Wow, just wow… You all amaze me! Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed this story the last chapter had a phenomenal response! I can't reply to reviews very often, but I do read each and every one and am truly humbled by them all! So, thank you.

I do not own any recognisable characters.

Unbeta'd so any mistakes are purely my own.

Chapter 21

Lend an Ear

Bella P.O.V.

Damon broke off from me with a barely repressed growl much to my confusion. Why was he stopping? Had I done something wrong?

"Bella? Didn't you hear me? He's a vampire!"

Okay now I got it and I was just annoyed as Damon, but I wanted some fun too and I knew Damon would play along.

"Edward can you not take a hint? Get lost, I'm busy." I responded not taking my eyes off Damon, but I unravelled my hands from his hair, my hands travelling to his broad, muscular shoulders instead. I could feel that my lips were swollen and that I had slight stubble burn on my chin.

"He's dangerous Bella, he's a vampire." Edward repeated himself.

"Don't be ridiculous." I frowned turning to look at Edward, Damon shifted to stand behind me, his arms wrapping around my waist. "There's no such things as vampires, right? And even if there were Damon has blue eyes."

Damon was kissing and licking my neck making it hard to focus. He was obviously trying to annoy Edward further, it looked as though he was succeeding.

"Bella he is, he is a different type of vampire, a Night Walker." Edward was stepping closer now.

I looked over my shoulder at Damon just as he exposed his vampire face. "You found out my secret Wildcat, he's right, I am a vampire, I am dangerous, I am a creature of the night."

"And annoying, melodramatic, egotistical."

"Sexy, funny, handsome." Damon said his face still displaying his darker side.

"You knew!?" Edward groaned out, his jaw clenched so tightly that I was sure had he been human he'd have one heck of a dental bill. "How can you be near him, he's a monster, a killer. Come with me, I'll keep you safe! I'll protect you!"

"Well out of the two serial killers that I have dated – wow, I think I may have a problem…"

"Oh, you do have a problem Klutz." Damon added for me with a smirk in his voice. I rolled my eyes in response.

"Oh well. Out of the two of you, he's managed to keep me the safest. Please, please, listen to what I say Edward. I want Damon. I. Do. Not. Want. You." I said as clearly and decisively as I could.

"He's controlling you! They can do that you know." Edward was not letting it go.

"No, they can't. Or they can, not me though. My minds my own, remember?" I rolled my eyes this time out of genuine anger though rather than playfulness as it had been with Damon.

I opened my mouth to speak again when there was a mass exodus from The Grill. Out piled all the Cullen's followed by all my family and friends, including the human ones; Elena, Jeremy, Alaric, Matt and Jenna. My heart swelled with love for these people.

The Cullen's all went to stand behind Edward whereas my family and friends surrounded Damon and I. If it wasn't for the fact that I was so annoyed the Mexican stand-off we had going on would have been amusing. I almost sniggered at seeing only seven of them and the eleven of us though.

"What is going on here?" Jenna asked after a minute of tense silence.

"Well Edward is trying to get me to leave Damon, he thinks he's dangerous and is going to hurt me." I said, not taking my eyes off the Cullen's who of course hadn't changed at all.

"We've all warned her. It's no use." Caroline said and I could literally hear her eyes rolling in her head.

I gently elbowed Damon as he growled. "Enough Toothless, not helping."

"Ouch Wildcat." Damon muttered sarcastically.

"You all know?" Edward asked visibly shocked.

"I told you, I don't lie anymore Edward, I don't have to." I said slowly hoping, probably unrealistically, that some of this would sink in. "I'm not going anywhere, I'm happy here."

"She really isn't leaving." Alaric agreed with me, his voice hard.

"Bella, I know you think that you know Damon, but the things he's done, the things he is capable of…" Carlisle implored me.

"I don't know everything. Five hundred years of life is long enough that I'm pretty sure that I'd never know everything. Damon's told me some though and so have others. I know Damon and as much as he annoys me, I like him, he doesn't scare me, he makes me happy." My voice was becoming as angry as I was.

