A/N: Chapter 6 is up! the italicized portion is a flashback. I hope you all enjoy. Please let me know what you think. The next chapter will introduce TO characters, including Freya. She is needed as well, but once again, I will not be adding too much of the plot lines from the shows into this story.

Peace, Love, Slyther,

Gimi aka Jess

"Alice, where have you been?" Esme asked as Alice walked through the front door. Alice looked around at the assembled family, "I've been calling you for hours."

"I… I was with Bella and Jasper," Alice answered as she sat down, "Something horrible has happened."

"I thought Bella was not going to forgive you or Edward, Alice," Rosalie said confused, she hadn't spoken to Jasper since that horrible meeting.

Alice shook her head, "She doesn't, but something happened today."

"What Alice," Emmett asked, kneeling in front of Alice.

"Edward had requested to talk to Bella," Alice began. Emmett scowled at Edward who was not paying attention to the conversation. He had gone home after their talk and was sitting at his piano playing the lullaby he wrote for Bella, "She had come back in and looked fine, but then she got a phone call. She had thought it was her mom, but it wasn't"

Carlisle and Esme both sat down close to Alice, worry evident on their faces. It was unusual for Alice to be so quiet and solemn.

"It was Victoria, the Nomad Victoria," Esme gasped in surprise, whatever she had been expecting, that wasn't it. Alice took an unnecessary breath, "Bella was on the phone with her, trying to find out what happened to her mother when there was a scream on the other line. Victoria had killed her mother while she was on the phone."

Esme began to sob into Carlisle's chest, Emmett had taken to growling, and even Rosalie sat in a nearby chair, stunned by the news. Edward looked up, confused as to the noise, "What did you say Alice?"

Alice looked up at her favorite brother, "I said, Victoria. The mate of James, whom we killed last year, she killed Bella's mother over the phone. Her pregnant mother. She has been killing off Bella's family. She killed her mother, her stepfather and apparently her stepmother. Charlie's new wife was killed just six weeks after they were married."

"Bella's mother was pregnant?" Rosalie whispered, her honey eyes shined with unshed tears, "Victoria killed a pregnant woman?"

Alice nodded, her own eyes filled with tears, "That was what she said over the phone. Bella broke down in the cafeteria and Jasper came with her boyfriend to race home and plan."

"My poor Bella!" Esme cried, "My poor girl, she's been through so much!"

"That's not all," Alice said, her voice shaking, "The girl, Bonnie I think her name is, she says that Victoria is coming for Bella, she's coming back to Forks with an army of newborns."

"How does she know," Edward said, walking over to the family, "Does she see the future?"

"I don't know, I think so. Jasper believes her, they are training to fight."

"Who is training to fight?" Emmett asked, his hand had crushed the arm of the chair that Alice had been sitting in, "I want to help."

"All of them, the wolves, the vampires, even Charlie I believe. Jasper says they have a way to safeguard the humans."

"That's ridiculous!" Edward shouted, "Safeguard the humans? That means Bella is going to be put in harm's way? I can't allow that!"

Carlisle stood up and glowered at his son, "You don't have a say in this Edward! Bella is no longer your concern. Jasper says they have a way to keep her safe; we must trust that he does."

"You trust Jasper now? After everything he's done, how he abandoned the family, you still trust him?" Edward spat out. He was still reeling from what Bella had told him about Jasper.

"I trust Jasper, I never stopped," Rosalie growled at Edward, "You are a self-righteous son of a bitch, Edward Cullen! You still don't get it! Bella doesn't want anything to do with you! Bella trusts Jasper, unconditionally. He is her rock, what you wanted to be for her. That is what he is."

"He betrayed us! He betrayed me! He turned Bella against the family," Edward shouted at Rosalie.

Emmett shot up, grabbed him and threw him against the wall, plaster falling around him, "No he didn't! You did that! You turned her against you, and we had a hand in turning her against us, don't you dare yell at my mate Edward, I will rip you apart!" He snarled at the bronze haired teen.

