Bella's eyes snapped open.

Taking in a deep, shuddering breath of air, she groaned. She felt... strange. There was no real pain- she wasn't physically hurting- but her body felt unusually heavy. Even just breathing felt like work.

Staring up at the white ceiling, Bella tried to push through her muddled mind to figure out where she was and how she got there. Suddenly, everything snapped into place.

She had died. Bella could still remember the feeling of Elijah cradling her in his arms, the solidness of Klaus' chest against her back, the soothing tenor of his voice right before he bit into her neck. Slowly, Bella lifted her arm and brought it to the side of neck but felt nothing.

"You're awake."

Letting her head flop to the side, Bella stared at Jonas with wide eyes. "Jonas?" she croaked, realizing how dry her throat felt.

Walking into the room, Jonas smiled gently. "Welcome back." He held up a bottle of water and shook it gently. "Figured you'd be wanting this."

Bella struggled to push herself upright until Jonas leaned down and helped her up, moving several pillows behind her to help support her back. He unscrewed the water bottle for her and carefully passed it to her. She gave him a grateful look, relieved that he didn't have to help her lift the bottle- that would have been too embarrassing.

After she had taken several sips, Bella tried speaking again. "Jonas," she repeated. "What's going on? Where am I?"

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Jonas studied her closely. "You're in Mystic Falls."

Gaping at him, Bella sputtered, "How?"

"Elijah," Jonas answered simply.

Elijah looked over the spell Jonas had offered him. "And this will remove the tumor?"

"Yes," Jonas answered, confidently. "Magic can't make the tumor just disappear, but it can transfer it to another person. While some might consider it… morally ambiguous, I see nothing wrong with taking the tumor and placing it into someone who is already dying- an accident patient at a hospital or someone declared brain dead and about to be removed from life support. It wouldn't technically be murdering anyone since they're- essentially- already dead."

"It would have to be someone still alive?" Elijah frowned. "You couldn't just place the tumor on someone already deceased?"

"No. A life for a life, that is the cost of this spell. Bella is going to die from the tumor and if we want to use magic to save her, someone else will have to die." Part of Jonas railed against the fact that he was effectively playing God here, but he knew that these were desperate times and placing the tumor in someone already about to die was a loophole to the rules of this spell that he could live with.

"I see. I presume you have a plan on how you will go about finding someone to use for this?"

"Of course. There is also a spell to revive Bella after Klaus has killed her." Jonas handed Elijah another spell book. "She'll die during the ritual and then we will bring her back and put her into a magical stasis, just until we can perform the spell to remove the tumor and then we'll wake her up."

After he had verified the spell for himself, Elijah looked back up at Jonas with a small quirk of his lips. "Excellent work, Jonas. You've done exactly as I've asked. I do wonder though just how you managed to find these spells so quickly, when I only requested you to look into this yesterday."

Jonas grimaced slightly, unsure of what to say.

"Or perhaps, you were already looking into a way to save Isabella before I had come to you."

Sighing, the warlock admitted, "I've been looking into these spells soon after Bella arrived. I couldn't be sure, but I had a hunch you might wish to try and save her."

Elijah's eyes narrowed slightly. "And what would give you cause to think that?"

He gave the Original a faint smile but didn't answer his question. Instead, he asked, "Are you going to tell her before the ritual what you're attempting to do? Or will you wait until afterwards to explain?"

Snapping the book shut, Elijah handed it back to Jonas. "I won't be telling her anything. After you have managed to remove the tumor, wake her up and then escort her back to her family. There's no need to mention my involvement in this, small as it was."

Eyebrows shooting up in surprise, Jonas asked, "Don't you want her to know that you're the one who arranged to save her?"

"You're the one who found and will be casting the spells- you and Luka will be the ones to save her, not I."

"We both know I wouldn't be doing these spells unless you wanted them done. It's because of you she's going to live."

Elijah's eyes suddenly turned sad and ancient. "Fixing it does not change the fact that I was the one who broke it in the first place. I am responsible for ripping her away from her home, her family, just so I could use her to get revenge for mine. Haven't I done enough? Aren't my actions enough proof that nothing good ever comes from knowing a Mikaelson? After all this is over, Isabella deserves nothing more than to be allowed to live her life away from supernatural creatures who only cause destruction wherever they go."

