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, Ale74, and Slkupger87 for your comments. Many different parties have arrived. What will happen next?
The air was tense as everyone sat around the large dining table. It seemed odd to have one when vampires rarely indulged in eating human food. Bella found it odd, but she didn't say anything. Bella sat at one end of the table with Alice to her right, Jasper to the left, and then Damon and Stefan. Klaus and Elijah sat at the other end because Alice asked them to be respectful of Bella. Jake and Jared sat next to Alice on the one side. Bella looked at all the faces around her. They were all incredibly different, but they didn't look like they were supernatural at all. Unless being insanely sexy or beautiful was a supernatural characteristic.
"So, what is the plan now that the scooby gang is all together?" Damon broke the silence as he lifted his glass, which surely had brandy in it, to his lips and drank.
"We need to coordinate," Alice spoke freely, and Klaus gave her an intriguing look. Elijah lifted a glass to his lips too without saying a word, knowing that Klaus was getting ready to deliver a speech of sorts.
"I don't think we need to do anything," Bella said before Klaus could let one word out.
"Why do you think that little Swan?" Klaus said, his hands clasped together in front of him while he leaned on his elbows and rested his chin on his hands.
Bella's eyes went to Damon and then to Jasper and she cleared her throat a little to try to get her nerves to stop being so jittery. "Well, Victoria and Laurent are only two Cold Ones. Right now, I have more bodyguards than the president himself. So, I believe that if we just continue on with normal day to day, eventually they'll make their move, or they'll be too paralyzed by fear to retaliate because now there are two original vampires involved," she finished her long-winded speech. Everyone was looking at her. Klaus sat back in his chair now, grinning.
"Well little Swan, you seem to have thought this through…. thoroughly," he stood now and walked around the table to where she was sitting. Everyone tensed as he moved. Jasper instinctively placed a hand over Bella's, but she rose from her seat to face Klaus. Her heart was still pounding hard and she wished that everyone couldn't hear it, but she was going to be strong.
"I have Klaus. I think about everyone in this room, not just myself. Victoria is after me. Not any of you. So, I don't take this situation lightly, which I know is what you're thinking. I don't want people to risk themselves for poor little human Bella," she said, and Damon started to say something, but Bella cut him off. "But, I do see that I am cared for and that no matter what I do or say, you guys, the supernatural scooby gang so to speak, will not let anything happen to me because for some reason, you've all decided I was worth saving."
It was quiet for a few moments. "Are you finished?" Klaus said with an arched brow.
"Yes," Bella replied quietly.
Klaus nodded. "Good. Little Swan, you don't know me, or my family, and you certainly have every reason to fear me, and you probably shouldn't be so forward with a hybrid that can literally break you in two before anyone could even move a muscle." This caused Jasper to tense visibly and even incited a bunch of growls from around the table. Klaus rolled his eyes.
"You guys are pathetic. Just because I've threatened to kill some of you doesn't make me want to kill little Swan. Quite the opposite. I love that you're forward with me without fear," he said with a smile and brought a hand up to her face now. His hand held her chin sharply to look at him in the eyes. "You little Swan, are intriguing because you're different. You can't be compelled, and your mind is impenetrable. You survived the attack of a Cold One, and you've managed to make two vampires sitting at this table, actually care. So yes, little Swan, you have the protection of two original vampires, but you will also have the full protection of the rest of the Mikaelson family. Rebecca will be at school with you on Monday," he said as he released his hold on her chin.
Elijah stood now, setting his glass down and looking at his wrist as to check the time. "Alright brother, enough monologues for today," he said, reigning in his brother.
Klaus smiled and leaned into Bella's hair and placed a light kiss on top. Damon growled, and surprisingly so did Stefan. He then turned and followed Elijah. "'Til next time little Swan," and then him and Elijah were gone.
"That guy has a serious ego problem," Jake said after they left. Bella let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and sat back down in her chair. Her legs were a bit wobbly, and she held Jasper's hand as he offered it. His gift was very useful for times like this. Alice placed a hand on Bella's shoulder and smiled.
"Yeah, Klaus is usually a threat, but for some reason you've managed to peak his interests," Stefan concluded. His eyes looked at Damon. Damon was looking at his brother with narrowed eyes. He was unsure why his brother would take such offense to Klaus kissing the top of Bella's head, and honestly, he wasn't sure what got into him either.
"Well, for now, I just want to go back home and rest. It's been a rather eventful day. I'm sure Elena and Jeremy are wondering about my new car," Bella said and stood, now that Jasper had made her feel better.
Damon stood now too. "Well, I'm going with you because you no longer get to travel alone."
"But-" Bella started and Jake stood. "Bells, he's right. You can't travel alone anymore. You need someone with you at all times. I've got to contact Sam, so I have to shift to relay some information to him, but me and Jared are hanging around for a while."
Jared nodded. "I guess that means you get to see us at school too," he said with a white grin.
Bella smiled at her two wolf friends. "Thank you, but you really don't have to."
"We're going to Bells. "Jake said and was disappearing outside with Jared on his heels.
"Oh joy, hot tempered shape shifting wolves will be staying in my house," Damon muttered with frustration.
"At least their bites aren't deadly," Stefan pointed out and Damon rolled his eyes.
"Bella, really, it's no problem for anyone to stay with you at all times. It's important that you're never alone. You have to promise that you won't go out alone," Alice said, her brown eyes serious and full of worry. Not the usual light, joyful looks that Alice normally had.
