Spiraling down a dangerous path of self-destruction, Damon's latest actions prove he may be beyond the point of return. Elsewhere, Bonnie gets advice from Lucy on how to break through to Kai. Finally, after tragedy strikes close to home, Bonnie and the others are forced to remember what matters most to them.

The idea of spending another night sleeping alone in her bed while her lover was tied up in the living area had bothered Bonnie to the core. With everything going on with this siren business, Kai's humanity still switched off. She couldn't handle any more bad news. Her bones were aching because of the lack of sleep she was getting. Her head pounding from crying herself to sleep, especially after spending hours with Kai speaking cruel words to her.

Bonnie knew she needed to be strong. She needed to keep herself together. She couldn't break down in front of him. Not if she was going to save him.

Bonnie let out an inaudible sigh and stared at the empty bed. But before she could tuck herself in, there was a blaring noise coming from her cell. She's been avoiding everyone for the past couple of days, except Valerie, who's been working with her to help Kai. When she saw who was calling her, and she answered it.

"Hey, Matt. How is your boys' trip through Canada?" She teased, though her words lacked humor.

Matt made a hurt sound. "Tyler's dead."

Bonnie blinks back tears. "How did this happen?" she cried out.

"He killed Ty... DAMON KILLED HIM!" Matt got the words out without sobbing. "I found his body in the trunk of his car... Damon killed him and just stuffed him in there for me to find."

Bonnie sucked in a breath and choked back a sob. Guilt had built heavy in her chest, after her last encounter with the werewolf, when she chose Damon over him. It had weighed on Bonnie for years.

Matt, on the other end of the call, trying to fight off his urge to cry. "I haven't even called Jeremy yet. How am I going to tell him this?"

Her throat was dry, and her heart was pounding. "Why would Damon kill him? Have you called Stefan or…"

"Not yet. You know he's going to protect Damon. He won't care how many innocent people die at the hands of his brother." Matt says. His voice was small, cowed.

This was true. Stefan will always put Damon above the rest of them, including Valerie. Damon was his family.

"Stefan is responsible for Damon. I'm completely finished with him."

"Are you really?" Matt asked, sounding confused.

"Yes," she answered honestly. "I tried to save him, so did Kai. Damon is far too gone, and I can't risk my life for him anymore. I almost lost Kai because of him."

"I'm scared to call Jeremy. This is going to crush him. Ty was all he had left."

Bonnie knew Jeremy and Tyler built a close friendship over the past six years. Together, traveling and hunting supernatural creatures. They were like the Winchester Brothers. Now Tyler's dead, just like everyone else in Jeremy's life. This was going to hurt him.

Still in a state of shock, she answered truthfully.

"Just tell Jeremy to come home. He needs to be around us, and we need to be there for him." Bonnie hadn't realized some tears had escaped her eyes and were sliding down her face. She quickly started wiping them from her face. Bonnie wasn't sure how much longer she could keep going.

Over in the rocking chair, tucked away into the corner of the room. He noticed she was sitting there, wrapped up in a quilt. Listening to another sob escape Bonnie's throat as she tried to suck in a breath.

Then, completely out of the blue, Kai spoke up. "Bonnie, are you okay?"

She stared back at him blankly, her mouth hanging open a bit.

"I'm fine." She answered cautiously.

"Don't lie to me. Your best friend murdered Tyler Lockwood." Bonnie blinked in surprise. "Of course, I eavesdropped on your call. I have super hearing, remember. And look, I know you've been through a lot lately. I've been putting you through a lot. Valerie was right, babe. I need to take some responsibility. That's why I wanna help you. Get you out of Mystic Falls. If you'll let me."

She sighed exasperatedly and stood up from the chair. "You're right, I need to get out of this fucking town." Her spirits lifted slightly, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She looked even prettier than she had before, smiling in a relaxed manner.

Kai raised one eyebrow as his lip curled. Perfect. "I promise to protect you with my life."

Bonnie squatted down, wrapping her fingers around the chains on Kai's wrist, and unlocked them. Groaning, he pushed himself to his feet. Moving quickly, Kai sprinted to the door but was stopped in his tracks at the doorway. It had been magically sealed.