"You can try to take away the supernatural from her life," Jonas started slowly. "But you can't take away the scars that have already been left. She'll always be a doppelgänger- she'll always have those memories that have been given to her of her bloodline."

"Memories that started once she arrived here," Elijah snapped, turning away. "We entered into her world and she started remembering all sorts of terrible things. If we are the cause, then perhaps our absence will be the solution."

"Or we're leaving her alone to suffer by herself. How is that fair?"

Giving a hoarse, broken sort of laugh, Elijah asked, "Isabella is going to die because fate decreed her to be a pawn in a supernatural game. What sort of fairness is in that?"

Bella stared at Jonas with large eyes. "Elijah," she murmured softly. "Where is he?"

Jonas just sighed. "You should know, Bella, that you've been asleep for almost six months and, in that time, a lot has changed."

Six months? "Where's Elijah?" she repeated, worried.

He pressed his lips tightly together for a moment before finally saying, "After your death, even though he knew that you were going to be fine, something… happened with Elijah. Something changed. Klaus ended up daggering him."

"He didn't kill Klaus," Bella sighed in relief, ignoring Jonas' claim for now.

"No, he didn't." Jonas did not look as happy as she was. "Once he realized that Klaus hadn't murdered their siblings, Elijah allowed him to live."

"So, he's still daggered?" she asked. "Klaus still has him locked away?" Locked away with Kol.

"No," came Jonas' slow response. "He was undaggered a few days ago. That's when we started the process of waking you."

Bella took several deep breaths. It still felt like her head was full of fog- she was fighting to understand every word of this conversation. "I don't understand."

Seeming to understand her level of exhaustion, Jonas gave as simple an explanation as he could. "After the ritual was completed, Klaus changed into his werewolf form and Elijah went after him. We collected your body as instructed and moved you to a secure location."

"Just where do you think you're going?" Greta demanded as Jonas lifted Bella's limp form from the ground.

"What does it look like?" Luka snapped at his sister. "We're getting Bella out of here."

Greta gave him a strange look while Maddox just stood in the background, looking as impassive as ever. "She's dead- what does it matter now?"

Jonas stared at his daughter, unsure of whether or not her time with Klaus had made her like this or if she had always been this way and he'd just never seen it. "She may be gone, but she still deserves to be treated with respect."

"And what do you plan on doing with her?" asked Maddox.

Luka shrugged. "Her dad lives close by and Bella's requested that we tell him once she's passed. Not everything- obviously- but just that she's gone, and he doesn't have to worry anymore."

"When did she say that?" Greta prodded, clearly suspicious.

"She was around for several weeks before you returned," Jonas told her evenly, fingers tightening infinitesimally around Bella. "And she was aware that she was going to die- we discussed her final wishes."

"Klaus knew about it," Luka quickly interjected. His father had only told him a few hours ago that he'd found a way to save Bella and explained the spell they were going to perform. Time was short for them right now and they needed to start the revival ritual on Bella as soon as possible. "He said he didn't care what we did with Bella after the ritual was completed." When it seemed like Greta was going to continue to argue, he snapped, "What the fuck is your problem? She's dead, Greta- Bella is a dead. We all helped Klaus murder her. The very least we can do is make sure her body makes it home so that her family can mourn her in peace. I know you probably can't understand that but, unlike you, Bella actually gave a shit about her family."

Greta visibly flinched. "That's not-"

"What, Greta? It's not what? True? Fair? My friend is dead, Greta. Where's the fairness in that?"

"So, you took my body and performed the spell to revive me," Bella summarized. "And then it took time for you to find someone to place the tumor in. That still doesn't explain why I've been asleep for six months or how any of this is connected to Elijah being daggered."

