DONOVAN HOUSEHOLD 

"Damon did what?!" Caroline and Bonnie shouted over the phone.

"I know," Aella muttered, rubbing her eyes again. "Believe me, I really know. I had to leave while Stefan was telling Vicki the truth-" her eyes filled with tears and her throat tightened "-I don't know what to do."

It was silent on the phone and Aella thought the call has disconnected until her best friend spoke to her, "You go in there and just be there for her."

"But what can I do?" Aella cried she was sixteen years old, she should be getting ready for Halloween with her best friends and being a typical teenager, not help tell an 18-year old that she either had to become a vampire or die.

"Aella," Bonnie now had the phone. "If anyone could help Vicki go through a life-changing decision, it's you. And if Matt knew about this and knew he couldn't be with her, he would want you to be there for her." Aella cried down the phone, and her best friends just looked at each other over Caroline's phone, they would do anything to be with her right now.

"Okay," Aella nodded and took a deep breath wiping her tears. "Okay."

She finished the call with her best friend and cousin then turned back to the house when she saw Stefan watching her from the doorway, "How much did you hear?"

Stefan stepped forward to meet her halfway before pulling her into his arms, kissing her head as she held him tight, "Just the end, and they're right you know? Matt would want you to be there for her."

Aella held onto him and he onto her for a few minutes until she looked at him, "I just don't know what to say..." Stefan chuckled, and Aella hit his bicep as if she could hear him thinking 'that's a first.' "I mean, I joke, I laugh, I make a fool out of myself; but how am I supposed to help one of my best friends sister choose if she wants to become a vampire or die? How do I do that?"

Her tears returned, and she sobbed in Stefan's arms as he just held her, and for one split second - only one- wondered if he should have returned to Mystic Falls, but that thought quickly left his mind as Aella stopped crying and kissed the hand that had been wiping her tears.

"You don't do anything," Stefan answered for her. "Vicki has to make that decision. You just have to listen."

"Okay," she nodded and kissed his hand again. "Thank you."

Stefan just leaned down and kissed her wet lips, "You don't ever have to thank me."

..............................................

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Vicki sat staring out her childhood room window, for years she had wished to get out of the shitty town, and now she just wanted one more day, one more week; anything other than hours.

Aella was brushing her hair, a week at Damon's without conditioner had densely knotted her hair, but Vicki wouldn't have even noticed due to how soft Aella had been. It was crazy how only one week ago she had hated Aella for having everything she didn't, but now she knew why Matty and Jeremy were always so protective over her; she was an excellent person to have around when you wanted nobody around. Aella hadn't acted any different around her, although Vicki would be blind to have missed the red surrounding the brunette's eyes, instead, she asked Vicki if she could brush her hair, it was something her mother had done whenever she was upset, and Vicki hadn't the heart to say no.

"Do you think it will hurt?" Vicki suddenly asked Aella, and if it wasn't for the slight hesitation on the next section Aella was brushing, Vicki wouldn't have known she asked the question out loud.

"I don't know," Aella lightly shrugged as she continued brushing. "The vampire thing I know is a no, but the choice not to turn... I honestly don't know."

"Stefan said it was just like falling asleep; quick and painless," Vicki told her, her gaze never leaving the window. "But they said that about my grandma, and then my mom drunkenly told me when I was 12 that she died in a lot of pain."

Aella snarled at Kelly Donovan being mentioned, she didn't like that woman at all, Aella snorted and once again her mouth spoke before her brain could process it, "Knowing your mom, she was probably the one causing everyone pain, and that was your grandma's only way of escaping it."

As soon as the last word escaped her mouth, Aella gasped in horror and took a step back holding her hands, one still holding the brush, to her mouth as if to stop any more crap falling out. Vicki was still, and then her shoulders started shaking as if she was crying, Aella felt as though the worst person on the planet, until a giggle escaped Vicki's lips and Aella realized that Vicki wasn't crying, she was laughing.

Vicki turned to her laughing as tears fell down her face and nodded, "You're right," Vicki agreed. "My grandma totally would have died just to get away from my mom."

'Crisis averted,' Aella thought as she slowly stepped forward and started brushing Vicki's hair again. And when Vicki questioned her a second time, Aella actually thought before answering.

"What date is it?"

Thankfully it was a date question and not a life-changing/possibly potential murder/not going to attack me, question.

"October 31st."

Vicki quickly spun around again, eyes wide, "The Halloween Party at the school, are you going?"

Aella shook her head and stepped back sitting on the end of Vicki's bed, "I was going to go, but then Damon called."

Vicki actually felt terrible for Aella Bennett, she was choosing to miss one of the best parties of the year, and from what Jeremy had mentioned, her favorite holiday of the year, to be with her.

It was right there and then that Vicki made a decision.

No longer was she going to act like a child and make stupid mistakes, she had to think of herself. She looked at a picture on her dressing table of her and Matt when they were younger; she had to think of Matty. She glanced at Aella; she had to think of her friends.

Standing up Vicki pulled a confused Aella with her into the kitchen where Stefan had been sat listening in until he stood up at their entrance, he too confused.

