CHAPTER 7
Outside POV
The party at the Mystic Grill was turning out to be the best one yet and everyone was having a blast.
About an hour after Bella went outside with Dean Damon started to worry. She was supposed to be back a long time ago so he went looking for Stefan and Elena to ask if they have heard from her.
He found them sitting in a loving embrace which made his stomach roll.
„Where is she?" Damon asks.
Both Elena and Stefan look at him in confusion.
„Isabella." He clarifies. „It's been over an hour. Did you hear from her since she went out?"
Elena's heartbeat starts accelerating quickly when she realises she has forgotten all about her friend.
„Don't get upset right away, Elena. We'll call her." Stefan soothes her. „She's either still outside or she went home."
„Yeah, let me just grab my purse and we'll head out and call her if she's not there. I can't hear anything in here." Elena says and gets up while Damon and Stefan follow after her.
They all pick up their stuff and go outside.
There was no one in sight in front of the Grill.
„Call her." Damon says.
Elena fishes her phone from her purse and dials Bella's number.
There was no response so she called again.
„She's not answering." Elena says after a while.
„Dial again." Damon tells her and starts walking down the street with a confused look on his face.
Elena does as she was told and starts walking after him.
Soon Damon hears the buzzing of the phone more clearly and takes off running towards the sound and falls to his knees in front of the sight before him.
Elena and Stefan soon catch up with him and gasp.
„What happened to her?!" Elena yells.
Silence follows. None of them can believe their eyes.
Bella is lying on the side of the road in her now dirty and ripped clothes trembling and clutching her side.
Her leg is lying beside her in a strange angle and her face is scratched, tear-stricken and bruised.
From what Damon and Stefan could hear, her heartbeat is almost non-existent due to the lack of oxygen since the broken ribs pierced through her lung. She is barely breathing.
„Feed her your blood!" Elena screams at Damon. „She's dying!"
But it isn't Damon who answers.
„She can't be compelled, Elena! We're risking everything if he does it." Stefan yells back at her.
„She already knows, brother." Damon finally speaks. „Do you really think she'd tell anyone? I still haven't found almost anything about her past." He says and takes Bella in his arms.
„I can't let her die." Damon whispers and cradles her like a baby. He bites into his own wrist and presses it to her lips.
Stefan and Elena share a worried look.
„Bring the car." Damon tells them both. They silently stand up and head towards the parking lot.
When they get outside of hearing distance Damon starts humming lightly and sway her like you would a child.
„Drink up, Isabella." He'd tell her every time she stopped swallowing. He knew the blood didn't have much time to work its magic and she needed a lot of it if she wanted to get through this. „Don't make me lose you, too." He whispers softly into her ear.
A few minutes later he sees the headlights of his car approaching and hears Stefan and Elena having an argument.
„How can you say that, Stefan? She is my friend."
„Elena.. We just risked everything if she talks. In this town, that isn't a light risk."
„I know.. But I can't lose another person. And she.. She deserves a chance for a better life. I know she carries a lot of baggage even if she tries to act strong."
„I guess it's best to just lay it all out in the open when she wakes up and hope for the best." Stefan says and parks the car in front of Damon so he could get her inside.
He gets up from the dirty floor and sits in the backseat of his car with Bella still cradled in his arms.
„Our house." Was all Damon says when he closes the door behind them.
No one says another word during the ride to the Salvatore boarding house. Only things audible are Bella's short, shallow breaths and the slurps she makes while she drinks Damon's blood.
When they finally arrive to the house Damon quickly steps outside the car and runs to his room.
„Are you good to go?" Stefan asks him.
Damon nods even though he is starting to feel almost drowsy thanks to the lack of blood in his system.
„Just grab me a few blood bags from the basement." He tells him.
„I can take over, you know." Stefan informs him.
„With your bunny blood?" Damon raises his brow. „I don't think so, little brother. She needs to heal fast and your blood isn't as strong as mine is. So do me a favour and go grab a few bags for me, will ya?"
