SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

"How's that feel?"

Aella moaned in relief as Stefan placed the cool cloth on her forehead, with her eyes closed, she nodded slightly, "Better."

Caroline looked over to Stefan; she had forced Aella to lay down when they arrived and quickly inserted herself beneath Aella's stretched out legs. Her focus was only on her best friend, "I don't like this. Aella is never sick."

Stefan raised his brow, looking between all three girls that had seated themselves in his library, "At all?"

Elena shook her head, "Not since arriving in Mystic Falls."

Bonnie nodded at Elena's words, "Grams always tutted it off when I was younger, and I would complain that Aella was never sick when I was. I just thought she was lucky, but now I guess it's her magic."

"Should we contact Nate?" Caroline asked as her worried eyes settled on Aella.

"No," Aella mumbled, shaking her head. "Mmfine, psycho hoodie loose."

Stefan settled a bemused stare on Aella, kneeling next to her, "You are not fine. You need to sleep."

"Noooo," Aella whined, eyes still closed, and words slightly slurred, "Elena trouble."

Stefan frowned over at Elena, who could only nod worryingly, "She's right. I think the vampire that ran me off the road is back, and he knows about Aella."

Stefan nodded, he looked over to Caroline, "You mind watching her so I can talk to Elena and Bonnie next door?"

Caroline didn't take her eyes off Aella as she stroked her best friend's hair, she could see it was comforting Aella, "Would you leave Lexi?"

Stefan smiled briefly at the blonde, even if she didn't see it, "Silly question." His eyes glanced at Aella before he leaned down and lightly pecked her lips, whispering against them, "Sleep."

Aella only nodded slightly, and Stefan stood up and pointed with his head to the door. When they reached the lounge, Stefan sat on the arm of one of the many seats, and waited for the two girls to sit down, "So what happened?"

Bonnie looked to Elena for a moment then turned back to Stefan, "We just left the Grill after lunch when Elena got a phone call. I had stayed to pay, and Aella used the bathroom, so when we came out, Elena was on the phone, and then she started panicking and put the phone on loudspeaker."

"He said I'd hit him with my car," Elena nodded at Bonnie's explanation. "I tried to be ignorant and told him if I'd hit him, he'd be dead, but he just laughed it off saying me and my witchy friend know why that was."

"How did you know he was there?" Stefan asked.

"Aella's car," Elena raised the car keys that had been held tightly in her hands since Bonnie handed them to her as she helped Aella into the house. "We were using Aella's car today. He asked if it was a new one."

Stefan nodded, but furrowed his brow when he thought over what had been said about Aella, "And how did you know he was talking about Aella, why not Bonnie?"

Elena frowned, thinking over the exact words the vampire had used until Bonnie remembered them. Her eyes widened at the meaning behind them, "Because he said 'green-eyed witchy friend,' how would he know the color of Aella's eyes?"

Stefan didn't want to panic as Bonnie and Elena looked to each other at the realization that the psycho vampire had been close enough to Aella to see her eye color. He held his hands up to them, "He could have been across the street and saw them."

Bonnie's eyes widened further, "He couldn't have, Aella was wearing sunglasses."

"Which means the vampire had to have been up close with Aella," Elena summarized, her voice filled with fear, she looked to Stefan and could see the worry in his eyes. "Stefan, who is that man on the road?"

Stefan shook his head, "I don't know. Do you remember anything else about him?"

Elena scoffed, "I wish. I never really saw his face. He was wearing a hoodie. All I can remember is that these black boots were coming towards me."

Bonnie, sensing Elena's memory of that moment taking hold, she quickly held Elena's hand, rubbing it in comfort. "We won't let him anywhere near you, or Aella." She looked to Stefan, "Right."

"Right," Stefan instantly replied without a shadow of a doubt.

Elena looked to Stefan tearfully as she laid her head on Bonnie's shoulder, taking comfort as Bonnie now rubbed her back, "Why me? Why Aella? What does he want with us? A-and if he's trying to kill us, then why call first?"

