May 2nd, 2012 - AKA - May 10th, 1994

Neither was sure at what time they felt it, but it was what got them to leap out of the bed.

"You sensed that too, didn't you?" Kai said urgently, a wicked grin on his face. "I got that feeling..." He stumbled back to get dressed.

"Let's check it out," she said, slipping out from under the covers and darting into her closet.

"If we have guests, you should just stay naked," Kai called, making her groan as she closed the door behind her.

How had she even gotten to this point?

After that day that she and Kai arrived in Mystic Falls, things had changed. They'd actively spoken, and there was a different sort of tension between them. Then, one night, he'd gone for it, because Kai Parker always got what he wanted, and despite the lack of an attachment to her that would suggest he cared, he couldn't hold back from his urges.

At first it had been awkward the morning after, they had acted far too casually. Then, it had been Kai who made the move to speak quite openly about it, and soon, the awkwardness faded. There was only lust, from both sides. Whenever they weren't out getting groceries for the smaller house they chose to stay in, or practicing magic out in the forest, they were at it.

It was ridiculous how much stress it relieved. Beatrix had made an offhanded comment at one point that they should have just done it in the first place. Kai had laughed sadistically and stated that he had felt no lust before, just the desire to murder her. They left the conversation at that. In fact, they never really discussed their arrangement at all. They just slept together some days. Some mornings, like today, he was still in bed beside her, either asleep or watching her sleep and likely fantasizing about how he could kill her without waking her up. Other times, he'd leave as soon as he finished, and she wouldn't see him for hours at a time. It was always about what he wanted, and Beatrix chose not to argue. Sometimes, however, it just made her miss Elijah. He had always cared about what she wanted, about pleasing her because that, in turn, would please him. Kai just took, he was selfish, and he objectified her. However, the mutual benefit was what kept Beatrix there. It helped them cope.

"Hurry up in there," Kai demanded. "We need to link and do the spell to find out where we need to go."

Beatrix sped to get dressed, slamming against the door as she tried to do it faster, but she was still barely awake. She came out in the simplest of outfits and went to him. He yanked her arm, siphoning already as they walked outside. They reached the front lawn of the house and linked hands, facing each other.

"Sangina signum, signum sequitas mutatio. Mittere nobis, trahentium sanguine. Sangina signum, signum sequitas mutatio. Mittere nobis, trahentium sanguine."

There was another sharp pain, and the two kept their hands linked, chanting again.

"Sangina signum, signum sequitas mutatio. Mittere nobis, trahentium sanguine. Sangina signum, signum sequitas mutatio. Mittere nobis, trahentium sanguine."

A bright light shone from both of their abdomens, reddish pink, and glowing for a second, before the light switched off, making the pain a bit harder to ignore.

"I feel it," Kai said when they finished. "It's like my gut is yelling at me to walk... in that direction." He nodded to what was behind them. "That way. Something is that way."

Into the forest. Beatrix nodded, and she let her body carry her, the blood inside her pumping into all the right places to ensure she walked in the direction that would get them their answers.

"What if it's people?" Beatrix said. "Like, actually? We should introduce ourselves."

"No," Kai said sharply. "We have to wait it out. No way are we going to introduce ourselves right away. What if they were sent in here to torment both of us? We don't know what year it is out there. We'll watch from the distance, and we'll figure out how to approach."

Beatrix huffed. "You always have to be in charge, hmm?"

"This was kinda meant for me in the first place, you just got sucked into it based on some very bad luck. So yes, I'm running point. You be a good girl and listen, you're the one with the magic at will."

She rolled her eyes. "Okay. Then we should at least be less obvious." She wove her hand in a snakelike motion through the air. "Sonitus conquievit, invisibilia." The sound of the leaves crunching under their feet stopped.

"Smart," Kai noted. "Keeping us silent and invisible."

"Shut up."

They walked as far as their bodies wanted them to. Beatrix could hear and see someone up ahead- actually, two someones. Kai had spotted them two. Their legs ceased moving about fifteen feet away from a man and a woman. Their hands were linked and they had their eyes closed, as if fast asleep whilst standing up.

Beatrix was about to move forward when both their eyes snapped open. They blinked and both began to look around, clearly shocked at what they were seeing.

"Huh," said the man, making a face like he was very uncomfortable. He and the woman looked at each other, then down at where their hands were still clasped together. They let go, and the man pursed his lips. "That got awkward fast." He let out an awkard cough, and both started looking around again. They clearly recognized where they were, but didn't understand why they were there.

