February 27, 1996

ISABELLA POV

"Kneel, pet," I started every day for the past 2 years like this. I knelt beside his chair like a good, submissive little weapon.

I looked up, facing his audience as I always did and looked for the familiar, supportive faces of those in front of me.

I saw Mike, Lucas, and Dustin giving me a supportive smile, for which I smiled back. This gave me little comfort, though I tried to stay strong in my current predicament.

I was only 8, being shown off like a trophy. I was Max's prize for achieving his goal of finally breaking me down. The only thing that kept me going was the man standing behind me. Stefan.

We were both placed on Max's left side while Stefan's actual brother, Damon, was flanked on his right. I could feel both of their encouraging smiles on me, and they seemed to be the only thing keeping me at bay. Keeping me kneeling there, completely still, like the obedient little girl I was supposed to be.

I was often forced to stay there for hours as Max had his meetings with his followers, but that gave me plenty of time to think.

This time, my mind went to the raging Civil War happening right below ignorant human feet. Half of the Underground had broken off of Max's rule in anger and disagreement of his recent decisions. Max had decided he was going to wage a war with the real vampires. The ones that were made of marble and could only be killed by fire. Specifically, he wanted to fight this thing called the Volturi. I didn't know much about it, only that they were vampire royalty and that Max was jealous and had wanted his reign to be the only one.

The others had broken away from him for good reason. Sure, I was only a little girl, but I knew that an ancestral versus real vampire war probably wasn't a good idea. Whether we would win or not. It wasn't like I had much of a say in it anyway.

I then started to think about Stefan. He was the most important piece of tape still holding my brain together, and I've always had a small bit of worry that that tape would grow weaker and fall off like most of the others had.

This worry became greater in the past 3 months, though. I knew Stefan was by my side and would never do anything to hurt me, but when Mike, Lucas, and Dustin were ordered to come in my room last night and help Max with his certain "activities" and they did so without hesitation, I felt their pieces of tape grow thinner.

I still desperately held on to those three smiles as I sat in the meeting room, pretending like everything was okay. I wanted to believe they were forced, but I just couldn't.

It didn't help that I began to realize that I could never truly trust anyone in this room. No matter how nice the 5 grown men who had supported me at this time were to me, they would always be on Max's side.

Max began to be absent mindedly play with my long brown hair, which brought me back to the present.

I noticed the aching in my knees as Max called, "Meeting adjourned!" Dismissing everyone to their duties.

I stayed still as Max got up and turned to the 2 people behind him and began to talk business.

"Alright, now I know I already gave you two orders in front of everyone, but not everyone can be trusted anymore. I would like you to complete the orders I have already given to you, but I would also like you to do something a little extra extra for me."

Damon stepped forward, "Of course, sir." Stefan followed suit and simply nodded.

"As you know, we are currently going through hard times. Half of my ranks have left, and it has recently come to my attention that they have not only left but are attempting to fight back." He walked in front of my still kneeling form and put his hands under my arms, ushering me to rise to my feet. He then turned me to face his two most loyal recruits, "In light of these recent events, I will have to take a few trips over the next month or 2 and I cannot have sweet Isabella weighing me down." He began to start playing with my hair with one hand and gently rubbing my left forearm with the other, " I need one of you to come with me and one of you to stay here and stand guard over my dear little weapon."

He gave them one day to decide who would do what while I found myself once again, getting tied to my bed frame. My breathing was shallow, and my heart was nearly beating out of my chest, but I let Max take my clothes off and knot the ropes around my wrists and ankles without a fight.

"Now, now, pet. I need you to relax for me, I want a nice and smooth last run before I set off on my journey."

I did my best to slow my breathing down as he did the act he had been doing for the past 18 months. It lasted longer this time, but I was just glad I wouldn't have to go through with it for a while.

Luckily, I was good for him because he let me stay tied on the bed, and he even covered me with the silk sheets on my bed before he left.

I had woken up the next morning sore, as usual. I waited for someone to come in and untie me. Usually, it would be Max, but I knew he would probably be gone already, considering the brothers had all day to make the decision yesterday.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited. I knew the choice that would be made, and I just couldn't wait to spend my time with the best person I had ever met.

