SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

"So how's Lexi been?"

Aella moved her iPad from her knees and set it up on Stefan's bed as she adjusted her position on the bed, so she was now laid on her stomach, legs waving back and forth in the air. She had been speaking to Caroline for the past 20 minutes about school before the blonde asked about their new vampire friend.

"Okay," Aella shrugged as best as she could from her position. "The fact that Damon has been MIA while we've been helping Stefan has kept her mind off what happened. But when she told Lee, wow!"

Caroline chuckled how wide Aella's eyes had gone, "Lee, the vampire boyfriend?"

Aella nodded, "Lee, the human Lexi loved and turned vampire, so he's Bella to Lexi's Edward."

"So super protective," Caroline summed up, which had Aella chuckling.

"Basically," Aella said, but then she remembered what she had seen at the Grill before shit went down. She came close to her iPad's camera, "But enough of that missy! Tell me I saw you and Matt flirting up a storm before Mama Forbes decided to play Van Helsing?"

Caroline bit her lip to try and hide her smile, but Aella could see it immediately, "He may have asked me out... but-" the blonde held up her finger to the camera halting Aella's squealing "-but... we decided to give him some time to deal with the fact his sister had just died!" She rolled her eyes, "And then Mom had to go and say an investigation had to be done, which could take up to a few months before Matt can even plan a funeral."

"And his Mom?" Aella questioned, hating Matt was having to go through this.

Caroline scoffed, "You mean the Mom that has been rejecting all his calls for the past two weeks?"

"Thank God for you and Jenna then," Aella smiled, Jenna had taken Matt under her wing and was now practically raising four kids. It was also a blessing in disguise as it was keeping Jenna from really noticing Aella was never actually around and had virtually moved in with Stefan unofficially.

"But I swear A, if Elena doesn't stop with the fluttering eyelashes and reminiscing with Matt, I may kill her!"

Aella could see how hard it was for Caroline to share that, but that's why she was her person, she knew Caroline was just annoyed and wouldn't actually say anything to Elena... maybe a few years ago before they were as close as they were now. "That's just how E is Caroline, her and Matt will always have a histor-"

"-And I know that!" Caroline interrupted her wide-eyed, "But every time I feel that Matt and I are getting closer and he feels like he can share things with me, Elena shows up and can't help but bring up a past event, which usually include when they dated!"

"Does it make Matt forget what's going on?" Aella questioned, brow raised.

Caroline was quiet until she groaned out a soft, "Yes..."

Aella shrugged, "Well, let them reminisce, but know that at the Grill, even with Elena there, Matt's eyes were always on you... I think he's realized that thing he and E had sailed away by now. You've just gotta keep calm."

"Ugh!" Caroline fell back onto her bed, but Aella could still hear the blonde mutter, "I hate it when you're right."

"Whoa, baby!" Aella laughed. "Can I record you saying that again?"

It didn't take 2 seconds for Caroline's head to pop back up, glare in full view, "You Full Housed! You know what that mea-"

Aella eyes widened; she honestly thought Caroline would be in so much anguish at saying she was right; she would have missed her quoting Full house. "Uhhhh crkrkrkrkrkrkrk-" Aella imitated a bad phone line into her iPad "-bad connection Caroline-" she moved her hand in and out of the camera to make it look there was a bad connection. "-What was that Stefan, you need help?" She answered an invisible Stefan... all the while Caroline was glaring at her screen, not believing Aella for one minute. "Love you, C!"

AELLA'S DIARY

DAY 15

I'm still getting used to this, writing my feelings down, thing... I mean I've written a total of 2 entries, how do Elena and Stefan do this daily? Multiple times in the same day! I have to get Stefan a new hobby!... Well, once he can be in the same room as human and not want to rip them apart and suck up all their blood!

Priorities!