A mild wave of disappointment swept Bonnie's face, which colored slightly. "You didn't think I'd fall for that act, did you?" she asked, holding a candle between them. "This little dark object is called a Flame of Imprisonment. You can't leave until I put it out, and I won't until you turn your humanity back on."

"It's been months, aren't you tired yet." Kai snorted. "Are you so desperate for a relationship that you'll stay with me no matter what?" He smirked with supreme satisfaction. "Even if I slept with someone else."

She didn't react to his words as he'd expected. "Like who?" She locked eyes with him, matching his look unswervingly. "Because from the intel I got from Sybil, you've been pretty resistant to her charm, unlike Damon."

Then, as quickly as if it were turned off by an electric switch, she saw his smile fade as a furious stare took its place, its intensity palpable.

He hesitated for a moment, then he said, "Why are you so persistent?"

Bonnie fought off the urge to snort in response. "Tyler Lockwood is dead. And because of all this shit that happens to us in Mystic Falls. I will not lose you, not to this, not when you fought for me, for us. I'm fighting right beside you."

Her pupils dilated. Kai's brain went into overdrive. He was aghast, but he forced himself to remain quiet. Kai thought there was something flashing in her green eyes. For a second, it almost seemed like she wanted to confess to him. And then Bonnie was gone.

Lucy read a dozen books about sirens, but nothing prepared her for Sybil. Somehow, she got stuck on babysitting duties to watch Sybil in the holding cell. The woman was talking to herself and smiling gleefully.

Tired of not knowing what was going on, Lucy rounds the corner, tapping the tuning fork against the glass, causing it to vibrate and hurt Sybil.

"I've had enough of your shit. What is it about this thing that hurts you so much?" Lucy asked. She notices the small smirk on Sybil's face and the vampire rings the tuning fork again.

Sybil shrugged faintly. "It's a long story." She muttered.

On the other side of the glass, Lucy rolled her eyes. "I got time today."

Sybil raised her hands up. "A long time ago, in a little Mediterranean village, there was a girl." The siren cracked a smile. "As she came of age, the village girl manifested psychic abilities, a trait that had been forbidden in her land for as long as anyone could remember. The fate of psychics was exile. Which is how our poor, innocent, forsaken village girl ended up on a raft... The current carries her into the rocks of a cold and distant shore. But abandoned though, alone, she was not. There she met a girl on the island. Exiled together, connected in psychic ability, two sisters in everything but blood, destined from that moment to one day become... the sirens."

"Wait, there's two of you?" Lucy asked incredulously, staring worryingly at the other woman.

Sybil eyed her with a grim smile. "Like the Salvatores, I have a sibling that will do anything for me."

Lucy uses the tuning fork on Sybil again. The siren groaned out loud as she felt her head throbbing. "Where is she?" Lucy asked, eventually. This just seemed too oddly convenient.

The siren grew serious. "How should I know? They have trapped me in that vault for years. She probably doesn't even know I've returned to the land of the living yet. But she will soon, and she'll come for me."

"She left you to rot. I'm guessing she wasn't that fond of you." Lucy blurted out, then she grinned. And it was such a shit-eating expression. "Probably glad to be rid of you. Enjoy your new prison, because you are never getting out."

Sybil was silent for a moment. "I think you're underestimating my sibling. And clearly, Damon's loyalties to me." She smirked.

The vampire looked at Sybil critically. "Don't worry about him. Damon will be dealt with soon."

Lucy wasted no time with Sybil. She walked back to the entrance of the armory. No one was with her, as Enzo went to Tyler Lockwood's funeral with everyone else. She decided it was best to call and check in with Bonnie.

"Hey cuz, how are you?"

"Tired, Luce. I'm so tired." Bonnie said in a muffled voice.

Lucy sulked, combing her fingers through her curly hair. "I'm sorry you couldn't go to the funeral."

"Probably best that I didn't," Bonnie replied, her voice grave. "Matt texted me a few minutes ago and told me Damon showed up."

"How fucking bold is he?" Lucy staggered back against the wall behind her. "I think he's still working under Sybil's orders."

