The Power of Love

by ncbexie25

Bella's on the run, fighting against the oppressive mating bond she shares with Edward. Running to Mystic Falls, however, she stumbles straight into the arms of a mate who will give her the truest love she's ever known. But Edward warned her of the consequences. He'll come for her. How will the Originals handle this threat to their new family member, while battling her scars?

15. Run

Good night (or morning) sweethearts…

There are no excuses for the long wait I have made you endure. All I can say is mental illness is a bitch and I tried my best to bring you something that I was proud of. I think I might have actually succeeded in the end. My only hope now is that there are some of you still out there wanting to read this…

In other news, I am now using twitter so if you wanna get to know me and also get updates there—more than in the group—please follow me Bec_McCaffery

But of course if you don't want to, then you can join my group for this account: ncbexie25 Fanfics. Teasers and pics are posted there, more so because of word limit than on twitter. :)

Anyway. See you down below. I hope you enjoy it :)

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Chapter 15—Run

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The sound of carolers filled the night time streets of New Orleans. Countless children and their parents all singing along to the favorite Christmas songs of the millennia, the fever was at an all-time high in the week leading up to that splendid day. Christmas cheer spread through the Quarter, decorations lining the colorful streets as men and women went about shopping for Christmas presents, their troublesome children trying to peek into the bags.

For Niklaus Mikaelson, there was no exception as he glared at the child staring at him blatantly, eyes flickering between his face and the bag in his hand. In packed streets, he had to be careful—especially due to the far more sinister note that his gift carried for the people who would receive it. He smirked as he headed into Rousseau's, sliding into a seat at the bar in front of Camille. He could see Marcel watching from the corner, standing to come to his side as he motioned for him just as he'd said he would that morning before his son left the compound.

"Klaus," he greeted him, a grin on his face as Camille served them each their usual before redirecting her services to other customers.

"Marcel," he returned, taking a sip of his drink after swirling it in the tumbler. "I have a favor to ask of you and Camille." The smirk had slipped, now slight as he looked down at his glass, eyebrow raised as he turned his head to look into his son's eyes. "Something I need delivered personally."

Marcel's brow furrowed. "Why not do it yourself?" He was not being rude, instead he was genuinely curious. He knew Klaus well, and knew that he liked to deliver the sorts of 'gifts' he knew the hybrid was speaking about in person—himself.

"It's Christmas week and my mate is adamant I stay with her. Understandably; it's our first Christmas together…" There was a smile on his lips that the dark-skinned vampire knew was real as the Original thought on Bella. "I thought, perhaps, that you and Camille might want to take a little road trip, have some time to yourselves and escape the never-ending drama our family provides. Whilst you still can, at least." The smirk on his face was almost evil as he said that.

Marcellus had to admit, it was a tasty offer. But his eyes narrowed at the thought of taking his mate anywhere, even as he was not completely comfortable leaving her back here. It still had been rather recent, their issue with the Cold Ones, and even though he trusted Klaus and the rest of the Mikaelson family… no one could protect his Camille like he could. "Where would we be going?"

There was an almost coy smirk that stretched the blond's lips then as he glanced at Marcel before taking a swig of his drink. "A little town by the name of Forks, in the state of Washington. But, more specifically, you would be driving through Forks to get to the Indian Reservation of La Push."

Recognition sparked in Marcel's eyes. "This have anything to do with the shapeshifter issue?"

Klaus's eyes filled with deadly satisfaction, a low growl leaving him like a hum as that smirk on his lips grew. "Of course. And, for their sacrifice, I believe the imprints of the fallen should receive a little… Christmas present. And I want the two of you to deliver it to them." As he spoke, he looked over his protégé's shoulder, eyeing another child with a strange gleam in his eye, drawing the dark skinned man's eyes to the same person only for Marcel to frown in confusion and look back to his father. Klaus was back to himself when his eyes were cast upon him once more, hand reaching into the the decorated bag and revealing a large crystal jar.

Marcellus looked at it, understanding lighting his eyes. He looked back at Klaus to see a smirk tugging at his lips, strange moment over. "When?"

There was a chuckle. "You leave tomorrow."

With that, Niklaus straightened, knocking back the rest of the liquor and patting Marcel on the shoulder as he walked out into the sea of Christmas cheer, heading back home.

~TPoL~

Bella looked out the window, trying to see Klaus through the fog and snow. She yawned, bleary gaze cast around the room as she searched for something that would tell her the time. But her efforts were for naught and then forgotten as her phone lit up with a message from just the man she wanted to see right this moment. She grinned, the previous anxious feeling she'd had—since her mate had left, actually—gone and she flashed to the bedside table in her exuberance, only to hiss as she felt a dizzy spell come on out of nowhere.

What the hell?

She sighed and rubbed her forehead as it creased, she yawned again, turning to sit down carefully and slowly on the bed. She'd already eaten, so she had no idea why else she might be dizzy… until she felt a craving for blood. It hit her strong and hard in the stomach, in the throat, a wolfish whine leaving her. She hadn't the energy to get up though, and since Nik was still out, as was Rebekah who had seldom been home since the incident concerning her mate, Elijah was working in his office, and Kol and Davina were—ahem—busy, there wasn't really anyone she could ask to get it for her.

A glance toward the bedside table and she has to give a whispery chuckle. Her mate… ever the alcoholic. Though she supposed that was probably a good thing, at least right now as she brought the bottle of rum to her lips.

She took one gulp before dragging it away from her lips, body dispelling it immediately. She dry-retched over the puddle of alcohol, her stomach muscles heaving. All the while, a blinding panic began to overwhelm her. What was happening to her? She shouldn't feel so tired, so weak, so unreasonably hungry… and her body certainly should not be dispelling alcohol for no reason.

But then, it wasn't for no reason…

She gagged at the taste of it left in her mouth, snarling as anger she might have once been able to push back overwhelmed her. Fire ignited, she pulled her arm back then flung it forward, growling with the exertion, panting as the glass bottle smashed upon heavy impact with the wall, liquor spraying. Her anger—perhaps rage—was just as quickly gone as it had risen.

That is it…

Shaking her head, Bella did her best to throw back the exhaustion she was feeling. She wasn't ready to go to sleep. Lately she was too on edge to do so without Nik, hard-pressed to leave the room if he wasn't around. And now she couldn't drink alcohol? Wanted to eat and drink blood more and more? Something was not adding up and she wanted answers.

Steeling herself for what she now knew after the past week would be an increase in anxiety as soon as she stepped out of the door, she flashed away. She did not stop until she was at Davina and Kol's door, pushing back a whine as her eyes flashed amber. She knocked on the door.

She heard a giggle from Davina, her nose scrunching up in disgust at the images that filled her head. She knew exactly what they were doing, especially as a slap sounded and then the young witch moaned before telling him to wait. Bella had to work to keep back the chuckle rising when she heard her brother genuinely whine with petulance.

"But darling—"

"Now, Kol."

The door opened and scents hit Bella, making her swallow, itch to go back to her room and surround herself with her mate's scent. For some reason, the scent of another male—even one she knew well—induced her every instinct, caused them to rise to the surface. But her desperation was so that she pushed it back with all she could, reaching out and grasping her friend's hand. Wide brown met worried blue, and when Bella spoke her voice was a low whisper, tone begging.

"Davina, I need your help."

A whoosh and Kol was behind her, also concerned, both of them watching as Bella whined and stepped back.

"Are you all right, darling?" Kol asked, his fingers itching for his phone, first impulse to call Nik. If something was wrong…

"I'm all right," Bella said immediately, clearing her throat and stepping closer. It took everything in her to stay where she was as she looked to Davina. "Just need to borrow your mate for a bit…"

The Harvest witch's lips parted, brow furrowing with worry and confusion in equal measure. She couldn't say no. She turned back to her mate and gave him a smile, kissing his cheek. "I'll be back soon," she reassured him before she walked out the room, taking Bella's hand and guiding her away. The further they walked, Bella starting to take the lead as they made their way down to the dungeons, away from everyone else, the more relaxed the female hybrid became.

When they entered the garden, Davina looked around then back toward her friend, seeing the panic in her rise. "Bella, what—"

"There's something wrong with me. I-I don't know how to explain it."

The witch swallowed and nodded. "Okay, well, why don't we get Klaus—"

"No!" the hybrid yelled, making the younger brunette freeze. She took a breath, her voice much quieter when she continued. "No… I don't want to concern him when it could be nothing. You know what he's like."

Davina nodded. Knowing what he was like was the exact reason why she wanted to call him.

But… she supposed, as his mate, if Bella didn't want to tell him just yet…

She sighed. "Okay. Why don't you tell me what makes you think there's something wrong?"

The wolf, pacing, nodded. "I am tired all the time. I hate the taste, even the smell, of alcohol, as well as some foods. I'm really, really anxious when Klaus isn't around… I'm a lot hungrier. My breasts are tender—I can't even wear bras anymore—and they tingle. I'm having mood swings…"

Davina listened patiently, but her eyes widened as Bella finished and she thought about what it could be. If she didn't know any better, she'd say she was pregnant…

But she did know better and that was impossible… right?

"Bella, I really think we should get Kol," the witch insisted, her eyes wide with the stress she was feeling at that moment. Her mouth opened to continue but she was overturned by a harsh sigh and the shaking of the hybrid's head.

"No, we can't. I… Isn't there a spell you can do? To figure out what this is—if it actually is anything? Please?" Bella asked, swallowing as she thought she heard something upstairs, her instincts almost forcing her out of the room in hopes that it was her mate. She growled, hand smashing through the stone wall right next to the door, panting as she extracted her hand to see if there was any damage as it stung. There were only scrapes and some blood, the injuries already healing they were so insignificant. "This is not normal," she muttered, the words mostly directed toward herself as she turned her hand over then let it drop to her side. She flashed to a chair on the other side of the room, looking up at the strong thud of Davina's heartbeat. She was scared of her, and the older brunette smiled bracingly. "Sorry…"

The Harvest Witch gave her a small smile, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm down. "No, it's—um—it's fine." She took a moment to think then sighed and nodded. "There is something I can do, but we have to go the cemetery…"

A beat of anxiety hit Bella but she breathed evenly and nodded. They needed the answers and there was no way she was going to worry Klaus with this if it turned out to be nothing, no matter how much she doubted that would be the case. In addition, despite her nervous energy, Bella's wolf was restless and impatient, demanding they seek their answer now and not later. The sooner Bella knew what her wolf was trying to tell her, the better.