"He's killed people! He eats people!" Alice said sounding scandalised.

"He is a vampire." I said as slowly as I could as though talking to someone with a very low IQ. "And F.Y.I- "

"For your information." Damon supplied for me making the others around us chuckle slightly.

"He doesn't have to kill people to eat."

"Bella –" Carlisle tried again but this time I cut him off. I'd had enough, my buzz was being ruined.

"I've really had enough of defending myself and my choices now to people who a year ago couldn't give a damn. Now, why exactly are you here?"

"I had a vision, Laurent is going to find you and drain you." Alice said her eyes and face full of sadness, too little, too late, pixie.

"Well you're too late, Damon's already killed him and the others." Matt said and I fought a groan at that. Damon however had no such restraint.

"Urgh… Well done Quarterback." He snapped.

"What?" Matt asked obviously confused as to what he'd done wrong.

"Others, what others? I only saw Laurent! There are others trying to get you?" Alice frowned and rubbed her head as though she had a migraine.

"Victoria." Jasper said quietly as though he was thinking out loud.

"Ding, ding, we have a winner." Damon bit back sarcastically.

"But…" Edward stuttered his stone face arranged into a frown.

"I told y'all!" Jasper said sounding annoyed. "I told you that she'd be a problem. Bella, I'm sorry, for everything."

"It's all good Jasper. It's not your fault, I never blamed you for anything." I said. "Now if that's everything, I have to get back to the party."

"We can protect you Bella." Alice said as I started moving to leave.

"So, can my family here and they won't leave me when it gets hard." I said sadly, trying desperately to believe it was true. Despite everything I still had hang ups, but I was working through them.

"If she's got more working with her or has turned multiple people Bella one vampire and a witch isn't going to cut it. And that is with no offence meant." Jasper said.

I looked back to the family and friends surrounding me and once more they had my back.

"That's not all she's got." Stefan said, his voice hard and mean for once, he stepped forward and showed his darker self, Caroline shortly following suite.

"Werewolf!" Tyler held his hand up with a smile.

"Vampire hunter." Alaric supplied. "And we're all training together."

I grinned as wide as I could at that, at this amazing show of support. My heart almost felt as though it would burst at the love I was feeling for my wonderful friends and family. "So, as you can see, I'm good. Now, goodbye." Once more I turned to leave, still with a smile on my face.

"Touch her again I will tear you to pieces." I heard Damon growl out, his voice was furious and turned to see that Edward had taken a step towards us.

"Again? Edward what's he talking about?" Esme asked sounding worried.

"I'd like to see you try." Edward replied ignoring his 'mother'.

Quicker than I could see Damon had gone from behind me and was in front of Edward. His motions were so quick that I would have no idea what was happening if it wasn't for that awful grating, tearing sound, it was like metal being torn or ripped.

Just as quickly Damon was back by my side holding out something pale and vaguely shiny in his hand while Edward had collapsed on the floor with a screech of pain.

"I thought, maybe he might listen to you if I brought you his ear." Damon smirked at me holding up Edwards right ear. It was slightly disturbing.

"Next time I ask for something sparkly, try jewellery." I teased as the Cullen's looked on completely shocked into stillness. They looked like marble statues, all but Edward who was shrieking on the floor.

Jasper was the first to recover looking from Damon to me with a frown before finally looking at his 'brother' and raising his eyebrows. A moment later and Edwards shrieks had died down to whimpers, obviously Jasper was using his mo-jo on him.

"Edward, Damon is stronger than you, faster than you, he's got almost four hundred years on you and you can't read his mind. As you just saw if it came down to a real fight then it would be quick, and you'd lose." I said sharply, avoiding the eyes of the Cullen's, I could almost feel their shock and disapproval over my attitude to Edward being dismembered in front of me. "Now did Edward not tell you Esme? Last night Edward came to my home to talk, I asked him not to talk to me a certain way, I asked him not to touch me, he touched me against my will, so I hit him. Obviously, I hurt my hand and it bled. Edward tried to drain me, Damon, Stefan and Bonnie saved me." I smiled at my three saviours Bonnie the only one who smiled gently back.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Carlisle asked his 'son'.

