"Who's brilliant plan was it to do this at dawn?" Bonnie groused. She shivered against the icy chill in the air, tugging her coat tighter around herself. The grass around them crunched underfoot from the thick layer of frost. Twice, she'd almost lost her footing on a slippery patch and since then had been focused on keeping her gait even.

Kai was only a step behind her, determined to protect her at any cost. "Yours." He smirked at the frown marring her delicate features and wrapped an arm around her waist, "Come on, Bon Bon, This is exciting, I get to tear my father limb from limb today…" He flashed her a predatory grin before forging ahead.

Bonnie hid her smirk. Kai reminded her of a little kid at Christmas, running to and fro, grinning like a fool, and unable to stop talking about his plans. The major difference was that instead of the joy and wonderment of the season, Kai was focused on torture and destruction. A couple weeks ago it would have bothered Bonnie but she'd grown accustomed to the way Kai was by now. Some of his bloodthirstiness must have rubbed off on her because she was really looking forward to ending this once and for all.

As they drew closer to the summit of the hill, spidery fingers of tension curled in Bonnie's belly and gripped tight. Ever since the binding ceremony last night, she noticed several changes in herself. Her temper seemed shorter and she was infinitely more labile; conversely, her power had grown exponentially and magic simmered in her veins. Jo was absolutely right about the binding ceremony. She and Kai had not had the time to delve into how the spell affected them but she felt different. Whether that was her pregnancy hormones beginning to take hold or the magic they were now bound by, she couldn't be sure. Either way, Bonnie had never been this powerful before.

"Just a little further," Liv called, her hand hovering over the Ascendant. Both her hands were bandaged now between the binding ritual and then using several droplets of blood for the locator spell this morning. The Gemini coven were not so different from other witches, except for their insane tradition of merging twins. They would find somewhere to camp where they could draw strength from nature. Holing up at the bottom of a hill would also give the coven the best vantage point possible. Liv stopped abruptly, "They're here…"

"I don't see anything," Damon frowned markedly. "This is some sort of witchy juju isn't it?"

"Glamours and warding spells," Kai replied. "We leave juju for those freaks in New Orleans." A grin was permanently plastered on his face as he faced his siblings. "Shall we?" Slipping his hand into Bonnie's, he chanted softly and reveled in the sizzling crack of pain that stabbed through him as their magic mingled then poured out to tear down the walls the Geminis had put up. Liv and Luke stood on the opposite side, their brows furrowed in concentration as they joined into the attack.

Damon, Elena, Stefan, and Caroline waited for the signal. Their job was fairly simple: once the wards went down they were to snap as many necks as possible to weaken the coven's power. Anyone was fair game except for the Gemini himself; under no circumstances was anyone to touch Joshua Parker. The dagger Kai had once used to murder four of his siblings was tucked into his belt loop, just dull enough to inflict the maximum amount of pain as he exacted his revenge. Tonight, Joshua Parker's reign of terror would end.

The clamor of the ward breaking down filled the air, a cacophony that sounded like glass shattering. The smell of violence rose in the air, thick and cloying. The Gemini coven stood in a circle as they chanted. Thunderclouds began to gather on the horizon, thick and heavy with electricity. The blackness swirled in the sky, blocking out the sun as it went. Lightning struck suddenly, slamming into a tree; the ancient oak twisted and groaned as it split down the middle.

Bonnie felt anger welling in her veins and knew that she was feeding off Kai's dark rage. Never before in her life had she ever wished to rip a man open and bathe in his blood. Taking a single step forward, Kai's lips descended over hers and stars burst behind her eyes. That one kiss rushed over her like a river overflowing its banks; were it not for his strong arm wrapped around her waist, she might have been swept away. Bonnie felt off-center when he tore away from her, "What was that?"

Kai's fingertips traced the curve of her jaw and brushed over the sacred space where their children grew within her. "Consider it a good luck charm," He murmured. Beneath their feet, the ground rumbled ominously. It felt as if the earth would open and swallow them whole. Kai cracked his knuckles one by one, then popped his neck menacingly. "It's time." His dark voice rose above the chaos, "Kill them…kill them all…"

"Now who's being dramatic?" Damon muttered to himself before turning his attention forward. Rolling his eyes skyward, he huffed before diving into the fray.

There were twenty witches standing in a circle, chanting to bring death and destruction to their enemies. All around them, branches were falling and fire was catching in the desolate wood. It became harder to maintain the spell as the vampires tore through the Gemini coven. Damon's mouth and hands were stained red as he devoured one witch after another. Stefan fell as one of the group turned from their chanting to retaliate; he writhed in agony as the pressure built behind his eyes. Caroline was right there to snap the woman's neck quickly and brutally. He shot her a grateful glance and they both went to assist Elena in tracking down several witches who fled deeper into the wood.

