"Never Let Me Go"
Chapter 11:
"What are you two thinking?" Rebekah hissed once they were outside and away from the house.
"She is not doing whatever it is she did again." Klaus snapped.
"Do you two realize what you just did?" Rebekah asked.
Both men were quiet.
"Oh my god you do," Rebekah said, "And here I thought it perhaps slipped your mind. How could you?"
"Rebekah she looked like a Cold One. What happens the next time she does that? Or the next or the next? She could turn permanently." Damon said.
"I can't believe you two," Rebekah said, "Especially you Niklaus. You both know how it feels to be at the mercy of someone else's will. Besides all that," Rebekah pointed towards the house, "That girl has been to hell and back and she took a stake to the heart for you Niklaus. The least you owe her is to not force your will upon her."
"Well she didn't take a stake for me," Damon mumbled.
"No she just saved your ass from my brother and she saved your brother and Elena." Rebekah hissed. "Mark my words, both of you, if you dare exact your will upon her again I will tell her…I will sing like a canary about everything. Do you both understand me?"
"I could just dagger you," Klaus mumbled.
"No you can't," Rebekah smirked, "Isabella hid them…you'll never find them. I mean it Nik. Do not do that again."
Rebekah marched back into the house, leaving the two alone.
"She can't do that again," Damon said.
"I know," Klaus said. "Has she talked much to you?"
Damon shook his head, "No. She's probably confused as hell about all of this. To be honest so am I."
"That makes three of us then," Klaus said as he sat down on a nearby boulder. "I don't want to lose her again."
"Kind of with you there," Damon replied. "So what do we do?"
"I have absolutely no idea…but I know someone who might." Klaus said.
.*.*.*.*.*.
"Hey Bella, two beers," one of the judges called out.
Bella brought over two beers and walked back behind the bar. It had been a couple days since Emmett had joined up. She had been avoiding everyone…mainly Damon and Klaus. She didn't want them getting into her head and figuring out she and Elena had teamed up. Elena had been searching for the Cullen's, but they had up and left their hideout.
"I know what you're hiding," Kol said, startling Bella to turn around and face him.
"What?"
"I know what you're hiding," Kol repeated, "You can't fool me."
"Okay," Bella played it cool and placed her hands on the bar, "What am I hiding?"
"Some very excellent Irish whiskey," Kol said, "Damon let it slip you had some and it knocked him on his ass."
Bella laughed, "I do, but it's my own personal stash," she confessed, "I'm kind of attached to it."
"Oh come on little Swan," Kol brought forth his puppy dog eyes, "Please…just a little."
"Well I suppose I could give you some if you want to trade," Bella said before leaning on the bar.
"What do you want?" Kol asked.
"Get Damon and Klaus to back off," Bella said.
Kol sighed, "You know they think you're going to do something stupid right?"
"Like what?" Bella asked.
"Oh I don't know, maybe go full on psychic combat with my mother to free all the other little Cullen's." Kol said.
"I don't even know where they are," Bella said, "So I can't do anything."
"Ah but you are tenacious," Kol comment with a roll of his eyes, "You know they really ought to give you more credit…you're stronger than you look."
"Thank you," Bella said before she pulled out the bottle, "Just remember…you owe me a favor."
"I have a feeling I am going to regret this," Kol said as he took the bottle.
"The whiskey or the favor?" Bella asked.
"Both," Kol said before he took the bottle back to his table, where he was seated with some college girls.
Tori walked in at that point…actually she hobbled in.
"I thought I told you to stay home," Bella said while looking at her in disbelief.
Tori had ended up in a car accident on her way to work a few days ago.
"I need the hours," Tori said.
"No," Bella said as she came out from behind the bar, "You need to go home and rest."
"I don't have any time built up Bells." Tori argued.
"Yes you do." Bella argued.
"You can't keep covering for me," Tori replied, "You'll lose money."
"You let me worry about the money," Bella said before she looked over her shoulder, "Matt, Rebekah, can you take Tori home please?"
