Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Where are we, freak?” Damon spits, brushing dust off of his jacket.

“I’d tell you if I knew.” Kai groans, stretching out his arms.

“This is all your fault! Bonnie should be here, not you. Can you do anything right?!” Kai rolls his eyes, ignoring the vampire. 

“Whatever. I’m free and not in that prison world. You act like we wouldn’t all be free if she wasn’t the one who sent that axe through me. Getting mad at me over kids she never knew, and died before she was even born.” He brushes his trousers off,

“kids you murdered!” Damon reminds him, almost in disbelief. 

“She can just leave tomorrow,” he brushes himself off.

“That’s if she’s still alive!” He vamp speeds in front of him, pushing him back. “If she dies, you’re free reign." He snarls, grabbing Kai’s shirt "I’ll show you what a real monster looks like.” the veins under his eyes taunting him. Kai clenches his jaws, brushing Damon off of him.

“Got it.” 

“Joey?” Both men turn. A blonde woman rushes over, a hand over her brows as she looks at Kai. She relaxes, smiling at him. “I thought it was you!” She smiles, rushing over to hug him. Kai looks over at Damon, eyes wide. Damon watches the interaction, with similar confusion. “I thought you weren’t going to make it,” she pulls away, her blue eyes scanning him. 

“What happened to you guys?” She pulls a face, looking between Kai and Damon. 

“Uh, we uh.” Kai fumbles, trying to think of an excuse, looking to the vampire for help. “We took the wrong turn.” he rocks on his feet.

“Windows open. A lot of dried dirt.” He explains, faking a smile.  “Good ole Joey, am I right?” Damon attempts at making a joke. Both siblings staring plainly at him. “Uh, I’m Damon.” He introduces himself, gearing in a change of topic. She nods slowly, pressing her lips together. “I know. We’ve met before. Multiple times actually.” His mouth gapes, while Kai snickers.

“Right.” He turns to look at the dirt road at which they’d appeared from. She clears her throat, clearly uninterested, turning her attention back to Kai.

“Kai’s going to be really happy you made it, it’s been a while since you’ve been home.” He blinks, his name sounding foreign.

“Kai?” He repeats, shock evident in his tone. She looks at him confused, nodding.

“Yeah. C’mon Joe, you know he’s been nervous about finally taking lead over the coven. Dad’s been pushing him to do it for forever. This is a really good thing for him, for all of us actually.” He nods, brushing his hand back through his hair. So he won the merge. Interesting . He chuckles to himself, putting on an act for the woman in front of him.  “Yeah, sorry. Had a late night, I’m still kinda tired.” She nods, patting his shoulder.

“Well, everyone’s going to be happy you’re back.” She gives him a small smile, encouraging both men to follow her. “Sass and Hero are on the drinks table, they’ll have my head if we don’t get back.” She takes the lead, leaving Kai and Damon to trail behind 

“Joey?” Damon whispers. Kai ignores him, staring at the back of the blonde’s head.

“Who’s that?” He motions his head forward.

“Better question, how does Liv know you?” Kai stares at him, before chuckling again at his confusion.

“Olivia Parker?… she’s probably 22 now right? Present time?” He raises an eyebrow, walking on as Damon figures it out.

“I thought you killed them all. What’s going on?” Damon whispers harshly, as the entrance to the Parker mansion becomes visible. The front garden was busy with people fussing around multiple set up marquees. 

“Jesus.” Kai grimaces. Old and familiar faces smiling over at him, waving.

“What?” Damon raises an eyebrow. 

“Joey!” He turns in the direction of the voice. “You’re here!” A girl with auburn hair and blonde streaks attacks him with a hug. 

“Ouch.” He clenched his teeth together from the force. 

“Sorry,” she smiles, before a boy with blonde hair in a bun hugs him. 

“Not too tight Hero!” the boy rolls his eyes as he pulls away from him.

“Says the one who almost took him down.” He gestures to Kai. “Look! He’s still alive.” he smirks at the bickering siblings. “Can’t say this is your best look Joe, but I guess the 90’s are back in.” His sister ruffles his hair. “You should consider curtain bangs.” She suggests, while their brother groans. “You always have something to say. Let him live!” 

“It’s nice seeing you two again, I'm digging the whole hair situation. Where’s Kai?” Hero, as he learned from his sister, points to the house.

“He’s either in the kitchen or-.”