Kai stalked down the hill with Bonnie, Jo, Liv, and Luke in tow. Joshua Parker's face twisted in concentration as he tried to keep the spell going in the midst of chaos. Horror spread over Joshua's features at the appearance of Kai and his remaining children, joined against him. Kai's tone was level and even despite the malice sparking in his gaze. "It's good to see you again." He laughed derisively. "I don't think you've met my wife, Bonnie? I figured it would be quite a treat to meet your only daughter-in-law before you die…"

Bonnie's hand remained firmly wrapped around Kai's as they squared off with the man who made Kai's life a living hell. Luke and Liv seemed to shrink away as the Gemini patriarch's eyes swept over them. Jo remained behind her younger siblings, doing her best of offer the strength and comfort they both desperately needed. Kai had already drawn the blade from his belt and palmed it menacingly. "It must absolutely kill you to see that despite your best efforts, I've become something…" Kai suspended the dagger with a simple spell, a terrifying toothy grin looked about to crack. "Luckily you won't have to suffer with it for long. I'm a merciful man…"

Joshua reared back, his thunderous voice booming toward the heavens as he invoked ancient rites. The wind whistling through the trees blew harder and stung Bonnie's skin like pins and needles. She drew her jacket tighter around herself, feeling her grip starting to loosen on Kai's hand. "What's happening?" Her vision swam and then blackness tinged the edge of her vision. "Kai…"

"Shhh," Kai whispered. "It'll be over soon, Bon Bon." It was far from the ideal situation but since he only got one set of magic when he'd completed the merging ritual with Jo, he could use a little more. Siphoning a little bit from Bonnie would give him an advantage he desperately needed. If he couldn't protect them from Joshua, the babies were null and void anyway. It seemed the lesser of two evils…

Liv charged, wrenching Kai's hand from Bonnie's. "She's pregnant, you idiot!" A scream tore from her throat as he turned and channeled her power through him. "I was just going to take a little off the top but since you're offering…" Facing Joshua again, he grinned as he halted Joshua's spell in its tracks with just a few simple words. All at once the sky began to clear and the winds died down. An eerie quiet settled over them as time came to a grinding halt.

Liv's exhausted body dropped beside Bonnie's as Kai took two menacing steps forward and in one sweep, dragged the blade over Joshua's throat. Crimson blood poured down his throat and he gurgled. The wound was not deep enough to kill but he could utter no further words. Kai went from cool, composed, and teasing to murderous in seconds. Lunging for Joshua, he tackled him to the ground. Over and over and over he stabbed the half-dulled blade. A sick pleasure curled in Kai's gut watching as Joshua silently screamed in pain and terror, choking more on his own blood with each breath.

Kai siphoned the magic out of Joshua slowly, tearing away his last shreds of life before plunging the dagger straight into his heart. Staggering to his feet, he let out a triumphant cry. Joshua was dead and Kai was now the leader of the Gemini coven. That power filled him with such overwhelming joy. Blood coated Kai from head to toe and he was sticky with it. With a whisper of a spell, Joshua's lifeless corpse erupted in flames and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. It was over, finally…

Although Kai's first instinct was to murder and main, his second was to protect his family. He turned toward to Bonnie, eager to celebrate their victory. His stomach turned over as he caught sight of her looking pale and weak.

Jo knelt where Bonnie rested in the dirt. Her voice was thick with fear and urgency, "I need to get her to the hospital." In the blink of an eye, Damon lifted Bonnie into his arms; he instinctively knew what had to be done. Liv, though weak, was alive and glaring daggers at Kai. Luke lifted her into his arms with a grunt and slipped her into one of the abandoned vans. Jo rounded on Kai with anger in her eyes, "Are you happy now?"

Taking two menacing steps forward, Kai's hand was still wrapped tightly around the knife. "What the hell happened?"

"You happened!" Jo hollered back. "The first few months a witch is pregnant, she is not only adjusting to the life growing inside of her but also the magic the shares with her children. "There's no telling whose magic you were stealing, Kai! You could have just killed your own children," Jo snarled at him, "I hope you're happy."

Panic erupted in Kai's chest. With no thought at all to his appearance, he ran until he reached the road and his chest ached with pain. A car swerved at the sight of him and he stalked to the driver's side. "Get out!" He roared, ripping the terrified, defenseless driver from the seat and hurling him down the embankment before commandeering the vehicle. With no thought at all to his own life, he tore into traffic, swerving and accelerating until the hospital edifice loomed before him. Storming into the emergency department, people cried and pulled away from him.

Call it a side effect of the binding or paternal instinct but Kai was drawn to her side. Damon was standing at the head of the bed, his fangs bared, "Get out!" When Kai didn't immediately move, Damon grabbed him and slammed him against the wall. "I should have killed you when I had the chance, you piece of shit! Look at her! Look at what you did to her!"

Kai was so much stronger than Damon. One word and Damon would be crushed like a bug under his heel…except that Kai needed to feel this guilt. It wasn't an emotion he was familiar with. Psychopath or not, he had come to love this woman and their children. To lose them now would be to lose everything he'd been fighting for. What was the point of being in the present if Bonnie wasn't there? What was the point of leading a coven if everyone was going to turn around and leave him? What was the point of life without his love? "Bonnie is a fighter…" Although he didn't quite trust his own voice.