"ENOUGH!" Carlisle yelled as Edward went to throw himself at Emmett, "That is enough! I am tired of your self-righteous attitude Edward! Emmett is right, Jasper has done nothing but stood by Isabella! You need to stop shuffling blame away from yourself. You left her, and you lost her! Accept it or leave!"

"You are telling me to leave?" Edward cried out like a spoilt child, "I was wronged, and I'm just supposed to be shoved aside for someone else to take my place?"

"She doesn't love you, Edward!" Alice cried, "She doesn't WANT YOU! She isn't some toy you left on the playground, but yes, you need to let her go. Someone has already replaced you, and I've seen his looks at her, I saw him take care of her. She is better off with him!"

"HE WILL HURT HER!"

"NOT ANY MORE THAN YOU!" Esme yelled, fury in her eyes. Edward gasped and stumbled back, "I have stayed silent for too long, and I have lost a part of my family because of your arrogance Edward, Bella has lost her family! You could have handled it differently, but you chose your path. You can not worm your way back into her life just because she once had feelings for you. You stay away from Bella."

Edward, with a look of incredulity on his face, looked at his family and ran out the door. Esme sobbed again, burrowing her face in Carlisle's chest, mourning for her broken family.

Alice dropped back into the chair, "He won't be back, not for a while at least. He feels we abandoned him, he isn't happy."

"Boo fucking hoo," Rosalie snarled, throwing a vase at Edward's piano, "Edward needs to get the stick out of his ass, not everything is about him."

Emmett nodded in agreement, noticing that Esme was too distraught to chastise Rosalie about her language.

"Alice, what can we do to help?" Carlisle asked, "I'm assuming you were given permission to share this information. I know Bella has taken precautions about sharing her life with us again."

Alice nodded, "Yes, Bella is in shock, but she said it was okay. I asked if we could be of assistance in the fight and Jasper said it was up to us. But he has warned that he will not stop her family from protecting Bella. She has been through a lot, and they will do anything to keep her from getting hurt, even killing us. I don't doubt for a moment that her boyfriend, Damon, will hold that to be true."

Emmett nodded, "Yeah, he's very protective of her, but he isn't overly so. I think he's right for her. Lets her find her way, I know she likes that." Alice could tell that he had liked that about Damon, protecting his little sister.

Alice smiled, "They all are, Stefan regularly threatens Edward when he feels he is too, ah… Broody I guess."

Rosalie's lips twitched into a smile at the thought of her brother being put in his place a bit, "I'm going to call Jasper, see if we can see Bella." With that she walked away, needing to be alone with her thoughts.

OoOoOoO

Bella sat in a chair, staring out of her window, the irony of her position not lost on her, later that night. Jasper had just left her to drop Caroline off at school. She was taking a few days to grieve; she had decided to go back to Charlie's house to grab a few of her belongings that reminded her of Renee and Phil. Pictures of her childhood, the cd of the band Phil wanted her to listen to, the stuffed bear that he had given her one year on Valentine's day when he first started seeing her mom, and the scrapbook that her mom had made her of their road trips. She had been there with Jasper, but when he had gone, she decided to sit in her mourning chair as Damon called it and thought about her family.

Her life had completely changed since she left Phoenix, she went from an average and even dull life to jumping head first into a world of danger in every corner, even bringing her parents along for the ride. Now, less than two years later, her father knew of both types of vampires, he had adopted a family of them, and her mother and step parents were all dead. She could feel the hole in her heart where they were ripped away from her.

Tears fell from her eyes as she closed them, cursing Edward Cullen once again. Once again she was crying in that chair, in front of that window crying over her life after Edward Cullen. The only difference was this time; she wasn't mourning him, but for her family. She would never wish never to have met him because then she wouldn't have Jasper and in turn, she wouldn't have Damon.

Smiling at the thought of her boyfriend, she heard the door close downstairs and heard his voice call out for her. She didn't bother answering him, she knew he would find her before the words left her mouth.

