MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL

When Damon's phone rang, Liz's name on the screen, it wasn't hard to know where Rose had gone.

When they pulled up to the school, Aella shrunk in her seat with a whimper, "Caroline's going to kill me."

"She has to get in line," Damon hissed, tensely getting out of his car and walking over to Liz. He and the Sheriff talked for a while before Damon returned to the vehicle; he opened the trunk to retrieve something before he returned to the driver's seat.

"So?" Aella immediately asked as soon as he sat down.

"It was Rose," Damon emotionlessly replied. Eyes fixed on the body that lay on the ground. "Liz is going to search the east side of the school; we're on the west."

Aella nodded and began to get out when Damon's hand stopped her, "Here." He handed her a stake with one hand, the other holding a second.

Aella froze, eyes focused on the stake for a second before she tossed it back to him in disgust, "I don't want the killer stick. We can do this without killing Rose."

Damon's nostrils flared, his grip on the two stakes so firm that Aella could hear a faint cracking as he told her, "Rose has already killed one person; she has to die."

While Aella knew Damon hated emotions full stop, even she was taken aback by his matter-of-fact tone. Slowly she took the stakes from him, noticing he didn't fight her as she softly replied, "Not this way, Damon. Rose doesn't deserve for it to end this way."

Damon shot her a piercing stare as he exited the car, his final words, "On your head be it."

FORBES RESIDENCE

Tyler walked up to Caroline, who sat on the steps leading up to her home. "Hey," he greeted her, sitting next to her. "Thanks for meeting me."

With an amused smile, Caroline motioned to her house, "I didn't have to go far."

Tyler smiled with her before he cleared his throat, "We need to talk."

"That sounds serious," Caroline chuckled lightly before she saw the look on Tyler's face, and she sat up. "What about?"

"You need to stop helping me," Tyler told her straight.

Caroline frowned, "What? Why?" She turned towards him more, "You said I helped."

Tyler agreed with her, "And you did." His lips turned up briefly in the corner, "But not at the cost of you dying."

"Where is this coming from, Tyler?" Caroline asked, confused. "Is this because of Rose?"

Tyler scoffed, "How can it not be?!" He shook his head firmly, "No more; we can't risk it."

Caroline groaned and punished Tyler in the arm, taking satisfaction from his grunt of pain, "Why is it so hard for you to let someone else help you?"

Tyler immediately denied the accusation, "That's not it."

"Yeah, it is, Tyler." Caroline pushed; she'd had enough of them dancing around this subject. "It's like you don't want anyone to care about you, and I'm sorry I care. I care, Tyler, so forgive me if I overstepped my boundaries by actually giving I-"

Tyler closed the distance and, with his lips, ended Caroline talking any more. When he pulled back, Caroline's eyes softly met his for a second before he closed the gap again and kissed her more gently.

Suddenly, Caroline pulled back, face flustered, "You can't do that."

"I'm sorry," Tyler began. "It's-"

This time, Caroline interrupted him as she let out a loud groan and ran into the house, her final words clear enough for him to hear, "Everyone just needs to stop kissing me!"

Tyler could only sit there completely bewildered as she slammed the door shut.

MYSTIC FALLS HIGH SCHOOL

After a long day volunteering, Chrissy and Eddie exited the school and made their way to Chrissy's car. The dark-haired boy looked at his girlfriend, "Hey, what was going on back there with the police?"

Chrissy grimaced, "Some maintenance man had a heart attack. He just dropped dead."

As she opened the car, she got in and started to put on her seatbelt when she noticed Eddie hadn't gotten in; he hadn't even opened the passenger door. "Eddie?"

Bang!

Chrissy screamed as Eddie's body fell with force on the hood of her car; she could hear him groaning as his neck dripped with blood. Fumbling with the door handle, Chrissy got out of the car and ran to Eddie when an unfamiliar girl stepped before her, mouth and chin covered in what she could only assume was Eddie's blood.

With a horror-like scream, Chrissy jumped back, hearing Eddie mumble for her to run, but could only close her eyes as she froze in utter fear.

"Chrissy!"

Chrissy let out another scream as someone shook her, but a familiar voice had her opening her eyes. Tears fell from her eyes as they met Aella's. "Aella?" She whispered, only to remember Eddie, and immediately ran to him, where he still lay on her car. "Eddie!"

"He's okay." Aella quickly assured the girl as she followed Chrissy, as the blonde girl saw Eddie had his eyes closed. "He just hit his head a little."

Chrissy spun towards Aella, confused, "But I-I. She was-"

"No one," Aella calmly interrupted the teen. "Some drunk idiot ran past Eddie and underestimated his own strength. I've already called 911."

