Jeremy watched with amusement as Matt spotted him and left the dance floor, making his way over, "Who knew I've been missing all the fun at the Founders' parties?"

Jeremy snorted, "Believe me, this is the one in a million. I can't believe the Mayor, or his wife haven't stopped it yet."

Matt chuckled without humor, "The Mayor had my mom and me talking for like an hour, I have no clue how Tyler lives with him."

"Makes you wonder how, Mrs. L, married him," Jeremy laughed, which had Matt's face lighting up.

The blonde leaned in close, "My mom said the wedding was neither of their choices..." Jeremy frowned, and Matt continued, "Mrs. L, missed their senior year and married the Mayor soon after he graduated... no one saw her for like eight months."

Jeremy was confused until his brain processed the information and pointed to his stomach, "You mean..?"

Matt laughed out loud and hit Jeremy on the shoulder, "C'mon man, I need some air." They walked through the busy house, and Matt tapped Jeremy on the shoulder again, "I just want to thank you again, man, for all you did for Vick."

Jeremy could only nod as they stepped outside before he could think of what to say, his eyes widened at the image before him, and the words tumbled out before he could stop them, "Oh. My. Lanta."

Jeremy's use of Aella's favorite TV phrase had Matt turning with a grin to his friend when his own eyes widened at the sight before him. Without thinking it was his best friend kissing his mom he rushed over and grabbed hold of Tyler, "What the hell are you doing man?"

"Shit!" Jeremy exclaimed as he ran over while Kelly shouted her son's name in horror. Matt, still with his hands on Tyler, turned at her scream, "Mom!"

Jeremy's eyes rolled when Tyler, not helping himself, tried to pull himself away from Matt with snark, "Whoa, dude, calm down." That seemed to be the flame that lit the firework as Matt punched Tyler in the face.

As they began to fight, Kelly and Jeremy tried to break it up, causing Kelly to be hit and fall to the floor, and Jeremy elbowed in the face. Suddenly Damon arrived as he pulled the two apart easily, "What's going on here?" His eyes met Jeremy's as the two boys sneered at each other, "You okay, Mini Gilbert?"

Jeremy nodded with a wince as the Mayor arrived, "I'll take it from here." Matt stormed off with Jeremy running after him. "I'll take it from here, thank you, Damon." He turned to Tyler, "Are you hurt?" When he received no answer, he waved him off, "Go get cleaned up. It's okay. Go get cleaned up."

As the group split up, the Mayor turned to the crowd, "Everything's fine. Everything is fine. Come on, everybody, back to the party. Let's go. Come on, have a good time!"

Jeremy ran Matt into the male restroom, blood everywhere as he got tissues to clean it up, "Are you okay?"

"Where is she?" Matt could only say, his whole body filled, not with pain, but mortification. Today was the day his family wasn't supposed to be town gossip, but his mother had to change that again.

"I don't know," Jeremy shrugged as he wiped away as much blood as possible. "Put your head up."

Matt did as he was told but exclaimed out, "What the hell were they doing?!"

Jeremy shook his head, "I don't know, man, but they were drunk, I could smell it on them."

Matt glared down at his friend, "And that makes it okay."

Jeremy pulled his face back up, "No, it doesn't make it okay... but we all know what Tyler is like when he drinks. Here hold this..."

Matt took hold of the tissue as Jeremy went for more, "I mean, he acts like he was the only one who lost Vick, but I did too, and you!"

Jeremy replaced the tissue, happy when he saw no more bleeding, "But he was a piece of shit to her, and he's going to regret that forever..."

Matt couldn't respond to that, finally able to look down when Jeremy gave him a tap. Turning to the mirror, he winced at his face, he looked like he'd just played a game without a helmet. "I just can't believe they would do that..."

Jeremy could only rub Matt's shoulder with sympathy as he began to wash his face.

