"Stripped"

Chapter 16: Truths Revealed

Damon sat down on the couch. He was looking around and constantly changing his seating position. He wanted to have this conversation, but he realized maybe he wasn't ready to have it. Now it was too late to bolt and run because that would really piss Bella off.

Suddenly a glass of whiskey was in front of his face which he took gladly. Bella sat the whole bottle in front of him before she took her seat in the snuggle chair she had.

"So," Damon said after pouring himself another drink.

"For someone who wanted this talk you are really nervous," Bella stated before taking a sip of her wine. "Go on…ask."

"Look," Damon said, "I don't know where to start."

"Why don't we start with why you compelled me?" Bell said before narrowing her eyes.

Fuck, Damon thought.

"It was a mistake." Damon said, swallowing hard.

"Damn right it was but that's not an answer. Why did you do it?" Bella replied tensely.

"I didn't want you to get the wrong idea," Damon replied quietly.

"Wrong idea," Bella repeated, "You can do better than that."

"What do you want me to say?" Damon asked frustrated, "I was stuck on Elena and trying to get Katherine out of the tomb. I didn't want to hurt you."

"Well you failed that mission," Bella replied dryly.

"Don't you think I know that," Damon hissed, "Do you think I wanted that to happen? Do you think I want anything that has happened to you to happen? I never wanted to hurt you…you were the first person in a very long time that I didn't want to ever hurt or betray or lie to." Damon stood up, "I have hated myself every day since I did that. Then that betrayal led to another and another and the cycle continued until I let my anger consumed me to a point that I attacked you." Damon finally looked at her, "I tried to make up for it; the talks, the necklace, but it didn't make the guilt go away. I had never felt guilt as I do with you. Sure I've felt it, but it's never nagged me like it does with you. Every time I look at you I remember that night. That was one of the last nights we ever were carefree together…I miss them…I miss the girl you used to be. What happened to her?"

"She was hurt," Bella said, "She was betrayed and she had her heart broken. You of all people know what it's like to have your heart broken. It changes you."

"Only if you let it," Damon replied.

"You had no right," Bella said, "You made me feel like one of your blood bags by erasing my memory." Bella glared at him, "It takes two to tango Damon."

"You were young," Damon sighed.

"But I wasn't naïve," She hissed in reply. "I wanted to kiss you, hell I wanted to that night I first met you. I knew it would be just a kiss, but I wanted to know what it would be like. Tell me, why did you have no problem kissing me under the mistletoe because that happened after that first kiss. The first one was booze-fueled I'll admit that; inhibitions were down, but that next one was when we were both sober."

"I had whiskey with a little eggnog on the side," Damon said chuckling.

"I'm not joking about this Damon," Bella growled.

"I knew what the kid said was untrue, but…" Damon trailed. He took a deep breath and said, "I didn't want to take the chance…plus I had an excuse to kiss you again." He stared intently at Bella, "Do you remember? When you were in the coma? Did you hear me?"

"Yes," Bella said quietly, "I heard you. I even talked back to you even though you couldn't hear me."

"What did you say?" Damon questioned.

"That I wanted you to kiss me. I'm not dumb Damon, I knew what could happen but I was willing to take the leap and get hurt." Bella answered.

"Why?" Damon asked.

"Because I had never met anyone that brought out that side of me," Bella said, "When I was with you it was like I could feel the magic flowing through me more intensely. Do you remember after Anna died and I tried to raise her?"

Damon nodded.

.*.*.*.*.*.

8 Months Ago:

"Give her back," Bella screamed as the spirits dissipated.

"Bella," Bonnie said gently.

"Get out," Bella growled, "You did this; you betrayed us."

Bonnie walked up the stairs and ran into Damon.

"Where is she?" Damon asked.

"She's down there," Bonnie replied, "She couldn't do it and they've taken her powers."

Damon rushed down the stairs and saw Bella cradling Anna.

"Bella," Damon said while coming closer to her and kneeling down, "You have to let her go."

"No," Bella sobbed, "It's not right; they're wrong."

"I know," Damon said quietly, "But it's done. Let her go Bella."

Bella let Anna go and allowed Damon to pull her into his arms.

"She didn't deserve it," Bella sobbed into his shirt as he stroked her hair. "I failed; I couldn't save her or Grams or Vicki or Miranda and Grayson…"

"Stop that," Damon said forcefully before he pulled away to look at her, "This isn't your fault, none of those things were your fault. Vicki was mine; I changed her, I knew she was unstable and I let her loose. That is not on you, none of their deaths are."

"I'm weak," Bella said crying.