For once, I'm stuck. Lately, I've been able to really concentrate on my powers while Stefan has been learning to drink human blood again. Stefan has been incredible these past two weeks, the fact we're nearly at that point where we can try human blood on its own, and Stefan know it's the pure thing rather than it being disguised is a fantastic feat for him, as well as Lexi and I. Lexi tries not to tear up when she watches Stefan, and I train together, or when he drinks his mixed blood without worry, but it just shows how much she cares for him.

Speaking of training, the past week has been a whole new me when it comes to fighting Stefan and Lexi. Before I would have to concentrate on my fighting abilities that Stefan has taught me since we got together and pairing it with my magic, our strengths are similar. But this week it's like I have this precognition with my fighting and powers, they feel like they're own entity and it's like I'm ahead of Stefan and Lexi when fighting that I just do instead of thinking.

It's so hard to describe... But it feels right?

Stefan is suspicious, especially when I was able to take him down quicker than ever before. He didn't say anything, but I know he's always been cautious when my magic takes over, and I'm not sure why.

I'll ask Grams when I speak to her tonight.

Night, me!

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

"Well, that's different!"

Aella was once again facetiming Caroline, only this time, Jeremy was sat with her as they sat in her car. Apparently, they had met up with Matt and Tyler at the Grill, and Caroline was giving Jeremy a lift home when Aella called and explained this new ability.

Jeremy was now caught up entirely on the supernatural in Mystic Falls, and it was him that had spoken. He'd read Aella's witch notes that corresponded with her Bennett family line and hadn't read anything like she was describing.

"Can we back up just a minute?!" Caroline huffed, placing her phone in her car holder, so she didn't have to strain holding the device while annoyed she was only just learning this information now. "Why are you even learning to fight, you have magic?"

Aella had to smirk at Caroline's protectiveness, "Lexi and Stefan thought it would be a good skill to learn in case my powers fail me."

"Have they in the past?" Jeremy questioned, worried it had.

Aella smiled at him, as best she could through a screen, "It's a just in case, you never know, especially as I'm not 100% what's happened in the past with my Mom's side of the family. Plus, Stefan doesn't want Damon to get a drop on me like he did when Tanner was killed."

"Do you think they'll teach me?" The teenager smirked. "Lexi could be my PT?"

Caroline was not impressed, "Got over it, Jeremy, she has a boyfriend that she changed into a vampire... I think her dumping him for you is only a dream!"

"Mmm-hmmm," Jeremy moaned. "And what a great dream it'll be."

Caroline turned back to a laughing Aella, face serious, "Do you see what you have left me with? Two weeks friends with Tyler and he's already starting to sound as smarmy as him."

"Where's B?" Aella asked, following Caroline's complaint.

Caroline scoffed, "Good question!"

Aella grew concerned, "Seriously?"

"No," Caroline waved off the concern. "She's been spending more time with Grams, hoping to discover more about her powers. She's pissed. You've got 16 years on her."

Aella smirked with a slight shrug that her cousin was annoyed, if she couldn't annoy Bonnie at least once a month, then she was not doing what her job description as a cousin proclaimed.

"Speaking of Grams," Jeremy piped up though Caroline's complaints. "Have you spoken to her about this new awareness?"

"Yes," Aella scowled, adjusting herself at Stefan's desk. "She said it wasn't a Bennett trait. They/we use Traditional Magic, unlike my Mom's family, who was Elementals. She said Uncle Nate might be able to help-"

"Uncle Nate, yes!"

"Mmmmm, Uncle Nate!"

Caroline and Jeremy cheered in the car at Aella's mention of her Uncle. She may not have seen him often as she did when she was younger, but when Uncle Nate visited Mystic Falls, there was always fun, and a small trail of destruction following his truck as he left town.

"Okay, ew!" Aella pointed at Caroline, "And you-" she pointed at Jeremy "- you're the reason he and I haven't seen each other in over two years!"

"How was I supposed to know Mom and Dad had no clue you and Uncle Nate were going to cover Sheriff Forbes car with Post-It's in the middle of the night!" Jeremy argued, although his smirk was trying to make its way onto his face, "I was like 12!"

