Okay guys I'm sorry this took so long! Honeslty a lot of things have been happening in the last few week. I got sick like really sick, my beta got sick also. Lots of work and it was my birthday last Wednesday.

But don't fret things are back to normal. I promise this story is not death not by a long shot, I love writing this story it sort of like a break from all the work and what not in my life.

I can't promise though a weekly updated cause I'm swamp with work we haven a big event on september which you can check out at www (dot) e-con (dot) com (dot) mx /en which I'm organizing thats on september 30th so busy busy!

I would try to do my best and updated once a week but so far what I can promise is close to once every two weeks…we'll see how it goes.

Enjoy!

Chapter 12

"Hello Elijah…."

"Aria…" He greeted. She turned around to face him, finding him a few feet away standing behind a tree wearing his classic black suit. "I must say it was quite a surprise to hear you were looking for me…then again I always knew we would meet again..."

Aria stood still, silent, trying to stay calm. The last thing she needed was for him to hear her heart beating faster than normal.

"You look stunning as usual…now, why did you call me?"

"I'm ready to make a deal…"

Aria watched as his calm expression subtly changed to one of surprise being masked by a smug smile.

"Let's talk" She watched him extend his hand towards her, starring at him for a few seconds she slowly placed her cellphone on his palm. He smiled placing it into his inner pocket and motioning with his other hand towards the hill, a silent gesture to follow him.

Aria sighed and started the descend; she could feel his left hand on her lower back guiding her. It wasn't long before they had reached the road again, and she was surprised to find a black sedan with the back windows tainted waiting for them.

She didn't picture him every riding a car, seems like he always relied on his speed. As if sensing her thoughts, he speed opened the back door for her "I don't much care for cars, but I figured the occasion called for it"

She didn't dare look at him in the eyes; she simply walked past him and got into the back seat. A few seconds after he closed the door she found him seated beside her, watching as he compelled the driver to take off to whatever destination he had in mind for their little talk.

Damon downed the rest of the liquid before pouring himself another glass of bourbon. He could hear Stefan outside talking to Elena on the phone, he rolled his eyes, and how he wished he could drown out their conversation but as much as he tried their mushy conversation always came back to him.

"When are you coming home?" He heard Elena ask.

"Hopefully soon, we have to stay a bit longer, let's say things here just got a lot more complicated"

He circled the brown liquid around the glass, his stare never leaving the wall in front him. If it wasn't enough that he had to deal with their 'I missed you' and 'I love you' he now had to listen to them talk about him and Aria…seeing as how Stefan had decided to inform Elena of the new development.

Elena… He growled as he thought of her. He was in this mess because of her. That's how all of it started right? Well sure it started with Bella but Aria could be pissed off all she wanted about that, he knew her better than that.

The last thing Aria wanted to do was to save Bella but she was too stubborn to admit it, hell if he was going to apologize for that…. but she had to pop into the conversation.

Elena…Each day he saw more resembles between her and Katherine, it seemed that after years, days... Katherine and Elena still seem to wreck havoc in his life.

"oh my god do you still love her?"

Aria's voice rang in his head; It pissed him off that she would think that. She was the one he ran to after the whole Katherine fiasco, she was the one he ran to after the whole Elena thing… even if he didn't admit it to himself from those moments it was her… it had always been her.

Angrily he downed the glass of bourbon in one shot, his mind wondering to one particular memory….

It had been two weeks, but her words still lingered in the back of his mind 'It's always going to be Stefan…' why? Why couldn't he have someone, why did Stefan always have to get everything…?

He was wallowing in self pity he knew, no scratch that he was angry… pissed off at Elena for playing him and he felt like a fool after all, what was that saying 'fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me', he was pissed off at the world and he felt like ending it all.

But then out of nowhere he remembered her… Aria and his whole being felt like escaping, escaping it all… that was exactly what he was going to do…

He threw a few more things into a duffle bag, for the love of god he didn't understand why he was even packing to begin with; he could easily just buy everything he needed when he got there. Still he felt like, maybe this was the proof Stefan needed to realize he was serious about leaving Mystic Falls for a week, or two… after he so bravely confronted him yesterday afternoon.