"Allie, what are you doing in that chair? We need to burn it. It's got bad mojo, you need a new chair," Damon's voice echoed through her door. He walked up to her and pulled at her arm gently, "Come on Bells," he said, caressing her cheeks, is the tears from her skin.

She closed her eyes and felt herself fall into the soft, loving touch, enjoying the electricity flowing through her skin at the gentleness of it. "Sweetheart, what do you want to do?" He asked her in a whisper, not saying sorry, not apologizing for the death of her family, knowing it was not what she needed.

Bella smiled sadly, appreciating that fact. That she was tired of people apologizing to her. She needed someone to just be there without regret. Looking into his beautiful eyes, she said, "Let's go home. I just need you to hold me."

Nodding in agreement and kissing her on the nose and resting his forehead against hers, he whispered, "Always Allie, Always."

Bella smiled a real sincere smile. She knew he would do just that. He wouldn't let her go.

OoOoOoO

"Hello," Bella called out after she hung up with Caroline, "Dad? Liz? Are you home?" She could hear the food processor running as she closed the front door.

"Liz? Did Caroline call you? She and Jazz are at the Grill," Bella kept talking, "I'm supposed to be meeting them, Damon, and Elena in twenty minutes. Elena thinks she finally got through to Stefan…" Bella walked through the swinging door and screamed, "LIZ!"

Blood.

There was blood everywhere and Liz, Liz was laying on the floor, blank eyes staring in horror. Bella's legs gave out as she began to sob. Shaking, she hit speed dial and phoned Damon. She needed Damon. She needed Jasper, but she didn't want Caroline to see, to see her mom.

As Damon picked up, Bella could make out Elena and Caroline laughing in the background. "Hello my Bella, When are you-"

"Da- Damon," Bella interrupted her voice breaking.

"Bella?" Damon's voice became serious, he could hear the despair in hers, "Bella, what's wrong?"

"Damon, I need you. It's my fault, all my fault."

"I'm on my way."

"Not Caroline, I don't want… I don't want her to see."

"See? See what? Damon, what is going on?"

"NO! Puhlease, Damon," Bella screamed, shaking her head as tears fell freely. Her eyes never leaving Liz's blank ones, "Ppp… Please, Damon, she can't come. Jasper, keep her away."

"I Need To."

"I'm coming baby, hang on. I'll be right there." Damon's voice said as soothingly as he could. As he jumped out of his chair and ran for the door. Choosing to leave his car and blur to the house.

He didn't even notice that Jasper was holding Caroline in her seat, Elena had moved to hold her too as tears began to fall from the blonde's eyes. Caroline was begging to be let go, she had to go to her sister, but Jasper knew it wouldn't be good. He dialled Charlie, who was still at the station, and told him to go home, Bella needed him.

He rushed through the door, hearing Bella sobbing still and found her on the floor, holding the swing door open. He realized the smell of blood was prominent. Moving towards Bella, he could see the red stains on the walls and then he saw her. His friend, one of the few humans he trusted in this world, lying on the floor motionless.

"Bella, baby," He said, softer than he had meant to. She looked broken, more broken than he thought possible. She looked up at him, her brown eyes full of tears. Kneeling on one knee, he lifted her up and hugged her tight as she continued to cry.

"Why is this happening to me?"

"What do you mean Bella?" Damon asked, pushing her sweaty hair away from her face. Bella pointed to the wall. Damon turned to look. On the wall in blood were the words, You can't hide from me, Bella.

Damon's blood began to boil, his grip on Bella's face tightened slightly as he pulled her back into him. "It's okay Bella, everything will be all right."

Charlie ran through the door just then, seeing his daughter in Damon's arms he let out a breath he had been holding since he left the station. As soon as Bella saw her father, she jumped up and ran to him, apologizing for everything. Charlie looked over at Damon and giving a grim look and a shake of the head, tears began to fall from the older man's eyes as he comforted his daughter.

Damon could hear Caroline screaming at Jasper to let her go, and Damon ran outside to hold her back.