Stefan stood up from the hair arm, and sat on the table in front of Elena and Bonnie, "That's because we're predators, Elena. We hunt. We stalk... It's often as exciting as the kill."

Bonnie looked between Stefan and her best friend, "What can we do?"

"I have an idea."

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Stefan walked into the library. He felt a sudden relief when he saw Aella sat up and talking, albeit leaning heavily against Caroline, "Hey, you're up."

Aella smiled softly up at her boyfriend, "Yeah, the nap helped."

Caroline held up the cloth, now dry, "She literally dried the cloth with how hot her head was, but it's coming back to normal."

"So the psycho is after me and E," Aella smirked at Stefan. "And they say a relationship gets boring after the first few months."

Stefan chuckled lovingly, "With you? Never."

"Have you worked out how to help Aella and me?" Elena interrupted, biting her lip.

Stefan held up the two items in his hands, "I think I do."

Aella frowned, "Is that..."

Stefan nodded at her and knelt down in front of the table, and placed the two items on the table, "I think it's time to see if this really does work as a vampire compass." He opened the pocket watch and tried to pull the center out, or at least nudge an edge to grab onto, but struggled until a metal nail file was placed in front of his face. He glanced up to see Caroline holding up the file, she and Aella smirking, "As I've told you all numerous times 'always be prepared' you never know when they'll be a nail emergency."

Stefan just took the metal file, smirking to himself how used to Caroline's unique ways he was. He pulled the watch section out of the old pocket watch and inserted the compass section.

"How do we know it works?" Elena asked until everyone looked at her bemusedly, and she realized how silly her question sounded. "Oh c'mon, I'm still new to all this!"

Stefan chuckled and turned the compass section until it clicked. As soon as the click reverberated around the room, the compass spun and pointed at Stefan. Aella's brow rose, "I think it worked."

"We should test it at a distance," Bonnie thought out loud, and when she saw the nods of all the occupants of the room, she took it from Stefan's outreached hand. The compass was pointing to its own true North - Stefan.

The group watched at Bonnie moved around the room, the compass turning only to point at Stefan.

Elena frowned, "Why did my father have it?"

Stefan answered Elena as Bonnie left the room to see how far the compass could sense Stefan, "Gilberts was one of the founding families, and back in 1864, they were among those who sought to eradicate the vampires. The compass was used to find us."

"Did you know them?"

Stefan glanced to Aella, who held a soft smile knowing the history of Stefan meeting the Gilbert relatives in 1864, and 1912, "Yes, I did."

Bonnie returned to the library, "It pointed at Stefan until the other side of the house."

Stefan took the compass from her and handed it to Elena, "Keep this. That way, you'll know if you or Aella are ever in danger."

"Hey!" Aella playfully pouted. "Why does the newbie get it?"

Elena smirked as she pocketed the device, "Because you look like you can be pushed over by a feather, let alone handle a vampire. This lets me keep an eye out over us both, while you rest."

"A, why don't you sleep some more while me, Caroline, and Elena go pick up some things for tonight?" Bonnie suggested. "You can be protected by Stefan here, while we have the compass and my magic... plus, he can't attack the three of us in broad daylight!"

Sensing that if she spoke up in objection, she would have all of her friends ganging up on her, she moaned in defeat, "Fine..." She looked over at Stefan with mischief as she dramatically held up her arms, "But I simply cannot move! My knight in his soft cashmere sweater must carry me to his chambers!"

The girls only rolled their eyes at Aella's dramatics, until Stefan picked up Aella without a word and softly kissed her head. They all smiled at his love for their crazy best friend, as he said to Aella while leaving the room, "As you wish."

Stefan carried Aella up to his room, as he did the brunette snuggled her head into his neck and wondered why Damon was being so quiet since he abducted Elena a few days prior, "What's Damon up to?"

Stefan snorted, hearing the other girls leave the house, "That's the million-dollar question." He reached his room and placed Aella in his bed, allowing her to get comfortable as he sat on the side. "I think he's looking for our father's journal; I caught him in the library earlier today."