“In his room,” the ginger interjects. Hero forces a smile, clearly irritated.

“Thank you Saskia. I think I’m capable of answering his question.” Kai rolls his eyes, watching them begin to bicker and taking it as his exit, bidding them farewell with a finger salute. He looks around the garden space for Damon. He groans, finding him by the drinks. He spots Kai, raising up the red solo cup in his hand. Kai rolls his eyes, motioning towards the house.

“Do you Gemini’s always party like this?” Damon praises the event.

“C’mon.” He dismisses him, leading him inside. Faking smiles at coven members along the way. 

“Wanna tell me where we’re doing?” Damon waits by the doorway as Kai scopes downstairs, opening and closing doors. He walks in and out of sight before appearing again, signalling him to follow him up the stairs.  “Woah! Where’s the fire. I mean, I knew you weren’t all there but you’re moving around like a crazy man. Perhaps if you told me who or what we’re looking for, I’d be of help.” Kai pinches the bridge of his nose, patience for Damon grown thin. “How did Bonnie put up with you?” He taps his chin. “Oh wait, that’s right.” His face brightens as he chuckles.

“She didn’t.”

“Managed longer than you did." he smirks. "I guess self centered vampire trumps murderer.”

“Don’t you kill people to live?” He tilts his head. “Last time I checked, the only people i ever went after was just my family. You on the other hand...” He pauses, a distant look on his face. “What?” Damon asks, irritated with the siphon. “Maybe it’s stockholm.”

“Stockholm?” Kai nods.

“You know, when someone placed in a distressing situation develops a bond with their captors. She feels indebted to you cause all you've done since entering her life is cause pain." he explains. "You and your brother kept Bonnie around so you could use her magic to keep your precious Eleanor alive, no matter the cost to her life.” He shrugs. “I mean, she did die… twice. You attacked her quite viciously when she was 16, and you killed her mother and were the reason her grandmother died too." Damon's jaw clenches, his fist gripping tightly by his side. "Your brother’s doppelgänger murdered her dad in front of her,” he looks up, tapping his chin further. “And thats all before her 20th birthday. But yeah. big bad Kai murdered the kids his shitbag of a father had to replace him cause he couldn't make magic the way he wanted to, and he the one that ruined her life?'" He rolls his eyes, his fingers tingling. he 

“What I was looking for, should be behind this room.” He reaches for the handle, as Damon brushes past him. Opening the door with heavy force. Both men, momentarily shocked at the scene inside the bedroom. 

“Oh god.” Damon groans, turning around, avoiding looking at the couple. 

“Oh my god!” The pair rush to cover themselves. Kai had expected to find himself, but had not expected what he’d walked in on. He waits for who he’d assumed was the alternate version of himself to buckle up his trousers. Wiping at his bottom lip as he turns to face the two intruders. 

“You don’t know how to knock?!” he complains to himself, shifting his trousers. Kai stayed quiet as he got a better look at himself. Kai guessed he probably in his mid 30’s, definitely went to a gym, and had a cool facial hair situation going on. His hair was longer too. He aged pretty well, if he said so himself. 

“Well, I for one, did not expect that” Kai starts, clapping his hands together. 

“Bonnie?” Damon interrupts him. Shocking him. 

The Bennett witch pokes her head out from behind older Kai, fixing her dress. How did he manage to get Bonnie in this reality but she hated him in the other?

Kai takes in her appearance. She looked like their Bonnie, though, her hair was a lot longer, and dyed a golden blonde. She was definitely a catch in all realities.

“Damon?” She looks at him confused. “What are you going here?” She steps forward. The pink dress she wore was a lot more risqué than he’d imagine his Bonnie would wear. It clung to her body perfectly. Kai could admit he definitely was checking her out. “What are you doing here?” Damon asks, confused at her closeness to the older Kai. She knits her brows together.

“I was invited. Future coven leader’s girlfriend and all.” His mouth drops slightly, clearly shocked having their relationship status confirmed out loud. Older Kai turns his attention to Kai, scanning him. “And you two know each other… how?” he points between him and Damon.

“I didn’t think you swung that way Damon.” Bonnie jokes. Damon grimaces, shaking his head.

“God no.” He downs the rest of his drink. 

“While we’re on the topic, who knew you had a thing not only for older men, but Gemini freaks.”

“Hey!” Both Kai’s protest. 

