A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy. I'm in the middle of a marketing class, so of course, my muse needs to write instead. Love you all.
Peace, Love, and Slyther,
Gimi aka Jess
The next day was a flurry of activity, Rosalie had returned with the finished dress, also bringing a red and black tulle slip to give the dress a bit of volume. Rebecca had talked Tyler into taking her to the dance, which required an early shopping trip to find a dress. Freya, opted to stay with Klaus and Elijah back at the house, she had told Bella about a protection spell for her, but it needed a bit of work. Bella had been incredibly grateful for the Mikaelson's help. Klaus was going to go back to New Orleans, requiring to check on Hayley, but the other three were planning on staying with Bella. Klaus was contemplating bringing Hayley to Forks so he would be around for the fight to come. Freya had said she would need him close for the spell.
The days following the dance were filled with training. Klaus had gone back to New Orleans and with a little help with his protégé, Marcel to watch over the French Quarter, he was on his way again with Hayley in tow.
Klaus was back within the week, that weekend was the first time that the Cullen's would return to train with the original vampires. They had wanted to give Bella some space figuring she had enough stress from all that was happening around her. The Cullen's were still processing just how much damage they had caused by their disappearance from Bella's life. Esme and Alice were both, almost inconsolable by the path of destruction Bella's life had taken. Carlisle, being a man who promised to protect life was distraught over it, and the lies his son had provided for the family. He wasn't sure what to think of Edward anymore.
The Cullen family pulled into the long driveway of the big house and could hear the commotion going on inside. Before anyone could knock, Jasper had opened it, a tight smile in greeting graced his face as arguing could be heard in the living room.
"NO Bella!"
"Damon, it's my choice!"
"It's not just your choice, it's my life that will be affected, not just yours."
"It'll keep me safe."
"You already drink my blood, you're already protected."
"But it'll—"
"I don't like it! I don't want you tied to-"
"Bloody hell, get over it!" Klaus said smirking.
"Oh fuck off you hybrid dickwad," Damon growled blurring over and holding Klaus by his neck.
Klaus, having enough of this tantrum, punched through Damon's chest, taking hold of his heart and squeezing it. Damon grunted in pain, letting go of Klaus' neck and trying to pull Klaus' hand out of his chest.
The Cullen women gasped in horror as Bella shouted in anger.
"Nik, stop!" Bella screamed, she turned to Elijah, "Elijah! Do something!"
Elijah sighed, bored, "Niklaus, let the child go."
"He tried to kill me," Klaus grinned.
Bella walked over and put her hand on his arm, "Nik, stop," she whispered. Klaus looked down at Bella, the look of defeat in her tear-filled eyes and he released Damon's heart.
Using his bloodied hand, he pushed Damon to the floor, blood dripping from his fingers. With his clean hand, he caressed Bella's face, "Only for you Love, is this boy allowed to live. Once you tire of him, I will kill him."
Bella looked into Klaus' cornflower blue eyes, "I will never tire of him, I love him Nik."
Klaus let out a breath, "Then he is the luckiest man alive Little Swan," and with that, he walked out of the room, not paying any kind to the rest of the group.
Bella sank to the ground, pulling Damon into her lap, kissing his head as Jasper and Stefan herded everyone into the backyard for training. The family had known that a confrontation between the two vampires was inevitable, it always was, but the Cullens were not used to such violence.
Damon sat up, angry at the news that Freya and Bonnie had just given them, "No Bella. I don't like it, I don't want it. Let Elena and the rest of the human scoobies do it, but not you."
Bella sighed, "Damon, it's a good plan. It'll keep me safe. It'll keep you safe."
Damon scoffed, "how do you figure?"
"You won't have to worry about me, I won't be worried about you."
"My blood—"
"Is not enough," Bella said sadness etched on her face, "you know that. If I died intact, then I would change into a vampire, yes. But what happens if one of them rips my head off? Rips out my heart? There's no coming back from that."
Damon winced at Bella's description, "that won't happen, baby."
"We don't know that for sure, this is a good plan."
"Why him? Why not Elijah?"
