So hi! I'm just going to let you all read the chapter :) there's a stupidly long a/n at the end that you may want to read.

I own nothing Twilight or Vampire Diaries. Hope you enjoy.

Firework

We Got Spirit, We Got Spunk

3rd Person P.O.V

As pissed as Damon was – and he was burning with righteous anger – he couldn't help but be proud, and kind of turned on. His hell cat was rocking the whole cheerleader look. To say how shy she had been nearly four scant months ago she was now up in front of most of the town, high kicking in a teeny tiny skirt. She looked absolutely smoking and she was all his.

A message came through on his phone.

Stop checking out my niece and start focusing. Jackass.

Damon couldn't help but chuckle and bump Ric with his shoulder.

They had arrived five minutes after the start of the game, just as it had gotten dark, all seven of the sparkling fairies – thus Damon's anger. He and Alaric had figured they would do something like this based on what Bella had told them, if it hadn't been for the sun Damon had reckoned they would have seen the Cold Ones much earlier in the day. Thank god it was sunny more often than not in this backwater town that he called home.

They'd sat at the back of the bleachers, directly behind Alaric and Damon as Ric had predicted. So, Damon and Ric were being sneaky. It wasn't something he was use to doing, much more preferring to kill, torture and maim, however he was fairly sure that would piss his Klutz off, so here they were. The snarky vampire was listening to the squirrel munchers conversations and relaying the relevant bits To Ric by text, all the while they carried on a 'normal' conversation.

"Bella is rocking that skirt Ric, don't you think?" Damon smirked at his friend enjoying watching Ric's muscles tense slightly in annoyance. You had to take your laughs where you could get them after all.

"Damon whatever's going on between you and my niece is between you two. If you want us to carry on our friendship though I suggest you shut the hell up around me." Ric replied while checking his phone for the message he knew would be there.

Every time I mention how hot Bella is it causes problems between the veggies. Doucheward wants to take her away because I'm so amoral – if only he knew hey? There's one chick who's agreeing with him, a dude and another chick are telling him what an ass he is.

"Aww, come on now Ric, you don't mean that. You wouldn't know what to do without me. BFFs for life!" He sang the last bit out making Alaric briefly wonder why he'd never staked his friend through the heart.

Try not to be too much of an ass.

"I'm going to pretend that we're not talking about my niece for a second and be your friend. How are things going?"

"Great, she's feisty." Damon replied.

Even Alaric heard the growl that caused. Still he played his part. "Right that's it! I'm going!" He stood with a grim expression only to be yanked back down by the dark vampire.

"Oh, untwist your panties, I didn't mean like that. We've not done the deed." Damon smirked looking at Ric so that glitter boy could see. "Yet."

"You're a dick and I'm an idiot." Ric sighed. "Do you actually care about her Damon, or is this just another game to you?"

Damon recognized the tone in Alaric's voice. This wasn't part of the 'let's wind up the disco balls' plan, this was Damon's friend and Bella's uncle seriously asking what his intentions as such were. Damon couldn't lie about this, not to Ric, there was too much at stake.

"I have never cared about anyone this much." Damon answered quietly, his eyes focused on the pitch unseeingly.

Alaric sighed, this was what had been scaring him, Damon had fallen in love with Bella. There was no denying the chemistry between the two, or the fact that they were both good for the other. He sighed again.

"Then I'm happy for you both." He said as genuinely as he was able to. "Just don't screw it up Damon. And for Gods sake don't give me details."

"I'm pretty sure that I am going to screw it up at some point. I'm still me after all. But I will try and fix it and I will never hurt her." Again, Damon's eyes didn't leave the football field.

Ric nodded, and they sat in silence for a minute or two before Damon had to ruin it with his snark, as usual. "Does this mean that I can call you Uncle Alaric?"

Alaric laughed before replying; "try sir."

"Try, not a chance." Damon quipped back.

What's going on?

They're trying to decide if I mean it or not and are arguing if it even matters, after all Bella can't possibly know what she wants.

