I would really love to thank all of you readers. All of you. As in each and every single one. Writing this story has been a load of fun times for me, and hopefully for you guys too. I'd love to hug each and every reader from across the internet, regardless of whether you reviewed, favorited, watched, or simply read the story. I honestly can't thank you all enough. Whether you've been here since the very beginning of the story, supporting me every step of the way, or have just joined us this chapter, reminding me that new people click on this almost every day, I want to thank you. Thank you so very much, for all the views, favorites, watches, and reviews you've all given me. I never want you all to feel underappreciated, or underestimate the amount that you put in to this story. Without you, I'm certain I wouldn't be sitting here, writing this. So honestly, thank you very much for reading this story, for sticking with it, for having the initiative to click. This is NOT a goodbye by any means, but a reminder that I write this for YOU. Thank you all so very much, and I sincerely hope that more times like those we've had in the past await us in future chapters :) Thank you.

And on another note, just so you guys know, I'm going to be uploading a sort of bonus chapter within the next couple days (seriously this time) that's a short feature intended to be placed between the chapter I just posted and the last chapter I posted, back in (whoa) last December. Just to let you guys know :)

And thus begins: the bonus chapter.

Derek POV

The days following Christmas were very odd indeed: a mixture of a sense of anticlimax and a sense of anticipation. Everyone was getting over the high strung emotions of Christmas and simultaneously gearing up for the New Year.

"What are we going to do for New Year's?" Chloe asked one night at the dinner table. Shrugging, Lauren looked to Kit. He stroked his mustache that he was (unfortunately) trying to grow out.

"Well, none of us know anyone here, so I doubt we're going to get invited to many New Year's parties. I suppose we can just stay in the room and watch the ball drop on TV."

"Can we have champagne?" Tori asked, showing interest in a family activity for once.

"No."

"Ugh, what a lame New Year's this is going to be, then," she muttered sourly. Kit turned to the rest of us.

"Well, are there any other ideas for how we can celebrate the New Year?" There was a round of headshaking and shrugging. "Seriously? Nothing?"

"Well, there is this one idea that I saw on the internet," Simon hedged, and everyone's eyes snapped to him. "Well, these guys posted a video of them going out and having a bonfire at the beach to commemorate the occasion. It looked pretty fun, so, you know, maybe we could-"

"Simon, that's a great idea!" Lauren exclaimed, all smiles. He looked shocked.

"It is?" he asked, confused.

"It is?" Tori asked disbelievingly.

"It is!" Kit proclaimed. He clapped Simon on the back and announced his decision to the room at large. "In 2 nights' time, we will go to the park a couple blocks from the motel and have our New Year's Bonfire!"

"Ugh," Tori muttered.

"And Tori will dress up as the New Year's Baby, to commemorate the occasion."

"What?! Oh hell no!" she exclaimed, but the rest of us were already laughing our asses off, imagining Tori in a giant diaper with a pacifier. Kit wiped the tears from his eyes and continued.

"Yes, Tori will dress up as the New Year's Baby. Any questions? No? All are dismissed.

We all headed in our respective directions, all but one of us still chuckling. This was going to be hilarious.

Simon POV

2 days after Kit's announcement, on New Year's Eve, an awesome idea for a prank suddenly popped in to my head. Well, it would be awesome, but I didn't know how to execute it by myself. Thus, I decided to go ask for help from Derek.

"Derek? Uh, about that New Year's bonfire…"

"What about it?"

"Well, I kinda wanted to do a little… prank…" Derek grinned at my words.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, I kinda wanted to give Kit a little… shock when he goes to light it."

Derek gave me a look. "I'm not gonna help you injure anybody on New Year's Eve." I shook my head.

"No, not like that. Just… him getting a little more flame than he bargained for. Not like, gasoline or anything, just…" I tried to show him what I meant with my hands. He nodded slowly.

"I get what you mean. Okay, here's what you're gonna have to do." He outlined what I'd need to do to surprise Kit. Nodding as he explained what would happen, I grinned.

