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, Navywife, Moon, Kouga, and Missy for your reviews! Happy mothers day to all you mothers! Today has been a pretty good day so far, so I can't complain. Hope everyone is up for some whiplash in the next couple chapters. I worked really hard on this one. Let me know what you think! Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review!


Bella woke up, groggy from travel, but she knew that it would be worth it in the end, as long the people she loved and cared for were going to be okay. She got out of bed, stretching her legs and stretching her arms above her head. She looked around the room and frowned when she didn't see Damon. She sighed, and then grabbed her phone and called Stefan. It rang once before he picked up.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Stefan's voice was immediate and worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just woke up."

"Where's Damon?"

"I guess outside somewhere." Bella said and stretched more. "We're going to get this moonstone and head back. We'll be back late."

Stefan was quiet a bit. "The wolf den that he talked about last night. Werewolves don't exactly get along with vampires."

"I'm sure your brother has it figured out. Don't worry so much. I'll be back home late tonight. I was wondering if I could stay with you when we get there?"

Stefan was confused. "I… are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What's wrong? I guess I could stay at my house… if you wanted to come over and stay with me."

"You… haven't wanted me to stay the night in a long time." Stefan said, still obviously confused.

"I'm over Edward. I'm sorry about being weird before, but I love you and I just want to get back to normal. We can do that, right?"

"I want nothing more." Stefan nearly breathed. "Are you sure you're, okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Bella reassured, and then glanced up when Damon opened the door and walked in. "Oh, we're about to go. I'll talk to you later, okay? Love you."

"I love you too." Stefan said before she hung up.

Bella looked at Damon. "Did you get any rest?"

"Yeah." Damon lied. "Come on, let's get you breakfast and then we'll get going." He said, his tone neutral.

Bella nodded. "Yes, then stop and get a toothbrush." She said, gathered her phone and wallet before slipping her shoes on. She combed her fingers through her hair and left with Damon out the door. He had already gone and checked out, while she was on the phone with Stefan. Her bracelet was secure in his pocket for now. He might have to compel her again on the trip. He wasn't sure, but he was quiet as they got in the car and left the Inn.


[Trailer Park: North of Atlanta]


Damon pulled up at the trailer park and sat there a moment. "Okay, don't make sudden moves. Listen to me when we go in there. Werewolves can't be trusted."

"I'm not an idiot Damon." Bella scoffed then opened her door and got out.

Damon sighed, getting out on his side, and they walked together to one particular trailer. He reached up and knocked on it before taking a step back and waiting.

A little while later, the door opened and a man was there. His eyes were a steel blue color and his darker blonde hair curled slightly on his head around his ears. His face was perfectly symmetrical, and his arms were quite large, and he was buff.

"Damon Salvatore." The man said, staring at Damon, without an emotion.

"Mason Lockwood." Damon nodded simply.

The two men stared at each other before Mason cracked a smile and then he was hugging Damon in a half hug.

Bella blinked, confused by the interaction. "I don't… get it."

Damon smiled a little. "I'm dramatic sometimes. Mason is the good kind of wolf." He said and looked back at Mason. "You're still slumming in a trailer park I see."

"Well, you know." Mason shrugged. "Your arrival is surprising. I thought you were in Mystic Falls again."

"I am. I have come to retrieve something that I hear from a very special witch friend of mine, that you are in possession of the moonstone. Which I found interesting." Damon said, still holding his even smile.

Mason raised a brow. "Sheila Bennett told you I have the moonstone."

"She did." Damon said with a nod.

"And you need the moonstone, which is why you're here." Mason said more as a statement. "Care to explain to me why?"

Damon blew out a breath. "Well. I need the moonstone to barter with an original vampire."

"Those guys aren't just fairytales?"

"They are not." Damon said. "I don't want Mystic Falls to come to any harm, especially since there are a lot of people there that I actually care about and Bella here, is needing it as well to keep the people she cares about safe."

Mason nodded. "Okay. Come inside." He said then let Bella and Damon inside, shutting the door behind them. "There's a lot of rumors about original vamps. There's one in particular. Is it true?"

"You mean the one where there's an original vamp that is also a werewolf?"

"Yeah, that one." Mason said with a nod.

"That's true." Bella said, and Mason looked at her. "I'm sorry." She said, knowing that she was supposed to stay quiet.

Mason sighed. "Okay. Well, I have the moonstone. But as always, it's gonna cost you Salvatore."

Damon knew that would be part of it. "Yeah, yeah. I know." He said. "I'll send you the money, I'm not worried about it."