Stefan goes downstairs and brings the bags to Damon in a matter of seconds. Then he stands in front of his bed and listens to Bella's heartbeat getting steadily stronger.
„Waiting for a 'Thank you' note?" Damon asks sarcastically.
„It's not just your ass on the line here, Damon. I want to be here when she wakes up." Stefan answers.
„It's not gonna happen for a while so you can go drive Elena home and stay the night. I'll take care of this." Damon tells him.
„Suit yourself. But don't screw it up. I'm not giving you more chances." Stefan warns.
„Have a little faith, brother. When did I ever let you down?" Damon says and turns his attention back to the broken girl in his arms.
Stefan just rolls his eyes and does what Damon told him.
When they both leave Damon decides to lay Bella in his bed but not before changing her clothes. He throws the remains of her ripped outfit away and dresses her in one of his shirts.
Then he lies beside her and falls asleep.
XXX
Bella POV
I always know when I wake up away from home.
The smells are different and the sun hits the bed in a different angle. That is why I had problems with getting enough sleep when I first moved to Forks and then when I got to Mystic Falls.
But I have no idea how I got into another bed.
My head weights a ton and my body is sore all over.
Everything hurts so badly and I am tired even though the bed I'm currently lying in is super comfortable.
It takes me a while to get my brain in gear and that's when I manage to remember everything that happened after Dean left last night.
Riley had a message to deliver. And he did it thoroughly.
I open my eyes and see than I'm not in a hospital.
Well, that explains the comfortable bed. Seriously, hospitals are here to help people heal and in the end you go home tired and with a backache, where is the logic in that?
But if I'm not in a hospital, then where the hell could I be after what Riley did to me?
I start looking around and my heart almost jumps out of my chest when I see Damon lying beside me.
„Where am I?" I screech.
He doesn't even stir at the volume of my voice so I jump onto him and start shaking him awake.
After a few rough shakes he starts stirring.
„Calm down, dollface. I'm awake now." He smirks and opens his eyes.
Then I realise I shouldn't even be able to do any of that. Riley practically left me to die last night.
I start panicking.
„What did you do to me?!" I yell at him. „What happened?!"
And then, on top of miraculously being healthy, I realise I'm wearing nothing but my underwear and a black shirt that leaves little to the imagination. Not to mention the fact that I'm still straddling Damon. So I panic even more.
„Where is my clothes?!" I scream.
Damon just stares at me with an amused expression on his face.
„Answer me, dammit!" I scream again.
„I will as soon as you calm your tits. I didn't do anything to you, I just helped you." He tells me calmly.
„How is this possible?" I ask with a trembling voice. „How long has it been since the party?" There is no way this happened over night.
„About 9 hours." I notice he only answered the second question.
„Explain this, Damon." I say and motion to my body with my hands. „How I am even able to stand after all that has happened?"
„I will if you promise me one thing." He says.
„What?"
„You will listen to the entire story. No interruptions." He tells me.
I nod. I can do that. I think. „I promise."
Then I awkwardly get off his lap and stand up by the bed.
„There is something you should know about the supernatural world. About vampires." He tells me calmly.
I know I promised not to, but as soon as I hear the word vampire, I interrupt him.
„How do you know about vampires?!" I squeak. „I can't talk about this! I made a promise. I'm sorry, I can't." I say and start going towards the door.
„Listen, Isabella, at least give me a few minutes to explain. I will answer any questions that you have, and when it's over, you can decide for yourself what you want to do with what you know. It'll be your choice." He tells me softly.
„Nothing is ever my choice, Damon! I..I promised.." I say again.
But why did I continue keeping that promise? He broke his promise a long time ago, they all did.. So why did I care?
I realise then and there that I didn't care.. I just don't care anymore. I go back and sit on the bed with my face in my hands.
Damon is silent for a few minutes until I try to sort everything out in my head.
I think this could be a good thing. He already knows so it's not like I'm telling him my secret, right? And I deserve an explanation after all this, don't I?
So I nod and Damon starts talking.