"Damon, let me go! I have to find Bella! Where is my mom?! Charlie?"

"Barbie, you don't want to go in there," Damon said sternly

Caroline lashed out and hit Damon in the chest, "Yes I do! I need to find my family!"

"Caroline! Charlie and Bella are alright, they are just inside the door, but you don't want to go in there!"

Caroline stopped struggling, but her lower lip began to tremble, "Charlie and Bbb Bella?" Damon nodded, his blue eyes full of regret, "But, Damon. My mom was supposed to be making dinner for Charlie tonight! Shhhh she was home… You said… Oh my God, Damon!" Caroline's legs gave out on her and Jasper caught her in time, bringing her to the ground and holding her close, not daring to let her go.

Elena let out a choked sob as Bella was brought out by her father. Damon walked over and swept her up into his arms, the excitement of the evening finally wearing Bella out. Damon offered up the boarding house to the family, knowing they couldn't stay there. Charlie nodded his head in agreement, contemplating what to do next. Damon and Jasper took the girls to the boarding house while Elena went home to let Jeremy and the rest of their friends know about Liz while Charlie and later, Damon, packed up the house and called Meredith to help with a cover story for Liz.

The official story was, of course, animal attack. Liz was said to have gone on a patrol with a few officers and was taken down by a bear, but not before she was able to shoot it. Caroline wanted to go back to her house, to pack it, but Damon wouldn't let her into the kitchen. Charlie had cleaned that room himself, gutting the room. Damon and Jasper rebuilt it, it was a new room when the guys were done.

After the funeral of the town's beloved sheriff, the family began to talk about what to do next. When Charlie suggested they move back to Forks, Bella was hesitant, almost panicked, she was going to lose another family. Then one by one, her friends agreed to come too, The Scooby gang had all grown attached to the Swan family, and they wanted to support Caroline. Elena and Bonnie couldn't leave their best friend, Caroline was fiercely loyal, and she needed them. Bella needed them.

The day they were leaving, Caroline stood outside of her house with Bella holding her hand. Bonnie and Elena stood behind the stepsisters for support. Caroline was leaving her childhood home, she was leaving a piece of her heart in Mystic Falls. She stood there, saying goodbye to her mom. She had seen her mother happy, genuinely happy since her parent's divorce and now she was gone. Once she was done saying her goodbyes, the girls all met the rest of their family in the cemetery for one last time. To say goodbye to their family.

Charlie stood over the newly sodded grass, his wife's headstone looking fresh and new.

Elizabeth Swan

Mother and Wife

March 13, 1972 - September 01, 2010

Forever in our hearts.

Elena and Jeremy stood at their own parent's graves, Alaric at Jenna's, Tyler was kicking a stone off of his father's, Bonnie at her Gran's, and far in the old cemetery, Damon found Stefan at the family crypt.

"Come to say goodbye Brother?" Damon asked Stefan had been fighting for control over his bloodlust for months. Elena had finally gotten through to him, the sheriff's death being the final clincher on his humanity.

"Yes," Stefan said quietly, "I'm not staying here, there's nothing to stay for."

Damon wanted to argue with his brother, but knew it would mean nothing when they both heard a soft voice behind them, "Come with us, Stefan."

The men both turned to see the sad eyes of Bella, Stefan shook his head. "Bella, I can't. I can't face Elena and you, after what almost happened, you should hate me."

"But I don't Stef," Bella said, she shrugged, "I'm tired of hate, of being scared, being weak. I know it's hard for you, but we need you. Your family needs you. Besides, you aren't the only person who has tried to drain me. From what I hear, I'm pretty delicious," She said with a rye smile. Jasper chuckled, apparently hearing what she said.

Stefan smiled and shook his head, "I don't think Elena wants me."

"Elena loves you. I love you, you're my brother," Bella said, stepping forward and bringing him into a hug. "Please come with us, we need you. Damon needs you."

