Chapter 8: Getting Hitched Texas Style

Mystic Falls VA

[Stefan's POV]

I have called Damon's cell at least fifty times and still no response. What the hell is he doing? Elena is in transition. Caroline and I are keeping her here at the boarding house to prevent her from attacking Jeremy, Bonnie or anyone else in Mystic Falls.

I try Damon's cell one more time. He finally answers. "Stefan, I told you that I'm visiting friends in Texas. What is so important that I am needed in Mystic Falls?"

I explain, "Elena was in a car accident and is in transition due to Dr. Fell giving her your blood to save her life."

"You should be able to handle it."

"Damon, Elena is depending on you for your help."

His response; "I don't care what Elena thinks."

"Damon we really need your help with this."

"Fine, I will be there in three days."

"I know you can make it back here quicker.

"No, I can't make it any sooner. See you then." He hangs up on me.

I look at Caroline. Damon will be here in three days.

She looks at me scandalized, "Elena needs him! What is taking him so long?"

"I don't know. I'm going downstairs and raid his stash for a couple of blood bags for her."

Caroline nods. "That will help with her transition. I'll get some of his top shelf alcohol. That will help with her cravings."

Caroline and I realize at the same time, as long as we tell Elena: "Damon wants you to do this." She complies with every suggestion. If we don't preface the suggestion, she argues with us.

I call Klaus as a last resort to find out what is going on. "Klaus, Elena has transitioned. I have a few bags of her blood stored here. I willing to make an exchange with you for some information and a solution to a problem we are having with her. She was given Damon's blood at the hospital to cure a brain bleed from an accident. She died. She is out of transition. Every time we suggest that she do something as long as we tell her Damon would like for you to do whatever, she complies willingly."

"Stefan she is sire bonded to your brother. The only way to break her from the bond is for Damon to tell her in person: it would make him very happy if she makes her own decisions and lives her life how she wants to without his influence."

"You can bring her blood bags by the Mansion later this afternoon. See you soon." He hangs up.

Lubbock TX

[Damon's POV]

We all agree to meet up at the courthouse. The marriage license Peter had me sign is dated the day we arrived in Texas. Pete asked us to sign something when we got here. I didn't pay attention and I don't think Bella did either. "How long have you guys been planning this?"

"Charlotte got a vision about a month ago that you guys would get married here so we arranged to have all the documentation you would need prepared. We just need to drop the paperwork by the courthouse and get the judge to sign off on them for us. I'm ordained so it won't be a problem. In the eyes of God and the state of Texas you will be husband and wife today."

Bella looks at Peter straight in the eye. "In the eyes of the Goddess we are wife and husband." Jasper and Charlotte fall off their chairs laughing at the look on Peter's face.

I lean over the table and kiss my wife. "I love you."

She grins at me, "I love you too."

Peter hands me a package that was delivered this morning. It contains deeds to my properties and modifications to my will due to my marriage. I will need Bella to sign and initial several of them. There is paperwork in there to add her to all of my existing accounts. We sit at the kitchen table going through them. Charlotte is a notary and adds her signature and stamp to the pages that need it. Peter and Jasper act as witnesses to the pages that need other signatures.

"I think my fingers are going to fall off." I kiss her and give her a drop of my blood. I shift a little bit; her drinking from me gets me hot. "Feel better?"

"Yes, thanks." She peeks up at me through her lashes.

"I would tell you to get a room, but we have to be at the courthouse by three p.m." Jasper points out. We leave the ranch for the Lubbock courthouse.

Everything goes smoothly at the courthouse. Bella and I exit the courthouse legally married. I call my lawyer and have copies of the paperwork sent back to him by next day courier for filing.

Jasper, Charlotte and Peter give us a day and night at one of the best Bed and Breakfast places in town for our honeymoon. "Bella as soon as we can I will take you somewhere more romantic."

"I don't need to go anywhere for that."

I lean down to kiss her and get a wolf whistle from Charlotte. We will see you two at the Airport tomorrow.