As I waited, I took the time to look around. I had been so distracted by my thoughts lately, and I didn't get too much time in my room considering Max had been dragging me around a lot more than usual for the past 3 months.

I remembered the first day I woke up in this room before I knew my savior was a psychopath. The sheets were a nice navy blue, and the rest of the room was made of nice red oak planks. There were more navy blue accents around, but obviously, there were no windows. They didn't call it The Underground for nothing.

I looked around at my current surroundings, aware that the once navy blue sheets were now washed out and tattered. There were plenty of tears and holes from where Max got rough. Even some old blood spots from the times he experimented with these glowing metal things.

He hasn't really tortured me much lately. It's probably because I didn't give him a reason anymore. The one thing I don't think he'll ever stop doing is the stuff he does when he takes his clothes off. I can't say I've gotten used to it, but it has gotten easier. Especially because I found a way to make myself feel better.

It was better than any hug from Stefan or supportive words from the other 4. I don't know why. I do it to myself the same ways Max would to me, but when I do it, it isn't torture. It's amazing.

I glanced at the broken piece of glass just poking out from under my old wardrobe. I couldn't wait until-

Damon walked into my room.

"Damon?!" I internally smacked myself for not holding my tongue. Why was he the one who stayed? Why did Stefan leave me with... him?

He looked at me with confusion, "Uh... Isabella?!" He said, mocking my earlier outburst.

I regained my composure and just figured that neither had left yet. Yes, that was it. Max was busy getting ready for his trip with Damon, and Stefan was helping him.

"When are you leaving?" I asked it innocently, sure that I was right. I mean, Stefan couldn't have just... left.

Damon scratched the back of his head while standing in the doorway, "Me? I'm staying here, Bells. Stefan and Max took off a few hours ago."

I could feel the tears prickle in my eyes. What? Why am I crying? I don't cry anymore. I don't feel like that anymore. I'm strong and I'm good and I certainly don't cry.

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths, "W-would you please just untie me, please."

He seemed to have snapped out of his confusion and had a moment of realization after I had said that. He zoomed straight to my bedside, undoing the ropes before stepping out of the room. So I could get dressed in private. I took this alone time to get my fix.

As soon as I plunged the glass into my arm, I forgot where I was. I just focused on cut going into my arm and filling my body with adrenaline. It was now the only thing that made the numbness go away. The sadness, the anger, I could care less about it in this very moment.

That was until I heard a knock from the door and Damon calling my name, telling me we had somewhere to be.

I walked out of my room in a dark purple dress. It was short sleeved and it reached just above my knees. It had flowers embroidered all around the hem of it and it was made of extremely soft silk. I also had on my matching purple flats, with the same flower embroidery all over them.

Damon took a good look at me before his eyes fell onto my arm, "I know Max doesn't care, but you really shouldn't do that." He had sympathy in his eyes. He always did. I could tell how much it pained him to see me kneeling next to Max and tied to my bed like an animal.

I didn't care at the moment though, I was still upset with the current arrangements and I was not about to have Damon tell me what I can and can't do, "It's none of your business."

I spoke my words with venom, so much so it caused the room to shake slightly and a nearby vase to explode into tiny shards. Damon gave me a sorry look, but he knew why I was angry and decided to let it go.

Damon's power was reading minds, but not in a typical way. He would read the emotions behind every thought rather than the reason, he was the only other one that knew how I was truly being treated. Sure, there was Mike, Lucas, and Dustin. But they were different, though Max asked for help, all they did was lay out a few of those metal things he liked to use on me a lot, they also tied me down, they didn't see it when he... you know.

But that still didn't change the weakening bonds they were creating in my mind. Even though they didn't know what Max was going to do when they left, they still knew they were leaving me alone with a ruthless, 1000 year old ancestral vampire. They set out tools that they knew would hurt me. And even though I tried desperately hard to believe that they had to, I could tell their bond with that psychopath had won over me. I could only hope that this little trip Stefan was taking with Max didn't result in another stab in the back.

At this point, me and Damon were walking down the apocalyptic looking hallway to the study. I was holding his hand as I did with Max as we walked. But, in that moment, like a firework exploding in my chest, I felt it.

