SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

It was an hour later, when Stefan delivered Aella a cup of coffee, that he was able to talk to his girlfriend, and best friend. The two had been non-stop talking, and giggling which startled Stefan; If there were two things Aella, and Lexi didn't do much of it was gossiping and giggling.

Aella was laid on his bed laughing hysterically while Lexi explained when Lee, her sire/partner, realized just how old Lexi was. Stefan got on the bed and instantly Aella moved so she was laid against his chest, smiling gratefully through her giggles for the coffee, as Lexi continued on, "-he continued asking questions, and then he asked about the American Revolution, and I casually just mention there was this gentleman that I loved riding horses with at his Mount Vernon estate."

"No!" Aella laughed loudly almost spilling her coffee.

"Yes!" Lexi confirmed, nodding her head vigorously as she laughed along with her new friend.

Stefan smiled at the laughter, Lexi had told him this story a few years after it happened, and it still made her laugh hysterically.

"What did Lee say?" Aella asked once her giggles had subsided and she could drink her coffee again.

Lexi was quiet as she composed herself, but Stefan could see the glint in her eyes, "' YOU KNEW GEORGE FUCKING WASHINGTON!'"

This time Aella really did spit out the small amount of coffee in her mouth, as Lexi's voice deepened as she mimicked Lee, "Oh my god!"

"I know!" Lexi wheezed from her bent position due to laughing so much.

When Lexi was able to calm down, she wandered over to her suitcase pulling out a small red bag, as Aella wiped herself, the bed, and a little of Stefan while he just looked on amused, so amused Aella gave him a small whack to the arm that he laughed off. It wasn't until he heard plastic tear, and the metallic smell of blood in the air did his eyes leave Aella, and focus on Lexi who was casually drinking from a blood bag.

Lexi saw his eyes narrow and held out the bag to him, "Want some?"

Aella felt Stefan's whole demeanor change when he smelt that blood, and Aella didn't like it one bit. This was the Stefan she had met two months ago, not the Stefan she had just been relaxing with. Aella knew of Stefan's struggles with blood, but she'd never seen it in person, but she knew Lexi had. Many times.

"No," Stefan politely shook his head and sat up straight on the bed, but still his body never left Aella's, it was like she was comfort blanket between him and the blood. "Thank you."

It was almost Lexi could feel Stefan's judgment, "Relax I didn't kill anyone for it. This phlebotomist I went out with a few times, he's my supplier."

Both Aella and Stefan rose their eyebrows, just for different reasons, but Lexi only saw Stefan's, "Oh don't judge, okay? Listen I tried the animal diet; lasted three weeks."

Lexi finished the bag, and Stefan felt he could finally metaphorically breathe again, unaware that he hadn't taken in another breath since he smelled the blood the first time, but Aella did. She had always found comfort that when she leaned against Stefan their breath was always in sync, even if Stefan didn't really need to, so she knew right away that he had stopped breathing, even if he knew it or not.

Stefan pulled away from Aella, and started messing about his room as he waved away Lexi's excuse, "It doesn't matter. Cause if I started again...I just don't know if..."

Aella's eyes watered as she heard the desperation in her boyfriend's tone when he didn't finish his sentence, and when Lexi finished for him she could always see the disappointment radiating off him. As for Aella, this conversation only created more unanswered questions she knew Stefan wouldn't be able to share at the moment, but as she watched Lexi comfort Stefan with her kind words, she knew Lexi would be able to explain some things.

Aella took a sip of her coffee as new questions rattled in her brain; Why did Stefan become a ripper? Was there any way to prevent him from becoming a ripper? What were the events leading up to Stefan being a Ripper? Was there a trigger? Would Stefan ever be able to drink human blood without worrying about becoming a Ripper?

More and more questions formed that Aella thought it best she get a book and start writing them down when Lexi clapped, smile back on her beautiful face, "What are we doing tonight?"

"Funny you should ask."

Aella groaned and fell back on the bed as Damon sauntered in the room like nothing the previous night had anything to do with him. Lexi was about to tell Damon to get lost, or something in that nature when Damon was flung back in the air back out into the corridor, and Stefan's door slammed shut.

In shock and awe, Lexi's eyes turned automatically from the door to the only person with powers in the room. Aella was now standing glaring at the spot when Damon had just been stood, hand held out to the door. Damon groaned, and it seemed like that was all Aella needed because her smile was back on her face, and as soon as she jumped back onto Stefan's bed her coffee was back in her hand.

Lexi's wide eyes turned to Stefan who looked at her pointedly with a small smirk on his face, he had spoken about Aella's powers a little and had suggested she was powerful, but to throw a vampire as old as Damon with little to no strain and then casually sit back down was no easy feat.

"I'm taking that gesture as a 'you're still mad' gesture," Damon groaned from behind the door before he opened it, but didn't take a step into the room.

