The Reset

Chapter Eight: Something's Got To Give

Kai had showered and changed, lingering near Bonnie as she continued to lay on their bed looking every bit asleep as if she were still alive. He had pulled up a chair by the bedside table, holding her hand when Lydia had decided to cease her vigil over her mother. She had to make a few phone calls - mostly friends and family of Bonnie's that were still alive. He knew that he probably needed to do the same, considering that he had a lot of preparation to do for the Wake and then the funeral services. Everything was taken care of years prior - even the plot of land that Bonnie was wanting to be buried in.

Back in Mystic Falls.

He sighed heavily, pressing his lips to Bonnie's cold knuckles as he stroked his thumb along her wrist. Even as an old woman, Bonnie still looked breathtaking. Some would say that it was because he was so stupid in love with her. They'd be right. He had no shame to show just how much he had grown to care and love that stubborn witch of his; that woman who was so full of compassion and pride that the sun paled in comparison.

Most had gotten burned getting too close to Bonnie - because it was her way of protecting herself. Hell, Kai had almost become Icarus in his pursuit of Bonnie. And while it had taken some time for her to finally open her heart to him, it had been worth it. Every single second, every single moment. Kai wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world.

"Daddy?"

Kai looked up to see Lonnie in the doorway, peeking her head in to make sure that she wasn't disturbing him. He set Bonnie's hand back on the bed and stood up from the chair, motioning for her to go back out into the hallway and she did. He closed the door softly behind her with a soft click and he wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. Lonnie snaked her arm around Kai's waist as they made their way down the hallway and then descended the stairs.

Downstairs Kai could hear Lydia on the phone, apparently raising hell at the tone of her voice that was slightly muffled on the other side of the glass. He couldn't help but wonder who she was on the phone with that was kicking his eldest daughter's meter into overdrive. He didn't even feel bad, not really.

They made their way outside onto the front porch and Lonnie immediately took a seat on the swinging bench. Kai took a moment to close his eyes and enjoy the smell of the rain on the grass, the storm still waging mercilessly across the skies. Kai almost wanted to believe that the storm was a reflection of his own heart, or the way nature was responding to Bonnie's passing. It brought him a semblance of comfort, no matter how minuscule it may have been.

"Would it be weird if I said you looked hot, Dad?"

Kai turned to look at his daughter as she sat cross-legged on the bench, swinging back and forth with her head tilted slightly in wonder. He blinked at her several times before falling into a tiny fit of laughter. He crossed the porch and sat down next to her, her head moving to look at him through her green and blue eyes. She flushed slightly, tinting her lightly caramel skin in a way that was adorable.

"Flattering? Yes. Weird? Also yes." He reached out to tuck some stray bits of her hair behind her ear. She giggled, leaning back as he'd brushed against one of her "tickle zones" as she had so referenced them. "You think your old man looks hot?"

Lonnie smiled brightly, wrinkling her nose in the same way that was very iconic to Bonnie when she was her age. "As much as I don't want to admit it, yeah, you do." She laughed, shaking her head. "No wonder Mom fell for you."

He chuckled, the vibrations rumbling in his chest. "As much I would like to attribute your mother's affections for me stemming from my good lucks, I'm going to have to disagree, Lon." His smile was gentle, eyes growing distant as he recalled a far off memory. One that creased his brows. "When I looked like this, your mom actually hated my guts."