"No you're not," Damon said as he shook her, "You are strong and powerful even without your powers. You don't need them to fight Bella, with or without them you are powerful because you have your convictions and your heart. Powers are just an added bonus, but what counts is what's inside."

.*.*.*.*.*.

Present Day:

"I wanted to believe you so much," Bella said as tears began to stream down her face, "Then I came over later to thank you and found out Katherine was back."

"I'm so sorry for how I acted," Damon said, coming to kneel in front of her.

"You know I wish I was that girl; the one you want, the one everyone wants. I miss her too. I wish I could take those leaps again and just trust, but I can't." Bella said while wiping away her tears. "I want to trust you but I don't know how. I want to have what we had but I don't think it's there…not after everything."

"You know Wiz Khalifa said 'The past can never be changed, forgotten, edited or erased. It can only be accepted.'" Damon said.

Bella let out a laugh, "You're quoting Wiz Khalifa?"

"Hey the guy has good music and some good ideas," Damon defended playfully before he became serious again, "We can't go back, but we can move forward if you can accept the past Bella. You once told me that if you forgive it means letting go…can you do that?"

Bella had to look away from his burning gaze. It was as though he was looking deep into her soul; he could see everything.

"I don't know," Bella said honestly.

"Do you want to?" Damon questioned.

"You know I do," Bella said tensely before she turned to look back at him, "But there's a difference between wanting to do something Damon and actually having the will to do it."

"Well I've never met anyone with a stronger will than yours," Damon said with a light chuckle as he brushed her cheek. "You're as stubborn as a mule."

"I learned from the best," Bella retorted, smiling a little. She stared at Damon for a while before asking, "Why? Why me? Why do you want to fix this with me?"

Damon's brows furrowed and he spoke softly…honestly, "Because I don't want to lose you."

"You already have," Bella replied.

"No I haven't," Damon said with a shake of his head, "If I had really lost you, I wouldn't be here right now. You wouldn't let me be here right now. You would have thrown my sorry ass out which you have every right to do. I've hurt you Bella, I've betrayed you, and I've taken from you. I want to make it right not because I have to or because I need you to do something for me, but because I know I can't exist without you. If you aren't in my life there's no reason for me to be here."

Bella pushed Damon away from here and angrily threw her glass at him.

"Don't say that!" Bella shouted; her tears brimming over, "That's what he said…and he left!"

"I'm sorry," Damon said slowly approaching her, "but Bella…I'm not him."

Bella froze as those words left Damon's mouth. Every memory since she had come home flooded into her mind and suddenly everything became clear. Bella had been angry at Damon, but it wasn't just what he had done that she held against him, it was what Edward had done to her as well. Instead of attempting to trust Damon who was showing her that he could be trusted, she shut him out. Her own fear was keeping her from connecting with him and it wasn't just him…it was the others as well. She didn't talk to them like she used to; instead now she just stayed at arm's length. She was only around when they needed her for magical reasons. She had closed herself off from those she loved.

Bella sat down and began to cry. Damon slowly walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms.

"I'm so stupid," Bella sobbed. "I let him rule my life."

"Cold Ones tend to think humans can't function in the supernatural world." Damon said.

"This isn't how it should be." Bella said sniffling.

"You aren't living," Damon observed. He pulled away and wiped her tears, "Go get dressed."

"What?" Bella asked confused.

"Go get dressed," Damon repeated, "We're going out…all of us."

"Damon," Bella said while shaking her head, "I don't want to."

Damon put his finger to her lips, effectively silencing her as he smirked.

"You know I'm not going to take no for an answer so why don't you make this easy on yourself?" Damon suggested.

Bella sighed and nodded.

"I don't have any energy to argue," Bella said, defeated.

"No," Damon said sternly, "No Debbie Downers, so perk up."

Bella got up from the couch and headed for the stairs while Damon whipped out his phone.

"Hey Elena," Damon said, "You feel like drinking?"

.*.*.*.*.*.

An hour later they were at a club in Richmond and most of them were excited.

"Lighten up Bella," Caroline said while nudging her friend.

"Sorry I'm just not really in a clubbing mood," Bella said while crossing her arms.

"Shots will cure that," Elena said before she dragged her to the bar, "Why don't you take off your coat and stay a while."

"Elena I'm just not…" Bella started.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Elena said, interrupting her, "You're not in the mood, but I know the real reason you're down." Elena raised an eyebrow and Bella sighed, "He's just trying to make you feel better Bella."

"Well the last time we were at a club he kissed me then compelled me to forget about it." Bella said with anger evident in her voice, "Not exactly a happy memory for me."