The rest of the day passed slowly, as time does when something expected is to come soon. Finally, around 8 o' clock, Kit decided that we'd head out and start our bonfire. Smiling to myself, I grabbed my backpack and headed out with the rest of them. We went down to the park I'd been to before, and we crowded around one of the bonfire pits scattered around.

Tori, predictably, had flat-out refused to wear the baby costume, but Chloe, using some of her mysterious Chloe charm, had convinced the witch to at least wear a giant, oversized diaper over her clothing. To be honest, I had no idea how. Derek was acting suspicious, and I had a sneaking idea that he and Chloe had teamed up, knocked Tori out, and superglued the diaper on. Kit blamed the spirit of the New Year.

Kit had bought a box of pre-cut packaged logs, and I volunteered to arrange them in the pit while he and a few others went to go get marshmallows, chocolate, coat hangers, and graham crackers for making s'mores. It was a little late to remember that, eh? Lauren and Derek stayed behind.

As I worked, I carefully scattered some dried coffee cream powder all over the logs. I made a huge pile beneath the center, so the flame would shoot straight up in the air from there. When Kit finally returned, he was given the honor of lighting our New Year's bonfire.

I waited expectantly as he brought out a matchbook from his pocket. He struck it against the paper and it lit. He held it close to one of the paper-wrapped logs, and I bit my lip in anticipation. As expected, the paper caught fire. But it didn't shoot as high as I expected. In fact, it could have passed for normal height.

But as he held the flame to more papers, and the fire began to spread, I grew excited again. Finally, when it reached the center of the logs, it happened. Flames quickly shot up, hot and fast, at least 4 feet in the air, and Kit jumped back with a scream. He ran in to Lauren, who screamed in turn.

All of us just looked at the two of them, who were working on calming their breathing pattern.

"It's just a little fire," I told them, and they looked a bit abashed.

The rest of the evening was spent singing carols and making s'mores. Laughter and smiles were abundant as we recounted previous new years with watching the ball drop on TV and such, and how they now suddenly seemed lame in comparison. As the fire burned on, we grew more and more excited.

"It's 11:55," Chloe said suddenly, noticing the time on Derek's watch. Our eyes all shot up, observing the sky, knowing that the New Year was only 5 minutes away.

"Well guys, it's been hectic this year, but honestly, I'm really glad I have you guys as my family," I said, smiling widely. Under normal circumstances, that would have sounded beyond corny and right now, it still did. But it was true. Despite all that we had gone through, all the times we had been nearly killed, all the times we had nearly killed each other; we were still together and vaguely happy.

Everyone was smiling at each other, and it was a perfect group hug moment. Of course, something had to ruin it. Tori was kicking back in her chair, feet up on the edge of the pit, nasty look on her face. I vacantly looked down, and noticed a small amount of coffee creamer, left over from my prank, scattered at her feet.

"Tori, you might wanna-" My sentence was cut off as a jet of flame suddenly shot up. Her flimsy canvas shoes were suddenly alight, and the flames quickly flew up, bright but not catching.

She let out a scream worthy of a horror movie. As she dashed for the lake, hands held up in the air, still screaming, Chloe gasped.

"12:00 am. Happy New Year, everyone." We all reclined in our chairs, watching Tori sprint to the lake and jump in. We all sighed, glad to have been together for the year, and glad to be facing a new one the same way.

Daww, Simon being all mushy over his family... again... XD Well folks, this has been a long time coming, seeing as the New Year was almost 10 months ago. It was mostly written right after I wrote the Christmas one, though! I just never got around to finishing it... Yes, it's supposed to be short. Jeez.

So yeah. Tori wears Toms, if you didn't get the canvas shoe thing.

Credits to my best friend's dad for the coffee creamer thing. Definitely try it at home, kids.

Herp-le-derp. New chapter... eventually. Prank ideas are ALWAYS welcomed, whether or not I say it at every chapter. Just letting you know. :D

Thanks for sticking with me this long. I love you all. Each and every one of you. Even the freaks. Especially the freaks 3

Over and out, bros and brahs.