AN: So, I have seen some people countering with the point that Bella is in fact capable of murder. I agree, resentment is a hell of a feeling and to have it festering for as long as she did, I think some heads are going to roll at some point.

.

DAMON

The swell of emotion that Damon felt was... overwhelming, to say the least.

I want to choose him.

He kept his face stiller than the marbled expressions of shock coming from the Cullen clan. Jasper, however, had the barest hint of the thought of a muscle twitching into a knowing smile.

Carlisle, Esme, and Alice all began speaking at once, nearly shouting at Bella.

He'd been about to interject when Klaus' heavy hand on his shoulder pulled Damon's attention from the woman beside him.

"We best give them some time, mate." Was all he said before the three siblings began to peel off of the group and exit the room. Damon gave one last comforting squeeze to her hand, waiting for her to nod in permission before following behind the Mikaelson siblings and moving to another wing of the house to give them some privacy.

"So, you seem pretty cheeky about the whole thing." Rebekah sang teasingly as they settled into a farther wing of the house. Damon rolled his eyes, frowning deeply as if to prove her wrong.

"Sister, his face didn't even move how could you possibly know that?" Elijah asked as he dusted a chair before taking a seat.

"Women just know." She countered; Damon couldn't help but scoff at her words. He went over to the small wet bar in the corner, rinsing four dusty glasses and making them eat drinks.

"You women know nothing, Elena barely knows what brother she wants based on what day of the week it is." Damon's tone came out sharper than intended, and he winced internally, knowing the three would be on him almost instantly.

"Now, mate, this seems like a bad time to bring her up." Klaus started to say, nodding in thanks as he took the glass from Damon.

Elijah said nothing, only nodding along with his brother's words and thanking him for the drink.

Rebeckah ignored his offer and scowled at him. "That's a cowardly way to go; even for you, Damon. Isabella is a beautiful woman and even if she didn't originally see her life and afterlife going this way, she's been more than accommodating. Especially considering the way that Elena's little groupies here in Mystic Falls tend to alienate the people Elena dislikes." She snatched her glass from the table, taking a large gulp and Damon sat himself across from them in a chaise.

He knew he shouldn't have said it. Elena didn't even need to be involved in his thoughts about his relationship with Bella.

"I know what it's like when the group decides you're the enemy." Rebekah spoke again softly, mostly to herself this time.

On some level Damon knew he had to let the unhealthy grudge he held against Kathrine, and now Elena, go. He had to stop looking for all of the things that could go wrong.

But then in the opposite level, he flashed to the smile that Little Gilbert had given Isabella, and it was hard to imagine a scenario in which Damon was the one chosen. He'd seen it time and time again. He was fun to look at, he knew, and he had never had trouble getting the spot beside him in bed filled. But could he really see someone like her choosing to be the one who woke up beside him every day, for the rest of forever?

Her and the boy had history. It was negative history but since when, in his experience, had negative history stopped who people who wanted to be together?

Hell, Elena and Stephan were literally cursed to be fated to one another no matter the toll to those around them and they had still chosen each other.

Could he have finally found that in Isabella? Or would she too leave him after Damon finally surrendered himself to her completely.

He had fallen so deep into thought that he'd failed to notice the siblings moving to the other side of the room to give him some space to himself to think. The three chatting it up and mulling over the entire situation at hand.

"I, for one, can't wait for the upcoming Founder's Day celebration. Caroline will be looking lovely as always, I assume." Klaus spoke to the pair, ignoring the way Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"Brother, perhaps you should be in the corner with Damon, mulling over your life's decisions of pining for a girl who thinks you a monster."

Elijah spoke now, "You're one to talk, has matt ever taken you up on the offer to visit Europe together again?"

The three instantly began an argument over who's failed relationships failed harder as Damon fell deeper into a place he rarely visited - his own emotions.

BELLA

"Bella, please think of what you're doing here." Carlisle pleaded for the third time as Bella paced the study Damon had left them in to speak.

"I am thinking Carlisle. For the first time in my life, I'm not thinking about everyone else. I'm thinking of me." Bella sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

Esme was perched in a chair to Bella's left, watching Carlisle pace with a worried expression on her face for her mate. Alice had gone quiet some time ago, sitting on the other end of the couch form Bella with her head in her hands. Bella assumed she was looking for ways to convince bella to come back to forks.

"Carlisle, I don't understand why you're so worried about her wanting to stay here. This Damon obviously cares for her." Rosalie had, surprisingly, taken a stance behind Bella - literally. Rosalie had come to stand behind the part of the couch where she sat; Emmet in the far corner of the room looking through many of the journals Stefan had left behind.

Bella knew he was still listening; she also knew that he knew better than to take an opposing stance to his wife; no matter what his thoughts might have been on the situation.

"You've known him such a short time, Bella, is all he's trying to say." Esme spoke from her spot in the chair. Her eyes soft and concerned as she stared at the girl, she considered to be one of her children.

"I understand everyone's concern. I do." Bella spoke again, gnawing on the inside of her cheek before sighing heavily. "You all had to have realized I was unhappy."