"I promise Alice. I know better. I don't have to be a bother, and what's a bigger bother than getting myself killed," she tried joking but she only got serious looks. She sighed and grabbed her coat off her chair. "Well, I have to get going. I do still live at Uncle Ric's. I can't stay here 24/7," she muttered.
"I think that it would be a great idea for you to stay here full time," Jasper stated finally. It made more sense. They could protect her better.
Bella shook her head. "Charlie will be joining me here after he's done with his work back in Forks. I can't very well explain why I'm staying at the Salvatore boarding house instead of with Uncle Ric."
"You are 18 Bella," Stefan reasoned.
"Yeah, but I don't want to be disrespectful to my dad and Uncle Ric. Jenna has been wonderful, and then there's Elena," Bella tried to reason back.
Damon moved and grabbed her arm gently. "Well, we can stand around all night debating your safety, or we can go back to your house and talk it over with Alaric and Jenna and go from there," he said and pulled her towards the door. She tried protesting, but it was no use. Damon's hold was too great. She sighed and gave in and left out the door with Damon.
He got in the passenger seat, surprisingly, and she got into the driver's side. "I figured you would want to drive?" Bella asked.
"It's your Jeep," he pointed out and she only nodded and turned the Jeep on. They headed back to her house. Thinking it was just weird.
Damon was quiet for some time. He was staring out the passenger window, looking like he was thinking deeply about something.
"What's wrong?" Bella finally said, breaking the awkward silence that was building.
"Nothing is wrong," he muttered, and his blue eyes looked over at her. They were full of confusion, she thought. She glanced back at him and then back to the road. She sighed and didn't say anything until they pulled up at the house. She put the Jeep in park and then looked at Damon full on now.
"Damon, you have to communicate with me. I can't be guessing what's going through your head all the time. I don't have magical powers that allow me to," she said, frustrated.
He stared at her for some time, studying her, trying to figure out why she interested him so much. When she looked away, he found himself reaching out and turning her to face him again. He wanted to keep looking into her eyes. He leaned in closer to her, watching her part her lips, and her hot breath escape out. Her heart was picking up its pace, and before he could get closer there was a tap at her window. It pulled them out of the bubble and Bella smiled up at her Uncle Ric. She got out of the Jeep, Damon following suit, looking angry almost.
"So, you got a vehicle that can roll easy," Alaric pointed out but laughed. "I like it though."
Bella smiled. "Yeah, well, the safety features are actually pretty good. Thank you," she said and gave her uncle a hug. It surprised Alaric at first and then he wrapped his arms around his niece, smiling.
"Well don't thank me. Thank your old man, "he said and then patted the top of her head. "So, you're back earlier than I imagined."
"Well, we wanted to have a chat," Damon said, coming around to the driver side now. "We have more members to our little gang now."
"Oh?" Alaric said as they angled towards the front door.
"Yes. We've grown since yesterday. We now have the full support and protection of the Mikaelson's, and two wolf shapeshifters came today from Forks," Damon said as they went inside the house and to the kitchen where Jenna was sitting drinking a cup of tea and looking at her laptop. She looked up as they entered and raised a brow at Damon.
Bella sat down at the table with a sigh. "I told you, I will be fine," she started but Damon shook his head and looked to Jenna and then to Alaric.
"We're proposing that Bella come stay at Salvatore boarding house until we find the two and put them out. It's temporary. Major suggested it," Damon said, and Bella's eyes darted to Jenna.
Jenna smiled. "Oh sweetie. I'm a vampire," she said simply. "I know about all of this already," she said and sipped her tea some more.
Bella's mouth gaped open as she stared. "What?" How had she not known this? She had been staying here for some time.
"I really thought you knew?" Jenna said frowning and looked back at Alaric. "You didn't tell her?"
Alaric sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair. "Well, I believe we might have insinuated, but I don't think we actually ever said, hey Jenna is a vampire."
"Well, I'm always busy with my doctorate and all of that jazz so I guess it wouldn't have mattered much. I'm sorry that you didn't know, but just know that I know everything that is going on and I think that it's a great idea," she said and smiled to Bella.
It was Alaric's turn to be shocked now. "You think it is a great idea for Bella to go stay at the boarding house? Why?"
"Well, she'll be safer there. I'm hardly here, Elena and Jeremy spend most of their time there. They're not in direct danger, and with Bella being there, she can be guarded easier, and it will divert attention away from Elena and Jeremy. I'm sorry if that seems selfish," Jenna said frowning at herself.
Bella shook her head. It made more sense now when Jenna put it that way. She was putting Elena and Jeremy in danger. "You're right. I don't want them to be in any more danger than they already are. I'll go stay at the boarding house for now. Until Victoria and Laurent are found at least."
Damon smiled at the gawking Alaric and then gave him a thud on the back. "Hey Uncle Ric, it's going to be okay. Bella will have her own room and Alice is there." He reassured.
Alaric wasn't necessarily reassured considering he walked up on what looked like Damon about to kiss his niece. He closed his mouth and cleared his throat. He couldn't really force Bella to stay with him, and logically speaking it did make the most sense.
"We can't tell your dad," Alaric said finally with a sigh and Bella nodded in agreement.
"Okay then, it's settled. I'll stay at the boarding house for now," she said and then she disappeared upstairs to grab some of her things.