"Maybe she told him to kill Tyler." Bonnie retorted tightly, trying to keep the tears from coming. "Maybe the plan is to kill us all off, one by one."

Lucy bit her lip. "Why start with Tyler?"

"It's easier. Ty and Damon aren't close, plus he knew the pain it would cause Matt, which is why he left the body in the trunk for Matt to find." Bonnie replied. She sounded so hopeless that Lucy felt the need to comfort her.

Never had Lucy felt as powerless as she did in that moment. It disgusted her when Enzo announced this morning what happened to the Lockwood boy. The couple were both ready to be rid of Damon and the problems he kept bringing.

"Any progress with Kai?"

"None," she said halfheartedly, like she wasn't going to even try to make it seem like nothing was wrong. "I tried drying him out and starving him. Valerie told him stories of their time in the prison world together with the other heretics. He just kept mocking us. It's like he's given up."

"If there's something I've learned about Malachai, it's that he doesn't give up. He's a fighter, and he's strong. He would never give up, not on himself. You just have to force him to face his fears. He spent so many years feeling worthless, like he was an abomination. And you were the first person who ever gave him a chance to prove that he's more than some bastard child, that he was worth a second chance."

Lucy doesn't know when she became Kai's biggest fan. But the man saved her life. He never gave up on her or Bonnie. He was loyal to the people he cared about and was willing to protect all of them.

"You are a good friend to him."

Lucy smiled slightly. "Just keep me posted on everything."

"Will do."

The cousins both hung up. Lucy hoped her words helped Bonnie. She really wanted to see Kai make it out of this, okay. He and Bonnie deserved their happily ever after.

Bonnie entered the kitchen, not paying attention to her surroundings. Kai jumped in surprise, his back hitting the fridge as he dropped a cookie he was about to munch on.

"You didn't happen to make these with vervain?" he asked hoarsely, forgetting to be polite.

There was a bewildered pause, then, "Nope, next time I might."

The heretic slowly picked up the dropped cookie, eyeing her warily. The kitchen smelled delicious and her stomach rumbled in response and she took a small step forward.

The heretic chuckled softly. "You know Bonster, this would be less stressful for you if you just let me go."

Bonnie followed his gaze, and he didn't look at her, but he was pretty sure she was scowling now. "Why, so you can run back to Sybil and help Damon in whatever mess he's in." That got her a troublesome grin. "Is that what you really want?"

Kai stared at her hard before stepping away. He seemed to deflate a bit and, after a moment's consideration, turned his back to her and approached the table he must have been sitting at before Bonnie entered.

"If you think locking me up in this house is going to get me to turn my humanity back on, you're wasting your time." He didn't look at Bonnie when she took another step and then another.

Bonnie stilled before focusing on Kai. He had finished the cookie and had picked up a sandwich.

"I'm not letting you fall back into your old self again. You worked far too hard to become the man you are." It felt like her heart was overflowing with emotions. "I'm not letting you be a sociopath with no redeeming qualities. The twins need you, Valerie needs you." Bonnie felt tears well up in her eyes and she tried to keep composed. "I need you."

Kai took a large bite of his ham sandwich. "My humanity has been a hindrance. This thing that Luke gave me, his empathy and compassion, all it did was suck the fun out of me. I know you liked the old Kai better. I gave you a chase." He said, not done chewing yet.

Bonnie grimaced at the rudeness of it, feeling her stomach turn.

"The man I fell in love with was a fighter. I don't care for this inferior version of you."

Kai swallowed his food and tilted his head. She didn't like him studying her. It was as though he was trying to read her mind and it was unnerving and she wanted it to stop.

"Do you know how emasculating this relationship has been for me? It's because of you I don't have my magic anymore. I let you get into my head and I felt sorry for you because I couldn't help bring back your dead grandmother. Which I lied about. I knew I couldn't bring her back. I just said that to keep you and Damon from killing me." Kai said, to get her to stop looking at him like that.

He didn't smirk, but could feel one corner of his lip curl. Which made Bonnie lurch forward. And Kai leaned back. But she wasn't trying to push him out of his seat. She had grabbed his wrist, her grip firm. Kai tried to yank it back, but she held on tight.