"You think, Damon!" Aella got up from the bed, and Lexi had to snicker when Damon unconsciously took a step back as the small brunette approached him. "You killed Vicki.. twice!"

When Lexi looked up at Stefan to gauge his reaction to Aella approaching Damon, she thought she'd see anxiety, but instead, she saw humor as his petite girlfriend had his elder brother a little scared.

Damon shrugged, his mouth speaking before his brain could catch up, "I made her, I can break her."

Aella eyes widened at his gall, "You're not Geppetto!"

Damon groaned out loud, turning to Aella, "You never get tired of being so blandly moral, do you?"

"No Damon," She shrugged pursing her lips in her own annoyance. "It's called being human and having a conscience, you know; two things you will never be or have... ever!"

Stefan knew the two would just go round, and round in circles with insults, and stepped forward to separate the two, "Okay guys, that's enough."

Damon smirked while Aella continued to glare, "Thank you brother,-" he leaned round Aella to Lexi "-There's a party at the grill. You'll love it. Banquettes, Tacky wait staff, All of Stefan's friends."

"Party?" Aella and Stefan questioned in sync, then questioned again:

"I don't want a Birthday party."

"The day after Vicki was killed?"

Damon chose to ignore Aella, and shrugged at Stefan's predictability, "Well, It's not for you. It's a party party. No ones gonna know it's your birthday. Tyler's throwing it."

"-Tyler?"

"-Tyler?"

Damon rolled his eyes as the couple talked in sync again. "Is this a permanent thing?" he gestured between the two. "Because it's getting a tad annoying."

Aella took a step forward with her arms crossed and her eyes dark, and it took everything in Damon not to take a step back, "Tyler is throwing a party party the day after his ex-girlfriend has died? When did you even meet Tyler"

"It's a celebration party of Vicki's life," Damon admitted, pretending to be sad. "Tyler wanted to do it, and I said I'd help. And we're friends it's cool." Damon looked past the witch back to Lexi and Stefan who too looked skeptical, It's important for the town to see us out and about like normal folk. We need to blend."

Aella and Stefan looked to each other at these words, was this all a part of Damon's plan? But Lexi, not in on what Caroline had told Aella, jumped at the chance to party with her best boy friend, and new best girl friend, "Let's go, please?"

Stefan looked between a pleading Lexi, a smirking Damon, and an unsure Aella; he and Aella knew Damon was up to something so that was in their favor, and if Lexi was around him and his girlfriend and they always had their eye on Damon, he supposed they could go out.

Lexi sensing his hesitation jumped over to Aella, and wrapped her arm around her, "I wanna party with the two of you, tell him Aella."

Aella was silent for a moment, but when she spoke to Stefan he knew she was on the same wavelength as him, "I suppose if it's a celebration of life it would be good to go to, plus everyone will be there."

When Stefan nodded and agreed Lexi jumped on the spot, while Damon smiled falsely, "That's gre-" Aella didn't give him time to say much more and slammed the door in his face for the second time, this time with her own two hands.

Lexi laughed at the small witch, "I love that you can do that to him."

Aella shrugged, but couldn't help but smile at the blonde's delight at partying. Lexi ran to her bag, and pulled out a toiletry bag before running to the door Aella had just closed on Damon's face, she opened the door and looked back to Aella and Stefan, who had moved next to his girlfriend, smiling at the blonde, "This is going to be so much better than us partying with Bon Jovi again! I'm having a shower!"

Aella giggled as Lexi ran to the bathroom until her new friend's words rang in her head, "Wait, Bon Jovi?" Aella turned her wide eyes up to her boyfriend who held his hands up as Aella realized he had met one of her heroes and had forgotten to mention it, "Bon Jovi?"

"It was one time," Stefan shrugged and walked over to his desk and tidying up as Aella followed him.

"Bon Jovi?" Aella question again, now more desperately.

Stefan looked up from tidy, a way to not look at Aella, "Jon probably wouldn't even remember us."

"Jon?" Aella whimpered as Stefan dug himself deeper and deeper.

"I'm going to get you some more coffee," Stefan nodded to himself as he quickly made his way out of his room and down the stairs just to hear Aella shout as she followed him, "You met Bon Jovi without me!"

Lexi laughed to herself as she heard Stefan running away from Aella, "It was before you were born!"

"Excuses!"

As she turned the shower on Lexi chuckled, "She's so good for him."

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

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

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

Lexi ran into Stefan's bedroom, towel tightly wrapped around her naked body, and hair piled high with a clip that prevented it from getting wet in the shower, "I'm almost ready."

She prepared for the lecture from Stefan about being on time for plans, so she was concerned when the reprimand didn't come, she turned to see the bedroom empty. Using her advanced hearing she finally located the couple and chuckled when she heard Stefan still apologizing to Aella.

