Look at this, an update that's actually on time. Anyway, for the sake of not confusing you guys as the timeline advances I've changed the flashback headings to "Then" and "Now". Thanks for reading, and please do leave reviews. I love hearing what you guys think!

Not A Vampire

"Marcel!"

Tyler really didn't have to yell. Marcel was only a few steps ahead of him and walking leisurely, but it felt important to yell. It got the job done at least.

Marcel wheeled around, inclining his head curiously. "Yes?"

"You're making her a target," Tyler said. "You know that right?"

Inside the building, they were cut off from the rumble of dissent outside, the grieving witches and vampires pointing them back toward wherever they'd come from. Everyone else was outside helping clear the building. Only Tyler couldn't help, hindered by the secret that was his presence.

Marcel raised his eyebrows. "Are we talking about Bonnie?" he asked with a curious lilt to his voice.

Tyler let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes. Marcel-"

His annoyance must have been plain because Marcel waved a hand. "Yes, I know what I'm doing." With that, he turned and resumed his walk toward the bar.

"Those witches think she's on your side," Tyler said, hurrying to keep up. "Most importantly," he added, reaching for Marcel's arm, "Klaus is going to think she's on your side."

And Klaus wasn't known for his ability to effectively reason with others, especially when one accounted for his excess of paranoia. At the very least Klaus would rescind every bit of help he'd provided Bonnie with since they'd partnered up. At the most, he'd cut his losses and kill her rather than have the lone witch in New Orleans allied with his enemy. Either way, Bonnie lost.

Marcel rested a hand on top of Tyler's where he held his wrist, looking him directly in the eye. "I know," he said.

Marcel pulled away but Tyler tugged him back. "Klaus could kill her."

"He won't," Marcel said, gently prying Tyler's hand off of his wrist and turning to the bar which he rounded to bend down and find two glasses.

"You don't know that," Tyler said.

Marcel pointed his eyes to the ceiling. "Yes, I do. He won't kill her, and Bonnie's no shrinking violet either. She's found herself a real knack for self-preservation. You know that."

Tyler frowned down at the bar. Yes, Bonnie knew how to stay alive now, knew how to play the game, was willing to do anything to remain a player in it, Klaus's shining star. But it wasn't Bonnie who got to decide what value Klaus placed in her. If he thought she was more trouble than she was help, he may cut her loose, and if Klaus abandoned Bonnie she'd have nothing and no one except...

Tyler scoffed. "You think Bonnie will come to you if Klaus turns against her." Marcel shrugged and filled his glass and then Tyler's, pushing it toward him. Tyler shook his head down at it, almost laughing. "And what if it doesn't work?"

Marcel shrugged again. "Have some faith, Tyler. I told you this was going to push this up a notch, and it will. For me, for you. For all of us. Everything's happening almost exactly the way I want it to."

"Almost exactly," Tyler repeated.

"There are always slight differences," Marcel acknowledged with a nod of his head. "Listen up. This is a teaching moment."

Tyler rolled his eyes but rested an elbow on the counter. "Okay."

""The key to all of this, to what I do, to who I am - is manipulation," Marcel said. "Good, old-fashioned manipulation. And the key to manipulation? Knowing who you're up against, knowing their strengths, their weaknesses, their hopes, their fears, their desires. And exploiting those things. If you know those, you can make anyone do exactly what you want with a few well-placed circumstances."

"So this is a well-placed circumstance?" Tyler asked. "Taking away the witches' powers?"

Marcel smiled. "This is a very well-placed circumstance. We're protected from the witches now, and we've set some things in motion."

Tyler blinked. "Really?"

"Really," Marcel assured him. "Klaus fails at the long game. I'm not perfect, I'll admit, but I'm better at that than he is. Klaus has no patience, and that's another thing you need to have. Be patient. Always patient. Until you can't be anymore, at the very last second when things start coming to head. If you've got the pieces set up right, they'll move on their own. I rarely make any moves, Tyler. I make a few, yes, but everyone else are the ones running around, working too hard."