"What happened?" asked the woman. "Where is everybody? Where are we?" She took a few tentative steps out of the woods, toward where the buildings of Mystic Falls were visible. The man followed behind. Kai and Beatrix matched pace with the woman, until she stopped in the middle of the street. Beatrix noticed the man out a finger in his mouth, rubbing over his gums.

"Well, I feel a fang," he noted. "I'm still a vampire. Either I'm a dead vampire or Mystic Falls is no longer magic free."

"A vampire," Beatrix mused. "Interesting..."

"Look," the woman said, because of course, they hadn't heard Beatrix. She was pointing at one of the restaurants- the Mystic Grill. She and Kai had gone in to look at it, but hadn't made any drastic changes. It was aesthetically pleasing, and neither felt like trashing it.

The man looked confused when he saw the restaurant. "I definitely blew that up about an hour ago."

"Why don't we see people?" the woman asked. "If we're still on the Other Side, we should at least be able to see the living."

"The Other Side," Kai mused. "So... they were dead. The Coven didn't send them here... in person, at least."

"Where the hell are we?" asked the man as he looked around, going down the street. "And I don't mean geographically."

The woman pursed her lips and shrugged. "I have no idea."

They began to walk, seemingly looking for something. Without commenting, Beatrix and Kai followed. The pair did not speak. In fact, it seemed to Beatrix that they didn't get along at all. At one point, the man removed the leather jacket he had on and tossed it over his shoulder, the zipper nearly hitting the woman in the eye. She frowned but did not speak, and instead peeled off her gray jacket and knotted it around her waist.

"Are they seriously just going to walk?" Kai asked impatiently, rubbing over the stubble on his chin. His hair was still untidy, but Beatrix had coaxed him into shaving.

"They're confused," Beatrix said, wanting to sympathize. "We were too. We explored, but we kind of already knew what was happening. They have no idea. I doubt they were sent in here to torture us or anything."

"Either way, I expect you to keep the spell up, Trixter," Kai said a bit more harshly, knowing she was considering revealing herself. "We're not going to reveal ourselves until I say so."

Beatrix rolled her eyes. They followed the pair of newbies down yet another street. This roused a question from the man, who seemed aggravated, as he had just let out a loud groan.

"How many more streets are we going to wander?"

The woman gave him an annoyed look. "How many times are you going to ask me questions I don't have the answers to? Huh?"

The man looked away from her but visibly rolled his eyes, and they walked another several steps silently, before the woman brought out an observation. "There's something weird about these cars." She stopped in front of a white car parked against the curb.

The man ran his hand over the hood of the car. "Yeah... they're all 20 years old or more and yet they look brand new." He then looked up at the house that the car was parked in front of, and his pupils dilated like it was stirring memories. "And that is Elena's not-so-burnt-to-a-crisp house."

He walked toward it and bent down, picking up a newspaper that was on the grass. He unfolded it and looked down, furrowing his dark brows before urging the woman to read it as well. "Look."

She craned her neck over. "Rare solar eclipse expected to be seen across 12 states?"

The man rolled his eyes. "The date."

A look of panic washed over the woman. "May 10th, 1994. Is that-? Are we-? But that's impossible."

The sky darkened, as it usually did around that time. Beatrix and Kai ignored it, they'd seen it plenty of times. But the woman and man gazed up. "I don't think we should be asking where we are," the man muttered. "I think we should be asking when we are."

Kai chuckled at this, smirking to himself. "He's funny, I like him."

He and Beatrix remained on the sidewalk as the couple went inside the house, which they apparently recognized. "He's hot, too," Beatrix mused. "I've seen that face somewhere before, I'm sure of it. Don't know where, but I have. I could never forget an absolute babe like that."

"What is it with you and the bad boys?" Kai teased as the man came out to sit on the porch swing, and the woman sat down on the steps.

"They've got all the good looks," Beatrix said nonchalantly. "Probably explains a lot of my past pain- I know how to pick them."

Kai smirked. "Three Original brothers... me... him... countless others you refuse to name..."

"What makes you think I would name the other men and women I've had in my life?"

"I just assumed since we're partners in the whole pleasure thing-"

"Shut up. You're just nosy."

They turned back to the man, who started swinging. "Where is any booze in this empty retroville?"

The woman ignored his comment. "It feels so weird to be back here, I practically grew up on this porch."

He ceased moving the swing, and faced her. "Alright, talk me through it."

At the very least, he seemed interested in what she had to say, but the chemistry between them was insanely awkward. As if they'd never had to be alone together outside of what Beatrix could assume was a friend group consisting of one other person so far- someone named Elena, whose house they were currently at.

The woman faced him. "Before the Other Side collapsed, my Grams said that she made a sacrifice so that I could find peace."