Several gazes shifted from her to the floor in front of her. Esme, Carlisle, and Jasper suddenly seemed tremendously interested in the ground.

"I don't mean to say that I don't still consider you family." She hurried and spoke again, not wanting to hurt their feelings. They returned their gaze to her and she continued. "You have super hearing. You know everything that goes on in the walls of your homes." Her voice was soft now, meek compared to the way she'd previously been speaking.

"Year after year, It's empty promise after empty promise. I know not everyone agreed with me when I said I wanted forever," Rosalies cold hand reached forward to give a gentle squeeze. "But, at the time, I meant it. From the moment I met Edward in biology I was swept away. You were all so... so... perfect. You'd had centuries to yourselves and with each other. Half of the time none of you even have to say anything to talk to one another."

Bella took a deep steadying breath. When had she started crying? "And I was a part of it. I wanted forever with not just Edward, but you all who I had grown to consider family. But it stung. From you all just u and leaving 'for my own good', to abruptly coming back and asking something of me you knew I could never deny. I'd save Edward a hundred times over if you wanted me to. But it's not for him and I anymore that I'd do it. It's for you all. For the Family I love so much."

They sat in heavy silence for several minutes, before Carlisle cleared his throat sadly. "I understand and can respect your wishes, Bella. I'm deeply sorry for the choice Edward took from you in living this afterlife. Nothing any of us could ever say would suffice. However, I also can't help but mourn what you and my son could have been."

"He loves you so, Bella. You have to understand how hard this is for him." Esme conceded softly, her large eyes one Bella.

"That's such bullshit," Bella turned to gape openly (as did the rest of the family) at Emmet, who had put away the book he was holding to finally join the conversation. "Carlisle, you granted the dying wish of a woman who is probably eternally thankful you save Edward from death. But by the Volturi's own law, children should not live this existence. Edward included."

Rosalie picked up from where Emmet stopped, and Bella found she did in fact have tears left to shed; and they rolled fat and ugly down her face as she listened to the pair, she'd had least expected to speak up for her do just that.

"Exactly, Dad. Seventeen is barely old enough to handle emotions, especially the emotions of a 17-year-old boy. Edward may have been considered a man back then because of life expectancy, but he was and is 17. Bella is 21 now, older and all of us except for maybe you and Esme. You of all of us should know the growth and change that happens to someone's brains as they get older. It's never happened for him, and it never will. Until he find his actual mate; I doubt he will ever truly be happy with forever with Bella."

Bella hadn't even considered that. Every word of it was true. Bella had grown and matured mentally and developmentally in ways she was suddenly alerted that Edward simply could not. Would they have continued to grow apart any way, without any intervention from Damon or this situation?

The two couples were locked in their gazes, having a fight silently over Bella's head. She doubted she even knew anymore what the fight was about.

She did her best to stifle a yawn, but Jasper's voice hitting her ears made her realize she was unsuccessful.

"We'd best let her get to havin' a drink and then gettin' some rest. We do have forever now for this fight." The southern drawl was smooth, completely at ease despite the tension in the room.

Bella nodded eagerly, feigning ignorance to the standoff above her head as she rose from her seat and clapped her hands. "I should, Uh, probably find Damon." She looked at Alice's deathly still frame, wondering if she were ever going to stop.

"Is Damon really necessary?" Esme did little to hide the small frown that graced her face.

"If you'd all like to feed tonight and Bella not to die trying to find the stash, yes. Damon is necessary."

Bella whirled on her toes towards the soothing baritone she'd grown accustomed to. Damon seemed unphased by the uncomfortable weight the room held.

"The Mikaelsons will be in the west wing study if anyone would like to join them. Animal bags are in your rooms. Major, you have options." Jasper nodded, and Bella didn't miss the sharp looks each of the Cullen family shot their newest vegetarian.

Without another word, Damon wrapped a protective arm around Bella's shoulders and turned her in the direction of his room.

Once in the safety of the bedroom, Damon held up a bag between them; the rich crimson contents no longer repulsing her.

"Are you sure, Isabella?" He asked her, Bella ignored the hair that rose over her body at his voice and nodded before speaking quietly.

"I meant it, I'm choosing you, Damon. I'm choosing forever."

The smile that met her words was something she'd never seen before from the man before her. If her heart was still beating, she was sure it would have stopped then and there. It was hard not to return the smile, though she doubted she had done it justice.

The blood was smooth, and instantly satiated the burning in her throat and stomach. When she had finished the bag, she realized he was fighting a smirk, and followed his gaze down to her bloody shirt and pants. In her hurry to quelch her thirst she hadn't realized her nails had punctured the bag and dripped all over her.

So, she still had some learning to do. Fine-tuning her feeding would come with time, right?

"We are just going to have to get you showered and changed, Mrs. Salvatore." Damon's words made her dead heart drop to her stomach, and she let him lead her into the restroom, trotting after him helplessly to the charm he had dialed up to ten thousand.

She's all in now!

I can't tell you guys enough about how cathartic was to say all the things i wished would have been said to the heads of the Cullen coven.

Steam chapter ahead, so look out for that one. Let me know what you think!