New Year's Eve

Bonnie doesn't wake up until that afternoon. She can hear Jeremy and Tyler downstairs, talking and laughing and trying to make breakfast or lunch or whatever it is they want to call it. She hasn't slept in her dad's bed since she was little and she used to run to him with her midnight terrors. That was so long ago and all the fears were way less tangible then. She doesn't get up right away. When she closes her eyes, she can sense them, Jeremy and Tyler. Tyler's pouring orange juice into three glasses. The juice runs out as he's filling the third and he tries to level them all out while Jeremy scrambles eggs.

When the eggs are done, Bonnie hears Jeremy coming up the stairs to wake her. She still doesn't move.

"Bonnie?"

He comes to sit down next to her on the bed. He's about to touch her, shake her gently but he stops when he realizes she's awake.

"Hey. We made breakfast," he says. For some reason he looks really good in the morning.

"I know," she says. "I'll be down in a few."

"Okay." He stands to go and she considers telling him to wait. They should probably talk about what almost happened between them last night. If not for Tyler dying, they would have had sex on her couch. She wonders if he would have made breakfast afterward. He's out the door before she can find the words.

Bonnie pulls on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. When she gets downstairs, there's a plate of eggs and toast waiting for her along with a glass of orange juice that she notices is slightly more full than the other two.

"Morning," she says.

"Morning," Jeremy and Tyler echo.

"Caroline's been calling," Tyler says. "I haven't answered but…she's calling."

"What should we tell her?" Jeremy asks. "The truth?"

"But she might tell Stefan," Tyler adds. A while ago Bonnie thought it was only Damon's name that she'd hear with such hatred behind it but Tyler's managed to transfer that same venom to Stefan's.

"I don't think she will," Bonnie says. "Once we explain, she'll be as angry with him as we are."

"Well, not as angry," Jeremy corrects. "I doubt Caroline's going to want to get in on our plans."

If only she did.

Bonnie just hopes Caroline doesn't make an excuse for Stefan. That's more up Elena's alley than hers but Caroline does trust Stefan. And even if she hated Damon, she sympathizes with Stefan, who lost his brother. And what was the real loss? Caroline didn't have much of a relationship with the hybrids and Tyler's perfectly fine now.

Suddenly telling Caroline doesn't seem like such a great idea.

"What do we do about Klaus?"

"I can handle Klaus," Bonnie says.

They could hide Tyler anyway. There are spells she could try, ones that would hide him in plain sight. And he's fairly safe in her house since Klaus can't get in but she remembers how Klaus was willing to destroy Elena's house to get into it. She can work something out.

They eat while discussing what else to do.

"We'll have to explain why you saved Tyler," Jeremy says.

"I don't think anyone's going to complain," Bonnie says. She's Bonnie. Saving them is supposed to be her thing.

"Klaus will," Tyler points out. "And as far as everyone knows, we're barely friends so how are you going to explain why you did it? Or how you even knew?"

"We'll say Jeremy found you," Bonnie says, "and brought you here hoping I could help. And I could. If anyone asks, Jeremy's heart was the one I stopped for the spell." That last thing she needs is any more moral policing from Elena or Caroline or anyone really.

"So I should call Caroline?" Tyler says.

"Yeah," Bonnie says. "She can come over here. You can explain everything to her."

"What should we do about Stefan?"

"What we were always going to do," Bonnie says. "We kill him."

"Has it died down yet?"

"No," Bonnie sighs. If anything it's only gotten worse. If Stefan starts to think Tyler's a threat because of what he did, he might start making connections. He already knew a hybrid was involved. She tells the boys this and they both groan. "You just have to make it clear that even though you're pissed, you're not a threat to Stefan. Not enough of one to kill him anyway."

"And in the meantime we come up with a foolproof plan for killing him," Jeremy says.

Bonnie thinks it gives them plenty of time to find a work around for the countless things that could go wrong with their so called foolproof plan. Their first plan to kill Stefan was butchered and they were almost derailed with Damon.

They finish up breakfast but Tyler doesn't call Caroline right away.

"I can call her," Bonnie says, when it's been over an hour and Tyler still hasn't made a move to contact her.