"Good." Mason said, and he left the room. He was only gone briefly, before he returned with the moonstone. It looked exactly as it sounded. A stone as white and pale as the moon. "Not small money either. You know how hard it was to get my hands on this?"

"How about half? That sound good?"

Mason smiled. "Oh, that's real good. You must really want this thing then."

"I do." Damon said and slipped his phone out of his pocket. He typed a couple things, then flipped his phone around to see. "Done."

Mason smiled. "Thank you. Always a pleasure Salvatore," he said and handed the moonstone over to Damon. "You guys are heading back today I assume."

"Yes." Damon said. "Don't worry, I've kept an eye on Tyler Lockwood. He hasn't triggered his curse, Carol and your brother are oblivious to this family secret it seems."

"Good." Mason said and looked at Bella. "I don't think you said your name."

"Bella. Bella Swan." Bella said with a nod. "Thank you for this."

Mason smiled at her; it was charming to say the least. "Of course." He said and looked back at Damon. "Don't be a stranger. Hit me up when you're in GA again." He said and fist bumped Damon, before Damon and Bella took their leave.

"Why didn't you say this was going to be easy." Bella said once they were in the car.

Damon shrugged. "My brother doesn't know about Mason Lockwood and that would mean that he would find out about the other Lockwoods, and well, Mason is a secretive guy." He explained as he drove away from the trailer park. "Try to get some sleep on the road. I'm not stopping again. We'll get back to Mystic Falls, right before midnight."

Bella hated it when he changed the subject. She just sighed and settled back in her seat. She looked out the window as they drove away from Georgia.


[Mystic Falls, Virginia]


Bella had fallen asleep before they pulled up at the boarding house. Damon looked over at her sleeping face. His heart squeezed in his chest as he stared at her beautiful face. His compulsion had worked. He sighed and then slipped her bracelet from his pocket carefully, before putting it around her wrist swiftly. He sighed once before he opened the door and got out.

Stefan was outside then, staring his brother down. "You took her across stateliness, on a dangerous mission for something even more dangerous. Are you insane?"

"Relax. She's safe. Nothing crazy happened. She wants to do this thing with Klaus, Sheila and I agree it's the best move."

"She can get hurt, Damon. Nothing about this is smart."

"You see, that's where you're wrong, again. Bella will protect this town and the people in it, because that's the kind of person she is. She's protecting you and all her friends, because she cares entirely too much about other human life. Get over it or you'll just push her away." Damon said, his voice and tone snarky like himself before Bella got him to try and work things out with his brother. He was reverting to being an asshole, because he was hurting right now inside and he didn't want to handle it right now.

Stefan shook his head. "What the hell is wrong with you." He said then just sighed and went to Bella's door and opened it. He woke her gently. "Bella…" he murmured softly. "Come on." He said and unbuckled her, before lifting her up into his arms. Her head lulled against his chest gently and she sighed a sleepy sigh.

Damon watched Stefan carry her inside the boarding house. He closed his eyes, forcing the emotion back once again, before he finally walked inside, moonstone in hand. He went straight to the parlor and poured himself a drink, because he really needed one now more than ever.

Upstairs, Stefan lay Bella on his bed gently. She shifted, her shirt rising at her hip and he smiled. "Hey, you awake?"

"Hmm?" Bella said and looked up at Stefan through sleepy lashes. She smiled and sat up. "Hey… I missed you." She murmured and reached for him.

Stefan smiled at her and then went to her, getting on the bed with her. "I missed you to. I'm worried about everything."

"Don't be… please… baby, we're gonna get through this. I promise that I'll be okay. Klaus Mikaelson isn't that scary when you give him what he wants."

Stefan was thrown off at her calling him baby. She never called him that and it made him suspicious. "Bella… you said yesterday that we needed to talk when you got back. It sounded serious."

Bella shook her head. "I… just want you to trust me is all." She said, her brain a little foggy, but so much had happened that it was bound to happen. "Stefan, just… please hold me and we can talk about Klaus and the moonstone and all of that tomorrow. Okay?"

Stefan nodded, his arms going around her and he kissed her softly. It was meant to just be a kiss, but Bella pressed forward, surprising him, when her hands moved over his body. He pulled back, looking at her. "Bella… hey, slow down." He murmured, when her hands went to his pants.

Bella looked up into Stefan's green eyes. "Why… I know that it's been a while, don't be afraid of hurting me, because I'm not going to break."

