AN: It's my birthday, so I thought I'd give you all an update. SOrry for the long wait, autumn has hit my fibromyalgia hard, and I'm struggling. xoxo

MYSTIC GRILL

Caroline yawned widely as she and Bonnie found a table; her night had been rough. Bonnie glanced at her over the menu cautiously, "Are you sure you don't need a vacation too?"

Caroline scoffed, "And leave you to investigate Gargamel and Azrael?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes, "Did you and Aella watch the Smurfs this morning?"

"It's educational!" Caroline exclaimed, throwing a napkin at her friend. "How else do you think Aella learns sharing, compassion, and teamwork?"

Bonnie paused, choosing what she wanted for her breakfast as she raised a curious brow at Caroline, "Aella learned sharing, compassion, and teamwork?

"Not yet," Caroline sighed heavily. "Hence: educational... But forget that; what is the plan?"

Bonnie placed the menu down, "First, tell me the real reason you're not packing with Aella and Elena. Jenna said-"

"-I'm fine, Bonnie," Caroline pointedly picked up her menu. "I'm thinking pancakes."

Bonnie pushed the menu down from her blonde friend's face, "And I think last night was pretty tough... you know I'm here to chat." She shrugged, "About the wolves... or one in particular...."

Caroline could see where her witch friend was heading and picked up the menu again, "Tyler being an ass is not the reason why I'm here with you." Her eyes glanced behind Bonnie, "I'm here because he lied to you, and Aella scared the shit out of his dad."

"To be honest, Aella scaring the shit out of a grown man is quite the regular thing with my cousin," A smile tugged on Bonnie's lips, despite knowing who Caroline was looking at. She glanced at Luka quickly and saw him at the pool tables, "But you're right; I need to find out what Elijah and the Martins are up to."

Caroline shifted, "Elijah? Aella is pretty protective over him."

"Aella promised not to tell anyone their deal," Bonnie pointed out smugly. "Elijah has two allies who will most likely play a part in his plan. I'm guessing Luka and his dad know a lot more than us right now."

Caroline nodded slowly, "Okayyy, so we're finding out what Aella is banned from telling us?" Bonnie nodded, "Okay. So, tell me, oh wise one, what's this big, witchy plan you've cooked up."

Bonnie's smug smile seemed to grow, "I'm gonna ask Luka to tell me what he knows."

Caroline wasn't convinced, "And he's not gonna tell you anything."

Bonnie smiled at Matt as he walked over with their regular drinks, "I didn't say he was gonna have a choice."

Before Caroline could ask the witch precisely what she meant, Matt placed their drinks on the table and walked off without a 'hello.' Bonnie turned to Caroline, "What was that?"

Caroline looked back at Matt, his eyes met hers for a few seconds until his expression turned stony, and he walked back to the bar without any acknowledgment toward her. Bonnie looked back at Caroline, "Uhhh, I repeat, What was that about?"

Caroline rubbed her tired eyes, "Caroline: Uh, I don't know. I thought that we were... I don't know."

Bonnie pushed her. "Well, go find out."

Caroline rolled her eyes as she got up and tentatively approached Matt at the bar, "Hi."

Matt walked back from the bar with his tray. Caroline followed him to a nearby table as he cleared the plates and cutlery, tersely saying, "I'm working."

"Yeah, I can see that," Caroline smiled awkwardly. "But can you work and talk?"

Matt placed the plate he was holding in the tray a little loudly and let out a tired sigh, "What do you want, Caroline?"

Caroline wrung her hands, "Why didn't you say hi to me and Bonnie?"

Matt's eyes looked guilty at her uneasiness before they turned steely again, "Because I've been back in this town for a few days, and already it's like I'm being lied to again. I kissed you, and you ran away like we'd never even kissed before."

Caroline placed her hands on either side of her face, "Uh, I...I don't know what's going on, Matt."

"Is it Tyler?" Matt asked lowly, wincing at how much it hurt to ask that. "You told me nothing happened-"

"-And it didn't," Caroline quickly interrupted him, desperate he knew that. "I've just been helping him."

Matt moved closer, "With his..?"

Caroline nodded sharply, looking around to make sure no one heard, "It was hard for him... that first time, I mean. I don't know how he did it." She then realized what she sounded like, "But nothing happened." She remembered last night, "And never will."

