THE EARLY HOURS OF THE NEXT DAY

MYSTIC FALLS WOODS

Aella yawned as she leaned against Tyler; the sun was barely rising as they waited for their guest to arrive. She had been unable to sleep after learning that not only Matt had left town, but so had her grandmother and Bonnie, hence why she was here. She needed something to take her mind off of that, and so focused on the one thing she could do something about, help Tyler and help Mason. When she and Tyler both heard a rustle in the tree's they turned their attention to it, only for Aella to turn away and hide her hand in front of her horrified eyes.

Mason was muddy and very, very naked.

Tyler smirked at the brunette's reaction until Mason realized the both of them were there, and his own eyes widened. He stood as still as a statue as he mentally assessed the situation before he motioned the clothes in Tyler's hands. "Wanna toss me those?"

Once passed, Aella cleared her throat as her voice sang around them, "Mayo... You got some splainin' to do."

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

Stefan tossed in his sleep, his mind fractured as his body tried to make up for the lack of sleep he should have had instead of worrying out of his mind waiting for Aella to return from confronting Mason. Finally, at 5am, Aella stumbled through the door, falling into his waiting arms, declaring how tired she was. She was asleep, face tucked into his neck before they reached the second floor. The same could not be said for Stefan; at first, he had lied there, listening to Aella's mumbles as she slept. Even asleep, the girl wouldn't shut up. Stefan found it cute and would often fall asleep to the sound. That day it seemed nothing wanted him to rest his mind. When his body finally rested enough for his eyes to close softly, his mind did not let off.

"Stefan, help me!"

Aella's cries for him echoed around the room he was in, but there were no doors for him to rush through and find her. Stefan's fists struck every surface he could reach, trying with all his might to power his way through the walls to find his girl. Yet every time he hit a wall, the cracks from his strength would repair themselves before his eyes.

"Stefan, help me!"

Stefan sobbed as Aella's cries became more desperate; his fists were raw from his hits and the wall untouched except the streaks of blood that patterned the wall.

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

Stefan spun at the familiar voice, scowling when his eyes met Katherine's smirking face. She dressed as she did in 1864. His scowl deepened when he recognized it was the same dress she wore as his final day as a human. Before everything changed.

Stefan sped towards her and grasped her arms tightly, growling when Katherine laughed at the action rather than fear him, "Where is she?"

Katherine glanced over his shoulder, then Aella's voice, closer than before, called out to him, "Stefan!"

Stefan pushed Katherine away and turned to see Aella in a glass box, thin and pale, as she looked up at him with fear in her eyes. Stefan had never seen her usually vivid green eyes so dull. He ran towards the glass and, with all his might, hit the transparent wall. Despite that, the glass reformed itself, just as the walls had done. Tears fell from Aella's eyes, and Stefan continued hitting the glass, yet the glass would not collapse.

"Now you know how I feel," Katherine's breath tickled his throat as she gleefully whispered over his shoulder. "So near, but yet so far. Don't fight it, Stefan. You loved me once. You can love me again."

He sobbed at her words, his hit becoming weaker and weaker as he failed to reach Aella; when his surroundings became misty, his sobs grew louder, "No. Aella!"

Before Stefan's eyes, he watched as Aella faded away. He blinked, and suddenly before him was not Aella but Katherine. And surrounding him was not an inescapable room, but the original Lockwood Mansion. In his confusion, he missed those dancing around him; Damon laughing with their parents as Katherine glided up to him, as she whispered lovingly against his lips, "I love you, Stefan. We'll be together again, I promise."

Katherine's lips only brushed his for a moment, but it was enough for Stefan not to recognize the too soft lips as someone... Someone, not Aella. Stefan's vampire features appeared before he grasped hold of Katherine's arms and pushed her away from him with a growl. With a fit of anger only Katherine could summon up, Stefan snarled down at her, "Never."

Yet again, Katherine was not put out and instead smugly smiled, "We'll see."

