Twilight, Vampire Diaries 1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey guys, I'm finally back reposting The Perfect Man. As I told you I finished writing the story and realized I had made a few big changes down the road and they all reflected to small changes in these first few chapters and I had to take them down to get those details/changes fixed.

As I said before I still own nothing but my ideas unfortunately. _Stephenie Meyer, LJ Smith_ and _Linda Howard (for her novel Mr. Perfect and mainly the List items)_ still own their characters. Hope you like this story.

Chapter 1

**Family home, 11:38am**

"This is ridiculous!"

Clutching her pearls in her hand so tightly her knuckles were white, the woman glared at the man across from her.

"He said he didn't touch the hamster, and my child doesn't lie. The very idea!"

The bespectacled man worked privately at the house for six years. He was a teacher for twenty years but he had never met people like that before. He was accustomed to dealing with irate parents, but the tall, thin woman seated before him and the child sitting so sedately beside her, unnerved him. He hated to use the vernacular, but they were weird. Though he knew it was a wasted effort, he tried to reason with her.

"There was a witness - "

"She put him up to saying that. My son would never, never have hurt that hamster, and would you, darling?"

"No, Mother."

The voice was almost unearthly sweet, but the child's eyes were cold and unblinking as they stared at the man, as if weighing the denial's effect on him.

"See, I told you so!"

The woman said triumphantly. The man decided to try again.

"Ma'am"

"You have disliked my boy from the first time you met him. Maybe you do not like working for me or maybe you think you are not being paid enough. I do not care which. You will not talk about my son like that again!"

The woman's lips were thin with fury.

"Only two weeks ago I scolded you about the filth you were putting in my son's head. I have told you before I absolutely would not have you speaking about"

She darted a glance at the young child

"s-e-x to my child. That's why you're doing this now."

"Ma'am!"

"Stop talking! I wouldn't put it beyond you to have killed the hamster yourself!"

"The hamster was my personal pet. I brought it here to teach your child about -"

"You still could have killed it. Good God, it was just a big rat"

The woman said dismissively. The man sighed, removed his glasses and wearily polished the lenses, just to give himself something to do while he tried to think of a way to neutralize this woman's poison

"I don't understand what all the fuss is about even if my son had killed it, which he didn't. He's being persecuted - persecuted - and I won't stand for it"

He glanced at the child; it was still watching him, wearing an angelic expression totally at odds with those cold eyes. He decided to speak his mind

"Have you ever considered getting help for him? A good doctor, maybe a child psychologist -"

"Are you crazy?"

She hissed, her face twisted with instant rage as she surged to her feet.

"My son doesn't need a psychologist! There's nothing wrong with him. The problem is with you"

"The hamster is just the latest incident, not the first one. There's been a pattern of disturbing behavior that goes beyond mischief - "

"Lies!"

The woman shouted. The man nodded thoughtfully and stood up

"Then I resign. I fear for my own safety and since you refuse to understand that, they there is nothing we can talk about. I will also inform other tutors of your... situation"

The man stood and walked away with his head held high. When the gate was closed and the man out of sight, the woman, without warning, slapped her child so hard he fell out of his chair and his head banged against stone gazebo flooring.

"You little bastard,"

She said through gritted teeth.

"How dare you humiliate me that way! You know what is going to happen now, don't you?"

She screamed the last two words at him.

"Yes, Mother."

The child's face was expressionless, but his eyes gleamed with something that could almost be anticipation. The woman's eyes lost their fury, the irises glazed over as if ice water had been poured in and her tone went so cold the child almost trembled

"You will be perfect if I have to beat it into you. My child will be perfect."

"Yes, Mother"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Mystic Falls, 2014**

Bella Swan woke up in a bad mood.

Once upon a time she thought the ancient truck she used to drive when she lived with her father was the loudest car in the world. She was proven wrong by her neighbor's car. That... thing made Big Red sound like a purring kitten!

Said neighbor had just roared home at three a.m. 'Roared' being the operative word and, unfortunately, her bedroom was on the same side of the house as his driveway. Had she been informed about him she never would have closed in on the sale. In the 2 months she had lived here, he had managed to destroy all the joy she'd felt on buying her first house.

Why? He was a drunk. The kind who made her afraid to let the cat go outside when he was home. Her neighbor already had it in for poor BooBoo anyway, because he'd found paw prints on the windshield and hood of his car. She had tried to be nice that day, she did feel bad about Booboo, but he hadn't paid any attention to the peace-offering smile.

Now, here he was, waking up the entire neighborhood at three a.m. with that roaring car. The injustice of it, after he had snapped at her for waking him up in the middle of the afternoon during her housewarming party, before BooBoo had even come to live with her, made her want to march over to his house and hold her finger against his doorbell until he was up and as wide awake as everyone else.

Normally she would, despite the late hour. There was just one little problem. She was the teeniest bit afraid of him.

She didn't like it; Bella wasn't accustomed to backing down from anyone, not in this town, not anymore, but this guy made her uneasy. She didn't even know his name! All she knew was that he was a rough-looking guy and he didn't seem to hold down a regular job. At best, he was a drunk, and drunks could be mean and destructive. At worst, he was involved in illegal stuff, which added dangerous to the list. Figures she'd end up living next to the dangerous guy!

He was a tall guy, with a tousled mess of black hair. The fact that he looked as if he could go a few rounds with the wrestling team of her old high school (or at least with Emmett and Paul) and come on top (or at least alive and breathing) certainly added to her uneasiness. The guy wasn't even broad or looking like Mr. Muscle. He was lean, yet his posture screamed 'danger'.

Every time she had seen him, he looked as if he hadn't shaved in two or three days. Add that to the bloodshot eyes and bad temper and she came up with drunk. The small town had seemed so safe...

She had fallen in love with the neighborhood, with its older 1940s style houses. She had seen a good mix of people, from younger families with children to retired people whose families visited every Sunday. Some of the older folks actually sat on their porches during the cool of the evening, waving to passersby's, and children played in their yards. The absolute best was that no one asked her who her family was. That was a small perk but it was part of the selling point for her. She should have checked out all her neighbors because this guy living next door did not make her feel safe. Far from it.

Angry she turned on her other side hoping she'd be able to go back to sleep. Her hip thrust the white and silver streaked furry pillow that jumped up with a startled yowl, and Bella almost had a heart attack.

"Jesus! BooBoo, you scared the hell out of me."

She wasn't used to having a pet in the house, and she was always forgetting to watch where she moved. BooBoo, the gorgeous silver and white cat was a belated housewarming gift from her mother and the two weren't used to each other at all. He had been given to Renee as a housewarming present. Her mom loved the cat, until she got bored with the animal and re-gifted him to Bella, under the excuse of her going away, and the poor kitty had been in a feline pout ever since, and he took out his frustration on the furniture.

In just one week, he had frayed a sofa cushion to the point that she would have to have it reupholstered. She hated the tribal pillow design though, so maybe BooBoo had made her a favor, the jury was still out on that.

She woke to the annoying beep of the alarm clock. She rolled over to silence it yawning. The red numbers shining at her in the dim room made her blink, and look again.

"Ah, hell"

She groaned in disgust as she leaped out of bed. 6:58 am; the alarm had been going off for almost an hour, which meant she was late. Way late.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it,"

She muttered as she jumped into the shower and three minutes later jumped out again and dashed into the kitchen to open a can of food for BooBoo, who was already sitting beside his bowl glaring at her.

"Of all days, why couldn't you have jumped on the bed when you got hungry? No, today you decided to wait, and now I don't have time to eat."

BooBoo indicated that he didn't care whether she ate or not, so long as he had food. Shaking her head she returned to the bathroom, did a hurried makeup job, slipped earrings into her earlobes and her watch onto her wrist, and grabbed the outfit she always grabbed when she was in a hurry because she didn't have to fuss with it: dark blue jeans, a white eyelet silk shirt, with a red lace cardigan. She jammed her feet into her shoes, grabbed her purse, and was out the door.

Then she remembered. It was trash-collection day.

"Oh come on!"

Bella muttered under her breath as she rushed back into the house drawing BooBoo's attention away from his milk long enough for him to throw her a murderous look and turn his back on her.

She dashed out of the house again armed with the trash bag, remembered she hadn't locked the door, dashed back, then dragged her big metal garbage can down to the curb and deposited the morning's offerings inside it, on top of the other two bags already in it. For once, she didn't try to be quiet; she hoped she woke up the inconsiderate jerk in the house next door.

She stumbled back to her car, a midnight blue modern Beetle and just for good measure, when she started the engine; she revved it up a few times before putting it in reverse. The car shot backward and with an almighty clang collided with her garbage can. There was another clang as the can rolled into her next-door neighbor's can and knocked it over, sending the lid rolling down the street.

Bella closed her eyes and tapped her head on the steering wheel - gently; she didn't want a concussion. Though maybe she should give herself a concussion; at least then she wouldn't have to worry about getting to work on time, which was now a physical impossibility.

She put the car in park and got out. What was needed now was control, not a temper tantrum.

She righted her own dented can and placed the spilled bags back inside it, then jammed the warped lid back on top. Next she returned her neighbor's can to its full and upright position, gathered the trash - he wasn't nearly as neat with his trash collection as she was, but what did you expect from a drunk - then walked down the street to collect the lid.

It lay tilted against the curb in front of the next house down. As she bent to pick it up, she heard a screen door slam behind her.

Well, she had gotten her wish: the inconsiderate jerk was awake.

"What the hell are you doing?"

He barked. He looked scary, in his sweatpants and torn, dirty T-shirt, a black scowl on his unshaven face.

She turned and marched back to the worse-for-wear pair of cans and slammed the lid down on top of his can.

"Picking up your garbage,"

She snapped. His eyes were shooting fire. Actually they were just bloodshot, as usual, but the effect was the same.

"Just what is it you have against letting me get some sleep? You're the noisiest damn woman I've ever seen -"

The injustice of that made her forget she was a little afraid of him. Bella stalked up to him, glad she was wearing shoes with two-inch heels that lifted her up so she was level with his chin. Almost.

So what if he was big? She was mad, and mad beat big any day of the week.

"I'm noisy?"

She said through gritted teeth. It was tough to get much volume when her jaw was locked, but she tried.

"_I'm_ noisy?"

She jabbed her finger at him. She didn't want to actually touch him, because his T-shirt was torn and stained with... something.

"I'm not the one who woke the whole neighborhood at three o'clock this morning with that piece of junk you call a car. Buy a muffler, for God's sake! I'm not the one who slammed his car door once, the screen door three times - what, did you forget your bottle and have to go back for it? - and left his porch light on so it shone into my bedroom and kept me from sleeping."

He opened his mouth to blast her in return, but Bella wasn't finished.

"Furthermore, it's a hell of a lot more reasonable to expect people to be sleeping at three o'clock in the morning than it is at two in the afternoon, or"

She checked her watch

"seven-twenty-three in the morning."

God, she was so late.

"So back off, buddy! Go crawl back into your bottle. If you drink enough, you'll sleep through anything."

He opened his mouth again. Bella forgot herself and actually poked him. Oh, yuck. Now she'd have to boil her finger.

"I'll buy you a new can tomorrow, so just shut up. And if you do anything to hurt my mom's cat, I'll take you apart cell by cell. I'll mutilate your DNA so it can never reproduce, which would probably be a good thing for the world."

She swept him with a blistering look that took in his ragged, dirty clothes and unshaven jaw.

"Do you understand me?"

He nodded. She took a deep breath, reaching for the rein on her temper.

"Okay. All right, then. Damn it, you made me cuss; and I'm trying not to do that."

He gave her a strange look.

"Yeah, you really need to watch that damn cussing."

She felt a growl bubbling inside her and pushed her hair out of her face trying to muffle it.

"I'm late; I haven't had any sleep, any breakfast, or any coffee. I'd better leave before I hurt you."

He nodded.

"That's a good idea. I'd hate to have to arrest you."

She stared at him, taken aback.

"What?"

"I'm a cop,"

He said, then turned and walked back into his house. Bella stared after him, shocked. A cop?

"Well, fuck"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Every Friday, Bella and her three friends met after work at Mystic Bar & Grill (the town fathers obviously had a hard on for adding the word 'Mystic' to everything Bella used to joke), for a glass of wine, a meal they didn't have to prepare, and girl talk.

"What a day"

She said as she dropped into the empty fourth chair. While she was thanking God, she'd add to the list her thanks that today were Friday. It had been a bitch, but it was the last bitch - at least until Monday.

"Tell me about it"

Rebekah Mikaelson muttered as she stubbed out a cigarette and promptly lit another one.

"Brick's been on a tear lately. Is it possible for men to have PMS?"

"They don't need it; they're born with testosterone poisoning."

Bella deadpanned.

"Oh, is that what's wrong?"

Rebekah rolled her blue eyes while pushing a strand of her perfect blond hair out of her sight.

On the surface, the four friends had nothing in common other than their place of work and the school they attended. Rebekah Mikaelson was a vampire changed by spell, was interning in the accounting department, forever 19, undeniably the oldest one. She had been changed against her will when her parents wanted to protect their children after the death of the youngest child. That was more or less, a thousand years ago. Since then she had many lovers and a single fiancé. The wedding never happened since the guy met his maker by her own brothers' hands. Since then she preferred far less formal arrangements.

Her hair was a long and honey blond, would ever get lung cancer despite her smoking, and her clothes were always proper and understated. She liked margaritas, rowdy sex, and admitted to a fondness for human men.

Rebekah's current boyfriend was a guy named Brick. His brains and muscles true to his name, and none of the other three liked. He was in his early 20s, worked occasionally, exploded to a horse sized wolf when he got pissed or horny and spent most of his time drinking her beer and watching her television. According to Rebekah, though, he liked sex just the way she did and that was reason enough to keep him around for a while. That and the fact that all five of her brothers hated him and needling the Originals was always too much fun.

Bonnie Bennett was the resident witch and the wunderkind of the sales division, something she was a natural at after using her powers unwittingly to see what each client wanted and present her products in just the right way. She was tall, willowy, and had both the grace and dignity of a cat. Her perfect skin was the color of mocha, her voice was gentle and lyrical, and men dropped at her feet like flies.

She was currently dating Matt Donovan, one of their classmates who also worked at the Grill. She had fallen hard for him, having turned from best fried to lover without realizing it, while he was known for two things. His stepping out after the new face in town and his golden retriever devotion to whichever current woman was in his life. Once upon a time it used to be Elena (Bonnie's best friend growing up) and another Caroline (after Elena dumped him in favor of the new guy in town) and later Rebekah (after she too moved in Mystic Falls). Currently it was Bonnie (but only after she helped to see his dead sister's ghost and only when no new people moved in or out of their small town). All too often Bonnie's dark hazel eyes held an unhappy expression, but she refused to give up on him.

Caroline Forbes interned in human resources, also a vampire turned on what would have been her deathbed and was everything Bella could have been had she not moved to Mystic Falls. She was stuck in the in-between year as she called being seventeen, and had began dating Rebekah's vampire-werewolf hybrid older brother as a way to take his attention of her boyfriend but ended up falling for the big bad hybrid.

Privately, Bella thought Caroline could be a little more independent. Klaus may be the big man of the world who would travel from Virginia to New Orleans without a word; Caroline was always checking her watch, as though she had to be home at a certain time or her phone constantly for messages. From what Bella gathered, Klaus didn't approve of their Friday night get-together. All they did was have dinner, and they were never out later than nine or ten; it wasn't as if they were hitting all the bars and drinking until the wee hours, despite Rebekah's tries.

Well, no one's life was perfect, Bella thought. She hadn't done so great in the romance department herself. Like Caroline she had fallen for a human boy in Phoenix where she lived with her mother but it hadn't worked. She'd began dating a Cold One when she moved in with her father in Forks but despite all they'd been through together, he had dumped her like trash after she got a paper cut on her birthday party sending her into a month long depression. She got over it, and him, with her best friend's help without realizing Jake's motives weren't as friendly as hers and he tried to kiss her against her will. Her human punch against his shape shifter cheek though did little to sting him despite breaking her wrist and the drama that unfolded between the two caused a permanent rift between her and her father.

That rift ended with Bella packing her bags and utilizing an open ended plain ticket her vampire's boyfriend's mother had gifted her for her birthday and went to her own mother. Renee, despite her numerous parenting flaws, simply hugged her silly and handed Bella the keys to her stepfather's family mansion in a tiny town she had never heard of before and told her daughter to be safe and call her daily. Renee didn't think that finding the remains of her father in law in the house's backyard, buried under the vervain plants was something to be afraid of.

That move was the best thing that could happen to her and in the small town that was supernatural central she had flourished. Nobody cared that she was eighteen and alone and nobody tried to get in her business. She rented out the seven rooms of the Salvatore mansion and used the income as well as her own paychecks and royalties to buy her very own house. Her sci-fi romance book based on her own sci-fi romance with the vampire ex had sold well and she was currently writing a sequel based on how she envisioned her life would be had not Edward (her vampire boyfriend) wasn't such a moron to have left her.

She had given up on dating altogether despite her friends' protests and blind dates setups. She was content being the token human in their group.

"I had another episode with my neighbor this morning,"

She said, sighing as she propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her entwined fingers.

"What did he do this time?"

Caroline was sympathetic, because, as they all knew, Bella was stuck, and bad neighbors could make your life a living hell. She had offered to compel the nasty neighbor but the town's water supply had recently been enriched with a herb that countered compulsion. Rebekah had offered to eat him, literally, while Bonnie had suggested hexing him but Bella had turned them all down despite wanting to accept. She wasn't a local and wasn't supernatural. She didn't want to ruin Phil's family name if something went wrong. She may own the Salvatore Boarding House but she wasn't a Salvatore, although Phil had suggested it, Bella felt attached to her own name.

"I was in a hurry and backed into my trash can. You know how when you're running late you always do things that would never happen if you took your time? Everything went wrong this morning. Anyway, my can knocked his down, and the lid bounced into the street. You can imagine the noise. He came charging out the front door like a bear, yelling that I was the noisiest person he'd ever seen."

"You should have kicked his can over"

Rebekah said. She wasn't a believer in turning the other cheek outside the bedroom.

"He'd have arrested me for disturbing the peace"

Bella said mournfully.

"He's a cop."

"No way!"

They all looked incredulous, but then, they had heard her describe him, and red eyes, beard stubble, and dirty clothes didn't sound very cop like. None of them had ever met him in person.

"I guess cops are just as likely to be drunks as anyone else,"

Caroline sighed and then grinner devilishly.

"Want me to have mom ruin his life a little?"

Just like Bella, Caroline was the Sheriff's daughter. Sometimes the two felt too similar for comfort. Bella frowned, thinking back to the morning's encounter and seriously contemplating complaining to Liz Forbes. Unlike her own father who would protect her but ultimately insisting she fights her own battles, Liz was a woman that would listen to her and take her side if she found it fair.

"Come to think of it, I didn't smell anything on him. He looked like he'd been on a three-day drunk, but he didn't smell like it. Damn, I hate to think he can be that grouchy when he isn't hangover."

"At least he's just a neighbor"

Bonnie said soothingly.

"You can avoid him."

"So far I'm not doing a very good job at it"

Bella admitted, scowling at the table. Then she straightened, determined to stop letting the jerk dominate her life and her thoughts

"Enough about him. Anything interesting going on with you guys?"

Bonnie bit her lip, and misery chased across her face.

"I called Matt last night, and a woman answered."

"Oh, damn."

Rebekah leaned across the table to pat Bonnie's hand, and Bella exchanged a look with Caroline and both hugged Bonnie. The waiter chose that moment to distribute menus that they didn't need, because they knew all the selections by heart. They gave him their orders, he collected the unopened menus, and when he left, they all leaned closer to the table.

"What are you going to do?"

Bella asked her thinking of the ways 'she' could help her witch friend. Bonnie shrugged. She was close to tears, and trying to be nonchalant.

"We aren't exclusive. I don't have any right to complain."

"No, but you can protect yourself and stop seeing him,"

Caroline said gently.

"We all did it. Matt is a great guy and an amazing friend, but is he worth this kind of pain?"

Rebekah snorted.

"No man is"

"Amen"

Four margarita glasses clinked as each girl thought about her own man. Bonnie twisted the amber crystal that hung from her neck, her long, slender fingers restless.

"But when we're together, he. He acts as if he really cares. He's sweet, and loving, and so considerate -"

"They all are, until they get what they want."

Rebekah stubbed out her third cigarette as Caroline kicked her under the table.

"That's personal experience speaking, you understand. Have your fun with him, but don't expect him to change."

The original vampire hastened to explain trying to avoid Bella's sharp kick under the table. Caroline nodded ruefully picking at the bracelet Klaus had given her as a belated birthday present after saving her immortal life.

"They never change. They may put on an act for a while, but when they think they have you sewed up and tied down, they relax and Mr. Hyde shows his hairy face again."

Bella laughed.

"That sounds like something I would say."

"Except you'd be rhetorical Miss VCard intact"

Rebekah pointed out making Bella blush furiously. Caroline waved a signal to cut the jokes. Bonnie looked even more miserable than before.

"So I should either put up with being one of a herd, or stop seeing him?"

"Well. Yeah."

"But it shouldn't be that way! If he cares for me, how can he be interested in all those other women?"

"Oh, that's easy,"

Bella replied.

"The one-eyed snake has no taste."

"Sweetheart,"

Rebekah said, her voice as kind as she could make it,

"If you're looking for Mr. Perfect, you're going to spend your whole life being disappointed, because he doesn't exist. You have to get the best deal you can, but there will always be problems."

"I know he isn't perfect, but - "

"But you want him to be,"

Caroline finished. She did too. The whole time she was with Matt she was wondering if he thought about Elena and she knew that Rebekah thought she was a replacement for Caroline and now Bonnie... Bella shook her head.

"The perfect man is pure science fiction. Not that we're perfect, either, but most women do at least try. Men don't try. That's why I gave up on them. Relationships just don't work out for me."

She paused, then said thoughtfully,

"I wouldn't mind having a sex slave, though."

The other three burst out laughing, even Bonnie.

"I could get into that, I wonder where I can get one?"

Rebekah said not digging into Bella's on existent sex life this time.

"Try Sexslaves-R-Us,"

Caroline suggested, and they dissolved into laughter again.

"There's probably a Web site,"

Bonnie said, choking a little.

"Of course there is."

Bella was totally deadpan.

"It's on my Favorites list: .com."

"Just type in your requirements and you can rent Mr. Perfect by the hour or the day."

Caroline waved her margarita glass carried away with enthusiasm.

"A day? Get real. An hour is asking for a miracle. Besides, there is no Mr. Perfect, remember?"

Rebekah said laughing.

"Not a real one, no, but a sex slave would have to pretend to be exactly what you wanted, wouldn't he?"

Biting her lip, Bella rummaged through her purse for her trusty notepad and pen and opened it on the table.

"He most certainly would. Let's see, what would Mr. Perfect be like?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"He'd have to do the dishes half the time without being asked,"

Caroline said, slapping her hand down on the table and drawing curious looks their way. When they managed to stop laughing at the mental image of Klaus doing the dishes in a pair of bright pink kitchen gloves long enough to be coherent, Bella scribbled on her pad.

"Okay, **Number 1: Do the dishes**."

"No, hey, doing the dishes can't be number one; we have more serious issues to address first."

Rebekah protested

"Agreed"

Bonnie said.

"Seriously. What do we think a perfect man would be like? I've never thought about it in those terms. Maybe it would help if I had it clear in my mind what I like in a man."

They all paused.

"The perfect man? Seriously?"

Bella wrinkled her nose.

"Seriously."

"This is going to take some thinking,"

Rebekah said sipping her drink

"Not for me"

Caroline said, the laughter fading from her face.

"The most important thing is that **he wants the same things out of life that you do**."

They lapsed into a little pond of silence. The attention their laughter had gotten from the diners at the surrounding tables moved on to more promising targets.

"Wants the same things out of life,"

Bella repeated as she wrote it down.

"That's important, but I'm not sure it's number one."

"Then what's number one for you?"

"Faithfulness."

She thought of the sneaking suspicions she had all along as to why despite her tries, Edward simply wasn't into her body as much as he was into her mind

"Life's too short to waste it on someone you can't trust. You should be able to depend on the man you love not to lie to you or cheat on you. If you have that as a base, you can work on the other stuff."

"That's number one for me,"

Bonnie said quietly. Caroline thought about it.

"Okay,"

"I'll go along with that, I can't stand a two-timer. **Number one: He's faithful**. **Doesn't cheat or lie**."

Rebekah said. They all nodded.

"What else?"

Bella sat with the pen poised over the pad.

"He should be nice,"

Caroline offered.

"Nice?"

Rebekah looked incredulous.

"Yes, nice. Who wants to spend her life with a jerk?"

"Or next door to one?"

Bella muttered. She nodded in agreement.

"Nice is good. It doesn't sound exciting, but think about it. I think Mr. Perfect would be kind to kids and animals, help old ladies across the street, not insult you when your opinion is different from his. Being nice is so important it's close to being number one."

Bonnie nodded.

"Okay,"

Rebekah said and took the pad from Bella to hand it to Caroline to write her input.

"**Number two: Nice**."

"Number three? I have my own idea on this one. I want a guy who's dependable. If he says he's going to do something, he should do it. If he's supposed to meet me somewhere at seven, he should be there at seven, not come strolling in at nine-thirty or maybe not at all. Is there a vote on this one?"

They all four raised their hands in an aye vote, and "**Number three: Dependable**" went down in the number three slot in Rebekah's elegant handwriting.

"Number four?"

"The obvious,"

Bella said.

"A steady job."

Rebekah winced.

"Ouch. That one hurt."

Brick was currently sitting on his butt instead of working.

"A steady job is part of being dependable,"

Caroline pointed out.

"And I agree, it's important. Holding down a steady job shows maturity and a sense of responsibility no matter species."

"**Number four: Steady job**,"

Rebekah said as she wrote.

"He should have a sense of humor,"

Bonnie said.

"Something more than an appreciation for The Three Stooges?"

Bella asked. They began snickering.

"What is it with men and The Three Stooges?"

"And bodily function jokes! Put that at number one, Bonnie - no toilet jokes!"

"**Number five: Sense of humor**."

Bonnie chuckled as she wrote.

"In the interest of fairness, I don't think we can dictate what form the humor takes."

"Sure we can"

Bella corrected.

"He's going to be our sex slave, remember?"

"Number six."

Rebekah called them to order by tapping the pen on the rim of her glass.

"Let's get back to business, ladies. What's number six?"

They all looked at each other and shrugged.

"Money's nice"

Caroline finally offered.

"It isn't a requirement, not in real life, but this is fantasy, right? The perfect man should have money."

"Filthy rich or comfortable?"

That called for more thought.

"I like filthy rich, myself"

Rebekah said.

"But he would want to call all the shots if he was filthy rich. He'd be used to it."

Bella objected and both Rebekah and Caroline winced in agreement.

"No way is that going to happen. Okay, money is nice, but not too much money. Comfortable. Mr. Perfect is financially comfortable."

Four hands went up, and "**Number six: Money**" was written.

"Since this is fantasy"

Bella said,

"He should be good-looking. Not drop-dead gorgeous, because that could be a problem. Bonnie's the only one of us pretty enough to hold her own with a handsome guy"

"I'm not doing so good at it, am I?"

Bonnie replied with a tinge of bitterness.

"But, yeah, for Mr. Perfect to be perfect, you should enjoy looking at him"

"Hear, hear**. Number seven: Good to look at**."

When Bella had finished writing, Rebekah looked up with a grin.

"I'm going to be the one to say what we've all been thinking. He should be great in bed. Not just good; he should be great. He should be able to make my toes curl and my eyes roll back in my head. He should have the stamina of a Kentucky Derby winner and the enthusiasm of a sixteen-year-old."

They were still rolling with laughter when the waiter plunked their orders down on the table.

"What's so funny?"

He asked them

"You wouldn't understand,"

Caroline managed to gasp.

"I get it, you're talking about men"

"Nope, we're talking science fiction"

Bella said which sent them off again. The people at the other tables were staring at them again, trying to overhear what was so funny. The waiter left. Rebekah leaned over the table.

"And while I'm at it, I want my Mr. Perfect to have a ten-incher!"

"Oh, my!"

Caroline pretended to swoon, fanning herself.

"What I couldn't do with ten inches - or rather, what I could do with ten inches!"

Bella was laughing so hard she had to hold her sides. Keeping her voice down was an effort, and her words shook with hilarity.

"C'mon! Anything over eight inches is strictly for show-and-tell. It's there, but you can't use it. It might look good in a locker room, but let's face it - those extra two inches are leftovers."

"Leftovers"

Bonnie gasped, holding her stomach and shrieking with laughter.

"Let's hear it for l-leftovers!"

"Oh, boy"

Rebekah wiped her eyes as she scribbled rapidly, her handwriting almost unrecognizable as she laughed

"**Number seven: No smaller than 8 inches**"

"Now we're cooking. What else does Mr. Perfect have?"

Caroline weakly waved her hand giggling madly

"Me, he can have me."

"If we don't trample you getting to him,"

Bella said, and raised her glass. The other three lifted theirs, and they touched rims with ringing clinks.

"To Mr. Perfect, wherever he is!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Saturday morning dawned bright and early - way too bright, and way the hell too early. BooBoo woke Bella at six a.m. by yowling in her ear.

"Go away,"

She mumbled, pulling the pillow over her head. BooBoo yowled again, and batted the pillow. She got the message: she'd either get up, or he was going to unsheathe his claws. She pushed the pillow aside and sat up, glaring at him.

"You're evil, you know that? You couldn't do this yesterday morning, could you? No, you have to wait until my day off, when I don't have to get up early."

He looked unimpressed with her outrage. That was the thing about cats; even the scruffiest one was convinced of its innate superiority. She scratched him behind his ears and a low rumble shivered through his entire body. His slanted yellow eyes closed in bliss.

"You just wait, I'm going to get you addicted to this scratching stuff, and then I'm going to stop doing it. You're going to go cold turkey, pal."

He jumped down from the bed and padded to the open bedroom door, pausing to look back as if checking to make certain she was getting up. Bella yawned and threw back the covers. At least she hadn't been disturbed by her neighbor's noisy car during the night, plus she had pulled down the window shade to keep out the morning light, so she had slept soundly until BooBoo's wake-up call. She raised the shade and peeked through the sheer curtains at the driveway running beside hers. The battered brown car was there. That meant she had either been exhausted and slept like the dead, or he'd gotten a new muffler on the thing. She thought the exhausted-and-dead part was more likely than him getting a new muffler.

BooBoo evidently thought she was wasting time, because he gave a warning meow. Sighing, she pushed her hair out of her face and stumbled to the kitchen - stumbled being the operative word, because BooBoo helped her along by winding around her ankles as she walked. She desperately needed coffee, but knew from experience that BooBoo wouldn't leave her alone until he was fed. She opened a can of food, dumped it on a saucer (because His royalty refused mere cat bowls), and set it on the floor.

While he was occupied, she put on a pot of coffee and headed for the shower. Some people were larks; some were owls; Bella had been both and now was neither. She didn't function well until after a shower and a cup of coffee, and she liked to be in bed early. BooBoo was upsetting the natural order of things with his demands to be fed before anything else was done. How could her mom have done this to her?

"Just four weeks and six days more"

She muttered to herself. Who would have thought that a cat that was normally so loving would turn into such a tyrant when he wasn't in his regular environment?

After a long shower and two cups of coffee, her synapses started connecting and she began remembering all the things she needed to do. Buy the jerk next door a new trash can - check. Buy groceries - check. Do laundry - check. Mow the lawn - check. Get the weekly checks from the boarding house and give the weekly paychecks - check and check.

A quick bowl of cereal later, she pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, stuck her feet in a pair of sandals, and was on her way.

One thing that always struck her was how no one seemed to find getting orders from a teenager as strange in Mystic Falls. Either the town was just that casual with teenagers or money talked or Bella hadn't realized how important Phil's last name was in this place.

Phil's father, Zach Salvatore, had passed away a couple years earlier (and was literally helping the local herbs grow since) and the place had gone to disarray. For some reason the house had been sold to some local girl, who clearly used the house to host raves or something, and Phil had gone through Hell with the local authorities to prove that the girl had no claim in the property. Fortunately his copy of Zach Salvatore's will trumped the sale of the house the girl had and the boarding house belonged to a Salvatore again.

When Bella showed up in Mid-November holding the keys and hanging up a sign saying 'OPEN', everyone had been welcoming and she had even found an old lady that used to own the town's only inn to help her run the place in a day to day basis.

As she got out of the car, Miss Daisy Flowers, in her classic tight white bun and colorful long dress got up from her perch under an umbrella and walked over to her.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning"

Bella replied. She had met the pleasant old lady when she had chosen the inn to stay at after arriving. Miss Flowers had woken her up with fragrant homemade rolls and tea from her own garden to help with the jetlag from the horrible short flight from Florida. Bella had loved her immediately even if the old lady was extremely nosy and had gotten Bella's life story by the time the pot of tea was finished. Bella attributed the curiosity to the monstrosity that hangs from her neck. Phil's family crest was supposed to ease her into the small town. Bella thought he was absurd until she started school and realized that humans were the minority. If only the pendant could scare the jerk next door away!

She smiled at the old lady and allowed to be stuffed with more homemade goodies and vervain tea.

"Sometimes I believe I'm the human equivalent of Babe Miss Flowers. You're fattening me up so I won't see next snow"

She laughed at the huge spread in front of her. Miss Flowers laughed along

"You rarely see snow here dear no matter my fattening you up. You could stand to gain a few more pounds. You were a skeleton when you first got here"

Miss Flowers exclaimed after pinching Bella's cheek hard enough for Bella to remember why she didn't like old ladies as a child.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

She changed the subject. Thank God for weather, because the world would be hard up for a conversational gambit without it.

"Oh, my, it's going to be a scorcher."

Mrs. Flowers beamed at her.

"I have to do my gardening early, before it gets too hot."

The property had a huge yard full of beautiful purple flowers that had the attribute of being poisonous for vampires and protected a human when ingested or worn. Zach Salvatore provided them to the town and Bella had allowed Mrs Flowers to do the same now. She had asked Mrs Flowers brother to help her repot a few bushes at her house as well, not for the attributes but because she loved the color of the wild flowers.

"I had the same idea about mowing my lawn this morning."

"How is the house treating you sweetheart?"

Mr Flowers used to be in real estate before retiring and had helped Bella find the house in the spring.

"I really love it. I'm really grateful your husband helped me find it. I really enjoy you as a neighbor as well"

It wasn't a lie. The nosy old lady was a fine neighbor. It was the jerk on the other side of hers, she wasn't crazy about.

"Miss Flowers, do you know the man who lives on the other side of me?"

What if the jerk had lied to her? What if he wasn't really a cop? She could just see him having a good laugh at her expense, while she tiptoed around and tried to be nice to him. Mrs Flowers eyes widened but then she sipped her own tea and nodded

"My, yes, I've known him all his life practically. His family used to live here, you know. Old family line, like yours. Lovely people. I was so glad when he moved in. He was in the army you know"

Well, that shot that theory in the ass. Bella managed a smile opting against reminding her that she wasn't a Salvatore. She was simply the step daughter of one

"Yes, of course."

She started to say something about the strange hours he kept, but saw the gleam in Mrs Flowers bright blue eyes and bit back the words. The last thing she needed was for her elderly neighbor to think she had any interest in the jerk and maybe tell him. She took care of that by adding,

"I thought he might be a drug dealer or something."

Miss Flowers broke into laughter

"He may have his issues but he's not dealing drugs. You should call that Gilbert boy if you want good drugs"

Miss flowers patted Bella's hands and Bella felt her brows going for a visit in her hairline.

"I... will keep that in mind"

Once her business at the boarding house were over and Bella was driving home, she realized that while chatty and gossipy, Mrs. Flowers had avoided mentioning her neighbor's name

At home, having exchanged the long jeans for shorts, she felt ready to tackle her own gardening. She knew it was silly but she felt a thrill of anticipation as she unlocked the padlock on the garage doors and slipped inside, fumbling until she reached the switch that turned on the single overhead light. Phil's prized car sat there, completely covered by a custom-made canvas tarp, lined with felt so it wouldn't scratch the paint.

Near it was the gardening tools and grabbing those she went back into the inferno. One thing she hadn't realized she'd miss if she had talked Edward into turning her into a vampire would be the sun. When she was little Renée had joked that Bella ran on solar energy.

Shaking the memories away, Bella wheeled the lawn mower to the end of the driveway and fired up the little motor. When she was living with Renee, her mother used to do this because she loved going crazy and giving the lawn shapes. Charlie's lawn was dead and sad in contrast. Now hers was being neatly beheaded and she hummed along as she guided the machine.

Something tapped her on the shoulder.

She shrieked and released the lawn mower handles, jumping to one side and whirling to face her attacker. The mower stopped in its tracks.

The jerk stood there, bloodshot eyes, snarl on his face, dirty clothes: his usual presentation. He reached over and slid the lever on the mower to the off position, and the efficient little engine growled to a stop.

Silence. For about half a second.

"What in hell did you do that for?"

She roared, her face turning red with temper as she stepped closer, unconsciously balling her right hand into a fist.

"I thought you were trying to quit cussing,"

He taunted.

"You'd drive a saint to cussing!"

"That let's you out, doesn't it?"

"You're damn right!"

He eyed her right hand.

"Are you going to use that, or are you going to be reasonable?"

"What -?"

She glanced down and saw that her arm was half-cocked, her fist already drawn back. With great effort she uncurled her fingers. They immediately assumed the fight position again. She really, really wanted to slug him, and she got even angrier because she couldn't.

"Reasonable?"

She yelled, stepping even closer.

"You want me to be reasonable? You're the one who scared the hell out of me and turned off my mower!"

"I'm trying to sleep"

He said, enunciating the words with clear pit stops between each one.

"Is it asking too much for a little consideration?"

She gaped at him.

"You act as if I'm out here mowing at dawn. It's almost ten o'clock! And I'm not the only one who's committing the high crime of cutting grass. Listen,"

She commanded, as the muted roar of neighborhood mowers hummed up and down the street.

"They aren't mowing right outside my bedroom window!"

"So get in bed at a decent hour. It isn't my fault you stay up most of the night!"

His face was getting as red as hers.

"I'm on a task force, kid! Irregular hours are part of the job. I sleep when I can, which, since you moved in, hasn't been very damn often!"

She threw up her hands.

"All right! Fine! I'll finish the job tonight, when it cools down."

She made a shooing motion.

"Just stagger on back to bed. I'll go inside and sit for the next eleven hours. Or will that disturb your beauty rest, too?"

She inquired sweetly.

"Not unless you have firecrackers in your ass"

He snapped, Bella smirked

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

She stalked back into her house enjoying the fact that he got to see her walking away from him even though she was seething. Slamming her door closed she earned a glare from BooBoo before he went back to washing his paws.

"A task force. There's zero crime here except one night a month when werewolves tear the occasional vamp from limb to limb or vampires having sky high libidos"

She growled and BooBoo looked at her finally done with his paws.

"I'll let you in on a secret about our neighbor, BooBoo: Mr. Perfect, he's not!"

BooBoo raised one leg and began washing his intimate areas as if offering an opinion about their neighbor. Bella laughed at the gesture.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Bella managed to get through the weekend without another confrontation with her jerk neighbor and was at work fifteen minutes early in an effort to atone for her Friday lateness.

S.P.C. Inc. occupied a four-story red-brick building with a gray arched porch and six curving steps leading up to impressive double doors. That entrance, however, was used exclusively by visitors. All the employees entered by a metal side door with an electronic lock. The keycards included everything from photographs to species

S.P.C. Inc was the pretty front for the town's inner workings. It used to house the town's council and once the supernatural business was out of the bag it began housing the new face of the council. Supernatural Population Control.

Wiping her card through it and pushing her hair back for a retina scan (to verify that she was still human) Bella entered the building and waited in front of the elevators. The door behind her opened, and Bella turned to see who the next arrival was. She barely refrained from wrinkling her nose.

Jane Upir worked in human resources, and she could be counted on to not see the humor in anything. She was a tall woman whose ambition was to rise into management, though she didn't seem to know how to go about doing so. She wore rather girlish clothes instead of the more businesslike suits that would have complemented her flat as a cardboard build. She was an attractive woman, with feathery blond hair and good skin. Her best feature was her hands, which were slim and elegant, and which she always kept perfectly manicured.

Bella wasn't entirely sure why she despised the woman. She supposed the red eyes and sparkly skin had something to do with it. The very features that turned her into a warm kitten a year ago now hardened her. The animosity wasn't one sided though. Jane flashed Bella a look of utter dislike.

"Go first"

She ordered. Bella threw her a look of total boredom she had copied from Rosalie Hale-Cullen and stepped into the elevator. The doors slid closed, leaving Jane standing outside them glaring.

"Good morning to you too"

Bella grumbled running her hand through her tresses. She had tried not to judge Jane by her species, it wasn't her fault that someone of her kind had broken Bella's heart, but something about her just rubbed Bella the wrong way.

Bella interned at the payroll department. She had never liked math but there was something soothing in the rinse-repeat rhythm. Not in Mondays however. Mondays were the busiest day of the week, because that was when all the time cards for the week before were turned in. This month Bella's boss was away on vacation and it was the first time she'd do payroll on her own despite being a mere intern. Fun!

By ten o'clock, she was ready for a break. Each floor had a snack room, with the usual assortment of vending machines, tables and chairs, a refrigerator, a coffeemaker, and a microwave. There were several women and one man grouped around a single table when Bella entered, all of the women laughing their heads off and the guy looking indignant.

Bella poured herself a much-needed cup of coffee.

"What's up?"

She asked no one in particular

"A special edition of the newsletter"

One of the women answered. Her eyes were wet from laughing.

"This one is going down in history."

"I don't see what's so funny"

Said the guy, scowling.

"You wouldn't"

Another woman said, snickering. She held out the newsletter to Bella.

"Take a look."

The company newsletter wasn't officially sanctioned, not by any stretch of the imagination. It originated from the news floor and one thing they were great for was using their imaginations. Bella expected to see another "wolves ripped a passing by vampire to shreds" to "gas explosion" but the headline was set in huge boldface letters: DO YOU MEASURE UP? Below it read, "What Women Really Want," with a tape measure coiled like a cobra ready to strike.

"Forget about it, guys," the article began. "Most of us are nonstarters. For years we've been told it's not what we've got, it's how we use it, but now we know the truth. Our expert panel of four women, friends who work here at SPC Sat, have come up with a list of their requirements for the perfect man."

Uh-oh. Bella almost groaned, but managed to bite back the sound and show nothing but interest in her expression. Damn it, what had Rebekah done with that list they had written down?

Hastily she skimmed down the article. Thank God; none of their names were mentioned. They were listed as A, B, C, and D. She was still going to throw her spare vervain at Rebekah but now she wouldn't have to fold, spindle, and dagger her.

The entire list was there, starting with "faithful" in the number one spot. The list wasn't bad until it hit number eight, "great in bed," but after that it deteriorated rapidly. Number nine was Rebekah's ten-inch requirement, complete with all their accompanying comments, including her own about the last two inches being leftovers.

Number ten had to do with how long Mr. Perfect should be able to last in bed.

"Definitely longer than a television commercial,"

Had been Bonnie's - Ms. D's - rather scathing indictment. They had settled on half an hour as the optimum length of lovemaking, not counting foreplay.

"Why not?"

Ms. C - that was Bella - was quoted as saying.

"This is a fantasy, right? And a fantasy is supposed to be exactly what you want it to be. My Mr. Perfect could give me thirty minutes of thrusting time - unless you're having a quickie, in which case thirty minutes would kind of defeat the purpose."

The women were all howling with laughter, so Bella figured some expression must be on her face. She just hoped it looked like astonishment rather than horror. The guy - she thought his name was Gary or Craig, something like that - was turning redder by the minute.

"You wouldn't think it was so funny if a bunch of men said that their ideal woman had to have big boobs"

He snapped, getting to his feet, blurring in and out of focus as he held on to his anger to not explode in a furry animal of some sort.

"Oh, come off it, Like men haven't gone for big boobs since their knuckles still dragged the ground. It's nice to see a little payback."

One of the women threw back at him. Oh, great. A battle between the sexes. Bella could just imagine the conversations going on around the building. She forced a smile as she handed back the newsletter.

"I guess we're going to hear about this for a while."

"Are you kidding? I'm going to frame my copy and hang it where my husband sees it first thing in the morning when he wakes up and last thing at night when he goes to bed!"

As soon as Bella got back to her office, she dialed Rebekah's extension.

"Guess what I just saw in the newsletter,"

She growled, keeping her voice low.

"Oh, damn. How bad is it? I haven't seen a copy yet."

"From what I read, it's pretty much verbatim. Damn it, 'Bekah, how could you?"

"And it was an accident. I don't want to say too much here in the office, but if you can meet me for lunch, I'll tell you what happened."

"Okay. Pizza at twelve. I'll call the others"

"This sounds like a lynch party,"

Rebekah said mournfully.

"You would know"

Bella said, and hung up.

Mystic Pizza was about half a mile from the company, which made it a popular place with the employees. They did a booming take-out business, but they also had half a dozen booths and about that many tables. Bella got the back booth, where they would have the most privacy. Within minutes, the other three arrived and slid into the booth, Caroline next to Bella, Rebekah and Bonnie across from them.

"God, I'm sorry"

Rebekah said. She looked miserable, her European accent thick.

"I can't believe you showed the list to someone!"

Caroline was horrified.

"If Klaus ever finds out -"

"I don't see why you're so upset,"

Bonnie said, puzzled.

"I mean, yeah, it'd be a little embarrassing if people found out we're the ones who made the list, but it's really kind of funny."

"Would you still think its funny six months from now when guys are still coming up to you offering to show you that they measure up?"

Bella asked.

"Klaus wouldn't think it's funny at all,"

Caroline said, shaking her head. Privately the others agreed. The hybrid was well known for his temper tantrums

"He'd kill me."

"Yeah,"

Rebekah said glumly.

"Brick isn't what you'd call sensitive, but he'd get pissed that I said I wanted ten inches. Guess you can say he'd come up short."

"How did it happen?"

"I went shopping Saturday, and I ran into that pink haired freak from first floor and we got to talking, went for a late lunch, and had a couple of beers. I showed her the list, we had a good laugh, and she asked for a copy. I didn't see why not. After a few drinks, I don't see why not about a lot of things. She asked a few questions, and somehow I wound up writing down everything we'd said."