"He's ashamed." Jasper supplied for him.

"Be that as it may, Damon, there was no reason to rip off part of my son!" Carlisle said while examining the leaking wound where Edwards ear had previously been.

"A) I know you don't know me, but I really don't need a reason. B) Despite nearly draining Wildcat he thinks he can protect her better than I can, or he did anyway. C) Isabella here has explained several times that she has no desire to even see Dickwad let alone leave with him. D) I don't give any fucks at all, he comes near Wildcat again I'm burning his ear. The next thing that'll go he won't have two of. Like his head for example." Damon said his voice pleasant as though discussing the weather.

Although I had been warned by multiple people about this side of Damon, including him, I had never seen it myself before. I was happy to note though that it didn't scare me, though it did send a shiver of something down my spine that I was more than willing to wait till later to examine.

"Surely Bella, now you can see just what kind of monster Damon is!" Alice said looking to her husband for support. I didn't think she'd make any headway with that though. To me it kind of looked like Jasper was on the fence along with Emmett and Rosalie. Those three, although shocked, seemed to be watching the events play out rather impassively. Almost a bit blasé about the whole thing.

"Yup, sure can." I replied. "The kind that protects those he cares about, instead of walking away and leaving, doing nothing, giving up, he fights for what and who he wants Alice. So yes. I do see exactly what kind of man Damon is and I like it."

I walked away for the third time with nothing left to say.

"Hey Bells? I get why Damon calls you Wildcat but why do you call Damon Toothless?" Emmett called after me, I could hear Edward hissing at him, probably for talking to me. The evil woman who broke his heart and had his ear ripped away for good measure; sigh.

Jeremy was the one who replied, as observant as ever. "She's the only one he never bares his teeth at." My family and I – minus Damon of course- all laughed at that as we headed back into the Grill to finish our night. I felt at peace, like I'd put a small piece of my past behind me and I truly hoped I never saw Edward Cullen again as long as I lived. Though seeing as how my boyfriend had his ear that was probably hoping for too much.

~0~

The next day was thankfully Saturday and for once, although I'd slept late, I didn't wake up with a hangover. I'd stopped drinking after karaoke though still managed to get in a couple of hours more fun before calling it a night.

"Morning Wildcat." Damon announced opening my bedroom door and bringing coffee with him. Got to admit the man knew me.

"Morning, did you stay the night?" I asked sitting up and taking the offered coffee. "Thanks." I had thought that I hadn't been drunk when Damon had dropped me home with a chaste goodnight kiss. Though I'd also thought that he'd then gone to his home.

"Nope." He said sitting down on the bed next to me. "I thought what better way to wake up than with your wonderful, doting boyfriend bringing you coffee?"

"My wonderful, doting boyfriend could have made pancakes too?" I smirked before taking a sip of the heavenly nectar that was made exactly as I liked it.

"And my gorgeous, tempting girlfriend could have greeted me naked. Unfortunately, we're both disappointed Wildcat." Damon quipped back. Though something seemed off, something wrong with his joke somehow.

"What's really the reason Toothless?" I asked, hoping he'd speak with me. Though asking Damon to open up was like asking the brick wall why it wasn't talking back.

"Can't a boyfriend just bring his girlfriend coffee in the morning without an ulterior motive?" Damon asked much too innocently.

"Probably, but somethings up. I can tell. Spill it."

Damon sighed. "I wanted to see if you were mad or not."

"Why would I be mad at you?" I asked confused. Waltzing into my bedroom unannounced was fairly new but not that bad that I'd be angry and with Bonnie, Caroline and Elena around I was already use to it.

"Really Wildcat?" Damon raised his eyebrows. I must have looked as blank as I felt because he elaborated for me. "That lovely, glittery new paperweight you've got on your desk."