Matt's brow rose; he knew that tone, "What's he done now?"

Caroline winced, "I'd rather not go into it."

Matt glanced over her shoulder when he saw a figure heading their way, "Well, he's heading this way. So..."

"What?!" Caroline jumped around to see Matt was right; Tyler was walking their way. Pointing her finger at the werewolf, she snarled, "No, You stay away from me."

"Caroline," Tyler sighed sadly, but the vampire was already moving around Matt and far away from him. "Please, Caroline. I'm sorry about what happened, okay, but there's so much we need to talk about."

Caroline shook her head in disbelief, "You basically called Aella a monster."

Matt, who had been trying to listen in, turned in surprise at her words, "He what?"

Tyler waved his friend away, "It's complicated, Matt; you don't know what happened."

"Aella did what you couldn't," Caroline snarled, stepping closer to Tyler. "She stopped a bad man torturing me."

Matt's eyes widened. What the hell happened?!

"...So go with your 'own kind,'" Caroline continued, mocking the words he used last night. "A go and 'figure things out.'"

The blonde stormed back to Bonnie, and Tyler could only stare at her, his mouth wide. Matt winced and picked up his tray, "Tip from friend to friend, dude... If you are trying to get with Care. Never, ever, ever badmouth Aella Bennett to Caroline Forbes."

Eyes wide, Tyler turned to face his friend, "It's not like that."

Matt shrugged a shoulder, "The two of you want to get together, fine. There's nothing I can do about it, but that-" he pointed to Caroline being consoled by Bonnie "-is not nothing. So do me a favor, and both of you, stop lying about it."

Tyler grabbed his arm, "Matt, nothing is going on."

Matt slammed his tray back on the table and grabbed Tyler by the collar of his jacket, "I said stop lying."

THE LAKE HOUSE

Pulling up to the lake house, Elena let out a deep breath. Jenna looked across at her from the driver's seat, "You okay?"

Elena swallowed heavily with a short nod, "I'm good. I just..."

"I know," Jenna reached across and rubbed her niece's shoulder.

Aella leaned close to Stefan, "We haven't been here since." Pulling back, Aella pushed herself through the middle gap, "Should we turn around and when we get home, and people ask, we just blame Stefan?"

A smile broke through Elena's sad expression, especially when Stefan lowly exclaimed, "What?!" She looked at her best friend, their faces extremely close due to Aella's position, "I was just...having a moment."

Aella pecked her cheek, "Take as long as you want." She fell back onto Stefan, ignoring his grunt as her weight fell on him.

The niece and aunt listened with hidden smiles as Aella pushed her boyfriend out of the car, him mumbling loud enough for them to catch, "Why would we blame me?"

"Because we can...." Was Aella's answer. "After all, you did call Isobel and brought John back."

"I thought we've moved on from that?"

"When have I ever moved on from anything? Especially when I'm as pissed off as I was for you bringing Mystic Falls' version of Jack Torrance back into the fold."

"So... we've not moved on?"

"Moved on? Yes, Stefan. I've totally moved on from the fact you called a psycho to help us. Said me... never! Wait! Where are you going?"

"I'm doing something adults do, Aella. I'm moving on. Away from you over to the house."

"What about the bags? You're the dude."

"No, I'm just the blame guy. You deal with the bags."

"You're an asshole."

"Well, I'm your asshole."

"Yes, you are!"

Elena let out a small giggle, "I love when they argue, yet you can still tell they're completely in love."

Jenna smiled over at her, "Yeah. It's nice to hear it instead of awkward silence. This Elijah thing has messed them up."

"It's messed us all up," Elena murmured, her eyes glancing at the house.

Jenna nudged her, "Aella's right. We can go and just blame Stefan... say he smelt too much like boy for us to deal with, or something like that."

"Poor Stefan," Elena smiled, glancing at the vampire and watching Aella carry their bags up with a smug smile. Elena knew as well as Stefan that Aella was making it look a lot harder than it was with just their two bags. She looked to Jenna, "I've always loved it here. I want it to stay that way."

