I took my bike from the parking lot where Alice said I would find it and dialed the familiar number.

"Bella?" Caroline answered.

"Hey, Care" I smiled.

"Oh, my gosh! I know you promised to be back by Elena's birthday but I thought you wouldn't come! I'm planning a party! You will be here in time, right? Where were you? We were worried…"

"Caroline, slow down" I laughed and checked my watch. "Yeah, I'll be in time for the party. But I need a favor"

"Anything!"

"Don't tell anyone. I want to do a surprise"

"Oh, of course! It will be great!" she said excitedly.

"So, what have you all been up to?"

"Ah, summer was… really… something. Elena is obsessed with finding Stefan and Damon seems not to care about it at all… Matt has been avoiding me like the plague, Ric is sleeping on Elena's couch, Jeremy is working at the Grill, Bonnie is out of the state with her family…" she hesitated.

"What?"

"Damon. He's seeing Andie Star again"

I should have known.

"It's fine, Caroline" I said.

"Where have you been? Doing what? You have to tell me everything! Did you meet someone?"

"I was traveling around... I saw the Cullens and Edward… It was nice. And no, I didn't meet anyone… I'll tell you more, later"

"I'll hold you to that" she said.

"So, Elena has been searching for Stefan?" I asked.

"Yeah, mom is helping her. There was some kind of animal attack in Memphis, which was the last thing she got. But Damon says it's a dead end"

"Memphis, uh?" I grinned. "Well, that sucks… I'll see if I can do something about it later. See you tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Can't wait! Bye, B"

"Bye" I laughed.

I put on the helmet and sped off to the outskirts of Memphis.

When I got to the house, it was midday and there was a familiar blue camaro parked in front of the white house. A dog ran out of the house and I crouched, scratching his head. I stood up, adjusted my corset top and walked in the house. I leaned against the doorframe and watched Damon and Ric analyzing the trapdoor leading underground.

"Let me guess, chains… Werewolves" I said.

Their heads snapped to me and I smirked seeing their surprise. You would think Damon would have sensed me approaching.

"Bella!" Ric said happily.

"Hey, Ric" I chuckled.

I gave him a hug and looked at the headless body of one of the girls in the couch.

"I told you not to look for him" I said and sighed.

"Bella?" Damon mumbled.

I grinned at him. Yeah, I was a bit different. A summer in a tropical private island did that to you. My skin wasn't porcelain, fair white anymore. It was tanned, and the sun had brought out the red highlights of my hair to a point I seemed more redheaded than brunette. I had decided I would keep my hair that way. I was tired of being brunette, but I didn't think I would be a good blonde.

"What?" I asked amusedly as he kept staring at me. "Don't recognize me?"

He smirked and taking my hand he spun me around.

"I don't know what you've been up to, but it did you well" he said. "Very well"

I rolled my eyes at him and took the lighter from his hand. We backed away from the living room, and when we stepped out into the porch, I lit the house on fire.

"How did you know we were here?" Ric asked.

"Tracking spell" I shrugged and narrowed my eyes. "Why are you here? I told you I was taking care of Stefan"

"I don't see him with you or back home, that's not taking care of it" Damon said scowling.

"Stefan isn't coming back, Damon… Did you see those girls? They were not the first, and won't be the last. He vowed to spend a decade with Klaus. He will lose any control he had"

"That's why we have to get him back now"

I sighed and turned to go to my bike, but he grabbed my arm.

"I didn't give you that bike so you could run away from me" he said frowning at me. "You're riding with me"

"And the bike?" I asked.

He looked at Ric. Ric laughed and told him he had no experience with bikes and would probably get smashed on a windshield like a bug. I smirked triumphantly and extended him my pinky, promising I would follow him back to Mystic Falls, after all, it was Elena's birthday.

"You better follow, Bella" Damon said seriously taking my hand. "Or I'll hunt you to the end of the earth, and Bonnie will help me this time"

"Whatever you say, darling" I grinned innocently.

Ric chuckled and walked to the car. I arched an eyebrow at Damon, and he frowned at me.

"Where were you?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter" I shrugged.

"It does matter" he snapped tugging on my hand. "Bella…"

"What? Are you going to say you are sorry? Again? Don't lie, Damon, it's really bad for our friendship"

"So now you are playing me? All sarcastic, lying and hiding things?"