Dickbags.

~0~

Bella P.O.V.

I was flying by the time we'd finished, the game had been nothing like practices, it had been so much better. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face if I'd wanted to. I was buzzed.

The squad got ready for the after party together in the changing rooms, we'd spent weeks on planning it and had even booked out The Grill as well as arranged decorations, music and karaoke. I'd just barely managed to scrape by the questions that were fired at me regarding Damon and I, each time managing to change to subject to the party. Of course I'd tell them but later, not when they were likely to bring down my euphoria.

As one we left the changing rooms to applause at the same time as the football team. I was swept up in the moment as the crowd started chanting. "Timberwolves! Timberwolves! Timberwolves!"

The icing on the cake though was the look on Damon's face as he caught sight of me, the crowd parting just enough for us both to see each other. He did a double take before his eyes roved appreciatively over my outfit, his eyebrows shooting up into his hairline and a grin spreading across his face making him look younger and more innocent.

I'd picked out a daring outfit – for me it was daring anyway- and had begged my friends to help me look okay for once. None of them had needed asking twice, as much as they'd protested that I always looked good. It was nice of them to lie, but I didn't believe them for a second. "Tonight though, you'll break hearts." Caroline had grinned at me as she'd finished my makeup.

I was wearing a figure fitting, low cut black dress that came to just above my knees, the back was just black lace to the hollow just above my ass with arms that were again just lace. Caroline had complimented the dress with smoky makeup adding a deep dark red lipstick. Elena had done my hair into tight curls and Bonnie had insisted on exchanging my flats for her black stilettos. She swore they were comfier and easier to walk in than they looked. I swore I was going to break something.

The finished effect was that I looked like an enhanced version of myself, someone I wanted to be but never had the confidence to be before now.

I'd always feel more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt with my ever-present flats, however tonight I felt special. Tonight, I'd wanted to feel special just for me. Seeing Damon like that was a definite perk though.

I locked eyes with Damon my smile even wider as he walked purposely through the crowd towards me.

"You look stunning Isabella." He breathed into my ear sending shivers shooting down my spine.

"Thanks." I blushed.

"It's the truth Wildcat." He purred his lips brushing my ear, my shivers showing my desire for him. "Your ex and his family are here." He added in barely more than an exhale.

"Well that's annoying." I replied turning to face him, looking into his beautiful blue eyes. "Did you enjoy the game Toothless?"

"Some bits were better than others." Damon placed a feather light kiss to my lips that had my heart rate accelerating. "You looked delicious out there, no trace of Klutz at all."

"That's because I've been practicing" I smiled with an eyeroll.

"Bella!" I heard my name shouted from over my shoulder. "Come on! Make out with Damon later, we've got to get there already!"

I giggled at Caroline before pressing a lingering kiss to Damon's full lips.

"See you at the party." I smiled before following the rest of the cheerleaders to their convoy of cars, music already blaring from them.

As we arrived at The Grill I could feel them, all seven of them, they were stood behind the building just in the woods, probably waiting till they could come in relatively unnoticed.

I text everyone letting them know that I had company. I couldn't tell Caroline as although she was giving me a lift we were also riding with Dana and Gina. Caroline glanced at me with a fierce smile that screamed danger after she'd read the message.

"You're hot, you're confident and you take no shit. We've got you." She said genuinely with a hardness to her voice as though she knew I wouldn't believe her but that it was true anyway. And maybe except the hot bit I did believe her. I had changed, for the better. I had friends, I had family and they were here, they were supporting me. They weren't going anywhere. And I was taking no shit.

"What's up?" Dana asked with a frown looking between Caroline and me.

"Her ex is in town. He's a total douche bag and he's trying to get her back." Caroline explained for me.

