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 Roxhall, Missy, Msmallory, and Navywife for your reviews! Msmallory, I'm hanging in there. Some days are harder than others, but I keep pressing forward, because I know it's what my dad would want. I've got less than 16 weeks before the baby gets here, so that's been my focus, and also my mom's to keep ourselves busy. Writing is a passion and my dad always inspired me to do what I love. I'm glad I can write for all of you and that you guys are so understanding and amazing. I really appreciate each and every one of you. Thank you so much for all the support, and kind words. As always, don't forget to follow, favorite, and review. *smiles*


[3 Days Later]


"So, Katherine…looks like me?" Bella asked as she sat on the couch, holding a glass of bourbon. It was three days since Edward attacked her, took from her something she couldn't get back, and three days since she told Stefan about Damon and her. There was no fallout, and Damon was waiting for the other shoe to drop at any moment, but it was clear that Stefan was burying it, or in the very least, trying not to upset Bella any further.

"Yes." Damon said. He was there to explain more. Bella still trusted his word more than Stefan's because of Stefan's lack of honesty before, and even though Stefan and Bella were working on things, Damon still explained things for her to understand.

Stefan was quiet as he stood, leaning against the wall on the other side of the room. He wasn't sure what to say sometimes. He was wrapping his head around that Katherine was back, and after the church, Katherine disappeared into the night. If Bella was a target, then she had to be protected.

"Katherine is alive and I'm a doppelganger, and she wants to use me to gain her freedom? What does that even mean?" Bella asked, looking only at Damon.

"I'm not sure what she means by that. Though I do know this…Katherine is over five hundred years old. She's strong, and she's manipulative. She will do anything to get what she wants. It's important to keep vervain on you."

Bella toyed with the bracelet that Stefan gave her. She looked down at it. "This is why Edward couldn't compel me?"

"Yes." Stefan said finally. "Vervain blocks a vampires' psychic abilities."

"Okay." Bella said and sighed. "What about the other Cullen's? Edward was a Cullen. Are they all vampires?"

"Yes." Damon said. "I visited the good doctor and delivered their son, on their doorstep. Explained to him the filth he was, and asked them point blank if they were in the tomb."

Bella grimaced a little. It had to be off-putting for their son to be placed in front of them like that. "What did he say?"

"That they were. Him and his wife Esme, were in the tomb with their adoptive children. Edward, Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper. They were also with some other vampires, angrier vampires. It was just happenstance that they were moving through Mystic Falls in 1864. Edward was considered a ripper as well. His blood lust was uncontrollable. His entire family feeds off the blood of animals." Damon explained. "They've been out of the tomb for a year now. Edward spiraled, and Carlisle has been trying to control it, but…obviously he's failing."

Bella nodded. "I know Alice and Jasper at school. The other two though, they don't go to the high school. Caroline said something about it. They graduated?"

"Seems that way." Stefan said. "I never knew they were a coven of vampires. But I'm not as strong as Damon. I don't drink human blood, like the Cullen's. Vampires don't automatically know other vampires."

Damon nodded. "I didn't care anything about the Cullen's to really think about it. I've never encountered them before, so I didn't know either. Either way, the bodies in the church was Edward's doing, the fact there are other tomb vamps roaming around for a year, means that Katherine released them last year, to do something. Edward was part of her ploy. She's very convincing when she needs to be."

"What is her plan though?" Bella asked. "If I'm some sort of bargaining chip, what is it that she would need freedom from?"

That was the million-dollar question. Damon thought about it and then it dawned on him. "There are original vampires."

"Okay?" Bella asked.

"Those are fairytales Damon." Stefan said, frowning at his brother.

"No, they're not. Lexie even told me about them, back in the seventies or something like that, when I was in New York, and had my switch flipped." Damon said, taking a drink of his bourbon finally. "Original vamps are like over a thousand years old. They're dangerous, and knowing Katherine, she probably pissed off or something."

Bella took a drink of the amber liquid, letting the burn coat her throat, before she spoke. "So, what do we do for now?"

"Protect you." Damon said. "It's safer for you to be closer. I propose you move in at the boarding house. We can keep a closer eye on you there, and be there in the event Katherine makes another appearance."

Bella wasn't sure about that idea. "I don't know. I don't want to just uproot my life. Damon, she can't get inside my house. I haven't invited her in, and as long as I don't, then she can't get in here to hurt me."

"She has a point." Stefan said.

