Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Twilight or Vampire Diaries. Those rights are reserved for Stephanie Myer and L.J. Smith. I do own the original characters made up for this storyline. Please support the original release. Thank you.

Writer's Notes: Thank you everyone for the thoughts and prayers. It was a long emotional week for me, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Bear with me, while I get myself back together. Writing has always been a great way for me to express myself. I appreciate each and every one of you guys. *smiles*


The darkness could be a mysterious thing, but it could also mean danger.

Bella slipped her shoes on right as Stefan came in the front door, she heard his car pull up. It was Saturday and they were going to go to the Grille for lunch. It was a way for Bella to get out of the house and when Stefan text her asking if she wanted to go to lunch, she agreed. All week, he had spent a lot of time with her and was making her smile more. He snuck small kisses here and there, loving the way she blushed when he did so. She also loved the way he was starting to make her feel inside.

She hurried down the stairs. Stefan reached for her, his hands going to her waist pulling her against him with his mouth covering hers. It was a small kiss, that took on a passionate meaning. It made her heart race and her head feel light, so he pulled back slowly.

"Hungry?" Stefan asked, smiling as he reached up with one hand, brushing the hair back behind her ear.

Bella smiled. "Yeah, thanks for offering to bring me to the Grille."

"Of course," Stefan said with a smile. Bella reached down, lacing her fingers with his and that made him happy inside. Seeing her smile meant everything to him. They walked out of the house, hand in hand and got in the car, before taking off to the Grille. The whole ride there she would look over at him and just smile. He smiled back, but they were both silent, both enjoying just the company of the other.


The Grille was oddly packed for a Saturday lunch rush, but Stefan and Bella didn't mind. They got seated at a booth fairly quickly and Matt came over. He didn't seem himself and Bella picked up on that.

"Matt, what's wrong?" Bella asked, frowning.

Matt shook his head. "I'm okay. Coke?"

Bella nodded. "Hey, you look upset about something though."

Stefan nodded. "Matt, what's up man?"

"It's Vicki. Just she's on a drug binge right now and it's just…." Matt blew out a breath. "That's why it's short tonight. Now we're down two waitresses."

"That's not good. What happened to the other waitress?" Bella asked.

"She's been missing. It's not like her either, but I've been wrong about people before." Matt said.

Caroline rushed in then, going straight for Bella and Stefan. Bonnie was close behind her with Elena. "Oh my god. Did you hear?"

Matt moved out of Caroline's way so she could slide into the booth next to Bella while Elena and Bonnie stood to the side.

"No, what?" Bella asked, confused.

"They found a body. I overheard my mom. She said it was the missing girl. The one that worked here." Caroline relayed; her voice hushed.

Matt frowned. "Kaylie is dead?"

"That's what I heard. Some sort of animal attack." Caroline said and shook her head. "I wonder what kind of animal is prowling this close to the town."

Stefan frowned. "Wait, an animal attack? That doesn't sound right. Animals don't come into cities."

"That's what I thought." Caroline said. "And she's not the only one. Apparently, a couple that was traveling into Mystic Falls, was killed in the woods, same animal attack. My mom is really worried."

Stefan was silent. It couldn't be true. He looked at Bella, who looked concerned too. "Hey," he reached over and grabbed Bella's hand. "It's going to be okay."

Bella just nodded. "Um. Yeah. Hopefully they find the animal."

Matt was worried about his sister now. "What if my sister isn't on a binge…"

"Oh Matt, don't think like that." Elena said. The two had dated last year and broke up after her parents died, but that didn't mean they still weren't friends.

"I'm just… drinks. Coke for everyone?"

"Yeah." Caroline said softly. "Thank you, Matt." She said and he just nodded and left to grab their drinks.

Stefan scooted over and Elena sat down beside him and Bonnie pulled over an empty chair in the busy Grille. The girls had shown up unexpectedly, but he could tell that Bella needed their presence.

Caroline sighed. "Let's not talk about death." She said, changing the subject. "Homecoming is in two weeks. The nominations will happen at the beginning of next week and then next Friday, there will be announcements. So, I can count on you girls to be a part of the nominations, right?"

"Oh, I don't do dances." Bella said. "I never been to one."

Caroline gasped. "Bella Marie Swan. You have to be there."

Bella wrinkled her nose. "I don't know. Homecoming means I have to dance and I have two left feet so."

