I sighed as I hung up. Elijah hadn't answered all day, and I had even tried Rebekah but she didn't answer either. I poured myself a glass of whisky and heard the door open. I gave Stefan a little smile and he seemed hesitant as he approached.

"Damon?" he asked.

"In the shower" I said and took another gulp. "It's okay now"

"Good" he sighed. "Ahn… Thank you"

"Let's just… forget about it"

"Good idea" he muttered.

I extended him my drink and he took it with a smile.

"How's Elena?" I asked.

"She was a bit upset with Damon and confused, I think" he said sitting on the couch.

"I have some jewelry with lapis lazuli… They're already enchanted, so…"

"I already gave her a ring, Bonnie helped. But thanks" he said with a smile.

"A ring?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"A daylight ring" he said rolling his eyes.

I chuckled and sat beside him.

"So, what Damon did? The compulsion, I mean" I asked.

"You didn't know?" he frowned. "Apparently, they've met before"

"Hm?"

"Before I met her… Before I saved her life in the car crash with her parents. The same night, but earlier… And Damon erased a conversation" he shrugged. "She was quite upset, so I tried to change the subject"

"Bonding?"

I looked up and frowned at Damon who was watching us with arms crossed and jaw set. Stefan seemed worried at his brother's jealousy.

"I needed a drink" I said pointedly.

"So did I" he smirked licking his lips.

I rolled my eyes at him, and stood up, knowing he wasn't mad still. Stefan seemed to relax a bit, and I smiled at him before grabbing the bottle of whisky and wrapping my arm around Damon's waist, we headed to our room.

Stefan had left in the middle of the night with Elena for a hunting trip, a vegetarian hunting trip. Damon seemed to think it was stupid, Elena would go on the same destructive path of his brother is she was forced to drink only animal blood from the beginning. I think he meant me as well, after all, my diet wasn't the healthiest in town, not to the humans anyway. But he didn't say it. I think he still worried about how it bothered me sometimes.

I thought it would be a good idea for Stefan to stay away with Elena for a couple days, considering Damon was still not on best terms with what had happened. He had accepted it. But jealousy wasn't rational, and it could get out of control.

In the morning, we were interrupted by an insistent knocking on our door. I groaned and Damon fell back in bed with a sigh. I wrapped myself in a silk robe and ran down the stairs, ready to get rid of the unwanted visitor. I opened the door with a scowl and it soothed a bit when I saw it was Carlisle and Liz. I tied the sash tight and forced a smile.

"Hey"

"Can we come in?" Liz asked.

I frowned at her dry tone and the demanding request, I stepped aside for them to come in. Damon came from upstairs in only his sleep pants and we led them to the living room.

"Considering your uniform, I'll guess you took the position back, Liz" he said.

"What have you two done?" Liz asked angrily.

"Sorry?" I asked.

"Alice saw Pastor Young's farm house on fire last night" Carlisle said more calmly. "It exploded"

"With everyone in the council inside!" Liz snapped.

"We got our friends out, and we got out of there. It's not because they were bad vampire hunters we were going to take chances" Damon said.

"I saw Bella kill one of them, in front of me, yesterday. And you, Damon, have a history of eliminating obstacles…"

"So, you got to the conclusion it was us" I chuckled incredulously.

"Who else?" she retorted.

"Well, it wasn't us. You can ask Stefan… We stayed here all night" Damon said gesturing between him and me, emphasizing my robe that left my legs bare.

"But you already know that" I said frowning. "Alice knows that"

"She couldn't see who it was" Carlisle sighed. "Bella, you know I wouldn't accuse you…"

"It was planned" Liz said. "The gas line was lose and we found a box of matches"

"We didn't smell gas last night" I said.

"Only vervain" Damon muttered.

"All vervain was burned in the explosion" Liz said. "And the council is over, only Carol, Meredith and I were left. A vampire must have done it"

"What the official report says?" I asked curiously.

"It was an accident. Pastor Young hadn't gone to the farm in a couple years, and the gas line connection was bad, he didn't see… A tragedy"

"Liz, it wasn't us. But I agree. It's very weird" I said. "If we think of something, we'll talk to you"

"Fine" she sighed. "See you at the memorial?"

"We'll have a memorial?" Damon frowned.

"12 people died, it's a small town" Liz shrugged.

I frowned at the information but gave her a nod and confirmed our presence before they walked out.

"Where are you going?" Damon asked as he watched me get ready.

"I have to talk to Bonnie" I said. "And she didn't answer her phone"

"Talk about what?" he frowned.

"What did you compel Elena to forget?" I retorted.

He groaned and laid down on bed, taking a gulp of the bottle of whisky. He didn't answer though.

"Fine, Damon. Don't tell me" I muttered grabbing my shoes. "I'll be back before the Memorial"

I saw Jeremy and Matt talking to a girl, and approached them.

"Guys, have you seen Bonnie? Her dad said she was probably helping out with the Memorial" I asked.

"Ahn, no" Matt said frowning. "Why?"

"I had to talk to her"

"Maybe you should call Edward" Jeremy muttered with a scowl. "She was not so good last night and he took her home"

I sighed at his resentful tone and took one of the programs of the memorial they were giving.

"You're new in town" the girl behind them said.

I cocked an eyebrow at her. She was new as well.

"Yes" I said.

"Sorry. I grew up here, just a few new faces since I've moved away. Kinda hard not to notice" she said shyly and extended her hand to me. "April Young"

"April Young as in…" I mumbled shaking her hand.

"Yeah, the Pastor's daughter" she mumbled looking down.

"Oh. Ahn. I'm so sorry" I said.

"I never know what to say when people tell me that" she said nervously. "My father didn't check the gas line, and 12 people die, but I listen to 'I'm sorry'" she shrugged. "Thanks, I guess"

I exchanged a look with Matt and Jeremy, fearing for her sanity. She was not okay.

"I'm Bella Swan" I said. "If you need anything…"

"Thanks, again"

"Okay…" I looked at the boys. "Text me if you see Bonnie"

They nodded and I walked away.

"I'll go check on her" Edward said.

"Edward, you can't. It's sunny outside" I said as I got out of the car and walked inside the Boarding House. "Her dad might be home because of the Memorial, I don't know. Let's not risk it. I'll check on her"

"She was really shaken up. I shouldn't have left" he grumbled.

"She is so stubborn. She shouldn't have done the spell"

"Stubborn" he chuckled. "Must be a witch thing, hm, Bella?"

"Shut up" I chuckled. "Gotta go, call you when I see her"

"Okay, thanks"

"Bye"

I hung up and walked in my room. Elena turned around sharply, and looked at me with shock.

"Hey?" I asked.

Damon crossed his arms on his chest and gave me a smile.

"Hi, Bella" Elena said.

"How do you feel?" I asked.

"I feel… fine" she said with a small smile. "I was going to talk to you, but… you weren't here…"

"Something wrong?" I asked worriedly.

"No, she just wanted a doppelganger's version of how it is to adapt to vampirism" Damon said. "Since she's not a hybrid like you, I told her I might be more helpful"

"Stefan as well" I smiled.

"Yeah, Stefan as well" Damon grinned.

"Yeah, I seem to forget you're different" she mumbled. "Well, I should go. I have to help out at the church. You two are going?"

"Yes" we said in unison.

She smiled at me and walked out in a rush. I frowned at her behavior and as I looked around, my frown deepened. Our room was a mess. It smelled of blood, sex and booze. I opened up the curtains and picked up my torn and dirty clothes.

"Can you clean up our mess? I have to go check on Bonnie" I said.

"Yeah" he said.

I walked to him and cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you still mad?" I asked quietly.

"Me? You seemed mad when you left" he shrugged.

"Stefan might not have noticed, but Elena didn't tell what you compelled her to forget on purpose. And you don't want to tell me, so…"

"It was nothing" he said seriously.

"Really?"

"Yeah"

"Okay, well, I…"

I was interrupting by the doorbell and I frowned at the smell of blood.

"Someone is bleeding" I said turning to the door.

Damon hesitated, but slowly followed me downstairs. I opened the door and scowled at Tyler. He had bullet wounds and was bleeding a lot.

"What happened?" I asked helping him into the living room.

"A guy came to my house, and…" he grunted as I sat him down on the couch. "He had vervain on his gloves, when I shook his hand…"

"He recognized you as one of us" Damon said getting him a drink.

"Yeah, they guy shot me!" Tyler grumbled.

Stefan came down the stairs.

"A hunter?" Stefan asked.

"A hunter" Damon grumbled.

I was looking for a dress when Damon came back in the room.

"Stefan is with Bonnie" he said. "She's not very well, but she says those bullets have nothing to do with magic"

"It was lucky that Tyler is not an ordinary vampire. That bullet had so much vervain I almost gave up on taking it out" I said and took a dress out. "Good for a memorial of people I don't mind dying?"

"Great" he said buttoning up his shirt. "Get a dress for Elena, since you're at it"

"What?" I frowned.

"She called, she got her dress dirty and needs another dress" he said. "We should hurry up, she's stuck inside the church's bathroom"

"Why?" I asked slipping inside the dress.

"She's been having some problems with blood"

I turned sharply and stared at him as he slipped his arms into the blazer's sleeves.

"She fed from someone inside the church!"

"No, I'll explain on the way"

I grabbed one of my black dresses, put on my shoes and followed him out of the house. Frowning at his secretive behavior. He grabbed a bag by the door, and took the dress from me, throwing both in the backseat. I could smell the blood bag inside. I entered the car, and waited for him to explain. He drove top speed to the church, and didn't say a word all the short way.

We rushed through the church's corridors, and when we got to the bathroom there was a tall, buffed man standing right outside it. He gave us a small smile and crossed his arms. I noticed he was wearing leather gloves, and I glanced at Damon. I knocked on the door, and Elena poked her head out.

"Bella, thanks" she mumbled and saw the man. "Sorry, I spilled coffee on my clothes, it will only take a minute"

"Sure" the man said.

I gave her the dress and Damon the bag he had brought and we stood across from the man, in an awkward, uncomfortable, tense silence.

"We have not met yet. I'm Connor. Jordan" the man said extending his hand to us.

Damon took my hand in his and gave him a smirk.

"Damon. Germaphobe" he answered.

"Bella" I said.

"Aren't you the daughter of the late Chief of Police?" Connor asked.

"Yes"

"I'm sorry for your loss. This town is really…"

"Freaky" I finished with a small smile.

"But we love visitors and the scenery is to die for" Damon said and let out a mock gasp. "Oh! Funeral pun. Too soon, I'm sorry"

I leaned into him, hiding my smile into his shoulder.

"Don't you two look like a happy couple?" Connor smiled.

"We are" I said.

"Hm"

"I'm ready" Elena said getting out of the bathroom. "Sorry"

We walked away quickly and I scowled as I felt the smell of blood coming from the bag.

"You've opened the bag?" I asked her.

"I left it in the car, it's safer" Damon said.

"Something smells like… dead blood" I grimaced.

"I couldn't keep it down" Elena muttered.

We walked out of the church and I went to get the blood bag. When I came back, Elena seemed on the edge of a panic attack, and hyperventilating, while Damon cupped her face and made her look him in the eyes.

"You'll be okay. I'll help you" he said soothingly.

I gave her the blood bag, and Damon and I stood in front of her, looking out for witnesses as she gulped the blood down as if she hadn't fed in days. She scowled a second later and gave me the bag.

"It must be a doppelganger thing" Damon said scowling.

"I preferred…" she trailed off and sighed. "I have to tell Stefan, he should know. I can hide it forever anyway"

"Speaking of the devil…" I muttered.

Damon followed my gaze and threw the unfinished blood bag on the backpack he brought. A familiar scent came to me, and I frowned. Elena slipped between me and Damon and went back to the church. Stefan frowned at her, and approached Damon with an angry scowl.

"What's in the bag, Damon?" he asked.

"Little mid-service snack" Damon said closing the backpack. "Church always gets me hungry. All the blood of Christ thing"

"It's for Elena" I sighed.

"If she hurts someone, she'll be desperate to turn the guilt off" Stefan said angrily. "Maybe even desperate enough to turn her humanity off"

"And what, become a ripper?" Damon rolled his eyes.

"I can't let her be anything like me" Stefan said.

"God forbid she's anything like me, that's what you're really thinking" I said frowning.

"I can't criticize you, Bella, but…"

"But I lost control in front of you. I attacked you for a girl's blood" I finished. "You might not say it, Stefan, but I see the critique in your eyes"

"Elena is more fragile than you are right now, emotionally especially. I don't want her to lose control, Bella" Stefan said in a softer tone.

"Good luck. She's on the same path" I mumbled.

"What?" he frowned.

"Your four-legged protein shake was a bust. The juke box was a no-go" Damon said.

"And don't even try to feed her your blood" I muttered. "She didn't keep Damon's down"

"What?" Stefan snapped turning to glare at Damon. "She drank from you?"

Damon frowned at me.

"Oops, did I say that aloud" I deadpanned. "Sorry"

"Bella…"

"I knew something was off" I chuckled dryly and stepped back. "She's still smelling like you"

He reached for me but I slapped his hand away, when he took a step forward I snarled at him, my face changing.

"Leave me alone, Damon. I don't want to look at you right now" I snapped.

I turned and walked to the church.

I should have known. Damon would not easily forgive and forget my blood-sharing with Stefan. But this… He went too far this time.

Stefan sat beside me and I could feel his eyes on the side of my face.

"You can go, you know. Sit with her. I'm not mad at her. Or you… Or him" I muttered. "I'm fine"

"You're hurt" he whispered. "And it's my fault"

"How Damon being vengeful is your fault?" I chuckled and snorted. "I was stupid to think he had forgiven us completely. His insecurities wouldn't let him. If there is someone to blame, I blame on Katherine… Go. I want to be alone a bit"

He gave my hand a squeeze, got up and went to sit with the others, a few rows behind me. I didn't need to be a vampire to know I was being watched. By Damon, by Elena and by the hunter.

I didn't pay much attention to the ceremony. Carol Lockwood spoke, Liz, and then the pastor. He called April to speak but she didn't come. So, Elena stood up and walked to the stage. I was reading the program while she spoke when I sensed something drip.

"The worst day of loving someone, is the day we lose them"

Drip.

I frowned and after a few seconds I could tell what it was. Blood. My eyes snapped to the Cullens, in the front, and I saw Alice gripping Jasper's hand.

"Don't move" I whispered. "Everyone stay still. He's watching, waiting to identify us"

"I'm gonna go rip his head off now" I heard Damon say.

Elena paused in her speech.

"You do that and you risk exposing us" I hissed.

"Well, I think the risk will be slightly diminished when I, you know, rip his head off!"

"Stefan get Elena out of there, now" Caroline said quietly. "She's not good"

I could tell her eyes were changing as she blinked several times and she swallowed hard. She covered her eyes, and to everyone it seemed she was trying not to cry. Jeremy and Stefan went to the stage and escorted her back to the seat, keeping up the pretense.

"Whoever is bleeding, is not alright!" Carlisle said. "We have to do something"

I stood up and felt all eyes on me as I walked to the stage. Liz smiled sadly at me, unaware of what was happening. I was ready to get on stage when Tyler stopped me.

"What are you doing?" I asked frowning.

"He already knows me, let's keep you a secret" he said.

He got on stage and I stood frozen on the steps. I turned to go back to my seat and saw Connor on the bridge above the audience. Matt hugged Elena, pretending to comfort her and letting himself be used as blood bag. Tyler began his speech and I looked between him and Connor as he aimed. A gun shot was heard and people screamed. I ran in front of Tyler and fell on top of him as a stake hit me in the shoulder. People started to run out and Liz and Carol came to help us.

"Oh my God! Tyler!" Carol said desperately.

"I'm okay, mom" he said as he helped me up.

We looked around and I thanked God only the Cullens were left inside the church. I took out the stake and put pressure on the wound.

"Always my best dresses" I grumbled running down the steps.

"Where are you going?" Liz asked.

"Get this son of a bitch"

When I got outside, I easily found Stefan helping Damon out as he fought against Connor. Apparently, he was no common man. I attacked him, using my extra strength and threw him against a car. He grabbed me by the shoulders, the vervain on the glove burning the healing wound. I hissed and let him go. He took the opportunity to run. I turned and saw Stefan extending his hand to help Damon up. When he was pulling Damon up, he threw a right hook in, that landed Damon back on the ground. Damon groaned and scowled at him.

"Jealousy's beneath you, brother"

"Oh, bite me" Stefan snapped turning away.

"You bit my girlfriend, but when yours needs to bit me, you get mad?" Damon asked standing up.

"Don't try to make me seem the wrong one" Stefan said angrily. "If what you've did today was alright…"

He trailed off and glanced at me. He put his hands in his pockets and walked away.

"If you need a ride…" he said, not turning back.