"Nic is stronger, he can't be killed," Bella reminded Damon.
"I don't want you linked to him," Damon said stubbornly, "I don't want his blood running through your veins."
"I know," Bella said, tears falling freely, "I don't like it either."
Damon wiped her tears away, "I want to change you, Allie, I want my blood to be the one that changes you. I want that bond, not him."
Bella nodded in agreement, "It will be, this isn't about becoming a vampire, just about survival. When it's time, when we're ready, you will change me. I don't want anyone else. Only you, I will always choose you, Damon, Always. I love you."
Damon kissed her, putting as much love and affection as he could into that one kiss. He had never had anyone who chose him, only him. Bella may have been friends with Stefan first, but she never gave him her heart. She didn't give it to any of them, except him. Klaus coveted Bella, Damon was sure that the original loved his girl, but Bella had always loved Damon. Still didn't mean he had to like this new plan.
Damon blurred upstairs to grab a new shirt, and the two of them walked outside, stopping briefly in the kitchen for a blood bag, to see the pack had arrived and were training with Stefan and a few of the others, including Rosalie and Emmett. Freya and Bonnie were explaining their idea to keep the humans safe to everyone else, including Charlie who had stopped by during his shift.
Carlisle, Esme, and Alice were standing away from the rest of the group on the porch, not sure how welcome they were after the display in the living room. Carlisle disproved of violence out of duty and morals, Bella's family were full of hot-headed and impulsive vampires and wolves. It was an explosive dynamic.
Bella and Damon walked out onto the porch when Bonnie came up and gave her a hug.
"I know it's not ideal Bells, but I think it'll work. We can keep us all safe like this."
"How, May I ask," Carlisle asked curiously. He gave Bella a small smile, "Bella, we care very deeply about your safety, I know you said you would fight, but how? Our kind is not made of flesh and bone, but granite and venom. How can you fight and stay alive?"
"It's easy Doctor Cullen," Freya Mikaelson said with a smile, "With magic."
"Magic?"
Bonnie nodded, "I have been working on new spells, boundary and protection spells. Spells to slow speed, ones to act as armor on the skin, but there is always a loophole, a chink in that armor if you will." She began to explain.
Freya stepped up, "That is where I come in and help. I can make those spells more powerful. I am from the original line. The original witch is our mother, and the Original vampires are my siblings. Elijah and Rebekah are virtually indestructible, and Klaus is a hybrid and cannot be killed."
"You've broken your curse then," Carlisle said stiffly.
Klaus, who had been looking into the woods, turned to face the Cold Ones, "Oh yes, been years now. Nothing can kill me and the only weapons that could hurt my family are all destroyed. We are not going anywhere."
Freya rolled her eyes at the declaration, "Which is something to our advantage. Bonnie and I have enhanced a linking spell. Instead of linking a human life to another, we have made it so we can link a human to a vampire."
"So you're going to link the humans to a vampire? That just keeps them living, how does that keep them from getting hurt?" Carlisle continued, he could admit, he could see it working.
"That is where Jasper comes in," Bonnie said with a smile, "Bella will be linked to Jasper as well, I mean, she's already linked to Jasper, but this time, she will have his venom in her."
Carlisle shot his eyes to Jasper, "What?! No! That will turn her. Even the smallest amount will start the change in her."
Freya shook her head, "Bonnie and I have been working on this separately for months. We have found that mixing the venom with Klaus' blood, as an indestructible hybrid, it kills properties of the venom."
"But how has this been tested? You can't say you've tested this theory on humans? That Bella will be the first?"
"No, Bella will not be first, I am," Charlie spoke up.
Bella stiffened and shook her head, "No! No Dad, you can't."
Charlie looked at his daughter, "You're too late Bella, Freya has already done it, it was done this morning. I've been bonded with Klaus and Jasper."
Bella gasped in shock, she walked over to her father, "Why didn't you tell me? What if it hadn't of worked? What if I had lost you too?" Tears flowed again, Bella was getting tired of crying, it seemed she was always sobbing these days.
Charlie hugged his daughter, "Then I would have died protecting my little girl, the way a father should. No offense to our witches because they both know I appreciate them, but I was not risking your life. It's more precious to me than anyone else's."
