I do not own Twilight or Vampire Diaries.
Salvatore Home
The next morning
Damon's arm rested behind his head as he watched his mia Bella sleep peacefully next to him as he thought over the last couple of weeks.
Finding his mate after seventy five plus years made Damon finally feel complete. The empty feeling inside him that made him yearn for something more, something he never understood that made him act irrationally, definitely mean and more importantly selfish was gone.
Caring for someone else other than himself was new. Yes, Damon cared for his brother but he had also hated his brother and tortured him over the years. No it was not hate exactly, he was jealous and insecure and it wall because of Katherine Pierce, the one woman who had used him and his brother for her own selfish needs and wants.
That time in Damon's life was passed him. Damon knew the moment he met his mia Bella that all the pain and emptiness inside was gone. Stefan, his younger brother had paid the price all these years and Damon knew it was time to be a better older brother.
The older brother all those years ago that loved and cared for Stefan before when they were human and their father was rotten and abusive. Before Katherine had come into their lives, Damon needed to allow himself to feel, to accept the new person he was now.
Damon Salvatore, a worthy individual, worthy of the love he felt from his mia Bella and the sense of family she brought to him.
Damon smiled again thinking of time he spent with his wife before she fell asleep. Bella had been aware there were vampires in the house before her transformation, now however she could hear better and knew they heard their lovemaking all those days. It made Bella blush to think about it and Damon enjoyed Bella's blushes that much more.
"Hey, what are you thinking about that has you looking so serious," asked a groggy Bella.
"You and how my life has changed since I found you, nothing bad," replied Damon.
Bella yawned, "How come I don't believe you. You look pretty serious to me."
"Mia Bella, you know that I was not a saint before I met you and I told you how I treated my brother. I was just thinking of how I could change that and make him…well happy."
"Damon, you do make him happy. He sees how happy you are and that makes him believe he can be happy too. Once Elena is back, I'm sure things will work out. It may take a while but if they are meant to be together, they will. Besides Alice hasn't said otherwise."
"About Alice, apparently she and her family will be moving into a house in Mystic Falls. All of them."
"I thought as much, why are you are surprised. Did you really think Alice would allow me far from her after all these years? I knew something like that would happen. She is my best friend after all."
Damon rubbed Bella's arms as he pulled in closer to him, "I had not thought it about actually. I never got that close to anyone before. I knew Jasper but we never hung out all that much and well Stefan and I never stayed long enough in one place together. This past year has been the longest I've stayed with Stefan. Now that Elena will be back in the picture, I'm not sure how to handle it."
Bella yawned again, "You mean if Elena and Stefan end up living with us in this house?"
"Well there is that possibility. I mean more of how to deal with Elena and how she will deal with us. She has not been the best of girlfriends as far as Stefan goes if I am honest."
"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it, I'm hungry and getting grumpy so let's go eat and hope that helps me feel a little more human for a while. I do not want to start drinking more like you seem to do when you get grumpy," teased Bella.
"I told you alcohol seems to keep the cravings in check. I can't explain it; ask Stefan he will tell you. Although he can't go around drinking since he's not twenty one in the human world."
"I know and thank goodness I am over twenty one," Bella paused. "I used to think I wanted to be younger when I finally became a vampire. I am glad it all worked out the way it did. I would not like having to be seventeen all my life. Sorry Caroline, I know you can hear me."
The soft "I know Bella and I don't mind really. I do look older than most of my friends and I get to having this rockin' body for the rest of my life. Oh, I don't think you're old or that you don't have a rockin' body. Well never mind I hope you understand."
"I do Caroline, I do. Meet you downstairs."
Bella turned to Damon, "you know how weird that is right, to be able to hear someone down the hall and talk to them?"
Damon smiled as he entered the bathroom, "you get used to it."
"I hope so," muttered Bella as she followed Damon into the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Downstairs in the kitchen
Stefan was making a pot of coffee and wondered if he should continue to make a special cup of coffee for Charlie and Liz when he heard Alice call out to him, "Yes, don't stop they can make up their mind later but we still have to worry about Katherine for a few more days."
Stefan said, "Well that answers that question."
Damon and Bella entered the kitchen with each one taking on a task that would allow their human eating guests to have a wonderful breakfast.
"What question was that Stefan?" asked Damon making conversation even though he heard what Alice had said.
Bella had heard the conversation and looked strangely at Damon questioning his reason for asking a question he already knew the answer to.
"Bella if we don't talk aloud, it seems strange to humans when we are around them. Call it practice, you need to think like a human and ask questions even if you know the answers because you overheard a conversation. It would seem strange to be in a room of humans and talk to them about something you were not supposed to know about because you overheard it," replied Stefan.
"Good answer bro, I was trying to figure out a way to explain it," added Damon.
"Got it, pretend I didn't overhear a conversation and act human," stated Bella.
"For the most part going about your normal daily life is the same; you just need to practice the art of conversation around humans. I guess it would be good practice for when you go back to teaching," added Damon.