"Nah, I don't think killing and screwing brainless girls, and being a jackass suits me" I retorted with a smirk. "I'm just done being silly Bella, Damon. I'm almost 19, I've been through enough… I think life it's too short and worthy to waste it on obsessing and grudges. So, be grateful I am not a vengeful witch on your ass, accept my return, listen to what I say and stop waiting for a breakdown. It isn't coming. I'm done"

I turned around and took the dog in my arms.

"Hey, Ric! Take him in your lap" I said walking to the camaro.

"No way!" Damon snapped following me.


Caroline heard us coming in, and went to welcome me at the front door. I whispered at her to be silent so Elena wouldn't find out about my arrival, and she grinned, agreeing. I took the dog from Ric and silently ran upstairs to the guest room while Damon carried my backpack although I could have done it. I put the dog down and he walked around sniffing things.

"If he…"

"Don't worry, Damon, he'll behave" I rolled my eyes at him.

He nodded and put the backpack on the bed, bending to pet the dog. The dog growled and tried to bite him. I laughed as Damon glared at the dog.

"Guard dog" I mused. "Should have thought of it before"

"You had one before… Actually you had a pack" Damon said with a smirk.

"Here we go again" I rolled my eyes. "You should go, Caroline probably wants help setting things up"

"Where were you, Bella?" he frowned. "I was worried"

"I was not suicidal just because… Anyway, I had stuff to solve" I shrugged.

"What stuff?" he scowled stepping closer.

"I was helping Edward, he's back on his diet"

"You disappeared for three months to help Edward?" he sneered.

"I took a month to find him. But after that I had fun" I said gesturing at myself. "Tropical beaches, fruity drinks and stuff"

He stepped closer, and eyed me as his fingers wounded in my short hair. I had cut it once it became an annoyance in the heat of Brazil's coast. Esme had helped me, and although when I cut it was shorter than Alice's, now it was halfway down my neck. His other hand came to cup my cheek, sliding to the back of my neck. My eyes involuntarily narrowed but I relaxed as his thumb rubbed against my cheek.

"I was worried" he said.

"Damon, I came from back from the dead. I think I can handle some vacations away from this town" I smiled.

"Because you get yourself in danger so easily I was worried"

"Klaus can't kill me, he needs me and we made a deal"

"What the hell were you thinking, Bella?" he whispered. "A deal? Last time you've made a deal with…"

"I did what I had to" I cut him off looking down.

He pulled my head up and leaned in. I pulled away from him, grabbing his wrists.

"No"

"Are you back with him?" he scowled.

"No. But you are back with Andie, and there's Elena" I said shaking my head. "So, don't. Stop. Chasing girls might be fun to you, but don't get me into this"

"I pushed you too far, didn't I?" he mumbled. "I've lost you"

"No, you didn't, Damon" I smiled sadly. "That's the thing. You keep on pushing me… And I keep on pushing it back, on staying. I'll never leave you, you'll never lose me. I just… can't do this thing with you anymore. I don't…"

I was interrupted by my phone chirping. I frowned and took it from my pocket. I had a new message and I took a few steps away from Damon to read it.

From: Klaus

Your beloved Salvatore is bothering me.
Tell him to stop or there will be consequences.
A new bite can be arranged.
I might need you in a couple days. Stay ready.

I sighed and deleted the message, locking the screen with my password after. I turned to Damon and he gave me a questioning look.

"It's nothing. Just Esme updating me" I lied.

"Really?" he pressed.

"Yes, Damon" I scowled at him. "Now… Go help Caroline setting things up. I need a long shower and start getting ready"

"Are you really going to avoid talking about your escape two days after I almost died, when you made some kind of pact with Klaus and Elena kissed me?"

"It had nothing to do with that"

"It had everything to do with that and we both know it. Everyone knows it"

"I was about to leave anyway. I left everything solved, the house to Ric, school done, bank accounts wiped clean. I had been planning on leaving since the morning after the sacrifice, Damon. I had to. What happened that day, it made me upset, but it wasn't why I left two days later"

"Without a goodbye or an explanation" he said accusingly.

"I left a letter" I sighed.

"It didn't explain anything. You took an easy way out"

"Damon, I don't want to fight with you while I'm here. So, please, go. I need to get ready"

"While you're here?" he asked frowning. "You're not staying?"

"I'll stay, but not for long… Maybe a few days, a week"

"What's going on?" he asked desperately. "You're hiding something. Tell me"

"I can't"

"Is it Klaus?"