"No problem," Matt agreed as he walked over. "You heard boss lady. March."
"Watch your back," Bella mumbled as Rebekah followed them.
"No worries," Rebekah replied before she walked out.
Suddenly Elena and Caroline walked in. Elena's eyes met Bella's and nodded.
"Jimmy," Bella called, "Watch the bar. I need to go do the orders."
Bella walked back to the office and Elena soon followed. She closed the door.
"I think I found something." Elena said, "Esther has to be pulling from some power source right? So I got to thinking and as Bonnie was looking for some spells I came across something in Emily Bennett's diary."
Elena handed Bella the diary with a page marked.
"The cemetery," Bella said after reading through it.
Elena nodded, "I think it's the power center." Elena pulled out a map of the town and unfolded it. "Look, here is where Esther turned Klaus and the others…here is where the vampires were locked away in 1864, here is where Esther did the spell linking everyone together, and there are several others like that where all those witches were killed…the cemetery is smack dab in the center of all of this."
Bella traced each spot back to the cemetery and thought about it all for a moment.
"Ley lines," she said.
"What?" Elena asked.
"Ley lines," Bella repeated, "They are thought to be mystical lines that run all around the world connecting ancient monuments and sites together. They are said to hold tons of power because they connect directly into the Earth and all the elements. Examples are like Stonehenge, the Pyramids, etc." Bella pulled out a pencil and started to draw, "Do you remember when we had that astrologer come and talk to us and he drew the formations of the constellations?"
Elena nodded.
"It's basically the same concept." Bella said as she drew.
When she was done she stepped back.
"A pentagram," Elena said.
"With the cemetery in the middle," Bella said.
"So we know where her power is coming from, but how does this help us find her?" Elena asked aloud.
Bella went back and drew a dot on the map where all the animals that had been attacked had been found. She drew on where she had been held and another where the Cullen's had been held up.
"They are here." Bella said after coming to a realization.
"What do you mean?" Elena asked.
"I mean they are somewhere in here." Bella repeated, "They can't go outside the circle if they do her power is null and void."
"Maybe we could lead them out," Elena said excitedly. "Her magic would cease to control them."
Bella shook her head, "No…she won't let them even get close to the border and even then if they cross back in, her magic could take over again. No we have to do it like I did with Emmett. At least now we have an idea of where to look."
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Elena asked. "I mean Bella you looked bad after Emmett."
"No one is going to tell me what to do." Bella said. "They coddle me Elena. I would think you of all people would understand why I'm doing this. I can't stand to be coddled. I can't stand to be pushed out of this fight. If I can do something so that there is less bloodshed then there needs to be then I'm going to do it. If you were in my situation, what would you do?"
Elena was silent.
"Exactly," Bella said, "You would be doing what I'm doing because you know it's the best option even though no one else sees that. Klaus and the others are so worried about me that they don't see this is a good plan. Sure I would love it if they backed me up, but they won't."
"You can't blame them for worrying Bella. We all thought you were dead. It was agonizing." Tears started to form in Elena's eyes, "And to know I had a hand in it…to know that I played a part…it killed me. I wanted to die. I didn't eat, I didn't sleep…I went to the bridge and I tried to jump, but Matt stopped me. They don't want to lose you Bella and neither do I. Please…talk to them before you do this."
Elena walked out and Bella sat down at her desk. Soon after, Kol walked in.
"You are a clever girl." Kol said.
"I thought the music was loud enough to cover our conversation." Bella stated with a sigh.
"Well it was, then the band took a break and I heard ley lines and I listened." Kol said after shutting the door and sitting down with her. "I knew you were hiding more than the whiskey. My brother is not going to be happy and neither will Damon."
"Klaus and Damon can kiss my ass," Bella snapped, "I overheard the three of you in the woods."
Kol froze.
"Yeah I know I'm sired to them and I heard all about their little plan to keep me occupied…turnabout is fair play." Bella replied.
