AN: THANK YOU GUYSSSS! FOR ALL OF THE REVIEWS AND QUESTIONS AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO FOLLOW ME ON THIS JOURNEY. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW WHAT THEY THOUGHT AND EVEN OFFER THEIR IDEA AND SUGGESTIONS.
DAMON
It had only been 48 hours since Edward had broken Isabella's neck. Damon was upstairs, pouring himself a drink as he listened to the sounds of the Cullen family once again clamoring over one another with their suggestions on what to do about her body, and what to do about Edward.
Ah, Edward. Damon smiled to himself as he pictured the boy in the basement. Alice and Damon had managed to wrestle him into the new and improved cell. After realizing vervain didn't work for them the way it did Damon, he took great joy in ripping Edwards limbs from him so he and Alice could take their time to make the necessary alterations.
He'd left messages for his brother keeping him in the loop but knew deep down that they had probably decided not to come back weeks ago. Many of Stefan's more personal journals were gone, along with sentimental items Elena had moved in during the weeks leading up to her turn. Even Caroline and Bonnie had left for school; since their winter break was over and all.
The rest of the Cullen Clan infested his home not even 12 hours after the pixie had made the first hysterical call. Apparently, they'd been separated from each other for some time as most vamps do from time to time. He was told Carlisle and Esme had been on some remote island getaway, Jasper was waiting on the other side of the state for her call but had made it to her before she even dialed. The mating pull apparently alerted him to her distress.
Emmet and Rosalie had been in Vegas. This was clearly a family who decided that immortality would be spent with luxury.
They were his favorite so far. Rosalie was the one who had made Damon's bedroom into a beautiful resting place for Bella. Emmet had gone into the cell and beat the ever-loving shit out of his brother in the basement and Jasper and Carlisle had to force him away.
He'd given them a room nearest Damon's. Carlisle and Esme had been around him, the matriarch of the family a shocking contrast to his own mother. She'd already begun cleaning in the downtime between their fights.
He was hanging up the phone when he reached the bottom of the staircase.
"Aright now, let's all just take chill pills." Damon breezed into the middle of the group, putting his hands up in a 'stand-down' motion as he did a very slow 180 to calm the crowd.
Six pairs of very golden eyes stared at him expectantly. Their leader- or father- Carlisle stepped closer to Damon, his head cocked with unspoken questions. "How can you be so calm Damon? From what Jasper can tell me, you felt very deeply for Bella."
Damon curled his lip before finishing off his drink and toying with the glass in his hand. "Okay. You call keep saying weird shit like that and I think that it's time we all sat down together and had a fun little chat about whatever mumbo jumbo you've got going on. We're all curious."
Rosalie stepped forward so she was shoulder to shoulder with Carlisle before Esme could with her mate not half a step behind, and Damon was beginning to understand the hierarchy in play within their small coven.
"Who is we?" She asked curiously. Damon wasn't fooled. They had all been so convinced he was a sole vampire in this town, it was the reason they felt comfortable enough to leave him to do as he pleased within his home; why no one had bothered to keep their conversations hushed or even attempted to protect themselves as he interrupted their little pow-wow
"That would be us, love." Rosalie was answered by his 'we' Rebekah, Klaus, and Elijah standing in the foyer as if summed by the mere question. Klaus sauntered further into the home, and Damon rolled his eyes at their theatrics.
"They're friends of mine. Cullens, meet the Originals, Originals the Cullens. Now can we please sit down and go over this in a somewhat orderly fashion."
He led the slack-jawed group of cold ones into the dining room that the Mikaelsons had already seated themselves at. Damon took a seat in the middle, and the Cullens took place at the opposite end of the table.
Their side of the table consisted of an empty chair, Elijah, Damon, Klaus, Rebekah, and another empty chair.
The Cullens sat Jasper at the end of the table across from the empty chair, Alice across from Elijah, Carlisle across from Damon, Esme across from Klaus, Rosalie across from Rebekah, and Emmet in the end seat.