"I see that sick humor is still your thing. You'll regret underestimating me, Malachai."

Kai yanked away from her and fell out of his seat. He landed on his ass, but scrambled quickly to his feet. Bonnie's hands clenched into fists at her side.

"You stay," Bonnie whispered, the anger heavy in her words. "I'll be back." And she pushed open the cabin's door, her footsteps soft as she left him.

Come as you are, as you were

As I want you to be

As a friend

As an old enemy

Kai didn't care for many things in the 21st century, but he loved music streaming services. He could finally listen to Nirvana's MTV Unplugged Live performance, which he missed in 1994 because of being trapped in the prison world.

After Bonnie stormed out, Kai went to take a shower. When he stepped out to dry off, he took a glance over at himself. He was met with so many bruises that were almost healed from his fight with Damon and so many scars from the many beatings he had endured throughout his childhood. He would have healed quicker if Bonnie hadn't been starving him of human blood. Now he was reduced to eating human food and animal blood.

He ran his fingers over his scar, then traced the length of his arm where his fingers traced a few smaller scars over his wrist.

Never had he thought he would add to the collection of scars his father caused by his own hand. Kai had not self-harmed since his time in the prison world.

Sometimes it was just too much to deal with, and Kai wasn't really sure why he was still alive. Why didn't he just take his life already? He knew he was too afraid to go through with it. He was a pussy in every way possible. It made him sick to even look at himself in the mirror and brought his fist up to it, smashing it. He cursed under his breath when he saw his hand full of glass and blood, and he quickly cleaned up and got dressed. He wrapped his hand up and headed back into the living room.

"Remember when you told us you tried to kill yourself, lots of times and lots of ways?"

His eyebrows knitted together at her question.

"You saw me at my lowest point in that prison world. I never thought I could feel that way. After everything I'd been through, I never thought being alone could push me off the edge. But it did."

His eyes widened immediately when he noticed the gas canister in her hand.

"You really are suicidal." He said with a stupid smile on his face that Bonnie wanted to slap right off of him. "You really want to play Romeo and Juliet, killing us both."

She rolled her eyes and huffed.

"If you're so scared, then stop me."

As though in slow motion, Kai felt himself whip around. There was a steam of pale white gas hissing from the gas canister. He watched as Bonnie covered her nose and mouth. Waiting.

None of his senses were being affected by the smell. But he knew the chemical reaction from the process gas would ignite the flames from the candles, and spread the fire. This entire cabin will burn down, killing them both.

"You don't think you're being extreme?"

His height was an advantage as he loomed over her. Her warm breath fanned his chin when she looked up at him.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." She said, her voice taking a tone he wasn't used to. "Turn your humanity back on, save me, save us."

Bonnie was staggering upright. The gas must be getting to her already. There's a faint burn on her veins and her limbs were beginning to get sluggish. She almost collapsed, holding on to the edge of the couch with chalk-knuckled fingers for support.

"You think the power of love is going to save us. Newsflash, I don't care about you. I don't care about anyone or anything." An unfamiliar feeling raced through his veins as he stared at her. "I enjoy being this way. I'm no longer burdened by things like guilt or love. I'm free to be myself again. Not this romantic version that you love so much."

Bonnie lifted a hand, almost hesitantly. When she placed her palm against the pale skin of his cheek, he held his breath.

"Spare me the sociopath speech," Bonnie sneered at him. "You've punished yourself. You put everyone you care about above your own needs and wants. You felt remorse for your action. There's still hope for you."

Suddenly, her lips twisted into a smirk, startling him. And then Bonnie clapped her hand sharply against his other cheek. He winced and stepped back in surprise, his mouth dropping open.

"But if you're really done. If you no longer have any hope left. Then this is it." Her mousy brown hair filled his vision before she stepped away. "I'm not letting you leave this cabin and run back to Sybil."

Bonnie coughs and gasps, because her windpipe was beginning to swell, restricting her airwaves. Kai looks between them. Panic starts to set in.

"I never should have gotten involved with you. Now I'm going to die in this shithole." There was nothing but a faint burn in his lungs. But Bonnie's face was turning red, and her features twist in pain.

"I love you," she wheezes. Bonnie's eyelids flutter and she drops to the ground.