Kol leaned back and sighed, "I told them not underestimate you. You are an oddity Swan."
"I get that a lot." Bella replied.
"So you really want to do this." Kol said, "Go head to head with my mother in the Cullens' heads?"
"You're mother doesn't scare me." Bella said.
"But you could die," Kol pointed out.
"I've already done that once." Bella said, "Death doesn't scare me…you want to know what scares me Kol…what terrifies me to my very soul is belonging to someone."
Kol raised an eyebrow.
"I devoted myself to Edward…I lost who I was because it's what he wanted…he wanted me to himself. Klaus and Damon and this sire bond, it terrifies me that I am going to go through that again. That is my definition of hell…losing myself because of someone else's will."
Kol sat there, shocked at Bella's confession.
"They don't want you to lose yourself." Kol said carefully.
"But they don't want me in danger either." Bella said, "When I did what I did with Emmett and suggested this…they didn't even give me a chance."
"They wouldn't hurt you Bella…not intentionally." Kol replied.
"Really?" Bella asked, "Then explain the other night when they forbid me from going through with this plan? I felt like I was suffocating. I felt like I was being forced down like Leah or Paul when Sam gives a command. I felt like I had no control and I didn't. I was being forced to bow down to their wills because they are my sires. They knew what the sire bond was and they still enacted their power onto me. Tell me that wasn't intentional." Bella spat.
Kol raised his hands, "Alright sorry…don't get upset and rip my throat out please."
Bella closed her eyes and took deep breaths to reign in her anger.
"Better?"
"No," Bella said, "It won't be better. Kol I can do this…I can take whatever your mother throws at me. If you all want to help me then back me up. Be on my side and trust me. I've always done that with you guys. I've always had that with Klaus. Is it too much to ask for the same thing in return?"
Bella smiled, "Thank you."
Kol paused at the door and turned back around, "Bella."
"Yeah?" she said.
"Why do you stick around?" Kol asked, "I mean why stay around us? You seem dead set on doing things your way so why not go in, handle it and then let what happens happen?"
"Because Kol I care about you guys no matter how pissed off I get at you guys." Bella sighed, "I don't want to have to go in this alone Kol. I don't want to face these things alone. I want my friends…no, I want my family to have my back like I've had yours countless times." She looked away at the thought of having no support from her family, "I'm not stupid Kol. I know I can't do this on my own and if I do, I will die." When she looked back at him, he saw a dejected glint in her eyes, "Like I said, death doesn't scare me. However that doesn't me I want to die. I want to know that you guys are in my corner." She finished before she looked away again.
Kol nodded and turned to leave.
"But Kol," Bella called back, "Just because I don't want to go in this alone doesn't mean I won't; that I won't risk my death to save the others. The problem here isn't me. It's Klaus and Damon not believing that I can do this. I get that they are scared to lose me, but if they keep doing this, if they keep trying to force me to bend to their will, then they will lose me and there won't be any coming back from it." Bella took a deep breath and met his eyes one last time, "This is who I am Kol. I will go to hell and back for the people I care about."
"And you care about the Cullen's?" Kol asked.
"Yes because while I could blame them for my family's death, I know they never intended that to happen. Besides, the pain I went through with them showed me how to be strong. It showed me that I can stand on my own two feet and that I can survive." Bella said, "I owe them for giving me that."
Kol nodded, stunned at her answers, and he left while trying to wrap his head around everything she said.
.*.*.*.*.*.
"Care to tell me why we are meeting here?" Elijah asked as he, Damon, and Klaus sat in a café one town over. "I mean we do have other pressing matters to attend to then to drink tea or coffee."
"It's about Bella," Klaus said.
Elijah sighed, "My god Klaus what did you do now? Or should I say what did you two do?"
Both men looked at him.
"I know about your little plan to keep her occupied." Elijah said, his annoyance was clear.
"There's more to it," Damon said, "She's sired to us."
Elijah froze for what seemed like minutes, "I'm sorry did you just say she's sired to you?" Elijah looked between them, "Both of you?"