"He's trying though," Elena said while handing Bella a shot, "That's got to count for something." Bella didn't respond and Elena continued, "Look we've all been through enough stuff lately so let's just let loose, get crazy, and forget about everything for one night."

Bella smiled and clinked her shot with Elena's, "Only because I owe you." She replied before they downed the shots.

"Why do you owe me?" Elena asked, confused while she signaled for another shot.

"Because I haven't exactly been a real friend," Bella said sadly.

"You were helping clean up our mess," Elena said gently.

"I'm not a very good one. Can you forgive me?" Bella asked.

Elena gave her friend a soft smile and handed her another shot, "Well if you let loose tonight, I'll think about forgiving you."

"Can't argue with that," Bella replied with a laugh before they downed their shots.

.*.*.*.*.*.

Two hours later Bella and the others were laughing about random things. It was like old times before everything became so complicated.

Damon sat back and allowed them to enjoy the night. He was able to see a little bit of the old Bella come to the surface. It had been too long since he had seen her like this and now it was like he was seeing her in a whole new light.

"So serious question time," Matt said, "What are we all going to do after graduation?"

"If we make it to graduation," Bonnie muttered.

"We are," Bella said firmly before she looked at Matt, "You brought it up, you first."

"Football at UT that's my first choice," Matt said smiling.

"Texas?" Caroline asked shocked. "Why there?"

"My grandma is down there," Matt said with a shrug, "This way I can be closer to her and still play football." Matt looked at Caroline, "Your turn."

"New York," Caroline said, "I'm thinking fashion design school. Tyler?"

"NYU isn't sounding so bad," Tyler replied with a smile before kissing Caroline, "Elena?"

"USC," Elena replied, "I want to study English and be close to the beach and California has a ton to offer. Bonnie?"

"I think Duke," Bonnie said, "I've talked to Vanessa a lot and I think I'm going to work in the parapsychology area. Stefan?"

"I haven't been to California in a while," Stefan mused, "What about you Bella?"

"I don't know," Bella said and her eyes turned sad. "I had a plan, but it fell through."

"Come on Bella," Jeremy nudged, "What is the one thing you want after graduation?"

Bella shrugged, "I don't know, but when I figure it out I will let you guys know."

"Undecided; going where the wind takes you," Matt said with a laugh, "There's the Bella we know and love."

"What about you Jeremy?" Bella asked, "What do you want to do after you graduate?"

"I want to go to art school," Jeremy said.

"Well," Damon said while handing out shots, "Here's to you guys getting whatever you want."

Before they could take the shots, Bella spoke up.

"What do you want?" Bella asked and everyone became quiet.

Damon looked Bella in the eye, "Acceptance." He said before he downed his shot.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Bella excused herself to the bathroom and when she stepped in she heard the door lock behind her.

"Having fun are we?" Rebekah's crisp accent asked.

Bella turned around, "Can I help you with something?"

"You're looking better," Rebekah said, ignoring her.

"Get to the chase Rebekah," Bella replied annoyed.

"I don't know what my brothers see in you," Rebekah mused, "Maybe I should just kill you and save them any trouble you might cause them."

"You aren't mad at me," Bella said and Rebekah froze, "You're mad at them…your entire family."

"No I'm not," she denied and narrowed her eyes.

"Yes you are," Bella said knowingly, "And you have every right to be."

"What?" Rebekah said shocked.

"Klaus killed your mom and your mom tried to kill you. Elijah, Finn, Kol; they abandoned you. Then Klaus has stuck you in a coffin not once but twice." Bella said and stepped closer to Rebekah, "They see you as weak, but you're not. You're allowed to overreact, to get mad. You didn't ask for this life, it was forced on you. You want a family and that doesn't make you weak or stupid. You want to feel and you should."

"I'm here threatening you yet you're being nice to me," Rebekah said, "Why?"

"Because you're used to the threats and the punches maybe you need someone to talk to you on another level." Bella said, "Look tonight is one of those rare good nights I've had or they have had so I'm not going to fight you or use magic on you. I'm angry with what you did to my friend, but I can understand why you did it."

"Why did I do it?" Rebekah questioned.

"You wanted approval," Bella said, "Here's a little advice Rebekah; stop clamoring for your family's approval. You can't live your life based on what others want."

Bella touched Rebekah's hand and a memory flashed through her mind.

"But you already know that," Bella said, "You were willing to break out on your own once. It's never too late to find yourself Rebekah and to find people who really care about you."

Bella walked past Rebekah, unlocked the door and returned to the party.

They shut down the club that night and for once there was no drama. Bella didn't tell the others about Rebekah when she had returned. Instead she and the girls decided to finish the night off by dancing. Stefan surprisingly even got out there on the floor while Damon just sat back.

