"So tell me what happened with you and that boy again?" Renee asked as she turned to face Klaus in bed. "I know you've told me several times, but it's just too hilarious to be a real thing."

"Well, Rosalie told him my big secret about killing his mother, so naturally, he wanted to take revenge," Klaus grinned. "But because she's also a good daughter, she never told him precisely how to kill me, so he just got every weapon that would kill a human or a conventional vampire and decided to try his luck," Klaus explained. "It was so pathetic that I took pity on the boy and didn't kill him."

"Was it just about him?" Renee asked. "What in the hell would motivate you to let him go? I thought you were ruthless!"

"Oh, I am," Klaus nodded. "But I don't want to lose more family members because of my temper than I already have. Rosalie likes this boy, remember. And I think that, no matter how much he deserved to die, she would be upset if I killed him."

"Well, aren't you a big softie?" Renee asked and kissed him again.

"That's not what Amy would say," Klaus replied.

"Well, what does it matter what Amy would say?" Renee asked, her voice sugary. "She's not here right now. And you don't like her, remember? Think of all the times she got in your way and tried to change you? She doesn't accept you for who you are. I do. Now, what do you say we go hunting? Or rather, you go hunting and I watch?"

"Why should you just watch?" Klaus asked. "Why don't you come along with me? It'll be much more fun that way."

"I agree," Renee nodded. "But honestly, I've never thought about doing something like that. If I hunt with you, I could end up killing someone."

"And the problem with that is…what?" Klaus asked. "Are you scared of turning after?"

"A little," Renee admitted. "Why do you think I'm so old and haven't turned yet? Most have by the time they're my age."

"You're not old," Klaus told her, putting his forehead against hers. "And I think you'd make a great werewolf. Do you trust me?"

"Yeah," Renee nodded, a slow smile curving her lips. "I think I do."

Feeling inspired, they got out of bed, dressed, and then headed out to hunt. Klaus felt very free knowing that he wouldn't be interrupted this time, but he couldn't deny that despite her meddling, there was a part of him that missed Amy. And there probably would be all the time, whether they got back together or not.

It didn't take Klaus and Renee long to find prey. They found a man sitting alone on a park bench, drinking a soda and eating a sandwich. Renee asked him if he could help her with her car, and when he nodded and got up to follow her, Klaus pounced, knocking him to the ground and taking his fill before looking at Renee. "Do you want to finish him off?" He asked.

Renee looked down at the dying man who was using what little strength he had to plead for his life. For a couple of seconds, she actually considered letting Klaus kill him, but then she shook those thoughts off, grabbed a tire iron out of the trunk, and proceeded to beat the guy with it. Since he was practically dead anyway, one swift, strong blow did it, then they put him in the trunk of Klaus' car, and Renee headed back to the park bench to grab what was left of his lunch. After all, he wasn't going to eat it, and there was no sense in letting it go to waste.

"What will we do on the next full moon?" She asked when they were back at her apartment. "Are you gonna throw me a party after I've changed?"

"Honestly, you won't be in much of a mood to party," Klaus replied. "The first change is painful and difficult, so I think we'll be spending it at Roxie's bar where you can be watched in case something goes wrong."

"Oh, do we have to go to Roxie's?" Renee complained. "Everyone goes there on full moon nights. I was hoping for something a bit more private my first time around."

"You'll get there," Klaus assured her. "Just be patient."

"All right," Renee nodded. "It'll be hard, but I'll try."

"So tell me," Kai asked Eva from her bathroom mirror. "This game that everyone likes playing to talk to me: is this it, or is there more to it than that?"

"Of course there's more to it," Eva replied. "But everyone is too scared to finish it up cause finishing it up would let you out."

"Would you be too scared to do it?" Kai asked her.

"Of course not," Eva shook her head. "I'm not scared of anything. But Sean would probably be pissed at me if I let you out, so I can't."

"Oh, yes, of course," Kai nodded. "I understand. I understand you have a loyalty to my cousin that can't be tossed aside."

"It's good you understand," Eva replied.

Kai then decided to press his luck. "But if Sean wasn't a factor in all this, you'd let me out, right?"

"I don't know," Eva replied honestly. "What would you do if you were free?"

"What do you think I would do if I was free?" Kai asked. "You're a smart girl. Use your imagination."

Eva let some very violent images drift through her mind and then said, "I don't know if I'd free you."

"Remember that Sean is not a factor here," Kai reminded her.

"I know," Eva nodded. "But it's about more than just Sean. I love to have fun, you understand. I will do anything I please when it comes to my vampire self. But I'm a witch too, and I just…I can't bring myself to break magical law." She shrugged. "So tough luck."

"What a shame," Kai replied. "I really expected more from you, but I don't know why. You've been exposed to my cousin for how long now?"

"A long time," Eva replied. "So don't expect me to set you free, but we can still talk, right?"