"So it's true? You're leaving?" He suppressed the need to growl at hearing her voice, the last person he wanted to see or hear right now.

"Yes Elena, why wouldn't it be true?" He rolled his eyes, grabbing a few things from his desk and closing his bag.

"Damon don't do this…please" Begging, she was begging now? He scoffed, ignoring her pleads he grabbed his bag and headed downstairs towards the door, Elena following closely behind.

"You can't go to her Damon" He stopped and turned to face her; a scowl set on his features.

"Do tell why not Elena..."

"She doesn't belong in our world" Our world? so now it was their world, he knew she was referring to the whole supernatural world, and how once you got involved with witches, vampires and werewolves your life sure ends up being a mess but he couldn't care less right now… she was different.

"And you do? That's the pot calling the kettle black. You're just as human Elena, except you're just a pathetic little girl, she well" He smirked "no comparison".

He saw a flash of pain cross briefly in her eyes and his smirk grew.

"I know you're hurting, I get it but please Damon! Don't mess with her"

"Please, you're over reacting" He sneered "As usual..."

Deeming the conversation over, he turned and grabbed the handle of the door when her last words made him boil with anger

"I'm trying to protect you! Her lifestyle? She doesn't belong here, with you. I don't want you to get hurt."

"No you don't want to lose me" He sneered, Elena flinched taking a few steps back "Well guess what Elena you chose Stefan! So why can't I have my happy ending…huh?" He shouted, his eyes turning a darker colour as he took a few steps closer to her, trapping her against a wall

"Your no better than her you know… than Katherine, just at the mention of someone else you come here trying to change my mind? So in a screw up way you can have both of us" Her eyes quickly avoided his, he could see it in her, in her look…. guilt and remorse.

"This time I won't fall for it, I won't be the puppy following the master just waiting for some attention"

With one last look he picked up his bag and left the house…

Damn it to hell… she was right… Aria was right… he deserved better, and Elena never loved him, but was indeed playing him she was just too stupid and naive to admit it.

…Aria

Hell even after that event and everything else Aria still doubted his feelings. He didn't love Elena not anymore not for a long time….he started falling out of love with her after that conversation.

He heard the door close and a few seconds later Stefan stood in front of him, blocking his line of vision.

"Damon… it's been two hours are you going to go look for her?"

But all Stefan was met with was a blank stare, he sighed looking at his cellphone as he try to dial Aria phone again.

They had driven for about half an hour before reaching this unknown location. As Elijah compelled the driver to wait in the car for as long as necessary, he kindly instructed Aria to go into the house.

So here she was looking around the large three floor house she was brought in, very stylish very modern. Still she had no idea a house so beautiful existed near the area.

The ringing of a phone caught her attention as she watched Elijah enter the house with her cellphone in hand.

"This is the third time it has rung, it seems your cellphone is always interrupting our talks…." He smirked.

"Aria over here!"

"Look over here please!"

"I love you!"

Aria smiled, and waved while she signed a few autographs at a meet and greet her assistant Kelly had set up. She finished signing the last autograph and posing for a photo, when she turn around she was startled to see a tall blond man standing there with a black and white photo of her.

"Where did you-"

"Sorry to startle you, maybe I can have your autograph?" The mysterious apparently now British man asked. She was sure he just appeared out of nowhere, still politely grabbed the photo and proceeded to sign it.

"To whom shall I make it?"

"Elijah" She frowned…She was sure she had heard that name before, then again she did meet up with a lot of fans daily, surely she was being paranoid.

She handed him the photo, her gaze lingering on him for a bit trying to understand where had he come from, she heard her cellphone ringing her gaze settled onto the screen before ignoring the call completely intended on focusing on him again only to find him missing…

/

Today was definitely a long day at work, artists after artists, song after song. Aria locked her car and made her way towards the door, feeling as if someone was watching her she quickly turned around, quick enough to catch a glimpse of a blur then he was standing in front of her again…the man Elijah...

This time there was no point in him denying it.

"You're a vampire"

Elijah looked annoyed that his charade was over and Aria wished Damon could be there to protect her, but she knew that was wishful thinking Damon was in Mystic Falls with dear old Katherine.