Meanwhile Marcel was pouring liquor and lounging at his bar while witches were lamenting the loss of their powers and asking one another how Bonnie Bennett, the one witch in town who was definitely on Klaus' side, definitely not on Marcel's and descended from a super powerful line was the only one who got to keep hers.

"What do you think Klaus is doing right now?" Marcel asked after he took a sip of his drink.

Tyler shrugged. "Breaking something. There's probably some screaming involved. And someone's getting physically assaulted before the sun comes up."

Marcel grinned. "Sounds about right. And look at us. We're...just fine."

"Mmhmm," Tyler said, tapping his foot on the floor. He considered before asking his question. "How'd you do it?"

Marcel looked at him as if he didn't know what Tyler was referring to. "How'd you take their powers?" Tyler clarified.

Marcel smiled. "You think I'm gonna answer that?"

"A witch?" Tyler questioned. It was the only possibility. What else could strip hundreds of witches of their birthrights in one fell swoop? No vampire had the ability, not even New Orleans' king.

"If you have her, why do you need Bonnie?" Tyler asked.

A smirk rested on Marcel's face as Tyler stared at him, waiting for Marcel to say something. Finally he said, "Drink your drink, kid."

Tyler did.

"We should get you back home. You've got an early day," Marcel said, checking his watch.

"I do?"

"You wanted to talk to the wolves didn't you? You'll be going there today."

Then

The night was going to be the hottest it had ever been, and the air conditioning unit in Tyler's apartment had cut out twice already. The heat wasn't bothersome for a hybrid but the humidity left everything in his apartment feeling slightly damp so he went up to the roof of the building where he sat on the edge, feet dangling over onto the street below.

It wasn't dark yet, but it would be soon. Tonight was a full moon. Tyler hadn't yet gotten out of the habit of checking for it even though the days when he'd lock himself in the cellar and chain himself up were behind him. Up here he would be closer to it than he'd ever been before, and it wouldn't have any effect on him whatsoever. It was just the moon to him, benign and unimportant.

Below something clanged in the alley.

Tyler peered over the edge, past his dangling feet to two shapes making their way down the alley. They were practically glued to one another, hobbling down the alley with their arms wrapped around one another.

"We're not gonna make it," the guy said. "I can't-"

"We still have time," the girl said. "The transformation still takes forever for you, and I've got at least an hour left. We'll find somewhere. Come on we should-"

A muffled groan from her partner silenced her.

"Adam," she said, when she found her voice again. "Let's go."

Tyler tilted his head back to the look at the moon in all its benign unimportance. There weren't supposed to be any werewolves in the city. That was what Lydia said. New Orleans' vampire king wasn't going to stand for a bunch of ferocious werewolves capable of damning him with a single bite remaining in the city. But these two had to be werewolves. If anyone saw them, if they hurt anyone, Marcel would make sure they paid the consequences.

He probably shouldn't get involved. After all, he wasn't a werewolf anymore and was perfectly capable of spending his full moons on the roof. He didn't need any trouble. He was supposed to be staying under the radar, not getting on top of it.

But they wouldn't find anywhere to go, not before one of them turned, and Tyler had just the place.

He pushed himself off the edge and hit the ground with bent knees and very little noise. The pair heard him as he landed on the one having to put a hand on the wall to steady himself through the pain.

The girl stepped forward, a hand extended. "Wait," she said. "We're leaving. We were passing through on our way outside of the city. We got stranded. We're not trying to break any rules. We're just looking for somewhere to go where we won't be a problem. Okay?"

It took Tyler awhile to realize what the problem was, what they thought he was. "Oh," he said. "I'm not with Marcel. Do you need help?"

The girl looked from Tyler to Adam. She opened her mouth to speak and doubled over instantly, letting out a cry through gritted teeth. "Shit," she snarled. "We need somewhere to go."

Tyler nodded. "Come on," he said, motioning for them to follow him. The apartment building he'd chosen probably wasn't passing many inspections but the landlord was never around and there was a basement. It was cool and damp, possibly a little moldy as well, but Tyler didn't think either of the werewolves were in any position to argue.