Jonas sighed. "I still don't know all the details for myself. After we revived you, Luka went to find Elijah while I stayed with you. He found Elijah fighting with Klaus and then watched as Klaus daggered him. From the way Luka described it, Klaus didn't really have another choice because there was no chance of reaching Elijah when he was in such a rage. Without Elijah, it took us some time to find a patient who fit our criteria and we were able to gain access to so that we could cast the spell. Afterwards, things were so tense here in Mystic Falls that we didn't feel comfortable waking you up until now."

"Tense how?" Bella asked, her chest tight at Jonas' description of Elijah. She had never meant for any of this to happen- this was all her fault.

The bedroom door opened then, and Luka stuck his head in. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty," he greeted, face lighting up at the sight of Bella awake. "It's about time you woke up."

Bella couldn't help smiling back. "Well, I would have been up sooner, but it seems like my alarm clock wasn't working. What can you do?" she shrugged.

Luka laughed, walking into the room and slipping past his father to sit down on the bed, pulling Bella into a hug. "Don't be too harsh now, it could've been worse. I, personally, wanted to do a more 'Snow White' deal here than a 'Sleeping Beauty' situation. You know, waking up in a glass coffin, finding a bunch of weird people standing around, with a random guy leaning over you thrown in that you'd only met once. Dad nixed that idea though."

"And that's why he's my favorite," Bella said solemnly, winking at Jonas.

While Jonas was happy to watch the two teens interacting with one another- especially since he knew how much Bella's absence hurt Luka- the matter of Elijah needed to be settled. "Were you able to speak with him?" he asked his son.

Smile instantly slipping from his face, Luka shook his head. "Elijah's spent the whole day with either Klaus or Damon. I couldn't get anywhere near him. He doesn't seem all rage-filled anymore, but he also doesn't look like he's doing okay."

"He doesn't know that I'm here- that I'm awake," she realized. "You were waiting until he was undaggered to wake me, but he has no idea of that."

Klaus was still feeling the high from his first transformation into a werewolf- from the freedom of his curse being broken. Finally, he was whole. No longer would he feel as though a part of himself was locked away.

He was free.

Zipping back to the hotel and up to their suite on the top floor, he quickly let himself in and went to put on some clothes- an issue he should have thought of when preparing for this night. When he came out of his bedroom, Klaus was surprised to see Elijah standing in front of the large floor to ceiling windows in the living room.

"Brother," he greeted cheerfully. "I didn't expect to see you here." Surely the witches were finished casting whatever revival spell they had chosen to use on Bella. Those kinds of things were never really of interest to Klaus since he wasn't in the habit of reviving anyone, so he wasn't sure exactly how long the spell would take but he would have thought that a night to have been more than enough time.

"Where is our family?" Elijah asked him softly, voice empty and cold.

Klaus frowned. "They are safe- I gave you my word on that."

Elijah finally turned to look at him and Klaus was surprised to see the desolate look in his eyes. "Because your word has suddenly become worth trusting?"

"I understand you're angry," he responded calmly. "But I gave you my word that I would reunite you and I intend to keep it. Tell me, where is Bella? I would have thought she'd be awake by now."

That brought a bit of life back into Elijah's eyes. "What do you mean you thought she'd be awake by now?"

Klaus snorted. "I told you that I would not be upset if you found a way to save her, Brother- as I'm sure you have. I know you better than anyone, Elijah, and I am positive you found some way to revive Bella even with the tumor. So, where is she?"

Moving so fast that even Klaus' keen eyes couldn't keep up, Elijah hit him hard enough to send him flying across the room. "She is dead, Niklaus! She is dead because of us- because of your obsessive need to always get your way regardless of the cost to others and because of my… of my… weakness. Because I have always been too weak to stop you due to my guilt and shame for what I did to you in the past. You walk around and act as though you are above everything and everyone- you allowed me to think that our family was dead! You care nothing about the lives, thoughts, and feelings of anyone else." Klaus was almost shaking with rage at his brother's accusations but the raw grief in Elijah's eyes made him pause where he stood.