"No"

"What does he want?"

"Damon, I have more problems than Klaus" I sighed. "I won't tell you. So, leave"

He stared at me for a few seconds, before his gaze hardened and then he glared. I rolled my eyes at him, showing him he could not intimidate me into telling him. He groaned and walked out of the room, dodging the dog who barked at him. I threw myself on bed and sighed in the soft comforter. The dog jumped in bed and licked my shoulder. I turned my head and smiled at him.

"You and him will have to get along better… You'll be staying in Mystic Falls, can't carry you around"

After bathing the dog, he was surprisingly good, being quiet, never barked again. I guessed he was only against Damon. I got ready, putting on just a bit of make-up, a green dress a bit wrinkled from being in my bag, and nude high-heeled sandals. I was putting away the stuff I had unpacked when I was hit by a vision. Stefan was throwing darts at a man and then he was driving a car with a deep, worried frown. When my eyes focused back on the present, I sighed looking at my phone. Stefan still had his phone but he rarely answered it, so I didn't even bother to call him. He was probably on some errand for Klaus. Music started to blast downstairs as I got my bracelet and I scowled realizing my gift probably sucked. It wasn't even from me really. I decided to wait a bit for the party to really start, and stayed in the balcony, playing with the dog. He behaved well, but I imagined he would probably be a little demon for Damon, or any vampire, since his instincts would tell him about their dangerous nature.

"I really should have a dog's instinct of preservation" I told him and he inclined his head, like he understood what I was saying and was asking why. "I mean, most of my friends are vampires and I always fall in love with one. Does that mean that I subconsciously have a death wish?"

Well, if I do, I got it.

I sighed and looked out from the balcony. The driveway was filling with cars and people, and groups of people were arriving. A small party my ass. Of course, it was Caroline organizing it after all. I left the dog in the balcony and grabbed the thin box before going downstairs. Some of the guests greeted me, and I politely greeted them back, but it was quick. I was not in the mood for a conversation about where I had been and what I've been doing. I joined Caroline, and she happily and excitedly told me everything I missed while I was away, while I helped her making sure everything was perfect.

"So, Jeremy is working at the Grill and long-distance dating Bonnie…" she was saying when Matt approached.

"Bella!" he said with surprise.

"Hey, Matt" I smiled.

He hugged me and then pulled back to inspect me.

"Jeremy said you would come back but really… I didn't believe it" he said.

"All of you wouldn't survive without me" I said jokingly.

He looked past me at Caroline and gave her an awkward nod as greeting. I looked between them and at the bottle he was carrying.

"Is that one of Damon's scotches? From his personal stock?" I asked.

"Found it in a cabinet in…"

"The library, yeah, I know. You really shouldn't do that, Matt"

"Come on, Bella. Let's have some fun before school and vampire madness starts again" he laughed and glanced at Caroline. "See you later, okay, Bella?"

"Yeah, yeah" I mumbled as he walked away. I turned to Caroline with an arched eyebrow. "And this leads the conversation to you. What's going on?"

"Ugh" she groaned and dropped her head. "He hates me, he hates what I am. He can't stay in a room with me. He sends Jeremy to attend my table at the Grill. He's jealous of Tyler for nothing! Ah, it's fucking with my head, Bella" she whined.

"Care, let me get this straight. He stayed away from you like you wanted before you changed your mind about having a relationship with a human. You stayed away from him. You spend most of your free time with a guy who kissed you and on every full moon you take care of him, naked might I remind you, the same guy who was also quite a player with women… The guy who kissed Matt's mom after hooking up with his sister. And you think Matt is wrong? Sorry, Caroline, it's not your mind that's fucked but your life" I laughed.

"Very helpful" she said chucking a plastic cup at me.

I dodged it and saw Elena and Damon coming from upstairs. She scanned the room with a sigh and when her eyes reached me they widened. Damon smiled as Elena ran the distance between us, dodging her guests and almost knocked me back as she threw herself at me to hug me.

"You're here" she said happily.

"I told you I would be back in time for your birthday, Elena" I chuckled.

"I know, but…" she sighed pulling back. "Thanks"

I smiled at her and saw she had her necklace back. I glanced at Damon and he smiled at me, his eyes searching for something.

"So, no longer underage" I said to Elena and extended my gift to her. "It's not much from me actually… It was my idea though"

"You didn't have to" she said opening the thin box.