"What do you want from me?" She watched Elijah approach her with purposeful strides.

"You see I'm in a dilemma where I need to kill someone, in fact I need you to kill someone for me… a vampire named Klaus"

"Wh-what?" He was crazy he had to be, her kill a vampire? Did he not know she was human, why her…. why did he want her? She took a few steps back but his long strides caught up with her in seconds.

"You're crazy I'm not killing anyone! I don't think I can even kill a vampire! I'm human!" She couldn't, he had to know that, but seeing his angry expression she regretted her previous comment. Maybe it wasn't the brightest idea to anger a vampire...

"You will kill him!"

"I can't" She mumbled

She considered running, but he seemed to have read her mind and in a flash he tried to grab her by the neck, the next thing she knows his hand is burning, and she's watching as his flesh suddenly start to sizzle and burn.

She watched him as he took a few steps back, watching with wonderment as his hand started to quickly heal.

"You're deeper into this than you realize… and sooner or later you will agree to my proposal"

In the blink of an eye he was gone; all that was left in his place was a card with a phone number…

"I didn't understand it back then… why you left the card, why you wanted me?" She said, and Elijah watched her with curiosity, curious to know why she had called him after all this time….

"How a mere human could help you kill a vampire. Didn't know who this klaus you spoke of…was"

She had been thinking it for a while, little pieces started to fall into place, when Damon mentioned Klaus and Elijah and the whole deal with the doppelganger she knew what he meant, when he said she was deeper in this than she thought.

"And then your hand and how it burned…."

She didn't understand what had happened with his hand, there was no sun, no explanation why it had burned like that… but then her powers had been acting up the last few days and after what she did to Damon… what if she was the one who made it burn?

"Your powers have been growing…" He explained to her. He watched as Aria's head rapidly shot up looking at him with surprise.

"Yes" She replied.

He had waited a long time for her… and then he waited a few more years for her powers to grow… now finally he could go on with his plan

"We need each other" She said

"How do you figure?" Elijah smiled at her response.

"You want to kill Klaus and apparently I'm the only one who can do it. I want to know what you know about me, about my powers… I want to make a deal"

"It is said that a deas word is a rare a precious thing. A promise to withhold the deal until it's fulfilled…" Elijah said, his word carrying a deeper meaning that Aria wasn't sure she understood.

There it was again this whole dea nickname… only her grandmother called her that, yet lately everyone seemed to be calling her by that nickname… did it have something to do with what she was?

"I can't tell you everything I know about you" Elijah said watching with intrigued eyes her reaction "it would be better if you hear it from them…." Them? As in more than one, Aria was sure she heard wrong... Were there more like her? "But I can tell you what I can if you give me your word that you will help me kill Klaus"

Somehow she knew that if she gave him her word there was no turning back, this wasn't a simple pinkie promise… her instincts were on full alert. A part of her warned her not to do it, but the other part… The part that was winning was thinking back on the promise she made to Jacob, on her sister… her family but most importantly on Damon words.

"On one condition…." Said Aria.

"You're not seriously considering it are you? Killing her or letting her be killed by the Volturi?" Esme questioned.

As soon as Bella had fled her sister's house she made a U-turn towards the Cullen's house. She was too shaken up from what had happened that it was a wonder how she could tell Edward what happened...

He was furious of course, that her sister had harmed her, but Bella couldn't stop thinking and seeing her sister's glare so full of anger and hatred; she had never seen her like that.

Now as it had been a concurrent occasion in the last week and with the Volturi visit nearing, there she was, once again in another Cullen meeting.

"No, but refusing them on the spot would had made things much worse" Edward calmly replied.

"I don't think we need to worry about letting her be killed, I think the Salvatore's have that end covered." Emmett interjected.

"Yes, Damon is extremely protective of her, but he's not strong enough to kill them, not with their extra abilities." Jasper said always the one with reason.

"We have more present matters at hand…." Carlisle said turning to look at Bella "Are you sure you want to do this?" He said

She knew Carlisle was referring to her transformation; Bella could feel all eyes on her. Was it wrong for her to still want to get her way with all that was happening?

The little voice in her head told her that it was now or never… this is what she wanted an eternity with Edward, an eternity of happiness and love by his side….