As Stefan lunged for her, he woke in his room, breathing heavily. The sheets around them tore at his grip, and the sound had his eyes shooting down to Aella, hoping she was still sleeping, but his sheets ripped more as his grip tightened at the sight before him. Yes, Aella was still asleep, but the woman smirking at him from her other side had not been there before.

Stefan's eyes darted from Katherine's smug face to her pale hand that was resting near Aella's tanned neck. Panic began to form in Stefan's heart, and the sudden joy in Katherine's eyes he knew she knew.

"Katherine."

Katherine's hand moved upwards as she stroked Aella's cheek, yet her eyes did not leave Stefan's. "I love you, Stefan. We'll be together again, I promise." It then slithered back down to his girlfriend's neck, "It was easy to get inside of your head. Have you completely forsaken your nature?"

Stefan ignored her gripe, "Let her go, Katherine."

"Why?" Katherine innocently shrugged. Face drawing close to Aella's, "She's a beauty; I can see why you chose her." When her nose brushed the apple of Aella's cheek, Stefan growled, which caused Katherine to giggle quietly, "Such soft skin."

For once, Stefan hated how deeply Aella could sleep.

Katherine's eyes glittered up at Stefan as she murmured, "Astrid's skin was never this soft... she liked the outdoors too much." Stefan's brows furrowed at the familiar name as Katherine's face lifted away from Aella's. "Perks of 2010... Sunscreen, an outdoor girl's best friend."

Stefan opened his mouth to question Katherine of the name she spoke when a war-like cry echoed the room as Caroline charged in. Using her newfound vampire skills and the absolute absurdity of her war-like cry to her advantage, Caroline was able to hide the needle full of vervain in her hand until it was suddenly sticking out of Katherine's neck. In her astonishment, Katherine's hands briefly left Aella's neck. Still, it was enough for Stefan to lunge towards them and tear Aella away from the vampire.

As the couple fell to the hardwood floor, Aella awoke at the movement and was stunned to see Elena - no, Katherine, fall to the floor as a smug Caroline stood above her with an empty syringe in her hand. Yet the duo could not muffle their snorts as Caroline glared down at the doppelganger, "That's for killing me - you crazy, face stealing, bitch!"

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Caroline glanced over at her best friend, "Why are you glaring at her? She's tied up."

She and Aella stood in front of Katherine, who was still knocked out with the amount of vervain Caroline had used. Stefan had promptly moved her down to the cellar and had tied her up tightly once he was sure she was completely unconscious. The two girls surrounded her as Stefan did something upstairs.

Aella crossed her arms, still glaring at Katherine, "I'm hoping she'll spontaneously combust."

Caroline opened her mouth to speak when there was a slight groan from Katherine, and her eyes darted to Aella with a very annoying smirk, "Hope. What a dreadful thing to worship."

"Oh," Aella murmured disappointedly. "You're awake."

"Don't sound so disappointed, little witch," Katherine pouted as she assessed her situation, looking around the cell in curiosity. "I might think you don't like me."

Aella shrugged carelessly, "You would be so much more likable if it wasn't for that hole on your face that noise comes out of." The brunette smirked down at Katherine, "Or you know, not be a homicidal nutcase."

Katherine fumed in her seat at the witch's disrespect, "I will enjoy tearing you piece to piece." She then looked to Caroline with disappointment, "And you. This is the thanks I get for turning you immortal."

Caroline took a snarling step forward, but Aella squeezed her arm, "Don't, C. Miss. Psycho just wants a reaction." She pulled the blonde so they could join Stefan upstairs.

As they climbed the stairs, they ignored Katherine hiss, "That's Ms. Psycho to you two."

Reaching the sitting room, she could see Stefan packing things into a bag, taking note of the entire bottle of vervain as he placed it in the bag. Looked like having a secret vervain factory wasn't such a bad idea. Aella fell into one of the armchairs, "Well, isn't she a delight... I can see why you and Damon fought over her for so long. Not!"

Stefan glanced over at her with a small smile, "She grows on you."

