~ Greetings, dear readers!
The ONLY reviews we're getting here these days seem to be the spam ones. If this is how things are now, we might discontinue posting here. It's never been this sad and frustrating before.
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Bonnie woke with a splitting headache, groaning softly, immediately raising a hand to stave off the offending throbbing, only to wince as her fingertips brushed an even rawer spot.
"You're going to need ice for that bruise, love."
She recognized the voice and felt her insides turn to ice. Her heart began to race as the seconds before unconsciousness replayed themselves before her mind's eye.
"Where the hell is he?" Bonnie snarled. She'd never liked this man's unpredictability and two-faced loyalty – behavior she'd hoped she'd never have to deal with again.
Enzo sneered, meeting her enraged gaze dead-on before tipping his head back to gesture to the unconscious heretic in the back. Turning around to look was painful and seeing who was seated beside Kai was absolutely frightening.
"Lily."
"Miss Bennett," she greeted formally, words tight.
Bonnie forced herself to look at Kai. He looked pale, like he was sickly, but she didn't see blood – nothing to suggest that they'd ripped his heart from his chest or shot him with a wooden bullet.
"What the hell are we doing here?"
"I've been wondering the same thing," Lily responded with tangible bitterness, hands demurely resting in the middle of her lap. With her straight brown hair and welcome smile, she looked like a regal businesswoman in control, but there was a strange look in her eyes that told Bonnie otherwise. "You see," she began like a mother arranging to lecture a particularly unruly child, "Mister Parker and I had an arrangement."
Bonnie swallowed, neck aching from the awkward position as she was forced to look back at the woman.
Lily was no longer watching her, instead, dispassionately examining Kai. "My blood, for my family." That explained how Kai had become a vampire, although it had been heavily speculated from the time she woke up on the floor in the basement of the Salvatore Boarding house. "As you can see, only one of us is true to our word. However, I've come to learn that dishonor of such comes with modern times."
Bonnie said nothing in response to her jab, glad for the minute that they hadn't outright murdered him. No longer able to take the strain Bonnie faced forward, registering the fact that she was wearing a seatbelt – they both were.
"How did you find us?" Bonnie asked, fingers skimming the threading of the taunt strap.
"Damon," Enzo supplied, not at all sounding smug, just downright matter-of-fact.
Bonnie grimaced, a deeper twinge of betrayal gripping her as well an underlining of anger.
"Where are we going?"
Neither said anything, Enzo's eyes fastening to the review mirror to meet Lily's. There was a silent communication between the two, something Bonnie was struggling to decipher. She didn't know them well enough.
"Just sit back, be quiet and enjoy the ride," Enzo instructed, facing ahead once more, eyes fixed on the road.
Bonnie watched the boards fly by in a haze while a series of escape strategies played through her head while the pain began to lessen. They were going to have to stop for fuel at some point or she could blow the tires, knock Enzo out (but what would keep Lily from snapping her neck from behind). Kai, she knew, would be fine because Lily needed him to release her heretics from the prison world or whatever.
Bonnie's fate was unknown.
They were twenty miles from the diner when Bonnie's thoughts reached an unbearable point and detonated with a splash of unexpected power. Soon those thoughts were manifesting, the car's tires blowing, smoke pillowing from the bonnet to darken the view in front of them.
"Fuck," Enzo cursed, struggling to maintain control of the vehicle.
"Serix," Bonnie murmured, it went unheard amidst the confusion and had Lily suddenly slump as if someone had snapped her neck. "Motus." Another direction, louder now, and Enzo was thrown from the driver's seat and out the door into the open of the road. Bonnie, still strapped in, gripped the steering wheel, her eyes widening as it veered off the road, hit an embankment and sent them careening down the side of the road.
Miraculously, the car dodged tree after tree, jerking roughly, sending her raging neck ache into a spin when they came to a sharp stop.
A quiet groan came from the backseat. Kai slowly raised his hand to massage away the sharp pain the abrupt car stop brought upon his neck. He thought he heard something crunch in there and wondered if he came any close to having it snapped. That would have been ironic.
He glanced around with sleepy eyes, grimacing slightly at the smell of smoke and burnt rubber. His eyes lingered on Lily. She was dead, but he didn't hope it was for much longer. The driver's seat was empty, and even though the windshield was whole, it was no puzzler.
"Hey," Kai undid his belt and leaned forward to check on Bonnie. "You okay?"
There wasn't a part of Bonnie's body that didn't ache. Her legs, her neck and, more importantly, her head. Whatever thumping had been there before the accident magnified tenfold.
"I'm okay," she said in spite of all this, relieved Kai was awake. His state of unconsciousness was a part of the plan she hadn't considered yet. "Are you okay?" she asked in return, reaching down to find the clip on the seatbelt. It took two attempts to conjure up enough pressure to rip it free, and she slid it back over her head.
Bonnie slipped out of the car altogether, on unsteady feet, falling once as she tried to round to the back of the car. Her legs weren't working as they once did – not as she needed them to. There was a curse, a scramble and then she was at his door to help him. She didn't know how long Lily would be out or how long it would take Enzo to catch up to them. They needed to make time.
Kai pushed the door open and climbed out, wincing as he flexed his neck. Something clicked there. He stood by Bonnie, unconsciously snaking an arm around her waist to support her. They stared at the car.
Kai held a hand out, "Phasmatos incendia."
Flames flared inside, licking at Lily's clothes and the seat under her, enveloping the driver's and the shotgun seats. Kai stepped back a few, drawing Bonnie with him. He glanced around.
"Where's her boyfriend? They need to be together in whatever pit of hell they're going to. I'm generous today."
Bonnie felt nothing as the interior of the car went up in flames with Lily. When had that happened? When had she detached herself to be able to compartmentalize?
She couldn't remember but realized, in this moment, that there was something inherently wrong with her.
"I threw him out on the road somewhere. If we're lucky, he broke his neck or got run over by another car." It wouldn't kill Enzo but it would buy us enough time to get back on the road.
Enzo had to die, too, but Kai wasn't worried. Lily and the flames would occupy his time if he came to his senses any moment soon, and if not, Kai would take care of his annoying ass later. Right now, his magic ran low and vervain still stung the insides of his veins. A good amount of blood would fix him, but Bonnie was in no condition to provide a sufficient dinner, so there was that.