"Let's go," Davina urged her quietly, her tone gentle as she smiled at the young hybrid. She walked to the door then opened it, motioning for her friend to follow, and the older brunette did so in a nervous flash, almost as though she was pushing herself to do it before she lost her nerve entirely.

Thus begun their travel to the cemetery.

Keeping half an eye on her, Davina allowed the cool December night's air to aid her as she focused her mind on the spell she would have to do. It was a simple communication spell with the ancestors, something she'd done a few times now, but she was still a learning and vastly inexperienced witch with untold amounts of power. The first thing her mate had told her was that she needed to take that into consideration and be extra vigilant. Anything could go wrong and, with the amount of power she had, if it did go wrong it could have any number of disastrous effects. And not only on herself.

But Davina was doing a lot better now than she had been a mere week ago. After the scare in Bella's mind when she'd gone against Kol's wishes—and could very nearly have been killed for it—he'd figured he wouldn't be able to stop her, and he really didn't want to… he liked his witch feisty. However, he did want her safe, so the amount of time he spent educating her had increased tenfold. If they weren't making love, they were properly immersed in the world of magic and all its capabilities.

It might have gotten annoying sometimes but, seeing the way Kol lit up, livened as he was surrounded by the world he'd been shunned from through no fault of his own, Davina really wouldn't have it any other way.

Arriving outside the gate, Davina looked around, seeing Bella do the same as she glanced back toward her. The whine of the gate made the wolf jump but a reassuring smile in her direction was enough to calm her for the moment. Bella was so close to understanding what her wolf wanted her to know and that was enough for Bella's wolf at the moment.

"Come on," the witch whispered, and Bella needed no other instruction. She flashed through the metal gate and, as Davina led her further into the graveyard, it was clear how uneasy she was about her surroundings. The witch could see the amber of her eyes was more prominent, adding that to a possible list of symptoms. She knew nothing about being a werewolf, but she thought it made sense that they would be like this if they were pregnant, especially mated. They were vulnerable. And considering Bella was mated to none other but The Hybrid, she was more vulnerable than most.

Stopping at the crypt, the two carefully entered, Bella looking around as Davina stopped in front of Mary Alice's tomb. She ignored the candles some other witches must have left handy about the room—if you could call it that—and pulled out one of Kol's from her bag. The spell she had in mind would only work if she used this candle since one of Kol's old witch friends had it charmed for a specific purpose. The only way that her ancestor would be able to answer was using this candle to channel her power to. It was essentially the witchy version of a pregnancy test.

The Harvest witch methodically lit a candle on the first try, placed it atop Mary Alice's tomb, and relaxed her body. "I'm going to try to commune with my ancestor specifically. Hopefully she'll answer me and, if she lights the other candle, it means you're pregnant…"

"Wait, pregnant? Davina—"

"I know… but its the only thing that fits… if this doesn't work, the next spell is a lot less specific so I can ask if it's something else then, okay?"

Frowning because of the way her wolf perked up at the mention of pregnancy, she swallowed, sighed. "Okay," Bella said with a nod, stepping forward. With great anticipation, the older brunette waited for the sign, but nothing happened. Minutes later, Davina opened her eyes and sighed, shaking her head.

"Nothing," was the only thing she said. She stared at her ancestor's name on the tomb, her thoughts full of frustration and confusion. She'd thought for sure that the witch who'd saved her mate would answer this one question, especially if she was looking over the Mikaelson family.

Bella frowned, stepping forward as she noted the crease of Davina's brow, worried that something averse might be happening to the witch, but blue eyes popped open a moment later. Muddied with confusion and a little irritation, they brightened a second later.

"I guess we'll have to go with the other option," she said tiredly.

"As long as it doesn't hurt you, Dav…" Bella said, her worry clear as she used a nickname she'd slipped on a few days ago that the witch had said she'd liked. "Kol would have my head if anything happened to you, and then Nik would have his."

Davina shook off her worries with a roll of her eyes and a grin. "I'll be fine."

"Davi—" Isabella tried, her eyes widened as she came forward, but it was no use.

Laying down, she lolled her head towards the hybrid."I'm ready," she said quietly, her gaze meeting her friend's briefly before she closed her eyes and begun the next spell instead, wind blowing around her, rendering anything she might have tried to say useless. Davina could not hear a word.

Over and over again, she chanted, "attendez notre appel…"

But there was nothing.

Her brow furrowing, Davina gritted her teeth, not giving up when she should have. She chanted louder, "attendez notre appel… attendez notre appel…" Growing more frustrated, she started to plead, "all we need is the answer… please, we just want to know if she's pregnant or if there's something wrong… she's my friend! Attendez notre appel… attendez notre appel!"

The energy flowed around her, surging, but before she could breathe a sigh of relief and think they would answer, she noticed a distinct 'flavor' to it. This was negative. The spirits were angry. Pain exploded in the young one's head, making her scream as her hands clutched it, her eyes squeezed shut as she felt warm liquid seep from her eyes. Opening pained blue ones, she felt the blood with her fingers, and sobbed a final, "please!" before hearing a growl of her name.

Just like that, the wind died, and she was in the arms of a very angry Kol, who was wiping the blood from her eyes and ranting about the bloody ancestors. "And you! Dammit, Davina, you should have ended the spell the first time they didn't respond. You only anger the ancestors if you have a death wish and I prefer you very much alive!"

Davina was more focused on recovering than she was on listening to Kol rant his 'anger'—she knew it was just a cover, and a poor one at that, for his fright that he might have lost her. Which was ridiculous, in her opinion, but she knew better than to voice that. She did not want to fight with him. "I'm fine now, Kol. But we need answers… We have to see the Regent. She's the only one who might be able to get the ancestors to answer us. This is impor—"

"Later," Kol demanded, his tone strong and features tight with both the need to protect his weakened mate and some anger. "Tomorrow, maybe. Tonight, you're having a bath, and you're resting. Any longer in that spell and they could have bled you to death. I don't care what you wanted to know—it's not worth it."

Isabella swallowed thickly, tears pricking her eyes with guilt. "I am so sorry, Kol. I told her, but she wouldn't listen."

Kol paused, sighing, looking at his sister, his eyes making it clear that he wasn't angry with her. "I can believe that. Davina is too bloody stubborn and determined—it'sone of the things I love most about her." He sighed again. "Nik's home."

With that, he lifted his witch into his arms and left the crypt, Bella following after, eager to return to her mate.

~TPoL~

Surrounding Mary Alice were three witches, all opposing what had just occurred.

"Why did you not simply answer their call?"

"How could you harm your own flesh and blood?"

"We know she is pregnant—why are we not acting? The baby should be terminated and Isabella Swan with it. That child is an abomination. It spells the greatest disruption to the balance of nature since the creation of vampires!"

The Claire witch had been fully prepared to ignore her companions, but at that, she broke her silence, turning on the witch with a glare, her voice strong.

"No harm will come to that child, or its mother. In fact, none of the Mikaelson family shall perish… why do you think I would invest so much time saving one of them only to allow another to die?" she asked, turning to her coven. "I have my reasons for my actions. I did not wish to hurt Davina, but she is a spirited child; it was the only way to end the spell. None of them can afford to know the answer to the question they seek, not like this…"

"And when they go to speak with the Regent?"

Mary Alice sighed, lips twisted as she thought, walking to the stairs and exiting the crypt. She looked up the sky, ignoring the other witches swarming around her for the answer she would give, but she focused upon the streaks of light signaling dawn's arrival.

"They cannot know what is coming, nor that the child was made for Edward's purpose. Klaus's desire to protect his mate knows no bounds. To keep her with him, he would kill any who threatened her safety, her happiness… even his own unborn child, at this point. He would not allow himself the chance to love it if it were a danger to Isabella's wellbeing. If he does kill the child, he puts the future of the supernatural community at stake. That baby is key to the balance you seek to preserve." she said with a withering glare sent in that witch's direction as she remembered the words that had come from her mouth. "No one knows the good that child will bring."

"No one but you?"

Without a blink, she replied: "Precisely."

"Then what shall we say?"

"Nothing… except to confirm that she is pregnant."

"The Hybrid will want to know how it is possible."

"And when that question comes, leave the answer to me."

~TPoL~

A few hours later, and the new day was well and truly upon New Orleans. Among the many who woke early were Marcel and Camille, downstairs and dressed in winter clothes, ready to deliver the fallen shifters to their mates—or the equivalents, as the vampire was telling his blonde bartender.

"I don't understand it. How are there two different kinds of werewolves in the world?"

Ansel, always a morning person, was already in the kitchen as they entered. A coffee in hand, his eyebrow raised as his wolf bristled at the comment. He knew what they were speaking of.

Marcel, with a grin on his face, shook his head. Eyes falling on the elder, he beseeched him, "come on, man, help me out here… you're the wolf."

The former Alpha nodded with a small amused smile on his face, turning to the psych-in-training. "That pack were not wolves, not truly. There are distinct differences that make that obvious. We are what the cold one leaders call 'children of the moon' because we are the traditional werewolf, the true werewolf. The Indian shapeshifter packs can transform into whatever form that tribe's spirits decide upon. For the Quileutes, it is the werewolf. But as they are not bound to the moon as we are, they are not true werewolves. Their bite does not kill a vampire as ours does."

"Okay… and why are we going to the middle of nowhere?"

"That would be my son… he wishes to issue a warning to the tribe."

Camille's response was somewhat sarcastic. "Ah! So it's not the kind-hearted gesture of returning the men that Bella killed to their rightful resting place as I thought."

"No," Ansel agreed, "but it is just as important. If not more so. That tribe was here with the goal to kill his mate. It is best they know what one of us is capable of. It may persuade them not to try again and, considering the war we have brewing with the Cullen coven, that would be best."

