and Stefan." Damon pointed out. "Who do you think she'll go after to draw you out?"
Kai scowled at him.
Damon moved towards his Camaro while the paramedics were still working on Stefan in the ambulance. "Listen, I'm glad to know you're safe. You came through for me in the past, and I never made it up to you," he told Kai apologetically.
Kai shrugged, unwilling to acknowledge the uneasiness that assaulted him. "If you can just get this scar off me, then we're even."
"I'm working on it," Damon said, ducking his head.
That actually lifted his spirits a little. He started following Damon to his car.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Hold on, Damon, where's Bonnie?"
The vampire clenched his jaw and darted his eyes away from the other man. Kai paused at the car door, frozen with a heady mix of panic and horror at his friend's silence.
Not too far away in Asheville, North Carolina. Bonnie was sitting in the middle of her group therapy session at the mental health hospital. She had herself checked into this hospital about a month now. Her experience here had opened her up in ways she wasn't expecting. Bonnie had been through so much mental and emotional trauma on top of the physical abuse. All these emotions bottled up for years, with no outlet.
Chewing on her bottom lip as she gathered her thoughts.
"Thing is, I cared about him more than anyone else in the world... But it wasn't enough. I mean, I understood why he had to leave. But then, I find out he's back and hasn't bothered to contact me. I keep asking myself, how could I have fallen into such a dark place for someone who cares so little about me?"
A woman who was older than Bonnie and who was sitting across from her in the circle watches her speak with a curious expression.
"I'm just so tired of the pathetic men in my life. None of them ever made any genuine effort with me," she continued. "I've decided I'm ready to move on. I'm focusing on myself and my career."
"Thank you, Bonnie. Nice progress."
Her counselor turns toward the woman seated across from Bonnie, who was still gazing at her. Bonnie looked uncomfortable by this attention.
"So, Virginia, did you have something you'd like to share today?"
Virginia turned her gaze on the counselor and sneered. "No, Ms. Mann. Nothing at all."
Bonnie had an uneasy glance on Virginia. The other girl's eyes looked lifeless. Which made Bonnie shiver and turn her focus on what Ms. Mann was telling the rest of the group.
After another twenty minutes, the session was over and it was pill time. Bonnie went over to the nurse's station counter to get her pills for the evening. The nurse behind the counter hands her a cup, and Bonnie swallows the pills.
"Hey, are there any messages from my doctor today?" Bonnie had a shaken look because of her nerves.
"Let me check." The nurse turned around to see if there was anything for Bonnie. She looked back up and shook her head. "Nothing here."
Bonnie just nods before moving out of the line and walking down the hallway. As she was walking, she could hear footsteps behind her. As she whipped her head back, she spotted Virginia following her with a scowl on her face. Bonnie stopped in her place.
"I want to talk to you," she called.
Bonnie had a frown upon her face. Virginia kept walking without another word. Bonnie follows the other girl until they both end up in a nearby empty room. Bonnie spun around, waiting for the brunette to speak up. She heard the door shut behind her and Virgina putting on the locks.
"What's up?" Bonnie asked, feeling suspicious.
"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing. Why are you stealing my meds?"
"I'm not…" she began, trying desperately to be calm about it.
"Every day, when you get your meds, you ask the nurse, hey, do I have any messages from my doctor? Then, she looks away and you swap my meds with sugar pills." there was a pause. "Why are you stealing my meds?"
Bonnie sighed, voice heavy. "Because none of us are going to get well if we can't think straight. You just seemed to be in a weird fog. I wanted to help."
Virginia seems confused by her words at first, but then, after a moment, she smiles and lunges toward Bonnie to wrap her in a tight hug which visibly confuses Bonnie. Virginia then pulls away and looks Bonnie in the eyes.
"It's been so long and I finally feel like myself again." Virginia muttered under her breath.
Bonnie still looks uneasy, but she smiles weakly at Virginia, who smiles shyly in return.
