SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

"This is what Katherine wants?" Damon looked down at the milky stone, unimpressed. "And she chose Mason Lockwood to do her dirty deeds? Werewolf thing aside, the guy is a surfer."

Surrounding the large table in the library was the group, which Aella had officially coined: Murder Inc. Stefan, Caroline, Elena, Jenna, Jeremy, Anna, Alaric, and Damon, each wore the official badges Aella had spent a sleepless night making that she had - not too forcefully at all - pinned to their clothes.

Ignoring Damon, Aella's green eyes narrowed on the stone before she looked up at him. "For once, my vision allowed me to see the two as clearly as I see you. Katherine said, 'I don't want you to get distracted. I need you to find the moonstone'."

Caroline turned to Stefan, "That's what she meant about George Lockwood when you asked her how he let her go."

"Something he wanted desperately," Stefan nodded at her.

"So, if she's the one that gave the stone to Georgie Lockwood," Damon picked up the stone, examining it closer. "Why does she need it back? That's the beauty of Katherine; she's always up to something."

Jenna looked to Alaric, who stood next to her, "Has anything like this come up in Isobel's research?"

Ric shook his head, "No, but there's a lot that I've yet to get through. This was Isobel's life work; it's going to take more than a few days to get through it. More like months."

"You've not heard of anything like this?" Anna asked Aella. "Jeremy said you've got a large collection of Grimoires."

Aella shrugged, eyes wide, "You mean a magical stone that vampires and werewolves need for some special reason." She scoffed, "For once, that seems a little too bedtime stories for us."

Elena frowned, trying to remember why something about Aella's words sounded so familiar. Then it clicked, and she looked at the witch with a grin, "Because it was a bedtime story."

"Doppelgänger 2.0 say, whaaaaaat?" Damon smirked. He'd found Caroline's name for Elena entirely humorous when she'd recalled her remarks to Katherine.

Elena rolled her eyes, ignoring Damon as she looked between Aella and Caroline, "When we had sleepovers when we were like five or six? Aella couldn't sleep without the story her uncle used to tell her."

Jenna scoffed, "You mean the one he tried to scare her with, and instead, she ended up loving it so much and needed it told to her whenever she was away from home."

Elena looked to her Aunt, "You remember?"

"The story? No," Jenna shook her head with a smirk. "But I had met Nate the year before, and of course he hit on me with this ridiculous line about nachos and jalapeños-"

"You mean: You and I are like nachos with jalapeños. I'm super cheesy, you're super hot, and we belong together," Aella mocked her uncle's voice as she recited the line. At Jenna's wince, she laughed, "Yeah, that was his go-to line for so long."

"It's still one of the worst lines I ever heard," Jenna shuddered. "I remember the story because I thought it was karma in its purest form, as Aella would only accept hearing the story from Nate and no one else."

"I remember that," Caroline's eyes lit up. "That's when my crush on Nate first started; his voice was so dreamy."

Aella was perplexed, "Why do I have no memory of this?"

"I don't know how," Elena's eyes were wide with surprise as she looked at Aella. "It happened for at least three or four years..." She frowned, trying to remember some of the stories so Aella could recall the memories, "Something Van something."

"Vincent Vein Gogh," Caroline clicked her fingers, remembering the vampire's name in the story proudly.

"Yes!" Elena laughed. "Vincent Vein Gogh and Lycan Howlike. The worst names for a vampire and a werewolf."

"Well, that's Nate," Jenna said flatly. "1% humor and 99% idiot."

Stefan knew with names like that, Aella would surely remember. He looked down at her, "Anything?"

Aella's forehead puckered, "No. Nothing."

Damon looked over Aella's head at his brother, "Well, that's not suspicious at all."

"Or there's a simple reason," Jeremy glared at Damon before looking across the table to Aella. "When we lost mom and dad, I forgot a lot of our good memories, some Elena could remember verbatim, and it felt like I was never even there."

"Maybe," Aella shrugged hesitantly. Her memory was usually so good; how could her friends remember it so clearly and her, nothing.

"It could be. I've heard similar," Alaric, ever the teacher, smiled softly at Aella. "Why don't we focus on what we know rather than what we don't." He turned to Caroline and Elena, "What do you two remember?"

Elena and Caroline looked at each other for a few moments before Elena shrugged, "Me, not so much. Just that the story has vampires and werewolves in it. And of course, the ridiculous names."

