Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Twilight or Vampire Diaries. Those rights are reserved for Stephanie Myer and L.J. Smith. Thank you.
Writer's Notes: Thank you LunaM303 for your comment! Cliffhangers are so great, and so terrible at the same time! I promise it gets better.
Bella hit Stefan's chest with a thud. Stefan's arms snaked out and caught her before she hit the ground. Damon's eyes narrowed and focused on the Cold One in front of him. Stefan looked at his brother's back once before swooping Bella up into his arms easily. "Damon, I'm getting her out of here," he stated and left before Damon could even respond. He carried her tightly against him to his car, which was parked behind the Grille. The wind was picking up now as the clouds got ready to birth the snow. He lay her down gently in his back seat and shut the door. He quickly shot a text to Elena letting her know what was happening and to stay in the Grille until Damon came in and gave the all clear.
"What! Is Bella okay?" Elena's text was quick, and Stefan could even hear Elena's panicked heartbeat now.
"She's unconscious. I'm taking her back to the boarding house." He responded and then turned the car on and raced back towards the boarding house, leaving his brother there to deal with the stormy scene in front of Mystic Grille.
Caroline calmed Elena. "I'm going outside with Damon. I need you two to stay right here until I or Damon get back. I know Bonnie," she said before Bonnie could say anything. "I'm going to see what or who is outside. They're not a vampire I don't think," she said simply and left her two friends in the booth. She could hear both of their hearts racing, and she sighed once before walking outside with Damon. She needed to see what made Bella have another attack.
"I'm not sure who you are, but apparently Bella does." Damon said to the Cold One. His dark dreads hung low down his back. He was dressed handsomely, and his dark skin had a pale glow. His bright crimson eyes showed that his meals were usually human.
"Ah, yes. Sweet Bella. I remember her. In fact, I had to track her all the way here," the voice was smooth, rich and had a bit of an accent to it. Damon placed it somewhere from New Orleans perhaps.
"Why are you tracking her?" Caroline's voice rang out this time. She wasn't sure what kind of creature this was. He smelled sickly sweet and his eyes didn't look human. Her fists clenched at her sides, and she looked to Damon, who was standing tensely staring the creature down. His blue eyes were raging with a hot fire that made Caroline want to shiver and recoil. It was the angriest she had ever seen Damon so far, and she has seen him angry.
Damon tightened his stance as he sensed the other Cold One. Her scent filled the air and the wind picked it up and slapped him in the face with it. She was pale, almost as white as the glassy part of her crimson eyes. Her hair was like an untamed wildfire and it whipped around her face as the wind picked up more. She stood beside the other Cold One now, a playful smile bright on her face. Damon didn't like that there were two of them now. He hadn't fought a Cold One since the Southern vampire wars, and he didn't particularly care to fight one now right out in public like this.
"It seems that Bella isn't here now Laurent," the fiery red head said. Her voice was like a bell, sounding out and clashing with the wind. "Let's leave them be," she said with a quick grin. "For now."
Laurent's eyes were light now, he looked from Caroline to Damon. "Please tell Bella…that Laurent and Victoria are looking for her. We mean her no harm," he lied and flashed a bright, white smile, showing off his perfect teeth. And then that was it. They disappeared almost as quickly as they appeared.
Damon's shoulders eased down and he turned to Caroline now. "Get Elena and Bonnie and get to the boarding house. Do it quickly, and do not, and I repeat do not, tell them anything until you get there. Do you understand Blondie?" Under normal circumstances, Caroline would scoff at Damon, but his eyes looked dangerously serious now and she only nodded and darted back inside the Grille to get Bonnie and Elena. Damon got into his own car and sped away to the boarding house to prepare for something, he feared, could bring a war. Bella had a lot of explaining to do when she woke up.
At the boarding house, Stefan lay Bella on the couch in what was the parlor. He threw wood in the fireplace and started the fire. It was a bit cold in there, and he knew that Bella, being human, she would chill easier. He took a seat in the armchair next to the couch and looked over at her. Her breathing was regular, and he could hear that her heartbeat was steady. It hadn't been before she collapsed. He stared at her sleeping face and let his curious mind try to figure her out.
Bella started to stir now, but Stefan continued to sit there. Her dark lashes fluttered open and she looked around the dim lit room. Everything was a darker cherry furniture, and antiques by the looks of it. It was warm in the room she was in, and she could hear the crackling of a fire. She looked around until her eyes rested on Stefan's green ones. She struggled to sit up, so Stefan stood now and went to help her up. His hands were gentle on her as he helped to pull her in a sitting position.
"Where am I?" Bella managed after she shrugged out of the thick jacket Elena had lent her.
"We're at my house," Stefan said simply. He took Bella's jacket and crossed the room and hung it on a hook before returning to where she was sitting. "You passed out," he said when the confusion in her eyes still didn't leave.
Bella looked over at the fireplace now and hugged her arms tightly across her chest. "Oh…. I'm sorry," she muttered, barely audible.
"No need to apologize Bella," he said and then looked towards Damon who was entering the house now and storming into the parlor quickly. His eyes were still a raging blue fire, and his eyes, were on Bella.
"Explain," Damon barked. It made Bella flinch and made her skin go pale.
"Damon," Stefan said but Bella shook her head. "I suppose I do owe you guys an explanation. I have panic attacks sometimes…and that man. Laurent…well I thought he was dead, so it was a shock to see him is all," she said quietly.
