Flames in the moonlight.

a Tyler&Bonnie fic.

V V V V V V V V V

The cold nostalgia chilled me to my core as I walked into the Mystic Grill. After the coming of the founders events, and with all of the havoc, I had missed my Grams more than I ever had before.

I remembered her sitting me down as a child and trying to explain this world of magic and mystery to me, never revealing the depth and horror lying behind all of it. She would keep a cool facade as I explained to her all of the occuring events in my life, the utter humiliation behind actually believing I had the capability to use magic. It was proposterous. She would sit and nod and every now and then run to her book shelf and grab a novel of sorts. It looked like an old leather binder with loose yellow paper inside. I would have been curious as to what she was reading if only she didn't nod her head when I spoke of the magical events in my life. To be brutally honest, it creeped me out a little bit.

I was suddenly pulled from my reverie when I saw a young gentleman throw open the door to the Mystic Grill, completely unaware of me. His hair was a dark shade of brown, in a crew cut, and the muscles outlined his shirt although he looked drained from sleep deprivation. His deep brown eyes were rimmed with red, and he was shaking terribly. For a fraction of a second I wondered if he was cold, but I felt no breeze, no chill, and he was dressed warmer than I was.

The door's slam echoed across the almost empty lot. Damn, empty lot? How late was it? I completely lost track of time while thinking of Jeremy's death. It was so quick, I never would have expected it. With that goth chic he almost seemed... better. I just needed a damn break from this whole world and the second it seemed I found a reasonable time slot, the only available place was closing.

I was brought back by what seemed to be a grunt and a broken sob mixed as one. The sound was so familiar to me, I recognized the man as soon as I heard it.

Tyler.

He looked down at me pleadingly, help me, is what the gaze said.

I looked up terrified at this sudden change in aura. He usually carried an subconscious aura of arrogance wherever he went, usually twinged with a dash of depression, drugs, alchohol, obedience, and cockiness. He never wanted help, nor needed it. He was somewhat like a certain Salvatore I knew, Damon. But it seemed, no matter how much I truly despised Damon to his core, there was something inside of him whenever he looked at a certain best friend of mine, Elena.

No, I am not saying that I in any way understand him, but the aura is the aura, and I have no effect over what it says to me. Damon's aura usually illustrates the same self righteous attitude as Tyler, but when Stefan, Elena, Damon and I were standing in the Salvatore parlor together, discussing the Gilbert device, there was something in Damon that I had never found before. Behind his arrogant, self-centered attitude, something in his, dare I say it, heart, softened looking at Elena. It was, to say the least, disgusting. Why should he have the right to love? I wanted the answer, so I searched further into his aura, and mixed between the years of gore and stupidity, there was a small place in him that held something, it almost seemed to say to me, "reserved for Elena. Only." there was pain, and sadness, and heartbreak, and defiance, and loyalty, and obsession, and somewhere in there, I felt love. Pure, honest to god, love.

"But you can trust me"

Yes, why yes he most certainly can, Elena.

But he had no right to trust or love or heal; nothing.

I despised him for loving Elena, because he doesn't deserve it.

He can trust her, not me.

But somewhere inside of me, although I knew Damon didn't deserve her love, mixed in the room with passion and guilt and anger and frustration, there was an aura mixed by only two souls.

Understanding.

Well, eenie meenie miny mo, Stefan, you're out.

And I knew, I knew that when he wrapped his long slender fingers around her delicate ones, and forced slight pressure on the device and her hand, there was something that I didn't understand there.

When they touched, their auras went into a frenzy, it was like they were... flames, two flames that merged into one.

And pulling myself back into that singular moment with Tyler, a man I could only bear, there was something that confound his aura and bound it by iron chains.

Fear.

The whole silent exchange took less than a second.

Tyler pushed past me, a force that slammed me into the iron railing and knocked me breathless. I was stuck sitting there numbly when I realized just what Tyler was running from.

A teenager. A fucking teenager. Really?

He wasn't puny, but he was definitely smaller than Tyler, so why was Tyler running? I soon realized that Tyler wasn't running from a fight, but running to avoid one.