„There are two types of vampires. The kind you are already familiar with are called The Cold Ones. I will not explain them since you probably know enough." He says and waits for my interruption.
It doesn't come. I want to tell him that I don't know what he's talking about but he obviously knows about them and he knows I know and on top of that I don't have the strength in me to lie anymore. So I keep my mouth shut and let him continue his story.
„The other kind are The Originals. They came first and are much more like humans which you can see for yourself." He says.
But I don't understand. „How exactly can I see that for myself?" I ask.
„You are looking at me. And you have seen Stefan." He states.
And that's when I burst out laughing. And I laugh for what seems like forever. My stomach and cheeks hurt really badly but I don't care.
After a while Stefan and Elena come inside the room and look at me like I'm crazy. But it wasn't me who is crazy and I tell them so.
„You have got to be fucking kidding me!" I laugh. „You are all crazy!"
„What is she laughing at?" Elena asks Stefan but he just shrugs.
„She doesn't believe that we're vampires." Damon answers her.
„You can bet your fucking ass I don't believe that shit!" I half-yell. „What are you thinking? Aren't you a little old to be playing dress up?" I mock him.
„And why exactly don't you believe us?" He raises his brow. „Didn't I just tell you how our kind is much more similar to humans? At least when it comes to physical appearance."
„And didn't I tell you how crazy you sound?" I spat back.
„You did. Now sit your ass down and listen to what I have to tell you and then tell me if I am or am not crazy." He orders.
„You have got to be fucking kidding me.." I mutter under my breath and sit down to listen to the rest of his cray-cray story.
Damon proceeds by telling me all about their history. Apparently, both Stefan and he were changed in the 1500s by a vampire named Katherine Pierce who looks exactly like Elena. She is her doppelgänger. That makes me snort.
Then he tells me how their kind gains abilities through time and was physically much more vulnerable than The Cold Ones.
Stefan then continues the story by telling me about their weaknesses. The Original vampires can be killed by either having a wooden stake pierced through their heart or having their heart completely ripped out of their body.
Also, they are not able to walk in the sunlight and there is a plant called Vervain that can do them harm if they come in contact with it along with the fact that they can't get in anyone's house unless they are invited in.
Yeah, cliché much?
When I wanted to start asking questions a.k.a. mock their little story they just gave me the look that clearly said „Shut up and listen to the end".
After that came the story of how I was healed.
The blood of these vampires can heal humans and if I were to be killed while still having their blood in my system, I would be in the process of transition and would have to drink human blood to complete the transformation and become a vampire or die a slow and painful death.
Yeah, I'm not such a big fan of that part.
And then they stop talking and give me the cue to start the questions.
That isn't a problem since I have a bunch of them just pilling in my mind.
„How are you able to walk in the sunlight?" Is the first one I ask.
„These rings protect us." Damon says as he waves his fingers to show me a big ring gracing the middle finger of his left hand. „The stone is called Lapis Lazuli and has a spell casted on it."
„A spell? Like a witch's spell?" I snort.
„Yes." He simply answers.
„There are witches?" I ask bewildered.
„Obviously." He says. „Bonnie is a witch. That is why she hates us which I'm sure you noticed."
I roll my eyes.
„Why does she hate me then?" I ask.
They all simultaneously glance to my scar.
I roll my eyes. Again.
„Tell me about the blood. What should I do about it?"
„Nothing. Just try not to trip, fall and die. Or attract large dogs or whatever you want to call you know who." Damon smirks at his own comment. He thinks he's sooo smart.
There goes another roll of my eyes.
I'm starting to think that I might damage my eye muscles if I continue like this and then my eyes will just spontaneously roll.
Would that even be possible? Hmm, I guess I'll find out the hard way.
Anyways, I'm not even sure I want to express the other questions I have. I hate that I am, once again, pulled into the world of supernatural crap against my own will.
And this time I don't even believe what I'm hearing.