Caroline nodded in agreement, "I'm the same, but...." She frowned as she tried to recall the story. "I remember there was a curse, and that the stone was a key part of it... I think?"

Alaric smiled encouragingly at the two, "That more than what we had an hour ago. Just continue thinking about it."

The two girls nodded, and Alaric continued, "Isobel's work may have something about the stone, but if Nate was the one who told Aella the story...."

"Maybe it's Nate who can tell us the full story, and maybe its origins," Jenna finished for him, realizing what he was suggesting.

"Well, I guess that means one thing, Pixie..." Damon threw the stone over to Aella, who caught it quickly.

Aella swallowed heavily, "It means...." She glanced up at Stefan, "It's time for me to go home."

The room was tense at Aella's soft words; the majority knew Aella had not gone home since her parents had been buried.

Stefan pulled her into his arms as he kissed her head, "Well, you won't be going alone."

His words were of small comfort to Aella as she held onto him tightly; Grams and Bonnie had left, and now she was returning to the home she shared with her parents for 14 years before she lost them. She wondered how the hell she was going to handle it, even with Stefan by her side.

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

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

Gathered outside as Stefan loaded up Aella's car with their thing for the journey, Jenna held Aella tightly as she whispered into her hair, "Are you sure you want to do this? Ric and I can go."

Aella shook her head, eyes squeezed tight as she took in Jenna's comfort, "I think it's time, Jenna." She let out a brief snort as she looked at Jenna, "Plus, you, Ric, and Nate in the same room together? It totally spells out disaster."

Jenna laughed in agreement as they pulled away, fixing Aella's mused hair from her fierce hug, "I'm only a phone call away."

Once Aella nodded at Jenna, she was instantly pulled into a group hug with Elena and Caroline as the blonde grumbled, "I don't know why I can't come. You need me."

Aella knocked her shoulder with Caroline, "I also need you to be safe. You're still learning how to harness your vampire gifts. New surroundings won't help that."

"She just doesn't want to help at the Historical Society Volunteer Day," Elena joked, hoping to ease some of the tension. Caroline had always been protective of Aella and visa-versa, but that protectiveness had practically quadrupled since becoming a vampire.

"Ugh!" Caroline moaned. "My mom is going to be there."

Aella pulled Caroline into their own hug as she whispered to her, "Take it easy. Stay close to Elena and Damon, and when you speak to your mom, just be the Caroline we all love."

Caroline nodded at her words as she offered her own in response, "And if you need me, call, and I'll be there in a second."

Aella pulled away, smiling lovingly at her best friends as she turned to Damon. He leaned against her car, an air of boredom coming from him, but Aella knew him better than that. She pointed at him as she came closer, "And you. Look after Caroline, and no killing today."

Damon weighed up her words playfully before shrugging, "I can do that."

Aella grinned at him as she opened the passenger door; she was just about to get in when Damon called her name, not her nickname, her actual name. Looking over at him in surprise, he looked pointedly towards the ground as he told her, "Blondie's right. You call; we'll be there in a second."

Aella smiled as she nodded at him, knowing that while his gaze looked like it was focused on the ground, she knew he was secretly watching her. Getting into her car, she looked over at Stefan as he started the car.

"Ready?"

Taking a deep breath, she smiled shakily at Stefan, "Ready."

The two drove away from the boarding house, not realizing that the day was going to be full of drama for those left behind. At the same time, Aella's would be full of revelations and reunions.

MYSTIC FALLS

"Well, there's Miss Popular."

Caroline jumped at her Mom's voice, taking a calming breath before turning to look at her mother for the first time since she'd become a vampire, "Hey."

Liz laughed at the surprise in her daughter's voice, "You seemed surprised that I'm here; You're the one who signed me up."

Caroline's face scrunched up, "I know. I just assumed you'd bale."

It hit Liz hard in the heart at Caroline's words, but she couldn't blame her. "No." Liz smiled softly at her. "I'm gonna spend the whole day with my daughter."

It was words that Caroline had been desperate to hear, and for the first time, wished that Liz was busy. This was her first time around a group of people that didn't know she was a vampire, including her own mother.

"I know you've been really busy since the Mayor died," Caroline tried to find an excuse for Liz. "You don't have to be here."

Liz immediately shook her head, "Come on. You're right, I have been buried in work mode, and I've barely seen you."

"Well, be warned, Aella's not here, so I'm in a mood," It wasn't a lie. The vampire things were terrible, but being away from her best friend while she was facing a difficult thing, was worse.