Damon sighed. "Fine." He muttered and took another drink of the bourbon.

There was a knock on Bella's door, and Stefan went to it and opened it. It was Elena. "Bella home?"

"Yeah," Stefan said and let Elena inside.

Elena looked at Damon. "You're here. Good."

Damon raised a brow. "Oh?"

"What did you do to Jeremy?"

"What do you mean?" Damon asked.

"He's…going to school, doing his work, and not skipping or doing drugs."

Damon made a hmph sound. "Doesn't sound like something is wrong with him."

"Yes, but, he's completely different. It's like he's the way he was before our parents died."

"Elena, I took away the pain." Damon said simply.

Bella understood. "Oh. No pain means…he's not lashing out at the world or himself."

Elena hadn't thought about it that way. "That makes sense…" She murmured. "It's good that he's doing better. I was just…worried. This will stay this way, right? He's not going to backslide?"

"Shouldn't." Damon said and then his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket, glancing at the caller ID first and then answered. "Liz, I was wondering when you'd give me a call. What's up?"

"We found a dead vampire."

"That's good right?" Damon asked.

"Yes, but, none of us killed it. Did you, do it?"

"No, I haven't killed any vampires lately." Damon lied.

Liz was quiet a couple moments. "I'm sure there are more."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because it's Vicki Donovan."

Damon's eyes met Stefan's; his brows furrowed. "That is concerning. Where are you keeping her body?"

"Right now, she's in the trunk of Logan Fell's car. But we need to do something with it. I can't tell Matt about his sister. This is too much." Liz said, clearly upset.

"Right. Okay. I'll meet you at Logan's house. I'll take the body and dispose of it. There's an old crematorium outside of town that the Salvatore's owned and operated at some point. I'll incinerate the body there, no traces, and we just…keep trying to find out who this vampire culprit is." He said, blowing out a breath.

Liz was quiet another moment. "Okay, thank you Damon. I wasn't sure what to do. I'll see you soon."

"Everything will be okay." Damon said, and then hung up. He sighed. "Someone didn't hide Vicki's body well."

Stefan shook his head. "I did. I took her outside of town Damon. I made sure that she was buried deep."

"Hmm, Katherine." Damon muttered.

Elena was confused. "I'm sorry, who is Katherine?"

"My lookalike." Bella said. "I'm a doppelganger. Basically, what that means is that I'm the spitting image of a vampire named Katherine. She looks and sounds just like me, and she's back trying to cause issues. We're assuming she's wanting to trade me for something. We're not sure about all the logistics yet."

Elena felt like that was a lot of overwhelming information, but she would get more out of Bella later. "Okay. So, evil twin basically. Okay, we can get through this too. What is the plan?"

"Nothing. Elena, I can't drag you into this." Bella said frowning at her friend.

"Bella, I need to help. I have to do something. I'm your friend. I want to make sure you're safe. If this Katherine chick is here trying to take you for something, then I think it's important for you to not be alone ever." Elena explained.

Damon smiled a little. "She has a point. I like how she thinks. On that note though, I have to go take care of the Vicki issue. Toodles." He said and then he was gone.

Stefan sighed. "Elena, this is really dangerous. Katherine will kill anyone she wants. If you asked me about her months ago, I wouldn't believe she was alive, because I saw Fell's Church burn with her inside it, or at least that is what I thought. The Katherine that I knew in 1864, was manipulative enough and her compulsion made me believe she was a damsel in distress, and some innocent girl. She's not that. Clearly. So, she is dangerous."

"So?" Elena said, looking at Stefan. "I don't care. Stefan, I'm not going to back away because you think this is too dangerous. Bella is my friend, and I'm going nowhere. I chose to stay with this supernatural world because I didn't want to forget everything that hadn't made sense to me before. Now that I understand, I want to stay in the loop. My parents were part of a super-secret vampire hunting council. Now, if that isn't a sign that I should be a part of the team, then I don't know what else is." She said defiantly.

Bella smiled a little at her friend. "Okay. You can stay in the loop." She was worried about it, but it wasn't her place to try and keep people from doing what they want to do.


"So, winter formal will be amazing!" Caroline said, as she set down her book of planning on the table at the Grille. Elena and Bonnie were there eating when Caroline came in. Bella was already on the clock and waiting tables, when the girls got there.

Elena looked up at the invasion that was Caroline Forbes. She meant well, and Elena knew that Caroline was the best person for the job when you needed to get things organized and done. "What sort of theme are you doing?"