Marcel pitched in. "I know Klaus. He's all about messages and he doesn't do subtle. He's protective and he's strategic. He's been protecting his family for a thousand years at whatever cost it took—even their hate. He's not about to stop now that he has a mate—he'll have only gotten worse." He didn't continue, instead turning his mate and kissing her. "Let's go. We have a long way to travel." He turned to Ansel. "Tell the others we said goodbye and that we'll be back before Christmas celebrations start. Wouldn't wanna upset Bella's first Christmas with this family."

"Of course… Safe travels," was Ansel's response, accompanied by a nod, and the two departed, leaving the old wolf to his morning rituals.

~TPoL~

Green eyes darkened as the person they belonged to stepped inside the establishment. He'd been bar hopping ever since he'd woken with a clarity that had been missing for, if he had to be honest, most of his very long life. His mind was a storm of guilt, of pain, of anger and of betrayal.

Stefan Salvatore had been used by those he loved, and kept from the only one who deserved that love.

Rebekah…

As always, a surge of pain and guilt flooded through him as he thought of her name. His mate, he allowed himself to think. The pull to her was strengthening every day, his resolve to stay away dampening just as quickly.

But despite that, he knew he had to do as he planned. The only thing was, he had to build the strength back to do so.

He had to build strength to be able to lie in his brother's face, in Elena's face, for just a little longer—long enough to know more of their plan before he could reunite with Rebekah.

He'd already be there if it weren't for the fact that every time he thought of his brother and the doppelganger, all he wanted to do was rip someone's throat out, rip someone's head off. Tear, claw, rip—destroy. So that was what he did until, he hoped, he felt that impulse no longer.

It was like his ripper days only he was in control. He wasn't doing it because he didn't care. He was doing it because he did. Because he wanted to maim. But he could pull back, if he wanted to.

He didn't know how it was possible but for the first time in his life, Stefan was in control of his impulses. Able to dance along the threshold of losing himself to blood and death… to choose whether or not he gave over or kept his control. Able to feed without tearing apart.

He loved it.

~TPoL~

Bella could feel Klaus's watchful gaze on her as she dressed, his arms crossed behind his head, sheet riding low upon his hips, displaying his tattoo and stomach muscles tantalizingly. Her lips quirked with amusement even as she felt a flash of nervous energy.

"There a reason you're staring at me, Nik?"

His eyes seemed to smoulder as he licked his lips, the tone of his voice lowering as he answered. "Do I need a reason, love?" In a flash, his naked body was pressed against her scantily clad one, her lips at his neck and arms around her waist. Isabella gasped as she found herself turned, amber-glinting eyes staring into hers. "I didn't think I did…"

Then his mouth descended, nipping, pressing sucking kisses to her breasts. Her hands rooted themselves in his hair as she breathed his name, and he caught her legs as she leapt up to wrap them around his waist. They gyrated together, breathing heavily, until…

Never pausing, Niklaus asked, "Where were you last night?" His wolf had been abuzz with anxiety and unrest for a while now, scarcely comfortable with the thought of leaving their mate alone. Unprotected. And try as he might have, he could not understand what his wolf was trying to tell him.

It was frustrating—beyond so.

At his question, Bella, unlike her mate, did stop. Her heart gave a nervous thud and she swallowed, slowly unwrapping her legs from his waist. She wasn't about to keep it from him, but… "Klaus…"

His jaw was locked, that much she could tell as she looked at him, his face still turned away, his breath gushing over her naked flesh. "I would demand to know now, but… I have a feeling you'll tell me soon. All I ask is that you, of all people, do not try to deceive me, sweetheart."

Tears pricked in her eyes, her body sagging into his for a moment before her hands were at his jaw, pulling his face up so she could look into his eyes. They were blue, and they were vulnerable.

"I would never," she whispered, pressing a short, passionate, but chaste kiss to his lips. It took him a moment to return it but then he did, his lips leaving hers for the mark on her neck, his hands tightening around her, digging into her flesh.

He paused as though readying himself to speak but, unable to find his tongue, he nodded instead.

Letting go of her slowly, Klaus gave her a small smile, kissing her forehead. He made to leave the room, perhaps go to his studio—considering his mood—but Bella spoke before he could do so, asking the question she would have before he attacked her.

"Where's Rebekah?"

The blond closed his eyes at the sound of his mate's concern, his own emotions matching. Ever since her near death experience, Rebekah had scarcely been at home. Adding to that what Bella knew to be the cause that none of the Original men did…

"Somewhere in the Quarter, I hope," was the answer her mate gave before he sighed. "Perhaps with Elijah; they've been spending quite a bit of time together."

This was news to the brunette.

"Okay… well, I'm going to go see her—"

A panic hit him that was inexplicable and he spun back toward her. "I am sure she will return soon, love. There's no need for you to find her if my brother is already with her. Stay…"

Bella's brow creased at the sudden change, lips pursing as she stepped forward. "Nik, I… I'm worried about her. I wouldn't be out for very long. I'm not about to ask for permission…" she said, chin lifting as she remembered doing so with Edward. "But perhaps you could tell me why you don't want me to go?"

Klaus swallowed, blue eyes avoiding the brown of his mate's as he tried to reason with himself. Incapable of doing so as—to his knowledge since he had no idea what his wolf was upset by—there was no reason for him to feel this way, he sighed. "I don't know," he answered, his voice gruff as it always was when he was 'admitting weakness,' though of course it had a softer twinge since he was speaking to his Isabella.

Brown eyes softened and, in a flash, she was dressed in dark wash jeans, a thick sweater, flat tan-colored ankle boots, and a thick, white winter coat with fur on the fringes. standing in front of him. She pressed a kiss to his lips. "I'll let you know when I find her, and what state she's in."

A thin, wry smirk appeared on his lips. "That is what Elijah said this morning when he left to find her. I hope you have more luck, sweetheart."

There was a hint of something in his eyes that Bella could very well name but chose not to. It was like a realization, however muted, echoed in her mind as she knew that Niklaus knew Elijah had found their sister but had chosen not to say a thing.

The only thing she could think was, why?

That was pushed away by the sensation of Klaus's lips upon hers for the briefest second. Then, as Nik walked away, she watched his gorgeous ass retreat, lip caught by teeth and head tilted. Her wolf rising with unrest now that he was no longer by her side, her eyes were encompassed by amber for a few moments before Isabella took a deep breath to steady her instincts then flashed out of the building.

She didn't catch the tight growl that left her mate as his eyes flashed strong amber, his wolf in much the same predicament.

In the street, it was easy to catch her sister's scent, even more so to follow it—almost as though the lost blonde desired as much from whomever decided to seek her out. Elijah couldn't have possibly had too much trouble, for his senses were even better than Bella's, and she felt a flash of anger that had her, in her hormonal state, growling as she remembered that he'd said nothing once he reached her.

Then again, Bella had to consider, perhaps Rebekah did not want to be discussed between her brothers like that. She was still healing, not from the physical wounds she had received—those had left her in seconds. It was the mental ones that had obviously remained… the deep-seated emotional trauma of being so attached to a mate who did not want you. It was something the brunette could only imagine. And it hurt so much to do even that, her sensitive wolf whining, trying to force her back home.

Once she had gained control of that impulse, Isabella continued to the end of the block. Around the corner, she looked up to see the Original sitting at a cafe table overlooking the street, her blonde hair in loose waves, cascading down her back. Though unperturbed by the cold, for appearances sake she was dressed much the same as Bella was—jeans, boots, and a furry coat that reached her hips. Her eyes were following the people on the streets, her lips together but downturned, eyes sad. From where she was, the hybrid could hear her breath hitching on every other inhalation as she tried not to cry.

She was not okay.

A pitying smile upturned one corner of the girl's lips before she stepped into the street, texting Nik as she did so to let him know she'd found her. Pocketing her phone immediately after, she walked toward the first friend she had made after meeting Klaus. She remembered, sparingly, the first conversation they'd had, how nervous Rebekah had tried not to seem. Isabella Swan was the blonde's first friend—ever. And that fact made the hybrid even more protective than the average friend might be.

"You're pathetic if you think I didn't notice you the second you set eyes on me," was Rebekah's greeting, a small smirk on her lips that did not reach her pretty blue eyes when they met Bella's brown. Lips twitching, the brunette rolled her eyes, passed the Original—whose eyes trailed her every move—and sat down in front of her. She frowned as Rebekah's attention returned to the street full of people. "Or that you texted my brother…"

"He'd never admit it and don't you dare say I said this, but… he's worried about you." She tilted her head, eyes slightly narrowed. "We both are," Bella admitted after a moment, her eyes running over lovely features that had stayed the same for a thousand years. She sighed. "How are you?"

The sigh was returned, Bekah's lips twisting as she silently contemplated the question. After a moment, her shoulders sagged. When she closed her eyes, unshed tears streaked down her cheeks. "I can feel him. He's safe… well, safe as he can be," she amended.

"That's good," Bella said, reaching forward and grasping the Original's hand, urging her to look at her but she was stubborn, refusing.

"I thought…" She huffed. "I'm an idiot. The fool who loved too much," she spat, and the tone of her voice told Isabella that this line had considerable meaning attached to it.

"You're not an idiot for wanting love."

Rebekah scoffed. "You are if you only want the love of a man who will never love you back…"

Bella smiled softly, her voice tender. "Never say never."

Blonde wavy hair bounced around the Original's head as she shook it, her tone forlorn and upset. "He's bewitched by Nik's precious doppelganger." There was a growling tone to her voice when she continued, "every bloody man around her is obsessed with her—even my brothers." She glimpsed at her friend. "Not romantically, of course. Nik wanted her blood for his hybrids while Elijah wanted to save her from her cruel fate… until she was the reason for Kol's death, of course." There was a slight smirk on her lips as she remembered Elijah's skilful manipulation then.

It may have been Nik's plan they'd followed, but it was because of her brunet brother that they'd succeeded.