"No!" Chrissy exclaimed, taking a step back from Aella. "No," She repeated, pointing to where she saw the blood-drenched girl. "I-"

Taking no chance, Aella quickly tapped the teen on her forehead. Chrissy's eyes became unfocused as Aella chanted, "Quarum rerum memoria desinat etiam praeteriti temporis tabulam mundam quasi aerem abstergere, memoria non frequentet."

The pupils in Chrissy's eyes became dilated as Aella repeated, "Some drunk idiot ran past Eddie and underestimated his own strength." Chrissy repeated it monotonously. "Eddie was pushed into the car and cut his neck; you ran into me when shouting for help."

With a final tap to the forehead, Chrissy's eyes focused again. Without hesitation, Chrissy ran back to Eddie and began cursing the drunk idiot who had done this to him. Chrissy's words allowed Aella to relax, knowing Rose had not killed anyone else and Damon had captured her without a stake being involved.

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

Aella ran into Damon's bedroom; Rose was just opening her eyes as Damon softly smiled at her, "Hi there."

Aella could see that Damon had cleaned Rose up, changing her into one of Aella's robes, but the teen didn't care; she was just happy Rose was safe.

"I'm sorry," Rose tearfully apologized.

Damon shrugged his shoulder with a smirk, "You went on a murderous rampage. It happens."

Rose shook her head, gently stroking his face with shaky hands, "Every time I feel good, I think it'll last forever, but it doesn't." When she saw Aella standing there, over Damon's shoulder, she smiled gently at the witch, "It's the worst part about it: the hunt, the need to kill, the thirst, the pleasure it brings you afterward. I wasn't meant to be evil." Rose coughed, "It hurts."

Aella immediately approached them as Damon sternly told Rose, "Stop talking about it."

Kneeling next to Damon, Aella's hand brushed Rose's forehead. Holding back a wince at the sweat and heat emitting from it, she chanted, "Asinta Mulaf Hinto, Sho Bala." Aella's eyes glowed with her power as Rose closed her, letting out a contented sigh.

"What did you do?" Damon asked, not looking away from Rose. His hand held hers, and he noticed her relaxing at Aella's magic.

Aella continued to stroke Rose's head, "It reduces the physical pain, but it won't heal her."

Rose opened her eyes, eyes full of vexation, "I can handle the pain."

Aella sadly smiled, standing up, "You sound so much like someone-" Aella nudged Damon with her hip, "-I know quite well." She kissed the vampire's forehead, "Just because you're strong enough to handle the pain doesn't mean you deserve it."

"Damon's a lot like me," Rose smiled weakly at the witch, both girls ignoring Damon's dissatisfied grunt. "He wants to care, but when he does, he runs away from it." Looking back at Damon, she squeezed his hand, "I'm sorry for what I've done today."

Damon looked away, and Rose turned her attention back to Aella, determination appearing on her tired face. "And you fight, Aella. I know people are making you second guess your choices and that you're scared, but I know without a doubt you will win. It may not be today or tomorrow, but you, Aella Bennett, will bring peace to this world; that I know." Tears fell down Aella's face at Rose's passionate speech, "Trust yourself, Aella, and you'll never fail."

When the dying vampire turned to Damon, he wasn't ready for any final words and immediately shook his head, "No."

Rose hoarsely laughed, amused by his attempts to avoid any and all emotional conversations. Too quickly, the laughs turned to coughs as the bite, too powerful for such a simple spell, broke through, and the pain enveloped Rose again, causing her to cry in agony.

Damon stood and began using soothing noises to try and distract Rose while Aella rushed forward as Rose wailed, "Oh god! Make it stop, make it stop!"

"Go," Damon demanded of the witch. "I got this."

"I can't take it anymore; make it stop!"

Aella firmly shook her head at Damon, Rose's screams hurting them both, "No. I can help." Recalling the spell she had used earlier that day, Aella held her hand over Rose, "Phasmatos Somnus."

Rose froze for the second time that day before her eyes closed, and her body relaxed as she fell into a deep sleep. Aella wiped away her tears, "I don't know how long it'll hold; the bite worked through the pain reduction spell pretty quick."

"You've done enough," Damon told her with a tight smile, his eyes entirely on Rose. "I can handle it from now on."

Aella knew what he was suggesting, sobs growing in her throat, "I can stay?"

Damon only shook his head as he kissed Rose's hand.

With a shaky intake of breath, Aella leaned over and kissed Rose's forehead and painfully whispered, "I'm sorry."

Pulling away, she touched Damon's shoulder for a brief moment before she left the room. Missing the single tear falling down Damon's eye and his hand hovering over where hers had just laid.

Running to her car, Aella sobbed as she pulled her phone from her pocket and called the only person she needed.

"Aella?"

