When In Mystic Falls
Chapter 27- Reunited
Bella's P.O.V
I got onto a cab as soon as I left the airport, tucking my hair behind my ears and drumming my fingers on my knees. Would Damon be happy to see me? Or would he send me away? I just knew that I had to try to make things right with him or I'd regret it for the rest of my life. I told the cab driver the address of the Salvatore Boarding house and waited patiently, butterflies fluttering in my stomach and threatening to burst out of it, as he drove us towards my chosen destination. I just hoped that I was finally making the right choice.
15 minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of the Salvatore boarding house, which looked pretty ominous in the mist that surrounded it. I noticed there were dark clouds as I got out of the car, slipping the money to the driver plus a tip because I was feeling lucky. I cursed as it started to drizzle; that meant it was going to rain. I remembered reading about rain being a bad omen. Or was it a sign of good luck? I couldn't remember.
I made my way to the steps, watching the cab make its way out of the road, its dim backlights fading out of eyeshot. I pressed the doorbell, hugging my arms to my body. It was all I could do to stop panicking. It was now raining cats and dogs but I was under the porch so I was protected. I hated the rain. Or any cold, wet thing. (A/N: Sorry, I couldn't resist!)
Stefan came to the door, looking baffled as to why I was still here. "What are you doing not on the airplane?" He asked, sounding confused, but he let me by into his dry, warm house.
"Who is it Stefan?" I heard Elena's voice call from what I assumed was the sitting room.
"It's Bella. She's still here," Stefan called back to his girlfriend. He offered to take my jacket and hang it up but I just hugged it to my chest, not wanting to let it go. My eyes caught on my hand and I realized I was still wearing Damon's ring. Or Katherine's ring.
I heard the pitter patter of footsteps and then Elena was in my arms, hugging me and smelling all of tangerines. "Why are you here?"
"Gee, what a warm welcome guys," I said, sarcastically as I stepped back.
Elena laughed. "You know what we mean. You're supposed to be on the plane going back to Washington," She commented as she pulled on my arm and led me towards the living room. She plopped down on the couch and I sat down beside her, seeing through the window the horrible rain as it dripped down, soaking everything in sight.
"I hate the rain," I commented, as Stefan took a seat on an arm chair that was opposite to the couch.
"You still haven't told us why you're here," He reminded me, raising an eyebrow.
"Hmm. Well, I came back for him to be honest," I spoke slowly, not wanting to sound too desperate.
"You came back for Damon?" Elena asked, a smile on her face.
"Yes. Where is he?" I looked around, wondering why he hadn't heard our conversation and come down. Maybe he was still locked up in his room.
Stefan and Elena's eyes met and they shared a look. I bit my lip. "What?" I asked, wondering what they were hiding.
"Well… Damon left. He just stormed out after you guys left without saying where he went," Elena looked uneasy, running her hands through her straight hair.
"He just… left?" I asked, unable to understand.
Stefan nodded. "Do you girls want some cocoa? I could go make some," He offered, getting up and looking at us kindly.
I stood up too. "No thanks. Elena, could I ask you for a favor?" I asked, turning to her and shooting her a pleading look.
"Sure," she replied without hesitation and I thought of how good a friend she was. "What do you want?"
"Could I, by any chance, borrow your car?"
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So that was why, thirty minutes later, I was searching the streets of Mystic Falls in the pouring rain. I sighed, trying to peer to the side and to see through the fog that had encased the small town. I squinted, trying to make out Damon's car. Stefan and Elena had said he'd left with it so I was looking for it. It was hard to find the black Ferrari now though; it was almost dark and there was something ominous about the streets. But I couldn't give up. Not now.
I continued past the cities limits, finding myself in this dingy little town called Everwood. I made my way, in Elena's car, through the tiny streets lined up on each side of them bars and bistros and night clubs. This was not the place to be at night unless you were a prostitute or a drunk. It was nearing nightfall now so I felt nervous but I had to find Damon. I had a feeling he would be here. It seemed like the right place a depressed vampire would go.
I searched more frantically than I had ever searched for something before, and I grinned as I saw a black Ferrari parked outside a bar, a car that looked way too classy to belong to a resident of this dingy town. I wasn't sure it was him, maybe some other out of towner wanted to get drunk and have an easy lay-over, but my heart told me it was. Right now, my heart was sort of like my compass, leading me exactly where to go.
I parked Elena's tiny car into a parking space near to the Porsche and got out, the rain splashing down on me, soaking me to the core and making my hair stick to my face. I looked a mess, I was sure I did, but I had to get to Damon. I hurried towards the bar that the car was parked in front of; desperate to get out of the cold, wet rain. I pushed the door open with the 'ting' that signified to everyone inside that someone was entering. Once inside, I found it was warmer than I had expected it would be. I searched the booths, until I finally saw him sitting on a stool by the bar. My heart stopped, and I took a deep breath before heading towards him.
"Damon," I muttered, coming towards him. He didn't look up. He was downing a beer or something, looking the other direction with a dead look in his eyes.
"Damon," I repeated louder, clearing my throat. He turned to me this time, a confused look on his face, hurt mixed in there too. I could tell he'd been drinking a lot from the look in his eyes; they were dull and lifeless and he looked like he'd given up. I pulled the can of beer away from him, and then offered him a smile.