"In that case Caroline is right. We've got your back." Dana said which touched me. It amazed me that this girl who barely knew me wanted to help me in whatever way that she could. However, I really didn't want to drag her into my supernatural drama. I already felt awful about my family and friends helping me, but at least some of them were supernatural themselves and the ones who weren't had some form of training on vampire protection. If Dana got involved in this then I might as well sign her death certificate myself.

"Thank you." I replied with a small smile, there was nothing else that I could respond with that wouldn't make me sound crazy.

Together we made our way into the Grill where half the school already were. Elena, Bonnie and Stefan had managed to grab up a large corner table.

"Are you okay?" Elena asked me with sympathy as we sat down with some soft drinks.

"I'm fine." I replied before I realized that it was mostly the truth. I was annoyed that I couldn't enjoy my evening as much as I had wanted to. I was annoyed that I was being hounded by the Cullen's. But that was all I was, annoyed. I wasn't heart broken. I wasn't devastated, anxious, hurting. I was simply a bit pissed off.

"What's the plan then?" Matt asked as he, Tyler and Jeremy joined us.

"Ignore them and have some fun!" I said with a huge smile just as the music started. Caroline, Bonnie and I had worked hard on this party and I'd be damned if I was going to let all that hard work go to waste.

~0~

3rd Person P.O.V.

"You're gonna have to get with the program Ric." Damon smirked while shooting the cute little waitress behind the bar who was currently filling a tray with shots a wink.

"You are going to get them all arrested Damon." Ric glared at his friend as Jenna joined them.

"Oh relax." Damon scoffed. "Liz would let them all go with a slap on the wrist."

Ric checked his phone as it let out a shrill beep.

Chill out, I compelled the staff earlier today, no one's going to bet busted :p

Ric text back, frowning as he did.

Well that just makes it SO much better.

Damon smirked once more and picked up the tray of shots in response making his way to the corner table where his brother and girlfriend were waiting.

"This is going to end badly." Jenna predicted before downing her own shot of Tequila. Alaric just raised his own glass of whiskey in response.

"Bottoms up!" Damon said with a crooked grin as all the teenagers had a shot in their hand. With that everyone raised the glass and drank, just as the Cullen's entered.

"She's drinking now!?" Damon heard his Wildcats ex exclaim. How the hell she'd ever fallen for his uptight, controlling, pansy ass Damon would never know. At least she'd seen sense with him. He was awesome.

"Her Uncle and Aunt are at the bar. Maybe we should let them know?" One of the others said. A midget who looked about twelve. Were these vamps turning kids now?

Damon shot off a quick message to Ric while wrapping an arm around Bella's waist and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, god damn he was lucky.

Damon chuckled at Ric's response which came in seconds later.

Sure enough a few minutes later and Ric was walking over to their table giving them all his best teacher look. "Okay guys. How many shots have you had?" He asked, when no one replied and they all managed to look slightly guilty – bar Damon obviously – he turned to his niece. "Bella?" He asked with a stern look.

"Just one Uncle Alaric." She replied in an innocent voice that made Damon's dick twitch in his pants at hearing it again, she was so fucking sexy. He knew just how lucky he was and pulled her tighter to his side earning him a grin from her.

"This is your last shot then, alright guys? Beers only after. And if you puke don't do it at my house or you're cleaning it up." Jenna said with a wide smile on her beautiful face as she placed a tray full of shots on the table for the group.

Damon chuckled darkly as he heard a couple of the Cullen's gasp in disbelief at that. Uptight pricks. Though to be fair both Jenna and Ric were really lenient for guardians. Luckily for Damon.

Bella chocked down her drink with the rest of them before asking the group at large "dance?"

For the next twenty minutes or so Bella, Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, Damon and Tyler all danced together laughing and smiling as the other sat out watching and talking amongst themselves. If their phones went off with texts more often than normal no one said anything.

It started building as Damon took Bella into his arms for a slow dance. Neither of them said anything just danced, their eyes only for the other.

"That's it, I'm going to cut in." Edward hissed to his family and stood from their table at the back in a dark corner.

"No, you're not." Rosalie hissed right back at him, moving to block his way.

