AN: Sorry this is a little late, Saturday was a crazy day and I was so exhausted that I just slept. Hope this chapter makes up for it, it has to be one of my favorite chapters... hope you enjoy!

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FOUNDER'S HALL

Entering the large hall, the three of them had their awareness dials fully powered as they glanced around; the Council, John and Stefan's blood lust... Aella wondered to herself if this was a good idea, after all.

Stefan pulled Aella close; for his comfort or hers, she wasn't sure. However, she still snuggled close to him. Damon turned to them with a raised brow, "Okay, lovebirds, I'm going to see if I can get more juicy gossip on Uncle Fester..."

"And we will keep an eye out for him from afar," Aella smirked at Damon's nickname for John. "Try not to kill or attack anyone for at least one town event."

Before Damon could throw his own comeback at her, she pulled Stefan over to the bar. He ordered them two cokes, and they both leaned against the bar as they waited, "So, no Bonnie or Caroline tonight?"

"Nope!" Aella popped her lip, smiling when the drinks were brought over and took a big gulp of the cold soda. "Caroline's at her dad's for the weekend, and Bonnie is having dinner with her dad."

Stefan poured some whiskey into the coke from the silver flask he'd brought with him. As much of Aella's blood was out of his system by now, the unique qualities that still baffled him, felt like he'd still drunk from a human in the last 12 hours. Alcohol dulled the cravings, and it wasn't like he could order a whiskey and coke without bringing some attention to himself... and it wasn't like he could become drunk.

His brow rose at Bonnie's location, "Bet that will be an entertaining evening."

Aella snorted, "So much so she's forgotten she hates me for at least these few hours to keep me updated that her dad's insulted Gran three times and me twice in the last hour."

Stefan knew Aella was trying to hide her hurt from Bonnie's sudden hate with a joke and kissed her head, "Bonnie doesn't hate you."

Aella pulled back with her brow raised, "Oh, so the glares, snark, and ignoring me on a regular basis is love?"

Stefan nodded, even if it wasn't what Aella wanted him to do, "To be honest, I think she's jealous. The two of you have always been close and have never had to be compared at all. Now she realizes that with something as big as the magic that you, her, and Sheila share, she will always be behind no matter what she does."

"But that's not my fault," Aella groaned, looking away, but Stefan turned her head back to meet her eyes with his. "Which is why you just keep being you, eventually she will realize this is none of your fault."

Her mouth twisted in contemplation, and Stefan nudged her to say out loud what she was thinking, "It's just..." Aella sighed helplessly. "I'm told that I'm only going to get more powerful, not just with my Samphire powers but my Bennett powers. What if, if she is jealous, she can't get over that, I'll be better?" Aella curled into herself, groaning aloud, "And now I sound like a completely big-headed know-it-all."

Stefan watched her, unsure of what to tell her. The relationship between Aella and her magic was just as strong as her relationship with her cousin, maybe so even more because of the connection with her parents. When she looked at him, so vulnerable, he pulled her close, "If it comes to that, we will deal with it together, like everything else. But it's not there yet, so we can only hope. Okay?"

Aella nodded into his chest then let out a sudden snort, Stefan pulled her back, forehead wrinkled in confusion. She started to laugh as she motioned around the room, "It's just that, we're having this incredible emotional heart to heart in the middle of this party, and it's still the most boring thing in the world."

Stefan just nodded, knowing Aella needed to laugh off this emotional moment in the only way she knew how... so Stefan joined her, "It's not like the music is any better either."

Aella's eyes darted to the DJ, who looked so bored, and she wondered if he was suddenly regretting becoming a DJ. She suddenly had an idea, "I think we need to liven up the party."

Stefan could see the deviousness already forming in her eyes, "And what Miss. Bennett, do you suggest?"

Her eyes met his, "I think the DJ should be suddenly compelled to change up the music."

"Yeah...That's not gonna work." The two turned in surprise at Kelly Donovan's voice and wondered how long Matt's mom had been standing there, but she continued as if they both hadn't jumped at her appearance. "I already tried to bribe the guy with 20 bucks and a date. He said Carol Lockwood has complete control over the music choices."