She looked at the tickets.

"Brazil?" she asked surprised.

"You can go on Christmas break. It will be summer then. The Cullens have a private island there, on Rio's coast, and they are borrowing it for as long as you want… And you have a hotel room paid for in Salvador, another touristic city… Anyway, when you decide to go, give me a call, and I'll help you setting things up" I smiled.

"OMG" Caroline mumbled from my side.

Elena hugged me again, thanking me for the gift. She started firing questions about my time away and Damon swiftly disappeared. I gave her short answers and when she tried to go Damon-situation subject, I evaded it, trying to change the subject. Thankfully Caroline helped me, telling Elena she had other guests to greet. I took a drink and looked for a quiet corner, to wait for the damn party to be over. I passed by the library and found Jeremy and Matt talking. I scowled at the smell of pot and saw they were not only smoking but drinking a lot too.

"What the hell are you doing?" I snapped standing behind the couch.

The jumped and Jeremy smiled at me. He hugged me and although I was happy to see him, the smell of weed was killing my mood.

"What are you doing?" I asked him softly. "Why are you doing this again?"

"I… I just need to take my mind off of things for a bit. It's just this once, Bella" he said.

"Have you thought what Elena or Bonnie will say and feel when they find out?"

"They won't"

"Too late" I said nodding at the doorway.

He looked over his shoulder and he and Elena got in a stare contest for a moment before she stormed out with Caroline. I ran after them and quickly fell into step.

"He hates me! His hatred of me has driven him to drugs!" Caroline said.

"He doesn't hate you" Elena sighed.

"He does"

"He hates he's not with you" I said.

We walked out of the house and Elena walked straight to Damon, taking his drink from him and downing it. He and Alaric watched her with worried eyes.

"Jeremy is starting on drugs again" she said with a sigh. "I can't deal with it right now. Ric, please talk to him"

Ric seemed a bit confused but nodded. Elena and Caroline walked back in the party and I took the glass from Damon, pouring some bourbon in it from the bottle Ric had.

"To amazing birthdays" I said sarcastically and sipped the bourbon.

"What am I supposed to do with Jeremy?" Ric asked pouring more for himself. "I'm not his father, I'm not even his legal guardian. I'm just the guy who dated his aunt and is sleeping on the couch"

"You are his teacher" I pointed out and he gave me a frown. "Well, that must be some useful authority" I shrugged.

Damon's phone biped with a new message and he stood up after checking it.

"Gotta go" he said.

"Where?" Ric scowled.

"Andie needs a ride or something" Damon said avoiding looking at me. "Hold the fort down, will ya?"

"You mean the fort full of my drunken history students?"

"Drink more" I said passing him the bottle. "It will help you feel less weird"

"Impossible" he grumbled as Damon walked away.

I sat by his side, watching people drink until they were out of their fucking minds and dancing like it was a rave.

"Hope no ones breaks or destroys anything… Quite irreplaceable the stuff of this house, Damon would be pissed" I said and then remembered Matt had stolen from his private drinks stock. We would need to make sure Damon wouldn't find out.

"So, you're back and as Damon's guest… Don't you wanna use your house?" Ric asked.

"It's yours, remember?"

"You must have gotten insane to give me your family's house"

"I was thinking that the apartment you aren't living in currently isn't safe. Klaus, Elijah, Katherine and Stefan were invited in" I said shrugging.

"So Stefan is in the bad vampires group now?"

"Those girls you saw today, were not the first and won't be the last" I said frowning. "Stefan did what he had to do to save his brother. You all need to get that, and realize our Stefan isn't coming back for a while"

"How long?" he asked.

"A decade at least" I sighed.

"So what did you promise Klaus in exchange for the cure?"

I looked at him and downed the rest of my drink, looking away as I answered.

"I promised to help him whenever he wanted"

"For ten years?" he asked with worry in his voice.

"Forever, Ric" I said pouring another drink. "We killed Greta and he'll need a witch sometimes. I'm his servant until I die"

"You shouldn't have done that! You couldn't promise that to him"

"Damon needed the cure" I said with a weak smile. "I did what I had to"

"So that's how far you would go for him"

"Probably"

We stayed in silence and minutes later Jeremy and Matt walked out of the house. Jeremy was helping Matt walk straight.

"Going home?" Ric called out.

Jeremy looked up to us and nodded.

"Ahn, go… straight home. We'll talk when I get there… alright?" Ric said awkwardly.