Bella nodded knowingly, saying nothing on what she'd said about her brothers. "Her blood gave me life."

"Don't be so thankful," was the snooty response. "She's a little bitch."

An amused chuckle was given in return. "I can see why you'd feel that way about her."

"On the contrary, Isabella, my dear sister is right. Elena Gilbert is not the girl many think she is."

Both women looked up to see Elijah standing at the table, clothed in a black suit and a knee-length black coat. There were two glasses in his hand as he gave them a pleasant smile, his brown eyes warm.

Bella took in his appearance with slightly widened eyes, denoting her surprise. Trying to ignore the putrid smell of alcohol that Elijah had no-doubt compelled from the waiter, she looked back toward Rebekah, only the blonde wasn't flustered in the least. Confusing. And here the hybrid had thought the female Original wanted none but her—and even she was a stretch—to know she had a mate.

"And, Rebekah, I know for a fact that your Stefan will discover that soon."

Guess not, was Isabella's first thought as she glanced at Rebekah, who gave her eldest brother a small smile; the only thank you he'd receive.

~TPoL~

The next day found Marcellus and Camille passing the sign that welcomed them to the small town of Forks, which boasted a small population and an even quieter atmosphere to match it. The vampire made not a sound as he drove through the streets to reach the La Push reservation, his human mate's eyes set out the window as she took in Bella's home town.

"It's nice," were the words she said of it, her tone light but lackluster.

Marcel was amused. "Tell us what you really think…"

She shot him a look, a playful narrowing of her eyes, before her gaze was turned back out onto the beach. Camille registered the car slowing down and turned to face the front, her eyes widening as the twisting road was engulfed by trees, small houses spread across the tribal land they were entering.

The SUV slowed to a crawl as they reached the center, the number of houses increasing. Finding themselves in front of the tribal Chief's home if the instructions Klaus had given him the morning they left—courtesy of Charlie—were right, Marcel killed the engine. But only after expanding his hearing and listening for a few moments. He turned to his mate.

"They know we're here and they're angry. I need to you to follow my lead and stay behind me the entire time. Just because they don't have a pack anymore doesn't mean they aren't dangerous." He dipped his head, looking into her eyes, his own serious. "Please, Camille."

She gave him a smile and leaned in to kiss him chastely. "Okay," she soothed him, eyes flickering over his shoulder just as his eyes darkened some at the sound of a door opening.

The Chief emerged.

Both were surprised by the sight of William Black in a wheelchair, a surprise that must have been obvious for the man's lips twisted with distaste. Despite this, he said nothing on it as he stopped a few yards from them, getting straight down to business.

"Vampire, what are you doing on these lands?"

Marcellus ignored him in favor of the women by the door. There were three, their names unknown, but it was obvious they were the imprintees, if their tear-streaked faces and the direction of their gaze was any indication—all three could not tear their eyes away from the bag awkwardly slung over Camille's shoulder.

Gritting his teeth as he tried to ignore the impulse to move against the threat, Marcel turned back to Billy. "We're not looking for any trouble."

"That was not the question," the Chief asked, his voice growing louder before his eyes closed with frustration and sadness as the sound of a young child's cry pierced the air.

Marcel's head whipped around to watch as the imprintees murmured amongst themselves, everyone able to hear the clumsy clumping footsteps of a toddler nearing the door. Try as they might have to hide her, the fourth imprintee slipped through, tears streaming down her russet cheeks, a hand reaching out toward them.

Billy saw this with narrowed eyes, turning to the girl. He wheeled closer to her, Marcellus swallowing back the growl building in his chest.

"I will not ask again. What do you want?"

Camille answered this time, ever the psych major as she spoke in a calm tone, meeting his gaze. "We only want to return to you what you have lost."

"Don't you mean what you took from us?!" the girl with the scarred face shouted at them. Emily Young glared at them with a fierce hatred that took the blonde's breath away, caused her own throat to close up with pain. This was only the beginning of what the coming war would cause. All she could wonder was how many people she face that would look upon her, without knowing her, with that very same emotion. Pure, unadulterated loathing.

Marcel was the one who responded this time. "Bella Swan is the one who took them from you, actually. We're just here as the delivery guys bringing them back."

They all heard the Chief's gasp, his cold mask exterior broken for a moment. "Isabella did this?"

Camille's eyes hardened with anger, her previous upset forgotten as she stared at him. "You should have helped her when you could have… maybe then, your pack would still be alive." She unzipped the bag, grabbed the jar, and threw it at him; easily, he caught it. "Good luck finding your son in that," she spat before turning to her mate. "Let's go."

Marcellus stared at her for a few moments before nodding and following after her, his arm wrapping around her waist as he led her back to the car. Behind them, the shocked silence, only broken by the cries of the youngest imprintee, ended when Rachel Black stepped forward. There was a fire in her eyes as her gaze burned into their backs and her body began to tremble.

"You go back to your family," she spat, "knowing that one day, we will come for you. We will take from you what you took from us. And we will make Bella Swan rue the day she was born."

Camille started to turn, about to say something back, but she was wrestled by her mate and turned away again. Marcel opened the door, urged her in, then flashed around the other side of the car. Getting in, he took one last look at the Quileutes, then turned on the car and threw it into reverse, leaving them behind in a cloud of dirt.

"You okay?" he asked once they'd passed the invisible border, glancing at Camille.

The blonde was in her seat, glaring out the window over the water they were driving alongside. At the question, she sighed hard, gritting her teeth and shaking her head. "I'm just so angry… they acted like they'd done nothing wrong. All Bella had wanted from them was help to get away from Edward. If they'd done it then she wouldn't be in this mess now…" She shook her head. "I don't understand how they can live with themselves. They turned their back on the people they were supposed to help, people that were once family to them without even giving an explanation!"

Marcel listened, not saying anything, his own thoughts in line with hers. Though, of course, as he was not as close with Bella, he didn't know all that his mate did. His brow furrowed as his mind drifted back to the confrontation, remembering the Chief's gasp, the guilt in his voice as he spoke his disbelief that Bella had done this. "They were hiding something."

That started Camille off on a rant. Or it would have, had her vampire not pulled off to the side of the road, threaded his fingers through her hair, and kissed her. They both panted as he pulled back, a haze of another emotion in their eyes.

"It's been a long trip…"

"It has…"

"Why don't we find a little hotel?"

A grin curled the corner of her lips, wicked in nature. "I like that idea…"

~TPoL~

Billy Black watched as the car drove away, his mind reeling. Never in his years had he thought Isabella Swan would be capable of killing an entire pack of the people she once considered friends.

Amongst the grief that he felt was anger, and he allowed it to fester, growing stronger and stronger until it overshadowed whatever else he was feeling. He barely registered his sweet daughter as she took the jar from his hand, which immediately curled into fist once it was empty. Nor did he register her retreat back into the house, the sounds of heartbreak and pain growing louder, echoing in William's ears.

Across the continent, Charlie Swan stared out the window of his hotel room. His brow was furrowed in broody thought as he ignored his ex-wife's chipper voice as she spoke to her doormat husband. He was a little bitter as he recalled that that was exactly how she preferred her men, before pushing that away as his thoughts were consumed by his daughter.

His baby girl was now a werewolf, too, and no one but the witch watching over them knew.

He still hadn't told Renee because he knew how she'd react. She'd blame him just as she had when—

The piercing sound of a phone ringing interrupted his involuntary trip down memory lane, and the brunet blinked away from the window, turning his gaze to his phone where it sat on the table.

This sent Renee into a frenzy, her shrill voice grating on the Sheriff's nerves.

"Remind us again why he can have a phone and we can't? It's a little unfair, don't you think? Charlie is the least busy of us all. My husband is in baseball—"

His wolf growled at the biting remark, the sound rumbling in his chest. Her words were left unanswered as he rose from his spot and sought out the phone, his eyes flashing amber as he saw the ID, the caller someone he'd not spoken to in years.

That was why it was with hesitation that he pressed answer and brought the phone up to his ear. "William."

"Charles."

Charlie could barely hear his own name over the ranting of his ex-wife as that one name brought forth a tidal wave of hate that not even Phil knew how to handle. The angry words became a squeak of outrage as the witch—none of them knew her name—took it upon herself to trap Renee's lips shut with magic, rubbing her forehead with a sigh of pain.

There were a few seconds of silence before the old wolf bit the bullet. "There a reason you're calling me or can I hang up now? Not really in the mood for this."

"Is that how you're gonna greet an old friend?"

"Considering you're the one who told me you'd kill me if I ever set foot on the Reservation again, yes, it is."

A tired sigh was the last thing he expected to hear, but that was what Billy gave him. There were another few seconds of silence, Charlie's limited patience worn to the point that he almost hung up, the phone away from his ear and finger hovering over the button before six words stopped him.

"I'm holding my son's ashes, Charlie."

His breath hitched at the pain he could hear in his old friend's voice and he forgot their fight. In that moment, as images of that boy's childhood passed through his mind, it seemed irrelevant.

"I'm sorry, Billy… I'm sorry for everything…"

But William Black could never forget.

"It's not enough, Charlie. It could never be enough. You betrayed the trust of a tribe that took you in—of a man who took you in like you were a brother. That's how I thought of you… and you ruined it all. You just had to bring them here, didn't you? To save your precious daughter while Harry lay dead in the dirt. Dead, Charlie."

This was an old argument, and one that had grown tiresome. As sorry as Charles was, he was also angry himself. Words fell from his barbed tongue with a special viciousness as he remembered the incident that had started all of this. "You cannot tell me you wouldn't have done the same if it had been Jacob… Rebecca… Rachel…" His voice lowered to a snarled whisper, "you know I wasn't in my right mind. You know what that rage, that protective instinct for your child does. Or should we talk about the real reason Sarah is dead?" he taunted him.

There was silence for a while, until it was broken with a harrowing warning. "It doesn't matter what you say. Your daughter is the one who killed Jacob. She killed all of them. And mark my words, you will be next."

The phone line cut off, and Charlie looked up, finding himself again. The room was empty except for Renee, who stared at him with the same hatred that Billy had.

