Chapter 26

The next day, everyone went back to their everyday life, with the exception that they were all extra careful about the people they crossed. Elena always had to check in with Jenna, every hours when she wasn't at home, between classes when she was at school. It was a bit annoying for everyone but it was the best way to know that she was safe.

Damon went to check the witch house every day, at different times every time. Sometimes he was alone, sometimes he was with someone else but he never saw anything out of place. He was sure however that something out of the ordinary was going on because they used their powers to render his sun-ring useless each time he walked in the old house.

After one of his sessions, which happened to be the last of Bella's day, he offered to pay her dinner since Rebekah and Klaus wouldn't be home for a while (she was busy planning the dance with Caroline and he was with his pack).

Of course they had a lot of fun but as they ate, Bella realized that their little friendly dinner looked more like a date than anything else and she expressed her concern to Damon.

"Would it really be so bad if it was?" he asked her.

"Damon, while I agree that you're a good man and that you've changed, I don't think this would be good for anyone." She shook her head.

"I don't mind you having another man's child." He argued.

"That's not what I meant Damon. You're in love with someone else. You're in love with Elena and I don't want to be a place holder. I deserve better, don't you think?" She asked him softly.

"You're not going to tell me you're good old 'I don't date patient' thing?" He asked her, resigned.

"Well, yes, that too, and the fact that I'm dating Klaus, my babies' father, that I love him and that he loves me. They're all obvious reasons." She nodded with a smile.

"Well, you don't know what you're missing on." He told her with a smirk.

"I'm sure you're great in bed Damon and maybe in another life we'd have been great sex friends, maybe even in a relationship but it doesn't matter now. You know you have a chance of getting Elena, all you need to do is be patient, show her that you're here for her when things get too hard… Eventually, she'll realize that her attraction to Stefan is part of them being doppelgangers and that being star-crossed lovers isn't all it's made out to be. Don't give up hope Damon. You're trying to be with me because you want to give up but you shouldn't. I'm your friend and your therapist, nothing more." Bella told him.

"Fine, but since this isn't a date, you're paying your half of the tab." He joked.

"Hey, I'll even be a good friend and pay for your half as well. And considering that Rebekah and Klaus always insist on paying everything, I can definitely afford it." She chuckled, making him smile.

Once they were done eating, Damon walked Bella home, making sure that they weren't followed and that she was safe before going back home to his brother.

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The next day, Bella had just finished a session with one of her human patient when she realized, thankfully, that it was the last appointment of the morning. It was finally time for her to eat and she couldn't wait to put her hand on a juicy burger, with extra pickles inside it and even more on the side.

"Hey Bella, you're done this morning?" Kol asked her as he came in her office soon after the patient left.

"I am, yes. Why, do you need help with something?" she asked him.

"No, not at all. I was just hoping you'd accept to grab some lunch with me." He replied.

"Sure, I was going to get a burger from the Grill anyway." She smiled, putting her jacket on and taking her purse on the way to the door.

They walked to the Grill and while the conversation flowed, Bella could feel that Kol wasn't saying what he wanted to tell her. She waited until they were sitting down and had ordered their meal to ask him.

"So, what is it you want to talk to me about, Kol?" she asked him.

"You're very perceptive." He chuckled.

"I know, that's my job." She smiled.

"I… I usually wouldn't be talking to you about this but we, I mean our family, are all trying to change and I feel like it's the perfect occasion for me to change as well…" he started nervously.

"Of course it is." She nodded.

"I've always hung out with witches, either because I wanted to tutor them, learn from them or because I needed them for something. Ever since waking up, I've done that here to, though in a slightly less selfish manner. I've tutored Bonnie and gotten closer to Joe so she'd help us but… I don't know… I see all of my siblings changing, doing other things and I want that as well but I don't know how…"

"Well, Rebekah is going to school to make friends… You're too old to make it believable in high school but you could go to College." She suggested.

"I thought about that but I don't think I'll like College much right now…" He shook his head.

"Okay then, you could meet up Rebekah after school and hang out with her and her friends. We both know you'll be popular with the high school girls. You could also hang out with Matt, Tyler and Jeremy. You had fun with them when they came over after the Bridge ceremony, didn't you?" She asked him, remembering how Kol laughed when he hung out with Tyler and Jeremy.