"We should go," Bonnie pointed out coolly, a stitch of pain in her voice, no longer wanting to watch the woman burn, an arm snaking around Kai's waist in silent acceptance of his help and to guide him within the highways direction. "I have no idea where we are or how long we've been out—"
Kai nodded – they indeed needed to go. Putting as many miles behind them as they could was number one on their agenda. He collected Bonnie into his arms and dashed away from the car, across the highway and along its line that led back to where they were headed in the first place. After a short time, they hitched a ride – a blue Honda that had been serving under three years and was ready for a durable ride. After a brief chat with Kai, the former owner started to walk along the highway certain that he had to buy himself another car asap. Who knew there could be a factory defect that'd manage to hide for two years only to break his car down for good in the middle of a business trip. Cursing, he continued along the highway considering what car he should put his hopes in next, while his dark blue Honda carried the criminals further on with Kai's steady hands clutching the wheel. He wasn't feeling so hot at all, but when Bonnie wasn't looking, there was a furtive smile hiding in the corners of his mouth when he thought of the metal in her voice that snapped Lily's neck and sent Enzo bursting through the door before the Toyota went spinning.
Bonnie was fast asleep with the paper bags and cartons from takeout fries and salads around her feet as they rode up the 76 through Pennsylvania. Her steady heartbeat made Kai hungry at this point, the mere glance at her neck did, but he couldn't bring himself to wake her while there was still some steam left in him.
Putting more miles down, my friends. Yep, that's what we're gonna do.
When she woke, they were parked at the curb of Coshocton Ave part of Highway 36. Kai was gulping down the second bottle of water that sparkled in the rays of a new day's sun.
"Morning, sunshine!" he held the remaining water out to her. "Welcome to Ohio. We've just been past Howard – nothing you'd miss seeing, by the way – but ahead of us lies a nice town Mt Vernon! Heard it's lovely there this time o' year. How you slept?"
The accident had taken its toll on Bonnie and everything up to the point of his chipper greeting had been done on autopilot.
She blinked, scrubbing at her eyes and looked around. Why did she keep letting him do that? Take control?
She couldn't remember the last time she'd handed control over in any situation or fully placed herself in someone else's care. Not Jeremy. Not Damon. Not Elena. Figuring out what and how to do was always on her shoulders. She'd been doing it in 1994 and since the day her grandmother died.
That changed the last few days they'd been travel companions. Difference that was almost startling.
She thanked him and took the water bottle, swallowing down a hefty much needed sip to soothe her dry mouth.
"I slept decently," she supplied in a murmur and once she was able to talk, keeping a hold of the water bottle while she admired the view. Touristy act that lasted for about half a second. "What about yourself? Has the vervain left your system? You should have woken me so we could change drivers."
She would have thought that with their escape the poison would have pumped through his blood faster and slow him down considerably – yet he'd shown none of those signs. Not to her face, anyway.
"You didn't feed," Bonnie pointed out, taking note of the tinge of whiteness around his eyes, the hint of gray that shadowed his skin as a reminder of the trauma his body was still trying to mend. "You must be hungry."
He winced defensively. "Your pesky friends held us back a bit there, so now we need to put a few miles between us and them. I'll be fine. Will you be?"
"I've eaten more than you have," she stated. Considering the power he was exerting and how promptly he'd gotten them out of the line of fire – he deserved a reprieve himself. "How about we make a trade?" Bonnie reached for the passenger door and got out before he could argue. She walked round to his side of the car. "I drive."
Kai seized her up with a look full of mock doubt.
"I don't recall you having a nice meal recently, either, honeybunch. I believe we've been rudely interrupted. Therefore, considering you're human and I'm not, I might have more fuel in me and your brief sleep is not a reason for you to try and grab my wheel."
He took another swallow of water before screwing the cup back on.
"How about we drive on, find you a nice place to eat and get some rest, and see how the day goes?"
Bonnie stood on the outside of the car, staring in at him with a thoughtful narrowing of her eyes. Kai was so used to taking care of himself that the idea of giving up any kind of control was impossible – only he didn't recognize it.
She did, though, and could relate.
Bonnie nodded, stretching her arms out at his sides, making a point of bending her knees and giving a mini-work out before finally joining him in the car again. She was reaching for a bottle of water, plastic she slid between her thighs while she pulled her seatbelt into place, strap that annoyingly hooked once or twice and seemed unwilling to work.
She gave up, releasing it and let it slide back into place with a disruptive snap.
"Someone else is going to get hurt if we keep going like this." Damon didn't play fair and since he'd gotten his mother involved she couldn't bring herself to trust him or forgive him – not again. —
She reached for the bottle of water between her legs, unscrewed the cap and took a large sip.
"Excuse me, I think it's vervain in my ears… you said we? If we keep going like this?" Kai shot her an incredulous glance, pulling from the curb. "Allow me to remind you that it's your dear bosom buddies who are making themselves crazy thinking out new ways to imprison or kill or maim us. That vintage reaper mommy's on our tail because Damon's not man enough to let you make your own decisions, nor to get you back on his own. And your blondie friend could've warned you it was happening, but apparently chose not to. Maybe she likes that plan — to chase you into a corner with Lily and her lapdog vamp."
"She'd never agree to bring Lily into this," Bonnie retorted defensively. She'd never once doubted her childhood bestie. Her only real friend. Everything was caving in on itself around Bonnie, but if there was one thing she was certain of, one thing she could hold onto and knew would be unshakable – it was Caroline. "If she'd have known the extent of what Damon was up to, she'd have told me. She's going to be pissed."
Bonnie was still pissed and growing angrier with every passing second she thought about Damon.
How could he do this to her?
It was as if every concern she had never reached his ears, as if the time they spent in 1994 and all her shared moments and secrets had been swept away and buried in a locked box she had no access to. After her return she'd cried and told Damon she was scared of Kai, that she worried about being in his space and the first thing he did was set up a situation where they'd have to work together. For his benefit. It was always for him. Always what Damon wanted.
Her hands balled into fists, squeezing the water bottle she was holding, denting the plastic. She sighed, relaxing her hand, trying to fix the ugliness she'd made, her eyes beginning to sting when she couldn't quite get it to look the same.
She wanted to cry. A lot. Desperately.
She dragged in a sharp breath, using her left hand to roll down the window, needing something fresh on her face to rid her of the dark thoughts spiraling through her and soothe the pain in her body.
"We still headed for New York?"
Kai shot her a look that was almost wary, the way people look at you while doubting your mental stability. "We're in Ohio, remember? Heading west, for Mt Vernon. You feeling all right?"
"No," Bonnie said, rubbing at her eyes. The tears hadn't started falling yet. They wouldn't. She wouldn't let them. She wouldn't let Damon break her. "I'm not alright. I don't feel good. I hate— this day has been a horror."
A frown of sympathy ghosted across his face. "Take it easy, Bons. You're fine, we're still fine. We're putting miles between us and your overly zealous gang. We're not letting them get to us."
