Start to Crumble
Bella woke up before Damon and snuck out to grab a shower. Last night came flooding into her mind…blood…biting…more blood…sex. She had lost control which never should have happened in the first place. She watched as the dried blood washed off her body and down the drain. This was going to be a bad day; the full moon was tonight and she was certain Klaus was going to strike. She wasn't fully ready, but no matter what she had to be. Now was the time for her to find her back-up plan…and fast.
.*.*.*.*.*.
She finished her shower, dressed and walked downstairs to see Damon, Elijah, Elena and Stefan all talking.
"Then why are we letting him break the curse?" Damon asked, "We could kill him today…with Bonnie."
"No Damon," Elena interjected, "Bonnie can't use that much power without dying."
"I'll write her a great Eulogy." Damon replied.
"Not an option." Bella said walking in.
"You okay?" Elijah asked, eyeing Damon and Bella.
"Stay out of my personal life Elijah." Bella said.
"How do we break this curse?" Stefan asked.
"Pretty simple, you know the ingredients." Elijah responded.
"Where do I come in?" Elena asked.
"The final part of the ritual," Bella said, "Klaus has to drink the blood of the doppelganger to the point of your death."
Elena shook her head, Stefan exhaled loudly and rubbed his face, and Damon's eyes turned even more of an ice blue than usual.
"That's where Elijah comes in." Elena finally said.
"Yea," Bella said, "What exactly is your plan?"
Elijah opened a box and pulled out a bottle.
"This is an elixir I acquired 500 years ago for Katerina," he stated, "It has mystical properties of resuscitation."
"So I'd be dead and then I won't." Elena stated.
"Yes." Elijah replied.
"So that's your plan," Damon scoffed, "A magical witch potion with no expiration date. You want to come back to life, what about John's ring?"
"Can't work," Bella said.
"Why not?" Damon snapped.
"Because they only work on humans, remember? Elena fed me her blood and it revived me. That ring is only meant for humans." Bella stated.
"What if this elixir doesn't work?" Damon asked looking directly at Elena.
"Then I guess I'll just be dead." Elena stated.
Damon looked at her in disbelief and walked out.
"I'll go talk to him." Bella said and followed him, "Damon wait up."
"What?" he asked.
"Look I agree with you," Bella said and Damon stopped walking, "I don't think she should take the elixir…it's too risky."
"Then what do we do?" Damon asked.
"I don't know but I will figure something out." Bella promised, "Look about last night, I'm sorry. I lost control and I could have killed you."
Damon smiled a little, "I found it to be fun and I wouldn't mind doing it again if you've got the time."
"It's not fun," Bella said seriously, "It's dangerous and it won't happen again."
"Bella, can I talk to my brother?" Stefan asked.
"Sure," Bella said and went into the kitchen.
.*.*.*.*.*.
Bella poured herself a cup of tea and looked up to see Angela.
"Hey witchy woman." Bella said smiling.
"Well I'm glad to know we can't get rid of you that easily." Angela said.
"Nah," Bella said sipping her tea, "I'm just too sweet to die."
"Yeah," Angela scoffed, "Sure you are." And they both laughed, "So I talked to Charlie."
"I should probably call him." Bella said.
"Yea," Angela replied, "He was ready to hop on the first plane, but I convinced him to talk to you first."
"Thanks Ang." Bella said and walked into the living room.
She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her dad's number.
"Bella," Charlie's gruff voice said, picking up immediately.
"Hey dad," Bella said.
"Thank God," Charlie said his voice full of relief. "When Angela called and said what happened I got scared."
"You won't get rid of me that easily old man." I teased.
"Bella," Charlie said turning serious, "I'm coming there; I already booked a flight."
"No," Bella said forcefully, "Dad I don't want you hurt; I've got my abilities back and I'm ready. Klaus thinks I'm dead so we have the advantage."
"Bella," Charlie said, "Tonight is the full moon and if Klaus has what he needs, he's gonna want to sacrifice tonight which means you need all the help you can get."
