SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

"The last movie you saw was in black and white?!"

Aella looked at Rose in total horror, but the vampire hummed. Aella, Rose, and Elena lay upon Stefan's bed, each with face masks, as Rose shared stories of her past. At first, it was a way to get Rose to open up, but as the first hour passed, Rose's hands became too shaky for Elena to paint. So, face masks were reapplied - for extra rejuvenation, Aella had boasted, and the two teens began to pepper Rose more, intrigued by the vampire's past.

"How many times do I have to say," Rose mumbled between slightly opened lips, her mask tightening her face. "I was on the run."

"You haven't been for the past week," Elena pointed out, poking her mask to see if it was dry. When the tip of her finger tapped a wet spot, she stopped.

"So..." Aella hummed, turning on her belly to question the vampire. As she did, she sadly saw the mask melting off Rose's forehead as the vampire began to sweat more. "If you could watch any movie, what would it be?"

Rose hummed happily, "Charlie Chaplin - Modern Times."

Elena opened one eye and confusedly looked at Aella, "Isn't that movie black and white?"

Aella nodded, aghast, "And silent!"

Rose laughed as best as she could with tight areas surrounding her mouth: "It was Trevor's favorite. The machine scene with the soup, corn, and cake made him laugh. I can see his face now and-" She stopped.

Aella, whose smile had grown at the happiness in Rose's voice, grew weary at Rose's sudden silence. Elena sat up as Aella asked, "Rose?"

Tears began growing in Rose's unfocused eyes, "Trevor!" Rose, without warning, shouted in total despair. Her eyes were still unfocused as she sobbed out, "Trevor! My God! Trevor!"

Aella jumped to her knees and began shaking Rose out of her trance, "Rose? Wake up. Rose?"

She got no response as the vampire continued sobbing out Trevor's name. Quickly, Elena jumped off the bed and ran into Stefan's bathroom as Aella continued shouting her name.

"Run, Trevor!" Rose now shouted, obviously stuck in her memories.

Elena ran out with a glass of water just as Rose emitted a terrifying, familiar scream. It had Elena freezing for a split second; that was the scream that had erupted from Rose's mouth after Elijah had beheaded Trevor. Not wanting Rose to go through any more pain, Elena threw the water on the vampire's face, and Rose shot up with a gasp. Immediately, the vampire jumped onto Aella and began sobbing.

Aella rubbed her back gently, avoiding the bite - that was beginning to smell - and looked at Elena sadly. The doppelganger could only shrug as she sat on the bed and took hold of Rose's hand, squeezing it in comfort.

Sadly for them, this was only the beginning, as Rose soon let out a loud "Achoo!"

MYSTIC GRILL

Stefan wondered how much of a stalker he looked as he watched Jules eat her meal; his eyes narrowed at how casual she was acting, despite the fact she'd given Rose a death sentence. He looked down at his phone, the phone that had been on the same screen for the last 20 minutes, the name Isobel in bold at the top, her phone number below it.

Stefan wanted to believe that he was hesitating because of Jules and wanting to keep an eye on her, but really he knew it was to do with Aella. But, of course, she didn't know, and if she did, she'd probably smash his phone at his stupidity. But then he'd remember the panic he went through yesterday and the hurt he'd felt knowing Aella could have prevented it all with a simple phone call.

With that frustration still raw, Stefan pressed the dial button and moved the phone to his ear. With each ring, he felt slightly sick until he got voicemail. Instead of hanging up, as he should have done, he left a message. "Isobel, it's Stefan Salvatore. I need to speak with you, it's about Elena. Please know that it's important."

Stefan hung up just in time to see Damon enter the eatery; instantly, his brother located Jules and began moving toward her. Stefan immediately got up and rushed towards Damon before casually stepping before him, trying to act like everything was normal.

Damon's eyes narrowed on his brother, who stood between him and the enemy, "What are you doing here?"

Stefan smiled like he was having a relaxed conversation with his brother, "I'm waiting for you." He stepped closer to Damon and lowered his voice, "Listen, there's a lot of people here."

Damon's smile was a little too happy as he snapped his fingers, "Oh, damn. There goes my plan to rip her spleen through her back."

"Hey, I know you're upset about Rose."

Damon scoffed at Stefan's statement, "Why does everyone think I'm upset about Rose?" Usually, the nonchalant attitude wouldn't cause Stefan any issues, but the flicker of hurt in Damon's eyes as he mentioned Rose's name said otherwise.

However, Damon continued brushing off everyone's worry for him, "I'm fine. I don't know if you know this, but sometimes vampires die. I'm gonna have a friendly chat with the lady wolf, brother. Ease up."

As Damon pushed past his brother, Stefan went to stop him when his phone rang; Isobel's name flashed on the screen. But, instead of supporting his brother, he exited the Grill and answered the call.

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

"Okay," Aella smiled heartily, tucking Rose into Damon's bed. "That's you all snug and tight."