"Now." Damon slapped the tabletop dramatically as they all settled. "Which side would like to explain a little bit first?" Damon stared expectantly at Carlisle, who was perfectly poised in the chair across from Damon.
"I do suppose its fair we start but explaining what the gifts are you keep calling mumbo jumbo." Carlisle sighed softly, the weight of the last 48 hours seeming to settle on his shoulders.
"I am the eldest member of my coven and while it may not seem like much of a power, I am able to show great restraint at the sight of human blood. More so than even a typical being of my age would be able to. I was turned in 1663." This came as a bit of a shock to Damon, he knew that obviously as vampires that none of them could age but it looked quite literally as if they were frozen in time.
"Esme was the second person I ever turned, and she is my mate; though she is not gifted in the way my children are. She was turned in 1921." The demure woman at his side smiled softly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze on the table top.
"Rosalie joined our family after Esme; origionally as a companion for Edward." That seemed to make Rosalie snort, and she flicked her hair over her shoulder, leaning towards the hulking bear-man beside her.
"I found my mate in Emmet, who I saved from a bear attack and asked Carlisle to change." Emmet gave a large grin and dropped a heavy arm over the back of her chair. "Yep," He boasted, patting the back of her hair tenderly. "Now they're my favorite. Also I have incredible strength, even for a Vamp." Rosalie sat forward and shooed his hand away from her hair a noise of complaint escaping her.
Carlisle cleared his throat gently as if calling their attention back to the present. "Alice and Jasper joined of their own volition some time after that. Alice has the ability to see the future as it plays based on someone's decisions."
"Some things are set in stone, but most of it is based on the decisions of those who's future's I look in on." Alice piped up from the other side of the table. Elijah sat forward, absolutely fascinated.
"And your mate?" He asked curiously, staring at the silent man at the end of the table. He seemed to be the one they needed to watch the closest. His body riddled in fine, crescent shaped scars as far as his flesh was exposed. He sat rigid, with his body turned slightly towards the hall is if he was waiting for a blitz attack.
Alice sat up a bit proudly at the mention of her mate. "Jasper has the ability to persuade and sense another's emotions. For example, he could make all up us completely enraged, or calm." Jasper nodded in agreement, Elijah speaking up after a pause. "He's also the most tactical. He was a major in the Civil War."
Damon perked up at this. "Get out a' town." A slow grin spread over his face. "What side?"
Jasper almost looked embarrassed. "Confederate."
Damon nodded "I understand. Deserted myself. Didn't sit right with me the reasons behind it." Jasper sat up impossibly straighter, a small burst of something akin to joy blanketing them.
"Finally, someone who gets it." Jasper chuckled darkly after he spoke. "Frontlines of Texas when I was changed."
"Carried a torch for the wrong vamp." Was all Damon offered, nodding to the Major. Newfound respect aimed at Jasper that he obviously felt. He turned his gaze back to Carlisle, his gaze growing dark.
"And the boy in the basement?" Carlisle seemed to shift uncomfortably in his seat at that question. "Edward... Was dying of Influenza when I changed him. I'd been alone some time and his mother knew what I was and it was her dying wish. Up until then I'd promised that while I didn't have the option when changing, that I would not damn anyone else to my existence. Though when he woke up, he was able to read the minds of those around him"
Damon could understand that. From what was known, cold ones were created by a native shaman indigenous to what is now the US.
"And how does one become one of you?" Rebekah asked, leaning forward and sparking a short once-over to Rosalie who was in turn eyeing Rebekah.
"Well, it's quite simple really. Those of us who are turned simply need to bite a person and pump enough venom into their system to initiate the change. It's an incredibly painful burning sensation. It's believed that if you do not make it past that stage a turning has failed and the individual is simply dead. Those who are strong enough to withstand the trial by fire are met with enhanced abilities. As well as little being remembered from out human lives. Most of what we know we've written in journals." Elijah spoke.
"And your strength?" Klaus spoke next, sitting forward with his elbows on the table and interlocking his fingers to rest his chin on them.