"Get out of the way Rose." Edward all but growled.

"Why the hell should I? Bella is happy here Edward. Look at her! She's practically a different person! She told you she doesn't love you anymore. She has moved on! Let her go, let her be happy." The beautiful blonde said while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Look at what they're doing to her! She's drinking, that dress is practically indecent, she's cursing!" Edward grabbed at his hair in frustration. "And she is in danger! She's friends with a witch! And Laurent's still going to drain her! We should take her away, protect her."

"Now, Edward!" Carlisle started to say with a frown.

"No Carlisle, she's my mate…"

"Edward. You need to leave her." Jasper said quietly, his southern drawl more pronounced than usual.

"But the danger." Edward said while Alice looked on at her mate with a small frown.

"Laurent is a danger yes. I can stay along with Emmett, Alice and Rose until it passes. We'll deal with him and then leave." Jasper said firmly.

"I can't." Edward said sounding broken.

"She's really happy here, truly happy. She's- "

"Don't say it Jasper!" Edward growled threateningly.

"It's true, she's falling in love Edward. She is in love with her boyfriend." Jasper replied quietly.

"He's not good for her! He's the kind of human who uses people like her then tosses them aside! He'll hurt her!" Edward fumed not giving up, he had to make them see! Bella belonged with him not some jumped up, pissant human. Bella was his.

"You mean like you did Eddy?" Emmett said uncharacteristically serious. "Like we all did. You left her to have a happy normal human life. She's having it. I love her enough to want that for her. I want to see her happy. Did you see her earlier? She was glowing Edward. I have never seen her look like that before. If you truly love her then leaving Bella here is what you'll do."

"He's bad!" Edward growled petulantly before storming off to a table closer to the happy couple. His family stayed put while exchanging worried glances.

~0~

Bella P.O.V.

I was having the night that I had wanted when we'd been planning the party, minus my ex and his family of course. I was laughing, joking, dancing, I was pleasantly buzzed though not completely smashed. I was enjoying myself, living my life.

Karaoke started, and I stood listening to Caroline sing a love song in the sweetest voice, she was incredible. I couldn't hold back my wide smile as Damon wrapped his arms around me from behind and rested his chin on the top of my head.

I placed my own hands over his never taking my eyes off the stunning blonde on stage, enjoying the tingle being this close to Damon gave me.

"Are you going to sing me a song tonight Wildcat?" Damon smirked into my ear.

"And deafen the poor bar? No thanks." I replied with my own smile.

"Come on, you're not that bad." I turned to look at him over my shoulder and raised an eyebrow earning myself a rich velvet laugh. "Okay you are, no-one here cares though."

"Still going with no. How bout you though? Are you going to serenade me?" I couldn't help the giggle that escaped me at the thought of Damon singing me a love song. Damon was sweet, he was a gentleman, when he wanted to be anyway, but the thought of him singing to me was so out of character that it was pretty hilarious.

"I'll have you know I have an amazing singing voice." Damon said in mock outrage.

"Prove it!" I dared with a smirk straight from his playbook.

"Okay Wildcat I will!" He wiggled his eyebrows and walked away to the DJ booth. I couldn't help giggling once more nor could I stop the smile that was threatening to split my face.

"Well you look happy." Tyler said coming to stand next to me and handing me a beer.

"Thanks, I am." I replied. "Caroline's fantastic!"

"She is pretty amazing, I am one lucky guy." Tyler said his eyes just for his girlfriend. Instead of the pang it would have given me four months ago I just felt happy for them and happier for myself. This was it. This was right.

Damon came sauntering back over to us just as Caroline finished her song and we along with the rest of the bar applauded wildly. She really was something else. She came springing from the bar straight to us a wide smile ever present on her beautiful face.

Tyler kissed her before telling her how great she was. "He's right Care you were amazing! I didn't know you could sing like that!" I agreed as she looked like she should be blushing. The faintest tinge of red appearing on her cheeks.

