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 munzke, kouga, delia, Roxhall, and Navywife for your reviews! I love mysteries as well. *smiles* Hope everyone is having a great Thursday! As always, I appreciate all of you! Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review.


Bella searched for her keys as she stood outside her Jeep at school. She was frustrated. She spent the day avoiding Stefan. She was still upset with him, and wasn't ready to just give in just yet and Caroline told her that Stefan needed the cold shoulder for a bit, before he was punished enough.

"You okay?" Edward's voice called to her and it made her look up at him.

"I've lost my keys." She admitted and sighed. "Um, wait, aren't you mad at me or something?"

Edward shook his head. "No, just haven't felt well. I sometimes drift off like that. I'm sorry." He knew that her and Stefan were arguing at the moment, since he picked it out of Stefan's head earlier in the day.

"Oh. Well, you're feeling better now then?"

"Yeah. Want me to help you retrace your steps?" He offered.

Bella sighed. "No, I have a spare key at home. I'll just wait for Care and-"

"I can give you a lift." Edward said. "It's not out of my way at all."

Bella thought about it, biting her lip as she thought. "Sure. Thanks Edward." She said and then she followed him over to his dark Mercedes. He opened the door for her and she got inside. "I'm just over on Elm." She gave him directions, and he pulled away from the school.

Once at Bella's house, she got out and looked back at Edward. "Thanks."

"How about your Jeep? Need a ride in the morning?"

"Actually, yeah… I didn't think about that. Are you sure it's not too much trouble?"

Edward shook his head. "No, of course not." He said with a smile.

"Thanks then. I'll see you in the morning." Bella said and shut the door, before she went inside. She set her bag down in the living room and then jogged up the stairs and changed out of her clothes into something more comfortable. She was going to cook one of those individual frozen meals for dinner and just watch something on Netflix. She got comfortable on the couch when the doorbell rang. She sighed and got up, and went to the door and opened it. Stefan was there.

"Stefan…"

"Please, just hear me out." Stefan said quickly.

Bella leaned against the door, keeping it partially closed. "I don't want to right now. I'm upset with you. I'm not in a great place to deal with whatever it is that is going on. If Katherine is still in your heart, that's okay. But don't take it out on me or your brother."

"I don't love her anymore. Bella, it's been a long time since then and-"

"A long time. You talk like this happened centuries ago."

Stefan shook his head. "It was a puppy love. It wasn't… it wasn't something I look at now and dwell on. I'm just… I have a hard time with my brother because he is manipulative. It's hard to tell when he's being sincere."

"Damon is being sincere. Stefan, he's hurt by her loss too. He's hurt by the loss of his brother. I'm not…. I don't want to be in the middle of this. Fix whatever it is you need to fix, but I'm not going to-"

"Bella, please… I promise you I will work on it with him. I know… I know I need to change. I just don't want… to lose you." Stefan said, his green eyes pleading.

Bella studied him, she could tell that he was afraid of losing her, but something in her told her to hold off. "Stefan…."

"Do you have feelings for me?"

"Of course, I do."

"Then why are you fighting this connection between us?"

Bella shook her head. "I don't want to get hurt. I've lost a lot Stefan. I couldn't stand to lose out on a friendship that can be salvaged now, rather than later."

"So, you're giving up on us…" Stefan said, his voice defeated.

Bella closed her eyes. She didn't want that either. Maybe she was being too harsh. "I… Stefan… don't look at me like that." She said, when his eyes seem to take on a new level of sadness.

"I want there to be so much more Bella." Stefan said. "Please, just give me another chance to prove to you… I can do this."

Bella bit her lip again. "Okay."

Stefan looked relieved and took a step forward, his lips brushing hers. He hadn't realized how scared he was, until she caved. His hand went to her hip automatically, wanting to push for more, but he settled for a simple kiss now.

Bella leaned back and looked at him. "I'm watching Netflix. I'm not making dinner, just heating up a frozen meal."

Stefan nodded. "I'm not hungry, I just want… to be with you."

"Okay." She said and let him inside. He went to the living room with her, settling on the couch with her. At first it was awkward, but soon they fell back to being normal with each other, her laying against him as they watched the TV.

"What happened to your Jeep?" Stefan asked as the movie ended.

