"I REMEMBER HER SAYING, 'ESTHER'," Caroline narrated with furrowed eyebrows and tired eyes, her voice slightly hoarse from the previous night. "Just before she hit the ground and passed out." A worried sigh left her as she closed her eyes and placed her head in her hands. "It all happened so quickly..."

Damon and Stefan exchanged glances, sharing the same expression of perplexation as they failed to figure out what exactly it was that caused a vampire to pass out like Aurelia had. "Well we know she's not dead." Damon summarized. "She's not dry and grey like we are once we die, so we can cross that off our list."

"List of what?" Stefan was exasperated. "We don't even have anything to start with, Damon. We don't know what made her black out like that, so we can't conclude anything or cross it off your apparent list until we're sure she's not going to die."

"I said she wasn't dead; I didn't guarantee that she won't later!" Damon hissed at his brother's irritated form.

"Stop talking like that!" Caroline exclaimed, shutting the brothers up entirely. "She's not gonna die, okay?! I just met her, and Damon, come on! You had that whole nostalgic, drunk moment about how fun it was with a friend in your life for once, one that didn't judge you or anything like you dad did! How are you talking about her death like that when she's seemingly so close to you?" Her face was contorted in rage. "And you!" She pointed at Stefan. "I get that we don't have the best luck, and that you had a whole phase, but wouldn't it be a little nice to have some amount of hope for her?"

As she kept silent, Stefan let out a soft breath and walked over to her, before kneeling down in front of the chair she was seated on. "Caroline, you're worried, I understand—"

"You don't!" Caroline cut him off. "She's our friend, and more or less my sister, Stefan! I haven't even gotten to know her properly, but what I know is that she can't die. She has so many people that care for her." Her lip began to quiver slightly, as she looked at from him. "And not to mention, Klaus and his tragic family are going to unleash hell here if she dies. They've been with her since she was a child, don't you think they'd be a bit more upset?"

"She-She's not going to die." A timid voice spoke up from behind Damon, making him turn around to face a shorter brunette. "Her ring, Damon; she told you how she survived then, didn't she?" Damon blinked several times at Elena's words and looked back at Caroline with a lit up expression.

"What ring?" Caroline had to ask.

"I'm sure you two newbies know of how Aurelia was killed in a riot that hunted for vampires back in 1864, don't you?" Damon rhetorically asked, glancing between the two girls in the room. "She came back with her ring, Caroline. The one that looks like a rose, I think; she wears too many and I don't care enough to remember which one is which."

"It's supposed to protect her from any sort of death." Elena added from behind Damon, and Stefan hummed; an idea hitting him.

"I did die, I just came back with the help of a little trinket that I keep close at all time, even in the modern day."

"So she's not going to die." Caroline concluded. "Are we sure?" She then asked, causing Damon press his lips together and sneak a glance at Elena from the corner of his eye. "Well, then tell me how she even blacked out last night, and still hasn't woken up."

Elena sucked in a breath, trying to hide her knowledge of the previous night's events. However, she only found three of three vampires in the room turning around to stare at her and it was then when she realized that her sudden intake of air was audible to vampire ears. "You know something." Damon said. "Spit it out."

"I...uh," Elena bit her lip and looked at her feet, causing Damon to roll his eyes. "Last night, I gave Esther my blood..." Stefan nodded slowly, having heard that part from her. "But after I gave it to her she revealed that getting rid of Aurelia was a part of the plan..." Caroline's eyes bulged out of her skull as Stefan suddenly sped to Elena at that unnatural speed, glaring down at her. "I-I had no choice."

"No choice?" He repeated to confirm her words. When he received a nod from her, his visible anger only grew. "And you decided to leave this out from your narration last night, too. You had a choice Elena, you always do. And for the decision you made, being a do-gooder isn't always required; why would you let this happen?!"

"I'm s-sorry—" The apology sent him over the edge, causing Damon to recognize his expression and lung forward to hold him from doing anything he would later regret. Elena jumped backwards as a reflex, breaking eye contact with Stefan.