"Yeah, but, after everything that happened, we've been taking it slow. You're in a hurry…"

"I'm over it. Stefan, I'm okay. Can't you see?" Bella said, her eyes twinkling up at him.

Stefan studied her. He wanted to believe that everything was okay. He so badly, wanted things to be normal again, so he pushed the thoughts out of his head, and he leaned in and kissed her. They moved together in the bed, getting their pants off, before their shirts. His hands caressed her body, and he almost forgot how amazing she felt. He was getting lost in her, but he hesitated, reeling himself back in. This was moving faster than he knew she needed, so he decided to abstain and just pleasure her, hoping that would be enough.

She shifted in the sheets and he pushed forward again, consuming her. He loved the way she sounded as she moaned his name and that beat into his brain. When she shuddered and broke free, he returned to her mouth and kissed her softly. She still reached for him, stroking her hand over his hard cock, but he pulled away. She frowned, looking up at him. "What?"

"I'm… I'm not ready." Stefan said, blowing out a breath. "Bella, I'm still… trying to fight myself too much. I don't want to hurt you… so for tonight, this is what I can do."

Bella nodded, understanding. "Hold me." She murmured, and he did that, pulling her into his arms, and she snuggled against him.

Stefan kissed the top of her head and held her close and waited for her to fall back to sleep. When she did, and he was sure that him leaving wouldn't disturb her, he got up, and pulled on his pants. He looked at her, frowning as he thought about her behavior. Something was off. He grabbed a shirt and pulled it on before going downstairs. He found his brother in the parlor. He was inspecting the moonstone, when he walked in.

"This is only one piece of the puzzle." Damon said, not looking over at his brother. He could hear everything and it killed him inside. But somehow, Stefan stopping himself from bringing it further made him feel at least somewhat better inside. But the scent of her, on Stefan, made Damon want to kill something.

"You're acting strange too. What did you do to her in Georgia?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Damon said as he put the stone in a box and locked it before setting it on the shelf.

Stefan shook his head. "Maybe you think I'm stupid or something, but something is off with you and Bella."

Damon raised a brow. "I'm just peachy, brother. As for Bella, I'm not her, so I can't even begin to tell you-"

"Something is wrong. Damon, she never calls me anything other than Stefan and she's never told me she's loved me." Stefan said. "Something is off."

"You're complaining because she finally admitted she loves you? Are you sure you're not the one that's off?" Damon said before lifting his bourbon glass and taking a drink.

Stefan shook his head. "No, she's not herself. Which can only mean one thing."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Damon said, turning away from his brother.

"You compelled her." Stefan said. "You made her forget something. What was it? Did something go wrong in Georgia?"

Damon downed the rest of his drink and looked at him. "She was having nightmares about Edward. I… made her forget the pain."

"You what?"

Damon sighed. "She was hurting, so I made it stop. Figured it wouldn't hurt."

"You compelled her. Damon… you know how she feels about our abilities. She's her own person. Taking away that part of her, is the last thing she would want."

"You didn't see how much pain she was in Stefan. I did."

"Which is why you shouldn't have brought her in the first place. And why do you even care Damon? Is this some how another game to play with me? Do you get off on making me go crazy? Why-"

Damon couldn't contain himself. "I did it for you! Dammit Stefan, I did it for you." He said cracking now. His perfect mask he was trying to keep up, was shattering. He ran a hand through his hair and poured himself more to drink.

Stefan's brows furrowed together. "I don't understand."

Damon sighed, closing his eyes. "It's not my place to tell you."

"NO, you need to tell me what's going on Damon. You can't hide things from me. We're meant to be brothers, I thought were getting past deception and lies to each other."

Damon downed the bourbon quickly. "I fell in love with her." He said, looking at his empty glass.

"You what?" Stefan wasn't sure he was hearing Damon correctly.

"I fell… I fell in love with Bella. When you and her broke up. Something happened between us."

"I can't believe this."

"We slept together…" Damon said and sighed. "It was more serious for me than it was for her. We shared blood… and- "

Stefan shook his head. "This is unbelievable. You're kidding right? We hadn't broken up that long. What did you do, swoop in and convince her that you were the better brother?"

"No Stefan," Damon said, looking at his brother now. "I specifically said I wasn't the good one. That I was dangerous and that I was many things, that you were the better choice." He said. "Then Edward happened. He nearly drained her and I gave her so much of my blood… it left me in a weaker state, but she was saved. At least from dying." He explained. "But he took something from her that… that no woman should endure and it killed me inside that I hadn't made it in time to save her from that sort of invasion."