"You are going to the Halloween party," Vicki declared, and it was quiet for a few seconds before Aella and Stefan started arguing at her decision. "Stop," Vicki held her hand out and silenced the two. "I made the decision to get high and drunk in a park, I made the decision to drink Damon's blood and party with him all weekend. All the decisions I made, I'm now seeing the consequences and the only way I'm going to make any more decision is by myself and not ruining any more lives."

"You're not ruining our liv..."

"Vicki we're here for yo-"

Aella and Stefan once again started to try and change Vicki's mind again but this time she just placed her hand over their mouths, shutting them up, "-Do you want me to bite Aella now and just get this transformation over and done with, or do you want time actually to think this over as you wanted me to?"

Stefan, and a wide eyes Aella, quickly shook their heads at the suggestion of Vicki biting Aella, so a very smug Vicki let go of their mouths and commanded them some more, "So instead of sitting here, gloomy and bored, go out, and party, and have the time of your lives; if not for you, for me."

Stefan looked over to Aella, who looked back at him, and eventually she nodded, and he turned back to Vicki, "Fine," Vicki smiled at him, "but, you stay here, and when we get back we're staying with you until you decide, deal?"

Vicki quickly nodded, "Deal." She started pushing the two out of the house, suddenly feeling like a new person, "Have fun, don't do drugs, take lots of pictures."

She slammed the door, and Aella looked over at Stefan, feeling very confused, "Acceptance?"

Stefan thought about it for a moment then nodded, "Acceptance."

Aella whistled as they walked to her car, "Kübler-Ross would be delighted... all five stages of grief dealt with in under 2 hours." She thought about it for a moment as they both got in that car before turning to Stefan, "You know for vampires with a lot of time on your side you sure do like to speed through things."

Stefan smirked at her over the car, "Not all things."

GILBERT HOUSEHOLD

Aella, Caroline, and Bonnie stood in the foyer discussing Vicki's attitude as she pushed Aella and Stefan out of her house. Elena was in the kitchen with Jenna and Jeremy, while Stefan was finishing getting ready.

"So she has hours to decide if she wants to turn into a vampire or just die?" Caroline asked, and Aella just nodded as she twirled a curled piece of hair, anything to not rub her eyes and disturb anything.

"Harsh," Bonnie sighed sadly, which didn't really match the makeup on her face.

"What's harsh?" Elena asked as she, Jenna and Jeremy walked towards them.

It was at the very moment that Aella mentally kicked her cousin and best friend out of their secret group as both girls just stared at Elena wide-eyed, mouths opening and closing like a couple of fish. Trying not to sound annoyed at the two Aella mock-frowned at Elena, who too was frowning at their reactions.

"What's harsh is...how long my boyfriend is taking to get ready!" Aella spoke to Elena before shouting the last part up at Stefan.

"I refuse to be seen like this," Stefan shouted down, zero emotion in his voice that had Aella smirking freely.

Jenna groaned out loud leaning on the railing, "Oh Aella, what did you do to him?"

"What?" Aella asked with faux innocence, "He said this book character was very close to his heart."

"What book is that?" Elena asked so innocently.

"Oh. My. God!" Jeremy snorted as Stefan stopped at the top of the stairs.

Aella had to hold in every emotion that was threatening to escape as she saw Stefan's face, Caroline and Bonnie bursting into laughter at the sight, "Dracula."

Stefan glared at her.

"Um, I'm confused why this is so funny?" Jenna questioned as Aella smiled brightly up at her boyfriend, while Bonnie and Caroline tried to stifle their laughter.

"I'm with you Aunt Jenna," Elena frowned, feeling slightly left out by her group of friends. Stefan looked hilarious, but it didn't warrant that much laughter.

"Welllllllll," Aella drew out moving over to stand next to Elena. "If someone weren't so picky with her Halloween outfit, you would get the joke. But you had to recycle your old nurse's outfit," Aella tutted, but then tapped her hip with Elena to show she was joking.

Elena pushed her away, smile back on her face, "It's not my fault they only had the Snow White outfit a size too small. It was slutty!"

"Opposed to that?" Jeremy snorted until Aella clipped him behind the head.

"It looked hot one size too small!" Caroline declared, "and at least we would be matching."

Bonnie nodded at her statement, "Now we're 3 unhappily dead Disney characters with a sexy, bloody nurse."

Aella, who now had made her way back to Stefan, and was trying to make him forgive her kissing his face, shrugged at the group, "I may have objected to the lack of group unification but Elena stuck to her guns, and I am very proud at that."

Jenna pointed from Aella to Elena, "I agree with Rapunzel."

Aella giggled as she was able to catch Stefan's cheek with her lips, his own lips unable to stop the smile, when she pointed at Jenna, "Actually it's R.I.Punzel, Jenna."

Jenna 'ahhhed' at the clever pun and pointed to Caroline and Bonnie, "And you two?"

Caroline flipped her hood up and held up her basket, "Little Dead Riding Hood."

Bonnie held up her plastic knife and tilted her head to the side looking very freaky, "Malice in Horrorland."

