STEFAN'S CAR

Stefan rose a brow as he looked across to the passenger seat where Aella was aggressively reading through her Grimoire and other supernatural books she'd collected over the years. Aella slammed the last book closed with a groan, more confused than she was before she started researching the yellow eyes she'd seen days before.

Stefan's brow increased higher at the action, Aella's books were her children, if anyone else had slammed them like that she probably would have had their head.

"You okay there?"

Aella didn't respond to his question; instead, she stared out the window as her fingers tapped the cover of her Grimoire.

"Aella?!"

Jumping as Stefan exclaimed out her name, she looked to him in confusion, "Yeah?"

Stefan was amused but more confused, "I asked if you were okay? You were going pretty hard on the books for a morning."

Aella only nodded. Stefan always knew when she wasn't truthful. She wasn't too sure what her vision was telling her, so until she could figure it out, she was staying silent, "Yeah." She tapped harder on her Grimoire, hoping the tapping would hide the skip in her heartbeat from lying. "Just a spell stuck in my head that I keep saying wrong." She quickly changed the subject and smiled at Stefan's posture, "Look at you... how proud you are driving your car."

Stefan tapped the steering wheel, smiling wide at her observation, "I do feel pretty good. Got my girl, my car, my brother isn't trying to kill me, and your blood is finally out of my system. I'm ready to return to school. Life feels good."

"Life is good," Aella agreed.

As he pulled into the school car park, he was very aware of the students stopping and staring at his beautiful car. There were not very many sixteen to seventeen-year-olds in Mystic Falls that could afford the insurance on his car, let alone getting their parents to buy it.

As he pulled into the space Aella usually occupied he could see and hear Bonnie whistling in awe at his car and Elena's exclamation, Aella groaned at theirs and everyone's reactions, "Your ego is going to be the size of Russia after today." She got out of the car and waved off her cousin and housemate, "Okay, enough of that, do you want him to have a big head?!"

Stefan chuckled as he got out, "Too late." Aella just stuck out her tongue in his direction.

Elena couldn't help but giggle as she looked her friend over, "You are so jealous."

"She is," Stefan answered for Aella, placing his arm around her shoulder smugly. "She already confirmed that before."

Aella playfully pushed his arm off her, but Stefan was quick to pull her back to him and kiss her pouting lips, "I have to return all my catchup work before class. I love you."

Aella waved him off without returning the words, "Well, go on then, can't be late."

But Stefan wouldn't leave without her replying to his love and pulled her close, following her face with a smirk as she looked anywhere but at him. Bonnie and Ella could only watch on with hearts fluttering at their playfulness. "You're not going to say, I Love You, back?"

Aella held up the ASL sign for 'I Love You' in his face with her own smirk, and Stefan kissed her palm, eyes staring hypnotically into hers, "Not the same, I need to hear it."

Aella's smirk grew, "I don't think the man with the ego the size of Russia needs to hear it."

That was all Stefan needed before he threw Aella over his shoulder, her screams of surprise mixed with her friends' laughter. He jumped her with her arms, "Say it, Aella."

"What?" Aella grunted as she landed on his shoulder. "That you've got a big head like Tyler?"

Stefan jumped her again, sniggering as she tried to hide her distaste for him juggling her so soon after coffee, "Tell me! This day will be the best, and I need to hear my best girl declaring her love for me."

Elena 'aw-ed' out loud, causing Aella to point in the direction the sound came from, "Don't encourage him!"

"Say it!" Stefan sang out.

Bonnie leaned into Elena, "Stefan is getting as ridiculous as Aella... the hottie we all drooled over is now the male version of Aella."

Elena smiled at the observation, "I'm just happy he's smiling and can be like this."

When Stefan jumped her for the third time, and Aella actually felt her breakfast start to re-emerge, she shouted out, "Fine! I love you, ya, dummy!"

As quick as he lifted her up, she was back on her feet, a little paler than when she'd gone up. As her eyes focused on his smug smile, she had to laugh at his demonstration; this was the Stefan everyone should see, not just her. It was proof in the pudding that Stefan did feel good about his life.

A quick peck and Stefan was off while Aella picked up her bag from the ground and walked over to her cousin and housemate, the two couldn't help but laugh at her hair that now resembled a bird's nest. Elena was quick to straighten it out as Aella stared over where Stefan had entered the school, "He's getting too big for his britches!"

As Elena finished taming her hair, she leaned on her best friend's shoulder, "You mean he's finally in such a good place, because of you, that he can be silly and act like a teenager?"

Aella groaned at her logic, "That too."

"Aella!"