Aella was confused, "Why your dad's journal?"

"It was my father that led the culling of the vampires in 1864," Stefan explained, "and all their possessions confiscated." He looked down at Aella, "Does your family have Emily's grimoire?"

"No," Aella shook her head. "Grams said it was lost when Emily was killed. You don't think..."

Stefan nodded, "...I think that Damon thinks our father confiscated Emily's grimoire..."

"...And that information would be in his journal," Aella finished off Stefan's thought. Stefan confirmed her thought with a nod, making Aella bite her lips, "Which means he's still looking for a way for Katherine to return."

Stefan reached behind Aella and pulled out an old book from behind his pillow, he turned it in his hands, "That's the problem though, I've read this journal back to front and nowhere in it does it say anything about Katherine, or the tomb, or how to open it."

"Then give it to him," Aella shrugged, taking the journal from his hands, marveling over how old yet beautiful the book still was. "If this stops his crazy searching and reveals nothing to release Katherine, maybe he'll finally leave?"

Stefan took the journal back and smiled at Aella, "I think I will..." He kissed her nose, "Now try to sleep a little more before tonight."

Aella grimaced as she turned over and closed her eyes, "Stupid Caroline making us all go to a stupid dance!"

GILBERT HOUSEHOLD

"What do you mean you and Bonnie aren't coming?" Aella fumed down the phone to her best friend.

Stefan had just dropped her off at home so she could get ready for the dance, while he and Damon had their 'talk.' Aella's head had finally stopped hurting, and she felt normal again until Caroline had phoned when she stepped into her room.

"Matt and I talked, and I realized I have to be supportive of him, so I decided to chill at the Grill with him," Caroline explained, and Aella could only grumble to herself.

As much as she respected Caroline's unselfish decision, she was still upset why Caroline decided to grow up after she had declared they were all attending the dance. She had worked so hard on it, apparently. "And Bonnie just didn't feel like going without a date, so said she'd keep me company."

"But you're the chairman of the School Council; you have to go!" Aella whined. "And Elena's going solo."

"Not if my Vice-Chair goes in my place," Aella could practically hear Caroline smiling with glee down the phone.

"I knew this position would bite me in the ass someday," Aella sighed.

"You know being Vice-Chair looks good on college resumes," Caroline tutted at her. "And just think how much Principle Weber will let you off with if he sees you there in my place. This is at least three School Council meetings you can fall asleep in without him bothering you."

"Um, I think you mean five," Aella interrupted Caroline, but her best friend paid no attention to her.

"And Elena has to go because Jeremy and Jenna are going, plus she's helped out to buff her resume up too..." Caroline sighed, and Aella knew this was the part Caroline was going to be overdramatic and guilt her into going in her place. "Look A, I know you haven't been too good and didn't want to go in the first place, but Matt really needs my support during this hard time, and it was you that said I should support his ideas even if I hate them. I really need to be with him. Please, A, my amazing best friend."

Aella rubbed her head, rubbing away the signs of another headache, and despised how Caroline knew how to pull on her heartstrings, "Fine-"

"-Yes!-"

"-But, I am not working!" Aella cut through Caroline's cheering and pouted down the phone, "I am supervising from far far away."

"Thank you, bestie."

"No, you're doing the right thing," Aella admitted reluctantly. "Matt needs you more than this stupid dance. I'm proud of you, Care-bear."

It was quiet until Caroline softly replied, "I love you too, Ellie-Bear."

Aella hung up and fell backward onto her bed, "I hate today."

Knock Knock

Aella lifted her head towards the door, glaring at it. Knocking and waiting in this house only meant bad news, "Yes?"

The door opened, and Jeremy pushed his head in with a smile that portrayed an emotion Aella knew very well; Guilt.

"Yes, Jeremy?"

Jeremy walked into Aella's room, smiling tightly down at her, "So..." He rubbed the back of his neck, which only strengthened Aella's musing that Jeremy had done something. "I have some good news and bad news."