"The part where you actually have a theory," the male prompted. She rolled her eyes. "Well, this clearly isn't peace, otherwise I wouldn't be stuck here with you."

The man pretended to look thoroughly offended. "Rude."

"She must have- I don't know, sent me somewhere. And when I held your hand... it took you with me."

"Well, did she happen to whisper a safe word in her last breaths. A clue, maybe? Witchy path out of here?"

"No, but if we got here by magic, magic should be able to get us out."

The man seemed intrigued, and raised his eyebrows, but he, Kai, and Beatrix all noticed that the woman didn't seem too confident. "And that frown that's not upside down is telling me what?" the man urged.

The woman turned toward a glass cup beside them. "Phesmatos incendia," she said, staring intently at the glass. Nothing happened.

"Still can't do magic," the man deduced, looking disappointed. He leaned back into the porch swing and began to move it again. "Perfect."

The tension between the two didn't subside even when they got up and started to walk back down the street, toward a part of town that Kai and Beatrix had explored many times. They arrived at what was labeled the 'Salvatore Boarding House' and went in.

"Salvatore," Beatrix muttered. "Sounds familiar. I swear, I know this bloke."

"Maybe he was one of your elusive one night stands," Kai egged on.

"I'm withholding from you for a year after that comment."

This seemed to piss him off, because he was so used to just getting what he wanted. Part of it was her fault. She let him. But he seemed too interested in the fact that the man and woman were making themselves comfortable in the house, as if they knew it well in the real world.

Beatrix and Kai remained quietly in the corner, just listening to them. There were points where they'd mutter things that either didn't make sense or were just to start some kind of argument. By the end of the night, they learned that the man's name was Damon and the woman's was Bonnie. Beatrix assumed that Damon was a Salvatore, but as for Bonnie... her surname wasn't about to be revealed yet, apparently.

"We'll stay here from now on," Kai decided when Damon and Bonnie had finally gone to bed. He trotted up the stairs and went to find a room far from where he likely assumed that the other two wouldn't go into. "Make the bed everyday, take turns listening in and going to get food. Come on."

"Sounds like a plan to me." She raised a skeptical brow, however, when he beckoned her into the room. "Um, I'll find another room."

Kai's eyes flashed darkly. "No, you won't. You're staying here. First of all, better we stick together so your spell doesn't break. And that way we only have to make one room and one bathroom look immaculate. Thirdly... you're not holding out on me."

Sometimes, she wondered why she just said yes to whatever he asked of her. She supposed that at this point she was just not wanting to start a problem. Or maybe it was because Kai reminded her, in different instances, of the Mikaelsons. He was very abrasive like Klaus, and liked to be the alpha male. He could taunt and joke like Kol. When serious, he had a similar tenacity to Elijah. His presence had become calming for her despite the fact he was still dangerous, like Rebekah. And sometimes, when he was being downright childish, it reminded her of Marcel.

So yes, she was an idiot, but an idiot in need of affection, and even though Kai could never be genuine, it helped her miss the others a little less.

Thus, she always gave in to whatever he demanded, as creative as it was. She seemed to fascinate him more so because of her vampiric nature, and her ability to heal. Either way, she had no problem trying to enjoy it. That wasn't difficult at all.

In the morning, Beatrix had used a spell to freshen them up, despite them having to wear the same clothes again. She had stood by the door, listening. "I only hear Damon. Bonnie's heartbeat is stronger and it's not here. Either he killed her or she left."

"Let's go with 'she left'. She's a witch. A Bennett witch."

She whirled around to face Kai. "What? How do you know that?"

Kai shrugged. "Pieced things together. Obviously, something will confirm it soon, but that's the main theory. She's our ticket out."

"Well, then shouldn't we introduce ourselves and be cooperative? She might be more inclined to share her blood with us if we come and be appeasing."

He scoffed. "What do you want us to do, Trixter? Show up with a turkey at their doorstep as if we didn't eavesdrop on them for an entire day? Pretend to be a happy, supernatural couple who just got trapped here? They'll figure things out- they are definitely not stupid. Well, Damon seems stupid, but Bonnie likely isn't. They'll figure out what we are, what we've done, and they won't want to cooperate. Just let me choose how things go."

Beatrix glared at him. "Fine. But now you have to make the bed. I'm going to go get us some food and clothes of our own."

She sped away before he could protest.

When she returned, Damon was making breakfast. She had gone up to the room she and Kai had shared and set their things down, seeing Kai was not there. Maybe he had gone to find Bonnie. Beatrix went back downstairs and leaned against the doorframe, watching Damon dance, drink bourbon, and cook all at the same time. He seemed to be making pancakes.

