A/N : by the way in case I haven't mentioned it yet all the outfits Bella is wearing are in my profile. Go check them out people!

Chapter 12 : Mystic court – meet and greet

"Chief Swan?"

A woman's voice called. We both turned around and saw a blond woman, a bit shorter than dad dressed in a simple black cocktail dress.

"Yes, that's me. And you are?"

"Chief Elisabeth Forbes, call me Liz"

"Hello Liz, please call me Charlie, and this is my daughter Isabella"

"Nice to meet you Chief Forbes and its Bella"

"Before we go I need to talk to you both. Let's have a quick lunch"

Dad and I shared a look and followed her to the dinette part of the hotel. We sat down and ordered. She seemed a bit reluctant to start talking but got over it soon. She said that for the past months people started to turn up dead.

As she talked I had the sneaking suspicion she was leaving something out and there were a lot similarities between these animal attacks and our animal attacks last year. That's when she said she hadn't informed the rest of the town's council that she invited us, well Charlie, here to help. She would tell them after tonight's party. I raised an eyebrow at that but dad seemed to accept it and agree. If anyone asked she and dad are old police academy buddies and she invited us along since we were in the neighbourhood. Yeah 3 days away neighbourhood.

That's how I ended up in the bathroom trying to convince myself this was going to work and that it does not include vampires. Just a crazy animal. I took one last breath, fixed my hair and makeup, texted Angie and Mike and went back outside. Chief Forbes had ordered us a shot drink to get the spirits up. The excuse?

"I don't do black tie events"

Dad chuckled and raised his glass, I smirked. That thing did not look healthy. Frankly it had the colour of wet grass. They both gave me a look and i raised my glass. Yuck, that was nasty. It had the taste of wet leaves and I noticed dad making the same face I did when he drank it. I had to drink some water to clear my mouth. After settling the bill she took us outside to her cruiser. Yay another ride in a cruiser, why can't I take my own car again? She drove us to a really big house. It was named Founder's Hall and tonight the town's people were supposed to elect Miss Mystic Falls.

She sounded proud to inform us that her daughter, who is in my age, was going to compete. She led us in and introduced us to a few people.

First was the local mayor, Richard Lockwood, a man in his 40's. His wife, Caroline, was the one organising the pageant. A man called Jonathan Gilbert who didn't look like he believed chief's story on dad and me but let it pass and a younger man called Saltzman who is the local history teacher. He looked as if he ate something sour when chief said my name, Isabella. I had given up on correcting her every single time she called me by my full name.

I decided to walk around as chief was telling dad about the local gossip and who is who. My attention was drawn to a couple on the other side of the yard that were people watching as mom and I used to call it. I nearly choked on my soda when the girl (who seemed to be in her late teens or early 20's) said she would be a runner up for Miss Mystic in 1864. It can't be. Maybe she meant something else? But then her companion, a young man also looking in his early 20's said that nostalgia's a bitch. yep, she did mean 1864. I have no idea how I could hear to what they were saying in the distance between us but I definitely made sure to keep listening. On a whim I took out my cell phone and quickly snapped a photo of them.

Were they alive in 1864? And probably around the same age too since the girl would be a runner up. Before I could get lost in my thoughts a boy came up at me and started talking. When he took a breath he identified himself as Tyler Lockwood.

"Lockwood as in Mayor Lockwood?"

"My dad, do you want to give me your number now or later?"

I just stared at him for a moment and then started laughing

"Does that line ever work?"

"Always.. Most of the time... sometimes... one or two ... never. maybe for you?"

He stammered and ended up laughed along with me

"I'm Bella Swan"

"You must be new in town"

"How do you figure?"

"I'd have dated you already otherwise"

'Great, shiny new toy all over again'

"Are you always this full of yourself?" I asked laughing

"I'm number 1, babe"

"Ok then number 1, I'm gonna go this way why don't you go the other way?"

I suggested and walked away, still chuckling, the out-of-time couple had vanished. I looked around see if I find them again but I couldn't. I went up to dad, who seemed to have fun or at least be comfortable while talking to mr. saltzman.

"Hey dad, mr Saltzman"

"Hey Bells"

"Bells?"

"I prefer to be called Bella rather than Isabella"

He looked relieved for some reason and then started talking about sports again, no wonder dad seemed in his element here. I excused myself to go to the bathroom and was directed downstairs near the stair. Once again I could hear his voice. The man that was talking before. This time he was talking about a guy named Stefan to a woman called Elena.

"Stefan is still drinking human blood Elena"

oh,oh. I left the bathroom and headed back outside to clear my mind and met the girl from before talking to a boy around my age or maybe a little younger, she was confronting him

"You were using me to turn you into a vampire so you can be with someone else."

I gasped and brought the eyes of the girl on me as she was looking around. I smiled politely and started looking at the crowd once again turning my back on them. At that moment the mayor's wife gathered the people saying the pageant girls would make their appearance. I stood next to dad. When a pretty blond girl came a smile found its way on the chief's lips. I guess she was her daughter, Caroline Forbes as a woman called and then came a pretty brunette. Elena Gilbert who was accompanied by a guy called Stefan Salvatore. Elena? Stefan? The names I heard before. Quickly I snapped one more photo of this Elena girl. I had a feeling I was going to need them. I was looking as the man from before went to her and murmured something. This was Stefan? But he mentioned Stefan before. A twin brother maybe? I watched as the couples made their way outside and started dancing. As they passed in front of me my scar started burning again. I rubbed it and pressed my iced soda against it. It stopped burning as they walked in the yard, however I couldn't look away. I guess that man must have felt my eyes on him because when they stopped dancing he looked straight at me.