Aella fell back on the bed again and placed the pillow of her face, "Hit me with the bad news first."

"No, no," Jeremy shook his hands at Aella, even though she couldn't see him. "The good news is awesome; you should hear the good news first."

Aella removed the pillow and slowly sat up again, brow raised at Jeremy's words, "So if the good news is amazing, the bad news must be terrible, am I right?"

Jeremy winced, "Maybe?"

With a heavy sigh, Aella waved Jeremy to talk, "Okay, hit me with it."

Jeremy smiled freely at the witch, as much as he was dreading talking to Aella about this, he knew this was an important moment for him, and he needed to take that in... before Aella murdered him. "I got an A on my history report."

Aella's mouth dropped open, despite knowing bad news was coming, Jeremy was right; this was awesome news, "Oh my God, Dude!" Aella jumped up and hugged Jeremy tight, "I am so proud of you." She pulled away, sitting back down on her bed and looked up at him, "What was the paper about? Ric must have loved it!"

Jeremy smile dropped, "That's the thing A, he did love it... A little too much to be honest."

Aella smile faded, too, "What did you write about, J?"

Jeremy slowly backed away from the brunette, "I had no clue what to do, and it was just sitting there doing nothing. I knew I had to kill this paper, or I would disappoint Mr. Saltzman, and he's helped me out so much."

Aella wasn't swayed, "What was the paper about Jeremy?"

Jeremy winced at Aella's tone, relieved that as he was slowly moving backward, she stayed sat on the bed. "I wrote about the Myths of Mystic Falls using the Gilbert Journals."

"And when you mean 'Myths'?" Aella tightly questioned.

"Um," Jeremy sucked in his top lip. "Statistically that there's been more animal attacks, mysterious deaths, uh, people going missing, more than any other place in the whole commonwealth of Virginia..." He stopped, but Aella could sense there was more and raised her brow for him to continue. "And the myth that Vampires could be responsible for it."

Aella eyes widened, and she stood up from her bed, "You wrote about what!?"

"And that's not even the worst," Jeremy whimpered, and if Aella weren't so mad, she would have laughed how much fear her and her tiny frame could install in people. "Mr. Saltzman wanted to know where the source that I cited for the 1860s information, and I told him it was from an ancestor's journal." Aella stepped forward, and Jeremy knew he was in so much trouble, "And Mr. Saltzman asked if he could see it sometime, because of its ties with the Civil War..."

Aella didn't think her eyes could be more full as Jeremy's words entered her brain and absorbed them. With her stomach in her throat, she quietly and too calmly begged the teenager, "Please do not tell me what I think you're about to tell me."

Jeremy winced, a calm Aella during bad news was the worst, "So I let him borrow Jonathan Gilbert's journal." And before the last word came out of his mouth, he turned and ran as fast as he could away from Aella Bennett.

"JEREMY!"

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🎵"So, so what?
I'm still a rock star
I got my rock moves
And I don't need you
And guess what
I'm having more fun
And now that we're done
I'm gonna show you tonight
I'm alright, I'm just fine
And you're a tool."🎵

Elena sat on her bed writing in her journal of the day's events, trying her hardest to concentrate over the P!ink song blasting from the bathroom, where Aella now showered.

"Elena!" Jenna walked in, fingers in ears, wincing at the music. "How the hell are you able to focus with that blasting?"

Elena smirked over at Jenna, sitting up and closing her journal, "I have an emo of a brother, and a best friend who can get very frustrated and likes to blare angry music when she's angry... you get used to it."

Jenna shut Elena's bedroom door, then sat beside her niece, "I thought she was sick earlier?"

Elena just shrugged, "Not anymore... or at least, the anger has overtaken the headache." Elena looked over her Aunt's 50's outfit. "You look great!"

"Thank," Jenna smiled, fluffing her curled ponytail. "Spoke to the insurance company. Car's totaled. You can keep using mine and Aella's for now."