Liz laughed, "I wondered why Carol Lockwood wasn't having a nervous meltdown." Caroline had to laugh at that. Yes, it was never too long before Carol had enough of Aella's personality. Liz suddenly straightened and took a step closer to Caroline, worrying the blonde, "Has Aella heard anything from Sheila?"

Caroline scowled, "You mean the woman who abandoned her? No, not since she and Bonnie bailed."

"Look, Caroline," Liz sighed heavily. "I don't agree with Sheila and Bonnie's decision; just maybe don't jump to conclusions until you know the full story."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Mom, she abandoned her granddaughter. Would you just up and leave me, especially if we weren't talking." Liz didn't answer her; instead, she bit her lip. It had Caroline suspicious, "Why? Do you know something?"

"No," Liz immediately shook her head. Caroline's new vampire skills were not even needed to see that was a big fat lie. Liz suddenly looked over Caroline's shoulder, and her eyes lit up, "There's Damon. I'll go and say hi."

As she left her daughter, Caroline wasn't swayed and wondered what her mother knew about Sheila and Bonnie's sudden disappearance.

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

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

"This is all part of the historical society," Carol Lockwood told the growing crowd of volunteers. "Continuing efforts to give back to the community."

Caroline sighed heavily, already sick of Carol's voice, "I'm so bored."

Anna scoffed beside her, handing out a drink to the next person in line, "Are you kidding. This is fantastic! This is my first ever event helping as an actual local!"

As Anna continued serving, Caroline only spared her a side-eyed glance before helping her, ignoring the small amount of guilt she felt at being annoyed at Anna's excitement.

"Thanks to the generous donation of the Fell family." Carol continued as her son arrived and began searching for a specific person. "We are now standing on the site of our newest public park. Thank you to everyone who has shown up today to lend a helping hand. Thanks."

Taking a deep breath, Tyler walked over to his uncle, who was removing boxes from his truck, "Hey... Missed you at dinner last night."

Mason barely looked at Tyler as he continued removing boxes, "Didn't really have an appetite." He finally glanced at Tyler, "I'm sure you know why, or is that another thing I've gotten, oh so wrong."

Tyler let out a tense breath; okay, his uncle was still pissed about being confronted on the Katherine/Kathy thing, "We were just trying to help. Aella knows what she's talking about."

Mason scoffed, "Aella is a teenager with an incredible amount of power, but she's still a kid, and kids get things wrong. She's wrong about Kathy."

"So Kathy isn't pushing you to find the stone you're looking for?" Tyler rebuked, and when his uncle hesitated on his last box, he knew his words had hit something.

"Hello, gentleman."

Tyler groaned to himself as Damon joined the two of them and held out his hand to Mason, "Finally, we meet; I'm Damon Salvatore."

Mason reluctantly shook Damon's hand, "Mason, I heard great things about you."

Tyler raised a skeptic brow as Damon laughed and confessed, "Really? That's weird. I'm a dick!"

Mason snorted at Damon's honesty, nodding his head, "I heard that too."

"Pixie?" Damon raised a knowing brow. Mason frowned at the nickname, and Damon divulged. "Aella. Because she's tiny, she hates it, but every time I call it her and she gets this murderous look in those stunning green eyes, I can't help it."

Mason rubbed his neck, remembering the day before, "Yeah, I've seen that murderous look. Not sure I'd antagonize her, though."

"Oh, she's a softy," Damon waved Mason's worries away with a scoff until he stood straight, all humor gone as he stared down at Mason. "Unless you've lied to her, she just hates that."

The two stared each other down for a few seconds until Mason saw a few old high school friends, "Well, I'd hate to cut this conversation short, but I see a few old school friends I've meant to say hi to."

"Old school friends?" Damon's eyes gleamed. "Really? I always pegged you for a lone wolf."

Tyler choked on his own spit and began coughing as Mason simply smiled, "I'm sure I wasn't half the lady killer you were. Nice meeting you."

Damon twisted his mouth as Tyler continued coughing and hit the teenage boy's back hard to snap him out of it, "You good, mini Lockwood."

Tyler's eyes were wide as he got his breath back, "Are you crazy?! You can't just say something like that to him."

Damon only shrugged, "What's he gonna do? Bite me in broad daylight? Now leave me alone."

As the two separated, Mason looked away from his old school friend and glanced at Damon once more. He remembered Kathy's words from the night before and knew what he needed to do... damn the consequences.