[Mystic Falls VA]

[Stefan's POV]

My cell plays Damon's tone. "Where are you?"

"We just left the airport. See you soon little brother," he hangs up.

I sent him the information Klaus gave me about the Sire bond and what it takes to break it. I hope for Elena's sake he breaks the bond soon.

I realize he just said "we", I wonder who is with him.

I hear two cars approaching the house. I get to the front door and see Damon with three cold ones and a human female.

"Damon, I don't think it's a good idea for a human to be here now."

"Isabella is my wife."

"Bella meet Stefan my little brother."

"Wife?"

"I'm pleased to meet you Stefan."

I nod at her and look up to see Major Jasper Whitlock. I swallow. I hope Elena doesn't do anything to piss off Damon's guests. "You have met my friends from Texas before. I hope we still have some rooms ready for guests."

"Zach's rooms are clean and ready for our guests." Damon nods at me.

"You said something about breaking a sire bond. Let's get this done." Damon leads the way to the great room.

[Damon's POV]

Caroline's eyes widen as she catches Bella's scent. "You brought a human with you?"

"Bella, this is Caroline Forbes she is a recently turned vampire. The girl in sitting on the red settee is Elena Gilbert. She is a newly turned Vampire. If she knows what is good for her she will keep her distance from you." Elena nods her understanding of Damon's command.

"It's nice to meet Damon's friends and family."

"Everyone this is Isabella Salvatore, my bride."

Jasper walks up and stands beside Bella. Charlotte and Peter take a defensive stance behind him.

"Your wife?" Caroline eyes widen in disbelief.

"We had a Texas wedding this week. We have been staying with the Whitlock's."

Stefan clears his throat. "Can we clear up Elena's issue?"

Damon walks over to Elena and looks her in the eyes. "Elena it would make me very happy if from here on out for you to make your own decisions and live your life however you want to without my influence."

Elena blinks. "What the hell Damon? You leave us to deal with all the Klaus drama and then come back married?"

Damon looks directly at Elena: "Isabella is the one that I chose and she will always be the one that I choose." He throws her words back at her. He turns and walks over to Bella hugging her to him. "She chose me." He smiles down at her.

She pulls his head down and kisses him. "I will always choose you."

[Stefan's POV]

For the first time since our younger days, I see the silver flash of true happiness in my brother's eyes.

I look over at Elena. She is royally pissed about this new development. The sire bond command is still binding her, preventing any outburst or hostility directed towards Bella.

[Damon's POV]

At sunset, I take Bella up to my room. "I need you to sign and initial one more document." I hand her a note, "After you sign and initial all the pages marked with stickers; you will have to invite me back into the house. Only invite me in, I'll tell you which people to let back in." She looks up nods at me then initials and signs her name to the documents. She looks up as I vamp out the boarding house door. Jasper, Peter and Charlotte went out of the house before I gave Bella the deed to sign. I hear Stefan's, Caroline's and Elena's protests as they are ejected from the house painfully.

Bella is standing by the door. "Charlotte, Jasper, Peter and Damon please enter the house."

[Stefan's POV]

"Damn it Damon. I signed over the house to you after Zach died."

[Damon's POV]

"Thank you again little brother. If you promise not to hurt Bella in any way shape or form, I may be able to persuade her to let you back in."

Stefan sighs, "Isabella I swear on everything I hold holy, I will not harm you in any way or I will not be able to re-enter my home due to this oath."

"Stefan please enter the house, our home." Bella replies.

Caroline protests, "What about us?" She sighs, "Bella I swear on everything I hold holy, I will not harm you in any way or I will not be able to enter the Salvatore home due to this oath."

"Caroline, please enter the house as a friend."

Elena looks at her expectantly. I step behind the door and shake my head no at Bella. "Elena you will have to earn entry into this house. I don't fully trust that you genuinely wish me no harm."