Once gathering my breath, I felt a connection to Tyler, and a fierce protection ran over me like a current, slowly pulling all of my fear away.

"What the hell are you doing kid?" I nearly screeched at the dumbfounded teenager.

I saw his him freeze, the muscles in his back tightening and hardening, and an almost demon like aura surrounded him.

And I, Bonnie Bennet, was truly afraid.

He turned sickeningly slowly towards me, almost like a predator who just found his prey, trying to play games. His eyes, so deeply chocolate brown, and where the white was supposed to be red, were so entirely upset, it was difficult not to become lost in his pain and sadness. But amongst all of that was anger. An anger so feirce, he wanted to rip Tyler apart. Peice. By. Peice.

I would have used my magic, I truly would have, just like if I had the capability to speak I would have. But, as fate would have it, they just had to throw in one more life changing turn for me.

There he stood, in clammy, pale, seemingly corpse like flesh and blood.

The recently deceased Jeremy Gilbert.

Oh dear lord, no, they couldn't have.

"Don't bother using your little witchy powers on me, bitch" He spat fiercely. And in the blink of an eye, he grabbed Tyler from across the lot and returned him back to his spot in front of me, pulled his arm around him and constricted his throat.

I felt all of my magic run loose; there was no way in hell I would risk Tyler's life. The connection was... there. It ran through me so strongly, and I let go of my sorcery, just like that. I felt the release, it was as if someone was tugging on the essence of my soul unitl I just... let it go.

"Jeremy," I began softly, "Why? How are you even-"

"Alive?" He interrupted rudely, "How the fuck do you think, brainiac?"

I was taken aback by his harsh words, but put it together. Vampire.

"Did you know it takes only a drop of vampire blood to kill a wolf?" he seethed while tearing his wrist open.

Tyler's eyes went round at the mention of wolf. Wolf? I remember my Grams mentioning to me something about werewolves in the Lockwood journal, why was I so idiotic not to put it together?

But I stopped paying attention to Tyler, and completely focused myself on Jeremy. Damon had gone too far this time, and it was time to end him, but the lingering curiosity of why he did it plagued me, "Why did Damon do this to you?"

Jeremy scoffed, "Do you really think he would do that to Elena, you idiot?" I didn't understand, not one bit, and I looked at him in confusion, "I did this to myself! I drank Anna's blood, and then overdosed. Damon didn't do this to me" he barked out a little laugh afterwards.

Anna? Was that the girl he was spending his time with lately?

"Anna..." I spoke, waiting for him to continue.

"Was a vampire, was my girlfriend, was my life..." he said the next part slowly, and I heard his voice break, I assumed along with his heart, "was my everything."

"Was?" I asked, although I was certain I knew the answer.

"My uncle John," Jeremy began, almost sounding as if he was choking, "killed her."

Uncle John... god damn it! I knew when I saw him in town that there was something peculiar about his aura, but I couldn't place it. He was a vampire hunter.

He was, most likely, hunting Jeremy. The look in his eyes as he mentioned John's name said that to me. I wouldn't dwell on the subject, we had no time.

"Elena is worried!" I nearly yelled, changing the subject, "she thinks you're dead"

"Ha," Jeremy chuckled soberly, "I guess she lies to you, too."

"What?" I asked, sincerely curious, fearing the answer, nonetheless.

"She knows that I'm a vampire, she just hasn't found me. She needs people to think I'm dead. Apparently you aren't close enough into this entire world," he paused and threw a smirk onto his face, "I'm sorry, her entire world, to know the truth."

Tears began to form in my eyes, but I would not be distracted, not now. Not when it mattered the most. "Why are you doing this?" I breathed.

"Easy," Jeremy shrugged indifferently, "Tyler made my life a living hell, why would I give him the chance to make my death one, too?"

"Jeremy," I began, "please."

Jeremy laughed without humor, "Do you think that little innocent, vulnerable act is going to work on me? I am no Damon" his last part confused me, he continued, "where the weakening for a human part is concerned, that is."

"You aren't Damon," I began, "you're better."

He threatened to pull his bloody wrist to Tyler's mouth when I said that.