Jenna actually shuddered at the pose and lack of emotion in Bonnie's eyes, thanks to the white contacts all the girls were wearing, "Okay, that was freaky. Go scare someone other than me."

The group laughed, even Stefan who was now just going with the flow, he was just happy his brother would never see this. They were just stepping out of the house when Caroline smirked over to Stefan as she walked out, "Must suck to be a Vampire, right Stefan?"

"Vampires used to be people, too, you know," Aella shouted after her best friend as the blonde and her cousin sniggered to themselves as they walked to Caroline's car.

"If I didn't love you so much, I would have changed, I hope you know that," Stefan muttered to Aella who chuckled and kissed his lips.

"And you know, I love you even more for putting it on," Aella smiled, pecking his lips once more.

Stefan took a moment to appreciate how normal this all was, then pleaded to his girlfriend, "Just please, no photographic evidence."

Aella threw her head back as her arms encircled Stefan's neck, kissing him intensely for a few moments, they pulled away before rubbing their noses against each other, until Aella smiled wickedly, "No way Jose! I gotta have evidence for when I finally meet Lexi."

She skipped away from Stefan over to the car as Stefan slowly followed after, unable to let the smile fall from his lips; he actually loved his life right now.

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE 

Damon hated his life right now.

He glared at the door he was unable to step out of, he hated his brother, he hated Pixie... kicking one of Vicki's shoes out of the open door he screamed, "I hate this stupid town!"

As the shoe flew out of the door and Damon returned to the Library, he was unaware of the invisible barrier surrounding his home slowly disintegrate as the powerful magic ended. 

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH

Aella, unaware of her spell ending, as she laughed with Stefan and her best friend, drinking Tyler's 'Lockwood Special Cider.' Her cell phone rang in her bag, the music from the party drowning out its tone, it went to voicemail and only later on that night would she hear the voice of her grandmother:

"Aella, it's Grams. About that spell you were questioning me about, keeping the barrier up you must continue the spell every 4 days, or the spell starts to break down. I'll explain more tomorrow when you can explain why you wanted to know about this spell. Love you baby."

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

Damon drank the last of the alcohol, he stumbled back to the open doorway and threw the empty bottle through the door, laughing hysterically as it smashed, "Oh you got a good one there brother," Damon chuckled.

He wondered if him making his brothers life a nightmare was worth him going crazy in this house?

He hated Mystic Falls.

So why the hell was he here?

Looking back to the door, he wondered if he used all his strength to run at the barrier, for the nth time, would it knock him out for at least a few hours? Would it be worth it?

Yes, it was.

Preparing himself, he moved back a few steps before he slapped his cheeks, pumping himself up for the pain about to hit him. With a deep breath, he ran at the door, full speed, and just before he hit the barrier he took a giant leap closing his eyes, already wincing at the pain, only to fly through the barrier.

Damon opened his eyes when he didn't feel any pain, and only the feeling of fresh air on his face, to see he mid-air from his jump and in shock let out an unattractive, "Aghhhhhh!" Falling to the floor with a bang.

DONOVAN HOUSEHOLD

Vicki was packing her things when Matt came home.

She still hadn't made her mind up, but she knew one thing, she needed to be gone so Matt could move on without his fuck-up of a sister around. She had initially planned on leaving a note and going, but Matt arriving home had put a damper on that plan.

Quickly putting the note in her pocket, she heard Matt casually walk in until he obviously realized someone else was in the house.

"Vicki?"

Running out of her room, to hide the packed bag, she saw Matt who visibly relaxed at the sight of her before he quickly ran up to her, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Thank God you're okay," Matt whispered into her hair. "Where were you, Vic?"

Vicki pulled away at the question, she hadn't expected to see her little brother, and hadn't thought of an excuse where she'd been except the truth, 'Oh yeah baby brother, I was with a real-life vampire having a boozy blood party when he decided to kill me', No, the truth wasn't the right way to do this. So with a heavy heart, she decided to play the role of the Vicki that Matt knew and hated, "It's no big deal. Drop it already."

Matt didn't disappoint her as he pulled those hurt puppy dog eyes on her and Vicki felt her heart actually hurt, "Three people were murdered in the woods. We had a freakin' search party out lookin' for you while you were off on your crazy drug trip, and you want me to drop it?"

Vicki turned her back on Matt as he fumed, tears filled her eyes, she couldn't let him see her crying, or this plan would fail. She could already feel herself growing hungry at the blood pumping through his veins, and she needed him to leave. When Matt sighed, not in frustration but disappointment Vicki knew Matt had finished with her crap, "Whatever Vick, I'm done."

Matt left the house, and Vicki let the tears escape her eyes, and she sadly whispered to her herself, "Goodbye Matty, I love you."

MYSTIC GRILL

Damon had honestly planned to kill Stefan, Blondie, and Pixie as soon as he escaped his home arrest but after an embarrassing escape, and the lack of booze, Damon decided to take a detour first at the Mystic Grill for a drink as he thought up his diabolical plan.

What he didn't expect was to see Mrs. Mayor dressed up like a flapper, eyeing him up.

Holding up his glass to her in 'cheers' she turned away blushing, and Damon knew who his next target was to have a bit of fun with.