Chapter 4: Sensations of past and present

I tried to wash the scars and marks from under my skin

But you're etched in me like stone.

The strong and soothing tones of JoJo's new single Save My Soul, was ringing through the entire household. Resonating strongest in my room, as I was getting ready in there. The dress I'd bought was sprawled out on the bed, next to an old family heirloom; an upper-arm bracelet, bathed in gold. I imagined it would look pretty, right underneath my Marquesan cross. The Marquesan cross was the first tattoo I'd ever gotten. It was placed on the outer part of my left shoulder, and looking at it now brought back a bunch of memories. I smiled, trailing my finger across the many lines and detailed features.

The tattoo artist I got the piece from, was a childhood friend called Siva. Which was ironic, since Siva meant dance in Samoan; and this guy, didn't have a shred of rhythm in him. I laughed reminiscing about my senior year in high school, and prom. We had been inseparable, pretty much attached by the hip, ever since I could remember. He even asked me to prom, when neither of us had dates. It had been a blast, mostly because he kept trying to dance. All in the name of making me crack up and forget about a bad breakup. And it had worked.

A moth to a candle

That's me to you

I was never this fragile

Or consumed

I'm covered in shrapnel

Through and through

And I wish I knew how to

Hate you

The chorus picked up and my mind came back to the present. I shook my head, trying to shake the nostalgia off. All I could do was hope, he was well, I guessed.

A couple of seconds into moisturizing my face and prepping it for the minor make-up tutorial I was about to do; I exhaled and decided to focus on the upcoming events. Tonight was the night. My introduction into the town and its many personalities. Hopefully I'd get along with most of them. I started humming and singing along to the ending part of the song.

"You're the pain and the medicine

One taste and I'm numb again!"

I walked around the room, in a towel, finding the black lace pumps I was going to wear, and a simple pair of nude bra and undies. I wouldn't call myself a phenomenal singer, but I had somewhat of a voice. I'd always loved singing, and writing poetry which often turned into lyrics. But I wasn't much for the idea of showcasing it to others. I guess, I was an introvert. At least when it came to my passion for music.

I got out of the towel and into the underwear I had picked. My hands quickly slithered around the dress, before I put it on, and zipped up the back. Yeah, I was flexible like that.

I took a look in the mirror and was pleased. The dress was gorgeous, simple and lacey, and gorgeous. And I couldn't get started on my hair fast enough. I had decided on doing an upside down braided bun up-do. It sounded a whole lot more complicated than it actually was, but thankfully it looked complicated; thus people would believe I had put time and effort into it. After a good 10 minutes, I was done with the hairdo, and decided to finish off my make-up.

I would be going for a natural look, doing a bit of strobing to my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose and my chin. It would give it a slight but naturally looking glow. I tinted my lips with a bit of lip balm, a warm light brown shade; some mascara to extend my lashes and eyeliner to outline. To finish it all off, I put on my upper arm bracelet, placing it underneath my shoulder, below my tattoo. I slide my feet into the pumps and took a final look into the mirror. I exhaled, shaking my hands frantically.

"Shaking out the nerves, c'mon Ariah. You can do this, be polite, be you. You can do this!"

I did a few small jumps, and laughed at my appearance. It looked like I was getting ready to get into a fight, jumping around and all. I let out a huge sigh of relief and walked down to get my jacket and my purse. I went around the rooms and got all the lights, I wasn't about to get an electricity bill the size of a country. Not tonight at least. I hurriedly lock the door behind me, and checked to see if I had my car-keys and phone. And indeed I did.

The drive to the Salvatore Mansion wasn't too fare, they lived surprisingly close by. For some random reason, I decided to drive by Dunkin' Donuts, just in case the party didn't have actual food. I'd leave it in the car, and sneak out to eat; if it got unbearable. When I got to the mansion, I noticed a bunch of cars already parked, and guessed the party had started.

The sun was setting, and I nervously eyed the package I was carrying. Being invited to a new home, meant offering a gift of gratitude and welcoming. In this case I'd decided to make something. Since I'd already blown my budget on the dress, I didn't mind spending a couple of hours on handcrafting a special little something.

It was a vividly detailed, black and white painting of two Tawney owls. Although adorable, they had a presence of wisdom and elegance surrounding them. Eyes darkened while resonating a depth unlike a common painting could. They almost looked alive, as if they would jump out of the frame and fly away. This specific owl reminded me of Lily, she carried a calm fierceness and so did this animal.