[Stefan's POV]

Caroline goes through the house gathering up Elena's belongings. She puts them in the back of her car. Elena is sitting in the passenger seat pouting. I know it is a good thing that I signed over the house to Damon. I was afraid that I would have to go on the road with Klaus to make his hybrids. I may still have to. Even though it is a shock that Damon is married, I like his new wife.

I pull out my phone, "Ric, we have a problem. Elena can't stay at the boarding house anymore. Damon has added his new wife to the deed."

"Why is that a problem?"

"His wife is human."

"Oh. Well I'll vacate the Gilbert home and take Jeremy with me. He won't mind rooming with me for a while. You and Caroline can stay there with her."

[Damon's POV]

We have been experimenting with and researching Leylock energy, along with the pairing of elemental gifts bestowed upon us at birth. We can work together and combine elemental aspects, such as creating fire on water or lightning on water. Charlotte has an Astral talent versus an Elemental talent, she may have an affinity for Air. We aren't sure yet. We need to experiment more.

Theoretically Stefan should show signs of Leylock affinity. I haven't seen anything manifest yet or he doesn't want anyone to know. Jasper, Bella, Peter, Charlotte and I have agreed not to discuss our talents within hearing of other people. Working Ley energy has additional benefits. I don't have to wear a daylight ring unless I want to and Jasper, Charlotte and Peter don't sparkle in sunshine. They just look pale as ghosts.

Another benefit to working this energy, my need for human blood has lessened. I need to feed less often. We need to compare notes. I want to leave Mystic Falls and head back to Texas until we have developed our abilities and have more control over them. I don't want Bella pulled into the supernatural vortex of stupidity that seems to be the center of this town. I realize that I have done some stupid things by not knowing what is really going on. We are leaving tomorrow.

I walk over to the kitchen tap and rinse out a glass. The Vervain in the water burns my hand. Someone has tampered with our water supply. We are leaving tonight.

I yell "Everyone in the house head to the cars we are leaving now. "Bella almost slides into me. What's happening?"

"Someone has put Vervain in the water."

"We toss our stuff into the back of the cars. I give Bella the keys to my car." Charlotte, Pete and Jasper get into the backseat after putting their gear in the trunk. I glance back at them.

"I have a hunch that we need to let Bella drive us out of town." Charlotte chants something under her breath. "Damon take off your daylight ring."

I slide it off and put it into my pocket.

As we are leaving Mystic Falls, headed to Richmond to catch a flight back to Texas; we are stopped by a police roadblock.

[Bella's POV]

The sheriff's deputy stops me and asks for my license. I hand him my Washington State driver's license. "Officer what is going on?"

"We have had a series of animal attacks and we have reports of dangerous criminals that have recently escaped from the state prison."

He slaps something on my arm as he hands my license back to me. "What are you doing?" The chemical stings a little like rubbing alcohol.

"I'm sorry Miss Swan. I was just making sure that you haven't run into any dangerous chemicals."

The truth stone in my pocket has really heated up. "Dangerous chemicals, a Prison escape and animal attacks: I'm glad we are headed to Richmond and leaving this place. Thank you for warning us about the dangers Deputy Clements."

He motions for the other officers to move their vehicle's so we can leave Mystic Falls.

[Damon's POV]

After we approach Raleigh, I touch the tab on Bella's arm drawing my hand back hissing. It's a concentrated dose of Vervain and Wolfsbane.

I pull out my cell to warn Stefan. "Stefan don't leave the Gilbert house. Something weird is going on with the local law enforcement in Mystic Falls. Use the backup water supply, the boarding house has been compromised with Vervain."

He finally picks up his phone. "Thanks for the warning. We will go into hiding. Do you think they will search the Boarding House?"

"If they do they won't find much. Ric emptied the coolers of blood for Elena. Pete left some electrical sentry's: balls of lightning if someone gets inside, to get out if they touch the door handles or the windows they will get zapped. If they call an electrician, everything is grounded; the cause unknown phenomena."