Ignoring his smirk, Aella looked to Caroline, "And how do I go about asking my ONLY Uncle how i've got this sixth sense using my magic when fighting my vampire boyfriend and his best friend? Oh, and my boyfriend is only just drinking human blood again following his past attempts and becoming an actual ripper the other two occasions he drank human blood? Help me, oh wise one!"

Caroline and Jeremy became quiet as they thought over what Aella had just ranted about, then Caroline looked to the camera and shrugged, "Cliff Notes?"

Even Jeremy joined Aella as they rolled their eyes at her suggestion, "That was the cliff notes, Caroline!"

"Oh, I don't know," Caroline waved off Aella and hitting Jeremy in the process. "Uncle Nate is hot, and knows more about his side of the family then you!"

"Stop calling him hot!" Aella pleaded with a shiver to her body.

"Oh Uncle Nate... you are soooo scrummy," Caroline smirked, and Jeremy laughed how uncomfortable Aella was getting.

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

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

"Shut up!"

Stefan smirked at Aella's squeal, happy she was spending time with people other than him and Lexi. She had been his biggest supporter, and he could honestly say without her, he wouldn't have been able to be drinking human blood again.

"Hey! Lover Boy!" Lexi smirked, watching him smile as Caroline and Jeremy teased Aella virtually upstairs. Stefan looked over to her, and she held up a manilla folder, "Look what has just been delivered."

Stefan frowned in confusion until he saw the name 'Samphire' on the cover, Aella's mother's maiden name. He reached the couch and took a seat next to Lexi holding out his hand for the file, but Lexi frowned and pulled it closer to herself, "It's not much, which concerns me."

Stefan allowed his hand to drop to the couch, and his frown deepened, "What do you mean?"

"I mean the guy I usually go to, who can get most people's ancestors within a few days, can hardly find anything on the Samphire's after nearly two weeks," Lexi stressed. She opened the folder allowing Stefan to see only a few documents and pictures within it, "Apart from a connection to a hospital and having a history of being medical professionals, and my guy cannot find anything further back than the 19th Century. And I mean, they appeared from nowhere."

Stefan was now perplexed, "What are you saying, Lexi? That the Samphire family only established itself in the 1800s because of a new family line, and the old one died off?"

"No," Lexi shook her head with her eyes wide. She showed him the family tree her contact had been able to trace back and pointed to the top of the tree, "Joseph Samphire was a direct descendant of someone, but we can't find anything involving a Samphire family further back, they literally appeared out of nowhere and just started living in Virginia."

"What if he was adopted and took on the name Samphire?" Stefan suggested, getting more and more concerned, "Like Aella's dad did when he was adopted by Grams? In his case, he was a direct descendant of Emily's brother Solomon which is why Grams adopted him, but he was able to change his name. Could that be the same here?"

He then remembered the first time Aella revealed she had magic, "Aella told me her Mom, Natasha, was an 'umpteenth generational witch.' Aella was told her family tree goes back further than she had ever imagined."

Lexi shrugged with uncertainty on her face, "According to my contact, he could find nothing connected with the name Samphire, no adoption papers, or legal document dating back before they moved to Virginia, let alone hundreds of years... "

Lexi looked down at the paperwork then back to Stefan, "Stefan, there is nothing about this family until they moved to Virginia. They opened a hospital during the Civil War, admittance open for both sides - which, as you know at the time, was unheard of - and then they were able to build up this business, which is now worth A LOT of money."

Stefan hummed at Lexi's declaration, his focus on the short family tree for the Samphire family, "Aella said she receives her trust fund at different points of life, and it's supposed to be quite a lot..."

Lexi's brows raised, "Quite a lot Stefan? The Devout Hospital of Samphire is one of the most fast earning businesses of the 21st Century! Aella's not just gonna get quite a lot... she's gonna get billions along with 65% ownership of the business. Her Uncle Nate is the one looking after it for her until Aella turns 25."