"'I am so sorry," Stefan followed Aella around the kitchen counter as she played on her phone, and drinking her coffee as she 'strolled' round and round the counter; when actual fact she was doing everything she could to ignore the puppy dog eyes he was presenting her.

"If he does a concert nearby we'll go, and I'll compel everyone to get us backstage," Stefan pleaded walking slightly faster to overtake her and hopefully catch her by surprise so she'd look up at him catching the face he pulled... a face that she had always forgiven in the past. But Aella knew her boyfriend well and instead of stopping in the spot she turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

"Not just backstage!" Stefan declared and started following her again. "You wanna marry him?"

That made Aella stop as she turned to him confused, an eyebrow raised, "He's already married."

Stefan poked her nose playfully, happy she was at least looking and speaking to him, "Not if he doesn't remember his wife."

Aella desperately tried not to smile as Stefan tried anything to get back on her good side, he was so cute, "That's really nice Stefan, but no."

She walked away and Stefan stood confused for a moment before he followed her out of the kitchen towards the staircase, "Why not?"

Aella stopped on the 2nd stair and turned to Stefan, they were once the same height, Aella leaned forward and stroked her boyfriend's cheek as she smiled softly at him, "Call me crazy, but I happen to be very much in love with you to marry anyone, even Bon Jovi."

Stefan imagined himself fist-pumping the air as Aella confessed her love for him, feeling bold he took a step forward onto the first stair so their heights were once again unequal and he caressed Aella's cheek back, just as he was about to kiss her lips softly Aella's finger stopped his lips in their place, "But I still don't forgive you."

She turned to head up the stairs when Stefan had enough and instead sped his arms around his girlfriend and threw her over his shoulders, smirking as her stunned features quickly morphed into a scowl as she shouted her complaints.

Lexi had just pulled on her top when the duo walked in - well, Stefan with Aella over his shoulder walked in - and Lexi had to smile at their cuteness; Aella complaining as Stefan told her he'd let her down when she forgave him... but even through her tough demeanor, Lexi could see the smile fighting to show itself on Aella's face as she moaned about her boyfriend.

"Stefan, my head is going numb!"

"Forgive me!"

"Blood is rushing to my head! That's what happens when you're alive!"

"Forgive me."

As Aella had done in the kitchen, walking around without reason to ignore Stefan, Stefan now did in his bedroom to Aella as Lexi watched on as she brushed her hair down.

"Fine!" Aella declared, although words slightly slurred from being upside down for so long. "I forgive you!"

Stefan set her down instantly with a bright smile as Aella continued to scowl, although anyone with eyes could see she was struggling to keep that in place as Stefan stroked her cheek again, "See that wasn't so difficult."

Aella just pulled a face at him and walked over to his closet where a few her clothes were now stored, the same with Stefan at her place. Stefan watched her a few more seconds, his features full of happiness, then turned to Lexi who had seen the happiness on her best friends face... a look, not even close, to the one she had only seen when he was high on blood in full-on Ripper mode.

Her thoughts on that time at the front of her mind when Stefan looked to her, "You Okay?

Lexi chuckled with a nod, then motioned to her towel-wrapped-body, "I'm a little behind... that shower was amazing!"

Aella walked over to the and her false scowl switch to a blinding smile, new clothes in hand, "I know right?! I could kick Stefan out just to have that shower!"

Stefan frowned down to Aella, "What?"

Aella grinned cheekily, "Oh Stefan..." She patted his arm in comfort, "I said, 'could'."

Lexi laughed out loud at the petite beauty, "I am seriously falling in love with you."

Aella smirked at the blonde and tapped her hip to hers, "Right back at you babe!" But instead of walking away to the glorious shower as her hip pulled away from Lexi's she let out a loud gasp as she was pulled away from her boyfriend, his best friend, and his room.

Only to open her eyes and realize she was now outside, and when she heard the leaves crunching underneath her shoes and the wind rustling the trees she realized she was outside.

Looking around she heard rustling and instead of running away from the creepy rustling in the woods Aella headed towards the sound, but as she pushed herself through a series of very bushy trees she did not expect to see a) her boyfriend kneeling on the ground or b) him feasting on the neck of a very dead soldier.

"Stefan?"

Unaware that Aella was in the middle of a vision Stefan sat down at his desk and questioned Lexi as she walked over to him,

"Are you sure we should go to this thing?"

Lexi groaned out loud wanting to strangle her best friend, "It's not like I'm asking you to run outside midday without your ring. I mean, seriously, it's a party."

Stefan raised her brow, did she know his brother! "A party that Damon wants us to go to, you know? So my question is why? I think he's up to something."

"Who cares?" Lexi shrugged. "What can he possibly of all those people in a public place? Anyway-" Lexi walked over to Aella, she and Stefan not realizing Aella hadn't moved from her spot since they began speaking. Lexi bumped her side into Aella's playfully, "-my girl here can sort out Damon, right Aella?"