"I don't care what you say, Charles. You will never be able to convince me that what you did didn't just bring Isabella into even more danger. You are the reason our marriage is dead. Not me."

~TPoL~

"Kol!"

"Darling—"

"No. Don't use that tone with me. I am fine now; there is nothing wrong with me—not that there was in the first place. I want to help Bella so would you please just let me?"

Back in New Orleans, Davina was glaring at her obstinate Original, her arms crossed underneath her chest as she waited for his response. Kol Mikaelson, the insufferable child that he was, pouted from where he sat on the bed, bare chested and gazing at her equally underdressed body.

Knowing what he was thinking, she continued.

"I do not need another few hours to 'regain my strength', Kol. If I am okay for that, then I am more than okay to go see the Regent about this."

"I don't even know what 'this'is," the vampire mumbled, still petulant. His shoulders were sagged with defeat though as he'd already given up. He knew better than to fight a losing battle against his spitfire mate.

Thus, he could do nothing but let his eyes soak the image of her scantily clad body for the last few seconds it remained that way before she had pulled a long sleeved purple jumper and skinny jeans over it, clothing her feet in socks before stepping into small-heeled boots.

The Harvest witch looked over at her mate, a small smile on her lips as she calmed. "He doesn't even know so there's no way you will before him. Okay?" When he didn't answer, the smile became an amused smirk and she walked over to him, straddling his jean-covered thighs. "I love you," she chirped as though that would make up for it.

But with the grin that appeared on his lips, an extra light in his eyes, Davina knew it did.

"As do I…" he answered, his tone light-hearted as his arms closed around her. He let his upper body fall back against the bed, pulling his giggling mate with him. "With a body like this, darling, how could you not?"

Rolling her eyes, the witch pulled off of the vampire. Back to the closet, she retrieved a thick winter jacket. "Are you sure you're gonna be able to behave?"

"I'll try my hardest." The innuendo was clear as he looked her over with dark brown eyes, a small smirk on his lips as he met her gaze. Of course, it was slightly flustered. "Go, love."

With narrowed eyes, the brunette did just that.

Downstairs, a discussion of sorts was underway between Klaus and Rebekah, Bella sitting and watching them with unveiled amusement over the top of her novel.

Until, of course, their attention turned upon her.

"Surely you're not going to sit there and say nothing when my brother is acting like a child who just lost his favorite shiny toy."

Klaus growled, eyes flashing with his wolf, who was the real cause of this argument. He did not appreciate the comment or the spitting tone it was spoken in and was defensive as he replied. "All I said was that I wasn't comfortable leaving Bella alone."

"She won't be alone, Nik," Rebekah answered, with the tone of an exasperated parent who'd tried to explain the exact same thing at least a dozen times to an infuriatingly obstinate toddler. Then she paused, her eyes narrowing as she looked over at her brunette sister. "Though I have to admit, it would do you good to leave the compound for a bit… get out into the Quarter…"

Brown eyes narrowed, flashing amber with irrational annoyance, before Bella sighed, slammed her book shut, and looked between the pair with her arms crossed underneath her chest. She had to fight the smirk that Klaus's distracted gaze caused as it landed on her breasts. "Just last week, both of you didn't want me going anywhere… now all of a sudden you're protesting the fact that I'm abiding your wishes? Are you kidding me?"

Left unsaid was the fact that her wolf was hard pressed to be without her mate at this time, just as Nik's wolf obviously wished to keep her close. She could feel herself about to cave the longer she looked into amber-flecked blue…

"I'll take her out with me," Davina offered as she entered the room, giving them a smile. "I won't be long and she'll get some air so everyone wins." There was a particular gleam in her eyes as they met Isabella's, one that told her to simply agree.

Immediately catching on, the younger hybrid did just that, forcing down the whine from her wolf as she did so. With a final sigh of frustration, she nodded. "Fine."

Klaus locked away the low growl, the sound showing his own wolf's displeasure as he sought to meet his mate's gaze. He said nothing as Bekah pouted and spoke for them both. "What's wrong with coming with us?"

Bella's eyebrow rose. "I have no intention of going with you two to shop for Christmas presents. The drama, petulance, and violent threats when one of you gets too frustrated because things are not going your way? No, thank you. I'd rather stay out of your sibling squabbles."

The female blonde accepted that as she pouted whereas the male, his eyes slightly narrowed and jaw locked as he stared into his mate's eyes for a moment, turned to the witch. "Keep her safe," were the words forced from his lips.

Davina's smile widened, though the look in her eyes and the tone of her voice was serious. "Of course."

Nodding, the Original Hybrid flashed to his mate's side as she rose, wrapping an arm around her waist, using the other to brush her hair from her shoulder. He brushed his lips along the mark on her neck before pressing his lips briefly to hers. Then he pulled away, looked at his sister, and the two left for their little Christmas gift shopping spree.

Despite her discomfort, Bella was the first to crack with a giggle. "I can't believe she actually roped him into it…"

"Or that he said yes."

Isabella smiled. "He was ranting all last night about it but he'd do anything to make Rebekah happy… even if he would never admit it. They all would." There was a pause in conversation filled only by Davina's hum of agreement. "Now…" the hybrid began to reply, turning toward the Harvest witch, but she was cut off as an arm tangled with hers, the younger brunette pulling her along as they began their walk.

"Let's wait 'til we get there."

Swallowing as they reached the gate, she felt Davina pause and gave her a smile of appreciation as her eyes flashed amber again, her wolf restless and whining at the thought of leaving the safety of the Abattoir… and her mate's presence. Even still, Bella wrangled with her wolf, the fact that she did not know what was happening even if her wolf did giving her the extra power she needed. Her eyes calmed to a chocolate brown again as she stepped over the threshold and into the street.

Not long after, they arrived at an area of the Quarter Bella had not yet ventured—though she supposed that was not too much of a stretch of the imagination; being the mate of an Original tended to mean you had to think safety first and that was only made worse by the hybrid's situation.

"This is her house," Davina explained as the other brunette came to a stop, unsure. "I called her earlier and she told me to come here. We're perfectly safe, Bells; she's the Regent."

The familiar nickname helped calm both herself and her wolf visibly. Her muscles relaxed, her shoulders dropping. With a nod, Bella took her friend's hand and walked up to the door, knocking before she could think twice about it. She might not have done it otherwise.

The word 'enchanting' came to mind at the sound of the doorbell, causing both girls to giggle, the laughter dying as the door opened rather abruptly. Isabella felt silly when she came face to face with a familiar person, having forgotten that the Regent was the one who'd helped Rebekah only two weeks ago—Josephine La Rue.

Though of course, it also worked in her favor that she had forgotten because none but herself, Rebekah, and Josephine La Rue were supposed to know about the circumstances around their meeting.

A thought that, apparently, the blue-eyed witch agreed with. Her eyebrow rose as she took the two of them in, purposefully lingering on Bella.

"This is my friend; the one I was talking about," Davina answered, her words causing the hybrid to realize that she must have zoned out whilst the two spoke. She was prodded gently by the Harvest witch, which only supported that notion. "Bella, meet Josephine. Josephine—"

"Yes, of course… charmed…" the Regent answered. Her voice was lilted but deep, guttural and yet also somehow smooth sounding. A voice that, once heard, would be difficult to forget. She eyed Bella a moment longer, making a show of being weary to let an unknown into her home, before opening the door wider, the barest of smiles upon her lips. "Come in…"

Both brunettes gave the elder woman a smile of thanks, dipping their heads as they did so. Bella took a steadying breath as her wolf reacted the second the door closed behind them, not liking being 'caged' in a place they were unfamiliar with, their mate so far away.

We're fine. We know her. She won't hurt us.

Her brown eyes closed with relief as her instincts calmed, a small growl of annoyance leaving her. All of this worry from her wolf was getting old—fast. She turned pointedly to Davina, a pleading look in her eyes.

One that was understood as blue met lighter blue. "There is a reason we came to you today—"

"Of course, girl; there always is. Now please, get on with it… tell me what ails your friend and I will help you."

Davina took a breath. "Bella is experiencing some strange symptoms that, given the fact that she's a hybrid, not just a wolf, don't really make sense… She came to me and we tried two spells to commune with the Ancestors, but neither worked. The second caused me to bleed; like they didn't want to answer me or they were angry with me. We're no closer to knowing what is wrong and so we would like to know if you could help us."

The response they both received surprised them. With a sigh, Josephine nodded. "Yes. I am afraid it may be difficult to get a response out of the Ancestors. There is significant unrest in their plane currently; not everyone is happy with what is happening and it is causing all sorts of issues. You are not the first witch to come to me seeking help in contacting them."

Bella and Davina looked at each other, both confused for many reasons—not the least of which being why the Regent did not ask for a list of the symptoms the younger witch had barely glimpsed over in her short explanation. Before either could ask for her to extrapolate, the older woman had turned on her heel and walked down the hall, pausing at a door right down the end. The two hesitated for but a moment then followed after her, and Josephine allowed them both to pass through before entering the room herself, wasting no time as she gathered the herbs, stones, sage, and candles needed. Lighting the sage, she placed it down, sat in the chair, then took a breath and closed her eyes.

The two could only watch as she began the spell.

"Je vous invite à répondre à mon appel... me donner la réponse que je cherche… Je vous demande..."

Her voice trailed off as she became swept up in a trance, utterly still and silent.

Bella and Davina shared a look, but said nothing as they watched. The former winced as she felt her wolf rise with anticipation just moments before Josephine was pulled from her trance with a gasp, head leaning heavily on her hand as she recovered.

"There is unrest on the other plane," she repeated, still slightly breathless. The old witch made no move to look up as she continued. "Not everyone is happy with what is happening—here or there."

Davina and Bella exchanged a glance but it was the fellow witch who stepped forward, asking quietly, "what do you mean, Madame La Rue? What unrest? What's causing it?"

Taking a deep, steadying breath, ice blue eyes rose to meet brown, Bella swallowing as she was gestured toward. Slowly but surely, she came to sit in front of the Regent, not saying a thing, her wolf knowing there was no threat—she could tell that much—but still anxious.