Rebekah had a photographic memory like all vampires. Unfortunately, a few drinks didn't seem to affect her memory, just her judgment.

"At least you didn't give her our names,"

Caroline said, her head falling on Bella's shoulder.

"She knows who we are Care"

Bella pointed out.

"Bekah had the list, so any idiot can figure out she's one of the four friends and take it from there. It's not like you two Queens socialize with a lot of people over the summer"

Caroline covered her face with her hands again.

"I'm dead."

"I don't think anything will come of it,"

Bonnie said soothingly.

"If Pink Hair was going to spill the beans on us, she would already have told her pals on the first floor. We're safe. Klaus will never know. I'll cast him a memory spell if you want to"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Bella was on edge the rest of the day, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She couldn't imagine how nervous Caroline must have felt, because if this ever got out and Klaus found out about it, he'd probably chew her out, quite literally.

When it came down to the bottom line, Caroline was the one who had the most to lose. Rebekah was in a relationship, but at least she wasn't that fond of Brick anyway. The thing Bonnie had going with Matt was on-again, off-again at best, without commitment. Hell, the wakeup call could come handy if he thought he lost her.

Of the four, Bella was the one who would have the least difficulty if their identities became known. She wasn't in a relationship and she answered to no one but herself. Most of all, she wasn't local so she'd have some teasing to endure, but that was all.

Once she analyzed the situation and came to that conclusion, she stopped worrying so much. So what if some officeclown tried to show off his wit? She could hold her own with any bozo despite his species.

Her improved mood lasted until she got home and found that BooBoo, in an attempt to impress on her how upset he was at having to stay in a strange house, had completely shredded one of the rosy cushions on her sofa. Tufts of stuffing were scattered all over the living room. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, then to twenty. There was no point in getting angry at the cat; he wouldn't understand nor care. He was as much a victim of circumstance as she was. He hissed at her when she reached for him. She usually left him alone when he did that, but in a moment of pity she scooped him up anyway and burrowed her fingers into his fur, kneading the limber muscles of his back.

"Poor kitty"

She crooned.

"You don't know what's going on, do you?"

BooBoo snarled at her, then ruined the effect by lapsing into a rumbling purr.

"Just hold on for four weeks and five days. That's thirty-three days. You can put up with me that long, can't you?"

He didn't look as if he agreed, but didn't care as long as she continued kneading his back. She carried him into the kitchen and put him on the floor with a fuzzy toy mouse to battle.

Okay. The cat was trashing her house. She could cope. Renee would laugh but she'd help Bella pick new furniture. She was impressed by her own mellowness.

She got a soda and as she stood at the sink, her neighbor arrived home. At the sight of that poop brown car she could feel her mellowness begin to circle the drain. But the car was quiet, so evidently he had replaced the muffler. If he was trying, so could she. Mentally she put a stopper in the drain.

She watched out the window as he got out of the car and unlocked his kitchen door, which faced hers. He was wearing slacks and a black dress shirt and a jacket slung over his shoulder. He looked tired, and when he turned to enter the house, she saw the big black gun in the holster on his belt. This was the first time she had seen him wearing anything except old, dirty clothes, and she felt a bit disoriented, as if the world had shifted off center.

Knowing he was in law enforcement and seeing him as a cop were two different things. The fact that he was wearing street clothes instead of a uniform meant he wasn't a patrol officer, but was at least a detective in rank. That puzzled her though. Mystic was just as small as Forks and Charlie always wore his uniform. Even Liz always wore hers. If the sheriff wore a uniform, why wouldn't the others in the department?

He was still a jerk, but he was a jerk with heavy responsibilities, so maybe she could be more understanding. She had no way of knowing when he was asleep, short of knocking on his door to ask him, which kind of defeated the purpose if she didn't want to disturb him when he was sleeping. She just wouldn't mow her lawn when he was at home, period. That didn't mean she wouldn't tear a strip off his ass whenever he disturbed her, because fair was fair, but she would try to get along with him. After all, they would probably be neighbors for years and years.

God, that thought was depressing.

Her mellowness and charity toward all lasted. Oh, a couple of hours. At seven-thirty she settled down in her big easy chair with her laptop on a pillow to work some more on her new book. A cup of green tea steamed gently at her elbow, and she anti-oxidized herself with an occasional sip as she lost herself in "what could have been".

A loud crash destroyed the quietness of her little neighborhood just as book-Edward was about to kiss her book self.

"Cock blocked even in my own writing"

She sighed and saved her work before shoving her feet into her flip-flops and standing up and went outside.

Porch lights were coming on up and down the street; doors were opening and curious heads were popping out like turtles peeking out of their shells. Five doors down, illuminated by the corner streetlight, was a tangle of crumpled metal.

Bella ran down the street, her heart thumping, her stomach tightening as she braced herself for whatever she might see and tried to remember the basic first aid steps, shaking her head to chase the images of Tyler's van and Edward away.

Other people were pouring out of their houses now, mostly elderly people, the women wearing bedroom slippers and shapeless dresses or robes, the men in their sleeveless undershirts. There were a few high-pitched, excited children's voices, the sound of mothers trying to keep their kids corralled, fathers saying, cautioning people that the metal heap might explode

Just before she reached the car in the street, the driver's side door was thrust open and a belligerent young man erupted from behind the steering wheel.

"What the fuck!"

He yelled, staring at the crumpled front end of his car. He had rear-ended one of the cars parked along the curb.

A young woman came running from the house directly beside them, her eyes wide with horror.

"Omigod, omigod! My car!"

The belligerent young man rounded on her.

"This your car, bitch? What the fuck you doin' parking it in the street?"

He was drunk. The fumes hit Bella's nose, and she moved back a step. Around her, she could hear the collective neighborhood concern changing to disgust.

"Someone go get Damon"

She heard an old man mutter.

"I will."

Mrs Flowers headed back down the street, shuffling as fast as she could in her coral terry-cloth bedroom slippers.

Yeah, where was he? Bella wondered. Everyone else who lived on the street was out here.

The young woman whose car had been smashed was crying, her hands over her mouth as she stared at the wreckage. Behind her, two young children, about five and seven, stood uncertainly on the sidewalk.

"Goddamned bitch,"

The drunk snarled, starting toward the young woman.

"Hey, watch your language."

One of the older men piped up.

"Fuck you, pops."

He reached the crying woman and clamped a heavy hand on her shoulder, spinning her around. Bella started forward, pure anger flaring in her chest.

"Hey, buddy, leave her alone."

She said sharply.

"Yeah"

A quavering elderly voice said from behind her.

"Fuck you, too, bitch; this stupid bitch wrecked my car."

"You wrecked your own car. You're drunk and ran into a parked car."

She knew it was a losing effort; you couldn't reason with a drunk. The problem was, the guy was just drunk enough to be aggressive and not drunk enough to be staggering. He shoved the young woman, and she stumbled backward, caught her foot on a protruding root of one of the big trees that lined the street, and sprawled on the sidewalk. She cried out, and her children screamed and began crying.

Unthinkingly Bella charged him, bulldozing into him from the side. The impact sent him staggering. He tried to regain his balance but instead fell on his butt, his feet in the air. He struggled up and with another lurid curse lunged for Bella who was heading to the fallen woman.

Feeling something hit her from behind Bella fell on her knees before rolling over and taking a boxing stance, learned from many lessons with Phil masked as bonding time with his stepdaughter.

Those times usually ended with Phil sitting on her chest while she was clawing him and barely managing to mock stab him with a rock or a branch, so she was certain she was about to get stomped, but maybe she'd get in a few good punches.

Most probably not though. She heard excited, alarmed voices around her, but they were oddly distant as she focused on staying alive.

"Somebody call nine-one-one."

"Daisy's getting Damon. He'll handle it."

"I've already called nine-one-one."

That was a little girl's voice.

The drunk charged, and this time there was no evading him. She went down under his onslaught, kicking and punching and trying to block his punches all at the same time. One of his fists hit her in the rib cage, and the power behind it stunned her. Immediately they were surrounded by her neighbors, the few younger men trying to wrestle the drunk off her, the older guys helping by kicking him with their slippered feet. Bella and the drunk rolled, and a few of the older guys were mowed down, collapsing on top of the heap.

Her head thudded against the ground, and a glancing blow stung her cheekbone. One arm was pinned by a fallen neighbor, but with her free hand she managed to grab a chunk of flesh at the guy's waist and twist it, pinching as hard as she could closing her teeth around a hand trying to cut her breath at the throat. He bellowed like a wounded water buffalo.

Then abruptly he was gone, lifted from her as if he weighed no more than a pillow. Dazed, she saw him slam to the ground beside her, his face mashed into the dirt as his arms were wrenched behind him and handcuffs snapped around his wrists.

She struggled to a sitting position and found herself practically nose to nose with her neighbor the jerk.

"Damn it, I might have known it was you, I should arrest both of you on drunk and disorderly charges."

He snarled.

"I'm not drunk!"

She said indignantly.

"No, he's drunk, and you're disorderly!"

The unfairness of his charge made her choke with rage, which was a good thing, because the words that hung in her throat probably would have gotten her arrested for real.

Around her, anxious wives were helping doddering husbands to their feet, fussing over them and checking for scrapes or broken bones. No one seemed much the worse for the fracas, and she figured the excitement would keep their hearts beating for several more years, at least.

Several women were clustered around the young woman who had been shoved down, clucking and fussing. The back of the woman's head was bleeding, and her kids were still crying. In sympathy, or maybe because they were feeling left out, a couple more kids began wailing. Sirens screeched in the distance, coming closer with every second.

Crouched beside the captive drunk, holding him down with one hand, Damon looked around in disbelief.

"Jesus,"

He muttered, shaking his head.

The old lady from across the street, her gray hair in pin curls, leaned over Bella.

"Are you all right, dear? That was the bravest thing I ever saw! You should have been here, Damon. When that. That hoodlum shoved Amy down, this young lady knocked him flat on his butt. What's your name, dear?"

She asked, turning back to Bella.

"I'm Eleanor Holland; I live across the street from you."

"Bella"

She supplied, and glared at her next-door neighbor.

"Yeah, Damon, you should have been here."

"I was in the shower, Are you all right?"

He growled. He paused.

"I'm fine."

She scrambled to her feet. She didn't know if she was fine or not, but she didn't seem to have any broken bones and she wasn't dizzy, so there couldn't be any major damage. He was looking at her bare legs.

"Your knee is bleeding."

He said in a choked tone as if he had never seen a bloody cut before. Bella looked down and noticed that the left pocket of her denim shorts was almost torn off. Blood trickled down her shin from a scrape on her right knee. She jerked the torn pocket the rest of the way off and pressed the cloth to her knee.

"It's just a scrape."

The cavalry in the form of two patrol cars and a medic truck arrived with flashing lights. Uniformed officers began wading through the crowd, while neighbors directed the medics to the injured.

Thirty minutes later, it was all over. Wreckers had hauled the two damaged cars away, and the uniforms had hauled the drunk away. The injured young woman, kids in tow, had been taken to an emergency room to have the cut on the back of her head stitched. Minor scrapes had been cleaned and bandaged, and the elderly warriors shepherded home.

Bella waited until the medics were gone, then peeled the huge wad of gauze and tape off her knee. Now that the excitement was over, she was exhausted; all she wanted was a hot shower, a chocolate chip cookie, and bed. She yawned as she began trudging down the street to her house.

The jerk fell into step beside her. She glanced up at him, and then focused straight ahead. She didn't like the look on his face or the way he loomed over her like a dark cloud. Damn, the man was big, a couple of inches, maybe three, over six feet, and with shoulders that looked a yard wide.

"Do you always jump feet first into dangerous situations?"

He asked in a conversational tone. She thought about it.

"Yeah"

She finally said.

"Figures"

She stopped in the middle of the street and turned to face him, her hands planted on her hips.

"Look, what was I supposed to do, just stand there while he beat her to a pulp?"

"You might have let a couple of the men grab him."

"Yeah, well, no one was grabbing him, so I didn't wait around."

A car turned the corner, coming toward them. He took her arm and moved her out of the street.

"You're what, five-three?"

He asked, assessing her.

She scowled at him.

"Five-five."

He rolled his eyes, and his expression said, Yeah, right. She ground her teeth. She was five-five - almost. What did a tiny fraction of an inch matter?

"Bella, the woman he hurt, is a good three inches taller than you and probably outweighs you by almost thirty pounds. What made you think you could handle him?"

"I'm used to charging at guys much scarier than a drunkard"

She said in a tone that bore no room for argument

"With a guy saving you while you cry over your broken nails?"

He mocked, his blue eyes merry. Her brown ones tightened as she glared with all her might

I can't slug a cop, she thought. I can't slug a cop. She repeated that to herself several times. Finally she managed to say, in an admirably even tone,

"I don't cry over broken nails"

"But you jumped him anyway."

She shrugged.

"It was a moment of insanity."

"No argument there."

That did it. She stopped again.

"Look, I've had it with your snide remarks. I stopped him from beating that woman to a pulp in front of her kids. Jumping him like that wasn't a smart thing to do, and I fully realize I could have been hurt. I'd do it again. Now carry your ass on down the street, because I don't want to walk with you."

"Tough"

He said, and latched on to her arm again. She had to walk, or be dragged. Since he wouldn't let her walk home by herself, she picked up her pace. The sooner they parted company, the better.

"You in a hurry?"

He asked, his grip on her arm reeling her back in and forcing her to match his more leisurely stride.

"Yeah. I'm missing -"

She tried to think what was on television, but drew a blank.

"BooBoo's due to cough up a hair ball and I want to be there."

"You like hair balls, huh?"

"They're more interesting than my present company,"

She said sweetly fluttering her lashes for effect. He grimaced.

"Ouch."

They drew even with her house, and he had to release her.

"Put ice on the knee so it won't bruise"

"Give me my pendant back and I'll consider it"

He blinked

"What pendant?"

Bella smiled even sweeter

"The one you snapped from my neck while you were cuffing the drunk. It's mine and I want it back"

Damon opened the fist that wasn't holding on to her arm and the dainty chain dangled making the lapis stone catch the light of her porch light

"I don't think it's yours"

"It has my initial on it"

Damon seemed to consider it and after a long moment he let the pendant fall in her open hand. Bella nodded, took a few steps, then turned back to find him still standing at the end of her walk, watching her.

"Thanks for getting a new muffler."

He started to say something sarcastic, she could see it in his expression, but then he shrugged and merely said,

"You're welcome."

He paused.

"Thank you for my new trash can."

"You're welcome."

They stared at each other for a moment longer, as if waiting to see which one would start the battle anew, but Bella put an end to the standoff by turning around and going inside. She locked the door behind her and stood for a moment, looking at the cozy, already familiar, feels-like-home living room. BooBoo had been at the cushion again; more stuffing was strewn on the carpet. Letting her head fall against the door she fastened the pendant around hr neck only then realizing why she was frowning over the Jerk's reluctance to give it back. He wore the same monstrosity on his ring finger.

She sighed.

"Forget the chocolate chip cookie. This calls for ice cream. Maybe with chip cookies in it"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Bella woke up early the next morning, without benefit of clock or sun. The simple act of rolling over woke her, because every muscle in her body screamed in protest. Her ribs ached, her knee stung, her arms ached every time she moved them; even her butt was sore. She hadn't had this many aches and pains since the 'meeting' at the dance studio with James over a year earlier.

Groaning, she eased into a sitting position and inched her legs over the side of the bed. If she felt this bad, she wondered how the old guys felt. They hadn't been punched, but the fall would have been rougher on them.

From her previous knowledge of bruises she knew that cold was better for sore muscles than heat was, but she didn't think she was brave enough to face a cold shower. She'd rather tackle a belligerent drunk any time than stand naked under a freezing blast of water. She compromised by showering in tepid water, then gradually turned the hot water completely off. Gradually working up to the cold water didn't help; she stood it for about two seconds, and then climbed out of the shower much faster than she had climbed in.

Getting up early had one advantage: she got to wake up BooBoo, rather than the other way around.

He didn't take kindly to having his beauty rest disturbed. The disgruntled cat hissed at her, then stalked off to find a more private place to sleep. Bella smiled at the revenge.

She lingered over her coffee, a rare weekday treat and whipped herself a waffle slicing up some strawberries and chocolate cream to go on top. After all, a woman who had been in a brawl deserved a little extra treat.

Her first real surprise of the day came when she began dressing and put on a bra. As soon as she placed it over her breasts, tightening the band around her sore rib cage, she knew the bra had to go. Standing in front of her closet naked she faced another dilemma: what did a braless woman wear if she didn't want anyone to know she was braless? In Forks she could make do with a flannel shirt even in summer but she wasn't in Forks anymore.

Even in an air-conditioned office, the weather in Mystic Falls was too hot for her to keep a thick shirt on all day. She had some dresses, but her nipples would be plainly outlined beneath the thin fabrics. She let out a sigh. She hadn't been this worried over clothes since she had had enough of Alice meddling in her closet and had thrown all the expensive dresses the pixie vampire had stuffed n her closet.

In the end she settled on a pair of white jeans, a white corset that didn't look like a bra and a sheer apple red tunic that ended mid-thigh.

"Not bad, not bad at all."

She said, turning to examine the result.

Luckily her hair was no problem. It was thick and glossy, a nice dark brown, and had plenty of body. Her current style was a sort of long mane that behaved as long as she braided before bed and she had done that before the unplanned fight so all she did now was replace the baby purple ribbon with a white one.

But there was a bruise on her cheekbone. She scowled in the mirror and gingerly touched the small blue spot. It wasn't sore, but it was definitely blue. She seldom did a makeup job but today she would have to bring out the big guns.

By the time she sashayed out the door in her east-inspired outfit and with full battle paint in place, she thought she looked pretty damn good.

The jerk was unlocking his car door when she stepped out. She turned and took her time locking the door behind her, hoping he would simply get into his car and leave, but no such luck.

"Are you okay?"

He asked, his voice right behind her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Stifling a shriek, she whirled. Bad move. Her ribs protested; she gave an involuntary groan and dropped her keys.

"Damn it! Stop sneaking up on me like that!"

She shouted, when she could breathe again.

"It's the only way I know, if I waited until you turned around, I wouldn't be sneaking."

He said with his face expressionless. Any other time (or person) she might have laughed, but she was still mad at him for scaring her. Her ribs hurt, and when she tried to stoop down to retrieve her keys, they hurt even more. Not only that, her knee refused to bend. She straightened and gave him a look of such frustrated fury that one corner of his mouth twitched. If he laughs, she thought, I'm going to lock him under the chin. Since she was still standing on her porch the angle was perfect.

He didn't laugh. He bent down to pick up her keys.

"The knee won't bend, huh?"

"I've had worse"

She said taking the keys and easing down the three steps moving with the grace or a cardboard, straight and locked. Damon looked her up and down

"What's wrong with your ribs?"

"He landed a punch."

He blew out an exasperated breath.

"Why didn't you say something last night?"

"Why? They're not broken, just bruised."

"You know this for a fact, huh? You don't think maybe they could be cracked?"

"They don't feel cracked."

"And you have so much experience with cracked ribs you know how they feel."

She set her jaw annoyed.

"Actually I do. They're my ribs, and I say they're not cracked. End of discussion."

"Tell me something,"

He said conversationally, strolling beside her as she stalked, as best as she was able, to her car.

"Is there ever a day when you don't pick a fight?"

"The days when I don't see you. Besides you started it! I was prepared to be a nice neighbor, but you snarled at me every time you saw me, even though I apologized when BooBoo got on your car. Besides, I thought you were a drunk."

He stopped, surprise etched on his face considering she was right.

"A drunk?"

"Bloodshot eyes, dirty clothes, getting home in the wee hours of the morning, making a lot of noise, grouchy all the time as if you had a hangover. What else was I to think?"

He rubbed his face.

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I should have showered, shaved, and dressed in a suit before I came out to tell you that you were making enough noise to raise the dead."

"Just grabbing a clean pair of jeans would have sufficed."

She unlocked the Bug considering another problem: how was she going to get into the low-slung car? With Big Red she would sit and slide, the seat was the same height as her butt but Blue Bug? This was going to hurt

"I'm refinishing my kitchen cabinets,"

He offered after a short pause.

"With the hours I've been working lately, I have to do it a little at a time, and sometimes I fall asleep with my dirty clothes on."

"Did you ever think of leaving the cabinets until your off days and getting a little more sleep? It might help your disposition."

"There's nothing wrong with my disposition."

"No, not if it belongs to a rabid skunk."

She said sweetly. She opened the car door, flung her purse inside, and tried to psych herself up for the effort of sliding behind the wheel.

"Nice set of wheels Barbie"

He said, looking the car over. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Thanks JohnJohn"

She glanced at his poop brown car and didn't say anything. Sometimes silence was more charitable than words. He saw the glance and grinned. She wished he hadn't done that; the grin made him look almost human. She wished they weren't standing out in the early morning sun, because she could see how dense his black eyelashes were and the rich blue striations in his dark eyes. Okay, so he wasn't a bad-looking man, when his eyes weren't reddened and he wasn't snarling.

Suddenly his eyes went cold. He reached out and gently rubbed his thumb along her cheekbone.

"You have a bruise there."

"Darn it, I thought I had it covered."

"You did a good job. I didn't see it until you were standing in the sun."

He crossed his arms and scowled down at her.

"Any other injuries?"

"Just sore muscles. I've been dreading having to get in the car."

She looked ruefully at the car in question.

He looked at the car, then at her as she gripped the open door and slowly, painfully lifted her right leg and eased it inside. He blew out a breath, as if steeling himself to perform an unpleasant task, and held her arm to steady her as she inched her way under the wheel.

"Thanks,"

She said, relieved the task was over.

"Sure."

He crouched down in the open door.

"You want to file charges for assault?"

She pursed her lips.

"I hit him first."

She thought he might be fighting another grin. God, she hoped he won; she didn't want to see another one so soon. She might start thinking he was good looking

"There is that"

He agreed. He stood up and started to close the car door for her.

"A massage will help the soreness"

He grinned. She couldn't help but grin back

"A massage by one of the wolves. Heat all over. Thanks for the suggestion"

She gave him a salacious wink and started the engine. His stupefied expression melted off as she put more distance between them and he began laughing showing off his very white teeth and the sound of his deep rich laughter followed Bella all the way to work

The conversation that morning at work was exclusively about the article in the newsletter, split fifty-fifty between the contents and speculation about the identity of the four women. Most were of the opinion the entire article was the brainchild of the author, that the four friends were fictitious, which suited Bella just fine. She kept her mouth shut and her fingers crossed.

"I scanned the article and sent it to my cousin in -"

She overheard someone say as he walked past in the hallway. She was fairly certain he wasn't talking about an article in the Mystic Daily. Great, it was spreading.

She had her lunch alone in the cafeteria and was thinking of calling Phil to let him know he had another relative in town when Jane Upir entered and took her neatly packed lunch out of the refrigerator. She had a sandwich (turkey breast and lettuce on whole wheat), a cup of vegetable soup (which she heated in the microwave), and an orange. Bella sighed, torn between hate and understanding. Everyone knew Jane was a vampire, why keep up appearances with a full lunch? Why actually throw away a perfectly good meal?

"May I join you?"

Jane asked, and Bella felt a twinge of guilt. Since they were the only two people in the snack room, she should have asked her to sit down. Most people would simply have sat down already yet Jane still asked. It's one more thing that reminded Bella of Edward.

"Sure"

Bella said, trying to infuse some warmth into her voice. Jane got her meal arranged and sat down at the table and began shredding it meticulously; taking sips of a travel mug every now and then. Bella began eating her fruit salad quietly but soon gave up. Jane did the thing all human hated and that was to stare at the human being human. After a moment Jane said

"I suppose you saw that disgusting newsletter yesterday."

Disgusting was one of Jane's favorite words, Bella had noticed.

"I glanced at it. I didn't read the entire thing"

She said, because it seemed pointless to dance around.

"People like that make me ashamed to be a woman."

Well, that was going a little too far. Bella knew she should leave it alone, because Jane was Jane and nothing was going to change her. But some little demon inside - okay, the same demon that always prompted her to open her mouth when she should keep it shut - made her say,

"Why is that? I thought they were honest."

Jane put down her drink and gave Bella an outraged look.

"Honest? They sounded like whores. All they wanted in a man was money and a big. a big -"

"Penis"

Bella supplied, since Jane didn't seem to know the word.

"And I don't think that was all they wanted. I seem to remember something about fidelity and dependability, sense of humor -"

Jane dismissed that with a wave of her hand.

"Believe that if you want, but the entire point of the whole article was sex and money. It was obvious. It was also vicious and cruel, because just think how it made men who didn't have a lot of money and a big - "

"Penis, It's called a penis."

Bella interrupted. Leah pressed her lips together.

"Some things aren't meant to be discussed in public, but I've noticed before you have a potty mouth."

Bella annoyed sat up straighter despite her protesting ribs

"Penis isn't a dirty word, Jane. It's the correct word for a body part, just like saying `leg.' Or do you have an objection to legs, too?"

Jane gripped the edge of the table with both hands, holding so tightly the table began chipping. Bella suddenly had visions of mortality

"As I was saying, think how it made those men feel. They must think they aren't good enough, that they're somehow inferior."

"Some of them are"

"No one should be made to feel that way,"

Jane said, her voice rising. She took another sip of sandwich, and Bella saw, to her surprise, that the other woman's hands were shaking. She was genuinely upset.

"Look, I think most people who read the article thought it was funny,"

She said in a conciliatory tone.

"It was obviously meant to be a humorous piece."

"I don't feel that way at all. It was filthy, ugly, and mean-spirited."

So much for conciliation.

"I don't agree"

Bella said flatly, gathering up her trash and depositing it in a can.

"I think people see what they expect to see. Someone who's mean expects others to be just as mean, the way people with dirty minds see smut everywhere."

Jane went whiter.

"Are you saying I'm dirty-minded?"

"You said it"

Bella went back to her office before their little disagreement escalated into open warfare. What was wrong with her lately? First her neighbor and now Jane. She didn't seem able to get along with anyone, not even BooBoo. Of course, no one got along with Jane, so she didn't know if that should count, but she was definitely going to make a bigger effort to get along with the Jerk. So he rubbed her the wrong way; she had evidently been doing a good job of rubbing him the wrong way, too.

Caroline was waiting in her office when she entered it. The normally tan Caroline was now paler than Jane

"A reporter is here talking to Anna. God, you don't think?"

Caroline looked at Bella; Bella looked at Caroline.

"Ah, shit"

That night, a man stared at the newsletter, reading and rereading the article. It was filth, pure filth.

His hands were shaking, making the little words dance. Didn't they know how this hurt? How could they laugh?

He wanted to throw the SPC newsletter away, but he couldn't. Anguish gnawed at him. He couldn't believe he actually worked with the people who had said all these hurtful things, who mocked and terrorized…

He took a deep breath. He had to control himself. But he couldn't. This was too important.

Who were they? He needed to know. He had to know.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was like having the Sword of Damocles hanging over her head, Bella thought gloomily the next morning. It hadn't dropped yet, but she knew it would. The "when" depended on how long it took Anna to spill the beans that she had gotten the list from Rebekah. Once Rebekah's identity was known, they might as well all start wearing signs that said, "I'm guilty."

Caroline was worried sick, and if Bella had been dating the volatile mutt named Klaus, she would probably have been worried sick, as well. How could something that had been innocent fun between four slightly drunk friends have turned into something like that?

She hadn't slept well, again. She had taken more aspirin for her sore muscles, soaked in a hot tub, and by the time she went to bed, she was feeling much more comfortable. Fretting about that darn article kept her awake long past her usual bedtime, and BooBoo chasing a raven woke her before dawn. She positively dreaded getting the morning paper, and as for going to work - she would rather wrestle another drunk. On loose gravel.

She drank coffee and watched the sky lighten. BooBoo had evidently won against the bird because he brought her a few loose black feathers and sat on her lap on a pillow washing his paws and purring whenever she absently scratched behind his ears.

What then happened wasn't her fault. She was standing at the sink rinsing out her cup when the kitchen light in the house across the way flicked on and Damon walked into view.

She stopped breathing. Her lungs seized, and she stopped breathing.

"Sweet baby Jesus"

She croaked, and managed to inhale.

She was seeing more of Damon than she had ever thought she would; everything, in fact. He stood in front of the refrigerator, stark naked, long scratches on his biceps. She barely had time to admire before he took a paper carton of cranberry juice from the fridge, twisting off the top and tilting it to his mouth as he turned around.

She forgot all about his back. He was more impressive coming than he was going, and that was saying something, because his butt was severely cute. The man was hung.

"My God, BooBoo, take a look at that!"

She gasped. Damon looked pretty damn good all over. He was tall, lean in the waist, hard-muscled. She wrenched her gaze north just a little and saw that he had a nice well built chest. She already knew he had a good face, if a bit weary. Sexy ice blue eyes, white fangs, and a good laugh. And he was hung.

She pressed a hand to her chest. Her heart was doing more than pitter-pattering; it was trying to sledgehammer its way through her sternum. Other parts of her body were joining in the excitement. In a moment of insanity, she thought about running right over to audition as his mattress.

Oblivious of the band war her organs had turned into inside her, as well as the heart-stopping view across the way, BooBoo continued licking his feet. His priorities were obviously a real mess.

Bella gripped the sink to keep from folding in a limp heap on the floor. It was a good thing she was practically related to him via Phil's marriage to her mother, or she really might have charged across the two driveways and right up to his kitchen door. But practically related or not, she still appreciated art, and her neighbor was a work of art, hovering somewhere between classic Grecian statue and porn star. And she once thought Edward was good looking...

She hated to do it, but she had to tell him to close his curtains; it was the neighborly thing to do, right? Blindly, not wanting to miss a moment of the show, she reached for the phone, and then paused. She didn't know his number.

Thinking that old ladies know everything and everyone in small towns she called Daisy Flowers and belatedly worried that she might not be awake yet. Mrs. Flowers answered on the first ring.

"Hello!"

Was chirped so enthusiastically Bella knew she hadn't woken her.

"Hi Mrs Daisy. It's Bella Swan. How are you?"

Social niceties had to be observed, after all, and with the older generation that could take a while. She was hoping for ten or fifteen minutes. She watched as Damon killed the bottle of red juice and tossed the empty.

"Oh, Bella! It's so nice to hear from you!"

Mrs Flowers said, as if she had been out of the country or something. The old lady was one of those people who talked in exclamation points when she was on the phone.

"I'm fine, just fine! And you?"

"Fine"

She answered automatically, not missing a minute of the action. Now he was getting out the Johny. Eww! Surely he wasn't going to mix juice and alcohol. He opened the bottle and sniffed it. His biceps bulged as his arm lifted making the gushes bleed again. Lucky woman whoever gave them to him

"My, oh, my,"

She whispered. He took a long gulp of the scotch and set it aside.

"What was that?"

Mrs Flowers said.

"Uh - I said fine, just fine."

Bella wrenched her attention from its wayward path.

"Miss Flowers what is Damon's number? I need to call him about something."

That was an understatement.

"Damon Salvatore dear? I don't think you want the boarding house number you already have that so you must want the new number."

Mrs Flowers laughed and Bella chuckled along not paying attention to her words since they weren't numerical. A few moments of laughter and as Miss Flowers slowly recited the number, and Bella jotted it down on the small whiteboard on her fridge, which wasn't easy to do without looking at what she was writing. Her neck muscles were locked in the upright position, so she had no choice but to look through the kitchen window next door.

She thanked Miss Flowers and said good-bye agreeing to let the older woman call the plumber about something and then took a deep breath. She had to do this. No matter how it hurt, how it would deprive her, she had to call him. She took another deep breath and dialed his number. She saw him cross the kitchen and pick up a cordless. He was standing in profile to her. Oh, wow. Double wow.

Saliva gathered in her mouth. The damn man had her all but slobbering.

"Yes"

His deep voice was rusty, as if he wasn't truly awake yet, and the single word clipped with irritation.

"Urn. Damon?"

"Yeah?"

Not the most welcoming of responses. She tried to swallow and found it was difficult to do when her tongue was hanging out. She reeled it in and sighed with regret.

"This is Bella, next door. I hate to tell you this, but you might want to close your curtains."

He wheeled to face the window, and they stared at each other across the two driveways. He didn't dart to the side, or squat out of sight, or do anything else that might indicate embarrassment. Instead, he grinned.

"Got an eyeful, did you?"

He asked as he walked to the window and reached for the curtains.

"Yes, I did."

She hadn't blinked in five minutes, at least.

"Thank you."

He pulled the curtains together, and her whole body went into mourning.

"My pleasure. Maybe you can return the favor sometime."

He chuckled and hung up before she could reply, which was a good thing, because she was speechless as she closed her blinds. Mentally she smacked her forehead. Duh! All she would have had to do at any time was close her own blinds.

"Yeah, like I'm stupid or something,"

She said to BooBoo. The cat stared at her and licked his bloody whiskers.

The image of taking her clothes off for him shook her - and excited her. What was she, an exhibitionist? How could he go from jerk to tempting just by taking off his clothes?

"Am I so shallow?"

She asked BooBoo, and considered the idea for a moment, then nodded.

"You betcha."

BooBoo meowed, evidently in agreement.

Oh, dear. How could she look at Damon again without remembering how he looked naked? How could she meet him without blushing or letting him see that she had a major case of the hots for his body? She was much more comfortable having him as an adversary than she was seeing him as an object of lust. She preferred her lust objects at a safer distance. Say, on a movie screen.

He hadn't been embarrassed, though, so why should she? They were both adults, right? She had seen naked men before. On TV. She just had never seen Damon naked before. Why couldn't he have had a beer belly and a shriveled wiener, instead of rock-hard abs and an impressive morning erection?

She began drooling again.

"This is disgusting; I've seen naked shape shifters. I should at least be able to control my saliva glands over a human man."

She said aloud. Her saliva glands thought differently. Every time an image of Damon popped into her head, which was about every ten seconds - she had to enjoy the image for about nine seconds before she banished it - she would have to swallow. Repeatedly.

She had left for work early yesterday morning, when Damon had been leaving at the same time. If she left at her regular time today, he should already be gone, right?

But he'd said he kept irregular hours, therefore he might leave at any time. She couldn't time her departure so it didn't coincide with his; she would have to carry on as usual and keep her fingers crossed. Maybe tomorrow she would be able to face him with more composure, but not today, not with her body revved and her saliva glands working overtime. She should just forget about it and get ready for work.

She stood in front of her open closet door and found herself in a dilemma. What did one wear when she might meet her neighbor whom she had just seen naked? Besides a condom.

"Pants. Definitely pants"

she said out loud picking a pair of black pants choosing to ignore how she had always liked the way the pants clung to her butt, or that it never failed to elicit a few admiring remarks from the males around her and paired it with a red vest, the color of fresh blood.

She had just covered the bruise on her cheekbone when the female anchor of the local morning newscast finished describing an animal attack on the bridge the night before and switched to a happier topic.

"Freud never found out what it is that women want. If he had talked to four area women, however, he would have known the answer to his famous question. Find out if your husband or boyfriend is Mr. Perfect when we return, after these messages."

Bella was stunned.

"Fuck my life"

Feeling suddenly weak she leaned forward on the makeup table. Anna, the bitch, must have given them up immediately. No - if she had named names, the phone would have been ringing nonstop. So far they were still anonymous, but that was bound to change today.

She walked to the bedside able to grab her phone and dialed Caroline's number, silently praying that her friend hadn't yet left for work. Caroline lived in Klaus' family mansion by the Falls so both she and Rebekah left home a little earlier.

"Hello"

Caroline sounded rushed, and a little irritable.

"It's Bella. Have you seen the news yet this morning?"

"No why?"

"The Perfect Man made the news."

"Oh. My. God"

Caroline sounded as if she might faint, or vomit, or both.

"They don't have our names yet, I don't think, since no one has called. Someone at work will figure it out today, though, so that means by afternoon it'll be common knowledge."

"But it won't be on TV, will it? Klaus always watches the news"

"Who knows? I guess it depends on how slow news is today. Al I heard about was a vamp attack on the bridge but those are fairly common. I'm turning off all the phones and unplug the one that's hooked to the answering machine. I suggest you do the same"

"Done,"

Caroline said. She paused and said bleakly,

"I guess I'll find out if Klaus and I have anything worth holding on to, won't I? I can't expect him to be happy about this, but I do expect him to be understanding. After we talked about our Perfect Man last week, I did some thinking, and, well."

And Klaus hadn't compared very favorably, Bella thought.

"On second thought, if it's going to happen, I'd rather just get it over with."

After she hung up, Bella hurried to finish getting ready. The phone call hadn't taken long, and the television commercials were just ending. The newscaster's perky voice made her flinch.

"Four area women have gone public with their list of requirements for the perfect man."

Three minutes later, Bella closed her eyes and sagged weakly on her bed. Three minutes! Three minutes was an eternity of airtime. Of all the days for there to be no teenage boys going vandals or the hospital being robbed of blood bags or even news about the real world outside the boarders of Mystic Falls - anything to keep such an insignificant story off the air!

The news story had stopped short of the raunchy requirements, but made sure the viewers knew they could get the List, as it was being called, and the accompanying article, in their entirety, on the station's Web site. Women and men had been interviewed for their reaction to items on the List. Everyone seemed to agree with the first five requirements, but after that opinions began to vary widely - usually with women taking one view and men the other.

Maybe if she took a week's vacation, starting immediately, this would all have blown over by the time she got back from Outer Mongolia.

But that would be the coward's way out. If Caroline needed supporting, Bella knew she had to be there for her. Rebekah could also be facing the end of a relationship, but in Bella's opinion, losing Brickhead wouldn't be much of a loss, and besides, Rebekah deserved some flack for spilling this whole thing to Anna in the first place. With dread weighting down her every step, she forced herself out to the car. As she unlocked it, she heard a door open behind her and automatically glanced over her shoulder.

For a moment she stared blankly at Damon as he turned to lock his kitchen door; then memory came roaring back, and in panic she fumbled with the door handle.

Nothing like a little notoriety to make a woman forget she wanted to avoid a certain man, she thought savagely. Had he been watching for her?

"Are you feeling better today?"

He asked as he strolled up.

"Fine"

She tossed her purse into the passenger seat and slid under the wheel grabbing her sunglasses and slid them on, pathetically grateful for the protection they gave her as she dared to glance at him.

"You?"

He shrugged. The movement made her notice how broad his shoulders were, and that reminded her of other parts of his body. Heat began to build in her cheeks. Why couldn't he have been a drunk? Why wasn't he still wearing sweatpants and a stained, torn T-shirt, instead of tight black jeans and a black silk shirt? That big black pistol rested in a holster against his right kidney. He looked tough and competent, and way too good for her peace of mind.

"I'm sorry if I embarrassed you this morning. I was still half-asleep and wasn't paying attention to the windows."

She managed a nonchalant shrug.

"I wasn't embarrassed. Accidents happen."

She wanted to leave, but he was standing so close she couldn't shut the door. He hunkered down in the V formed by the car and the open door.

"Are you sure you're okay? You haven't insulted me yet, and we've been talking about thirty seconds already."

He grinned

"I'm in a mellow mood. I'm saving my energy in case something important comes along."

She said flatly and his grin got wider.

"That's my girl. I feel better now."

He reached out and lightly touched her cheekbone.

"The bruise is gone."

"No, it isn't. Makeup is a wonderful thing."

"So it is."

His finger trailed down to the dent in her chin and lightly tapped it before withdrawing. Bella sat frozen, ambushed by the abrupt realization that he was flirting with her, for God's sake, and her heart was doing that sledgehammer thing again. Oh, boy.

"Don't kiss me"

She said warningly, because he seemed somehow closer, though she hadn't seen him move, and his gaze was centered on her face in that intent look men get before they make their move.

"I don't intend to, I don't have my whip and chair with me."

He stood up and stepped back, his hand on the car door to close it. He paused, looking down at her.

"Besides, I don't have time right now. We both have to get to work, and I don't like rush jobs. I'll need a couple of hours, at least."

She knew she should keep her mouth shut. She knew she should just close the car door and drive away. Instead she said blankly,

"A couple of hours?"

"Yeah."

He gave her another of those slow, dangerous smiles.

"Three hours would be even better, because I figure that when I do kiss you, we'll both end up naked."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Oh,"

Bella muttered to herself as she drove to work on autopilot, which in the sleepy Mystic Falls was completely safe. Her mind was on the extremely intellectual comment she had made on Damon's back after his suggestion

"Oh"

What kind of snappy comeback was that? Why hadn't she said something like "In your dreams, buddy," or "My goodness, did hell freeze over while I wasn't looking?" Why hadn't she said anything except oh, for cripes sake. She could do better than that in her sleep.

She hadn't even said it nonchalantly, as if she had been asking for information and the answer wasn't very interesting. No, that damn syllable had been so weak it didn't even register on the Wuss-O-Meter. Now he'd think all he had to do was waltz over to her house and she'd fall on her back for him.

The worst part of it was, he might be right. Despite her mental defenses against males, her body was all to willing. At the one and only red light of the main street she shook her head. No way was she going to have a fling with the next-door neighbor, whom only yesterday had thought of as "the jerk".

They were sort of related too. Okay that argument was feeble and she knew it. She wasn't actually related to Phil and had no idea how strongly he was related to Damon. In a town the size of her palm, how could she not know that another Salvatore was there? One that used to live at the very same building she was running? Better yet, how could 'he' not know about her?

On top of all that she didn't even like him. Well, not much. She definitely admired the way he had slammed that drunk facedown on the ground. There were times when brute force was the only satisfying response; she had felt extremely satisfied, seeing the drunk smashed into the dirt and handled as easily as if he'd been a child.

Was there anything else she liked about Damon, other than his body - that was a given - and his ability to manhandle drunks? She thought for a moment. There was also something appealing about a man who refinished his cabinets, though she couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was; a touch of domestication, maybe? He definitely needed something to offset all that macho swagger. Except he didn't swagger; he strolled. He didn't have to swagger when he wore a gun as big as a hair dryer on his belt. As far as phallic symbols went, he pretty much had that aced - not that he needed a symbol with the real deal he had right there in his pants.

Okay. What she was dealing with here was a major case of the hots. The fact was there, and she had to face it, which meant she had to be a sane, intelligent adult about this and get on birth control pills as fast as possible. Not that she'd sleep with him. The pills were just a precaution, in case her hormones overruled her little gray cells. Such a silly thing had never happened before, but then she had dealt with the world's biggest pussy about women and sex. Who needed birth control pills when dating Edward?

What in hell was wrong with her? She'd seen sticky-out parts before. Granted, Damon's was impressive, but... despite how big his penis were, it wasn't nearly as important as the man to whom it was attached. Mr Perfect, Damon he was not.

Mr. Perfect. Memory returned like a slap in the face. Damn, how could she have forgotten?

The same way she had earlier forgotten about Damon and his Lil Damon because she'd been preoccupied with the newscast, that was how. As distractions, both subjects ranked right up there with, say, her house burning down.

Distractions... That was the magic word. It worked for Edward in Forks and it had to work for her now.

Today should be fairly quiet, she thought. Out of all the people who worked at SPC Inc, the odds were several of the people who knew them had seen the newscast and would guess their identities. Someone would directly ask Anna, she would spill the rest of the beans, and the information would flash over the entire building with the speed of a tweet. But as long as that information was contained to work, Caroline had at least a chance of keeping Klaus from finding out. He didn't socialize with them since graduation when he had stood with his brother, both looking severely bored.

Surely there would be something more important that would happen today. With a town filled to the brick of supernaturals of all kinds, unpredictable things were bound to happen. Except those usually involved deaths. Maybe she could convince Bonnie to mess with the weather a bit? A nice bust of hail in the middle of the summer would be a nice distraction.

That should keep the newscasters occupied long enough for Mr. Perfect to be forgotten.

As soon as she pulled up to the gate at SPC though, she saw that her expectation of a quiet day had been optimistic. Three television news vans were parked off to the side. Three scruffy-looking men with Minicams were each filming one of three individuals, a man and two women, who stood in front of the fence with the company in the background. The three reporters were spaced far enough apart that they didn't intrude on each other's shots, and they were talking earnestly into their microphones.

When did Mystic Falls even get three television news? Last she checked there was one, Mystic News, a newspaper Mystic Daily and a radio station. All three were heavily influenced by the writer department in SPC Inc. Bella's stomach made a dive.

"What's going on?"

Were the first words she heard when she entered the building. Two men were walking down the hall ahead of her.

"What's with the TV crews? Have we been bought out or closed down, or something?"

"Didn't you watch the news this morning?"

"Didn't have time."

"Seems some of the women who work here have come up with their own definition of Mr. Perfect. Television stations that we don't even have are running it as a human-interest feature, I guess."

"So what's their definition of Mr. Perfect? Someone who always puts the lid down on the John?"

Whoops, Bella thought. They had forgotten that one.

"No, from what I heard it was the usual Boy Scout junk: faithful and honest and helps old ladies across the street, shit like that."

"Hey, I can do that,"

The first man said in a tone of discovery.

"Then why don't you?"

"I didn't say I wanted to."

They laughed together. Bella entertained herself with a wonderful fantasy of punting both of them through the door ahead, but was content with asking,

"Are you saying you're unfaithful? What a winner!"

They both looked around as if startled to see her there, but they had to have heard the door opening and someone walking behind them, so she didn't fall for the innocent act. She knew their faces but not their names; they were junior management types, late twenties or early thirties, spiffed up in their blue dress shirts and conservative ties.

"Sorry, we didn't see you."

The first man said in insincere apology.

"Right"

She said, rolling her eyes. Then she caught herself; she didn't need to get involved in these conversations. Let this particular battle of the sexes be waged without her; the less attention she and the other three drew, the better for them.

In silence she and the two men strode to the elevators. There was no sign posted there today, making her feel deprived. Rebekah, looking tense, was waiting for her in the office.

"I guess you saw the news,"

She said to Bella. Bella nodded.

"I called Caroline and gave her a heads-up this morning"

"I can't tell you how sorry I am this has happened,"

Rebekah said, lowering her voice as someone walked by the open door.

"I know,"

Bella said, sighing. There wasn't any point in staying pissed at her; what was done was done. And this wasn't the end of the world, not even for Caroline. If Klaus found out about it and went so ballistic that he and Caroline broke up because of it, then the marriage wasn't very strong anyway.

"Anna gave them my name,"

Rebekah went on

"The phone drove me nuts all morning. All the stations want interviews, and so does the News. Who knew we have so many? Did you see the article this morning?"