"They did get to us. Really close. The only way that's not going to happen again is if we take a plane and fly across the world. Perhaps to Rome. I've always wanted to see the Colosseum," she said, sounding almost dreamy. She knew she wouldn't do it, that going that far was ridiculous. That was not the life she wanted for herself. To run. To only run.
He studied her, a slow furtive smile starting in the corners of his mouth. He knew she didn't truly mean it for real. He could read her emotions raging like a storm within her eyes, splashing around and threatening to spill in tears. She didn't know what to do with them and yearned for something, anything that would take the edge off. Sleep, apparently, hadn't helped much in that department. Nor was the seat of a moving car the best place for such recreation.
"As mouthwatering as it sounds coming from you — the first actually good idea I'm hearing from you since this whole vacation race started — I gotta double-check 'cause you've screwed me over before. So, do you mean it? Would you go to Rome with me? Or anywhere else, for that matter? I'd go to hell and back for as long as you're with me." He grinned.
Bonnie glanced at him, her gaze steering clear of the bottle, surprised by his admittance and the fact that it had made her heart race. She didn't know, but part of her, a deep-rooted part thought he might look after her. That their life could be good. Maybe. Or maybe she wanted it to be good? Maybe she wanted the fantasy.
Tears wanted to fall from her eyes afresh. Did she know him that well, though, or was she trying to hook onto the first security she could? "Well, from the looks of it, you might get your wish. We are in hell," Bonnie said, her voice soft. She craved to hold his hand, to just hold onto something stable, but instead gripped her bottle more tightly. "I don't want to run. I— I want to have a life. Something other than whatever this is. Whatever Damon is trying to make it. I would love to see Rome, though. With you."
His grin turned brilliant despite himself. He could hear the sincerity in her voice, could see it in her, he was also perfectly aware it was her stress talking. And that meant this success was fleeting, a momentary fluke in her judgment. She might regret it any moment from here on.
He reached out instinctively and squeezed her hand. "We can go anywhere. Just say the word."
Her surprise grew and her heart warmed even more as his hand reached out to grip hers, to anchor her as if he'd read her mind. She was hungry for touch, for some form of reality and knowing that she wasn't as lonely in everything as she felt. She knew she had Caroline, that she could count on Caroline, but there was something about what she and Kai had done to one another and that they shared, that was wholly outside of anything her friends could understand. Damon might, but he didn't care to. He didn't want to.
She squeezed his hand back, savoring the warmth of his palm, aware that once upon a time the idea of touching him made her go cold. His touch hurt. It had hurt from the day she met him and it had continued to do so for months. If she closed her eyes really tight, it probably still could. "Thank you," Bonnie said, meaning it. Perhaps the most genuine thank you he'd ever really received from her. She fell silent, letting the moment pass, her mind going a mile a minute in search of something to do. She needed to think, more importantly, she needed to think like Damon and cut him off. "Why didn't you keep your word with Lily?"
Kai had to laugh. "Oh my god, you really asking me that? Like, for real?" He shot her an exaggeratedly flabbergasted stare, grinning. "You don't know?"
"How would I know?" Bonnie asked seriously, fixing him with a curious look. "I thought I did. I might have guessed to myself. Perhaps because of what happened to you? The heretics?"
Kai frowned, watching the road, considering his options. Her question truly meant she had a certain opinion of him and couldn't think past it. Even if the answer was obvious. That stung him, reminding of how long his road with her was still to be. She was being really slow to change, and it was planting a little seed of worry in his gut.
"I'm only asking so I don't have to guess," Bonnie said softly. "Assumptions never get anyone very far."
"I believe in you, Bonster," he said, shooting her a smile he didn't quite feel. "Think harder. You know why. I'll give you another hour or two 'cause I'm a generous soul."
She was glad for that, hopeful that they'd both forget or move on with the topic. She felt as if she'd touched on something that was going to further complicate their lives. They didn't need more of that. She could sense he was hurt. Could tell his smile wasn't the same as it had been before. She scrubbed a hand against her face, against her eyes. The tearful sting was gone but they burnt nonetheless, like she hadn't slept. "I could use another steak."
"Coming right up as soon as we get there, princess."
"I don't see the Honda or Zach's Ford," Caroline declared as she pulled into the parking lot of the old western-looking diner.
She twisted off the engine, jumped out of the car and whipped through the entrance to the restaurant as if by magic. Caroline brushed a hand through her hair as if worried about it, smiling sunnily at those that were glancing in her direction to put them at ease. She scanned the interior in search of Bonnie, eyebrows furrowing when she didn't see her familiar head of hair.
Stefan arrived much calmer, tipping his head at the bartender as he slipped inside, mimicking Caroline's action of looking around. He didn't see them, either.
"I'll check the bathroom," Caroline said, summoning a little more attention as she sashayed away to the back of the diner.
Stefan headed for the bar, smiling as he approached the counter and moved to stand opposite him.
"What can I get you?"
"A double shot of scotch," Stefan said, setting a palm against the counter, walking away for a second to take a look into the dark nooks of the restaurant.
When he returned, his drink was waiting. He produced the necessary amount to pay for it from his wallet, downed his drink and ordered another just before Caroline joined him again.
"She wasn't in there," Carol said, her cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with concern. She raised a hand to her mouth, chewing her fingernail, reaching for the glass that had been put down in front of Stefan. "Yours?"
He scarcely managed a nod before she brought it to her mouth.
"Would you like another?" the bartender asked, smiling in mild enjoyment. Stefan shook his head and produced a few more dollars, tossing them onto the counter.
"Actually, we're looking for someone. A woman. Dark hair. Tan skin. About yay-high—" he gestured to himself, to just beneath his shoulder.
"She also has a guy with her. Dark hair! Um… dark eyes. Like, something like— his," Caroline added, tapping at the side of Stefan's head. "In need of lots of styling."
Stefan cast a glance at her, wondering if she was beginning to lose it. His and Kai's hair weren't similar. Not in the slightest.
"Oh, uh… you mean Bonnie and Clyde?" the bartender asked, letting his gaze switch between them. He was as curious about everyone else where they were concerned, especially since he'd had such a close encounter. "The couple from the TV," he continued when neither answered him, both looking confused. He gestured to the TV where a local bulletin repeatedly ran along the bottom of the screen: 'Warning: mixed-race woman and Caucasian man wanted for an assault on a honeymooning couple at a motel'. What followed was a short description. Caroline's stomach dropped.
"How— what…" her gaze shifting to Stefan as if he'd have all the answers.
"I don't know," Stefan said and reached into his pocket, pulling free his phone so he could try to contact Damon. Bonnie was in some serious trouble. They'd been to the motel, they'd seen the mess with the cops and things were completely out of hand. Local TV was one thing, but how long before this story got even bigger? What if it spiraled away from them?