"Oh that?" I said, now clued in.

"Oh that, she says? Yes, I ripped your ex's ear off in front of you. Are you not mad with me?" I could see real worry behind Damon's mask that had slipped slightly, I could also see him steeling himself for something. A lecture maybe? An angry tirade?

"No. I'm not mad. You did warn him, a lot. And you are vampires. I can't exactly hold you to the same morals I hold myself to, can I? I mean, if I rip off a body part of someone who pisses me off they couldn't reattach it, it wouldn't grow back, they couldn't eat something to feel better in a couple of hours. As much as I don't really see us as different species when we're together we are and for your species what you just did was normal, if not a bit tame." I tried to explain myself.

"You are so fucking awesome, you know that Bella? And just a bit weird." Damon was smiling his real smile again and looking a bit starstruck, it was melting my insides once more.

"Thanks." I said sardonically while rolling my eyes.

"Seriously Wildcat, I just…"

I cut Damon off, knowing how he was feeling without him having to open up in a way that was uncomfortable to him. "I know what you mean. You too." I then sat back again and raised my coffee. "This is amazing though, thanks."

"You are welcome." Damon leant over and kissed my forehead tenderly making me smile before I got up to brush my teeth so I could get a proper kiss.

After I'd finished in my bathroom I could hear Damon speaking to someone in my room, curiously I opened the door to find out who was there.

"She's right here Charlie, hold on." Damon blurred next me and smirked as he held out my phone.

"We need to have a talk about you answering my calls." I muttered as I took the phone.

"Chill, I checked first. Didn't want to keep your dad waiting. Got to make a good impression after all." Damon smirked again at me in response to my playful glare.

"Hey dad." I answered my call.

"Hi Bells." Dad sounded amused, not good. "Damon's answering your phone again, trying to make a good impression? Is there something you want to tell your old man?"

I groaned down the phone. "Dad, Damon is my boyfriend."

"Ha-ha! I knew it! When did this happen?" Charlie was much too happy about this for my liking.

"Two days ago." I replied extremely embarrassed. "Take it he doesn't need to make a good impression after all then?"

Damon was grinning at me earning himself another eye roll.

"Not really. I spoke with him quiet a few times when you were 'friends'." I could actually hear the air quotes he put around the word friends. "He's a good guy, I like him. Don't tell him that though, it's nice to hear him make the effort." Too late dad, Damon could hear every word and was currently grinning like a fool. "You two are good together. Saying that, be careful Bella, okay?"

"Huh?" I asked confused.

"Don't give up everything, don't give up your other friends like you did with Edwin. And yeah… uh… be CAREFUL. I'm not ready to be a grandfather yet, okay?"

"Oh god. Dad…" I felt myself blushing bright red and turned myself away from Damon's wriggling eyebrows. "I have to go."

"Sure you do." Charlie was chuckling. "Give me a ring tomorrow."

"Will do. Bye." And with that I hung up completely mortified.

"Your dad approves of me." Damon said from behind me, his voice gleeful.

"Yeah, he's always been a bit strange." I joked though my heart wasn't in it. I knew I was going to have to do it. Have 'the talk' with Damon and I was really battling my insecurities to try and do it. If Damon left me… Well I had my friends and family still. But Damon was my best friend and I desperately didn't want to lose him. Surely though he wouldn't leave me just because…

Damon stepped in front of me and raised my chin to look at him snapping my out of my thoughts. "Whatever's going through your head is going to give you another panic attack Klutz. Sit down, take a deep breath and talk to me."

I nodded and sat on my bed, moving over so Damon could sit next to me again.

"I'm going to have to get you comfier sheets Klutz, these are nylon and scratchy." Damon frowned down at my bed. "Now take a deep breath and tell me what's going on it that beautiful head of yours."

"Urm… I… I'm…" Another deep breath; Damon wouldn't leave me over this. He wouldn't It would be okay I was being stupid, ridiculous, over a word. That's all it was really, a word. "I am a virgin." I announced. I looked over at Damon whose face was arranged into his mask, I couldn't tell what he was thinking at all.

