Thank again to my beta's

I am not worthy

Chapter 6

"I'll take this up to her room," I say walking up the stairs.

"She's got Jeremy's room," Jenna calls after me.

"Why have I got his room?" Bella asks sounding panicked.

"This way you get to share a bathroom with Elena, and I get the down stair's one, no more waiting to get in the bathroom," Jeremy jokes out.

I look around Jeremy's room seeing it has been cleared out. I place the box at the far wall; she's going to need bookcase in here. It could also do with a repaint, It's too dull, may be new curtains….

"I'll put the other box in Jenna's and my room," Ric whisper's bringing me out of my mental thinking about what the room need's done.

I give him a quick nod and turn just in time to see Elena and Jeremy has led Bella in to the room

"Feel free to repaint if you want," Jenna tells Bella softly, as she hugs Ric, he kiss the side of Jenna head and walk's back out the room with Jeremy.

"No, it's fine," Bella tells her quickly. My eyes land on her and almost right away she looks my way. I send her a silent message saying that I will be right back, when she nods her head, I know she got it.

"Is this all she brought?" Jeremy asks aloud as we get back to the truck.

"Yes," I answer quickly, taking a hold of her suitcase, taking it upstairs.

"Bella honey, I have dinner already, why don't we leave the unpacking until later," Jenna says softly as I reach Bella room.

"Okay," she replies and looks to me "You are staying, Right?" she asks almost sounding as if she is pleading me to say yes.

"You want him to stay?" Elena blurts out sounding shocked.

Bella turns and just looks at her, frowning. "If you need to get home and deal with your family, I understand." She carries on as she looks back at me.

"Stefan is my family and he is here," I tell her with a grin.

"The one that bites?" I chuckle and bob my head at her.

"Do I have time to get freshened up?" Bella asks as she direct her attention to Jenna.

"Yes," Jenna say open the bathroom door for Bella. As Bella walks in to the bath room, we all walk out heading back down stairs.

"You compelled her," Elena yells at me in disgust.

"No, apparently she can't be compelled," Ric answers Elena as she glares at me.

I have to hold off a snort. She thinks this scares me? I give Elena one of my lighter glares and almost right away her heart rate spikes, but she seem to stand her ground.

"I see you're back," John says walking in.

Elena sighs and uses this to look away from me.

"Alaric," he carries on smugly.

"John," Ric and I say at the same time.

"I don't think it's a good idea that you are staying here," Ric carries on in a harsh tone.

"My family is here," John hiss back, but a snort makes me look to the stairs to see Bella coming down them.

"Hi, I am John."

"I know who you are, we have met before," Bella replies with a smile; but John just looks at her. "It was four years ago; this past summer."

John glops and takes a step away from Bella, and looks at Alaric then back at her.

"That's right, you have got a good memory," he smiles at her.

"One does not forget when one meets a jackass," Bella says making me chuckle. I glance at Ric who is holding back his own chuckle.

"Aren't you funny girl!"

"Me, I am hilarious," John face drops and narrows his eyes at her.

"You were deaf the last time we meet."

Bella closes her eyes, looks at me and then to John "Still am, John. I have a hearing aid, didn't your brother tell you he performed sugary on me?"

"You're deaf?" Ric yells, making Bella look at him.

"And it starts," Bella mumbles as she looks my way.

"You knew?" Ric yells but he's now looking at me "Why didn't you tell me?"

Bella bangs her hand down on the table making everyone look at her. "Firstly I asked him not to say anything. If you're going to yell at anyone then it should be me, or John." Bella say looking at John with disgust. "Yes, I am deaf, but I have a cochlear hearing aid that lets me hear-somewhat. For what I can't hear I can lip read. Can we now have dinner?"

"Yes," I say taking her hand leading her to the kitchen, I help her to sit at the table, and move to see what Jenna has cooked. The first thing I notice is that it has in fact been Stefan that cooked, the second is that Ric has failed to inform them over the fact Bella is a vegetarian.