"I'm going to try and call her again," Caroline muttered as she handed the second glass back to Stefan, heading for the outside so she could grab a little privacy.
"I'll try Damon," Stefan said as he removed his phone from his pocket, hitting the speed dial as he finished off the second drink, patiently waiting on his brother to answer.
"Well, here you go," Kai said, holding the door for her, letting her into one of the best room of the Mount Vernon Grand Hotel. Twenty minutes earlier they had left a fancy place called The Alcove Restaurant & Lounge where Bonnie had finally ordered her steak — and devoured it with gusto, too — before ordering a couple of desserts and one as a takeout. She didn't even truly know why but it felt good at the time. It was a nice albeit short walk from there to the hotel, and even Bonnie had felt alarmed by being in the open, Kai assured her it was fine and no one would pay any mind to her face. She had made her best effort to believe him, and it was actually like that — not one passerby glanced at her, as though she wasn't there. She doubted it was a cloaking spell, but he certainly had done something.
She stood in the middle of the room, taking in the king-size bed, the vintage mirror, the carpet and the flowers oil painting on the wall while Kai was locking the door with the DO NOT DISTURB sign on the knob.
He dropped the key on the table under the mirror and peered at her with a gauging eye.
"Feeling any better?" he tried. "If not, I recommend a nice bath. I'll even get you foam or salt or anything… Guess it could help, don't you think? I'll even promise not to peek." He gave her a wink when she looked at him.
"That sounds lovely, but no. I think I'll skip that part. I could just do with a little sleep," Bonnie said. The day's emotions and mayhem had caught up with her and was dragging her down into the pits of exhaustion. She could finally fully relax and was grateful for it. But how long would that last?
She walked over to the bed, kicking off her shoes on the way and flopped onto it face-first, wiggling her way up to the pillows. She closed her eyes, letting the calm sink in before another thought occurred to her. "Are you hungry?"
Kai shrugged off his jacket and dropped it on the chair, then came to the windows, pulling the curtains closed to block daylight. "I'll be fine. You should sleep."
"You've taken care of me for the last few hours, it's only fair I do the same," Bonnie said, forcing her legs to move beneath her body so she could get onto her knees. The act itself taking a lot of effort. "Besides, you really exerted yourself with all that magic use before. Surely you must be feeling sluggish, too."
Another few movements and she shifted to the edge of the bed where he could reach her, tilting her head in what she hoped was an inviting way.
A small genuine smile touched his mouth. He sat down next to her and stroked her cheek, brushing a strand of hair away. "You need to rest first. It's gonna do no good to either of us now. Get some sleep. We both need you to."
A warmth overcame her at the comforting touch, making her insides churn. She hadn't realized how much she needed the simple act of kindness. Tears were scrambling to the surface for the hundredth time that day. When would it stop? She studied his features, surprised how quickly things had changed. How only a day ago looking at him made her break out in cold sweat laced with fear. And yet now, she wasn't even sure what she was feeling. Desperation, maybe?
Before she could think she'd inched closer and swept a hand behind his head, fingers combing through his hair as she moved to press her mouth to his.
The mere instant before it happened Kai perceived that it would. And yet a shiver jolted through every nerve of his body when her lips met his. It shocked him into stillness for another second, but then his arm wrapped around her waist and his mouth responded.
She was right, he was hungry, and her closeness nearly made him shake, but he made his best effort to pace himself. He kissed her gentler than he wanted to, following her lead and balancing between losing himself in it and keeping track of his beastly instincts.
Her hand slid to his neck, gripping him as she levered herself forward, sliding one of her knees across his lap so she could straddle him. She never once broke the kiss, parting his lips, her tongue finding his with need that belied her actual exhaustion. As if the mere contact had been enough to spur a little life in her. She drew back and softly gasped for air, a small smile on her lips as she tilted her head, encouraging him to bite her. To drink.
Kai leaned in, placing a gentle, teasing kiss over her beating vein, and felt the shivers in both of them. Bonnie's pulse picked up, eliciting another bout of desire in Kai, but he clutched at his self-control with all he had. His tongue danced over her neck, then another kiss touched the tender spot under her earlobe, leaving a tingling.
Then his breath tickled the shell of her ear. He whispered, "You need to sleep first."
"I'll sleep after," Bonnie whispered, cupping the back of his head, almost cradling him against her as if to make sure he wouldn't pull away. "Bite me."
He withdrew from her neck to look at her. A warm smile was twinkling in the corners of his mouth.
"You're stressed and can't think straight, but I can," he said in an almost tender, quiet voice. "You ate well, you'll rest, and your strength will recover. And then it makes sense to tap it. But not now. Trust me."
Trust him. There was a concept.
They were working on that, though. She relaxed a bit, loosening her hold on him, on his shoulders, and pressed one more kiss to his mouth. "Thank you," she murmured. She meant it, too. Again. He'd dragged a few out of her the last few days. To think on where they started, to where she'd thought they'd end up. She never once thought that she'd be asking him to bite her or even offering to do so with her tongue down his throat. She gave a soft laugh at the irony and slowly made to scramble off his lap, being careful not to fall.
No sooner had she lay down, her phone started ringing, making her groan as she heard its generic ringtone. "Ugh."
The stupid thing was in her bag with the grimoire. She was thankful she hadn't lost it after the whole Lily kidnapping. She considered letting it go, leaving whomever—Caroline—was calling her and washing this day away so she could deal with something new.
Only she knew she couldn't do that.
She also didn't want to.
Pulling herself along the covers, she forced herself to her feet and stomped over to the bag, crouching as she began to dig around inside for it.
Lamenting the loss of her weight on his lap and the warm closeness of her body, Kai swung his legs onto the bed, lying down on the covers on his side, placing his hands beneath his head, eyeing Bonnie. She was annoyed, he saw that. He was, too.
Why wouldn't those losers just let them be!
She plucked the phone free, saw the familiar number on the screen and answered.
"Where are you?" Caroline asked immediately.
"I'm fine," Bonnie responded.
"Why won't you tell me? I'm going out of my mind. I've just seen you on the TV. Not you-you… but like, they're… you're wanted!"
Bonnie dropped to the floor beside her bag, exhausted all over again, the burst of energy she'd gotten from kissing Kai draining from her body like liquid.
"Yeah, I know. I also— I also know that Damon involved Lily—"
"Did she hurt you?"
"You knew?" Bonnie retorted, her cheeks paling as anxiety sliced through her. Kai's words echoing in her head. They knew. All of them knew. They were all against her.
"I— yeah, but… I didn't think... did you… how'd you know? Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"
The tears she'd been fighting all day strung to her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. She wiped them away angrily, refusing to let them fall, to give them any more power than they already had.