"Wasn't expecting that to be what had you flipping out but okay." Damon's face then twisted into a wicked looking smirk. "Oh Wildcat, I have so much to teach you."

"Look, I'm sorry if this bothers you- "

"Wildcat why on earth would it bother me? Sure, sex is amazing, and sex with me is even better but it's not everything and you know, knowing I'm going to be the first guy that ever goes there is a turn on." Damon said bluntly making me unsurprisingly blush.

"I'm not ready for sex yet." I blurted out while looking away from Damon, I didn't want to see the look of disappointment I was sure he was wearing.

"Isabella." Damon's smooth voice caressed my name softly. "Hey, look at me." I obliged and looked at him only to see an uncharacteristically gentle, open expression on his handsome features. "Then we wait. Do not think Isabella, that I don't want this, want you just because you want to wait. If seeing me partially dismember your ex in front of you doesn't put you off, then believe that you being a virgin certainly isn't going to change my mind about us." And with that my fears disappeared.

"Thank you." I breathed out.

"Don't be silly Wildcat. Now get your sexy ass dressed, I'm taking you for lunch."

"You're taking me on a date?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

"No Klutz, I'm taking you for lunch. You'll know when I take you on a date Isabella." He placed a gentle yet fiery kiss on my lips that left me wanting more before leaving the room at his normal speed.

~0~

I had a fantastic afternoon with Damon at a nice little bar in Richmond that also served food, it reminded me of a smaller Grill with a slightly darker atmosphere. We laughed, joked, ate and played a hilariously one-sided game of pool. After beating me seven balls down to non, Damon promised to teach me how to play one day.

He dropped me off home with a passionate kiss before dinner with a promise to cook for me tomorrow night at his house. It filled me with nervous anticipation.

I'd got a message while I'd been out with Damon from Caroline informing me that her, Bonnie, Elena and I WERE having a sleepover tonight. She suggested her house as her mom had the night shift. So I went in packed a rucksack with all the essentials for a sleepover as had been taught to me by my new girl friends.

As I was leaving my room I looked between my two sets of keys before grinning and picking the keys to my bike. I'd rode it a grand total of once without Damon there to help me and instruct me. However, I was confident that I could ride it without injuring myself or the bike now. Confident enough that I took the long way to Caroline's, a grin on my face the entire ride there.

I knocked on Caroline's door unable to wipe the grin off my face, I really loved riding and I didn't think I'd ever be able to pay back Elena, Jeremy, Stefan and Damon for it.

"Hey!" Care answered the door and ushered me into the living room where the others were already sprawled out with snacks, sodas and an assortment of movies. "Go get changed and then come back! Quick B! You have some explaining to do!" Caroline ordered, I rolled my eyes, the smile still present and went to comply, changing hurriedly into my comfy pyjamas.

When I came back and sat my self on the floor in a grouping of cushions obviously meant for me all three girls were looking at me expectantly.

"So? Spill!" Caroline said with wide eyes.

"What exactly do you want to know?" I asked.

"I thought you and Damon were 'just friends'." Elena said with a slight coldness to her voice. "And now he's hurting people for you?"

"And we were just friends, I wasn't lying Elena." I said, trying not to sound too defensive but failing. "Until a couple of days ago. Well, yesterday I guess. He said he wanted to be his boyfriend and me to be his girlfriend. It was kind of sweet." I blushed unable to stop myself.

"Sweet?" Bonnie questioned with disbelief in her voice and raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, he can be sweet sometimes."

"It's weird, totally weird, but around you Damon's…" Caroline trailed off apparently unable to find the right words.

Bonnie had no such problems. "He's less of a dick." I chuckled with the others at that, agreeing with her.

"Well I don't like it. He'll use you, hurt you, then discard you as he does everyone." Elena huffed out.