I start moving around the kitchen to see what she can eat.

"Why didn't you say something?" Ric say but his words are much slower.

"She's not stupid Ric, speak normal to her, and why didn't you inform Jenna that Bella is a vegetarian"

"She is?" Jenna asks with a frustrated sigh.

"I forgot," Ric says looking between me and Jenna.

"Stef, if you put out diner for everyone I can throw something for Bella on."

"There's no need" Bella say standing and I push her back down.

"You're eating," I say harshly to her.

"Fine, but could you tell John to quite staring at me, I feel like I am in the freaking zoo."

My eyes glance at John to see he is indeed staring at Bella.

"Stop staring at her," I yell, but I am surprised that Ric and Elena both join me.

"You look a lot like Elena," John says accusingly.

"She's my cousin of course she looks like me," Elena quickly replies.

"I know that, I am just surprised how much she looks like you." John says trying to appeal to Elena.

"Here you are Jenna, Elena," Stefan says placing their plates in front of them, a few second later he takes Jeremy and Ric theirs, before going and getting his and John's.

By the time he is sitting with his own I have finished making Bella some pasta with mushroom, and cheese sauce.

"Here you go, and I want you to eat it all." I say putting it down in front of her, and then take the seat on her right.

"I'm taking you're the town's food police?"

I just look at her but before I can speak John is once again talking to her as if he is accusing her of something "You seem to be getting on with Damon?"

"Why wouldn't I get on with my Uncle's friend?" Bella counters making John just hum.

"What do you do Jenna?" Bella asks directing her attention to Jenna.

I am not sure if the fact she just found out Bella is deaf or how uncomfortable John is making this dinner, but Jenna seems to take a good few minutes before shyly answering Bella. "I work at the grill, but I am also going to night classes."

"What are you studying?" Bella asks

"Psychology."

"Nice," Bella says with a head nod.

Bella eats a little but everyone seems to be still looking her way.

"School, what year is every one in?" Bella ask, with a small sigh, and I know she is trying hard to deflect the attention.

"Stefan and Elena are seniors. Jeremy is a junior, same as you," Ric answers.

"What about you John what do you do?" Bella asks looking at him.

John seems to sigh before answering Bella. "I'm on the council".

"The council, what do you do?"

"Towns stuff, not for teens," he answers her snappily, and she looks at me with wide eyes. She lifts her hand to her mouth and moves it quickly, while whispering "jackass," making me and Stefan who also heard her laugh.

"Bella, I would prefer if you didn't call me names in sign."

"I would prefer you to stop breathing," I hiss back at him getting pissed at him snapping at Bella.

"Why don't you make me?" John says channelling me.

I stand up, but Bella's hand grabs my arm and pulls me back down.

She just looks at me giving a clear no with her eyes. Ric clears his throat. "Jenna's already been to the school, you start on Tuesday." Ric stops and tilt his head. "Will I need to make any arrangements?"

"No arrangement needed other than the teacher's being aware, more so the gym teacher as I won't be able to wear my hearing aid doing some of the high physical classes."

Ric bobs his head at her "Okay, I will make sure they are informed, and get your class schedule when I am there tomorrow."

I hear a beeping sound and look at Bella, "What's that?" I ask.

"My hearing aid needs to be charged," she says moving her hair that covers it and takes it off. She leans over putting it in my pocket. "Don't leave with that in there."

Ric just looks a little shocked at her whole display.

"Will I be able to take my truck to school?" Bella asks.

"No," John yells and I growl, but he just looks at me and start talking again. "She can't drive she's deaf."

"John one's ability to press peddles, and turn a wheel is not depended on one's ability to hear. Besides Charlie made me take the police driven test."

"How did she know what I said?" John asks glaring at Bella.

"As I have said, I can lip read, and please stop acting as if I am not in the room."

"John will you just stop," Elena pleads to him.