Bella had totally forgotten about the morning paper; the peep show next door had been too distracting. She shook her head.

"I haven't read the paper yet."

"It was actually pretty cute. It was in the section where they always put recipes and things like that, so maybe not many people read it."

That was good to hear; it was being treated as human interest rather than news, and a lot of people never read what was still thought of as the "women's section." Unless an animal was involved, or a baby, human-interest stories tended to fade fast. This one had already lived past its natural life span.

"Are you going to talk to them? The news people, I mean."

Rebekah shook her head.

"No way. If it was just me, yeah, I'd have a little fun - so what if Brick gets his claws in a wad? But with you guys involved, it's different."

"Caroline's the one with the big worry. I thought about it yesterday, and I don't have anything to lose if my name gets out there, so don't fret about me. Bonnie didn't seem worried, either."

Bella shook her head.

"That's a problem."

"Big time. Personally, I don't think it would be much of a loss if she and Klaus split. I hated it when they first got together ad the big flirtation before that... I thought he was replacing me with her"

Rebekah sniffled quietly. Bella reached across the desk to hold the vampire's hand. Forcing a smile on her face Rebekah continued.

"She probably thinks the same about me and Brick"

Brick was the shape shifter Rebekah had been sleeping with for a while. What they each saw in the other, Bella had no idea but apparently he had the stamina Rebekah liked. Bella didn't want to imagine her friend in bed with anyone.

"Shit, most of the time I think the same about him."

No argument there, Bella thought.

Amanda Gray, one of the few humans that worked in SPC and internet with Bella in Payroll entered the office holding a stack of paperwork. Judging from the way her green eyes lit when she saw Rebekah and Bella talking, the penny had dropped.

"Hey"

She said, a big grin spreading across her face.

"It's you! I mean, you're the four friends. I should have realized when I read Rebekah's name, but it just now clicked. The other two are that pretty girl in sales and the one in human resources, right? I've seen you go to lunch together."

There was no point in denying it. She and Rebekah looked at each other, Rebekah's eyes slightly blackening in suggestion and Bella shrugged.

"This is so cool!"

Amanda enthused misinterpreting Bella's shrug as agreement instead of what it was. A 'you choose' to Rebekah's silent proposal to try and compel the human.

"I showed the newsletter to my husband yesterday, and he got really pissed when he got to number eight on the list, like he isn't always turning around to look at women with big boobs, you know? I had to laugh. He still isn't speaking to me."

She didn't look very worried.

"We were just having fun; this has gotten out of hand."

Bella said.

"Oh, I don't think so. I think it's great. I told my sister about it, and she wanted a copy of the whole article, not just the little bit that was in this morning's paper."

"Your sister? Your sister who works for one of the networks?"

Rebekah stammered. Bella had never seen a vampire stammer before

"Yes. She's a staffer on a morning show"

"Uh - she just had a personal interest, right?"

Rebekah asked again

"She thought it was hilarious. I wouldn't be surprised if you got a call from them, though. She mentioned what a great feature the List would make."

Amanda sailed to her desk, happy with her part in providing them with publicity.

Bella swallowed and then let out four very naughty words, not a blush in sight for once.

"Wow. I've never heard you say that before."

Rebekah looked impressed.

"I save it for emergencies."

Her phone rang. Bella eyed it. Since it wasn't yet eight o'clock, the phone had no business ringing. There could be nothing but bad news waiting if she answered. On the third ring, Rebekah scooped it up.

"Payroll"

"Oh - Caroline. It's Rebekah. We were talking... Oh, damn, honey, I'm sorry,"

She said, her tone changing to helpless concern. Bella snatched the receiver

"What happened?"

She demanded.

"I'm outed"

Caroline said bleakly.

"I just checked my emails. And there are seven from reporters. I bet you have the same ones"

Bella looked at her black computer screen and made no move to turn the computer on.

"Maybe if Rebekah and I talked to them, that would keep them off you and Bonnie"

She suggested.

"All they want is a story, right? They need a face to go with the story; then it's over with and they move on to something else."

"But they have all our names."

"That doesn't mean they need four interviews. Any comment should satisfy them."

Rebekah, having followed the conversation easily said,

"I can do the interviews by myself, if you think it would work."

Caroline heard the offer without needing Bella to repeat it to her

"It's worth a shot, I suppose. But I'm not going to run from this. If they aren't satisfied after they talk to you and Bekah, or just Bekah, then we'll all four sit down and give them their interview, and whatever happens will happen. I refuse to feel guilty and worried because we were having fun and made up a silly list."

Caroline's voice had the slightest trail of steel it used to have long before Bella moved to town and Rebekah smiled hearing it. She nodded and Bella relayed that message before hanging up and turning to the blonde across from her.

"I'll call Bonnie and fill her in, and then I'll call those reporters back and set up something for lunch. I'll take all the heat; downplay it as much as I can. This can work."

Bella bit her bottom lip

"Can you compel yourself to believe that?"

All morning long people stuck their heads in the door and made laughing comments to her; at least, the women did. Bella also received a couple of measuring offers, as she had expected, from two of the guys and a few sarcastic remarks from others. Jane Upir gave her a horrified look and stayed far away, which suited Bella just fine, though she expected to see a "whore of Babylon" sign appear on her desk at any time. Jane was having more problems with this than Caroline and that was saying a lot.

All the emails in her work account that day were reporters. She deleted them without a single reply and then deleted her voice machine without checking that either. For once she was glad her mother was out of the country and she was out of contact with her father.

Rebekah must have been busy doing her mop-up campaign, because there weren't any additional calls after about nine. The sharks, promised some chum, were now circling Rebekah and her nifty original compulsion.

Why had the town agreed to spike the water towers with vervain? If they hadn't this whole stupid thing would have been over with just a lie by the Original daughter

Just in case the barbarians were still at the gate, Bella chickened out and bought her lunch from the snack room vending machines. If the diversion didn't work and this was only the quiet before the storm, she intended to make the most of it. As it turned out, there wasn't that much quiet, because the snack room was full of people who had brought their lunches that day, including Jane, who was sitting alone at a table even though the other tables were crowded. The cold one glared at her and when Bella just stared at her Jane pursed her lips. Bella frowned but then ignored it.

The buzz of conversation transformed into a mixture of catcalls and applause when Bella appeared. The applause, predictably, came only from women.

There was nothing she could do but take a bow, sweeping as low as her scraped knee and sore ribs would allow.

"Thank you, thank you very much,"

She said in her best Elvis imitation.

She fed her money into the machines and escaped as fast as possible, trying to ignore the comments of "That was so funny!" and "Yeah, you women get bitchy if some guy makes a remark about -"

The snack room quickly became a battleground with the lines drawn between the sexes.

"Damn, damn, damn,"

Bella muttered to herself as she went back to her office, diet soft drink and crackers in hand. Bella buried herself in work opting not to even come out for breath. It was almost two pm when her cell phone rang and a fanged Rebekah flashed onscreen

"Interviews are over. Let's see if the heat dies down."

The reporters were no longer camped at the gate when Bella left work. She raced home to catch the local news, skidding to a stop in her driveway and slinging small gravel. She was glad Damon wasn't home, or he'd be coming out to read her the riot act.

BooBoo had been at the cushion again. Bella ignored the clumps of stuffing scattered over the carpet and grabbed the remote, clicking on the television and sitting on the edge of her easy chair. She waited through the stock market report - no crashes or dramatic dips, damn it - the weather, and the sports. Just when she was beginning to hope Rebekah's interview wouldn't air, the newscaster said in a dramatic tone,

"Coming up next: the List. Four local women tell what they want in a man."

She groaned and flopped back in her chair. BooBoo jumped into her lap, the first time he had done so since coming to stay with her. Automatically she scratched his ears, and he began to vibrate.

The commercials ended and the newscast resumed.

"Four local women, Rebekah Mikaelson, Bella Swan, Caroline Forbes and Bonnie Bennett have put together a list of desirable qualities for the perfect man. The four friends work at SPC Inc, and the List, as it has become known, was the result of a recent lunchtime brainstorming session."

Wrong, Bella thought. They'd been at the Grill after work. Either the reporter hadn't asked and just assumed they'd been having lunch together, or "lunchtime" sounded better than "met at a bar after work." Come to think of it, lunchtime would probably work better for Caroline since the Mutt didn't like those Friday after-work get-togethers.

Rebekah's face flashed on the screen. She was smiling, relaxed, and at the reporter's question, threw back her head for a hearty laugh looking incredibly human and young.

"Who doesn't want Mr. Perfect? Of course, each woman would have different requirements, so what we put on our list wouldn't necessarily be on someone else's list."

Okay, that was diplomatic, Bella thought. This was good; nothing controversial so far.

Then Rebekah blew it. The reporter, politically correct down to her toenails, made a comment about the shallowness of the physical requirements on the List. Bekah's eyebrows arched, and she got a beady look in her eyes. Watching, Bella could only groan, because those were Bekah's warning signs before she went on the attack. Well, if she killed the reporter at least the List would be forgotten

"Shallow? I think it's honest. I think every woman daydreams about a man with, shall we say, certain generous parts, don't you?"

"You didn't edit that out!"

Bella shrieked at the television, jumping to her feet and dumping poor BooBoo to the floor. He leaped to safety barely in time, turning to glare at her. She ignored him.

"This is in family time! How could you put something like that on the air?"

Ratings, that was how. With news at a premium, television stations across the country were scrambling for viewers. Sex sells, and Bekah had just sold it for them.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The phone rang. Bella hesitated, debating whether or not to answer it. No more reporters should be bothering to call, since Bekah had given them their story, but considering the timing, the call was probably from someone who knew her and had just heard her name on television and wanted to talk to her, as if her fifteen minutes of dubious fame could somehow rub off on him/her by association. She didn't want to rehash anything about that damn list; she just wanted it to die. On the other hand, it might be one of the girls.

She finally answered on the seventh ring, prepared to lapse into an accent and pretend to be someone else.

"How could you do this to me?"

A man snapped. Bella blinked, trying to shift gears.

"Ch-Dad?"

Her father hadn't bothered to talk to her in almost a year and was now calling?

"What do you want?"

She asked mystified.

"That thing on television! How could you do that? How do you think it'll make me look?"

This was getting weird. How the hell had news of this reached Forks and her technophobe father?

"You gave your name! My name! Swan isn't a common name in case you've never noticed! Just think of the ribbing I'm going to take at work because of this!"

This was going a bit far... She would understand his point had she still lived under his roof but since she had been kicked out what right did he have to be so prissy about it?

"I don't think it is any of your business"

She said as carefully as possible plastering a wide fake smile on her face so she wouldn't say something she probably wouldn't regret later.

"That's your problem; you never think before you open your big mouth -"

She didn't think now; she just did what came naturally.

"The world does not revolve around you Charlie. Grow up"

She said, and slammed down the phone. Not the most mature reaction, she thought, but a satisfying one.

The phone rang again. No way was she answering it, she thought. The ringing went on and on. After she counted twenty, she snatched up the receiver and yelled,

"What!"

"I knew letting you live alone would be a great thing"

Was her mother's greeting. Bella rubbed between her eyebrows; a definite headache was forming. Charlie was pissed off and Renee was... cool?

"I missed you so much baby"

"How are you mom?"

Bella smiled

"I was great until your father called me shouting and bitching. What did you do?"

Renee asked laughing. Bella shook her head and laughed along

"It was a semi drunk joke that got out of hand"

"Show me, show me, show me"

Bella chuckled at her mother's childlike enthusiasm.

"I'll mail you a copy. Do NOT give it to anyone else; this thing has gone crazy already. How is your trip, where are you now?"

"Rome, we arrived today."

Bella smiled and let her mother's tales of her travels with her husband. Only Renee would decide that backpacking through Europe would be the perfect anniversary trip. Booboo was in her lap purring loud enough to be heard over the phone.

Later she decided to do something productive and wash the car. The modern blue convertible was clean bur she felt antsy and she couldn't concentrate on her novel.

After gathering her chamois cloths, pail, special car-washing soap that wouldn't make the paint job lose its luster, wax, and window cleaner, she let BooBoo out onto the kitchen porch so he could watch the proceedings. Since cats didn't like water, she didn't think he'd be very interested, but she wanted the company. He settled in a patch of late afternoon sunshine and promptly took a kitty nap.

The driveway next door was bereft of dented brown Pontiac, so she didn't have to worry about accidentally spraying the thing and arousing Damon's ire, though in her opinion, a good wash job wouldn't hurt it.

She settled down to industriously washing and rinsing, one section at a time, so the soap didn't have time to dry and cause spots. This particular soap wasn't supposed to spot, but she didn't trust it. She didn't like to admit it but the lessons Rosalie had given her on how to wash a car had stayed with her. Then again Rosalie had taken the Volvo's engine off just because Edward forced her to spend the afternoon with Bella.

"Hey."

"Mommy!"

She shrieked, jumping a foot in the air and dropping her soapy cloth. Her heart nearly exploded out of her chest. She whirled, water hose in hand.

Damon jumped back as water sprayed across his legs.

"Watch what the hell you're doing,"

He snapped. Bella was instantly incensed.

"Okay,"

She said agreeably, and let him have it full in the face. He yelped and dodged to the side. She stood braced, water hose in hand, watching as he rubbed a hand across his dripping face. The first water attack, accidental as it had been, had wet his jeans from the knees down. The second one had pretty much taken care of his T-shirt. The front of it was soaking wet, sticking to his skin like plaster. She tried not to notice the hard planes of his chest.

They faced each other like gunfighters, separated by no more than ten feet.

"Are you fucking crazy?"

He half-shouted.

Anger rising inside her, she let him have it again. She sprayed with a vengeance, chasing him with the stream of water as he tried to dodge and dance out of its way.

"Don't tell me I'm crazy!"

She shouted, putting her finger over the nozzle to narrow the opening and thus get more force, and distance.

"I've had it with people blaming me for everything!"

She got him in the face again.

"I'm so damn sick of you, and Charlie, and the worries about Klaus, and everyone at work, and all the stupid reporters, and BooBoo shredding my cushions! I'm fed up, do you hear?"

He abruptly switched tactics, from evade to attack. He came in low, like a linebacker, not trying to evade the blast of water she aimed at him. Before she could even blink his shoulder crashed into her midriff, the impact driving her back against her car. Quick as a snake striking, he snatched the water hose from her grip. She lunged for the hose, and he wrestled her back into place, pinning her to the Viper with his weight.

They were both breathing hard. He was soaking wet from head to toe, water leaching out of his clothes into hers until she was almost as wet as he. She glared up at him, and he glared down at her, their noses only a few inches apart.

He was smoked. Literally. Steam was rising from his skin. Water was clinging to his lashes.

"You sprayed me"

He accused, as if he couldn't believe she had done such a thing.

"You scared me,"

She accused in return.

"That was when you sprayed me the first time. You did it on purpose the second time."

She nodded.

"You deliberately scared me, and don't try to deny it. That makes the first time fault."

She gave an experimental wiggle, trying to slide out from under the pressure of his weight. Damn, he was heavy, and about as unyielding as the metal behind her.

He squelched her escape attempt by settling even more heavily against her. Water from his clothes dripped down her legs.

"What about the second one?"

Instead of replying Bella noticed the smoke and the smell of burnt flesh he seemed to be emitting.

"You're smoking... Why are you smoking?"

He took a deep breath. The movement of his chest flattened her breasts even more than they already were. Realization hit a second too late, as it often did, and her eyes widened in sudden alarm. He was looking down at her with an unreadable expression.

"Let me go"

She said, more nervous than she cared to reveal.

"No."

"No!"

She repeated.

"You can't say no. It's against the law to hold me against my will."

"I'm not holding you against your will; I'm holding you against your car."

"By force!"

He shrugged an admission. He didn't seem very alarmed at the prospect of violating any laws against manhandling neighbors.

"Let me go"

She said again.

"I can't."

"If you don't let me go, I'll shout the V word. I don't think the oldies up and down the street are desensitized enough to not react to the V word"

He waggled his brows

"Virgin?"

"Vampire"

She said exasperated. When he didn't move on his own she opened her mouth and it was firmly closed by Damon's hand. She squinted her eyes on him

"I can't"

"Why not?"

She asked behind the palm blocking her mouth. Actually, she was afraid she knew why not. 'Why not' had been growing in his wet jeans for a few minutes now. She was doing her dead level best to ignore it, and she was mostly succeeding. Well, she wouldn't be had he not have vampire senses. Why did she always have to be attracted on vampires?

"Because I'm going to do something I'll regret."

He shook his head, as if he didn't understand it himself.

"I still don't have a whip and chair, but what the hell, I'll risk it."

"Wait"

She squeaked, but it was too late. His dark head dipped.

The late afternoon spun away. From somewhere up the street she heard a child shriek with laughter. A car drove by. The faint sound of hedge clippers drifted to her ears. All of that seemed very far away and disconnected from reality. What was real was Damon's mouth on hers, his tongue tangling with hers, the warm male scent of his body in her nostrils and filling her lungs. And his taste - oh, his taste. He tasted like chocolate, as if he had just eaten a Hershey bar. She wanted to devour him.

She realized she was clutching fistfuls of wet cotton fabric. One at a time, without breaking the kiss, he peeled her hands off his shirt and tucked them around his neck, allowing him to settle more completely against her, from knee to shoulder.

How could just a kiss arouse her so totally? But it wasn't just a kiss; he used his entire body, rubbing against hers, moving with a slow, subtle rhythm that was nevertheless as powerful as a sea surge.

He was still holding the water hose in one hand. He locked both arms around her and lifted her a few inches. He tore his mouth free from hers. He was panting, the expression in his eyes hot and wild.

"Let's go inside"

He said the words so low and rough they were almost unintelligible, not much more than a growl.

"Wait!"

She yelled in panic, pushing against his shoulders, uncoiling her legs from around his hips and kicking wildly.

"Stop! Let me go!"

"Stop?"

He said in outraged disbelief. She was still pushing on his shoulders. She was still accomplishing exactly nothing.

"We can't do this"

"Yes we can"

"No we can't!"

"Yes, I can."

"Do you have herpes?"

"No."

"Syphilis?"

"No."

"Gonorrhea?"

"No."

"AIDS?"

"No!"

"Even if you did vampires can't get STD's"

"Yay for you. Now put me down!"

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

He said petulantly

"Stop being a child and put me down"

"Can I put you down in my bed?"

"No!"

She said exasperated. A smile was begging to appear on her lips at the role reversal of her saying no and a horny vampire begging.

"Why?"

"Three reasons: One, Up until yesterday I hated you. In fact I'm not sure I like you now"

"I don't mind a hate f-"

"Two"

She interrupted him

"I'd prefer you feed. I really don't want you to tap a vein at the worst possible moment"

"I ate yesterday"

"And third, your ring"

"What about it?"

"It's the same as my pendant. I don't know how you're related to Phil but I'm not into almost incest"

"Almost?"

"My mother is married to a Salvatore"

"Trust me I'm old enough to just share a last name"

With that he pushed her against the car harder to reclaim her lips. This time Bella did manage, regrettably, to move her head to the side so Damon's lips touched her cheek.

"You're being difficult"

"Get used to it"

She muttered and pushed against his shoulders again. Damon did put her to the ground this time.

"We don't share a last name by the way. I didn't take Phil's name. Bella Swan"

She extended a hand. Damon sighed and shook it.

"Damon Salvatore"

They shook hands. Bella licked her lips, Damon's eyes zeroed in and she put her tongue back in her mouth.

"So what's this problem you're having with. who was it? Oh, yeah. Charlie, Klaus, everyone at work, the reporters, and BooBoo. Why are you having trouble with reporters?"

Vampire memory. Some things don't change despite the fine printing of species.

"Charlie is my father. He's mad at me because of the stupid article and the jokes he has to endure at work. Same with Klaus, I'm angry on my friend's Caroline behalf. And the reporters. You know who BooBoo is."

He looked over her shoulder.

"He's the cat on your car."

The Booboo mention made her frown and look around. No sight of the brown thing he called a car

"Where is your car?"

"Garage. Keeps the dust and pollen and bird deposits off it."

"Your car is a wreck. Kinda too late to worry about all that"

He gave her a superior sneer

"I drive a Chevy Camaro Convertible"

"Can I see it?"

"Not until we finish our negotiations."

"Negotiations?"

"Yeah. About when we're going to finish what we just started."

Her mouth fell open.

"You mean you aren't going to let me see your car until I agree to have sex with you?"

"You got it."

"What is wrong with vampires and their brains? I've met about ten or so and you've all got some kind of brain deficiency."

He crossed his arms.

"Put up or shut up."

"Don't you mean `put out'?"

"If you insist"

He waggled his brows again

"I'll let you see Phi's car if you let me see yours"

She said slyly. He looked interested. Probably her expression told him that her Phil's car was out of the ordinary.

"What kind is it?"

She shrugged.

"I don't say the words out in public."

He leaned down and offered his ear to her.

"Whisper them."

She put her mouth against his ear and felt faint from the warm male scent that wafted to her nostrils again. She whispered two words.

He straightened so abruptly he bumped her nose.

"Ouch!"

She rubbed the aching tip.

"Let me see it"

He said hoarsely. She crossed her arms, mimicking his earlier position.

"Do we have a deal? You see Phil's car, and I see yours?"

"Hell, you can drive my car!"

He turned and looked at her garage as if it were the Holy Grail.

"It's in there?"

"Safe and secure."

"It's an original? Not a kit?"

"Original."

"Man,"

He breathed, already striding to the garage.

"I'll get the key."

She dashed inside for the key to the padlock, and returned to find him waiting impatiently.

"Be careful and open the door just enough to slide through. I don't want it seen from the street."

"Yeah, yeah."

He took the key from her and inserted it in the padlock. They entered the dark garage, and Bella fumbled for the light switch. The overheads came on, illuminating the low-slung, tarp-covered hump.

"How did he get it?"

Damon asked in a half whisper, as if he were in church. He reached for the edge of the tarp.

"His dad was on the development team."

He gave her a sharp look. Zach was in the development team of his favorite car? How had he missed it? Bella shrugged. She didn't know a lot about Phil's family. Damon lifted the tarp.

A low moan broke from his throat. The car wasn't particularly flashy. The automobile paints back then hadn't had the shine of today's paints. It was a kind of silvery gray, spare, without the luxuries so taken for granted by today's consumer. There wasn't a cup holder in sight.

"Man,"

He said again, bending to look at the instrumentation. He was careful not to touch the car. Most people, ninety-nine out of a hundred, couldn't have resisted. Some would have been brash enough to swing a leg over the low frame and slide into the driver's seat. Damon treated the car with reverence, and an odd sensation squeezed her heart. She felt a little light-headed, and everything in the garage began to fade out of focus except for his face. She concentrated on breathing, blinking fast, and in a moment the world clicked back into place.

Wow. What was that all about?

He re-covered the car as tenderly as a mother covers a sleeping infant. Wordlessly he fished his keys out of his jeans pocket and held them out to her.

She took them, and then looked down at her clothes.

"I'm wet."

"I know"

Her mouth fell open, and she quickly clamped her hands over the wet T-shirt.

"Why didn't you say something?"

She demanded hotly. He made a scoffing noise in the back of his throat.

"What, you think I'm crazy?"

"It would serve you right if I drove your car without changing clothes!"

He shrugged.

"After you let me see this, plus the wet t-shirt contest, I guess I owe you."

She started to argue that she hadn't let him see her "wet t-shirt contest", that he had looked without her permission; then she remembered that she had seen a lot more than his chest that morning and decided not to bring up the subject. Like he was going to give her the choice.

"Besides, you saw my cock. That has to be worth more points than nipples."

"Hah, Value is in the eye of the beholder. And I did tell you to cover up, if you'll remember."

"After you'd watched for how long?"

"Only long enough to call Mrs Flowers and get your number,"

She said self-righteously because it was the truth. So what if she'd had to chat with Daisy Flowers for a minute?

"And you didn't seem to think it was important enough to cover up. No, you waved it around like you were starting a race with it."

"I was enticing you."

"You were not! You didn't know I was looking."

He arched an eyebrow. She threw the keys back at him.

"I wouldn't drive your car now if you begged me! It probably has cooties in it or worse the previous girl you took out in it!"

He fielded the keys with one hand.

"Are you saying you weren't enticed?"

She started to tell him she hadn't felt even a twinge of enticement, but her tongue refused to utter what would have been the biggest lie of her life. He smirked.

"Thought so"

There was only one way to recover the upper hand. Bella put her hands on her hips, letting her nipples thrust against the thin T-shirt. Like a laser-guided missile, his gaze homed in on the front of her shirt. She saw him swallow.

"You don't play fair,"

He said thickly. She smirked in retaliation for his smirk.

"Remember that Mr. Vampire"

She said, and turned to leave the garage.

He slipped past her.

"I go first; I want to see you stepping into the sunlight."

Her hands clamped back in position over her breasts.

"Spoilsport"

He muttered, and slid sideways through the narrow opening. He stepped back inside so abruptly she collided with him.

"You have two problems"

He said.

"I do?"

"Yeah. First, you left the water on. You're going to have a hell of a water bill."

She sighed. The driveway must be awash by now. Damon had obviously driven her insane, or she would never have been so careless.

"What's the second problem?"

"Your yard is full of those reporters you mentioned."

"Oh, shit"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Damon handled the situation. He left the garage, locking the padlock behind him so no particularly nosy reporter could peek inside and see her. She listened at the door as he walked over to the Beetle and said,

"Excuse me, but I need to get to that faucet to turn off the water. Would you move, please?"

He was extraordinarily polite. Bella wondered why he was never that polite when he was talking to her. Of course, his tone was such that it was more of an order than a request, or that he was close to compelling but still.

"What can I do for you guys?"

"We want to interview Bella Swan about the List"

A strange voice said. It wounded dazed confirming Bella's suspicions.

"I don't know a Bella Swan" Damon lied.

"She lives here. According to public records, she bought this house a few weeks ago."

Public records? She was in so much trouble... Once again she was happy that Renee was out of the country and Charlie was already pissed off with her.

"Wrong. I bought this house a few weeks ago. Damn, there must have been an error when the deed was registered. I'll have to get this straightened out."

"Bella Swan doesn't live here?"

"I told you, I don't know a Bella Swan. Now, if you guys don't mind, I need to get back to washing my car."

"You drive a chick car?"

A man asked

"I'm secure in my masculinity"

Bella snorted and the sound was as loud as gunshots in her ears. She slapped both hands over her lips

"Maybe I should introduce myself,"

Damon said his tone suddenly soft. Bella could imagine the reporters listen as if they were the snakes and he was the charmer

"I'm Detective Damon Salvatore, and this is private property. You're trespassing. Do we need to continue this discussion?"

Evidently they didn't. Bella stood motionless as engines started and cars departed. It was a miracle the reporters hadn't heard her and Damon talking in the garage; they must have been talking among themselves, or they would have. Certainly she and Damon had been so engrossed in their own conversation they hadn't heard the reporters arrive.

She waited for Damon to come unlock the garage. He didn't. She heard water splashing and tuneless whistling.

The jerk was washing her car. She whispered a threat knowing he'd be able to hear her.

"You had better be doing it right. If you let the soap dry, I'll skin you alive or as alive as you are anyway."

Helplessly she waited, not daring to yell and bang on the door in case a reporter was still lurking. She wasn't wearing her wristwatch, but she estimated it was over an hour, closer to an hour and a half, before he unlocked the door. Twilight was deepening into night and her T-shirt was dry, that was how long she had stood impatiently waiting to be freed.

"You took your sweet time,"

She hissed as she stalked out of the garage.

"You're welcome. I finished washing your car, and then I waxed and buffed it."

She frowned at him

"Thank you. Why?"

"Want to tell me about the reporters?"

"No. I want to forget the whole thing."

"I don't think that's going to happen. They'll be back as soon as they check the records and find out I own the house next door, which will be first thing in the morning."

"I thought you compelled them"

"How did you..."

Bella battered her lashes and mimicked his charming monotone

"You're not the first undead person I've met"

"Hmm"

"In any event I'll be at work tomorrow"

"Bella"

He said, and this time he used his cop tone of voice.

"Damon"

She said in the same tone. After a few moments of staring at each other, Damon leaned closer, his pupils dilating

"Tell me"

He commanded in his charming tone. Bella locked her eyes on his, leaned in, breathed a little

"No"

At his stunned expression she made a bee line for her front door. She had barely stepped on the first one when a hand clamped on hers and she was pushed to sit on the porch steps. She sighed because she really should have seen it coming and made herself comfortable

"It's that stupid list."

He settled beside her and stretched out his long legs.

"What stupid list?"

"About the perfect man."

He came to attention.

"That list? The one that was in the paper?"

She nodded blushing.

"You wrote it?"

"Not exactly. I'm one of the four friends who came up with the list. All this hoopla about it is an accident. No one was ever supposed to see the thing, but it got into the newsletter at work and it's even on the Internet, and everything has snowballed from there."

She folded her arms on top of her drawn-up knees and rested her head on them.

"It's a mess. There must be no other news at all for the list to be getting this land of attention. I've been praying for a stock market crash or one of your kind to go into a feeding frenzy."

"I don't get it. What's so interesting about the list? `Faithful, nice, employed.' Big deal."

"There's more than what was in the newspaper,"

"More? What kind of more?"

"You know. More."

He thought about it, then said cautiously,

"Physical more?"

Looking everywhere but his crotch she nodded. Damon paused

"How much more?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I'll just look it up on the Web."

"Fine. You do that. I don't want to talk about it."

His big hand settled on the nape of her neck and squeezed.

"It can't be that bad."

"Yes, it can. Caroline might end up dead-er because of this. Charlie is mad at me because I'm making him look bad."

"Tell him to chill"

He shrugged. Bella sighed and threw him a look that said she had already done that.

"He sounds like a pain in the ass to me."

It was Bella's turn to shrug

"Are you going to invite me in, maybe cook dinner for me?"

She snorted.

"Get real."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Okay, then, do you want to go grab a bite to eat?"

She thought about it. There were definite pros and cons to accepting. The obvious benefit was not having to eat alone, if she had felt like going to the trouble of preparing something, which she didn't. The biggest con was spending more time with him. Spending time with Damon could be dangerous.

The only thing that had saved her earlier was that they hadn't been in a private place. If he got her alone in his car, there's no telling what would happen. On the other hand, they kind of had to talk about the boarding house.

"I'm not asking you to solve the meaning of life. Do you want to grab a burger or not?"

He said irritably

"If I go, you can't touch me,"

She warned. He held up both hands.

"I'll be good. I'll even let you choose where we eat"

"I believe only half of that"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Ten minutes later they met in front of his garage door. He pressed the button on the control in his hand, and it slid up like oiled silk. In the light that came on automatically when the door opened, she saw the gleaming black car.

"I always thought death rides the pale horse"

She commented, trying not to compare Damon's black classic car, to Edward's silver modern one.

"Leather seats"

He said, and lifted a wicked eyebrow at her.

"If you're really good, I'll let you seduce me in the car"

She managed not to react visibly.

"Nothing to say?"

He asked. She shook her head.

"Oh, damn, now I'm worried."

He said as he opened the door for her. Bella's eyebrows shot up at the gesture but slipped in and managed not to wince as her knees slid under the console.

Rebekah's plan hadn't worked. Caroline faced the inevitable after the third reporter called. God, why didn't this thing just go away? What was so fascinating about a funny list? Not that Klaus would think it was at all funny, she thought, depressed. He didn't seem to think anything was funny anymore, unless it was something that happened in New Orleans.

He had been so much fun when they first met, full of laughter and jokes despite his past. Where had that cheerful man gone? How much could a person change in one short year?

They didn't even see each other much anymore. She had taken her mother's advice and gotten a summer job since she wasn't certain if she wanted to go to college right away. She was still seventeen. She would always be seventeen. She could go to college later or pull a, whatstheirname, vampires Bella knew and do the whole school thing again at one point.

Klaus spent most of his time in New Orleans and only came back in weekends, if then. When he did, she would be tired, and wanted to stay in. He would want to go out. If she was wired and wanted a fun night out, he'd want to stay in.

The most telling thing, she thought, was that he made a fuss about coming back in the weekends. She had offered to visit him but he had roared a negative reply.

If his intention had been to get away from her as much as possible, she thought glumly, he had accomplished his aim.

Maybe their relationship was already over and she simply hadn't faced the fact. Maybe Tyler was right. Klaus had been interested in "stealing her" and now that he had her, he was no longer interested.

The thought made her chest hurt, deep inside. She loved him. Rather, she loved the person she knew he was, inside the surly exterior that was all her friends had seen when they first met him. Who he was still acting like sometimes.

If she were sleepy or something else and he popped into mind, the face she saw was the grinning, awkward, fool who took her by the hand to show her his paintings. The man that laughed when she asked him if the guard at the Luvre weren't taking vervain.

She loved the man who had brought her a single red rose on their anniversary because he knew the gesture mattered to her more than the entire florist.

She didn't love the man who hadn't said "I love you" in so long she couldn't remember the last time despite her perfect memory.

Caroline felt so helpless, compared to her friends. If anyone tried to give Rebekah guff, she blew him off and looked for someone to fill his shoes - or rather, her bed. Bonnie was upset over Matt, but she didn't sit at home waiting for him; she carried on with her life. And as for Bella - Bella was complete in a way Caroline knew she herself wasn't. Whatever life handed her, Bella faced it. Who else moved across the country because she was pissed off with her father? Even Elena who did that did it with Stefan, hanging on him instead of standing tall herself.

Not one of the three would take the grief from Klaus that she had been silently enduring. She hated her own weakness. What would happen if they? He'd sell his house probably. She would have to go back to living with her mother or ask one of the girls if they wanted a roommate, but, so what?

She could live in an apartment, right? Caroline could live alone, though she never had. She would learn to handle everything herself. And she would date again. What would it be like to spend time with a man who didn't insult her every time he opened his mouth?

When the phone rang, she knew it was Klaus. Her hand was steady when she lifted the receiver.

"Have you lost your mind?"

Were his first words. He was breathing heavily, telling her he had worked himself into a rage.

"No, I don't believe so"

She said calmly.

"You've made me a laughingstock"

"If anyone is laughing, it's because you let him. You've killed people for looking at you the wrong way Klaus. I'm not going to talk to you about it on the phone. If you want to talk to me in a civil tone, come home. If you intend to rant and rave, I have better things to do than listen to you."

He hung up on her. Her hand was shaking a little now as she replaced the receiver. Tears blurred her eyes. If he thought she would beg him for forgiveness, he was sadly mistaken.

She missed who she was when she was human. She had been vapid and self obsessed and in a constant popularity war with Elena but she wasn't afraid to stand her ground. She hadn't chosen to turn into a vampire, but the newfound strength was stronger than her newfound weaknesses. She wanted to go back to that.

Maybe it was time she did. It was up to her, wasn't it? If she lost Klaus, at least she could hold on to her self-respect. If he left her, at least she would make him regret it.

The phone rang again half an hour later.

Caroline frowned as she went to answer it. She didn't think Klaus was likely to call back, but maybe he'd thought about what she said and realized she wasn't going to roll over and play dead this time when he raised his voice.

"Hello,"

She said.

"Which one are you?"

She frowned at the ghostly whisper.

"What? Who is this?"

"Are you Ms. A? B? Which one are you?"

"Get a life,"

Snapped the new Caroline and she slammed down the phone.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Bella jumped out of bed early the next morning feeling well rested. As she showered her thoughts raced back to the previous evening. She had a good time surprisingly. Unlike her previous dinners with vampires, the Mystic Falls kind actually eat so as they pigged on small Chinese doughnuts and chicken Sichuan they spoke about things.

_Flashback_

He admitted he was one of the two vampires of the family tree and that both he and his brother resurfaced every few generations. Bella agreed that she was related to one of them.

"So you're Zach's grandkid?"

"Step-grandkid"

Bella had grinned around her fortune cookie.

"And Phil has given me month to month access so don't bother getting me to invite you inside the boarding house or the company"

"I always thought it was a little too easy to kill Zach"

Damon had sighed before he grinned and stole the last egg roll. Bella shrugged one shoulder and let him question her about why she was there. In return he admitted he didn't want people to know he was back and that, per Liz Forbes' instructions, he had agreed to use his military training and lead a taskforce consisted of supernatural beings.

"Why do you live next to me? The town isn't too big but I'm pretty sure you could be living in a better house"

She propped her chin on her hand and took a swing of her root beer

"I tried to get into my house when I moved back but couldn't. The old witch refused to let me in and instead told me there were houses on the market on her street. Just happened to be next door to you"

His eyes flashed black and veiny before emptying his scotch in one drink.

_End flashback_

Bella shivered at the memory and turned the water on hotter. She wanted to be out of the house before him or he'd remember to ask about the list.

She was on her way out the door at the ungodly time of seven A.M. when she saw that her answering machine was full of messages again. She started to hit the delete button, but hesitated. With Renee and Phil traveling, anything could happen: one of them could become ill, or there might be some other sort of emergency. Bella's luck of finding all possible dangers hadn't been passed down from Charlie…

She hit the play button.

There were messages from three reporters, one print and two television, requesting interviews. Two hang-ups, back-to-back. The sixth call was from Janice Gray, who introduced herself as Amanda Gray's sister. Her voice had the mellow, modulated tones of a television announcer as she informed Bella she would love to book her on the show to talk about the List, which was absolutely sweeping the country. The seventh message was from a magazine, requesting the same.

Bella fought down rising hysteria as she listened to three more hang-ups. Whoever it was waited for a long time, silently, before hanging up. Idiot.

She deleted the calls; she had no intention of returning any of them. This whole situation had moved beyond silly into downright ridiculous.

She made it out of the driveway without sight of Damon, which meant her morning was off to an even-tempered start. She felt so good that she tuned the radio up and sang along, replaying the previous evening in her mind and realizing that as far as dates go, it was pretty good.

"Why am I always falling pretty fast for an undead guy?"

She wondered out loud and decided to not fall for him all the way. She had spent a few months hating him, that shouldn't turn to love just because he wasn't exactly dead or because he was a good kisser

Right?

He was cocky - in more ways than one - irritating, macho, smart, and sexy as hell. And he had the proper reverence for Phil's car, plus he had done a pretty good job washing and waxing the Bug.

Shit, she was somewhat falling.

There were more reporters at the SPC Inc gates. Someone must have tipped this bunch off about what she drove, because flashbulbs began exploding as she slowed for the guard to lift the barrier arm. He grinned down at her.

"Wanna take me for a test drive and see if I meet the requirements?"

He asked.

"Let me get back to you, I'm already booked for the next two and a half years."

She smirked

"Figures,"

He winked.

She was so early that the puke-green hallway was empty. It was eerie. She was in the office before she realized the reporters and guard hadn't upset her. They weren't important. Reminiscing about the date was. Amanda Gray came into work early, too.

"Oh, good,"

She said, her eyes lighting when she saw Bella at her desk.

"I need to talk to you, and I hoped you would be in early so we wouldn't have an audience."

Bella gave an internal groan. She could see what was coming from a mile away.

"Jan called me last night. You know, my sister. Anyway, she's been trying to get in touch with you, and guess what? She wants to book you on the show! Isn't that exciting? Well, all four of you, of course, but I told her you were probably the spokesperson."

"Ah. I don't think we have a spokesperson"

Bella said, a little nonplused by the assumption.

"Oh. Well, if you did, you would be it. The spokesperson."

Amanda seemed so proud that Bella cast about for a diplomatic way of saying, 'No way'

"I didn't know your sister was a program booker."

"Oh, she isn't, but she spoke to the booker and she's very interested, too. This would be a feather in Jan's cap. The word is out the other networks will probably contact you today, so Jan wanted to get the jump on them. This could really help her career."

Meaning that if she, Bella, didn't cooperate, any setbacks in Amanda's sister's career would be laid directly on her doorstep.

"There might be a problem"

Bella said, looking as contrite as possible.

"Caroline's family, you know the sheriff, isn't happy with all this publicity -"

Amanda shrugged.

"So only three of you go on the show. Actually, it would probably be just fine if you were the only one -"

"Bonnie's much prettier -"

"But you're not local. She also doesn't have your authority."

Great. Now Bella had "authority". She tried to use some of that authority and infuse her tone with firmness.

"I don't like all this publicity, either. I'd rather the whole thing just faded away."

Amanda looked at her in horror.

"You can't mean that! Don't you want to be rich and famous?"

"Rich, I wouldn't mind. Famous, no. And I don't see how going on a morning talk show would make me rich."

"You could get a book deal out of this! One of those multimillion-dollar advances, you know, like those women who wrote the book about rules."

"Amanda!"

Bella half-shouted.

"Reality check here! How could the List be a book, unless the preferred size of a man's penis is discussed for three hundred pages?"

"Three hundred? I think a hundred and fifty would be plenty."

Amanda looked dubious. Bella looked around for something against which to bang her head.

"Please, please say you'll say yes"

Amanda pleaded, folding her hands together in the classic supplicant pose. She looked so much like Alice that Bella's clear 'no' died on her lips. In a flash of inspiration, Bella said,

"I'll have to talk to the other three. It'll be a group deal or nothing at all."

"But you said Car -"

"I'll talk to the other three,"

She repeated. Amanda looked unhappy, but evidently recognized some of that mysterious authority she thought Bella possessed.

"I thought you'd be thrilled,"

She mumbled.

"I'm not. I like my privacy."

"Then why did you put the List in the newsletter?"

"I didn't! Rebekah got drunk and let it slip to Anna what's-her-name."

"Oh."

Amanda looked even unhappier, as if she realized Bella was even less thrilled about the whole situation than she had previously thought.

"My own father is mad at me about this"

Bella grumbled. Despite her disappointment, Amanda was a nice woman. She sat down on the edge of the desk, her expression changing to one of sympathy.

"Why? What does it have to do with him?"

"My opinion exactly. He says I've embarrassed him in front of the guys at work"

"I don't see how, unless they've been comparing themselves in the rest room and he came up short"

Amanda commented, then giggled and then shut up realizing she was talking about someone's father.

"I don't want to think about that"

Then she began giggling, too. She and Amanda looked at each other and burst into gales of laughter, laughing until tears welled and ruined their mascaras. Sniffing, they giggled their way to the ladies' room to repair the damage.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

At nine o'clock, Bella was called into her immediate supervisor's office now that her boss was out on vacation.

His name was Andrew Lockwood. He was an asshole on top of being a pompous ass. Some people come by it naturally. Others work very hard at it. Andrew Lockwood did both.

He didn't ask Bella to be seated. She sat anyway, earning a frown for her presumption. She suspected the reason for this little conference and wanted to be comfortable while he chewed her out.

"Miss. Swan"

He began, looking as if he smelled something distasteful.

"Mr. Lockwood"

Another frown, from which she deduced it hadn't been her turn to speak.

"The situation at the gate has become untenable."

"I agree. Perhaps if you tried a court order -"

She let the suggestion trail off, knowing he didn't have the authority to obtain one even if there was a basis for it, which she doubted. The "situation" wasn't endangering anyone, nor were the news people hindering the employees. The frown became a glare.

"Your facetiousness is unappreciated. You know very well this situation is your doing. It's unseemly and distracting, and people are becoming unhappy."

For "people," she thought, read "his superiors."

"How is it my doing?"

She asked mildly.

"That vulgar List of yours"

Maybe he and Jane Upir had been separated by vampirism, she mused.

"The List isn't mine, any more than its Rebekah Mikaelson's. It was a collaborative effort."

What was it with everyone, holding her solely responsible for the List? Was it that mysterious "authority" again? If she had that kind of power, maybe she should start wielding it more often. She thought snidely

"Miss. Swan. Please."

Meaning, please don't take him for an idiot. He was too late; she already did.

"Your brand of humor is very recognizable, perhaps you weren't the only one involved, but you were undeniably the chief instigator. Therefore it falls to you to rectify the situation."

Bella might gripe about Anna to her friends, but she wasn't about to mention anyone else's name to Lockwood. He already knew the other three names. If he chose to believe the majority of the fault was hers, nothing she could say would change his mind.

"Okay, I'll go to the gate at lunch and tell them you don't appreciate all this publicity and you want them to get off the property or you'll have them arrested."

He looked as if he had swallowed a mackerel.

"Ah. I don't think that would be the best way to handle things."

"What do you suggest?"

Now, there was a question. His expression went absolutely blank.

She hid her relief. It would have shredded her ego if Lockwood had been able to think of a workable solution when she hadn't been able to come up with even an unworkable one.

"A staffer from Mystic Morning News has called, I'll blow her off. Mystic Daily is supposed to call, too, but I just won't take the call. All that free publicity can't be good for the company."

"Television? Ah. It would be a wonderful opportunity, wouldn't it?"

He asked weakly. He stretched his neck like a turkey. She shrugged. She didn't know if it was wonderful or not, but it was undeniably an opportunity. Of course, she had just talked herself into a corner; publicity was exactly what she didn't want. She undoubtedly had a serious character defect, since she couldn't bear to let Andrew Lockwood get the best of her in anything.

"Maybe you should run the idea by the powers that be,"

She suggested, getting to her feet. If she was lucky, someone in the upper echelons would veto the idea.

He was torn between excitement and a reluctance to let her know that he had to ask anyone at all - as if she didn't know exactly what his position was and how much authority it entailed. He was in the middle of middle management, and that was as high as his cream was going to rise.

As soon as she got back to her desk, Bella called a war council. Bonnie, Caroline and Rebekah all agreed to meet for lunch in Bekah's office.

She explained the current status to Amada and spent the rest of the morning, with her aid, dodging calls.

At lunch the four of them, fortified with a selection of crackers and diet sodas, gathered in Rebekah's office having compelled her boss to give them privacy.

"I think we can declare the situation officially out of control,"

Bella said gloomily, and filled them in on Amanda's sister and the calls that had come in that morning.

They all looked at Caroline who finished braiding her hair and shrugged

"I don't see any point in trying to put out the fire now. Klaus knows. He didn't come home last night."

"Oh, honey,"

Rebekah said sympathetically, reaching out to touch Caroline's arm.

"My brother is an asshole"

Caroline's eyes looked bruised, as if she had spent the night crying, but she seemed calm.

"This just brought things out in the open. He either loves me or he doesn't. If he doesn't, then he should get the hell out of my life and quit wasting my time."

"Wow,"

Bonnie said

"You go, girl."

"What about you? Any trouble with Brick?"

Bella asked Rebekah biting her bottom lip. Bekah gave her a wry, seen-everything-tried-most-of-it grin.