"Yes," Klaus replied.
Elijah took a deep breath, "When did you find that out?"
"The night Bella moved out," Klaus stated.
"So the other night when you forbid her to go forward with her plan you knew exactly what you were doing." Elijah clarified.
"Oh shit," Damon mumbled.
"Elijah…" Klaus started.
"Don't," Elijah said in a low deep voice, "Don't you dare try to explain this away Niklaus." He warned, "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised given your past track record, but with Isabella I thought things were different."
"They are," Klaus argued.
"No they aren't." Elijah slammed his hand onto the table.
"Elijah we want your help in freeing her." Damon interjected.
"Only she can do that." Elijah replied while still glaring at both of them.
"She listens to you…you have respect for her and she respects you. Talk to her…help her." Klaus begged.
"You want me to clean up your mess," Elijah growled.
"No," Klaus said, "I want you to help me make this right."
"You do know the consequences of this?" Elijah asked. "She may never want to see either of you again."
Klaus and Damon were quiet.
"I see you didn't get that far. What do you think she'll do? Just forgive you?" Elijah asked mockingly. "I thought you were both smarter than that."
"Will you stop patronizing us?" Damon asked, "It's starting to piss me off."
"What is your game in all of this Damon?" Elijah asked, "Are you enjoying watching her drive herself mad? Do you even care about her truly?"
"I do, but I just don't know how much," Damon said.
Elijah shook his head and stood up, "You two are quite possibly the most selfish, inconsiderate, overbearing, mindless fools I have ever met."
"Where are you going?" Klaus asked.
"I'm leaving to go speak with Isabella." Elijah said and turned his back to them.
"Thank you," Klaus said.
Elijah stopped and turned back away.
"Make no mistake you two…I am not doing this for you. I am doing this for her, because she does not deserve to go through this kind of hell. Not after all she has already been through and sacrificed." Elijah growled before he disappeared.
"Well that went better than I expected." Damon said.
"Let's just hope he can get through to her." Klaus said.
.*.*.*.*.*.
"Bella," Elijah called out as he walked into the house.
"Garden," Bella said from outside.
Elijah walked out the backdoors and down to where Bella sat reading a book.
"You know I used to come here and read?" Bella said while not looking up. "It was always quiet…no one was ever around and it gave me time to think."
"Are you doing alright?" Elijah asked.
"Depends," Bella continued to read before she looked up at him, "Would you be alright if you were sired to two different people and those people tried to force you to do something you don't want to do? And instead of listening and trusting you, they decide what's best and take away your free will?"
Elijah sat down beside Bella.
"So you know," he said.
"Same night they found out," Bella said, "Kol, Leah, Rebekah and Jake, well they all know too. Although Kol and Leah and now you are the only ones that know that I know."
"I'm sorry," Elijah said.
"Why are you apologizing?" Bella asked, "You didn't do this. Technically speaking they didn't mean to do this, but the other night they knew they were trying to control me."
"Trying?" Elijah asked.
"I was resisting." Bella said, "Or at least I was trying to."
"You argued with them," Elijah said, "I've never seen that happen before. You have a strong will."
"You wouldn't by chance know how I could break this bond do you?" Bella asked.
"Sorry to say I don't," Elijah said, "Nothing is ever easily broken."
"Oh I wouldn't say that." Bella replied, "The dishes and vases seemed to break real easy when they were thrown against the wall."
"How bad is the inside of the house?" Elijah asked with a chuckle.
"More like it's just the kitchen and it is bad," Bella replied and shut her book. "They asked you to come talk to me."
"They wanted my help to free you," Elijah said, "But I dare say you are already starting to do that on your own."
"I want to rip their heads off." Bella growled.
"By all means none of us would stop you." Elijah said with a laugh.
"You don't get it do you," Bella sighed and stood up, "This isn't me. Wanting to hurt people I care about, I never would have done that. Elijah the more I'm here, the more I'm back, the longer I'm back, the more I realize I'm not who I was and I can never be that person again."