Bonnie remained still as the grave, her breathing soft and even. Kai wished in that moment that she would open her eyes and tear him apart…he wanted it, needed it even. He deserved every terrible thing that Damon was threatening to do to him. Jo arrived at the hospital just in the nick of time. Throwing Kai a pair of hospital-issued scrubs and sending Damon off, Jo was able to at least restore a little balance to the room. From there, she ordered a battery of blood work and sent an aide in seach of the portable ultrasound machine.

Washing the blood from his face and hands, Kai deposited his clothes in a bin marked for incineration. His hands were still stained red and would be for some time. Pacing the length of the room, he was more animal than man. "What is taking so long?" He snarled.

"There are other people in this hospital, Kai," Jo scolded.

Reaching for his knife again, Kai stared her down, "I can take care of that."

"No!" Jo nudged him aside, "Just give it a minute." Thankfully, the machine was handed over a moment later and Jo immediately pulled it to the bedside. Bonnie had been changed into a hospital issued gown, giving Jo the access she needed. "There's been no bleeding…"

"That's a good sign?" Kai glanced at her questioningly.

"Well, it's not a bad one," Jo replied. "Her body hasn't rejected the pregnancy." Clicking the machine on, she sent a silent prayer to the ancestors. At first there was nothing and she felt her stomach twist in pain. Readjusting the apparatus, Jo nearly wept at the whooshing sound of heartbeats on the monitor. "Oh thank god…" She snapped several pictures, taking a moment to look at fetal development. "It's been a while since my obstetrics rotation but I'm going to share these with a colleague to make sure. From what I can tell, the babies are fine…"

Kai sagged under the weight of his relief. The children were alive…but then why wasn't she waking up? He turned his attention to Jo. "I didn't take very much of her magic."

"You shouldn't have taken any," Jo scolded. "Sit down." Pulling out a chair, she glared at him until he plopped down it. "I realize that you're different…"

"You can say psychotic. It doesn't hurt my feelings…" Kai grinned broadly, "I don't have any feelings."

"Yes, you do," Jo replied curtly. "You have feelings for Bonnie and don't try and tell me you don't." She lowered her voice. "You know damn well that you could've killed her at any point after the spell was broken but you didn't. You went through with the binding, knowing full well the implication. You introduced her as your wife." There was a pause and Jo folded her arms. "I'd written you off a long time ago. After you snapped, I never thought for a second I could forgive you." She narrowed her eyes, "I still don't trust you but I think your intentions here are good. You can't continue down this path with a wife and two children in tow. I may not have magic but I can still make your life a living hell, little brother."

Kai scoffed, "I am three minutes younger!"

"I'm still older!" Jo cut him off. "Please tell me you took away more than that from what I just said…"

There was a beat of silence and Kai stood up, his fingertips brushed a lock of dark hair from Bonnie's forehead. "When she wakes up, I will spend the rest of our lives making it up to her."

"If she ever speaks to you again, I suggest that you do." With that, Jo grabbed the ultrasound machine and rolled it out into the hall. "I'm going to admit her. There are a couple private rooms open on the maternity floor and I think she'll be the most comfortable up there." Turning on her heel, she faced him. "You can stay with the understanding that if anyone complains, I don't care how powerful you are, I will throw your sorry ass out of here. Agreed?"

Kai grinned savagely, "I didn't miss getting bossed around by you…but yes, you have my word." He sighed suddenly, "Will she be alright?"

"The babies are fine and her vitals have been stable, my professional opinion is that this is not a medical issue but a result of overexerting her magic. She was working at full capacity and then you started taking and it was too much for her to handle. Her body shut down…" Jo leaned in the doorway. "She needs her rest and so do you. I'll have them bring a cot up when she's transferred. I'll keep checking in throughout the night." She was all the way out of the room when she heard Kai's soft voice.

"Thank you…"

Jo smiled to herself but did not acknowledge that she'd heard.

Kai went back to pacing, dragging his bloodstained hands through his dark hair. He shut his eyes tightly as he focused on the softness of her breath…"What the fuck did I do?"

I struggled and toiled and hated every second of this chapter. It was physically painful to write at times but I absolutely promised a chapter for Christmas. Your feedback and kind words are the ONLY thing that got me thought this chapter. I really hope you like it because I had to dig deep for it, guys! I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday, whatever it is you do or do not celebrate. I hope that your families are not driving you crazy. I hope that your New Year is even better and brighter than this one has been.

I love you all. Please keep reading, reviewing, tweeting, tumblring, and messaging if you want more. I am a feedback whore! Consider it a present to yours truly.

This chapter would absolutely NOT be possible without my amazing beta Jo (Justvisiting80). She is that one shiny red ornament on my Charlie Brown Christmas tree. SHOW HER SOME LOVE TOO! She writes amazing fanfic too!

3

Marina