"You seem okay," Bella whispered. Her father did not seem any different than normal. Maybe a bit more handsome than usual. But overall, still human."
Freya smiled, "He's better than okay. Watch Bella," she said as she took a dagger from a pouch and Charlie held out his hand. The fighters all stopped and raced to the big porch to see what was going to happen.
Freya took Charlie's hand in her own and brought the blade to his palm. Bella watched closely as Freya slashed into Charlie's palm. Jacob yelled in anger at the action, but Charlie didn't flinch.
The blade did not puncture his hand. Freya took the knife & tried to jab it through his chest. Once again, the blade did not penetrate his body, though his shirt did have a puncture.
Bonnie took a crossbow and Charlie moved to the grassy area of the lawn. Bonnie aimed and shot a stake at Charlie, and his hand blurred as he caught it.
Jasper went down and ran at Charlie to attack him, Charlie was able to stand on his feet. When Jasper went to bite Charlie, his teeth made contact, even broke the skin, but the venom did not enter his body, and the wound healed too quickly.
"That's incredible," Caroline said in awe, a giant grin on her face, "How long does it last?"
"Once the potion is brewed, it'll last until it is cancelled by Freya," Bonnie explained, "Freya will be doing the spell because she is almost as indestructible as her siblings."
"So they can't be killed, but can they still be hurt? What about the fact that vampires are fast? How can they fight us?" Emmett asked curiously. He had been training with all the supernaturals, not with the humans.
Jeremy smirked, "We humans have our ways." He looked up at Freya, "I'm next. I want to really step up training."
Freya shook her head, "Actually, we want to link Bella as soon as possible. Since she is the target."
Damon growled in frustration, and Bella walked over putting her arms around him, "I thought we were on the same page over this."
He glared his blue eyes over her shoulder to the smirking hybrid, "we are, but I don't have to like it."
Bella nodded, "I know."
Damon looked down at his girlfriend, "As soon as that bitch is dead, this link is broken. You cannot be linked to that asshole for longer than necessary." She nodded her agreement, and he kissed her on the nose.
"So I'm only here to be used, is that it Love? Only here for my indestructible blood?" Klaus was letting his anger get the best of him. He hit the post of the wraparound porch, and the wood gave a groan of protest.
Bella turned, anger now in her own eyes, she stepped away from Damon, evading his arms as he tried to pull her back. Stefan went to grab her, but Caroline pulled him away as well.
"If you don't want to be here Nik, then feel free to leave," Bella yelled, stomping up to the vampire, "I am grateful that you are, but I won't force you to stay. I'm sure we can think of another plan if we need to. I know you have other more pressing things to deal with than some stupid human like me."
"Bella," Elijah cautioned, but Bella waved him off.
"No Eli, Nik already knows he's my best bet for a chance to fight alongside my family, HE FUCKING KNOWS IT, but because I'm not on my knees in front of him, he's going to be an asshole. He's a toddler because my boyfriend doesn't like the fact that it HAS to be HIS blood for the spell and instead of understanding that I made my choice months ago, JUST LIKE HE DID WITH HAYLEY!"
Bella continued to fume, "He's mad because Damon has a right to be upset, he's going to try and make me grovel for it. FUCK YOU NIKLAUS! FUCK YOU AND YOUR BLOOD! I will let everyone fight my battle for me! I will stay on the rez and worry about my family because that is what you truly want right? What everyone wants? For everyone to go out and take care of defenseless Bella? God, you fucking vampires! Let's just leave Bella out because she bleeds, she's human! Nevermind that she would go completely crazy not knowing if everyone is safe. Nevermind that she would rather slit her wrists again than to let anyone die for her. Forget the fact that she loves just as much as you all do, you overly emotional, emo fucking creatures of darkness! So go ahead and throw your tantrum because it's what you are good at. Thank you for your help, but if you are waiting for me to suck your cock, well I wouldn't hold your breath!"
Gasps were heard all around the porch, as Bella yelled at the hybrid, breathing heavily. When Rebekah snorted with laughter, "Oh Bella, how I have missed your spunk! You know we don't need to breathe."