She looks at Bella and seems so unsure, I touch Bella's arm, and she looks at me. My eye moves to Elena and Bella follows my movement.

"I am so sorry about him. Just ignore him, I do," Elena says sounding guilty, but I am impressed that she is the first to just speak to Bella the way she normally talks.

"It's fine Elena, you're not responsible for your dad's behaviour." As soon as she says 'dad's' my head snap around to her "this is not on yo…u" Bella seem to say the word you slowly and I am sure it because Elena's face has pales.

I hear her glop and her heart rate takes off, as she gets increasingly nervous. "You did know that he is you father right?" Bella pleads, but Elena shakes her head. "But you knew Isobel was you mom?" Bella question, and this time Elena nods her head and looks at John.

"Is it true?" Elena asks John, but my eyes stay on Bella who seems to be almost trying to crawl in to herself.

"Is it true," Elena yells this time standing up.

I slide my hand on to Bella's knee squeezing it.

"Yes, I was going to tell…"

Elena cut John off by moving around the table "Elena let me…" again she cut him off only this time she slaps him hard across the face and then runs out.

"Elena," Stefan yells moving quickly after her

"Thanks," John yells throwing his fork toward Bella. Lucky for him he decides to leave the table.

The rest of us seem to sit in shock, Ric is the first to break the silences. "That's it, he is not staying here," he says pointing at Jenna and then stomps off.

"I'll go and check on Elena," Jenna sighs out leaving the table.

"That was the most interesting dinner we've had in days, good to have you back Damon," Jeremy says while chuckling. But, I can see the worry on his face for Elena. "I've got some homework to get done. It was nice to meet you Bella. If you need me I am just across the hall way from you."

"Nice to meet you too, Jeremy. And I am so sorry." he shakes his head at her.

"This is on him; he knew that she knew she was adopted and looking for her father still. He should have said something." He taps Bella's shoulder and walk out the kitchen.

"I sure know how to end a diner party."

I chuckle gently as my hand rubs her back. "Not your fault."

Bella just looks at me. "I should have just kept my mouth shut. Any other secrets that no one knows, tell me and I'll make sure the find out in the most horrible way."

I sigh just looking at her

"You think Elena will be okay?"

I shrug and then bob my head. "Stefan will take care of her." Bella hums and stand up.

"I'll wash you dry," she says as she starts to pick up the plates.

I nod and help carry the plate's in. "What did you mean when you said Grayson did sugary on you?"

"He's the one that put in my cochlear."

I frown as I look her. "Wasn't he just a doctor?" I question to her.

"Yes and no." she sighs "It started a few years before my surgery, Grayson was doing some tests," she says waving her hand. "He had this idea he could cure deafness, blindness. Anyway, as he knew about me being deaf, he got in contact with Renee and asked if he could test it out on me." Bella rolls her eyes. "All it did was gives me headaches and nightmares. Charlie found out and flipped, as it had never been used on anyone before this, and the tests were stopped. A few years later I was approved of the cochlear and for whatever reason, Renee asked Grayson to be there."

I tilt my head and then shake. "Strange." Bella bobs her head at me.

"Charlie was not happy," she stops and looks at me "He came here to have it out with Grayson. Not sure what happened, but Carol brought him home, and from what I overheard," she says with a point to her eyes "That it was thanks to Carols husband Charlie kept his job"

"Carol?" I ask

"She was a joint friend of Isobel and Charlie she lives here. Carol Lockwood, her husband the Mayor, if I'm right."

I hum. "Why wasn't she there, at the funeral?"

"She called, left a message with Billy-Charlie's friend from La Push, something about her son, having problems at school." Bella shrugs.

I hum and start drying the dish that Bella seems to be washing by hand.

"You know there is a dish washer?" I say as I show her it, she looks at it and then to me and shrugs her shoulders.

"So, what do you do?" Bella ask looking at me.

"I'm on the council," I chuckle out.

"Oh the council the same one this teen is not to know?"

"That's right, let just say I keep the town safe."