Damon studied her intently, the fire still burning in his eyes. He looked down at her wrist that held the white crescent scar and made a 'hmph' sound. He turned and stalked over to a cabinet. He pulled out a brandy decanter and a short glass and poured some of the honey colored liquid into it. He drank it fast, and then poured another and brought it over to her and handed it to her.
"Okay. Drink," he ordered again, and she took the glass hesitantly with both hands and sipped it. She didn't like the burn as it slid down into her throat, creating a warming sensation in her belly.
Stefan was watching her intently now, watching for any sign of distress, but her face was blank. Her heartbeat was erratic now as her nerves started to jump around inside. "Bella, it's okay. Calm down," he said and lay a gentle hand on her arm. She flinched away from him now as her scar tingled. "I…I'm sorry," she said and looked up at Damon, who was still studying her, the fire in his eyes was dwindling down now. His rage was simmering still, but he was controlling it.
Damon cleared his throat and crossed his arms across his chest now. "I'm only going to ask this once. I will not repeat myself, but I need to know in order to figure out the rest of this…. matter," he said finally.
Bella's dark eyes looked to Stefan and saw him nod slightly and then she looked to Damon. "What do you want to know?"
Just then Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie burst into the parlor and Elena was running to Bella and pulling her up into her arms and hugging her tightly. "Oh Bella, thank goodness you're okay."
Bella was stunned. Bonnie and Caroline let Elena fret over Bella and were silent. Caroline met Stefan's gaze, a frown on her face, and the little crease formed on her brows as she was severely worried about the people looking for Bella.
Bella pulled back from Elena slightly and Elena let her go. Bella's glass with brandy was in Stefan's hands somehow, so Bella reached over, and Stefan handed it to her. Bella took her place back on the couch and took a larger drink this time.
"What happened?" Elena's voice was soft and gentle as she sat next to Bella on the couch.
"I…" Bella began and looked to Damon now. Damon was still studying her. He didn't even move or flinch as the other girls barreled into the room. His eyes just bore into hers. She was mesmerized by the color, the structure of his face, the way his raven hair flowed against such flawless skin. Then there was a knocking sound at the front door. Damon sighed, and saw Stefan tense up. "Calm down brother," he said and moved to the front door and opened it.
"Major. Fancy seeing you here. I figured you would be coming around," Damon said with a dangerous smile on his face. The small, dark headed, pixie of a girl that stood next to this "Major" flitted into the house without a word and was in the parlor and had Bella in a tight embrace before anyone could see what exactly happened, including Bella.
Stefan jumped up in defense and went to pull the two apart, but Alice's sharp look had him stopping suddenly. A growl sounded in Caroline's throat, but Damon cleared his throat loudly before blood could be shed.
Bella stood there in shock. This cold, marble character was…Alice. Bella's body trembled slightly and then she was hugging Alice back, sobs retching from her body loudly as her legs started to buckle. Alice went to the floor with her. Elena looked over at Damon standing there now with a blonde hair man, whose hair was in waves, caressing his face. His eyes were a bright topaz and he stood rigid, his back straight and his arms clasped behind him. He dressed in dark layers, and there was still some snowflakes dusted in his hair. His skin glowed so white, it looked like it could possibly match the snow.
"Shhh…Bella," Alice spoke and stroked her hair. Alice's voice was light and airy with an edge of calm. "Bella."
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but who?" Stefan said and Alice's gaze met Stefan's, her eyes dancing over him and then landing over on Damon.
Damon spoke up. "Meet someone very important to Bella. Alice Cullen. This is the Major," Damon motioned a hand to the blonde man.
"Salvatore, no one calls me that anymore. I'm Jasper Hale, nice to meet your acquaintance." His thick, south Texan drawl was undeniable. Bella's eyes flashed up to Jasper's. Tears still streaming down her face, she pulled herself from Alice suddenly and somehow found the strength and she ran towards Jasper. Her arms flung around him and her body collided with his. Jasper let the impact push him back and then his arms were wound around her steadying her to him. He had a quick look of shock on his face before his arms gripped her tightly in the embrace. Her legs were hung around him too he suddenly noticed, but not because she was heavy. He realized she was incredibly thin.
Damon tensed as Bella flung herself at the Major and Stefan seen the tension and started forward too along with Caroline and the other girls.
Bella was still crying her head buried in his cold, hard shoulder. Alice was grinning widely as she flitted over to the two.
"Bella, it's okay," Alice's calming voice called and then Bella felt all calm inside. Jasper was using his gift to calm her down. He let her slide down him slowly and her feet set on the floor. She felt almost a dizzy drunk as she looked between Alice and Jasper.
"Okay, so Bella, I'm really going to need you to explain," Elena said as she watched the shocking scene unfold in front of her.
Bella wiped her face and smiled at Jasper and Alice, who returned the smile. Jasper's was a little tight, but that wasn't unusual for him.
Damon let the tension relax a little when the Major didn't make any move or look like he was about to kill anyone.
Bella went back to the couch and sat, grabbing the brandy from the side table and she drank it all down in one drink. The burn felt good now, and so she looked around the room at everyone again. The confusing and worried eyes staring at her to begin her story.
"Well, I'm not really sure where to begin," she said and looked to Alice and Jasper.
"We're vampires," Alice said simply, and Bella's mouth dropped open in shock as she made that announcement.