"Bonnie, are you still there?" Caroline asked, sounding as concerned and anxiety-filled.
"I'm here," Bonnie said, her voice steady. She surprised and pleased herself. "I just— I'm distracted."
"Are you okay?" Caroline pressed.
Bonnie nodded as though her best friend were standing in front of her. When she realized she repeated herself.
"I'm good. Don't suppose you've heard from Damon?"
There was a long pause as Caroline grappled with herself. She felt like shit. They both did.
"No, he is ghosting us. It doesn't matter anyway. Let me help you. Just tell me where you are," Caroline implored.
A part of Bonnie wanted to tell Caroline everything she wanted, to have her flounce in with her beauty queen hair and hold her hand while they tackled the next steps. Another—more sensible part—knew that wouldn't go well and that it would put Caroline in more harm's way. There were too many players on the board.
"You should go back to Mystic Falls," Bonnie said, her voice softening to cushion the suggestion.
"What?" Caroline repeated. "You don't mean that."
"I do," Bonnie said, trying to force chirpiness into her tone. "You should go back to Mystic Falls. Steer clear of Lily. The heretics. All this craziness. Just… help Matt. Tyler. Alaric."
Caroline opened her mouth to argue against what Bonnie was trying to do, but Bonnie didn't give her the chance.
"I've got to go!"
"Bonnie, don't—" Caroline said, her plea falling on deaf ears as Bonnie hung up. Bonnie felt bad for it. The tears hadn't returned, but neither did her motivation and energy.
She dropped the phone between her crossed legs when it started ringing again, ignoring the device.
When Caroline tried to call her a third time, she put it on silent mode and crawled over to the bed, pulling herself onto the mattress like a lost survivor finding land.
"Could this day get any worse," she mumbled, her face buried in the covers.
A pang of sympathy reached Kai's chest; he winced subtly, observing Bonnie's back. Of course, Blondie was at fault, and he had told her so. That I told you so was rolling in his throat, nauseatingly, but he refused to let it out. It would harm his perfect plan, and things seemed to go quite well, even if Bonnie's days turned into a stress marathon. But hey, the darkest hour comes before the dawn, right?
He reached out a hand, rubbing her back. "It's not all that bad, if you really think about it," he suggested. "We know what to expect and we won't play into their hands like stupid kittens. You'll be fine, Bons. We can go to Rome tonight."
"And then what?" Bonnie asked, her voice muffled into the covers. She twisted her head to look up at him, to make sure she'd be heard clearly. "We travel. Run from country to country. I don't think Lily has seen a plane in her life as yet, but I doubt it would stop her. It won't stop Damon. They're going to push and push and push until every corner of this godforsaken earth has been picked dry. We're fucked. I'm fucked."
Kai narrowed his eyes subtly in a meaningful look. "There are ways to stop it. Stop them."
"You've a plan?" Bonnie asked, genuinely curious to hear what was cooking in his head.
He laughed. "I've a bunch. From snuffing them to, say, guilt-tripping your Blondie and her boyfriend to lock Damon and his crazy duo up in their wonderful Salvatore dungeon. How about that?"
"And how do you think we're going to achieve that? How is that going to resolve anything? They'll just dry out in there and then the minute they get free… If they get free, they'll just be pissed all over again," Bonnie said. She also didn't like the idea of hurting Damon. He'd hurt her, he was still hurting her, but she couldn't bring herself to do the same. Not like that. Even if she knew that he deserved it. At least for a little.
Kai shrugged, "Well, we can surely cook up some solid magical solution and, say, make them forget about their stupid plans concerning you. That Elenor of yours threw Damon out of her brain when she thought he was lost forever. So why not? I mean, I'd rather kill them all, but… Well." He propped himself on an elbow, facing her, and flashed her a brilliant grin. "I'm ready to respect your absolutely unbelievable and unfounded affection towards all those ungrateful bastards."
Bonnie stared at him long and hard, unsure of whether to laugh or cry. The idea wasn't without merit. She had no problem with locking Lily away in 1903 again. Her and all her Heretics. Perhaps, there could even be a way. She'd have her family and be happy, right? Damon would be for the better, too. They all would. Enzo could join them. Damon would be less happy about that, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, right? He couldn't be trusted, anyway.
She let herself toy with the idea, the freedom she'd feel and wondered if she could live with Damon hating her. "Sounds easy. I'm not sure Damon and Stefan would appreciate me scrambling their mother's brains, though. It's complicated. It might be better if I actually talk to Damon. Try to reason with him."
The grin slipped right off Kai's face. He stared at her with a wary suspicion that was more on the tentative side where he didn't quite believe the severity of it. "You can't be serious."
Bonnie raised herself up on one elbow, forcing herself to look livelier. "I am. I… He lost Elena. His best friend is a bit crazed. Alaric, I mean. There is a lot going on. Maybe he just needs to know he hasn't lost me, too. That what he is doing is making things worse. That the heretics are out of the way."
Kai's eyebrows drew up in utter disbelief. He literally couldn't fathom hearing it all coming from her mouth. He just couldn't believe it. Didn't want to.
He shook his head as though it would reset her answer, and stared at her, dumbfounded. "You don't understand," he uttered, as though talking to himself. "You simply don't get it, there can't be any other explanation… Or you hit your head too bad and I haven't given you my blood long enough and that… that should be it. Otherwise, I just can't… Come on, what is wrong with you?"
She pushed herself into a sitting position so that they could be eye to eye. "I'm fine," she said, spitting out the same thing she'd said to Caroline. With the same meaning. She was far from fine. She was angry, confused, hurt and wanting nothing more than to believe she could trust and count on her friends. On Damon. "You don't understand. I don't want to run. I don't want to spend my days looking over my shoulder. I want a life. I can't have one if I have to worry about them or feel guilty about everything that I'm doing."
"Have you heard anything of what I said? We can solve it." He took her hands in his, squeezing, his eyes lit up with frantic hope. "You and I, the mega-powerful witches. We can do anything, Bonnie, anything. Literally."
She wanted to smile, to believe what Kai was saying was true, but everything was so volatile in her life. Ever changing. How long before Kai turned on her again? She hardly understood why he'd changed his opinion or why he'd gone from not wanting to help her to looking at her as if she were precious.
"Magic can't fix everything," Bonnie said. She more than anyone knew how true that was. She'd relied on it one too many times. "Words can help."
Reluctantly she pulled her hands free of his and moved to gather her phone again, wanting to call Damon before she thought better of it or Kai managed to change her mind.
A comber of unwitting panic rolled through him as she went for the phone, his hands missing hers rolled into fists. "Wait, Bonnie, you can't do this. You're confused. It's the biggest mistake you could make. If you go there, you'll end up the one locked in their cellar."