Kai smelled nothing before, but all of a sudden, the smell of burning food and wood and paint invaded his nostrils. It's acid and it stings. Kai knows he can't leave Bonnie alone in this situation. Not knowing what else to do, the smell of smoke was getting stronger.

Kai has never felt more scared in his entire life; he's never felt more vulnerable, guilty, and horrible at once. Guilt was a familiar emotion he had grown to accept. He stomps the instinct down and vamps out, after all.

The burning stench was getting stronger, and it felt as if someone was pulling red-hot wires through her ears. Bring tears of pain to Bonnie's eyes. She shot up off the ground, looking around, taking in her surroundings. She was outside the cabin.

Bonnie looks back at the cabin, wild and unfocused with fear. Their home was now filled with smoke. She could see Kai standing by the threshold, coughing.

"Kai!" There were tears cascading down her small face. "You came back to me."

"I couldn't let you burn to death, not after everything you've done for me." Kai was very calm. His eyes were shining with unshed tears.

Bonnie's eyes widened in shock. "I'm not letting you burn in there." Her breath caught in her throat, and she hyperventilated.

With that, Bonnie was off like a shot and got inside the cabin. The first smell of smoke charged her nostril. She ran into the living room. The kitchen was closest to the blaze, and while it hadn't turned into an inferno yet, it was fast becoming more likely.

She looked around for the candle, which was unmoved in the center of the living area. Bonnie surged forward and snatched it up. She brought the burning flame to her palm and snuffed it out.

Kai, who between one blink in the next, had hands clutching her biceps and spasming, like he can't decide between shoving her way or holding on tight.

Bonnie makes the decision for him, pitching forward and locking the wrist behind his neck. Hooking a chin over his shoulder and squeezing. It didn't take long for Kai to follow, sliding his arms behind Bonnie's waist and burying his nose in the juncture of her neck and shoulder.

"Bonnie! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He cried absently, leaning over her as he tried to extricate her arms from the sleeves of her sweater.

She nodded, with tears coming down her face.

"We're okay. Everything is going to be okay."

Kai's hands a slot around Bonnie's thighs to lift her, so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. He carried her outside the flame-induced cabin. Before he could let her down, Bonnie slid her nose along the heretic's pushing their mouths together, pulling tighter on Kai's neck.

Swallowing the lump in her throat and blinking back the tears forming in her eyes, Bonnie soldier on.

A heavy breath escaped Kai's lips. "I fucked up. I should have never trusted Sybil." Bonnie knew the fire also shook him. "I'm sorry I was such a fucking asshole."

Bonnie suddenly felt calmed by him and safe in his arms. She now laid with her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He was stroking her back gently. She had never witnessed such kindness from him.

Their breaths intermingled, and no matter how many times she experienced this—just having Kai close—she couldn't get enough. "I forgive you, Kai. I'm just glad you came back to me."

Pushing the heavy oak side door open, Bonnie and Kai step into Salvatore Boarding House together. A wave of ocean-like scent filled his senses. As the sun rises higher, it sends soft beams of light through the high, large windows. They redecorated simply the room, with sage-colored walls, a light wooden floor, and pale, welcoming furniture.

"I see Stefan had a lot of free time on his hands," Kai commented on the remodeling of the house. His eyes narrowed in on a blonde. "What's up, Val?"

Valerie looks up from her seat by the window, placing a bookmark into the heavy leather book in her hand. Her blonde hair was pulled back from her temples, twisted in an elegant knot at the nape of her neck. Dressed in a fancy black pants suit.

"Malachai, you're back." She looks at him with steady, pale eyes, and he smiles and nods. "Come sit, both of you. I should probably catch you up on everything." She remarks offhandedly, as she places the book on a coffee table, refilling a cup of tea from the self-heating pot beside her.

The couple flopped down on the couch. Kai curled his long legs under him as he set himself upon a long sofa, the soft corduroy material comfortable under his weary legs.

Bonnie drums her fingers against the arm of the couch. "Lucy said she's making progress with Sybil?"

Kai watches Valerie look down, her long, pale eyelashes skimming her cheeks softly as she sighs.