"Even now you stand there and try to… try to toy with my emotions. Or, even worse, you try and pretend that her death was just some unfortunate occurrence," Elijah continued, voice shaking. "Isabella was… was one of the most special beings any of us have ever come upon. And now she is gone." Suddenly, the fight seemed to leave Elijah and his shoulders slumped, face turning agonized. "Do you understand? I... I let her in. I let her in, Niklaus. I don't let people in. You knew this, and you've taken her from me. You took her from me, and I stood there and watched you do it.

"I needed her, and you've broken me."

Bella sat stiffly in the passenger seat, fingers digging into her legs in order to keep her mind from drifting.

She felt so tired. Even though the magic the Martin's had used on her kept her muscles from atrophying, a toll had still been taken on her body and Jonas had warned that she'd be feeling weak and overly tired for a while.

Jolting out of a light doze as the car came to a stop, Bella stared around her in confusion until she caught sight of the large mansion that they were parked in front of. Gawking at it in amazement, Bella weakly started to ask, "Is this..."

"Klaus doesn't do things by halves," Jonas told her wryly, getting out of the car and walking over to her side to open the door.

Carefully placing her feet on the pavement, Bella pushed herself upright, grabbing the top of the car door to steady herself when she suddenly went lightheaded.

Jonas stared at her in concern. "You know you don't have to do this now, right? We can wait until you're feeling better."

Giving him a weak smile, Bella joked, "Too late now- they've definitely already heard us. Besides, I need to do this."

Leaving Jonas outside with the car, Bella walked into the house. Following the sound of harsh, angry voices, Bella wandered down a hall and into a room that looked like a study. Klaus was kneeling on the floor and a group of four stood around him in a semi-circle. A blond girl in a red dress, a tall and shaggy-haired man, Elijah in his normal suit but with shorter hair, and...

"Kol?" she whispered, a stunned and fragile hope filling her.

Everyone turned to face her, expressions ranging from confused annoyance to shock and awe.

"Bella?" Klaus asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Isabella," Elijah breathed.

She didn't look at them- Bella couldn't bring herself to tear her gaze away from the vampire she had spent centuries searching for without even knowing it.

Staring at her with large brown eyes, Kol took a small step forward. "Hannah?" he whispered. Seconds later, he was standing in front of her. When Bella just continued to look up at him, unable to find her voice, his eyes closed and he inhaled. Realizing the girl in front of him was a human, Kol shook his head slightly. "Human," he growled. "But your scent… that's impossible. You died. You're gone."

She couldn't keep herself from shaking. After centuries of waiting, Bella knew what she had to say. "I'm so sorry, Kol," she breathed. "I… you were right, and I was wrong. I promised you… and I failed. I'm so sorry I failed you, failed us. I'm sorry I wasn't better and I'm sorry you weren't able to save me and I'm sorry that we didn't get our Always and Forever."

He didn't move for a long moment and then suddenly, Bella was being crushed against his chest with Kol's face buried in her neck. She could feel the shudders running through him, his shaky exhales on her skin, and his tears soaking through the fabric of her shirt. Burying her face in his shoulder, Bella felt like a piece of her soul that she had been searching for was finally slid back into place. She wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him so tightly that her fingernails dug grooves into his skin.

"I promised to protect you," Kol whispered. "And I failed you."

"No, you didn't," she murmured back. "It wasn't your fault, Kol. What happened to me wasn't your fault. I'm so, so sorry for leaving you. I'm here now and I promise, I'm not going anywhere. You and me now. Always and Forever."

Kol's arms tightened and Bella was almost unable to breath.

The first time she had heard of the promise between Kol's siblings was when she had asked him why he always seemed so separate from his family. Despite the careless- the indifferent- way that Kol had told her about the vow he had never been a part of, she had taken his hand and told him that he wasn't left out of Always and Forever because that was what they were.

Siblings of the heart.

Best of friends.

Platonic Soulmates.

Always and Forever.

"Who the bloody hell is she?" Rebekah's voice broke through their bubble and Kol began to pull away, his arms loosening. Bella didn't fully let go though, keeping her hands on the back of his neck. Kol sighed and leaned slightly forward again, resting his forehead against hers. "How are you alive?" he whispered.