Damon, already knowing what was about to happen, scooped me up and sped to the study so I could sit down on one of the plushy, maroon couches.

I didn't really focus on what Damon was doing, though. I was too busy feeling a burst of pain shoot up from my heart to my mind. The whole room began to shake. Books, laptops, vases, and paintings began to burst and fling across the room as I sat there, hyperventilating on the couch.

Why was I doing this? Why, right now? What was happening to me?

I felt as the few weak pieces of tape finally snapped.

I put my knees to my chest and buried my face into them. I began to rock back and forth, completely unable to control my sanity, unraveling before me.

Damon was saying something, but I wasn't able to make it out. I wasn't able to make out anything going on around me. I could only watch as my mind betrayed me.

I couldn't believe it was happening. I thought I was strong. What did I do? Did I cut myself wrong? Did I wake up wrong? Did Max do something to me while I was asleep? There had to be some kind of explanation,there was no way I could just break. I'm Isabella. The Isabella that survived 5 years trapped in a lab. That killed my own demon father. That survived through Max's worst version of himself. I wasn't breaking. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible.

All these thoughts were cut short by a stabbing pain in my neck. I removed my head from my knees to see Damon's fist wrapped around a syrange under my neck.

I looked up at him, dazed, and said, "Vervain," before the darkness took over.

DAMON POV

I stood there, staring at my unconscious little sister, completely shocked at pieces of debris that crunched under my feet while I nervously paced back and forth. What the hell just happened? One second, she was her normal numb self, and the next, she turned into a whirl wind of chaos.

Without a second thought, I picked up my phone to call Stefan.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. "Hey, this is Stefan. I am currently unavailable. Leave a message."

Crap.

Why out of all the times he could not pick up, was it now? I sighed and left my message, "Stefan, we've got a problem. Call me back and make sure Max isn't around to hear."

I knew if Max heard this it would screw up the whole plan. Me and Stefan were already having a hard enough time trying to carry out this whole double agent thing without Bella's thing she just did.

She was the most important piece to the plan. And the most important part was her not knowing about it. But I could read her thoughts. I knew her bonds between me and my brother were tearing, i just didn't expect them to finally give at the worst possible moment. And it certainly didn't help that she had a completely unexplained reaction.

Was it a tantrum? Or a mental breakdown? I didn't think either of those were possible in her current emotionless state.

I looked at her unconscious form on the old couch I sat her on 5 minutes ago. Wait. 5 minutes? All of this had happened in a mere 5 minutes?

I let out a sigh and called in the 3 little a-holes that I knew were actually hurting her. "Dustin, Mike, Lucas!!!"

They careened into the study and immediately came to a halt. They all looked around the now destroyed office area, unsurprisingly. Even though I was still shocked, the once warm, rustic room, full of redoak bookshelves and nooks where people could escape from reality on their computers, had turned into ruins in such a short period of time.

"Woah... what happened in here?" Lucas was the first one to speak up.

I sighed, still angry at the part they played in this whole thing, even though they didn't know it, "Nothing that can't be solved. You 3 need to clean all this up and try your best to make it look like nothing happened. Here, "I held out 2 grand in cash, "use this to replace all the broken items."

They looked at me dumbfounded, "Seriously, your putting us on cleaning duty?" Mike was the next to comment.

"I'm sorry, are you one of the followers in Max's inner circle of am I?" I was beginning to grow more and more frustrated by the second.

They all sighed, Dustin defeatedly grabbed the stack of bills I was still holding, and they all ran back out. I couldn't blame them for their stubbornness. They all just matured a couple of years ago.

I couldn't help but be reminded of how me and Stefan used to be. Young and naive little vampires that couldn't help but take Max's hand. Even though that wasn't the part of peoples minds I read, I still knew there wasn't in reason in their thoughts yet. They still had the adrenaline kick of just gaining their full strength, though their humanity was on, it wasn't strong yet.

I suddenly felt a ping of worry. Bella's mind had practically fell apart in a matter of minutes, and now she was stuck in it. I quickly grabbed her and took her to my quarters.

I laid her down on my bed and began to violently shake her, "Come on, Bella. Wake up! WAKE UP!!! ISABELLA!!!"

Next Update 10/4/23