Bella sat up. "I lost my key. Edward drove me home. Oh, I should text him." She said and grabbed her phone from the table.

[Bella:] Don't worry about picking me up in the morning. Stefan is bringing me in the morning. Thanks for the help today.

Stefan didn't like how fast Edward swooped in and tried to insert himself. He was curious about the Cullen's. They were typically to themselves, yet Edward branched out and sought after Bella. "He drove you home?"

"Yeah, he was going to pick me up in the morning, but…" Bella looked away, blushing.

"You want me to stay the night?"

"Maybe…" Bella said, biting her lip again.

Stefan watched her, heard the uptick in her heart rate. "Bella…" He murmured and reached a hand up, tilting her face to look at him now. He leaned in, his mouth covering hers again and he kissed her slowly at first, before she parted her lips allowing him access. From there, it started to heat up. She pressed against him, her body responding to his touch, as he trailed his hands up her sides.

Before they both knew it, they were naked on the couch. Stefan's mouth moved over her skin, going to her naval and kissing her right below before he traveled down, his tongue diving in against her swollen clit. She moaned as he pleasured her, tasted her. Her body felt alive as he drove her towards her climax. Her hands tangled in his hair as her hips shifted to his mouth. Her eyes closed as she focused on the only thing that mattered at the moment and that was him.

Stefan inhaled her sweet scent, loving everything about her. His gums burned, but he was used to fighting it. When she broke free, her orgasm rushing forward. He moved, replacing his mouth with his hard cock. He slid inside her with ease and he watched himself as he thrust slowly at first, her fluids slick over his hard member. She moaned, writhing on the couch in pleasure. It was music to his ears as she called out his name while he increased his pace, still holding himself back because if he lost control, he could hurt her. He moaned too and she vibrated even more beneath him. He chased that feeling… that sound and he increased his pace a little more, shoving in and out of her like a furious roller coaster, her moans getting louder and louder until she shuddered again, warming his cock with more of her orgasm, pushing him over the edge until he was shoving inside her deep and emptying himself completely. He groaned as the release hit him. He stayed like that a moment, his cock twitching, but his hunger wasn't going away. Bella was breathing hard, laying there on her back. Her eyes opened and she stared up at him with a smile. That undid him. He leaned down, kissing her hard as he slid out of her, dripping over her leg as he did.

"Turn over." Stefan murmured and she complied then he shifted her, getting her on her knees, her back arched perfectly before he moved inside her again. She was so tight from this angle and this was the first time they had done it doggy style, but he wanted her more. She moaned, her body shivering as he pushed inside her fast.

Bella didn't know what had gotten into Stefan, but he was satisfying her completely and then some. Her body trembled under his control, as he pushed faster and faster. He hit into her hard, stinging a little, but he let up a few more strokes before he pierced her again. It was the position they were in, that was a bit harder, but she kept quiet, yielding to him.

Stefan felt his control slipping and he tried like hell, to grasp at it. He felt the tingling under his eyes, his fangs wanting to make their appearance and he fought, as he drove into her a little harder than he meant. His fingers gripped at her hips, keeping her upright and she trembled more from their impact, but she still yielded to him. He groaned, feeling that sweet release on the horizon and he pushed for it, wanting so badly to taste it. He wanted to taste her, sink his fangs into her and taste every part of her, but he refrained still, a small part of him knowing how dangerous he was right now. His cock shot forward, so deep inside her that it made him explode and he stilled, locked like he was as he emptied out for a second time. He groaned, closing his eyes as the pleasure washed over him.

It was a few long moments, before he disengaged. He trembled a little, as he did so. His gums went back to normal, his eyes normal as well. Bella collapsed to the couch on her stomach, trembling still.

"Bella…" Stefan murmured.

"I'm okay." Bella lied. She took a breath and she rolled over to look up at him. "I'm okay, see." She said and gave him a fake smile. She was hurting a little, but she wouldn't admit it. It was an intense passion was all. In a new position that they had never experienced. The next time wouldn't hurt like that, she was sure of it.

Stefan looked down, seeing a little blood on his shrinking cock and he closed his eyes, trying not to take in the scent of blood at all. "Bella… I'm sorry. I… don't have an excuse for it."

"It's okay. It was something new. I'm fine." Bella said and sat up, reaching up to frame his face. "Look at me."

Stefan looked at her. "You're okay…."