"No, I'll do it."

"But you're not doing it," she points out. She reaches for her phone.

"I'm breaking up with her," he says.

"Oh." She doesn't know what to say about that. Caroline's her best friend but Tyler's up there, too. She doesn't think she's ever had this problem before not even when Elena and Caroline had their respective things with Matt. She doesn't know who she's supposed to focus on, which one gets her attention, her sympathy.

Tyler must sense her discomfort. "So I just…I should call her. And when she comes, we should probably be alone."

"Yeah, sure," Bonnie agrees. She puts her phone back down. "Me and Jeremy will be in the backyard. We'll find something to do." She's a witch. She can think of something.

He calls Caroline when Bonnie goes to explain to Jeremy that they have to go sit outside. Jeremy argues a bit. "Bonnie, it's cold."

"I'll make it warm," she promises. She expects him to make that dirty somehow, like Tyler would but maybe it doesn't occur to him or the concept is too awkward after what almost happened.

"Why can't we just go upstairs?" he asks .

"Because," she says, "we're going outside. We're going to do some gardening."

Bonnie drags Jeremy out to the backyard when Caroline arrives. She came when Tyler called, confused but willing. "What are you doing here? I've been calling you all day, you know."

"I know," Tyler says. "Sit down."

He doesn't bother trying to pretend. Caroline catches on because she asks, "What's wrong?"

He just says it. It won't sound better, it won't hurt less because he draws it out.

"Klaus killed the other hybrids last night," he says. "All of them."

Caroline looks horrified. "I don't understand. Why would he do that?"

Tyler explains but leaves out the part about Stefan's involvement until Caroline asks. "How did he find out?"

He thinks there are two ways for Caroline to react. The first one involves disbelief and her assuring him that there was some mistake or Klaus lied or something because Stefan wouldn't do that. The second involves her being just as enraged as him and going over to the Salvatore manor to rip Stefan a new one because he isn't supposed to be that way. He's supposed to be Stefan, the good brother. In both scenarios, he hasn't yet told her that he doesn't want to be with her anymore.

He still loves her, that much is obvious to him. He can't look at her without wanting to hug her and he knows that as soon as he tells her, as soon as he says he wants out, she'll say something that'll make him want to change his mind. She'll touch him, kiss him and remind him why he wanted to be with her in the first place. But he tells himself to soldier on. It's not fair to either of them anymore. He spends more time with Jeremy and Bonnie than he does with her and most of their time together has become a lie. He can't tell her about the one thing that's been sustaining him. The thought of killing Damon and Stefan, the feelings of relief, of pride, of happiness when they succeeded with Damon, the anticipation of killing Stefan. It's taken him over and the small part of him that still belongs with Caroline gets smaller and smaller everyday.

And she was supposed to be on his side. Maybe he didn't tell her to the keep the hybrids a secret, maybe he didn't tell her not to tell Stefan. But a part of him thinks she should have known but that's not fair either. He wants to be bitter and spiteful but that was a different Tyler, under different circumstances.

"Tyler," she says. "How did he find out?"

He's thinking too much. Worry is written all over her face.

"Stefan told him."

Caroline's face drops. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Stefan told him," he repeats. "Stefan offered it up to get Klaus to save Damon. Klaus collected. Stefan told him." He sounds harsh. He tries not to.

Caroline is quiet for awhile. He can hear Jeremy and Bonnie out in the yard laughing together. God, he'd love to be out there with them right now.

They go with scenario number one.

"Klaus must have...Stefan wouldn't have done that. He knows what Klaus is like."

"Yeah, he does," Tyler agrees. He hasn't told her about him and Klaus yet, about Bonnie's spell or his heart in her hand. "There's more."

Caroline looks like she'd rather they left it at that but she nods her head. "What else?"

"He killed me," Tyler says. "Klaus did."

"What do you mean? You're...fine."

"He pulled my heart out," he says. "And I was dead."

"But how are you...?"

"Jeremy found me and Bonnie did a spell," Tyler says. He won't mention the gory details unless she asks. "But I was dead and Klaus killed me because Stefan told him that I was the Alpha and was unsiring hybrids."

