Chapter Three: 162 Candles (Part 2)

"Coming to the party?" Damon whispered in Belle's ear as she stared at two dresses laid out on his bed.

"Lexi wants me to come and it's Stefan's b-day," she explained and felt his hands holding her waist.

"You're not coming for me?" he asked, pouting.

"Why would I do a thing like that?" she teased and let out a little gasp as Damon nipped at her neck.

"Because I want you to come with me," he muttered into her neck.

"I'll think about it," she said, her head rolling back so he had better access to her neck. He smirked into her neck.

"We have some time before the party," he whispered seductively while his hands roamed over her body.

"Oh no. I am helping her get ready for the party and you are leaving," Lexi's annoyed voice came from Damon's doorway.

"This is my room," Damon rolled his eyes. Belle turned around in Damon's arms and smiled softly at him.

"Just do as she tells you," Belle whispered to him before he leaned down to kiss her.

"But I don't want to," Damon mumbled as he pulled back slightly from her.

"We can have fun later," Belle winked at him with a seductive smile. Damon kissed her again but more lustfully this time.

"Out," Lexi announced and watched as Damon pulled himself away from Belle before leaving.

"Which one?" Belle asked before Lexi could open her mouth. She smirked before pointing to the navy blue mid-thigh length dress with long sleeves and a brown braided belt.

"I'm going to straighten your hair," Lexi announced when Belle finished changing. She started to put on her knee-high brown boots as the blonde played with her curly red-hair.

"Why? I like my hair curly," Belle pouted but followed Lexi towards the straightener. As Lexi straightened her hair, she talked to her about Stefan and Elena.

"I think I'm going to talk to her," the blonde announced but Belle scoffed, "Don't think it's a good idea?"

"I just don't think she's good for Stefan," she shrugged.

"Belle," Lexi rolled her eyes, "You're just afraid he's going to get hurt by Elena like he got hurt by Katherine. I know you're protective of him, but he's a big boy; he can take care of himself."

"She's a prissy little bitch," she disagreed.

"You only see what you want to see," Lexi said, finishing with one side of Belle's hair, "Give her a chance and she might surprise you."

"Fine," she reluctantly agreed.

"Hello, beautiful," Damon smirked as Belle appeared next to him at the bar. She just grabbed his scotch before downing it.

"Lexi is driving me crazy," she answered and dropped the glass on her table. A kind bartender refilled it for Damon.

"How?"

"She has demanded that I be nice to Elena," she shrugged.

"And?" Damon asked, knowing her well enough to see she had something else on her mind.

"It's nothing, Damon," she mumbled and took another long drink of the scotch. Damon didn't press the issue, just handed his scotch to her.

"Another one for the pretty lady," Damon called to the bartender, "And two shots of tequila."

"Thanks," she said, grateful for the alcohol. She downed the scotch and took her shot before Damon smirked at her.

"Slow down there Belle," he laughed. Belle shot him a dirty look before ordering a beer and heading over towards Lexi and Stefan at the pool table.

"Hey Belle," Stefan greeted before shooting at the little yellow one ball. She raised her glass in a greeting and leaned on the table.

"Cranky?" Lexi asked, looking at the redhead's grouchy face.

"I haven't fed today," she whined before looking around at the humans.

"Belle," Stefan warned.

"Don't worry, Stef. I wasn't planning on eating any of them," she scoffed, "I'll just snatch, drink, erase."

"Lexi has some bags in the car," he told her.

"But fresher is better," Belle pouted mockingly but did as Stefan told her. A few minutes later, she was back and seemed a bit less grumpy.

"I'm going to go get some shots," Lexi said as Belle came back.

"Wanna play a round?" Stefan asked the redhead who nodded. They continued playing but Belle noticed he wasn't paying attention to the game but was listening into a conversation between Lexi and Elena.

"Don't eavesdrop," Belle teased him but was doing the exact same thing. After Lexi and Elena finished their talk, the blonde vampire greeted her two friends.

"Sorry, I drank your shots," she mock apologized and went to take the pool stick from Stefan.

"Thank you," he told her and gave her a grateful smile.

"You weren't supposed to be listening," she grinned and saw the grateful look on his face, "I was feeling epic, whatever."

"Saved my ass, huh?" Belle joked and Lexi stuck her tongue out.

"I explained to her that you're a sweetheart but if someone hurts your boys, you go all mama bear," Lexi teased, "She understands."