"You are going to find out a way to fix this, or so help me—" He was jerked further back by his brother, who had a firm grip on the black jacket covering him. Damon then patted him on the back as an effort to calm his nerves; hurting Elena was a mistake that he knew the younger would make purely out of anger. "Let me go, Damon."

"Okay bro, that's enough." Stefan didn't listen to his weak verbal attempt at preventing oncoming havoc and only burned holes into Elena's fear-filled and vulnerable state. A look at the human made the older brother purse his lips- just until a small idea hit him. "You do realize that Aurelia would definitely not be a fan of this." It was a half-lie; Damon knew that Aurelia would rage on Elena once she woke up and found out what had happened, but it was like the vampire's Latin name was enough to make Stefan drop his movements. "That a boy."

Stefan forced his way out of Damon's grip and only glanced at him, before his gaze focused on a closed door behind him. "Do what you want, I'm waiting for her to wake up." He then shoved his brother out of the way to make his way towards the bedroom.

"MHM..." A LOUD WHIMPER PASSED through Stefan's ears in the dead silence of the room that he was perambulating across repeatedly. His head turned towards the bed that was at his side the entire time, green orbs focused on the blonde under the blankets.

He frowned.

The last time he had looked at her- just about five seconds ago, she could effortlessly pass as a sleeping individual with her arm folded upwards to let her wrist rest next to her locks on the soft pillow. This time, a look of discomfort was cast over her features: a small frown line between her eye brows, and her lips crooked from the muffled sound of uneasiness.

"Aurelia?" He only let her name fall away from him in an attempt to see if she was awake yet. When he received no response, a sigh left his state as he slowly walked to her side and took a seat on the edge of her bed. "Hey," He began to say, but stopped as soon as he heard another whimper from her. "...Aurelia?"

The hand that wasn't on the pillow was lifted into Stefan's grip to be held gently and caressed to ease her tense form.

What he didn't expect was for her fingers to curl around his larger hand with an almost non-existent pressure. He most likely would've missed the slight movement had he not been looking at it. "Aurel—" He cut himself off yet again when he felt his mind spin like he had been on a rollercoaster ride for the longest time. He had to take a second and close his eyes to stop the sudden airy feeling.

When he opened them, however, the warm and homey comfort of the room had faded away. The bed and Aurelia's sleeping figure were gone, and his hand became cold and empty when her own evaporated into nothing.

He took his time to absorb his surroundings; it was a ways away from the modern surrounding that he had grown into from the past century. In fact, it seemed so different- even when compared to the 1800's. The people that were carelessly passing by him caused his head to fall into more tangles of confusion.

Where was he?

"JO!" The loud, authoritative tone contrasted the cheery and peaceful backdrop that he had seen so far. "JO!" When Stefan finally turned around, a tall man stood in front of him, less than three feet away. His face was contorted in pure anger, blood rushing and coloring his skin a deep red.

"Here..." A timid voice was audible from behind him, causing him to spin around to face a shorter woman in a period dress, her head bowed as a gesture of submission to the figure that was now behind Stefan. "Did you want something?" To look at the conversation better, he moved to the side; he had figured by now that he was in a flash or a memory of some sort, where he couldn't be seen and could only watch what spiraled before him.

"Where is Aurelia?!" The name caused Stefan to jump to curiosity and anticipation as he looked at the man that had asked for her. "AURELIA GRIFFITH! COME HERE NOW, OR I WILL MAKE USE OF FORCE!" A small group of people has stopped to look at the commotion that the man had made so easily, but Stefan had focused on one thing that he had caught.

Griffith? When was your name Aurelia Griffith?

"P-Papa..." The softest voice appeared like it had faded into place. Stefan's attention shifted to the girl who had come into view next to 'Jo'. Once he had a good look at who it was, he blinked several times in surprise. "D-Did you need me?"

Her blonde hair was curled and ran past her shoulders, stopping in delicate twirls at her mid-back. Her cheekbones were prominent, and only accentuated her gray-blue eyes. Her lips were pressed together as she suddenly looked downward at the bottom of her small gown.

He was looking at a ten-year-old Aurelia.