“That’s creepy.”

“That’s creepy? But not you pining after your brother’s girlfriend?.” Damon presses his lips together. She clearly hit a tough spot. Kai chuckles, enjoying this Bonnie’s snark.

“The west coast changed you Bennett.” She shrugs, taking a hold of older Kai’s hand. He smiles at the action, squeezing her hand. 

“You know, I really appreciate you being here Joey. I know you pushed for me to take over from dad, I wanted to breathe for a bit before I took on coven leader duties.” Older Kai explains, smiling warmly at him. 

“Well, you’re welcome?” He rubs his hands together. “While we’re on Gemini business," he leans forward for effect, "I kinda need your help.”

“With what?” Older Kai takes off his tie, wrapping it around his hand.

“Nothing big…" he shakes his head. "What do you know about universe jumping?” 

“Universe jumping?” He looks at him confused. “That’s heavy magic, Why?” 

“Well you see,” Kai starts, pausing for effect. “Damon and I are in a bit of a predicament. Kinda need a spell to rectify the situation.” Older Kai looks down at Bonnie, both look at them with suspicion and genuine curiosity. “And what exactly is this predicament?” His older self frowns, crossing his arms over his chest. 

Kai sighs, walking towards the mirror hanging against the wall. Bonnie gasps softly. Looking up to her Kai, then back to Kai. 

“What’s going on?” Damon asks, lost in the situation. Kai turns to look over at Damon.

“You see, I figured out why everyone kept calling me Joey. I mean, we did look alike, but we’re brothers not twins.” He laughs to himself. “And while you were busy fuelling your alcoholism and getting in your insults, I walked past the living room, which coincidentally had a mirror, much like this one here, in it. It’s a glamour spell.”

“A glamour spell?” Damon asks, unimpressed. 

“Clearly it doesn’t work on you, because we came here together, but then I saw it. I looked like Joey. Freaky, right?” 

“Wait, so, you’re me?” Older Kai blinks, eyebrows furrowed. Kai nods, leaning against the wall.

“And you’re me. Well," he pauses to look at himself "a more rounded me.”

“So, we’re supposed to believe you’re him from another universe, just because you did a trick in the mirror?” Bonnie prods, frowning lightly. 

“Wow,” he smiles at her. 

“What?” She places a hand on her hip. 

“You. When you’re mad, it’s universally hot.” She moans in disgust, rolling her eyes. Older Kai smirks, clearly amused.

“Good to know you still like me, babe.” 

“He only looks like you in the mirror. It’s freaky seeing Joey say that.” She flips her hair over her shoulder. Older Kai, shuts his eyes, raising an arm up towards Kai, muttering a spell. 

“Better?” He turns to Bonnie, she looks between the two Kai’s, shrugging.

“Eh. Still kinda weird.” 

“Can we hurry this up? I have a girlfriend to get back to.” Damon taps his foot on the ground. 

“Wait,” older Kai walks over to Kai, crossing his arms over his chest. “How did you get sent here? How do I know you're not here to hurt us?” Kai stares back unamused by himself.

“If I knew, do you really think I’d want to be here magically cosplaying my younger brother while you get to be the mega powerful coven leader, with the hot girlfriend,” he winks at Bonnie. Older Kai rolls his eyes at his younger self.

“Vampire,” he looks over at Damon. 

“Gemini freak?” He feigns a smile.

“How’d you get here?”

“Well, there were three of us. The Nirvana reject version of yourself stalked Bonnie and I in your family’s freaky prison hell world. He poisoned me within the first 5 minutes of us meeting. Threatened to kill me. Stabbed me with patio furniture.”

“It provoked Bonnie’s missing magic, which, was my intention, by the way, .” Kai interjects. 

“He doesn’t stop flirting with our Bonnie,” Damon resumes. “Gets her to do a locator spell just so she could feel him up, like a loser.” Older Kai chuckles, stopping after catching the glare from Bonnie. “Anyways, we find out he’s not only a freak, but a murderer.”

“And you’re not?” Kai butts in, irritated. 

“You shot Bonnie with a crossbow!”

“Are we forgetting the part where she stabbed me with an axe first?” He scoffs in disbelief. 

“You’re the reason she’s still stuck there!” 

