Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Twilight or the Vampire Diaries. Those rights are reserved for Stephanie Myer and LJ Smith. I do own the original characters created for this storyline. Please support the official release.
Writer's notes: Thank you everyone for your reviews. I am glad everyone is enjoying the story. I am too. As always don't forget to follow, favorite and review!
Bella's birthday was today. She was eighteen now, but she didn't feel any different. Mystic Falls was starting to feel more like a home for her. She hadn't seen much of Klaus or anyone for that matter. She spent a lot of her time either at school or straight home. She didn't like being anxious, especially in public and her birthday brought bad memories with it. So, she wanted to just go straight home to the Lockwood estate, but her mother had other plans.
"Bella, come to the Grill after school!"
"Mom, I really just want to go home. It's just a birthday."
"Sweetheart, it'll be fun. Just us and your dad. What do you say?"
Bella sighed. She couldn't tell her mom no. If she did and tried to become reclusive again, she was afraid that they would press harder and she just wanted to have a little bit more freedom without everyone hovering all the time. "Okay fine."
Bella parked outside the Grille It didn't seem really busy, but there were enough cars there that she felt a little anxious already before she even got out of the car. She took a few breaths to herself and she got out and went inside.
"Surprise!" Renee clapped along with everyone that was inside the Grille.
Bella startled a little, looking around the room. Everyone from school was there already. She thought it was odd that Stefan and Elena were missing from school today. Tyler was there with the bubbly blond headed cheerleader, Caroline Forbes. Damon was of course there. She had been working on their relationship since she figured out that he was her biological father. Mason was there and so was Richard and Carol. Some other people were there, she assumed were friends of her mother's. She forced a smile and nodded.
"Thank you." She was meek about it, but that was just who she was in general. Renee went and hugged her.
"You're eighteen! An official adult!" Renee kissed Bella's cheek.
Bella hugged her mom back then she was being hugged by Mason and then Richard and Carol. Then Damon stood there in front of her. He was smirking at her.
"So, how does it feel?"
"Like any other day." Bella pointed out then Damon hugged her, and she hugged him back. There was music playing now and Matt and a couple other Mystic Grill waiters were taking orders for dinner. Mason and Richard had paid for everything she knew and she wasn't super hungry, but she would try, for her family.
It was odd to think of it that way. Her family. Once upon a time she thought of her family being Edward and the Cullens. Charlie was a deadbeat and she didn't have many friends after Edward came into her life. Being in Mystic Falls was slowly changing her and Renee could tell that Bella was changing. She was talking more, smiling more and those were healthy signs that she was healing from whatever it was that happened with Edward.
Bella slipped outside when no one was paying attention just to get some air. She needed to just take a breather from everything. Her mother was such high energy and her new friend Caroline Forbes was even more so. She liked Caroline in general. Even as a cheer leader, she was so kind and big hearted. She could see them being really close. It reminded her of Alice sometimes, which she didn't know was a good or bad thing. Her memories were clouded sometimes when it came to Cullens. She knew now that Edward was wrong for her. That he did horrible things to her. She had never said the words out loud to Damon or her mother and she likely never would, but Edward had taken a lot from her. He raped her, she saw that now and she didn't know what to do with that sort of emotion, so she just buried it. She buried it as deep as it would go.
"You're all alone outside." A lilted voice said to Bella, distracting her from her inner thoughts.
Bella's blue eyes looked up at met chocolate ones. He was handsome, his dark hair was kempt and styled. He wore a suit, no tie. He was English and he reminded her of Klaus the first time she met him. "Um. Yeah, just a little stuffy inside." She said with a nod.
"Elijah. Mikaelson." Elijah introduced. He studied her. She was beautiful, gloriously so and he saw what had his brother so twisted inside. She was exceptional. He didn't know why he was filled with such warmth, but looking at Bella right now, filled him with a sort of warm feeling that he wasn't sure where it came from.