Aella smirked from Stefan to Kelly and pulled Stefan over to the DJ, "Well, miracles do happen, Mrs. Donovan."

Kelly only raised her brow at the teenager and waited as they talked to the DJ who suddenly looked a lot livelier. Then Rihanna started to play around the room. "Huh," Kelly laughed in surprise, "The little Bennett girl has tricks."

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"Have I entered an alternate universe where Stefan is fun?"

Elena turned at Damon's voice from where she leaned on one of the columns watching Aella, Stefan, and Kelly on the dance floor... actually having fun.

Elena smirked at the vampire, "You'd be surprised how much fun Stefan can be when he's with Aella... You've just always tried to ruin his life rather than actually get to know your brother."

He watched his brother laugh, and a small part of him hated it, "I know what my brother is like, been there pretty longer than you or Pixie has."

Elena raised her brow at him, "You knew the Stefan from 1864 when he was a teenager under Katherine's compulsion and in the lust of blood. Apart from that, how much time have you both really spent together to actually get to know each other until now?"

Damon said nothing as she continued, "The 150 years he spent without you is a hell of a lot longer than the 18 he spent with you. Maybe you should consider that before you judge him any more than you do."

"Okay," Damon rolled his eyes and turned to her. "Are you going to be mad at me for killing your birth mother for the rest of your existence?"

Elena laughed out loud at his gall, "It's very possible, Damon, just like you promising Stefan an external life of misery." She laughed at his face when he realized she knew his vow. "Don't you just hate it when your prejudices are used against you."

As she walked away, he heard a familiar laugh and groaned out loud, he looked to the dance floor and realized that when he and Elena had been talking, she must have escaped. "Laugh it up, Pixie."

Aella moved next to him with amusement. She watched Stefan send her glares for leaving him dancing with Kelly, "Just tell her the three words all women want to hear when a man does something to annoy or make them hate them."

"Here's my visa?" Damon joked, but Aella didn't laugh. She turned to him and simply said, "I was wrong."

Damon shrugged, "It was before I knew Elena, I was a different person then. I can't change things, so why should I apologize for the past she wasn't a part of?"

Aella hit him, using her powers to make sure he felt it, "She's not angry at you for killing her birth mother." Damon only raised his brow. Aella made a quick change to that statement, "Okay, she's not too angry at you for killing her birth mother, bitch abandoned her without even a name. What she's angry with you about is how you told Alaric during the bachelor night how she had to find out. As much as you want to get one over someone you dislike, Damon, that was just cruel."

He was quiet as he thought over his words, and Aella allowed him to stew, "And that would work?"

Keeping her smile to herself at his question, she looked back to him, "It would help." She pointed to herself, "You know I am the queen of holding grudges, but even that would go a long way in my book."

Damon nodded and went quiet again for a few minutes until he nudged her and gestured to Kelly and Stefan dancing. Stefan's glares only getting more profound, "You going to save my brother anytime soon?"

Aella laughed out loud until she saw a specific teacher heading towards a specific Aunt, and her laugh slowed, "Maybe after I've dealt with a man, I seriously misjudged." She moved in the direction of her Aunt as she stood with Elena when Damon pulled her back, "As the king of holding grudges, don't let his fear change your opinion of him."

The two stared at each other for a moment, almost coming to an understanding before Damon let her go and wandered off. Aella headed to her Aunt, with a little less gusto.

As she approached the two women, she nudged Elena at who was coming their way. Elena nudged her Aunt, "History teacher, three o'clock."

Jenna locked eyes with Aella and pointed, "Don't start anything."

Aella could only shrug, "What? It's not like the man didn't show his true colors when Stefan was being tortured, and I was feeling every bit of it?"

Alaric held his hands up as he approached them, "I know I'm the last person you want to talk to right now..."

Aella crossed her arms, "And what gave you that idea, Mr. Saltzman."

Alaric almost winced at the icy tone from a person he considered one of his favorites students. At the same time, Elena nudged her hard, "You're the least subtle person anybody knows, let's leave them to talk."