"Fairytale." Caroline said, beaming wide as she sat down next to Bonnie and across from Elena. "Picture it. A castle of events, princesses, and princes, in a fantasy land." She said, her excitement not only clear in her voice but also on her face.

Elena gave her friend a smile. "Seems extreme for a winter formal."

"Dances are everything Elena. This is our last year to have all our fairytale endings. Tyler Lockwood and I have officially made it official." She said, beaming brightly.

Bonnie popped a fry in her mouth. "Not all of us have prince charming. So, I vote, Elena, we can go as twin princesses. Let the world know that men are not needed in this day and age to be a strong, female lead." She said grinning.

Elena smiled, shaking her head. She looked up at Bella, when she came to bring Caroline a diet coke, and to refill their drinks. "Hey. Feeling crazy yet working here?"

"Not really. It's not so bad. It's a way to keep busy." Bella said with a smile.

"Oooh, Bella, you and Stefan have to come as Cinderella and Prince Charming."

"For what?" Bella asked.

"Winter formal." Caroline relayed, flipping open her book.

Bella smiled a little. "Care, winter formal isn't for another two months. We haven't even had Halloween yet."

"Planning takes finesse and time." Caroline said, matter-of-factly.

Bonnie chuckled. "It's best to let her do her thing." She said to Bella. "Either way, it'll be perfect because Caroline is planning it."

Caroline smiled at Bonnie. "Awww. Bonnie."

Bella shook her head. "Sure, I'll dress up for this thing, but Cinderella." She wrinkled her nose. "I'm not a princess fan. Can't I just dress up as one of the dwarves or something." She joked.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "You're entirely too pretty for that."

Stefan strolled in, smiling at Bella when he approached. "Hey."

"Hey." Bella said with a small smile. "I'll get you something to eat." She said and disappeared.

Elena slid over more, and Stefan slid in next to her. "So, before Caroline can burst out of her seat, you have to come to winter formal dresses as Prince Charming."

Caroline clapped her hands together. "Yes! Come on! You and Bella are the power couple of the year, so perfect, and what's more perfect than you and her going as Cinderella and Prince Charming?"

Stefan's smile faltered a little. "Hmm. Prince Charming? I can't be a dwarf or something."

Bonnie cracked up, laughing boisterously. "Yeah, you and Bella are definitely a power couple. She said the same thing." She said and ate more of her fries.

Stefan just smiled and shook his head, and looked up at Bella when she returned with a soda for him. "What time do you get off?"

"Nine. They don't let us high schoolers close because of dumb school." Bella replied with a smile. "I drove myself though, so just meet me back at my house."

Stefan nodded, smiling. "Okay." He said, and then watched her walk away.

"Awwww." Caroline said, sighing and smiling at Stefan. "So adorbs you two."

Just then, Damon walked in, Jasper Hale with him and they walked towards the bar. Damon was serious looking, or in the least focused. He intercepted Bella, a hand going to her back as he leaned in to say something to her.

Stefan focused his hearing, but then stopped himself. Part of trying to make things work with Bella, was trust. So he stopped himself, and left it alone.

Bella nodded to Damon, and looked at Jasper. She shook his hand and gave him a small smile before she disappeared in the back.

Damon looked at Jasper and motioned to back, and they both disappeared from sight. It made Stefan curious, but he would have to be patient and wait for Bella to tell him later.

"Jasper, I'm sorry about your brother." Bella said, once they were out back.

Jasper shook his head. His dark blonde hair fell to his shoulders in slight waves, and his honey-colored eyes were like liquid honey. "It's quite alright. Edward…was many things and towards the end, he lost himself. I apologize you had to endure him."

Bella swallowed. "I'm okay…now."

Jasper smiled a little, it was tight. "I told Damon that Edward was infatuated with Katherine Pierce. Back in 1864, when we ran across her in Mystic Falls, he fell for her hard. I believe because you're her doppelganger, that is what made him so infatuated with you as well. The fact that Katherine released us from the tomb, renewed something for Edward. At first, I believe it was her manipulative nature that warped him so much to continue out whatever plans she had for you at that moment. I've reached out to Pearl, a vampire that ran in the same circles as Katherine, and she's remaining under the radar with her daughter. She doesn't want any part of whatever Katherine has planned, but I can tell you that Katherine Pierce, is running from an original vampire. His name is Klaus Mikaelson. It's important that you never cross paths with him."