Stefan ran both his hands through his hair. "He raped her? And you didn't tell me? Jesus Damon, why the fuck would you hide that from me?"

"Because she didn't want you to know. She didn't want anyone to know. I only knew because I pulled him off her. I killed him… for her. I'd kill again for her." Damon said simply and poured more bourbon. "I knew I was in over my head with her, that first moment I kissed her. I did it originally to satisfy a curiosity and I knew that somehow it would get to you, but then… she convinced me to work on a relationship with you. So, I did. I had tried in the past, but never had the courage to do it and she gave me that courage."

Stefan stared at his brother; anger filled him. "You're telling me all this because I've pressured you. If you really cared then- "

"I'm walking away." Damon said. "Georgia, we slept together, shared blood… together. At the hotel. She admitted her feelings for me. That she loved me. But she was hurting, Stefan. She doesn't want you to go off the deep end and start ripping people apart, so she didn't want to tell you any of this. That every time she looked at you, it reminded her of Edward, because you have the same eyes. So, I told her I couldn't walk away from loving her. That I couldn't stop myself. I told her I loved her and then I compelled her. I compelled her to only see me as your brother. Nothing more. That she loved you and had gotten over Edward, so she wouldn't feel pain." Damon said, his voice breaking when he didn't mean for it to.

Stefan stared at his brother; his eyes wide. "You wouldn't spare me… you wouldn't… you wouldn't do that. You're too selfish."

"Am I?" Damon said, blinking away his own tears as he looked at Stefan. "I'm the one who told dad about Katherine." He said. "I told him about what she was because I saw how deep it was getting. I loved Katherine, but… you were my brother."

Stefan shook his head. "That doesn't make sense."

"Of course, it doesn't, because I'm the bad guy. I'll always be the one that people can place blame on because it's convenient. I came to Mystic Falls with my switch flipped and Bella made me turn it on. I wasn't opening that fucking tomb to get Katherine out to have a happily ever after. I was opening that tomb, to kill her. Kill her for ruining something I cherished the most and making me feel like I was the crazy one. I thought I loved her, but I didn't. Bella… is different. It's tearing me apart inside to walk away. I want so badly to hit that switch and snap all these emotions off, but I have too much left to do before I can just walk away from it all."

"Why… why are you doing this to me? I don't know how many times I can apologize for forcing you to become a shadow of yourself."

Damon shut his eyes, pushing back more emotions. "I'm not doing this to hurt you. Not anymore. I'm telling you the truth, because if I don't, then it'll breed more resentment. Take what I'm giving you Stefan. Take Bella, sail off into the sunset and you'll never have to see me again. I can promise you that. I'll continue to be the bad guy and all will be right in this world."

"I don't need you to walk away. I want you to be my brother dammit!"

"I am!" Damon said, throwing his arms up. "I am being your brother. I'm doing the only thing I know to do." He said and then he slipped his ring off, holding it up. "When this is over, I'm over. I will make sure that Klaus doesn't kill Bella and I will make sure that I'm never a pain or issue again."

"You can't do that! Damon, I need you!" Stefan actually cried, tears running down his face, as emotion set free. "I need you… I can't… I can't lose you. Not again. Not after everything."

Damon looked at his brother. "I can't… I can't lose you either, but if I stay, I'll want her and wanting her, means I lose you too." He said, shaking his head a little. "It has to be this way."

"It doesn't. Damon, please, it doesn't."

"You love her, Stefan… hold on to that. She's special, in more ways than she's a doppelganger. She doesn't remember her feelings for me. Keep it that way." Damon said and walked out of the room. He couldn't stand there anymore, watching his brother fall apart because of him. How was it possible that after a century, he was finally able to come to terms with his emotions? The hate he wanted to feel for his brother, was misguided attempts to lash out at the only monster in his life and that was himself. He had no one to blame, but himself, for the pain he was feeling now. He went to his room, closing the door and he leaned against it. He closed his eyes, a tear sliding down his face, as he thought about what he told his brother he would do. Finally meeting death, after so many years seemed like a solace to him now. He hadn't even known he meant it until he slid that ring off his finger. He looked back down at his hand, staring at the blue lapis. The stone that shielded him from the sun. A gift that was given by Katherine, so long ago. There weren't any words left at this point for him to even speak about how detrimental Katherine had been to him and his brother. He wanted to blame his brother for the eternal darkened soul, but he couldn't. Not anymore. Because of Bella, he was able to see clearly and now, he would deal with that. Deal with it, until the threat of Klaus Mikaelson was over. Only then, would he know that it was safe to leave this world.