"Thanks!" She smiled back "I need a drink, come on." Caroline grabbed Tyler and dragged him off towards the bar, looking over her shoulder as she did and making wide eyes between Damon and me. I wasn't going to escape that interrogation later that was for sure. Damn.

"What will you be singing me then?" I asked Damon while wrapping my arms around his trim waist, revelling in the fact that I could do that now.

"Wait and see." He replied with a smirk, real amusement dancing in his eyes.

Minutes later and the DJ was announcing out over the speakers; "next up we have Damon Salvatore!"

Caroline, Bonnie and Jeremy appeared at myside as Damon left with a grin on his face to go sing.

The music started up and I couldn't help but laugh. Before Damon started singing I whispered in Caroline's ear who just laughed before leaving, hopefully to help me acquire what I'd asked for.

I turned back to the stage to find Damon looking at me intently. He looked like a rock star. Brooding, moody, dangerous, a delicious twinkle lighting his eyes which were boring into my own.

Damon started signing his voice rich, deep, velvet and right then I felt like the luckiest person in the room. I knew I was the luckiest person in the room.

"On the day I was born,

The nurses all gathered round,

And they gazed in wide eyed wonder,

At the joy they had found,

The head nurse spoke up,

And she said leave this one alone,

She could tell right away,

That I was Bad to the bone."

As Damon sang the chorus I could hear Bonnie and Jeremy howling with laughter at his song choice. I could see though that most of the females in the room were feeling as flustered as I was by Damon's blatant sex appeal. He was breath taking.

"I broke a thousand hearts,

Before I met you,

I'll break a thousand more baby,

Before I am through,

I wanna be yours pretty baby,

Yours and yours alone,

I'm here to tell you honey,

That I'm Bad to the bone."

I could literally fell Damon's eyes stripping me as he sang, shaking his hips in time to the music. A fire was starting in me and Damon had done it when he was on the other side of the room from me. I was so screwed.

"I make a rich woman beg,

I'll make a good woman steal,

I'll make an old woman blush,

And a young girl squeal."

Literally half the bar squealed at that line much to my amusement and I was sure to Damon's ego.

"I wanna be yours pretty baby,

Yours and yours alone,

I'm here to tell you honey,

That I'm Bad to the bone."

Caroline rushed back to me, helping me out with the unfamiliar and giving me a quick pep talk as the chorus and instrumental blasted around the bar.

"You can do this Bella! It was your idea and it's awesome, you're going to knock his socks off. And then you are going to tell me exactly what is going on between you two! You've got this!" I nodded slipping into the knee-high boots that Caroline kept in the trunk of her car.

I took a deep breath as the instrumental was coming to an end lifted the microphone and sang in a low throaty voice that I didn't know I had.

"Now when I walk the streets,

Kings and Queens step aside."

Everyone had turned to stare at me as I sang, Damon was watching me with a wide grin and his eyebrows raised as I walked towards him flicking my hips as I did. On the last line the crowd in front of me parted leaving the way to the stage clear for me.

"Every man that I meet,

They all stay satisfied,

I wanna tell you pretty baby,

What I see I make my own,

I'm here to tell ya honey,

That I'm Bad to the bone."

I'd made my way to the stage by that point, not once had I taken my eyes off Damon's. Together we strut towards each other, both of us singing the chorus to each other as we did.

"Bad to the bone,

B-B-B-B Bad,

B-B-B Bad,

B-B-B Bad,

Bad to the Bone."

As we sang the last word we came together. Damon grabbed me and dipped me before placing a heated kiss to my lips that left me completely breathless in its intensity, it was hard and bruising and furious and promised a host of sinful delights in my future. It was almost too much but it was not quiet enough either.

Damon pulled me back up and the noise of the applause and the cat-calls finally registered making me blush a deep red before dragging Damon by his hand behind me and hoping desperately that I wouldn't stumble.

3rd Person P.O.V.