"Tyler-"

"I know you didn't do this on purpose but you told him."

"I didn't think it was a secret. I mean, not from Stefan at least. He's been on your side."

"No, he hasn't," Tyler snaps. "He wasn't on my side when he killed Chris. Stefan's on his side and Damon's side and Elena's side. Maybe yours but he's not on mine. And I don't think you are either."

"Tyler-" She's beginning to understand and she reaches out to him but he pulls away before she can touch him. "I don't think Klaus told you the truth."

"Why would he lie?"

"Because of this! Because it would break us up!"

Tyler thinks Klaus should be able to find better things to do than break them up but it's Klaus. Maybe he doesn't have anything better to do. And he's obsessed with Caroline. Getting a clearer path to her would surely be a benefit of killing him but Caroline wasn't the reason Klaus killed him and the pack. Caroline was probably the last thing on Klaus' mind last night.

"He killed me, Caroline! I wasn't going to be alive to break up with you anyway."

Caroline seems to deflate and she shakes her head slightly. "I don't know why Stefan would do that. I'll talk to him. Just let me talk to him."

"You can talk to him however much you want," he sighs, "but it won't change anything. I don't want to do this anymore."

"Do what?"

"Wonder if you're with me or with them."

"Them? Who's them? Stefan and Elena? They're my friends!"

"And every single hybrid that died last night was my friend," Tyler says. "And one of your friends got them killed." Just like they get everyone killed.

"Give me a chance to sort this out," she says. They're both quiet for awhile then she adds, "I don't want to break up."

Tyler doesn't know what to say to her. She means well. Caroline has always meant well but it's not enough anymore. He forces himself to look her in the eye when he speaks. "I do."

Caroline bites down on her lip and he can see the tears building in her eyes. He hates when she cries. He always wants to comfort her and comfort would be confusing right now, for both of them. "I'm sorry," she says.

Welcome to Mystic Falls, where everyone is sorry but nothing ever changes.

"I know."

She stands up, gripping her purse tightly in both hands. She might tear it. "Tell Bonnie I'll call her later."

Tyler nods and goes to walk her to the door. It feels weird since it's not his house and he's breaking up with Caroline and usually they kiss when saying goodbye but now they don't even touch. She steps out onto the porch and stands there for awhile, like she's trying to think of something more to say. When she's decided, she turns around. "I"ll talk to Stefan," she says. "I"ll figure it out and I'll let you know what he says."

"You don't have to." He doesn't really care about Stefan's reasoning and he doesn't want Caroline to feel like she has to see him, when he's made it clear he doesn't really want to see her anymore.

"But I will," she insists. He thinks there might be a little bit of scenario two taking place later and it makes him happy. She thinks Stefan is on her side but Tyler doesn't think he knows how to be. He doesn't want Caroline to become a casualty, too. "I am on your side, Tyler."

"Is she gone?" Jeremy asks.

Bonnie nods and reaches her hands back into the dirt, letting it fall through her fingers. It moves for her like it's spring and the ground isn't hard and cold and unyielding. The earth is loose and flexible and submissive to her fingers. She makes flowers bloom, right over the body of the man they killed last night. It brightens the place up a bit and Bonnie always looks at peace with her magic, when it's not giving her nosebleeds and making her pass out. When it's like this, it's nice to watch. It wasn't so nice to watch her veins go dark beneath her skin last night. They'll have to tell her about that eventually but it seems like a bad time. As promised, the space is warm. Or at least it is to him. He isn't sure how real it is but it feels like spring.

Jeremy turns his head when the back door slams shut and Tyler comes down the steps, walking toward them with his eyes glued to the ground. "How'd it go?" he asks.

"It went," Tyler answers.

"So you're...no longer...Tyler and Caroline?"

He nods and joins them on the ground. "She says she's going to talk to Stefan."

Jeremy scoffs. "Do we care what Stefan has to say?"

"Not especially," Bonnie chimes. She's dragging her hands through the earth and where she touches, the dirt looks richer. Little flower buds pop out of the ground to chase after her fingers. "Was she okay?"

"She cried," Tyler says.

"Caroline's a crier," she says. "But was she okay otherwise?"