To her surprise, a small smile appeared on Josephine's face, her eyes slipping to her belly then meeting her gaze again. Her voice had a soft quality to its usual rasp when she spoke. "You are with Klaus Mikaelson's child."

As soon as the words were out of the witch's mouth, Bella gasped—not only from shock but also due to her wolf's reaction. That very moment, her wolf's overwhelming presence, her unrest, it all dissipated. Whilst she still was not appreciative of being without her mate, now that Bella herself knew, it was as though her wolf felt they were safer.

Though of course, Bella could understand that much at least.

Knowledge was power.

"Pregnant?" she whispered, tears springing in her eyes. She looked over her shoulder, trying to meet Davina's happy gaze, but all she could see was a brunette blob as the tears filled to the brim them cascaded down her cheeks. She let out a little happy sob, her hand immediately moving to her abdomen, feeling the child growing there. "I… But how? I thought vampires could not procreate and I haven't…" she blushed.

Josephine nodded understandingly. "You have not bled since you were turned. Of course not. I… I can sense magic surrounding you. More so than there should be."

That was where the Harvest witch stepped forward, protective of her friend. "You think someone cast a fertility spell on her? But… why? What would they gain from it?"

Josephine's lips were pursed as she considered her answer, barely getting out a syllable before a howling wind swirled in the room, high enough to cause a crystal vase of yellow roses that turned black before the trio's eyes to fall from their perch. The shattered glass dispersed upon impact, the wind stopping just as quickly as it had risen.

"I cannot say," was the revised answer the witch gave, her lips pulled together, brow furrowed. "Please leave. Now…"

Davina, understanding something that Bella did not, took her protesting friend's hand. Thanking the witch, they left the house, the younger brunette in a hurry to get home.

"What—Davina, why—"

"Black roses are a symbol of death. The ancestors were angry with her for revealing too much; it was a warning that if she went any further…"

With an irritated growl, the wolf within rising at the threat and lack of answers, Bella wrenched her arm from her friend's. "Why would they let her tell me that I'm pregnant but then not tell me why?"

Davina's blue eyes searched amber flecked brown then looked away, sighing. "I don't know, just like I don't know if they would kill you as well if you kept pressing for answers. Think about it, Bella—some of the ancestors do not like that you're pregnant and we have no idea who was in that room just now. For all we know, it could have been the very ones who want you and your baby dead."

A louder snarl left Bella, her visage on her face as she stepped forward. "Not. Happening. I don't care how many witches I have to kill, I do not care what I have to do to protect my child but I will. No one is taking this baby from me."

With that she disappeared, flashing back to the compound, leaving Davina to sigh, look around, and then leave, too.

Something was changing and the witch smelled danger.

~TPoL~

A few hours later found Klaus returning from his little bout of Christmas shopping, now with Elijah since Rebekah had left early. Their discussion was geared toward the very same sister.

"I promise you, Niklaus, there is no need for your concern. Rebekah is fine."

"You say that and yet I know you are hiding something from me," was the response he garnered, Klaus's jaw locked and eyes flecked amber with irritation as they met his brother's brown.

Knowing there was no point in trying to deny it, Elijah sighed. "She will be fine, brother."

"And your little chats help?"

"They do. Rebekah and I, we understand each other."

There was a flash of something in Niklaus's eyes before it was gone and he looked away, his stony expression clearing as they entered the gate of the compound. Elijah waited, expecting some form of response, but he received none as the very blonde they were speaking about turned the corner with a rugged up Bella, her eyes immediately meeting her mate's. The tension that was so clear to the Original Hybrid left her body and, abandoning their idle conversation, the brunette flashed into her mate's arms with a sigh, burying her face in his chest and breathing in his scent deeply.

"Going somewhere?" Nik asked as his fingers played with the hair atop her head, flashing a glance to Bekah.

"I'm taking her shopping, Nik."

Gritting his teeth, he was about to say something when brown eyes met his, round and brimming with happiness, a grin on her lips. "I'll be fine, I promise. We won't be gone long but Rebekah is right; I need to get a few things and she said she knows exactly where to go for them."

Exchanging a glance with his sister, the blond relented. "Keep her safe. There has been a string of attacks recently…" His eyes found his sister's. "An entire bar filled with people whose bodies were ripped apart, similar cases all over the country."

Rebekah's gasp was small, and she swallowed, looking away under the weight of her brother's stare. There was only person that could be, she knew it, relief clawing her at the fact that he was safe but worry as well—had he flipped the switch again?

Still looking up at her mate, Bella did not mention the flash of intuition in Klaus's eyes before he pulled away, pressing a kiss to her lips and then walked away. Nor did she miss the prolonged look that Elijah and Rebekah shared.

Whatever it was, this had something to do with Rebekah's mate, and Klaus knew it.

~TPoL~

The morning of the twenty-third, Camille and Marcellus arrived in front of the compound. Their appearance unannounced, no one was there to welcome them. But they were quick to find out that the family had already gathered, once more in Elijah's study.

"Welcome home," Klaus greeted. "You are just in time. Tell us, what tales do you bring from the West coast?"

Marcellus said nothing as he led his mate to the couch, seating her between Bella and Davina. Only when she was settled did he turn to the others and answer the question posed, giving them all the details of what had occurred. "They were angry, Klaus. I think we might have an attack on our hands in a couple months…"

"They'll be no match for us; we can kill them for sport," Klaus scoffed, hardly worried as the rest of them seemed to be; all except for Bella, who was pensive as she thought.

"I don't think it's as simple as that, Nik…" Bella said, her voice low as she met Marcel's eyes, saw the gleam within them. Her frown deepened. "You saw something…"

"One of the girls… the one who said that they'd make you rue the day you were born…" he paused at the growl from Klaus, once more watching as Bella immediately calmed him with a touch and a whisper. "When she said it, it wasn't just a girl threatening someone else. There was power… unlocked power behind her words."

The brunette hybrid looked down in thought. All of the imprints could have reacted that way, yes, but the 'unlocked power' screamed wolf to her and not all of the girls carried that gene. There was one that did, though. Even without the imprint she had to Paul.

"Rachel…" she breathed. "Rachel Black. She… She was Jacob's older sister. She carries the gene. She would be the next Alpha. It's possible there are more wolves that haven't phased for the first time yet. And if they want revenge, they will seek out vampires to incite the wolf within."

Klaus's jaw locked, his entire body tense as he fought the instinct that wanted to go to La Push and raze the entire tribe before they could even plan to hurt his mate. However, seeing that, Elijah very pointedly spoke to him as he replied.

"Be that as it may, I think it would be best that we prepare for that when the time comes. For now, Christmas Eve is tomorrow. It is time to be with family… even the Quileutes will honor that."

Meeting his brother's gaze, Klaus nodded but the tension within did not cease. Especially as he caught Ansel looking at him from the corner of his eye then saw his shoulders droop as the blond turned and walked out, pretending not to notice.

~TPoL~

In another part of the Americas, Christmas had already begun.

The sounds of pain and death drawn from unworthy and bothersome witches was accompanied by the sounds of anger and enjoyment.

Surrounded by bodies, Silas looked up at the full moon, the very same that would be looking down upon his beloved Amara—the only connection he had to her as of yet.

"I'll find you, my love. We'll be together soon, even if I have to kill every witch on this damn planet."

~TPoL~

"With how crazy this week has been, I can't believe we're all actually sitting here," Bella murmured in Davina's ear as they all sat down two days later for Christmas dinner.

"I couldn't agree more…" the witch responded, her smile turning slightly concerned as she gave her friend the once over, noting the way she swallowed as she looked around, the grimace on her face as she inhaled. "How are you feeling?"

"All the food I can smell? Nauseous… or maybe that's the nerves. I don't know."

"Why are you nervous?"

Bella gave her a look that told Davina how stupid that question was. "It's tonight. I'm… I'm doing it tonight… now, actually. Right here. With everyone," she whispered. "My wolf can't hold it in anymore, Dav. She felt better after we found out, sure, but now she's just wants Klaus to know. If he does, then…" she trailed off, not really sure what the purpose was. Was it for their baby's safety?

Or was it to heal the slight rift that had been caused by keeping such a secret?

The words that had to be said to erase such a rift rose to the tip of her tongue, the need to say them strong as her eyes flashed with her wolf. Sensing her uneasy, Klaus met her gaze, his eyes widening slightly with worry stark in their blue depths as he made to go to her.

She wanted more than anything to say it, but she couldn't just yet. It wasn't time. Thus she smiled instead, taking deep breaths to calm herself and her wolf. "I'm fine," she whispered to him, holding his gaze as she let him see that. She watched as his jaw locked as he grudgingly accepted her words, and sighed silently as he looked away.

The dinner progressed with the tension that has become a new norm over the past few days before it came time for them to wait. Bella had requested dessert, craving chocolate with strawberries and blood, and Niklaus had obliged her.

But with this waiting came the time for action and she licked her lips, slowly standing. She felt eyes on her but none of those pairs scared her as much as the pair of amber flecked blue and she suddenly felt sick, heart pounding so hard she could barely hear him.

"Love?"

Forcing herself to look at him, she saw the confusion in his eyes and smiled. "I have some news. News that I've kept from you because I wanted to tell you when the time was right…"

She saw the jaw lock, and the swallow.

"I'm so sorry I kept this from you. I just thought that Christmas would be the best time to give you your present…"

"And what would that be?"

She bit the corner of her mouth, looking down then peeking up. The elation she felt as she concentrated her hearing on the beating of their baby's heart caused a beautiful smile to light her lips.

"I'm pregnant."

Silence.

No one dared to say a word as Bella waited for her mate to react to the news, her smile dying as she saw the impassiveness that took over his face. "Klaus…?" she whispered, swallowing as she saw him look away. His eyes fell to her abdomen and the silence remained before he got up and walked out, Bella watching him go and theme shakily sitting back down in her chair as she let out a sob, not even hearing Camille, Rebekah, and Davina as they spoke to her.

~TPoL~

"The witch said you had to wait."