.*.*.*.*.*.

Silence filled the car as Bella and Damon drove back to her house. Neither one spoke until Damon parked the car.

"Thank you," Bella said quietly.

"For what?" Damon asked.

"For tonight," Bella said before looking at him, "It's been a while since I've felt like this."

"What is the feeling?" Damon questioned as he opened his door before he blurred to hers.

"Free," Bella said, "Like I don't have the weight of the world on my shoulders and that my heart wasn't broken."

"You aren't broken," Damon said as they walked up the porch steps.

"No I'm damaged," Bella said.

"You aren't that either," Damon replied before stopping her, "You're hurt, that doesn't make you broken or damaged. I've come to find some of the most interesting people are the broken ones…take me for example." Damon smirked.

Bella nudged him, "Always find a way to boost your ego in any situation don't you." She teased.

"Well if you aren't trying you won't get anywhere," Damon quipped, "Goodnight Bella."

Damon started to head back down the stairs.

"You aren't staying the night?" Bella questioned.

"No," Damon said, "I won't be around either. I figured you could use some time alone."

"Thanks," Bella said smiling, "I'll see ya later."

"Or sooner," Damon said "Whichever comes first."

Bella walked into the house and stripped off her coat. She went to go set the coffee pot when there was a knock on the door. She smiled and shook her head as she headed for it.

"I knew you couldn't stay away," Bella said as she opened the door but then froze.

"Hello Isabella," Klaus said with a smile while looking her up and down, "My, I seem to have missed all the fun."

"What do you want?" Bella asked, her eyes narrowing.

"To speak with you," Klaus said simply, "May I come in?"

"No," Bella said, "Go on… talk."

"It's quite chilly out here," Klaus replied, annoyed.

"Oh does the cold hurt little old Klaus?" Bella asked in an innocent voice, "If I had known that I would have just thrown ice water on you."

"Sorry I don't melt like witches," Klaus replied, "Can we just stop this game?"

"What are you upset because you're losing?" Bella countered.

"You hang around that Salvatore too much," Klaus said through gritted teeth.

Bella's eyes turned cold, "Stay away from him." She hissed.

"Touch a nerve did I?" Klaus asked, "So you do care for him even after everything."

"What do you want?" Bella asked.

"To make a deal with you my dear, but perhaps we should discuss it another time and another place say tomorrow night over dinner?" Klaus suggested.

"Sorry I have prior engagements," Bella replied.

"Ah yes Carol's party," Klaus mused, "Then shall we say the next night. I promise you Bella what I have to offer you'll want."

"I highly doubt that," Bella replied.

"Think about it," Klaus said before he walked away.

Bella shut the door and leaned her head against the cool wood. Something told her Klaus had something she would want, but would she be willing to pay the price. With a man like Klaus everything had a price and normally the price was paid in blood.

.*.*.*.*.*.

"They'll see," a man's voice says as he works tediously by a desk light. "I'll make them see. She beat me once, but she won't this time. This time she'll die and then the hunters will come. They won't be able to ignore this. They will come here and cleanse Mystic Falls of the evil, but not before I burn you Isabella Swan."

He pauses as his cell rings. His eyes sadden as he allows it to ring until it stops. A little message box pops up and he punches in the code to listen.

Beep

"Dad it's April, where are you? I heard you attacked Bella, is it true? Dad please tell me where you are, let us help you."

End Message.

"I'm sorry April," Pastor Young said, "I'm doing this for us, for the town. I have to…she has to die and she will soon."

A/N: Hey everyone! I know I'm updating earlier then I said, but I have some huge news. I've been nominated for The Burning Diamond Awards! I am running against some of the most talented writers here on fanfiction and I don't think I'm up to their skill, but I am very humbled by these nominations. So to celebrate I am posting a chapter early!

Thank you to those who nominated me and are voting I truly appreciate it. Now to get more publicity for this contest I am asking you my lovely readers to go to crossoverawards . blogspot . com and vote. Voting ends December 29th so you better hurry up. I have decided to give you guys incentive to vote (even if it isn't for me like I said all those nominated are very skilled and amazing writers who I think are much better than me) that those of you who vote and let me know (in private message or review) I will send you a preview of a story I'm working on and will be publishing here on fanfiction soon. So go and vote and let me know you'll get a preview.

Thank you M.M. Kaur for hosting the awards. Dark~Supernatural~Angel my wonderful beta who is also working with the contest. The lovely AllyDLV (who is also nominated) and all of you who nominated me and have voted. Thank you so much!

Review and Vote my dears and I will still see you Wednesday!