The girl held Adam up as they stumbled down the staircase behind Tyler, clinging to the unsteady railing and trying to remain upright.

Tyler approached the corner of the room where a heavy door led to what the landlord had appeared to be an old freezer, no longer being used. He'd discovered it just a few days ago, while he was trying to kill time. With Lydia mysteriously AWOL, he had to entertain himself somehow, and poking around the shithole he'd chosen as a place of residence was how he did it.

Tyler pulled the door open. Inside it smelled musty and wet. "This is the best I can do," he said, with a feeble gesture.

"It's not gonna hold," Adam said right before his left leg gave way underneath him with a sickening crack. The girl held him up with one arm.

"I'll can handle it," Tyler said. "I'll keep you in."

Adam looked to the girl skeptically. "If we get out, and we bite you, you'll die," she warned.

"I'm not a vampire," Tyler said. "You won't hurt me." He gestured to the freezer again, and the girl let out a frustrated breath, but she helped her friend to his feet.

"We have to," she said. "We're running out of time."

"How do we know we can trust him?" her friend asked, not even bothering to lower his voice. The pain was probably too much for politeness.

"We have to," the girl said. "Come on." She guided him toward the freezer, letting him go in before her.

"It's only his second time," she said as he settled himself against the wall, shutting his eyes like that would make the pain more bearable.

"What number is this for you?"

"I stopped counting after the first year was up," she said, stepping backwards into the freezer. "This is really nice of you," she added.

"Yeah, no problem," Tyler said before he pushed the door shut. He sat down on the floor and put his back against the door.

The girl was quiet, but Adam started screaming in less than an hour, and Tyler could hear the breaking of their bones from outside.

Now

"It's unlikely any of them will want to speak with you," Marcel warned. Tyler held the phone to his ear, squinting out the windshield as he turned the car down a street lined with storefronts and a sidewalk packed with people. "Knowing you're there because of me."

"I won't tell them I'm here for you," Tyler said. "Not right away."

"That's probably wise," Marcel agreed. "The first house-"

"The Fallons?"

"Yes, them. From what I recall they have a bit of pride in their werewolf status," Marcel explained. "If you're planning on playing the no-more-turning-on-full-moons card, don't. It won't work. Be positive."

"Will do," Tyler said as he turned down Olive. The Fallon residence was coming up, and it wasn't what he'd expected. The street he was on now was lined with pretty white houses with identical white picket fences and green, perfectly manicured lawns. Shiny cars were parked in pristine driveways. A man was outside watering his plants.

"This is..."

"I know. I thought they'd all be living in trailer parks and cabins in the woods," Marcel said. "But they're all there. Pack mentality, you know. They all went to the same place. Call me when you're headed back. And don't forget to explain my terms."

"I came up with your terms," Tyler said. "I won't forget them."

Marcel laughed. "Just making sure. Good luck."

Tyler squinted up at the sun as he got out of the car to approach the front door. The house was totally silent as he approached. It wasn't until he was on the porch that he heard movement from inside, people walking around, talking to one another. He counted three heartbeats inside.

Tyler rang the bell.

An older woman answered with a mane of curly dark hair and large, dark eyes. She had a stern face, already looking at him as if he was a dreadful annoyance, a burden on her pretty porch. "Yes?" she said expectantly, looking him up and down.

"Hi," Tyler said. "My name's Tyler."

The woman blinked at him.

"I'm..." He hadn't really considered what to say as far as the introduction went. The rest of the speech he had figured out, but the introduction...He'd barely thought of it.

"I'd like to speak with you," Tyler said. "I have an offer for you and your family."

The woman examined him. She moved closer to the threshold, lifting her chin and narrowing her eyes. A beat. And then another. Then her face bent into a scowl. "I don't deal with vampires," she spat, moving to slam the door.

"Wait," Tyler said. "I-"

A different hand caught hold of the door's edge, and the woman frowned at its owner on the other side of the door. She looked irritated, but she allowed him to step in front of her.

