Although the day started off as sunny, the fog slowly creeped in, ominously fortelling that a storm was brewing. The telephone suddenly rang.

"Hey Matt, can you get that?" Kai said, his eyes glued to the object on his desk. It was, or well what appeared to be, a fossilized, long, ivory tusk that was cracked in half. Make no mistake, this was not an elephant's tusk-it once belonged to their ancestors-the wholly mammoth! Kai was so excited-he couldn't take his eyes off of it! He was having the time of his life! He had found this fossil just outside Seattle, nearly 170 miles from his hometown, Portland, and over 800 miles from his current location-which were both his home and office-Palo Alto, California. This discovery was a milestone for him and his team-they could finally get the funding they needed to get new equiptment, take more trips to the field, and hire interns instead of working tirelessly late into the night to record data.

So a little bit about Kai first. He was currently working on his PhD in archaeology and earth science at Stanford's school of environmental and earth sciences. He loved his job-he loved going out to the field, uncovering the mysteries of our past-it made him feel like Indiana Jones, but most of all Kai loved to teach. To put it simply, it was his passion. He loved that he got to shape young minds, that his students looked up to him (he never experienced that during most of his young life), and most importantly, he had got it from her. Her ability to inspire people of all ages, her enthusiasm, her desire to make the world a better place, was contagious and it inevitably had spread to him. She made him good.

"Hey man, it's Jake! What do I say?" Matt yelled from the other room. Matt was also apart of Kai's research team. Kai had his doubts about him, but after a few months out on the field with him, Matt proved to be indispensable. Matt wasn't the academic type at all-but he was now completely immersed in it as he tried to escape his other life-his old life that left back at a small town called Mystic Falls.

Kai finally took his eyes from the fossile. The color from his already pale skin was completely drained. "Tell him I'm not in!"

Matt came into the room with the office phone in one had and with the other, he covered the receiver. "But Kai, he's your brother! Your twin!" Kai was looking at his fossil again-pretending that he hadn't heard a single word that Matt had said. "You two haven't talked since his wedding...which was 6 months ago. Look man, take it from someone who lost their entire family, you two should talk. Plus, he says he's got some big news..."

Kai looked up, Matt had never spoken about his family before. But it just wasn't enough to change his mind. Kai's got a cold heart, you see. Always had, except during those rare occasions in which he loved-so rare that it had only happened twice. He loved so deeply, it was inhumanly possible-to have a heart so cold and yet when it melted, only gold remained. But now, his heart was completely broken and he was sick-sick of caring, sick of loving-that he stopped. "Can't you see that I'm busy?" Kai snapped, but when Kai saw Matt's expression, he immediately felt regret over his harsh words. Damn her, she was the one that taught him empathy. He always knew what the word meant, since he could talk (he was always clever), but never understood it, until she came into his life. She was indeed the best teacher on the face of the earth-she taught a psychopath to empathize with others when he didn't even know how to guilt, regret, or even sympathy... "Tell him that I'll call him back."

Matt rolled his eyes, then started speaking with Jake. "Hey Jake. Oh, you heard him didn't you? Well yeah, he's been really busy but he promises to call back... Yeah I know he says that all the time..." Matt's voice trailed off as he walked into the other room.

Kai closed his eyes and pressed his head into his hands. He wanted to see the darkness beneath his lids, but instead his vision was filled with an image-more accurately a memory-of a pair of big, beautiful, emerald eyes. They were surrounded by the thickest, longest, and blackest eyelashes he had ever seen. He would even swear that they were as long as a giraffe's and she didn't even use mascara. She was the most natural person he had ever known.

Yes, he hadn't spoken to his brother in a few months. Yes, he was avoiding his calls, but he couldn't help it... He was in love with his brother's girl-excuse my interruption, actually Kai's terminology is quite off for once in his life-his brother's wife.

And yes, he had tried the classic one-night stands, strip clubs, and picking up girls at the local bars-but it was no good! He had no trouble picking up girls- as Kai would tell himself, because he was such a catch (it's true, but he has quite the ego)-but every time he brought them back home to finish the deed, he would see those damn eyes and he wouldn't be able to go through it! His memories (and in a particular case, imagination) were not limited to sight; in fact, he experienced synesthesia: he would taste those deliciously plump lips, feel his fingers run through her thick, slightly wavy black hair, and hear her melodious laugh which was in fact the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

It never worked-he could never get over her-no matter how much he tried. No matter how much he wanted to.

The day had slowly come to an end-Kai's temper was soaring-and everyone, including the man himself, was glad that the sun would rise again tomorrow, bringing forth a new day. Kai left his office to go back home-which was conveniently on campus. He had a room to himself with all his necessities, but the walls were bare. After his brother's wedding, he decided to take down all the pictures he had up, except for the ones with his dad. Oh yeah, and the photos with his mom. Kai's mother passed away when he was hardly eight years old. She died giving birth to twins-who also passed. His dad had to raise two boys on his own and although he didn't know how to deal with Kai's unique energy and nature (unlike his wife who understood her misunderstood son) he had done a pretty good job on his own. Kai was in a dark place after his mother's death but after meeting her that all had changed. All he ever wanted was for someone to understand-and she did. Her mother passed away when she was only 6 from cancer leaving an unbelievably strong man to raise TWO girls on his own. She had a sister-no, they aren't twins-who was almost 8 years older. For once in his life, he had finally met someone who knew exactly what he was going through. She too was just like her mother-the resemblance was uncanny-and it was in an instinctual way. But unlike him, she was selfless-she did everything she could to stay and take care of her dad while her sister ran off, chasing her own dreams. She was selfless-just like his brother... That's why the two of them are together-they were made for each other.

Ahh, his brother. Kai and his brother Jake were nearly identical, mind you in looks alone but were as different as day and night. Jake was made up of more bulky muscle-he constantly worked out since he was a detective (former police officer) at the police department in Portland. His hair was shorter and sported a cropped beard that was close to his skin. Kai's body was more toned-like that of a swimmer. Kai usually was clean-shaven, but when sometimes allowed for his stubble to come in-just like he was now. His hair was a little longer in the front, unlike his brother. When it came to personality, Jake easily won. Why? Well, Jake was kind, protective-basically, he was the good brother. He could be overbearing and bossy-Jake always said it was because he was older to which, Kai reminded him by only 2.5 minutes-and serious. Jake hardly ever smiled or laughed, but all that changed when he met her. He was quiet and shy, while Kai was charismatic and charming. Kai typically got all the girls because of his easy-going (or what seemed to be) nature except for of course the girl. Jake was the good brother-the one who didn't fall for his brother's girl... In one of the rare occasions in which Matt shared his past life with Kai, he mentioned a story similar to his-of two brothers both in love with the same girl. He never got to hear what happened in the end... Kai reminded himself that he would ask Matt when he got the chance.

Jake was so good-just like her-which is why Kai came to the conclusion that she fell for Jake and not him. That and because Kai had accidentally and inadvertently set them up when he introduced them to each other.