"As I thank you, I'll steal us some good shit to eat. The nurses get takeout on Wednesday."
This rapid mood swing of Virginia's surprised Bonnie, but she eventually nods in agreement.
Sitting in the car outside of Alpha Rho Tau Fraternity House, waiting for Damon to finish up with the man who was possessing Stefan's body. After a good ten minutes, the vampire came walking back to the car with a Frat boy t-shirt in his hands. He slides into the driver's seat, looking annoyed.
"Ambrose wants me to kill Rayna Cruz."
"If she dies, then so do we, unless we can remove the scar," Kai said dubiously. "Please tell me you told him that." He gave Damon a long, considering look.
Damon's face cleared and he shrugged. "It's the only way he'll swap with Stefan."
"Too bad we'll all die before…"
"Right now we need to get to Rayna Cruz," the vampire growled, interrupting him. "Valerie just hit me up with her location."
Damon started up his car and sped down the freeway. Kai glared and crossed his arms, staring at Damon with disgust.
"This is serious, we need to focus on getting rid of the scars first."
"Stefan doesn't have much later. We need to save him first, then worry about that," he retorted, face flushing.
"Can't believe I'm stuck with you again." Kai raised his voice suddenly. "How have you survived this long being so useless?"
Damon's demeanor quickly changed. "You're the one who got marked and ran off with Rayna Cruz."
"She planned on killing you the second I left." His ears went red as he said this.
"Then you should have left me to die." Damon yelled, voice rising to unusual heights.
Kai rubbed his temples as the awkwardness of the situation became overwhelming.
From that, Damon and Kai didn't speak to each other again. Kai was too busy fuming over his life going to shit. Angry at Damon and Stefan. Angry at Rayna Cruz. Angry at the Armory. But mostly angry at himself.
They drove for thirty minutes, before finding the right Rayna's location, which was a black cab sitting on the side of the road, in front of rows of orange traffic cones. Damon and Kai pulled up and approached the cab driver, who wasn't moving. Kai pushed past Damon to open the driver's door.
He drew in a deep breath. "Sir, are you okay?"
"My fare, I was taking her to a frat party for a man named Ambrose." The Uber driver said in a low voice. "But then some guy with an accent shot up the car and dragged her away."
Damon was screaming. Harsh, hoarse, panicked sounds ripped from a throat already raw. And Kai frowned, crossing his arms across his chest. The two men finally looked at each other, knowing exactly what happened.
Damon pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number. He didn't wait before the person answered to put them on speakerphone.
"You get your ass back here or…" Damon screeched into the phone.
"Or what?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Enzo, we need Rayna Cruz right now?"
"Who is this we?" he scoffed.
Kai rolled his eyes. "Hey idiot, can't believe you're still the errand boy for the Armory. Honestly, it's a little sad."
"Oh, you're with that one." Enzo drawled. "Let me inform you, since you missed so much. I'm no longer affiliated with that organization."
Kai gritted his teeth. "So why take Rayna Cruz?"
Enzo chuckled. "How about I ask the questions? How's Bonnie, Damon?" Kai's eyebrows snapped together. "You know, the best friend that you just abandoned. What's her life been like since you decided to just push the pause button on your pathetic existence?"
"This isn't about Bonnie, Stefan's life is in danger right now." Damon said in the tone that meant he was getting annoyed.
"You know who else is in danger?" Enzo paused. "Lucy Bennett, you remember her Kai, the Bennett witch you promised to protect from the Armory." Kai made an indecipherable noise and leaned forward, "Well, good luck saving Stefan without Rayna."
With that Enzo hangs up, and Damon was tossing his phone on the pavement. Kai's eyes wide and dilated.
Kai looked down at the pavement, his gaze calculating. After what seemed like an eternity, he shook his head and muttered, "I fucked up. I fucked up big time, Damon," he whispered harshly, sides heaving with the force of his panicked breath.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, Enzo could see Rayna was just waking up in the backseat of his car. Still on the road, the vampire was trying to make a speedy travel to his hideout before he got caught by his old friend. He could hear Rayna struggling in the back, yanking her chain shackles against the car door. She looked around in horror to see Enzo's reflection in the mirror.