"No I don't" Bella said, "Dad please I'm begging you; this is my fight with him and I can handle him."
"Does he have a vampire, a witch, and a werewolf?" Charlie asked.
You see Charlie had helped Bella research the curse and found out what he needed.
"He's got a witch, there are plenty of vamps for him to choose from, and the only werewolves I know are gone. Jules and Tyler disappeared about two months back and there's no reason for them to come here now." Bella replied.
"Well just remember he's been waiting a while to do this so he will have backups." Charlie said. "And don't be so sure he doesn't have a werewolf. Check in on Lockwood's mom and if the kid comes you know Jules won't be far behind."
"See this is why I need you to stay away from here; I need someone to cover my ass on what I miss." Bella said.
"Yeah, yeah," Charlie grumbled, "Anything else I should know?"
"Well there is no sun and moon curse, it's just Klaus that's cursed. His werewolf side is suppressed so he wants to let it lose."
"Well that's new." Charlie mused, "You know you might be able to buy some time."
"How do you mean?" Bella asked.
"He wants to be like you right; change at will, I've read over all the books and with what you just told me he might release that side of him, but he would still be at the mercy of the moon." Charlie explained.
"You're right." Bella said sitting down, "Dad I think you just bought me a window; I gotta go."
"Bells," Charlie said, "be careful, I don't know what I'd do it I lost you."
"You won't lose me Dad, I promise." Bella said, "Bye."
Bella hung up and that's when she heard Jenna in the hallway and she went to investigate.
"What's going on?" She asked as soon as she was next to Jenna.
"Get out." Jenna said aiming a crossbow at Alaric.
"Whoa," Bella said and blurred in front of Alaric, "It's not Klaus."
"How do you know?" Jenna asked.
"Because I do," Bella said, "It's this weird connection he and I have. We'll talk about it today okay."
Jenna lowered the crossbow and Bella turned to face Alaric.
"Let me guess he told you to come here and tell us the sacrifice is happening tonight." Bella said.
"Yea," Alaric stated.
"Okay," Bella said, "Game on."
"What are you going to do?" Elijah asked.
"I have a little over 13 hours to find another way than your elixir that we don't even know if it will work." Bella stated.
"Bella," Elena said, "if you don't, I'll do the elixir."
"We'll debate this later." Bella replied, "Jenna I need to talk to you before I go."
.*.*.*.*.*.
Bella and Jenna walked outside and sat down on the patio.
"Are you one of them?" Jenna asked the moment she sat down.
"I'm partly," Bella stated, "Klaus is my birth father."
"So you're half and half," Jenna stated.
"No I'm 3/4 and 1/4." Bella said, "3/4 werewolf due to the fact my mother was a werewolf and Klaus was half and 1/4 vampire due to Klaus."
"Do Charlie and Renee know?" Jenna asked
"Charlie yes, Renee no; can you imagine Renee dealing with this. Charlie knew my birth mother and she stayed with them until I was born. She died giving birth to me." Bella explained, "I came here to protect Elena, Jenna; I'm not gonna let anything happen to her."
"Bella I don't know if I can handle this." Jenna said.
"You can," Bella said, "Look I want to stay and help, but I have to go."
"I know just come back." Jenna said.
"You know I will." Bella said and hugged Jenna.
.*.*.*.*.*.
Bella headed for the front door, but stopped when she heard Elena struggling. She blurred up to Damon's room and saw he had his wrist in her mouth forcing her to drink his blood. Bella quickly threw him off and checked on Elena.
"What did you do?" Bella roared and Stefan came rushing in.
"I saved her life." Damon replied. "So bent on dying at least this way I know you'll come back." He said looking at Elena.
"As a vampire," Stefan said, "She'll come back as a vampire."
"Better than nothing." Damon stated.
"How could you of all people do this after what I did to you?" Stefan said and then attacked.