Aella held Alaric's stare for a moment until she looked to Jenna, who nodded for her to go. They started to leave, but as they passed Alaric, Aella stopped and stared up at him, "I already ran out one person that broke Jenna's heart, I hope you won't be the second." Her eyes flashed a light green, and Alaric gulped in fear as Elena pulled the young witch away.

He watched them leave then turned to Jenna, who stared down at her empty wine glass, "Jenna, I just wanted to say one thing..." when she looked up at him, he saw the hurt in her eyes and wished he hadn't been the one to put it there. "I'm sorry. I let my anger and hurt over Damon affect me to the point that even I questioned my own values. I see that I've let everyone down, but more importantly, I let you down, and I'm so sorry."

Jenna's eyes glistened as she listened, "My kid was hurting, and you refused to help until it benefited you, I thought you were better than that."

"Jenna," Alaric breathed out, taking a step closer to her, happy when she didn't back away. "Anything I say will not make up for that, I wish I could go back and shout at myself to not let my hate overcome me, but it did. It's a side I'm not proud of at all, but all I can do is say sorry to you, to Aella, to Stefan. I just hope that one day you won't hate me anymore."

Sadness clouded Jenna's face, "I don't hate you, Ric. I'm just disappointed, I thought you were a better man."

"And I can be, Jenna," He nodded. "Will you give me another chance?"

Jenna thought it over as her mouth twisted in consideration, "Well... I am out of wine..."

She looked up with a smile that had Ric letting out a breath of relief, and he held out his arm, "Can I escort you to the bar?"

Taking a deep breath, Jenna took hold of his arm and allowed him to walk her to the bar, her life was already crazy, she didn't need grudges making it more insane.

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"When did this happen?" Matt asked Elena in amusement, watching Aella and Stefan dance with his mom.

Elena laughed loudly, "You mean the music change or Aella actually laughing with your mom?"

"Ummm..." Matt wasn't too sure. "Both?"

Elena held up her phone and took a picture, "Caroline and Bonnie have to see this."

As she pulled her phone down, Aella had spotted Matt and ran over to the blonde athlete, taking hold of his hand and pulling him to the dance floor as Flo Rida blasted through the room. Matt protested and tried to pull Elena with him, but Aella was too strong, and so Elena laughed in enjoyment until a rose appeared in front of her.

Following the hand that held the rose, she was surprised when she saw Damon holding it, "I'm sorry. I was wrong."

Taking the rose, Elena took in its beautiful scent, "Sorry for what?"

Taking a step, so he was next to her, he watched his brother and Pixie dancing and laughing together. "I can't take back what happened with Isobel, but I can say I was wrong what I did to the teacher... and how you found out."

"The teacher?" Elena raised her brow.

"Fine... Alaric," Damon rolled his eyes as if the name revolted him.

Elena didn't respond and smelt the rose again, her eyes turning to the dance floor as Stefan held Aella close, turning on the dance floor and just beaming as she laughed out loud. "How can they act so normal, even after the last week?"

Damon's eyes watched the couple, but his eyes turned to her as he answered her, "When you love someone, it always helps forget the bad."

Smiling down at the rose she missed Damon's attention turn to Liz as she walked into the room, "Do you want to dan-"

"-I have to speak to the Sheriff," Damon missed Elena's question and walked away from the disappointed teen.

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Aella and Stefan stumbled off the dance floor to Jenna as she became a roadblock to stop their laughing forms falling over, "10/10 for the running man, Stefan."

"And my robot?" Aella performed again to the amusement of the two.

"I give it an 11," Stefan smiled, pulling her close.

"I got two waters for the dancers," Alaric announced himself, stepping over to the group. Stefan took his happily while Aella was more careful, staring down her teacher as she gulped the water down.

Jenna groaned loudly, "I can't believe I am going to quote Logan the Jackass, but..." she turned and pointed to Aella, "Down, Chachi. He apologized and me being the adult has forgiven him."

Alaric turned to Aella and Stefan, "I'm sorry to the both of you, like I said to Jenna, my anger for Damon took over and I made choices I'm not proud about."

Stefan knew Aella was a strong one and decided to give the teacher some clemency after his experiences the past month, "Damon has been known to do that-" he nudged his girlfriend. "-right?"

With a roll of her eyes, Aella agreed, but quickly pointed at her teacher, "No more, Damon douche moves, got it?"