"It will be fun. We can buy nice pretty dresses, be all cute and take lots of pictures." Caroline insisted.

Stefan smiled a little. "It'll be fun. What if you went with me?" He said, his green eyes dazzling her.

Bella just smiled, her cheeks blushing. "Um. I suppose… I could… I could go."

Caroline, Elena and Bonnie smiled at each other. "Then it's settled. We'll all go to homecoming. Dress shopping begins soon my dear friends."

Bella groaned a little. "Shopping."

Matt returned with their drinks and set them down in front of everyone. "Food?" He asked, taking out his order pad. Everyone took turns telling Matt what they wanted. He was trying to stay extra busy so he wouldn't worry about his sister, Bella could tell, but Matt was strong. It was likely drugs, as he said before.


Stefan returned to the boarding house after spending time with Bella out. He walked inside, closing the door behind him and saw that Zach was out of the house at the moment. He went on up to his room, which held the antique bedroom suite he had for some time now and a shelf that had all his journals he had kept over the years, each carefully dated on the spine. He walked over to the shelf looking at the journals then pulled the journal from 1864 and opened it up. He glanced at the picture of his first love. The love that he thought was so pure and so true. Katherine Pierce. He felt the temperature around him chill. He closed the journal, the picture along with it and he turned as a crow flew into the room through the open window. When he turned around again, he was faced with his past.

"Hello brother."

Stefan's brows creased together as he stared back at his older brother. The one that was there to torment him now. "What are you doing here?"

"You know, same reason as you."

"This town is off limits Damon." Stefan bit back.

Damon smiled, his cool smile. His entire persona was cool. His dark, raven hair brushed past his ears, his icy blue eyes were piercing, like staring into little icebergs. His square, perfect jaw was an attractive quality as well. He donned a black leather jacket, black shirt and dark wash jeans. He had the overall 'bad boy' appearance going on. "This is my home, why wouldn't I want to come back from time to time?"

"You hate it here."

"Do I?" Damon said, his smile not leaving his face. "I've seen the girl."

Stefan felt a little panic. Bella could never be hurt and he hadn't thought about his brother hunting him back down here and trying to ruin things. "Leave her alone."

"Uncanny…. isn't it? How identical… the two women look." Damon said and walked over, taking the journal out of Stefan's hands and he opened it to look at the picture of Katherine. "It's not her."

"I know that." Stefan said. "Katherine is dead."

"But yet, here you are, in our old town and coincidentally, there is a girl that looks… exactly like her." Damon said, his tone a little snarky.

Stefan shook his head. "They're not the same." He said and then looked away. "The people you're killing in town. You're drawing attention. It can be a problem."

"A problem for you perhaps." Damon said and tossed Stefan the journal back. "I think I'll just stay and have a little fun." He said and then he heard the door open and close downstairs. "Look at that. Zach's home. Family reunion." He said and disappeared out of Stefan's room and went downstairs.

Stefan closed his eyes, reeling himself in. He had to stay calm, Damon would get bored and go away, he would have to protect Bella in the meantime.


Bella brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. The week had blown by so fast, that she really didn't have time to think. Stefan had been weird all week and so she figured she would go to his house to see him since it was Saturday. She mustered up the courage to drive. She didn't have to go over the bridge, so she would be okay. She pulled up outside the Salvatore Boarding house and walked up to the door. She went to knock, but the door opened and leaning in the doorway was a man. He was taller than Stefan just barely, and his dark hair and bright blue eyes, were exotic to look at. "Um… is Stefan home?"

"He is, doing… hair stuff. I'm Damon." He introduced, plastering a kind smile on his face.

"Oh, I didn't know he had company."

"Oh, I live here. I'm the older brother."

"Stefan didn't mention… a brother."

Damon still kept his easy smile. "I travel a lot, perhaps it didn't come up. Come in, get out of the sun." He said and stepped aside and let Bella in.

Bella walked in and glanced around. It was her first time coming here and everything just looked so grand. "Thanks."

"Of course. Want something to drink?" Damon asked. "We have water… I think, oh and bourbon." He offered.

Bella shook her head. "That's okay. Thank you though." She said politely.

Stefan appeared then, his eyes staring only at Damon. "Bella."

"Oh, hey, I wanted to stop by. I know this week has been weird and- "

"I really can't hang out today, Bella." Stefan said, his tone dry.