"Safe from what? Getting too energetic?"

I snort but bob my head.

The front door opens and my eyes glance over to see Elena coming back in with Stefan.

"I hate him Stefan, how can he be my father?"

"I am so sorry Elena," Bella say walking to her. "I would never have said anything if I had known you didn't know."

Elena bobs her head, but pulls her eyebrows down. "How did you know?" she asks.

"Charlie had commented about him to Isobel the last time they met." Elena's hand goes to her forehead as she rubs it.

"You knew Isobel?" Elena asks shyly, and Bella nods her head,

"What was she like?"

"That's hard to put in to one word. I know she liked to study and to read. She was determined-If there was something she wanted she usually-always got it. That included men too, sadly. She loved men-loved them loving her, just a shame she never returned her own heart to any of them-not fully anyway."

As Bella spoke my eyes flash to Stefan and he too seems to hear the likeness of Isobel and Katherine.

"Did she talk about me?" Elena asks.

"No, I'm sorry she didn't. But she never talked about anything real. And she wouldn't know how to tell the truth, even if her life depended on it. She could be sweet, loving, but when the going got tough, she only thought about herself."

Elena sighs but she bobs her head, "Thanks."

Bella nods and looks at me, "I'm going to Jeremy-I mean my room," I watch her walk off.

"I better give her, her hearing aid"

As I spoke Stefan just gives me a look to say he is irritated with me.

I walk in and jump on her bed as she starts putting her things away.

"She seems nice," Elena whispers to Stefan

"Yeah she does."

"Come on, even Damon seems taken with her, and when is he ever taken with anyone?" Elena carries on but Stefan just sighs.

"I just hope he has been nice to her for the right reasons."

I roll my eyes over Stefan thinking everything I do is because of Elena.

"Damon," Bella say hit my leg "Can I please get my hearing aid?" I chuckle and hand to her.

"Sorry Firecracker, I must have dazed of there."

Bella rolls her eyes and takes the hearing aid from me.

"So," I ask looking at her. "What do we do about this," I say looking around the room in disgust.

"Nothing," Bella replies and I roll my eyes.

"You need to do something, it's dull, lifeless."

"Fine paint away," Bella says as she put her things in the chest-of-drawer set. I walk behind her and her eyes seem to flicker to the mirror just as I place my hand on her she jumps back, as her heart rate takes off.

"Bella," I say softly, but as her eyes are closed she can't see my lips move.

"Bella," I say again this time touching her face, her eyes open and I can see she has tears in them

"Sorry, just," She stops as she looks at the mirror. "Think they did a number on me." She stops again and turns to look at me. "It was five days I was with them; Charlie had the long weekend off, so no one knew, not till right after they killed him, when he failed to call Billy back."

The pain of her words hit me hard; it was bad enough thinking she was with whoever did this for a few hours, but days? "Why haven't you said anything?"

"I am having a hard time thinking about what really happened and what my mind made up, just all jumble in there- I just" she sigh again. "I don't know what I am trying to tell you." She groans clearly frustrated about everything. I pull her in to my arms, holding her close.

"Damon, Jenna wants to lock up," Stefan says and I give him a nod, and kiss Bella's head.

"I have to go," I tell her. "Give me your cell and I'll put my number in to it."

Bella hands me her cell and I quickly add all of my number's including Stefan's cell number before texting my own one so that I had hers.

"I'll come by tomorrow, show you the town." Bella smiles as she bobs her head.

"Thank you, for everything you have done for me these past few days"

I grin and wink at her.

"Come on Stefan, let's get you home to bed"

"What are you playing at Damon?" Stefan yells as soon as we walk into our house.

I roll my eyes at him, walking away, but he comes after me pushing me agents the wall. "You using this girl's grief to get Elena; you see something other than a monster?"

I narrow my eyes as I push us away from the wall landing him hard against another.

"That's not what I am doing."

"I know you Damon," he hisses out.