This was going to sting a little, "Just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you have to be a monster," yep, bile just rose in my throat, but I continued trying to sound as heartfelt as possible.

For Tyler, I reminded myself. "You have a soul, Jeremy. I know it, I can feel it." I begged for the sake of Tyler, "Be better than this. I know you can do it, just be better"

"I don't have a soul!"

"Yes you do," I choked, "yes. you. do. If you don't then... fine. Prove me wrong," I tested, and by the look on Tyler's face, he wasn't pleased by my noble sacrifice, "Take your wrist, and shove your blood down his throat. But you... you have to keep in mind that you will have to kill me too."

Jeremy's eyes began to water, "I'll do it"

"Yes, but would Anna?" I questioned, tears running down my face.

Jeremy looked up at me, tears threatening to overflow any second, "You didn't know her-"

"But you loved her," I paused, "and that means that she was worth loving. Don't turn your back on the humanity left inside of you. Don't give up on Elena, Aunt Jenna, your friends and family... Don't give up on Anna"

Jeremy turned his head towards me slowly, tears glistened in his eyes and his hair stuck to where it ran down his cheeks, "this is your fault, Bonnie" he said more accusingly than angrily, "You never stopped the device, I know. I know what you were supposed to do and now she'd dead! You deserve it-".

I gathered a shaky breath, "then kill me," I said with conviction and courage, but then I went back to pleading, "but not him"

Jeremy looked up strangely at my comment, "Why do you care so much?" he choked.

I simply shook my head, "I have no idea."

Jeremy chuckled a tiny bit, but then his chuckle turned into a full blown sob. He dropped Tyler on the spot, and Tyler just sat numbly, gasping for the air that was suddenly available to his lungs.

Jeremy stood staring at Tyler from above for a second, but then faster than humanly possible was standing in front of me.

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat, and the bead of sweat that fell from my forehead. Would he actually kill me?

But quite on the contrary, he wrapped his arms around me and held me close to him as though I was his only link to humanity left. Then he let go.

It took no words, no frustration, no fighting, he just understood when I nodded north towards Elena's house. It was time for him to go home.

He swallowed quickly and ran at human speed towards his old house.

I allowed myself to break down then.

I was so sick; sick of all of the anger and secrets. I collapsed on the wet ground and it seemed as if I was falling, falling into to nothingness. I blacked out. I was collapsing in upon myself and when it seemed like I'd lost all hope, I found that maybe, just maybe, there was.

I could hear someone lightly stumble to his feet, but it never registered, I was too involved in my own worries. Looking back I think of Tyler, and for such a bulky, football player type of body, he had an indescribable grace and beauty when he walked, and it didn't lack even when he was nearly choked to death.

The sobs wracked my whole frame, tore me apart from the inside, and I was losing conciousness of everything around me. The auras, they... vanished. I couldn't feel anything anymore, therefore I couldn't understand what I was supposed to do.

Then, the most rare, completely shocking thing happened.

I wasn't completely aware then, of how it happened, but looking back, I knew I felt it. I felt the magic slide gracefully back inside of me, like a soul returning to it's body.

Huh.

Without my magic, was I just an empty shell? The thought dawned on me but never intrigued me enough to keep me interested in it. Because I felt an aura.

I was confused and hurt and shocked, but this aura filled me from the inside, I had never felt one so strong, except for... ugh. Damon when he's with Elena. But I pushed that forsaken thought aside and focused on what I felt, while keeping my eyes sternly focused on the ground. I understood that auras, if strong enough, could be echoed long distances as long as the emotion was there, and fearing I would shatter the illusion that someone was there with me, I basked in the glory of this strong aura that nearly knocked me breathless.

All around me, there was wonder, and confusion, and shock, and sorrow. There was life, and anger, and frustration, and pure hopelessness; pure loss. I regained my breath, because finally there was someone there to feel. I let out tiny, broken gasps for air, and then felt a twinge of concern in the nearby aura. Who... who would be concerned for me?

I was snapped out of my reverie by a strong, muscular hand being offered to me, and who was I to deny such a chivalrous action, whoever this person was?