"Yes, yes I'm sure" Bella saw Rosalie scoff obviously upset with her decision she turned around and left the room.

"Well then, I think we should be more worried about Aria. Why is Aria so important to them, this can't be a coincidence." Jasper said and everyone nodded; it was indeed unsettling that the Volturi had taken such interest in Aria.

"Bella, you must try to keep this a secret, we don't want the Salvatore's or your sister learning of the meeting, only bad things can happen if that comes to pass." Carlisle said

Bella nodded, after what happened she had no desire to even go near her sister… something was definitely off about her...

"What about Aria being killed?" Edward asked

"We'll just have to take it one step at a time…" Esme said

"We both know making Aria and the Salvatore's leave will only result in them digging more into the issue, and the Volturi won't leave either until they're sure she's dead." Carlisle said

"So what other option are we left with?" Bella asked

"That's easy; we request some unusual help, when time comes. You think Jacob would help us?" Carlisle asked Bella, as all eyes were set on her.

Aria watched as Elijah paced around the room, thinking about her proposal. She could sense it and see it in his eyes. He didn't find her proposal ridiculous but was rather enjoying the fact that after all these years here she was ready to make a deal.

"You drive a hard bargain…" Elijah said

"So do you…" Answered Aria.

He stopped pacing, suddenly standing in front of her. His gaze was intimidating yet Aria held her ground – her eyes just looking up into his hard ones. "Do I have your word?"

"Do I have yours?" She retorted. She saw him leer at her, offering her his hand to seal the deal.

"You have my word" He smiled. Aria took a deep breath her eyes lingering on his outstretched hand; with one last deep breath she took it.

"Then you shall have my word as well" Elijah smiled his eyes twinkled with delight as he kissed her hand. For a vampire, he still remained and acted surprisingly like a gentlemen…something not seen very often these days.

It was done.

He was leaning against the window just waiting; he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't worried. It started with him leaning on the fireplace, glass of bourbon in hand while Stefan worryingly tried to call her again and again.

A couple of hours later it was him pacing in the living room and of course more drinking involved, but not that he was drunk. Stefan had gone as far as calling Charlie who after quickly checking who knows why with Bella he knew nothing of her whereabouts, but offered to send out a patrol to go look for her; Damon knew they wouldn't find her.

When the clock marked one o'clock in the morning he caved, and much to Stefan's relief he called her and after the fifth call he even went as far as leaving a sort of apologizing -even though he shouldn't be the one apologizing- message.

After the eighth call and an almost full voicemail, that's when the worry sunk in. He had a bad feeling, the kind that was irksome… the kind that got him to Forks in the first place.

"Hey, still no sign of her?" Stefan walked into the living room taking a seat on the sofa.

"Oh yeah, yeah Stefan that's why I've been standing by this window this whole time"

Stefan frowned, watching as his older brother rolled his eyes at him and focused on the window again. "You don't have to be so snarky, none of this would have happened if you just went after her, or…or apologized sooner like I told you!"

"Why because that's what you and Elena do? Well guess what Stefan, Aria and I are not like you two… in fact you don't know squat about our relationship" Damon angrily replied, god he hated it! Elena, Elena why couldn't he and Elena butt out of his life for once and for all…

Riling up Damon was never a good decision, but that's exactly what he had always needed in order to get his brothers true feelings out in the open. He wasn't questioning what they, him and Aria had, in fact he was grateful that Aria had come into their lives... at least she could keep Damon in line.

But there was something weird about the whole fight and how Damon only started to worry when the night was almost over and Aria was nowhere in sight…. it was now seven in the morning and Aria after 16 hours was still nowhere to be found

"Oh really Damon and what kind of relationship is that? Mm? The kind where you don't care what happens to her?" Damon furrowed his brows, clenching his glass of bourbon tighter trying to ignore his brothers words whilst keeping a vigilant eye on the street "Or the kind where you only worry about her after 10 hours of her being missing?"

"Shut it Stefan you think you know everything don't' you?"

"Oh! Wait, I got! Is it the kind of relationship where she always comes back to you, where she has to be the one fighting for you?" The minute those word's had left his mouth, he knew he had hit a nerve. Sound of shattering glass and he found himself pressed up to the wall.