Tyler obviously into sure of that but Bonnie's phone starts ringing. "That's her," she says without looking. She stands and pulls her phone from her pocket. "Hi," she says as she walks back into the house. She takes the warmth with her.

"What are you two doing out here?" Tyler asks.

"Gardening," Jeremy says. "But it's kinda hard to do without Bonnie so..."

"So when are we going to tell her about her veins?" Tyler asks. He makes a face and Jeremy knows what he means. The fact that they have to talk to Bonnie about her veins of all things.

"When she comes back," Jeremy says.

Bonnie returns a few minutes later.

"Is she okay?" Tyler asks.

"Well, as good as you'd expect," she answers. "You did just break up with her. But she is going to talk to Stefan. She's on her way over there now. So, now what?"

Tyler nods to Jeremy.

"Well," he says, "there's actually something we want to talk to you about."

"What?"

"Your...magic," Jeremy says. "When you did the spell, to kill that guy, something happened to you."

Bonnie raises an eyebrow. "What?"

"It's hard to explain," he says, even though it's not really, "but it looked like your veins were...black."

"My veins?"

She looks back and forth between them. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I didn't notice anything."

"You were kind of occupied at the time," Tyler points out. "We just wanted you to know in case it's something bad."

"It's nothing bad," Bonnie says. "It's probably just an effect of the spell but I feel fine and I talked to Shane and he said it was okay. Don't worry about it. I'm not."

But maybe you should be, Jeremy wants to say. Maybe Shane doesn't know everything and Bonnie's still pretty new with the magic thing. She knows more than they do but she's only been doing it for a year. They could be missing something, this could mean more than any of them knows. But Bonnie says she's fine and Tyler looks ready to drop it, too. But Jeremy files it away for later, just in case it does mean something.

That night they sit in Bonnie's living room with glasses of champagne she found underneath the kitchen counter, glasses they don't even touch, surrounding the tiny coffee table. There are pages and pages of paper between them. Jeremy draws diagrams for how they could kill Stefan. He draws little y pictures and they all smile over them. There's a little thing Connor made, that will shoot straight through a vampire and take out their heart. He thinks they could use that. But Tyler vetoes it because it's too quick for Stefan. They all agree.

The New Year's crap going on at Times Square is on the TV but none of them are watching.

It's weird to be here without Elena and Caroline. Usually they'd go to Elena's house and watch all of this and sip champagne and get tipsy under the watchful eye of Elena's parents. They didn't mind it if it was New Year's. Of course they should get to drink champagne. Today Bonnie hasn't even spoken to Elena and Caroline has fallen off the radar. When she called Bonnie she was crying, feeling guilty and confused and wondering how she was this upset about breaking up with her boyfriend when there could be a trio of murderers running around trying to pick them off one by one and everything is falling apart.

Bonnie told her she had every right to be upset. She didn't mention that Tyler was still at her house and besides a phone call with his mom earlier, he apparently had no intention of leaving. She wonders how it went with Stefan.

"She's going to this thing for public people," Tyler said, as an explanation for why he was going to ring in the New Year with them. "I mean she wouldn't go if she knew what happened last night but, you know...I don't want to freak her out."

And then they got to planning Stefan's demise and they have yet to come up for air. Neither Tyler nor Jeremy has mentioned her supposedly black veins again either.

Bonnie thinks it's too early to be planning like this. Between now and when they decide is the perfect time for Stefan and Damon to be reunited, Stefan could leave town with Elena, or another big, scary bad trying to kill Elena could blow into town, or there could be some kind of natural disaster that wipes them all off the map. Anything could happen and if something does, all their planning could be for nothing. But Tyler and Jeremy are restless.

It's getting close to midnight. They almost miss it but Tyler happens to be looking at the screen and sees the countdown reaching zero. They pause from the planning to watch it. 5...4...3...2...1...0.

Times Square explodes in showers of glitter and streamers and music. Bonnie's living room is still.

"Well," Tyler says, "Happy New Year."

Jeremy and Bonnie echo the sentiment then she looks back down at the table. "What do you guys think about fire?"

Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'll be updating again soon.