Elijah nodded, "I understand," he said softly. "This life does change us and it makes us do things we normally wouldn't do." Elijah sighed. "You know I thought I could keep control of myself…stay the same as when I was human…it didn't work out. You know of Tatia yes?" Elijah asked.
Bella nodded.
"There's something Klaus doesn't even know," Elijah said, "Our mother didn't kill her…I did."
Bella's eyes widened, "What?"
"I killed Tatia," Elijah's voice was tight with the confession, "I didn't mean to, but I did. I lost control all because I denied my nature. This is all still new to you and you haven't been able to explore it. Not just because of the impending danger my mother has brought onto the town, but because Klaus…all of us really, have refused to let you learn on your own. We are attached to you and fear losing you, but our fears are stifling you. We cannot teach you everything in this life…you have to find where you fit in…where you want to be." Elijah stood, "Perhaps when all is said and done, you should find out where you fit."
Bella sighed, "But you and I know I can't do that here."
Elijah nodded, "It won't be easy, but Bella you must do what is best for you now. That is the only way you will find what you want. The only way you can decide if you want to continue to live this life or if you would rather…" Elijah trailed off. "I know this is not what you would have chosen. I know you had no plans of living as an immortal and for that I apologize."
"It's not your fault." Bella said, "It's not even Damon or Klaus' fault. They didn't know."
"If there's anything I've learned in the thousand years I've been on this earth, it's this." Elijah looked at Bella, "What others want for us doesn't matter…what we want and what we can live with does matter."
"How do I go about telling them?" Bella asked.
"In any way you see fit." Elijah replied, "They don't understand…because they are not you. Yes to a point, Klaus and Damon can see your point, but they can't understand it."
Bella shook her head, "When did you know I was going to leave?"
"The night you moved out." Elijah said, "To be quite honest I expected it sooner…while we were in London actually." Elijah turned to leave, but stopped and turned back around, "Do promise me though that you will keep in touch with me?"
Bella smiled, "Of course I will."
"Then your secret is safe with me." Elijah replied with a smile. "I would say let Damon and Klaus stew for a bit though. I must say I enjoy watching them squirm."
Elijah walked into the house and Bella heard him as he started to clean up the kitchen. She returned to reading her book, attempting to forget her present circumstances…at least for a time.
.*.*.*.*.*.
In the living room, Kol waited for Damon and Klaus to return, which they did by nightfall.
"You're absolute idiots." Kol greeted as they walked in.
"What?" Damon asked.
"I said you two are absolute completely blithering idiots," Kol emphasized.
"I smell that Irish Whiskey," Damon noticed, "She finally gave you a bottle."
"For a price," Kol said and leaned forward, "One I will gladly pay because it is far overdue."
"Go sleep it off Kol," Klaus said, ignoring him.
"She's stronger than you two think," Kol said, "Stronger than any of us I would wager. She doesn't go down without a fight and perhaps instead of coddling her you two should start backing her."
"Whatever," Damon said.
"Do you two know what her worst fear is?" Kol asked, "I do. She told me…she told me lots of things."
"Oh really," Klaus turned around, "Do tell brother."
"Nope," Kol said, "Not until you two decide to stop being blithering idiots."
"And how do we do that?" Damon asked.
"By trusting Isabella," Elijah interrupted as he walked in.
"Did you speak with her?" Klaus asked.
"That I did and our conversation, much like Kol's, is privileged." Elijah said as he looked at his 'drunk' brother, who nodded. Elijah looked back at Kol's aforementioned idiots, "You two got yourselves into this mess. I suggest you grab a proverbial and begin digging your way out of it."
"You could start by putting what she needs above what you need," Kol said. "She doesn't need protectors. She needs allies."
"You want us to agree to her going head to head with your mother?" Damon said.
"She's going to do it either way," Kol said, "Better to fight with her than against her."
"We will stop her," Klaus warned.