After sealing the deal with Elijah, he was kind enough to drive her back to the cliff. And she just sat there for hours just thinking about everything, anything…most importantly thinking about the deal she had just made.

In fact it was probably the only thing on her mind, and even as she rounded the corner and spotted her home a couple of houses down it was still all she was thinking about…

"On one condition" Said Aria

Elijah looked surprised, taken off guard

"And what condition is it that you wish to established?"

"Do you know of a clan of Vampires named "The Volturi"?" She had to give him props for the expert poker face, but he wasn't quick enough to mask his feelings before she caught on to them. She was happy to know he disliked them. "I'll take that as a Yes"

He scoffed "The Volturi, such insignificant beings…think they rule the world, our race…how wrong they are"

"How do you know them? Why do you let them advertise themselves as the all mighty"

"Three hundred years ago when we were free to go out and create chaos in the world, we thought it would be fun to build an empire for ourselves. And so we started assigning trustworthy people and posting them in certain cities you know starting our own little army; strength in numbers and what not." Elijah shrugged

"The Volturi where one of them" Aria stated.

"Yes, of course it all went downhill once the humans start learning about us, how to kill us and everything changed. Humans were hunting vampires and while we were out there adverting the crisis and killing hunters… the Volturi where building their little covenant and experimenting."

"Experimenting?"

"Trying to be stronger… more pardon the pun, more original." He smirked "They manage to acquire some of our blood and started testing, trying to create a race that will be able to walk in the sun like us no magic required… and so they sparkle not quite what they expected

"And they created hybrids, sparkle in the sun, special abilities." Aria trailed off….

"Yes… and yet not even close. Like I said such insignificance beings…"

"So why keep them alive? Why not I don't know… rip them out of everything." Aria wondered, why would the original put up with them?

"They tend to be useful on the information department, only reason they're alive. I'm sure you didn't ask about them to get a history lesson from me."

"I didn't…their part of my condition… I will help you kill Klaus if you keep my family, friends and loved ones…yes that does include Damon safe."

"From them? They're not that strong or scary for the matter"

"I'm not finished…"

"Do continued" Elijah inquired

"My sister's boyfriend is a vampire…"

"Seems to run in the family" He smirked

"Apparently… but she happens to have in mind to be turned into a vampire… long story short she got on the wrong side of the Volturi and for some reason they want to see her transformation - they're coming in two weeks."

"I see… and you want me too?" Elijah questioned

"Stop it" Aria stated

"Of course…I can do that…as long as you keep your end of the bargain. So do we have a deal?"

"One more thing…. you have to free Elena of her previous deal with you" Elijah's brows furrowed, clearly not liking her suggestion and losing his back-up plan

"No-"

'"You wanted her to stop Klaus, you have me now…those are my terms"

They stared at each other for a few seconds; Stefan watched the river of emotions cross his brother eyes: anger, confusion, love, worry. A flash of vulnerability before his hard cold eyes were starting briefly at him again, the next second he was across the room.

Damon couldn't look at Stefan anymore; of course he was right he was Saint Stefan the righteous. That's all he had been thinking in the past couple of hours.

"I just kept thinking you know… when the sun came up" Damon softly said, running a hand through his hair.

"Thinking what?"

"That, that was it you know?" He smirked, but Stefan could see it wasn't his typical smirk it was a pitiful one "That it was over… and that I had ruined another relationship…"

"Look I-"

"What Stefan you're sorry? I don't need your sorry! I don't need your pity" He shouted, "What I need is her! What I need to know is why she didn't come back! When she always does!"

And there it was… what Stefan was fishing for. "Damon… you, you can't expect her to be the one always coming back… I think Aria just needed to know that you have her back" That's when he realized how much Damon and Aria were connected, for his brother to be losing it like this it was Katherine all over again.

"I have her back!. What? Just because I don't want to save her sister she goes all runaway on me?" He had her back, he always had. "Please…" He scoffed "I know her, that's the last thing she wants to do"

"You keep saying that…look just do it for her? It's her sister Damon I think it affects her to know that you would do anything for Elena and her friends and everybody else but not for her you know?"