"She has a sister."

"Please tell me you're joking?" Bonnie barked, annoyed. "There's two of them?"

"I wish I was, love," Valerie spoke, voice soft and resigned. "She believes her sister will come looking for her soon. Enzo set up the intercom system, she won't be escaping." She says, though there's a skeptical glint in her blue eyes.

"Why did she order Damon to kill Tyler?" Kai asked, rubbing his forehead.

There's a stiffness in the air between all of them, a feeling that Kai desperately wants to rid himself of.

Valerie shakes her head. "She claimed she had nothing to do with that, however she suggested to him that he should sever all his remaining ties to his friends and family."

Beside Kai, Bonnie is clenching her hands and biting the inside of her cheek. "She wants him to kill us all, he'll come after us."

Kai was less worried about himself and more about Bonnie. She was Damon's best friend. He'll do whatever to hurt her, which includes going after Kai and Lucy.

In a matter of moments, Stefan stormed into the parlor of the house in a sharp navy suit. There's a pair of expensive sunglasses perched on his head, and when he saw Kai and Bonnie, he frowned.

Stefan mutters something under his breath, before he turns towards Valerie, "I had a run-in with Damon at the carnival."

"Let me guess, he tried to kill you." Kai bit out, angry despite being scared. Happy as he was about being alive, he would hate to spend the rest of his life on the run again. "What with him trying to sever his bonds with us?"

Stefan was staring silently at the wall in front of him, and for a second, it tempted him to answer. Fortunately, he thought better of it.

"Damon might be too far gone for us to save." Bonnie stood abruptly and turned to Stefan. "He's given up on himself, so why should we continue to risk ourselves for him."

"Honestly," Valerie said, studying her boyfriend thoughtfully. "I agree with Bonnie on this one. Damon has put us through hell these past couple of years. He's a selfish cunt. He almost murdered his niece a few weeks ago, that spineless dick."

Stefan paused his pacing behind them. "And when Elena wakes up, I'll be the one telling her that all her friends wanted to drive a stake through her boyfriend's heart." He was quite angry. In fact, Stefan was livid.

"Damon won't stop until we're all dead," Kai started again, his gaze changing from incredulous to concerned. "I won't let him lay a hand on Bonnie or Lucy. And are you really okay with putting Valerie at risk? Because if you can't save him, then I'm sorry Stefan. But I'll kill him myself." Bonnie and Valerie both stared at him. "If it makes you feel better, I'll tell Elena I killed her boyfriend, she already hates me."

Silence strung from Stefan's lips. It wasn't until he quietly cleared his throat that he broke the quiet air, and murmured, "Matt wants us to meet him at the carnival in twenty, Jeremy will be there."

Offense crept into Bonnie's demeanor, crossing her arms over her chest. She nodded, and for a second time, Valerie sighed.

"We should head out then," she says, tapping her foot impatiently.

The other couple left Kai and Bonnie alone in the parlor. Bonnie sat back down next to him. There was a small fragment of silence between the two before Kai cocked his head to one side, asking curiously, "Should I be worried about you and Gilbert?"

Smiling, Bonnie shook her head. "Not at all," she contradicted, shrugging almost innocently. "We're just friends."

Kai scoffs, then loops an arm around Bonnie's shoulders. Yeah. He had nothing to worry about. He trusts Bonnie.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Right then and there, someone pulled up next to Bonnie onto a beat-up dirt road.

She had been waiting for this visit for what felt like an eternity. Not that she wasn't looking forward to seeing him — but it was unfortunate that it had to be under these circumstances.

"Hey, Jer." She spoke anxiously, ruffling the taller boy's already chaotic mass of brown locks with her hand. "You look good." He looked horrible… but sober, definitely sober. His hair was a scraggly mess, and it looked as though he hadn't shaved in weeks. She didn't know what looked worse, his bedraggled state, or the haunted, pained look in his eyes.

"Thanks, you look great too." Jeremy had his hands stuffed in his pockets as they walked towards the entrance and moved them around.

She had decided to be civil, if not friendly toward him; he deserved that much. After everything she had put him through, the least she could do was try to pursue a friendship, or at least an understanding with him, if not to ease the ripping guilt inside. Then for Elena.