"There's always trouble with Brick. Let's just say he reacted in typical Brick fashion, with a lot of yelling and a lot of beer drinking. He was still asleep when I left this morning."

They all looked at Bonnie.

"I haven't heard from him,"

She said, and grinned at Bella.

"You were right about all the measurement offers and jokes. I'm just telling all the guys that my vote was for twelve inches, but the rest of you wanted to downsize. That generally stops them cold."

When they stopped laughing, Rebekah said,

"Okay, my giving the local guys an interview didn't do the trick. What the hell - whaddaya say we stop trying to unring the bell and have fun with this thing?"

"Lockwood is running the idea of free publicity by the suits upstairs. It's like he's forgot what exactly we're doing here"

Bella said.

"Like they won't fall on this like a starving woman on a chocolate bar?"

Caroline scoffed.

"I'm with Bekah. Let's punch up the list and really have some fun with it; you know, add some items to it, and expand on our discussions and explanations."

Bella looked at them

"What the hell,"

"What the hell,"

Bonnie seconded. They looked at each other, grinned, and Rebekah whipped out a pen and pad from a drawer.

"We might as well get started, give them a story worth printing."

Caroline let a nervous giggle that reminded Bonnie of who her friend used to be, back when she had a beating heart

"This will really bring the crazies out of the woodwork. Did any of you get any weird calls last night? Some guy - I think it was a guy, could have been a woman - whispered, `Which one are you?' He wanted to know if I was Ms. A."

Bonnie looked alarmed

"Oh, I got one of those. And a couple of hang-ups that I thought might be him again. But you're right; the way he was whispering, you couldn't really tell if it was a man or a woman."

"I had about five hang-ups on my answering machine; I had the phone turned off."

Bella added. Rebekah shrugged

"I went out and Brick threw the answering machine against the wall, so I'm temporarily messageless. I'll pick up a new one on the way home this afternoon"

"So probably all four of us got calls from the same guy"

Bella said, feeling a little uneasy. Suddenly living between a witch and a vampire sounded pretty good. Caroline shrugged and grinned.

"The price of fame"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Bella grumbled to herself all the way home. Upper management had decided that milking the situation for all the publicity (and the tourism) they could was nothing but good, and things had happened fast after that. On behalf of the others she had accepted an interview on that blasted morning show, though why a morning news show would be interested when it obviously couldn't get into the racier items on the list, she couldn't fathom.

Maybe it was nothing more than network one-upmanship at work. She could understand the print organizations being interested - say, Cosmopolitan, or even one of the men's monthlies. But what could the magazines print, other than a personal slant about the four of them and the impact the list had made on their lives?

Evidently sex sold even when it couldn't be discussed. That was a good idea for her book.

The four of them were supposed to go to the channel at the supposedly reasonable hour of four A.M. and the interview would be taped. They were to be dressed, coifed, and mascaraed before they arrived.

There was no car in the driveway next door, no sign of life in the house. Bummer.

BooBoo had cushion stuffing clinging to his whiskers when he greeted her. Bella didn't even bother to glance into the living room. The only thing she could do at this point to protect what was left of her sofa was close the door so he couldn't get into the living room, but then he would transfer his frustration to some other piece of furniture. The sofa already had to be repaired; let him have it.

A sudden wave of dizziness and a trip to the bathroom told her that her period had arrived, right on schedule. She heaved a sigh of relief. She was safe from her inexplicable weakness for Damon for a few days now.

Making a pot of coffee she sat on the breakfast counter to work on her book. She'd vent her frustrations by writing Edward getting his just desserts by however the Vampire Royals were called.

The man stared at the face in the mirror. Sometimes he disappeared for weeks, months, but there he was again in the reflection, as if he had never left.

He hadn't been able to work today, afraid of what would happen if he saw them in the flesh. The four bitches. How dare they make fun of him, taunt him with their List? Who did they think they were? They didn't think he was perfect, but he knew better.

After all, his mother had trained him.

Klaus was at home when Caroline arrived. For a moment her stomach knotted with nausea, but she didn't allow herself to hesitate. Her self-respect was on the line.

She lowered the garage door and entered the house through the mudroom, as always. The mudroom opened into the beautiful kitchen, with its white cabinets and appliances and gleaming copper pots hanging on the rack over the center island.

Klaus wasn't in the kitchen. Caroline dropped her purse and keys in their usual place on the island, kicked off her shoes, and put on a pot of water to heat for tea.

She didn't call his name, didn't go looking for him. She supposed he was in his den, watching television and nursing his grudge. If he wanted to talk to her, he could come out of his cave.

She changed into shorts and a clingy tank top. She had dug the clothes out of the back of her closet. They had been moved there when she had unconsciously mirrored Klaus' style when the two of them became official but she needed her own things now.

Klaus emerged from his den and stood watching her, as if waiting for her to jump in with an apology so he could proceed with his rehearsed rant. Caroline didn't oblige. Instead she said,

"You must be sick, since you're here during the week"

His lips thinned. He was such a good-looking man, she thought dispassionately. He was trim, tanned, his hair a mess of light brown and blond tresses, his eyes a unique shade of blue that could turn steely one minute and warm with love the next.

"We need to talk"

She lifted her brows in polite query, the way Bella would have done. The token human in the group Bella could accomplish more with the lift of a brow than most people could with a sledgehammer.

"You didn't have to come home early for that"

From his expression she could see that wasn't her scripted reply. She was supposed to attach more importance to their relationship - and his temper. Well, tough.

"I don't think you realize how seriously you've damaged me. I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you for making me a laughingstock. I'll tell you one thing, though: we don't have any chance of working this out as long as you're still hanging around with those bitches you call friends. I don't want you seeing them again, do you hear me?"

Caroline's eyes widened in dawning realization.

"Ah, so that's it, you think you can use this to tell me who I can have as friends and who I can't. Okay. Let's see. If I give up Rebekah, your own sister may I add, you can give up Elijah. For Bella, who became my friend after _you_ compelled Elena to leave town, how about whatshisname you changed in New Orleans? As for Bonnie... Bonnie's been my friend since the sandbox, you're going to have to give up Tyler at least; though, personally, I've never cared for him after I left him for you, so I think you should throw in an extra just to keep things even."

He stared at her as if she had grown two heads. He didn't always like Elijah but they were brothers. He'd just found Marcel! He could do without Tyler but he was his first hybrid...

"You're crazy!"

"That I'd ask you to give up your friends? Fancy that. If I have to, you have to."

"I'm not the one tearing our marriage apart with stupid lists about who you think is the perfect man!"

He yelled.

"Not `who', `What.' You know things like consideration. And faithfulness."

She watched him closely when she said the last, wondering suddenly Klaus's suspension of affection had a more basic reason than simply growing apart.

His gaze flickered away from her.

Caroline braced herself against the crippling pain. She pushed it into a little box and tucked it away deep inside so she could function through the next few minutes, and days, and weeks.

"Who is she?"

She asked in a tone so casual she might have been asking if he had picked up the laundry.

"Who is who? What she?"

"The famous other woman. The one you're always comparing me to in your head."

He flushed and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"I haven't been unfaithful to you; you're just trying to change the subject"

"Even if you haven't been physically unfaithful, which I'm not certain I believe, there's still someone you're attracted to, isn't there?"

He turned even redder. Caroline went to the cabinet and took out a cup and a tea bag. Placing the bag in the cup, she poured boiling water on it. After a minute she said,

"I think I'm moving out"

"Caroline -"

She lifted a hand, not looking at him.

"I'm not making any hasty decisions about us. I meant I'm leaving so I can think without you around trying to turn things around and blame everything on me."

"What about that goddamn list -"

She waved a hand.

"The list isn't important."

"The hell it isn't! Everyone is riding me about how you like monster cocks"

"In New Orleans?"

Her tone was scathing and she watched him recoil momentarily before continuing

"All you had to do was say, yeah, you had me spoiled. So the list got a little risque. So what? I think it was pretty funny, and evidently so do most people. We're going to be on TV tomorrow morning. A magazine wants to do an interview. We decided we're going to talk to whoever asks, so the thing will die a quicker death. Some other story will come along in a few days, but until then we're going to have fun."

He stared at her, shaking his head.

"You're not the woman I met"

He said in heavy accusation.

"That's okay, because neither are you"

Her toe was quiet, merely acknowledging and not accusing. Klaus turned and left the kitchen and only moments later she felt the air shift as he ran from her.

Caroline looked down at the cup of tea in her hand, blinking back tears. Well, it was out in the open now. She should have seen what was going on a long time ago. After all, who knew better than she how Klaus acted when he was in love?

Brick wasn't asleep on the sofa the way he usually was when Rebekah got home, though his pickup was in the driveway. She went through into the bedroom and found him stuffing clothes in a duffel.

"Going somewhere?"

She asked.

"Yeah"

He said sullenly.

She watched him pack. He was good-looking for a dog, with too-long dark hair, an unshaven jaw, slightly heavy features, and his usual costume of tight jeans, tight T-shirt, and scuffed boots. Late teens, never good at holding down a job, oblivious of anything that didn't involve sports or people exploding in furry beasts - let's face it, he wasn't the catch of the century. She wasn't in love with him, thank God. She hadn't been in love with anyone in years. All she wanted was company and sex. Brick provided the sex, but he wasn't much company.

He zipped up the duffel, hefted it by the handles, and brushed past her.

"Are you coming back? Or should I forward the rest of your stuff to wherever you're going?"

He glared at her.

"Why're you asking? Maybe you got somebody else all lined up to take my place, huh? Somebody with a ten-inch dick, just the way you like."

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, jeez, lord save me from injured male egos."

"You wouldn't understand,"

He said, and to her surprise, she detected a note of hurt in his rough voice. Rebekah stood blinking as Brick stormed out of the house and slammed into his truck. He slung gravel as he peeled out of the driveway.

She was astounded. Brick was hurt? Whoever would have thought?

Well, either he would be back or he wouldn't. She gave a mental shrug and opened the box containing her new answering machine, deftly hooking it up. As she recorded an outgoing message, she wondered how many calls she had missed because Brick had thrown the other answering machine against the wall. Even if he had bothered to answer the phone, he wouldn't have taken any messages for her, not in the mood he was in.

If there was anything important, she thought, they would call back.

She had barely completed the thought when the phone rang. She lifted the receiver.

"Hello."

"Which one are you?"

Whispered a ghostly voice.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Bella cracked open one eye and glared at the clock. She reached over and slapped it.

"No, I can't get up. I've only been in bed four hours"

She moaned to the dark room. She got up anyway. She had had the presence of mind before going to bed to prepare the coffeemaker and set the timer for 1:50am. The smell of coffee drew her, stumbling, to the kitchen. She turned on the overhead light, and then had to squint her eyes against the glaring brightness.

"Television people are aliens,"

She mumbled as she reached for a cup.

"Real humans wouldn't do this on a regular basis."

Gulping one scathing hot cup of coffee and cradling another, she managed to make it into the shower. As the water poured down on top of her head, she remembered that she hadn't intended to wash her hair which was now a soggy braid right in-between her shoulder blades. She groaned and leaned against the wall.

"I can't do this."

Almost thirty minutes later she was wrapped in a fluffy towel with another cup of steaming coffee sitting on the sink as she blow-dried her hair and then used a dab of hair gloss to smooth down the flyaway tendrils. Then she did her makeup hoping to hide the look of horror and sheer disbelief at being awake so early.

"Don't wear white or black"

The television lady had said. Bella reached for a simple V necked sunrise red mini dress (Caroline had threatened to kill her if she wore jeans) and slipped her feet into black sandals. At the end she fastened a pair of classic gold hoops in her ears and the pendant around her neck.

"How do I look BooBoo?"

She asked the kitty that was asleep in the middle of her bed. BooBoo opened one bleary eye, mewed and fell back asleep

"Smart kitty"

Going to the kitchen for another cup of coffee she saw the time. Three A.M. Drinking the coffee she set out a bowl of food and water for the cat and let herself out at five after three with the last cup of coffee in a paper cup.

The driveway next door was still empty. No dingy brown car sat there, nor had she heard any other vehicle enter the driveway during the night. Damon hadn't come home.

He probably had a girlfriend, she thought, gritting her teeth. Duh! She felt like an idiot. Of course he had a girlfriend. Men like him always had a woman or two, or three, on their strings. He hadn't been able to get into her pants, so he had simply buzzed on over to the next flower in line.

"Jerk,"

She growled as she got into the Bug. She should have remembered her past experiences in the relationship wars and not let herself get so excited. Evidently her hormones had overruled her common sense and she had become drunk on ovarian wine, the most potent, sanity-destroying substance in the universe. In short, she had taken one look at his naked body and gone into heat forgetting how she disliked him.

"Forget about him"

She muttered to herself as she drove the dark, quiet residential streets.

"Don't even think about him"

Sure. Like she was going to forget the sight of that joystick of his waving proud and free. She felt like crying at the thought of having to give up that awe-inspiring, mouthwatering erection when she hadn't even had a crack at it yet, but pride demanded. She refused to be one of a crowd in a man's head, much less his bed.

His only excuse, she thought, was if he was lying in a hospital somewhere, too badly injured to dial a telephone. of course no vampire would be injured by a bullet. No, he was alive and well, somewhere. It was the where that was the problem.

Just to cover all bases, she tried to work up a teeny bit of worry over him, but all she could manage was a heartfelt desire to maim him. Maybe she'd wash her car again near him, see him sizzling again with the vervain water hitting him.

That was a nice thought. She knew better than to lose her head over a man. That was what was so humiliating: she knew better. On the other hand, maybe she was overreacting. One kiss did not a relationship make. She had no claim on him, his time, or his erections.

Like hell she didn't.

Okay, so much for logic. She had to go with her gut feeling here, because it wasn't allowing room for anything else. Her feelings for Damon were way out of the norm, composed of almost equal parts fury and passion. He could make her angrier, faster, than anyone else she had ever known. He also hadn't been far off the mark with his assertion that when he kissed her, they would both end up naked. If he had chosen his location better, if they hadn't been standing in her driveway, she wouldn't have regained her senses in time to stop him.

While she was being honest with herself, she might as well admit that she was exhilarated by their conflicts. With all three of her boyfriends she had held herself back, pulled her verbal punches. She knew she was a smart-ass; Charlie, Renee and even Phil had told her so.

She treasured her friendships with Rebekah, Bonnie and Caroline because, as different as they all were, the other three accepted and weren't intimidated by her more caustic remarks. She felt the same sort of relief in her dealings with Damon, because he was as much of a smart-ass as she was, with the same verbal agility and speed.

"I'm in so much trouble"

She sighed, driving through the empty streets, drinking her coffee and thinking out loud. She arrived at the television station faster than she had anticipated.

Bonnie was already there, climbing out of her white Prius, looking as fresh and rested as if this were nine in the morning instead of not quite four. She was wearing a gold silk wrap dress that made her coffee skin glow.

"This is spooky, isn't it?"

She said when Bella joined her and they walked to the back door of the station, as they had been instructed.

"It's unnatural for anyone to be awake and functioning at this hour."

Bonnie laughed.

"Driving in empty roads is spooky"

They were still laughing when Rebekah drove up. As soon as she joined them she said,

"Are we the only living souls a wake at this hour?"

"Living?"

Bonnie raised an eyebrow causing the original vampire to grin

"I can't believe I'm here before Caroline; she's always early, and I'm usually late."

"Maybe your brother had a tantrum and told her she couldn't come"

Bonnie suggested.

"No, she would have called if she wasn't coming"

Bella replied. She checked her watch: five before four.

"Let's go inside. They might have coffee, and I need a steady supply if I'm going to be coherent."

Holding hands like school girls they entered the station. They were greeted by a cavernous space, darkness, snaking cables all over the floor. Cameras and lights stood like sentinels over the set, while monitors watched over everything. There were people around, jean-and-sneaker clad, plus one woman wearing a peach suit. She came toward them with a bright, professional smile on her face and her hand outstretched.

"Hello, I'm Andie Starr. I assume you're the Ladies of the List?"

She laughed at her own joke as she shook hands all around.

"I thought Stefan killed you"

Bonnie remarked. Andie laughed Bonnie's question away

"Who is Stefan?"

Bella asked Rebekah

"Long story, I'll tell you later"

"''kay"

"I'll be doing your interview. But aren't there four of you?"

Rebekah refrained from making a show of counting noses and saying,

"No, I think there are only three of us"

Instead she explained that Caroline was apparently held back

"Caroline Forbes, right? The sheriff's kid"

Ms. Starr wanted to show she had done her homework.

"I know you're Rebekah Mikaelson; I caught the local bit that was aired."

She looked at Bella, her gaze assessing the pendant making Bella want to roll her eyes.

"You are.?"

"Bella Swan"

"With four pretty girls, this will be a real hit. You do know the buzz your List is getting, don't you?"

"Not really,"

Bonnie said.

"We're surprised at all the attention"

"Be sure and say something to that effect when we're taping,"

Ms. Starr instructed, checking her watch. A tiny frown of annoyance began to pleat her brow; then the door opened and Caroline entered, her hair and makeup flawless, her dress a rich green.

"Sorry I'm late"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Sorry I'm late"

She said, joining the little group. She didn't offer any excuse, just the apology, and Bella gave her a sharp look, seeing the fatigue under the makeup and the red eyes. They all had a good reason for looking fatigued, considering the hour, but Caroline had added stress.

"Where is the ladies' room? I'd like to check my lipstick, if there's time, and then find a cup of coffee if there is any."

Bella asked drawing Andie's attention away from Caroline. It worked as Andie Starr laughed.

"There's always coffee in a television station. The ladies' room is this way."

She directed them down a hallway. Thanking her, the foursome entered and as soon as its door swung shut behind them, everyone turned to Caroline.

"Are you all right?"

Bella asked.

"If you're asking about Klaus, yeah, I'm all right. I told him I'd leave last night but he did instead. Of course, he may have called his girlfriend to join him, but that's his choice."

"Girlfriend!"

Bonnie echoed, her eyes widening in shock.

"Son of a bitch"

Rebekah said, thinking that Elijah had obviously a point worrying about Hayley spending too much time with them in New Orleans. Bonnie said,

"He doesn't have much leverage now to use against you on this list thing, does he?"

Caroline laughed.

"None and he knows it."

She looked at their concerned faces.

"Hey, I'm okay. If he wants out, I'd rather know now before I waste more time trying to keep things going. Once I decided that, I stopped worrying."

"How long has he been having an affair?"

Bella asked.

"He swears he isn't that he hasn't been physically unfaithful. Ask me if I believe that."

"Oh, sure, I believe the sun rises in the west, too."

Rebekah remarked

"He might be telling the truth"

Bonnie put in, although her expression didn't agree with her words.

"Possible, but not likely, whatever they admit to is only the tip of the iceberg. It's undead nature."

Rebekah said with the voice of experience. Caroline checked her lipstick.

"I don't think it makes much difference. If he's in love with someone else, then what does it matter whether or not he's slept with her? Anyway, forget about him. I am; if there's any making up to do, he'll have to be the one to do it. I'm going to play this list thing up as big as it'll get. And if there's any sort of book offer, I say we go for it. We might as well get some money for all the trouble we've been through. We need to catch up on this one"

She bobbed Bella's shoulder with hers making the human laugh and fluff her hair in the mirror.

"Amen to that,"

Rebekah said, and added,

"Brick left. His feelings were hurt."

They gaped at that, trying to imagine Brick with feelings.

"If he doesn't come back, I'll have to do the dating thing again. Man, I hate the thought of that. Going out dancing, letting men buy me drinks. It's awful."

She overplayed starting another laughing fit that followed them as they left the ladies' room. Ms. Starr was waiting for them. She directed them to the coffee urn, where someone had procured four mugs for them.

"We have a small set ready for taping whenever you get settled"

She said, a subtle way of telling them to shut up and sit down.

"The soundman needs to get you miked and sound-checked, and the lighting has to be adjusted. If you'll come this way."

Their purses were stashed out of sight, and coffee mugs in hand, they settled on a set decorated to look like a cozy living room, with a sofa and two easy chairs, a couple of fake ferns, a discreet lamp that wasn't turned on. A guy began attaching tiny microphones to them coping feels whenever possible. Andie clipped on her own microphone to the lapel of her jacket.

None of them had been intelligent enough to wear a jacket. Bonnie's gold wrap dress was okay, as was the collar-bone slamming neckline of Caroline's dress. Rebekah wore a sleeveless, mock-turtleneck dress which meant the only place the microphone could be attached was right on her throat. She would have to be very careful moving her head or the resulting noise would blot out everything else. Then the soundman looked at Bella's V neck and clipped it right between and above her breasts.

_**- 0 - (There is supposed to be a scene separator here. Really hoping it shows now)**_

In a large house that overlooked snowy mountains a bored out of her skull blonde vampire was channel surfing. The self exile to Alaska had supposed to be a family bonding time but, predictably, it hadn't worked. Only thing it managed was to get them more estranged than they already were.

In a way they were all showing their true colors now that they had no reason to pretend to be humans. Rosalie sighed again thinking how badly her family had deteriorated. Nothing would have happened if they had listened to her and left Forks but she was the token bitch and her word meant nothing to them.

They were all happy that Edward had finally found a soul mate that they were willing to ignore the fact that imposing themselves on the poor girl was extremely unfair. Rosalie had been the only one that had been of the opinion that they had to keep themselves away from the human. The others were of the opposite opinion and despite Jasper agreeing with her, not of concern for the human though but out of fear of the Volturi and the local werewolves, the girl had been reeled in.

When the unthinkable did happen and Bella had almost been devoured by them, they all picked and left. Without the human obviously. Suddenly Rosalie wondered how the human had taken their leave. If the family had deteriorated in the aftermath, how had it hit Bella?

Rosalie rubbed her stomach. She must be sick to care about a human, she thought and flicked the channel again. An overly peroxided woman was prattling about the perfect man.

Rosalie snorted and turned the sound on. The presenter introduced four teenagers and Rosalie rolled her eyes again. What did teenagers know about the perfect man? She was about to change the channel again when the camera zoomed in on one of the teenagers.

Rosalie's red lips curled into a smile.

"Well, that ought to be interesting"

The presenter introduced herself as Andie Starr and began an easy conversation introducing the teenagers as Rebekah Mikaelson, Caroline Forbes, Bonnie Bennett and Bella Swan and then went smoothly into the lead-in comments about the famous - "or infamous, depending on your point of view" List that had swept the country and was being discussed over breakfast tables in every state.

"Do any of you have a Mr. Perfect in your lives?"

They all laughed and Rosalie smirked again. The black girl introduced as Bonnie nudged Bella's knee with her own and the brunette spoke.

"No one is perfect. We joked at the time that the list is really science fiction."

"Yes it is"

Rosalie agreed

"Science fiction or not, people are taking it seriously."

"That's up to them"

The straight haired blonde the presenter introduced as Rebekah put in.

"The qualities we listed are our ideas of what would make the perfect man. A group of four other women would probably come up with different qualities, or list them in a different order"

"You do know that feminist groups are outraged at the physical and sexual requirements on the List. When women have struggled so long not to be judged by their looks or bust size, they feel you have damaged their position by judging men according to their physical attributes."

Bonnie raised one perfect eyebrow.

"I thought part of the feminist movement was to give women the freedom to be honest about what they want. We listed what we want. We were honest."

"We also never thought the List would become public,"

The other blonde put in.

"Its release was accidental."

"You would have been less honest if you had known the List would be published?"

"No, we would have upped the requirements."

Bella cracked. Rosalie snorted at the spunk. Where was this attitude when her family was all over the human?

"You said you didn't have a Mr. Perfect in your life. Do you have a man at all?"

Andie said smoothly. Rosalie raised a brow at the question and watched the four teens straighter a little, exchange small smirks and then Bella replied.

"Not really, not many men can measure up"

Rosalie howled with laughter. Behind her a door opened and Tanya Denali joined her.

"What's so funny?"

"Edward's ex and three friends crated a perfect man list. It is racy enough to get them on TV"

Tanya's smile fell upon hearing the term "Edward's ex" and she leaned in to take Bella in. Rosalie managed to not roll her eyes. Tanya's crush on Edward was pathetic.

"What did they say the list of theirs is called?"

When Rosalie repeated it, Tanya looked it up at a bright pink laptop and reading the List, Rosalie understood the irony in Bella's last response. On screen Miss Starr turned to the wavy blonde, Caroline

"I understand you're the only one of the group in a committed relationship. What does your significant other think about the List?"

"Not much"

Caroline admitted cheerfully.

"Any more than I liked it when he would turn around to ogle large breasts."

"So this is a bit of tit for tat?"

Tanya winced at the unexpected pun as Rebekah responded with a grave tone

"More tit than tat"

A wave of uncanned laughter assaulted their ears and then Bonnie stepped in

"The thing is, most of the requirements are qualities all people should have. Number one was faithfulness, remember? If you're in a relationship, you should be faithful. Period"

"Well said sister. If he sticks it to others, eat him"

Tanya agreed and Rosalie nodded

"I've read the entire article about the List, and, if you're honest, you'll admit that most of your conversation wasn't about the qualities of faithfulness or dependability. The most intense discussion was about a man's physical characteristics."

"We were having fun"

Bella said calmly.

"And we aren't crazy; of course we want men who look good to us."

Ms. Starr checked her notes.

"In the article, you aren't identified by name. You're listed as A, B, C, and D. Which of you is A?"

"We don't intend to divulge that,"

"People are very interested in who said what, I've had anonymous phone calls asking which one I am."

Rebekah said

"So have I"

Caroline picked up Rosalie's eyes slanted a little as all four teenagers admitted to being harassed.

"But we aren't going to say. Our opinions weren't unanimous; one might have felt more strongly about a particular point than the other three did. We want to protect our privacy on that front."

Another poor choice of words. When their laughter died down, Ms. Starr turned once more to the personal.

"Are you dating anyone?"

She asked Bonnie

"No one exclusively."

"He's a cheater"

Tanya declared as the presenter turned to Rebekah

"And you?"

"Not at the moment."

"He dumped her"

Rosalie predicted.

"So only Miss Forbes is in a relationship. Do you think this means you might be too exacting in your requirements?"

"Why should we lower our standards?"

Bella asked, eyes flashing, and the interview went downhill from there.

"You didn't tell me she was so opinionated"

Tanya told Rosalie as the live interview ended. Rosalie gave an elegant shrug.

"She wasn't last year. Maybe meeting us was beneficial for her after all"

At that moment the door opened and her recently fed family returned. Rosalie flipped the TV off quickly. Bella Swan was better off without them and their meddling in her life.

_** - 0 - (There is supposed to be a scene separator here. Really hoping it shows now)**_

"God, I'm sleepy"

Caroline said, yawning, when they left the studio at six-thirty. Ms. Starr had plenty of material to edit down for the short piece that would actually be aired. At one point she had abandoned her notes and passionately argued the feminist point of view. Bella doubted any morning television show could use even a fraction of what had been said, but the studio crew had been fascinated.

Whatever was used, it was supposed to be aired next Monday. Maybe then all the interest would die down. After all, how long could the List be discussed? People had lives to lead, and the List had already long outlived its allotted fifteen minutes.

"Those phone calls worry me a little,"

Rebekah said, frowning at the bright, cloudless morning sky.

"People are weird. You never know whose chain we're pulling."

Bella knew one person whose chain she hoped to pull. If some of what she had said was aired, Damon would probably take it as a personal challenge. She certainly hoped he did - because that was exactly how she had meant it.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Okay, tell us about Klaus"

Rebekah said when they had been served their coffee and given their orders at the diner where they had all stopped for breakfast

"Nothing much to tell"

Caroline replied, shrugging.

"He was at home yesterday when I got home. He began with a demand that I give up my friends - three in particular, and guess who they are. I countered with a demand that he give up one of his friends for each one of mine I had to give up. Then - I guess it was feminine intuition, because all of a sudden I wondered if he'd been so cold for the few months because of another woman."

"What's wrong with him?"

Bonnie demanded indignantly.

"Doesn't he have any idea how lucky he is to have you?"

Caroline smiled.

"Thanks for the vote. I'm not giving up, you know. We might be able to work this out, but I'm not going to let it destroy me if we don't. I did some heavy thinking last night, and this isn't all Klaus's fault. I'm not Mrs. Perfect any more than he's Mr. Perfect."

"You haven't been seeing another man"

Bella said pointedly.

"I didn't say we were equally at fault. If he's interested in keeping us going, he has a lot of making up to do. But I have some things to make up to him, too."

"Like what?"

Rebekah asked with a brow lifted as if Caroline's attitude was incomprehensible to her.

"Oh. I haven't exactly let myself go, but neither have I made any special effort to attract him. I've also been caving in to everything he says in an effort to please him, and let's face it, on the surface that sounds good for him, but if he wants an equal partner, then it must be maddening. I bounce ideas off you guys the way I used to do with him, but now it's as if I keep all the interesting parts of myself away from him. I give him the cook and housekeeper instead of the lover and partner, and that isn't good for a marriage. No wonder he got bored."

"Do you know how typical that is? Why when something happens, women always take the blame for it? Heaven forbid he takes the blame"

Bella grumbled taking a few sips of her coffee. Bonnie threw a look at Caroline.

"Neighbor issues?"

"Damon issues. It's a fitting name too"

The brunette stirred her coffee, glaring into the cup, missing how the other three had caught upset and surprised breaths and were now staring at her as if she had uttered a swear word. Finally Bonnie said delicately,

"Damon? Who's Damon?"

"You know. My neighbor."

Rebekah pursed her lips.

"Would this be the same neighbor who turned out to be a cop but whom you've described at various times as a jerk, a drunk, a drug dealer, a bottom-feeding son of a bitch, a hulk who hasn't seen a razor or a shower in this millennium and whose mortality is as human as mine?"

Bella looked at her

"Yeah, how did you know the mortality thing? Do you guys know him?"

"Well... CareBear and I have slept with him, Bonnie killed him once, he turned CareBear, I've had a relationship with his brother in the '20s and both he and his brother left town last year with their on again off again whose week is it girlfriend as per my brother's orders"

Bella's eyes widened at the 5 years in 5 minutes recap

"And you're now on a first-name basis with him"

Caroline stated, trying to remember if her mother had said anything about him being back in town and working for her. Bella's face heated.

"Kind of."

"Oh my god. She's blushing."

Bonnie's eyes were huge.

"I'm always blushing!"

Bella exclaimed yet it did nothing to turn attention away from her

"This is scary"

Rebekah said, and the three pairs of eyes blinked in astonishment. Bella squirmed in the booth, feeling her face get even hotter.

"It isn't my fault"

She blurted defensively.

"He started it. He has a knack for that"

Caroline said, studying the ceiling.

"And he fulfils your inch requirement"

Quipped Rebekah, who, like a honey badger, always went straight for the groin. Bella's lips twitched

"You've seen it?"

Bonnie accused

"Through two sets of windows, a couple mornings ago..."

"If she gets any redder she'll start steaming"

Caroline whispered to Rebekah who snorted in her coffee.

"I told him to close them!"

"Uh huh"

Bonnie joked

"After you got a nice mental picture"

"I haven't done that!"

Caroline leaned closer.

"Just what have you done?"

"Exactly one kiss, Goldilocks and that's all."

"One kiss does not a blush make"

Rebekah said, grinning.

"Can we change the subject please?"

Bella sniffed. Rebekah ignored her happy to have found something to grill her over finally

"How long did it last?"

"I told you, we haven't had sex! It was just a kiss."

"I meant the kiss. How long did it last?"

Rebekah said impatiently. Bella drew a blank on that. She hadn't exactly timed it, and besides, there had been a lot of other stuff going on, like an impending but ultimately denied climax, that had occupied most of her attention.

"I don't know. I wasn't counting. Five minutes or so, I guess."

"Five minutes?"

Caroline asked weakly.

"One kiss lasted five minutes?"

There went that damn blush again; she could feel it creeping up her face.

"Why hadn't he kissed me like that?"

Caroline complained.

"Were you conscious at his time?"

Bonnie pointed out. Caroline shook her head silently agreeing.

"What are you talking about?"

Bella asked jumping at the chance to change the subject.

"I was compelled at the time to be used as a buffet"

Bonnie slowly shook her head after Caroline summarized her brief relationship with the vampire.

"I hope you're on birth control pills, because you're definitely in the red 's going to score soon"

"That's what he thinks, too. As it happens, I renewed my prescription yesterday."

Bella said scowling.

"Evidently he isn't the only one who thinks it,"

Caroline cracked.

"Wait, your kind can father kids?"

Rebekah shrugged and broke into a big grin.

"Hey, this is something to celebrate!"

"You're all acting as if I was a lost cause."

"Let's just say that your social life sucks"

"Does not"

"When was the last time you had a date?"

She had her there, because Bella knew it had been a long time. She hadn't dated since Edward

"So I don't date much. It's by choice, not necessity. My track record in picking men isn't exactly outstanding, remember."

"So what's different about Damon?"

"A lot"

Bella said vaguely, remembering him naked. After a moment of reverie she shook herself back to reality.

"Half the time I want to strangle him."

"And the other half?"

She grinned.

"I want to tear his clothes off."

"Sounds like the basis of a good relationship to me"

Rebekah said casually stirring her coffee.

"That's certainly more than I had with Brick, and I kept him around for a year"

Bella was relieved to have the topic shift away from her again. How could she explain what she didn't understand herself? He was maddening, they rubbed sparks off each other, and he hadn't come home at all the night before. She should be running in the opposite direction instead of trying to plot ways to get him all for herself.

"What did he say?"

"Not much, which was surprising. When Brick's mad, he's about as reasonable as a two-year-old having a tantrum"

Rebekah propped her chin on her folded hands.

"I admit he took me off guard. I was prepared for yelling and cussing, but not hurt feelings."

"Maybe he cares more than you thought,"

Bonnie said, but even she sounded dubious. Rebekah snorted.

"What we had was convenient for both of us, but not exactly the affair of the century. What about you? Have you heard from Matt?"

Rebekah's change of subject indicated she was as ready to abandon the subject of Brick as Bella had been to talk about someone else other than Damon.

"As a matter of fact, I did"

Bonnie looked thoughtful.

"He was… I don't know. Kind of impressed with all the publicity. As if I was suddenly a more valuable person, if you know what I mean. He asked me out for dinner, instead of saying he'd stop by the way he always has before"

A little pool of silence engulfed the booth. They all looked at each other, uneasy at Matt's sudden change of attitude. Bonnie's expression was still thoughtful.

"I said no. If I wasn't interesting enough for him before, then I'm not interesting enough now"

"Way to go"

Bella said, immensely relieved. They exchanged high fives all around the booth.

"So what now? Is Mattie boy officially in the past, or are you in a holding pattern?"

"Pattern. But I'm not calling him again; if he wants to see me, he can do the dialing."

"But you turned him down"

Rebekah pointed out.

"I didn't tell him to get lost; I just told him no, I had other plans. If we're to have any kind of relationship, the ground rules are going to have to change, meaning I get to make some of them instead of playing everything his way."

"We're a mess"

Bella said, sighing, and sought refuge in her cup of coffee.

"We're normal"

Caroline corrected.

"That's what I said."

They were giggling when the waitress brought their orders and plopped the plates in front of them. Their love lives were, collectively, a disaster, but so what? They had scrambled eggs and hash browns to make them feel better.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Because it was Friday, they kept to their tradition of eating at the Grill after work. Bella found it difficult to believe only a week had passed since they had so lightheartedly composed the List.

In a week, a lot had changed. For one thing, the atmosphere at the Grill: when they walked in, there was a round of applause and a chorus of boos. Some women, undoubtedly the outraged feminist contingent, joined in the booing.

"Can you believe this? If we were prophets, I'd say we were about to be stoned"

Caroline muttered as they were seated.

"It was fallen women who were stoned"

Bonnie said.

"So we get a reaction from people. So what? If anyone wants to say something to our faces, I think we can hold our own"

Rebekah laughed. Their usual waiter brought their usual drinks.

"Hey, you guys are famous now"

He said cheerfully. If he was upset by certain items on the List, he didn't show it. Of course, it was possible he had no idea what the items were. Bella said,

"Just think, we came up with the idea last Friday night, sitting at that table right over there"

"You did? Wow"

He looked at the table in question.

"Just wait until I tell the boss."

"Yeah, maybe he can gild the table, or something."

The waiter slowly shook his head, looking doubtful.

"I don't think so. Isn't that what you do to horses?"

She was tired, courtesy of getting up at the ungodly hour of two, so it took her a second to make the connection.

"That's geld, not `gild'"

Relief washed over his face.

"I was wondering how you could do that to a table."

"Well, it takes four people. One to hold each leg."

Bella said. Caroline had her head down on the table, her shoulders shaking as she tried to stifle her mirth. Rebekah's eyes were looking a little wild, but she managed to give her order with only a mild shake to her voice. Bonnie, the most composed of them all, waited until all the orders had been taken and he had disappeared into the kitchen before she clapped her hands over her mouth and laughed until tears ran down her face.

"One for each leg"

She repeated, gasping, and went off into more whoops.

Their dinner wasn't as relaxed as usual, because people kept coming up to their table and making comments, both snide and complimentary. When their orders arrived, their food was burned; evidently the cook was among the booers.

"Let's get out of here"

Rebekah finally said in disgust.

"Even if we could eat this charcoal stuff, we wouldn't have a chance to with all the interruptions"

"Do we pay for it?"

Bonnie asked, examining the hockey puck that was supposed to have been a hamburger patty.

"Normally, I'd say no"

Bella replied.

"But if we make a fuss tonight, it's likely to be in the paper tomorrow morning"

Sighing, they agreed. Leaving their plates largely untouched, they paid the tab and left. They usually lingered over their meal, but this time when they left, it was just after six; the summer sun still hung low in the sky, and the heat was scorching.

They all retreated to their respective cars. Bella started the Bug's engine and sat for a moment listening to the purr. She turned the fan on "high" and adjusted the air vents so the cold air blew on her face.

She didn't want to go home and see the news, in case the List was featured again. Deciding to buy groceries instead of waiting until tomorrow, she turned north on the turnaround, zooming past the high school on the left and resisting the urge to turn right, which would have taken her to the Mystic Falls Police Department. She didn't want to see if a classic black convertible Camaro or a battered brown Pontiac was in the parking lot. All she wanted to do was stock up on food and get home to BooBoo; she had been gone so long he had probably started on another cushion.

Bella loved grocery shopping. She had been doing it as long as she could remember and most of the time she id it o autopilot. Grabbing a buggy she began waling up and down the isles flinging inside everything she saw that could serve in the meals for a week or so.

She was holding a lettuce in one hand and BooBoo's cat food in the other, going over the meals of the week she had in mind. An arm wrapped around her waist and a deep voice said,

"Miss me?"

She managed to strangle her shriek so it emerged as not much more than a squeak, but she jumped at least a foot straight up and almost crashed into a stack of Sheba cat food.

Whirling around, she quickly positioned the buggy between them and gave him a look of wide-eyed alarm.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know you. You have me mixed up with someone else."

Damon scowled. Other shoppers were watching them with acute interest; at least one lady looked as if she intended to call the cops if he made one wrong move.

"Very funny"

He growled, and deliberately removed his jacket, revealing the holster on his belt and the big black gun that resided in it. Since his badge was also clipped to his belt, the wide-eyed tension on aisle seven melted away as murmurings of "He's a cop" reached them.

"Go away, I'm busy."

"So I see. I've been chasing you up and down the aisles for the last five minutes and you didn't even notice me."

"No you haven't. I haven't been here five minutes."

She returned, checking her watch.

"Okay, three. I saw this blue streak heading up and turned around to follow it, figuring it was you."

"Is your car equipped with radar?"

"I'm in my car, not a cruiser"

"Then you can't prove how fast I was going."

"Damn it, I wasn't going to give you a ticket,"

He said, annoyed.

"Though if you don't slow down, I'm going to call a patrolman to do the honors."

"So you came in here just to harass me?"

"No"

He said with exaggerated patience and a far too innocent smile,

"I came in here because I've been gone and I wanted to check in."

"Gone? I had no idea."

She repeated, opening her eyes as wide as they would go. He ground his teeth together. She knew because she could see his jaw working.

"All right, I should have called."

The words sounded as if they had been ripped, painfully, from his gut.

"Really? Why is that?"

"Because we're -"

"Neighbors?"

She supplied, when he couldn't seem to find the word he wanted. She was beginning to enjoy herself, at least as much as was possible when she was bleary-eyed from lack of sleep.

"Because we have this thing going"

He scowled down at her, looking not at all happy about their "thing."

"Thing? I don't do things."

"You'll do mine"

He said under his breath, but she heard him anyway and had just opened her mouth to blast him when a kid, maybe eight years old, ran up and poked her in the ribs with a plastic laser weapon, making electric zinging noises as he repeatedly pulled the trigger.

"You're dead,"

He said victoriously. His mother came hurrying up, looking harassed and helpless.

"Damon, stop that! Don't bother the nice people."

She gave him a smile that was little more than a grimace.

"Shut up,"

Said the pint sized human rudely.

"Can't you see they're Terrons from Vaniot?"

"I'm sorry"

The mother said, trying to drag her offspring away.

"Damon, come on or you'll have to have a time-out when we get home."

Bella barely refrained from rolling her eyes. The kid poked her in the ribs again.

"Ouch!"

He made those zinging noises again, taking great pleasure in her discomfort.

She plastered a big smile on her face and leaned down closer to precious Damon, then cooed in her most alienlike voice,

"Oh, look, a little earthling"

She straightened and gave Damon a commanding look.

"Kill it"

Little Damon's mouth fell open. His eyes went as round as quarters as he took in the big pistol on Big Damon's belt. From his open mouth began to issue a series of shrill noises that sounded like a fire alarm.

Damon cursed under his breath, grabbed Bella by the arm, and began tugging her at a half-trot toward the front of the store. She managed to snag her purse from the buggy as she went past.

"Hey my groceries!"

She protested.

"You can spend another three minutes in here tomorrow and get them,"

He said with pent-up violence.

"Right now I'm trying to keep you from getting arrested."

"For what?"

She asked indignantly as he dragged her out of the automatic doors. People were turning to look at them, but most were following the sounds of Little Damon's shrieks to aisle seven.

"How about threatening to kill that brat and causing a riot?"

"I didn't threaten to kill him! I just ordered you to."

She had trouble keeping up with him; her high heels weren't made for running.

He whirled her around the side of the building, out of sight, and plastered her against the wall.

"I can't believe I missed this,"

He said in a goaded tone. She glared up at him and didn't say anything.

"I was in an undercover gig"

He snarled, bending down so close his nose nearly touched hers.

"You don't owe me any explanations."

He straightened and looked skyward, as if seeking help from the Almighty. She decided to give an inch.

"All right, so a phone call wouldn't have been too pushy"

He said something under his breath. She had a good idea what it was and a coy smile curled her lips. Hooking her nails in his collar, she pulled his head down, and kissed him. Just like that he had her pinned to the wall, his arms so tight around her she could barely breathe, but breathing wasn't number one on her list of priorities right then. Feeling him against her, tasting him - that was important.

His gun was on his belt, so she knew that wasn't what was prodding her in the stomach. She wiggled against it just to make certain. Nope, definitely not a gun. He was breathing hard when he lifted his head.

"You pick the damnedest places,"

He said, looking around.

"I pick? I was in there minding my own business, doing a little grocery shopping, when I was attacked by not one but two maniacs -"

"Don't you like kids?"

She blinked.

"What?"

"Don't you like kids? You wanted me to kill that one."

"I like most kids, but I didn't like that one. He poked me in the ribs"

She said impatiently

"I'm poking you in the stomach."

She gave him a sweet smile, one that made him shudder.

"Yeah, but you aren't using a plastic laser gun."

"Let's get out of here"

He said, looking desperate, and hustled her to her car.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Do you want coffee?"

Bella asked as she unlocked the kitchen door and left him outside uninvited.

"Or iced tea?"

She added, thinking a tall, cool glass would be just the ticket right now, with the scorching heat outside.

"Scotch"

He said, making her roll her eyes. He was standing outside her door looking like an abandoned puppy as she went to the bar in her living room to get him a glass of the amber liquid he requested.

"How is it you've only lived here a couple of weeks and this place already looks more lived-in than mine?"

She pretended to consider the matter.

"I believe it's called unpacking"

He looked up at the stars.

"I missed this?"

He muttered at the sky, still seeking enlightenment. Bella sneaked several glances at him as she got two glasses from the cabinet and filled them with ice. Her blood was zinging through her veins, the way it always did when she was around, whether from anger or exhilaration or lust, or a combination of all three.

"What kind of undercover thing were you doing?"

"Can't really say, sorry"

She filled his glass with scotch and grabbed the pitcher of tea from the refrigerator for herself. Once she joined him on her patio, he took his glass from her, his fingers brushing hers. His gaze zeroed in on her mouth.

"Congratulations"

He said. She blinked at him.

"Have I done something?"

She hoped he wasn't referring to all the publicity over the List - oh, God, the List. She had forgotten about it. Had he read the entire thing? Of course he had.

He didn't respond, instead he tilted the glass up and drank. She watched, mesmerized. She struggled with a violent urge to tear his clothes off. What was wrong with her?

"More?"

She asked when he drained the glass and set it down.

"No thanks."

That hot, dark gaze went over her, settled on her not so PG friendly dress and it's opening.

"You look extra spiffy today. Anything special going on?"

She wasn't going to avoid the subject, no matter how touchy it was.

"We had an interview for a morning show this morning. At four A.M. if you can believe it! I had to get up at two, and I've been comatose most of the day."

"The List is getting that much publicity?"

He asked, surprised.

"I'm afraid so"

She said morosely, sitting down at the coffee table. He didn't sit down across from her, but took a seat beside her on the bench.

"I tracked it down on the Web. It was funny stuff - Ms. C."

She gaped at him.

"How did you know?"

She demanded. He snorted.

"Like I wouldn't recognize your smart-ass mouth even in print. `Anything over eight is strictly for show-and-tell'," he quoted at her.

"I might have known you'd remember only the sex stuff."

"Sex is much on my mind these days. And just for the record - I don't have anything for show-and-tell."

If he didn't, he hadn't missed it by much, Bella thought, remembering with great fondness how he had looked in profile.

"So do Rebekah and Caroline say"

She said, not too pointendly. Damon ignored her and went on

"I'm just happy I'm not in the point-and-laugh category."