Bella tried, she tried to hold back the laughter that was bubbling in her chest, but she was losing. She could feel her lip twitch as she tried to bite back a smile. She was glaring at Klaus, she would not let him win, he would laugh first.
Klaus raised an eyebrow at the girl in front of him, the girl with fire, the only girl who could get away with speaking to him like that. How did this girl get wedged so profoundly under his skin that he cared for her, genuinely cared? He had said it only because he was angry that the older Salvatore even spoke like he had a say in it.
In reality, he was never planning on leaving Bella unprotected. She was family, whether she wanted it or not, she was his family. He loved the idea of her linked to him, that was the only way he was allowed that privilege and as much as he thought himself not needing anyone. He needed her, even if it was just as a friend, a brother of sorts.
Bella, still glaring at Klaus stomped away. She walked towards the woods to get away from the crowd, she knew that Klaus would be right behind her. She also knew that the group would keep Damon away, because no matter the fights between Klaus and Bella, it was always just between the two of them.
True to form, Klaus walked up behind Bella as she took deep calming breaths. With his hands on her shoulders, he moved his mouth to her ear, "If you were anyone else, you wouldn't have gotten a word out before I killed you, do you know that?" Bella nodded, knowing that Klaus had a 'kill now, ask questions later' attitude. Placing a kiss on her cheek, he turned her to face him, "What is it about you Little Swan, that makes you my exception?"
Bella looked into his soft blue eyes, her anger disappearing as fast as it had appeared, "I am not afraid of death Nik, I am not afraid of you. I will always be grateful for your friendship, you are just as much family to me as Stefan, Rebekah, and everyone else, but I will not bow down to King Klaus. I thought you knew that."
Klaus grinned, "I do, doesn't mean I have to like it."
Bella rolled her eyes and smiled back, "You are a jackass, you know that right? Come on, everyone probably thinks you've killed me and are burying the body out here." She said as she walked passed him and back towards the house. Klaus barked out laughing and followed her. As if he would ever kill his Bella, she was his only real friend.
"DON'T WORRY, HE DIDN'T KILL ME," Bella yelled out as she got closer to the porch.
Klaus snickered at her, "I can't kill my Little Swan, she makes life interesting."
Bella rolled her eyes, "Stop, or I'll tell Hayley you're flirting with me. And she'll believe me because you're an asshole."
"And you probably were," A new voice came from the door. A pretty brunette with light brown eyes came out. Bella laughed and ran to give her friend a hug, "Is he hitting on you again Bella?"
Bella smirked and shook her head, "No, he's just being Nik. I'm used to it by now. How is my little niece doing?" She asked, giving her friend a hug.
"Good, but I could hear you from upstairs, I almost died from laughter when you told him off," Hayley said, grinning broadly, "You really are the only person he'd let get away with that."
"Yes, well shut up and let's do the damn spell," Klaus said. He caught Damon's eye and grinned.
"Klaus knock it off," Hayley said, seeing the father of her unborn child trying to antagonize Damon.
"Whatever you say, Love," Klaus said with another grin.
Bella snorted, "Whatever you say, Love," She mimicked. Hayley laughed, a few others chuckled as well.
"You're pushing your luck Bella," Klaus warned teasingly.
"So kill me," Bella said with a shrug.
"If you were anyone else, you would be dead," Klaus said again.
Elijah chuckled, "If Bella were anyone else, she would have died six months ago, but she wouldn't have made friends with you either. Now, can we please get on with this?"
Everyone nodded, Damon pulled Bella into his arms while Freya and Bonnie began to brew the potion. They sat and watched as everyone else went to train with Jasper. It had not escaped Bella's notice that he did not say a word during the arguing, he had not tried to control the emotions of the group. He must have known that everything was not as tense as it seemed to her. She thought of her best friend, her brother for all intents and purposes. She knew she could always rely on him to take care of her, protect her. It's why she still felt safe expressing her feeling to the vampires they lived with. Jasper would never allow anyone to hurt Bella. He would die first.