Bella blew out a breath. "She wants to trade me to him. Why?"

"Because you're a doppelganger. Klaus Mikaelson is a hybrid. But his curse is suppressed. He needs a doppelganger to break the curse, and he'll be able to harness the power not only from his vampire nature, but his werewolf as well. I don't know what all this entails, but he's dangerous. There are reasons why they say he's something of people's nightmares." Jasper explained.

Bella swallowed. "Okay. But if Katherine knows I'm here, isn't everyone else in danger?"

"Possibly, but we already know that breaking his curse is far worse." Damon said. "Don't worry, we'll keep you hidden here. I've contacted a witch friend of mine to place some protection spells around the area to keep Katherine at bay."

"Did you tell Stefan any of this?" Bella asked.

"Not yet, I know you wanted to know things, so I figured I would tell you all of this first, and then I'll get to Stefan later tonight." Damon explained. "As for now, I've got to figure out how to fix the vampire issue that Edward created when he turned Vicki. They know that a vampire is here in Mystic Falls, and I have to give them one."

Bella nodded. "Right, how do we do that?"

"Give them Edward." Jasper said. "Carlisle has his body in a tomb in the Mystic Falls cemetery. He's dead, and all Damon has to do is give him up, and make it all go away."

"That would work, right?" Bella asked, looking at Damon.

"Hopefully." Damon said. "Carlisle hasn't agreed yet, but I think he'll come around considering that the more this hunt progresses, the harder it will become. Liz is still needing the Gilbert watch, and Elena said she's keeping it hidden because she knows that it can be used as a weapon against the supernatural."

Bella pursed her lips. "That would be detrimental."

"Indeed." Jasper said with a nod. "Now, I must return to my wife. Salvatore, I'll keep you apprised of any changes." He said and then he was gone.

Damon looked at Bella, studying her. "You're still not okay." He murmured.

"I'm trying to be. It's only been a week, Damon. Edward…he broke something in me. I'm trying to get past it, but…it's hard."

"Have you told Stefan exactly what Edward did?"

"No." Bella admitted, her voice small.

Damon sighed. "Bella…"

"Damon, I have to move at my own pace." Bella said. "I'm trying…it's really hard."

"I know. I'm sorry." Damon said and swallowed. "You should get back inside, finish your shift. I'll make sure you get home without issue." He said, resisting the urge to just touch her.

Bella nodded, staring up at him, his blue eyes consuming her. She wanted to just hug him, but she refrained. The mixed emotions she was feeling inside was hard to battle, so she tore her gaze away from him and went back inside.


Bella rubbed her shoulder as she walked inside her house from her Jeep. It was a tiring day, but it was rewarding as well. She made great tips, and she got over her anxiety to keep pushing forward and getting through the night. Damon waited there at the Grille until she got in her Jeep to go home. She knew that he made sure she made it here okay. Stefan's car was in the driveway, so she knew that he was here before walking in. She saw him sitting in the living room on the couch, he was looking at his phone, texting someone.

"Hey." Bella said, and he looked up at her and smiled. She walked over to him and sat down on the couch next to him. "You, okay?"

"Hmm. Yeah, Damon was telling me the events of the day. Jasper Hale, he was helpful?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah, makes a lot of sense now. I researched doppelganger a bit, but I feel like google doesn't have all the facts, considering most vampire lore is wrong." She said with a smile.

Stefan nodded. "Yeah, true." He said and then he leaned in slowly, making sure she could see all his movements. Since Edward, she flinched more, and he was almost positive that Edward violated her in more than one way.

Bella let Stefan lean in, his lips brushing hers gently. It was a simple kiss, one that Bella could handle. She knew that Stefan was trying, and she should try as well. She kissed him back, and moved closer to him. She felt nervous again, like something could go wrong, but she pushed the thoughts away and out of her mind.

Stefan kept his pace, not pushing too far, and only took what she wanted to give to him. This was a step, one that he was happy they were taking. He wanted things to get back to a form of normal, but he didn't know if things would ever be okay.

Bella finally had too much, and she pulled away. "Um, I'm okay, just."

"I know." Stefan said with a nod, his green eyes studying her dark ones.

Bella had to look away, because the green in his eyes brought her back to Edward that night. "I'm getting sort of tired. I'm thinking of just going to bed."