I managed to knock on the door, and hold onto the painting, without looking like a complete klutz. A few seconds went by, and I managed to over-think everything, while questioning why I even showed up? But my thoughts of fleeing were abruptly yanked away from me, as the door opened. I had to gather myself.

"My oh my, look who it is Mary Lou."

My blood froze.

"Well didn't you heal, just fine."

The blonde showed up behind her friend, and the menacing way she applied pressure on the last to words, made me grit my teeth. I should have probably made a mental note; reminding myself, they would be here. However, I made sure to keep a calm façade. The last thing I was about to do, was give them the pleasure of seeing me sweat. The brunette was the intense looking one, the blonde seemed more. Normal? I wasn't sure if it was the right word to use, but it was the closest that came to mind. I took out my invitation, with smirk and walked up a few inches from the brunettes face.

"Do us both a favor, and move."

I spoke under my breath, faintly smiling. She seemed to be taken aback by my sudden move. Clearly, she'd thought she could bully me into rolling over. But I wasn't any ones' pushover, especially not this chicks!

"Ariah?"

"Lily!"

I saw her appear behind the two women, and she seemed surprised. I wasn't sure if she'd heard my not so courteous request, although I hoped she hadn't. Her fixation seemed much more apparent, and the girls seemed to catch on. Was my dress stained? Why the hell were they staring at me like.. Like diner! Holy shit! They're going to drain me, aren't they!? I gulped, eyes widening from the mere thought.

"You look stunning."

I exhaled, and started laughing. Lily's voice had been thoughtful, revealing why she'd eyed me so much. The two others exchanged glances of dislike. Guess, they weren't too happy about Lily complementing others. I wondered if they were her children, but as far as Enzo had explained; Lily only had two sons. The possibility of her siring them, was still a pretty solid assumption. Lily's smile widened, as she signaled me to enter their home.

"I see you've met Nora and Mary Louise."

She gestured firstly to the brunette, Nora and then the blonde, Mary Louise. I nodded with a small smile, rubbing my neck out of remembrance. Lily turned towards the two heretics, and now gestured to myself.

"Ladies, this is Ariah, she is a friend of Lorenzo."

Lily smiled back at me, and I nodded, not wanting to give off the 'actually we'd just met when you suddenly showed up Lilly, sorry to disappoint you' vibe. They seemed to nod nervously, probably wondering why she cared enough to be so nice to me. Something I too, was curious about. But I kept my mouth shut, when suddenly a thought occurred to me. I looked down at the large covered frame I had been carrying, and cleared my throat to speak. Lily and the two other heretics let their gazes vex on me.

"I thought it would be rude to show up empty handed."

My voice seemed to tremble. I guess the thought of sharing my work, slightly freaked me out. The idea of her disliking it, finding it odd or just plain out of place, weren't really helping my nerves. Quit surprisingly. Lily seemed intrigued, and looked over at Mary Louise and Nora.

She carefully took the painting, and when she decided to unravel it then and there, I wished for nothing more than to be completely invisible. It was excruciating! And it all happened to go so slowly, making it even more unpleasant. It didn't really help that Lily's facial expression was hard to read. Other than surprise, I had no idea if she liked it or not.

"You made this?"

Now, I really wanted to hide. Why hadn't I just bought a bouquet and some chocolate? Hell, I'm pretty sure my budget could have survived it. I nodded slowly, focusing my eyes on everything else than her. I thought about explaining it, and decided to keep it short and snappy.

"I decided on an owl, because they naturally exude wisdom and calmness yet fiercely defend their family with their own lives, if need be. The reason I centered the piece on two owls, well."

I smiled, giving a gentle laugh. Why did I have to be such a hopeless romantic? Lord help me.

"You told me this event was for someone you held dear, so I thought, I'd let them emerge as your fellow owl."

Her eyes hadn't left the painting once, until I spoke my last words. she looked at me, with glossy eyes, and a half open mouth. I was silently praying this was her happy face, and not her insulted one.

Lily quickly passed the painting to Mary Louise, before whispering something to Nora. Both seemed to disappear immensely fast, and my heart sank. She probably didn't like it, maybe I should have used another animal? But Lily, just struck me as an owl, I couldn't change that! I felt a hand on my shoulder, and my mind once again reappeared in the present.