"Did you take Margaret's magic...again?!" The authoritative man marched over to her, his face red with anger. A vein was visible on his neck, just like Aurelia's would if she were angry. The man was definitely her biological father. "ANSWER ME!"

"It w-was an unintended accident, father..." Aurelia's voice was soft and submissive as her head still hung. "Maggie let me off—" Stefan's eyebrows shot up when he heard a harsh and quick sound that slightly resonated.. Aurelia had hit the ground within no time, covering her right cheek as she continued to look away from her father.

Her mother, Jo, was still and only looked at her daughter in horror as her husband walked away from the weeping child next to her. "Sweetheart?" She finally let out, kneeling down to help her daughter once her husband was out of sight. "Does it hurt now?" Aurelia was gently pulled to sit up so her mother could examine her cheek. "Oh sweet—" She had cut herself off when Aurelia's cheek showed a shade of red from the impact.

"Mama... I want it to stop..." Aurelia bit her lip and let a few tears spill over her cheeks as she leaned into her mother's grip. "When will father stop?"

Stefan had to look away from the broken-hearted child that was in Jo's arms for minutes on end in order to stop himself from reacting in any way.

Consequently, his turn caused his surroundings to fade away from the natural scene. He found himself standing within a room with pearl white walls and large furniture that was clearly a sign of luxury. The bed at a corner of the room caught his attention, and he raised an eyebrow. He could recognize the girl sitting on it better. Aurelia looked a bit older; this 'memory' was around five or six years after the one he was in.

"Ah." A hiss left the blonde's lips, and Stefan took to notice another woman in a period gown. She was tending to Aurelia's arm; he then saw the countless bruises all over her lips and face.

"How far did that bastard go?" The woman's back had been turned to him, but with her strong British accent and moderately high voice, he was able to see who it was- much to his surprise.

"R-Rebekah..." Aurelia began, her voice shaking in fatigue. "H-He's my father—" She was cut off by Rebekah's frustrated tone.

"He's an arse." She chipped. "Who would ever hit their own child for no fault of their own?" Her question, however, came out as a small mumble as she began to empathize with Aurelia. "I can't believe this. With the number of wounds and bruises you've sustained; you have to had at least three or four sessions with him each day."

"Two." Rebekah scoffed at Aurelia's answer- half out of rage, and half out of pity. It was clear that two sessions with her father meant a horrifying beating.

"Aurelia," Stefan then turned around to spot a man in regal clothing. He was dressed lavishly, his hair styled backwards as most men were meant to in the 17th century. "We've met before, I'm Klaus Mikaelson, Rebekah's brother." He walked straight past Stefan with a small smile at the young woman. "How are you feeling? Has the pain gone down?" Aurelia nodded a few times, before sucking in a small breath as Rebekah worked on a cut on her cheek. "A clear bluff."

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a burden to your family." Aurelia quietly spoke, diverting her gaze to the floor. Klaus simply chuckled, before walking closer to her and kneeling down to her level.

"You aren't a burden on us." He assured with a sweet and fond voice. "Elijah's quite surprised at the manner and maturity a fifteen-year-old like you can hold. Kol's enlightened by your presence, and Rebekah has more than longed to speak to a girl she can be friends with." Aurelia quirked up an eyebrow in surprise, making Rebekah laugh. "And that's from a week of knowing you. After we noticed what was going on, it was our choice to take you in to help you out and keep you from that abusive man."

"I-I don't understand why he hates me so much..." Aurelia finally looked up at Klaus with dim eyes and pursed lips. "I mean no harm to them, and I don't know how to stop this absorbing ordeal. I'm just different, and I want to know what about it is so wrong..."

"Aurelia, no, your difference isn't wrong in any way." Rebekah said softly, moving away from the cut for a moment. "We're happy to take care of you here."

"Absorbing ordeal..." Klaus repeated Aurelia's words. "This is one of the reasons I'm here. What exactly would you mean by absorbing?" Aurelia hummed, thinking about a way to put it in words. "Take your time."