"When are you going to see you don't know me, not even half as well, as you think you do?" I let him go walking away.

"Damon, if you use her and then leave her, I don't think she will be able to come back from that," Stefan calls after me.

"You are wrong brother," I tell him and turn to him. "That girl-Bella she's a fighter, she fought whoever did that to her, to her parents and won."

Stefan shakes his head at me. "Just because she's alive doesn't mean she won, you should know that.

I turn back around speeding up to my room.

I get showered and lay on my back in bed, with my eyes closed. I sigh out and flip on to my front.

After a few minutes have passed and I am still not asleep I groan. I slow my heart rate and breath down, hoping I can calm whatever it is that has unsettled me.

My eyes spring open and I get dressed again. I move to my window and leap out changing in to my bird form in mid-air.

I am surprised when I land in Bella bedroom window, before I can dwell on why I am here, her heart starts to take off. Before she can scream, I am in her room moving myself under her.

"Hush," I whisper, and then start to hum as I rub my hand through her hair.

It only takes a few minutes before her heart rate is back to a slow beat. "Well done Baby," I whisper to her as I place a kiss on her forehead. I smile a little feeling much more relaxed, my eyes roll closed and before I can think of a reason not to I am asleep.

A bright flash and a vibration, wake me up, as my eyes dart around the room, they catch Bella's alarm which is going off. "Shit," I hiss as her heart goes up, as she moves more. Knowing that she is waking up, I softly but quickly flee from under her and out the window back in my crow form.

"Damon?" Bella calls and she sit up looking around the room.

She shake her head and lies back down, I have to hold my chuckle when she sniffs the pillow I was laying my head on.

"Must have been from when he was there last night," She mutters aloud making me tilt my head.

Bella moves out of her bed and to the window I am at, her eyes go down to meets me.

"HI," she smiles at me.

She moves away and in to the bathroom. As the door is a little open I can see her moving around. After she takes care of her morning need, she switches on the shower.

Unlike Elena, Bella is out of the shower after only a short time; she starts to blow dries her hair, just as the shower comes back on.

Just like she told me, she spends a lot of time drying her hair. As she pick out her clothes I know she is going to get dressed, I fly to the nearby tree to give her some privacy, and then back down to the window when I hear moving around again.

Bella fixes her hearing aid on, and then moves her hair around to hide it.

"Moring," Elena says walking in to the room.

"Morning." Bella replies only having glancing at Elena.

"Did you sleep well?"

"I did, did you?"

Elena bobs her head. "Look Bella if you need someone to talk to, I am here. I lost my parents five months ago, so I know a little about what you are feeling."

"Thank you Elena, I'll keep that in mind," Bella says and hugs Elena to her. "I am sorry about your mom and dad. My dad would have come to the funeral, but I had broken my leg, and he was dealing with that."

Elena bobs her head her eyes look around and land on me, she give me a displeased look. Then wave her hand as though she is shooing me away. "Go," she hisses.

"Elena, leave it." Bella say as she comes up to the window,

"It's a crow they mean death."

"That's not true," Bella says softly as she glances back at me. "The crow is a spirit animal associated with life mysteries and magic. The power of this bird as totem and spirit guide is to provide insight and means of supporting intentions. It's a sign of luck; it is also associated with the archetype of the trickster." Bella thinks for a few seconds before looking at Elena. "Warning to be aware of deceiving appearances. But, when a crow has chosen you as your spirit or totem animal, it supports you in developing the power of sight, transformation, and connection with life's magic."

"That sound quite sweet," Elena says giving me the evil eye.

"Hey, don't upset him, I love crows, it's one of my top three animals."

"Oh what are you other two?"

"Wolf's" Bella say smiling looking back toward me. "And of course your cousin, the raven."

I squawk making Elena just hum. "Come on breakfast time," Elena clasps Bella hand and I watch them walk out.

She has met some of the gang, and has meet John before…..So do think the rest will take to her? Are you worried like Stefan is about why Damon been nice to her?