Bella shrieked with laughter and threw herself back in the chair so hard she managed to fall off onto the floor. She sat there holding her ribs, which had pretty much stopped aching but now decided to resume at such rough treatment, but she couldn't stop laughing. BooBoo cautiously approached, but decided he didn't want to get within touching distance and instead sought refuge under the table.

Damon leaned down and scooped up the cat, making it hiss and unsheathe long claws that had already left marks on his body once, settling him on his lap and stroking down the long, lean body. BooBoo closed his eyes and set up a buzz-saw purr. The cat purred, and Damon watched her, waiting until the gales of laughter had subsided to giggles and wheezing.

She sat on the floor with her arms wrapped around her ribs and her eyes wet with tears. If she had any mascara left, it had to be running down her cheeks, she thought.

"Need any help getting up? I should warn you that if I get my hands on you, I may have trouble taking them off again."

"I can manage thanks."

Carefully, and not without some difficulty because of her short skirt, she got to her feet and wiped her eyes with a napkin.

"Good. I'd hate to disturb. What's his name? BooBoo? What the hell kind of name for a cat is BooBoo?"

"Don't blame me; blame my mother."

"A cat should have a name it can live up to. Naming him BooBoo is like naming your son Alice. BooBoo shoulda been named Tiger, or Romeo -"

Bella shook her head.

"Romeo's out."

"You mean he's -?"

She nodded.

"In that case, I guess BooBoo's a pretty good name for him, though BooHoo would be more appropriate."

She had to hold her ribs really, really tight to keep from bursting into more laughter.

"You're such a guy."

"What the hell did you want me to be, a ballerina?"

No, she didn't want him to be anything except what he was. Despite the stories her girls had given her earlier, she couldn't help the excitement fizzing along her veins like champagne.

Only two days had passed since their first kiss, two days that had seemed like an eternity because there hadn't been anything else until she grabbed his lapels at the supermarket and pulled him down to her level.

"How's your injuries?"

He asked, lids heavy over his crystal like eyes, and she knew his thoughts weren't far from hers.

"History"

She replied.

"Then let's go to bed."

"You think all you have to do is say, `Let's go to bed,' and I'll fall over on my back?"

She asked indignantly.

"No, I hoped I'd have a chance to do a bit more than that before you fell over on your back."

"I'm not falling anywhere."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm having my period"

Funny, she couldn't remember ever saying that to a man before, especially without even a twinge of self-consciousness. His brows snapped down.

"You're what?"

He asked in growing anger.

"Having my period. Menstruating. Maybe you've heard about it. It's when..."

"I know what it is. Why can't I smell it?"

"Maybe your nose is clogged?"

Bella pursed her lips trying and failing to look innocent. It evidently wasn't working

"You stopped me,"

He groaned, closing his eyes as if he were in acute pain.

"I was damn near dying, and you stopped me"

"You're already dead. Plus you make it sound on a level with treason."

He opened his eyes, glaring at her.

"What about now?"

He was about as romantic as a rock, she thought, so why was she so turned on?

"Your idea of foreplay is probably "You awake?'"

She grumbled. He made an impatient gesture.

"What about now?"

"No."

"Jeez!"

He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes again.

"What's wrong with now?"

"I told you, I'm having my period."

"So?"

"So. No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to! Give me a break!"

She almost shouted. Damon sighed

"I get it. PMS"

"PMS is before, you idiot."

"That's what you say. Ask any man and you'll hear a different story."

"Like they're experts"

"Honey, the only experts in PMS are men. That's why men are so good at fighting wars; they learned Escape and Evade at home"

She tried not to smile at him. She really did. He grinned at the expression on her face.

"Know why PMS is called PMS?"

"Don't you dare, only women can tell PMS jokes."

"Because `mad cow disease' was already taken."

Forget the smile. She looked around for a knife.

"Get out of my house."

He put BooBoo on the floor and stood up, evidently ready to Escape and Evade.

"Settle down"

He said, putting the chair between them.

"Settle down, my ass! Damn it, where's my butcher knife?"

She looked around in frustration. If she had only lived here longer, she would know where she had put everything! He came out from behind the chair, around the table, and had a firm grip on both her wrists before she could remember which drawer held her cutting knives. She blew her bangs out of her eyes so she could glare at him more effectively.

He bent his head and kissed her.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The blond man couldn't rest. He got out of bed and turned on the light in the bathroom, checking in the mirror to make certain he was still there. The face that stared back at him was that of a stranger, but the eyes were familiar. He had seen those eyes look back at him for most of his life, but sometimes he was gone and they didn't see him.

He hadn't been able to relax for a while. Sometimes he felt as if he were shaking apart inside, though when he held out his hands, they were steady. Was there something addictive in his life? He didn't want to be an addict; addiction was a sign of weakness, his mother had always told him. He couldn't be addicted because he couldn't be weak. He had to be strong, he had to be perfect.

He heard an echo of her voice in his head.

"My perfect little man"

She had called him, stroking his cheek.

Whenever he failed her, whenever he was less than perfect, her wrath had been so overwhelming his world would threaten to come apart at the seams. He would do anything to keep from disappointing his mother, but he had kept an awful secret from her: sometimes he had deliberately transgressed, just a little, so she would punish him. Even now the thought of those punishments sent a thrill through him. She would have been so disappointed if she had guessed his secret delight, so he had always struggled to keep his pleasure hidden.

Sometimes he missed her so much. She always knew just what to do.

She would know, for instance, what to do about those four bitches who mocked him with their list for being perfect. As if they knew what perfection was! He knew. His mother had known. He had always tried so hard to be her perfect little man, her perfect son, but he had always fallen short, even on those times when he wasn't misbehaving just a little, on purpose, so she would punish him. He had always known there was an imperfection in him that he would never be able to correct, that he always disappointed his mother on a basic level just by being.

They thought they were so smart, the four bitches - he liked the way that sounded, the Four Bitches, like some perverted Roman deity. The Furies, the Graces, the Bitches. They tried to play it cute, hiding their identities by using A, B, C, and D instead of their names. There was one in particular he hated, the one who said, "If a man isn't perfect, he should try harder." What did they know? Had they ever tried to measure up to a standard so impossibly high only perfection could meet it, and fallen short every day of their lives? Had they?

Did they know what it was like for him to try and try, yet know deep inside he was going to fail, until finally he learned to enjoy the punishment because that was the only way he could live with it? Did they know?

Bitches like them didn't deserve to live.

He could feel that inner shaking again and he wrapped his arms around himself, holding himself together. It was their fault he couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about them, about what they said.

Which one was it? Was it that bleached blonde, Rebekah something, who swished her ass in front of all the men like she was some goddess and they were nothing but dogs who would come running whenever she wanted? He had heard she would sleep with anyone who asked, but that most of the time she beat them to the punch. His mother would have been appalled at such trashy behavior.

"Some people don't deserve to live."

He could hear her whisper inside his head, the way she often did when he didn't take the pills. He wasn't the only one who disappeared when he took the medication the way they instructed; Mother disappeared, too. Maybe they went away together. He didn't know, but he hoped so. Maybe she punished him for taking the pills and making her disappear. Maybe that was why he took the pills, so he and Mother could go away and. No, that wasn't right. When he took the pills, it was as if he didn't exist.

He felt the thought slipping away from him. All he knew was that he didn't want to take the pills. He wanted to find out which bitch was which. That sounded funny so he repeated it to himself, and silently laughed. Which bitch was which. That was good.

He knew where they all lived. He had gotten their addresses from their files at work. It was so easy, for anyone who knew how, and of course no one had questioned him.

He would go to her house and find out if she was the one who had said that awful, stupid thing. He was pretty sure it was Rebekah. He wanted to teach that stupid, vicious bitch a lesson. Mother would be so pleased.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Rebekah was a night owl, even during the workweek. She didn't need much sleep, so even though she didn't party nearly as hearty as she had when she was younger - say, a couple centuries ago - she seldom went to bed before three am.

She watched old movies on television; she read three or four books a week; she had even developed a fondness for cross-stitching. Mostly though she talked to her brother Elijah on the computer.

She had to laugh at herself whenever she picked up her cross-stitch hoop, because this had to be proof that the obedient Rebekah who would listen to her parents and be a thorough daddy's girl of her youth was still somewhere inside her.

Who needed meditation to gain inner serenity when she could get the same effect by duplicating with needle and thread a small colored pattern of Xs? At least when she had completed a pattern, she had something to show for it.

In her time she had tried a lot of stuff that people probably wouldn't expect of her, she thought. Meditation. Yoga. Self-hypnotism. Finally she had decided a beer worked just as well and her insides were as serene as they were going to get. She was what she was. If anyone didn't like it, screw `em.

Usually, on a Friday night, she and Brick would hit a club out of town, do some dancing, drink a few beers. Brick was a fine dancer, which was surprising because he looked like someone who would rather die than get on a dance floor, kind of a cross between a truck driver and a biker. He wasn't much of a conversationalist, but he sure had some moves.

She had thought about going out without him, but the idea wasn't very exciting. With all the hoopla this week about that damn List, she was a little tired. She wanted to settle down with a book and rest. Maybe tomorrow night she'd go out.

She missed Brick. She missed his presence, anyway, if not him in particular. When he wasn't in the sack or on a dance floor, he was pretty boring. He slept; he drank beer; he watched television. That was it. He wasn't a great lover, either, but he sure was an eager one. He was never too tired and was always willing to try anything she wanted.

Still, Brick was just further proof she wasn't any good at picking men, his species aside. At least she wasn't stupid enough any longer to want to marry them. She had gotten close to the "I do" only once before the bastard betrayed her and was killed by Klaus and Elijah and that was a lesson

Life had taught her that things seldom worked out just right. There was always a bump in the road, a glitch in the software. She had been murdered, turned and hunted ever since by her own father.

It was after midnight when the doorbell rang. Wiping a stray tear she hadn't realized had fallen, she closed the photo album she had been perusing and got up from the couch where she had been sprawled. Who on earth could that be? It wouldn't be Brick returning, because he had a key.

That reminded her: she needed to get her locks replaced. She was too cautious to simply get her key back and assume he hadn't made a duplicate. So far he hadn't displayed any thieving habits, but one never knew what a man might do when he was pissed at a woman.

Because she was cautious, she looked through the peephole. She frowned and stepped back to unlock the door and remove the chain.

"Hey"

She said, opening the door.

"Is something wrong?"

"No"

The blonde man said and hit her in the head with the hammer he had been holding against his leg.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

On Monday, Bella was whistling as she was waiting for the elevator. She felt as if she were fizzing on the inside, a direct result of a weekend filled with Damon. Lucas Yorkie stepped forward to exit the elevator as she was getting on.

"Hi, Lucas, How're things going?"

He turned bright red at her cheerful tone and his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat.

"Uh - okay"

He mumbled as he ducked his head and hurried off the elevator. Bella was still smiling as she shook her head and punched the button for the third floor. She couldn't imagine him getting up enough nerve to grab Rebekah's ass; she and everyone else in the building would have paid good money to have seen it.

As usual, she was the first one in the office; she liked getting a jump on Monday mornings. If she could just keep her mind on the job, she was off to a good start.

The List thing was dying down, maybe. Everyone who wanted an interview had one. She hadn't watched television that morning, so she had no idea what snippets of their Friday morning interview actually made it on air. Someone would be certain to tell her, though, and if she ever felt the urge to watch it, which wasn't likely, at least one of the other three would have taped the program. Unless it was already on youtube.

Oh well. What's done is done.

It was silly but her mind was on the weekend. The weekend spent with the vampire next door instead of the "what could have been" of her book.

After eating dinner together Friday night, he had awakened her at six-thirty Saturday morning by spraying her bedroom window with the water hose, then inviting her out to help him wash his car. Figuring she owed him, since he had washed the Bug, she quickly pulled on some clothes, put on some coffee, and joined him outside. He hadn't wanted to just wash the car; he wanted it waxed and buffed, all the chrome cleaned and polished, the interior vacuumed, all the windows washed. After two hours of intense labor, it had gleamed. He had then pulled it into his garage and asked what she was cooking him for breakfast.

They had spent the day together, arguing and laughing, watching a ball game on television, and were getting ready to go out for dinner when his beeper went off. He made a call, and before she knew it, he was out the door with a quick kiss, an "I don't know when I'll be back." and to lock the door if she felt like leaving.

Her reaction was a call to Rome starting with "now I know why you disliked Charlie being a cop". Two hours later motherly wisdom had soothed her and she had realized that no matter the species, a cop's life is a series of interruptions and urgent summons. Broken dates would come with the package.

She had thought about it and decided what the hell, she was tough, and she could handle it. But if he was in danger, and Damon's breed of vampire did seem less immortal than Edward's, she didn't know if she could handle that nearly as well. Was he still working on that task force? Was it something he was permanently assigned to, or were things like that temporary? Despite Charlie being a cop, she knew little about law enforcement, but she would definitely be finding out more.

He had returned Sunday afternoon, tired, grumpy, and not inclined to talk about what he'd been doing. Instead of badgering him with questions, she let him nap in her big easy chair on the patio, she was certain he'd whine to be invited in but he had accepted her "not yet", while she wrote, curled up on the matching easy chair.

Being with him like that, not on a date or anything, just being, had felt somehow... right. Watching him sleep, creepy as it was. Enjoying the sound of his breathing. And not daring, to put labels to what she was feeling. It was too soon, and she was still too wary from past experiences to blindly trust that this excitement when she was with him would last forever.

"Hey, Bella!"

She looked up as Jo Jonson stuck her head in the door, her eyebrows raised in query.

"I just caught part of the thing on television this morning; I had to leave before it was finished, but I set the VCR. It was so cool! You looked hot, really hot. Everyone looked good, y'know, but, wow, you were great."

"I didn't see it,"

"Really? Wow, if I were on national television, I'd stay out of work to watch myself."

Not if you were as sick of the whole thing as I am, Bella thought. She managed a smile anyway. At eight-thirty Bonnie called.

"Have you heard from Rebekah? She hasn't come to work yet, but when I called her at home, there wasn't an answer"

"No, I haven't talked to her since Friday"

"It isn't like her to miss work"

Bonnie sounded worried. She and Rebekah were pretty tight, surprisingly so considering their past

"And she didn't call in late or sick or anything"

That really wasn't like Rebekah. She wasn't unreliable. Bella frowned; now she was worried.

"Have you tried her cell phone?"

"It isn't on."

Rebekah never turned her cell off. The first thought that sprang to Bella's mind was that Brick snapped and hurt her.

"I'll call around and see if I can find her"

She said, not voicing her sudden concern to Bonnie.

"Okay. Let me know"

She thought about trying Klaus or the other brother but seeing how he and Caroline were, Bella thought they should try that later. Meanwhile maybe it'd be a good idea to call the cops.

Three digits later and she was on hold to the police department. Chief Forbes was out of her office and she was waiting for the secretary to find Damon. Five minutes of bad tunes later she was informed that Detective Salvatore wasn't available either, would she like to leave a message?

"Do you have his pager number? It's important."

"What does this concern?"

Irritated, she wondered if women regularly called him at work.

"I'm one of his snitches,"

"Then you should have his pager number"

"Oh, for God's sake! Someone could be hurt or -"

She caught herself.

"Okay, so I'm pregnant and I thought he'd like to know"

The secretary laughed.

"Is this Bella?"

Oh, my God, he'd been talking about her! Her face flamed.

"Um - yes, sorry"

She mumbled.

"Not a problem. He said if you ever called to make sure you got in touch with him"

"Thanks"

"You're welcome. Uh - about this pregnancy thing."

"I lied"

She said, and tried to work up a smidgen of shame in her tone. She didn't think she succeeded, because the woman laughed before hanging up.

She pressed the disconnect button on her desk phone, and then dialed Damon's pager. It was one of the numerical pagers, so she left her number. Since it wasn't a number he would recognize, she wondered how long it would take him to return her call. Why didn't she have his cell phone again? In the meantime she called accounting.

"Has Rebekah arrived yet?"

"No, we haven't heard from her."

"This is Bella, extension three-six-two-one. If she comes in, tell her to call me immediately."

"Will do"

It was nine-thirty before her phone rang again. She snatched up the receiver, hoping Rebekah had finally shown up.

"Bella Swan"

"I hear we're going to be parents."

Damon's deep voice purred over the telephone line. Damn blabbermouth! She thought.

"I had to say something. She didn't believe I was a snitch."

"Lucky I warned everyone about you, what's up?"

"Nothing, I hope. My friend Rebekah -"

"Rebekah Mikaelson, one of the infamous List Ladies?"

She might have known he'd have the details on all of them.

"Same one you bedded too"

She said mockingly before continuing in a more sober tone

"She hasn't come in to work, hasn't called, and isn't answering her home phone or cell phone. I'm afraid she might have been in... An accident, but I don't know who to contact to find out. Can you steer me in the right direction?"

"No problem. She lives above the Falls, doesn't she?"

"Yes."

Quickly Bella gave him the address, then voiced her thoughts

"Damon, her boyfriend was really upset about the List. He left Thursday night, but he might have come back. He has mood issues, the furry kind"

There was a slight pause; then his tone turned brisk and businesslike.

"I'll check it out. It's probably nothing, but it won't hurt to be certain."

"Thanks,"

She whispered


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Damon didn't like what he was thinking, but he'd been around too long to write off Bella's concern as overreacting. An irate boyfriend - one with a wounded ego, at that, over that damn List - and a missing woman were ingredients in far too many incidents of violence especially the inbred animosity between species. Maybe Rebekah met someone and felt like blowing off work, but maybe not. Bella wasn't the type to panic over nothing, and she had definitely been afraid.

He would have liked to scoff at the concern but ever since the former anti-vampire council had been reborn to an underground corp. handling the affairs of humans and supernatural in the town and making one vampire coming from a family with pull disappear did sound like something the council could be behind.

Of course like Bella said, it could also have been about that List thing. In any event, he'd be the one to find out what happened. Ever since he returned to town, Mayor Carol Lockwood had looped him in and had asked, actually order, him to create a supernatural only sub police division. His team would protect the humans from the various supernaturals while the real police would handle human affairs. So far that plan had worked

Not only it had worked, it had given him time to get involved with Bella. He repressed a sigh that would sound too dreamy for the seriousness of the office.

Throwing a look at the people around him, he leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the desk. His mind went back to his brief absence from the town and his return to find a teenager having laid claim to his house, his name, his everything. Only Stefan's urges to stay calm had stopped him from ripping Bella's throat open and draining her.

Now he wanted to rip off her clothes. It was progress.

Pouring a cup of blood to snack on, he placed two calls. One to a patrol car to check Rebekah's apartment and the second in New Orleans to see if anyone had heard from her. The number in New Orleans went to voice mail and he left a message.

At ten-fifteen, the patrol unit responded.

"You called it, boss"

"She's dead?"

"Yeah. It's pretty brutal. It has to be one of us. Want us to try and find the boyfriend?"

"Yes. Give me the details"

"There's a bloody hammer at the scene. We might get some prints off it, might not."

Damon winced. A hammer did a god-awful amount of damage but it wouldn't kill an original.

"What else?"

"Not much of her face is left. She was stabbed multiple times and an ugly knife is sticking from her. She's covered in some sort of dust too. She was sexually attacked"

"Semen?"

"You'll see when you get here boss"

Damon sat motionless for a minute after they hung up. He didn't have to imagine the gory details; he had seen too many deaths in all their bloody reality. He knew enough about murder to know that this murder had been perpetrated by someone who knew the victim because the attack had been personal; the face had been attacked. The multiple stab wounds were indicative of rage. And since most female murder victims were killed by someone they knew, usually the husband or boyfriend, or the ex-whatever, the odds were overwhelming that Rebekah's boyfriend was the killer.

He took a deep breath and dialed Bella's number again. When she answered, he said,

"Do you know Rebekah's boyfriend's name?"

She audibly inhaled.

"Is she all right?"

"I don't know anything yet,"

He lied.

"Her boyfriend -"

"Oh. His name is Brick Geurin."

She spelled the last name for him.

"Is `Brick' his real name or a nickname?"

"I don't know. `Brick' is all I ever heard her call him."

"Okay, that's enough. I'll get back with you when I hear something. Oh - want to meet me for lunch?"

"Sure. Where?"

She still sounded scared, but she was holding together the way he had known she would.

"I'll pick you up, if you can get me through the gate."

"No problem. Twelve?"

He checked his watch. Ten-thirty-five.

"Can you make it earlier; say eleven-fifteen or so?"

That would just give him time to pick her up. Maybe she knew, maybe she caught on then.

"I'll meet you downstairs"

She was waiting for him at the front of the building when the guard let him through the gate. She was wearing another of those vests that made her clean, pale skin look like cream. Her right hand was fisted around her pendant.

He got out and walked around to open the door for her.

Her dark eyes were anxious as she studied his expression. He knew he was wearing his cop face, as emotionless as a mask, but she went white.

He put his hands around her slender waist and placed her into the convertible then walked back around to get behind the wheel.

A tear slid down Bella's cheek.

"Tell me"

She said, her voice choked. He sighed, then reached out and drew her into his arms.

"I'm so sorry,"

He said against her hair. She clutched his shirt. He could feel her shaking, and held her even tighter.

"She's dead, isn't she"

She said in a trembling whisper, and it wasn't a question.

She knew.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Bella had cried so much her eyes were swollen almost shut. Damon had simply held her through the initial storm of weeping, parked in front of her work; then when she regained a bit of control, he asked,

"Can you eat anything?"

She shook her head.

"No"

Her voice was thick.

"I need to tell Bonnie and Caroline"

"Not yet, honey. Once you tell them, it'll be all over the building; then someone will call the newspaper or a radio or television station, and it'll be all over the news. Her family hasn't been notified yet, and they don't need to hear it that way."

"She doesn't have much family."

Bella fished a tissue out of her purse, then wiped her eyes and blew her nose uncaring of what a mess she looked like.

"Only Klaus and Elijah in New Orleans. That's all I ever heard her mention."

"I know sweetheart. I've met them. I called Elijah and he'll call me back"

"Okay"

Damon was certain she wasn't well right then and there. In the time he knew her, she didn't accept easy answers

"I need to go home"

Bella said, staring through the windshield. She reached for the door handle, but Damon stopped her, holding her in place with a firm hand on her arm.

"No way are you driving right now, If you want to go home, I'll take you."

"But my car -"

"Isn't going anywhere. It's in a secure place. If you need to go anywhere, I'll drive you."

"But you might have to leave."

"I'll handle it, you aren't driving."

"Okay"

If she hadn't been so shattered, she would have argued with him, but tears welled again and she knew she couldn't see to drive. Neither could she could go back inside; she couldn't handle facing anyone right now, couldn't handle the inevitable questions without breaking down.

"I have to let the office know I'm going home,"

She said.

"Can you handle it, or do you want me to do it?"

"I can,"

She said, her voice trembling.

"Just. Not right now."

"Okay. Fasten your seat belt."

Obediently she buckled the belt around her and sat deathly still as Damon put the car in gear. He drove silently, not intruding on her grief while she tried to accept that Rebekah was gone.

"She told me once that your kind doesn't die easily. Hers even less so"

Her voice was quiet. If he hadn't been a vampire he never would have heard her

"There are ways"

"You - you think Brick did it, don't you?"

"He'll be questioned,"

Damon said neutrally. At this point, the overgrown dog would be the number one suspect, as long as the evidence would support it. It was something Liz had stressed and he had agreed on. It was easy to assume that another supernatural had done it but in this town even humans knew how to act and react with supernaturals.

Bella began crying again. She put her hands over her face and sat hunched over, her shoulders shaking.

"I can't believe this is happening,"

She managed to say, and then wondered dully how many millions of other people said exactly the same thing during a crisis.

"I know, honey."

He did know, she realized. he was a cop and the town records for his family, that she might have snooped soon after moving in, had the one and only Damon having been a soldier in the civil war. Dimly she had wondered if he knew Jasper.

"H-how did -? I mean, what happened?"

Damon hesitated, reluctant to tell her Rebekah had been both bludgeoned and stabbed.

"I don't know all the details, I know she was stabbed. I don't know the time of death or anything."

Those three statements were true, without being anywhere close to the whole truth.

"Stabbed"

Bella repeated, and closed her eyes as if trying to visualize it.

"Don't"

She opened her eyes and looked questioningly at him.

"You were trying to imagine what happened, how she looked, if it hurt, don't"

He said, more harshly than he intended.

She took a deep breath, and he expected her to lash out at him, transferring the focus of her grief and anger to him, but instead she nodded.

"How do I not think about it?"

"Think about her instead"

He said, because he knew she would anyway. It was part of the grieving process. She tried to say something, her throat working, but tears welled up again, and she settled for a jerky nod. She didn't say anything else all the way home.

She felt old as she walked across their driveways to her house. Damon went with her, his arm around her, and she was grateful for his support as she ponderously climbed the steps to the kitchen door. BooBoo came meowing, tail twitching, as if asking why she was home so early. She leaned down to scratch behind his ears, taking comfort in the warmth of the sinuous body and the softness of his fur.

"Come in"

She invited Damon quietly before she put her purse on the table and sank down in one of the kitchen chairs, holding BooBoo on her lap and stroking him while Damon called his sergeant and carried on a quiet conversation.

She tried not to think about Rebekah, not yet. She did think about Bonnie and Caroline and the anxiety they must feel because they hadn't yet heard from Rebekah. She hoped Rebekah's brothers were contacted soon, because when she reported off for the rest of the day, her friends would know something was dreadfully wrong and despite her personal drama with Klaus, Bella didn't want Caroline to be alone when she found out. If they called here to check on her, she didn't know what she would say or if she could even manage to talk to them.

Damon set a glass of tea in front of her.

"Drink it, you've leaked enough to be dehydrated."

Impossibly, that earned a shaky smile. He kissed the top of her head, then sat down beside her with both the scotch bottle and a glass. She put BooBoo down, sniffed, and blotted her eyes.

"Exactly what did you tell everyone at the department about me?"

She asked, just for something to talk about. Something that didn't involve vampires, witches, perfect men or death. Something simple


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Damon tried for an innocent look. On that rough-hewn face, it didn't work very well.

"Nothing much. Just that if you called, to tell you how to get in touch with me. I should have thought to give you my number anyway."

"Nice try"

She commented.

"Did it work?"

"Nope"

"Okay, I told them you blush like a stoplight, have the sweetest ass, and if you called, to get in touch with me pronto because I've been trying to get you into bed and you might be calling to say yes."

He was trying to cheer her up, she thought. She felt her chin wobble.

"That's sweet"

She managed to say, and burst into tears again. She hugged herself, rocking back and forth. This outburst was violent but short, as if mentally she couldn't sustain such anguish for a long period of time.

Damon scooped her onto his lap and held her head against his shoulder.

"I told them you were special, and that if you called, I wanted to talk to you no matter where I was or what I was doing."

He murmured in her ear. That was probably a lie, too, she thought, but it was as sweet as the other one. She gulped and managed to say,

"Even if you're doing your task force stuff?"

He paused.

"Maybe not then"

Her head was aching from crying so much, and her face felt hot. She snuggled her face against his neck and inhaled his warm male scent, taking what comfort she could from his closeness.

"How did you know where I keep the tea bags?"

"Remember the morning you called me? I may have been looking in earlier"

She blinked feeling her face burning with the memory, so she changed the subject.

"What exactly does a task force do?"

"Depends. Task forces are formed for different reasons."

"What does your task force do?"

"It's an underground mini department handling supernatural deaths, threats and everything involving non humans"

"Like Rebekah"

She didn't like the sound of that. She was more comfortable thinking of him asking questions, writing stuff down in a little notebook; in short, detecting, like most small town cops. Vampire or not, apprehending supernatural beings didn't sound very safe

"I want to ask you some questions about that"

She said, lifting her head to frown at him.

"But not right now. Later."

He blew out a relieved breath. He held her on his lap for quite a while. He held her close while she called the office and reported off for the rest of the day. She managed to keep her voice even, but the big boss wasn't in and she had to talk to Amanda, who was full of questions and also reported that both Bonnie and Caroline had called several times.

"I'll call them back"

Bella said, and hung up. Miserably she buried her face against Damon's shoulder again.

"How long do I have to dodge them?"

"At least until they aren't at work. I'll check my people to see if her sister family has been contacted yet. And just don't answer your phone; anyone who needs me will either page me or call on my cell phone."

Eventually she left the comfort of his lap and went to the bathroom to wash her face with cold water. She peered at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red, and her entire face was puffy from crying; she looked like hell, and didn't care. Wearily she changed into a pair of green yoga pants and a matching tank top and took two aspirin for her pounding head.

She was sitting on the side of the bed when Damon came looking for her. He loomed in the doorway, big and masculine and utterly comfortable even in the feminine environs of her bedroom. He sat down beside her.

"You look tired. Why don't you take a nap?"

She was tired, almost overwhelmingly so, but at the same time she didn't think she could sleep.

"At least lie down"

He said, seeing the doubt on her face.

"And don't worry; if you do go to sleep and I learn something, I'll wake you up immediately."

"Scout's honor?"

"Scout's honor."

"Were you ever a scout?"

"Hell, no. I was too busy getting into trouble"

He was being so sweet she wanted to hug him to pieces. Instead she kissed him and said,

"Thanks, Damon. I don't know what I'd have done today without you."

"You'd have managed anyway,"

He said, and returned the kiss with interest, but drew back before it could heat into anything serious.

"Sleep if you can,"

He said, and quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

Bella laid down and closed her burning eyes. Eventually the aspirin began to work on her headache, and when she opened her eyes, she realized that the afternoon had grown late. She looked at the clock in astonishment; three hours had passed. She had slept after all.

She had some treated eye pads for soothing tired and puffy eyes, so she placed two of them over her lids and rested for a little while longer, trying to muster some energy for the next few draining days. When she sat up and removed the eye pads, the puffiness was noticeably less. She brushed her hair and teeth, then wandered out to find Damon watching television with BooBoo asleep in his lap.

"Any news?"

He had considerably more details now than he had earlier, but none he wanted her to know.

"The brothers have been notified, and the press knows Rebekah's identity now. It'll probably be on the evening news."

Her face tightened with sorrow.

"Bonnie? Caroline?"

"I turned off your phones after you went to sleep. There are a couple of messages from them on your machine, though."

She checked the time again.

"They're on their way home from work now. I'll try their numbers in a few minutes. I'd hate for them to hear it on television."

She had barely gotten the words out of her mouth when two cars pulled into her driveway: Bonnie and Caroline. Bella briefly closed her eyes, trying to brace herself for the next few minutes, and walked barefoot out onto the front porch to meet her friends. Damon came out behind her.

"What's going on?"

Caroline half-yelled, her pretty face haggard with tension.

"We can't find Rebekah, you left work and won't answer your telephone - damn it, Bella."

Bella felt her face start to crumple. She clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to hold back the sobs that convulsed her chest. Bonnie stopped in her tracks, tears welling.

"Bella?"

She asked in a shaky voice.

"What happened?"

Bella took several deep breaths, fighting for control.

"It - it's Rebekah"

She managed to say.

Caroline paused with one foot on the first step. She clenched her hands, already beginning to cry even as she asked,

"What is it? Is she hurt?"

Bella shook her head.

"No. She - she's dead. Someone killed her."

Bonnie and Caroline came to her in a rush, and they clung together, weeping for the friend they loved and had lost forever.

-0-

The blonde man sat in front of the television, rocking back and forth as he waited, waited. For three days he had caught every newscast, but so far no one knew what he had done and he thought he would burst. He wanted the world to know the first of the four bitches was dead.

But he didn't know if she was the right one. He didn't know if she was A, B, C, or D. He hoped she was C. C was the one who had said that awful thing about trying harder to be perfect. C was the one who really, really needed to die.

But how could he make sure? He had called them, but one never answered her phone, and the other three wouldn't tell him anything. But there was one he didn't have to worry about now. One down and three to go.

There! The newscaster, looking oh-so-serious, said,

"A shocking murder in our town takes the life of one of the area's latest celebrities. Details when we return."

At last! Relief filled him. Now everyone would know they shouldn't say such things about Mother's perfect little man.

He rocked back and forth, singing softly to himself.

"One down and three to go. One down and three to go."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Police Chief Elisabeth Forbes had burnt rubber to return to Mystic Falls as soon as she was notified of Rebekah's death. Instructing Damon to stay with the girls, and most notably her own daughter, she called her other most trusted underling to find and bring her Rebekah's boyfriend.

Finding Sheldon Geurin, nicknamed "Brick," didn't take very long. A few questions led to his favorite bar, one that was full of werewolves and shifters and to a passed out Brick in a series of small rooms behind the dive bar.

Detective Robert Brewster, also a shape shifter, hauled Brick up by the back of his neck and carried him to his car. Brick snored all the way to the station and was in a surly mood when he finally woke up.

His eyes were bloodshot and he stank of stale booze, so his surliness could perhaps be attributed to the wrath of grapes.

"Mr. Geurin, when did you last see Miss Mikaelson?"

Liz asked in a polite tone that nevertheless made Brick flinch. Hearing the question Brick's head snapped up, a movement he seemed to regret. When he could speak, he said sullenly

"Thursday night."

"Thursday? Are you certain of that?"

"Yeah, why? Did she say I stole something? She was there when I left, and if she says I took something of hers, she lyin'"

Liz pursed her lips but didn't respond to that.

"Where have you been since?"

"In jail"

Brick said, even more sullenly than before. Liz sat back, the only outward evidence of her astonishment.

"Where were you in jail?"

"Duke"

"When were you picked up?"

"Thursday night sometime."

"And you were released when?"

"Yesterday afternoon."

"So you spent three days as a guest of the university?"

Mr. Geurin smirked at her making Liz grateful for the presence of Brewster in the room and the shifter growled at Brick.

"Guest. Yeah."

"What were the charges?"

"Drunk driving and they said I resisted."

All of that could easily be checked out. Throwing a silent "look after him" look at Detective Brewster Liz left the room to make a few calls.

The campus police agreed with Brick's story. From 11:34 P.M. Thursday night until 3:41 P.M. Sunday afternoon, he'd been in a holding cell. As an alibi, it was tough to beat.

Rebekah Mikaelson had last been seen alive when she and her three friends left The Grill on Friday night. The M.E. had deducted that she had been killed some time Friday night or Saturday morning. Mr. Geurin, however, was not the killer.

That simple fact presented Liz with a more difficult puzzle than she had first assumed. If Mr. Geurin hadn't done it, who had? So far they hadn't turned up any other romantic relationships, no frustrated lover enraged by her refusal to leave Mr. Geurin. Since she and Mr. Geurin had, in effect, broken off their relationship on Thursday night, that theory didn't fly anyway.

But the attack had been a very personal one. Rebekah had known her killer, had probably let him into the house, and had trusted him enough to not immediately fight back. She made a mental note to talk to all three girls and returned to the interview room.

She found Brick and Robert in a silent stare-off and barely managed not to roll her eyes. She wasn't equipped to deal with the attitude of supernatural beings, she couldn't always reason with her own daughter ever since Caroline's heart stopped beating! There was a reason she had given a department to Damon but he was better used with the girls at the moment.

Coughing to get the attention of the wolves she sat down.

"Thank you for your cooperation; I'll arrange a ride for you if you need it."

Liz said politely.

"That's it? That's all you wanted to ask me? What's this about?"

Liz hesitated. If there was one thing she hated doing, it was bearing the news of death.

"Rebekah was attacked in her home"

"What?"

Brick sat upright, suddenly alert, his entire manner changed.

"Is she hurt? Is she all right?"

Liz took a breath

"I'm sorry"

She said as gently as possible, knowing the news would be more upsetting than he had previously supposed.

"She didn't survive the attack."

"Didn't survive? You mean she... she's dead?"

"I'm sorry,"

Liz said again extending a hand to gently touch his. Brick Geurin sat stunned for a moment, then slowly began to collapse. He buried his unshaven face in his hands and sobbed.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Bella's mother, Renee, arrived on Bella's doorstep before seven the next morning., took a long look at her mother, mumbled "mommy" and shook refuge in her mother's arms until they had to take it inside before the neighbors caught on.

Coming inside the yellow kitchen, Bella automatically took another cup from the cabinet and filled it with coffee, then passed it to her mother who set it on the table and put her arms around Bella, holding her close.

"I didn't hear about your friend until I caught the morning news, and hopped on a plane. Are you okay?"

Tears stung Bella's eyes again, when she had thought she couldn't possibly cry any more. She should have been all cried out.

"I'm okay"

She said automatically. She hadn't slept much, hadn't eaten much, and felt as if only half her brain was working, but she was dealing. Renee held her at arm's length, studying her colorless face and raw, swollen eyes.

"I brought a cucumber, Sit down"

A cucumber?

"Why? What are you going to do with it?"

"Put slices on your eyes, silly"

Renee said in exasperation. Usually their mother-daughter relationship had Bella being the exasperated one.

"It'll make the swelling to down."

"I have eye pads for that."

"Cucumbers are better. Sit down."

Because she was so tired, Bella sat. She watched as Renee took an enormous cucumber out of her shoulder bag, washed it, and then looked around. Had she gone shopping or took that thing on the flight? Bella fought a smile imagining the airport people scanning her mother's too large shoulder bag

"Do you have knives?"

"No I usually rip my food apart with my bare hands"

At the mirth in her mother's eyes Bella gave an empty smile and pointed to the drawer with the cutleries. There was one hard rap on the kitchen door; then it opened before she could get up. Damon stepped into the kitchen.

"I saw a strange car and came over to make sure no reporters were bothering you,"

He said to Bella. Legions of reporters had called the night before, including representatives from all four major television networks and only left when Liz showed up with 2 more patrol cars to get Bonnie and Caroline home. Renee turned around with the huge cucumber in her hand.

"Who are you?"

She asked bluntly.

"Her neighbor the cop"

Damon said. He eyed the cucumber.

"Have I interrupted something?"

Bella wanted to hit him, but she didn't have the energy. Still, something in her lightened at his presence.

"She's going to put it on my eyes"

He gave her a sideways, you-gotta-be-kidding look.

"It'll roll off."

She decided she would definitely hit him. Later.

"Cucumber slices."

His expression changed to skeptical, I-wanna-see-this. He went to the cabinet and took down another cup and poured himself some coffee. Lounging against the cabinets with his long legs crossed, he waited. Renee turned to Bella, more than a little bemused.

"Who is this?"

She demanded.

"My neighbor. Mom, this is Damon Salvatore, Phil's great something. Don't ask details you'll get a headache. Damon, my mom, Renee"

He held out his hand with an insincere smirk.

"Pleased to meet you."

Renee shook hands, looking ready to attack him with questions as she turned big blue eyes to Bella who shook her head violently. Then she began cutting the vegetable in her hands.

"Your 'neighbor' already knows where your coffee cups are"

She said over her shoulder. Bella and Damon replied at the same time

"He used to fuck the previous owner's daughter. I'm fairly certain they kept their coffee cups in the same place"

"I'm a detective. It's my job to find out stuff"

Renee gave him her Queen Victoria look, the one that said she was not amused. And Damon looked at Bella with wide eyes. Bella shrugged a shoulder

"You're forgetting who my best friends are. I've heard the gossip"

Bella said simply not really minding the past. She cared more about the previous day than who else he had slept with in his life. He had been a rock, standing like a wall between her and all the phone calls, and when Damon told someone to stop calling, there was a note in his voice that made people pay attention.

But he wouldn't be there today, she realized. He was dressed for work, in black slacks and a crisp black shirt. A pager was clipped to his belt, and his gun rode on his right kidney. Leaning against a counter Renee eyed him as if he were some exotic species, which he was to her.

"Are you sleeping together?"


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N**: In my defense, I hadn't realized today is Mother's Day when I was planning out how/when to post... Sorry mothers of the world :-\

**A/N**: Happy Mother's Day :D

Chapter 30

She asked unable to hold her curiosity any longer.

"Mother!"

Bella said sharply.

"Not yet"

Damon said with utter confidence. Silence fell in the kitchen. Renee began cutting the cucumber in thin slices with short, vicious strokes of the knife narrowly missing her fingers with each stroke. Damon was sipping his coffee seemingly without a care in the world and Bella was rubbing her face with still cold hands.

"Are you staying with her today?"

Damon asked Renee after he refilled his cup.

"I don't need anyone to stay with me"

Bella said.

"Yes"

Said Renee.

"Run interference and keep the reporters away from her, okay?"

"I don't need anyone to stay with me"

Bella repeated.

"Okay"

Renee said to Damon again.

"Fine, this is just my house. No one pay any attention to me."

Renee smiled at her daughter

"Tilt your head back and close your eyes"

Bella tilted and closed.

"I thought I was supposed to lie down for this."

"Too late."

Renee plopped the cold green slices on Bella's sore eyelids.

Oh, that felt good, cold and moist and incredibly soothing. She would probably need an entire grocery bag full of cucumbers before Rebekah's funeral was over, Bella thought, and just like that the sadness was back. Damon and Renee had pushed it away for a few moments, and she was grateful to them for the respite.

"I got a call from the sheriff. The dog Rebekah was seeing was in jail from Thursday night until late Sunday afternoon. He's in the clear."

"Dog?"

"A stranger broke in and killed her?"

Bella asked, removing the cucumber slices and raising her head to look at him completely ignoring her clueless mother.

"You do remember she can… could fight back, right?"

"Whoever it was, there was no sign of forced entry."

"You know more than you're telling, don't you?"

Damon shrugged under Bella's inquiring eyes. He wasn't going to divulge any details; Renée figured. She could tell by the way his expression slipped into a cop mask. The same one Charlie would wear when he didn't want to answer any questions all those years ago.

Damon drained his coffee and rinsed out the cup, turning it upside down on the drain board. Then he bent down and kissed Bella, the pressure on her mouth warm and brief.

"You have both my pager and cell phone numbers, so if you need me, call."

"I'm okay,"

She told him, and meant it.

"Oh - Do you know if Rebekah's brothers are here?"

He shook his head.

"Liz sent them away. Don't tell Barbie but Klaus wasn't too inclined in staying here longer. They went back to New Orleans"

He kissed her again, and then lifted her hands, still holding the cucumber slices, and replaced them on her eyelids.

"Keep them there. You look like hell."

"Gee, thanks,"

She said dryly, and heard him chuckle as he left. There was that silence again. Then Renee said,

"Tell. Me. Everything"

"Well..."

Bella had dished on the phone about him but had kept the mortality thing out of the question. With that cat out of the bag how could she explain to her erratic, hare brained mother the mystery that was Damon Salvatore?

Luckily the ringing landline saved her from answering

"Hello."

"Which one are you?"

"What?"

"Which one are you?"

She disconnected and set the phone down, frowning.

"Who was it?"

Renee asked.

"A crank call. Rebekah, Bonnie and Caroline and I have been getting them since the List came out."

Her voice caught a little when she mentioned Rebekah.

"It's the same guy; he always says the same thing."

"Have you reported to the phone company that you're getting obscene calls?"

"They aren't obscene. He says, `Which one are you?' in this weird whisper. I guess it's a guy, because it's hard to tell when someone's whispering."

Renee rolled her eyes.

"A crank call about the List? You can bet it's a guy baby. However Phil's team loves you for it. They all think they've met the requirements until I told them the baseball clubs don't count. They stopped loving you after that"

Bella laughed. She hadn't gotten her sharp tongue from Charlie after all

"I love you mommy"

-0-O-  
>(And in case this ^ still doesn't show, there's supposed to be a scene breaker here)<p>

The man sat staring at the phone, feeling his disappointment wash through him in waves. She hadn't told, either. At least she hadn't snapped at him the way the others had. He had thought she would, had prepared himself for whatever she might say. She had a big mouth on her, as his mother would have said.

His mother wouldn't have liked her at all.

He didn't know what to do now. Killing the first bitch had been so overwhelming. He hadn't expected that wild, hot rush of joy, almost of ecstasy. He had gloried in it, but afterward he had been frightened. What would Mother do if she knew he enjoyed it? He had always been so afraid she would find out his secret pleasure at her punishments.

But the killing. Oh, the killing. He closed his eyes, swaying back and forth a little as he relived every moment of it in his mind. The shock in the bitch's eyes that split second before the hammer hit her, the amusement dying when she saw the magic tree branch, the thudding sounds, then the joy that leapt through his veins and the feeling of being all-powerful, of knowing she was helpless to stop him because he was so strong - Tears welled into his eyes, because he had enjoyed it so much and now it was over.

He hadn't enjoyed anything so much since the day he had killed Mother. No - don't think about that. They said he shouldn't think about that. He went into the bathroom and checked in the mirror. Yes, he was still there.

He had brought a tube of lipstick from the bitch's house. He didn't know why. After she was dead, he had walked around, looking at her things, and when he was in her bathroom checking himself in the mirror, he had noticed the ungodly amount of makeup strewn about the bathroom, covering every flat surface. The bitch had certainly believed in beautifying herself, hadn't she? Well, she wouldn't need this anymore, he had thought, and slipped the lipstick into his pocket. Since that night it had been sitting on the vanity in his bathroom.

He uncapped the tube and twisted the bottom. The obscenely shaped crimson length poked out, like a dog's penis. He knew what a dog's penis looked like because he had - no, don't think of that.

Leaning forward, he carefully outlined his lips in bright red. He straightened and stared at himself in the mirror. He smiled, his red lips stretching over his teeth, and he said,

"Hello, Mother."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

It was amazing, Bella thought the next morning when she stepped onto the elevator at work, how her world could be so altered while most of the people who worked at SPC Inc were unaffected by Rebekah's death. Of course Bonnie and Caroline were as grief-stricken as she, and the people in Rebekah's department were sad and shocked, but most of the people she met on the way in had either not mentioned it at all or said something along the lines of, "Yeah, I heard about that. Awful, isn't it?"

Neither Caroline nor Bonnie had worked the day before, either. They had arrived on her doorstep a little after eight a.m. their eyes in the same condition hers had been. Renee, still in her mother mode, had whacked off more slices from the cucumber, and then set about stripping packets of pre-made pancakes and heating them, which were as comforting to her friends as they had been to Bella.

Renee had never met Rebekah or Caroline or Bonnie, but she was willing to listen to them talk about the vampire giving no reaction to the mortality issue except downing a straight vodka shot, which they had done all day long. They had cried a lot, laughed some, and wasted a lot of time hazarding theories about what had happened, since Brick was undeniably in the clear. They knew they weren't going to stumble on The Truth, but talking about it helped.

For once, she wasn't early. The Big Boss was already there, and he immediately asked her to step into his office.