Stefan's mouth suddenly felt parched. Yes, he had accumulated a lot of money in his long life... but billions of Dollars was a whole new ballpark.

"So I contacted Bree," Lexi quietly admitted causing Stefan's eyes to widen... a contact to collect information was one thing. Still, another witch, especially one with love for gossip, was another thing. "I know-" Lexi held up her hands, "-but I was frustrated and also thought Bree being a witch may help us?"

"And?"

"And apart from Bree and Lee now out for Damon's blood should he go to her neck of the woods anytime soon, Bree didn't know anything about a coven with anyone called Samphire, which is strange for Bree considering her age and her occupation..." Stefan nodded at her words - Bree was a very old and powerful witch. But then Lexi swallowed hard, and she looked around to make sure no one was listening, and Stefan leaned forward with interest. "But she looked around and could tell me two things: If two separate bloodlines combine ( which hasn't happened in over a millennia) anything is possible, especially with one bloodline being a Bennett."

Stefan nodded as his worry started to appear again, he knew a witch being of two bloodlines was rare, but he had no clue it hadn't been for a millenia, "And the second thing?"

Lexi looked uncomfortable, and until then, Stefan didn't realize just how much he felt for Aella until Lexi gave him that look, and his heart raced at the possibilities for that look. "Bree was able to talk to someone, and she won't tell me who, but there is a reason no one knows about a coven with anyone called Samphire..., and it's not because they're a small coven or don't know much. But this person told Bree that if someone of the Samphire bloodline has joined with the Bennett line... it's impossible to know how much power that witch will have, but it would be a lot."

"And what did Bree think?" Stefan wondered to her, Bree was not one to be made a fool of. "Can we trust this 'person'?

"Bree sounded in shock," Lexi revealed, which did not lessen Stefan's worries. "And Bree does not get shook."

Stefan looked above them, where he could still hear Aella, Jeremy, and Caroline laughing, before looking back to Lexi, "Who are the Samphires?"

AELLA'S DIARY

DAY 21

So today was Stefan's first test with a human, other than me, within his presence. Lexi was quickly becoming aware that the relationship between Stefan and I wasn't normal; yeah, we acted like a couple, but it was the fact that Stefan didn't ever feel compelled by my blood that had Lexi scratching her head multiple times. It was when Stefan was showering that Lexi and I devised a plan to really test Stefan; today, he would be drinking blood from a shot glass on its own, no other blood mixed or mixed in something, and then Caroline would come over. Caroline volunteered without hesitating as she knew with Lexi and me around her she was a safe as could be.

Twenty-one days of coming up with unusual drink recipes and following unique food recipes, and now it was Stefan's moment to either go forward or back. He had knocked back the shot of human blood and then had gone running with Lexi, I had feigned I was a little too tired today so Lexi had replaced me.

Too tired, my ass!

While at first, it was hard running every day and learning to fight, I now was beginning to get a slight four-pack... who knew hard work paid off! It was also the first things Caroline noted when we saw each other in person for longer than 5 minutes rather than on Facetime, and had immediately pulled up my jumper to gaze at my abs... it wasn't the first time in our friendship history she'd pulled up my jumper, so I wasn't surprised. It was what Stefan did next that surprised me!

Stefan didn't even notice Caroline as he and Lexi returned, his smile was immense, and his eyes glistened with happiness that filled my heart with joy. He immediately headed for me and spun me around as he exclaimed that he was able to drink the blood on its own, and felt great... better than great if that was possible. It was only when he saw Lexi, out of the corner of his eye, hug another blonde did Stefan tense up slightly before he realized it was Caroline. Before Lexi and I could move, he had pulled Caroline into a hug too and was happily telling her of his achievement. It wasn't until he'd put her down did I realize I had my hands up, ready to use my magic, and Lexi was poised to protect... but it wasn't needed.

So on day twenty-one, Stefan had passed his first human test.

Yay us!

Bye me!