You have my deepest apologies.

Enjoy and review if you like. Part two will be up on Monday.

What Next - Part One

~`~Kieran~`~

Kieran watched the retreating figures of Bonnie and her sub plebes. The werewolf was going to be a problem. His attachment to the witch was growing. It seemed to be reinvigorated by her close proximity. The wolf man saw through his charade and it would be necessary for Kieran to water the seeds of doubt in Bonnie's mind in an effort to separate them and draw her closer to him and his agenda. The Salvatore vampire was foolishly in love with the young witch and Kieran knew that with a half hearted promise to erase the undead man's competition he could gain his allegiance and quite possibly kill two birds with one stone.

He took a deep breath and plucked her scent from the air. She was a fragrant bouquet of flowers, tainted innocence, and power. Bonnie Bennett was everything he had been seeking for over fifteen hundred years.

His struggle mirrored hers in many ways but there were subtle differences. He'd known what he was from an early age, but her gift had been hidden from her by those who proclaimed to love and care. She was more powerful than just being a seventh generation Bennett. There was something deeper buried below the surface, that could not be attributed to inheriting the powers of her ancestors.

"What do we do now?"

Liam's age showed in more ways than one even before he released his question into the night. When in battle he was the first to attack, instead of laying in wait, studying the moves of his opponent, and striking when a strategic opening to crush and defeat presented itself. Now with his inquiry, he sounded like a spoiled child longing for another chance to play with his new favorite toy.

"We wait."

That was their only option.

Kieran needed Bonnie's trust just as much as he needed her. They would do as she requested, visit the witch and her guests at the villa in the morning to discuss their plans. Training would be necessary if Miss Bennett hoped to pose a viable threat to Niklaus. Assistance would be required from the Salvatores as well as the Lockwoods and quite possibly the infant vampire. However, when the end arrived and their menacing shared enemy was nothing but a memory and dust, he had another proposition for the beauty, one he hoped that she would take willingly without the use of force.

"I, still don't understand your fascination with the witch," Aidan the stereotypical rule follower and his second in command inquired, "We had implicit instructions, the doppelganger and the witch were supposed to meet their end before the full moon."

"And what of the lovely new vampire, where does she fit into things?"

He watched the man squirm. Aidan had always been a sucker for a pretty faced blonde.

"You expect her to continue to engage in your game of flirtation after you savagely murder her two best friends." His eyes traveled between them, "We wait."

Aidan shifted but silenced his arguments for the time being while Liam kicked the sand beneath his feet.

"Let me worry about the Troika and their precious details." Kieran clapped his hand down on Liam's shoulders and stilled his movement, "There's no need to kill what we can keep."

For tonight he would let the game unfold, tomorrow, he would plot his next move in acquiring his long awaited vengeance on Niklaus.

Patience was a concept that still eluded him after all his centuries upon the earth.

Kieran busied himself with phone calls and research about the people surrounding Bonnie.

He knew Mason had taken a tour of duty in Afghanistanwhen the first year of college proved to be more than he could handle. When he dug deeper, he realized that was the same year he activated the curse lying dormant in his bloodline. He was sure if he kept going he would find a few unexplained animal attacks in the Hindu Kush that covered the former soldier's time abroad. Upon further review he found that Lockwood's first stop after unstable Middle East had been Florida where he completed daywalker tasks and murderous missions for the synthetic bloodsuckers who were working to assimilate themselves into American culture. His intentions had not been pure when he returned to Mystic Falls, the witch was another piece of the puzzle in their plan. Yet she…Bonnie had changed that…she was truly unaware of how much power she held over that man.

Damon proved to be a trickier study. Kieran respected the vampire, in another time or place, he would have tried to recruit him for membership in the elite organization but now he was a threat. He knew the same curse that the ancient Lockwoods spoke of. He'd felt the whispered promise in the undead man's mind. Her heart had been meant for him. That's the way Emily had always intended it to be, the death of her beloved grandmother, had started the chain of foretold events with the cessation of her breathes.

It couldn't happen…not now…not ever…

If Bonnie was who Kieran believed her to be, her purpose was greater than anything linked to old wives' tales or the faded memories of a generation of long forgotten witches. He centered his mind, concentrating on her location. He held her scent in his nose until his nostrils began to burn. The sound of her laugh penetrated his ear drums. He felt his hands upon her skin. Inhabiting the same space as the elder Lockwood.