"I'm sorry, again," Elena sighed. This was another thing her aunt did not need to deal with.

Jenna scoffed, "It's not your fault a vampire had hate for a blue Ford Escape..."

Elena snorted at how casual Jenna's comment was, "It's so strange hearing the word vampire coming from your mouth with a straight face."

Jenna joined in with her niece's laughter, "Yeah, I can't believe it too. Anyway..." She stood up and smoothed down her red skirt, "Tell Joan Jett, I'll see her, and you later, Ric should be here soon."

"Ooohhh, it's Ric now," Elena smirked, shuffling back when she saw her aunt aim her hand in the direction of her arm.

"Alaric asked me to help chaperone," Jenna shrugged so casual it was anything but. She opened the door, wincing as Rockstar by Nickelback replaced P!nk.

"I'll see you later," Elena shouted over the music.

Jenna nodded and closed Elena's door. She glanced at the bathroom door, wondering how the hell Aella wasn't deaf by the end of her shower. She headed down the stairs, "Jeremy must have really pissed her off." She muttered to herself, missing the shape hiding on the ceiling.

Smiling when she saw Ric's vehicle on the driveway, she grabbed her things and left the house. Letting out a sigh of relief when she no longer could hear the base of Aella's music.

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"I'll face myself, to cross out what I've become. Erase myself, and let go of what I've done," Aella wrapped her dried body with the large fluffy towel, swinging her body and wet hair as she sang along to Linkin Park.

Turning off the music, she stepped out of the steamy bathroom only for her eyes to widen as a very familiar scream echoed from downstairs, followed by a crash and her boyfriend's voice shouting Elena's name.

Running down the stairs at full speed, she ignored the open door. She ran into the living room to see Elena on the ground, and Stefan facing someone Aella did not recognize from the back, but she knew he was a vampire.

Stefan caught her eye, and the vampire turned to face Aella with his vamp face bared. Still, Aella just gripped the knot of her towel with one hand, and with the other, she used her magic to throw the vampire though the and out the door. She allowed her magic to slam the front door shut, "And stay out of here, you asshole!"

Stefan helped Elena up as Aella ran round the couch to pull her best friend into her arms, "Are you okay? Why didn't you get me?!"

Elena pulled away and sat on the couch, "I tried, your music was too loud!" Aella swallowed guiltily and sat next to her friend. "The compass was moving, so I called Stefan, wondering if it was him, but Damon answered, saying that Stefan was on his way but had forgotten his phone. I assumed it was him, and then it wasn't..."

Aella took the compass out of Elena's shaking hand and looked up to her boyfriend, "So I guess it works."

Stefan stroked Aella's wet hair, taking comfort that she hadn't been attacked, and he'd been able to reach Elena in time, "Just not how I would have liked to be tested." He picked up Elena's cell, "I'm going to call Damon, can I use this?"

Elena nodded, and Stefan walked to the kitchen to speak to Damon, Aella turned back to Elena, "I'm so sorry for not being there."

Now that the shock of the events had faded slightly, Elena took Aella's hand and squeezed it, "I shouldn't have snapped, you've always played your 'Pissed Off' playlist loud, why would today be any different."

Aella pulled Elena in for a hug before motioning towards her towel-clad body, "I should go change, are you okay down here?"

"-And spoil the view?"

Aella rolled her eyes as she stood to face her boyfriend's annoying brother, "Damon. How quick of you to join us."

Damon smirked as he took a step closer to her, Aella noticing Stefan step back into the room, Damon touched the knot of Aella's towel, "And miss the show?"

"Okay, Ew!" Aella stepped back, screwing up her face, as Damon smiled in glee how quick it took to annoy his nemesis.

Stefan placed his arm around Aella, "Maybe you should get dressed?"

Aella smiled tightly, stroking Stefan's chest at the protectiveness in his voice before she made her way to the stairs, her mumbles as she climbed them not unheard by the vampires. "And maybe another shower to clean off the touch of Damon."