Caroline scoffed as she leaned against Aella's chair, "Yeah, like a weed."

"Hey!" Aella hit Caroline's arms, "Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them. Don't put that bitch in the same category as them."

Caroline ignored the hit, rolling her eyes, "Quoting Winnie the Pooh, Aella? How childish."

Aella, scowling, pointed up at the blonde, "Just 'cause you now fast and hella strong don't mean I won't whack you one, Caroline Elizabeth Forbes. Winnie is a classic... no hate."

Stefan added items to the bag with apparent amusement at the pair, "She's just angry about Matt and Bonnie leaving."

Aella smirked up at her friend, "Oh yeah." She giggled, "The amplification of your anger is turning you into Mrs. Lockwood." Aella held her fake pearls as she changed her voice to act like the now-acting Mayor. "Quoting Winnie the Pooh, Aella? How childish."

Before Caroline could hit her friend, not caring that she was still unsteady at holding back her strength, Aella jumped off the chair and ran behind Stefan. As she looked from behind her boyfriend's back, she playfully pulled out her tongue at Caroline. The blonde growled at her as she fell into the chair Aella had just vacated dramatically, "Now I'm suddenly Carol Lockwood, I hate my life."

Stefan ignored the blonde's moans and looked to Aella, "Speaking of Lockwoods, how was Mason?"

Aella nosily looked into the bag, brows rising at the chains, rope, vervain, and blood in the bag, "He was surprised to see me, not so much with Tyler. I told Tyler I'd join them at noon, once Mason had washed up and they both had some sleep. Mason wasn't so talkative except to ask Tyler for some clothes."

Stefan looked over to her at that statement, "Clothes? Where were his clothes?"

"Uh, hello, Stefan," Aella's eyes widened. "He's a werewolf, his clothes ripped as he transformed. He's not like the Hulk, and his clothes magically reappear. Dude was naked, but..." Aella raised her finger to poke Stefan's nose when he opened his mouth to speak. "I did not look; I am a lady, you see." Caroline's snort had Aella holding up her middle finger at her best friend without looking away from Stefan. "I turned before I saw anything."

Stefan looked at her wearily for a moment before he let it go and zipped his bag and picked it up. He looked back to Aella, who so very innocently smiled at him, "I better get down to Katherine-" he glanced at his watch "-you should be heading over to Lockwoods now anyway."

Aella gently kissed his lips, Stefan's eyes closing at the familiar texture, soft but a little dry from the constant biting of her lower lip. He would know those lips anywhere. He began leaving the room but turned to look back at Caroline as she lay very unlady-like on the chair, still lamenting on her life. "You with Aella or me?"

Caroline's eyes did not open as she weighed up her options with her hands, "With Aella, who is visiting the thing that could horrendously kill me? Or, with Stefan, torturing the cold-stone bitch who already killed me and could maybe still kill me in not such a horrendous way. I choose Stefan."

Aella and Stefan rolled their eyes at her dramatic thought process, "I see you down there then." Glancing over at Aella, he pointed at her, "Please be safe."

Aella looked over at Stefan crazily, "I'm not the one about to play, 'Torture your ex for Information,' with his insane vampire ex-girlfriend and my severely unbalanced best friend."

Stefan thought about her words for a moment before he nodded in agreement and returned to the cellar. When they both heard the cellar door shut, Caroline looked at Aella, "You so looked, didn't you."

Aella grinned widely at her as she nodded proudly. Aella held her hands out and mouthed to Caroline, 'He was this big.'

The two girls' laughter echoed around the house, reaching Katherine's ears. The vampire smirked, the ropes around her arms doing nothing to keep her from escaping. Stefan may have been planning on 'torturing' her, but it was her plan to finally get her man back from that pesky witch. She couldn't wait to use the witch's intestines as a scarf.

LOCKWOOD CELLAR

Mason looked around the cold cellar with hate as his eyes darted over to his nephew, "Tyler, what are we doing here?"