"We are our strongest the first year or so after. We think that's due to the human blood still in our bodies; Vampires of our kind are strongest on a Blood diet. However my family and I have chosen to live an... alternative lifestyle. We are vegetarian, only feeling on animals. This is why our eyes are the light color they are compared to our crimson-eyed counter parts."
The four across from the 'family' nodded as the digested the information. Eventually, Elijah began speaking.
"As you may or may not know, Myself, Klaus, Rebekah, Kol, Finn, and Freya are the first-ever created vampire species. Our mother and father created us to protect us from her sister. We are un-killable. Unlike your species created of the indigenous tribes of the states, we are born from magic. While we don't have special powers to the extent of your kind, we are able to compel humans to do our bidding."
This seemed to pull most of their attention, Damon grinned as they listened. "Also, unlike you, our strength comes from our age. Meaning the older we are, the stronger we are." Damon interrupted Elijah, earning him a side glance from the original. Damon sat back and held his hands up in surrender.
"Yes, Damon would be correct. The older the vampire, the stronger the vampire. As well as Klaus being of werewolf descendant; making him the original hybrid as well as an original vampire. He has since sired many other hybrid were-vamps."
"Sired?" Carlisle asked curiously from his position at the table.
"Meaning he's changed. There is a difference simply being from an original's bloodline to being sired, but essentially it heightens the loyalty one feels to their changer or sire. We retain most our human memories. In fact, many humans who are changed even have the memories of being compelled restored after they change."
There was a long pause before Esme, much to Damon's surprise, spoke up. "You said your parents changed you with magic... how do you... sire... other vampires?"
Klaus held his hand up to his brother, signaling he wanted to speak. "Well, love," Klaus sat up, taking his chin out of his hands as he spoke. "It's actually quite simple, and yet complicated. All that needs to happen is that we would feed another being our blood. Any amount would do it. But once it is in the system its a matter of them dying with it sill in them."
"Someone... has to ingest your blood?" Esme shrank back microscopically from Klaus, who leaned forward.
"You bleed?" Rosalie asked almost at the same time.
"Yes, they have to drink our blood. It's got amazing healing qualities." He waved his hand as he continued on. "Anyway, once they've ingested our blood, they have to die. Then they are sent to... ah, hell what would you call it brother? Limbo?" Elijah nodded "Supernatural Limbo." Klaus continued.
"Yes, Supernatural Limbo, and once you are able to find your way back to your body, you're a vampire."
"Assuming, of course, one decides the drink human blood within the first 24 hours." Rebekah finished for Klaus, all three of the men on her side of the table nodding.
"Fascinating." Carlisle murmured to himself, rubbing his chin in thought as the group sat in silence, taking each other in.
"Wait," The small one, Alice, suddenly shot up out of her seat with enough force it clattered back against the wall. Her group jumped, turning to look at her with questioning eyes. Alice was across the table before anyone could blink, Damon knocked over in his chair, his hands up in mock surrender.
"That's what you gave Bella, isn't it?" Her face was nearly mushed against his it was so close.
"Personal space, Tinker-bell." Damon grumbled as he shoved her off of him easily. The group sat with their breath held, even his own table-mates turned to face him curiously.
"I may have given her some of my blood to help heal a cut on her hand." Was all Damon offered. The Cullens sat back in sync. Damon could not tell if it was with relief or with worry.
"She's going to wake up?" Emmet broke the silence first. Damon nodded slowly. "It took me nearly four days to come back from limbo. Isabella is quite smart though. I doubt it will take her another 24 hours."
AN: SO! WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK? AS USUAL, CARLISLE IS ATTEMPTING TO IGNORE EDWARDS WRONG DOINGS AND EVEN ATTEMPTED TO IGNORE HIM IN INTRODUCING THE COVEN AND THEIR ABILITES.
I AM CONSIDERING A POV CHAPTER FROM THE CULLENS. TO SHOW THEIR EMOTIONS AND HOW THEY ARE PROCESSING BELLA'S 'LOSS'. FROM BEFORE THEY ARRIVE. BASICALLY A CHAPTER FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS WHEN THEY GET ALICE'S CALLS.
if not I'll likely continue from the next chapter I have half written.