"I've never received such a thoughtful gift, from someone I barely know. Although it seems you know me awfully well."

I smiled grateful she liked it. Hopefully, this meant I didn't have to fear for my life. But in all truth, I was happy to paint it.

Her hand was still placed on my shoulder, so I decided to give it a small pat, followed by a reassuring smile. She seemed like someone who had endured a millenniums worth of disappointment. I could read her pain, her perseverance and ability to shut out whatever blocked her from doing what she had to do for her family. I sensed confusion, confliction and desperation. I gently let go of her hand, not being able to bare all of the raw emotion, Lily was emitting. Years of bottled up trauma, wasn't exactly what I had prepared myself for. I did my best at keeping a straight face, whilst she softened up in a smile. Thankfully, she hadn't noticed anything.

"I really don't know how to thank you, Ariah."

I noticed her frown, as she recalled, not knowing my last name.

"Bennett."

"Excuse me."

"My last name is Bennett."

She seemed genuinely surprised, nodding with a blank expression in her eyes.

"I see."

"You don't mind if I look around, do you? Your home is beautiful."

I took in the scenery, and thought to myself, this is the epitome of a graceful house. Yet it carried an element of warmth and coziness, without losing its refined elegance. I saw Lily nod, still being at a loss for words. I didn't mind. I decided to let myself wander a bit, and in less than 15 minutes, I had seen the entire home. I was kind of proud of how quick I'd been, and decided to reward myself with a drink. It was Crystal; and I fully let myself indulge in two glasses. I walked around a bit, small-talked with a bunch of townies and actually felt good. It wasn't awkward nor was it forced. Everything seemed to be going smooth, until:

"What in the world are you doing here?"

I heard a hushed voice whisper, with a confused yet warning tone.

I felt the warm air on my neck, and quickly turned around, only to be stunned. In front of me was standing, none other than; Deputy Donavan. And in all honesty, he looked quit dapper.

A black fitted suit, greyish blue tie and ivory white shirt. The tie was a smart move, complementing the icy element in his eyes, without completely overpowering it; hence the grey. I stood there for a couple of seconds, with my half empty glass, just observing him. I didn't mean to stare, I just had troubles picturing him in anything else than the Deputy's uniform.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

I scanned the room for another waiter, before waving one over. Matt didn't seem to follow.

At this point, I felt Matt was the more appropriate thing to call him, as he wasn't wearing his uniform. At least in my head. It just didn't feel right calling him Deputy Donovan, when he wasn't wearing the damn uniform. I gently replaced my empty glass with a shiny full one. It was obvious he was about to say something, but I beat him to it.

"Don't even answer that, what are YOU doing here?"

I smiled curiously eyeing him, walking small circles around him, in an almost interrogative manner. We stood near the fireplace and I liked the light and heat the flames vibrantly emitted. It was energizing and slightly hypnotizing. Out of all the elements fire had to be my favorite. And right now, the flames were reigniting my curious nature. Matt looked at me, not sure how to answer. The question clearly caught him off-guard, as he was getting ready to ask me something else.

"I'm making sure nothing bad goes down."

I stopped in my tracks.

"Specification, please?"

My eyebrows got raised, I was not about to be in another crossfire. He seemed to understand my urge for details, whilst eyeing some of the other guests. He calmly walked over, placing a hand on my waist, leading me towards the balcony. I understood his action, as it was obvious he didn't trust his surroundings. Smart move. As a gesture of good faith, I grabbed him a drink from a nearby tray, he probably had no idea of how suspicious he, himself looked. Not having a drink in hand, at this party, was like wearing black to a white party. People noticed.

When we arrived out in the balcony, Matt closed the door behind himself.

"Do you know who's throwing the party, you're so casually attending?"

He crossed his arms, awaiting my answer. I handed him the drink, and rolled my eyes. He really needed to lighten up. To my surprise, he actually reached out and took the drink. Maybe, he wasn't completely without sense?

"Lily Salvatore, head of the heretics."

"And you still came?"

I smiled, knowing my assumption all along, had been true. I took a sip of my drink, gently swooshing the content. He seemed in complete shock.

"Calm down! I ran into her, and she invited me."

"Just like that?"

Unlike myself, Matt seemed to have downed his whole glass in one go. This was apparently heavy news. I leaned against the wall, staring at the sky.

"How many are there?"

"Heretics?"