Damon just smiled. "Oh, come on, you can take a moment away from your hero hair to spend time with our guest."

Bella frowned, looking at Damon and Stefan. Stefan seemed to be a little irritated, but she just shook her head. "Stefan, we can- "

"It was nice for you to stop by Bella, but you should go." Stefan said, his tone still dry.

Damon sighed, looking at Bella with his charming smile. "It's an off day. It was really nice to meet you Bella, please do stop by again sometime." He said and then reached for her hand and brought it up to her lips and kissed it softly.

Bella felt like the situation was entirely too weird, but she nodded. "Right." She said, and then she turned and left. She glanced back at the house, and just shook her head. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to get in the middle of some family drama. It was clear that Stefan had issues. She wasn't sure if she wanted to tackle that after everything that's happened. She got back in her Jeep, and she drove away.


The Grille was packed, because it was Saturday, but Bella didn't feel like making her own dinner, so the Grille had become a staple in her diet lately. She sat down at the booth, her food in front of her and her coke. Caroline was eating a salad. Elena was dealing with Jeremy and his drug issue and Bonnie was visiting her grandmother, so it was just Caroline and Bella for a change.

"I don't know Care; Stefan seems to be having some issues. The dance is coming up and I just…. I don't want to get into some sort of toxic issue he's having with his brother. I mean, why didn't he tell me he even had a brother?" Bella was worried.

Caroline sighed. "Everyone has some sort of family drama. Stefan should keep it separate."

"Yeah, but he didn't even look at me. He was irritated that I was even there and he dismissed me so coolly." Bella said and popped a fry in her mouth. "I don't know if I can deal with all this." She murmured.

Edward walked in then, spotting Bella with just Caroline, so he walked over. "Hey, haven't seen you in a bit." He commented.

Bella looked up at Edward and offered a smile. "Oh right. Yeah, just in Biology class it seems. It's been busy. How have you been? Go ahead, sit down." She said scooting over for him to slide in.

Edward took that chance and sat beside her. "College stuff." He lied.

"Right, college applications. I literally forgot." Bella said with a small sigh.

"Well, there's still some time left." Edward said, offering a kind smile.

Caroline glanced at Edward, but then looked at Bella. "I wouldn't worry about it. Don't get spooked. Now, dresses. I liked the blue one on you."

Bella smiled a little. "Yeah, the blue one is nice."

Matt came over. "Coke?" He asked Edward.

"Yes, that's fine. Thank you." Edward said with a nod. "I'm not hungry." He added and Matt disappeared to grab a coke for Edward.


Homecoming was a milestone for Bella. She kept thinking about what her mom would think. She looked at herself in the mirror, the blue silk draped over her alabaster skin, made her actually look beautiful. She admitted that she was plain all the time. She took Caroline's advice and decided to just not worry about it. Everyone had family drama, Stefan was no different. She blew out a breath as she smoothed a hand over her stomach, flutters gathering there. She was nervous. She hadn't been to a dance of any kind, and now she was going to the Homecoming dance with Stefan. When the doorbell sounded, she went to it and opened it. Stefan was standing there, looking handsome. His tie matched her dress perfectly and knew that Caroline had helped with that. He had a corsage in his hand, and he smiled at her.

"Hey." He murmured.

"Hey." Bella said back and stepped aside to let him in the house. "I wasn't sure if you were… going to show up."

Stefan nodded, looking at the corsage in his hand. "I know I've been weird. I'm really sorry. My brother being back in town was just… emotionally draining."

"Is he that bad?" Bella asked.

"It's my fault." Stefan admitted and sighed. "He's trying, I suppose. I should try too."

Bella offered a smile. "You can't choose your family, because you only get one. Don't waste opportunities. You might regret it later."

Stefan looked up at her. "You're right." He said and smiled. "Enough about that. I am only focused on you tonight. You look absolutely beautiful."

Bella smiled, her cheeks tinting. "You really think so?"

Stefan took a step forward, his hand going to hers and he lifted it, before putting the corsage on her wrist. He smiled as he looked up at her, reaching up with his free hand to caress her cheek before he leaned in, his lips brushing hers softly.

Bella's eyes fluttered close as their lips touched and she leaned into the kiss, her lips parting to give him access. His tongue brushed hers and it sent tingles through her. Stefan's mouth consumed her and she forgot about everything else, the dance, Stefan's brother. She was only thinking about him now. Her hands moved up his hard chest, as his hands moved over her waist, pulling her tighter against him. The kissing became more urgent and she pressed against him more, her hands moving down now. She felt his erection press against her and she knew that he desired her. She moved her hands over the front of his pants, brushing against his erection.