God... he knew that, Aria said so herself but he just knew it was bad business meddling with her sister; he was doing it to protect her.

Stefan watched as his brother's head snapped quickly to the left his eyes focusing on the driveway; he could have sworn he saw a look of relief.

"She's back…" He mumbled

Stefan frowned, looking at the window to find nothing…

"I don't see anything Damon"

Stefan could say whatever he wanted, Damon knew she was back any minute now she would walk up the driveway…he could feel it sense her even. He didn't know whether to feel relief that she was okay, angry for the whole thing or freak out at their whole connection thing, which seemed to be growing.

And when he saw her walk up the driveway, when he saw her walk through the door and as their eyes connect he wanted nothing more than to kiss maybe have some angry sex with her… but something was holding him back…

Something was terribly wrong…

"Where were you?"

"Damon! I thought we were going to be calm about it" Stefan begging him with his eyes not to start another fight with her.

"Out…not that you care or anything"

"Oh cut the crap Aria, Look I'm sorry okay we'll save your stupid sister if it means that much to you"

When Aria looked at him she stole his breath away, it was not a happy 'I'm glad you changed your mind look' but rather I'm disappointed in you look and it was killing him knowing he had caused her that…

"You could've said that earlier…." She smiled sadly, her eyes avoided his and Stefan's, to interested in looking at the floor "Don't worry about it Damon"

"Don't worry about it seriously?"

"You were right; let her do whatever she wants"

"Wait, wait you just left for 16 hours gods know where because you had a fight with Damon if I remember correctly mostly because he wouldn't save her… and now that he agrees your against it?" Stefan said

Damon watched with interest, she wouldn't look at him or Stefan looking everywhere else but at them, most importantly at him. He should be jumping for joy that maybe she had realized what he had being trying to say or make her realize all along….

He should be glad she dropped the issue and maybe they could go home and spend some time without Bella's drama…

But he knew her better and all his fears and bad feelings he was having most importantly all his anger came rushing back…

"What did you do?" He growled.

Stefan snapped looking at Damon like he had grown a second head, not understanding his brother's sudden furious mood

"What? Nothing I told you - you where right we-" Damon banged his hands against the wall; one hand on either side of her head, trapping her to the wall she gasped not only at the sudden movement but at the emotion she was seeing in his blue eyes and getting from him.

In that moment as much as she wanted to hide from him, she couldn't lie; the anger and hurt showing clear as day – he knew she was keeping something from him and for once Aria couldn't keep up the façade with the way his eyes were glaring down into hers…

"I-I-made a deal with Elijah"

Okay so there! chapter 12! I hope you enjoy it! I just wanted to say I want to keep hearing from you guys! Your reviews make my day they reminded me I should keep writing and that you guys are in fact reading and enjoying the story so leave your comments!

Any ideas on what aria is? we're so close to knowing part of what she is. I would love to hear your suggestions to the story especially on aria damon scenes *wink* *wink* which we are also close to an awesome awesome scene.

To does who review but don't have an account thanks for he review and here's my reply to your review :)

suzi: finally here it is! hope you like it

LeEvilOne: well I guess your answer to your elijah questions is answer in this chapter lol. It doesn't seem that Bella is the one to figure things out… but mom after this chapter maybe aria needs some cooling down to? who knows lol.

MISSteriosa: nice call on why the volturi are still high an mighty! :) I like your thinking is certainly going to twist things elijah coming into the story with damon and aria being sort of on a fight.

Right on! on the whole damon loving katherine, you might be on to something about damon and aria possibility of being destructive later on who knows… I like your opinion on the matter. I think that although your reasons for going out of his way for elena are valid and probably 100% true… katherine was a selfish bitch and although her replacement was elena….she still seems to be doing what katherine did all those years ago but in a more naive/innocent way. So i think that maybe aria at first was a rebound but I think he learn to move on, when damon falls in love he's like falls hard is blinded by love and I think aria is the same way to… those swan girls do same to fall hard so on that note maybe they are good for each other… just a thought lol…

btw there might be some more flashback to when they were kids ;)

So there! Thanks to all who review hope to hear your thought on chapter 12 too :)

Will try to do my best to update chap 13 next week.