Bella did so without even trying to fake mustering a smile for her boss's boss. She had seen the man only two times in the few weeks she worked there and neither time was pleasant. She was prepared for yet another unpleasant meeting and was taken aback when he said,

"I want to tell you how sorry I am about your friend. That's an awful thing to happen"

She had sworn she wouldn't cry at work today, but Lockwood's unexpected sympathy almost did her in. She blinked to hold back the tears.

"Thank you, sir. It is awful. And I want to apologize for leaving the department in the lurch on Monday -"

He shook his head at her hasted explanation.

"I understand. We put in some extra hours, but no one complained. When is the funeral service scheduled?"

"It hasn't been, yet"

"Oh, of course, of course. Please let me know when it will be; a lot of people here at the offices would like to attend."

Bella nodded her promise, and escaped back to her own desk and a pile of work.

She had known the day would be tough, but she hadn't anticipated quite how tough. Amanda and all the others in her department had to extend their sympathies, of course, which almost had her weeping again. Since she didn't have a cucumber with her, she had to fight the tears all day long.

Without it being planned, both Caroline and Bonnie showed up at lunchtime.

"Pizza?"

Caroline asked, and they all got in Caroline's car for the short drive.

They had just received their vegetarian pizzas when Bella remembered she hadn't told them about the crank phone call she had received just before they arrived they day before.

"I finally got one of those `Which one are you?' calls"

"Aren't they creepy?"

Bonnie took an unenthusiastic bite of pizza. Her lovely face looked as if she had aged ten years in the last two days.

"Since the rest of us have had at least two of them, I'm surprised it took him so long to get to you."

"Well, I have had a lot of hang-ups on my answering machine, but I just assumed they were from reporters."

"Probably. God knows we've all had plenty of those."

Caroline rubbed her forehead.

"My head is pounding. I think it finally really hit me last night when I got home, and I cried until I was sick. Klaus -"

Bella looked up. Damon had said Klaus had returned to New Orleans. Had the Hybrid lied?

"Yes, how is the Klaus situation? Is he still bunking down in a motel or did he come home considering?"

"No. He was at work Monday when we heard, of course, but he had called several times and left messages for me, and he came home that night. I guess the "us" situation is still up in the air. What with Rebekah, I haven't felt like hashing things out with him. He's been pretty quiet, but considerate, too. Maybe he's hoping I'll forget."

She took an almost vicious bite of pizza.

"Guess there's not much chance of that"

Bella said dryly, and Bonnie smiled. If Rebekah was there with them she would have mentioned something unpleasant about her brother as well.

"Not in this lifetime"

Caroline said.

"But let's talk about something interesting, like Damon."

She got a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.

"I can't believe you thought that sexy hunk was a drug-dealing drunk."

Bella found that she, too, could smile today.

"What can I say? He cleans up well. You should see him when he's wearing old, torn clothes, hasn't shaved, and is in a really bad mood."

"I've seen him in a bad mood"

Bonnie and Caroline said at the same time. When all three smiled, their smiled were pained. On a whim Bonnie put a slice of her pizza and a tall glass of Perrier on the empty quarter of the table that would be Rebekah's. Then she turned to Bella

"Those icy eyes Wow..."

Bonnie fanned herself with her hand comically.

"He's hot for you; too, that man wants to jump your bones. Take my word for it"

Caroline added.

"Or tap your veins"

Bonnie said with a serious steely undertone to her voice. She had seen both Elena and Caroline fall victim to the vampire's charm. Even Rebekah had hopped in for a taste much to her own distaste.

"Maybe"

Bella said vaguely looking at her own pizza. She didn't want to discuss how badly her bones wanted to be jumped by him, or how close they had already been to making love. Or how at ease she had been when she sent Damon to eat someone so he'd leave her own veins untapped. She squeezed Bonnie's hand letting her witch friend see the mark she bore from the last time she wasn't careful.

"You don't have to be psychic to know that"

Bonnie told Caroline her tone wry with a nod accepting Bella's silent words..

"He came right out and said so."

Caroline laughed along.

"So he did. He isn't shy, is he?"

Bella played along. No, shy was one thing Damon Salvatore definitely wasn't. Brash, cocky, arrogant, smart, sexy, sweet - those words described him down to his bones. She doubted he had a single shy gene in his body, thank God. Caroline's cell phone rang.

"It's probably Klaus"

She said, sighing as she fished it out of her purse. She flipped it open and punched the receive button.

"Hello?"

Bella watched as her face turned red.

"How did you get this number?"

She snapped, and punched the off button.

"Bastard"

She muttered as she returned the pink phone to her purse.

"I take it that wasn't the Mutt"

Bella said.

"It was that creep."

Caroline's voice quivered with anger.

"I'd like to know how he got my cell number, because I don't give it out a lot"

"The phone is in your name though. Maybe the creep called the information line"

Bonnie asked.

"The account's in Klaus' name, not mine anymore. We had it changed. How would the creep know I'm the one who carries the phone?"

"What did he say?"

Asked Bella.

"The usual `Which one are you?' crap. Then he said, `Rebekah.' Just her name. Damn him, that's a sick thing to do."

Bella put down her slice of pizza. She was suddenly cold all over, the fine hairs at the nape of her neck standing up. My God, what if those phone calls had something to do with Rebekah's murder? Maybe it was a stretch, but maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was some weirdo who really, really hated them because of the List, and now he was coming after them one by one - She was hyperventilating. Caroline and Bonnie were both staring at her.

"What's wrong?"

Bonnie asked in alarm.

"I just had the most horrible thought"

Bella whispered.

"What if he's the one who killed Rebekah? What if he's after us all?"


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Twin expressions of pure shock crossed their faces.

"No way"

Bonnie said in instant rejection.

"Why not?"

"Because! That's so crazy. Things like that don't happen. Well, maybe to celebrities, but not to normal people."

"Rebekah was murdered"

Bella said, still unable to get much volume to her voice.

"Is that normal around here?"

She shivered.

"The phone calls at home I didn't think much about, but you're right, Caroline how did he get your cell phone number? Are we being stalked?"

Both of them stared at her again wondering why she was voicing their worst thoughts.

"Now I'm scared"

Bonnie said after a moment.

"You live alone, I live alone, Klaus doesn't get home a lot and Rebekah was alone"

"But how would he know that? I mean, Brick was living with her until just the day before"

Caroline protested. Her intuition gave Bella another lock in the gut. She thought she was going to be ill.

"It was in the newspaper - `no sign of forced entry.' I heard Damon talking on the phone. They thought it was Brick because he was her boyfriend and he had a key, but it wasn't Brick, so they think it was someone else Rebekah knew. She let him in and he klled her."

She swallowed.

"It's someone we all know."

"Oh, my God."

Bonnie clapped both hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with horror.

Caroline dropped her slice of pizza. She looked sick, too, and suddenly afraid. She tried for a shaky laugh.

"We're scaring ourselves, like little kids telling ghost stories around a campfire."

"Good. If we're scared, we'll be more careful"

She reached in her purse to get her own cell phone but Caroline was quicker to dial the number.

"Yes"

She gripped the little phone hard with both hands.

"Hey, it's Caroline. We need to talk"

She said simply

"Where are you?"

Damon asked quietly.

"Mystic Pizza with the girls. We've thought of some things"

Too fast for any humans around to understand Caroline briefed her maker at the breakthrough over pizzas they made and Damon's reply was a long snarl that had her pulling the phone away from her ear wincing. When the snarl ended Damon cleared his tone and spoke equally fast and softly

"Did anything about his voice sound familiar?"

"No, he whispers, but it's kind of a loud whisper. It sounds funny."

"Any background noise that you can identify?"

Caroline relayed the question to Bella and Bonnie. They shook their heads.

"No, nothing."

"Okay. I need your address and Bonnie's"

She gave him their addresses

"What should we do?"

Caroline asked in the same shaky tone she hadn't used since her transformation. Damon's reply was a rehassment of the usual safety speech her own mother had given her in the past and she spoke it aloud as he did causing sad and amused smiles to appear on her friends faces.

"Tell Bella and Bonnie that, until we find out who's making these calls, not to let anyone in their houses except family, don't get in a car with anyone except family, not even if they have a breakdown and someone offers a ride. Keep their doors and windows locked, and if either of them has an automatic garage door, make sure no one gets inside when the door raises."

"How long will it take to find this creep?"

Bonnie asked knowing Damon would hear her

"Depends. If he's just a dumb fuck making phone calls, the trace I'll put on your lines will nab him"

"But if he's a dumb fuck how did he get Caroline's cell phone number?"

Bella asked

"Like you said. He knows her."

- PM-

As Caroline parked in front of Sat Inc, they all looked out at the big brick building.

"It's probably someone who works here"

Bella said.

"It would almost have to be"

Bonnie said.

"Some jerk who thinks it's funny to scare us"

"Damon said we shouldn't trust our lives to coincidence. Until we know better, we should assume that the guy who's making the phone calls is the same guy who killed Rebekah"

"I can't believe we work with a murderer"

Caroline said faintly. Both Bella and Bonnie looked at her skeptically causing her snort.

"You know what I mean. I just can't. It's too unbelievable. Jerks, yes. Just look at Tyler. Rebekah hated his guts. So do we"

Tyler Lockwood was the resident slime ball. Klaus' first hybrid because of the latter's feelings for Caroline and a werewolf because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time and manipulated to activate the family curse. He was also the nephew of the company's owner and the son of the Mayor. A twinge of memory made Bella frown as she tried to nail it down.

"The night we came up with the List. Remember, Rebekah was telling us about Lucas grabbing her ass? Wasn't it Tyler who had something to say about it?"

"I think so, I don't really remember."

Caroline said, but doubtfully. She had her own mudded feelings about him but she didn't think he'd hurt them. She had been wrong before about him though she reminded herself as she ran her fingers over the bracelet around her wrist.

"I do, Tyler said something about taking Lucas' place if Rebekah was that hard up."

Said Bonnie with a roll of her eyes.

"We have to assume everyone is guilty. When Damon finds out who has been making the calls, if whoever it is has an alibi, then we can relax. Until then, we're on guard against everyone."

Bella sighed remembering the last two times she found herself being hunted. At least there was something she could do to protect herself and her friends this time.

"You know there are a few empty rooms at the boarding house. We could all move there. No vampire has ever been allowed inside since Phil took ownership. If we invite only you Caroline, and no one else, we can at least make sure that our stalker is a human"

Bonnie shook her head

"We tried that already when Klaus was hunting Elena. He just used Alaric's body as a human suit and got invited in"

"True but I thought only originals can do that and I highly doubt Klaus or Elijah would kill Bekah or want to kill us!"

Caroline chewed her bottom lip before nodding.

"Lets see how it goes and if it comes down to it, we do that"

Bonnie nodded too

"I can look in my Grandmother's grimoir to see if there are similar wards to place to stop other breeds of supernatural from entering uninvited"

Bella extended her hand and it was covered by Bonnie's and Caroline's.

"Here's to safety"

They walked together into the building, and then parted to go to their different departments all three on high alert for any strange eyes.

- PM-

Damon called Detective Brewster.

"Rob, my gut tells me we have a bigger problem than we thought."

"How's that?"

"You know that Miss Mikaelson was one of the List Ladies, right?"

"Yeah, what about it, other than giving the reporters something to howl about?"

"Turns out all four of the ladies have been getting crank calls from the same guy. He asks them which one they are."

"Which one?"

"Yeah. Have you read the List?"

"I haven't had the pleasure. My imprint has quoted parts of it to me, unfortunately."

"The four women are identified only as A, B, C, and D. So this guy asks them which one they are, like it's important to him. Today while they were at lunch, he called on Caroline's cell phone and asked the usual question, then said Rebekah's name. No threats or anything like that, just her name."

"Huh"

Said Rob, which meant he was thinking.

"Caroline's cell phone is in her boyfriend's name, so most people would think he's the one who carries it. This guy not only knew the number, he knew Caroline is the one with the phone."

"So he's either familiar with the ladies or he knows the boyfriend"

"Trust me; this boyfriend wouldn't give his girlfriend's cell phone number to another man"

"Okay, the caller knows the ladies. Huh."

"The odds are Rebekah knew the killer. She opened her door and let him in, right?"

"Right. She had a peephole in the door. She could see whoever came knocking."

"The crank caller disguises his voice, speaks only in a whisper."

"Meaning they might recognize his voice if he spoke normally. You think the killer and the crank caller are the same guy?"

"Either that or it's a big coincidence."

"Son of a bitch."

Like most cops, Rob wasn't big on coincidence.

"Where does this guy know all of them from? They work together or something?"

"Yeah, at Supernatural Population Control Inc"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. He probably works there, too"

"He's someone with access to their personal information. That should narrow it down."

"Officially SPC Inc develops computer technology. A lot of people there would know how to access the personnel files. Not to mention what they do behind closed doors"

Damon sighed. It was common knowledge to the supernaturals in Mystic Falls just how much of their actions was filtered in that place before it hit the humans that chose to live in Mystic Falls.

"My gut tells me something about the List set him off, and he's going to be coming after the other three."

"Jesus. You may be right. You got their names and addresses?"

"Caroline Forbes, ours boss' daughter. The boyfriend is Klaus Mikaelson, Rebekah's brother. They live together up by the falls in a mansion"

"Fuck me sideways"

Damon held in the snicker at the shifter's exclamation. Klaus was very well known to their kind and so was his temper.

'Bonnie Bennett, Sunflower Street, eighteen, single and lives with a father who is away on a trip. Bella Swan is my next-door neighbor. She's single, too."

"Huh. Is she your girlfriend?"

"Yeah."

"So you're dating one of the List Ladies? Man that takes balls."

Rob caught his own joke and laughed.

"You have no idea"

Damon grinned, thinking of Bella and her stubborn chin with that cute little dent in it, and her almost-dimples and sparkling brown eyes. She attacked life, rather than simply letting it happen; he'd never before met anyone so annoying and funny and sharp. He had major plans for her, the most immediate of which was getting her under him. No way would he let anything happen to her, even if he had to quit his job and become her twenty-four-hour-a-day bodyguard.

"Okay, if you're right, at least we have a place to start"

Rob said, briskly returning to the subject.

"SPC Inc. I'll get the ball rolling on getting access to their personnel files, see what shakes out of the tree, but if you're right about the computer geeks, this could take a while. The ladies do know to be cautious, right?"

"Two of them are cop's kids; one is a vampire and the third a witch. Then again Rebekah was a vampire... I gave them the speech. I don't want this son of a bitch to be able to get anywhere near them."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Bella found herself studying every man she saw at work that day, wondering if he was the one. That one of them could be a killer was almost beyond belief. This place had seemed so beautifully unique with the mix between human, supernatural or normal and she was now seeing the underbelly of it all.

She wasn't sure she liked it one bit.

They all seemed so normal, or at least as normal as any other large group of men who worked in a situation like this. Some of them she knew and liked, some of them she knew and didn't like and a lot of guys, she knew by sight but not by name. Had Rebekah known one of them well enough that she had let him into her house?

Bella tried to think what she would do if someone she recognized knocked on her door at night, maybe claiming to have had car trouble. Until today, she probably would have opened her door without hesitation assuring herself his eyes weren't red or even gold, wanting only to be helpful. The killer, even if he turned out to be some stranger, had forever robbed her of that trust, that inner sense of security. She had liked to think she was smart and aware, that she didn't take chances, but how often had she opened her door at a knock without asking who was on the other side. She shuddered now to think of it.

Her front door didn't even have a peephole in it. All it had was panes of colored glass in a tree design. Beautiful but easily smashed and then all any intruder would have to do was reach in and unlock it. She had no alarm system either, no means of protecting herself!

What the hell was she thinking? She had a lot of work to do, she thought, before she would feel safe in her house again.

She worked half an hour later than usual, doing a little catch-up on the pile of paperwork that had accumulated during her absence. As she was crossing the parking lot, she noticed there were only a handful of cars remaining and, for the first time, realized how vulnerable she was leaving work late like this, alone.

All three of them, she and Bonnie and Caroline should time their arrivals and departures with the crowd, to take advantage of the safety in numbers. She hadn't even told them she intended to work late.

There was so much she had to think about now, so much inherent danger in things she had never before had to consider.

"Bella!"

As she crossed the parking lot, the sound of her name broke into her consciousness, leaving her aware that someone had called her at least twice, maybe more. She turned around, mildly surprised to see Jane Upir hurrying after her.

"I'm sorry"

She apologized, though she wondered what Jane wanted.

"I was thinking and didn't hear you at first. Is something wrong?"

Jane stopped, her graceful hands fluttering, an uncomfortable expression on her face.

"I just - I wanted to say I'm sorry about Rebekah. When is the funeral?"

"I don't know yet. Rebekah's brothers are making the arrangements."

Jane nodded jerkily.

"Let me know, please. I'd like to attend."

"Yes, of course."

Jane seemed to want to say something else or maybe didn't know what else to say; either condition was awkward. Finally she bobbed her head and turned to hurry to her own car.

Bella unlocked the Bug sighing.

"Maybe I just have no people sense anymore."

She said out loud and got in the car. Her judgment must be seriously off, because the two people from whom she would never have expected sympathy and sensitivity - Mr. Lockwood and Jane Upir - were the two who had gone out of their way to tell her they were sorry about Rebekah.

She had planned on going home and losing herself in a long hot bath. The late summer sun was almost down, clouds were sweeping in from the southwest, and she decided on a whim to change her plans. She was starving. So she decided to grab a fast-food burger with a soft drink and gulped them down as she drove.

She drove straight to a firm that installed security systems. A far too long questionnaire later, a too simple choice of systems a bit later and a large check even later she sat down with the overweight man to discuss when the system would be installed.

"A week from the upcoming Saturday"

"But that's ten days!"

Bella said, frowning. The beefy man consulted an appointment book.

"Sorry, but that's the earliest we can get to you."

Deftly she reached over the desk and plucked her check from where it lay in front of him.

"I'll call around and see if someone else can get to me sooner than that. Sorry I wasted your time."

She interjected in a sweet tone

"Hold on, hold on, is this some kind of emergency? If someone is having trouble, we move them to the top of the list. You shoulda said so."

The man said deftly

"It is an emergency"

She said firmly.

"Okay, let me see what I can do."

He studied the appointment book again, scratched his head, tapped his pencil on the book

"I can work you in this Saturday, since it's an emergency."

Careful not to let any triumph show in her expression, she returned the check to him.

"Thank you"

Her next stop was a building materials store. It was a huge place, with everything one would need to build a house, except the money. She bought a peephole for the kitchen door - the instructions said "Easy to install" - ordered a steel enforced front door with unbreakable glass panes and two new deadbolts. After making arrangements for the door to be delivered on Saturday, and paying extra for the privilege, she heaved a sigh of relief and started home.

Rain began splattering on the windshield just as she turned onto her street. Darkness had fallen, deepened by the cloud cover. Lightning flashed briefly in the west, lighting up the belly of the storm system, and thunder rumbled.

Her house was dark. She usually got home well before dark, so she didn't leave any lights on. Normally she wouldn't worry about stepping into a dark house, but tonight she felt a chill creep up her spine. She was edgy, more aware of her vulnerability. She sat for a moment in the car, reluctant to turn off the motor and go inside. No vehicle was parked in Damon's driveway, but there was a light on in his kitchen; maybe he was at home. She wished he would leave his car in the driveway instead of parking it in the garage, so she could tell when he was there and when he wasn't.

Just as she turned off the headlights and ignition, she saw movement to her left. Her heart jumped into her throat but then she realized it was Damon coming down his front steps.

Relief flooded through her. She gathered her purse and plastic shopping bags and got out of the car.

"Where the hell have you been?"

He shouted, looming behind her as she locked the car door. She hadn't expected him to start yelling; startled, she dropped one of the bags.

"Damn it!"

She said as she leaned down to pick it up.

"Do you have to make a career out of scaring me?"

"Someone needs to scare you."

He grabbed her upper arms and hauled her up to face him. He was shirtless, and she found herself nose-to-pectoral-muscle with him.

"It's eight o'clock, you may have a killer stalking you, and you don't bother to call and let anyone know where you are? You deserve more than just being scared!"

She was tired, nervous, the rain was getting heavier by the minute, and she was in no mood to be yelled at. She lifted her head to glare at him, and water trickled down her face.

"I was shopping"

"It took you three goddamn hours to accomplish what a normal person can do in half an hour?"

Was he saying she wasn't normal? She wasn't but that was not the point. Incensed, she put both hands on his bare chest and shoved him as hard as she could.

"Since when did I start answering to you?"

He staggered back maybe an inch.

"Since about a week ago!"

He said furiously, and kissed her. His mouth was hard and angry, and his heart pounded like a sledgehammer beneath her hands. As always when he kissed her, it was as if time spun away, leaving only the here and now. The taste of him filled her; his bare skin was hot to the touch, despite the rain beating down on them. He locked her against him, his arms so tight she couldn't draw a deep breath.

He was shaking, and suddenly she realized just how scared he had been on her behalf. Her chest ached suddenly, as if her heart squeezed. Her knees wobbled and she sank against him, rising on tiptoe to meet his lass with equal force, equal passion. He groaned, deep in his throat; the kiss changed, the anger fading, to be replaced by violent hunger. She had surrendered totally, but that didn't seem to be enough for him because he sank his hand in her hair and pulled her head back, arching her neck and exposing her throat to his mouth. Rain spattered in her face, and she closed her eyes, helpless in his iron grip and not wanting to be anywhere else.

After the emotional upheaval of the past three days she realized she wanted to lose herself in the physical, to push all the grief and fear away and feel only Damon, think only Damon. He lifted her off her feet and began walking with her, and she didn't protest except when he stopped kissing her, didn't struggle except to get closer.

"Damn it, would you stop wiggling?"

He growled in a strained tone, shifting her to one side as he climbed his front steps.

"Why?"

Her voice sounded smoky, sexy. She hadn't known her throat would do that.

"Because I refuse to be arrested for indecent behavior"

He half-shouted in raw frustration.

Bella thought about his problem for maybe half a heartbeat. Since the only way she could be certain not to overexcite him was to tear herself out of his grip and not touch him at all, that meant she would be depriving herself.

"Walk faster"

She told him.

"Faster?"

He sounded outraged. Before she could blink they were moved inside his house, up some stairs, flat against a wall and backwards in a bed.

"Fast enough for you?"

"Do you really want me to respond to that?"


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

A long time later, when pulses had slowed, sweat had dried, and muscles had become halfway responsive again, he levered himself off her and rolled onto his back, one arm draped over his eyes.

"Shit"

He said under his breath.

Because the room was so quiet, she heard him. A tiny flare of temper made her eyes narrow. She still felt like a limp, overcooked noodle, so a tiny flare was all she could manage.

"Gee, that's romantic"

She said sarcastically. The man hadn't been able to keep his hands off her for a week, and now that they had finally made love, "shit" was the best comment he could make, as if the whole experience had been a mistake? He lifted the arm covering his eyes and turned his head to glare at her.

"I knew you were trouble the first time I saw you."

"What do you mean, trouble?"

She sat up, glaring back at him.

"I am not trouble! I'm a very nice person except when I have to deal with jerks!"

"You're the worst kind of trouble"

He snapped.

"You're marrying trouble."

Most women would jump on that chance to take the offhanded remark as a proposal. Bella wasn't most women and the offhanded remark sounded more like an insult. She snatched up the pillow and whacked him on the head with it, then bolted out of bed.

"I can take care of that problem for you"

She said, fuming as she searched the dark bedroom for her bra and shirt. Damn it, where was the light switch?

"Since I'm so much trouble, I'll stay on my side of the driveway and you can stay the hell on your side of the driveway!"

She was shouting by the time she was finished. There - that white blur might be her bra. She swooped down on it and picked it up, but it was a sock. A smelly sock. She threw it at him. He swatted it aside and lunged out of bed, reaching for her.

"Where's the light switch?"

"Would you settle down!"

He said, sounding suspiciously as if he were snorting with laughter. He was laughing at her. Angry tears stung her eyes. Instead of responding she made a bee line for what seemed to be a door

"You can keep the clothes, I'll walk home naked before I stay here with you another minute, you insensitive jerk"

A hard-muscled arm locked around her waist and sent her airborne. She shrieked, arms flailing; then she bounced on the bed and the air left her lungs with a "whoof."

She had time to suck in just a little air before Damon landed on her, his heavy weight flattening her and forcing another exhalation. He was laughing as he subdued her with ridiculous ease; in five seconds flat she couldn't wiggle anything.

She wanted to scream because it felt so good and she was fairly certain her crush was close to blooming to something a lot like love and he was still a jerk who had slept with two of her friends. Her lousy luck with men was still holding. She burst into tears.

"Ah, babe, don't cry"

He said soothingly.

"I will if I want to"

She sobbed as she clung to him.

"I love you, Bella Swan. Will you marry me?"

"No way in hell!"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to"

"Why not?"

He framed her head with his big hands and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, wiping away the tears.

"Because sex doesn't equal marriage"

She said matter of factly. Then she frowned

"You said shit"

"What else is a man supposed to say when he sees his glorious bachelor decades coming to a swift and ignominious end?"

Raising one trembling hand she stroked his chin

"How long has it been since you last had some? Abstinence made you delirious"

He kissed her temple, her jaw, the almost-dent in her chin.

"I always heard that sex was different with a woman you loved, but I didn't believe it. Sex was sex. Then I got inside you and it was like sticking my cock in an electrical outlet."

"Oh. Was that what all that shaking and yelling was about?"

"Smart-ass. Yeah, that's what it was about, not that I was the only one doing some shaking and yelling. It was different. Hotter. Stronger. And when it was over, I wanted to do it all over again."

"You did do it all over again."

"That proves it, then. For God's sake, I've already come twice and here I am hard again. That's either a fucking miracle or love."

He kissed her mouth, slowly and deeply.

"Watching you throw a temper tantrum always gets me hard."

"I don't throw tantrums. Why is it when a man gets mad, he's angry, but when a woman gets mad, it's just a tantrum?"

She paused, struck by what he'd said.

"Always?"

"Always. Like when you knocked over my trash can, then yelled at me and poked me in the chest."

"You were hard?"

She asked in astonishment.

"As a rock."

"Huh"

"So answer my question."

She opened her mouth to say "no" again but the events of the night were catching up with her and she was getting tired and confused.

"I'm getting a headache. Ask me later"

Two rounds later Damon popped the question again just as Bella's heartbeat slowed again.

"I don't believe in marriage"

She turned her face into his throat and inhaled the heat and scent of his body, thinking that if the perfumers of the world could bottle whatever it was Damon had, the female population would be in perpetual heat. He growled in frustration.

"Do you at least love me?"

He prompted. Bella smiled, her lips moving against his skin.

"Hm... Not there yet, definitely falling though"

She affirmed.

"We'll get married next week."

"Have you been listening to me at all?"

drawing back to stare up at him as he loomed over her, slowly moving back and forth, back and forth, like seaweed floating on the tide.

"I have. I just know what I want"

"You're pissing me off"

"What's wrong with next week?"

Bella shook her head. They were having sex, again, while currying two different conversations

"My parents won't be back from vacation. They should be back in about three weeks. Will it be enough time for you to forget the whole marriage thing?"

"Your mother was here yesterday"

"It was an unplanned visit. She went back to her hubby now she saw I'm still alive"

"Where are they, anyway?"

"Backpacking through Europe. Second honeymoon"

"We'll do it the day after they get home. I should ask your hand from your father"

"Tough. We're not in contact remember?"

"I'll ask your mother, she already likes me. We'll have everything ready to go. All your parents will have to do is show up."

Bella had been doing a really good job trying to concentrate on their conversation and yet managed to agree on a hypothetical marriage while he was doing what he was doing, and she was impressed out of her skull that he could keep up his side of the conversation under these circumstances, but her body suddenly reached the point of no return. She gasped, her hips rising convulsively against him.

"We'll talk later!"

They didn't talk at all for quite a while.

Bella stirred, yawning. She would have been content to lie in his arms all night long, but a sudden thought made her bolt upright.

"BooBoo!"

Damon made a noise halfway between a grunt and a groan.

"What?"

"BooBoo. He must be starving! I can't believe I forgot about him."

She scrambled out of bed.

"Where's the light switch? And why don't you have any bedside lamps?"

"Beside the door, right side. Why would I need bedside lamps?"

"For reading."

She swept her hand along the wall, found the switch, and flipped it up. Bright light flooded the room. Damon shielded his eyes, blinking, then flopped over on his stomach.

"I read in the living room."

Her own eyes took a minute to adjust. When they did, her pupils widened at the wreck they had made of the bed. The black silken covers were twisted and hanging off, the pillows were - where were the pillows? - and the bottom sheet was pulled free at one corner and wadded in the middle of the bed.

"Holy cow"

She said in astonishment, then shook herself and looked around for her clothes.

Damon opened his eyes and propped up on one elbow, his crystal eyes both sleepy and intent as he watched her search the room. She found her baby purple top tangled in the bedcovers. She got down on her knees to peer under the bed for her bra; he scooted closer so he'd have a better view.

"How on earth did it get under the bed?"

She fussed, dragging the bra out of its hiding place.

"Crawled"

He suggested. She gave him a quick grin and looked around. From his large windows she could see straight across the driveways into her own bedroom windows and the closet that stood right there. The same closet she stood naked in front only a few short days ago. She turned to give a look at the lounging vampire on the bed. Damon's response was a lavish wiggle of his brows making her shake her head

"I need thicker curtains for my bedroom, don't I?"

"Nope. Your bedroom is just fine with the lacy ones"

She couldn't help a snort

"And my jeans are?"

"Downstairs. In the living room"

Clothes in hand she went down the stairs to a large but barely furnished living room, turned on a lamp, and was in the process of untangling her pants when Damon wandered in, stark naked and carrying a pair of sneakers. Bella slipped into her clothes quickly and watched for Damon to do the same.

"Where are you going?"

She asked.

"Walking you to your door"

She opened her mouth to say that wasn't necessary; then she remembered it was necessary, at least for now. She put on her shoes, stuffed her bra in her purse, and then gathered up her shopping bags. Damon grabbed the gun that was sitting on the couch next to a can of pepsi.

"Give me your key and stay behind me,"

He said. She dug her key chain out of her purse, selected the house key for him, and handed it over.

The rain had stopped, leaving the night warm and humid. Crickets chirped, and at the end of the street the corner light wore a misty halo. They crossed both driveways and went up the steps to the kitchen door. Damon tucked the gun in his waistband while he unlocked the door; then he returned the keys to her and drew it once more. He opened the door, reached inside, and flipped on the light switch.

He uttered a vicious curse. Bella blinked at the destruction illuminated by the overhead light, then she screamed,

"BooBoo!"

and tried to lunge past him.

He blocked her with an out-thrust arm, turning so that his big body barred the entrance.

"Go to my house and call nine-one-one, Now!"

He barked.

"But BooBoo -"

"Go!"

He yelled, giving her a shove that almost sent her flying off the stoop. Then he wheeled and stepped into the house.

He was a cop; she had to trust him in this. Her teeth chattering, she ran back to his house and into the kitchen, where she knew he had a cordless. Grabbing it up, she punched the talk button, then 911.

"Where are you calling from?"

The voice was impersonal and almost uninterested.

"Uh - next door"

Bella closed her eyes.

"I mean, I'm calling from my next door neighbor's. My house has been ransacked."

She gave her own address.

"My neighbor is a cop, and he's going through the house right now"

Carrying the phone, she walked out on the front porch, staring across the driveways at her house, where lights now blazed from two of the windows. As she watched, the light in her bedroom came on. She had been looking into those same windows barely five minutes ago

"He's armed -"

"Who is?"

The dispatcher sounded suddenly alarmed.

"My neighbor is! Tell the cops if they see a half-naked man with a gun, don't shoot, he's one of them!"

She took a deep breath, her heart pounding so hard she thought she would be sick.

"I'm going over there"

"No! Ma'am, don't go over there. If your neighbor is a policeman, stay out of his way. Ma'am, are you listening?"

"I'm here."

She didn't say she was listening. Her hand was shaking, clattering the phone against her teeth.

"Stay on the phone, ma'am, so I can keep the responding officers up-to-date on the status. Units have already been dispatched to your address; they'll be there in a few minutes. Just be patient, please."

She couldn't be patient, but she could be sensible. She waited on the porch, tears tracking down her face as she stared unblinkingly at her own house, where Damon was methodically searching it and putting his life in danger every time he entered a room. She didn't dare think about BooBoo who was even angrier at her since Renee left again without him despite his tries in sneaking in her mother's oversized tote bag.

The dispatcher said something else but she had stopped listening, though she did make a noise to let the woman know she was still there. In the distance she could hear the shrill of sirens... Damon stepped out on the kitchen stoop, BooBoo cradled in his left arm.

"BooBoo!"

Bella threw down the phone and ran across to them. Damon let her take the cat from him, and tucked the gun in his waistband.

"Whoever did it didn't hang around"

He said, putting his arm around her and urging her back toward his house. With BooBoo safe and disgruntled in her arms, she dug in her heels.

"I want to see -"

"Not yet. Let the techs do their job first, maybe find something that will give us a clue who this bastard is."

"You went in -"

"And I was careful not to disturb anything,"

He said, exasperated.

"Come on, let's sit down. The guys will be here in a minute."

She remembered that she had thrown the phone aside. She picked it up and handed it to him.

"Nine-one-one is still on the line."

He put it to his ear, but kept a firm grip on her while he succinctly outlined the situation and said the house was clear, then disconnected. He put both arms around Bella - and BooBoo - and held her close.

"Where did you find BooBoo?"

"He was hiding under your bed"

She stroked the cat's head, so grateful he was all right that she almost cried again.

"Do you think it was him?"

She asked Damon, her voice low.

He was silent for a moment. The sirens were much closer now, the sound growing louder and louder in the still night air. As two cars turned the corner onto their street, Damon said,

"I can't afford not to think it."


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Lights were coming on up and down the street, heads poking out of doors, as Damon and Bella went to meet the patrolmen.

"Detective Salvatore"

Said one of the patrolmen, grinning.

"So you're the half-naked man we were told not to shoot."

Damon scowled down at Bella. She cuddled BooBoo closer.

"You're carrying a gun. I didn't want them to shoot you by mistake."

Daisy and George Flowers came down their sidewalk and stood peering at the flashing lights. They were both wearing robes over their nightclothes; Mr. Flowers wore bedroom slippers, but Mrs. Flowers had put on rain boots. Mrs. Flowers craned her neck and came closer. Across the street, Bella could see Mrs. Holland come out her front door. Damon heaved a sigh.

"I checked the house, it's been trashed, but no one is in there. You guys take over while I go put on a shirt."

He said to the patrolmen. Mrs. Flowers had edged close enough to hear him. The witch beamed at him.

"Don't bother on my account,"

She said.

"Daisy!"

Mr. Flowers said in rebuke.

"Oh, hush, George! I'm old, not dead!"

"I'll remind you of that the next time I want to watch the Playboy Channel,"

He growled. Bella hid a snort in BooBoo's fur. Damon coughed and strode into his house, keeping his gun held low against his leg so their bright-eyed old neighbors wouldn't spot it and get too excited.

Bella became aware of the speculation in the neighbors' eyes as they studied her. She kept BooBoo cradled to her chest. She didn't reach up to check her hair, either, because she knew it was a mess. The rain had wet it, then she had wallowed in bed with Damon for a couple of hours; it was probably sticking out in spikes. Given Damon's state of undress…. Well... She imagined the conclusion they were jumping to was pretty damn accurate. Thinking about the neighbors was easier than thinking about her house.

After her first horrifying glimpse of the kitchen, she didn't know if she wanted to see the rest of the house. This, coming so soon after the trauma of Rebekah's death, was almost more than she could bear so she concentrated on other things, such as the way Mrs. Flowers winked at her when Damon came out of the house wearing a neat oxford shirt with the tails tucked into his jeans and his badge clipped to his belt. She wondered if he had put on underwear.

"Are you official?"

She asked, eyeing the badge.

"Might as well be. I'm on the scene, and we're all on call after eleven."

She gaped at him.

"After elev - what time is it, anyway?"

"Almost midnight"

"Poor BooBoo,"

She said in horror.

"Could you try to find some of his food and let me have a can, so I can feed him?"

Damon looked down at her, the expression in his dark eyes telling her he knew she was avoiding facing the reality about her house, but also saying that he understood.

"Okay, I'll find something for him."

He glanced over at Mrs. Flowers talking in low tones with her fellow witch.

"Daisy, why don't you and Eleanor take Bella in my house and put on a pot of coffee, okay?"

"Of course dear."

With Mrs. Flowers and Mrs. Holland flanking her, Bella went back inside Damon's house and into the kitchen. She put BooBoo down and looked around with interest, since this was the first time she had seen much of the house.

Before she had been rushed through the ground floor and even upstairs, they hadn't bothered to turn on a light until she was getting dressed. The bedroom was fairly lavish but mostly basic and judging by the quick look she had given the living room it was also basic. The kitchen, like hers, had a small table and four chairs occupying one end of it, and the stove was about twenty years old. The refrigerator, though, looked brand new, and so did the coffeemaker. Damon had his priorities.

The place definitely needed a woman's hand even if the only woman around was as tasteless as herself. Mrs. Flowers efficiently prepared the coffee and turned on the machine. Bella became aware of a pressing need.

"Um. Do you know where the bathroom is?"

"Of course, dear,"

Said Mrs. Holland.

"The big bathroom is the second door on the left in the hallway, and there's a small bathroom opening off Damon's bedroom."

Funny that they knew that when she hadn't, but then it was difficult to explore much when one was flat of her back with a two-hundred-pound man on top of her.

She chose the big bathroom, because it was closer, and carried her purse with her. Hurriedly she stripped off her clothes, used the facilities, then found a washcloth and washed away the evidence of four hours of sex. She used his deodorant, combed her hair - which was indeed sticking out over her head - and redressed.

Feeling more in control, she returned to the kitchen for a much-needed cup of coffee. BooBoo was wrapped in a ball in Mrs Holland's lap.

"It's terrible about your house, dear, but wonderful about Damon. I take it congratulations are in order?"

The white haired Mrs. Holland asked while stroking the cat's fur

"Eleanor, times are different now. Young people don't get married just because they've been jumping each other's bones."

Admonished Mrs. Flowers.

"That's what I've been saying"

Bella grumbled under her breath unheard by the two older ladies.

"That doesn't mean they shouldn't,"

Said Mrs. Holland severely. Bella cleared her throat. So much had happened that she could barely comprehend it all, but the hours in bed with Damon stood out clearly in her mind.

"He did ask me to marry him,"

She confided.

"And I said no"

"Oh, my! That's wonderful! When's the wedding?"

Mrs. Flowers beamed at her also choosing to overlook her refusal. What is it with people in this town not understanding the word 'no'?

"You'll have to have a bridal shower, Where's a pen and notepad? We have to make plans"

Said Mrs. Holland

"But I don't -"

Bella began, then saw the expressions on their faces and stopped in mid-sentence. She had a feeling she was going to get married whether she liked it or not. A bubble of incredulous laughter escaped her lips but choked it back as one of the patrolmen stepped into the kitchen carrying two cans of cat food.

"Detective Salvatore sent these over"

Thanking him with a smile she popped one open, poured a generous amount on a saucer and watched as BooBoo hopped on the table and daintily began eating, while she stroked him and took comfort in his warm, sinuous body.

Tears seared her eyes, and she covered them with her other hand, concentrating on the cat. When she hadn't been at home, the maniac had taken out his rage on her possessions. While she was grateful beyond telling that she had been in Damon's bed rather than her own, she couldn't risk BooBoo and her laptop with her book and Phil's -

The car. Oh, my God, the car.

She sprang to her feet, startling BooBoo so much he jumped down from the table and hid behind the couch in the living room.

"I'll be right back"

She told Mrs. Flowers and Mrs. Holland and then ran outside.

"Damon!"

She yelled.

"The car! Did you check the car?"

Her yard and Damon's were full of neighbors. Since the Bug was sitting right there in her driveway, startled faces turned toward her. Damon came out on the kitchen stoop. He glanced at the garage and jumped from the stoop. Together they ran to the garage. The door was still padlocked.

"He couldn't have gotten in, could he? He's not made out of smoke!"

Bella asked in an agonized whisper.

"Maybe he wouldn't have tried, since your car was sitting in the driveway. He probably thought the garage was empty. Is there another way in?"

"No, not without knocking a hole in the wall."

"Then the car is okay."

He put his arm around her and walked her back toward the house.

"You don't want to open the door with all these people watching, do you?"

She gave an emphatic shake of her head.

"We can put the car in my garage, if you want."

She thought about it. At least it would be close to hand and whoever was doing this didn't know about the car in the first place, so it should be safe.

"Okay. We'll move it when everyone leaves."

She heaved a sigh of relief and sort of sagged against him. He hugged her then sent her back to his kitchen and the care of Daisy and Eleanor.

It was dawn before she was allowed to enter her house. She was surprised at the amount of attention given to what was essentially vandalism, but she supposed Damon was responsible for that. Of course, he didn't think it was just vandalism.

Neither did she.

She couldn't. Walking through her house, looking at the destruction, she noticed immediately how personal it all was. Her television hadn't been touched - strange, since it was an expensive item - but all her dresses and underwear had been shredded. Her jeans and pants, however, hadn't been touched.

In the bedroom, her sheets and pillows and mattress had been hacked to pieces, her perfume bottles broken. In the kitchen, everything made of glass had been broken, all her plates and bowls, glasses, cups, even the heavy lead-crystal serving trays she had never used. And in the bathroom, her bath linen was untouched, but all her makeup was destroyed. Tubes were smashed, powders dumped, and all the compacts of eye shadow and blush looked as if they had been stomped, then ground to pieces.

"He destroyed everything feminine"

She whispered, looking around. The bed was kind of generic, but her bed linen was feminine, in soft pastels with lace-trimmed edges.

"He hates women,"

Damon agreed, coming to stand beside her. His face was grim.

"A psychiatrist would have a field day with this"

She sighed, exhausted from lack of sleep and the sheer size of the task before her. She glanced at him; he hadn't had any more sleep than she had, which amounted to nothing more than a couple of short naps.

"Are you going to work today?"

He gave her a startled look.

"Sure. I have to get with the detective working Rebekah's case and bring him up to speed on this."

"I'm not even going to try to work. It'll take a week to get this mess cleaned up."

"No, it won't. Call a cleaning service"

He put a thumb under her chin and tilted up her face, looking at the bruises of fatigue that shadowed her eyes.

"Then go to sleep, in my house, in my bed, and let Mrs. Flowers oversee the cleaning. She'll be thrilled."

"If she is, then she's in dire need of therapy"

Bella said, once more surveying the wreckage of what had been her home. She yawned.

"I also need to go shopping, to replace everything"

She leaned against him and looped her arms around his waist, reveling in the freedom to do so, reveling also in the way his arms automatically went around her.

She suddenly stiffened. She couldn't believe she hadn't once thought about Bonnie and Caroline tonight. Her brain must be misfiring, that was the only explanation.

"I forgot about Bonnie and Caroline! My God, I should have called them immediately, warned them -

"I did"

Said Damon, folding her back in his arms.

"I called them last night. They're okay, just worried about you"

She yawned and relaxed against him once more, letting her head nestle on his chest. She was exhausted but couldn't stop her thoughts from circling like buzzards around a fresh kill. If she couldn't wind down, she would never be able to sleep.

"How do you feel about medicinal sex?"

Interest lit his eyes and she chuckled against his shirt.

"God, you're easy"

_PM_

"The evidence techs didn't find a usable fingerprint"

Damon told Rob Brewster a couple of hours later.

"But they did find a partial shoe print. Looks like a running shoe; I'm trying to get a make on the brand by the tread pattern."

Detective Brewster said what Damon already knew:

"He broke in intending to kill her, and trashed her place instead when she wasn't there. You got a fix on the time?"

"Between eight P.M. and midnight, roughly."

Mrs. Holland kept a close watch on the street, and she said she hadn't seen a strange car or anyone unknown to her before Damon himself had arrived home. After dark, everyone was inside.

"Lucky she wasn't at home."

"Yeah"

Damon didn't want to think about the alternative.

"We gotta start running down those personnel files at SPC Inc"

"The CEO is my next call. I don't want anyone else knowing that we're checking the files. He can have them pulled without anyone questioning him"

Rob grunted.

"By the way, the M.E. has released the body. I've contacted her brothers"

"Thanks. We need to have someone videotaping the funeral."

"You think he'll be there?"

"I'm betting on it"


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

He hadn't been able to rest, but he didn't feel tired. Frustration gnawed at him. Where had she been?

She would have told him, he thought. Sometimes, most of the time, he didn't like her at all, but sometimes she could be nice. If she had been feeling nice, she would have told him.

He didn't know what to think about her. She didn't dress like a whore the way Rebekah Mikaelson had, but men always looked at her anyway, even when she was wearing pants. And when she was being nice and smiled, he liked her, but when she cut people to shreds with her tongue, he wanted to hit her and hit her, and just keep hitting her until her head was all soft and she couldn't do those things to him anymore..

But was that her, or Mother? He frowned, trying to remember. Sometimes things got so confused.

Men looked at Bonnie Bennett too. She was always sweet to him, but she wore a lot of makeup and Mother thought her skirts were always too short. Short skirts made men think nasty thoughts, Mother said. No good woman ever wore short skirts.

Maybe Bonnie just acted sweet. Maybe she was really bad. Maybe she was the one who had said those things, and made fun of him, and caused Mother to hurt him.

He closed his eyes and thought of how Mother had hurt him and a tingle of excitement went through him. He ran his hand down his front, the way he wasn't supposed to, but it felt so good that sometimes he did it anyway.

No. That was bad. And when Mother had hurt him, she had just been showing him how bad that thing was. He shouldn't enjoy it.

But the night hadn't been a total waste. He had a new lipstick. He took off the top and twisted the base so the vulgar thing slid out. It wasn't bright red like Rebekah's, it was more of a pinkish red color, and he didn't like it nearly as well. He painted his lips, scowled at his reflection in the mirror, then wiped off the color in disgust.

Maybe one of the others would have a lipstick that suited him better.

_PM_

Joaquin Steele, C.E.O. of S.P.C. Inc, was a man with a boisterous laugh and a knack for seeing the big picture. He wasn't good with details, but then, he didn't need to be.

That morning he had received a call from Mrs Forbes, the police chief. She had been very persuasive. No, they didn't have a warrant to search the company's personnel records, and they preferred to keep this as quiet as possible. What she was asking for was cooperation in catching a murderer before he could kill again, and they had a hunch he worked there.