Stefan started punching and punching, but before Bella could pull the two apart Damon grabbed a broken piece of wood from a chair and shoved it into Stefan's gut. Elena scrambled over to Stefan and Alaric and Jenna came in.
"Get him out of here." Elena said.
.*.*.*.*.*.
Damon walked out and down the stairs and grabbed a drink.
"Guess you won't need this anymore." Elijah said placing the bottle of elixir back in its case, "Feeding her vampire blood rendered it useless. Tell Elena I'll be back for her before nightfall and Damon, I hope you are ready for what's coming."
"What does that mean?" Damon asked downing his drink.
He didn't get to place the cup down on the table before Bella rammed into him and threw him through the back door.
"You arrogant, manipulative, selfish, inconsiderate, stupid, backstabbing, unforgivable asshole." Bella yelled, "Who do you think you are taking that choice away from her? You had no right to do that. You just did to Elena what you did to Vicky, you bastard!"
Bella picked him up and threw him into the side of the house then punched him in the face a few times.
"I've met my share of evil assholes…hell Klaus is king of them all, but you, you just took it to a new low. You need to get your shit straight." Bella hissed, "You don't know what love is Damon. You don't love me, you don't love Elena, you don't really care, what gets to you is that no one is falling in line behind you like you're used to. So what do you do…you take away the most important choice Elena could ever make for herself. Do you think she knows that she wants to live forever? She's 17, she doesn't fucking know if she wanted this and now she has no choice thanks to you. God I could stake you right now, but I'm not going to because when Elena comes back I'm sure she'll want to do it and I will personally hold you down while she does." Bella said and wrapped her hand around Damon's neck lifting him up, "You know the kicker part of all this…I told you I would find another way and all this time I've put my ass on the line for you and you can't trust me. You think I'd let her die, I just told you I wasn't going to let her use the elixir and I would find another way. I have never met someone as low as you at least Klaus gives people a choice."
"He didn't give you one when he branded you." Damon choked out.
"No he did; he told me either join or I got hurt so you see asshole, I was given a choice." Bella said and threw him into the side of the house. "You better pray that there is a God and that he will forgive you because I guaran-damn-tee that Elena, Stefan, Jenna and I won't. You just dug your own grave and when this is over and if you come near me when I leave, I'll kill you. Just know that now she has an eternity to hate you and look at what your eternity of hatred and anger towards your brother made you do. Just imagine the things Elena will do to you; she's a smart and creative girl. I hope she destroys you like you just did her."
With that Bella walked off leaving Damon in a bloody pile. He knew right then that he fucked up. Not only with Elena, but the way it must have looked to Bella after he told her he didn't care for Elena. Maybe he did still care because it was comfortable for him it was familiar, but deep down he knew it was Bella he wanted, but he would never get her now with this little stunt.
What Damon didn't know is that what he was thinking never crossed Bella's mind once as she pummeled his ass. All she saw was that he had taken a choice away from Elena…the most important one just like he had with Vicky. Bella saw Damon as a monster and she despised him.
So why did he do it; why did he take the choice away…..simple he knew Bella saw who she was once in Elena. Bella saw her innocence and how her entire life could have been if she was human. Damon could only imagine what would happen if Elena died so he fed her his blood in hopes of keeping Bella's sanity, but instead he probably just lost a friend in Elena, a brother in Stefan, and a lover in Bella.
A/N: I know a few days late and I apologize for that, but finals start Monday and I had a ton of work to do at the study groups so please forgive me. Now since this is late the whole schedule had changed. Now chapter 21 will not be posted until after Tuesday since I have finals Monday and Tuesday and I have no time to work on it right now, but after Tuesday I will be free and I will work on the story and finish it by the middle of next week if everything goes according to plan (but remember nothing ever does lol).
I want to thank Dark-Supernatural-Angel and AllyDLV as always for all their work they do and find time out of their day to work on this little story.
Please review you guys they make me happy as I shift through all my notes studying.