"I'm perfect." Bella said and then he leaned down and kissed her softly.

Stefan sighed, pulling her into his arms and they rested together on the couch with her laying on top of him. They were quiet, leaving room for their thoughts. He almost lost his control. He could have hurt her worse or killed her even. What was he thinking? Why did he lose his control like that? It didn't make sense.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked after being quiet for so long.

"I'm not sure yet."

Bella leaned up to look down at him. "Stefan… what's wrong?"

"I hurt you. I know I did."

"I told you I'm okay."

"Still…. I've never lost my control like that before. I don't want to ever lose my control again."

Bella leaned down, her hair falling forward like a curtain, and she kissed him softly. "It's okay. Maybe you should get some rest." She murmured.

"Yeah, maybe we both should." Stefan said and kissed her again. "You're special to me… you know that right?"

Bella nodded. She believed that he thought that. Something in his eyes made her worried. She wasn't sure what had spurred the aggression like that. Maybe it was a bunch of reasons, but she just knew that the way he looked now, told her that he sincerely cared deeply about her. "Let's rest." She murmured and lay her head back on his chest.

It wasn't long that exhaustion took her over and she fell asleep like that.


Damon stood in the sheriff's office with Elizabeth Forbes, his arms crossed and he looked concerned. "So, what do you think we should do? The new girls that popped up. Do we keep it quiet?"

"That's what we'll have to do. Saturday, Carol is going to host the brunch at the estate. Anyone that shows up during the day is obviously off the list. We need to pinpoint exactly who is doing this." Elizabeth explained. "I'm tired of trying to explain away all these murders."

Damon nodded. "Okay, so is there another way we can… draw them out? If we keep waiting for the vampire to make their move, we're always going to be behind." He reasoned.

"This is true… but… we don't have many options. We need an old pocket watch that used to be Grayson Gilbert's, but with the Gilbert's deaths, we don't have that anymore. Elena and Jeremy probably don't have a clue about where to even find those items."

"Have you asked?"

"No, but I have to have a reason to ask, I can't just… ask out of the blue."

Damon nodded, thinking. "How about during the founder's ball? Have Carol ask about the items to be put on display since the Gilbert's are also a founding family. Have her say that it was something Miranda and Grayson talked about doing before their death."

"That's a great idea."

"Well, I try." Damon said with his flashy smile. "I have the vervain ready for the council. I'll hand it off to Carol and let her distribute. Liz, keep me in the loop."

"Will do." Liz said and nodded to Damon and watched him leave. She was glad that Damon knew everything about the council. Zach's departure to Rome was sudden, but she understood that he was looking for some information they could use in the future against vampires.


Damon walked into the boarding house, going to the parlor and pouring himself a drink. School should be out now and he wondered if Stefan would come home tonight at some point. There was a knock on the front door, so he went to answer, already knowing it was Bella from her scent. He opened the door. "Hello Bella." He said, lifting the bourbon glass to his lips and taking a drink. "Stefan isn't here."

"I know." Bella said. "Um. Can I come in?"

"Yes, of course." Damon said, and let her inside. He shut the door behind her and he walked to the parlor and she followed him. "What can I do for you?"

Bella was really there to check on Damon. The last few days since her and Stefan got back together, Stefan was still acting strange. "Um. Stefan, is he okay?"

"I'm not sure." Damon said, frowning. "Did something happen?"

Bella looked away. Stefan was just being extra careful with her. He hadn't had sex with her again and she was worried that maybe she made the wrong choice in letting him back so soon. "I'm not sure." She said and looked back at Damon. "He's just… different."

"I'm sure he's okay. He's at football practice?"

"Yes. I wanted to come check on you too." Bella said. "See how… you were doing."

Damon smiled a little. "I'm fine. I've been busy, so I haven't noticed Stefan acting any different. Other than he has been nicer." He admitted.

"Well, that's a start." Bella said, looking surprised.

"Yeah. Maybe what you said worked with him. Either way, I'm fine Bella, you shouldn't worry about someone like me."

Bella smiled a little. "Well, it's in my nature to worry. If… if you notice anything off with Stefan…"

"I'll tell you." Damon said with a nod. "Did you want a drink? I know I'm a bad influence, offering alcohol to a highschooler.

"Oh, I've never… actually drank alcohol before." Bella admitted.