Why was that? Mr. Steele had asked, and was told about the phone call to Caroline Forbes' (the chief's daughter) cell phone, whose number he wouldn't have known was hers unless he had access to certain information about her. Since they were fairly certain Rebekah Mikaelson had known her killer and that the same man was the one who had called Caroline's cell phone, then it followed that they both knew him, that, in fact, all four of the friends knew him. That made it highly probable that he worked at SPC Inc with them.

Mr. Steele's immediate reaction was that he didn't want this leaking to the press. He was, after all, a C.E.O. His second, more thought-out reaction was that he would do whatever possible to stop this maniac from killing more of his employees. Especially when those employees bore the names of the town founders.

"What do you want me to do?"

"If we have to, we'll come to the company to go over the files, but we'd prefer not to alert anyone that we're looking. Can you access the files and attach them to an e-mail to me?"

"The files are on a separate system that isn't on-line. I'll have them copied to a CD for my files, and then send it to you. What's your e-mail address?"

Unlike a lot of chief executive officers and corporate presidents, Joaquin Steele knew his way around computers. He'd had to become proficient just to understand what the loonies on the first two floors were doing.

"Caroline Forbes works in human resources"

Mr. Steele reminded the Chief and he copied down Detective Salvatore's e-mail address, another talent he had, that of doing two things at once.

"I'll have her do it. That way we know there won't be a leak."

"Good idea"

Said Liz as she rubbed her temples. With her own daughter as a possible victim she couldn't work the cases herself despite the publicity or the cross jurisdiction issue. She had to trust that Damon and Rob would do their best and catch the killer.

Or she would roast them both alive and dance on their pyre.

_PM_

Damon hang up the phone with the mental threat Liz had painted for him and winced. Before turning his attention to the partial shoe print the techs had lifted from Bella's bathroom floor, where the bastard had stepped in the ruins of her makeup and left a pretty good imprint behind. He just hoped it was enough to identify the style. When they caught this guy, it would help if they could prove he owned the type of shoe that had made the print, and in the same size. It would be even better if there were still little clumps of makeup caught in the treads.

In any event he was fairly certain he could get Liz to look the other way while Klaus, Elijah and maybe himself feasted on the guy.

He spent most of the morning on the phone. Who said detective work wasn't dangerous and exciting? Last night had been a little more dangerous and exciting than he liked, he thought grimly. He didn't like playing "what if," but in this case he couldn't help it. What if he had been called away? What if Bella hadn't been late, he hadn't been worried, and they hadn't argued? They might have parted with a good-night kiss, Bella going to her house alone. Considering the destruction of her house, he shuddered to think what would have happened if she had been there.

Rebekah had been taller, heavier and a freaking vampire and she hadn't been able to fight off her attacker, so the chances of Bella doing so were practically nil.

He sat back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head, staring at the ceiling and thinking. Something was getting by him here, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Not yet, anyway; sooner or later, it would come to him, because he wouldn't be able to stop worrying it until he found the answer.

His eyes slid to a photo that sat on the corner of his desk. Stefan and him, dressed to the nines along with their father. The Salvatore patriarch had been neatly cut from the picture but his hand remained clamped on Damon's shoulder.

A sly smile had bloomed on his face. Stefan would get a heart attack when he told him about the wedding. The wedding he still had to convince the bride of. He had been angry when he first heard about Bella, then shocked when she didn't recognize him and elated when her first instinct was to keep fighting with him even after they made love.

Now all he had to do was get her to remember him. And their life together. The life they had until Father decided he had to get to America and leave his fiancé behind. He still remembered the way her beautiful brown eyes glistened as she refused to let him see her cry. At first he wrote to her daily but then he got swept by the distractions of his new home and especially the distraction in a dress flirting with Stefan.

His own flirtations with Katherine were meant as a way to get Stefan to stop dragging his feet and lay a claim on her already but then he began falling and the more he fell the less he thought about Annabelle. It was despicable but he forgot all about her until he met Bella on her housewarming party.

Bella who looked just like Annabelle. Bella was human, had a mother and a father and a stepfather and couldn't be Annabelle. Could she? Annabelle would be long dead by now... Stefan would know. Well, Stefan hadn't met Annabelle but his brother had a way of figuring things out that Damon's 'just do it' attitude didn't.

This would come as a surprise to Saint Stefan. Last he heard Damon wasn't even dating anyone. The vampire grinned. He still technically wasn't. He was skipping that part, as well as the engagement, and just going straight to marriage, which was probably the best way to get Bella there. They would have the rest of their lives to figure out the rest.

But the family stuff would have to wait.

Right now he had dual priorities: catch a killer, and keep Bella safe. Those two tasks didn't leave time for anything else.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Bella woke up in Damon's bed a little after one pm not really rested but with her batteries recharged enough that she felt ready to take on the next crisis. After dressing in jeans and one of Damon's t-shirts, she went next door to check on the cleaning progress. Mrs. Flowers was there, walking from room to room to make certain no shortcuts were taken. The two women who were doing the cleaning seemed to take her supervision in stride.

They certainly were efficient, Bella thought. The bedroom and bathroom were already clean; the savaged mattress and box spring were gone, the shreds of cloth swept up and put in trash bags that sat bulging beside the stoop. Before going to sleep, she had called her insurance agent and found that her homeowners' insurance, so recently converted from renters' insurance, would cover part of the replacement cost of the household goods.

"Your insurance agent was here not an hour ago"

Mrs. Flowers said.

"He looked around and took pictures, and was going to the police department to get a copy of the report. He said he didn't think there would be any problem"

Thank goodness for that. She had used most of royalties of her book to buy the house and her bank account was seriously shriveled. She had no mood to work on her current book either even though her laptop hadn't been touched.

The telephone rang. It was one of the things that hadn't been damaged, so Bella picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Is this Bella? Bella Swan?"

It was a male voice, serious and vaguely familiar.

"Yes, it is."

"This is Elijah Mikaelson, Rebekah's brother"

Pain shot through her. That was why the voice sounded familiar; it reminded her of Bekah's. Elijah's voice lacked the femininity but the underlying tone was the same. Bella gripped the phone tighter.

"Rebekah talked about you a lot"

She said, blinking back the tears that hadn't been very far away since Monday when Damon had told her about Bekah's death.

"I was going to say the same thing to you"

Elijah said, managing a sad little laugh.

"She was always calling to tell me some remark you had made that cracked her up. She talked about Bonnie a lot, too. This doesn't seem real, does it?"

"No"

Bella whispered. After a choked silence, Elijah marshaled his control and said,

"Anyway the police have released her body to me, and I'm making the funeral arrangements. I am not aware of how much you know about our family but I would want her there, in Mystic Falls with the rest of our family"

"She should be with family, yes"

Bella agreed. It was true, Rebekah didn't speak about her family much and both Bonnie and Caroline had warned her off the Mikaelson parents when Bella was being questioned about her own family.

"I've arranged for a service Saturday at eleven"

Elijah gave her the name of the funeral home and instructions on how to get to the cemetery. She tried to think of something to say that would lessen Elijah's pain, but how could she when she couldn't even lessen her own? Then it hit her, what she and Bonnie and Caroline should do. Rebekah would love it.

"We're going to hold a wake for her. Would you like to come?"

"A wake?"

Elijah sounded taken aback.

"An Irish wake type of thing?"

"Kind of, though we aren't Irish. We're going to sit around and lift a beer or two in her honor, and tell all sorts of stories about her."

Elijah laughed, this time a real laugh.

"She would get a kick out of that. I'd love to come. When is it?"

Since she hadn't talked to Bonnie and Caroline about it yet, she wasn't certain exactly when this wake would begin, but it would have to be Friday night.

"Tomorrow night. Let me get back to you with the time and place - unless you think the funeral home would let us sit up with her and have it there?"

"I kind of don't think so"

Elijah said, and sounded so much like Rebekah that Bella got a lump in her throat all over again. After writing down Elijah's number, Bella went over to Damon's and got herself a very large pot of coffee. The day hadn't even began and she couldn't wait till it was over

She called Bonnie and Caroline at work, and did the three-way calling thing. They fussed over her, too, and she could hear the underlying knowledge in their voices that it could have happened to them. As Bella had expected, they loved the idea of a wake for Rebekah. Bonnie immediately volunteered her house and the time was set.

"I have something to tell both of you, but not while I'm here."

Caroline said, keeping her voice low.

"Come by when you get off work. Bonnie, can you make it?"

"Sure. Matt called again, but I'm not in the mood to go out with him, not with Rebekah -"

She stopped, and audibly swallowed.

"You shouldn't go out with him anyway, remember what Damon said: family only. That means no dates."

"But Matt isn't... This is awful. I can't be certain, can I? I can't take the chance."

"No, you can't, none of us can."

_PM_

Damon got a call from Joaquin Steele early in the afternoon.

"I'm leaving myself wide open for a lawsuit for invasion of privacy, but a court order would take time and might alert the guy, so to hell with it. If this gives you an edge, then it's worth a hundred lawsuits."

Damon definitely liked this guy.

"Check your E-mail It's a hell of an attachment; it will probably take quite a while to download."

Steele continued.

"That was fast."

"Miss Forbes has incentive"

Said Steele, and hung up.

Damon turned to his computer and downloaded his E-mail. Thirty minutes later, it was still downloading. He drank some coffee, did some paperwork, called Brewster and told him he had the personnel files, drank some more coffee. Brewster was on his way over to get a copy, and Damon hoped the damn thing finished downloading before he arrived.

Finally the screen cleared. He loaded the paper tray in the printer and set it to printing. When the tray was empty, he loaded it again. Damn it, going through this many files would take forever, even if he and Brewster didn't have other cases to work and could concentrate on this. It looked as if he would be doing a lot of night reading.

The printer ran out of toner. Cursing, Damon stopped the task, hunted down a toner cartridge, and was doing battle with it when one of the clerks took pity on him and popped it in place. The printer resumed spitting out pages.

Rob Brewster and he sat together watching the printer.

"I'm tired just looking at this,"

Brewster said, eyeing the enormous stack of paper.

"You take half and I'll take half. We'll run the names, see what the computer spits out."

"Thank God we only have to do the men."

"Yeah, but there are mostly men at the company; it's not a fifty-fifty split."

Brewster sighed.

"I wanted to watch the ball game tonight"

A few minutes of silence

"The techs found a hair on Miss Mikaelson's body lodged in one of the wounds. I'm impressed they spotted it, because she was blonde, and so is this guy"


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

When Damon got home that afternoon, both Caroline and Bonnie were just going in his front door. That meant Bella was in his house, rather than hers. He liked that. He hoped she was making herself comfortable, because he didn't intend to let her sleep in her own house until after he had caught Rebekah's killer and maybe not even then. Having her around was way too much fun to give up, even temporarily.

The day was miserably hot, and sweat crawled down his spine as he went inside. He put the heavy stack of paper, half of the printed-out personnel files from SPC Inc, on the coffee table, and then stood for a minute inhaling the blessedly cool air. With his lungs rescued from heat damage, he shrugged out of his jacket and followed the noise into the kitchen.

The stove was on and Bella was pouring four glasses of iced tea, which meant she had seen him drive up.

"You're just in time"

She said. He removed his gun and badge and laid them on the counter next to the coffeemaker.

"For what?"

He took one of the glasses of tea wishing it was bourbon, and drank deeply, his throat working.

"We're planning a wake for Rebekah. Her brother, Elijah, is going to come"

Damon's brows visited his hairline for a few moments. Elijah the bore would actually come back to Mystic and he'd hang out with the people that had made a habit of hating Rebekah until they didn't anymore

"Where and when?"

He asked instead.

"Tomorrow night, at my house"

Said Bonnie.

"Okay. I can be there."

Looking startled, Bella said,

"But if we're all together, aren't we safe?"

"Not necessarily. You could just be providing him with a golden opportunity to get all of you at once. I won't intrude, but I'll be there."

Bella snorted. If Damon was anywhere around, he intruded. He was one of those people you couldn't ignore. Caroline slanted a meaningful look at him.

"Before we get started, I have news."

"I have news"

Said Bella.

"So do I"

Said Damon. They all waited. No one said anything. Bonnie finally spoke up.

"Since I'm the only one who doesn't have news, I'll direct this"

She pointed at Caroline

"You go first. You've had my curiosity up since we talked on the phone."

Caroline raised her eyebrows at her maker, and Damon knew she was asking if it was all right to tell the other two what she had been doing. Since she would have told them anyway if he hadn't shown up, he said,

"Go ahead."

"I made copies of all the personnel files for Mr. Steele. He said my mother had asked to see them, and he was granting permission"

Three sets of eyes turned in his direction. He made a face.

"Liz can't handle the case for obvious reasons so. I'm handling it. I brought a lot of paperwork home with me. We're running all the names for prior convictions or outstanding warrants, too."

"How long will that take?"

Bella asked.

"If nothing pops up on the computer to point us in the right direction, we'll have to go through all the files and see if something sticks out, maybe dig deeper."

"A day? Two days?"

She prodded.

"You're an optimistic little human, aren't you?"

He took a long swallow of the cold tea. Bella stuck her tongue out at him Bonnie made a T with her hands, signaling a time-out, then pointed at Damon.

"Your turn"

"The M.E. found a blond hair on Rebekah that wasn't hers."

The three women went very still, and he knew their minds were racing, trying to think of all the blond men at the company.

"Does anyone spring to mind?"

He asked.

"Not really, and what you call blond, we might call light brown."

Bella looked at the others, who shrugged.

"There are a lot of guys at work who qualify."

"Don't drop your guard; she might have picked up the hair somewhere else. It might even be yours Caroline but it's a lead, and when we catch him, if the DNA matches, then we have him nailed. Just be extra careful around the blond guys."

"That's a cheerful thought; I think I'm the only brunette in sales"

Bonnie said glumly.

"I'm going to go through the files by department, starting with accounting, since Rebekah was the first target. By the way, Barbie thanks for giving them to me broken down into the separate departments."

She gave him a wry look.

"Anything I can do to help"

Bonnie directed the conversation again, pointing at Bella.

"It's your turn."

Bella took a deep breath. After three broken engagements, she had to brace herself to announce that she intended to get married. She glanced at Damon, and he winked at her.

"He wants me to marry him just because we slept together"

She said in a rush, running the words together as if they would attract less attention that way. What the gods didn't notice, they couldn't squash. Damon put his fingers in his ears to block out the squeals that erupted.

"Hell no!"

Bonnie said as Caroline yelled something and hugged Bella and then Damon and then Bella again.

"That's what I've been trying to tell him"

Ignoring the protests Caroline hugged Bella tighter. Bonnie got swept by the vampire's exuberant hugs and found herself hugging Damon. Then they somehow all ended up hugging each other. The circle was too small without Rebekah, Bella thought, but she refused to let tears ruin the hug fest. Life went on. It was sadder without Rebekah, emptier, but it went on nevertheless.

"How? I mean, when?"

Caroline asked.

"You mean why"

Bonnie corrected. Damon ignored the witch

"In three weeks, when her folks and Stefan get here. I was thinking maybe in a judge's chambers"

"Is it something about the word 'wedding' that makes people ignore me?"

Bella asked Bonnie who shrugged awkwardly.

"Maybe a park. During daytime. That way none of your enemies will stop it"

Caroline proposed.

"We could host it at the boarding house too. It's certainly big enough and you said it's not exactly full right now."

Damon opinionated.

"You're right. It's like we're not even here with them"

Bonnie agreed with Bella.

"Did you tell your mother yet?"

Caroline was practically bouncing at the balls of her feet from the excitement.

"No and neither will you. I'm not getting married. We are not getting married"

Bella held her ground at Caroline who turned to Damon instead

"You finally moved on from my last best friend to my new best friend."

"Don't hurt her"

Bonnie added

"She couldn't resist me,"

Damon said smugly, pouring himself another glass of tea.

"I felt sorry for him, all that whining and begging. It was pitiful."

Bella corrected choosing to overlook the 'last best friend' comment. Damon's grin promised retribution for her comment. She felt a thrill of anticipation. She might have to make love with him, oh, three or four times to soothe his hurt feelings. What a sacrifice!


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Soon the conversation flipped back to Rebekah and the wake. Damon's contribution was, "Beer and popcorn. What more do you need at a wake?" Which proved he had no understanding of women. Or food.

After Caroline and Bonnie left, they went out to move Phil's car from her garage to his. As he helped her fold the tarp back and uncover the little silver bullet of a car, he said,

"Do you have the keys with you?"

She fished them out of her jeans pocket and dangled them in front of his eyes.

"Wanna drive?"  
>"Are you trying to suck up to me, to make up for that crack about whining and begging?"<p>

"No, I planned on making that up to you later."

He grinned and swiped the keys out of her hand.

"Oh, man. This car should be mine you know. I am the resident Salvatore"

He sighed as he toed off his shoes and swung one long leg over the door, then the other, and slid down into the driver's seat. The little car fit him like a glove. He ran his hands over the steering wheel.

"Bite me Salvatore"

Bella cooed

"Later. How did you say Phil got it?"  
>"His dad was in production team and bought it straight from the factory. That's your uncle - something Zack, right? Your family tree gives me a headache"<p>

Damon grinned. His family tree and the extra slots created every couple generations for him and Stefan to play human gave _him_ a headache.

"Do you like him?"  
>"Who?"<br>"Phil"

Bella nodded settling in the car next to him

"Yeah. He's a little young for mom but he really loves her. He also knows better than to try and daddy me. We're friends now. What are you pretending to be to him?"

Damon scrunched his face remembering what cover he had this time

"Cousin. Stefan and I pretend to be Zach's nephews and if Phil is his kid..."  
>"Does it get annoying? This changing covers every so often to avoid detection and moving a lot and everything?"<p>

When he turned to look at her his eyes had lost the bad boy attitude.

"Sometimes it's worth it"  
>"What a charmer"<p>

With a grin Bella let him kiss her and take her for a drive. He wanted to show her the old Salvatore property in the woods.

_PM_

When Bonnie arrived at her house, she was startled to see Matt Donovan sitting on the porch beside the door. He stood up when he saw her, and she stopped in her tracks, irrational fear flooding her. Matt was big and well-muscled. He was also a light brunette. For a terrified instant she thought he...

She swallowed, weak from panic and relief, one following so closely on the heels of the other.

"What are you doing here?"

She asked, reaction making her blunt, and saw surprise in his eyes at her lack of welcome.

"I haven't seen you lately"

He purred in the velvety voice that had women flocking to him. He usually had a small entourage of hangers-on around him; he loved his newfound fame and the limelight, and made the most of it.

"The last two weeks have been crazy. First there was the List, then Rebekah -"

She stopped her throat seizing. She still couldn't believe Rebekah was gone. No; she did believe it. She just hadn't accepted it.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. The two of you were tight, weren't you?"

He really didn't know much about her, she thought. Despite having grown up together, being friends all their lives, their relationship, such as it was, had always been about him.

"She was my best friend, Matt. No matter what our differences were"

She said, and tears blurred her eyes.

"Look, Matt. You should go; I'm not in the mood for sex"  
>"Hey, I didn't come here for that,"<p>

He said, frowning as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"If it was just sex I wanted, I could get that from -"

He stopped, evidently realizing that wasn't the wisest thing to say.

"I've missed you"

He said helplessly, ill at ease. That wasn't the type of thing Matt said to women anymore. Being the nice guy had gotten his heart stomped by not one but two girlfriends. Bonnie stepped past him and unlocked her door.

"Really"

She said in a dry tone. It was funny; for almost a year, since the moment she and Matt had gotten together, she had dreamed about him saying something like that, indicating that she was, in any way, special to him. Now that he had, she wasn't inclined to give an inch. Maybe she had already given all she could, gone as far as possible, like Rebekah, Caroline and Bella had suggested.

He shifted from one foot to the other. He didn't know what to say, she realized. He had always been too handsome, too gifted, girls had always chased him, until someone better came along anyway. Being turned down when there was no better prospect around, was new territory for him.

"Would you like to come in?"

She finally asked.

"Yeah, sure"

He looked around her living room, as if he was seeing it for the first time. Going over to the bookcase to examine the books she had there, and the family photographs.

"How is your dad?"

He asked, picking up a photo of her with her father taken at graduation.

"He's good. Reconnects with family but wants to come home with all that's happening"  
>"Is he scared?"<p>

Bonnie sent him a raised brows look that spoke volumes. Matt winced and returned the photograph to its place, precisely lined it up as she'd had it.

"Things have changed, haven't they?"

Bonnie felt a twinge of surprise. He sounded a little insecure, an emotion she wouldn't have associated with him any more. He had become so cocky and brash, and it had been annoying her for a while to see the real Matt disappearing

"Would you like something to drink? I don't have anything stronger than beer. There's also fruit juice and milk."  
>"A beer"<p>

He said, relieved. Bonnie didn't drink much anymore. She got two beers out of the refrigerator and twisted the tops off, then handed him one. He watched, fascinated, as she took a long swallow.

"I've never seen you drink beer."

She shrugged.

"Like you said, things have changed"

He sat down and rolled the frosty bottle between his hands. After a moment of gathering his courage, he said,

"Bonnie the reason I'm here -"

He stopped, and did some more bottle rolling. She sat down across from him and crossed her long legs. He eyed the elegant length of exposed skin, as she had meant for him to do. The trick always worked on Caroline

"Yes?"

He cleared his throat.

"When you stopped coming around, I. well, it kind of surprised me. I thought we -"  
>"We had sex,"<p>

She said gently, deciding to help him along. At the rate he was going, he would still be trying at midnight to spit out whatever it was he wanted to say.

"That's all it ever was to you, and all you seemed to want. I wanted more, but I guess you get that a lot from all your other girlfriends."

She managed to sound casual about it. Not as snippy as she would have wanted to. It gave him more discomfort.

"It was more than just sex."  
>"Um-hmm. That's why you have something like three girls for every day of the week, a party in every city you go to. Matt I'm not an idiot. I woke up and smelled the coffee. I wanted to be special to you, but I'm not."<br>"Yes, you are,"

He insisted. He examined the beer bottle again, a flush darkening his face.

"More special than you know,"

He mumbled.

"I don't want to lose you. What do I have to do?"  
>"Lose all the other girls; If you can't be faithful, I'm not interested."<p>

She said promptly.

"Yeah, I know."

He managed a faint grin.

"I read the List. Parts of it I can't manage."

She smiled.

"Parts of it were a joke. The first five items weren't."  
>"So if I... lose the other girlfriends, you'll come back?"<p>

She thought about it, thought about it for so long that he began to sweat, even in the air-conditioned house. She had already written him off in her mind, she realized, even if her heart hadn't quite been convinced. Turning things back around would take some effort.

"I'll give it a try"

She finally said, and he collapsed back on the couch with a "whoosh" of relief. She held up a slender hand.

"But if you're unfaithful at all, that means even just groping a girl at a party the way I've seen you do, then I'm history. No second chances, because you've already used them all up"  
>"I swear, No more fucking around."<p>

He said, holding up his right hand.

"Screwing,"

She said.

"What?"  
>"Screwing around."<br>"That's what I said. Same thing."  
>"No, your language could use a little cleaning up. That's what I meant."<br>"Babe, I'm a football player. We swear."  
>"That's fine, when you're on a field, but you aren't on a field now."<br>"Man, Already you're trying to change me."

He complained, but good-naturedly. Bonnie shrugged in a take-it-or-leave-it manner

"No. Just bringing who you really are back"

Suddenly he grinned.

"Hey, this is kind of homey, isn't it? Domesticated. You ragging on me, and me promising to do better. Like a couple."

Bonnie laughed, and went into his arms.

"Yes, just like a couple."


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Bleary-eyed at dawn on Saturday morning, Damon yawned and sat up on Bonnie's couch. Around midnight the women and Elijah had decided he could watch the apartment just as well from inside as he could outside, and insisted he come in. He was tired, so he did.

He hadn't had much sleep for two days and nights. He would have gotten more if there hadn't been a certain smart-ass lying under him, insisting on wiggling her pretty butt and was disgusted after a day chasing leads that turned out to be nothing on another case he was working, plus not getting anywhere on the files from SPC Inc.

The computers hadn't turned up anything so far on the names they had run, except for the odd unpaid ticket and a few domestic disturbances. By midnight, fueled by drinks and chocolate (Elijah had a sweet tooth worse than the girls') the three women and Elijah were still going strong. Elijah had nothing in common with the serious vampire Damon remembered either and the company plus Rebekah's death had turned him to a nicer version.

He and the women had talked until they were hoarse, laughed and cried, drunk beer and countless pitchers of margarita and eaten everything they could get their hands on. It had been an amazing sight.

Klaus had been also invited. He hadn't turned up.

The wake had been moved in the kitchen, lowered in tone, and with a gentle compelling from Elijah to "get some sleep" Damon stretched out on the couch. He had slept, but with one ear attuned to the noise from the kitchen. Nothing alarming had happened, except he discovered that Bella sang a lot when she was tipsy. Off tune too.

When he woke, he noticed immediately that the noise had died down. In fact, it was downright quiet. Quietly he opened the kitchen door and peeked in. They were all asleep, breathing with the heaviness of fatigue and alcohol.

Caroline was snoring slightly, a delicate sound that didn't qualify as a full-fledged snore. Bella was under the table. Literally. She was curled up with her head pillowed on her folded hands, looking like an angel. He snorted; that was a real con. She had probably practiced sleeping like that since she was a little kid. Bonnie rested her head on her folded arms, like a child in grammar school. Her full lips were pouted. Elijah was next to her, his head on the table, too, but he was using a pot holder as a pillow - a flat one. Who knew the three could drink an original to sleep?

He searched for and found the coffee and filters and put on a pot of coffee, not making any attempt to be quiet. They continued to sleep. When the coffee was ready, he hunted through the cabinets for the coffee cups, and got down five of them. He poured four of them only half full, in case there were some shaky hands, but his he filled to the rim. Then he said,

"Okay, ladies and gentleman, time to wake up"

He might as well have been talking to the wall for all the effect his announcement had.

"Ladies and Elijah!"

He sounded, more loudly. Nothing.

"Bella! Bonnie! Caroline! Elijah!"

Bonnie lifted her head an inch and looked blearily at him, then let her head drop back down on her arms. The others didn't stir.

A grin spread over his face. He could shake them awake, he supposed, but that wouldn't be much fun, plus Elijah would probably kill him. What was fun was finding a pot and a metal spoon and banging them together, then watching the four women bolt upright, wild-eyed. Bella hit her head on the table and yelled,

"Son of a bitch! El, kill him"

His mission accomplished, Damon distributed the coffee cups, bending over to give Bella hers; she was sitting under the table, rubbing her head and glaring. God, he loved that woman.

"C'mon, get it in gear; the funeral is in roughly five hours."

"Five hours? Are you sure?"

Bonnie groaned.

"I'm sure. That means you have to be at the funeral home in four hours."

"No way"

Caroline pronounced, but she managed a sip of coffee.

"You have to sober up -"

"We aren't drunk"

Came a growl from beneath the table.

"Eat something, if you can, shower, wash your hair, whatever it is you have to do. You don't have time to sit under the table growling"

"I'm not growling"

No, that was more like a snarl. Maybe some medicinal sex would sweeten her mood - if he lived through it. At the moment, he kinda knew how the male praying mantis felt when he was approaching Mrs. Mantis, knowing the sex was going to be great but he was going to get his head bitten off.

Ah, well. Some things were worth losing your head.

Elijah stood up, very creakily. He had the imprint of the pot-holder loop on his cheek, glaring for all that was worth. He drank some coffee, cleared his throat

"He's right. We have to get moving, or we'll be late"

Too gracefully for anyone with a hangover, Elijah took Bella's hand, swiftly lifted her up with one hand and placed her in his seat. Damon felt jealous at the casualness of the move. Caroline finished her coffee and got up for a refill, so she was functional. She said,

"Okay. I can do this. Let me pee and wash my face and I'm good to drive home."

She stumbled down the short hall. Bella yawned and let her head fall to the side and meet with Bonnie's. Fifteen minutes later Bonnie was in the shower and Caroline was sitting in Elijah's car. The original vampire had sobered up faster than the regular one.

"We'll leave your car here. Make it seem as if Bonnie has company, if anyone checks the parking lot."

Damon's argument got to Bella who shivered and got in his car after hugging both Caroline and Elijah.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

She looked great, he thought, watching her from across the room. She wore a neat little navy dress that hit right at her knees, heeled sandals. She had let him watch while she put on a small amount of makeup.

Elijah wore black and looked very dignified. Klaus and that hybrid that caused Caroline's previous ruined relationship were next to him. Caroline herself was next to Bella, away from the Mikaelsons, wore a green dress. Damon watched interested as Caroline and Klaus stood apart and made no try of even looking at each other.

There was definitely trouble there, he thought.

Bonnie wore a form-fitting column of red that hit her at mid-calf. She was, simply, beautiful. She walked over to join Bella, and Damon moved closer, to hear what they were saying.

"Rebekah loved red"

Bella said, smiling at Bonnie and reaching for her with her other hand.

"I wish I had thought of it"

Bonnie's lips trembled.

"I wanted to send her off in style. This isn't in bad taste, is it?"

"Are you kidding? It's great. Everyone who knew Rebekah will understand, and if they didn't know Rebekah, then they don't matter."

Detective Robert Brewster was there, trying to blend in. He didn't do it very well, but he was trying. He didn't come over to speak, but then, they weren't here to socialize. They moved around, studying the crowd, listening to conversations.

There were several blond men in attendance, but Damon carefully studied each one of them and none seemed to be paying any special attention to Bella or the others. Most of them were with their wives.

He continued to watch all during the graveside service, which was mercifully brief. The heat was already stifling, though Elijah had scheduled the service as early as possible to avoid the worst part of the day.

He caught Brewster's eye, and Robert slowly shook his head. He hadn't spotted anything either. Everything was being taped, and they would watch the film later, to see if there was anything they had missed, but Damon didn't think there was. Damn it, he'd been certain the killer would attend.

Klaus and Elijah were weeping a little but mostly keeping it under control. Damon saw Caroline blot her eyes with the edge of a folded tissue. Bella and Bonnie made no attempt to hide or stop their tears. The gray dressed bitch was stone faced.

A pretty, slender vampire sparkling proudly under the sun, in a black dress approached Elijah and was extending her condolences when she suddenly broke down and collapsed in Elijah's startled arms, sobbing.

"I just can't believe it. The office isn't the same without her."

She wept. Caroline and Bonnie moved closer to Bella, both of them eyeing the woman with "what's going on?" expressions. Damon walked over, too. People were grouping in clusters, politely ignoring the emotional storm, so he wouldn't be conspicuous doing the same thing.

"I might have known Jane would play this for all she's worth"

Caroline muttered in disgust

"She's a drama queen"

she added, for Damon's benefit.

"She's in my department, and she does this on a regular basis. Give her something the least bit upsetting and she turns it into a tragedy."

Bella was watching the display in disbelief, her eyes wide. She shook her head and said mournfully

"The wheel's still going around, but her hamster's dead"

Caroline choked on a bark of laughter and tried to turn it into a cough. She quickly turned her back, her face red as she tried to control herself. Bonnie was biting her lower lip, but a snicker broke through and she, too, had to turn her back to the scene. Damon covered his mouth with his hand, but his shoulders were shaking. Maybe people would think he was crying.

_PM_

A red dress! The bitch wore a red dress. He couldn't believe his eyes. That was so shameful, so cheap. He wouldn't have believed it of her, and he was so shocked it was all he could do to keep his hands off her. Mother would be horrified.

Women like that didn't deserve to live. None of them did. They were dirty, filthy whores, and he would be doing the world a favor by getting rid of them.

_PM_

Bonnie sighed with relief when she finally stepped into her apartment and could kick off her high heels. Her feet were killing her, but looking good for Rebekah was worth the pain. She would do it all again if she had to, but she was glad she didn't.

Now that the funeral was over, she felt numb, exhausted. The wake had helped immensely; talking about Rebekah, laughing, crying, had been a catharsis that had allowed her to get through the day. The funeral itself, the ritual, was its own comfort. It said: This person counted. This person was respected. And the services were sort of an emotional marker, a point at which the grieving could honor the dead and yet have a starting place for the rest of their lives.

It was funny how they had all connected to Elijah in a way none had connected to Klaus. It was like having Rebekah, but different, because Elijah was definitely far more serious and mature.

Bonnie twisted her arms to reach the back zipper of her dress, and had it half unzipped when someone rang her doorbell.

She froze, sudden panic freezing her veins. Oh, my God. He was out there, she knew it. He had followed her home. He knew she was here alone.

She edged toward the phone, as if he could see through the door and know what she was doing. Would he break it down? He had broken into Bella's house, by knocking out a pane of glass, but was he strong enough to break down a door? She had never even thought to find out if her door was reinforced, or a simple wooden door.

"Bonnie?"

The voice was puzzled, low.

"It's Jane. Jane Upir. Are you okay?"

"Jane?"

Bonnie said weakly, relief making her dizzy. She bent over at the waist, breathing deeply to fight off the shakes.

"I tried to catch up with you, but you were in too much of a hurry,"

Jane called. Yes, she had been. She had been desperate to get home and out of those shoes.

"Just a minute, I was about to change clothes."

Why on earth was Jane here? She wondered as she crossed to the door and unchained it. Before she unlocked it, however, she put her eye to the peephole to make certain it was her, though she knew she had recognized the melodic voice.

It was her, looking sad and tired, and suddenly Bonnie felt guilty about the way they had laughed at her at the funeral. She couldn't imagine why Jane wanted to talk to her, they had never exchanged more than a few words in passing, but she unlocked the door and invited her inside, not that the cold one needed invitation. Boundaries was a blessed thing only the local vamps had

"It was miserably hot at the service, wasn't it? Would you like something cold to drink?"

She offered before she realized what she'd said but it seemed that Jane was intent in playing human even outside the company

"Yes, please"


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Bella woke up at ten-thirty Sunday morning. She woke up then only because the phone was ringing. She started to fumble for the receiver, remembered this was Damon's house, and snuggled back into the pillow. So what if it was on her side of the bed? His phone, his responsibility. He stirred beside her, all heat and hardness and musky male scent.

"Get the phone, will you?"

He said sleepily.

"It's for you"

She mumbled.

"How d'you know?"  
>"It's your phone."<p>

She hated having to point out the obvious. Muttering something under his breath, he heaved himself up on one elbow and leaned over her to reach the phone, squashing her into the mattress.

"Salvatore."  
>"Yeah,"<p>

He said again, after a short pause.

"She's here."

He dropped the phone onto the pillow in front of her and smirked.

"It's your mother"

Letting her head fall against his shoulder she opened her palm for the receiver and cradled it to her ear,

"Hello"

She mumbled as Damon lay down beside her again.

"Long night?"

Renee asked sarcastically.

"About ten, twelve hours. The usual for this time of year"

Bella's reply as caustic as her mother's. A hard, warm body pressed against her back, and a hard, warm hand smoothed over her belly possessively.

"Ha, ha,"

Said Renee.

"How are you baby?"  
>"Crap"<p>

She didn't feel like sugarcoating her feelings

"We buried Rebekah yesterday"  
>"Oh baby do you want me to -"<br>"NO!"

Bella jumped up causing Damon to jump as well and BooBoo to shriek at them both and leave their bed indignantly.

"I will not put you in danger mom. Stay where you are. Where are you by the way?"  
>"Switzerland. Got here a few hours ago. Phil wanted to say hi but he went to sleep instead"<p>

Damon snorted with laughter overhearing their conversation without a hint of shame

"What was that?"

Renée sounded suspicious.

"BooBoo"  
>"Uh huh. Have fun baby. I'll call you later. Bye Damon"<p>

Bella blinked as she hang up the phone and fell backwards on the bed.

"How did she know I was here?"

The phone rang again. Bella said,

"If it's Renee, I'm not here."  
>"Like she'll believe that,"<p>

He said as he groped for the receiver.

"I don't care what she believes, as long as I don't have to talk to her right now."  
>"Hello, yeah, she's here."<p>

Damon extended the phone, and she took it, glaring at him. He mouthed,

"Elijah"

And she sighed with relief.

"Hi, El"  
>"El?"<p>

Damon asked

"Hi. Listen, I've been trying to call Bonnie. I have some photos of Bekah that she wanted to have copied, and I wanted her address to mail them to her. For all the times I've been there, I never bothered to ask where she lives. Anyway, she isn't answering her phone, so do you have the address?"

Bella sat upright, a chill roughening her bare skin.

"She isn't answering? How long have you been trying to call?"  
>"Since eight, I guess. About three hours."<p>

Elijah suddenly got it, and said,

"Oh, God."

Damon was out of bed, pulling on his pants.

"Listen, El, it's probably nothing. She's probably gone off to meditate with the witches or something. I'll check and have her call you when I find her. Okay? You're back in New Orleans right?"

Damon punched out numbers on his cell phone as he pulled a superman like typhoon and changed clothes. Carrying his socks and shoes, he left the bedroom, talking so quietly into the little phone she couldn't hear what he was saying.

After jolting down Elijah's cell phone number, Bella hung up, vaulted out of bed and began fumbling for her own clothes. She was shaking, the tremors growing worse by the second. Just a few minutes ago she had been so blissed out, and now this awful terror was making her sick; the contrast was almost paralyzing.

She stumbled into the living room, fastening her jeans, as Damon was going out the door. He was wearing his gun and his badge.

"Wait!"

She cried, panicked.

"No. You can't go."

He stopped with his hand on the doorknob.

"Yes I can."

Wildly she looked around for her shoes. They were in the bedroom, damn it.

"Wait for me!"  
>"Bella"<p>

It was his cop voice.

"No. If anything has happened, you'll only be in the way. You wouldn't be allowed inside, and it's too damn hot to sit out in the car. Go over to Caroline's and wait there. I'll call you as soon as I know something."

She was still shaking and wrapped her arms around herself

"Promise?"  
>"I promise. Be careful on the way to Caroline's. And, babe - don't let anyone in the door, okay?"<p>

His expression softened.

She nodded, feeling worse than useless.

"Caroline's a vampire. Entrance allowance won't matter much but Okay."  
>"I'll call"<p>

He said again, and was gone.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Bella slumped down on the sofa and cried in raw, ragged gulps. She couldn't do this again; she just couldn't. Not Bonnie. She was so young and beautiful, that bastard couldn't have hurt her.

Bonnie had to be with either with the spirits of the witches or more likely with Matt; she had been so luminously happy at his sudden turnaround that they were probably spending every spare moment together. Damon would find her.

Finally she stopped crying and mopped her face. She had to get to Caroline's, to wait for Damon's call. She got dressed quickly, put some fresh water and dry food for BooBoo and left the house making sure to lock the doors behind her.

She arrived at Caroline's twenty minutes later. She leaned on the doorbell.

"Caroline it's Bella! Hurry!"

She heard running footsteps, the cocker spaniel Klaus had gotten her barking; then the door was wrenched open and Caroline `s worried face swam before her.

"What's wrong?"

Caroline asked, jerking her inside the door, but Bella couldn't tell her; she couldn't get the words out. Still barking hysterically, the cocker spaniel, jumped up on their legs.

"Trilby, hush!"

Caroline said. Her chin trembled, and she swallowed.

"Bonnie?"

Bella nodded, still unable to talk. Caroline put her hand over her mouth as awful, gut-wrenching cries tore from her throat, and she fell back against the wall.

"No, no!"

Bella managed to say, putting her arms around Caroline

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean -"

She took a deep breath.

"We don't know yet. Damon's on his way over there, and he's going to call here when he knows -"

"What's going on?"

Klaus asked in alarm, stepping into the foyer. A section of the Sunday paper was in his hand. Trilby ran over to him, her little stump of a tail wagging ferociously. That damn shaking had started again. Bella tried to control it.

"Bonnie's missing. Your brother hasn't been able to get her on the phone."  
>"So she's gone grocery shopping"<p>

Klaus said, shrugging. Caroline gave him a look of such fury it should have scorched his skin

"He thinks we're hysterical and Bekah was killed by some random lover"  
>"That makes a lot more sense than the bunch of you being stalked by a maniac, Stop dramatizing everything, love"<p>

He shot. Bella stared at him. He was bawling like a baby at the funeral just yesterday, how could he act like a royal dick now?

"If we're dramatizing it, so are the police"

She snapped. Then she bit her lip. She didn't want to get in the middle of a domestic dispute. Caroline and Klaus had enough trouble without her adding to it. Klaus shrugged again.

"Caroline said you're marrying Damon, he's pretending to be a cop, so he's probably humoring you. Come on, pooch"

He turned and walked back to his den and his newspaper, Trilby scampering around his feet.

"God he is a bastard"  
>"Yeah, the original"<p>

Caroline snickered before the reality of Bella at her front door snuck up again

"Forget him, tell me what happened"

Nodding, Bella related what Elijah had said and the time frame. Caroline glanced at the clock; it was now just after noon.

"Four hours, at least. She isn't shopping. Has anyone called Matt?"  
>"Damon said he'd take care of it"<p>

They went into the kitchen, where Caroline had been reading. Her open book lay in the alcove. Caroline put on a pot of coffee. They were each on their second cup, the cordless phone at Caroline's elbow, when it finally rang. She snatched it up.

"Damon?"

She listened for a moment, and watching her face, Bella felt the hope die out of her. Caroline looked stunned, all color draining from her. Her lips moved, but no sound emerged. Bella grabbed the phone.

"Damon? Tell me."

His voice was heavy.

"Baby, I'm sorry it looks like it happened last night, maybe as soon as she got home from the funeral."

Caroline laid her head on the table, weeping. Bella reached to touch her shoulder, trying to offer comfort, but she could feel herself folding in, giving in to the grief, and she didn't know if she had any comfort to offer.

"Stay there, don't go anywhere. I'll be there when I can get free. This isn't my jurisdiction, but we're all putting our heads together. It may be several hours, but don't go anywhere,"

Damon ordered

"Okay"

Bella whispered, and hung up.

Klaus came to the door and stood hovering, staring at Caroline as if he hoped she was still overreacting, but something in his face said that this time he knew better. He had heard them. He was pale.

"What?"

He croaked.

"That was Damon"

Bella said.

"Bonnie's dead."

Then her fragile control broke, and it was a long time before she could do anything except weep and hold on to Caroline

_PM_

It was sunset before Damon arrived. He looked tired and angry. He and Klaus got in a glaring match, their past catching up with them.

"You were at the funeral"

Klaus said suddenly, his gaze sharpening. Damon nodded.

"A shape shifter detective was, too. We hoped we could spot him, but he's either too slick or he wasn't there"

Klaus glanced at Caroline. She was sitting quietly, absently stroking the black-and-white cocker spaniel. Yesterday Klaus' gaze had been remote, but there was nothing remote about the way he was watching her now.

"Someone's really after them. It's so damn hard to believe"

"Believe it"

Damon snapped, his guts twisting with fury as he remembered what had been done to Bonnie. She had suffered the same vicious, personal attack, her face battered beyond recognition, the multiple stab wounds, and the sexual abuse. Unlike Rebekah, she had still been alive when he stabbed her; the apartment floor was awash in blood. Her clothes had also been shredded, just like Bella's. When he thought how close Bella had come to dying, what she would have suffered if she had been at home on Wednesday night, he could barely contain his rage.

"Did you get in touch with her father?"

Bella asked hoarsely. As far as she knew Bonnie's dad was on his way back to Mystic Falls but had no idea about his itinerary

"Yes, he arrived about an hour ago"

Damon said. He sat down and put his arms around her, cradling her head on his shoulder.

His pager beeped. He reached for his belt and silenced it, then glanced at the number and cursed, rubbing his face.

"I have to go"  
>"Bella can stay here"<p>

Caroline said, before he could ask.

"I don't have any clothes"

Bella said, but she wasn't protesting, just stating a problem.

"I'll drive you home"

Klaus said, the news finally catching up with him

"Caroline will go, too. You can pack whatever you need, stay as long as you want"

Damon nodded in approval.

"I'll call you"

He said as he went out the door.

_PM_

The blond man rocked back and forth. He couldn't sit, couldn't eat, couldn't rest. He hummed to himself, the way he had done when he was little, but the magic song didn't work. He wondered when it had stopped working. He didn't remember.

The bitch in red was dead. Mother was so pleased. Two down and two to go.

He felt good. For the first time in his life, he was pleasing Mother. Nothing he had ever done before had been good enough for her because he had always been flawed, no matter how hard she tried to make him perfect.

He was doing this right, though; she was very pleased. He was ridding the world of the whoring bitches, one by one by one. No. Too many "ones". He hadn't done three yet. He had tried, but one hadn't been at home.

He remembered seeing her at the funeral, though. She had laughed. Or was it the other one? He felt confused, because the faces kept swimming in his memory.

One shouldn't laugh at funerals. It was very hurtful to the bereaved.

But which one had laughed? Why couldn't he remember?

It didn't matter, he thought to himself, and felt better. They both had to die, and then it wouldn't matter which one had laughed, or which one was "Ms. C." It wouldn't matter, because finally - finally - Mother would be happy and she would never, never hurt him again.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

On Monday morning, Damon sat in his office with his head propped on his hands, wading through the SPC Inc files again and again. The computers hadn't given them a hit on any of the names, so he and Brewster were simply reading and rereading, looking for something that would click in their heads and give them the clue they needed.

It was there; Damon knew it was. They just hadn't found it yet. He suspected he already knew what it was, because of that nagging gut feeling he had missed something. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was there, and sooner or later the bell would chime. He just hoped it was sooner, like in the next minute.

This guy hated women. He wouldn't get along with them, wouldn't like working with them. There might be a note in his file about a complaint lodged by someone, maybe even a harassment charge. Something like that should have jumped out at them on the first once-over, but maybe the complaint had been worded in such a way that the charge wasn't actually spelled out.

Neither Bella nor Caroline was working today. They were still together, though they had moved from Caroline's house to the boarding house, along with that yappy little cocker spaniel that sounded the alarm at any kind of intrusion, whether it was a bird on the patio or someone coming up the walk and BooBoo. Unsurpringly the two furry nightmares liked each other

He had been afraid Bella would want to spend the day at home, since her new alarm system had been installed - under the eagle eye of Mrs. Flowers, who was taking her guardian duties seriously - on Saturday while they were attending Rebekah's funeral. An alarm system was fine, but it wouldn't stop a determined killer.

