Chapter 2- An Old Acquaintance
A/N: So I'm glad to say that I've now got a storyline, but I've still got a few kinks to work out. Hopefully, we'll be finding out more about Bella soon! If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed!
Bella POV
I smiled as I stepped into the coffee shop… for vampires. Someone had the clever idea to use double paned windows, allowing vampires to enjoy the sun, as unlike me, many do not have nifty daylight rings. It was nice to see so many of my kind; I had barely told anyone who I was, let alone maintained contact with any of my kind for a long, long time. But seeing supernatural beings, showing who they really are, reminds me painfully of when I was a human. I'm starting to wonder if going home is really a good idea. I pondered over this as I ordered a coffee and listened in on the conversations around me. I figured, if I'm on my way back to Mystic Falls, then I might as well try and pick up as much background information as I can.
I overheard someone telling a friend not to visit Mystic Falls anytime soon; apparently they're aware of vampires and have a whole secret council dedicated to destroying them. It seems that some vampires have taken up residence in Mystic Falls and were causing some trouble, causing the council to whip into action, though their attempts failed and were pretty futile. Hm. Well, Mystic Falls has always had a knack for attracting the wrong kind of attention. Someone was explaining how they were now trying the animal diet- or The Bambi diet as I like to think, and how it was actually quite successful. It's nice to know vampires haven't completely lost their humanity yet. I could see many others were listening in on this conversation; some were admiring his courage to try this new path and his strength for sustaining it, whilst others were scoffing at how he was just hiding his true nature. That's the problem with a vampire bar: nothing you say is private. I'd tried it the bunny diet once, but after so many centuries of feeding off humans, it was a bit late to start. But it was worth a shot and I was glad that I had done it. I looked around and saw a young-looking man, in his twenties, enter the bar with a female vampire. The girl I didn't know, but the man, ah. The infamous Damon Salvatore.
Not quite as dashing as I had imagined, but still not bad. Scruffy black hair, dressed in black leather, piercing blue eyes, wearing that smirk that he was known for. He was sauntering around like he owned the place, arrogantly turning his nose up at how everyone else was able to enjoy the sunlight and not just him and being sarcastic and snarky. He just seemed like a spoilt brat, if you ask me. Can't imagine what Katherine saw in him. Anyways, why would someone like Damon Salvatore turn up at some coffee bar. It didn't exactly look like he was here for a friendly chat. Besides, I know that he lives in Mystic Falls, so he must certainly have troubles that are more worth his time than catching up with friends. He looked like he was on a mission, getting information of some sort. I watched curiously as the pair met up with some guy named Slater. I gathered that he had connections, to Elijah and to Klaus. I narrowed my eyes as I pondered the possibilities as to why he would need those connections. Then they started talking about Elijah, and how he was supposedly dead. Yeah, fat chance of that happening. They obviously didn't know who he was: an original. Then they began to talk about how Elijah was an original, but he was the Easter Bunny compared to Klaus. Hmm. Interesting metaphor there. Wouldn't have called him an Easter Bunny, but if it worked for them. Huh. Guess I was wrong. Allow me to correct myself: they obviously didn't know how to kill an original. I heard another sound, a clear-cut sound ringing through the air, coming from outside the window. Click. Click. Click. I got distracted by the sound of someone tossing coins, over and over again, like they were waiting for something to happen. I looked out the window curiously, looking for the source. And I found it. My eyes widened in shock. Standing on the pavement, staring into the café, was Elijah.
He was watching Damon and his friends but a second later, his eyes flicked in my direction and his eyes too widened as he found mine, staring into them. I heard a slight falter in the pattern in which he was throwing the coins before he recovered and resumed it. My breath caught in my throat, looking at him for the first time in many, many years. The last time I had seen him was then, at that. The event that changed my life. I didn't feel ready to face him again. I brushed those thoughts aside, thinking about happier times with him. So many memories were coming back, so many emotions. Everything that I'd fought to keep down, the walls that I had put up, were crumbling down, letting everything back in. I tried to concentrate on something else, but I couldn't.
His gaze was holding mine. I hoped he would let it go soon. He hadn't changed much, I thought. He was wearing a suit. I inwardly rolled my eyes at how he was still formal and trying to bring back the old times. Hopefully that meant that he was still a very moral man and a man of his word. Unlike him. Thinking about Elijah brought up the other man in my life, who I also hadn't spoken to in a very, very long time. His gaze was getting quite uncomfortable and unnerving; it was like he was peeling back the many layers of me that one can only learn to discern after getting to know me well. I didn't like it; I don't like showing myself, my strengths, weaknesses, my true colours to others. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he snapped his gaze back to Damon. I let out the breath I had been unknowingly holding and recomposed myself, before settling to continue eavesdropping on Damon and his friends.
