Chapter 10 - "He trusts, he cares, he worries and he loves"

Poor Bella. Not catching a break is she? Am sure most of you mystery kids have an idea of what's happening but for the sake of mystery, I'll drag the suspense on for a bit longer.

Sorry about the short chapters - this one is longer, more tense and more surprises.

DPOV

After she'd run off, I instinctively chased after her, Stefan follows closely behind but I didn't cast a glance at him.

I couldn't lose her - not again. We hadn't even got to spend much time together. Having her back in my life and then being the one to send her away just made things worse.

Where could she be? What did she mean 'it was always her'? She had looked so pained and all I wanted to do was take it away. Just hold her and let her know that I would always be there for her.

What was I doing wrong? How could I fix our messed up lives? How could I make her stay?

"She'll come back" Stefan thought it would be a good idea to actually throw that in my face. He didn't have a single clue. He didn't know what was going on.

Acting on the built up rage from this fucked up situation, using all that pent up anger, I pushed him on his chest causing him to fly off into a cluster of trees in the far distance. Cracks of bark sounded the forest from his crash landing.

"You don't understand. She was bitten" my words were bitter, stinging my tongue as the truth neared revelation. Stefan stood up slowly, clearly annoyed as he dusted himself off as he walked towards me. Ignoring the guilt, for what I did my masked glare remained on my face.

"And she's a vampire" he added witha role of his eyes but I could see the worry settling in. How naive was he? Did I have to spell it out for him?

"She was bitten by a werewolf and if my research is telling the truth..." looking down not wanting to say the undeniable. I didn't want to say it. To make it more real than it was supposed to be.

"What? What's going to happen?" his worry covered his face now so I looked up at him to tell him what I had found out in Isobel's university.

"She'll die" speaking the words aloud made it more real and the weight of what was happening crashed down onto me.

ELPOV

"What happened Caroline?" turning to my best friend, my accusatory tone worried her as she became frantic with her rambling.

"Well the party got crazy with all these people we didn't know so me and Matt went out the back door. We were walking for a while and he was complimenting how cute I looked in my dres-"

"Caroline! With Isabelle. What happened with Isabelle"

"I'm getting there. Me and Matt started making out a little and then we heard something growl behind us. It was a wolf - like a really huge wolf. It was so scary. It began to jump out at us but Izzy moved in front of us with her and it bit her instead. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to Elena" her words elicited a crippling fear in me. "But she's a vampire so I'm sure she'll be okay" Caroline continued but her words did no help to my worry. Thinking back to Isabelle's arm and how swollen it had been - I doubted the relief of her words. Something told me everything was not okay so I whipped my phone out to ring Stefan.

"Hey" he answered on the first ring. Something sounded off about his tone.

"Did you find her?" wanting some indication that this wasn't going to make my life anymore complicated than it already was.

"No...Why don- wait Damon wants to talk to you" before I could protest I heard shuffling and then Damon's voice say my name.

"Elena" he sounded so grave and the panic rose. No sign of joking appeared in his tone as he continued. "I know you hate me and probably don't want to talk to me but listen.." I waited patiently for what he wanted to say "I am sorry. Katherine got in my head and I snapped his neck - I got lucky with the ring and I'm sorry" he sounded so defeated and it scare me, for him to reveal this to me. I didn't want to forgive him but I knew I already had. "Isabelle is gone and I-I don't - I don't know where she is. I'm asking for you to help me" his breathing was heavy over the phone and his words were scaring me so much that I was clutching the phone tightly.

"How - I mean - what can I do?" what exactly did he want me to do. After all I was the human in all of this. Witchy powers? Nope. Vampire speed? Nope. Quick reflexes - I couldn't even catch a ball thrown from five feet away. What help would I be?

"You can't do anything" he sounded aggravated now as he confirmed what I'd been thinking. "But your witchy friend can" he added in a whisper. I could detect the desperation in his tone, searching for my approval.

"Bonnie wouldn't help you" I answered knowing my best friend well enough to know she wouldn't want to help anymore vampires. She still hated them as they brought danger to us and I doubt she's want to help Damon (who'd tried to kill her) of all people.

"But she'd help you" he was pleading now. This Damon was so foreign - he was always so sure of himself. So bold - never fearing anything but right now he sounded vulnerable and weak.

"Please Elena" he added in a whisper.

Isabelle must mean a lot to him - he was acting so different. Truth be told she was a nice person but for some reason I didn't particularly care for her. How she could elicit such emotions from Damon was beyond me but it also annoyed me. Stefan had tried, I had tried but he didn't - he couldn't change. And suddenly she pops up and he changes. He trusts, he cares, he worries and he loves.

Caroline sent me an expectant look as she too waited for my answer.

Sighing, I then lifted my fingers to ran them through my hair, pushing the fallen strands away from my face.

"I'll do it"

DPOV

Elena's words gave me hope but the dreaded fear was still there. We'd stopped chasing her knowing she was long gone so we remained in the clearing but I knew our next stop was at back to the boarding house. If all goes well Bonnie would be there.

"You love her" Stefan's words made me turn to him in surprise. I thought about slamming him back into the tree as I denied any humane feelings but instead sighed, remaining silent and looked head on as we walked back. I'd given him his answer.

"She loves you" he continued, his words played the past in my mind.

-FLASHBACK-

"You are so beautiful" her wide brown eyes were gazing tenderly with mine holding me captive. The sun rays were permitted with the opaque window glass, softly highlighting her creamy skin, the red in her mahogany hair was now revealed as she sat there on my bed, in my shirt, her hair disarrayed and her lips swollen slightly which then parted in a toothy smile.

Stunning.

"And you Mr Salvatore are cheesy" she threw her head back in laughter at my mock glare. The sound was like bells ringing and almost childlike and innocent.

I reached over and pulled her to me, she pressed her body onto mine and I was instantly in want again with my insatiable nature than only awoke in her presence.

"Only for you Isabelle" I whispered, pushing her hair away from her face and then cupping her face only to pull her down so our lips could meet.

She rolled us over so I was on top and continued to kiss me sensually, licking my bottom lip and I moved down to nip at her neck.

"I love..." she began and I looked up at her expectantly, my eyes questioning what I thought she would be saying. "This" she replied with as smile but it never reached her eyes.

-END FLASHBACK-

The memory brought so many conflicting emotions that I thought I'd go insane with all these feelings I'd kept buried but were now awakening.

I could go home, I could open yet another bottle of scotch and drown my sorrows with my humanity switched off but I didn't want to. I wanted to feel the fear, the guilt, the worry, the regret, the pain and the - t-the love.

It was love that dominated these thoughts and memories of my Isabelle. I loved her. Always have and always will.

Ever since I set my eyes on her in her adorable nurse's outfit. I loved how she saw past my bullshit and saw the good. I loved how she trusted me. I loved how she knew what to say to make me feel better even though I was a fucked up monster. I loved how she'd gone through all this trouble just for my birthday - that was just who she was. I loved her. I loved Isabelle and I would do everything to keep her in my eternity. I would not lose her. Not again. Not this time.

There you have it - chapter 10. I'll do my best to upload ch 11 on Wednesday but not making any promises.

Thank you to all you reviewers. I continue the story will all you welcomed comments.

Email: on .uk

Love you all, you're my inspiration and my strife to keep updating.

Xox twerri02