Stefan growled a little in his throat as he grew harder under her touch. He pulled back from the kiss and her lips found his throat. He closed his eyes as she kissed him there. He wanted to take her so bad, wanted to feel her body against his, but he couldn't taint her like that. Not her. "Bella…"he said, his voice strained.

"I want you." Bella breathed. "Please." She murmured, her lips against his neck as she kissed on him more, suckling gently. She then moved her mouth up over his, taking his lips with hers and their tongues dove together once more. His hands moved over her dress, his fingers gripping hips. Her hands pulled at his pants, unfastening his belt and unzipping his pants, her hands freeing him from it's constraints. She stroked her hand over him, hoping what she was doing was the right way.

Stefan moaned against her mouth as her hand moved over him, stroking him fast. His control was slipping from him, he felt the burn in his gums and he pushed it away. Moaning again as she stroked him faster. His hands pulled at her dress, hiking it up, pushing her panties to the side before his fingers felt her heated core. She was so wet and the scent of her arousal hammered into his brain. She was pushing all his buttons, making him lose himself as he fingered her gently. Stefan continued rubbing over her clit as she gasped and moaned against his mouth. He moved with her, pressing her against the closed front door. Her hands moved to cling to him as he raised her up, his strength surprising to her. Her dress pushed all the way up, exposing her enough to where his cock pushed at her entrance and he thrust up into her, filling her up. The pain was surprising and she gasped and tensed.

Stefan stopped, his eyes focusing on her. "Bella…"

"I'm okay." She lied. The pain was a throbbing pain. He was large, almost too large, but she wanted this. She felt like she needed this. "Keep going, I promise I'm okay."

Stefan wasn't sure, so he stayed like he was. "I don't think this is a good idea. You're- "He forgot that she was a virgin and he felt stupid for forgetting that detail.

Her mouth covered his again, shutting him up, her tongue moving over his. She felt him pulse inside her, twitching at the feeling of being inside her. The pain was subsiding now, so she tried to shift her hips, the pain twinging again, but it was less.

Stefan moaned, closing his eyes. The tingling under his eyes fought to make their appearance, so he buried his face in her hair, as he shifted his hips, pushing into her slow. It was agonizing to go this slow, to not push for a release. She smelled so nice, her throat right in his reach, his mouth moved to her neck, kissing her, his gums burning now, but he held his fangs back, not wanting to hurt her at all. He shifted his hips again, her cavern so tight that he wasn't sure if he could keep his control.

Bella felt the pain dissipate with each movement, even though it was slow. He stretched her and she started to accommodate his size. "Stefan…" She moaned out, her head going back, her throat more exposed. "Faster…" she urged, wanting to feel how much she could take.

Stefan picked up his pace as she instructed, his mouth sucking at her neck, leaving a purplish mark, but he continued to hold on to control, even though it was shaky. He pushed up inside her again and again; her moans were encouraging. He moved faster and faster as he tried to keep himself from hurting her. Stefan kept minding his own strength until she moaned loudly, gasping when he felt her clench tight against him as her orgasm washed over him. She clung to him as she moaned. He felt her heart pulse in her throat against his lips, begging him to take from her, but he moved his mouth away, pushing into her again and again, until he felt his cock swell. He stilled as he erupted, rope after rope splashing her insides, oozing with her. He could hear her heart pounding in her chest from the exertion.

"Are you okay?" Stefan finally found his voice.

"Yes, I'm perfect. Stefan, it was amazing." She said, her dark eyes focusing on his green ones. He was still inside her and still so hard. "Are you okay?"

Stefan nodded, blowing out a breath. "Yes. Um… I'm going to release you, hold your dress up." He said and she moved her hands to the material on her dress as he slipped out of her then let her down to her feet. He could smell the slight metallic scent and the musk of their sex, but he remained calm and gentle. "Don't move." He said as he pulled his pants up, adjusting himself before he disappeared into the bathroom and found a washcloth to help clean her up. His mind was racing. He couldn't believe he let this happen. He looked at himself in the mirror. He was normal looking, no spidering veins under his eyes, and he was in control. He was okay. He took a deeper breath then left the bathroom and went to her. He moved to help clean her up.