"No you won't," Elijah said, "If it means that I must continually break both your necks while she goes against our mother I will do it."
"Elijah," Klaus said.
"NO," Elijah stated firmly, "She is not a porcelain doll Niklaus so stop treating her like one. If you do it, it is not the outside world that will break her, but the two of you that will."
"She could die," Damon said.
"She isn't afraid of death," Kol said.
"She should be," Klaus said.
"No it is you two who are afraid of her death," Elijah stated. "You cannot stifle her."
"I can't lose her," Klaus said.
"I dare say brother you may have already done that," Kol said before standing up, "But there may still be hope."
Elijah and Kol left together, leaving Damon and Klaus alone.
"I'm going out," Damon said and left Klaus alone to plan.
Klaus wasn't going to let her risk her life for him or for the others…not again.
.*.*.*.*.*.
Bella was behind the bar making drinks while Leah and Jake shot some pool. Matt needed the night off to study so she came in to cover his shift. Bella turned around to replace a few bottles of whiskey with newly opened ones. When it came time for her to turn around, Damon was sitting in front of her.
"Hey," Damon said.
Bella tensed, "Here to argue with me again? I'm not in the mood Damon."
"No," Damon said, "I was hoping maybe we could talk."
"Can't. Someone has to cover the bar," Bella replied and started making another order of drinks.
"Bells," Leah said while coming over, "Why don't you take a break, I can cover this."
Bella looked at Leah through narrowed eyes. Damon watched as they seemed to telepathically communicate and finally Bella sighed.
"Ten minutes." Bella said as she grabbed her jacket.
Damon and Bella left the bar and walked to the town square. It wasn't long before they sat down on one of the benches.
"What do you want Damon?" Bella asked.
"That's actually the question I wanted to ask you," Damon replied.
"Does it matter what I want?" Bella asked annoyed, "You and Klaus seem to have everything planned out for what I can and cannot do."
"Can you see where we are coming from?" Damon asked.
"Yes," Bella hissed, "I can, but I would think I've earned some level of trust from you."
"True," Damon said.
"Is this a game to you?" Bella asked, "Are you toying with me to get back at me and Klaus?"
"No," Damon said seriously, "In the beginning yeah, but it changed."
"When?" Bella asked.
"Before you turned," Damon said, "The moment I saw you I was attracted to you, then I got to know you and I can't explain it but it changed. I don't know if it was the back and forth banter, the conversations on the side of the road or at the cemetery, but it did."
"What about Elena?" Bella asked.
"I won't ever have her." Damon replied.
"So you come after me," Bella scoffed.
"I was coming after you long before now and you know it." Damon replied and forced her to look at him, "What do you want Bella?"
"Trust," Bella said, "It's not only what I want, but it's what I need right now beyond that I don't know."
They sat there in silence, staring at one another and finally Bella got up.
"I have to get back," she said and walked away.
Damon headed back to the house and found Klaus
"We need to talk," Damon said as he took off his jacket.
"My thoughts exactly," Klaus said, "I have a plan."
"No," Damon said and clenched his fists, "No more plans, no more using this sire bond against her, no more doing this."
Klaus stared at Damon in shock and then he glared at him.
"What?" Klaus growled.
A/N: Hey everyone I'm sorry I've been absent again. Been busy with class and getting my grandparents' house cleaned out. It's been a very slow process and has been taking a lot out of me emotionally so I haven't really had the heart to write. The good news is that is almost done and classes have slowed down a bit, but not for long.
Over spring break I cleaned up the outline for this story made some final decisions and now that everything is set and ready I'm hoping the actual writing part will come easily.
I've decided I won't be posting chapter 12 until I'm halfway through with 13 so please be patient with me.
Thank you to my beta Dark~Supernatural~Angel for all that she does for me. She is a wonderful friend and I'm so lucky to have her as my beta.
Thank you to all the readers I appreciate all your love and support you leave in the reviews. I love reading them so keep them coming.
Review you guys and let me know what you think!