He shifted uneasily, waiting for her to break the silence. She obliged with a sigh. "I'm so sorry about Tyler. I know how close you guys were. Matt has been so broken over this."

"That makes two of us," he replied, muttering under his breath.

"I'm no longer with Damon," Bonnie stated calmly, tangling her fingers through her hair in frustration. "I'll do whatever it takes to bring him down."

The expression on his face remained nonchalant. "Finally got over that crush."

"What?" Bonnie slowed down her pace, squawking at her ex.

"You've been hopelessly in love with Damon for years," Jeremy remarked smoothly, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards into a small laugh. "At least before we even got back together. For a long time, I didn't understand what you saw in him. After some time away, traveling and seeing the world, I finally understood why you fell for him." His admission made her look up at him, confusion in her eyes.

"Damon and I are toxic for each other. I don't make him better, no one does." Bonnie cries. "I could never be with someone who's willing to put my life in jeopardy, time and time again. Or uses me for my magic and tosses me away."

"So it's true about you and Kai?" Jeremy laughed sarcastically, but she could see the humor in his eyes.

Bonnie took a deep breath. "He's changed. And I don't mean that he's only nice to me. Kai saved my cousin Lucy. He protected Damon twice. He tried to restore the Gemini Coven and bring his sister back to life. He's been protecting his nieces and made peace with Alaric. I never thought I'd forgive him, but he proved himself worthy. Not Damon, Katherine, or Klaus. No one has truly redeemed themselves the way he has. Kai actually cares about people."

"Have I missed that much?" The startled look on his face was slowly waning into curiosity and understanding.

"A shaman cursed me, forcing me to be a vampire huntress," she answered with a shuddery breath. "Kai was willing to sacrifice himself so that the others could figure out a way to save me from the curse. He has sacrificed himself for all of us countless times."

There was a long pause in the conversation, his expression thoughtful.

"Then I'm happy for you," Jeremy offered with a shrug. "No one else deserves a happy ending more than you, Bonnie."

Already the guilt was bubbling in her chest. "So do you, Jer. You've been through so much shit." He laughed at her expression.

As if sensing her questions, he waved his hand dismissively and said. "I was happy, being who I was meant to be. I was happy, I fell in love, I had a plan, a future, someone to grow old with." His hair fell into his eyes as he leaned back. "We were so close."

"Who was the girl that captured Jeremy Gilbert's heart?" Bonnie asks, tugging on the end of his t-shirt to stop him from walking in front of her.

The look on his face was unreadable. But his eyes — his eyes showed nothing but worry and… vulnerability?

"Jeremy, what's wrong? Did something happen?" biting nervously on her lower lip, she stopped walking. "Is she…"

"It was Tyler." There was silent fury in his eyes, bubbling violently. "He and I, we got really close…" he trailed off, laughing under his breath. "We hated each other in high school. We fought over Vicki Donovan. And yet, I fell in love with him. Bonnie, we were happy together, away from all of this."

Bonnie smiled despite herself. "I always knew there was sexual tension between you two. At least after Vicki died, I thought there was something there between you two." Jeremy simply shrugged, a rueful smile on his face. "I am so sorry for your loss." This was a third lover that Jeremy lost in his life, Vicki, Anna, and now Tyler.

"Matt's the only one who knows. I don't want the rest of the gang knowing about me and Tyler." Jeremy pleaded, crossing his arms over his chest.

A little stunned, Bonnie quietly replied. "Sure, I won't say a word."

Laughing, Jeremy stood straight and started towards the ticket booth. Bonnie smiled shyly at Jeremy's raised eyebrows and nudged him forward with an elbow.

The place was in full swing; the rides whirring and the air smelled like fried dough and sugar. Bonnie turned her head in both directions as they meandered around and gathered their bearings. They walked around the circle of the establishment to head over to their group of friends. There, sitting around a bench, were Enzo, Lucy, Valerie, Matt, and Stefan, all waiting for them.

"Jeremy, it's great to see you." Stefan laminated as everyone else queued up. Jeremy nodded in Stefan's direction and strolled over to Matt. The blond grabs Jeremy's wrist and starts pulling him for a hug. Only Matt knew the truth of Jeremy and Tyler's relationship.