"Yeah, other than Mary Louise, Nora and Lily?"

"Valerie, Bou and Julian."

He spat the last one out like venom, and I automatically knew, he meant more than the two prior names. My guess was, if Matt hated the guy, he had to be bad.

"Is Julian, Lily's significant other?"

I sarcastically laughed, what would be the odds.

"Yeah."

"Wait, what?!"

I held my hand covering my mouth, with wide eyes. I was getting good at these guessing games. A bit too good for my own taste. This seemed to make Matt laugh, which was a first. I hadn't seen him crack a smile like this, not once before and it was infectious seeing it now. He seemed a lot more personable when he smiled; more human than horrified.

"Poor Enzo."

I whispered, feeling slightly sad for my only friend in town. It had been evident that he'd been harboring feelings for Lily.

"How the hell do you know him? How are you so familiar with the most random people in this town?"

He shook his head, not being able to follow.

"Okay, okay, I didn't tell you the whole story!"

I said in a confessional tone, he seemed to be intrigued, and listened closely to my forthcoming words.

"I ran into Enzo a couple of minutes before I ran into Lily."

"You're unbelievable."

He whispered, and I couldn't contain my laughter. It was obvious he had taken my dramatic pause, as initiation to a more shocking truth.

"I do agree though, the world is a small place."

I eyed the living room from outside the balcony, searching for a particular person.

"I saw her walk in, a few minutes before I spotted you."

"I don't know who you're talking about."

My defenses were up again, and adamant on not being revealed. Even though I was fully aware, Matt knew. Saying it out loud, meant speaking it into existence, and I wasn't ready for that yet.

"She knows."

My heart sank. His words were factual and frank. I looked up at him, denying myself the urge to bit into my lower lip. A bad habit of mine. Instead I just sighed, feeling a small prick of relief. It took some of the weight away from my shoulders.

"You told her?"

"I did."

Silence slithered its way in between us, and a realization hit me.

My eyes fell on Matt, narrow and almost feline like. Something was up, he'd gotten me to the balcony to talk, but seamlessly averted my attention from the awaited topic. I walked a couple of steps closer to him, crossing my arms, not letting my eyes leave him.

"You never got around to telling me about the specification of what exactly you were trying to prevent, Matt."

He seemed to gather were my thoughts were at.

"Look, you've showed up at a highly complicated time, Ariah and-"

"I can't believe you're staling me!?"

I felt a rush of anger and frustration bolt through my joints; almost ripping through my skin and rushing like a riptide towards Matt. An invisible force pushed him against the balcony wall, and I knew I had to calm myself. All I could think of was pushing him, sideways over the edge. But I summoned every ounce of self-control within me, to prevent it.

"Ariah, what the hell?"

Fear was emitting from his voice in frantic waves, and that's when I snapped out of it. This was the downside of my magic being directly linked to my emotions; it could overpower me, the same way emotions overpowered people. He fell to the floor, gasping for air. None of which, meant I still wouldn't try and get my questions answered.

"Why have you been staling me, Matt. And do yourself a favor, don't lie!"

I held my hand around his wrist, this way I would be able to detect his emotions right away. I think it really dawned on him, I wasn't playing around. Because after a couple of ragged breaths, he fessed up.

"Someone's going to try and kill Julian tonight. I didn't want you to become collateral damage, so I stalled you, while a friend of mine compelled other party-goers to leave at the first sign of a struggle."

His words sunk in, and I retracted my hand. He was telling the truth. And I felt like the suckiest person alive, period.

The look in Matt's eyes made me feel even worse, a fragment of fear still lingered in them, and it struck me. I was the reason for that emotion. So I stepped back, feeling unworthy of his constant compassion. My skeptic and interrogative past kept resurfacing, every time I thought I was getting better.

"I'm.. I'm sorry."

I backed away from him, before turning to leave.

"I'm not angry at you, Ariah. I probably should've just told you. I don't think you wanted to do, what you just did; so I'm not angry with you."

I hovered for a second, one leg inside the balcony, one leg outside. I turned to face him, with the most genuine and apologetic smile, I could offer.

"I really appreciate that."

I walked back inside, feeling a glimpse of hope. Maybe, I still had time to fix my flaws, before they turned lethal. Maybe.

I walked back towards the fireplace, and grabbed a bottle of bourbon standing on a shelf, pouring myself a decent amount.

"And what exactly do you think you're doing?"