"Dammit, you're with them, aren't you?"
"If you're referring to the Armory, I can promise I am not," he answered, not turning his head towards her.
Her lips pulled back before she spoke. "Then who are you and where are you taking me?"
"The name is Enzo. Lucky for you, I'm the one guy that's trying to help you," he said indignantly. "Between the Armory and Damon Salvatore, who all after you."
Rayna raised her eyebrows. "Damon Salvatore, huh?"
He watched her inquisitively. "Not alone, he's with Kai."
Rayna laughed while Enzo just started at her through his mirror.
"Let me guess, the gang is getting back together." Rayna asked loudly, laughing before she could help it.
"Don't know or care. Right now, I need your help," Enzo continues. "Are you aware that the Armory has engineered a type of pill that suppresses magic?" The huntress's eyes widened in horror. She knew what he was asking for. "Please tell me there's a way to reverse the effects on those pills."
Rayna's lips had curled into a big smile as she looked away from him.
He glared at her. "Or, I could slit your throat and throw you in a dumpster. It depends on your attitude."
Rayna sighed in annoyance. "Sorry. I guess it's the dumpster for me, then. The effects of my blood can't be reversed- only enhanced."
Horrified, Enzo quickly hit his brakes and swerved the car over onto the side of the road. All you could hear was his tires screeching loudly. The force of the stop caused Rayna's back to slam into the backseat, hard. Enzo pulled out his dart gun, aiming directly at her face.
"You bitch. This is all your fault." He was ready to pull the trigger. Praying she never wakes up again.
"Magic doesn't behave like science. Don't shoot the messenger," she points out. "The Armory only had me for a couple of months. That's when they started using the pills on that blonde heretic girl." Mary Louise. "Both my blood and mark are poisonous. I can cut off magic with either and consuming my blood can kill after a while."
Enzo's eyes narrowed darkly, which surprised Rayna.
"I'm guessing you stole those pills and gave it to someone you were trying to protect from the Armory," she continued, making a face. "You know what would be a terrible shame? If that person were a witch…" Rayna trailed off thoughtfully.
Enzo jerked suddenly and blinked.
"I hope it wasn't Bonnie Bennett," she replied coolly. "What would Kai Parker do to you, if he knew you just gave the girl he loves a death sentence."
Enzo tightened his lips and didn't reply, trying his best to ignore the implication that he might have fucked up even worse than Damon did three years ago.
It was gooey and greasy, but this was the best thing Bonnie has eaten for the past month. Pepperoni pizza from one of the best pizzeria in North Carolina, according to Virginia. The other girl shoves her slice down, while Bonnie took small bits, savoring this meal.
She belched and reached out for her third slice. "They got Chinese last week. It was so amazing," Virginia stated, "Better than the shit they serve here."
The two girls were now hanging out in Bonnie's room, sitting on her bed, enjoying their stolen food.
"So, tell me how you ended up here?" she asked gently, trying to ease the sudden tension that filled her.
"Shitty family left me here to rot." Virginia said. "They betrayed me. Much like your boyfriend."
"Oh god no, Damon and I weren't together, he was just a friend." Bonnie cleared up. "He was my first real best friend. At least I thought he was."
"But you're pining for him, aren't you?"
Emotions shook her to her core. "Not exactly there was someone else, for me and him. He dated my best friend, she was the love of his life." Bonnie responded lightly. "I liked him, but it would have never worked between us."
A dreadfully awkward silence followed.
Finally, Virginia asked, "And the other person?"
"Kai, his name was Kai." Bonnie sighed, annoyed. "He wasn't my boyfriend, I don't know what he was."
Virginia snorted, amused. "That's even worse."
"What's your deal?"