"Speaking of silly teenagers." The group turned to see Caroline running over to them with multiple bags hanging from her arms. As the blonde reached them, Aella's brow raised at the number of bags Caroline was able to hold up, "Nice shopping spree, Carrie?"

Caroline scoffed at the name, "As if Carrie Bradshaw can out buy me."

"How's Matt?" Elena asked the blonde. It had been a quiet weekend once Jeremy had filled them all in about Matt and Tyler's bust-up.

Caroline scowl said it all, "To say I wished to every deity I could think of for Matt's mom to disappear again, it was awful." She put on Matt' 's voice, "Did I do the right thing? No, I did the right thing, whose mom does that? Should I have paid closer attention? What? Am I her babysitter?" She returned to her own voice, "It was like that all weekend, I was actually happy to leave when I realized I had a major wardrobe problem!"

"Finally realized you have too many clothes?" Bonnie laughed with Elena, and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Nooo, Bonnie!" She jumbled the bags on her arms, "You all have to help me pick the perfect dress for the Founders' court!"

Aella rolled her eyes, she'd forgotten what was this weekend, and the way Elena frowned it seemed she had too, "The Founders' court? Did I miss something?"

Caroline's brows nearly touched her hairline in surprise, "The Founders' court! You know, Miss Mystic Falls. They announced it today, and you and I are both on it."

Elena's eyes went wide as she realized what Caroline was so panicked about, "Oh my god! We signed up for that so long ago... I completely forgot."

Aella glanced at the bandage, hidden under her jacket sleeve, that hid from the world Stefan's bite marks, "Well, it's not like we haven't had things going on in our lives."

Bonnie scoffed, "You mean Damon killing two more human beings? It was pure luck both were wearing rings that resurrected them. Why hasn't he been dealt with?"

The other three girls raised their brows at Bonnie's tone. Surprisingly, it was Elena that came to Damon's offense, "Damon is not the problem at the moment."

Bonnie didn't like that answer and shook her head at her best friend, "Well, I can't just pretend that everything's okay when he's killing people, Elena." And before Elena could say anything, Bonnie stormed off.

Aella shifted on her spot, if she and Bonnie weren't butting heads at the moment, she would have agreed with Elena, but she knew that wouldn't have helped things at all. She and Elena watched the witch storm off into the school.

Caroline seemed to have missed the moment entirely as she looked at Elena, "So, are you dropping out then?"

Aella's hand hit her forehead at her best friend's tact, and Caroline just shrugged as she looked to Elena.

Elena was confused at Caroline's question until she realized they were back to Miss Mystic Falls, "I can't."

"No?" Caroline looked to Aella in question.

Aella pulled Elena in for a squeeze as she looked to her blonde best friend, "Mama Gilbert is the one who wanted her to enter."

Caroline said no more and instead moved her bags all to one arm and threaded her free arm through Elena's. The trio walked into school, silent, but Elena appreciative of her group of friends.

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL

"Okay," Ric clapped to get his class's attention. "This week we're gonna set outside our regular curriculum for a lesson in local history as we approach Founders' Day. Apparently, the community leaders feel it's more important than World War 2, but hey, what do I know?"

Aella leaned back into Elena's desk, "So what are you gonna do?"

Elena leaned forward with a smirk, "Caroline Forbes to rescue."

The two glanced over at the blonde who was whispering under her breath for Matt to keep still in front of her as she messaged the owner of the boutique she'd gotten her dress from to see if they had one in Elena's size. Matt being Matt, was moving his body inches each way to try and get a rise out of the blonde.

"Jenna's also confirmed she'll be doing mine and C's hair and makeup," Elena continued. "And Ric said he'd help with my speech during lunch."

Aella frowned that her name wasn't mentioned, "And what am I, chopped liver?"

Elena snorted, which had Ric glancing over at them as he blathered on how Founder's Day was important to the town. The girls only smiled, which had him concerned but carrying on. The brunette poked her housemate with her pencil, "You need to find out what John is up to, that's way more important than Miss Mystic Falls."

Aella's eyes widened, "Do you know who my best friend is?! She'd kill me."

"That's where I come in," Elena poked her again. "Caroline has a project; me. Her focus will be getting me caught up so you and Stefan can find out what my evil uncle is up to."

"We're calling him, Uncle Fester," Aella informed Elena, smirking when Stefan snorted next to her, overhearing their entire conversation.

Before Elena could question why the hell they were calling John, Uncle Fester, Ric had seemed to have enough, "Elena, Aella, is there anything you want to share with the class, or are you planning a volunteer schedule between the two of you?"