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Elena and Aella shared looks as Jenna paced in front of the balcony doors, biting her nails down to the nail bed. They had closed the thick velvet curtains to hide there was even a balcony. The teens stood looking relaxed close to the opening. Still, the pacing was as best as relaxed Jenna could be after discovering John had been killed. He'd been an asshole, but he was still a human and related to her niece and nephew.

Elena was still in shock but had put that to the back of her mind, for now, her anger for Damon was growing again, and that stupid rose was in the trash that they'd passed on the way to the balcony.

When Jenna saw Alaric and Stefan heading their way, she whimpered in relief, until Ric's first words were: "We have another problem." And the whimper of relief turned to a whimper of terror.

Aella's eyes shot to Stefan, "What could possibly have changed in the five minutes since I saw him dead?"

Stefan was clueless as he said out loud, "The body wasn't there?"

"What?!" All three girls whispered together in sync.

Jenna turned to Aella, pointing at the witch, "You did not mention Zombies in your PowerPoint presentation of the Supernatural!"

Aella pushed her finger away as her mouth puckered in annoyance, "That's because there isn't any, Aunt Josephine!" She saw Damon heading their way and stomped over to him, "Where's the body?"

Damon actually looked confused, "What body?"

"What body!" Aella exclaimed in complete surprise, "Did you kill another person in the last five minutes!?"

"Oh, him," Damon scowled. "No, he's exactly where I left him because I was busy breaking up a stupid fight."

Aella ignored his reasoning and instead crossed her arms, "Well, it's not there now."

Damon smirked at the witch, "Enough of the games, Pixie, where's the dead uncle?"

Aella shrugged her shoulders as she pointed to Stefan and Alaric, "The guys went, but no body."

Damon huffed, "You left it to those two bozos?" He stalked over to the group, ignoring Jenna and Elena's glare, "Did you go to the right balcony?"

Elena pushed forward and hit Damon on the chest, "How could you?"

Damon pushed her hand off him, "I had no choice, he knew about the tomb and me being a vampire..." He pointed to Stefan and Aella, "Probably knows about them two too! Plus, he's got the Council back in vampire mode, he needed to be gone."

"He was my Uncle, Damon," Elena cried to him. "I don't have much family left."

"It wasn't like he was your real Uncle, Elena!" Damon hit back, and Aella hit herself on the forehead at the stupid comeback while Stefan rolled his eyes. Damon pointed to Aella again, "Anyway, I thought she was your family too? The Council will kill her and make her death look suspicious, just as they would do with Stefan and me... How's that for reasons."

Elena's glare darkened, "I-"

Damon put a hand to his ear to Elena as she paused, eyes wide until he noticed all the others were looking in the same direction. When he turned and saw John Gilbert walking towards the stage, he heard Aella mutter, "Holy Ghost, Batman!"

"You got to be kidding me."

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The group stared in shock as John stood by the stage. Aella cleared her throat, "I'm no CSI, but I think that dead body isn't actually dead."

The Mayor tapped his microphone bringing everyone's attention to him, "Thank you all for joining us tonight. In just a few moments we will officially begin the countdown to our upcoming Founders' Day celebration, and it's a very special one this year. The one hundred and fiftieth birthday of our town."

A bell on a table was wheeled next to him as he glanced at John, "And... and I would like to welcome back one of our town favorite's sons to do the honors of ringing our official charter bell. John Gilbert, would you please join me up here?"

The crowd, minus the group, applauded John as he joined the Mayor. Damon stared him down as John took the microphone, "One hundred and fifty years of community, prosperity, family. We take care of each other, we look after each other, protect each other..." His eyes first locked on Damon, then Aella, "It's good to be home."

Everyone applauded again as Alaric moved next to Damon, "I thought you broke his neck?"

Damon's eyes stopped as John reached for the bell, "Look at his right hand."

Aella and Stefan's eyes widened as they saw John's ring when John rang the bell Alaric finally noticed the gaudy ring, "Well, it looks like mine."

Jenna glanced down with Elena and noticed it was identical. Damon nodded at the teacher, "Yeah, and that would be a big coincidence if he didn't just come back from the dead five minutes ago."