"I tried to save my family from something… But my big sis turned on me in the end and locked me up here. She thinks I'm crazy, which clearly I'm not. She just can't handle the truth." Virginia spread her hands as though it should have been obvious.
"Can't imagine being a member of the St. John family."
Virginia rocked back, shocked. "You know who my family is? Is that why you're here? To spy on me?" her arms were trembling. "Do you work for them?"
"No!" she snapped, stung at her reaction. "Your sister Alex is after my cousin. She's been chasing her for the wrong reasons."
Virginia was quiet for a moment, her expression pained. "Why?"
In answer, Bonnie raised her head to glare at her. "I do not know. I faked a story and checked myself into this place a few weeks ago, hoping you could help me figure it out."
"If you're expecting me to give you some pearl of wisdom, you're out of luck," she rasped, and made a noise that might have been a chuckle. "That's what my family does — they hunt things. Weapons, relics, people... And they don't stop until they get exactly what they want."
Bonnie was stiff with alarm. "If there's anything you can tell me... I'm a Bennett witch. I know that means anything to you?"
Virginia glanced at her with a pinched, angry look. "That's not possible." Her voice gave Bonnie chills. "My source told me Lucy Bennett was the last remaining witch, and you are no Lucy," she muttered.
She opened her mouth and then closed it again. "Lucy Bennett is my cousin. I'm Bonnie, Bonnie Bennett."
Virginia gaped at her for a moment, speechless. "You're Bonnie," she muttered absent-mildly. "That lying snake."
"Who?" Bonnie asked softly, raising her eyebrows.
The brunette clenched her jaw."This guy I met, he told me you were dead. His name was Parker."
"Kai Parker," Bonnie answered, frowning at herself.
Virginia sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "That wasn't even his first name."
"He's a vampire-witch hybrid," Bonnie admitted, looking down at her lap.
"He told me he was a witch traveler," said Virginia, shaking her head in disgust. "He told me a lot of things. Now everything makes sense. You're his Bonnie, he lied to protect you."
Bonnie raised her eyebrows in confusion. "How do you know him?"
"Kai and I had a little thing a few years ago. I remember your voice now," said Virginia, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "You were on the phone when he and I were, fucking. He really called me Bonnie the entire time too."
They glanced over at each other, looking deep into the other's eyes. Emotions were going through both women, sending the other silent messages, messages that could never be translated through words.
His day hasn't been going well at all. He never had a plan for what would happen once he returned. A small part of him never believed he would come back. Now he found himself in the motel room with an unconscious Stefan and Damon sitting across the room from him. Valerie had let them inside her motel room. Dozens of white candles surrounded the bed, while she was making sad eyes at Kai.
"I never thought you'd be this stupid." she shivered slightly. "I always believed you were a bright one, Malachai."
Kai cringed. "Val, it was for your own good. Rayna planned on killing all of you. I made my choice to protect you and the rest of the heretics."
Valerie's mouth twitched slightly, and some tension went out of her shoulders. "I don't mean to be ungrateful. The past three years of my life have been amazing."
Can't say it surprised him that Valerie and Stefan picked things up where they left off. Kai couldn't help but envy the girl, he realized: had he let the Armory take Rayna three years ago, it could have been him and Bonnie together, traveling the world. But she didn't deserve to be dragged along with him, hiding in the shadows for the rest of her life.
"That's touching, sweetheart. But did you find them?" Damon sucked on his teeth.
Valerie hitched one elegant shoulder in a small shrug. "Couldn't find Lucy Bennett," she said sulkily. "But I found Bonnie, she's at a mental hospital in North Carolina."
Kai stood up immediately. "What the fuck is she doing there?"
"No clue." Damon muttered, shaking his head. "Valerie, make this quick. Sooner we get out of here the better."
Kai wasn't in the mood to wait. He wanted to get the address from Valerie and split on Damon. He was losing his fucking mind all day. Enzo knew about Lucy Bennett. He was in contact with Bonnie. They locked Bonnie up in a mental hospital, and to make things worse, Enzo had Rayna Cruz with him.
While Valerie moved over to start the spell. Kai whispered he needed some air. The other man went out front, trying to calm his thoughts down. After what felt like hours, Damon made his way out to the parking lot to meet him.
"Stefan's okay. Now we can focus on getting the scars removed." Damon stated, half exasperated and half amused.
"I asked you to tell Bonnie goodbye." Kai bellowed, his blue eyes flashing dangerously. "That night, she showed up at Jo's apartment, telling me you ran off like a coward."
Damon sighed in mock-disgust. "Listen, here, you little shit. You've been playing hero for a couple years and think you know it all," he hissed. "I did what I had to, I wanted to protect my friends and family too."
"You should have been here with her, trying to save me and Stefan. Remember, you owe us."
The vampire shifted in place, his body language thick with discomfort. "I made a mistake walking away from Stefan and Bonnie. I wanted to do right by Elena."
Kai's temper finally kicked in. "Goddamnit Damon, she's sleeping. You don't even do right by her when she's alive anyway, so what's the point."
Damon shouted right back. "You don't know how much I've changed. The person I was before her."
Kai leaned back, lifting his eyebrows. "I know the stories okay, not impress."
"You're the one who left Lucy Bennett in Nova Scotia," Damon barked. "The Amory probably has her. Bonnie might have finally gone crazy because her cousin is in the hands of people who want her dead, if she's not already…"
"Shut up." Kai bellowed, trying to control the anger inside him. "There's no time for this. We need to find Bonnie."
He paused, struggling to find the right words. "She'll never forgive me," Damon snorted, his anger evaporating as suddenly as it had appeared. "And she'll never forgive you if Lucy's in danger."
Kai stopped breathing for a moment as his own anger faded.
"Hey," a cool, yet breathy voice entered the room.
A head poked its way in, before the door got pushed open and Virginia St John stepped into her room.
"Look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have thrown the stuff about Parker in your face, especially when I knew who you were." Virginia cried, rushing forward.
Bonnie looked at her in astonishment. "How mature of you."
Virginia took the two steps necessary to reach the rickety visitor's chair and lean one hip against it.
"I want to help you," she grunted. "Since you've been here undercover, I figured you could get us out of here. Do you have a key code or something?"
The witch drew in a deep breath and pushed past her. "I have a doctor who can check us both out, but not before you tell me what I need to know."
Bonnie stares Virginia in the eyes, and Virginia takes a shaky deep breath, clearly scared by whatever she is about to tell her.
"In the Armory's basement is a vault. Sealed by Lucy Bennett a long time ago. Only she has the power to unlock it."
Droplets of sweat formed at her brow. She cleared her throat. "So Alex just wants to go inside a vault?"
"There's something evil inside that vault."
Bonnie's stomach was in knots. "Gonna need you to be a little more specific."
Virginia cocked her head and looked at Bonnie for a long moment, shoulders tensing imperceptibly. "Not until you promised me, to never try to open it."
A tear fell down Virginia's cheek from the fear of what was inside the vault. But this act did not impress Bonnie.
"This vault could be my cousin's freedom. I can't make any promises." Bonnie spoke without thinking.
Virginia looked sad and disappointed as more tears fell down her cheeks, and she smiled weakly before turning away and wiping the tears off of her face.
"I should have known not to trust a Bennett witch."
She suddenly grabs the toothbrush cup on the sink and uses it to smash the mirror over it before grabbing a large shard of glass and wielding it as a weapon. Bonnie backs away and looks at her in horror.
The girl smirked. "Sorry. I can't let you open the vault."
Virginia reached out to swipe at Bonnie, who was dodging her, not wanting to use magic and draw attention to herself. But Virginia cut her on the bicep twice and caused Bonnie to cry out in pain.