“Me? It’s not my fault she couldn’t properly magically detach me off you.” He rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “She decided to be difficult. Not me. I’m aware I’m not a good person. In fact, I revel in it, but, let’s face the facts. If she could overlook all the destruction you and your ripper brother caused,” he points at Damon as he speaks. “she very easily could have looked away when it came to my situation, which never affected her or her life, we would have all been at home, instead of here.” 

“And what time is home?” Older Kai interjects, tired of the two bickering. 

“2012.” Damon says plainly. Older him looks down at Bonnie, holding her hand again, sighing. She looks between Kai and Damon, then back to her Kai, nodding softly, as if speaking telepathically to him. 

“First of all. I don’t agree with your actions. Let that be known. Regardless of the situation, I think it’s best we try to send you back to where you came from; you can sort whatever issue you have with your Bonnie, and go home from there.” Kai clenches his jaw, growing impatient. “I have some grimoires in here, and there’s more in the library downstairs.” He turns to Damon. “It’s technically the basement, assuming the house is the same as in his world, he’ll know where to find them.” He motions towards Kai, holding his palm out, producing a key for him to use. “Grams might be able to help, too.” Bonnie offers. “Prison worlds feel like a Bennett spell.” She looks to her Kai. 

“I don’t know, I don’t want to give her another thing to pin on me. She already has enough reasons to hate me.” Older Kai stresses, running a hand through his hair.

“She doesn’t hate you.” Bonnie frowns, older Kai cackles, nodding obnoxiously.

“Yeah, cause she’s been so supportive of us.”

“She likes you. She’s just weary. It doesn’t sound like fun catching your granddaughter with her tongue down the throat of her former protege in his university office,.” Damon grimaces, scrunching his face, while Kai lights up. “Scandalous. Got any videos?” Bonnie brings her brows together, raising a hand to give him a mini aneurysm. He hisses in pain, grabbing at his head. “That’s enough.” Older Kai, places her hand down, frowning at his alternate. 

“So, Sheila’s still swinging?” Damon asks, getting nods from Bonnie and Kai.

“65 this year, but you didn’t hear that from me.” Bonnie says, raising a hand to her lip. Damon purses his lips together, a somber feeling running through his body. 

“Anyways it was only a kiss, no biggie,”

“A kiss, you conveniently forget, that you also had your hand down my pants.” Bonnie whines, hiding her face in his arm. “She may say she’s okay with us, but she glares at me anytime I’m close to you,” Older Kai wraps his arm around her, pushing her into his chest. “She also makes me feel like a cradle robber.” 

“And how old are we in this universe?” Kai asks, still recovering from Bonnie’s attack.

“34.”

“Damn,” Kai’s eyes widened. “You're kinda old.” Damon scoffs from behind him.

“You’re 6 years older than him, freak.” He brushes his shoulder, taking the key from this universe’s Kai.

“You’re 40?” Bonnie asks in shock. Kai opens his mouth to speak, calculating his actual age, before twisting his face.

“Oh my god. Ew, I’m elderly.” He looks at the others, stunned. He turns to look at himself in the mirror, in disarray.

“With that discovery, I’m going to take this as my queue to get grams. Be back in a sec.” She tilts her head up, kissing her Kai. She salutes the others, walking past him. Older Kai walks to his bookcase pulling down his grimoires. While Kai whips his head around, craning his neck to watch her walk down the stairs.

“Damn,” he mutters to himself. 

“Hey," He tilts his head, looking at Damon. "do you think Bonnie will forgive me for the whole arrow thing?”  

“For my sake, I hope she doesn’t.” Damon says simply. “But, she’s been unpredictable as of late, so who knows.” He shrugs. “And as much as I hate you, she’s uptight, and you’re what? back loaded for almost 20 years. Sooner you get it out of your system, the sooner you get out of our lives.” He

“20 years… damn.” Older Kai looks over at him in awe. 

“I know.” He looks to his older self in agreement. “She totally wanted me though,” he wiggles his eyebrows.

“Yeah. Dead.” Damon shuts his fantasy down. 

“Well, had you not cock-blocked, who knows, we could have been neighbours back in mystic falls.” he smiles at the vampire.

“Bonnie’s not easy, I’m not available, that’s why she looks at you.”

“So you admit she was looking at me?” Kai smirks. Older Kai pinches the bridge of his nose, tired of the two. “

The grimoires? Unless you’d prefer to stay, Joseph .” Kai shoots him a dirty look, taking the key from Damon, and jumping down the stairs.