The tone seemed oddly sarcastic yet honestly offended. I sighed, before looking over my shoulder. Nope, I didn't seem to know the guy, but he seemed to know the bottle of bourbon in my hand, pretty well. Because he practically yanked it away from me, in seconds. I raised an eyebrow, and took a sip of the content I had poured in my glass.

The guy had dark brown hair, and eyes that reminded me of someone. Someone close by, I searched the room, and found the person, he resembled. My eyes widened as they found their way back to the guy with the bourbon bottle. He had to be one of Lily's sons, the eyes were practically the same. A few changes occurring only in the shade and lighting. He kept staring at me, and that's when I remembered I hadn't really said anything.

"The hostess made mention of free drinks, I assumed the bourbon was a part of that arrangement."

I took another sip of my glass, just to taunt him. He gave off a dry laughter, and sneered in Lily's direction.

"I bet she did."

His voice was laced with anger, and I knew that wasn't a conversation I wanted to indulge in. so I did the only polite thing to do, silently nod, before turning and walking away. As far as I was concerned, the bourbon was ALL his. No amount of alcohol would ease me into talking about the various broken family dynamics I knew of.

Sadly, my action of politely trying to avoid sideways chitchat, had been frowned upon. And I was now standing, with a strong arm gripping my elbow. He did this, whilst smiling through his teeth, a sinister smirk, I had yet to encounter; aimed at the surrounding guests, so they wouldn't think anything of the given physicality's. No one had dared, to get this close to me, this quick and it was startling. Being this up close to someone so unfamiliar, and seamlessly drowning in their emotional turmoil.

"Who exactly are you, if you don't mind me asking."

I had no way of controlling it, my ability swept through him, dragging out every painfully detailed memory haunting him; as it now came to haunt me. All because he'd been quick handed. If I'd been able to foresee his action, I would have distanced myself quicker. But I had no idea he would be this impulsive, and so I was being baptized in a sea of raging demons and desperations. His pain was in many ways identical to Lily's but they had their differences.

Imagine how hard it could be to take on a single person's pain, now multiple that with how many undead years, this idiot is! The sensation was blinding, causing me to get an immediate migraine.

The pain lessened when he finally let go. My hands were leaning against the sofas armchair. The room was spinning, if I was to believe my deceiving senses. Never had a reading, gone so horribly wrong. I felt sick. Physically and mentally. After a couple of heavy breaths, I looked up at the guy, Damon. Damon Salvatore. I'd never been given so much information on a single individual. I had seen his past, his present and fragmented pieces of his future. He seemed to be just as bothered as I was. And for some reason I found comfort in that. At least I wasn't suffering alone. The look in his eyes was completely blank, like he'd seen a ghost. He tried to regain his composure and reached out to grab my arm in anger. I quickly removed myself, so I wasn't in arms reach. My eyes vivid with nerves, I didn't need to see anymore. I didn't want to.

"Don't touch me!"

"What the hell did you just do!?"

I walked backwards, signaling him to stay where he was. He retracted his hand, understanding that whatever had just occurred, had occurred because we'd touched. I quickly turned around and got enveloped in the sea of people. Something I was thankful for. I just needed a moment of quiet, a moment of peace and silence. A moment to myself.

I walked outside to catch some fresh air, and I noticed how truly drained I was. After a couple of minutes, I forced myself to go back inside. I walked up to the bar, not to drink. But just to have a more permanent place to sit. I exhaled, as I noticed Enzo talking to a girl. Her back was facing me, and she seemed to be helping him fix his tie. Although a small gesture, it sure looked intense. I smiled vaguely, and fixed my gaze on the counter; before Enzo noticed my curiously wandering eyes. I felt someone take the seat next to mine, which automatically made me sit a bit straighter. No one liked a slouch.

"I get the feeling, you aren't entirely enjoying yourself."

I sighed and shook my head with a minor smile. I didn't know the voice personally, but I'd come across it in one of Damon's memories. I kept my gaze ahead, staring at the many bottles. The tone of his voice was soothing, almost inviting. It carried an essence of comfort, and reliability. When I finally tilted my head in his direction, I was hit with familiarity. Everything about him seemed like a second nature to me, and I blamed Damon. A guy I barely needed to know, and now knew more about than I needed to.

"You have no idea."