But Bella hadn't wanted to be alone. She and Caroline were clinging together, shocked and dazed at what had happened to their tight little circle of friends. There was no doubt in anyone's mind now that the List was what had triggered the violence.

The news had been all over the story. "Who is killing the Ladies of the List?" one newscaster had intoned. "The picturesque town has been shocked by the violent murders of two of the women who authored the humorous and controversial Mr. Perfect List that took the nation by storm a couple of weeks ago."

Reporters were camped outside the company again, wanting to interview anyone who was acquainted with the two victims. The police had arranged to get copies of any interview tapes the reporters might make, in case their guy gave in to his ego and wanted to see himself on national television, mourning his two "friends".

Reporters had also been at Bella's house, but left when they discovered no one was at home. He imagined they had checked out Caroline's, too but her house was also empty.

Klaus had wanted to whisk his girlfriend to New Orleans; Liz had threatened to send him to join his sister. Phil had shielded his wife from the news realizing that they were safer overseas and had wanted to get Bella either a plane ticket to join them or to Florida but Bella had argued that the boardinghouse was safer.

Damon rubbed his eyes. He had gotten maybe two hours sleep. He couldn't even remember when he ate last.

Where was the report on the shoe tread they had found in Bella's house? Getting an answer usually didn't take this long. He searched his desk, but no one had laid it there in his absence. Maybe it had gone to Brewster, since they had cross-referenced each other on all the paperwork. Before Bonnie's death, not everyone had been convinced the break-in at Bella's house had anything to do with Rebekah's murder, but he and Brewster had been. Now, of course, there was no doubt in anyone's mind.

He called Robert.

"Did the report on that shoe tread come to you?"  
>"Haven't seen it. You mean you don't have it yet?"<br>"Not yet. The lab must have lost it. I'll shoot them another request."

Damn it, he thought as he hung up. The one thing they didn't need was a delay. Maybe the shoe print wasn't important, but maybe the shoe was a rare one, so unusual that someone at SPC would say, "Oh, yeah, so-and-so has a pair. Paid a fortune for them."

He went back to the files, frustrated almost to the point of breaking something. It was right here under his nose; he knew it. All he had to do was figure it out.

_PM_

Klaus left work early. The previous day's events had left him so shaken he couldn't concentrate. First Rebekah, his one and only sister and then the witch Caroline loved like a sister. All he wanted was to pick up Caroline at Salvatore boarding house and take her home where he could watch over her.

He didn't know how they had lost touch with each other. No - he knew, all right. The innocent flirting he had with Hayley had started to seem important, and maybe it had never been so innocent. When had he started comparing everything Caroline and everything she said and did, to Hayley, who was always more homey and, despite being a bitch by nature, never nagged?

Half the fun of being with Caroline, he realized now, was snatching her from Tyler as if she was a prize. Making her admit what she knew deep inside, that she was meant to be with him. After he had her, his attentions had begun slipping as the reality set in.

So what if she complained when he didn't take out the garbage? He complained if she left her makeup scattered all over the vanity. People who lived together inevitably got on each other's nerves sometimes. That was part of being together, he understood with strange clarity now.

Offering her his blood had meant to be a business transaction. Save her life to score a point with the humans around. He hadn't planned on how he'd feel as she drank. Strangely in tune with her, finding a clarity he hadn't known existed had made him ask permission to taste her blood.

She had let him and he had fallen for Caroline with one sip. Tasting to make sure his blood battled and won Tyler's dog saliva in her body had given him an insight to her life. Her blood had tasted sweet and spicy combined with his.

She was the only one for him.

How had he lost sight of that, of what they had together? Why had it taken the terror of realizing a killer actually was stalking Caroline and her friends for him to realize it would kill him to lose her?

He didn't know how he could make it up to her. He didn't know if she would even let him. For the past week or so, since she had guessed he was infatuated with Hayley, she had pulled away from him. Maybe she believed he'd actually been unfaithful to her, though he had never let the situation between him and Hayley get so far out of hand. They had kissed and they had transformed together, yes, but nothing more.

He tried to imagine how he would feel if another man kissed Caroline and felt sick to his stomach. Maybe kisses weren't so forgivable.

He would crawl on his belly to her if she would smile at him again like he mattered to her.

The boarding house was big and the bigger yard around it was trimmed and full with blooming flowers, their colors so pretty it made the house seem ethereal. The human had been good to it, Klaus thought as he parked, remembering the times he had visited the house with him mind set on another human.

He had been a bastard, hadn't he?

Shaking his head to clear the images of the past, he went up the curving walk to the double front doors, where he rang the bell and waited. Would he even be allowed inside?

Damon answered the door. Klaus' lips twisted at the vampire. He was fucking the human; of course he had been allowed entrance.

"How are they?"

He asked softly,

"How do you think?"

Damon snapped but then he swallowed.

"Bella said you can come in. she'll ask someone to re-erect the entrance spells after the nightmare is over"

Klaus felt the invincible wall retract and allow him to enter at the words. Closing the door behind him Damon responded

"Tired. Still in shock. Can't blame them really"

Klaus shook his head.

"Last night we sat up talking in the yard most of the night. Funny; they didn't talk much about the bastard who did this, or how close Bella came the other night when he broke into her house. They just talked about Bonnie and Rebekah"

"It's like losing two family members so close together. It'll take them a while to recover from this"

Damon wondered how deep Elena's forget spell was. Would they have to inform her of Bonnie's death? The last thing he wanted was _her_ back in town. Selfishly he wanted her as far away as possible, he was finally happy and having Elena around was sure to ruin it.

The ravages of grief had left both Bella and Caroline paler than usual, but they were dry-eyed. Caroline looked startled to see Klaus.

"What are you doing here?"

She didn't sound particularly glad to see him, the original thought.

"I wanted to be with you, I know you're tired, so I didn't want you to have to wait until midnight to go home"

Caroline wanted to question which home, because she would love to go to her mother, that was her home, but held the question back.

"What about the reporters?"

She asked instead

"We won't have any peace if they're still swarming the place"  
>"I doubt they would hang around forever, they'd like an interview, yeah, but they can get statements from other people. More than likely, since you weren't at home today, they'll call instead of camping out in your yard"<p>

Damon replied

"Then I would like to go home"

Caroline said, standing. She hugged Bella.

"Thanks a million. You were a lifesaver today."  
>"Any time. Come back tomorrow?"<br>"I think I'll go to work tomorrow. Getting back into the routine will help take my mind off things."

Bella nodded seeing the logic and walked them to the front door

"Are you going to work tomorrow?"

Caroline asked.

"I don't know. Maybe. I'll call and let you know in the morning"  
>"Trilby"<p>

Caroline called, and the dog jumped up, bright eyes sparkling and her entire body wagging in enthusiasm as she rushed to them.

"C'mon, girl, let's go home."

Trilby barked and scampered around Caroline's legs. Klaus leaned down to pet her, and she licked his hand. On the drive home, Caroline sat staring out the window.

"You didn't have to leave work early, I'm fine."  
>"I wanted to be with you,"<p>

He repeated, and drew a deep breath. He would prefer to have this talk once they were home, where he could put his arms around her, but maybe now was the best time. At least she couldn't walk away.

"I'm sorry"

He said softly. She didn't glance at him.

"For what?"  
>"For being an asshole; for being a stupid asshole. I love you more than anything or anyone else on earth, and I can't stand the thought of losing you."<br>"What about your girlfriend?"

She made the word sound so immature He winced.

"I know you don't believe me, but I swear I haven't been that stupid."  
>"Exactly how stupid have you been?"<p>

She had never let him get away with anything, he remembered. Even when they were enemies, Caroline would pin him to the wall with those alive eyes of hers if he tried to evade telling her whatever she wanted to know.

Keeping his eyes on the road, because he was afraid to look at her, he said,

"Flirting stupid. Kissing stupid and transforming together stupid. But no more than that. Not ever."  
>"Not even groping?"<p>

Her tone said she didn't believe him. Klaus' hands seemed to have a mind of their own when his brain was focused on kissing

"Not ever"

He repeated firmly.

"I... Damn it, Caroline it didn't feel right, and I don't mean anything physical. She wasn't you. I don't know; maybe I let my ego get the best of me, because I kind of liked the thrill, but it was wrong and I knew it."  
>"Who exactly is `she'?"<p>

Caroline asked.

Saying her name took every ounce of courage he had, because putting an actual name to the woman personalized it, made it real.

"Hayley"  
>"I knew it. I want you to drive me home"<p>

Now he did look at her

"We are going home"

Caroline licked her lips

"I meant my mother's house. Home"

Klaus felt as if someone had thrown a big flaming white oak stake in his chest, was that what heartbreak felt like?

"I do love you. Yesterday when you found out about Bonnie and I realized..."

His voice cracked. He had to swallow before he could continue. He couldn't bare losing her

"When I realized you're in danger, it was like a slap in the face"  
>"Being hunted by a psycho killer is kind of an attention getter"<p>

She said dryly.

"Yeah"

He decided to go for broke and asked,

"Will you give me another chance?"  
>"I don't know,"<p>

She said, and his heart sank.

"I told you I wouldn't be hasty or do anything drastic, and I won't. My attention is a little splintered right now, so I think we should just shelve this discussion for a while."

Okay, he thought. That was a swing and a miss, but he hadn't struck out yet.

"Now drive me to my mother's"  
>"It's not safe there. I'll stay underneath your window all night long"<p>

Caroline wasn't sure if that was a promise or a threat. Neither was Klaus. Finally she sighed and rubbed her eyes

"Fine. Take us to your house"

He heaved a sigh of relief. She wasn't brimming over with enthusiasm, but she wasn't kicking and screaming to be taken to Liz's either. It was a chance. He couldn't expect to undo in one night the accumulated damage he had wrought over the past months.

But she had hung in there with him, so he wasn't going to quit now, no matter how surly she got, or how long it took him to make her believe he loved her. The most important thing was keeping her alive, even if she walked out on him afterward. He didn't know if he could stand losing her, but he knew he sure as hell couldn't stand burying her.


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

"Do you mind if we go back to yours too? This place is too big to feel safe here"

Bella had asked with a shiver going through her as she watched Klaus and Caroline become specks in the distance. Damon nodded, and wordlessly drove them to his house and locked the doors behind them.

"I'm so tired, you must be exhausted."

Bella said. Damon chuckled darkly

"I've been running on coffee all day long, the jolt is wearing off, though"  
>"When was the last time you ate?"<p>

She asked softly taking a carton of orange juice from the fridge. The fully stocked fridge. Mrs Flowers must have gone shopping for them. That was weird.

"Why?"

Damon asked consciously running his fingers over BooBoo's silky fur

"Caroline said your kind gets weak when they don't eat regularly"

Bella shrugged one shoulder uncomfortable, choosing to play with the cat's ears, much to BooBoo's joy of having 4 hands all over him

"I'm fine; I'll grab something on my way to work tomorrow"

He said dismissively. He didn't want his feeding habits to come in between them. He had been on the blood bags wagon but the fresh blood was always a favorite. He felt his eyes bulge as Bella removed her watch from her left wrist and offered it

"Or you can have a homely meal"  
>"Bella... you don't know what you're doing"<p>

Her lips twisted humorlessly

"I'm offering a vein. I trust you won't kill me"

Feeling as if he was offered a prized possession, Damon slid on his breakfast table and held her close

"I won't hurt you"

And bit none too gently into the offered wrist.

Bella felt the soft brush of Damon's lips on her wrist, the unmarred wrist, and tried to calm her breathing. This was her idea; she didn't get to change her mind. Then she felt teeth.

There was a stinging pain, but she held herself still and made no sound, thinking only of Damon. Almost at once the pain eased, and she felt the blood being drawn from her body. It was not terrible, as it had been before, with James in a burning dancing studio. It was a feeling of giving, of nurturing.

Then it was as if their minds were merging, becoming one. She could feel Damon's elation in drinking from her, his delight in taking the warm blood that gave her life. And she knew he could feel her delight in giving. But reality was receding, the boundaries between dreams and waking becoming blurred. She could not think clearly; she could not think at all. She could only feel, and her feelings were spiraling up and up, carrying her higher and higher, breaking her ties with earth.

Sometime later, without knowing how she had gotten there, she found herself in his arms. Damon was cradling her like a mother holding an infant child, guiding her mouth to rest on the bare flesh of his own wrist. There was a tiny wound there, a cut showing dark against the pale skin. She felt no fear or hesitation, and when he stroked her hair encouragingly, she began to suck.

When reality set back in, what felt like hours later, they were on his couch, lying side by side. The fresh blood sang in Damon's veins and it danced in Bella's eyes.

He hated having to break their spell to talk business but this bond, this connection they now shared and would continue to share until his blood had grown thin in her veins could survive the change of subject.

"Harassment complaints, huh? I can't remember any. Tyler Lockwood probably should have a sexual harassment complaint filed against him every day, but I don't think anyone has. And he has dark hair."

He did. But he was a hybrid and thus easy to subdue both a vampire and a witch. He wondered if Tyler could provide proof of his whereabouts on the two days in question.

"There are several people whom no one likes"

Bella continued.

"The big boss is one. I guess it runs in the family veins. He's a Lockwood too. He was in a real snit over the List, until the company decided to go with the free publicity, then he mellowed out."

Damon added Andrew Lockwood to his mental list.

"Anyone else?"  
>"I don't know everyone. Let's see. No one likes Jane Upir but I don't guess she counts."<p>

The name was familiar. It took him only a second to place it.

"She's the drama queen."  
>"And a pain in the rear. I'm glad she's not in my department. Caroline has to put up with her every day."<br>"Anyone else besides the Lockwood's?"  
>"No one that sticks out. I remember a guy named Gary or something like that who was really bent out of shape when the List first came out, because some of the women were ragging him about it, but he wasn't violent about it, just sulky."<br>"Can you find out his name for certain?"  
>"Sure. I'll call around in the morning."<p>

When they drifted off to sleep, still entwined on the sofa, Bella had rubbed her chest slightly. She felt their bond too.

_PM_

It was strange how altered everything was, Caroline thought the next morning as she entered SPC. Rebekah and Bonnie weren't here. They would never be here again. As difficult to accept as Rebekah's death was, Bonnie's was impossible. Caroline still couldn't get her mind around it. Bonnie had been so damn bright and sweet, how could anyone want to kill her over a stupid list?

The killer was here in this building, she thought. She might walk past him in the hallway. Maybe coming to work wasn't the smartest thing to do, but in a weird way she had wanted to be here because he was here. Maybe he would say something, though she knew that possibility was remote. Maybe she would catch an expression on his face, something, anything that would help them figure out who he was. She wasn't any kind of Sherlock Holmes, but she wasn't stupid, either.

Bella had always been the most intrepid of their group, but Caroline figured she could be a little daring, too. Coming to work today felt daring. Bella wasn't coming in; the headache she'd had yesterday hadn't let up.

Caroline had to admit she also liked the idea of Klaus worrying about her. It was silly, maybe even stupid to come to work when she knew he was alarmed about it, but he had taken her for granted for so long that his present intense concern was like balm to her hurt feelings. He had surprised her last night with what he said. Maybe they could make it together. She wasn't going to rush into accepting his apology any more than she had rushed into a divorce when their marriage first started crumbling, but she did love him, and for the first time in a long while, she thought he might love her, too.

Bonnie and Matt had finally worked out their differences, too, right before she had been killed. She had had two days of happiness with him. Two days, when she should have had a lifetime.

Caroline felt a sudden chill. Did she herself have only two days with Klaus, to work on their fragile truce?

No. The killer was not going to get to her, the way he had to Rebekah and Bonnie. She couldn't imagine how Bonnie could have let him into her apartment the way the police thought. Maybe he had already been inside, waiting for her. Damon said they hadn't found any sign of forced entry, but maybe he could pick locks or something. Maybe he had somehow gotten his hands on a key. She didn't know how he could have, but he had to have gotten in somehow.

If Klaus was at work when she got home this afternoon, she thought, she wasn't going inside the house alone. She would get a neighbor to walk through the house with her. And she had Trilby for added security; nothing got past the little dog. Cockers were very protective of their families. Sometimes her barking was a nuisance, but now Caroline was thankful she was so alert.

Jane Upir looked up in surprise when Caroline entered the office.

"I didn't expect you today"

Caroline hid her own surprise. Jane's clothing was never flattering, but she was at least neat. Today she looked as if she had grabbed something off the floor. She wore a skirt and blouse, but the skirt sagged on one side and the hem of her slip showed. Caroline hadn't realized anyone still wore slips when they didn't have to, especially in the late-summer heat. Jane's blouse was wrinkled, and there was a stain on the front. Even her hair, which was usually so immaculate, looked as if she hadn't combed it before coming to work.

Realizing Jane was watching her expectantly, Caroline pulled her mind back to what had been said.

"I thought working would help. You know the routine of it."  
>"Routine"<p>

Jane nodded, as if the word was somehow profound.

Weird. But then, Jane had always been a couple of French fries short of a Happy Meal. Nothing drastic, just a little. off.

From what Caroline could tell, Jane was really off today, occupying her own little world. She hummed, she filed her nails, she answered a few calls. She sounded rational, at least, if not very effective. "I don't know, I'll get back to you," seemed to be her phrase of the day. A little after nine she disappeared, and came back ten minutes later with dirt stains on her blouse. Coming over to Caroline she leaned down and whispered,

"I'm having a problem getting to some files. Will you help me move some boxes?"

What files? What boxes? Almost all their files were on computer. Caroline started to ask what she was talking about, but Jane gave a quick, embarrassed look around the office as if she was in some difficulty that had nothing to do with files, and didn't want the others to know.

Why me? Caroline thought, but sighed and said,

"Sure."

She followed Jane to the elevator.

"Where are these files?"

She asked.

"Downstairs. In the storage room."  
>"I didn't know anything was actually stored in `Storage',"<p>

Caroline joked, but Jane didn't seem to get it.

"Of course there is"

She said, sounding bewildered.

The elevator was empty, and they didn't meet anyone in the first floor hallway, which wasn't surprising considering the time of morning. Everyone was in his or her office, the computer nerds were probably having a spitball war, and it wasn't time yet for the morning coffee break, when people started moving around more.

They went down the narrow, puke green hallway, and Jane opened the door marked "Storage," stepping aside for Caroline to enter ahead of her. Caroline wrinkled her nose at the smell, dank and sour, as if no one had been in there for quite a while. It was also dark.

"Where's the light switch?"

She asked, not stepping inside.

Something hard hit her in the back, shoving her forward into the dark, smelly room. Caroline sprawled on the rough concrete floor, scraping skin off her hands and knees. Sudden horrified realization exploded in her mind, and she managed to roll to the side and scramble to her feet as a long metal pipe came whistling down.

She screamed, or she thought she did. She wasn't certain, because her heartbeat was thunderous in her ears and she couldn't hear anything else. She tried to grab the pipe, and wrestled briefly for possession of it. But Jane was strong, very strong as all cold ones were, and with a hard shove knocked Caroline off her feet again.

Caroline heard that whistling noise again; then lights exploded in her head and she didn't hear anything else.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46

A door opened out in the hallway. The blond man froze, listening to the heavy footsteps as they crossed the hall; then there was the sound of another door opening and closing. It was someone in maintenance, he realized. If the man had looked in this direction and seen the open door of the storage room, he would certainly have come to investigate.

He was agonized. Why hadn't he thought of the possibility that one of the maintenance workers could be nearby? He should have; he hadn't been careful enough, and Mother would be angry.

He looked at the woman lying on the dirty concrete floor, barely visible in the light coming through the open door of the storage room. Was she breathing? He couldn't tell, he felt as if someone was banging cymbals in his ears and he was afraid to make any noise now.

He hadn't done this right at all. He hadn't planned well, and that frightened him, because when he didn't do something perfectly, Mother was enraged. He had to please her, had to think of something he could do, some way he could make up for his mistakes.

The other one. The one with the smart mouth. He had made a mistake with her, too, but it wasn't his fault she hadn't been at home, was it? Would Mother understand?

No. Mother never accepted excuses.

He would have to go back and get it right.

But what would he do if she wasn't at home, again? She wasn't here; he knew, because he had checked. Where could she be?

He would find her. He knew who her parents were and where they lived, he knew the names of her friends, and their addresses. He knew a lot of things about her. He knew a lot of things about everyone who worked here, because he loved reading their private files. He could write down their social security numbers and dates of birth and find out all sorts of things about them on his computer at home. He had hooked it up to the company's files, the secret files, eons ago.

She was the last one. He couldn't wait. He needed to find her now, needed to finish the task Mother had given him.

Very quietly he laid down the pipe beside the unmoving woman, too afraid to drive it through her chest for good measure, and crept out of the storage room. He closed the door as silently as possible, then tiptoed away.

_PM_

A deputy stopped by Damon's desk with a fax.

"Here's the report on the shoe print you've been waiting for."

Damon picked up the report and read the first line:

"The tread does not match -"

What the hell? All crime labs had books or databases on sneaker tread patterns, updated on a regular basis. He didn't have the policing thing down pat but even he knew that!

He started to toss the report, but realized it was rather wordy for a simple "does not match." He couldn't afford to overlook a single detail, couldn't let his sense of urgency distract him. He began reading again.

"The tread does not match that of any athletic shoe for men. The pattern does, however, match an exclusive style that is manufactured only for women. The section of tread pattern available is insufficient for determining exact size, but indicates probable size between eight and ten."

A woman's shoe? The guy was wearing women's shoes?

Or the guy was a woman.

"Son of a bitch!"

Damon said between his teeth, lunging for the phone and punching in Brewster's number. When Rob answered, he said,

"I got the report back on the shoe. It's a woman's"

There was dead silence for a moment; then Rob said,

"You're shitting me"

He sounded as appalled as Damon felt.

"We excluded the female employees from the computer. We hog-tied ourselves. We have to go through their files, too."  
>"You're telling me a woman -"<p>

Rob fell silent, and Damon knew he was thinking of the things that had been done to Rebekah's body, and Bonnie's.

"Jesus."  
>"Now we know why Bonnie opened her door. It didn't make sense that she would. But she was on guard against a man, not a woman."<p>

That feeling of having missed something was growing stronger.

A woman. Think of a blond woman. Immediately he flashed to Rebekah's funeral, and the tall blond sparkly vampire who had broken down and wept in Elijah's arms. A drama queen, Caroline had said, but Bella had a different take on it:

_'The wheel's still going around, but her hamster's dead'._ She thought the woman had a loose screw, that there was something wrong there. Damn it! She had even mentioned her when he asked about employees who had experienced difficulty getting along with others at work.

Caroline had said something else, something that hadn't clicked at the time: _the woman was in her department, human resources_. The woman had access to everything, all the information in all the files, including private phone numbers and the names and addresses of relatives to call in case of an emergency.

That was it. That was what had been nagging at him. Joaquin Steele had specifically told him the personnel files weren't on computers with Internet connections; it was impossible to hack into them. Whoever had called Caroline's cell phone number had gotten it from her file, but that file, without specific authorization, was accessible only to those in H.R.

What was her name? What was her damn name?

He reached for the phone to call Bella, but the name popped into his head before he could dial the number: Upir. The tongue-in-cheek name for vampire thanks to some silly tv show. Jane Upir.

He dialed Brewster instead.

"Jane Upir"

he rasped when Roger answered.

"She's the one who was crying all over Rebekah's brother at the funeral."  
>"The blonde, Shit! She fit the profile, too."<p>

Right down to the ground, Damon thought. The nervousness, the excessive emotion, the inability to stay in the background.

"I've got the file here; there are several complaints about her attitude. She didn't get along with people. God, this is classic. We'll bring her in for questioning; see what we can shake loose."

Rob talked fast, excited. They finally had a break

"She'll be at work. Caroline went to work today. They're in the same department, Human Resources."

Alarm clawed Damon's gut

"Get on the phone to her, I'm on my way."

Damon quickly looked up the number at SPC. An automated answering message picked up on the first ring, and he ground his teeth. He had to listen until the recording gave the appropriate extension for Human Resources, which took valuable time. Damn it! Why didn't companies use real people to answer the phone? Messages were cheaper, but in an emergency the delay could cause real trouble.

Finally the recorded message gave the extension he wanted, and he punched it in. A harried voice picked up on the fourth ring.

"Human Resources"  
>"Caroline Forbes, please."<br>"I'm sorry; Miss Forbes has stepped out of the office."  
>"How long has she been gone?"<p>

He asked sharply. The teenager on the other end of the line wasn't a pushover.

"Who is this?"

She asked just as sharply.

"Detective Salvatore. It's important I find her. Listen to me: is Jane Upir there?"  
>"No"<p>

The teen was far more cooperative now.

"She and Caroline left together about half an hour ago, I guess. The phones have been ringing like crazy and with both of them gone we've been short-handed. They -"

Damon interrupted

"If Caroline returns, tell her to call me immediately, she has my number. Can you switch me to Mr. Steele's office?"  
>"Yes - sure. Of course. Do you want me to?"<p>

Damon closed his eyes and bit back a raw curse.

"Yes"  
>"Okay. Hold on."<p>

A series of electronic tones sounded in his ear, then the smooth voice of Mr. Steele's executive secretary. Damon cut into her practiced welcoming spiel.

"This is Detective Salvatore. Is Mr. Steele available? It's an emergency."

The two words "detective" and "emergency" got him put through immediately to Steele. Quickly Damon outlined the situation.

"Call the gate and don't let anyone leave, and start searching for Caroline Check every broom closet and bathroom stall. Don't confront Jane, but don't let her leave. Detective Brewster is on the way."  
>"I'll call the gate right now."<p>

Damon was ready to hang up when the normally smooth voice sounded even more upset.

"She left the premises about twenty minutes ago."  
>"Was Caroline with her?"<br>"No. The guard said she was alone."  
>"Then find Caroline"<p>

Damon said urgently. He simultaneously wrote a note and signaled a passing by deputy and watched as the young human rabbited away fast.

"She's somewhere in the building, and maybe she's still alive."

Maybe. Rebekah had been dead from the first hammer blow. Bonnie hadn't died immediately, but she had also suffered head trauma so severe she died before she could completely bleed out from the stab wounds. The M.E. estimated, based purely on his personal experience, that she had lived, maybe, a couple of minutes after the initial attack. The attacks were vicious and overwhelming.

"Should I be discreet about it?"  
>"The police chief's daughter is probably dying as we speak. Being discreet won't help finding her"<p>

Damon hang up the phone trembling. From his point he could see the deputy talking fast in Liz's office and getting the ball rolling. Find Jane. Find Klaus and get him to use his bond with Caroline to help find her and pump as much of his blood into her as possible. Someone stay with Liz to make sure she doesn't get a heart attack till then.

Not wanting to stay back but knowing it was the best thing he could do Damon sat back down and went through Jane's file. After a minute his eyes zeroed in

Jane Upir, formerly known as Jane Volturi, was one of the two personal henchmen of the bad boys in Italy. She was a gifted vampire who, according to her file, was able to cause pain to anyone she chose to. She also had a twin brother, named Alec, who still was in Italy.

"Fuck"

His next call was to Volterra and his voice had slipped into the language he hadn't spoken in far too long


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Bella had chosen to hide out once again at the boarding house. When she had gotten there, she found Phil nursing a jet lag in the kitchen and Renée puking her guts in the small bathroom adjustment to the kitchen

"What are you guys doing here? Phil, you promised me!"

The bald man raised his hands

"I tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen. I've stopped trying to reason with your mother or you. Talking to a brick wall yields better results"

Bella's lips curled into a smirk at the confession. It was true after all. Well, mothering her mother and stepfather would take her mind off of everything else. Once again BooBoo had joined her for the car ride and was now beautifully ignoring her in favor of the milk Phil was pouring for Renée.

Cat had priorities. First the milk and then the sunlight at the back patio. Renee was the first to lay by the pool, groaning at the nausea the water gave her when she tried getting in the pool. Phil refused to leave them alone and sat down with a sports magazine nearby and Bella joined her mother, her cell phone in her back jeans pocket.

A large umbrella was angled overhead to block the sun, and Bella dozed a little while Renée was hit by another mothering wave and played with her hair, they way she would when her baby was little.

A CD of classical piano pieces was playing softly in the background, and Bella felt her mind begin to quiet down, like a wave pulling back from the shore.

She couldn't think any more about Rebekah and Bonnie, not right now. Her mind and emotions were exhausted. In her lightly dozing state, she thought about Damon, and what a rock he proved to be. Was it only three weeks ago she had thought he was the blight of the neighborhood? So much had happened that she had lost her perspective of time; it seemed as if she had known him for months.

He had said that exchanging blood would do that, tie them stronger together but was it just that? Offering him her blood and consuming his? Was it the sex? Was she just clingy? Well she knew she was. She had always been fast to jump to conclusions, especially when it included her heart to the point she was willingly overlooking the differences she had with the boyfriend du jour.

With Edward, the differences were like a large wall. He refused to understand her and she had refused to understand him. In time neither had yielded.

With Jake, the differences were like two sides of the same coin. He wanted something and she wanted the opposite. There could be no resolution.

With Damon, the differences were part of the deal. As if they were interlocking pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. he was accepting what she dealt and in return dealt something she accepted as natural.

For once the difference in species seemed to be an afterthought, she realized. She smiled softly and let her mind take a holiday

The doorbell chimed softly in the background, pulling Renee from her thoughts. She wanted to talk to her daughter but with the recent events she didn't want to share her own doubts and news and possibly upset her. Her news could wait. She sighed as she glanced down at Bella who wasn't moving her head from her lap

"Aren't you going to see who's at the door?"  
>"No way. It's probably just a reporter."<br>"It might be Damon."  
>"Damon would have called"<p>

Phil rolled his eyes at them and put his magazine face down on the table between the bamboo sofas.

"I'll get it ladies"

Renée grinned and raised her face for a kiss. Bella waggled her fingers at him as he passed by to open the glass patio doors and stepped inside.

_PM_

Damon alternated between cussing and praying as he wove between cars, the dash light he had never wanted flashing. There was no answer at the boarding house. He had left a message on the answering machine, but fear gripped him. Where could Bella be? She wouldn't have gone anywhere without calling him, not under the current circumstances.

He had never before in his life been so terrified, not even facing Klaus for Elena's heart. He had most of the supernatural part of the force en route to the boarding house, but, God, what if it was already too late?

Driving with one hand, the gas pedal pressed to the floorboard, he glanced at his phone and pressed Bella's speed-dial number. Then he waited for the connection to be made, and he prayed some more.

_PM_

The patio gate rattled. The privacy fence around the pool was eight feet high, constructed of wooden slats in a solid lattice weave, but the gate was made of wrought-iron bars. Startled, Bella sat up and glanced over.

"Bella!"

It was Jane, of all people. She looked frantic, and with one hand she rattled the gate again as if she could shake it open. Good thing the gates were coated in vervain, Bella thought. The herb couldn't harm cold ones but it could weaken them

"Jane! What's wrong? Is it Caroline?"

Bella bolted from the love seat and ran toward the gate. Her heart almost leaped from her chest, so strong was the panic that seized her that she forgot her dislike for the cold one.

Jane blinked, as if Bella's question surprised her. Her strangely intent gaze locked on Bella.

"Yes, it's Caroline"

She said, and shook the gate one more time.

"Open the gate."  
>"What's happened? Is she all right?"<p>

Bella skidded to a halt in front of the gate and reached to open it, then realized she didn't have a key to the lock with her. All the household keys were in the kitchen for safe keeping.

"Open the gate"

Jane repeated.

"I can't, I don't have the key! Hold on a bit -"

Bella was almost weeping in terror as she turned away, but Jane reached through the gate and grabbed her arm.

"Hey!"

Startled out of her panic, Bella jerked her arm but the vampire's grip was too hard. she whirled to stare at Jane her mind momentarily replacing the woman's face for another blond vampire gripping her arm strong enough to break it.

"What the hell –"

The words died in her throat. Jane's outstretched hand had blood on it, and two of her fingernails were broken. How could a cold one break their nails? The woman pressed closer to the gate, and Bella saw more red splotches on the baggy skirt.

Instinct had Bella backing up a step, not realizing she dislocated her wrist as she pulled it roughly out of Jane's grip.

"Open the goddamn gate!"

Jane shrieked, shaking the gate with her left hand as if she were a crazed chimpanzee on the inside of a cage. Her feathery blond hair flew around her face.

Bella stared at the blood, and the blond hair. She saw the weird glitter in Jane's eyes, the same expression Edward had when he tried to read her mind and Jasper when he tried to alter her feelings, the twisted expression on her face, and everything inside her went cold.

"You murdering bitch"

She half-whispered. Jane was as quick as a striking snake. she backed up and jumped over the gate, not touching it and thrust her right arm, swinging it as if it was a baseball bat at Bella's head. Bella lurched backward and lost her balance, stumbling several more steps before falling. She twisted to the side as she fell, landing on her hip. Driven by adrenaline, she bounced to her feet before she felt any pain from the jarring impact.

Jane swung again, hitting Bella's right hand that she had raised to protect her head, breaking it instantly.

"Phil! Call the police! Hurry!"

Jane shoved her back a few feet. An unholy expression twisting her face as she stepped closer

"You're a whore. You're a lewd, vulgar whore, and you don't deserve to live."

Not daring to take her gaze off Jane, even for a second, Bella stumbled upright and inched away, trying to get closer to the house. it wouldn't offer protection, Bonnie had never gotten around to erecting wards against cold ones but she remembered Mrs Flowers saying there were weapons in the house. If she were lucky, she might find something to get the bitch on fire.

She knew what the blood on Jane's hands and clothing meant, knew that Caroline was dead, too. All of them were gone, now. All of her friends. This insane bitch had killed them. a thought struck her

"Where is my mother?"

The sick smile stretching Jane's lips got even wider and Bella's insides froze. She took another step back shaking her head. She had backed up to the wrong direction. She was almost on the edge of the pool.

Phil stepped out of the house, his face white and his eyes wide, blood was pouring down the side of his head and Jane's nostrils flared. He carried one of his baseball bats in both hands.

"I called the cops"

He said, his voice dead calm as he stared at Jane like a mongoose watching a cobra. And like a cobra, Jane's attention swung to him.

No, Bella thought, the word like a faint whisper in her mind. Not him too.

"No!"

The roar burst out of her throat, and she literally felt herself expanding as a wildfire of rage burst through her, as if her skin couldn't contain it. A red mist swam in front of her eyes, and her vision narrowed, focused until she saw only Jane. She wasn't aware of lunging forward, but Jane wheeled back to face her, red eyes zooming on her.

Phil swung the baseball bat, momentarily distracting Bella. The thick wood hit Jane on the shoulder breaking in a million pieces, and the vampire screamed in rage. She reached a powerful arm sideways and pushed him backwards, sending him flying back to the patio sitting area a few feet away. Phil fell and remained unmoving.

Bella crashed into her, all the force of her fury lending her strength. Jane was taller, heavier and hard as a brick wall. She gave way under Bella's assault for a moment. Then Jane stiffened and recovered her balance, and thrust Bella away. Bella's left foot slipped off the edge of the pool both of them plunged into the water.

Tangled together, struggling, they went to the bottom. Jane still Bella's t-shirt not allowing her to swim away, herself perfectly content underwater

Bella hadn't had time to gulp in air before she went under. Her lungs burned, her chest convulsing, as she fought not to inhale water. Not sure how she found the strength to push with her feet at Jane's chest and wrench free ripping her t-shirt and lunged for the surface, dragging in huge breaths of air as soon as her face was clear. She choked and sputtered, and looked wildly around.

A hand wrapped around her ankle dragged her back underwater.

Jane twisted and got one hand on Bella's throat, her fingers digging in. The incredible pressure made Bella gag, and water rushed into her mouth. This time kicking against on Jane's stomach didn't work. She felt herself slipping away the more the hand around her throat tightened.

Through her half lidded eyes, she could barely see as a dark shape, then another, surged toward them in a stream of bubbles.

Strong hands wrenched her out of Jane's death grip, while another pair grabbed her as she was lifted to the surface. Last thing she saw was flames over the pool.

Pretty, she thought.

"Mommy"

She whispered. Then she let darkness overtake her etching the images of the flames behind her lids

_PM_

"No!"

Damon screamed as he beat down on her chest hard enough to break her bones hoping to get her heart beating again. She had his blood in her system, so she wouldn't die per se but they hadn't talked about vampirism at all.

"I couldn't get here in time, My God; I couldn't get here in time. I tried to call, but you didn't answer. Why didn't you answer the goddamn phone?"

"Reporters kept calling,"

Renee gasped as a paramedic was holding a quickly bleeding towel against the back of her head. Renée's both hands were wrapped around her midsection, hoping against hope that the small life inside her wasn't harmed. Her eyes locked on Damon trying to keep her daughter alive, her husband already being looked after by another set of paramedics

"I turned the phones off."

Phil winced and clutched his ribs, his face colorless, looking at his family

They didn't stay to watch the flames die and the cops gathering the ashes that used to be Alec, Jane's brother and not her, being removed from the pool. There were enough officers present to handle everything.

Instead they were whisked away to the hospital and put in different treatment cubicles. Damon wasn't allowed inside and he leaned against the wall. He was sick to his stomach; he had felt Bella's life slipping and her new one setting in as he beat her chest.

He hadn't been able to protect the woman he loved more than anyone else in the world. Until the day his life ended, he would never forget the feeling of helpless terror as he raced through the streets, knowing he was already too late and couldn't get to Bella in time to save her.

He had put the pieces of the puzzle together, but too late to save her and Caroline from harm.

Caroline was even worse. Her head was cracked and no matter how much blood of his own Klaus had fed her, Meredith Fell, the local doctor specialized in supernatural crap, had no idea whether she would survive.

Damon was slumped in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the waiting area when Rob Brewster came in.

"Jesus, what a nightmare"

Rob said, dropping into the chair beside Damon's.

"How are you?"  
>"I caused my girlfriend to lose her human life, her mother to possibly lose her baby and her step father to break his ribs and possibly lose his career as a baseball player. How do you think?"<br>"Just a normal day in Mystic Falls then?"

Rob chuckled under his breath. The absurd reality they were living in was usually something to chuckle about.

"I damn near fucked up, Rob. I didn't put it together until it was almost too late, then I couldn't get to Bella in time."  
>"Hey, you put it together in time to get other people to them. Caroline's alive, which she wouldn't be if they hadn't found her when they did. You and I managed to get to the boarding house just in time to set the crazy bastard on fire. Event he Volturi don't want the publicity of having someone so unstable working for them and will shush it. Alec could freeze people at will"<br>"No wonder he managed to kill Rebekah and Bonnie. Who knew the Sparklies can actually kill Originals without the white oak tricks?"  
>"I don't know how your girl managed to not get frozen but personally, I think you did a helluva job, but I'm just a detective, what the fuck do I know?"<p>

Dr Meredith Fell finally came out of Bella's room.

"She's transforming. I want to keep her overnight in a padded room to ease the situation in"  
>"I want to see her"<p>

Damon said standing. Meredith nodded

"You should. If anyone is telling her what's going on it should be you. Oh, her mother's is alright too and so is the baby. Just a concussion. The step father has two cracked ribs, but he'll be all right, too."

She paused.

"Looks like it was one hell of a fight."  
>"It was"<p>

Damon agreed and nodding his thanks, stepped through the treatment cubicle to one of the padded rooms. Bella was sitting on a vinyl examination table. Her eyes brightened when she saw him, and though she didn't say a word, her expression was enough as she reached out her hand to him. Gently he took it in his, and then used it to pull her closer and fold her in his arms.

_PM_

Twenty-two hours later, Caroline managed to open one swollen eye a tiny slit, and move her fingers just enough to squeeze Klaus's hand. Liz was holding the other one tightly and returned her daughter's pained smile.


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48

"I can't believe you haven't told your father"

Caroline said. She was still weak but the scolding tone was clear.

"How can you not tell your parents someone tried to kill both you and your mother and almost succeeded? Not to add that you're not the token human anymore"

Bella rubbed her nose shrugging.

"Charlie and I don't talk anymore. I doubt he'll care honestly. He's more likely to gather the villagers, grab the torches plus the pitchforks and try to end me"

She rolled her eyes and passed her fingers through the fresh soil covering the grave they were sitting next to. Neither had been able to attend Bonnie's funeral. They had tried but were both hit by a feeding frenzy and relied on Klaus and Damon respectively to toss them back in their padded rooms to avoid a massacre.

They visited the cemetery every night. Rebekah's (empty sans mementos and a handful of her ashes, the rest were spread in the meadow she loved to visit as a human way back when) grave was across the path to Bonnie's. This was their new meeting place. All four of them, in spirit anyway.

Two weeks had passed since Rebekah's death and they were still shaken from the ordeal.

Caroline would scream herself awake as memories would torture her every night, wordless accusations that she had let her best friend die would jolt her awake. Klaus had been there every night to calm her down, tell her Rebekah's death wasn't her fault. Liz had been there every morning to remind her of the good things she and Bonnie had been through, happy childhood memories.

Bella refused to sleep at all. If she never slept, nightmares wouldn't come was her reasoning. It drove Damon up the wall but strangely it was Phil who gave him the "how to deal with Bella and Renée" manual. It was helpful, Damon had to admit. With plainly written directions he helped her through the trauma. He hadn't babied her. He had loved her, comforted her, made love to her so often she was sore, but that was it, and it was more than enough. She had been able to laugh again.

Both survivors had visited the cemetery every night. Bella had no sun-cheat ring, she had refused one until she had moved on from the pain and Caroline had given hers back to Klaus. They both wanted to take things easy, acquaint themselves with the night.

Klaus had been constantly by Caroline's side and if the naked devotion in his eyes was any indication, their difficulties were behind them. He had left Elijah at the helm of whatever it was he was actually doing in New Orleans and for once, let Caroline call the shots in their relationship.

"Stefan is arriving today"

Bella mused. Caroline's lips twisted in a smile

"I missed him. He tried to get me to get used to scarfing down bunnies"

She remembered. Bella snorted

"Poor Bugs"  
>"That's what I said. God I was difficult"<br>"Have you talked to him at all?"  
>"Not really. He followed Elena and they made a pretty clean break"<p>

Caroline shrugged a delicate shoulder and promptly changed the subject

"Are you excited to meet your brother in law?"  
>"I'm not getting married!"<p>

Bella exclaimed laughing. Caroline rolled her eyes knowing the truth when she saw it. There was no need for "I do" when you were with your mate. Riding her best friend though was too much fun to let go of the touchy subject

The sun began it's ascending behind the falls and the warmth that preceded the burning to a crisp part touched them. Both women sighed

"Till tonight Care"  
>"Till tonight Bell"<p>

_PM_

Klaus waiting for Caroline bearing a huge bouquet of lilies, filling their house with their perfume.

"Welcome home"

He welcomed her to what was going to be their house. No more stays at Liz's for Caroline. She was ready to move on


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Damon had begun conferring with the Kings in Volterra almost daily. Aro especially had been happy to talk about the twins to him. They were his children, someone would say if they heard the pain marring the insanity in his voice.

"I was the one who found them. I had posed as a teacher for them for a while. Despite both hiding their powers from their mother, it was Alec who couldn't adjust when I met and later on changed them. Jane took hers in stride and was happy here. Alec though..."  
>"Their mother was strict?"<p>

Damon asked. He was at his desk, his long legs propped on an open drawer, the phone glued to his ear.

"Extremely. She would punish them both but also covered for them a lot. I had a pet at the time, really I wanted to see how long I'd last before eating it and let me tell you it was disgusting! I'll never know how _others_ manage with animals, and Alec killed it but the mother wouldn't accept that Alec could ever do anything like that. She made the statement, often and to anyone who would listen, that she had the perfect little boy."

Bingo, thought Damon._ The Perfect Man_. That was the trigger that had set Alec off like a bomb that had been slowly ticking down over the years. It wasn't the content of the List itself, but rather the title that he had found so unbearable.

"Why did he leave Volterra?"

Damon asked, trying and failing to keep the accusation out of his voice

"I had sent him in America to shadow a coven that is a thorn in my side. They feed on animals if you can believe that! Why he presented himself as his sister though and why he's in your town I don't know. I thought he was in the Olympic peninsula"

Damon now knew all he had needed to know. Large animal feeding coven, mainly located in the Olympic peninsula. He knew only of one that fit both characteristics. His one and only friend since he was human was part of it.

He made a mental note to talk it through with Jasper one day. But not today. Today he was choosing to be pleased that Bella was alive, immortal like him and chose to be with him now they were equals. He didn't care about her past, why the Kings would care to keep tabs on her despite her humanity, why Jasper's coven would even let that happen.

_PM_

"Damn it"

He muttered. Stefan would never let him hear the end of it if they were late meeting him at the airport. He hadn't told him a thing and wanted to catch the surprise on his baby brother's face and savor it

He drove like a maniac to meet Bella just as the sun set in front of the boarding house. The lawyer had come through and it was back in Phil's name, once again to be used as a boarding house, and Renée with her husband and fetus had chosen to buy a house in town and relocate there. Damon had moved in with Bella and the cat that viewed their house as his backup option; and Stefan, if he wanted to stay, he could take his.

Things were settling smoothly, Damon thought. It was a scary thought.

"You're late"

Bella chirped and kissed him as he drove off towards the airport.

"We'll make it"

He said confidently.

"Just try not to kill us on the way there. I'm still getting the hang of this vampire thing"

He reached the airport in record time and parked the car. So far her control was great, considering she ate every night a little of whoever Liz had busted for speeding or have a blood bag with Caroline at the cemetery. To be on the safe side though, he wrapped an arm around her and they walked in the not too busy terminal together.

They had just reached the gate when passengers began pouring out. Stefan appeared almost immediately. He grinned and he and Damon gripped each other in one of those strange one handed hugs men give one another.

"Is this the sacrificing virgin?"

Stefan asked, his green eyes sparkling with mirth

"Not a virgin anymore though. Unless vampirism gives me my cherry back"

Bella deadpanned. Damon closed his eyes but didn't stop grinning. Stefan laughed and nodded

"Yeah, you two are perfect for each other"

It was only then that Damon realized someone was missing. He raised his eyebrows at Stefan who shrugged

"She left me. Again"

Bella had heard almost everything about Elena by now and hid a wince.

"We'll get you bar hopping"

Damon said and clapped his brother's shoulder

"Lucky me"

The end

**A/N: So this is the end (for now at least, no idea if I'll have a Stefan centric sequel at some point, do you guys even want one?). Hope everyone liked reading it as much as I loved writing it. Adios!**


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Twilight, Vampire Diaries, Friendship, Suspense