Damon smiled and walked over and poured her a little in a bourbon glass and handed it to her. "Here, just so you can say you've tried it before. Better to find out now if it suits your taste, instead of some lame high school party."

Bella hesitated, but she took the glass and looked at it. She lifted it to her lips and took a drink. It burned, choking her up and she coughed a little, but the taste was nice. "That's strong."

"It's bourbon." Damon said, taking the glass from her. "My personal favorite."

"It tastes nice, just burns." She said, her voice still tight from the burn.

"It's how it starts. Once you get used to it, you can savor the taste fully." Damon explained and set the glass aside. "You, okay?"

Bella nodded. "I'm fine." She said and cleared her throat a bit.

"Come on, I'll give you a tour of the boarding house. This is a piece of Mystic Falls history." Damon said, looping his arm with hers. "This is the parlor. I spend a lot of time in here."

Bella smiled. "It's beautiful. The bookshelves are full of so many books."

"Yes, I love to read." Damon said and then guided her out of the parlor. "This is the kitchen." He said and she looked at the modern remake of the kitchen. She liked the appliances, how neat they looked and the white marble counters. There was a breakfast nook that was positioned in some bright open windows. "This is the formal dining room." He took her on the journey, and they ducked inside the dining room.

He showed her more rooms on the bottom floor, before they ascended the stairs. "This is my room," Damon said, opening the door. She looked inside, looking at the large king-sized bed. There was a bench at the end of the bed, an armoire, a dresser and his room had a fireplace with two chairs in front of it then more bookshelves. "Through this door." He drug her inside his room and slid open a door. "This is the bathroom. I had it remodeled to suit my tastes." He said with a smile.

Bella looked at the bathroom in awe. There was a large soaker tub in front of some windows that you could see out barely, but it let natural light in. There was a large walk-in shower in the open, surrounded by complete glass making it looked like the shower would rain down from all sides and the tile on the floor and walls was a metallic slate color. The double vanity was nice as well, taking on the same tones of the bathroom, with chrome fixtures. There was a seating area as well in the bathroom, that she wondered why anyone would want to just sit in the bathroom, but it was a massive bathroom. It was as big as her actual bedroom in her own house. "Wow, this is amazing."

"Hmm. I like luxury." Damon admitted. "The shower, is probably my favorite thing about this bathroom if I'm being honest."

"It looks amazing. Are all the bathrooms like this?"

"No, just mine. The other bathrooms are smaller." Damon said. "Come on, there's more to see." He said and guided her out.

Bella thought the boarding house was so grand. Damon was a great host, she had to admit.

"The stairs going up to the attic, is Stefan's area. I'll let you look at it when he's here. I don't want to intrude." Damon said, patting her hand.

Bella smiled. "You're thoughtful."

"Well, he's not here to defend himself. So, I don't want to show you a room that could possibly be off limits." He said with a shrug.

"Does it get lonely living in a giant house like this?" Bella asked, as they walked back down the stairs.

"Sometimes." Damon said and sighed. "You get used to being alone. I've been alone for a while." He said and stopped and looked at her. His icy stare bore into her. "You must feel alone, living in your house as well."

Bella looked up into Damon's eyes. He was so charming, she mused, and he was so sincere. "Well. Yes, but I'm used to it too." She said and smiled. "What time is it?" She asked, looking around.

"Hmm. I figure Stefan should be getting out of practice soon."

"Ah, I should get going then. I'm supposed to meet him at the Grille."

Damon smiled. "Of course. Drop by anytime Bella, even if Stefan isn't here. I enjoyed having company today. Thank you for that."

Bella nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I did too. Thanks for showing me around Damon." She said then she left, heading to the Grille.

Damon went to the parlor and poured himself more bourbon. He opened the drawer on the alcohol bar and took out Katherine's picture. It was like staring at a photo of Bella. Except, Bella was most definitely, not Katherine. He made a hmm sound as he studied it, curious about who Bella Swan was to Katherine Pierce. He put the picture back in the drawer and then drank the bourbon down quickly, before setting the glass on the bar. Bella was drawing him in more and more, each day. He wondered if it was the likeness to Katherine that drew him in, or if it was her genuine personality. He saw why Stefan stayed in Mystic Falls, to know her more. He had to know her more too.