„Look.. How about we just forget about this little prank you just pulled and get on with our lives. I don't know what to think of my instant health but with what you just told me.. I think believing you have kept me drugged for a month would be a better explanation." I tell all of them.
„You are such a stubborn creature, Isabella." Damon says and I can trace a hint of anger mixed with frustration behind his voice. „I think I'll just have to prove it in a different way." He tells me and gets off the bed.
I watch as he slowly walks to the other side of the room and looks me straight in the eyes.
Then he basically disappears and I hear a cough behind me which makes me jump off the bed immediately.
I turn around and see Damon smirking. And then I blink and he is right in front of me.
„Is that good enough? Or do you want more?" He asks and the next thing I know his face scrunches up and I see veins popping up around his eyes, his sclera fill with blood until the white is fully covered by red and the blue of his eyes is almost invisible against the black of his pupils.
I shudder but I'm not able to move an inch.
He then proceeds by spreading his face into what I think will be a smile until I notice two spikes among his teeth.
Fangs.
A gasp escapes me.
And in the next second everything is gone and he moves back to the bed and leans on his elbows like nothing is out of the ordinary.
Then it dawns on me.
It is true. Everything they just told me is true.
And this also explains Riley's word from yesterday: „Tell your new vampire friends to take better care of you. You know Victoria likes a good hunt."
My new vampire friends.
The three of them stare at me waiting for my reaction while I feel anger bubbling inside my veins.
„Why me?!" I yell. „Why can't you just be normal people?! Why do I always have to get into this fucking shit?! Why?! What is wrong with me?!" I spit out questions. They are all rhetorical so I don't expect them to elaborate, which they don't.
It has been a while since I threw a tantrum like this. The last time was 3 months after my birthday when Charlie suggested I moved to my mother's.
„Why me?" I continue mumbling. „What did I ever do to get into all of this crap? Why does it always have to be me?" I'm pacing around and waving my hands furiously.
I hate that I'm on a verge of crying. I don't want this. I never asked for any of it. Never.
So why?
Damon silently asks Stefan and Elena to leave the room. I think he noticed me reaching my limit and I'm thankful cause as soon as they get out I start crying.
I think I'm beyond parched but the sobs that escape me don't care.
Damon soon stands up and carries me to the bed. I'm glad cause I haven't moved from one spot in a while and my legs were starting to give up on me.
I can't do anything but curl into his lap like a kitten and continue sobbing.
„Why?" I ask again.
I'm met with silence.
„Answer me, dammit!" I yell at him. „Answer me! I can't handle this! So why?" I sob and punch his chest as hard as I can until my knuckles start hurting. I can't make myself look into his eyes.
I don't know what I would find there and that scares me.
So in the next second I get up and run.
Soon I realise I don't even know where I am.
There is a forest surrounding every side of the huge house and the only escape I see is a small path created by the tires of a car. So I follow the trail and I run and run and run until I collapse on the dirty road in my underwear and, I presume, Damon's shirt. But I don't care. My mind fights against my body and just shuts down when it realises it can't take any more.
XXX
When I wake up I find myself on a bed and realise I'm in my house.
Then all the stuff that happened before I blacked out hit me.
Since neither Damon nor Stefan had been invited in- I presume Elena had something to do with getting me in here, too.
After all that has happened there is only one thing on my mind right now.
Escape.
I write a note that simply says: „Give me one week."and stick it to my front door.
Next thing I know, I'm grabbing my backpack, stuffing in some clothes and pressing gas on my baby bike.
A/N
I made it in time!
Do you like it? Leave a review and let me know what you think!
D&S will be described as they are in the BOOKS, not the series so if you want some extra info on that without reading the actual book Vampire Diaries wiki is a great source :)
I think I should be able to have another chapter done in time for the next weekend.
asphodel cato- Nope, I'm not planning on mixing any Supernatural in the story, I don't think a lot of people would get the reference :)
Dark-Supernatural-Angel- Don't forget whose message Riley was delivering- Victoria is, after all, a pretty old vampire.
Jojo657- No, Bella is not a vampire. Yet;)
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