Bella squeezed her eyes shut, his question bringing up so many memories that she wanted to forget. "I…" she choked. "I can't…"

Kol understood, he always did. "It's alright, dove," he told her, rubbing a hand on her back. "Hush now- it's alright. It can wait."

Nodding slightly, Bella finally pulled away from Kol. Slipping her hand in his in order to remain connected, Bella finally looked over at Klaus and Elijah. "Why are you on the floor?" she asked Klaus with a frown. Then she noticed that each of his siblings were holding a dagger. "Oh, I see."

"Where have you been all this time?" Klaus countered, using his sibling's distraction to get back on his feet. "I was under the impression you were dead."

"That's because I was," Bella smirked. "Didn't really take though." The smile fell from her face as she caught sight of Elijah's pained expression. "Elijah saved me."

Before she had even finished speaking, Elijah was shaking his head. "I did not save you- I am the one who led you to your death."

"So dramatic," she laughed, though she felt her heart hurt in response to the pain in his eyes. "Elijah, you are not the one who killed me. To be perfectly honest, neither was Klaus. You did not ruin me or whatever other nonsense you're thinking right now. What happened to me…" Bella paused, trying to gather her thoughts. "There are some things that you can't fight, Elijah- some things that you can't change or divert no matter how much we may want to. My death was one of those things." When he just continued to stare at her with a guilt-riddled expression, she firmly told him, "It wasn't your fault, Elijah. I don't blame you for anything."

"You're a doppelgänger?" Rebekah scoffed. "Well, this little scene makes so much more sense. My brothers just can't seem to help falling over themselves when it comes to one of you."

Tearing her gaze away from Elijah, Bella raised an eyebrow at Rebekah. "Oh, if only were a doppelgänger. My life would be so much easier if that were the case."

"Never thought I'd hear someone wishing they were a doppelgänger," Klaus muttered, cautiously moving a bit closer.

"If you are not a doppelgänger," spoke the unknown brother- Finn, "then what are you?"

"A hot mess," Bella automatically replied.

Klaus snorted with laughter as Kol gave her a confused look. "I'll explain it later," she promised. Her eyes flickered back to Rebekah and Finn. "This may be a little late at this point, but my name is Bella Swan, and I am really glad to finally have the chance to meet you."

Rebekah seemed slightly taken aback by the other girl's obvious sincerity. "I had heard Nik talk about the doppelgänger he sacrificed, but I thought he meant Elena. If you were the one he sacrificed- and Elijah did save you- then where have you been the past few months?"

Bella sighed. "The Martin's kept me in a coma. I only woke up an hour ago and feel like I am moments away from collapsing again." Glancing up at Kol, she asked, "If I faint, do you promise to catch me?"

He gave her a true smile, the first his siblings had seen from him in years. It was one filled with a tentative sort of happiness and hope, but also with a hint of fear. "Of course, dove. You needn't even need to ask."

"The celebration at the Richmond's," she reminded him.

Kol's smile widened, even as he playfully complained, "I was unable to catch you once! Will you never desist in your efforts to shame me?"

"Never!" Bella vowed. "I plan on holding it against you until the end of time."

"You are a cruel woman," he sighed.

Shrugging, Bella told him, "I try. But moving on from that," she turned back to look between the Klaus and his other siblings. "What is going on here?"

"Before you arrived, my siblings were just in the process of betraying me," Klaus informed her before anyone else could speak.

"It is not a betrayal when you were the one to break the bond first," Kol sneered, his hand tightening around Bella's. "We're leaving, Klaus- enjoy spending the rest of eternity alone." He tugged on Bella's hand in order to pull her with him when he turned, but Bella dug in her heels.

"Two things," she quickly said, looking at Klaus. "One, are you really surprised that they don't like you very much right now? You daggered them and then carted them around in coffins for centuries, only letting them out when it amused you. I mean dear God- Finn was locked away for 900 years! I would also want to stab you if you had done that to me. You could at least pretend to be sorry for you what you did because your defiant attitude really isn't going to get you far here. Second though," she turned to look at Kol, "we're not going anywhere."

Kol reared back slightly in surprise. "What?"