I forced myself to look at something else, the counter, my hands, the fabric of my dress. Anything and everything, to make me focus on something else. It was overwhelming meeting someone, I'd only met recently through a third person's eyes.

As I no longer was staring at him, I only barely noticed his tired smile, as he nodded to my few words. I usually liked the idea of striking a conversation, but to my own surprise I felt slightly tongue tied. Maybe, I still hadn't recovered from my impromptu reading session with Damon. I still hadn't figured out how it was possible for me to delve in to such a depth, when he hadn't declared himself open to my mind-invasion. But then again, I hadn't been in control.

I wondered if there was a section in one of my parent's grimoire, about these type of things? That way I could prevent it, before it occurred again.

"That's a pretty decent tattoo, on your shoulder, what type of cross is it?"

His voice had regained some spirit, disguised as curiosity. Which I didn't mind. To be honest, his question had broken my trance and silence. This was a topic I loved, and it seemed he was willing to indulge the stranger at the bar i.e. me.

"It's a Marquesan cross."

"You're Samoan?"

I laughed taken aback by his observation. His curious gaze had been replaced by a patiently playful expression. I gave a small but proud nod, before speaking.

"My father is"

I stopped and quickly rephrased.

"My father was."

He picked up on it, and for a split second, his eyes seemed to carry a solemn apology. I sighed trying to smile, although it was slightly pain stricken.

"The Marquesan cross, symbolizes the delicate balance between the different elements of nature."

I said matter-of-factly, pointing a finger to the air, like it was the most common thing on earth. He seemed to ease up again, and I nodded.

"In case you were wondering."

"Oh I was."

He laughed, and I was thankful the mood had lightened up again. I didn't want to be known, as the barer of sorrow and bad vibes.

I looked back up at the sea of people, and to my surprise my eyes found Enzo once again. Though this time, he was staring straight at me, and so was the girl. The same one that had fixed his tie. My throat dried and I automatically knew who the girl was. Beautiful bronze skin, and eyes which strongly resembled my aunts. Bonnie was ridiculously good looking. Strong facial features, a lean physic. I saw our similarities, around the nose and high cheekbones. Our eyes were similar in shape, but different in color. Same went for our skin, I was slightly paler in comparison to the warmth of her shade. But all in all, our blood relation was evident.

"You know, Bonnie and Enzo?"

The voice in the seat next to mine, curiously asked. I just nodded hesitantly.

"You can say that, yeah"

"They seem to be headed in our direction."

He was right. They were. Oddly my nerves weren't as bad as they had been throughout the whole day. I had seemed to calm down, which surprised the heck out of me. I suddenly glanced at him, when I noticed, I couldn't remember his name. Not that he had given it to me, I just had a vague memory of Damon yelling it in a separate memory. Confusing I know. But that's just what happens, when someone accesses your memories. They become intertwined with your own, making it hard to separate sometimes. He picked up on my thoughtful expression, and cleared his throat, Bonnie and Enzo being only a couple of steps away.

"I'm Stefan. In case you were wondering."

He smiled, a small but genuine smile.

"I'm-"

"There you are!"

Enzo's voice cut me off, as he made his way over to give me a quick hug and peck on the cheek. I raised my eyebrow and tilted my head in confusion. I knew these small gestures, were all part of the upper class mannerisms; but that didn't increase my fondness towards them. He noticed and laughed it off.

"Oh come on, love. It's a cultural thing."

"It's a I'll-burn-your-lips-off-if-you-do-it-again-thing."

I said and smiled sweetly, stopping Enzo's laughter abruptly, although he kept his smirk. Stefan clearly found the exchange of words funny, as he contained his own laughter. Only one person seemed to keep quit, real quit. Bonnie. She emerged behind Enzo, and for what seemed the longest time; we just stood there, staring at each other. I didn't know to explain it, but it was like a power-exchange was happening. As if our abilities, were getting re-acquainted with one another. When the surge of energies was over, I felt like a lightweight, and held onto the stool for balance. Bonnie grabbed Enzo's arm, to reassure herself from falling.

I was the first to act, I got of my stool, in a slightly wobbly fashion, but maintained balance. Bonnie's eyes met mine, and I hoped she had sensed the same as myself. I tried to pull off a calm smile, to hide how immensely happy I was to meet her. To meet someone, someone I was linked to; by blood.

"I'm Ariah Bennett, but given the fact that Matt already told you about me; you knew that."

She nodded giving a careful smile, as if still assessing whether or not I was the real deal.