I didn't lift my gaze from the wet concrete, but slowly, cautiously, trying desperately to remember what had just happened, I inched my delicate hand towards his.

I feared for the moment we made contact, because maybe my powers took me over and no one was actually there, maybe it was just an illusion. But I had to try, maybe I would remember what had happened... now think, Bonnie, it was after Jeremy's memorial you walked to the Mystic Grill... thats where you saw-

Tyler.

I made contact.

And it was an explosion. There was pain, there was loss, there was happiness, intertwined with guilt for the pleasures we undertook while unworthy, both of us. We both basked in the glory of knowing that what we wanted was ours for the taking, and we carried it with us. And I felt an electric current run through my fingers, and the physical reaction was shown in him.

His eyes widened, and he shivered, basking in this forbidden pleasure we shared for half a second.

Most importantly though, through one contact, there was light. It was color, it was brilliance, it was the deepest most devoted beauty that took my breath away like a gentle wind, that caressed my face...

No, the wind wasn't doing that, there was no breeze, so why does my face feel as though-

I stiffened and became achingly aware of the hand he had lain on my cheek.

"Hey," he had breathed ever so softly against the dull, lifeless night, and the words carried to me like a whisper against a storm. At least, I was feeling a storm.

I melted half a second after I had stiffened, and the tears that inched their way down my rosy cheeks were being cautiously removed, wiped away in a soft gesture just to show that he was present, a soft gesture that I had never seen in Tyler before.

The electricity turned into a warm glow, and I indulged in the fire and warmth that spread through my entire body.

It felt as though we were both two parts of a puzzle that finally connected after hours and hours of confusion and searching for the right peice.

I felt as though we were two halves to a whole, ignoring all customs and fleeing to eachother.

I felt like a magnetic current was running through the air and making it impossible to breathe without touching him.

And it felt as though two... flames. Two flames had come together, and merged as one.

It took me one second to save the warmth of the single touch into my head and lock it away. Far, far away.

It took two seconds for him to pull back, wondering if he'd startled me.

It took me three seconds to realize that that could never happen again. Never.

Children of the darkness, werewolf and witch, were not meant to feel this way for each other. It was, for lack of a better word, forbidden.

I groaned against the ground, all the memories of the nights events terrifying me and intrigueing me. I saved him... I risked my life... why?

For this, I internally scolded myself, for this fleeting second of warmth.

"Bonnie... you... you know about this world?" Tyler asked, his voice shaking slightly, gesturing broadly with his arms to indicate the myths that lived in this town.

My voice wavered a little, "yes, Tyler... I'm a witch"

Tyler chuckled, his eyes warming, and I saw his wall he put up for protection crumble into ruins, "Well, I'm a werewolf," he saw the flash of genuine fear breifly cross my face, although not fear for what he was, fear for him, and he said, "but I don't understand it all... this secret world, I'm new to it"

"Welcome to the club" I chuckled bitterly. He could learn, he could be controlled. He could live normally.

I would make positive that he sure as hell did.

"Don't I get a damn... 'welcome' fruit basket or something?" Tyler asked sarcastically, a last minute effort to make me laugh.

It worked, despite me desperately not wanting it to.

I wanted to deny what I felt with Tyler, it didn't... exist.

Yes, in this world where demons and witches and vampires and werewolves lurked among the mortals, I refused to believe that I, Bonnie Bennett, could feel this way, could feel like a... flame, recognizing my one true half. I refused to.

In fairy tales, I refused to believe that this kind of feeling was real, but I had no problem believing that witches and demons and warlocks and werewolves and vampires exist.

But this feeling didn't.

And as I saw him there, his face stained with blood and sweat, and tears glistening in his eyes, I made a vow.

I, Bonnie Bennett, will never let Tyler take away the one thing I desperately need in this life. Reality.

I stood up, refusing the help of his hand, and we gazed at eachother and relished in the glow.

We both began to walk our seperate ways. And underneath the moonlight, I saw him phaze into his true being.

Yes.

This world exists.

No.

This feeling doesn't.

It can't.

Not for me.