"We can't leave. Or, at least, I can't leave. You can though, if you really need to be not here."

"Why not?" Rebekah asked, unable to help herself.

"Let's just say that I have some unfinished business," Bella responded evenly. "As do all of you."

"And just what would that be, love?" Klaus prodded.

Bella grimaced. "By the pricking of my thumb," she mocked, shifting to face towards the door. "Something wicked this way comes."

"Of course you would like Shakespeare," Kol muttered, pulling Bella in close to his side. He had learned to not ask questions when she warned him to take heed.

"He's brilliant," she answered, staring intently at the entrance. Any moment now…

"He was a pretentious arse," Kol corrected.

"I said he was brilliant, not that he was good."

The front door opened, and Elijah and Klaus automatically moved to stand beside Kol.

"Any chance you'd like to fill us in on our unexpected guest?" Klaus hissed as the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall and into the room.

"Everything she tells you is a lie," Bella whispered, voice low enough that neither Rebekah nor Finn would be able to hear her. "No matter what happens, don't forget that."

A woman with long blond hair in a simple green dress stepped into the room, and Klaus gasped.

Stunned silence filled the room for a moment until it was broken by Rebekah's trembling voice calling, "Mother?"

Esther briefly glanced over at her daughter before turning her gaze to where Klaus stood, huddled with Elijah and Kol. She stepped over to him and Klaus flinched back, starting to tremble. Bella reached out and placed her hand on his back, a solid reminder that he was not alone.

Coming to a stop in front of her son, Esther demanded, "Look at me." When Klaus finally did as he was told, she continued, "Do you know why I'm here?"

"You're here to kill me," Klaus whispered hoarsely.

"Niklaus, you are my son. And I am here to forgive you." Stepping back to face the rest of her children, Esther told them, "I want us to be a family again."

It felt too good to true.

Elijah glanced over at Bella.

According to her, it was too good to be true.

Bella met his gaze, expression filled with rage and sadness before suddenly smoothing out into one of indifference.

Spotting her second-eldest son's distraction, Esther shifted to see who was standing in Kol's shadow.

"Isabella Swan," she said slowly. "Back from the dead."

"Esther Mikaelson," Bella returned calmly, meeting the Original witch's gaze without flinching. "Seems I'm not the only one getting another go at things."

"Yes," the older woman nodded. "Let's hope you do better this time around than you did before."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Funny, I was going to say the same to you. After all, as long as I'm still breathing, then I can confidently say that I'm doing better. You, on the other hand, have to refrain from being a child abusing monster. Something I feel will be infinitely difficult for you to manage."

Esther's eyes narrowed as Rebekah spat, "How dare you! She never laid a hand on any of us!"

"And she also never stopped Mikael from hurting Klaus, did she?" Bella retorted, not looking away from the Original Witch. "Standing by and doing nothing as a child is being hurt is just as terrible as hurting them yourself. Klaus isn't the only one in need of forgiveness, though he may be the only one here who deserves it."

Klaus looked back at her with wide eyes, mouth opening and closing soundlessly, and Bella could see that he was moving back and forth between the need to lash out and the urge to run. She reached out to take his hand, squeezing tightly.

She remembered now. She remembered watching Klaus on the other side and realizing that he was stuck in a horrid cycle of pain with no foreseeable way out. She remembered realizing the uncomfortable similarities to their stories, though the way they each handled their pain was completely different. But that was then, and things were going to be different now. Bella was going to drag these idiots heads out of their ass' and force them to get it together if it was the last thing she ever did.

"All I want is to help my family heal," Esther interrupted Rebekah's tirade. "I want the same thing you do- for everyone to find peace."

Bella pressed her lips tightly together as she slowly nodded. "I guess only time will tell if we have the same definitions of 'peace'."

Even as she spoke the words, Bella already knew that they didn't. This was going to end with either Bella or Esther's death and there would be no coming back again for whoever lost.

Kol pressed her more firmly against his side and Klaus' grip on her fingers tightened. Meeting Elijah's gaze for a moment, Bella decided that she liked her odds.

(A/N): Happy Valentine's Day!

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