Rose groaned, almost nasally, "I hate this. I'm a vampire; I haven't had a cold in five centuries."

"Suck it up!" Aella laughed, amused. "You're getting to lie in bed and do nothing. That's my dream life."

Elena scoffed at the teen witch; she turned her attention to Rose, "This is just your body purging the venom."

Rose shifted awkwardly in the bed, "We don't get sick. When we die, it's fast and sudden and certainly not drawn out in illness."

"You're not gonna die." Aella and Elena spoke in unison.

The vampire scoffed, "Such a human thing to say."

Aella jumped onto the bed next to Rose, "Hey," she shrugged with a cheeky grin. "Deal with it, cos us humans are awesome." Aella pulled out her phone, "Now, who should we prank call? Jeremy showed me a trick to stop your number from showing up on caller ID. We can prank anyone." She emitted an excited gasp, "Shall we prank Bonnie's dad? He's such an asshole."

Rose shook her head with a small smile; the teen's excitement was so infectious she wished she could remember that excitement. Instead, she watched Elena glance around Damon's room, trying to not show her interest, "You've never been in Damon's room before, have you?"

Elena shook her head, picking up the closet book, her brows raised at the title; Gone with the Wind. Then, annoyed that Damon had the sweeping romantic story in his possession she returned the book with a little more force than necessary.

"Not what you expected?"

Aella raised a brow at Rose's tone, noticing Elena tense up at it. She leaned back with amusement watching Damon's current squeeze interact with the girl Damon apparently loved. Elena, as always, made a joke out of Rose's questioning, "It's just a room with a bed. Maybe I expected there to be silk sheets."

"I honestly believed there would be a kinky torture set somewhere," Aella giggled when the two girls smiled. Pouting, she revealed, "Alas, I snooped when he and Ric were out together. Looks like Damon is a total vanilla."

"Says you," Rose nudged Aella. "I believe only one person in this room has been honored to spend the night with him."

Elena's smile became stiff, and she scoffed, "Honor."

However, Aella's thought went somewhere else as a disgusted expression appeared on her face, "Did you do it on here?"

Rose poked Aella's scrunched up now with a laugh, "Here, his bathroom, the library...."

"Ew!" Aella shuddered, jumping off the bed. She went to sit on a chair when Rose humorously added, "That chair."

Aella dodged the chair before any part of her body could touch it, taking a giant step away, while Elena scoffed at the witch,

"Please. You and Stefan were just as bad while the two of you were locked up here for that whole month."

"Please," Aella imitated, brushing hair from her shoulder as she stared down at Elena, "Stefan and I have class."

"You and Stefan were going at it like bunnies," Elena replied, her tone flat. "You two couldn't keep your hands off each other."

Aella simply stuck out her tongue at her best friend while Rose sighed wistfully, "You're lucky, you know," She looked at Aella. "No one's ever loved me the way you're loved."

Aella averted her gaze, reflecting on her behavior with Stefan this morning. She shrugged off the compliment, "I'm not sure about that."

Rose wasn't convinced, "Trevor was my best friend, nothing more." She looked between Elena and Aella, "And still, our friendship was not as bonded as the one I saw between you and Caroline." The praise had Aella smiling softly while Elena looked away, the guilt of Aella not knowing of Bonnie's actions and her lack of action weighing heavy. "I spent all those years on the run from Elijah. I just never thought it was a good idea to set up roots. The whole notion of family is incompatible with being a vampire."

Rose's eyes remained distanced, as if she could see what she had visioned for so long, "I see what you and Stefan have, Aella, and now I want that. I want that so badly." Yet, when Rose turned to meet Aella's gaze, the witch saw sadness and acceptance in them. The sorrow and acceptance that she would never have a one true love or even a love. "How can you love Stefan when people think of us only as monsters?"

Aella didn't have to think as she answered Rose, moving back to sit next to the vampire on the bed, "When you see the good in someone, you don't give up on them," She shrugged like this was an everyday experience. "Especially if they don't see it themselves. And if you're ever lucky enough to find true love, you fight for it... everyday."

"Even if their one true love is a Ripper?"

Aella smiled with a one-shoulder shrug; however, Rose could see a small amount of fear in the witch's eye at the prospect of losing Stefan to his internal demons. "Being with Stefan is a risk," Aella answered truthfully. "One day, his Ripper side may emerge. But I'll be there to stop it, to help him, no matter the consequences, because he is someone that I'm willing to take a risk for. I'll fight for him until the day I die." She chuckled grimly, "Probably even after too."

Rose rested her head on Aella's shoulder, "I want that." She touched the shoulder where her bite was, wincing at how the gentlest of touch hurt. "Now I'm faced with my own death; I want so much."

Instead of denying the inevitable, Aella asked, "If you could have one thing right now, anything, no holds barred. What would it be?"

Rose closed her eyes as a wistful smile spread across her face, "To see my home again."