Elena opened her mouth to apologize when Aella sat up, and a smirk developed on her face. Stefan, Elena, and a few pupils groaned. At the same time, Matt and the rest of the class, minus Caroline who hit Matt for moving, sat up to see what Aella Bennett would be expressing today.

Ric truly felt like hitting himself when he realized he'd left an open for Aella to say something and settled himself on his desk.

"Now that I come to think of it," Aella smiled sweetly at her teacher. She may have forgiven him for ignoring her and Stefan's torture, but he'd made Jenna cry, and this was the only way she could get back at him without Jenna finding out. "I do have something to share." She stood and smiled at the room, before pointing at Ric, "You are completely right, Mr. Saltzman, World War Two is very important, so to honor it and my wise old friend Private. S. Baldrick, I'd like to recite a poem as an Ode to him and his courageous self..."

Ric opened his mouth to say to Aella that it wasn't necessary, but he was a second too late,

"Hear the words I sing,

War's a horrid thing,

So I sing sing sing,

Ding-a-ling-a-ling."

It was silent as Aella, with arms stretched wide, smiled over at Ric. Then the sniggers began, and even Caroline looked to her best friend with her mouth open wide. Then the one person Aella could really count on during these times stood up and began clapping, Mr. Matthew Donovan.

"Encore!" Matt said over his claps as Aella bowed to the class.

Stefan and Elena exchanged grins, while Ric just took a deep breath and counted to ten.

MYSTIC FALLS FOUNDERS HALL

Aella had her ear against the large wooden door, as she held up her phone to her other ear. She was listening in on Damon, updating her and Stefan on John's latest whereabouts as she listened to Caroline's Miss Mystic Falls Interview.

"Uncle Fester is working with Isobel?!" Aella exclaimed lowly, "What the hell is this device he's talking about."

Damon made an uncomfortable noise on the other side of the line. He and Stefan were at the Boarding house researching what John could be talking about, "Are we set on Uncle Fester, because I'm really seeing him as Hades or Scar... I kinda hate Fester."

Aella pulled away from the door with a brow raised, "Uncle Fester was your nickname... I was following your lead."

"It was a fleeting remark," Damon shrugged. "Not my best work."

Stefan looked from the phone to Damon in disbelief as they discussed the new nickname for John instead of the real reason they had called Aella.

"I think Scar will be better, "Aella admitted and had Damon nodding along. "Hades is too cool for John Gilbert."

"Anyway," Stefan interrupted the two, looking at Damon with his brow raised, but his brother could only shrug. "We clearly have an in with Pearl since Anna became friends with Jeremy again, and Pearl has now been abandoned since Frederick was killed."

"But who is stealing the blood?" Aella questioned them both, "It's not you two, and we now know it's not Anna and Pearl. And how the hell did Scar think to look for something like that?!"

Damon pulled the phone towards him, "The blood is a goose chase, we need the device or at least know more than Scar does about the device."

Aella heard people standing up and hurried away from the door, "All my books are in Stefan's car, why don't you check on them and I'll catch up when I'm done here." The doors opened, Carol and Caroline stepped out, both smiling wide. "Gotta go!" She smiled at the two, "All done?"

"Yes," Carol smiled, patting Caroline on the shoulder. "We're all done here, I think Caroline should be proud." Aella smiled wide at that, until Carol turned to her, "Are you sure you don't wish to participate, Aella? We could bend the rules."

Aella's teeth gritted when Caroline pieced her side to stop whatever smartass comment was going to be emerging from Aella's lips. She wrapped her arm around Caroline, "Oh, I couldn't, all my focus is on Caroline."

Carol nodded and stepped back into the room, "I'll see you and Matthew here tomorrow for dance practice."

Caroline nodded as Carol shut the door, Aella turned to her best friend smiling guiltily, "About that..."

Caroline seemed to know what she was about to say as she stepped back with her arms crossed, "He's got a shift, right."

Aella nodded, but her smile remained, "He does, but have no fear, I am his replacement."

Caroline stared her up and down, "My tiny best friend who has the patience of a gnat and the coordination of a newborn giraffe is going to be standing in for my six-foot-tall, football-playing boyfriend?" Caroline began walking off as she sarcastically threw over her shoulder, "Yay!"

Aella pouted as she walked away, "Well, that's not the Miss Mystic Falls attitude!"

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL

THE NEXT DAY

"Miss Mystic Falls is a historical competition, and taking part is an honor. As you all should know, the winners are remembered for years to come, myself include-"

"I'm here!" Aella burst into the classroom, taking note everyone was with their partners except her own, which was glaring at her. Aella smiled tightly and suffered as her eyes met Carol Lockwood's, whose speech she'd just interrupted. "Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Lockwood."