The devotion the man felt was too strong. Kieran needed to remove him immediately. His mind began to work and in mere seconds he had a plan that would erase both supernatural being vying for the young witch's forever.

~`~Caroline~`~

Caroline kissedTyleras soon as they were behind her bedroom door in the villa. She pressed his back against the wall, drinking in the scent of the blood pumping just beneath his skin. This is what she did with Matt whenever they argued in the past. She relied on her beauty and physical prowess to calm the storms between them. Until now the same practices had worked withTyler, but leave it to raging hard – on Lockwood to be the one to finally end the charade.

He pushed her away with a force she didn't know he possessed.

"What's wrong with you?"

She did her best impersonation of the carefree, bubbly cheerleader that existed before everything changed.

"Nothing," Her fingers danced across his chest, "Get naked."

He grabbed her fingers, "No." He studied her face for a moment before he spoke, "You haven't been the same…since…"

The suspense was killing her. She was just ready for the other shoe to drop and the argument to come to fruition. Of course he would see through it. He always saw right through her. Yes, he had been Bonnie's best friend, but all of them had known each other for too long to pretend to be something they just were not. He was the one that held her, before she could ask when things with Matt ended. He'd seen her pain, felt it, before she knew the words to express her feelings.

"I haven't been the same since Mason marked Bonnie."

Tyler's dark eyes were filled with so much tenderness and the weight of his concern nearly picked her apart, cell by cell. His fingers brushed the hair from her face and he held her gaze.

"So you want me to bite you."

His voice was a low seductive whisper that caused other…more erotic reactions within her.

"Why didn't you tell me you liked it rough Forbes?"

She couldn't move, there was something to be said for animal magnetism, and Tyler Lockwood definitely had perfected the concept. He was staring at her now, along with brushing wispy curls from her face. She hadn't realized she was frozen, waiting for him to speak until his voice registered with her ears.

"I don't want blind devotion, I just want you." He sat back and gathered her hand in his, "We're not Bonnie and Mason. I may never be a…I'm just me…the jock who will say stupid shit…" His eyes fell to the bed, "But I'll always want you."

And the award for the dumbest girlfriend went to…

In spite of her epic failure, Caroline managed to wrap her arms aroundTyler, and slip into his lap.

"Let's start over."

He nodded before dipping his head and playfully biting her chin.

"I missed you."

She muttered before turning her head to meet his lips.

"Sure you did."

He mouthed against her lips.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He quirked an eyebrow, "Aidan."

Caroline rolled her eyes before she slipped her hands beneath his shirt and raked her nails across his chest, "He wears eyeliner."

Tylerlaughed and she took the moment to capitalize on her advantage in strength. She pushed him to the bed and straddled his thighs, "I'm not going to say it again Lockwood…naked…now…"

~`~Damon~`~

"Go away."

Bonnie Bennett was beyond sexy when she was irritated, angry, or any moment of the day.

"You don't mean that, little witch."

Damon stood behind Bonnie staring out the window. He could hear the shower running and he knew he had maybe five minutes tops, before an overly protective Mason appeared.

"You can't trust him."

He anticipated her next move, stretching out his arm, and blocking her body from rolling around his.

"I'm not in the mood for Damon versus Mason round two thousand and five."

She didn't even see it.

"I wasn't talking about Mason."

He had her attention. He could tell by the way her muscles tensed beneath his grasp. He focused, pushing the thoughts of her body beneath his from his mind, there were more pertinent issues, sooner or later she would figure out where she belonged.

"I know I can't trust him…" Her voice faltered on the but, "I do."

Damon heard the water stop.

"Don't…look passed everything he's saying and search for the truth, there's more to Duncan McCloud than meets the eye."

Lines of confusion wrinkled her brow.

"Seriously, Duncan McCloud…" Damon swung an imaginary sword through the air, "Highlander…" Another swing of his imaginary metal blade, "Only way to die is to cut his head off."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Deprived…greatest fictional immortal character…since…well nobody..."

He kissed her forehead.

"Thanks Damon."

Her staggered at her words, "Just be careful…losing you is not an option Bennett…"

Damon disappeared from the room before he said too much.