"What's your mother's name?"

She was testing me, the same way our abilities had tested each other.

"Amelia Bennett."

She seemed surprised, surprised that her abilities had sensed how closely related we were. The minute the power-surge had passed, I knew exactly why Bonnie had reminded me so strongly of my aunt. She was Bonnie's mother. Both of Bonnie's hands were covering her mouth, this was probably the first time she'd been fully lead by the intuition of her abilities.

"My mother's sister."

She spoke softly, almost in denial. I nodded slowly, being just as surprised.

"Guess, we're first cousins, huh."

I sighed, giving a nervous laugh. This was all a lot. Bonnie looked over at Stefan and Enzo, they both took the hint, and left. I sensed the tension evaporate and we were left in silence. The rush of emotions, I felt were so strong. I wanted to hug her and just sit and talk for hours. But we weren't kids, and this wasn't just a casual meeting between two normal cousins. We were witches, living in a world filled with creatures only horror flicks accommodated; in a town constantly creating new guidelines for friends and foes. I wanted to trust her, badly, but something in me hesitated. A hesitation, Bonnie's eyes spoke of as well.

After a few more minutes of loud silence, she finally reached her hand out.

"You look a lot like, aunt Amelia."

A soft smile played on her lips, and for the first timer, ever; I took those words as a compliment. I gently took the hand she extended and shook it. Our hands met, and something strange happened. I didn't see anything, I didn't read her, but I felt something slip away. Something slipped from me, and over to her, and this had never happened before. I had never let anyone inside my mind, not a single soul. Although a small but fleeting memory, I no longer could remember what it was about. All I knew, was Bonnie now possessed a partial memory of mine.

"What did you see?"

I asked defeated. I imagined the moment my parents had been killed, the moment they had burnt their bodies, and forced me to watch. As a lesson. The horrific moment they'd gathered the rest and done the same. Their screams, pleas and banshee like shrieks. I held my hand close to my touch, almost feeling the flames of the events on my own skin. Bonnie, took notice of my sudden change and demeanor, and that's when I knew the memory which had passed, hadn't been a gruesome one. Because her eyes spoke of no pity, no sympathy and no sorrow.

"You came to visit every year, until you turned 9."

She tried to not laugh, I didn't follow as I had no recollection of that memory. She couldn't contain her laughter any longer and spoke.

"You used to wear these really ugly neon pink shoes."

I scoffed, trying not to laugh and pushed her gently.

"You're not allowed to mock fashion choices, I don't recall making!"

She shook her head furiously and kept laughing.

"That's not why I'm laughing."

"Then what is?"

"You had the biggest crush on Matt!"

"DONOVAN?!"

I yelled in shock, covering my mouth in disbelief.

I'd noticed something familiar about him, but I hadn't been reminded of the hidden memories I had of visiting my mothers' family; until now. Meeting Bonnie, must've unlocked something within me. But I still didn't remember meeting Matt or anyone else except for Bonnie. So I decided to do the only thing I possibly could do and was fully in my right to. Deny, deny and deny. I tried to keep a straight face and crossed my arms, to maximize my stern look.

"Since I remember absolutely ZERO, of what you've just mentioned; I'll give you the chance to never mention it again."

Bonnie kept laughing, clearly remembering a lot more than I did. And it was in that moment, all doubt left me. I could trust her, with my mind and with my loyalty. Images of two seven to eight year olds, running around in the snow, throwing circled balls of white at each other; giggling and carefree, in an eager game of hide and seek, snow edition; flashed before my inner eye. A partial part of the memory I had passed onto Bonnie, and now finally had unlocked myself. She forcefully stopped herself from laughing any longer, noticing my sudden silence. Our eyes once again locked, this time meeting with more familiarity than before. It was as if we'd finally catched up with what our abilities had been signaling to us from the beginning.

"We have a lot of catching up to do."

"I have an unopened box of donuts in the car"

I raised my hand with a hungry smile, and as if on cue my stomach made a growling sound. She chuckled and grabbed a bottle from the bar.

"Lead the way."

HELLO THERE~ this chapter became slightly longer than anticipated, but i'm actually glad! I had of lot of characters Ariah had to meet, and the party seemed like the most normal place to unravel all of that :) as usual; feel free to send me a review and give me any type of pointers, or ideas you might have. Stay tuned! I have some interesting things headed your way.