He reminded her of Elijah. A subtle goof who loved living his life when he thought no one was watching. Her heart ached, wondering where he was.

The door opened and Beatrix saw Bonnie come in with a teddy bear and a book. Behind her, Kai sped in. "She's a Bennett witch," he announced as Bonnie went in to join Damon in the kitchen. "Her grandmother is Sheila Bennett. I met her once- she knew my family. She helped them make this world, and now Bonnie is the key to getting out."

"Only problem is that Bonnie doesn't have magic," Beatrix mumbled as the brunette showed Damon the teddy bear and the book, which was actually a grimoire.

"So we make her tap into it," Kai decided, standing beside Beatrix. "Trigger it somehow. Plan accordingly and see if she's going to be useful or not. If it doesn't work, then we'll take her blood and just see if we can do the spell ourselves. If that doesn't work... then we'll have to find a way to get her some magic so she can join in. I could care less if these two make it out. But you and me- we're leaving, and we're going to kill that stupid fuckass Coven."

Beatrix raised her eyebrows. "Wow, I hadn't heard you use 'fuckass,' yet. I think you picked that up from me."

The two then went silent, gazing toward where Bonnie and Damon were near the CD player. "Everything that existed in 1994, still exists," Bonnie noticed.

Damon made a face. "For better, or for worse?" Before she could reply, he leaned down and kissed a CD he was holding and plopped it in the radio. Bonnie stood and turned it off just as the music began to play. She seemed to be ready to have a serious conversation.

"Listen," she started, "there was a time when I couldn't practice magic. The grimoire taught me alot. Maybe... I can reteach myself."

Damon didn't seem so optimistic. He simply turned the radio back on. "If you were still a witch. Which, with our luck, and your skill- probably ain't the case."

Kai and Beatrix both snorted, but Bonnie looked indignant. "Would a little support kill you?" she asked with a cheeky grin.

"You know, I am acutely aware that we are in some otherworldly time dimension," responded Damon. "However, do you ever think for on second that maybe it's you being negative reacting to my natural self negative-ly?"

"He's a pessimist, I like it," Kai said. "Maybe if he cooperates, I won't kill him when we step foot back in the real world."

Bonnie looked appalled, and it took a few seconds for her to gather her wits and speak. "You're ridiculous."

Damon pointed the spatula at her. "Nope, I'm consistent." He then served two pancakes on her plate. "Eat your pancakes. Oh, and-" he snatched up the newspaper from the counter and dropped it in front of her, "-you can do a crossword puzzle."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Oh, gee, thanks. Breakfast with my least favorite person, and a crossword puzzle, from 1994." She opened the newspaper, and readied it to complete the task at hand. She looked over it, her lip twitching a bit as she figured out where to start. "Alright, what's a seven letter word for-"

At that rate, Kai and Beatrix were immune to reactions when the eclipse occurred, but this was the first time Damon and Bonnie had noticed it happening two days in a row.

"You've got to be kidding me," Damon hissed. "Bonnie, look at the date on that paper."

She flipped a page slightly. "It says, May 10th, 1994. Same day as yesterday." The two exchanged a look. "We're living the same day all over again," Bonnie muttered.

"Well, that proves it, we're in hell," said Damon. "My own personal, custom-built hell. And you're in it with me." He raised the bottle of bourbon. "Bottoms up." He took a swig.

"Gold star for her," Kai said with a smug grin once he and Beatrix went back up to their room. "They figured it out. Wonder how long it'll take them to try and kill each other."

Beatrix gave him a concerned look. "Let's not hope for that. Who knows if they'll come back the same way we did. We have to keep them both alive. It's only fair."

"No, it's not fair. Nothing here is fair, Trixter, did you forget that? We can dispose of Damon, who cares? It's Bonnie we need. If her blood works then we can kill her, what do I care?"

"They have families out there, and likely goals they want to fulfill, Kai," Beatrix snapped. "Just because I share your disregard for human life in other instances doesn't mean I'm okay with condemning someone else to suffer the way we did. We don't even know how long it's been- we both lost track. Can we at least be civil and not torment them? Let's just try and get them to cooperate. If it's mutually beneficial, it should be fine. We just have to think ahead."

Kai stopped her before she could enter the bedroom, and gripped her by the throat, purposely siphoning and making her wince. "I don't want to hear another peep out of you unless I ask for it," he sneered. "This is my hell. You got unlucky. I want out, you want out, but we are going to do it my way and that's final. So sit down, shut up, and let's start planning how we're going to get those two to help, or how we're going to kill them if they don't."