Lexi disappeared after the next game to get a drink. Belle was helping Stefan rack up the balls when Elena grabbed the pool stick and smiled at Stefan.

"Hi," she said.

"Hey, you came," Stefan leaned on the pool table.

"I couldn't miss your hundredth and….whatever birthday," Elena grinned at him and he smiled back.

"And that is my cue to leave," Belle said and grabbed her jacket. She headed toward Damon, who was still sitting at the bar.

"Hey, beautiful," he flirted as she sat next to him.

"Hey," she smiled and stole his drink.

"Why must you always steal mine?" he groaned and tried to get the glass back but she evaded him and went to go dance. Damon watched her with an amused smirk.

"All right, the shots are a bribe," Lexi said as she pasted a few to Damon, "I need you to answer a question. What are you really doing in Mystic Falls?"

"Have you tried The Brittle? It wins awards," he took a shot and gave her a look that clearly stated 'scram'.

"Cut the crap," she snapped at him.

"Okay," he sighed, "I have a diabolical master plan."

"What is it?" she leaned in closer.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be very diabolical, now would it?" he sneered and went back to watching Belle dance with a few of Elena's guy friends. Just as Lexi was about to retort, Sheriff Forbes walked up to them and injected Lexi with vervain.

"What are you doing?" Damon hissed in mock shock.

"Thank you for the vervain. Now if you could excuse me," the blonde woman said shortly and dragged the half conscious vampire away.

"What's going on?" Belle asked frantically, having rushed over when she saw Lexi being taken away.

"I don't know," Damon shrugged before walking away. Belle stands there, shocked.

Outside, the officers and Sheriff Forbes are taking Lexi to the police car but she wakes up and throws the officers off her. The sheriff begins shooting her with wooden bullets but Lexi was too strong. Out of nowhere, Damon appears and stakes the blonde vampire.

"Why?" she whispers, horrified.

"It's all part of the plan," he whispers back and Lexi turns gray and dies. Damon turns to the sheriff, "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright, thank you," she says before nodding to the police car, "Get her in the car."

"Okay," he nodded.

Unbeknowst to them, Stefan, Elena and Belle were watching the scene from an alleyway. Belle was silently crying as Stefan was seething. The brunette human had no clue on how to help them so she just hugged Belle. As soon as Damon and Sheriff Forbes had driven away, Stefan stormed off with Elena following and pulling Belle with her.

"Stefan!" Elena shouted and tried to catch up to her ex-boyfriend.

"He killed her! He killed Zach! He killed Tanner! He turned Vicki!" Stefan ranted before turning to look at the girls, "I have to kill him!"

"No!" Elena shouted, "You can't do that!"

"Why are you trying to save him? Elena, he's never going to change! Don't you see that!" Stefan turned his rage onto her. Belle sniffed and disappeared from sight.

"I'm not trying to save him, I'm trying to save you! You have no idea what this will do to you! Please Stefan," she begged.

"Everywhere I've been, pain and death follow, Damon follows me," he ignored her, "No more.

"Stefan please," she begged again, Please just-just talk to me. Let me be there for you. Talk to me!"

"No," he refused, "You were right to stay away from me." He just walked off, leaving Elena standing there in shock and horror.

"Hey Belle," Damon grinned at the redhead as he poured himself a scotch. She ignored him and stormed up the stairs, "Long night?"

Her only response was to slam his bedroom door shut. Damon rolled his eyes before hearing Stefan arrive.

"Told you I'd take care of it," he said to his little brother smugly. Stefan attacked him and the two fight until Stefan pins him against the wall.

"Come on, I did this for you. To get them off our trail," Damon said.

"You never do anything for anyone but yourself," Stefan growled and staked his brother. Damon gasped in shock and pain.

"You missed!"

"No," Stefan told him, "You saved my life. I'm sparing yours. We're even. And now we're done."

Stefan walked away as Damon slumped to the floor. Groaning, the raven-haired vampire pulled out the stake from his stomach. Suddenly, practically every article of clothing he owned was thrown at him. Damon sat up to see Belle walking back up the stairs, refusing to look at him.

"Belle?" he called to her but she ignored him, "Come on, Belle! I was getting the council off our back!"

"Stefan!" she yelled, "Can we get the locks changed?"

"Sure," he answered and they were both out of Damon's view.

Hello, I hope you liked my third chapter of Beauty and the Demon, comments and critics are welcome, no flaming please.