Damon gave his brother a one armed hug, "Come on Stef, I need you there, you're the only one who can brood just perfectly in the family. I'm just too handsome to get those frown lines."

Bella snorted, and Stefan chuckled, looking at her as if to say, 'Really, you're in love with this idiot?' Bella shrugged and grinned back.

"If you'll have me, Bella, if Elena wants me, I'll go wherever you want me to. You're my family after all."

"That's the spirit!" Damon said with a grin, "Now, get your hands off my girl before I rip them off your body and play mini golf with them."

Stefan stared at his brother, "Bells, you can do so much better than my brother, you know that?"

Bella laughed, "I know, but someone has to keep this man in line," Damon's grin broadened, "Besides, I get hazard pay and the benefits aren't bad either."

Caroline laughed softly, and Bella smiled. It had been the first time anyone had made Caroline laugh, "Let's go, guys, we have quite a ways to go to get home."

With that, they rounded up their friends and headed out of town.

OoOoOoO

Laying in bed, Damon pulled her against his body, keeping her close as she began to toss and turn. Bella started to calm as she turned to face him, breathing in his safe scent as she slept on. It had been a couple days since Renee and Phil's deaths, Klaus and Elijah should be there by evening, and Bella had been having nightmares since.

Bella and the girls had been spending their time training and watching 80's movies, a favorite pastime of Renee's. They had gone through all of the 'Brat Pack' movies the night before and that evening had been Dirty Dancing, complete with bad singing, wine, and a broken chair when Caroline tried to lift Bonnie, who immediately swan dived into the furniture because drunk girls shouldn't drink and dance.

The men had watched from afar, wanting to give Bella the support she needed without smothering her. Charlie, although sad about his ex-wife and her husband, was glad Bella was not falling into herself from the pain of it. He had thrown himself into work, following any leads of missing people in the surrounding area, trying to get an idea of the numbers they might be facing.

Jasper had been called on by the Cullens, sans Edward. They all wanted to help but were training separately for now with Jasper and Stefan. They would be joining the rest of the group soon, but Damon hadn't wanted Bella to feel pressured by their presence. She had allowed Rosalie to come the day after the murders, even relaying a message to the rest of the family, but she wasn't ready just yet to meet with anyone else. Rosalie had been a perfect choice, she was not close to Bella, so she hadn't felt the need to apologize, but moved passed it and allowed Bella to just be.

Giving Bella a kiss on her forehead, he thought about how they went from constant fighting to him not being able to let her go. He had pushed her away, knowing he was not a good man. He was not right for her, but she knew she was good for him. She was sick of people making decisions about her life for her. She even had Jasper hit him a few times, to knock some sense into him. Now, being an original vampire, he was stronger than Jasper, but the fucker cheated and made him tired; beating him until Bella said stop. She was kind of like a mob boss like that, and as fucked up as it was, he still got hard over it. The pull this woman had over vampires to protect her, to do her bidding, was unreal. She even got Klaus to call a truce and watch over her family in Florida when they left Virginia.

That was still a mystery to him; one that Bella never explained. How she got the hybrid to play nice. No one, not even Caroline had ever had that kind of power over him, and he had been in love with her. Whenever he asked what her secret was, she would give him a shrug and said he wasn't that bad. The man still killed Elena, her pseudo sister, but would smile and play nice with Bella. Klaus, Elijah, and even Freya and Rebekah all considered her an honorary Mikaelson.

Bella woke, bringing her brown eyes up to his and gave Damon a smile he loved. The one reserved for him, the one that said she loved him and nothing else mattered. Caressing her cheek with his finger, he leant down and gave her a slow kiss, ignoring her muffled complaints about morning breath. He never cared, all he cared about was having her in his arms. That is all that mattered. Today was going to be hard for her, today she would have to see the proof of her mother and Phil's deaths, but for now. Now he could make her forget.

Pulling her atop his hard chest and sliding his hands under her tank top, tracing the curve of her breast, that was his goal. To make her forget for even just a few hours and Damon was nothing if not attentive to his goals.