"That's why I need you with me," Bonnie said, meeting his eyes, not having thought for a second that he'd leave her behind or let her go alone. Would he want to see her suffer?
A burst of laughter escaped Kai, a disbelieving laugh of a man faced with something too bizarre to be real.
"Oh no, thank you very much. I ain't talking to that sorry excuse for a leather jacket. I prefer to learn from my mistakes, and you, apparently, can't have enough when it comes to him. Huh? Tell me I'm wrong, Bonnie. I dare you. Tell me you know what Damon is. Do you, though? Do you, really? Because then you're just a stupid moth unable to stop itself when it sees the damn flame burning. You gonna burn, Bonnie." He was staring at her, dead serious. "He's not scared to lose you. He actually doesn't really mind such outcome for the most obvious reason in the whole world. He's had a rehearsal of it before and found himself thriving just fine. Everyone sees it but you. Why you think your blond duo's so worried about you, chasing you around, trying to get to you before Damon does? And you're supposed to know him the best after all the time you've spent together, but hey. Guess love's really that blind, then. So blind you're gonna walk right into that wide-open trap and impale yourself on those hidden spears he set up there for you."
He let out another strange, astonished laugh and ran a hand through his hair. "It's unbelievable…"
"That might have been true in the past," Bonnie said, her voice soft, unsure of what she was saying. "It's different now. I do know him, I do know that he cares – in his own way." Although what he'd done to her at the wedding was still fresh. Was it even true? Did he care? If he cared, would he have involved Lily at all or was she simply a means to an end? She continued despite her reservations. "He doesn't show it in the way that I would, he doesn't always do the right thing, but I know deep down he doesn't mean to hurt me. He wouldn't let Lily hurt me, either. If he was there, I—it would have been different. He's just never been good at letting go of control."
Kai shook his head, then closed his eyes for a moment to calm down the raging inside him making his chest feel like an overly cooked bubbling poison about to spill from a red-hot cauldron. When he looked at Bonnie again, his eyes were sharp and nearly cutting.
"Remember what that overly-caring friend of yours did when you were about to leave with me?" he asked. "Did he calmly express his worry and asked to reconsider? No. He ripped into your neck instead. He's been chasing you ever since, putting police on your tail, setting his murderous reaper mommy on your trail, doing his utmost to wrap you up in a mile of rope and lock you away in his basement where he could bite or beat his views into you."
"He's trying to protect me," Bonnie retorted, annoyed by all the truths he'd slung at her and the fact that she had to rationalize it to herself in her mind. The whole thing was a mess. A big complicated fuck up of a mess. She toyed with the phone, turning it over in her hand as if it were a magic eight ball that would give her all the answers. It didn't and nor was she any closer to coming up with something.
Kai once again was shocked at how screwed her brain seemed to be, but chose to push it away for the sake of another argument. "Remember that whole deal with nineteen-o-three? When Damon got obsessed with his mom and bugged me about that prison world? I asked him to help me apologize to you in exchange for information. Which he did, even though you were nowhere as accepting as I hoped… Never mind.
"So, then I dug around and found out about her being a ripper, plus her merry band of heretics. I told him there was no way she was getting out. And then — what did he do? He manipulated you into helping him, so that you manipulated me into getting him there. I'm sure he never mentioned to you how my death would cause my coven's demise, either, and that included Jo. And all that is the very reason that damn Red Wedding happened. Don't you see it? Damon did it. To both of us, you and me."
Bonnie didn't like hearing that, didn't like knowing that Damon had kept that piece of important information about the coven a secret or that he'd manipulated her after she'd broken down and told him how she was feeling. He'd used those blue eyes on her, assuring her that he could help her make it right and that getting rid of Kai in 1903 was the only way to gain closure. She'd trusted him, too.
She'd jumped on that bloodlust-filled train out of pure desperation. And why? Because Damon knew her, because he'd looked after her and seen her in ways even her best friends couldn't. No one could.
"He did what he thought was the right thing. For me. For his mother. It's not an easy situation. If you— if you cared about your family, if you'd lost them like he had as a kid and not… You'd understand."
Kai stared at her for a long wordless moment, his eyes narrowing imperceptibly as though gauging just how insane and brainwashed she was to say those things. Did she really believe it? He was receiving mixed signals about that. What if she wasn't sure herself?
He heaved a sigh and got off the bed, unable to sit still. He paced along the foot of it slowly, running his hands through his hair, making up his mind. The first moment she wanted to call Damon Kai perceived it as a catastrophe. But now… something was shifting. Something interesting.
He stopped, facing her, his hands falling down to his sides. "Fine," he said. "Okay. You wanna be the sacrificial lamb — I can't stop you. I won't, even. Because I'm not Damon. I'll respect your decision. If you're sure it's what you want — go ahead."
Bonnie stared at Kai, confused by his sudden one-eighty, unsure of what to do now that he'd given her the green light and sided with her decision. His support seemed ongoing, allowing her to be honest.
"I don't know what the right thing to do is. I just—I'm trying to hold onto what's left of my life and fighting for every stitch of sanity."
She toyed with the phone, unlocking it, relocking it a second later, tapping once more at the screen before entering the familiar number she'd come to learn by heart.
"You'll be with me?"
He gave her a look that relayed a gentle but firm no. "I told you, I won't make that mistake."
"What about our deal?" Bonnie asked. Did that mean it was back to the same shit all over again? Murder. Feeling every ounce of another victim's hurt. She dropped the phone as though it were going to explode in her hand. "You know, I can't— I'm not only doing this for me."
"Yes," he said, a kind smile touching his lips, "you're doing it for you. And I'm man enough to let you go and do what you seemingly are so fixed on. I mean it. I let you go."
"You're my prisoner," Bonnie stated as if they'd missed a huge portion of what was going on between them. "I can't just let you go. Where would you go? How would I find you?"
Kai shrugged. "Oh well, I could go to Rome. Of course, it won't be as spectacular without you, but I'll deal with it." He tipped his head sideways with a wily look directed at her. "So, you calling him or what? Is Rome with me sounding better?"
"Kai," Bonnie implored, keeping her tone soft, coaxing even as if he'd missed some huge queue. She didn't want to drive him away as she might have in the past. She didn't want to have to deal with another mess when she was trying to fix the drama with Damon. "You're. My. Prisoner. I need you to stay with me. I—this thing is complicated, and right now, if I let you go, he'll just bypass me and keep hunting you. You don't… that isn't what this is about. Maybe you can give them something in regards to the heretics. Anything. A lie. It doesn't matter as long as it helps deescalate the situation between us."