"Huh," muttered Bella. "I had not thought about that. Should I get a job, do I need to get to go back to teaching? Do we need the money? What do you do Damon?" Bella started with a list of questions that kept her occupied until her human parents entered the kitchen.
"Hi Dad, Liz did you sleep okay?" asked Bella smiling.
Charlie was uncomfortable with the question asked, "Why do you ask Bells, then realized Bella could hear everything and muttered, Never mind I don't want to know."
"Just practicing making conversation. I need the practice apparently or so I am told," replied Bella smiling.
"Bella needs to act human and well…never mind," said Stefan as he notice how red Charlie and Liz were with the conversation.
Caroline entered the room with a bubbly smile and said "Good morning mom and Charlie. I understand you slept well." Then she broke out giggling along with Bella.
Damon just shook his head.
Jules and Mason entered the room. Jules added, "I have never slept so well in all my life. I love the bed and have to get one."
This comment made all the others in the room burst out laughing which confused Jules and Mason until Damon explained the conversation about "Sleeping Well" to them which made everyone in the room laugh again.
After everyone ate they met with Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie in the sitting room for their routine morning meeting before they made plans for the day.
Alice started by saying that Elena and Bonnie were safely back and staying at Bonnie's house until they felt better. Alice explained they had a lot of human emotions to deal with and the space would do them good.
Alice happily explained that Klaus and his family had left Mystic Falls so the threat to Jules and the others was no longer an issue so it was safe for Mason and Jules to return to the Lockwood's mansion with the agreement they would pass along the news of the curse to all their werewolf friends.
The news that Katherine was still an issue made it impossible for Charlie, Liz and Caroline to return home. It would be a few more days before Alice would agree to let them leave without fear of retaliation from Katherine.
Liz was afraid of facing Katherine after what she had done to her and her daughter and agreed it was better for them to remain at the Salvatore home.
The news that the Cullen's would be moving into their own home in Mystic Falls came as surprise to everyone but Damon and Bella. Jasper explained that their parents would arrive in the next couple of days and they needed the time to clean up the old place as it had been empty for almost twenty years. This left Damon and Stefan alone with their new family members and Charlie and Liz time to adjust to their daughters being vampires.
"We will see you in three days," announced Alice as she was leaving with Jasper. I expect you to have come up with a story as to why you are all living here instead of at the Liz's place. It needs to sound believable and be prepared; Mrs. Lockwood and a few others on the council will be asking questions. I don't think you want to be caught off guard with those questions."
"Thanks Alice," replied Bella before she turned to her family.
"I think you need to call someone about your infestation at the house Liz. It would explain why you are living her and not at your house," offered Charlie quickly thinking of a plausible answer.
"Yeah, that would work but won't they know it's a lie when the pest control company doesn't find anything?" questioned Liz.
Caroline shook her head, "No they need to believe that you believe there is a problem. You can blame me if you want. You can say I saw something and when I threw a fit, you had to make me happy by leaving."
Liz just shrugged, "Ok let me make the call."
Damon added, "I could make the guy believe there is a problem and make him do all kinds of things to get rid of the pests."
Bella asked, "Do you think that's necessary? Is that going a little overboard?"
Stefan and Damon looked towards Liz, "you know how this town works, everyone knows everything and unless you are hiding something everyone will know. So no I don't think we would be going overboard. If what Alice says is true, the town council will know something is up if I don't go back home soon." Replied Liz
"Well okay then, Damon go do you thing. Oh can I watch you do? I would really like to know how to do it?" asked Bella.
"You can do it and if it doesn't take, I do it again after," replied Damon smiling at his very eager wife.
"Son, you're a dangerous man you know that?" stated Charlie as he smiled at Damon.
"Thanks Dad, I appreciate that. It means you care", replied Damon.
It turned out the ruse of the infestation was exactly as Alice had warned, one of Liz's neighbors had been concerned with her health after learning of her accident the day of the founder's day celebration and had been trying to visit with Liz off and on over the past week and began calling the police station to find out if Liz had returned to work.
The council learned of Liz's disappearance and began to wonder what happened to her and Charlie. When Liz and Charlie showed up at the next council meeting they were interrogated and made to prove they were still human as a rumor of their demise had been circulating around town.
Carol Lockwood was the one heading up the instigation to make sure the Chief of police was still human. Carol's fears of vampires had grown excessively after the death of her husband.
It was Mason and Jules, the new council members that had helped Liz and Charlie by standing up for them during the questioning form the more radical council members. Dr. Meredith Fell was even called in to prove they were still human.
After providing sufficient evidence that Liz and Charlie were still human, the couple began to think of an exit strategy should they ever need to employ it and how to keep their family safe. More talks with Alice would certainly be helpful.
The council also announced that a new family was moving into town and that Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife had purchased a home and made a substantial donation to the hospital so they could acquire some new equipment that the hospital had been unable to afford. Carol Lockwood, the recently appointed interim Mayor praised the young doctor and his wife for their donation and suggested a dinner to welcome them to the neighborhood.