"Stefan," Aella held a hand to her mouth to try and hold back her sobs, but upon hearing her boyfriend's voice, they quickly broke through. "Stefan."

"Aella, are you okay?"

Despite him not seeing her, Aella shook her head, sobbing, "Stefan, I need you."

He immediately asked, "Where are you?"

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

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

Stefan held Aella. At first, she had sobbed in his arms, only able to mutter Rose's name before bursting into tears again. When her sobs turned into quiet tears and hiccuping, he just kissed her head and rocked her. Now they sat in the library in silence. Once she had composed herself, Aella removed herself from Stefan's lap and sat opposite him on the couch, but no words were spoken. Aella's eyes watched the fire crackling away; Stefan just watched Aella.

When Aella finally spoke, her voice was croaky, "Grams has cancer."

Stefan smiled tightly, "I know." He had been waiting for her to talk to him.

"I'm getting really tired of losing people."

Instead of being sympathetic, something he knew Aella did not need right now, Stefan shot her a half smile, "Well, do something about it."

Aella scoffed, wiping her tear stains with the sleeve of her sweatshirt, "Some good I did...." She motioned to where Rose and Damon were upstairs, "I tried to take her pain away, but the bite was too strong, and Grams...." She looked at her hands furiously, "What good is magic if you can't help someone in need, someone in pain?"

"I think you did as much as was allowed," Stefan took hold of her hands and moved his head until her eyes finally met his. "You have told me so many times that fate is inevitable. Mother nature is inevitable." When Aella tried to look away, angry he was using her words against her, Stefan gently held her face, stroking the apple of her cheek softly. "As much as you want to believe it's not Rose's time, fate is saying otherwise. The same with Sheila. Her body was already shutting down when the tomb vampires escaped; you gave her extra time to be with her loved ones."

The tears began to fall again as Aella turned her head to kiss Stefan's palm, "Well, fate can suck it."

Stefan scoffed, and he pulled away from his girlfriend. When she saw the smile he was holding back, she frowned, "What?"

Stefan shook his head, "It's too morbid, even for us."

Aella raised an unconvinced brow, "Well, I definitely need to hear it."

Stefan rubbed his face tiredly before meeting Aella's eyes, he explained with a crooked smile. "I just found it ironic, you telling fate to suck it when life is being sucked out of Rose, who was originally killed by her life being sucked out." Aella struggled to hold back a smile as Stefan shrugged, "I told you it was morbid."

Finally, Aella could not keep it in, and a bark-like laugh fell from the witch's mouth, causing Stefan to laugh at the sound. Aella's forehead fell onto Stefan's arm as their laughter faded, "I love you."

"I love you too," Stefan replied without hesitation, kissing the top of her head.

Aella briefly lifted her head apologetically as she asked, "Even when I make important decisions without you and make you sick with worry."

Stefan huffed out a laugh, this time kissing her forehead, "Even then." His lips pressed there again, "Because, in those moments, all I want to do is have you in my arms, where I can love you and know you're safe."

Aella's lips wobbled before she surged up and kissed Stefan, wrapping herself around him. It seemed to last forever; her heart started to race slightly, and her lungs begged for more air. But she still wasn't willing to part lips. Stefan wasn't so brave, and he pulled back, pecking her lips once more before resting his forehead on hers.

"We should stop," Stefan whispered.

Aella nodded gently, her nose softly kissing his before she pulled away with a scoff. "Rose is dying, and here we are making out."

"You're being comforted," Stefan corrected her, smoothing back a stray head that had been moved during their moment.

Tears filled Aella's eyes as she confessed, "I wish I could do the same for Rose."

"You were here for her today," Stefan reminded her. "You listened; that's all Rose needed."

Aella looked back at the fire as a tear fell down her cheek, "She kept talking about her home. She longed to leave it for so long, and now, she only wants to see it one last time." Aella wiped the tears with a sad laugh, "When she was describing it to me, somehow, my magic just-" her hand unconsciously danced in the air "-entered her body, and I saw it." Aella's eyes looked out into the distance with a watery smile as she described, "The thatched roof house, the endless fields of poppies, the rocky stream they swam in when it was hot, the stunning sunset that ended the days she wished would never end, the-"

Aella froze. Stefan, drawn into Aella's beautiful description of Rose's home, opened his eyes to look at his girlfriend. His brow furrowed at the frozen look on her face, "Aella?" Stefan had seen that look before; he could see the cogs whirring around in her head.

Suddenly she sprung up from the seat and ran over to her things in the corner. When Stefan saw her pull out her grimoire she was never without; he knew she'd figured it out. Aella turned to explain; Stefan only shook his head, "Go. Help her."

Aella grinned widely, though he could still see the sadness within her emerald eyes. She ran over to him and kissed his lips quickly before running to Damon's room.