"Any relation to Klaus Mikaelson?" Bella asked.
Elijah nodded. "I'm his older brother. You must be Bella."
"I am. How..."
"Klaus speaks of you often."
"He d-does?" Bella stuttered, heat rising to her face. The few times that she had encountered Klaus had been sort of mystical and he was extremely handsome so she didn't understand why he found her appealing enough to lock lips with.
Elijah smiled a little. "You are timid. He said that you were. I apologize for the intrusion. I was wanting to see the girl that had my brother so smitten and I must say that I am in agreement with him."
Bella felt her cheeks flush more, if that was even possible. "He… He's what?" She nearing squeaked out.
Elijah walked closer, stopping right in front of her. He took his hand out of his pocket and lifted her chin barely with the brush of his finger so he could look down into her eyes. She stared back at him, the intensity shattering him a little on the inside. He didn't know why he did it, he just knew he was drawn in. He heard someone clear their throat and he knew that it was Klaus. He had come to the Grill as well. There was talk that it was Bella's birthday and he knew that his brother would visit soon. He dropped his hand and took a step back.
Bella had felt like she was in a trance. Elijah was handsome too and for a moment she thought that he was going to kiss her. She didn't realize why he stepped away from her until she blinked and saw Klaus. "K… Klaus…" she murmured.
Klaus ignored his brother and walked over to Bella, he took something from his pocket and handed it to her. "I heard it was your birthday. I wanted to stop by… give you something."
Bella frowned and took the small box. "What?" She looked down at the box and opened it. It was a necklace. It was silver, a locket from the look of it. It was older looking, like an antique and it was circular. There was a Celtic design on the front of it. Her lips parted, in awe of the necklace. "Klaus… you barely know me." She said and looked up at him, his ocean eyes were intrigued, staring at her with a catlike smile. He was dashing and amazing and she wondered what his intentions were, but right now she just wanted to know why she was feeling so confused inside.
"I believe in destiny Bella. Do you?" Klaus said and gestured to the necklace for him to help her put it on. Bella handed him the necklace and he swooped her hair to the side, his fingers barely brushing her neck and it sent shivers through her, making her nervous. He carefully put the necklace around her neck and clasped it.
"I don't know if I do." Bella murmured as her hand reached up and touched the delicate locket then she turned and faced Klaus. Her icy eyes met his again and she just wondered what her destiny was in this moment.
Damon walked outside and saw Elijah and Klaus. Klaus and Bella were standing in front of one another and she seemed to be in a daze, looking up at him. He interrupted them, not liking Klaus hanging around Bella. He knew what Klaus was and he knew that having two original vampires in Mystic Falls was worrying. "Bella, there's cake." He called.
Bella blinked, snapping herself out of the trance she put herself in. "Um. Thanks dad." She said without thinking.
Klaus raised a brow. This was certainly interesting now. He knew about Damon Salvatore. He knew that it was nearly impossible for him to be a father, yet Bella had called him dad. So that meant that some witchcraft was at play for Bella to even exist and he wondered if that is why he found her so interesting. "Cake sounds like fun. You should join your party." Klaus said with a smile and a nod. He put his hands back in his pockets.
Bella nodded. "Thank you… for my gift. Um. Why don't you come inside. Have cake." She offered.
Klaus found it thoughtful. Found Bella thoughtful but the look Damon was giving him right now, told him that he wasn't welcomed. But why would he care? He was an original vampire and there wasn't anything Damon could do about it. "That does sound like fun. I will join you on your special day. Brother?" Klaus said.
Elijah nodded. "Of course. Sounds like a delight." He said and the two brothers walked with Bella into the Grill. Damon was scowling a little, but he didn't say a word. He wouldn't dare say anything right now in the presence of an original and not in front of Bella. She didn't need anything that could send her spiraling at any given moment. She had worked so hard to be better, so Damon was determined to make sure that she would remain better.
