DAMON'S POV

All my senses were on guard. My whole body was stiff with concentration.

Before me was standing the person responsible for the biggest part of my misery. This calculated little bitch was a devil send from my personal hell destined to destroy me.

And I had once let her do that. I had let her tricks and sneaky act get to me. She had had me in the palm of her hand, I had laid myself before her and she had decided to throw everything back in my face.

I had thought we had gotten rid of her. I never even thought that she would come back to haunt me. But now she was and I wouldn't let her mess with my head again.

I had never loved her. I knew that now after having met Bella. I never felt for Katherine what I felt for Bella. With Katherine it had been nothing but an attraction that had disappeared the second I discovered that what other people saw, what she wanted them to see, was nothing more than a mask.

Behind that sweetness there was evilness. I knew that for sure.

"What? Aren't you even gonna welcome me properly?" she asked me coyly, batting her eyelashes at me.

I sneered at her "I doubt that your way of being greeted properly is something I would be willing to perform"

I a flash she was right in front of me, her face inches from mine "I think you'd be very much willing" she whispered. Looking at my lips and then in my eyes.

I pushed her away with a growl.

She quirked an eyebrow "So, you want rough? That's fine by me. It's not like it would be the first time, right Damon?" she grinned at me "But now you have your little human girl. So fragile, so pathetic, so… human like"

I grabbed her around the throat and pushed her against one of the big pipes "Why are you here?" I demanded harshly.

"I think you know why"

I let go of her and stepped back while sighing "So, it's the usual mind games with you, huh?"

She smirked "You know, you like it Damon"

I stared at her and smirked back "Quite the contrary I can assure you. Those words you so sweetly have seduced many other men with is making my stomach turn"

Even though she kept the condescending smile on her face, I could see her eyes grow hard "I'm sure I could make you change your opinion about that in no time"

I rolled my eyes "Why are you here?" I repeated.

"Oh, I got bored and decided to move to a place much more… exiting. Well, I guess trying to kill your little pet was a little bit fun even though I was unsuccessful" She looked me up and down while speaking. I groaned inwardly. It might have made me crazy for her some years back but that wasn't the case anymore.

Then her word caught up with me.

"What did you say?" I whispered.

"Yeah, my little stunt with the animal was not that creative but it worked anyway. Almost. If it hadn't been for you, Damon then it would have"

My eyes grew black with hatred and fury "What would have worked?" I hissed at her, venom seeping in my voice.

She just smirked "Nothing you'll have to worry about"

I knew attacking her wouldn't be helpful. She was older and therefor stronger. I tried to get a grip on myself and control my emotions. I closed my eyes and inhaled through my nose. Her perfumed scent filled my nose and immediately missed Bella's intoxicating smell. Her sweet, comforting, dangerous smell…

Thinking of Bella helped me. I opened my eyes and spoke to her in what I hoped to be a natural voice.

"Well, go look for your excitement elsewhere then." I glared at her.

"I kind of like it here, so I don't think I will" She grinned at me "We're gonna have so much fun together"

I chose not to answer that. A moment of silence passed us.

Then I looked at her intently and cocked my head to the side "You're running from someone." It wasn't question but a statement.

Her body shifted. She had been leaning casually on her heels while talking to me, teasing me. But now here body-language revealed her true feelings. It was easy to tell that she was not being truthful. But that was the advantage of having known her for so long. I had the advantage of being able to read her. Her body, expressions and voice was so familiar to me that I could easily analyze them and reveal their truth.

"Always the little creative one. I think you're letting your imagination get the best of you, Damon" she covered up nicely.

I just smirked "Whatever you say" I shrugged. I loved the reaction she gave me. The reaction I had been counting on.

Before she could control it she growled at me.

"I know you're hiding something" I continued "But I also know that there is no way in hell that you're gonna tell me."

I raised my eyebrows at her, daring her to contradict my words, daring her to prove me wrong "So, there's really no point in me staying up here"

She just looked at me but then smiled evilly "Yeah, that's probably for the best. I got places to be, people to kill" The last was surely her attempt to get me worried but I didn't react in any way. I knew that was what she wanted me to do.

She turned and was about to leave but I stopped her.

"You might want to know" I said mysteriously "that this town contains more than what meets the eye. You might want to be careful"

I knew that maybe it would have been smartest to keep this a secret but I couldn't help myself. The expression displayed on her face was priceless. She looked to taken aback that I couldn't help the smirk spreading on my lips and the smugness forming in my eyes.

With that I turned my back on her and made my way at human speed towards the door leading downstairs.

I didn't hear her following me and I was just a bit surprised. It didn't look like Katherine to let others get that last word. Found myself concerned about not being able to predict her moves. It made me feel vulnerable.

And when it came to Katherine you couldn't afford to be vulnerable in any way. Because it would make you an easy prey. Her victim.

I couldn't be the victim if I had to protect Bella.

Bella.

Knowing that she was here in this building, safely surrounded by vampires made me a little more at ease. I still worried about her for sure. What if Katherine took a sudden interest in Bella? I wouldn't have that. I didn't want that bitch within a hundred miles of my Bella. I would rip her to bits if she even dared to try.

But I still worried. I knew that because of Katherine's age, she was very powerful but something right now had seemed to keep her from making a move on me. Like she was caution in my presence.

I knew that it was ridiculous but I still had the weird feeling that something had made her keep her temper in check. She hadn't gotten what she wanted and Katherine could get very bitchy if things didn't go her way.

What held her back this time?