"You don't have to ignore the memories because they're too hard to think about," Jenna smiled sadly. Her emotions bubbled to the surface at how strange it was to be here without her sister. "We make new memories, and soon they become entwined with the old memories and this place, it becomes a place with an abundance of memories that just make you smile instead of feeling sad." She glanced over at the couple and laughed, "Like that...."

Elena followed her gaze and laughed when she saw Aella had Stefan's bag hovering over the lake with a smug smile, "Remember this, and then the next time you drive up here, that memory will make you smile instead of feeling sad."

Elena smiled gratefully at her Aunt, "Thanks, Aunt Jenna."

Jenna smiled, "I'm always gonna be here, kiddo." She opened the door, "Stefan's dry clothes, though...?" She took a deep breath and shouted, "Aella! What have I told you about floating other people's stuff away from them?!" Elena watched her Aunt shake her head and murmur, "That will never become a normal sentence."

Taking a deep breath, Elena exited the car and slowly approached the house. When she reached the door, Aella was standing beside Jenna. As if feeling her anxiety, Aella leaned over and whispered, "Please play along when Stefan gets back with his bag."

Elena's eyes widened, "Did you throw it in the lake."

Aella pouted, "No, just the trees. Jenna said I'd be banned from the tub if I tossed his bag in the lake."

"-And considering she'd be joining my bag," Stefan added casually as he returned with his bag. "That would have been too harsh a punishment for my girl."

"Jacuzzi tub, Elena," Aella's expression was severe. "That cold lake with only a shower to follow? No way."

"Plusss," Jenna added in a very parent-like tone. "Throwing your boyfriend's nice clean clothes in the lake is wrong."

Aella scrunched her face as she wagged her finger in Elena's face, "Very, very wrong."

Elena appreciated the distraction and soon found the key in the large wooden door before she pushed it open and was greeted by memories. She was the first to enter, and Aella and Jenna quickly followed her. Everything was good until Aella gasped.

"Oh my god!"

Elena quickly looked over to her best friend, "What?"

Aella glanced between Jenna and Elena with a very worried frown that then moved over to Stefan, where he stood outside. Elena frowned but quickly smiled at the vampire, "You don't have to wait out there. I'm all good."

Stefan smiled tightly, "Tha- that's great because I'm, uh...I'm stuck.

Jenna gasped, "Oh my god!"

Aella's eyes widened as Jenna caught onto what she had, "Yeah, that's what I said."

Elena was confused as she looked between Stefan and Aella until she saw a slight sparkle in her best friend's eyes, and suddenly she caught on. Bringing her hands to her mouth to fake surprise and hide her smirk, Elena murmured apologetically, "Oh, my god. You can't get in."

Stefan, ever the gentleman, just smiled, "Not gonna be such a fun getaway unless you, uh, invite me inside."

The smile quickly dropped when Aella told him, "Stefan, she can't."

"What?"

It took everything within Aella, Jenna, and Elena not to laugh at the disappointment in Stefan's tone. However, Aella continued, "The house wasn't left to Elena and Jeremy."

"At least not yet," Elena added grimly, seeing where Aella was taking this joke. "They left it to John Gilbert. He's the only one who can invite you in. I'm sorry. I--I completely forgot."

Stefan let out a laugh that was neither humorous nor happy, "You're kidding me, right?"

"But you don't need to worry about that," Aella waved off his worry with a smirk that caused Stefan a sickening feeling in his stomach. "You still have his number, right? You know, the number you called when you decided to listen to a psychopath locked in a cave and called Isobel?"

Stefan sighed heavily through his nostrils before looking at Elena, "Elena?"

Elena giggled, another new memory making its way into her memory bank. She glanced to Aella, "I'll give you a head start?"

Aella didn't waste any time and ran up the stairs to the room she and Elena once shared before Elena finally said to Stefan, "Stefan Salvatore, I hereby invite you into this home."

Brunette locks flew into Elena's face as Stefan sped past her, followed by a squeal from Aella as Stefan quickly found her and laughter.

Jenna smiled at the stairs before looking at her niece, "Memories."

Elena just smiled back, "Memories."

Because nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.

MYSTIC GRILL

Anna snuggled into Jeremy's shoulder as they entered the eatery. While things had been going crazy for their friends, she and Jeremy had been just normal boyfriend and girlfriend for the last few days. It was everything she ever wanted. However, whatever normality was shared between the two seemed to vanish the moment Jeremy saw Bonnie approaching Luka with two drinks; he stopped.