I held his gaze for a few seconds then my traitor blush made his way over my face and I looked on the floor. I needed to get out. I haven't felt so flustered since Edward was looking at me from across the room in cafeteria last year. I murmured to dad that mom was calling and I needed to go out and answer, he nodded and I was out the door.

I leaned against a car in parking lot as I took a few deep breaths. What's wrong with me? I really need to get my act together because if I'm right then we're in a lot of trouble. Apparently there is no animal around here responsible for attacks.

As the sun was going down I heard voices and being the curious child that I am I followed. A man was standing in front of a blond girl whose neck was bleeding, he leaned in and ... was he drinking from her?

"I'm sorry. I'm not very good to be around, right now. I'm a little bit on edge. I've been drinking the human stuff, and it's really screwing with my head. She knows now! She wasn't supposed to find out! I didn't want her to find out! Now everything's ruined!"

"You seem sad."

"I'm not sad... I'm freakin' hungry!

I was unable to move or even hide. I stood there watching them.

"I don't hurt people. I don't do that. I'm the good brother."

"Do you want to hurt me?"

"I want to kill you! I want to rip in to your skin,.. and then I want to feed on your blood,.. Under your skin... pulsating, flowing... your carotid artery... right there... If you puncture this, just right, you can control the blood flow. Takes practice, but it doesn't have to make a mess. You don't have to waste any."

"What's stopping you?"

"If I do this, If I give in, there's no going back."

She was standing there, bleeding and calmly talking after what he just said? What the hell is going on? Even I would move, not stand there making polite conversation. This time not only I snapped her photo but also his.

He leaned in and whispered something to her and she seemed to realise what was going on and started running away. Finally!

After giving her some time he jumped and was standing in front of her again. I'm pretty sure I was completely white as I watched him drink again. I was having flashbacks for my fight with James as I kept watching. Soon or maybe hours later the couple that was dancing, Elena and that guy came outside and tried to calm him down. Elena called him Stefan. So that was Stefan, I thought. After a few rounds of him and the brunette guy hitting each other, a black girl appeared behind them and a few moments later Stefan was on his knees holding his head as if he were in a great amount of pain. As soon as the pain was over he looked at them and took off running. The brunette man kneeled, looked straight into the eyes the blond girl and told her something.

Then called someone and Chief Forbes came running with my dad who was in full police mode. After questioning Elena and the black girl (who lied through their teeth) she allowed the girls to leave. She turned to the guy and spoke to him. Dad looked dumfounded, nodded and took out his phone to call me.

As I was walking towards the car I realised I was shivering and wrapped my arms around my torso. I couldn't shake what I just witnessed out of my head. We met in front of Chief Forbes cruiser to take us to the hotel we'd be staying for the next 2 weeks. We were all silent. She left us there saying she'd come by around 9 to get dad to work. We nodded and went inside.

Dad took some time to fall asleep but I couldn't. I opened my laptop and saved the photos I took at the party there. I also made copies of them and put them in the little memory stick I have in my keys. After mailing my friends and giving them a much more boring version of my evening I opened my diary and started writing.

Dear diary

This is not what I expected. I'm in a hotel room in a small town in Virginia, yes finally we reached our destination and while a part of me wants to grab dad and make a run for the airport to get him in safety again a larger part of me stops me.

There is no animal attack. Yes I already knew that but I didn't want to believe it. Today at a local pageant competition (no comments on that) I heard and saw something.

First there is a man called Stefan Salvatore who drank from a girl's neck. He didn't kill her but didn't change her either. The same man runs at an inhuman speed to get away and didn't seem human at all to me.

Then there is another man whose name I don't know that he informed a girl that this Stefan is drinking human blood again, and who by looking into the bitten girl's eyes did something to keep her quiet.

There is a girl called Elena Gilbert that knows all that

There is another girl, an African - American one that did something to stop Stefan and helped the other 2 to cover it all up.

There is a girl who in 1864 was going to be in the competition and a boy who wants to be changed into a vampire by her.

what the heck?

I know how vampires look like and these people don't fit the description.

Vampires are supposed to sparkle in the sun and these didn't. They looked as normal as I do.

They are supposed to have this bell like sweet voice the cullens have but these people don't.

They're supposed to have strong and cold skin but I don't know about that.

They are unable to eat or drink and I saw them drink but maybe they were gonna cough it up later?

Last but not least since when you can bite someone without turning them or killing them? I remember clearly what happened when James bit me. Where can I get more information? Even when I confronted Edward I already knew,

I just needed a confirmation. I can't go up to them and say 'Hi I think you're a vampire, are you?' Somehow I doubt that's gonna work. But... I have their names, maybe I can do some research. The library should have enough to fill my curiosity. And if they actually are vampires why are they different than the Cullens?

I stopped writing feeling as if I were being watched & I decided to hide my diary in the most obvious place. Under my pillow. I did my best to fall asleep but kept dreaming Stefan attacking that girl, James attacking me and the brunette man that caught my attention.