I heard Damon inquiring how to get in touch with Klaus. My eyebrows rose. Okay. I knew he thought the world revolved around him, but was he really that stupid? Asking to talk to Klaus? Was the guy suicidal? Slater calmly explained that his connections went through Elijah, who was now 'dead', and therefore his connections didn't work. Damon looked like he was going to press the matter but he let it slide. He moved onto his next point. The curse of the sun and the moon. I have to admit that it is a pretty good cover story for the real curse, and an excellent way to get everyone looking for the doppleganger and moonstone. Oh yes, I know all about that. Funnily enough, Damon seemed not to want to break it but rather to stop people from breaking it. In all my years, I've never seen someone trying to do that before. Click. Click. The pattern was slight faster now. I guessed that Elijah was getting bored with the conversation and was going to showcase some violent behaviour soon so I decided to make my exit. I made my way over to Damon, Slater and the vampire whose name I had learnt was Rose. They all looked up as I approached.
'You know, you really should be careful when you're doing a job.' I said to them, watching as their faces melted into expressions of confusion. 'Gotta make sure that you do it properly. I know I would be pretty pissed if some guy tried to kill me.' I imagined Elijah smiling as I said that, a smile which I longed to see once again. 'I can pretty much guarantee that Elijah ain't dead and is gonna come looking for revenge. If I were you, I'd try and stay on his good side, but it's a bit late for that, isn't it? And if you want my opinion: don't go looking for Klaus. That's basically asking to die.' And with that, I walked away and strode out.
'Well it's a good thing that nobody asked you your opinion, isn't it, darling,' Damon called out to me as I left. He's cocky, too. Add that to the list of annoying characteristics about him. Just as I stepped out, I heard the coins leave Elijah's hand and a split second later, heard them destroy the double pane windows. Screams filled the air as vampires left, right and centre began to burn, writhing around on the floor as they desperately tried to seek escape from the rays of pain beaming down on them. I got into the car I had 'borrowed,' a nice red Ferrari, you know, something not too attention seeking (note the sarcasm) and drove out of the parking lot. I risked a glance over to where Elijah had been, but he was gone. I turned my eyes back to the road and hit the pedal, taking me closer to home.
Damon POV
'I'm telling you, she knows something!' I insisted to my brother Stefan. 'She sounded like she knew Elijah and Klaus and was in contact with them! We need her.'
'She's either heard the tales about the Originals or knew someone who died because of them, and therefore knows that we shouldn't be contacting him.' He replied calmly, though I could see his patience was beginning to wear thin. We were at the Grill where I had been relaying the day's events to him and we had been bantering about this girl for over 20 minutes.
'She can help us! How else would she be so sure that Elijah was alive if she isn't in contact with him? And if she's in contact with him, then he's alive and we can contact Klaus! Or even better, she could be his contact and we're already one step up the ladder!' I continued stubbornly. I could go at this for hours, just waiting for Stefan to crack. I don't see why he even bothers to put up a fight. I mean, in the end, we both know that I'm going to win. It's just how it works.
'So what you're saying is that we just happened to run into some vampire who not only has connections to Elijah, but also Klaus,' he said.
'That's exactly what I'm trying to say! I'm glad to see your tiny brain has finally seen my point. What is the point of going to school over and over again if you don't learn anything?' I replied.
'I still reckon we're being set-up. What makes you so sure that she's right about Elijah? Besides, what makes you think she'd want to help us?' he retaliated.
'Co-incidences do happen brother, believe or not. Not everything has to have some long and complicated reasoning behind it.' I explained, trying to sound like a parent explaining a very difficult concept to a young child for the first time. At this effect, I earned a glare from Stefan. I smirked at him and continued. 'The way she said it, it just sounded very sincere. I never said anything about her wanting to help now, did I?' I said as I looked at him meaningfully. He sighed
'So the famous Damon Salvatore has been reduced to believing people when they sound sincere. Really brother? I would have thought that you would have learnt something from Katherine. Tell me. Did she sound sincere when she fed us all those lies? Believe it or not, some people are actually able to lie well and sound sincere, unlike you, brother,' he said, taking on the tone at the end that I had used to explain to him about co-incidences. I could tell that he wasn't going to last much longer at all. 'And have you heard what you're saying? You're suggesting that we go and tackle a vampire that we know nothing about except that according to you, she supposedly knows Klaus and Elijah, the two most dangerous vampires in history. You would expect that she would be pretty powerful and able to sustain her own, and no doubt she is old, if she knows them. I think the odds are that we would most likely end up severely injured or dead, neither of which I particularly fancy.' He took a swig of his drink.
'Well we took on Elijah, didn't we?' I replied, punching him playfully in the arm. 'Stefan and Damon: the invincible team. Together we could rule the world, did you know.'
'And according to you, Elijah is still alive, which means that we were unsuccessful.'
'If you remember, our goal was to rescue Elena by any means necessary. We got her out and attacked an Original vampire while we were at it. Bonus!'