"Bella? Why are you here?" He asked, rubbing his eyes a couple of times probably to make sure he wasn't asleep.
"I'm following my heart," I murmured, for the second time today. I leaned towards him, my breath catching in my chest. Our lips closed the distance, and I felt that amazing feeling run through me, making me feel all warm and cozy yet it was electric at the same time. The sweetest feeling filled my heart, making me happy to the brim despite how wet I was, and despite how cold it was outside.
"I-I don't know what to say," Damon murmured, after pulling back.
"Say you'll let me stay in Mystic Falls with you," I replied, meeting his gorgeous blue eyes with my brown ones. I shot him a genuinely honest look and he processed what I had just sad.
Damon looked like he couldn't believe himself. "Are you sure?" He asked, some hope returning to his eyes. They were already a more vivid shade of blue than they had been a couple of minutes ago.
I nodded, "More than I have been about anything before," I stated, feeling my heart jump with happiness. I had finally made the right choice and my heart was approving for once.
Damon pulled me in for a hug, and I leaned against his leather jacket. And in that moment, I realized everything was going be okay. I was with Damon and that was all that mattered. He pulled me onto the bar stool next to mine, hugging me close to him as if he couldn't bear to let me go, not even for a couple of seconds.
"You look cold," Damon spoke, sounding a little amused and more like his usual self.
"Understatement of the century," I commented, smirking at him in the way that he liked to smile at me.
Damon raised his eyebrows, "Hmm, actually it's not. I was around when the understatement happened," He joked.
"Ha Ha," I replied, before I actually laughed at his joke.
Damon smiled and ordered from the bartender a hot chocolate for me. I rubbed my hands together and Damon suddenly stripped himself of his jacket, handing it to me. He was left in a long sleeved black shirt that outlined his abs.
"Are you sure? It's your trademark leather jacket," I reminded him, already picking off my soaking jacket and placing it on the bar to dry off. I took the jacket from him and he smirked.
"Yes, I know. Not anyone can wear it," He pointed out, helping me pull my arms through the sleeves so that I was all cozy and warm inside his jacket. I smiled because it smelled of Damon.
"Does that mean I'm special?" I stuck my tongue out at him, teasingly.
"That means your super special," He replied, before the bartender slipped him the mug of hot chocolate. He handed it to me and I took it, sipping on it gingerly and feeling myself being warmed from the tips of my toes. I felt like I was the happiest person on earth.
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"So Bella," Damon murmured, a couple of hours later, in a motel room. We were a few towns away from Everwood, and we had picked up some fresh clothes for me on the way from a store on the way. I was now dressed in cozy black pajama bottoms, a red sweater and I was fully dry and clean after my shower. We sat curled up on the double bed, holding on to each other because we had missed one another. "Do you still want to be changed?"
I looked up at him, "Yes, I guess." I replied, touching my hand to his cheek gently. We were silent for a few seconds, a comfortable silence, before I spoke again.
"Is it hard? The cravings, I mean. Edward always made it sound like hell," My voice was quiet and inquisitive.
"It is hell. But you get used to it. Just like everything else in this crappy world," Damon replied, matter-of-factly.
"Hmmm, so will you help me? If I get turned, I mean," I whispered, biting my nail.
Damon pulled my hand away from my mouth. "No, I'm going to leave you all on your own in this abandoned motel room and then when you've learned to control your cravings, I'll come back and see what happened to you," His tone was sarcastic.
I rolled my eyes.
"Of course I'll help. But Bella you need to understand something," Damon muttered. "In order to complete the transition you'll have to feed on a human or you'll die. After that, you can take on the Stefan diet or the veggie diet as you guys call it," Damon still looked amused at that namesake.
"Do I have to kill the human?" I asked, keeping my expression unreadable.
"No,"
"Then I'll do it. I'll do it to be with you forever. When can we do it?" I suddenly found that I was happy to be changed; eager even, especially if it meant Damon would help me with everything.
"Now if you want. Are you sure about this?" Damon's crystal blue eyes stared into mine as if trying to fathom if I was really up to the whole vampire gig or not.
"Yes, vamp me up, baby," I joked, causing Damon to laugh.
"You have to do what I say though if you want to survive," Damon put in.
I nodded, "I get that. I'm ready," I murmured.
Damon then vamped out, biting his own arm and then waving it in my face. "Drink," He ordered.
I closed my eyes, sighing, but I obliged because this was what I wanted. I was finally going to be a vampire. I drank the liquid, feeling quite at ease for what I was doing. Damon pulled his arm away when I'd had enough.
"Are you ready to die?" Damon asked, sounding a little worried at the prospect.
"Yes, definitely. See you on the other side. I love you, Damon." I kissed him gently on the lips and he smirked against my lips.
"I love you, Bella," Then his hand came towards my neck and he snapped it. I fell to the bed, and everything went dark.
A/N: What did you guys think? I'm sorry if some of you thought the last chapter went a little fast, but hopefully this one was slower. Thanks to all who reviewed on the last one….
There are still quite a few chapters left because something exciting is going to happen. (:
Leave me a REVIEW!
Lily xx
Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.