He shook his head and sat on the bed next to her, still wearing the same subtle patient smile. "I can't and won't give them anything concerning heretics, nor will they ever find me unless I let them. You know all this — you can go with me and they won't find us, or you go meet him and — well, to be frank, I don't expect you'll be free to go about your business after it. I merely refuse to be one more lamb for them to slaughter, is all."
"They're not going to slaughter you," Bonnie assured, reaching for his hand. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. I know— it's going to be tough. A lot's happened. But uhh… you're trying to be better, right? This… I promised myself I'll do better, that I'll be better and I'm trying. I can't do that if I'm sticking my head in the sand and running from all my problems. I tried that already. With you. That didn't work out. I can't afford to do it again. I don't want to lose anyone else."
He watched her with the same kind, attentive expression, but nothing in it suggested he would budge. "I know what you're trying to do and I allow you to do that. But I'm not going with you. That deal about my killing in your name will be off, if you're worried about it. But that's the only bone I can throw you. If you're willing to put your faith in Damon and plead your case — you should try. Best you find out firsthand and stop wondering. We can say goodbyes like civilized people this time — what a change from nineteen-o-three, hey." He grinned. "After all, we both know you can find me if this goes your way and you're free to do so. You're the only one who can."
He held out a hand as if offering something to her. A slash opened his skin, blood pooling and rising up in drops and rivulets, swirling around above his palm much like feathers from the pillow Bonnie had used to showcase her power to Elena for the first time all these years ago. The blood collected into a shape, forming a vial encrusted with golden flowery patterns. When fully formed, it dropped on his palm and he offered it to her.
"You'll find me with this," he said. "Just don't let anyone else take it from you, 'cause then I'll just feel betrayed all over, and you know how those things end."
Bonnie was thankful for the offering and his support, her gaze transfixed on the vial in her hand and its intricate pattern. It was pretty. She wished she was able to do magic of the same variety.
She rubbed her finger over it despite the gross contents and protectively curled her fingers around it, clutching it to her chest. Now that he was letting her go, she almost felt scared, that old loneliness he'd been keeping at bay slowly creeping back to the surface.
Did he want to be rid of her? Why was he making this so easy when his points of arguments hadn't been too far off from the truth? It almost seemed uncharacteristic. Then again, he'd been all over the place and she hardly knew what he truly wanted with her. Had he really forgiven her?
She looked up to meet his eyes again, to search for the answer there, any reflection of insincerity of manipulation and instead found her heart beating a little faster.
"I'll protect it with my life."
With all sincerity, he said, "I'd really rather you didn't die protecting this thing." After a moment, he gave her a quick wink and a boyish smile.
"I can't really make any promises," Bonnie said, finding herself with the urge to kiss him again. A thank you for what he'd done for her thus far. For making life easier than she thought it was going to be. Who he was right now, this person – this whatever. She'd almost wished he was this person, that he'd been this person from day one and that they'd never gotten to a point of pitiable destruction. Would they have ended up here though? She didn't think so. Her grandmother always told her that things happened for a reason. Even if those reasons weren't particularly good. The universe was always testing them.
She squashed the impulse and slowly got off the bed, tucking the vial into the depth of her bag along with her grimoire for safekeeping.
"Where will you go?"
He shrugged. "I'll figure it out. For now, I'm here for the day. I'll probably take that shower."
He slipped off the bed and pulled his shirt off.
Whatever exhaustion she felt dimmed, along with the urgency she had to call Damon, her eyes following him as he headed to shower.
"I'll join you," she stated, zipping up her bag, making sure the vial was tucked away safely, removing her own clothing as she trailed him to the bathroom, dropping each item as she went.
His heart was thrumming rapidly in his chest, but he tried his best to not let it on as he nonchalantly adjusted the water and tossed a glance at her over his shoulder. "You sure about it? Because all that denial and self-loathing you showered my suggestions after our car moment…" He winced as if he smelled something rotten. "No one needs to hear all those again."
"That was then, this is now," Bonnie said. Everything she'd said then was true. Sleeping with him probably was a bad idea. A huge mistake. But would it be the first one she'd made in her lifetime? Hell no. She kicked aside the last of her clothes inside the bathroom door and crooked a finger at him. "I'm trying to go with the flow. Not to overthink. Besides, I thought you wanted me to be a little more carefree."
There was a trap there, he was damn certain of it. Just like it happened in the car where she caught him off-guard. But that setting was different, and now, being naked in the same shower cabin with her made him feel too exposed, somehow. Even though he was the one with advantage, it was foolish to deny she had her own advantages over him. He was working hard to prevent them from becoming his weaknesses, but she wasn't idling, either. She certainly grew more confident, and he loved and hated it at the same time.
He watched her slide into the cabin, and followed, pleasantly warm, almost hot, water rolling down on them like pouring rain.
She was happy not to talk anymore, lathering up her hands with the provided hotel soap before settling them on his body. She swept them over his shoulders, down his arms—one at a time—and then his chest. All the while she'd followed the movement of her hands with her eyes, appreciating him in a way she never would have dreamed would come to pass between them.
Kai, in his turn, allowed his eyes to study her body, roam freely and feast upon every curve and every inch of her skin, flawless except for the scar he had left there. Two permanent marks of their feud fused into one, like twins, reminding her not to mess with Gemini freaks. It was almost funny, but this time around, it actually delivered a prick of guilt.
She glanced up at him, smiling at the warm water splashed onto her cheeks, forcing her to repeatedly blink to protect her eyes. "Hungry yet?"
Her question yanked him from his reverie, and he blinked, confused for half a second, then smirked at her. "I've been hungry for a while, but the plan was for you to rest, remember? Not that you ever listen to my amazingly solid reason — or anyone else's, either, for that matter."
"I'll sleep after," Bonnie mused, deciding that Damon could wait. She felt safe for the time, and more importantly, she felt free. More so than she knew she would be once she started arguing with Damon again and trying to figure out everyone's problems. The idea alone was enough to unnerve her. To drain her. "Besides, you might enjoy my being stubborn for once." Another smile, more mischievous than anything else. Her hands slid down to his crotch, squeezing him gently for emphasis, sweeping back and forth with the same care she'd given the rest of his body.
He couldn't quite contain the shivers at her touch, but he didn't really care as much to. There was nothing to hide — she had known he wanted her from the go, so why play anything but open?
He laughed, nodded. "Yeah, you got me there. I do enjoy every perk of your difficult character." Except for all those parts of it signed with Damon's name. But hey, Kai could be patient, to an extent. He could wait for her to see the light. After all, wasn't she going to do just that after all this?
"All of them?" Bonnie asked, crooking her mouth slightly as she lowered to her haunches. Using one of his legs as an anchor, she planted kisses upon his hip bone and thigh, her thumb continuing to stroke him until her lips replaced it. Her breath hot on his skin, mingling with the water that cascaded over them until she slowly took him into her mouth.