"Well, you are more interesting to talk to than the usual giggly and annoying girls who call me up just so they can say they did something frightening and controversial," Kai replied. "So…I suppose we could."

"Good," Eva nodded and signed off just as Sean called out that he wanted to see her.

"What are you doing in here?" He asked. "Why do you need to be in the bathroom so long? Are you ill?"

"No," Eva shook her head and decided to be honest. "I-I was talking to Kai."

"Why would you do that?" Sean asked, his eyes wide. "Eva, he's not your friend! The only reason he'd want to talk to anyone is to try and trick them into letting him out. Did he do that?"

"He tried," Eva nodded.

"And what did you say?" Sean asked, although, knowing her as he did, he didn't have much hope for her answer.

"I told him that as much fun as I like to have with my vampire side, I wasn't gonna break magical law to set him free," Eva replied as Sean let out a relieved breath. "He blamed you, of course."

"Yes, that figures," Sean nodded. "Would it offend you if I told you that I'm surprised and pleased about what you told Kai?"

Eva nodded. "I figured you'd be surprised. I may like to have fun, but I'm not so reckless that I'd willingly break magical law to free Kai. If he ever gets out, I won't be the one who helped him."

Sean looked in her eyes for a long time, then smiled and gave her a kiss before carrying her off to bed, stripping off her clothes, and making love to her. After it was all over, she held his hand and let out a contented sigh as they looked into each other's eyes again.

"If that's what I get for behaving myself," she said at last, "I just might have to do it more often."

"Good," Sean said and kissed her again. "It makes me very happy to hear that. You have no idea how much."

"That cousin of yours is so stupid!" Kai fumed to Victoria, who was taping up yet another picture of Luke for Kai to look at. "I thought I could depend on her to let me out, and she's just as stubbornly moral about that as you are!"

"Well, that's good," Victoria replied. "I don't know why you expected anything different from Eva."

"Why?" Kai asked. "She seemed highly immoral to me."

Victoria laughed. "She puts up a good front, but she's really not as much like that as you'd think."

"Well, whatever," Kai shrugged. "You want to disappoint me more? Say something stupid. Do something to piss me off."

"Why do I have to do all the work?" Victoria wanted to know. "Why don't you do something for me for once?"

"Do you really want me to?" Kai asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes," Victoria nodded, facing him. "Unless you don't think you can."

Kai chuckled. "Oh, I can," he replied, undressing her so that she was in her panties, sat her down on the bed, and cuffed her.

"Intriguing start," she chuckled, her eyes twinkling. "What happens now?"

"Well, let's just see what's in this drawer of sharp pointy things that I'm not supposed to have," Kai replied, his back to her so that Victoria could openly star at his butt. "You're looking at me, aren't you?" he asked after a few seconds. "I can feel your eyes on me."

"Well, it's really hard to focus anywhere else," Victoria replied.

When Kai finally turned around, he was holding a lit match. As he came toward her and told Victoria, "I didn't feel like watching you bleed today," as his eyes bored into hers, she felt her breath pick up. He then put the lit match to her arm and she let out a scream. He lit each match and put it at a different spot on her body, including one on her inner thighs.

"Do you hurt?" He asked, getting close to her after the last match burned out.

"No, I don't," she shook her head and leaned close to him. "You need to try harder." He then grabbed her hair and pulled her back against the mattress as he kissed her and then pulled small knife out of his pocket to make shallow cuts on her stomach, which he stroked before they healed and Victoria watched in fascination as he licked her blood off his fingers.

"Oh, my god," she breathed. "Untie me. Untie me right now."

"Why?" Kai asked. "Have I gone too far? Don't tell me that you're giving up already."

"No," Victoria shook her head, her face flushed and her eyes bright. "I want…I want…" then she remembered that she was a vampire with super strength and twisted the cuffs apart. She then got up and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply as his hands cupped her bottom and then slid up so he could undo her bra. They were both breathing hard, their bodies damp with sweat, when he pulled away from her at last.

"You mentioned something about escaping earlier," she breathed. "Do you really want to?"

"Not for the moment, damn you," Kai replied, pulling Victoria up to sit, his lips so close to hers that she felt his breath. He paused and stared at her again, that long penetrating glance that sent shivers down her body, before he pulled her to him and kissed her again, his fingers twisting in her hair and pulling so hard that she wanted to scream.

"You should be ashamed of what you're doing to me," he said at last. "You really should."

"Why?" Victoria asked. "What do I have to be ashamed of?"

His hands ran over her body and her heart rate picked up again, especially as his fingers edged closer and closer to her panties. "This," he said. "You and your damn body."

"Which you'll only get if you stay here," Victoria smiled. "So stay, run, take your pick. But you know what you're leaving behind."

"I do," Kai nodded and gave her a slap. "That is the most annoying thing about it."