Ric held up his hands, "Got it."

Elena ran over to the group, "I think Damon is outside with Uncle John."

Stefan placed his glass down on the side, "I'll go make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"No," Aella stopped him and passed him her glass. "If Damon does do something stupid, there may be blood, and we can't be sure what you'll be like. I can deal with Damon."

"And John?" Stefan questioned as his brows knitted. "Especially after what we found out about him today."

"Um..." Jenna held a worried finger to the couple, "What did we find out about John Gilbert?"

With a tap to his chest, Aella skipped back, "I'll leave you to answer that."

Stefan tried to stop her, but she was quick, and Jenna's 'I'm now ready to have a serious chat' face was securely on. With a sigh of exasperation, he updated the two adults on Damon's discovery of John earlier that day.

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Aella walked onto the balcony just to see Damon break John's neck and toss him over the side of the balcony, her eyes widened and when Damon turned to leave his eyes widened too.

Aella was silent for a minute, which worried Damon until she bounced on her feet in a temper, hands in a fist as she waved them at him, "I told you no killing, Damon!"

Damon could only shrug, "It's reflex."

Aella growled and ran past the vampire to look at the body sprawled out on the ground, she banged her hands on the balcony as she turned back to Damon as he adjusted his jacket. "I believe that was the very thing I told you not to do."

"Did you really think I listen to what you say, Pixie."

Aella's finger appeared in front of his face as she waggled it, "This is not the time for snark, Damon Salvatore!"

Damon caught her finger with a pout, "Oh, the full name. On a scale of one to ten, how much do you want to kill me right now?"

She pulled her finger back and fixed a heavy glare on the vampire, "I'm hovering in the high thirties."

"Oh, c'mon, Short Stuff," Damon tried to smile his way out of the situation. "The man was a problem for all of us, now he's only a problem for me to get rid of."

Aella shook her head and began to storm off until she quickly turned back, and the finger was pointed at him again, "You are the worst person on the face of the planet!"

As she stormed away again, Damon held his chest where his heart should have been beating, "Awww, Pixie. That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

She only answered with a flick of her middle finger as she exited the balcony and slammed the door shut, using her magic to lock them.

Looking around the party, she quickly adjusted her dress before walking as normally as she possibly could to Stefan, Elena, Jenna, and Ric. She smiled brightly as she approached the group, "We have a problem."

Stefan's brow creased as Jenna crossed her fingers, "Please be normal teen drama: Jeremy smoking weed, Aella cursing out the mayor..."

Aella winced, "How about John Gilbert with a broken neck at the bottom of the balcony?"

Jenna and Elena choked as Ric's eyes widened, and Stefan simply said, "Damon didn't listen to you obviously."

Elena was pale as she looked to her best friend, "He's what?"

Aella waved her hands at the group, "We can't panic right now, JG is having time out half a story down the other side of the balcony... and we have to make sure no one discovers him."

Ric cleared his throat, "Aella's right. You girls make sure no one enters the balcony," he gestured between him and Stefan, "And we'll deal with John."

"Good," Aella nodded and took hold of the statues of Elena and Jenna. Before she pulled them away, she smirked at Alaric, "Welcome to the Scooby Squad, Teach."

As they walked away, Alaric looked to Stefan, "I don't know if I should be happy she's let me on the team, or unhappy I'm about to hide a body."

Stefan tapped his shoulder, "I'd go with the happy option as a distraction."

Alaric nodded softly, and then the two were off to hide John Gilbert's body.

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AN: Soooooooo, what did you think? I honestly love Aella and Damon together and it's been fun to watch that friendship grow. I also like how sarcastic Stefan has becoming, while we know it was a trait he had in the later seasons, it's fun to see it now and see it strengthen because of Aella's influence. So...

- Did we like the changes with Stefan NOT hooked on human blood?

- Delena moment?

- Jenna and Alaric?

- Damon and Aella's banter?

- What was your favourite moment/quote of the chapter?

- Predictions going into Chapter 77?

I always LOVE hearing your thoughts and predictions. To check out how my week is going and updates on how my writing is progressing then please follow me on my Instagram: