Memorial Part I

"She asked you to what?" Damon frowned as he looked at his brother with confusion as Stefan packed a few things into his bag that was lying on the table next to him. Damon tried to ignore the fact that Klaus was also there standing next to him like an over present shadow with the excuse that he was concerned for "Arabella's safety." As if the idiot hadn't tried to used her as his own personal blood bag half of the time.

"Look," Stefan sighed as he looked at the two of them. "Arabella felt a little guilty about what happened when she first turned and who can blame her? Guys, she's new at this. Just give her some space so that she can actually learn how she's doing."

Klaus snorted. "And you think that by teaching her how to hunt with forest animals is the best approach to deal with her transformation."

"Psycho has a point," Damon told him. "Arabella can't spend her whole life hiding. She's a hybrid now. She should embrace it. She needs to learn how to drink blood from the vein. Not from Bambi and the rest of the forest animals."

Arabella stepped into the room an annoyed look on her face. "I can hear you, you know." She looked from Damon to Klaus. She had meet Klaus yesterday or re meet him and even though she knew that he was responsible for Aunt Jenna's death and for hunting her down like a dog it was kind of hard to be mad at someone especially if you didn't remember them. "And I don't care if you're not on board with the animal plan, I talked about it with Stefan and he's confident that if I start with the animal plan that it will be a smoother transition for me."

Klaus snorted. "Careful, love. Stefan is also a full blown ripper." He stared at Arabella. "Arabella, love, you and I both know that you're not stupid. Allow me to teach you how to be a hybrid. To become one of the most powerful beings in the world."

"Thanks, but no thanks I'll take my chances," Arabella grabbed the bag from the bed. "Come along Stefan." Stefan threw them a triumph look as he followed Arabella outside.

"You're going to be miserable!" Damon called out, not at all helpful.

A chill went down Arabella's back as she stood in the middle of the forest next to Stefan. She was starting to slightly regret this, what if Klaus and Damon were right, what if she failed at this?

"Just concentrate you can do it," Stefan instructed as he whispered behind her. "Just imagine that you're at the start of a race. There is it, you see it?" Arabella nodded as she saw a small deer walking in the woods. "Everything is heightened, sight smell, touch, now go."

Arabella felt her feet lift off the ground as she went towards the animal. She sank her teeth in it, trying to ignore the cries of the animal. Her mouth was covered in blood and she noticed that animal blood was far more bitter.

She swallowed it and turned around and saw that Stefan was giving her an encouraging smile. She was about to return it when she felt a rise in her throat. Oh, god no. She turned her back to Stefan and used her vamp speed to go miles away. She felt the blood rise in her throat as she vomited on the clear grass. She had vomited the animal blood.

Why had the blood made her vomit? Arabella's eyes creased in concern back at the main house she saw Stefan bring forward a bottle of champagne. She forced a smile and ask him. "What's this for?"

"This is from the year that you were born," Stefan started pouring glasses. "I know what you did was hard today, but you got through it."

Arabella forced a smile. "It actually made me kind of sick."

Stefan nodded. "I had to drink it for a month before I could stomach the taste, believe me it gets easier." His cell phone started ringing. "Damon, perfect timing-what?"

A billion thoughts were racing in Arabella's mind as she headed towards the grill. The council was dead. They were all dead. She went towards Damon who was nursing a glass of scotch. "Did you do it?" she blurted out.

Damon threw her a dirty look. "Am I wearing my I blew up the town council t shirt? Why does everyone keep asking me that."

"Sorry," Arabella snapped.

Damon sighed. He was still clearly irritated that she choose the animal blood diet. "Problem in paradise?"

Arabella didn't bother answering and instead, just went the opposite direction only to run straight to Klaus. He gave her a small smirk. "Problem in animal land, love. You're looking a bit peaked?"

"Nothing is wrong," Arabella snapped, she hesitated when she saw that Klaus was giving her a wide, knowing looking smirk. "I can't keep down any of the animal blood."

"Shocker."

Arabella threw him a dirty look. "Enough with the sarcasm, Klaus. Just tell me how I can do this. How can I feel full?"

Klaus pressed a hand on her shoulder. "That's because you have to eat, love, real food. Not this silly animal diet that the ripper has you on. Now pick one, I'm sure there's someone here in the Grill that you might enjoy."

Arabella licked her lips before she shook her head. "No, I'm not going to sink to your level."

Klaus sighed. "Follow me," he took Arabella towards the ladies' bathroom and closed the door behind her. His bit into his wrist and handed her his wrist towards her. "Drink."

"What?" Arabella looked perplexed.

"You're hungry and you need to feed. Just drink, Arabella. You need warm blood from the vein, maybe this will do the trick. Though I do not advise you not tell your companions."

Her eyebrows creased with concern. "Why not?"

"Because you may or may not know this, but blood sharing is personal." Arabella stared at him in confusion. "Just drink."

Without a second thought, she sank her teeth on Klaus' wrist. His blood was so much sweeter. She felt his hand stroking though her brown curls as she finished feeding off him.

Klaus' blood hadn't helped at all, Arabella thought frustrated as she tiredly put pamphlets on the church pews later that afternoon for the ceremony. "Hey," Arabella looked up and saw Matt who was giving her a sheepish looking smile. "How are you feeling? A little strung out?"

"Just glad that you're actually talking to me," Arabella said as he looked down. "All though to tell you the truth I just want to curl up in a ball and just die. For real this time."

Matt winced. "You didn't have to volunteer."

"People died. Some by my hand. Yes, I did have to volunteer."

Arabella turned to the side and saw a young woman sitting by a pew. She had dark hair and blue eyes. "Is that?"

Matt nodded. "April Young. Pastor Young's daughter."

Arabella remember how she and April used to play together. She walked towards her and said shyly. "Hi April."

"Hi, Arabella," April looked up. "Long time no see, not since- "

"My parents' funeral."

"They want me to speak," April sad grimly. "What am I supposed to say? I'm sorry that my dad didn't fix the gas leaks? Everyone should have something nice said about them at their funeral and- "

"April," she squeezed her hand. "Say, what you need to say. Everyone loved your dad."

"Until two days ago."

Arabella noticed the veins on April's neck. They were so thin, and so Sweet-She snapped out of. "I'm sorry I have to go."

Arabella barely managed to get the door close before the felt the blood rise up her throat. She vomited the blood, splashing her white dress and the mirror and sink of the bathroom. She could feel her heart racing inside her chest as she tried not to panic. What was happening?

-End of Chapter Three-