Chapter 9: Change Could Do You Good
Bella's Point of View
I woke up in some run down house and my head was killing me. I started to feel around and found an envelope with my name on it. I opened it up and read;
Dear Bella,
Please forgive me for what I have done, but there was no other way. Katherine was going to kill you and you are the only one who can stop her. She would never have seen this coming. I know why you never wanted to be turned and I hope one day you can forgive me. The necklace you are wearing is a lapis lazuli enchanted so like the others you can go into the sunlight. You need to feed soon or else you will die. I know right now you would rather choose death than this, but I pray you will see the bigger picture. If you don't stop Katherine she will destroy everything and everyone. I know you think I betrayed our family by choosing Katherine, but I did it to protect you. Her compulsion didn't work on me and I had a choice either let her know and watch you die or play along. I know it's because of me you never wanted this life and I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you when they died. Please forgive me Sororcula.
Always,
Frater
I dropped the letter and tried to breathe even though I didn't need to. How could this be?
(Flashback 3 years ago)
"Chris what in the hell is wrong with you?" I asked
"Leave Bella." He said his eyes cold.
"No, you are my frater, my brother, tell me what is going on." I demanded.
"I am not your brother any more I belong to her." He said pointing to a girl that looked like Elena.
"Come to me Chris." She said.
I grabbed Chris' hand and glared at the girl, "You leave him alone." I yelled.
Next thing I knew Chris used his power and threw me against the tree, "You are not my sororcula (sister), I have no family all there is, is her." He said and walked to her.
I watched as the girl's face changed and she drank from my brother.
(end flashback)
I felt like I was going to puke. I knew he had turned into what that girl was, but I never knew it was Katherine until Stefan showed me her picture. The day Chris choose her over our family we erased any physical evidence of him at the house and now here he was trying to help me. My mind was rushing with a thousand thoughts, but I could feel the fire in my throat and I knew I needed to feed.
I ran to the nearest hospital and raided their blood bank. After I had fed I called my grandmother.
"Hello?" she answered and I could tell she had been worrying.
"Grandmother before you say anything is anyone there at the house with you?" I asked.
"No; I'm alone. Bella where are you?" she asked.
"I'm on my way home now." I said.
"Damon said he found a puddle of your blood and that there was no way you could survive losing that much blood." She said starting to cry.
"Grandmother let's not do this over the phone." I said.
"Fine I'll see you when you get here." Grandmother said and we hung up.
Damon and Stefan had told me once that when they turned they had to rely on their instincts and that's what I did. I got home about an hour after I talked to Grandmother. I tried going into the house, but I couldn't; that's right I'm a vampire, can't go in without an invitation.
I rang the doorbell and Grandmother opened it, "Oh my dear." She said. She knew what I was. "Come in Bella."
I walked in and immediately she pulled me in for a hug. "Grandmother you need to sit down." I said.
I told her everything; how I was killed, who did it, but I left out the letter.
"I can't believe this." She said. "Bella we have to tell the others."
"NO." I stated firmly.
"Bella you have been gone for two days; everyone thinks you're dead even Liz Forbes." Grandmother said to me.
"Well tell them I needed some time alone." I said.
The phone rang and Grandmother went to answer it, "Hello." She said.
"Rebecca, Damon just told us what he did to Bella and everyone is mad; he ran off and he left his ring. Please come to the boarding house and help." Elena said quickly.
Grandmother looked to me and I nodded, "Elena I'm on my way." She hung up, "What are you going to do Bella?"
"Go find the idiot." I said then mumbled, "There goes my alone time."
I followed Grandmother to the boarding house and waited until she tossed Damon's ring out the window; then I went to the one place he said he would go if he ever chose to die.
Damon's Point of View
It was my entire fault; if I hadn't been such an ass she would be alive. There was no way Bella could survive losing that much blood. I had come clean to everyone and they hated me as they should; I hated myself. I had a plan to somewhat redeem myself; I had taken my ring off and I was here at the quarry waiting for sunrise. Somewhat fitting I suppose, this is where I was born into the vampire life and this is where I would die. Bella had trusted me and I betrayed her.