I walked to Damon and he gave me a small smile. I grabbed his tie, undid the knot and pulled it off him. I cleaned my blood off my hands and put the tie back in his collar.

"See you later, Damon" I said.

He grabbed my arm to stop me from leaving.

"Bella…"

"I was yours" I said angrily. "Why did you do that? To get back at me? That's just so childish and low…"

"I'm sorry, I… Thought I could help her"

"You were getting revenge" I snapped. "You got it. Now, that's all the blood you get from me" I said tugging on the tie. "Leave me alone, Damon, I'm not on a good mood right now"

I yanked my arm free and rushed to catch up with Stefan. I got in his car and sighed, leaning back.

"You Salvatores…" I grumbled.

"You doppelgangers" he retorted.

My phone rang and I was ready to ignore another of Damon's calls, when I saw it was Stefan. I answered, intrigued with the possibility of Damon asking him for help with me.

"Did he ask you to call?" I asked.

"Damon is going insane, and I don't care" Stefan said. "I need your presence. At school, by the picnic tables"

"What for?"

"Just come, please. It's important, for everyone"

I stopped the car in the school's parking lot and saw the others' cars there as well. I just sat there for a moment, knowing what I would hear from Elena, Damon… I checked my make-up on the mirror, and taking a deep breath, I opened the Ferrari's door. I needed another car. I had just locked the car, when the Camaro blurred into the spot next to mine. I ignored as Damon got out in a rush to catch up with me.

"You can't avoid me forever" he said.

"I won't. But I'm seriously considering it right now, so you should back off" I said.

"You would end what we have because of this?" he asked incredulously.

I didn't answer him, just kept walking across the grass to where the others were. Alice was the first to see me and she came to me, linking her arm through mine and giving me a small smile. I leaned into her and returned the smile, thankful our friendship hadn't changed at all after all that time. Bonnie had been talking to Edward and Elena, and she saw us approaching. Elena followed her gaze and looked at me with guilt before looking down at her hands.

"Everyone is here, Stefan" Alice said glancing at Damon who approached silently, his hands in his pockets.

Stefan took one of the Japanese lanterns that were on the table, and played with it.

"We're finishing the memorial we didn't get to have earlier. We need to start healing" he said and looked at Elena. "We've all lost so much, especially recently. We think we're numb through it. We push it away, we make a joke out of it. We know how we feel. Maybe we should let ourselves grieve"

He used a lighter to lit the lantern.

"This is for my uncle Zach, for my friend Lexi. And for Alaric" he said looking at Damon.

He let go of the lantern and I watched as it flew up in the black sky. Matt went next, lighting one up for Vicky. Caroline lit one up for her father and Tyler's. Edward lit one for his mother, Elizabeth, and Bonnie for her grandmother.

"This is for our parents, Vicky, Anna, Jenna… Alaric" Jeremy said and let go of his lantern.

Alice let go of my arm and stepped forward, taking a lantern.

"This is for my past, which is lost to me" she smiled sadly. "To all of us"

I fought tears as her lantern went up.

"This is… for my mom, my dad, and Jenna… everyone you've all lost, everyone this town has lost… and for me, I guess" Elena said quietly.

Stefan smiled at me and extended me a lantern. I walked to him and took it. I stared at it for a long moment, and could not fight the tears anymore.

"For my dad. My mom and Phil. For Jenna. Ric… For Bella Marie Swan, almost Cullen" I let out a sobbed chuckle. "The last Swan witch that died slowly… And to each piece of us that has died with each loss and each heartbreak… To us"

I let go of the lantern, and felt Damon close to me as I watched it go. I looked at him, and got closer to him, letting myself lean into him. He wrapped his arms around me and I rested my hands over his arms, keeping him there. He buried his face on the crook of my neck, and breathed in deeply.

"I love you" he whispered softly.

"Me too, you asshole" I muttered with a small smile.

His lips brushed against my skin in a whisper of a kiss. Elena watched us with a small smile.

"Sorry" she mouthed.

I nodded to her and turned around to hug Damon. He wasn't forgiven. But what could I do if I couldn't be without him? I pulled back and gave him a lantern. He frowned for a moment, but with a sigh took the lighter and lit it.

"For human Damon. For Charlie, and Giuseppe… For Ric"

I went back to his arms, and we all stood in silence, looking at the lanterns lighting up the dark sky.