Elena, who had been watching the two, climbed onto the bed on Rose's other side. She shared a doleful smile with Aella as she asked Rose, "Tell us. Tell us about your home."

Rose's grin widened as she began visioning her home, "St. Austell, thirty kilometers south of London. With fields and trees and horses."

"Sounds beautiful," Elena smiled.

"Yeah," Aella nodded her head against Rose's, closing her eyes. "Tell me more; help me see it through your eyes."

And Rose did. She told them of her thatched roof house, the fields she ran in as a child, and the forest she'd explored until her mother rang the bell for dinner. As she explained, all were unaware of Aella's eyes glowing a bright green, visible even underneath her closed lids.

When she finished, a single tear fell from Rose's eye, "Trevor and I returned, but my home was gone." She sighed tiredly, "I'd give anything to see my home one final time." She lifted her head from Aella's shoulder, "I'm so tired."

Aella knew she wasn't speaking literally; Rose was now accepting her fate. Nevertheless, Aella nodded for her and Elena to leave, "Then let's let you rest." She tucked Rose into the bed, "We'll be near. You just rest."

Rose only nodded before her eyes closed. Aella and Elena moved out into the hallway, and Aella pulled out her phone. "I'm going to call Damon. Can you keep an eye on her?"

"Of course," Elena agreed immediately. Aella began to walk away when Elena grasped her arm, stopping her, "When you come back, can we talk?"

Bemused, Aella simply smiled, "Always."

As she walked away, phone already to her ear, Elena guiltily returned to Damon's room. She began to peruse the bedroom again when Rose started talking in her sleep. "No, stop, wait. Tell them to prepare the horses."

Elena walked to the bed, gently stroking Rose's good shoulder as she cooed, "It's okay, Rose. Just get some sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up."

"Trevor, don't be so stupid!" Rose's voice rose. "You're never going to make it there before the sun." Then, suddenly, she sprang up. Her eyes desperately met Elena's. "Elena! Elena, I need more blood."

"Yeah, yeah, of course," Elena nodded, hastily picking up the glass of blood beside the bed. "Here."

Rose took the glass from her and began eagerly gulping the liquid. However, as quickly as she had drank the blood, it soon came back up, and Rose threw up all over herself and the bed.

Trying not to panic, Elena quickly comforted the vampire as she sobbed, "It's okay; everything's gonna be alright." Then, she rushed to the bathroom to get a washcloth, and when she returned with a wet one to clean Rose's face, she froze. Rose was no longer in bed.

Holding her breath, Elena felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand up, and she just knew Rose was there. Without warning, Elena was thrown into the wall as Rose snarled in her face, "It's all your fault, Katerina. You, Katerina, you did this."

"Aella!" Elena screamed, and Rose tightened her grip on her. "It's Elena, Rose." The teen begged, cursing for being a doppelganger. "Rose! I'm Elena!"

But Rose couldn't see it, her mind stuck in the past as she continued, "You betrayed us!"

Rose's hand pulled back to attack Elena when she was thrown away from the teen and onto the blood-soaked bed. Elena slid down the wall in relief as Aella ran towards her, checking her over, "Are you okay?"

Elena could only nod as a weak voice carried across the room, "Elena? Aella?" The teens looked over to Rose, who lay pitifully on the bed, covered in her own waste. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what's happening to me. I'm sorry."

Aella, at Elena's nod that she was okay, ran over to the vampire, "It's okay, Rose." She helped Rose off the bed and walked her to Damon's bathroom. "It's okay."

"Elena?" Rose whimpered out the teen's name.

"I'm okay, Rose," Elena smiled through her fear but didn't move from her spot. "You're gonna be alright."

Rose touched her forehead, confusion brimming in her eyes, "My mind...." She looked at Aella painfully, "I can't trust my own mind."

Aella only smiled as they entered the masculine bathroom, "Then I'll be here to guide you." She helped Rose take a seat, "Now, strip off those icky clothes, and I'll get you something from Damon's closet."

As she backed away, Rose whimpered, "Tell Elena I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Aella softly told her as she left.

When she re-entered the bedroom, Elena had gotten herself off the floor and was gathering the ruined sheets. Aella helped her with the pillows, "I think you should leave."

Elena looked up in surprise and opened her mouth to argue but stopped as she saw her hand still shaking. With a solemn nod, she agreed, "Okay."

"Thank you," Aella smiled gratefully and moved to get Rose some clothes of Damon's. Returning to the bathroom, she asked Elena, "Can you throw them out? They're ruined."

"Leave it to me," Elena nodded for Aella to return to Rose. "Just help Rose."

Aella turned to return to Rose but paused with a raised brow, "You wanted to talk?"

"It can wait," Elena waved her off, though her mind disagreed - It can't wait. "Rose is more important."

Aella nodded and returned to the bathroom, while Elena gathered the spoiled sheets and left the room with a heavy sigh.