Tyler shrugged, "You've been dodging me all morning. I need to know more; I'm freaking out over here!"

Mason shook his head, "Tyler, what do you want me to say, man? Yes, I turned into a wolf. No, it's not gonna happen to you."

"And you know that, how?"

Mason sighed heavily as the familiar voice echoed in the underground room. He turned and met Aella's bright green eyes as she leaned against one of the entrance walls. "I just know, Aella." He looked back at his nephew, "What is she doing here? This is Lockwood business."

Aella scoffed, pushing herself off the wall and moving to stand next to Tyler, "Tyler is my friend. Mystic Falls is my town, and my boyfriend can be killed with just a single bite when you're in your wolf form. I'm making it my business." Staring her former babysitter down, she crossed her arms, "So, let me repeat myself. How do you know Tyler won't become what you have?"

Mason met her even stare, "This is dangerous, Aella. You shouldn't be here."

Aella only smiled silently up at him, causing Tyler to let out a brief huff of laughter. "You're underestimating Aella, Mason. Because a silent, smiling Aella is the most dangerous thing in the world."

"He's right..." Aella admitted, and Mason thought she was talking about him. Until she unfolded her arms and pushed a hand towards him. Unexpectedly, a wind surged into the cave and shoved his whole body into the cage; with all his might, he tried to use all of his strength to fight it, but he couldn't. Meanwhile, Aella continued to stand there, holding her hand out as her usual captivating green eyes glowed slightly. Mason was awestruck, his mind not contemplating that the young girl he used to babysit, who had the biggest crush on him, was able to do this to him so easily. When she dropped her hand, the wind was gone, and he fell to the ground suddenly. As his head shot up to look at her again, Aella refolded her arms. "I am dangerous."

Mason wearily sat on the cold floor, "What are you?"

Walking towards him, Aella took a seat on the ground opposite. She smiled softly at him, "I'm a witch." She watched him process the news as she waved Tyler over. Once the teen had sat down next to her, Aella looked back to Mason, "And now I've shared my biggest secret with you. How about you do the same?"

Mason's eyes glanced at the open cage and the way out; Aella caught the actions and waved him to go, "You can leave anytime; we're not forcing you to stay. But..." She paused and sighed heavily, "I'm pretty sure it's been hard keeping this secret with no one to talk to." She gestured between herself and Tyler, "But, we've seen and done some pretty crazy shit, we can deal with it, and we can help you."

"Please, Mason," Tyler begged his uncle.

Mason still shook his head, "Believe me, Ty. Ignorance is bliss, trust me."

Tyler scowled at him, "You blow back into town with a supernatural family secret, which somehow killed my dad - your brother. How do I know what happened to him isn't going to happen to me?!"

"Because you're not gonna trigger the curse," Mason answered Tyler straight, and Aella raised a brow at his wording. "Your dad didn't know anything about any of this, neither did I until it happened to me."

Aella leaned forward, "And how does it get triggered?"

"If I tell you," Mason looked at him. "You won't be able to think about anything else. I don't want that for you."

"Well, we've passed that mark," Tyler scoffed at his uncle. "I can't not think about it. I can deal with it."

"No," Mason tearfully denied Tyler. "It'll change everything. It'll change you."

Tyler lunged to push his uncle, but Aella held him back as he growled at Mason, "It's already changing me!" He shouldered past Aella and pulled his uncle to his feet, pushing him against the stone wall. "Tell me!"

"Tyler!" Aella tried pulling the athlete away from Mason. She was just about to use her powers when Mason screamed out at Tyler, "You have to kill somebody! Human blood! You take another person's life away from them, and then the curse is yours forever! Can you handle that?"

Tyler stumbled back from Mason in disbelief as Aella looked to the ground, trying to process the information. It was quiet in the drafty cellar until a thought came to Aella, and she murmured to herself, "Jimmy?"

However, Mason's supernatural hearing picked up the whisper, and he looked at Aella in shock. "What did you say?"