"Elena." Bonnie said reproachfully. "Even you have to admit it, he's different with Bella. He's almost like a regular guy. You saw him heal Bella, I don't think he is playing." She then turned her rich brown eyes on me. "I think he actually has feelings for you B."

"I have feelings for him and he's been nothing but good to me." I defended my new boyfriend.

"Until he gets bored." Elena mumbled but we all heard her clearly.

I tried not to let those words sting, I really did. However, they brought back all of my insecurities. Elena was right. What did I have to interest a five-hundred-year-old handsome vampire? I was plain, boring, weak, fragile, human Bella. Damon would get bored of me – probably quiet quickly- and I'd be all alone again.

"Elena! What is wrong with you!?" Caroline bit out sounding angry at her best friend. No not all alone again. I'd still have my friends and family. A guy wouldn't change that, not even Damon Salvatore.

"No, she's right." I cut Care off with a gentle smile. "Damon probably will get bored with me. I haven't got a lot going on for me to keep him interested, however I like him, I genuinely like him, and I'd rather be hurting over the fact I tried something and failed than regretting and wondering about something I never did."

"Bella I.." Elena tried saying looking shame faced while Bonnie and Caroline both gave her hard looks.

"It's fine Elena." I insisted in a firm voice. "Just drop it, okay? So, the party was a resounding success last night, right?" I pressed forward to change the subject.

The rest of the night passed slowly. We discussed the party in minute detail and the game beforehand. We talked about the next cheerleading practice and we gossiped as only four teenage girls can. However, underlining everything was an awkwardness between Elena and I that despite trying neither of us could manage to break. I fell asleep that night next to Bonnie trying to come up with a way to fix things with Elena and me.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

Caroline sat watching her friends as they slept while drinking a blood bag to curb her hunger. Since she'd become a vampire she'd needed less sleep than her friends, feeling as refreshed after four hours as she did after the recommended eight.

Caroline was confused and it bugged her, she might have been blonde and struggled with her brain to mouth filter, but she wasn't stupid by any stretch of the imagination. So why couldn't she figure out what was going on with her oldest friend? Elena had been down right mean earlier and Caroline could not figure out why.

Sure, seeing Bella with Damon was worrying but he really did seem to care for her. And even Damon wasn't that good of an actor. The blood sharing the other night? Well that had been hot with a capital H. Damon had been sincerely worried about Bella, you couldn't fake that.

If anything, Caroline was starting to think that Damon's 'feelings' for Elena had been fake. There had always been an air of insincerity about it when he said something or done something regarding his 'love' for her. Maybe that was Elena's problem? Though Caroline had no idea why, Elena and Stefan were solid. Right?

Caroline switched her gaze to her newest friend, Bella.

She had been doing so well, it was seriously something special to see. However, they were all aware that B still had issues and they were grouped around her fear of being abandoned. Like her shiney, sparkly douchebag ex had done. Her belief that it had been because she was borning – although false – was deep seated and at the moment unshakeable. And Elena had knowingly played on that fear.

Bella wasn't going to believe that it wasn't true and Caroline thought that her insecurity would probably take deeper root now. She wasn't sure what she could do to help her friend, but she'd certainly try.

~0~

Edward was watching to find a weakness. He'd be able to take her away from here, from their mind washing and their brain control, from their savagery. If only he could get her on her own. Then he'd have his sweet mailable Bella back. The one who'd do anything he said, anything he wanted.

All he had to do was get her alone.

And get his ear back of course. Savage monsters.

~0~

He'd been in the woods on his own now for a long time. A month, maybe two, it was hard to keep track of things when he was like this. He was tired, he was sore, he was sporting injuries, though none of them life threatening. At the minute he was winning but they never kept coming and he didn't know how long he could go on for till eventually one or all of them got passed him. Got to her. For now, he'd keep fighting. One day soon though he'd have to retreat and take her away to save her.

I had to rewrite this chapter three times to try and get in different things I wanted to see but just weren't coming together and I really enjoyed doing it! Hopefully you all enjoyed reading it! Let me know what you thought Tametiger x