Bonnie surveyed the damage inside Rebekah's kitchen. The ham was quite pitifully charred, and the cranberry sauce was a bubbling crust at the bottom of the pan. There was a pan of mashed potatoes that looked like greying baby food, and some raw greens sitting uncut on the counter top. She realized that Klaus had always had hired cooks on hand, which probably gave Rebekah no practice in the culinary arts.

"Well," she said with deliberate brightness, "it could be worse."

"How?" the blond vampire wailed, ignoring Stefan's comforting hand rubbing her back, "everything's a mess."

"Well," she thought fast, "we still have time to make some roast chicken and mashed potatoes, those don't take very long. And you still have the pies to make."

"That's true," Rebekah conceded, "Elijah! Nik! Get in here."

"We're a bit busy at the moment," Klaus shouted back from the living room.

"Busy doing what?" Rebekah stormed out of the kitchen, Bonnie and Stefan trailing behind.

There was Elijah with bits of tinsel clinging to his sweater and hair, still looking impeccably composed as he untangled a length of Christmas lights in his large hands. Bonnie glimpsed Klaus ducking behind the branches.

"Leave the tree for now boys, we need some supplies."

"Why can't he go?" Elijah nodded at Stefan.

"Because the last time he spent four hours looking for "organic alternatives."

"Hey," Stefan protested, "just because we don't need the food nutritonally doesn't mean we shouldn't-,"

"Yes yes, you were a hippie in another life, I get it," Rebekah quipped, but she was smiling.

That's when Klaus came into view from behind the tree, and Bonnie almost spluttered trying to swallow her giggles. His sweater was grey, which was better than lurid red and green, and she actually loved how grey brought out his blue eyes, but there were fluffy cotton snowmen sewed on at the shoulders and chest that gave him the impression of having gotten in a quarrel with a bottle of Cool Whip.

Stefan snorted, "Very uhh artistic bro."

"Shut up, Stefan."

Rebekah handed Elijah a list, "Here's what we need, get it and hurry back. We still have to finish the tree before midnight."

Klaus glanced over Elijah's shoulder, "And where are we supposed to find cranberries and agave nectar on Christmas Eve in this popsicle stand of a town? Or did you forget Mystic Falls is incapacitated during holidays?"

Bonnie pondered this, "No, actually there's a small bodega on the west-side that's open pretty late. You should be able to find stuff."

They grumbled their way out of the house, Klaus stealing Bonnie for a quick kiss in the hallway that wasn't very quick at all and elicited a stern throat-clearing from Elijah that reminded Bonnie he'd once aspired to a priesthood.

Klaus swore softly, "Next year, I'm whisking you away to some god forsaken part of the world for at least a month."

Bonnie laughed against his chest, though her heart did a strange thump. He was thinking about next year, about the future. Did that mean-

"I'll make it up to you later," she whispered, causing his blue eyes to darken and earning a delicious squeeze of her ass like a promise.

Klaus gave her one of his wicked dimpled smiles and sauntered out the door with his older brother in disapproving tow.