"What do you think you are doing?" someone said behind me. I turned and saw Bella, but it couldn't be; "Well are you going to answer or just stand there catching flies?"
I shook my head, "You're not real, just a vision due to the booze and guilt." I said taking another swig of jack.
"I thought you don't feel guilt about anything." she said leaning against a tree.
"I lied, just like I lied at the hotel." I said and took another drink.
"Thought you said you would never lie to me." She replied.
I stood there for a minute and figured I might as well come clean to the imaginary Bella, "Yes well after I bit you I felt completely guilty and I hated that I hurt you so I lied to protect you. It was for the best since I'm no good for you."
Imaginary Bella sighed, "Damon you have no right to decide what is good for me and what isn't."
I drank some more and said, "Well doesn't matter now you're dead."
She laughed, "Well you're partly right." She said and in a flash was in front of me taking the bottle from my hand and taking a drink herself.
"How did you?" I asked swaying.
"You can thank that psycho ex of yours Katherine; she killed me." Bella said taking another drink, "But I'm not completely dead."
"Are you….." I trailed.
"Am I vampire; yes. Pearl's blood was still in my system when Katherine killed me." Bella said.
"Are you really here?" I asked still not able to believe it.
She came over and kissed me, "If I wasn't would you be able to feel that?" she asked.
"No." I replied.
She smiled, "I want to try one more thing." And I nodded in agreement.
I she put her hands on my collar and next thing I knew I was thrown into a tree.
Bella was standing above me in a flash, "If you ever decide you know what's better for me than I do I will stake your ass myself; do you understand me?" she glared.
I got up and decided if the new little vamp wanted to play we would so I used my strength and pushed her against the tree.
"Bella do you really think you can overpower me; I'm 166 years old." I asked smirking.
"Yes Damon, but it's obvious that sometimes wisdom doesn't come with age." She said and I flung back against a tree. "I still have my witch powers Damon." She walked over to me and let me go. "Now no more games," she held her hand out and opened it up revealing my ring, "It's your choice Damon, but I know you aren't truly evil. Now you can either put this ring on or you can throw it in the quarry. You better decide quick because the sun is about to rise." She placed the ring in my hand and started to walk away.
"Bella." I said and she turned to look at me. I slipped my ring back onto my finger and ran to kiss her.
She kissed me back, "Not as dumb as he looks folks." She whispered against my lips.
I laughed, but I had to get serious, "Bella are you alright?"
"No." she said.
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.
"Not right now, but soon I will tell you." She said.
The sun started to rise and I realized Bella was unprotected.
"Bella we have to go now." I said.
"Damon," she said and I turned to watch her pull a necklace out from under her shirt; it had Celtic symbols and in the middle was a lapis lazuli.
"Did you plan this?" I asked.
"Yes I planned for that psycho to kill me." She said sarcastically.
"Sorry." I replied.
"It's alright, we can't change anything, but we better get going and help Grandmother calm everyone down." She said and we ran to the boarding house.
It took a while for everyone to calm down, but once they did it was back to kicking my ass. Bella stopped them saying the only person who was able to kick my ass was her. The Cullen's had decided to leave for a few days to visit their friends in Alaska; apparently there was a wedding so I had Bella all to myself. Everyone decided it was best if Jeremy, Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, and Matt stayed at the boarding house since Katherine was back.
Bella and I were lying on my bed when I asked, "Bella how are you adjusting?"
She sighed and sat up, "It's all so different; everything is so much clearer."
"Clearer?" I asked confused.
"It's hard to explain, but I think it's because I'm a witch. This is going to sound weird, but it's like I can see the essence of everything." She tried to explain.
"Like and aura?" I guessed.
She sighed in frustration, "Not exactly; my head hurts just trying to explain it."
I pulled her so she was lying down next to me again, "Then don't think about it; you need to sleep Bella." I said and kissed her forehead.
She yawned, "Sleep sounds good." She said.
Soon she was asleep and I followed suit. When I woke up in the morning Bella was gone and I wondered if it had all been a dream.
A/N: Okay so what do you think; was Damon dreaming or is Bella really back and if so where did she go? Let me know what you think.