"Okay, yeah, sure. You worked hard today." Stefan said with a nod and stood. "I'll uh, go back home and check in with Damon. I'm sure he's still at the bar, but you know."

Bella nodded. "Okay. I'll see you in the morning." She said standing as well. She hugged her arms to herself, and watched Stefan leave. She blew out a breath and closed her eyes. She wanted to feel normal. Wanted a normal relationship with Stefan, but this was proving to be harder than she thought it would be. She went to the kitchen, and she poured her a bit of bourbon and drank it before going upstairs and getting ready for bed. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and changed her clothes. She got in bed, laying there for a while. She stared up at the ceiling, willing herself to go to sleep, but she couldn't. She heard the soft knock on the door downstairs, and she got out of bed to go see who it was. It was still early for her. Only 11pm, but she knew she should be sleeping. Damon was standing outside, so she opened the door.

"Hey." Bella said, letting him inside.

"I wanted to double check on you before I went to the boarding house. Stefan's car isn't here. He went home?"

"Yeah, uh. I um…just…I'm having a hard time is all." Bella said, hugging her arms around her again. It was a defensive measure.

Damon nodded. "It's okay to not be okay." He said softly, and reached up, brushing a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You don't have to hold it all in all the time.

Bella looked up into his brilliant ice, blue eyes. She felt trapped in their gaze. "Damon…" she murmured.

Damon smiled a little. "You're staring at me like you want me to kiss you."

"Oh…" Bella said, blinking a little. "I'm sorry, I just…I'm not sure." She frowned, confused with all her own feelings.

"Don't apologize." Damon said, and then he leaned in, his lips brushing hers anyways. He knew it was wrong for him to do this. He made progress with Stefan, but Bella was changing something in him. He wasn't spiteful anymore. He cared only about her and her safety and he didn't want to leave her alone. He was afraid that something terrible could happen and he wouldn't be fast enough to save her next time. And even with Edward, he had failed.

The kiss moved from a soft brushing of their lips to their tongues winding together, deepening. Bella leaned into him, like she was melting instantly under his gentle touch. Damon's hands held her to him, one hand finding it's way into her hair, pulling it free from her bun, running his fingers through the silky smooth of her hair. A moan sounded in her throat, and his mouth moved to her throat now, the excitement filling both of them. She clung to him, his lips sizzling against her skin, somehow his breath was hotter than her own, and she closed her eyes, moaning again wanting so badly for him to bite her.

"Damon," She moaned out, her hands moving over his hard chest, clinging to him as his mouth ravaged her. "Please." She said, her heart speeding up, as she felt the first gentle piercing of his fangs. It felt amazing to her when he did it. She wanted this, wanted him and that made her mind incredibly fuzzy. He drank from her just a little, before he pulled away, his mouth moving back to hers, her hands went to the hem of his shirt, wanting to pull his shirt off, and he let her. Her mouth moved to his chest, kissing him and he moaned now, closing his eyes as she tried to reel himself in. He needed to stop this, he was already over the line.

"Please." Bella begged again, as she looked up at him. Her eyes were heavy with arousal but Damon found himself again. He say the blood drip down her neck and he swallowed. It was so tantalizing. Her beautiful eyes, her lips, the way she said his name, and the way she tasted on his tongue.

"I can't." Damon murmured, and then his fangs appeared, before he bit his wrist and offered it to her. She took his wrist to her mouth, closing her eyes as she drank from him. Damon's arousal increased as she drank, but he kept his control. The marks on her neck sealed, and she pulled away from his wrist. "You need to sleep." He murmured.

Bella looked up at him her eyes a little sleepy. "You're right…"She murmured. The realization hit her that Damon was the reason why she couldn't focus on Stefan, and that made the guilt rise in her. She wasn't sure what to do abut it. "Do you have to go?"

"Oh Bella…I don't want to go. I want to take you upstairs and make love to you. Pleasure you entirely, but I can't do that. I said I'm not the good guy, but you make me want to be the good guy. So, please, go upstairs to bed. My control is slipping." He murmured, brushing her hair back again, cupping her face.

Bella nodded. "Okay." She said and she stepped back from him and went upstairs, tears threatened to spill but she wouldn't cry with him here. She went to her room, laying on the bed and waited. Waited for the door to shut and when it did, she sobbed, curling up into a ball, her heart being pulled in different directions, and now she felt like the worse kind of human being. She cried until she finally exhausted herself to sleep.