Anna looked up from his shoulder with a frown until she followed his gaze, "What is she doing?"

Jermey shrugged the shoulder her head had just rested on as his gaze scanned the Grill, "I don't know, but I do know she won't be alone." When he saw what he was looking for, his gaze narrowed, "Gotcha."

Jermey began pulling Anna in a specific direction. When Anna saw the blonde hair, she realized why Jermey was right to be suspicious, "Caroline."

Caroline's eyes darted from watching Bonnie and Luka to the couple, "What are you doing here?"

"We could ask you the same question," Jeremy shot back, sitting beside her. "What is Bonnie doing?"

As Anna sat down, she could hear Bonnie's heart rate racing as she approached Luka.

Caroline shrugged, "She has a plan."

Anna's eyes narrowed while Jeremy sighed in frustration, "Is this a magic plan?"

Caroline said nothing, which spoke volumes to the couple. Anna was confused, "I thought we were on Aella's side and doing nothing so Elijah wouldn't back out?"

"Elijah never said we couldn't know by asking someone other than Aella," Caroline carefully worded.

Jeremy took a deep breath, and Anna rubbed his shoulder; she could feel the anger building, "And did Bonnie come up with that bullshit? What if Elijah finds out and ends the deal."

Caroline's eyes widened at the emotion, "Bonnie said she can do it without Elijah

finding out."

Anna was unconvinced, "No offense to Bonnie, but she can't guarantee that. I thought she was done trying to prove herself?"

"S-she has," Caroline defended Bonnie, but it was weak. "Look, Luka is not innocent here. He told Bonnie they were destroying the moonstone. Now? Elijah has it. Luka lied to her."

Anna raised an unconvinced brow, "Didn't Bonnie steal the moonstone from Aella's room to give to Luka to destroy?"

Caroline waved that fact away, "That's not the issue here. Luka pretended he was helping her with her magic; instead, he manipulated and lied. What happens next is his own fault."

Jeremy rubbed his face tiredly, "Aella chose a good day to escape to the lake house."

He turned to see that Bonnie had finally found the confidence and approached Luka with the drinks.

"I come bearing coffee gifts."

Luka paused at her voice before turning to look at her. His eyes darted from her to the coffees a few times before he accepted the one she pushed in his direction, "So you're talking to me now."

Bonnie smiled softly, "I'm sure your dad caught you up on what happened in the last 24 hours."

"No," Luka shook his head and took a long sip of the hot drink. "He was pretty quiet last night."

"He came to help my friends when they were in a bad situation," Bonnie explained, stepping closer to him. "I really appreciated it, and so did my friends."

Luka's brow raised playfully, "Who knew my dad could be my wingman."

Bonnie giggled, and just a few tables over, Caroline nudged Anna's elbow, "See that sex smile, that was my idea."

Jeremy grimaced, "Didn't need to hear that, Caroline."

"What?" Caroline shot back instantly, "You jealous?"

Anna's heart skipped a beat until Jeremy grimaced again, "Of Bonnie and Luka? Ew."

Caroline, the only one who could have heard Anna's heart, smiled apologetically at the vampire, "I know, I'm just teasing." Her eyes turned back to Luka when she saw his hand slip from the pool table he was leaning against, "Showtime."

Jeremy and Anna watched her shuffle incognito near Luka as he seemed to stumble this time.

Anna winced, "This isn't going to go well."

Jeremy nodded, eyes darting around when Caroline caught Luka as he fell and made it look like she was helping him, "This is going to be a shit show."

"Should we call Aella?" Anna bit her lip, watching the witch and vampire lead the warlock out of the Grill.

Jeremy immediately shook his head, "She needs this break, 24 hours at the least." He stood up and pulled her with him. "Let's keep an eye on things; if something bad happens, we'll call Aella."

Anna could only nod as they quickly caught up to the meddling duo and their warlock hostage.

"What kind of roofie was that?" Jeremy asked wearily as Caroline placed Luka in the car.

Bonnie practically jumped for joy as she answered, "A strong one."

It didn't ease any of the worry building in Anna and Jeremy.