"It's okay, Kate," Adam said, with a small smile. "He's not a vampire."

Adam didn't look well. Tyler hadn't considered it when they'd first met since Adam was turning at the time, but he hoped Adam didn't look this haggard always or it definitely indicated a serious problem. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, and he looked dangerously thin. After Adam extended an invitation, Kate disappeared into the kitchen with a smaller boy who peered at Tyler curiously as he followed Adam into the backyard.

"Didn't think I'd see you again," Adam said as he sat down on a wooden bench in the middle of a flowerbed.

"Same here," Tyler said, sitting down next to him.

"How'd you find me?" Adam asked.

"I didn't," Tyler said. "I'm meeting all the werewolves I can find. This is just a coincidence." Where's your friend? The girl?"

"My sister," Adam clarified. "Mia's out, but she'll be back." He fiddled with his hands in his lap, and Tyler could see his fingers trembling.

"Bad night?" he asked carefully.

"They're all bad nights," Adam said, shaking his head slightly. "This one was just a little bit worse." When Tyler looked at him questioningly, Adam sighed. "I got out. My younger brother, he was the one who chained me up. It was his first time, and he...It doesn't matter. I got out."

"Did you hurt someone?"

"He's still alive," Adam answered. "I made it to the park a few miles from her, attacked a guy. The news said he almost lost his leg." He swallowed and looked down at his hands. "So what's this offer?"

"I'm kind of doing an experiment."

"An experiment?"

Tyler nodded. "I'm looking for werewolves who may be interested in not being just werewolves anymore."

"You're making hybrids," Adam realized, blowing out a steady breath. "Like you."

"Yeah."

Adam rifled through his pockets, pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He put a cigarette in his mouth and lit the tip. "I'm interested," he said. "How do we do it?"

"Well, first you should know the risks," Tyler said. "I don't know if this will even work with me. You could die. You have to drink my blood then I kill you, and when you wake up - if you wake up - you have to feed to complete the transition."

Adam nodded and took a long drag of his cigarette. He blew out the smoke and it disappeared in curls into the sk. "What else?"

"Have you heard of sire bonds? They happen sometimes with vampires."

"Yeah."

"It happens with hybrids," Tyler said. "We were sired to the man who made us. We had absolute confidence in him and what he wanted from us, and we followed him without question. Even if you told yourself you didn't want what he wanted, you did it anyway. And...that could happen again. You won't have free will, you'll do whatever I say."

"Is it permanent?"

"I broke my sire bond," Tyler said. "It required turning over and over again until the gratitude that I felt toward my sire was...gone."

"Gratitude," Adam repeated tapping the edge of his cigarette onto the bench so ashes fluttered to the ground.

"And," Tyler said.

"Long list of cons, bro," Adam said, laughing.

"This one could be a pro," Tyler said. "Bro. I work for Marcel Gerard."

"I thought you weren't with Marcel," Adam said, cutting his eyes to Tyler.

"I wasn't then," Tyler said. "I am now. Marcel's engaged in a conflict with someone - the hybrid who made me, an Original. And he needs numbers."

"So I'll be fighting for Marcel," Adam said, looking up to the sky.

"Yes," Tyler answered. "If you agree, and if it works, you can come to New Orleans. Marcel will find a place for you to live. He'll even pay you a monthly salary. And when he wins, you're no longer bound to him. And you can stay in the city after that assuming you don't make any moves to threaten his position and you follow the same rules the vampires do."

"Will I need to kiss his ring, too?"

Tyler laughed. "I can put that in there if you want." They were both quiet. "I'll let you think about it," he said finally. "I'll come back tomorrow."

"I don't need to think," Adam said, tossing his cigarette on the ground and griding it underneath his sole. "I'll do it. I can deal with all that stuff you talked about."

"You could die," Tyler reminded him.

"I heard you," Adam said, almost impatiently. "I'll be your guinea pig, your patient zero. Try me, and if it works then great. And if it doesn't...at least I won't have to do this-" he gestured to himself "-anymore."