In another state Edward was sneering at the dark-skinned Bennett standing defiantly in front of him. "Well, I don't want to. So do the spell."

Bonnie sighed and looked over her shoulder, gritting her teeth at the look on Elena's face. The brunette took a breath then nodded, the look in her eyes more than anything telling her to just do as he asked to get him to shut up and let them celebrate Christmas alone.

"Fine…"

Kneeling in front of the candles that the cold ones had already lit for her, Bonnie did the spell she had been presented with. Only moments passed before she opened her eyes again, answer acquired. She swallowed and looked up at the eager golden eyed boy, nodding, her expression impassive.

A huff of a laugh left Edward as his whole persona changed, lighting up. "She's pregnant?"

"She is…"

Elena looked down, her lips twisted, whereas Damon came forward, clapping the younger on the shoulder. "Merry Christmas. Now get out," he said, his tone sarcastic, before he walked out of the room. Elena looked around before following him, finding her mate upstairs in their bedroom, his nostrils flared.

She sighed, knowing what he was thinking. Or rather, who he was thinking of. "I miss him, too," she said, coming in slowly to sit at his side.

Damon said nothing, shaking his head, and Elena pursed her lips before resting her hand over his, lacing his fingers with hers. She felt him calm at her touch. "Where is he, Elena?"

"I don't know…" she bit her lip. "Do you… Do you think…?"

Damon looked at her, eyes slightly wider; she stared back. "I don't know. But if he did…"

"Then he's in danger…"

~TPoL~

Elijah followed the trail of blood and screams to his brother, finding him feasting upon a girl as he held her boyfriend up by the heart. Sighing as this one image told him all he needed to know about his brother's mental state, he leaned against the wall, waiting for him to stop before he could speak. And Klaus did, pausing, watching one of his intended victims as she whimpered and stared at him, torn between running and staying.

He snarled at her. "Go."

She did, with a whimper, looking back over her shoulder with every few steps. He'd have let her go except for the fact that she tripped just as she was turning the corner and he was gone to his instincts, flashing to her, holding her against the wall, then burying his teeth in her neck, feeding until she was dead and slumped in his arms.

He let her drop, staring down at her, hearing Elijah slowly walk toward him. A handkerchief appeared in front of his face, but he neglected to take it. Elijah looked down, replacing it in the breast pocket of his suit, his voice low as he spoke.

"It will be all right, brother."

Klaus stared straight ahead at the wall, swallowing.

"Niklaus…"

"How? How, Elijah? This child could not have come at a worse time—"

"We will make it okay, Niklaus. By the time that your child is born, there will be no danger. Only peace."

Klaus shook his head, looking up at his brother. "There is never peace. Surely one thousand years have taught you that much… Everywhere we go, destruction follows. Nothing is safe—surely not my child or my mate… the rest of our family."

"We are the Originals. If we want the world to be peaceful, we will make it so," Elijah said, his Beast behind the Red Door in his darkened eyes, in his powerful tone commanding agreeance. Klaus looked into his eyes and saw that, heard that, saying nothing as his brother continued. "Return to the compound, Niklaus. Your mate needs you."

And with a whoosh, Klaus was gone.

But to his Isabella he did not go, finding himself standing in the threshold of his father's bedroom. This revelation had rocked him, and his fight against Ansel ended with it.

If he was to father a child, he needed reconciliation with his own first.

He stared at the man as he sat with his back facing the door. Klaus, after a moment of doubt and hesitation, steeled himself, righted his expression, then stepped forward. "I remember the first time I saw you. I had been waiting for Elijah…" he swallowed, hands in fists at his side, body tense as though ready for battle. "Mikael had just beaten me for the first time and Elijah had always made me feel safe so it was him that I ran to. But I suppose you already knew that…"

Ansel took a breath as he heard the tone of his son's voice, eyes closing as he sighed. They opened again as he looked over his shoulder, meeting Niklaus's gaze.

"I did…"

He saw the anger that seemed to turn the ocean blue to ice in the hybrid's eyes and shook his head. "Listen to me, Niklaus. I know because that is the first time I knew that I had a son. The day that you were born, I felt that too, but I didn't know what I was feeling, what the warmth that flooded through me meant. I didn't know that you were the reason why every full moon I awoke closer to the village than to my own territory. The second that Mikael first lay a hand on you… I felt it and I realized what a fool I had been, how ignorant, how wrong my pride in my heritage was because for all I knew I could not tell that I had a son. And the second I knew I tried to come for you, but I could not travel closer than where you saw me, no matter how I tried. Even on the full moon, and Niklaus, every full moon I tried and failed… all the while, during the days in between, I felt Mikael's rage as it was wrongfully taken out upon you. My son."

He looked away, his own eyes the same as the blond's as he looked at the floor without seeing it, too far gone in the memories playing before him. "And then, one full moon, the border was gone and I thought 'this is my chance… this is my chance to save my son, to show him all that his life could be, all that it should be.' But I was wrong. Esther had lowered the old borders and put in place a new one. Do you remember the first time she began to hide you and your siblings in the caves, Niklaus? Do you remember the wolf right outside, pacing?"

He stopped here, seeing the shadow that came over his son's face, nodding. He knew he was remembering, could see his father in wolf form right outside, mere yards away from him.

"That was you…"

Ansel nodded. "It was."

Klaus gritted his teeth, looking away, his eyes glittering with the torrent of emotions that were running through him. He met his father's gaze, a naked hope in them. "You tried…"

Ansel smiled, knowing that was as much a question as he would get, Niklaus's tone strong but the inflection… He nodded. "I did, my son. I came for you," the strength in his eyes faded to guilt, "but I could not reach you."

There was silence, Niklaus not knowing what to say to that admission as he looked away. Slowly, he walked further into the room, standing by the window and watching the snow as it fell. "Esther kept me sheltered. Mikael would try to take me hunting, to teach me, but if he was going to far out, she wouldn't allow it. I would get so angry, thinking that she thought me too weak… but she didn't. She was keeping me from you, wasn't she?"

"I cannot answer for your mother, Niklaus."

Apart from a locked jaw, there was no answer to that. "I remember getting so angry once… I began to shake. I don't remember exactly what happened, but somehow she managed to calm me down. The next morning, when I came to apologize, she smiled and told me not to worry. 'Little boys get angry sometimes, Niklaus,' she told me. 'Perhaps this will help…'" He reached into his pocket, taking the starling necklace out, tossing it to his father. "She gave me that, and told me to keep it on always."

Ansel looked away from his son, down to the necklace in his hand. His eyes tightened as he felt the magic coming from it, his brows knitted together. When he finally looked back up to ask for an explanation, his son was looking at him, eyes filled with bitter rage.

"Did you feel that, too? When my mother gave me that necklace to suppress my anger so that I could never reveal her dirty little secret…"

Now understanding the significance, the older wolf took a breath to quell the rage building, jaw locked. The look on the blond's face didn't help as he saw the slight betrayal. He looked away. "Niklaus…"

"I needed you. There were other witches around, I'm sure one of them would have been willing to help. From what I could gather, you were quite the Alpha. Had many friends… couldn't one of them have helped you out? Do you expect me to believe that you could do nothing?"

As the volume of Klaus's voice rose so did Ansel's guilt, but at the fact that his son apparently thought he hadn't tried hard enough, he growled, standing. He saw the widening of the other's eyes as he came forward and sighed, taking a step back, anger melting away. "I am not him, Niklaus. I would never raise my hand to you." He reached forward again, this time slower, watching his son's eyes as he let his hand fall to his shoulder. His grip was firm but gentle. "I tried everything. I sent some of my pack to try to find another witch who would ally with me, but none of them wished to face your mother; even then, she had a formidable name. Too many packs too close together would never work and thus the wolves that we contacted didn't wish to be involved either. Was I angry? Of course I was. I sent those same wolves back to their mates with their heads on spikes. But did I ever abandon the thought of finding you? Not for a second, even after I was dead…"

Klaus stared at his father, at a loss for words, but searching—always searching to make sure he was being told the truth. The gaze he was met with was strong and never wavered, never flickered, and he was the first to look away, unable to bear the truth of it all. Tears pricked and he swallowed thickly, hating the vulnerability—the weakness. He honestly expected the same reaction he would get from Mikael, the contempt as he was told not to be so weak, how pathetic he was.

Men do not cry, Niklaus.

But he received nothing like that at all, and seconds later he felt the hand on his shoulder loosen and rise to the back of his head, his eyes, filled with tears, widening as his father held him. His hands tightened into fists as he fought it but it was no good. They rose as he breathed in then swallowed, hands gripping the back of his shirt as a small child would his parent if he were scared.

And honestly, Klaus was scared.

All too soon, however, the embrace ended and Ansel stepped back. He looked up, more of a peek really, to see the soft smile and understanding, bewildered all the more by it.

"Go to Bella, son. She needs you…"

~TPoL~

Elijah listened to the anguished cries of the pregnant wolf inside the room he stood outside of, his eyes tight and his jaw locked. Taking a breath, he pushed the door open, his brown connecting with the blue of Davina and Rebekah, to both of whom he nodded. With one last whispered sentence each of comfort, they stood and left their sister, the noble Mikaelson making no move to enter the room any further. Her cries quieted slowly, her voice a whisper as she spoke.

"Does he…?"

Entering the room, his voice was calm and soft, understanding, as he slowly made his way toward her. He stood in front of her, looking down at her as she met his gaze, a small smile on his face as he focused upon the beating heart of his niece or nephew. A precious sound. "When I was human and my mother was pregnant with Niklaus, I was young but old enough that I had a good sense of the responsibility that came with being an older brother. Every night, I would press my ear to Esther's womb… when Niklaus was finally born, it was almost a relief… except for the fear I felt knowing he was my responsibility. I did not wish to fail him…

"And yet, for as long as I remember, in one way or another, I have…" He looked away, toward the door, and sighed. "He is not angry with you, Isabella; he never could be. Niklaus is scared, as much as he does not like to admit it. He sees such a thing as weakness, and if there is one thing my brother hates it is to be weak. It does not help that with the war brewing and looming larger over our heads every day, you are now so very vulnerable, carrying his child. He fears failing you as those in his life have failed him." He smiled. "That is precisely why I don't believe he will."