And what the hell was she doing here? It made no sense to me. It wasn't just for me. She knew that I didn't want her anymore. Well, at least I thought she did but I wasn't sure any longer.

I vowed to myself not to fall into her traps. Not a single one of them.

I had to do that for my own sake.

For Bella's sake.

BELLA'S POV

When the hour finally arrived I was actually feeling butterflies flying around in my stomach. The hour of my return. Return to my home.

Carlisle had checked on me and once again gone over the medication I still needed to take. Damon had been there the whole time, holding my hand and waiting patiently for Carlisle to be done.

But something was wrong. The whole time he was sitting by my side, my hand in both of his, he seemed to be in a world of his own. He didn't comment on anything Carlisle said or did. He just stared at my hand as his thumbs rubbed circles in its palm. He stared so intently at it like he wanted to mesmerize every little detail, every line, every spot or freckle.

He was so cut off from me and it physically hurt to think about it. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and cling to his body. To never have to leave his side, never be apart from him again. He just looked so sad sitting there with that little wrinkle visible between his eyebrows.

Carlisle seemed to notice it too but made no further comment. He let Damon be. And so did I, though I deep down hated to.

After a lot of waiting and whining and assuring, I was at last allowed to leave the grey halls of the hospital.

I had to use a wheelchair until I got out of this place.

"Hospital policy, missy" Damon had said. He winked at me as he drove me out into the parking lot but I could see that the very second he was no longer focusing on me, he seemed to drift off again. My mind threw all sorts of thoughts at me when this happened.

Is he bored? Doesn't he want to be here with me? Would he rather not be chained to me like this? Wouldn't he be happier to go out and have fun with other people, other girls, instead of staying here, suffering with me? Is this why he's so sad? Is it something I did?

And worst of all: would he maybe be leaving me soon?

Every time that thought popped in my head, I got this aching in my chest. It reminded me. But what it reminded me of, I didn't have a clue about.

It was like a memory. Like something I had experienced.

I could feel the insecurity, the fear of him leaving with me, breaking up with me.

It made me wonder. Did I maybe experience a break up during those three years? Maybe I had a boyfriend who broke up with me. Maybe that person had been important to me and that was why it reminded me of this. Could it be?

I sighed in my mind and felt my heart sink. I was already so lost. I didn't know who I really was, how and with whom I had lived those three years with.

It seemed that I had lost a very important part of my life. I had lost a part of myself. Could I handle it if I lost him too?

I doubted it very much.

When we were finally in the car and on our way, the suspense became too much for me.

I tried to make this come as a light question. Of some reason I didn't want him to know, didn't want him to see how much his actions affected me and scared me. Worried me.

I locked my gaze on my hands "Are you mad at me?" I asked him in a quiet voice.

"No" he said "Why would I be mad at you?"

I shrugged ever so lightly and gazed out the window "It just seems that way" I breathed.

"I'm not mad at you, Bella. Not the slightest" he replied with burning honesty "What is happening to me right now has nothing to do with you"

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply "But it's me that's causing all of this" I whispered, mostly to myself.

"No" he said firmly "None of this is your fault, Bella none of it"

I swallowed the lump in my throat "Who's fault I it then? It cannot be anyone's but mine"

He spoke fiercely and out of nowhere my heart sped up "Yes, it can. It can be someone else's fault" he growled the last part "it is someone else's fault"

I looked at him "It isn't yours, Damon" I told him. Technically, I didn't actually know. I could remember anything so it could as in fact be his fault that I ended up in the hospital but I could feel that it wasn't so. It was something I could feel deep in my bones, it echoed through me with the power of nothing I had ever experienced.

I trusted him with my life and therefore I was sure that he had no hand in any of this.

"Partially, it is my fault. If it hadn't been for me you would never have ended up in the hospital" he spoke with grief in his voice.

If it hadn't been for me then Katherine would never have come here in the first place.

I gasped and frowned. My eyes shot around in the car as if looking for whoever spoke.

Where did that voice come from? It sounded loudly in my mind but it hadn't been me thinking it.

I felt a pressure form in my head and whimpered lightly.

"Bella?" Damon's voice seemed far away.

I tried to speak but dizziness overwhelmed me and I couldn't find my lips.

I tried to ask him what was going on but I was drifting.

"Bella what's wrong?" his voice was muddled and I had a hard time making out the words coming from him.

I felt his hands on me, his arms grasping me and I held on to them for dear life. I was clamping my hands onto some kind of soft material. I guessed that it was his shirt. His grip tightened around me as his arms drew me to him. I held onto him as well, wishing for his arms to be able to hold me conscious, hold me to the ground.

But in the end they couldn't keep me from falling.

A/N: Okay, I know this isn't as long a chapter as previous has been but I hope to make it up to you next time.

Thank you to all my reviewers you are awesome, anonymous as well as everyone else!

To the anonymous reviewers: I cannot write back to you and answer your questions in email or thank you for reviewing so I'll do it here instead.

Hum: question: is Katherine the reason why Bella lost her memory? Well, I guess this chapter answered your question (: And about question two… Well, that'll be up in next chapter ;P

A Fan: Thank you (: It makes me happy to know. I like your idea and everyone will get to read what's really gonna happen later on.

Zxvampireloverxz: Thank you so much. I'll update as soon as possible. Always count on that :P

For-the-love-of-Damon: I greatly appreciate it. Bella's memory is a big thing right now so I'm gonna play around with it a little bit more. But don't worry, she won't be totally clueless for long ;)

rose ivashkov: I agree with you and if you read next chapter then I don't think that you'll be too disappointed. At least I hope not :D