"Bonnie." Kai's hand on her shoulder made her jump. "You okay?"

She hesitates for only a moment. "Yeah, I'm good." She smiled, a bit too smitten with her boyfriend's concern.

"I'm glad we could all be here," Stefan smiled and scratched at the back of his neck. "I thought we could give the funeral another shot." The vampire says sharply, his smile replaced by a disappointed expression. "We're here to honor our friend Tyler. Through the ups and downs, Tyler Lockwood was a good man."

"I never thought much of him." For a moment, Kai's smile shifts into a sharp frown. Then he shakes his head. "His icky relationship with Liv was a turnoff to me. Then she gave her life to save him. He meant the world to Liv, and he was protective of her. I didn't understand that sort of love, wanting to sacrifice yourself for someone else. Or why my sister would do that, but now I do. At least now they are both reunited."

"The thing about Tyler is that he was always willing to fight," Enzo says with a nervous laugh. "He fought the darkness inside himself, and he won. I sure as hell respected him for it." Lucy rests a hand on Enzo's shoulder.

Bonnie smiled sadly, letting out a small sigh. "Tyler lost so much, this town, this life took so much from him. But he never turned his back on us, not once. I just wish I could have more time with him, make things right." The last thing she wanted to do was start tearing up.

"Tyler was one of the strongest men I knew." Matt's downtrodden, defeated voice cut at her. "He cared about all of us, and he was my best friend."

Jeremy looked torn between anger and grief-stricken defeat. "Tyler was more than some small-town boy, and he'd lived a life much larger than Mystic Falls. He was a hero to many. He'd saved my ass so many times on hunts. I don't know how I'll go on with him." Matt's grip tightens around Jeremy's wrist.

"I know these past few months, hell these past few years have been tough. And right now I don't know what's going to happen next to any of us." Stefan marched through. "It's important that we appreciate the insignificant moments we have together. It's all we have. So in honor of Tyler, we need to remember to live."

And they all followed through with that promise. Kai tried three times to win a giant bear for Bonnie, wanting to be a classic carnival gentleman, but the game got the best of him. Bonnie tried it herself and won on her first attempt.

An hour later, they rode the tilt 'n' whirl, and stopped to eat funnel cake, milkshakes, and cotton candy. The air was crisp and cool. The wind picked up and ruffled Bonnie's hair. Kai grinned and threw his arm around her. He squeezed her shoulder lightly.

"I know, you're in grief mode." Kai pulled her to a stop. "And I know seeing your ex…"

"I love you." Her voice was barely a whisper and caught Kai completely off guard. "And I kinda think it's hot that you're jealous of Jeremy."

They strolled, still hand-in-hand, Kai in the lead once again. He stopped when they arrived at the Ferris wheel.

"You won't lose me, and I won't let anyone hurt you." Kai bit his lip, brow creasing. "You won't ever live to regret choosing me because I love you, Bonnie Bennett." His forehead and cheeks are red.

She stared at him for another moment. Maybe it was the anxiety of everything going on with Sybil and Damon, or maybe it was the excitement of the entire night, or maybe she was finally just letting go and putting her happiness first. But she leaned in and kissed him. It was soft and sweet, but mostly it was perfect. It seemed to promise great things to come.

"I made the right choice," Bonnie whispered as they parted. "I'll never regret choosing you."

The color in Kai's cheeks deepens. "You'll always be my first choice."

"Caroline just called," Matt bellowed from the giant slides. "She said, their nanny has kidnapped the twins."

Bonnie's eyes fell on Kai. As she looks at him now, she can't decipher what Kai is feeling. There's anger in the tension of his clenched hands, the pull of his spine. He glares up at the sky with bloodshot eyes, but his expression is more empty than angry. Why can't they ever catch a break?

AN: Was Jyler a surprise? There's no way Jeremy and Tyler didn't hook up. All those years of traveling together. Anyway, Kai's back, but he isn't out of the clearing. Sybil will get her revenge. Next chapter will be pretty dark for Kai, and Bonnie starts to re-evaluate her relationship with Kai.