"What a cheater," Aella pouted, then quickly turned to Alaric, "No offense."

Damon looked down at Alaric's ring, "Where the hell did you get that ring?"

Alaric looked from Damon to Aella, Jenna, and finally to Elena, "I got it from Isobel, my wife."

Damon smirked as he pointed to Elena, "Who gave birth to our very own Elena, under the medical care of the esteemed Dr. Grayson Gilbert, John's brother!"

Stefan sighed, "Coincidence, such a short word for such huge signs."

"Amen to that," Aella nodded.

Jenna frowned, taking in everything they were saying, "Do you think John knew Isobel?"

Elena turned to Jenna in surprise, but her guardian's gaze was still on John as Damon answered, "I think John Gilbert knows a lot of things."

Stefan looked to Damon, "We need to deal with this now."

Alaric nodded in agreement, "I think the girls should leave before any more drama tonight, and we can confront him."

Jenna and Elena nodded, but Aella opened her mouth to retaliate. Quickly, Stefan covered it with his own hand, "I need you away from him until we know for sure he knows about you."

Elena frowned, "I doubt it after the look he gave her and Damon." She turned to Aella, "Stefan's right, let's keep you out of the spotlight for now."

When Jenna nodded along with Elena, Aella knew she wouldn't win this and nodded against Stefan's hand. He removed his hand and kissed her lips in thanks before leaving with the boys. Jenna put her arms around the girls and led them towards her car, "Let's go home, girls."

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Matt and Jeremy left the men's restroom, Matt cleaned up. They had waited for The Mayor's speech to end before they left the bathroom, wanting to leave around the same time as everyone else, so no attention would be on Matt.

The two made their way down the corridor until Jeremy heard Tyler's voice and wondered if he and Matt should try and talk now that the dust had settled. He paused Matt with a hand to his arm, and when he and Matt looked into the room, he rolled his eyes at seeing Tyler... until the Mayor backhanded him and sent Tyler flying back.

The two boys stared in shock as they heard the Mayor's final words, "That is the last time you ever embarrass this family."

When he turned the boys quickly went on, they didn't need to be getting in the middle of that.

Not much was said after Matt got into her truck and drove off while Jeremy looked for Jenna's car. He saw his family walking to the car as Aella followed after them looking down at the ground. He suddenly had an idea and ran to Aella.

"Hey, A?"

Aella looked up at Jeremy's voice as he ran over to her, "You all good, J?"

Jeremy looked over his shoulder to make sure no one else was around before telling Aella what he and Matt saw.

LOCKWOOD HOUSEHOLD

Tyler sat on his bed, throwing up an old football in the air, when a knock sounded around the room, "I'm fine, Mom."

When another knock echoed, he got up, "I said I was fine-" as he opened the door, there stood Aella Bennett, the girl of his dreams since moving to Mystic Falls. "-Aella?"

"Hey," Aella bit her lip, she and Tyler hadn't really had much one-on-one time. She wondered when she revealed her reason for being here he'd kick her out, but she couldn't let a friend be alone after what Jeremy had told her. "Your mom let me in."

Looking at his cheek, she winced at the soreness already as she pulled out a bag from another bag Tyler didn't notice her holding. When she held it up, he realized it was a bag of frozen cauliflower, "Thought you may need this?"

Tyler rolled his eyes as he left at the door and returned to the bed, "If you here to act like you care Matt hit me, then you should probably go?"

Aella stepped into the room, confused, "Matt hit you?"

Tyler paused in his throwing, "Yeah? That's why you're here, right?"

Biting her lip again, Aella slowly sat down on the edge of Tyler's bed, "Do you want me to fake an answer that won't feel like I'm pitying you, or do you want the truth?"

Tyler paused and didn't look her way, "I don't need your pity. You should go."

Aella scoffed, "Well, obviously you don't know me as well as I thought because I don't pity my friends, I just want to help..." She held out the frozen bag, "Please, Tyler. At least put something on it so it eases down over the weekend."