"Yeah, yeah" Jeremy said.

"Very… firm" I commented with a smile.

"Shut up" Ric chuckled.

My vision blurred and I gasped as the vision hit me.

"Bella? Bella!" Ric said shaking me.

"I have to go" I passed him the glass once my vision cleared.

"Wait!" he said but I was already running to where my bike was.

I drove top speed to the TV studio and when I got there, I ran to the entrance, passing Damon's car on the way. I was breathing heavy when I found the two Salvatore brothers in the dark studio.

"You don't write, you don't call" Damon said.

"I need you to stop following me, causing some problems" Stefan said quickly glancing at me.

"I already told him not to, Stefan" I said.

"Problems with whom? Klaus? I'm supposed to care what he thinks?"

"You should" I said and he gave me a glare. "Don't worry, Stefan, he'll leave you alone"

"You don't tell me what to do!" Damon snapped.

"You should let me go, Damon" Stefan said.

Damon frowned at him.

"I saw your latest artwork in Tennessee" he said. "You're walking a fine line, Stefan. Keep that up and there will be no saving you"

"The thing is, I don't need any saving" Stefan said.

"Let him go. Let us go, Damon" I sighed.

"I can't. You should have just let me die" he said. "I won't let you go and become Klaus' puppies"

"You have to let us go. We are fine, we don't need a knight in shiny armor to come to our rescue" Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Elena seems to think you need rescuing"

Stefan attacked Damon and pinned him to the ground.

"Let. Me. Go" Stefan growled.

"Stefan" I warned.

"Can't. An eternity of misery, remember?" Damon said smirking.

Stefan calmly stood up and I grabbed his arm.

"Stop, Stefan" I pleaded.

"Andie?" Stefan called out looking away from me.

"Damon" she cried from the footbridge almost twenty feet high.

"Not cool" Damon scowled at us. "Andie? Calm down, sweetie"

"I can't move" she whimpered.

"Stefan, let her go, now" I said.

"See, when you don't listen to me, I have to make my point clear, Damon" Stefan said.

"Stop" Damon snapped. "This is between you and me"

"She's the means to an end" Stefan shrugged. "Andie, you can move now"

"No!" Damon screaming rushing to catch her, but Stefan blocked his path.

I gasped and ran to her body sprawled on the floor. Damon ran to us and shook her lightly.

"Andie?" he asked softly.

I looked up at Stefan and he gave me a meaningful look before disappearing. I sighed and sat on the floor as Damon stared at the body of his girlfriend. I watched as he went from shocked to sad and to angry. His eyes turned cold and hard and I knew Stefan got what he wanted. Damon had given up on him. We left Andie's body there, so people would think it was some kind of accident, and I followed Damon back to the boarding house. He stormed in the house and I followed, knowing I would probably be the only one to stop him from doing something bad when someone dared to get in his way. He took bottles from the guests and went to his room.

"Damon, you should have listened to me" I whispered but shut my mouth when I found Elena sitting in the edge of his bed, holding papers.

"What do you want?" Damon snapped at her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were tracking Klaus' victims?" Elena asked angrily.

"Elena, tomorrow" I said. "Not now"

"You made me feel stupid for having hope!" she snapped.

"We were stupid to have hope, Elena" Damon snapped back. "Those are not Klaus' victims, they're Stefan's"

"Damon" I sighed leaning against the wall.

"What? No" Elena mumbled.

"He flipped the switch and turned back into the full-blown ripper. He's gone and he's not coming back in your lifetime"

"Is it true?" she whispered to me. "Did he really…" she pressed when I didn't say anything.

"I told you not to look for him, Elena. He will come back when he wants to. Stop looking for him" I said.

I turned to leave.

"Don't think I forgot what you said there. I will not let you" Damon said.

I paused for a moment before walking out and going to my room. I lied in my bed staring at the ceiling, tears slowly escaping my eyes. They needed to understand that they couldn't save me or Stefan because we were trying to save them. But if I explained they would try harder.

My phone biped and I opened the new message.

From: Stefan

I'm sorry.
He's trying to create hybrids that's why he was looking for the pack.

I sighed and decided to get some rest before craziness took over again.

Edward was back on track.

Damon was alive.

Elena and Jeremy seemed to be doing fine.

That only left me Elijah to deal with and the clock was ticking.

My time was coming to an end.

And problems would only pop out, I could feel it.