Bella's cheeks flushed as he gently cleaned her up. "I feel like this is embarrassing." She said with a slight chuckle.

Stefan smiled. "It's not embarrassing. It's natural, I'll do this every time."

"You want this to be more?" Bella asked, her heart stuttering in her chest.

His hands stilled and he looked up at her. "I…"

"I would love to do this again." Bella said, her cheeks reddening more.

Stefan smiled, relieved to hear her say that. "Well, the next time won't be so rough against the door. Your first time should have been… far gentler and more special."

"This is special." Bella said then when he dropped her dress and leaned back, she leaned forward to kiss him again. "We're going to be late to this dance and Caroline is going to be upset."

Stefan smiled. "I think she'll be okay." He said and kissed her again.


The gym was beautifully decorated and Bella thought Caroline outdid herself. She had her arm entwined with Stefan's as they walked inside. Caroline made it over to them wearing her champagne-colored dress that was strapless and had a sweetheart cut in the front.

"Finally! I was starting to worry." Caroline said, smiling at Bella and Stefan.

"No, just took longer to get ready." Bella said with a nod. "So, I made it. What now?"

"Dance silly!" Caroline said then she turned and went back to the dancefloor where Bonnie and Elena were dancing.

Bella looked at Stefan. "I don't really dance."

"Nonsense. Tonight, is about fun. So, let's have some fun." Stefan said then pulled her with him to the dancefloor and started dancing.

Bella had to admit that it was fun, dancing. She had a hard couple of weeks since her mom died, so having fun and smiling was something that her mom would be proud of. Her mom was always living, smiling and laughing. It was time Bella did those things too.


After Caroline was announced homecoming queen, the outdoor assembly was going to start soon which meant Stefan had to change into his jersey to do the assembly and Caroline had to change into her cheer uniform as did Bonnie.

Once Stefan was changed, he came back inside the gym and went to Bella. "So, after the assembly, I'll take you home. Unless you need to go now, I can bail on the assembly and…"

"No, I want to see it. Have to support the Timberwolves." Bella said with a smile. "You look great in your uniform."

Stefan smiled. "Just wait until I'm wearing the tight pants that come along with this jersey." He said and leaned in, his mouth covering hers softly.

Bella smiled, as he kissed her. "You seem more at ease. I like seeing you like this."

"Well, I'm very happy right now."

"Oh?" Bella said, raising a brow.

Stefan smiled as he kissed her again and again before he broke the kiss. "Mmm. I need to go get in my place. I'll see you right after." He said and she nodded, biting her lip a little. He smiled then trotted away to go outside to get lined up and ready for the assembly.

Elena came up beside Bella now. "So, things going good?"

Bella blushed and looked at Elena. "He's sweet, right?"

"He is. So, are you two dating?"

"We haven't said anything. Or really… talked about it. Do you think he'll ask me to be his girlfriend soon?" Bella asked, looking at Elena.

Elena smiled. "After what I just saw and the hickeys on both your necks, tells me that you two are definitely going to be together. He makes you smile. That's good."

Bella smiled again. "Yeah, I just hope that I'm enough. I don't know… I've never had a boyfriend before and well… tonight was the first time… for me."

"Get out of here. You and Stefan… before coming here?"

Bella's cheeks got pink again. "Yeah. It hurt a lot more than I thought it would, but after the pain was gone, it felt amazing. He's amazing."

Elena clapped her hands together. "That's amazing. He seems so intense. I bet… is he…" she made a motion with her hands, like she was measuring.

Bella flushed more. "Oh, well. He's quite large. I'm not sure what average is."

"Show me." Elena said, lifting Bella's hands up.

Bella guess, moving her hands to an appropriate length. "Is this normal?"

"Oh my god, no. He's so far above average." Elena said, shocked. "Probably why it hurt more. Mine wasn't so bad. Matt is a sweetheart."

"Oh yeah, you two dated last year, huh?"

"Yeah. He's a great friend. I just… after my parents, I wasn't the same and I didn't want to pretend. So, I wanted him to be able to be with someone that could complement him, you know." Elena said.

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I get that. I wasn't sure about Stefan and I second guessed myself. Especially after him being strange for a couple weeks, but I get family can be messy and dramatic. So, I took Caroline's advice and I just stuck with it."