"Your crazy bitch." Bonnie snarled, raising her hand to perform a pain infliction spell on the other girl. But before she could chant her spell, the noise had alerted the orderlies, who came rushing to the room. Bonnie could hear the voice of a gentleman outside her door.
"That bushy hair girl was attacking my patient."
The orderlies noticed Virginia injured Bonnie and grabbed the other girl, disarming her and restraining her immediately.
"I'm innocent, she's a witch." The crazed girl shouted. "She was trying to escape, stop her."
"The rumbling of a madwoman," the mysterious voice called out from the hallway.
Another orderly rushes around with a syringe full of sedative and injects Virginia in the arm with it, and though she continues to struggle against their hold, she quickly weakens as she falls asleep. Once Virginia is unconscious, one orderly carries her out to take her back to her room, leaving the second orderly to check on Bonnie.
"You alright, Miss McCullough?"
Bonnie, clearly still shaken by this turn of events, got distracted for a moment before she finally nodded weakly.
The orderly turns to leave. Bonnie was still standing in the middle of the room when Enzo suddenly appeared in the doorway. He looked over at Bonnie, who was staring at the floor, her cheeks flushed.
"I heard your conversation with Virginia in the hallway," he said in a small voice. "Called the orderlies to grab her before you could zap at her."
Bonnie made a sound of amusement. "Guess who knows why Lucy's on the Armory's Most-Wanted list?"
He was still staring at her, his dark eyes blustery and all-knowing. "Got her to squeal, didn't you?"
"Turns out, Alex St. John wants Lucy to reopen the vault, but why now after all these years." Bonnie said after a long moment, "And Virginia thinks there's something evil in that vault. Either way, we need to figure out what that is and leverage it for Lucy's freedom."
Enzo cleared her throat. "Bonnie, we need to talk."
Kai and Damon found the elevator and stepped inside gingerly, pushing the button and waiting as the creaky machinery lifted them up three stories. It didn't take them long to find her room. They both stood in the hallway for a moment, uneasily staring at the room door, which was cracked open. The patients floor was empty except the one nurse at the front desk, and the only thing Kai could hear were two low voices.
"The pills are making Lucy sick."
"Lucy said nothing to me about…"
"I didn't-I didn't know, but the Armory was experimenting on Mary Louise. They forced these pills down her throat every day for the past few months, and as a result, she became very... very ill."
"You told me last week that she blew herself up."
"Nora and her wanted to go out with a bang, together, but the pills were killing her."
Kai took a deep breath, visibly forcing himself to relax. Next to him, Damon was fidgeting with a bouquet in his hands.
"I'm-I'm so sorry... Uh, I-I thought I was protecting you both."
"She's going to die, isn't she?"
"No. I will not let that happen, Bonnie Bennett. You have my word."
Kai felt stuck. It wasn't until Damon pushed past him to get to the door that Kai started moving. When they push their way to the door. Kai was surprised by what he witnessed. Bonnie and Enzo embracing each other. Her eyes were shut tight. Next to him, Damon moves into the doorway.
"Bonnie?"
She gasped over Enzo's shoulder, seeing both of her former friends standing in her door. She froze for a few seconds before she slid out of Enzo's embrace, both of them turning to face Kai and Damon.
She walked over towards them. Bonnie was still the powerhouse he remembered her as.
"I'm sorry. I don't... I, um... I…" Damon said, then clamped his mouth shut.
A tear falls down Bonnie's cheek, and it almost looks like she's happy to see them. Unsure of how to react, Damon looks down at the flowers in his hand. Just then, Bonnie sneers and grabs the door before slamming it as hard as she could in Damon's face.
Kai suppressed chuckle. "Totally saw that coming."
Damon looked at the other man a little wildly. This was going to be a lot more challenging than they expected.
AN: Three time jump, finally. The next chapters are a two-parters, where we learn about what's happened for the past three years with Bonnie and Lucy Bennett. Kai and Lucy finally reuniting after he abandoned her three years ago. And why Enzo is helping them out.