Tyler sighed at the ground. He wanted to remind him again, of the risk, the uncertainty. But he'd heard everything Tyler had said already. Repeating it would just annoy him, and Tyler remembered that feeling, the dread and the fear of the coming full moon. If Klaus had simply offered the chance to him, instead of forcing it on him, Tyler thought he may have leapt at the chance as well.

When Tyler returned to the house, he expected Marcel to be there. Their phone call on the way back had been short though Marcel had congratulated him on finding someone to test the hybrid theory on. Marcel wasn't at the house so Tyler trudged up to his bedroom. He sat on his bed for a long time staring into the duffel bag that carried the bags of Katherine's blood.

For Klaus, the blood of a doppelganger had been the issue all along. For Tyler it was his blood that may be the problem.

Bonnie 2.0 had been certain it would work, but Tyler wasn't certain he could trust her.

Tyler put the bag back underneath his bed where his other duffel bag sat, flimsy and empty except for the cell phone he hadn't touched since he'd gotten Caroline's last message, the one about her date. Had she called again? Would she keep calling even once she started seeing someone else?

Tyler fished the phone out and turned it on. When he dialed his voice mail, the automated voice informed him: Three unheard messages. First message sent Friday, August 23 at 11:57 PM Eastern Time

"Hey," Caroline said. She must have thought she was trying too hard to sound chipper (she was) because her tone became more somber after that. "I don't know if you're still - if you ever were - checking your messages, and I don't know if you want to hear from me anymore more after the...thing. But I-"

Tyler pressed seven.

Message erased. Next message sent Tuesday, August 27 at 2:23 PM Eastern Time

"Hey," Caroline said. Tyler pressed seven again.

Message erased. Next message sent yesterday September 3 at 3:03 AM Eastern Time

Tyler's finger hovered over the button waiting for Caroline to speak. But it wasn't Caroline on the other end.

"Tyler," Jeremy said in a tone that sounded like he was almost confused that he'd called, like he couldn't remember why. "It's me, Jeremy. Caroline mentioned a couple times that she left you messages," he went on. "I thought I'd give it a try. I don't know if you actually get these though. I hope you're doing okay wherever you are, staying safe and all." He paused, and Tyler heard rustling, the flick of a lighter.

"I'm calling because..." Jeremy let his voice trail off, and he flicked the lighter some more. "Because Bonnie's dead, and everyone's moving on but me. You know how things get here. A new Big Bad every day. Well, the same one as last time I guess. I just...I don't care. School sucks. I'm living with Damon, and Bonnie is really, really dead."

He sounded...high.

"She said we'd talk every day," Jeremy said, "but we don't talk. And I can't see her. I look for her constantly, and she's not here. So naturally I assumed this meant she was alive and kicking somewhere so I looked and I looked, and...nothing. If she was alive...She'd be here, right? With me?"

Tyler thought of Bonnie in the Quarter last night, confronting Marcel in front of everyone, the witches accusing stares turned on her.

The phone was fumbled, and then the lighter flicked again. When Jeremy came back, he was mumbling slightly. "Remember when we used to smoke behind the school?"

"Yeah," Tyler said.

"Those days sucked, too," Jeremy said. "This is just like when my parents died except...not. It's worse because Bonnie was...She should be here, and she would be, if not for me. If she hadn't..."

Tyler heard him inhale and exhale, could imagine the smoke and the smell of pot. He was transported back to the woods, where he'd immerse himself in the dark, his mind drunken and pot-addled and Jeremy off to the side pining over Vicki.

"Caroline was right," Jeremy said, "when she said I should have stayed dead. I should have."

Tyler's grip tightened on his phone.

"I miss Bonnie," Jeremy added, and his voice cracked. "And I can't stop. I'm all alone here, and I-"

Tyler's phone beeped, signaling the message's cutoff. "Fuck," Tyler hissed, tossing the phone onto the bed. He stared at it for what felt like a long time, thinking.

Then he practically lunged for his new phone, calling Marcel.

"Yeah?" he said.

"What's Bonnie's number?"