Elena smiled. "Good choice. Come on, let's get a good spot in the bleachers." She said and hooked her arm through Bella's and they walked outside. They cut through the parking lot and they stopped, frowning when they saw shoes poking out from behind a car.

"Someone seems to be hurt." Bella said then went towards the person. When she walked around the side of the car she saw Mr. Tanner, their history teacher and also the football coach. His throat was ripped out, like an animal had attacked him and there was a puddle of blood forming. "Oh god." She said and went towards him, going to the ground, blood getting on her dress. Her hands moved to cover the wound, but she realized he was dead. "Elena! Call 9-1-1."

Elena covered her mouth with her hand as she gasp at the sight, before she managed to recover, pulling her phone out of her little purse and calling the police.

Bella removed her hands, looking at the scene. She didn't see any tracks of any kind. It just didn't make sense. The smell of blood was overwhelming though and she got to her feet as stumbled back a little before she leaned over emptying her stomach.

"They're on their way." Elena said. "Maybe we should get the principal."

"They're doing the assembly." Bella said, leaning up and wiping her mouth with the back of her bloody hand. "I'll go, stay, meet the ambulance." She said, her legs moving mechanically towards the assembly. She shook a little, at the thought of an animal being close enough to attack. She ran into Damon, Stefan's brother and she was startled.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked, his bright, ice blue eyes looking at her concerned.

"The blood isn't mine." Bella said. "The football coach… he's hurt, or dead. We've called the police; I need to alert the principal. The others at the assembly. There's an animal or something… his throat was torn out."

Damon shook his head. "You can't go in there looking like this. You're covered with blood."

Bella blinked. "Oh… right." She murmured.

"I have something in my car you can wear. Come on." Damon said and lead her towards the other side of the parking lot to his older chevy that he drove. He opened the trunk and grabbed a shirt, and a pair of sweatpants. "It's what I have. I didn't unpack all the way." He said, offering her the clothes.

Bella took them. "Thanks, um…" she looked around, they were alone. "Can you… watch to make sure no one comes?"

Damon nodded. "Yeah, of course." He said, sounding sincere and he turned around to keep watch as she struggled to get her dress undone.

"Can you… unzip this dress. I… I'm a little shaky." Bella admitted.

Damon turned back around and went to her, his hands finding the zipper on the back and he unzipped her, his fingertips brushing her skin as he did. He turned around, clearing his throat a little. "There you go." He said. He heard the band playing and knew the assembly had started. His plan was going off without a hitch. He timed it perfectly.

"Okay." Bella said and rolled her dress up. Her hands were still smeared with some blood and she wiped them off the best she could.

Damon turned around. "Just toss it in my trunk for now." He said and she listened. "Hey… you're shaking still." He murmured.

"Um, I've never seen anyone dead before." Bella said. "I have to tell the principal." She shivered a little.

Damon shrugged his leather jacket off and draped it over her shoulders. "Let me. Stay right here in my car, I'll go tell the principal, and check on your friend."

Bella nodded after thinking about it. She wasn't sure if her legs would work. He opened the car door and she got inside, sitting down. She closed her eyes and blew out a breath, trying to fight back the tears.

After a while, the door opened, and it startled her, but Stefan was there, looking at her with a concerned, scared look. "I'm- "

"Are you okay?" Stefan cut her off, reaching for her.

Bella went to him, getting out of Damon's car. "I… I'm not sure. The ambulance, they're here and the police. I must had dozed off…." she murmured.

Stefan moved a hand up, brushing it through her hair. "Damon said you found Coach Tanner."

"Elena and me. Um, oh no. Elena. Is she okay?" She looked towards the flashing lights.

Stefan nodded. "Bonnie and Caroline are with her and her aunt is coming up here too. I'm worried about you. You have blood on you still." He could smell the blood.

"Oh, yes… I couldn't get it all off my hands. I should… I should get it washed off."

"I'll take you home." Stefan said softly.

"Where's Damon?"

"He's with the principal and the police. He's talking to them." Stefan said. HE knew that his brother was behind all of this and it angered him that Damon would start something right there at the school and drag Bella into it. But he would deal with Damon later.

Bella blew out a breath. "Um… Don't the police need me?"

"No." Stefan said. "Come on, let's go get in my car. Let's get you back home." He coaxed and she nodded, agreeing. He led her back to his car then helped her inside. He hated that she was wearing Damon's clothes, his scent rubbing off on her, but he kept his calm and drove her back home.