Carol looked her up and down then tutted, "Not only are you late, but you chose to be out in public wearing that!"

Aella looked down at her outfit since it was a dance class she'd opted for an off the shoulder sweatshirt, leggings and leg warmers... Jennifer Beale, eat your heart out!

Before she could answer Carol, the Mayor's wife was pointing to Caroline, "I assume she's with you, Miss. Forbes."

Aella smiled, but her blood ran cold as her eyes met Caroline's, her walk towards her was slow as if to delay the rant she was about to hear. However, Caroline took that option from her as she took a huge step forward and pulled Aella with all her might to stand next to her. She turned to listen to Carol again with her arms firmly crossed.

Aella pouted as she looked around Caroline to Elena and Bonnie, Bonnie Elena's temporary partner until she found someone to go with her. Both girls were giggling at what had just occurred. Raising her middle fingers at them sent them into further giggles until Caroline slapped her hand down. This time, her eyes didn't return to Carol, they now glared down at Aella."

Aella gulped down her fear and murmured to her blonde best friend, "You look like the Serial Killer from that TV show we watched."

"Really?!" Caroline exclaimed, her voice also low. "I thought I looked nothing like my mugshot."

Aella pouted at Caroline, "I'm sorry, I was researching the artifact John wants in the Library and totally spaced." Her eyes widened, "Forgive me."

Caroline looked away quickly and spat out, "Stop it."

Aella knew Caroline hated her 'forgive me' look and smirked, "Please, my amazing best friend, forgive me."

"I'll hit you," Caroline declared as Carol started explaining the dance they were learning.

"Hit this?" Aella questioned, moving her face into Caroline's vision, and now adding the fake tears in her eyes. "You'd hit the person that is your person?"

Aella used the last trick up her sleeve and began batting her eyelashes. In a small voice, she apologized again, "I'm sowwy, Caroline."

When Caroline let out a slight smile, Aella bumped her hips with Caroline's. The two chuckled together before looking back to Carol to learn the dance Caroline would perform in front of hundreds at the weekend.

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

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Carol walked around the room as each couple tried to put into action what she had taught them, "Honor your partner. Stay focused, right hand around. Flirt with your eyes... "

She paused next to Caroline and Aella, as the two fought:

"Let me lead!"

"But I'm the man!"

"You're too short to lead!"

"Tallist! You are tallist!!!"

"What the hell is a tallist?"

"It means you're discriminative about my height!"

Caroline crossed her arms tightly, "If you two are done?"

Aella stumbled into Caroline at Carol's voice, and the two best friends quickly composed themselves. "Aella should be in the lead position, Caroline." Carol tutted at the blonde, causing Aella to pull out her tongue at the blonde, "Even if she's the shortest lead I've ever had the trouble of teaching."

The class tried to hide their sniggers at the burn from Mrs. Lockwood, but many were unable to. Carol seemed to miss it as she raised her brow at the two trouble makers and announced to the class, "Now, lead with your left hand!"

Elena and Bonnie danced next to the two, "This is ridiculous."

Aella nodded with a scowl, "Why are so far away from each other, C? I miss you."

As hard as she was trying to listen to Carol, Caroline couldn't help the smile emerging at Aella's words, "You're like a foot away."

"That's too farrrrrrr!" Her best friend whined and pulled Caroline in for a hug, "We're always better together!"

"No! No!" Carol ran over to the two and pulled them apart, "There's no touching during this part. It's about the simple intimacy of the near touch." She glared at the duo before seeing something over Caroline's shoulder and walking off, "Very nice, Amber!"

Aella smirked over at her friends, "I feel she's regretting teaching this class."

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A/N: Thank you all for the lovely 'get well' messages I received last week, they really did cheer me up. A bit of a filler chapter as we move onto the episode of Miss Mystic Falls, I hope you enjoyed the changes... there was a lot AU in this even though it follows the same storyline. I love writing Caroline and Aella together, they are BFF goals! I would love to get your feedback on the chapter...
🔹 Favourite moment of the chapter?
🔹 Favourite quote of the chapter?
🔹 Favourite AU change?
🔹 Predictions going into the next chapter and future chapter?

P.s Did anyone catch the happy mistake Chris Evans made this week. As someone with body wrecking anxiety, I felt so bad for him... but I can happily any person would be happy with that (wink wink).

Thank you all for reading and I would love to hear your opinions and predictions. Also, please vote ❤️

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