'Who is now going to come looking for revenge.'
'All the more reason to get her help.' I returned to my original point.
'Yes, let's,' Stefan muttered sarcastically. 'She is, supposedly, in contact with Klaus and Elijah, implying that she isn't on the worst terms with them, implying that she won't want to help us attack them but rather will in fact help them attack us.' We both settled into silence, thinking and drinking for a while. I looked around the Grill and noticed someone entering, a face I hadn't seen around here before. I chuckled to myself at how fate was in my favour today, for she was the girl from the coffee shop, whom my dear brother and I have just spent the last 30 minutes arguing about. Stefan raised an eyebrow at me and I pointed to the girl, before beckoning her to come and sit with us. He shook his head in defeat and finished the last of his drink, calling the bartender over for another. As the girl made her way over, I took her in. She had long auburn hair that hangs in waves halfway down her back, a natural complexion, pale green almond eyes and slightly tinged cheeks. She was about 5'6 and slim but with curves in all the right places. She wore minimal makeup, but the effect it gave along with everything else resulted in many men staring lustfully after her. She walked confidently, wearing black skinny jeans, knee high black boots and a fiery red singlet covered by a black leather jacket.
'Like what you see?' Her voice startled me out of my thoughts.
'Hmm. So-so,' I said, flirting with her. 'Please, sit down. I'm Damon Salvatore and this is my brother Stefan Salvatore.' Stefan nodded politely at her whilst I stuck out my hand.
'I'm,' she seemed to hesitate for a moment before continuing 'Bella. It's nice to meet you.' She said sticking out her hand. I held her hand for a second before raising it to my lips and kissing it.
'The pleasure is all mine, Bella.' I said graciously.
'Just Bella?' I heard Stefan inquire from behind.
'Just Bella.' She said with a tight smile.
'So. What brings you to Mystic Falls, Bella? I asked her.
'Oh you know. Just paying a visit back home. It's a nice little town, quaint. I quite like it,' she replied.
'How long do you plan on staying?' asked Stefan.
'I'm not sure yet. I have a few orders of business to take care of. But not too long- I don't like staying long in places.' Stefan and I shared a glance, something that didn't go unnoticed by Bella. 'But that's enough about me. So why do you need to contact Klaus?'
'It's complicated,' I said. Her expression clearly said that she wanted more. I sighed. 'We want to make a deal with him.'
'A deal with him,' she repeated. 'A deal with the devil himself. Why ever would you want to do that?'
'It regards the sun and Moon curse.' That's enough information; I refused to give anything else away. I can tell she still wants more, but that's too bad cause she's not going to get it. My turn to ask the questions. 'Do you know how to contact Klaus?'
'I could.' I looked pointedly at Stefan. 'But I won't, unless I have a very, very, very, very good reason to do so.' Now Stefan looked pointedly at me.
'Do you know Klaus?' I asked.
'Yes,' she replied shortly and I could tell I wasn't going to get anything more from her on that matter. She then began to talk about schooling systems nowadays and how no-one seems to learn anything. We continued to talk, but avoiding the Klaus topic, for the next hour.
'Well. I must be going now. Hopefully I'll see you two pretty soon.' With that she got up and headed towards the back exit. I looked at Stefan. Back exit….toward the alleyways…He realised what I was getting at and shook his head but it was too late. I was already up and headed after her. Sighing, Stefan finished his drink and followed me out.
As I looked out onto the alley, I saw her hair disappearing around a corner. I nodded to Stefan who quickly moved so that he will be ahead of her whilst I follow her. She is whistling quietly to herself. I leapt after her and pinned her against the brick wall, choking her. 'Who are you and what do you want?' I growled harshly, letting my fangs comes out. I slammed her against the wall again when she didn't say anything but only struggled meekly. 'I said who are you and what do you want?'
'I heard,' she struggled against me for a bit before flipping us around easily and slamming me against the wall as her face transforms. When Stefan tried to attack her, she removed one hand from me and slammed him next to me, holding us both up with one hand each. She growled at me. 'You're so distrustful and ungrateful. I can't imagine what Katherine saw in you, especially you,' she looked at me and dropped us both, resulting in me rubbing my neck. 'You're both very lucky that I'm leaving you alive tonight. But next time.' She glared at us menacingly. She then glanced around and said in a much lighter tone 'Where's the best place in town to stay?'
'Well, if you want, you can stay with us. You know Katherine?' I informed her, groaning as I stand up. She contemplated the offer for a while before nodding her head in agreement, but ignoring my question about Katherine. 'Okay. Let me get my car.'
'I'll accompany you.' I declared. She narrowed her eyes at me but didn't comment. She turned on her heel and strode away. 'See you soon, little bro,' I said to Stefan before quickly following her.
A/N: What did you think of that? Any comments you have would be appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read my story.