"...they said I wasn't a witch. I don't have my own though; I absorb magic from anything that contains it. Once I do, I can cast spells. It's like I'm a witch without magic of my own." She explained finally. "I don't understand how it is what it is." Klaus stayed still for a few moments, before raising his arm up in front of her.

"Can you try this on me?" Aurelia blinked a few times as she tried to take in the words he just said. "Just try, I shall answer any questions you have later." Aurelia then took a deep breath and slowly placed her hand on Klaus' forearm. Almost immediately, the area around her hand began to glow a bright orange-red shade, making her retract it back and look at Klaus with wide eyes.

"­Y-You're a witch?"

"Not exactly."

Stefan's eyes shot open out of nowhere, and he found himself back in Aurelia's room. What had changed, however, was that the once sleeping blonde was sitting up, her hand firmly gripping his. "Stefan...?" Her voice came out hoarse and soft, like a small croak. "W-What did you see?" Stefan let out a loud exhale and pulled her into his chest without hesitation, resting his chin on her head as she felt her breath shake slightly. "Stefan?"

"You never told me." Were the only words he told her. As expected, she understood what he meant immediately and shook her head gently. "You never opened up." Those mumbled words came out with a damp tone as Aurelia pushed herself away from him and stood up.

"I think your knowledge of my immortality was enough." She replied quietly, putting Stefan off due to the sudden change in tone as she cleared her throat. "My origin wasn't and isn't your business."

"Of course it was!" He let out, getting up on his feet to stay at her eye level. "I told you everything! I was honest; the least I needed was some honesty in return!" Aurelia laughed coldly and took a step towards him. "I deserved to know."

"And then?" She asked, causing a perplexed expression to appear on his face. "What would you have done with that knowledge? Whether you knew or not wouldn't make any difference, because you were human. You weren't supposed to know of my immortality for that matter."

"What do you mean? I'd eventually have found out about you had I been human for longer. Your lack of aging would've given it away once we spent years with each other—"

"You're acting as if I would've stayed with you." She cut him off with a harsh snap into reality.

"We were in love with each other." He spoke, lowering his voice. "Of course we would've stayed together. I would've happily spent my life with you, Aurelia—"

"But you didn't, because you and I died!" She shouted, silencing him. "We didn't get that so-called happily ever after you dreamt of! Because it wasn't supposed to happen! So just stop, okay? Stop living in the past, stop hanging over what we had, and get over it." She paused, inhaling sharply. "And going back to the actual topic: I'm not obligated to tell you anything. You know what you know because I allow it. That's how it was, and that's how it'll always be."

"I got over you a long time ago." He snapped, making her smile. It turned into a snarl just seconds later as she rolled her eyes and took a step forward.

"Then act like it, lover-boy." She mumbled, walking past him. She made sure to bump his shoulder harshly on the way out of her room, but he caught her upper arm harshly, making her groan out loud as she stopped and turned slightly to look at him with irritation. "What?"

"You're going to have to explain what I saw sooner or later, Aurelia." She hissed aggressively at his statement, wondering what percentage of her words actually went through his thick skull. "I understand you don't want to tell me anything, but I already know something about this. What harm will telling me something more do?" She ripped her arm out of his grip and adjusted her clothes. "I know you didn't have your magic once. You could take it from magical people and objects."

"Lower your damn voice." She warned.

"What happened to that power?" He asked, ignoring her threat. "You're like any other vampire right now. I know that you can't be a witch or a vampire, but you weren't a witch; not like the witches I see today."

"I don't know what happened." She answered briefly. "When I turned, it was gone. I'm no special thing right now from what I know." She sighed softly after that, before making passive eye-contact with him. "I don't know any more about myself than you do right now."

She left the room after that.

"ANOTHER." AURELIA'S VOICE was slightly slurred as she ordered another drink. She ran her hand through her long hair and tilted her head so it could rest in her palm. "Did I ask you to take your time?" She glared at the bartender, who had jumped and increased his speed. "Obedient." She chuckled, playing with her glass.

"Clearly," She felt some shifting towards her left. "Because you've compelled the poor lad." As she opened her half-closed eyes, she spotted a head of curly blonde hair and piercing baby blue eyes that she made out instantly. "Leave him