"You need to take him away Carlisle! This isn't love, it's obsession!" Emmett said seriously, a frown on his face as he watched Edward watch Bella.

"She's his mate Emmett." Carlisle sighed, he was torn. Bella was Edwards mate, however he believed that his other son was right. What Edward was doing, how he was acting, something wasn't right.

"I'm not so sure Carlisle." Jasper countered slowly, trying to measure his words and his reasoning before he spoke.

Through the noise and the turmoil Carlisle was feeling two words registered grabbing his full attention; "Damon Salvatore!"

"No!" He muttered to himself his eyes flickering to the stage. "It can't be." The man they'd seen with Bella, her new boyfriend apparently, strutted up on to the stage. If Carlisle's heart had been beating it would have stopped right then.

"What is it?" Esme asked concerned just as the handsome man started singing and singing well.

"Hopefully a coincidence, though knowing Bella it is probably not." Carlisle's mind raced. "Edward's right, we should take Bella, remove her from here."

"What!?" Rosalie, Jasper, Alice and Emmett exclaimed as one.

"There is a vampire by the name of Damon Salvatore. He's ruthless, emotionless, deadly. He's over five hundred years old and even the Volturi have been known to steer clear of him." Carlisle told his family while looking over the man that was still singing to the girl he considered another daughter.

"Well that guy up there is no vampire, he has blue eyes!" Rosalie spoke up her voice annoyed.

"He's not one of us. He's one of the Night Walkers, apparently a spelled ring allows him to walk in the sunlight." Carlisle explained solemnly.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence." Rosalie hedged.

"This is Bella we're talking about, she's a danger magnet." Alice said.

"I still don't think this is right." Jasper frowned. "He has no malicious intent to Bella, he loves her just as much as she loves him, if not more."

Emmett was considering Jasper with a frown, he was with his brother on this. Bella had a right to choose what she thought was right and what she wanted her life to be. Taking her away without at least speaking to her first was wrong. Even if this dude was a vamp Emmett wasn't certain making her leave was the best thing for Bella.

"He's dangerous Jasper." Esme said.

"So are we." Jasper whispered just as Bella stared singing, a far cry from the emotionally repressed shy girl he'd known back in Forks. His mind started racing, thinking, planning.

~0~

Damon couldn't think as his Wildcat prowled towards him singing in a sexy sultry voice he wasn't aware that she had, her legs sheathed in high leather black boots, a leather jacket finishing the vision of her as a sex goddess. She was sex on legs right then and her eyes were pure burning liquid chocolate. She was just… Just… Fuck… His mind was on melt down even as he sang the chorus with her.

He dipped his Wildcat and kissed her with all the passion that she stirred up in him though it was still not enough. He followed her willingly as she dragged him from the stage, taking over after they had reached the floor and towing her outside with him where he carefully pressed her back into a wall.

"You are fucking amazing Wildcat." He growled before attacking her lips with his.

Her hands tangled in his hair pulling him closer. His hands roamed, her sides, her hips, her shoulders, her back. Her lips pulled back and she sank her teeth carefully into his lower lip before licking it, making him moan and grow impossibly harder. He couldn't stop his hips from bucking into hers, her moan spurring him on, kissing harder, faster.

"Bella! Get away from him! He's a vampire!" A musically grating voice quickly cut off Damon's ardour. Someone was going to pay for this interruption.

Hiya, yup it's me back again after years I know! I did say I wouldn't give up on my stories right? I am absolutely amazed that I'm still getting reviews, follows and favourites about this story even after all this time! It is honestly humbling and entirely the reason I started writing again! I am going to set a two weekly posting schedule for this and my other story Lies For My Protection, meaning this week I will post for Firework and next week for LFMP the week after Firework and so on.

I really hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter I sincerely enjoyed writing this and the next chapter! :D Anyway if you're still here with me reading this leave a little review? Loved it, hated it, questions, suggestions, just say hi, seriously I'd love to hear from you :) Until next time, Tametiger x