A torn, shaky breath escaped him and his heart skipped a beat, his eyes rolling shut for mere instant before he stared down at her again, marveling. His hands propped against the walls of the shower cabin as though to keep him upright while he didn't trust his knees all of a sudden.
"Yes," he gasped. "All of them."
She took him as deep as she could, tongue massaging, fingers touching all the soft spots to make him sing. Song that made her feel powerful and encouraged her to drive him insane.
Every stroke, every touch made him shiver, electrifying every cell in his body, amplifying every sensation and threatening to overwhelm him. His fingers tightening on the wet, slippery walls as though to anchor him, he watched Bonnie's face, hungrily absorbing the wondrous sight, etching it in his memory. A dream he never really thought would come true.
She opened her eyes, being careful of the shower spray, her hand replacing her mouth again as she caught her breath. Whatever soap she'd been busy with already lost to the drain. She didn't know what to say, what to make of the moment or her actions, merely studying his features as she continued to work him to a fevered pitch.
When their eyes met, a jolt of electrified pleasure went through Kai's body, and the rest of the world drifted out of focus, leaving only her gaze, her skin on his. Trembling with desire, he took her by the shoulders, pulling her up, and pressed her into the wall. He leaned in and kissed her, hungrily, eagerly, still toying with self-control but letting go a bit more.
Despite how treacherous the shower could be, he repositioned them as if he hadn't a concern in the world. Her mouth fused to his, trusting he'd keep them from falling. She moaned into their kiss, a sound driven by an aching need that burned between her thighs. She wanted him inside her. She thought back to the car, to the moment the police had stolen from them and how close they'd come to flying. Her hands found his hips, nails raking at his skin, guiding him closer as if she feared he'd be swept away.
Her need zipped through his nerves, making his skin crawl. His hands slipped down, cupping her ass, and lifted her up so her legs readily wrapped around his waist. His first thrust tore a united groan from them. They broke the kiss, sucking in a breath. Their eyes meeting once again as he began to move, the sudden connection nearly sending them over the edge.
Her eyes threatened to squeeze shut as he stoked the fire inside her, the sensations becoming stronger and more urgent, and her hips channeling circles as she rode and writhed against him. For the first time they were both after the same outcome. No negotiations or arguments. No ulterior motives. She was in with both her eyes open. As if driven by some inane need she couldn't explain, she'd leaned back slightly, one hand on his shoulder to steady herself, the other encouraging him to bite her. She'd never really considered integrating sex and feeding, but the one time he'd done it or at least introduced her to it, she'd only had the smallest taste.
He read her want loud and clear, and that alone made his blood heat up and sent his heart into overdrive. They were close, so close, both too excited to begin with, and now it was all fireworks and short fuses. He slid his lips along her jawline, down the side of her neck, suckling at her skin, tasting her feverish desire. His gums itched and burned, his fangs elongating, sharpening behind his lips. He snuck a hand between them, his thumb brushing her clit and distracting her the moment his teeth broke her skin and he latched on.
Her taste exploded in him, breaking all walls and controls, sending him soaring into outer space. He saw colors and stars and Bonnie's eyes sparkled among the nebulas, burning into his soul.
It was as if the world had been swept away from beneath her and all that remained was them. Nothing else mattered. Nothing for the longest time. His name slipping from her lips repeatedly as she clung to him, surprising herself and how hard she seemed to come.
She shivered deeply, almost violently, clenching around him and pulling him with her into their joint vortex of ecstasy that edged on pain in its unearthly intensity. They trembled, clutching at each other as if afraid to fall through the floor or be swept away.
They clung to each other for a long clockless while, slowly coming to their senses. Kai couldn't recall when he withdrew from her neck, but it seemed he didn't take too much even in his frenzy.
He bit into his tongue and kissed her, gently this time, prolonging this moment of keeping the outer world away.
She returned the kiss even as she came down from their high. The pain that might have been there not even felt for a second. She stared at him, mildly confused, never having expected sex to be this way with him. Considerate, gentle and intense. "Feeling better? Sated?"
He licked his lips and cracked a slow boyish grin, his eyes dancing. "How about you?"
"Good. Really good," Bonnie murmured, lowering her legs from around his waist, gasping as the movement made her tingle. She reclaimed the soap with a smile and patted at his cheek playfully before giving her hair a quick wash.
When she finished, she hopped out on jelly feeling legs and grabbed a towel. She dried her hair a bit first and then cinched it around her waist before heading for the bed.
He lingered a few more minutes, enjoying the running water and its lackadaisical touches upon his skin that emphasized his relaxation. The renewed energy and magic tingled and shimmered in his veins and muscles and all around him in thick aura. That moment was worth savoring. He didn't remember ever feeling so whole before.
Bonnie's face was peaceful and relaxed on the pillow, the corners of her mouth hiding a ghost of a smile. He stood for a few seconds, admiring, then slipped into bed for a bit of rest.
They both needed it.
Caroline was distressed after her phone call with Bonnie and Stefan was rubbing her back, doing his utmost to calm and comfort her. He'd heard most of what was said and understood her concerns. Bonnie wanted them to go back to Mystic Falls and Caroline wanted to stay, to find her, to make sure that Lily and Damon couldn't touch her.
"Everything is out of control," Caroline murmured wretchedly.
If there was one thing she couldn't deal with, it was a lack of control and not knowing how to take her next step. Stefan understood that, too. He felt the same way.
He glanced down at his phone, at the number he'd tried to dial and had gone unanswered before trying again. Upon the third ring Damon answered.
"Can you be any more annoying?" Damon asked.
"Yes, you know I can. Beside the point. What'd you get Lily involved?" Stefan asked.
"She's our mother. I thought she could use some fresh air," Damon quipped.
"She with you now?"
"Is that why you called me, little brother? To double check my time with mommy? Are you jealous?"
Stefan wasn't jealous. He'd forgiven Lily, he'd worked through whatever he thought about her, about who she was, but it was hard to put the two together and factor that he felt love for her still. He didn't have much time to analyze his feelings on it, either.
"Is she with you?" Stefan pressed.
"And here I thought you were calling me because you were concerned about me," Damon retorted, making a tut-tut sound of disapproval.
"Are you okay?"
"Is Bonnie with you?" Damon countered.
"Damon," Stefan countered as if they were running in circles.
"Brother, I'm fine. If she isn't with you – then we're wasting time. I need to get going. I've plans. Big plans."
"Care to share?" Stefan asked and heard the click of the phone as Damon hung up.
"What a jerk," Caroline scowled, annoyed.
~ Chapter 18 is available on our Boosty for early access.
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