"The child isn't even born yet and already you're making promises," Klaus said, a smirk on his face as his hands clasped behind his back.

Elijah glanced between his brother and Bella then wordlessly made his departure. Klaus swallowed, looking back at his mate to see her in tears again, his eyes widening slightly with that alarmed look in his eyes.

"Sweetheart—"

"I can… I can get a paternity test… anything you need, Nik, just please don't—"

Her voice cracked and he couldn't take it anymore. Flashing to her, he knelt in front of her on the floor, taking her face in his hands. "Hush, love. It was never a thought in my mind… I know you did not betray me; I know that I can trust you. I do trust you."

The look in her eyes caused him to feel even more uncomfortable than he already was after such a profound declaration and he looked down, continuing.

"I was only struggling with the thought of being a father because I've never had a good one."

Bella, seeing that Klaus didn't want to focus on the first part of what he'd said, took a moment to think before answering.

"I think you do now… and I think you should give him a chance…" the younger hybrid whispered, her lips twisted. "I know that he left you, but—"

"He didn't actually," Klaus said, his voice gruff. "I spoke to him. Esther kept him away… a barrier. The wolf territory didn't exist before her…"

There was a beat of pain in her chest at the thought of her mate suffering another betrayal at the hands of his mother. She sighed. "I'm so sorry…"

The smirk on his face was bitter. "Don't be, love. You aren't to blame…"

She swallowed, hating that look, wanting and needing to fix it. Taking a breath before taking her mate's face in her hands, she waited until he chose to look up at her. Then she spoke.

"He's here now, Nik. You have the chance you didn't have before and now that you know…"

He nodded, the action making him trail off.

"I'm happy that you're doing this. Really. I want to help you… and I want to get to know him." She bit her lip, looking down at her abdomen. "I want our baby to know him, too…"

He said nothing for a long moment, the two moving as he saw his mate yawn. Now that he knew of her condition, his instincts drove him into action and he stood, pulling back the covers, undressing the both of them and then pulling her into his arms as they lay down. But the silence only evoked thought and Bella bit her lip, that conversation closed as another opened, bringing nerves with it.

"So you don't… I mean, you want…"

"It might not be the best timing, sweetheart, but…" he trailed off, swallowing as his eyes fell to her abdomen. His eyes widened and the brunette knew that if her hybrid looked up, she'd see the fear in his eyes. But, he buried it, reaching out slowly and laying a hand to her stomach over where their child grew in her womb. It was a surreal thought but… he found himself okay with it. More than that, if he could be honest with himself.

And, as he widened his hearing and closed his eyes at the sound of their littlest wolf's beating heart met his ears as the mother lay sleeping, he thought maybe he could be.

~TPoL~

A week later in Mystic Falls, Stefan walked into the Grill and made a b-line for the bar without looking up. He hoped none of the rest of the gang were here; it was the last thing he needed.

Sitting down with a heavy sigh, he kept his head down, signalling for the bartender. He came over, and before he could speak, Stefan said, "Whiskey."

A glass appeared in front of him, a bottle of Jack Daniels in the man's hand, tipped as he began to pour, but the vampire shook his head. "In a tall glass, please."

That was when Stefan felt Damon slide in next to him. "Feeling sentimental tonight, little brother?"

Stefan clenched his jaw, feeling his nostrils flare as he glares straight ahead at the liquor shelf he'd be depleting quite a bit of tonight. Anger snarled inside of him as he took hold of the glass and, without looking, said, "rot in hell, Damon," before taking a gulp of the drink. Little flashes danced behind his eyelids every time he blinked and a secretive smile played on his lips even as the hollow feeling swelled within the depths of his soul as it had since the moment he'd figured everything out. He set the glass down, twirling the top with his index finger, and ignored his brother sitting next to him, watching him.

…this is personal

A drive-by killing

Your guns are loaded
And your lies are the bullets
So here is the trigger
Go ahead and pull it now

Are you sure you wanna play this game?
Are you sure you wanna play it?

The only thing worse than a hater
The only thing worse than a hater
Is a traitor
A traitor
A traitor
You put the knife right in my back
Killed any history we had and now it's war
War

Damon sighed, already sick of his little brother's brooding. He was impatient for the answers he felt he deserved. "You've been different lately…" he started, eyeing his brother through narrowed eyes as said vampire simply kept sipping his whiskey before ordering another tall glass of it. Oh, the 1920s; the only time drinking whiskey was so popular in a glass like that. Easily accessible in the right places... Even better in the wrong. And all because it looked like ice tea. It was clear his brother was going to be a little more difficult tonight than he usually was. He pursed his lips for a moment before possible reasoning hit him. "Ever since Enzo kidnapped you and…"

We were just like brothers
And we had each other
We were down for the good times
We were there for the troubles

Like a thief in the night
Broad daylight
You stole my sanity, and now
You are the enemy, yeah

Are you sure you wanna play this game?

Are you sure you wanna play it?

Stefan shook his head, shoving away the week's worth of memories about drowning at the hands of some psycho wanting revenge against Damon—of course—and slamming the glass down as he cocked his head over at his brother. His tone was cold and unyielding when he spoke, so unlike the normal Stefan it caused alarm bell of suspicion to ring around in the raven haired's head, especially give the words. "To be honest, since then I've figured a few things out." Or rather, my time drowning allowed some suppressed things to come to light… He stood to leave, but Damon grabbed his shoulder as he slid from his stool as well.

"Care to share?"

"Hmm…" Stefan pondered, tilting his head and crinkling his brow as he pretended to think. His head twitched a bit further over in its cocked position and his eyebrows queried as he smirked through this reply. "Nope," he said, popping the 'p'. He spun on his heel to leave, not caring if his brother followed or not. After what he'd discovered, he wasn't sure how he felt about the ass, but it sure wasn't brotherly love. That ship had long since sailed as of the instant his mind comprehended the meaning of a long dormant or blocked, should he say, part of him had awoken... And the reason why it had been so dormant.

"You can't still be mad about that, Steffie," his brother called from a distance behind him and Stefan kept on walking.

"Go back to your crying Elena, Damon. It's better she know now rather than later how manipulating me tonight into coming home to help her mourn Jeremy's death worked out for you. I would love to see her reaction to the fact that she's no longer any more to me than a manipulative bitch squished under my shoe."

"You sound awfully familiar, Snarky."

Stefan snorted and turned to walk backwards as he raised an eyebrow at his brother. "I think we both know if I'd gone Ripper again you'd know about it... The dead, ripped up bodies lining up would be a dead giveaway." He neglected to mention the fact that he had done that, actually, though it hadn't been in a fit of switch-off craze, but mindless anger. "Is it really that difficult for you to understand that I just don't care anymore? About any of you? That you seem to think the fact that you kept something so important from me not only so Elena would be able to keep me but also because you thought it was for my own good could be forgiven after a few quiet days of stalking away, glares, and the silent treatment? Sorry, brother, but it's really not that easy. Not this time. This time, I'm done." He turned back around and started to walk away, stopping and turning his head to the side to glare out his angst with a low growl building in his chest.

"What do you mean?" Damon asked, his blue eyes dancing over his brother's form.

"I'm leaving town," Stefan said with an air of nonchalance, continuing to walk toward the Boarding House. It was time to pack and get the hell out of there.

"Dammit, Stefan!" Damon mouthed off, throwing his hands out to the side, exasperated. He zoomed in front of his brother, glaring into his eyes as he held him by the shoulder with his left hand, the right hand curled into a fist with his pointer stuck on his chest. "This isn't good for you."

A harsh laugh forced its way out of Stefan, and a cruel smirk twisted his lips as he pushed his brother off. His enhanced strength registered with Damon, eyes narrowing and mouth opening to comment, but he was stopped by the words that came out of his little brother's mouth. "Since when do you decide what's good for me or not, Damon? Since when do you even care? The last time I noticed, you were busy with my ex-girlfriend—go home to your mate and let me do the same!"

Crazy eyed in panic, Damon took a moment before growling, flashing in front of Stefan and gripping his shoulder. "If you think I'm letting you leave, you're wrong. The Sparkles family have a bit of a plan brewing, Snarky. They want to take one of the Original's mates and guess just who might be on their hit list?"

The younger brother shook his head. "You think I care about that? All I want is to get away from you, Damon, away from you and Elena and all your fucking lies," he snarled, his eyes flashing. "Why do you think when I got out I didn't come straight home? That I took two weeks to do my own thing? A pity party? No, brother, I was pissed off, trying to come to terms with everything that I did to my own mate and her family because of you and Elena when you," his fingers stabbed at Damon's chest with such a fierce anger the elder was forced stumbling back,"were the ones that kept me away from her in the first place!" He pushed hard against his chest, a growl in his chest as he breathed heavily. "You know, the night that her brother was killed, I almost felt it. I held her as she cried, Damon… I led her to Bonnie. She needed me and I couldn't be there, not as much as she needed for me to be because… of… you…"

He looked away, breathing in deeply and closing his eyes, feeling his brother staring at him and choosing to ignore it. "Happy New Year," he sneered, tone dark and gritty as he glared at Damon. He watched as the ice blue eyed vampire opened his mouth, trying to speak with nothing coming out. He didn't care about the hint of remorse he could see, he didn't care about the explanatory excuses he could hear…

He just wanted his mate. He just wanted Rebekah.

Swallowing and closing his eyes briefly as he felt the call to her, emotion welling, he sighed.

"Goodbye, Damon," he muttered, green connecting with blue for what he hoped would be the final time before he left, back into town, smashing through the window of the fastest car he could find. Behind him, he left everything.

He wouldn't need it anyway.

---

So… not too bad after a year's absence, I hope. What do you all think? What's going between Charlie and Billy? What about the other secrets that seem to be surfacing?

Hope you're as excited as I am for the next chapter. I would love to hear if you still want this story; I need that kind of encouragement right now.

Please review…

Thanks, loves.

ncbexie25