Tyler was quiet for a moment until he threw the ball down and took the bag from her. He examined the bag before placing it on his cheek with a wince, "You couldn't get something that wouldn't stink out my room when it defrosted?"

Aella let out an embarrassed laugh, "It was all they had at the supermarket. The woman looked at me so strangely, in my party dress buying frozen cauliflower."

Tyler let out a smile, and the room returned to silence, "So we're friends?"

"Of course we are, Ty," Aella withered her brow in sympathy. "You may be a dumb jock sometimes-" she ignored his sarcastic 'thanks' "-but of course, we're friends. And I hope my friends know I'm always available for a chat... no judgment."

Tyler nodded, and Aella opened her arms, "How about a non-pitying hug from your friend."

"If I must," Tyler rolled his eyes, leaning forward and hugging the brunette.

When his flesh met hers, Aella saw dark brown eyes overtaken by yellow ones. Tyler pulled away at her, gasp, "You okay?"

Aella pulled back with a small smile, "Absolutely." She stood up and adjusted her dress, "I better be getting home."

Tyler nodded, laying back down and watched her open his door when a thought came to him, and he sat up, "Aella?"

The brunette turned to him with a brow raised, "Hmm?"

"How did you know?" He motioned to his face. "About this?"

Aella smirked, "Didn't you know, Tyler? I'm a witch."

Tyler fell back down to the bed, "Oh, ha-ha."

Aella wiggled her nose, Bewitched style, and left the room with a laugh that soon stopped once she reached her car. Her mind returned to the eyes; she'd never seen eyes like that. Were they Tylers? Were they directed at Tyler? As always, with her visions, she would have no clue until more was revealed.

GILBERT HOUSEHOLD

Aella entered her room, smiling when she spotted Stefan sitting in his chair, small reading light on, writing in his diary. She walked over to him and kissed his waiting lips, "Hi."

As she pulled back, Stefan watched her go about her room, "Was Tyler okay?"

Wiping her makeup off with a wipe, she glanced at him over her shoulder, "Did Jeremy tell you?" At his nod, she asked another question, "Did he tell you why?"

"No," Stefan shook his head. "Said you would explain when you got home."

Aella sighed sadly as she threw the dirtied wipe in the trash and walked over to Stefan, he placed his diary on the table and pulled her onto his lap, stroking her legs in comfort. "Jeremy and Matt saw the Mayor backhand, Tyler."

Stefan was silent, his mind going back to his time as a human, the pain he felt at his own father's backhands. He was happy Tyler had someone to help him when he had nobody. He kissed Aella's head, "It was good for you to go."

With a smile, Aella pulled herself closer and snuggled into him closer until she remembered why they separated and pulled back, looking at him, "What did John have to say?"

"He knew about Ric and his past," Stefan confessed. "Who Damon and I really were. Knew Isobel as well, he pointed her in the direction of Damon..." A held her tighter, "And he knew you were a witch, a powerful one."

Aella held Stefan just as tight, "Did you tell Elena and Jenna?" Stefan nodded, with his lips against the crown of her head. "Seems like while John knows a lot about us, we're barely scratching the surface about him."

"You need to stay away from him," Stefan mumbled. She pulled away to counter, but he placed his finger on her lips, "And no more sass either." Her brow raised, yet his finger stayed, "We can't risk him outing you to the council."

Aella removed his finger, "But we can with you and Damon?"

Stefan nodded solemnly, "I'll always place you before Damon and me." He kissed her lips and then shifted and lifted her up with ease. "C'mon, let's get you into bed, I can see how tired you are."

He pulled her dress over her head and replaced it with his t-shirt she had stolen to sleep in when she was home. Aella allowed him to put her hair into a bun with a sleepy smile, "Stay?"

Stefan kissed her lips, "Always."

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A/N: just a short AN tonight all as I'm not feeling too well. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the changes I made. I would love to get your feedback on the chapter...
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