"I did… yeah, that might be fun… But what do I do? Do I just go up to them and ask them if they want to hang out?" He asked her, nervous.

"Yes, why not? Or you could invite them to your place for a boys night of video games and things like that. I know the three of them all love to play war video games." She replied, knowing how much Jenna complained about the time Jeremy spent playing.

"Right… I can buy one of this thing… yeah, that'd be cool." He nodded.

"It's not that complicated, you'll see. Making friends is easy as long as you're honest with them. And there's Emmett, he'll be back soon, I'm sure you'll also love to hang out with Jasper when he arrives."

"Yeah, Honesty… I remember you saying how important it was in a family." He nodded.

"It's important in everything." She smiled.

They finished their lunch while enjoying a light conversation before Kol walked Bella back to her office where she had her afternoon full with patients who needed her help and, for once, all humans.

After her last appointment, Carlisle and Esme came over to tell her goodbye before they left to go back home. Rosalie and Emmett had left earlier, because Emmett wanted to go hunting for something a bit bigger than what they found around here or on the way to their new home.

Of course, before he left, Carlisle made Bella promise that she'll call him if anything happened and she knew that he had given his cell phone number to a lot of other people in her new circle of friends.

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Esther smiled widely as she saw the Cold One doctor and his wife leave town. It was perfect timing. She had taken a risk by leaving the witch house but it was needed. Thankfully she could channel enough magic to hide herself from everyone that could recognize her.

"Don't worry Bella, if Edward comes back, we'll watch our thoughts." Esme promised the pregnant woman before they went in her car and left.

"I'm not worried, Esme, you shouldn't be either." Bella smiled.

She knew that Edward needed to be told carefully, and then he'd have to have a serious discussion with Bella. Bella had allowed them to tell the rest of the family the truth about where they were working and why. She also told them that Alice, Jasper and Edward would be welcome to visit, since they apparently cared, once Esther was dealt with, but not before. These confrontations were stressful and she couldn't afford to be under too much stress at the moment.

"Perfect timing. Time to move up with the plan." Esther whispered to herself, getting ready to take care of her son's hybrids that were patrolling all over the town. Three in and around Bella's office, one of two around the Bennett witch, and even a couple of them working officially as deputies for the sheriff. They had well organized themselves but she, too, was prepared for a lot of possibilities.

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"Jeremy have you seen Elena? She's not answering her phone and she missed her last check-up…" Jenna asked her nephew as he got back home.

"Last I heard she was at the Grill with Caroline and Bonnie." He replied.

"I called them, Elena told them she was going home and that Stefan would pick her up but they haven't seen him. They figured Elena got stubborn and walked home…" Jenna explained, shaking her head.

"Did you ask Bella? Maybe Elena went to hang out with her? She does that sometimes, just to talk, and since her place has the most protections, you know..." Jeremy suggested.

"She's the first one I asked, she hasn't seen her." Jenna shook her head worriedly.

Taking her phone out, she called Stefan.

"I haven't seen her since school, Jenna. I had a missed call from her a few hours ago though. I figured it was a mistake since the phone only rang once. I thought that she decided to hang out with her friends longer." He replied worriedly.

"Jenna, what's going on?" Alaric asked her, having witnessed the end of her conversations only.

"I've spent the last half hour on the phone with everyone… I think Elena is missing." She replied, the look on her face a mixture of horror and fear.

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Alice was happy. She had been right to follow her vision and to let her family leave Bella without a goodbye all these years ago, she had been right to follow her weird and unclear vision. All these years of depression for Edward, sadness for the rest of them, it was all worth it and it would arrive now.

They'd be able to be a part of Bella's life soon. They'd be part of her family eventually. She could see them now, living a happy life in Mystic Fall's, going to school, making friends and being able to stay there longer than in any other place.

She tried to concentrate on Edward, the only one she was really worried about. He'd be happy and at peace eventually, but when ? He'd find love again, something even better than what he had with Bella, but when ?

She could see him talking with Bella's boyfriend, a serious conversation, but she couldn't see what it was about. They both looked tensed and angry, but she couldn't tell what they spoke about and what the outcome would be, just that Bella would live happily ever after with Klaus and Edward would eventually find someone else to be happy with.

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Lorelei Candice Black