Aella swallowed heavily, "We found your journal." Mason's eyes darted over to where he hid his most personal thoughts. "James Buchanan attacked you, and when you defended yourself, he fell and hit his head. When he died, the curse was triggered."

Tears fell down Mason's face, his voice caught as he said, "I don't know what happened." He slid down the wall until he sat on the ground again. "I had a beer after work, didn't even know he was there. He went for me when I got to my truck; I thought he's had too many and was itching for a fight with anyone... and then he said I'd been flirting with Marla, and I knew it was personal."

Tyler ran his hand over his face as he looked down at his uncle in confusion, "Marla?"

"His girlfriend," Mason answered numbly but didn't look up from the stone floor. "They'd been together for as long as I knew Jimmy, I would never. But he didn't care, he just attacked me, and at first, I just stopped him from hitting me, but then he got me to the ground and started kicking me." For the first time since he began talking, he glanced up at Tyler, "Then the rage came. Why was I getting the shit kicked out of me for doing absolutely nothing? All sense flew out my head, and I just scooped him up and threw him down. His head hit the concrete, and that was it. The curse was triggered."

Tyler narrowed his gaze on Mason, "But it was an accident. You were just defending yourself."

Mason laughed without humor, "That's why the cops didn't charge me, but a curse isn't so forgiving."

Aella moved to sit back down in front of Mason, "I've read up on curses; they can be a bitch if the right wording is used."

Mason's lips quirked as he repeated, "You take another person's life away from them, and then the curse is yours forever,"

Tyler looked down at Aella, "Is there nothing you can do?"

Aella cautiously looked to Mason, "Do you know anything about the curse? How it began? Who created it?"

Mason shook his head, but Aella didn't miss the dart of his eyes before he did so. He was lying. Looking up to Tyler, she could see he caught the same look as he raised a brow at her. Yet, Aella persisted, "So how did you find out about all of this? We had to go through a specialist's lifelong work notes."

Mason's eyes shifted again, and Aella believed he was going to lie again until Mason looked at her, "A journal." Aella's eyes widened as Mason revealed, "I found George Lockwood's journal from 1864. The journal of the last werewolf to live in Mystic Falls and our-" His eyes darted to Tyler. "-Ancestor."

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

Caroline stepped down into the cellar as Stefan circled a tied-up Katherine; anger, hate, and a little fear took hold of Caroline at the sight of the vampire who had essentially killed her. She had to take a moment to repeat to herself that this was not Elena, this was not one of her best friends, this was a psychopath.

As Caroline stepped towards the cell, Katherine looked from glaring up at Stefan to send that chilling stare towards Caroline, "Oh look, the wannabe barbie has arrived."

Caroline smirked at the vampire, "Oh, look," she mocked Katherine's tone. "It's the wannabe bitch that no one can stand."

Katherine chuckled darkly at Caroline's gall, "You just wait, Caroline. I can rip you to shreds and not break a nail."

"Enough!" Stefan nudged Katherine's chair, so the vervain ropes pushed against her skin a little bit rough. "Now, where were we?" Stefan crouched in front of his sire, "That's right; you were going to tell me why you came back to Mystic Falls, weren't you?"

Katherine smiled down at Stefan as she softly told him, "You don't have to do this."

"Answer the question."

"I came back for you," Katherine pouted, and Caroline had to scoff at the change in the vampire's attitude. Katherine's pout quickly switched to a scowl as she turned from Stefan to Caroline, "Don't you have a footballer to entice back?" As if she had an epiphany, she smiled up at the blonde, "Oh yeah, he ditched your dead ass!"

Stefan held back Caroline before she got any closer to Katherine, "I'll deal with her." He told her as he pulled on a pair of thick leather gloves before picking up some vervain and rubbing it all over the gloves. As he turned towards Katherine, he smiled for the first time, "We're gonna play by my rules now."

Caroline felt an overwhelming sense of revenge as Stefan placed the vervain-covered-gloves on Katherine's skin, and she screamed out in pain. Her cries echoing in the small room.